Monthly Archives: June 2024
Flash Movie Review: Hit Man
BEFORE I COMMIT TO A NEW job, I must first see myself in that position. I cannot imagine I am the only person who acts this way. When I decided to become certified to be a fitness instructor, I used to imagine myself teaching classes during my own workouts. I would be a participant in an aerobics class and replace the instructor with myself in my mind. Maybe this helped build my confidence, or maybe it got me comfortable with the idea of being an instructor; I do not know. However, I will say by seeing myself doing something it did make my first day at the job easier. A long time ago, a furniture company hired me to set up store displays of their home accessories. When I went to the interview, I arrived earlier than the agreed time so I could walk around and look at all the items out on the floor. While I waited to hear back from them after my interview, I did different settings in my head of their products. For example, I would group the vases by color then by size; the terra cotta statuary, I would break out into small groups throughout the store. There were various combinations I would see in my mind, so after I was hired, I was able to quickly adapt and create interesting displays of the store’s products. NOT EVERY JOB I HAD WAS great, which may have attributed to me fantasizing about other professions. During my stint as a salesclerk, I started imagining me being a go-go dancer. From all the clothes on display, the dance music playing, and the clientele; I used to picture myself dancing on platforms and tables while placing clothes items in shopping bags for the customers. There was a brief period where I fantasized me doing surveillance for a government agency. I would trail people I conjured up in my brain and follow them around town, hoping to catch them “red-handed” as they say. From surveillance, I saw myself as a Ninja and from there I saw myself as a long-distance cyclist; the opportunities were endless, and the amusement was abundant. In a way, I think I chose exotic jobs as a way to break up the monotony of the workday; it was fun to pretend to be a superhero for the day. Sure, there were some things that were not realistic; however, there were others I wanted to do but for whatever reason, I never pushed or got pushed to try out for it. I cannot be the only one who has daydreamed of such things, and the proof can be found in this comedy, crime romance. A MILD-MANNERED PROFESSOR WORKING A SIDE job helping the New Orleans police department, discovers he enjoys getting into character until he finds himself attracted to one of his victims. With Glen Powell (Anyone But You, Devotion) as Gary Johnson, Adria Arjona (Morbius, Father of the Bride) as Madison Figueroa Masters, Austin Amelio (No Future, The Walking Dead-TV) as Jasper, Retta (The Greatest Hits, Parks and Recreations-TV) as Claudette and Sanjay Rao (Bad Romance, The One You’re With) as Phil, this film directed by Richard Linklater (Boyhood, Before Midnight) was a big surprise for me. First off, I thought Glen easily managed helming this picture. Secondly, the chemistry between him and Adria was right on target; they were totally believable. The script had its fun and exciting moments, though I have to say I had an issue with the moral dilemma presented. Granted these are my feelings on the subject of “actions beget consequences.” But outside of that, I thoroughly enjoyed this movie. The directing was sharp with a few twists in the story, and it was fun to watch. And after seeing this film, I feel fine continuing to fantasize about various exciting occupations.
3 ¼ stars
Flash Movie Review: Migration
MY DESIRE FOR TRAVEL STARTED AT an incredibly early age. My first road trip took place when I was an infant in diapers. Once I became cognizant, there was something about seeing various places and different topography that I found exciting. That thrill only increased tenfold when I became aware of important landmarks and structures. Seeing the Empire State Building, either in print or on television/film, then seeing it in person was utterly magical to me. Or, having seen the Grand Canyon live for the first time was overwhelming; I wound up walking around it the entire day, unaware that I was burning my unprotected scalp until it was beet red. I still loved the experience of seeing the place in person. When I was a young boy, I used to write to each state’s commerce/tourism department, asking them to send me brochures and pamphlets about their state. I would keep all the literature in a storage box and periodically go through it repeatedly, feeding my desire to go and see the various places for myself. It did not matter how I would get to these various locations because I enjoyed all forms of travel: car, train and airplane. My dream, I may have mentioned, when I was a little kid was to see all fifty states. Though it took me decades to accomplish, I always get a sense of pride whenever I tell someone about my achievement. In my world, travel is in my top five favorite things to do. NOW I DO NOT WANT TO come across as being judgmental and I certainly understand the different circumstances people might have for not traveling, but I have always been perplexed by those who have the means but have no desire to leave their surroundings. To me, this lack of exposure isolates the person and can very easily askew their perceptions about other individuals and places. I know a married couple who rarely leave their neighborhood. We have tried to get them to meet us for a night in the city and they always refused because they have this false perception that no place is safe in the city. Sure, like any big metropolis, there are stories about robberies and shootings, but it is not like the entire city is one big war zone. I try to understand where they are coming from but have a tough time doing it. Without seeing for oneself, I feel a person’s fears have a false ring to them, a hollowness. One could read a book or watch a documentary, but until you see things for yourself, I do not think one can get the complete picture of diverse cultures, places, and societies. To me, this animated adventure comedy is a good example of what I am talking about. IT WOULD TAKE A LOT OF pleading and begging to get their overprotective father to take the family on a vacation. As far as he was concerned there was nothing worth leaving, the comforts of their quiet, safe home, even just for a vacation. With Kumail Nanjiani (Eternals, Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire) voicing Mack, Elizabeth Banks (Call Jane, The Hunger Games franchise) voicing Pam, Isabela Merced (Madame Web, Dora and the Lost City of Gold) voicing Kim, Danny DeVito (Haunted Mansion, The War of the Roses) voicing Uncle Dan and Carol Kane (The Princess Bride, Between the Temples) voicing Erin; I found this a fun, charming picture. The entire cast was well suited to bringing life to their characters. Plus, the script helped because it had some fun slick humor that both kids and adults would enjoy. There was nothing quite new or fresh about the story, yet with the wonderful colorful animation, I still found myself enjoying and watching the story. I also resonated with the story’s message and was left with a comforting feeling after the film was over.
3 stars
Flash Movie Review: The Watchers
SHE WAS TRYING TO CONVINCE ME that I would not even taste the vegetable, but I was not convinced. In the past, I have mentioned I am a texture and visual eater. Certain food textures, like aspic, can make me gag. Something like sauerkraut is a double whammy; I do not like the texture or how it looks, let alone the taste. I was seated at my friend’s dinner party when she came out with this casserole dish and proceeded to tell me about the ingredients, I would not notice in the side dish. I did not want to come across as being rude, since they made a point of announcing this in front of all the seated guests around the dining room table. When the serving plate was passed to me, I took the tiniest of helpings; no reason to let food go to waste when I was sure there were others who might enjoy it. Once all the food was placed on the table and the hosts were seated, we began to eat. When I finally took a bite of the vegetable casserole on my plate, I immediately did not like the taste of it. I could taste the disliked ingredient, but that was secondary to the all-around bad taste I was experiencing. There was such an odd blend of tastes; I could not figure out if it was due to the spices or the ingredients, because there were so many textures going on. The bottom line: it was nasty. I LOVED MY FRIEND, AND DO not get me wrong; I was appreciative of her dinner invitation. Having known her and her family for years, I understood her cooking was not something I cared for. It made sense to me because I thought her mother was an awful cook and baker. It was not a surprise for the mother to serve a cake for dessert that was rubbery with no flavor. One holiday, she came out with a turkey that was undercooked; it got to the point where I had to be extra cautious on what foods I would eat at their house. So, my friend not being a good cook was not a shock to me. It was never a big deal; I am aware that some people think some foods taste good, while others do not. With this in mind, I always know what to expect and from time to time I will eat something of hers that will surprise me because it was not too bad. It may not have been great, but it was easily edible. I had a similar mindset when I decided to see this film because I have not been a fan of the director’s father for a long time. GETTING STUCK IN A FOREST, A young artist finds herself trapped alongside three mysterious strangers in a structure that looks like a glass enclosed cage. There was a reason for it. With Dakota Fanning (The Secret Life of Bees, Man on Fire) as Mina, Georgina Campbell (Barbarian, Suspicion-TV) as Ciara, Olwen Fouere (The Northman, The Survivalist) as Madeline, relative newcomer Oliver Finnegan as Daniel and Alistair Brammer (Les Miserables, A Call to Spy) as John; this fantasy, horror mystery written and directed by Ishana Shyamalan had a wonderful look and soundtrack to the film’s story. The cast was good, and things started out interestingly enough, but after a while I felt the script fell into a rut, leaving me bored. It seemed as if this picture could have been her father’s film, where interesting vignettes were shown and then they either did not go anywhere relevant to the story or made no sense. As the story was closing in on the end, I felt nothing was working in this picture which left me disappointed and confused. There may be promise for this director/writer, but based on this first outing, things are not looking up. I may wind up with the same mindset going to see her future films; not expecting much but knowing I will somehow make it through to the end of the movie.
1 ¾ stars
Flash Movie Review: Night Swim
BEFORE I HAD ANY UNDERSTANDING ABOUT proper dieting, I tried a variety of ways to lose weight. During my elementary school years, I went on a daily lunch of clear chicken broth with a few oyster crackers. I lost a few pounds but did not give as much thought to my food intake for breakfast and dinner. Another diet I tried was eliminating bread, no more sandwiches or toast in the morning. All that happened was me being hungry and eating more ice cream instead. Because gym classes always caused me anxiety, I never thought about doing some type of exercise, except for a short period where I found a book that went through the exercise routines of the Canadian Mounties. I could not tell you where I got this book, but I tried doing the various exercises three times a week. It lasted for almost two months, but then again, the results were not dramatic, and I was looking for some serious weight loss. By the time I got to high school, my doctor put me on a pill to try and lose weight. I never knew what it was but some years later I found out the pills had a legal form of “speed.” My freshman year I remained skinny; however, when my days at school turned to the dark side during sophomore year, I put all the weight I had lost back on and then some. IT WAS NOT UNTIL YEARS LATER, when I went to an aerobics class with a friend, that I finally understood the way I needed to lose weight. Due to the dramatic weight loss, I achieved, I was always being asked for weight loss advice from members of my classes. I shared my simple philosophy: one must burn off more calories than they take in. The things I saw through my years of teaching went from dramatic to scary. There was a woman at one club who had gotten so skinny that her hair started to fall out and she stopped menstruating. Another member at one of the other clubs got into weight training, but never incorporated any form of aerobics. They simply got bigger and bigger, which meant their weight was increasing as well. There have been so many stories I have heard about the things people do to feel better about themselves. One person did liposuction, but it left her misshapen and half of her stomach remained numb from the procedure. I tried my best to guide members if they asked me, but only by telling them what I did to lose weight. One of the main characters had the right idea about working out in their pool to feel better, but things did not end up the way he had hoped in this horror thriller. THEIR NEW HOUSE HAD EVERYTHING THE family wanted; but had something else that they did not want. With Wyatt Russell (Overlord, Everybody Wants Some!!) as Ray Waller, Kerry Condon (The Banshees of Inisherin, Bad Samaritan) as Eve Waller, Amelie Hoeferle (The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes) as Izzy Waller, Gavin Warren (The Man in the White Van, A Hard Problem) as Elliot Waller and Jodi Long (The Tale, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings) as Lucy Summers; this film missed an opportunity to create a scary thriller. Instead, all it offered was a poor excuse for a horror movie. Though the actors tried their best, the script was dull and unimaginative. I felt the scenes were clips from other horror films except with poorer special effects. There were a few scenes that sparked hope inside of me, but sadly the script did not veer off its mundane, average story. It would be best if one passed up on this mess of a picture.
1 ½ stars
Flash Movie Review: The Garfield Movie
WE ALL MET IN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, some as far back as kindergarten. All through school we remained friends and continued so into high school, despite drifting off into our different comfort zones. Though I rarely saw them through high school and not at all during my college years, I was always fond of them. One of those friends taught me how to cut crepe paper with scissors. It was because I was the only lefthanded student in my kindergarten class. When the teacher was teaching us, I could not hold the scissors like the rest of the kids sitting at my table. She was sitting next to me and carefully showed me how to use the scissors a separate way where I could then cut the paper. This is how we met and remained friends; she was always one of the sweetest girls in school; I never forgot her act of kindness, even after all these decades. Another friend had an Irish Wolfhound dog that was huge. The dog could nearly look at you at eye level, he was that tall. All of us were excited when our friend told us her dog was going to be in a dog food commercial. Being so big, he was a fast runner, just like his owner, my friend. I always believed my friend was one of the smartest kids in class, so I assumed she figured out how to make her dog a star. YEARS LATER AT A CLASS REUNION, the four of us met up and had a wonderful evening reminiscing about our youth. The biggest shock for me was hearing what everyone wound up doing in life. From our experiences in childhood, I was left with impressions of who these friends were; however, hearing what they did in their adult life surprised me. One friend became a historian on stolen art, collaborating on movies and shows that focused on artwork stolen during World War II. The woman who taught me how to use scissors is a playwright who has a new show debuting at a famous theater festival. The last friend from our small group, who had the big dog, received her doctorate, and became a professor at a university. She had recently retired to take a new position setting up a doctorial program in her field of expertise at another university. I could not believe how these three individuals, became such successful and I might add powerful women in their industry. I am glad I knew them then and now because it makes their lives appear richer to me. I was hoping to get a similar sense with this animated, adventure comedy about one of my favorite cartoon characters. SURPRISED BY HIS UNEXPECTED REUNION WITH his long-lost father, Garfield, voiced by Chris Pratt (The Tomorrow War, The Kid), leaves the comfort of his home to help his dad in one last heist. With Samuel L. Jackson (The Kill Room, Damaged) voicing Vic, Hannah Waddingham (The Fall Guy, Ted Lasso-TV) voicing Jinx, Ving Rhames (The Locksmith, Con Man) as Otto and Nicholas Hoult (Renfield, The Current War) voicing Jon; this movie did not offer much insight or newness to Garfield’s story. I did not care for the script because it portrayed a toned-down version of Garfield, we all remember from the comic strip and Bill Murray film. Younger children will enjoy this picture better than the older ones and adults. I did like the style of animation, though. It would have helped if the writers had the older version of Garfield in their minds when they chose to write the script. There were times I was bored, especially when the upcoming action was obvious to the viewer. In a way, I felt I was seeing a different version of the satirical, lazy, smart aleck Garfield I enjoyed seeing these past years.
1 ¾ stars
Flash Movie Review: The Greatest Hits
WHILE LISTENING TO THEM, I WAS getting excited. Having dinner with younger relatives, a couple were talking about their experiences recently at a popular arena concert that had stopped in the city. Every show had sold out in minutes, and they just happened to be lucky enough to get tickets. They told us what they wore then had to explain to the rest of us that it was proper concert attire. Back when I was going to concerts, my standard outfit was jeans and comfortable shoes because many times we would be standing through the entire show, and let me tell you, it is not easy wearing new cowboy boots while standing on a folding chair for over two and a half hours. The two relatives took public transportation down to the stadium. It seemed as if everyone on the train and bus was going to the concert because all the way down into the city the riders were singing the artist’s songs. I experienced the same thing with a couple of the shows I had seen in the past, so I could easily relate to what they were feeling. Inside the stadium, my relatives’ first line of business was to buy concert T-shirts. This was my thing at all the concerts I attended, getting a T-shirt was like getting a badge of honor; I loved wearing my T-shirts when I was out and about. AFTER LISTENING ABOUT THEIR EXPERIENCE AT the concert, I was recalling mine as I was driving home from the restaurant. The thing that moved me the most about concerts was feeling connected to so many people who were all there for the same thing. It was like an electric current that we all tapped into at the same time that kept us on a steady high through the performance. There was a sense of belonging that was nurturing to me. When I would tear up to a song, the people around me were doing the same thing; collectively we were all of one heart and I loved that feeling. Music has always had a special effect on me. The way a song plays and can immediately transport me to a different time and place; it is like magic. For every breakup I experienced I have a song, along with every loving relationship. Seeing myself sitting in the restaurant booth, with a fake stained-glass ceiling above us, listening to what became our favorite song over the speaker system and you telling me for the first time you loved me, is a memory that is always with me whenever I hear that song. Hearing how music had an affect on the main character in this romantic music drama intrigued me enough to sit down and watch this movie. AFTER A TRAGIC LOSS HARRIET GIBBONS, played by Lucy Boynton (Bohemian Rhapsody, Murder on the Orient Express), hears a song, and gets transported back to the time of a memorable event where she had heard the song originally. When she meets a man who shows interest in her, how could she explain her situation. With Justin H. Min (Shortcomings, The Umbrella Academy-TV) as David Park, David Corenswet (Look Both Ways, The Politicians-TV) as Max Enders, Austin Crute (Booksmart, They/Them) as Morris Martin and Retta (To the Bone, Parks and Recreation-TV) as Dr. Evelyn Bartlett; I liked the idea behind the story. Unfortunately, I felt the script could have done a better job of offering something new and fresh in a theme that is familiar. Lucy did a respectable job and I enjoyed how she related to the other characters. With a great soundtrack, there were times I really enjoyed this film, but as I said, it kept close to a standard easy format without delving deeper into the characters and surprising the viewer more. For a lazy afternoon, where one is undecided whether to listen to music or watch a movie, this picture could fill both needs.
2 ¼ stars
Flash Movie Review: The Beautiful Game
RECENTLY, I WENT TO THE GROCERY STORE to find a particular box of cookies. This box of cookies was something special to me when I was a young boy. The cookies were simple, buttery, and just slightly more crisp than soft in texture. As I found the cookie and snack aisle at the store, I slowly made my way down to see if I could spot these cookies. I realized my memories could be of what would be now their old packaging, but I hoped I could still locate them. The first thing that took me by surprise was the number of different cookies on the shelves. And not only the amount of different cookie brands, but the amount of variety there was for specific cookies. One type of cookie was positioned on multiple shelves in a section. Besides the original type I remembered, there were ones in assorted flavors; some of them did not sound appealing to me. They also came in varied sizes now, where some were extra thick, and others were being called crispy thin. It made me wonder what was ever wrong with the original ones because I thought they were terrific. I continued down the aisle, amazed by all the different choices most brands offered. Sadly, after looking at every shelf, I never found the cookies I used to eat during my childhood. ON MY WAY HOME FROM THE store, I was remembering other foods I enjoyed as a kid. I do not know if other people feel the same way as I do about food, but there are certain foods that trigger a warm, happy memory for me. Besides the food, there is a place I associate with the food. I remember going to an older relative’s house when I was small, where she would always have on hand homemade fruit bars. The apartment was not air conditioned, the furniture was old and sagged whenever you sat in it, but it did not matter to me. Sitting at her kitchen table with a couple of fruit bars and a glass of chocolate milk, I felt like I was eating like a king. It was cozy, comfortable, and safe; time felt like it had slowed down so I could remain seated in the vinyl kitchen chair that would be a little sticky in summer. This is the feeling I was trying to recreate from my cookie shopping experience. There are times where I do not want any complicated, fancy, new and improved food item; I simply want to sit down and eat something that just feels good. I am the same way with movies; I am not always looking for the biggest spectaculars or greatest special effects. I want something that makes me feel warm and good, and gratefully this sports drama gave me those feelings. HOPING TO BRING A WINNING SOCCER TEAM to the championship games in Rome, the manager of the team brings in a new player just before the tournament. A player that does not want to be around his teammates. With Michael Ward (Empire of Light, The Book of Clarence) as Vinny, Daniel Attwell (Brothers of War, 1917) as Mark, Bill Nighy (Living, The First Omen) as Mal, Tom Vaughan-Lawlor (Avengers franchise, The Infiltrator) as Kevin and Kit Young (The School of Good and Evil, Out of Darkness) as Cal; this movie inspired by true stories was a feel-good experience. Already a fan of Bill Nighy, I enjoyed watching this film that was about an event I had never heard of before. The acting was decent from the cast, and it was easy at times to figure out what was going to happen in the scenes, but it did not matter to me. The feelings of easy comfort and joy I was experiencing made up for any of this film’s flaws. It was good to sit back and watch a story being told simply and directly with no added frills. In other words, just a good old-fashioned story.
2 ¾ stars
Flash Movie Review: Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga
GENUINELY, I HAVE ALWAYS BEEN A curious person. I always felt one gets to really know someone from the journey they took to get to their present time. Their past, at least to me, reveals so much more than hearing them talk about their thoughts on current affairs or their favorite pastimes. Because of my interest, there have been times I wondered if I was annoying the person by asking them so many questions. I never wanted it to feel like an interrogation; I simply want to know who they really are behind the surface. I met a man who was his state’s spelling bee champion for several years in a row. He was accepted at some of the top schools in the country like MIT and Princeton. At his job, he oversaw a staff of 1,100 employees and was ranked in the top ten positions of his company. Listening to him, I assumed that he had to come from a stable family, who had the means to get him a good education that gave him all the opportunities he mentioned to me. I could not have been more wrong. It turned out he was from a broken home; his mother having been married and divorced a few times. At one point, things were so bad that he and his mom had to live in their car for several months because they had nowhere else to go. I was stunned. I HEARD SUCH A VARIETY OF back stories from individuals; some of them worthy of being immortalized in a movie. There was the owner of a popular restaurant in the city, who very few people knew he, as a young boy, was in a concentration camp. He chose the restaurant business because he never wanted anyone to experience the starvation he had during the war. There was the woman who was a single mother, raising two daughters, who never wanted her children to not have a roof over their heads, so she devoted most of her extra savings for the purchasing of apartment buildings. By the time her oldest daughter was out of college, she had nearly a dozen different properties that were all generating income. I do not want to come across like a braggart, but there have been people who found my journey to teaching fitness an interesting tale. Being overweight for most of my young life and flunking gym class twice in high school, I came up with an exercise and diet program I could follow without feeling I was missing something. During my weight loss, I ventured out to an aerobics class with a friend and fell in love with it. From there I started subbing classes, while working on getting certified. Afterwards, I wound up teaching at several locations and had a long career in the fitness industry. There is something about hearing a person’s back story that makes their life shine brighter in my mind. I never thought I needed to know the back story to the movie character Furiosa, but I was fascinated with it in this prequel to the film franchise. HAVING BEEN ABDUCTED FROM HER HOMELAND by a powerful warlord, a young girl learns how to take care of herself so that one day she can keep her promise of returning home. Her journey would be a perilous one. With Anya Taylor-Joy (The New Mutants, The Menu) as Furiosa, Chris Hemsworth (Extraction franchise, Men in Black: International) as Dementus, Tom Burke (The Souvenir, The Wonder) as Praetorian Jack, Alyla Browne (Three Thousand Years of Longing, The Secret Kingdom) as Young Furiosa and Lachy Hulme (Killer Elite, The Matrix Revolutions) as Immortan Joe; this action, science fiction adventure was all about the fight and chase scenes, and I will have to say they were spectacular. The intensity, the movements and the creativity blended to create some amazing scenes. On top of that, Anya was riveting in her role. Without much dialog, it was easy to understand what she felt and her reactions. I, however, thought the script was too long and did not have the fire that the previous movie had on display. For the most part, this picture was one action scene after another with a small amount of groundwork to set up the scenes. If a viewer does not care about the life of Furiosa, they might not have a strong interest in this movie, especially if not interested in seeing violence and blood.
3 stars
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