Weekend Watch - July 2022 Recap

                Welcome back to the Weekend Watch where each week, we take a look at a new piece of film or television media that has recently released and give you a review and recommendation for it. As we have now come to the end of the month of July, this week is devoted to recapping the films that released in the month of July and have a shot of making it onto the site’s list of Greatest Films of All Time. Just as with June, July was a pretty sparse month for “Great Films”, so there are no Sure Things this month again. We do have a few in the Possible Things and Long Shots categories though, so let’s take a look.

Long Shots:

Minions: The Rise of Gru: This animated viral sensation is already one of the highest grossing films of the year, but its mediocre critic reviews keep it only at a long shot. It will probably need some success at one or more of the awards shows to make it up to true “Great” status. This doesn’t mean that the film is bad. Check out the Weekend Watch that I did on it a few weeks ago if you want to know the blog’s opinion.

Thor: Love and Thunder: The MCU’s latest outing seems to have slipped back into the Marvel Phase 1 levels of critical and fan reception. It’s a really good time, but the film struggles as a follow-up to the wildly successful Thor: Ragnarok. Taika Waititi’s brand of mixing wacky comedy with emotional weight seems to have missed the mark somewhat with this one, but its visuals and box office numbers keep it as a long shot.

The Sea Beast: Netflix’s animated fantasy film starring Karl Urban’s voice seems to have hit a successful chord among audiences and critics, sitting at a 94% Tomatometer score and 87% Audience Score on Rotten Tomatoes. However, its other numbers are only a little above average, and with Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio also releasing from Netflix later this year, it’s difficult to imagine the streaming service getting two Best Animated Picture nominees.

Where the Crawdads Sing: 30- and 40-something women across the U.S. are keeping this film’s hopes alive, along with the fact that I’ve seen enough critics praising Daisy Edgar-Jones’s performance to make me think she has (very) long odds to get some nominations come awards season. Other than that, the film doesn’t have much great about it, but we’ll see.

Vengeance: B.J. Novak’s feature film directorial debut came out in wide release this weekend to relatively positive reviews, if somewhat mixed. For Texans, his film is near perfect, delivering a well-researched story that features some very solid depictions of the state and its people. For everyone else, the film’s story does at times get overshadowed by Novak’s messaging coming through in the dialogue. It’s good, but not great, and it’s hard to see this getting looks for much besides its writing come awards season.

DC League of Super-Pets: The Dwayne Johnson-Kevin Hart animated comedy about Krypto the Super-Dog and his pet companions is going to make a decent splash at the box office, as Johnson’s films inevitably do. So far, it has also seen quite a bit of success among audiences but not as much among critics. Its mixed numbers and the high number of animated films in the running for awards this year will probably keep it off the list.

A Love Song: This indie film about aging romance that released this weekend starring Dale Dickey and Wes Studi has all the makings of a really solid film. Unfortunately, we are in a year when so many other indie films (two or three so far, all from A24) have gained cult followings that it feels like this one is going to fly too far under the radar to get the awards love it will need to make it onto the list.

Possible Things:

Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris: Audiences and critics alike have predominantly positive things to say about this Lesley Manville-led film about a widow who reopens the House of Dior in Paris in the 1950s. The film’s positive message, solid acting, and great costuming make it a possible hit for something when the Awards nominations start rolling out.

Gabby Giffords Won’t Back Down: This documentary about Gabby Giffords, the Congresswoman who was shot in an attempted assassination back in 2011, and her perseverance getting through life since then is directed by the same people who did the Oscar-nominated RBG documentary, so there’s definitely a shot for this film. It's not a sure thing yet, mainly because it just doesn’t have the critical success that so many documentaries often enjoy.

Nope: Jordan Peele’s third film currently looks to have a better shot at the list than Us did. Audiences like this one more, and it has some beautiful cinematography and a simpler story to help it along. Its scores aren’t quite high enough to make it a sure thing, but don’t be surprised to see it jump up come awards season.

Hallelujah: Leonard Cohen, a Journey, a Song: This documentary about Leonard Cohen and his song “Hallelujah” has been a solid hit with critics and audiences. A nomination and/or win for feature documentary at some awards shows would help this one rise up onto the list.

Accepted: This documentary covers a school in Louisiana with some controversial teaching and disciplinary practices that also happened to have a ridiculously high acceptance rate among Ivy League schools. The film documents the discovery of potential abuses and engages with the question of how far people are willing to go to get into “good schools”. Its reviews are relatively positive, but not many people have seen it so far, so we’ll keep it as just a possibility for now.

Weekend Watch - Nope

                 Welcome back to the Weekend Watch where each week, we review and recommend a new piece of film or television media as voted on by the followers on the blog’s Instagram account. This week, the winner of the poll was Jordan Peele’s newest film, Nope, a sci-fi/horror film featuring Daniel Kaluuya, Keke Palmer, Brandon Perea, Steven Yeun, and Keith David. The film is Peele’s third, following the widely successful films Us and Get Out. Without further ado, let’s take a closer look.

Letter Grade: B+; this film is by no means perfect, but most of it is high quality and really fun and original

Should you Watch This Film? I think so; it is a film worth checking out for its combination of original and homage filmmaking.

Why?

                Nope is a genre-blending film whose parts are probably better than the whole. It utilizes elements of sci-fi and alien horror films, psychological thrillers, classic westerns, and family comedies into its own unique package. Writer/director/producer Jordan Peele’s vision shines through most brilliantly in the moments when the film leans all the way into its genres and uses them to make commentary on the state of modern entertainment and “spectacle”. Whether it is exploring aliens and flying saucers, the phenomenon of society’s newfound UFO awareness, the issues with child stars, the dangers and potential of trained animals in film and television, or even a cinematographer looking for the perfect shot, Nope’s highs showcase some brilliant commentary, gorgeous visuals, and a refreshingly unique story. Of Peele’s films, this one is by far the most connected to the world of filmmaking, allowing the director to throw in bits and references to black cinema, and specifically westerns, rewarding some of his more faithful fans in the process. At the same time, Nope’s highlights are also what causes its message to break down by the end. A film critiquing the audiences desire for spectacle while presenting spectacle inevitably feels a bit too on-the-nose or not quite self-aware enough to accomplish its goal, and in watching the film, it feels as if Peele recognized that danger and, therefore, chose to conclude his film with a different note and story emphasis. Unfortunately, by the time the audience becomes aware of the turn, they have already become invested in the other story lines and themes, making where the film ultimately ends up into a bit of a disappointment. This is not to say that the rest of the film, especially its performers and sci-fi/horror aspects, is particularly bad. In fact, the rest of the film is arguably a top-three film to release this year. Its inability to stick the landing definitely leaves you looking for more, but that should not dissuade you from appreciating the rest of the film and its otherwise great parts.

Weekend Watch - Lightyear

                Welcome back to the Weekend Watch where we take a look at a new film or show that is out right now and give you a brief review and recommendation as to whether it necessitates watching. This week, we’ll be taking a look at Pixar’s latest outing based on existing I.P. Lightyear. It stars Chris Evans as the titular Buzz Lightyear and is apparently the film the toy in Toy Story is a product of. Let’s jump into it.

Letter Grade: B-/C+; it’s a solid kid’s sci-fi film, but not quite the fare of your typical Pixar

Should you Watch This Film? If you absolutely need something in theaters and have already seen Top Gun and Everything Everywhere All at Once and Doctor Strange and maybe even The Bad Guys, this is a solid other option, especially if you have kids.

Why?

                As a children’s film, sci-fi film, and action film, Lightyear is passable, bringing decent comedy, solid voice acting, and an interesting world to the big screen. Unfortunately, Lightyear fails to live up to the hype that most of its Pixar predecessors have created. Its simple messaging about the importance of teamwork overshadows its more complex and less overtly delivered message about letting go of the past and challenging the status quo in favor of progress. In doing so, Lightyear becomes much more akin to the Cars sequels or Brave or even The Good Dinosaur but perhaps also even less ambitious and more cash-grabby. Lightyear’s entertainment value is high enough to warrant watching, delivering a solid combination of laughs, suspense, action, and human connection that kept me watching it for its duration. At the same time, its simplicity and lack of ambition left me disappointed with Pixar. When I look at Pixar’s other offerings of the last couple of years – Onward, Soul, Luca, and Turning Red – I see films that champion unique causes and characters and stories from all over the globe and from all walks of life. I see films that connected with the children and adults in the audience in meaningful and emotional ways. With Lightyear, I felt none of that and left somewhat disappointed. That being said, I do not believe that the film is deserving of its currently incredibly low 5.0 IMDB score that it currently has. That is due primarily to bombing from certain circles that were unhappy with Buzz’s original commander being a lesbian, which a completely ridiculous reason to review bomb any film, but it’s happening right now so… Don’t go into Lightyear expecting Ratatouille or Coco, and you most likely will not be disappointed. I have little doubt that the children in your life will really have a good time with this one, and you won’t be completely frustrated with the time that you have spent watching this film. Check it out if you want, or wait for the Disney+ release in a couple of months if you’d rather.

Weekend Watch - Our Flag Means Death

                Welcome back to the Weekend Watch where each week I talk about a new-ish piece of media and give you a brief, mostly spoiler-free review and tell you whether or not to watch it. This week, we’re back in the world of streaming television with a show that I’m kinda late to, and I’m sure you’ve heard about but may not have watched. It’s Our Flag Means Death on HBO Max. I started this show weeks ago when it first got big, but only watched the first episode and was relatively entertained. This week, a friend from high school recommended the show to me, so I decided to pick it back up, and let me just say, it did not disappoint.

Letter Grade: A – high quality pirate comedy

Should you Watch This Show? Yeah! Definitely.

Why?

                Our Flag Means Death fits into quite a few genres very well but also plays outside the lines of most of those genres. Perhaps most fitting genre is comedy, which it delivers on consistently in each episode, often following the Taika Waititi brand of comedy in a similar fashion as What We Do in the Shadows, crafting satire, witticisms, and legitimately quality humor into a show about pirates. At the same time, this show is not comedy just for the sake of comedy – it deals heavily with modern issues (not just modern for the 1700s either) and focuses concepts like masculinity and femininity and everything that goes into that conversation with the tact and familiarity that such concepts should be discussed. As an action show, it delivers on occasion, often seeking to poke fun at the ways we expect action sequences to go and very much emphasizing the show’s protagonist’s (Stede Bonnet played by Rhys Darby) physical aversion to violence. As a pirate show, it has those in spades. Many historical figures from the “golden age of piracy” are featured in this show in both cameos and major roles. Stede Bonnet the “Gentleman Pirate”, Edward “Blackbeard” Teach, and Izzy Hands all feature heavily in the show, no doubt pleasing those looking for historicity. Also, though, the pirate stuff is just plain fun. The show plays on audience expectations of how pirates are supposed to be and turns a lot of that on its head in consistently creative and interesting ways. Our Flag Means Death does a really good job of making a show about pirates into something wholesome about friendship, relationships, gender, sexuality, and also lots of pirates.

Weekend Watch - Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness

                Welcome back to the Weekend Watch where, this week, I’m gonna give you the rundown on whether or not you should go see Marvel’s latest film – Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. This is the second multiversal film that the Weekend Watch has covered, which means the multiverse is here for the foreseeable future in entertainment. Doctor Strange builds on the ideas of the Marvel multiverse introduced in the Disney+ Loki show last summer and expanded upon in Spider-Man: No Way Home last December.

Letter Grade: A-, pretty solid; one of the most fun Marvel movies of Phase 4

Should you Watch This Film? Obviously, Marvel fans should watch this film; Sam Raimi fans should watch this film; fans of creative action sequences should watch this film; if you are looking for entertainment, you should definitely watch this film.

Why?

                Firstly, for Marvel fans, Multiverse of Madness feels like it’s setting up the direction of the next ten years of Marvel content. Yes, the film explores the concept of the Multiverse a little bit more, but it also sets up some exciting new properties to be explored in films in the next cycle, some of which we knew about and some we only had assumptions about. This film is a reset and tone-setter for the next few phases of Marvel content beyond just Dr. Strange and Wanda/Scarlet Witch. Some Marvel fans may be disappointed because there are not enough cameos or there’s not enough Multiverse action, but I felt like it worked for me, and I had a great time. For Raimi fans, this Marvel film allowed him to exhibit his brand of horror pretty fully. I’ve seen multiple reviews talking about the gore and horror in this film, which for a Marvel movie was definitely high. Director Sam Raimi was fully allowed to play in the space that he was given, creating what I hope most Raimi fans will agree is both a solid Raimi film and solid Marvel film. Finally, if you don’t fit into either of the above categories, I think this film still works as a pure entertainment piece. The action and character connections in this film are really fun! Each major character has a moment to shine and showcase their superhero abilities in new and incredibly satisfying ways. One fight in particular is definitely the most original fight scene in the MCU, and I’d put it up against most other famous fight scenes in terms of entertainment value and originality. Overall, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is a reminder of how fun superhero films can be, an excellent addition to the Raimi catalogue of films, and a solid tone-setter for the future of the MCU. It’s definitely worth going to see while it’s out in theaters.

Weekend Watch - 2022 Recap January through April

                This week’s Weekend Watch is a special edition, recapping the movies that have released so far this year and have a shot on making it onto the list by next year’s updates. We’re gonna do this every month, this one was just delayed because we’re recapping April movies and all the rest of 2022 as well. We’re going to break these movies down into 3 categories: Sure Things, which are movies that have all the ratings and success needed to make the list, Probable Things, which are movies that have a good chance of making the list with some consistent box office success and maybe one or two award nominations, and Long Shots, which are movies that have some decent ratings but not great and will need some major awards love to make the list. (Not all movies will be listed because some are even beyond Long Shots.)

Long Shots:

The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent (April 22nd): Tom Gormican’s film about Nicolas Cage playing Nick Cage was on top of many film goers’ lists of movies they were excited for this year. So far, it has had audiences loving it and mixed success with critics. Its lack of critical love keeps it as a long shot right now, especially because of its early release, which will probably keep it out of most awards talk as well.

Jackass Forever (February 4th): The fourth film in the Jackass franchise is also its most critically successful, sitting at a 74 Metacritic score and 86% Tomatometer score. Its ratings currently have it sitting right around a 76, meaning it’ll need some awards love to make it higher, and it doesn’t necessarily look like that’s a guarantee for this one.

X (March 18th): A24’s horror movie about young people making a porno in the late 70s has critics loving it but fans giving it mixed reviews. Given horror movies’ overall lack of success in awards shows, it is unlikely that this will climb any higher to make it on the list.

The Outfit (March 18th): Graham Moore’s mob thriller starring Mark Rylance as a tailor who probably knows more than he lets on has definitely been more successful both financially and critically than I originally gave it credit for, but its decent scores aren’t quite good enough to make the list. While Mark Rylance has been a pretty consistent awards darling in the last ten years, I don’t necessarily think this role will be the one to get him back there.

The Bad Guys (April 22nd): The latest from Dreamworks Animation based on the acclaimed children’s books has gotten a lot of love from the people on Rotten Tomatoes and also has been a consistent winner in its first weeks at the box office. Middling Metacritic scores will probably keep it off of the list barring a Best Animated Feature win.

Kimi (February 10th): A surprising critical success from Steven Soderbergh and HBO Max, the Zoë Kravitz crime thriller has some pretty solid critic scores but not phenomenal audience ratings. Its lack of wide release will keep it from box office numbers and honestly awards success too.

I Want You Back (February 11th): Amazon’s romantic comedy starring Charlie Day, Jenny Slate, Scott Eastwood, and Gina Rodriguez has some of the highest scores I’ve seen for a true romantic comedy in a while, making it certainly worth watching, but being a romantic comedy, it probably won’t get the awards recognition it needs to push it over the edge.

After Yang (March 4th): Kogonada’s film starring Colin Farrell and Justin H. Min about the death of an AI butler and the fallout from that event has mixed reviews. Fans seem less than impressed, but critics are relatively high on it. It fits the bill of an indie film that could garner a few nominations, but we’ll see for sure once the season rolls around.

Fresh (March 4th): The Hulu original horror romantic comedy about a cannibalistic boyfriend starring Sebastian Stan and Daisy Edgar-Jones has promise as a cult classic, but its scores keep it from making the all-time list, probably. Long-shot potential for writing awards keeps it on the long shot list.

Rescued by Ruby (March 17th): Netflix’s dog movie starring Grant Gustin currently has a 100% on Rotten Tomatoes (5 reviews so far, but who’s counting). I’m leaving it as a long shot because it is a dog movie from Netflix starring the guy from the CW The Flash series, and it currently has no Metacritic score at all.

Better Nate Than Ever (April 1st): The Disney+ family movie about a kid who wants to be on Broadway has decent enough Rotten Tomatoes scores to keep it as a long shot, but it’ll need quite a few nominations to make it up onto the actual all-time list.

Probable Things:

The Batman (March 4th): Matt Reeves’s comic book film starring Robert Pattinson as the Caped Crusader has experienced critical and box office success beyond almost every DC outing since The Dark Knight Rises. It currently sits right on the border of making the list, and its technical aspects are up to Oscar levels for nominations, making it likely to climb higher.

Turning Red (March 11th): Pixar rarely misses out on making the list, and it looks like Turning Red should make it. Middling audience scores keep it as a probable thing and not a sure thing because some people are apparently uncomfortable with female coming of age stories. It should be on the list, and I’ll be disappointed if it misses out, but such is the way of numbers.

The Northman (April 22nd): Robert Eggers’s Viking revenge movie is his most successful with audiences. The audience reviews are still not quite at sure thing levels, but it also looks like there’s outside shots at awards for this film as well. I look forward to seeing on how it turns out.

The Fallout (January 27th): HBO Max’s teen trauma movie has really good reviews right now. Audience reviews are right around average, and it might not quite have enough to make it up onto the list without one or two nominations, which quite honestly might not be coming. It’s close though.

Apollo 10 ½: A Space Age Childhood (April 1st): Richard Linklater’s animated Netflix film about growing up in Houston in 1969 sits at a 90% on Rotten Tomatoes currently, and its other ratings are pretty solid as well. With Linklater as a director and Netflix’s historical success at garnering nominations for their animated films, it is well within the realm of possibility that this one makes it onto the list next year.

Sure Things:

Everything Everywhere All at Once (March 25th): I already wrote about this one in detail, so I won’t go on and on, but barring some major review bombs, this movie will be on the list when it gets updated next year. Legitimately, this is the most positivity I have seen around a new release in a long time, and it’s really exciting to be a part of it.