Well okay, since Slingshot didn’t get a super-duper big release, nor was it heavily advertised, I suppose I ought to provide a quick synopsis so that you don’t have to open an extra tab. Casey Affleck plays an astronaut named John who’s on a mission to Titan, the largest moon of Saturn. He’s joined by two other astronauts, played by these dudes Laurence Fishburne and Tomer Capone. Meanwhile, there are flashbacks to John’s time on Earth when he was recruited into the mission and fell in love with his girlfriend Zoe (Emily Beecham). Those flashbacks will prove to be important later! Anyway, while the crew gets to the point in outer space where they must perform a slingshot maneuver around Jupiter, John starts to lose his mind a little bit.
To get extratextual for a moment, I saw this movie with my dad on Sunday afternoon of Labor Day weekend, which was a good scheduling idea, as the ending made me go, “Hmm, I’m not quite sure how I feel about that.” Luckily, ambiguity that’s as big as the vast expanse of space was easier to handle on a relaxing weekend. So if you’re thinking about seeing Slingshot yourself, just make sure to avoid any simultaneous existential crises. (Unless you’re into that sort of thing!)
CREDIT: Warner Bros. Pictures (CREDIT: Screenshot)
I saw a bunch of movies in August 2024 that I haven’t released my full thoughts about yet, as it’s been too hot to say too much about any one movie. So I waited until September in the hopes that it would cool down at least a little bit and that I wouldn’t overheat from all this film analysis.
They keep making new movies, and some of them are even worth watching. Here’s what’s at the top of the slate for September 2024:
Speak No Evil: I’ve seen the trailer for this about 6 million times in the past few months. It’s a remake of a Danish film that I’ve heard good things about. James McAvoy looks creepy. There’s also a mini-Halt and Catch Fire reunion.
Movie theaters will Speak No Evil on September 13.
Release Date: August 30, 2024 (IFC Center in New York City)/September 6, 2024 (Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Chicago)/September 13, 2024 (Additional Cities)
What’s It About?: In a case of “Only 90s Kids Can Understand,” Seeking Mavis Beacon doggedly attempts to uncover the truth behind the once-ubiquitous software program that taught a generation of children how to utilize their keyboards as efficiently as possible. Launched in 1987, Mavis Beacon Teaches Typing and its title character delivered a regal air to the burgeoning personal computer sector. A lot of people apparently believe that Mavis Beacon was a real human being, but she was in fact a fictional character originally brought to life by model Renee L’Esperance. For filmmaker Jazmin Renée Jones, Mavis Beacon was one of the most influential people of her childhood – and so therefore was L’Esperance. Thus, she felt absolutely compelled to make a documentary to uncover how Renee became Mavis, and why she then just … disappeared.
What Made an Impression?: Society in the Machine: Jones feels a vibrant kinship with anyone who still believes that Mavis Beacon is a real person, probably because she used to believe that herself as well. Her movie doesn’t dive completely into the Mandela effect, but it is indebted to a society that is for better or worse perpetually connected to the online world, both thematically and formally. A good chunk of the film plays out on computer screens, with vintage Mavis Beacon game footage, FaceTime conversations, and chunks of viral memes. Its style in the early going reminded me of the Rodney Ascher doc A Glitch in the Matrix, which examined the possibility that we’re living in a simulation within the context of a post-Matrix world. I’m intrigued by how this setup posits that Beacon has been just as influential as Neo, Morpheus, and Trinity, although Jones doesn’t really stick with this approach. Alas, I kind of wish she had, as Seeking Mavis Beacon could have benefited from being a little less prosaic as it moved ahead. Documentarian, Document Thyself?: It becomes pretty clear early on that Jones’ journey to contact L’Esperance will be rather quixotic. That’s not entirely disappointing, as Jones does manage to interview some of the other important figures behind Mavis’ creation. And with the digital snooping aid of her “cyberdoula” partner Olivia Ross, they also manage to track down a bit of a mild cover-up. But with L’Esperance proving to be firmly unreachable, the movie fills time with Jones’ and Ross’ personal struggles. Ultimately, Seeking Mavis Beacon is a documentary whose ostensible subject is just too far out of reach. Jones is too perseverant (or less generously, too stubborn) to accept that, though. There’s plenty of oomph to this story, but its inability to grapple with its limits makes for a frustrating viewing experience.
Seeking Mavis Beacon is Recommended If: You’re Okay with a Documentarian Becoming the Stealth Subject of the Documentary
Damn, these guest stars really kill (but only in the building, of course). (CREDIT: Hulu/YouTube 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
–Between the Temples (Theaters) – Jason Schwartzman and Robert Smigel are in this, among others.
–Blink Twice (Theaters)
–The Crow (Theaters)
–Greedy People (Theaters)
–Strange Darling (Theaters)
TV
–Only Murders in the Building Season 4 Premiere (August 27 on Hulu)
–Kaos Season 1 (August 29 on Netflix) – Goldblum as Zeus.
Music
-Sabrina Carpenter, Short n’ Sweet
-Bryce Dessner, Solos
-Sofi Tukker, BREAD
-Jack White, No Name – This was a surprise release last month that I wasn’t aware of until this week.
Sports
-US Open (August 26-September 8 on ESPN and ABC) – The Queens of Tennis
-2024 Summer Paralympics (August 28-September 8 on CNBC, USA, NBC, and Peacock)
Comedy
–Adam Sandler: Love You (August 27 on Netflix)
A Photo of Elizabeth Banks Taking Care of Her Skin (CREDIT: IFC Films)
Starring: Elizabeth Banks, Lewis Pullman, Michael Jaé Rodriguez, Luis Gerardo Méndez, Nathan Fillion, John Billingsley, Medalion Rahimi, Wendie Malick
Director: Austin Peters
Running Time: 94 Minutes
Rating: R for Unwanted Dick Pics and Things Spinning Violently Out of Control
Release Date: August 16, 2024 (Theaters)
What’s It About?: The skincare business is brutal, especially if you’re Hope Goldman (Elizabeth Banks). She’s already one of the biggest names in the industry, but as she gets ready to elevate things to the next level, she becomes the victim of some rather extreme sabotage. Her email is hacked, scary people start showing up at her door, and she’s sent a series of unsolicited sexts that leave little to the imagination. It certainly doesn’t help that she’s behind on her rent and that she’s spending beyond her means. She suspects that her new rival (Luis Gerardo Méndez) who just opened a store in the same complex is the one behind it all. But the truth may just be a little more sinister and impenetrable than that.
What Made an Impression?: You Can Lose ‘Em All: Is Hope by any chance related to Job from the Book of Job? That’s as viable an explanation as any that I can surmise to explain all the misfortune befalling her. In addition to the harassment campaign, seemingly every straight man she meets makes an unwanted pass at her, while all of her most loyal clients abandon her one by one. She does bear some responsibility for her dire straits, as she doesn’t exactly have the soundest business model for her current situation, while her efforts for vengeance are misguided, to say the least. But the unceasing tribulation she faces is nothing short of cosmically massive and inescapable. Was It All a Bad Dream?: There’s something about modern Los Angeles (or at least the version of the city that often ends up on film) that feels perpetually stuck in the 1980s: the blindingly lit-up aesthetic, the artificial peacocking, the greedy Me Decade vibes. Skincare is clearly set in the present day (or at least the past 15 years or so), what with its use of smartphones and ubiquitous email communication. But by situating itself in an industry that still relies on hawking its wares via channels that had their heyday decades ago, there is a surreal out-of-time quality to Hope’s misadventures. Plus, the whole fact that lotions and creams feel like they should be too low-stakes for an unrelenting thriller only further ramps up the cognitive dissonance. Banks’ knack for becoming existentially harried is the perfect fit for grounding us in this nightmarish realm. As someone who suffers from perpetually dry skin, I’m certainly invested in justice being served, and the unreality of it all rings painfully true.
Skincare is Recommended If You Like: A woman suddenly stopping as she realizes that she’s being followed
