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.

It! The Terror from Beyond Space

It! The Terror from Beyond Space (1958)

Runtime: 69 minutes... nice

Directed by: Edward L. Cahn

Starring: Marshall Thompson, Shirley Patterson, Kim Spalding, Ann Doran, Dabs Greer

From: United Artists 

My apologies for posting this review later than typical. Shock of shocks, Letterboxd wasn’t working right and I had things to do so there wasn’t time to wait.

This film was in fact an inspiration for Alien. That’s what John Carpenter claimed Dan O’Bannon told him. Last night on Turner Classic Movies, he was the guest as Alicia Malone presented a night of 50’s creature features, Carpenter offering his comments before and after.

Concerning It, they both praised the movie despite its silliest moments and the tidbit that the guy in the bipedal humanoid suit reminiscent of the Gill-man (Crash Corrigan) was too drunk to appear for the suit-fitting. Long story short, his melon head (and I say that as a guy with a large melon head myself!) was too big for the suit’s head, necessitating the adding of the toothy mouth to hide his chin. That tidbit is also on Wiki so that isn’t breaking news.

Set in the far-flung future of 1973, the first manned mission to Mars goes awry. This world’s version of NASA got their asses to Mars again by sending a rescue ship for the lone survivor of Ship 1. The creature surreptitiously boards Ship 2, and like in Alien, the creature is impossible to kill and sneaks around the ship. Another moment reminded me of Alien, but it’s a spoiler so an explanation won’t be provided. The creature itself wasn’t bad for a man in a suit, although the idea to keep it in shadow frequently was a wise one.

The movie is easy to criticize if you want to be pedantic. Even Carpenter noted how laughable it was that grenades then a BAZOOKA were used on a rocket ship flying in space! He then noted that it doesn’t matter to him as Terror was a favorite from childhood, where cinema was an escape while growing up in the Jim Crow south and he was bullied due to carrying around a violin-his father wished he would learn the instrument.

I’ve viewed goofy 50’s sci-fi before; this is better in quality than something as kitschy as Cat-Women of the Moon. That has its charms yet Terror does not have annoying characters-although yes they are stereotypical nonetheless. These characters attempt to stop an unstoppable monster, even using logic to do so. The direction, sets, performances, and score were all acceptable at worst.

For those that are huge fans of Ridley Scott’s 1979 classic, this is especially worth a look. So is 1965’s Mario Bava picture Planet of the Vampires, the other credited inspiration for the movie.

 

Green for Danger

Green for Danger (1946)

Runtime: 91 minutes

Directed by: Sidney Gilliat

Starring: Trevor Howard, Sally Gray, Alastair Sim, Leo Genn, Henry Edwards

From: Individual Pictures

For those that love their sassy, carefree detectives… in the continuing quest to have variety in July, I chose a British mystery thriller picture which had been on my Criterion Channel watchlist for awhile now.

The setting is a rural UK hospital in 1944-the year allows for the Germans to frequently bomb the area via air raids. World War II and the German air raids are key plot points, for reasons that won’t be elaborated on. Time is spent getting to knew the paired-down set of doctors and nurses-their catty arguments and disagreements-before a postal worker dies during an operation.

Green for Danger (the title refers to a key moment in the film) features actors I wasn’t too familiar w/, but one was Trevor Howard—the other Alastair Sim of 1951 Scrooge fame. If you only know him from that, Sim’s character will be eye-opening. He was an unseen narrator at first before appearing as a Scotland Yard detective. His Cockrill was in fact sassy and carefree as other detectives before and since. The humor thankfully wasn’t constant and he used detective skills while talking to the suspects; after a major event, he enacts a bold plan to reveal the killer.

Green was filmed well by Sidney Gilliat (also a writer who worked for the likes of Carol Reed & Hitchcock), featuring quality cinematography and sets; most of the film is set in the hospital. Of course, most delicious was viewing all the characters & how they interacted with each other. This typically included the expected dry acerbic British wit. The mystery itself always kept me at rapt attention.

For those that lap up such entertainment, Green for Danger is undoubtedly worth a shot.

Sleeping Dogs

Sleeping Dogs (1977)

Runtime: 104 minutes

Directed by: Roger Donaldson

Starring: Sam Neill (RIP), Ian Mune, Ian Watkin, Davina Whitehouse, Warren Oates

From: Several New Zealand companies

RIP Sam Neill

I can echo the thoughts of everyone who was saddened upon hearing this recent news, especially after remembering that just months before, a cancer remission was announced. Of course, as someone born in ’81 I’ll remember him best as Dr. Alan Grant in the Jurassic Park franchise; that was the first film I saw him in. Only later on did I check out the likes of The Hunt for Red October, Possession, and In the Mouth of Madness. Even in lousy movies I never had a problem with his performance and off-screen, I found it fascinating he ran a winery in New Zealand & cared about Aboriginal causes both in NZ and Australia.

Choosing a film not watched yet was a priority; this was selected for several reasons. It’s on Arrow’s streaming platform, was the first New Zealand movie that made international waves, was the first feature film from the country shot in 35mm from a fully national crew w/o foreign involvement (!), was Neill’s first featuring film starring role, and was the feature film debut of director Roger Donaldson.

No comment on why, but the concept of the movie made me laugh sheepishly more than once. After all, a fascist government in NZ has began a police state and started martial law after there’s turmoil related to oil in the Middle East… then later in the film, the United States Army becomes involved in an attempt to squash The Resistance. Neill is on a remote island by choice-his wife cheated so he wanted to peace out & be alone. It’s farcical then that due to circumstances, he’s arrested then unwittingly becomes a face of The Resistance.

I use the term “farcical” yet Sleeping Dogs was a downbeat 70’s movie which had some light moments but our lead Smith’s world becomes a nightmare that only becomes more frightening by the day as the fascist government increases their pressure as the vice grip tightens, Smith’s freedom diminishing. More than a few deaths are shown—my downbeat comments were not an exaggeration. At least the score was interesting, as was the decision to include… 70’s New Zealand country music?! They were good tunes, at least.

Those interested in discovering that even in the nascent portion of his great career, Sam Neill had the goods and could deliver quality performances… that plus the significance this had for New Zealand film makes this curio worth a shot. In addition, the presence of the U.S. Army allowed for the inclusion of one then-known actor in the cast: Warren Oates. While not a lengthy role in terms of the few scenes he was in, he of course delivered another nice performance. There definitely are Neill movies to be viewed in the future that probably should have been tackled long ago, I was glad to have selected this.

A Tourist's Guide to Love

A Tourist's Guide to Love (2023)

Runtime: 96 minutes

Directed by: Steven K. Tsuchida

Starring: Rachael Leigh Cook, Scott Ly, Thanh Truc, Glynn Sweat, Missi Pyle

From: Netflix

So, on Sunday I met Rachael Leigh Cook… again! That’s why I was gone for the entire day. I’ll explain more later but this finally felt like the time to check out this Netflix movie. For years now she’s done these sorts of romantic/Hallmark films which to be frank aren’t in my wheelhouse so that’s why those haven’t been viewed even though yes, I’m a fan of hers.

Her character Amanda works in the travel industry, she breaks up with her dope boyfriend, she goes undercover for a tour in Vietnam as her company wishes to buy that Vietnamese company, the tour leader is a handsome Vietnamese man, you can guess the rest. 

Yeah, the comedic moments, the lovely sights of the country, the exotic setting itself, and the onslaught of facts concerning Vietnam (a secondary purpose did seem to present this like an advertisement to visit the Southeast Asian country… thankfully it’s not pushy in the messaging) were of more interest to me than the romance elements… your mileage my vary. The other people on the tour include a Black lesbian couple w/ a teen daughter-you won’t see that in a Hallmark movie!-who starts to become romantic w/ Andrew Barth Feldman, who I understand the Broadway people would know but I’m not a Broadway guy either.

As for how I was able to meet Ms. Cook both times, both of course were at comic-cons in the Miami suburbs, necessitating road trips of a few hours each. I explained in 2018 (when I had a fraction of the followers I do now) that the first meeting in ’18 wasn’t the best… solely due to me. I did left out the detail that a panic attack occurred before the meeting—that’s why I came off like a buffoon & I’ll leave it at that. Don’t worry, on Sunday I did not freak out beforehand so that interaction went much better. Both times, she was a VERY nice lady, a fact others have stated for a long time.

I won’t share what Sunday’s conversation entailed, except that I finally did explain to her why the first meeting was a debacle… well, that was her term for it! I shouldn’t have been too surprised that she recalled meeting a truly unique, one-of-a-kind individual like myself, but she also remembered that first encounter! Yeah, it WAS a debacle (plus, it’s a great word) so I couldn’t be chuffed at that comment. Thank heavens Sunday wasn’t a disaster this time and I had that second chance. 

As for the film… yes it’s predictable and easy to nitpick; plus, especially today I won’t be unbiased towards a picture where the star was also a producer. Not that large a percentage of my Letterboxd mutuals are even that interested in “romcoms” but hopefully those that are would not disagree w/ my opinion if they ever do give this a shot in the future. Cook and leading man Scott Ly are at least a charming couple. Also, Missi Pyle appears in a few scenes, for those that remember her fondly as well.

I can give the highest recommendation if she’s ever at a con that you attend. Even with a socially awkward, eccentric fellow like myself, she was great. Who knows when or even if a third meeting will happen. Viewing more of her movies and doing new reviews of previously-discussed movies that have brief reviews should occur more often.

Scary Movie (The New One)

Scary Movie (2026)

24% on Rotten Tomatoes (out of 131 reviews) 

Runtime: 96 minutes

Directed by: Michael Tiddes

Starring: All the returning faces, + the likes of Olivia Rose Keegan, Cameron Scott Roberts, Savannah Lee Nassif, & Sydney Park

From: Paramount/Miramax

You know, I didn't think this was that bad. Many will disagree & that's fine. The bad buzz was why the film was only watched yesterday, while I was elsewhere all of Sunday (I'll explain in tomorrow's review how crazy Sunday was) & took in a theatrical viewing.

As mentioned a few months ago, I did watch the first two movies in the franchise on the big screen-and none of the subsequent sequels, whether at the cineplex or at home-so might as well do the same now that the Wayans family returned. The crowd was predominately Black; of course not every Black person has the same tastes but they were fans of the film & perhaps that did improve my opinion, re: Scary Movie 2026. They definitely knew Kai Cenat; me, it was a name heard beforehand-otherwise, even now I don't know a damn thing about him!

Even I can admit that the humor didn't always land, the most “controversial” moments only earned sporadic chuckles & didn't mean all that much... that and them cramming in the last 25 years of genre references wasn't always to the film's benefit. I actually was concerned as some major horror pictures of recent years hadn't been viewed by me so that might make those references a little awkward. Thankfully, the bones the plot are built on are: the 5th & 6th Scream movies and the 2018 Halloween. As all have been seen by me-heck, all were theatrical experiences-that meant my concerns were unwarranted.

It was nice to see the cast, both old & new. I realize some of the performances have been bashed-fair, although IMO some characters were meant to be that OOT. I also didn't mind the satiric barbs at certain liberal talking points-they also took potshots at the conservatives, don't worry. The random background or random non-sequitor gags & a clever conclusion-where multiple people noted that the motivation for Ghostface here was better than in Scream 7!-helped in my enjoyment. No offense to those in Gen Z but I didn't mind the digs at your generation!

As mentioned by me more often as of late, I love everyone that follows me on Letterboxd (almost six thousand!) yet there should be more caution applied when looking at what users in general rate, especially modern popular cinema. It was a relief that the new Scary Movie worked better than expected.