Author Archives: Keith Garlington

REVIEW: “A Haunting in Venice” (2023)

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Kenneth Branagh’s spin on Agatha Christie’s Belgian super-sleuth Hercule Poirot has grown into a full-fledged film series and I couldn’t be happier. Branagh has directed and starred in two previous Poirot whodunnits starting with 2017’s “Murder on the Orient Express” which was followed it with 2022’s “Death on the Nile”. Both were entertaining star-studded movies that played like delightfully fun relics of a bygone movie era.

Branagh’s third venture into Poirot’s world of mystery and murder is “A Haunting in Venice”, another tasty period feature yet one with a supernatural twist. It’s based on Christie’s 1969 novel “Hallowe’en Party” and once again brings together an intriguing ensemble that includes Tina Fey, Jamie Dornan, Michelle Yeoh, Kelly Reilly, Kyle Allen, Camille Cottin, Jude Hill, Emma Laird, Riccardo Scamarcio, and Ali Khan.

Image Courtesy of 20th Century Studios

Set in 1947, we first meet Hercule Poirot (once again played with steely charm and sophistication by Branagh) tucked away in Venice where he pretends to enjoy his retirement from detective work. One day he’s surprised by an old friend, Ariadne Oliver (Fey). She’s a successful American mystery novelist who’s in Venice to attend a séance being performed by a self-proclaimed medium named Joyce Reynolds (Yeoh). Ariadne is out to expose Reynolds as a fraud and maybe get a little inspiration for her new novel.

Ariadne convinces the skeptical and reclusive Poirot to loosen up, get out of the house, and accompany her to the séance. It’s being held at a creepy old palazzo owned by Rowena Drake (Reilly), a grieving mother who desperately wants to make contact with her recently deceased daughter Alicia. Joining them is an eclectic array of guests including Alicia’s former doctor Leslie Ferrier (Dornan) and his precocious young son Leopold (Hill), Rowena’s superstitious housekeeper Olga (Cottin), and Alicia’s pompous ex-fiancé Maxime (Allen) among others.

Returning screenwriter Michael Green does a good job opening up his characters. He gives each of them their own nicely defined personalities and histories. Most importantly, after one among them winds up dead, Green gives them all believable motives. And in a snap we have ourselves a good ol’ mystery and it’s up to Poirot to sort through the conflicting stories to find the murderer. But what’s with the creepy voices and shifting shadows? Could something supernatural be to blame?

Image Courtesy of 20th Century Studios

The movie has fun toying with the horror genre, but it’s never what I would call scary. That said, Branagh does create a genuinely spooky atmosphere with the help of some nice production design, terrific cinematography from Haris Zambarloukos, and the sparse yet ever eerie score from Oscar winner Hildur Guðnadóttir. But the film also has a subtle sense of humor which comes out at some of the most unexpected times.

Yet at its core “A Haunting in Venice” remains a straight-up whodunnit and everything (the horror bits included) feeds into that ambition. Branagh once again proves to be the right fit for these films, both in front of and behind the camera. Will the film find an audience? That’s the big question, especially in this frustratingly fickle box office world we currently exist in. I hope it does. Branagh now sits 3 for 3 in his Poirot universe, and I for one hope there will be more of these films coming down the pipeline. “A Haunting in Venice” opens today exclusively in theaters.

VERDICT – 4 STARS

New on Home Video: “The Exorcist” on 4K UHD

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Warner Bros. Home Entertainment is celebrating the 50th anniversary of William Friedkin’s 1973 horror classic “The Exorcist” with a new feature-rich 4K Ultra High Definition Blu-ray edition. It’s the first time the supernatural horror thriller has released in 4K resolution with High Dynamic Range. The beloved film was nominated for 10 Academy Awards including Best Picture (a first for a horror movie) and its influence is still being felt in the worlds of cinema and pop culture.

This terrific 4K UHD Blu-ray edition of “The Exorcist” will release on September 19th. See below for a full synopsis and release information.

Official Synopsis

Year: 1973

Runtime: 122 Minutes

Director: William Friedkin

Screenwriter: William Peter Blatty

Cast: Ellen Burstyn, Max von Sydow, Linda Blair, Lee J. Cobb, Kitty Winn, Jack MacGowran, Jason Miller, William O’Malley, Peter Masterson, Barton Heyman, Rudolf Schundler, Robert Symonds, Gina Petrushka, Arthur Storch, Thomas Bermingham, Titos Vandis

From the Studio:

Directed by William Friedkin from a screenplay by Academy Award winner William Peter Blatty, the film is based on Blatty’s 1971 novel of the same name. “The Exorcist” stars Academy Award winner Ellen Burstyn (“Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore”), Academy Award nominee Max von Sydow (“Pelle the Conqueror”, “Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close”), Academy Award nominee Lee J. Cobb (“On the Waterfront”, “The Brothers Karamazov”), Kitty Winn, Jack MacGowan, Academy Award nominee Jason Miller, and Academy Award nominee Linda Blair. 

Widely regarded as a supernatural masterpiece, the film was nominated for 10 Academy Awards including Best Picture and Best Director as well as acting nominations for Burstyn, Miller and Blair.  The film won two Academy Awards, including Best Adapted Screenplay for Blatty.

In 2010, the United States Library of Congress selected the film for preservation in the National Film Registry for being “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant.”

“The Exorcist” tells the now-famous story of a girl’s demonic possession, and a gripping fight between good and evil. Linda Blair, in a breakout role, plays Regan, a young girl who starts to exhibit strange, arcane behavior. Her mother (Burstyn) calls upon a priest, Father Karras (Miller), to investigate. But Karras, who has a spiritual crisis of his own, is suddenly confronted with the unimaginable evil of Regan’s possession. Father Lankester Merrin (Von Sydow), an archeologist-priest, is called to help, and a horrific battle for her soul begins.

The Ultra HD Blu-ray Discs include both the 1973 theatrical version of the film and the 2000 Extended Director’s Cut of the film which features eleven additional minutes of footage not seen in theaters.

Bonus Features:

“The Exorcist” Ultra HD Blu-ray disc (theatrical version) contains the following previously released special features:

  • Introduction by William Friedkin
  • Commentary by William Friedkin
  • Commentary by William Peter Blatty with Special Sound Effects

“The Exorcist” Digital release (theatrical version) contains the following previously released special features:

  • Commentary by William Friedkin
  • Commentary by William Peter Blatty with Special Sound Effects Tests
  • Introduction by William Friedkin
  • “The Fear of God: 25 Years of the Exorcist”
  • Original Ending
  • William Peter Blatty Interviews
    • “The Original Cut”
    • “Stairway to Heaven”
    • “The Final Reckoning”
  • “Sketches & Storyboards”
  • TV Spots
    • “Beyond Comprehension”
    • “You Too Can See the Exorcist”
    • “Between Science & Superstition”
    • “The Movie You’ve Been Waiting For”
    • “Nobody Expected It”
    • “Life Had Been Good”
  • Trailers
    • “Nobody Expected It”
    • “Beyond Comprehension”
    • “Flash Image”

“The Exorcist” Extended Director’s Cut Ultra HD Blu-ray disc contains the following previously released special features:

  • Commentary by William Friedkin

“The Exorcist” Extended Director’s Cut Digital release contains the following previously released special features:

  • Commentary by William Friedkin
  • “Beyond Comprehension: William Peter Blatty’s The Exorcist”
  • “Talk of the Devil”
  • “Raising Hell: Filming The Exorcist”
  • “The Exorcist Locations: Georgetown Then and Now”
  • “Faces of Evil: The Different Versions of The Exorcist”
  • Radio Spots
    • “The Devil Himself”
    • “Our Deepest Fears”
  • TV Spots
    • “Most Electrifying”
    • “Scariest Ever”
    • “Returns”
    • “Never Seen”
  • Trailers
    • “The Version You’ve Never Seen”
    • “Our Deepest Fears”

“The Bikeriders” Announced for Filmland 2023

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The Arkansas Cinema Society and the Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts has announced that writer-director Jeff Nichols will be bringing his new movie “The Bikeriders” to Filmland 2023. A live Q+A with the filmmaker will immediately follow the screening. Hot off of its August 31st world premiere at the 50th Telluride Film Festival, the star-studded American drama will screen for Filmland attendees on Sunday, October 15th. “The Bikeriders” opens in theaters nationwide on December 1st by 20th Century Studios.

Here’s more from the Arkansas Cinema Society’s official press release…

LITTLE ROCK, Oct. 15, 2023 – SAVE THE DATE!!!! Fresh off of its world premiere at the Telluride Film Festival, Jeff Nichols marks a triumphant return with his latest work, “The Bikeriders”. Don’t miss what Variety calls “pure Americana” and a “luscious period drama” when the Arkansas Cinema Society and the Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts host a special pre-release presentation of the film on Sunday, Oct. 15, 2023. Jeff will attend the event and participate in a Q+A following the film.

Drew Taylor from The Wrap spoke with Jeff about The Bikeriders, the Arkansas Cinema Society and Filmland! Read this exclusive interview, hot-off-the-press, here!

“We launched ACS as a platform for Arkansas filmmakers to showcase their work so it’s an honor to bring my latest work to Filmland at the new Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts for one of the first screenings in the U.S.,” Jeff said. “The Bikeriders is a story that’s very personal to me and has been with me since my brother first gave me the book of Danny Lyon’s photographs. I can’t wait to share this one with all of my friends and family back home—see you in October.”

GET READY FOR TWO WEEKENDS OF FILMLAND!

We’ve got Filmland: Arkansas on Oct. 6-7th and Filmland 2023 taking place Oct. 13-17th at AMFA, located at 501 E. Ninth St. in Little Rock. ACS has added the extra dates to welcome Jeff home for this special screening of The Bikeriders and other top films coming you can’t see anywhere else! So, if The Hollywood Reporter is right and Jodie Comer snags an Oscar nomination for this one, you can tell your friends, “I saw it at Filmland first!”

Tickets go on sale in the coming weeks.  Visit filmland.org for more info.

Filmland is made possible by ACS Premiere Sponsor – the Tyson Family Foundation; Presenting Sponsors – Courtyard by Marriott–Little Rock Downtown and the Rahman Family Fund; and Executive Producer Sponsors – City of Little Rock, The Arkansas Arts Council, Slim Chickens, The Stella Boyle Smith Trust, and Little Rock Convention and Visitors Bureau.

About “The Bikeriders”

From writer-director Jeff Nichols (Loving, Midnight Special, Mud), 20th Century Studios and New Regency, The Bikeriders is a furious drama following the rise of a fictional 1960s Midwestern motorcycle club through the lives of its members, starring Jodie Comer (Killing Eve, The Last Duel), Austin Butler (Elvis) and Tom Hardy (Mad Max: Fury Road, The Revenant).
 
Inspired by Danny Lyon’s iconic book of photography, The Bikeriders immerses you in the look, feel, and sounds of the bare-knuckled, grease-covered subculture of ’60s motorcycle riders. Kathy (Comer), a strong-willed member of the Vandals who’s married to a wild, reckless bikerider named Benny (Butler), recounts the Vandals’ evolution over the course of a decade, beginning as a local club of outsiders united by good times, rumbling bikes, and respect for their strong, steady leader Johnny (Hardy). Over the years, Kathy tries her best to navigate her husband’s untamed nature and his allegiance to Johnny, with whom she feels she must compete for Benny’s attention. As life in the Vandals gets more dangerous, and the club threatens to become a more sinister gang, Kathy, Benny and Johnny are forced to make choices about their loyalty to the club and to each other.
 
The cast, most of whom did their own riding on an array of period-correct bikes, also includes Michael Shannon (Bullet Train), Mike Faist (West Side Story), Boyd Holbrook (Logan) and Norman Reedus (The Walking Dead). Sarah Green, p.g.a., Brian Kavanaugh-Jones, p.g.a. and Arnon Milchan are the producers. Yariv Milchan, Michael Schaefer, Sam Hanson, David Kern and Fred Berger are the executive producers.

About Jeff Nichols

Born and raised in Little Rock, Arkansas, Jeff Nichols is a graduate of the North Carolina School of the Arts’ School of Filmmaking. Nichols wrote and directed the internationally acclaimed features Shotgun Stories, Take Shelter, Mud, Midnight Special, and Loving. His films have won numerous awards at festivals around the world. In 2022, he served as a juror for the Cannes International Film Festival. He currently resides in Austin, Texas.

REVIEW: “Outlaw Johnny Black” (2023)

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Mixing blaxploitation, kung fu cinema, spaghetti westerns, and at least five other genres and sub-genres, the upcoming “Outlaw Johnny Black” is a genre lover’s dream. This crazy yet undeniably delightful concoction sees director, co-producer, co-writer, and star Michael Jai White giving an open-armed embrace to films and filmmaking from a bygone era. It’s chock-full of cool callbacks and it tips its cowboy hat to everything from “A Fistful of Dollars” to “My Name is Nobody” to “Blazing Saddles”. And that only scratches the surface of White’s many inspirations.

Sporting the tagline From the Brothers Who Brought You “Black Dynamite”, White’s latest has been called a “spiritual sequel” to that 2009 cult hit. “Outlaw Johnny Black” definitely exists in the same vein and is a movie that is almost certain to throw some people for a loop – specifically those unfamiliar with the genres and tropes it is spoofing or paying homage to. But what can I say? White has made a movie that is right up my alley.

Image Courtesy of Samuel Goldwyn Films

The story kicks off in earnest after one of the best opening credits scenes of the year – a retro collage of music and imagery that could have been plucked straight out of a Sergio Leone spaghetti western. Johnny Black (White) is a sharpshooting gunslinger out to avenge the death of his father 25 years earlier at the hands of a cold-blooded ruffian named Brett Clayton (a deliciously vile Chris Browning).

Johnny is a notorious outlaw who is constantly dodging relentless marshals and bounty hunters all across the territory (there’s a hilarious running gag involving a wanted poster that had me laughing every time). One particularly close call sends Johnny fleeing across the dry arid plains. On the verge of dying, he’s saved by Reverend Percy Fairman, Jr. (played by co-writer Byron Keith Minns) who’s on his way to Hope Springs, Oklahoma to pastor a small church and propose to a lovely young parishioner named Bessie Lee (Erica Ash).

From there let’s just say things go a little sideways. Percy is believed to be killed and Johnny finds himself in Hope Springs awkwardly posing as their new preacher. Once there, we’re introduced to an eclectic collection of entertaining characters who Johnny must schmooze in order to keep up his ruse. He also learns the town has its share of troubles, namely an oppressive land baron named Tom Shealy (Barry Bostwick) who’s after the church’s property.

You can probably guess where the movie ends up, but it’s getting to that point that is so much fun. White has a blast picking at and playing around with age-old and well-defined genre tropes. And aside from one misguided sequence that doesn’t land at all, he delivers some really funny bits in the process. Yet White doesn’t just poke fun at everything. He has a genuine affection for genre filmmaking that finds its way on screen from the opening shot to the final scene.

Image Courtesy of Samuel Goldwyn Films

And again, the crazy batch of characters play a big part. They’re played by a terrific ensemble who are all in on what White is going for. Among them is the plucky and straight-shooting Jessie Lee (Anika Noni Rose), her crackpot brother Elmer (Eme Ikwuakor), the spineles Mayor Williams (Gary Anthony Williams) and the equally spineless Sheriff Yarbrough (Tony Baker), the vivacious Sister Betty (Kym Whitley), the skittish Clancy (Tommy Davidson), the dogged Bill Bassett (Randy Couture), and the ever suspicious Marshall Cove (Kevin Chapman).

Again, not every joke lands as intended and there are a couple of instances of White simply trying too hard. You could also make the case that the movie didn’t need to be over two hours long. But what can I say? I soaked up every minute – admiring the throwback craftsmanship, trying to spot the many callbacks, chuckling at the subtle and not-so-subtle humor, and enjoying the handful of cameos, especially two at the very end that had me smiling like a kid on Christmas morning. Like I said at the beginning, this movie is right up my alley. “Outlaw Johnny Black” releases in theaters on September 15th.

VERDICT – 4 STARS

REVIEW: “The Nun II” (2023)

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Despite being a genuine fan of the wickedly fun Conjuring Universe, I have to admit it’s a bit of a mixed bag. The three centerpiece films (“The Conjuring”, “The Conjuring 2”, and “The Conjuring 3: The Devil Made Me Do It”), based on the real-life exploits of paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren, are delightfully fun slices of period horror. It’s the spin-offs that have been hit-or-miss.

A prime example is 2019’s “The Nun”, a movie that had so much working for it – a great setting, a terrifying supernatural antagonist, and a terrific and often underrated lead in Taissa Farmiga. But it ended up suffering due to the film’s unremarkable storytelling that consistently milked the same handful of overused horror tricks. It wasn’t a bad movie. It simply left so much of its potential untapped.

Still I was pretty excited to hear that Warner Bros. had green lit a sequel. “The Nun II” sees Farmiga returning as Sister Irene, the young nun who miraculous survived the horrifying events at Saint Cartha abbey (see the first film). Four years have passed and she is now a part of a new convent. She’s found happiness yet she keeps her experiences at Saint Cartha a secret.

Image Courtesy of Warner Bros.

But following the gruesome death of a priest in Tarascon, France, the church calls on her to travel to the French monastery and investigate. She’s accompanied by the rebellious Sister Debra (unconvincingly played by a miscast Storm Reid). The two learn that the monastery is now a girl’s boarding school and among those employed there is a hunky handyman named Maurice (Jonas Bloquet) who has ties to Saint Cartha. He has his eye on Kate (Anna Popplewell), a teacher with a sweet young daughter, Sophie (Katelyn Rose Downey).

As you can probably guess, Sister Irene finds herself once again face-to-face with Valak (Bonnie Aarons), the demon nun first introduced in “The Conjuring 2”. But before that happens several pieces have to fall in place first. Unfortunately not all of them do. There are a handful obvious plot holes that are hard miss and making sense out of everything is no easy task. Yet the movie remains engaging. Director Michael Chaves pulls off some nifty tricks and sustains a genuinely creepy atmosphere throughout.

Taissa Farmiga (the real-life sister of Vera Farmiga who plays Lorraine Warren in the three Conjuring films) remains a crafty bit of casting. And while it’s hard to buy into the church fully entrusting Sister Irene with such an investigation seemingly on a whim, Farmiga’s performance is good throughout and she wins our investment even when the writing seems unsure about where to take her character. Farmiga is a real strength.

I also enjoyed the gonzo final 15 minutes where Chaves lets it rip, offering up some good jolts within his killer horror set pieces. That said, the movie still stumbles in key places. In the case of “The Nun II”, its biggest problem centers around the story itself which at times feels stitched together rather than fully thought out. It also commits the sin of leaving its titular character, the truly unsettling Valak, on the sidelines for far too long. It all makes for a sequel that is a nice step up from its predecessor, yet one that still hasn’t fully realized its terrifying potential. “The Nun II” opens today exclusively in theaters.

VERDICT – 2.5 STARS

First Glance: “The Bikeriders”

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Finally! 20th Century Studios has given us the official trailer to one of my most anticipated movies from one of my very favorite filmmakers. “The Bikeriders” sees writer and director Jeff Nichols (“Take Shelter”, Mud”, “Loving”) assembling a stellar cast that includes Austin Butler, Jodie Comer, Tom Hardy, Mike Faist, Norman Reedus, Boyd Holbrook, and Nichols favorite Michael Shannon. How can you not be excited with that kind of talent in front and behind the camera.

Set in the 1960s, the movie features Comer’s Kathy recounting her days with a biker gang known as the Vandals. During that time she fell in love with a young hellion named Benny (Butler) but soon found herself at odds with Benny’s older brother, Johnny (Hardy), the leader of the Vandals. The trailer teases us with a gripping and ultimately violent story carved out of the 1960s biker culture. This looks great!

“The Bikeriders” wheels into theaters on December 1st. Check out the trailer below and let me know if you’ll be seeing it or taking a pass.