Penguin Bloom (CREDIT: Hugh Stewart/Netflix)
Next up from Aunt Beth’s Rolodex of Recommendation: Penguin Bloom, a movie starring Naomi Watts and a magpie.
That’s Auntertainment! Mini-Episode: Aunt Beth Tells Jeff to Watch Penguin Bloom
August 29, 2021
Podcasts, That's Auntertainment Magpie, Naomi Watts, Penguin Bloom, Podcasts, That's Auntertainment Leave a comment
Entertainment To-Do List: Week of 8/27/21
August 27, 2021
Cinema, Entertainment To-Do List, Music, Sports, Television A.P. Bio, Bruce Campbell, Candyman, Chvrches, Dug, Dug Days, He's All That, Little League World Series, Martin Short, Only Murders in the Building, PEN15, Screen Violence, Selena Gomez, Steve Martin, US Open, What We Do in the Shadows Leave a comment
A.P. Bio (CREDIT: Peacock/Screenshot)
Every week, I list all the upcoming (or recently released) movies, TV shows, albums, podcasts, etc. that I believe are worth checking out.
Movies
–Candyman (Theaters)
–He’s All That (August 27 on Netflix) – I’ve actually never seen She’s All That! (Do I have to have my 90s Kid Citizenship revoked?)
TV
–PEN15 Animated Special (August 27 on Hulu)
–Only Murders in the Building (August 31 on Hulu) – Steve Martin, Martin Short, and Selena Gomez together at last!
–Dug Days (September 1 on Disney+) – Shorts with Dug the Dog.
–A.P. Bio Season 4 (September 2 on Peacock) – With Bruce Campbell as Jack’s dad!
–What We Do in the Shadows Season 3 Premiere (September 2 on FX)
Music
-Chvrches, Screen Violence
Sports
-Little League World Series Championship (August 29 on ABC)
-2021 US Open (August 30-September 12 on ESPN and ESPN2) – Tennis in New York, baby!
The New ‘Candyman’ Asks, ‘What if Candyman Now … and Forever?’
August 25, 2021
Cinema, Movie Reviews Brian King, Candyman, Candyman 2021, Colman Domingo, Nathan Stewart-Jarrett, Nia DaCosta, Rebecca Spence, Teyonah Parris, Tony Todd, Vanessa Estelle Williams, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II 1 Comment
Candyman (2021) (CREDIT: Universal Pictures and MGM Pictures)
Starring: Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Teyonah Parris, Colman Domingo, Nathan Stewart-Jarrett, Vanessa Estelle Williams, Rebecca Spence, Brian King, Tony Todd
Director: Nia DaCosta
Running Time: 91 Minutes
Rating: R for The Bloodiest of Hook-Based Violence
Release Date: August 27, 2021 (Theaters)
What’s the DEAL with decades-later horror sequels having the exact same title as the original?! Halloween did it just a few years ago, and now Candyman is getting on the reboot-but-actually-it’s-a-continuation action. I’m not a fan of this trend, and it strikes me as especially dangerous in the case of Candyman. We need some extra words in there so that we don’t accidentally say his name five times in a row! But there’s actually something apt in this case about just recycling the title. Candyman may be overwhelmingly deadly when he appears, but he exists as a whisper and a shadow the rest of the time. So it makes sense that a new generation would be discovering him completely fresh thirty years after his cinematic debut. I would maybe tack on a “The New Generation” subtitle, but the idea behind the repetition is justifiable.
So this may sound a little weird, but just go with me here: the movie that Candyman 2021 most reminds me of is … The Force Awakens. They share a certain kinship in the way that they go about examining their predecessors. These stories have become legends within their universes, and the new characters are fans of the original adventurers who are psyched to meet them. In Candyman Land, Anthony McCoy (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II) is a visual artist who’s been struggling to find inspiration but suddenly becomes full-to-bursting with ideas when he hears tell of a man with a hook who slices and dices his victims after they summon him in a mirror. He’s also soon spending much of his free time listening to the recordings left behind by Helen Lyle, the graduate student who was researching the Candyman in the first film. When you go this deep into the story, you become a part of that story, and oh boy, does Anthony become an integral cog in this tale.
By focusing so squarely on the original, Candyman 2021 is occasionally a little too myopic in its approach. For horror freaks like myself, there’s something bizarrely enjoyable about the unhinged world-building that’s typical of so many spooky sequels but less common in these reboot-style sequels. Writer-director Nia DaCosta’s approach is decidedly laser-focused, which is a good thing insofar as she knows exactly what she’s trying to accomplish and she reminds those of us who loved the original why we loved it so much. But it’s a less-than-good thing insofar as it keeps her movie perhaps too much in check. I haven’t seen either of the first two Candyman sequels that were released in the 90s; as far as I know, neither is highly regarded, but wouldn’t it be cool if DaCosta somehow found a way to incorporate elements of them into her outing? I think so. (Although maybe there are some Easter eggs that I missed… It didn’t feel like that was the case, though.)
All the ducks are in order here: the set pieces are thrilling, the music is chilling, the acting strikes the right range of tones. To sum it all up, I appreciate the lens that New-Candyman focuses on Candyman Original Flavor, but I also believe that it would have benefitted from expanding that lens a bit.
Candyman 2021 is Recommended If You Like: The Force Awakens in terms of the self-awareness, People saying “No! No! No!” right before someone summons something evil, Fun with production logos
Grade: 3.5 out of 5 Bees
Reminiscing About the Time I Saw ‘Reminiscence’
August 23, 2021
Cinema, Movie Reviews Angela Sarafyan, Cliff Curtis, Hugh Jackman, Lisa Joy, Marina de Tavira, Rebecca Ferguson, Reminiscence, Thandiwe Newton Leave a comment
Reminiscence (CREDIT: Warner Bros. Pictures/Screenshot)
Starring: Hugh Jackman, Rebecca Ferguson, Thandiwe Newton, Cliff Curtis, Marina de Tavira, Angela Sarafyan
Director: Lisa Joy
Running Time: 116 Minutes
Rating: PG-13
Release Date: August 20, 2021 (Theaters and HBO Max)
I went to see Reminiscence at the Regal Essex Crossing on opening night (or opening night of opening day, as it were, i.e., not a Thursday night preview showing). I had a relatively small dinner of leftover pizza beforehand, so I decided to buy some foodThe concession stand didn’t have any pretzels in stock, so I opted for mozzarella sticks instead. I paired them with a margarita since this theater is licensed to serve alcohol. Spoiler alert: they didn’t pair very well. It also didn’t help that I’d really already had my fill of cheese just a couple hours earlier.
Anyway, as for the movie itself, it was hard not to think about Inception, what with Reminiscence also having a mind-bending premise, a beachside overrun-by-waves urban setting, and characters waking up from a dream state in water. Not to mention that it’s the directorial debut of Lisa Joy, who’s married to Chris Nolan’s brother Jonathan and is probably most famous for her work alongside her husband on Westworld. Also, Reminiscence star Hugh Jackman played a similarly obsessive protagonist in the Nolan-directed The Prestige.
But ultimately my biggest takeaway is that I wish that Angela Sarafyan had played the femme fatale lead instead of Rebecca Ferguson. That’s nothing against Ferguson (whom I generally enjoy!), it’s just praise for Sarafyan. She’s ready to be a star, so I say this to the people who are in a position to give her a starring role: let’s make it happen!
Grade: Could’ve Been Wetter
That’s Auntertainment! Episode 34: Jeopardy! Guest Hosts
August 22, 2021
Podcasts, That's Auntertainment Jeopardy!, Podcasts, That's Auntertainment Leave a comment
Jeff welcomes veteran Jeopardy! contestants Steven Grade, Sarah Jett Rayburn, and his dad Bob Malone to discuss the recent run of guest hosts on the classic answer-and-question game show. Also discussed: vacations, and other important matters related to Jeopardy!
Entertainment To-Do List: Week of 8/20/21
August 20, 2021
Cinema, Entertainment To-Do List, Music, Sports, Television Archer, Cryptozoo, David Duchovny, Encore, Gestureland, Lisa Joy, Lorde, Paralympics, Reminiscence, Solar Power, The Night House, The Other Two, Wanda Jackson Leave a comment
The Other Two (CREDIT: HBO Max/Screenshot)
Every week, I list all the upcoming (or recently released) movies, TV shows, albums, podcasts, etc. that I believe are worth checking out.
Movies
–Cryptozoo (Theaters and On Demand)
–The Night House (Theaters)
–Reminiscence (Theaters and HBO Max) – Will Lisa Joy’s feature directorial debut be a joy?
TV
–Archer Season 12 Premiere (August 25 on FXX)
–The Other Two Season 2 Premiere (August 26 on HBO Max) – One of the best new shows of 2019 is finally back.
Music
-David Duchovny, Gestureland
-Lorde, Solar Power
-Wanda Jackson, Encore
Sports
-2020 Summer Paralympics (August 24-September 5 on NBC, NBCSN, and Olympic Channel)
How Does Rebecca Hall Handle the Confounding Scares of ‘The Night House’? Let’s Find Out
August 19, 2021
Cinema, Movie Reviews David Bruckner, Evan Jonigkeit, Rebecca Hall, Sarah Goldberg, Stacy Martin, The Night House, Vondie Curtis Hall 1 Comment
The Night House (CREDIT: Searchlight Pictures)
Starring: Rebecca Hall, Sarah Goldberg, Evan Jonigkeit, Vondie Curtis Hall, Stacy Martin
Director: David Bruckner
Running Time: 107 Minutes
Rating: R for Creepy Sequences and Salty Language
Release Date: August 20, 2021 (Theaters)
Can we ever really know the people closest to us as well as we think we do? Not when there’s a demonic possession lurking around your home! (Which is what I think The Night House is saying.) Rebecca Hall plays Beth, a high school teacher who lives on her own in a lake house now that her seemingly well-adjusted husband Owen (Evan Jonigkeit) has killed himself. And honestly? That’s some spot-on casting. Hall excels at doing her damnedest to remain mentally put-together while suddenly becoming beset by all-consuming skepticism. We can believe that she will never give up on the search for the truth but also that she is too flummoxed to ever see it clearly. It’s a purposely erratic approach that might be too maddening for some audiences, but for my money, Hall holds it all together sufficiently, and director David Bruckner has plenty to offer in the creeps department.
For most of its running time, The Night House appears to be hurtling headlong towards a clear explanation for all the strange goings-on. Why does Owen shoot himself in the head? What’s the meaning of the enigmatic note he left behind? When Beth is dreaming, what’s the deal with the alternate dimension she seems to be entering and its attendant mirror image house? And what about that mysterious woman (or women?) Owen was surreptitiously hanging out with who looks just like Beth? Is this some sort of Vertigo situation? The best I can figure is that Owen has fallen prey to some sort of evil supernatural entity that is now threatening Beth’s life. But I’m not entirely sure if that’s correct. That vagueness can be frustrating for some, but I appreciate it to a certain extent, because it means that this is nowhere near your standard devil-made-me-do-it story.
The easiest metaphorical read is that Beth is a victim of all-consuming depression, but her situation resists easy interpretation. She offhandedly mentions past mental health struggles without going into too much detail, and while she seems distressed now, she doesn’t come off as particularly depressed. More like obsessed, which is certainly understandable in light of her husband’s suicide. Ultimately, The Night House is writing its own new language of psychological anguish, in which Beth’s waking hours lose all their stability, while her subconscious is beset by a creatively disruptive force. It ends exactly where it needs to without having to definitively clear up the mystery.
The Night House is Recommended If You Like: Vertigo, Insidious, possibly The One I Love? (I haven’t seen it, but the premise seems to have some similarities)
Grade: 3.5 out of 5 Nightmares
‘CODA’ Had Me Singing and Signing My Cheers
August 19, 2021
Cinema, Movie Reviews Amy Forsyth, CODA, Daniel Durant, Emilia Jones, Eugenio Derbez, Ferdia Walsh-Peelo, Marlee Matlin, Sian Heder, Troy Kotsur Leave a comment
Starring: Emilia Jones, Eugenio Derbez, Marlee Matlin, Troy Kotsur, Daniel Durant, Ferdia Walsh-Peelo, Amy Forsyth
Director: Sian Heder
Running Time: 111 Minutes
Rating: PG-13
Release Date: August 13, 2021 (Theaters and Apple TV+)
For pretty much the entirety of watching CODA, I found myself wondering, “When is she going to start signing while singing?” Ruby Rossi is the only hearing member of her family, and her particular passion unfortunately leaves out her parents and older brother in its most typical form. She’s a singer, and when she tells her mom Jackie that she’d like to make singing more than just a hobby, Jackie parries back by asking, if she were blind, would Ruby become a painter? To which I thought: there are ways to work around that! Let the blind person listen to the brushstrokes, describe the painting in words, etc. And as for singing to a deaf person … use sign language while singing! Ruby has been using ASL all her life while serving as her family’s translator, so why not incorporate those arm and hand movements into her performances as well? It will add passion, something she desperately needs. (SPOILER ALERT: She does sign while singing eventually. I was pleased.)
Grade: All the Letters in the ASL Alphabet
Mythological Animals Are on Loving Display in the Vibrantly Animated ‘Cryptozoo’
August 18, 2021
Cinema, Movie Reviews Angeliki Papoulia, Cryptozoo, Dash Shaw, Grace Zabriskie, Lake Bell, Louisa Krause, Michael Cera, Peter Stormare, Thomas Jay Ryan, Zoe Kazan 1 Comment
Cryptozoo (CREDIT: Magnolia Pictures)
Starring: Lake Bell, Zoe Kazan, Michael Cera, Louisa Krause, Peter Stormare, Thomas Jay Ryan, Grace Zabriskie, Angeliki Papoulia
Director: Dash Shaw
Running Time: 95 Minutes
Rating: Unrated (It would probably be R for Animated Blood and Nudity)
Release Date: August 20, 2021 (Theaters and On Demand)
It’s been a while since I’ve seen something as hypnotic as Cryptozoo. With its psychedelic animation and entrancing music, it sucks you right into its world of fantastical creatures and then keeps your attention fully in its grasp. “Cryptozoo” is a title that caught my fancy; perhaps it has now caught yours as well! Not that many movie titles have z’s in them. Maybe you look at “cryptozoo” and know exactly what it means right way, or maybe you’re a little confused, but intrigued. Or maybe it sounds too weird to you and you’ve already checked out. If I’ve still got your attention, here’s the deal: this is a world in which “cryptids” (i.e., mythological animals) live alongside humans and other non-cryptid animals. There are unicorns, gorgons, and even people with their faces on their torsos. As so often goes in these types of stories, their existence is continually threatened by the non-cryptid population that isn’t terribly keen on integration.
And so the story focuses on Lauren Grey (Lake Bell, in a role it feels like she was born to play), who is devoted to finding a safe place for cryptids in society. So she opens up a cryptozoo. (That title does not lie.) But is a zoo the best place for these creatures? Is it instead more of a “Cryptid Prison”? These are the conversations that Lauren has with other characters to make the thematic underpinnings unavoidably clear. Most cryptids just want to live their lives and get by without anybody bothering them. That’s Lauren’s goal as well, but she’s perhaps a little too trusting of the cryptozoo’s ability to achieve that mission. That can happen sometimes with idealists: distrust the current authority, place a little too much faith in the new institution. Eventually a series of scuffles break out, and the second half of this movie makes it abundantly clear that this realm is still quite a ways away from peace.
Cryptozoo is at its strongest when it allows us to just bask in the wonders of its deeply imaginative world. If the entire movie were just characters walking and talking and debating while various cryptids frolicked in the background, then I would be a happy customer. That is the vibe we get for the first half hour or so. It all kicks off with a prologue in which a horny couple has an unfortunate encounter with a unicorn, which isn’t literally the walking and talking that I’ve just described, but it does offer the same world-building energy. Then right after the prologue we do get plenty of those conversation sequences. But on the other hand, the battle scenes, while just as detailed in their animation, don’t quite have the same soul-enriching oomph. But on the whole, this is visionary animated cinema that is well worth checking out.
Cryptozoo is Recommended If You Like: Cool World, Heavy Metal, X-Men
Grade: 3.5 out of 5 Cryptids
Baby, Baby, Baby, ‘Annette’ is Absolutely Unforgettable
August 16, 2021
Cinema, Movie Reviews Adam Driver, Annette, Devyn McDowell, Leos Carax, Marion Cotillard, Ron Mael, Russell Mael, Simon Helberg, Sparks Leave a comment
Annette (CREDIT: Amazon Studios)
Starring: Adam Driver, Marion Cotillard, Simon Helberg, Devyn McDowell
Director: Leos Carax
Running Time: 139 Minutes
Rating: R for Language and Very Intimate Bedroom Scenes
Release Date: August 6, 2021 (Theaters)/August 20, 2021 (Amazon Prime Video)
Sometimes I come up with an idea about how I’d like to write my movie reviews, and then in the interest of frankness and openness, I decide to share that thought process with my readers. So while watching the Leos Carax-directed musical Annette, I decided that I wanted my review to feel like a conversation I’m having with my fellow movie lovers. It just felt right given the movie’s energy.
So now that I have your attention and we’re having a conversation: you know Ron and Russell Mael, the brotherly duo behind the influential long-running rock band Sparks? There’s a good chance you’ve heard about them recently, considering that there was a whole documentary about them that came out a couple months ago. Perhaps you even read my review of it. Well now they’ve gone ahead and written the screenplay for an entire musical movie, including all the original songs. Their co-screenwriter (also the director) is a French fellow who’s probably best known to American audiences for Holy Motors, a kooky flick about some guy getting up to all sorts of shenanigans in Paris. This is a teamup that has resulted in plenty of sparks.
Annette is a love story! The central couple are a stand-up comedian named Henry played by American actor Adam Driver and an opera singer named Ann played by French actress Marion Cotillard. Annette is their daughter. (I’ll have more to say about her later.) If you want to know what type of comedian Henry is, I would say that he’s an observational comic in the Seinfeldian mode but with a Zach Galifianakis-style deconstructionist sensibility, with some Marc Maron-esque misanthropy for good measure, along with the hostility of Andy Kaufman at his most dangerous. It’s also worth noting that his pre-show routine includes chain smoking and eating a banana and that he performs in little more than a green bathrobe. As for what type of opera singer Ann is, I’m not sure what to say, because I don’t know the intricacies of opera as much as I know stand-up!
So back to that daughter, who arrives about a third of the way through (after some very passionate lovemaking). She gets a lot of screentime, but you don’t need to worry about child labor laws, because for the most part she’s played by a wooden puppet (until Devyn McDowell takes over at the very end). Now, you may be thinking, “A pu-, a puppet?” There’s no way to be fully prepared for that reveal! At the beginning of the film, it feels like we’re in for a totally rockin’ good time, with an absolute banger of an opening number setting the pace. And for the most part, that is indeed what we get. But as it goes along, Annette only gets stranger and more challenging and generally harder to embrace. We learn some unsavory details about Henry’s past, we start to see him become more combative on stage and in his personal life, and then he and Ann get on a boat and head out to sea, both literally and metaphorically. And I should also mention that most of the second half of the movie is dedicated to Annette’s super successful pop music career, during which time we are continually reminded that she is a baby and that she is played by a puppet. So if you’re not sure you can handle that, I’m sure you’ll appreciate being informed ahead of time.
I’m not sure I’m into every wacky development in Annette, but I have to applaud its unwavering ambition. Although “ambition” perhaps isn’t the right word here. Something like “singularity” or “uncompromisingness” might be a better descriptor. We all have different palates; some of you will have the right cinematic taste buds to handle all this, while others, not so much. I was guaranteed to have a good time thanks to that Sparks soundtrack, even if not everything else hit the spot quite right. But overall, my palate is now richer and my life is now fuller.
Annette is Recommended If You Like: Rock operas, the dancing baby from Ally McBeal, the prop baby from American Sniper
Grade: 4 out of 5 Showbizz News
Jmunney's Blog 