War on Everyone
Year: 2016
Runtime: 1h 38m
Rated: R
Director: John Michael McDonagh
Writer: John Michael McDonagh
Stars: Alexander Skarsgård, Michael Peña, Theo James, Tessa Thompson
Double Feature Fodder:
Snatch (2000)
Initial: Recommendation from my husband.
Production Notes: Irish writer/director, John Michael McDonagh, set and shot this film in Albuquerque, New Mexico. It features the music of Glen Campbell.
What Did I Think:
This movie is very much not politically correct. But, it is pretty funny; full of screwball characters, which is probably why my husband liked it enough to recommend it. Actually, I could describe the plot as screwball too. Not many films detour to Iceland, seemingly on a whim. War on Everyone is for that evening when you want a crime comedy where your protagonists are not good guys.
I Am Patrick Swayze
Year: 2019
Runtime: 1h 32m
Rated: not rated
Director: Adrian Buitenhuis
Writer: Adrian Buitenhuis
Stars: Jennifer Grey, Sam Elliott, Rob Lowe
Double Feature Fodder:
Point Break (1991)
Initial: Patrick Swayze was one of my grandmother’s favorite actors. Since I steer clear of tabloids, I really didn’t know much about him.
Production Notes: The Paramount network has a whole series of I Am documentaries. I Am Patrick Swayze is one of their highest-rated episodes.
What Did I Think:
I liked that this documentary was half biography, half tribute, with family and co-stars sharing a lot of stories. Maybe it’s overly rose-colored, (I can’t imagine a man being so driven that he isn’t at times impossible), but I don’t have a problem with wanting to especially remember the good.
To wit, this is my favorite Patrick Swayze-related memory: One night in 1991, my grandmother decided she wanted to go see the latest Patrick Swayze movie. We headed for a 10:00pm showing at the Park 4 in Ralston, NE. After, my grandma thought the movie was okay, though she wasn’t sure if she liked Swayze as a villain. The movie was, of course, Point Break, clearly the oddest selection of movies to see in a theater with your grandparents.
The Wretched
Year: 2019
Runtime: 1h 35m
Rated: not rated
Directors: Brett Pierce, Drew T. Pierce
Writers: Brett Pierce, Drew T. Pierce
Stars: John-Paul Howard, Piper Curda, Jamison Jones
Double Feature Fodder:
The Lost Boys (1987)
Initial: Did my sister recommend this movie to me? If she didn’t, I need to recommend it to her. This is a better wendigo movie than most wendigo movies…
Production Notes: Due to being released at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, The Wretched topped the box office for five weeks.
What Did I Think:
This is one of my favorite kinds of films: The reported production budget was $66,000, yet it’s a good-looking, entertaining movie. It has a bit of a retro feel, being a teenager vs. creature story with a twist here and there. I do wish there was a tiny bit more clarity on the monster’s abilities. Not everything needs to be explained, but a few more details would have made the ending work a little better.
Simple Tricks & Nonsense 