REVIEW: “There’s Someone Inside Your House” (2021)

October 13, 2021 by Keith Garlington

The title for the new Netflix horror movie “There’s Someone Inside Your House” has a straightforward old-school ring to it. Too bad it doesn’t come close to the numerous movies it draws from. This drab and forgettable slasher lacks all of the energy, fun, and frights the bloody sub-genre is known for.

And about that title, I’m sure there’s some reason behind it that I don’t know, but “There’s Someone Inside Your House” seems like a generic name slapped on for the heck of it. It certainly doesn’t fit with anything in the movie. Well, there is that one kid who is killed in a house. I guess that’s supposed to be enough?

Directed by Patrick Brice (“Creep”, “Creep 2”) and written by Henry Gayden (“Shazam!”), the film is an adaptation of a 2017 novel of the same name by Stephanie Perkins. Most surprising are the names listed among the producers – Shawn Levy and James Wan. I’m not sure how the two became attached to the project, but you’ll have a hard time finding any of their influences on the finished product.

The movie begins as many of these things do, with an unsuspecting teen being brutally murdered (ala “Scream”). Here it’s an Osborne High School football player who (like everyone else in the movie) has an ugly secret that the killer takes pleasure in exposing. His or her reasons, we learn later, are unbelievably shallow. It’s one of many things you’ll be asked to go with during the film’s mercifully short running time.

After the opening, it’s slasher formula 101 – introduce the killer’s fodder (most often a group of insufferable teens) and then slice them, carve them, chop them, and impale them one by one. That’s this movie in a nutshell. They do throw in a few lightweight personal stories, but none of them amount to much and none move things forward in any meaningful way.

Rather than concentrating on storytelling, the film’s only dedicated interest is in showing how progressive it is. Not through any keen insight or smartly conceived characters. Instead we get it in bad on-the-nose dialogue and laughably shallow characterizations of progressives and conservatives. Thankfully not many from the left or right go to slasher flicks hoping for profound and invigorating political commentary. For those who do…I have some bad news.

From there the movie plods along on repeat with the killer targeting another kid and then releasing their darkest secret, usually through a massive group text (good thing the killer has the entire community’s phone numbers). Then of course they’re killed in one of several (mostly) uninspired ways. And when it finally reaches its end, the mystery of who’s behind the mask lands with a thud and offers no meaningful payoff.

Netflix has a wild yet interesting track record when it comes to horror films and they’ve had several stinkers lately. And with the aftertaste of the disappointing brain-mush that was the “Fear Street” trilogy lingering, I was hoping “There’s Someone Inside Your House” would be a nice palate cleanser. Not so. It’s a slushy, forgettable, scare-free movie that’s content with riding the coattails of better ones. “There’s Someone Inside Your House” is now streaming on Netflix.

VERDICT – 1.5 STARS

First Glance: “Scream”

October 12, 2021 by Keith Garlington

For those who haven’t gotten their fill of old slasher movie franchises being revived, along comes “Scream”. Though advertised as a franchise relaunch, this is a direct sequel to “Scream 4” from 2011. It’s worth noting that his will be the first “Scream” movie not to be directed by the late Wes Craven. It also continues a trend of dropping the number at the end of the title and simply reusing the original name (I still haven’t figured out why that’s a thing).

The first trailer dropped today from Paramount and franchise fans will instantly notice the similarities between this and the original movie. We see a modernized remake of the famous Drew Barrymore opening from the 1996 film. And of course we see the signature characters: Neve Campbell’s Sidney, David Arquette’s Dewey, and Courteney Cox’s Gale. A smattering of new young faces ensures that the new ghost-faced killer has plenty of fresh meet to slash.

“Scream” hits theaters January 14th. Check out the trailer below and let me know if you’ll be seeing it or taking a pass.

REVIEW: “I’m Your Man” (2021)

October 12, 2021 by Keith Garlington

(Click Here to read my full review in the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette)

A mere surface reading of Maria Schrader’s new film “I’m Your Man” makes it sound like a daft and disposable sci-fi rom-com, bubbling with the kind of flaky superficial schmaltz that can be easy to dismiss and hard to endure. As it turns out, this high-concept romantic fantasy is a smart, thoughtful and affecting genre blend. I went into it more curious than captivated, but within 15 minutes Schrader had me firmly under her spell.

Though science-fiction is inherent to its setup, the story is more of a romantic dramedy set in our current day. The film stars Maren Eggert as Dr. Alma Felser, an archaeologist for Berlin’s Pergamon Museum. The story opens with Alma arriving at a nightclub that seems plucked out of time. Inside a jazz band’s rendition of “Puttin on the Ritz” fills the room as couples romantically dance and dine in the cozily lit cabaret.

The hostess escorts Alma to a table near the dance floor where a handsome gentleman introduces himself as Tom (Dan Stevens). “You’re a very beautiful woman Alma,” he smoothly purrs as he slides his hand over hers. “Your eyes are like two mountain lakes I could sink into.” If that sounds sappy it’s for good reason. You see, Tom is an android and after ordering the perfect wine, perfectly quoting Rilke, and dancing the perfect Rumba, the robot loverboy glitches leading a trio of frantic grey-suited techs to whisk him away for maintenance.

It turns out Alma has been chosen to test-drive a new android prototype and this was their introduction. Once Tom is fixed, Alma is to take him home for a three-week trial period, reporting her findings to an ethics committee afterwards who will then determine whether the models make for good life partners. Should they be allowed to work, marry or get passports? Will they be entitled to human rights or are they just machines?

Once at her flat the movie uncoils into a more sincere version of the “The Odd Couple” with Alma wanting nothing to do with her robotic Romeo and Tom (following his programming) attempting to ingratiate himself. He tidies up the place and fixes extravagant meals much to her chagrin. He even prepares her a bath complete with candles, rose petals and champagne.

Yes, it sounds weird, but the two lead performances pull us in and actually make us believe. Together Eggert and Stevens have a charming chemistry, but it’s what they bring individually that makes their characters work. There’s an understated beauty to Eggert’s performance as she takes Alma from cranky skeptic to aching lost soul. Stevens, with his perfectly combed hair and sparkling blue eyes, is a perfect mix of suave sophistication and dopey innocence. He has the trickier role while hers is the more emotionally demanding. Both are terrific.

As you can probably guess, over time Alma warms up to Tom and her apathy turns to curiosity and then later to compassion. But Schrader doesn’t wander down the conventional route for very long. There’s a degree of incertitude behind nearly every scene and each scenario seems anchored to a question. Take when Tom tries to convince Alma to share more about herself. The more she shares the more his algorithm will adjust to her desires. He’ll become the proverbial ‘perfect man’ – one fine-tuned (literally) to her specifications. But can she truly love someone who’s really nothing more than a self-programmed extension of herself?

These are the type of heartfelt considerations baked into “I’m Your Man”, a movie that probes the essence of humanity – its meaning, its parameters, its imperfections. A movie that examines human relationships – how we define them, what we expect from them, and where we’d be without them. Yes, the film can be slyly funny and Schrader has a good time hacking away at numerous worn-out romantic comedy tropes. But go into it expecting more. Look beyond the surface. You just might be surprised at what find. I know I was.

VERDICT – 4 STARS

First Glance: “Paranormal Activity: Next of Kin”

October 11, 2021 by Keith Garlington

Full disclosure (again) – I don’t have any real connection the “Paranormal Activity” series. I don’t know anything about its timeline and couldn’t tell you anything of value about the previous movies outside of the first couple. I’m also not a fan of found-footage horror movies (they were fun at first but wore out their welcome years ago). Yet strangely, the new trailer “Paranormal Activity: Next of Kin” grabbed my attention.

“Next of Kin” is essentially the seventh installment in the “PA” franchise, but it’s advertised as a full reboot of the series. Horror guru Jason Blum produces this story of a young woman shooting a documentary that chronicles her visit to an Amish village. There she’s set to meet a biological relative who may have information about her late mother’s past. As the trailer makes abundantly clear, things get pretty macabre and her visit quickly turns terrifying.

“Paranormal Activity: Next of Kin” premieres October 29th on Paramount+ streaming. Check out the trailer below and let me know if you’ll be seeing it or taking a pass.

REVIEW: “The Many Saints of Newark” (2021)

October 11, 2021 by Keith Garlington

Prior to the revolution that dramatically changed the way we consume television, most of us counted on the major networks for our daily allowance of small screen serial entertainment. But a lot changed on the evening of January 10, 1999. That’s the night when HBO premiered the pilot episode of “The Sopranos”. The immensely popular hour-long mob drama would change the way people looked at and thought of serial television. And it opened the door for the countless cutting-edge shows that would follow.

“The Sopranos” wasn’t HBO’s first venture into television, but nothing changed the television landscape quite like the esteemed crime series which earned big ratings despite being on a premium cable network. The show would go on to receive a total of 111 Emmy nominations while winning 21 statues over the course of its six-season 86-episode run.

The success of the “The Sopranos” led to HBO changing their business model and investing more in original programming. It also paved the way, not only for other cable networks, but also for the lucrative streaming world we currently live in. It’s hard to overstate the show’s impact.

Built around the amusing premise of a mob boss seeking therapy to lower his stress levels, “The Sopranos” would evolve into a much more thoughtful and layered study. It was essentially a psychological family drama fused together with a grounded and gritty gangster story. The late James Gandolfini’s iconic Anthony “Tony” Soprano was the perfect anchor – an Italian-American wiseguy based in New Jersey with as many headaches at home as he had running his underworld business. While the series covered quite a bit of ground, there was still plenty of story left to be told.

Enter “The Many Saints of Newark”, a prequel to “The Sopranos” that sees show-runner David Chase return to the characters he spent years nurturing. Directed by Alan Taylor and co-written by Chase and Lawrence Konner, the story heads back to Newark, New Jersey and unfolds during the tumultuous 1960s and early 70s when the city’s racial tensions were at a boil and as rival gangs were springing up and taking aim at the powerful DiMeo crime family.

This is the world Anthony “Tony” Soprano grew up in. ”The Many Saints of Newark” begins in 1967 when the future mafia don (played early on by William Ludwig) was just a kid. Later it moves to the 1970s where, in an audacious bit of casting, James Gandolfini’s son Michael plays the younger version of the character his father made famous.

Perhaps most interesting is the way “Saints” tells Tony’s backstory. It doesn’t take the traditional route of following some detailed timeline of the central character’s life. Instead it unveils Tony’s story through the people closest to him. Chase puts a ton of effort into showing us where Tony came from, mostly centering on the knotty family history between the Sopranos and the Moltisantis. As you would expect, their history is marked by family drama, crime, betrayal and violence which a young Tony takes in while mostly sitting in the background.

The one principal figure in the story is Tony’s uncle in name only, Richard “Dickie” Moltisanti (Alessandro Nivola). Dickie is a suave and confident mob soldier working under his father, Aldo “Hollywood Dick” Moltisanti (a terrific Ray Liotta). Dickie is a handsome smooth-talker, brandishing a disarming smile and barely repressing a vengeful violent side. While he’s a good business man, Dickie’s judgement when it comes to family is a little wobbly. Such as when he takes a liking to his pompous father’s new (and considerably younger) trophy wife Guiseppina (Michela De Rossi). But he’s good to Tony, taking him under his wing while the kid’s father, Giovanni “Johnny Boy” Soprano (Jon Bernthal) was doing time in prison.

Dickie makes for a fitting centerpiece, but “Saints” truly is an ensemble film. Chase fills his world with both new and familiar names, telling their stories with the same moral ambiguity as the series. They’re brought to life through phenomenal performances top to bottom. Among the best is Vera Farmiga as Tony’s paranoid and borderline neurotic mother Livia. Corey Stoll playing the younger Corrado “Junior” Soprano complete with his signature glasses and crankiness. And a fierce Leslie Odom Jr. as an ambitious numbers runner Harold McBrayer, who once worked under Dickie but is inspired by the city riots to start an underworld racket of his own.

Not everything works as well as it should. There’s a love triangle of sorts that springs out of nowhere. And considering how it ends, the angle really needed some kind of buildup. As for setting up Tony Soprano’s entrance into mob life, the movie does a great job presenting the influences that led him down the path. Yet it never lets us see him take the first step from aspiring football player and rock-n-roller into a life of organized crime.

Still, “Saints” is a solid “Sopranos” companion piece. There’s a fair amount of fan service and it helps to at least have a working knowledge of the characters. For those reasons, it may not be the most accessible entry point for newcomers. But with its stellar performances and the same alluring style of character-driven storytelling that made the series such a hit, “Saints” has plenty to offer to even the most casual mob movie fan.

VERDICT – 4 STARS

REVIEW: “No Time to Die” (2021)

October 8, 2021 by Keith Garlington

What a ride it has been for Daniel Craig. He first slid into the tuxedo of the dapper 007 back in 2006. Fifteen years and five movies later Craig wraps up his terrific run with the 25th installment in the James Bond franchise, “No Time to Die”. Due to several reasons (a global pandemic chief among them), we haven’t had a Bond film since 2015. That’s a long time, but I’m happy to say it was well worth the wait.

I was pretty lukewarm on James Bond movies until Craig came along. His first entry “Casino Royale” blew me away. I like his second film, the flawed “Quantum of Solace” more than most. I loved his third movie “Skyfall” but was more mixed on his fourth, “Spectre”. With “No Time to Die”, Craig is given the chance to end his tenure on a sky-high note. And boy does he.

Directed by Cary Joji Fukunaga, “No Time to Die” comes packaged with everything you want from a Bond movie – big action, even bigger characters, plenty of style, and a special dash of heart. But Craig’s movies have added grit to that list. His Bond carries the weight of loss, and his pain often pushes him outside the bounds of agency protocol. That emotional burden and his willingness to cross the line are traits that set his 007 apart from all the rest.

**Image Courtesy of United Artists Releasing**

This near $300 million sequel comes with a collection of old familiar faces as well as a few new ones. And once again this latest world-saving mission takes Bond (and us) to locations across the globe – Italy, Jamaica, Cuba, Norway, and of course London. And then you have the story itself which is not only thrilling blockbuster material, but it nails the tricky task of completing Daniel Craig‘s story arc. And it does it in an profoundly satisfying way.

The film begins with James having retired from MI6 and enjoying what resembles a normal life with Madeleine (a returning Léa Seydoux). But while on a romantic getaway in the exquisitely shot Matera, Italy, the couple are reminded why they’re always looking over their shoulders. Assassins sent by the nefarious crime syndicate Spectre ambush James leading to an exhilarating action sequence through the heart of the scenic city. Bond and Madeleine manage to escape, but he suspects her of betraying and the two split up.

Five years and one Billie Eilish Bond theme later, James is living in seclusion on a beach in Jamaica when he’s contacted by old friend and CIA field officer Felix Leiter (Jeffrey Wright). Felix needs Bond’s help tracking down a kidnapped scientist (David Dencik) who has developed a DNA-targeting bioweapon known as “Project Heracles”. Obviously, in the wrong hands the bioweapon could be catastrophic. And those hands happen to belong to Lyutsifer Safin (Rami Malek), a soft-spoken yet vengeful terrorist leader who has an axe to grind with Spectre and has a rather gnarly connection to Madeleine’s past. And just like that, Bond is back in the game.

From there the road gets curvier. Bond butts heads with MI6, particularly M (Ralph Fiennes) and a brash young 00 agent named Nomi (Lashana Lynch). The devilish Ernst Blofeld (Christoph Waltz) is still running Spectre from prison. And of course Madeleine resurfaces, now working as a psychotherapist for MI6, a job that puts her right in the crosshairs of the string-pulling madman Safin. And there are even more characters with parts to play including CIA agent Paloma (a wide-eyed and delightful Ana de Armas) who assists Bond in Cuba. And of course Q (Ben Whishaw) and Moneypenny (Naomie Harris) make welcomed returns.

But this is very much Bond’s movie. Not just in the traditional sense, but personally and emotionally. From its action-packed earliest frames, “No Time to Die” has a different pull than Craig’s other films in the franchise. Part of it may be psychological. We know this is Craig’s last ride and that realization inevitably adds some extra feeling for fans. But it’s also a conscious move from Fukunaga who manages to keep his film tonally in-tune with the others while putting a warm and empathetic spotlight on the weary and pained super spy. It’s a slippery balancing act, but Fukunaga nails it.

Also, the movie looks amazing. Whether he’s capturing a location or shooting an elaborate action sequence, Oscar-winning DP Linus Sandgren always gives us something worth looking at. I mentioned the stunning opening in Italy. There’s also an impeccably shot edge-of-your-seat car chase/shootout in Norway. And of course, the big finish which features one particularly jaw-dropping close-quartered gunfight up a flight of stairs. Sandgren is constantly treating us to one breathtaking shot after another and frequently reminding us of why movies are always better on the big screen.

But what may be most impressive is how the movie flies by despite a hefty running time of 2 hours 43 minutes. I only checked my watch once and that was out of curiosity rather than boredom. Much of it has to do with Fukunaga’s crisp pacing and steady mix of drama and action. He never lets things get bogged down. At the same time, he never loses sight of his characters. Again, it’s a balance the film maintains that keeps it lively and engaging.

So how does “No Time to Die” match up with Craig’s other Bond movies. Well, I’m not ready to put it next to the superb “Casino Royale”, but it’s only a step or two below it. Not only has Cary Joji Fukunaga made a good Bond movie, but this is the kind entertainment I look for out of blockbusters. But perhaps most important for 007 fans, Fukunaga gives Craig a swan song that does him and his fifteen years spent On Her Majesty’s Secret Service justice. It’s a top-to-bottom fabulous finish for (dare I even say it) my favorite Bond of the franchise. “No Time to Die” opens today in theaters.