Shorts from The Screening Room – September 2019

In Theaters:

It Chapter Two (2019) – Clocking in at 169 minutes, this conclusion to the 2017 horror hit is a long and somewhat muddy nightmare. And ‘nightmare’ is an apt term, because it is frightening and it’s not an easy film to review without getting into lengthy explanations/spoilers concerning what the film gets right and what it doesn’t.

What I can tell you is that it’s less a typical horror movie and more a film that feels like a moderately priced scary/drama aimed at an adult audience. It’s thematic, patient, stingy with answers, and doesn’t concern itself with whether or not you think it’s flashy or, in some cases, whether or not you understand its choices. Sounds like an adult to me.

To brass tax you, “It Chapter Two” works as a solid-enough follow up to 2017’s “It”; and is a huge improvement over the 1990 miniseries. The film sticks comfortably enough to Stephen King’s source material, and while doing so, it delivers a graphically updated look at story threads and ideas that are not necessarily easy to explain on film. As such, I don’t expect casual fans of the first film to be happy with this final follow-up because I don’t see these same story elements being so readily accepted, or even understood in some cases, by viewers less familiar with the material. Even I wasn’t completely happy with the delivery but, since I Read The Book, at least I understood what was going on.

“It” was never about the glossy slasher-themed horror that today’s audiences seem to thrive on. “It” was always larger and more cerebral than that; an homage to Lovecraftian Horror. “It Chapter Two” delivers more on this aspect than it does on the quick-tempo blood-splattering gross-out quotients I expect many walking into the film are expecting. Trust me, I get the argument, it’s just that I don’t care about their complaints.

I’ve eaten enough King-adapted shit over the decades that I despise filmmaker’s book-to-screen alterations aimed at pandering to an audience. Andy Muschietti’s current “It” films get more book-right than most so, I’m happy with it, and I think that fans of the book, even if they don’t love the movie, will be more than happy with the final product.

My Admission - $6.00
One Line Review – “Ultimately, it’s more a book fan’s film than a mass audience appealer.”
MPA Rating – R for disturbing violent content and bloody images throughout, pervasive language, and some crude se*ual material

 

From the Video Store Shelf:

 

Brightburn (2019) – Writer, Director James Gunn (“Guardians of the Galaxy” and “The Belko Experiment”) acts as Producer here for a screenplay written by his brother Brian Gunn, and cousin Mark Gunn, the writing team behind the upcoming “Jupiter’s Legacy” and both “Journey 2: The Mysterious Island” and “Journey 3: From the Earth to the Moon” with Dwayne Johnson.

Directed by David Yarovesky (“The Hive”), “Brightburn” looks to examine the elements of Nature vs Nurture under the guise of a horrific “Superman” origin story. I imagine most of you are familiar with that specific superhero origin but if not: An alien ship, carrying only a baby, crash lands in rural Kansas. A couple sees the crash, saves the child, covers up the incident, and raises the child as their own. For all intents and purposes things goes well for the family, that is until that damn puberty thing kicks in, and well, so much for being in Kansas anymore, Toto.

Of course, the Superman tale deals with this time in Clark Kent’s life rather quickly and successfully so that the audience can get on with the larger threats and forbearance of the character in the larger world, but it never really loses sight of the central argument that Clark Kent is different, special even, from everyone else on the planet. “Brightburn” never makes it out of Kansas, or all that far in to its central character’s “awakening” process. Thankfully too, because it’s within the realization of what he is, and the moral boundary testing associated that a vast amount of truly interesting story can be told.

As it is, “Brightburn” is a really nice mix of the superhero and horror genres and is easily considered enjoyable, competent, and largely fun. It’s darkly themed, briskly paced, even well-cast and acted, but at points its central argument is frustrated as both sides are subject to a lack of onscreen discernment and detailed storytelling. The larger beats are there but the subtilties of the real and central struggle just don’t get the screen time needed to make this a truly great film; i.e. the film should definitely be longer and more detailed.

My Admission – $5.00
One Line Review – “The Gunn Family Strikes Again”
MPA Rating – R for horror violence/bloody images, and language

 

The Condemned (2007) – Ten Death Row inmates from around the world are collected by an internet mogul and summarily dropped onto an island where, for the paying customer, they must fight each other for their very lives, and for one lucky contestant, their freedom. I love stories about, “The Hunt”, they’re almost always exciting, at least in the imaging. There’s a real depth to the terror and palatable commitment to survival that always seems to be lacking in big studio representations, and “The Condemned” is no exception.

Unsurprisingly, it’s the frighteningly superficial characters and hyper action editing that look to ruin this somewhat interesting but predictable take. Much like “Gamer” (2009) and “Death Race (2008) where internet access played an integral part of feeding carnage to the masses, “The Condemned” follows suit. And just like those two previously mentioned films, there’s a character or two that somehow becomes worth rooting for. So, while I can’t imagine that you’ll ever like the film, it’s not so without redemption that one just outright hates it.

My Admission – $3.50
One Line Review – “It’s not a winner, but it is what it is and works well enough as such.”
MPA Rating – R for pervasive strong brutal violence, and for language

 

 

 

The Curse of La Llorona (2019) – The Conjuring Universe expands itself again with this Hispanic legend of, “The Weeping Woman”. Known to history as a mother who drowned her two children after learning of her husband’s betrayal, La Llorona has travelled into legend as a water spirit that looks to extinguish her pain and suffering by drowning naughty children.

For those of you that are unaware, “The Curse of La Llorona” is being touted as a film from The Conjuring Universe. And although a “tie” is produced, it feels decidedly more like a “wedging into” rather than an “expanding of” said horror film universe. Now, while I love expansion as a general idea, in actual practice, these expanded universe films seem to arrive as little more than cheap knock-offs of their main storyline counterparts; i.e. far less frightening or fulfilling, and ultimately void of any greater point or unifying destination in their connective tissue.

Instead of thorough, thought provoking storytelling, or even legitimate reasoning and memorable fear, these films rely heavily on cheap and repetitive scares, some of which have no rational explanation for even appearing on screen. In La Llorona’s case for example, there’s absolutely no need for a toddler’s rocking horse or tricycle imagery scares as the children within the film are obviously too old for such household items. It smacks of laziness and cheapens the overall legitimacy of the work. Even La Llorona’s appearance is ridiculously too close to that of the Universe’s already weakly established The Nun character, La Llorona’s just wearing white instead of black.

However, even a bad roller coaster is still a roller coaster. So, speaking to the fright that the film does create, I will say that I experienced a few moments of goose flesh, but still fewer moments of terror or fear. I was not empathetic to the character’s plight, but I didn’t outright hate them, they’re just deer in headlights. The film may produce little practical sense or discerning direction when it comes to its story’s rationale or escape plans from the film’s central terror, but it still manages to be somewhat enjoyable. The idea of La Llorona is certainly interesting, even if she’s not utilized by the film’s brain trust in a way that helps build a horror icon or even a discernably intriguing character.

Note: The film’s unintended magic trick, with it’s first “Ta-Dah” punch line, was surprisingly funny, and turned out to be my favorite part of the movie.

My Admission - $4.00
One Line Review – “Not surprisingly, another “Meh” entry in the expanded Conjuring Universe”
MPA Rating – R for violence and terror

 

 

 

Hero (2002) – Set in China during the Warring States period (pre-unification, 227 BC). “Hero” tells the story of a nameless man and his conversation with the King of Qin, the leader of the most powerful warring state. Their conversation concerns this nameless man’s claim that he’s defeated three assassins, sworn enemies of the King of Qin, and exactly how he went about it.

Sure, it’s a martial arts film but in the hands of two-time BAFTA award winning director Zhamg Yimou, the sparse and solidly colored “Hero” becomes a work of art. What makes “Hero” so unique is not the fact that it’s based on documented history*, or its impressive use of choreography and wirework, but it’s primary color palate, shot composition, and the way in which it, almost romantically, delivers its thematic fight sequences.

Zhang Yimou uses color and cinematography to not only segment his film but to illustrate the emotional states and idealistic worlds of the film’s characters. As one single story is told three different times, each color palate becomes representative of the ideas and emotions of that specific narrative. So, each sequence becomes something to look forward to in a way that’s similar to a person walking through an art museum, and the excitement they might feel when anticipating what artistic use of color, emotion, and wonder await just around the next corner.

The wirework in the fight sequences however hasn’t aged that well, but it’s important to remember that the wirework, as well as the color scheme, are a part of a wuxia (woo SHya) element that “Hero” utilizes in the telling of its historical tale. The material becomes much easier to appreciate when viewed through that lens, rather than through any expectation that the fight sequences should appear more realistic in order to be believed.

Note: Wuxia definition – A genre of Chinese fiction or cinema featuring itinerant warriors of ancient China, often depicted as capable of superhuman feats of martial arts.

(* In 227 BC: swordsman Jing Ke met with the King of Qin, Qin Shi Huang, who would go on to become the first Emperor of a unified China. It’s on this meeting that “Hero” is based.)

My Admission - $6.50
One Line Review – “The first film in what I like to call: “Zhang Yimou’s martially artistic Quadrilogy of Color”
MPA Rating – PG-13 for stylized martial arts violence and a scene of sensuality

 

 

 

House of Flying Daggers (2004) – The film’s plot deals with a rebellious underground group, the House of Flying Daggers, who’re looking to disrupt the overbearing government of a local area. Two Captains of the government army are set to infiltrate the group and assassinate its current leader. Everything goes according to plan, that is until Love rears up its ugly head.

Yimou’s follow-up to “Hero” moves away from that film’s broader expanses and into denser and more intimate terrain. To the film’s trio of principals, Yimou brings a familiar element of Shakespearian tragedy that effectively personalizes emotion for wider audiences a bit better than “Hero” did. You can argue about whether you like the film or not, but even with its early bit of overacting, dense fight choreography, expected wirework, and rubber swords, you cannot make the claim that you’re lost, or that you don’t understand what’s going on.

Concerning its colors, this one is largely green…Envy perhaps? Certainly, sounds Shakespearian there, but unlike the sparse and solid colorization of “Hero”, “The House of Flying Daggers” is a dense and specifically multi-colored piece. Filmed largely within a forest, the film looks to stack layer upon layer of mystery, questioning/confusion, and clear-cut sight through its expression of many colors and shifting emotions.

My Admission - $7.00
One Line Review – “The second film in what I like to call: “Zhang Yimou’s martially artistic Quadrilogy of Color”
MPA Rating – PG-13 for sequences of stylized martial arts violence, and some se*uality

 

 

 

The Man Who Killed Don Quixote (2019) – Terry Gilliam has spent the last 25 years of his life trying to get this film made. I’ve been following his quest for at least 15 of those years, so I was overwhelmingly excited to hear that it was finally happening, and then summarily underwhelmed by the final product; which basically is a mild mix of Terry Gilliam idiosyncrasies and independent film fare.

Adam Driver plays, Toby, a young hot-shot film director who’s in the process of recreating a big studio version of his award-winning Don Quixote student film. During the process, he’s returned to the small Spanish town where he shot his original work, and once there, he finds the cobbler who portrayed his one-time Don Quixote living as though he was actually Don Quixote. Toby is of course seen as Quixote’s “Sancho” and the two set out chasing windmills until it all comes crashing down.

After a quarter of a century of waiting, the emerging final product becomes less about Quixote’s journey and more about Toby’s Sancho, and the film ultimately suffers from the transference of story elements. Gilliam’s Sancho was in no way a sympathetic character, to me, and though he might evolve, his story never comes close to the tragedy or heartfelt inspiration of the original material’s hero.

Note: You can see the 2002 documentary, “Lost in La Mancha” which famously chronicles the downfall of Gilliam’s previous production of this film which was set to star Johnny Depp as Toby/Sancho Panza.

My Admission - $4.00
One Line Review – “The ‘What If…” of Gilliam’s passion project isn’t as interesting as I’d hoped it would be.”
MPA Rating – Not Rated (but there’s an abundance of coarse language)

 

 

 

The Man Who Killed H**ler and Then The Bigfoot (2019) – Sam Elliott and Aidan Turner star as Calvin Barr, a good and honest man, himself a dying breed, who’s offered the chance to reconcile the haunting memories and regrets of his past by facing a myth that somehow mirrors his own.

Written and directed by Robert Kryzowski, the film is a wonderfully small and intimate look at how myths and people don’t always change, even as the world around them does. A passion project for Kryzowski, it became one as well for executive producers: John Sayles (famed actor/writer/director) and visual effects master, Douglas Trumbull (“Blade Runner”), who both championed the film; and I couldn’t be happier with what they’ve produced.

“The Man Who Killed Hitler and Then The Bigfoot” is as clearly conceptualized as it is acted, colored, costumed, and scored. Utilizing wonderfully human themes that it chooses to deliver equitably with character actions, silences, and dialogue.

“The Man Who Killed Hitler and Then The Bigfoot” isn’t a film that explains everything to its audience, but you should know upfront that it isn’t hiding anything from viewers either. There’s enough verbally stated, and even more characteristically displayed, to effectively deliver the film’s messages and themes. And though not every question is verbally answered, none of the story threads are abandoned, instead they’re purposely left for the audience to interpret based on the character(s) you’ve come to know. In my opinion, the film does this almost romantically, and in doing so comes across as something unexpectedly special.

Note: The movie’s early bar fight is not a fair representation of the film, so groan if you must, but don’t let it turn you off. Very quickly thereafter is a dialogue scene in a Russian tent that is both ominous and surprisingly tense, and is a better representation of how the film delivers.

My Admission - $7.00
One Line Review – “A story built on subtext and metaphor that proves to be a strangely sentimental and sincere film.”
MPA Rating – (Not Rated) for violence, mild gore and bloody images

 

 

 

Replicas (2018) – Keanu Reeves plays a synthetic biologist who’s working to imprint the human mind into a synthetic brain. After a terrible accident affects his family, the film’s original idea moves into left-field territory, and a horror of convenient plot devices begin to poor out all over the place. In an all-too-short amount of time the film trades the drama of one good idea for the big studio-lazy Susan absurdity of several weakly tended-to sci fi story additions.

My Admission - $2.50
One Line Review – “Too many ideas and the poor attention paid to them sink this sci-fi thriller.”
MPA Rating – PG-13 for thematic material, violence, disturbing images, some n*dity and se*ual reference

 

 

 

Vicky Cristina Barcelona (2008) – Written and directed by Woody Allen, the film sees two very different best friends, the studious Vicky (Rebecca Hall), and the artistic Cristina (Scarlett Johansson), spending a summer in Spain. While there, the two friends will meet a charismatic artist, Javier Bardem, who invites the pair to spend a weekend with him. A weekend of sharing art, food/wine, and love-making, and where each woman will begin to experience a markedly tangible and individual awakening.

The film is both wonderful and defeating in that its artistic and physical expressions are at times emotionally and physically freeing but ultimately become typically repressing. I love the way this movie makes me feel, and the separate journeys the film’s two leads each take. And while I completely buy the ending, I’m not at all happy with it. I too want the fantasy, not to feel frustrated, almost trapped, by the fear and slap of an all-to-typical practicality. Damn you Woody. I love this movie, but damn you.

Quote of Note: “She overanalyzes inspiration.”

Note: The Spanish guitarist Javier Bardem and Rebecca Hall listen too, Emilio de Benito performing, “Granada” (2008), sounds remarkably reminiscent of Robert Downy Jr’s “Broken” (2004).

My Admission - $6.50
One Line Review – “It delivers exactly what you want and exactly what you don’t want.”
MPA Rating – PG-13 for mature thematic material involving se*uality, and smoking

 

Editor’s Review Note: The “MPAA Rating”, seen at the bottom of each review, has been rebranded as the “MPA Rating” on the above listed and all future reviews. During the last week of September 2019, the Motion Picture Association of America officially dropped the “of America” from its name and will now go by the Motion Picture Association, or “MPA” abbreviation, henceforth.

“Founded in 1922 as the Motion Picture Produces and Distributers of America, it was rebranded as the MPAA in 1945, but has gone by the MPA internationally since 1994.”*

(*Text used without permission, and is from a September 26, 2019 article written by Garth Franklin at www.darkhorizons.com)

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