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John Wick: Chapter 3 – Movie Review

May 17, 2019 (updated May 17, 2019) Published by JMcNaughton

“John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum” is further look into the violent and bloody world contained in the ‘Extended John Wick Universe’. This is where hand-to-hand combat is on steroids, and where beatings, stabbings and shootings have been given growth serum, and where the over-the-top violence has been ‘Turned Up to 11’ (to paraphrase “Spinal Tap”). In other words, it is a beautiful ballet of bullets, bloodshed, and battles. In the previous two movies, John Wick has delivered an action-packed and stunt-driven extravaganza of fights and chases. Based on the internal logic where a secret society of assassins live and work in our world – yet they are apart from reality. Now with Chapter 3 – the Wickian wave is cresting over the mere movies that have a few stuntmen. This is Zen Level pure action and adrenaline, perfected to its finest.

John Wick (Keanu Reeves) finds himself at odds with controlling leaders of all the assassins, the group called the High Table. Wick had broken the rules, because he shot and killed a member of the Table in a place called the ‘Continental’. This is a luxury hotel and safe space in downtown New York. It is run by Winston (Ian McShane) who is an old friend of Wick’s. Winston and the concierge at the Continental – Charon (Lance Reddick) – gave Wick a head start. But Wick now has a bounty on his head of $14 million. Anyone who gives Wick any help will pay the price. Wick turns to an old mentor, the Director (Anjelica Huston). Wick has an item that he can use to trade for safe passage to Morocco.

In Casablanca, Wick finds another old partner named Sophia (Halle Berry). John Wick holds a ‘marker’ that forces the other person to help out in time of need. Sophia and Wick approach a member of the High Table. Wick asks if there is a way to get back into the good graces. He is ‘excommunicado’ and he might be able to meet with The Elder (Saïd Taghmaoui). But Sophia and her attack dogs come under attack, along with Wick, so there is a massive fight in the bazaar. Back in New York, The Adjudicator (Asia Kate Dillon) comes to anyone who helped Wick. She speaks for the High Table, and she will extract a High Price. She visits Winston at the Continental. She talks with the Director and extracts a price. She also finds the Bowery King (Laurence Fishburne) – who had supplied Wick with a weapon. Each one that she meets must vow a fidelity to the High Table.

The Adjudicator also finds a special assassin named Zero (Mark Dacascos). He is given the task to hunt down John Wick and apply a permanent resolution to Wick’s bounty. Wick comes back to New York, but he must personally kill Winston to earn his forgiveness. Zero and Wick find each other, and the fur begins to fly. Wick finds Winston, and Wick decides to press pause on the “Killing Winston” part of his punishment. The High Table is ready to take down Wick, Winston, Charon and Zero – who are all hanging out in the Continental. Wick has a small request (“Guns. Lots of Guns”), and Winston might be helpful in that area. So, the High Table sends a SWAT team to the hotel to take care of business…

John Wick has now had a total of three movies. All have been directed by Chad Stahelski and written (at least co-written) by Derek Kolstad. Stahelski is a former stantman himself, and he did much of the stunt work for Keanu Reeves in “The Matrix”. They have a solid core foundation to come up with the most intense sequences of fighting and mayhem that has ever been put down on film. Add to this Ian McShane and Lance Reddick (who have been in all three films) and there is an easy understanding between the actors and stunt people and the director that makes impossible action scenes come to life. The result is a mind-blowing visual overload that will not let you look away.

Naturally, a movie like this might too violent or over-the-top for many people. There are some who cringe at seeing guns and cannot stand the casual use of firearms as weapons. But should you find yourself wanting to see expertly done action and stunt-work, then “John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum” will be the mother’s milk of murder and mayhem. So, if you are not a sad-sack, pajama-wearing granola-munching peacenik – then grab yourself a Red Bull Slushie and put your brain and hold for couple of hours. It will be worth it…

All Is True Movie Review

May 17, 2019 (updated May 17, 2019) Published by JMcNaughton

“All Is True” is a love poem, neh – a Love Sonnet – to the veritable Bard of Stratford-on-Avon. Yes, William Shakespeare is in his retirement years. He is spending these years not at Sun City West playing golf, but instead puttering around in his garden bemoaning his deceased son. His long-suffering wife and his two daughters are beset with Old Will’s presence after many, many years. For all those years, he has been living in London – writing and directing at the Globe Theater. But when it burns down, his whole life is put in disarray, and he retreats back to his humble abode. It is actually a pretty nice estate, because he has spent years being the world’s most successful playwright and poet. His patrons have lavished Shakespeare with enough to make his life very comfortable in his sunset years. Now, if he could only stop driving his family crazy…

William Shakespeare (Kenneth Branagh) has returned to his hometown, back from being a major success in London. The theater that he had founded has burnt to the ground, and he no longer has any reason to be there. He gets back to his wife Anne (Judi Dench) and his daughters. Susanna (Lydia Wilson) is married to a Puritan, so that means she is not happily married. Daughter Judith (Kathryn Wilder) is unmarried and is considered an ‘old maid’ with a tart tongue and a shrewish attitude. Will is back and he really starts to think about his son, Hamnet. He had died nearly two decades ago, while William was in London making the theater magic happen. Shakespeare did not allow himself to grieve properly, and now the loss of his son hits him hard. That was his family legacy, in his passing down of the family name to continue the Shakespeare greatness. With his daughters, they will not retain the family name, so there is a possibility that the Shakespeare line will be snuffed out.

Wife Anne has had many years to mourn her son and will not accept that hubby Will is just now getting around to it. After all, when Hamnet died, Will was consumed with the hustle and bustle of the Globe Theater. He was too busy writing “The Merry Wives of Windsor” at the time and could not get back to see Hamnet laid to rest. Now, Shakespeare has remnants of letters and poems created by Hamnet when he was younger, and alive. There was a rough but noticeable talent in his writings, and William is mourning the loss of not only a son, but the one who could have carried on the new family tradition. But Anne is stoic and steadfast, and she knows whatever secrets that Hamnet held are also dead. Judith has some shocking news for her father, and he does not know how to begin to understand what happened, and how his son died.

During this hubbub, there is a visit to the estate by an old friend and very wealthy patron of William Shakespeare. The Earl of Southampton (Ian McKellen), who is a noble by birth and a scoundrel in nature, comes to meet his favorite British poet and playwright. The Earl never needed to put on airs or persuade people to respect him. It was his due by his heritage. Shakespeare, on the other hand, was humble and born into poverty. His father was involved in scandal and he was frowned upon. So, Shakespeare has worked mightily to polish the family name. But both of his daughters have brushes with bad reputation and gossip. So, the cycle starts over once more. When the Earl of Southampton finally leaves William to his situation, he wishes him well. He wants him to remain true to his recent work in London as a genius, and not wallow in the backwater tides of the local countryside.

Kenneth Branagh plays his man-crush William Shakespeare with an intensity and a ton of prosthetic makeup. He does wind up looking like the historical portraits of The Bard, so it is a fitting appearance. Branagh really loves him some Shakespeare. So much so that he lives to direct movies adapted from Shakespeare, or star in movies adapted from Shakespeare – or mostly star in and direct movies that are adapted from Shakespeare. Branagh finds a suitable match with Dame Judi Dench playing Anne Hathaway, the woman who married William Shakespeare. These two are wonderful on-screen and play well against each other. Along with the cameo role of the Earl of Southampton, Ian McKellen has a twinkle of mischief in his eyes as he builds up and berates Shakespeare. They also are great in the same scene.

In Phoenix, playing exclusively at the Harkins Scottsdale Camelview.

Just Say Goodbye Movie Review

May 12, 2019 (updated May 12, 2019) Published by Shari K. Green

In the opening scene, we see a six-year-old boy, fresh home from school, walking into his mother’s room to discover her in bed. Clear to the audience because of all the pills scattered about, she is dead. The scene would have been fine had he thought her simply asleep and covered her, but it went another direction. That direction was to have her know she was dead and calmly cover her as if as was well. He gives her a kiss and says goodbye. It doesn’t feel believable as the boy is much too young to understand. The moment feels contrived and so very staged. If he had been an older child, I could see the scene working but what’s being set up is that the boy has little feeling about death. The theme of this movie is teen suicide. In the most overt way, it has been explained to you exactly why the main character has come to be who he is.

Then we move to the little boy having to face life alone with a drunken father. He screams to the child that she left them both and to forget she was ever alive with lines such as, ‘Don’t ever say her name to me!’ That immediately put me off because the script was talking to me as if I wouldn’t have understood the story had these elements naturally unfolded. Doubting that the viewers would ultimately understand the plot, the director, instead, chose to pound the topic into our heads in the first few minutes rather than let us discover the truth as it all plays out. His doubt in us made it a struggle to win me back.

Ten years later we see that for the same boy, Jesse (MacKenzie), things haven’t gotten much better. He’s now sixteen and not only has his situation not improved, but things have also become less desirable. He simply exists as a punching bag for his father, fellow students, to the world entire… with one exception. Jesse has a best friend named Sarah (Eichenberger). She’s also the narrator of the story. Through Sarah, we see strength and direction. Jesse tells her everything. She’s beautiful but he isn’t interested in her as a girlfriend. That’s because he isn’t interested in life. Jesse and Sarah have a nice day planned at the lake. He shows her some of his artwork. Suddenly, they’re jumped by some of their fellow high school students who tease Jesse and hold him under water. Sarah sees that Jesse doesn’t struggle. He lets them do whatever they want to him, seemingly welcoming death if it comes to that. This doesn’t go by unnoticed. Sarah questions his lack of willingness to fight back. He tells her, ‘We all gotta go sometime.’ Shortly after, he tells her his plans of taking the ‘cowards way out’ as his mom did. She feels betrayed at the revelation. It’s a heavy burden for her to carry, especially after he shows her how he’s planning on doing the deed. His intention alone is frightening to her but then he shows Sarah the tool he’s going to use, as well. He tells her the date and time he’s doing it and not tell anyone or, ‘I’ll do it sooner.’ That’s a friend! She gets desperate and, surprisingly, her promise of sleeping with him if he doesn’t kill himself doesn’t discourage him. Was it supposed to?

I have to add that knowing this was made by an extremely young filmmaker will help you forgive some things. Regardless of that fact, it ultimately doesn’t make for great entertainment. The acting, especially by MacKenzie, fit the character but he’s encased within a story that wants to be special yet labors at how to be anything but ordinary. With such a formulaic tone (something it was attempting not to deliver) and weak structure, this teen melodrama is a pass. Had it been made by a seasoned crew behind the scenes it, most likely, would have been more engaging and worth consideration. As it is, it’s too typical of its genre and has the earmarks of a squad of individuals uncertain of how to work a manageable script. I’d most especially like to see Walting learn what his actors are capable of before casting his next film. I’m not suggesting anyone involved in ‘Just Say Goodbye,’ say goodbye to their craft. There’s always next time. And with as much work as Walting put in to be the new kid on the block, I’m certain he’ll be developing his skills rather nicely. I’ll happily say goodbye to this film and say hello to anything he does next.

Silencio Movie Review

May 10, 2019 (updated May 10, 2019) Published by Shari K. Green

I’ll start the review of ‘Silencio’ with a bit of a lesson. Something that’ll help you while watching. The Chihuahuan Desert is an ecoregion with a small peculiar feature that receives regular solar radiation. It covers parts of northern Mexico and the southwestern United States, about 400 miles from El Paso, Texas. It’s important to know that information going in because, for some reason, within the northern part of the Chihuahuan desert, in Mexico, is a section that baffles the mind and perplexes science. It’s called the ‘Zone of Silence.’ Within this zone, radio signals won’t go through, compasses won’t work properly, essentially, any and all radio equipment fails. Peculiar indeed. It’s said in the film that the oddly magnetic area is between the 26^th and 28^th parallel, the same line that runs through the Bermuda Triangle, in fact. This is a great subject for a cryptic film so writer/director, Lorena Villarreal, takes a stab at the theme.

Since the area has so many anomalies, her twist is to use it as a story that centers around the mystic, supernatural and spiritual. We start in 1970 where a scientist, James (Noble), is analyzing the crash site of a missile that went down in the Zone of Silence. While doing so, he and his assistant Peter discover analyze a radioactively charged rock. Being young, Peter can’t help but do the stupid thing and try to touch the darn thing. He’s cautioned not to but then James touches it. So much for being the smart one, right? Seems it’s okay that he did because after he touches it, there’s an explosion which sends them back to an earlier point in his life. No. He isn’t given the opportunity to be young again and get stock in Google or anything. They journey to the recent past, to a point in time where he’s given the opportunity to save his granddaughter from dying in a car crash. He hugs her when he sees her and says that he’s happy to have her, ‘…back again.’

He’s with her when the car that crashed into his entire family originally still hits the car. Despite his trying to warn them, the rest of his family perishes. At least he has Ana.

We move to the future. James’ mind has taken a turn for the worse but is taken care of by Ana and a nurse. We deduce that the female lead is Ana, (Matthews), grown up by a photo on her desk. She’s now a therapist. In her office, she converses with a gentleman named Daniel (Chauvet) who tells her that he not only sees dead people but that he’s seeing one linked to her. She was never completely convinced he had the gift until he says that there’s one standing next to her with a message this very moment. The message he gives her is from her sister Lisa (one of the unfortunate victims of the car accident). Through this message, we learn that she cares for her sister’s health, warning that she’s in danger. She can wake up her grandfather’s mind and in so doing, they can find the stone that James buried. It’s said that it’s the anniversary of their death, so these revelations are connected, you’ll assume. She does this crazy thing Lisa tells her to do. She says ‘three’ three times and he snaps back. Okay. He must not be fully back because he’s unable to find the stone. Then, someone else is after it and the story starts to lose your interest. It’s not a mystery as to who would want the stone or who would have knowledge of its powers. There’s a kidnapping of Ana’s little boy, Felix. This happens because he absolutely refuses to hush when it’s the most important moment in his life to do so. The boy is taken, and the child will be returned in good condition upon the appearance of what they require. Ana now has a life or death race for a rock.

The plot gets somewhat ridiculous. Not only the plot but the acting is contrived. John Noble, who I usually find spot on, exaggerates his illness, anger, confusion or any other emotion he has, to the point of being irritating. That said, Melina Matthews does the exact opposite, giving a performance worth getting her attention. The script, however, wants to mix science with the spiritual and with love. With this spiritual narrative, as typically with real life, this is a tangled road to maneuver, difficult to get and keep everyone on board.

‘Silencio,’ is on VOD and DVD May 14 from Uncork’d Entertainment.

The Hustle Movie Review

May 10, 2019 (updated May 10, 2019) Published by Shari K. Green

‘The Hustle’ is a remake of the Frank Oz comedy hit ‘Dirty Rotten Scoundrels,’ which starred Steve Martin and Michael Caine. Haven’t seen it yet? Do. If you go in not comparing the two, you’ll have a good time with this new take. In ‘Scoundrels,’ the two men have a bit of a turf war going on and a rivalry to be settled. One man is sophisticated, not to mention civilized, the other is… well, not. I must mention that DRS was also a remake. Its predecessor is the 1964 film called ‘Bedtime Story,’ which starred Marlon Brando and David Niven. There’s nothing new about remaking something old with newer stars, giving it a modern twist. If you’re not crazy about remakes and are curious if this is any good, I have some advice. It’s not going to be better but if you watch with a positive attitude and enjoy what the artists bring with their particular style, you’ll get more out of your time.

Here, they don’t try to reconstruct the idea of the territory decree. In fact, it’s similar in many ways to the former films, especially in that they wager for rights to the area, but there’s something fun about watching two women play dirty for the ultimate prize. Anne Hathaway, who plays the cultivated Josephine, needed a role that allowed her to exhibit her comedic side and this was just the script for her to do to that very thing. She could be loving and warm one minute and instantly turn the switch and be hostile and cold the next. Hathaway was in and out of accents with ease. It was glorious to watch.
Josephine was at the top of her game but has some trouble working when a young confidence artist named Penny (Wilson), who’s ‘salad intolerant,’ comes into the picture. She needs Penny out of the way as soon as possible. She learns something about the lass that she can use right away which is that Penny is unwise. She mostly scams men from the internet for whatever she can get but Josephine sees trouble brewing if Penny were to improve so, in the guise of teaching her the tricks of the trade, she welcomes her into her home. Penny becomes her pupil. Keep your enemies close, right? This being the case, it gets heated as Penny learns more ways to cheat and deceive… and that her master isn’t all that kind. It isn’t long before Josephine turns up the nasty against Penny and, I have to admit, one thing I liked most about certain scenes is that Hathaway’s good when she engages in evil. Poor Penny.

By no means is anything about this movie genius, however, if you’re looking to have some laughs, ‘The Hustle’ does provide them and manages to give you several serious belly chuckles, as well. But then it features Rebel Wilson so how could it not be silly and fun?! She’s a natural when it comes to physical comedy and handled the part of Penny effortlessly. Until Josephine came into her life, Penny thought she knew what she was doing but learned quickly that if she’s to keep afloat in the game of deception, she not only has to get fierce but needs to find some backup.

It’s not a fresh idea, movies where conmen are a major plot point. However, where this one differs is within the word conmen. It’s not often that we see the female species artfully conning unsuspecting men and it’s fun to witness. They effortlessly take advantage of these guys who fall for the helpless woman, the royal woman, in fact, any woman they think of as hot… as long as she looks in his direction. Yes. The ‘mark,’ in some cases, can be that easy. It works as long as the females aren’t trying to cheat or call Interpol on one another, that is. They do tend to lose focus on occasion. So, check this comedy out and wash away the work week. I’d recommend at the matinee. ‘The Hustle’ is funny and these women are classic. I felt the movie ended too abruptly, though. When you think they’re about to get another scheme started, the credits begin to roll. Quite frankly, I wanted to see more of these ladies zeroing in on and exploiting their next target.

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Pokémon Detective Pikachu Movie Review

May 10, 2019 (updated May 8, 2019) Published by JMcNaughton

“Pokémon Detective Pikachu” is positioned to become this generation’s version of “Who Framed Roger Rabbit?”. But that is a beautiful thing, actually – because instead of marvelous world where ‘Toons’ and humans interact, in this movie the humans and various Pokémon coexist. It makes for a movie version of “Pokémon Go”, where a rich and full array of Pokémon characters are found in the cinema world.

The colorful and exotic ‘pocket monster’ creatures are rendered as normal as traffic cones and neon signs. There are plenty of those there, also – because the movie takes place in Ryme City. This paradise of Pokémon and human interaction is threatened by some mysterious events that are taking place. There is a plot to uncover and a missing detective to locate, and who better to take on that task but Pikachu? The small furry little Pokémon Detective is in a tough spot and could use a little help. There are clues to trace and adventures to be had…

Tim Goodman (Justice Smith) is a young son of a Ryme City Detective, Harry Goodman. There was an attack on Harry’s car, and he is presumed dead. Tim gave up on his dreams to be a Pokémon trainer years ago, so he goes back into Ryme City to try and get closure. He goes and meets his dad’s old boss, Detective Yoshida (Ken Watanabe). Everyone else in Ryme City has been connected to a Pokémon and has one for a friend and companion. But Tim has never found one that bonded with him. He visits is dad’s place and runs into Detective Pikachu (voiced by Ryan Reynolds).

There is some reason that Tim and Pikachu can hear and understand each other. Pikachu has lost his memory, but soon determines that he was Harry Goodman’s partner – up to the point where he disappeared days ago. Pikachu is still aware that there is a sinister plot that is on the move, but he has forgotten all the details. The mastermind behind Ryme City is Howard Clifford (Bill Nighy) who has created this perfect paradise for Pokémon. But his dedication to the task has led to a debilitating disease, and now he is bound to a wheelchair. He and his son run the media conglomerate, and there is young associate intern (that is: unpaid blogger) who sniffing out a big story.

Lucy Stevens (Kathryn Newton) and her sidekick Pokémon Psyduck meet up with Tim and Pikachu. Together they find that some awful things are about to happen in Ryme City. Bouncing from place to place and gathering more information about a mystery drug that make Pokémon go crazy; Pikachu, Tim, Lucy and Psyduck get closer to the evildoers. But they also get deeper and deeper into trouble. They find an ancient Pokémon called Mew Too that might hold the key to the mystery or might be the top bad dude on his own. There is a connection to Mew Too and the disappearance of Harry Goodman, and a connection getting closer between Pikachu and Tim.

When there is a final confrontation, everything turns out not quite the way that it seemed before. There are some tricks that were being played, and some folks are not as clean cut as they first appeared. Tim and Pikachu find that the Pokémon who are drugged and turn violent are not doing it on their own. There was some foul play and with the group catching the bad guys, all will be put back in order. Lucy gets noticed for all of her fine work, and Detective Yoshida gets a resolution to a mysterious case of Harry Goodman’s car crash. Detective Pikachu is ready to get back to work, and Tim might have a new career. But will all the Pokémon of Ryme City still be working with all the humans in harmony?

This is a delightfully fun movie that matches a reluctant hero (Tim) with a helpful, if sarcastic, sidekick (Pikachu). Justice Smith does a compelling job as Tim, and he is curious, yet halting in his discoveries. He is unsure of himself and why he is not able to bond with a Pokémon like everyone else. But then he meets up with Pikachu and things turn magical. Ryan Reynolds is playing the voice (and the facial expressions) of Detective Pikachu – this works in a charming manner. His dialogue is witty and sometimes slapstick. Reynolds gets just the right tone for the little yellow fuzzy Detective, and he makes it shine.

The computer graphics to design and render Detective Pikachu (and really all of the Pokémon) is very sharp and clear. Each of the little (and not so little) Pokémon characters has a distinct personally and sweet goofiness of their own.The story plays second fiddle to the spectacle of scores and scores of Pokémon living a city that is a cross between “Babe: Pig in the City” and “Blade Runner”. There is a futuristic atmosphere along with large portions of whimsy and frolic. Everyone there sees no problem having a Pokémon as a guide and companion. “Pokémon Detective Pikachu” brings everyone’s favorite Pokémon to the big screen in a big way…

Tolkien Movie Review

May 10, 2019 (updated May 8, 2019) Published by JMcNaughton

“Tolkien”, is about the famous fantasy author (who would make sure you know that the right way to pronounce his name is “Toll-keen”) and how he grew up and learned to value “fellowship”. John Ronald Reuel Tolkien has a rough start in life, with a dead father, and soon also a dead mother. He and his younger brother became wards to the Catholic Church, but because of a forward-thinking priest, Tolkien gets a classical education and gets into Oxford. But after being sidelined with World War I, he gets to marry his true love. He gains stature as a Professor at the college, and eventually writes some very large books. But ‘The Hobbit’ and ‘Lord of the Rings’ do not make a big dent in this movie, because it ends about the time that he starts on them…

Young J.R.R. Tolkien and his mother and brother are helped by the parish priest Father Morgan (Colm Meaney). He makes sure that they have a home after their father passes away. But soon after his mother is also gone, and the two boys are put into a nice foster home. Tolkien at first finds it hard to make friends, but he soon makes several lifelong friends. When he grows up Mr. Tolkien (Nicholas Hoult) is able to get into Oxford. He knows a fellow orphan in his foster home named Edith Bratt (Lily Collins) and believes that she will be the love of his life. Tolkien and his chums have raucus talks and arguments about deep subjects. They form a “fellowship” of sorts, and hold fast to be true to each other. Edith also becomes a part of his life, and when he enters college, his grades suffer.

Oxford is ready to pitch Tolkien out of school, because he is not living up to the highest of standards. But he happens to meet Professor Wright (Derek Jacobi) who is a specialist in languages. Tolkien manages to convince the Professor that he has the same love of language and for the origins of speech. He is able to impress the Professor with some made-up languages that Tolkien created for his own writing. Tolkien is able to thrive in the new class setting, and he and Edith are very happy. He feels that the world is ready for a new saga that is a great and as far-reaching as the opera Wagner created “The Ring Cycle”. But before that can happen, World War I breaks out. Tolkien and his three friends are signed up and enlisted in a short time.

Tolkien spends time at the front in Somme. In the trenches, he puts all of creative spirit on hold. The War is horrible, and he sees many people injured and killed. Tolkien is infected with trench fever, and he spends time searching for one of his friends on the front lines. With his feverish mind, he looks out on the No Man’s Land area and imagines what the fight between good and evil might look like. Shadowy black wraiths hover over the battlefield, as armored knights gallop in the dead trees out on the landscape. Dragons roar across the sky as thunderous booms rain down on the broken land. Tolkien is seeing those images that he would eventually put down onto paper in his later books.

Nicholas Hoult does a very decent job in portraying Tolkien, and he does the man justice. He shows a lot of compassion and smarts as a young brilliant writer. But he and Lily Collins do not have a lot of energy together in their scenes. The story is a bit of a see-saw back and forth from Tolkien’s war time activity, to a flashback set of sequences of his prior life.

The Intruder Movie Review

May 3, 2019 Published by Shari K. Green

Best use of the word ‘capiche’ ever. Okay. I’ll be honest. If you like this sort of movie, you’re going to enjoy this one. I say that with confidence because of the performances. However, I’d like to suggest to you that you see it with a large audience. Their reactions to parts of the film, and to the characters, made it more delightful. My audience was laughing, groaning, screaming and even warning, at just the right moments. They were doing this as if what they had to say would be heard and their suggestions adhered to and because of them, it added to the experience.

They weren’t loud or annoying. They knew exactly what I knew but were livelier and more drawn to act rather than hold it in. I wanted to say the same things to these characters, trust me. I mean, how many signs does the person up on that screen need before they do something about a bad situation?!? The answer to that question for ‘The Intruder’ might be that there’ll never be enough. Dennis Quaid’s character, Charlie, had free reign to do whatever he wanted to these people because he wasn’t stopped… for some reason, couldn’t be stopped. The quick take on it is that you’ll be entertained by this talented cast… especially by Quaid! He’s downright creepy as hell in this! Through his character, ‘The Intruder’ delivers one of the biggest jump-scares I’ve ever seen… and I’m usually quite prepared for them.

Here’s the plot. A nice- and nice-looking young couple, Scott (Ealy) and Annie (Good) have moved up in the world and drive up to the Napa Valley to take a look at a beautiful piece of land with a gorgeous house. Scott isn’t as crazy about the house as his wife Annie but can see it’s potential. Annie falls in love with it immediately and wouldn’t change a thing. The owner, Charlie, who wants to sell it to them, has a peculiar fondness for, almost a relationship with the house. In fact, there’s probably a video somewhere that would disturb us all, that’s how close to it he is. He does sell it to them but doesn’t stop his upkeep of the property. He makes his presence known first with simple little visits to mow the lawn. These become more frequent and, at first, it’s odd but he’s welcome. Annie works at home alone while Scott works almost ninety-minutes away in San Francisco. She isn’t bothered by his pop-ins but as they convert from pop-ins to a regular thing, Scott is more and more disconcerted and uncomfortable, especially when Charlie disagrees with changes and actually feels he has a say in what the couple does to their home. Charlie’s tapestry… don’t mess with the tapestry. Quickly, Charlie becomes a bit too chummy with Annie which has not gone by unnoticed by Scott. As I’ve mentioned, Annie doesn’t mind the attention.

As we get further into the movie, we see what Charlie is up to and why. He does start to feel as close to Annie as he does to his home which is definitely unnatural. It becomes apparent, he now wants them both. Quaid then turns up the eerie factor, yet Annie still isn’t alarmed?! Scott is practically banging his head against the wall trying to make her see that something is not right about Charlie’s presence. Neither man is subtle about how they feel toward one another, either, which keeps you somewhat exhilarated. When Scott has had enough and finally confronts Charlie face-to-face, they square off with one another. It’s an intense scene and the movie continues to build on the tension from there.

The way director Deon Taylor reveals the monster lurking around this couple’s home is often amusing but works to terrify because when people are insane, you not only don’t know what they’ll do but what they’ve done; what they’re capable of. They don’t have a button that turns off the crazy and they can turn into something you can’t handle. Something you’d never see coming. This is how Taylor approaches his desire to make his characters real. However, with what Annie and Scott have learned and what has happened… who’d be this shortsighted or gullible as to continue to put themselves in the role of the potential victim? Scott wouldn’t. Annie wouldn’t. I just don’t see it as a believable plotline.

Nonetheless, its irrationality is what makes it worth a watch. Hey, Hollywood! Quaid has a new genre! He needs more of these roles. My view of ‘The Intruder’ is that it’s a fresh take on something we’ve seen before. That fresh take was something I was appreciative of but parts of the script are a little too loose. The thought behind the story will be hard to believe… but for a revolving door idea… it frankly isn’t all that bad.

Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil, and Vile Movie Review

May 3, 2019 (updated May 3, 2019) Published by Shari K. Green

If you head into this movie thinking, even hoping, you’re going to see a slasher film, you have to adjust your expectations. With this, director Joe Berlinger tells you the story of an evil man and what his evil mind allowed him to ultimately become. Since we don’t actually see the consequences of his actions, we are able to (much like the woman he was living with who was completely in the dark about him) put the murders he committed aside and instead see who he could have been. I feel compelled to mention that this movie does not glorify a serial killer! See more about that in my interview with the director.

Here’s the link.

Anyway, Ted Bundy had everything he could have wanted. Why was this the route he chose? As you watch, you can’t help but wonder what motivates someone to murder. Something drives him to commit the most unspeakable horrors one could think of. Why? The movie doesn’t focus on the acts of what Bundy did by showing us, but by allowing us, even forcing us, to think about them.

That he walked amongst us, lived a seemingly normal existence… and that you could know a Bundy, too, is a frightening thing to ponder but ponder you will. Berlinger, known for his true crime documentaries, one in particular called ‘Conversations with a Killer: The Ted Bundy Tapes,’ was certainly the best person to take on this task. He knew the subject and examines everything.

Ted Bundy is being played by Zac Efron. The actor wanted to shed some of his ‘High School Musical’ image and dig deeply into something against type. He certainly picked the right part for that. In my interview with him, Joe Berlinger said this of Zac getting the role, ‘…Zac wants to play with his teen heartthrob image in that way, I respect that. And, also, as a documentarian, it gives me a little piece of reality to break into the movie-making process. The fact that, in real life, he has this profile of teen heartthrob… that is very similar to the effect that Bundy had on women. I found that a nice piece of reality I could play with.’

While in character, Zac was appealing in all the ways that Bundy was. Not known for this sort of role but perfect for it, you can see the serial killer in his face. The way he gives off little hints of his condemnable actions, with just a simple mouth curl at the right moment, the use of his eyes… he proved himself here. With this performance, he gives you the man that Bundy’s girlfriend Liz (Lily Collins) saw but you also see underneath the mask. That’s what worked so brilliantly. At first, you’re obliged to see Ted as just a person, not as the monster you know he is. They do walk among us. We don’t know who they are. They could be who we’re with. Just contemplating that alone makes this a good crime film to see. It was important that we see a good portion of the film through Liz’s eyes.

With this approach, the audience was able to garner sympathy for her and see the larger picture. Eventually, the strikes against him can no longer be denied. However, his crimes don’t seem to matter to some. We move on from Liz to see Bundy’s point of view and through the lens of another woman. She is someone who clearly has a low opinion of herself.

Bundy takes advantage of both of these women, but you can tell that he loves one and is simply using the other. This is a fascinating look into his double life. He charms women, he charms his victims, he even charms the law. Scenes of what he does and the ultimate reason he’s getting away with things will surprise and enrage you. The film is slow paced but once you see what Berlinger is going for, it will engage you and you’ll walk away unable to get the movie and Zac’s performance out of your mind temporarily.

John Malkovich is superb as the judge in Florida who says the words the title is based on. His reverence for Bundy is strange to witness and hard to accept but his duty to the law holds up and he gives Bundy the sentence Bundy didn’t expect. Death. How we get to this moment, is worth seeing so I must recommend the film, as well as Berlinger’s documentary.

If you haven’t yet, join Netflix and watch ‘Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil, and Vile’ today. Watch the four-part series, too.

Long Shot Movie Review

May 3, 2019 (updated May 2, 2019) Published by JMcNaughton

“Long Shot” is a funny look at a couple of people with almost nothing in common except a long-ago shared high school past. The romantic comedy has an R-rated bite to it, and some political overtones that make some broad commentary on current events. The two leads are experienced actors who make an unlikely romantic attraction look realistic. The movie is bolstered by the fact that it has some secondary characters who are played by excellent people and are well cast in those roles. The movie might have an R-rated exterior, but it has some nice universal notions of true love being blind.

Fred Flarsky (Seth Rogen) is a determined, if somewhat disheveled, investigative journalist. He just found out that his weekly newspaper is being taken over by a huge media conglomerate run by a right-wing billionaire bigot. He quits and sees his long-time friend Lance (O’Shea Jackson Jr.). Lance has done quite well for himself, and he takes Fred out to a major party. It is an environmental fundraiser, and it is also attended by the current Secretary of State. She is Charlotte Field (Charlize Theron), who is a major Washington power player. She is also considering running for President. Her long-time aide Maggie (June Diane Raphael) is keeping Field’s public persona clean and bright. Fred and Charlotte have a history back in high school. She used to babysit for Fred a few times, and he was hot for her back then.

Charlotte is now still as beautiful and is also very powerful. She hears from the President (Bob Odenkirk) that he will not be running for another term. He wants to break into movies instead. So now he will endorse Charlotte as a candidate. When she meets Fred at the Washington party, she remembers that he was a sweet teenager. Fred has just quit from the job, because he does not want to support the new owner. He is looking for a new position, and she is looking for a speechwriter. That could be a match made in Heaven, or at least the smoky backrooms of the Washington establishment. He is a passionate idealist, who does not wince from dropping a few F-bombs in his articles. She is poised and practiced pragmatist and used to the idea of abandoning ideals to get the deal done. Not a chance these two might have issues with the other, right?

As she becomes a Candidate for the top job, Charlotte is pleased with the high level of energy that Fred can bring to her campaign. Her aide Maggie is not a fan, but she is biting her lip until a time that Fred’s wild personality will blow up. That point might bring Charlotte’s chances to a screeching halt, because even now – she is considered a ‘Long Shot’. Fred becomes a key part of her entourage, travelling with Charlotte to many world capitals. She and Fred are becoming very close and are become lovers. Fred lets his friend Lance know what is going on, and he encourages Fred to be true to his principles. But the real world makes Charlotte compromise many of her campaign goals. Fred is taken aback, and he sees that life in a political realm might not be to his liking.

This movie is a hard-R rating, but mostly for language. The relationship between the two main characters is not exactly believable. But Seth Rogan and Charlize Theron are very natural in these roles, and they can pull it off. The actors do a great job with some less than stellar material. There quite a few very funny lines, and the Fred Flarsky character is made out to be the biggest boob on the face of the Earth. But with Rogan’s sad puppy face, you just must love him. Also, there are some fine performances with the side characters, especially O’Shea Jackson Jr. and June Diane Raphael. These two more than carry their weight in the movie, and they have some good moments. The overall political attitude swings a little to the left, and the main policy initiative for Charlotte Field is to save the Environment. Never seen that before on the screen, huh?

“Long Shot” gets the most juice out it’s lead actors by getting them into the most natural situations. It is less than perfect when they are forced into a ‘fish out of water’ scene, such as Fred Flarsky at an International State Dinner event. There are few times when it seems to cross the line over good taste, but for the most part is fun watch. The ending veers over the line and it goes on a little too long. But if you like your character-driven comedy with a romantic flavor and a political edge, this beats any other movie by a “Long Shot”.

Category: Reviews