Saturday, November 26, 2022
Triangle of Sadness (2022)
This one is a slightly overrated Euro comedy that proudly displays its Cannes laurels before the opening titles. It’s a thinker. It differentiates itself from the Adam Sandler school of comedy that we’re so accustomed to in America. It’s smarter than Barbarian and the latest Top Gun movie, but slightly less entertaining than either. In any case, I consider it one of the best films of 2022 so far.
The plot beats are external to the characters and have nothing to do with the characters, making them look like dumb apes that are passive in their environment. There is no active protagonist. The focus is not on any hero or antihero, just a bunch of people who get the shit kicked out of them by a world that is apathetic to their existence. It’s the furthest possible thing from American storytelling, and that’s probably why the Frenchies love it.
Monday, October 31, 2022
Barbarian (2022)
This movie reminds me of Wrong Turn. The first half is an exquisite psychological thriller drama, and the second half is a cancel-culture-satire-inbred-zombie (spoiler) mishmash. The juxtaposition of pseudo-philosophical social commentary and total B-movie horror schlock works very well as comedy. I feel like the comedy was piled into the second half to make the film more marketable or explain the plot.
The movie sends messages, but the messages get muddled by scenes like a zombie beating a guy with his own severed arm. My main reaction to this movie is “what the fuck?” But I liked it, so good job.
Friday, June 3, 2022
Top Gun: Maverick (2022)
Return to a time when a movie could just be about planes and the men who fly them. Though a few decades late, Maverick is as good a sequel to Top Gun as I could ask for.
Saturday, April 2, 2022
Webmaster (1998)
The title of the ultimate cyberpunk film is not a mathematical construct, it’s a profession and a way of life. Open your tubes to Webmaster.
Friday, October 22, 2021
Rent-A-Pal (2020)
There are three categories of horror: Jason movies, Freddy movies, and Wil Wheaton movies. Jon Stevenson’s feature directorial debut falls into the “psychological thriller” category of horror movies, casting Star Trek’s most-hated child star opposite a very sad character who may be unstable. It’s less about media and more about interpersonal relationships, which is odd considering the premise of an “interactive” self-help VHS tape.