Tag: movies

Film Review: The Past Stomps Its Way Through Oak Street

~ Peter Kanelis ~ Leave a comment

The End of Oak Street is a fairly entertaining science fiction survival flick written and directed by David Robert Mitchell. The cast includes Anne Hathaway, Ewan McGregor, Maisey Stella, and Christian Convery.

For some reason, this film is set in the early 1980’s in a suburban town in Michigan and centers on the troubled Platt family. The marriage between Denise and Greg has become rather strained. In the midst of their family difficulties, a strange plant appears, and peculiar lights are flashing throughout the neighborhood. Things get more harrowing when the prehistoric creatures start appearing. The family realizes that their neighborhood was somehow transported millions of years in the past. As they try to evade the rampaging and ravenous dinosaurs, they must find their way through the portal that also keeps flashing in and out of existence.

This is one of those films where there are some gaps in the explanation, but it kind of works. Hathaway and McEwan are pretty interesting to watch. I am not sure that I liked how McEwan’s role, Greg Platt, was written at times, but I have little objection to the performances.

There never is a coherent explanation as to how these portals came into being, but I found that I didn’t particularly need that. I suppose that could leave room for another film, however I sort of hope it doesn’t come to that.

The visual effects were quite good, which is not surprising. There were some genuinely suspenseful and disturbing moments throughout the film. There was a scene with a huge worm or eel that made quite an impression as well.

It still falls into the realm of being just a fun romp without as much depth as the writer seemed to be going for. Sometimes, the hysteria exhibited by the son, played by Convery, got to be a little much.

Sometimes, the writing contained too many overly familiar tropes such as the marital strife, the sensitive father, the moody daughter, and so forth. These were situations and characters we have seen before. I am not sure why writers can’t just have a generally happy and stable family who face an extraordinary situation, and the audience can just root for them all the way without wondering if their marriage will survive.

A film about dinosaurs stomping their way through suburbs is actually pretty cool overall.

On the whole, this film is actually pretty good even if I would have structured the characters a little differently. The ending felt a bit hurried and not exactly coherent, but it didn’t really ruin the film for me.

Anyway, this particular film has a few cracks but does get the job done when it comes to providing a solid piece of entertainment.

Film Review: The Dead Don’t Stay Still In Centerville

~ Peter Kanelis ~ Leave a comment

The Dead Don’t Die is a rather gruesome horror-comedy written and directed by Jim Jarmusch, which often seems as dead as the persistent zombies roaming the street s in spite of the star power employed here.

The film stars Bill Murray. Adam Driver, Tilda Swinton, Selena Gomez, Carol Kane, and quite a few others. Even their considerable talents could not keep me fully engaged in this film.

It’s a pretty standard zombie flick in many ways, but Jarmusch injects this deadpan sort of humor that seemingly falls flatter than was intended. In this little town known as Centerville, the dead start walking again due to some strange astronomical event that was nonsensical that I don’t even remember what it was called.

Murray and Driver have a sort of wooden double act as two of the town’s police officers trying to figure out the reason for these mysterious cannibalistic deaths. The town is full of strange characters played by the likes of Steve Buscemi and Danny Glover. It was kind of cool to see Glover.

Also, there were some moments that the fourth wall was breached, which was supposed to enhance the intent of this being a comedy. It didn’t work that well for me. I don’t mind that sort of tactic at times, but a better writer needs to take that on.

I appreciate that Jarmusch was trying to be somewhat innovative in this genre of film, but he just didn’t quite hold it together for me. It could be well that zombie movies are a hard nut to crack when it comes to present a more original vision, but this project didn’t really have the secret to doing that successfully.’

Anyway, it’s a little too bizarre for my taste, and that’s saying something considering my other indulgences when it comes to cinema.

Classic Film Review: When Witnesses Get It Wrong

~ Peter Kanelis ~ Leave a comment

The Wrong Man was a film released in 1956 where one could have high hopes since Alfred Hitchcock is the director, but it was a little too slow and plodding for my taste. Maxwell Anderson and Angus MacPhail are the screenwriters for this film which was apparently a true account of a man’s unjust arrest for a series of armed robberies. It is based on Anderson’s book entitled The True Story of Christopher Emmanuel Balestero.

Henry Fonda is in the lead role as the one they call Manny. Vera Miles plays his wife whose sanity begins to unravel as the story unfolds. Anthony Quayle, Harold J. Stone, and Esther Miniciotti are included in the cast.

Manny is a jazz club musician whose wife is needing some significant dental care. When he goes to borrow some money from his wife’s insurance policy, he is identified by the women working there as a man who had held them up twice before. The police start to question him and find that other various shopkeepers victimized by the thief seem to believe him to be the culprit. The investigation leads to Manny’s arrest and trial. In the meantime, his wife has sunk into an alarming depression that requires her to be committed. Manny has his plate full when he has to cope with his wife’s mental distress on top of his legal troubles.

I found this film to not be one of Hitchcock’s best, but it’s still not deserving of being ignored. Henry Fonda’s performance is quite compelling, and I still managed to find some sympathy for his plight. Miles is also a nice casting decision as well. Her mental collapse is quite convincing without feeling too over the top.

I think Hitchcock spent a little time on the process of Manny’s arrest. I suspect he was trying to ratchet up the tension, but it felt more like padding at times.

This is the only film that is apparently based on a true story, and Hitchcock reportedly did not deviate too much from what actually happened.

The film does have a bit of a Hitchcock feel even if it is quite different from most of his best-known works. I still consider him to be deserving of the reverence he receives in the realm of filmmaking, but this particular work does not quite showcase that talent as well I would like.

The film seems to bring about some mixed reactions from various professional critics and agree with much of the negative feedback, but I would still recommend seeing this one because the performances do make some of the problems less significant. It’s still a Hitchcock film, and this film is still a long way from being a dumopster fire.

Film Review: Spider-Man Swings Through Each New Day

~ Peter Kanelis ~ Leave a comment

Spider-Man: Brand New Day may have helped breathe some new life into the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Destin Daniel Cretton is the director of this latest installment of the Spider-Man film franchise, which was written by Chris McKenna and Erik Sommars.

Tom Holland has made a welcome return to the role. Zendaya and Jacob Batalon return as MJ Watson and Ned Leeds. Jon Bernthal joins this one as Frank Castle AKA known as the Punisher. Sadie Sink and Tramell Tillman are the latest addition to the Marvel franchise. Florence Pugh reprises her role as the new Black Widow. Mark Ruffalo is of course back as Bruce Banner, who does indeed make an impressive transformation into the Incredible Hulk.

Peter Parker’s friends and whole world have forgotten him after a spell was cast by Dr. Strange in the previous Spider-Man film. He has gone on a constant campaign of crime-fighting four years with an empathetic detective as his only ally. A new enemy has emerged, and this one can take over people psychically. He faces another old enemy in the shape of the Scorpion. Peter also finds that his body seems to be mutating further as a result of the radioactive spider’s DNA being mixed with his. Spider-Man is on the verge of becoming more powerful, but he is not sure he will be able to handle the responsibility and keep himself from his darker impulses.

Holland has once again proven that his casting as Peter Parker is an excellent choice. He brings the right amount of humor and depth to the role. Zendeya and Batalon are also great scene partners as well.

Marvel films are known for crossovers, but the addition of some of the other characters such as the Hulk and the Punisher in this one are actually handled quite well. Many times, these additions can feel a little tacked on and unnecessary, however the writers made it work. I must confess it was great to see the Hulk once again return to his more savage persona.

The film has some unexpected layers as secrets are uncovered.

Now, this film does deviate a bit from established lore from the comic books; however, the writing here is solid enough for me to not get too distracted by that.

The visual effects are quite compelling. The fight scenes were executed well.

There were a few times where Spider-Man’s quips and antics were a little too cartoonish, but that wasn’t enough to rob me of any enjoyment of the experience.

Marvel films have been rather spotty of late, but this one delivered the goods. Hopefully, Holland has a bit more gas in the tank when it comes to this character. I also hope that the producers don’t get too weird in future installments.

Film Review: Nothing Like A Nice Hike At Gunpoint

~ Peter Kanelis ~ Leave a comment

The Long Walk is a dystopian thriller film that was adapted from an early Stephen King novel. Since I have not read the novel, I am uncertain as to its faithfulness to the source material, but it’s a pretty good movie. The screenplay was written by J.T. Mollner with Francis Lawrence as director.

The film’s cast includes Cooper Hoffman, David Jonsson, Ben Wang, Judy Greer, and Mark Hamill.

This film takes place in some alternate history where the United States has gone through some kind of civil war in the twentieth century. There is now an annual event called “The Long Walk” in which young men from every state gather to participate in a long walk for as long as they can in order to win a large cash prize and any wish granted they desire. It’s a Stephen King story, so there is a rather gruesome catch. The lads are escorted by the military, and if they fall below walking 3 miles per hour, they are executed after three warnings. Along the way, there is a mixture of some competitiveness and camaraderie. Of course, the other catch is that there can only be one left still standing in order to reap the rewards.

It’s a pretty good movie in spite of most of it taking place on a very long stretch of road. It’s a tough movie to watch because of the ruthlessness depicted at times. Complicated and shifting relationships are king of a staple in a Stephen King story.

Those who have read the book may disagree, and I can sympathize since I also usually prefer the written version in most adaptations like this.

The performances were all quite solid, although Hamill does kind of come off as a little cheesy at times as this blustering Major. I will say that he has had worse performances, so he does not really ruin the film.

It’s a somewhat extraordinary plot in some ways. Honestly, it seems like a pointless endeavor concocted by the government, but it does a provide an interesting vehicle for the banter between the characters.

There are some moments that pull on the heartstrings, and I was actually saddened at some of the deaths. There are some pretty compelling twists as well.

This may not be the best of Stephen King adaptation, but it should hold up as at least being interesting and worthy of atj least one viewing.

Film Review: Some Goodbyes Do Not Come Quick Enough

~ Peter Kanelis ~ Leave a comment

The Long Goodbye is a detective film featuring Raymond Chandler’s Philip Marlowe, and this version was less than impressive. It was released in 1973 under the direction of Robert Altman. Leigh Brackett adapted the screenplay from the original Chandler novel. Elliot Gould stars as the iconic L.A. private eye. Other cast members include Nina van Pallandt, Sterling Hayden, Mark Rydell, David Arkin, and Henry Gibson. There is an unexpected and uncredited appearance by Arnold Schwarzenegger as a henchman.

Marlowe gets a visit from an old friend who he ends up giving a ride to Mexio. Upon his return, he is greeted by police officers who arrest him as a possible accomplice to a murder. The friend who visited him seems to have killed his wife. News is sent that the friend committed suicide. Once Marlowe is released, he is then hired to find a wayward husband who is rather eccentric in the vein of Ernest Hemingway. Marlowe then is also having to contend with some gangsters that the dead friend had apparently swindled. Marlowe finds that little is how it seems.

Gould is a fine actor, but I struggled with his interpretation of Marlowe. He does not come across as tough as I had seen Marlowe presented before. There are a lot of times where characters talk over each other which makes it hard to follow. There is a very long introduction in which Marlowe just goes grocery shopping for his cat. I found this film to be a bit boring, which is disappointing to say about a Philip Marlowe movie.

The ending was pretty good, but it took too long for me to really care about the resolution.

I thought Mark Rydell kind of stood out as the ruthless Augustine. He was one of those charming psychos that could react violently with startling suddenness.

I am not exactly sure how Altman stayed to the source material, but it sure felt like a lot of liberties were taken. I sure didn’t find Gould’s depiction of Philip Marlowe to be all that familiar. Obviously, he is no Humphrey Bogart.

Anyway, the film fell a little below average as a viewing experience. There are worse movies out there, but this particular adaptation is not something where I would call a must-see.

Film Review: Even A Pawn Can Take Down A King

~ Peter Kanelis ~ Leave a comment

Young Washington is a pretty well-put together film depicting the early failures and successes of the first President of the United States with William Franklyn-Miller in the lead role as George Washington. Jon Erwin sits in the director’s seat of this film which he co-wrote alongside Tom Provost and Diederik Hoogstraten.

Other familiar talents such as Kelsey Grammar, Andy Serkis, Mary-Louise Parker, and Ben Kingsley are part of well-chosen cast.

Much the film delves a bit into Washington’s childhood and reveals that his father died when he was quite young. Washington had an older half-brother who took charge of his education and was apparently an important inspiration to the boy. Of course, older brother Lawrence teaches George the rules governing the game of chess. Washington initially wanted to serve in the British Army but was denied because of his colonial roots. He was given a position in the Virginia Militia where he started making a name for himself. The film then starts to hone on the French and Indian Wars, and Washington’s experiences there, including a rather humbling loss. It takes the love and wisdom of George’s mother to reignite that spark of inspiration that propels him to build on the purpose that will eventually help form a nation from the ground up.

It’s not the greatest historical film I have seen, but it holds up quite nicely and is certainly one of the better projects to hit the screens this year. Franklyn-Miller does a decent job portraying a very young George Washington, although I don’t know there is anything that unique about his performance.

The film seems to not stray too far from historical record, although I am sure there were some flights of fancies utilized.

It was also a pretty straight-forward film in a lot of ways without a lot of strange surprises thrown in for effect. It was a little odd to see Washington portrayed at such a young age during a period of his life that doesn’t seem to have much of lore that most have come to associate with him.

The film is certainly intended to celebrate who would become the United States’ first president, but it also brings out his human frailty and reminds the audience what he had to overcome to be seen as one of the Founding Fathers.

The set design and wardrobe seemed well crafted.

There are times that the film likely exaggerates the accomplishments a bit, but it’s nothing too outrageous. The film does have moments where it could have used a quicker pace, but it’s no worse than many other releases in that regard.

The film still delivers a good time, and I did actually feel like that I learned something new about a period in Washington’s life that is likely overlooked in the schools.

As I write this, I am thinking I should add a more comprehensive biography of the man to the reading queue.

Supergirl Sputters Into Flight

~ Peter Kanelis ~ 2 Comments

Supergirl is another recent comic book movie that delivers another mediocre cinematic experience that comes closer to being utter garbage than much of what I have seen in a while. DC Studios may have gotten a few elements right, but I found those to be quite sparse as I subjected myself to this surprisingly, but mercifully short release. Ana Nogueira is the script writer with Craig Gillispie serving as director.

Milly Alcock is in the lead role as Superman’s somewhat dysfunctional yet formidable Kryptonian cousin. Jason Momoa has taken on the role of some intergalactic bounty hunter known as Lobo. Other cast members include Eve Ridley, Matthias Schoenaerts, David Krumholtz, Emily Beecham. David Corenswet makes a couple of unnecessary appearances as Superman

At this point, Supergirl is goofing off throughout space as some party girl accompanied by her Kryptonian dog with the not so ingenious name of Krypto. Supergirl encounters a young girl on a mission of vengeance hunting for a space marauder named Krem of the Yellow Hills, played by Schoenaerts. After helping the girl retrieve a handmade sword that was crafted by her deceased father. The girl’s family had been killed by this Krem character, which is why she is rather hellbent on settling the score. Supergirl’s spaceship gets hijacked, and Krypto gets poisoned, which draws her into this mess. Lobo has his own agenda, but he becomes a somewhat unreliable ally. A chase ensues across several planets until a final confrontation takes place that solidifies what kind of hero Supergirl is going to be.

I understand that comic books require a lot of grace and suspension of disbelief, but the writing here gets pretty atrocious at times. Some flashback scenes are done with characters speaking in the fabricated Kryptonian language, but the translation in English has no sense of eloquence or originality. It was full of familiar colloquialisms and expressions. Then, we learn that Superman doesn’t know anything of his native language, which doesn’t make sense since he has some relics from his destroyed home planet and probably would have learned something of his own people’s language.

The casting of Milly Alcock isn’t a bad decision, but she was not served well by this script. There are some moments where I found her genuinely amusing and charismatic, but it wasn’t enough for me to forgive the more clunky production decisions in this thing. I know the actress has taken some heat for some comments made in interviews during the promotion, and it’s deserved. She still may have some talent that can be better utilized with a better writer.

Momoa’s performance was actually the more interesting one in this film. Lobo is a dangerous dude, but he has something of a code that can be respected. He did come in handy at some important moments, but there again even he wasn’t enough to improve the viewing experience by much.

The main villain with the stupid name was just another unhygienic, unhinged, brutish weirdo who got away with his misdeeds more by luck than judgment.

The performance of the cast was fine. The problems really are more from the editing and writing.

The action sequences and visual effects what one would expect. The fight scenes and moments of superpower display were not all that creative or interesting, but it wasn’t completely unimpressive.

On the whole, the film manages to not be a complete dumpster fire, but it does deserve the disappointing box office returns. It’s not one that is going to be remembered with any real fondness among the nerds and cinephiles who will show up hoping it is better than its reputation. Those hopes are likely to be dashed for many. It’s just another barely adequate release from Hollywood that is unlikely to improve with age.

Classic Film Review: Showgirls In Peril

~ Peter Kanelis ~ Leave a comment

The Trap is not one of the better films to feature Charlie Chan, as played by the late Sidney Toler. Howard Bretherton directed this film which was written by Miriam Kissinger. The character was first created by the late Earl Derr Biggers, who was also given some writing credit. Biggers died in 1933, so he probably didn’t have much to do with this bit of tragic cinema.

Victor Sen Yung, Barbara Jean Wong, Mantan Moreland, and Tanis Chandler are also included in the cast.

It’s kind of a classic murder mystery set-up where a where a theatrical ensemble is staying at a beach house where scandal and blackmail are ruining the camaraderie among the showgirls. When one of the showgirls is murdered, a pair of them fall under suspicion. San Toy happens to know the son of the great detective, Charlie Chan, and reaches out for some help. Jimmy Chan starts his own investigation; however, the big man turns up when he receives some information that Jimmy himself had been murdered. Charlie devises a trap to ensnare a murderer who has claimed a second victim as he discovers the secrets held by the performers.

There isn’t much about this particular film that works. Charlie Chan isn’t all that involved in the story as expected. I did a little research here and learned that Toler had been coping with a severe cancer diagnosis at the time of production. In fact, he died the following year. The story was not that interesting. Well, it did follow the basic tropes of the genre and the other films in the series, but it was not executed all that well. It felt rushed and a bit incoherent. Now that I am aware of Toler’s condition during filming, it does seem the studio was rather ruthlessly trying to make as much money as possible from a star who was terribly sick.

I do think the Charlie Chan movies themselves are worth some viewing time due to the cultural impact at the time of release, but I also believe this particular film deserves a pass. The actors did their best, but the script did little to help.

Film Review: Bart Sees It All

~ Peter Kanelis ~ Leave a comment

The Night Clerk is an almost painfully mediocre suspense film written and directed by Micchael Cristofer about a motel clerk with Asperger’s Syndrome who sets up cameras in rooms to spy on guests so he can learn how to imitate their mannerisms. He apparently believes this will help him be less socially awkward.

Tye Sheridan is in the lead as Bart Bromley with Ana de Armas, John Leguizamo, Helen Hunt, and Johnathan Schaech included in the pretty small cast.

Bart finds that he is the lead suspect when a pretty lady is found dead in the motel room with him in the vicinity. He is assigned by a sympathetic boss to another location where he meets another pretty lady who flirts with him and reveals that she is in an affair with a married man. The detective, played by Leguizamo, continues to hound the hapless Bart while the real killer is desperate to cover his tracks.

This is a bit of a knock-off of Alfred Hitchcock’s Rear Window, which isn’t a bad source for inspiration even if it has been overcooked over the years. The cast is solid enough with convincing performances; however, it just feels so slow. There are no real surprises. Bart does come off as a bit creepy at times, so I found it hard to maintain any real sympathy for him. An actress of Helen Hunt’s caliber feels wasted in the role as Bart’s protective mother. There are also times where it feels that the killer takes a somewhat more convoluted approach than necessary to keep his secret. I can go on and on, but I have a full plate today.

The bright spots in this film were there but seemed a little muted at times. Overall, I think audiences have seen this kind of setup too many times, and Cristofer really doesn’t offer up much in the way of an interesting or unique twist. I didn’t really care much about the protagonist in spite of him being inflicted with a very challenging condition. Sheridan does do a solid job in his portrayal, but that wasn’t enough for me to muster up any real appreciation for the film as a whole.