Dream Scenario
Similar3000 Miles to Graceland (2001), A Clockwork Orange (1971), A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors (1987), Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan (2006), Brazil (1985), Bride of Re-Animator (1990), Buffalo Soldiers (2002), Dawn of the Dead (2004), Dogma (1999), Election (1999), Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (1998), Forrest Gump (1994), Help! (1965), Home Alone 2: Lost in New York (1992), Human Nature (2001), In Bruges (2008), In China They Eat Dogs (1999), Life Is Beautiful (1997), Little Miss Sunshine (2006), M*A*S*H (1970), Mars Attacks! (1996), Mary Poppins Returns (2018), Monsoon Wedding (2001), mother! (2017), Serial Mom (1994), Shaun of the Dead (2004), The Butcher Boy (1998), The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou (2004),
The Party (1980) The Party 2 (1982) The Science of Sleep (2006), Tropic Thunder (2008), Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory (1971), Wonder Boys (2000),
Watch afterAmerican Fiction (2023), Anatomy of a Fall (2023), Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom (2023), Killers of the Flower Moon (2023), Leave the World Behind (2023), Napoleon (2023), Priscilla (2023), Rebel Moon - Part One: A Child of Fire (2023), Saltburn (2023), The Killer (2023),
StarringNicholas Braun,
At this point, you can roughly divide the output of Nicolas Cage into one of two categories. First, there are films so tailored to his reigning wild man of cinema persona that it seems unimaginable they could exist if he passed. In the other camp are the quieter efforts like The Weather Man, Joe, and Pig that remind of what a powerful actor he still can be. His latest project, writer-director Kristoffer Borgli’s Dream Scenario, combines both approaches into a single offering. The result is a strange and wildly audacious work anchored by a surprisingly deft and low-key turn from Cage that stands in marked contrast to the weirdness surrounding him. Continue Reading →
Sharp Stick
SimilarA Real Young Girl (1976), Copying Beethoven (2006), The Holiday (2006),
Watch afterEverything Everywhere All at Once (2022), Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021),
StudioFilmNation Entertainment,
Lena Dunham’s latest feature, Sharp Stick, combines her best and worst tendencies. It’s a coming-of-age dramedy about a young woman’s journey of sexual and self-discovery handled with refreshing tenderness and understanding. But it’s also a story that sees Dunham unwisely wading into waters out of her depth, drowning her characters in quirky affectation that distracts from her purpose. Where the film goes is somewhere surprising, affirming, and even beautiful. The issue is its route. Continue Reading →
Nightbooks
SimilarSnow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937), The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe (2005),
As evil witch Natacha (Krysten Ritter) exclaims in Nightbooks, she doesn’t like stories with “happy endings.” While it’s refreshing to have a children’s horror movie that doesn’t coddle the audience, Netflix's latest is hardly the spectacular, spooky adventure it packages itself to be. Instead, it’s more like the off-brand Halloween candy a kid might get trick or treating. It technically passes as a treat, but not one that will leave kids and parents coming back for more. Continue Reading →