REVIEW: “Quiz Lady” (2023)

November 1, 2023 by Keith Garlington

The hilarious duo of Awkwafina and Sandra Oh lead the smart(ish), funny, and effortlessly charming “Quiz Lady”, the new comedy from director Jessica Yu. Written by Jen D’Angelo and featuring a collection of small yet wonderfully cast supporting roles, “Quiz Lady” is a welcomed late year addition to a genre that needed a boost. This breezy entertaining crowdpleaser takes a whimsical but heartfelt look at sisterhood through two dramatically different yet joyously compatible siblings.

Playing against type, Awkwafina plays a socially awkward 33-year-old introvert named Anne Yum. When not working her mundane office job at an accounting firm, Anne spends her time at home with her adorable pug named Linguine. Her one passion is the television game show “Can’t Stop the Quiz”. Since she was a child Anne loved “Can’t Stop the Quiz” and its gentlemanly Alex Trebek-ish host Terry McTeer (a wonderfully silly Will Ferrell).

Anne’s somewhat estranged sister Jenny (Oh) is a blustering ball of chaos. She’s erratic and irresponsible despite being ten years older than her kid sister. The two come together after getting news that their elderly mother has busted out of her nursing home and taken off to Macau with her new boyfriend Jeff. And this is where things get a little wacky.

**Image Courtesy of 20th Century Studios**

We learn that Anne and Jenny’s mother left after amassing a hefty gambling debt with a local loan shark (Jonathan ‘Dumbfoundead’ Park). He and his goons kidnap Linguine and give the sisters two weeks to pay off the $80,000 their mom owes otherwise the dog gets it. So Jenny comes up with a plan – get super-fan Anne to audition for “Can’t Stop the Quiz”. With her obsessive knowledge of the show, winning $80,000 should be a piece of cake. Of course there’s that whole issue of Anne’s social anxiety. Hijinks ensue.

Yu and D’Angelo have a lot of fun playing around with the wacky dynamic between the two sisters. The two central performances show off a great comedic chemistry with Oh getting the more in-your-face material and Awkwafina in the straight-man role. Then you have the supporting cast who routinely steal scenes. Along with Ferrell there’s also a priceless Jason Schwartzman playing the game show’s schmoozing returning champion. Holland Taylor is a hoot as Anne’s cranky neighbor Francine. We even get a zany turn from Tony Hale who plays the proprietor of a colonial-themed inn where he role-plays as Benjamin Franklin.

I laughed a lot during “Quiz Lady”, but not all of its jokes land. Some are a little too outrageous; others go the unfortunate and obvious cheap route. But for the most part Yu has a good grip on things as seen in the fleet-footed pacing and crisp comic timing. Meanwhile D’Angelo gives her characters some legitimately funny material to work with. Some may have a hard time buying the feel-good ending. But like the bulk of the comedy, it’s easy to swallow in large part thanks to the film’s two endearing and enjoyable leads. “Quiz Lady” premieres November 3rd on Hulu.

VERDICT – 3.5 STARS

A Halloween Revisit: 5 Phenomenal Horror Movie Classics

October 31, 2023 by Keith Garlington

It’s Halloween and what better time to revisit my Phenomenal 5: The Horror Classics edition. The horror genre goes way back to the silent movie era and it has kept audiences fascinated ever since. While you won’t find any films that old on my list, these are still true horror classics that everyone should see (especially on Halloween night). Of course considering how broad of a subject, I wouldn’t call this the definitive list. But you can’t deny that these 5 horror movie classics are nothing short of phenomenal.

#5 – “Psycho”

Alfred Hitchcock’s 1960 masterpiece “Psycho” sports what is arguably the most well-known scene in horror movie history. But there’s so much greatness beyond that memorable murder in the shower at the hands…err, knife of Norman Bates. Anthony Perkins is unforgettably creepy and you know something is off with Bates from the first moment you see him until that final unnerving grin. And of course there is his macabre relationship with his dear, dear mother. “Psycho” still holds up brilliantly and it’s the perfect mix of mystery and horror presented with the sharp style of a master filmmaker.

#4 – “Halloween”

Oh there are so many things I love about “Halloween”. The great John Carpenter gives us a host of special ingredients that has made this movie both influential and timeless. “Halloween” gives us the quintessential scream queen Jamie Lee Curtis. It gives us the frightening Michael Myers. It gives us Donald Pleasence’s wonderfully goofy prophecies of doom. And how can you forget the simple yet haunting piano score by Carpenter himself. Working with an incredibly small budget, the movie still broke new ground and invented many of the genre tropes that are still imitated today.

#3 – “The Evil Dead”

In 1981 two young new filmmakers Sam Raimi and Bruce Campbell made what would become one of the scariest horror movies of all time. “The Evil Dead” is another example of how to create a great horror film with the tiniest of budgets. It’s a highly influential picture that spawned two uniquely great sequels. It tells the story of five college kids who spend spring break in an isolated cabin in the woods. They accidentally release demonic spirits who begin possessing the friends one by one. “The Evil Dead” is a genuinely creepy experience and everything from its wicked concept to the unsettling makeup effects contribute to it. And of course it introduced us to Campbell’s wonderful character Ash. Nuff said.

#2 – “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre”

For years I thought “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre” was based on a true story. That belief made the movie all the more frightening. Once I learned it was largely fictional I was surprised to find it still had the same effect on me. Tobe Hooper directed, produced, and co-wrote this classic film, making it for under $300,000 and casting a group of unknowns. The story of five friends who encounter a cannibalistic family in rural Texas didn’t rely on buckets of blood and gore for its frights. Instead Hooper creates a disturbing sense of unease with this material alone. Throw in Leatherface and pinches of dark comedy and you have one of the greatest horror movies of all-time.

#1 – “Night of the Living Dead”

George Romero’s classic “Night of the Living Dead” was the first horror movie that really affected me. Culturally speaking, this is the film that put zombies on the map and inspired the insanely popular horror sub-genre. As with some others on this list, Romero uses a small budget and no-name actors yet develops a horror film that truly broke new ground. Expertly crafted and wonderfully unsettling, “Night of the Living Dead” sets its creepy tone and sustains it through smart and crafty filmmaking. I love everything about Romero’s classic. Not only is it my favorite horror movie, it’s one of my favorite movies of all time, period.

So there you have five phenomenal horror movie classics to curl up with tonight. They’re also five films that prove if you’re creative and skilled you don’t need loads of money and a big backing to make a great horror picture. So what did I miss? What would you have included on your list? Please take time to let me know in the comments section below.

REVIEW: “Rustin” (2023)

October 31, 2023 by Keith Garlington

Colman Domingo gives his all in the frustratingly uneven biopic “Rustin”, the latest project from director and five-time Tony Award winning playwright George C. Wolfe. The film is the third feature from Barack and Michelle Obama’s Higher Ground Productions and is based on the true story of Bayard Rustin, a civil rights activist who was instrumental in organizing the 1963 March on Washington.

Co-written by Julian Breece and Dustin Lance Black, “Rustin” attempts to cover a lot of ground which is both admirable and its Achilles heel. Breeze and Black show that the story of Bayard Rustin is one that’s well worth telling. But it’s their rocky storytelling that left me thinking his story would have been better served as a documentary. As it is, “Rustin” is all over the place, skittishly bolting from one scene to the next, and never settling in one place long enough. It ends up shortchanging everything from the social activism to its half-baked love triangle.

Domingo is handed a role that seems custom-made for Oscar attention and that’s not necessarily a good thing. Yet great actors have a way of overcoming that and Domingo almost does. He gives a performance that’s routinely too big, but not necessarily because of anything he is doing. It’s the script that has him constantly speaking in mini-monologues and stagy soliloquies. More organic conversations are often replaced by moments that seem aimed at Oscar voters. It’s a nagging issue that’s hard to overlook.

Again “Rustin” tries to cover plenty and in fairness there is a lot to Bayard Rustin’s story. Wolfe mostly keeps things focused on the days leading up to and surrounding the historical march on Washington. We see his falling out and eventually reconciliation with Martin Luther King Jr. (wonderfully played by Aml Ameen), his constant run-ins with NAACP head Roy Wilkins (a curiously cast Chris Rock), and his targeting by Representative Adam Clayton Powell, Jr. (the always stellar Jeffrey Wright).

Wolfe puts a lot of time into Bayard’s planning of the march and his work in convincing the major civil rights leaders to get onboard. That proved easier said than done in large part because of internal disagreements. Then you had those who saw Bayard’s sexuality as a liability for their cause – a conflict that the film ham-fistedly force-feeds rather than explores.

I can’t speak to the overall accuracy of “Rustin” since he is someone I knew little about. That alone testifies to the need of a movie about his life. But unfortunately this hopscotch storytelling makes it hard to know what’s accurate and what’s not. This is especially true for characters like Wilkins and Powell who are written more as plot devices than historical figures. Just some of the problems that keep this mostly well-meaning biography from being the powerful film it could have been. “Rustin” opens in select theaters on November 3rd before streaming on Netflix November 17th.

VERDICT – 2 STARS

New on Home Video: “Blue Beetle” on 4K Ultra HD + Digital

October 30, 2023 by Keith Garlington

Warner Brothers Home Entertainment is bringing “Blue Beetle” to home video on crisp 4K Ultra HD. This standalone feature film marks the first time the titular DC Comics superhero has appeared on the big screen. Despite underperforming at the box office the movie earned itself many fans among critics and audiences who praised it for its smaller contained story and diverse cast. So for anyone who missed it in theaters now is your chance to give it a watch. Read my full review of “Blue Beetle” HERE.

This 4K Ultra HD plus Digital Copy edition of “Blue Beetle” releases October 31st. See below for a full synopsis and release information.

About the Film:

Year: 2023

Runtime: 127 Minutes

Director: Ángel Manuel Soto

Screenwriter: Gareth Dunnet-Alcocer

Cast: Xolo Maridueña, Adriana Barraza, Damían Alcázar, Elpidia Carrillo, Susan Sarandon, Geroge Lopez, Bruna Marquezine, Raoul Max Trujillo, Belissa Escobedo, Harvey Guillén

Rating: PG-13 for Sequences of Action and Violence, Language, and Some Suggestive References

From the Studio:

Recent college grad Jaime Reyes returns home full of aspirations for his future, only to find that home is not quite as he left it. As he searches to find his purpose in the world, fate intervenes when Jaime unexpectedly finds himself in possession of an ancient relic of alien biotechnology: the Scarab. When the Scarab suddenly chooses Jaime to be its symbiotic host, he is bestowed with an incredible suit of armor capable of extraordinary and unpredictable powers, forever changing his destiny as he becomes the Super Hero Blue Beetle.

Starring alongside Maridueña (“Cobra Kai”) are Adriana Barraza (“Rambo: Last Blood,” “Thor”), Damían Alcázar (“Narcos,” “Narcos: Mexico”), Elpidia Carrillo (“Mayans M.C.,” the “Predator” films), Bruna Marquezine (“Maldivas,” “God Save the King”), Raoul Max Trujillo (the “Sicario” films, “Mayans M.C.”), with Oscar winner Susan Sarandon (“Monarch,” “Dead Man Walking”), and George Lopez (the “Rio and “Smurf” franchises). The film also stars Belissa Escobedo (“American Horror Stories,” “Hocus Pocus 2”) and Harvey Guillén (“What We Do in the Shadows”).

Soto (“Charm City Kings,” “The Farm”) directs from a screenplay by Gareth Dunnet-Alcocer (“Miss Bala”), based on characters from DC. John Rickard and Zev Foreman are producing, with Walter Hamada, Galen Vaisman and Garrett Grant serving as executive producers.

The director’s creative team behind the scenes includes director of photography Pawel Pogorzelski (“Midsommar,” “Hereditary”), production designer John Billington (“Bad Boys for Life”), editor Craig Alpert (“Deadpool 2,” “The Lost City”), Oscar-nominated costume designer Mayes C. Rubeo (“Jojo Rabbit,” the “Thor” films), visual effects supervisor Kelvin McIlwain (“The Suicide Squad,” “Aquaman”) and composer Bobby Krlic (“Midsommar,” the “Snowpiercer” series).

Special Features:

“Blue Beetle” Premium Digital Ownership, 4K UHD and Blu-ray contain the following:

“Generations: Blue Beetle” – 4-part documentary
- Told in distinct chapters, explore the journeys of actors and filmmakers bringing “Blue Beetle” to the big screen for the first time ever. Audiences will be immersed in the POV of filmmakers who showcase their experiences on set and in their creative studios making the story of this DC character a reality.
Nana Knows Best – featurette
- Witness Nana’s transformation from an adorable ‘abuelita’ into a machine gun-wielding revolutionary, and stop in for a few of her most fun moments on set throughout production.
Scarab Vision – 2-part featurette
- Xolo Maridueña hosts this series of scene study walk throughs that showcases how the scarab works and the role it plays in some of Blue Beetle’s most epic moments.

REVIEW: “Five Nights at Freddy’s” (2023)

October 28, 2023 by Keith Garlington

Though many do, I have no real investment in the popular video game series ”Five Nights at Freddy’s”. I’m familiar with the game and even gave it a shot. But it didn’t stick with me. That being said, the series (created by independent game developer Scott Cawthon) has quite the following and frankly it’s easy to see why. ”Five Nights at Freddy’s” had a neat premise which has translated into a successful multimedia franchise.

A big screen adaptation has been in the works for some time but ran into numerous delays for (of all things) script issues. And as it turns out the film’s biggest issue is indeed its script. Written by the trio of Cawthon, Seth Cuddeback, and director Emma Tammi, ”Five Nights at Freddy’s” (the movie) is a classic case of getting so carried away with other things that you shortchange what people are coming to see. More specifically, it gets bogged down in bland uninteresting drama rather than delivering the wacky animatronic horror it advertises.

Josh Hutcherson has the unenviable task of playing Mike Schmidt (not the ballplayer), a down on his luck mall cop who can’t catch a break. He can’t lock down a good job and he’s struggling to support his kid sister Abby (Piper Rubio), especially with his vulture of an Aunt (Mary Stuart Masterson) breathing down his neck. Things only get worse after he’s fired from the mall. Suddenly he finds himself in a desperate situation.

**Image Courtesy of Universal Pictures**

Just when all hope seems lost, Mike’s career counselor (Matthew Lillard) tells him about a job opening. It’s for a nighttime security guard position at Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza Place. Once huge in the 1980s, Freddy’s has been shut down for years. But the sentimental owner can’t bring himself to have it demolished. The job description sounds pretty simple. “Just keep your eyes on the monitors and keep people out. Piece of cake.”

Despite the bad hours and even worse pay, Mike takes the job. And as you can probably guess, the job isn’t as simple as it sounds. You see, at night the Pizzeria’s old animatronic mascot Freddy the Bear and his robotic friends (a rabbit named Bonnie, a chicken named Chica, and a fox named Foxy) come to life and roam the premises. And they don’t take kindly to trespassers, even those paid to watch over the place.

So as you can see, it’s a pretty silly concept. But it’s just the kind of material that would make for some fun, outrageous, and completely self-aware B-movie schlock. Unfortunately the filmmakers lead the movie down a much different (and frankly ill-advised) path. They try so hard to be something else by spending an unfortunate amount of time on Mike’s family struggles. We even get this weird quasi-supernatural detective angle where Mike keeps revisiting the same childhood dream in hopes of finding clues to help solve his brother’s kidnapping from years earlier.

One thing the movie gets right is the atmosphere. From the crackle of neon lights to the dust-covered remnants of the once popular family eatery, the movie’s attention to detail makes Freddy’s a genuinely spooky place at night. And fans of the game will find all sorts of cool nods and Easter eggs scattered throughout it. This is by far the film’s biggest strength which is why it’s so frustrating that we spend so much time away from there.

Another gripe had to do with the film’s rating. Without question the movie’s PG-13 rating is going to help it at the box office. But I can’t help but think about how much gonzo gory fun could have been had if Tammi was allowed to really go for it. Instead we get the camera constantly turning away just as someone is about to get their’s. Again, it’s a choice that should make the film more money. But oh what could have been.

Yet if I were to guess, I’d bet franchise fans are going to find a lot to enjoy in “Five Nights at Freddy’s”. The story behind what’s going on in the pizzeria is preposterous and doesn’t always make sense. But the setting is both creepy and nostalgic (for anyone who grew up loving Showbiz Pizza) and the animatronic antagonists are hilariously effective. I’m guessing it will be a little tougher for those with no connection to its video game inspiration. They’ll (understandably) want more than a good setting. And unfortunately “Freddy’s” doesn’t have much more to offer. “Five Nights at Freddy’s” is in theaters now.

VERDICT – 2 STARS

REVIEW: “The Killer” (2023)

October 27, 2023 by Keith Garlington

It’s hard to say whose return I’m excited about more – director David Fincher’s or actor Michael Fassbender’s. Both are back with the new film “The Killer”, a scintillating action neo-noir for Netflix. It’s Fincher’s first feature since 2020’s “Mank” and only his second in nearly ten years. As for the once notoriously busy Fassbender, following 2019’s “X-Men: Dark Phoenix” he took a break from acting and tried his hand at auto racing – a long held passion of his.

“The Killer” is a perfect vehicle for the return of both Fincher and Fassbender. It’s true that hitman stories are nothing new. They’ve come in droves lately. But rarely has one featured the kind of artistry and verve that Fincher delivers here. And Fassbender’s ice-cold charisma and steely magnetism creates and maintains a gripping presence throughout this lean, stylish, and utterly captivating thriller.

“The Killer” is based on the French graphic novel series of the same name written by Alexis “Matz” Nolent and illustrated by Luc Jacamon. Fincher doesn’t lose sight of his film’s roots but he does incorporate his own distinct style which you’ll notice from the opening credits onward. While Fincher’s touches are easy to identify, this is hardly a simple rinse and repeat of his past work. The film is a richly crafted fresh spin on a well-traveled genre that’s every bit as meticulous and calculated as its titular lead character.

As for Fassbender, he’s the centerpiece of nearly every scene. The film opens with a prolonged introduction to his character – a proficient assassin on a job in Paris. Through observation and a series of absorbing internal monologues, we’re able to put together a revealing profile of a methodical and efficient killer – a fiercely focused no-named protagonist who visualizes every detail and calculates ever scenario.

In this brilliantly precise opening Fincher and screenwriter Andrew Kevin Walker paint a vivid portrait of the hitman and his psyche. We first meet him as he patiently watches for his target from an abandoned top-floor office suite in Paris. As he waits he routinely monitors his heart rate, does yoga exercises, and listens to music from The Smiths to help him mellow out.

He operates by a very strict set of rules which he constantly repeats inside his head. “Stick to your plan. Anticipate, don’t improvise. Trust no one. Forbid empathy. Never yield an advantage. Fight only the battle you’re paid to fight.” It’s the kind of intense laser focus that makes him good at his job but also chilling. Call it professionalism meets sociopathy.

After thoroughly convincing us of his protagonist’s expertise, Fincher throws us a curveball when the hitman botches the job and misses his target. He quickly flees into the city, blending in like a chameleon until he can catch a flight undetected. Soon he’s leaving Paris en route to his hideaway in the Dominican Republic. But when he arrives he discovers his girlfriend (Sophie Charlotte) beaten within an inch of her life by assassins sent to clean up all the loose ends from the Paris job.

But what they don’t realize is that they’ve stirred up a hornet’s nest. Suddenly our protagonist is ready to break his own rules in order pay back those who’ve come after him. First he pays a visit to his handler Eddie Hodges (the always enjoyable Charles Parnell) in New Orleans. Afterwards he squares off against a hulking brute (Sala Baker) in Florida. Later he sits down with a more cerebral assassin (Tilda Swinton) in New York.

Fincher splinters his story into chapters, each named after the next city the hitman visits on his hunt for revenge. Each stop plays like its own procedural as he rigorously tracks down and ruthlessly executes his targets. Through it all Fincher’s steady screw-tightening builds some great tension within the film’s effectively deliberate and deceptively layered frame. And it’s driven by Fassbender’s shrewdly calibrated performance. He projects an impenetrable and ever-composed exterior. Yet inside, his betraying inner voice makes us question much of what we see.

“The Killer” has a cool and alluring style but with a gritty veneer. It’s as if Jean-Pierre Melville’s “Le Samourai” was reimagined by Brian De Palma. The action comes in spurts and often leaves indelible impressions (Fincher shoots one of the best hand-to-hand fight sequences you’ll see). And it’s all accentuated by yet another simmering score from Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross.

But perhaps most appealing is how Fincher embraces and subverts genre expectations. From one angle he has delivered a pretty straightforward hitman movie. But as you look closer you see the markings of a filmmaker with more on his mind. They’re markings that go beyond mere craftsmanship and execution (although those things are critical). And ultimately that is what sets this film apart. “The Killer” will show in select theaters on October 27th before streaming on Netflix November 10th.