TBD

Nov 17, 2021

PINNED: this newsletter started as a way to highlight movies coming to theaters (see: the name). Then, "the bullshit" happened. And I started featuring movies in theaters, VOD or streaming (see: the +). Point is, if there's a movie worth checking out, you'll probably find it here.

You're (likely) an adult. So I don't mean to patronize you, but movies - and tv shows - aren't reality.

Thanks genius.

I know, what a revelation, but I bring it up as we have another biopic this week. And it's something that bears repeating every so often, and especially as we watch content "based on a true story."

We're all subject to getting sucked into a compelling story such that we start to believe. Believe that if even if a bit of this is true, it's "insane / horrible / amazing / etc. / etc." Or that this person is terrible or they're a god damn saint (hell, Saints aren't even really "saints").

Cuz movies are two hours. In two hours, I sometimes haven't even figured out which movie I want to watch, so how can I expect to understand another complex human being with any sort of intimacy over that same length of time? Hell, I've had friends for decades and only come to realize relatively recently they think mayo is the work of the dark one.

This isn't to say you shouldn't take anything from a movie like King Richard, this week's feature on Venus and Serena Williams' father. It's more of a collective notice to watch with awareness (I'm partly reminding myself here too). Sort of a "yes, and" mentality. Yes, this might've happened, and I wonder what they're like to the cashier at the grocery store (I dunno, just trying for the mundane here).

Or, ya know, just ignore me and watch however the hell you wanna watch. Believe that Mark Zuckerberg created Facebook only to get girls (ignoring the fact he had a gf, to whom he's now married).

Cuz if we're being honest, I don't really know you anyway.

Extra Credit Movie(s): The Feast is a Welsh slow burn horror"ish" movie about some rich landowners getting their comeuppance - reviews say it's not super scary in the traditional sense, but does become quite unsettling. If you're in that kind of mood.

KING RICHARD
You would think a biopic that tracks the early careers of two of the greatest tennis players the sport has ever known - Venus and Serena Williams - would, well, focus on those players. And yet...

King Richard, which does indeed feature the sisters' burgeoning domination, is instead focused on their father, Richard Williams, credited with crafting a plan (literally - it was apparently 78 pages) that helped turn his daughters into the legends they are.

So why dad vs daughters? Well, one, Will Smith. Smith plays Richard of King denotation and is getting looooots of attention. Like Oscar attention. So it helps to have a star, especially one who can act. But also because Richard Williams is / was apparently a real life character that makes for a great movie character. Although calling Williams a "character" might come across as a bit dismissive when you understand what he was up against. It might seem foregone now, but taking two black girls from Compton into a very heavily white world of tennis brought a lot of skepticism and pushback. You have to imagine no one but a "character" would be able to push through all the bullshit.

You might also be thinking, well ok, these people on screen are still alive, did they sign off on all this? Yes, with a bit of an asterisk. Both Venus and Serena are executive producers now, but apparently only after seeing the movie and determining they were comfortable with how their father was portrayed. Which helps lend credibility to the story, but you can imagine then the movie would avoid any massive negative aspects, as the sisters still seem to have a lot of affection for their pops.

Reviews say Smith does indeed do an incredible job (and is likely the Best Actor frontrunner at this point), but that the story expands enough to capture solid portrayals of Venus and Serena as well as their mother, who is apparently also an excellent tennis coach herself.

But as with all biopics, they emphasize that it is of course, a movie. Only so much of Williams big personality can be captured in two hours. As with any story based on real life, it's key to focus on the "based on" part.

But as a fictional telling of a true story, it looks be quite uplifting and who knows, may even inspire the next Venus and Serena.

Vibe: biopic, if slightly broader

Out Friday
Watch Theaters & HBO Max
The Trailer | 2 hrs 26 mins | PG-13 | 🍅: 90%

GHOSTBUSTERS: AFTERLIFE

I like Ghostbusters, it's a great movie. Fantastic even (from what I remember, it's been a while). I and people I know quote it fairly regularly. But even still I'm kind of astounded how it's become almost mythical among cinema. I'm not sure if it's the era it came from or if it just really hit people that damn hard. But it doesn't really matter, because even after nearly forty years, the movie still has widespread cultural impact. There was the sequel, the cartoon, and even a 2016 reboot with a female cast (asshat misogynists be-damned).

Now there's Afterlife, which is essentially a direct sequel to the original, and by all accounts, treats it with that idealized status - which has implications both for tone and quality (more on that in a second).

The affection Afterlife has for its fore-bearer makes sense when you learn the director is Jason Reitman, son of the '84 Ghostbusters director Ivan Reitman. The younger Reitman literally grew up on the set of these movies so maybe more than anyone, holds them in a special place. While Reitman is known for movies that sometimes lean toward the caustic (Thank You for Smoking, Up in the Air), he is in his mid-forties now, so it's possible he's softening up a bit.

While reviews are majority on the 👍 side of things, there are lots of critics (many notable ones) who are pretty annoyed with how "fan servicey" Reitman gets here. While the original was most definitely a comedy, this modern take looks to be a bit more 80's Spielberg (call out to ) - almost literally in that the focus here is mostly on kids in rural America vs an assorted group of adult dudes in NYC trying not to "cross streams."

Now three of the original four Ghostbusters are still alive and I'd like to say it's a surprise they appear, but they all went on The Tonight Show so I guess marketing > spoiler concerns. The fourth 'Buster, Harold Ramis, died in 2014, but he still plays a significant part in the movie, as he's the presumed deceased grandfather to one of the main characters. You can see from the trailer, but ghosts haven't been seen since NY was covered in liquified marshmallow, but when they start returning, the grandkids have to try and figure out what ol' grandpa knew was coming all long. Paul Rudd joins in on the fun too.

But even if you love the sexiest man alive 2021, ultimately the decision should probably come down to how much love you have for the first time you saw Slimer. If it's above say at least a 6.5 (out of 10), maybe give this a shot. If you're wondering who the f Slimer is, weeeell, maybe let's move on to the below...

Vibe: fan service wrapped in a Spielbergian nostalgia bun

Out Friday
Watch In Theaters
The Trailer | 2 hrs 4 mins | PG-13 | 🍅: 66%

C'MON C'MON

If you know the name Mike Mills or have seen any of the movies he's directed (most likely Beginners or 20th Century Women) you'll be delighted to know he's made another. That's because Mills' movies, while distinctly personal - Beginners is about his dad and Women is about his mother - are a treat for those who've never met Mills or his family.

This time around, Mills does a bit of an ode to his son, but by way of an uncle-nephew relationship - one not often given a lot of emphasis in movies.

Joaquin Phoenix plays Johnny, the single, childless uncle to nine-year-old Jesse (Woody Norman). Jesse's parents aren't dead, but his parents are separated and mom needs to go help dad with some mental health issues. Cue (clueless?) uncle. The duo go from city to city as Johnny is working on a project interviewing children across the country about their hopes for the future, but likely learns more from the child he's toting around.

Reviews say it's another great effort from Mills that doesn't try too hard and that works to its advantage. Critics say Phoenix especially is almost subdued compared to most of his roles and it helps to bring out the intimacy that builds over the course of the movie.

Vibe: relationship building through the small moments

Out Friday
Watch In (Limited) Theaters
The Trailer | 1 hr 48 mins | R | 🍅: 91%

(called out from top, left to right)

Pixar meets The Hulk.

Spider-Man meets a meme (allegedly!).

The Downton Abbey crew meets a vacation.

Leonardo DiCaprio / Jennifer Lawrence meet(s) Netflix.

What's In Theaters +

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