Movies, Films & Flix

Quick Thoughts:

1. Gail Daughtry and the Celebrity Sex Pass is an immensely likable comedy that’s jam-packed with funny gags, minestrone soup, and phone computers. I love it.
2. Zoey Deutch rules.
3. Slat-Man!
4. More movies need to focus on small-town hairdressers traveling to Los Angeles to hook up with Jon Hamm.
5. Ben Wang, Miles Gutierrez-Riley, Ken Marino, and John Slattery should exclusively act with each other. They have wonderful chemistry.
6. I’d buy Jennifer Aniston’s cookbook.
7. I like it when it takes a long time to make a long story short.
8. It features the best foot-smashing scene of any 2026 film (so far).

Gail Daughtry and the Celebrity Sex Pass tells the age-old story of what happens when a Kansas-based hairdresser named Gail Daughtry (Zoey Deutch) travels to Los Angeles so she can have sex with Jon Hamm. If you’ve ever wanted to see an interpretation of The Wizard of Oz from the mind of writer/director David Wain (Wet Hot American Summer, They Came Together, Role Models), you’re in luck, because Gail Daughtry and the Celebrity Sex Pass features red shoes, a character named Otto (think about it), and a wicked Italian gangster who uses minestrone soup as a torture device. Also, it has nothing to do with The Wizard of Oz, but it makes me very happy that Wain and co-writer Ken Marino decided to make an Oz-esque film in which John “Slat-Man” Slattery is kicked in the balls. The end product is super likable and might be the most rewatchable movie released this year.

Kicking off in Kansas, Gail is about to get married to her high school crush, Tom Soursap McNoodleman (Michael Cassidy). Things quickly go awry when they attend a cookbook reading at a local bookstore headlined by Jennifer Aniston. After the reading, Gail catches Tom hooking up with Anniston because she’s his celebrity sex pass (It was Tilda Swinton, but Anniston’s charms changed his mind). Distraught over the friendly bookstore fling, Gail and her hairdresser friend Otto fly to Los Angeles so they can attend a convention featuring an appearance by Remy Fontaine (Thomas Lennon), the King of the Whip Curl. When they arrive, the duo visit McDonald’s, drink Starbucks coffee, and visit Psychic Journeys LLC Co-Owner Charlotte Manetti (Kerry Kenney-Silver), who tells Gail she should hook up with Jon Hamm to even the scales in her relationship.

During Gail and Otto’s journey, they meet a CAA junior staffer (Ben Wang), a celebrity photographer (Ken Marino), and a washed-up John “Slat-Man” Slattery. Together, the unlikely squad is almost shot by “Weird Al” Yankovic, and one of them gets their foot obliterated by a door (since it’s a Wain film, the bashing is excessively long). What follows is a journey that involves Italian assassins, swapped suitcases, sick threats, dozens of dead bodies, and a hot air balloon. It’s all very silly, but the actors are totally dedicated to Wain’s absurdity. The film was shot independently, and you can feel the budget being stretched, but the scrappy vibe fits the tone of the scrappy movie. While researching the production, I learned that Wain and Marino wrote the comedy during a seven-day binge-writing session, which feels right because the structure is very loose. However, after decades of writing and directing absurd comedies (with tiny budgets), Wain knows how to organize comedic elements into very funny experiences.

Zoey Deutch (Everybody Wants Some!!, Set It Up) fits perfectly in Wain’s world as she’s down for everything and has perfect comedic timing. Also, it’s nice seeing Ben Wang (The Long Walk, Karate Kid: Legends) and Miles Gutierrez-Riley (Smile 2, Agatha All Along) getting a chance to flex their comedic chops. The MVP of the film is John Slattery, who plays a version of himself who didn’t get any work after Mad Men. Slattery leans into the absurdity and gets a chance to become an action hero when he (and his obvious stunt double) beat up dozens of henchmen in an abandoned film set.

Final thoughts – It will put a big smile on your face. Watch it!

Quick thoughts:

1. Milly Alcock is wonderful.
2. Jason Momoa is Jason Momoa.
3. Between green suns, poison, kryptonite darts, and red suns, the film does its best to prevent the OP Supergirl from crushing all the villains who get in her way. It gets excessive
4. I wish director Craig Gillespie and writer Ana Nogueira had more faith in Milly Alcock and her character. Kara Zor-El gets lost amongst revenge-driven teenagers, angry immortals, hungry villains, flashbacks, and Superman cameos.
5. The action scenes blend together into a blob of punching, throwing, and smooshing.
6. The human trafficking plot doesn’t blend well with the cheeky tone. It’s an odd mix.
7. Grade – 5 out of 10 CGI smack-em-ups
8. Never eat alien poop snacks

Adapted from the 2021 comic miniseries Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow by Tom King and Bilquis, Supergirl is a decent superhero film that promises bigger things for star Milly Alcock.  Director Craig Gillespie (I, Tonya, Lars and the Real Girl, Dumb Money) has proven that he can successfully direct big-budget fare like Cruella and Finest Hours, but he seems more comfortable crafting character-driven indies such as I, Tonya and Lars and the Real Girl. In his smaller films (and in shows such as The United States of Tara), he loves exploring the lives of damaged people who find themselves in unique situations involving broken legs and odd love interests. So, on paper, Supergirl is a nice match with Gillespie, but the biggest problem with Supergirl is that Gillespie and writer Ana Nogueira used their filmmaking superpowers to sideline the adventures of Kara Zor-El (Alcock) by frequently taking her out of the action and cynically shoehorning in Jason Momoa’s Lobo (who doesn’t appear in the 2021 miniseries). It’s like they didn’t trust the Supergirl character to carry the 108-minute film, so they didn’t solely focus on the interesting alien with a unique backstory.

The film revolves around Kara Zor-El celebrating her 23rd birthday with an intergalactic pub crawl that takes her to planets lit by red suns, which allow her to get lit (AKA super drunk). Her trip is loaded with drunken nights, hungover mornings, and a mid-afternoon yellow sun refresher (it’s like a hangover IV bag for humans) that recharges her super batteries. Her ship is a mess, she ignores messages from her cousin Kal-El (David Corenswet – very funny), and she shares her cereal with her dog Krypto. All of this is understandable because her home planet is gone, her parents are dead, and she doesn’t spend enough time on Earth to make it feel like home. It’s a deserved birthday bender that ends when she comes across Ruthye Marye Knoll (Eve Ridley), a sword-wielding teenager who is trying (and failing) to avenge the death of her parents. Ruthye’s parents were killed by an irredeemable space pirate named Krem of the Yellow Hills (Matthias Schoenaerts), who is the leader of a gang of rogues named the Brigands.

The plot kicks in when Krem steals Kara’s ship and shoots Krypto with a poisoned dart that will kill her beloved pet in three days. This forces Kara and Ruthye to hitch a ride on an intergalactic bus that’s hijacked by techno-space pirates (lots of pirates in this film) who conveniently know Krem’s whereabouts. Once they arrive at Krem’s supposed location, Kara beats up dozens of cantina patrons, which leads to a CGI smack-em-up involving kidnapped female teenagers and a bounty hunter named Lobo (Jason Momoa) who is hunting down a Brigand mark. After the brawl, Krem escapes to a planet with a green sun, which leads to an uninteresting brawl filled with dust, slow-motion action, large explosions, and a cover of the Jimmy Eat World song “The Middle.”

The rest of the film plays like Guardians of the Galaxy met Mad: Max: Fury Road, and they started a band with Momoa’s serial killer character from Fast X. The result is a mess of comedic and dramatic tones that follows an orphaned superhero battling space pirates who prowl the galaxy looking for young female slaves to carry on their line (it’s odd). It’s obvious that Momoa’s character was shoehorned into the film for future DC installments, but his loud shenanigans undermine Kara’s adventures and do nothing for the plot. Jason Momoa rules, but it would’ve been nice if the Supergirl creators had more faith in the lead character.

The best parts of Supergirl involve Kara’s tragic backstory, which explains her booze-fueled intergalactic benders. She’s a 23-year-old with no people, home, or friends, and was forced to figure out who she is in a new world. Supergirl is an interesting character in a not-so-interesting film. Other highlights include a space bug that poops out candied pecans (or something similar), and a sassy intergalactic bus driver voiced by Seth Rogan. The makeup and creature design are fantastic as well, and I thoroughly enjoyed all the creatures that inhabit the world.

Final thoughts – If there’s a Supergirl 2, I hope they have more confidence in the Supergirl character.

Quick Thoughts:

1. The Death of Robin Hood is a contemplative and occasionally ultra-violent film whose goal is to be honest and truthful about the brutality of 13th-century life.
2. Hugh Jackman is 100% believable as an unstoppable killing machine whose demons (and people seeking revenge to settle blood debts) constantly haunt him.
3. It doesn’t reach the amazing emotional heights of Pig (2021), but it’s neat that director Michael Sarnoski has attempted to deconstruct the story of Robin Hood.
4. Excellent mud fight. It encapsulates the grimy, dirty, and sloppy fighting that is sprinkled throughout the film. 
5. Murray Bartlett, Jodie Comer, and Bill Skarsgård provide solid supporting work. 
6. It’s neat that Sarnoski met Jackman and Comer because they love Pig (2021), and wanted to work with him. 
7. In the press notes, Sarnoski mentions that he pitched the film as something that “starts out as The Revenant but winds up like Phantom Thread.” It’s a pretty accurate summation (on a smaller scale). 

The Death of Robin Hood is the type of film that happens when a director is flying high and has enough cash in the movie bank to develop a revisionist telling of a famous bandit who stole from the rich and gave to the poor. After extensive research, Michael Sarnoski wrote a script about an aging Robin Hood (Hugh Jackman), who gets pulled into one last battle by his long-time friend (and  Little John. The attack goes awry, Robin gets smashed, and he’s healed by Sister Brigid (Jodie Comer), a mysterious woman who lives on an island. The Death of Robin Hood is methodically paced, ultra-violent, and an interesting look into cycles of violence that follow violent men – and the stories their exploits create. 

The film takes place in 1247 A.D., and opens with a young woman making her way through miles of isolated terrain that is home to boulders, smaller boulders, and an incredible amount of mist. At first, it seems like she’s hopelessly lost, but salvation comes when she sees smoke rising from a rocky hillside. She walks towards the smoke and finds a bearded man (Hugh Jackman – wearing a gigantic fur coat) cooking rabbit over an open fire. Later that night, she attempts to kill him, but her revenge plot fails as the wily old man anticipated her scheme, and tells her she should’ve taken a bath (and not attacked upwind). After slitting her throat, he drags her body to a gravesite and places her in a pre-dug hole. While covering her body with rocks, an overhead shot shows that she is not alone, and is amongst dozens of graves filled with would-be assassins. In a prior life, “Robin” was a murderous bandit who rampaged through the forests of England with his group of indoctrinated “merry men.” During his killing sprees, he made many enemies, and now he’s killing their children as they come to fulfill blood oaths. It’s a vicious cycle of murder that doesn’t have any end in sight. 

There is no merryness in Robin’s life; instead he’s encamped himself in the mountains waiting for overmatched assailants who will fill up his rock graves (the smoke from his fires acts as a murder beacon). Robin is pulled from his exile when Little John (Bill Skarsgård) shows up after a 15-year absence and asks Robin to help him dispatch a family of men who’ve taken his home and land. This leads to a bloody battle involving mud fights, broken ribs, stab wounds, child murder, the death of John’s wife, and a bloody and broken Robin. To save his life, Little John and his daughter Margaret (Faith Delaney) take Robin to a mysterious island that’s inhabited by a renowned healer named Sister Brigid. 

After Sister Brigid heals his wounds, Robin hangs around the island that’s home to a collection of friendly children and women (this isn’t a Wicker Man situation). Since he’s no freeloader, Robin uses his skills to trap rabbits (sustainably), and help a leperous man (Murray Bartlett) tend the trees and foliage. Robin’s “happy” existence is threatened when Margaret returns to the island with news that Little John was killed by a group of men seeking revenge for their family members who died during the mud brawl (revenge and violence follow Robin). It would be a shame to spoil the rest, just know that it involves blood-letting, methodical pacing, and wonderful threats. 

The cinematography by Pat Scola (Pig, We Grown Now, Sing Sing, Lurker) is fantastic as it relies on multiple aspect ratios (2:39 – 1:66:1) that shift between the violent opening and the contemplative second half. If you ever wanted to see every pore on Jackman’s face, this is the film for you, as his bearded face is front and center throughout. The Northern Ireland and Ireland locations aid the film as the various landscapes look hellish or lushly gorgeous. The costume design from Lorna Ó Ríordáin (Peaky Blinders, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms) is top-notch as well, with the standout costume belonging to Bartlett’s leper character. In the press notes, Sarnoski told Ó Ríordáin that he wanted the leper’s costumes to have a soulfulness and elegance, and she succeeded in creating a gorgeous look for the good man. 

If you’re expecting a rousing and merry Robin Hood adventure, you might be disappointed, because Sarnoski was interested in slowly and methodically deconstructing the myth of Robin Hood. While pitching the film to Bill Skarsgård, he described Little John as being a “murder baby” and the plot following the storylines of The Revenant (with less grunting) and Phantom Thread (with less humor). The description makes a lot of sense as the early scenes feature copious grunts, and the second half belongs to a broken man finding peace. Overall, it’s not the most successful venture as you feel almost every minute of the 123-minute running time, but it’s neat that Sarnoski took a swing, and it’s been watching him focus on human elements. I’m excited to see what he does next.

Quick thoughts:

• 9.5 Ice Blocks out of 10.
• The Furious is creative, exhilarating, and ambitious.
• It’s the best action film since 2018’s The Night Comes for Us (which also stars Joe Taslim). 
• Watch it in theaters.
• Miao Xie is a legend. Watch the Eye for an Eye films. 
• Joe Taslim is a legend. Watch The Raid, Fast & Furious 6, and The Night Comes for Us. 
• Brian Le is a legend. Watch Gladiator Underground and The Paper Tigers.
• Yayan Ruhian is a legend. Watch The Raid, The Raid 2, Boy Kills World, Lone Samurai, Beyond Skyline, and John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum.
• Joey Iwanaga is a legend. Watch Baby Assassins 2. 
• Between Baby Assassins 1-3, Ghost Killer, Scarlet, and The Furious, Kensuke Sonomura might be my favorite action director. It’s been fun watching his career progress. 
• Director Kenji Tanikaki deserves an incredible amount of respect for crafting such a thrilling and energetic experience. Watch Twilight of the Warriors: Walled In. 
• My five favorite action films of the 2020s are Fist of the Condor, Baby Assassins 3, The Furious, One-Percent Warrior, and John Wick: Chapter 4. 

Featuring a multinational cast of actors who’ve appeared in dozens of action films I adore (The Raid, The Night Comes for Us, Baby Assassins 2, Paper Tigers, Eye for an Eye), The Furious is a technically accomplished and thrilling example of what happens when creatives from around the world team up to create one of the best action films of recent memory. A lot of credit goes to director Kenji Tanikaki and action director Kensuke Sonomura (and all the actors and stunt performers), for bringing together a collection of legends and blending their skills into a cohesive vision. It helps that the plot is straightforward (dad needs to rescue his daughter), because it allows Maio Xie and Joe Taslim (who did all their own stunts) to go to war with the best stunt performers and action stars on the planet. 

The movie focuses on a seemingly invincible mute repairman named Wang (Miao Xie) who goes on an odyssey of violence while searching for his kidnapped daughter Rainy (Yang Enyou). The young girl was taken by two maniacs named Ho (Brian Le) and Donkey Head (Winai Wiangyangkung), who work for Mr. Song (Sahajak Boonthanakit), a trafficker who works for Paklung (Joey Iwanaga), a rich kid who works for a mysterious group of richer people. During his rampage, he meets Navin (Joe Taslim), who is also on an odyssey of violence as he tries to find his kidnapped journalist wife Matia (Jeeja Yanin – Watch Chocolate and Triple Threat). Together, they obliterate goons in clubs, warehouses, seedy buildings, and alleyways. What’s nice is that Wang and Navin have completely different fighting styles, as Wang is proficient at Kung Fu, while Navin prefers close-contact combat judo that’s raw and brutal. 

During the final fight, the combatants have their own fighting styles (kung fu, wushu, taekwondo, full-contact karate, pencak silat, tricking), and they create a glorious variation of strikes. Kensuke Sonomura’s action direction relies on momentum and clearly defined spaces (shout-out to production designer Pongnarin Jonghawklang) to craft rollicking brawls that flow violently throughout dingy corridors and warehouses. During the screening, the audience lost their minds as hammers, chains, machetes, fists, knees, heads, metal plates, sledgehammers, bicycles, and trash bags were used to hurt combatants during the multitude of set pieces. A neat thing about the action scenes is that they all tell a story and feel necessary to the plot. Whether it’s a frantic chase scene, a club fight, or a warehouse brawl, each fight furthers the story and leads to a brawl in a police station that feels earned, as all the pieces have been maneuvered into place. 

Kenji Tanigaki and Kensuke Sonomura come from the same action school in Japan, and their relationship works wonders as they have an understanding of what they both want to see on screen (they want to see awesome stuff). Tanigaki has called the production a “miracle” because the crew members left their egos at the door to unselfishly create something great. It’s also neat to know that Tanigaki collaborated with Taslim, Ruhian, Xie, Le, and Iwanga, and sought out their opinions to make their characters more defined and unique.

Final Thoughts – The Furious is wonderful, go watch it in theaters.