'Street Fighter' A Review

Street Fighter is an action/comedy based on the video game series of the same name. The movie opens on an animated sequence of the first World Warrior tournament and shows the tension between friends and adopted brothers Ryu(Andrew Koji) and Ken(Noah Centineo), flashforward 5 years and into live action, the two are estranged but reunite after being recruited for the second World Warrior tournament by  Chun-Li(Callina Liang) herself an undercover agent looking to take down the organizer of the tournament, the dastardly M. Bison(David Dastmalchian).

Koji and Centineo have great chemistry- bring some heart, give solid physical performances, and are able to thread through a fair amount of comedy. Liang is a nice grounding presence(as she was in 2024's Presence, nice to see her in a feature with more reach here) and Dastmalchian is deliciously baroque. The supporting cast, essentially a series of cameos, are all equally effective. They all understand the brief and the tone co-writer/director Kitao Sakurai is creating- this kind of high-octane martial arts fun that doesn't take itself too seriously.

Using animation for flashbacks, propulsive fight choreography, and judicious and well rendered CG visually the movie has a unique and effective style. The soundtrack is full of era-adjacent needle drops and the costuming is great, paying homage to the games but in a way that feels in-keeping with all the various design choices. It really works. Not as innovative as something like Resident Evil but as successful(a bit more so) than the Mortal Kombat reboot. Sakurai gives us action, enough story to engage, but doesn't overload on either. There's a good amount of comedy and just all-in-all it's a solid piece of popcorn entertainment.

Unabashed, straight-up fun.

Currently in theaters.

See It.

'Sacrifice' A Review

Sacrifice is a satirical action dramedy about an out of favor movie star Mike(Chris Evans) who is starting out his image rehab with a charity gala on a remote Greek island. The event is attacked by a group of cultists lead by Joan(Ana Taylor-Joy) who selects three people to sacrifice in order to stave off an environmental calamity.

Evans brings his natural charm and sincerity to the role and imbues it with some necessary emotion, he's able to hit most of the comedy and puts in a valiant effort tightening up some of the issues with the script. Similarly Taylor-Joy, as always, is fully committed, her innate screen magnetism works well here and she and Evans have good chemistry. The supporting cast has some great talent- Selma Hayek, Sam Richardson, and John Malkovich- even though they don't have a ton to do it's nice to see them.

Shot in an actual mine(presumably?) as well as on the volcanic fields of Iceland the movie looks really striking. The story is mostly engaging if a bit ham-fisted at points, the environmental commentary is similar(but more successful) than Digger, and the premise itself is very similar to Knock At The Cabin with basically the same ending. For all that, there's a lack of pretention, a genuine effort to entertain, as well as populate the story with humans that have identifiable, relatable emotions. All things movies of this type typically tend to forgo.

A solid piece of entertainment with something to say, well anchored by Evans and Taylor-Joy.

Currently streaming on Netflix.

Rent It.

Gone But Not Forgotten

I share a story
of our childhood

misadventures

I speak your name

Jordie

and in this moment

you are alive

once again

vital

as you ever were

there is laughter

at our prepubescent foibles

you are remembered

'Digger' A Review

Digger is an environmentalist satire about the titular oil magnet(Tom Cruise) as he's confronted with the destruction of the planet of which he is significantly culpable. There's a meta element that's introduced about 20 minutes in recontextualizing the main action.

Cruise gives the most dynamic, layered performance he has since 1999's Magnolia. He's actually acting here, he's not being a movie star, and it's great to see. Unfortunately the story is unable to justify that effort. The supporting cast has a lot of talent but they are almost unilaterally not given anything to which they can apply their talent. Cruise's character takes up a lot of room in the movie and what remainder is taken up by the production design and all the "ideas" so the supporting cast are basically just props.

The production design is incredibly evocative and meticulous, reminiscent of something like Synecdoche, New York, the camera movement, the color pallet, the score, all very beautiful and effective. Unfortunately tonally the film is very confused, the comedy elements and jokes don't really work, the themes and plotting are at times both incredibly obvious as well as incredibly pretentions. Some of the core ideas behind it are explicitly stated by characters, Iñárritu has built in dialogue to preemptively push back on criticism. The whole experience is pretty pedantic and grating, maybe most importantly not entertaining. If this came out in 1996 it'd be different, 30 years ago the story would have some bite, now it's just a retread of a retread in different trappings. It falls flat as a satire just like Don't Look Up and is as equally self involved and self satisfied as Megalopolis.

Iñárritu appears more interested in the idea of the film rather than the film itself. More interested in the idea of art rather than producing it. Ambitious with a certain grandness, for all that pretty empty.

Currently in theaters.

Stream It.

White Sox 2026

The sun sets

on the season

and I find the feeling

most palpable

most apparent

is gratitude

for the sweaty afternoons

the cool summer nights

the heart and joy

on the field

the fellowship

in the stands

my love of the game

rediscovered

even in defeat

I reflect

what an unexpected

enlivening

'Primetime' A Review

Primetime is a period thriller that dramatizes the production of the 00's TV show To Catch A Predator. Robert Pattison stars as the obsessive Chris Hansen. 

Pattison gives a big expressionistic performance, full of quirks and ticks and complete with an eerie imitation vocally. It's fun to watch no question. The supporting cast are equally intriguing- Merritt Wever as a producer is great, Phoebe Bridgers as one of the show's decoy's is amazing, Anna Faris and Alex Winter in what are basically cameos, and Eric Rahill brings some desperately needed levity. But the pitch perfect casting doesn't really come to anything because there seems to be no point to the any of it. A story about gross people doing gross stuff to other gross people. No matter how good the actors are, given the script, the task to make something compelling out of it is impossible.

Writer/director Lance Oppenheim's first narrative feature shows a lot of promise and deploys his unique, saturated, psychedelic inspired visuals and he gets incredible performances out his cast but like Spermworld the result seems only to revel in how compromised the situation and people are rather than making any broader statements or tapping into any larger themes(which he did successfully in Some Kind of Heaven and Ren Faire). So the result is something that is something that is excellent in regards to craft but almost meaningless as far as content. It comes across as particularly thin in the wake of 2025's much more incisive Predators. 

Inspired acting and captivating visuals wrap a narrative that has no purpose, empty calories.

Currently in theaters.

Stream It.

'The History Of Concrete' A Review

The History Of Concrete is a documentary, basically an extended episode of John Wilson's HBO show How To with John Wilson. Through B-roll, narration, and random interviews the movie quickly diverges from the subject of it's title and explores random tangents. More stream-of-consciousness than themeatic.

Fans of Wilson's show will certainly be pleased with this but beyond that the appeal is doubtful. There's no focus, it's not actually about concrete, Wilson as a personality has the kind of Brooklyn hipster irony and apathy that has limited appeal(whether this be more comedy than documentary or vice versa). He even injects his difficulty making the film into the film in, what comes across as, a kind of petulant entitlement. Beyond a certain subset of older Gen Z, younger Gen Y, and New Yorkers this has little to nothing to offer.

Sprawling subject matter and uneven cringe comedic beats makes the movie basically an overlong, poorly paced version of Wilson's show.

A doc that purports to be about something but ultimately has nothing to say, a vague curiosity.

Currently in theaters.

Stream It.

'Mother Mary' A Review

Mother Mary is a psychological drama about a pop star, the titular Mother Mary(Anne Hathaway) who returns to her estranged costume designer Sam(Michaela Coel) in a time of crisis.

Coel is incredible here- poised, present, and captivating. An absolute star. She's able to bring coherence and relatable emotion to an abstract and occasionally pretentious script. Hathaway is miscast. Whether her inclusion was more of a business decision to secure funding or she was simply not the first choice she really struggles in the role. She looks awkward in the pop star costuming, she looks clumsy in the choreography, and she's just generally not believable as a Gaga or Madonna stand-in.

Writer/director David Lowery has a sumptuous visual style and that is fully on display here, even on a limited budget the movie looks fantastic but he falls prey to the issues that have plagued his work on-and-off since the beginning, this proclivity for narrative vagueness and an artistic pretention that renders a lot of his film's somewhat inert.

Worth a watch for the visuals and Coel but don't expect coherence.

Currently streaming on HBO Max.

Stream It.

The Perpetual Wave

The ocean

in its endless breaking

and reforming
in its ceaselessness

are we reminded

of our own endurance

our own vitality

our own inevitable changeability

despite its countless permutations

and diversions

it remains eternal

in its timelessness

are we reminded

of our own mortality

of the precious precariousness

of the Now

How could this not elicit gratitude?

this beneficence

for which we are undeserving

'The Death Of Robin Hood' A Review

The Death Of Robin Hood is a period drama, a gritty "realistic" take on the last days of the folk hero Robin Hood(Hugh Jackman) who(twist!) is actually a murderous villian.

Jackman is compelling and fierce in the role but the story itself is so bleak, so dull, so lacking in any kind of narrative purpose that it doesn't much matter. The supporting cast is good-to-great Jodie Comer is wonderful as a prioress and Bill Skarsgård is unrecognizable(in a good way) as Little John. But however good the cast is they cannot elevate or make sense of a script that is 100% DOA.

Visually the film is dark and atmospheric, beautifully moody and transportive. The score is at times incongruous but period appropriate and evocative. The big and glaring issue is the story itself, the "take" on the Robin Hood legend the premise of which is- what if that was all a lie and he's actually just a thoughtless violent selfish murderer? Which like, fair I guess, if he ever did exist this is probably more "true" but this "spin" is not entertaining, it has nothing to teach the viewer, there is no lesson to be learned, no discoveries. The film basically opens with a child murder(the first of several) and although the fight choreography is compelling in-and-of-itself the context in which it exists is mostly repugnant and/or woefully uninteresting.

Successful at what it sets out to do but spectacularly miscalculates that that outcome is in anyway something people would want to see. Maybe worth a distracted viewing for the cast and the production for those with a strong stomach.

Currently available to rent on most VOD platforms, streaming soon on HBO Max.

Stream It.

'Heart Of The Beast' A Review

Heart Of The Beast is a survival thriller about a veteran James(Brad Pitt) and his dog Odin(Uber, Seeka, Ryker, and Hondo) who crash in the Alaskan wilderness and have to trek out injured and ill equipped.

Pitt here isn't able to exude his typical movie star wattage and as a result an already flimsy story falters pretty much from the jump. The various Odins fair a lot better but the script overly relies on the emotional heft having a dog(or any pet) in a movie carries and as the runtime clicks along it feels pretty transparently like emotional manipulation.

Shot in New Zealand it looks like Alaska(ish) but the CGI animals are really bad and a lot of the survival beats feel perfunctory and recycled. There's just not a lot to this, we've seen in several times in recent years, and this adds nothing to the genre and doesn't execute it particularly well on top of that.

Too mediocre to be offensive, too cookie-cutter to be interesting.

Currently in theaters, coming soon to Paramount+.

Don't See It.

Mind Body Connection

It can be easy to forget
our minds are bound to earth
confined to our blood and bone

but when struck ill

we are brought, crashing

to the present moment

our bodies, without a thought

deploy countermeasures

those shivers

are the sudden rush

of our defenses

I am grateful

for that chill

those shakes, the chattering teeth

I am brought back to my body

solidified in my flesh

I am myself I had forgotten

sickness an irritant

but in the convalescence

am I reminded

of my wonderous fragility

'Resident Evil' A Review

Resident Evil is a horror comedy, an adaptation of the video game series. Medical courier Bryan(Austin Abrams) gets a a last-minute delivery to Raccoon City in the snowy Colorado mountains. After accidentally hitting a woman wandering the snowy roads things turn weird when she disappears. The film follows Bryan as he is confronted with a series of challenges and increasingly grotesque monsters.

Abrams is superb here, channeling a kind of bumbling slacker everyman that grounds the whole story and provides emotional authenticity as well as a good dose of necessary levity. The support cast is relatively minimal and doesn't have much to do. The actors with names you recognize are good but are onscreen for less than 5 minutes each. Jo Martin as a receptionist in the beginning probably makes the biggest impact, she's amazing. But ultimately it's really a one-hander and Abrams shoulders that burden with an ease and effectiveness that his filmography doesn't necessarily indicate(at least up until now). His bumbling charm and earnestness is pitch-perfect and integral in making this film work.

Visually the film is evocative, the pacing relentless, the movement of the camera appropriately restless, and the judicious use of 1st and 3rd person POV shots extremely effective. The creature design and blood work is both horrific and at times appropriately absurd. The grotesque is mined for both scares and laughs. The plotting is relatively simple, follows Bryan on his journey to deliver his package, one stop and then the next. That simplicity allows for both Abrams to shine and just to streamline the narrative creating this propulsive, thrilling ride that feels like a Resident Evil game without being overly beholden to any of the games plots or lore. If there's a hiccup it's that the ending(because of the pedal-to-the-metal pacing) is quite abrupt but doesn't ultimately detract.

The most successful video game adaptation made to date. A near-perfectly constructed horror/comedy, a great piece of popcorn entertainment to start the Fall.

Currently in theaters.

Don't Miss It.

'Siren: The Voices of Shelley Beattie' A Review

Siren: The Voices of Shelley Beattie is a documentary about bodybuilder and performer Shelley Beattie, aka Siren from American Gladiators. Narrated by and featuring Marlee Matlin as she and director Irene Taylor interview people from Beattie's life, cut with archival footage, home movies, and animations of Beattie's journals and artwork.

Beattie's life, career, deafness, and struggles with addiction are explored with a thoughtfulness and depth this kind of celeb profile doesn't usually have. She was a trailblazer, an inspiring figure, but she also had a darkness and rage, all of which is shown, this is not a curated pick-and-chose portrait like Taylor's previous I Am Celine Dion which was more entertainment than documentary. There's sorrow here as well as hope, success as well as despair. A complete, compelling and human story.

A feature that has a necessary vitality to it, Beattie deserves to be remembered, her story to be known, and this accomplishes that with grace and insistence. A shame this didn't get theatrical distribution.

Currently streaming on HBO Max.

See It.

'Mayday' A Review

Mayday is an action comedy set in the cold war, pilot Troy(Ryan Reynolds) crash lands in the Russian wilderness after he is shot down during a black op. He's rescued by Nick(Kenneth Branagh) America obsessed disgraced KGB, and the adventures and jokes ensue!

Reynolds deploys his patented schtick and it's not ineffective but it doesn't totally fit. His wise-cracking veneer is never penetrated and it just feels like something we've seen over-and-over from him especially the past 5 to 10 years. By comparison Branagh is a revelation, he's so funny and also emotionally present and authentic. In this kind of buddy action flick his unflinching commitment is what really sells it. The support cast is not really germane as they don't have much to do, other than, kinda, Marcin Dorociński as the heavy who's fun.

Writers/directors John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein can make movies, no question, it looks good, soundtrack is banging, pacing is relatively tight, got a good mix of heart and jokes. It's no Game Night but it's not bad. Surprising that Apple dumped this on streaming really. The only real hiccup is the casting of the lead, Reynolds just kinda washes out what could be a fun 80's throwback.

Diverting enough with an inspired Branagh.

Currently streaming on AppleTV.

Rent It.

I Need Some Gas

An old hustle
a classic

up there

with

could I get change for this $20

dependable

because it's human

plausible

At the Belvidere oasis

I stop to fill my tank

and a boisterous broken-english

man comes upon me

he asks me

if I speak Arabic

asks me to fill him up

he's on vacation

from Canada

with his family

and lost his cards

offers me

an unopened pair of Airpods

as payment

A grift

is my first instinct

the old I-need-gas chesnut

but I was coming from

watching my niece and newphew

perhaps more amenable

than my usual Chicago edge

isn't it possible this could be true?

this goofy, loquacious, Canadian(maybe) immigrant

who told me in response to saying I had no kids

but isn't that the whole point of all this?

who thanked God and shook my hand several times

who at least seemed convincingly genuine

isn't it possible he made some mistake and actually needed help?

I wasn't and remain not totally convinced

but

should there not be room for kindness and generosity in this world?

especially now with divisiveness and decay run rampant

should we not, when we can, where prudent

toss what small compassions we can onto the rising tide of humanity?

Today, for me the answer was yes. Even if it was a shuck and jive.

'Onslaught' A Review

Onslaught is an action horror flick about veteran sniper Celeste(Adria Arjona) who is confronted by a trio of rabid super soldiers who have escaped from a black ops site headed by Nazi scientist Hans(Dan Stevens).

Arjona does a good job as the lead, you believe the toughness, she's clearly doing some/most of her stunts, physically it's a compelling performance. Emotionally it's a bit more shaky, the PTSD, the divorced mom stuff is a bit rote, she does what she can with it but it's more a result of the pulpy underwritten script. Stevens is having a ball and he's always a pleasure to see especially in genre fare where he can cut loose. The supporting cast is stacked full of talent with some inspired bits of casting- Reginald VelJohnson(absolute joy to see him in a wide release), Michael Biehn, Rebecca Hall, and Eric Wareheim to name a few. Just all around eclectic talent, interesting actors, and it makes for a really punchy ensemble.

Shot on location in New Mexico on a budget, visually the film has a quantifiable look and tangible feel with some really engaging flourishes at various points. The soundtrack is absolutely stuffed with diegetic and non-diegetic needledrops that really create a propulsive and thrilling atmosphere but at points it becomes a bit much, encroaching. But the only real issue is the script, lot of good ideas, just doesn't quite come together and the big climax peters out, makes it seem like the production just kind of ran out of steam. Still a solid, original piece of entertainment.

A decent B-movie, grindhouse throwback. 

Currently in theaters.

Rent It.

Hustlers

I saw a man

on the train

with two phones

You can't trust
a person

who needs two

One

is bad enough

'Late Fame' A Review

Late Fame is a drama about NYC poet turned mailman Ed Saxberger(Willem Dafoe) who is "re-discovered" by a trust-fund would-be artist Meyers(Edmund Donovan) and his affluent group of friends that includes the mysterious actress Gloria(Greta Lee).

Dafoe is always watchable(as he is here) but the character is so kind of obvious, oblivious, and thin, the script so upper-class arts-school thesis-project there's nothing he can do. Donovan is both interesting and funny as is Lee but neither can really contend with how bludgeoningly undergraduate the whole affair is.

Shot on location in NYC the place at least feels authentic, unfortunately seemingly every other aspect does not. For a movie about a poet there's very little poetry, for a movie about artists there's very little art, the whole thing just feels very flat, uninspired, and predictable. It comes across as written by someone who's lead a privileged life trying to tell a story about a struggle they have only fantasized about.

An insult to poetry and poets.

Currently in theaters.

Don't See It.

'By Any Means' A Review

By Any Means is a period thriller, based on a true story, about an FBI agent Wayne Strider(Yahya Abdul-Mateen II) who is assigned an off-the-books mob enforcer Gregory Scarpa(Mark Wahlberg) to investigate the murder of civil activist Vernon Dahmer(Giancarlo Esposito) by the KKK in 1966 Mississippi.

Both Abdul-Mateen and Wahlberg are great, they just don't seem to be in the same movie tonally. Abdul-Mateen grounded, emotional, and real, it's his Just Mercy ie something that is in the ballpark of awards worthy. Wahlberg is big, operettic, violent and funny in his performance, Tarantino-esk. Separately, they're objectively good performances, together they don't really mesh not so much their fault as the script which can't decide if it wants to be grindhouse entertainment or an Oscar contender.

Visually the film is slick, profesh, but mostly takes no risks as far as how it looks. Production is solid, good period costumes, cars, locations. It all works really well especially on a smaller budget. It just fails to come together in it's tone, it asks us to really invest in the emotional and racial reality of the period but also asks us to delight in Wahlberg gleefully tuning up on some gangly klan members while wearing an absurd prosthetic nose and talking in a stereotypical NYC accent. Don't get me wrong, it's incredibly fun, but this is not Django Unchained, there's just no consistency in what it's trying to do, the story it's ultimately trying to tell, and you get whiplash as a result scene-to-scene.

Several compelling scenes fail to coalesce into a cogent feature.

Currently in theaters.

Rent It.

Americana

A splash
of fiery pastels

across the sky

cast the park

in a timeless gloam

the biting flies

courtesy of standing water

from summer storms

become lethargic

and are consumed

by the welcome swarms

of dragonflies

Meredith 

cracks a Miller Lite

-tchick-fsssshh-

and we appreciate

the grass

the fading light

the cooling night

'Coyote vs. Acme' A Review

Coyote vs. Acme is a live-action/animated comedy about Wile E. Coyote's legal action against the Acme company for faulty products which uncovers a dark and sordid secret.

Will Forte as Coyote's lawyer is a great co-lead and is uniquely positioned to execute the tricky tone, a weird mix of oddball comedy, heart, and commentary. He's able to play off the cartoons with a sincerity and commitment the movie absolutely requires in order to succeed. And it's so wonderful to see the Looney Toons characters again and within this context, the most successful combination since Space Jam and here the themes are much more complex. The supporting human cast is all solid, notably John Cena as the heavy, and although the only 'big' names are Forte and Cena the cast, human and cartoon, is rich and committed, it all comes together in a surprising emotional harmony.

Visually the film is surprisingly clean, the integration of and interaction with the characters is relatively seamless. Some sets, some on location, and some greenscreen shots all woven together cohesively. The soundtrack is simple and effective, but they triumph is really just the story(both within and about the film). Funny and goofy enough for kids, proving the Looney Toons still have juice for any generation, satisfying character arcs, and a pretty timely message about the dangers of unfettered corporations and monopolies. Not to mention the extra-textual of it all, the fact this film was originally slated to be shelved by WB in it's effort to make it's balance sheet more attractive for acquisition then sold after public outcry. It's amazing we get to see this movie, it's a really good movie, and one has to wonder part of the decision to shelve it is that one of it's minor themes is criticizing the kind of corporate merger WB is currently going through.

A delightful, family friendly comedy with heart and something worthwhile to say.

Currently in theaters.

See It.

Always Do Your Best

Give it everything you got
every day

every ounce

of effort and will and faith and joy

you got

every last drop

squeeze it out

to the dregs

it'll look different

day-to-day

but that's living

you'll be tired

that's life,

days

you only got but so many

'Don't Say Good Luck' A Review

Don't Say Good Luck is a family drama about high schooler Sophie(Sunny Sandler) whose eventful but relatively normal sophomore year(auditioning for the school musical, kissing, learning to drive etc.) is upended by her mother Elizabeth's(Melanie Lynskey) battle with cancer.

Sandler is good here, you can tell she's getting better, more natural and comfortable onscreen. Her emotions and her inner life feel authentic. The script is relatively paint-by-numbers coming-of-age and the beats are somewhat predictable but she holds the center well. She's in company with the likes of Mia Hawk in that she's a relatively rare legacy that has talent and continues to improve. Lynskey is, as always, compelling but this is more a showcase for Sandler. Elizabeth's whole character arc sole purpose, basically, is to effect Sophie's. The mom dying of cancer basically has no interiority, at least as written, Lynskey's able to inject some juice into it but she can only do so much. The supporting cast- Max Greenfield as the dad(great to see him), Stephanie Beatriz as the drama teacher, Jon Lovitz in a delicious extended cameo- are all great.

Visually the film is competent but nothing more, it's effective but there's no moment or shot that shows any real artistry. Which is fine, this is clearly relatively low budget, produced by Adam Sandler's Happy Madison, good on him for making this kind of movie which is exceedingly rare. The soundtrack is nice if not evocative with a couple engaging needle drops even if quite a bit of the diegetic singing is autotuned. It's simple, it's entertaining, it has a message. Is it amazing? No. But it works.

A less stirring version of Me and Earl and the Dying Girl.

Currently streaming on Netflix.

Rent It.

'Remarkably Bright Creatures' A Review

Remarkably Bright Creatures is a drama based on the 2022 novel of the same name about Tova(Sally Field) a an introverted widow who is the night janitor at an aquarium in small town Washington. She befriends a drifter Cameron(Lewis Pullman) and the two grow closer as they care for Marcellus the octopus who's thoughts serve as narration(voiced by Alfred Molina).

Field is as good as she's ever been but she doesn't reach the heights that she did in her last lead performance Hello, My Name Is Doris not through any fault of hers but of the script and the direction. She does what she can with the melodrama in the script and almost single-handedly corrects the tonal confusion but even with all her powers deployed she can only do so much. Pullman, who showed quite a bit of promise and range in Thunderbolts, puts up a bit of a dud here. He's not overtly bad but he just doesn't have the experience or juice to do anything with such a nothing script.

The visuals are mostly glossy and bright reminiscent of a Lifetime or Hallmark movie. The fisheye shots from Marcellus's POV are jarring and ineffective. Director Oliva Newman fails utterly in her job of tone management. What we get is this bizarre treacly downer which is 95% conflict and the characters inability to communicate all while piling on overwrought plot devices.

A maudlin, confused, emotionally regressive feature masquerading as a feel-good. Grating to watch.

Currently streaming on Netflix.

Don't See It.

America's Pastime

All I can think to write about
is baseball
the stadium, the togetherness
the grass, the open air
the singularness of purpose
the blessed fleeting moment

'The End Of Oak Street' A Review

The End Of Oak Street is a scifi flick about a neighborhood in the 80's that gets transported back to the pre-historic era. A family- Denise(Anne Hathaway), Greg(Ewan McGregor), Audrey(Maisy Stella), and Brian(Christian Convery) deal with emotional baggage as they attempt to survive.

I like Anne Hathaway but this is the fourth feature she's appeared in in 2026, with one more still to go. This is too much Hathaway. She could give an incredible performance and I don't know if it'd register simply because she has been to ever present in the release schedule this year. McGregor fairs slightly better but they as well as Stella and Convery are burdened with a confused script and clashing tones. The movie doesn't know what it wants to be- is it a family drama wrapped in a scifi conceit, is it a nostalgic family adventure a la Spielberg, is it commentary wrapped in a blockbuster? It's unclear and signals at all those achieving none.

Visually the film is uneven, the production design is pretty flawless(although there seems no reason to set it in 1982 other than as nostalgia bait) but the CGI is surprisingly uneven. A scene involving an injury to McGregor's character is particularly cartoonish and looks cheap. It's a diverting enough summer flick if you've already seen The Odyssey and Spider-Man but it's kind of a stunningly benign third feature from writer/director David Robert Mitchell.

Overwrought familial melodrama hamstrings what this should be(and sometimes is)- fun.

Currently in theaters.

Rent It.

'Teenage Sex & Death At Camp Miasma' A Review

Teenage Sex And Death At Camp Miasma is a meta slasher romance about director/writer Kris(Hannah Einbinder) who goes to meet the original final girl of the Camp Miasma slasher series Billy(Gillian Anderson) as she attempts to write a reboot/legacy sequel. Themes of identity, cinema, sex, coming-of-age, and horror are explored.

Anderson gives a titanic performance, awards worthy although she will most likely be overlooked as this is a genre indie. She's totally present, totally evocative, in full control of her powers. Alluring and vulnerable, melancholic yet hopeful. It is stunning and even if some of the film's eccentricities may not be for a wide audience(it's pretty out there) she alone makes this a must watch. Einbinder's character is a bit more straight-forward but she too is compelling and emotional. The two fluidly glide between the myraid of ideas and tones with a grace the film absolutely requires.

Visually the film is rich and evocative, packed to the gills with love of the cinema, horror, and particularly slashers. Reminiscent of Stephen Graham Jones's Indian Lake Trilogy in that it celebrates the slasher, pays homage, and takes it further, providing more depth, for our modern times. The sets, the paintings, everything is lovingly and meticulously constructed. It is so full of ideas, so ambitious in what it's doing, it can be overwhelming but it is, without question, worth the investment.

A love letter to cinema, horror, and identity with a performance-of-the-year from Anderson.

Currently in theaters.

Don't Miss It.

Cross Town Classic

The Cubs
may be more popular

more historic
on average

the better team
But
The White Sox
will always be

more scrappy
more Chicago

'The Dink' A Review

The Dink is a sports comedy about Dustin(Jake Johnson) a once promising tennis player who flamed out early and now works as an instructor for his overbearing father(Ed Harris) at his athletic club. After an injury he gets into pickleball and makes a friend Candace(Mary Steenburgen).

Jake Johnson does what he does here, which is fine, but incredibly limited. Aside from a sub-90-minute mumblecore flick this guy has no business leading a movie. His performance is more geared towards a sitcom or a sketch rather than a feature. It doesn't really feel like the character is an actual human, just Jack Johnson trying to be funny within this certain context. Disappointing. Much more compelling is Steenburgen, makes you wish she'd get bigger and better roles at her age, she's just gotten better. Ed Harris is having fun and it's nice to see him in something more broadly comic. The supporting cast is mostly good but the overall tone doesn't really work and the script is thin to emaciation.

The production one presumes was on a budget, it looks like generic made-for-streaming mass-assembly cinema. At least it was filmed on location in LA and gave some local actors jobs.

Honestly, it's not offensive as far as content but its sheer laziness(aside from Steenburgen) and lack of ambition was.

Currently streaming on Apple+.

Don't See It.

'Cookie Queens' A Review

Cookie Queens is a documentary about four Girl Scouts as they strive to hit their goals during cookie season. The film follows Ara, Nikki, Olive and Shannon Elizabeth all with different motivations for selling via fly-on-the-wall footage, there are no interviews(although some discussions seem to be a bit staged to provide some necessary info).

Through rich visuals the compelling character of these four young women are explored, their humor, determination, charm, intelligence, and complexity are all on display. Themes of race, class, and gender are addressed but mostly indirectly. It's not an indictment of the Girl Scouts or the cookie biz nor is it some triumphant celebration. What it shows is the need for these young women to have a place they can find community and purpose, to learn soft and hard skills, regardless of income or background and the avenue by which the Scouts provides that. Is it perfect? No. Is it better than nothing? Yes. But ultimately, like all things in the U.S. of A. it's still(at least in part) a hustle. There's still money to be made, ultimately the cookie business is big business.

A dimensional look at four driven young women through the lens of the annual Girl Scout cookie push. 

Currently in theaters.

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Galena River

On the water
life is simple
purpose- paddle
direction- ahead
stroke and rest
watch the depth

watch the currents
look out
for fallen trees

critters

navigate

continue

continue

continue

'Spider-Man: Brand New Day' A Review

Spider-Man: Brand New Day is a superhero movie, the latest in the MCU, the 4th Spider-Man with Tom Holland as the titular hero. Following the events of Spider-Man: No Way Home the world has forgotten Peter Parker and he grapples with the loss of his Aunt May while also not having his friends around to console him until a new threat emerges that shakes things loose.

Holland continues to be great as the titular hero, emotionally compelling, physically sharp, it's a great performance and the script continues to give the character both internal and external problems to grapple with. Zendaya also is wonderful and the chemistry between them crackles. Nice to see both of them really explode after both of their unsuccessful performances in The Odyssey(the fault being Nolan's not theirs). Jon Bernthal as The Punisher brings some broad comic relief but also heart and a good use of the character and kudos to Bernthal for bringing an equally true but tonally different vibe to the character than he has in other appearances. The new comer to the MCU Sadie Sink, also pitch perfect casting, provides a complex and engaging heavy and hopefully sets up a bigger role in future MCU flicks.

Visually the film is rich, colorful, and thrilling with some great fight choreography and striking imagery. The soundtrack is effective, the runtime is over 2 hours but the pacing is relatively tight. All-in-all a good entrant in the MCU, more a return to form, focused on entertaining action and a story that has actual human stakes. There is some wonton destruction in the finale which is unnecessary, even so it's not the focus.

A solid piece of summer entertainment with enough heart to tear you up a time or two.

Currently in theaters.

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The Green Heron

The long-beaked hunter

our curious companion
our fleeting fellow
for a bend or two

welcoming

but not obsequious

like all creatures

on the river

benignly indifferent

to our brief sojourn

The City and The City

And are we
always
in communion
with one another

on the street

the train

out to eat

at the beach

solitude

is only internal

we may feel lonely

isolated

dwarfed by the pillars

of concrete and glass

unmoored wanderers

amid the tumult

amid the churn

but we are never alone

we are never separated

division is only illusion

the reality-

we are all connected

each akin to the other

thrumming cells

in pumping arteries

moving, living, breathing tendrils

of this great and wonderous ever unfolding City

part and parcel to the incessant growth and shrink

the inevitable and ceaseless decay and renewal

small but integral, vital parts of this

transcendent municipal experiment back a thousand years and more

on the banks and beaches where the River meets the Lake

expressions of its endurance

'Mortal Kombat II' A Review

Mortal Kombat II is a fantasy/action movie a direct sequel to the 2021 reboot. The tournament comes again, Earth's heroes must defend it from the machinations from the villians out Outworld, this introduces two new characters Johnny Cage(Karl Urban) and Kitana(Adeline Rudolph).

Urban is really fun and Rudolph brings some soul but there's way more lore and plot in this installment and basically all of the supporting cast aren't given much to do other than reiterate exposition and, overall, there's just not that much action.

The action there is is compelling with some really deliciously gruesome kills but everything is weighed down but convoluted plotting and a baffling McGuffin. A Mortal Kombat movie should, above all, be fun and this one takes itself a bit too seriously to hit that benchmark consistently, sacrificing entertainment for attempts at 'worldbuilding' and setting up a broader franchise.

Classic, fold-laundry-to quality.

Currently streaming on HBO Max.

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'Gail Daughtry and the Celebrity Sex Pass' A Review

Gail Daughtry and the Celebrity Sex Pass is a comedy about the titular Gail(Zoey Deutch) a hairdresser and Kansas who embarks on a trip to LA to sleep with her celebrity crush Jon Hamm after her fiancé hooks up with his.

Deutch is an energetic, committed, effervescent lead but doesn't have a particular facility for comedy or at least the kind of broad bordering-on-surrealist style deployed here. The supporting cast is chock full of talent, notably Miles Gutierrez-Riley, Ben Wang, and John Slattery(playing himself) along with other mainstays of writer/director David Wain. But the cast isn't given anything to do beyond the surface level, it all just feels like empty calories.

The production is decent, for a comedy it looks pretty good, there are some decent effects and one or two fun and funny fight scenes, but overall you get the feeling that money and time were tight. Everything feels truncated, abridged. Any emotional development or depth seems to have ended up on the cutting room floor, all that's left is a streamlined plot and jokes. It's diverting enough and nice to see Wain come out with a new picture but you can actually feel how difficult it was to get the movie made and get it in theaters. It's nice to see a straight-up comedy in theaters but this, unfortunately, fails in justifying a full fledged release. It feels like it was made for streaming.

Noble effort but lacking much impact.

Currently in theaters.

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America's Pastime

The stadium
a communal cathedral

a place to gather
and in our togetherness
are we focused
on the moment
the present time

the wind

the grass

each other

and of course

the game

a celebration

not of past or future

not of outcomes or potentials

but only the glorious

and ever unfolding

Now

'The Odyssey' A Review

The Odyssey is a period action/adventure movie an adaptation of the epic poem by Homer. Odysseus(Matt Damon) helps to sack Troy via the Trojan Horse and then sets of to return home with his men but loses his way. His wife Penelope(Anne Hathaway) waits in Ithaca for his return, surrounded by mustache twirling suitors insisting he is dead.

Damon, Hathaway, Tom Holland, and Robert Pattinson are miscast, the inconsistent and emotionally thin script don't help them out, they're not bad but it's clear they're are all taking different approaches, feel like they are in different movies, the performances overall just don't really mesh, aren't cohesive. The supporting cast is full of big names, all are fun to see, but not all are successful. Samantha Morton gives the most successful performance in the most interesting scene of the movie. Lupita Nyong'o is wonderful but her appearance is brief. Himesh Patel brings some much needed emotional reality. Benny Safdie's appearance is bizarre and jarring, Charlize Theron isn't given enough to do. It's just odd, with all this talent, with all these names, the acting in aggregate is mostly forgettable and bland.

To be fair it seems clear the acting nor the story is really the focus here, it's the production and in that respect the movie is revelatory. The costuming, the Göransson score, the set design- all are incredible. Rich expansive visuals explode in every shot. The non-linear structure and the frequent cutting seem to be a necessity of shooting on IMAX rather than motivated in any way by the narrative. The ending involves some incredibly shoehorned moralizing but the commentary is such a stretch it doesn't even come across as totally cogent.

A spectacular spectacle with nothing much under the hood.

Currently in theaters.

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'Remake' A Review

Remake is a documentary from Ross McElwee about grief and memory. Similar to McElwee's breakout 1986's Sherman's March the film is framed around a conceit(in this case a fiction adaptation of Sherman's March in development) but is really an exploration of McElwee's personal struggles, in this case the untimely overdose of his son.

Through footage shot over the course of his son's lifetime, clips from Sherman's March, footage McElwee's son Adrian shot himself, all accompanied by narration from McElwee- his son's life, their relationship, the act of filmmaking, addiction and death are explored.

Visually the film is intimate and evocative, shot and cut in McElwee's typical analogue fluid style. As a documentarian McElwee is a singular talent. As a father though it is difficult for the viewer not to judge him. The effect feels incredibly honest, immensely human. But it is clear McElwee is culpable, to what degree who knows. But his obsessive need to document, his inability to identify his sons struggles, and his ignorance around addiction are very much apparent. McElwee himself has no insight to provide, he simply bares his soul and grief and pain and confusion to the viewer. Is this powerful? Yes. Is it cathartic? No.

Many artists have made art inspired by the failings of their parents or the failing of themselves as parents. It's a deep well, this joins a large catalogue. But other than sharing his grief with us and some musings on the nature of memory and film McElwee does not go beyond that. In any therapy session, in any 12-step meeting, in any bitch session between friends around the world the foibles of parents and children are discussed. This looks great, it is very effective, but it does not offer anything beyond which anyone with a child or a parent has some insight on. Every parent instills in their child some level of dysfunction or neurosis(however well-meaning), any substance abuse problem is potentially fatal. This is reality and unfortunately this only serves to reflect back to us that reality and does not go beyond that.

Incredibly crafted, brave, made by a flawed man who may not be an entirely worthy subject.

Currently in theaters.

Rent It.

Certainty

As a child
you think of adulthood
as omniscience
the truth is

the older you get

the less you know

'Maddie's Secret' A Review

Maddie's Secret is a melodramedy inspired by a 1986 Lifetime movie, that follows the titular Maddie(writer/director John Early) as she has success as a food influencer while concurrently dealing with the resurgence of her bulimia.

Early gives a very stylized and committed performance as the titular lead and the cast is chock full of talent.  Kate Berlant as Deena Maddie's obsessive best friend, Eric Rahill as Jake Maddie's soulful husband, Kristen Johnston(great to see her) as Beverlee Maddie's wayward mother. On and on everyone in the cast is great and for the most part extremely talented but lesser known character actors. The casting is impeccable. Where Early falls short is in the director's chair, tonally there's confusion as to what the film actually is or wants to be, so the performances run the gambit from extremely presentational to deeply grounded and emotional- different groups of actors all seem to be in different movies.

The visuals are relatively simple but stylized and effective, the score equally so. It's an incredibly ambitious and specific freshman feature from Early and shows significant promise. Much like the first feature of many filmmakers there's simply too much going on, it's trying to do too much, and in doing so in aggregate fails to deliver something cohesive. There are some really compelling moments, some really funny ones, it all feels very topical but also bizarrely esoteric. It's intriguing no question. But the line it walks in regards to eating disorders and the ultimate message(or lack there of) the movie attempts to make with that subject matter could certainly be activating or even offensive to some.

A blend of sincerity and satire that doesn't quite harmonize.

Currently in theaters.

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Best Movies Of The Year So Far

Backrooms

By Design

Exit 8

The Furious

I Love Boosters

Pillion

Project Hail Mary
Rose of Nevada

Send Help

The Sheep Detectives

Worst of the Year Contenders:

The Mandalorian And Grogu

Wuthering Heights

Perspective

There are some
who approach living
as strategists

life as a game of chess

with plans set

moves and counter moves

wheels within wheels

Others

take it as it comes

play the cards in-hand

one day

and then the next

surmountable in their scale

more favorable for peace

The latter

the easier softer way

'Rose Of Nevada' A Review

Rose of Nevada is a sci-fi drama about two men in a Cornish fishing village in economic decline, Liam(Callum Turner) a itinerant worker and Nick(George MacKay) a struggling husband and father, take work on the titular fishing boat which has mysteriously reappeared after 30 years lost at sea.

Both Turner and MacKay do some of their best work here, both giving subtle but deep performances. Inhabiting the lives of the characters and the bizarre situation at it's heart with a commitment and authenticity that harmonizes perfectly with the story as well as the expressionistic design elements. The supporting cast is limited but are equally well-cast and locked-in particularly Rosalind Eleazar and Francis Magee.

Shot in a truncated aspect ratio and on grainy film stock(or with a digital effect to evoke such) the film has an eerie, timeless quality from the jump, enhanced by a simple, repeating, monotonous score and protracted seemingly innocuous shots of rusted equipment, robes, chains, feet etc. It's all very avant garde and experimental but grounded by MacKay and Turner and evokes a dream-like journey. 

Avant-garde indie cinema at its best. Artistic and rich without being pretentious or losing sight of the humanity at the core.

Currently in theaters.

Don't Miss It.

'Enola Holmes 3' A Review

Enola Holmes 3 is a YA mystery, an adaption of the book series, the third installment in the Netflix burgeoning franchise. Enola(Millie Bobbie Brown) is set to marry her paramour Tewkesbury(Louis Partridge) but is distracted by the kidnapping of her brother Sherlock(Henry Cavill) connected to an incredibly convoluted plot.

Brown continues to stumble in the way many child actors do attempting to transition to adult roles, she overacts, mugs, and generally cannot find a baseline of reality in which to inhabit. Her last several features have been bad and she has been bad in them(Electric State, Damsel), which begs the question perhaps Stranger Things, for her and others in the cast, should be it. The supporting cast has talent but the script is so tired, unnecessarily complicated, and lacking in emotional or narrative stakes it plays like a C-list CW pilot the talent of the actors is mostly irrelevant.

There was a low impact charm with Enola Holmes, that was diluted and more confused in Enola Holmes 2, and here it's virtually non-existent, a textbook case of diminishing returns. Brown doesn't have the umph to carry the movie and everyone else involved seems to be just getting paid.

Currently streaming on Netflix.

Don't See It.

Heat Wave

Humidity
like the blast
from an oven
Air

packed tight
with corn sweat

Closeness

and hotness

and exertion

Summer revels

cut short, on hold

until the torpor lifts

'Supergirl' A Review

Supergirl is a superhero movie about the titular hero Kara Zor-El(Milly Alcock) as she deals with the grief of losing her family and planet(shown through flashbacks) as well as facing off with a cyborg gang of slavers who have poisoned her dog.

Alcock is perfectly cast- she's funny, charming, handles the action with élan, and conveys her emotional arch with a realism and poignancy this genre typically doesn't bother with. The supporting cast is uneven- Eve Ridley as Ruthye really struggles mostly a fault of the script which pretty much reduces her to a plot device, Matthias Schoenaerts as the heavy is two-dimensionally evil but doesn't seem to have any actual personality or motivation, Jason Momoa as Lobo as wonderful and under used, David Krumholtz and Emily Beecham are really excellent and effecting as Kara's parents but the flashbacks are truncated.

Visually the movie has a lot of cool planets and backdrops and embellishments but there's not enough action and the fight sequences that there are it's hard to see what Kara is actually doing. The script is derivative it starts off John Wick(bafflingly sidelining Krypto one of the breakout stars of last year's Superman) then makes it's way to Mad Max: Fury Road as Kara faces off against the gang enslaving women as their 'brides'. The influence is so transparent it comes across as derivative. Ultimately it's just overly plotted and doesn't seem to realize the potential star at it's center Alcock, she doesn't need the multiple McGuffins in order to shoulder the movie, in fact all the add-on's and convulsions detract from what she's doing.

An incredible lead weighted down by the classic studio exec misconception: more plot = better movie. Still, worth it for Alcock alone.

Currently in theaters.

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'Jackass: Best and Last' A Review

Jackass: Best and Last is a reality comedy, the fifth feature arising from the stunt/prank MTV show.

Jackass Forever came out in 2022, in the latter days of the pandemic with a fervor and necessity, revisiting the gang at that time(with all new stunts and gags) felt if not revelatory by any means but vital in some odd way- if Knoxville and the gang can continue so can we- it also elicited, bizarrely, a nostalgia for a simpler better time. Here, it's great to see everyone, a lot of the new gags are poop and butt centric which is pretty gross(no shade on them as they all probably have CTE) but there is no captivating stunt set piece and most of the bits aren't particularly physical in nature. The footage is also probably about half or more archival footage. This is more a greatest hits, a victory lap(not undeserved), rather than a new creative endeavor.

Which is all well and good. It's a relatively fun watch particularly in a theater with a decent sized audience. However it doesn't have the same urgency as it's predecessor or the experimentation of Bad Grandpa. It's a coda.

Currently in theaters.

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Summer Solstice

Are we reminded
of the certainty
of change

the ever vacillating day

a reflection

of our own struggles

the crashing storms

an expression

of our own yearning

the heat in its comfort

a recollection

of past pleasures

on the precipice

of season

are we most attuned

'Solo Mio' A Review

Solo Mio is a romcom about Matt(Kevin James) an American school teacher who is left at the alter during his destination wedding in Rome. He remains on his honeymoon tour group as he can't get a refund and befriends the other couples as well as a local cafe owner Gia(Nicole Grimaudo).

James is his typical charming self and Girmaudo is captivating and the two have good chemistry. Both Alyson Hannigan and Kim Coates are effervescent and funny as one of the couples that Matt connects with. And the rest of the supporting cast are all pretty fun, the tone is all very light and breezy. It is noticeable that both of the men in the couples noted above are 15+ years older than their counterparts.

The camerawork is relatively conventional but the on location shooting makes up for any lack of visual finesse. It's a beautiful place and they let Rome speak for itself. The score is effective if a bit syrupy. The plot is pleasing, somewhat predictable, and kind of positions Gia not necessarily as a manic pixie dream girl but certainly as a very convenient balm for Matt. Even so, in a time where few romcoms are being made and even fewer are being released theatrically this is nice enough.

A sweet if conventional romcom for the middle-aged.

Currently available to rent on most VOD platforms.

Rent It.

 

'The Furious' A Review

The Furious is a martial arts action movie set in an unspecified Southeast Asian city about a father Wang Wei(Xie Miao) and journalist Navin(Joe Taslim) who go after a human trafficking ring to find their missing daughter and wife(respectively).

Reminiscent of Taken, there is relatively little in the way of plot but quite a lot of compelling, intricate action. Miao and Taslim are decent actors, they give the story the necessary emotional weight, but it is their physical performances that really shine which is in keeping with the genre. What's more surprising than how good the action is(that's kind of expected) is how funny and goofy some of it is. With a conceit as dour as child slavery the pops of humor and over-the-top almost Looney Toons style physicality is much needed and balances the darkness of the subject matter to make this, if not quite a romp, kind of shockingly fun and tonally complex.

A relatively rote premise is elevated by inspired fight choreography and a streak of gleeful dark humor.

Currently in theaters.

See It.

You Get What You Get

We are all fallible
imperfect
that is to say
human
the solace
of this fact
is found
in fellowship

'Miss You, Love You' A Review

Miss You, Love You is a drama that follows Diane(Allison Janney) in the wake of her second husband's passing, her semi-estranged son Tyler sends his assistant Jamie(Andrew Rannells) to help her make arrangements.

Janney and Rannells are marvelous actors and they have chemistry but they are smothered by the pages and pages of overwrought and overwritten dialogue. The premise sounds like an elevator pitch for a comedy but this attempts to not only be dramatic but deep. The problem being Diane's seemingly only way to deal with grief is cruelty, regardless of how 'true' this may be to life it makes for a punishing watch particular given the movie is staged like a play. The off-screen Tyler looms large both in his estrangement with his mom(who's history, when reveled is laughably pedestrian) as well as Rannells romantic feelings towards him. But he's off screen! So much of this movie is taken up with a character who isn't there and doesn't appear! And the behaviors that both but particular Diane engage in are immature and petulant, as good as Janney is she can't make the shallow character compelling.

As much as I loved The Way Way Back writer/director Jim Rash puts up a stunning miss here. An investigation of grief without insight, a living room drama populated by cliches and cruelty rather than humanity.

Currently streaming on HBO Max.

Don't See It.

'Masters Of The Universe' A Review

Masters Of The Universe is a science fantasy based on the Mattel toy line and subsequent cartoon. In Eternos, the capital city of the planet Eternia, young prince Adam struggles to meet his father's expectations when the city is attacked by Skeletor(Jared Leto) and Adam is forced to flee to Earth. He returns 15 years later to reclaim his throne and free Eternia's people.

Nicholas Galitzine as Adam aka He-Man struggles to put forth much of a coherent character, he's asked to do an impossible task oscillating wildly from (relatively weak) comedy to shining hero. He does his best to make some sense of what's on the page and synthesis it into something coherent but no matter who was cast it's not something that could have worked. Leto's vocal performance(and maybe his physical performance, it's unclear) are fun and effective, there seems to be understanding of what movie he's in. The supporting cast otherwise is filled with talent- Idris Elba, Morena Baccarin, Camila Mendes(in bizarre blue contacts), Sasheer Zamata, James Purefoy, Alison Brie, and on and on. But from the script to the direction the tone, the vibe, just doesn't come together. Is this for kids? For adults? Is it a comedy? Is it an action/adventure? There's so much packed in, so many ideas and references, its more a shotgun blast of a flick rather than a cogent story.

Visually it looks pretty good, they didn't skimp on the CG, but some of the action sequences and shots are straight-up lifted from relatively recent Marvel and DC movies(there's a lightening-trailing leap right out of Thor: Ragnarök, there's a classic Zack Snyder slow-mo punchathon finale etc.). The score is this whimsical retro hair mental explosion. The costuming is near exact to the action figures. Clearly made with a ton of fan passion taken as a whole you struggle to understand who this is supposed to be for and why a studio would cough up $200M for it. In how much energy and time and interest went into this compared to how large of a miscalculation it is it's reminiscent of Warcraft.

Middle-aged men's passion for a toy(or cartoon) in search of an appropriate vessel.

Currently in theaters.

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Daily Living

In its momentum
its roiling
is the living itself
the relentless
biological working
the inevitable mundanity
life
in all its exquisite
simplicity
in all its punishing
propulsion
this litany of moments
each akin to the other
beloved

in their vibrance

'Obsession' A Review

Obsession is a cringe horror set in an ambiguous time about a group of ambiguously aged friends. Perpetually hang-dog borderline-pathetic incel-presenting Bear(Michael Johnston) consults his frat bro cliche friend Ian(Cooper Tomlinson) about confessing his feelings to Nikki(Inde Navarrette) their friend who is very transparently only interested in Bear as a friend even though Sarah(Megan Lawless) the 4th in the friend foursome very much is. Bear balks when he gets his opportunity to be honest with Nikki, makes a wish with a knick-knack he bought that Nikki love him and then she does but it's weird!

Navarrette is the clear star and standout putting in a captivating layered performance both physical and emotional. The whole movie hangs on what she's able to do and all the menace as well as all the pathos comes from her. Both Johnston and Tomlinson are miscast, neither demonstrate much in the way of range presenting the same emotion and facial expression in virtually every scene. It's especially startling in contrast to Navarrette and to a lesser extent Lawless(who just has less screentime), who come across as real actors conveying characters that resemble actual humans. 

Visually the film is rich, stylized and effective, the score equally so. The production design, shot mostly on location LA, is evocative. The main issue is mostly with the script, the ground covered feels very derivative, monkey paw 101, and the story isn't taken in any new or unique directions, it's basically just that classic premise played out over almost two hours, it feels more like a short than a feature. Without Navarrette's performance the whole thing would really stall.

It's impossible not to compare this with the other Gen Z youtube creator directed box office scorcher right now Backrooms. Both stumble in terms of narrative but Backrooms has the captivating location to really hold interest. Obsession has Navarette but she can only do so much and ultimately the themes are immature and simple, the characters thinly drawn, and the overall impact is more pedestrian.  But both have really got the Gen Zers to the theaters and regardless that is a huge success. Part of the box office issue was not only the pandemic disruption but that disruption coming at a pivotal time for the 18-34 demo, historically hugely important to the box office, but slowly but surely they are coming back and it's important they have movies that speak to them from creators that are their contemporaries.

A Christmas Carol for an incel.

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