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. 🤔
I'm not a Verbinski fan, but Rockwell and the two endings after the "happy" finale really put the film over the top and on a new level. That said, the movie only made $8 million on a budget of $20 million. Most people are on your side with this one, Kunider. 🥺😓
Here's 2 weeks backlog because of last week F This Movie Fest.
Westworld (1973): Finally, I was able to sit down and watch it. We all love sci-fi and westerns, and it's merging both in one movie. It's fantastic. I was never a fan of the tv show, too convoluted. This is so simple, a theme park filled with robots, there's a bug in the system, they start k!ll!ing people. The disc is the usual Arrow slam dunk: good looking and filled with extras.
Excalibur (1981): Another near perfect release from Arrow. There are not many adaptations of the Excalibur story, not with that level of production anyway. I must admit it took a couple of viewing over the years to truly enjoy the movie, but once I unlocked it, it stayed with me. The only other great adaption that comes to mind is the french tv show Kaamelott, that show is hilarious.
Narrow Margin (1990): Wait, JT Walsh is not playing a douchebag, what kind of movie is this? Joking aside, it's very good, great recommendation Patrick.
Cast Away (2000): Yes, the movie is still great. I'm still annoyed by the giant Fedex ad though. The plane crash is also a problem. The movie is nothing without Tom Hanks. It's a good pairing with Send Help.
Love Stinks (1999): French Stewart is not a romcom leading man. Otherwise, it's entertaining enough. I feel it wants to be crazier, but they never dare to cross that line to go fully unhinged. This should be the Better Off Dead of romcoms. The plot twist ending was funny though.
28 Years Later The Bone Temple (2026): It's a very good movie, Ralph Fiennes is the best part, but I'm very annoyed by the ending. Much like the previous movie, the cliffhanger ending pissed me off, to the point of spoiling the entire thing. These things bother me more and more and I wish they'd stop doing it.
Speaking of Fiennes, I watched Strange Days (1995). I miss the look and feel of 80s and 90s movies. Was it better? I don't know, but they sure felt less like a product and more like a real movie to me.
Reckless (2026): Scott Adkins doesn't make triple-A movies, but d@mn if they're not a ton of fun every time.
War Machine (2026) is fine. People are losing their sh!t over it, so be prepared for 15 sequels. It's good, worth the watch.
The Bluff (2026): Pirate movie, practical effect, cool action scenes, badass Priyanka Chopra. This is the movie people should fawn over, but pirate movies were never that popular (except the Johnny Depp ones).
Ghost Dog The Way of the Samurai (2000): Patrick talked so much about it (not that much) that I just caved and got the 4k from the UK. Jim Jarmusch is not my favorite director, but he did a couple movies I like, including this one. I'm not a big rap/hip hop fan, but the soundtrack really works here. And of course, Forrest Whitaker is great.
Ralph Fiennes, indeed, steals "28YL: Bone Temple" and his scenes/relationship with Sampson make me like this more than Danny Boyle's prequel. Like you, Kuniter, l hate that both movies end with blatant sequel baits, but l guess that's how Boyle and writer/producer Alex Garland had to sell it to the studio for them to even agree to do the first one. 😓
"Narrow Margin" '90 is underrated. No, J.T. Walsh is not a douche, but he still gets it pretty bad on his end. Happy to see Gene Hackman and Anne Archer in mainstream action roles different from what you think their usual roles entail. Fun fact, many action scenes from "NM" were reused in the 2014 Danny Trejo vehicle "Bad Ass 2: Bad Asses." 😳🫣
My 4K Arrow "Excalibur" is waiting. Didn't get "Westworld" because not sure there's a movie there that I'd like. And "Ghost Dog" is cool (only Jim Jarmush film l've ever liked without reservation, mostly because Forest W. rules) but the Criterion Blu-ray is plenty for me, no need to seek out a pricey 4K. Good watching! 😃👍
Ghost Dog, i got the 4k just because I didn't already have the Criterion, but you're fine, you're not missing anything. The movie is always the main attraction
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.
I really didn't care for Good Luck. I should like it, it's usually my kind of weird, but somehow it didn't work for me.
DeleteI'm not a Verbinski fan, but Rockwell and the two endings after the "happy" finale really put the film over the top and on a new level. That said, the movie only made $8 million on a budget of $20 million. Most people are on your side with this one, Kunider. 🥺😓
DeleteThe reviews are good, but box office is disappointing. I wish it made more money just so we'd get more Verbinski movies
DeleteHere's 2 weeks backlog because of last week F This Movie Fest.
ReplyDeleteWestworld (1973): Finally, I was able to sit down and watch it. We all love sci-fi and westerns, and it's merging both in one movie. It's fantastic. I was never a fan of the tv show, too convoluted. This is so simple, a theme park filled with robots, there's a bug in the system, they start k!ll!ing people. The disc is the usual Arrow slam dunk: good looking and filled with extras.
Excalibur (1981): Another near perfect release from Arrow. There are not many adaptations of the Excalibur story, not with that level of production anyway. I must admit it took a couple of viewing over the years to truly enjoy the movie, but once I unlocked it, it stayed with me. The only other great adaption that comes to mind is the french tv show Kaamelott, that show is hilarious.
Narrow Margin (1990): Wait, JT Walsh is not playing a douchebag, what kind of movie is this? Joking aside, it's very good, great recommendation Patrick.
Cast Away (2000): Yes, the movie is still great. I'm still annoyed by the giant Fedex ad though. The plane crash is also a problem. The movie is nothing without Tom Hanks. It's a good pairing with Send Help.
Love Stinks (1999): French Stewart is not a romcom leading man. Otherwise, it's entertaining enough. I feel it wants to be crazier, but they never dare to cross that line to go fully unhinged. This should be the Better Off Dead of romcoms. The plot twist ending was funny though.
28 Years Later The Bone Temple (2026): It's a very good movie, Ralph Fiennes is the best part, but I'm very annoyed by the ending. Much like the previous movie, the cliffhanger ending pissed me off, to the point of spoiling the entire thing. These things bother me more and more and I wish they'd stop doing it.
Speaking of Fiennes, I watched Strange Days (1995). I miss the look and feel of 80s and 90s movies. Was it better? I don't know, but they sure felt less like a product and more like a real movie to me.
Reckless (2026): Scott Adkins doesn't make triple-A movies, but d@mn if they're not a ton of fun every time.
War Machine (2026) is fine. People are losing their sh!t over it, so be prepared for 15 sequels. It's good, worth the watch.
The Bluff (2026): Pirate movie, practical effect, cool action scenes, badass Priyanka Chopra. This is the movie people should fawn over, but pirate movies were never that popular (except the Johnny Depp ones).
Ghost Dog The Way of the Samurai (2000): Patrick talked so much about it (not that much) that I just caved and got the 4k from the UK. Jim Jarmusch is not my favorite director, but he did a couple movies I like, including this one. I'm not a big rap/hip hop fan, but the soundtrack really works here. And of course, Forrest Whitaker is great.
So many movies, so little time to reply! 🥵
DeleteRalph Fiennes, indeed, steals "28YL: Bone Temple" and his scenes/relationship with Sampson make me like this more than Danny Boyle's prequel. Like you, Kuniter, l hate that both movies end with blatant sequel baits, but l guess that's how Boyle and writer/producer Alex Garland had to sell it to the studio for them to even agree to do the first one. 😓
"Narrow Margin" '90 is underrated. No, J.T. Walsh is not a douche, but he still gets it pretty bad on his end. Happy to see Gene Hackman and Anne Archer in mainstream action roles different from what you think their usual roles entail. Fun fact, many action scenes from "NM" were reused in the 2014 Danny Trejo vehicle "Bad Ass 2: Bad Asses." 😳🫣
My 4K Arrow "Excalibur" is waiting. Didn't get "Westworld" because not sure there's a movie there that I'd like. And "Ghost Dog" is cool (only Jim Jarmush film l've ever liked without reservation, mostly because Forest W. rules) but the Criterion Blu-ray is plenty for me, no need to seek out a pricey 4K. Good watching! 😃👍
Ghost Dog, i got the 4k just because I didn't already have the Criterion, but you're fine, you're not missing anything. The movie is always the main attraction
Delete