Alien at the Movies

The Long Walk

“The Long Walk” is Stephen King’s version of “The Hunger Games” & a 1960’s looking version of ancient Rome’s gladiator games.This American dystopian horror thriller is brutal, but what else would expect from King. In some alternate universe, the United States is ruled by a totalitarian regime & a group of young men voluntarily enter this insane annual walking contest in which they must maintain a minimum speed staying on the pavement or risk execution by their military escort. The contest ends only when there is a single survivor. Their walk is televised to the public in the name of patriotism & nationalism in hopes that the people will forget about the country’s sad state of affairs. This is a brutal hard watch especially if you have a weak stomach for violence. Mark Hamill plays the intimidating major in charge. Judy Greer has a small part as a caring mother. All of the walkers are amazing as their physical & emotional states begin to breakdown after days & miles on constant walking. How many miles? How many days? Who will die first? Who will survive? Will it be #7, #23, #46, #47, or who? Yes, they are reduced to just their dog tag numbers. Are there any rest breaks? How do they eat & drink? How do they go to the bathroom? It’s an arduous emotional journey to the end. This is a tough film shoot… acting & spouting your dialog all while constantly walking. Clever imagery of their bleak background scenery enhances the dark mood. Although this is a definite uncomfortable hard watch, I️ still enjoy it… seeing the camaraderie building among these young men under this extremely stressful situation as their numbers dwindled. Seeing their fortitude, perseverance, & sacrifice throughout. How will it end?

Alien gives it 3 “Next time, take the train” stars out of 4.

The Roses

When architectural student Theo Rose (Benedict Cumberbatch) & aspiring chef Ivy (Olivia Colman) met, it was love at first sight. Jumping ahead 10 years, they are now happily married with 2 great kids & living in Mendocino, California. Life is picture perfect until one dark & stormy night, everything turns up side down for them. Theo’s latest architectural masterpiece is destroyed turning him into a laughing stock & causing him to be unemployed. Meanwhile, a renowned food critic stumbles into Ivy’s quaint little restaurant & showers it with praise, thus launching her successful culinary career. This is a satirical black comedy poking fun at the differences between men & women as well as struggles of parenting & marriage. This is a reimagining of the 1989 “War of the Roses” film. It is hilarious fun as fierce competition & hidden resentments explode on the big screen. Allison Janney & Saturday Night Live alums, Andy Samberg & Kate McKinnon are among the supporting cast. Come join in & laugh at this love/hate relationship. Are the Roses headed for divorce? Will one manage to eliminate the other? Or will they live happily ever after?

Alien gives it 3 “We’ve Got Crabs & I️ Loved It” stars out of 4.

The Magic of Ordinary Days

In Denver during World War II, a father sends his pregnant daughter Olivia “Livy” (Kerri Russel) away for an arranged marriage in far away rural Colorado to avoid any family scandal. Ray (Skeet Ultich) steps up to help this poor girl out of her difficult situation. Ray is kind & gentle man working his land as a simple farmer with the help of some Japanese interment camp prisoners as laborers. He seems to be smitten by her at first glance but he is very awkward & unprepared. Livy was a graduate student studying archeology before all this. She is uncomfortable with country life being from the big city with dreams of traveling the world. Ray tries very hard to make Livy happy, but Livy still has hopes to contact the baby’s father & return to Denver. This is an emotional ride on a well constructed storyline as you see the pieces come together. If it seems like a Hallmark Hall of Fame production, it is because it is. This one is about love, grief  & forgiveness.

Alien gives it 3 “faulty gas gauge” stars out of 4.

Robin & the Hoods

This is a fun family film for the kids. It is a modern day twist on the Robin Hood legend. It is a marvelous blend of imaginary kids play with cosplay performance insertions to elevate the storyline. Eleven year old Robin & her neighborhood friends enjoy pretending to play Robin Hood in the wooded area near their homes. They called their sanctuary the “kingdom”. They pretend play against another group of neighborhood kids that call themselves the “knights”. The knights are stuck playing in an old skate park with hopes of claiming the kingdom as their new home turf. They all abide by the 4 scared rules & whoever has the crown has claim to the kingdom. All is friendly kids play until one of the rules is broken & a kid is injured. But the real story starts when a real estate investor announces that their wooded kingdom area is going to be developed into more housing & retail stores as improvements to the area. Then, it’s a battle by these kids to protect their favorite play area. This film is an inspirational for fun children’s imagination play. 

Alien gives it 3 “endangered species” stars out of 4.

Honey Don’t

Are you up for a modern day, old school gumshoe murder mystery? Director Ethan Coen has given a neo-noir twist to this dark crime comedy with retro look. If you have seen Coen’s “Drive-Away Dolls”, you will have a sense of what’s to come. It’s titillation, shock, & awe as sex scenes & violence explode on the big screen. Set in quiet, dusty Bakersfield, California, private detective Honey O’Donahue (Margaret Qualley) struts into frame wearing that white blouse, tight black pencil skirt, & those click-clacking red shoes oozing with sex appeal. She is investing a fatal auto crash. While there, she has some smart repartee with clueless homicide detective Marty Metakawich (Charlie Day). Aubrey Plaza plays police officer MG Falcone who gives Honey more than just some inside information. Chris Evans plays Reverend Drew Devlin, the sleazy cult leader of the Four-Way Temple. As the body count rises, there seems to be a connection to Devlin’s church. This one is rated R for bloody violence & borderline soft porn. There’s Evans naked & near naked body as he privately preaches to some of his female congregation members. There is a full frontal shot as while as some girl on girl orgasmic action & some kitty time. If you are bothered by gratuitous extreme movie sex scenes, this may not be a show for you. But if you like quirky, you might find this film interesting. There is also a subplot involving domestic abuse & a missing person. Qualley, Plaza, Evans, & Day are excellent as they play their roles way over the top. I️ was amazed by creative opening credits blended into the small town landscape. This one is not so much about the story plot but the look & feel of movie.

Alien gives it 3 “Don’t be the macaroni” stars out of 4.

The Map That Leads To You

Heather (Madelyn Cline) & her BFFs from college, Connie & Amy, are taking a European vacation traveling to Spain & Portugal. On the train from Amsterdam, Heather meets Jack (KJ Apa), a charismatic New Zealand adventurer who is following his late grandfather’s journal to visit various European cities. Heather is a planner with her whole life mapped out… the college degree & a banking job waiting for her after this R & R with her gal pals. Jack is not & quite the opposite. It’s easy to see where this rom/com is going to go. Connie & Amy manage to hook up with a couple of guys too. Amy is the wild one & manages to get robbed on her one night stand, but good fortune comes their way giving them an even better experience. After 2 great weeks, it is time to part ways & return home. Heather has even extended her vacation a few more days to be with Jack longer. They have now fallen in love with each other. She presses him about their future together but he becomes evasive & does not wanted to talk about it. She will she abandon her dreams to stay will him? Will he follow her back to New York? Does Jack harbor some dark secret? Will they end up going there separate ways? Or will they be together at the end. This one is about finding your purpose in life. I️f you like romantic comedies, you probably enjoy this one. I️  did like seeing the glimpses the different European landmarks.

Alien gives it 3 “If you take the wrong path, you can miss it & regret it all of your life” stars out of 4.

The Legend of Ochi

There is a remote village on the island of Carpathia in the Black Sea. This village is plagued by attacks from primate-like animals called the Ochi. A young farm girl named Yuri is warned by her father, Maxim (Willem Dafoe), not to go out after dark because of the Ochi. Maxim has organized the boys of the village to hunt down these dangerous creatures. Then one day while checking the traps, Yuri stumbles upon a baby Ochi injured in a trap. She frees it & tends to its wound. Despite all of the fears about the Ochi, she decides to hide it & return it to its home & family. Does this sound similar to the plot of “How to Train Your Dragon”? When Maxim discovers Yuri is missing, he & the boys go looking for her. In a subplot, Yuri finds her estranged mother (Emily Watson) who deserted the family years ago & she asks her mom why. While on this journey, Yuri believes she can communicate to this baby Ochi mimicking the trilling sounds. This film focuses on the theme of family.

Alien gives it 3 “talk to the animals” stars out of 4.

Relay 

In New York City, a secretive fixer (Riz Amed) acts as an intermediary between whistleblowers & corrupt companies. We are introduced to one client named Hoffman which had a successful result. Sarah Grant (Lily James) is his next client but she has second doubts & just wants to safely return the stolen documents to her company in order to stop their harassment. However, Sarah is under surveillance by a professional counterintelligence team led by Dawson (Sam Worthington). This intense thriller is very cloak & dagger with lots of secrecy to protect identities. The fixer uses a telecommunications device for the deaf to maintain anonymity. The twists & turns will keep audiences on their toes & guessing. Who was going to win in game of cat & mouse? Will the company get exposed or get away with it? Will Sarah be eliminated? Will she get paid off? Will the fixer’s cover get blown?

Alien gives it 3 “Tri-State Relay Service” stars out of 4.

Americana

Americana is a crime drama told in several parts with an odd cast of characters. As these interesting quirky personalities are revealed so is the plot to steal a rare Indian artifact. Sidney Sweeney plays Penny Jo, a shy diner waitress who dreams of becoming a country singer. The Paul Walter Hauser plays Lefty, a lovable loser desperate to find a wife. Halsey plays Mandy with son, Cal, who thinks he is the reincarnation of Sitting Bull. She has an abusive partner, Dillon (Eric Dane). After the violent robbery of the valuable Ghost Shirt, interested parties converge on a family compound for the big shootout. Who will walk away? Who gets the Ghost Shirt? Who gets the money? This movie is an unusual slice of Americana… kind of Cowboys & Indians in the modern Wild West. This one is a bit slow & puzzling in the beginning as audiences try to figure out what is going on here. 

Alien gives it 2½ “ some family drama at the f***ing little house on the prairie” stars out of 4.

Eden

Set against the turmoil of World War I️, these European settlers arrive at Floreana Island, in the Galápagos Islands, Ecuador with utopian dreams of finding new beginnings for themselves. First, there was a doctor & his wife, Fredrick & Dore (Jude Law & Vanessa Kirby). He is fed up the current world values & has escaped to this isolated island to write his manifesto. His wife suffers from multiple sclerosis. When Heinz & his pregnant wife Margret (Daniel Brühl & Sidney Sweeney) with their son Harry arrive, they receive a polite but not so friendly welcome. Next, the Baroness Eloise (Ana de Armas) & her entourage arrive to begin planning to build a resort hotel there. These settlers will soon discover that this remote island with its limited resources, inclement weather, & unpredictable wildlife will prove to be challenging. Director Ron Howard has created a dark tale dealing with conflict & survival. This a terrific cast. These 3 lovely ladies, the Ballerina, Invisible Woman, & the Anyone But You “Bea”, shine as they break out of their stereotypical casted roles & get to stretch their acting chops. This film is rated R for violence & nudity (including full frontal). Ironically, where Charles Darwin hypothesized his theory of evolution, we witness the de-evolution these humans in their desperation for survival pushes them to their limits & beyond. Who will survive? Whose dreams of paradise will be dashed? This movie is based on historical information. Film footage of the real characters portrayed is shown at the end with some summaries.

Alien gives it 3 “canned goods” stars out of 4.