06/09/2026
Hey $2.50 Tuesday, here's a few films I've recently watched!
Real Life (1979) - Is this the first fake documentary? Maybe! Albert Brooks writes (with Harry Shearer, Monica Mcgowan Johnson), directs and stars in this subtly (and not so subtly) funny film that finds Albert Brooks playing an obnoxious filmmaker named Albert Brooks who turns his camera on an "All-American" family (Charles Grodin, Frances Lee McCain, some kids) to chronicle a year in their life. Of course it doesn't work out very well. Some really good stuff - the ridiculous cameras being my favourite - but I found there was too much Brooks (!) and not enough Grodin and McCain. Kinda loosely based on the PBS show "An American Family". If you like the Brooks, this is for you. If not...well... 3.5/5
Night Moves (1975) - I love me a good, languid 1970s private dick tale. And this is one of them. The late, great Gene Hackman (with some questionable hair) is private eye Harry Moseby who is tasked with finding and returning the runaway daughter (Melanie Griffith in her first credited role, young and uncomfortably naked) of a studio mogul. Of course there's more to the case than it seems. Lots of wandering around, talking, drinking, s*x, beach fights and plane action. Speaking of plane action, the climax is quite incredible. And I could watch Hackman for days. Up there with The Long Goodbye (not quite as good as that classic) for 1970s languid private dick movies. Directed by Arthur Penn (Bonnie and Clyde) and has all the 70s feels. Can you dig it? 4/5
The Shrouds (2024) - David Cronenberg's latest film has the requisite body horror (because of course it does) but this weird tale of a grieving fella (Vincent Cassel - looking kinda like a David Cronenberg, especially the hair), who invents a creepy cemetery where you can watch your loved ones decompose on-screen in real time (like, who wouldn't want that?!), gets bogged down in some incomprehensible conspiracy plot that I couldn't make heads nor tails of. And it's slow and somewhat boring (but looks great!). It's not anywhere near top tier of his output but I'll always have room in my house (or grave) for Mr. Cronenberg. 2.5/5
Over Your Dead Body (2026) - Jason Segal and Samara Weaving are married. But not happily as evident by the plans they both hatch to kill one another. Problem is there's some fugitives on the run (Timothy Olyphant, Juliette Lewis, some other guy) that put a crimp in their plans. What starts out as a dark comedy (albeit not that funny) turns into an ultra-violent bloodbath. Which I was OK with. It's the kind movie that, instead of just killing your intended target, one monologues for far too long giving them a chance to escape. I quite enjoyed this as it's fast paced, well acted and crazy bloody. Nice to see lawnmowers put to good use! Not for all tastes as it might be too violent but I dug it well enough. 3.5/5
Dreamcatcher (2003) - Holy hand grenades, was this an abomination of terribleness. I would have given it a lower rating but I did enjoy two things - the ridiculous scene with Jason Lee sacrificing his life for a couple of toothpicks (his only character trait was that he liked toothpicks) he dropped on a disgusting, bloody and sh*t-covered bathroom floor and Morgan Freeman and his Oscar-worthy eyebrows. What was even going on there? This dumb-ass story - about some childhood friends who are (for some reason) united by a weirdo mental-patient kid, who may be or may not be an alien, that have to save the word from some kind of slimy alien butt-weasels (did not look anything like a weasel). Awful dialogue - from William Goldman (who should have known better), Lawrence Kasdan (who also directed) and a coked-out Stephen King, is all sorts of embarrassing. Nobody emerges unscathed from this stupid, way-too-long mess. I could go on about all that is wrong with this bleeding canker-sore of a movie but I choose not to. 1.5/5
Normal (2025) - Bob Odenkirk is a temporary replacement small town sheriff (Normal is the name of the town and also the name of the movie!). The folks there are nice but a little strange. What kind of secret are they hiding? I really liked the first 3rd of the film as the mystery deepens and Bob's nice guy, laid back sheriff is terrific. But then it descends into a lot of shooting and blowing up of things and becomes less interesting. Wanted more Fonzie as well. Fargo, Final Destination and Nobody films are all kinda shoved into a Vitamix and blended up for a tasty movie smoothie that makes for a fairly entertaining biscuit on a lonely Saturday night. 3/5
48 Hrs. (1982) - Boy they could say pretty much anything back in the 80s in movies. For a more in depth analysis of this fine, fun film, tune into the latest episode of the Black Dog Video After Dark podcast! 3.5/5
https://www.buzzsprout.com/1529882/episodes/19302415
That's all for this time around!
