The Unofficial Ongoing Current Movies in Theaters thread

[dookeyXXX]

CANDYMAN (2021)
3.5/5

So, I saw the new, re-envisioned Candyman today.
I had been hella hesitant to see it as the original is one of my favorite horror films.
Well, it was leaving my "local" cinemas today (i have to drive at least 37 miles to the nearest cineplex), so I rallied and hit an early showing.
Glad I did. Plus I had the theater to myself!
The film follows suit with the latest Halloween entries in that it is a direct sequel to the original, thus crushing any canonical order to Candymans 2 and 3.
The new creative team did a good job, creating a serious B-movie wrapped in pseudo arthouse pretenses.
Lottsa subtext (some subtle, some overt as fiznuck) ranging from gentrification to the need for folklore and knowing one's history.
Some really great imagery and framing of shots and the use of shadow puppetry is fantastic; it helps ground the film in not only folklore, but alsp urban legends.
The score and sound design are really cool, too; extremely immersive and adding to the overal vibe of the film.
While there are a few slash-and-gush moments, for the most part the film goes for implied gore, relying more on Hitchcockian techniques than in-yer-face splatter.
The third act kinda falls apart and feels rushed, plus there is some skimping on exposition and character development; it actually migjt have benefited from another 15-30 minutes of run time, imho .
Despite this, all in all it's a worthy successor/continuation to the 1992 original.

[Mike Pow]

CANDYMAN (2021)
3.5/5

So, I saw the new, re-envisioned Candyman today.
I had been hella hesitant to see it as the original is one of my favorite horror films.
Well, it was leaving my "local" cinemas today (i have to drive at least 37 miles to the nearest cineplex), so I rallied and hit an early showing.
Glad I did. Plus I had the theater to myself!
The film follows suit with the latest Halloween entries in that it is a direct sequel to the original, thus crushing any canonical order to Candymans 2 and 3.
The new creative team did a good job, creating a serious B-movie wrapped in pseudo arthouse pretenses.
Lottsa subtext (some subtle, some overt as fiznuck) ranging from gentrification to the need for folklore and knowing one's history.
Some really great imagery and framing of shots and the use of shadow puppetry is fantastic; it helps ground the film in not only folklore, but alsp urban legends.
The score and sound design are really cool, too; extremely immersive and adding to the overal vibe of the film.
While there are a few slash-and-gush moments, for the most part the film goes for implied gore, relying more on Hitchcockian techniques than in-yer-face splatter.
The third act kinda falls apart and feels rushed, plus there is some skimping on exposition and character development; it actually migjt have benefited from another 15-30 minutes of run time, imho .
Despite this, all in all it's a worthy successor/continuation to the 1992 original.

Agreed

Loved the shadow puppetry too

[dookeyXXX]

TITANE
3.5/5

Screenwriter/director Julia Ducournau’s sophomore effort won The Palme d’Or at the 2021 Cannes Film Festival. Which just goes to prove that not only are the French adept at making fucked-up films, they are also adept at enjoying them.
As with her previous effort, Raw, Titane is a difficult film; difficult to watch, difficult to grasp. On the one hand it’s a gonzo Greek tragedy. On the other, it’s a Shakespearean mistaken identity melodrama soaked in petrol and dizzy off of exhaust fumes.
One thing for certain: it’s never not engaging.
Whereas Ducournau’s debut was a twisted coming-of-age story, here she throws a head-spinning array of ideas into the mix. There’s incestual innuendo, hints of homoeroticism, body-horror-meets-womb-horror, feints of Fregoli, auto(mobile)eroticism, steroidal rage, mechanophilia, serial killings, and imposter syndrome fallout, just to name a few of the myriad and deranged themes the story appropriates and hugs tightly to its chest.
The film comes out the gate with a wash of visceral violence that had me cringing, squirming, and muttering “what-the-fuck-what-the-fuck-what-the-fuck?!?” more than once. Then it dips into a strange and unnerving familial drama taking place at a firestation. To say any more would ruin the experience of watching it yourself.
I’m still trying to wrap my head around the entire thing, but I feel that at its core it’s a rumination on loss, getting old, loving cars, and hating your parents. I think.

RIYL
Irreversible; Dead Ringers; Annette

[dookeyXXX]

No Time To Die
The new Bond is kind of bland and rather anti-climatic.
It's not bad, but rather a pastiche of previous Bond films, specifically On Her Majesty's Secret Service, extracts from You Only Live Twice (the novel), and Daniel Craig channeling Connery and Moore.
The story is kind of ho-hum, the villain is lackluster, not enough is done with the new 00--who, btw, is badass--and the ending is thick with maudlin melodrama.
Best part of the film is a sequence taking place in Cuba; Ana de Armas for the win!
I feel that the filmmakers tried too hard to appeal to Bond diehards, but their collective Walther PPK got jammed up.

[dookeyXXX]

Lamb
This Icelandic film is worth a watch, especially if you dig glacially paced, detached weirdness drenched in fog and earth tones.
Part dark fairy tale, part folk horror, and part farm noir, it is a slow-burn meditation on familial bonds.

PS: Sheep are freaky AF; I can totally see why Satan adopted them as his animal familar...

RIYL: The Green Knight; Antichrist
Rating: 3.5/5

[Benny Profane]

No Time To Die
The new Bond is kind of bland and rather anti-climatic.
It's not bad, but rather a pastiche of previous Bond films, specifically On Her Majesty's Secret Service, extracts from You Only Live Twice (the novel), and Daniel Craig channeling Connery and Moore.
The story is kind of ho-hum, the villain is lackluster, not enough is done with the new 00--who, btw, is badass--and the ending is thick with maudlin melodrama.
Best part of the film is a sequence taking place in Cuba; Ana de Armas for the win!
I feel that the filmmakers tried too hard to appeal to Bond diehards, but their collective Walther PPK got jammed up.

How'd they deal with the loss of Mother?

[MultiVerse]

If you like westerns Tim Blake Nelson is very good in Old Henry.

[dookeyXXX]

If you like westerns Tim Blake Nelson is very good in Old Henry.

I enjoy TBN and the trailer looked cool, but alas it didn't and isn't playing at any theaters near me.


Some of y'all might be luckier:

List of Theaters Showing Old Henry
https://shoutstudios.shoutfactory.co...nry/watch.html

[PB]

It's also rentable on A Prime.

[Mike Pow]

Loved it

[huckbucket]

No Time To Die

Best part of the film is a sequence taking place in Cuba; Ana de Armas for the win!

Kinda all I needed to know. That woman is otherwordly.

[MontuckyFried]

The Spine of Night is being released tonight. Haven't found a theater by me that's playing it, but keeping my eyes peeled. Looks freaking rad. In the vein of the old Heavy Metal or Ralph Bakshi films (think Fire & Ice, Wizards, etc.). Heard anything about this one, Dookey?

[dookeyXXX]

The Spine of Night is being released tonight. Haven't found a theater by me that's playing it, but keeping my eyes peeled. Looks freaking rad. In the vein of the old Heavy Metal or Ralph Bakshi films (think Fire & Ice, Wizards, etc.). Heard anything about this one, Dookey?

Nope, slipped by me. Thanks for the heads up (not playing near me, either).
It lists Shudder as one of the production/distribution outlets, so it should be coming to that streaming site soonish (I hope).

In the meantime, here's some like-minded films to watch:
https://bloody-disgusting.com/sponso...d-spine-night/

Last new animated film on my hit-list was/is Cryptozoo, which already came/went (had a really, really, really limited theatrical run). I am waiting for it to show up on NF DVD or streaming for less than $6.99...

[dookeyXXX]

Yesterday I did a double feature:

The Harder They Fall (had a week long theatrical run and premieres on NF 11/3).
It borrows/pays homage to Spaghetti Westerns and Clint Eastwood's 1970s Hollywood Westerns, tossing in a lot of stylistic tour de force elements.
The cast is phenomenal and the dialogue is whip snap sharp.
My only complaint was the heavy use of slick R&B and reggae mixed in with a somewhat generic (and equally slick) score. And while there is some off-kilter imagery, the film is ultimately akin to the more traditional and classic 1950s Hollywood westerns than anything else.
Was worth seeing on the BIG Screen, though and def worth checking out on NF next week.
RIYL
High Plains Drifter; The Quick and the Dead; Silverado; Posse


The Last Duel
Ridley Scott definitely knows his way around the costumed epic.
I was a bit worried about the American leads--Matt Damon, Adam Driver, Ben Affleck--given that the story takes place in France (I personally would have been down with a French cast and subtitles or even just French actors speaking in heavy accents, but oh well; at least Affleck, Damon, and Driver didn't attempt to speak with faux French).
In the end, the gritty sword play and Rashomon-esque storytelling won me over. Plus Damon's character's mullet; all-time. Oh yeah, and Ben A. has douchebag schmarm so locked, you have to wonder if he's really acting (this has kind of been his cinematic M.O. since Mallrats and Dazed and Confused).
Definitely worth seeing on as large a screen as you can, if only for the muddy-and-bloody swords & axes melees.
RIYL
The Duelists; Kingdom of Heaven ; Robin Hood (The Ridley Scott version)

[dookeyXXX]

Last Night In Soho

Edgar Wright's latest film is a far cry from his last (Baby Driver), unfurling as a vibrant genre mash of noir, psychological thriller, mystery, dead soul retribution, and Hitchcockian suspense.

RIYL
Susperia; Drag Me To Hell; The Neon Demon

[Woodsy]

The Last Duel
Ridley Scott definitely knows his way around the costumed epic.
I was a bit worried about the American leads--Matt Damon, Adam Driver, Ben Affleck--given that the story takes place in France (I personally would have been down with a French cast and subtitles or even just French actors speaking in heavy accents, but oh well; at least Affleck, Damon, and Driver didn't attempt to speak with faux French).h, and Ben A. has douchebag schmarm so locked, you have to wonder if he's really acting

[toast2266]

Last Night In Soho

Edgar Wright's latest film is a far cry from his last (Baby Driver), unfurling as a vibrant genre mash of noir, psychological thriller, mystery, dead soul retribution, and Hitchcockian suspense.

It's a far cry from Baby Driver in a "completely different but still great" kind of way, or a far cry in a "how did Wright go so wrong" kind of way?

[dookeyXXX]

It's a far cry from Baby Driver in a "completely different but still great" kind of way, or a far cry in a "how did Wright go so wrong" kind of way?

The former.
It's really an ode to Hitchcock, Argento, and films like Don't Look Now.

If you have seen and enjoyed The Neon Demon, Susperia, and Vertigo, then this may be in your wheelhouse.

It's a psychological "horror" film on some levels, so miles away from the heist antics of BD. Also much more "serious" in tone than his "Cornetto Trilogy."

I think if you have dug all of Wright's previous work, then you will dig this, but it is a thematic and tonal departure for him.

[toast2266]

The former.
It's really an ode to Hitchcock, Argento, and films like Don't Look Now.

If you have seen and enjoyed The Neon Demon, Susperia, and Vertigo, then this may be in your wheelhouse.

It's a psychological "horror" film on some levels, so miles away from the heist antics of BD. Also much more "serious" in tone than his "Cornetto Trilogy."

I think if you have dug all of Wright's previous work, then you will dig this, but it is a thematic and tonal departure for him.

Sounds great. I've liked most of the Wright's work that I've seen, and I liked Neon Demon, so I'm in. It's been years since I saw Vertigo, and I don't think I've ever seen more than bits and pieces of Susperia.

[dookeyXXX]

Sounds great. I've liked most of the Wright's work that I've seen, and I liked Neon Demon, so I'm in. It's been years since I saw Vertigo, and I don't think I've ever seen more than bits and pieces of Susperia.

Anya Taylor-Joy is mesmerizing, too.

The film does falter a smidge in Act 3 and some of the effects are a bit cheesy, imho, but these glitches aren't enough to ruin the film.
I was actually worried about squeaky voiced Thomasin McKenzie, but she came through as the shy country girl overwhelmed by the big city.

[dookeyXXX]

Belfast
Part visual love poem to the capital city of Northern Ireland, part slice-of-life, part coming-of-age, part soap operatic drama, and an homage to classic American Westerns of the 50s and 60s, amongst other genre blends, Belfast is an engaging and endearing piece of cinema.
Writer/director Kenneth Branagh's decision to render the film in black-and-white was an interesting stylistic choice, one which at first I found annoying, given the film takes place in 1969 (though poking around the Webz post screening revealed that color TV didn't really become widespread in Ireland until the late 70s); even so, the film has much more of a 1950s vibe. My thought while watching the film was that the b/w was meant to convey the general ideologies at that time in Ireland, where you were either Catholic or Protestant (i.e black or white, or as one character states "you're either with us or against us," with no middle ground). Whatever the intent may have been, it ends up lending the story an ethereal, almost fairy tale vibe which is both visually and thematically cool.
Music, provided by Van Morrison, gives the whole affair a kind of modern folk tale ambiance, as well.
The acting from the core cast of Caitriona Balfe, Jamie Dornan, Judi Dench, Ciaran Hinds, and Jude Hill, as well as the many wonderful supporting players, is both sublime and naturalistic.
This is a film that draws you in with rich, archetypical characters and wonderful visuals that tread the line between the French New Wave and American films of John Ford and Fred Zinnemann.

[dookeyXXX]

I was half-assedly contemplating going to see Ghostbusters: Afterlife tomorrow evening, but egads, the advance reviews from the major outlets (Boston Globe, Chicago Sun-Times, RS) are kess than kind...heck, even the positive reviews make the film sound lackluster at best. I pretty much only read the headlines, but they were enough to make me consider a hard pass in terms of a must-see theatrical experience.

[Flyoverland Captive]

Belfast
Music, provided by Van Morrison…

I was interested in this, but Van Morrison is an asshole, so I’m gonna pass. Makes no difference to him, of course, but one must vote with one’s dollars, even if it’s purely symbolic.

[dookeyXXX]

I was interested in this, but Van Morrison is an asshole, so I’m gonna pass. Makes no difference to him, of course, but one must vote with one’s dollars, even if it’s purely symbolic.

I read an interesting interview with Kenneth Branagh where he discussed VM, but now I can't find it.
The gist was that he respected the man's art, not necessarily the man himself. I think.

[dookeyXXX]

The French Dispatch
Saw the new Wes Anderson effort on Thursday.
Had the entire theater to myself.
If you dig Old School long-form journalism where the author was as much a part of the story as the story itself, then this gem is for you.
Hat tips to Jacques Tati, Noir, The French New Wave, and Hitchcock permeate the screen; I am sure there were more homages, but those were the key ones that my limited cinematic knowledge picked-up on.
Additionally, Anderson lovingly takes the piss out of the art world, travelogues, student protests, and epicurean exposition.
The only weak link, imho, was Timothee Chalamet. The character he played would have been better portrayed by the likes of Jason Schwartzman (except JS is 20 years too old for the part).
As for the overall composition, Anderson takes his whole stage play artifice-meets-Cindy Shermanesque diorama stylistics to new heights with this film.
If you enjoyed The Grand Budapest Hotel, then you will probably find this entertaining, as well.