The Bikeriders

Tom Hardy plays his character, Johnny like he was Marlon Brando in, "The Wild One." A kind of nonchalant, "Hey, don't fucking worry about it" emanates from his slouched posture. I read Tom Wolfe's "The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test" when I was in high school. It was the first time I had discovered the world of the Hell's Angels motorcycle club: the Merry Prankers bringing Acid to the world of outlaw bikers. I followed it up with Hunter Thompson's "Hell's Angels." Real life Hell's Angel, Sonny Barger, is featured in both texts. His likeness shows up in this film as Funny Sonny, played by bike riding, "The Walking Dead's" own,  Norman Reedus. Michael Shannon even has a small role as a biker with some, perhaps, mental health issues. But its stars,  Austin Butler (my favourite "Elvis") and his wife, Kathy, played by Jodie Comer are really something fine. Butler has youth and charm and swagger. And Comer, well she seems to be channeling Winona Ryder - and I mean this in the best possible way. Not a whole lot happens in "The Bikeriders" but it has a "Goodfellas" quality to it, and it kept me glued to it. These were the bikers from the books I read. They seemed like the real deal. Go take a ride and catch this bad ass movie in theatres now. 

Stalker

When I first heard about Andrei Tarkovsky, it was in the context of his film "Solaris" (1972). Somebody (I don't recall who) said, "Do you know there is a Russian film which is the equivalent to Stanley Kubrick's "2001: A Space Odyssey?" Back in the early 1990s, there was no streaming. DVDs weren't even a thing! Films such as "Solaris" were not commonplace. I managed to find a two-cassette VHS package of the 166 minutes film for sale at HVM - it might have been Music World. Regardless, I bought it immediately. I watched this masterpiece with awe and reverence. It was remade by Steven Soderbergh in 2002 - not as good as the original - sorry Steven. For whatever reason, it never occurred to me to seek out other films by Tarkovsky. Seems like I was foolish. Which brings me to my friend Peter, owner of Movies 'N' Stuff. When he said on his Criterion Closet Video, he would pick Tarkovsky's "Stalker" over "Solaris" I was like, "What? He made more than one great film?" Tarkovsky has made many. "Stalker" is a science fiction film about three men going into the Zone, a forbidden place, walled off and which must be snuck into. The men are looking for The Room, which will grant their deepest desires. It's a slow and meditative film filled with poetry and existential contemplation. It's also a masterclass lesson on how to create tension in a scene out of nothing. Alex Garland's fabulous film, "Annihilation" I think owes a debt to "Stalker." This 2 hour and 42 minute slow moving Russian film flew by for me. Equally as good as "Solaris" and if you are a film lover, you need to watch it. Find it on the Criterion channel or if you are in Ottawa, rent it at Movies 'n Stuff | (moviesnstuff.com).

The Feeling That the Time for Doing Something has Passed

Slow. Hilarious. Brave. Bold. Deadpan. Joanna Arnow. She is a name to remember. She is the editor, writer, director and star of her wonderfully oddball comedy, "The Feeling That the Time for Doing Something Has Passed." Arnow stars as Ann, a woman who works a boring office job and squeezes prepacked curry from a bag to microwave for her lunch. She is also a kind of submissive sex addict, letting herself be controlled by various male Masters. From dull office job, to bizarre sexual encounters, these sections of her life are spliced with inane encounters with her parents and her sister (who might be going through a separation). There is a scene where Ann's mother tells her she should pack a banana for the trip home - it felt so honest and funny. Joanna Arnow plays eveything deadpan and for the most part, that's what makes it so funny. I'm sure this film is destined for the Closet over at Criterion. It's arty, strange, and Arnow has no problem showing herself off in the nudy-patootie. I loved this quirky little film. Catch it at a rep theatre, streaming, or at your local video store - in Ottawa, that would be Movies 'N' Stuff. 

In a Violent Nature

If Terrence Malick made a “Friday the 13th” movie, I suspect it would look an awful lot like “In a Violent Nature.” If you are unfamiliar with Malick’s work, he makes slow and arty films; some might say, cerebral films. They are for contemplation. This Canadian horror film gives you plenty of time to think about what horrific act is coming next. It begins with teenagers (of course teenagers!) bringing our monster, Johnny (instead of Jason) to life by nabbing a gold locket his mamma gave him - he's a momma's boy, like  Voorhees. He is also a child who suffered a cruel death and thus, as horror movie mythology goes, has grown into a monster which kills indiscriminately. Once he crawls out of the swampy ground and into the light of the forest, Johnny's bodily state of decay lies around "Friday the 13th VI - Jason Lives:" his clothes are tattered and wounds and sores scar his hulking frame and grotesque head. He slow-motions his way about the forest like the Terminator, killing everyone in his path. Often ridiculous but then again, often riveting, disturbing, and rather gross. I loved it all. I found myself captivated by the last ten minutes. In theatres now.   

Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga

Welcome to the best action movie you will see this year. If you are already a fan of George Miller's Mad Max universe, I'm sure you will be delighted (I am and I was). This is the story of Furiosa, a child stolen from her mother and idyllic post apocalyptic community and raised by overlords Dr. Dementus (Chris Hemsworth) and then Immortan Joe. This is a long, stretched-out (2.5 hours) revenge film and it's packed with modified supercharged eighteen-wheelers, Roman chariot motorcycles, skull-helmet wearing bike riders, who engage in epic warfare all while charging down the Fury Road at top speed. It's a dust, gasoline, and bullet ballet of nonstop action and violence and I enjoyed every minute of it. It's ludicrous and at times outright laughable but this is the mad world Miller has created for us and I'm still in love with it ever since hockey-masked Lord Humungus breathed into his 1981 microphone, "Just walk away," ("The Road Warrior.") Anya Taylor-Joy plays grownup Furiosa and Miss Taylor-Joy is a delight: She proverbially kicks ass. Catch "Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga" on the biggest, loudest screen possible - in theatres now. 

The Movie Man

This is a documentary about Keith Stata, a man who built his own multiplex theatre in the bush of Northern Ontario, one theatre at a time. He currently has five screens and something like forty plus cats he houses and looks after. Keith Stata is a man who loves movies, so it wasn't hard for me to relate to him, understand his passion and feel a deep sense of melancholy as he has time-travelled from 1975 to now. The documentary focuses on Keith's movie palace, The Highlands Cinema, located in Kinmount, Ontario. There is not a lot left in Kinmount - even the gas station has dried up. When movie theatres have been closing their doors for the last few decades, Highlands has kept going. Then the pandemic hit. "The Movie Man" largely focuses on its two year closer and its triumphant resurgence. Keith Stata is a workaholic and he is The Highlands Cinema. At 75 years of age, time is catching up to Keith. Maintaining a five theatre multiplex, 45 cats, a dog, a museum, staff, etc. - it's almost incomprehensible how he manages it all. And at 75! I plan on making a pilgrimage next month to see The Highlands Cinema in person. Catch this fascinating documentary in theatres now.  

We Need to Talk About Kevin

Well maybe I need to talk about, "We Need to Talk About Kevin." I have just got around to watching this film from 2011. I knew the subject matter was disturbing. Perhaps this is why I avoided it for so long? I can't really say. Some things just keep going to the bottom of the pile. Perhaps I was too busy raising my own kids to stop and watch a film which is about the struggles of Eva (Tilda Swinton - who gives a knockout performance). Eva is dealing with a child, Kevin, who is a sociopath. Kevin as a baby won't stop crying. There is a scene where Eva, with her baby stroller, stands beside a man with a jackhammer who is chipping away at the concrete road. The deafening noise drowns out Kevin's cries and for a moment, Eva has some peace - it rang true and heartbreaking. As Kevin grows into the monster played by Ezra Miller, we feel Eva's pain and frustration in every frame, especially when her goofy husband (the brilliant John C. Reilly) seems rather oblivious to Kevin's cruel nature. The film is a portrait of a monster who starts as a monster and the powerlessness of a mother unable to change the course of evil. I found it gripping, harrowing, and sad. It's an excellent film. Catch it on streaming services or go rent it from your local video store. In Ottawa, that would be Movies 'N' Stuff.