Reaction Shots

Osgood Perkins' Longlegs is a near masterpiece. Yes, in summary it sounds like a Silence of the Lambs riff/homage/rip-off, but it's far different. If anything, it's very much more of what Demme's film would be if David Lynch directed instead. That might feel reductive and unfair to Perkins who is proving himself to be a singular voice in the psychological or just plain horror genre, but it's really not. Lynch's influence has pervaded a couple of generations of filmmakers by now and while it's fun to play "spot the Lynch", it's more useful to see how that influence is repurposed and reinvented. Here, Perkins pulls away from the mostly visual impact of Lynch's work and opts for working with sound design to set the tone the movie overall.  I don't see anything in sound desinger Eugenio Battaglia's filmography that points to much that could be shared with Lynchian sonics, so I'm assuming that Perkins had very specific ideas about ...

Nick Cage (Nicolas Cage): Can you stop stalling and answer the question? What is your third favorite movie of all time? Javi Gutierrrez (Pedro Pascal): [beat] Paddington 2. …. I cried through the entire thing. It made me want to be a better man. -  from “The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent” I am here to corroborate and support Javi’s view (and later, Nick Cage…and from what I am led to believe, Nic Cage’s, too).  I heard remarkable things about “Paddington 2” when it was released, but was not in the country when it came out and it was gone from theaters on my return. Excuses, excuses. It’s been on streaming for a while but is now in theatrical re-release and frankly, it is a joy to behold. Unlike Javi, I didn’t cry through the entire thing, but I did get misty-eyed at the denouement.  In a world of cynical cash grabs, particularly when it comes to kid’s programming, “Paddington 2” is a slice of genuine, authentic, and smart without being snarky good hearted ...

There is something extremely satisfying about sitting in a theater with an audience and laughing at the same things in a really accomplished, very clever flick. I’m also a firm believer that more Nicolas Cage is never a bad thing and frequently, a very good thing. “The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent” is, quit simply, a hoot that hits all the aforementioned bases. Cage plays the character Nick Cage, as well as Nick’s younger self c. 1990, Nicky. Nicky acts as a spirit guide to pump the near broke and somewhat broken down on his luck movie star. That Nicky bears a strong resemblance to Nic Cage from “Wild at Heart” only adds to my glee.  The plot hinges on Cage having to attend a birthday party in Spain for a million dollars to - we assume, at the very least - pay off his $600,000 hotel bill. Of course, complications ensue; the host is a Cage superfan played by Pedro Pascal as one of the most charming fans ever seen and he is being spied on by the CIA (Ian Barinholtz as Marti...