REVIEW: “Beavis and Butt-Head Do the Universe” (2022)

August 24, 2022 by Keith Garlington

I don’t know if there has ever been a more fittingly named duo than Beavis and Butt-Head. For fans of their eight-season show that ran through the mid-90s, their names bring immediate images of two oblivious, insanely moronic, nacho-loving, “scoring”-obsessed teen slackers from Highland, Texas who were the personification of rank stupidity at its funniest. They released their own feature film in 1996, and believe it or not they’re back with a sequel some 26 years later.

“Beavis and Butthead Do the Universe” (streaming exclusively on Paramount+) sees creator Mike Judge return to the characters he made infamous. Judge co-writes and voices the doltish duo in yet another absurd adventure that’ll have you shaking your head and laughing aplenty. Going in I had two questions: 1) How on earth could Judge and his co-writer Lee Morton make these two VERY 90’s characters fit in a modern-day story? 2) Would they still have the same unabashed politically incorrect humor that made them the beloved imbeciles they became?

As it turns out yes, Judge and company do have a story idea to bring Beavis and Butthead to the modern-day. It’s utterly ridiculous, but that’s to be expected. And yes, “Beavis and Butthead Do the Universe” has the exact same mind-meltingly stupid sense of humor that is sure to thrill fans while leaving some newcomers in a state of utter bewilderment. I mean, it’s the kind of movie that’s so boldly honest about it’s stupidity that it advertises itself as “the dumbest science fiction movie ever made”.

The story goes something like this. In 1998, Beavis and Butthead inadvertently burn down (literally) the Highland High School Science Fair. They’re arrested and appear before a judge known as the toughest in the state when it comes to sentencing. But instead of sending them to jail, the judge (inspired by an episode of “Touched By An Angel”) sends our two “at-risk youths” to eight weeks of NASA space camp. What could go wrong?

As it turns out, everything! Beavis and Butthead arrive at Johnson Space Center (I shouldn’t need to tell you joke there) and for all the wrong reasons become enamored with a space station docking simulator. They impress astronaut Serena Ryan (Andrea Savage) who invites the boys to join NASA’s space mission to study a black hole. They accept after misinterpreting Serena’s invitation as an offer to “score”. Of course things go awry and the pair find themselves sucked into the time-jumping black hole that drops them into the ocean near Galveston, Texas in the year 2022.

In our time, Serena is the state’s governor, and after seeing her re-election billboard the boys set out to “complete their mission”. From there its Beavis and Butthead clashing with modern society in a steady number of comical encounters, some of them laugh-out-loud hilarious while others not as much. The funniest comes when they crash a college gender studies class and are informed of their white privilege by the professor (voiced by a pitch-perfect Tig Notaro). Adding to the silliness, the dimwitted Feds set out to apprehend Beavis and Butthead after misconstruing their time-jump as the arrival of two potentially dangerous aliens.

It all comes together in a ludicrous but admittedly funny stew. The decision by Judge and co-directors John Rice and Albert Calleros to stick with the classic formula was most definitely the right one. And the culture clash element allows for some hilarious moments. On the negative side, fans might be disappointed by the absence of the show’s wonderful blend of side characters (I was). And just like the MTV television show in the 90s, this movie won’t be for everyone. A little of Beavis and Butthead can go a long way. But to the filmmaker’s credit, they deliver exactly what they promised. Decide for yourself whether that’s a good thing or bad. “Beavis and Butthead Do the Universe” is streaming exclusively on Paramount+.

VERDICT – 3.5 STARS

REVIEW: “Delia’s Gone” (2022)

August 24, 2022 by Keith Garlington

With “Delia’s Gone”, writer-director Robert Budreau combines crime thriller elements with a compelling character study to form a story that works as both a murder mystery and a pointed small town introspection. But it’s the man at the center, Louis, who makes it all work, and it’s through his eyes that we’re able to see and understand the small but progressively ugly world he’s forced to navigate. And it’s through him that the themes of loss, injustice, and resilience boil to surface.

Over the years filmmakers haven’t shied away from portraying autism in their movies. But while these films have been sensitive and respectful in their depictions, they often make a similar mistake. They hone in on the external traits rather than the intense internal struggles that mark their day-to-day lives.

“Delia’s Gone” doesn’t fully avoid those trappings. In fact much of star Stephan James’ lead performance relies on those very external tics and verbal barriers. But Budreau’s script builds a story around Louis that gives us a sense of the chaos brewing in his mind as he tries to process his circumstances and curb his growing anxiety. It’s far from comprehensive and there are a few times where we lose that internal connection with Louis. But Budreau is both thoughtful and sincere in his treatment, and James (so good in “If Beale Street Could Talk”) keeps his performance grounded and true.

Set in small-town Ohio, Louis (a gentle soul with ASD) lives with his troubled sister Delia (Genelle Williams). The two are close, but Delia’s struggles with addiction is taking a toll on her. One evening she surprises Louis with news that she has decided to leave town. Upset and against his better judgement, Louis gets into Delia’s booze cabinet. “It makes me mean,” he says of alcohol early on – a line of dialogue we’re clearly meant to catalog in our minds.

Louis wakes up the next morning and finds blood on his hands and the living room ransacked. He goes to check on Delia only to find her dead on the kitchen floor. Within minutes the town’s sheriff Fran (Oscar-winner Marisa Tomei) and her deputy, Bo (Paul Walter Hauser) arrive and take Louis into custody. With little investigation and even less defense, Louis is convicted and sentenced to five years in prison for involuntary manslaughter.

The story then jumps ahead seven years with Louis having served his sentence and now living in a special care facility. He’s surprised by a visit from Stacker Cole (Travis Fimmel), a man from his hometown. Stacker is a man burdened by guilt and looking for some degree of absolution. He tells Louis he has information about the night Delia died. But before he can share it, Louis gets aggressively upset and Stacker is asked to leave. Shortly after, Louis leaves the facility and sets off for his hometown, determined to find answers about his sister’s death.

From there Budreau ramps up the mystery side of his story as Louis follows crumbs of information that lead him to other players intent on hiding the truth. Fran re-enters the picture, now as a state police detective, as does Bo who replaced her as sheriff. Everyone we meet in the second half seems to know more than they’re willing to share, and while we begin to get an idea of where the story is heading, Budreau is able to keep things under wraps until the finale. And while the reveal may not have the jolt it could have, what transpires packs a pretty good punch.

With Budreau’s deliberate pacing and strong character focus along with terrific performances throughout (especially from James and Fimmel), “Delia’s Gone” turns out to be a well-conceived and dramatically rich drama. And while I couldn’t always make sense of certain characters, they feel very much rooted in this world. And we do too, which is yet another reason the movie works so well. “Delia’s Gone” is out now in theaters. “Delia’s Gone” is out now in theaters.

VERDICT – 3.5 STARS

REVIEW: “Spin Me Round” (2022)

August 23, 2022 by Keith Garlington

(CLICK HERE to read my full review in the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette)

Jeff Baena directs “Spin Me Round”, a new genre mash-up that ends up being one of the most perplexing movies I’ve seen this year. Not because of a deep and knotty story. Not due to some heavy thought-provoking themes. And certainly not from layered and challenging characters. No, it’s because I’m still trying to figure out how a movie that started so strong ended up such a mess.

It’s not so much recognizing what went wrong. The issues with “Spin Me Round” aren’t hard to spot. The puzzling part is trying to understand some of the creative choices that takes what started as are sharp and genuinely funny comedy and turns it into this weird melange of clashing undeveloped ideas. It results in a schizophrenic final third that sees the movie trying to be an erotic thriller, a revealing #MeToo drama, a buddy mystery, an absurdist parody, and several other things. But despite its go-for-broke efforts, it all comes across as little more than manufactured chaos.

It’s a shame because “Spin Me Round” has a cast rich with comedic talent: Alison Brie, Aubrey Plaza, Molly Shannon, Alessandro Nivola, Tim Heidecker, Lil Rel Howery, Zach Woods, Debby Ryan, and Fred Armisen for starters. And the story (penned by Baena and Brie) sets off on the right foot, riffing on a basic romantic comedy premise while smartly leaning on the names above to deliver some good laughs.

But something happens just past the halfway mark that makes for an intriguing shift in tone. And for a while Baena does a good job balancing the comedy with this new subtly smarmy under-your-skin thriller vibe. But things turn on a dime and go sideways fast as more twists are introduced and more genres are crammed in. It ends up messy and convoluted to the point that the entire story comes unglued. Call it a miscalculation or over-ambition. Whatever the reason, the movie derails and never has time to get back on track.

Brie stars as Amber, a late thirty-something living a mundane life in Bakersfield, California. She’s fresh off a messy breakup and about the only thing close to excitement in her life is working as manager of the local Tuscan Grove, an Olive Garden-ish Italian restaurant chain. Amber is surprised one day by some news that could spice things up. Her boss (Howery) informs her that she’s been selected for the Tuscan Grove Institute Exemplary Manager’s Program. It’s an all-expense-paid corporate getaway to Italy where she’ll stay at a luxury villa and take part in several haute culinary classes taught by master chefs. And who knows, maybe she’ll get a glimpse of the company’s charismatic CEO, Nick Martucci (Alessandro Nivola).

It doesn’t take long for Amber (who’s never been out of the States) to get caught up in the romanticism. She sees herself being swept away by the beautiful locales, eating the best Italian cuisine, getting lost in the local culture, and maybe even falling in love. But her first dose of reality comes pretty quick. After being picked up at the airport by the slyly sardonic program supervisor, Craig (a really funny Ben Sinclair), Amber is driven, not to a beautiful countryside villa, but a rinky-dink hotel. It’s the first of several signs indicating this company retreat isn’t all it’s cracked up to be.

The funniest bits come when we’re introduced to the other managers – an eccentric blend of pinheads and oddballs who immediately make us question the “Exemplary” part of the program. Among them is the neurotic Deb (a scene-stealing Molly Shannon), the awkward oversharer Dana (Woods), the detached and uninterested Susie (Ryan), and Fran (Heidecker) who wears his brief stint on Chef’s Challenge as a badge of honor. Each deliver some laugh-out-loud moments with Amber often in the straight-man role.

But things shift after Nick appears and whisks Amber away for a romantic afternoon on his yacht. With practically no buildup whatsoever, she gives into her Cinderella-styled fantasy, succumbing to Nick’s big smile and paper-thin charm. And then there’s the acerbic and mysterious Kat (played by Baena’s real-life wife Plaza) who one minute is shuttling Amber to her secret rendezvous with Nick and is warning her to watch out for him the next.

Kat could be the film’s most compelling character, but she’s undone by the script’s lack of interest in her. Kat teases more than she delivers, leaving us with no way to gauge her or her motives. Is she complicit in some queasy dealings or is she guided by some darker self-interests? We eventually get a vague one-word answer, but well after she up and disappears. Despite being framed as a meaningful character, the writers send Kat packing without making sense of anything she has brought to the story. It’s such a waste of Plaza’s talent.

Sadly there’s a lot wasted here – the funny anti-romcom first act, the gorgeous scenic stops along the Italian Riviera, the opportunity to go deeper into the weighty themes it introduces. Instead the filmmakers choose to run riot, spinning off in all directions before settling into a poor man’s “Eyes Wide Shut.” Baena clearly wants to jolt us, both with the shock and the silliness of what’s revealed. But it’s easy to lose yourself and your movie when taking such wild swings. Case in point – “Spin Me Round”.

VERDICT – 2 STARS

REVIEW: “Orphan: First Kill” (2022)

August 22, 2022 by Keith Garlington

“Orphan: First Kill” is a prequel to the 2009 psychological horror cult hit “Orphan”. It’s a rather unexpected second feature that sees Isabelle Fuhrman reprising her role as Esther, the creepy and calculating adoptee who terrorized her foster family in the first film. Despite being 13 years older and this new movie taking place prior to the original, Fuhrman falls right back into Esther’s skin, bringing the character and all her devilish cunning back in a startlingly convincing way.

William Brent Bell directs this new installment with David Coggeshall handling the screenplay. It’s based on a story by David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick and Alex Mace, the brainchildren behind the first movie’s script. Fans of the original film might remember one particularly disturbing aspect of Esther’s background. More specifically, what happened to her family before she was put in the orphanage. “First Kill” gives us a first-hand dive into those events.

“Orphan: First Kill” may not convince us of the need for its existence, but it does provide fans of the 2009 movie plenty to munch on. At the same time, it’s undeniably silly and it doesn’t exactly start off on the strongest foot. But credit to the filmmakers who broadside us with a midway twist that I can’t imagine anyone seeing coming. It’s utterly bonkers and sadistic, but in a weirdly satisfying way it energizes the rest of the movie and makes this much more than just a carbon-copy of its predecessor.

Bell opens his movie with a prologue set in 2007. At an Estonian mental hospital called the Saarne Institute, Leena Klammer, the facility’s most violent patient, escapes. She assumes the identity of Esther Albright, the believed-to-be abducted daughter of a well-to-do American couple, Tricia (Julia Stiles) and Allen (Rossif Sutherland) Allbright. In Darien, Connecticut, Esther/Leena is ‘reunited’ with the Allbrights and their teenage son Gunnar (Matthew Finlan).

From there, the movie borrows the model of the first film as Esther’s deranged game of manipulation really kicks in. It seems like she may have hit the jackpot. The Albrights are a big-money family who fly in private jets, live in a sprawling country estate, and even have a collection of Fabergé eggs lined across their living room mantel just to highlight their wealth. And to top it all off, the ruggedly handsome Allen immediately catches Esther’s eye, if you know what I mean (à la Peter Sarsgaard from the 2009 flick).

That sounds like a pretty copy-and-paste approach, and you’d think it would be a hard sell this time around since we already know Esther’s BIG secret from the previous movie (I won’t spoil it for those yet to see it). Also, there’s an undeniable silliness to the idea of a daughter being gone for just four years yet returning this dramatically different. Yes there’s a physical resemblance, but the weird personality, the ice-cold eyes, the 18th century dress code, the poorly concealed Russian accent. Are there really no question marks or red flags popping up for this family?

Enter that midway twist I mentioned. The movie answers all those concerns (to varying degrees of success) with a wild out-of-the-blue turn that jolts the entire story and sends it in a vastly different direction. It’s pure gonzo camp that doubles down on the nuttiness of its premise and gives the cast some warped yet wildly entertaining places to go. It’s especially true for Stiles and Fuhrman. Stiles has always been an underrated actress. It’s great seeing her get a role she can really sink her teeth into. Fuhrman is an unsettling force, but at age 25, it’s a little tougher to look like a convincing 9-year-old. But the movie pulls it off thanks to a clever mix of body-doubling, strategic camera angles, and an occasional splash of CGI.

Interestingly, the movie’s ending feels a little hurried and cheap. Yet at the same time, it kinda fits considering how zany this thing gets. And I can’t imagine them being able to take the series any further. Overall it’s hard to call “Orphan: First Kill” necessary, and in terms of series status all it really does is fill in a few holes. But who cares about all of that when we’re given something this much fun? Bell and Coggeshall have a field day bending the genre, and the small but game cast are all onboard. By the end, I knew I had been thoroughly entertained, yet I still sat wondering what on earth I had just watched. “Orphan: First Kill” is streaming now on Paramount+.

VERDICT – 3.5 STARS

REVIEW: “Orphan” (2009)

August 22, 2022 by Keith Garlington

For some reason the 2009 psychological horror film “Orphan” slipped completely by me. Not only did I not see it during its original release, I don’t remember even hearing about it. In fact, it wasn’t until the announcement of its recently released prequel and its subsequent good word of mouth that I was actually aware of its existence. That’s crazy for me considering that “Orphan” wasn’t some obscure, minuscule budgeted, straight-to-video release. Even more baffling, it stars two acting talents I really enjoy – Vera Farmiga and Peter Sarsgaard.

To prep for its prequel, I finally sat down with “Orphan”. It’s directed by Jaume Collet-Serra (“Jungle Cruise”, “Black Adam”), written by David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick (“Aquaman”, “The Conjuring 2”), and co-produced by Leonardo DiCaprio (???). As mentioned, the film stars Farmiga and Sarsgaard playing a struggling couple who adopt a young girl to help cope with the loss of their own child. Needless to say, things don’t quite turn out as they had hoped.

Kate and John Coleman’s marriage is at a critical point following the stillborn loss of their third child, Jessica. Kate (Farmiga), a recovering alcoholic, is finding it harder to resist her urges to drink. And the couple can’t seem to rekindle the intimacy they once had before losing their baby. After much consideration, Kate and John (Sarsgaard) visit St. Mariana’s Home for Girls and adopt 9-year-old Esther (Isabelle Fuhrman).

Esther is exceptionally bright, well-mannered, and artistic. But she’s not without her eccentricities. For example, she dresses as if she’s been yanked from another time period. And what’s with that old Bible she keeps hidden in her sock drawer? She immediately hits it off with the Coleman’s 5-year-old hearing impaired daughter, Max (Aryana Engineer). But their jealous 12-year-old son Daniel (Jimmy Bennett) immediately dislikes the new family addition, and the tension between the two only intensifies.

“Orphan” is one of those movies where the audience knows the angle from the start. We know something is off with Esther and that nothing good is going to come for this family. So it’s all about watching it play out and waiting for the truth about Esther to be revealed. In some films like this, that can be maddening. But kudos to Collet-Serra and Johnson-McGoldrick for creating characters we can connect with and care about. From there the task is to create atmosphere and build tension, something Collet-Serra does very well.

The film is really helped by strong performances from Farmiga, Sarsgaard, and Fuhrman. Farmiga gets the meatiest and most complex role while Sarsgaard is a sturdy scene-sharer. Both find layers of humanity in their characters especially as their family dynamic starts to crumble. In the meantime, Fuhrman is a steadily unnerving presence, and she only gets creepier as Esther’s malevolence grows. It’s a wickedly effective performance.

So it took me a while, but I finally got around to seeing “The Orphan”. I’m glad I did. It’s a fun, preposterous, and at times chilling horror thriller that’s more interested in the psychological than cheap scares or gore galore. Other than a prequel, it’s hard to see what more they could do with it as this works really well as a stand-alone movie. There’s some quality character work, some really good tension-building, and a pretty gnarly final act that should please the genre faithful. “Orphan” is now streaming on Paramount+.

VERDICT – 3.5 STARS

REVIEW: “Beast” (2022 – US)

August 19, 2022 by Keith Garlington

It’s been quite the busy year for Idris Elba. Back in April he voiced a key character in “Sonic the Hedgehog 2”. He co-stars in George Miller’s fever-dream fantasy “Three Thousand Years of Longing” which is set to open next week. And later this year he has “Luther” coming out, a feature film continuation of his popular BBC television series.

And then there’s “Beast”, a survival thriller with plenty of B-movie flavor that sees Elba protecting his two daughters from a ferocious man-eating lion. In many ways it’s a throwback to the many man-versus-beast movies that would pop up on the shelves of my favorite video rental store back in 1980s. But our fascination with these types of movies existed well before that. And while maybe not as prevalent today (with the exception of the endless parade of shark movies), this ‘genre’ has never really gone away. Birds, piranha, alligators, wolves, a Kodiak bear, a wild boar, a rabid St. Bernard, even snakes on a plane – mankind has often found itself at odds (often by their own doing) with our planet’s wildlife.

**Image Courtesy of Universal Pictures**

“Beast” sees Elba teaming with Icelandic director Baltasar Kormákur. They’re working from a screenplay by Ryan Engle which is based on a story by Jaime Primak Sullivan. Speaking of the story, it’s light in terms of depth and pretty basic when it comes to plot development. But that’s okay for a movie as straightforward as “Beast”. All it needs to do is set the stage, give us characters we care about, and then keep us firmly planted on the edges of our seats. Kormákur hits every one of those marks.

“Beast” is a feral, rip-roaring nail-biter (bad puns absolutely intended) that’s all about giving its audience a taut, immersive experience. There is a touching family dynamic that’s built upon themes of loss, resentment, guilt, and reconciliation. But let’s be honest, most people who go see “Beast” are there to watch Idris Elba go one-on-one with a rabid CGI lion.

Elba plays recently widowed Dr. Nate Samuels who’s taking his two daughters, Mere (Iyana Halley) and Norah (Leah Sava Jeffries), on a trip to South Africa to the place where he and their late mom first met. This is an important trip for this struggling family who are not only burdened by grief but also old wounds from their family’s past (which are brought to light within the first act). The three are well written and they possess a good family chemistry, dysfunction and all. Their relationships feel organic in large part thanks to the performances. The sturdy and reliable Elba is as good as always, but so are the two young actresses, Halley and Jeffries.

When they arrive they’re met by Martin (Sharlto Copley), a close family friend who works at a wildlife reserve protecting animals from poachers. After settling in and getting some rest, Martin takes Nate and the two girls on a safari to the far ends of the reserve. But when they stop to visit a local village they make a grisly discovery. Everyone is dead – savagely ripped to shreds by what looks like a lion attack. Realizing how out of the ordinary it is for a lion to attack in such a way and fearing the predator is nearby, Martin gets Nate and the girls back to their truck. But they don’t get far before running headfirst into the bloodthirsty man-eater.

And that pretty much sets up the tension for the entire film. Marooned, with no communication, and with an angry lion on the prowl, Nate must protect his girls and find a way to get them to safety. Along the way there are some unexpected encounters highlighted by several vicious and gnarly attack scenes. And as usual for movies like this, the characters give us a few of those head-scratching moments that have you internally yelling “Close the door!” or “Don’t go out there!”.

Narratively, there is an effort by the story to give purpose to the lion’s attacks which makes it more than just ‘a killer lion killing people’ tale. Visually, the movie looks pretty great, from arid sun-parched surroundings to the digitally animated cats. Kormákur and Oscar-winning DP Philippe Rousselot shoot the film with a visceral style that features numerous long takes and tight tracking shots. It gives certain scenes bite (sorry, I couldn’t resist) and adds to the suspense.

Clocking in at a lean 90 minutes, “Beast” doesn’t outstay its welcome, wrapping up pretty predictably but in a satisfying way. Overall, it’s a movie with a simple premise that’s executed very well technically and narratively. Just know what you’re going in for and don’t expect a ton more than that. Kormákur certainly understands what kind of movie he’s making, And he delivers just the kind of fun B-movie entertainment I was hoping for. “Beast” opens today in theaters.