Monthly Archives: November 2022
Flash Movie Review: The Menu
THERE WAS A TIME WHEN I wanted to see what was so special about some of the finer restaurants in the city. One of the first places I made reservations at was the French restaurant, Maxim’s De Paris. I cannot remember anyone ever mentioning that name to me except in the movies. If memory serves me correctly, it was in the musical movie Gigi. The other reason I wanted to book this place was because periodically the city newspapers would mention a visiting celebrity who had dined at the famous restaurant. That was enough reason for me to want to go see the place myself. I remember Maxim’s was located on the lower level of a hotel. The décor was art nouveau with red velvet chairs, spiral black metal railings and curved archways. Lining the sides of the rooms were tall, curved booths of black leather that formed a scallop design down the length of the walls. I remember we had 3 people taking care of us: a waiter, a server and a busboy. The waiter unfolded our napkins and placed them on our laps; between every course he scrapped crumbs off the tablecloth with a metal looking object he kept in his pants pocket. The food was delicious, I remember; however, I did not see any celebrities that night. MY CURIOUSITY OF FANCY RESTAURANTS DID not last long. It was depleting my funds and more times than not; I did not care for the food. The only time I felt full was when the restaurant served a basket of breads or dinner rolls. I am a visual and texture eater which means for me if a dish doesn’t look good then I will not be touching it. Also, I am not fond of things sitting in liquid or having a gelatinous texture. There were some restaurants we visited that tried to be creative with their food items. Unless it was in the dessert category, I generally did not like any of the food; if I cannot recognize it then I don’t want to stick it in my mouth. The other issue I had with some of the restaurants was the food portions; they were too damn small, in my opinion. What annoyed me during the duration of my eating at fancy restaurants was the fact I never saw a celebrity at any of the places, not even waiting outside the place for their limo. Based on my experiences at these fancy restaurants, there is no way I would want to have been a guest at the food establishment in this comedy, horror thriller. A YOUNG COUPLE JOINED A SMALL group of dinner guests to experience everything at a renowned chef’s remote island restaurant. There were going to be plenty of surprises for the guests throughout the meal. With Ralph Fiennes (The King’s Man, The Dig) as Chef Slowik, Anya Taylor-Joy (The Northman, The New Mutants) as Margot, Nicholas Hoult (Those Who Wish Us Dead, Warm Bodies) as Tyler, Hong Chau (Downsizing, Homecoming-TV) as Elsa and Janet McTeer (Me Before You, Albert Nobbs) as Lillian; this film is a very dark comedy. Out of the cast, Anya was the standout for me. She has a way of commanding the screen that made her character the strongest. The script was interesting in the way it slowly revealed bits of the story. I will say there were a few scenes that seemed too far-fetched; however, they started to make sense when I thought of them more as a satire. I will say, I did not like the ending and felt it was too abrupt and somewhat of a cop-out. If it was not for the cast, I might have had a harder time watching this film. The food shown did not interest me; but if there was a turkey club sandwich with no mayo and burnt bacon served, that would have caught my attention.
3 stars
Flash Movie Review: The Good House
IT WAS SOMETHING THAT DID NOT happen overnight, but it got to the point where I always checked his eyes whenever we were together. We had grown up together and were part of a group of friends who used to hang out around the neighborhood. He was funny and had a knack for doing vocal impersonations of several celebrities. I enjoyed spending time with him because he was easy going and always good for a laugh. In our group of friends there were a few who liked to drink and get high from time to time. He was one of them. I did not have an issue with any of them indulging, except if they got to the point where they were falling down drunk or high. Since I did not like the taste of alcohol nor had any interest in getting high, I was always the designated driver. It did not bother me except the one and only time when one friend could not get out of the car fast enough before “tossing his cookies.” After that episode, I made it clear to all of them if they wanted a ride home, they had to make sure nothing ever happened in the car while riding in it. If they were feeling sick, they would need to find a different mode of transportation. MY FRIEND STARTED TO ENJOY GETTING high more often, even when he was by himself. It was weird, he was able to function most of the time; however, there were times where he would fall into a fit of laughter over the most random things. Having a fun personality to begin with, he only got more animated when high. There were times where he was highly amusing and entertaining. Yet, there were other times when he would get quiet and introverted, preferring to sit and simply stare out into “space.” As his usage increased, I began to wonder what his performance was like at work. I could not imagine that his bosses would not have known, but who knows? I was concerned that he might lose his job, then what would he do? As time went on it seemed every time I saw him, he was always stoned/high. It was becoming a challenge for me because I had no idea how much he was retaining from our conversations. I would like to say I started to pull back from our get togethers, but I do not honestly know if it was more him than me. We still have contact from time to time, usually in a group setting. Seeing the direction his life went, both career wise and personal, I must wonder how much the drugs and alcohol changed the trajectory of his life. BEING A REALTOR IN THE AREA she grew up in had its advantages; she knew most of the properties and the people. However, in turn, the buyers knew much about her as well. Things did not always go as planned for her. With Sigourney Weaver (The Assignment, Gorillas in the Mist) as Hildy Good, Kevin Kline (Ricki and the Flash, My Old Lady) as Frank Getchell, Morena Baccarin (Deadpool franchise, Ode to Joy) as Rebecca McAllister, Rob Delaney (The School for Good and Evil, Deadpool 2) as Peter Newbold and David Rasche (United 93, Burn After Reading) as Scott Good; this comedic drama allowed the reuniting of Sigourney and Kevin and it was magic watching them play off of each other. The acting was truly wonderful. It carried the story over the clunky parts of the script. I remained engaged throughout the movie, marveling at Sigourney’s superb set of acting skills. There was a mix of amusing scenes that were appropriately placed among the more emotional ones. This was an entertaining movie watching experience that provided a slice of life from the New England area.
3 stars
Flash Movie Review: A Christmas Story Christmas
EVERY YEAR AROUND THIS TIME has always been special to me. First, my favorite holiday takes place this month, Thanksgiving. The food that is served for this holiday has always been special to me. Family recipes, some tweaked a bit depending on who would be there, would be on display offering multiple options of every course. And there was something about the food that gave me a sense of comfort, safety and love. I cannot describe it exactly, but there was nothing I did not like on the table except for that icky green bean casserole a relative insisted on bringing to the dinner. The other thing that made this time special was the yearly airing of the movie, The Wizard of Oz on television. As a little kid, I loved that movie. Every year when it was going to be shown on TV, the family would get together. The kids would settle down on the living room floor; some would have blankets; others would have pillows. The adults who wanted to see the film would have brought in extra chairs with them so every aunt and uncle would have a place to sit. One of the adults would check on us kids to see if we wanted anything to eat; however, depending on whose house we were all at, some relatives would not allow any food in their living room or what we would call it, “the front room.” JUST THINKING OF THAT TIME BACK then always puts me in a good mood. There are so many memories associated with that time we all got together to eat around the table and watch The Wizard of Oz. I remember as an adult watching the different versions/sequels that came out based on the original Oz film and I must tell you, none of them provided that warm fuzzy feeling that the first film did for me as a child. My amazement when a relative told me the reason the movie started out in black and white then went to color, when Dorothy opened the door after the tornado dropped the house down, was because color film was invented after the studio began shooting the movie. Whether that is true or not doesn’t matter to me because it is a deep-rooted memory of me being amazed at the transformation from the grey Kansas landscape to the colorful Oz. I think it is terrific when a movie can trigger a fond memory in us; I wonder how many of you will experience this when you watch this sequel to a holiday classic. WITH THE MOST IMPORTANT HOLIDAY COMING up, an adult Ralphie Parker, played by Peter Billingsley (The Break-Up, Sherman Oaks-TV), wants his kids to experience the magic of Christmas like he did when he was a kid. It would include a road trip back to his childhood home in Indiana. With Erinn Hayes (The Goldbergs-TV, Interior Night) as Sandy Parker, River Droshce (Miracle Workers-TV, Little Heroes: Mighty Missions-TV) as Mark, relative newcomer Julianna Layne as Julie and Julie Hagerty (Instant Family, Airplane franchise) as Mrs. Parker; this family comedy blended in situations from the original film with the updated versions. I will point out that the ending credits had side by side matching scenes, which were fun to watch. Because I saw the original film once a long time ago, I felt there were some things that I was missing in this picture. The beginning started out slow for me, but then found its footing. Some of the scenes were predictable, yet others had a ring of familiarity for me. The fact that this movie was created to be a wholesome, fun family watching experience I feel those who have fond memories of the original film will enjoy this new one more. Either way, I am glad I could watch it and remember my version of a happy holiday celebration.
2 ¾ stars
Flash Movie Review: Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris
I AM NOT ADVOCATING TO THROW caution to the wind, but within reason to allow yourself to experience at least one indulgence. Since I was a little boy, I have loved and always wanted a particular European sports car. Now I know chances are I will never be able to afford to buy one, but I still dream about it. Maybe I can splurge at some point and rent it while on vacation. From time to time, an article of clothing or a small electronic device has caught my attention. If it grabs a strong hold on me, I will obsess over it to the point where I feel everything would work out in my life if I just had that item. There was a time, years ago, where I would act on these compulsions and immediately buy it on a charge card, whether I could afford it or not. Just having that thing brought me immense joy and it was something I did not expect anyone else to understand. For example, getting a sweater that I thought was so cool looking gave me such pleasure because, in my mind, I thought I would look great in it. Not having a substantial level of high esteem, this was my way to make myself feel better. I think that is one of the reasons it is hard for me to get rid of clothes; I do not want to throw away the magic that article of clothing provided me. WITH MATURITY, I LEARNED TO CONTROL my habit for finding happiness in material things. Not that it was necessarily a negative thing, it needed to have a coating of reason with it. While I was still living at home, I decided I wanted to have a house I could call my own. One thing you can say about me is I have an incredibly strong sense of determination. If there is something I want, I will laser focus on it and do whatever I need to do to make it a reality. For several years, I took on extra hours, worked overtime and saved every penny I could so that I would be able to put a healthy down payment on whatever house I found. Sure, I did not accept every invite to go out to dinner or a show; but sometimes I would make alternate plans to meet for lunch or just to hang out which would cost less money. My plan worked and it was well worth doing because I was able to fulfill my dream of having my own home. This is one of the reasons why I feel indulging oneself within a reasonable limit can be a positive thing. There is a wonderful example of it you can see in this lovely comedic drama. SEEING FOR THE FIRST TIME A Christian Dior dress was all cleaning woman Ada Harris, played by Lesley Manville (Phantom Thread, Another Year) needed to fall in love with it. She would find a way someday to own her very own haute couture Dior dress. With Isabelle Huppert (About Joan, Greta) as Claudine Colbert, Lambert Wilson (The Matrix franchise, Timeline) as Marquis de Chassagne, Alba Baptista (Patrick, Warrior Nun-TV) as Natasha and Lucas Bravo (Ticket to Paradise, Emily in Paris-TV) as Andre Fauvel; this movie was a treasure. Set in the city of London during the 1950s, Lesley was magnificent as Ada; she drove the story beyond the predictable. The pacing was perfect throughout every scene; I felt I was transported back in time. And the ultimate compliment belongs to the writers; their story brought me into a situation that I initially thought was impossible. Yet, with their words, I soon was rooting for everyone in the cast. If there were more films out of this caliber, I would indulge my love of movies by going to the theater more often.
3 ½ stars
Flash Movie Review: Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
WE WERE A TIGHT GROUP OF four friends. Our friendship started decades ago, kindled by our mutual love for music and dance. Throughout the years, we shared in each other’s joys and tragedies. As the years passed by, we pretty much knew how each of us would react to a situation; whether it was at a party or a restaurant, we had each other’s back, as they say. I remember we had gone out to dinner and wound up at a bookstore afterwards. While walking around I got a call that a relative had died. My friends were there to console and comfort me before I had to go and pay my respects. The same could be said for any of us when one was experiencing a hard time. I cannot tell you how many times over the years we would congregate at someone’s house after hearing about their breakup with a significant other. With being so close through the years, there was nothing we could not talk about with each other. We knew about each one’s ailments, fears, concerns and when needed would housesit for one another. Throughout the years, like most people, there never was a time where one of us would entertain the thought of one of us not being there. SADLY, THAT TIME EVENTUALLY COMES WHEN one is no longer with us. Suddenly, our foursome was turned into a trio. Gratefully, we had each other to help with the burden of sadness. Intellectually, I could process our friend’s death; death is an inevitable that each of us will experience. The only difference is whether it is at an early or old age, though early and old are more blurred these days. The hardest part for me is the routine that comes along with a long-term relationship. Being able to pick up the phone and talk to my friend was part of my life and incorporated into the things I would do on a consistent basis. It is the same with a broken relationship; I find the routines are the hardest part to overcome. And it could be the simplest of things like going grocery shopping together, that suddenly feels painful the first time after the breakup, when I must go by myself. One of the most important things I have learned is everybody mourns and handles grief in their own way; no one has the right to tell someone they are wrong for the way they handle their sadness. To see what I am talking about, this picture shows several different ways individuals mourn their loss. WITH SOME OF THE WORLD’S NATIONS testing Wakanda’s strengths since the loss of their king/Black Panther, there was a bigger threat brewing near their shores. With Letitia Wright (Guava Island, The Silent Twins) as Shuri, Lupita Nyong’o (12 Years a Slave, Us) as Nakia, Danai Gurira (The Visitor, The Walking Dead-TV) as Okoye, Tenoch Huerta (The Forever Purge, Dark Forces) as Namor and Angela Bassett (Gunpowder Milkshake, Contact) as Ramonda; this sequel did an admirable job of honoring the late Chadwick Bosman who was the Black Panther. The film is beautiful to watch, and I appreciated the way the script wove in the emotional loss and its effect on people. On the other hand, I felt the writers went on too long with the mourning because it cast a maudlin pallor over the story. For a Marvel film, there was not the usual amount of well-choreographed action. My favorite characters were the ones that Angela Bassett, Danai Gurira and Tenoch Huerta portrayed; Angela had some wonderful intense scenes that broke up the monotony of the sadness. This movie did not have the thrilling wonderment of the first one; however, it was a good solid sequel to move the franchise forward. There was only one extra scene in the middle of the credits.
3 stars
Flash Movie Review: Dog
SHE WAS A QUIRKY LITTLE THING. The first time I met her, she stayed close to the walls of the room, shaking as if she had a chill. It was actually caused by anxiety, and this happened every time she met a new person. I had flown down to spend the weekend with a friend who had recently adopted this four-year-old dog, unaware of the dog’s quirks and strange behavior. My friend soon discovered the little thing was terrified of rain. She would not go outside if it was raining outside, pulling at her leash while crying and howling to the point she would throw herself down on the ground as if she were having a tantrum. It was the wildest thing to see. Feeding her was another ordeal; she was very picky about the food she would eat and many a time my friend would have to hand feed her. With the dog looking scrawny, my friend was trying to find the right combination of food that the dog would willingly eat. With my friend’s approval, I went out and bought a couple of food treats at the pet shop to offer this finicky four-year-old. On my second day there, the little dog took a brave step towards me. I had a treat in my hand, holding it out down close to the floor. The dog tentatively creeped towards my hand, sniffed me and the food before taking the food out of my hand and retreated to her cage, where she devoured it. It was progress. FROM MY SUCCESS, THE DOG SOON stopped clinging to the walls and came up to me so I could pet her. I asked my friend how they chose this dog if they saw how afraid she was of people. My friend said the fear was momentary because they felt a connection quickly being established with the dog. They could not explain it fully, but said the dog had a high level of empathic behavior. I listened as my friend shared a couple of examples where the dog, sensing my friend was not feeling well, would snuggle up next to them for comfort. Their behavior would drastically, at least to its owner, change to be supportive of my friend whenever the need arose. It was the craziest thing I had heard. My friend continued throughout my visit to share different stories about this curious furball on four legs. By the end of my visit, I was totally convinced that the dog could sympathize with its owner over some heavy issues, let alone the lesser ones. She may not have the fighting instincts like the dog in this comedic drama, but I am willing to bet she could hold her own in lending a sympathetic ear. BOTH DAMAGED BY THE WAR, A soldier and dog are stuck together for a road trip to attend a fellow soldier’s funeral. It was not going to be an easy trip for either of them. With Channing Tatum (The Lost City, Logan Lucky) as Jackson Briggs, Ryder McLaughlin (North Hollywood, Mid90s) as Deli teenager, relative newcomer Aavi Haas as the deli manager, Luke Forbes (Crown Heights, S.W.A.T.-TV) as Ranger Jones and Luke Jones (Acts of Revenge, Dope State) as the bartender; this film took a typical road trip story and turned it into a pleasing and enjoyable film. I became familiar with this dog breed, Belgian Malinois, in one of the John Wick films and have grown to love them. Their expressive faces and mix of sweetness and toughness made it easy for them to be an equal, solid character in the story. Channing turned in a beautiful performance that felt complete. If it was not for Channing and the dog, I do not feel this film would have worked as well, due to its predictability. With its straightforward telling and handful of warm moments, by the end of the film I wished I had one of those dogs in my life.
3 stars
Flash Movie Review: The Munsters
THERE WERE TWO HOUSES IN OUR neighborhood that were totally different from any other, but both were equally creepy. One house was completely painted in a drab brown color: everything from the front stairs, porch, railings, shutters, door and window frames. At nighttime no one could tell if anyone was at home because the lights were never on; or the windows were so heavily curtained that the light could not penetrate. All the years I lived in the neighborhood, I never once saw anyone entering or leaving the house. There was no front lawn; it was all cemented over with one large oak tree that stuck out from the ground like it had killed it. Whenever I cut through the alley in back, I could never tell if there was a backyard or not because the was a huge dense hedge that surrounded the perimeter. As you can imagine, no one ever ventured past the wrought iron front gate at Halloween; the place was too scary all year round. Whenever my friends and I were playing outside, we made sure to never throw or hit a ball in the house’s direction, in case the ball was to bounce into its front yard. None of us had the courage to climb over the fence and get closer to that house. THE OTHER HOUSE THAT WAS SCARY to us was brightly painted in green and orange hues. It had trellis work all around the front porch with vines spreading across it. The stairs leading up to the front door were bowed, as if something big had climbed up and down them repeatedly. In the front yard there was an assortment of wildflowers, some that were taller than me. I never knew who lived inside because again, there was no sign of life or activity. The dense foliage that surrounded the house like a suit of armor made the place look menacing. It was the type of place that looked like Sleeping Beauty would have been served a poison apple there or Hansel and Gretel would have been held to be used in a cauldron of soup. There was an odd weathervane attached to the house’s chimney; it was hard to figure out if the figurine was a human or animal. I used to try and picture what would live in this and the other house. Now here is the interesting part; in all my imaginings, I never once thought humans were inhabiting the houses. They had to be some type of alien or monster, more akin to the family in this comedy fantasy. MOVING TO AN AMERICAN SUBURB WOULD be a big adjustment for this Transylvanian family. It would be an even bigger adjustment for the people who lived around them. With Sheri Moon Zombie (The Lords of Salem, The Devil’s Rejects) as Lily, Jeff Daniel Phillips (3 From Hell, The Gifted-TV) as Herman, Daniel Roebuck (The Fugitive, Getting Grace) as The Count, Richard Brake (The Rhythm Section, Bingo Hell) as Dr. Wolfgang and Jorge Garcia (Lost-TV, The Wedding Ringer) as Floop; this reboot of the television show has the distinction of being the worst film I have seen this year. I could appreciate the idea of bringing the Munster family to a whole new generation; but this film was too corny and boring. The special effects were dull, the script failed at humor and the story came across like a poorly done Saturday morning cartoon. The actors were not bad, considering they had a tough act to follow with the original actors; but I felt the writers were forcing the campiness so much that scenes just looked ridiculous. This could have been a better film if the story focused more on the early times just when Lily and Herman were about to meet each other. If I had my way, I would have preferred rewatching one of the Addams Family television episodes.
1 ½ stars
Flash Movie Review: Enola Holmes 2
THOUGH MY FRIENDS WERE NOT THRILLED having their older sibling attending the same school, I did not mind it at all. When the sibling was a brother, it usually worked out even better for me. I had one friend whose brother was two grades above us. If they saw each other in the school hallway, they rarely acknowledged each other. However, if I was by myself the older brother would nod his head in acknowledgement whenever he saw me. For me, at least in my mind, he was a pseudo-bodyguard. There were times when I would purposely walk alongside of him anytime, I saw a bully nearby. Just for the fact he was older, the bullies would not take a chance on starting something with me as long as he was near me. Not like he was some type of tough guy himself; he just was older and bigger and that was enough to curtail someone from picking on me. This is the reason I said it was a better situation when the older sibling was male instead of female. Some bullies did not hesitate to harass the older sister besides me if we happen to be walking alongside of each other. WHEN I ENTERED COLLEGE, I LIVED on a floor where everyone else was either in a higher grade or a grad student. At first, I was intimidated; however, it turned into a fortuitous arrangement. The older students treated me more like a mascot than a freshman. What I mean by that is they rather enjoyed by naivety. For some, I think they enjoyed hearing about my trials and tribulations of freshman life; for others, they found comfort in being a mentor for me. Either way it was an added benefit for me. I was able to navigate freshman orientation faster and easier due to the helpful hints I received from the students on my floor. I was especially grateful to find out that the physical ed requirement could be bypassed if I told the university personnel I could not swim. This way, I would be placed in a remedial swimming class and not have to participate in a variety of sports activities I could not do. My floor turned into a highlight for me; I was hanging out with graduate students who were becoming nuclear engineers, accountants and pharmacists. I do not know what they thought about me, but I considered a couple of them like an older sibling who was watching out for me. It was a peaceful year compared to what I endured through my high school years. It is one of the reasons I was intrigued to watch this action, crime adventure film. CONFIDENT ENOUGH TO SET UP HER own detective agency, the only customer who asked Enola Holmes, played by Millie Bobby Brown (Godzilla franchise, Stranger Things-TV), for her help was a young girl. The case would turn into something that was bigger than the two of them. With Henry Cavill (Man of Steel, Night Hunter) as Sherlock Holmes, David Thewlis (Harry Potter franchise, Wonder Woman) as Grail, Louis Partridge (The Lost Girls, Paddington 2) as Tewkesbury and Susan Wokoma (The Loneliest Boy in the World, Cheaters-TV) as Edith; this sequel proved movie studios can match or exceed the original movie if they set their minds to it. This picture was a fun film watching experience. Though I am not a fan of breaking character to talk to the audience; the plot twists, humor, and pacing were a perfect blend of excitement. Millie Bobby Brown, Henry Cavill and Helena Bonham Carter (reprising her role) made for a strong troika in acting. The only downside I found in this mystery was the ending part. It was a bit confusing for me; but at that point I did not let it bother me. Based on this film, there is no reason why this story line cannot become a long-lasting movie franchise. There was an extra scene early in the ending credits.
3 ½ stars
moviejoltz 