Aliens to Total Recall
February 2025 at the Movies
Aliens
As discussed in this month’s special edition, click here to read about motherhood, genre shifting, and colonialism in Aliens.
American Fork
A film featured on an episode of Absolutely Obscure with Josh & Rory from this last month, check out our discussion below or on YouTube!
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Anora
My second favourite film of last year and a tremendous film to revisit, Anora proved to reach new heights this time around. The story of young sex worker Ani (Mikey Madison) being swept away in a whirlwind (and highly lucrative) week long romance with the son of a Russian oligarch, ending the week by marrying him, Anora provides so much more on a second viewing. Knowing where the story ends up and who these characters are gives the madcap comedy a heightened sense of hilarity. Knowing how the relationship between Ani and hired goon Igor (Yura Borisov) unfolds allows you to closely watch their interactions. Writer-director Sean Baker uses the implication of violence to keep tension throughout the film, and it’s on this second viewing that you can see how this deepens our side characters such as brothers Toros and Garnik (Karren Karagulian and Vache Tovmasyan) and Ani’s authoritative mother-in-law Galina Zakharova (Darya Ekamasova).
Most impressive on this watch was seeing Anora adapt and persevere with every obstacle she encounters. Madison is calculating in her performance and unattached without being cold. She changes as the situation suites her, who she has to charm, and what her ultimate goal is, and her spirit never breaks whenever her goal isn’t met. It’s this arm’s length way of moving through life that makes the development between her and Igor so impressive, as Igor is someone who is kept at arm’s length by everyone around him but who feels and senses everything. They treat the world in opposition to each other yet are treated by the world the same. It’s this disregarding and peripheral appeal that allows them to eventually relate to one another and develop into something more. A stunner of a picture and one I look forward to revisiting again and again.
Cairo Station
A classic of Egyptian cinema, Cario Station follows crippled newspaper vendor Qinawi (Youssef Chahine, who also directed the film) as he slowly descends into madness due to his obsession with drink seller Hanuma (Hind Rostom). They both work at the titular train station, and while Hanuma plays and toys with Qinawi’s romantic pursuit, she is engaged to the strong and respectable porter Abu Siri (Farid Shawqy). When the constant abuse and ridicule of all those who work at the station finally makes Qinawi snap, nobody is safe, particularly Hanuma.
A film entrenched in the darkest aspects of human desire, Cairo Station thrives on the darkness of it’s characters and it’s location. Despite taking place during the day, Qinawi is forced to exist in the shadows, a step above a beggar in the eyes of many in the station. The threat of violence looms large over all of our characters, whether it’s the police trying to prevent Hanuma from illegally selling her drinks, or the threats against Abu Siri for his attempts to form a union. There is even violence between Abu Siri and Hanuma in one of the more disturbing moments in the film, highlighting the fear our characters are made to casually accept. Each of our characters have been discarded by the world around them in some way, which is what leads Qinawi to see a bond between himself and Hanuma. It’s when this bond is again disregarded that he spirals into darkness. Chahine’s direction is yearning and tragic, but with a sharp edge that lets the darkness thrive. A strange and dark tale from a cinematic region I must become more familiar with.
Christine
One of three Stephen King adaptions I watched this month, Christine was brought to the silver screen by another master of horror, John Carpenter. Following nerdy teenager Arnie (Keith Gordon) as he becomes obsessed with the restoration of a 1958 Plymouth Fury named Christine. His obsession with the car begins to change his personality and drive a wedge between Arnie and his best friend Dennis (John Stockwell). The obsession is fueled by Christine herself, as it becomes quickly evident that the car is alive in some way and is capable of acts of terror. It’s up to Dennis and Arnie’s terrified girlfriend Leigh (Alexandra Paul) to put an end ot the evil automobile.
The film is fairly light in plot and characters, with most of them existing as archetypes or general ideas of what people are. The film is saved from the scrap heap of the majority of King adaptations by the deft direction of Carpenter, who is able to get a great performance of of Gordon as well as make Christine a legitimate threat. Gordon’s transformation from meek dweeb to suave grease-monkey is great, and as his obsession grows so does the actor spiral further into insanity. The other elements of the film outside the car and the lead do feel rather stock and unimpressive, outside of a tiny performance from the always enjoyable Harry Dean Stanton. A fine if mostly forgettable horror thriller.
Companion
A darkly funny thriller from first time feature writer-director Drew Hancock, Companion is sleek and stylish. Following young couple Iris and Josh (Sophie Thatcher and Jack Quaid) as they travel to a remote cabin to spend a weekend with Josh’s rich friends, there is an immediate sense of unease to the setting. After the weekend takes a dark turn and certain truths about the relationships between Iris, Josh, and the friends is revealed, things quickly spiral out of control. This is a film where much of the marketing gives away a potential first act twist, and as such I am being incredibly vague with my description, as I feel this would be an excellent film to go into knowing as little as possible.
All people really need to know is this is a fun, fast paced film that, at times, takes some serious and disturbing twists. Thatcher carries the movie almost completely, her performance completely riveting and believable. Quaid is also always great to watch, even is his character is something we’ve seen from him before. Some story beats are never fully developed, and the commentary Hancock adds to the story feels contemporary but never really fleshed out. There is plenty of material here that could have lead to interesting and unexpected turns, but the path the film chooses is still a great one. Devilish and gory.
Eraser
I say this as complimentary as I possible can: Eraser was the dumbest film I’ve watched in a long time. Following John “The Eraser” (Arnold Schwarzenegger) as he is tasked with hiding Lee Cullen (Vanessa Williams) from an evil weapons cabal which wishes to kill her, this may be the biggest, most egregiously cheesy action film of Schwarzeneggar’s career. Featuring James Caan in one of the most obvious heel turns in film history, the most surprising thing about this movie is that it was released in 1996 and not 1981 (something my mom didn’t believe when I told her). This si a movie that features a futuristic weapon that can lock on to heartbeats and the most unrealistic thing about it is when Arnold falls towards a plane that he just jumped out of and tries to shoot the pilot mid-skydive.
This is the kind of film that if made today would cost Netflix $200 million dollars and nobody would ever admit to watching. It relishes in being dumb and disposable, a film that one is surprised wasn’t made with iPad kids in mind. Arnold is fine but you can see he is nearing the end of his action-star golden era. The one-liners aren’t as sharp and the nameless baddies are not as fun to watch die. There are a number of “that guy” actors in the periphery, including a favourite of my mother’s Robert Pastorelli, all of whom do add some juice to the otherwise lackluster script. It’s a movie to cure a hangover to, but not much else.
The Full Monty
An incredibly British comedy in sensibility and execution, The Full Monty took the world by storm in the mid-nineties with it’s cheeky premise and likeable cast of characters. Following a group of out of work blue collar schlubs as they decide to put on a single show as male strippers, it’s a rather thin premise elevated a degree by the fun performances and snappy script. Robert Carlyle is great as the mastermind Gaz, and the supporting turns from Mark Addy and Tom Wilkinson help flesh out the film some. Even with this, though, the film does seem to lack an urgency or sense of surprise one would hope for.
The actual jokes are not as cracking as one would find today, and the drama never feels as compelling as it needs to. While we understand that the men have been brought to stripping due to the collapse of the steel industry, we never feel the desperation of their situation. While Gaz is at risk of losing his son, it feels like an empty threat throughout. They are afraid of being seen, yet expect to perform in front of dozens of people, and this conflict of expectations never feels explored. It’s a fun film, a delightful film, but one that still feels unassured of it’s premise.
Funkytown
Featured on the latest episode of Absolutely Obscure with Josh & Rory, our discussion of the Montreal based disco drama Funkytown can be found below and on YouTube!
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The Green Mile
Following the unbridled success of The Shawshank Redemption, director Frank Darabont chose to adapt another story by horror icon Stephen King with The Green Mile. Telling the story of prison guard Paul Edgecomb (Tom Hanks) during the Great Depression. Charged with supervising the death row inmates, Edgecomb treats them with kindness in the last days of their lives, with the help of his fellow guards with the exception of the sadistic twerp Percy Wetmore (Doug Hutchison). When they receive John Coffey (Michael Clarke Duncan), a massive, childlike inmate, sentenced for a horrible crime, strange occurrences begin to make Edgecomb suspect there is something supernatural afoot.
Staying incredible faithful to the source material, there are many legitimately powerful scenes in the film, all of them bolstered by fantastic performances from all involved. Duncan gives the performance of his (all too short) career as the miracle that is John Coffey. Supporting turns from David Morse and Barry Pepper as prison guards and Sam Rockwell and Michael Jeter as prisoners are all pitch perfect and help elevate what, at times, can be a weak script. Being such a faithful adaptation does have it’s drawbacks, with some of the plots feeling needlessly long or uninteresting. While this is well worth the watch for some brilliant, emotional moments, there is a good forty-five minutes that does become a drain through the middle section of this three hour film.
Leaving Las Vegas
The film that won Nicolas Cage his Oscar for best lead actor, Leaving Las Vegas is a devastating journey into the abyss. Following Cage’s Ben Sanderson as, after having been fired from his screenwriting job due to his alcoholism, decides to travel to Las Vegas with the express purpose to drink himself to death. Upon arriving he immediately meets Sera (Elizabeth Shue), a prostitute under the control of her boyfriend/pimp Yuri (Julian Sands). Ben and Sera immediately develop a relationship of mutually assured destruction, and their friendship as all either of them have as they begin to fall further and further away from the world.
Bleak and unforgiving, this is not a film for the frail of heart. Cage and Shue are both phenomenal, their complete lack of hope in such a cruel world something to be marveled at. Director Mike Figgis never gives us a moment of reprieve, instead having each moment be as raw as possible. Based on the semi-autobiographical novel by John O’Brien (who took his life shortly after selling the rights for the film) there is an abashed honest to the film, one we rarely see in stories as dark as this one. An excellent and unforgettable feel bad film, one that everyone should seek out.
The Magician
A lesser known film from Swedish master Ingmar Bergman, The Magician is a slow burn psychological drama that attempts to blend the real and the fictional. Following a group of travelling performers in 19th century Sweden as they are persecuted by a group of authorities, from the local minister of health to the police superintendent. Wanting to perform their magic show only to be made a mockery of by these authorities, the leader of the troupe Vogler (Max von Sydow) loses his temper and the group seeks vengeance. While this revenge mostly exists as frightful but ultimately harmless pranks, the consequences are dire.
A film I ultimately had trouble connecting with, The Magician seemed to be lacking that guttural curiosity that most Bergman films contain. While there are musings of love and existence here, and the work of the troupe does bring into question what is possible in this world, it never evoked a sense of mystic and existentialism that the master was known for. Whether it’s that the characters never embodied these qualities or whether the script exists on a to literal plain for it to truly delve into it’ subtext, this was one Bergman that either doesn’t live up to the heights of most of his work or exceeds those heights so thoroughly that I was unable to see it’s pinnacle.
Maniac Cop
A grisly, sleazy New York City is the setting for 80s slasher Maniac Cop. Following over-the-hill Detective Frank McCrae (Tom Atkins) as he tries to prove the recent slayings around the city were done by a member of the police force, despite resistance from the higher ups. The one suspect everyone does agree on is Officer Jack Forrest (Bruce Campbell) who’s wife becomes one of the victims, with Forrest’s alibi being his mistress Officer Teresa Mallory (Laurene Landon). While Forrest is trying to prove his innocence and McCrae is trying to trace a more mysterious lead, the bodies begin to pile up.
A classic of the direct-to-video horror era, Maniac Cop is a fun time for anyone looking to get a look at a down and dirty New York. While it never rises to the gory greatness of other horrors of the time, and does lack a general weirdness you can often find in the low budget bins in the 80s, it still has plenty to enjoy. The performances of Atkins and Campbell keep the film from falling into full camp, with Atkins especially chewing some dialogue and spitting it out with real venom. Small performances from B-list actors Richard Roundtree and Robert Z’Dar add to the charm of the film, and while it does peak in the middle and fizzles out pretty uninterestingly, there is still plenty here for grindhouse fans to take away.
The Monkey
Following the excitement around his last film Longlegs, director Osgood Perkins returns with a wild, tonally bizarre Stephen King adaptation The Monkey. Following a pair of twins (Christian Convey as children, Theo James as adults) as they discover a wind-up monkey left behind by their deadbeat father. When someone turns the wind-up key, someone, somewhere suffers a horrible death. After hiding the monkey for decades, the meeker twin Hal is forced to confront the money when is becomes obvious it has somehow been discovered. He contacts his brother Bill in hopes of him helping, even though they have become estranged due to Bill’s aggression and assholish nature.
A film that tries incredibly hard to be delightfully ghoulish and feels miserably in hitting it’s tone, The Monkey is an incredibly perplexing watch. None of the characters seem to exist in a recognizable reality, yet just when it seems to be finding it’s groove in this bizarre world it pulls back, unable to fully commit to it’s outlandishness. The opening scene, featuring a small performance from Adam Scott as the father of Hal and Bill, is excellent, yet no other scene is as evenly horrific and hilarious as it. The plot is incredibly messy and at times dumb without needing to be, which means that the tonal unsteadiness isn’t able to balance itself with a well paced story. The family element is never able to resonate, as the character of Bill is so incredibly awful in every way that not once do you feel he could exist, as he is both too stupid and too evil to be entertaining in the devilish way Perkins is wanting. A film that has it’s gory, fun moments, but is ultimately a complete mess.
Stealth
In this 2005 action film we follow a three person team of the best pilots the Air Force has to off. Tasked with flying the latest technology, Ben (Josh Lucas), Kara (Jessica Biel), and Henry (Jamie Foxx) are surprised to find out they are going to be flying with a fourth wingman: an artificial intelligence EDI (voiced by Wentworth Miller). While studying the dynamics of the team, EDI realizes that heroics and gut feelings are often rewarded over following orders, and thus goes off on it’s own to defeat any and all enemies to the United States. It is up to our pilots to defeat EDI, all while under the command of the shadowy Captain Cummings (Sam Shepherd).
What could have been an intelligent action thriller that looked ahead to the way war is fought in the 21st century instead is a dumb, dull affair that is never able to bring a single thrill. Josh Lucas and Jessica Biel are tremendously uncharasmatic in their roles, with their eye-roll iducing romantic subplot being a particular low point. The film is embarrassingly and unabashedly pro-military, a thudding, jingoistic affair that is too shallow to be called skin deep. Shepherd is completely wasted as the cigar chomping evil commander, and the action sequences are predictable and silly. A completely forgettable piece of propaganda.
Steve Jobs
Another creative exercise from Danny Boyle, Steve Jobs is a culmination of many talented people wanting to understand one outstanding person. I am not a user of Apple products, never have understood what seperates them from others, never saw the appeal. This is not a film to sell you on the company, or even to sell you on the man who helped create it Steve Jobs (Michael Fassbender). Boyle and screenwriter Aaron Sorkin focus not on the company but Jobs himself, showing him in three moments of his life, each corrolating with the announcement of the new Apple product. Before each of these pivotal moments for his career, the same important people speak with him, acting as a collection of ghosts that will haunt Jobs’ legacy and life. His Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak (Seth Rogen), his head engineer Andy Hertzfeld (Michael Stuhlbarg), his friend and Apple CEO John Sculley (Jeff Daniels), marketing executive and closest friend Joanna Hoffman (Kate Winslet), and Jobs’ illegitmate daughter Lisa all enter the film in waves, trading barbs and insults with Jobs, and exit it, their roles that of an unwilling soundboard of a genius.
Boyle and Sorkin make a fascinating pair, with Boyle giving an underlying grit to Sorkin’s clean-cut scripting. All the Sorkinisms are present; the walk and talk, the stating of traits instead of living them, the wit and charm, but Boyle’s direction and Fassbender’s performance intentionally undercut much of this. Sorkin sees Jobs as a genius because of what he did, Boyle sees him as a failure because of what he didn’t, and it’s in this between that Steve Jobs exists. We never get a full idea of any of the aforementioned supporting characters (despite the fantastic performances from all involved) for in this movie they only exist when Jobs allows them to. But we do get to learn about Jobs, warts and all, and that makes this a compelling and fascinating biopic.
Terminator 2: Judgement Day
Considered by many to b one of the greatest sequels ever made, Terminator 2: Judgement Day returns us to the world of John Connor, Sarah Connor, and the T-800. Taking place ten years after the events of the first film, we follow a pre-teen John Connor (Edward Furlong) as he is chased down by the advanced terminator the T-1000 (Robert Patrick). An unlikely savior arrives in the form of the T-800 (Arnold Schwarzenegger), having been sent back in time after being reprogrammed to protect John Connor. They are joined Sarah Connor (Linda Hamilton) who has transformed herself into a battle hardened badass in the intervening years. While doing what they can to protect John from the brutal killer robot, Sarah also develops a plan to stop the apocalypse altogether by targeting the developer of SkyNet (Joe Morton).
Kick-ass is not an adequate descriptor of this film. There are very, very few films that are simply as cool as this film. Schwarzeneggar has never looked better on creen than when he’s riding a bike in biker gear and weilding a shotgun. Patrick is phenomenally chilling as the advanced T-1000, his hawkish mannerisms and intense physical presence being enhanced by special effects which still look great. The physical and emotional transformation of Hamilton from the first film to this one is incredible, and she gives one of the best performances of her career as the on-the-verge of insanity mother. Returning writer-director James Cameron has improved in almost all regards from The Terminator, a film that was already an action masterpiece. The one thing he improved on the most was the emotionality of his characters, with the genuine affection developed between John and the T-800 being one of the best aspects of this already fantastic film. A movie that deserves it’s place in the pantheon of great cinema.
Total Recall
An action packed sci-fi classic from Paul Verhoeven, Total Recall works both as an excellent cornball action romp and a dissection of the genre. Following construction worker Douglas Quaid (Arnold Schwarzeneggar) who attempts to get a memory implant that would make him believe he was a secret spy from Mars. When it’s revealed during the operation that his memory had previously been wiped and that he is, indeed, a spy, he must figure out what happened to his memory and who is friend and who is foe. A bombastic, no-holds-bar action film follows, but throughout there is still the question as to what, if any, of this is real.
Verhoeven is one of the best directors at both giving the audience what they want and inserting themes about the dangers of corporate overlords into his films. Total Recall completely delivers on the action, with plenty of gruesome kills to keep your blood pumping. Schwarzenegger is fantastic as Quaid, his turn from blue collar every man to kick-ass commando is fun to watch and adds to the underlying question as to if this scenario is real. The make-up and practical effects used are remarkable, remaining shocking to this day. While the plot does spiral somewhat after employing one too many twists, this mild confusion is justified by the reality bending ways of the film. A brilliant science fiction flick.