Old Dads (2023)

Three aging fathers find themselves raging against an increasingly politically correct world that is out of step with how they grew up. If you're a fan of Bill Burr's anger-fueled stand-up rants, this'll be right up your alley. Personally, I found it refreshing; the anger is cathartic. My only complaint is that it doesn't go hard enough. Some of the conventional choices in this film kind of took the steam out of it. It always bothers me whenever people try to claim this stuff is conservative or "boomer" humor (technically Gen X), when it's merely calling out the bullshit and the hypocrisies of modern life. I find it very telling that I relate more to these "old dads" than I do to people of my own generation.

3½ rap lyrics you sing when no one else is around out of 5

THE 'BURBS [1989]

Director Joe Dante does his darndest to create zany mayhem in the Tom Hanks led comedy The 'Burbs.  

A group of nosy neighbors believe the strange new folks in the neighborhood are murderers and go out of their way to come up with some bloody evidence.
The movie tries to be deranged but it isn't.  It also attempts to be witty but it simply isn't.  There's a few minor chuckles here and there but it mostly falls flat in predictability and too many out of place moments that never quite adds up to anything meaningful.

2 satanic pâtés out of 5

Silent Running (1972)

Freeman Lowell (Bruce Dern) is friend to bunnies and fauna. As one of four crewmen aboard a space freighter he waits for the day when his precious cargo of plant and animal life can be returned to a dying Earth.
A world without trees and flowers is a genuinely horrifying thought, so I'm with Bruce. However, he's a sensitive type whose reactions give rise to the question: did he take his obsession much too far?
It's a sci-fi by Douglas Trumbull that overcomes a limited budget by having a strong script and a fine actor able to bring out the nuances within it.
The faithful drones that aid the humans are adorable metal friends and will stay in your thoughts long after the credits have finished rolling.

3½ house rules out of 5

THE HATEFUL EIGHT [2015]

Writer/director Quentin Tarantino packs in some good ol' fashioned snowy film-making with his off-beat Western/thriller The Hateful Eight.
A pack of thugs, all strangers to each other, are trapped in a isolated cabin during a snowy blizzard, which inevitably leads to...well...some serious cabin fever aka obligatory Tarantino bloodshed and vulgar but engrossing monologues.
With this film, it's become clear the smug director has the rights to be smug, as he's got a confident and well-developed grasp on the art of cinematic storytelling.  It's beautifully shot, well-paced, jammed to the brim with wonderful performances from it's genre cast and never ceases to keep you guessing who's who and what's what.
It's essentially Rawhide meets Reservoir Dogs but, hot damn, if it's not a fully captivating mash-up of the two films.

4 Silent Nights out of 5

The Driver (1978)

Specifically a driver of a getaway vehicle who hires himself out for jobs, but only if he thinks you’re professional enough to meet his exacting standards. His code has kept him safe for years; he's never been caught. On the opposite side of the law is a Los Angeles detective that wants to change all that.
Keeping the main protagonist (Ryan O'Neal) as an unnamed, rarely speaking, mystery figure works in the film's favour. In that respect it borrows some of its tricks from Melville's Le Samouraï (1967), and consequently will likely appeal to a similar audience. In turn, it has itself been influential to modern film-makers and to at least one video game developer.

3½ player streaks out of 5

Wild Bill (1995)

WB is a Hickok story that acknowledges the embellishments surrounding the real life character and works them into the plot. I liked that. But the shifting back in time via black and white flashbacks is something that I didn't like. It was distracting and made everything feel disjointed.
What drags it down more than anything else, however, is the casting. Jeff Bridges as the marshal with a gun in each hand would definitely seem a good idea on paper, but it didn't work so well onscreen. Likewise, John Hurt is a fine actor but not a good choice for Bill's close friend Charlie. Jane's role is necessary; it's a shame she's annoyingly melodramatic. The worst of all is David Arquette's piss-weak attempt at being the antagonist.

2½ remedies for the restless spirit out of 5

NEBRASKA [2013]

Director Alexander Payne is a master at crafting the bittersweet comedic drama and the black & white road movie Nebraska is a perfect example of that notion.
Driven by Bruce Dern's naturally great performance as a drunken old man who isn't quite all there, the film slow-burns it's way through a beautifully shot black & white countryside that mirrors the character's mind that's trapped in the past.  It's not a complicated story but it certainly is one that will harmlessly warm your heart, make you laugh and possibly force a single tear down your cheek.

4 air compressors out of 5

THE HOLE [2009]

Like Gremlins, director Joe Dante returns to horror films for the kids with the simply entertaining yet effective thriller, The Hole.
It might be packed with usual horror movie clichés, like the creepy little ghost girl, creepy clown puppet, creepy old guy who's in the know, creepy abandoned amusement park and creepy German expressionism for maximum weirdness but I viewed it as a tame introduction to those types of things for the younger audience to experience for the first time.  The director's zany imagination isn't up to par with his usual fare but the brisk pacing and light thrills & chills all make up for it.  Dante is an accomplished director, so it leads me to believe that in anybody else's hands this film might not have been nearly as digestible.

3 cool holes into Hell under one's house out of 5