Today on "Words On Film", Dan Burke reviews "Beetlejuice Beetlejuice", "The Front Room", "1992", "Between the Temples", and "Good One". Mr. Burke also runs down the list of movies subject to being released into theaters for the week of September 9th - 13th, 2024.
WBCA Podcasts
Words On Film
Today on "Words On Film", Dan Burke reviews "Beetlejuice Beetlejuice", "The Front Room", "1992", "Between the Temples", and "Good One". Mr. Burke also runs down the list of movies subject to being released into theaters for the week of September 9th - 13th, 2024.
- Duration:
- 52m
- Broadcast on:
- 09 Sep 2024
- Audio Format:
- mp3
For this show, I have 5 movies to review for you, 3 of them are relatively new, 2 of them have been released on September 6th, 2024 and I'm definitely going to get to those first, I really have to pay attention to my time because I'm usually used to reviewing 3 to 4 movies per show but 5 is where I really have to buckle down and pay attention to the time so I don't go over an hour on this podcast. So just bear with me, I have a lot of movies to discuss which I suppose for somebody who's hosting this show is a very good problem to have which it most certainly is but man, I have a lot to discuss today. The first movie I'm going to be reviewing for you is Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice. This is the long, long-awaited sequel to the movie Beetlejuice from 1988 which was Tim Burton's second feature-length film that he directed and it was the one that put him on the map. People didn't quite know what to make of this film going into it but it didn't take long for Beetlejuice to eventually become a Halloween classic and a classic in its own right at that and there have been a lot of adaptations of Beetlejuice that were in script format which didn't make it past pre-production up to this point. There was a proposed sequel that was going to be called Beetlejuice in Hawaii or Beetlejuice Goes Hawaiian. I'm not sure how good that movie would have done. Chances are, without Tim Burton directing, it probably would have been doomed but in this movie, Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice played by Michael Keaton Returns and Tim Burton actually said that if Michael Keaton did not return as Beetlejuice, this film would have never been made. Good calling Tim Burton's part there. I do think that if Tim Burton was directing, Michael Keaton was starring again as Beetlejuice and Beetlejuice actually went Hawaiian. There might have been a possibility of a good film there but it would have been most certainly even more outlandish than the original. But Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice was a film that I went into with a lot of reservations. Again, sequels are usually not better than the original. Sometimes they are but a lot of times they are not and this film coming out 36 years after its predecessor has a lot to live up to. But fortunately with Tim Burton coming back as the director, Michael Keaton coming back as the titular Beetlejuice and also Winona Ryder and Catherine O'Hara reprising their role roles as Lydia and Della Dietz respectively. This movie did have some promise and for the most part, this movie largely delivered. And this movie takes place after a family tragedy specifically. The family tragedy is the death of Lydia's father and Della's husband who was played in the original film by Jeffrey Jones. It was a very wise move to have Jeffrey Jones character killed off here because if you don't know why Jeffrey Jones isn't in movies anymore, look him up. Basically, he was canceled before canceling or cancel culture was a thing. And as you'll find from your research, he was canceled for a very good reason. But his death, which is actually pretty outlandish here and shown in stop motion animation format and probably one of the more clever parts of this film leads Lydia, Della and Lydia's daughter and Della's stepdaughter Astra, excuse me, stepdaughter granddaughter, Astra who's played by Jenna Ortega to return to the house in Vermont where they originally lived or they originally moved in in the original Beetlejuice. But then strange things really start to occur, which is typical of a Beetlejuice film and particularly of a Tim Burton film. But as they move in, which is around Halloween, Astra begins to become attracted to a local boy by the name of Jeremy who is not what he particularly seems. Also, Lydia has grown up to be the host of this paranormal activity show where she interviews people who have experienced paranormal activity, particularly in their dwellings. And she has a fiance by the name of Rory who's played by Justin Thoreau. Immediately, even though Justin Thoreau plays this role very well, he plays the role as very smug and somebody who can immediately anticipate is going to be an antagonist in this film based on just how smug he is and also the kind of behavior he has that rubs probably anybody, most especially goth people like Tim Burton the wrong way. Like for example, during Halloween, he doesn't give out candy. He gives out carrot sticks and fruit. Already, that's a bad sign there. But in the world of the underworld, there is another paranormal entity by the name of Dolores who's played by Monica Belucci who is so dangerous that she actually kills people who are already dead. She is a soul sucking witch and once she sucks the soul out of a person who's already dead, they're pretty much toast. There's no afterlife for them. And there's a backstory that involves Monica Belucci characters Dolores actually being Beetlejuice's ex-wife. And Monica Belucci in this film looks amazing. And I'm not just saying that she looks attractive. She does. But she also has an amazing makeup job on her because she's supposed to be a woman who is stitched together in this film who can't function without having her limbs actually stitched together. And the effect that it has looks like a very simple makeup job. But according to some behind the scenes news that I found, it actually took Monica Belucci three hours under the makeup chair to get this effect. And there are actually a lot of antagonists in this film and Beetlejuice is most certainly one of them. And in fact, there seemed like there were so many antagonists that there really wasn't very much room for Monica Belucci's character. But I do concede that she looked good and she made a convincing antagonist at that. And there's also some other really good supporting performances. Like for example, there's Willem Defoe who plays a guy by the name of Wolf Jackson, who is dead. But in life he was a B-movie action star. It's ironic that an actor as celebrated as Willem Defoe would play a B-movie star and not a particularly good B-movie star at that. But it takes someone really good at acting like Willem Defoe to play someone really bad at acting. And it's very surprising because Willem Defoe has certainly played his share of quirky roles. But this is the first time that he has been in a movie that's directed by Tim Burton. It may not be his last either, but the cast of this film works together incredibly well. I loved that the plot of this film is very original. It did have the tendency, especially with the excess of antagonists to go all over the place here and there. But I absolutely appreciated that it didn't carbon copy the original. I don't think Tim Burton himself would have allowed it, even though Tim Burton didn't write the screenplay for Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice, or the original film. He still took it and definitely made it his own. And he makes it his own here too. I also thought the the special effects, particularly the stop motion animation, weren't heavily reliable on CGI. I think that it shows how far non CGI special effects have actually come over 36 years. But in not being overly reliant on computer graphic imaging, I think that the movie maintained a similar charm as the original. I wouldn't go as far as to say that Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice is better than its predecessor. It probably isn't. But it's a movie that certainly holds its own in terms of its original story, while also having some recurring characters that stay true to the original film without pandering to the hardcore fanboys either, like Deadpool and Wolverine ultimately did. But then again, Deadpool and Wolverine has been number one of the box office for several weeks. It's a movie to which I gave my rating of a strikeout. So maybe I'm wrong in that regard. I'm not wrong about my review, but I'm just saying that sequels, particularly this year, have been hit or miss. And Beetlejuice Beetlejuice is a hit for me. I give it my marginal rating of a knockout because I do think that the excess of antagonist did sort of muddle the story a bit. But I really loved everyone who acted in this film. Michael Keaton, of course, gives an incredibly unhinged performance here as Beetlejuice, like he did in the original. And he has the very simplified makeup. But even that and his persona, which has never been duplicated in any film between Beetlejuice and Beetlejuice Beetlejuice is here on full display. And Michael Keaton absolutely disappears into his character incredibly well. I also loved the evolving of the characters here played by Winona Ryder and Catherine O'Hara. And also, General Ortega seemed to fit into the Dietz family incredibly well, having the same kind of jadedness as Winona Ryder's character while also having some implicit eccentricity the way that Catherine O'Hara's character does here as well. There's a lot to like about Beetlejuice Beetlejuice. And there may be a third movie, which might be called Beetlejuice Beetlejuice Beetlejuice. I don't exactly know, but Beetlejuice Beetlejuice is still really fun. It doesn't live up entirely to the original film, but I do think it makes a good companion piece. And I think it will be another Halloween classic sooner than you know it. [Music] Welcome back to Words on Film, the spoken word showed dedicated to moving pictures. I am your host and movie critic Dan Burke. The next movie I'm going to be reviewing for you is The Front Room. This is a horror thriller that's directed by Max Eggers and Sam Eggers, both of whom are presumably brothers who are both making their feature film directorial debut. Actually, it's not just their feature film directorial debut, it is their on-screen directorial debut period. They have some experience working as a writer. They wrote a film in 2018, which is titled Olympia, which I believe stars Olympia Dukakis. But it looks like a documentary, although documentaries aren't really written either. But regardless, this is their entry into directing, and they do show some promise. But overall, The Front Room is a movie that is so ridiculous, it probably must be seen to be believed. It's a film about a young married couple. One is the heavily pregnant anthropology professor Belinda, who's played in this film by Brandy, who actually in the credits is known as Brandy Norwood, her full name. And she lives with her husband, who is a lawyer by the name of Norman, who's played by Andrew Burnap. And they are grieving from the loss of her firstborn son, Wallace. And if that's not enough, one evening, her husband Norman receives a phone call from a mysterious number, which turns out to be his estranged, ailing stepmother Solange, who's played in this movie by Catherine Hunter. And she calls to inform him about his dying father. Now, Norman has a history with his family and refuses to visit his family. And also never reveals Solange Solange's religious abuse to Belinda. But after Belinda quits her job, after some controversy about her not being a full professor, but an adjunct professor, Belinda comes home to the news from Norman that his father has died. And the couple go to the funeral and Belinda is introduced to Solange at the church, wherein she proposes to the couple a deal. Solange does to Belinda and Norman that they accommodate her last days in their home, and they get her hefty inheritance. And being financially unstable, Norman reluctantly agrees. So that is the setup of the film where Solange, this senile old woman, who is apparently wealthy, also takes the front room, which was initially converted into a nursery for their new child, and then soon after moving in, Belinda begins to experience racial and religious microaggressions from Solange, who also, among other things, carries a daughter of the Confederacy certificate. I don't know if daughters of the Confederacy is a real group, but it sounds like one of those groups that would be controversial based on the fact that they are closely associated with Confederate soldiers. And many of us know, regardless of whether or not we are proud of our Southern heritage or not, if we have it, how controversial the Confederacy is, particularly to people of color. But this movie is less of a horror thriller and more of a film with a noticeable identity crisis based on the fact that Solange, who's played by Catherine Hunter, is so outlandish in her senility that it's really hard to take her seriously, regardless of what genre of film in which she is acting. Now, I'm not saying that Catherine Hunter is a bad actress by any stretch of the imagination. She does well with what she's given, and she certainly gives a very unhinged performance. The problem here is that she's a little too unhinged to the point where she drives people crazy amidst the first day of her staying in this house with Belinda and Norman, to the point where she does certainly have collateral on this young family, but she's also so grossly inconsiderate it's not even funny. And it's not really scary either. This woman is just flat-out rude. And she also mentions Jesus or something biblical every other sentence to the point where I think even Kirk Cameron would tell Solange to tone it down quite a bit. But this movie is just so over the top, it's really hard to believe that this movie could be taken seriously in any regard. As a matter of fact, Solange, as portrayed by Catherine Hunter, seems less like somebody who's actually scary and more like somebody who wandered into a horror movie set from a Tyler Perry movie. But even then, I don't know how Tyler Perry's annoying characters like Medea or Joe would even take Solange, but Tyler Perry himself would certainly embrace her as a subversive figure. But this movie is largely annoying. And also, this movie gives you the impression that Belinda and Norman, both of whom have post-college degrees, Belinda has a PhD and Norman has a JD, they wouldn't be smart enough to realize that they need to hire other people to take care of Solange because Solange tests their patients in just about every way. And it's implied that Solange is testing their patients is intentional based on some of the very implicit retorts that Solange gives Belinda. But this movie is, in the words of Solange, an M E double S. And she uses that term M E double S to describe when she makes an M E double S. And if you, and if you really think about the fact that she is an old lady who's senile, you can sort of extrapolate for yourself what kind of mess she makes, not in the figurative sense, but in the literal sense as this movie progresses. And I'm talking about in her bed, when she has to walk with crushes to the bathroom, you get it. I know you get it. But this movie really falls apart because there are ways that she can live in their house and not be as much of a nuisance. But Solange, the character of Solange, is so annoying, it's not scary, it's not funny, and it also wouldn't pass as drama. And that's where this movie completely falls apart. And Catherine Hunter gives, as I said, a completely unhinged and subversive performance here, which I appreciated. I also thought that Brandy as Belinda is very understandably annoyed. But her husband Norman, played by Andrew Burnap here, I thought was probably one of the weakest links here, because not necessarily because of his acting, but because of the fact that he probably acts the least convincing when there are common sense ways to get around a woman who is this dependent on a couple who really needs to focus on their growing family and also their financial situation, considering that they are a one-income family right now, when the husband is trying to make a name for himself in this law firm. So the movie falls apart because these really smart people could find a way around having this stepmother live with them and getting the help that they need, or at least asking for help. But the movie doesn't seem to acknowledge that that is even a possibility, which is why I give the front room my rating of a flunk out. It's a movie that fails not in its acting, but in its storytelling. And there are also some other scenes in this film where you don't really know if it's a dream or if Brandy's character is hallucinating or not. And even when these scenes happen, which are horrific to watch, you just don't really know if it's actually happening or if it's in the character of Belinda's head. You also don't know if Belinda is going insane based on postpartum depression. And the way this movie ends is outlandish and it feels cheap too. So the front room has some things going for it, but I give it a flunk out because this movie is truly an M.E. double S. Welcome back to Words on Film, the spoken words show dedicated to moving pictures. I am your host and movie critic Dan Burke. The next movie I'm going to be reviewing for you is 1992, which takes place, you guessed it, in 1992, specifically in Los Angeles on April 29, 1992, which if you know your recent history, you know that that's the day that the Rodney King verdict was released where four police officers who were caught on film, beating up Rodney King, who was operating under the influence, were found not guilty by an all white jury in the greater Los Angeles area. And this led to riots in a lot of cities, but none more cataclysmic than Los Angeles. And in this film, there is an ex convict and a worker by the name of Mercer, who's played by Tyrese Gibson, who endeavors to restore his life in relationship with his son during the unrest following the Rodney King verdict. And Mercer and his son live in Compton, the section of Los Angeles where the riots first broke out. Mercer's son is named Antoine. He's played by Christopher Emmanuel. And he works in place that's heavily guarded where there are, there's another family who are looking to rob this place. And they find a window of opportunity once law enforcement is focused on settling down the Los Angeles riots and less for guarding this particular facility that has a lot of platinum that could make whoever has this platinum in it millions of dollars. And the family is a dysfunctional one, but one that knows how to rob a place. There is a man by the name of Riggan, who's played by Scott Eastwood, his youngest brother, Dennis, who's played by Dylan Arnold. And they're estranged and dysfunctional father Lowell, who's played by Ray Liotta. And the three of them, in addition to three other men by the name of Titus, who's played by Oleg Tacteroff, Murphy played by Ory Pfeiffer, and Copeland, who's played by Clay Bennett, conspire to rob this facility of its platinum while the riots are going on. And a vast majority of the LAPD are preoccupied. This movie is fiction, but a robbery like this could be going on. Now, the reason that Mercer and Antoine from Compton are finding themselves in this facility is to stay safe and secure during the riots. But they find that when they meet this family of Riggan and his family members and counterparts, they find that they're in a lot more danger than they would be at home. So this movie is part social commentary, although it's also a part of a heist film. And Ray Liotta is co-starring in this film, which I believe is his last film. It's not the only film of his that's been released posthumously, but it's a good note for him to go out on, particularly because his last film, last year's cocaine bear, wasn't very good, in my opinion. But here, he plays someone who's meaner than his Henry Hill character from Goodfellas. And he eventually becomes well established that he is the true antagonist of this film. But there are a lot of bad people in this film, but Ray Liotta's character Lowell is undoubtedly the worst. Riggan, Scott Eastwood's character, also does some bad things, but he is definitely more of the social conscious or the moral compass of this gang of six who are breaking into steel this platinum. But Mercer and Antoine, particularly Mercer, who takes on a role very similar to John McLean in Die Hard, find themselves the reluctant heroes of the story. And the movie, I think, works very well as it's progressing. And as this robbery is going on, and it's not just Mercer and Antoine's interference with the robbery, where things go wrong. It's also the short temper of the Murphy character that has a chain reaction that leads to some people who probably shouldn't have died, ended up dying. And this movie, or rather this robbery in the movie, not becoming as clean, take the money and run as everyone in this film, or at least everyone involved in the robbery would have necessarily hoped. There are some great scenes in this film. There are also some shockingly violent scenes as well. But I think it all works together with a solid script written by Sasha Penn and Ariel Vrohmann, with Ariel Vrohmann also directing this film. And one of the producers of this film is Snoop Dogg. And one of the production companies that put this movie together is actually Death Row Pictures. And I believe this is Death Row Pictures first film. It may not be its last, and I don't exactly know if Snoop Dogg wanted to be associated with his time at Death Row Records, because that was a very controversial record company. But probably he's made amends with the record company that made him the artist he is today. I don't exactly know, but that's another story for another time. But 1992 is a film that probably could have taken on some more of the social context about what went on rather than being a heist film. But I still liked it. And I give it my rating of a high checkout because I think that Tyrese Gibson and Ray Liotta and Scott Eastwood for that matter are very convincing in their roles. Also Christopher Emmanuel also acts very well, not only in his reluctant role in this heist, or at least walking into it, but also his making amends with his estranged father Mercer while also dealing with the death of his mother. That encompassed a very emotionally climactic part of this film, which I could most certainly appreciate. But there are other parts in this film that didn't work quite as well, especially given the context of the action as well as its place in history. And I also think that the movie ended on somewhat of a questionable note, which should have been better grounded and probably should have clicked shut better. But 1992 is enjoyable particularly for what it is, and I do give it a recommendation. [Music] Welcome back to Words on Film, the spoken word showed dedicated to moving pictures. I am your host and movie critic Dan Burke. The next movie I'm going to be reviewing for you is Between the Temples. This is an indie comedy that is directed by Nate Silver and stars Jason Schwartzman as a cantor in his local synagogue, who is in a crisis of faith. And once you get to extrapolate what his backstory is, you know exactly why he has this crisis of faith. As the movie progresses, you learn that he was once married, but his wife actually died. They also lived together in a good house in upstate New York, but he sold his house and moved in with his mother and stepmother. And no, I didn't make a mistake there. He actually lives with his birth mother Mira Gottlieb, who is played by Caroline Aron, and she's married to Judith Gottlieb, who is an immigrant from the Philippines, who moved to the United States, married Jason Schwartzman's character's Ben's mother, and also converted to Judaism herself. Judith is played by Dolly De Leon. And Ben is in a crisis of faith as he is despondent about both singing in his local synagogue, as well as his place in life. But his world is turned upside down in a lot of good ways when his grade school music teacher, whose name is Carla Kessler, who's played by Carol Cain, reenters his life as his new adult Bat Mitzvah student. And as you learn, the character Carla Kessler is widowed, and she has an existential mid to late life crisis where she wants to fully convert to Judaism. Apparently, she is half Jewish when this movie begins, but she has a moment of faith when she wants to be fully converted to Judaism and have a resulting Bat Mitzvah, which is usually reserved for 12 to 14 year old girls who become women in the eyes of the Jewish faith. So it certainly is a very outlandish plot, but not an entirely unusual one. And we've seen this kind of film before where somebody who's old, who's retired, who's passed their prime, still with whatever breath they have in their body wants to learn something new and have some meaning in their life before they pass on. And this movie does take a lot of unexpected terms, unexpected turns from that particularly familiar storyline. And I loved all the characters in this film. My heart absolutely ached for Jason Schwartzman's character, and I think that the scenes between them, between him and Carol Cain are certainly the movie's selling point and were largely poignant. There is a scene during a particular climax at a dinner that Ben is having with his family, his local Rabbi Bruce, who's played by Robert Smigel, as well as some other members of his Jewish community that goes off the rails a little bit. But I can't say that it went off the rails so much that I wouldn't find it to be unrealistic or even outlandish given the character arc of Jason Schwartzman's character in this film. He is somebody who has a crisis of faith and who is grieving and having a lot to process in his life, not to mention that his family is also a little crazy. It's a theme that's typical of a lot of comedies about Jewish people that are made by Jewish people like the director Nathan Silver here, but it's not completely unbelievable or completely out of touch or out of line. I found myself loving this film and there are scenes in it that were completely heartbreaking. It is labeled on IMDB as a comedy, but it's more like a comedy drama because Jason Schwartzman's character has to deal with a lot throughout the film. He's been given a bad hand in life so much so that he contemplates, he doesn't contemplate suicide, he actually tries to kill himself and the result of that should be incredibly tragic, but it actually ends up being kind of funny as the film progresses and in its context. I'm not sure if it's the most realistic, but the stories that are put on screen generally have moments that are unrealistic, that do get the story going to an appropriate place. It's just a matter of some people or some filmmakers adding too much unrealism to a film, but I think this movie had an appropriate amount, especially given its context. But the movie's true selling point is the chemistry between Jason Schwartzman and Carol Kane, which reminded me a lot of the film Harold and Maude in a lot of ways, not necessarily the romance aspect of it. There I guess are some hints at that kind of storyline, but it's not as readily apparent as Harold and Maude, but still it does have that kind of Harold and Maude charm. It also is a film that I think 20 years ago Woody Allen would have wholeheartedly embraced. He might not have starred in it, but he would have jumped at the chance of directing this film, and it does have a lot of Woody Allen influence as well. It also is a film between the temples that gets my rating of a knockout. I think it is expertly acted. This is Jason Schwartzman's first leading role I believe since Rushmore, and he plays a character that's very much unlike his character in Rushmore. He's a lot more mature, but he also faces the same sort of crisis that Rushmore being a coming of age movie had just on a different level for a guy who is in his early 40s and should have his life together, but like many people in their 40s and maybe even their 50s, he doesn't, and he's kind of wondering what it's all about. And also having Carol Cain's character come into his life certainly gives him some perspective. It's not a complete revelation at first or the same way that you think it would be in a Tyler Perry movie in the Christian sense, but it works very well in the context of this film. And between the temples of the film, that is a very pleasant surprise in that regard. Welcome back to words on film. The next movie I'm going to be reviewing for you is Good One. This is a movie that is the feature film directorial debut of India Donaldson, who also wrote the screenplay, and it stars Lily Collius, who plays a 17 year old by the name of Sam, who plans to go on a weekend long camping trip in the Catskills with her father, Chris, who's played by James LaGross and his recently divorced friend, Matt, who is played by a character actor by the name of Danny McCarthy. And at first, it's going to be the three of them and Matt's son, Dylan, but Dylan resentful of the divorce refuses to go. That's actually one of those parts that seems particularly realistic. There are times where you're planning a trip, somebody doesn't want to go, and then you just say to hell with them, just stay back. But the realism doesn't end right there. As a matter of fact, movies about people who go on camping trips, particularly people from the city who rough it out in the countryside, like the Catskills Mountains, there are two kinds of plot devices that Hollywood is fond of using. One is where this camping trip is where they struggle to rough it in the wilderness, but then they eventually get out with a renewed sense of confidence in themselves and their lives and a new take on them. It's one of those uplifting films like City Slickers, or it is a really, really bad camping trip where something terrible happens, like the Blair Witch Project and other films that have a similar theme. But good one details a camping trip that doesn't quite go that way either. Now, it being actually filmed on location in the Catskills, there are some breathtaking moments of natural beauty that you see on camera here, but there is a conflict here going on between 17 year old Sam and particularly her father Chris. And there's also a bit of conflict between her and Chris's best friend Matt, who's probably so close to the family that he could technically be considered an uncle, but he's not. And there is also a scene here that takes place at night. It's later on in the film, and I won't exactly give it away, but it's where Sam and Matt are having a conversation over a campfire, and both of them turn in. And then Matt says something that is marginally inappropriate and can be perceived and extrapolated as inappropriate, but I'm going to leave it at that. The way that Sam deals with that, the way that she deals with it in relationship with her father, and also the way she carries on as they are trekking through the Catskills Mountains is something that probably I haven't seen in a film as of yet, but it does seem like one of those instances in the context of the film, where it makes perfect sense that she would react a certain way. And the movie does end on what some people might seem might see to be a questionable note, but to me it ended on a very realistic note, not to mention one that had its poignancy if you know where to look for poignancy, but it's a movie about three people who are coming of age in their own way. Of course, the way that a 17 year old who is college bound and presumably entering her senior year and is trying to figure out what to do with her life after high school, that coming of age is obvious. But you also have these other two men who are experiencing a coming of age in their own way in a way that's kind of like a midlife crisis. You have Sam's father, Chris, who is dealing with getting older, also kind of surveying his relationship with this recently divorced friend of his, and maybe their friendship is on the on the mend as well, or maybe it is where they're growing apart. But he also finds himself growing apart from his daughter as well, so much so that they might even seem estranged, even though they live together in the same house. And then you have Matt, who's just been through a divorce, he's obviously having trouble with his son, and he's also having trouble with having relationships with other people, particularly the daughter of his best friend. So you have these three people who are struggling, and by the end of the movie, you don't exactly know how they're going to resolve their lives. And that is okay. And I try not to spoil movies as I'm reviewing them, but in this case, I did like that they had an alternative to the camping film. If a camping trip goes bad, it's a horror film. If a camping trip goes great, it's either a comedy or a drama or a comedy drama. But here you have a drama where it subverts that expectations of people who are from the city, who are roughing it out in the wilderness and going out of their comfort zone, and are trying to find themselves. In reality, some people don't succeed in finding themselves. And that's okay, because it makes sense in the movie Good One that they wouldn't based on the context of the story, which is why I give Good One my rating of a knock out. It is a film that is expertly acted. In fact, it is so well acted to writer and director India Donaldson's credit that it feels a little less like a scripted film and more like a documentary. There may have been some improvisation here and there, but Lily Colleus, Matt McCarthy, and James Lagros in particular disappear so much into their characters. And I can't exactly say what they're like in real life, but I can already tell that they're so immersed in their characters and their problems that their portrayals feel particularly realistic. And I can't exactly say how much of this film was improvised, as I said previously, but whether it was improvised or it's scripted, it feels real. And it feels like a realistic camping trip that some people who are jaded about life would take. And in the end, unlike most Hollywood movies, not all their problems are resolved and they don't necessarily gel together. But this movie tells you or shows you better better yet rather than telling that this kind of character arc is realistic given the circumstances. And I appreciated that about good one the most. [Music] Welcome back to Words on Film, the spoken word show dedicated to moving pictures. I am your host and movie critic Dan Burke. And now that I've reviewed all the movies that I have to review for this show, it's now time for me to get into my final segment, which is What's Coming Up Next. This is a spoken word preview of movies that are subject to being released in theaters for the week of September 9th through September 13th, 2024. I would go, I would also include movies that are available for streaming, but the truth is, I don't have time for that. So I'm going to get through the movies that are coming off the week of September 9th through September 13th out of the way first and I have a lot to discuss. On September 11th, 2024, which is this year of Wednesday, there's a film that is subject to being released in theaters that is an anime, so it may not necessarily be released in the theater near you. But it's worth mentioning, I think, because from what I can see, it is beautifully and uniquely animated. And it's also in a world where humans and anthropomorphic animals coexist, which is also very interesting. But this movie is about a concierge who works at a mysterious department store. Her name is Aquino. And in this department store, a majority of the customers are animals. This sounds amazing. I really, really want to see this film. A lot of times when I cover anime films, because anime is a dime a dozen. And I do respect that there are a lot of people who are big fans of anime, who are Americans, the ones that I know, and anime huge in Japan. But for me, anime is hit or miss unless it's by Iomiyazaki. But this seems like a film that Studio Ghibli would embrace. I can't find from my research if this is a Studio Ghibli film or not. But it is certainly in the style of a Studio Ghibli film and maybe even in the spirit of one. So the concierge at Huk Yoku department store is a film that I want to see. If it's out in the theater near me, I will see it. And if I see it, I'll let you know what I think on a future show. Now we get to September 13th, 2024, where a slew of films are coming out in theaters. And I don't think I will get to all the films that are coming out. It is actually kind of ironic that these films are coming out in mass the weekend after Labor Day weekend. But it shows you that the fall movie season has officially kicked off. And there are some promising films that look to deliver that are coming out this coming weekend of September 13th through 15th, 2024. The first one is a psychological horror film by the name of Speak No Evil. And this is a movie about a family who is invited to spend a weekend in an idyllic country house unaware that their dream vacation will soon become a psychological nightmare. Okay, so I've seen a lot of films like this before. Antichrist particularly comes in mind because that premise right there could be copied and pasted to the description of the movie Antichrist, maybe without the addition of the son that dies in the very beginning of the film. But Antichrist is a movie that was so scary and so dissonant, it shook me to my core when I saw it. And whenever if I ever get the honor of meeting Willem Defoe, I'm going to tell him that the movie Antichrist scared the bejesus out of me. I wonder how he's going to take that. But Willem Defoe has been in a lot of weird films. But anyway, I'm getting off topic here. The actors who star in this film, Willem Defoe I think would fit right into Speak No Evil, but he's not in this movie. Yeah, he was in Beetlejuice Beetlejuice. So I think his subversive quota is done for 2024, I guess. But the movie stars James McAvoy, who is an actor who chooses his roles very well. And he's a fantastic actor. Mackenzie Davis presumably plays his wife. And the other stars of the film includes Scoot McNary and Isling Franciosi amongst other people. So Speak No Evil is a film that I definitely will see. And I'll let you know what I think on a future show. Another film that is subject to being released in theaters on September 13th is a movie that's called The Killer's Game. And this is a movie about a veteran assassin who is played by Dave Batista, who is diagnosed with a life threatening illness and authorizes a kill on himself. After ordering the kill, an army of former colleagues pounce and a new place of new piece of information comes to light and sanity ensues. Now based on the poster of the film, I would presume that this would be a mindless action film because Dave Batista, even though I've seen him act well in several movies, is definitely one of those actors who's been in such films. But I'm willing to give him a chance because this movie sounds particularly unique. It's not the first film I've seen where somebody takes a hit out on themselves. Bolworth comes particularly to mind, but Bolworth was a political satire, not an action film. But the movie has what looks like a terrific cast. In addition to Dave Batista, there's also Sophia Buttea, Ben Kingsley and Terry Cruz amongst other people. There are other actors, but I don't have time to name them all. But this is a movie that I will see and I'll let you know what I think on a future show. Another movie that is subject to being released in theaters next weekend is a movie that's called Am I racist? And this is a documentary that is directed by and co-written by Justin Folk and stars Matt Walsh. And Matt Walsh is a commentator on Ben Shapiro's network, The Daily Wire. And in this film, a man Matt Walsh investigates diversity, equity and inclusion practices, exposing absurdities through undercover social experiments. Okay, so this is a movie that's going to delight some people and upset other people in this divided nation. However, if this movie comes out, I'm willing to give it a chance because I've seen some conservative documentaries, particularly those by Dinesh D'Souza. And I've ripped them apart, not based on commentators like Dinesh D'Souza's politics, but more about their filmmaking and the way they cherry pick their facts. But I'm willing to give Am I racist a chance? And if I see it, I'll let you know what I think on a future show. That just about does it for this episode of Words on Film. Words on Film is the spoken word showed dedicated to moving pictures, and I am your host and movie critic Dan Burke, reminding you that the views and opinions expressed on Words on Film about movies or other topics are solely those of your host and movie critic Dan Burke. They do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of any employees or volunteers who are working at WBCA or the station as a whole. Until I watch a whole bunch of brand new movies, this is Dan Burke saying I'll see you at the movies.