Movie Review: Late Night With The Devil!
MOVIE REVIEW!!!
Late Night With The Devil (2024)
Starring: David Dastmalchian, Laura Gordon, Ian Bliss, Ingrid Torelli
Directed By: Cameron Cairnes and Colin Cairnes
Almost fifty years ago, Night Owls with host Jack Delroy mysteriously went off the air after a disastrous Halloween night special. No one knows what exactly happened during that taping aside from those who were unlucky enough to watch live, and the master tapes have been lost forever. Until now, where they have been unearthed for those foolish enough to view them.
That’s the stellar premise behind Cameron and Colin Cairnes’ Late Night With The Devil, a new take on the “found footage” horror sub-genre that also serves as not only one of the best examples of that style of horror, but already one of the best horror movies of the year. The entire film is shot and acted as if we are watching the master feed of the 1977 Halloween broadcast of Night Owls, the fictional talk show that has been second only to The Tonight Show in popularity and ratings. Desperate to secure his future at the network, host Jack Delroy (David Dastmalchian) has a plan to boost the ratings and play into the current “Satanic Panic” movement: he’s going to have a possessed young girl on as one of his guests.
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Movie Review: Dune: Part Two!
MOVIE REVIEW!!
Dune: Part Two (2024)
Starring: Timothee Chalamet, Zendaya, Rebecca Ferguson, Josh Brolin, Austin Butler, Florence Pugh
Directed By: Denis Villeneuve
MINOR BOOK AND MOVIE SPOILERS
Three years ago, Denis Villenueve did the impossible: he adapted Frank Hebert’s Dune into a digestible movie. While yes, he cheated by covering the first half of the influential sci-fi novel, 2021’s Dune is largely a more easy to understand and engaging adaptation than David Lynch’s flawed but still interesting take from 1984. But now that he’s done the impossible already, can he really follow that up with the sequel?
The answer is an emphatic yes.
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Movie Review: Ferrari!
MOVIE REVIEW!
Ferrari (2023)
Starring: Adam Driver, Penelope Cruz, Shailene Woodley, Patrick Dempsey
Directed By: Michael Mann
It’s been a few years since we’ve had a new Michael Mann film. Ever since the release of 2015’s Blackhat, starring Chris Hemsworth as the world’s least believable computer hacker, Mann’s kept a low profile, producing movies and TV shows with the occasional directing of an episode here or there. The story of Enzo Ferrari has long been one of Mann’s passion projects, and he makes a return to the big screen with Ferrari, a biopic that is both pondering on the legacy of Ferrari and the vehicles he creates, while also looking at the real man behind the logo.
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Movie Review: Poor Things
Poor Things (2023)
Starring: Emma Stone, Mark Ruffalo, Willem Dafoe, Ramy Youssef
Directed By: Yorgos Lanthimos
How does one even describe a film like Poor Things? Granted, that can be the opening line of a review for any of Yorgos Lanthimos’ filmography, as the director of The Lobster and The Favourite is definitely one of the more unique voices working in Hollywood today. But Poor Things is somehow even weirder and the most mainstream film Lanthimos has ever done, complete with a surprisingly contemporary commentary on the world today that would make it a pretty good, if odd, double feather with Greta Gerwig’s Barbie.
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Movie Review: The Iron Claw
MOVIE REVIEW!
The Iron Claw (2023)
Starring: Zac Efron, Jeremy Allen White, Lily James, Holt McCallany
Directed By: Sean Durkin
The world of professional wrestling is not unlike the world of big budget blockbusters: there’s colorful characters, high drama, and lots of conflict. But underneath all of that bravado and high emotion, there’s a real human toll, and The Iron Claw looks to highlight that. Focusing on the legendary Von Erich family and the “curse” that follows them, Iron Claw shows the story of Kevin, Kerry,David, and Michael Von Erich as they reach stratospheric heights in the 80’s heyday of professional wrestling, while dealing with their overbearing and controlling father, Fritz (Holt McCallany).
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Movie Review: Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom
MOVIE REVIEW!
Aquaman and The Lost Kingdom (2023)
Starring: Jason Momoa, Patrick Wilson, Amber Heard, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II
Directed By: James Wan
MINOR SPOILERS
2018’s Aquaman was a surprise blockbuster hit not just for general audience, but comic book fans as well. Despite the trend of the DCEU movies of the time, Aquaman was a fun and borderline silly take on the long time joke of the Justice League, and yet the casting of Jason Momoa and directing by James Wan made the film truly stand out from the dire cinematic outputs Suicide Squad and Batman V Superman (the film that introduced the one time Khal Drogo to film audiences). The deft, slightly winking at the camera style that Wan brought to the movie really worked, craftng not only one of the best superhero movies of the last ten years, but also shockingly one of the most successful. But with the Snyderverse era of DC’s cinematic heroes coming to a close and new era from James Gunn on the horizon, there’s not much left at stake for Aquaman and The Lost Kingdom. And even more shockingly, there’s minimal buzz for a sequel to a film that grossed over a billion dollars at the box office. Could the buzz that Aquaman’s second feature really be that bad be true?
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Movie Review: The Marvels
MOVIE REVIEW!!
The Marvels (2023)
Starring: Brie Larson, Iman Vellani, Teyonah Parris, Samuel L Jackson
Directed By: Nia DaCosta
MINOR SPOILERS
It’s no secret that the Marvel Cinematic Universe is experiencing a shaky run of late. From a pretty brutal Variety article to ongoing issues regarding the next big bad played by Jonathan Majors, the once dominate franchise is seemingly on the ropes. Is it the constant glut of content, lack of stakes, or just general audiences getting bored? The latest installment in the franchise, The Marvels, is feeling the brunt of this wave of general Marvel Malaise, and if that wasn’t enough, the film is also a sequel to 2019’s Captain Marvel, as well as MCU shows Wandavision, Ms. Marvel, and the dismal Secret Invasion. It’s a lot for one movie even without the public perception that it’s dead on arrival, and it’s not exactly warranted once you see the movie for yourself. While it certainly has issues, this is no where near the level of past misfires like Quantumania and the aforementioned Secret Invasion.
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Movie Review: The Creator!
Movie Review!
The Creator (2023)
Starring: John David Washington, Gemma Chan, Madeleine Yuna Voyles, Ken Watanabe, Allison Janey
Directed By: Gareth Edwards
Original Sci-Fi movies are a rare breed in the cineplex these days. Oftentimes even the most daring and original ones are either parts of a franchise already (Blade Runner 2049), second attempts at an original failed concept (Dune), regulated to a streamer to boost their numbers (No One Will Save You), or a combination of all of the above (last year’s excellent Prey). So imagine how refreshing it is to have The Creator, a new sci-fi feast for the eyes right in your local theater! After delivering one of the most satisfying Star Wars tales with Rogue One (with an assist from Tony Gilroy), director Gareth Edwards had a blank check to make anything he wanted, so it was refreshing to see that he opted to funnel his clout into a new science fiction story that, while influenced by a lot of things, is still largely original and a good time at the movies.
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Movie Review: Barbie!
MOVIE REVIEW!
Barbie (2023)
Starring: Margot Robie, Ryan Gosling, America Ferrera, Will Ferrell
Directed By: Greta Gerwig
MINOR SPOILERS
The movie business is no stranger to pumping out movies based on famous IP. After movies based on Angry Birds, Transformers, and even emojis, it’s kind of surprising that we have gotten this far without a movie based on the world’s most famous doll, Barbie. But what could easily have been something largely forgotten like the Lego Ninjago movie instead has the buzz of something akin to a new Marvel film, largely due to the cast involved in front of the screen and the person behind it, Little Women director Greta Gerwig. And that buzz is extremely warranted, as Barbie is the rare kind of IP driven film that is full of heart and wonderful performances that we haven’t seen since the original Lego Movie.
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Movie Review: Oppenheimer
MOVIE REVIEW!
Oppenheimer (2023)
Starring: Cillian Murphy, Emily Blunt, Matt Damon, Florence Pugh, Robert Downey Jr.
Directed By: Christopher Nolan
MILD SPOILERS
Aside from Quentin Tarantino and Martin Scorsese, there’s probably no other modern director who can guarantee a turn out like Christopher Nolan. After making a name for himself with The Dark Knight and Inception, the famed filmmaker is back behind the camera with Oppenheimer, a film that is a triumphant return to form for the director after the dismal showing of 2020’s Tenet. Showcasing the events that lead to the creation of the atomic bomb and the aftermath of it’s disposal, Oppenheimer is a stunning tour de force for Nolan, playing up all of this strengths and showing that when it comes to modern day directors, he’s still one of the greats.
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