One Movie Punch

Hi everyone!

Welcome back to the podcast. This will be the second of two episodes today as we’re working to get caught up from the fire. I’ll be continuing my story from the wildfire evacuation in a minute, but if you haven’t heard the earlier segments, hit pause, then go back to my review for “Outlaw King” (Episode #314) for the first segment, then listen every episode after that for another installment. Let me know you’re listening by sharing this episode with #WelcomeBackOMP. 

Last segment, we were getting ready to send our daughter back to school while my spouse would stay home for the day to recover. We had a few things to take care of that morning, and I actually had a therapy appointment. You can imagine what that was like. So, anything happen this past month that might cause anxiety or depression? Well, now that you mention it... It was a good session, with me working through the latent stress of evacuation, along with the usual concerns, but suddenly my phone buzzed, then buzzed again. I checked my texts, and there was a new alert that a flare up had occurred at Boney Mountain, just a few miles from our home. No orders to evacuate, but my daughter was texting from school, and my wife was responding on the group text. I was facing a window in the direction of the flare up, and watching a new plume slowly rise up into the air as we finished therapy. I think I was less stressed overall at the end, but another potential evacuation kind of kills that.

No folks to thank this episode, but if you like what you are hearing with these stories, let me know. I’ve been having a great deal of fun making them, and even if they’ve been a bit rough, I hope you’ve enjoyed them.

On to the review!

Today’s movie is “CAM” (2018), the Netflix Original thriller directed by Daniel Goldhaber, and written for the screen by Isa Mazzei, based on a story in collaboration with Daniel Goldhaber and Isabelle Link-Levy. The film follows Alice (Madeline Brewer), a young woman who stars as a cam girl named Lola, and desperately wants to climb the ranks. After one intense session at a cam house, she finds herself locked out of her account, and a doppelganger live streaming in her place.

Spoilers ahead.

When I first saw this film trailer, my first thought was to pass. I have never personally understood the appeal of the cam phenomenon, even if I could understand why it would appeal to other people. I knew it existed, but aside from its tame usage in “Searching” (Episode #246), and its more expanded usage in last season of “Riverdale”, I’ve never really cared to learn more about it. Part of that is not wanting to feel like some of the cam fans portrayed in this film, mostly middle-aged white dudes with hella creepy personalities, but also because I was raised in a time where sex work as a whole was shunned, a social expression of the whole virgin/whore complex women still face. Those foundational values were upset later by third-wave feminism, seeking to reclaim power over sexual autonomy and against ideas like slut-shaming, kink-shaming and sex worker victim blaming. And then I saw the reviews pouring in, and realized I needed to learn a great deal more about it, because it was clear I misunderstood at least parts of this sub-culture. 

Kink-shaming has changed a lot since I grew up around those aforementioned conservative values. Sexual activity that parent groups protested in my childhood are commonplace topics in today’s sitcoms and dramedies. Sure, you can find the thought of middle-aged men paying young women to perform remotely personally disgusting, or something that you would never consider doing, but that doesn’t mean the act is categorically wrong. In many cases, the folks who kink-shame the loudest are often repressing their own sexual proclivities. Cam girls and cam boys are really just a digital version of the strip club, but it has its own rules and sense of community. Isa Mazzei bring her actual experiences as a cam girl to developing this story, touching on the process of camming, the competition among cam girls, the rewards of being a cam girl, and most importantly, the risks, not just to physical safety, but also to social reputation.

Now, how to tell this as a horror film? Well, you add a little weird supernatural element, where the cam personality somewhere on the Internet has seized the account for itself, much like how cam personalities can overshadow a person’s pre-cam or non-cam personality. Madeline Brewer does first balancing both worlds, then dealing with the aftermath when they collapse into one another extremely well. Daniel Goldhaber does a great job with composition, part screenlife, part stage set, and part real life, capturing the addictive nature of cam fans and cam personalities. It is uncomfortable to watch, but also impossible to look away.

“CAM” (2018) is a smart, insightful look into the cam world via a horror story about stolen identity. Madeline Brewer brings the fictionalized experiences of Isa Mazzei’s cam days to life, under the smart direction of Daniel Goldhaber. Horror fans, or folks who want to learn more about the cam industry, should definitely check out this film, but be ready for a great deal of graphic content.

Rotten Tomatoes: 94% (CERTIFIED FRESH)

Metacritic: 70

One Movie Punch: 9.2/10

“CAM” (2018) is rated TV-MA and is currently streaming on Netflix and playing in select theaters.

Hi everyone!

Welcome back to the podcast. This will be the first of two episodes today as we’re working to get caught up from the fire. I’ll be continuing my story from the wildfire evacuation in a minute, but if you haven’t heard the earlier segments, hit pause, then go back to my review for “Outlaw King” (Episode #314) for the first segment, then listen every episode after that for another installment. Let me know you’re listening by sharing this episode with #WelcomeBackOMP.

Last segment, we were watching our neighbor kids the day after we were able to repopulate, and while recording was impossible, it was the furthest thing from my mind. The kids left that evening, and we all went to bed after that. Monday morning came. Veterans Day. Schools were closed, which was probably a good idea given air quality. I set out to make today a normal day, heading out to get groceries for the week, and returning to get laundry started. If you wonder what my normal life looks like, that’s pretty much it: dishes and laundry. Normal wasn’t going to be in the cards, though. My spouse was feeling sick and called out of work the following day. My daughter felt fine, though, and despite the air quality, school was on for the following day. She did try a few fake coughs, though, just to see.

More in the next episode, but I wanted to thank @ingzpage on Instagram, who has been one of our loyal supporters on the platform. You can check them out on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram @ingzpage, especially if you are into real estate. Thanks for reaching out during the evacuation, and thanks for your continued support!

Today’s movie is “The Ballad of Buster Scruggs” (2018), the Netflix Original anthology written and directed by Joel and Ethan Coen, with two segments based on Jack London’s “All Gold Canyon” and Stewart Edward White’s “The Girl Who Got Rattled”. The film contains six short films, loosely related to one another, depicting stories from the frontier, and starring an amazing ensemble cast, with a total running time of two hours and twelve minutes. 

Spoilers ahead.

One thing I’ve learned from my experience with the Coen Brothers is that I need to throw my expectations right out the window. Sure, I have expectations about the level of quality I should expect from their work, and they have a most impressive filmography containing some of my favorite films of all time, including “The Hudsucker Proxy”, “Fargo”, “The Big Lebowski”, “O Brother, Where Art Thou?” (Episode #322), and “No Country for Old Men”. I love their distinctive style, and today’s film was no exception, and while I wasn’t sure what to make of a Coen Brothers anthology film, it did make throwing those pesky expectations away really easy.

I keep a watch list of every film that has been certified fresh by Rotten Tomatoes, and the list has begun to contain more and more westerns. Don’t get me wrong; I love a good western, but I’m always surprised how many stories can be told with such a period-specific genre. I’ve also found that I love westerns that are either epic in length, or short and sweet, and while the running time for today’s anthology is in epic territory, the six stories which comprise the film are short and sweet, hitting on every major storyline from the western genre: gunfighters, frontier justice, clashes with the rightful indigenous residents, stagecoach rides, travelling shows, and prospecting. Two are adaptations, the other four are original works, although derived in style. The stories are somewhat connected, based on a few shared scenes, but instead of telling a specific story, weaves a rich tapestry of what we all like most about western stories.

The Coen Brothers then turn everything we like about western stories into everything we like about western films, from beautiful vistas to exciting action to detailed characters. The overall mood of the film starts off pretty humorous, but then gets more and more serious as the film progresses, ending with a very philosophically-minded carriage ride that is a hell of a thematic shift away from the initial tale of Buster Scruggs. But with no expectations, I could enjoy it from start to finish, no matter how goofy or serious or dark it was. The ensemble cast is spectacular, including: Tim Blake Nelson, Bill Heck, James Franco, Liam Neeson, Zoe Kazan, Tom Waits, and Clancy Brown, just to name a few. No one turns in a bad performance, even if folks may not like everyone involved, or every story told. The Coen Brothers have earned the right to their uncompromising vision, and in this case, it was a strength more than hindrance.

“The Ballad of Buster Scruggs” (2018) is an excellent collection of western stories in the distinctive style of the Coen Brothers, brought to life by an exceptional cast, and with great costumes, scenes, and effects. Ranging from comedic to serious to romantic to mysterious, the Coen Brothers take us all over the Old West, story by story, leaving us different than when we left. Fans of the Coen Brothers, or westerns with a darkly humorous tone, should definitely check out this film.

Rotten Tomatoes: 93% (CERTIFIED FRESH)

Metacritic: 78

One Movie Punch: 9.0/10

“The Ballad of Buster Scruggs” (2018) is rated R and is currently streaming on Netflix and playing in selected theaters.

Hi everyone!

Welcome back to the podcast. This will be the second of two episodes today as we’re working to get caught up from the fire. I’ll be continuing my story from the wildfire evacuation in a minute, but if you haven’t heard the earlier segments, hit pause, then go back to my review for “Outlaw King” (Episode #314) for the first segment, then listen every episode after that for another installment. Let me know you’re listening by sharing this episode with #WelcomeBackOMP.

Last segment, we had woken up the day after we had returned, to a big family breakfast, then a movie and a nap. I woke up to learn that we would be watching our neighbors’ kids while their parents attended a memorial service. Can you imagine, in the midst of all of this? Of course that wouldn’t be a problem, at least not one a pizza delivery couldn’t fix. I was kinda surprised they were delivering again to our neighborhood, but I bet we weren’t the only family without food on hand. My daughter and our neighbors hung out while the adults worked on putting the house back together. I actually was able to get my office and recording area all set back up, but there was no way to record with all the laughter downstairs. Laughter. Things were definitely getting back to normal.

You know who I want to thank the most? Amy Dobzynski, on Twitter @BriteWhen, whom with a little deductive reasoning you may be able to determine is my spouse, aka One Movie Spouse, who as usual, helped spread the word when these podcasts kept coming back out. She’s normally busy as a teacher, but maybe I can convince her to do a review of one of the billion holiday movies available this year. Thanks for your support during the relaunch, and for all the support since day one. You’re my Atomic Brunette!

Today’s movie is “Atomic Blonde” (2017), the Focus Features film directed by David Leitch and written for the screen by Kurt Johnstad, based on the graphic novel “The Coldest City” written by Antony Johnston and illustrated by Sam Hart. The film follows Lorraine Broughton (Charlize Theron), an MI6 agent for the British sent to Berlin in 1989, just days before the Berlin Wall would fall. She must seek out David Percival (James McAvoy), an underground western goods and information seller. Very quickly, Lorraine learns she cannot trust anyone, as agents and actors attack her from all sides, even her own.

Spoilers ahead.

Fight choreography has advanced so much since the days of relying on stuntmen and guns and explosions for action films, at least in the United States. Asian cinema has always done fight choreography right, even if they had to adapt to the limitations of film speed. I grew up watching the usual mainstream action films in the late 1980s and early 1990s, and I can remember the first time someone had shown me a Jackie Chan film with some incredible anything goes choreography. It’s only gotten better and better, and in some film scenes, more brutal and violent, but has really accelerated lately. “John Wick”, “Mission: Impossible”, and “The Fast & The Furious” have all kept elevating the game, so much so that I think other films, particularly independent features, now receive unfair comparisons, especially from those fans who fancy themselves instant experts.

“Atomic Blonde” is not a “John Wick” clone, at least not unless you are willing to say that every solo-driven action film is a similar clone. I heard a lot of that talk when this film was in theaters last year, and I wished I had had the opportunity to counteract some of it then. If anything, the difference between “John Wick” and “Atomic Blonde” is that the former exists in some stylish, almost comic book movie universe, and the latter exists during a very poignant and relevant time and location in the world. “Atomic Blonde” doubles down on that with period-perfect costumes, locations, and especially, the music, all throwbacks to music I heard growing up, but never understanding its weird juxtaposition against world events at the time. Most of us grow up just hearing the music, but this film made me realize that this is far from being “just a graphic novel film”, even if it is that as well. 

I loved the storytelling style, enjoying the mission debriefing format, and especially the way it opened up possibilities for an espionage story. The action is incredible, from start to finish, and incredibly brutal. Charlize Theron sells every ounce and second of her character, no matter the situation. A lot was given away in the trailers leading up to its release, which may have helped drive some folks to the theaters, but also ruined a lot of awesome scenes by waiting to see the trailer segments. Leitch does a great job with bringing everything together, with bold colors in costumes and sets, and lots of neon. Stylish, exciting, engaging, and remarkable.

“Atomic Blonde” (2017) is one of the best action films, and one of the best spy films that I’ve ever seen. Charlize Theron is incredible, and I really hope they consider making more films with her character, especially if they can bring this level of composition. Action film fans, especially folks who love the latest gun-fu choreography, should definitely check out this film, then rock out to the soundtrack afterwards, if you’re of a certain age.

Rotten Tomatoes: 78% (CERTIFIED FRESH)

Metacritic: 63

One Movie Punch: 9.2/10

“Atomic Blonde” (2017) is rated R and is currently streaming on HBO.

Hi everyone!

Welcome back to the podcast. This will be the first of two episodes today as we’re working to get caught up from the fire. I’ll be continuing my story from the wildfire evacuation in a minute, but if you haven’t heard the earlier segments, hit pause, then go back to my review for “Outlaw King” (Episode #314) for the first segment, then listen every episode after that for another installment. Let me know you’re listening by sharing this episode with #WelcomeBackOMP. 

Last segment, we had just returned home, unpacking and attempting to settle in, even as so much chaos was happening a short drive away. Malibu was burning, a stark reminder for some celebrities that mother nature doesn’t care about wealth, unless you were wealthy enough to hire private firefighters. Look it up. We mostly caught up on television that night before falling asleep, after showers and whatever leftovers we could throw together. We all slept in, and in the morning, with nothing to worry about with the podcast, I decided to make my family a huge breakfast, using up all the food about to expire. Got somewhat organized afterwards, and sat down to watch “Outlaw King” (Episode #314) before taking yet another nap. I was thankful that things were getting back to normal.

I was also thankful for everyone that reached out while the podcast was off the air. Folks like Alayeni Silvermist, on Twitter at @AlayeniEQ, who wished us safe passage during the evacuation. It was great to hear from you!

Today’s movie is “War for the Planet of the Apes” (2017), the 20thCentury Fox production directed by Matt Reeves and written for the screen in collaboration with Mark Bomback, based on characters created by Rick Jaffa and Amanda Silver. The franchise is based on the classic novel “The Planet of the Apes” by Pierre Boulle. The film follows Caesar (Andy Serkis), having escaped captivity and defended his fellow apes from humans, finds their community under attack by a ruthless, rogue colonel (Woody Harrelson), killing his wife and eldest son. Now Caesar must ensure his community escapes to a new land, far from humans, while also seeking revenge against the Colonel. 

Spoilers ahead. 

One of my favorite franchises growing up was The Planet of the Apes. I remember seeing parts of all five films on syndicated television growing up, and when I got my first job and the right mail-order catalog, I was able to get the first five movies as a VHS boxed set. VHS is a tape-based format that you had to physically rewind to watch again. The horror, right? As a kid, though, that was awesome, and I fell in love with the franchise. I still haven’t seen the television show, which is on my bucket list, but I do remember reading the book just before being disappointed by Tim Burton’s remake, and when this prequel trilogy came out, I was so hesitant that I didn’t even see the first film, and only saw the second film for the first time at a Benson Interruption with Zach Galifianakis and other comedians shredding it before my eyes. Not the best way to be introduced to this franchise. But when I rewatched the second film with my spouse later, I started to notice just how amazing the special effects and costumes were, and when I saw this installment, the third and hopefully not final, I knew they were finally doing the franchise justice, and on a scale they couldn’t manage for this story in the original franchise working on much smaller budgets.

“War for the Planet of the Apes” brings a close to the reimagining of the franchise storyline, eschewing a bunch of time travel logistics for the genetic engineering solution which leads to apes becoming more intelligent, and the flu killing off most of the human population. “Rise” is quickly followed by “Dawn”, which shows two populations trying to become equal, but the real genius of this reboot is reimagining the state of humans in the future, who aren’t more primitive because of experimentation, but are made more primitive by the simian flu as it mutates. Now humans have not only caused their own extinction, but also their own evolution into a more docile, lower-order thinking animal, akin to how we view primates today. This film is about race relations, about engineering our own obsolescence, about animal rights and sentience, and about the distraction of war in the face of natural disasters, and especially biological ones.

Matt Reeves kills it as director and co-writer, stretching this final story over 140 minutes, with the right pacing for character development, incredible action scenes, thought-provoking and thematically important scenes, and a fitting end to Caesar’s journey, even if it felt rushed. My only concern with the script is not enough hope for another trilogy, although all the elements have been peppered throughout this trilogy. And my only concern with the cast was Bad Ape (Steve Zahn), who while providing some much needed comic relief, also could be distracting and off tone with the rest of the scenes, even if I think the confirmation of simian evolution outside the initial region being a wonderful key to unlocking this franchise even further. Imagine two ape communities needing to go to war. Or having the astronauts who launched in the first reboot film return to see what has happened. So many opportunities!

“War for the Planet of the Apes” (2017) is a fitting end to the reboot prequel trilogy, reimagining the cause for the rise of the intelligent apes, and the further effects on the world no longer for humans. This is not a simple genre film, but an epic story that treats the source material with incredible respect, and breathes new life into the franchise. Anyone who doesn’t hate science fiction would be well served to watch all three films, and for those of you who really dig it, seek out the original properties, and imagine that was all you had. 

Rotten Tomatoes: 93% (CERTIFIED FRESH)

Metacritic: 82 (MUST SEE)

One Movie Punch: 9.4/10

“War for the Planet of the Apes” (2017) is rated PG-13 and is currently streaming on HBO.

Hi everyone!

Welcome back to the podcast. Only one for the day, because it’s another Takeover Tuesday. I’ll be continuing my story from the wildfire evacuation and aftermath in a minute, but if you haven’t heard the earlier segments, hit pause, then go back to my review for “Outlaw King” (Episode #314) for the first segment, then listen every episode after that for another installment. Let me know you’re listening by sharing this episode with #WelcomeBackOMP.

Last segment we ended with finally getting back home, after what seemed like a drive that took forever to make. You could actually feel everyone unclench once the garage door went back down, and even though unpacking was a pain in the ass, we managed to take care of it. My daughter went up to her room to engage with her friends, some of which were still evacuated, or on their way home. My spouse did the same, and I just took a moment to let the stress of the last two days go. It was great to be home, and better yet, we had an Internet connection, so I posted the update to everyone that we were finally back, but would need a few more days to get things started. Or so we thought... 

One of the folks who replied? Shane Hyde, today’s Takeover Tuesday guest, back with a review that I regrettably had to postpone with the wildfire evacuation. It was, of course, the least of his concerns when he reached out, and I appreciated his well wishes. Thanks for your patience, Shane, as we got things back up and running. 

We’re welcoming him back this week, hopefully with a film he actually enjoys this time, and not another exercise in ruining his memories. His eyes have healed just in time, and you can still catch him on Twitter @lordkhadow, although he went back into lurking almost immediately after last time. Or did he? Only one way to find out!

And now, Shane’s secret Takeover Tuesday audition reel. Action!

Okay, can you give me a reason we should include you?

“I’m Shane Hyde and One Movie Punch is my favorite podcast on the Internet!”

All right. Flattery will get you everywhere. So, here’s a cue ca...

“Dang! We’re in a tight spot! One Movie Punch! Takeover Tuesday!”

Yes, well, that’s clever, but we have a cue card. Try this one.

“Takeover Tuesday. One Movie Punch. I thought you was a toad.”

All right, now try…

“One Movie Punch. Takeover Tuesday. I’m a Dapper Dan man!”

Yes, also clever, but not the cue card. Now, try this variation, reversing the first two bits, and let’s pluralize the last bit.

“One Movie Punch. Takeover Tuesday. We thought you was a toad!”

Perfect! Our new motto! Thank you!

One Movie Punch. Takeover Tuesday. We thought you was a toad!

Kia Ora

I’m Shane Hyde and I’m back for round two of Takeover Tuesday here on One Movie Punch. You can find One Movie Punch on all major platforms at onemoviepunch.com. Follow on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram by searching for One Movie Punch. I’m super excited for today’s film what with it being somewhat formative and informative of my own modern-day tastes and proclivities.

And so now...

“O Brother, Where Art Thou?” (2000) was one of them films that shoulda gone a lot further than it did, and it ended up going a lot further than it was, if you pardon that there figure of speech.

It ain’t no secret that it’s inspired from the epic historically based story of Homer’s ‘Odyssey’, interpreted loosely, and I must say loosely, for the screen by Ethan and Joel Coen.

“O Brother, Where Art Thou?” tells the heroic story of Everett (George Clooney) on a journey to escape the devil, fight a cyclops, outwit the Klan, and all pursuant to a tin of Dapper Dan.

Spoilers ahead.

I really want to try to summarize this film to make it easy to understand without spoiling it too much at all, because it does contain a few little twists and turns and things that are quite exciting to the viewer as they watch it. And... I really can’t. Everett (George Clooney) is a bit of a cad all the way through. He’s not an honest fellow. He leads Pete (John Turturro) and Delmar (Tim Blake Nelson) to escape a chain gang and set out to recover this buried money from his previous life before he got struck off being a lawyer. And he knows that it’s going to be gone forever under a man-made lake. But he’s not really telling the truth here, is he? He’s leading them down the path, so to speak. So, when they do escape the chain gang, it begins with a quick prophecy on a handcart from an old blind man. It’s one of those parallels back to Homer’s “Odyssey”, and it ends up the prophecy being true enough, with Everett getting to his wife Penny (Holly Hunter) before she remarries another man who is most definitely bona fide.

This is a movie that you could recommend to everyone. Comedy... it has it. Men turning to frogs after being seduced by sirens wanting to turn them in for the bounty... it has that too. It has betrayal... check. It has John Goodman, which makes every movie awesome, and you can watch this movie with the whole dang family and they’ll all be tapping their feet to “Man of Constant Sorrow”, because who doesn’t love that song? And where I mentioned up front that it was loosely connected to The Odyssey, there are clear parallels, like the cows of Helios being machine-gunned from the car. There’s the battle with the Cyclops. This is John Goodman again stealing the scene again as Big Dan Teague. The sirens’ song seduces our boys, and much like after the Trojan War, everything has changed for our heroes by the end. And the world undergoes its own tumultuous change.

This is a rollicking good tale. It’s a road trip, it’s a comedy, and it’s even a musical. It’s fantastically fantastical and definitely quotable, and you can slip into it at any point, time and time again. You can put the soundtrack on repeat and sing along with definitely-not-George-Clooney in the car. And this review is timely, for the Coen Brothers have worked their magic again. “The Ballad of Buster Scruggs” has made it to Netflix just recently. But I’m gonna leave Joe to review that one for you.

“O Brother, Where Art Thou?” (2000) is a fun film, an exciting road trip that’ll keep you glued and watching right up until the weirdly surreal final few scenes. Fans of musicals might enjoy this film, fans of comedy will get a laugh, and fans of period pieces will get a genuine kick. Movie buffs will find enough plot-holes to drive a bus through, so don’t think too much about the movie.

Rotten Tomatoes: 77% (CERTIFIED FRESH)

Metacritic: 69

One Movie Punch: 8.8/10

“O Brother, Where Art Thou?” (2000) is rated PG-13 and is available for rent or purchase wherever you enjoy movies.

Thanks for listening. This has been my second guest review. If you like what you heard, you can reach out to me on social media. I’m @lordkhadow on Twitter and on Facebook as Shane Hyde. You can subscribe to this daily podcast. I don’t have one myself, but I’m slowly turning it off. Check out onemoviepunch.com for more details. Peace out. Take care. Stay safe.

Hi everyone!

Welcome back to the podcast. This is the second of two podcasts today as we get caught up from the wildfire evacuation. I’ll be continuing my story from the wildfire evacuation in a minute, but if you haven’t heard the earlier segments, hit pause, then go back to my review for “Outlaw King” (Episode #314) for the first segment, then listen every episode after that for another installment. Let me know you’re listening by sharing this episode with #WelcomeBackOMP 

Last segment we ended with getting the all clear to return to our home, and repacking our car for the drive home, after thanking our host family for their shelter. The drive home actually felt longer than the evacuation drive. The traffic wasn’t actually too bad, but we were still passing fire trucks on their way towards the Woolsey Fire, still burning towards Los Angeles. We were driving into the smoke we saw blowing in from town, and watching it continue to plume in the distance. We were tired as we pulled into home, but it was good to be home, and to have a home to come back to.

It was also good to hear from folks while we were away, including Park Journey, a blog that follows theme parks and other attractions around the country. They reached out over Twitter while we were evacuated, and wished us well, and here’s a small way I can thank you for your support. You can follow them on Twitter @Park_Journey and check out their blog with tons of pictures at parkjourney.com.

Today’s movie is “The Crew” (2015), the Netflix Original French drama directed by Julien Leclercq and written for the screen in collaboration with Simon Moutairou. The film follows Yanis Zeri (Sami Bouajila), who leads a team of robbers that take a gig which results in threats to their families. Now they must take on another high stakes mission to save their families and their own lives.

Spoilers ahead.

Some films just misfire with me. Sometimes I can chalk that up to my internal bias, when I’m being honest with myself. But sometimes, I can find just the right problem with the film to know it’s not my fault, which is something I generally say when I’m not being honest with myself. And if all of this seems confusing to you, it is the exact same kind of confusion within this film, which starts strong with an opening mission, and then steadily heads in a downward spiral for every member of the crew. Sometimes for characters being honest with themselves. Sometimes for characters not being honest with themselves. We barely know the members. We can’t ever know if we can identify with them other than circumstantially. And we just watch as things go from bad to worse.

It’s not exactly a film that lifts the spirits, so unless it’s exquisitely crafted, it can only be so much, especially with a running time just over 80 minutes. The film ends up being both too fast and too slow. Story-wise, everything happens too fast, with almost no real character building. Action-wise, the film can feel surprisingly slow, since there’s no real commitment to the characters possible, and it never seems to make up for the wait. I was extremely excited by the first twenty minutes, then felt like the last hour took twice as long to finish. Not exactly the kind of film you want to show to a friend over Thanksgiving, especially after a turkey dinner.

Still, the film is pretty decent and has its moments. The action may not make up for the lack of story and character development. The realism of the story was refreshing, even when the characters seemed to make unrealistic choices. And like the previous episode, many parts of this film are derivative of other crime films. Downward spiral stories aren’t all bad, but it takes a lot more than what is offered to make this one better than it is. 

“The Crew” (2015) is too fast in its character development and too slow in between action scenes, a dangerous combination for a short running time. The film could use an extra twenty minutes to smooth out those edges, but the current version is still enjoyable, if flawed. Action fans, who aren’t normally known for their need for character development, should definitely check out this film, but everyone else may want to read a few other reviews before deciding if this one is for you.

Rotten Tomatoes: NR

Metacritic: NR

One Movie Punch: 7.0/10

“The Crew” (2015) is rated TV-MA and is currently streaming on Netflix.

Hi everyone!

Welcome back to the podcast. This is the first of two podcasts today as we get caught up from the wildfire evacuation. I’ll be continuing my story from the wildfire evacuation in a minute, but if you haven’t heard the earlier segments, hit pause, then go back to my review for “Outlaw King” (Episode #314) for the first segment, then listen every episode after that for another installment. Let me know you’re listening by sharing this episode with #WelcomeBackOMP. 

Last segment ended with my family having fled inside our host family’s home after the smoke had blown back towards us, then receiving the notification that our mandatory evacuation had been lifted. We had discussed earlier that day, before the smoke, that maybe we should stay where we were even if we got the okay to repopulate, because of air quality. But now the choice was to be stuck inside their house or inside our own home, and we chose the latter, after repacking our car for what we hoped would be the last time, and thanking the host family, with a promise to cook dinner for their family once everything settled down. It’s the least we could do for the shelter they gave us.

Speaking of giving thanks, while I can’t make dinner for him, I would like to thank @paul_patton for reaching out on Twitter while the podcast was offline. I traded posts with him during the 2017 #DLMChallenge, and we’ve kept in touch since, although not as frequently. Thanks, Paul!

Today’s movie is “May The Devil Take You” (2018), the Indonesian Netflix Original horror film written and directed by Timo Tjahjanto. The film follows Alfie (Chelsea Islan), who is called to the hospital after her father Lesmana (Ray Sahetapy) contracts a strange illness. His second wife Laksmi (Karina Suwandhi), attempting to deal with Lesmana’s financial failure, wants to liquidate a property in Alfie’s name, and when they visit the home, release an evil responsible for Lesmana’s success and current state of decline.

Spoilers ahead.

I was a little nervous to watch this one, given the string of Indonesian horror films Netflix has chosen to import. “The Third Eye” (Episode #276) and “Kuntilanak” (Episode #297) were less than entertaining, but today’s film was helmed by Timo Tjahjanto, who blew me away recently with “The Night Comes For Us” (Episode #295), so I was intrigued, and hoping he would bring the same level of brutalism to today’s film. And the result? Mostly derivative, but with a few strengths, and enough to restore my hope in future Indonesian horror films. I really hope my upcoming review for “Sabrina” (Episode #328) holds up as well. 

“May the Devil Take You” is definitely a derivative film, a combination devil’s bargain, possession, and haunted house horror film that doesn’t pull too many punches. That handicaps the score quite a bit for me, especially since the film doesn’t really break any new ground. However, when done right, a derivative film can be a pleasure to watch, and I would say this film is done right, if not necessarily done well. Sure, the story is reductive, but there are a few moments that I thought were cleverly done, whether that was POV camera work, or practical scares, or every scene with a hammer. Nothing really stood out too much as an eyesore, aside from maybe all the bloody vomit that just seemed to be there for the squirm factor. It revels in its derivative nature, which lowered my expectations while increasing my enjoyment.

Once you figure out the sort of film you’re watching, it makes appreciating it a lot easier, for whatever it is instead of whatever it might be. It also makes finding things to like about the film easier, like the performances by Chelsea Islan as Alfie, and Pevita Pearce as Maya, Alfie’s stepsister, even as the script took random turns for their characters. Solid effects, sets and costumes. Decent, if derived messaging. Put all that together with the clever moments mentioned earlier, and you have a thoroughly enjoyable film, at least for horror films. 

“May the Devil Take You” (2018) is the first Netflix Original Indonesian horror film I’ve liked, despite its derived and reductive nature. While it doesn’t break any new ground, it is still a decent film with more than a few solid scenes and moments. Horror fans looking for an easy watch, aside from the massive amounts of blood, should definitely give this a shot, and appreciate it for what it is.

Rotten Tomatoes: 86%

Metacritic: NR

One Movie Punch: 7.6/10

“May the Devil Take You” (2018) is rated TV-MA and is currently streaming on Netflix.

Hi everyone!

Here’s a second episode for today while we’re getting caught up from the fire. I last left you with the immense trauma experienced by my cat, lounging comfortably on the no pets couch, while I read Kurt Vonnegut in a hardback wooden rocking chair. Actually, it was pretty comfortable, and I had forgotten how much I liked to read. We had the news on for a bit, but with just fleeing inside from the smoke, it was more than we could handle, and we had hours to kill before the official press conference later that afternoon. Waiting is probably the most stressful thing for me to do, as someone who suffers from acute anxiety attacks, and I had been pretty much having a two-day long attack. I was moving between feeling glad our house was still standing and feeling sorrow for those who lost so much, up and down the state. And even though I felt guilty about it, I was really happy when the press conference started, and we were given the okay to repopulate our neighborhood.

More from my adventures during the evacuation in the coming episodes. You can hear the whole story starting with my review for “Outlaw King” (Episode #314) and before each review leading up to today, and if you haven’t yet, please subscribe. Let me know you’re listening by sharing this episode with #WelcomeBackOMP, and I’ll add you to a growing list of people I want to thank out there.

Folks like Mat Landour, an award winning French director and illustrator, who reached out after I updated everyone. We’ve been trading likes on Instagram, him for some of my movie reviews, me for his awesome illustrated short stories. I felt honored he would reach out, and thought I would return the favor by promoting him in this episode. You can connect with Mat on Twitter @matlandour, on Instagram @matlandour, but definitely check out his website at www.matlandour.com. Thanks for reaching out, Mat!

And now...

Today’s movie is “Vintage Tomorrows” (2015), the Magical and Practical and Porter Panther documentary directed by Byrd McDonald. The documentary follows the explosive steampunk subculture, from its amorphous origins to its modern-day creators and gatherings, in an attempt to understand the fascination and how it applies to our modern culture on multiple levels.

Spoilers ahead.

Western civilization has a fascination with knowing who did something first, especially in our world obsessed with recognition on a personal level, and probably a fleeting desire to be at least a footnote in human history. It’s an idea that has its roots in two key concepts: European colonization and the dawn of the industrial age, which are ironically the two major sources of inspiration for steampunk as an aesthetic. And much like steampunk’s origins, as a sub-culture, it hasn’t really been so much as a who did it first, as much as a who were the progenitors of the foundational ideas, who is rarely one person. Which brings us to today’s documentary, bringing together some of the major influencers, makers, and content creators for steampunk, gathered around a table in a guided discussion with the authors of the book that serves as the basis for the documentary.

“Vintage Tomorrows”, if nothing else, is a nice introduction to all things steampunk, heavily dependent on interview footage to drive the story spliced with b-roll of all the lovely costumes, props, and content within the sub-culture. It’s the equivalent of a coffee table book look at steampunk, with lots of visuals, a few short quotes, and almost no narration. Had it kept this structure and format the entire documentary, it would have been passable, but towards the end we’re also invited behind the scenes of a steampunk troupe wedding, and I found myself suddenly wanting something much more than what I was getting. I left the documentary with mixed feelings, having a nice source material list to dig into the genre, including the book on which the documentary is based, but also realizing I’m missing out on a lot more the steampunk sub-culture has to offer.

And that goes double for the extremely fascinating discussions towards the end, which look at steampunk’s place in the larger society. It’s easy to laugh at steampunk as some hipster hobby, and that’s hard to dissuade when the aesthetic inspiration comes from the time of colonization and imperialism, which obviously ignores both the class and race discrimination on which those societies were built. I was happy to see that discussed, along with the effort to create a retro-futurism as perhaps a way to reclaim, or maybe more importantly, recreate and reform a European cultural styling. And also how steampunk becomes a multi-facted metaphor for our larger relationship to technology, the good and bad aspects. The film begins like a genre fan convention and ends on some surprisingly poignant insights into our larger, quickly crumbling society.

“Vintage Tomorrows” (2015) is a nice introduction to steampunk, which looks at the history and impact of the sub-culture through a series of interviews with today’s well-known steampunk community ambassadors. It helps dispel some of the myths surrounding how the sub-culture is portrayed while also looking at the deeper significance of its impact on the larger culture and its relationship to technology. It will also whet your appetite, even if it can’t satiate it. Anyone who wants to learn more about steampunk should check out this documentary, then put on your goggles and board your airship for the growing volume of content available out there.

Rotten Tomatoes: NR

Metacritic: NR

One Movie Punch: 7.4/10

“Vintage Tomorrows” (2015) is not rated and is currently streaming on Amazon Prime, Kanopy, and Tubi.

Hi everyone!

Welcome back to another catchup podcast, the first of two today in our quest to get caught up after the wildfire evacuation. I guess we technically had two wildfire evacuations, the first from our home, and the second from the motor home we were sheltering in, when the smoke came in. Thankfully, moving inside was easier, and we took over our host family’s living room, which I cleaned up as a form of treating my spiking anxiety, and before letting our cat out of the carrier we had smashed her into while fleeing the smoke. She was unusually quiet, as cats get in high stress situations, and I was getting things ready to snuggle her and tell her everything was okay. My daughter was asleep on our host family’s new couch, and my spouse was reading or knitting, and once things were cleaned up, I turned to comfort our cat. I opened the door... and she saunters out, takes a look around, and casually jumps up on the host family’s couch to settle right back down. Totally owning the room. And owning the couch, which we later came to find out was absolutely off limits to the other pets in their house. Including another cat. Yeah, our cat was fine.

More on my adventures during the evacuation and afterwards in the coming episodes as we get caught up. You can hear the whole story, starting with my review for “Outlaw King” (Episode #314), and before every review leading up to today. Let me know you’re listening by sharing this episode using #WelcomeBackOMP, and I’ll add you to the growing list of people I need to thank.

People like Rob, his stalker Shawn, and Future Shawn of the Movie Geek & Proud Podcast. The podcast gave a shout out when we posted our initial update, letting folks know about the delay, and have always been a pleasure to interact with these past few months. You should definitely check out their recent efforts on the podcast last month, as participants within a massive collaboration called #AllTheHorror. I hope I can nab a seat at the table for next year, because it was excellent. Here’s a quick promo for their podcast, followed by the review.

Today’s movie is “Let The Sunshine In” (2017), the French romantic dramedy directed by Claire Denis and written for the screen in collaboration with Christine Angot. The film follows Isabelle (Juliette Binoche), a divorced Parisian painter, who has decided to give love another try, as we follow her journey through a series of lovers, challenging social norms along the way, and ending up in a most unexpected place.

Spoilers ahead.

Claire Denis is one of those names you hear about when someone vaguely refers to the French film scene and creates a list of directors that someone should know. My first taste of her films was earlier this year with “Trouble Every Day” (Episode #094), which everyone has told me afterwards is probably the worst film to start with. And yet, despite all the controversy surrounding that film, I’m glad I had at least some frame of reference to appreciate today’s film, and now I am certainly motivated to explore more of her back catalog.

I’ve really come to enjoy the ideas and perspectives from films written, directed, and starring women, especially as a man who grew up on virtually all male-oriented films, and teased for enjoying romantic comedies in small town America. It’s important to explore these perspectives, not just to understand the female point of view historically, but as we see in this film, the changing nature of that role in a society that is becoming nominally more and more pluralistic. The suitors comes and go, and instead of waiting for the perfect suitor for a perfect ending, we get to see unexpected and wholly expected changes often unexplored by the standard box office romantic comedy. Denis’ direction compliments Juliette’s performance very well, tackling this perspective in a mostly light-hearted way, a sharp contrast to my experience with “Trouble Every Day”, with great scoring underneath and during transitions. It is a romantic comedy that challenges its own limitations, something that Denis is quite adept at doing.

If there’s any flaw with the film, it’s the erratic nature of the plot without a clear sense of how much time is or has passed. Perhaps that was part of the intended aesthetic, but it made it difficult to judge whether any given reaction or interaction should feel accurate, especially as weeks or months go by. A second viewing, however, would definitely answer all those questions I had during the initial viewing. The genius ending also deserves a second viewing, as it loses something the first time around if you’re reading subtitles. It happens suddenly, and then it lingers like a beautiful grace note as our protagonist has a very interesting conversation with a clairvoyant. I watched it again without the subtitles, just to let the emotion of the scene flow over me.

“Let The Sunshine In” (2017) is a romantic comedy for a changing time, dissected and reconstructed by Claire Denis and brought to life with a marvelous performance by Juliette Binoche. While the film doesn’t have a standard story arc, it does explore and develop a number of emotions and situations that challenge the notion of a romantic comedy. Fans of French films, or folks looking to get into Claire Denis, would be well served by seeing this film, and then seeing what else their amazing corner of the world has to offer.

Rotten Tomatoes: 86% (FRESH)

Metacritic: 79

One Movie Punch: 8.6/10

“Let The Sunshine In” (2017) is not rated and is currently streaming on Hulu.

Hi everyone!

Welcome back to Takeover Tuesday! Except it’s on Saturday. You know, because of the fire thing. And with fire comes smoke. A lot of it. So much they were showing all the billowing clouds of it on the news channels, most of which I was avoiding for my own sanity. I actually spent a while working on my writing, taking inspiration from the chaos of the last couple of days, trying to focus on what I could. It was hot in that motor home after getting cleaned up, and while working, I started to smell it. Just faintly, on the wind, after changing direction and bringing relief from the heat, it was also bringing the smoke. You could see it drifting into the entire city from our vantage point, just slightly up on the hills around the city. So much for writing. We gathered up our things from the motor home, then headed inside the house with the family that was sheltering us. The wind picked up more and more, finally turning that faint odor into the same charred smell from our way out of our neighborhood. Home suddenly seemed like a long way away.

More on my adventures during the fire in the next episode. If you want to hear the full story, go back to my review for “Outlaw King” (Episode #314) and get caught up. Let me know you’re listening by sharing this episode with #WelcomeBackOMP, and I will add you to the growing list of people to thank.

Folks like today’s guest, Mike Bales, aka the Angry Video Guy, someone I met during the 2017 #DLMChallenge when we were attempting to watch 365 movies in 365 days. He used to host a public access show about movies, and is a survivor from the times of video stores. He also set a new record for having a Takeover Tuesday podcast ready, well ahead of schedule, and well before such trivial things as wildfire evacuations. I had to pull the episode, obviously, given our situation, and he was very understanding, and contrary to his namesake, not the least bit angry. Catch him on Twitter @bales1181 and beware if he’s ever happy. You wouldn’t like him when he’s happy.

Mike, thanks for your patience as we get the podcast back up and running. Here’s a quick promo with the review to follow. 

Hi there! This is Mike Bales, your Angry Video Guy. Passionate movie watcher that has worked in various video stores until the inevitable demise due to DVDs, and then Netflix. Started the #DLMChallenge last year and hit my goal of 365 movies. This year I have not been as successful but continue to watch way too many movies. I love being able to track what I watch, tweet about and start up the conversation with other movie lovers.

Today’s movie is “The Man Who Knew Infinity” (2015), the film directed by Matthew Brown and written by Matthew Brown. The movie takes place in 1913 when Srinivasa Ramanujan (Dev Patel) fights against everyone to ensure that the numbers in his head make it on to the paper to be published for the world to see.  He is befriended by G.H. Hardy (Jeremy Irons) who will do everything he can to challenge him on how to show English fellows that he deserves to stand next to them as an equal.

Spoilers ahead.

The movie opens up to Hardy wishing that he had known earlier to take down his guard and open up to new possibilities of genius.  From there, we go to Ramanujan seeking a job that will help him not only survive, but show everyone how much he knows, until he finds a man in his hometown that gets it. The push begins to show him there is a bigger world outside of Madras, which he is scared to leave as he is told it is forbidden.  Knowing that everything inside his head could not die, he pushes forward to leave his home for Trinity College at Cambridge. The relationship that we only get to see a little glimpse between him and his wife, shows us an awkward man that doesn’t know how to communicate outside of numbers.  I enjoyed his line when he is showing his wife one of his notebooks which she doesn’t understand but he talks about in a way that brings him joyful emotion in describing numbers as a painting with colors you cannot see.

The welcome committee was not fully there when he arrived at Cambridge, but, he continued to fight and humble himself with the mere thought that he was there, and the opportunity will come. After constant pushback from fear of his intelligence, or that he was unable to provide proofs in their specific ways, he continued to help show them how he knows these things.

Dev Patel has played many roles against great odds, such as “Slumdog Millionaire” and “Lion”. He may not have completely lived up to these two films, but he did still deliver, while combating with Jeremy Irons and winning him over.  I wonder if the pacing of the film or the lack of push moments that could have brought this to the level that should have been delivered at.

“The Man Who Knew Infinity” (2015) is a film that shows us how genius always will be challenged with frustration, and it takes time for people to see it. As much as people wants proof, proof doesn’t always need to be provided.

Rotten Tomatoes: 62%

Metacritic: 56%

One Movie Punch: 7.0/10

“The Man Who Knew Infinity“ (2015) is rated PG-13 and is currently streaming.

This is your Angry Video Guy, Mike Bales, and you can follow me on Twitter @Bales1181 for some entertaining reviews and movie banter.