The Dutch policeman who stood by idly watching terrorist-supporters hunting
down and attacking Jews on their city’s streets on the night of November 7th
should keep one thing in mind. Those who survive a pogrom (as the mayor of
Amsterdam herself described it) come out of the horrors hardened and tougher.
That is exactly why the Jewish Ghetto of 1905 Copenhagen was considered such a
rough-and-tumble neighborhood. Frankly, the police hardly notice a Jack the
Ripper-style serial killer stalking the ghetto until he (or it) nearly finishes
his sinister project in Benni Bodker’s graphic novel Meschugge,
illustrated by Christian Højgaard, which goes on-sale tomorrow.
Froken
Nathansen’s family is Jewish, but they consider themselves part of the assimilated
establishment. Rebelling against their bourgeoisie lifestyle, she fancies
herself a progressive reformer. Unfortunately, her boss, police magistrate
Kingo is not as progressive as she assumed, when she accepted the job as his stenographer-secretary.
When
he dispatches Nathansen to take notes during the autopsy of a murdered Ghetto
sex-worker (that is probably not the term they used in 1905 Denmark, but
anything more descriptive tends to get censored on this platform), it clearly
represents a low priority for the magistrate. However, when Nathansen realizes
she partially witnessed the murder when she took a wrong turn walking home the
night before, she feels duty bound to investigate.
Her
young waifish informer quickly clues her into the pattern of ripper-esque
killings that have largely gone unnoticed in the Ghetto. So far, there was only
one survivor, who escaped after the killer carved a Kabbalist figure on her
forehead.
The
Kabbalist implications to the killings add an intriguing dimension to the
mystery. Højgaard’s art also perfectly captures the story’s eerie noir vibes.
However, it is hard to fully realize the ultimate monster (“meschugge” being
the Yiddish word for crazy or insane, closely derived from the Hebrew equivalent)
on the printed page—and it would be almost impossible to do it justice on film.
In small towns like Smallville, everybody knows everyone else’s business. Maybe
they are not the best places for someone with a secret identity to live. Yet,
Clark Kent (a.k.a. Superman) has always felt safe there. However, he has had a
lot of trouble keeping the cat at least halfway still in the bag at the start
of “A Regular Guy,” the latest episode of Superman & Lois, which
premieres tonight on CW.
Pretty
much everyone in Smallville saw Doomsday dump Superman’s temporarily dead body
on the town’s Main Street. Quite a few people also saw Lois and his sons react
with the pain and grief of family members. Nevertheless, those glasses sure keep
people off the scent.
For
a good part of the episode, Kent goes on a geeky wimp tour, trying to make
himself look anything but super in front of the most suspicious neighbors. Of
course, past super sightings of his sons further complicate his efforts. Things
reach a turning point, when the Kents realize Lex Luthor is trying to stir the
pot.
This
season of Superman & Lois takes the iconic DC character and gives
him the vintage Marvel treatment. It is all about Superman’s family
relationships and his efforts to find the right superhero life-work balance—after
coming back to life. Ultimately, the Kents decide what to do as a family, hashing
it out over the kitchen table. Honestly, these kind of scenes are why it is the
best family drama currently running on TV or streaming.
“A
Regular Guy” is also a great showcase for Tyler Hoechlin, who was largely
sidelined during the earlier “death of Superman” episodes (because he was dead).
Without question, he is the best Superman since Christopher Reeve as well as
those who came before 1978.
Some things are easier to appreciate with distant. For instance, medical
dramas are entertaining on television, but miserable in real life. Similarly,
it is easier to appreciate the workplace humor of hospitals, if you are not
confined to one. In fact, there are a lot of laughs to be found in this
mid-sized Oregon hospital, but you really, really would not want to be a
patient in co-creators Eric Ledgin (also showrunner) & Justin Spitzer’s St.
Denis Medical, which premieres Tuesday on NBC.
Think
of St. Denis as if it were Dunder-Mifflin Medical. Our vantage point comes from
the camera recording a documentary about the hospital, which presumably will
become Frederick Wiseman-length, if the show runs for multiple seasons. Alex
the supervising RN is a kind soul, perhaps to a fault. She is so conscientious,
she has trouble tearing herself away from the ER madness. In fact, the opening
episode, “Welcome to St. Denis” entirely focuses on her struggle to leave well
after her shift ends, so she can watch her daughter perform in her high school
musical.
Of
course, Dr. Ron, the admitting ER doctor bets against her. He is not mean, per
se. He is just extremely cynical. He is also quite selfishly set in his ways,
as we can fully see in episode five, “A Peanut and Caramel-Filled Miracle,” in
which he goes to outrageous lengths to enjoy his regular afternoon treat, a NutRageous
candy bar.
What
is stopping him? That would be arrogant trauma surgeon Dr. Bruce, who bought up
all NutRageous bars from the vending machines, gift shop, and surrounding
convenience stores, just to mess with his colleague. You could say Dr. Bruce is
a bit petty and enormously vain. He goes to outrageous lengths to avoid giving
blood in episode seven, “50 CC’s of Kindness.” (Apparently, episode six still
needs more time baking in the oven.) On the other hand, the two rival gang
members from a nearby prison spill plenty of each other’s blood. The fact that
Ledgin and Spitzer consider prison shivving a valid subject for comedy is
definitely a promising sign.
The
best of the six episodes provided to critics would be episode four, “Salamat
You Too,” in which Nurse Alex tries to assert her authority over a “mean girl”
clique of Filipino nurses, but ends with the supervising nurse in some very hot
DEI water. Frankly, this episode is an instant classic, ranking with the best
of The Office. When they come for Seinfeld’s “Puerto Rican Day
Parade,” they will include this one on the same blacklist too, so watch it
while you can (on November 26th).
Allison
Tolman nicely anchors the series as Nurse Alex, making her easy to identify
with. She is funny in a more lowkey way, without competing with her more
outrageous co-stars. If these characters were real-life caregivers, her Nurse
Alex is probably the only one you would want to see at your bedside.
Frankly,
David Alan Grier deserves Emmy consideration for his work as the pompous Dr.
Ron. He is shameless and ruthlessly sarcastic, but Grier’s portrayal will remind
viewers of people they might know from their own workplace, in much the way Dan
Larroquette did on the original Night Court.
The
third episode, “Weird Stuff You Can’t Explain,” is another strong showcase for
Grier’s comedic chops. This time around, Dr. Ron takes a lot of flak for
defiantly calling down a hex on St. Denis, just to prove the ridiculousness of supernatural
beliefs. Of course, once he does, the emergency room seems to be plagued by a
genuine curse. This episode is also a good example of recurring cast-member Dave
Theune’s very funny contributions as the world’s most deadpan and morose
orderly.
THE LAST RIFLEMAN treats irs aging D-Day veteran characters with the sensitivity and respect they deserve. However, the modest budget undermines the wartime flashbacks. EPOCH TIMES review up here.
In the mid to late 2000s, there were scores of documentaries about PTSD. Today, when
they are not so politically useful to the anti-war cause, there have almost completely
disappeared. Anthony Marquez noticed a similar phenomenon with Gold Star
families. They received an initial outpouring of support, but after a year or
so, people largely forgot them. That is why Marquez decided to personally
check-in with the families of all 17 fellow Marines of his unit who died in
Sangin, Afghanistan. Filmmaker Manny Marquez follows his brother’s cathartic journey
in Make Peace or Die: Honor the Fallen, which airs this Monday on PBS,
as part of the current season of Independent Lens.
Sangin
will be remembered as one of the deadliest destinations ever for the Marine
Corps. Not surprisingly, his experiences there haunted Marquez years after the
fact. As part of his self-proscribed therapy, he hand-crafted (or chainsaw-crafted)
memorial statues for each Gold Star family, which he hand-delivered. Realizing
how quickly the community support evaporates for Gold Star families, Marquez
resolved to revisit the same families one year later (this time with his brother
following him).
Most
were incredibly welcoming, even though his visits inevitably rekindled the pain
of their loss. He hardly knew some of their sons, but he could still relate
through their shared experiences. At times, he even questions his mission, but
eventually doubles down, inviting the families to a special commemoration ceremony
at Camp Pendleton. Along the way, he assembles a special dress uniform,
consisting of garments and medals contributed by the seventeen families.
There
are several deeply emotional moments in Make Peace or Die (the title
refers to Corps 1st Battalion, 5th Marines’ motto—as in
make peace with us, or else). However, the sequence that will absolutely destroy
viewers documents the final hours of Marquez’s military service dog, who even
had a Marine honor guard for the fateful last trip to the vet’s office. No
matter how tough you think you are, you are going to be choked up.
This
is a powerful film that should have had much more attention on the festival
circuit. Obviously, Marquez approached his subjects with the best of intentions.
After all, his parents appear in the documentary, as well as his brother. Of
course, nobody wants to question the motives of some the docs that came out so regularly
during the George W. Bush administration, but isn’t it so strange how they just
aren’t being produced anymore (with the exception of this film)?
OVERLORD: THE SACRED KINGDOM, the anime franchise's first feature, tells an accessiblestand-alone story, but the intricately detailed world-building will still mostly appeal to fantasy fans. CINEMA DAILY US review up here.
Wang Bing's YOUTH (HARD TIMES) vividly illustrates the systemic exploitation of provincial migrant textile workers in China. YOUTH (HOMECOMING), the conclusion of the documentary trilogy, provides further context, explaining why the cycle continues. EPOCH TIMES joint-review up here.
LS-75 is such a super-secret law enforcement agency, it apparently operates
out of a Chatsworth office park. Somehow, they scrape enough money to send agent
Andrew Kang to Thailand, where he assumes the identity of a drug ring’s
American point-man. Despite the constant brawling, Kang’s handler fears he
might be succeeding a little too well in Chaya Supannarat’s Bangkok Dog,
executive-produced by Ong-Bak action auteur Prachya Pinkaew, which
releases Tuesday on VOD.
After
Kang and his partner Kaitlyn Liu bust Benz Wu for his shipping container full
of dead trafficked people, with stomachs stuffed with illegal narcotics, they
are highly motivated to take down the rest of the operation. The top man is
Dominic Mesias—and he is one bad apple.
However,
in his new role in the Bangkok agency, Kang masquerading in the guise of Wu,
works closely under jaded Charn Chai Yoodee, who quickly becomes a fast-friend.
Kang even harbors illusions of flipping Yoodee, which worries Liu, who now
serves as his in-country LS-75 handler. Regardless, Kang has no such affection
for Mesias, especially after a particularly brutal debt-collection. Obviously,
the worst thing that could happen for Kang would be Wu escaping from LS-75 to
blow his cover, so that is exactly what will happen.
Everything
about Bangkok Dog looks cheap, except the considerable blood and sweat
equity co-stars and co-fight choreographers D.Y. Sao and Brian Le put into the bone-crushing
marital arts beatdowns, which are priceless. They bleed for this movie.
Clearly,
Bangkok Dog was conceived as a no-frills showcase to determine whether
Sao and/or Le leave a sufficient impression on viewers to warrant a
comparatively bigger budgeted follow-up. They both should pass the test,
provided the film attracts enough eyeballs.
Sao
plays Kang with impressive intensity and his physicality is off the charts.
However, the breakout discovery could turn out to be Le, who struts through the
picture with the flamboyance of a pro wrestler. Yet, he matches Sao, step for
step. As a considerable bonus, martial arts fan favorite and journeyman stuntman
Ron Smoorenberg also appears as Vega, tangling with Sao in what might be the
film’s most brutal fight scene.
India had 24: India, so it makes sense they would also get their own spinoff from
Prime’s Citadel franchise. In this case, it is a prequel that tells the way-backstory
of a major character of the anchor series. Going forward, spinoffs will
probably be divided into two categories: pre-fall of Citadel and post. So far,
post offers greater dramatic stakes, because survivors are so greatly outnumbered.
Regardless, in this case, viewers do not even hear the name “Citadel” until
about the fourth installment of creator Sita R. Menon’s six-episode Citadel:
Honey Bunny, which starts streaming today on Prime Video.
In
1992, “Honey” was a struggling Bollywood starlet developing a romantic
relationship Rahi “Bunny” Gambhir. Like Colt Seavers, he did not get paid much
to help his stars look good on-screen, but he always has money, because he moonlights
as a secret agent. For one fateful assignment, Bunny recruits Honey to act in a
sting operation, but complications reveal Honey’s identity. Instead of
accepting some kind of witness relocation, she joins Bunny’s super-secret
agency, despite the misogynistic skepticism of his boss, “Guru.”
Of
course, they work well together, but something goes awry during a mission in
Serbia. Flashforward to the year 2000, at which point Honey vigilantly raises
her daughter Nadia, hoping Guru still assumes she is dead. Apparently, he does
not, judging from the hit squad he sends after her and Nadia. Now estranged
from Guru, Bunny sets out to save her, despite his injured feelings. For backup,
he recruits his former comrade Chacko and their old pal Ludo, who still works
in Guru’s evil IT department.
Much
like Citadel: Diana, Honey Bunny follows the pursuit of a vaguely
defined “black box” item that would jeopardize the world order if it fell into
the wrong hands. Throughout the early episodes, Menon and co-writers Raj &
DK (the filmmaking team that also helmed all six episodes) try to be cagey
about which hands would be the wrong ones. Of course, we can also expect a mole
in Citadel, right?
Diana
was
the ultra-chic Citadel spinoff. Honey Bunny is its gritty counterpart.
In fact, the Macguffins might be too similar, even though they take place
during different time frames. However, Honey Bunny has some of the best action sequences, especially the climactic shootout. Instead of big set-piece spectacles, its fight scenes are down and dirty, executed on the mean
streets.
Samantha
[Ruth Prabhu] somehow finds the right balance between Honey’s vulnerability and
butt-kicking action cred. She also has decent, but not extraordinary chemistry
with Varun Dhawan’s Bunny. Kay Kay Menon is entertainingly ruthless as Guru,
while Simran Bagga is intriguingly mysterious as his mastermind rival, Zooni.
Author Frederick Forsyth wanted his name removed from the not-so hot 1997 Bruce
Willis adaptation of his famous novel, because it was so drastically unfaithful.
It is hard to imagine he will be too crazy about this one either. There is no
question, Fred Zinnemann’s 1973 film towers above the competition. At least the
early episodes have a little zip when creator-writer Ronan Bennett’s
ten-episode Day of the Jackal, which premieres tomorrow on Peacock.
The
Jackal is still an elite British assassin, but instead of a shadowy man of mystery,
viewers learn his entire backstory over the course of the series. It kicks off
with his complex assassination of a German anti-immigration political leader.
Of course, the hit goes off smoothly, but things turn messy when the client
refuses to pay the balance. The whole scandal attracts MI6’s attention, where Bianca
Pullman, an intelligence officer out of synch with the interim director,
believes she can track down the elite gunsmith who crafted the Jackal’s special
rifle.
Not
surprising to anyone, Norman Stoke came up through the ranks of the IRA.
Tracking him down will be almost as tricky as finding the Jackal, but Pullman
once handled his sister-in-law as a reluctant informer in Northern Ireland. The
clock really starts ticking when MI6 determines the Jackal’s next target will
be Ulle Dag Charles (UDC), a leftist tech titan, whose soon to launch “River”
application will bring “transparency to financial markets,” which will somehow
redistribute wealth to the needy. Nobody bothers explaining how that might
work, because they just expect viewers to treasure the dream. If you don’t, you
must be a villainous capitalist, who looks like Charles Dance.
That
is about where one could expect Forsyth, and probably most everyone else, to
check out. It is a shame, because the early episodes represent an
entertainingly brisk ride. Unfortunately, it veers southward when the focus
turns towards ruthless captains of finance. The unflattering depiction of the
British military’s conduct in Afghanistan during the Jackal’s service as a
sniper also casts unpleasant shade the service. It also makes no commercial
sense. Most potential viewers for a thriller following the hunt for a
globe-trotting assassin, ostensibly based on a Forsyth novel, will have
positive associations with the British military.
Regardless,
thriller fans of any strip will be disappointed by the final two episodes,
which string along a parade of contrived accidents, as Bennett searches for an
exit strategy. Still, the Thommas Crown-ish opening titles are stylish,
in an appealingly retro way.
It
is a shame, because the first five episodes or so serve up solid procedural
business and several nicely produced action sequences. Although not an obvious
casting choice, Eddie Redmayne has the right cerebral Edward Fox vibes as the
Jackal. He also has an appropriately pliable face for all the Jackal’s
disguises.
Lashana
Lynch is convincingly driven, perhaps to a fault, as Pullman. She also has
decent action chemistry with Nick Blood, playing her protection agent, Vincent
Pyne. Lynch also spars nicely with Chukwudi Iwuji and Lia Williams, in the
roles of her escalating chain of command. However, the UDC subplot is utterly
silly and Khalid Abdalla portrayal is just as much a caricature as Dance chewing
the boardroom scenery as Timothy Winthrop, the chairman of the cabal.
A GREYHOUND OF A GIRL is a lovely, mildly fantastical, and maybe even therapeutic animated film about multi-generational reconciliation and possibly cross-species reconciliation. It deserves to become a Mother's Day staple. CINEMA DAILY US review up here.
It is hard enough serving as a Mormon missionary in liberal Boulder,
Colorado. Trey Parker and Matt Stone did not do them any favors with Book of
Mormon either. However, they are in for a truly harrowing ordeal when they
are invited into the home of a cultural relativist with a nefarious interest in
comparative religions. Prepare yourself to root for the Mormons in director-screenwriters
Scott Beck & Bryan Woods’ Heretic, which opens Friday in theaters.
Supposedly,
Mr. Reed’s wife is in the kitchen baking a blueberry pie. That is why they allow
him to lure them into his house. Otherwise, being alone with a man would have been
against the LDS rules for missionaries. It turns out the Church has good reason
for these rules. It is snowing outside, but the girls are smart enough to
recognize when it is time to retreat. Unfortunately, Reed keeps his home inescapably
secured with Rube Goldbergian time locks.
Against
their will and better judgment, Sister Barnes and Sister Paxton sit through
Reed’s Michel Foucault-ish lectures regarding the commonalities present in most
monotheistic religions. Their lives are clearly in physical peril, but Reed
also hopes to endanger their faith. However, Sister Paxton, the more assertive
and worldly of the two girls, realizes the more they challenge Reed’s arguments,
the more their odds for survival improve. He will show them some shocking
sights designed to shake their faith, but they are more resilient than he assumes.
Fans
of the A24 brand of horror might be taken aback by many aspects of Heretic.
For starters, the nonbelieving not-so-humanist is an absolute, undeniable monster.
As screenwriters, Beck & Woods have their criticisms of Mormonism, but they
are keenly sympathetic towards the two Sisters. In fact, they show that many of
the lazy cheap shots lobbed at Mormons are exactly that: lazy cheap shots.
Although
co-stars Sophie Thatcher and Chloe East are no longer practicing Mormons, they
both grew up in the LDS Church and still maintain personal ties, so they keenly
understood the missionary experience. They were also not inclined to trash the
Church. That kind of sympathy and authenticity really comes through in their
gripping performances as Sister Barnes and Sister Paxton. There is nothing
cartoonish about their portrayals. Right from the start, we believe they are
young women already somewhat stepping out of their previously sheltered existences,
facing someone sinister and manipulative, well beyond their experiences.
If DCI Ellis shows up at your police station, you probably work in a zoo—and
maybe you should call your solicitor. After taking personal time for yet to be disclosed
reasons, DCI Ellis reluctantly agrees to serve as her boss’s troubleshooter,
taking over high-profile cases from provincial constabularies that are too
corrupt and too incompetent to handle them. Naturally, nobody is happy to see
her, but she gets results in creator-writers Paul Logue & Sian Ejwunmi-Le
Barre’s Inspector Ellis, which premieres today on Acorn TV.
In
“Hanmore,” the first of three feature-length installments, the late Rowan
Edwards’ mother is a former member of parliament with a reputation for criticizing
the police, so ACC Leighton needs someone competent running the investigation. At
least Louise Edwards recognizes Ellis is a considerable trade-up from lazy
local DCI Jim Belmont. However, Ellis is more concerned about the second
victim, Maggie Bradley, the victim’s working-class girlfriend, who disappeared
on the night of his murder.
Of
course, Belmont latched onto Bradley’s step-father as the easiest suspect. He therefore
resents it when Ellis uses logic and forensic science to poke holes in his
flimsy narrative. Poor DS Chet Harper is stuck in the middle, tasked with
supporting Ellis, while Belmont still demands his loyalty.
“Hanmore”
is a decent case, but “Callorwell” turns into a nasty can of worms. Ellis and
Harper (who is now assigned to the trouble-shooting Inspector, which should
give you an idea how things went with Belmont) are dispatched to investigate
the disappearance of DC Jenny Rawler, a junior detective who just filed a harassment
complaint against the local DCI, Hain. Soon, Ellis and Harper discover she had received
a series of death threats that “magically” disappeared from evidence.
Frankly,
this is a notably strong episode, because it reveals plot twists American
television would not have the guts to touch. In an American procedural, Rawler
would be the victim—period, end of discussion. In Ellis, it gets messy—really,
really messy. This episode also features a terrific supporting cast, starting
with Sam Marks as the conspicuously slimy local DI Jamie Morrison. Tim Dutton
is even sleazier as Hain, while William Travis nicely humanizes honest but
intimidated Sgt. Frank Landry.
Technically, there was a superhero movie this year, but it takes a while to get to
it. As it happens, Clint Eastwood, whose most likely final film was just unceremoniously
dumped into theaters, had two films release this year. Genre fans were truly spoiled
this year, but we didn’t know how good we had it growing up in the 1980s. Looking
back, most viewers will agree with the general enthusiasm of the commentators
in Roger Lay Jr.’s 1982: The Greatest Geek Year Ever, which releases Tuesday
on DVD in a feature-documentary cut.
It
will not take long to convince readers of 1982’s cinematic merits. Just look at
the highlights: E.T., Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, Rocky III, Creepshow,
Poltergeist, and Conan the Barbarian. Amongst the “flops” were
universally beloved classics like John Carpenter’s The Thing and Ridley
Scott’s Blade Runner. Plus, there were “minor” hits like The Swamp
Thing (the lone “superhero” movie) and Tron, which scratched
out its profitability for Disney through video game tie-ins.
There
were several historic firsts, like Friday the 13th, Part III,
which was the first film in which Jason wore the iconic hockey mask. Sadly, Halloween
III: The Season of the Witch became the first and last installment of the Halloween
franchise not featuring Michael Myers, but in retrospect, it was one of the
best. Filmmakers took risks, which sometimes paid off, as with Jim Henson’s
brilliant The Dark Crystal.
All
of the above films are covered in considerable detail during Greatest Geek
Year Ever—and rightfully so. However, some of the omissions will leave you
scratching your head, like Jean-Jacques Annaud’s Quest for Fire and Alan
Parker’s Pink Floyd: The Wall, which were shoot-for-the-moon movies if
ever there was one. Weirdly, nobody mentions this was the first year Disney
faced serious competition for theatrical animation, from Don Bluth’s The Secret
of NIMH, and Rankin-Bass’s The Last Unicorn.
They
cover some of the “prestige” films as well, while lamenting the Best Picture Oscar
for Ghandi over so many other films that have become a part of our lives
(yet, it is not as egregious as Kramer vs. Kramer winning in 1979, which
stands as another incredibly deep year for movies). Appropriately, Lay and
company spend a good deal of time on Eastwood’s Firefox, which arguably
represents the very first “techno-thriller,” whereas Eastwood’s much more
personal Honkytonk Man is ignored. Perhaps one of the most glaring
oversights is An Officer and a Gentleman, which is only mentioned it
passing, but still holds up and its military cred ought to buy it more screen
discussion.
Frankly,
some of the most entertaining segments focus on more idiosyncratic selections,
like The Beastmaster, which became a hit on video, and the Roger Corman-produced
Forbidden World, mostly because it is always fun to hear the low-budget
mogul reminisce. Yet, nobody is more tongue-in-cheek than Barry Bostwick
looking back on the goofiness of Hal Needham’s Megaforce.
Experts say eye-witness testimony is the least reliable form of criminal
evidence. The Barcelona cops would concur. They have six witnesses who are
perversely uncooperative. They assumed the six agreed to a “code of silence” to
protect a vigilante out of gratitude. Little by little, their collective story
keeps changing, in increasingly sinister ways in creator-writers David Victori
& Jordi Vallejo’s eight episode You Would Do It Too, which is now
streaming on Apple TV+.
Nine
passengers and a driver were on an express bus leaving the airport. Three
hijackers took over assumed control, forcing the other passengers and drivers
to transfer their bank balances to an untraceable offshore account (after
taking out quick high-interest online payday loans) and then threatened to hunt
down everyone in their contact lists if they ever told the police. However, a
hooded man in the back disarmed one hijacker, fatally shooting all three,
before running off into the woods. That is the initial story, but it will
change.
At
first, the six witnesses steadfastly refuse to identify the hooded vigilante, stonewalling
Det. Fran Garza. His boss, Chief Victoria Jordan, makes his task even more awkward
by temporarily elevating his ex, uniformed officer Rebeca Quiro, to act as his
partner. However, a pair of hunters eventually ID Dante Bazan from his old
mugshot. The suspect has a violet criminal history. Yet, according to his
former lawyer, Bazan was more of a victim of the legal system rather than a
hardened criminal.
Her
words only further enflame social media, which had already embraced the “vigilante”
as a folk hero. Consequently, Jordan needs Bazan caught and convicted as
quickly as possible. As far as she is concerned. he is the killing and that’s
the end of it. However, Garza always had his doubts, which are confirmed by a
new witness: the getaway driver, who abandoned his accomplices once shots were
fired.
You
Would Do It Too
is a terrible, but the writing of Victori & Vallejo is wickedly clever.
This is definitely a thriller in the tradition of The Usual Suspects, in
which a web of lies is untangled as the characters’ secrets are patiently revealed.
Viewers might guess the nature of the big twists, but they are unlikely to anticipate
all the particulars. Every time Victori (who also directed all eight episodes)
takes viewers back to that fateful bus, the stakes rise and the plot thickens
quite palpably.
All
six witnesses and/or suspects do terrific work keeping viewers off balance. Michelle
Jenner is especially intense as Elisa Pena, an Antifa-like cam model with anger
management issues. Conversely, Pilar Berges is a woeful mess as the basket-case
pothead, Miren Lujan. Elena Irureta is so genuinely sympathetic as the
grandmother, Marga Sarabia, it really seems profoundly unfair she was caught up
in this mess. However, Xavi Saez inspires that exact opposite feelings as
bitter, obnoxious Jandro Pineda, who is so angry at life, he constantly stirs
up trouble.
Paulo
Molinero is also terrific seething and brooding as Garza. On the other hand,
Ana Polvorosa (from La Fortuna) seems inconsistent, even erratic, portraying
Quiros, who frequently over-reacts with excess outrage, but also makes some extremely
cold and calculated decisions. It seems like her only productive purpose is
giving Garza a hard time. However, both Ana Wagener and Mirela Balic are unswervingly
and entertainingly Machiavellian as Chief Jordan and click-bait “journalist”
Leyre Palacios.
Why do young thugs keep underestimating and disrespecting old bad*sses? Don’t
they know the old guys have more experience and greater likelihood of saying “to
heck with it,” or something like that? Haven’t they seen any Clint Eastwood or
Liam Neeson movies? This one is a Liam Neeson film. He plays a man simply
called “Thug” in the credits who is losing his faculties, but he steely as ever
in Hans Petter Moland’s Absolution, which opens today in theaters.
This
might not be the first time Leeson played a tough guy losing his memory. I can’t
remember, can you? Regardless, he is in familiar territory playing the “Thug,”
who has many regrets, starting with the realization he is his violent father’s
son. Lately, his undiagnosed CTE has progressed to the point he must resort to
jotting down key details of his life, including the name of his gangster boss,
Charlie Conner.
Awkwardly,
Conner assigned the Thug to his idiot son, Kyle, who wants to take over the
family business. Of course, Junior lacks both the brains and the guts, but the
Thug often covers for him, which makes the entitled junior gangster resent him
even more.
By
the time the former boxer gets himself checked out, the prognosis is grim. He
waited way too late, but there really isn’t any treatment anyway. He still
might have time to patch things up with his daughter Daisy, but it will take
repeated efforts to wear down her calcified resentments. However, Dre, the
grandson he never knew he had, shows some curious interest in the steely old
man. Weirdly, the “Woman” he picked up in a bar also shows some interest. Yet,
ironically, when the Thug can hardly remember the most important aspects of his
personal life, he cannot forget the desperate woman he unknowingly helped
traffic, as part of a sketchy deal the younger Conner negotiated [poorly].
Frankly,
critics do not give Neeson’s recent action films enough credit for maturing
with their star. The better ones, like In the Land of Saints and Sinners and
The Marksman are character studies of men facing their mortality and
meditations on the psychological and social costs of violence. Frankly, all
three are pretty strong movies. Arguably, the less distribution Neeson’s films
get, the more apt they are to be good (that could very well apply to plenty of
other thesps, as well).
Regardless,
Neeson is rock-solid as the Thug, including the legit dramatic parts, when the
enforcer is forced to face the implications of his diagnosis. Actors have won
nominations for worse performances involving similar material, but critics will
automatically dismiss Neeson because he also kicks a lot of butt.
Nobody cowboys harder than Jonah Hex. The scarred bounty-hunter is so hardnosed,
it is practically a super-power. The live-action movie did not do him justice,
but this animated short did. Once again, it is an example of how DC
straight-to-DVD animated films are vastly superior to both Marvel and DC
live-action tent-poles. On the day of what is sometimes listed as his in-world
birthday (11/1), get a taste of his cool steeliness and hot lead in Joaquim Dos
Santos’s 12-minute short, DC Showcase: Jonah Hex.
In
the 1980s, Jonah Hex was just about the last western comic book title
that still cranked out new issues. However, there was a non-fantastical macabre
vibe to Hex’s world that was far from traditional. Joe R. Lansdale’s screenplay
captures that sensibility perfectly.
Hex
soon blows into town hot on the heels of Red Doc, an outlaw wanted dead or alive.
Unfortunately for Doc, he will soon be stone cold, thanks to the seductive
treachery of Madame Lorraine, the proprietress of the salon and upstairs areas,
where, you know. She is no Miss Kitty, that’s for sure. Madame Lorraine makes a
practice of killing and looting horny drifters like Red Doc. She assumes she can
do the same with Hex. Right, good luck with that.
From the perspective of great literature, Venice is the city to go when death
is near. In fact, Hemingway’s Venetian novel is often compared to the classic
Thomas Mann novella. Both focus on dying men who spend their final days pondering
a younger beauty. In Hemingway’s novel, Col. Richard Cantwell is more directly
involved with the young and noble-born Renata Contari. In this adaptation,
their relationship is less romantic and therefore arguably healthier. Unfortunately,
his heart is just as weak in Paula Ortiz’s adaptation of Hemingway’s Across
the River and Into the Trees, which releases this Friday on VOD.
Col.
Cantwell must be a difficult patient, considering he refuses to follow the
advice of Danny Huston (playing his doctor, Captain Wes O’Neil). He insists on
taking a duck-hunting trip outside Venice, so the best O’Neil can do is assign
him a driver, Sgt. Jackson. Despite the grief he takes, the NCO still
appreciates a veteran battlefield officer like Cantwell.
For
his part, Cantwell most certainly appreciates a woman like Contari, despite his
grim state of mind. Their paths just keep crossing, maybe not so accidentally.
It was coincidence that Cantwell had hoped to buy a set of vintage hunting
rifles from her cash-poor, but too proud to be cooperative mother. After that,
it is largely sympathetic attraction, and perhaps Contari’s passive-aggressive
hope to undermine her arranged marriage. She is betrothed to an old family
friend, but he is not half the man battle-scarred Cantwell is.
It
is pretty easy to guess Cantwell’s real business in Venice, especially if you
have any familiarity with Hemingway’s life and work. Nonetheless, the
world-weary officer also hopes to conclude another piece of unfinished business,
by uncovering the mass burial site of a group of partisans executed by the SS,
for distinctly personal reasons.
Ortiz
and screenwriter Peter Flannery definitely scrubbed Hemingway’s novel for
contemporary viewers. They water down Cantwell’s romance with Contari to
essentially a platonic friendship, with close dancing and maybe one or two
kisses. They also completely expurgate all references to Stonewall Jackson, from
whom the title came.
However,
Hemingway readers will appreciate the way Flannery reliably recreates the
cadences of his dialogue. This is also an appropriately boozy and smoky film. Ortiz
seems to take inspiration from The Third Man, nearly transmuting Hemingway
into film noir, in much the same tradition as Robert Siodmak and Don Siegel’s
adaptations of “The Killers.”
It
works pretty well, especially considering how fully Ortiz and cinematographer Javier
Aguirresarobe capitalize on the Venice locations. Of course, it greatly helps
that we can only see and not smell the dank Italian cultural capitol.
Oscar-wnning animator Adam Elliot creates kennly expressive clay figures and richly detailed sets to tell a heartfelt,deeply personal story. Just bewarned, it takes a while to get to the hopefully part in MEMOIR OF A SNAIL. CINEMA DAILY US review up here.
If this manor house was in Kansas, John and Sera Winter might need access
to the cellar, but since they live outside Portland, the wrought iron fence and
the vintage firearm collection that comes with the estate look much more
attractive. The terms and conditions of their tenancy are strange, but it is a
desperate real estate market. However, their deal takes on Faustian dimensions
in Vaughn Stein’s Cellar Door, which opens this Friday in theaters and
on VOD.
After
losing their unborn baby, the Winters need a change of scenery, but most of the
properties in the tony suburb they settle on are beyond the means of riff-raff
like them. As a last resort, their realtor refers them to wealthy ascot-wearing
Emmett Claymore, who offers them a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. They can live
rent-free in his McMansion as long as they agree to never look inside the
padlocked cellar. He also requests they keep the display of artifacts unearthed
on the property, including some revolvers, which look like they might still
work—but the cellar is the biggie. One peak and their next address will be in
eviction-city.
Of
course they agree, but as soon as they move in, bad luck starts plaguing the
Winters. Awkwardly, his co-worker and former ex, Alyssa Hayes, accuses him of
sexual harassment. Too ashamed to explain to his wife, especially since he was
having a final fling with Hayes while his wife miscarried, Winter pretends to
go to work each day.
The
house just seems to have bad mojo, like when a former tenant shows up with a
gas can, urging them to burn it down. Pretty soon, old John is practically
clawing at the cellar door, whereas newly pregnant Sera is determined to
safeguard their luxurious and economical living arrangements.
The
truth is Cellar Door really is not much of a horror movie. However,
screenwriter Sam Scott tries to build towards an intriguing revelation of what
it all means. His concept is surprisingly thoughtful. It would just be better
suited as a shorter instalment of an anthology series in the tradition of Tales
of the Unexpected. That is not a slight—far from it. Nevertheless, the fact
remains the film is conspicuously padded, especially on the front half.
