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

MOVIE REVIEW: THE RENTAL

Two couples on an oceanside getaway grow suspicious that the host of their seemingly perfect rental house may be spying on them. Before long, what should have been a celebratory weekend trip turns into something far more sinister.

Director: Dave Franco

Cast: Dan Stevens, Alison Brie, Sheila Vand, Jeremy Allen White, Toby Huss

Release Date: July 24, 2020

Genres: Horror, Thriller

Rated R for violence, language throughout, drug use and some sexuality

Runtime: 1h 29min

Review:

Dave Franco’s debut film is polished but inconsistent.  Franco does a good job of setting up the interpersonal dynamics which gives us a palatable sense of tension from the get go.  He lets it simmer until it comes to boil in the final act with gruesome results.  Unfortunately, most horror fans will see most twist coming a mile away and it’s ultimately a retread of countless home terror type films like The Strangers.  Still a strong cast led by the ever reliable Dan Stevens keeps the whole thing watchable.  He and his cast have great chemistry together which makes these characters feel like living breathing people and not just fodder for the meat grinder.  This gives the film an air of authenticity that makes it easier to overlook some of the story’s shortcomings.  Those horror fans looking for something super gruesome or supernatural will be left wanting because this film is solely focused on the terrible things people do which ultimately might be scarier than anything.

B-