The Invite

The Invite (2026)

97% on Rotten Tomatoes (out of 251 reviews)

Runtime: 107 unforgettable minutes

Directed by: Olivia Wilde

Starring: Wilde, Seth Rogen, Edward Norton, Penelope Cruz

From: A few studios, including A24

Yes, I am giving a high rating to a 2026 theatrical movie in wide release!

By now people are probably shocked at this development. Theatrical releases this year, some I liked rather than loved, while a few popular films I went Scorched Earth on. Before this, the only thing that received a ringing endorsement was the Baz Luhrmann documentary containing mostly new Elvis concert footage. I know people will be APPALLED by this admission but this is my first film directed by Olivia Wilde; what enticed me: knowing that after the opening scene this was a four-hander and a comparison was made to the all-time classic Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? Even Wilde herself noted that it was an influence, and not just on the plot.

It’s no shame then that The Invite isn’t an all-time classic like Woolf; be that as it may, I still found it to be great… yes, that was despite the sometimes constant usage of a certain overused curse word. That wasn’t my preference yet there was the suspicion going in that this would be the case-perhaps that didn’t ruin the experience as this IS about Wilde and Seth Rogen as a middle-aged couple who have one (unseen) daughter but are unhappily married and sometimes engage in caustic arguments. She invites Edward Norton and Penelope Cruz-upstairs neighbors in their apartment complex-to dinner.

The film was shot well—the apartment set didn’t feel confining or limiting until there are moments which require that claustrophobic feeling. I wasn’t familiar w/ Devonte Hynes but they delivered a memorable score. I also didn’t know this was based on a 2020 Spanish film unknown to me (The People Upstairs); at least I can say Will McCormack and Rashida Jones delivered a memorable script where the film was a comedy featuring funny moments-most of them rather adult in nature-yet also featured serious conversation and brutal honesty when it came to the fractured relationship of Rogen & Wilde. It’d be a crime to reveal anything more, except that the ending was the cherry on top of this cake.

The quartet all delivered great, nuanced performances-yes, even Rogen. OF COURSE at one point he smoked pot but that is likely a prerequisite for any part he takes. It was a relief to see a mature motion picture which will hit too close to home for those that are also middle-aged & in a troubled relationship with a spouse or a significant other… one which also has mature humor, including talk of sex… and the lack of sex in a relationship.

Not only will I see more from Wilde in the director’s chair going forward, it’d be wise to better support such motion pictures at the cinema when I’m able to. Flicks like this are much more appealing to me than what is usually seen as “popular” currently by most.

Shipwrecked: Nightmare at Sea

This is a new Netflix documentary that sadly was a bit of a letdown: 

This is a Netflix documentary I am disappointed in. The reason for viewing: more than one YouTube video has been viewed of this incident. On January 13, 2012, the Italian cruise ship Costa Concordia passed by too closely to the reef off the shore of Giglio Island, Italy, resulting in a huge gash that sunk the ship.

It was nice to hear from both passengers and the crew of the ship as the villain of this story (Captain Francesco Schettino) decided to deviate from the route to sail that close to the island… to impress the people of the island and allegedly, to also impress his mistress… but this did not bring up the mistress aspect at all, nor that on the bridge he wasn’t wearing his glasses. I’m not sure why they tried to downplay the Captain’s role, but that was baffling. Arguably, Shipwrecked should have better stressed how poor a decision it was to deviate from the route. Some have mentioned that they should have paid better tribute to those that lost their lives; agreed, plus they didn’t even have a tribute to those individuals, not even a blurb. 

Yeah, they did at least present that Schettino was an A-hole who waited WAY too long to call evacuation, then worst of all abandoned ship (deliberately ignoring the orders of the Coast Guard) instead of going down with the ship-figuratively… they’re supposed to leave last. Besides hearing from those on the ship giving their thoughts on what a disaster this was, footage filmed on the night and the days after was truly fascinating.

However, the complaints I’ve heard that this should have included more technical detail and less extraneous details from the passengers… yeah, that can be argued. That said, I recommend reading the Wiki article concerning this tragedy for the proper context. Those YouTube videos I saw were only like 20 minutes long; no specific examples can be given of videos that are at least an hour long but I’m sure a proper search plus reading the comments can guide you in the right direction as they will for me eventually. Hopefully those will do a better job of properly raking Francesco Schettino over the coals.

Gordon's War, Revisited

I watched this movie last night; it was reviewed here 15 (!) years ago but this new review was posted on Letterboxd a little earlier: 

An obscure blaxploitation picture I was happy to revisit for the first time in 15 years. It’s still a shame that the film never made it past the DVD era & the only way to track it down is now incredibly rare showings on the Fox Movie Channel or a YouTube rip; that’s how last night’s viewing came about. Awhile back, someone I know online mentioned the movie elsewhere-about time I finish that discussion.

Paul Winfield (the main reason I first checked this out) is a soldier returning from the Vietnam War; his girl OD’ed from heroin, and he is quite upset that Harlem has been ruined by pimps & drug dealers. He meets a trio of buddies who were also former soldiers and they systematically come down hard on those scumbags via a series of steps with military precision. That’s as complicated as the plot becomes—sometimes you don’t need complex, thought-provoking cinema; instead, the visceral thrill of brutal revenge on sleazy criminals is all you need to be satisfied. A background of The Bad New York City of Old is only icing on the cake. 

Only some genre efforts were directed by someone Black; this was the case here w/ famed actor Ossie Davis. He only had a few directing credits but between this and Cotton Comes to Harlem (even better) he could have had a fine career in this role as well. War always intrigues between the strategy of our heroes, the genre trappings-funky score, clothing, slang, OOT personalities, etc.-a nice vehicle chase and a great moment involving an aerosol can.

While a better physical media release will hopefully occur one day, not every obscure movie even has the luxury of a YouTube upload which looks rather good for a 480p stream. Winfield is the highlight acting-wise but the rest of the cast was fine. There’s even Grace Jones for a scene, although her role was of the stereotypical sort. Even a more “serious” blaxploitation like this can still be a blast.

I'll Catch Up Tomorrow

THREE reviews will be posted Thursday evening, including one for a new movie I actually rate quite highly.

Demonwarp

Demonwarp (1988)

Runtime: 90 unforgettable minutes

Directed by: Emmett Alston

Starring: George Kennedy, David Michael O'Neill, Pamela Gilbert, Billy Jayne, Colleen McDermott

From: Vidmark Entertainment

Attention chat, an HD print of Demonwarp is now available for streaming! A mutual recently did a review revealing this fact. To clarify, it is the 4K print that Vinegar Syndrome created for their recent UHD release of the movie. That print is pristine.

I know some will be like me in that they always waited for a rip that wasn’t from a VHS to appear, and others will be happy that they can now do a rewatch of a movie in much better quality than before. As this is a cult favorite in some circles, this news will make some quite happy. This new print is also on Eternal Family and everyone’s favorite service, Tubi.

Demonwarp is certainly a hoot. After we see a spaceship crash in the California woods, George Kennedy and his daughter are in the Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter cabin playing Trivial Pursuit (the one question asked related to movies. I hope everyone here would know the answer) before what looks like Bigfoot breaks in and kidnaps her. A quintet of goofball young adults-including one whose main acting style is “brooding look”-later spend time in that cabin for a particular reason. Note that this cabin and the surrounding land are owned by a dude known as CLEM, and the cabin is rented out like it’s an Airbnb property.

The first two acts are relatively straightforward as both Kennedy and the goofballs are looking for Sasquatch. The lead dude is not the most likable character but everything is fine, including the moments of gore and the many scenes spent in the California woods. I don’t know what to make that Bigfoot likes to BITCH SLAP people, but… there’s also gratuitous scenes of topless women-including Michelle Bauer, because of course-for those that enjoy such sights! Then the final act occurs… bring on the absurdity. A blitz of disparate elements are combined in a blender than thrown at the screen. It’s totally WTF, and also unforgettable.

A movie this wacky won’t be for all tastes; yet, if they hadn’t made the pivot into the bizarre in the final half hour, far less people would have remembered Demonwarp, there wouldn’t have been as strong a clamor for an upgrade, and Vinegar Syndrome wouldn’t have created a fancy 4K release. Props to John Carl Buechler for conjuring such an oddball plot for a Sasquatch movie truly like no other.

O Brother, Where Art Thou?

O Brother, Where Art Thou? (2000)

Runtime: 107 minutes

Directed by: The Coen Brothers

Starring: George Clooney, John Turturro, Tim Blake Nelson, many famous faces in smaller roles

From: Touchstone/Universal

This seemed like the logical film to watch last night! I imagine most will know why, but so we’re all on the same page, this is an adaptation of… The Odyssey, transplanted to the 20th century. I don’t plan on checking out this weekend’s big release, but not for the nonsense reasons that the far-right have stirred up to upset their own kind. My not loving Nolan like everyone else is the reason why, that’s all. Concerns over how dark the movie looked in the trailers and being able to hear all the dialogue are FAR more logical concerns rather than what some snake oil salesmen have claimed… 

Now, my opinions, re: this motion picture-it of a clever blending of a Greek poem, The Great Depression, religion, politics, folk music-among other genres of the South-selling your soul to the devil at the crossroads like you’re Robert Johnson, and real-life figures who I dare not reveal. George Clooney is the de facto leader of a misfit trio who aren’t too bright-he at least uses fancy $5 words but isn’t that intelligent himself. They escape a chain gang and are on an odyssey to acquire buried treasure. Along the way, they meet an onslaught of wacky characters, and even record the hit song I Am a Man of Constant Sorrow for a quick buck. 

Even if you’re not familiar with The Odyssey story, that is irrelevant as characters and moments were lifted but this wacky, absurd tale is still enjoyable without that context. The plot overall is pure Americana representing the late 30’s in the Deep South. John Turturro and Tim Blake Nelson are also swell as the other two in the trio, along with nice supporting turns from various familiar faces. It should be no surprise that the direction, the editing, the Roger Deakins cinematography, and the idiosyncratic moments-there’s way more discussion of pomade than anticipated-you’d expect from our directing duo range from solid to great. 

However, of course it’s the tremendous music that’s the soundtrack which is likely what everyone remembers most from the film. I Am a Man of Constant Sorrow is the standout although all the folk, blues, gospel, country, and bluegrass was delightful-also serving to set the mood for the distinct location. It’s a rich, unique setting, as Sinners proved. Heck, in my head-canon, both movies are in the same universe. Coen Brothers comedy typically don’t work for me as well as their dramas but this did provide solid laughs & was fun. Everyone else that just saw & loved The Odyssey and want to see a different take, this is worth a shot if you’ve never pressed “play” before.

One last detail: I don’t know if Miles Canton will have the same acting career as Chris Thomas King: primarily a musician who only has a few acting credits despite having a memorable supporting role in a big film. King here was Tommy Johnson, a real-life blues musician who has the same crossroads story attached to him as non-relative Robert Johnson. King only has a few other acting appearances: 2004’s Ray is no surprise. However, I howled with laugher that the other one of note is Kill Switch, an apparently awful DTV effort from… Steven Seagal! As awful as Seagal is as a human being, his musical taste is good. I imagine that’s why Isaac Hayes is in Kill Switch as well.

The Land Before Time

Yes, I'm discussing the famed 1988 animated feature from Don Bluth: 

This film was viewed for several reasons.

A) It’s on Netflix
B) I saw this movie theatrically as a little kid with my even littler sisters
C) I promised in the past that more Don Bluth would be viewed.
D) Hysterically, last night on a messageboard there was a mention that there are now TWELVE movies in the Sniper series. I’ve never viewed any of those; of course, a famous example of a franchise w/ an absurd number of sequels is this, which somehow had THIRTEEN, none of which were seen by me and all those were apparently much lighter in tone given that they were musicals while this sure as heck wasn’t. There is a fine Diana Ross song during the end credits, though.

Instead, the OG Land Before Time concerns several baby dinosaurs on a migration to The Great Valley to escape famine. Despite prejudice based on species, they are on their own after major events that include a heartbreaking death. The memories are hazy but I don’t recall me or my sisters reacting badly to that death. The movie is charming despite those dark moments or how scary the T-Rex villain was. 

The movie was obviously edited down at the last minute to remove “scary elements” to appeal to children. When the executive producers are Spielberg, Lucas, Kennedy, & Marshall, I suppose it was out of Bluth’s hands. Whether or not this was the “right” decision for adults or children who were at the age of 7 in ’88 like I was, that’s up in the air. That's why this is barely an hour before the end credits hit.

As an aside, this played on the big screen with the Family Dog episode of Amazing Stories that was also the backdoor pilot to the TV show. I never watched Amazing Stories, Family Dog, or even have any memories of watching this before the movie.

Adult me can appreciate such aspects as the lovely animation, those dark moments, and the James Horner score. Who knows what Gen Z would think of this movie specifically or Don Bluth in general; me, I’m glad to have grown up in the 80’s & 90’s for the entertainment alone. In the future I will check out even more Bluth… both first-time watches and rewatches.