Had a great Thursday night at the movies, a rare triple Grand Slam of back-to-back-to-back great flicks.😎 What stood out to me was how happy, chatty and just plain enjoying themselves in theaters my fellow New Yorkers were, something that very rarely happens nowadays.🥰
It started with AVATAR AANG: THE LAST AIRBENDER (2026, THEATER), which concluded its week-long limited theatrical engagement that night to become a Paramount+ exclusive on Friday. Every showing last week was either sold out or packed, and I barely squeezed into an 8:30 pm sold-out showing by reserving (thank you, AMC A-List) an empty wheelchair space. Had to bring my own foldable stool to the Times Square theater, which was uncomfortable as heck. Did I mention that, aside from the God-awful M. Night Shyamalan 2010 live-action movie, I've never seen the Nickelodeon cartoon or anything "Avatar... Airbender"-related in my life? And yet, despite all these strikes against it, I loved "Avatar Aang!"😍🤓 Unlike James Cameron's "Avatar" movies, this animated movie made me want to watch the original series or any previous animated specials... or to rewatch the animated feature ASAP. The English voices were surprisingly well-cast and the dialogue easy to follow (Dave Bautista crushes his role of Tagah), the story majestic but somehow beginner-friendly to a newb like me, the sense of humor natural for characters that have grown from children (the TV series) to adults, and the animation quality comparable to the best of contemporary hand-drawn (with obvious CG/AI assistance) anime.
The crowd of (I assume) lifelong fans ate it all up as they laughed/clapped, and afterwards, I got like a dozen suggestions of which episodes of the TV series I should start with. Great flick in which the theatrical experience (scope of narrative magnified by the big screen, crowd enthusiasm, etc.) really made a difference.
Then had to run from 42nd Street to 68th St. Lincoln Center for my 11:00 pm tickets for SPIDER-MAN: BRAND NEW DAY ('26, AMC DOLBY CINEMA). I had reserved the very last ticket available all the way in the back of the balcony, which turned out to be dead center and the best seat in the house!😁All day long Thursday I noticed in NYC subways and sidewalks lots of folks with Spider-Man masks, shirts, etc., and this 11 pm crowd was cheering and clapping at everything... even Nicole Kidman's 'Welcome to AMC' video.🙄 Without major spoilers, I'm somewhat conflicted about "BND." One third of the narrative deals with Peter trying to reconnect with Ned and MJ after they return to Queens with MIT degrees (real-time jump from the end of "No Way Home" to present day), and I loved these scenes/moments to death. Other than Jacob Batalon looking way too old for Ned's nerd routine, the chemistry between him, Zendaya and Tom Holland is the reason this movie is breaking box office records. I was worried the filmmakers would cheapen the sacrifice Peter Parker made at the end of "NWH," but the very adult and no-nonsense way Peter and MJ talked and dealt with it pleased me greatly.🥺😥
The rest of "BND" is typical MCU world-building and corrupt institutions hiding secrets about super-powered subjects (Sadie Sink... shhh!🤫) that feel like they come from a Disney+ show I'm forced to watch to know what the hell is going on. I liked that Peter has his own version of Commissioner Gordon inside the NYPD (Liza Colón-Zayas' Det. DeWolff) as an ally, Jon Bernthal's Punisher routine getting mainstream exposure, and for the brief moments he appears, Michael Mando's Scorpion. Mark Ruffalo's Banner/Hulk feels shoe-horned into the narrative (it should be Dr. Connors that Peter goes to for assistance), and for someone so poor Parker sure seems to have enough cash to spring for a Samsung Galaxy Flip (and Ned a Fold 8!). Not crazy about the 'spider DNA/organic webshooters' subplot, but that's for a future movie to deal with what this one started. Loved the closing credits being typical NYC locales, an apology of sorts for a flick shot entirely in the U.K. An unabashed crowd pleaser.😎👍
Wow, you're really on top of new releases. I'm more the type to wait until they're barely in theatre anymore and go see it quietly in a nearly empty theatre. I did see the last Spiderman movie (Spiderman: Home Cooking?) not long after release though, because was visiting family and they wanted to go (an invite to watch a movie, hell yeah!)
I've been completely checked out on comic book movies since then. Home Cooking might have been the last one I've seen. I've been curious about The Eternals, mostly because it won't be the same few characters that Marvel leaned so heavily on for their run.
"Captain America: Brave New World" (the one with Harrison Ford and Anthon Mackie) was a quasi-sequel/follow-up to both "The Incredible Hulk" and "The Eternals." "Home Cooking," aka "Far From Home," leads directly into the "Brand New Day" Spidey flick. You're golden. 👌😄
I'll post my own thoughts on BND later when I have time. I will say that there's not actually anything in it that connects to any of the D+ shows, aside from the Punisher not having shown up in any of the movies until now. Even then, he's a much different character here around Spidey than he is in his own shows or Daredevil. Damage Control I think was introduced in Homecoming. Banner/Hulk's current status isn't previously explained anywhere. Nothing about Sadie's character is introduced anywhere else. It actually feels like one of the best uses of the MCU setting without requiring viewers follow along with all the movies/shows. If you know Banner is the Hulk and Punisher likes to shoot people, that's all that's needed.
In my defense, Ross, l said that the plot of "BND" FEELS like its from a Disney+ show. Glad to know it isn't, but still comes across in the movie as stuff the writers assumed we'd know (like Banner teaching college kids or Scorpion and what's-his-name on the loose... WTF??!! 🙄). Sad to know Punisher on Disney+ isn't the type of anti-hero who'd shoot an unarmed teenager with a 30 caliber missile/shotgun in the back. 😉😁
This iteration of Spider-Man was introduced to us without an origin story, so to a large extent the writers do seem to be comfortable with the audience's ability to understand that the Scorpion is just some villain Spidey fights from time to time.
I personally don't need to have a 20 minutes explanation or origin story of everything i see in a movie. Scorpion's there, he does bad things, that's enough.
Jon Bernthal, along with Tom Holland and Zendaya, is also in "The Odyssey" in a very prominent supporting role. The range on this guy! He goes from being a sour king on the day his daughter marries with a rescued queen from Troy (who gives Odysseus' son, Holland's Telemacus, some sage advice) to, quoting "Hudson Hawk" here, 'some schmuck from New Jeisey' who really likes shooting guns at unarmed teens. 🙃😛
I'll watch anything with Harrison Ford in it. If there's some good guys and then some bad buys, that's enough. I don't want to have to watch 2 previous movies and 15 episodes of multiple TV series to justify the plot.
Blah blah blah. I know this has all been said before. But it honestly has me checked out.
only thing that bothers me with Bernthal is that we got TV's the Punisher in the big screen film. maybe they felt Bernthal's star was on the rise, but wonder how much TV to Film leaps they will do with other Marvel characters. All of the Punisher iterations lack something, though the previous films have been enjoyable in their own way. was hoping to see another take on that character to see if they can improve on it.
Bernthal's Punisher has never been my favorite version of the character. While I enjoy the goofier version in BND, I always prefered the stoic version of the previous movies.
Some days Thomas Jane's my favorite Frank Castle/Punisher, bit other days young Dolph Lundgren in his '89 movie is my favorite take on the character. Everyone else (including Jon Bernthal and his should-have-used-them-as-gliding-devices earlobes 😅) is a distant also-ran. 🥰
I enjoyed the movie, but the choices they made in the Jane movie were odd. He made a great fan film in 2012 (Dirty Laundry) with a closer take. I love the way the Dolph Lungren movie though i never saw it at the time. A lot of the aesthetic reminds you of Batman and Dick Tracy from that era. One of the best things I can say about Punisher Warzone is that if you listen to the podcast episode How Did This Get Made which features the director, she really makes you appreciate her take on the movie, even though I don't like Ray Stevenson in the role.
I've listened to that HDTGM episode with Lexi Alexander. She's disarmingly honest, and through her eyes (and the hosts, Paul and June), l was able to rewatch "War Zone" and find some fun l missed the first time. But you're right, Matt, Ray Stevenson's take on Frank Castle's a constant killjoy. 🫤🙄
PWZ had a lot going for it, Wayne Knight as Micro was great. I even liked Dominic West and his brother. That HDTGM episode was great, alongside their Crank episode with Bryan Taylor. Really makes you want to see a Neveldine/Taylor Punisher movie. but Hollywood apparently blackballed them for being too awesome.
The conclusion to this Thursday triple feature? Why, it's a 2:00 am ticket for Christopher Nolan's THE ODYSSEY ('26, IMAX 70mm) at 68th Lincoln, the only theater in the city showing it in IMAX 70mm. And I didn't reserve a seat, just a handicapped space for a wheelchair (also in the back of the theater, also dead center and also the best seat in the house!😉🙃). The staff at 68th offered me a foldable metal chair with a cushion, a vast improvement over the stool I brought with me. For true hardcore cinephiles watching a nearly three-hour movie in the middle of the night on a weekday, the sold-out crowd just watched the whole thing in silence, and at the end there was no applause or cheers... except for the IMAX-enhanced preview of "Dune Three." But holy shit, "The Odyssey" in 70mm IMAX is mind-blowing. I saw it opening night (12:30 am) in regular 70mm film and it felt big/epic... but the immersion of non-stop 70mm IMAX framing and detail on the characters' faces/things (no cutting back-and-forth between epic shots and regular-sized framing, ala "Avatar: Fire & Ice" or the "Dune Two") was simply breathtaking. Elliot Page's sweaty face, Matt Damon's chest hair, the wooden horses' panels... just, wow!🤩😳
As I told my boss Frank when I met him a couple of hours later (went straight from the end of "The Odyssey" to work at JFK Airport), watching "The Odyssey" on IMAX 70mm is the Catholic church-going equivalent of going to mass in the Sistine Chapel in the Vatican with the Pope presiding... with regular digital theaters the equivalent of local mass at your neighborhood church. Same service, vastly different experiences. You don't need to see "The Odyssey" in IMAX 70mm to appreciate the movie's greatness (Nolan made sure even the lower-end versions satisfy the epic entertainment quota), but you do need to see it in that format to appreciate the ultimate expression of artistic blockbuster filmmaking $250 million bucks can showcase in the hands of a master filmmaker.
Earlier in the week caught an Indian/Tamil feature, JANA NAYAGAN ('26, THEATER), my second consecutive Bollywood movie in which actor Bobby Deol plays a Pakistan-backed bad guy (named John Himmler... talk about villain typecasting!). A 3+ hour epic about honest supercop Thalapathy Vettri Kondan (Joseph Vijay, who might leave Bollywood for politics if rumors are true) befriending his jailer's daughter, whom he raises as his own when Kayal's (Pooja Hegde) baba either dies in a car crash or is targeted for assassination. There's a whole hour in the middle that backtracks in flashback to tell us the backstories of both TVK and Himmler, back when they were both righteous military men fighting local corruption. TVK managed to retain his soul, while Himmler lost his mind and went to work for African militias, where he learned what he thinks are the tools necessary to bring down Indian democracy. Writer/director H. Vinoth is not above stealing from "The Dark Knight" and "Terminator Salvation" to make his action-driven points, and despite the finale feeling more sci-fi than grounded in reality (good guys versus robot dogs and sentient drones), "Jana Nayagan" is solid, middle-of-the-road mainstream Bollywood product. And holy crap, the dance moves (no cutting, just master shots) Joseph Vijay pulls off during the handful of musical/dance interludes! 😍🧐
Felt like laughing, so I threw in MONTY PYTHON AND THE HOLY GRAIL (1975, BLU-RAY) and Mel Brooks' BLAZING SADDLES (1974, 4K UHD). I can't choose which of these two has more quotable lines of memorable dialogue, or can still make me belly laugh so hard after countless rewatches. "Holy Grail" might get the edge because it plays with time ('A History Professor,' the old man by the fire that returns as the bridge guardian, etc.) and film structure ('the suddenly, the animator suffered a heart attack,' Lancelot attacking the castle to save the "maiden" from afar again, and again...). But "Blazing Saddles" has Mongo, and I wouldn't want Mongo to get mad at me.🥵😛 Great flicks!
I still haven't seen The Odyssey. The Imax screening are all sold out here (or the seats available are 2 metres from the screen). I can wait. It's not even real Imax, but it's the best screen in town. They have a 70mm show in Montreal, which is also sold out. But it's 2 hours away.
I'm kind of tempted to watch it in a regular theatre, then watch it later the the (fake) Imax theatre. It's gotten great reviews, so probably a movie I would not mind seeing twice.
I saw it in regular screen. It was fine. There's more picture on imax, but it's useless because they framed the movie to be widescreen. The movie's good enough to not need all of that
Saw regular 70mm film (great), then IMAX 70mm (orgasmic! 😅). But regular digital would be fine if all you want is the content, acting and drama. Bigger premium formats are for the full scope of the production to wow you, culminating in the IMAX 70mm giving it you at maximum visual/aural perfection. You can't go wrong with Nolan on any thearical or home video format outside of, gulp, DVD. 🥶
Yeah, I should just watch it on regular screen. Better than sitting way off to the side or in the front row. It's crazy how the seats have been selling out here for the fake ImaX. That being said, it is the best showroom in Ottawa, and I'm glad it's sold out.
With nothing going on Wednesday night, I decided to go to Becky's Drive-In near Allentown, PA, for a full night of movies. Though it was a drizzly night, I knew I could deal with the rain. The combination of the weather and a weeknight meant there was a puny number of people in attendance.
The first film shown in an odd double feature was MINIONS AND MONSTERS, my first time actually watching a movie featuring the Minions. I found the references to classic movies and genres entertaining enough to get me through the frenetic comedy of the film. It really is just comedic skits held together by a simple premise. Overall, I did not dislike Minions and Monsters.
The second feature, which began near 11:00 p.m., was THE ODYSSEY. That made it a late night. I have no history with Christopher Nolan besides watching Memento a while ago. I usually hear that his films are on the serious side, which is the case with The Odyssey. His solemn telling of Odysseus' saga to return home kept me interested, and there are plenty of beautiful shots to admire. I admit to finding the storytelling a little on the cold side. I would consider The Odyssey a candidate for a re-watch to get a deeper impression of it.
Was the drive-in screen waterproof? Was the rain bad enough to require the windshield wiper to be on? Watching movies outdoors during rain sounds miserable unless it was a drizzle. ☔️💧
Drive-in theater screens have to be hardy enough to withstand the weather. Maintenance is very important. I was told by the manager of the Mahoning that the screen there was recently painted. For screens with a wooden frame, parts of the structure have to be replaced from time to time to take care of any rotting sections.
The rain did push me into my car during Minions and Monsters, but It slowed down enough by the start of The Odyssey to be able to sit in a chair under an umbrella. I have watched movies in heavy rain before at the Mahoning. You really need to come prepared - good footwear, rain gear, some cover if you are sitting outside - for those conditions.
Cool. 🙂 l thought you had to sit inside the car and deal with rain on the windshield. Watching a movie outdoors with an umbrella and rain must be kind-of soothing. 🤗
I always prefer sitting outside rather than being in the car. The cold weather is always the toughest time during drive-in season. Even with layers of clothing and blankets, sitting outside for hours during a 40 degree (Fahrenheit) night is challenging.
THE 300 SPARTANS (1962) – The fighting at Thermopylae 2,500 years ago lives on in military history and legend. Though this version of the story undoubtedly has its propaganda aspects (the Cold War messaging), it also manages to be a surprisingly effective war film. The Persian invasion under King Xerxes is gradually uniting a fractious Greece, but the odds seem against any victory in the war. The beginning of the film is slow because of all of the debates about fighting the Persians, but eventually a small Spartan force led by King Leonidas heads north to defend the path to Athens. The battle scenes are handled well with hundreds of extras participating in full costumes.
GUMMO (1997, dir. Harmony Korine) – A very eccentric filmmaker created a very eccentric film about life in an Appalachian town. The film was actually shot around Nashville. Korine used people he knew and real locations - the filthy cluttered houses were genuine – to tell a tale about a “white trash” town that is full of characters you rarely see in a film. There is a lot of unpleasantness (cat killing, glue sniffing, child neglect) amid the random activities the characters get up to. Other sections are documentary vignettes about locals the crew encountered. I do not know what to think about Gummo, but it undoubtedly is a different cinematic experience.
Tonight is Gap Grindhouse Vol. 4, a mystery triple feature at The Gap Theatre. Another night of 1960s and 1970s exploitation on a big screen is something I can look forward to.
I have no interest in Gummo. I can walk outside and see much of the same things. I don't want to see that stuff glorified. There was someone smoking crack/meth on the steps outside 2 days ago. And I live in a nicer area of the city.
I'm with Paul, but can extend it to Harmony Korine's entire filmography. Whether it's "Kids" or "Spring Breakers" or "Beach Bum," nothing that interests this guy is remotely something l care to watch depicted on film. 🥸🧐
I don't recognize the filmmakers or most of the cast on "300 Spartans" on IMDB (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0055719/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0_tt_8_nm_0_in_0_q_300%20spartans). Maybe that's a good thing to still be surprised by well-known, predictable material? 🤔
If you like 1960s sword and sandal films, Paul, The 300 Spartans should be a worthwhile watch.
I would not say Gummo glorifies poverty and community dysfunction. It just throws it in your face like no other film I can remember. This is not a pleasant watch.
Gummo has come out through Criterion and was a rental disc for me. Watching the interviews on it with Harmony Korine, it is clear that the guy is more than a little peculiar, even at a young age. In Korine's defense, though, I have met people like some of the characters in Gummo.
My awareness of The 300 Spartans comes from it turning up on the Fox movie channel (FXM) on my cable system. For a couple of years I have focused on the watching the obscure films that turn up there because those are not likely to get shown anywhere else or get released on physical media (because of Disney).
Between Prime Day and the Barnes and Noble Criterion and Arrow sales, I've bought 43 movies and 2 shows over the past month. Many new purchases and many simply to upgrade to 4k. I got a little carried away but who can deny the sales??
43??!! 😳😵 l must be poor, l've only bought 4 things ("Creepshow 2" and "Evil Dead Rise" from Arrow plus "The Abyss" 4K's, plus Seijun Suzuki's "A Tale of Sorrow and Sadness" in Radiance Blu-ray) from the same sales. So Luke, how does being part of the 1% feel like? 😉🙃
In past years I have bought a lot of movies. (From VS, Severin, Kino, Mondo Macabro, Hamilton Book, etc). 2026 is a quiet time in that regard because of budgetary issues and space restrictions. I have missed getting that pile of new discs to add to the collection, however.
When the fall comes, I will have a better sense of how much I can devote to buying some things around Halloween and Christmas.
BTW, l just got paid this weekend and I'm flush with disposable cash. Resisting urge to enter a B&N while the Arrow sales still on... but some of them pricey 4K's look so reachable at half off... 🥵🫣
Buying a lot at once can definitely save on shipping fees, Luke. I have held off buying certain things to have them to add to an order in the future. For example, those 1 to 3 items of interests during a Severin sale I can wait to get once there are more releases I would like to own.
Fortunately, I got most from Amazon and with Prime I get free shipping. Also using a Prime Visa card gets me 5% cash back on everything! Everything else, I just went to Barnes and Noble and bought in person. Except for the new 4k of Identity which I just pre-ordered yesterday because B&N is offering the sales on preorders
I used to buy from B&N online and do store pick-up to use PayPal when l got a bulk orders. That way l could stretch the payment through several weeks via 'Pay in 4 instalments.' But B&N re-designed its website in mid-July, and PayPal is no longer available. Gotta be careful now because payments are die in full on moment of transaction... ouch! 🤑😭
Major Payne (1995): I love that movie. The new Kino Blu-ray, not 4k, looks way better than the previous Universal disc. Whatever happened to Karyn Parsons (the big sister in The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air), she's great in this.
Stay Tuned (1992): Haven't seen it in a few years, but I still love it. Feels like an off-brand Joe Dante flick, with more d3vil (Jeffrey Jones playing another douchebag).
Brain Donors (1992): Something compelled me to get the blu-ray and watch it. From the claymation opening and ending credits to the bonkers last act, this is very funny and I'm sorry I didn't know about it before. I had seen the original Marx Brothers movie, so there's that.
I also watched the Descendants movies series throughout the week, which I never saw. I have to admit, they're a ton of fun, for what they are. Way more fun than anything the Wicked movies did.
I have a soft spot for "Stay Tuned." Half the jokes land but only as mild chuckles, but the other half just die. John Ritter is in his element (TV as big screen concept), but director Peter Hyams is completely out of his. You and me talking about it, Kunider, makes me wanna rewatch it. 😁
SPIDER-MAN BRAND NEW DAY (2026) Looks like Marvel’s trying to deal with how the actors are getting older, just as the audience is. I guess I liked this, but I’m still scratching my head over parts of it.
ROBOCOP (2014) No. Just… no.
ENOLA HOLMES 3 (2026) A fun romp, like the others in this series. It also has gigantic production value, which again raises the question of how Netflix’s finances work, exactly.
AIRPLANE! (1980) “And Leon’s getting larger!”
OCEAN’S ELEVEN (2001) I don’t love this movie as much as others, but it remains light, breezy fun. The constant toe-tapping score helps a lot.
THE BLUES BROTHERS (1980) Just imagine if the nun had joined them on their road trip.
O BROTHER WHERE ARE THOU? (2000) “Gopher, Everett?”
I was gonna watch "O Brother..." with Mac and the whole Jury Room 4.0 gang Wednesday night... but my internet was down and couldn't stream the TNT Online version l had access to. DAMN YOU, SPECTRUM CABLE! 😡🤬
I watched the Odyssey, which I enjoyed, but it's not something that's really stuck with more or that I have any thoughts about.
Spider-Man: Brand New Day, is to me the best of the Tom Holland Spider-Man movies. I enjoyed No Way Home but recognize how much nostalgia plays a part in that. Overall, the Jon Watts stuff felt competent, like the only goal was to play things safe. I don't get that impression from DDC here.
I know some people feel like the movie tried to pack too much in, but to me it feels overstuffed, but in a good way, without feeling bloated. Spider-Man to me is a character that always works really well when he has a ton of things on this plate that he has to deal with. I feel like for the most part, BND was able to pull everything together to form a cohesive whole.
I also watched Buffet Infinity. I've seen it compared to Casper Kelly Adult Swim stuff like Too Many Cooks. The comparison is valid in regards to tone, but maybe not overall quality. The "story" is told through a series of advertisements that are made to be like cheesy, low-budget local ads and clips from the news. As the ads play out, local people start to turn up missing, and the buffet restaurant being advertised slowly expands to replace other businesses.
The conceit doesn't fully work. There's no feature that the ads are built around and events seemingly progress across weeks or possibly months, so it's not like the audience POV is that of someone watching this unfold in real time. I also feel like this is coming after the fake budget tv content thing has kind of been played out a bit. It feels like it's cribbing a bit from the aforementioned Adult Swim, WNUF, the video game Not For Broadcast, etc...
It's not bad by any means, but it doesn't justify being feature length.
Never even heard of "Buffet Infinity" 'til you mentioned it. Interesting stuff. 🤔
Like "The Odyssey," "Spider-Man: Brand New Day" is worth a second theatrical viewing. I really want to watch it in 3D, so that's on the menu. I'll keep your review in mind to judge whether it's actually properly stuffed or a little overstuffed. My main complaint so far would be there's no actual villain (Scorpion doesn't really count), just a major building block of the MCU going forward being prioritized over an actual Spidey rogues gallery threat. 🤨🙂↔️
Wow! Even better on the second watch. Don't want to besmirch the other excellent movies of last year but this is the best movie of 2025 and had no nominations. Sounds about right. Bonus points for the Rosie Perez cameo.
AMC did not book "H2L," so l missed it in '25. Could have seen it on Regal Theaters but it was only showing once a day for a limited time (a week or so). Talk about a corporate hit job on Spike Lee. 🙄😡
Had a great Thursday night at the movies, a rare triple Grand Slam of back-to-back-to-back great flicks.😎 What stood out to me was how happy, chatty and just plain enjoying themselves in theaters my fellow New Yorkers were, something that very rarely happens nowadays.🥰
ReplyDeleteIt started with AVATAR AANG: THE LAST AIRBENDER (2026, THEATER), which concluded its week-long limited theatrical engagement that night to become a Paramount+ exclusive on Friday. Every showing last week was either sold out or packed, and I barely squeezed into an 8:30 pm sold-out showing by reserving (thank you, AMC A-List) an empty wheelchair space. Had to bring my own foldable stool to the Times Square theater, which was uncomfortable as heck. Did I mention that, aside from the God-awful M. Night Shyamalan 2010 live-action movie, I've never seen the Nickelodeon cartoon or anything "Avatar... Airbender"-related in my life? And yet, despite all these strikes against it, I loved "Avatar Aang!"😍🤓 Unlike James Cameron's "Avatar" movies, this animated movie made me want to watch the original series or any previous animated specials... or to rewatch the animated feature ASAP. The English voices were surprisingly well-cast and the dialogue easy to follow (Dave Bautista crushes his role of Tagah), the story majestic but somehow beginner-friendly to a newb like me, the sense of humor natural for characters that have grown from children (the TV series) to adults, and the animation quality comparable to the best of contemporary hand-drawn (with obvious CG/AI assistance) anime.
The crowd of (I assume) lifelong fans ate it all up as they laughed/clapped, and afterwards, I got like a dozen suggestions of which episodes of the TV series I should start with. Great flick in which the theatrical experience (scope of narrative magnified by the big screen, crowd enthusiasm, etc.) really made a difference.
Then had to run from 42nd Street to 68th St. Lincoln Center for my 11:00 pm tickets for SPIDER-MAN: BRAND NEW DAY ('26, AMC DOLBY CINEMA). I had reserved the very last ticket available all the way in the back of the balcony, which turned out to be dead center and the best seat in the house!😁All day long Thursday I noticed in NYC subways and sidewalks lots of folks with Spider-Man masks, shirts, etc., and this 11 pm crowd was cheering and clapping at everything... even Nicole Kidman's 'Welcome to AMC' video.🙄 Without major spoilers, I'm somewhat conflicted about "BND." One third of the narrative deals with Peter trying to reconnect with Ned and MJ after they return to Queens with MIT degrees (real-time jump from the end of "No Way Home" to present day), and I loved these scenes/moments to death. Other than Jacob Batalon looking way too old for Ned's nerd routine, the chemistry between him, Zendaya and Tom Holland is the reason this movie is breaking box office records. I was worried the filmmakers would cheapen the sacrifice Peter Parker made at the end of "NWH," but the very adult and no-nonsense way Peter and MJ talked and dealt with it pleased me greatly.🥺😥
The rest of "BND" is typical MCU world-building and corrupt institutions hiding secrets about super-powered subjects (Sadie Sink... shhh!🤫) that feel like they come from a Disney+ show I'm forced to watch to know what the hell is going on. I liked that Peter has his own version of Commissioner Gordon inside the NYPD (Liza Colón-Zayas' Det. DeWolff) as an ally, Jon Bernthal's Punisher routine getting mainstream exposure, and for the brief moments he appears, Michael Mando's Scorpion. Mark Ruffalo's Banner/Hulk feels shoe-horned into the narrative (it should be Dr. Connors that Peter goes to for assistance), and for someone so poor Parker sure seems to have enough cash to spring for a Samsung Galaxy Flip (and Ned a Fold 8!). Not crazy about the 'spider DNA/organic webshooters' subplot, but that's for a future movie to deal with what this one started. Loved the closing credits being typical NYC locales, an apology of sorts for a flick shot entirely in the U.K. An unabashed crowd pleaser.😎👍
Wow, you're really on top of new releases. I'm more the type to wait until they're barely in theatre anymore and go see it quietly in a nearly empty theatre. I did see the last Spiderman movie (Spiderman: Home Cooking?) not long after release though, because was visiting family and they wanted to go (an invite to watch a movie, hell yeah!)
DeleteI've been completely checked out on comic book movies since then. Home Cooking might have been the last one I've seen. I've been curious about The Eternals, mostly because it won't be the same few characters that Marvel leaned so heavily on for their run.
Eternals is more adult as a Marvel movie. I like it a lot.
Delete"Captain America: Brave New World" (the one with Harrison Ford and Anthon Mackie) was a quasi-sequel/follow-up to both "The Incredible Hulk" and "The Eternals." "Home Cooking," aka "Far From Home," leads directly into the "Brand New Day" Spidey flick. You're golden. 👌😄
DeleteI'll post my own thoughts on BND later when I have time. I will say that there's not actually anything in it that connects to any of the D+ shows, aside from the Punisher not having shown up in any of the movies until now. Even then, he's a much different character here around Spidey than he is in his own shows or Daredevil. Damage Control I think was introduced in Homecoming. Banner/Hulk's current status isn't previously explained anywhere. Nothing about Sadie's character is introduced anywhere else. It actually feels like one of the best uses of the MCU setting without requiring viewers follow along with all the movies/shows. If you know Banner is the Hulk and Punisher likes to shoot people, that's all that's needed.
DeleteIn my defense, Ross, l said that the plot of "BND" FEELS like its from a Disney+ show. Glad to know it isn't, but still comes across in the movie as stuff the writers assumed we'd know (like Banner teaching college kids or Scorpion and what's-his-name on the loose... WTF??!! 🙄). Sad to know Punisher on Disney+ isn't the type of anti-hero who'd shoot an unarmed teenager with a 30 caliber missile/shotgun in the back. 😉😁
DeleteThis iteration of Spider-Man was introduced to us without an origin story, so to a large extent the writers do seem to be comfortable with the audience's ability to understand that the Scorpion is just some villain Spidey fights from time to time.
DeleteI personally don't need to have a 20 minutes explanation or origin story of everything i see in a movie. Scorpion's there, he does bad things, that's enough.
DeleteJon Bernthal, along with Tom Holland and Zendaya, is also in "The Odyssey" in a very prominent supporting role. The range on this guy! He goes from being a sour king on the day his daughter marries with a rescued queen from Troy (who gives Odysseus' son, Holland's Telemacus, some sage advice) to, quoting "Hudson Hawk" here, 'some schmuck from New Jeisey' who really likes shooting guns at unarmed teens. 🙃😛
DeleteI'll watch anything with Harrison Ford in it. If there's some good guys and then some bad buys, that's enough. I don't want to have to watch 2 previous movies and 15 episodes of multiple TV series to justify the plot.
DeleteBlah blah blah. I know this has all been said before. But it honestly has me checked out.
only thing that bothers me with Bernthal is that we got TV's the Punisher in the big screen film. maybe they felt Bernthal's star was on the rise, but wonder how much TV to Film leaps they will do with other Marvel characters. All of the Punisher iterations lack something, though the previous films have been enjoyable in their own way. was hoping to see another take on that character to see if they can improve on it.
DeleteBernthal's Punisher has never been my favorite version of the character. While I enjoy the goofier version in BND, I always prefered the stoic version of the previous movies.
Deletecurious if you have come up with any actors you'd like to see cast as The Punisher
DeleteSome days Thomas Jane's my favorite Frank Castle/Punisher, bit other days young Dolph Lundgren in his '89 movie is my favorite take on the character. Everyone else (including Jon Bernthal and his should-have-used-them-as-gliding-devices earlobes 😅) is a distant also-ran. 🥰
DeleteI enjoyed the movie, but the choices they made in the Jane movie were odd. He made a great fan film in 2012 (Dirty Laundry) with a closer take. I love the way the Dolph Lungren movie though i never saw it at the time. A lot of the aesthetic reminds you of Batman and Dick Tracy from that era. One of the best things I can say about Punisher Warzone is that if you listen to the podcast episode How Did This Get Made which features the director, she really makes you appreciate her take on the movie, even though I don't like Ray Stevenson in the role.
DeleteI've listened to that HDTGM episode with Lexi Alexander. She's disarmingly honest, and through her eyes (and the hosts, Paul and June), l was able to rewatch "War Zone" and find some fun l missed the first time. But you're right, Matt, Ray Stevenson's take on Frank Castle's a constant killjoy. 🫤🙄
DeleteWar Zone was shot in Montreal, so it's a personal favorite 😎😁
DeletePWZ had a lot going for it, Wayne Knight as Micro was great. I even liked Dominic West and his brother. That HDTGM episode was great, alongside their Crank episode with Bryan Taylor. Really makes you want to see a Neveldine/Taylor Punisher movie. but Hollywood apparently blackballed them for being too awesome.
Delete[CONTINUES FROM ABOVE]
ReplyDeleteThe conclusion to this Thursday triple feature? Why, it's a 2:00 am ticket for Christopher Nolan's THE ODYSSEY ('26, IMAX 70mm) at 68th Lincoln, the only theater in the city showing it in IMAX 70mm. And I didn't reserve a seat, just a handicapped space for a wheelchair (also in the back of the theater, also dead center and also the best seat in the house!😉🙃). The staff at 68th offered me a foldable metal chair with a cushion, a vast improvement over the stool I brought with me. For true hardcore cinephiles watching a nearly three-hour movie in the middle of the night on a weekday, the sold-out crowd just watched the whole thing in silence, and at the end there was no applause or cheers... except for the IMAX-enhanced preview of "Dune Three." But holy shit, "The Odyssey" in 70mm IMAX is mind-blowing. I saw it opening night (12:30 am) in regular 70mm film and it felt big/epic... but the immersion of non-stop 70mm IMAX framing and detail on the characters' faces/things (no cutting back-and-forth between epic shots and regular-sized framing, ala "Avatar: Fire & Ice" or the "Dune Two") was simply breathtaking. Elliot Page's sweaty face, Matt Damon's chest hair, the wooden horses' panels... just, wow!🤩😳
As I told my boss Frank when I met him a couple of hours later (went straight from the end of "The Odyssey" to work at JFK Airport), watching "The Odyssey" on IMAX 70mm is the Catholic church-going equivalent of going to mass in the Sistine Chapel in the Vatican with the Pope presiding... with regular digital theaters the equivalent of local mass at your neighborhood church. Same service, vastly different experiences. You don't need to see "The Odyssey" in IMAX 70mm to appreciate the movie's greatness (Nolan made sure even the lower-end versions satisfy the epic entertainment quota), but you do need to see it in that format to appreciate the ultimate expression of artistic blockbuster filmmaking $250 million bucks can showcase in the hands of a master filmmaker.
Earlier in the week caught an Indian/Tamil feature, JANA NAYAGAN ('26, THEATER), my second consecutive Bollywood movie in which actor Bobby Deol plays a Pakistan-backed bad guy (named John Himmler... talk about villain typecasting!). A 3+ hour epic about honest supercop Thalapathy Vettri Kondan (Joseph Vijay, who might leave Bollywood for politics if rumors are true) befriending his jailer's daughter, whom he raises as his own when Kayal's (Pooja Hegde) baba either dies in a car crash or is targeted for assassination. There's a whole hour in the middle that backtracks in flashback to tell us the backstories of both TVK and Himmler, back when they were both righteous military men fighting local corruption. TVK managed to retain his soul, while Himmler lost his mind and went to work for African militias, where he learned what he thinks are the tools necessary to bring down Indian democracy. Writer/director H. Vinoth is not above stealing from "The Dark Knight" and "Terminator Salvation" to make his action-driven points, and despite the finale feeling more sci-fi than grounded in reality (good guys versus robot dogs and sentient drones), "Jana Nayagan" is solid, middle-of-the-road mainstream Bollywood product. And holy crap, the dance moves (no cutting, just master shots) Joseph Vijay pulls off during the handful of musical/dance interludes! 😍🧐
Felt like laughing, so I threw in MONTY PYTHON AND THE HOLY GRAIL (1975, BLU-RAY) and Mel Brooks' BLAZING SADDLES (1974, 4K UHD). I can't choose which of these two has more quotable lines of memorable dialogue, or can still make me belly laugh so hard after countless rewatches. "Holy Grail" might get the edge because it plays with time ('A History Professor,' the old man by the fire that returns as the bridge guardian, etc.) and film structure ('the suddenly, the animator suffered a heart attack,' Lancelot attacking the castle to save the "maiden" from afar again, and again...). But "Blazing Saddles" has Mongo, and I wouldn't want Mongo to get mad at me.🥵😛 Great flicks!
I still haven't seen The Odyssey. The Imax screening are all sold out here (or the seats available are 2 metres from the screen). I can wait. It's not even real Imax, but it's the best screen in town. They have a 70mm show in Montreal, which is also sold out. But it's 2 hours away.
DeleteI'm kind of tempted to watch it in a regular theatre, then watch it later the the (fake) Imax theatre. It's gotten great reviews, so probably a movie I would not mind seeing twice.
I saw it in regular screen. It was fine. There's more picture on imax, but it's useless because they framed the movie to be widescreen. The movie's good enough to not need all of that
DeleteSaw regular 70mm film (great), then IMAX 70mm (orgasmic! 😅). But regular digital would be fine if all you want is the content, acting and drama. Bigger premium formats are for the full scope of the production to wow you, culminating in the IMAX 70mm giving it you at maximum visual/aural perfection. You can't go wrong with Nolan on any thearical or home video format outside of, gulp, DVD. 🥶
DeleteYeah, I should just watch it on regular screen. Better than sitting way off to the side or in the front row. It's crazy how the seats have been selling out here for the fake ImaX. That being said, it is the best showroom in Ottawa, and I'm glad it's sold out.
DeleteWith nothing going on Wednesday night, I decided to go to Becky's Drive-In near Allentown, PA, for a full night of movies. Though it was a drizzly night, I knew I could deal with the rain. The combination of the weather and a weeknight meant there was a puny number of people in attendance.
ReplyDeleteThe first film shown in an odd double feature was MINIONS AND MONSTERS, my first time actually watching a movie featuring the Minions. I found the references to classic movies and genres entertaining enough to get me through the frenetic comedy of the film. It really is just comedic skits held together by a simple premise. Overall, I did not dislike Minions and Monsters.
The second feature, which began near 11:00 p.m., was THE ODYSSEY. That made it a late night. I have no history with Christopher Nolan besides watching Memento a while ago. I usually hear that his films are on the serious side, which is the case with The Odyssey. His solemn telling of Odysseus' saga to return home kept me interested, and there are plenty of beautiful shots to admire. I admit to finding the storytelling a little on the cold side. I would consider The Odyssey a candidate for a re-watch to get a deeper impression of it.
Was the drive-in screen waterproof? Was the rain bad enough to require the windshield wiper to be on? Watching movies outdoors during rain sounds miserable unless it was a drizzle. ☔️💧
DeleteDrive-in theater screens have to be hardy enough to withstand the weather. Maintenance is very important. I was told by the manager of the Mahoning that the screen there was recently painted. For screens with a wooden frame, parts of the structure have to be replaced from time to time to take care of any rotting sections.
DeleteThe rain did push me into my car during Minions and Monsters, but It slowed down enough by the start of The Odyssey to be able to sit in a chair under an umbrella. I have watched movies in heavy rain before at the Mahoning. You really need to come prepared - good footwear, rain gear, some cover if you are sitting outside - for those conditions.
Cool. 🙂 l thought you had to sit inside the car and deal with rain on the windshield. Watching a movie outdoors with an umbrella and rain must be kind-of soothing. 🤗
DeleteThe rain does add something to the experience.
DeleteI always prefer sitting outside rather than being in the car. The cold weather is always the toughest time during drive-in season. Even with layers of clothing and blankets, sitting outside for hours during a 40 degree (Fahrenheit) night is challenging.
These were my other watches for the week.
ReplyDeleteTHE 300 SPARTANS (1962) – The fighting at Thermopylae 2,500 years ago lives on in military history and legend. Though this version of the story undoubtedly has its propaganda aspects (the Cold War messaging), it also manages to be a surprisingly effective war film. The Persian invasion under King Xerxes is gradually uniting a fractious Greece, but the odds seem against any victory in the war. The beginning of the film is slow because of all of the debates about fighting the Persians, but eventually a small Spartan force led by King Leonidas heads north to defend the path to Athens. The battle scenes are handled well with hundreds of extras participating in full costumes.
GUMMO (1997, dir. Harmony Korine) – A very eccentric filmmaker created a very eccentric film about life in an Appalachian town. The film was actually shot around Nashville. Korine used people he knew and real locations - the filthy cluttered houses were genuine – to tell a tale about a “white trash” town that is full of characters you rarely see in a film. There is a lot of unpleasantness (cat killing, glue sniffing, child neglect) amid the random activities the characters get up to. Other sections are documentary vignettes about locals the crew encountered. I do not know what to think about Gummo, but it undoubtedly is a different cinematic experience.
Tonight is Gap Grindhouse Vol. 4, a mystery triple feature at The Gap Theatre. Another night of 1960s and 1970s exploitation on a big screen is something I can look forward to.
The 300 Spartans sounds great! I'll check it out.
DeleteI have no interest in Gummo. I can walk outside and see much of the same things. I don't want to see that stuff glorified. There was someone smoking crack/meth on the steps outside 2 days ago. And I live in a nicer area of the city.
I'm with Paul, but can extend it to Harmony Korine's entire filmography. Whether it's "Kids" or "Spring Breakers" or "Beach Bum," nothing that interests this guy is remotely something l care to watch depicted on film. 🥸🧐
Deletei'm going to look for 300 Spartans. i enjoy Cinemascope/50 & 60s epics but that one escaped my radar until now. cool.
DeleteI don't recognize the filmmakers or most of the cast on "300 Spartans" on IMDB (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0055719/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0_tt_8_nm_0_in_0_q_300%20spartans). Maybe that's a good thing to still be surprised by well-known, predictable material? 🤔
DeleteIf you like 1960s sword and sandal films, Paul, The 300 Spartans should be a worthwhile watch.
DeleteI would not say Gummo glorifies poverty and community dysfunction. It just throws it in your face like no other film I can remember. This is not a pleasant watch.
Gummo has come out through Criterion and was a rental disc for me. Watching the interviews on it with Harmony Korine, it is clear that the guy is more than a little peculiar, even at a young age. In Korine's defense, though, I have met people like some of the characters in Gummo.
My awareness of The 300 Spartans comes from it turning up on the Fox movie channel (FXM) on my cable system. For a couple of years I have focused on the watching the obscure films that turn up there because those are not likely to get shown anywhere else or get released on physical media (because of Disney).
DeleteBetween Prime Day and the Barnes and Noble Criterion and Arrow sales, I've bought 43 movies and 2 shows over the past month. Many new purchases and many simply to upgrade to 4k. I got a little carried away but who can deny the sales??
ReplyDelete43??!! 😳😵 l must be poor, l've only bought 4 things ("Creepshow 2" and "Evil Dead Rise" from Arrow plus "The Abyss" 4K's, plus Seijun Suzuki's "A Tale of Sorrow and Sadness" in Radiance Blu-ray) from the same sales. So Luke, how does being part of the 1% feel like? 😉🙃
DeleteWell I was typically buying them just 1 or 2 at a time. But when I add them all up I realize that I might have a shopping problem
DeleteBut I've been determined to upgrade all my standard DVDs to at least regular Blu-rays but then I also end up buying new to me movies as well lol
In past years I have bought a lot of movies. (From VS, Severin, Kino, Mondo Macabro, Hamilton Book, etc). 2026 is a quiet time in that regard because of budgetary issues and space restrictions. I have missed getting that pile of new discs to add to the collection, however.
DeleteWhen the fall comes, I will have a better sense of how much I can devote to buying some things around Halloween and Christmas.
BTW, l just got paid this weekend and I'm flush with disposable cash. Resisting urge to enter a B&N while the Arrow sales still on... but some of them pricey 4K's look so reachable at half off... 🥵🫣
DeleteI know i have a spending problem, and part of it is that i don't always wait for sales 😵💫
DeleteI just received another Vinegar Syndrome order 😵💫
Buying a lot at once can definitely save on shipping fees, Luke. I have held off buying certain things to have them to add to an order in the future. For example, those 1 to 3 items of interests during a Severin sale I can wait to get once there are more releases I would like to own.
DeleteFortunately, I got most from Amazon and with Prime I get free shipping. Also using a Prime Visa card gets me 5% cash back on everything! Everything else, I just went to Barnes and Noble and bought in person. Except for the new 4k of Identity which I just pre-ordered yesterday because B&N is offering the sales on preorders
DeleteI used to buy from B&N online and do store pick-up to use PayPal when l got a bulk orders. That way l could stretch the payment through several weeks via 'Pay in 4 instalments.' But B&N re-designed its website in mid-July, and PayPal is no longer available. Gotta be careful now because payments are die in full on moment of transaction... ouch! 🤑😭
DeleteMajor Payne (1995): I love that movie. The new Kino Blu-ray, not 4k, looks way better than the previous Universal disc. Whatever happened to Karyn Parsons (the big sister in The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air), she's great in this.
ReplyDeleteStay Tuned (1992): Haven't seen it in a few years, but I still love it. Feels like an off-brand Joe Dante flick, with more d3vil (Jeffrey Jones playing another douchebag).
Brain Donors (1992): Something compelled me to get the blu-ray and watch it. From the claymation opening and ending credits to the bonkers last act, this is very funny and I'm sorry I didn't know about it before. I had seen the original Marx Brothers movie, so there's that.
I also watched the Descendants movies series throughout the week, which I never saw. I have to admit, they're a ton of fun, for what they are. Way more fun than anything the Wicked movies did.
I have a soft spot for "Stay Tuned." Half the jokes land but only as mild chuckles, but the other half just die. John Ritter is in his element (TV as big screen concept), but director Peter Hyams is completely out of his. You and me talking about it, Kunider, makes me wanna rewatch it. 😁
DeleteI don't know why it came to my mind recently, but i knew i had to see it.
DeleteDon't forget Jeffrey Jones is the bad guy 😁
As we all sadly know now, Jeffrey Jones was always the bad guy. 🤐
DeleteI don't like Beetlejuice 2, but I love how they dealt with his character
DeleteSPIDER-MAN BRAND NEW DAY (2026)
ReplyDeleteLooks like Marvel’s trying to deal with how the actors are getting older, just as the audience is. I guess I liked this, but I’m still scratching my head over parts of it.
ROBOCOP (2014)
No. Just… no.
ENOLA HOLMES 3 (2026)
A fun romp, like the others in this series. It also has gigantic production value, which again raises the question of how Netflix’s finances work, exactly.
AIRPLANE! (1980)
“And Leon’s getting larger!”
OCEAN’S ELEVEN (2001)
I don’t love this movie as much as others, but it remains light, breezy fun. The constant toe-tapping score helps a lot.
THE BLUES BROTHERS (1980)
Just imagine if the nun had joined them on their road trip.
O BROTHER WHERE ARE THOU? (2000)
“Gopher, Everett?”
I die a little inside, every time i look at my shitty O Brother blu-ray. This needs a super-duper-extra-special-4k release
DeleteI was gonna watch "O Brother..." with Mac and the whole Jury Room 4.0 gang Wednesday night... but my internet was down and couldn't stream the TNT Online version l had access to. DAMN YOU, SPECTRUM CABLE! 😡🤬
DeleteI watched the Odyssey, which I enjoyed, but it's not something that's really stuck with more or that I have any thoughts about.
ReplyDeleteSpider-Man: Brand New Day, is to me the best of the Tom Holland Spider-Man movies. I enjoyed No Way Home but recognize how much nostalgia plays a part in that. Overall, the Jon Watts stuff felt competent, like the only goal was to play things safe. I don't get that impression from DDC here.
I know some people feel like the movie tried to pack too much in, but to me it feels overstuffed, but in a good way, without feeling bloated. Spider-Man to me is a character that always works really well when he has a ton of things on this plate that he has to deal with. I feel like for the most part, BND was able to pull everything together to form a cohesive whole.
I also watched Buffet Infinity. I've seen it compared to Casper Kelly Adult Swim stuff like Too Many Cooks. The comparison is valid in regards to tone, but maybe not overall quality. The "story" is told through a series of advertisements that are made to be like cheesy, low-budget local ads and clips from the news. As the ads play out, local people start to turn up missing, and the buffet restaurant being advertised slowly expands to replace other businesses.
The conceit doesn't fully work. There's no feature that the ads are built around and events seemingly progress across weeks or possibly months, so it's not like the audience POV is that of someone watching this unfold in real time. I also feel like this is coming after the fake budget tv content thing has kind of been played out a bit. It feels like it's cribbing a bit from the aforementioned Adult Swim, WNUF, the video game Not For Broadcast, etc...
It's not bad by any means, but it doesn't justify being feature length.
Never even heard of "Buffet Infinity" 'til you mentioned it. Interesting stuff. 🤔
DeleteLike "The Odyssey," "Spider-Man: Brand New Day" is worth a second theatrical viewing. I really want to watch it in 3D, so that's on the menu. I'll keep your review in mind to judge whether it's actually properly stuffed or a little overstuffed. My main complaint so far would be there's no actual villain (Scorpion doesn't really count), just a major building block of the MCU going forward being prioritized over an actual Spidey rogues gallery threat. 🤨🙂↔️
Highest 2 Lowest (2025, dir. Spike Lee)
ReplyDeleteWow! Even better on the second watch. Don't want to besmirch the other excellent movies of last year but this is the best movie of 2025 and had no nominations. Sounds about right. Bonus points for the Rosie Perez cameo.
AMC did not book "H2L," so l missed it in '25. Could have seen it on Regal Theaters but it was only showing once a day for a limited time (a week or so). Talk about a corporate hit job on Spike Lee. 🙄😡
Deletea Kurosawa remake. that's interesting. never heard of it. last movie of his i saw promotion for was BlacKkKlansman.
Delete