Is it like full of 🍌banana peels 🍌or something? Oh you said STRIP club...
GUESS THE QUOTE
"What is that?!
The Power Glove."
FYI that Brittany Runs a Marathon expands nationwide this week.
A super early tease that Rian Johnson's (Brick, Looper, Star Wars: The Last Jedi) cheeky murder mystery Knives Out is getting really good early reviews (100% with 42 reviews). It stars all of Hollywood basically, so good chance your "fav" is in it.
Also, the Lord of the Flies"ish" looking MONOS is out this weekend. Not going to do a full feature, but it does look interesting enough to give a peak once it comes to VOD if you're keen (or if you're in LA / NY and inclined, it looks a movie fit for the big screen).
Cutoff? Go here, click "most recent edition."
HUSTLERS
AKA
"Jennifer Lopez makes you feel bad for eating
a whole bag of popcorn by yourself"
R / 1 hr 47 mins
Drama / STX
WHAT'S THE DEAL
In One Line: Jennifer Lopez leads a group of women to fleece some rich a-holes, legality of it all be damned.
It's not unlikely that this movie will be referred to in some circles as "the J-Lo stripper movie with that girl from Crazy Rich Asians." Which, sure, fine, it is that, but that's just the glossy cover story. The real story - beyond a 50 year old Jennifer Lopez punching time, cultural expectations, and likely her own boundaries directly in the goddamn face - is one very of the moment. One which, as we know from the New York Mag article the movie is based on, is apparently true (apparently because the article's source is also one of the main criminal defendants and a self described fibber).
"Of the moment" because it's a movie led by a diverse group of women (Constance Wu, Jennifer Lopez, Lizzo, Cardi B, Julia Stiles + more), directed by a woman (Lorene Scafaria), acting out a populist's dream - taking back power (read: money) from a bunch of rich Wall Street a-hole dudes.
The fact they do it while drugging, stealing, misleading - and that the whole situation could bring up an interesting discussion around the moral dynamics of sex work, theft, money, gender? Well that's the real real story. But that's not the fun story. You don't come to the strip club... er, Hustlers, for the real real story. You come for the story just below the surface. You come for Jennifer Lopez's badass acting which is getting her name tossed into the Oscar discussion, you come for women finally gettin' one up on skuzzy dudes, you come for the Gucci Gucci, Louis Louis, Fendi Fendi, Prada. Because sure, the real real needs to be addressed at soooome point, but for now you just want to have a good time. And if you get too deep, you might just bum yourself out. So go ahead, enjoy yourself. Just remember to check your pockets before you leave.
Related Diversion: curious how J-Lo learned how to dance? Don't worry, she filmed it for you (because of course she did).
REVIEWS
Really well liked for making an on the surface salacious story with some depth. Lopez is getting noted as the clear standout.
"It's also funny, empowering, sexy, emotional, and a bit scary, with most of those superlatives coming care of a full-force performance from Jennifer Lopez genuinely deserving of awards consideration." Kate Erbland, indieWire
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 91%
(47 reviews @ publish)
WHO'S IT (NOT) FOR?
For: you want to be inspired to become immortal like J-Lo / thought Magic Mike could've used an equally compelling female counterpart
(Not): you thought modesty went away with above the ankle skirts
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THE GOLDFINCH
AKA
"Birdman and the WASPs"
R / 2 hrs 29 mins
Drama / Warner Bros.
WHAT'S THE DEAL
In One Line: Movie adaptation of the popular - and Pulitzer Prize winning - novel that tells (but not all that successfully - see reviews) the story of a boy whose mother dies in a terrorist attack at The Met and the webbed life that event creates for him.
We humans like books. We humans, also like movies. Sometimes books and movies try to tell the same stories. But they're never "the same." Because books and movies are just... different. How can you translate 800 pages of text to a couple hours of visual images? You can't. Well, you could, but it'd be a really boring (and really hard to read!) movie. Sure, maybe you can tell the same emotional story, but even then, the feeling will never be exactly the same, not when you can hear a person's thoughts while reading a book. Not when every character's voice is exactly as you want it to be because you made up their voice. And that's ok. Different can be good in it's own way, different can bring a new point of view.
But different can also just be bad.
And apparently that's the case here. While the movie adaptation of the Pulitzer Prize winning novel is supposed to be very pretty (it was shot by badass cinematographer Roger Deakins) the story of Theo (Ansel Elgort - Baby Driver) might've been better left on felled trees. It makes sense, even with the director of the well liked Brooklyn helming, it seems hard to translate a story such as Theo's - one where after his mother is killed in a terrorist attack, he is pulled from his WASPy upper east side adoptive mother Nicole Kidman to shifty biological father in Nevada, and back again. Meeting characters that follow, and influence him, through life - for good and bad. All while he's carting around the painting that reminds him of his mother, and his guilt in helping create the circumstances for her death. That somehow the story involves a shootout with Dutch gangsters? Well that's just, different.
REVIEWS
"While John Crowley's film is faithful to its source, Tartt's story is not terribly cinematic, and the end result, while fitfully entertaining, isn't likely to satisfy anyone on its own merits.." Damon Wise, Times (UK)
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 29%
(24 reviews @ publish)
WHO'S IT (NOT) FOR?
For: you read the book and need to see it on screen
(Not): you read "a movie based on a book about a painting" and got to thinkin... about anything else
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ALREADY IN THEATERS + BOX OFFICE
(3-Day Weekend / Domestic Total - $ = millions)
1) IT: Chapter Two ($91.1) NEW
The Losers Club v Pennywise: Round 2
64% RT - Trailer - Showtimes
2) Angel Has Fallen ($6 / $53)
Gerard Butler threequel action movie
39% RT - Trailer - Showtimes
3) Good Boys ($5.5 / $67)
Superbad Jr.
79% RT - Trailer - Showtimes
4) The Lion King ($4.3 / $529)
Live action(?) remake
52% RT - Trailer - Showtimes
5) Hobbs & Shaw ($3.8 / $164)
The Rock and Jason Statham F & F spinoff
67% RT - Trailer - Showtimes
6) Overcomer ($3.7 / $25)
Christian sports movie
45% RT - Trailer - Showtimes
7) Dora and The Lost City... ($2.3 / $54)
Bilingual kiddie adventurer comes to life
83% RT - Trailer - Showtimes
8) Ready or Not ($2.3 / $26)
Bride in deadly game of hide and seek
87% RT - Trailer - Showtimes
9) Scary Stories To Tell... ($2.3 / $62)
Creepy books turn into creepy movie
79% RT - Trailer - Showtimes
10) Once Upon A Time... ($2.2 / $134)
Tarantino's take on Hollywood 1969
85% RT - Trailer - Showtimes
AD ASTRA
Brad Pitt plays an astronaut dealing with the after effects of a mission his father (Tommy Lee Jones), who was/is also an astronaut, took 30 years ago. Reviews are quite good and say Pitt could potentially get double nominated for Oscars (it's unlikely, but wouldn't be the first time).
DOWNTON ABBEY
The royal family pays a visit to Downton. Sooo the spot needs to get dusted? Well, that and some other highfalutin drama and shit. But apparently it all works (so say reviews).
RAMBO: LAST BLOOD
It's Rambo, the fifth Rambo. Motherfuckers gon' die, be sure about that.
WAVES
November 1, 2019
Writer/director of It Comes at Night and Krisha, both well reviewed, but relatively little seen movies, takes on family dynamics (including a well intentioned, but domineering father) and burgeoning relationships. Reviews are kind of intensely good ("intensely" because critics mention the emotions the movie induces). Stars Sterling K. Brown (This is Us) and Kelvin Harrison Jr. from the recent Luce.
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DOCOR SLEEP
November 8, 2019
Final trailer. A sequel (based on Stephen King's 2013 book) to The Shining. Ewan McGregor plays an all growed up Danny who meets a girl who has similar "powers," and together they deal with people who want to use them somehow to become immortal.
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BLACK CHRISTMAS
December 13, 2019
College set slasher movie. Girls are picked off by a killer, until they fight back (trailer seems to give a lot away FYI). Worth noting it's produced by Blumhouse, which is known for releasing successful (and often good) horror movies, as well as being directed by a woman (not all that common for mainstream slasher horror). Remake of the 1974 movie, credited with being one of the OG slashers.
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