Satanic Panic - Movie Review by Monte Yazzie

Photo: Eliana Pires/RLJE Films

Dir: Chelsea Stardust

Starring: Rebecca Romijn, Hayley Griffith, Ruby Modine, Jerry O’Connell, Jordan Ladd, and Arden Myrin

Every Friday night during my childhood was pizza night. My parents would call their friends, the kids would rent some scary movies from the video store, and food would be delivered from the local pizza palace. Thirty minutes later the doorbell would ring and the delivery person would be standing there, waiting with fresh pizza and hoping for hefty tip.

In director Chelsea Stardust’s new film, “Satanic Panic”, a pizza delivery girl named Sam (Hayley Griffith) is trying to keep herself financially above water by delivering to a wealthy neighborhood known for their odd practices. After being stiffed for a tip, Sam stumbles into the house and realizes that she’s interrupted a party…a party of Satanist’s looking for a virgin to sacrifice.

“Satanic Panic” is going for that 1980’s straight-to-video vibe, trying to achieve in its less than 90-minute run time that nice balancing act of combining enough humor to keep the tone fun, freewheeling and campy, a few gory scenes to make one “ooh” and “aah” at the viscera, and enough odd and strange twists and turns to make it stand apart from others like it.

And, for the most part, the film is successful in remaining entertaining primarily because of the lead performance of Hayley Griffith who provides Sam with enough self-confidence and honesty to maintain the seriousness of her character’s dilemma. Supporting character Ruby Modine, playing an accompanying sacrificial offering named Judi, has some great one-liners while Arden Myrin, playing one of the more bonkers occultists named Gypsy, gets to chew on the scenery with comedy throughout the film. Rebecca Romijn, one of the big names in this production, gets to hail and hiss with hubris as the head-witch named Danica.

There is a strong 80’s aesthetic being pushed throughout the film; the score specifically has all the digital synth sounds to evoke that feeling and the emphasis on practical grisly effects is a nice touch. The narrative also aims for throwback vibes but wobbles between an interesting final girl scenario that is unconventional in a good way and a worn-out occult tale that struggles to make the impact necessary to turn the devilish troupe into something more sinister. However, it’s still fun to watch the inventive ways the film finds to eliminate the evildoers.

Unfortunately, some of the dialogs come off clumsy, with some characters stumbling over wordy exchanges and others not provided much to work with at all. The pacing crashes from scene to scene with inconsistent results while trying to connect the puzzle of effects gags and story transitions.

Still, there is a fun vibe composed throughout this film, one that shows that the creators of this movie grew up with scary VHS tapes from the video store and greasy pizza from the delivery guy.

Monte’s Rating
3.00 out of 5.00

It Chapter Two - Movie Review by Ben Cahlamer

Directed by: Andy Muschietti

Screenplay by: Gary Dauberman

Based on: “It” by Stephen King

Starring: James McAvoy, Jessica Chastain, Bill Hader, Isaiah Mustafa, Jay Ryan, James Ransom, Andy Bean, Bill Skarsgard

Life finds an interesting way to connect past events to the present. Yes, in a way I am referring to Andy Muschietti’s “It Chapter Two,” which sees grown up versions of the Losers Club returning to Derry as children start mysteriously disappearing. But it also reminds me of my years in middle school, when Stephen King’s novels were popular with my peers; and despite my best efforts, I could not get the librarian to let me check out “It” without my parents’ permission.

Many moons later, I find myself watching films based on King’s novels, and liking them.

There’s more to it than that. One of the things that I respect the most about the various adaptations of King’s novels is the characters and the way they are compelled to face their own inner demons. The returning duo of Andy Muchietti and “It” scribe Gary Dauberman ensures that those characterizations remained richly intact, especially given the fact that the events are set 27 years later.

Most of the Losers Club have moved on and Muschietti spends much of the first act reacquainting us with these characters in their adult states. The adult cast is first rate, with James McAvoy playing Bill Denbrough. I appreciated McAvoy’s tactile approach to the role, the center of a great deal of humor. Jessica Chastain is a natural choice for Beverly Marsh, having to stand up for herself after enduring years’ of abuse. Jay Ryan plays Ben Hanscom who is successful as an adult, and the one character who changed the most between the adult and child versions.

One of the interesting juxtapositions of “It Chapter Two,” are the overly numerous flashbacks to the younger versions of these characters, mostly as a way to carry the adult’s stories forward. None of the characters’ has as strong of a transition as Richie Tozier, played as an adult by Bill Hader. As strong of a comedian as Hader is, a fact that they build upon in the first act, the trauma and the drama the lies underneath a comedian is omnipresent in Hader’s performance.

Rounding out the main ensemble are Isaiah Mustafa plays Mike Hanlon, the one, lone member of the Losers Club who remains behind in Derry, James Ransone as Eddie Kaspbrak and Andy Bean as Stanley Uris.

Dauberman does an exceptional job of bringing the club members back together. There is a lot of nervous humor to keep us on the edge of our seats and when they are together, they are a formidable group against Bill Skarsgard’s Pennywise the Dancing Clown. Skarsgard still terrifies even me, and the scares populate this film rather than punctuate it, though they are effective

What wasn’t necessarily effective was the length of the film, which gives way to several challenges within, namely pacing. While it was interesting to see the flashbacks and for some of the characters, rather effective, they become a distraction to the overall story. Within that distraction though, I still felt more invested in the teenaged characters’ stories.

Where “It” felt like a take on “Stand by Me,” another King staple, “It Chapter Two” feels like a take on “The Shining” with respect to the characters and their narrative arcs. “It Chapter Two’s” length and excessive flashbacks keep it from being a stronger film.

2.75 out of 4

Vita & Virginia - Movie Review by Jeff Mitchell

Arterton and Debicki work very well individually in ‘Vita & Virginia’ but share no chemistry

Directed by:  Chanya Button

Written by:  Eileen Atkins

Starring:  Gemma Arterton, Elizabeth Debicki and Isabella Rossellini

“Vita & Virginia” – “Nothing thicker than a knife’s blade separates happiness from melancholy.” – Virginia Woolf, “Orlando” (1928)

Director Chanya Button’s “Vita & Virginia” depicts the relationship between Vita Sackville-West (Gemma Arterton) and Virginia Woolf (Elizabeth Debicki), and with two commendable actresses and a vastly intriguing historical premise, her film carries two key ingredients that can garner the Academy’s attention. 

Unfortunately, there’s a lot more that separates “Vita & Virginia” from celebrating Oscar gold-happiness and wading in a state of cinematic-melancholy, and this film lands in the latter.

Certainly, Button’s altruistic intentions bear high praise, as noted during the 2018 Toronto International Film Festival.

“If we can be relied to know anything about (Virginia Woolf), it’s how she died.  Whereas, I think this story marks a moment of profound strength,” Button said.

Button accomplishes her goal, but along the way, the movie runs into distracting problems and delivers a flat, lackluster romance that certainly deserves more emotional interest, celebration, scandal, and a sense of danger.  This is especially noticeable, given Vita and Virginia’s relationship crossed taboos in the 1920s, and they willingly and openly committed adultery.

Before Vita’s relationship with Virginia began, her husband Harold (Rupert Penry-Jones) and she enjoyed a happy marriage, and in this case, happy is defined as satisfaction from ordinary companionship.  Their passion, however, is missing, like walking outside with your keys in hand and discovering that your car has been stolen. 

The fire between Vita and Harold has flamed out, and the entire movie feels like this couple’s pedestrian union.  For instance, in the first act, Virginia attends her sister Vanessa’s (Emerald Fennell) party.  During a quiet portion of the evening, Virginia and others casually gaze at their friend Geoffrey (Rory Fleck Byrne) and Vanessa slow dancing, and they – including the said couple – seem to be looking for sleep rather than enjoying each other’s company. 

Cinematographer Carlos De Carvalho paints bright colors, and costume designer Lorna Marie Mugan parades beautiful, vibrant attire that can be found everywhere, but the film’s energy remains low throughout, including the intimate scenes between our two leads. 

Look, Arterton and Debicki share zero chemistry.  They just don’t work as a couple, even though they individually play their parts of pursuer and pursuee in very convincing fashion. 

Ever the socialite and with one eye on human treasures, the lively, gorgeous Vita aggressively chases, or rather hunts down, Virginia, and her intrigue stems from Ms. Woolf’s writing.  Artenton delivers her portrayal with genuine smiles and vitality (pardon the pun) combined with an undeniable aura of mischievousness. 

As one would expect, Button instructs her makeup department to douse Debicki’s skin with gray, English winter-tones, while the actress rightly includes shades of Woolf’s mental illness that barely hold her vulnerable heart strings.

Instead of including an accompanying string orchestra soundtrack, the film sports modern, electronic beats that feel best appropriate for Saturday night clubbing at 2 a.m.  Naturally, the universe carves out places for this music to reside, but these off-putting, pulsating fillers regularly and unsuitably dominate the film’s lulls, and the score includes occasional female gasps for unnecessary reasons.

Speaking of breaths, Button incorporates several extreme closeups of Vita’s and Virginia’s mouths and eyeballs, which begin during the opening scene and continue through the 1-hour 16-minute mark.  There may be many, many more of these camera choices, but this particular critic was probably more concerned with digital flashes on his watch during the picture’s last 34 minutes.

The fact that the screenplay is very conversational doesn’t help, but Vita and Virginia do recite their letters to one another while Ms. Woolf resides in England and Ms. Sackville-West – a diplomat’s wife – whisks off to Persia and Berlin.  These moments have appealing merit, if one can digest the two actresses staring straight into the camera, which becomes tiresome after a while. 

Well, Vita and Virginia’s amorous relationship and platonic friendship lasted quite a while, about 15 years.  Vita also became the inspiration for one of Virginia’s most famous novels, and their on-screen story probably argues that toxic masculinity can be a knife’s blade away from troublesome femininity.

(2/4 stars)

Jeff – a member of the Phoenix Critics Circle – has penned film reviews since 2008, graduated from ASU’s Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and is a certified Rotten Tomatoes critic. Follow Jeff and the Phoenix Film Festival on Twitter @MitchFilmCritic and @PhoenixFilmFest, respectively.

Aquarela - Movie Review by Ben Cahlamer

Director: Viktor Kossakovsky

It is creepily eerie that I’m submitting this review as a massive hurricane barrels down on the Florida panhandle. We talk on social media and in the news about the impacts of global warming, something that has been on my radar in my 43-short years on this planet. And yet, I still have the impression that we have only a small inkling of the power of water and its role in the delicate ecological balance that keeps our small blue ball in the solar system together.

The power behind Viktor Kossakovsky’s enveloping documentary, “Aquarela” is to remind us of water’s awesomeness, its destructiveness and its place in the aforementioned ecological balance.

Water isn’t simply something that covers 71 percent of our surface or 96.5 percent of all the earth’s water is held by oceans. It is in the air as water vapor, in rivers, lakes and as we see in the beginning of the documentary, it is in icecaps and ice floes.

Kossakovsky doesn’t offer a verbal narration of the images that unfold on the screen in front of us. Instead, he relies on the natural sounds, and the happenings on the screen to captivate us. It’s no wonder then that we see people driving across a glacier off in the distance when suddenly the ice gives way and the camera crew goes in to assist.

The purpose of showing this was twofold. First, it demonstrates the fragility of our world and the life on it; second, it begins the narrative flow, literally and figuratively as we move from the frozen world of Russia to a scientific expedition across the Atlantic on a sailboat where we are witness to the rough seas and the constant changing conditions. We see the wear and tear that life on the sea has on us. I noted that as the relentless waves crashed over the hull, the crew became more hardened against what Mother Nature wanted to throw their way.

Kossakovsky takes us from the Northern Hemisphere into the Southern Hemisphere. The shift from the open, rough seas to the wind-blown streets of an unfamiliar town really took me by surprise. The city, which it turns out was Miami during Hurricane Irma was familiar because of the landscape. The power of Irma’s destructive winds was not enough to level the culture and the art deco look of the city, but it reminded me of just how fragile our infrastructure is.

Finally, we float down to Angel Falls in Venezuela where we see the high and mighty water drop into a pool. There is calmness and serenity within the falls, but the images and the sounds that we experience before getting to this point are chaotic. We’ve created the chaos and we can weather it, but water will eventually consume us.

During my screening, and for whatever reason, I chose to sit towards the front of the theater, something I never do. And as the sound of the waves fall over us sonically, Kossakovsky successfully puts us right in the middle of the wave or driving through the hurricane in Florida. I thought to myself, without a voice over narration, this film would sound amazing in Dolby Atmos and to my surprise, they formatted the sound for it. The imagery was also stunning. None of the cameras wavered when you would think they should. It was as if the flow of water running through the Earth’s crust from north to south had a straight path from north to south.

“Aquarela” is the type of film where you have to let the visuals guide you through its story. It is an exceptionally rewarding experience and something that I hope people get to see on as big a screen as possible.

3.75 out of 4

Brittany Runs A Marathon - Movie Review by Ben Cahlamer

Written and Directed by: Paul Downs Colaizzo

Starring: Jillian Bell, Michaela Watkins, Utkarsh Ambudkar, Lil Rel Howery, Micah Stock

Premiering at Sundance, Paul Downs Colaizzo’s “Brittany Runs a Marathon” is an uplifting, inspired comedy-drama, featuring Jillian Bell as Brittany Forgler.

Brittany has all the right qualities for an up and coming young executive in New York City, but she has one problem: she has very little self-respect and she has no motivation whatsoever.

Her roommate, Gretchen (Alice Lee) is full of herself and she projects that on to the world. Brittany also has an aggressive attitude toward Catherine (Michaela Watkins), the fitness guru of the apartment building they live in.

Colaizzo, a playwright from Pennsylvania, imbues his film with solid characters and situations that will feel very familiar to just about anyone who sees this film. The level of humor and self-deprecation with which Bell approaches her character is what drives this story. None of the themes felt forced; the struggling substance abuse/recovery motif, the gay best friend, the inclusivity of it all is something the story cherishes because they are all facets of Brittany’s journey.

The challenge of the story is that is relies so much on the humor that the drama fell short and when it peaks, the direction it goes doesn’t surprise. It actually felt as if every 1980’s soaring underdog film came together at once, that’s how powerful the peak is.

And then the recovery phase of Brittany’s story, while just as compelling really felt awkwardly paced. It’s as if the story knew which direction to go and tried to get there, but then derailed itself at the same time. Bell holds all of this together.

I don’t mind saying that some of the awkwardness I felt was because it summed me up to a ‘T’. And I got the feeling that Brittany was a stand-in for the director’s own story, which if true, kudos for putting yourself out there, Mr. Colaizzo. It’s difficult to share a journey where the character changes so dramatically, not only in physical figure, but also in a mental state, to the point where we realize that we must make our own way in the world, that we must be responsible for our own happiness and well-being.

The supporting cast really helped to cement the push. Michaela Watkins, who was misunderstood at the beginning of the film, really had a strong arc and progression. Utkarsh Ambudkar, who I remembered from “Blindspotting” last year, played “bohemian” really well (you’ll have to see the movie to understand the reference, but trust me, it works). Lil Rel Howery really drove the film’s thesis home and while I liked his character, he came in during that awkward phase of the film I guess because I heard what the character had to say to me and I just didn’t want to hear it, much like Brittany.

“Brittany Runs a Marathon” is an uplifting story with a feel-good ending wrapped up in a familiar ball of energy. Jillian Bell does an amazing job with the performance and the character, but the story falls flat in the third act.

2.75 out of 4

One Child Nation - Movie Review by Jeff Mitchell

‘One Child Nation’ is a brutal, must-see history lesson

Directed by:  Nanfu Wang and Jialing Zhang

“One Child Nation” – “It was like fighting a war.”

A population war.

This eye-opening documentary – from directors Nanfu Wang and Jialing Zhang - dives into a massive conflict that embroiled China for about 35 years, a conflict entirely within its own borders.  Due to China’s constrained resources and rapidly expanding population, the government – in 1979 - enacted a one child policy that limited nearly all families to just one offspring.  Except for some exceptions within designated rural communities, China strictly enforced this edict that finally ended in 2015.  It was the largest family planning project in modern history, and although a macroeconomic graph would logically illustrate the country’s supply versus demand conundrum, this policy unleashed senseless and immeasurable collateral damage – both emotional and physical.

For Nanfu Wang, it’s personal.

Born in China in 1985, Wang grew up under the said policy, and once she became a mother, she decided to explore the topic from behind the camera.  She interviews her family, friends and neighbors, as they all look back at those troubled times. 

Wang effectively narrates the film in broad strokes and intimate details, and she introduces the policy to the viewers and, in the process, unleashes figurative body blows through interviewer/interviewee discourse.  Some of the answers shocked Wang.  They will also stun audiences into absolute silence, and other moments will draw painful gasps.

Well, the Chinese government declaring that families can only have one child is simple enough to say, but infinitely more laborious to enforce.  To an outsider, the policy might seem terribly invasive, but when one’s imagination wonders about the possible implementation methods, expect the worst.  Once the government set the policy in motion, they needed to follow-up with three steps:  delivering the message, investigating behavior and carrying out course correction. 

The film walks through each phase in blunt fashion, and the first - as one would expect - involves propaganda.  When running a communist country, resistance to messaging simply doesn’t exist.  Reminders of the one child policy were found everywhere.  Textbooks, live performances, television, and posters are obvious mediums, but calendars and matchbooks might seem overboard. 

Then again, when an elementary school kid (on television) lectures the populace by rapping, “If you have a second child, you violate the law,” you know that the government is addressing their marketing campaign in vastly creative ways.

China’s people living through constant messaging is one burden, but Wang discoverers much darker forces when the government pursues investigation and course correction, and Zhang and Wang’s camera sears from the interviews’ brutal reveals.  This is especially true during a frank conversation with Wang’s mother (Zaodi’s) midwife, and her role as an enforcer.

Wang’s uncle’s story will probably reduce you to tears, and her brother Zhihao also speaks on camera.  If you’re wondering how Wang has a brother, her family was one of the aforementioned rural exceptions.  Since Nanfu was a girl, the government allowed her parents to try again, in the hopes of having a boy. 

Governmental, institutional and everyday treatment of girls and women as second-class citizens is not a decidedly new concept and just look to thousands of years of human history for countless examples.  In this particular case, Wang explores China’s views and actions.  The doc moves from birth reduction and into another direction, and none of material is easy to digest.

Wars never are.

(3.5/4 stars)

Jeff – a member of the Phoenix Critics Circle – has penned film reviews since 2008, graduated from ASU’s Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and is a certified Rotten Tomatoes critic.  Follow Jeff and the Phoenix Film Festival on Twitter @MitchFilmCritic and @PhoenixFilmFest, respectively.

Ready or Not - Movie Review by Ben Cahlamer

Photo Credit: Eric Zachanowich / © 2019 Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation All Rights Reserved

Directed by: Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett

Written by: Gary Busick and R. Christopher Murphy

Starring: Samara Weaving, Adam Brody, Mark O’Brien, Henry Czerny, Andie MacDowell

I’m smiling as I try to figure out how to start this review of “Ready or Not.”

I’m smiling because, for a film that runs a scant 95 minutes, “Ready or Not” packs an unexpected punch to the gut in the most glorious way possible.

I’m smiling because Samara Weaving is a national treasure. And as the beautiful bride-to-be, Grace, she radiates beauty. Her approach and attitude towards her future husband, Daniel (Adam Brody) and his family, who co-incdentally appear to not like her is non-plussed: she is determined to get married.

I’m smiling because the antics that follow their gorgeous wedding are so mind-bendingly hilarious and gruesome that it became cathartic. Co-directors Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett used their comedy-horror story, written by Guy Busick and R. Christopher Murphy, to tell a parable of treachery, deceit, and ironically, about the reaches to which the wealthy protect their wealth.

And power.

At the head of the proverbial table is Tony Le Domas (Henry Czerny), a charismatic patriarch who dotes on his son, and looks at his future daughter-in-law cross-eyed. His wife, Becky (Andie MacDowell) is also a gem in this story as someone who can relate to the trials that Grace must face. As Alex, Mark O’Brien struck me as the audience being able to peer into a world that we don’t normally get to associate with and a world that we also look upon with disdain specifically because of the wealth and power the family wields.

As the bride is escorted down the aisle, the camera focuses on Aunt Helene (Nicky Guadagni) and her severe facial expression. I couldn’t help but burst out laughing at seeing the character. The stare, the make-up, the hair color it was perfection. And, as the polar opposite of Alex, we have an inkling of what’s in store for us. The other characters were all like kids in a candy store – “we can’t wait to share our surprise with you” as Grace is told about the game she must play with the family.

The idea of how Bettinelli-Olpin and Gillett go about introducing the game and the rules surrounding it was brilliant because it plays right into the family’s “kid in a candy store” routine while strengthening Grace’s position. The film wears its juxtaposition, from ‘ready or not’ to ‘hide and seek,’ on its sleeve and proudly so.

Within that juxtaposition are hints of stories past, “Clue” and “Murder by Death”; comedies that feature rich characters and the shenanigans to go with them. As with “Ready or Not,” both have a rich air about them, set in a medieval homes with clues to get our lead character through the maze before time runs out. Grace is also the epitome of her namesake as she takes in each event with the grace of someone who is used to having to claw her way through life. She reminded me very much of Uma Thurman’s The Bride – never underestimate the prepared.

There is a twist to “Ready or Not” that builds on what has come before that served the film well. Some might be appalled at the horror. Some might not laugh at the dark humor that permeates the story from the opening frame to the closing. The parallels the film draws to real life are the true treasure trove to be carved out of this story.

3.5 out of 4 stars

The Peanut Butter Falcon - Movie Review by Ben Cahlamer

Written and Directed by: Tyler Nilson and Michael Schwartz

Starring: Shia LaBeouf, Dakota Johnson, John Hawkes, Bruce Dern, Zack Gottsagen, Jon Bernthal, Thomas Hayden Church

To be human is to aspire, to be better than oneself; to learn and to grow. Life throws curveballs at us, some of which we have no control over; some of which are defined by our own choices. It’s the mark we leave on the world that differentiates us from one another and I can think of no better example of this than Tyler Nilson and Michael Schwartz’s “The Peanut Butter Falcon,” which expands this weekend.

To put “The Peanut Butter Falcon” into context is to understand the characters. Tyler, played by Shia LaBeouf is perhaps the strongest performance I’ve seen this year because we see the human side of the actor within the character. Tyler is a drifter, aimless and shapeless. He’s in to shenanigans as he tries to hang on to a job as a deck hand, attracting the ire of Duncan (John Hawkes).

Zak would like nothing more than to meet his idol, The Salt Water Redneck, a pro wrestler. There’s just one challenge: Zak, who has Down syndrome is a ward of a retirement home in North Carolina. He’s under the terrific care of Eleanor (Dakota Johnson) and he has a cunning roommate by the name of Carl (Bruce Dern). The story eventually sees Zak escaping from the confines of his world to follow his passion, leading him to Tyler. Together, they seek out The Salt Water Redneck.

Nilson and Schwartz built the story exclusively around Zack Gottsagen, who aspired to be an actor. They accomplished this by creating a character that mirrors Zack in real life, thus aspiring to be a pro wrestler.

The use of Zach’s, and Zak’s, story as a framing device pivots the focus on the characters. Gottsagen was a breath of fresh air as he finds a way to make his dreams, his reality come true. Within that, there’s an honest earnestness in his actions as he reminds Tyler what it means to be human; to let go of our past transgressions, to be able to move forward.

Tyler’s story and the character’s background is layered in pieces throughout the journey using flashbacks featuring Jon Bernthal as Mark. These flashbacks and Tyler’s actions at the beginning of the film are the impetus for Duncan (Hawkes), a rival fisherman who gives chase. These elements and their arcs work because they define the richer drama and the comedy, but they also hinder some of the film’s flow.

On the other side of the camera, the technical craft is first rate, but there are two areas that I want to call out: the first is the amazing cinematography from Nigel Bluck, who captured the lowlands of the North Carolina coastline, adding a context to the film that moves beyond the characters. The second is the use of music which amps up the emotional impact.

Films like “The Peanut Butter Falcon” offer a new outlook on life and remind us to cherish the time we have.

3.75 out of 4

Angry Birds 2 - Movie Review by Monte Yazzie

Courtesy of Sony Pictures. © 2019 CTMG, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Dir: Thurop Van Orman

Starring: Jason Sudeikis, Josh Gad, Bill Hader, Rachel Bloom, Danny McBride, Leslie Jones, Awkwafina, Sterling K. Brown, Tiffany Haddish, and Peter Dinklage

“This summer, winter is coming.”

Not sure how many young ones are going to correspond this tagline for “The Angry Birds Movie 2” to the adult television show “Game of Thrones”. However, it’s fitting for an animated movie based on one of the biggest mobile games of all time, which was probably played by adults on their cell phones before the little kids discovered it, to aim for some crossover appeal to encourage a weekend family trip to the movies.

“The Angry Birds Movie” found success upon its release in 2016 with a mix of slapstick antics, bathroom humor, and an occasional winking joke tailored for mom and dad. The film had just enough fuel to maintain the enjoyment factor for 97 minutes while only slightly over-staying its welcome.

“The Angry Birds Movie 2” does just about the same, sticking to a similar story formula from the first film while surprisingly applying some much-needed work to the characters leading the charge. The film is working with themes surrounding some typical subjects like friendship, romance, and self-confidence but it also handles topics surrounding masculinity, arrogance, and the fear of failure throughout.

Red (voiced by Jason Sudeikis) is beloved, a hero to the extent of being a folktale in the eyes of the flightless birds who were saved from destruction on Bird Island. Red is tasked as security for the island, protecting the inhabitants from the airborne threats from the king of Piggy Island, Harold (voiced by Bill Hader). Unbeknownst to the two foes is another threat, a group of birds lead by an intelligent yet resentful eagle named Zeta (voiced by Leslie Jones) from the frozen Eagle Island who are looking for new property to inhabit.

Most animated sequels take the route of rehashing a similar, sometimes the same, plot from the original film. “The Angry Birds Movie 2” does exactly this, however it also doubles down on all the qualities that made the original film so much fun; with bathroom humor that will have the kids giggling and music cues with lively songs that will have parents remembering the old school jams, the film is trying to meet as many demographics as it can with its blend of comedy.

The narrative moves surprisingly fast, quickly establishing the primary characters and introducing new ones in effort to make things feel different. It helps in a few places, especially when the whip-smart Silver (Rachel Bloom) is on screen to put Red in his place, but the overall structure of the story doesn’t deviate enough to make it very memorable in the end. Still, the quick pace and emphasis on random humor moments makes the running time fly, which is a pleasant surprise.

“The Angry Birds Movie 2” doesn’t reinvent its story or try for much new direction for its second outing, however its focus seems positioned for simple laughs and entertainment both for parents and kids. In this regard it succeeds in being a fun sequel for a lazy Saturday matinee.

Monte’s Rating
3.00 out of 5.00

After the Wedding - Movie Review by Jeff Mitchell

‘After the Wedding’ keeps most of its vows

Directed by: Bart Freundlich

Written by:  Bart Freundlich; the original screenplay (2006) by Susanne Bier and Anders Thomas Jensen

Starring:  Michelle Williams, Julianne Moore and Billy Crudup

“After the Wedding” – A honeymoon naturally follows a wedding, however, in director Bart Freundlich’s picture, starring Michelle Williams and Julianne Moore, there are no rose-colored glasses for Isabel (Williams) and Theresa (Moore). 

No, they aren’t married or romantic in any way.  Life brings them together.  Theresa - a wildly successful entrepreneur who proudly wears her philanthropist hat - wishes to donate millions to Isabel’s orphanage in India and flies her to New York City to discuss the terms. 

Freundlich, on his terms, successfully establishes both characters and reinforces their striking contrasts.  Living as a selfless pauper and bathing in ideals, Isabel sports a boyish haircut, frequently meditates and seldom smiles, except when she’s speaking to a nine-year-old boy named Jai (Vir Pachisia) living at her orphanage.  She adores him, like a son.  Theresa is a wealthy pragmatist who has it all, including a doting husband and three children.  When we first meet Theresa, she’s driving home, blasting Lady Gaga’s “The Edge of Glory” and singing at the top of her lungs.

While Isabel lays down on a modest mat and speaks to Jai about his future, Theresa reads a story to her young twin boys in an enormous house, which could double as a compound best suited for royalty or the Vanderbilts. 

It’s no surprise that the film squarely focuses on these two characters played by these powerhouse actresses who earned a combined nine Oscar nominations, including Moore’s Best Actress win for “Still Alice” (2014).  Both Williams and Moore are up to the task, as they step into a modern-day mystery, one that feels orchestrated by Theresa and leaves Isabel and the audience guessing.

Based on the 2006 Danish drama starring Mads Mikkelsen, Freundlich swaps genders in this 2019-take on the story, as Williams plays his role.  This critic has not seen the original “After the Wedding”, but those who have can make a rightful comparison.  Here, the camera frequently presents close ups of Williams, as Isabel’s stoic impressions scream discomfort of Theresa and the surrounding, never-ending opulence.  As the movie dives deeper into the narrative, Isabel’s distrust and immediate desire to simply fly back to India grows. 

Conversely, the camera pulls back on Theresa and judges her from distances, as she frequently drinks, takes pills in the quiet comfort of her bedroom, occasionally curses, and releases  sudden outbursts at her office assistant and husband (Billy Crudup).  Looking back, Theresa singing, “I’m on the edge, the edge, the edge…” along with Lady Gaga during her opening scene rings true and further defines her as Isabel’s polar opposite.

“After the Wedding” delivers some devastating turns to the audience and our two leads.  Some moments feel as sharp as a heart attack, and others are ham-handed and forced, especially between Isabel and another female character.  The movie shines whenever Williams and Moore appear together on-screen.  Although, Williams is especially haunting on her own, when Isabel digests her predicament, and Mychael Danna provides some much-needed solace with his gentle, moving score.   These individual pieces are better than the surrounding whole, and this creates a semi-flawed but successful union between the film and its audience.  

(3/4 stars)

Jeff – a member of the Phoenix Critics Circle – has penned film reviews since 2008, graduated from ASU’s Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and is a certified Rotten Tomatoes critic.  Follow Jeff and the Phoenix Film Festival on Twitter @MitchFilmCritic and @PhoenixFilmFest, respectively.

Where’d You Go, Bernadette - Movie Review by Ben Cahlamer

Credit: Wilson Webb / Annapurna Pictures

Directed by: Richard Linklater

Screenplay by: Richard Linklater, Holly Gent and Vincent Palmo, Jr.

Based on “Where’d You Go, Bernadette” by Maria Semple

Starring: Cate Blanchett, Billy Crudup, Kristen Wiig, Emma Nelson, Judy Greer, Zoe Chao, Laurence Fishburne

It occurred to me as I sat down to write this review that I haven’t experienced much of Richard Linklater’s filmography. This is not a slight on my own film watching habits as much as it is a reference point for the review of his latest film, “Where’d You Go, Bernadette”.

However, both points of view are clearly working against me.

His latest film, based on the novel of the same name by Maria Semple, features Cate Blanchette in the titular role. Bernadette is a mother and a wife. She is the neighborhood curmudgeon, who shirks away from anything sociable, attracting the ire of other, more involved parents. She was an up and coming architect who understood life a whole lot better than most would give her credit for, save for her daughter Bee (Emma Nelson), who tells the story from her perspective. Bee struggles to be accepted in school by her peers (and their parents) is loved by, and in fact doted upon by Bernadette that it almost seems as if nothing is amiss.

Billy Crudup plays Elgie, a workaholic who is too busy programming the latest technology craze to see what’s going on with his own family. The script, written by Linklater, Holly Gent and Vincent Palmo, Jr intentionally paints Elgie as the outsider in order to frame Bernadette’s lost ambition and uses Bee to give Bernadette a voice when she couldn’t speak up for herself. It’s actually a rather clever bit of storytelling.

The film, which does play as a bit of a dark comedy is so much more layered than the marketing suggests, which is a good thing. However, when I reflect back on those two points of view I mentioned, “Where’d You Go Bernadette” is an exercise in patience. It is both an experience based on how the story is told and it is a slight on the modern audience because the surface level view of this film is almost as icy as Ms. Blanchett’s character comes across.

Almost.

Laurence Fishburne’s character eases us into some of the deeper depths of Bernadette’s psyche and, I’ve seen enough of Linklater’s work be mindful that more is at work than meets the eye and that’s what drew me towards Bernadette’s story. Sure, I’m a sucker for dark comedies, but the way those elements are folded into the emotional side of the story warranted more of an examination of Bernadette as a character, which I won’t do here; that’s best enjoyed as a part of the experience.

The way Linklater laid out the details of the story, the family dynamic, the neighborhood dysfunction, the way Bee discovers more about her mom and Bernadette’s own insecurities, “Where’d You Go Bernadette” is a very timely look at society today. Suffice it to say, there’s a lot on the surface level, but to truly get mileage out of the story,

3 out of 4

Blinded by the Light - Movie Review by Jeff Mitchell

The coming-of-age story ‘Blinded by the Light’ hits the right notes

Directed by:  Gurinder Chadha

Written by:  Sarfraz Manzoor

Starring:  Viveik Kalra, Kulvinder Ghir, Meera Ganatra, Aaron Phagura, Hayley Atwell, and Nell Williams

“Blinded by the Light” – “Everybody’s got a hungry heart.” – “Hungry Heart” (1980) by Bruce Springsteen

Javed (Viveik Kalra) is starving.  Not literally, but he’s starving for his voice.  Born in Pakistan, he and his family moved to England.  Luton, England, a town with more green than concrete, and it sits about 50 kilometers from London.  So close to the country’s largest metropolis, but so far for a teenager without a car, without a girlfriend and without a social life.  To make matters worse, his father Malik (Kulvinder Ghir) constantly sequesters him at home.  Javed’s not even a dreamer, because he’s too mired in the white noise of teenage confusion to decide on a specific aspiration, other than wonder about life in London. 

“You can’t start a fire without a spark.” – “Dancing in the Dark” (1984) by Bruce Springsteen

On a presumed ordinary day in 1987 - a time when young Brits listened to Depeche Mode, The Smiths, and yes, even Tiffany - a classmate named Roops (Aaron Phagura) hands over his Bruce Springsteen “Born in the U.S.A.” cassette to Javed, and once he plays “Dancing in the Dark”, his life will never be the same.

Written by Sarfraz Manzoor, “Blinded by the Light” is his personal story and the earth-shattering impact that Springsteen had on his teenage beliefs.  This is a story of instant, obsessive influence that gives a young man direction, an outlet and a passion.  Of course, Javed’s new focus is contrary to his father’s wishes and conservative beliefs, let alone his dad’s agitation that his son worships a rebellious, soulful American rock star. 

“Badlands, you gotta live it every day.  Let the broken hearts stand, as the price you’ve gotta pay.” – “Badlands” (1978) by Bruce Springsteen

Director Gurinder Chadha – who wrote and directed “Bend It Like Beckham” (2002) - has captured disparities between child and parent before, and here, she delivers similar beats, although this film is more confrontational.  Javed’s conflict with his dad is universal, but the added element of Malik’s eternally rigid views pile on more contention. 

Throughout the film’s 1-hour 57-minute running time – which, admittedly, feels long – Malik’s downward constraints on Javed’s intrinsic wants never let up.  He’s not an antagonistic, cruel ogre, but Malik’s on-screen appearances promote anxiety and semi-dread, because his strict messages are frequently anticipated and always fulfilled. 

While his dad’s consistent ying drags Javed down, Chadha and Manzoor introduce Ms. Clay (Hayley Atwell) who supplies a never-ending yang of praise and encouragement.  The film does not present Javed with the familiar cinematic pattern of a steady upward trajectory, and instead, it regularly presents starts and stops, peaks and valleys, and joys and heartbreaks, when volleying between the open world of opportunities out there and restrictions at home.  In other words…real-life.  A space that will probably resonate with anyone who clashed (or current clashes) with their parents.

“Come on with me.  Tramps like us, Baby, we were born to run.” – “Born to Run” (1975) by Bruce Springsteen

Music, generally speaking, plays a massive role in teenagers’ lives, and with Javed’s love for Springsteen’s records, much of “Blinded by the Light” is bliss for any Bruce fan, and Chadha delivers thoughtful tributes to The Boss, again and again.  For those unfamiliar with Springsteen’s work, Javed’s fixation might be puzzling, so insert your favorite band while watching this picture, and it all becomes clear.  “Blinded by the Light” sprinkles other 80s tunes into the mix, so there’s a little something for everyone who enjoys the music from this particular era.  More importantly, for those not satisfied with their personal status quo, Javed’s passion hits the right notes. 

(3/4 stars)

Jeff – a member of the Phoenix Critics Circle – has penned film reviews since 2008, graduated from ASU’s Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and is a certified Rotten Tomatoes critic.  Follow Jeff and the Phoenix Film Festival on Twitter @MitchFilmCritic and @PhoenixFilmFest, respectively.

An interview with the ‘Blinded by the Light’ team by Jeff Mitchell

On July 24, the Phoenix Film Society put on a rock star event.  Director Gurinder Chadha (“Bend It Like Beckham” (2002)), writer Sarfraz Manzoor and actor Aaron Phagura arrived in the Valley to host a “Blinded by the Light” screening.  Based on Sarfraz’s real-life experiences, the film is about a Javed (Viveik Kalra), a Pakistani-Brit who wishes to free himself from his father’s strict rules and leave his hometown of Luton, England, but, along the way, he discovers Bruce Springsteen’s music and becomes a massive fan.  

The Phoenix Film Festival sat down and enjoyed a terrific conversation with Sarfraz, Gurinder and Aaron (who plays Javed’s friend Roops), and we talked about the comparisons between the film and Sarfraz’s teenage years, the racism portrayed on-screen and much, much more.  

“Blinded by the Light” opens in Phoenix on Friday, Aug. 16.

PFF:  If you didn’t have Bruce Springsteen’s music in your life, would you have stayed in your hometown of Luton?

SM:  I would have probably left, but I don’t quite know what I would be doing today.  Bruce is now so embedded in my life, it’s hard to make a distinct angle into that.  I think my life would not be as rich, creative and fulfilling as it is.

PFF:  Javed had three strong women in his life:  his mom, his girlfriend Eliza (Nell Williams) and his teacher Ms. Clay (Hayley Atwell).   Were these women part of your life-story as well?

SM:  My mom definitely was.  The Eliza-character is entirely fictionalized.  Sort of fictionalized, because she’s based on people, who I met later in life to some extent.  When I was 16, I wasn’t allowed out of the house, so there’s actually no way that I was going to have a girlfriend, but (we wanted) the character to have a girlfriend to add richness to the story.  

I did have a teacher.  I changed her name (for the movie), but I had a teacher who really believed in me, had a lot of faith in me and encouraged me.  She was charismatic and attractive, (and she) really believed in me and was inspirational in that way. 

I’m still trying to contact her, and I message people on Facebook (and post), “Does anyone remember this particular teacher?” 

So far, nobody has been able to track her down.

PFF:  Javed’s journey was not a constant upward trajectory.  He had peaks and valleys along the way.  How important was it to show the peaks and valleys?

GC:  Well, it’s real life.  When you’re the child of an immigrant, you have certain dreams.  Your parents also have dreams, but they are not always what you want for yourself. 

(Parents may) say, “Look what we’ve done for you.  How can you repay us like this?”

That’s a tricky area to negotiate, but that’s what I love, because that’s my experience.  That’s what I know how to do:  the tricky stuff between two generations of family.  Finding those points where one can negotiate.  To me, that’s drama.  That’s a push and pull, and in the end, the hopeful resolution is moving.   

Cultural negation, that’s what we all do with our parents. 

Copyright: © 2019 WARNER BROS. ENTERTAINMENT INC / Photo Credit: Dan Steinberg

Aaron Phagura, Nell Williams, Gurinder Chadha, Writer/Director/Producer, Sarfraz Manzoor, Writer, Viveik Kalra / Warner Bros. The Big Picture 2019 at CinemaCon 2019 at The Colosseum at Caesar's Palace, Las Vegas, NV, USA - 2 April 2019

PFF:  Did you consider turning the movie into a musical?

SM:  Gurinder had more (thoughts) about the musical-idea than I did, and I have to say that I was nervous about it.  If you put those musical moments in (the movie), it becomes bigger.  I was worried (that) if Javed jumps up and starts singing the whole time, are we going to care about him?   Are we going to care about his struggle, if we think that he just prances around singing every five minutes? 

So, I was worried about the tonal-thing, and whether one would care about him.  (We didn’t go in that direction), and Gurinder did a really good job of making (the movie) feel big, feel warm and feel exciting, but at the same time, we still care about Javed.  She did a really good balancing act, but I don’t think I would have been up for a full-blown musical, because I wanted to care about the characters. 

PFF:  Do you still have the poems that you wrote in high school?

SM:  I keep them in shoebox, and they’re in the film.  When you see Javed with his poems on the wall, those are my real poems.  It was very weird when we were actually on-set.  I mean, I just met the camera (team) and make-up people, and they’re reading these poems where I’m anguishing about my dad, about love or whatever, (and my writing contains) deeply personal stuff.

Jeff Mitchell with writer Sarfraz Manzoor, director Gurinder Chadha , and actor Aaron Phagura.

PFF:  Javed’s new best friend Roops plays a vital role in the movie.  He introduces Javed to Springsteen’s music, but I think that he plays a more important part by standing with Javed and being his friend.  What do you think?

AP:  It was vital, because, all in all, Javed’s confidence rose after to listening to Springsteen, so that played a big part, (but yes,) Roops is such a (supportive) guy.  Everyone needs a friend like him.  After Javed met Roops, he started doing a lot better in all aspects of life, (including his writing).  We all need a friend like Roops.

PFF:  Javed’s family and Roops had to cope with racism from some Luton residents.  Was it difficult to insert those moments into the film, and how much has race relations improved in the UK since the 80s?

GC:  It was hard doing those scenes, and it really reminded us of that time.  In a way, that’s progress to show how much things have changed…a chilling reminder.  So, I think there has been progress.  That’s not to say that there aren’t extremists, but I think for the majority of people, they are interested in other cultures and backgrounds. 

Look at the cuisine everyone eats, and the stories that people are interested in, so yea, I have to believe that things are better.  I have children, and I don’t want them to grow up in a world, where people are cynical and prejudice.  Parents don’t teach their children to be racist. 

They don’t say, “Now, I’m going to sit down and teach you how to be racist.”  

Little kids are not like that.  Kids don’t grow up with that instinct.  We grow up to have empathy.   That’s what makes us human, and I think we, as parents, that’s our job: to remind our kids of that.  That was my mission in this movie:  to show tolerance and empathy across all boundaries. 

Jeff Mitchell with writer Sarfraz Manzoor, director Gurinder Chadha , and actor Aaron Phagura.

PFF:  Fathers, whether they know it or not, pass their passions and other qualities onto their sons.  Sarfraz, you became a Springsteen fan on your own, but what did your father pass on to you?

SM:  My father passed on a sense of trying to be respectful of his and his generation’s story.  

To say, “Look, we came over from another country and put up with a lot of crap.  We worked really hard.  We lived our lives without any kind of respect from others, so you could have an opportunity.” 

So, he passed on a sense of gratitude and an awareness of the sacrifices that he and my mom made. 

Jeff – a member of the Phoenix Critics Circle – has penned film reviews since 2008, graduated from ASU’s Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and is a certified Rotten Tomatoes critic. Follow Jeff and the Phoenix Film Festival on Twitter @MitchFilmCritic and @PhoenixFilmFest, respectively.

The Art of Racing In The Rain - Movie Review by Ben Cahlamer

Photo Credit: Doane Gregory © 2019 Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation. All rights reserved.

Directed by: Simon Curtis

Screenplay by: Mark Bomback

Based on: “The Art of Racing in the Rain” by Garth Stein

Starring: Milo Ventimigila, Amanda Seyfried, Kathy Baker, Martin Donovan, Gary Cole, Kevin Costner

Based on Garth Stein’s novel, “The Art of Racing in the Rain,” Simon Curtis (“Goodbye Christopher Robin,” “Woman in Gold”) tugs at our heartstrings with a story of a dog, Enzo (voiced by Kevin Costner) and his human, Denny (Milo Ventimigila) and their adventures together.

The script, adapted by Mark Bomback (“The Wolverine”) takes us on a journey in which we get to experience life through Enzo’s eyes. It starts on a rather somber note - we know Enzo’s fate. By starting out this way, we are steeled for the eventuality of life and, for better or for worse, we get to enjoy Enzo’s life because he believes that a dog who is prepared with life experiences will become human once they’re reborn.

Now, I don’t know if you believe in reincarnation, and that’s not the focal point of the movie. Once the story establishes Enzo’s fate, we are taken back to when Denny first meets Enzo as a puppy. Costner provides his droll sense of comedic timing as Denny struggles to find his place in the world. A race car driver by profession, Denny strives to reach the pinnacle of his profession.

But life gets in the way when Denny meets Eve Swift (Amanda Seyfried) and Enzo clearly understands that he needs to fight for attention. Bomback and Curtis insert a number of driving analogies, anticipating how to take turns and knowing when to back off. This instilled an interesting personality into Enzo as he navigates his world not only through his eyes, but also through Denny’s.

While Enzo has trouble adjusting to Eve being the center of Denny’s attention, it gets even more interesting when Zoe comes into the picture. Enzo knows of the changes in Eve’s moods and body language as she goes through her pregnancy and once Zoe is born, Enzo has a new mission - to protect Zoe.

The most difficult aspect of the entire affair is through Denny’s strained relations with Eve’s parents, Trish (Kathy Baker) and Maxwell (Martin Donovan). Because dogs are highly perceptive to our changes, Enzo reacts swiftly to Maxwell with hilarious results.

Life isn’t all fun and games, and this is the second film this year to explore dog’s innate ability to sense when we are in poor health, leading to Denny’s struggles and challenges in his own life. But, the ever faithful . . . no, the ever loyal Enzo remains dutifully by Denny’s side through thick and thin.

As Denny makes his way through his trials, so too does Enzo, finally submitting to the great beyond, but not before a very special race around a track. As I said, Curtis and Bombeck speed us towards the inevitable, but “The Art of Racing in the Rain” makes life seen through the eyes of a dog and with Kevin Costner’s narration an enjoyable experience.

3 out of 4

Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark - Movie Review by Monte Yazzie

Image courtesy of CBS Films

Dir: André Øvredal
Starring: Zoe Margaret Colletti, Michael Garza, Gabriel Rush, Austin Zajur, and Dean Morris

“In the dark and the gloom, it is easy for someone listening to imagine all sorts of strange and scary things.”

Alvin Schwartz’s collection of scary stories for children played a pivotal role for many young horror kids in the 80’s and 90’s. The creepy tales, urban legends, and campfire yarns opened the creaky door to a generation of scary kids who would fill their summer reading lists with short stories about ghosts with bloody fingers, a corpse looking for their lost toe, and hook-armed killers stalking teenagers. It served as a gateway for many young horror fans into the world of the strange, the unusual, and the scary.

The pivotal novel finds its big screen adaptation at the hands of director André Øvredal, who’s big monster film “Troll Hunter” and unnerving supernatural film “The Autopsy of Jane Doe” seem fitting entries for a filmmaker tackling the eerie yet playful tone found within the short tales in “Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark”.

The film is positioned in 1968, Stella (Zoe Margaret Colletti), Auggie (Gabriel Rush), and Chuck (Austin Zajur) are going out on Halloween night with a plan to get revenge on some school bullies. Things take a turn for the worst, a stranger named Ramon (Michael Garza) steps in to protect the group of friends at the drive-in, and before Halloween is over they are all exploring a haunted mansion with a dark town secret. While searching the house, the group stumble onto a collection of books featuring stories from Sarah Bellows, a girl locked away for her entire life by an evil family.

From the opening moments, which features a voiceover that emulates the foreword from the novel, Øvredal establishes an atmosphere that is wholly creepy and mature but very quickly turns tailored for a younger audience. Having a group of young people as the focal point is a great touch, the composition of the friends have a vibe most familiar to “Stranger Things” with interesting touches from films like “Stand by Me” and “The Monster Squad”. It works well in establishing the environment of the film which starts with lighthearted and humorous banter between the group of friends, who have great chemistry with one another, before turning towards the scary elements. The composition of Stella, played nicely by Zoe Margaret Colletti, as a horror movie loving nerd is especially fun.

The screenplay, with a story by Guillermo del Toro that’s scripted by Kevin and Dan Hageman, does the difficult task of adding the overarching narrative with the kids and the haunted house within the anthology of stories from the novel. There are some really strong elements incorporated in parts of the film and a few problematic pieces that glaringly come to light when everything needs to be wrapped up at the end. The strong moments exist with the establishing of the characters and with how the stories from the books come to life in the film, specifically the story of a scarecrow and another about a walking corpse which are both completely creepy. Unfortunately, the film needs to find a conclusion to the story of four friends trying to escape the scary stories of a vengeful spirit, and in the process of maneuvering the twists and turns introduced through the tales of Sarah Bellows, the concluding 30 minutes is lost in its own maze of stories.

The frights throughout the film have fun building tension with payoffs that are mostly loud jump scares which works until the scares begin to thread on similar ground. The best of the scares work when the film commits to practical effects design, it just feels creepier and more threatening than the computer-generated effects which simply aren’t scary.

“Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark” is having a lot of fun tailoring a film for a new generation of fright fans. While some aspects within the script don’t come together so nicely from start to finish, the overall tone feels just spooky enough to open the door for that young horror fan wanting to make the jump into the genre.
 

Monte’s Rating
3.25 out of 5.00

An interview with Eugenio Derbez on 'Dora and the Lost City of Gold' by Jeff Mitchell

Credit: Vince Valitutti / Copyright© 2018 Paramount Players, a Division of Paramount Pictures. All Rights Reserved.

Eugenio Derbez has enjoyed a very successful career in Mexico, including turns in two beloved television comedies “XHDRbZ” (2002 – 2007) and “La familia P. Luche” (2002 – 2012), but five years ago, he embarked on a new entertainment-adventure by moving to the U.S.  In 2019, Eugenio enjoys an exciting on-screen trek in “Dora and the Lost City of Gold”, a live-action movie patterned after the iconic animated character.  He plays Alejandro, who attempts to reunite Dora with her parents in the Peruvian jungle. 

Well, this world traveler stopped in the Valley on Aug. 5 and sat down with the Phoenix Film Festival and other entertainment outlets for an especially enjoyable group interview.   Eugenio spoke about the film shoot, Dora’s positive qualities, his journey from Mexico to the U.S., and much more!

“Dora and the Lost City of Gold” opens in theatres on Friday, Aug. 9.

Q:  Not only are you in an actor in the film but also a producer.   Were you first attached to the project as an actor or producer?

ED:  (I’ve always complained) that (movies) portray Latinos in a negative way.  In every very single movie, we are the criminals or the drug lords, and I wanted to change that in Hollywood.  That’s why I started producing my own films, because (that’s) the only way to (bring about) change. 

So, I was aware that this movie was in development, and I (wanted) to be part of (it), because it’s a good way to portray Latinos on-screen.   I know that I can bring a lot of things to the table.  I was born and raised in Mexico.  I’m a real Mexican, so I can help (the filmmakers) with the Latino culture, not only as an actor, but as a producer.  Basically, I was in charge of supervising anything related to the Latino culture, and I also did the adaptation of the script into Spanish.   

Q:  So, one of the lessons that Dora follows is to stay true to herself.  Do you have examples in your life where you can say, “I stayed true to myself.”

ED:  My story is kind of weird.  I worked my entire life in Latin America, in Mexico.  I was born and raised there, and I did my entire career there, and my shows were always very successful.  (When) I did a movie called “Instructions Not Included”, my life changed, and all of sudden, the doors in Hollywood opened, and it was now or never.

Everyone was telling me, “You’re not a kid anymore.” 

My agent was telling me, “It’s now or never.”  

In Mexico, they were telling me, “You’re crazy.  Don’t do it. You have a career here.” 

So, I shut down my office and everything, and I came to the U.S.  When I was here, (I thought), “What am I going to do?  I’m not going to be better than Adam Sandler or Will Ferrell or Will Smith, or you name it.  I’m not going be.  It’s not my language.  I’m still learning English.”

I have to be honest, I was trying to be like them, and one day I said that I have to be who I am.  It’s the only thing I know…be myself.  So, by staying true to myself, I need to do my own kind of movies (with) my own kind of humor.  I have to in order to succeed.  And here I am, and that’s why I’ve been succeeding, because I don’t want to be another version of another comedian.  I’ve been true to myself.  That’s why. 

Q:  The film had lots of broad, physical comedy, especially with your character.  Did you perform most of those scenes yourself?

ED:  Yes, I have a lot of experience with that.  For some reason, in Latin America, we like to do comedy in a broader way.  Everything is big, big, big.  I love doing my own stunts.  So, it was a lot of fun, but (also) very demanding.  Physically, (this) is the most demanding movie that I’ve ever done.  For instance, there’s an underwater scene, and they trained us to hold our breath for two minutes. 

I said, “I can’t do more than 45 seconds.  I can’t.” 

(Holding your breath) is more mental than physical, and in the end, we did it.  I was able to be underwater for two minutes and five seconds.  That’s my record.  

Q:  Live-action adaptations of animated movies or television shows are a huge trend right now.  For audiences that might be a bit fatigued by this, what would you say to encourage them to see this film?

ED:  The storyline in the Dora cartoon is simple.  Honestly.  It’s very simple, but no, this movie is different.  They did a great job with the script and made (Dora) a more three-dimensional character.  It has humor for everyone, and James Bobin, (who) directed “Flight of the Conchords” is an amazing comedy-director.  If you go with your kids, toddlers or teenagers, they are going to enjoy (it).  There’s humor for everyone. 

Q:  You have a five-year-old daughter, so how special was it for you to share this project with her?

ED:  Oh, it was really special.  I mean, she was not aware (of) my career.  She never watched one of my films before.  My last one was “Overboard”, and I told my wife, “You know, (this will) be great, because (this is) the first time that (our daughter) will see me on the big screen.”

(My wife) said, “No way.  You kiss many women, and that (will) be confusing.”  

Thank God she said that, because, my mom was a soap opera actress, and I remember the first time I saw (her in a) movie.  I was the same age, like 5 years old, and I cried, and I cried, because my mom kissed another man.  So, I remember that, and I said, “Yea, you’re right.”

So, this was the first time that she was able to watch (one of my movies).

Q:  Dora is sort of an anti-Indiana Jones.  Instead of taking things from other cultures and bringing them to the West, she learns about them and keeps them where they are.  Since that’s sort of new territory for adventure movies, what do you think that will mean to kids?

ED:  I think it’s one of the great lessons in this movie.  I have a 5-year-old kid, a baby girl.  Every time she sees a small flower, she wants to grab it. 

One day, I told her, “You can’t do this.  She’s going to die.  She has a family.  Look, this is her mother, her father and cousins.  Just leave (the flower) there.  Just watch her, talk to her and admire her, but you have to leave (her) here, because, if not, in the future, there (will) not be any (more) flowers.” 

She understood that so well.  It’s the same thing that Dora’s parents (tell) her:  “We don’t have to steal.  We are not treasure hunters.  We’re explorers.” 

We’re here to see, document and tell the world about these amazing things in nature.  So, I think it’s very important for (this) generation.

Jeff – a member of the Phoenix Critics Circle – has penned film reviews since 2008, graduated from ASU’s Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and is a certified Rotten Tomatoes critic.  Follow Jeff and the Phoenix Film Festival on Twitter @MitchFilmCritic and @PhoenixFilmFest, respectively.

Them That Follow - Movie Review by Ben Cahlamer

Written and Directed by: Britt Poulton and Dan Madison Savage

Starring: Olivia Colman, Kaitlyn Dever, Alice Englert, Jim Gaffigan, Walton Goggins, Thomas Mann, Lewis Pullman

The mood, or rather atmosphere in story telling is equally as important as the cast and the story itself. Mood can be derived from the performances or characters, from the setting or the period in which a story is set.. Horror films, which I detested as a kid are usually pretty good about setting the mood, their goal is to scare an audience, offer a rush we wouldn’t normally experience. Stories that peer into the darker side of religion without getting into the supposed horrors are equally as effective.

“Them That Follow” from the writing-directing duo of Britt Poulton and Dan Madison Savage straddles the line between the two end of this genre, managing to evoke more tension than scares.

The mood in “Them That Follow” is set by the mysterious nature of the characters and their situation. The story is set on a commune of serpent handlers as the pastor, Lemuel Childs (Walton Goggins) prepares to give away his daughter, Mara (Alice Englert) in marriage to Garret (Lewis Pullman).

As the story evolves, we learn what a tightly-knit society Pastor Childs has created for his clan, using snakes to cleanse those who are not of pure faith. Mara tries to hide numerous things, things that would be perceived as mischievous for an ordinary teenager, but are more serious given the environment they live in.

That’s at least the implication that Poulton and Savage want to convey as the story unfolds. They let on early about Mara’s secret. It’s the how’s and why’s that the story works out in the form of Oscar winner Olivia Colman as Hope Slaughter. Since Mara and Lemuel live alone, Hope is put in charge of the final details of Mara’s wedding.

In a rather shocking scene, Hope learns Mara’s secret as well. The level of violation surprised me and yet, I appreciated the viscerality of the experience because it seemed natural to the setting of the film. In the context of the story, it also makes sense that Mara would endure the ritualistic side of the preparations in order to find her path forward.

The discovery of Mara’s secret is kept from Lemuel as Garret continues to try and court Mara, an awkwardness in the film that supports her later decisions. It certainly reinforces Lemuel’s dominance both over the society of the commune and as a father. Goggins, who manages to evoke a strong sense of fear, rational or otherwise is a key aspect to Mara’s struggles.

Colman plays Hope with the same vigor as she approached Queen Anne in “The Favourite” last year: a matronly quality with a no-nonsense hard edge which supports Lemuel’s hard-nosed take on his own daughter.

The challenge is that “Them That Follows” spends so much time building the environment that it fails to tell a truly compelling story. The film is worth watching for the rich performances, but fails to capture the spirit it tried to evoke.

2.5 out of 4

Brian Banks - Movie Review by Ben Cahlamer

Credit: Katherine Bomboy / Bleecker Street

Directed by: Tom Shadyac

Written by: Doug Atchison

Starring: Aldis Hodge, Greg Kinnear, Sherri Shepherd, Melanie Liburd, Xosha Roquemore, Tiffany Dupont, Jose Miguel Vasquez, Morgan Freeman

I would be what you consider a “fair weather” sports fan. I’ll watch sports if they’re on TV, but I don’t go out of my way to do so. When it comes to movies about sports though, I find myself rather drawn towards them, if nothing else to remind me of the power of the human spirit; the rise to excellence and the achievement of perfection, while never quitting.

“Brian Banks,” which had an excellent showing at the Phoenix Film Festival this past April is in theaters this weekend. It tells a semi-autobiographical story of Brian Banks (Aldis Hodge, “Straight Outta Compton,” “Hidden Figures”), a man falsely accused of kidnap and rape when he was 16. Banks was an all star football player in his Long Beach high school team and had the attention of the big college bowl teams.

Shadyac, who brought Jim Carrey to prominence with “Ace Ventura: Pet Detective” in 1994 used that experience to piece together a legal drama with a sports theme. Atchison’s (“Akeelah and the Bee”) script focused more on the mental prison that Banks faced as he served out his prison sentence and his probation while trying to find a way to get his case reviewed and his conviction overturned.

Atchison pins the story on the theme of perspective and forgiveness rather than rage, that we are in control of our own reactions to what life throws our way. In that regard, Greg Kinnear appears as Justin Brooks, the head of the California Innocence Project. He would be the lawyer who eventually helps Banks’ file his motion of Habeas Corpus.

Hodge’s performance as a man both physically and mentally incarcerated and his journey to face not only his own demons, but those of the legal system that didn’t care about him in the first place, are strong points in this film’s favor. Kinnear plays Brooks a bit more restrained than I was expecting, perhaps so as not to get our hopes up.

Shadyac, who moved from comedy to drama showed a great ease with all of the material, especially when it came to demonstrating Banks’s struggles to get support, but the drama doesn’t always work, especially when it came to balancing out the legal aspects of Atchison’s script, which felt somewhat forced; a function of the editing and the story rather than the direction.

Morgan Freeman makes an uncredited cameo appearance in the film as a counselor that preaches a mantra, “All you can control in life is how you react to life.” Banks’s, and by extension, Hodge’s journey are really all about reinforcing this principle.

Some might find the sentiment to be schlocky and question the film’s timing.

Shadyac directs Hodge with style; Hodge offers conviction in his performance. Together, they give us hope and inspiration in a time when violence in the news has reached an all-time high.

Movies are meant as an escape from our own realities. They often can shape our perception of the world around us. “Brian Banks” successfully challenges us to look at the world through better eyes than the hand that we are dealt.

3.25 out of 4

Dora and the Lost City of Gold - Movie Review by Jeff Mitchell

Photo Credit: Vince Valitutti / © 2018 Paramount Players, a Division of Paramount Pictures. All Rights Reserved.

‘Dora and the Lost City of Gold’ earns a sizable pile of silver

Directed by:  James Bobin

Written by:  Matthew Robinson and Nicholas Stoller

Starring:  Isabela Moner, Eugenio Derbez, Michael Pena, Eva Longoria, and Jeff Wahlberg

“Dora and the Lost City of Gold” – Homeschooling kids has been a modern-day topic in suburban households for years.  Certain families may have the resources and aptitude to teach reading, writing and arithmetic - and throw in sex education and dodgeball for good measure - to their children that may prove as effective as public schools.  The advantage, of course, is a familiar home-environment insulates kids from the disruptions and distractions in the hallways, playgrounds and cafeterias that can cloud learning.  Then again, confronting anxieties - and the people who contribute to them - at a young age can only help prepare young minds for adulthood-complications. 

In 2016’s “Captain Fantastic”, a father (Viggo Mortensen) homeschools his six children, as they all live off the grid in the woodsy Pacific Northwest.  The kids speak multiple languages, recite the intricacies of U.S. history and live off the land like Swiss Family Robinson, however, socializing with others might feel as awkward as playing tennis in a tuxedo and wingtips.  When the oldest sibling (George MacKay) proposes to a random girl after 15 minutes of courtship, the verdict – in this case - is in.  So, perhaps this dad can’t teach his kids everything. 

In “Dora and the Lost City of Gold”, Cole (Michael Pena) and Elena (Eva Longoria) are all-around fantastic and loving parents to their daughter Dora (Isabela Moner).  Dora is an off-the-charts brilliant kid with a bright, positive outlook, but since her professor-parents raised her in South American isolation, wearing a boa, actually means, wearing a boa constrictor.

When Cole and Elena plan to explore Peru to search for Parapata (the Lost City of Gold), they decide to send Dora on an equally foreign journey:  to temporarily live in Los Angeles with her aunt, uncle and cousin Diego (Jeff Wahlberg), who she hasn’t seen in 10 years.  

Dora – who regularly breaks into song, finds bustling crowds at the airport fascinating, carries a flare gun in case of emergencies, and looks at every moment as an opportunity to learn or share joy – immediately stands out at Silverlake High School, and she is the source of Diego’s embarrassment, who just tries to get through his schooldays without incident or fanfare.

If you do not know Isabela through her recent appearances in “Sicario: Day of the Soldado” (2018) or “Instant Family” (2018), you might become a new fan.  She brings a never-ending, compelling exuberance to the world-famous animated children’s character, and rather than existing as an elementary school-age kid, this live-action teenager offers a more palatable tale – of dodging high school obstacles and the Peruvian wilderness - for adults.  Just think back to “Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace”, as George Lucas inexplicably forced Star Wars fans to experience 9-year-old Anakin Skywalker’s adventure.  The horror; the horror.

This well-intentioned and prepared teen leads Diego and two classmates on the outing of a lifetime to find her parents and the aforementioned lost city, while dodging dangerous wildlife and cartoonish mercenaries.  Director James Bobin’s light comedy with a primarily Latino cast – including Eugenio Derbez, Benicio Del Toro and Danny Trejo - has an upbeat tone and enough Indiana Jones-like sequences to fill 102 minutes.  Plus, for those who enjoyed (or currently relish) “Dora the Explorer” (2000 – 2019), you will most likely accept this story straightaway.   

For parents, you may not consider an immediate move to South America, but score one point for homeschooling children. 

(3/4 stars)

Jeff – a member of the Phoenix Critics Circle – has penned film reviews since 2008, graduated from ASU’s Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and is a certified Rotten Tomatoes critic.  Follow Jeff and the Phoenix Film Festival on Twitter @MitchFilmCritic and @PhoenixFilmFest, respectively.

Surprise Me! - Movie Review by Jeff Mitchell

The predictable rom-com ‘Surprise Me!’ is incorrectly named

Written and directed by:  Nancy Goodman

Starring:  Fiona Gubelmann, Jonathan Bennett, Sean Faris, and LaShawn Banks

“Surprise Me!” – Genie Burns (Fiona Gubelmann) has it all!  A great job, terrific friends, a loving mom and stepfather, her health, and the perfect man.  Actually, scratch the last mention.  Genie’s single, but she’s waiting for the right guy to come along, and she declares to her friend Danny (Jonathan Bennett) while eating breakfast, “I want the whole plate.”

Don’t we all, and please include the garnish, some Tabasco and a full jar of ketchup.

Speaking of food, one day while Genie strolls through a Whole Foods-like grocery store, that mass produces its own sunshine and hands out kittens at the checkout lines, a random guy flirts with her.  Jeff (Sean Faris) - who best resembles a brunette version of Cobra Kai’s Johnny (William Zabka) from “The Karate Kid” (1984) – takes an immediate liking to this perky, positive and together lady, who also owns Surprise Enterprise, an event-planning company that specializes in throwing parties.   

Well, surprise!  Despite Jeff’s creepy, player vibes - that anyone with 20/100 vision and three out of the five senses can clearly recognize - Genie falls for him anyway, and (spoiler alert), by the 35-minute mark, this mismatched couple exchange those three little words. 

Writer/director Nancy Goodman follows Genie’s torturous, train-wreck trek, as her relationship quickly turns sour, and she tries to make it work.   Unfortunately, Jeff does not seem to care about Genie’s well-being, so she hashes out her problems with her on-screen support system.  Ah, if only the movie audience could be spared from this familiar rom-com theme, as this – otherwise - strong woman pines for a manipulative, callous jerk.

Genie pulls in Danny, her friend Lori (Robyn Coffin), and business partner Steven (LaShawn Banks) to help sort out her skewed perspective.  She has plenty of time, because apparently in this utopian universe - during a warm, picturesque summer in Chicago - no one really seems to work.  Sure, Genie throws a couple surprise parties in the first act - and she sort of manages a massive wedding for a wealthy client - but her plastic surgeon boyfriend Jeff, her attorney best friend Danny and she seem to spend all their waking moments riding bikes, enjoying amusement parks and shuttling between lofts and suburban McMansions. 

All these bright, pristine mechanics might feel like a typical Disney Channel sitcom, but the aforementioned small screen programs don’t have Attention Deficit Disorder, like this production.

In some ways, “Surprise Me!” feels like Tommy Wiseau’s “The Room” (2003), where random ideas and events suddenly appear out of nowhere, have little connective tissue to the previous scenes and serve no distinct purpose other than to fill some imagined, screen time quota. 

-          For instance, Genie still stings from her father death from decades ago, and the film even flashes back to her youth, but this thread never really ties to anything in present-day, and the idea eventually disappears as mysteriously as it was introduced. 

-          Lori takes Genie to a paintball tournament, and the ladies hide behind a car and attempt to dodge paint projectiles for an entire 12 seconds.  Again, their entire on-screen paintball experience lasts just 12 seconds, and in the very next scene, Genie casually rides her bike in a beautiful park.  Did she bring her bike to paintball?

-          On top of all this unneeded drama, she also develops a food-binging disorder that calls for a therapist to intervene.  Don’t worry though, the screenplay’s tone seems to take none of this seriously, as a maniacal therapist – like Melissa McCarthy with an acute case of Turrets but zero comedic gifts – screams advice at her. 

Well, you might not scream at the big screen during a “Surprise Me!”-trip to the theatres, but don’t be surprised if your inside voice wishes for a much better movie.

(1/4 stars)

Jeff – a member of the Phoenix Critics Circle – has penned film reviews since 2008, graduated from ASU’s Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and is a certified Rotten Tomatoes critic. Follow Jeff and the Phoenix Film Festival on Twitter @MitchFilmCritic and @PhoenixFilmFest, respectively