Mike Smith, Author at MediaMikes - Page 12 of 88

Win Passes To See the New Film SPIRAL (Nationwide)

HELLO EVERYONE!!!

How in the hell are you doing?? It seems like forever since we did a pass giveaway and to celebrate, we’re not giving out passes to see a movie in Kansas City or Boston or Orlando – we’re giving passes out all over the country!!

Mediamikes has teamed up with their friends at Lionsgate Films to give (10) readers and a guest the chance to check out the latest film in the SAW series, SPIRAL.

All you have to do is let us know below what film you are most looking forward to this year. The new Bond? “Top Gun: Maverick?” “The Batman?” Let us know and you could be on your way to the movies.

(10) random winners will be chosen and they will be sent, via email, an ATOM code that will get them (2) tickets to see SPIRAL. Pretty simple if you ask me. Not like we’re asking you to saw off your arm!

This giveaway will run through Thursday, May 13th at 10:00 pm EST. At that time the winners will be selected and sent their codes via email. GOOD LUCK!!

SPIRAL opens nationwide this Friday, May 14th!

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Hashtag: #Spiral

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Filed Under: Screenings Tagged With: film, nationwide, passes, spiral, win

BEHIND THE SCREEN: 93rd Annual Academy Awards – A Night to (NOT) Remember

Well, thank God that’s over. The final film award ceremony of 2021 is over, and not a minute too soon.

Viewers who tuned in to the 93rd Academy Awards ceremony (guilty, but I have a website. What’s your excuse?) were treated to un-enthusiastic presenters, amazingly long speeches (I’m guessing Questlove wasn’t told he could play people off) and an “In Memoriam” segment that looks like it was thrown together at the last minute. And can someone tell me how a show with no host, opening monologue and zero musical numbers – unless you count the embarrassing “Oscar Music Trivia” game that featured Glenn Close shaking her ass to E.U.’s “Da Butt” – ran almost 3 1/2 hours??

On a positive note, there were some great achievements rewarded. A woman of color (Chloe Zhao) was named Best Director, only the second time a woman has won that Award. Think about that. Out of 465 nominees only SEVEN women have been nominated: Lina Wertmuller, Jane Campion, Sophia Coppola, Kathryn Bigelow (who won), Greta Gerwig, Ms. Zhao and Emerald Fennell, who with Ms. Zhao was nominated this year. Which means such female directors, like Penny Marshall and Barbra Streisand, have been totally ignored, even though in the past they had directed films nominated for Best Picture!

Daniel Kaluuya and Youn Yuh-jing took home the Best Supporting Actor and Actress awards, respectively, putting a slight dent into the #OscarSoWhite reputation.

Frances McDormand became the second actress to receive (3) Best Actress awards when her name was announced last night, putting her right behind the immortal Katherine Hepburn, who won (4). Meryl Streep does have (3) Oscars, but one was for Best Supporting Actress. Ms. McDormand picked up a 4th Oscar as one of the producers of the evening’s Best Picture, “Nomadland.” And whose idea was it to give the Best Picture award out early? Normally it’s the last award of the night, but on this night it was awarded before Best Actress and Actor were named. My hunch is that the producers assumed the late Chadwick Boseman, who was nominated for his final performance in the film “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom,” would win, which would have made for a nice emotional way to end the evening. Instead, Joaquin Phoenix sheepishly announced Anthony Hopkins as the winner of the Best Actor award, and that was a wrap!

My beef with the “In Memoriam” segment was that, for some reason, the Academy figured if you were watching you knew who everyone was and what they did. An introduction that took u 1/3 of the segment, no film clips and, while known talents like Christopher Plummer, George Segal and Wilford Brimley got a few seconds of screen time each, others – among them Marge Champion (a great dancer), Shirley Knight (a fine actress), Kelly Preston (same) and Michael Chapman (an amazing cinematographer whose credits include “Taxi Driver,” “Raging Bull,” “Dead Men Don’t Wear Plaid” and “The Fugitive”) whizzed by in a blink.

The fact that only nominees and presenters were allowed to be in the venue also made for dull television. Smatterings of applause signaled that the guests in the theatre were apparently as bored as the ones at my house.

Blame it on COVID. Blame it on the fact that none of the films nominated were “NAME” films – no “Titanic,” “Avatar” or “Lord of the Rings” in the bunch. Blame it on bad television. There’s plenty of blame to go around.

For those of you who went to bed early, here is a list of the winners:

Best Picture – Nomadland

Best Actor in a Leading Role– Anthony Hopkins (The Father)

Best Actress in a Leading Role – Frances McDormand (Nomadland)

Best Director – Chloé Zhao (Nomadland)

Best Actress in a Supporting Role – Youn Yuh-jung (Minari)

Best Actor in a Supporting Role – Daniel Kaluuya (Judas and the Black Messiah)

Best Adapted Screenplay – The Father, Christopher Hampton, Florian Zeller

Best Original Screenplay – Promising Young Woman, Emerald Fennell

Best Animated Feature Film – Soul

Best International Feature Film – Another Round (Denmark)

Best Sound – Sound of Metal, Phillip Bladh, Nicolas Becker, Jaime Baksht, Michelle Couttolenc, Carlos Cortés, Carolina Santana

Best Costume Design – Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, Ann Roth

Best Makeup and Hairstyling – Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, Matiki Anoff, Mia Neal, Larry M. Cherry

Best Live Action Short Film – Two Distant Strangers

Best Animated Short Film – If Anything Happens I Love You

Best Documentary Feature – My Octopus Teacher

Best Documentary Short Subject – Colette

Best Original Song – ‘Fight for You,’ (Judas and the Black Messiah)

Best Visual Effects – Tenet, Andrew Jackson, Andrew Lockley, Scott R. Fisher, Mike Chambers

Best Cinematography – Mank, Erik Messerschmidt

Best Production Design – Mank, Donald Graham Burt, Jan Pascale

Best Film Editing – Sound of Metal, Mikkel E.G. Nielsen

Best Original Score – Mank, Trent Reznor, Atticus Ross

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Filed Under: Commentary, Film Headlines, TV Headlines Tagged With: 93rd, academy, annual, awards, night, remember, ...

Behind the Screen: Here Comes the Strangest Oscar Ceremony Ever!

THIS COULD BE THE STRANGEST OSCAR CEREMONY EVER

In its 93 years the Academy Awards have seen some strange occurrences.

In 1973, Marlon Brando, who was announced as the winner of the Best Actor Award, sent an actress pretending to be a Native American up to the podium to refuse the award, citing the way Native American’s were portrayed in films.

The next year, David Niven was startled when freelance photographer Robert Opel decided to “streak” across the stage behind them. I always thought that this was a set-up. The camera angle was such that none of Mr. Opel’s nether-region was shown and Mr. Niven was awful quick and his quip: “The only laugh that man will ever get in his life is from stripping off and showing his shortcomings!”

And, of course, who could forget the 1989 ceremonies when Rob Lowe and Snow White engaged in a musical number? Only months before a sex-tape with Lowe and two women (one underage) had been released, which I’m sure upset the folks at Disney, who were already upset because they hadn’t given their permission for the character to appear.

But this year could be the strangest and most unpredictable ceremony ever.

Tonight, for really the first time since last year’s Oscars, nominees have been encouraged to be in attendance. In the past year, shows like the Emmys have had a minimal crowd (usually first responders) and the awards have been “delivered” to the winner via Zoom. Tonight we could actually see people walk across the stage to give their acceptance speeches.

Tonight also notes the first time that a streaming service has received more total nominations than any of the established studios. NETFLIX leads the way with 35 total nominations, followed by Amazon with 12. The highest number of studio nominations is 8, shared by Warner Bros. and the Walt Disney Company.

Streaming has been the thing this year. Though theatres are now open again, very few people are going. The one closest to me, and 18 screen mega-plex, is showing films that range from current (GODZILLA vs KONG, MORTAL KOMBAT) to titles that are months old. They are even trying to fill their screens with Bollywood features.

In the past year, I have seen three films in a movie theatre. The aforementioned GODZILLA vs KONG and MORTAL KOMBAT, both in the last 2 months. Before that, the last film I saw on the big screen was TENET. And I LOVE going to the movies.

With the exception of TENET, every other Oscar nominated film or performance I have seen this year has been either on a streaming platform or a DVD screener. A nice way for a critic to binge on what they need to see but also a way that takes the fun out of the movies.

I enjoy going to the theatre. Getting my popcorn and sitting in a room with 250 strangers who are about to share an experience with me. I like hearing others laugh along with me and I like sitting in the silence and hearing if anyone else is crying at the incredibly sad scene I just witnessed. And I like talking to people as we exit the auditorium, discussing what we saw and whether or not we liked it.

I should note that there were no more than four other people in attendance at the three films I have seen in a theatre. Which makes for a lonely exit conversation.

Hopefully after the awards some of the winners will be released to theatres. That is how Hollywood makes a little more money off of their films – re-releasing them to theatres after the awards to get a post-Oscar push at the box office. I, for one, would love to see MANK on the big screen. It’s impeccable recreation of 1940s filmmaking would be glorious to take in on a screen 40 feet high.

However, there are also good reasons to watch the Awards this year. Many of the nominees are a “pick-em” – there are no such things as “Titanic” nominated tonight. But my fingers are crossed for two awards and the reaction they will receive.

The late Chadwick Boseman is nominated as Best Actor for his amazing performance in “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom.” It is his last film performance and it is brilliant. A victory here would not only honor a talent gone much too soon but will surely bring the house to it’s feet.

Secondly, tonight Glenn Close is nominated (for the eighth time) for her Supporting turn in “Hillbilly Elegy.” Not only is she the best thing in the film, she is so overdue for a win. Should she not win tonight, she will tie the late Peter O’Toole as having the most acting nominations without a win. O’Toole did receive an Honorary Oscar in 2002. A win by Close would surely trigger and emotional standing ovation. It certainly will at my house.

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Filed Under: Commentary, Film Headlines, TV Headlines Tagged With: ceremony, oscar, screen, strangest

Film Review: “Mortal Kombat”

MORTAL KOMBAT
Starring: Lewis Tan and Josh Lawson
Directed by: Simon McQuoid
Rated: R
Running time: 1 hr 50 mins
Warner Bros.

I can hear the pitch now. Couple of guys walk into Warner Bros. and layout their idea for a film based on the early 1990s video game MORTAL KOMBAT. “It’ll be great,” they tell the studio boss. ‘Every thirty year old with kids will want to take them to see a movie based on their favorite childhood video game. And, because we obviously don’t know that kids can’t readily see an “R” rated film, we’ll fill it with vulgar language and buckets of blood!” Mission accomplished.

The story in a nutshell: bad-ass bad guy kills bad-ass good guy and his family, but doesn’t know there is a baby hidden under the house. Centuries later, we meet Cole Young (Tan) who is, of course, an MMA fighter. That loses. A lot. An orphan (of course again) Cole has a family of his own, including a young daughter who is his corner-person when he fights. Sadly, despite her constant pleading, he won’t throw the uppercut, so he taps out a lot. But even though he’s a loser in the octagon, Cole has one thing the other fighters don’t. A strange dragon marking on his body. What could it mean?

Poorly written – I imagine the script was basically there to put a few minutes between fight scenes – and way over the top, MORTAL KOMBAT is exactly the kind of film I wouldn’t want my 37 year old son to take his kids to.

The dialogue, what there is, is very heavy handed, with words of wisdom that fall on deaf ears. Another issue with the dialogue is that some of the film is subtitled, with the subtitles telling you if the characters are speaking Japanese or Chinese. Later in the film they drop identifying the dialect. When one character speaks to Cole in, if we were paying attention, we know is Japanese we can’t help but hope for a subtitle that reads “I have no idea what you’re saying” (English).

While the fight scenes do liven up the film some, the violence is over the top. Yes, in the video game you killed your opponent in nasty ways. Usually your opponent would explode in a red burst and their bones would rain down. Violent, yes. But not like this. Here heads are crushed with a bloody splat, limbs hacked off and various blades are buried deep inside bodies, only to be removed in a geyser of blood. Heck, one character is split down the middle vertically with organs spilling out like quarters from a slot machine. Definitely not the MORTAL KOMBAT I remember playing.

A loud, rambling blood-fest, MORTAL KOMBAT is a great concept gone horribly wrong.

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Filed Under: Film Reviews Tagged With: film, kombat, mortal, review

Film Review: “Mank”

MANK
Starring: Gary Oldman, Amanda Seyfried and Arliss Howard
Directed by: David Fincher
Rated: R
Running time: 2 hrs 11 mins
Netflix

“Citizen Kane” is often regarded as the greatest film ever made. Directed by “boy genius” Orson Welles, who was only 25 at the time, the film would receive nine Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture (Welles was also nominated as Best Director and Best Actor) the film won only one Oscar, Best Original Screenplay. The award was given to Welles and Herman J. Mankiewicz but, according to “Mank,” only one of the deserved the award.

We meet Herman Mankiewicz (Oldman) as he is brought into a home far from the big city. Mank, as he is called, is recovering from an auto accident and has been hired by Orson Welles to write a story about a man obsessed with power but yearning for love. As Mank begins dictating his script, we look back at various episodes in his life that have made him the man he is.

A true love letter to the movies of the Golden Age of Hollywood, “Mank” is an amazing recreation of those exciting times before World War II when talking and conversation were almost a commodity.

Director Fincher, working from a screenplay by his late father, Jack, has captured everything about the films of that era, from the opening credits to the cue marks that appear in the corner of the screen to signify a reel change. The script is well written (surprisingly this is Jack Fincher’s only produced screenplay) and the dialogue is pure poetry.

Mank is a man who loves his work, his liquor and his women, though not always in that order. As he makes his way around Hollywood we are introduced to his fellow writers (Ben Hecht, S.J. Perelman and George S. Kaufman among them), Hollywood moguls like David O. Selznick, Irving Thalberg and Louis B. Mayer (an outstanding Arliss Howard, missing from the big screen for far too long). We also meet the “boy genius” himself, but in this story Orson Welles (Tom Burke) is a secondary character, showing up occasionally to add his thoughts to Mank’s script.

Oldman is perfect as Mank, accenting every nuance in his many monologues, whether he is sober or…not so sober. His performance is truly award worthy, and I have him neck and neck with Chadwick Boseman for this year’s Best Actor Oscar.

But the big revelation here is Amanda Seyfried, who plays actress Marion Davies. I’ve seen her in everything from the “Mama Mia” films to “Ted 2” to “Les Miz” to the underseen “Lovelace,” in which she made Linda Lovelace into a human being and not just a punchline, and have always enjoyed her but this is the first time she has completely inhabited a character. She has been nominated for a Best Supporting /Actress Oscar for her performance here and rightly so.

Production wise, the film is beautiful to look at, with much credit going to cinematographer Erik Messerschmidt, an Oscar nominee for this, his first film as DP. His cameras capture the era perfectly and it’s like going back in time.

Most movies about the movies are either hit or miss. “Mank” is definitely a hit.

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Film Review: “Ma Rainey’s Black Botom” (1)

MA RAINEY’S BLACK BOTTOM
Starring: Chadwick Boseman, Viola Davis and Glynn Turman
Directed by: George C. Wolfe
Rated: R
Running time: 1 hr 34 mins
Netflix

It’s a hot summer day in Chicago in the late 1920s. In a small, enclosed room a group of musicians gather, waiting to back up a recording session for the tardy Ma Rainey (Davis), forever known as “the Mother of the Blues.” Among the musicians is Levee (Boseman), a horn player with aspirations of musical fame of his own. He’s tired of being part of a “jug band” and wants to introduce the musical world to a new style. But he soon learns that Ma isn’t interested in a new style. And what Ma says, goes.

Like “Fences” before it, “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom” is a film adaption of an August Wilson play, again produced by Denzel Washington, who also produced, directed and starred in “Fences.” “Ma Rainey” is directed by the amazing 15-time Tony Award nominee (and three time winner) George C. Wolfe. Wolfe skillfully opens up the play on screen while keeping the performances front and center. And what amazing performances they are.

Davis is tough as nails as Ma, a woman a lot smarter than some give her credit for. She knows that her white producers only want her for her voice = that otherwise they would have nothing to do with her. So she wields the power her voice gives her by making demands that must be met. Whether it’s fetching her a Coke or ensuring that her nephew will appear on a record and get paid, she is as strong a Black woman as the times will allow.

The supporting cast of musicians are equally strong, especially when killing time by sharing stories of their musical past. Turman, Michael Potts and Colman Domingo share their tales with great conviction and, occasionally, humor

As the session producer, Jeremy Shamos is both firm and bendable, depending on whether he’s dealing with his boss or Ma.

God bless Chadwick Boseman. His star shone brightly with amazing work in films like “42,” “Get on Up” and, of course, “Black Panther.” He left this world much too soon, but he left us with a performance that will be remembered forever. Levee is a dreamer, but when his dreams are dismissed, or downright crushed, his jovial smiling face turns into a mask of anger, an anger that needs to be released. Boseman, like Ms. Davis, has been Oscar nominated for his performance and they both richly deserves to win.

“Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom” is currently showing on Netflix.”

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Film Review: “Crisis”

CRISIS
Starring: Gary Oldman, Armie Hammer and Evangeline Lilly
Directed by: Nicholas Jarecki
Rated: R
Running time: 1 hr 58 mins
Quiver Distribution

Even with the current pandemic circling around the globe, it isn’t alone in its destructive hold on the world. You would have to be living on Mars to not be aware of the horrible Opioid problem that is still being faced by over 10 million people in the United States alone and is claiming the lives of almost 50,000 annually. You would be correct in calling it a Crisis.

“Crisis” is the story of three very different people with very similar goals. The film opens with a young man running for his life through a field of snow. He is heading to America from Canada but is eventually stopped by the Border Patrol. In his backpack they find $500,000 worth of Fentanyl. Meanwhile, in nearby Montreal, Jake (Hammer) is setting up a deal with Mother (Guy Madon). He and his Armenian partners are looking to score $3 million in Fentanyl, to be pressed into, and disguised as, vitamin pills.

Meanwhile, at a small college, Dr. Tyrone Brower is pushing back against recommending a drug created to stop pain but is described as being non-addictive. Dr. Brower’s lab results tell him different but the school’s Dean (Greg Kinnear) urges him not to make waves as the pharmaceutical company manufacturing the drug are his biggest grant donors.

In Detroit, a mother’s worse nightmare come true when she is informed that her son has overdosed after consuming a handful of Oxycodone. Grief stricken, the woman (Lilly) makes it her goal to find out where her son got the pills. Eventually all three characters will be central to the story.

Well-paced by director and writer Nicholas Jarecki, who also has a role in the film, “Crisis” is a film with several twists and turns, each one taking your around the corner to another revelation.

Oldman, who is truly a chameleon on screen (he’s played everyone from a wannabe Rasta pimp in “True Romance” to Lee Harvey Oswald in “JFK” to Winston Churchill in “Darkest Hour,” which won him the Academy Award for Best Actor). Lilly is spot-on as the grieving mother who will do anything to find the answers she is looking for.

Hammer’s Jake is the most complex character. As his story unfolds we learn he really isn’t who we thought he was. We also learn that he has a sister who is hooked on drugs, which gives his character more impetus to carry out his plans.

The plot, based on a true story, jumps from one character to another fairly seamlessly, which is always a positive in a film with multiple story arcs. If I had any complaints it would be Lilly turning into a one-woman detective squad and the fact that Mother sometimes loses his Canadian accent, curious because Mr. Madon is, indeed, Canadian.

Those little quibbles aside, “Crisis” is an enjoyable film and well recommended. It also is proof, in this writer’s opinion, that they can’t sign Armie Hammer fast enough to play Batman!

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Filed Under: Film Reviews Tagged With: crisis, film, review

Film Review: “Godzilla vs Kong”

GODZILLA vs KONG
Starring: Godzilla, King Kong, Alexander Skarsgard
Directed by: Adam Wingard
Rated: PG 13
Running time: 1 hr 53 mins
Warner Bros.

It’s March. Do you have your brackets ready? Who are you picking? Rodan? Mothra? Typhon? How about King Ghidorah? With a name like that, how can he lose? Quite easily it turns out.

Off the coast of Florida an unusual creature emerges from the ocean. It’s our old pal Godzilla and he’s pretty pissed. As CNN reports the news, they question what turned this once “friendly” monster into a…well…MONSTER?

Meanwhile, on Skull Island, King Kong is just minding his own business when he suddenly finds himself captured and flat on his back on a barge on the ocean. Destination? I’m not telling.

Short on story but HUGE on special effects, “Godzilla vs Kong” is a perfect example of the mindless entertainment we need right now. Sure, Skarsgard, Millie Bobby Brown and Kyle Chandler – who must really enjoying working with Mr. Kong since he also starred in Peter Jackson’s epic 2005 King Kong” – emote in all the right ways but come on, you came for the Titans!!

As the two title characters make their way towards the inevitable battle, they have some fun along the way, destroying cities and battling other badies. Millions (conservative estimate) of innocent people are killed as entire city blocks full of apartment buildings are knocked over like dominoes. But you don’t care about them – you cheer every punch and laser=breath blast, clearly taking sides in the Fight of the Century!

The film is well paced and the visual effects are amazing. I just watched the original 1933 “King Kong” the other night and the effects here make the early stop-motion effects used in that film look like…well…early stop- motion effects. The effects come courtesy of Peter Jackson’s WETA shop and are so clean you can count every hair on Kong’s back as the wind blows through it and every scale on Godzilla’s rather large body.

Sure, you could stay home this weekend and watch the basketball Final Four, or you can treat yourself to the Ultimate March Madness and see “Godzilla vs Kong!”

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Filed Under: Film Reviews Tagged With: film, godzilla, kong, review

Streaming/Television Review: TINA

TINA
Starring: Tina Turner, Angela Bassett and Oprah Winfrey
Directed by: Daniel Lindsay and T. J. Martin
Rating: Not Rated
Running time: 1 hr 58 mins
HBO Documentary Films

I have a confession to make. And before I fill you in, let me assure you that my wife already knows. I have loved Tina Turner since 1975 when I saw her as the Acid Queen in “Tommy.” When the 80s hit, and I became a young adult, her music and her talent made my crush seem all the more worthwhile. Of course, thanks to her best-selling autobiography and the film “What’s Love Got To Do With It?”, the world knows that Ms. Turner’s life wasn’t all singing and dancing. And who better to tell the story of that life then the legend herself.

“TINA,” premiering on HBO and HBOMax this Saturday night, March 27, tells the amazing story of Tina Turner in five parts. First up is the story of IKE and TINA. By all accounts, Ike Turner was a terrible person, but while saying that I also must note that he was a very talented musician who is widely credited for helping create the very first rock and roll song, “Rocket 88.” A chance meeting with Ike Turner by Ms. Anna Mae Bullock of Nutbush, Tennessee led to one of the most popular musical groups of the 1960s, the Ike and Tina Turner review. Here we learn how Ike actually gave Anna Mae the name Tina, without her knowing it, We learn of the music and the popularity and we also learn about the horrible way Ike treated her. A lot of the film consists of a recording of an interview Tina did with “People” magazine in 1981, as well as current conversations recorded with Tina in 2019. I won’t belabor mentioning the abuse Tina suffered (in fact, this is something she is tired of talking about, as she tells more than one reporter) but to hear the stories in her own voice is heartbreaking.

The other four parts of the film follow the path that Tina Turner took to get to where she is now, the unchallenged Queen of Rock and Roll. And all along that path there were setbacks. Her first single, “River Deep, Mountain High” didn’t achieve the success it deserved. Her divorce from Ike left her with nothing but her name, something she had put in the divorce decree. Stuck doing Vegas-type shows, she yearned to fill stadium with pure rock and roll. You know how the story ends, but to see and hear it told by the lady herself is a grip worth taking.

Full of amazing interviews and even more amazing vintage footage, TINA is a must see!

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Filed Under: Film Reviews, Streaming Tagged With: review, streamingtelevision, tina

Film Review: “Nobody”

NOBODY
Starring: Bob Odenkirk, Connie Nielsen and Christopher Lloyd
Directed by: Ilya Naishuller
Rated: R
Running time: 1 hr 32 mins
Universal

BOB ODENKIRK – ACTION STSR!!!

Seriously.

A handcuffed man, his face badly bruised, sits across a table from two detectives. They stare as he takes a can of cat food out of his pocket, then opens it. They stare more as he pulls a kitten out of his jacket. “Who are you,” they ask?

Hutch Mansell (Odenkirk) leads a pretty dull life. Wake up. Make breakfast. Jog. Catch the bus. Go to work. Come home. Repeat. The same dull life, day after day after day. Until the day he hears a noise downstairs in the middle of the night. He comes across a pair of burglars, who confront him. Suddenly his teenage son tackles one of the baddies and Hutch has the opportunity to take out the other. Instead he lets them go, drawing the ridicule of everyone from his neighbor to the cop that takes the report. He catches more hell at work from his boss – also his father-in-law – (Michael Ironside) and his brother-in-law (Billy MacLellan). He remains un-phased until his daughter notes that her kitty-cat bracelet is missing, innocently commenting that it must have been stolen. This comment, despite the innocence in its mention, triggers something in Hutch, who heads out on a mission. And what a mission it is.

Action-packed from beginning to end, “Nobody” is a true cousin to films like “Death Wish” (the Bronson one, not the horrible Bruce Willis remake) and “Straw Dogs.” A film about a seemingly mild-mannered man who reaches his breaking point. Only Mitch is much deadlier because he has a past. An amazing past that puts him square on the top of the “People You Should Never Mess With” list.

Odenkirk, probably best known as Saul Goodman in the acclaimed series “Better Call Saul,” is a revelation here. I’ve been a fan since he appeared with David Cross in “Mr Show with Bob and David” and have enjoyed his supporting work in films like “The Post” and “Nebraska” proves himself a capable leading man. His is a character you keep learning things about, slowly understand how (and why) he is able to do what he does. The supporting cast is also very good, including Nielsen as Hutch’s somehow understanding wife, Aleksey Serebryakov as a Russian mobster and the always entertaining Christopher Lloyd as Hutch’s father, who apparently has passed down some of the family skills.

The film is perfectly paced – no slow spots and plenty of amazing action, all set to some great tunes that set the tone of the on-screen action.

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Filed Under: Film Reviews Tagged With: film, review

Blu-ray Review: “News of the World”

NEWS OF THE WORLD
Starring: Tom Hanks, Helena Zendel and Ray McKinnon
Directed by: Paul Greengrass
Rated: PG 13
Running time: 1 hr 58 mins
Universal Pictures

News is everywhere today. Back in my day, you needed to watch television to learn what was happening, both locally and around the world. Or subscribe to a newspaper. Today there are 24 hour television news networks, Facebook, Twitter and all other assortments of way to get the word out. So imagine having to gather in a darkened room, pay ten-cents and have someone read you the news. If you can then allow me to introduce you to Captain Jefferson Kyle Kidd.

Now that the Civil War has ended, Captain Kidd (Hanks, outstanding as usual) earns his living traveling the country on horseback, picking up newspapers along the way. He is known as a “News Reader,” and his choice of stories, and the way he tells them, earn him a decent living. It’s 1870 and tonight we find him in the town of West Falls, Texas preparing for an evening of reading. As he continues on his travels he comes across a young girl named Johanna (Zendel) who had been raised by Kiowa Indians but is now being sent to live with her remaining living relatives (her parents having been killed). Kidd takes her to the local settlement but is told by the authorities that he can either wait with her for three months – when the necessary people are scheduled to arrive – or take her to her family himself. She is now his responsibility. Determined to reunite her with her relatives, Kidd sets out with Johanna into the wild Texas wilderness.

Though well-paced, “News of the World” is not the type of film I expected from Paul Greengrass, whose amazing action work includes three “Bourne” films, “Captain Phillips” and the heart-wrenching “United 93,” which earned him an Academy Award nomination as Best Director. Along the way to San Antonio (where Johanna’s relatives have settled) the pair run into all kinds of problems, including a band of no-goods who at first try to buy Johanna then decide to take her with violence. But Captain Kidd is a sharp guy – and a hell of a good shot. As the film progresses, Kidd and Johanna form a bond. He is protective of her as a father would be and she does her best to help him with his business, imploring those interested in Kidd’s news service to ante up a dime.

Hanks is his usual excellent self, seemingly able to inhabit any character he plays, much like Jimmy Stewart did in his career. Ms. Zendel is equally outstanding. Already the youngest actress (she is currently 12 years old) in history to win the Lola for “Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role” at the German Film Awards for her performance in 2019’s “System Crasher,” her inability to speak English only intensifies her work as most of her communication is done through body language and with her eyes. It’s plain to see that Johanna has seen plenty in her young life and Ms. Zendel lets you see it on screen.

The film is beautifully photographed, with much credit due to Cinematographer Dariusz Wolski (“Sweeney Todd,” “The Martian”). He shoots the Texas landscape beautifully and a scene where Kidd and Johanna are caught in a sandstorm is breathtaking.

The film has been released on home video to coincide with the Academy Award nominations, of which it received four: Original Score, Production Design, Cinematography and Sound. Surprisingly, besides containing one of Hanks’ best performances, the actor was not nominated.

The disc also comes with plenty of extras, including Deleted Scenes,several Featurets and an Audio Commentary by director Paul Greengrass.

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Filed Under: DVD/Blu-Ray Reviews Tagged With: bluray, news, review, world

Meet Our New Contributor: Keith Stevenson

As Media Mikes celebrates their 11th Anniversary, we are proud to welcome Keith Stevenson to our stable of writers.

Keith has been a lover of cinema since he was a young man and runs almost 20 film pages on Facebook, with a total membership of almost a quarter-of-a-million fans. His pages include tributes to JAWS, the ALIEN anthology, Directors Ridley and Tony Scott, Spike Lee and Black Cinema and Filmology – A Cinema Group, in which he writes about films of all genres. Give the page a look by clicking HERE

Look for his first essay, on the film TAXI DRIVER, later this week!

Welcome aboard, Keith!!

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Filed Under: Film Headlines Tagged With: contributor, keith, meet, stevenson

Television Review: ESPN Films 30 for 30: “Al Davis vs the NFL”

I had only been in Baltimore about a year when it was announced that the NFL”s Baltimore Colts would be moving to Indianapolis. The mood in the city was like a close friend had died. But teams moving was really nothing new in 1984. I grew up in Tampa and I still own t-shirts for the Tampa Bay Giants and the Tampa Bay White Sox, two teams that held their cities ransom with a threat to move in order to get new stadiums built.

In 1980 the Los Angeles Rams moved from L.A. to Anaheim (since then they’ve moved to St. Louis and back to L.A.). Seeing Los Angeles as a prime place to have a team, Oakland Raider managing partner /Al Davis decided to move his team to the empty Los Angeles Coliseum, with the promise of upgraded facilities and, of course, more money. But it wasn’t easy.

Entertaining and informative, “Al Davis vs the NFL” is another feather in the ESPN 30 for 30 cap. The film introduces both Pete Rozelle, who would become NFL commissioner and Davis, who helped found the American Football League (AFL) and soon became the managing partner of the Oakland football team. We see Rozelle in 1963 refusing to comment on a possible merger with the upstart AFL (it happened in 1966) and Davis’ team always running into bad luck, especially against the mighty Pittsburgh Steelers. Glory comes so close for the silver and black, only to be dashed away by Franco Harris’ “Immaculate” Reception one year, and a field of solid ice two years later. Now Davis and Rozelle go head to head in Federal Court to decide where the Raiders will play next.

Told through archival footage, and narrated by reenactors, The film is an amazing look back at a much simpler time in sports. Though quite popular in the mid-1980s, football did not have the amazing impact it has now. As “Just Win, Baby” becomes the phrase of champions, we learn how simple animosity between two men led to a landmark legal decision. We are also reminded of some of the great sportscasters of that decade, including Howard Cosell, Phyllis George, and Curt Gowdy. The legal battle is fun to watch, as neither Rozelle nor Davis want to be the first to throw in the towel.

Of course, if you follow football you know that soon the Browns went to Baltimore and became the Ravens and the Oilers left Houston for Tennessee. Meanwhile, the Raiders returned to Oakland and then, this year, began -playing in their new home city of Las Vegas. You’ve heard the saying “you can’t tell the players without a scorecard?” Well, these days, you can’t tell the NFL without an Atlas!

Just in time for the Super Bowl (go Chiefs!), “Al Davis vs the NFL” airs on ESPN this Thursday, February 4. It will also run on ESPN+ after the broadcast.

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Filed Under: TV Headlines Tagged With: 30, al, davis, espn, films, nfl, ...

Film Review: “STALLONE: Frank That Is”

STALLONE: AS IN FRANK
Starring: Frank Stallone, Sylvester Stallone and Richie Sambora
Directed by: Derek Wayne Johnson
Rated: Not Rated
Running time: 1 hr 13 mins
Branded Studios.

I love me some Frank Stallone.

I was first introduced to his music when his group, Valentine, appeared as the street-corner singers in the Academy Award winning film “Rocky.” I played the soundtrack album to death and one of my favorite tracks is Stallone’s song “Take You Back.” He also contributed to and performed several songs for the film “Staying Alive,” including the top 10 hit “Far From Over,” which earned him Grammy and Golden Globe nominations for best motion picture song. Criminally it was NOT nominated for an Oscar, the category that year being overtaken with songs from “Flashdance” and “Yentl.”

As an actor, Stallone has turned in fine work in films like “Barfly,” “Hudson Hawk” (a guilty pleasure of mine) and “Tombstone” (he is the card player that accuses Doc Holiday of cheating early on in the film). With all of these achievements you’d think he would be a household name like his brother, Sylvester. Unfortunately despite his talents, that is one shadow he has never been able to escape. Until now. Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome…Frank Stallone.

This entertaining documentary begins with Frank Stallone in the next phase of his career…doing big band songs. Dressed to the nines, and sporting a pair of Frank Sinatra’s cuff links, he takes the stage to great applause. He is in fine voice and the crowd loves him. We learn that he always had a love for music and, when he caught Elvis Presley on television, vowed to make it his career.

Growing up in Philadelphia he played in a couple of different bands. He then formed Valentine, a band with several different line-ups (the third version is the one that appeared in “Rocky.”) Along the way he worked with both Darryl Hall and John Oates, who played guitar in Valentine 2. In a conversation with Oates we learn that, after he left the band he hooked up with Hall.

Having a song in the most popular film of 1976 should have been a ticket for musical stardom for Stallone and his group. Unfortunately, when the band had a gig it was often introduced as “Frank Stallone and Valentine,” much to Stallone’s chagrin. The shadow of his movie star brother followed Frank as a solo artist, with newspaper ads touting him as “Sylvester Stallone’s Brother, Frank.” One club announced his appearance by simply noting that “Rocky’s Brother” was playing.

But it isn’t just music that Stallone does well. We learn he is also an accomplished boxer and, as I noted, a fine actor. Unlike some “actors” who only get cast because they have more famous family members – I’m looking at YOU, Joey Travolta. You too, Don Swayze – Stallone never used his brother as a stepping stone. In fact, sometimes the name was a curse.

As the film progresses we are treated to a bevy of Frank’s friends, touting his talents. Among them are big brother /Sly, Billy Dee Williams, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Talia Shire – who can understand Frank’s frustration at being known as someone’s brother (her maiden name is Coppola, as in Francis Ford, and she wanted to be judged on her talents, not get a job because of who her brother is) and Steven Bauer. Attesting to his musical talents you have such musical icons as Bon Jovi guitarist Richie Sambora, Guns and Roses bassist Duff McKagen and the ever-young Frankie Avalon.

If you’re looking for a film in which the underdog keeps fighting, and you’ve already seen “Rocky” a hundred times, I hope you give “Stallone: Frank That Is” a look.

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Filed Under: Film Reviews Tagged With: film, frank, review, stallone

Win a Blu-ray/DVD copy of “Honest Thief,” starring Liam Neeson

Media Mikes has teamed up with their friends at Universal Pictures Home Entertainment to give one random reader the opportunity to win a Blu-ray/DVD copy of Liam Neeson’s latest action film, “Honest Thief.”

The film, written and directed by Mark Williams (“The Accountant,” “Ozark”) stars Neeson as a notorious bank robber who turns himself in, only to be betrayed by a pair of corrupt F.B.I. agents.

All you need to do is let us know in the comments below what your favorite Liam Neeson film is. Is it one of his action flicks, like “Taken?” Something romantic like “Love Actually?” Or something prestigious like “Schindler’s List?” Let us know below. One random entry will be chosen and that reader will win the prize. This giveaway ends at 11:59 pm CST on Sunday, January 3, 2021. Winner will be notified by email. GOOD LUCK!

“Honest Thief” is now available wherever you can purchase Blu-rays or DVDs.

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Filed Under: Film Headlines, Giveaways Tagged With: bluraydvd, copy, honest, liam, neeson, starring, ...

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