Four movies. One director.
Now how does that work exactly?
In This Week’s Edition: a crapload of movies, four of which are directed by one person. Figure that shit out. Or don’t and just read on and I’ll tell you.
“I have no idea to this day what those two Italian ladies were singing about.
Truth is, I don’t wanna know. Some things are better left unsaid.”
-hint: upon it’s initial release in 1994 the film did poorly at the box office, but is now widely cited by fans as being one the best movies of all time
This is the most movies I’ve featured in a long time. Six (nine depending on how you count it). You might be like, “but Latham, that’s so many movies, just tell us about the good ones.”
Even outside of my usual “but what is ‘good’?” pontificating, all of them are receiving pretty good to great reviews. Well, except one. But when you’re tenth in a series, do reviews really even matter anymore?
Because I’m highlighting so many options, I paired down my overviews considerably and focused on two aspects of each film: the upsides👆 and the downsides👇.
Think of it as learning a little about a lot vs learning a lot about a little (editor’s note: not sure I’d call a ridiculous fake story about Sylvester Stallone’s testicles - see last week’s Expend4bles overview - as “learning” but sure, whatever you need to tell yourself).
Oh, and that whole writer strike thing? Donezo (more below). However, the actors are still hanging out a bit off shore, unsure if they should come back in to warm up with a nice cup of extra cash themselves. But imagine this’ll hasten the process.
NEWSY BITS 👾
On Day 146, Screenwriters Reach Deal With Studios to End Their Strike (Full Article) - why interesting: well, cuz it’s (finally) over, but also because the writers got most of what they wanted: pay increases, residuals for streaming, more insight into streaming data, staffing requirements and AI concessions - NY Times
EXTRA CREDIT MOVIE(S) 📝
Reptile - as it’s sure to slither it’s way into your Netflix browsing at some point, figured I should to let you know about this slick looking crime drama where Benicio Del Toro has to find out THE TRUTH. Alicia Silverstone, Justin Timberlake co-star. The reviews aren’t great, in fact they’re kinda middling, but you can bet Del Toro will at least be committed to the bit - and that you’ll learn THE TRUTH? (editor’s note: why are you yelling?!) Streaming on Netflix Friday
Stop Making Sense - for the cool kids, then and now. It’s a restored re-release of what is considered one of the better (the best?) concert films ever made. Well, assuming you like the band Talking Heads of course. The reviews as noted, are 👩🍳’s 😚 Playing in Limited Theaters Friday
NOTABLE NEW RELEASES 🎟 & 📺
Upsides👆: it’s an honest to devil original sci-fi movie that looks, at least visually speaking, abso-fucking-lutely fantastic, in part because of the way director Gareth Edwards (Godzilla, Rogue One) decided to shoot it - i.e. instead of green screens the team used nearly all real-world locations (mostly east Asia) and “layered in” the CGI (more here). And as a consequence it cost far, far less than movies that look like this usually do (think eighty mil vs three-hundo).
Downsides👇: while it may be original in that it’s not based on any previous intellectual property, the vast majority of reviews say that the adventure, while solid, isn’t exactly original in the storytelling sense - in other words, you won’t be overly surprised how everything is gonna play out.
Out: Friday
Where: Theaters
2 hrs 13 mins | PG-13 | 🍅: 76%
Upsides👆: director Wes Anderson returns to the creative world(s) of Roald Dahl, an arena in which he had a lot of success when he translated The Fantastic Mr. Fox to screen, and apparently does so again by using the literal words of Dahl by having the characters read them to viewers at times in this sweet short story about a man (played by Benedict Cumberbatch) trying to cheat at gambling via techniques he learns from a “guru.”
Downsides👇: Henry Sugar is only 39 minutes, so if you enjoy it as much as you hope you might, it’ll be over far too quickly. However, there are three more shorts that each run 17 mins (also directed by Anderson) releasing over the the next three days.
Out: TODAY
Where: Netflix
0 hrs 39 mins | PG | 🍅: 97%
Upsides👆: a crowd pleasing narrative (for the non-millionaires & billionaires among us at least) explainer of a quirky situation that occurred during “the busllshit,” involving the stock market, hedge funds, Reddit traders and the drab little mall stores where you can buy overpriced used copies of last year’s Madden, i.e. GameStop. 🚀 🌕
Downsides👇: it won’t make you rich and might even piss you off, it’ll also probably make a complex situation a little too simple.
Out: Thursday
Where: Theaters
1 hr 45 mins | R | 🍅: 84%
Upsides👆: you’re sure to have just the best feelings after watching another musical based story from the director of Once and Sing Street where a young mother tries to connect with her teenage son via learning gee-tar.
Downsides👇: not many, but it is set in Ireland, so depending on your dialect detection, you may have to turn on subtitles? Then again, as I’ve noted, many of you already do.
Out: Friday
Where: Apple TV+
1 hr 34 mins | R | 🍅: 93%
Upsides👆: it’s another distraction for your kiddos and one that may be quite a few steps up from the rando YouTubes they normally binge on.
Downsides👇: your kids may run around your house thinking that they have superpowers post viewing. And just because it’s a good version of a thing, doesn’t mean you’ll think it’s a good thing.
Out: Friday
Where: Theaters
1 hr 32 mins | PG | 🍅: 86%
Upsides👆: ummm, you don’t have to watch it? Oh! People got paid to create this tenth iteration of the “torture porn” originator. So that’s kinda nice I guess.
Downsides👇: characters that are dead will never truly die if people keep watching these.1
Out: Friday
Where: Theaters
1 hr 58 mins | PG (jk, it’s R af) | 🍅: TBD
Oooooh boy, you better….
…insure those pearls, cuz you gun’ be clutchin’ when you watch the trailer for May December in which Natalie Portman gets nice and meta playing an actress researching a role which is based on a woman (Julianne Moore) who is married to a man she started dating when he was in seventh grade. 🫣
…get those pipes ready, because Disney be droppin’ their next animated musical, Wish
…you better grab some tissues cuz good chance you’re about to get sniffly if you watch the trailer for All of Us Strangers
Sad bad guy Jigsaw died in Saw III but he keeps coming back via prequels
I watched Sanctuary the other day. Good film but could've been hornier. That's my review.