Welcome to the Weekend Watch. Where we try to point you towards the best ways to spend your viewing time (or, at least, steer you clear of the garbage).
Movies
Wide Release
Bad Boys For Life
Loren: I’m kinda sorta intrigued by this. I love the first one but loathe the second. Maybe this will be somewhere in the middle? Look I’m not going to pay money to see this but I will see it.
Rick: This can’t be good, can it? *checks internets* Critics at 80% on Rotten Tomatoes?! Regardless, I don’t know how many people are clamoring for this 17 years too late sequel. This will get a curiosity watch in a third-run theater or from my couch.
Jen: It would be hard for me to care less about this film.
AJ: Ugh. No. Will Smith is really trying to land a hit, isn’t he? Those massive box office Fourth-of-July-like releases are so far in the past…. P.S. Did you know they are making a Bright sequel? Dear God.
Dolittle
Loren: Ha! No.
Rick: RDJ must be buying boats for his kids. I can’t imagine there was any other reason he’d show up in this.
AJ: At present, this movie is rated lower than CATS on Rotten Tomatoes. I mean, Vulture called it “anti-cinema.” OUCH. If you really want to absorb some great criticism, read Manohla Dargis’ review for the New York Times.
Limited Release
Weathering With You
Loren: Wow that looks so impressive. It’s not my usual forté but I might give this and the duo’s other film Your Name a double feature at some point.
Rick: I saw this during its Academy Awards qualifying run a few months ago. Makoto Shinkai and Genki Kawamura had a daunting task following up their previous film, Your Name, which set box office records in Japan and is widely considered a modern masterpiece. Weathering With You has surpassed it at the box office but, apart from the incredible artistic detail, solid characters, and strong emotional core, the film falls short for me. The storytelling is a little one-sided (not enough time is spent with the female lead), and there are a lot of big, interesting ideas that aren’t fully explored. The movie would benefit from either being longer or fleshed out in a multi-episode OVA. I would still recommend seeing it, however. It is stunningly animated, rife with detail and, even with its shortcomings, is bound to have you tearing up by the time the credits roll.
Jen: My dad’s gonna love that.
AJ: Rick applied a lot of thought to his critique here so I will defer to him. This is so not my space.
Welcome to the Weekend Watch. Where we try to point you towards the best ways to spend your viewing time (or, at least, steer you clear of the garbage).
Movies
Wide Release
Underwater
Loren: Yeah no. Underwater Aliens is still just a bad version of underwater Aliens. Also, I thought we were done with TJ Miller.
RDT: Well, it sure is January at the theaters. I think I’ll just watch The Abyss again.
Rick: And the laziest title of the year award goes to…Also, lazy concept and it loses further points for casting T.J. Miller. I love me some underwater horror, but I’d rather rewatch Leviathan or Deep Star Six.
Jen: Ugh, I want to like this, like Rick, I love me some underwater horror, but this just feels like everything that came before it and TJ Miller playing himself is more of a turn off that I thought it might be.
AJ: So TJ Miller is still getting work, eh? Way to send the right message, Hollywood. 🙄 (I mean, at least take him off the billing, guys.) I otherwise find the cast kind of interesting here. You’ve got a lot of cerebral types in an action flick. I love John Gallagher Jr. and I was reborn a Kristen Stewrt fan because she was the shining star in that horrid Charlie’s Angels reboot. But at the end of the day, it looks scary and I am a pansy.
Like A Boss
Loren: I want better for Rose Byrne. Especially if she has to work with the female Kevin Hart.
RDT: I like Rose Byrne. That’s it. Nothing else.
Rick:
Jen: I feel like we’re close to something here. Trying for a Girls Trip/Bridesmaids vibe but just a swing and a miss. Better luck next time Rose Byrne.
AJ: This looks so horrible. Just horrible. Please do not spend your hard-earned income on this. Go see some bad-ass indie flick directed by an up and coming female filmmaker. That’s my advice. Go watch The Farewell if you haven’t seen it yet. It’s cheap to rent on Amazon Prime.
Limited Release
Three Christs
Loren: That seems like too many Christs but what do I know.
RDT: I don’t understand how a movie with this cast that looks this good is basically dumped in January. It this just a really good trailer???
Rick: Here are my monies. Also, I’ll take large quantities of whatever Richard Gere is using to maintain his handsomeness.
Jen: Wow, that looks fantastic. Why is this coming out in January and not December, what am I missing?
AJ: Holy shit, what is this cast?! I am so in for this. And why am I only hearing about this January 10 release now (writing this on January 8)?! Continue reading →
Welcome to the Weekend Watch. Where we try to point you towards the best ways to spend your viewing time (or, at least, steer you clear of the garbage).
Movies
Wide Release
Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker
Loren: Duh. This stuff is my bread and butter. I’m going in cautiously optimistic, but a lot of the crazy negative click bait headlines are making that a little tough.
RDT: Look, I’m seeing this, obviously. As AJ said below, when this drops, some of us will have already seen it. And I have hope, maybe not a new hope, but hope nonetheless. I mean, at worst, we’ll still get something better than the prequels…….right…..?
Rick: I’ve been on media blackout since the first teaser dropped, but based on what I’ve seen I have precious little faith. This feels just as lazy as The Force Awakens. Fan service. Retreading more old ground. It looks like it lacks imagination on every level. I won’t be the least bit surprised if this is just a poor man’s remake of Return of the Jedi. Poorly executed retreads are what JJ Abrams does “best”. At least we have The Mandalorian.
AJ: When this gets published Friday morning, I’ll have seen the movie the night prior, so obviously I am seeing this movie. Was there any doubt? I’m trying-trying-trying to temper my expectations. In the meantime, let’s all watch this delightful Skywalker/Vader “Family Feud” from Jimmy Kimmel Live:
Cats
Loren: I saw the stage show during it’s original run back when I was a kid. I’m curious to see the trainwreck that was translated to weird sexy cat people on the big screen.
RDT: Morbid curiosity alone is what will get me to (eventually) see this. Hopefully, satisfaction brings me back.
Rick: I have a wild idea. Hear me out. Instead of using complicated motion capture suits and overspending on CGI that looks laughable, why not put people in, I don’t know, costumes? You know, like the incredibly detailed and lifelike ones they used for the theater production for literally decades. Seemed to work for them. I know. It’s not as fancy and hip as blowing your budget and overworking your staff for the sake of using the latest technology, but just give it some thought. Otherwise, this may make a Bad Musical Night at the Whitsett where we can all get drunk and make fun of it.
AJ: Ugh. No. NO. NOOOOO. I hate the stage musical, I think this looks like a hot mess. NO. When they had to go back, based on the first trailer reactions, and rework some of the effects, that should have been a big indication that this entire film was a misstep. Good luck, Cats, I think you’re pretty doomed. (And what Rick said.)
Spies in Disguise
Loren: I just want what this movie starts out as, but then the pigeon stuff happens it goes totally off the rails for me.
RDT: Though I am a manchild, I’m not the audience for this movie.
Rick: Eeeeh. I’m sure this is fine, but it’s not really lighting my world on fire. Unless it gets rave reviews, I’ll pass.
AJ: I am here for an animated, clever, witty spy film starring the voice talents of Will Smith and Tom Holland. I am not here for an animated spy film where said spy turns into a bird. Continue reading →
The guys are a bit tired after a night of holiday shenanigans but that won’t stop them from bringing you all the entertainment and pop culture news. Stories like:
Welcome to the Weekend Watch. Where we try to point you towards the best ways to spend your viewing time (or, at least, steer you clear of the garbage).
Movies
Wide Release
Richard Jewell
Loren: An interesting look at the way people can be railroaded into confessions by law enforcement, but there’s just something so… Eastwood about this that’s turning me off from it.
Rick: This movie has been getting heaped with both praise and ire since it started screening. Most of the ire is coming from what is essentially a near-complete character assassination of Kathy Scruggs, the Atlanta journalist who broke the story about the FBI’s investigation. So, I’m torn. I’d like to watch it for Paul Walter Hauser’s performance as Jewell, but I don’t want to have to sit through the unnecessary knee-capping of Scruggs (who isn’t even alive to defend herself). Ugh. I should probably just read the book instead.
AJ: This movie demonstrates the very worst of what our media is capable of. A lot of us are now acutely aware of that problem, as it trickles down from The White House. I want to see this story on screen but I am not sure I want to see Eastwood’s version of it. It would probably be a really badass documentary for HBO, just sayin’.
Jumanji: The Next Level
Loren: While I thought the last one was fine and understand why it warranted a sequel, I feel nothing for this.
Rick: I have hope for this, but it’s going to be tough to recapture what made the last one work so well. *fingers crossed*
AJ: I was so pleasantly surprised by the first one — it was so clever and I was completely obsessed with Jack Black as a teenaged girl as an aging dude with a pot belly. Can’t wait to see what they’ve done with the sequel. I think it looks promising.
Uncut Gems
Loren: When Sandler goes for it he’s pretty great. I don’t see myself rushing out to see this one but I’ll give it a go once it’s streaming.
Rick: Definitely in for this. Also, I wish Sandler would just go for it and, maybe not give up comedy, but step away from it a bit. I’d be up for watching him a lot more.
AJ: Maybe this is why I find Sandler’s phoned-in Netflix comedies so offensive. He is clearly capable of making better movies. I am intrigued by this and would like to see it.
Bombshell
Loren: I really enjoy the cast and hate Fox News so that’s a win win. I will say it will be hard to see Megyn Kelly as a hero. I’m certainly not saying she should have had any of that happen to her, as no person should, but as a human it’s hard to feel bad for people you find contemptible.
Rick: This story makes my skin crawl, but I’m totally down to watch it.
AJ: This looks pretty similar to the Showtime limited series, “The Loudest Voice.” I can literally identify scenes in the trailer that, down to the set pieces, look identical. But that aired over weeks and this is obviously a theatrical feature…. Anyway, it was a compelling – if not nauseating – story on Showtime and I suspect the same will be true here. Given the cast, I am totally in to see it. And can I also say the use of Billie Eilish’s “Bad Guy” here is SO GOOD. Continue reading →
