Ridley Scott's wildly uneven sociopolitical thriller/carnage porn is propelled purely by star wattage. Russell Crowe's Foghorn Leghorn accent is at least a diversion.
The gasoline mayhem is breathtaking but gets fatiguing, unlike its more focused predecessor, Fury Road. Both Alyla Browne and Anya Taylor-Joy are noteworthy Furiosas. Though their presence isn't enough to save this overlong prequel from a spluttering narrative. What saddens me most is that it's focused too much on the action to build on the feminist fury alive in its sequel.
Post-holiday Tuesday blues got you down?
Check out my latest blog post where I share some of my favorite stress-relief TV shows that have been absolute lifesavers for me. 📺
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Jack Nicholson holds the screen well enough in Sean Penn's debut as a writer director.
It's a piece of depression porn that contains all the self indulgent beats and hokey dialogue you might expect from a first timer (so much introspection!).
If I were to quibble, I'd say this dreamy thriller wobbles when it delights too much in the archetypical Lou Sr. But Stewart and O'Brian embody lovers with enough sustenance to make this romance a worthy companion to 1996's Bound, albeit one with a heavier dose of derangement.
The worst part of Late Night with the Devil happens during the overly long and overly revealing prologue. You're force fed all you need to know and can glean almost every twist. It should have cut it by half and lost none of its power.
Aside from that exposition explosion, Late Night is a solid slow burn and period purists will shoot their polyester suit over all the 70s details.
#OnThisDay, April 28, 1992, Jim Gallien gave Christopher McCandless a ride to the head of the Stampede Trail in the Denali Borough in Alaska, the last time McCandless was seen alive (depicted in Into the Wild, 2007)
Today, April 27, 2008, Rob and Beth visit Coney Island, inadvertently recording a piece of the ChimpanzIII satellite falling into the Atlantic (Cloverfield, 2008)
#OnThisDay, April 23, 1985, Coca-Cola changes its formula and releases New Coke. Public reaction was negative and the original formula was back on the market within three months (depicted in Stranger Things, s03e07 “The Bite”, 2016)
Today, April 23, 1957, teen superhero Stratogale is killed when her cape gets sucked into a jet’s turbine, leading costume designer Edna Mode to later declare, “No capes!” (The Incredibles, 2004)