All posts by scottmet99

2024 Films, Drama, Epic, Independent, Independent Drama

The Brutalist-2024

March 1, 2025 scottmet99 Leave a comment

The Brutalist-2024

Director Brady Corbet

Starring Adrien Brody, Guy Pearce, Felicity Jones

Scott’s Review #1,468

Reviewed March 1, 2025

Grade: A

The three-hour and thirty-five-minute film The Brutalist (2024) captivated me from the first sequence.

Adrien Brody’s character László Tóth, emerges from what is revealed as a ship. He emigrated to the United States after being sent to the Buchenwald concentration camp and forcibly separated from his wife, Erzsébet, and orphaned niece, Zsófia.

As his ship enters New York Harbor, he sees the Statue of Liberty.

The sequence follows László in the dark, and the audience is confused and unaware of what’s happening. His wife reads a Hungarian letter amid the scene explaining the events.

This is a top notch first scene.

The film is very long, so if you can’t watch it in a movie theater, we recommend watching it in miniseries style and digesting the segments slowly.

While The Brutalist initially feels like a studio blockbuster extravaganza, it’s shockingly an independent film made for relatively little money.

It’s brilliant but slow and methodic with rich moments of raw emotion, and graceful humanity. Parts are edgy and artistically creative with a quiet bombast.

Events occur between 1947 and 1958; the conclusion is set in 1980.

Having escaped post-war Europe, visionary architect László is well-respected and admired in his home country. He finds his way to Pennsylvania, where the wealthy and prominent industrialist Harrison Lee Van Buren (Guy Pearce) recognizes his talent for building.

The central theme of The Brutalist is László’s struggles to achieve the American Dream. While a wealthy client changes his life, it comes at a price. Do we trust Harrison?

An early scene showcases Harrison’s bad temper, and we know this will come into play again, but it does at the expense of László.

There are so many wonderful facets to The Brutalist; some slowly build and reach a dramatic crescendo, and others continue to bubble under the surface, ripe for discussion after the film has ended.

Though sometimes conventional with a heartwarming story of an immigrant’s struggle to succeed in 1950s USA, it is anything but a mainstream film when looked at closely.

Is there an attraction between Harrison and László? Harrison has no wife and seems uninterested in women. László visits a prostitute and cannot perform; he dances with a gorgeous woman and cannot be seduced. He cannot have sex with his wife.

A male/male rape scene is both gorgeously shot and filled with animalistic brutality. It’s the most unconventional rape scene I’ve ever seen in cinema.

László is also addicted to heroin and has bouts of rage. Is his relationship with Erzsébet more a friendship than a romance?

Brady Corbet’s direction is flawless, led by astounding cinematography of rural Pennsylvania. An early shot of a speeding bus with the opening credits shifting sideways brims with fresh style and creativity.

The sophisticated costumes and makeup perfectly fit the era, which is even more reason to give it kudos on such a small budget.

The acting by Brody, Pearce, and Jones is terrific.

We finally meet Erzsébet (Jones) halfway through the film when she makes her way to America. Crippled, due to osteoporosis, she is a brave and confident woman, finding career work as a writer for a newspaper.

Jones enfuses confidence into a role where she could be the victim. In a late scene, she tears down the house in a powerful performance, interrupting a family dinner.

Pearce electrifies in the best role of his career. His sexuality might explain his Jekyll and Hyde personality and bouts of rage. After all, this was the 1940s and 1950s. The actor plays ambiguity so well that knowing what Harrison feels is challenging.

Finally, Brody is brilliant. In a role arguably similar to his character in The Pianist (2002), he is a clever man forced as an immigrant to play the lousy cards he is dealt. With raw emotion, Brody makes every scene real and powerful.

Is he better off in Hungary or Israel?

Corbet, who also co-wrote the screenplay, delves into the experience of an immigrant. He showcases discrimination, preconceived notions, and the hopes and dreams of one man with the cards stacked against him.

The Brutalist (2024) is a beautiful film with much to say. It has soul and grit and perfectly pays tribute to an experience in the 1950s while sadly feeling relevant to the discrimination still facing immigrants in present times.

Oscar Nominations: 3 wins-Best Picture, Best Director-Brady Corbet, Best Actor-Adrien Brody (won), Best Supporting Actor-Guy Pearce, Best Supporting Actress-Felicity Jones, Best Original Screenplay, Best Original Score (won), Best Production Design, Best Cinematography (won), Best Film Editing

Independent Spirit Award Nominations: Best Director-Brady Corbet

2024 Films, Drama, Horror, Independent, Independent Drama, Independent Horror

I Saw the TV Glow-2024

February 17, 2025 scottmet99 Leave a comment

I Saw the TV Glow-2024

Director Jane Schoenbrun

Starring Justice Smith, Jack Haven

Scott’s Review #1,467

Reviewed February 17, 2025

Grade: A-

I Saw the TV Glow (2024) is a bizarre independent psychological drama/horror film co-produced by Emma Stone and her husband.

It was produced by their Fruit Tree production company and distributed by A24, a brilliant independent film distributor, immediately giving the film credibility and a broad audience.

Writer/director Jane Schoenbrun perfectly depicts teenage angst via a visually cerebral and creative avenue. They sprinkle pink lettering and a colorful, moody aesthetic that is impressive.

The film is more than mysterious; it is hypnotic, with a dark mood evoking the dark underbelly of life in the suburbs.

Delving deeper after my initial viewing, I realized the film is an allegory for being transgender, which I did not know. Having that knowledge makes perfect sense because the characters feel trapped in their skin and fear being buried alive.

Transgender people often feel like the “egg crack,” a term for the moment in a trans person’s life when they realize their identity does not correspond to their assigned gender.

The film depicts bleak life in the suburbs and transitions between 1996 and 2026 when the main character is a teenager and finally a middle-aged man.

Owen (Justice Smith) is trying to make it through life in the suburbs when his older classmate, Maddy (Jack Haven), introduces him to a mysterious late-night TV show, a vision of a supernatural world beneath their own.

Both are loners and immediately bond over the young adult television show The Pink Opaque, which follows teenagers Isabel and Tara as they use their psychic connection to fight supervillain Mr. Melancholy, who has the power to warp time and reality.

Enthralled, Owen’s view of reality begins to crack.

I Saw the TV Glow is an unusual experience, especially during the 2006 chapter when Maddy returns to town after years away. When she explains that she paid a man to bury her alive, mirroring the finale of The Pink Opaque, the sequence is frightening, macabre, and hard to follow.

I wondered if she was speaking literally or figuratively.

But Maddy is trapped inside her own body, in her case, the wrong gender, and yearns to break out of her coffin. She encourages Owen to do the same, though it’s not clear if he identifies as female, is gay, or is just trapped in suburbia in a dead-end job.

In 2026, we realize that Owen has remained in the small town, mainly at the same job cleaning a movie theater, with his mother and stepfather long dead.

Sadly, he is still trapped inside his own body, aching to come to the surface. He screams out that he is dying and needs help, but nobody ever seems to notice.

He mentions a family, but they are never seen. Are they imagined? Is he living the life of a gay man or a straight man? Owen is mixed race, so what other issues does he face?

I wanted more concrete answers.

Even though the story is focused on a transgender lifestyle, Schoenbrun is never blatant about it.

Growing up in the lonely suburbs, I can relate to the feeling of suffocation at being unable to get out. Many are trapped for decades with the sameness day after day. Young people face this dilemma constantly, so I Saw the TV GLow is an essential film for most.

Debatable is whether I Saw the TV Glow was not overtly marketed as a trans film or even an LGBTQ+ film purposely. At a time in United States history when the trans community is under attack, they need all the support they can get.

The myriad of awards notice and star power (Emma Stone) supporting this film is reaffirming and another reason I love A24 so much.

But I Saw the TV Glow (2024) is a film with many interpretations and meanings.

Independent Spirit Award Nominations: Best Feature, Best Director, Jane Schoenbrun, Best Screenplay, Best Lead Performance-Justice Smith, Best Supporting Performance-Jack Haven

1942 Films, Drama

Now, Voyager-1942

February 16, 2025 scottmet99 Leave a comment

Now, Voyager-1942

Director Irving Rapper

Starring Bette Davis, Paul Henreid

Scott’s Review #1,466

Reviewed February 16, 2025

Grade: B+

Now, Voyager (1942) showcases Bette Davis’s acting chops in a dramatic film with a feminist stance. It also promotes believing in yourself and developing confidence, which can inspire us all.

Davis, a star, is the star of the film, so all eyes are on her. It’s an early role and one of an ingenue, but she adds a flurry of wit and humor to the role.

As the famous 1981 hit by Kim Carnes says, ‘She’s got Bette Davis Eyes,’ and the star evokes so much emotion with those eyes.

Films of the 1940s are magical and take me away to a time long before I was born. My husband had a fantastic encounter with director Irving Rapper years ago, necessitating our viewing of one of his films.

Boston heiress Charlotte Vale (Bette Davis) is a neurotic mess, primarily because of her domineering mother (Gladys Cooper). Reduced to insecurities and her mother’s glorified servant, Charlotte rarely leaves home.

But after a stint in a sanatorium, where she receives the attention of wise Dr. Jasquith (Claude Rains), Charlotte comes out of her shell and elects to go on a cruise for inspiration. Aboard the ship, she meets Jerry (Paul Henreid) and falls in love despite his being unhappily married.

They enjoy a brief tryst in Rio before returning to the States, where Charlotte struggles to forget him and find happiness in ordinary life.

But will she encounter him once again in an unexpected way? Will the link to his young daughter, Tina (Janis Wilson), who is similar to Charlotte, bring them together or drive them apart?

The pleasure in Now, Voyager is watching Davis play mousy- nervous and clad in an unflattering dress and spectacles. She couldn’t be more different from the regal star that Davis was. She frets with insecurity and a lack of self-confidence.

But it’s equally pleasing to see Davis as a blooming Charlotte. Dressed in a ravishing dress with a stylish hat and jewelry, she exudes confidence when she returns home to gaping mouths.

Is this the same Charlotte, they wonder?

I yearned for one big blowup scene where Charlotte puts her mother in her place, but she treads lightly. After all, Charlotte will inherit everything if she is just patient.

Still, it would have been satisfying to see Charlotte insult the shit out of Mommie dearest.

Cooper is divine in a one-note role as the callous and cold mother. Unhappy to have had Charlotte at all after birthing three sons, she mistreats her daughter and revels in her repression.

She’s a fantastic bitch to be remembered in cinema history.

While Charlotte’s relationship with Tina is delightful, and the pair helps each other heal, the film’s ending is unsatisfying.

Tina and Charlotte live happily ever after when Jerry agrees to let Tina reside in the Vale household, but Charlotte and Jerry don’t get the Cinderella story I had hoped.

Will Charlotte end up a spinster after all?

For 1942, Now Voyager was way ahead of its time in terms of mental illness, not given much credence until the 1960s or beyond. Charlotte’s time in a sanitarium is celebrated and healing for her, and stereotypes of ‘crazy people’ are not showcased.

Her doctor is a lifesaver for her, proving that mental health treatment can be successful. It was important to delve into that so early on.

Rapper competently directs the film. My favorite set is the quiet Boston area estate. The grand house is showcased amid pouring rain through the plentiful windows. This exudes coziness and stuffiness. Charlotte is trapped inside the walls.

Later, the Rio de Janeiro sequences are grand. An exciting trip to the top of Sugarloaf Mountain is a sheer delight and the highlight of the Charlotte/Jerry dynamic.

Now, Voyager (1942) is a gift for cinephiles eager for a trip down memory lane to see Bette Davus the star and a celebration of the Golden Age of Hollywood.

Oscar Nominations: Best Actress-Bette Davis, Best Supporting Actress-Gladys Cooper, Best Scoring of a Dramatic or Comedy Picture (won)

2023 Films, Horror, Slasher

Scream VI-2023

February 14, 2025 scottmet99 Leave a comment

Scream VI-2023

Director Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett

Starring Melissa Barrera, Jenna Ortega, Courtney Cox

Scott’s Review #1,465

Reviewed February 14, 2025

Grade: B

When I spontaneously decided to watch Scream VI (2023) one cold winter night while traveling for work, I had forgotten which of the franchise’s previous installments I had seen.

I had seen Scream (2022) and knew enough to know that it was a sequel to that film containing many familiar characters.

It felt like dining on comfort food, which was the perfect fit. I suspect that’s why others will choose to see this film.

While it is not vital to have seen any or all of the previous chapters, it is helpful because Scream VI contains a hefty dose of historical references and character revisitation. This is a joy for fans craving continuity and past character tie-ins.

More than one character comes back from the dead.

The plot follows a new Ghostface killer who targets the survivors of the Woodsboro murders in New York City. Neve Campbell did not reprise her role as Sidney Prescott due to a pay dispute, making this the only Scream film not to feature her.

I was very impressed with the first and last sequences, as a trio of killers is unmasked in the bloody and wild conclusion. The writing is clever, crisp, and filled with twists and turns.

The mid-section has issues, though.

Fans of the franchise need no explanation, but new viewers should know that the revealed killer or killers always have a motivation based on revenge.

Usually, someone had an affair with someone else, resulting in death or the drive to create a slasher film based on real-life events surrounding the drama.

Other key elements are sinister telephone games, cat-and-mouse puzzles, and knowledge of horror films, which, with a right or wrong answer, could either keep one alive or seal their deadly fate.

The pleasure in watching Scream films is the whodunit, as the killer always wears the Ghostface costume when killing off characters and toying with them first.

Yes, a pattern is followed, but the nods to slasher films of the 1970s and 1980s made the 1996 Scream debut such a masterpiece that the 2023 Scream honors.

Two characters banter about which installment of Friday the 13th and Nightmare on Elm Street is the best and why.

Now, over twenty-five years later, Scream has its history to delve into, which it does. Our main character, Sam Carpenter (Melissa Barrera), is the illegitimate daughter of the original killer, Billy Loomis (Skeet Ulrich), who makes a cameo.

The killers’ hideout is filled with photos, masks, knives, and other memorabilia from previous films, which is beautifully captured and a pure delight for legacy fans.

As the 1996 film did so well, the incredible opening sequence features a film professor (Samara Weaving) of slasher films receiving a mysterious call and being lured into peril. In a neat twist, the killer is then killed by another Ghostface.

A terrific ladder scene in the middle portion of Scream VI is also superior, as a pleading victim attempts to cross from building to building before Ghostface catches them.

Filmmakers showcase not one but two LGBTQ+ couples (one male and one female) and enough diversity (Asian, black, Hispanic) to be noticed, so it feels pretty inclusive.

Otherwise, the intro and finale are the most notable high points.

The film is bogged down terribly by its over two-hour running time, which made me tune out now and then. The filler is unnecessary and makes the film feel too hefty as it veers off course in redundancy.

Suspension of disbelief is at max capacity, especially during a laughable scene when a character is stabbed on a busy subway, unbeknownst to other subway riders.

Scream VI (2023) is a pleasant vehicle that wins by incorporating more horror history than ever, increased blood and violence, and following a successful pattern that it knows well.

2024 Films, Biography, Drama, International, International Drama, Political Drama, Portuguese

I’m Still Here-2024

February 9, 2025 scottmet99 Leave a comment

I’m Still Here-2024

Director Walter Salles

Starring Fernanda Torres, Selton Mello, Fernanda Montenegro

Scott’s Review #1,464

Reviewed February 9, 2025

Grade: A-

A powerful political drama led by a riveting performance by Fernanda Torres gives a frightening view of government corruption. Her mother, Fernanda Montenegro, also plays a small yet pivotal role in a double dose of brilliant acting.

Ironically, twenty-five years after Montenegro, Torres was nominated for an Oscar for Salles’s film Central Station (1998). What lovely desserts!

Director Walter Salles showcases a loving family at the forefront that provides empathy for the audience. Events slowly build, so time is spent investing in the characters first so that we care about them before becoming immersed in their peril.

Though the setting is early 1970s Brazil, the stark reality is that corruption still exists in many countries, even the United States of America. While Brazil is now a democratic country, the US is teetering towards a villainous dictatorship. Brazil is also still threatened by the villainous right wing.

This adds a layer of fear that something that happened so long ago can quickly occur again.

The story is true.

Eunice Paiva (Torres/Montenegro) investigates her husband Rubens’ (Selton Mello) disappearance while trying to maintain family stability. Rubens is a former Congressman turned civil engineer opposed to military dictatorship. One night, he is taken away for questioning and never returns.

Most of the early events take place in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The Paiva family resides in a beachfront house and regularly celebrates with neighbors and friends. The kids play volleyball and enjoy life. One of the kids travels to London with family friends, joyfully exploring her obsession with the Beatles.

Salles perfectly exposes this forty-five minutes or so of celebration before turning to the darkness of the rest of the story.

There is a foreboding quality despite the parties, the drinking, the laughs, the many photographs, videos, and quiet moments between family members.

One of the daughters and her friends are stopped by military guards at a checkpoint and harassed. Eunice sees a tank drive by filled with military personnel. Ruben’s best friend needs to flee Brazil before something terrible happens to him.

Even the lighting turns darker once Rubens, Eunice, and her daughter are questioned at a military facility.

Dark sequences feature Eunice being kept in a dimly lit cell for days, dirty and disheveled.

Despite the compelling nature of 1970/1971, I breathed a sigh of relief when events moved to 1996 and, finally, 2014. The lighting became sunnier, the family had moved on, and their lives had a new meaning.

Enough raves cannot be given for Torres’s performance. Instead of giving Eunice a weepy, overly emotional quality, she plays her as strong and confident, always in control. Torres relays the woman’s pain, confusion, and heartbreak through her eyes and facial mannerisms, relaying her agonizing uncertainty.

Montenegro plays Eunice, an elderly older woman with late-stage Alzheimer’s disease, in a short but powerful scene.

Eunice knows her husband is involved in anti-military communications and supports him as a brilliant woman. She is not a simpering weak woman but an empowered, confident one.

Eunice returns to college and graduates law school at forty-eight, becoming an expert on Indigenous Rights.

So, the character and real-life figure inspire women and men to persevere under extreme circumstances. Both Eunice and Rubens are heroic.

As if there was ever doubt, Rubens Paiva’s true fate is revealed during the end credits, amid photographs of the real Paiva family.

Justice was never served.

The film portrays a biography of a man who wants to do the right thing and surrounds himself with allies and intellectuals who share his beliefs.

In the terrible state of United States politics in 2024, I’m Still Here (2024) resonates deeply on many levels. This compelling work teaches me a lesson in standing up for what’s right amid uncertainty and fear and connecting with like-minded people.

I may not need to see the film again, but the message was clear and hit home.

Oscar Nominations: 1 win-Best Picture, Best Actress-Fernanda Torres, Best International Film (won)

2024 Films, Horror, Slasher

MaXXXine-2024

February 4, 2025 scottmet99 Leave a comment

MaXXXine-2024

Director Ti West

Starring Mia Goth

Scott’s Review 1,463

Reviewed February 4, 2025

Grade: B+

MaXXXine (2024) is a slasher horror film lover’s dream. With its 1980s-style filming, peroxide hairdos, and video cassette recorders (remember them?), it’s a sheer delight for genre fans.

Adding tight-washed blue jeans, a 1985 musical soundtrack, and the sunny setting of Los Angeles, California, you’ve got a throwback 80’s film in the best ways.

It is the third installment in Ti West’s X film series and a direct sequel to X (2022). The first chapter was called Pearl (2022). Although seeing the others before seeing MaXXXine is unnecessary, it is also fun.

West writes, produces, directs, and edits the vehicle, so the project is his creation. His muse, Mia Goth, who has starred in all three films, makes a return appearance and is co-producing.

Rumor has it there may be a fourth.

In the film, Maxine sets out for fame and success in 1980s Hollywood and is targeted by a mysterious killer, who is assumed to be the aptly nicknamed real-life Night Stalker.

But is this a red herring? Maxine’s friends are systematically eliminated, leaving the poor girl and the detectives to wonder if she could be the next target.

Could it be someone from her past? Or is someone jealous of her impending film success?

The film gets off to an intriguing start when a videotape shows a young Maxine dancing for her father, who appears to be coaching her and determinedly telling her never to settle.

Adult Maxine brilliantly auditions for a new horror film called Puritan II despite her only credits being in adult films. She shows she has raw talent and emotion and is unafraid to prance around topless.

She speeds away in her sports car with vanity plates reading ‘MaXXXine’.

We quickly learn that Maxine is not to be messed with. When she is accosted at knifepoint, she channels her inner Aileen Wuornos and pulls a gun on her attacker, makes him strip, puts the gun in his mouth, and forces him to perform fellatio on it before stomping on and crushing his testicles with her boot.

She snickers and walks away.

West wants MaXXXine to be entertaining, and he largely succeeds. It’s a fun film not to be taken seriously, but the female-empowering message impressed me.

The Puritan II’s director, wonderfully played by Elizabeth Debicki (The Crown’s Princess Diana), warns Maxine of the sharks and predators in La La Land, and an early quote by legendary actress Bette Davis states, ‘You’re not a star until you’re viewed as a monster.’

In MaXXXine, one is allowed to be a badass bitch and take no prisoners.

The final act is uneven, with a hokey explanation for the killer’s motivations for wanting Maxine dead amid the palatial Hollywood hills. The showdown is a generic extravaganza where the killer’s circle of henchmen is taken down conveniently to let him and Maxine square off.

Earlier, there are real-life clips of Christian wackos accusing heavy metal artists of devil worship and protesters foolishly carrying around signs objecting to the Puritan II, which is a significant clue to the whodunit.

Bobby Cannavale and Michelle Monaghan play detectives who lack great dialogue and are the film’s comic relief, and Kevin Bacon goes over the top as a private investigator.

However, a delightful cameo by Lily Collins (TV’s Emily in Paris) is a big win.

I suppose one could approach MaXXXine (2024) as dissecting the artificiality of Hollywood or the overindulgence of the 1980s excess (cocaine use is prevalent in the film). Still, I took the film as celebrating 1980s horror magnificently.

And I was a happy participant.

2024 Films, Drama, LGBTQ+ Drama, LGBTQ+ Films, LGBTQ+ Romance, Romantic Drama

Queer-2024

January 20, 2025 scottmet99 Leave a comment

Queer-2024

Director Luca Guadagnino

Starring Daniel Craig, Drew Starkey

Scott’s Review #1,462

Reviewed January 20, 2024

Grade: A

Daniel Craig sheds his James Bond (007) image for a more nuanced and challenging role in Luca Guadagnino’s film, Queer (2024). His layered and complex character must have been a dream role for the actor reportedly frustrated with the one-note Bond character.

Guadagnino, well-known for the similarly LGBTQ+-themed Call Me By Your Name (2017), trades Italy for Mexico and later Ecuador in his latest and darker project.

The film is a winning ticket and on an even keel with Call Me By Your Name, although I prefer the latter by a smidgeon. Queer is an exceptional film given the fabulous combination of elements like muted color tones, unrequited love, and the 1950s time period.

The sex scenes are pretty delicious and leave nothing to the imagination, providing titillation and appetite.

I was impressed by the unique incorporation of 1990s grunge band Nirvana in various sequences, including a beautiful rendition of ‘All Apologies’ by Sinead O’Connor as the film opens.

The funky, crisp blue/purple credits, which appear handwritten, are cool and modern, adding to the visual pleasures to come.

Events begin in 1950 when we meet William Lee (Craig), an American expatriate living in Mexico City, passing time by bar hopping and indulging in sexual activities with younger men.

One evening, he catches sight of Eugene Allerton (Drew Starkey), a young GI who is also an American expatriate. Lee becomes obsessed with Allerton and pursues him across various bars, hoping to gain his affection.

The men develop a relationship, but Eugene maintains an emotional distance from Lee. Despite Lee’s interest in a full-time connection, he is often seen with a mysterious red-haired woman.

As time marches on, Lee’s dependency on drugs and alcohol deepens, and the pair take an exotic and hallucinogenic trip to Ecuador to visit a wacky female doctor (Lesley Manville).

Will Lee and Eugene forge a dangerous same-sex relationship? Or will they go their separate ways as merely two ships passing at night?

The character of Lee is reportedly based on William S. Burroughs, a famous American author during the Beat Generation (a literary subculture of the 1950s).

His 1985 novella, Queer, is adapted.

Craig is dangerously good as Lee, invoking loneliness and hopefulness seemingly interchangeably in a given scene.

He’s relatively out of the closet, miraculous given that the gay rights movement would not happen for almost twenty years, but this begs the question of the progressive culture of Mexico City.

The audience realizes that Lee is yearning for a connection with another man and has repeatedly been unable to find it. Sure, he pays for the services of male prostitutes, but it’s not about the sex for him.

It’s a more profound desire.

As Lee embarrassingly admits his feelings for Eugene in a drunken confessional, Craig flawlessly reveals Lee’s pain. The actor rises way beyond the heights of James Bond in an acting extravaganza.

I adore the texture that Guadagnino films in. The gloomy streets and the fuzzy colors add the proper setting of emptiness and fulfillment.

Lee’s artist apartment is, in one way, calm and, in another way, bleak and shrouded with unhappy experiences. It’s littered with empty bottles and discarded drug paraphernalia.

The moments when Lee and Eugene are together in a movie theater or out to dinner when Lee imagines the pair embracing or stroking the young man’s face, are both tender and sad.

While the film doesn’t end happily, anyone familiar with Call Me By Your Name shouldn’t be surprised. Instead, Guadagnino showcases the reality and desperation of what being gay was like a long time ago.

It will not satisfy everyone, and the story teeters off course toward the end when the men get to South America, but the score and dazzling visuals make up for this.

Thanks to superior direction and a lead performance of excellence, Queer (2024) is a grand achievement in humanity and the complications that emerge when faced with emotions and desires that are not fulfilled.

2024 Films, Drama, Independent, Independent Drama, Vegas

The Last Showgirl-2024

January 12, 2025 scottmet99 Leave a comment

The Last Showgirl-2024

Director Gia Coppola

Starring Pamela Anderson, Jamie Lee Curtis, Dave Bautista

Scott’s Review #1,459

Reviewed January 12, 2025

Grade: A

The Last Showgirl (2024) is a powerfully acted and beautifully written story about an aging Las Vegas showgirl who struggles to find relevance and retain her identity after her show closes.

Pamela Anderson’s career-highlighting performance leads the film, featuring stellar acting from Jamie Lee Curtis, Dave Bautista, Billie Lourd, and Kiernan Shipka in supporting roles.

The story showcases a disenfranchised and easily dismissed group of Vegas performers like Boogie Nights (1997) did for the adult film industry and The Wrestler (2008) for the professional wrestling community.

Gia Coppola, granddaughter of legendary director Frances Ford Coppola (The Godfather and The Godfather Part II, 1972-1974), has talent in her blood as she creates the proper mood and the setup to showcase outstanding performances and the underbelly of the Vegas glitz and glamor.

Coppola uses handheld cameras and mostly close-up shots, which could distract some but allow for the rawness and blatancy of seeing Anderson, mainly sans makeup.

The film is a poignant story of resilience that anyone troubled by the aging process regarding their career and livelihood can easily relate to.

Pamela Anderson is a revelation as Shelley, a showgirl who must plan for her future when her show abruptly closes after a thirty-year run. She is proud to be in Le Razzle Dazzle, a classic French-style revue at a casino on the Las Vegas Strip, and views the show as glamorous art rather than a nudie show.

Her co-stars in the show include several younger women, including Mary-Anne (Brenda Song) and Jodie (Kiernan Shipka), who view Shelly as a mother figure.

Shelly’s older best friend, Annette (Jamie Lee Curtis), is boozy and has a gambling addiction, yet maintains a close relationship with Shelly. Years ago, she was ousted from the show and now works as a cocktail waitress.

Anderson, for years known as a sexpot, blonde bombshell femme fatale type who dates rockstars and keeps in the headlines, gives a stunning acting performance.

I was floored.

With her baby voice and kindness, the character of Shelly allows Anderson to give a refreshingly raw and dramatic performance. Usually there for everyone else, she faces an uncertain future, leaving her exposed and vulnerable.

A side story involves Shelly’s estranged daughter, Hannah, played by Billie Lourd. Shelly’s attempt to reconnect with her is interesting but not as effective as the loss of her show and her struggle with identity.

Anderson’s best scene occurs at the beginning and end of the film when she is forced to audition for a modern and sexy stage show. Shelly is confident and insecure as she struts around the stage to a 1980s Pat Benatar song, clumsily revealing her time capsule world with her song choice.

Ridiculed and brutally given honest advice by the director, she nonetheless champions herself, boldly describing herself as ‘fifty-seven years old and beautiful.’

One can’t help but see Anderson stripping off her defenses and applying makeup for herself and her character, Shelly.

Curtis gets better and better with age and now accepts supporting roles with grit and mustard rather than genre roles that define her. Annette wears dated blue makeup and a hairstyle she has undoubtedly had since the 1980s but cannot be held back; she is proud of who she is.

Former professional wrestler Bautista is amazing as Eddie, the revue producer. Having succeeded at wrestling, he has now brilliantly forged into acting with stellar results. He gives a heartwarming performance.

The Last Showgirl (2024) left me mesmerized, teary, and pondering life and the reality of getting older. It does what great films are supposed to do and left me thinking long after the credits rolled.

Thanks to several awards season nominations for Anderson and Curtis, the small film receives proper exposure and word-of-mouth credibility, encouraging many cinema fans to see it.

1988 Films, Action, Christmas, Guy Films, Los Angeles

Die Hard-1988

December 27, 2024 scottmet99 Leave a comment

Die Hard-1988

Director John McTiernan

Starring Bruce Willis

Scott’s Review #1,458

Reviewed December 28, 2024

Grade: B+

Die Hard (1988) is one of the best action films of the late 1980s and 1990s. Because of its success and mainstream appeal, it spawned dozens of copycat films.

It features hunky Hollywood star Bruce Willis in his breakout role, propelling him to a box-office stronghold that lasted for many years.

He would later appear in more cerebral offerings like Pulp Fiction (1994) and The Sixth Sense (1999), but Die Hard put him on the map.

Is it a Christmas film, or is it not? It can be debated.

Depending on one’s socioeconomic leanings, Die Hard can be seen as a film that puts the working-class Joe in the driver’s seat and makes yuppies or corporate types look like incompetent fools.

The film, watched decades after its making, is guilty of stereotypes and clichés. It is riddled with nearly every action film standard one-liner intended to evoke laughter, which now seems silly and contrived.

Hokey? Yes, but it’s also fun and a chance to watch the muscular, sweaty Willis run bare-chested for most of the run.

Like Friday the 13th (1980), the film produced several sequels, all subpar to the original.

New York City policeman John McClane (Willis) is visiting his estranged wife (Bonnie Bedelia) in Los Angeles on Christmas Eve. He joins her at a posh holiday party in the headquarters of the Japanese-owned business she works for.

The festivities are quickly interrupted by a group of terrorists led by the crazed but calm Hans Gruber (Alan Rickman), who take over the exclusive high-rise and everyone in it.

McClane realizes that he must save the day.

John McTiernan, who directs, knows his way around the action genre, and Die Hard is easily his best. Other notable works include Predator (1987) and The Hunt for Red October (1990), so he also knows how to create an action star.

The season, the setting, and the villain are other high points of Die Hard.

The perfect setup is a glossy high-rise in downtown Los Angeles at a glitzy corporate party on Christmas Eve. Drizzling with possibilities, McTiernan adds the German terrorists for good measure and a slice of necessary Americana, a fixture of the 1980s ‘USA good, Europe bad’ mentality.

Naturally, McClane is a good old-fashioned American boy. While he initially wants his successful wife, Holly (Bonnie Bedelia), to be a traditional homemaker, he realizes she’s good at her job as a corporate officer.

But the traditional and conservative mindset still shines through.

In a stroke of genius and authenticity, the real Fox Plaza in Century City was used for the skyscraper rather than an ineffectual mock set. This adds a lot to the enjoyment, and glimpses of The Towering Inferno (1974) crossed my mind.

In standard fashion, the feds, detectives, television reporters, and police officers are primarily incompetent, except for McClane. This adds to the earlier notion that the working-class guy is the movie’s hero.

Actor Paul Gleason, well-known for a similar curmudgeonly role in 1985’s The Breakfast Club, bears much of the brunt. As he callously shouts at police officer Powell (Reginald VelJohnson), he also frets at the mayor’s reaction to the handling of the situation with repeated ‘the mayor will have my ass’ remarks.

Interestingly, Powell, who bonds over the radio with McClane, is the only character to receive a competence award. The relationship between the two male cops is warm, respectful, and a high point.

The other well-written character is the main villain, Hans. Played deliciously by Rickman, he’s a baddie for the ages, cold and calm, and his deadly tumble from the top of the enormous building is satisfying to patient fans.

Die Hard (1988) centers on a good hero cop besting the bad guys from Germany, with a definitive pro-American theme popular at the time.

While the terrible 1980s hairstyles, clothes, and cheesy dialogue do not hold up well, the action is, and the film can surprisingly be watched repeatedly.

Oscar Nominations: Best Film Editing, Best Visual Effects, Best Sound Effects Editing, Best Sound

2024 Films, Biography, Drama, Musical, Musical Drama

A Complete Unknown-2024

December 27, 2024 scottmet99 Leave a comment

A Complete Unknown-2024

Director James Mangold

Starring Timothée Chalamet, Edward Norton, Elle Fanning

Scott’s Review #1,457

Reviewed December 27, 2024

Grade: A-

James Mangold, who directs the Bob Dylan biopic A Complete Unknown (2024), celebrates the folk singer as a humanitarian and champions Dylan’s dedication and confidence in his art.

Mangold is well known for directing other musical biopics, such as Walk the Line (2005), which focused on the lives and careers of Johnny Cash and June Carter Cash. He even incorporates Johnny as a prominent character in Dylan’s film, so there is a correlation between the two films.

With A Complete Unknown, Mangold focuses only on 1961-1965 rather than a decades-long approach beginning with the events in New York in 1961.

Set against a blossoming and vibrant music scene and a decade of tumultuous cultural upheaval, an enigmatic nineteen-year-old from Minnesota arrives with his guitar and revolutionary talent, destined to change the course of American music.

He crosses paths with folk greats and his idols, Woody Guthrie, Pete Seeger, and Joan Baez, and finds a niche within their Greenwich Village circle.

Like them, he is sympathetic to humanity and runs in the same circles as the Civil Rights movement and other humanitarian efforts.

Based on Elijah Wald’s 2015 book, Dylan Goes Electric! The film follows Dylan from his earliest folk music success to the momentous controversy over his use of electric instruments at the 1965 Newport Folk Festival.

Timothée Chalamet is exceptionally well cast. The actor, able to play waifish twinks, a fantasy chocolate maker, or a drug addict, is just as believable as Bob Dylan. His speech pattern is adjusted, and his vocals are convincing as he immerses himself in the folk world.

He also plays guitar and harmonica frequently during the film.

The best scenes are when Chalamet performs in a dingy open mic club or on the festival stage. The actor performed a mind-blowing forty Dylan songs, so the film was showcased on the music.

The art and set design are pretty marvelous. The plumes of smoke in bars and the cloudy, smoky settings feel true to the 1960s when everyone regularly lit a cigarette or two.

A poet, Dylan knows and loves his craft and doesn’t waver in his notion of shaking up the folk world with an electric guitar, and Chalamet successfully replicates this.

Interestingly, Mangold doesn’t explore the singer’s family life or upbringing but instead focuses on the uproarious switch from acoustic to electric guitar and the stir it caused.

While not a womanizer, he does carry on an affair with Baez (Monica Barbaro) and dates Sylvie Russo (Elle Fanning) during this time. Russo (changed from Suze Rotolo at Dylan’s request) is a fascinating character since she reportedly influenced Dylan’s work during that period.

The focus is on creating the singer’s famous music rather than any demons or drama he may have faced.

In retrospect, this is a wise move by Mangold, and while the pacing of the film is relatively slow, the focus is crystal clear, and the 1960s revolution is front and center mixed with Dylan’s art.

The film feels fresh and authentic with the knowledge that Bob Dylan gave his approval stamp and served as an advisor or consultant to the finished piece. Since he had a hand in the overall product, there was a feeling of satisfaction knowing that the singer-songwriter was involved.

There are no blowup fights over jealousy, dramatic pieces about unfair songwriting credits, or other backstabbing trials and tribulations. Instead, the film does a great job of reaffirming that Bob Dylan is one of the greatest songwriters ever.

A Complete Unknown (2024) is a pleasing film, and I happily hummed ‘Like a Rolling Stone’ and ‘Blowin’ in the Wind’ on the way home from the theater.

I still am.

Oscar Nominations: Best Picture, Best Director-James Mangold, Best Actor-Timothée Chalamet, Best Supporting Actor-Ed Norton, Best Supporting Actress-Monica Barbaro, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Costume Design, Best Sound

2024 Films, Drama, Epic, Historical Drama

Gladiator II-2024

December 21, 2024 scottmet99 Leave a comment

Gladiator II-2024

Director Ridley Scott

Starring Paul Mescal, Pedro Pascal, Denzel Washington

Scott’s Review #1,456

Reviewed December 21, 2024

Grade: B+

Ridley Scott, who directed Gladiator (2000), returns to the fold to direct Gladiator II almost twenty-five years later. Both are epic proportions and center on the barbaric yet luscious Ancient Roman Era.

It’s the type of film best seen in the theater on a large screen with loud surround sound. It’s bloodier than the first Gladiator.

Scott wisely incorporates snippets of the original’s ending to familiarize the audience with the events and ties a significant character to characters from the first film, both dead and alive.

The great thing about Scott directing both films is that despite the long gap between them, they feel very much aligned and have a similar tone.

When the film begins, we are told that Rome is nearly ruinous and led by tyrants. The peacefulness after Maximus’s (Russell Crowe in Gladiator) death is sadly gone.

Rome is now ruled by corrupt twin emperors, Geta (Joseph Quinn) and Caracalla (Fred Hechinger). They are barbaric and evil and use scare tactics to keep the masses in line.

We meet Lucius (Paul Mescal) when the emperors of Rome steal his home and kill his wife. He has unrelenting rage in his heart, and it’s revealed that he is the rightful heir to Rome and witnessed his father’s (Maximus) death at the hands of his uncle as a young boy.

With the empire’s future at stake, he looks to the past to find the strength and honor needed to return the glory of Rome to its people.

The fact that Lucius is the rightful heir and that his mother, Lucilla (Connie Nielsen), is still alive and now remarried to General Acacius (Pedro Pascal) provides immediate rooting value.

Combined with the viciousness of the current regime, we want the good guys to beat the bad guys. The bloody battles and the machismo nature of the story make it a muscular vehicle sure to appeal to a male audience.

It’s that type of film.

However, there is much to see visually to titillate one’s loins. Mescal looks chiseled and cut in his gladiator attire, sweatily and bloodily fighting others to the death. His hunky nature and dreamy blue eyes only make the character a sure crowd-pleaser.

Mescal also looks enough like Crowe to make the heritage believable.

Pascal and Denzel Washington are terrific in supporting roles. Washington, as Macrinus, a motivated leader intent on having the throne for himself, is bisexual, though this is hardly explored other than one line of dialogue.

A rumored kiss between Macrinus and another male character was reportedly scrapped, and shame on the powers that be for that. Too much for mainstream audiences?

The central LGBTQ+ presence is saved for the more unhinged twin ruler in a more stereotypical form.

There is little unpredictability since we know from the start that Lucius will conquer the tyranny and save the Roman people from further chaos.

But, the violent matches between gladiators and vicious beasts and one another are entertaining to watch and enthralling in their violence.

The visuals of a mock Roman Colosseum and palatial dining areas are well constructed and look real enough to transport us to the Roman Era.

Politically, the twins are compared to present-day tyrannical rulers in office and a rogue’s gallery of appointed officials. Although it can be argued that the twins are somewhat played for laughs, the fact that dictators like this rule is scary.

Gladiator (2000) packs more emotional punch than Gladiator II (2024), but watching them in parallel would be fun. From a story perspective, they link well and have the same look and feel.

Oscar Nominations: Best Costume Design

2024 Films, Drama, French, International, International Drama, International Musical, LGBTQ+ Drama, LGBTQ+ Films, LGBTQ+ International, Musical, Musical Drama

Emilia Pérez-2024

December 15, 2024 scottmet99 Leave a comment

Emilia Pérez-2024

Director Jacques Audiard

Starring Karla Sofía Gascón, Zoe Saldaña, Selena Gomez

Scott’s Review #1,455

Reviewed December 15, 2024

Grade: A

Emilia Pérez (2024) is a brilliantly unique film that uses musical numbers to tell the riveting story of a transgender Mexican crime lord, her transition from male to female, and her difficult separation from her family.

Jacques Audiard, most known for A Prophet (2009) and Rust and Bone (2012), directs this unique and brave film.

Boldly featuring transgender actress Karla Sofía Gascón in the title role, the film showcases her talents and a needed burst of transgender representation in cinema.

The film also defies genres and expectations. Is it a crime thriller? A musical? An LGBTQ+ film? It’s a bit of each with an operatic spin.

On paper, it might seem jarring to watch a film about a Mexican drug cartel set against musical numbers, but I was immediately captured.

Emilia’s character is a feared cartel leader who enlists a lawyer, Rita (Zoe Saldañato), to help her disappear and achieve her dream of becoming a woman while whisking her clueless wife Jessi (Selena Gomez) and children off to snowy Switzerland.

While officially French, Emilia Pérez feels Latin since it is set mainly in Mexico, and most of the film is in Spanish.

The film follows several women’s journeys in Mexico through liberating song, dance, and bold visuals, each pursuing their happiness. Emilia is center stage, and Rita, Jessi, and Emilia’s later love interest, Epifanía (Adriana Paz), also have their own stories, giving it an excellent ensemble feel.

Rita is an unappreciated lawyer stuck in a dead-end job, Jessi wants to move on from her presumed-to-be dead husband, and Epifanía intends to move on from her abusive husband.

Audiard makes it clear that the women cannot escape the drug cartel world even though they’d like to. Emilia even champions a movement to identify the victims of cartel-related deaths, attempting to give back to others with her new life.

Emilia Perez is a significant victory because it’s so different, and that word kept returning to me. Rather than a straightforward transgender story, it mixes many other genres and creative song and dance numbers.

Could Broadway be in its future?

Each musical number is excellent, but two themes resonate most and support the story best.

When Emilia, now pretending to be her children’s long-lost aunt, puts her son to bed, he confesses he still recognizes her scent (“Papá”). She quietly weeps, knowing he will never see the truth.

The other theme is merged into three musical numbers. After meeting with doctors in Bangkok (“La vaginoplasty”) and Tel Aviv (“Lady”), Rita finds a surgeon who agrees to perform the procedure on Emilia after hearing Manitas’ recollections of gender dysphoria during childhood (“Deseo”).

The numbers explain the transition procedure in graphic detail while reminding the audience of the powerful emotional toll the transition takes on a person.

The film’s final chapter is an energetic and classic crime thriller with a major reveal of the truth to a significant character. A deadly car chase scene culminates in a fiery explosion and a reminder that rarely can anyone leave the drug cartel circuit alive.

The release of Emilia Perez in the year 2024, when there is current United States legislation to limit or exterminate transgender rights altogether, is a powerful reminder of why it’s essential to showcase a film like this.

Fortunately, the film’s slew of year-end award nominations has increased viewership and, thus, awareness of this critical topic.

Oscar Nominations: 2 wins-Best Picture, Best Director-Jacques Audiard, Best Actress-Karla Sofía Gascón, Best Supporting Actress-Zoe Saldaña (won), Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Film Editing, Best Cinematography, Best Original Score, Best Original Song-“El Mal,” (won) “Mi Camino,” Best Makeup and Hairstyling, Best Sound, Best International Film

1999 Films, Adventure, Camp, Comedy, Satire, Screwball Comedy, Spy

Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me-1999

December 7, 2024 scottmet99 Leave a comment

Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me-1999

Director Jay Roach

Starring Mike Meyers

Scott’s Review #1,454

Reviewed December 7, 2024

Grade: C

The silly comedy franchise Austin Powers, which gripped the nation in the late 1990s, never tickled me pink like it did so many others.

International Man of Mystery debuted in 1997 and provided a smirk or two, but the follow-up ran out of gas by using more or less the same schtick as the first in the series.

I’ll never forget people mimicking taglines like ‘Yeah, baby’ to delightful laughter during this time, which I found more irritating than humorous.

Mike Meyers is talented and gives his all in the title role and two others. He infuses his natural comic talents into ridiculous, over-the-top, loud characters. He also does triple duty, portraying the main villain and a henchman.

He deserves props for solid performances with mediocre writing.

Poor Heather Graham, excellent as ‘roller girl’ in Paul Thomas Anderson’s brilliant Boogie Nights (1997), is reduced to a scantily clad love interest.

Besides being eye candy, her character has little of value to offer, undoubtedly frustrating the then-rising star.

The film isn’t a total failure, as the visuals and makeup are admirable. Colorful sets and groovy designs evoke the 1960s in a zany way, making watching the film better than listening to it.

It also serves as a modest treat for James Bond fans since the satire and parodies give credence.

Jay Roach, the director, must have advised his actors to perform as outrageously as possible, especially Robert Wagner, Rob Lowe, and Mindy Sterling, and Meyers does so on his own.

Blessedly, the running time is one hour and thirty-five minutes.

In the second installment, British super spy Austin Powers (Meyers) must return to 1969, as arch-nemesis Dr. Evil (Meyers) has ventured back to that year and successfully stolen Austin’s “mojo,” set up a powerful laser, and aimed it at Earth.

With the help of gorgeous agent Felicity Shagwell (Graham), the newly single Austin must now contend not only with Dr. Evil but also Evil’s vicious, pint-size attack clone, Mini-Me (Verne Troya).

The point of the franchise is to spoof the legendary James Bond series while incorporating a Swinging London, free-love vibe, which on paper sounds good. However, the situations play more like sketch comedy or Saturday Night Live setups than a flowing screenplay.

Even the title greedily borrows from the 1977 Bond film The Spy Who Loved Me.

As with many comedy or romantic-comedy films, screenwriters Mike Myers and Michael McCullers desperately resort to bathroom humor and countless sly sex sequences for laughs.

Also, keeping with a popular theme of comedy films, celebrity cameos run rampant. Jerry Springer, Willie Nelson, Woody Harrelson, and others appear as themselves.

I like the Bond references and themes the best, but the jokes mostly don’t work.

To its credit, Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me (1999) is not as bad as its follow-up, Goldmember (2002), but the gags fall flat most of the way.

Oscar Nominations: Best Makeup

2024 Films, Drama, Fantasy, Musical, Musical Drama

Wicked: Part I-2024

December 1, 2024 scottmet99 Leave a comment

Wicked: Part I-2024

Director Jon M. Chu

Starring Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande-Butera, Jonathan Bailey

Scott’s Review #1,453

Reviewed December 1, 2024

Grade: A

The extravagant Broadway musical Wicked (2024) is brought to the silver screen with beautiful results. It overtook the nation in hefty box office returns, and many donned witch hats for the event. The production has enough substance to justify the craze.

It is the first of a two-part film adaptation of the stage musical of the same name. The film is loosely based on Gregory Maguire’s 1995 novel, which is based on L. Frank Baum’s 1900 novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, its sequels, and its 1939 film adaptation.

Part II will emerge in late 2025.

Powerhouse Cynthia Erivo leads the charge as Elphaba, a young woman misunderstood because of her unusual green skin who has yet to discover her true power. When conceived, Elphaba’s mother and her secret beau drank a mysterious potion assumed responsible for her nature.

Elphaba is noticed by Madame Morrible (Michelle Yeoh), the Dean of Sorcerer Studies, and welcomed at Shiz University. Her disabled younger sister Nessarose (Marissa Bode) is a new student there.

Ariana Grande plays Glinda, a privileged and ambitious young woman who is jealous of yet enamored with Elphaba and yearns to discover her talent and powers.

Elphaba and Glinda forge an unlikely but powerful friendship. After encountering The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, their friendship reaches a crossroads, and their lives take very different paths.

The film begins with Glinda (the Good Witch of the North) recounting their relationship as Elphaba (or The Wicked Witch of the West) has just died to much celebration.

Whether viewers are familiar with the novels, the 1939 film, or the stage version, the rich history is well-combined.

The colorful sets and visuals are marvelous, with luminous greens encompassing the shimmering Emerald City. The Shiz University is more pastel with muted blue and pink colors.

Aside from the story, there is so much to look at visually. Be sure to glimpse background activity during dancing or celebration scenes to notice even more particulars.

Hints of what’s to come (the Cowardly Lion, a broomstick) also can be noticed.

The second half is the better portion when the action takes off and gets to a darker place. The colors are also darker than in the first half.

Watching the monkeys start to transition and grow wings painfully is a bit scary, especially for younger children.

The side story of animals losing their rights and being caged in the beginning, when they speak and even teach at a university, is complex to watch and represents the current state of the United States.

Director Jon M. Chu and screenwriters Winnie Holzman and Dana Fox wisely replace humans with animals as they remind audiences of groups of people (immigrants, the LGBTQ+ community) targeted by hate.

Sadly, as the Wizard of Oz and Madame Morrible remind Elphaba, the world needs another. ‘ The parallels between animals and humans are readily apparent.

Perhaps to combat the hate, Chu includes gay actors Jonathan Bailey and Bowen Yang in prominent roles.

Chu, most notable for Crazy Rich Asians (2018), delivers a stunning product filled with glamour, bravura, and necessary female empowerment.

The dynamic between Erivo and Grande-Butera is strong, making their rivalry/friendship believable and layered. Erivo gets the showier, albeit in a less attractive role, but she powerfully uses her voice to her advantage.

‘I’m Not That Girl’ and ‘Defying Gravity’ have quickly become favorites.

Wicked: Part I (2024) is an intriguing and spectacular production that raises critical societal questions. Whether you marvel at the visuals or explore gender and repression more deeply, the film has something for everyone.

Oscar Nominations: 2 wins-Best Picture, Best Actress-Cynthia Erivo, Best Supporting Actress-Ariana Grande, Best Film Editing, Best Production Design (won), Best Costume Design (won), Best Original Score, Best Sound, Best Makeup and Hairstyling, Best Visual Effects

2024 Films, Comedy, Drama, Independent, Independent Comedy, Independent Drama

A Real Pain-2024

November 25, 2024 scottmet99 Leave a comment

A Real Pain-2024

Director Jesse Eisenberg

Starring Jesse Eisenberg, Kieran Culkin, Jennifer Grey

Scott’s Review #1,452

Reviewed November 25, 2024

Grade: A-

A Real Pain (2024) is a well-written film about life’s emotions, experiences, joys, and pains. It wonderfully mixes comedy with drama, not one genre or the other but a pot of delicious flavors forming a potent concoction.

Jesse Eisenberg produces, writes, directs, and acts in his creation, making it his own. Kieran Culkin is a revelation as a troubled young man plagued by depression and ravaged by passion.

Emma Stone co-produces.

David (Eisenberg) and Benji (Culkin) play New York Jewish cousins with seemingly minor in common who reunite for a tour through Poland to honor their beloved grandmother.

David, a reserved and pragmatic father and husband, contrasts sharply with Benji, a free-spirited and eccentric drifter. Their personalities clash as Benji criticizes David for losing his former passion and spontaneity, while David struggles with Benji’s unfiltered outbursts and lack of direction.

In Poland, the pair meets up with a Holocaust tour group that each shares a link to the Holocaust history.

Emotional honesty among the group members and tour guide occurs during their week-long trip as brutal truths and past tensions surface.

A Real Pain is a character study with flawless writing. Eisenberg delivers an effort reminiscent of a Woody Allen film with punchy moments, neurotic characters, and cheeky humor.

Benji and David, more like brothers than cousins, admire and resent each other. Benji wishes he had what David does- a stable job, a wife and child, and peace of mind. David resents the way Benji lights up a room with his passion, quickly becoming center stage while David is forced to lurk in his shadow.

Together, the film belongs to Eisenberg and Culkin as their dazzling chemistry emulates from the screen.

From the first scene, we sense David’s frustration. He rushes to the chaotic airport, hurriedly leaving voicemails for Benji. But the carefree Benji has been at the airport for hours and dismisses David at every measure.

David is a nice guy who selflessly gives Benji the window seat and first dibs on the shower. But he secretly feels bullied by Benji’s selfishness.

David realizes that people always fall for Benji and give him a pass, which frustrates him. He essentially mocks and calls the tour group assholes but somehow is deemed ‘real’ or ‘honest.’

Benji is tough to like, but Culkin’s wounded blue eyes allow the audience to realize he is hurting and suffering from deep pain.

My only knock is why the tour guide, who is mocked and criticized by Benji, ultimately thanks him for his brutal honesty and more or less snubs David.

Compared to the otherwise honest writing, this scene feels forced and unrealistic.

Eisenberg flawlessly delivers a performance that showcases his range of emotions. Sufferingly patient, he explodes during a dinner scene, letting his emotions spill onto the table.

Eisenberg and Culkin’s great acting is showcased, especially during the scenes where they let their emotions rip. Their best scene together is atop a hotel, where they smoke pot and old wounds furiously come to the surface.

Besides the acting, Eisenberg, the screenwriter, immerses the audience in the importance of Holocaust history.

It’s not for the faint of heart. Powerful scenes of the tour group walking through Majdanek concentration camp are hard to watch, with the knowledge that thousands were exterminated.

Led by a scene-stealing turn from Culkin and a bevy of creative talents by Eisenberg, A Real Pain (2024) is a powerfully funny, emotionally resonant dramedy that finds him playing to his strengths on either side of the camera.

Oscar Nominations: 1 win-Best Supporting Actor-Kieran Culkin (won), Best Original Screenplay

Independent Spirit Award Nominations: 2 wins-Best Supporting Performance-Kieran Culkin (won), Best Screenplay (won)

1985 Films, Drama, LGBTQ+ Drama, LGBTQ+ Films, LGBTQ+ Romance, Romantic Drama

My Beautiful Laundrette-1985

November 10, 2024 scottmet99 Leave a comment

My Beautiful Laundrette-1985

Director Stephen Frears

Starring Gordon Warnecke, Daniel Day-Lewis

Scott’s Review #1,451

Reviewed November 10, 2024

Grade: A-

My Beautiful Laundrette (1985) is an early LGBTQ+-themed British film directed by Stephen Frears. He would later become well-known for directing The Queen (2006).

Though the film is choppy and contains several stories, the LGBTQ+ story is one of the few in the genre to offer a satisfying, hopeful ending.

Later, and admittedly more defined, films like Brokeback Mountain (2006) and Boys Don’t Cry (1999) were harsher and more realistic.

The British flavor, interracial pairing, and class differences make My Beautiful Laundrette a lovely watch.

But it’s also all over the place.

In a seedy corner of London, a young Pakistani, Omar (Gordon Warnecke), is given a run-down laundromat by his affluent uncle Nasser (Saeed Jaffrey), who hopes to turn it into a successful business.

Soon after, Omar is attacked by a group of racist punks but realizes their leader is his former lover, Johnny (Daniel Day-Lewis). The men resume their relationship and rehabilitate the laundromat together, but various social forces threaten to compromise their success.

Omar’s father is an unhappy former left-wing journalist who has turned to alcohol. Nasser’s daughter, Tania, is meant to be Omar’s future bride, while Nasser is in love with his mistress, Rachel (Shirley Anne Field).

Besides these storylines, there is a complicated relationship between brothers Nasser and Hussein, and a drug-smuggling storyline.

While every story has some intrigue and shapes the structure, the male romance is not front and center enough to be completely developed.

Omar and Johnny are interesting because, despite their differences, they connect and are truly in love. Politically, Omar is left-wing, and Johnny is right-wing. Omar is upper class, while Johnny is working class. Omar is Pakistani, while Johnny is British.

Being 1985 and early in the LGBTQ+ genre, Frears focuses mostly on their romance and less on their differences. There is a brief sequence where Omar treats Johnny as a lowly employee, but for the most part, they are in love.

It takes a long time to showcase Omar and Johnny making My Beautiful Laundrette, only marginally an LGBTQ+ effort.

There is no mention of the A.I.D.S. epidemic, which would have made it a different kind of film.

The romance between Nasser and Rachel is marvelous. There are a couple of audience members who shouldn’t root for but do anyway. Rachel is the other woman, merely a mistress, but why is she so appealing? Why do Nasser and Rachel connect so well?

Shirley Anne Field pours kindness and empathy into her character, while Saeed Jaffrey relays his love for Rachel to Nasser. Yes, he is married, but the marriage is traditional, and his wife is Pakistani. We know that at another time Nasser and Rachel would have a chance.

When Tania snaps at Rachel and accuses her of being a woman who so easily lives off a man, Rachel reminds her that she does too. Rachel is from a different generation where opportunities for women are scarce.

Field makes the scene her own and wins over the audience, even though it could have been against her.

The Rachel/Nasser romance parallels the Omar/Johnny love story. Both couples live secret lives, hidden from the world.

This is evident in a powerful scene when the two couples are simultaneously romantic in the laundrette. Neither sees the other at first, but the audience sees both couples. This mirrors their mutual love, and it’s a beautiful sequence.

While there is sometimes too much to follow, most of the material is poignant and relevant, making My Beautiful Laundrette (1985) a film worth recommending.

It has an LGBTQ+ presence but is not restricted to that genre, offering other nice stories to the experience.

It also leaves one feeling hopeful, which is sometimes needed in cinema.

Oscar Nominations: Best Original Screenplay

1982 Films, Comedy, Romantic Comedy, Satire

Tootsie-1982

November 2, 2024 scottmet99 Leave a comment

Tootsie-1982

Director Sydney Pollack

Starring Dustin Hoffman

Scott’s Review #1,449

Reviewed November 2, 2024

Grade: A

Dustin Hoffman is perfectly cast in the romantic comedy Tootsie (1982), a blockbuster hit from 1982 with much going on within its cinematic walls and a progressive-leaning slant.

Sydney Pollack directs and also has a supporting role in the film.

In addition to Hoffman, Jessica Lange, Teri Garr, Dabney Coleman, and Charles Durning give all-star performances.

Tootsie is genuinely funny and a treat for anyone who has ever auditioned or been interested in acting or theater. The popular soap opera, or daytime drama, genre features directors, producers, and actors who intertwine.

Romance, drag, wacky setups, insecurities, and social commentary on gender inequality are analyzed, making Tootsie more relevant than most romantic comedies and an unforgettable experience.

Hoffman plays New York actor Michael Dorsey (Dustin Hoffman), a talented yet opinionated perfectionist unable to find work. His flustered agent (Pollack) sends him on a soap opera audition that goes poorly.

Michael decides to reinvent himself as actress Dorothy Michaels and wins the part. What was supposed to be a short-lived role turns into a long-term contract, but when Michael falls for his castmate Julie (Jessica Lange), complications develop.

Hoffman flawlessly merges with Dorothy, a feminist, to make her a character the audience loves and champions. This is a risky assignment and could easily make the character a goof or cause them not to be taken seriously.

Not only does Hoffman look convincing in a dress, wig, heels, and a feminine southern accent, but he also makes us forget he’s a man.

The hilarity of other characters not knowing Dorothy is Michael is there when a romantic quadrangle develops. Neurotic Sandy Lester (Garr) is in love with Michael, while he is in love with Julie, who thinks Michael is Dorothy. Finally, Julie’s father, Les (Durning), falls for Dorothy.

The New York setting works wonderfully as struggling actors, greedy agents, and temperamental directors co-exist on tense sets, over dinners, and at many schmoozy parties. This presents the grit of New York show business in the 1980s, when the city was crime-infested and dangerous.

The hustle and bustle perfectly showcases the time.

Pollack and screenwriters, Larry Gelbart and Murray Schisgal, add satire to the soap opera, or as mentioned in the film, the politically correct, daytime drama world.

The horny and inept longtime cast member, John Van Horn (George Gaynes), needs a teleprompter while the sexy ingenue April (Geena Davis) prances around in underwear. Hurried script rewrites and pages of dialogue to memorize make the cast frazzled and rushed.

Tootsie takes an important, though lighthearted, approach to sexism, and at least it’s recognized. Dorothy scolds her boss and director, Ron (Coleman), for calling her demeaning nicknames like ‘Tootsie’ and for treating Julie, whom he’s casually dating, poorly.

Michael begins to realize that he doesn’t treat Sandy well either, so he learns from his experience of being judged as a woman on beauty rather than anything else.

It forces the audience to realize this, too. Tootsie was released in the early 1980s when women’s liberation was strong, and more women were in the workplace, so the message was timely.

The producer of the fictional soap opera is female, which enhances the gender message brought across.

Still, the comedy takes center stage, and the film isn’t a message movie. The funny moments feel fresh as the characters work their magic. Julie first assumes Dorothy is a lesbian when they nearly kiss, and Sandy thinks Michael is having an affair with Dorothy, which means he is having an affair with himself.

The antics go on and on, resembling the classic Some Like It Hot (1959), especially the tender moments between Les and Dorothy.

Tootsie (1982) holds up well decades after its release. Smart dialogue, witty sequences, and strong characters make it a timeless treasure to revisit often.

Oscar Nominations: 1 win-Best Picture, Best Director-Sydney Pollack, Best Actor-Dustin Hoffman, Best Supporting Actress-Jessica Lange (won), Teri Garr, Best Screenplay-Written Directly for the Screen, Best Cinematography, Best Film Editing, Best Original Song-“It Might Be You”, Best Sound

2023 Films, Crime Thriller, Thriller

Woman of the Hour-2023

October 21, 2024 scottmet99 Leave a comment

Woman of the Hour-2023

Director Anna Kendrick

Starring Anna Kendrick, Daniel Zovatto, Autumn Best

Scott’s Review #1,448

Reviewed October 21, 2024

Grade: A-

I never thought of Anna Kendrick as a quality film director or even a director. Her most notable acting role was Up in the Air in 2009 and I had nearly forgotten about her until watching the Netflix film Woman of the Hour (2023) in which she stars and directs.

She impressed the hell out of me in her directorial debut and since the film industry still needs more female directors I hope Kendrick keeps at it.

Woman of the Hour premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in September 2023 but wasn’t released by Netflix until October 2024 so it’s technically a 2023 film.

Kendrick creates an intelligent work that serves as a compelling and taut thriller and a lesson in misogyny and objectification. Yes, it’s set in the 1970s and an argument can be made that society has progressed in that regard but not nearly enough as this film starkly reminds us.

An aspiring actress, Cheryl Bradshaw (Kendrick), who has had little success finding roles, is talked into appearing on an episode of the popular game show ‘The Dating Game’.

She crosses paths with a prolific serial killer, Bachelor #3 on the television show, 1978. He is Rodney Alcala (Daniel Zovatto) who is feared to have raped and murdered over one hundred women.

The audience is well aware of the actions of Alcala since the action goes back and forth from the present times (1979) and New York City in 1971 when he presumably killed his first victim.

I felt uncomfortable from the first scene and remained this way during the one hour and thirty-four minute running time. The film was too short.

Alcala doesn’t lurk around corners or break into apartments brandishing a butcher knife. Instead, he sweet-talks the women into posing for photographs or offers to help them out of a jam to gain their trust.

Kendrick doesn’t play softball with the audience. She gets the action going with a brutal scene where Alcala takes photos of a young woman in the plains. After he gets the woman to open up about her painful breakup with an ex-boyfriend, he strangles her. He revives her, then strangles her to death.

The victim is pitiful since she is already distressed over her ex. The audience sees a glimmer of hope in her eyes when she considers she may have finally met a nice guy. There is slight trust and it’s heartbreaking to see reality strike the poor woman.

Kendrick does it again in a side story from 1979 when events finally ended climatically. A young runaway named Amy, played wonderfully by Autumn Best, meets Alcala and spontaneously goes hiking with him in a remote location.

Best, through Kendrick, plays wounded not as victimized but as a strong woman with a will to live. Hardly cowering, she instead channels energy and outsmarts her pursuant.

I was continually impressed with how Kendrick weaved a thriller with female empowerment.

As good as those scenes are, the best sequence is during The Dating Game since there is so much going on.

We see the creepy Alcala and know that Cheryl will choose him. He knows how to schmooze, capitalizing on the other bachelor’s weaknesses. After he wins, bachelor #2 whispers a warning to Cheryl.

It gave me goosebumps.

Daniel Zovatto is a standout as the killer. His facade of Mr. Nice Guy made me trust him as most people would. He appears kind, friendly, and helpful. When he suddenly turns evil the actor gives a creepy smile on par with the one from the horror film Smile (2022).

I shudder thinking about the smile and film and Woman of the Hour (2023) has followed me since watching it.

An impressive directorial debut, Kendrick has the chops necessary to continue her journey. She acts well but her director talents are her superpower.

2024 Films, Political Thriller, Religious, Thriller

Conclave-2024

October 17, 2024 scottmet99 Leave a comment

Conclave-2024

Director Edward Berger

Starring Ralph Fiennes, Stanley Tucci, John Lithgow

Scott’s Review #1,447

Reviewed October 17, 2024

Grade: A

I was fortunate to see the Conclave (2024) premiere at our local art theater before most public audiences had. I anticipate those who talk about the ‘twist’ at the end will be stunned. Initially, I was told there was a ‘twist,’ but I did not know what it was, so I wondered.

I’ll say nothing more about the ‘twist’.

Admittedly, the premise didn’t wow me, and I only saw Conclave because of the acclaim and awards season buzz surrounding it.

Heavyweight actors like Ralph Fiennes, Stanley Tucci, John Lithgow, and Isabella Rossellini didn’t hurt.

The end product is well-written, well-acted, and well-produced. Its tinge of push-pull between liberalism and conservativism feels timely and relevant.

It’s based on a 2016 novel written by Robert Harris.

The story is fictional and follows one of the world’s most secretive and ancient events: selecting the new Pope. Fiennes expertly plays Cardinal Lawrence, who manages this complex process after the unexpected death of the beloved current Pope.

Once the Catholic Church’s most powerful leaders, most eager to be elected the next Pope, have gathered from around the world, Lawrence uncovers a trail of secrets involving the dead Pope, secrets that could shake the foundations of the Church.

They are locked in the Vatican, protected from the outside world until the majority chooses the new Pope.

Edward Berger did a phenomenal job bringing the 1930 epic All Quiet on the Western Front (2022) to legions of audiences and a slew of Oscar nominations. All bets are that he does it again with Conclave.

The screenplay is written by Peter Straughan, primarily a British playwright. The action immediately begins with the Pope’s death, and the rest of the film is a slow buildup, sometimes even a crawl.

Halfway through, I wondered why Conclave was receiving so much notice. After the conclusion, I could not stop thinking about it for days.

Berger and Straughan play their cards close to their pockets throughout the play, toying with audiences who expect a traditional, mainstream affair before the rug is yanked from beneath them.

Dramas or thrillers with a religious theme, mainly centering around questioning the Catholic Church, usually risk dismissal or ridicule. I’m anxious to see how this plays out with Conclave.

In hindsight, more than the obvious, make Conclave worth talking about after the upside-down ride that results.

Lawrence is character-driven. He questions his faith and devotion and doesn’t want to be the new Pope. We’re not exactly sure why he wants to leave the Church. Is he involved in a secret scandal? Could he be in a relationship?

One intelligent scene mentions that a Pope should not be sure of his faith and should question it. Traditions can be tweaked for the times. A conservative leader mocks the Pope for ruining the Catholic Church with whimsical decisions, embracing the current times. Another liberal leader doesn’t think he went far enough.

It’s easy to see that Berger/Straughan/Harris have Pope Francis, who was elected in 2013, in mind. Having strongly brought more progressive thought to the Catholic Church, it’s easy to see the representation.

Fiennes gives a powerful performance as a decent man who tries to do the right thing without favoritism or conflict. He is subdued but strong-willed, and the performance is understated. He gives so much to a role that could be mistaken for too little.

Volker Bertelmann composes the score, which is reminiscent of All Quiet on the Western Front. It has a soft tone, is not bombastic, and slowly increases intensity during scenes. The buildup is tense and magnificent.

Conclave (2024) is a human story about humanity and imperfection. It’s also about human complexities, mistakes, and kindness. It magnifies the scope of the Catholic Church and reminds audiences that those shrouded within its wall are not without imperfections.

It also reminds us that even the Catholic Church has corruption.

Oscar Nominations: 1 win-Best Picture, Best Actor-Ralph Fiennes, Best Supporting Actress-Isabella Rossellini, Best Adapted Screenplay (won), Best Film Editing, Best Production Design, Best Costume Design, Best Original Score

1978 Films, Horror, Thriller

The Fury-1978

October 15, 2024 scottmet99 Leave a comment

The Fury-1978

Director Brian De Palma

Starring Kirk Douglas, Amy Irving, John Cassavetes

Scott’s Review #1,446

Reviewed October 15, 2024

Grade: A-

The Fury (1978) is one of Brian De Palma’s films that flies under the radar and is underappreciated. It features many of his trademark effects, such as slow-motion camerawork, and includes actors who appear in more than one of his psychological thriller films.

The story might be more complicated than it needs to be, and while legendary actor Kirk Douglas gets top billing, he disappears for a good part of the film before returning towards the end. He hands the reins to Amy Irving, who capably carries the rest of the film.

This is a small gripe for a film that ranks pretty close to classics like Dressed to Kill (1980), Carrie (1976), and Blow Out (1981).

I’m as guilty as anyone else for underappreciating The Fury since it’s only my second time viewing it.

The all-star cast features John Cassavetes as the villain, Carrie Snodgress, Charles Durning, Douglas, and Irving. That’s enough to make cinema fans want to see it. There are also unique actors in small roles who flesh out the quirky cast in a major win.

The screenplay by John Farris was based on his 1976 novel of the same name, which feels a lot like a popular Stephen King novel.

The Fury utilizes the talents of esteemed John Williams, who scored such greats as Fiddler on the Roof (1971), The Poseidon Adventure (1972), and Jaws (1975), to name a few. The highly lauded composer aptly uses the music to enhance the overall product.

Events start in Israel when a plot separates CIA agent Peter Sandza (Douglas) from his son, Robin (Andrew Stevens), but the distraught father manages to see through the ruse.

He realizes that Robin is being held at an institute by Ben Childress (Cassavetes) because the teenager possesses supernatural powers that Ben intends to weaponize.

Meanwhile, Gillian (Amy Irving), a teen with telekinesis, forms a psychic connection to Robin and teams up with Peter to find and rescue him. They are forced to endure villains intent on destroying them for their own gain.

I am amazed how well the film, made in 1978, holds up tremendously decades later, considering the characters play dated video games and the automobiles are very 1970s. The overindulgence of 1970s ‘stuff’ is what holds the most appeal.

Appealing is the glimpse at hundreds of extras appearing in the many exterior Chicago scenes. While Gillian and her friend La Rue (Melody Thomas Scott) stroll down the boardwalk, they pass teams of regular people harkening back to a time long ago.

The unwieldy American sedans popular in the mid-1970s pepper the streets of Chicago. At the same time, the sofa and carpet styles of the time are prominently featured at the Paragon Institute, evoking a nostalgic hug of authenticity.

When the character Gillian is introduced during a high school sequence that parallels Carrie, the similarities are immediately apparent.

Carrie and Gillian are both high school students with psychic powers, including telekinesis, that harm people who physically touch or provoke them.

The kicker is that Irving also appeared in Carrie, but not as the title character.

The best scenes are when Hester (Snodgress) is struck and killed by a car propelling her bloody body through the windshield or when Institute employee, Dr. Susan Charles (Fiona Lewis) is tortured and spun to death over a lavish dinner table setting.

The food references are plentiful, mouthwatering, and fun to track. Hester and Gillian chat and giggle over heaping hot fudge sundaes, while scrambled eggs and dinner are mentioned during other scenes.

Some plot holes or inexplicable story points, like Robin’s turn into a psycho and turning on his father because another psychic will replace him, aren’t as compelling as other points of the film.

During one scene, Gillian has Robin’s powers transfer to her, causing her body to writhe and contort in an unconvincing way, and Irving looks plain silly.

Being a huge De Palma fan, I’m glad I dusted The Fury (1978) off the shelf because it’s a terrific watch with an exceptional cast. It contains many of De Palma’s trademarks, making it fantastic, especially for his fans.

1982 Films, Camp, Super Hero

Swamp Thing-1982

October 14, 2024 scottmet99 Leave a comment

Swamp Thing-1982

Director Wes Craven

Starring Ray Wise, Adrienne Barbeau, Louis Jourdan

Scott’s Review #1,445

Reviewed October 14, 2024

Grade: B+

Wes Craven’s murky swampland, Adrienne Barbeau’s cleavage, and a battle of good versus evil make Swamp Thing (1982) a titillating watch.

It is marketed as a superhero movie and contains a famous cover art shot of the ‘swamp thing’ carrying a scantily clad Barbeau across a swamp. This is warranted since it is adapted from a DC Comics character of the same name.

Swamp Thing is pure camp and makes no bones about it.

There’s not a lot that is interesting from a story perspective other than a run-of-the-mill plot. The bad guy, greedily plotting to take over the world with a mysterious serum, is conquered.

But the visuals make Swamp Thing atmospheric, the bizarre romance works, and Barbeau carries the film, making it an entertaining one hour and thirty-one minutes.

Dr. Alec Holland (Ray Wise) is a botanist on the verge of a breakthrough to wipe out world hunger when special government agent Alice Cable (Adrienne Barbeau) arrives on the scene to protect him from a threat.

A brief flirtation ensues between the pair.

Psychotic scientist Anton Arcane (Louis Jourdan) wants to steal Holland’s research to boost his own fame. An unforeseen accident during the heist turns Holland into the Swamp Thing, an enormous plant-like creature that fights back against Arcane’s henchmen to save Alice.

Swamp Thing hints at Craven’s notoriously dark revenge film, The Last House on the Left (1972), though nowhere near as dark as that film.

The exterior settings resemble each other despite being filmed in different locales, and characters frequently charge or flee the woodsy atmosphere in peril. Watching on a streaming service provided a grainy video, which enhanced the film’s rawness and made a look less cartoonish.

A repeated watch might need better video production to notice subtleties missed during its first viewing.

I can’t be critical of Swamp Thing because it’s an enjoyable experience.

The early romance between Alice and Alec is nice, though limited. I confess to nearly being teary-eyed during a tender moment between Alice and ‘Swamp Thing’, now played by Dick Durock. After Alice is shot in the breast, she is tenderly healed and held by the creature.

Speaking of breasts, Barbeau bares them during a scene where she bathes in the swamp. The intent is sensational, and to showcase her ‘girls’ as much as her running around or being chained in a low-cut dress is.

Being a fan of Barbeau’s, this didn’t bother me as much as it should have, but where were the scantily clad men? They didn’t exist.

Also laughable is Barbeau as ‘damsel in distress’ when the actress is well known for tough girl roles like Rizzo in Grease or Maggie in John Carpenter’s Escape from New York, made only a year earlier.

As she meekly cried out for help, I couldn’t help but chuckle inside, especially since her character is part of a government security team sent to protect.

Jourdan is excellent as the evil Anton, playing the role over the top, like a standard superhero villain. This proves successful as we cheer on his ultimate demise.

The composer Harry Manfredini also scored most of the Friday the 13th film series (1980-2001), which is easy for fans with a knack for spotting eerie, 1980s-era soundtracks.

Swamp Thing (1982) may not be a cinematic genius, but there is enough to enjoy for the average viewer, especially early superhero fans. Barbeau and Craven make the film better than it would have been without them.

1994 Films, British, Comedy, Romantic Comedy

Four Weddings and a Funeral-1994

October 8, 2024 scottmet99 Leave a comment

Four Weddings and a Funeral-1994

Director Mike Newell

Starring Hugh Grant, Andie MacDowell

Scott’s Review #1,444

Reviewed October 8, 2024

Grade: A-

Four Weddings and a Funeral (1994) is a surprisingly fresh and delightful romantic comedy and one of the better offerings of the 1990s.

It is likely an inspiration for Love, Actually, from 2003, which I have seen recently, and the two would pair well.

Both are British or set in the London area and have an English sophistication often lacking in American rom-coms.

The key to Four Weddings and a Funeral’s success is the writing. Storylines about real life emerge, and relatable, awkward, and flawed characters grace the page.

Lovelorn audience members who may have lost love or suffered from loneliness may relate most.

This is a huge win for a genre that often plays it safe or revels in predictability. Crisp writing goes a long way.

The main couple is played by Hugh Grant and Andie MacDowell, making them household names and propelling them to a successful decade in similar films, especially Grant.

Lovable Englishman Charles (Grant) and his group of friends seem to be unlucky in love. They frequently gather at parties or weddings, never finding what they truly want, and are linked together for life.

When Charles meets a beautiful American named Carrie (Andie MacDowell) at a wedding, he thinks his luck may have changed. But, after one magical night, Carrie, deemed ‘slutty’ returns to the States, ending what might have been a wonderful long-term relationship.

As Charles and Carrie’s paths continue to cross, usually at someone’s wedding and one funeral, Charles believes they are meant to be together, even if their timing always seems to be off.

Grant shines in his role despite believing his performance was hideous, at least before the film received many accolades.

Mike Newell, the director, provided conflicting direction, making it hard for Grant to play the role in a particular way.

His stuttering and confusion, though, are what make his character so endearing.

MacDowell is good, too. It’s not clear why she doesn’t drop everything right away and date Charles, or why she chooses to marry an older Scottish guy, but the story-dictated situations only make the characters shine brighter.

Once the first wedding occurred, I found myself hooked. I couldn’t wait to find out what three nuptials would be forthcoming and who the funeral was for.

Could it be a main character or even Charles or Carrie?

That makes Four Weddings and a Funeral compelling, especially as the supporting characters are fleshed out.

We get to know Fiona (Kristin Scott Thomas), a bitchy friend who seems to judge everyone she meets. Her snobbery slowly gives way to vulnerability when it’s revealed that she has always loved Charles.

Other characters like Tom (James Fleet) and Scarlett (Charlotte Coleman) provide comic relief, while a same-sex couple, Gareth and Matthew (Simon Callow and John Hannah), and Charles’s deaf brother David (David Bower) are part of the group, with no judgment of their sexuality or disability.

In 1994, this was a searing victory, and a feeling of inclusion is apparent.

The icing on the cake is a spectacular soap opera moment in which a bride and groom are about to take their vows, only for one of them to admit their love for another character.

Hysteria, a meltdown, and good old-fashioned drama commence, making the scene satisfying.

I didn’t expect to enjoy Four Weddings and a Funeral (1994) as much as I did. Audiences agreed, and the film was rewarded with two surprising Oscar nominations.

Oscar Nominations: Best Picture, Best Original Screenplay

1984 Films, Christmas, Comedy, Dark Comedy, Fantasy, Horror, Horror-Comedy

Gremlins-1984

September 28, 2024 scottmet99 Leave a comment

Gremlins-1984

Director Joe Dante

Starring Zach Galligan, Phoebe Cates

Scott’s Review #1,443

Reviewed September 28, 2024

Grade: B+

A mishmash of film genres such as black comedy, horror, and Christmas, Gremlins (1984) is one of the films responsible for the introduction of the new Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) PG-13 rating in the mid-1980s.

Too soft for an adult R rating, but too scary for a PG rating, many films fit better in the PG-13 category.

The film features a cute, E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982)- inspired creature named Gizmo. Since Steven Spielberg executive-produced Gremlins, there have been comparisons to the successful mega-box-office film.

But Gremlins is darker than E.T., especially when the spawn of Gizmo emerges in a fierce, aggressive manner and one dons a mohawk-style haircut. Many of the gremlins die, and a few humans are killed by the gremlins, giving it a scarier vibe.

This is thanks to director Joe Dante, who gives the film a 1950s B-movie look with a dark, campy tone.

A gadget salesman, Randall Peltzer (Hoyt Axton), is looking for a special Christmas gift for his son, Billy (Zach Galligan), and finds one at a store in Chinatown. The shopkeeper is reluctant to sell him the “mogwai” but does, and warns him never to expose him to bright light or water, or to feed him after midnight.

Naturally, when Randall returns to his home in the United States, all of this happens, and the result is a gang of gremlins that decide to tear up the town on Christmas Eve.

There are a couple of ways to view this film. The ‘message’ is a statement about the consumer culture that ran rampant in the 1980s. Wanting everything but not appreciating what you have is highlighted in the final scene.

The Chinese shopkeeper repossesses the “mogwai”, scolds the family for their negligence, and criticizes Western society for its carelessness with nature.

In a touching scene, Gizmo, having bonded with Billy, bids him goodbye. The touched shopkeeper concedes that Billy may be ready one day and, until then, Gizmo will be waiting.

Anyone with a pet will get a teary eye or two.

One can also view Gremlins as an entertaining popcorn flick with superior special effects and a fun story. The visual effects and the art direction are worth a pause. Impressive are the sequences in the town where the stores and homes are perfectly dressed for the holidays.

The Christmas lights, trees, snow, and other trimmings provide feelings of warmth and spirit.

Galligan and Phoebe Cates, who plays his love interest, Kate, have wonderful chemistry as a teen romance blossoms. This makes the audience more invested in their peril as they try to save the townspeople from doom.

Axton and Frances Mee McCain, who plays Billy’s mother, Lynn, are also rootable. They are believable as a lovely suburban couple who have a wacky side.

Corey Feldman and Judge Reinhold appear in small roles as a friend and Billy’s obnoxious boss, respectively. Neither role is developed or necessary, but familiar faces are always nice to see in the cinema.

Polly Holliday nearly steals the show as the dog-hating Ruby Deagle. In a clear nod to Mrs. Gulch in The Wizard of Oz (1939), she sneers and snickers in an ill-fated attempt to have Billy’s dog destroyed.

Delightfully, she gets a death scene where the gremlins terrorize her to death when her stair chair goes wonky and throws her out a window. Holliday is a hoot and must have had a ball playing the villain.

Other stock characters, like the disbelieving police force, are clichéd and only serve to hinder the main characters’ actions.

Gremlins (1984) is a darling film that holds up well. It’s mischievous without going full horror and can be enjoyed by the entire family on Christmas Eve. The quirky comedy elements and cool visuals make the film fun and impressive.

1984 Films, Comedy

Police Academy-1984

September 27, 2024 scottmet99 Leave a comment

Police Academy-1984

Director Hugh Wilson

Starring Steve Guttenberg

Scott’s Review #1,442

Reviewed September 27, 2024

Grade: B+

Police Academy (1984) is a fun slice of nostalgia for me that oozes back memories of being a pre-pubescent boy, and it’s difficult to put my ‘critic’ hat on long enough to review the film adequately and impartially.

But I’ll try.

1980s cinema is filled with movies like Police Academy, featuring bumbling antics and situation comedy gags with little film integrity or artistic merit. The dimwitted and sex-crazed characters, usually male, go from one situation to another with the hopes of fun and sex.

The franchise relies on basic slapstick humor, typically grounded in simple characterization and physical comedy. As with many similar films, the theme centers on a group of underdogs struggling to prove themselves while various authority figures try to suppress them.

Thus, the audience adores and roots for them.

Yes, Police Academy is riddled with cliches, idiocy, and a disrespect for law enforcement, but only in the softest of ways. Filmmakers have no ill contempt and only intend to follow a well-used comedy formula to produce a hit.

Quite a hit, it spawned six sequels, culminating in 1994’s lame Police Academy: Mission to Moscow.

When the mayor of an unnamed crime-ridden city loosens the restrictions on entering the police academy to get more cops on the street, all manner of oddball characters enlist to join the force.

Among the cadets are sexy Carey Mahoney (Steve Guttenberg), hulking Moses Hightower (Bubba Smith), blonde Karen Thompson (Kim Cattrall), and sound effects-generating Larvell Jones (Michael Winslow), who all have to show initiative and courage when they are faced with tough situations out on patrol.

The law enforcement villains are Police Chief Henry Hurst (George R. Robinson) and Lieutenant Thaddeus Harris (G.W. Bailey), who scheme to make the training unbearable so the recruits will quit.

In predictable form, the good-looking Mahoney and Karen fall in love while the incompetent rookies manage to save the day and bust some thugs. They receive recognition for bravery and graduate from the academy.

Beneath the surface is the racial diversity of three prominent black characters who became popular staples of the franchise. There are a few ethnic slurs, but they’re used by villains who receive their comeuppance.

There are several LGBTQ+ situations, one of which involves two of the foils purposely being sent to a gay bar and dancing the night away with masculine leather men.

Later, Commandant Eric Lessard thinks Mahoney has provided him with fellatio (it’s a female prostitute), and thinks he sees Mahoney making out with a man.

The inclusion is a nice touch for the time, and it’s unclear whether the message is that the foils may be gay, that the situations are meant for laughs, or that being straight is better.

Nude scenes featuring female characters exist, and we do see male characters shirtless, but like many 1980s mainstream R-rated films, the females are nude, and the males are not.

An unfair double standard that has mercifully changed over the years.

A terrific and apt comparison is that the Police Academy (1984-1994) franchise is like the Friday the 13th (1980-2009) franchise. So many sequels follow a similar formula, so the audience knows what to expect and adores the redundancy.

I’ve seen both series numerous times and never get tired of them.

Police Academy (1984) is not high art, nor is it meant to be analyzed. For its pleasing entertainment and a chance to root for the underdog, the film is satisfying, provides a chuckle or two, and I won’t feel guilty about my enjoyment.

2024 Films, Horror

The First Omen-2024

September 26, 2024 scottmet99 Leave a comment

The First Omen-2024

Director Arkasha Stevenson

Starring Nell Tiger Free, Ralph Ineson, Bill Nighy

Scott’s Review #1,441

Reviewed September 26, 2024

Grade: B

Having six and a half hours to kill on a late-night international flight to Europe, I eagerly desired some good horror to pass the time. What better way to while away the minutes than some religious treachery?

In truth, I accidentally thought The First Omen (2024) selection was the recent The Exorcist: Believer from 2023. Further, I thought the film was a solid ninety minutes, but I was wrong again. The running time is an unwieldy one hundred and nineteen minutes, a lifetime for a horror film.

So, The First Omen had much going against it before I was even ten seconds into the film.

While not a great film, primarily due to a corny and far-fetched story, The First Omen is memorable for its moments and the stylistic approach to camerawork.

I love watching films by first-time directors partly because they may become the next Quentin Tarantino, Alfred Hitchcock, or Greta Gerwig. Sometimes a blueprint is served up for what’s to follow in said directors career.

Arkasha Stevenson must have studied films by Italian horror director Dario Argento, the devilish late 1960s horror classic Rosemary’s Baby, or both.

The film has a gothic look, and it was shot on location in Rome, providing authenticity. What better backdrop than the city the Roman Catholic Church is most associated with?

The costumes are excellent, specifically the clothes worn by the nuns. They represent the 1940s or the 1950s even though the film is set during the 1970s, and somehow this works.

For fans of the classic The Omen from 1976, The First Omen serves as a prequel with a couple of satisfying tie-ins to that great film. I can think of two examples incorporated simply because the filmmakers wanted to please moviegoers watching this film because of the original.

There were sequels made in 1978, 1980, 1982, and 1985, but those must be forgotten entirely.

When a young American woman named Margaret (Nell Tiger Free) is sent to Rome to work at an orphanage before she begins a life of service to the church, she encounters a darkness that causes her to question her faith.

Along with the kindly Father Brennan (Ralph Ineson), she uncovers a terrifying conspiracy that hopes to bring about the birth of evil incarnate.

You see, Brennan explains that radicals within the church, desperate to regain power against the rise of secularism, seek to bring about the Antichrist to create fear and drive people back to the church, with a young orphan named Carlita (Nicole Sorace) intended to be his mother.

There is little need not to reveal that the Antichrist is Damien, the little boy adopted in The Omen (1976) who wreaks havoc.

The standout moments are pretty good. One day, Margaret spots Carlita showing a nun named Anjelica a drawing of a pregnant woman being restrained; moments later, Anjelica self-immolates and hangs herself after she proclaims, ‘It’s all for you.’

This moment is a fantastic ode to a similar scene in The Omen, and I nearly got goosebumps recalling that epic, frightening sequence.

There’s another where Margaret runs into Paolo, a man she may or may not have slept with, who tells her to “look for the mark” before being struck and cut in half by an oncoming truck.

The final climax, which mostly resembles Rosemary’s Baby, is so convoluted that I stopped trying to make sense of the story and instead appreciated the incredible visceral birthing scenes, which were controversial.

The film looks authentically like it’s from the 1970s, which is another win for Stevenson. It could easily be watched right before watching The Omen.

I’m intrigued by Stevenson’s direction and wonder what else she’ll do in the future.

The First Omen (2024) is a quality religious horror film sure to scare religious zealots and somewhat please fans. It’s not great, but it has enough going for it to deserve a watch.

Welcome to my blog!1,542 reviews posted so far! I'm Scott Segrell and I reside in Stamford, CT. My site features hundreds of film reviews I have written since I launched the site in 2014. I hope you enjoy reading my latest reviews or searching for your own favorites to see if we agree. Please see my featured films of the month, and don't forget to utilize the tags and category links.