Rap rock is less “music” and more “warning.” If you hear it, you’d best run. Best-case scenario is that you’re about to get into an unpleasant political discussion. Worst-case scenario is that you’re about to watch The Killer’s Game. From the rap rock song that opens the movie to laughable CGI blood and gratuitously obvious […]
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Despite Burton’s Burden, There’s No Beatin’ Keaton
For the last 20 years or so, the phrase “from director Tim Burton” was more warning than promise. When reading it on a movie poster, the voice in my head sounded exactly like someone who narrates a prescription drug commercial. “Do not watch if you’re allergic to pale people, crooked architecture, or Johnny Depp.” What […]
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Bar highlighting female sports opening in Omaha
The state’s first sports bar for women will open in Omaha this December. “SET the Bar” in Omaha is being opened as a place where women’s sports are put first. Co-owner Molly Huyck wants to create a place that’s different from a traditional bar. “It’s definitely a place where everyone is welcome, and we’ll play, […]
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All Pain, No Gain
There is a novella’s worth of text put on the screen at the opening of Strange Darling, each piece more maddening than the next. The first text shown says the movie was shot entirely on 35mm film. This is equal to a musician starting a song by telling you the brand of synthesizer used. Neat. […]
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More Xenomorph, Sans Cosmic Horror
Watching a wide swath of folks recently realize that both Prometheus and Alien: Covenant are actually fantastic is enough to put a smile on both mouths of a xenomorph. If we spent more time applauding when folks change their minds instead of lording superiority over having been “right” earlier than others, maybe people wouldn’t treat […]
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Although Known for Confession, Catholic Church Remains Bad at It
Don’t let the setting fool you. Sugarcane may take place in Canada, but the bloody crime scene fingerprints track all the way here to Nebraska. The documentary is a haunting, wildly upsetting attempt to hold the Catholic Church to account for its mistreatment of Native American populations. “Good luck with that,” says several thousand years […]
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What Do You Think This Movie Is About?
Filled with a cornucopia of stabby weapons, Kill is a cut below classic violence ballets like The Raid. Provided you are a fan of clean, clear, close-quarters combat, that’s just fine. You don’t have to be the best at something to be tasty doing it, right Mr. Pibb? The best thing about Kill is that […]
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Bleak and White and Dread All Over
Trying to make plans that involve more than one other person can feel like blindfolded maze solving. Imagine making a movie, the smallest of which requires trying to make plans that involve far more than one other person. The art form’s challenge is part of its appeal. The communality it requires, the artistry and effort […]
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Maybe the fourth wall is there for our protection?
With five credited writers using characters from several dozen films spanning three major movie studios, Deadpool & Wolverine’s script reads more like a hostage negotiation. Disney and Marvel wanted the raunchy R-rated revenue from the Deadpool franchise without sullying its future financials from family-friendly franchise fare. The compromise is Deadpool & Wolverine, a collection of […]
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Weather alert: Fake tornadoes are more fun than real ones
They say in real life, just before a tornado hits you, you hear a freight train. In Twisters, just before a tornado hits you, you hear Shania Twain. That’s the only way in which movie tornadoes are worse. In 100,000 years, nobody who watched the near-perfect, quiet, haunting Minari would ever think “This director’s next […]