The Present

The past is past

unchangeable

learn from it

but do not worry

at its wounds

the future immaterial

clutch at it

attempt to wrest certainty

from its chance - futility

and frustration

now is the only time

this moment 

rich in import

fleeting

precious in it's fragility.

'Mortal Kombat' A Review

Mortal Kombat is a fantasy/action movie an adaptation of the video game series and a soft reboot of the 90's series of movies. It opens in feudal Japan where legendary ninja Hanzo Hasashi(Hiroyuki Sanada) and his family are attacked by Bi-Han(Joe Taslim), in the wake of the attack Hasahi's last scion is saved by Radien(Tadanobu Asano). Flash forward to the present and the evil legions of Outworld stand at the precipice of taking over Earthrealm and only a few of Earth's champions stand in their way.

The cast is up for the task of what is ultimately mostly action sequences and fight choreography(and justly so) however character is frequently, and appropriately given it is a Mortal Kombat movie, sacrificed for plot. But there are some bright spots, it is always a treat to see Sanada and him along with Taslim lend the movie some much needed gravitas. The other stand out is Josh Lawson as Kano who injects some necessary humor and personality. The other cast members are all sufficient but aren't quite able to carve out much definition amid all the blows.

Visually rich with heartpounding action that marries fantasy and martial arts spectacularly with enough nods to the video games to scratch the nostalgia itch but also thrill. This gory, propulsive, plain fun movie delivers on its promise- a Mortal Kombat movie- expectations beyond that would be inappropriate and left unfulfilled.

Currently streaming on HBO Max.

Rent It.

'Willy's Wonderland' A Review

Willy's Wonderland is a horror/comedy about an abandoned Chuck E. Cheese style family entertainment center populated by murderous animatronics possessed by evil spirits that the town feeds with unsuspecting travelers until they target one bad hombre billed only as The Janitor(Nicolas Cage). Tasked with cleaning up Willy's Wonderland by morning in exchange for fixing his car he does just that.

Cage is wordless here, an interesting departure and challenge for him, he makes up for it with ferocious destruction of his foes, soda guzzling, and a pin-ball obsession. Not one of Cage's best turns but far from one of his worst, he's clearly invested, is having fun, and his presence as ever is undeniable. The supporting cast, aside from the wonderful Beth Grant, are all mostly unknowns and do their best but seem to try a bit too hard and are burdened with some clunky exposition. But justly Cage is the star and he doesn't disappoint.

An effective alchemy of groundhouse gore and bizarre camp make for a fun low budget surprise. Simple visual effects and thrifty production bring immediacy and relish to this haunted house yarn and a score of original and public domain kid songs bring laughs and dread in equal measure.

Not ecstatic but solid grimy fun. 

Currently available to rent on most VOD platforms.

Rent It.

'Nobody' A Review

Nobody is an action/thriller, a riff on the Taken formula, bland suburban dad(with a big secret) Hutch(Bob Odenkirk) is ground down by his monotonous daily routine. After a home invasion where he prioritized the safety of the inept intruders the loss of his daughter's kitty cat bracelet sets him off to return to a life he had left behind.

Odenkirk makes for a compelling old-man-action-star and brings in a dash of humor and emotion to give the inevitable violence a bit more depth. The support cast boasts some real heavies including extended cameos from Michael Ironside as Hutch's father-in-law, Christopher Llyod as his father, Connie Nielsen as Hutch's wife(somewhat underutilized), RZA in a mostly vocal performance, and a host of bizarre Russian gangsters. It's fun, it's effective, the pacing is spot on, and although there isn't a ton of character development there is some, Hutch does have an arc and although it's not the focus it gives the action more punch.

Excellent fight choreography, a thrumming and eclectic score, and sharp editing give the film some real movement and fluidity. It's not particularly unique, a riff on what has become a pretty constant theme over the past decade thanks to Liam Neeson, but it works and it's entertaining.

A solid action flick sure to scratch the John Wick itch in this current genre draught, if not terribly original.

Currently available to rent on most VOD platforms.

Rent It.

Bodega Man

After a year

of missing 

the bodega man

I realized 

I should just ask

and today I did

the owner said

he's doing uber

I asked

if he still saw him

he said yes

and I said

tell him I miss him

and he said

he hangs out

occasionally

on Friday night

and I said

I'd stop in

and try to catch him

maybe finally

I'll ask his name

but then again

maybe not

there is power

in nameless fellowship.

'Thunder Force' A Review

 Thunder Force is a superhero/comedy about a world where an event has triggered superpowers in individuals, mainly sociopaths, termed Miscreants, and estranged childhood friends Lydia(Melissa McCarthy) and Emily(Octavia Spencer) reunite, and through Emily's lifelong research develop superpowers to fight the Miscreant scourge.

McCarthy's star-wattage is on full display, the character is imperfect but determined, funny but tough and her chemistry with Spencer is excellent. Spencer has the more introverted role but still her presence shines through. On the surface this is mostly a good-time-action-comedy but both leads have grapple with emotional transformations and the story is better for it. The supporting cast is stacked with actors clearly relishing the opportunity to do something this broad but its mostly played straight making for interesting tonal tightrope. Jason Bateman as The Crab is a real highlight and it's nice to see McCarthy's  continued collaboration with Bobby Carnivale(who plays the heavy), Pom Klementieff as Laser clearly embraces her badassery and all around it's just a good time.

Effective action scenes paired with beautiful slap-stick make for something more akin to Deadpool than the MCU but with a more family friendly vibe. With the crowded superhero landscape these days its nice to see this alternative take ie two middle-aged full-figured women being the ones kicking ass. Visually it's slick, the soundtrack slaps, the cast is full of award winners, and they're all having a great time. There's action and comedy in equal measure with enough heart to give it depth. A wonderful surprise.

It's reception critically is somewhat baffling unless you cede the majority of it to sexism/ageism/weightism. It absolutely delivers on what it intends to, it is what it appears to be a fun, funny, entertaining superhero/comedy from two notable stars not taking themselves too seriously.

Currently streaming on Netflix.

See It.

'Godzilla vs. Kong' A Review

Godzilla vs. Kong is monster movie, a sequel to both Godzilla: King Of The Monsters and Kong: Skull Island. After G:KotM Godzilla has inexplicably begun to attack human cities, coincidently various hubs and bases for a suspicious corporation, after K:SI Kong has been imprisoned in a large dome habitat. In order to harness the magnetic energy of the Hollow Earth from where all titans emanate the humans have loosed Kong in order to follow him there.

A star studded and deep cast are almost universally squandered, given little to do and serve almost exclusively to dump mounds of exposition in order to make the exceeding complicated machinations of the plot if not plausible at least coherent. Brian Tyree Henry, as a Titan Truther, and Rebecca Hall, as the titan Jane Goodall, are the only ones able to convey anything akin to reality but still only manage to reach serviceable. The support cast, mostly talented actors, are rendered basically irrelevant by unnecessary Gordian plot.

The fights between Kong and Godzilla are cool(the main one is at the 1:20 mark) and visually the movie has some style and clearly a lot of time and money went into the rendering of the monsters but the script is such a transparent franchise cash grab it makes for a baffling and minusculy entertaining experience.

An unnecessary and premature cross-over given how much promise Kong showed.

Currently streaming on HBO Max.

Don't See It.

The Thirst

You take away the booze
but the thirst remains

recovering alcoholics

single-handedly bolster

the beverage industry

legions of anonymous consumers

buy out Coke Zero

horde flavored seltzer

inhale coffee of all quality

because without the Drink

the thirst remains

a mountain of aluminum 

an ocean of piss

can testify to this

the itch that can't be scratched

but must

the cost to keep the Drink

at bay.

'Bad Trip' A Review

Bad Trip is a combination of narrative comedy and hidden camera "pranks" that follows best friends Chris(Eric Andre) and Bud(Lil Rey Howery) as Chris reconnects with an old high school crush, art curator Maria(Michaela Conlin), and the two go on a road trip from Florida to NYC to attend one of her openings. All the while pursued by Bud's unhinged convict sister Trina(Tiffany Haddish).

The tone is a bizarre, but shockingly effective, alchemy and Andre commits completely to his love-struck doof, his chemistry with Howery is low key and companionable, and his openness with the various normal people that are roped into various scenes is raw and often hilarious and occasionally offers some real hope. Howery approaches the role with the same understated confidence and humor we have come to expect from him, which is to say it is, as always, an absolute pleasure to watch him onscreen. He exudes this wry worldweariness that is magnetic. Haddish clearly relishes the opportunity to play the heavy, and she goes big, its clearly a joy for her and a joy for us to watch. But she also seems to enjoy the anonymity the role offers her which adds an interesting layer to the whole conciet. Conlin isn't given much screentime, much of the story is in pursuit of her so she is by nature elusive, but she's game and fun.

Unlike Borat or Jackass this is an actual narrative and the hidden camera element is used in service of the scenes not vice versa and as such it feels incredibly fresh and each scene has an electricity to it because the normal people within aren't following a script simply reacting yet the scenes almost always succeed with whatever plot delivery they need. It's quite daring and more effective than it has any right to be. And what's more the normal people that are ensnared in the film's story aren't belittled they are consistently shown as helpful and concerned for their fellows, its remarkable. The comedy hits, the action hits, and against all odds this kind of bizarre heartfelt story of friendship hits.

A unique evolution of the hidden camera film, an out there comedy with an emotional journey that never loses its way.

Currently streaming on Netflix.

See It.

One Dead Dillo

On a family trip
to Branson, MO
I made my parents stop
at the side of the road

Forlorn and still

a dead armadillo

a creature I'd never seen

the rarest of vaulted roadkill

Straight outta TV

this dillo was to me

took a picture, had to

and since he's lived in infamy.