THE EXORCISM (2024) review
written by: M.A. Fortin and Joshua John Miller
produced by: Kevin Williamson, Ben Fast and Bill Block
directed by: Joshua John Miller
rating: R (for language, some violent content, sexual references and brief drug use)
runtime: 95 min.
U.S. release date: June 21, 2024
Russell Crowe in an exorcism horror flick? Didn’t we have one of these last year? Indeed, Crowe bopped around Italy on a red scooter as Father Amorth as “The Pope’s Exorcist,” and it wound up being an unexpected and unintentional hoot. Yet, here he is in another exorcism horror flick? What gives and which came first? Well, actually, “The Exorcism” went into production in 2019 but ran into snafus such as a pandemic and reshoot that took place four years later. Despite a title lacking in originality, there is some surprisingly solid characterization from screenwriters M.A. Fortin and Joshua John Miller (both of whom penned “The Final Girls”), the latter of whom directed this feature about the troubled making of a formulaic horror movie. Read more…
WHAT REMAINS (2023) review
written by: Ran Huang and Megan Everett-Skarsgård
produced by: Jessica Chen
directed by: Ran Huang
rating: Jessica Chen, Ran Huang, Jupe Louhelainen & Timo Vierimaa
runtime: 126 min.
U.S. release date: June 21, 2024 (theatrical & VOD)
Three complex and problematic characters are at the heart of “What Remains,” the feature-length debut from Chinese visual artist Ran Huang. Set in the 1990s, the story is loosely based on actual events in which a Swedish man, Sture Bergwall, confessed to more than thirty Scandinavian murders while he was a patient in a mental institution. He wound up being convicted of eight of those murders that occurred between 1994 and 2001, but then withdrew his confessions in 2008, stating he had been heavily medicated and sought attention. The real-life details are unbelievable and intriguing, which cannot be said for the strange behavior on display in this feature. Read more…
Interview with Chicago Film Office deputy commissioner, Jonah Zeiger: Sundance Institute X Chicago 2024
A couple of months ago, when it was announced that Sundance would be spending a long weekend in June in Chicago, there were many questions. The most common one was, “Will Sundance be leaving Park City, Utah, after all these years?” Well, we don’t know the answer to that, but the Sundance Institute X Chicago is not the Sundance Film Festival but rather an event coming to the Windy City for the first time this weekend, from Friday, June 28th through Sunday, June 30th. Read more…
ROBOT DREAMS (2023) review
written by: Pablo Berger
produced by: Ibon Cormenzana, Ignasi Estapé, Sandra Tapia Díaz, Jérôme Vidal & Pablo Berger
directed by: Pablo Berger
rated: not rated
runtime: 102 min.
U.S. release date: May 31, 2024
Telling a story without words is as old as time and is often more powerful and expressive than we’re typically used to. From cave wall drawings to comic strips, sequential art has always allowed the viewer to fill in the lines and create our own voices for the characters we see. Such is the case with silent films, and in the animated feature “Robot Dreams”, writer/director Pablo Berger (“Blancanieves,” “Abracadabra”) has taken a dialogue-free approach to a wonderful story about loneliness and how powerful friendship can be. It’s unique in exploring those two potent experiences, reminding us that life comes with laughs and tears, told in an effortlessly engaging manner with superb animation. Read more…
THE WATCHERS (2024) review
written by: Ishana Night Shyamalan
produced by: M. Night Shyamalan, Ashwin Rajan and Nimitt Mankad
directed by: Ishana Night Shyamalan
rated: PG-13 (for violence, terror and some thematic elements)
runtime: 102 min.
U.S. release date: June 7, 2024
Ishana Night Shyamalan has no doubt grown up on movie sets and started watching scary movies at an early age. Having served as a second unit director on her father, M. Night Shyamalan’s last two films (“Old” and “Knock at the Cabin”), she has since taken the task of helming her first feature-length movie, “The Watchers”, from a screenplay she wrote that adapts the 2020 novel of the same name by A.M. Shine. The result is an ambitious endeavor with a compelling initial conceit, a feature that starts off in an engaging manner, but soon loses its footing due to poor pacing decisions, some convoluted storytelling, and a genuine lack of tension. Read more…
THE MATTACHINE FAMILY (2023) review
written by: Andy Vallentine
produced by: Scot Boland, Michael Diaz, Siddharth Ganji, Stuart Heinlein, Cameron Hutchison & Andy Vallentine
directed by: Danny Vallentine
rating: not rated
runtime: 99 min.
U.S. release date: June 2, 2024 (Amazon Prime Video and AppleTV+)
Understanding “Mattachine” before or after watching “The Mattachine Family” isn’t required, but it adds context and may offer a better understanding and appreciation for the film. I can say that from experience, going into this dramedy by director Danny Vallentine, from a screenplay by his husband, Andy Vallentine, I thought Mattachine was the last name of the family in the movie. It’s not. Read more…
BAD BOYS: RIDE OF DIE (2024) review
written by: Chris Bremner and Will Beall
produced by: Jerry Bruckheimer, Will Smith, Chad Oman & Doug Belgrad
directed by: Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah
rated: R (for strong violence, language throughout and some sexual references)
runtime: 115 min.
U.S. release date: June 7, 2024
After the successful and surprisingly good sequel “Bad Boys for Life” was released in 2020, directors Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah have signed on to helm another one. After looking at the opening weekend box-office numbers, Sony quickly made that announcement, hoping to maintain the renewed audience interest. Screenwriter Chris Bremner also returns, with the help of co-writer Will Beal (“Gangster Squad”), and the pair have whipped together a direct sequel to “For Life”, not bothering to try adding anything different or new to the franchise. Read more…
SUMMER CAMP (2024) review
written by: Castille Landon
produced by: Stephanie Heaton-Harris, Diane Keaton, Tyler W. Konney, Dori A. Rath, Alex Saks & Mariela Villa
directed by: Castille Landon
rated: PG-13 (for sexual material, strong language and some underage smoking)
runtime: 95 min.
U.S. release date: June 1, 2024
It didn’t take long for me to mentally check out of “Summer Camp” and wonder if the picturesque sleepaway camp the movie was set in was a real place. Checking out is not a good sign, but viewing the movie’s trailer can make my response understandable. It turns out Camp Pinnacle is indeed an actual place and is located somewhere near Hendersonville, North Carolina. As I wondered how three talented septuagenarian actresses could sign on to such a tiresome exercise in easily digestible entertainment, I was reminded that sometimes actors sign on to projects simply for who they will be working with and where it will be shot. I can’t say that these actors signed on because they would be glamping together, but it’s not a stretch to consider. Read more…
FURIOSA: A MAD MAX SAGA (2024) review
written by: George Miller and Nico Lathouris
produced by: Doug Mitchell and George Miller
directed by: George Miller
rated: R (for sequences of strong violence, and grisly images)
runtime: 148 min.
U.S. release date: May 24, 2024
It’s hard to believe that it’s almost been a decade since “Mad Max: Fury Road,” the iconic continuation of the highly influential post-apocalyptic landscape created by George Miller. Not only did the Australian filmmaker deliver one of the best sequels ever with 2015’s “Mad Max: Fury Road”, he also, but it managed to be the best action movie ever. The level of chaos was glorious, practical stunt work was stunning, and overall artistry was phenomenal. All that and Miller injected the movie with actual character motivations and poignant moments for his cast. So, how could he possibly top that? Read more…
BABES (2024) review
written by: Ilana Glazer and Josh Rabinowitz
produced by: Ilana Glazer, Josh Rabinowitz, Susie Fox, Ashley Fox & Breean Pojunas
directed by: Pamela Adlon
rating: R (for sexual material, language throughout, and some drug use)
runtime: 109 min.
U.S. release date: May 17, 2024
As the poster says, “Babes” will be considered the “Bridesmaids of Babymaking,” and that’s fine considering screenwriters Ilana Glazer and Josh Rabinowitz had that classic in mind along with “Superbad.” Since both of those movies were produced by Judd Apatow, you might get the impression that this comedy, which finds actress Pamela Adlon making her feature-length debut, has the same tone and feel. Well, not exactly. This comedy isn’t going as hard on the raunch or pausing for laughs as much as those two movies. Instead, here’s an honest examination of pregnancy’s grossness; at its core, there’s a sweet, funny, and loving look at two female besties. Read more…
