Understanding Icarus

Have we always
looked up at birds in wonder
jealous of their freedom?

The heron glides at dusk
and my heart
is mirrored in the water.

'Exit 8' A Review

Exit 8 is a horror movie based on the 2023 video game of the same name. While on the subway The Lost Man(Kazunari Ninomiya) has an awkward phone call with his ex who has recently discovered she is pregnant. As he exits the station he becomes trapped in an abandoned section of hallway that loops, on the wall is posted instructions, he is told to turn back if he notices any anomalies and to continue on if he does not.

The performance from Ninomiya and from the limited cast are effective if not super complex, this is a concept movie and although the acting is decent it is not a focus. The corridor, its rules, and how the characters trapped within it navigate them is. The production design is simple and borderline immaculate, making you feel like you are also trapped, making the constraints contagious and the mundanity of the subway maddening. The elegant narrow premise allows for some real thrills and some rich themes, hanging over the entire movie is this question of parenthood but the ultimate message is left up to interpretation. 

A tight, unique, compelling piece of genre cinema.

Currently in theaters.

See It. 

EB

Whimsy

can be hard to come by

in this

our age of decaying

modernity

but my wife

dressed up as the Easter Bunny

passing out candy

and dancing

proves 

play and freedom

are still within reach

inevitable societal collapse

be damned.

'They Will Kill You' A Review

They Will Kill You is an action/horror movie about Asia(Zazie Beetz) an ex-convict who infiltrates an exclusive high-rise as a maid in order to find her estranged sister who has fallen into the hands of a satanic cult.

Beetz is a dynamic screen presence and is able to switch focus from character to action with alacrity. She elevates a relatively pedestrian narrative and absolutely soars during the extended practical action sequences. The limited supporting cast has a lot of great talent just having fun- Patricia Arquette, Heather Graham(good to see you girl!), Tom Felton, Myha'la,- it's not a particularly complicated and even original plot but the limited location and the propulsive near-constant action keeps the momentum going and the charisma of the cast carries the day.

On a limited budget the (mostly) singular location and (mostly) practical effects make the action feel tactile, feel real, and Beetz is clearly doing a fair amount of her own stunts and choreography. It's reminiscent of the kind of fun, effective, nuts-and-bolts action flicks that don't get made as often anymore. The climactic showdown is a bit wonky and is the only scene with substantial CG but still all in it's a solid down-the-center piece of almost pure action storytelling.

The incomparable Beetz makes this relatively routine single-location action flick a thrill.

Currently in theaters.

See It.

'Pizza Movie' A Review

Pizza Movie is a stoner college comedy about two college roommates, Jack(Gaten Matarazzo) and Montgomery(Sean Giambrone), who find a mysterious and potent drug in their dorm room, take it, and must venture down to the lobby to pick up a pizza.

Matarazzo and Giambrone have charm and a certain chemistry but neither really has the experience to be leading men. Previously part of popular ensemble TV shows(Stranger Things and The Goldbergs respectively) they put in a valiant effort here and mine some laughs but they don't really provide much in the way of emotion or character to lock in to. The supporting cast is stronger- Lulu Wilson, Caleb Hearon, and Sarah Sherman- but despite energy and effort can't really elevate the somewhat slap-dash narrative.

The production is relatively straightforward but the drug sequences are fun with animation, practical effects, and some CGI. Those are basically the main selling point and where the movie gets creative. Ultimately though the story is a bit too muddled, the leads(although enthusiastic) a bit miscast, to really get this flick on the level of a PCU or Harold & Kumar.

An intriguing premise fails to come to full fruition.

Currently streaming on Disney+/Hulu.

Stream It.

'Ready Or Not: Here I Come' A Review

Ready Or Not 2: Here I Come is a horror/thriller, a sequel to the 2019 flick, picking up right where that movie left off. After surviving her attempted sacrifice Grace(Samara Weaving) must endure a double-or-nothing game this time pitted against the various other members of the Satanic cabal and they've brought in her sister Faith(Kathryn Newton) as extra incentive.

Weaving maintains her top tier Scream Queen/Final Girl status and it's great to see her again in this role. Newton is a wonderful addition and although some of the exposition the two are saddled with is a bit clunky they have great chemistry. The supporting cast is even richer than its predecessor- Sarah Michelle Gellar, Shawn Hatosy, David Cronenberg, Elijah Wood, and Néstor Carbonell, among others- all deliciously play the avaricious satanists.

On a limited budget the movie makes the most out of its(mostly) singular location and focuses(again) on practical effects and fight choreography, it's potent and it's fun although maybe not a well we necessarily needed to go back to. It's somewhat bogged down by unnecessary lore, similar but not nearly as egregious as the John Wick movies, what was compelling about the original was Weaving surviving and kicking ass not the specific machinations of the Satanic cult and contract. It doesn't noticeably detract but the movie could definitely be tighter, more propulsive.

Solidly entertaining, a wonderful cast, but not particularly surprising.

Currently in theaters.

Rent It.

Spring

before

the warmth transforms
comes

the crud and the mud

that fertile soup

wherein

the worms squirm

and the bulbs revive