Category Archives: Film Review

Lisa Marie’s First Review of 2025: Beyond the Poseidon Adventure (dir by Irwin Allen)

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

On New Year’s Eve in 1972, a tragedy struck in the Aegean Sea.  Just as the clock hit midnight and its passengers wished each other a happy new year, the cruise ship Poseidon was capsized by a tidal wave.  The majority of the ship’s crew and passengers were killed in the disaster but a small group managed to climb up through the wreckage and make their way to the ship’s hull, where they were rescued.  Gene Hackman sacrificed his life so that Ernest Borgnine, Red Buttons, Jack Albertson, Carol Lynley, and Pamela Sue Martin could all survive.

We all know the story of The Poseidon Adventure and some of us have even been goaded by our sisters into singing There’s Got To Be A Morning After for karaoke night at Grandpa Tony’s.  (Grandpa Tony’s has since shut down but, for a while, it was the best place in Dallas for nachos and karaoke.)  But do you know the story of what happened after that initial group of survivors was rescued from the ship?  Have you gone Beyond The Poseidon Adventure?

First released in 1979, Beyond The Poseidon Adventure picks up directly from where the first film ended.  Mere minutes after the rescue helicopter flies off, a tugboat pulls up alongside the still capsized wreck of the Poseidon.  Needing money to pay off his debts, Captain Mike Turner (Michael Caine) has decided to declare salvage rights and claim all of the cash and jewelry that he can find in the wreckage.  Accompanying him is his mentor Dead Meat (Karl Malden) and his protegee, Annoying and Cutesy (Sally Field).  Actually, Dead Meat is named Wilbur but, as soon as Karl Malden starts to dramatically grab at his chest, viewers will know that he’s destined to heroically sacrifice himself.  Annoying and Cutesy’s real name is Celeste.  Sally Field gives perhaps the worst performance of her career as the almost always perky Celeste.  This movie came out the same year that Sally Field appeared in the film for which she won her first Oscar, Norma Rae.  I have to imagine that Field was happy to win that Oscar because it meant she would never have to do another film like Beyond The Poseidon Adventure.

Before the tugboat crew can begin to explore the Poseidon, another boat shows up.  This boat is captained by Stefan Svevo (Telly Savalas), who claims to be a doctor who is responding to an S.O.S. from the capsized ship.  Svevo and his crew insist on accompanying the tugboat crew into the Poseidon.  It’s obvious from the start that Svevo is not actually a benevolent doctor.  For one thing, the men accompanying him are armed.  For another thing, he’s played by veteran screen villain Telly Savalas.

The two crews finally enter the ship and …. hey, there’s even more people on the boat!  At the end of The Poseidon Adventure, we were told that only six people had survived the disaster but apparently, that was just a damn lie.  The ship is literally crawling with people who still haven’t gotten out.  (Why didn’t the people who rescued the first batch of survivors check to make sure that they had gotten everyone?)  There’s Tex (Slim Pickens), who says he’s from “Big D” and talks about how he owns an oil well (as we all do in Big D).  There’s Frank Mazzetti (Peter Boyle, basically playing the same loudmouth that Ernest Borgnine played in the first film) and his daughter Theresa (Angela Cartwright) and Theresa’s new boyfriend, Larry (Mark Harmon).  There’s a nurse (Shirley Jones) and a blind man (Jack Warden) and his wife (Shirley Knight).  There’s Susanne (Veronica Hamel), the cool femme fatale who has a connection to Svevo.

While Svevo searches for a crate of plutonium (what the Hell was that doing on the Poseidon?), Mike tries to get the survivors to safety.  That means once again climbing up to the hull while the ship shakes and the engines continue to explode.  Both the first film and the sequel feature the exact same footage of the engines exploding.  At this rate, I guess the Poseidon might finally sink sometime this year.

Directed by Irwin Allen (who produced the first film), Beyond The Poseidon Adventure is about as bad as a film could be.  The first film had plenty of silly moments but it also had the entertaining spectacle of Gene Hackman and Ernest Borgnine competing to see who could yell the loudest.  Beyond the Poseidon Adventure has Michael Caine and Telly Savalas both looking bored while Peter Boyle complains, “That was the worst New Year’s Party I’ve ever been to!” and Sally Field says stuff like, “I’ve been to Anzio!  It’s the pits!”  At one point, Slim Pickens says that he’s as phony as a three dollar bill.  The same could be said of this film.  Beyond The Poseidon Adventure looks and feels cheap and generates none of the suspense of the first film.

As Beyond The Poseidon Adventure ended, I found myself worrying that there might be other passengers still stuck on the ship.  I mean, apparently, it’s very easy to not only survive on a capsized cruise ship but also to be overlooked by professional rescue crews.  Unfortunately, there was not another sequel so those folks were just out of luck.

Film Review: Anora (dir. by Sean Baker)

Posted on by Leonard Wilson

I sometimes forget that as a viewer, I have no control over a movie’s storytelling process. I remember watching Clint Eastwood’s Mystic River after blind-buying it and pleading with the film during a major scene between Sean Penn and Tim Robbins’ characters. I knew why the story moved in this direction. I understood the choices each character made and what brought them to this moment, but nothing could change the events. Not my pleas, not my anger, nothing. Great film, but hard watch. What’s presented on screen is the story we’re given.

Sean Baker’s Anora is a fun film in many ways. I was a little skeptical at first, but quickly found myself invested in where this story was taking me. Before you decide to watch it, however, you should know there’s a lot of sex in the first 30 minutes or so. I don’t know how Disney’s gonna handle that one when it gets to Hulu, but hey, Alien Romulus holds up just fine with the violence involved.

Anora introduces us to Anora “Ani” Mikheeva, a sex worker who everyone at her nightclub, Headquarters, adores. When she meets Ivan (Mark Eydelshteyn), it’s business as usual. He spends a lot, was looking for a girl who could speak Russian and Ani discovers he’s the son of an oligarch. They hit things off so well that during a party in Vegas, they decide to get married. When word of the marriage reaches Ivan’s parents, they send Toros (Karran Karagulian) and two of his employees, Igor (Yuri Borisov) and Garnick (Vache Tovmasvan) to have the wedding annulled. What starts as a simple task becomes a full on quest when Ivan panics and leaves. Will the group find Ivan? And if they do, can Ani convince Ivan to uphold the marriage? That’s the gist of the film.

In some ways, the flow of Anora reminds me of Norman Jewison’s Moonstruck. We’re introduced to Ivan’s extended family, and despite all of the issues, there are some small connections made over time. As they spend time trying to locate Ivan, I loved the interactions Ani has with the group. Without revealing too much, it all comes to a head. The pacing is pretty even. For a film that’s 2 Hours and 15 minutes, you won’t even notice how fast it moves.

When it comes to acting, the entire film is carried singlehandedly on the shoulders of Mikey Madison. She was impressive in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, and she completely shines here. Ani is sexual and kind, yet fierce when it comes to fighting for what’s hers. She easily stands toe to toe with anyone she’s up against. Madison is easily due the recognition she’s received so far since the film was released. Granted, she’s not alone in all this. both Karagulian and Tomvmasvan serve as comedic foils in certain ways, which really help to move the story along. There are fine performances from all of the cast members, but these the ones who stood out, in particular.

The Cinematography is pretty standard in Anora. While there are a number of dark setting scenes, they’re all well lit. There any any shots in the film that stood out as being spectactular in any way.

The only real drawback to Anora is the direction of the story. It’s not a terrible thing. It may be more a realistic ending, more in the vein of Robert Benton’s Kramer vs. Kramer or Damien Chazelle’s Babylon, where you might find yourself hoping for one outcome, only to receive something else entirely. It doesn’t fully hurt the film. I’d argue that it might enhance it, considering how eager I was for what I wanted to see occur.

Overall, Anora is a fine film if you’re not discouraged by the sexual elements early on. You might find yourself cheering for Ani throughout her adventure, despite the directions the story takes.

THE TALL T (1957) – Budd Boetticher and Randolph Scott, a match made in heaven!

Posted on by Bradley Crain

There was a time in my life, before streaming existed, where it seemed like I wanted to buy every movie that interested me in the slightest. The main ways I looked for new movie releases was to go to a store like the Hastings Entertainment Superstore and look at their inventory, or look at the new and recent releases on Amazon’s online store. I could spend hours looking for movies in either location, and I did. Sometime in 2008, I ran across a DVD box set described as “The Films of Budd Boetticher” that contained introductions by the likes of Martin Scorsese, Taylor Hackford, and Clint Eastwood. The films included on the box set were THE TALL T, DECISION AT SUNDOWN, BUCHANAN RIDES ALONE, RIDE LONESOME, and COMANCHE STATION. I remember seeing the names of these movies at various times in my life in my movie books. They had never really caught my attention, although I do remember that they would receive good reviews. This set did catch my attention, however, based on the interesting packaging and the fact that Scorsese and Eastwood were both singing the praises of the films. I did a little bit of quick research and decided to just buy the boxset. I’m glad to report that these films have turned into some of my very favorite movies, and I sing their praises to anyone who will listen.

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The earliest movie in this set is THE TALL T from 1957, which is based on Elmore Leonard’s short story, “The Captives.” The story opens with our hero Pat Brennan (Randolph Scott) stopping by the Sassabee Stagecoach Station and visiting with the owner Hank (Fred Sherman) and his son, Jeff (Christopher Olsen). Brennan seems like a good-natured guy who has a nice visit with the two and even agrees to purchase young Jeff some striped candy when he stops in the town of Contention later that day. Brennan heads on to Contention where we meet Ed Rintoon (Arthur Hunnicutt), a stagecoach driver who has been hired to take Willard and Doretta Mims (John Hubbard and Maureen O’Sullivan) to Bisbee for their honeymoon. Rintoon and Brennan are clearly old friends. As part of their various conversations, we learn that Doretta Mims is the daughter of Old Man Gateway, the man with the richest copper claim in the territory. After saying goodbye to Rintoon and buying young Jeff his striped candy, Brennan continues on to Tenvoorde’s (Robert Burton) ranch, in hopes of buying a seed bull for his own start-up ranch. For many years, Brennan had been the ramrod on Tenvoorde’s ranch, and the old man clearly wants him to come back. Tenvoorde offers Brennan a chance to get his bull for nothing, but he has to ride the bull to a stand still. If he can’t do it, then Tenvoorde keeps the bull and Brennan’s horse. Brennan takes him up on the offer, falls off the bull, dives into water trough to avoid getting stomped by the bull, and then heads back towards his ranch with nothing but his wet clothes and saddle. As he’s walking down the road, Rintoon comes by on his stagecoach with Mr. and Mrs. Mims. They pick Brennan up and give him a ride. When they stop back at the Sassabee Stagecoach Station, Hank and Jeff are nowhere to be seen. Rather, a voice from inside the station says “Drop your guns and come on down.” Frank Usher (Richard Boone) and young Billy Jack (Skip Homeier) emerge from the station with their guns drawn. When he’s getting down off the stagecoach, Rintoon goes for his shotgun and is shot down by another man, Chink (Henry Silva), whose been waiting in the shadows. These three men are waiting to rob the next stagecoach that comes along. They’ve already killed Hank and Jeff, and are planning to kill every person on this coach, when Willard tells them that his wife Doretta is from the richest family in the territory. Willard tells the three outlaws that Old Man Gateway will pay good money to get his daughter back, if they will just let them live. Usher, the leader of the bunch, likes this idea and sends Billy Jack and Willard back to Contention to request $50,000 from Gateway for the safe return of his daughter. With the endgame changed, Usher takes Brennan and Mrs. Mims to their hideout to wait to get their money from Gateway. Brennan knows that it’s just a matter of time before they are all killed, and he tells Mrs. Mims that they will need to be looking for any possible opportunity to escape.

THE TALL T is just so good. It’s amazing how much drama that director Budd Boetticher could fit into these films that all had running times of less than 80 minutes. The story is simple, but it deals with big themes like honor, cowardice, true love, sociopathic evil, and big dreams. Credit here has to be given to Elmore Leonard, the writer of the short story the film is based on. It must also be given to Burt Kennedy. Kennedy wrote the scripts for THE TALL T, RIDE LONESOME, and COMANCHE STATION. He’s not the credited writer for BUCHANAN RIDES ALONE but he did uncredited work on the script. Kennedy would go on to have a good career writing and directing his own westerns, like SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL SHERIFF, THE TRAIN ROBBERS, and HANNIE CAULDER, but his work with Boetticher is definitely some of his very best.

It’s also amazing how spare and simple everything looks in the THE TALL T. The land is just so dry, with nothing but big rocks and not a tree in sight. Growing up in Arkansas, I’m used to green fields and trees and flowers. It can almost feel like you’re choking on dust just watching this film.

The casting always seems to be perfect in Boetticher’s films. Randolph Scott is simpatico with Boetticher. His character here is a good man who will do what it takes to survive while also keeping his honor intact. Boetticher and Scott are truly a match made in heaven. Richard Boone is great as Frank Usher, the leader of the outlaws. He could have killed Scott’s character Brennan, but he is glad to have an honorable man to talk to after spending all of his time with Billy Jack and Chink. Boone somehow makes his outlaw leader into an honorable man even though he’s done many dishonorable things. It’s an impressive feat. Maureen O’Sullivan has an important role as Doretta Mims, the rich but plain woman, who married Willard because she was afraid she’d end up all alone. Her career goes all the way back to the 1930’s where she played Jane in the original Tarzan movies. She’s a good actress whose character undergoes the widest arc in the entire movie. Henry Silva’s Chink is a sociopath who is keeping score of the number of people he kills. Boone’s Usher would have been much better off if he would have gone with Chink’s advice and put Brennan and the Mims’ in the well back at the Sassabee station! Based on his nonchalant penchant for violence, you can see how Henry Silva would go on to having an amazing career playing bad guys. The last person I want to mention in the cast is Arthur Hunnicutt, who played Ed Rintoon. Hunnicutt is special to me because he comes from the hills of Arkansas, from a little town called Gravelly. He attended the same college I attended, although it was called the Arkansas State Teachers College when he was there. It was the University of Central Arkansas when I came through. Hunnicutt specialized in wise, rural characters. He was even nominated for an Acadamy Award a few years earlier for a movie called THE BIG SKY. He’d go on to be in so many good movies, including playing “Bull” in EL DORADO with John Wayne. I’m just proud of the guy for growing up in extreme rural Arkansas and then becoming a great character actor in Hollywood. I’ll watch anything he’s in.

I recommend all of these Budd Boetticher / Randolph Scott westerns, and THE TALL T is one of the very best!

#MondayMuggers – Why 48 HRS (1982)?

Posted on by Bradley Crain

Every Monday night at 9:00 Central Time, my wife Sierra and I host a “Live Movie Tweet” event on X using the hashtag #MondayMuggers. We rotate movie picks each week, and our tastes are quite different. Tonight, Monday December 30th, we’re watching 48 HRS. starring Nick Nolte and Eddie Murphy.

So why did I pick 48 HRS., you might ask?

  1. It’s quite simply one of the best “Buddy-Cop” action comedies of all time! If you love tough, violent, badass action, as well as laughing your ass off, 48 HRS. is the perfect movie for you.
  2. Eddie Murphy made one of the great film debuts of all time with 48 HRS. After establishing himself as a comic genius on Saturday Night Live with roles like Mr. White, Buckwheat, and Mr. Robinson, Murphy absolutely steals his debut film. Nick Nolte is also great as the tough, grizzled cop, but it’s Murphy’s performance that turned this into a classic.
  3. Walter Hill directed 48 HRS. and he’s one of my favorite directors. My personal favorite film as I type this is Hill’s directorial debut, HARD TIMES (1975), starring legendary tough guy icon, Charles Bronson. Hill has such a great resume of top-notch films including THE DRIVER (1978), THE WARRIORS (1979), THE LONG RIDERS (1980), SOUTHERN COMFORT (1981), CROSSROADS (1986), EXTREME PREJUDICE (1987), and RED HEAT (1988). And 48 HRS. is probably the best of the bunch.
  4. I love the songs in the film. Of course it starts with Eddie Murphy’s rendition of “Roxanne” by The Police. And then you can’t help but want to dance when the BusBoys are singing “The Boys are Back in Town” and “New Shoes.” Heck, I love “Torchy’s Boogie” by Ira Newborn as well, setting the stage for Murphy’s rousting of the redneck bar, one of the movie’s best scenes!   

So join us tonight to for #MondayMuggers and watch 48 HRS. It’s on Amazon Prime.

DRACULA 3D (2012) – Dario Argento, Rutger Hauer, and the folly of false expectations!

Posted on by Bradley Crain

(Author’s note: I’m using the film’s original title of DRACULA 3D for my review. It seems to be going under the title of ARGENTO’S DRACULA as well, like in the image above. That’s also how I found it on Amazon Prime for my current viewing.)

If you’re one of my favorite directors or actors, I will watch all of your work, and I will probably like it. Such is the case with Dario Argento and Rutger Hauer. These two have been a part of so many great films over the years, but they have also been associated with some pretty bad stuff as well. I remember when I first read that Argento was making his own version of Dracula in 3D, and that Rutger Hauer would be playing the famous vampire hunter Van Helsing, the movie immediately went on my watch list. This means that I would google for more information every couple of days, as well as follow various entertainment-related websites looking for additional info. I also remember when the trailer was released. I specifically remember thinking that it looked awesome. I couldn’t wait to see it! And then it came out, and it seemed like everyone hated it. I made the mistake of reading reviews, which I often purposely avoid, and it seemed that many critics had a personal vendetta against the film. The reviewers weren’t content to just say it was a bad movie, they wanted me to know that it was an incompetent mess that everyone involved in should be completely ashamed of. There were a few exceptions to this universal shame, including my friend Lisa Marie Bowman, but that was definitely the general consensus. Because of this public disdain for the movie, I haven’t put that much effort into watching DRACULA 3D over the years. I’d started it a time or two, but I’d never actually finished it before. That is, until now. It’s a rainy day here in Central Arkansas, so I chose the movie for my wife and I to watch as the thunder rolled, and the rain came on in. 

The plot of the DRACULA 3D sticks to most of the things I remember about watching Dracula movies over the years. Count Dracula (Thomas Kretschmann) seems to be inflicting a sort of reign of terror in his part of the world and all the locals seem to know that going out into the woods by yourself at night is a bad idea, but they keep doing it anyway. The movie opens with Tanja (Miriam Giovanelli) going to meet her boyfriend in a barn for a late night sex romp. Sadly, after he gets satisfied, he refuses to walk her back to town. She throws her cross necklace at him and walks away in anger. Soon a big owl flies down on her, turns into Dracula and starts sucking her blood. The next person I remember meeting is an out of towner named Jonathan Harker (Unax Ugalde). It seems Count Dracula has called him to his castle to organize his library or something. He visits with Dracula for a bit, listens to wolves howling in the distance, and then heads to his room. It turns out that Tanja is not dead but is now living at the castle with Dracula. She invites herself in to tempt Jonathan, a married man, with her assets. Of course, it isn’t long before she’s trying to suck his blood. Dracula isn’t having any of that though, and he shows up and reminds Tanja that “he’s mine,” before attacking Jonathan’s neck like it’s a lobster tail at an all-you-can-eat seafood buffet in Branson, MO! Soon Jonathan’s wife, Mina (Marta Gastini), and her friend Lucy (Asia Argento) show up at Dracula’s place since Jonathan seems to have gone missing. Dracula proceeds to suck on Lucy behind her knee, turning her into a member of the undead, and then tries to turn Mina into his eternal love. Finally, after all the activities above, Van Helsing (Rutger Hauer), Dracula’s old nemesis, shows up to try to end his reign of terror once and for all. I’ve probably missed some important details, but I think I got the gist of it. Feel free to correct me in the comments if I missed anything important.    

After watching DRACULA 3D, the multitude of critics may have been right if all they cared about is a great movie by “movie criticism” standards. That just doesn’t describe me though. I watch movies because I like the people in them, and the people who make them. I certainly don’t expect perfection, and I certainly value entertainment over some self-important “message.” The critics have always gone out of their way to disparage my hero Charles Bronson, and I just keep watching his movies anyway. I have to admit I had that same feeling when watching DRACULA 3D. I think this movie is fun, and I don’t really give a shit what the critics think. Based on past movies like SUSPIRIA and BLADE RUNNER, maybe the critics have a right to expect more out of Argento and Hauer. But then again, if any person expected that level of cinema back in 2012 when they watched this movie, I wonder if they should consider going into another profession. DRACULA 3D never intended to compete with those classics. It is camp of the highest order, it’s on purpose, and it should be judged as such. The special effects are cheesy, the boobs are plenty, and the performances are over the top. Dario Argento has made some of the best movies I’ve ever watched. I don’t think he just forgot how to make a movie. This is the movie he meant to make, and, in my opinion, the campiness adds to the charm. Thomas Kretschmann gives a committed performance as Dracula, and Rutger Hauer is very serious as Van Helsing, without a hint of comedy or goofiness. With all the crazy things going on around them, I think their “serious” performances are perfect for the movie. If I had any complaint about the movie, it would be that Hauer doesn’t show up until over an hour into the one hour, 50-minute runtime. However, once he comes to town, Van Helsing pretty much takes over the movie from that point forward. As a big time, fan of Hauer, I enjoyed his Van Helsing turning badass and dispatching everyone who had seemed unkillable up to that point. 

My final word is if you’re truly a fan of Argento or Hauer, you should enjoy this film. Don’t expect TENEBRAE or THE HITCHER. Just enjoy it for what it is… a cheesy, B-movie take on a legendary story. That was enough for me!

Film Review: Nosferatu (dir. by Robert Eggers)

Posted on by Leonard Wilson

I stepped out of the doors of the Regal Times Square yesterday, feeling giddy as a schoolkid. In my hands were a custom popcorn bucket and an Orlock Funko-Pop. I thoroughly enjoyed Robert Eggers Nosferatu and Christmas Morning was a delight. It was Film Euphoria. It was as if Halloween had one last gift to give, one final end of film zinger, and give it did.

At my early morning showing for Robert Eggers Nosferatu, we had at least one fellow who fell asleep and snored through the bulk of the film. Not loud enough to be disruptive, but it almost mimicked the strange purring sounds of the film’s antagonist. Granted, I understand. My showing was around 10a.m. on Christmas Morning and perhaps they partied hard the night before. Anything’s possible. Still, part of me likes to think that a person walking into a Robert Eggers film may have some expectations. With only three films under his belt – The Witch, The Lighthouse, and The Northman, regular audiences know that he has a taste for the macabre (perhaps even the unhinged), usually employs a slow burn when it comes to pacing and works with a great deal of light and shadow. If either of his previous films worked for you, Nosferatu‘s a near perfect fit for his style. If you’re not a fan of Eggers work, nor a fan of the previous renditions of Nosferatu, there’s little here that will make you change your mind (save for just a little more gore, perhaps). It’s a little hard to spoil a story that’s more than a century old, but Eggers makes enough changes to keep the film from being the exact note for note story as before. Is it scary? Yes. Is there blood? Sure, but none of it is in the ‘jumpscare every other second’ variety. If that’s what you’re looking or hoping for, none of the Nosferatu’s (including this one) will deliver that and you will be quite disappointed. This is a prime cut of wagyu beef, not your everyday sirloin.

As most know, Nosferatu was essentially stolen from Bram Stoker’s Dracula. The original – Nosferatu: A Symphony of Horror was a silent film released back in 1922 by F. W. Murnau. Although the story was written and changed to fit German audiences, elements were still very close to Stoker’s and the Stoker Family tried to get rid of it. Copies were burned, but like that Jumanji box, it managed to slither through the years, gaining popularity to the point of Canonization. If Film History is your thing, I highly recommend watching the 1922 film, if you haven’t already. It amazes me how most of what they did was accomplished (my favorite scene being Orlok prepping his coffins for his trip). At the time of this writing, the movie is currently available on Amazon Prime. For me, I love the 1979 update by Werner Herzog, Nosferatu The Vampyre. There are a few minor changes in the plot, but it’s just as powerful.

Thomas Hutter (Nicholas Hoult, Mad Max: Fury Road) is married to his lovely wife Ellen (Lily-Rose Depp, The King) in the town of Wisborg. Ellen suffers from fits of melancholia, which cause her to either spurt morbid tales or put her in convulsive fits. He’s looking for a way to improve his financial station with his bride while keeping her problems hushed, and has found a great opportunity from his boss, Herr Knock (Simon Burney, Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation). It appears a wealthy old man wishes to move to Wisborg and purchase an estate there. The only stipulation is that he is infirm and cannot make the journey. Thomas is charged with traveling to the Carpathian mountains, where he is to visit Count Orlock at his home with the deeds and contracts. During his trip, Thomas is warned of the dangers ahead, but proceeds full on, meeting the Count and his strange ways. Upon learning of Ellen and her beauty, the Count sets off a chain of events that will put all of Wisborg at risk. Can the Count be stopped in time?

There’s so much love in this production, it seems. It certainly has the atmosphere down. Cinematographer Jarin Blaschke, who worked on all of Eggers previous films, weaves some magic with light that in some scenes rival Alejandro Amenabar’s The Others. Lanterns and candles are blinding, while at the same time, you might find yourself squinting to see the figure in the shadows. I had a few “look around the screen” moments while watching it. There’s absolutely nothing to complain about from a visual standpoint, it’s just beautiful. It’s also quite dark in nature. We’re dealing with vampires, possession and the occult, which Eggers takes in a few extremes (particularly through Skarsgard, Depp and Burney). Ancient tomes? Check. Romani banishing the darkness with Garlic? Check. Consecrating the soil? Done. The sound design in the film is nice, particularly with the breathing and talking for Orlok, which felt like it travelled through the audience. Blood squelches, screams are crisp. There’s little more I can say there, really. I was entertained and transported.

The cast is wonderful. The only thing I’ve ever watched Lily-Rose Deep do was Yoga Hosers, and she’s come a long way from that. Ellen is a tortured character, and Deep rides this through – fits, convulsions and all – to a point where you may wonder if she was really okay on set. We follow Nicholas Hoult’s Thomas as he moves from quiet reservation to curious disbelief and then ultimately, just full on terrified. Even the smaller roles work. Simon Burney’s character becomes repulsive. Emma Corrin, who had a fun turn earlier this year in Deadpool & Wolverine has good moments, along with Aaron Taylor-Johnson (Kraven the Hunter). Then there’s Dafoe. It never hurts to have Willem Dafoe in your lineup. This is his third film with Eggers and he’s come something of a lucky charm as Prof. Ebenhart von Franz. As the Van Helsing of the story, Dafoe is a treat to watch on screen, especially when paired with Ralph Ineson from The Witch. I could watch the two of them as detectives solving Gothic/Victorian X-Files in their own series or movies.

As Orlock, Bill Skarsgard (John Wick 4) really melts into the role, giving the character a low near constant purr and a voice that enunciates every word. Perhaps it was just me, but I did have a bit of a problem figuring out what Orlock was saying at some points. It improved as the story went on, though. Orlock’s look does veer from the traditional, through. That’s a jolt in itself. While he looks more like the Draugr in Skyrim or in Eggers own The Northman, I found myself thinking of “Taserface” in Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 2. If you can get past that feeling, it still works. It’s a creepy character and Skarsgard does it justice, I felt.

Clocking in at about 2 hours and 12 minutes, it’s considered the longest Nosferatu film. I found this odd because were a number of sequences the original and remake had that Eggers missed (like the loading of the coffins). The film is cut pretty well, for what it’s worth, though I’m not sure what they could have removed to trim scenes down.

If the film has any faults, any problems, there was one. The one weird misstep in all of this is a sex scene that seemed just a little out of place. I understand why it happened, and how it was supposed to fuel the story, but it comes on so fast and fierce that I sat there in the audience whispering…”Wait…what’s happening…Whoa…now? Here? Why?” Mind you, this is coming from someone who watched Shame more than once when it was first released. That, if anything, might freak a few people out if they’re not ready for it. Either that, or I’m becoming prudish in my old age.

Overall, I loved Nosferatu. If it weren’t so expensive to get out to a theatre, I’d make another run at it. As a remake, it easily stands toe to toe with John Carpenter’s The Thing and Chuck Russell’s The Blob as one you can sit on the shelf next to those who came before it. It’s a worthy adaptation, with moments of sheer dread and some that may push a boundary or two.

JUROR #2 (2024) – Another Gift from Clint Eastwood

Posted on by Bradley Crain

I’ve really been looking forward to seeing JUROR #2, Clint Eastwood’s most recent directorial effort, since I first read about it a year or two ago. Any film from the aging icon is a gift to his fans at this point, so it seems appropriate that I watched it for the first time on Christmas Eve. I still don’t understand the release strategy for the film, considering it was released in a few theaters and then pushed out to streaming platforms a little over a month later. That seems strange for a movie with this kind of pedigree, but I guess that doesn’t really matter at this point. 

The plot revolves around Justin Kemp (Nicholas Hoult), a seemingly nice guy who’s going to be a dad any day now. I know that because his wife Allison (Zoey Deutch) looks like she could pop at any moment. He tries to use that pregnancy to get out of jury duty, but to no avail. Of course he gets selected to serve. As District Attorney Faith Killebrew (Toni Collette) begins laying out the facts of a horrific murder case against James Michael Sythe (Gabriel Basso), Justin begins to immediately realize that the wrong guy may have been arrested for the crime. How does he know they’ve got the wrong guy? Because Justin now thinks that he may be the one responsible for an accidental hit and run killing of the victim, Kendall Carter (Francesca Eastwood). The remainder of the film deals with Justin’s moral dilemma as he attempts to serve on the jury, protect his own freedom, and not send an innocent man to jail. This plot does require a pretty big suspension of disbelief, but if you’ll just go along with it, the movie does present some interesting ideas.

I’ll say right off the bat that I like JUROR #2. This was a relief to me because as much as I wanted to like Eastwood’s prior film CRY MACHO, at the end of the day it just wasn’t a very good movie. I’ve always enjoyed courtroom thrillers, and it doesn’t seem we get to see many of them anymore. Our main character Justin Kemp has a troubled past, but he’s truly turned his life around. The fact that he now finds himself in a seemingly impossible moral position is a strong hook that pulled me in. Director Eastwood takes his time here and tightens the grip on Justin, leaving him with few options, as he tries to figure out what to do. I’ve never served on a jury, and I’ve never really wanted to. I’m not sure I want the responsibility of deciding a person’s guilt or innocence. Eastwood’s film doesn’t change my mind in this area. It shows us some jurors who have made up their minds based on pre-conceived notions, regardless of the evidence. It shows us other jurors who want to convict just so the trial can be over and they can get on with their lives. It shows us witnesses who are willing to identity people just to please the prosecution. Considering what we know as the audience, these are glaring but realistic weaknesses of our nation’s system of justice. 

Eastwood assembled a good cast with Nicholas Hoult, Toni Collette, J.K. Simmons, and Kiefer Sutherland, actors that I always find worth watching. Hoult and Collette do most of the heavy lifting. JUROR #2 is set in Georgia, and I appreciate that Hoult, who’s from England, and Collette, who’s from Australia, don’t overdo the southern accents. J.K. Simmons is very impressive as an ex-cop who’s serving on the jury who is convinced of the defendant’s innocence. Unfortunately, his character exits the film fairly early, and he’s sorely missed. I’ve been a big fan of Kiefer Sutherland since I was a teenager, and I consider “24” one of my all time favorite shows. His role is pretty small here. He’s good, but from what I’ve read, he really just wanted to work with Eastwood. I also enjoyed seeing Gabriel Basso (Hillbilly Elegy) and Francesca Eastwood (Clint’s daughter) in the film. 

Clint Eastwood amazes me. In his legendary six decade career, he has been a part of some of the best films of all time. DIRTY HARRY, THE OUTLAW JOSEY WALES, and UNFORGIVEN are included in my list of all-time favorites. JUROR #2 is not in their league, and it’s certainly not a perfect film. But it is an entertaining film that tells an interesting story and even makes you think a little bit. And with that I say, thanks for another gift, Clint! 

Film Review: Kung Fu Panda 4 (dir by Mike Mitchell)

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

Po (voice by Jack Black), that Panda Bear who knows kung fu is back.

After finding fame as a Dragon Warrior and defending the Valley of Peace from numerous threats, he’s been told by his master, Shifu (Dustin Hoffman), that it is time for him to give up being the Dragon Warrior and move on to becoming the Spiritual Leader of the Valley of Peace.  Po doesn’t really want to do that so, after being passive aggressive about auditioning replacements, Po goes on a quest with a plucky corsac fox and thief named Zhen (voiced by Awkwafina).  Together, they head out to defeat a new threat, the Chameleon (voice of Viola Davis).  The Chameleon is summoning past villains from the Spirit Real and stealing their kung fu powers.

Meanwhile, Po’s two dads — one biological (voiced by Bryan Cranston) and the other a goose who adopted Poe when he was young (voiced by James Hong) — also set out on a quest to try to keep Poe from getting into trouble.  It’s actually kind of sweet, even if I did have a hard time telling all the various Panda Bears apart.  Actually, so did everyone else in the movie so at least I felt a little bit less dumb.

Kung Fu Panda 4 is a typical Dreamworks animated film.  The characters are cute and kid-friendly.  The humor is self-referential and occasionally, an adult joke will slip in  but it’s never anything that would threaten the film’s G-rating.  The plot is pretty predictable and by-the-numbers but then again, this is a Kung Fu Panda film that we’re talking about here.  There’s only so much that you can do with that.  That said, the animation is nicely done and the voice actors all do a good job of bringing their characters to life.  I especially liked Dustin Hoffman as Master Shifu.  It’s an entertaining movie, even if it does ultimately feel a bit generic.

The release of a new animated film, even one as low-key as Kung Fu Panda 4, used to be a huge event.  Now, we kind of take animated films and their star-studded casts for granted.  It’s a bit of a shame that we’ve lost that excitement.

The Films of 2024: Average Joe (dir by Harold Cronk)

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

I should admit that I have a bias when it comes to Average Joe.

Two weeks ago, when I watched this movie, I mentioned that I was viewing it on twitter.  I included a picture of the film’s poster with my tweet.  A few days later, I was briefly locked out of my account because someone reported the tweet for a copyright violation.  Apparently, they were offended that I had shared the film’s poster.  The image was removed from twitter and my account was subsequently unlocked.

I mean …. seriously, what the Hell?  Not to brag on myself but I’m probably one of the few secular film bloggers out there who is willing to give a serious, non-snarky review to a faith-based film like Average Joe.  Beyond that, me tweeting that I’m watching the film and sharing the film’s poster is basically free advertising for a film that really hasn’t really gotten a whole helluva lot of attention.  I really have to wonder who thought it would be a good idea to alienate a viewer by complaining about someone sharing the film’s poster on social media.

As for the film itself, it’s based on a true story.  Joe (Eric Close) is a former rebel and delinquent who is straightened out by both serving in the military and marrying Denise (Amy Acker).  After Joe joins a church and shares his testimony, he is asked to take over as coach of a struggling high school football team.  Joe leads them to victory but he also causes controversy by publicly praying before and after the games.  The school board orders Joe to pray in the locker room where no one can see him but Joe refuses.  Joe’s case makes its way to the Supreme Court.  Along the way, Denise goes from being annoyed with her husband’s stubbornness to supporting his right to pray.

Del Close and Amy Acker make for a believable and cute couple.  They definitely have enough chemistry that you buy them as a married couple.  Both Close and Acker are also talented enough actors that they can make the movie watchable, even when it gets more than a bit heavy-handed.  That said, the film also features Joe and Denise looking straight at the camera and narrating their story, which leads to several moments of either Close or Acker saying, “Actually, that’s the not the way it happened.  What really happened was….”  It’s a technique that become popular after Adam McKay used it in The Big Short (though I think it’s entirely probable that McKay himself stole it from Michael Winterbottom’s 24-Hour Party People).  The first time it happens, it works because Joe interrupts some over-the-top footage of him trying to lasso a camel in a desert.  It’s exactly the type of scene that is worthy of a “Wait, this didn’t happen!”  But each subsequent time that Joe and Denise break the fourth wall, it feels less like a clever narrative device and more like a gimmick.  There comes a point where you just want both Joe and Denise to get on with it.

Average Joe is …. it’s okay.  I liked some of the acting.  I liked the score by Andrew Morgan Smith.  Narratively, it was never quite as memorable as it probably should have been.  It’s a film that tries hard but doesn’t really stick with you.

The Films of 2024: The Fall Guy (dir by David Leitch)

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

In The Fall Guy, Ryan Gosling plays Colt Seavers.

When we first meet Colt, he’s a legendary and rather cocky stuntman.  While movie star Tom Ryder (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) takes all the credit and brags about doing his own stunts, Colt is the one who is actually jumping off of buildings and surviving car crashes.  Every day, Colt risks his life to make Tom look good and, even though Tom is a bit of a tool, Colt loves every minute of it.  Why shouldn’t he?  He’s good at his job and he’s in love with aspiring director Jody Moreno (Emily Blunt).

Or, at least, that’s case until one stunt goes mysteriously wrong and Colt ends up breaking his back.  Colt eventually recovers but he’s no longer willing to be a stuntman and he and Jody break up.  Colt ends up working as a parking valet in Los Angeles, retrieving cars and hoping that no one recognizes him.

When Colt gets a call from producer Gail Meyer (Hannah Waddingham) asking him to fly down to Australia and once again act as Tom’s stunt double in a science fiction epic called Metalstorm, Colt refuses.  But then Gail tells him that Jody is directing the film and the production is running behind schedule.  Jody herself wants Colt to come work on the film.  Colt finally agrees.  However, when he arrives in  Australia, he discovers that Gail lied.  Jody definitely does not want Colt working on the movie and, in fact, Metalstorm is her way of getting out all of her negative feelings about their relationship.

Gail explains that Tom is missing.  Colt agrees to track him down while working on both the film and his relationship with Jody.  However, it soon turns out that Tom isn’t just off on a drunken binge somewhere.  Colt soon finds himself caught up in a murder investigation, one in which Colt himself is the top suspect!

I liked The Fall Guy a lot more than I thought I would.  From the trailer and the commercials, I was expecting it to just be another dumb Hollywood action film.  And, indeed, there is a lot of action in The Fall Guy.  Appropriately enough for a film about stuntmen, the stunts in The Fall Guy are often spectacular to watch and the film serves as a tribute to the unnamed stunt players who make us believe that film stars can do just about anything.  I’m not going to speculate about who Tom Ryder might have been based on but it’s easy to see him as a stand-in for any number of spoiled movie stars who get all the credit for what we see onscreen despite the fact that it’s usually their stunt doubles doing the thing that we really remember.  The Fall Guy is also a surprisingly funny movie.  It’s smart enough not take itself too seriously and there’s a bit with a unicorn that made me laugh out loud.  As always, Ryan Gosling and Emily Blunt are charming and fun to watch.  I’ve been pretty critical of Aaron Taylor-Johnson in the past but I have to admit that he did a really good job as Tom.  The Fall Guy kept me entertained and there’s definitely something to be said for that.