5 movie things on my mind: Downey Jr. taking on Doom is good news for MCU purist fans
Let's get into a few things on the cinema/television show front.
Rewatching movies and television shows is my new favorite hobby. Instead of giving my time to new, engaging content, I’ll rely on an oldie to quench my thirst for entertainment. If Midnight Run pops up on my watch next column on Amazon or Netflix, I’m pressing play every time. The Dakota Johnson movie about a young female coming out sexually looks good, but De Niro and the late Charles Grodin road-tripping across the country and sanding down each other’s nerve endings provides endless enjoyment.
Now, as the late Dennis Farina said in that movie, settle down and make a sandwich or something, because I’m talking about movies and shows this late July Sunday afternoon. Baseball chatter was yesterday, and those too-cinematic-for-their-own-good Cardinals don’t deserve back-to-back commentary bursts. Pour a drink, and scroll on. First, think about becoming a paid subscriber, which only helps feed my Hulk-like pit bull.
1) Robert Downey Jr. as Doctor Doom is bold fun
“New mask, same task.”
Kevin Feige isn’t stupid. The Marvel CEO knows that once the Deadpool and Wolverine fever pitch calms down, there needs to be a real plan of action to retain all those lost and almost-lost Marvel movie fans that have jumped ship. Bringing back Anthony and Joe Russo to direct the final two Avengers movies of the current phase (Doomsday and Secret Wars) was a wise move. They’re MCU director OGs as much as Jon Favreau is revered. They’ve only directed four of the best films in the Marvel Cinematic Universe library: Winter Soldier, Civil War, Infinity War, and Endgame.
Pairing them with an actor who now owns an Academy Award and a stellar resume of hitmaking is another wise move. For the people merely thinking Downey Jr. will throw a Tony Stark spin on Victor von Doom, think again. He’s a highly intelligent and intuitive actor who gives the part what it needs, and I’m glad he’s playing a different doctor other than Dolittle (his only true bad performance).
Feige and the Russos know they need some nostalgia to power up the next two big Avengers movies, and RDJ is a good choice. He’s likable, takes risks, and knows how to inject a potent charisma into any character he plays. Also, while his Stark/Endgame demise (spoiler alert five years late) was sublime, Downey Jr. wasn’t particularly fond of the decision. He wasn’t ready to leave, and let’s face it. A well respected actor playing on Marvel’s playground again gives the comic book behemoth the vigor that defeats old timers like Martin Scorsese crapping on their cornflakes.
Bring it on. But Russos, can I get a sequel to The Gray Man?
2) Thelma and Louise works better now than in 1991
One of Ridley Scott’s best and under-discussed films starred Susan Sarandon and Geena Davis as best friends who become fugitives in the span of a few days. Regular, non-criminal souls can run into a rash of bad decisions like anyone else, and Scott’s film riffs heavily on that notion. Seeing a young Brad Pitt and Christopher McDonald two-bit roles extra juice is something and Harvey Keitel is a hoot as a firm yet sympathetic detective, but the two leads absolutely own the film.
I mean, the sky blue convertible deserves its own recognition and gun sounds actually sound like real guns. Seeing Sarandon and Davis in their heyday making us learn about, like, love and lastly defend a murderer and armed robber is a feat, even back then. The movie lives in delicious 90s movie lore, from the soundtrack to the unpredictable plot threads. Watching it again in the man cave felt like a revisiting that ended with the film playing better than it did 30+ years ago.
Thelma and Louise is streaming on Prime Video. Between this, Blade Runner and his Alien film, older Ridley is better than recent Ridley movies. Much better. He had a voice back then. Gladiator 2 hype aside, his new movies don’t hit as hard.
3) Movie trailers still show TOO MUCH
Disclaimer: I love previews. I can scroll YouTube for an hour straight watching old and new trailers. At their best, they’re a beautiful tease. At their lowest, 75% of the movie is shown. Whenever I see a movie at a regularly scheduled time with a paying crowd, at least six trailers are shown. Back in the day, I would have been thrilled. These days, I get to understand the movie’s hook, intention, and complete feel in two and a half minutes.
An upcoming James McAvoy movie shows him bulked up playing a violent, lying sociopath. The cast includes Mackenzie Davis and Scoot McNairy, but most of the movie’s twists and thrills are shown in the sneak peek. It makes me want to see it, but also tempers my rush-out-the-door tendency upon its release. Show less, not more.
4) Reacher rewatch bliss
“I won’t bother with any advanced interrogation tactics. I’m just going to squeeze the life right out of you.”
I love this show. Two seasons in, it’s exactly what Lee Child had in mind with a Jack Reacher story, and I liked the Tom Cruise movies. But he’s nowhere near what Child envisioned while writing those tales about a former special investigations military officer who became a vagabond doing good deeds. Alan Ritchson fills out the physicality of the role to a tee, and knows how to infuse the macho role with humor.
A wonderful Domenick Lombardozzi role in Season 2 made it something more, and the one-track minded plot never strays too far from pure action adventure entertainment. The biggest sin at times can be trying to do too much with a product that doesn’t need it, like over-seasoning a steak. Ritchson’s do-good crimefighter with witty one liners has plenty of gas and story ammunition to run for a decade.
Simply put, Reacher knows exactly what it is. Most shows and movies don’t have a clue.
5) Make concessions cheaper, or lose more theater moviegoers
While I understand movie theaters don’t make shit off ticket sales, just like bands make little off album sales, they don’t need to gauge hard-working folks with prices that border on ridiculous. It shouldn’t cost one person over $30 to get a ticket, some popcorn, a soda, and an item of candy. Multiply that by 3-5, and you have what a family forks over for a night at the theater.
Homegrown houses like Hi-Pointe and Arkadin over in the Bevo neighborhood offer cheap tickets and concessions, but a trip to Marcus or AMC raises the pile of cash required to see something on the big screen. That’s why when people blame a President for high prices and inflation, they forget that even the Executive in Chief has to play by the rules of the monstrous corporations sucking in cash like a vacuum takes in dust and cat hair. If they want audiences to keep coming or perhaps come more often, they need to cut concession prices.
Part of the beloved experience of seeing a film on the big screen is enjoying refreshments along with it. If not, we can make our meal and watch the movie on our large screen television at home, the same spot where countlessly great TV shows are enjoyed. Give people a real reason to leave their home. Times have changed. Movie theaters need to adapt as well, or continue to die.
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