Matthew Liedke

REVIEW: Disney drops the ball with forgettable ‘Wish’

And I thought “Strange World” was underwhelming.

“Wish” is the latest animated feature from Disney and centers on Asha (Ariana DeBose), a young woman who lives in the kingdom Rosas, which is ruled by king and sorcerer Magnifico (Chris Pine). The land’s ruler has garnered a lot of support by taking wishes from his subjects and keeping them safe until he can later grant them.

Asha’s main goal is to become Magnifico’s apprentice, but during her interview process, she finds out Magnifico has rather nefarious motives with the wishes. Disillusioned, she makes her own wish on a star, and it actually works as a magical star does come down to help. With the aid of the star, Asha sets out to set things right in the kingdom.

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REVIEW: ‘May December’ is a successful dramatization of a dark story

You know that meme with the dog who’s sitting in a burning building, drinking coffee and saying “this is fine,” even though everything clearly isn’t? The characters in this movie seem to have that mentality.

“May December,” the latest film from director Todd Haynes, takes inspiration from the case of Mary Kay Letourneau, a teacher who raped her 12-year-old, sixth grade student, Vili Fualaau, and later gave birth to his child. The two were eventually married after her prison sentence.

Those individuals were the basis for Julianne Moore’s Gracie and Charles Melton’s Joe. The film takes place many years after the affair between the married couple began, and centers on an actress, Elizabeth (Natalie Portman), who is visiting Gracie and Joe to prepare for her portrayal of the former in an independent film. Continue reading “REVIEW: ‘May December’ is a successful dramatization of a dark story”

REVIEW: ‘Napoleon’ is a considerable, but incomplete portrait of French ruler

Ambition is something leaders of nations should have. However, when that ambition is only self-serving, it can end in disaster, as Ridley Scott’s “Napoleon” shows.

The film picks up right in the midst of the French Revolution, with Napoleon Bonaparte (Joaquin Phoenix), then an army officer, in attendance for the beheading of Queen Marie Antoinette. From there, the film follows how he built popularity with military accomplishments and used political maneuvers to gain power in France.

The film then explores his military campaigns as Emperor of France while also dramatizing his relationship with his wife Josephine (Vanessa Kirby).

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REVIEW: Slasher fans will be thankful for Thanksgiving’

The Macy’s parade, turkey, football, and this year, a slasher movie.

In this new seasonal horror flick, inspired by a fake trailer made for the 2007 “Grindhouse” films, a killer is on the loose in a small Massachusetts town. The slayings get underway a year after a deadly riot broke out at the local super market during a massive Black Friday deal.

In the present, whoever is doing the killings appears to be going after those who were responsible for the riot. That puts a target on the back of Jessica (Nell Verlaque), a high schooler and daughter of the store owner, who was there that night with her friends.

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REVIEW: ‘The Killer’ is a brisk, finely crafted thriller

Director David Fincher has made another solid film on Netflix. Now here’s hoping he makes a third season of “Mindhunter” for the streaming service.

Let’s stick with his latest film, though. With “The Killer,” Fincher returns to the thriller genre, and gives audiences insight into the mind of an expert assassin. Playing the main character, who is only referred to as the Killer, is Michael Fassbender.

The film follows the character returning home from a job only to find someone close to him has been attacked. Knowing the perpetrators are still out there and could potentially strike again, the Killer sets out to eliminate the threats.

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REVIEW: Coppola’s ‘Priscilla’ is a poignant, eloquently made film

Similar movies have come out close to each other before, à la “Armageddon” and “Deep Impact.” Usually they aren’t two award contending dramas, though. But here we are with “Elvis” in 2022 and “Priscilla” in 2023.

In the titular role is Cailee Spaeny, who portrays Priscilla from her teenage years living in Germany to when she ended her marriage to Elvis Presley (Jacob Elordi). The movie dramatizes how the two met, Priscilla moving to the Graceland mansion, the extended courtship and eventual deterioration of the relationship.

In addition to exploring the relationship, director and writer Sofia Coppola follows Priscilla’s personal journey of having to go through high school and enter adulthood in such a situation.

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REVIEW: ‘American Fiction’ is astute and immensely funny

Truth is often stranger than fiction, but in “American Fiction,” the tale made-up by the protagonist is far more outlandish than his reality.

Jeffrey Wright stars as Thelonious Ellison in the film, although many just call him by his nickname, Monk. A writer and college professor, Monk finds himself in a bit of a career rut, with little interest coming from publishers in his new novel. At the same time, he sees other black writers getting a ton of success by writing stories about African American trauma and hardships.

Wanting to make a statement, Monk writes his own book in the same style, hoping that it will be taken as a satirical jab on the genre. Instead, it’s taken seriously and becomes a success. As he needs money because of a personal tragedy, Monk plays along.

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REVIEW: ‘Five Nights at Freddy’s’ squanders fun concept

It’s a tale as old as time, or at least as old as the early 90s. A concept works quite well as a video game, but doesn’t quite translate well to film.

The latest example is “Five Nights at Freddy’s,” a horror game franchise with a lot of popularity that has been made into a movie. The film stars Josh Hutcherson as Mike, who has to spend his nights at Freddy’s, a defunct brand similar to Chuck E Cheese, known for its animatronic mascots.

His stay there is out of desperation, as the security guard role at the dilapidated family restaurant is the only job he can get, and he needs it to continue being a guardian to his sister Abby (Piper Rubio). As Mike soon learns, working at the property can be rather creepy, as it has a dark history that lives on through the seemingly shut down animatronic animals.

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Adventures in B-Movie Horror 2023: ‘Intruder’ and ‘Death Mask’

The weather outside is frightful here in Minnesota, and unfortunately, it’s not because of Halloween.

No, instead this state has provided us here in the Land of 10,000 Lakes with some wintry snow and ice on this spooky day. However, it is still Oct. 31, meaning it’s still Halloween, and it’s time for another Adventure in B-Movies, snow be damned.

This year I checked out a pair of low budget scary pictures. A slasher from the 80s and a paranormal horror from the 90s. Continue reading “Adventures in B-Movie Horror 2023: ‘Intruder’ and ‘Death Mask’”

REVIEW: ‘Killers of the Flower Moon’ is a powerful, meticulously made historic epic

Martin Scorsese has once again returned to the crime drama genre, focusing on a series of murders known as the “Reign of Terror.”

“Killers of the Flower Moon” centers on a conspiracy to murder members of the Osage Nation and steal their wealth and land. In Osage County, Oklahoma, members on the reservation received rights to royalties from oil production that was taking place on their land. The finances they inherited, unfortunately, made those with rights targets to others.

Scorsese’s film centers on these events, mainly through the eyes of Ernest Burkhart (Leonardo DiCaprio). A World War I veteran, Ernest arrives in Osage to work with his uncle William Hale (Robert De Niro) as the murders are picking up. During this time, Ernest himself marries a woman with rights to oil wealth herself, Mollie (Lily Gladstone).

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