God's Not Dead: We the People (2021)

'God's Not Dead: We the People' is the 4th film in this series dedicated to Christian persecution-splotaion. Reverend David A.R. White heads to Washington with a group of home school parents to defend their rights against elitist, anti-God, strawman who somehow manage to get elected in the most religious democracy in the first world. This movie ends with an angry speech it feels like White has been waiting to give for some time.

 The film marks the return of Muslim convert Hadeel Sittu from the first film, and offers something of a redemption arc for her abusive father, one which falls short of his conversion to Christianity, so impressive for this franchise. Fox News personality Judge Jeanine Pirro has a part as a secularist judge, and from this performance I suspect she makes a better actress then almost anyone else on her network, though I'd love to see Hannity try some acting, it would probably be very (unintentionally) funny. They actually went to Washington to do some filming for this movie, yet none of the interiors are credible as the halls of congress. This film is so all over the place and half-assed with its subplots that I liked it more then it's predisascors, but that still translates to *1/2.

Late Night with the Devil (2024)

 'Late Night with the Devil' is a variation on the "found footage" school of horror movies, one that might be dubbed "archival horror" or "docu-horror". The film begins with brief documentary style context setting, then purports to show the master tape, along with behind the scenes footage, of an infamous live television event, the October 31st, 1977 episode of 'Night Owls with Jack Delroy'.

Delory is played by David Dastmalchin, a name you probably don't recognize but a face you probably do, he was part of Micheal Pena's crew in the 'Antman' movies, his is also probably the only face you'd recognize in this film. Delory is a late night talk show host seemingly modeled after Dick Cavett, as evidenced by the side burns, the set and the stage actress wife. Perpetually in second place to Johnny Carson, and with his contract soon to be up for uncertain renewal, Delory and his producer are planning a big, live Halloween show for the first night of sweeps.

In addition to a genericy musical guest, they have scheduled a gaudy psychic, a magican turned professional skeptic (ala James Randi), and a doctor and patient duo, a parapsycholist with a book to sell and her ward, a 13 year old girl with a history of demonic possession. From an awkward opening the show consistently goes wrong, the sense of foreboding and chaos build to what, had it really happened, would surely have been the most infamous night in television history.

The film really looks its part, it feels like a 1970's TV talk show, period appropriate down to the 4:3 framing. Dastmalchin is perfectly cast, he's really selling it, while the supporting cast, all playing types, do admirable work. The background provided in the films docu style preamble provides use some subtexts to watch out for, including Delroy's involvement in a Bohemian Grove style group of power elites as well as the passing from cancer of his beloved wife the previous year. One can quibble with the ending, though I will tell you the film left me feeling a little unsettled, which in a movie like this is success. ***

The Place Promised in Our Early Days (2004)

 'The Place Promised in Our Early Days' is an anime concerning a love triangle, two boys and a girl who meet in middle school. The story is set in an alternate timeline in which the Soviet Union invaded Hokkaido, the northern most of Japan's four major islands, at the end of World War II and set up a puppet state there. While the film dosen't say when exactly it is set, it appears to be roughly contemporary to when the film was made. Our protagonists live in the non communist part of Japan, which seems healthy economicly, but war scares with the north are fairly common. In addition the "Union" state on Hokkaido has constructed a massive tower which looks like it reaches into the stratosphere and in which they are conducting experiments into parallel universes. Side effects from the work going on in the tower, as well as joint US/Japanese efforts to learn more about what is going on there play into the plot. These are some interesting ideas but the execution is far too slow and understated, I got bored. This was dull and should not have been. **

Notting Hill (1999)

 'Notting Hill' is a romantic comedy in which the awkward owner of a travel bookshop in the Notting Hill section of London (Hugh Grant) has a chance encounter with an American super star actress (Julia Roberts) and they fall in love. Written by the master of the Brit rom-com Richard Curtis, this is a charming film, the leads have surprisingly good chemistry, but its Grant's group of friends (including Hugh Bonneville and Gina McKee) which really made the movie for me, I want those friends. ***

Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire (2024)

 'Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire' is the 5th theatrical Ghostbusters movie and the 4th in its continuity. That's not an enviable place to be, especially given how beloved the first film is. Even taking into account the unenviable task, creatively and expectations wise of making yet another Ghostbusters film, the final product, and I emphasize the word "product" because that's what this is more then it's a movie, well its both too much and not enough. 

Take a look at that poster, there are 11 lead characters there, original cast, carry overs from the 2021 film and new additions. This is an overcrowded film, even when they don't give many of these characters much of anything to do. The plot feels like a bad guy of the week story from the old Ghostbusters cartoon series, with too much of the plot conventions of the original film grafted on. This whole franchise has had a real problem in coming up with new ideas since the original film 40 years ago, it all feels rather tired. 

New addition Kumail Ali Naniiani and to a lesser extent Patton Oswalt are the only ones displaying old school Ghostbusters energy here. The plot, which concerns a malevolent ancient god with freezing powers and the ability to mind control other ghosts, is well enough put together if kind of blah. The most inventive new angle is the relationship between Phobe Spanger (McKenna Grace) and a ghost girl played by Emily Alyn Lind, which has a carefully constructed ambiguity to it, it can be read as mere friendship or as would be romance depending on the needs of the viewer. All in all competent, but depressingly mediocre. **

Love Lies Bleeding (2024)

 New Mexico, 1989

Kristine Stewart runs a small gym where she meets Katy O'Brian, a drifter and aspiring body builder. The lesbian Stewart and bisexual O'Brian start a relationship, despite Katy working for Kristine's estranged father Ed Harris, who runs a gun club and is involved in various illegal activities for which the FBI is investigating him. Kristine also has a sister, Jena Malone, a mother of three boys who is in an abusive relationships with husband Dave Franco, who also works for Harris. Anna Baryshinko is a local lesbian with a major crush on Stewart, which makes her suspicious of new arrival O'Brian. The whole situation is a powder keg and at lest one of these people is going to lie bleeding by the end of the movie.

This is rather different, it's a Neo-noir, a melodramatic love story, there is some magical realism. Very strong on sense of time and place, solid tension, good performances all around. Those last 15 minutes or so are designed to be debated, I'm still not quite sure what to make of them. This film is obviously not for everybody, but was a cinematic experience that kept shocking and surprising me, I'm a fan of that. ***1/2

Mavrick (1994)

 'Mavrick' proved a wonderful flashback, though not as much to the old west as to the days when Mel Gibson was widely considered likable. An action comedy by a master of such, Richard Donner, who had helmed Gibson in the 'Leathel Weapon' franchise. The film is inspired by the 1950's TV western of the same name that started James Garner, who also has a leading role here. Notable cast members include Alfred Molinia, Graham Green and James Coburne. Jodi Foster is the female lead, apparently this is the film that started her unlikely friendship with Gibson. The story is low key and episodic with a winking sense of humor, enjoyable and undemanding, big tent entertainment confidently done. ***