The summer movie season is in full swing, so here's a roundup of what's worth watching and what you might want to skip.
“Twister” opens Friday
You might be asking yourself, is Twister a 28-year-late sequel to the 1996 film Twister? Technically, no. It's billed as a standalone sequel set in the same universe as Twister. Director Lee Isaac Chung calls it “a new science experiment in one world.” But at its core, Twister is just some studio brass trying to capitalize on the nostalgia of the original film by not wanting to bet on a new idea. Essentially, it's a remake that follows the same beats as the original, but introduces new weather technology and new characters.
Helen Hunt and Bill Paxton are no longer a bickering couple on the verge of divorce, while Daisy Edgar Jones and Glen Powell are bickering storm chasers. Instead of flying cows, we get chickens and humans. But we also see the same arc: the antagonistic couple learning how to work together, the truck chasing the tornado, and the uneven excitement over the tragedy of the tornado and all its destruction.
What's most surprising is that while film technology has changed as much as weather technology, “Twister” feels visually bland. Aside from one cool shot of a movie theater being struck by a tornado, we don't really feel the power or allure of the tornado, nor the characters' passion and obsession with them.
The movie tries to incorporate real science, but ends up ignoring science, PhDs, and educated people. Instead, it favors “rednecks with YouTube channels” and a “tornado whisperer” approach to meteorology.
If your main goal is to beat the heat in an air-conditioned theater and you're not picky about what you watch, Twister provides passable summer entertainment. Also, unlike the original Twister, this movie isn't Paxtonized – I mean there's no Bill Paxton, and Glen Powell can't be replaced.
“Long Legs” is playing
The advertising campaign for “Legs” promoted it as the scariest movie of the year, which is an unreasonably high standard, and perhaps that boast heightened my sense of disappointment.
Osgood Perkins had a keen eye for the macabre. This movie looks great. Everything is shrouded in a strange and gloomy atmosphere. The sun actually never shines, and lightning often pierces the overcast sky. Plus, there are some very disturbing dolls.
But the film suffers from some of the same problems that plagued Twister , namely lazy script writing. Twister made for a paint-by-numbers popcorn movie, while Legs starred Nicolas Cage and counted on him to direct the film. Perkins makes Cage look like an aging drag queen and seems to just let him be weird, thinking that's all he needs to do. He doesn't need to be given depth or dimension or even good dialogue. While I love Cage and have always liked him, he seemed wasteful and Osgood strangely didn't appreciate his talent. Often, Cage is at his best when his grandiosity is controlled or calibrated, as in Peggy Sue Got Married, Wild at Heart, Adaptation, Face/Off or Like in movies like Bad Lieutenant.
The film rips off The Silence of the Lambs and Seven but never reaches the richness of those films. “Long Legs” is all superficial, and the cute sting at the end makes it feel smug. One major problem I had was that I never believed the main character, played by Maika Monroe, was an FBI agent. She's so shaky and insecure I can't believe she's entering the FBI's boys' club. In The Silence of the Lambs, Jodie Foster is vulnerable and sensitive, but you never doubt her tenacity and professionalism.
“Legs” is not a bad movie, just a disappointing one.
MaXXXine | Official Trailer 2 HD | A24
“MaXXXine” is playing
I'm a little grumpy about both movies, so I'm excited to gush about “MaXXXine.”
The film completes Ti West's trilogy, which began with “X,” a “Texas Chainsaw Massacre”-style 70s horror film, and was followed by “The Pearl,” which Offering a picture of crazy Technicolor women, it now ends with “MaXXXine,” an 80's Italian Romanesque horror film.
Mia Goth stars in the trilogy, playing two different but thematically related characters. I love her energy and down-to-earth playing style. She is my role model of female empowerment. She was never a victim. She doesn't expect anyone to help her or save her, she's fully prepared to do whatever she needs to do to survive.
I also love that West not only paid homage to '80s movies, but also gave a Valentine's Day sentiment to the seedy side of Hollywood. It's a sly wink at the Dream Factory, where the “psycho” house is just a shell and a man dressed as silent clown Buster Keaton turns out to be a pervert. In Hollywood, things are never what they seem. Despite some brutal violence, “MaXXXine” displays a lot of smart humor about Hollywood and '80s genre films and filmmaking. There are so many interesting layers to peel back.
West has created such a solid and stunning trilogy. Each film has its own unique style, each with its own merits and narrative, but watching them together is undoubtedly a better experience.
The Secret Art of Human Flight opens Friday at Digital Gym Cinema
In the end, HP Mendoza's The Secret Art of Human Flight is a movie that makes you feel good when you're in a bad mood.
The film, which screened at the San Diego Asian Film Festival last November, was funded in part by a San Diego man. Now it's back in town at the Digital Gym Cinema.
This is a genre film about loss and grief. It's full of unexpected humor and whimsy. I promise it will surprise you and lift your spirits.
Check out my interview with Mendoza at the festival.
