Cindy Prascik's Reviews of First Man and Bad Times at the El Royale

Dearest Blog: Yesterday it was off to Marquee Cinemas for First Man and Bad Times at the El Royale.

 

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

 

First on my agenda: First Man.

 

Some stuff you know and probably a lot you didn't know about Neil Armstrong, the first man to walk on the moon.

 

First Man is approximately 90% Things-I-Hate-About-Awards-Type-Movies, but I still enjoyed it more than I expected to. Ryan Gosling is terrific in the lead, and his supporting cast--led by the extraordinary Claire Foy--has no trouble keeping pace. The story of Armstrong's personal life is almost as fascinating as his road to the moon, and the film gives equal screen time to each. An over-abundance of extreme close-ups is effective in depicting claustrophobic cockpit conditions, but it gets awkward when it's just folks talking science or eating dinner. Likewise, jiggly camera work and very dark shots work well in putting the viewer inside the craft--often under terrifying circumstances--but otherwise are plain annoying. The movie could have used a bit of a trim, but it never really drags or feels bloated; ultimately the amazing story outweighs any flaws in the filmmaking. Closing with full disclosure: for the duration, all I could think of was Lincoln Osiris trying to re-enter the Earth's atmosphere in an old refrigerator box, which is why they don't let me vote for the Oscars.

First Man clocks in at 141 minutes and is rated PG13 for "some thematic content involving peril, and brief strong language."

 

First Man is a flawed telling of a great story, well worth your movie dollar. 

 

Of a possible nine Weasleys, First Man gets seven and a half.

 

Fangirl points: So many much-loved faces in this one! Shea Whigham! Corey Stoll! Ciaran Hinds! Pablo Schreiber! Brian d'Arcy James! Mister Cory Michael Smith!

 

Next on the docket, one of my most-anticipated titles of the year, Bad Times at the El Royale.

 

Mystery abounds at a past-its-prime hotel that straddles the state line between California and Nevada.

From the trailers, I expected Bad Times at the El Royale to be darkly funny, but instead it's mostly just dark. Smart, twisty storytelling and an exceptional cast should be the envy of Hollywood, with Chris Hemsworth, Cynthia Erivo, and Jeff Bridges turning in exceptionally strong performances. El Royale has layers to spare, and just when you think you've got it figured out, another one peels off to reveal something unexpected. The film boasts superb production design and a strong score by Michael Giacchino. I can't go into much detail without spoiling important plot points, but there are some disturbing and uncomfortable moments that lend a grim tone to the whole, ultimately making it less fun than it might have been, but no less brilliant.

 

Bad Times at the El Royale runs 141 minutes and is rated R for "strong violence, language, some drug content, and brief nudity."

 

Bad Times at the El Royale is one of the best movies I've seen this year...but I probably wouldn't watch it again. 

 

Of a possible nine Weasleys, Bad Times at the El Royale gets seven, which would have been eight but for a mean and unnecessary dig at my beautiful home state of West Virginia.

 

Fangirl points: You know it's officially awards season when Shea Whigham starts turning up in everything!

 

Until next time...

MOVIE REVIEW: VENOM

Journalist Eddie Brock is trying to take down Carlton Drake, the notorious and brilliant founder of the Life Foundation. While investigating one of Drake's experiments, Eddie's body merges with the alien Venom -- leaving him with superhuman strength and power. Twisted, dark and fueled by rage, Venom tries to control the new and dangerous abilities that Eddie finds so intoxicating.

Director: Ruben Fleischer

Cast: Tom Hardy, Michelle Williams, Riz Ahmed, Jenny Slate, Scott Haze, Reid Scott

Release Date: October 5, 2018

 

Genres: Action , Horror , Sci-Fi

Rated PG-13 for intense sequences of sci-fi violence and action, and for language

Runtime: 1h 36 min

Review:

Venom is a strange silly film that is saved by Tom Hardy’s commitment.  Ruben Fleisher’s movie is loud, tonally erratic and occasionally enjoyable.  When it works it works mostly due to Hardy who’s having a blast in the film.  He’s so incredibly watchable that it almost makes you forget the movie and its overall plot is so basic and tired.  Riz Ahmed and Michelle Williams on the other hand seem to be collecting paychecks.  Neither seems to be terribly excited about their characters probably because their so simplistic and one dimensional.  Fleishcher seems to be channeling 90’s movies for some reason.  Some of the action sequences, like a motorcycle/car chase, feel like they’ve been pulled right out of Michael Bay’s The Rock.  Hardy, to his credit, keeps it from being an outright disaster and if there’s a sequel hopefully it gives him a better overall film.

C+

Cindy Prascik's Reviews of Venom and A Star is Born

  

Dearest Blog: Yesterday it was off to Marquee Cinemas for the "strange bedfellows" double-bill of Venom and A Star is Born.

 

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

 

First on the docket: Venom.

 

A down-on-his-luck video-journalist unwittingly merges with an alien life form, turning his world upside down.

 

Venom is a disaster. It's a big miss from Marvel, a company noted for not missing even when all it has to offer is Ant-Man. If not for the supreme good fortune of having Tom Hardy in the lead, the movie would be utterly unwatchable. Thankfully, Hardy seems to be having a blast, which makes at least his performance good fun. The rest is, unfortunately, so stupid as to be no fun at all. With its horrific-looking aliens and an overload of carnage, the movie's PG13 rating feels disingenuous; maybe if they'd tossed in an extra F-word and gone full R the finished product wouldn't seem so lame. A told-to-death backstory, underwhelming effects, and idiotic humor ruin any chance of caring about the characters or what is happening to them. If the Captain Marvel trailer made me think a time is coming when comic-book movies will no longer be must-see for me, then Venom certainly drove home the point. In the immortal words of Nathan from The Full Monty, "That were crap."

Venom clocks in at 112 minutes and is rated PG13 for "intense sequences of sci-fi violence and action, and for language."

 

Venom ranks among the worst movies I've seen in 2018. 

 

Of a possible nine Weasleys, Venom gets two.

 

Next up, the third big-screen rendering of A Star is Born.

 

A superstar musician takes on a talented protege, and romance ensues.

 

Dear reader(s): A Star is Born forces me to offer warring disclaimers. If I'm predisposed to view romantic films with disdain, I'm (at least) equally inclined to love any movie about music or musicians. It is to this film's credit that it's so good I don't think either had much influence on my opinion of the whole.

 

There are a great many positives here, so we'll start with the most obvious: the performances of the film's leads, Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga. I dig Bradley Cooper. Since The A-Team came out in 2010, my ringtone has been Steely Dan's Reelin' in the Years, so when the phone rings I can hope it's Bradley Cooper. (Spoiler alert: It's never Bradley Cooper.) I will watch Cooper in anything, and I think he elevates any project lucky enough to have him. At this point, it should be no surprise to anyone that he is amazing, though at times I still worry he's so ridiculously good-looking as to be sold short. Here he's no less than Oscar worthy, and (now that Gary Oldman has his!), I genuinely hope that this is Cooper's year. In his debut behind the camera, his top-notch direction may garner him additional hardware. Gaga is also terrific. She's served well by her own experiences, and I won't be at all surprised if she, too, bathes in awards love this winter. The picture's original songs are solid, though I much preferred the guitar-driven numbers performed by Cooper's band to Gaga's epic ballads. If you're still having a hard time getting over all the accolades heaped on LaLa Land's lackluster songs and middling vocals, this movie should be the cure for what ails you. The film runs a bit long, and the story is sort-of hokey at times--as love stories are--but it's well told enough and the characters so engaging that it's a petty quibble. I don't think it's spoilery to warn that A Star is Born is a tearjerker--the woman behind me was sobbing so hard I thought we were going to have to call the EMTs--so bring the Kleenex.

 

A Star is Born runs 135 minutes and is rated R for "language throughout, some sexuality/nudity, and substance abuse."

 

A Star is Born offers a new take on a timeless tale, showcasing some truly extraordinary performances and firing perhaps the first real shots of this awards season.

 

Of a possible nine Weasleys, A Star is Born gets eight.

 

Fangirl points: Look, there's really no need for me to say any more about Bradley Cooper, but...did I mention Bradley Cooper with long hair and a guitar? *sigh*

 

Until next time...

 

MOVIE REVIEW: A STAR IS BORN

Seasoned musician Jackson Maine discovers -- and falls in love with -- struggling artist Ally. She has just about given up on her dream to make it big as a singer until Jackson coaxes her into the spotlight. But even as Ally's career takes off, the personal side of their relationship is breaking down, as Jackson fights an ongoing battle with his own internal demons.

Director: Bradley Cooper

Cast: Bradley Cooper, Lady Gaga, Andrew Dice Clay, Dave Chappelle, Sam Elliott

Release Date: October 5, 2018

Genres: Drama , Music , Romance

Rated R for language throughout, some sexuality/nudity and substance abuse

Runtime: 2h 15min

Review:

Bradley Cooper’s directorial debut, A Star is Born, is remarkable on various fronts.  Remakes are typically hit or miss with the majority of them paling in comparison to the originals.  Even more difficult is making an engaging remake of a film that’s been made three times beforehand with the 70’s Kris Kristofferson and Barbra Streisand film being the most recent.  Through strong performances and a steady hand behind the camera, Bradley Cooper pulls off the impressive feat of making this film engaging even though the entire thing feels incredibly familiar.  Cooper’s directorial style is an interesting mix of Clint Eastwood’s naturalism and steady sense of melancholy similar to Mike Figgis Leaving Las Vegas.  It’s a beautiful film to look at but his most impressive accomplishment is bringing out some incredible performances from his cast.  First and foremost, Cooper delivers one of the best performances of his career.  Cooper loses himself entirely in the part not mention he learned how to sing in order to perform the original songs.  Lady Gaga is equally impressive mainly because she turns in a naturalistic performance that feels real throughout even the film is pretty much a musical fairytale.  Gaga and Cooper are incredibly engaging together for the entire runtime but their supporting players that populate the film make the story feel lived in and real.  I expect a handful of people will be surprised by the performances turned in by Dave Chappelle, Andrew Dice Clay and Sam Elliott.  Each has small moments but they are all memorable with Sam Elliott delivering an awards worthy performance.  There are a few hiccups but they are minor.  The film could use a bit of trimming here and there, particularly in the last act, and a few cookie cutter characters which merely serve the plot.  Regardless, A Star is Born is a real achievement for everyone involved. 

A-

MOVIE REVIEW: HELL FEST

On Halloween night, three young women and their respective boyfriends head to Hell Fest -- a ghoulish traveling carnival that features a labyrinth of rides, games and mazes. They soon face a bloody night of terror when a masked serial killer turns the horror theme park into his own personal playground.

Director: Gregory Plotkin

Cast: Amy Forsyth, Bex Taylor-Klaus, Reign Edwards, Tony Todd

Release Date: September 28, 2018

Genres: Horror

Rated R for horror violence, and language including some sexual references

Runtime: 1h 29min

Review:

Hell Fest is a bit of an enigma of a film.  It’s a fairly competent slasher film that’s as forgettable as its cast.  The central plot and setting is fun but it never seems to take advantage of it.  The sets make for some fun sequences but none of it is terribly memorable.  Instead we get a straight forward Halloween / Friday the 13^th clone that lacks any semblance of self awareness.  The cast is made up of terribly bland actors who serve as nothing more than cannon fodder for the killer.  There’s a bit of fun in figuring out who will get killed first but even that’s fairly predictable.  Hell Fest is the type of film that makes for decent Saturday afternoon watching on cable even though you’ll forget you saw it moments after it ends.

C

Cindy Prascik's Review of The House With a Clock in Its Walls

Dearest Blog: Though the weekend cinema offered little of any promise, Friday I headed up to Marquee Cinemas for The House With a Clock in Its Walls.

 

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

 

A boy comes to live with his uncle in a creepy old house that holds a dangerous secret.

 

Mama always said, "If you can't say anything nice, don't say anything at all." While that might not be *entirely* possible, we'll start with the positives here. The House With a Clock in Its Walls looks gorgeous. The score and cinematography set an eerie, magical tone that briefly gave me hope the film might be better than I anticipated. Cate Blanchett is mesmerizing, even punching well below her weight class, and, though the execution fails, the story itself is reasonably solid. The negatives, starting with the obvious: Kid actors are a crapshoot. Very few are good; more often you just hope they aren't bad enough or featured enough to be distracting. Owen Vaccaro is both bad enough and featured enough to be distracting, and Jack Black is more annoying than quirky or amusing as his oddball uncle. The last quarter of the movie features some inexplicably hokey effects, and, while the humor is rarely crass, a handful of bodily-function jokes aren't funny and certainly don't elevate the whole. The picture hadn’t reached its halfway point before the only clock I cared about was the one that would tell me it was over.

 

The House With a Clock in Its Walls runs 104 minutes and is rated PG for "thematic elements, including sorcery, some action, scary images, rude humor, and language."

 

The House With a Clock in Its Walls represents a sad misfire on what should have become a Halloween-season classic. 

 

Of a possible nine Weasleys, The House With a Clock in Its Walls gets four.

 

Until next time...