Movies…with a little bit of obscure culture and sports mixed in
MaXXXine (2024) “In 1980s Hollywood, adult film star and aspiring actress Maxine Minx finally gets her big break. But as a mysterious killer stalks the starlets of Hollywood, a trail […]
“In 1980s Hollywood, adult film star and aspiring actress Maxine Minx finally gets her big break. But as a mysterious killer stalks the starlets of Hollywood, a trail of blood threatens to reveal her sinister past.”
Director: Ti West
Writer: Ti West
Cast: Mia Goth, Elizabeth Debicki, Halsey, Lily Collins, Kevin Bacon, Bob Cannavale, Michelle Monaghan, Teddy Knight, Simon Prast
Release Date: July 5, 2024
IMDB
Vibes, vibes, vibes. MaXXXine (2024), the third in the Ti West and Mia Goth trilogy, thrives on vibes. It doesn’t matter if the critical and audience appraisal is lesser than the previous ventures. MaXXXine is a different type of movie and manages to be entertaining in its own right with its own distinct personality.
The atmosphere of 1985 Los Angeles is dark, steamy, sexy and murdersome. Non-verbal exposition tells the story of how the Night Stalker is terrorizing the city, but none of that seems to bother Maxine Minx (Mia Goth). The star of the show shuts out the terror and is beyond confident in her ability to defend herself, even as shadows from her past become illuminated by sleazy private investigator John Labat (Kevin Bacon).
It is important to note that MaXXXine takes place six years after the events of X (2022). There are flashbacks that help the audience connect the dots, but knowing it going in beforehand makes the viewing experience much better. I didn’t know, so it took me about 20 minutes to acclimate to that continuity.
For those with keen eyes, there is also a Pearl (2022) connection with the young Maxine (Charley Rowan McCain) dancing to the same choreography Pearl performed in her audition.
Goth is excellent once again in her third go-around with West. This time around she plays a more confident and grittier character. Elizabeth DeBicki shines as Elizabeth Bender, the director of “Puritan II” in the context of the film. She is a woman in power in Hollywood who has women who listen to her and admire her, which is something that Maxine wouldn’t mind having in her own future.
Overall, MaXXXine has more side characters than X or Pearl, but it’s often important not to get too connected.
Side note, and violent SPOILER ALERT here, but that literal ball-busting quick cut still lives in my head.
STANKO RATING: B+
“An anonymous young man unleashes a campaign of vengeance against the corrupt leaders who murdered his mother and continue to systematically victimize the poor and powerless.”
Director: Dev Patel
Writers: Dev Patel, Paul Angunawela, John Collee
Cast: Dev Patel, Sharlto Copley, Pitobash, Sobhita Dhulipala
Release Date: April 5, 2024
IMDB
Can I be slightly underwhelmed but still entertained? Perhaps word of mouth got me too amped.
Monkey Man (2024) does indeed bring the violence, but it also brings some pacing issues and camera movement/editing choices that take away from the movie’s effectiveness.
The movie is simple in its premise. Kid (Dev Patel) is a young adult who lives for retribution. His mother was brutally murdered, and for years Kid has been fighting in underground fighting matches wearing a monkey mask against bigger, more popular fighters. For a time, Kid took the beatings for extra cash, but when a way to take down the city’s corrupt upper-class presents itself, the rage and hatred of the caged Monkey Man takes over, resulting in a trail of bloody score-settling.
There are many stories about this movie and its production, most surrounding the director, writer, and star. During filming, Patel was walking in and out of the hospital like he was going out of style. The fact is that the man was dedicated to making this movie happen, no matter what the cost. There were budget cuts during filming and certain scenes were shot with GoPros and iPhones. Despite this, Monkey Man has found success and praise. It did so before even hitting theaters.
Monkey Man was meant to be a direct-to-Netflix feature, and oh, what a streaming hit it would have been. However, before it could reach people’s algorithms, the carnage reached Jordan Peele’s eyeballs. He happened to love the film, so he acquired it from Netflix under his Monkeypaw Productions umbrella and got it distributed with Universal Pictures. Monkey Man ended up making 35 millions dollars world wide on a 10 million dollar budget.
Monkey Man is a very fun watch, buts it’s not a perfect directoral debut for Dev Patel. With that being said, it’s an uplifting start and should raise expectations if Patel where to choose to direct action again.
As of December 2024, Monkey Man is streaming on Amazon Prime.
STANKO RATING: B
“When a childless couple–an ex-con and an ex-cop–decide to help themselves to one of another family’s quintuplets, their lives become more complicated than they anticipated.”
Directors: Ethan Coan, Joel Coen
Writers: Ethan Coen, Joel Coen
Cast: Nicolas Cage, Holly Hunter, Trey Wilson, John Goodman, William Forsythe, Sam McMurray, Frances McDormand, Randall Cobb
Release Date: April 10, 1987
IMDB
Raising Arizona (1987) is a classic example of a movie that I appreciate for what it is but don’t quite enjoy as much as the public. There is no denying that Joel and Ethan Coen’s crime comedy is well-received by the public and critics over time. It’s well-made and well-thought-out. However, for moi, Raising Arizona is just a tad bit too strange and screwball with its comedy.
The story centers around H.I. McDunnough (Nicolas Cage), a multiple-time convict who falls in love with cop-turned-retiree Ed (Holly Hunter). Together the pair want a child, but Ed is infertile. This means that the couple must go to extreme measures. One night, the H.I. breaks into the home of a wealthy local businessman (Sam McMurray) and steals one of his quintuplet babies.
By any means necessary, right?
Raising Arizona only gets more absurd with the introduction of two on-the-run prisoners Gale (John Goodman) and Evelie (William Forsythe) and Lobo-esq motorcycle madman Leonard Smalls (Randall Cobb). The plot, which is absurd on its own, gets turned to eleven with all the eccentric characters and their interactions.
The Coen Brothers have been working together since 1984 (Blood Simple). Raising Arizona is the first of many well-respected comedies the pair have worked on together. I am curious for avid Coen Brothers fans where Raising Arizona ranks in their comedic and overall filmography.
Over their four decades working together, the siblings have been nominated for 13 Academy Awards; they share the accolades of Best Original Screenplay for Fargo (1996) and Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Adapted Screenplay for No Country For Old Men (2007).
As a side note, I did not know that Frances McDormand has been married to Joel Coen since 1984.
On a personal note…Sorry Stefan, I don’t love this movie as much as you do.
STANKO RATING: B-
“An insider account of how BBC Newsnight obtained the bombshell interview with Prince Andrew about his friendship with convicted sex offender, Jeffrey Epstein.”
Director: Philip Martin
Writers: Samantha McAlister, Peter Moffat, Geoff Bussetil
Cast: Paul Newman, Charlotte Rampling, Jack Warden, James Mason, Milo O’Shea
Release Date: April 4, 2024
IMDB
Scoop (2024) is a Netflix original, and a damn good one at it.
The movie follows the BBC and its desire for an interview with the Palace of Britain regarding Prince Andrew (Rufus Sewell) and his relationship with Jeffery Epstein (Colin Wells). The guts of the movie surround Sam McAlister (Billie Piper) and her tenacity to book an interview between Prince Andrew and one of the network’s leading voices Emily Maitlis (Gillian Anderson).
A large part of what makes Scoop so refreshing is that it is told from the point of view of a position that is rarely, if ever shown in the newsroom. Sam McAlister, played by Billie Piper, most known as Rose Tyler in Doctor Who, is a news producer for the BBC. She books guests and comes up with ideas; she isn’t an investigative journalist or editor. The underdog aspect of Sam convincing the rest of the BBC newsroom to take her story seriously adds to the drama and gives the audience something to root for.
Rufus Sewell, whom I admittedly only know from A Knight’s Tale (2001), steals the show as Prince Andrew in Scoop. Throughout the movie, he imbues Prince Andrew with a believable sense of innocence that is necessary for the final interview. Prince Andrew thinks his relationship and what he has done with Epstein in the past are all above board, and having that trait is crucial for the final interview and the entirety of Scoop.
Scoop is streaming on Netflix.
STANKO RATING: B
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