MOVIE REVIEW: BILL & TED FACE THE MUSIC

A visitor from the future tells best friends Bill and Ted that one of their songs can save life as we know it and bring harmony to the universe.

Director: Dean Parisot

Cast: Alex Winter, Keanu Reeves, Kristen Schaal, Samara Weaving, Brigette Lundy-Paine, William Sadler, Anthony Carrigan, Erinn Hayes, Jayma Mays, Holland Taylor, Kid Cudi, Jillian Bell

Release Date: August 26, 2019

Genre: Adventure, Comedy, Music

Rated PG-13 for some language

Runtime: 1 h 31 min

Review:

Bill & Ted Face The Music is a nostalgic throw back that uses the same template from the first two films with varying results.  Dean Parisot doesn’t offer up many curveballs in this belated finale.  He uses a lot of story beats fans of the original will instantly recognize but honestly it’s almost perfunctory.  The main thing all the children of the 80s wanted to see was Alex Winter and Keanu Reeves reprise their iconic roles.  Both slip back into their characters with relative ease and it hard not smile once we see and hear these two back on the screen.  Its fun to see them back in their roles but it’s also hard to ignore the fact that they are 50 year old men still talking like stoner teenagers.  Still they do a great job of capturing the optimistic spirit of the originals. Samara Weaving and Brigette Lundy-Paine are both good fun with the latter delivering an impressive impersonation of her on screen father.  The story itself is a bit of a mixed bag since it’s more of a collection of fan service moments held together by the main conceit.  It’s an issue that’s kind of hardwired into their DNA of the franchise so it’s hard to blame this final entry too much. This film is only an hour and a half but it does drag in spots because of the thin story holding it all together.  Bill & Ted Face The Music is a fun albeit unnecessary series capper. 

C+

MOVIE REVIEW: THE NEW MUTANTS

Magik, Wolfsbane and other teenage mutants try to come to grips with their superpowers while staying at a secret facility.

Director: Josh Boone

Cast: Maisie Williams, Anya Taylor-Joy, Charlie Heaton, Alice Braga, Blu Hunt, Henry Zaga
Release Date: August 26, 2019

Genre: Action, Horror, Sci-Fi

Rated PG-13 for violent content, some disturbing/bloody images, some strong language, thematic elements and suggestive material

Runtime: 1 h 40 min

Review:

The New Mutants is a film that has faced more adversity than any film should.  Delays and possible reshoots because of studio issues then Covid-19 made it seems like the film had been snake bitten.  Finally the film hit the screens and you wonder if any of it was worth it.  Sadly, Josh Boone’s film isn’t really worth the wait since it’s a generic superhero film with just hints of horror in its soul.  The latter is the biggest issue since the movie can’t seem to make up its mind if it wants to go all in with the horror aspect it toys with.  It never really makes up its minds leaving the film a hodgepodge of both genres worst impulses while never nailing one.  Boone’s film feels like a relic from the 90s or early 2000s with its wooden thinly drawn characters and dialogue.  The biggest problem is that there is a talented capable cast on board who are all wasted throughout.  Maisie Williams & Anya Taylor-Joy come out looking the best but you can tell both are screaming for better material.  Taylor-Joy in particular is seeping with talent and she would have nailed a better interpretation of her character given the chance.  Blu Hunt is the defacto lead of the whole thing which is a terrible thing since she and her character are the most boring thing about the whole endeavor. At some point during its incredibly predicable finale, you wonder if all it’s trial and tribulations coming to screen happened for a reason.


C

Cindy Prascik's Review of Bill & Ted Face the Music

Dearest reader(s), yesterday marked the day I knew would arrive: I had the choice of seeing a brand new release at the cinema, or paying more to watch it at home. I thought it would be a hard call, but ultimately it was pretty easy to choose staying home. I'll be interested to see if it remains so once the health threat is removed. If you were presented with the same choice, I'd be curious to hear what you decided and why.

At any rate, on the docket this weekend was the long-awaited three-quel Bill & Ted Face the Music.

Spoiler level here will be mild, nothing you wouldn't know from the trailers.

Bill S. Preston and Ted "Theodore" Logan still struggle to fulfill the prophecy that said their music one day would save the world.

Face the Music finds our middle-aged heroes with wives, children, and suspiciously nice homes for guys who don't appear to do anything besides jam in their garages. Alas, they are yet to fulfill or move on from the long-ago prophecy that a song they've written will somehow unite and save the world. When a messenger from the future informs them that they have less than a day before time and space are destroyed, the most excellent friends embark on more time travels in the hope that their future selves have the song.

At a certain age, most things come with a whiff of nostalgia. Face the Music works not necessarily because it's the epitome of stellar filmmaking, but because it gives us characters we love in a story we need right now. The movie is sweet enough that its predictably dopey plot is easy to forgive, and — while there are some faces fans will be happy to see among supporting players — it is markedly less entertaining when Bill (Alex Winter) and Ted (Keanu Reeves) are absent from the screen. The big finish offers few surprises, but the movie's optimism is such a delightful light in this dark year that it hardly matters.

Bill & Ted Face the Music clocks in at a quick 88 minutes and is rated PG13 for some language.

Bill & Ted Face the Music isn't a movie that'll change the world, but I can't help thinking we'd be better off if it could. Of a possible nine Weasleys, Bill & Ted Face the Music gets seven and a half.

Until next time, friends, be excellent to each other.

MOVIE REVIEW: UNHINGED

Unhinged is a 2020 American thriller film directed by Derrick Borte, from a screenplay by Carl Ellsworth. The film stars Russell Crowe, Caren Pistorius, Gabriel Bateman, Jimmi Simpson and Austin P. McKenzie. The film follows a young woman who is harassed by a seemingly unstable stranger following a road rage incident.

Director: Derrick Borte

Cast: Russell Crowe, Caren Pistorius, Gabriel Bateman, Jimmi Simpson, Austin P. McKenzie

Release Date: August 21, 2019

Genre: Action, Thriller

Rated R for strong violent content, and language throughout.

Runtime: 1 h 30min

Review:

Unhinged is best explained as a good bad movie.  Derrick Borte’s mallet punch to the face of film is thoroughly entertaining for the duration of its runtime.  It’s a brutal trip into madness that makes this film feel more like a horror film than a straightforward thriller.  At its center is Russell Crowe who bulked up considerably around the waist to play an embodiment of white male rage.  His performance is far better than the film deserves, so much so that you’d wish that the script had taken a more nuanced approach to his character.  Instead it’s a grotesque caricature that Crowe makes intriguing as we watch his sweaty terror bear rampage throughout the film.  Caren Pistoruis is saddled with a character that isn’t terribly fleshed out or intelligent.  Pistoruis main goal is to react to the terror unfolding upon her.  There are plenty of ham fisted attempts a social allegory but are about as blunt as they come.  It’s a shame that the story and characters are so simplistic because you get the feeling that there is plenty of themes that cold have been explored to make a truly thought provoking film.    


C+

MOVIE REVIEW: PROJECT POWER

A former soldier teams up with a cop to find the source behind a dangerous pill that provides temporary superpowers.

Director: Henry Joost, Ariel Schulman

Cast: Jamie Foxx, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Dominique Fishback, Colson Baker, Rodrigo Santoro, Amy Landecker, Allen Maldonado

Release Date: August 14, 2019

Genre: Action, Crime, Sci-Fi

Rated R for violence, bloody images, drug content and some language

Runtime: 1 h 51 min

Review:

Project Power is the type of film that instantly feels dated even though it’s trying so hard to be edgy and kinetic.  Henry Joost and Ariel Schulman direct this film like they are trying to emulate early 2000 era Michael Bay.  It’s not as garish or stylized as those films but it gets really close.  The weird part is that Bay’s bombastic style typically elicits some sort of reaction whether it be enjoyment or revulsion.  Project Power though doesn’t do that, instead it leaves you generally disinterested.  The conceit is basically a superhero movie mixed with the same general idea from Limitless.  The film’s logic is spotty at best and the actual plot feels generic and tired.  There’s not a single moment during this nearly 2 hour mess that feels fresh or new.  It’s all been done before and typically much better than presented here.  The film’s saving grace is Jamie Foxx and Joseph Gordon-Levitt who dive into the film and roles with noticeable gusto plus a strong supporting turn from Dominique Fishback keeps it from being a total mess.  It’s a shame because Project Power could have been a much more fun movie than what’s on the screen. 


C-

MOVIE REVIEW: THE WRETCHED

A defiant teenage boy, struggling with his parent's imminent divorce, faces off with an old witch who has possessed the neighbour next door.

Director: Brett Pierce, Drew T. Pierce

Cast: John-Paul Howard, Piper Curda, Zarah Mahler, Kevin Bigley, Gabriela Quezada Bloomgarden, Richard Ellis, Blane Crockarell, Jamison Jones, and Azie Tesfai

Release Date: May 1, 2020

Genre: Horror 

Rated R for sexual content and some nudity 

Runtime: 1h 36min

Review:

The Wretched is the type of film that feels familiar right from the start with The sheer number is "witch next door" stories it's nearly impossible fit not to be instantly recognizable    This entry is never terrifying but directors Brett & Drew Pierce do set up a handful of effective jump scares throughout.  Outside of those moments, the film feels more like a love letter to those type of films with a decent sense of self awareness.  Seasoned horror fans will likely find plenty of familiar beats throughout, but it’s all shot and performed effectively which makes it an easy watch.  On the downside, the majority of the characters are about as one dimensional as they come.  John-Paul Howard does decent work in the lead but he's decidedly bland which works against the film's insistence that his character is a bad boy.  Piper Curda suffers from the same fate but they do what they can with neither being bad or boring enough to be distracting.  Zarah Mahler does the heaviest lifting as the central vessel for the villainous witch.  She’s creepy enough but you are kind of left wishing the movie had used her a bit more to make her character more formidable and memorable.  The Wretched is an easily disposable horror film that gets high marks for solid direction and performances, it'll likely never end up on any top ten list, but it doesn't really aspire to.


C+

MOVIE REVIEW: YES, GOD, YES

A Catholic girl finds herself having tempting thoughts after an AOL chat turns unexpectedly racy.

Director: Karen Maine

Cast: Natalia Dyer, Parker Wierling, Susan Blackwell, Timothy Simons, Wolfgang Novogratz, Alisha Boe, Donna Lynne Champlin, Francesca Reale 

Release Date: July 24, 2019

Genre: Comedy, Drama

Rated R for sexual content and some nudity 

Runtime: 1h 18min

Review:

The biggest thing that Karen Maine's newest film has going for it is its tangible sense of authenticity that seeps through the story and performances.  The film itself is a study in subtly with every directorial choice being measured and tempered.  Coming of age films, especially those dealing with adolescent sexuality, tend to lean more towards hyperbole or caricature.  Maine's film goes the opposite direction, opting to keep the entire proceedings honest and relatable.  This approach makes the laughs and awkward situations land with much more punch.  Natalia Dyer is perfectly cast in the lead role, she never overplays her scenes, delivering a performance that communicated through reactions more so than dialogue.  The script is lean but it's savvy enough to critique hypocrisies and contradictions involved while coming to terms with the protagonist's burgeoning sexuality.  The supporting actors each have small moments to shine but it's mostly Dyer's vehicle to drive and she's more than capable in the lead.  Yes, God, Yes isn't breaking any new ground per say as traverses over some well-worn themes and topics, but it does so with a level of authenticity that makes you care about the personal journey the main character is going through.

A-

MOVIE REVIEW: AN AMERICAN PICKLE

An immigrant worker falls into a vat of pickles and is brined for 100 years. The brine preserves him perfectly, and when he emerges in present day Brooklyn, he finds that he hasn't aged a day.

Director: Brandon Trost

Cast: Seth Rogen, Sarah Snook, Molly Evensen, Eliot Glazer, Kalen Allen

Release Date: August 6, 2019

Genre: Comedy

Rated PG-13 for some language and rude humor

Runtime: 1 h 28 min

Review:

An American Pickle is a fun farce that’s a bit more nuanced than it deserves to be.  The film has a light tone that makes it easier to overlook some of the choppiness in the story.  Brandon Trost skill’s as a director are still a bit raw and it shows in the uneven flow which leaves some dead spots here and there.  That being said Seth Rogen seems far more engaged than usual here playing the dual roles.  His two roles aren’t going to win any awards for subtleness but they are fun caricatures which work well for the film.  The film veers into various themes which hint at bigger ideas but sadly they aren’t explored in any sort of real depth.  What is surprising is its central theme of family and respecting your past gives the movie some real heart.  It gives the film a bit more depth than you’d except and is likely to leave a smile on your face once this brisk film is over. 


B-

Cindy Prascik's Review of The Go-Go's

Well, dear reader(s), with my local cinema forced to shut down again, this week I continued to throw myself on the mercy of home viewing, which, thankfully, cooperated with a promising new release, the music documentary "The Go-Go's."

I don't know that a documentary can actually be spoiled, but if you're not familiar with the Go-Go's story and you'd like to keep it that way until you've seen the film, kindly wait to read until after you've watched it. Without spoiling anything, I can unhesitatingly recommend the movie to fans and yet-to-be fans alike.

"The Go-Go's" follows the legendary girl group from its beginnings in the L.A. punk scene through its heyday in the 80s and beyond. While there's nothing especially compelling about the filmmaking, the songs and the band's achievements are remarkable.

A fact you probably know: In 1981, the Go-Go's debut album, Beauty and the Beat, reached number one on the Billboard 200 chart, where it spent the next six weeks, making the Go-Go's the first all-girl group to write its own songs and play its own instruments all the way to a number-one album. A fact you may not know: Nearly 40 years later, that feat has yet to be duplicated.

This film uses great old photos (many that appear to be from the band members' own collections), fantastic concert footage, and both archival and current interviews to recollect the Go-Go's extraordinary ride. Formed in Los Angeles, the girls started out as a punk outfit, and once served as the house band at the Whisky, where they connected with English ska legends Madness and the Specials. After opening for both bands on a UK tour, the Go-Go's returned home, changed bassists, and began honing their rough punk sound to power-pop stylings with a wider appeal. Minus the aforementioned chart-topping feat, their story reads much like hundreds of other groups: breakups and make-ups, management issues, and battles with substance-related demons. The film addresses personal matters only as much as they affect the band; aside from a few off-the-cuff mentions of youthful parental clashes and somewhat-less-youthful romantic entanglements, the ladies' personal lives are mostly left out of it. The movie follows the band right up to the present day, fresh off its own Broadway musical and staring down a new record and a(nother) reunion tour. In addition to the five longest-standing band members — Jane Wiedlin, Charlotte Caffey, Belinda Carlyle, Gina Schock, and Kathy Valentine — there are interviews with former band members, the band's original manager, and a handful of touring companions, among others. First-person testimony of the band's influence is sadly limited to Bikini Kill singer Kathleen Hanna. It is probably the film's greatest failing that it didn't go wider there, as I'm sure there are many women who started and joined bands because of the trail blazed by the Go-Go's. Ultimately, though, the movie succeeds on the strength of the band's songs, which sound as strong and fresh as they ever did.

"The Go-Go's" clocks in at 97 minutes and is unrated. For those who mind such things, there are a fair few F-bombs and plenty of drug references.

If the film "The Go-Go's" is a bit pedestrian, the music and accomplishments of the Go-Go's are anything but. Of a possible nine Weasleys, "The Go-Go's" gets eight.

"The Go-Go's" is now playing on Showtime, and is available to Showtime subscribers via their cable or dish service's VOD service, and on Showtime's streaming service Showtime Anytime.

Until next time...

MOVIE REVIEW: AMULET

Terror strikes when a former soldier takes a job to help a young woman and her housebound mother.

Director: Romola Garai

Cast: Dan Carla Juri, Imelda Staunton, Alec Secarean, Angeliki Papoulia

Release Date: July 24, 2020

Genres: Horror

Rated R for some strong violence, bloody images, a sexual assault, and brief language and nudity

Runtime: 1h 39min

Review:

Amulet, Romola Garai directorial debut, is a bit of a throwback to 70s style horror films like Rosemary’s Baby or Suspuria.  There is an incredibly slow build in this visually aggressive film which makes you think you are watching one type of film before it turns into something much different and far stranger than you think.  Garai displays some impressive talent behind the camera but people expecting shocks and bloody thrills may check out before the film reaches its crescendo.  The first two thirds of the film feels like a slow burn prestige drama which is fairly engaging because of two fairly strong performances from the leads.  Carla Juri & Alec Secarean both create fully formed characters with each leaving a lasting impression especially once the film’s bag of tricks is fully unleashed.  Imelda Staunton has a small role but her appearances do enough to leave you unsettled.  While the film does a lot right it’s not a perfect film with its snail’s pace being the most glaring issue.  Garai is definitely going for a more artful approach but at times she does boarder on self indulgent with shots or sequences which leaves the film feeling much longer than its actual runtime.  Still it’s hard not to be impressed with the film as a whole especially during its nutty finale. 

B