Cocaine Bear: 3 Stars
This image released by Universal Pictures shows Keri Russell in a scene from “Cocaine Bear,” directed by Elizabeth Banks. (Pat Redmond/Universal Pictures via AP)Talk about wildlife.
‘Cocaine Bear’ is a chilling new hybrid of ‘Scarface’ and ‘Yogi Bear’ starring Keri Russell, O’Shea Jackson Jr. and Ray Liotta, screened in his last performance and now in theaters. and fulfills its premise promises. Like Snakes on a Plane, another movie whose entire plot is in the title, ‘Cocaine Bear’ lives up to its name. There’s a bear, and he’s tweaked in devil dust, but is that enough to get people into the theater, or will the audience simply say no?
The film loosely plays on the true 1985 story of a 79-kilogram American black bear who stumbles upon and eats an abandoned cocaine duffel bag while wandering the Georgia wilderness. . Later nicknamed Pablo Escovea, this pathetic, unfortunate beast quickly overdosed in real life and spent the rest of his life stuffed and displayed at the local shopping mall.
Director Elizabeth Banks uses a real-life setting as the kickoff for her story. In her retelling, drug smuggler Andrew C. Thornton II (Matthew Rhys) dumped 40 kilograms of cocaine in the woods of Georgia to avoid police. Then, instead of capsizing, you become a character in a Bret Easton Ellis novel, rampaging bloody coke-fuel through the woods in search of more drugs.
Along the way, Cocaine Bear (as one character calls him) meets a worried mother (Keri Russell), a mob boss (Ray Liotta), and his henchmen (Alden Ehrenreich and Jackson Jr.). And so on. and Park Ranger (Margo Martindale).
Before you buy a ticket to Cocaine Bear, ask yourself these questions: Would you enjoy the movie “Cocaine Bear”? I can safely say it’s the best stoned bear movie of the year. Granted, it’s a small area, but if it’s turning your crank, be sure to check it out.
If you want convincing, “Cocaine Bear” may not be for you. on the fence? read.
Joking premise aside, this movie is a throwback to 1980s slasher movies. Gruesome is quirky, bloody, and like knowing you shouldn’t laugh, but here, you’re laughing out loud at other people’s misfortunes.
Unfortunately, while there’s good vibes between Ehrenreich and Jackson Jr, most other characterizations are kept to a minimum. Many of the characters are essentially sentient lumps of bear food. The conversation is far from campy or funny as it should be. Be. It feels choppy—there’s a good pun made here about chopping up lines of cocaine, but I’m too lazy to make it—and the gaps between action sequences are a little too long.
However, “Cocaine Bear” has quite a few laughs. It makes up for the lack of satire and deeper meaning. This is nothing more than the truth in advertising. It’s about a bear and a bunch of cocaine, and it’s only 90 minutes long. If that appeals to you, do like a bear and snort.
I have a ghost: 3 stars
The ghost played by David Harbor in the new Netflix movie We Have a Ghost may not be as friendly as Casper, but that’s because his life and afterlife were a big deal.
An adaptation of “Ernest,” a “socially-mediated ghost story” by Jeff Manaf, originally posted on Vice, the new film follows Frank (Anthony Mackie) as a lonely, guitar-obsessed son. It begins with a search for a new start for his family, which includes Kevin. (Jahi Winston). The rambling old house looks like it’s in need of a new family, but there’s one problem. This place is haunted by the spirit of Ernest (Haber). Ernest (Harber) is a restless ghost in a bowling shirt who is attracted to Kevin’s guitar playing and materializes in the attic of the house.
“Did you move into the death house?” asks Kevin’s neighbor (Isabella Russo) in disbelief.
Although Ernest is unable to speak, the two connect and sense the trauma that has affected each other’s lives.
When Frank finds Kevin’s Ernest video, he senses an opportunity to make some money off of his capricious spirit. He started his YouTube channel and soon Ernest’s story caught the attention of millions of viewers. A TV psychic (Jennifer Coolidge) and his CIA agent (Tig Notaro) are determined to find out the truth about this ghostly story.
What started out as a quick way for Frank to make money becomes a heartfelt inquiry into Ernest’s life before the afterlife.
“We Have a Ghost” is not a ghost story. It’s a story of fathers and sons, a story of tragedy and truth, connection and disconnection, and supernatural order. The setup sounds slapstick — “There’s a ghost in the house!!” — but it quickly settles into its own atmosphere, part introspective, part bittersweet, part “Scooby-Doo.” Not all the elements line up easily like puzzle pieces, but Harbor unites them in a silent performance that brings Ernest both pathos and absurdity.
Hard transitions in tone give “We Have a Ghost” an uneven feel. It feels scattered, as if it’s trying to make up its mind on what it wants to be. The horror, comedy, and family-friendly mashup never really sticks together, but there are highlights like Jennifer Coolidge brightening things up as a parody of an ambitious TV psychic.
With a teenage lead, sentimental underpinnings, paranormal experiences, and family dynamics, “We Have a Ghost” aims for an Amblin-like atmosphere. Not so much for the youngest members, but it provides enough fun to earn endorsements.
Jesus Revolution: 3 Stars
This image released by Lionsgate shows Kelsey Grammer (left) and Jonathan Rowmy in a scene from “Jesus Revolution.” (Dan Anderson/Lionsgate via AP)The film of the same name, based on American author and pastor Greg Rowley and his book The Jesus Revolution, is playing in theaters now and is a period drama set in the late 1960s, with Kelsey Grammer as the genius of the period. It stars as a “square” Southern California pastor who embraces love. And the mantra of peace, and the hippies who follow it, despite the opposition of his church elders.
When we first met Reverend Chuck Smith (Grammer), he was a fairly elderly man at the time. He’s baffled by the new generation, even his teenage daughter says he’s “right square.” According to Chuck, hippies have “abandoned authority, tradition, morality, and God” and want nothing to do with them.
“When God came in here and brought the hippies,” he says. “I ask him what it is.”
As soon as the word doorbell rings escapes his lips. Leaning over is Ronnie Frisby (Jonathan Roomy), a long-haired, charismatic hippie street preacher often said to resemble Jesus.
The Frisbee carries a message of tolerance, love, and the seeds of the Jesus Youth Movement, which Time called “The Jesus Revolution” in its June 1971 cover story.
“God save hippies,” says Frisby.
Meanwhile, a missing teen from a broken home named Greg Rowley (Joel Courtney) seeks emancipation in the Southern California counterculture movement. His life was revolutionary when his spiritual journey took him into the realm of Smith and Frisbee.
Set to the soundtrack of rock hits like “Jesus Is Just Alright with Me,” “Jesus Revolution” is a faith-based film about embracing the outcast, searching for meaning, and stirring up the status quo through love and acceptance. It’s an unabashedly comforting tale that unfolds quickly without missing an opportunity to use the “far away” Boomer cliché to establish time and place.
The first hour of “Jesus Revolution” is the best. Past Smith’s “I hate hippies” phase, Grammer has some heartfelt scenes that give the narrative’s message of embracing some true gravity.
The story wanders into the wilderness when dramatic conflicts occur, such as the clash of egos between Frisbee and Smith. “Not everything has to be a spectacle,” scolds Smith. Every story needs some kind of conflict to maintain interest, but after an hour of peace and love it feels forced.
“Jesus Revolution” is a very serious, strong point of view movie that values euphoria above all else.
Sharp: 3 stars
This image released by Apple TV+ shows Justice Smith (left) and Julianne Moore in a scene from “Sharper.” (Apple TV+ via AP)The new Apple TV+ movie Sharper, starring Julianne Moore, Justice Smith, and Sebastian Stan, is a tale of love and lies, deceit and greed, and plot twists that, unfortunately, despite its zigzag narrative, Predictability.
The film opens with a romantic encounter between bookstore clerk Tom (Smith) and Sandra (Brianna Middleton). Sandra (Brianna Middleton) is her NYU student researching Redefining Radicalism: The Rise of Black Feminism in American Literature. He invites her to dinner with her, but she objects, but like all good New York City romances, her fate intervenes and they fall deeply in love.
However, as soon as they enter the relationship, Sandra seems less buttoned-down than when she first appeared.
Welcome to the spoiler free zone.
At this point, director Benjamin Caron, best known for directing Benedict Cumberbatch’s “Sherlock” series, “The Crown” and “Andor,” makes an episodic appearance, splitting the film into several sections to create a series of characters. Offers insight into the backstory and interrelationships.
Max (Stan) is a shady character who always arrives in a hurry and ready.
Moore and Lithgow play upper class Madeline and Richard. He’s his self-made millionaire. She’s a trophy wife with a troubled son.
Other chapters cover the back and forth between Tom and Sandra.
Of course, these seemingly unrelated characters go hand in hand in a high-stakes game of deception and duplicity, where there are big winners and losers, and are cast aside to be forgotten.
The film’s title refers to someone who is a gambling cheat or a confidante, and it certainly shows well enough, but taken in a different context, the story of “Sharper” isn’t quite as sharp as the title’s literal meaning. . might suggest. The structure is interesting and the characters compelling, but even if it strays a bit from the book, it’s about a rich old man who falls in love with a beautiful young woman, an ice-cold con man, and his emotional victim. Although there are multiple intersecting cheat games, the films on display aren’t smart enough to offer the payoff they need to make an impression.
While there are some surprises in the script (don’t watch the trailer before you see the movie), especially if you’ve seen “The Sting,” the big-time elaborate scam feels a little worn. To do.
‘Sharper”s biggest scam isn’t the characters, but it’s executed by director Caron, who deftly finds a way to drag the audience in for almost two hours before leaving them empty-handed in the finale.
