Month: August 2024

Greedy People was sent to me early as a screener.

Money money money, makes the world go round, and can make people act very differently. Will (Himesh Patel) is on his first day on the job in a new area. He just moved here recently with his wife (Lily James) who is pregnant. Oh, and this job is of course being a cop. Oh man.

His partner, Terry (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) is an old hat at this job and really tells him on what he needs to know about the area. Truth is, its a very low crime city, so they aren’t going to have to do much at all. And make sure he doesn’t kill anyone! Well. Unfortunately due to events, and Terry not being that great of a person, Will accidentally kills someone! And while deciding what to do about it with Terry, they also…find a shit ton of cash!

Time to cover this up and make it look like a break in. The two agree to hide the cash in a storage unit, until things die down, and then start living life a little bit better. But of course, that is NOT what is going to happen. You see, the victim’s husband (Tim Blake Nelson) was actually already planning on ordering a hit on her that same day, so things just start to escalate from there, as more and more people get involved. That’s right. We are going to get a body count, because damn it, piles of money are just so exciting.

Also starring Jim Gaffigan, Joey Lauren Adams, José María Yazpik, Nina Arianda, Simon Rex, Traci Lords, and Uzo Aduba.

Just think of how much cash you could fit in JG-L’s mouth right there. Honestly, as a movie watcher and movie writer, and dare I say, movie critic, I get asked a lot about my favorite movies and least favorite movies. I also get asked about my favorite genre of movie. I think I finally have an answer for that, as I have hemmed and hawed in the past of various umbrella terms. I think I finally have a very specific answer. “Dark Comedies where things spiral out of control for regular people and a lot of people die.” Yeah, that might be my favorite drama.

From things like Fargo or Heathers or more recent bizarre ones like Arizona and The Death of Stalin. I almost always have a great and silly time. So, that is all to say, the same was true for Greedy People. A lot of people involved, mostly normal individuals, living their life, finding themselves a victim or a perpetuator of violence for one reason or another.

Patel is the lead of this film, but he ends up playing a mostly straight guy role throughout the proceedings. The remaining cast of characters is what really drives this movie forward. James, a pregnant and worried wife, amazing. Gorgon-Levitt, who has to play a lot of timid characters, was really let off of his leashes for this role. His character starts off as a normal shitty cop, sleazy, but becomes a scary force later on, with a just strong growling voice at times. Nelson, getting up in age, still can kick it like a Coen Bros film and give us a weird side character with special motives. Heck, Gaffigan played a literal hitman. I won’t say it is a role that is definitely suitable for him, but I will say it was notably different role for him, so its good to see him branch out and try something.

If you want main characters dying. This is the movie for you. If you like spiraling in a slightly comedic and deadly way. This is the movie for you. I had a lot of fun with this.

4 out of 4.

Art of a Hit was sent to me early as a screener. You can see an interview I had with two of the stars, here!

What happens to yourself if you get a little bit famous, but can never surpass that level? And you both plateau, and then fade away into obscurity? You were so close to greatness, and yet it is all gone.

That is what happened to our band. They had a few hits in the 90s, things were okay. But then their bass player (Rob Raco), who had all of their personality and star potential (weird for a bass player…), got offered a solo gig and took it to grow his career, and the rest of the band had…nothing!

So now here it is over a decade later, the band is sort of together, but not really. They never quit, but that doesn’t mean they play together as much. They have side projects, they still make music, but they aren’t together. But with their record label, they get an offer to head to France, to work with a mythical record producer (Charlie Saxton), to see if they can get their sound back. To see if they can make a hit song or a hit record with him. And maybe taste that sweet sweet glory.

While this happens, the band leader, Ryan (Ryan Donowho) has to manage all of the personalities, the producer, and the record label (who actually dropped them and isn’t paying for this, whoops!). While finding himself mentally, and literally, haunted at this daunting task in front of him at this spooky castle.

Also starring Allie MacDonald, David Valdes, James Earl, and Tim Jo.

“This is going to ruin the tour.”
“The what?”
“The world tour.” This film is labeled as a horror, but really it is not. First, it is far closest to a drama. There are scenes that suddenly get…gorey? I guess that is the right way to describe it. Accidents, self mutilation, being literally chased. But those scenes are few and far in between, and they are almost all in the band leaders head or dreams (not a spoiler). So if anything, maybe its more of a thriller, because of all of the uncertainty they are dealing with, and how most of it manifests in terms of fears of failures.

Honestly, the real scary stuff is happening at the end, and it is literally indescribable. Indescribable because of a spoiler, and I don’t want to get into that, but the ending is definitely horror in a non traditional sense of the genre.

Instead what I am mostly watching and interested in, is the band dynamics, the secrecy of their former bandmate who left, and how natural the group feels. And hell yeah, the band feels like a real band, with baggage and history. Exactly like one would hope. Only one member was awkward with them, and that was because he is new to them for the plot. I think Donowho carries a lot of weight in his face, with his fears of mediocrity, and it shows.

I believe I have been told all of the people did re-record the music that was made for this film. The band Jets to Brazil wrote the songs for the movie, but the actual actors (who all happen to be musicians), re-recorded it and we get to hear what they actually sound like together, and that is awesome. No weeks of intense strumming camp for these folks.

Either way, Art of a Hit I think would be better if they focused less on these few horror elements, and more on the very real dramatic and scary elements of being faced with fading into nothingness, with people barely remembering your name after you were so close to superstardom. That is a strong story. But I do understand these sorts of movies are harder to get funding for, than cheap horror. You never know when the cheap horror film will skyrocket and become popular, after all. A good story, just with some dumb horror moments.

3 out of 4.