Recent theatrical viewings

[Rev. Powell]

LOGAN LUCKY: Two brothers and a sister, from a West Virginia family that considers itself cursed, develop a complicated scheme to rob a NASCAR racetrack. Pretty good entertainment that could have worked a lot better than it did; Hillary Swank's Clint Eastwood impersonation is a flop, and when Daniel Craig is the most believable Southerner in the cast there's a slight problem. 3/5.

[Rev. Powell]

CITY OF GHOSTS: Portrait of the members of "Raqqa Is Being Slaughtered Silently" (RBSS), citizen journalists risking their lives to release news and videos about the horrors of life under ISIS from inside the Caliphate's capital city of Raqqa. Since the filmmakers can only follow members living in exile, the documentary is necessarily removed from the real action, and already out-of-date because Raqqa is now half-rubble as the final battle to defeat ISIS wages as I write this. Still, it's valuable contemporary history, and I admire anyone who stands up to bullies using whatever weapons they can scrounge. 3.5/5.

[Rev. Powell]

MENASHE (2017): Widowed Hasidic Jew Menashe wants custody of his only son, his sole joy in life, but his rabbi won't agree to grant his blessing unless the grocery clerk agrees to marry again. Like its namesake, MENASHE isn't much to look at, but its good intentions win you over. 3/5.

[Rev. Powell]

ALL SAINTS: A young Episcopalian minister is hired to oversee the selling of the All Saints church, which only has a few elderly parishioners left, but when a flood of Burmese refugees shows up he decides to fight the odds and save the congregation by starting a farm. A mini "Northern Exposure" reunion, with John Corbett as the minister and  Barry Corbin as a crusty parishioner. Steve Bannon called this tale of devout Christians working together in peace and harmony with refugees to build a community that benefits all "the most terrifying horror movie of 2017." 2.5/5.

[Rev. Powell]

STRONGER: Biopic of Costco chicken-roaster Jeff Bauman (Jake Gyllenhaal), who loses his legs at the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing and struggles to adjust to life as a double amputee with PSTD. Let's not kid ourselves: while inspirational in the expected ways, this film is an actor's showcase constructed as Gyllenhaal's Oscar bid---and while it's not Jake's best movie, it is an awards-worthy performance and a success on its own terms. 3.5/5.

[Rev. Powell]

BRAWL IN CELL BLOCK 99 (2017): Through a series of bad luck and impulsive decisions, a reformed criminal (Vince Vaughn) is drawn back into the world of drug dealing, makes a powerful enemy, and ends up imprisoned, leading to the title fight. Almost two movies: it begins as a realistic crime drama and develops into a brutal, cartoonish guilty-pleasure revenge flick. Vaughn con-Vinces (like that one? I thought it up myself) both as the principled lug and as a bone-crunching angel of vengeance. Look for this one. 4/5.

[dean]

Bladerunner 2049:

A replicant hunter who is also a replicant struggles with the meaning of his existence when faced with some information that may change the fabric of society and his life.

I love this film but can't help but feel alot of it is surface level. Opportunities to go even deeper are washed out by some stereotypical motivations and philosophies. There's alot I think about that could've been retooled to have greater impact but instead some of its allegories and conceptual ideas feel kind of undergrad level philosophy and the final 'confrontation' lacked bite (and the location was an odd choice).

That said there's a lot to like in this almost three hour epic and I'll love it regardless of the flaws I keep thinking of. 3.5/5

[Rev. Powell]

ONLY THE BRAVE: Trying to clean up so he can support his daughter, a recovering drug addict (Miles Teller) joins an ambitious wildfire-fighting crew led by a gruff workaholic (Josh Brolin). Nothing in this inspiringly macho adventure drama feels forced or exaggerated for effect; it is a honorable and touching tribute to the real life firemen who risk their lives to protect lives and property. One of the best movies of the year. 4/5.

[Rev. Powell]

THOR: RAGNAROK: Missing his magic hammer, Thor tries to escape a prison planet where he's being forced to perform as a gladiator, while the goddess of death conquers his home world of Asgard. Despite dark themes (which include attempted genocide and disfigurement), this is lighter in spirit than the usual Marvel outing; as expected, Taika Waititi handles character and comedy better than action and effects, but overall the film delivers more entertainment than any of the megafranchise's efforts since 2014's GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY. 4/5.

[Rev. Powell]

COCO (2017): A Mexican cobbler boy finds himself in the Land of the Dead, seeking the blessing of his great-great grandfather to heal a familial rift that's lasted generations. Adults will figure out the plot twist early, but the jewel-like Day of the Dead themed animation hits the eye hard---including, at the end, the tear ducts. 4/5.

[frank]

MURDER AT THE ORIENT EXPRESS: Frankly, I don't quite see how this adds to the earlier movie...

[BoyScoutKevin]

MURDER AT THE ORIENT EXPRESS: Frankly, I don't quite see how this adds to the earlier movie...

Me neither, which is why, while I would normally be interested in seeing it, as I normally watch anything Christie, I have no interest in seeing it.

[BoyScoutKevin]

COCO (2017): A Mexican cobbler boy finds himself in the Land of the Dead, seeking the blessing of his great-great grandfather to heal a familial rift that's lasted generations. Adults will figure out the plot twist early, but the jewel-like Day of the Dead themed animation hits the eye hard---including, at the end, the tear ducts. 4/5.

Much of the strength lies in the reality in which all is portrayed.
--the architecture

--the food

--the films.
Ere I retired, I was responsible for the Mexican films in our collection. Some of which were given to us, and some of which we purchased. And to make them accessible, there had to be a record in the catalog for each one, and as there was not often a record for them anywhere on the internet, I had to create the record using the rules found in AARP2. So, I know those films well, and the films within the film look exactly like those in our collection.

--the guitar fingering
It is said that if you follow along what the characters in the film are doing, you will produce the same music on the guitar.

--the village
If you have ever been down to rural Mexico, as I have, then you will know there are still villages just like the one in the film in Mexico.

Surprises that should not have been surprises.

--Coco
Till I saw the film, I thought it was the boy who was called Coco, and it turned out to be the boy's great-grandmother.

--Dante
It took me a while, but I finally figured out why the dog was called Dante. Just as the dog visited the Land of the Dead, so did the medieval Italian poet Dante, who wrote about his visits to Purgatory, Hell, and Heaven in his poetical epic "The Divine Comedy."

--the Villain
No surprise there, but what did surprise me was how much he scared me. Maybe because he turned out to be so unexpectedly vicious.

Final thoughts
Odds on favorite to win the Oscar for Best Animated film at next year's Academy Awards.

And a bit of a longer shot, but watching the music video for Un Poco Loco, I finally realized how good that song was, and thus, if not a winner than a nominee for an Oscar for Best Song at the same Academy Awards.

pre-internet. One only had to worry about when to release a film is when the competition released a film.
post-internet. Not only worry about the above, but worry about the release of trailers for upcoming films. O'er 48 million hits in 24 hours for Avengers : Infinity War and counting.

Next time: if no Justice League, then next month's Star Wars : the Last Jedi.

[Rev. Powell]

Ere I retired, I was responsible for the Mexican films in our collection. Some of which were given to us, and some of which we purchased. A

May I ask who you used to work for?

[Rev. Powell]

THREE BILLBOARDS OUTSIDE EBBING, MISSOURI: Angered by the police's failure to solve her daughter's rape and murder, a bitter working woman buys advertising space on billboards accusing the local police of not doing their jobs---but the ads just create more tragedy for everyone connected to the case. The cast---a not-to-be-messed with Frances McDormand, chief of police Woody Harrelson, and corrupt (and kind of dumb) deputy Sam Rockwell---will deservedly get a lot of praise, but most of the credit should go to Martin McDonagh for creating such complicated, nuanced, and even humorous characters. 4/5, could go to 4.5/5 if this is your kind of thing.

Confession: I did not see this in theaters, I watched a screener. I tried to go out to see it in the theater, but it was sold out---really surprising, given that its an Oscar-bait drama in its first week.