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Challengers (2024)
Zenday is GREAT. But this movie is LONG, SLOW, and POINTLESS
Did you happen to see the SNL skit "It's Pat", years ago, where the premise was that it was impossible to figure out if Pat was male or female? They even released a movie version later. Even in the movie version, YOU NEVER GOT TO LEARN WHETHER PAT WAS FEMALE OR MALE.
This movie is a lot like that. Even at the end of the movie, you aren't going to know what happened. The ending COULD have gone either way. (Although, from my grasp of what happened, her husband lost the match, because it was tied, and THEN he got a one point penalty, so he would have been one point down to start with.) and you don't know the resolution of the film. I didn't understand, and when I asked other people at the theater, and finally the staff at the theater, NO ONE COULD TELL ME WHAT HAPPENED AT THE END! NO ONE KNOWS HOW THIS MOVIE ACTUALLY ENDED! This was EXACTLY like the "It's Pat" movie! This movie is LONG, and SLOW, and even the dramatic points are dragged out in slow motion for far too long, so you can actually go get another soda, come back, and not have missed anything. The story-telling is constantly moving from the past, to the present, and a hundred places in between, to the point you won't be able to make sense of what happened and when it happened, and why it matters to you OR the characters.
Zendaya is AWESOME in this film. It's too bad she got suckered into it, though. Also, they make her look REALLY BAD at the end, where she sleeps with her husband's opponent, EVEN AFTER HER HUSBAND ALREADY TOLD HER THIS IS HIS FINAL MATCH AND HE'S NOT PLAYING ANYMORE! (Which makes the outcome of the match, and the movie itself, for that matter! Completely pointless. Her husband could have skipped this last, unimportant match, taken his wife and daughter, and gone home. The match itself is completely unimportant. It's about on a level of a County Fair in some average state. It will be totally unknown to anyone in the tennis world, similar to some high-school match. Why Tashi would even be interested in this match in her life, is a mystery to me. She is already a tennis superstar in the movie. It would be like Arnold Palmer obsessing over a lost windmill shot at the Goony-Golf! Or Cher obsessing over some semi-talented singer in competition to win a TV set at the Holt County Fair in Nebraska!
But the worst part was sitting through this incoherent mess, and then finding out at the end there is no real resolution or answer to what actually happened. The movie just ends. 3/4 of the way through, I was telling myself "This movie BETTER have a great ending!", but that did not occur. But at least I had popcorn and a soda. So the film wasn't a total loss.
AND I saw Zenday, who is an excellent actress, even in drivel like this, and who did her best to save this film. She was beautiful and enticing, as usual, so there was THAT cheering note to the whole thing.
Zombie Town (2023)
I think some viewers don't understand this movie.
I have always been interested in the R. L. Stine series of movies.
For those not familiar with them, they are slanted towards 8-15 year olds, who have a taste for the macabre and horror, but are just getting their fan side opened up to it.
Therefore, you are NOT going to see really scary scenes, like the ones in "The Shining", or "Nightmare on Elm Street".
So these films are kind of a gentle introduction to horror for young people and teens. In my opinion, they are excellent. As a big fan of horror, I was very pleased to see the first R. L. Stine movie come out, and went to see it years ago, knowing full well that the R. L. Stine series of books is written and targeted at younger audiences. I have never been disappointed!
These films are designed to be spooky and a little scary, but not truly horrific. So if you are expecting squirting blood and gore, these are not the films you are looking for.
But if you have a young neighbor, nephew or niece, or adolescent grand child, they will enjoy these films. And be just scared enough to gain a real appreciation for more advanced horror films. They will be thrilled, and I think, will be looking forward to the NEXT R. L. Stine movie that comes out. They will probably want to watch the earlier ones as well. This is good for cinema, good for the horror genre, and good for the budding horror movie fans.
I am glad that R. L. Stine is writing, and I am glad that there are people making movies out of his books.
His books, and the films they generate, are the perfect introduction to horror for younger viewers. This film was just as good as others in the series, and I enjoyed it a lot.
Dan Akroyd and Chevy Chase both did a beautiful job acting as the elder statesmen of horror, while being almost unrecognizable in their new character roles. This is definitely NOT a "Chevy Chase/Dan Akroyd" typical film. They both take on completely foreign roles that they carry out very successfully! Using very experienced and talented actors like they do in the R. L. Stine movies sets the bar much higher for OTHER horror films to reach for. (Yeah, those other films might be scarier, but are they BETTER?!?!? A much more difficult level to achieve!)
It would be kind of cool to have some of the other current horror genre leaders, such as Jamie Lee Curtis, and some of the actual actors from modern adult horror, take on smaller, gentler, but still menacing roles in some R. L. Stine movies. They will reap a new crop of younger fans who are moving up in sophistication rapidly. They can be just as menacing, but without the bloodshed, and draw younger viewers into more advanced horror as they go.
I extend my admiration to R. L. Stine, and all the actors who are contributing to a growing love of the horror genre in younger movie viewers. Style, substance, and their refined acting skills are all incredibly valuable in this effort, which I thoroughly support and applaud!
This was an EXCELLENT movie!
Strays (2023)
Don't know why the reviews are so low for this movie.
When I went to this movie, I expected a sweet movie about stray dogs, probably set up for 6-13 year olds. I thought it would be a typical kids movie, and I would sit through it. Just something fun to watch. A summer popcorn movie.
BOY WAS I WRONG!!
THIS MOVIE IS NOT FOR KIDS AT ALL!
It is brutally hilarious, with non-stop jokes and set ups. It is one of the funniest movies I have seen this year. It is pretty raunchy, so you DON'T want to take your 6 year old niece or granddaughter to it. EVER! But as an adult, you will find it fast paced, with razor sharp wit, excellent acting, and a lot of hilarious moments. This is definitely an adult comedy, and in my opinion, it is awesome! The entire cast is absolutely perfect in the roles they fill, and they fill them with energy and imagination. (And excellent writing)
Similar to "Blazing Saddles", you'll be laughing hard at the same time you go "Holy Crap!" and "WTF!!!" This film is both shocking and hilarious at the same time.
DEFINITELY worth the price of admission!
I'm waiting for a sequel already!! I'll be there the day it opens!
Meg 2: The Trench (2023)
Ignore the Naysayers!
I have no clue how this movie could be rated so low! Unless it was being reviewed by Megalodons, who are upset with the Meg death toll. As far as I know, Megs can't type, so I don't think that's it!
I found it VERY entertaining, VERY fast-paced, and I actually liked it better than the first one. (Which I did like as well!)
The special effects are better than in the first film, and if anything, the gore is actually less, (Although there are plenty of tense situations!)
This is a perfect summer film, not requiring much thought or introspection, so you can just sit back and enjoy the adventure.
The Megs are back, and they brought some friends with them!
Just DON'T position yourself behind some "Meg-proof glass" while you are munching on your popcorn, because it probably doesn't work as well as they say it does.
I'm betting you'll be glad you sunk your teeth into this film!
Go West (2023)
Far better than I expected!
When I first saw the ads and trailer for this movie (showing in Tucson) I wondered if I should go. But I decided it would be nice to see a NON-MARVEL film, since Marvels are all simply terrible now, and also to support a new film from independent film makers.
I am glad I went! This is a film that looks and IS far better than it's modest budget would indicate! The writing is excellent, incisive and hilarious. You will have to watch closely so you don't miss some of the humor, as it moves very briskly along. There are no slow spots in this film. The photography, the music, and the details of the scenes and wardrobes are all top class. It's kind of like "Monty Python and the Holy Grail Go Cowboy"
As one woman who was watching it near me commented at the end: "Well, that was just totally cute, wasn't it?"
I had to agree about that! This is a film without a message or agenda, just a fluffy movie of pioneer humor, that works from the beginning to the end. They also take the "mystical advice from beyond the grave" that is taken so seriously in everything from Star Wars to Spiderman, and give it a far more funny twist that is probably more accurate, too, if such phantom advice even exists.
It was an enjoyable afternoon!
Marlowe (2022)
I like 1940's films, and I LOVED this film
About the only thing I didn't like about this film is that you don't find out that Neeson is cleaning up a studio until the very end. If he had been tasked with this from the beginning, it would have made a much tenser movie.
As far as some of the reviewer whining, THIS IS A 1940'S DETECTIVE STORY! That's what it is, and that is how it is structured! With these, you sign up for the ride, and then you ride along to see what's going to happen. So shut up, climb into the Packard, and keep your eyes open!
Neeson is excellent as always. The cast is excellent as well. They really picked a perfect cast for everyone in this film. The mobsters are evil enough to make it satisfying when they get their rewards, and the story is taut enough to make it interesting and compelling.
By the time the film is halfway through, you will be fully invested in the characters, and WANT to know how it all ends up.
Personally, I'm ready for the next sequel, hopefully with Neeson and some of the other cast-mates, gliding along with the movie industry in the 1940's and '50's, with all the sleaze that entailed. There are plenty more stories that can be explored here, with the gleaming, shiny, cesspool part of Hollywood. What better way to explore it and turn over rocks, than with Liam Neeson?
I'm wondering when Cedric is going to need to team up with Marlowe to handle some other Pacific Studio problem!
National Champions (2021)
Hate sports? Dislike Religion? SEE THIS MOVIE!
My local theater chain, Cinemark, tends to slip in religious movies by passing them off as regular films. I've been very wary of the pictures they present due to this fact, so I check them carefully before I go.
In the first 10 minutes of this one, I thought I had been suckered into another Jesus movie. But stick with it, past that, and it is RIVETING! This is one of the best movies of 2021. It's right up there with "House of Gucci". The story is VERY well told, the acting is EXCELLENT, and you will find it fascinating right to the very end. I have no interest in sports, but this movie was about a LOT more than sports. I was EXTREMELY impressed, and I think you will be, too. I was ready for more when it finally ended.
Escape from Tomorrow (2013)
Escape from Escape
This movie has very good photography and graphic style. The acting is also excellent. However....... When you make a movie, you have to tell a story. There is no real story here. Nearly every unusual thing that happens has absolutely NO link to the story. Things happen, and are never mentioned again, and have no actual effect on the movie events. I kept waiting for some plot to emerge, but other than the father being infatuated with the 2 young French girls, there is no other plot. The episode in the Epcot center is an example. When it appears, it looks like there will be some questions answered. After the episode is over, there is not only no mention of it again, there is absolutely no further involvement of that scene in the rest of the movie. Cat Flu? What was that about? Son's eyes turning into black orbs? What was that about? Epcot episode? What was that about? Daughter falling down and skinning her knee? What was that about? Absolutely nothing is connected to anything else. If this was allegory (Which I hate, and is ONLY allowable for use by film makers in totalitarian countries like Saudi Arabia and Iran where they face actual risks. For normal film makers to use it, just shows they are lazy.)it was completely incomprehensible. And I'm pretty good at spotting and deciphering allegory. This film was very well made, but with no coherent story, it pretty much was just a waste of time. The photography and acting was first-rate. No story really killed it for me.
Push Bike (2011)
"Pushbike" is a really hot movie!
This is one of the hottest short films I've ever seen. I saw it at the Manhattan Short Film Festival, which played at hundreds of theaters all over the world in late September/early October. I understand from the program that this had the possibility of becoming a feature film, which is what I wish it had become. Maybe it still will lead to that. I can say that the lead actress is gorgeous, with beautiful legs. She must have been very brave to make this film, and I hope they put her in the regular film if one is made. There is some nudity, but it isn't excessive, actually pretty mild. And it really feeds your voyeuristic desires to see more. The power of this movie is in the expressions of chance, the occurrence of possibilities, and what happens when the actress acts on her impulses. I don't want to spoil anything, so I won't say any more than that, except that this movie is really good. I'd love to see it developed into a regular film that covers her further adventures. That would ROCK! By accident she winds up on an exploratory path, and I'd love to see her follow it further. The directors and editors did an excellent job in handling the film with a light touch and talented skill! Good Job! I LOVED IT!