Hi Buffs, hope everything is great with you. England lost in the final of the Euros (what a surprise), Wimbledon has been and gone and I barely watched a single game. Hadn't heard of most of the people playing tbh. We're nearly a week into the Olympics and yes I sat there with my gob wide open at the opening ceremony too. I mean, WTF? We're just a couple of weeks away from the start of the new Leeds United season and I AM STILL WAITING for both the new home and away shirts to be delivered. Popular, apparently. Ran out of stock, didn't they. Hope they arrive before the Valencia visit next Saturday. Love to all of you as usual (apart from you know who), hope what summer there has been has been fun and the rest of it that remains is a blast. This month's earworm is the spunky Jenna Davis (see below). Love and slop Steve xxx
A Quiet Place: Day One (2024)***
Honestly, it feels like this is wearing a little thin. Day One really doesn't add much to the franchise that we weren't abundantly aware of already. The characters, despite their obvious obstacles are well rounded and the performances are good but this is still wandering about in the dark, trying to survive the creatures who still appear to have excellent selective hearing. This is not as well told or directed as visits one or two, but even this one has its moments, albeit the set pieces are less dramatic. And after standing on 5th Avenue with warm grease running down my arm, the pizza really isn't worth the trip. The canoli, however...
I Want You Back (2022)**
This does have its moments, but largely thanks to the likeable leads, particularly Charlie Day but this is below par to be honest for your average rom-com, as two dumped halves of two relationships get together to try and get their other halves back again. The script is pretty smart, albeit horribly predictable. Shenanigans ensue, of course, but this has been done much better elsewhere.
Longing (2024)*.5
We can always rely on Richard Gere for always covering the basics. He is a reassuring presence in almost everything he does. It isn't always any good, especially of late, with most projects like this being somewhat unchallenging. When Daniel Bloch (Gere) discovers from an old flame of some twenty years previous that he was a father of a nineteen-year-old son who had since passed away, he takes it upon himself to learn more about his son's life he had nothing to do with. The movie equivalent of a walking simulator, this has unsurprisingly gone under the radar of most. If I'm honest, I don't blame them. Gere coasts through it, along with Diane Kruger, but the rest of the supporting cast do quite well. If you don't catch it, you really haven't missed anything.
A Sacrifice (2024)**.5
We just don't see enough of Sylvia Hoeks in general, so its nice to find her popping up here, stealing the screen time on occasion even from the most intriguing star turn from Sadie Sink. Oh, yeah, Eric Bana is in it too. Bana plays a social psychologist investigating a cult suspected of being responsible for some disturbing events. Sink plays his daughter who has come to visit and strikes up a friendship with an unusual local German boy. Sink really glows all over the place here, as much as Hoeks covertly lurks and Bana just about holds his own against some great performances. Unfortunately, this is a little tepid overall and doesn't thrill anywhere near enough as a thriller really should.
The Bikeriders (2024)***
As a cliche style exercise, this works quite well. As an homage to the likes of Easy Rider and The Wild One, it is just about authentic enough to carry itself as an unashamed slice of Americana. The cast struggle to stop from play-acting which takes away from the experience. Austin Butler is just too good looking, for example, and the levels of unecessary brooding by everyone seems not only excessive, but also unlikely. If this was your first experience of Jodie Comer, then you may well be impressed, but I found her performance the least believable I have seen from her so far. Looks great, but is probably too long for what little it really has to say.
Stick It (2006) OPGP#1
The first in a possibly neverending series sees this Bring It On wannabe, but think Gymnastics rather than cheerleading, starring Jeff Bridges as the coach of an elite club, and Missy Peregrym as the troubled teenager with some seemingly natural talent. It boasts a cracking soundtrack and somewhat predictable premise, but despite her obvious talents in somersaulting, Peregrym and Kirsten Dunst are very different levels of talent. Poignant at times, yet fun and frothy, but rarely raises more than a chuckle. Fits the OPGP series perfectly. Thanks to Jim Gorrie for the shout.
Mortal Engines (2008)**
I remember physically avoiding this at the time, as I was absolutely sure this was going to be another Golden Compass debacle. You know, a lack of soul, despite all of the money being thrown at it. This is predictable young adult territory with steampunk aesthetics, so take the spendthrifty budget and throw in some simplified, amplified narrative elements and overacting from the main protaganists. If there was a draw, it would be Hugo Weaving who is streets above the projects' goals. Visually alluring, but falls short practically everywhere else.
Thelma (2024)****
Bags of smiles for this. June Squibb plays a doddery old fart who loses ten thousand dollars on a scam phone call. The police don't really care and her family are caring but useless. Thelma may be old, but she is determined and sets about trying to get her money back, by whatever means necessary. It's a sweet and tender comment on aging and she is supported ably here by personal favourite of mine, Richard Roundtree. Make no mistake, this is an adventure with tongue in cheek, carried out in an orderly and sensible fashion. Great performances, especially from Squibb, and an often funny script make this definitely worth a viewing.
Don't Tell Mom The Babysitter's Dead (2024)*.5
Remember the piss poor effort at remaking About Last Night? You know, the soulless cash grab where imagination and originality took a back seat. Well, follow that train of thought until you get here. June Squibb (the reason) is the titular babysitter, looking after a family of minors when their mother is sent away for business reasons. Benefitting solely from the title, this troubles me about who this is trying to entertain. An alarming lack of character development or laughs makes this something of a trial.
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