Because I got high, Because I got high...
Whether it's via the substance formerly used in Coca-Cola or getting hopped up on the ol' G.O.D., our protagonists this week are getting up there. Waaaay up there.
“Now this is podracing!”
I’m almost certainly reading in to it more than I should be for the sake of something to write about, but if you were to delve into the two wide theatrical releases this weekend, Jesus Revolution and Cocaine Bear, I feel like you could write a fairly compelling treatise about modern America. In one instance there’s a based on a true story, but somewhat fictionalized take on overconsumption of something that can get beings very high and acting a lil’ bit kooky.
And in another, there’s Cocaine Bear.
I’m joooooking1, but there does seem to be a thread in there waiting to be pulled about how people are generally seeking an escape, just sometimes in very different forms. I’m not gonna write that dissertation though, and instead get right into all the movies I have for you.
But I will say that I’m thinking next week’s topics will be about fan passion. Nope, not the love between two estranged Dyson’s, but the way people express the love they have for the media they so intensely enjoy. Especially when you can no longer, or maybe more accurately, just generally don’t, show that love by proudly displaying your DVD collection.
Until then.
Extra Credit Movie(s):
Jesus Revolution - couldn’t be further from the cup that holds my tea, but there is a large and devout contingent out there for “faith based” movies that extoll the virtues of Christianity. While there are some religious movies that are somewhat hostile and a bit more “culture war-ish,” (see: the God’s Not Dead movies) this is a production from the same company that tends towards the more uplifting side of things - e.g. they made the recent Kurt Warner biopic. But even if this tells the story of a seemingly open minded pastor in the late 60’s who welcomed hippies into his flock, it’s worth noting that he may not have been nearly as welcoming to everyone during the so called “revolution.” There are a few reviews, but nothing that would seem to push it past a piece for proselytizing. Playing in Theaters Nationwide this Friday.
Linoleum - by golly it looks like a quirky little movie, but gosh darn it, it looks right swell! All the more so because it stars the ineffable Jim Gaffigan as a scientist who decides to build a rocket to space after doubting himself for too long. The reviews are quite adoring, if not perfect, but for those of the mind it should be a delight. Playing in Limited Theaters this Friday (expect it on streaming soon though).
We Have a Ghost - I mean, could a movie be anymore 90’s? I mean sure, a movie from the 90’s could, duh, but otherwise? And it’s not a bad thing, we need variety out there, even if it’s taking from the past. So if you’re keen on a “family adventure” where kids befriend a mute ghost played by David Harbour (Hopper from Stranger Things), yeah, get at it. Note: also stars Anthony Mackie and Jennifer Coolidge. No reviews yet, but that’s kind of Netflix’s thing2. Streaming on Netflix this Friday.
Emily - there is no shortage of reimagining, reinventing, retelling, “re” whatever the lives of famous old people, often writers, and telling their story which inspired the ones they created. But that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t pay attention when there are good ones. And Emily appears to be a good one. With reviews saying that the somewhat fictional take on the life of the second most famous Brontë sister (hint: she wrote Wuthering Heights) is inventive and compelling. Playing in Theaters this Friday (reports say “nationwide", but still likely fairly limited).
While the title may seem a bit eccentric, it’s nice to know exactly what you’re getting when the lights turn low for once - a bear, on cocaine, and all the fucked up shit it would cause under the tent of an R rating.
Or…! Or! And stay with me now, it’s actually a deeply metaphorical take on an addled youth who has come to discover the wonder and potency of drugs and in their decent into addiction they feel like they have the power of an untouchable 650 pound bear hopped up on blow, but in actuality the deaths in the movie are mere proxy for the relationship damage they’re causing as they wreak havoc on anything they come into contact with.
Ehh?! Ehhhh?!!!
Naaaah, I’m just messin’ with you. This is exactly what you think it is, brought to you by director Elizabeth Banks - who, fun fact, says she’s never actually done coke, so clearly not a method director 🙄 (editor’s note: not a real thing dummy!) - and the cadre of famous friends she brought along with her for the ridiculous-ness (see: Keri Russell, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, O'Shea Jackson Jr., Isiah Whitlock Jr., Alden Ehrenreich, and Ray Liotta 😢 among others). While clearly a different movie, this actually looks like it shares some DNA with the recent M3GAN, which was less a horror movie and more of an intentional gonzo ride (although not nearly as weird as I might’ve hoped, but goofy enough).
And yes, as they say in the marketing this is technically based on real events, but that truth is less chaotic, and much sadder than what we have before us here. The part about bags of cocaine being dropped into a Tennessee forest and a bear ingesting them (75 lbs, aka $2 million worth) are true. But as far as anyone knows, the bear just died from eating too much 😔 and now spends its days, stuffed, in a charming placed name Kentucky for Kentucky Fun Mall, where it bears the nickname Pablo Eskobear. Yeah…
But let’s forget about how trash humans are for a couple hours by watching a bear kill a bunch of ‘em! Partyyyyyy!🤘
Out: Thursday
Where: Theaters
1 hr 35 mins | R | 🍅: TBD
Today in Trailers! I want to tell you about four movies that make me think you should pay attention to them. None of them are flashy, a couple of them are foreign, but I think they all have the potential to be someone’s favorite movie of the year.
Past Lives recently played at Sundance and came out with a 100% Rotten Tomatoes score and lots of love, which is fitting because it looks to dive into the subject, both immediate and dormant. You’ll get the feels from the trailer alone.
Tetris is a movie about Tetris. Yes, that Tetris. But not about the creation of the game, but how it was discovered and absconded from Russia. A legitimately looking “wait, really?” piece of entertainment.
Sisu is another bloody heightened action movie, but set in Finland where the main character kills Nazis. Clearly a topic everybody can love. Except Nazis. And pacifists. And… Fine, lots of people can love.
Rodeo is a French movie that looks to have such a vibe and so much attitude that I just wanna live in the world that’s being presented. Let’s hope the full movie plays out just as compellingly (reviews would indicate so!).
kinda
holding reviews until almost the day of release