Caught two 35MM SCREENINGS AT BROOKLYN'S NITEHAWK CINEMA, THE FLY (1986) & LASERBLAST (1978), on separate nights. The former remains my favorite movie of all time, a pitch-perfect operatic (that Howard Shore score! 🥰) mixture of body horror, off-kilter romance, tragedy and pathos. The latter is silly, disposable post-"Star Wars" 'PG' exploitation drive-in fare from Charles Band with a higher-than-average budget for slomo car explosions and David Allen-animated special effects (with some Eddie Dezen-as-a-bully mugging on top). A good time was had by all at both screenings, though some folks watching "The Fly" were visibly shaken/upset by that birthing scene. 😊😱
l freaking love Maggie Gyllenhall's THE BRIDE! (2026, IMAX), even though the opening minutes introducing us to Jessie Buckley's Ida (who's also narrator Mary Shelly in a nebulous B&W afterlife) actively repulsed me. By minute 20 The Bride's alive and, unlike her dying-soon-after routine in Whale's classic, takes command of the narrative despite Christian Bale's 'Frank' constantly threatening to steal the movie. It isn't perfect (too much "Bonnie and Clyde" love), but when it strikes out "The Bride!" is going for broke with 1935-themed characters/set pieces (including imaginary musicals that are integral to the story, unlike "Joker Follie à Deux") that defy easy categorization outside broad terms like 'feminist' and 'punk.' Annette Bening and Penélope Cruz have choice supporting roles, but the men (particularly the director's hubby and brother) feel like nepotism. Even if you end up disliking "The Bride!" you gotta admire a big-budget IMAX release that swings for the fences this hard, something that'll never happen under a Paramount-helmed regime. Highly recommended. 😎
It's nice to have Gore Verbinski back after a nine-year absence from directing, especially with a Sam Rockwell vehicle like GOOD LUCK, HAVE FUN, DON'T DIE that juggles special effects, dark humor and a high concept that owes a lot to "Groundhog Day" and "The Terminator." Playing a man from the future stuck on a loop that stars at a Los Angeles diner that could end with the world saved if he chooses the correct mixture of patrons willing to sacrifice their lives for humanity's sake, the testy 134 min. running time is offset by interesting/fun supporting characters (Juno Temple, Michael Peña, etc.) that earn their background spotlights, "Weapons"-style. Yes, having a rogue A.I. as the ultimate baddie (not a spoiler) isn't original, but the destination getting there and the lessons learned along the way are where most of the fun comes from. Give it a rental now that it has left theaters. 🥺
PROTECTOR ('26, THEATER) is genre-swapped "Taken" set in New Mexico (because tax incentives), with middle-aged Milla Jovovich using her special forces training to dismantle/slaughter the human trafficking ring that abducted her daughter. Matthew Modine is clearly having a ball playing the Trautman to Milla's Rambo, aka Nikki. There's a twist at the end that's meant to be dark but feels silly, like a dumb suggestion made by Paul W.S. Anderson (one of 31 credited producers! 😳😵) that the filmmakers actually took seriously. Dumb fun.
Luc Besson's DRACULA ('26, THEATER) feels like a French fried, stripped-down version of Francis F. Coppola's 1992 movie. The same characters/story/plot beats are present, only with Paris replacing London and CG gargoyles (the fuck?! 🙄) as Drac's castle minions. Even the fun prospect of Christoph Waltz as this narrative's Van Helsing (only called 'Priest') is diminished by Waltz being on "Django Unchained" autopilot. Caleb Landry Jones and Zoë Bleu are not bad as the pair of doomed lovers, but the production around them often gets in their way. I enjoyed it as disposable trashy fun, but YMMV. 🤨
Last and least, HOW TO MAKE A KILLING ('26, THEATER) continues A24's and Glen Powell's losing streak. Not a bad dark comedy about pursuing wealth at all costs, just not up to the studio/actor's high standards. Shame. 🤔
Hello. 😉😁
ReplyDeleteCaught two 35MM SCREENINGS AT BROOKLYN'S NITEHAWK CINEMA, THE FLY (1986) & LASERBLAST (1978), on separate nights. The former remains my favorite movie of all time, a pitch-perfect operatic (that Howard Shore score! 🥰) mixture of body horror, off-kilter romance, tragedy and pathos. The latter is silly, disposable post-"Star Wars" 'PG' exploitation drive-in fare from Charles Band with a higher-than-average budget for slomo car explosions and David Allen-animated special effects (with some Eddie Dezen-as-a-bully mugging on top). A good time was had by all at both screenings, though some folks watching "The Fly" were visibly shaken/upset by that birthing scene. 😊😱
l freaking love Maggie Gyllenhall's THE BRIDE! (2026, IMAX), even though the opening minutes introducing us to Jessie Buckley's Ida (who's also narrator Mary Shelly in a nebulous B&W afterlife) actively repulsed me. By minute 20 The Bride's alive and, unlike her dying-soon-after routine in Whale's classic, takes command of the narrative despite Christian Bale's 'Frank' constantly threatening to steal the movie. It isn't perfect (too much "Bonnie and Clyde" love), but when it strikes out "The Bride!" is going for broke with 1935-themed characters/set pieces (including imaginary musicals that are integral to the story, unlike "Joker Follie à Deux") that defy easy categorization outside broad terms like 'feminist' and 'punk.' Annette Bening and Penélope Cruz have choice supporting roles, but the men (particularly the director's hubby and brother) feel like nepotism. Even if you end up disliking "The Bride!" you gotta admire a big-budget IMAX release that swings for the fences this hard, something that'll never happen under a Paramount-helmed regime. Highly recommended. 😎
It's nice to have Gore Verbinski back after a nine-year absence from directing, especially with a Sam Rockwell vehicle like GOOD LUCK, HAVE FUN, DON'T DIE that juggles special effects, dark humor and a high concept that owes a lot to "Groundhog Day" and "The Terminator." Playing a man from the future stuck on a loop that stars at a Los Angeles diner that could end with the world saved if he chooses the correct mixture of patrons willing to sacrifice their lives for humanity's sake, the testy 134 min. running time is offset by interesting/fun supporting characters (Juno Temple, Michael Peña, etc.) that earn their background spotlights, "Weapons"-style. Yes, having a rogue A.I. as the ultimate baddie (not a spoiler) isn't original, but the destination getting there and the lessons learned along the way are where most of the fun comes from. Give it a rental now that it has left theaters. 🥺
PROTECTOR ('26, THEATER) is genre-swapped "Taken" set in New Mexico (because tax incentives), with middle-aged Milla Jovovich using her special forces training to dismantle/slaughter the human trafficking ring that abducted her daughter. Matthew Modine is clearly having a ball playing the Trautman to Milla's Rambo, aka Nikki. There's a twist at the end that's meant to be dark but feels silly, like a dumb suggestion made by Paul W.S. Anderson (one of 31 credited producers! 😳😵) that the filmmakers actually took seriously. Dumb fun.
Luc Besson's DRACULA ('26, THEATER) feels like a French fried, stripped-down version of Francis F. Coppola's 1992 movie. The same characters/story/plot beats are present, only with Paris replacing London and CG gargoyles (the fuck?! 🙄) as Drac's castle minions. Even the fun prospect of Christoph Waltz as this narrative's Van Helsing (only called 'Priest') is diminished by Waltz being on "Django Unchained" autopilot. Caleb Landry Jones and Zoë Bleu are not bad as the pair of doomed lovers, but the production around them often gets in their way. I enjoyed it as disposable trashy fun, but YMMV. 🤨
Last and least, HOW TO MAKE A KILLING ('26, THEATER) continues A24's and Glen Powell's losing streak. Not a bad dark comedy about pursuing wealth at all costs, just not up to the studio/actor's high standards. Shame. 🤔
More later.