In this week's reviews, Jane Campion evokes the tortured masculinity of 'The Piano,' Mike Mills hits the road, and Jason Reitman returns to his father's wheezing franchise.
The Power of the Dog was absolutely incredible - seeing it at a festival a couple weeks ago was just one of those moments where you know beyond a doubt you're seeing one of the year's absolute best films. I was so impressed with it from beginning to end.
Back in mid-90s, me was somewhere where there was bowl of candy hearts. They were chalky, tasteless candy with messages stamped on them like "Be Mine" or "Love You." Me picked one out of bowl and it said, "Web Site."
Naming character "Podcast" have very similar energy. "Hey, we need to sound hip! What are kids into?"
And that probably nicest thing me will have to say about Ghostbuster movie at end of day.
Anyway, these other two look great. Me especially happy to see Jane Campion come roaring back after spending 2010s in wilderness. (First season of Top of Lake was terrific, but two short season of that show was only thing she directed between 2009 and now.)
I loved TotL, and I spent years thinking the second season never got made, and then earlier this year I discovered it actually had? I'm still not clear how I never heard about it at the time. was it that bad?
To be honest, it not was great. First season had lot of very hard to watch stuff, and deal with lot of toxic masculinity and abuses of power but it balance it out with hopefullness of Elizabeth Moss' character working through trauma and reconnecting with ex and solving mystery, plus it had delightful weirdness of Holly Hunter as break from darkness. Whereas second season, basically every character was awful and hard to take. It just got oppressive. It felt less like meditation on trauma and healing than trauma porn, although in fairness me gave up after 2-3 episodes and maybe it got better.
The heir to the Ghostbusters throne (whether or not you accept the premise that Ghostbusters ever deserved that throne - I don’t) is probably Men in Black. And even that ended up getting almost immediately run into the ground with awful sequels (3 possibly excepted) and ripoffs like RIPD.
based on this and other reviews, I'm certainly not wasting my time and money on seeing this in a theater, but I am really curious whether the movie even bothers to try and explain how the Ghostbusters seem to have been forgotten so quickly?
Even by Ghostbusters II, no one seem to think these guys who prevented end of world are anything other than weird cranks. Me remember review of Ghostbusters II that came out at time where writer compare it to Rocky sequels — he have to end every movie as champ, but then start every movie as underdog, so there always implausible way that former world heavyweight champ is scrappy and down on his luck, and Ghostbusters II essentially have same setup.
It’s unclear in AFTERLIFE if GB2 is canon. The first one gets referenced (slavishly) and there’s a kind of hand waving about there being a bunch of NY ghosts in the ‘80s.
Me not really have problem with them ignoring Ghostbusters II, given it function better as sequel to Real Ghostbusters cartoon than first film.
It still baffling choice to ignore long-term implications of first film, but it sound like movie full of choices me not would have made. Personally, me always thought there was story potential in future where Ghostbusters just another franchise like Roto-Rooter, with Venkman as self-serving disinterested CEO. (That also would have been good way to reboot with new cast by doing GSI: Miami type spinoff with younger actors busting ghosts while also getting corporate interference from New York office/firehouse)
I think I found a factual error in your Ghostbusters: Afterlife review. You say that Muncher is voiced by Josh Gad. My understanding is that he is voiced by noted movie expert, founder of the Victorville Film Archive and star of Ant-Man Gregg Turkington, as mentioned on last week's episode of On Cinema At The Cinema (https://www.heinetwork.tv/episode/red-notice-ghostbusters-afterlife/).
The Power of the Dog was absolutely incredible - seeing it at a festival a couple weeks ago was just one of those moments where you know beyond a doubt you're seeing one of the year's absolute best films. I was so impressed with it from beginning to end.
Back in mid-90s, me was somewhere where there was bowl of candy hearts. They were chalky, tasteless candy with messages stamped on them like "Be Mine" or "Love You." Me picked one out of bowl and it said, "Web Site."
Naming character "Podcast" have very similar energy. "Hey, we need to sound hip! What are kids into?"
And that probably nicest thing me will have to say about Ghostbuster movie at end of day.
Anyway, these other two look great. Me especially happy to see Jane Campion come roaring back after spending 2010s in wilderness. (First season of Top of Lake was terrific, but two short season of that show was only thing she directed between 2009 and now.)
I loved TotL, and I spent years thinking the second season never got made, and then earlier this year I discovered it actually had? I'm still not clear how I never heard about it at the time. was it that bad?
To be honest, it not was great. First season had lot of very hard to watch stuff, and deal with lot of toxic masculinity and abuses of power but it balance it out with hopefullness of Elizabeth Moss' character working through trauma and reconnecting with ex and solving mystery, plus it had delightful weirdness of Holly Hunter as break from darkness. Whereas second season, basically every character was awful and hard to take. It just got oppressive. It felt less like meditation on trauma and healing than trauma porn, although in fairness me gave up after 2-3 episodes and maybe it got better.
"I am called Ham since I enjoy ham radio."
The heir to the Ghostbusters throne (whether or not you accept the premise that Ghostbusters ever deserved that throne - I don’t) is probably Men in Black. And even that ended up getting almost immediately run into the ground with awful sequels (3 possibly excepted) and ripoffs like RIPD.
"Then it gets worse. Much worse."
wow.
based on this and other reviews, I'm certainly not wasting my time and money on seeing this in a theater, but I am really curious whether the movie even bothers to try and explain how the Ghostbusters seem to have been forgotten so quickly?
Even by Ghostbusters II, no one seem to think these guys who prevented end of world are anything other than weird cranks. Me remember review of Ghostbusters II that came out at time where writer compare it to Rocky sequels — he have to end every movie as champ, but then start every movie as underdog, so there always implausible way that former world heavyweight champ is scrappy and down on his luck, and Ghostbusters II essentially have same setup.
It’s unclear in AFTERLIFE if GB2 is canon. The first one gets referenced (slavishly) and there’s a kind of hand waving about there being a bunch of NY ghosts in the ‘80s.
Me not really have problem with them ignoring Ghostbusters II, given it function better as sequel to Real Ghostbusters cartoon than first film.
It still baffling choice to ignore long-term implications of first film, but it sound like movie full of choices me not would have made. Personally, me always thought there was story potential in future where Ghostbusters just another franchise like Roto-Rooter, with Venkman as self-serving disinterested CEO. (That also would have been good way to reboot with new cast by doing GSI: Miami type spinoff with younger actors busting ghosts while also getting corporate interference from New York office/firehouse)
*dusts off spec script titled "Ghostbusters: California (Bustin' Makes Me Feel HollyGood)*
Cookie, would you be interested in an investment opportunity?
I think I found a factual error in your Ghostbusters: Afterlife review. You say that Muncher is voiced by Josh Gad. My understanding is that he is voiced by noted movie expert, founder of the Victorville Film Archive and star of Ant-Man Gregg Turkington, as mentioned on last week's episode of On Cinema At The Cinema (https://www.heinetwork.tv/episode/red-notice-ghostbusters-afterlife/).
Thank you for posting this. I'm afraid Keith might be a Timhead.
A shame if true. All Timheads are culpable for Tim's many crimes.