One of Stephen King’s most ambitious novels has finally been given its due with “IT: Chapter Two,” the monstrously thrilling second half to the first chapter of “IT” in 2017. Yes, it will feel long to some audience members with a 2-hour, 49-minute runtime (it’s more than a half-hour longer than the 2017 original), but for those enamored with the details of King’s source material, there’s plenty more story to revel in.
The great thing is, not only is this chapter told from the standpoint of the adult versions of The Losers’ Club, it melds in many more pages from the stories of the young Losers in flashback, which naturally involves more nightmare scenarios with the ghoulish Pennywise the Dancing Clown.
“IT: Chapter Two” picks up where the 2017 film left off in 1989, where a group of adolescent outcasts – after they seemingly defeated Pennywise – make a blood oath to return to their hometown of Derry, Maine, and reunite to fight the embodiment of evil once again should he resurface. Just as the Pennywise legend foretold, the demented clown returns to Derry and begins to claim more victims 27 years later in 2016, and its up to traumatized adults to not only muster up the courage to stand united in the hometown they left behind, but carry out a tribal ritual that will rid their town of the creature they call IT once and for all.
Starring an impressive cast almost entirely made of young teens in the 2017 film, “IT: Chapter Two” is twice as good from an acting standpoint, as we not only get the adult versions of the Losers’ Club (including Jessica Chastain, James McAvoy and Bill Hader), the young cast returns as well in flashback scenes that expand their storylines. As for Pennywise, Bill Skarsgard is back and even more frightening than the original, appearing in not only creepy clown form (which is scary enough), but as an assortment of nightmare-inducing creatures that will make you jump, squirm, turn away in disgust and laugh at the same time. It’s a howling great time and bloody brilliant follow-up to the 2017 blockbuster.
Lammometer: 8 (out of 10)
Tim Lammers reviews movies weekly for “The KQ92 Morning Show,” WCCO Radio, WJON-AM, KLZZ-FM, “The Tom Barnard Podcast” and “The BS Show” with Bob Sansevere. On TV, Tim has made hundreds of guest appearances on “KARE 11 News at 11” (NBC).
The horror film genre is taking a welcome roll of the dice with “Ready or Not,” a creepy horror comedy with a unique enough plot to keep you occupied for its brisk, 95-minute runtime. With hints of “The Most Dangerous Game,” it’s not a groundbreaking film by any stretch of the imagination, but it also doesn’t rely on conventional horror film fare, either. What it excels in is establishing a foreboding, Gothic tone where danger lurks around every corner, which is a good thing considering the protagonist for the greater duration of the film is trying to avoid a family filled with homicidal maniacs.
AUDIO: Hear Tim’s review of “Ready or Not” with Tom Barnard on “The KQ Morning Show” on KQRS-FM. Segment is brought to you by Michael Bryant and Bradshaw & Bryant.
Samara Weaving, whose had some training in the horror comedy genre with a three-episode stint on the under-appreciated series “Ash vs. Evil Dead,” is terrific as Grace, a new bride who weds her fiancé Alex (Mark O’Brien) on his filthy rich family’s sprawling estate. Before Grace can become an official part of Alex’s family, though, she must participate in bizarre midnight ritual where she plays a game with his eccentric family that earned its fortune as the inventor of famous board games.
To begin with, Grace must draw a card from a mysterious box, which reads “Hide and Seek.” But it’s the worst possible pick the new bride could have made, since that game involves every family member hunting Grace down to kill her before the sun rises. If she makes it through the night — and this new bride is no pushover — Grace wins and the family faces a grim payback.
While “Ready or Not” is billed as a horror comedy, there’s definitely more blood and guts involved than there are laughs. That’s not to say the film doesn’t have its fair share of comedy, though, particularly when the laughs arise of cringe-inducing horrific situations. Otherwise, when the film goes for straight-up comedy, the setups sometimes feel forced, which leaves gaping holes where the audience is wondering whether they should laugh or gasp.
Co-written and co-directed by Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett, the biggest thing “Ready or Not” has going for it is the Gothic atmosphere they create in the film’s gorgeous but creepy mansion, and the bizarre characters they populate it with.
AUDIO: Hear Tim’s review of “Ready or Not” with Paul Douglas and Jordana Green on “Paul and Jordana” on WCCO-AM. Segment is brought to you by Michael Bryant and Bradshaw & Bryant.
Henry Czerny and Andie MacDowell are wonderfully weird and whimsical as Alex’s mom and dad, while Alex’s older brother, David (Adam Brody), is the only sane one in the bunch, as he wallows in guilt and remorse for participating in the game after witnessing as child a potential new family member losing the game in a cruel manner. All of the family members, though, harbor an even more troubling secret, which rears its ugly head as the game nears its conclusion at dawn.
While “Ready or Not” is far from perfect, there’s no question that it ends with a bang, featuring an explosive, laugh-out-loud funny final act which makes the whole film worthwhile. Fair warning, though: being it’s a horror film, it shouldn’t come as a huge surprise that involves a lot of blood, so some audience members are bound to get queasy. But given that filmmakers clearly intended to make an R-rated gorefest, why play around?
Lammometer: 7 (out of 10)
Tim Lammers reviews movies weekly for “The KQ92 Morning Show,” WCCO Radio, WJON-AM, KLZZ-FM, “The Tom Barnard Podcast” and “The BS Show” with Bob Sansevere. On TV, Tim has made hundreds of guest appearances on “KARE 11 News at 11” (NBC).
Gerard Butler is back for a third and presumably final go-round as an Army ranger-turned-Secret Service superstar with a particular set of skills in “Angel Has Fallen.” It’s Butler’s third “Fallen” movie since 2013, beginning with “Olympus Has Fallen” where the president of the United States, played by Aaron Eckhart, came under attack by terrorists, followed by “London Has Fallen,” when the UK city came under siege by terrorists on a presidential visit.
AUDIO: Hear Tim’s review of “Angel Has Fallen” with Paul Douglas and Jordana Green on “Paul and Jordana” live from the Minnesota State Fair on WCCO-AM. Segment is brought to you by Michael Bryant and Bradshaw & Bryant.
“Angel Has Fallen” mixes up the formula a bit, where Bannon, code name “Angel” becomes the prime suspect in an assassination attempt on President Allan Trumbull (Morgan Freeman), who assumed the Oval Office after playing speaker of the House in the first film and vice president in the second. The target of a drone attack that killed all of Trumbull’s Secret Service agents with the exception of Bannon, Trumbull becomes incapacitated and unable to defend his loyal bodyguard, who has been framed by ruthless defense contractors who are hoping to land a big payday and change the way things are done with private companies in Washington.
Directed by stuntman-turned-filmmaker Rick Roman Waugh, “Angel Has Fallen” feels distinctly like three films. It’s a combination of the first two films in its brutal, unrelenting violence as Bannon takes out the bad guys with extreme prejudice; and has heavy overtones of the Harrison Ford blockbuster “The Fugitive,” where an innocent man framed with a deadly crime is faced with the insurmountable task of proving his innocence.
Like all three of the aforementioned films, “Angel Has Fallen” delivers on thrills with intense action and a solid cast and will easily please fans of the “Fallen” movies and “The Fugitive.” Upping the appeal of the film is strong performance by Jada Pinkett Smith as an FBI agent on Bannon’s tail, and the grizzled but always great Nick Nolte as Bannon’s estranged father.
At this juncture, the only thing working against “Angel Has Fallen” is the predictability of the story line and basic framework of films that we already know too well. Thankfully, a solid veteran like Nolte was added to juice the film up with some welcome laughs. In the end, “Angel Has Fallen” is a good film but not a great one and will leave its fan base more than satisfied.
Lammometer: 7 (out of 10)
Tim Lammers reviews movies weekly for “The KQ92 Morning Show,” WCCO Radio, WJON-AM, KLZZ-FM, “The Tom Barnard Podcast” and “The BS Show” with Bob Sansevere. On TV, Tim has made hundreds of guest appearances on “KARE 11 News at 11” (NBC).
In a year blessed by the movies about Queen, Elton John and The Beatles, it’s turn for The Boss’ music to get its due on the big screen with “Blinded by the Light.” Far from a biopic like “Bohemian Rhapsody” or musical fantasy like “Rocketman,” the film is more like “Yesterday,” except it’s based on the remarkable true story of how the tunes of Bruce Springsteen inspired a Pakistani teen in the late 1980s to transcend the hatred around him and defying the conventions of his culture, all while pursuing his dream of being a writer.
“Blinded by the Light” is based on the formative teen years of Sarfraz Manzoor, who’s presented in the film as Javed (Viveik Kalra), who is fighting xenophobia as a Pakistani immigrant in Luten, Bedfordshire, in the southeast of England amidst his own identity crisis. Not only does struggle the taunts of Brits who hate him simply because of his lineage, he’s also rejecting his preordained path of following in the cultural footsteps of his hardworking father Malik (Kulvinder Ghir), and mother, Noor (Meer Ganatra).
AUDIO: Hear Tim’s review of “Blinded by the Light” with Tom Barnard on “The KQ Morning Show” on KQRS-FM. Segment is brought to you by Michael Bryant and Bradshaw & Bryant.
Instead, Javek wants to go his own way, and he’s not quite sure where that is until he finds his salvation and identifies with the lyrics by a troubadour born in the U.S.A. It happens like a flash of lighting, when Javed’s life instantly transforms when his schoolmate, Roops (Aaron Phagura) borrows him two Springsteen cassette tapes (it is the ‘80s, after all). Captivated by all things Springsteen (he even copies the rocker’s blue collar look), Javed most importantly realizes the parallels between his life and The Boss’ stories. In turn, the power of Springsteen’s music enables Javek to put his feelings down on paper, which catches the attention of his caring English teacher (the always great Hayley Atwell), who in turn urges him to write more.
While “Blinded by the Light” isn’t a note-for-note account of Manzoor’s life story, the heart and passion that drove him to become a successful journalist for such publications as the UK’s Guardian and a documentarian for the BBC is definitely present in the movie.
Directed by “Bend it Like Beckham” filmmaker Gurinder Chada, “Blinded by the Light” presents Springsteen’s music in a way you have never experienced it before, and to top it off, it blends in moments of light humor, serious heartbreak and a little romance that creates a unique and wonderfully entertaining story.
Anchored by passionate performances by Kalra, Ghir, Ganatra, Phagura and Nell Williams, who plays Javed’s first love, “Blinded by the Light” is easily one of the best films of the year, and it’s capped off by an ending that will make Springsteen fans love The Boss forever. The movie will no doubt make you tap your toes to the soundtrack, but laugh, cry and perhaps sob.
Perhaps the greatest revelation of “Blinded by the Light” is that you don’t have to necessarily know the music of Springsteen to be engaged by the film. Diehard fans will no doubt find deeper meaning in the rock icon’s music, while casual fans will look at the New Jersey native in a completely different way. As for those few who are completely unaware of The Boss, get ready to experience something akin to what Manzoor’s character Javed, did, when his buddy Roops borrowed him the cassettes of “Born in the U.S.A.” and “Darkness on the Edge of Town.”
It’s truly wonderful how Javed’s happens upon “The Boss’ music in the first place, as the writer’s serendipitous path begins with a mild collision between the conflicted teen and Roops in a high school hallway. Picking up his friend’s cassette off the floor, Javed asks Roops, “Who is The Boss?” to which Roops responded, “He’s The Boss of us all.”
AUDIO: Hear Tim’s review of “Blinded by the Light” with Paul Douglas and Jordana Green on “Paul and Jordana” on WCCO-AM. Segment is brought to you by Michael Bryant and Bradshaw & Bryant.
Of course, that’s a pretty bold claim to make, whether it refers to the music of the 1980s or the music of today, but this much is certain: At least for the 1 hour and 57 minutes Chada raises the curtain in the darkness to reveal “Blinded by the Light,” the music of Bruce Springsteen rules.
Prepare to be inspired and look at life in a whole new light, and not in a blinding sort of way. Springsteen’s message has never been so clear.
Lammometer: 9.5 (out of 10)
Tim Lammers reviews movies weekly for “The KQ92 Morning Show,” WCCO Radio, WJON-AM, KLZZ-FM, “The Tom Barnard Podcast” and “The BS Show” with Bob Sansevere. On TV, Tim has made hundreds of guest appearances on “KARE 11 News at 11” (NBC).
