Insidious: The Red Door

8/10

(Note: Contains no spoilers about Red Door, but contains a brief reference to the conclusion of the second film.)

After them being absent in the third and fourth installments, which were prequels, we revisit the Lambert family. The psychic father and son Josh and Dalton Lambert (played by Patrick Wilson and Ty Simpkins) had their memories wiped of their abilities in order to prevent the residents of the Further from gaining access to our world. Dalton's going to college now (credit should be given to bringing back the original actors who were kids instead of recasting them, (looking at you Independence Day sequel; Mae Whitman starred in The Duff, but she wasn't good enough to come back for you?!)). The hypnosis has left Joshua with a foggy mind and there's a rift now between the two. Soon, events cause the two to again investigate the dark and dangerous world of the Further. 

This is Wilson's directorial debut and he does a decent job of keeping up Insidious' distinct feel. It doesn't quite have the scare and cinematic quality of the first film but in fairness, none of the sequels quite manage it. Important thing is you still get a good heaping of creepy imagery and ghosts.

Like in the previous entries, this has a few jokes. It's rather one of the funnier entries (without damaging the atmosphere.) 

Patrick again does an excellent job as the Josh and he really sells his difficulty but also willingness to connect with his son and his mental struggles in general. Sinclair Daniel plays Dalton's new college friend Chris Winslow and is one of the hightlights, serving as the snarky comic relief as well as the voice of reason. Sadly, Lin Shaye as psychic Elise Rainier and Leigh Wannell and Angus Sampson as her assistants (who'd been promoted to leads in the last two films) barely appear in this.  

Unfortunately, the movie continues the sequel-that-came-out-some-time-later-than-the-last-story  trend of having the heroes end up in a far worse place than when we last saw them which has become really tiring. I think Dalton's mother Renai Lambert (Rose Byrne) was basically character assassinated in this piece as I didn't agree with her choices or root for her.

I'm not loving the lack of creative ambition when it came to the forces of darkness here. The Insidious movies have always been known for the distinct style of their supernatural entities. However, Red Door has lost that distinctness. Don't get me wrong, the ghosts and such are still scary, they just don't have that Insidious brand look to them. I was disappointed there is no new big bad here. I've always felt that a strong point of the films were that had new villain with a new look and gimmick rather than recycling. 

The scares are separated by lengthy scenes of people just talking to each other, which to be fair also kinda happened in the first film (I liked that three and four felt a lot faster), but it feels more obvious here. Some may get bored, but for me it wasn't a deal breaker, and I thought the dialogue mostly worked.

Kinda recommended. Many will enjoy another Insidious movie and this continues to deliver what we want. However, some may be bored by the pacing or disappointed that it doesn't 100% quite have that Insidious feel to it. I'd rank this above Insidious 2 and below the other movies.

Joy Ride

8/10

In Joy Ride, Audrey (played by Emily in Paris' Regina Park), a Chinese American who was adopted by a white couple. goes on a business trip with her best friend Lolo (Good Trouble's Cherry Cola) to China which turns into a search for Audrey's birth mother. Coming along are Lolo's cousin Deadeye (Sabrina Wu) and Audrey's friend from college Kat (Everything Everywhere all at Once's Stephanie Hsu).

This was a pretty funny film. (It may help not to watch the trailer. Some of the best jokes aren't in it, but a lot of the A-material is.) The screenwriters both wrote for Family Guy and Nora from Queens, which may give you a hint as to the type of humor. The movie earns its R rating and goes for broke with the raunchiness, including a couple bits that are definitely bold.

Though the advertising for this has definitely focused on the comedy, the dramatic underpinnings of Audrey's search for her identity work really well. The end destination of Audrey's journey is very satisfying.

It's nice to see this movie provide a spotlight for some talented actresses, who except for Academy Award nominee Hsu, naturally, whodr stock could still rise. This is practically Wu's first acting gig. All the actresses are talented and their characters well-defined. My favorite performance is from Hsu, who as the kinda fancy one who's an actress really nails her mannerisms and facial expressions all the time and never misses a beat.

There are a few weaknesses. Some of the plot points are very predictable and indicative of friendship-based movies. Wu is definitely funny as the socially awkward member of the group, but there is a little too much of the writers throwing in scenes where she does something random. There is part of the film where it definitely feels like a scene got cut and it feels a little awkward.

Recommended. Joy Ride's one of the better comedies this year and there will be moments that surprise you.

Asteroid City

9/10

During the 1950's or 60's, a group of people assemble at the titular Asteroid City, a very small desert tourist trap with a motel out in the middle of nowhere, for the Junior Stargazer convention. Soon everyone is affected by a strange change in events.

Wes Anderson is known for utilizing the same distinct style in all his films. (This movie in particular recycles his "precocious kids" dialogue from Moonrise Kingdom.) But, he's never gotten old for me, because the plots for his story are always different enough. This is no exception. Asteroid City is a very interesting film complete with a wide cast of striking characters , solid jokes (i laughed thrice, which doesn't sound a lot for some but for me it's a lot), and an intelligent script that hides beneath the humorous moments drama and an analysis of the human condition. 

The trailer for this is surprisingly deceptive. There's a lot more to the movie than meets the eye. Asteroid City is probably Anderson's most artsy and philosophical film and that's saying something. A person in the theater said "I don't know what it means, but I loved it." That's a pretty good summation. I wouldn't say you won't understand any of it, but it is a movie that requires interpretation, and there's enough witty dialogue that you won't be drowning in it anyway. The movie's weird but in a fun way.  

Like the majority of Anderson's movies, this is a visual smorgasboard. The cinematography and color scheme is made to make this look like a technicolor movie, maybe one of the best uses of color in film this year. I loved the orange-ish look of the desert. The sets have that unique retro feel Anderson brings. I also loved the look of the desert rocks. Asteroid City takes place in the U.S.A., but the location feels a little alien.

Anderson has a wonderful cast that's a who's who of acting including some of his regular players. Some of the new faces who he's never used before are Scarlett Johanson, Tom Hanks, and Steve Carrel, all of whom are obvious choices for this type of movie. Carrel in particular does a great job as the always civil and courteous motel owner. A face I wouldn't expect in this is Liev Schreiber as a parent of one of the Junior Stargazers. He doesn't usually get cast in stuff like this, making this a nice change of pace. Crash's Matt Dillon is also in this. He's only got one important scene, but he has such excellent delivery. 

Highly recommend. The story may frustrate some, but it's such an enjoyable ride. This may be my favorite of Anderson's works after Grand Budapest Hotel.

Blood & Gold

8.5/10

This German film now out on Netflix is about a Waffe-SS troop searching for hidden gold in a German village near the end of War World II. Caught in the middle of it all is a deserter from the unit Heinrich (played by Robert Maaser) and local woman Elsa (Marie Hacke).   

Between this and Sisu, it's has been quite the year for foreign-made WWII movies. This is a Tarantino-esque pic but unlike most of its kind it stands out. This is one of those movies where I can't say the entire story is unpredictable, but there are moments you can't see coming. The history of the gold is rather well thought out. I especially appreciate how natural a lot of the exposition about the gold and the village and characters in this is laid out without too much being shoved in at once or becoming boring and taking up screentime. 

The movie doesn't skimp on violence. Maybe not quite on the level of Sisu, but doesn't miss by that much either with a big Nazi body count. Going back to my previous comment about moments of unpredictability, there are a couple of inventive or surprise kills that'll get your attention. This includes probably one of the most unique assassinations I've seen in an admittedly macabre but clever scene that you definitely won't forget.

The movie's packed with well-defined characters in this movie of survival. Heinrich makes for a relatable protagonist and Maaser definitely has the build for an action hero. The two main Nazis in this, the determined and unsettling commander von Starnfeld (Alexander Scheer, the psychotic hijacker in vampires on a plane movie Blood Red Sky) and his nasty but capable second-in-command (whose name and actor I had trouble pinpointing afterwards, sorry) make for effective, albeit not original, Nazi bad guys.

Be forewarned that there is an attempted sex crime in this. If you don't want to see this sort of thing, then you'd best avoid. Also to the movie's credit, it seemed to be trying to be at least fairly accurate to history. However, we international viewers could be confused about more specific references without much context given in regards to the history of the Nazi reign in Germany. They don't happen often, though.

Highly recommended. Not for you naturally if you're not big on violent movies, but if you like this sort of thing it's a very entertaining film.

The Simpsons- Season 34

7/10

This is the thirty-fourth, 34th!, round of the misadventures of the Simpsons family and the other residents of Springfield.

This is another of the recent Simpsons quality revival seasons. (To lay out the timeline, there was the first two or three seasons where the show was finding itself, the next five or six seasons that was the golden age, the Jerka** Homer era where the show lost its magic and focused on celebrity appearances and shenanigans happening, plus Homer'd gotten too dislikable, then we got the reform seasons where Homer (voiced by Dan Castalenetta) was made nicer than he has ever been, and remains that to today, and focused more on character-based storylines which started strong but then felt at a loss for new emotional situations to put the characters in, and finally now.) No, this season isn't as good as the classic years, but it has better stories than it has had in a long time. There's a bigger emphasis on trying new stuff and not doing the same-old, same-old and giving other characters than the Simpsons more of the spotlight. There's also a lot more satirical episodes with solid targets. 

We even get one of the strongest Treehouse of Horror episodes in a long time (it's been a string of diminishing returns up until now), plus a bonus Halloween episode that's pretty good. I also highly recommend Lisa the Boy Scout, one of the funniest things they've done in a while. Even a lot of the less stand-out episodes aren't too shabby.

There are a few things I disagree with. I found Lisa's storyline in One Angy Lisa to be a terribly one-note to the extreme Lisa-can't-catch-a-break story. There are two Fat Tony (voice by Joe Mantegna) episodes that feel too similar to each other. Flanders is still too, well, "flanderised" with him being a religious conservative and less of the nice guy he'd been, and Skinner is too much of a mama's boy and the complete opposite of where the character started.

Animation remains strong. There's nothing complex about the look of the Simpsons, but I love the color usage in recent seasons. There's an anime style sequence in the Treehouse of Horror episode that is pretty sleek looking.

Recommended. Show's still no longer the king of comedy, but this is a solid and fairly entertaining season.

The Blackening

7.5

In this horror comedy based on a Comedy Central digital short, a bunch of African American friends from college are having a reunion at a nice cabin in the woods. Soon, a masked killer forces them into a deadly game that requires them to prove their blackness.

This was a pretty funny film. The trailers really don't do it justice. Sometimes with social issues comedies they can be like Velma in that they might go with the broadest, most obvious jokes. (And I stress sometimes. I'm not trying to be anti-woke. I just think there are writers out in there in the world that just don't do a great job of addressing the content in a humorous narrative.) I'm happy to say that the lines are often clever or silly and land.

Great cast in this all around. Apparently, a lot of this was adlibbed and everyone pulled it off. Standout is Jermaine Fowler (from Coming 2 America and Sorry to Bother You) as the nerdy and awkward Clifton. Admittedly, I felt his affectations, a twisted mouth and stereotypically nerdy voice, were trying a little too hard, but the guy has a way with his delivery. We also get the prolific Diedrich Bader (The Drew Carey Show/American Housewife) as a park ranger and the guy's always funny and lively in whatever he does.

I liked the set/location they filmed at. It looks like a pretty sweet cabin.

Some may find the first act and the setup for the characters to be slow at points. There's nothing downright wrong with any of the dialogue, but parts could've been cut short or restructured. There is conflict between a trio of the friends that while providing personality and drama just isn't really that interesting.

Recommended, this is smartly written and adlibbed and makes for a good time.

Ted Lasso- Season 3 (Final)

8.5/10

Sadly after only three seasons, Ted Lasso is coming to an end. (I see the merit of quitting while you're ahead and not having a show run out of steam. I've also read that filming in England for a part of the year is naturally a big demand of the Americans involved.) This final season has positive coach Ted Lasso (played by SNL alumni Jason Sudeikis) and his football/soccer team AFC Richmond trying to win and dealing with life.

This season isn't quite as tightly thought out as the first two. Too many characters' plots happen separately from each other, and for the first half at least, we don't get as many of the great character reactions or see actors have time to shine. But, it's still Ted Lasso and remains a hilarious show with heart and a wonderful array of characters. 

There are some overall excellent episodes and moments in this. With the second season taking many people by surprise with a darker tone that dealt more with the characters' personal struggles, this season is about overcoming them and ultimately delivers the final part of the show's message about the importance of mental health and healthy relationships. (You know, this show has a mild similarity to Crazy Ex-Girlfriend in that regards.) 

There is one plot element in this that is pretty frustrating and doesn't feel like something that would go down the way it would in real life. Yeah, it's just a show and there's suspension of belief, but it reeks of writers really wanting something to happen without caring about anything else.

A lot of people are complaining about Keely's subplot about her running her own PR firm. Admittedly it's really separate from the rest of the gang and perhaps it could've been told more precisely, but I liked it. Had some decent jokes and I liked the characters in that storyline. Nate's subplot on the other hand is the weak point. He's separated from everyone even more so and the writers didn't seem quite sure of how to handle it. Not a lot of jokes on that end. The story definitely has its reasons for being less humorous, but if you do skimp on the jokes in a comedy, you've got make sure the story is engrossing, which it isn't. Plus, antagonistic millionaire Rupert Mannion (Buffy the Vampire Slayer's Anthony Head) appears a lot. He can be delightfully awful, and Head does a great job at being slimy, but he becomes a bit much when he's overexposed and there's no one around to poke holes in his ego. (Plus, they're trying too hard to show him as the bad guy. The look of his clothes and office feel like overkill.)

Again, the entire cast is wonderful. There just isn't time to address all of them. MVP would probably be Phil Dunster as scampish player Jamie Tartt. It's impressive to see a character that started off as the team's jerk become one of it's funniest and most likable characters. 

Highly recommended. For a final season, structurally it could've been better organized, but it's still Ted Lasso and a better watch than most shows out right now. The finale is the ending the show deserves.