May I take your order?

Nov 18, 2020

"Kind of like Napster?
Exactly like Napster."

PINNED: this newsletter is supposed to be a friendly recapping of the movies in, and coming to, theaters. But things be real weird right now. So until that changes in earnest, I'll either be suggesting old favorites to revisit, pointing out recent flicks you may have missed or calling out notable new VOD / streaming options.

Do you remember that thing where you could rent out an entire theater? Well, it apparently did ok for AMC (or they're even more desperate than we thought?) because they expanded it nationwide.

Reminder: you and you friends can watch a movie together, on a huge screen, without strangers, starting at $99.

PS I knoooooow it's Diane Lane, not Layne, I screwed it up for some reason. And I missed the error, even though I consequently professed my love for her. Stupid. Stupid. Stupid. Break. Please give.

JINGLE JANGLE:
A CHRISTMAS JOURNEY

Rotten Tomatoes: 94% recommend it
Mood: cheery and hopeful AF
Details: 2 hrs, PG
Trailer

I told you the holiday movies were coming!

Jingle Jangle looks like the cinematic equivalent of simultaneously snorting cocaine and a mashed up candy cane. The color pattern is full of red and white, it's sweet, some sniffling may occur, you'll feel real good while partaking, and there's gonna be a shitload of dancing.

*Notable differences include: watching won't potentially get you arrested / you won't have to wake up the next morning apologizing for your behavior to those around you (qualifier: depends on who you force to watch with you).*

While jokes referencing illicit substances in an overview of a movie whose primary audience is those most innocent amongst us may feel a bit... misplaced, the notion of excess is fitting. Almost every reviewer says this movie is packed - with songs, with costumes, with ideas, with story, with great acting and maybe most notably, with a mostly black cast. Because while Jingle Jangle is clearly angling to become a holiday classic, it's also clearly focused on becoming a modern one.

Forrest Whitaker plays a genius inventor betrayed by his apprentice (Keegan Michael-Key) - who was actually influenced by an evil autonomous toy created by Whitaker (like I said, a lot). Whitaker languishes for years, becoming more and more curmudgeonly until his granddaughter, also a burgeoning inventor, forces him back into the world of the hopeful. Along the way you'll see movement from the same choreographer as The Greatest Showman, you'll hear songs written by John Legend and sung by Usher / Ricky Martin, and maybe most importantly, you might get two hours of silence from the aforementioned innocent ones.

THE PERSONAL HISTORY
OF DAVID COPPERFIELD

Rotten Tomatoes: 92% recommend it
Mood: witty w/ a side of earnestness
Details: 2 hrs, PG
Trailer

This film has a clear connection to the above Jingle Jangle; but while you might think it's Charles Dickens - who wrote the classic book on which this movie is based and also wrote A Christmas Carol, clearly an influence for Jangle - it's not. It's actually that like Jangle, Copperfield has a cast, lead by Dev Patel as Copperfield, whose race is "non-traditional" for the context of the film (read: not exclusively white), and yet not the focus. It just happens to be.

This almost nonchalant modernism looks to be seen throughout the movie, which makes sense when you consider its writer / director, Armando Iannucci, who is also the creator of Veep. But while Veep was maybe a bit more pessimistic and barby, Copperfield looks to be a bit more upbeat and earnest, but still full of the sharp witticisms and commentary Iannucci is known for.

For those unaware of the story laid out in the 170(!) year old book, it's a semi-autobiographical tale that follows the author from birth to middle age, as he bounces from setting to setting, seeing him mature and highlighting the characters he meets along the way. And expect not just characters here, but characters, played in the film by the likes of Tilda Swinton (notable trait: hates donkeys), Hugh Laurie (notable trait: has the thoughts of a dead king swimming inside his head) and others.

So basically, expect an unfamiliar take on familiar story.

BLOW THE MAN DOWN

Rotten Tomatoes: 98% recommend it
Mood: noir comedic feminism
Details: 1 hr 30 mins, R
Trailer

When one thinks of north-eastern coastal fishing towns, some of the words that may come to mind: quaint, relaxing, or beautiful. But maybe that's just to those of us who've never lived in one? Because Blow the Man Down presents a much different (darker) reality, and almost all of it through the lens of the women inhabiting the town.

The main perspective is from a pair of sisters whose mother has died after a long illness. One of the sisters wants to keep the family business running (or at least existing), while the other can't leave fast enough. Problem is, before she does, she kills a guy - who was gonna kill her. Sooo, ya know, fairsies. The sisters don't trust the cops so they decide to get rid of the body themselves (it's a fishing town, expect some cutting!). But while they cover up their crime, they also happen to uncover some other *ahem* activities - ok, it's a brothel - that their mother's friends (June Squibb, Annette O'Toole, Marceline Hugot) may know a little bit about. Why and how they're involved? Well...

Reviewers lauded it for being a clever noir, but not too self-ware or absurdist. They also liked the fact the film is centered on female relationships without being patronizing.

Highlights

One Night in Miami - first movie directed by Regina King who is coming off an Academy Award for acting. Details a night where Malcom X, Muhammad Ali, Sam Cooke and Jim Brown discuss their roles in the civil rights movement. Very good reviews so far. Note: Amazon Prime

Tom and Jerry - a hybrid live action / animated update to the classic frenemies - stars Chloë Grace Moritz and Michael Peña.

Pieces of a Woman - a woman (Vanessa Kirby) loses her child during birth and the movie shows the aftermath for her, as well as her husband (Shia LaBeouf). Note: Netflix

Let Them All Talk - Steven Soderbergh directing Meryl Streep in a sorta comedy drama - Streep is a writer trying to rectify problems from her past. Also stars Candice Bergen, Dianne Wiest, Gemma Chan and Lucas Hedges. Note: HBO Max

What's In Theaters +

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