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“Scream”
Given that the first “Scream” film, directed by the legendary Wes Craven, was released in 1996, I approached this movie with a bit of hesitation. But I must admit that I was delighted from the beginning to its surprisingly earnest conclusion.
First of all, I went with a friend who likes bizarre films. Here, he completely enjoyed mocking me when I mumbled “Jesus Christ” when I constantly assumed that Ghostface lurked behind every opened door!
You watch teenagers in Woodsboro, California, receive calls from the killer to announce that they are on his hit list. Stabbings occur as Courteney Cox, David Arquette and Neve Campbell reappear to try and help.
A great feature of the movie is the way it satirizes itself. The cast refers to this film as a “requel.” They have all watched the previous movies, referred to by them as “Stab,” that focused on the original killings by Ghostface.
As examples of the humor, watch what happens when one of the teenagers is showering in a scene that replicates Hitchcock’s “Psycho” (1960). In addition, there is a fabulous moment when a high school girl is watching an earlier “Stab” film at home on a couch while Ghostface approaches a girl on a couch in the “Stab” movie. Guess who is slinking up behind our young girl?
So you get an idea of what awaits you if some of you mumble, “Ah, the hell with it, I’m going to see it.” I suspect you won’t be disappointed.
“The Velvet Queen”
Though the film has beautiful cinematography, it unfortunately has little else. As a photographer and his writer friend go on a quest in the Tibetan highlands to document the elusive snow leopard, you get the feeling that the animal found the boys far too boring to come out of hiding.
Let me put it this way: Assume you and your spouse were going to drive to the Grand Canyon. Assume further that you agreed to take another couple with you. How would you react if your companions turned out to be both tedious and uninteresting beyond relief? As you contemplate that nightmare, you know what awaits if you decide to see this movie.
And I am not exaggerating in the slightest. To the contrary, let me just alert you that the leopard doesn’t appear until the last 10 minutes of the film. You can almost hear him mumbling to our two adventurers, “Alright, you found me, now please go away!”
Let me close by again recommending that you see “The Eagle Huntress” (2016). A brilliant film, you watch Aisholpan, a 13-year-old girl, trying to become the first female eagle hunter in her village on the Mongolian Steppe.
Opposed by the men, she is helped by her father, who believes his daughter is just as capable as her male critics. Her ensuing adventure is marvelous to watch, and you will never forget her relationship with an eagle that lands on her arm as she rides a horse.
No woman who has faced discrimination on any level should miss this inspiring movie.
Oscar nominations
Let me make a few brief remarks about the Oscar nominations and I’ll dig into this later in more detail. However, the awards ceremony could rival the lackluster ratings of this year’s Olympics when audience viewership is measured on March 27.
To begin with, many of you could rightfully assert that I’ve lost my standing as a movie reviewer. While I previously dismissed “The Power of the Dog” as a tedious, boring film, it leads all movies with 12 nominations! While I stand by my analysis, maybe I was suffering from mental exhaustion when I watched it. After all, it became the third picture in my life that I walked out of before the ending!
Regardless, I’m rooting for both “Coda” and “Belfast.” While I hope “Coda” prevails, these two films stand head and shoulders above the remaining nominees.
As for best actress, Jessica Chastain clearly should win for “The Eyes of Tammy Faye.” And for obvious reasons that movie should win for makeup and hair if it can beat out “Cruella.”
As for best original song, I loved both Van Morrison’s “Down to Joy” in “Belfast” and Billie Eilish’s “No Time to Die” in that film. However, expect the award to go to Lin-Manuel Miranda’s “Dos Orguitas” in “Encanto.”
While I’ll reserve comment on the best picture nominees, it is appalling that this years “Spider-Man” didn’t get recognized. More people saw this film than the rest of the nominees combined, so need I say more?
Let me close by saying that “Cruella” should win for costume design and both Ciaran Hinds (“Belfast”) and Troy Kotsur (“Coda”) should split the best supporting actor award if that was permitted this year.
While there are other award categories, let me reserve comment. It’s time for my mental health examination following my “Power of the Dog” review!•
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Robert Hammerle practices criminal law in Indianapolis. When he is not in the courtroom or the office, Bob can likely be found at one of his favorite movie theaters preparing to review the latest films. To read more of his reviews, visit www.bigmouthbobs.com. Opinions expressed are those of the author.
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