Cat Person

“Men are afraid that women will laugh at them. Women are afraid that men will kill them.” - Margaret Atwood

This quote is at the start of "Cat Person," a film directed by Susanna Fogel. It stars Emilia Jones as Margot, a college sophomore who works the popcorn stand at the local rep cinema. She meets older man Robert (Nicholas Braun - you may know him a cousin Greg from TV's "Succession") and they start a texting relationship followed by, well, something more. This movie is straight up smart. It's uncomfortably realistic at times. I'm sure it will open up all kinds of conversations about male/female power dynamics, social norms, and a shift in perception about romantic male movie leads, in particularly, Harrison Ford. Last year I showed my twenty something niece, "Blade Runner" for the first time. When Harrison Ford gets all aggressively kissy face with Sean Young, my niece was somewhat horrified. I wasn't expecting her reaction. I had never given a whole lot of thought about that scene before until I watched it with her (and I have seen "Blade Runner" over thirty times). This very scene is brought up in "Cat Person." The movie isn't just about male/female power relations - it plays with movie thriller tropes. I just loved everything about it. Catch this feminist thriller movie now on streaming platforms. 

Squaring the Circle: The Story of Hipgnosis

I'm a Gen-Xer. I grew up in the 80s but I loved the music of the 60s and 70s. In my day, we had records. Album cover art was just that, it was ART. The album covers were part of the reason you bought the record. "Squaring the Circle: The Story of Hipgnosis" is the fascinating documentary about Hipgnosis, a record design company and its two founders, Storm Thorgerson and Aubrey "Po" Powel. They are the creative geniuses behind the covers of some of the world's most iconic rock albums of all time: Pink Floyd, Wings, Led Zeppelin, Peter Gabriel and many, many more. There are interviews with Jimmy Page, Robert Plant, Roger Waters, David Gilmour, Paul McCartney, Noel Gallagher, and many others. If you every wanted to know how these album covers came to be, this documentary is the answer and boy did I find it captivating. It's also the story of the relationship between Po and Strom and how these two would work together. Their story is one of artists, visionaries, and collaborators as they worked with these legendary musical artists. At the end, I found myself rather emotional about their partnership - always a good sign for me. Catch this absolutely wonderful documentary on streaming platforms. 

Rebel Moon: Part One - A Child of Fire

Merry Christmas! As I look at Rotten Tomatoes today, December 25th, 2023, "Rebel Moon: Part One" has as 23% fresh rating from critics. It also has a 66% fresh audience score. My opinion is my own and I take pride in sometimes disagreeing with the masses. However, I do like to see how my opinion stakes up to others. Movie critics have this in common, they all love movies. I personally don't care for superhero films and I haven't been a fan of any of the "Star Wars" films except the last one "Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker." It baffles me that a good chunk of Marvel Universe has received high praise from the majority of critics and yet they have dumped on this film. Why is that? Maybe because Zach Snyder is associated with D.C.? Maybe. There seems to be a hate-on for this super stylized director ("300," ""Army of the Dead"). Snyder is the new master of the slow-motion action sequence. I would say the pioneer is John Woo, whose 1989 action masterpiece "The Killer" is the template for such visual work. As Brian De Palma is to Hitchcock, Zach Snyder is to Woo. So let's get to it, what's "Rebel Moon: Part One - A Child of Fire" all about? Snyder has given us a "Star Wars" rip-off version of "The Magnificent Seven"/"Seven Samurai" where Sofia Boutella plays Kora, a bad-ass warrior who’s hiding out amongst a farming community. Galactic baddies show up and threaten its existence, Kora goes on a quest to assemble a team of fighters to protect the humble villagers. Yes, Snyder has recycled from all kinds of films and TV here, including "The Matrix," "Doctor Who," "Star Wars," and many others. He seems to have grabbed the Nazi like villain from "Inglorious Bastards." Is this great cinema? No. Did I enjoy myself way more than I should have? Yes I did. Looking to turn off your brain and be entertained, then slow-mo dive onto your couch while pointing the remote at the TV and find the trash masterpiece streaming on Netflix.  

A Murder at the End of the World

"A Murder at the End of the World" is a new series streaming on Disney+. Emma Corrin plays Darby, an anxiety filled millennial as a kind of Nancy Drew type character who is usually the smartest person in the room. Darby grew up the daughter of her autopsy performing dad who liked to drag his little girl along to crime scenes - it's a little messed up for sure. As a young adult, Darby filled her days tracking down serial killers, one in particular. Along the way she meets love interest Bill (Harris Dickinson), another brilliant kid whose skin is marbled in tattoos like blue cheese is freckled with mould. They go serial killer hunting together - aww, sweet. All this is told in parallel with their present day situation about eight years later. The present day story is about a Jeff Bezos type character (Clive Own) who brings the world's smartest people together to help fight climate change at a remote hotel/billionaire-bunker in Iceland. There is an Agatha Christie style murder and one of the the guests or host or staff is the killer. Set in the near future, AI has taken a believable step forward and it's part of the fun of the series. The flashback serial killer bit gives off a David Fincher Lite vibe and it's pretty darn good. The two leads, Emma Corrin and Harris Dickinson have great chemistry and their performances are the reason to watch. I loved it all. Found it to be smart, timely, and captivating. Catch this killer, now streaming on Disney+. 

Godzilla Minus One

So, it might be the best Godzilla film I've ever seen. You can't even see the wires - hey, wasn't that part of the charm? What we have here is an authentic, Japanese (with English subtitles), Godzilla film. I have a love for the big lizard - I'm currently wearing my Godzilla t-shirt and Godzilla hoodie as I type. What's so good about this one is they have built a real story with real characters - things you need in any movie! Hollywood, take note! (Although the good folks at Apple+ seem to have understood this fact for their excellent "Monarch" Godzilla series currently streaming - go check that out). What is the plot you ask? It's set at the end of WWII, in Japan. Failed kamikaze pilot, Koichi (Ryunosuke Kamiki) lets his fellow soldiers down by freezing up when he should have been shooting at a baby Godzilla. This result of Koichi's inaction is the death of his squad and Godzilla growing up to become very, very, large. Koichi finds himself with an adoptive daughter, a woman to love, and a reason to live despite all the guilt he has accumulated for his shortcomings. Along comes the stopping, crashing big lizard - will Koichi be ready this time?? The best part of "Godzilla Minus One" is the soundtrack - parts stolen as homage to the black and white original - it's both sinister and silly at the same time and I loved it. I had a lot of fun watching Thick-Lizzy squishing people and eating passenger trains. Catch this one in theatres now. 

Dumb Money

Similar in style to the "The Big Short," "Dumb Money" is the true story of how Game Stop stock grew into a monster and Wall Street lost its mind. Starring Paul Dano as Keith Gill, the man behind Game Stop's rising. Keith Gill, for most of "Dumb Money's" runtime was usually clad in the most geeky cat t-shirt you have ever seen while sporting a red bandana tied around his head like the Karate Kid, a mop of hair like a Pink Floyd band member, circa 1973. Keith offered financial trading advice on his internet channel about the  stocks he liked - Game Stop being the main one. People, students, nurses, some Game Stop employees, they actually listened. Hedge fund managers, they bet against the stock, thinking it would crash and die. It didn't. It kept climbing. Keith kept posting his investments and everyone kept buying. The little people were winning and the giants, they were losing. Without spoiling anymore, this is anther underdog story and as you know by now, I love an underdog story. How can you not cheer for the geeks and freaks, the people on the front lines, making nothing, while the fat cats who sit around doing nothing, raking it in, day after day? Go little guy! Make an investment of your time and catch this one on streaming services now.

Joyland

"Joyland" - there is really no clearer example of why I go to the movies. This is a film that is so wildly different from my life and yet I was so clearly made to understand everything happening to these characters, the repression in their society and the cultural expectations placed upon them. I understood it like it were a roadmap. Repressed feeling are just that - these things are universal. So are expectations and obligations. I felt all of it in this weighty film. There is not a lot a joy in "Joyland." This Pakistani film is both beautiful and heartbreaking. Set in contemporary Pakistan, it follows the story of  Haider (Ali Junejo) as a man who finally lands a job - he has been a house husband for many years to the shame of his father. However, Haider's new job is a backup dancer for surly trans woman, Biba (Alina Khan) at the local burlesque club. Haider is infatuated with Biba. They end up having an affair. At the same time, Haider's wife suddenly finds herself pregnant and unhappy. Haider's father is elated. Everything goes downhill from here. Let me stop there. It almost felt like a documentary, that's how real it all felt to me. It's a wonderful film. The IMDB website informed me "Originally banned in its country of origin, Pakistan, a censor board review committee ultimately cleared it. However, a ban remains in the province of Punjab, where the movie is set." Catch this gorgeous but tragic film at your local rep cinema or on streaming when available.