Review by Dan Skip Allen Lately, the film and television media have decided to take a stand against drugs and shady pharmaceutical companies that have taken advantage of the pain and suffering of people who need medication for various reasons. Spiderhead goes to the next level and follows prisoners of a state-of-the-art penitentiary whose captors experiment on them after choosing to be a part of this study rather than go to a regular prison for their crimes. Chris Hemsworth plays a doctor who is trying to find the perfect medication to alleviate crime in the country in the near future. He has a group of prisoners who have signed up for this medical trial. A few prisoners (Miles Teller, Jurnee Smollett, Tess Haubrich) have various interactions that help the enigmatic doctor and his assistant determine how the medications are working on these volunteers. This film is trying to say something important about experimental drugs and medications and how they can help society, but I felt the message got lost in the development of the characters and the story within the script. It isn't easy to determine why rich people want to use poor people or, in this case, prisoners as guinea pigs for their experiments. They think they can do whatever they want, and the government will sign off if it benefits them or their perception of what is good for society. This film drops the ball on what it should be saying and doing. The writers of the Deadpool films, Rett Reece and Paul Wernick, and the director of Top Gun: Maverick, Joseph Kosinski, are why this film got made, along with the cast attached to it, but all this talent doesn't make for a great movie. Netflix saw these guys attached and probably thought this would be a good investment. The end product turned out to be a dud, though. Hemsworth is trying to channel some kind of genius with a groundbreaking idea, and he uses fast-talking slick dialogue to get his way most of the time. He uses the past lives of his patients against them, so they reluctantly acknowledge, agreeing to whatever drug he's using on them at a given time. He's not a good villain and should probably stick to playing Thor in the MCU.
Teller and Smollett are pretty good in the film, but they are typecast into roles of characters we've seen a thousand times before. The little guy and/or girl are trying to overcome their oppressor. Even though, in this case, it seems like they got a pretty good thing going for them. It's all a big disguise, though, so they can be lulled into a false sense of security. The filmmakers had a good premise that they wasted. Spiderhead is a film trying to say something meaningful, but it is wasted in the end product. The filmmakers and writers are first-rate, and the cast is filled with a couple of heavy hitters having a moment right now. This film's message about experimental drugs for the greater good could have been done better, and people would be applauding it. Instead, it's sloppily executed by some industry pros, making this a big disappointment. Spiderhead hits Netflix on June 17. Rating: 2/5
0 Comments
Review by Dan Skip Allen You had to be hiding under a rock where I come from, Lowell, Massachusetts, forty-five minutes north of Boston, if you didn't hear about the forced busing in the greater Boston School District in the mid-1970s. This situation was a powder keg in a racially charged Boston. South Boston was prominently a white Irish community, and Roxbury was a predominantly Black community. Desegregation finally hit Boston. The Walk depicts these events to some degree. The Walk tells the story of the Boston forced busing situation from the point of view of a few families: the kids, some police officers, a paramedic, and some local gangsters. Of course, the white kids use language I won't utter in this review, but we all know what words I'm talking about. The Black kids are fine except when quoting Malcolm X, Martin Luther King, and the Black Panthers. The parents are the ones with their heads on their shoulders. Terrence Howard, a Paramedic, and Justin Chatwin, a Police Officer, know what this whole powder keg could mean in the greater context of the final rights movement. Daniel Adams, the director and half of the writing team with George Powell, give this story a good try. If this material were in the hands of someone like Ben Affleck as director and Matt Damon and Affleck as the screenplay writers, it would have had a better chance of being a more successful film. The filmmakers have got a lot of things right in this film, but a few things were so overwhelmingly bad I couldn't get over them. One of them is that this film has a glossiness that is entirely out of place. The sheen completely threw me off. This film used the wrong cameras or filters to film this movie. It should have had a more grainy feeling and look to it. Also, it seemed that the accents were a little forced, with everyone extending their As and rolling their Rs The things this film did get right were all of the clothes, cars, and hairstyles. The production value is on point throughout the film. It would have been better if there were some grime and a little dirt on the streets, houses, and cars. The language was dirtier than the actual film was. That is a significant problem. Maybe the budget had to do with that, which is 35 million. Bigger-name directors and even actors may have made this film a priority, and larger studios might have given them more money to make. It sure as heck needed it.
The cast was solid for the budget they had to make the film with. That being said, Malcolm McDowell and Jeremy Piven both signed on to this project, so they must have seen something in it. They both play one-note gangsters with a racist bent to them. The filmmakers had to have somebody as the villain of the film. Even though it says it's based on true events at the beginning, that could mean anything. A scroll of photos of some actual civil rights events and dates was a nice added touch at the beginning to let viewers know what kind of film this really is. The Walk had some things going for it, but it seems to me that a bigger budget and more prominent talent attached to it would have helped give it a better chance of succeeding. The cast was fine with the younger than girls, Katie Douglas, Lovie Somone, and Justin Chatwin being the standouts. The production value of the film was also pretty good. It mostly looked like it took place in this era. The film lens or a better camera would have made it a better-looking film. The glossy cleanliness that the film had completely threw me out of it. Coming from this place and growing up in this area, I wanted to like this film and get behind all of these aspects, but I just couldn't in the end. The Walk is now in theaters and on VOD. Rating: 2.5/5 Review by Dan Skip Allen Aside from a few exceptions, most movies about clergymen tend to be in the horror genre. Sometimes these films involve a priest who is trying to receive repentance from his past. The Righteous is another such film. The priest in this film has difficulty deciding what he should do to repent for his past sins. Ex-priest Father Fredrick Mason (Henry Czerny) is living an idyllic life with his wife Ethel (Mimi Kuzyk) in the country when one day, a man comes to his home. The ex-priest invites the man, Aaron (Mark O'Brien, Ready or Not, Blue Bayou), into his house. The ex-priest and this young man start to talk about things and where each of them comes from. They both soon learn that they come from a similar place and don't see eye to eye on each other's motivations. O'Brien is also the director of this film, and he has made some interesting choices regarding how he has made this film. He filmed this movie in glorious black and white. This film looks gorgeous. These topics he chose to talk about are just that — black and white — so it makes sense that he chose this style to film in. It lends itself perfectly to this story. The music in the film is also a great choice. It's glorious and hauntingly beautiful both at the same time. The film keeps the viewer guessing about its true direction and the characters' connections with one another. While other characters come in and out, the focus is on these two main characters and their cat and mouse game with one another. They constantly try to make specific characters make decisions that will call on their faith to see what they will do. When the true nature of one of the characters comes to light, the viewer has to decide what to think about this person.
The ex-priest is given a choice, and everything since this man entered his life has been part of that choice. The ex-priest's decision is not an easy one, but eventually, he has no choice, and it's clear to him what he must do. The young man has taken all the obstacles out of the priest's way, so he does what he wants him to do. Then he has to finally pay his penance for his crime. Mark O'Brien has asked the viewer to go along on this ride of self-discovery with him and the characters in the film. As a man who has had my ups and down with organized religion, I can honestly say I had a hard time following along on this ride. The question that should be asked is, why does he have to make this choice? What is he supposed to gain by such a tough decision that he had to make? And how will his repentance be paid once he has made this fateful choice, one he can never return from. This film asks these questions but doesn't give the answers. The viewer must come to these conclusions for him or herself. It's too much of a burden to figure out up from down and left from right in this scenario. It leaves you with more questions than answers. The Righteous is now streaming on ARROW. Rating: 2.5/5 Review by Paris Jade Lost Illusions, set in 1821, follows Lucien de Rubempré, a lower-class poet, as he decides to embark on a journey to achieve his dreams in Paris. In doing so, he finds the darker sides of the art business and tries his best not to stray away from his true goals. This film does a great job of introducing you to the characters as quickly as possible and going straight into the actual plot. You aren't stuck watching meaningless exchanges and such — Lucien actually leaves for Paris after the first 10 minutes or so into the movie. They give you a quick setup, and you're in. Along with this, you still get to know the main character well enough to find a liking for him. You can tell he's serious about his goals, and you start rooting for him... until he gets to Paris. Once things take a turn in the film, there are a few scenes that are just honestly quite boring. You don't seem to care for any of what's happening. Skipping to the end and seeing if he makes it or not is better than spending your time actually watching it. It's too long of a movie. The actors did a fine job with the script they were presented with. You can definitely sit down and watch it and enjoy yourself at certain points of the plot, but some scenes are one big snoozefest. It's not something you'd recommend to a friend unless they are very into that century, Paris, and literature. The casual moviegoer might not find this incredibly appealing or entertaining whatsoever. But if you are someone who does enjoy those types of things, then, by all means, watch the film — you will enjoy it. There's a great deal of drama and romance and all types of "behind the scenes" work in printing articles in 1821. It's also set in Paris, which gives the perfect and beautiful scenery to have magnificent shots. There are wonderfully directed shots of 1800s Paris. As you see everything through Lucien's eyes, the second he gets to Paris feels like a dream, but then it slowly turns sour as he finds more things out. It definitely draws in a certain type of crowd.
There's nothing better than watching a film of someone chasing their dreams. However, the type of dream they chase is what crowd you will bring in. Lost Illusions does a good job of portraying Paris in the 1800s and showing you its darker and more corrupt sides. The only thing is, would you be the type of person to watch that? It's a good film just for certain people. You can watch Lost Illusions in select theaters now. Rating: 3.5/5 Review by Adam Donato Written and directed by Patrick Gilles, I’m Charlie Walker is based on the true story of the life of Charlie Walker. This story is set in the early 1970s in San Francisco. Walker runs a trucking business that is having a hard time flourishing due to bigoted racists of the time. When nobody else dares to take on the challenge of the oil spill down at the beach, Walker takes advantage of the opportunity and gets to work. Starring Mike Colter and Dylan Baker, I’m Charlie Walker is a biopic drama that feels like it was ripped straight from the time period it was set in. Does this movie do justice to the legend himself? I’m Charlie Walker is an enjoyable throwback piece. The story only covers a short part of the man’s life, but they do a good job showcasing who he was as a person. With a runtime of only an hour and eighteen minutes, this feels like an elongated episode of a television series more so than a movie. That being said, the short runtime goes a long way to making this movie not overstay its welcome. By the end, everything feels wrapped up in a satisfying way. It’s enjoyable to watch this hero overcome the field, get the job done and bring different people together in the process. Who doesn’t enjoy seeing racists get what’s coming to them? Colter is a very solid leading man. Most viewers would recognize him from the Netflix show, Luke Cage. The man clearly has experience playing a badass hero. In I’m Charlie Walker, he’s smooth, sympathetic, and in charge throughout. His best scenes in the movie are when he is opposite Baker’s character of the racist corporate drug addict. It’s already easy to hate his character because he’s openly racist, but Baker goes the extra mile to make this foe unabashedly slimy. The only other standout is being Safiya Fredericks, who plays Ann Walker, Charlie’s wife. The movie is narrated by her and this is the most awkward part of the film as her character plays such a minute role. Also, famous writer Boots Riley shows up as Bartender Ray, which is cool.
The beauty of I'm Charlie Walker is its simplicity. It’s a tight movie about an underdog who takes on the man. With solid lead performances and good source material to work off of, this movie is a good time to watch. Recommend this movie to anybody who enjoys stories tackling racism in the 20th Century. I'm Charlie Walker is now available on VOD. Rating: 3/5 Review by Camden Ferrell From the opening shot of a dictionary entry for the word “vagina”, it’s clear that Wyrm is not your typical coming of age movie. This movie had its premiere in 2019 at Fantastic Fest, and it is the feature directorial debut of Christopher Winterbauer who also wrote the movie. This movie is reminiscent of an eccentric style that other filmmakers have done before, but this movie is able to still be fresh due to its offbeat nature and creative premise. Set in an alternate reality resembling the aesthetic of the 90’s, this movie follows Wyrm, an awkward young boy, and his twin sister as they navigate growing up. In this world, the school has a mandated sexuality requirement that sees that the kids wear an electronic collar until they have their first kiss. Wyrm, being one of the last kids in his grade yet to satisfy this requirement, sets forth to grow up and avoid being embarrassed. This is a very interesting premise that feels unique and captures a lot of the awkwardness of growing up at that age. When watching this movie, one is instantly reminded of the films of Todd Solondz or even the recent film Greener Grass. Like those movies, this one also follows an uncanny suburbia and tells its story as it revels in its awkwardness and slightly uncomfortable nature. While it might not always nail the themes and character development like those movies did, it still exceeds far beyond imitation to be its own thing. The acting is strong from the main players. Theo Taplitz leads the film as the titular teenager, and he embodies this shy and awkward persona very well and is able to work well within the film’s unique style and tone. Azure Brandi steals the show as Wyrm’s twin sister, and in her first feature role, she proves that she is an actress to keep your eye on. She nails her eccentric and offbeat delivery while maintaining great chemistry with the rest of the cast.
There are a few moments where the movie can feel like it’s losing steam, but it is usually able to supplement this with some really touching moments that are more noticeable when the rest of the movie is intentionally covered in layers of cringe, awkwardness, and hormonal angst. While the overall message might be something we see often, the real charm of Winterbauer’s film is the way in which he tells it in a way that has never been done before. Wyrm is offbeat, eccentric, and a fittingly cringe experience for the audience. We are able to be put in the protagonist’s shoes as he deals with the confusing nature of adolescence and growing up. Despite being dissimilar from our world in many ways, there is still a lot to relate to in this coming-of-age story that will hopefully make a name for its director and actors. Wyrm is in theaters and on VOD June 10. Rating: 4/5
Review by Sean Boelman
(from left) Dr. Ian Malcolm (Jeff Goldblum), Dr. Alan Grant (Sam Neill), Dr. Ellie Sattler (Laura Dern), Claire Dearing (Bryce Dallas Howard), Owen Grady (Chris Pratt), Maisie Lockwood (Isabella Sermon) and Kayla Watts (DeWanda Wise) in Jurassic World Dominion, co-written and directed by Colin Trevorrow. Photo Credit: John Wilson/Universal Pictures and Amblin Entertainment.
There is an adage that “the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.” Well, it seems that the team behind the Jurassic Park series is absolutely f*cking nuts because they attempted to do the same thing with Jurassic World Dominion that they did with Jurassic World III, hoping it would work out in their favor. In short, it didn’t.
It would be hard to explain in concise terms what is going on in the plot of Jurassic World Dominion because that’s just how complicated it is. The main storyline of the film follows Dr. Ellie Sattler (Laura Dern) and Dr. Alan Grant (Sam Neill) as they work to expose an evil corporation whose genetic modification work threatens to cause global devastation. Meanwhile, Owen Grady (Chris Pratt) and Claire Dearing (Bryce Dallas Howard) set out on a quest to rescue their “adopted” clone daughter (Maisie Lockwood) as well as the Velociraptor Blue’s daughter. If none of that makes any sense, don’t expect it to be any more logical when you’re actually watching the movie. Indeed, the film has all of the intelligence of a Resident Evil movie with none of the enjoyability. It’s just insultingly dumb, and while it is constantly trying to appease just one of your brain cells, it can’t even do that. For fans of the Jurassic Park lore, the introduction of Biosyn into the equation is sure to be exciting. But unfortunately, the movie doesn’t do anything interesting with these characters. They are just another exaggeratedly evil corporation that wants to play God and has to face the horrifying consequences of doing so. And Campbell Scott’s antagonist is so all-over-the-place that it doesn’t even work as satire.
Those hoping to get one last adventure with their old pals may be satisfied if they’re happy with the lowest hanging fruit there is. The film cashes in on the nostalgia in every possible way, and expects audiences to lap it up. Sadly, some will be satisfied with these stupefyingly obvious attempts to pander to the audience, but hopefully more will see through this thinly veiled laziness.
It’s a shame, because the cast here is genuinely talented! In addition to the returning stars, many of whom have only grown in profile since they originated their roles, this movie adds a few new faces. Mamoudou Athie gives what is the closest thing to a good performance in this film, although his performance is suspiciously close to Domhnall Gleeson’s in the sequel trilogy. DeWanda Wise also shows a lot of potential in her role, but the character goes nowhere. At several points, the movie attempts to revert back to the practical roots of Spielberg’s original film, but it blends them with CGI in a way that is outright distracting. Consistency is key in a spectacle-driven blockbuster like this, and that is what is missing here, especially during the action sequences that are shot in a way that is frequently incomprehensible. Jurassic World Dominion is so staggeringly incompetent that it would be shocking if Colin Trevorrow manages to be entrusted with another major IP like this ever again. Thank goodness it’s planned to be the final entry, because it’s time that this series goes extinct. Jurassic World Dominion hits theaters on June 10. Rating: 1/5 Review by Dan Skip Allen Marvel and Kevin Feige want to expand the MCU in new and different ways. One of those ways is by doing shows for Disney+. They can get new creators and or showrunners with their own vision. Ms. Marvel is a relatively new character in the comics, having been introduced in 2013. Her origin in the comics is that she's an Inhuman created from the tarragon mists. Marvel has had issues with the Inhumans, so her origin and powers in the show are slightly different. Still, Khan is a wholly original character who deserved the spotlight of her own show. Kamala Khan (Iman Vellani) is the first Pakistani/Muslim-American superhero in Marvel Comics. She is from Jersey City, New Jersey. Her parents want her to know her place in their culture, but at the same time, she has to fit in in school, which isn't easy either. Being Pakistani-American and Muslim isn't the easiest life for a teenager. This is what makes this character so different and intriguing as far as superheroes go. There are none like her in the MCU. Vellani is a new actress, and her freshness plays into how new she is as a superhero. She had training wheels as this young girl trying to discover herself, both as a young woman and superhero. The show captures the essence of the comics and what a young girl with newfound superpowers would be like. Add in her Muslim background, and this show has a lot to say. Young people will surely embrace this character. And Feige and the showrunners should be proud of what they have created. The show has some interesting effects in it. The credit roll is pretty cool and interesting as far as a story beat goes. Villani's Khan tells about Captain Marvel and why she loves and admires her so much. They create dialogue on-screen using some cool visuals. The visuals involved with Ms. Marvel's superpowers are pretty interesting. Fans of the comics know these are different in the show. It's not a big deal. The show also has some cool music that lends itself to this cultural world but also gets in a few more mainstream songs, such as "Blinding Lights" from The Weeknd.
Ms. Marvel brings together new creatives with a lot to say about this world of Pakistani-Americans and the Muslim religion in New Jersey. This world and character are completely different from anything they've done before. Vellani is perfectly cast as this young girl going through life struggles as a teenage Muslim but also her newfound superpowers. Trying to navigate this lifestyle isn't easy for her. This show does a great job of showing how all this transpires. It's a very fun show so far after two episodes. Ms. Marvel streams on Disney+ beginning June 8. Rating: 4/5 Review by Tatiana Miranda With the current threat to abortion rights in America, HBO Max's latest documentary, The Janes, is timely and representative of the fact that the future lies within the past. The Janes follows the story of Chicago's pro-choice organization known as Jane. Consisting of young, educated, and radical women, Jane provided safe and sometimes free abortions during the pre-Roe v. Wade era. As the documentary opens, we are faced with what abortion services looked like in the United States before legalization and before Jane. Dorrie shares her experience getting an abortion from the mob in the 1960s. The complete opposite of Jane's mission, the mob only performed paid-for abortions, with prices ranging based on the care you received. According to Dorrie, the lowest service cost 500 dollars and included limited conversation about the procedure and dangerous practices performed in a dingy motel. Made up of married, single, educated, pregnant, childless women, Jane was created to give women like and unlike them access to safe abortions. Some members even experienced the process of gaining an illegal abortion, and one member, Jody, had a tumultuous legal, medical abortion due to her cancer diagnosis. The truth of what abortions looked like pre-Roe v. Wade gives insight into what they might look like with its overturn. In Jody's experience, while her abortion was legal and provided by licensed doctors, it was even more uncomfortable and challenging to get than an illegal one. The variety of perspectives and extensive look at the reality of women's rights in the '60s and '70s goes beyond just the work of Jane but also the history of abortion in Chicago at the time. Talking head style interviews with members of Jane, their partners, one of the men who helped perform abortions, the police who ultimately busted the organization, and so on paint the picture of Jane's mission and the reality of why it was needed. Going over their personal experiences with abortions, their reasoning, and religious beliefs regarding it showcases the variety of the types of people a pre-Roe v. Wade world affected. While Jane was primarily made up of white, middle-class women, each member recognizes that underrepresented groups, such as poor women and racial minorities, are the ones most affected by abortions being banned. As they point out, once abortions became legal in cities such as New York City, women with the means to travel there had access to safe and legal abortions. One Jane member says that many women felt that "If I can do it in New York, why can't I do it here?" emphasizing the importance of legal abortions all across America.
While The Janes has a semi-happy ending, with Roe v. Wade being passed as several members of Jane faced homicide and abortion conspiracy charges, which were almost immediately dropped after the legalization of abortion, the documentary doesn't stray from the fact that this occurred fifty years ago, and women's rights are still being contested. The members of Jane also acknowledge that while there were so many women they saved, even more women had unsafe abortions that led to their death. The Janes is an important reminder of the trials of the past and an ode to the actions of a few ordinary women that shouldn't have had to do what they did. The Janes debuts on HBO and HBO Max on June 8th at 9pm ET/PT. Rating: 4/5
Review by Sean Boelman
The LGBTQ rom-com Love, Simon was an unexpected hit when it came out in theaters, and its streaming series Love, Victor has amassed quite the cult following during its Hulu run. Perhaps due to its stars’ careers blowing up, or maybe just because they’re getting too old for these roles, the series is coming to an end. The question is… will fans be satisfied?
The second season of the show left audiences on a massive cliffhanger wondering whether or not Victor would choose his on-again-off-again boyfriend Benji or the new kid Rahim. This final season picks up by showing who Victor chose, setting off another series of melodramatic happenings at Creekwood High. For this third season, there are only eight episodes compared to the usual ten, which ends up working against the series. It constantly feels like they are trying to cram in as much resolution as possible in a mere four hours, which simply isn’t enough given the intricacies of the subplots that were expanded in the second season. The themes of acceptance really end up taking a backseat here because there simply isn’t enough time for the show to juggle those themes while wrapping up the storylines of all of these characters. In fact, the more dominant relationships in this season seem to be the heterosexual ones, which is troubling considering the fact that this is meant to be a show centered on LGBTQ representation.
Obviously, the creators are really trying to stretch to give these characters the endings that they deserved, and whether they succeed at that will probably split fans of the series. But one thing is certain — the realism absolutely goes out the window here. This has never felt more like a telenovela than it does at the end.
The highlight of this season’s cast is Isabella Ferreira. Not only is her role much meatier here than it was in previous seasons, but she brings a lot more nuance to the character as well. And James Martinez continues the exceptional work that he was doing in season two, adding a great deal of humanity to the series. Of course, the main cast is still very good in their roles. You can see how Michael Cimino has matured and grown into the role over these three seasons. Mason Gooding might have moved onto bigger and better things, but he’s still great when he’s on screen in this. Rachel Hilson, Anthony Turpel, and Bebe Wood are all charming as ever too. Love, Victor definitely struggles to reach its planned ending, trying to cram too much into two few episodes. Still, getting one last chance to spend time with these characters is still pretty delightful for fans. Love, Victor streams on Hulu beginning June 15. Rating: 4/5 |
Archives
April 2024
Authors
All
|