'The Assistant' director Kitty Green follows up with another story of working women under duress and an Argentinian shocker pulls a twist on the demon possession movie.
Why no EXORCIST: BELIEVER review? Funny story: I went to a screening of that movie at one of Chicago's less competent multiplexes that had to be shut down because of sound issues. Having seen the first twenty minutes without audible dialogue, twice, I can report back that the beaches of Haiti looks lovely, but little beyond that.
You got it on the second guess. (Though I personally don't remember having technical issues there in the past. I will have to take Keith and others' word for it.)
Yeah I get you. You're a busy man. But if anyone can draw a throughline from George Washington/Undertow Malick-esque DGG to The Sitter/Your Highness DGG to Halloween/Exorcist remakes DGG...
I think adding to the difficulty is that you pretty much have to talk about his TV work too. My argument on DGG would rest heavily on how getting into TV, first with Eastbound but then more extensively in the late 2010s with Vice Principals and Righteous Gemstones, altered how he makes movies. And once you have TV entered into the discussion, you almost have to go another step and discuss the parallel works of Jody Hill and the acting trajectory of McBride on the way to codifying them as a writer/producer/director trio with the three moving seamlessly between roles to create a collective body of work...so the number of puzzle pieces to fit together grows fast!
I guess it's a little interesting to see how he floats around from one mode to another. You can never give up on him because he's always capable of doing something great-- and the TV shows, insofar as he's responsible or not, are awesome-- but it can be so difficult to find those connections. (Other than most of then suggesting a director who isn't above getting baked.)
Gotta disagree with you about "very good." I don't think DGG actually knows how to stage a horror movie and what was up with the podcaster characters? Still, it looks better next to the following two!
The podcasters were not my favorites, but I loved everything about Laurie’s story and was very satisfied by the way it all wrapped with three generations of Strode women teaming up to defeat Michael Myers once and for all. Pity they couldn’t leave it there.
A friend of mine (Jim Laczkowski, check out his Director's Club podcast or his substack 5 Years, plug plug plug) was at that same screening and bailed as well because of the sound!
To add an actual on-topic comment: I hadn't even heard of WHEN EVIL LURKS, but I was planning tonight or tomorrow to watch TERRIFIED, Rugna's Shudder-assisted international breakthrough. I'll have to add this follow-up to my October list.
Really want to see Royal Hotel but the theater closest to me is playing it in their upstairs auditorium that I, truly, cannot comfortably sit in due to my height and how small the aisles between seats are.
So, hopefully, I can find somewhere else playing it that will take it easier on my knees.
I'm gonna put this here because you mentioned it twice but I got assigned to review Wake in Fright on a re-release a while back, having never heard of it. It was fantastic, but I felt like I needed to take about three showers afterwards.
Haha. That's about right. We're going to talk about that film and The Royal Hotel in the next pairing on The Next Picture Show podcast. Should be a good time. Those poor kangaroos!
Agreed on the ending for Royal Hotel. While it's a striking last image (Green's formal command remains just as strong), I was a little disappointed it went for the more feel good ending.
Why no EXORCIST: BELIEVER review? Funny story: I went to a screening of that movie at one of Chicago's less competent multiplexes that had to be shut down because of sound issues. Having seen the first twenty minutes without audible dialogue, twice, I can report back that the beaches of Haiti looks lovely, but little beyond that.
Ooh let me guess...the AMC River East? The Showplace Icon? (Though I was surprised at how good my AVATAR 2 HFR experience was at the latter last year)
You got it on the second guess. (Though I personally don't remember having technical issues there in the past. I will have to take Keith and others' word for it.)
Can you guys PLEASE do a piece about the bizarro career turns of David Gordon Green?
I was thinking about it, but it'd be an awfully heavy lift if I were to watch the films I don't remember that well again. He's such a strange case.
Yeah I get you. You're a busy man. But if anyone can draw a throughline from George Washington/Undertow Malick-esque DGG to The Sitter/Your Highness DGG to Halloween/Exorcist remakes DGG...
it's you
I think adding to the difficulty is that you pretty much have to talk about his TV work too. My argument on DGG would rest heavily on how getting into TV, first with Eastbound but then more extensively in the late 2010s with Vice Principals and Righteous Gemstones, altered how he makes movies. And once you have TV entered into the discussion, you almost have to go another step and discuss the parallel works of Jody Hill and the acting trajectory of McBride on the way to codifying them as a writer/producer/director trio with the three moving seamlessly between roles to create a collective body of work...so the number of puzzle pieces to fit together grows fast!
I like to think of Danny McBride as the Yoko Ono in this situation
I guess it's a little interesting to see how he floats around from one mode to another. You can never give up on him because he's always capable of doing something great-- and the TV shows, insofar as he's responsible or not, are awesome-- but it can be so difficult to find those connections. (Other than most of then suggesting a director who isn't above getting baked.)
I wrote something like that a few years ago. https://crookedmarquee.com/pineapple-express-david-gordon-green/
Care to update your thoughts with his Halloween trilogy?
You can look at my rankings and see how they fare: https://boxd.it/dKj0a
HALLOWEEN ’18 was very good. KILLS was an embarrassment. ENDS was a marginal improvement.
Gotta disagree with you about "very good." I don't think DGG actually knows how to stage a horror movie and what was up with the podcaster characters? Still, it looks better next to the following two!
The podcasters were not my favorites, but I loved everything about Laurie’s story and was very satisfied by the way it all wrapped with three generations of Strode women teaming up to defeat Michael Myers once and for all. Pity they couldn’t leave it there.
A friend of mine (Jim Laczkowski, check out his Director's Club podcast or his substack 5 Years, plug plug plug) was at that same screening and bailed as well because of the sound!
"the clientele is mostly rowdy local minors"
Miners? Or is part of the game of the movie that the clientele are very young? Haha
I don't know what you're talking about. At no time did it say "minors," as you will clearly see when you refresh the page.
You are right, I must be totally mistaken. I blame Pazuzu and his deceptive ways.
To add an actual on-topic comment: I hadn't even heard of WHEN EVIL LURKS, but I was planning tonight or tomorrow to watch TERRIFIED, Rugna's Shudder-assisted international breakthrough. I'll have to add this follow-up to my October list.
Yes, I'm now very curious about TERRIFIED, which I know people like. This is a real down-the-middle strike for Shudder.
I was surprised by just how much I loved Terrified. It's a little uneven in its pacing but boy does it hit its target.
Really want to see Royal Hotel but the theater closest to me is playing it in their upstairs auditorium that I, truly, cannot comfortably sit in due to my height and how small the aisles between seats are.
So, hopefully, I can find somewhere else playing it that will take it easier on my knees.
I'm gonna put this here because you mentioned it twice but I got assigned to review Wake in Fright on a re-release a while back, having never heard of it. It was fantastic, but I felt like I needed to take about three showers afterwards.
Haha. That's about right. We're going to talk about that film and The Royal Hotel in the next pairing on The Next Picture Show podcast. Should be a good time. Those poor kangaroos!
Agreed on the ending for Royal Hotel. While it's a striking last image (Green's formal command remains just as strong), I was a little disappointed it went for the more feel good ending.