Author Archives: Ron

About Ron

I like to watch movies and share my thoughts on them. I have been writing reviews and distributing them since 2013.

Anna and the Apocalypse

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Anna and the Apocalypse             3 ½ stars

Just in time for Christmas comes the Christmas musical comedy from England, Anna and the Apocalypse.  The movie starts out with us meeting Anna, a high school senior in England who is dealing with life choices following graduation and her father after the loss of her mother.  She also has her friends at school including John, Steph and Chris.  There is also her former boyfriend, Nick who is something of a jerk.  Since it is a musical some of the story is told by the main characters doing some excellently choreographed musical numbers.  And since it is Christmas time, there is the night of the school musical put on by many of the students.  All seems very conventional until about a half hour into the movie when the zombies come.  It seems a worldwide viral outbreak has occurred and most of the population has transformed into flesh eating zombies.  So it is now up to our small band of high school heroes to do hand to hand combat with the zombies and get Anna back with her father who is a janitor at the school.  All this is done to song and dance while they find inventive ways to kill off the zombies and keep from getting bitten.  Will they make it through the day and find Anna’s father?  The film is strictly for laughs and is fun to watch for its short hour and a half length.  Don’t compare this to such master zombie movies like Night of the Living Dead, 28 Days Later or The Girl with all the Gifts, but for a pleasant change and a break from holiday stress, it hits the spot.

Ferdinand

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Ferdinand                           4 stars

One of the more engaging animated films of 2017 was Ferdinand brought to us by Blue Sky Studio and director Carlos Saldanha.  It is based on the children’s book about a sweet bull who is not interested in fighting but just wants to enjoy life and the people/animals around him.  His adventures take him to a peaceful farm in Spain, to a ranch where he “trains” to fight with the other bulls and finally to the fighting ring.  Through it all he keeps his peaceful nature as he deals with trying to keep his fellow bulls safe from the humans who seek to exploit them.  There is plenty to enjoy with the comical characters and the colorful animation.  Especially good are John Cena as Ferdinand and Kate McKinnon as the female “calming” goat, Lupe.  Though not on a level of Lion King or even Rio, this is a fun movie to watch and very suitable for children.

Welcome to Marwen

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Welcome to Marwen                     4 stars

Welcome to Marwen from director Robert Zemeckis employs some very imaginative techniques to tell the story of Mark Hogencamp (Steve Carell), an illustrator who lost his memory after being beaten by some local thugs.  Having lost his drawing talent Mark has created a fantasy world made up of miniatures dolls and models in an imaginary town in Brussels during World War II.  Mark has an alter ego named Hoagie represented by an American airman doll who frequently takes on Nazi soldiers aided by some very courageous women who make up the town’s population.  Each of the women figures represents a woman who plays a part in Mark’s life.  Mark lives alone outside of town and seems to be a broken man, but he manages to stay connected to people through his town called Marwen which he photographs creating intricate stories about his characters.  I found the movie quite engaging with the way it moves from the fantasy world to reality and how the events in Marwen are related to things going on in Mark’s real world.  The special effects are well done using stop action photography and animation to create some great action sequences.  The story is based on the actual true events of Mark Hogencamp who created this imaginary world and became famous through exhibitions of his photography.  I found the movie uplifting and entertaining which apparently most movie critics don’t see based on the mostly negative reviews it has been getting.  Robert Zemeckis has been making movies for ages and I am sure most viewers have seen some which includes Back to the Future, Who Framed Roger Rabbit, Cast Away and Forrest Gump.  In my opinion he has another winner that more people should be seeing.

The Invite

The Invite            4 ½ stars

In The Invite, now in theaters we meet Joe (Seth Rogen of Dumb Money and Long Shot) and Angela (Olivia Wilde of Don’t Worry Darling and Meadowland), a married couple whose marriage is clearly headed for trouble. Joe has anger issues and is dissatisfied with his job as an associate professor at a music conservatory. Angela is a stay-at-home mom who takes care of their tween daughter and loves to decorate the house (apartment) tastefully. From the moment Joe arrives home one evening, the bickering starts and I was wondering what I am in for. Before long Angela reveals that she has invited the upstairs neighbors for an evening dinner and learns that Joe has forgotten to pick up some wine for the occasion. In fact, Joe can’t remember the evening plans at all and is in no mood to be entertaining guests, so the arguing continues. When the couple, Hawk (Edward Norton of A Complete Unknown and Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery) and Piña (Penélope Cruz (who is amazing in everything)) arrives it doesn’t take long before we see that Joe resents them over their noisy amorous activities at night while he and Angela are trying the sleep. We find out that Hawk used to be a firefighter while Piña is a “sexologist”. (The story also depends on the strategic placement of certain windows in the apartment that I find difficult to explain.) Also, it soon becomes apparent that this new couple has a certain agenda in mind for their hosts that will play out through the evening. The Invite, directed by Olivia Wilde (her third time out directing after Booksmart and Don’t Worry Darling), is actually a remake of the Spanish film, The People Upstairs, one of a few sex comedies that have appeared over the years. Her direction combined with the writing of Rashida Jones and Will McCormack have given us a smart sex comedy driven by the talents of these four great actors. This is a well written comedy that depends on the dialogue of the actors and the well-coordinated interaction between them. They easily go from what seems to be a friendly conversation to something that turns into a conflict revealing deep resentment. This is not at all the kind of comedy that usually typifies a Seth Rogen movie. You feel like you are watching a real dinner party with layers of deep feelings being slowly peeled away. If this type of smart comedy sounds appealing to you, then you should be sure to see it while you can.

Golda

Golda                    2 stars

If you are as old as me, you can remember the days in 1973 when there was a war raging when Israel was attacked by the armies of Syria and Egypt that was called the Yom Kippur War. This was the fourth of the Arab-Israeli wars and a very closely fought one that lasted for 19 days. The outcome was uncertain until Israel succeeded in trapping and isolating an Egyptian army forcing a cease fire. The movie Golda tells that story, but mainly from the perspective of Israeli Prime Minister Golda Meir with an unrecognizable Hellen Mirren buried in makeup in the role of Meir. The movie focuses primarily on her interactions with the cabinet and the generals as they struggle to make the best decisions to save Israel and her conversations with US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger (Liev Schrieber of Asteroid City and Ray Donovan: The Movie). There are also frequent scenes of Meir, who is suffering from lymphoma, being cared for by her personal assistant (Camille Cottin of A Haunting in Venice and House of Gucci). What’s missing are any battle scenes showing what is going on in the field. Instead, we have the generals discussing the situation over battle maps and radio transmissions from commanders and soldiers yelling of how they are being swarmed and killed by the Egyptians. We get no background of what led to the war or even much about the general international situation. While Mirren’s acting talents are on full display here, showing Meir’s pain over the casualties suffered by the Israeli troops, we don’t get much in the way of her own background. Golda is mainly a history lesson about this war of long ago and not a very good one.

Stieg Larsson: The Man Who Played With Fire

Stieg Larsson: The Man Who Played With Fire.  4 1/2 stars

This documentary by Henrik Georgsson tells us much of the life story of the renowned author Stieg Larsson who wrote The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo. Before he died in 2004 he worked tirelessly as a journalist dedicated to exposing the right wing racist groups who were and continue to become a stronger political force in Sweden. This he did despite the attacks and death threats against the small group of reporters working at his publication. The movies follows him from the time he was a small boy until his death. It shows the rise of the hate groups in the nineties after nobody in the seventies imagined that Nazi type organizations could resurface again. The director used his access to those close to the subject and his materials to give us a vivid picture of this man who believed in Democracy and that it is necessary to defend it from those who would undermine it because of their fear of those who look different from them. The movie serves a warning to those in many other countries as well that fascism is not yet defeated. In that respect it has much in common with The Edge of Democracy which I viewed earlier. Both are my highest rated documentaries.

Imaginary Order

Imaginary Order.     4 1/2 stars

Imaginary Order by director Debra Eisenstaedt is likely the best comedy playing here at Sundance. Cathy played by comedic actor Wendy McLendon-Covie is a married suburban mom who encounters an unusual family while house sitting for her sister. She tries to connect with the mom, dad and their teenage son all individually and things go horribly wrong as she gets more involved with each member of this odd family. It also doesn’t help that Cathy suspects her husband of having an affair, her teenage daughter is having a tough time making friends at school and she lost her sister’s car that she is caring for. It all gets completely overwhelming for poor Cathy as she is forced to deal with each crisis that comes along. McClendon-Covie does a great job with the character and the director said originally she was cast as the sister in a small role, but she made the choice to make her the lead instead. The choice paid off nicely. Another great cast member was Max Burkholder as Xander, the teenage son. He was absolutely infuriating as he worked his into Cathy’s life as a character only interested in manipulating other people. The film was filled with funny moments and made the characters seem real which is often hard to do in a comedy. Eisenstadt’s previous works include Before the Sun Explodes and The Limbo Room. Mclendon- Covie is known for The Goldbergs and Bridemaids. I remember her mainly from Rules of Engagement and I saw her here at Sundance getting pictures taken with fans on Main Street. Hoping that the movie does well in the balloting.

Minions & Monsters

Minions & Monsters       4 ½ stars

I have mostly missed out on the Minions craze that has been delighting audiences over the last 16 years, having only seen one of the previous films that feature these small creators of mayhem. This week I took in the newest film in theaters, Minions & Monsters from Universal Studios. The filmmakers lose the villain Gru character altogether and concentrate solely on the yellow pill-shaped guys and their chaotic ways that confound anyone who makes their acquaintance. They seem to constantly give raspberries and hit each other over the head. The movie is divided into two halves with the first half giving us their origin story by means of a children’s field trip to a movie museum where a guide (Alison Janney) gives us their story throughout history. It seems they have wandered the planet since ancient times looking for the perfect villain for them to faithfully serve. Unfortunately, their antics always end in disaster for the chosen villain, mainly due to two of the Minions, James and Henry, forcing the Minions to repeatedly renew their search for another villain. This continues until they find a new prospect in the form of a wild west bandit being pursued by lawmen. To the Minions this seems perfect for them, so they join in the chase only to find that they are in the filming of a movie in old Hollywood. Here is where things really get fun. The Minions have arrived during the silent film era and meet the excitable director (Christoph Waltz) of the movie they have crashed. The director says he now must start over, but when the two studio heads (Jeff Bridges, voicing two parts) see the Minions on film, they think they have found a new star and the Minions are signed for many new movies. This part is interesting to film buffs as there are countless references to old Hollywood, like Modern Times, Singin’ in the Rain, The Maltese Falcon and Citizen Kane. George Lucas even makes a brief appearance. (There is even a globe that represents the globe from Charlie Chaplin playing Hitler in The Great Dictator.) (We even find out how the Minions got their familiar coveralls clothing.) But things go badly when talkies are introduced and people find out what Minion voices really sound like. So, it’s the end of the Minions’ movie career. But James has the idea to make a monster movie if he can only find the right monster! The second half of the movie begins with James and Henry conjuring a monster from an old spell book they saved from a long dead wizard, resulting in a tiny Cthulu monster (Trey Parker of South Park fame) who promises he can deliver a truly frightening monster for James’ dream. The antics continue through this portion of the film, but I didn’t find it quite as entertaining as the earlier portion. There is a new character introduced in the form of Dort (Jesse Eisenberg), a clumsy robot who lives in a rundown apartment and resembles the robot Gort from The Day the Earth Stood Still. In a fitting ending it is up to the Minions to save Earth from the very invading monsters that they brought back. The director, Pierre Coffin, has made something that is equally entertaining to both young and older audiences. I’m sorry I haven’t seen more of these little nuisances in their earlier movies. So, check out Minions & Monsters. It should be around for a long while.

Scream

Scream                 4 stars

Since I have seen all of the Scream franchise movies except one I had to go back and see the 2022 entry in the series, Scream. This is the fifth entry in the series and the first since Scream 4 in 2011. A Scream movie has certain rules that must be followed. They center around a fictional series of slasher movies called Stab in which the characters are hacked to death by the mysterious knife wielding character, Ghostface. They rely on the audience having a good knowledge of horror movies like Halloween and others. There is always a new killer in each Scream movie since the previous Ghostface has been killed off by the main characters. And there is always more than one killer that work together. All these rules are followed here, and the movie follows the same pattern we have seen since 1996 when the babysitter played by Drew Barrymore first got hacked to death in the town of Woodsboro. This time Ghostface strikes first, again in Woodsboro on teenager Tara Carpenter (Jenna Ortega (Death of a Unicorn and Beetlejuice Beetlejuice)) who is home alone. She manages to survive multiple stab wounds and ends up in the hospital. Her sister, Sam Carpenter (Melissa Barrera (Scream VI and In the Heights)) comes back to town to take care of Tara, with the two having been previously estranged. It is up to her and a new assortment of teenagers to try to solve the riddle of who the new Ghostface killer is, but as we all know the killer or killers may be among them. Another rule is that the original Scream characters must return to take part in unravelling the mystery and that is fulfilled when the teens call on sheriff Dewey Riley (David Arquette of Scream, Scream 2, Scream 3, Scream 4 and Scream 7), who is now retired from law enforcement. He in turn gets our reliable heroes, the final girl Sidney Prescott (Neve Campbell of Scream, Scream 2, Scream 3, Scream 4 and Scream 7) and Gale Weathers (Courteney Cox of Scream, Scream 2, Scream 3, Scream 4, Scream VI and Scream 7) involved as well, all of whom have left Woodsboro for new lives. Weathers is now a well-known news anchor in New York City. One more previous character, Deputy Judy Hicks (Marley Shelton of Planet Terror) returns in this installment as well, but briefly. Two new characters are the sister and brother act, Mindy Meeks-Martin (Jasmin Savoy Brown of Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma) and Chad Meeks-Martin (Mason Gooding of Booksmart). Mindy believes she has figured out the secret that the new killings are related to the release of the new movie Stab 8, and a revolt by the fans who object to the inauthenticity of the latest entry. These new killings are very similar to the original Ghostface spree. Mindy calls it a requel. (Since I already knew that Mindy and Chad are in the later Scream movies, they could not be the killers.) I can give you one spoiler here and that is that one original character may not make it out alive. Co-directors Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett (who also brought us the Ready or Not movies) have returned to the roots of Scream and given the fans of this comedy horror franchise something to scream about. So far Scream has been followed with Scream VI and Scream 7 with perhaps more to come? Whatever happens, just remember, Shoot ‘em in the head!

Hala

Hala       4 stars

One very relevant movie for young first generation immigrants is Hala. And especially suitable for young Muslims experiencing the clash of cultures in America.  The main character,  Hala is a seventeen year old girl, the only child to immigrant parents from Pakistan.  She is experiencing the usual thrills and challenges of being a teenager in high school with the added pressure of dealing with very traditional parents who believe in the practices of the old country.  And that includes their attitudes toward boys and dating.  Hala has a friendship with a white American boy that she is hiding from her parents while they are thinking of matching her with a boy from a Pakistani family for marriage.   This all leads to much pain and drama pitting parents against child and husband against wife.  This is a very engaging story and has good acting from the main cast.  The filmmaker was present for Q&A and said while the movie wasn’t her own story she knew of plenty of experiences to draw from. It was one of my favorites that I saw after hearing others talking about it.