Flash Movie Review: Bottoms
THINGS CHANGED WHEN IT WAS TIME for my classmates and me to graduate. Having all of us growing up together for several years at the school, everyone knew everyone else. No one was a stranger. But now it was time for our grade to enroll into the bigger school, where we would be joined by four other schools’ graduating students. Suddenly, I would be sitting with people I did not know. I remember the feeling of joy whenever I would cross paths with a former schoolmate in the new school’s hallways, as we were going to our next class. At my suddenly “old” school, I had a couple of noteworthy events that were public. One was the selection of my science project to be displayed in the school library. Another event was being picked to form a team to play a ball game because I had a strong, fast pitch. And there was the time when I was the taffy apple king because I sold the most taffy apples for a fundraiser. With any of these events, they were not something I trained for or aspired to achieve. I thought luck played a large part in it, plus imagination. Little did I know that entering the larger school with students from other neighborhood schools would change the landscape about being a winner and being noticed. SOON AFTER THE NEW SCHOOL YEAR started, I noticed something different; there suddenly appeared a hierarchy, where students wanted to be noticed now. The students who joined various sports activities had a double hierarchy. The football players were the most popular, followed by the basketball and baseball teams. Those in the chess or debate clubs were low on the scale. Right besides the football players for being the most popular/noticed were the cheerleaders, followed by the pom-pom squad. I did not know where this desire or need to be noticed was coming from; all I wanted to do was to blend into the background. I quickly learned blending in was the safest place based on how I was seeing how some students were picking on others. If a football player made a gross error on the field, he would get picked on; and, if someone did not act or dress a certain way, they became an easy target for any aggressive, alpha type student. This is why I started dressing in dark clothing, nothing flashy or trendy. I also avoided participating in class discussions because I was too afraid of saying something wrong that would turn me into a target for ridicule. This is why I sat in wonderment, watching the main characters in this satirical, raunchy comedy try to become noticed at their school. HOPING TO LOSE THEIR VIRGINITY AND get noticed, friends form a fight club for girls. To make it work, they felt they needed to take on a different persona, one that would provide them with some notoriety. They may have taken on more than they could manage. With Rachel Sennott (Finally Dawn, Bodies Bodies Bodies) as PJ, Ayo Edebiri (Theater Camp, The Bear-TV) as Josie, Ruby Cruz (The Lost Boys, Willow-TV) as Hazel Callahan, Havana Rose Liu (No Exit, Afraid) as Isabel, and Kaia Gerber (Babylon, Palm Royale-TV) as Brittany; this film festival winner was extremely raunchy. There were elements to the script that I found amusing and satirical; but I felt a majority of the film’s story was a one-trick pony. I was getting bored with the repetition of similar scenes. The idea for the story was funny, and I liked the satirical digs in the dialog, but there were times the movie bordered on slapstick humor. And I must mention again, the script was top-heavy with raunchy dialog throughout the picture. There were outtakes during the ending credits.
2 ½ stars
Flash Movie Review: Beetlejuice Beetlejuice
IT WAS A CHANCE ENCOUNTER THAT released long forgotten memories from forty plus years ago. I was walking through a crowded hotel lobby. Trying to make my way amongst the mass of people, I said “excuse me” to a woman I was trying to get around to reach the staircase. She turned and looked at me; we both became motionless as we intently stared at each other. It immediately clicked in my brain, like a spotlight that found its mark on stage, and I uttered her name after all these years. She in turn did the same thing, saying my name, at the exact time. We both asked what the other was doing here, and it turned out we were attending the same event. I could not believe it. Unfortunately, with assigned seating, we only had small chunks of time to communicate with each other. It felt so good to see her and to feel her warmth again because I had been the one who disappeared. I never wanted to stop being friends with her, but the circle of friends around us was becoming too toxic for me; so, I had to remove myself from the situation. Before the end of the evening, we made plans to meet for lunch a week later. I WAS NOT SURE WHAT TO do as I was walking into the restaurant. Should I hug her or not, should I be animated and wave my hands; I did not know how I would be received. As it turned out as soon as we saw each other we walked up and hugged. Funny, we never did it in school, but I guess being older versions of ourselves made it the thing to do. Once we were seated, we each peppered the other with questions about their current life situation. Memories were flooding my brain; sharing prom together, sitting in her parents’ kitchen while her mother served us cake, using a cuss word to describe someone talking on the television that was playing in the background, hanging out in the park with a group of friends. While talking she used the same phrase as she did back forty years ago. Her no nonsense style of not caring what people thought of her was still as prevalent as it was back then. The only way I could describe my feelings was to say I felt like I had come back home. There was an easy comfort being with her. Whatever differences we had did not require any energy now; I was happy to see her. Some of these things I have been talking about could easily describe what I was feeling while watching this comedic horror fantasy. EMBARRASSED AND DISMISSIVE OF HER GHOST believing mother, a daughter unwittingly causes something to happen that could change her opinion about her family. With Michael Keaton (The Protégé, The Founder) as Beetlejuice, Winona Ryder (Destination Wedding, Mermaids) as Lydia Deetz, Catherine O’Hara (A Mighty Wind, Schitt’s Creek-TV) as Delia Deetz, Jenna Ortega (Scream franchise, The Fallout) as Astrid Deetz, and Justin Theroux (The Girl on the Train, False Positive) as Rory; this sequel transported me right back to the time when I saw the original movie. The cast, both new and veterans, were all in to create a madcap, zany fun film. Granted, since having seen the original the level of impact was less and the script for this picture was more convoluted. As with the first one, the music soundtrack was perfect for this story. I think the viewer would still be entertained with this movie even if they had not seen the first one; though I believe it would be of help. Overall, I was entertained throughout and felt no one could do this character justice except Michael Keaton.
3 stars
Flash Movie Review: The Fall Guy
WHEN ONE IS YOUNG, THEY WILL do foolish things. Add in the love factor and whatever common sense is left gets pushed to the side. Why does it take one’s older self to realize that? Back when I was young and participating in the dating world, I now look at some of the things I did and cannot believe it. At one time, I was dating someone who shared my sense of humor and had similar likes and dislikes. One thing that we were apart from was our tastes in music. They were a big country music fan, and I was a disco baby. Country music was never part of my music library, nor my family members. However, I had feelings for them and wanted to make a good impression; so, I agreed to go to a country western bar and did it with an enthusiastic smile on my face. I was told the place had a big dance floor and they would teach me how to dance. Because I was a fitness instructor and choreographed my routines to music, I felt I would be able to manage the country dancing with no problem. The night of our date, I dressed up in my new clothes, including cowboy boots and a cowboy hat. By the time we got to the club my feet were hurting me. Our first dance lesson was iffy; I could not get the rhythm for two-stepping. We eventually got through but with me still fumbling at times. Looking back, I wonder if that was the start of the deterioration of our relationship. WITH ANOTHER RELATIONSHIP, I WAS DATING a landscape architect. Having grown up in apartments, the closest I came to being involved in such a field was having a droopy houseplant. Maybe because I had purchased a house just prior to our meeting, they were excited to oversee the landscape around the house. I sat through drawings they did and saw photos they pulled up online of different plants and flowers they thought would look good in the front lawn and backyard. I agreed to everything and wound up spending more money than I had, but I wanted to make them happy. What troubled me was knowing I could not sit back and watch but had to be a participate in this endeavor. On a Saturday, they arrived in a rental truck with bags of dirt, plants, and gardening tools. We spent the entire day digging, moving, and planting foliage. The sun was beating down and I was being bitten up by bugs; I hated it. Once everything was done, every weekend turned into a lawn and garden activity. I did not have an interest in cutting the grass or trimming bushes; I intended to pay someone to do it for me. But because I was in love, I endured it for a couple of months before making excuses for not going outside to help. As time progressed, whether there was some disappointment or anger involved, the relationship ended. The lesson learned is to be yourself from the start and let the chips fall where they may. Plus, luckily, I did not have to do what the main character was doing in this action, comedy romance. AFTER AN ALMOST CAREER-ENDING ACCIDENT, a stuntman is drawn back into the business because an old flame requested him. And, because the movie star of the film was missing. He would need to find out what happened to the star while still doing his stunts during the production. With Ryan Gosling (Barbie, The Gray Man) as Colt Seavers, Emily Blunt (Oppenheimer, Mary Poppins Returns) as Jody Moreno, Aaron Taylor-Johnson (Bullet Train, Nocturnal Animals) as Tom Ryder, Hannah Waddingham (Ted Lasso-TV, Sex Education-TV) as Gail Meyer, and Teresa Palmer (Warm Bodies, Lights Out) as Iggy Starr; this was an absolute fun film to watch. Turn your brain onto mute and sit back and enjoy the chemistry between Ryan and Emily, along with the great acting from the entire cast. The script had its flaws, action was the main engine driving this machine; but I thought the tongue in cheek flavor, the stunts and the mix of drama thrown in made for an entertaining picture. Kudos to the actual people who created the stunts. This is the type of film where one comes as themselves and simply enjoys the experience.
3 ¼ stars
MoviePass, MovieCrash
AS I WALKED INTO THE LUNCHROOM, two fellow employees were sitting and talking at a table. When they saw me, one of them asked me if I had ever heard of MoviePass; they knew I was an avid movie goer. I told him no and both employees immediately uttered, “What!?!?” From the look on their faces, you would have thought I had just revealed my secret identity as a superhero or told them I was a former gold medal winning Olympian. I asked them what was MoviePass and they both started talking in unison, telling me about paying a monthly fee and being able to see any movie, anywhere, at any time. I listened intently, but part of me was waiting for some kind of catch or joke to be played on me. They described what they had to do to see the movie and I was still skeptical. It sounded too good to be true and frankly, it sounded strange. At the time they were telling me about this, I was working two jobs which took up most of my time. I did not know if this thing they were talking about would be worth it to me. I also could not understand how the company was making money off this idea. MY PREFERRED METHOD OF PAYING FOR movie tickets was using gift certificates, I would get for my birthday and holiday, and discount certificates I would purchase at the warehouse club where I belonged. Buying a ten pack of certificates would average out to a little less than $8.00 a movie ticket. During the holidays, when the certificates would go on sale, I would buy up to a dozen packs and use them throughout the year, sometimes into the next year even. After listening to the employees’ pitch about this new movie service, I went home after work and did some investigating online. Granted it sounded like a great idea, but there was something inside of me that said something was not right about the company. I had read a multitude of customer comments; they ran the gamut from glowing reviews to irritating ones. Some people complained the screen would freeze up on their phone when they were trying to pick a film; others commented how much they hated trying to reach the customer service department. Honestly, I was surprised by the amount of people taking the time to write down their grievances and their praises. After spending a couple of weeks researching the company and its offerings, the pessimistic side of me prevailed and I chose not to get involved. Having now seen this documentary movie, I am glad I made that decision. FROM TWO MEN’S REVOLUTIONARY IDEA ABOUT a new way to see a movie at the theater, a phenomenon was born. If only they had stuck with their original plan. Directed by Muta’ali (Cassius X: Becoming Ali, Life’s Essentials with Roby Dee), this comedic crime drama was an easy watch. I was fascinated with how the story was unfolding; despite the obvious inequity that filtered through the company. I appreciated the way the director wove news clips, videos, and an array of personal interviews from employees, media, and investors. It created a well-rounded take on the various events and stages that were happening at the company. The thing I found the most interesting about this movie is the way it allows the viewer to expand their thinking to other public companies. After finishing my viewing, I found it ironic that I wound up signing up for a service like MoviePass’ operation except mine is through a movie chain.
3 stars
Flash Movie Review: Despicable Me 4
TO ME, IT REPRESENTED THE ULTIMATE prize. I had two amusement parks, close enough to me, that were easy to get to with a single city transit bus when I was growing up. I was familiar with every ride at both parks and knew what foods to eat at each one. At one park, I would always get a sky-blue snow cone which was shaved ice with a sweet blue colored syrup poured over it. My favorite food to order at the other park was a mini hamburger; the quantities varied depending on how long I would stay at the park. Despite having two easily accessible amusement parks near me while growing up, all anyone talked about was the huge, national amusement parks out of state. Friends would come back from summer vacation and talk about all the different rides and attractions. They had breakfast with one cartoon character and lunch with a different one. There was never a negative comment; it all sounded like a dream coming true. Staying purposely at a motel/hotel near or at the park so you could go back the next day and the next if you chose, was simply unimaginable to my young mind. I was not envious, but I absolutely wanted to experience this for myself someday. It took several years before I could venture out and participate in everything I heard about these magical parks. MY FIRST TIME VISITING A NATIONAL amusement park, I accompanied family members. It was an amazing encounter to see for myself things I had only seen on television. We all had a wonderful time. A few years later I went by myself because one of the parks was holding a special event. I loved every minute of it and was on the go from dawn to bedtime. I met people from my hometown and hung out with them. When I came back and was telling my friends about the wonderful time I had, it was decided we would all have to go next year, which we did. By this time, it was my third time and despite enjoying the time with my friends, the rides and attractions were familiar enough to me that they lost that “wow” factor of surprise. I knew where the scary parts were, so I no longer jumped in my seat. The various musical backgrounds were turning into white noise; I no longer felt that excitement when I sat down and buckled myself into my seat. I wound up feeling the same when I watched this latest installment of the animated film franchise. WHEN AN OLD RIVAL VOWS TO get revenge, Gru, voiced by Steve Carrell (The Big Short, Welcome to Marwen), must take his family and go into hiding; all with new identities. How long will it be before they will be discovered and will Gru be able to defend his family against this new villain? With Kristen Wiig (Where’d You Go, Bernadette; Wonder Woman 1984) voicing Lucy, Joey King (A Family Affair, Bullet Train) voicing Poppy Prescott, Will Ferrell (Quiz Lady, Blades of Glory) voicing Maxime and Sofia Vergara (Chef, Modern Family-TV) voicing Valentina; this adventure comedy had all the same elements as the previous films except a good script. At least the actors did a decent job voicing their characters. The Minions as usual were fun to watch and the animation was well done. However, the script did not provide anything new except some confusion. For young viewers, they will get a kick out of seeing this movie. But, for their parents and older viewers, there was truly little above the standard fare. I was bored in parts and honestly did not find much to make me laugh. It may be time to give Gru and the Minions a rest; they deserve it. There were Minions acting out during the ending credits.
2 stars
Flash Movie Review: The Killer
I SPOTTED SOMETHING DARK, BURIED UNDERNEATH a pile of blankets that were on the top shelf of a closet. I was using a stepstool to reach the blankets and spotted something that was barely peeking out from underneath. Sliding my hand under the blankets, I felt a stiff leathery cover; I thought it might be a book, except it felt bigger. Having to use both hands, one to hold the blankets back and the other to drag the item out from underneath, I pulled it to the edge of the shelf and had to use both hands to lift it up, so I could finally see it. To my surprise, it was a large, leather covered album or binder. There was gold tooling on the cover that had cracks and wrinkles. I carefully stepped down off the stepstool with the album and sat down in a chair so I could place it on my lap to see what was inside. From underneath the cover as I was opening it, fell out fragments of yellowed paper. There was writing on them, but it was so faded I could not make out any full words. Turning over the cover page which was just a sheet of tissue or wax paper, there sealed onto the stiff page was a handwritten recipe. The handwriting was not familiar to me, nor was there any type of date written to give me an idea of how old the album could be. EACH BLACK CARDBOARD PAGE HAD ANYWHERE from one to several recipes. Because I had been teaching myself how to cook and bake, I was fascinated with this find. Maybe it was a book of family recipes; I needed to find out. Page by page I scanned each recipe until suddenly, one recipe stuck out from all the rest. The name written on top spelled out a word I had not heard since I was a little boy. Was it possible this desert bread recipe was for the one we used to have when I was a small child? I was determined to make it and find out; however, the recipe listed only the ingredients, not the amounts, oven temperature or time for baking. From the ingredients, I only needed one item that I ran to the store to buy. Keeping a piece of paper nearby, I listed what amounts I was guessing, while judging how the batter looked. My first attempt was dry with no taste. My second attempt only filled up the loaf pan halfway, but it came out hard with still no taste. In four weekends, my seventh attempt was a success; the dessert loaf was in fact the one I used to eat when I was a kid. I was ecstatic with the results. From this experience, I must wonder if writer and director John Woo felt the same about doing this updated version from the original one, he did thirty-five years ago. ON ASSIGNMENT TO KILL HER TARGET at a nightclub, along with any witnesses, a feared assassin backs off from killing a blinded woman at the scene of the massacre. The assassin’s “good deed” would not go unpunished. With Nathalie Emmanuel (The Invitation, Game of Thrones-TV) as Zee, Omar Sy (The Book of Clarence, Jurassic World franchise) as Sey, Sam Worthington (Avatar franchise, The Exorcism) as Finn, Diana Silvers (Booksmart, Space Force-TV) as Jenn and Said Taghmaoul (Wonder Woman, Three Kings) as Prince Majeb Bin Faheem; this current version still had John Woo’s trademark bloody violence. The action/fight scenes were beautifully choreographed as well as edited. I enjoyed Nathalie’s and Omar’s performances to the point I would not mind if they starred in a sequel. With so much action and chase scenes, I thought the script was shallow; I did not feel connected to the characters. There were times, I felt I was watching a video game instead of a movie. Despite what I have said and because I was in the mood for a steady action film, I still enjoyed watching this remake. Once again, there were multiple scenes with blood and violence.
3 stars
Flash Movie Review: Blink Twice
ON OUR RECENT VACATION, WE HAD several casual encounters with one particular couple, a man and woman. The first time we met them was in the ship’s main dining room; they were seated next to us. The man looked older than the woman but if I had to guess, I would say she was in her 50’s and he was in his late 60’s or early 70’s. While looking at their menus, she saw my entrée and asked how I liked it. It was an item on the daily special menu, and it was quite good. Expressing this to her, she turned to the man and asked him what he thought about it. He agreed with her but said he wanted to see what else was being offered for dinner. Having the opportunity to look at them directly, I believed they were not married because neither was wearing a wedding ring. The woman’s clothes, in my opinion, were tight on her; I did not know if it was intentional or not. Her blouse, which was cut low to expose and amplify her ample chest also revealed a couple of rolls from her stomach. I am not judging by any means, just describing what I saw. She wore a flashy necklace and a few sparkling bracelets and rings on her hands. I noticed her hair was dyed blonde because of the beginning of darker roots emerging from her scalp. The four of us had a further short verbal exchange before they went back to studying their menus. WHEN THE WAITER CAME TO THEIR table, I could not help but hear what was being said. What caught my ear was something that I could never understand; one person ordering for the other. The waiter had asked the woman if she was ready to order and the man answered, telling the waiter what she would have for dinner. Because our tables were close to each other, I had not heard any discussion between the two on what they wanted to eat. For the duration we were sitting there, I had to wonder how well they knew each other. As it turned out, we happened to bump into them at a couple of other meals and on one of our excursions. What struck me odd about the excursion was the fact we were told how to dress, due to the strenuous trek we would be following, and yet this woman was wearing shoes with high heels. For some reason, I started wondering what kind of relationship they had because it just seemed off to me. Having now seen this mystery thriller has only made me even more curious about those two. AT A FUNDRAISING GALA, A TECH billionaire invites one of the servers to join him and his friends on his private island for a fun and exciting vacation. Once arriving and partaking in the daily antics, the waitress begins noticing some strange things that make her question what she is experiencing. With Naomi Ackie (Lady Macbeth, The Score) as Frida, Channing Tatum (Fly Me to the Moon, The Lost City) as Slater, Alia Shawkat (The To Do List, Whip It) as Jess, Christian Slater (Freelance, Chupa) as Vic and Simon Rex (Scary Movie franchise, Red Rocket) as Cody; this film written and directed by Zoe Kravitz started out well. I thought Zoe did a decent job with directing the movie, building up tension, with her shots and pacing. However, after a while the story started to drag on me. I thought the cast did a respectable job with the script, despite it being somewhat predictable and confusing at times. For example, I thought Geena Davis’s character was distracting and odd. It appeared to me Zoe was trying to get a message across; however, I felt it got bogged down due to her dealing with various aspects of bringing her story to the big screen. There were several scenes with blood and violence.
2 ½ stars
Flash Movie Review: Jackpot!
I DECIDED TO GO FOR TWO reasons. First, friends of mine were going and second, I had dealings with the company that was sponsoring the event. If you asked for a third reason, I would say because I wanted to experience being at an amusement park and not having to wait in long lines. A company in the city was hosting a night out at a local amusement park. Local meaning an hour drive away from me. The park was to close early so that only guests with tickets purchased through the company would be allowed in; plus, there was to be a guest list at the front gates for the employees to check everyone in. The event was a benefit with part of the proceeds going to the amusement park and the company. My friends and I decided to ride together. As we neared the park, we saw the visible rides already had their nighttime lighting turned on. After we found a parking spot, we made our way to the front gates. Gratefully, the lines were shorter than usual, and the checking-in process went smoothly. While waiting in line my friends and I each met other friends. Once inside the park we decided to hit the big rides first before more people arrived. Along with the unlimited riding times, there were supposed to be stages set up for entertainment. WE ARRIVED AT THE MOST FAMOUS roller coaster in the park; I was going to wait for my friends at the ride’s exit since I no longer go on roller coasters. I found a bench to sit down on and waited for them, all the while checking the few glimpses, I had of the speeding coaster when it came by me. It was not too long before I saw them whiz by with their hands in the air like madmen. Soon, I saw them walking out through the exit, laughing with their tousled hair and big smiles. Of course, they had to tell me what I missed but I did not mind at all. One friend asked if we could stop somewhere for a soda, so we went looking for a food stand. The first one we came up to was closed, but I spotted a bigger one just down the way. As we walked up, my friend asked the worker behind the counter for a cola. The woman apologized and said the place was closed; she was just cleaning it for the next day. Onward we walked, but every place we saw was closed. We also noticed not every ride was open. As for the entertainment, they were DJ’s. Not that there was anything wrong with that, but the advertisements made it sound like there would be something more. Each of us was disappointed. I felt the same way about this comedy, action film. LANDING IN LA TO RESTART HER acting career, Katie Kim, played by Awkwafina (Quiz Lady, The Farewell) mistakenly got a winning lottery ticket. Unbeknownst to her, to claim the prize money she would have to stay alive while every citizen was out hunting to kill her. With John Cena (Freelance, Ricky Stanicky) as Noel, Simu Liu (Barbie, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings) as Louis Lewis, Seann William Scott (Bloodline, American Pie franchise) as the rugged man and Murray Hill (Frankly a Mess, Somebody Somewhere-TV) as Johnny Grand; this movie was saved by John Cena and Awkwafina. Even though the two were playing similar roles to ones in their past, there was a certain improv feeling to the scenes. Not all the jokes landed but the quick quips and banter were amusing. The script, however, was for the most part a series of action scenes like a video game. I did not care for the pacing and would rather have had more spacing between the scenes to let the story breathe. Also, the story was predictable. Set your expectations low and you will not have to worry about being disappointed. There were outtake scenes during the ending credits.
1 ¾ stars
Flash Movie Review: The Book of Clarence
I WAS HESITANT TO GO, BUT my friend did not want to go alone and asked if I would go along. My friend had been following an “entrepreneur” online, who claimed to have found a pathway to success. The few videos I was forced to sit through showed a man talking in front of these impressive backdrops like a stately mansion or at the edge of a line of dramatic cliffs. He was pitching a series of courses that would teach an individual how to become a successful entrepreneur like him. I knew this was just a sales pitch and honestly could not believe my friend was buying into it. However, they were convinced they could succeed and make money from it. We had to leave early for the hotel where the entrepreneur was conducting an all-day seminar because my friend wanted to get a seat up close. I was surprised by the amount of people filtering into the ballroom to essentially listen to a sales pitch. Over half the room was filled with people; I could not believe it. When the lights dimmed and he walked out onto the stage, everyone stood up out of their chairs and cheered him. Based on the videos I watched, in the room at that moment, I felt as if I was in the middle of a cult. THE DAY WAS LONG AND BY the time everything was done, I was exhausted. Listening to his sales pitch and instructions on how one could earn money, it was clear to me his business model was like a pyramid scheme. Not to disrespect companies that use such a tactic, but this man was telling everyone they could double their income solely by signing up enough individuals who would then work for them. If I understood correctly, there really was no business plan except to get other people to sign up for the courses. I could see my friend was excited and “revved up” from the seminar but I had to express my concerns. They listened but always had a rebuttal to anything I said, so I eventually dropped it and let them go on talking about their plan of action. They listed the things they would need to buy despite having already spent close to three thousand dollars for a variety of DVD’s and “sales tools.” I honestly hoped I was wrong with my thinking, but I could not see where my friend could make a living out of doing this thing. Of all the people my friend could emulate, I did not think this entrepreneur was the best choice. Maybe they needed to have higher aspirations like the main character in this dramatic, comedy adventure. SEEKING A BETTER LIFE FOR HIMSELF, a struggling man decides to act more like the rising messiah everyone was talking about. With LaKeith Stanfield (Sorry to Bother You, Judas and the Black Messiah) as Clarence, Omar Sy (The Strangers’ Case, The Intouchables) as Barabbas, Anna Diop (Us, Something About Her) as Varinia, RJ Cyler (The Harder They Fall, Me and Earl and the Dying Girl) as Elijah and David Oyelowo (Selma, Role Play) as John the Baptist; this history film confused me. Yes, there was a mix of comedic and dramatic scenes, and I enjoyed the well-versed cast; however, nothing stood out for me. Most of the scenes lacked punch; it felt like everything was on one level. I did not feel connected to any of the characters which, at times, led to boredom. With the idea for the story being outrageous, I thought the script would have gone all in to either the comedic or dramatic side. The best thing I can say about this movie is that it had some amusing moments.
2 stars
Flash Movie Review: Alien: Romulus
THE THREE OF US MET AT a restaurant housed in an historical building, dating back 1 ½ centuries ago. The structure was huge, originally built to house and store train locomotives. My friend and I were going to meet a childhood friend of his who I had only met a couple of times; they had a much longer history together than I did with my friend. Once we were seated at a table, we marveled at the original brick and limestone making up the walls. Huge wooden rafters crisscrossed above our heads, like a multi highway interchange, supporting the roof. I took a couple of photos while seated, using the wide angle setting to capture the vastness of the cavernous dining room. We caught up with each other on our current state of being while the waitstaff politely checked in wondering if we needed anything to start before ordering our meals. Each of us ordered a drink and decided to order our food choices as well because we were hungry. While we waited for the food to come, my friend and his friend began reminiscing about their childhood homes that were next to each other, wondering what they must look like now. Their conversation quickly became filled with memories they shared; I simply listened and enjoyed hearing about some of their antics. ONE OF THEIR STORIES WAS ABOUT the time they ran away with a shopping cart from a store and took turns riding it as the other one pushed. They went to a short side street in their neighborhood that was on a decline. Using the cart like a sled, without the capability of steering, each of them would sit in the cart and ride it down the street until it either tipped over or crashed into the curb. Their story triggered a memory of mine; a time where my friends and I took the lids off garbage cans and used them as saucer sleds down a hill we had in our neighborhood. We did not have to own sleds, the garbage can lids worked just as well, at least the metal ones. I shared my memories with them and as the day progressed, they mentioned several other stories that triggered my memories as well. Though I did not grow up with them, I could easily understand how they felt reliving their times together because I had had similar experiences with my friends. While watching this science fiction, horror thriller, I once again found myself reminiscing about my time years ago sitting in a theater and being petrified. A SMALL GROUP OF SPACE COLONISTS see an abandoned space station as a way out. However, once aboard they make a terrifying discovery that could have far-reaching consequences. With Cailee Spaeny (Civil War, Priscilla) as Rain, David Jonsson (Industry-TV, Deep State-TV) as Andy, Archie Renaux (Morbius, The Greatest Beer Run Ever) as Tyler, Isabela Merced (Instant Family, Dora and the Lost City of Gold) as Kay and Spike Fearn (Aftersun, Sweetheart) as Bjorn; this latest installment of the long running movie franchise had slick production values, which created scenes filled with dread and tension. The music and sound editing were perfect accompaniment as well. while the cast also worked well together. As for the script, there were references to the original film; however, I do not feel one needed to have seen it to understand what was going on in this one. The story took a long time to kick into gear, where I was teetering onto boredom, but things finally picked up in a big way. With thrills and fright, I found myself tapping into my memories of watching the 1979 film. I felt more connected to the past characters than the ones in this picture. However, the visual and audio stimuli kept me engaged along with my memories.
2 3/4 stars
moviejoltz 