Crum on Showbiz

By Steve Crum

The year is 1932. Returning to their Mississippi hometown of Clarksdale after seven years of working for Al Capone in Chicago are twin brothers Elijah and Elias Moore (aka the “Smokestack Twins”), terrifically played by Michael B. Jordan. Both “Smoke” and “Stack” have big plans. So begins Director/Writer/Producer Ryan Coogler’s horror film, Sinners. It could also be labeled a musical horror film, since the story includes fine sequences of dance, blues, folk and gospel. Specifically, the brothers plan to open a juke joint on the outskirts of town.

The first half of the film follows their quest of securing food, booze, staff and musicians for opening night. After they discover the talented guitarist and singer Sammie Moore (their cousin) and bring him onboard, they convince a local blues legend/harmonica player Delta Slim (Delroy Lindo) to join.

Sammie, a mainstay of the story, is brilliantly played by Miles Caton.

Along the way, however, things take violent turns via white racists and local thieves. Factor in Annie (Wunmi Mosaku), a local who is also Smoke’s estranged wife. It so happens she is also an evil spirit practitioner. Is Sinners a horror movie or not? 

Make no mistake, it is. Without divulging too much more, consider these teasers: Native American police search for a dangerous madman; a trio of white folksingers wants to be part of the nightclub’s entertainment; and then there is that mysterious grave. 

But the focus of the second half of the movie is on an outbreak of bloodthirsty souls—really lack of souls—on the attack. Shades of Night of the Living Dead and From Dusk till Dawn!

Sinners succeeds big time on a visceral level. Gross plus. 

Fans of TV’s The Walking Dead should particularly enjoy it. After all, it seems vampires and zombies are blood brothers and sisters in their cravings. 2010’s Let Me In was the first time I heard of vampires having to be invited into a domicile to wreak their toothy rage. (In 1931, Bela Lugosi’s Dracula just walked or flew in.) 

Ryan Coogler’s major influence seems to be the great work of Jordan Peele, whose horror films (Get Out; Nope; more) are more nuanced and suspenseful than Sinners. But Coogler has a sharp eye for cinematography (via the talented Autumn Durald Arkapaw) and music (Ludwig Göransson). 

Be assured that the film’s 138-minutes concludes with a simple resolution. I lie. Just stay with the happenings until the credit roll…and through the credits to the very end. Surprise. 

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GRADE on an A-F Scale: B+

By Steve Crum

For their 13th film acting together, beginning with 1997’s Good Will Hunting, Ben Affleck and Matt Damon star in The Rip. It’s an action-thriller worth seeing.  

Written and directed by Joe Carnahan (Narc; TV’s The Blacklist), The Rip deals with a Miami-Dade police narcotics team, particularly fellow cops Lt. Dane Dumars (Matt Damon) and Ben Affleck’s Det. Sgt. JD Byrne. After responding to a tip about a possible drug/money tie-in at a nearby house, the two (and three of their deputies) shockingly discover more than expected—way more. 

It is important to add that Dumars and Byrne are more than fellow police. They’ve been friendly rivals for years, constantly taking jibes at each other. Their remarks really establish their camaraderie with each other. That sets the film’s mostly serious tone in counterbalance. It so happens that there are rumors of crooked cops robbing drug houses. And what this unit finds at the house is mind bending. (Let’s just say it involves cash.) The results are immediate, with disguised phone calls threatening them to leave the house or else. Then Byrne and Dumars’ trust comes into play. Is either of them—or their team—honest or on the take? Paranoia reigns.

The majority of The Rip’s 113-minutes playing time is reminiscent of the classic Assault on Precinct 13 (both versions), which includes the tactical unit under fire in the house from unknown outside forces. That “under fire” references gunfire as well as the house being set on fire. 

There is also a subplot of sorts centering on Desi Molina (Sasha Calle), the late homeowner’s granddaughter, who reluctantly permitted the team to search her house. She becomes an active player in the unfolding story since her life is now at risk. 

Other key players, who do fine jobs, include: Steve Yeun, Teyana Taylor, Catalina Sandino Moreno, and Kyle Chandler. 

What more can a moviegoer want than The Rip’s slam bang finale tagged with a happy ending? 

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GRADE on an A-F Scale: B

By Steve Crum

And the Co-Winner of Crum’s Most Wildly Wordy Film Title of the First Quarter of the 21st Millennium is…One Battle After Another. It ties with 2022’s Everything Everywhere All At Once. But like the latter, One Battle has its own vision driven by its own greatness—including co-producer/writer/director Paul Thomas Anderson and stars Leonardo DiCaprio, Sean Penn, Benicio del Toro, Regina Hall, Teyana Taylor and Chase Infiniti. Add tech & stunt crews at their peak. 

This film is stunning, an amazing achievement.

Paul Thomas Anderson has given us movie greatness before, particularly his 2007 work, Let There Be Blood. He has risen to the occasion once again with One Battle After Another, studio labeled as a “black comedy-action-thriller.” Telling the story from the viewpoint of modern day American anarchists, “The French 75,” is unique in itself. By the conclusion, 162 minutes later, plot complexities have enveloped the likes of the federal government, including the military, and a pregnancy that fuels an influential, undercover hate group. 

Is there any reference herein to current events, circa 2025-26? Consider a line spoken by Sean Penn’s military officer, Col. Steven J. Lockjaw, who pursues The French 75: “If you want to save the planet, you’ve got to start with immigration.” Hmm. 

Incidentally, when Lockjaw first encounters the revolutionary Perfidia Beverly Hills (Teyana Taylor), it is the most lewdly hilarious scene in film history. Hands down. 

In a proverbial nutshell, One Battle’s plot opens on revolutionaries “Ghetto” Pat Calhoun (DiCaprio) and Perfidia, who are lovers, as they do what they and their F-25 group do well: set bombs and fires while freeing immigrants from a detention center. 

Segue to 16 years later when Perfidia and Pat’s 16 year-old girl, Willa (Chase Infiniti), are living in a sanctuary city of California. The whereabouts of her absent mother really drives the movie to multiple happenings, so no spoilers here. By this time, dad Pat is a bonafide pot head who has become the ol’ toke at home who lazes around while his kid Willa has become the brains of the family. By the way, for most of the rest of the movie, Pat dresses in the same pajamas and robe—including the many outdoor sequences. 

Re-enter Col. Lockjaw, whose very active military duty still includes chasing down every last member of F-75, a group still active. (Pat is retired, and not on the grid.) Lockjaw is particularly interested in finding Willa, even though they have never met. Fear not, their link is clarified in the film early on. 

Adding fuel to Lockjaw’s violent battles is the inclusion of The Christmas Adventures Club—an organization of wealthy…white men. Enough said. See it to believe it. 

In addition to those mentioned, other particularly good cast members are Benicio del Toro as Willa’s karate teacher and leader of undocumented immigrants; and Regina Hall (Deandra/“Lady Champagne” of F-75. Speaking of names, Anderson’s dark humor seems to include a homage to Stanley Kubrick’s Dr. Strangelove. Col. Lockjaw vs Gen. Jack D. Ripper, anyone? 

Oscar worthy cinematography, music (unconventional) and production design help tie the bow on this totally unpredictable, epic motion picture. 

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GRADE on an A-F Scale: A

By Steve Crum

I am solid with Superman—having grown up watching George Reeves as The Man of Steel during the first run of TV’s The Adventures of Superman in the 1950s. That evolved into spending my meager allowances on Superman comic books during the so-called “Silver Age.” Since then, I have DVDs of Kirk Alyn in two Superman serials from the 1940s. Add to that Fleischer Studios’ terrific animated Superman cartoons of the same period + the radio programs. Love them all. Then came the Christopher Reeve starrer as Supie in 1978…and the sequels, followed by decades of more films with other actors portraying Kal-El (his Kryptonian name, of course). Great Caesar’s ghost!

And now comes 2025’s Superman. Non-stop action from the get-go, it proves that there is a still a whole lot of attraction and flying power left for this superhero of superheroes. 

Written and directed by James Gunn (Guardians of the Galaxy), this reboot of the Superman franchise opens in battle turmoil as The Man of Steel (James Corenswet) fights the meta human “Hammer of Boravia.” Pretty much mortally wounded (yes, it even happens to him), Superman is carried off to his Fortress of Solitude by none other than Krypto, the superdog. (In the comic books, Krypto was always part of the SuperBOY universe—never SuperMAN’s.) 

Once there, Superman is nursed back to health by a staff of robots! This very cool inclusion of new DC characters includes Superman being given a healthy dose of the yellow sun to speed his healing. 

Meanwhile, back in Metropolis, it’s no surprise that Superman’s greatest foe, Lex Luthor (Nicholas Hoult), continues to wreak proverbial havoc on the world with his thugs Hammer and Ultra Man. That includes Metropolis Daily Planet denizens Lois Lane (Rachel Brosnahan), Jimmy Olsen (Skyler Gisondo) and Perry White (Wendell Pierce in a cameo).  Look for the late Christopher Reeve’s son, Will, as a GBS reporter. 

Without detailing too much, be aware that DC heroes The Green Lantern, Hawkgirl, Mister Terrific, and Metamorpho also appear to assist Superman. There is also a surprise superhero appearance near the film’s finale. 

Clark Kent’s adoptive parents, Ma and Pa Kent are featured too. 

Then there’s that plot device dealing with a “pocket universe.” It’s all intriguing and built into workable, fantasy storytelling. 

Formulaic to the max, Superman still exudes awesome fun and excitement to both old and young fans.

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GRADE on an A-F Scale: A

By Steve Crum

Without the hand-held shots and artsy framing, the overlong (139 minutes) After the Hunt would be left to its own mundane story, a confusing tale of mistrust and jealousy among university academia. 

Director Luca Guadagnino weaves the campus-based psycho drama through mores, guilt and beliefs. In fact, Guadagnino’s storytelling, written by Nora Garrett, is unique in that not one character is either likable or involving. Why even care about what is happening? 

Consider the plot setup. Alma Imhoff (Julia Roberts), a respected Yale professor, is married to Frederick Mendelssohn (Michael Stuhlbarg), a psychiatrist. Alma’s close friend, Hank Gibson (Andrew Garfield), is accused of sexually assaulting Maggie Resnick (Ayo Edebiri), a top PhD student of Alma’s. 

Then the plot is scattered with insinuations, clues as to Hank’s guilt, and the questioning of Alma and her husband’s relationship. Oddly then, Alma becomes the detective of sorts as she pursues the truth about whether or not her young friend Hank is guilty. Or is Maggie framing him for some reason? 

Roberts and Garfield are OK in their grim portrayals, as is Edebiri. But as mentioned earlier, there are distractions that get in the way of the storytelling. Add Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross’s score. Guadagnino has chosen to infiltrate the plot flow with incongruous snatches of music. The sporadic editing of such includes clunky piano underscoring, evidently symbolizing minds in turmoil. The result is distraction instead of clarity. The same goes for the infrequent use of hand-held camera shots.  Also drawing attention are the numerous closeups of body language, to punctuate action and talk. It does not help; it hinders. And what is with the metronome sound?

And what is it with the movie’s oddball conclusion, the last words? A joke?

If After the Hunt was trying to be different, it succeeded. That is not a compliment. 

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GRADE on an A-F Scale: D