“The Color Purple” – How To Adapt A Musical Beautifully 101

Posted on December 19, 2023 by Denise

“We are more than kings and queens. We are the center of the universe.”

Genre I’d put it in: Musical Adaptations That Become A Master Class In Their Genre
Release Date: 2023
Remake, Sequel, Based-On, or Original: Based on the musical of the novel by Alice Walker, as well as that novel’s film adaptation. With me so far?

Gotta say: I don’t typically blow smoke up a movie’s patoot. It’s rare when I fawn and gush, even when I’m absolutely twitterpated. I’ll like something. I’ll love something. But Purple? Is how you do a theater musical adaptation y’all. It’s cinematic perfection, taking the onstage story, blocking, songs, and characters, and using the cinematic medium beautifully to bring the best bits of everything to a completely different art form. I truly left this screening all teary and sniffly. Mostly because that climactic end scene/song was so freaking beautiful. But also because I was that happy. Don’t worry; I’ll be back to my monstrous self in no time. But ’til then? This Grinch’s heart grew the day I saw Purple.

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TrailerWatch – A24’s “Civil War” scares the [RADIO EDIT] out of me

Posted on December 14, 2023 by Denise

“What kind of American are you? You don’t know?”

Alex Garland creates an America that is no longer united in this first look at his 2024 film. And with today’s charged climate? It’s terrifyingly on point.

While the states that secede are a little all over the place – Florida, Texas, California, Louisiana, etc – I’m sure that’s so the film is more allegory than finger pointing. Nick Offerman as a dictatorial third-term President hints at a possible reason for the rebellions… Offerman’s POTUS is something I’ve gotta see; I loved his nuanced performance in The Last of Us, so it’s highly probable he’ll deliver a powerful performance in this film.

Civil War has the bones of a throwaway action film… But with Garland’s prior work on Ex Machina, Annihilation, and 28 Days Later? There’s surely a deeper, more thoughtful gut punch hidden under the basic premise.

Civil War hits theaters on April 26

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“Godzilla Minus One” harks back to Kaiju classics while keeping things fresh

Posted on December 6, 2023 by Denise

“This country never changes. Perhaps it can’t.”

Story: In the aftermath of the Japanese loss in WWII, Kōichi Shikishima, a failed kamikaze pilot, tries to pick up the pieces of his life amid shame and self-loathing, while trying to figure out what the heck he saw on Odo Island in 1945. (Hint: it had atomic breath.) By 1947, Kōichi has taken in Noriko, an unhoused young woman, and Akiko, an infant Noriko herself rescued from the wreckage of Tokyo. They settle into a routine with friends and neighbors, rebuilding their lives and their city. Their ersatz family slowly morphs into the real thing, until…did you hear that boom? GOJIRAAAAAAA!!!!

Genre I’d put it in: Modern MAN IN SUIT Classics
Release Date: 2023
Remake, Sequel, Based-On, or Original: Part of Toho Studio’s Godzilla-verse

Gotta say: Yes, I realize that on a technological level, One has both feet firmly planted in the 21st Century. There’s no suit, there is only CGI…and awesome technical work at that. But. There’s a vibe in this film that harks back to the original 1954 Toho Studio film, right down to the look of the (now surely digitized) film stock. One takes its place among the pantheon of Japanese Kaiju films, and for me? It’s one of the best. Am I saying that One is an instant classic? Yep. That’s exactly what I said.

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In Queue Review – “Scream of the Wolf” (aka “Wolf Manor”)

Posted on November 30, 2023 by Denise

“Trust me. I’m a producer.”

Genre: Furry Horror Comedies
Release Date: 2023 (wide & streaming), 2022 (Festival circuit)
Where I Watched: Shudder

Gist: Crimson Manor, the latest installment of a beloved Gothic vampire series, is wrapping up production at a huge ol’ Talbot Manor. Who cares if they should have left when their contract expired yesterday? We’ve got a gorgeous full moon, a drunk lead, and plenty of B-roll to shoot. Might be here all night. What’s that howl?

Gotta say: MAN IN SUIT! And he’s gloriously cheesy! Wolf knows you want some laughs, some gore, and a few moments of suspense. Boom, here it is. This film winks at the audience often, to make sure you’re in on the silliness. If you’re into meta stories, this one’s for you.

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Columbia Screening Pass-palooza – “Wish”!

Posted on November 18, 2023 by Denise

Ready for some magic? Synopsis!

Walt Disney Animation Studios’ “Wish” is an all-new musical-comedy welcoming audiences to the magical kingdom of Rosas, where Asha, a sharp-witted idealist, makes a wish so powerful that it is answered by a cosmic force—a little ball of boundless energy called Star. Together, Asha and Star confront a most formidable foe—the ruler of Rosas, King Magnifico—to save her community and prove that when the will of one courageous human connects with the magic of the stars, wondrous things can happen.

Ready? Let’s go!

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“Wish” – new story, old hat

Posted on November 17, 2023 by Denise


“A squirrel just said good morning to me…. What do you say to a squirrel?”

Story: Welcome to the Kingdom of Rosas! Here, our King is a magnificent sorcerer that can grant wishes! Just give him your wish on your 18th birthday – or as soon as you enter the kingdom if you’re older – and he will keep it safe for you, until he grants it. Maybe grants it. Soon-to-be 18 year old Asha isn’t sure about that, after she interviews to become his appretice. So she wishes in secret. A wish so powerful it…but I’m getting ahead of myself. Hey, talking mushrooms!

Genre I’d put it in: Lackluster Disney Offerings
Release Date: 2023
Remake, Sequel, Based-On, or Original: Original, but shamelessly rips off harks back to Disney films like Tangled, Frozen, and Pocahontas.

Gotta say: Wish feels like a throwback to the Bronze Age; a film with all good intentions, but with little of those hopes translating to the screen. Children, die-hard Disney adults, and many theater kids will have a good time, but this kid felt cheated. I’m not mad, I’m disappoint…no. I’m kinda mad. When I left the screening, I tried my very best to drum up some goodwill, and while there are fun tidbits – any time the star is playing with a ball of red yarn immediately springs to mind – Wish is pablum when I wanted heartier, deeper, fare.

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“The Hunger Games: The Ballad Of Songbirds and Snakes”

Posted on November 15, 2023 by Denise

“Snow lands on top.”

Story: It’s time for the tenth annual Hunger Games. After Panem’s failed revolution decimated the Capitol, the once shining city is starting to rebuild. A young Coriolanus “Cori” Snow is tasked with being the mentor for a District 12 tribute, with his future riding on whether he can make her a “star”. But when the Games – and Lucy Gray – become more than he’d bargained for, he must re-evaluate what is truly important to him. Spoiler alert: he’s the villain in the OG trilogy, so don’t expect much.

Genre I’d put it in: Prequels of Popular Series
Release Date: 2023
Remake, Sequel, Based-On, or Original: Prequel to the Hunger Games trilogy of books and films. Based on the book of the same name.

Gotta say: The thing with prequels is this; it’s not that we’re watching to see what will happen. We know what will come later, as we’ve seen the film/read the book. It’s the telling of the tale that’s the thing. And Snakes takes viewers to a struggling but proud Capitol, letting us see how post-war District 1 was torn between retribution and forgiveness amid new life. Director Francis Lawrence returns to Panem – or is that travels back in time? – and delivers a story that has its own feel, but with plenty of touchstones that keep us rooted in this world. I wasn’t sure I was up for a prequel that focused on the Big Bad of the original story, but with Snakes, it’s the city struggling after years of strife, and how it’s trying to climb out of the hole it dug itself, that I found truly fascinating.

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“Napoleon” isn’t Ridley Scott’s Waterloo, but it’s just as muddy

Posted on November 15, 2023 by Denise

“Destiny has brought me here! Destiny has brought me this lamb chop!”

Story: It’s 1789, and Marie Antoinette has been beheaded during the rabid tide of the French Revolution. As years pass, a Corsican military commander named Napoleon Bonaparte seeks a chance to show his quality. He succeeds, and fails, in glorious fashion.

Genre I’d put it in: Montage-esque Biopics With Glorious Art Direction
Release Date: 2023
Remake, Sequel, Based-On, or Original: Based on the life and times of Napoleon Bonaparte.

Gotta say: I am a dilettante when it comes to history. I know what I know, but am always keen on learning more stuff, especially if wonderful costuming is part of the package. And Napoleon gives me everything my eyes require; the cities, camps, homes, and barracks look lived-in, not simply historically accurate. Same for the costumes and set pieces. And director Ridley Scott gives the battle scenes a Game of Thrones feel through the gray-blue colors and accurately gross FX. Pity the story is such a mess.

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Baltimore Screening Pass-palooza – “The Hunger Games: The Ballad Of Songbirds & Snakes”!

Posted on November 13, 2023 by Denise

Ready to go back to Panem? Synopsis!

THE HUNGER GAMES: THE BALLAD OF SONGBIRDS & SNAKES follows a young Coriolanus (Tom Blyth) who is the last hope for his failing lineage, the once-proud Snow family that has fallen from grace in a post-war Capitol. With his livelihood threatened, Snow is reluctantly assigned to mentor Lucy Gray Baird (Rachel Zegler), a tribute from the impoverished District 12. But after Lucy Gray’s charm captivates the audience of Panem, Snow sees an opportunity to shift their fates. With everything he has worked for hanging in the balance, Snow unites with Lucy Gray to turn the odds in their favor. Battling his instincts for both good and evil, Snow sets out on a race against time to survive and reveal if he will ultimately become a songbird or a snake.

Ready? Let’s go!

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“The Holdovers”

Posted on November 9, 2023 by Denise


“You can’t even dream a whole dream, can you?”

Story: Paul (Mr. Hunham to his students) is a gleeful curmudgeon who lives for the takedown. Especially when that involves the wealthy, overprivileged snots in his Ancient Civilization classes. But when he gets saddled with holiday break duties in the winter of 1970 (see: gleeful curmudgeon for reasons), he learns a deep lesson in humility, humanity, and hope from Angus, a student in his care, and Mary, the kitchen manager who’s also staying through the holidays. Maybe. Sorta. Mostly, he’s still a douche.

Genre I’d put it in: Films That Completely Nail The Retro Vibe
Release Date: 2023
Remake, Sequel, Based-On, or Original: Inspired by Marcel Pagnol’s Merlusse, and a TV pilot idea by Holdover‘s screenwriter David Hemingson.

Gotta say: I’ve been drooling over this film ever since I saw the gloriously retro look of the teaser trailer. Director Alexander Payne has said “We were very fully making a ’70s movie,” and the obvious love of the craft shows in this film. From the tics and bumps of the film stock, to the grainy focus of each frame, to the cool, dull look of each shot, it’s a master class in not only re-creating the look of 1970s cinema, Holdovers feels like a film born too late to join its compatriots. Luckily with streaming, it’s got a chance to share space with those that have gone before. Plus, it’s officially a Christmas film. Ho ho ho, y’all!

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