Christmas Eve In Miller's Point (2024)

 Yes, for this one week I moved things around in the blogging schedule. For obvious reasons. So no "Prime Time" choice this week. I'm sure Amazon won't suffer during this busy shopping period.

There are some things I just can't understand about Christmas Eve In Miller's Point. Some of the casting, considering how little they get to do. What Tyler Taormina was trying to do. Why are there two writers and a story editor credited for something that feels as if it could have been greatly improved by letting everyone completely improvise and then just putting together the best snippets from the end results.

The plot revolves around an Italian American family having one last Christmas gathering in a family home. The adults try to continue the family traditions, a number of the younger family members want to head out for a night of fun, self-exploration, and some time away from what can be a stifling environment.

Look, maybe I missed something major here, I'm happy to admit when something has some cultural or social points that I'm not very familiar with, but Christmas Eve In Miller's Point absolutely failed for me. A couple of potentially moving moments are lost in the disorganised and unfocused mess that is the rest of the film, which is a real shame. I think there could have been something impactful here about families only really being there for one another on calendar-mandated holidays, and the younger family members should have stuck around to put up more of a fight before heading out to get up to exactly the kind of nonsense that their parents would exasperatedly roll their eyes at.

Taormina, who co-wrote the film with Eric Berger, presents everything in a natural and grounded style, and he deserves some bonus points for having Christmas decorations that don't just feel as if they were exquisitely placed in each scene by set designers, but he never does enough to convey the real weight that is hanging over the heads of everyone onscreen. That wouldn't be so bad if we instead spent time with some cast members being allowed to shine, but that doesn't happen either.

Matilda Fleming does a good job in her role, as does Maria Dizzia (the two are daughter and mother, respectively, viewing the holiday period through very different eyes), but they're ignored during the times spent bouncing around the other faces. As much as I like her online antics, Francesca Scorsese isn't a good enough actress to make me feel invested in whatever else is going on. It feels as if both she and Sawyer Spielberg were given roles simply to make use of their surnames in the marketing. Michael Cera and Gregg Turkington have a couple of decent moments as two patrolling police officers, but it's distracting to consider Cera in a role that riffs, deliberately or not, on his famous turn in Superbad. Then there's Elsie Fisher, a really talented young actress who is here for no obvious reason, considering how she's sidelined. At least I can mention the younger performers though. The older cast members are all turned into one mass of babbling and mild anxiety, with the exception of Grandma (played by a wonderful Mary Reistetter).

Some might appreciate the feeling conveyed here, the cosy chaos of a large family making their way through a Christmas fraught with emotion and full of long-delayed conversations that are no longer possible to avoid, but I was hoping for a couple of stronger sequences to help me appreciate some of the individuals we were spending time with.

3/10

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Prime Time: My Best Friend's Exorcism (2022)

Writer Grady Hendrix has been developing a strong fanbase for a number of years. I have yet to get to his fiction work, unfortunately, but already count myself as a fan thanks to this superb non-fiction work, Paperbacks From Hell, a book all about the kind of books I used to grab at every car boot sale. I had forgotten all about them, and forgotten my love for them, but reading about those titles, and seeing some pictures of the lurid cover art, re-ignited a fire in me that had lain dormant for decades. And I know many others felt the same way.

But that book is not the source for this movie. To the surprise of nobody, My Best Friend’s Exorcism is based on the popular Hendrix book entitled . . . My Best Friend’s Exorcism.

Elsie Fisher plays Abby Rivers, a young woman who is best friend with Gretchen Lang (Amiah Miller). The two are inseparable, supporting one another as they prepare themselves for Gretchen moving away in the summer. This is their chance to make more memories together. In an unwise move, they decide to have a seance AND try acid. It isn’t long until things get spooky, Abby and Gretchen end up in a spooky, abandoned, building, and Gretchen becomes possessed by an evil spirit. Abby doesn’t initially realise this, she just sees her friend changing beyond recognition, but she eventually figures everything out. And an exorcism is required.

Adapted from the source material into screenplay form by Jenna Lamia, My Best Friend’s Exorcism is an upbeat and fun horror comedy. But, and it is a big but, I am saying this as someone who, as mentioned above, not yet read the book. I have already seen comments from other people, who have read and enjoyed the book, stating that this doesn’t do right by Hendrix, with the third act playing out more comedically than expected. I admit that I didn’t find anything scary, but I assumed from the title that the emphasis would always be on the comedy, and the juxtaposition of this horror happening to some teenage girls.

Director Damon Thomas handles everything well enough. The visuals are bright and clear, for the most part (things get darker for the exorcism scenes), there are a few well-placed ‘80s hits on the soundtrack, and the focus throughout stays on teenagers being teenagers, working with a script that works with the standard problems that feel like a much heavier burden when you are in high school (acne, popularity levels, bullies, hiding something you enjoy that has become uncool, etc). Thomas has spent many years working in TV, and has delivered a number of great small-screen moments that aim for a cinematic quality, and his (sorta) feature debut shows how comfortable he is in the director’s chair.

The cast also help a lot. Fisher and Miller are believable friends, different enough to show that their bond developed naturally some years before society would try to keep them divided. I have enjoyed Fisher in everything she has been in, and I will continue to watch anything she does. Rachel Ogechi Kanu and Cathy Ang are both good fun as Margaret and Glee, respectively, two peers who end up being seriously affected by a scheming, possessed, Gretchen. Others also do well, whether they are playing douchebag boyfriends or concerned parents, but the other person to single out is Christopher Lowell, playing Christian Lemon. His character is part of a religious group trying to keep youngsters from straying towards bad habits, and he ends up playing a major part in the third act. I enjoyed his performance, despite the fact that it felt out of sync with the rest of the film. It felt as if that was by design, similar to John Goodman barging in and bringing extra fun into Arachnophobia. Lowell is no Goodman (nobody can match him on his best days, frankly), but he is doing what is asked of him, and it amused me. 

I won’t rush to rewatch this, although I wouldn’t find it too painful if someone made me, but I will look forward to any future adaptations of Hendrix novels. He seems to come up with great concepts, and maybe I will have actually read his books before another film comes along. Which might give me a different perspective. In the meantime, this was good. It just wasn’t great, and I think a lot of people were hoping it would be great.

6/10

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Netflix And Chill: Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2022)

I can't think of any BIG horror movie franchise that isn't a bit of a mess right now. The biggest problem seems to be that film-makers are trying to come up with ways to reinvigorate and rework concepts that outstayed their welcome many years ago. But we horror fans don't want to leave anything "dead" for too long, which is why we secretly enjoy seeing a main character not shoot a masked killer in the head.

It would be wrong to single out The Texas Chainsaw Massacre series ahead of many others. The original will always be an absolute classic, the remake was a film I thought was pretty damn great, and the wildly varying quality of the other films has allowed fans to argue over which instalment they prefer over others. I don’t know many people who would stand up for the last two movies in the series though, films that tried their best to reach new lows.

This film is not a low point in the series. Despite a troubled production, as well as a messy number of attempts at social commentary that are picked up and dropped with abandon, it’s a silly bit of gory fun. 

The plot is quite simple. There’s a Texas town that has gone to seed over the years, almost fully abandoned by now. It was once, and maybe still is, home to the infamous Leatherface. A group of youngsters arrive in the town, due to be followed by a bank rep and various investors. The town properties have been snapped up at auction and are due to be sold on at a healthy profit, but this leads to a confrontation that sets the chainsaw buzzing again.

Directed by David Blue Garcia, who took over after the initial directors left the project, and working with a script written by Chris Thomas Devlin, this is a film full of impressive moments. The first big kill is an absolute doozy, to use the technical term, while a third act set-piece stands out as a real highlight, and I mean a highlight of the whole series from the last couple of decades. The plot does what it has to do, but the focus often turns to real physical damage and limb removal. It's not even that bad when utilising a returning character from the first movie (Sally Hardesty, played this time around by Olwen Fouéré). Yes, we've seen this dynamic before, but it just feels a bit better here, perhaps due to the speed of the whole thing unfolding. Or perhaps it is just because a film can have someone basically saying "evil dies tonight" without making fifty different characters chant "evil dies tonight". The mis-steps aren't massive, they're just puzzling. A moment to skewer social media is casually crammed in to a huge gore scene, as is a moment in which someone pathetically tries to threaten Leatherface with cancellation. There's a strange anti-gun sentiment running through things, tied to one of the main characters being the survivor of a school shooting. These are interesting morsels, certainly more interesting than anything I expected to get from a TCM movie nowadays, but they're not made into anything more substantial. Maybe Garcia and co. decided, quite rightly, that it wouldn't do to stay away from any nasty kills for too long, or maybe it just shows what chaos could have been going on behind the scenes.

The cast is a decent mix, with most of the young leads doing solid work. Elsie Fisher and Sarah Yarkin play Lila and Melody, respectively, and I was especially pleased to see Fisher in a role that felt like such a departure from any previous movie work. Jacob Latimore is the charismatic leader of the group, and does well, and Nell Hudson is Ruth, the partner of Latimore's character and the person given the least to do in the movie. Fouéré keeps a straight face while heading towards her face-off against Leatherface, Moe Dunford is a local man who may be able to help save the lives of some interlopers, Alice Krige has a small, but crucial, role, and Jessica Allain is the main representative of the bank, which means every minute she survives is a pleasant surprise. Mark Burnham takes on the iconic, chainsaw-wielding, central role, and he's a strong performer, whether getting that chainsaw to start up, adjusting his latest extra layer of skin, or just manhandling people as if they were small dolls about to have their arms ripped off.

Some may dislike this, and some may hate it. I've already seen debate online about it, and a lot of fans have replied to others asking "what do you expect from a TCM movie that is the ninth in the series?" I think film fans can always expect a minimum of decent work, from script to camerawork and special effects, no matter where in the timeline a series instalment drops. And I think this delivers that. It's a fun mess, but at least it's fun. Which is more than I can say about Texas Chainsaw or Leatherface. The contrived final scene is terrible though, so be warned.

6/10

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Mubi Monday: Eighth Grade (2018)

The debut feature film written and directed by the sickeningly talented Bo Burnham, who has previously been at the helm of a number of comedy specials (and not just his own), Eighth Grade succeeds where others fail thanks to the way it looks at very modern problems in the lives of young teenagers while also showing that these things don't ever change the personal journeys, the battles, that almost every one of us will go through during those difficult years.

Elsie Fisher plays Kayla Day, the young girl who is just trying to survive until the end of eighth grade, looking forward to a fresh start at high school as she takes turns trying to fit in with various crowds and then simply not caring what others think as she stays true to herself. She has a loving, concerned, father (Josh Hamilton) but doesn't seem to have any friends. Her online videos haven't really taken off either, although she keeps making them. It's recognisable stuff, often painful, and a reminder that other kids suck when you're a kid. Thank god I didn't grow up in the age of social media. I am sure there are some moments I would never have lived down, and it was tough enough for me as it was (spotty horror fan with curly hair and not a lot of money . . . winner winner chicken dinner).

I'm not sure whether he thoroughly researched the current situation, whether he got lucky with his writing, or whether he is just so young that he remembers everything vividly, but Burnham has crafted a film here that seems to replicate the standard experience for many who are in that position of both dreading the impending transfer to high school while also hoping for it to sweep away all of the crap that has been endured for the past few years. Of course, it can all go horribly wrong on day one, but that doesn't stop you clinging on to that shred of hope.

Burnham is also helped here by one major factor. His casting. Let me be as clear as I can here. Fisher is a goddamn star, giving a performance that keeps you alongside her for every step of the way, even while she is making mistakes and lashing out in a state of distress. At times seeming wise beyond her years, at other times reminding you that she's very much a child needing protected from the world and the predators that are always out there, Fisher gives a better teen performance than any other I can think of. And I've been thinking on it for a fair amount of time. Hamilton is wonderful as her father, in terms of both performance and the character. It's a sweet central relationship, which comes complete with a speech in the third act that will be recognisable to any parent who has ever tried to placate an upset child and TRY to allay their many insecurities. There are other people in the cast, and they're all good, but the film belongs to Fisher and Hamilton (but mostly Fisher).

The tone is perfectly judged. Burnham knows how far to take things, in terms of how uncomfortable or cringey it will be, and when to then pull back. Not only that, viewers are rewarded by at least one character moment that is akin to a knockout punch finally being delivered by Rocky Balboa, it's THAT satisfying, and the film ebbs and flows beautifully between the thunderclouds that look set to stay over Kayla's head for a long, long time and the rays of sunshine that push through, and warm up and energise her spirit, to remind her that the weather changes. It changes all the time, and even just knowing that Kayla realises that is enough to save this from being too downbeat and difficult to watch.

There's some other movie out this week (I think, something to do with superheroes) but don't let the 1001 screenings of that make you forget all about this. That film will be there for weeks. This one won't be given the same exposure or schedule.

9/10

Americans can already get it here.

Ani-MAY-tion Month: Despicable Me 2 (2013)

Supervillain Gru (Steve Carell) returns in this animated sequel that stays very much within the parameters of "if it ain't broke, don't fix it". Oh, things are a bit different, but they're also just the same. And those little minions, so popular with the younger viewers, get plenty of fun moments en route to their own spin-off movie (due in 2015).

Gru has left his evil life behind, and is now a lot happier. He is a father to three adopted girls, and uses the lab and his staff to create a range of flavoured jellies (jams to us folk in the UK). His idyllic life is interrupted, however, when the Anti-Villain League ask him to help as they try to find a dangerous stolen substance. They have tracked its signal to a shopping mall, but need Gru to go in and find out just which one of their main suspects is the thief. Lucy (Kristen Wiig) is an agent able to offer assistance, and also quite an admirer of Gru.

With everyone returning to the main roles behind the scenes, this is clearly a project in capable hands. Directors Pierre Coffin and Chris Renaud, as well as writers Cinco Paul and Ken Daurio, all know the characters well, and all know what worked from the first outing. Of course, for anyone who isn't as easily amused by those minions, that approach isn't without its shortcomings. But giving the little guys more screentime is clearly something that pleases the target demographic, and you can't blame the film-makers for wanting to keep that section of the audience happy.

Carell and Wiig are a lot of fun in the two main roles, Miranda Cosgrove provides amusement as Margo, the eldest of the girls who causes Gru some angst when she starts to take an interest in boys, and Steve Coogan and Ken Jeong also do well. But it's Benjamin Bratt who deserves a special mention. Taking over so late in the game, after original star Al Pacino had already spent so much time on the project that the animation was created to his dialogue, Bratt had to both create a fun character, Eduardo, and also match the speech movements already animated. That couldn't have been the easiest task, but you'd never guess from the final product. Bratt never seems like a replacement. He's fantastic in the role, and viewers should be glad that he was able to step in and "save the day", as it were.

If you liked Despicable Me then you'll like this sequel. Children will love it, and there's plenty for adults to enjoy. Be warned, however, that if you never warmed to those minions then you may want to give this a wide berth.

7/10

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Despicable-Me-Blu-ray-UV-Copy/dp/B00E9SUTHI/ref=sr_1_5?s=dvd&ie=UTF8&qid=1398221084&sr=1-5&keywords=despicable+me

Shiny discs, cinema tickets, laptops and the other resources I use all cost money. So does my book, but it's really not that much money. And you might even enjoy it.

The UK version can be bought here - http://www.amazon.co.uk/TJs-Ramshackle-Movie-Guide-Reviews-ebook/dp/B00J9PLT6Q/ref=sr_1_3?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1395945647&sr=1-3&keywords=movie+guide

And American folks can buy it here - http://www.amazon.com/TJs-Ramshackle-Movie-Guide-Reviews-ebook/dp/B00J9PLT6Q/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1395945752&sr=8-1-fkmr0&keywords=TJs+ramshackle+mov

As much as I love the rest of the world, I can't keep up with all of the different links in different territories, but trust me when I say that it should be there on your local Amazon.