Review: Netflix’s ‘Love, Guaranteed’ an enchanting date-night film

By Matt Pascarella

Can a dating website guarantee a user will find love? That’s the question to be answered by lawyer Susan Whitaker (Rachael Leigh Cook) for her client, Nick Evans (Damon Wayans Jr.) in Netflix’s ‘Love Guaranteed.’

Nick is suing the dating website ‘Love, Guaranteed’ because when he signed up, in the fine print it promised after 1,000 dates love was guaranteed. He’s documented every date and refers to them like episodes of the TV show “Friends” (the one who talked about cats, the one who brought her parents, etc.) He claims the website is profiting off lonely souls.

At first, Susan is skeptical of Nick and thinks he might be scamming. She calls him an opportunist. 

In the beginning of the movie, it looks like Susan might be a little lonely. She lives next to her sister. Susan is a workaholic for her own law practice which is struggling financially.

She finds out that ‘Love, Guaranteed’ will be represented by Tamara Taylor (Heather Graham) who is an extremely rich mogul. Whitaker tells her staff they need an airtight case.  As she is about to prepare for the case, she admits she’s never been on a dating website and is talked into joining one - for research purposes only. She goes on no more than three dates and is exhausted. She’s also interviewing Nick’s dates to make sure he just wasn’t working his way to 1,000 dates.

As Susan and Nick begin to spend more time together, they hit it off. Early on, they both make preconceived judgments about one another that they later realize were hasty.

They both meet with Tamara and her group of lawyers where they turn down an offer for $100,000. At this point, Susan and Nick are getting along more and more. Susan realizes it might be a conflict of interest and will give Tamara ammunition for her defense.

Susan also speaks with Nick’s ex-fiancé, Arianna (Kandyse McClure) who will take the stand at the trial.

One of Tamara’s lawyers, Bill Jones (Jed Rees) gets wind of the time Nick and Susan have spent together and what might be happening and uses a loophole to figure out a way they can win the case. Bill Jones gives Susan and Nick one more chance to take the $100,000 deal. They turn it down again and Susan tells Nick they shouldn’t see each other.

How does the trial go? Does Nick win? What happens to him and Susan?

I would recommend this movie. It’s funny, slightly predictable in parts and has a solid ending that also features a twist I didn’t see coming. Yes, it’s pretty cheesy from time to time; not sickeningly cheesy though. Just a sprinkle of cheesiness. It only dragged a little in the middle.

If you’re looking for a ‘date night’ movie, this is it. Two Tiffany (the singer) cassette tapes stuck in a car’s cassette player up. <

Movie Review: ‘The Rental’ an uneasy, heart-pounding thriller

By Matt Pascarella

Two couples book a picturesque house on the edge of a cliff for a weekend getaway and that’s the start of ‘The Rental,’ a new film available for streaming from VUDU. As the weekend progresses, a few unsettling discoveries makes it apparent this rental isn’t as charming as it initially appeared to be.

Couple Charlie (Dan Stevens) and Michelle (Alison Brie) book a vacation house for a weekend with couple Mina (Sheila Vand) and Josh (Jeremy Allen White). Charlie and Mina work together, and Josh and Charlie are brothers.

The house is amazing. However, once they meet the owner/renter Taylor (Toby Huss), he’s weird from the start. He says things like “why would you need a telescope in the city? Are you guys like peeping toms?” when Michelle expresses disappointment because she forgot her telescope. He’s also bigoted towards Mina. But that strange and inappropriate behavior is just the beginning.

As they are checking out the property when they first arrive, Josh finds a door under the deck with an electronic lock on it. Unusual? Only time will tell.

Later that night, Mina and Charlie kiss, which ends up turning into more.

The next day, when they are all supposed to go on a hike and Charlie and Mina stay behind; the two agree that what happened the previous night can never happen again. Meanwhile, while Michelle and Josh are on a hike, some secrets come out about Charlie that upset Michelle.

Mina makes a very alarming discovery in the bathroom that makes Taylor even creepier than he may have originally appeared. This angers both Charlie and Mina who need their secret night not to get out.

When the hot tub breaks, Michelle calls Taylor to have him fix it; unaware of Charlie and Mina’s irritation with him. Taylor comes over and is confronted by Josh. Tensions only continue to rise from there, turning into an altercation when Mina confronts Taylor about what she found in the bathroom. From there, things go from bad to worse.

Everyone begins to freak out a little and Michelle is so distraught, she takes their only car and leaves after she makes a discovery of her own. She doesn’t get far though.

Is Taylor or someone else following the four of them?

Why? What happens to the group?  

I was expecting a decent thriller and that’s exactly what I got. The well-paced plot sets the scene for something to obviously go wrong with this picture-perfect, Airbnb-type rental. While some parts of the movie are predictable, there were other parts where the plot didn’t go where I thought it would. There is some drug use, language and sex and a few gruesome scenes.

The plot is plausible and particularly unsettling, because renting a house for a weekend is not an uncommon occurrence. As this perfect weekend begins to unravel, I wanted to know how the characters were going to deal with everything and what was going to happen next.

‘The Rental’ is worth a rental. Five stars. <

Netflix’s ‘Project Power’ leaves viewers with questions

By Matt Pascarella

If there was a pill that would give you a superpower for five minutes, would you take it? Even if the effects could be detrimental? What if you could use those powers to help people? Would you take it then?

Biggie (Rodrigo Santoro) addresses a group of young ‘entrepreneurs’ and makes them an offer in the beginning of the movie. He will give them a product, a pill called Power and they sell it on the streets of New Orleans. A gentleman called Newt (Colton Baker) has some questions and says this sounds too good to be true.

Six weeks later Power is on the streets of New Orleans and teenager Robin (Dominique Fishback) is attacked by three guys who are looking for it. Detective Frank Shaver (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) shows up just at the right moment. He and Robin work together to catch guys who are trying to buy Power.

Robin has been saving the money she makes from working with Frank to help her mom (Andrene Ward-Hammond), who has diabetes.

We meet Art (Jamie Foxx), whose daughter, Tracy (Kyanna Simone Simpson) is missing, as he is walking along an apartment complex looking for Newt. Art wants to know who is supplying Power. Art breaks into Newt’s place. Newt takes Power and his body turns into fire. Art and Newt fight which leads to Art having a flashback about losing his daughter. Power is wreaking havoc on the streets of New Orleans. Biggie is also looking to expand his market.

In his search for answers about his daughter, Art kidnaps Robin. After a shootout between Art and some distributors of Power, Robin manages to escape. Despite their weird ‘meeting,’ Robin wants to help Art find his daughter, for a price.

Robin and Art find Biggie and where he is hiding. Frank catches up with Robin. Art, Biggie and Biggie’s crew have a shootout. Frank helps Art escape and arrests him. As Frank brings Art in, Robin follows them. Frank realizes he and Art have similar goals. They all head to a tanker where Biggie is planning to leave that night for a new city. Robin, Art and Frank all end up on the tanker. Later Robin finds Tracy.

Will Tracy see her dad again?  Can they stop Biggie? Will they all make it off alive?

I thought this was an interesting concept, though it’s a bit of a knockoff of 2011’s ‘Limitless’ where a pill enables the user to have 100 percent of their brain’s abilities. Instead of brain abilities, Power offers the user superpowers, like invisibility, becoming fire, super speed, super strength, the ability to become gigantic or it can also cause death. Some scenes are gruesome and bloody. There is a quite a bit of violence; a lot of gunfire and explosions. There is also language and drug use.

This movie had a slow start and only picked up a little as it went on. The special effects are cool. This was an action-packed movie, just not one that kept me on the edge of my seat or wondering what was going to happen next. The end left me with questions about Tracy and the fate of Biggie and his crew. It’s not a bad movie, just one that wasn’t for me. Five out of 10 explosions. <

Movie Review: HBO Max’s ‘Robin Williams: Come Inside My Mind’ a treasure

By Matt Pascarella

Earlier this month was the anniversary of the death of actor, comedian and all-around bringer of joy, Robin Williams. This documentary has friends, family and those who knew him talk about him. There are clips and interviews as well as footage from Williams’ stand up specials, USO tours, movies, TV and more.

I have been a fan of Robin Williams from the moment I first saw – actually, it was when I heard him on the big screen. I was 7 or 8 and I saw 1992’s “Aladdin” in the theater. The genie made me laugh. I remember the impressions he did and the way his voice changed to match his impression; like Jack Nicholson for example. I’ll be honest, at seven or eight you don’t know all the people he impersonated as the genie, but it made me laugh and that’s where it counted. From that moment, Robin Williams was on my radar.

A year later, I would see Williams when my parents took my brother, a friend of mine and myself to “Mrs. Doubtfire.” I remember trying to mimic the impressions he did. That movie remains a favorite of mine to this day.

Williams has always been a Tour de Force of energy and comedy from his late night appearances to when he played the character Mork on ”Mork and Mindy.” A fourth camera had to be added to follow him because three were not enough. 

The documentary opens with a scene from Williams’ appearance on “Inside the Actor’s Studio” with James Lipton. This appearance is a good example of how fast he thought and how energetic he was.  

Williams was interested in theater early on, and later gravitated toward improvisation and then stand up comedy. It is said later in the documentary, that he was more comfortable on stage than off. He attended The Juilliard School, but left during his junior year. It was after this that he got in to improvisational comedy. Standup soon followed and a former writer made the observation that “being a writer for Robin’s stand up is like being a pinch hitter for Barry Bonds – you’re not necessarily needed.”

Once the success of “Mork & Mindy” hit, it hit big. Williams got into drugs, but after the death of his friend and actor John Belushi, Williams got clean. He married, had a child and began making movies. It was around this time that he made classics like “Good Morning Vietnam,” or “Moscow on the Hudson” and “The Best of Times.”

He later got divorced and did theater and made even more movies like “Awakenings,” or “The Fisher King” and “Hook” (just to name a few). He continued doing stand up and remarried and had more children.

His oldest son Zak, said “his pathos was seeking to entertain and please.”

I highly recommend this documentary. I’ll warn you about the last 10 minutes, it gets rough. I knew what was coming, but there was a part of me hoping for a different ending. There is some language and sexual humor, but overall, it’s the story of man who just wanted to make people laugh - and share his spark of madness with the world. As Williams said, you’re only given a little spark of madness. You mustn’t lose it. <

 

Movie Review: HBO Max’s ‘An American Pickle’ not a typical comedy

By Matt Pascarella

It’s the early 20^th century. You work at a pickle factory. One day, you fall in a vat of pickle brine and are preserved for 100 years.

When you awaken, the world has completely changed and you know no one, except for your great grandson. Based on Simon Rich’s comic novella ‘Sell Out,’ this movie tells the story of Herschel Greenbaum (Seth Rogen) and Ben Greenbaum (also Rogen).

Herschel and his wife Sarah (Sarah Snook) moved to America in the early 20^th century where he worked in a pickle factory. After he fell in a vat of brine, and woke up in the 21^st century, he feels very scared and alone. His wife is dead, his child is dead, and he doesn’t know anybody.

He meets his great grandson, Ben Greenbaum who is very welcoming and excited to meet Herschel. Ben grants a dream of Herschel’s almost immediately after meeting him.

Herschel is amazed and overwhelmed by the current world. He is amazed that Ben owns 25 pairs of socks. As would be expected, Herschel is confused by some aspects of this ‘new world.’

Ben shows Herschel a photo album with pictures of his grandson and son. Ben’s parents have died, and Ben doesn’t like to talk about it. The two go to find Ben’s parents’ grave.

Herschel finds Sarah’s grave which is now under an overpass and in front of a giant billboard. This upsets Herschel and he gets in a fight with a construction worker and he and Ben go to jail. They are quickly released, but this upsets Ben as he had to pay bail. It then has a negative effect on an app Ben was developing. Ben has had it with Herschel and kicks him out.

Herschel begins selling pickles with found ingredients. They are a hit and his pickle business takes off. Ben sabotages it. Herschel is able to turn his business around and returns to Ben’s apartment to help Ben. Ben sabotages Herschel at least twice more. Herschel makes some bigoted remarks and people turn on him. He goes to Ben for help, unaware that Ben set him up all along.

What happens to Herschel? And Ben? Do they ever find common ground?

This is not your typical Seth Rogen movie. The movie follows the novella fairly closely but includes some things the novella doesn’t and vice-versa. It starts out very heartfelt but takes a turn.

While Ben’s anger toward Herschel for landing them in jail is justified, Ben is vindictive for a lot of the movie. Herschel does some things that aren’t great, and he does say some things that are not politically correct in both the film and the novella. Ben started off very welcoming and turned on Herschel pretty fast.

While this movie is billed as a comedy, I didn’t find it particularly funny. It’s funny in parts, but you won’t be laughing for 90 minutes - or even 50.

It’s still an ok movie and if you’re interested in seeing it, I say go for it. I give it one pickle up and one pickle down. <

Review: ‘You Should Have Left’ a creepy thriller

 By Matt Pascarella

If this movie has a central theme that runs through it, it’s nightmares. The characters rent a house where nothing is as it seems. And you find that doesn’t just apply to the house.

“Violent or upsetting dreams are merely the minds attempt to release the pressures of our daily thoughts and fears,” says the narrator of a meditation relaxation tape.

Theo (Kevin Bacon) is infamous for a crime he was found not guilty of and his wife, Susanna (Amanda Seyfried) is an actress. They decide to get away with their daughter, Ella (Avery Tiiu Essex) for a little while and rent a house in picturesque Wales. The house is enormous and is very nice inside and out.

Right from the start, you notice something is more than a little off about this house. Ella is the first to notice it when she’s playing shadow puppets.

On a walk one day, Ella asks Susanna ‘why people hate daddy so much?’ Before they left, Theo had mentioned to Susanna that he had been recognized when he visited her set. Susanna explains to Ella that before she met Theo he was married, and his wife died. Now, a jury did find him innocent, but there are people who think he had something to do with it.

More house-related weird things happen when Theo goes into town to buy groceries. The clerk asks if anything has happened in the house and if he’s met Stetler yet. And when Theo leaves, a woman is waiting for him at his car and gives warnings about the house. He brushes this off as just weird interactions.

Theo suspects Susanna of cheating and goes through her devices while she’s taking a bath. He finds nothing.

Theo is constantly noticing that doors seem to appear in places where they weren’t and when he tries to show Susanna, they are not there (of course). The house seems to be one big maze from time to time and Theo has trouble deciphering the dreamworld from the real world. This is most evident when he finds himself trapped in the many hallways of the house, looking for Ella. This comprises a very intense few scenes, with Theo even cutting himself to see if he’s asleep or not.

After talking it over, they decide to leave the house. Something stops all three of them from going.

What’s the deal with the house?

Who is Stetler? What role does he play?

Are the three of them able to get away from the house?

I’ve seen a lot of movies about haunted houses, but this isn’t one. This house has its own issues that have nothing to do with ghosts. This movie kept me interested through most of it and there are many details about the house that just don’t make sense and had me wanting to know more and more. It’s not particularly scary, but there are a few extreme scenes. It has some mild sex (no nudity) and language. Stetler creeped me out. The actor who played him did a fantastic job at making the viewer feel uneasy with what they were seeing. This is not an edge-of-your-seat thriller, but it’s a decent rental that will have you guessing why the house is doing what it’s doing to Theo and Susanna until the end. Two creepy hidden doors up.  <

Movie Review: Sequel ‘747 Meters Down Uncaged’ meets criteria

By Matt Pascarella

The Discovery Channel’s annual Shark Week will happen this year and is right around the corner. So, in preparation, I chose the sequel to 47 Meters Down on Amazon Prime as something to hold me over until Shark Week is here.

If you haven’t seen the first 47 Meters Down – not to worry. The sequel is pretty much exactly the same premise, people go into the water and must escape sharks, except with a larger cast. Unlike Shark Week, don’t expect to learn anything from this movie, except that sharks don’t like big speeches about how you’re going to outsmart them.

Mimi (Sophie Nelisse) and Sasha (Corinne Foxx) are step-sisters, who aren’t particularly close. Mimi is being bullied at school and Sasha doesn’t really stick up for her. When Mimi’s dad (John Corbett), a cave diver, gets them tickets to a shark tour, Mimi and Sasha skip the tour and go cave diving with friends (Sistine Rose Stallone and Brianne Tju) instead. Everything is going well, and everyone is having fun when out of nowhere, chaos ensues. The group gets separated.

Fortunately, they run into a friend, Ben (Davi Santos), but he’s no help. The group soon discovers they are not alone. More chaos happens around them and part of the cave collapses and the girls have to find a way out. In trying to do so, they only get more lost and oxygen tanks are starting to run out. Mimi knows her dad is working close to where they are and breaks off to try to find him. She eventually finds him. He helps the girls by leading them to a harness that will pull them safely to land. If only it were that easy. The harness gives way and falls into the water. Now, they are right back where they started.

Will they all escape?

Is there enough oxygen to do so?

How many sharks are they surrounded by?

While this film dragged a little and didn’t have my heart racing with excitement (or terror), I still enjoyed it. It had a few jump scares. That being said, it’s not as amusing as one of the many ‘Sharknados,’ but those are big fins to fill.

Parts of ’47 Meters Down Uncaged’ are predictable and in other parts it’s hard to see. I found it was sometimes hard to keep track of where each of the girls were, especially in the scenes where it’s much darker. There is a bit of blood in the water, as the sharks do kill a person (or maybe two), so if you’re squeamish, heads up. But I didn’t find it overly gory.

If you’re looking for a cheesy shark movie, this meets the criteria.  Two fins up – above the water, so look out. <

 

Movie Review: SCOOB! introduces Shaggy and his friends to a new generation

By Matt Pascarella

It’s an origin story, kind of. One with a modern twist. A new generation of fans are introduced to Scooby and the gang and will love their goofy humor and hijinks in this sweet and funny movie.

We meet the talking pooch while he’s being chased by the police after stealing a large block of liverwurst. A sad, lonely, young Shaggy (not his actual name) is listening to a podcast when it tells him he needs friends and should put himself out there. Moments after hearing this he meets an unnamed dog with a lot of liverwurst. When the police catch up to the two, he asks if the dog is Shaggy’s and what his name is. Shaggy names him there on the spot and a lifelong friendship is made.

It’s Halloween. Scooby and Shaggy go trick or treating. Bullies grab Shaggy’s candy and toss it in the old haunted Rigby house. Just as Shaggy and Scooby feel all is lost, they meet younger versions of the rest of the gang: Velma, Fred and Daphne. The group decide to go after the candy, but things don’t go as planned. The end of this particular scene brings back a well-known line uttered by bad guys.

Fast forward several years and the group sits around a diner table and discusses ways to expand their mystery solving business, ‘Mystery Inc.’ Shaggy and Scooby break off from the group and go bowling. It’s here that things get weird; and then they get weirder. Shaggy and Scooby get recruited by Shaggy’s childhood hero, the Blue Falcon and are asked to join the Blue Falcon’s mission.

To Velma, Daphne and Fred, this looks like Shaggy and Scooby were kidnapped. The three put their heads together to try and figure out where the pair could be. They meet bad guy Dick Dastardly and his group of robotic minions. Dastardly is after Scooby because Scooby is the last descendent of Peritas, Alexander the Great’s dog and only Scooby can open the door to a room of riches.

The Blue Falcon befriends Scooby and they go to fight Dastardly together which leads to Shaggy feeling left out. Velma eventually hacks into the Blue Falcon and the two groups meet. Fred warns Shaggy that Dastardly is on his way. But Dastardly is closer than they think.

What happens to Scooby? And Shaggy?

Can these meddling kids save the day and defeat Dastardly?

Or is there a twist here?

I’ll admit, I’m not the biggest Scooby Doo fan, but I liked this movie. It was a nice re-introduction of the classic characters from the original series and movies. With an all-star cast, it does have a similar feel to the Scooby Doo cartoons from the past. 

There are famous lines, similar sound effects and the classic hijinks any Scooby Doo fan, including the smaller ones, have come to love. Even the classic explanation “jinkies!” It features a nice message about friendship and being a hero. 

I recommend it whether you’re a big fan of Scooby Doo or just kind of a fan. One Scooby Snack u–wait ... let’s make it two, because Scooby could never have just one. <

 

 

 

TV Review: Little Fires Everywhere Will Draw You In

By Matt Pascarella

Based on Celeste Ng’s 2017 novel, this Hulu mini-series is set in Shaker Heights, Ohio in the 1990s, but has a familiar feel to current day.

The series follows Elena Richardson (Reese Witherspoon) and Mia Warren (Kerry Washington). Elena is an affluent, controlling mother of four who works part-time for the local newspaper. Mia is a single mother and artist who works multiple jobs and travels from town to town as she looks for inspiration for her art. The series follows the lives of these women and their children as well as a custody battle for a baby that was left at a fire station by Bebe Chow (Lu Huang) a friend of Mia’s; the couple who adopted the child and are friends with Elena. This causes a lot of the tension between Mia and Elena.

Episode one begins with a fire. Elena stands and watches her home become completely engulfed in flames. A look of absolute sadness permeates her face. The cause and reason for the fire will present itself at the end of the season – it’s an interesting twist. Elena and Mia meet because Elena sees Mia and her daughter, Pearl (Lexi Underwood) sleeping in their car and calls the police. Elena then rents Mia an apartment.

Throughout the series you learn the backstories of many of the characters and there is teenage drama, sex, and one daughter who makes a difficult life choice. There is a lot of interaction between the Pearl and Elena’s kids and everyone harbors their own secrets and lies. I was easily drawn into the character’s storylines and problems and felt the acting was well done and kept me captivated.

Race and privilege play a part in this series. Elena and Mia are from two different worlds and have completely different experiences. Early in the series, Elena tells her children that she and their father worked hard to have their kids avoid hardship. And later in the series, Elena’s husband Bill (Joshua Jackson), tells their youngest Isabelle (Megan Stott) she has no idea what they’ve had to do to live this life. Early on, Elena seems ignorant because see she doesn’t think about the things Mia thinks about. But later on, you see real malice in Elena’s mindset.

I also saw class struggle. A tale of the ‘have’ and ‘have nots.’ Mia and Elena butt heads a lot; for various reasons, and at one point Mia turns to Elena and tells her “you didn’t make good choices – you had good choices.” That comment was eye opening. I never saw it like that.

Kerry Washington is fantastic and made me see things from a different perspective. Reese Witherspoon also does a terrific job. I grew to really dislike her character toward the end.

Both actresses deliver emotional, sometimes anger-filled, performances that enhance the plot.

This was a powerful series that had me interested from episode one. I highly recommend it; very entertaining and well done.<

HBO Max’s ‘Ready or Not’ offers a surprise or two

By Matt Pascarella

I’m anxiously awaiting the arrival of ‘A Quiet Place Part II,’ so I was looking for a thriller that would keep me guessing and in some suspense. This was – well, I’ll get to that.

Grace (Samara Weaving) has just married Alex Le Domas (Mark O’Brien), part of the Le Domas Gaming Dominion. But before she is accepted into the family, at midnight, the night of the wedding, she and the other family members must play a game. This seems simple enough. As she sits around the table, some of the other spouses recount what games they played and they’re board games, nothing too complex. However, when Grace draws the ‘Hide and Seek’ card, it’s clear this isn’t going to be a simple as a game of checkers.

After Alex’s wedding ceremony, the Le Domas family is fairly unwelcoming right from the start. It’s very important to the father, Tony, (Henry Czerny) that the gaming tradition be kept going as the family is more than a little superstitious. They believe terrible things will happen if they don’t keep up this ritual.

After Grace draws her card, she asks Tony if there is any way she can win. He says, ‘stay hidden until dawn.’ It’s obvious this is not a friendly game of hide and seek. Alex does not play and does what he can to help Grace outsmart his relatives.

Right off the bat some unexpected things happen that I definitely did not see coming.

Grace does all she can to survive. And not everyone in the family is out to get her. She gets discovered several times, but each time is able to escape. She even steals a car at one point. Not to give too much away, but eventually Grace is captured. And here, a twist or two occurs. It gets gorier toward the end – kind of to excess. But maybe that was the point.

What happens to Grace and Alex?

What about the game of hide and seek?

Are the superstitions valid?

I’ll admit I was a little confused by the ending. I feel there are two possible routes that would have explained why what happened did happen. I had high hopes for this movie as the trailer made it look like a decent thriller. 

The first act is very good – I was drawn in by this weird ritual and this strange, cold family. But by the second and third act it dragged a little and I found it less captivating. 

The conclusion, while ok, isn’t as satisfying as I would have hoped for. A warning to the viewer: this is for some reason billed as a comedy/horror/mystery (on imdb.com) but I did not find it overly funny, aside from a few offhanded actions or comments. It is more violent and gruesome, with quite a bit of blood. 

There were a couple parts that were hard to watch. There’s also language and drug use. If you’re looking for an edge-of-your-seat thriller, I didn’t think this was it.

But try it for yourself, what do you have to lose? <

 

Amazon’s ‘My Spy’ fun for entire family

By Matt Pascarella

It’s been done; more than twice. A big guy has to, for whatever reason, look after a kid or kids and their tough disposition has to adjust to a softer one. Whether it was Vin Diesel in ‘The Pacifier,’ Dwayne Johnson in ‘The Game Plan,’ or even as far back as Schwarzenegger in ‘Kindergarten Cop’ the premise is not new. However, despite this being recycled I found a perfect blend of action and comedy in the Amazon Prime original movie ‘My Spy’ about a CIA agent, JJ, (Dave Bautista) who’s sent on surveillance to protect a mother and daughter and soon realizes this is no ordinary nine year old.

JJ meets a Russian general in the beginning. As soon as negoiations begin to go off the rails, the CIA team monitoring him become concerned. JJ even admits out loud that ‘being a soldier came naturally, but this is weird.’ He says he is good at one thing and proceeds to demonstrate what that one thing is. This action-packed scene has some great explosions.

Despite what, at first glance might be regarded as a success, JJ’s boss (Ken Jeong) isn’t pleased with JJ’s work and says he might not be cut out for work at the CIA. JJ is given a surveillance assignment with IT woman (and JJ’s #1 fan), Bobbi (Kristen Schaal). They are sent to protect Sophie (Chloe Coleman) and her mom, Kate (Parisa Fits-Henley) from Sophie’s uncle Marquez (Greg Bryk). Sophie recently moved to the United States from Paris and is having trouble making friends.

Bobbi and JJ set up shop in Sophie’s apartment building and install cameras in her home – creepy, I know. After finding one of the cameras, Sophie catches JJ and Bobbi and uses that information to blackmail JJ into having him take her to an ice skating party. According to JJ, this will be a one-time deal. Later, thinking her daughter is in danger, Kate attacks JJ, but Sophie sticks up for him. He joins the two for dinner.

Their one-time deal turns into more, when Sophie needs to take someone to ‘Special Friends Day’ at school and takes JJ. Sophie and JJ grow closer and do nice things for each other like when she tells him she wants to walk all cool-like away from a big explosion he lights a bunch of sparklers, so she can see what that might be like. This presents itself again at the end of the movie. All the while she is also trying to set JJ up with her mom; some attempts are more successful than others.

Bobbi gets upset with JJ for getting so close. Meanwhile, the mission to catch Sophie’s uncle has ended and the boss fires JJ and Bobbi. Although, the mission may not be completely over...

Where is Marquez?

What happens to JJ, Sophie and Kate?

Whether or not you think the the tough guy-kid genre is overdone I’d recommend ‘My Spy.’ It was fun from start to finish. Bautista and Coleman are an excellent pair. The music isn’t bad either. There is mild language and violence, but it’s also emotional in spots. The end will have your heart racing but will also make you smile. I give this: two blue betta fish up. <

Nexflix’s ‘The Night Clerk’ will leave you unsettled

By Matt Pascarella

Bart (Tye Sheridan) is an intelligent young man with Aspergers who works at a hotel as the night clerk. He lives with his mom (Helen Hunt) after his father has died. Bart has trouble with social interactions and cues, so he watches guests in the hotel to learn more about how to socially interact.

Late one night, a woman checks in. Bart begins to watch her through his monitors, even after his shift has ended. When trouble arises, Bart returns to the hotel to find her dead. He enters her room and begins tampering with multiple devices. Another employee of the hotel finds him in her room, which makes Bart the prime suspect. Detective Espada (John Leguizamo) tries questioning Bart but doesn’t make much progress.

A few nights later, Andrea Rivera (Ana de Armas) checks in and Bart becomes taken with her. They begin talking and Andrea tells Bart that her brother had Aspergers. Bart does admit to her he watches people to work on learning social interaction, but he’s not fully truthful about where he does this.

Meanwhile, Detective Espada continues his investigation.

Bart watches Andrea in her room and they later spend time together by the pool, getting to know each other and even share a kiss. Here, you learn a little more about Andrea. Afterwards, Bart goes out and buys new clothes, gets a new haircut and buys a car to attract Andrea’s attention, but when he shows up and calls her room, she is with another man.

Later on, the police raid Bart’s home, taking his computers and hard drives. This makes his mom very upset and worried. Detective Espada continues to pressure Bart. And Bart continues to spy on Andrea. Andrea stops by Bart’s home looking for him and apologizes to him. What for?

Bart notices a man attacking Andrea and goes down to stop it. It’s here that Bart comes clean about his voyeurism. However, Andrea has a secret, too.

What will Detective Espada find?

Will happens to Bart? Did he have anything to do with that woman’s murder?

And what about Andrea?

When this was added to Netflix, I jumped at the chance to watch it because it looked interesting. This was an unsettling movie for many reasons. The idea that someone could be watching you in your hotel room is very real; that could easily happen and probably has happened. Even if the reasoning is innocent, it’s still unsettling. This movie starts out fairly well-paced but drags a little in the middle. And the end, for me, was a back and forth of ‘what? Did what I think happen, really happen?’ I wanted more from the ending – a lot more. There were questions I wanted answered. I would still recommend it, it’s just not the best thriller/crime mystery I’ve seen. <

Move Review -- 'Being Elmo: A Puppeteer’s Journey'

By Matt Pascarella

You know his face and have probably heard his voice. Elmo is known by people of all ages throughout the world. But do you know the man behind this fury red monster? Kevin Clash has had an interest in puppetry since he was very young. This documentary shows you how Kevin got started and eventually met Elmo and the impact the two have had on so many.

“I didn’t know this was going to happen,” Clash said at the beginning. He had always dreamed of working with the Muppets. He was captivated by television and was a fan of the Wonderful World of Disney and Captain Kangaroo.

Clash loved Sesame Street from its very first airing in 1969. He wondered how the puppets were made and who was controlling them. He became immediately fascinated by the work of master puppeteer Jim Henson and whenever Henson had a special or a TV show, Clash was watching. He wanted to be a part of what Henson was doing.

Curiosity overcame him one day and he made a puppet out of his father’s coat. He was afraid of how he might react, but all his father said was ‘next time, just ask.’ From that point forward, both of his parents were extremely supportive. Clash began making his own puppets and performing at neighborhood puppet shows and for the children in his mother’s daycare. He had a gift and a dream. A dream that he stuck with from that point forward until today.

His first break came when he got on a Baltimore’s Channel 2 show called ‘Caboose.’ Now TV was more than entertainment, it was research. Clash watched the Muppet Show to try and figure out how to be as good as those puppeteers. He reached out to Kermit Love, who worked with Henson, and Love invited Clash to visit him in New York City. On a class trip, Clash met Love and was able to learn more about building and controlling puppets.

As Clash got better and better, people began to notice him, his skill and love for puppetry. He got a job working on Captain Kangaroo and brought Cookie Monster to life during a Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. He soon was asked by Henson to work on the movie ‘Labyrinth.’

Afterwards he met Elmo, who was a little different than the Elmo of today. As the years went on, Kevin realized what a difference Elmo was making and how happy he made children. Elmo was quickly a sensation. Now, Clash is in high demand and has earned more responsibility on Sesame Street; the mentee has become the mentor.

This was a feel-good documentary. I never thought about the voices behind the Muppets because they are so life-like and well done. Learning more about Kevin Clash and getting a small peak behind the curtain as to what it’s like to be a puppeteer was interesting. My niece is a big Elmo fan and I think it’s pretty cool that Clash is still making a difference for a brand new generation. I recommend any fan of Elmo, no matter the age, watch this documentary. Two red fury thumbs up! <

‘The Willoughbys’ animated film delivers powerful message of family importance

By Matt Pascarella

Narrated by a cat (Ricky Gervais), Netflix’s computer animated tale tells of four children who have less than desirable parents.

Father (Martin Short) and Mother (Jane Krakowski) are madly in love with each other, but there’s one thing they don’t love: children. Yet, they have four: Tim (Will Forte), Jane (Alessia Cara) and twin boys, both named Barnaby (Sean Cullen).

Willoughbys were soldiers, scientists, explorers, kings, philosophers, aviators and artists – until Father and Mother. The children are often told to be quiet, aren’t fed from day to day or are thrown into the coal bin for lengths at a time. Against all odds, the children still have determination, imagination and hope.

One day, Jane finds a box with a ‘beast’ in it. It’s not a beast, it’s a baby. Jane wants to keep it, but the parents say ‘no.’ Instead, the father kicks all the children out of the house. The children, wanting to restore honor to the House of Willoughby, bring the baby to, what they say is the perfect home: Commander Melanoff’s (Terry Cruz) candy factory. He happily accepts the baby, who gets named Ruth – get it?

Later on, the children hatch a plan to send their parents away because they think they’d be better off without them. So, they design a fake travel agency brochure. Little do the children know, their parents have a similar plan to hire a really bad, really inexpensive nanny in hopes to drive the children away. That’s not exactly what happens, though.

The Nanny (Maya Rudolph) sees how terrible the parents have been to Tim, Jane and the Barnabys. Jane tells the nanny about Ruth and they go back to Commander Melanoff’s factory, where he tells them he wants Ruth to stay. The candy man is a family man.

The parents are enjoying themselves so much, they decide they’re not going to return and will be selling the Willoughby home. With the realtor chomping at the bit to make this sale and people lined up from all around, the children boobytrap the house to drive buyers away. They even scare away the perfect family.

In a darker moment of the film, Orphan Services splits up Tim, Jane and the Barnabys because they believe a bad nanny has been caring for them. This couldn’t be farther from the truth.

With the entire family split up, will they ever get back together?

Do they need each other?

What about the parents?

Although this movie has several dark moments, it does have a powerful message: the importance of families, that come in all shapes and sizes. With its all-star cast, it stresses teamwork, adventure and when all seems lost, you never know what will happen; ‘the best stories are in the windows nobody looks in.’

It’s a clever movie that I think works on a level for kids and adults. While this wasn’t the best movie I’ve ever seen, I think it’s a nice for a movie night. I give it one and half pink mustaches up. <

‘Prop Culture’ holds interest for fans of cinema, collectors

By Matt Pascarella

Have you ever watched a movie and thought ‘I wonder how they made that prop?’ Or ‘I wonder where that prop came from?’ Well, Disney+’s Docuseries ‘Prop Culture’ sets out to answer some of those questions. This half-hour eight episode series, is hosted by prop collector and cinephile, Dan Lanigan, as he travels all over the country finding and learning about props from ‘Mary Poppins,’ ‘Tron,’ ‘The Nightmare before Christmas,’ ‘Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl,’ ‘Honey I Shrunk the Kids,’ ‘Chronicles of Narnia: the Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe,’ ‘Who Framed Roger Rabbit?’ and ‘The Muppet Movie (1979).’

Lanigan brings parts of his collection to each episode and talks with individuals who worked on that movie about their experiences and what they remember from designing the various props. Despite the immense popularity of many of these movies, many of the props are hard to find or non-existent.

What I learned from watching this series is that after a movie is finished shooting, props can be thrown away, save for a few special pieces members of the crew might take.

In the first episode, Lanigan tries to track down the original umbrella used in ‘Mary Poppins’ and Disney designer Kevin Kidney states he doesn’t know where the original is. However, he has plenty of replicas and recreations of the famous umbrella with the parrot head.

In the ‘Nightmare Before Christmas’ episode, you learn that sketches from Tim Burton had this originally as a stop motion short film. One of the very cool pieces you see in this episode is the original Jack Skellington which was created in 1982. You also get to see the Santa Jack prop, in his sleigh with his ghostly reindeer – which is very cool. A fun fact about this movie: there were 227 puppets made to make ‘Nightmare Before Christmas.’

Set in 1947 film noir Hollywood, ‘Who Framed Roger Rabbit?’ is a fan favorite. Lanigan sees early versions of Roger and learns Jessica Rabbit was based off actress Lauren Bacall. Plus, you see the venetian screen prop that Roger ran through, leaving a Roger shaped hole in the screen.

Lanigan talks with Brian Henson, son of Jim Henson, as he gives behind the scenes information about his dad working on ‘The Muppet Movie.’ Lanigan tracks down the van the Electric Mayhem traveled in and has an interview with Gonzo the Great, after Lanigan finds some of Gonzo’s original clothing from the movie. Plus, the episode ends with a reveal of a special prop used by a well-known frog.

Being a collector myself, it was very cool to see pieces from Lanigan’s collection and hear about many of the props from these iconic movies. The interviews from the people who worked on the movies are interesting. It’s fun to find out how they controlled certain creatures or characters in a time before computer generated imagery (CGI). If you’re looking for a series that semi-educational and entertaining, I recommend this one. Jack Skellington gives it two thumbs up.