Buffa’s Movie Buffet: 5 things on my mind
Baseball may start tomorrow, but let’s shut off the lights and talk make believe.
The work week has shortened, and I am nursing a bruised tailbone. Long story short, I was an idiot again. We’re talking Marvel world-building kind of daily mistakes. We’ll get into that later, or potentially not depending on the painkiller I just took.
Here’s the thing. There will be baseball takes and news-dissecting very soon on this website. I’m talking Tyler O’Neill swing updates. Exit velo from tempered fingers. The Jordan Walker saga will unfold right here. The St. Louis Cardinals start another 162-game ride of “hold on for dear life” tomorrow afternoon at Busch Stadium, and my need to impose my will is apparent. You know what I think about this season, so let’s skip the obligatory cynical circle-jerk preview.
However, today is about the movies, and maybe some television show discussion as well. In whatever I publish next, a mention of Banshee or The Bear could happen at any moment. Anything centering around make believe is up for grabs here, so let’s get to it.
One thing I can promise is that I’ll speak more words here than John Wick does in John Wick: Chapter 4. It could be twice as much as he will ever talk as the unstoppable assassin again. Keanu Reeves’s avenging gunman only speaks 380 words in the new film, which runs close to three hours long.
It’s not a secret that the inspiration behind the films is attached to a man of few words mythology that lends the film franchise a subtle allure. Sometimes, audiences don’t want their ears talked off.
After all, Wick doesn’t need words when he’s punching, kicking, slicing, ducking, blocking, and shooting every decrepit soul in sight. Who has time to provide a soliloquy on life when dressed in a sharp suit dispensing the hardest kind of human punishment? Reeves doesn’t, as he had a hand in the slashing of many, many lines. Having seen and adored the film, I can say it’s a good choice to let Wick’s hands and legs be the judge, jury, and lawyers in this situation.
It’s similar to what Liev Schreiber did on Showtime’s Ray Donovan, using his producer credit clout to slash some of his fixer’s dialogue. It’s a nice sign of vanity being destroyed by a leading man in this overstuffed era of chatty scripts. Work smarter, not harder.
Yes, I’ll continue to wax poetically about this movie and its franchise. If you haven’t bothered to watch a single second of JW yet wish to take a dump on it, give the 2014 original a shot. Understand one thing: Wick isn’t meant to be mortal or represent a realistic portrayal of what the human body can take; he’s a superhero-type figure who manages to bleed. That’s the appeal: knowing this guy doesn’t live in our real world, and being able to detach and thoroughly enjoy.
We’re not talking about a Netflix flick at midnight. If that’s not paired with some pizza rolls and melted cheese, I don’t know what’s happening in our world.
Everybody who watches HBO’s Succession adores Tom. The husband who slowly built an ant hill-type comeback over his conniving bitch wife. As my good pal, Holy Elle on Twitter, put it last week: This is Game of Thrones in the corporate era. Money hungry family members willing to climb over whoever they can if the endgame means they’re #1 in daddy’s heart--or they just might steal the company from him!
The fourth and final season kicked off in glorious fashion on Sunday, and Tom played a big part. Played by Matthew Macfayden, he’s the soldier for the media empire, the seemingly feeble yet smart husband of “Shiv” Roy. Sarah Snook makes it easy to hate her, and easily side with Tom. His role and part in the plot could teach people a thing or two about the power of a catalyst playing both sides.
Macfayden was announced as the newest cast member of Deadpool 3, which will *finally* pair Ryan Reynolds’ deplorable yet lovable Wade Wilson with Hugh Jackman’s merciless Logan, aka Wolverine. I can only hope Tom is the blade that sneaks up and stabs them both… only to be destroyed by them both.
Who knows? He could play a scientist who figures out how to revive Jackman’s previously dead ex-X-Men team member. I know! James Mangold’s masterful film, Logan, will not be disrupted or manipulated by this upcoming film. Macfayden, feel very free to disrupt.
Out of nowhere, here are my favorite TV shows of all time. The greatest, at least to me.
Banshee. DUH!
Kingdom. All-around gem that I’d watch again.
The Bear. Wonderful ensemble. Something that speaks to all shows on this list. Made a kitchen sexy AND realistic.
Mad Men. Matthew Weiner made ad-men sexy. I’d love a spin-off with just Don Draper and Roger Sterling.
Sopranos. Fade was black was perfect. Gandolfini went from mesmerizing to haunting.
Give me yours in the comment section. Or don’t.
A Man Called Otto, a remake released late last year starring Tom Hanks as the opposite of Mr. Rogers, a grouchy old man who finds his cold heart melted by a family who moves in next door. It proves again, the everyman of the movies, can play any mood or soul. The movie is patient, and a special shoutout to Mariana Trevino for taking a slightly underwritten role and giving it depth. The middle act lagged a bit for me-the wife gave me a good nudge-but the final 40 minutes contain a subtle grace.
It’s at Redbox and also streaming on Amazon Prime for less than an arm and leg ($6).
There are certainties in life. French fries are always a yes, sports talk is exhausting, and listening to Kleinschmidt is wise. I’ve known this esteemed gentleman and good friend for close to 26 years. Every time the Cards start their shenanigans, I think of meeting and befriending my pal. Yesterday, he told me to start a new Netflix show named The Night Agent.
Starring St. Louis native Gabriel Basso as a special agent who works in the basement of the White House, manning a phone that never rings--one meant for emergencies. Suffice to say, it does ring and an adventure begins. I am two episodes in, aka a movie, and I concur. A rock solid series from the creator of The Shield that is very watchable and doesn’t ask for too much in return.
Don’t expect The Wire. Just time well spent. Expect a full review, or not, next week.
That’s all I have. Goodnight.