It'd be easy to dismiss Olivia Wilde's THE INVITE (2026, THEATER) as San Francisco liberal douchebag couples engaged in gross interactions/behavior unbecoming of polite society. But the beauty of this chamber dramedy with only four actors is how relatable to anyone who's been in a long, difficult relationship Wilde and Seth Rogen eventually reveal themselves to be. Whether you like Penélope Cruz's free-thinking therapist Piña and her beau Hawk (Edward Norton in "Primal Fear's" weakling Aaron mold) is irrelevant, as they're the catalysts that open up the repressed emotions Rogen/Wilde have been hiding from themselves (and their never seen small child) for years. Rogen can be annoying sometimes, but his endless humorous quips are welcomed comic relief from 105 minutes of tense-as-eff forced conversations. Highly recommended.
Rewatched the theatrical cut of Ben Stiller's TROPIC THUNDER (2008, KL 4K UHD) with like-minded folks at the weekly JR 4.0 Discord watchalong. Remove Robert Downey Jr's Kirk Lazarus and this over-the-top Hollywood satire would be toothless. RDJ's commitment to the vanity of his character's method acting ('I don't break character until after I record the DVD commentary.') is the glue that holds together his interactions with everybody else (especially Stiller when the latter has gone Brando-in-"Apocalypse Now" jungle mad!😂). On this rewatch I was blown away by then-child actor Brandon Soo Hoo as the kid leader of the military guerrillas, by Bill Hader holding his own against Tom Cruise's scene-chewing Les Grossman cartoon, by Matthew McConaughey keeping a straight face negotiating his client's Tivo privileges, and by the absence of any meaningful female characters. It's a $92 million dollar comedic sausage fest, but at least it's constantly making fun of itself from start (fake trailers) to finish (Grossman dance).
MOTOR CITY ('26, THEATER) is my introduction to Alan Ritchson (Amazon Prime's "Jack Reacher" series), and I really like the intensity and screen presence this guy brings to this revenge tale set in 1970's Detroit. Using choice needle drops (to complement Steve Jablonsky's moody electronic tunes) and slow-motion action/dramatic beats that put Zack Snyder's to shame (as you'd expect from director Potsy Ponciroli's music video background), "MC" lets the pictures/music tell a predictable narrative of obsession with a pretty girl (by both hero and villain), corrupt police officers, fellow Vietman soldiers helping out a buddy in need and, at the very end, an epic rampage of justified retaliation. The absence of spoken dialogue isn't new in contemporary action (John Woo pulled it off in 2023's "Silent Night"), but "MC" does it better and the supporting cast (Ben Foster, Pablo Schreiber, Lionel Boyce, Amar Chadha-Patel, Shailene Woodley, Ben McKenzie, etc.) tailor their performances to the style. It didn't need 35 (!) producers, but "MC" ultimately delivers the bloody revenge goods.
With a title like L.A. AIDS JABBER (1994, TUBI) you know you're in for a treat. Shot on video and looking more like 1984 than ten years later, a prone-to-anger young a-hole (Jason Majik) is diagnosed with AIDS and loses his shit. We're told by cops and local government types that Jeff Roberts is going on a rampage injecting prost!tutes (whom he blames for contracting AIDS) and civilians with syringes with his contaminated blood, but we only see him doing it twice. Jeff also kills the boss that fired him for being a bad worker, but he only beats the man to death with his own corded telephone. Worth seeing for the so-bad-it's-great SOV production values/performances, and an ironic ending meant to be tragic that changes nothing.🤨🙄
Not a fan of David Wain ("Wet Hot American Summer"), but GAIL DAUGHTRY AND THE CELEBRITY SEX PASS ('26, THEATER) made me laugh long and hard and the sitcom-like absurdity/execution of its premise (Zoey Deutch tries to bed John Hamm to get back at her fiancée for sleeping with Jennifer Aniston). Who knew John Slattery was such a badass ninja.😅
Nicolas Winding Refn's HER PRIVATE HELL ('26, THEATER) is so far up its own ass it comes out of its mouth.🤢🤮 In typical NWR mise-en-scène, style towers over substance in what at its core is a slasher. A very sexy, very moody and very soap opera-patterned slasher in which a serial killer called 'The Leatherman' comes hidden in the mist that engulfs a 'futuristic' city where the rich live in hotel buildings far above the clouds. Sophie Thatcher ("Companion") plays Elle, a rich girl with daddy issues with a stepmother closer to her own age (Havana Rose Liu, "Tuner") that are forced by dad/hubby Johnny Thunders (Dougray Scott) to co-star in a "Barbarella"-type space movie. As Elle and stepmom's relationship deteriorates, The Leatherman strikes a building next door and soon sets his sights on Elle's penthouse floor. By far the most entertaining parts of "HPH" are the flashbacks to post-World War II Japan in which an American G.I., 'Private K' (Charles Melton), searches for his missing daughter, which allegedly is how The Leatherman created the ass-kicking antagonist that constantly stops his mist-covered killing sprees. As much grief as I give NWR for being pretentious, he at least made a third of "HPH" appealing to average folks like me who have zero interest in fashion, model-type women posing or bold style/color choices. Pino Donaggio's electronic music score carries the film while complementing cinematographer Magnus Nordenhof Jønck's gorgeous pictures. You know what you're getting with NWR, so I'm pleased that at least one third of "HPH" was amusing-enough to tolerate the other two.
Was feeling down, so pulled off the ol' DVD Box set of Nickelodeon's THE SECRET WORLD OF ALEX MACK (1994-98) to watch a handful of hand-picked episodes from seasons 2 and 3. This show was rarely repeated on Nick cable channels after its initial run, and it took until the late 2010's to come out on DVD. While the first season was too kiddy for me (a young Jessica Alba in her first role makes a handful of episodes worth seeing for the curio factor), the latter seasons showcased the lead character (played by Larisa Oleynik with down-to-Earth relatability) and her friends growing-up and maturing as young adults, a rarity for a kids network in which even the older teen actors behaved like hyperactive little children. This show is my comfort blanket, and reason why streaming can go choke a goat while I hold on for dear life to my physical media collection.😎👍
I rewatched the Narnia movies. I love them so much. The last one was about a ship so, I've been watching water movies since then.
Blue Crush is so good. It's become a comfort movie for me. Blue Crush 2 is also great.
Below (2002) is a pretty good sub movie. But it's leaning into horror and completely doesn't feel like WW2 by the end.
K-19 The Widowmaker (2002) A misunderstood masterpiece. This is one of the great submarine movies, that I inevitably rewatch once a year.
White Squall (1996) A movie about a bunch of rich privileged boys aboard a ship, well, I can't see that working. But it does. I love the ship in this one.
True Spirit (2023) Drama about a young girl who sailed all around the world. I really liked this but it was much more about the family thing than a sailing movie.
Adrift (2018) This was not very good. I does have a thing at the end which I wasn't expecting. It was ok.. I doubt I'll ever watch it again.
Saw The Odyssey yesterday in Dolby Cinema and loved it. However, did anyone else find it painfully loud? Fortunately, I recently bought some specialized earplugs that lower dB levels without reducing clarity specifically for seeing this movie.
Hiya!😛
ReplyDeleteIt'd be easy to dismiss Olivia Wilde's THE INVITE (2026, THEATER) as San Francisco liberal douchebag couples engaged in gross interactions/behavior unbecoming of polite society. But the beauty of this chamber dramedy with only four actors is how relatable to anyone who's been in a long, difficult relationship Wilde and Seth Rogen eventually reveal themselves to be. Whether you like Penélope Cruz's free-thinking therapist Piña and her beau Hawk (Edward Norton in "Primal Fear's" weakling Aaron mold) is irrelevant, as they're the catalysts that open up the repressed emotions Rogen/Wilde have been hiding from themselves (and their never seen small child) for years. Rogen can be annoying sometimes, but his endless humorous quips are welcomed comic relief from 105 minutes of tense-as-eff forced conversations. Highly recommended.
Rewatched the theatrical cut of Ben Stiller's TROPIC THUNDER (2008, KL 4K UHD) with like-minded folks at the weekly JR 4.0 Discord watchalong. Remove Robert Downey Jr's Kirk Lazarus and this over-the-top Hollywood satire would be toothless. RDJ's commitment to the vanity of his character's method acting ('I don't break character until after I record the DVD commentary.') is the glue that holds together his interactions with everybody else (especially Stiller when the latter has gone Brando-in-"Apocalypse Now" jungle mad!😂). On this rewatch I was blown away by then-child actor Brandon Soo Hoo as the kid leader of the military guerrillas, by Bill Hader holding his own against Tom Cruise's scene-chewing Les Grossman cartoon, by Matthew McConaughey keeping a straight face negotiating his client's Tivo privileges, and by the absence of any meaningful female characters. It's a $92 million dollar comedic sausage fest, but at least it's constantly making fun of itself from start (fake trailers) to finish (Grossman dance).
MOTOR CITY ('26, THEATER) is my introduction to Alan Ritchson (Amazon Prime's "Jack Reacher" series), and I really like the intensity and screen presence this guy brings to this revenge tale set in 1970's Detroit. Using choice needle drops (to complement Steve Jablonsky's moody electronic tunes) and slow-motion action/dramatic beats that put Zack Snyder's to shame (as you'd expect from director Potsy Ponciroli's music video background), "MC" lets the pictures/music tell a predictable narrative of obsession with a pretty girl (by both hero and villain), corrupt police officers, fellow Vietman soldiers helping out a buddy in need and, at the very end, an epic rampage of justified retaliation. The absence of spoken dialogue isn't new in contemporary action (John Woo pulled it off in 2023's "Silent Night"), but "MC" does it better and the supporting cast (Ben Foster, Pablo Schreiber, Lionel Boyce, Amar Chadha-Patel, Shailene Woodley, Ben McKenzie, etc.) tailor their performances to the style. It didn't need 35 (!) producers, but "MC" ultimately delivers the bloody revenge goods.
With a title like L.A. AIDS JABBER (1994, TUBI) you know you're in for a treat. Shot on video and looking more like 1984 than ten years later, a prone-to-anger young a-hole (Jason Majik) is diagnosed with AIDS and loses his shit. We're told by cops and local government types that Jeff Roberts is going on a rampage injecting prost!tutes (whom he blames for contracting AIDS) and civilians with syringes with his contaminated blood, but we only see him doing it twice. Jeff also kills the boss that fired him for being a bad worker, but he only beats the man to death with his own corded telephone. Worth seeing for the so-bad-it's-great SOV production values/performances, and an ironic ending meant to be tragic that changes nothing.🤨🙄
Not a fan of David Wain ("Wet Hot American Summer"), but GAIL DAUGHTRY AND THE CELEBRITY SEX PASS ('26, THEATER) made me laugh long and hard and the sitcom-like absurdity/execution of its premise (Zoey Deutch tries to bed John Hamm to get back at her fiancée for sleeping with Jennifer Aniston). Who knew John Slattery was such a badass ninja.😅
A couple more reviews.
ReplyDeleteNicolas Winding Refn's HER PRIVATE HELL ('26, THEATER) is so far up its own ass it comes out of its mouth.🤢🤮 In typical NWR mise-en-scène, style towers over substance in what at its core is a slasher. A very sexy, very moody and very soap opera-patterned slasher in which a serial killer called 'The Leatherman' comes hidden in the mist that engulfs a 'futuristic' city where the rich live in hotel buildings far above the clouds. Sophie Thatcher ("Companion") plays Elle, a rich girl with daddy issues with a stepmother closer to her own age (Havana Rose Liu, "Tuner") that are forced by dad/hubby Johnny Thunders (Dougray Scott) to co-star in a "Barbarella"-type space movie. As Elle and stepmom's relationship deteriorates, The Leatherman strikes a building next door and soon sets his sights on Elle's penthouse floor. By far the most entertaining parts of "HPH" are the flashbacks to post-World War II Japan in which an American G.I., 'Private K' (Charles Melton), searches for his missing daughter, which allegedly is how The Leatherman created the ass-kicking antagonist that constantly stops his mist-covered killing sprees. As much grief as I give NWR for being pretentious, he at least made a third of "HPH" appealing to average folks like me who have zero interest in fashion, model-type women posing or bold style/color choices. Pino Donaggio's electronic music score carries the film while complementing cinematographer Magnus Nordenhof Jønck's gorgeous pictures. You know what you're getting with NWR, so I'm pleased that at least one third of "HPH" was amusing-enough to tolerate the other two.
Was feeling down, so pulled off the ol' DVD Box set of Nickelodeon's THE SECRET WORLD OF ALEX MACK (1994-98) to watch a handful of hand-picked episodes from seasons 2 and 3. This show was rarely repeated on Nick cable channels after its initial run, and it took until the late 2010's to come out on DVD. While the first season was too kiddy for me (a young Jessica Alba in her first role makes a handful of episodes worth seeing for the curio factor), the latter seasons showcased the lead character (played by Larisa Oleynik with down-to-Earth relatability) and her friends growing-up and maturing as young adults, a rarity for a kids network in which even the older teen actors behaved like hyperactive little children. This show is my comfort blanket, and reason why streaming can go choke a goat while I hold on for dear life to my physical media collection.😎👍
I rewatched the Narnia movies. I love them so much. The last one was about a ship so, I've been watching water movies since then.
ReplyDeleteBlue Crush is so good. It's become a comfort movie for me. Blue Crush 2 is also great.
Below (2002) is a pretty good sub movie. But it's leaning into horror and completely doesn't feel like WW2 by the end.
K-19 The Widowmaker (2002)
A misunderstood masterpiece. This is one of the great submarine movies, that I inevitably rewatch once a year.
White Squall (1996)
A movie about a bunch of rich privileged boys aboard a ship, well, I can't see that working. But it does. I love the ship in this one.
True Spirit (2023)
Drama about a young girl who sailed all around the world. I really liked this but it was much more about the family thing than a sailing movie.
Adrift (2018)
This was not very good. I does have a thing at the end which I wasn't expecting. It was ok.. I doubt I'll ever watch it again.
Saw The Odyssey yesterday in Dolby Cinema and loved it. However, did anyone else find it painfully loud? Fortunately, I recently bought some specialized earplugs that lower dB levels without reducing clarity specifically for seeing this movie.
ReplyDelete