Tag: Good

The Hitch-Hiker: One More Argument Against Thumbing a Ride

Drawing of the stars of the Hitch-Hiker: Edmond O'Brien, Frank Lovejoy, and William Talman

The Hitch-hiker

Directed by Ida Lupino
Written by Collier Young and Ida Lupino

The review:

Here’s a brief film* about the dangers of picking up hitchhikers** back before the word got compounded. I like a tense drama with few characters and especially loved William Talman’s performance as Emmett Meyers. But mostly, I loved that film had a lot of scenes set in Mexico and the Mexican people featured in the film were not bumbling stereotypes.***

The verdict: Good

Cost: Free via Kanopy, the library’s streaming service
Where watched: at home

Consider also watching:

(Ideally I would recommend a list of tense mid-century noirs. But I haven’t seen enough of them, so we’re going with good car movies.)

  • Speed
  • Drive (I actually hate this movie, so I don’t think you should watch it. Read my review to find out why.)
  • The Italian Job (1969)

Further sentences:

*Seventy-one minutes! Honestly, films like this are a delight, especially if I don’t have to pay for them. Get in, get the story told, get out.
**Born in 1974, I’ve grown up with the clear message that any hitchhiker I picked up would instantly rape and/or murder me, but I know that in the 1950s, hitching was more common. Also, should I stick my thumb out, I’d only be asking for assault or death. Probably both. Is this true? Probably not. But that’s the message that has been pushed since at least the 1970s.
***Kind of a miracle, given the release date.

Questions:

  • Do you think that Collins and Bowen could have done more to overpower Meyers?
  • What was the tensest moment for you?

Favorite IMDB trivia item:

In an interview, Talman recalled an incident that happened shortly after the release of The Hitch-Hiker, in which he gave a chilling portrayal of escaped murderer and serial killer Emmett Meyers. He was driving his convertible in Los Angeles with the top down, and he stopped at a red light. Another driver in a convertible who was stopped next to him stared at him for a few seconds, then said, “You’re the hitch-hiker, right?” Talman nodded, indicating that he was. The other driver got out of his car, went over to Talman’s car and slapped him across the face, then got back in his car and drove off. In recalling the story, Talman said, “You know, I never won an Academy Award but I guess that was about as close as I ever will come to one.”

Other reviews of The Hitch-hiker:

An orange background with text: You guys are soft. You know what makes you that way? You're up to your neck in IOU's. You're suckers! You're scared to get out on your own. You've always had it good, so you're soft. —The Hitch-Hiker. Read the three sentence movie review: 3SMReviews.com

Night Comes On Captures Complex Sister Relationship

Picture of Dominique Fishback and Tatum Marilyn Hall in Night Comes On

Night Comes On

Directed by Jordana Spiro
Written by Jordana Spiro and Angelica Nwandu

The review:

Dominique Fishback (Angel) and Tatum Marilyn Hall (Abby)* play sisters separated due to both foster care and Angel’s time in juvenile detention. As they reunite, each has ulterior motives and it’s marvelous to watch them navigate around those motivations. While this is a movie about Angel seeking vengeance, it plays out in a very real-life, testing-the-waters way.**

The verdict: Good

Cost: Kanopy
Where watched: at home

Consider also watching:

Further sentences:

*I came to this movie after seeing Dominque Fishback in Project Power so I wasn’t surprised how good she was in this role, but Tatum Marilyn Hall was also excellent especially for someone so young.
**Much like as in real life, there are mundane obstacles and complications which shift this film from vengeance to relationships in an interesting way.

Questions:

  • Did you agree with Angel’s choices?
  • What was the best sister moment in this film?

Favorite IMDB trivia item:

(Also the only trivia item)

This film was partially supported by the Adrienne Shelly Foundation, a nonprofit organization that awards grants to female actors, writers, and/or directors of short films, feature films, and documentaries. The foundation was created by Andy Ostroy, the widower of actress, writer, and director Adrienne Shelly, after Shelly was murdered in 2006 at the age of 40.

Other reviews of Night Comes On:

(Metacritic had 15 reviews, 14 of them were by men)

Orange background with a white frame. Text: She used to say the cars in the night could sound like the ocean. Like the waves, running in and out like the tide. You squeeze your eyes tight enough, you could almost see the sun, smell the salt, feel the sand. —Night Comes On. Read the three sentence movie review: 3SMReviews.com

Project Power Has Dominque Fishback

Picture of Jamie Foxx and Dominique Fishback in the film Project Power

Project Power

Directed by Henry Joost, Ariel Schulman
Written by Mattson Tomlin

The review:

Project Power is an entry into the powers-not-heros genre of films* and includes an interesting premise, and a more interesting performance by Dominique Fishback.** This plays out as a perfectly serviceable action/sci-fi flick with some amusing parts,*** some fine fight scenes, and movie logic that doesn’t quite come together. Aside from Fishback**** it was nice to have have Joseph Gordon-Levitt as an undercover cop, and Jamie Foxx did his can-do Jamie Fox thing.

The verdict: Good

Cost: Netflix monthly fee ($8.99)
Where watched:

Consider also watching:

Further sentences:

*Also recently watched in that subgenre: Fast Color
**”Who is that actress?” I wondered as her scenes piled up. It turns out she played Amandla Stenberg’s half sister in The Hate U Give and has done mostly television work. But she’s one to watch.
***The muddled storming of the container ship was fun.
****Really, the reason to watch this film

Questions:

  • What was your favorite power in Project Power?
  • Would you take the pill?

Favorite IMDB trivia item:

Not related to the Marvel Comics series Powers, though it has a slightly similar plot: Combining the genres of superhero fiction, crime noir and the police procedural, the series follows the lives of two homicide detectives assigned to investigate cases involving people with superhuman abilities, who are referred to colloquially as “powers”.

Other reviews of Project Power:

Orange background with text: There are no laws on this drug. They don't exist officially. 'Cause every time we try to deal with it, some guys in suits show up to tell us to stop. —Project Power. Read the three sentence movie review. 3SMReviews.com

Viral is More Interesting Now

Travis Tope and Sofia Black-D'Elia embrace in a school hallway while wearing masks in the film Viral

Viral

Directed by Henry Joost & Ariel Shulman
Written by Barbara Marshall & Christopher Landon

The review:

2020 is the year to watch Viral, if only for current events comparison purposes.* This seems a fairly standard-issue horror film** but centered on a sister relationship*** and with the girls making a lot of the choices.**** It’s a creepy crawly film, but not gory, which made it a fun watch for a hot August night.

The verdict: Good

Cost: Free via Tubi (with ads)
Where watched: at home

Consider also watching:

Further sentences:

*At one point my reaction was: “Hey! We didn’t get survival kits delivered to our doors!”
**Horror is not my genre, so I can’t say for sure.
***In choosing between this film and Nerve (both directed by Joost/Schulman) I went with this one because it stars Analeigh Tipton, (Crazy, Stupid, Love and Two Night Stand) whom I love.
****Barbara Marshall, one of the writers seems to have written several movies that travel along these lines. That’s a fun treat!

Questions:

  • Analeigh Tipton as a bad girl. Did it work for you?
  • What part of this film felt very familiar?

Favorite IMDB trivia item:

The brief picture of the virus as seen on one of the newscasts is the same graphic used in the movie Outbreak (1995) to represent the Motaba Virus, using a red color tint rather than blue. However, the fictional Motaba Virus looks very similar to the Ebola Virus.

Other reviews of Viral:

Yes, God, Yes is Amusing, Sweet

Picture of Natalia Dyer in the film Yes, God, Yes

Yes, God, Yes

Directed by Karen Maine
Written by Karen Maine

The review:

One of the hardest things about being a teenage girl is all that sex stuff* and Karen Maine captures one girl’s experience exploring self-pleasure while also balancing what’s being taught at her Catholic school, plus dealing with rumors that have to do with her performing a sex act identified by slang she isn’t familiar with.** While she navigates her own path by mostly trying to stay on her church’s version of the straight and narrow, the rumors spread to the adults in her community and her standing falls. Natalia Dryer is a pro at capturing Alice’s befuddled confusion and growing skepticism in this amusing film.

The verdict: Good

Cost: $6.99 via Redbox On Demand
Where watched: at home

Consider also watching:

Further sentences:

*The Madonna/whore thing is a tough needle to thread, plus add in religious and family expectations, peer group expectations, gossip, cultural markers gleaned from the entertainment world, not to mention the possibility of past or current sexual abuse or assault.
**Maine makes the most of her time period: AOL when chat rooms could turn dirty without warning and search functions were minimal.

Questions:

  • What’s the best way to deal with unfounded rumors?
  • How do you think Alice’s friends shaped her choices?

Favorite IMDB trivia item:

No good trivia, instead a quote from Jezebel.com

There’s a lot of really great coming-of-age films, but they often show painful sex. I wanted to see women exploring their own bodies more. American Pie, The Squid and the Whale—there’s a lot of films that show male masturbation. But I wanted to show the female part of it. I definitely want to find other ways to show women portraying new roles in cinema that feel very familiar to the women we are and that we know—but we’re either afraid to talk about, or men have been afraid to show on screen.

Karen Maine

Other reviews of Yes, God, Yes:

Orange background with text: We pretended each marshmallow was a different mortal sin before burning it. Yours was lust. —Yes, God, Yes. Read the three sentence movie review. 3SMReviews.com

Half the Picture is a Full Portrait of Discrimination

Colorful pictures of eyes with movie reels in them. Text: The women behind the camera. The stories behind the women.

Half the Picture

Directed by Amy Adrion

The review:

The talking heads in this movie are all women* and all are talking about how hard it is to get a job as a director in Hollywood. Various areas of discrimination are covered** as many directors get to talk about what they love about directing and what keeps them from their love. One thing I learned: it’s just as hard to break into directing TV episodes as it is to direct feature films.***

The verdict: Good

Cost: free via DVD from the Multnomah County Library
Where watched: at home

Further sentences:

*Nearly all are directors, but there’s a woman from the Sundance Institute who pops in now and then, plus a few academics and a reporter who notes that she’s written the same article about the lack of women directors nine or ten times.
**Directing is “too hard” for women. What about their families? Crews don’t like to listen to women. Women can’t direct action/horror/war/most things. Male critics tend to not “get” movies made by women. Things made by women aren’t as good as things made by men.
***This was interesting to me because I’ve noticed that most women feature film directors intersperse directing films with directing TV episodes. It turns out that if you haven’t directed TV, the powers that be aren’t convinced you can direct it, even if you’ve directed entire movies.

Questions:

  • What do you think the solution is to get more women behind the camera?
  • Who is your favorite woman director?

Other reviews of Half the Picture:

Text: I think people have the impression that being a director is like an athletic weightlifting sport, when actually so much of it is about intimacy and connection and things that women are naturally gifted at. I think so many women feel like they need to take on a persona in order to be able to direct…and that’s just not necessary.—Lena Dunham. Half the Picture. Read the three sentence movie review at 3SMReviews.com

Into the Forest: Survival and Strength

Picture of Evan Rachel Wood, Callum Rennie, and Ellen Page in the film Into the Forest

Into the Forest

Directed by Patricia Rozema
Written by Patricia Rozema

The review:

Based on the Jean Hegland book that made a big impression on me in the late 90s,* this film highlights how the bond between sisters can be strengthened and tested when the world switches to survival. As distopias go, it’s a low-key one,** though stuff goes down, giving Ellen Page and Evan Rachel Wood a chance to show off their skills. I thought the timing was off, and the movie wrapped up too quickly, but I so rarely get to see two-person films where both persons are women, this felt like a treat.

The verdict: Good

Cost: free via Kanopy, the library’s streaming service.
Where watched: at home

Consider also watching:

Further sentences:

*Mental note I made after reading the book: Make sure to have a library of foraging and survival books on hand. I still haven’t checked off that note.
**Northern California’s lush landscape (played here by British Columbia) keeps everything from feeling hopeless.

Questions:

  • Are you ready to survive in your landscape, should you have to?
  • What’s your favorite two-person film where both persons are women?

Favorite IMDB trivia item:

Ellen Page was inspired to make the film after coming across the book written by Jean Hegland while browsing through a small store in her native Halifax. It was suggested to her by the woman working there and after she read it, she decided to produce a movie-version of the story.

Other reviews of Into the Forest:

High School Musical Meets Its Goal

Picture of Corbin Bleu, Monique Coleman, Zac Efron, Vanessa Hudgens, Ashley Tisdale, Lucas Grabeel in High School Musical

High School Musical

Directed by Kenny Ortega
Written by Peter Barsocchini

The review:

This movie is very good at what it sets out to do which is entertaining children.* As such, it features some perfectly serviceable performances done by a variety of attractive actors playing teenagers, some fun dance sequences, very forgettable songs** and a clear message.*** I found myself wondering if Zac Efron’s one-foot-on-wall lean**** was something he came up with, or was directed to do.

The verdict: Good (at what it sets out to do)

Cost: Disney+ Hulu monthly fee ($12.99)
Where watched: at home. I also sampled the Suite Life Movie to catch Cole Sprouse when he was an actual teenager and Right on Track to see Brie Larson when she was a teenager. I didn’t make it past the fifteen-minute mark for either of those films.

Consider also watching:

Further sentences:

*As I’ve revisited some live-action Disney films I loved in my childhood, I have discovered that they also were very good at entertaining children, and are not the quality film experience I’ve grown to appreciate as an adult.
**Mediocre forgettable is always better than mediocre and catchy.
***We can all work together!
****Which makes me think of 70’s catalog fashion modeled by men.

Questions:

  • How would you evaluate Zac Ephron’s career since High School Musical?
  • What’s your favorite not-really-good-yet-fun movie?

Favorite IMDB trivia item:

The movie was filmed at East High School in Salt Lake City, Utah. Students still use Sharpay’s pink locker.

Also this:
Zac Efron’s singing voice was that of Drew Seeley, who tested for the role of Troy. Seeley sang the entirety of “Get’cha Head in the Game” and the reprise of “What I’ve Been Looking For.” Efron only sings the first four lines of “Start of Something New,” the first sentence of “Breaking Free,” and during the scene on the balcony. The reason for this is because Efron’s natural voice was too low for that of a tenor and the producers wanted a tenor to match the role. Efron did, however, do all of his own singing in the sequels, as all the music in those films had been tailored specifically for his voice.

Other reviews of High School Musical:

Orange background with a white frame. Text: Look, you're a hoops dude. Not a musical singer person. Have you ever seen Michael Crawford on a cereal box?--High School Musical. Read the three sentence movie reivew: 3SMReviews.com

Catfish: Untangling What’s True and What’s False

Picture of Nev Shulman next to a portrait of Nev Shulman.

Catfish

Directed by Henry Joost, Ariel Shulman

Pre-review note: some people have questioned if this is a documentary or a pseudo-documentary. I’m in the camp of: Really Happened But Also Footage Recreated.

The review:

It’s quite handy when your good-looking brother provides you with the setup for an interesting documentary; in this case the brother, Nev, received a painting by an eight-year-old of a photo he’d taken. Back before the internet, perhaps a written correspondence might have developed, but in 2010* Nev connected with the girl’s mother on Facebook, and subsequently became online friends with the entire family. The strength of this documentary is not just that it coined a now-common term,** but the humanity in which all parties are portrayed.***

The verdict: Good

Cost: Netflix monthly fee ($8.99)
Where watched: at home

Further sentences:

*When watching it’s important to transport yourself back to 2010, when we were just starting to talk about how accurate the online profiles of people are.
**Seemingly accidentally, as it’s an ancillary character telling a story that introduces the term.
***The confrontation scene in this movie could have been handled a number of ways: anger, villification, outrage. Instead it was done with compassion and resulted in an honest story that was the selling point of this film for me.

Questions:

  • What was your favorite scene in this film? (I enjoyed the reading aloud of text messages.)
  • Do you think anything good came of this incident?

Favorite IMDB trivia item:

As of August 2011, the film has been hit with two lawsuits and, according to Catfish distributor Relativity Media, the film has an unrecouped balance of more than $8.5 million and will not likely ever become profitable. Both of these lawsuits have to do with songs used within the movie not being attributed to their creators.

(It’s important to do your due diligence with permissions.)

Other reviews of Catfish:

Orange background with black text: And there are those people who are catfish in life. And they keep you on your toes. They keep you guessing, they keep you thinking, they keep you fresh. And I thank god for the catfish because we would be droll, boring and dull if we didn't have somebody nipping at our fin. —Catfish. Read the three sentence movie review. 3SMReviews.com

Fast Color: Focusing on Relationships Not Super Powers

Photo: Lorraine Toussaint and Gugu Mbatha-Raw in the film Fast Color

Fast Color

Directed by Julia Hart
Written by Julia Hart, Jordan Horowitz

The review:

The Venn diagram of this movie includes circles for dystopian* and super powers, but also includes a circle for created by a woman** and in these overlapping circles things don’t play out as one would expect.*** While there is some cat and mouse going on, plus some mystery, this is mostly a family drama, which makes for a nice superhero change. While I wasn’t convinced by a character’s choice at the end of the movie, there was a lot to like about this film.****

The verdict: Good

Cost: monthly Hulu charge ($12.99 with Disney+)
Where watched: at home

Consider also watching:

Further sentences:

*No rain for eight years.
**Directed and co-written.
***It would be interesting to do a breakdown of the difference between movies with superheros and movies with characters with superpowers. Where does the power cross over into the hero category?
****Gugu Mbatha-Raw, for one. I’ve yet to see a bad movie with her in it.

Questions:

  • Would you be interested in a sequel, or a series set in this world?
  • What would be the advantage of having such an ability?

Favorite IMDB trivia item:

They wanted to feature the women between the camera and their abilities as often as possible. Director Julia Hart says superhero movies, films with big effects beats, frequently put the FX first and leave characters off to the side of the screen. They instead chose to acknowledge that the characters are “extra ordinary”—a description Horowitz stole from Toussaint—and that they deserved to be front and center.

Other reviews of Fast Color:

Black text on an orange background. It's gotten harder for us to stay in hiding. —Fast Color. Read the three-sentence movie review 3SMReviews.com