🌪️ 'Twisters' + 4 Favorites 🌪️
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Welcome back to the 4 Favorites series!
Been a busy spring and summer. April was a busy month for me, both on the new movies front and the writing front. May also featured a lot of new movies, so much so that I couldn’t just pick four favorites, and chose six instead. And I spent more time in June reading than watching movies, so the few films in that section are basically the only new movies I watched all month.
Ironic that I, someone who writes and edits for a living, would neglect my own newsletter for so long, but if you’re still subscribing to this you know I gave up any attempt at a normal publishing cadence long ago.
I guess it’s kind of like how you want to go to the mechanic whose own car is on blocks, or pick the contractor whose house is never finished being renovated. At least they’re getting work done somewhere. Or maybe I just have undiagnosed ADHD (according to TikTok, at least).
ANYWAY.
If you haven’t kept up with my writing over the past few months, here are some highlights:
I reviewed “Angel of Indian Lake,” Stephen Graham Jones’ fantastic, emotional ending to his Indian Lake Trilogy
I saw “Rich Men North of Richmond” sensation and professional choir-preacher Oliver Anthony play a sold-out crowd at Billy Bob’s in Fort Worth (I am not a fan)
I saw Tim McGraw in Fort Worth and wrote about how his earnestness is the key to his career longevity
The next night, I saw Tyler Childers in Fort Worth and my review ended up being about my grandfather’s love of country music
I interviewed an old colleague, Dave Thomas, about “Picnic,” his new book on Willie Nelson’s Picnic concert series (and made the front page of the Star-Telegram!)
I saw Hozier in Dallas and wrote about renewal, death, and liminal seasons
I also saw the Foo Fighters in Dallas, and wrote about Dave Grohl’s no-nonsense brand of rock’n’roll
And finally, I wrote about how Sony Pictures recently bought the Alamo Drafthouse, and I recapped a very dumb Twitter controversy about “Miami Vice.”
In addition to the movies discussed below, I also saw three plays in Dallas in the last few months: “Girl From the North Country” (dull and confusing, with shoehorned Bob Dylan songs); “Heroes of the Fourth Turning” (very thought-provoking and reminded me of so many late-night college discussions, and I’m still trying to parse that ending, months later); and “Hairspray” (such a fun time!).
I also had a unique moviegoing experience in April: I attended a “listening party” film for Pearl Jam’s latest album, “Dark Matter.” It was less a movie and more like watching the Windows XP Media Player sound visualizer react to the songs. But it was the first time in recent memory I’ve been able to just sit and listen to an album from front-to-back with no distractions. The album is great, and sharing that experience with my friend and fellow Pearl Jam fan Jesus was great.
But now, as Vin Diesel says … THE MOVIES:
🌪️ TWI$TER$ 🌪️
Technically this belongs in the June section because that’s when I saw an advance screening, but this is the only movie on this list that I reviewed for another outlet, so it gets special treatment.
Simply put: I loved this movie, it’s a geat remix of the original, features lots of hot people chasing tornadoes, and I can’t wait to see it again in IMAX tonight. Between this and “Hit Man,” I am hereby declaring Summer 2024 to be Glen Powell Summer™️. Read my full review here, and read all the way to the bottom of this newsletter to see my thoughts on the first “Twister.”
April
“The First Omen”
I was pleasantly surprised by this one. We don’t really need a prequel to “The Omen,” but this somehow manages to look great, have some gnarly scares and special effects, and have relevant commentary about womens’ bodily autonomy and harmful church dogma. Plus, it’s a modern-made horror film that is not about #trauma — always a win in my book.
I was the only one in my late-night screening for this, which just added to the spooky vibes.
Available to stream on Hulu.
“The Listener”
Speaking of #trauma, a lot of media has tried to directly comment on the early lockdown days of the COVID-19 pandemic. This movie, about one night in the life of a call helpline volunteer (a tour-de-force Tessa Thompson), effortlessly captures what a lot of people were going through — the isolation, the fear, the depression. It’s a hard watch in places but shows empathy for everyone involved. We’re all fighting our own demons, even (especially?) those who feel compelled to help people the most.
Available to rent or purchase on VOD.
“Monkey Man”
Dev Patel ripped his heart out and put everything he’s got into his directorial debut, about an unnamed man (simply called The Kid) hell-bent on revenge toward the religious extremists who murdered his mother and burned down his village when he was a child.
This thing kicks ass. It has gory, visceral fight sequences, great cinematography, killer needle drops, and features such an assured hand from Patel as a first-time director. I can’t wait to see what he does next.
Available to stream on Peacock and also available on physical media or VOD.
“Road House”
How it took me this long to see this masterpiece, I have no idea, but I have now seen the light. “Road House” is a vibe, “Road House” is a lifestyle. I was expecting a cheesy Razzies slugfest and what I got instead was a fun, earnest action film with some actually insightful koans about what it means to act out positive masculinity. Plus, everyone’s hot in this movie. Pain don’t hurt, mijo.
(The remake with Jake Gyllenhaal is bad, though.)
Available on physical media and also available to stream on Cinemax and available to rent or purchase on VOD.
May
“Being John Malkovich”
I walked out of the repertory screening at the Texas Theatre and couldn’t believe what I just saw. What a unique premise for a movie, what an assured vision from Spike Jonze, what a great performace from John Malkovich. Still thinking about all the Big Ideas in this film and the way we all fight to control and commodify one another. Spike needs to get back to making movies.
Available on physical media and also available to rent or purchase on VOD.
“Challengers”
The trailers will have you believe this is about a three-way among a group of young tennis players gone wrong. There is no actual three-way; “Challengers” is much more concerned with the nature of competition. The tennis matches are the sex scenes; the only way these characters express anything is through tennis. That theme, combined with three amazing performances, some gonzo cinematography and editing, and the catchiest Trent Reznor/Atticus Ross score since “The Social Network,” made this one of the top films of the year for me.
Available on physical media and also available to rent or purchase on VOD.
“The Fall Guy”
I spent the entire running time of this feature-length ode to stunt performers grinning from ear to ear. This movie was made for me, a person who makes it a point to see the Indiana Jones Stunt Spectacular every time I go to Disney World, and a person who gobbled up DVD special features as a kid. Funnily enough, one of those DVDs for me was “Big Fat Liar,” which also features a climax where the main character falls from a great height onto an inflatable in an effort to thwart an evil movie producer after extracting a confession from them. Such a fun time.
In theaters now and also available to purchase on VOD.
“Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga”
The quote that closes “Mad Max: Fury Road” reads: “Where must we go…we who wander this Wasteland in search of our better selves?”
The epigraph that opens its prequel “Furiosa” reads: "As the world falls around us, how must we brave its cruelties?"
The two movies are in conversation with one another, featuring a character that plays a huge part in both, but “Fury Road” was a full-tilt action film largely about Furiosa’s redemption; “Furiosa” is a Biblical epic about what the quest for revenge does to your soul.
Director George Miller doubles down on his obsession with mythmaking and oral storytelling here, and combines that with traditional “Mad Max” action and cars. One of the best of the year.
Available to rent or purchase on VOD.
“Hit Man”
A lot of Richard Linklater’s films are about identity, or the self — think of all the different parties the baseball team goes to, trying on different identities in the first week of college, in “Everybody Wants Some!!” or the entire concept of Dewey Finn in “School of Rock” — but “Hit Man” takes Linklater’s philosophical musings and throws them in a blender along with a neo-noir sensibility and a bit of the atonal true crime that made “Bernie” work so well. The result is a hot, thoughtful character study about how everyone’s sense of who they are is incredibly malleable.
It also helps that Glen Powell and Adria Arjona have amazing chemistry. That Notes app scene is one of the biggest displays of star power I’ve ever seen. A shame this only got a few weeks in theaters before heading to Netflix.
Available to stream on Netflix.
“Snack Shack”
This may be my biggest surprise on this list. I first saw this described as “‘Superbad’ but in the ‘90s,” and that’s kind of true. I’d compare it more to “The Way Way Back” or “The Kings of Summer.” These best buds aren’t trying to skeeze beer off of unsuspecting adults; they’re trying to earn money over the summer. When a gig opens up at the snack shack at the local pool, A.J. and Moose jump at the chance for legal employment. Will this summer change them? You bet.
I was blown away by this movie, and the way it gets teenage male freindships exactly right. It also employs and weaponizes its ‘90s nostalgia so well, and it understands that the moment your dad first shares a beer with you is just as monumental of a moment as your first kiss or your first big fight with your best friend.
Available to stream on MGM+ and also available to rent or purchase on VOD.
June
“The Bikeriders”
"Everybody just wants to belong to something."
This is a fantastic look at how men build the very same systems of toxic masculinity that imprison us, all in the search of some sort of community greater than ourselves. All this violence and bloodshed in this motorcyle gang started because one man wanted to look cool like Marlon Brando, and then couldn’t contain it when the organization got bigger than him.
Amazing accent work from everyone involved but, aw jeez, it's Jodie Comer who takes the cake. And there was one scene with Austin Butler and Tom Hardy by the fire that made me feel like I was intruding on a private moment. Just great stuff from everyone.
This is Jeff Nichols’ Americana version of “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood” or “Boogie Nights.” I loved it.
In theaters now and also available to rent or purchase on VOD.
“The Parallax View”
Unfortunately, a very timely watch.
Alan J. Pakula’s paranoid thriller about a secretive government organization that recruits troubled men to be assassins absolutely gobsmacked me. I’m so impressed by the editing and- the pacing, the patience of this movie. Not a scene, not a moment in this movie is wasted, every frame pointing us toward this film’s inevitable conclusion that Warren Beatty was always three steps behind when he thought he was one step ahead.
I especially loved the wide shots of Beatty looking like an ant while standing right next to large, Brutalist buildings. When you’re up against a conspiracy, you’re powerless.
Available to stream on MGM+ and also available to rent or purchase on VOD.
“Twister”
I didn’t see this in full until right before I saw “Twisters” (the cow scene was burned into my brain from childhood, though). So imagine my pleasant surprise when I discovered this isn’t really a disaster movie, but a combination of two of my favorite genres: Hyper-Competent Ragtag Crew Faces A Big Problem; and Will These Divorced Protagonists Get Back Together (Of Course They Will).
So much fun, a true 1990s “They don’t make ‘em like they used to” picture, in that the worst thing anyone could do is sell out (“He’s in it for the money, not the science!”). Deeply saddens me that Bill Paxton and Philip Seymour Hoffman are no longer with us.
Available to stream on HBO Max and also available on physical media and VOD.
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