No Huddle Reviews

“This film is dedicated to the victims of war violence in El Salvador, and elsewhere throughout Latin America and the rest of the world.” - Ernesto Melara

Had to do a bit of research for this one. There is quite a bit of historical importance with this film, and I wanted to make sure that I could speak on it intelligibly. Fireflies at El Mozote is deeply rooted in the historical reality of the 1981 El Mozote massacre, the systemic, tragic killing of hundreds of civilians (primarily women and children) by the Salvadoran Armed Forces over a 48-hour period starting December 11, 1981. This marks Ernesto Melara's feature film directorial debut. The film stands as a deeply personal and significant milestone in his career, as it was his only feature-length directing credit before his death. Melara, a U.S.-Salvadoran filmmaker, began developing the project years prior, drafting a script based on the infamous 1981 massacre. Through his handling of the writing, directing, and cinematography, the project became a closely-authored independent production. My first impression was that the film would be a strict depiction of the events based on survivor accounts, a borderline documentary in all likelihood. What I got was so much more.

"There's a new twist that has entered the imagination of the public. Hope doesn't rest in the hands of the government officials or law enforcement. Instead, it lies with an enigmatic figure, the Vigilante Citizen, who is delivering a brand of justice that some believe the authorities have failed to provide, targeting both criminals and those in power accused of allowing crime to flourish unchecked. We take to the streets to hear what people think of the shadowy figure. Here's what they had to say." 

Now here's what I have to say. We have two figures here looking for redemption. Uwe Boll hasn't made a good movie in years. He's always dabbled in schlock, but I haven't heard about any of his stuff for twenty years, The Bloodrayne years. It appears he's still making films, but is anybody still watching? He's seemed to decide on acceptance in the world of the MAGA base. Citizen Vigilante is a one-note rant about the migrant problem in Europe. It's a bit uncanny. It's almost like he timed it perfectly for the riots currently going on in Paris and other parts of France. If he's looking for redemption there, I suspect it will be short-lived.

"Congratulations. You are now equipped to make a comprehensive assessment of where the value is in your surroundings. Go out and identify the dead weight in your life. Cut yourself free from it . Protect yourself and thrive. Now plan, execute, and master the conditions of your life."

Let me begin by saying I had no idea what DTF stood for. I guess I'm getting old, and many of these abbreviations to help the text generation send a coherent message with the attention span of a goldfish have come and gone without my being aware of most of them. So I found out what it means, and I'm not going to tell you. Look it up like I had to. What I will tell you is don't bother, because it actually doesn't appear to have anything to do with DTF St. Louis, now out on DVD from HBO+. In fact I think this particular series might be meant for those among you who don't know what a lot of things mean. Things like quality and entertainment. Steven Conrad is kind of a one-man band here, and that likely explains a lot of what I don't really like here. It's always good to have at least one other person in the creative process.

"Go and pretend to be someone you're not. Lie to everyone. Risk your life on a daily basis. Then come home. Just f'in deal. No glamour. No money. No exploding watch. A nation needs protecting, it builds an organization, the CIA. This department, it seeks us out, targets us individuals who need something, something they can't get anywhere else. It nurtures us. Weans us. Feeds us and sends us out into the world to behave in entirely unhealthy, devious, deviant, and dangerous ways. And when we come back it asks us how we feel. And all the while it's hoping we don't suddenly flip and can no longer do the job."

From the opening credits of the pilot, The Agency lets you know exactly what kind of a show it intends to be. It prepares us in a quick instant for what we should expect. How does it do that so fast? It's the opening notes of the U2 song Love Is Blindness, performed by Jack White. The song and the graphics of those credits look and sound like an iconic James Bond film credits sequence. It doesn't hurt that there was a time that Michael Fassbender was under serious consideration for the role of James Bond. I don't know how serious it was. I don't know how close he might have actually gotten. What I do know is that The Agency gives him the chance to live out a very Bond-like fantasy.

"We have lost our center as a family, and I have to be honest that we have lived a fairly blessed life to this point, so the contrast. Mine is not a family designed to withstand tragedy. In fact, it's quite the opposite."

From Madison Avenue in Manhattan to the Madison River in Montana there is somewhat of a wide gulf of culture and standards of living. That's exactly the kind of setup that is perfect for a guy like Taylor Sheridan. His entire life has been about thriving within that contrast. He's created a new genre that one could call the modern western series. The man himself is cut from both worlds, so he understands the territory. He planned to be finished a bit ago, but he fell in love with a $300 million ranch, and to pay for it he's cut a deal with Paramount+ to be doing this for quite a while longer. That means fans of shows like Tulsa King and Landman can rest easy, because they're going to be around for a while yet. It also means that his television universe is also likely to continue to grow. The latest example of that growth is The Madison, starring Michelle Pfeiffer and Kurt Russell. Give the man his props; he knows how to attract big talent to the small screen. It's mostly because they know the part will fit like a glove on anybody's hands but O.J. Simpson's.

"Camp is tough: there's the lack of sleep, endless games, mystery meat, twelve thousand questions middle schoolers somehow ask before breakfast, and camp songs that get stuck in your head forever."

One thing I can say about Bad Counselors is that there were a lot of recognizable faces in it. Chris Klein returned to his comedy roots in this film that could potentially be a distant, more wholesome cousin to America Pie. Richard T. Jones of The Rookie fame, along with Stargirl’s Brec Bassinger and Missi Pyle, all star in this faith-based comedy that was surprisingly more entertaining that I initially expected it to be. I’d anticipated a vapid B-movie that would be more cliché than substance, but as it turned out, the film actually had more than one moment of substance. Despite the premise of the frat-boy antics, the story focused more on character identity and growth. The film avoids being overly "cheesy" by leaning into intentional, self-aware comedy, mostly against cringy evangelical tropes. And while the Christian elements are primarily used for narrative quips rather than deep theological teaching, the underlying themes of repentance, second chances, and authentic human connection are very much showcased.

Aussie horror I feel is  a bit underappreciated. There’s typically a charm with a bit of grime when it comes to their villains. Wolf Creek and its lead antagonist Mick is a perfect example. He’s an evil character, but he still manages to be likeable. Another example of this is in last year’s serial-killer-shark film, Dangerous Animals, the villain was once again despicable but still was fun to watch. Another thing I’ve noticed when it comes to Aussie horror: it tends to have a dirty look to it that reminds me of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, where you can almost feel the heat and the dust coming through the screen, and the films also tend to have their characters very isolated from civilization. Penny Lane Is Dead checks off many of the boxes that I like in Aussie horror, and what I find frustrating with it is how close it comes to being great. It’s time to stroll down the  dark and desolate road in the outback and do a post mortem on Penny Lane is Dead.

“The oil and gas industry makes $3 billion a day in pure profit, generates over $4.3 trillion a year in revenue. It’s the fourth largest industry in the world, ranked ahead of food production, automobile production, and at $1.4 trillion the pharmaceutical industry doesn’t even crash the top 10. The industries ranked ahead of oil production are all completely dependent on oil and gas. The more they grow, the more we grow. That’s the scale. That’s the size of this thing, and it’s only getting bigger …” 

If Taylor Sheridan does not own a big chunk of stock at Paramount+, then he should be a major shareholder, because he’s bringing in more bucks than everything else combined except for Star Trek. I’ve enjoyed every one of his shows to date, some more than others. I think that Landman has to be the best of them yet. Yellowstone has been the great amber-captured jewel of the kingdom for over five years, but his split with Costner brings all of that to an early end, with the exception of spin-offs. I think I’ve found the new champ, and it’s Landman. Landman is absolutely as good as television gets or has ever gotten.

"It's always the same in any orchard. You plant your trees. The trees grow tall. Then sooner or later they begin to get mangled, and before you know it the apples start to rot. And that, Harry, my son, is pruning time."

There's nothing like a good mob drama on television/streaming. Sometimes there ends up being some drama that wasn't quite scripted but gets plenty of a show's attention. That's exactly what has happened with Guy Ritchie's attempt at the long form of television/streaming. This one has to do with the cast. It's a pretty big deal ... unless it isn't. Mobland has had some of the best streaming numbers in the history of Paramount +,  but that's not what brought it to the attention of the news cycle. There has always been talk that Tom Hardy is a difficult actor to deal with. The talk was intense after Mad Max Fury Road when Charlize Theron made some accusations and will reportedly be unwilling to work with him again. No one really gave it much mind, because feuds happen in this business all of the time. But when word came out that Hardy was being fired for the upcoming third season of Mobland, it was noticed.

"I hold a grudge. I really do. Back to you. You did 25 years. You didn't rat, but you also didn't learn anything. You get out here. You move west. But the killing spree continues. Bikers. Chickies. We know everything. Everything you've been up to since you got out here. But as of right now I'm not going to charge you for mass murder ..." 

Maybe the heat has finally caught up with Dwight. It's Season 3, and where are we going from here? Let's back it up just a bit. Sylvester Stallone plays mob guy Dwight "The General" Manfredi. It's his first television role, and he couldn't have chosen better than to appear in a Taylor Sheridan show on Paramount+. Sheridan pretty much owns the streaming service, all of it except maybe the Star Trek shows. He knows how to create characters and to then put the right actor in that role. I've seen it happen a thousand times now, from Yellowstone to Mayor of Kingstown and a couple of Yellowstone spin-offs. The part appears made just for Sly, and he makes it worth everything he has, all the while making it look effortless. That's Sheridan's magic, of course. Create and cast well, and no one has to really work at all. Yeah, that's a bit of an oversimplification, but it sure looks that way, doesn't it? That ain't workin'. That's the way you do it.