Film Buffa: Keanu Reeves comes to St. Louis with music
Let's talk movies and JUST MOVIES tonight.
Openings are for people who don’t know what to say first. Let’s get into an entertainment only edition 5 things on my mind.
Dumb Money looks like a smart movie, but at the same time I’m not in a rush to see it. Craig Gillespe is a very good filmmaker and absolutely nailed Cruella, but this Game Stop stock flick doesn’t scream “ What used to be an automatic review is now contemplated.
Call it getting older or smarter with film; it’s more like being smarter with my choices and knowing what needs to be seen urgently, while what can wait until later.
Most of the time, actors get a bad rap for making an attempt to transition into music. If they do both, one can’t be a hobby for it to be taken seriously. Russell Crowe has a band, but Jeff Daniels can actually play. From what I’ve heard, Dogstar is not a bunch of guys getting together to play a few songs; they’re actually pretty good.
Keanu Reeves’s band has been playing together, and all over the world, for quite a while. Breaks and life, along with the work of starring in a four-film action saga, can delay bands putting together a tour. They don’t always break up; life happens. Reeves isn’t even the lead face of the group, preferring to play the bass like any other bass player would in the shadowy part of the stage.
Well, Dogstar is coming to St. Louis later this month, playing at the Hawthorn. Apparently Reeves is tired of avenging his dog, and wants to play some tunes. I’ll be attending, thanks to a good friend. Expect a full report in October.
The awards season may or may not be delayed, depending on the strike’s situation. Publicists would compare this to a chef saying “Jewish Lightning” out loud, but it’s slowly brewing. If we don’t get to vote on a bunch of movies we’ll mostly forget by June, something tells me it’ll be alright. The Oscars are a laughing stock and/or are dissected by whiny people no matter what happens. It’s rarely about the actual movies, instead being a reason for business to happen with tuxedos and dresses worn.
When was the last time you genuinely loved a Best Picture winner? My Top 10 list has looked more and more different each ballot, but I am not sweating being able to possibly breathe a little longer this winter. In the end, voting on awards is a way for a film critic to feel important, or like they officially matter. I feel important without having to decide which one I saw was best.
Keep the holdout going until a proper deal is reached. While Netflix hammered out a bunch of early one and done deals with talent, those days are over. They were over the minute a Netflix original movie was nominated for an Oscar and streaming movies were given a theatrical release, thus heightening the relevance of what is seen on your platform.
If Suits is on Netflix, those creators should be compensated. You can merge artificial intelligence and human art together, but the latter must be paid properly. Right now, things are being delayed and/or cancelled. Movies are entering 2024 at a rate slower than movies went from 2020 to 2021, but they’re still moving. Dune: Part Two is in March of next year, axing its awards chances and surefire box office hit status until the spring.
Things are quiet. This is how things look when a group of artists decides that being paid shit isn’t something to be pushed down.
The latest Mission: Impossible film will officially be a box office disappointment, failing to bring in enough international money to acquit a high budget. The pandemic delays jacked up the $300 million budget, and Dead Reckoning became a title that was a little too much on the nose for the Tom Cruise-led adventure.
Don’t get me wrong. The movie wasn’t bad and completely watchable, but a couple steps down from the last three films. Movie fans want consistency with an added layer of intrigue and daring ascension. Do what you’ve been doing, but get crazier. All the while, stay grounded. It’s a tightrope for even a megastar like Cruise to walk.
With Dead Reckoning Part Two coming next, here’s a bit of advice for co-writer/director Christopher McQuarrie, Cruise, and their top flight cast: Don’t show us so much in the trailers and promotion. Hide the biggest stunts. Don’t release three trailers. Keep the mystery going. We know the recipe, so just bring the taste.
Firing Squad:
~Michael Keaton is one of Hollywood’s most underappreciated talents.
~I miss Mad Men on AMC. If any show could come back, I would take another round of advertising minds swindling bourbon and words atop their brain for a living.
~Bradley Cooper’s Maestro, the Stallone Netflix documentary, and Keaton’s latest directorial effort, Knox Goes Away. The latter is about a hitman who comes down with a rare and deadly case of dementia. Count me in for that kind of old school original screenplay action.
That’s all I have. Find a good movie and let it hit you hard. Goodnight.