Crum on Showbiz

By Steve Crum

Alex Garland’s Civil War is described as a “dystopian action thriller,” which it is and maybe isn’t. Being an action thriller is definitely true. The dystopian moniker is iffy because the plot line straddles the line between what is or could be reality and fantasy. For years, there have been suggestions and threats of states seceding and declaring a war against the rest of the United States.

That nightmarish thought is played out in Civil War. Maybe labeling it a dystopian horror story is more apt. Factor in sad, pitiful and disgusting. 

Don’t get me wrong. The professional quality of the film itself is not sad, pitiful and disgusting. But its representation definitely is such. Alex Garland impressively guides a fine cast (Kirsten Dunst, Wagner Moura, Stephen McKinley Henderson and Cailee Spaeny), cinematographer Rob Hardy, and editor Jake Roberts in this telling of what might happen if. 

Crucial to its believability is a heavy reliance on digital special effects and/or AI—if there is indeed a difference. 

Garland’s story follows a small group of journalists driving across the United States, often through battle zones (tanks, fighter planes, bombs, rifles), to reach their goal of interviewing the controversial President (Nick Offerman) before rebel forces led by California and Texas beat them to our Capitol to kill him. Along the way the four risk their lives by snapping still photos (via 35 mm cameras?) to recount the destruction and body count at ongoing battle sites. (In this sense, the time seems to be set during the 1970s. Otherwise, why don’t they carry video or digital film cameras?) 

The photojournalists are Lee Smith (Dunst), Joel (Moura), Jessie (Spaeny), and Sammy (Henderson). The four actors do great ensemble work. Throughout most of the literally war-torn journey from New York City to Washington D. C., they travel by well-used car labeled PRESS on its hood. Along the trek, they encounter pockets of individual and group activists from both sides. 

Particularly jarring is a sequence of a handful of soldiers executing citizens they perceive as enemies, and then dropping their bodies into a mass grave. The journalists find themselves directly in the middle of said mess, which escalates into tragedy. (Continued when you see the movie, folks.) 

Via the dictionary, “fear, distress, and oppressive societal control” describe dystopian. Strictly speaking then, Civil War fits the grim bill.

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GRADE on an A-F Scale: B+

By Steve Crum

Originality is Emilia Pérez. Just sum up this mind boggling Jacques Audiard masterpiece. Audiard produced, directed and wrote both the screenplay and the opera libretto it is based upon. (It is also adapted from Boris Razon’s novel, Écoute.)

Describing EP as a musical crime comedy might sound odd, but so be it. Its 132-minutes weave from gangster drama and violence to love story to song and dance sequences. The blend may be jaw dropping, but it all seems right.  

Vaguely reminiscent of 1992’s The Crying Game, written and directed by Neil Jordan, EP follows a unique plot line that is much more complex. Realize too that the lead character in Emilia is a transgender cartel boss…played by the transgender actress Karla Sofia Gascón! Score another uniqueness point for originality. 

Factor in that before he has “gender affirming surgery,” Emilia is known as Juan “Manitas” Del Monte, married to Jessi (well played by Selena Gomez) and father of their two children. In hoodlum parlance, Jessi is on the lamb from enemies. He wishes to appear killed—by going into hiding and undergoing a body and identify makeover— to protect his family. Even his wife is unaware, and mourns his “death.”

At the outset of the plan, (then) Juan persuades a so-so but talented Mexican attorney to handle his affairs during the upcoming transition—that is filled with complications. Zoe Saldaña plays Rita Mora Castro, who does terrific work from dramatics to singing and dancing when the story segues into near opera. Equally stunning is the music composed by Clément Ducal (score) and Camille (songs). 

That Emilia not only misses her wife and kids, but decides to push her charade to actually move in with them disguised as Juan’s sister…is enough of too much reveal. 

Here is an amazing motion picture, truly original. 

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GRADE on an A-F Scale: A

By Steve Crum

Kevin Costner’s epic western, Horizon, should have been better. It saddens me to say such because I am both a huge fan of the western genre plus a Costner fan. His Dances With Wolves remains an all-time classic. 

But now comes Horizon.

Horizon, officially titled Horizon: An American Saga—Chapter 1, is a sprawling (in the true sense) 181-minutes. To be fair, it is difficult to judge the film since it is only 1/4 of the whole story. Yes, there are four, count-em, parts—three yet to be released. Although there are some interesting set pieces in this first chapter, like dissent among the Apaches and lawlessness among the Whites, this Horizon is a character study setting up future developments in plot.  

One can only imagine the progression of plot among the multitude of characters introduced. Among them is, of course, Kevin Costner, who produced, co-wrote, directed and stars. His Hayes Ellison is a Montana territory horse trader who gets mixed up with a prostitute and murder. 

Others in the basic cast of 40+ include Sienna Miller, Sam Worthington, Giovani Ribisi and Michael Rooker. 

The storyline centers on Westward migration during 1859 in the Arizona Territory. Handbills advertise settlement in the newly established town of Horizon. Homesteaders are enticed to settle, despite opposition of opposing Apaches. Of course, the impending danger of such is definitely not mentioned on any advertising circulars. Fast forward to 1863 with the basically tent city burg of Horizon celebrating their new land as Native Americans making armed opposition. A graphic slaughter of men, women and children ensues. 

What follows is retaliation by the cavalry stationed at nearby Camp Gallant as well as greedy, scalp hunting ruffians. The story develops into romances and jealousy at the fort. Cut to Montana violence, life in a railroad work camp, a Santa Fe Trail wagon train, and relentless revenge against Native Americans. 

The aforementioned plot lines have been covered in many aspects since the beginning of the western genre. Costner has emphasized realism and in depth characters in his telling. I really like Costner touches like peering out of a distorted glass window—realistic for that time. In a similar vein, part of a gunfight is via the reflection in a water trough. 

Costner is impressive, as are J. Michael Muro’s cinematography and John Debney’s score. Acting overall is exemplary. 

The picture ends with collage snippets of scenes in the upcoming Horizon—Chapter 2. 

Although Chapter 1 pretty much failed at the box office, much to Costner’s and my chagrin, the second part is indeed planned for a 2025 theatrical release.

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GRADE on an A-F Scale: C+

By Steve Crum

When former Marine Terry Richmond cycles into a small Louisiana town, it should seem very familiar to action movie fans. The deja vu is because ex-Green Beret John Rambo entered a near-clone looking city in 1982. Back then, the success of Sylvester Stallone’s Rambo character initiated a string of movie sequels. Now, 42 years after First Blood, we have Rebel Ridge. It is a taut, action-packed thriller starring Aaron Pierre as Richmond. And it is well worth seeing.

Richmond’s protagonist is the burg’s police chief, with an uncharacteristic Don Johnson seething violence as a corrupt top cop. (Rambo’s nemesis was the town sheriff played by Brian Dennehy.) In both films, a strong, good guy, out-of-towner is totally unwelcome to law enforcement. 

All that said, director/writer Jeremy Saulnier does a slightly fabulous job in making the plot surprisingly fresh and compelling. 

After being virtually robbed of his $36,000 (by two local cops) that he brought to help his jailed cousin, Richmond gets zero help from all concerned at police headquarters. Instead, he gets blowback from Chief Sandy Burnne (Johnson) and his underlings. But there is one sympathetic to his cause who faces danger if she takes Terry Richmond’s side. She is Summer McBride, played by AnnaSophia Robb. Her decision to buck the corrupt legal system of Rebel Ridge and help Richmond threatens her life. Soon the two become a crime busting team. 

The script’s credibility goes to surprise extremes whereby the two heroes scheme and fight Chief Burnne and his legalized thugs. Realize that Richmond is no Rambo—in the sense that Rambo is a one-man army. Actually, Terry is trying to avoid violence. At the same time, he has to become physical when helping his new comrade stay safe and survive. 

Rebel Ridge’s third act is nail-gnawing intense as the forces of good and evil meet resolution. I know it sounds formula, but it works. 

Incidentally, David Gallego’s cinematography is above average and worthy of note. 

Calling Terry Richmond a thinking man’s John Rambo is apt. 

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GRADE on an A-F Scale: A-

This movie feature originally appeared in The Kansas City Kansan newspaper on March 23, 2002. My original artwork is included.

By Steve Crum

The rumors lie. The vulgar words have not been cut out of the 20th anniversary re-release of E. T. the Extra Terrestrial. So “penis breath” and a couple of other mildly off-color remarks made by the film’s children survive. It wasn’t a big deal in the first place, but there were publicity leaks that director Steven Spielberg, along with screenwriter Melissa Mathison, had cleaned up the language in what many consider his greatest motion picture work. 

Be that “breath” as it is, this new take on E. T. is barely changed from the original. The audios and visuals have been digitalized, although I could not discern a difference. Of course, I need to re-see the 1982 original to really compare. But there is a notable scene cut from the original release that IS noteworthy.

The restored gem occurs as Elliot (Henry Thomas) talks on the phone as the stumpy E. T. teeters on the edge of a bathtub in the background, and soon falls in. Elliot runs to rescue his friend, followed by E. T. wanting to remain submerged. It’s a cute, laughable scene. 

At this point, forgive me. In my haste to divulge the scoop on changes in E. T., I assumed that most of you readers have already seen the movie at least once over the past 20 years, either on screen or video. For those who are in the minority, let me fill you in. 

E. T. tells the story of a 10 year-old California boy, Elliot (Thomas), who one day befriends an outer space creature hiding in his backyard storage shed. The short and harmless visitor is stranded on earth after his fellow aliens take off in their space vehicle without him. It is established early on that the outer space botanists land on earth to collect plant specimens for storage in their ship’s greenhouse. 

After enticing the thing in the house and upstairs into his room (all by leaving a trail of Reece’s Pieces), Elliot soon confides with his older brother, Michael (Robert MacNaughton) and six year-old sister, Gertie (Drew Barrymore). Together, throughout most of the movie, they keep their house guest a secret from their mom (former Kansas City, Kansas resident Dee Wallace-Stone). 

As government scientists zero in on the whereabouts of E. T., Elliot find that he emotionally links with the creature—with both comedic and dramatic results. Still a jaded laugh after all these years is when E. T. gets into the home refrigerator while Elliot is at school in science class. As E. T. chugs beer after beer, becoming falling-down drunk, Elliot experiences like results. 

By the time astronaut-suited scientists surround Elliot’s house (reminiscent of the home invasion in Spielberg earlier Close Encounters of the Third Kind), E. T. has learned to talk: “Phone home!” Time for Elliot and family to get their new pal back to his own planet. 

There is a notable presence of the “Keys” character (Peter Coyote), who is shown waist down from the opening of the film, with a set of keys dangling off his belt. He is the leader of these government hunters, who are interestingly depicted as villains. Incidentally, Coyote’s character is shown full body and face at the end. 

The tear-wrenching, Oscar-winning score by John Williams is as effective as ever, and E. T.’s eventual departure still grabs. 

In its ending, which echoes sentiments similar to those in The Wizard of Oz, E. T. extolls the virtues of being home…and of loving one’s home. Elliot’s home has been torn by separated parents; and E. T. is separated from his own. Man’s humanity to his fellow man (or creature) is central to Spielberg’s best work—from Schindler’s List to A. I. to this genuine classic, his most popular film. 

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GRADE on an A-F Scale: A