Eddington

Savage. This word not only perfectly describes Ari Aster’s latest film but it's also a word frequently used by the late great writer Hunter S. Thompson. Thompson used it to describe the work of his often-collaborator, artist Ralph Steadman. As I watched Eddington I thought about the work of Steadman, especially from Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas. Steadman’s portraits of Americans are often grotesque, unflattering, and as Thompson would say, savage. So too, is Ari Aster’s Eddington, a film that takes place in the early days of the pandemic, more specifically, May 2020, in the small New Mexican town of Eddington. Sheriff Joe Cross (Joaquin Phoenix) doesn't enjoy wearing a mask and doesn't think anyone should who is uncomfortable doing so. The town's mayor, Ted Garcia (Pedro Pascal) is running for reelection and is unhappy with his town's law enforcement. Cross decides to run for mayor himself - it's buffoonery. The whole film has a Coen brothers feel to it, Burn After Reading crossed with No Country for Old Men. It's darkly funny. At times as ridiculous as South Park, and I mean this as a compliment. Ari Aster was already one of my new favourtie directors. Beau is Afraid was my top pick for 2023. Eddington solidifies Aster is one of the best writers and directors working today, up there with Christopher Nolan, David Fincher, and the Coen brothers. Eddington is a scathing, savage, and tremendously funny portrait of modern America. Catch it in theatres now. In Ottawa, it's currently playing at the Bytowne.   

Jurassic World: Rebirth

David Koepp is a busy man. If you don't know who that is, he is the writer of the latest Jurassic film, Jurassic World: Rebirth. He has also given us, this year, Presence and Black Bag, two films by Steven Soderbergh. David Koepp co-wrote the first two Jurassic Park films with the late, great Michael Crichton. Koepp also wrote and directed one of my favourite films, The Trigger Effect - a film about what happens when the power goes out, much like Leave the World Behind. That film starred Mahershala Ali, who also stars in this latest Jurassic movie, alongside Scarlett Johansson. Koepp is a gifted storyteller, a talented writer. He knows what works and what works is having characters you care about. Also, kids. Throw kids into the mix, put them in danger, and you got yourself a winner - it's a Steven Spielberg formula, who is also an executive producer on this film and his DNA is all over it. Of the seven films this franchise has produced, it's the best thing since the original. The last three World films have felt like the Star Wars prequels - not good but we watched them anyway because we were hoping for some sort of magic. Go get chased by some monsters, in theatres now. 

M3GAN 2.0

"Final Destination: Bloodlines" was definitely not on my summer BINGO card to make an entry on McPherson's Movie Marquee. Equally unlikely, maybe even more so, was "M3GAN 2.0" and yet, like Trump's second presidency, here we are. The first M3GAN was fun, a female dancing Chucky but it wasn't much more. It did score an honourable mention the year it came out here on the Marquee. M3gan 2.0 is a complete and utter upgrade. In some ways, it's just Terminator 2, the girl version, minus the time travel. It's also self aware, like any evil A.I. is, and thus funny. You can tell that the people who made this film like films. There are nods to Fritz Lang's Metropolis, and a plethora of inside Steven Seagal references. It felt like an 80s action film, in the best possible way - Die Hard crawling through air vents, and a ridiculous sequence of building a robot in a lab like the A-Team. What's it all about? M3GAN has been weaponized by the military into Amelia (Ivanna Sakhno) but you know A.I., it always goes rogue, and goes evil. It's M3GAN Vs Amelia - the showdown of the summer. On Deadly Ground for sure! Download this upgrade in theatres now.  

The Assessment

 

Welcome to the future, where the planet has gone to hell. Protective domes, greenhouse food, banned household pets, and population control are part of this dystopian world, a world where we find Mia (Elizabeth Olsen) and Aaryan (Himesh Patel) who would like to have a child but are required to have an assessment by the state to see if they are suitable parents. The assessment is done by an assessor over a week-long period. Enter, Virginia (Alicia Vikander) as the government parent appraiser. She is there to observe, test, play act, and finally render a verdict. Her decision is final. Virginia, for a good chunk of the time, pretends to be their child and goes full method acting. It is darkly funny at times. If you are a parent or even an observer of parents, you will know certain scenarios improvised here - food tantrums, bad dreams, etc. Virginia also tasks Mia and Aaryan to build a from-IKEA-hell child playhouse - a test of patience and sanity; welcome to the Amazing Race. This sci-fi world feels as fresh as when "Gattaca" was released, or more recently the impressive, "Vesper." This is director Fleur Fortune first feature length film and if they don't hit it quite out of the park, they definitely made it to third. Catch this baby now streaming on Prime. 

Dangerous Animals

"The Silence of the Lambs" meets "Jaws." Considering Jaws turns 50 this year, what a wonderful way to celebrate Bruce (that's the shark). Dead Calm came out 36 years ago and Lambchops 34. "Dangerous Animals" isn't as good as any of these, but it's darn close. I haven't had as much fun with this type of thriller in a while. You might argue that "Dangerous Animals" is just a rip off of better films. You could. I think it's fresh and original and pays homage to these other wonderful films. So, what's it all about?  Jai Courtney plays Bruce Tucker (notice that first name), tour boat captain, lover of rock 'n roll, and a videographer. Oh, and also a serial killer. Along comes, Zephyr (Hassie Harrison), free spirit, surfer, and general badass who can quote "Point Break." She's also Bruce's next targeted victim. I will tell you nothing more. All aboard for this summer's most fun water park ride. In theatres now. 

Secret Mall Apartment

This is a documentary about the Providence Place Mall, its construction, its impacts on the community, and the gentrification of artists' spaces. It's also about artist Michael Townsend, the leader of an eight- person artist collective as they squatted inside the mall, turning a 750-square-foot hidden dead-space into a livable apartment. Michael Townsend is a different kind of artist. The separation between art and life is blurry, if there is one at all for Michael. A performance artist, an art teacher, someone who has donated years of his time at a children's hospital doing tape art on the walls, a man with his art team doing a five- year post-9/11 tape art project honoring everyone who lost their lives. Michael makes art where you would least expect it. "Secret Mall Apartment" asks questions - was this four-year apartment experiment a prank? An art installation? A secret clubhouse for a group of weirdo artists? An act of defiance against gentrification? Maybe a mix of all these. I tell you what is is for sure, it's fascinating. As an artist, I found Michael Townsend to be both inspirational and refreshing. "Secret Mall Apartment" is a hidden gem that you should try to find in theatres now. 

Final Destination: Bloodlines

Agoraphobics rejoice! The outside world is a dangerous place - Rube Goldberg death traps are everywhere. If you throw a penny off the CN Tower, well you could kill someone! If you are unfamiliar with the Final Destination franchise, the formula goes like this: Certain individuals escape Death by way of a premonition (don't get on that plane, you're going to die!) and then Death hunts down all those who were supposed to die in that plane crash. It's a formula to print money. "Bloodlines" represents the sixth entry in the franchise. I think I only watched the first one. It's a clever enough premise but I wasn't expecting much from this latest film. It's fantastic. The deaths are spectacular and fun, the action sequences are something Dwayne Johnson would be proud to be in, and the story - Aaron Sorkin would have been proud to have written it. (Just kidding about the Sorkin bit.) That said, the team of writers who worked on this did an excellent job. To my own surprise (nobody warned me it was coming!), "Final Destination: Bloodlines" has arrived here on the Marquee. Make this your next horror destination. In theatres now.