We all make mistakes, right?
I just wish I fixed mine before you all read them.
THE QUOTE đŹ đŹ
âHey, hey! We know each other!
Heâs a friend from work!â
hint: one could say the quote giver is being loose with the term âworkâ
THINK THOUGHTS đ
I make a lot of grammar errosâŠ*ahem* errors when I write this newsletter. Iâm sure you notice many of them. I do try and copy edit myself, but alas, I am an imperfect human. However, I still read each edition after itâs been published and cringe at every mistake.
But last week I had an especially bad one. I spelled Taron Egertonâs name âTaaran Eggerton.â Da fuq? Itâs like I was actively trying to butcher it. That could be the case (itâs not) or maybe itâs the fact I stay up way too late to send these. đ«Ł
Apologies Taron! Iâm sure youâre an ardent WIT+ reader. Although I actually hope not, because I do want to say, I watched Carry-On last weekend and yeah, not a big fan. I wanted to like it, but wouldâve enjoyed Die Hard for the 27th time more.
My other notable mistake last weekâI said Aaron Taylor-Johnsonâs next movie was 28 Years Later. Incorrect! Heâs in next weekâs Nosferatu, the perfect Xmas night movie with the whole fam.
I think itâs also worth mentioning that if Taylor-Johnson also reads this newsletter, I hope he knows I was juuuuuust kidding about the whole acting in Kraven for a 10 bedroom house thing. Iâm sure heâs not that kind of actor.
I bet it was more like six bedrooms.
NEWSY BITS đŸ
Hereâs a Hollywood Twist: Streaming Success Runs Through Theaters - the âdownstream revenueâ of theatrical releases is how the industry has made money for, well, maybe not ever, but a very long time. Think selling DVDs (back in the day), airline flights, premium TV like HBO, regular TV etc. - New York Times
âWicked: Part 2' Title: 2nd Installment Called 'Wicked: For Good' - not that big of news, unless youâre a huge Wicked fan. Of which there are apparently 72 bajillion! Give or take a few bajillion. - Today.com
Directors Pick Favorite Films of 2024: Christopher Nolan Praises âGladiator II,â Barry Jenkins on âNickel Boysâ and More - Iâd love to debate Nolan on Gladiator II. I mean, Iâd lose in the eyes of most people, but still, would love for him to expand on what he dug so much. - Variety
EXTRA CREDIT MOVIE(S) đ
Nada!
NOTABLE NEW RELEASE(S) đ & đș
Sonic the Hedgehog 3
Sonic the Hedgehog has no right to be starring in a third movie thatâs not only being released in theaters, but is going to beat out âlive-actionâ The Lion Kingâs prequel at the box office. And yet, he does has every right. Because who says a Sonic movie canât be good? Clearly not director Jeff Fowler whoâs made all the movies in the franchise so far and seems to keep learning, because as I said, critics are not only saying this is the best one, itâs actually just a good one.
Again, kind of a wild thought based on the precedent set by previous video game based movies. And you might think itâs only because the movie stars one of the greatest comedic actors of all time in Jim Carrey. But while heâs still Jim Carreying the fuck out of things (in double duty no less), itâs apparently more than that.
âThereâs a daring unpredictability to the filmâs sense of humor thatâs excitingly addictive.â - from the AV Club review of Sonic the Hedgehog 3
It sounds like the movie is in good command of what it wants to do, which also means it knows exactly what it isâa movie about a quip dropping hedgehog that can run real fast and battles a pot-belly-shaped villain.
But still, it is a Sonic movie. So think of good in relative terms. The story will be egregiously predictable, the jokes kid-tailored, and the villains more obstacle than true threat. This time the hurdle is Shadow, basically a murdered out version of Sonic with a lot more scowl in the jowls.
Oh, did I mention Keanue Reeves is voicing Shadow??
Out: Friday
Where: Theaters
Details: 1 hr 49 mins | PG | đ : 87%
Mufasa: The Lion King
I mean, just look at these two QTs. Who could ever imagine one will eventually fling the other to their death in an act so shocking itâs responsible for enough childrenâs tears to fill the deepest depths of The Great Lakes.
But come on, letâs be real, we all grow up and eventually act on our deep-seated lust for power thatâs so great weâll do anything, including killing our kin, to satiate it.
âŠâŠ.đ§
Erhm, just me?
Iâm kidding of course, I would never side with the hyenas, although not because theyâre not adorableâbecause they very much are. Quick PSA: to all the hyenas out there reading this⊠yâall? Disney did ya real dirty.
But in this prequel to the âlive-actionâ remake of The Lion King (most 2024 thing ever), youâll learn why Scar, aka Taka does eventually make a deal with the giggle kings and queens.
Do you need to know his and Mufasaâs origin story? I mean, not really. Itâs very much a nice to have. Some might say itâs actually deleterious to the original because of how much it reeks of a âcash grab.â
A sentiment which I understand, but at a certain point, we have to stop calling these nostalgia plays âgreedyâ and admit studios (mostly Disney) are simply being rewarded for giving audiences what they want. Is it similar to drug dealers who are also just giving people what they want? Uh, yeah, maybe.
But what, are studios supposed to try and not make money? Thatâd be silly. And people really do respond to these things, even if reviewers see it differentlyâŠ
âWith a clear profit motive, Disney has dedicated itself to supplanting their 2D animation catalog with âlive-actionâ remakes, sequels and prequels. While a few have found mild success with audiences, most have been fairly rejected on grounds of pointlessness.â - from the Hollywood Reporter review of Mufasa: The Lion King
This is categorically incorrect. The Lion King remake? $1.6 billion. The Beauty and the Beast remake? $1.26 billion. Aladdin, The Jungle Book, Alice in Wonderland remakes? A billion each. Even Cinderella made over half a billion at the box office.
Now, is Mufasa going to make less money than the third Sonic movie this weekend (a while thought)? It is. But Iâd put that less on director Barry Jenkins and Lin-Manuel Miranda who made the songs, and more on Disney for pushing this game a little farther than they maybe shouldâve. Because while Jenkins, who is known for making the amazing Moonlight, seems like heâs done his best, itâs still hard to justify this story to audiences. I know I just said moviegoers like these kinds of movies, but the larger point is, they like what the like, and they like what they know.
And since this isnât something people know, you can see a whole lot more people sayinâ naaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhâŠ.
Out: Friday
Where: Theaters
Details: 2 hrs 0 mins | PG | đ : 59%
The Brutalist
You can say a lot about a movie thatâs three and a half hours long and getting strong consideration for the Best Picture Academy Award, but the first thing one should probably communicate is that, yes, there is an intermission!
*cue celebration from small-bladdered folks everywhere*
Itâs such a novelty in our current moviegoing world where popular movies have increasingly become longer that it really does necessitate a mention.
But itâs apparently worked intentionally into the storyâone which follows a Hungarian-Jewish architect who immigrates to the United States after escaping the horrors of the Holocaust. Heâs a man named LĂĄszlĂł TĂłth, played by Adrien Brody, who is easily getting the most love since he won an Oscar for his work in The Pianist back in 2002.
If youâre not an architectural aficionado, the title refers to the style of architecture known as brutalismâthink angular concrete buildings. TĂłth ends up working in construction after his arrival, but through a bit of circumstance, becomes involved with a very rich man (Guy Pearce) who commissions him to build him a structure.
The Brutalist is long, but it is not slow; it moves through its running time with the confidence of a filmmaker who knows where heâs headed and why. In Corbetâs case, heâs making a beeline straight for the canon. No other American movie released this year can compete with it as an object of potential film-cultural worship or as a high-end award magnet - from The Ringer review of The Brutalist
The plot from there is one for you to discover, but itâs honestly going to be less about the events themselves and the meaning and emotion behind them. Because this definitely looks to be an immigrant story with maybe not direct parallels to today, but implications. Since it evokes the âtraditionalâ (see: recent past) version of people coming to the US. One might hope it would recenter the discussion on the struggles of those entering the country, building some empathy for their situations. But think we all know the likelihood of that.
Instead, it seems the discussion will be, as the above quote alludes to, focused more on the movieâs place in âcinema.â In part because itâs being lauded for some excellent cinematography and overall composition. As well as its use of VistaVision, a type of film not shot on since the 60âs. Why? Director Brady Corbet said in part it was to evoke the era.
As you can imagine in a movie about architecture, aesthetics play a significant role. But ultimately think youâre going to come for, and enjoym the humanâs trying to build their lives, rather than structures.
Out: Friday
Where: Theaters
Details: 3 hrs 35 mins | R | đ : 97%
THE WEEKLY TRAILER PLAYLIST âŻ
Superman - this isnât actually a trailer for the new James Gunn (director of the Guardians of the Galaxy trilogy) Superman movie. Itâs the tease for the teaser. Supes annoying, I know. But Iâm putting here because by the time you read this, the trailer will likely be out, so hoping this can act as a notice if youâre extra keen (I am!).
Warfare - directed by an actual military vet who fought in Iraq, Ray Mendoza, as well as Ex Machina / Civil War director Alex Garland. Medoza reportedly based it on his recollection of a real time situation.
Black Bag - Steven Soderbergh just keeps pumpinâ out interesting looking movies. This time itâs Michael Fassbender and Cate Blanchett as a married couple who are both spies.
Death of a Unicorn - Paul Rudd and Jenna Ortega hit (and kill) a unicorn on their way to some rich peopleâs house. Things get weirder from there.
The Electric State - Iâm sorry, Chris Prattâs look, while probably supposed to convey the movies alternate reality timeline, is just too damn silly. At least out of context??
Karate Kid: Legends - pretty sure you can thank Cobra Kai (the the Netflix Karate Kid based series) for this one.
Novocaine - Jack Quaid (yup, son of Dennis) is just a nice guy who canât feel pain and he uses that fact to try and rescue his new bae.