Vampires, Assassins, and Romantic Angst by the Seaside: Takoma Reviews

Yes you should.

I watched the first 15 minutes with my sister and brother-in-law, and already I was noticing things I didn't see the first time through. Looking forward to a proper rewatch.

But we already know about the people that were killed during The Holocaust, and more importantly, so does List, because it shows so many of them dying onscreen, and in very graphic detail, too. I mean, it literally ends with some onscreen text saying "In memory of the 6 million Jews who were murdered"; what else should Spielberg have done differently to appease the Kubricks of the world?

As you've seen the documentary you might be able to answer this question. Why did none of the team wear Scuba gear or carry oxygen tanks? I understand the free divers obviously, but the safety team are there to provide safety and oxygen is something they regularly run out of, as you mentioned in your review. I just wondered if there was any mention of why they don't?

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5-time MoFo Award winner.

Spielberg shouldn't have done anything different. He's telling the story he's telling. I'm just agreeing with Kubrick in the more narrow criticism that Schindler's List should not be THE emblematic film about the Holocaust.

I had this exact same question! Like, why wouldn't you station someone with a little oxygen backup tank every 50 meters?

Late in the film, a woman describes watching something dramatic unfold, and she specifically remarks that because she was in a scuba suit she was useless to help because she simply couldn't move fast enough.

But I would love an answer to this question. Obviously giving someone oxygen during a dive invalidates the attempt, but it seems like it would save so many people. There must be some reason for it.

Puss in Boots: The Last Wish, 2022

Puss in Boots (Antonio Banderas) is living his best swashbuckling life when he is the victim of an untimely accident. Shocked to realize that he is down to the last of his nine lives, Puss decides to retire. But when he learns about a map that could lead to a wishing star, Puss re-dons his hat and sword and sets off, accompanied by former flame Kitty Softpaws (Salma Hayak) and new friend Perrito (Harvey Guillen). But others are on the trail of the star, including Goldilocks (Florence Pugh) and her three bears and the menacing Jack Horner (John Mulaney).

A strong story and message, along with winning vocal performances make this a very enchanting animated film, suitable for adults and children.

I’ve had a mixed reaction to the Shrek universe that I’ve encountered---I find the cynical fairy tale thing a bit overdone. I watched the first Shrek film and maybe most of the second? It’s not a franchise that won my loyalty, and I’ve reacted with disinterest to the release of films from the series. When this film got good word of mouth, I didn’t pay much attention. But then it kept getting praise and I figured I’d give it a spin.

Pretty much everything in this film works, and that’s right down to the actual message of the movie and how it is conveyed through the story. Puss is essentially grappling with mortality. He’s grown used to not having to be cautious in his behavior, and suddenly he is facing death. And that’s quite literal, as death appears to him in the form of a menacing wolf (Wagner Moura) who deflects both Puss’s sword strikes and his attempts to smooth talk his way out of trouble.

It could have been a really dark tone, but instead the film hits just the right note. Puss becomes incredibly withdrawn. In a really fun sequence, Puss ends up “retiring” to the home of a fabulous cat lady (Da’Vine Joy Randolph), where he grows a comically long beard and gets used to eating dry cat food out of a trough.

But there’s something really neat about the framing device here: Puss has one life left to live . . . which is the same number as any other person or creature. He isn’t dying, he’s just living. I think that this idea is a great one to explore for kids, because it’s right around the age of 7 or 8 that kids become aware of death and some become hyper-sensitive to the idea of risk. The character of Perrito is a great one to pair with Puss. Perrito has had a very hard and unlucky life, but he is an optimist and sees the best in people. His attitude of enjoying life and what is in front of him is a great counterbalance to the angst that Puss is feeling that causes him to disregard the feelings of others.

The dynamics between Goldilocks and her bear family very much echo what’s happening with Puss, Kitty, and Perrito, but the interactions are distinct enough that it doesn’t feel repetitive. Goldilocks wants the star’s wish for herself, and there are several hints that she will make a wish that will change her family. Both Puss and Goldilocks are fixated on the idea that they can only be happy if they make serious changes to their lives, something that blinds them to the good things that are already happening.

The voice performances are all very spot-on. Guillen’s Perrito in particular is super endearing.

I didn’t really have any complaints about this one. The Jack Horner villain doesn’t feel entirely necessary, but he’s a fun character. I liked that the “twisted fairy tale” element wasn’t too overbearing. It was just about the right number of throwaway jokes balancing the solid character work.

My fear is that it'll have something to do with the 'ethics' of free diving or something stupid (imo) like that. But I am disappointed that it's not addressed in the film. I saw the final dive on a show over here called Gogglebox and you could see how tragic it was, how close to the surface they were and the impending doom (they also told about the delay, etc) but I couldn't believe there wasn't someone with a oxygen tank, if nothing else, if they were the 'safety'.

I did a little googling, and couldn't come up with any references to safety crews having oxygen (or reasons why they don't). In the Arch dive, the one woman was in a scuba suit, but her role was just taking photos.

Honestly it seems silly (but I guess not impossible) that it's part of the "code". I mean, why even have safety divers in that case? Obviously receiving oxygen would disqualify someone.

I kind of wonder if the reason is more to do with the divers not wanting to accept it. Most of them clearly think they'll make it to the top. They push themselves until their brains literally shut down. By the time they KNOW they need the oxygen, they might not be in a position to breathe from a device?

The first part of this sentence is why I gave it 5 stars. Having said that, I guessed the ending very easily, so I took of 0.5/10, making it 9.5. Also, it's one of the funniest kid's movie's I've seen in years.

The ending is easy to guess. But also the Jack Horner character is kind of a throwaway and honestly wasn't needed and makes the film a bit overstuffed.

But it's charming and flows well and Perrito is beautifully written and performed and gently holds the whole film together with his optimism and sock-sweater.

IMO Jack was vital to the humor of it. He had many of the best lines.

I struggled with it because it was so overtly John Mulaney. All of the other voice actors I could let sink into their characters, but not with his. I think that's why his character felt a bit separated for me.

Because they can get you to the surface and administer first aid when/if you pass out. That's why I wonder if it's some kind of code crap. I just find myself reminded of F1 racinig from the 50's to the 70's when one or two drivers dying every year was just 'part of the job' and if you moaned about it you were told to be a man and accept it or leave.

I guess. But there are also people who struggle much further below the surface.

We'd need someone in the know to weigh in for a real answer.

I really hope it's not just "the honor of the sport" nonsense.

Darker Than Night, 1974

Ofelia (Claudia Islas) is surprised when she inherits a lovely mansion from her elderly aunt Susana (Tamara Garina). She moves in, along with her friends Pilar (Helena Rojo), Marta (Lucia Mendez), and Aurora (Susana Dosamantes), and the house is cared for by Susana’s loyal housekeeper, Sofia (Alicia Palacios). The only stipulation to the inheritance is that the women take care of Susana’s beloved cat, Bequer. But when tragedy befalls the cat, mysterious and threatening things begin happening in the house.

An excellent story and killer, along with a fabulous color palette makes this a delicious and engaging horror film.

There were so many unexpected and wonderful surprises in this horror/thriller that I hardly know where to start. Let’s start with just how weird and engaging the series of events are, especially in the first half. This movie is a delightfully slow burn, leaning into strange and unexplained happenings. Ofelia and her friends explore the house and stumble on a wedding dress in a trunk in the cellar. They excitedly chatter about one of them wearing it for their own wedding. Come the next morning, they find the dress burning in the fireplace. While Sofia is at first surprised, she later takes responsibility for the action.

For me, one of the best parts of the film was the ambiguity all through it as to whether this is a supernatural story or one about a very human killer. We see glimpses of things, but it could be a ghost or it could be someone skulking around pretending to be a ghost for their own purposes. While this question is answered in the film, it really kept me guessing almost until the last seconds. It was really thrilling to be so on edge and to not know if I should be thinking of it as a haunting, or if I should be picking out a suspect from the young women and their assorted boyfriends/ex-husbands.

A great asset to the ambiguity of the film is the character of Sofia. The stern, passive-aggressive-or-just-aggressive older woman housekeeper is a total cliche in horror and thriller films, and Sofia is a great subversion of that trope. Sure, her dislike of the young women is pretty clear. But you know what? Aside from Ofelia, they are pretty awful, especially Aurora. As strange things begin to escalate, Sofia frequently takes responsibility for them, making you wonder exactly who (or what!) she’s covering for. Sofia also gets one of the best lines in the film. After warning Ofelia that the girls should leave the house, a request that is denied by Ofelia, she soberly remarks, “No one is more sorry than I am about what is going to happen.” Despite disliking the girls, she clearly doesn’t wish harm on them. But who does?

This twisty-turny mystery is really elevated by some fantastic visuals. Whether it’s the drama of a silhouette appearing in a window in a flash of lightning, or a lovely shot of a woman’s body outlined behind a semi-sheer nightgown, there’s something pleasing to the eye or interesting in every frame. The colors are a big part of this: yellow dresses with bold green accessories, or some really intelligent flashes of red. A woman in a purple outfit making out with a man on a purple couch might have been a bridge too far, but I can’t deny the visual interest of it.

And because I really want to keep this review spoiler-free, I’ll just say that I was INCREDIBLY satisfied with the resolution.

I really didn’t have any complaints with this one. I suppose that the slower pace of it and the time it takes to get to the first kill might bother some, but I loved it. While many of the women aren’t the most likable, I didn’t hate them, per se. The dynamics between them feel real.

Awesome horror/thriller.

Mer-People (4-Episode Miniseries), 2023

This docu-series follows a number of members of the mermaid community---people who dress up and perform as mermaids. The documentary covers what led people to joining the community, the challenges of being part of a niche group in a small town, biases that exist in the mermaid community, and the technical aspects of mermaiding.

Showcasing multiple compelling personal stories and a fascinating glimpse into a niche community, this docuseries is a great mix of humor and heart.

A major subgenre of documentaries or docu-series is doing a deep dive into some niche subculture. The only thing that can spoil such a film for me is when it just feels like the people being featured are being mocked, especially if what they are doing is benign. While there is a sense of humor about some of the eccentricities, the majority of the documentary is dedicated to the personal journeys of the half-dozen people we follow.

The real heart of the series is a mermaid named Sparkles. We first meet Sparkles as she and another mermaid friend practice their moves in one of the only pools that will allow them to swim wearing their tails. They are allowed in the pool only one morning a week, during a water aerobics class for a large group of senior citizens. Nothing for Sparkles is easy, and she’s one of those people whose unflinching pursuit of their dream is both inspiring and anxiety-producing to watch. Sparkles performs at children’s parties and other small side hustles, but her dream is to join a prestigious group of traveling mermaids who perform in places like Las Vegas.

Sparkles, like a lot of the merpeople we meet, uses being a mermaid as an escape. She creates this confident, beautiful character who never shows a flicker of self-doubt. This is a really common thread through the different episodes. A young man named Eric, also known as the MerTailor because he makes customized mermaid tales, talks about being a mermaid as an escape from his Tourettes. The Blixunami, a non-binary merperson, sees strong parallels between his self-expression as a mermaid and his journey with his sexuality and gender identity. While some people are into the mermaid scene for the aesthetics, it’s clear that many people are drawn to a fantasy world where you can create your own identity and where anyone can be a stunning mythological creature.

On the whole, I thought that the film got the balance of ups and downs just right. The ups are frequent, because every time one of these mermaids gets in the water, you can see that it lifts their spirits. The downs are just the struggles of trying to make a living in a world that is both competitive and limited in terms of the market. At one point, Eric decides to open his own facility with a huge tank. His mother encourages him and helps him, but you can also see the worry when she talks about how long it will take the facility to break even with the original investment. You can’t blame people for wanting their work to be something that they love, but it’s hard watching people be in such a precarious financial position.

Overall, this series was just so enjoyable. I fell in love with a lot of the people in it. They are, in many ways, some of the gentlest and least obnoxious attention seekers you’ll ever encounter. It’s also insanely quotable: “Chelsea, do you see that fingernail? One of the parrot-fish has it. Oops, he just spit it out. Thank youuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu!”

The only downside is that sense you often get with documentaries, that some drama is being a bit manufactured. Like, not in the sense that the producers are making people do things. But I think that a few people in positions of power make certain choices because they know it will make them look better or get them more screen-time. Still, this is a solid series, and many of the people definitely don’t just walk away with a Hollywood ending.

Would I recommend this series? Shell yeah.

The Killing Time, 1987

An unnamed man (Kiefer Sutherland) murders a man named Brian Mars in a remote location. He steals the man’s identity, showing up to a small town and claiming to be Mars, their new deputy. The false Mars has walked right into the middle of a soap opera. His co-worker Sam (Beau Bridges) is having a steamy affair with Laura (Camelia Lynne). Laura is suffering horrible verbal, physical, and sexual abuse at the hands of her husband, wealthy land developer Jake (Wayne Rogers). Things get very twisted with Sam and Laura decide to rope Mars into their plan to murder Jake to free Laura.

The plot is overbaked and the delivery is underwhelming, stranding this thriller in tepid territory.

I checked this film out because the cast seemed promising: Bridges, Sutherland, Joe Don Baker as the sheriff. Heck, Michael Madsen is . . . also in this movie playing a character who I thought would be relevant to the plot but in the end just seemed to be a guy who hung around a bit? I Wasn’t familiar with Camelia Lynne, but I thought she did the best she could with an oddly-written character. And not that I’m some huge fan of hers, but I thought it was sweet seeing a very young Shiri Appleby in the role of Laura and Jake’s young daughter.

A good film can get you asking questions, but it’s not good to still have a lot of basic questions when the credits roll. In addition to some general bafflement---again, why was Michael Madsen in this film?--there are major plot points that are never explained to any degree of satisfaction. We get a handful of flashbacks/dreams from the stranger implying that he has a history in this small town, but they are mainly just weird. It’s put out there to pique interest, but then it just sits there. It’s a gesture at intrigue, but mostly smells of lazy writing. This guy was angry enough about his past to literally murder a stranger? The movie can’t seem to decide if it wants him to be a random sociopath or a man on a mission for revenge, and just sort of half-heartedly splits the difference.

There is one genuinely fun plot twist, a little more than halfway through the film. For about 15-20 minutes or so, there is some actual suspense and thrills as secrets begin to come to light and the local sheriff FINALLY picks up on things right under his nose not being quite right.

This is just kind of a middling thriller. There’s nothing offensive or actively off-putting; no outlandish violence; no terrible, movie-sinking performances. It’s simply not that great, and yet not so bad that it’s one to avoid. I wasn’t mad about watching it, merely not eager to recommend it.

Eh.

That sounds like the kind of film where I'd wonder if that's all it was or if it's been messed about during/post production (rewrites in the edit etc) to the point where it loses all the things which got it greenlit in the first place and feels like a film of unfinished storylines/reveals?

It definitely feels like things were not right during the writing process (or maybe the filming/editing process)? Like, no joke, Madsen's character literally vanishes from the film about halfway through.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem, 2023

Under the streets of New York, teenage turtles Raphael (Brady Noon), Donatello (Micah Abbey), Leonardo (Nicolas Cantu), and Michelangelo (Shamon Brown Jr) live a hidden life under the worried and watchful eye of their rat-father, Splinter (Jackie Chan). The turtles just want to be normal teens, but Splinter warns them of the cruelty of the people on the surface. But when evil villain Superfly (Ice Cube) unleashes a crime spree on the city, the turtles decide that they have a chance of acceptance if they can save the city. With the help of high school journalist April (Ayo Edebiri), the turtles try to become heroes without letting Splinter know what’s up.

A fresh and funny update to the Ninja Turtles franchise, this was a blast at the theater.

Sometimes you can be very aware of the ways in which you are being manipulated by a piece of art, and yet you still enjoy it. It took me about a third of the film to realize just how this movie was hitting a perfect storm of nostalgia, and the formula is actually very straightforward: the images on the screen are Ninja Turtles, and the soundtrack to the film is almost exclusively hip-hop music from the late 90s/early 2000s. Check and check.

But there’s a lot more going on in this film than just cashing in on Millennial memories and choice needle drops. (And to be clear: the needle drops are choice. So choice.) I don’t know the name for the animation style used here. It has that look that’s a mix of what I associate with rotoscoping, conventional 2D animation, and some 3D animation, all rolled into one. There are strategic uses of real film footage, such as when the turtles sneak up to the surface to watch an outdoor screening of Ferris Bueller's Day Off, or when we get a short but hilarious look at the VHS tapes that Splinter used to learn martial arts.

Following from the clean look of the animation, the action and especially the larger action sequences are crisp and easy to follow. The big action scenes are a good mix of being somewhat comedic but also doing some fun stuff with scope and scale.

The voice performances are all really good. Chan is a stand-out as the perpetually-anxious and suspicious Splinter, whose own traumatic memories of the surface lead him to overly restrict his children. The actors who voice the turtles are all very funny, with Abbey as a standout with his comedic timing. Edebiri---Sydney from The Bear!!! I knew she sounded familiar!-- is also very funny as April, and the film uses her character well to help the turtles explore their feelings of rejection and find a path to belonging. I could fill a huge paragraph naming the supporting cast, many of whom play Superfly’s crew. You’ve got Rose Byrne, Natasia Demetriou, Paul Rudd, Hannibal Buress, Derek Wilson, and more. The overall timing and rapport between the characters is just really strong and the whole thing flows incredibly well.

For me, the only downside to the film was in its message. The turtles--and the other mutants--are treated cruelly and rejected by the “normal” people on the surface because of the way that they look. The solution: become heroes. But this is, I think, fundamentally problematic. Why should anyone have to jump through hoops, literally put their lives on the line, just to be treated with basic decency? It kind of seems like the film is agreeing that people who are different---the obvious real-world allegory being people with visible differences/disabilities--have to go above and beyond to be accepted. While this might sadly be somewhat true in the real world, I don’t agree with it as an aspirational message in a children’s movie.

Overall, this was a very enjoyable film. At my screening there were a lot of parents with kids. The father and son in front of me seemed to be having a good time, and when the movie was over the dad asked, “What did you think?” and the kid said, “I REALLY liked that!”. Very sweet.

Talk to Me, 2022

Mia (Sophie Wilde) is in an emotionally challenging place: her mother has died under tragic circumstances, and she’s having a hard time dealing with her father, Max (Marcus Johnson). Mia spends most of her time hanging out with her best friend Jade (Alexendra Jensen), Jade’s brother Riley (Joe Bird), and Jade’s boyfriend, Daniel (Otis Dhanji), who just happens to be Mia’s former flame. Mia, Riley, Jade, and Daniel get mixed up in a disturbing part trend where teens grasp a hand sculpture and invite the spirits of the undead to enter their minds. While it’s all fun and chills at the beginning, when one of the parties goes very wrong, Mia must try to save herself and her friends.

Disturbing and empathetic to its teenage protagonists, this is a solid and solidly-upsetting horror film.

There are a lot of ways in which this film went in unexpected directions for me, but maybe my favorite is simply who it chooses to center. In 95% of other versions of this film, the main character would be Jade: she’s nice, polite, she breaks the rules a little bit. Pretty, sweet Jade with a boyfriend, and a little brother, and a best friend who is kind of a mess. And this is absolutely nothing against Jade. The character, and the way she’s played by Jensen, is very likable and relatable.

But instead we have Mia as our centered character, and between the way she is written and the way she is performed by Wilde, she walks a very fine line of being someone that you can root for, as her mistakes and selfish choices cause more and more damage to those around her. Mia is a mess, and it’s a testament to the film and Wilde’s performance that even as Mia makes choices that are infuriating or wrong, we can understand why she makes them. Mia is thrown some cruel curveballs, and as selfish, stupid, or just plain obnoxious as she can be, she’s clearly a person who is in pain and genuinely cares for her found family.

All of the characters, in fact, stay on exactly the right side of likability. Even the worst characters---Hayley (Zoe Terakes) and Joss (Chris Alosio), the teenage boys who own the mysterious hand---aren’t merely caricatures. One of the scariest things about watching this movie is just how believable the dynamics are between the teenagers. If you swap out the ghost-hand for a drug or some stupid game like giving yourself electrical shocks, this is teenage behavior through and through. The peer pressure. The pride in doing something bold in front of your friends. The setting boundaries to keep things “safe”, even though the whole thing is overtly unsafe. The false sense of security that builds every time things don’t go horribly wrong.

In the plot department, I also felt that there was a lot to like. This isn’t your typical movie about possession or about someone seeing strange things. I won’t go into any detail, but the complications that arise from the teens using the hand are complicated and layered, and test their limits personally and as a group. And the film is very wise to keep the exact nature of what is happening just the right amount of vague. Every time Mia makes a choice; every time something is communicated from the spirits; we sit right there next to the characters having to decide what is real, what is smart, and what it all means.

On the horror front, yeah, there’s some grisly and upsetting stuff here. (Warning to animal lovers that there is a scene toward the very beginning that is upsetting). There’s some pretty effective gore, and also an escalating sense of dread through the whole film. This is the kind of story where, no matter how you interpret it, it’s messed up stuff. Thankfully, while the film does put several characters through the wringer, it doesn’t have a sense of cruelty to it, or a sense that we are meant to root for any of the characters who get hurt along the way.

I didn’t have much to fault here. While I liked the ambiguity of most of the film, there was one plot point that was unexplained that bugged me a little, simply because it didn’t seem to follow the internal “rules” of what we’d seen so far. But that is a very minor quibble.

Solid and scary stuff.