Radius - very good Canadian thriller

2024

New on Hulu


"Labeled as a deadbeat by his ex and a failure by his mother, Lousy Carter seems to be falling apart. When he learns he only has six months to live, one of his students offers him one last chance to live his dream."

Krumholtz is underrated but maybe since it was hot I was not in the mood for a comedy.

Maybe it was the role but he has gained a lot of weight and hope he is ok.

Soft & Quiet - What. The. FUCK?!

Back to Black Universal Blu-ray
Marisa Abela. Directed by Sam Taylor-Johnson. 2024
The life and music of Amy Winehouse, through the journey of adolescence to adulthood and the creation of one of the best-selling albums of our time.

I didn't know much about Amy Winehouse going into the film, other than they tried to make her go to rehab, and she died very young. Marisa Abela seemed credible to me as Amy, and she seems to do a nice approximation of her singing voice. Abela brings a lot of charm and a lot of shade to what is a pretty routine self-destructive artist story. The music is entertaining, and while Sam Taylor-Johnson is a competent director, two hours for such a basic story seems overly indulgent and a bit too been there-done that.

Under Suspicion (2000) — Well acted mystery-crime-drama from Morgan Freeman and Gene Hackman plus some interesting direction and storytelling with the flashbacks inserting Freeman's police inspector with Hackman's recollection of his memory of the event. That said, even with their great back and forth, I felt like the film could've been so much better. ***¼/***** (DVD)

The Fall Guy Universal Blu-Ray
Ryan Gosling, Emily Blunt. Directed by David Leitch. 2024
Colt Seavers is a stuntman who left the business a year earlier to focus on both his physical and mental health. He's drafted back into service when the star of a mega-budget studio movie, which is being directed by his ex, goes missing.

"The Fall Guy" was expected to be a big hit, and Universal made it the "opener" for Summer 2024. It ended up being a disappointment, with a lot of people trying to figure out why it didn't draw paying audiences to the theater and predicting gloom and doom for Hollywood this summer (which wasn't the case). I really expected it to enjoy the film, and built my Friday evening around it, but I ended up feeling lukewarm towards it, unsure of why it didn't work for me.

I will say that Universal put together a nice Blu-Ray package (which is matched by the 4K). Two discs featuring both the Theatrical version and a 20-minute longer "Extended" version with a lot of Bonus material.
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Such an iconic film!

Over The Edge TCM
Matt Dillon. Directed by Jonathan Kaplan. 1979
New Grenada is a planned community set in the desert where there is nothing for the kids to do, save for a rec center - which closes at 6 PM. The parents, in their zeal to attract industry to their town, have all but neglected their children. As a result, the kids begin to create their own entertainment, which involves vandalism, theft, and general hooliganism.

A mostly overlooked "Troubled Youth" movie that has gained cult status over the years. It's certainly the progenitor of later movies like Larry Clark's "Kids" or Tim Hunter's "The River's Edge" and Richard Linklater cited the film as an influence on "Dazed and Confused". The cast is very young (it was skinny punk Matt Dillon's debut), but they give natural, credible performances. It's a dark film, and the frustrations of the characters, -both the kids and the adults, -are palpable. The violence at the climax -mostly wanton destruction- is way over the top and the film really offers no answers with the final scenes seeming inevitable. "Over The Edge" is an interesting but dated film and I found the adults' situation (at least some of them) more sympathetic than the kids (or, at least, most of them). Perhaps that's because I'm an old man...

The Long Game Netflix
Jay Hernandez, Dennis Quaid. Directed by Julio Quintana. 2023
In 1955, five young Mexican-American caddies, out of the love for the game, were determined to learn how to play, so they created their own golf course in the middle of the South Texas desert. Despite having outdated and inferior equipment they would go on to compete against wealthy all-white teams in the 1957 Texas State High School Golf Championship.

Uplifting Inspirational Sports film based on a true story. The cast does a fine job and Jay Hernandez is solid as the lead. Sure, the story is predictable, but sometimes that's good enough. My only quibble is that this is a "Period" film, and it looks like a fresh coat of paint, which gives "The Long Game" a bit of a TV-Movie vibe.

The Reaping (2007) — Watchable enough supernatural horror (in the vein of The Omen I guess), there's not a whole lot that was memorable save maybe for the finale. Hilary Swank felt like she was mailing it in as I didn't have much emotion in spite of her character's tragic background while Idris Elba, as great of an as he is, didn't make much of a mark and felt wasted. Can't say I was once scared but in fairness, these type of horror movies rarely do much for me. **¾/***** (DVD)

The Equalizer 3

The Inspectors (1998) — Solid thriller that works thanks to Louis Gossett Jr. and to some extent Silverman. It does have a pretty slow second act and like CSI probably gives these Postal Inspectors more to do than in reality, but still I found it entertaining. ***½/***** (DVD)

Deadpool & Wolverine
Ryan Reynolds, Hugh Jackman. Directed by Shawn Levy. 2024
A listless Wade Wilson toils away in civilian life with his days as the morally flexible mercenary, Deadpool, behind him. But when his homeworld faces an existential threat, Wade must reluctantly suit-up again with an even more reluctant Wolverine.

A very entertaining film for the most part, and I say this even though I'm not a fan of TVA-related storylines. Most of the gags land, though there are some sincere moments as well. Occasionally the carnage becomes a little self-indulgent.

Daredevil 20th Century Fox Blu-Ray
Ben Affleck. Directed by Mark Steven Johnson. 2003
Attorney Matt Murdock is blind, but his other four senses function with superhuman sharpness. At night, he is Daredevil, a masked vigilante stalking the dark streets of the city, a relentless avenger of justice.

Since "Deadpool & Wolverine" is Marvel's farewell to Fox, I thought I'd revisit the much derided "Daredevil". This is the darker, grittier R-Rated "Director's Cut", the only version on Blu-Ray, while the Theatrical version is only available on DVD. "Daredevil" may take a lot of crap, but I like it. Mind you, I prefer the Netflix series to the film, and Charlie Cox is the superior Matt Murdock/Daredevil; I hope the rebooted reboot of "Daredevil: Born Again" on Disney+ is far better than the usual Disney product.

A Keeper!

Loves Lies Bleeding Max 4K
Kristen Stewart, Katie O'Brian. Directed by Rose Glass. 2024
Reclusive gym manager Lou falls hard for Jackie, an ambitious bodybuilder headed through town to Vegas in pursuit of her dream. But their love ignites violence, pulling them deep into the web of Lou's criminal family.

It's hard not to watch the lurid Crime melodrama "Love Lies Bleeding" and not be reminded of The Coen Brothers' "Blood Simple" or, -because of its raw sexuality, -The Wachowskis' "Bound". All three are Noirish stories with sweaty visuals, shadows galore, and the very Indie spirit of a director that's there to show off. And that's all very cool and engaging.

The competitive Weight-Lifting angle gives the film a real distinction as well as "Roid Rage" being a specific plot motivator. Kristen Stewart gives another good performance, in a career that feels to me like she's always trying to prove herself. Ed Harris is no stranger to playing creepy villains, and he's an asset. The real standout is Katy O'Brian (I thought she was a newcomer, but she's been a minor player for a while); this was like seeing her for the first time. It's a pivotal role, and she manages to be convincing as both a weight-lifter and a vulnerable woman at the same time. I couldn't take my eyes off her whenever she was in a scene.

Director Rose Glass goes beyond the usual visual tropes of Noir homages, -the heavy shadows, the Dutch angles, -and adds Body Horror, Fantasy, and Surrealism. We also get some grotesque prosthetic make-ups and a bit of Black Comedy. It certainly makes for an indelible mix, but it also muddles the story at times. Without indulging in spoilers, I have to take one scene in particular as a metaphor or a character's fantasy, but its placement makes it tougher to recommend. I will have to get around to checking out Glass's previous film "Saint Maud".

I remember seeing "The Swimmer" for the first time on the CBS Late Movie a hundred year ago, and I was engrossed from beginning to end, knowing that we were watching a personal mystery unravel. The final scene knocked me on my ass. I can't imagine anyone at the time other than Burt Lancaster pulling that role off.

The Inspectors 2: A Shred of Evidence (2000) — Not great but still pretty entertaining for Gossett Jr. and Silverman. Does feel a lot like a pilot for a TV series in terms of production design and story. Wish this series had gone on beyond this one as both of these are fun time-wasters. ***/***** (DVD)

That was a good movie and Saint Maud does not have a lot of dialogue from what I can remember but worth a watch.

2014

"A notorious London gangster (Glen Murphy) is forced to ponder his criminal past after he mysteriously awakes in 1950s Italy."

Not sure what to make of this

Ray Winstone appears only briefly and plays a sadistic asshole.

2024

New on Hulu

"Based on a true story, The American follows one of the select few Americans, Joy Womack (Talia Ryder), to be admitted into the prestigious, but punishing, Russian Bolshoi Ballet School, where she is tutored by the vaunted Tatiyana Volkova (Diane Kruger)."

At first I thought this was a thriller or espionage movie but it is all set in the world of ballet.

Love Lies Bleeding - just finished it (on MAX) and really enjoyed it. to DWilson's description above.

2021

Expiring from Hulu and maybe moving to another streamer?

"Young, idealistic and driven to succeed, Ross Ulbricht (Nick Robinson) creates Silk Road, the internet's first unregulated marketplace. When the site becomes a multimillion dollar pipeline for illicit drugs, Ulbricht draws the attention of Rick Bowden, (Jason Clarke) a dangerously unpredictable DEA agent who uses any means necessary to take him down."

I never knew about this story though the Bowden story or angle was more interesting.

2024

New on Hulu

"Suffering from memory loss, a former homicide detective tries to solve a brutal murder that he can't recall. As he pieces together evidence from a decade-old investigation, he soon uncovers a sinister web of buried secrets tied to his forgotten past."

Karan Gillan was also in it.

Maybe the ending will surprise you or you saw it coming or just think it was ridiculous.

Netflix

I like Kumail Nanjiani but it seemed he was misplaced in this movie and kind of annoying.

Wonder if he cared more about just being in the movie and did not care about the character he played.

I wish they would just do a Ghostbusters movie with the original crew and let Paul Rudd take over the Ramis role but maybe young people would not pay to see that in the theater?

Not sure if I would buy this on 4k disc.