Cry Macho (2021) – Review: A Low-Key Exploration of Finding Purpose Again
Quick Thoughts – Grade – B – Based on the 1975 novel written by N. Richard Nash, Cry Macho, is an offbeat exploration of getting old, learning new tricks, and finding a new purpose. While many won’t appreciate its low key vibe, others will be thrilled with Eastwood’s laid back exploration of pointless machismo.
Set in 1979, Cry Macho tells the story of a washed-up rodeo tough guy named Mike Milo (Clint Eastwood) who travels to Mexico City to pick up Rafael (Eduardo Minnett) the 13-year old son of his former boss (Dwight Yokam), who is living on the streets because he’s afraid of his mom Leta (Fernanda Urrejola), who is some sort of criminal who has several armed henchmen. What’s refreshing, is that aside from a few punches, and a couple low-key car chases, Cry Macho mostly focuses on the relationship between Milo and Rafael (AKA Rafo), who are in much different stages of their lives. The widowed Mike is old enough to realize his wild ways were a waste of time, while Rafael is trying to find his way in life, and establish his own tough roots. Together, the two journey back to Texas, and are joined by Rafo’s rooster Macho (played by 11 roosters – all amazing), who is an all-star cockfighter (named Macho lol) back in Mexico City. The journey isn’t totally easy as Leta’s henchmen are always nearby, and they have to steal a car (which breaks down) after Mike’s car is stolen.
Eastwood was originally offered the role in 1988, but he turned it down because he was too young. 33 years later, at the age of 91, Eastwood has aged perfectly into the role as his tough guy filmography, slim frame, gravely voice, and hunched stance make him the perfect candidate to play a guy who regrets years of tough guy nonsense. The decades-long wait was worth it, and we’re lucky that actors such as Arnold Schwarzenegger considered the role, and passed on it, because he probably would’ve added too much machoness to a role that doesn’t need machismo. It’s neat seeing Eastwood monologue about wasted years, and saying things like “If a guy wants to name his cock Macho, that’s okay by me.” A role like this requires someone who is old enough to care less about how he looks, and more about how his tough guy years were pointless.
The cinematography by Ben Davis (Doctor Strange, Kick-Ass) is solid, as it captures the open vistas of Mexico, while adhering to Eastwood’s fast moving style (he finished the film one day ahead of schedule, during a pandemic). Also, the screenplay by Eastwood regular Nick Shenk (Gran Torino, The Mule) avoids stock tropes (car chases, thrilling brawls, major life lessons) and comes to life during conversations, slow dances, and the moments when 91-year old Eastwood rides a horse. What’s interesting is that none of the conversations are overwritten or self-important, and instead rely on little nuggets of wisdom, or small asides that eschew anything remotely close to life changing rhetoric. There aren’t any Gran Torino-esque quotes (Get off my Lawn), or Dirty Harry threats, it’s just a broken old man driving a young kid to Texas, and it’s refreshing. If you are looking for the quotability of Gran Torino, prestige of Letters From Iwo Jima, or the quick and brutal violence of Unforgiven, you’ll be disappointed. Just expect a laid back tale of a man finding meaning again.
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The Movies, Films and Flix Podcast – Episode 389: The Movie Soundtrack Draft, Deserted Islands, and Coffee
You can download or stream the pod on Apple Podcasts, Tune In, Podbean, or Spreaker (or wherever you listen to podcasts…..we’re almost everywhere).
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Mark and Nicholas Rehak (of the Rehak Radio podcast) draft their favorite movie soundtracks that they would take to a surprisingly nice deserted island. In this episode, they discuss coffee, Purple Rain, long hikes, Dazed and Confused, and Tron: Legacy. Enjoy!
If you are a fan of the podcast, make sure to send in some random listener questions (we love random questions). We thank you for listening, and hope you enjoy the episode!
You can download the pod on Apple Podcasts, Tune In, Podbean, or Spreaker.
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Prisoners of the Ghostland (2021) – Review: Sion Sono and Nicolas Cage Give the World a Unique New Hero
Quick Thoughts – Grade – B+ – Prisoners of the Ghostland is not for everyone, but if you are a fan of Sion Sono and Nicolas Cage, you will love this movie. Be prepared for exploding testicles, gonzo filmmaking, and inspired cinematography by Sôhei Tanikawa.
When it was announced that Nicolas Cage (who between Willy’s Wonderland and Pig is having an excellent 2021) would be starring in a movie directed by Sion Sono (Why Don’t You Play in Hell?, Love Exposure, Suicide Club, Tokyo Vampire Hotel), cinephiles started drooling because it meant the world would soon see a glorious product created by two unique artists. The good news is that Prisoners of the Ghostland is wonderfully fun, and despite some last minute changes after Sono had a heart attack during pre-production, it still lives up to the hype.
While the 4.3 IMDb Score might scare you away from Prisoners of the Ghostland, just know that if you can embrace the tone and style, you will be rewarded with an engrossing tale about a guy named Hero (Nicolas Cage), who is recruited to rescue Bernice (Sofia Boutella), the adopted “granddaughter” (AKA sex slave) of a warlord named The Governor (Bill Moseley – chewing every piece of scenery), who runs a post-apocalyptic town named Samurai Town. The movie kicks off with a botched robbery that involves Hero, and his partner-in-crime Psycho (Nick Cassavettes – AKA the guy who directed The Notebook) slaughtering unlucky bank patrons, and blowing up hundreds of gumballs, during a terribly planned robbery. After the slaughter, Hero is arrested, stuffed in a self-detonating suit, and forced to rescue Bernice, who escaped into the Ghostland, a wasteland loaded with crazed outcasts, who are obsessed with time. Hero is given five days to save Bernice (it’s a fun homage to Escape From New York), or his suit will blow up his testicles, arms, and eventually head, if he fails, or threatens Bernice in any manner. It would be a shame to spoil the rest, just know that it involves toxic waste, abandoned towns, collapsed humanity, and lackadaisical plotting.
What’s beautiful about the movie is that it’s about a guy named Hero, who goes on a journey. It’s a cheeky idea, and gives Cage a chance to really stretch out the word “testicle.” The production design by Toshihiro Isomi is beautiful, and his Samurai Town creation is a marvel of Japanese architecture, neon lights, and cowboy hats. Also, the Ghostland feels believably ghostly with a combination of smoke effects, broken down cars, and a gigantic clock. The cinematography by Sôhei Tanikawa (a frequent Sono collaborator) is excellent, and he’s at his best inside The Governor’s gaudy residence, which is loaded with warm lights, bright colors and more cowboy hats. Overall, the entire package looks great, and despite a low budget, manages to punch above its weight (which isn’t a surprise).
If you are looking for a fun cultural mashup that fuses together multiple genres, it doesn’t get much better than Prisoners of the Ghostland. Also, don’t let the Nicolas Cage quote about it being “The wildest film I’ve ever made” set unreal expectations. Yes, it’s wild, but if you don’t know about Sono as a filmmaker (This is in no way his most wild film…), you might expect an Americanized-bonkers fest. It’s not that, it’s a surreal, somewhat violent tale of redemption, that features a fun combination of Cage and Sono sensibilities.
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Deep Blue Sea – The Podcast – Episode 64: Mindhunters, Renny Harlin, and Underwater Gunfights
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Jay and Mark are joined by Lindsay Street (@lindsay_street on Twitter) to discuss the 2004 film Mindhunters. Directed by Renny Harlin, and starring Val Kilmer, Christian Slater, LL Cool J, and Kathryn Morris, the movie features underwater gunfights, very strong acid, and people dying really hard. In this episode, they talk about mid-budget thrillers, elaborate fake puppeteer kills, and robot cowboys. Enjoy!
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Val (2021) – Review – Val is a Refreshingly Raw Documentary That Makes You Want to Go Back and Watch Every Single Val Kilmer Movie Again
Quick Thoughts – Grade – B+ – Val is a refreshingly raw documentary that makes you want to go back and watch every single Val Kilmer movie again
The only complaint about Val is that it makes it seem like Top Secret! isn’t a comedy classic loaded with inspired gags, skeet surfing, underwater fights, and cows. Aside from that, the documentary is an intimate look into Val Kilmer’s 37-year acting career. The documentary features footage from Kilmer, who has been documenting his life ever since he could get his hands on a camera. It’s neat seeing a young Val and his brothers making home movies, as their love of cinema and creativity is clearly evident and was fostered by their parents. The documentary covers his acting career, time at Julliard, love life, parenthood, and battle with throat cancer, which has left his vocal cords permanently damaged.
We get to see footage from Top Gun, Willow, The Saint, Batman Forever, and most importantly, The Island of Dr. Moreau, which went through a historically troubled production. Kilmer shares footage from the set, which showcases Marlon Brando on a hammock (amazing), and John Frankenheimer struggling to control a hectic production that was circling the drain. It’s interesting knowing that Kilmer was uncomfortable playing Batman in Batman Forever, as the cape and cowl prevented him from hearing anything, and he felt like he was on an uncreative island, and only his chin was needed for the role. It would’ve been nice to see more behind the scenes footage, but it’s also enlightening seeing how Kilmer is dealing with life nowadays, as he can’t act because of his damaged vocal cords, so he travels to Tombstone screenings and signs autographs at conventions to make extra money (I worked for Wizard World from 2010-2016, and Kilmer was at one of the conventions, he was totally cool).
The major complaint around the internet is that Val doesn’t explore why Kilmer was considered to be a “difficult” actor. This complaint is lazy, as the doc clearly shows why he was considered to be tough on set. Kilmer struggles with roles and directors that don’t allow him to flex his creativity, or are disorganized and unorderly. Kilmer could’ve chosen to not make them more difficult, but his neediness, and desire to give 100% to each role, prevented him from being an ideal team player. For instance, in Tombstone, he chose to lay on a pile of ice for his death scene, so he would look suitably blue and cold. His performance in Tombstone is legendary because he was listened to and respected. On The Island of Dr. Moreau, and Red Planet, he’s seen struggling with a lack of direction, and it’s obvious that the directors weren’t interested in his creative input. Once again, he could’ve been a team player, but, obviously the producers knew about his method, and decided to hire him and ignore his contributions (which lead to trouble). On the DVD commentaries for Mindhunters and MacGruber, Renny Harlin, and Jorma Taccone praise Kilmer for his work and contributions, and both mention that he was a treat to have on set. It’s clear that Kilmer wants to be heard, and when directors realize this, they are better off.
The documentary is narrated by Val’s son Jack, and the two seem to have a close bond. We also get to meet his daughter Mercedes, who lives next door to him. Both of his children seem to respect his oddities, and it’s neat seeing them interact and deal with their peculiar father who has gone through a lot since 2016. In the end, Val is a welcome look into the actor’s life, and the 93% Tomatometer score, and 7.7 IMDb User Score is proof that people are appreciating it.
Final Thoughts – If you are a fan of Val Kilmer, watch this documentary.
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The Movies, Films and Flix Podcast – Episode 388: Cold Pursuit, Dark Comedy, and Snow Plows
You can download or stream the pod on Apple Podcasts, Tune In, Podbean, or Spreaker (or wherever you listen to podcasts…..we’re almost everywhere).
If you get a chance please make sure to review, rate and share. You are awesome!
Mark, Megan and Adam Hodgins (of the GoFigure YouTube show) discuss the 2019 action comedy Cold Pursuit. Directed by Hans Petter Moland (who directed the original 2014 film), and starring Liam Neeson, Emmy Rossum, and Tom Bateman, the movie focuses on what happens when drug dealers mess with the wrong snow plow driver. In this episode, they discuss dark comedy, snow plows, and likable villains. Enjoy!
If you are a fan of the podcast, make sure to send in some random listener questions (we love random questions). We thank you for listening, and hope you enjoy the episode!
You can download the pod on Apple Podcasts, Tune In, Podbean, or Spreaker.
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Star Wars: Visions (2021) – Series Review: A Welcome Expansion of the Star Wars World That Features Some Cool New Heroes and Villains
Quick Thoughts – Grade – A – The first season of Star Wars: Visions is a thrilling look into an expanding galaxy. The animated short films all offer something unique, and their short running times guarantee that they never overstay their welcome.
Created by seven of Japan’s popular anime studios (Kamikaze Douga, Geno Studio (Twin Engine), Studio Colorido (Twin Engine), TRIGGER, Kinema Citrus, Science Saru, and Production I.G.), Star Wars: Visions, features nine standalone short films that feature beautiful animation, wild battles, musical performances, and welcome diversity to the galaxy. Starting with an epic duel in The Duel, and ending with tragedy in The Ninth Jedi, there’s a wild amount of variance amongst the stories. The one connecting thread is that they all feature familiar aspects of the Star Wars world, such as tie fighters, star destroyers, and familiar alien faces that ground the short film in the Star Wars lore.
What’s great about the nine short films is how they introduce the world to a new crop of heroes and villains who all offer something unique and fun. Episodes such as The Elder, and The Twins introduce audiences to legitimately cool villains who are either wildly evil, or supremely angry (Alison Brie does some excellent voice work). TO-B1, and The Village Bride introduce cool heroes, who are often outnumbered, but always down for a fight. Since the episodes are so short, you’re left wanting to see more of their exploits as many of the episodes kick off larger adventures that we’ll never get to see.
During a recent panel (Thank you Starwars.com), executive producer Jame Waugh said “We really wanted to give these creators a wide creative berth to explore all the imaginative potential of the Star Wars galaxy through the unique lens of anime. We realized we wanted these to be as authentic as possible to the studios and creators who are making them, made through their unique process, in a medium they’re such experts at. So the idea was, this is their vision riffing off all the elements of the Star Wars galaxy that inspired them — hopefully to make a really incredible anthology series, unlike anything we’ve seen before in the Star Wars galaxy.”
In the end, it looks like Waugh succeeded at bringing together a bunch of Star Wars fans who created some excellent love letters to the franchise. Try your best to avoid spoilers, and watch these fun short films with fresh eyes. If you love the Star Wars franchise, you will appreciate these creative and unique visions.
Final Thoughts – It would be great to see more.
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John’s Horror Corner: Malignant (2021), Bughuul meets John Wick in James Wan’s truly wild Upgrade-esque (2018) horror-action movie. [some SPOILERS]
MY CALL: This movie begins somewhat confusingly, but rounds its way to a satisfyingly wacky horror-action flick that is way more crazy than expected. MORE MOVIES LIKE Malignant: It’s truly difficult to advise… but I’ve got it! If you like Malignant, you need to see Upgrade (2018)!!!!!
IMDB summary—“Madison (Annabelle Wallis; Annabelle, The Mummy) is paralyzed by shocking visions of grisly murders, and her torment worsens as she discovers that these waking dreams are in fact terrifying realities.”
The first half of this movie struck me that writer/director James Wan (Saw, Insidious 1-2, Dead Silence, The Conjuring 1-2) couldn’t decide between an Insidious demon and a slasher as his villain. Instead we seem to have a mash-up of both and I was struggling to get into it. But what it seemed to lack in cohesiveness it more than made up for in style, especially the visually mind-melding transitions from our protagonist’s perspective. Much as the case with the villain, we are left wondering what these trippy transitions mean. Perhaps some sort of psychic connection with the killer or a supernatural premonition.
Reminding me of The Ring’s (2002) rickety, unnerving movement patterns of Samara and the innumerable copycat spirits we’ve seen in movies since, some of the killer’s funky movements almost feel like time-reverse action from Tenet (2020). The awkward movements include high speed crab-walking and almost impossibly odd geometric angles of arm movements during bloody assaults.
Despite being well made, for the longest time I found this movie rather questionable as I feared this wonky, stanky-legged fiend would never provide any explanation for its sprayed-roach skitterbang stylings. Not only that, but I found the “horror” of the film a bit low despite some quick, very violent death scenes. I just didn’t really understand what the heck was going on with whatever the heck this killer was.
However, in the final act we learn what the killer is and it’s actually pretty cool! That doesn’t completely make up for the previous 80 minutes of this film, but it definitely afforded a lot of understanding. Ever still, the reveal was provocatively looney and explained a lot to a weird, satisfying degree. I know that most horror finds its best footing in the last 30 minutes, where filmmakers often blow their budgetary load on monster effects, action and provocative gore. But this shifted into a high-octane gear that I didn’t even know was possible. Like, imagine if you took Sinister’s (2012) Bughuul and dropped him into a John Wick (2014-2022) action sequence. Or, more appropriately, it’s a lot like Upgrade (2018)… but with a more inherently evil entity.
The bone-breaking, head-stomping brutality in the final act was quite appreciated as our brachiating action movie killer skitters like a backwards jangly man (Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark) executing Matrix choreography between devastating stabbery shenanigans.
Once we are all in on what’s going on, the stunt work and violent bloody action is so much more pleasing… because we understand what’s happening before our eyes. The majority of the finale scenes play out like an incredibly bloody and brutal action movie. Broken bone shards erupt through flesh on multiple occasions and I just kept gasping in happy disbelief at what was transpiring before my incredulous eyes.
Pretty cool, James Wan. Pretty damn cool! Want a second opinion? Here’s another review that says this movie is awesome: CLICK HERE.
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Kate (2021) – Review: A Decent Action Film That Lacks a Personality
Quick Thoughts – Grade C – Kate is an entertaining action film that lacks a personality. It’s cool seeing Mary Elizabeth Winstead wipe people out (there’s a lot of gore), but everything feels too familiar, and the tone pinballs all over as the movie bounces between serious and wildly stylish.
Directed by Cedric Nicolas-Troyan (The Huntsman: Winter War), Kate tells the story an assassin named Kate (Mary Elizabeth Winstead), who is recruited by a handler named Varrick (Woody Harrelson), and trained to murder high-level targets with a massive sniper rifle. During a routine mission, she murders a yakuza syndicate member in front of a child, and this pushes her to retire after one more job. During her final job, she’s poisoned, and only has 24 hours to kill all the people who were dumb enough to poison her. Her night/day of mayhem brings her across Yakuza killers, crime bosses who enjoy fish pedicures, and a kid named Ani (Miku Martineau) who she uses to lure out Yakuza boss Kijima (Jun Kunimura). Through the course of her bloody rampage, she bonds with Ani, and she goes from using her as bait, to being her protector as they travel further through the violent Japanese underground loaded with neon lights and J-Pop,
What keeps Kate from being special is that it feels like Crank, 24 Hours to Live, Gunpowder Milkshake, The Professional and John Wick got together, and blended themselves into a movie that features an assassin/thief finding trouble during their last job. There’s nothing wrong with paying homage to other films, and films have been borrowing from each other since movies existed, however, the most successful copiers have been confident in their tone, and played like a singular film. There are highly stylized moments (slow motion walking while wearing cheeky white sunglasses) that stick out like a sore thumb, and don’t feel organic to the movie because the movie’s tone isn’t stylish. It’s not like Gunpowder Milkshake, Netflix’s much better 2021 action film, which takes place in a highly-stylized world full of pink cardigans, bowling jackets and brutal murder. Gunpowder Milkshake gets away with its creative violence because it takes place in an alternate reality where the stylish violence makes sense.
As a Netflix action film, Kate is fine, but if you are looking for a singular vision that feels unique and new, stay away from Kate. There is no joy in the violence, and the film wastes an interesting performance from Winstead, who plays Kate like an old version of the T-800 (she’s called the Terminator in the movie), that is falling apart as her ultraviolent sprees cause her to lose teeth, get stabbed, and puke a lot. Let’s hope that another director sees this movie, and puts Winstead in an action film that is less clunky and serious.
Final thoughts – Kate is worth watching for the central performance, and the insane amount of gore, but it will most likely remind you of much better movies.
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Deep Blue Sea – The Podcast – Episode 63: Cutthroat Island, Renny Harlin, and Lots of Explosions
You can listen to Deep Blue Sea – The Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spreaker, Spotify, Tunein, Podcast Addict, Amazon, Google Podcasts, and everywhere else you listen to podcasts. Also, make sure to like our Facebook page!
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Jay and Mark are joined by Jeanette Ward (@jeanette_y_ward) to discuss the 1995 action film Cutthroat Island. Directed Renny Harlin, and starring Geena Davis, Matthew Modine, and Frank Langella, the movie focuses on a group of pirates who blow stuff up, and hunt for treasure. In this episode, they discuss torture eels, sword dancing, and badass sleeveless leather pirates. Enjoy!
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Movies, Films & Flix 