Entertainment Essentials: January 11, 2019

January 11, 2019

jmunney Cinema, Television , , , , , , 1 Comment

CREDIT: Entertainment Studios; Netflix; TBS

This post was originally published on News Cult on January 11, 2019.

1. Movie: Replicas (Theatrically Nationwide) – Keanu Reeves stars as a neuroscientist who loses his wife and kids in a car accident and then attempts to “resurrect” them in the form of androids. You can imagine how that goes. This is the type of original sci-fi movie that tends to fly under the radar, and that is a shame, even if it turns out to be horrible. So let’s all go see Replicas to declare to the big studios that we want to see more unique and challenging concepts on screen! Also, Silicon Valley‘s Thomas Middleditch co-stars as Reeves’ friend and colleague, which should add to the intrigue.

2. TV: Sex Education (January 11 on Netflix) – Gillian Anderson stars in this Netflix dramedy in the role that is pretty much perfect for her at this point in her career: a sex therapist who tends to overshare a bit too much with her teenage son. That teenage son is an awkward virgin played by Asa Butterfield who sets up a clinic at his high school to help his fellow classmates deal with their range of sexual problems. For my money, it is always a boon to have a show that is open-minded and sensitive on the topic of sex.

3. TV: Angie Tribeca Season 4 (Premiered December 29 on TBS) – Starring Rashida Jones as the titular detective who does things her own way, Angie Tribeca is a delightful spoof in the vein of Airplane! and The Naked Gun. Not every gag lands, but the joke-per-minute ratio is higher than any show currently airing, and it is all played so deadly serious, making it hard to get mad at any joke that falls flat. Even if you’re a fan of the show, you might not have any idea that a new season just arrived, as all ten episodes debuted the weekend before New Year’s with basically no promotion. Luckily, if you missed it, you can head over to the TBS website or app. In this batch of episodes, Bobby Cannavale joins the team as Tribeca’s long-lost son (it makes sense in context, sort of), and there is also the usual plethora of guest stars, including Anjelica Huston, Gillian Jacobs, and Jim Rash.

This Is a Movie Review: Mexican Remake ‘Perfect Strangers’ is a Tricky Mix of Farce and Intense Drama

January 10, 2019

jmunney Cinema, Movie Reviews , , , , , , , , , Leave a comment

CREDIT: Noc Noc Films courtesy of Pantelion Films

This review was originally published on News Cult in January 2019.

Starring: Cecilia Suárez, Manuel García-Rulfo, Mariana Treviño, Miguel Rodarte, Bruno Bichir, Ana Claudia Talancon, Franky Martin

Director: Manolo Caro

Running Time: 104 Minutes

Rating: R for Inhibitions Being Lifted

Release Date: January 11, 2019 (Limited)

Honesty is always the best policy, but that does not mean that you need to be completely open all the time about your secrets. It is stunning that in 2019 humanity is still learning that lesson. But alas, sometimes we act foolishly when we should know better, and people alive today keep re-learning the lessons that our ancestors already learned the past several thousand years. Thus, while the premise of the Mexican film Perfectos Desconocidos (Perfect Strangers in English) sounds like fun (and there are some amusing moments), its participants ought to realize that it is an easy recipe for disaster.

A group of seven best friends are gathered for a dinner party on the night of a lunar eclipse, and they all agree to participate in a game: their cell phones will remain on the table throughout the meal, and any calls must be placed on speaker and any messages received must be read aloud. This is a remake of the 2016 Italian film Perfetti Sconosciuti, which has already been redone multiple times throughout much of Europe and Asia. This is actually the second Perfectos Desconocidos, with Spain’s version having arrived in 2017. It goes to show you that the fear of being found out as a fraud or discovering that those closest to you are frauds is universal.

That insight may not be the most astounding revelation, but its relatability potentially provides the opportunity for a meaningful dramatization. On that score, director Manolo Caro and his ensemble have plenty worthwhile to say, but their approach is a little scattered. There are moments of heavy farce, heartwarming familial bonding, and social commentary that tend to gracelessly crash against each other instead of flowing into each other naturally. Each individual element works on its own merit to a certain extent, at least. One scene of a father offering sage advice to his teenage daughter while she is unaware that everyone else can hear her is especially heartwarming.

Overall, there is a sense that Perfectos Desconocidos has bitten off more than it can chew. Its approach to tackling discrimination is the clearest example (although it is possible that this storyline plays better south of the border). As one character struggles with inadvertently coming out of the closet, there is panic about how gay teachers might influence their students, among other worries. It makes me wonder if mainstream Mexican culture is about ten or twenty years behind the United States on this issue. Indeed, one character even evokes Seinfeld by uttering, “Not that there’s anything wrong with that.” Ultimately, this mix of lowbrow and surprising ambition is enough to give you indigestion, due to ingredients that are not quite compatible or not quite fully cooked. Let’s just chalk up any inconsistencies to the moon making people do crazy things and choose to remember from this night only what we want to remember.

Perfect Strangers is Recommended If You Like: Domestic farce, playing Truth or Dare at any age

Grade: 2.5 out of 5 Incoming Messages

 

This Is a Movie Review: Mary Poppins Returns

January 6, 2019

jmunney Cinema, Movie Reviews , , , , , , , , , , Leave a comment

CREDIT: Jay Maidment/Disney

Mary Poppins is fun and all, but before she showed up again, little Annabel, John, and Georgie could have already turned to their Aunt Jane to take care of all the practical matters that their dad is struggling with. Mary Poppins Returns has magic, or at least attempted magic, in its presentation. Whether or not that magic will hit you squarely in your heart and imagination depends a great deal on your mood, I think. Emily Blunt is acceptably grand in fulfilling her Poppins-y duties, but she’s not as singularly ineffable as Julie Andrews. That’s a tough comparison, sure, but even when considered in isolation, Returns is not much more than a perfectly pleasant passing diversion. And anyway, I’m more interested in Jane’s labor organizing. Not every villain is as sniveling as Colin Firth’s bank manager, which is one reason why unions are so important.

I give Mary Poppins Returns 5 Animated Detours out of 8 Misplaced Documents.

Kevin Hart Doesn’t Know How the Internet Works

January 6, 2019

jmunney Awards Shows, Cinema, Oscars, Television , , , , Leave a comment

After watching Kevin Hart’s appearance on Ellen on Friday, I’m not sure if he should host the Oscars, but I am sure about one thing: for someone who uses social media as prolifically as he does, he really doesn’t know how the Internet works. He is astounded by how much effort someone put in to dig up something he tweeted eight years ago. But if you know what tweet you’re looking for, it takes about five seconds to locate it. Hart seems to think it’s like finding a needle in a haystack, but when you can ask your favorite digital assistant to find that needle for you, it’s not as difficult as it’s historically been.

I’ll be generous and give Kevin Hart the benefit of the doubt and believe that he really has changed and that he is sincerely sorry for his past homophobic remarks. His apologies have perhaps left something to be desired, but maybe he is having trouble expressing himself (otherwise-decent people often do when asked to atone for their mistakes). The trouble is that he is misunderstanding the context. He has framed himself the victim, thinking that trolls are out to ruin his career. But most of the coverage I’ve seen in response to him being offered the Oscar hosting gig has been LGBTQ people and their allies expressing concern, not vindictiveness. Hart may be frustrated that he is being asked to apologize for something he’s already apologized for, but there are probably people who never heard his original apology in the first place (or found it lacking).

Hart is encouraging people to move on, which is a good idea, so long as the correct lessons have been learned. It looks likely that Hart has decided for good not to host.He is worried that his presence will be a distraction, but there could’ve been (and still could be!) an opportunity for him to change the narrative. Don’t ignore the controversy: address it, and then move into a more celebratory, more inclusive direction. If Hart somehow changes his mind again, he could spend part of his opening monologue spotlighting notable queer films of the past year, invite up-and-coming queer filmmakers to be presenters, and donate part of the money he makes from the gig to LGBTQ-focused charities. Marginalized people could always use more allies and cheerleaders.

This Is a Movie Review: ‘Escape Room’ Makes Immersive Puzzles Fun and Unsettling

January 3, 2019

jmunney Cinema, Movie Reviews , , , , , , , 1 Comment

CREDIT: David Bloomer/Sony Pictures Entertainment

This review was originally published on News Cult in January 2019.

Starring: Taylor Russell, Logan Miller, Deborah Ann Woll, Tyler Labine, Jay Ellis, Nik Dodani

Director: Adam Robitel

Running Time: 109 Minutes

Rating: PG-13 for Disorientingly Perilous Action, Traumatic Flashbacks, and Inadvertent Drug Use

Release Date: January 4, 2019

Depending on where you’re coming from, Escape Room is arriving either ten years too late or right on schedule. The real-life escape room craze is still going strong, if TV shows as diverse as Conan and Crazy Ex-Girlfriend are to be believed. From that perspective, Escape Room the film is cannily capitalizing on a current trend. But considered from a cinematic context, the Saw series already set the template a decade ago (and now even exists in its own escape room form). But that is not exactly the highest standard. Thus, Escape Room, which renders immersive puzzle spaces actually deadly, has plenty of space to make its mark as a solid piece of entertainment for those who do not have the stomach for torture porn.

That is not to say that Escape Room is a pleasant watch, especially for anyone claustrophobic enough to find the entire concept of escape rooms frightening enough in the first place. It has a cruel streak, though it is tempered by a consistent preference for hope (or at least the illusion of it). Where Saw was often gross and off-putting while occasionally trying to say something about human nature, Escape Room is tightly engineered but also unsettling in just how random it ultimately is. The six people who have been chosen for this challenge all have a past as the lone survivors of deadly accidents, including drunk driving, an IED blast, and carbon monoxide poisoning. While the escape room has been designed with their histories in mind, that concept may have everything or nothing to do with who makes it out alive. The (possibly sequel teeing-up) ending is effective as a gut punch saying that this whole game is actually a “no escape” room. But the whole movie has a feeling of meaninglessness that is somewhat frightening but also the sign of a screenplay with limited subtext.

That said, while Escape Room‘s themes and motivations are never fully clear, it was successful at holding my attention, and I suspect that many audiences will feel the same. The designs of each section of the escape room are ingenious feats of engineering, from a lobby that turns into an oven to an upside-down pool bar. It also helps that each of the characters generally act to the top of their intelligences, making this an engaging battle of wits. We also get at least two different kinds of comic relief, with Tyler Labine as the goofy uncle type and Nik Dodani (best known as Murphy Brown’s new social media director) as the escape room enthusiast who realizes too late how real the threat is. The whole thing is fluffy, but enough to make you think twice about playing any more interactive games.

Escape Room is Recommended If You Like: Actual escape rooms probably, plus the Saw and Final Destination series

Grade: 3 out of 5 Unlocked Doors

 

2018: A Year at the Movies

January 1, 2019

jmunney A Year at the Movies, Cinema , , , Leave a comment

Movies are all about the connections we make. (Photo Credit: Kaity Malone)

(Included with the list of titles are grades, dates, showtimes, theatre locations, and folks I saw the movies with.)

1. Insidious: The Last Key – C+ (1/2, 6:30 PM, AMC Lincoln Square, New York, NY; myself)
2. Paddington 2 – B+ (1/3, 6:00 PM, WB Screening Room, New York, NY; myself)
3. 12 Strong – C (1/8, 6:00 PM, WB Screening Room; myself)
4. The Commuter – B+ (1/9, 7:00 PM, Magno Screening Room, New York, NY; myself)
5. Forever My Girl – D+ (1/10, 10:00 AM, Magno; myself)
6. A Fantastic Woman – B+ (1/12, 2:00 PM, Sony Screening Room, New York, NY; myself)
7. The Final Year – B (1/15, 6:00 PM, Park Avenue Screening Room, New York, NY; myself)
8. Maze Runner: The Death Cure in RPX – B- (1/16, 6:00 PM, Regal E-Walk, New York, NY; Rob Malone)
9. Den of Thieves – C (1/17, 6:00 PM, AMC A, New York, NY; myself)
10. Like Me – B- (1/25, 7:00 PM, IFC Center, New York, NY; Rob Malone)
11. Nostalgia – C+ (1/31, 10:30 AM, Magno; myself)
12. Winchester – C (2/1, 7:00 PM, Regal Union Square, New York, NY; myself)
13. Peter Rabbit – B- (2/2, 11:00 AM, Lincoln Square; myself)
14. The Party (2018) – C+ (2/7, 10:00 AM, Magno; myself)
15. Fifty Shades Freed – D+ (2/7, 6:30 PM, Lincoln Square; myself)
16. Early Man – B (2/9, 3:30 PM, Park Avenue Screening Room; myself)
17. Loveless – B (2/12, 2:00 PM, Sony Screening Room; myself)
18. Black Panther – B (2/13, 6:00 PM, Lincoln Square; myself)
19. The Young Karl Marx – C (2/15, 11:00 AM, The Metrograph, New York, NY; myself)
20. Red Sparrow in RPX – B- (2/15, 6:00 PM, E-Walk; Michael Stewart)
21. Annihilation – A (2/20, 7:00 PM, E-Walk; myself)
22. The Endless – B+ (2/21, 6:00 PM, Magno; myself; also 4/7, 7:20 PM, IFC Center; myself)
23. Thoroughbreds – B- (2/22, 6:00 PM, Magno; myself)
24. Foxtrot – B (2/26, 11:00 AM, Sony Screening Room; myself)
25. Strangers: Prey at Night – C- (2/26 6:00 PM Magno; myself)
26. Death Wish (2018) – C+ (2/28, 7:00 PM, Lincoln Square; myself)
27. Gringo – B- (3/6, 7:30 PM, Lincoln Square; myself)
28. Unsane – B+ (3/7, 10:00 AM, Park Avenue Screening Room; myself)
29. 7 Days in Entebbe – C- (3/7, 6:00 PM, Magno; myself)
30. The China Hustle – B (3/8, 6:00 PM, Magno; myself)
31. Tomb Raider (2018) – C+ (3/14, 7:00 PM, AMC Empire; myself)
32. Isle of Dogs – A- (3/15, 6:00 PM, Dolby 88 Screening Room, New York, NY; myself)
33. Final Portrait – C (3/19, 10:00 AM, Sony Screening Room; myself)
34. Midnight Sun – B- (3/19, 6:00 PM, Park Avenue Screening Room; myself)
35. Pacific Rim: Uprising – C- (3/20, 6:30 PM, AMC Empire; myself)
36. Game Over, Man – C- (3/22, 7:00 PM, AMC Empire; myself)
37. Gemini – B+ (3/26, 7:00 PM, Crosby Hotel Screening Room, New York, NY; myself)
38. Ready Player One – B- (3/27, 7:00 PM, Lincoln Square; myself)
39. A Quiet Place – B+ (3/29, 6:30 PM, AMC Empire; myself)
40. Blockers – B (4/2, 6:30 PM, AMC Empire; myself)
41. The Rider – B (4/3, 6:00 PM, Sony Screening Room; myself)
42. The Death of Stalin – B+ (4/4, 6:00 PM, Alamo Drafthouse, Brooklyn, NY; myself)
43. RBG – B (4/5, 6:00 PM, Dolby 24 Screening Room, New York, NY; myself)
44. Truth or Dare – B- (4/10, 6:30 PM, AMC Empire; myself)
45. Rampage – C (4/11, 7:00 PM, Lincoln Square; myself)
46. On Chesil Beach – C- (4/12, 6:30 PM, Park Avenue Screening Room; myself)
47. A Wrinkle in Time – B- (4/15, 6:15 PM, Regal United Artists Court Street, Brooklyn, NY; myself)
48. I Feel Pretty – B+ (4/16, 6:00 PM, E-Walk; Marissa Sblendorio)
49. First Reformed – B+ (4/17, 6:00 PM, Park Avenue Screening Room; myself)
50. 2018 Tribeca Film Festival: Disobedience – B (4/18, 9:30 AM, Cinépolis Chelsea, New York, NY; myself)
51. 2018 Tribeca Film Festival: The Seagull – B- (4/22, 10:00 AM, Cinépolis Chelsea; myself)
52. Most Likely to Murder – B- (4/24, 7:30 PM, Alamo Drafthouse Brooklyn; myself)
53. 2018 Tribeca Film Festival: Little Woods – B+ (4/25, 9:30 AM, Cinépolis Chelsea; myself)
54. 2018 Tribeca Film Festival: Little Women (2018) Episode 1 (4/27, 5:00 PM, SVA Theater, New York, NY; myself)
55. Tully – B+ (4/30, 6:00 PM, Park Avenue Screening Room; myself)
56. Beast – B (5/1, 6:00 PM, Magno; myself)
57. Overboard (2018) – B- (5/2, 7:30 PM AMC Empire; myself)
58. American Animals – B+ (5/8, 6:00 PM, Magno; myself)
59. Breaking In – C- (5/9, 6:30 PM, AMC Empire; myself)
60. Deadpool 2 – C+ (5/10, 4:30 PM, Lincoln Square; Kaity Malone)
61. Pope Francis: A Man of His Word – B+ (5/14, 6:00 PM, Magno; myself)
62. Solo: A Star Wars Story – B (5/21, 6:00 PM, Lincoln Square; myself)
63. Damsel – B+ (5/22, 6:00 PM, Magno; myself)
64. Avengers: Infinity War – B+ (5/28, 9:35 AM; Regal Oxford Valley, Langhorne, PA; Bob Malone)
65. Won’t You Be My Neighbor – B (5/29, 6:00 PM, Magno; myself)
66. Adrift – B- (5/30, 7:00 PM, AMC Loews 34th Street, New York, NY; myself)
67. Hereditary – B+ (5/31, 6:00 PM, Dolby 88 Screening Room; myself)
68. Hotel Artemis – C (6/4, 6:00 PM, Magno; myself)
69. Ocean’s 8 – B- (6/6, 7:00 PM, AMC Empire; myself)
70. Blindspotting – B (6/7, 6:00 PM, Magno; myself)
71. Incredibles 2 – B+ (6/11, 6:00 PM, Lincoln Square; myself)
72. Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom – B- (6/12, 6:00 PM, AMC Empire; myself)
73. Rifftrax Live: Space Mutiny (6/14, 8:00 PM, E-Walk; myself)
74. Sorry to Bother You – A (6/18, 7:00 PM, Magno; myself; also 8/17, 3:00 PM, Alamo Drafthouse Brooklyn; myself)
75. Three Identical Strangers – B+ (6/19, 6:00 PM, Park Avenue Screening Room; myself)
76. Leave No Trace – B (6/21, 6:00 PM; Park Avenue Screening Room; myself)
77. Sicario: Day of the Soldado – C (6/25, 7:00 PM, AMC Empire; Chris Regimenti)
78. Ant-Man and the Wasp – B (6/26, 7:00 PM, Lincoln Square; myself)
79. Uncle Drew – B- (6/27, 10:00 AM, Magno; myself)
89. Don’t Worry, He Won’t Get Far on Foot – B-  (6/28, 7:30 PM, Lincoln Square; myself)
90. The First Purge – B- (7/2, 6:30 PM, AMC Empire; myself)
91. Skyscraper – C (7/9, 6:30 PM, Lincoln Square; Margot Levinson)
92. Eighth Grade – A- (7/10, 10:00 AM, Park Avenue Screening Room; myself)
93. Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again – C+ (7/16, 6:30 PM, AMC Empire; myself)
94. Never Goin’ Back – B- (7/19, 5:00 PM, Tribeca Screening Room, New York, NY; myself)
95. Unfriended: Dark Web – B- (7/20, 8:20 PM, Regal Battery Park, New York, NY; myself)
96. The Miseducation of Cameron Post – B (7/24, 6:00 PM, Park Avenue Screening Room; myself)
97. Teen Titans Go! To the Movies – B+ (7/25, 7:00 PM, Lincoln Square; myself)
98. BlacKkKlansman – A- (7/31, 10:00 AM, Bryant Park Screening Room, New York, NY; myself)
99. Christopher Robin – B (8/1, 6:00 PM, Lincoln Square; myself)
100. Mission: Impossible – Fallout – B+ (8/11, 3:15 PM, Oxford Valley; Bob Malone)
101. Crazy Rich Asians – B (8/13, 7:00 PM, Lincoln Square; myself)
102. Mile 22 – C- (8/15, 7:00 PM, AMC Empire; myself)
103. Searching – B+ (8/16, 7:00 PM, Lincoln Square; myself)
104. The Meg – C+ (8/19, 2:10 PM, Court Street; Rob Malone)
105. The Happytime Murders – B (8/20, 7:00 PM, AMC 34th Street; myself)
106. Monsters and Men – B- (8/22, 6:00 PM, Park Avenue Screening Room; myself)
107. Rifftrax Live: Krull (8/23, 8:00 PM, E-Walk; myself)
108. The Little Stranger – B- (8/27, 6:00 PM, Dolby 88 Screening Room; myself)
109. Love, Gilda – B (8/30, 4:00 PM, Digital Arts, New York, NY; myself)
110. The Nun – C+ (9/4, 6:00 PM, Lincoln Square; myself)
111. Lizzie – B- (9/5, 10:00 AM, Park Avenue Screening Room; myself)
112. Peppermint – C- (9/5, 7:00 PM, Lincoln Square; myself)
113. The Predator – C+ (9/10, 7:00 PM, Lincoln Square; Chris Regimenti)
114. The Sisters Brothers – B (9/11, 10:00 AM, Park Avenue Screening Room; myself)
115. A Simple Favor – B+ (9/12, 10:00 AM, Park Avenue Screening Room; myself)
116. Assassination Nation – B+ (9/13, 6:00 PM, Dolby 88 Screening Room; myself)
117. Mandy – B- (9/16, 1:25 PM, Alamo Drafthouse Brooklyn; Rob Malone)
118. The House with a Clock in Its Walls – C+ (9/17, 6:30 PM, AMC 34th Street; myself)
119. Life Itself – C- (9/18, 10:00 AM, Park Avenue Screening Room; myself)
120. Fahrenheit 11/9 – B (9/18, 8:30 PM, Dolby 24 Screening Room; myself)
121. The Oath – B- (9/20, 6:00 PM, Tribeca Screening Room; myself)
122. Smallfoot – B- (9/22, 11:00 AM, AMC Empire; myself)
123. Beautiful Boy – B (9/24, 6:00 PM, Park Avenue Screening Room; myself)
124. The Hate U Give – B+ (9/25, 3:00 PM, Lincoln Square; myself)
125. Suspiria (2018) – B+ (9/25, 6:00 PM, Tribeca Screening Room; myself)
126. Bad Times at the El Royale – B+ (9/27, 6:00 PM, E-Walk; Chris Regimenti)
127. First Man – B (10/1, 6:30 PM, AMC Empire; Chris Regimenti)
128. Boy Erased – B+ (10/2, 6:00 PM, Park Avenue Screening Room; myself)
129. A Star is Born – B (10/3, 5:30 PM, AMC 34th Street; myself)
130. The Old Man & the Gun – B+ (10/7, 3:00 PM, BAM Rose Cinemas, Brooklyn, NY; myself)
131. Goosebumps 2: Haunted Halloween – C+ (10/9, 5:00 PM, E-Walk; myself)
131. Burning – B- (10/11, 6:00 PM, Tribeca Screening Room; myself)
132. Can You Ever Forgive Me? – B+ (10/12, 7:00 PM, Whitby Hotel, New York, NY; myself)
133. Johnny English Strikes Again – B- (10/13, 4:00 PM, Tribeca Screening Room; myself)
134. Halloween (2018) – B+ (10/15, 6:30 PM, Lincoln Square; Rob Malone)
135. The Ballad of Buster Scruggs – B- (10/17, 6:00 PM, Dolby 24 Screening Room; myself)
136. Bohemian Rhapsody – C (10/24, 6:30 PM, Fox Screening Room, New York, NY; myself)
137. Cold War – B (10/25, 6:00 PM, Soho House, New York, NY; myself)
138. Nosferatu – B (10/26, 7:00 PM, Cathedral of St. John the Divine, New York, NY; Evan Cardona, Maya Bee, Anton Rayn, and Avery ???)
139. Venom – B+ (10/28, 1:45 PM, Court Street; myself)
140. The Nutcracker and the Four Realms – B- (10/30, 6:00 PM, AMC Empire; myself)
141. The Fog (1980) – B (10/31, 7:00 PM, The Metrograph; myself)
142. Ben is Back – B (11/1, 10:00 AM, Digital Arts; myself)
143. The Girl in the Spider’s Web – C+ (11/5, 7:00 PM, Battery Park; myself)
144. The Grinch – C+ (11/6, 6:30 PM, Lincoln Square; myself)
145. At Eternity’s Gate – B (11/7, 10:00 AM, Tribeca Screening Room; myself)
146. Overlord – B (11/7, 7:00 PM, Lincoln Square; myself)
147. Widows – A- (11/8, 6:00 PM, E-Walk; myself)
148. Green Book – B+ (11/12, 6:30 PM, Battery Park; myself)
149. Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald – C (11/14, 7:00 PM, AMC 34th Street; myself)
150. Creed II – B (11/15, 11:00 AM, Lincoln Square; myself)
151. The Favourite – B+ (11/19, 12:00 PM, Fox Screening Room; myself)
152. Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse – B+ (11/19, 8:00 PM, Lincoln Square; myself; also 12/29, 1:40 PM Oxford Valley; Bob Malone)
153. Ralph Breaks the Internet – B+ (11/24, 2:00 PM, Oxford Valley; Bob Malone and Walt Wojcik)
154. Anna and the Apocalypse – B- (11/26, 11:00 AM, Tribeca Screening Room; myself)
155. Vox Lux – B+ (11/28, 6:00 PM, Technicolor Screening Room, New York, NY; myself)
156. Instant Family – B+ (11/29, 7:40 PM, E-Walk; myself)
157. The Front Runner – C+ (12/2, 4:00 PM, AMC Empire; myself)
158. Mary Queen of Scots – B- (12/3, 10:00 AM, Park Avenue Screening Room; myself)
159. On the Basis of Sex – B- (12/3, 6:00 PM, Dolby 88; myself)
160. Stan & Ollie – B (12/4, 8:00 PM, Sony Screening Room; myself)
161. If Beale Street Could Talk – B (12/5, 10:00 AM, Tribeca Screening Room; myself)
162. Free Solo – B+ (12/6, 8:15 PM, Angelika Film Center, New York, NY; myself)
163. The Mule – B- (12/10, 2:00 PM, WB Screening Room; myself)
164. Mortal Engines – C+ (12/10, 6:30 PM, AMC Empire; myself)
165. Vice – B (12/11, 3:00 PM, Tribeca Screening Room; myself)
166. Destroyer – B- (12/11, 7:00 PM, SoHo House; myself)
167. Bumbleebee – B (12/13, 6:00 PM, Lincoln Square; myself)
168. Roma – B- (12/16, 3:00 PM, Cobble Hill Cinemas, New York NY; myself)
169. Aquaman – B- (12/17, 7:00 PM, Lincoln Square; myself)
170. Welcome to Marwen – C (12/18, 6:30 PM, AMC 34th Street; Yasmeen Gholmieh)
171. Second Act – C+ (12/19, 7:00 PM, AMC Empire; myself)
172. Mary Poppins Returns – B- (12/31, 3:40 PM, Oxford Valley; Bob Malone, Sue Malone, Claire Dansbury, and Pat Dansbury)

Best Movies of 2018

December 28, 2018

jmunney Best in Film 2018, Best of 2018, Cinema , , , , , , , , , , , Leave a comment

CREDIT: Courtesy of the Studios

This post was originally published on News Cult in December 2018.

I saw nearly 200 new movies in 2018, a personal record, and yet, there were still a couple dozen that I wish had more time to see. If you had told me just three years ago how many movies I would see this year, I would assume that everything would be crossed off my 2018 cinema checklist. But as I get deeper and deeper into the world of film journalism and analysis, I become ever more aware of just how seemingly limitless the cinematic landscape is. Despite my shortcomings, I am confident that I managed to put together a top 10 list that at the very least hints at all the storytelling diversity that the medium had to offer this year.

But before we get to that, here are some more 2018 movies that I loved: Assassination Nation, Bad Times at the El Royale, Boy Erased, Can You Ever Forgive Me?, The Commuter, The Death of Stalin, The Favourite, Gemini, Green Book, The Hate U Give, Hereditary, Instant Family, The Old Man & the Gun, Paddington 2, Pope Francis: A Man of His Word, Ralph Breaks the Internet, Searching, A Simple Favor, Suspiria, Teen Titans Go! To the Movies, Three Identical Strangers, Tully, and Venom.

10. Unsane – Claire Foy gets totally gaslit about her mental state, while Steven Soderbergh captures the whole charade on an iPhone. It’s more than a gimmick, as he expands his cinematic language, and a disturbing scam gets indicted in the process.

9. Isle of Dogs – Wes Anderson’s Japan-set animated canine adventure navigates some tricky business about cultural appropriateness, but it’s still a whimsical, yet thrillingly dangerous tale with delightfully quirky animation and an evergreen warning against tyrannical government.

8. Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse – The best superhero movie of 2018 was molded by the baggage of history while managing to also be revolutionary in a way that didn’t seem possible anymore in this era of comic book movie overload. Every Spider-Man story has partly been about how we all have the capacity to be heroic Spider-Beings; few prove it as imaginatively as Into the Spider-Verse.

7. Eighth Grade – Eighth Grade is basically anxiety distilled into its purest cinematic form. How could it not be? It focuses on a teenage girl in 2018 whose life is inexplicably tied to her screens, and it’s directed by Bo Burnham, who has captured his own anxiety for the raw material in his live shows. It sounds like a nightmare, and it kind of is, but it is also singularly exhilarating and inspiring.

6. BlacKkKlansman – Colorado Springs’ first black detective picks up the phone and cold-calls the KKK, setting off a batty infiltration that comments on the persistence of bigotry and the inspiration of blaxploitation. If Ron Stallworth’s story weren’t true, would Spike Lee have to have created it? He certainly had to do something to get us electrified in this still-way-too-discriminatory real world.

5. Widows – A trio of women lose their criminal husbands and are left to pull off a multimillion dollar heist in their (dis)honor. Meanwhile, Chicago’s political machine keeps dirtily chugging along. Steve McQueen’s top-notch skills elevate the message and thrills of every single frame.

4. First Reformed – The movie of 2018 that I’ve thought about the most since seeing it. Ethan Hawke plays Ernst Toller, a reverend counseling a man who has grown profoundly fatalistic over the state of a world ravaged by global warming. He catches something from this member of his flock – is it a disease, or perhaps an epiphany? If you’re alive in 2018 and cannot relate to Toller, you’re not paying attention.

3. The Endless – Two brothers are living on their own after escaping from the cult they grew up in, but they cannot quite escape the pull of its gravity. Upon returning for a visit, they discover the elliptical truth of what is really going on, and a new landmark vision of sci-fi horror comes to fruition.

2. Sorry to Bother You – Cash Green uses his “white voice” to become a successful telemarketer, and that’s only the start of capitalism taking him for all that he’s worth. Boots Riley’s incendiary clarion call to workers’ rights is bold, everything-AND-the-kitchen-sink filmmaking.

1. Annihilation – A group of scientists and doctors (who all happen to be female) head into Area X, where a bunch of weird goings-on confound and entrance them. All forms of life in this realm are more or less cross-bred with each other, creating utter strangeness, terrifying abominations, and above all, sublime beauty.

Best Podcasts of 2018

December 27, 2018

jmunney Best of 2018, Podcasts , , , , , , Leave a comment

This post was originally published on News Cult in December 2018.

Any Best Podcast list curated by one person must include the caveat that only a portion of all the podcasts out there have been listened to by the listmaker. My podcast diet mainly consists of comedy and pop culture, so consider this a list of the best comedy and pop culture podcasts of 2018. (Also, as it turns out, you can [mostly] consider this a list of the best of one particular podcast network.) My choices are not in any particular order, except for my overall #1 selection.

Overall Best: R U Talkin’ R.E.M. RE: ME? – Four years after comprehensively covering the lovable lads from Liverpool, Adam Scott Aukerman were back to talk about R.E.M. and nothing else in 2018. It truly was The Year of R U Talkin’ R.E.M. RE: Me?, and we were all just living in it.

Best Episode: “Staind Glass 2” – Todd Glass, the man who has very strong opinions on music but the most chaotic knowledge about the subject, returned for Scott and Scott to see if he knows anything about R.E.M. He also regaled the boys with a story about a wedding he surreptitiously, hilariously attended, and thus a proud podcasting tradition continued.

Blank Check with Griffin & David – Griffin Newman and David Sims’ competitive advantage of being the only two friends to host a podcast together continued delightfully along in 2018, as they examined on the films of even more directors who have been given “blank checks” to pursue their passion projects. In 2018, the lineup consisted of Paul Verhoeven, James L. Brooks, Brad Bird, Ang Lee, Nancy Meyers, and Tim Burton.

Best Episode: Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk – This episode is perhaps best remembered by Blankies for the envelope gag, but the entire episode is a winner. Frequent guest JD Amato is the perfect addition to examine this confoundingly ambitious entry in Ang Lee’s filmography, as he makes the case that even if this is not a great movie, everyone who considers themselves a film buff should watch it to see what it is all about.

Conan O’Brien Needs a Friend – Conan O’Brien takes his deconstructionist approach to the podcast medium, as he wonders if the friendships that have eluded him when interviewing people on his talk show can be forged when they occur on this more longform setup.

Best Episode: Bill Burr – Burr gets personal enough to help Conan along on this journey, but the real reason this episode taking the top spot is the part at the end when Conan lists a bunch of fake (unfortunately so) Pokémon.

How Did This Get Made? – This podcast stalwart had no shortage of awful and bizarre so-called movies to add to its crosshairs in 2018, and I came to appreciate it even more for how it’s just some friends hanging out and having the  best time ever.

Best Episode: 200th Mini Retrospective Clip Show Spectacular – The meat of this episode was clips of previous episodes, which doesn’t sound like much, but when you consider that some of the best moments of HDTGM? are people just riotously cracking up, you realize the value of just looking back and taking in the memories.

Unspooled – HDTGM?‘s Paul Scheer actually got around to watching and discussing some good movies as he teamed up with critic Amy Nicholson to dive deep into the American Film Institute’s ranking of the 100 greatest American films of all time. Two film nerds digging into movie history and showing off their enthusiasm for canonization (or questioning canonization) is always a good formula.

Best Episode: Duck Soup – Paul and Amy are joined by Marx Brothers super-fan Conan O’Brien, who has some legit comedy nerd theories regarding what Groucho, Harpo, Chico, and Zeppo are all about.

This Is a Movie Review: Steve Coogan and John C. Reilly’s High Regard for a Couple of Screen Legends Makes ‘Stan & Ollie’ a Gently Heartwarming Affair

December 26, 2018

jmunney Cinema, Movie Reviews , , , , , , , , , 1 Comment

CREDIT: Sony Pictures Classics

This review was originally published on News Cult in December 2018.

Starring: Steve Coogan, John C. Reilly, Shirley Henderson, Nina Arianda, Danny Huston

Director: Jon S. Baird

Running Time: 97 Minutes

Rating: PG for A Few Adult Arguments

Release Date: December 28, 2018 (Limited)

If you’ve ever thought that Steve Coogan and John C. Reilly should team up to play legendary screen duo Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy, then you must be their biggest fans or their close friends. Stan & Ollie very much feels like a passion project, and it also has the vibe of a secret present, because who in 2018 would have ever thought to ask if anyone wanted to make this movie? Coogan and Reilly have their subjects’ signature gestures down pat, and various real life scenes play out with a charming blend of misanthropic physical comedy in the vein of heavy luggage sliding down a staircase. The year is 1953, and Laurel and Hardy’s cinematic glory days are well over and never to re-emerge, though Stan is hard at work writing a screenplay about Robin Hood and incessantly tracking down a producer. But to actually make some dough and earn some new laughs, they head out on a tour of live shows in Britain and Ireland.

The primary, low-key charm of Stan & Ollie is the culmination of two longtime companions realizing the depth of their connection. The pressures of the road lead to simmering resentments being aired out, but those blowouts clear the way for these two to reaffirm that they are more than just partners but are in fact true and loyal friends who might as well put on one more show for as long it can last. Their relationship is mirrored by that between their wives, who are often at odds with each other as they stand firmly in their husbands’ corners. It is the third marriage for both of them, but it appears that the third time’s the charm. Stan’s wife Ida (Nina Arianda) is a bit of a brassy steamroller, while Ollie’s wife Lucille (Shirley Henderson) is mousy but just as formidable. There is one especially heartwarming moment in the middle of a show when Ollie’s health troubles look like they will incapacitate him, but he looks at Stan for support and they are able to carry on; meanwhile in the audience, Ida and Lucille become a unified front as they lock hands. That is the sort of unity of spirit you hope to find in any major personal endeavor.

Stan & Ollie is Recommended If You Like: The real Laurel and Hardy presumably, Low-key showbiz biopics

Grade: 3 out of 5 Top Hats

Best TV Shows of 2018

December 26, 2018

jmunney Best of 2018, Best of TV 2018, Television , , Leave a comment

CREDIT: Courtesy of the Networks

This post was originally published on News Cult in December 2018.

I spent much of 2018 despairing over how there isn’t enough time to watch every great show out there, just as I have every year for the past decade or so. Despite that permanent dilemma, I did not struggle as much as I usually do to settle on a top 10. But of course, there are always more than ten great shows that I would like to recognize. So before you continue reading on to my picks of the very best, here are some other shows I loved in 2018: Bob’s Burgers, The Goldbergs, The Good Place, Great News, Homecoming, Jane the Virgin, Killing Eve, The Last O.G., Mystery Science Theater 3000, RuPaul’s Drag Race, Sharp Objects, Speechless, Trial & Error, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt.

And here are some 2018 shows that I kept hearing wonderful things about, but that I never got around to seeing: The Americans, The Good Fight, Lodge 49, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, One Day at a Time, Random Acts of Flyness, Succession, The Terror.

10. BoJack Horseman (Netflix) – Most BoJack Horseman seasons lead up to some earth-shattering conclusion. Season 5 followed much the same structure but wisely ultimately settled on a more even-keeled note, declaring that people sometimes do good things and sometimes do bad things, and the trick is to do good things more often. Maybe there is equilibrium in BoJack’s future?

9. Joe Pera Talks with You (Adult Swim) – Perhaps the most unique show of 2018, and probably the gentlest in Adult Swim history, Joe Pera Talks with You inspires wonder at all the simple facts of life. As a fictionalized version of himself, Pera presents a well-examined life in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula that we can all appreciate.

8. Better Call Saul (AMC) – Jimmy continued his path towards fully becoming Saul Goodman, which could really describe any season of this show. And yet by just continuing along its set path, it gobsmacks you evermore with its explorations of identity, duty, and destiny. It just goes to show you that it really is all about the journey.

7. Barry (HBO) – Alec Berg and Bill Hader walked a tightrope every episode as they tracked the progress of hitman turned very bad actor Barry Berkman. They pushed themselves into narrative corners, as violently dramatic consequences bumped up against the foibles of the trenches of showbiz, and yet they always followed through on their trickiest conundrums.

6. Pose (FX) – The push for diversity in television is valiant in terms of representation and employment. But is it also valuable for creativity? Pose is a perfect example to show that yes indeed, it is. This recreation of New York’s 1980s queer ballroom scene opened up groundbreaking avenues for televisual storytelling.

5. Big Mouth (Netflix) – Netflix’s animated tale of burgeoning puberty courtesy of Nick Kroll and company is raunchy and specific in a manner that is uproarious, gross, and a little profound. Hormone and Shame Monsters are the stuff of modern mythmaking.

4. American Vandal (Netflix) – The first season of this Netflix true crime mockumentary was a rousing success, but I had my doubts about the second. The jokes and intrigue around spray-painted dicks made sense, but taking on actual poop sounded a little frightening. Luckily the crimes of the Turd Burglar were treated as terrifyingly as they deserved to be, and we were treated to another fascinating portrait of adolescence, the high school ecosystem, and our online selves.

3. American Crime Story: The Assassination of Gianni Versace (FX) – It was really more “The Killings of Andrew Cunanan” rather than just “The Assassination of Gianni Versace.” Progressing backwards and expanding outwards, this was Ryan Murphy’s other exhilarating formal experiment of 2018.

2. Baskets (FX) – The Baskets family went into business together and opened up a circus. It sounded like a great idea, but there are always struggles along the way. If you’re looking for portraits of genuine American families on TV, Baskets is a little odd, but it does the trick.

1. Atlanta (FX) – Atlanta is a landmark achievement in surreal television. It all appears to tie together when watching it, but as I attempt to reconstruct Season 2 in my head, I wonder how Florida Man, a slippery barber, and Teddy Perkins can all possibly hang together. And yet I know deep in my psyche how much emotional sense it all makes. Donald Glover and company followed their muse to dark and exciting corners for our delight.

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