Weekend of July 22, 2022 BETA

Jul 20, 2022

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.

The two movies this week are a fun pairing. Because while not intentional, one might (unintentionally) remark on the other. Would get into it more, but it'll only make sense if you know more about each movie.

Plus, I'm out of time!

Extra Credit Movies:

Anything's Possible. First movie directed by Pose's Billy Porter. About a high school couple in love. Reviews indicate it's solid if, fairly formulaic, with the notable exception that one of the leads is outwardly trans. Streaming on PRIME this Friday.

NOPE

I honestly don't want to say too much here, because based on Jordan Peele's first two movies, Get Out and Us, it's a the less you know the better kinda situation. And luckily, I can't. While reviews normally divulge waaaay too much about a movie's plot (partly why I do this this here newsletter, to act as your filter), most if not all are being fairly discrete in spoiling anything in their recaps of Peele's more action heavy sci-fi thriller - a bit of a departure from the intimate horror with which he kicked off his directorial career.

Understandably, since they watch big ol' buckets of movies, the focus for (and praise from) critics has been much more on the fact that Peele tries for things. Even if everything he tries doesn't work, lots of it does. In Get Out, it was the layered aspects of racism, the modern Black experience and much more, for Us it was... yeah, I don't really know either, but it was a fun movie! And while the Liam Neesons super fan has said in interviews he "wanted to make a big summer blockbuster" with NOPE, that's clearly just an aspect. Meaning, if you want to go see some flying saucers and well acted sibling rivalry / camaraderie thanks to Daniel Kaluuya and Keke Palmer, by all means. But if you're interested in looking deeper, you'll find stuff plenty to stare at. Literally. Because Peele has said one of the thematic threads he was pulling on for NOPE was our penchant to stare, "I’ve done my part and created something of a spectacle, created something of a story about how people consume spectacle."

Now whether it all works for you is to be determined of course (the reviews are more than solid though). But that almost makes it even more exciting. Sure it may not all coalesce into an amazing cinematic experience for you, but what if it does? At this point with movies you usually know what you're going to get, even without my help. But the opportunity to have something original hit you in the face and you come out with a smile (and what hit you isn't a tortilla), well that's exciting.

Fun fact: that's not actually all that fun, but Daniel Kaluuya had "given up" on acting before Peele cast him in Get Out.

Vibe: Spielberg's scope & wonder + Shyamalan's what's gonna happen twist intrigue + Peele's cultural intellect

Out   Friday
Watch   In Theaters
The Trailer | 2 hrs 15 mins | R | 🍅: 82%

THE GRAY MAN

Once upon a time in college, a friend made jello shots for a party she and her roommates were hosting. We all joyfully ate a bunch of them the night of, but the next morning as we were splayed out on their couch doing that lazy and hazy night recap, we all remarked on how we didn't really get that drunk off them. After some discussion, we figured out she'd added the alcohol a step too early and boiled most of, if not all, of the booze away. Oops.

I regal you with that amazing anecdote because I kept thinking about it as I was reading reviews of The Gray Man, imagining the thought process of the Russo bros, the directing duo behind the latest two Avengers movies, as well as Captain America: The Winter Soldier / Civil War. I can see the filmmakers talking about how they wanted to approach this behemoth of an action movie, the most expensive Netflix original movie ever made, and I can't help but imagine the phrase "boil it down to the essentials" being uttered at least thirty seven times.

But like my friend, they may have boiled a taaaad too much. Because even in the trailer, you can feel the intense focus on  "the essentials" - stars, action, quips. But personally, I kept searching for "the why." But this method has served Netflix (see: Red Notice), and many movies before, quite well. But as I was reading critics' takes, they all kind of came back to the same thing. The movie is missing something. Sometimes they're not exactly sure what that something is, just that it's missing it.  Take these reviews for example:

"Something perfectly serviceable to leave on in the background while noodling on your phone, and I mean that as a compliment." - Vulture

"The Gray Man seems to be exactly what it means to be, and in the moment, it's often fun. But there's something eerily vacant in its assembly." - NPR

"The Gray Man isn’t a bad movie, just one wilfully drained of substance or even dramatic tension." - The Financial Times

And these are some of the positive ones! The negative takes are obviously harsher, saying it's just cobbled together bits of other, often better, movies. But even with all that negativity, it's worth remember it does still have some of the essentials, which more specifically here are a badass and dry af Ryan Gosling, a hamming it up to the max mustachioed psycho Chris Evans, and some well tuned 'splosions and fist a cuffs.

So just like my friend's jello shots, you may get that sugar rush, but not much else.

Vibe: the end of a massive action trilogy, where you should have character and story arc established, except its the first one

Out   Now / Friday
Watch   (Limited) Theaters / Netflix
The Trailer | 2 hrs 2 mins | PG-13 | 🍅: 54%

(called out from top, left to right)

So it's reel 100 today. That's um, a lot of "reels" in this never-ending (and completely fabricated) movie made up exclusively of trailers. But trailers don't stop, and apparently neither do I?

This week my theme is... trailer descriptions, but wrong answers only.

She Said - an actual documentary about the fake documentary that they supposedly made while shooting The Office.

Funny Pages - a behind the scenes story about the making of the film version of Funny Girl, starring Danny Devito as Barbra Streisand.

Halloween Ends - Jimmy Kimmel turned his yearly candy thievery bit into a horror-comedy where a nine year old "accidentally" murders his parents after they told him they ate all his Halloween candy.

Breaking - the Jackass crew takes a road trip across the country where their sole purpose is to destroy shit in antique stores.

What's In Theaters +

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