By Steve Crum

There is good reason Brendan Fraser received a six-minute standing ovation by the Venice International Film Festival audience. They had just witnessed his incredible, Oscar worthy performance in The Whale. 

Based on the Off-Broadway play of the same name by Samuel Hunter, this film version is adapted by Hunter. The title has double/triple meanings. First, there is an obvious reference to central character Charlie (Fraser)—since he is a morbidly obese (600 pounds) English professor. Secondly, Charlie has an affection for Melville’s novel, Moby-Dick—featuring the killer white whale. It’s not a stretch to include a third element, that Charlie has spent the last years as a recluse in his house—perhaps a “beached whale.” Per se, of course. 

Director Darren Aronofsky veered little from the 2012 play, essentially containing most of his movie within Charlie’s living room and kitchen area. (A couple of other rooms are briefly shown.) In a flashback there is a beach scene with Charlie. However, most of the time Charlie sits in his easy chair, near a computer. He teaches a college writing class by ZOOM—with his square purposely dark so no one can see him as he talks. 

Kudos to the makeup gurus who created what appears to be hundreds of pounds to Brendan Fraser’s appearance.

As for in-person human interaction, Charlie does have a caregiver-nurse, Liz (Hong Chau), who is concerned about both his physical and mental health. As the story proceeds, we learn that Charlie’s overeating was triggered when his gay lover suddenly died. We also learn of the wife and child Charlie abandoned years ago when he moved in with his partner.

After his bitter teenaged daughter Ellie (Sadie Sink) decides to show up at Charlie’s door, following years of separation, the two are faced with unanswered questions. This will soon lead to Charlie’s angry ex-wife Mary (Samantha Morton) joining the two. Their encounters are both tearful and explosive. All the time, Charlie’s health (congestive heart failure) is declining. 

Add to the mix a major player named Thomas (Ty Simpkins), a door-to-door, teenaged Christian missionary. What a great acting ensemble overall. 

While the focus on Charlie’s physical challenge is important to the overall plot, Aronofsky does not exploit it. We are shown enough to surely be shocked and saddened, but we are also shown Charlie’s sweetness and desperation. 

The Whale is not an easy film to watch, but its concluding payoff scene is a bittersweet gem to say the least. 

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GRADE on an A-F Scale: B

By Steve Crum

Allsion Janney’s literally gritty portrayal is reason enough to see Lou, an action thriller that is also an engaging character study of the title character. It turns out very soon into the story that Lou Adell (Janney) is a cross between a typical Liam Neeson hero and Rambo.

Indeed it is the hard-edged Lou who lives alone in the wilderness of Oscar Island in Washington. It is Lou who reminds her nearby tenant Hannah to pay her due rent. It is Lou whose heroic demeanor kicks in immediately after Hannah’s little girl, Vee, is kidnapped. 

The story, by Maggie Cohn and Jack Stanley, grabs immediately as we get an idea of Lou’s personality—including her despair. Once Vee is taken, the pace for from rapid to breakneck. Aided by Vee’s mother, Hannah Dawson (Jurnee Smollett), the two forge through dense forest and waterways. Lou’s tracking and survival skills are akin to military commando precision (with good reason—but no spoiler from me here!). 

Just to add vim to the vigor, the kidnapper (played by Logan Marshall-Green) is a war criminal and ex-Green Beret. So it becomes mini-Army versus mini-Army, per se. Lou has a secret that greatly adds to her prowess. Perhaps it is needless to say, but the resulting violence is therefore elevated. This movie is definitely “R” for bloodshed. 

Directed by Anna Foerster (Underworld: Blood Wars), the taut film showcases Lou as an imperfect action hero with social and psychological issues. 

Mention should be made of Michael McDonough’s impressive cinematography. The wilderness depiction as well as the climactic lighthouse sequence particularly work well. 

I would also rate Janney’s character a “C” for caked-on dirt, head to feet. 

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GRADE on an A-F Scale: B

By Steve Crum

Samaritan makes for a just vehicle when it comes to an aging (76 year-old) action movie star. Did someone say Sylvester Stallone? He perfectly fits the proverbial bill. (Sly also co-produced Samaritan.) Here is a superhero story told from the point of view of a 13 year-old boy who has idolized a superhero who has actually lived. The boy, Sam Cleary, is well played by Javon “Wanna” Walton. 

Specifically, Sam lives in Granite City (?) wherein decades back, the legendary Samaritan repeatedly clashed with his villainous twin brother, Nemesis. Their climactic battle was catastrophic with both siblings killed. 

This “dark take on superhero movies” is based on the book Samaritan by Bragi Schut, Marc Olivent and Renzo Podesta. Director Julius Avery has fashioned the setting in a seedy part of a large, fictitious city. (NOTE: Superman had Metropolis, Batman—Gotham, and so on.) 

The first third of the 101-minute film centers on Sam as he frets over helping his nearly destitute single mom with finances. In desperation, he accepts a job assisting gang leader Reza (Moises Arias). Soon the boy get personal attention from Reza’s boss, Chris (Pilou Asbaek). Complications arise, triggering Reza to attack Sam. 

Enter Joe Smith (Stallone), the local garbage collector living alone in a modest high rise. Turns out Joe, who wears a hoodie in public, has been spying on Sam from his window for some time. Guess how he reacts when sees Sam physically threatened. Yep, the old recluse comes to the rescue with seemingly super strength. The boy, now safe, recognizes the elder’s power as his long sought Samaritan—which Joe denies. The two bond, reluctantly on Joe’s part. Nonetheless, the rest of the movie is filled with Joe’s keeping Sam safe from gangsters. 

Stallone pulls off the ruse believably enough that the climactic, action-jammed conclusion has its breathtaking moments. 

Special effects are quite good with dazzling pyrotechnics in big time display—a lot of finale explosions and fires. An earlier display of Stallone’s character literally readjusting his twisted limbs is impressive, but would be even more so if Netflix’s Stranger Things had not already essentially included the wowser visual. 

Despite a surprise switch ending, it is doubtful Samaritan will ever prompt a sequel. 

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GRADE on an A-F Scale: C

By Steve Crum

Remember those sleazy drive-in movies of the 1960s and ‘70s, which were filled with sex and violence usually mixed with teenagers and monsters? It was a time when Russ Meyer reigned as the smut king of B-movies.

Local filmmaker De Miller obviously does, and serves up a halter top full of parody in his second direct-to-video film, High Stakes. It played to a receptive and sporadically giggling Granada Theatre audience of more than 100 at its world premiere on July 7 (1995).

Many of its actors, minus name stars Cathy Turner, Tiny Tim and Jerry Mathers, attended.

Aimed at what producer-director Miller says is “foreign markets,” High Stakes takes the cliché plot of a car (really a van in this version) breaking down on a deserted road, forcing the passengers (three barely clad young women—headed by Olympic medalist Turner) to seek help in a nearby spooky house (the exterior of the reputedly haunted Sauer Castle in Argentine). 

At the door they are greeted by the ghastly Rentfield (Tiny Tim, not requiring any additional make-up to perform in character, in one of several scenes shot in March). The plot and blood thicken. A family of vampires resides within, and conveniently three of them are males. Bring on the gratuitous sex! Leering, touching, kissing and, did I mention, leering occupies most of the paired-up couples’ time during the several days (?) the bimbo…er, young ladies spend at the abode waiting for delivery of a new distributor for their vehicle. 

The videoplay, as written by Miller (who also edited) and son, Mark, includes two scenes that go beyond the 52 separate cleavage and short-shorts posterior closeups. One has Remus, vampire brother of Romulus (Get it? Hey, these are the jokes in this humor-in-vein flick.), changing into a dog so he can secretly leer at Nina (future Penthhouser Chrissy Mountjoy) as she steps from the shower. Then there is a graphic-without-showing-genitalia intercourse scene between Remus and Lucy. 

Though not rated, the video (which was projected with some difficulty on the giant screen) would weigh-in at a strong “R.” Parents of the few children attending the screening were probably aghast. 

The plot does include the old stake-in-the-heart sequence, and a turn by Mathers as professor Von Heavensing (instead of Von Helsing, ouch). Unfortunately, Mathers was only available for his scene one day, and a lengthy, talky sequence has him mostly behind a cluttered desk, explaining how to kill a vampire to Turner and cohort. Then they carry out his instructions. Golly, but it might have been a blast to see The Beaver himself drive the stake.

The best moment in the film is a double, double take between Tiny Tim and guests assembled in the living room. There is no real meaning or purpose, but it comes in from left field and works in a humorous, surreal way. 

Tim’s otherwise hammy performance ranks a nose better than the rest of the cast, who should at least be given credit for memorizing their lines. 

Credit Max Groove for an impressive sound recording and musical track that often suggests Ennio Morricone’s low and driving heartbeat sound in The Thing. 

High Stakes is a local product and, like fellow local filmmaker Todd Scheets’ direct-to-video horror efforts, the audience is limited. In other words, few reading this critique will ever see High Stakes or even Miller’s promised upcoming, big-budgeted production, Godfathers, Da Movie?

Even so, it is hoped that Miller’s obvious talents will go beyond parody laced with soft-core porn, salable as that is. 

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GRADE on an A-F Scale: D-

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NOTE: The above review first appeared in The Kansas City Kansan newspaper on July 11, 1995. Immediately after the issue hit the stands, I received a phone call from De Miller. He was furious, accusing me of not getting enough sex in my life. From all indications, High Stakes went nowhere after its “world premiere.” However, Miller did publish a book based upon his movie. For awhile, the book was available on Amazon. That was a couple of decades ago, however. Miller has since moved from KCK to Florida, and is now producing Christian movies. High Stakes is nowhere to be mentioned in his biography on either Amazon or the Internet Movie Data Base. The bios of Jerry Mathers and Tiny Tim do not list it either.

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By Steve Crum

The great entertainer, Jimmy Durante, first said his catchphrase a century ago: “I’m surrounded by assassins!” That line is apropos for 2022’s spy vs spy spectacular, The Gray Man, 129 minutes of nearly non-stop action and violence. 

Clearly, it is a movie as devoted to fists, guns, and kicking as much as the Fast and Furious series showcases speeding cars. In fact, The Gray Man is the first in a planned series based upon Mark Greaney’s novel of the same title. Banking on the success of this first adaptation, which has been showing on Netflix since its limited theatrical release, is key. It is a big bucks gamble, among the most expensive production budgets in Netflix history. 

But so far, so very OK. The popularity of The Gray Man is attributable to its production team, including the screenplay and direction: The Russo Brothers, Joe and Anthony. Joe helped write the movie; Anthony and Joe directed. (Joe even has an unbilled acting role.) The two have teamed numerous times previously, handling similar duties on four Marvel movies (2 Captain Americas and 2 Avengers). And their list goes on from the Emmy Award winning TV series, Arrested Development, to a dozen other movies and TV shows. 

Stars Ryan Gosling and Chris Evans lead a capable cast that includes Billy Bob Thornton, Alfre Woodard, Ana de Armas and Jessica Henwick. Their “capability” also rests on their gymnastic abilities to kick box, jump, fisticuff, and fire weaponry. The arsenal and action are seemingly endless here. 

I will not get into plot specifics for a couple of reasons. The first is the spoiler factor. Secondly, there are so many characters, possessing so many similar names. For example, Ryan Gosling’s “Court” Gentry is a CIA black ops assassin  given the code name “Sierra Six.” Then there is “Sierra Four.” Add to the mix assassins like the Chris Evans’ psychopathic Lloyd Hansen, who is hired to capture Six. While the plot thickens, per se, why not add even more CIA agents and more assassins? Who is to be trusted? 

Before answering that ongoing question, Six is repeatedly either attacked or trying to physically thwart some bad guys—and gals. There is even a huge twist on this theme at the film’s conclusion. (It surprised me!)

Really, the action is so engulfing that one forgets to take any reasoning breather. 

I have to add that the Russos’ casting of their Captain America good guy Chris Evans is brilliant. It is against type, but it works beautifully. What a great baddie. 

The Gray Man is a fun and frantic diversion which is a somewhat distant cousin to James Bond’s 007 and all the other secret agent “O’s.” Gosling is no Sean Connery or Daniel Craig, but he does nicely as Six. 

The meaning of the title The Gray Man? It is never explained but infers “ghost” or “chameleon”—perfect qualities to have when hiding. 

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GRADE on an A-F Scale: B