I have seen the original B/W film “The Invisible Man”, “Memoirs of the Invisible Man”, “Hollow Man” & Abbott & Costello Meet the Invisible Man, which is still my favorite. I don’t remember any of those being like this movie, which is a very stylistic and scary thriller. Elisabeth Moss has been having quite a career lately getting the shit scared out of her. Between Handmaid Tail, Us & this movie, she’s on a roll. She’s also very good playing a woman who escapes her possessive and abusive powerful husband only to be terrorized after she thought the man was dead. The whole invisible gimmick is very cleverly done. There is a slow build-up much like the way it was used in the Paranormal Activity movies. Once she catches on, it becomes a very good thriller. The score is terrific as it does a good job at adding tension to what the audience already knows is probably coming. You get a few twists along the way which helps because you pretty much know how the film is going to play out. There are some frightening scenes, a little gore, but not too bad. Leave the kids at home.
Rating: (***1/2)
Some more quick reviews
“Linda Ronstadt: The Sound of My Voice”
A very good and entertaining documentary about Linda Ronstadt. She narrates this film herself and it spans her entire career. It captures all the different times she’s reinvented herself when she didn’t have to whether it be performing in Broadway shows, doing American standards or tackling Latin music, which she ultimately won a slew of Grammys for. She always did things her way. The music, of course is terrific and if you weren’t a fan of hers before, you will be now.
Rating: (****)
“Doctor Sleep”
A very long and unneeded follow-up to The Shining. This film got a very favorable response from Stephen King so I checked it out. I had a really difficult time following a lot of the story. The film is told with Dan Torrance (Ewan McGregor) in the forefront many years older, but still pretty messed up. In this story, you’ve got witches, cults, multi-dimensions and all kinds of nonsense. Rebecca Ferguson plays a pretty compelling witch/villian but I also didn’t really understand what she had to do with the whole Shining ability. The last 30 minutes when they finally incorporate the Overlook Hotel is probably the best part of the film as the action picks up a little. It’s just a mess and for 2.5 hours, I was really wondering what the point of this was.
Rating: (**)
“Ford v Ferrari”
One of the Best Picture contenders of 2019 is a very entertaining film based on the true story of the battle between 2 automakers to win the LaMans Race in the 60s. Matt Damon and Christian Bale play partners in a constant battle with the Ford company to do things their own way and to ultimately give them the car to win the big race. Bale plays the driver who doesn’t have the right image, but Damon fights for him. There are some terrific sequences in this such as Damon taking Henry Ford II (Tracy Letts) for a ride and the LeMans race is also quite exciting. The racing sequences are very well done and there are a bunch of them. There is lots of humor sprinkled in to help move things along and lighten the film. Not sure I would’ve ranked this among one of the best films of last year, but it’s very good and worth sitting through.
Rating: (***1/2)
“Zombieland: Double Tap”
Very funny sequel to the mild hit from a few years ago. All the regulars are back including Woody Harrelson, Emma Stone, Jesse Eisenberg & Abigail Breslin. In this chapter, they’re living in the White House and why not? They seem to be having a lot of fun living there but “Little Rock” (Breslin) is feeling restless and decides to take off and the rest of the gang sets off to find her. They try Graceland first and come across a few other survivors such as Rosario Dawson and a couple other nuts including Luke Wilson playing a role very similar to Harrelsons in a funny little twist. They eventually all meet up at a Babylon, a place to celebrate peace and smoke pot. Unfortunately, they’re all completely ignorant and to make matters worse, they like to set off fireworks and attract zombies. There is also a new kind of zombie introduced named the T-800 which is referenced by the Terminator films. To enjoy the Zombieland films, you have to remember the rules such as “Cardio”, “Double-Tap”, “Always stay Limber” and stay away from public bathrooms. If you forget them, they show up in pop-up form frequently for comic affect. With movies like these, you either laugh or you don’t and I did a lot. It’s very funny and the action is fun. It’s certainly a movie you just go with because not a whole lot of it should be taken seriously. It’s just a goofy ride.
Rating: (***1/2)
“The Good Liar”
A really good story about an elderly con man named Roy (Ian McKellen) who uses a dating service to find unsuspecting wealthy women to snooker them out of their money. Roy meets Betty (Helen Mirren) and the two of them hit it off but not in a romantic way, but more of a companionship, at least in her world. When he fakes an injury, she invites him into her house and he ends up staying as their relationship gets closer. Roy is a very sneaky and smart man where everything is choreographed and planned out for a greater purpose and long game. Mirren apparently, seems to fall for it as she leads a lonely and vulnerable life. The story unfolds very well and it increasingly gets more and more interesting. How is this old creep going to get caught? Will he get caught? Betty has a grandson who is suspicious of him, but he never gets close enough and by the time he does unfold some new information, it’s too late. Fortunately, things aren’t always what they seem. This film works because its being anchored by pros. We’ve seen this story done before but it works this time as you begin to really believe the stories that Roy weaves and believe that Betty is really this gullible. The movie moves along and is paced well. You get really caught up in this and I enjoyed it.
Rating: (***1/2)
“Terminator: Dark Fate”
This movie bombed big time at the box office and it’s a real shame because it kicks some major ass. After 2 big dumpster fires called “Salvation” and “Genysis” they finally got back to basics and did this franchise a solid. Taking place after the events of T2: Judgement Day, a really good Terminator movie, we meet a new protector arriving on earth played by Mackenzie Davis who like Linda Hamilton has hit the gym and then some. Holy shit. Her job is to protect a latina named Dani who will be carrying the future savior of mankind. If all this sounds familiar, it should. Much of this film is a combination of storylines taken from T1 & T2. May as well take from the best. Sarah Connor returns in bad ass fashion to lend her support as she travels the country killing off terminators with her giant elephant gun. Linda Hamilton is a very welcome return to the franchise despite her face looking like a catchers mask and her voice sounding like a pack of Camels. It’s Linda Hamilton playing Sarah Connor, so who cares. Arnold is back and he’s great known as Carl in this movie and living in exile as a drapery business owner. He actually spends a couple minutes talking about drapes. Hysterical. He gets sucked in to help, even though Connor wants to kill him. the action is great. There are 2 terrific action sequences. One at the very beginning on the highway and the other on a damn. Both are very exciting. This movie works because it gives you exactly what you want. You want the the Terminator, Sarah, robots and action. You got it. You also want a coherent story which was missing in the last 2 films and you got that too. Too bad nobody wanted to see this in the theaters because it’s a lot of fun.
Rating: (***1/2)
“Birds of Prey”
I made my first new release in the theater for 2020 with this movie. After sitting through Birds of Prey, it is obvious that DC wants to make Harley Quinn their answer to Marvels Deadpool. There are too many similarities. But that isn’t a bad thing because Harley is a really fun character played to the hilt by Margot Robbie. She’s having a blast. You could say this is a spin-off of Suicide Squad, a movie I kind of liked, but there isn’t much connection to that film aside from the reference of the Joker character to which he dumped her. That is referenced a lot, but the Joker is never seen, fortunately because Jared Leto’s version of the Joker sucks. As for this movie, it’s a wild film that is pretty fun at times. It introduces the Birds of Prey and I remember some of it from the comics and a failed TV series and it wasn’t anything like this. But it worked for the most part as each individual of the group is pretty interesting especially Rosie Perez in one of her best roles in years. She’s difficult to cast sometimes. The story is all over the place and is probably the weakest aspect of the picture. It gets gimmicky with the storytelling and I really wish it was more linear because it gets really confusing. Once they do away with that, the film makes more sense and has less problems. The action is well choreographed and pretty fun. The last 30 minutes are a blast and they set things up for more movies. This is a pretty R rated film. There is lots of cartoon type violence, but the language is very adult so please use caution when taking your kids to see this. I took my 13 year old and thought maybe this wasn’t the best parenting choice but then again I have a toilet mouth and he’s probably heard worse on the school bus. Not a great movie, but it’s fun and I give it a mild recommendation
Rating (**1/2)
My Oscar Telecast Decompression
My Oscar Telecast Decompression
Overall, I thought it was a pretty good show. Last year they went without a host by necessity and it worked very well and this time they went with it by choice and again, I think things went as well as can be expected. Those of you who went with my Oscar predictions for best picture, director, and the 2 screenplays, I offer my apologies. I did change my mind on the screenplays later in the week, but that doesn’t help you now. Who knew that the Academy would have such a boner for “Parasite”. Well, I kinda suspected as the week went on that we may see an upset and after finally seeing the movie, I can’t fault the choice. “Parasite” is a pretty terrific film. I commend the Academy for being a little creative with their best pic winner after choosing “Green Book” last year. A nice, but safe choice.
I didn’t care for the opening musical number. It felt a little weird and disjointed. It was probably terrific in the theater, but on TV, I felt it didn’t transfer well. Poor direction didn’t help. It just seemed all over the place. The rest of the musical numbers were fine, but nothing to write home about. The Elton John song seemed to excite me the most out of the 5 songs. There was an Oscar moment that I thought was one of the highlights of the evening and that was the surprise appearance of Eminem’s rousing performance of “Lose Yourself” after 17 years of it winning best song. The was preceded by a very good montage of songs in movies.
The speeches were pretty good. I loved Brad Pitt’s and Laura Dern’s. I knew that they’d be pretty special. I didn’t know what to expect from Jouquin Phoenix, but I didn’t expect him to tell everybody not to drink milk. Kidding aside, he did say some good things and it was from the heart. I especially liked that he ended with a quote from his late brother River. As for Renee’s speech, I think she’s still talking. Holy shit. She also said some nice things, but she kept saying them over and over and I actually went to take a piss and when I came back from another level of the house she was still yammering.
The clothes didn’t impress me but I liked a few of them including Laura Dern, Rebel Wilson, Mindy Kaling and Brie Larson. I also enjoyed Spike Lee’s tux.
There were some funny moments with the presenters, I loved the montages introducing some of the categories and the show did seem to flow very well. They can due away with stars introducing stars as presenters. Just not necessary. I liked seeing the stars from the little scene “Peanut Butter Falcon” as presenters. That was a nice moment.
Oh my goodness Eric, are you done yet? Yes, I am. I picked 22 out of 24 categories correct in one of my Oscar pools and 17/24 in the other. Not too shabby. Now that the 2019 movie campaign is over, I look forward to seeing what’s at the show in 2020.
Eric’s Oscar Predictions
The Oscars are this Sunday and if you’re in an Oscar pool and not sure who’ll win, don’t worry, I got you covered in the major categories.
The 4 acting awards are forgone conclusions, but let’s go through them anyways.
> Actor- If I had a vote, it would go to Adam Driver, but I don’t. Antonio Banderas, Leo & Jeremy Irons are all deserving, although I would’ve included Eddie Murphy or Adam Sandler instead., but what are you going to do. The winner will Jouquin Phoenix and I’m sure his speech will be interesting and possibly incoherent. Winner- Jouquin Phoenix
> Actress- Renee Zellwegger will win, although I think her performance of Judy Garland was a bit underwhelming. My personal choice would be Charlize Theron as Megyn Kelly in Bombshell. She disappeared in that role and i thought I was watching Kelly herself. Can’t say that about Renee’s Garland. Winner- Renee Zellwegger
> Supp Actor- All great actors, but Brad Pitt will win and he deserves it too. If you look at his IMDB, he really hasn’t made very many clunkers and has been pretty terrific for a long time. He’d get my vote for a very breezy performance in a great film. The part was made for him. Winner- Brad Pitt
> Supp Actress- I like all these actresses, but if you’re going to nominate Margot Robbie, I think she was better in “Once Upon a Time” instead of “Bombshell”, but again, I don’t get a vote. The good news is that Laura Dern will win and I can’t wait to see her speech. A great performance in a great film by a great actress. Winner- Laura Dern
>Director- The best bet is Sam Mendes, but don’t be surprised if it goes to Quentin Tarentino. I believe that Sam Mendes will continue his hot streak and win. “1917” was quite a terrific movie and I think voters will appreciate the way it was shot to make it look like one continuous shot. My choice is Q, but the Winner- Sam Mendes
>Screenplays- These are a bit tough. I like “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood” for original, but “Parasite” is really quite brilliant and is very buzzy now. It’ll be one or the other, but I think “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood” will win because “Parasite” didn’t resonate with many. Too tough to call. Adapted will be either “Little Women” or possibly “Jojo Rabbit”. The smart money is for “Little Women”, but it could go to “JoJo” to spread a little wealth around and many thought it’s a very cute film. “The Irishman” has an outside shot too. Quite honestly, I have no idea. If I were betting, Winner- “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood” and “Little Women”.
>Int’l Feature- 1 choice. The winner will be “Parasite”
>Picture- This is a toss-up between a few pictures. You can eliminate “JoJo”, “Little Women”, “Ford v Ferrari”, “Joker”, and probably “Marriage Story”. The remaining 4 are all good choices. “Parasite” will win foreign film or whatever they call that category now so I don’t see it winning in both. “The Irishman” is loved by many, but i think “Once Upon a Time” and “1917” are the smart choices. The academy loves to award films about the industry and Q’s films have yet to win a best pic Oscar yet, so he’d be a great choice, but “1917” won the PGA and they are a good precursor. Who knows. Winner- I’m going with “1917” because it has momentum and came out the latest and freshest in voters minds, I will be rooting for “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood”
Just a little side note: IMO the best film of 2019 was The Avengers: Endgame” and there was 1 slot available. I would have given the Avengers some love.
The award ceremony is Sunday. Good luck everyone!
“Parasite”
The Kims are a smart family living in poverty, but have a knack of being resourceful and getting their day to day essentials by any way necessary. When an opportunity comes for the son to tutor the daughter of a very rich family, the Parks, he takes the job and shortly later, he’s able to get his sister a job in the family as a therapist for their young son. Then by some creative planning, they’re able to get the dad employed as the driver and the mom as the housekeeper. All 4 of them are working under different names and the Parks have no idea that they’re all from the same family. This whole aspect of the film is brilliant and it works for quite a while. Then one evening as the Parks are out on a weekend trip, the Kims are living it up in their house only to get a knock on the door to wrench in the whole operation. The film takes a very dark turn at this point and some of the fun of the fist 90 minutes go out the window. The movie becomes more of a thriller at this point, but still works and you need to start thinking about things as they slowly happen in the film. The writing is really good. The movie is funny at times and very clever. You really want to root for this family to succeed despite them sponging off this family in secrecy. But the Parks are no prizes either. They’re gullible but they completely take advantage of their new employees. There are some underlying messages all over this movie and you can discuss what they are after seeing the film.
Rating: (***1/2)
“Judy”
I went into this with pretty low expectations, and that’s exactly what I got. Bleh. A very dull and not very interesting biopic of Judy Garland’s career as she approaches the end of it. She’s already a bit of a booze hound and I was hoping to learn a bit more than I really did about her life. Renee Zellwegger does a nice job imitating Garland, but I didn’t find her performance all that special. Her singing in the film was not all that great. She’s going to win the Oscar, but not so sure she deserves it over the other nominees. The movie kind of plods along and despite some nice music numbers, I really didn’t care about anything that happens. I really would rather have watched a documentary than this.
Rating: (*1/2)
Eric at the Movies 