April Movie Roundup
Let's talk about what I watched last month
I’m not gonna lie to you, reader. It was a light month in the movie department this April at Working Title HQ. As a self-proclaimed Big Movie Guy™️, I really did not live up to the moniker. That’s on me. A couple of things factored into this, one being that there weren’t a ton of theatrical releases that I was dying to see but I’ll be honest: the main reason is because I’m rewatching The X-Files and I’ve been really tapped into that. We’re about to enter the real good time Summer Movie Season and I should have much longer lists in the months ahead, but we move. Let’s talk about some movies.
Movie: One Of Them Days
Where To Watch: Netflix
Recommend: hell yeah
Was really sad I missed this one in theater, would have been awesome with a crowd. It still rocked on my living room TV and I laughed for the duration. Can’t believe this is SZA’s first acting role, she smoked it and Kat Williams should be in every movie doing something. In a just world, Keke Palmer would be the most famous person alive, up there in the same discussions with Zendaya and Timothee Chalamet.
Movie: Mission: Impossible
Where To Watch: Amazon Prime via Paramount + / rent wherever you rent
Recommend: yes, it’s time to lock in
The rewatch begins! As far as movies in the series go, this might be the actual best one from a contained story and filmmaking perspective. Now, is it my personal favorite? No, it is not, but damn if it doesn’t hold up and still rip ever after almost 30(!) years. Those damn Gideons.
Movie: Mission: Impossible II
Where To Watch: Amazon Prime via Paramount + / rent wherever you rent
Recommend: yes, it’s time to lock in
This is pretty far and away my least favorite in the M:I movie run (full rankings coming after THE FINAL RECKONING later this month) but it’s not as bad as I remembered in my head. There are just some things working against it. It was made in 2000 and you can definitely tell by some of the music choices (love the nu-metal M:1 theme interpolation) and vibes. Directed by John Woo, this felt like the franchise trying to be a 007 movie. Lots of choices made here, most of them bad, but still a pretty good hang.
Movie: Sinners
Where To Watch: in a movie theater
Recommend: *at the top of my lungs* hell fuckin’ yeahhhhhh
This was the first movie of the year that I was really looking forward to (besides maybe Mickey 17, but I think I was looking forward to this one more if I’m doing some honest self-reflection) and hoo-boy did it deliver. Everybody in this movie is absolutely cooking. I usually am NOT rockin’ with the “same guy is twins” thing but Michael B. Jordan gives both of his characters (Smoke & Stack) enough personality and charm that I didn’t care in the slightest. Hailee Steinfeld, I have always been familiar with your game (shoutout TRUE GRIT and EDGE OF SEVENTEEN) but did not know you had it like THAT. Jack O’ Connell I was NOT familiar with your game and that is on me my man. Incredible stuff from Wunmi Mosaku and the absolute king Delroy Lindo. Shoutout to Miles Caton, another first time movie role taker that was lights out next to heavyweights like Jordan. And that score, ethereal. I was levitating at certain points.
Never thought a scene featuring a man unable to roll a cigarette would make me emotional, and yet here we are.
Movie: The Accountant 2
Where To Watch: in a movie theater, will be on Prime at some point
Recommend: a pleasantly surprising yes
I have a funny story about the (sorta) first time I watched The Accountant. I was flying from New York back to LA which is a longer flight, which I usually love because I can squeeze in anywhere from 2-4 movies depending on their length and how efficient I am with my time. I remember that on a previous flight some months ago, I had started The Accountant but hadn’t finished it because my flight landed and I had to stop watching. Figured it was the perfect plane movie and since the flight had just started, I would easily be able to finish it. I fired it up and got to the halfway point, which I thought was the cutoff point the last time I was watching. As the film continued, I realized that I had gotten a little further than I thought as I kept remembering scenes that were playing out. Then the movie ended. It turns out I had actually watched all of The Accountant and just wiped it from my memory. Perfect plane movie.
The Accountant 2 was a delightful surprise. While the first movie’s tone and story are dour and grim, TA2 is an almost a buddy comedy featuring both Ben Affleck and Jon Bernthal returning from the first one. It’s underlying plot is probably just as, if not more grim, than the first one, but with Berthal cooking like he is, it’s way more fun than the first. It has one of the most convoluted plots of any movie I’ve seen in recent memory, but if you turn your brain off (which is totally the goal for me personally for a movie like this) it’s a pretty fun time at the movies. I’ll watch as many of these as they care to make.
Also, one of the shows I work on for my job interviewed Ben Affleck for an episode this week and the man could not have been more engaging, charming, and kind. He rocks.
Movie: The Donner Party
Where To Watch: PBS Documentaries on Amazon (lol I know dude) or you can watch the entire thing free on YouTube
Recommend: yeah
I watch this like once a year because I’m super fascinated by the Donner Party and this documentary does a pretty comprehensive overview of their plight. The OTHER reason I watch it yearly is because the score goes so unbelievably (and unnecessarily) hard. The opening score is a borderline TWIN PEAKS joint and it continues to rock throughout it’s entirety. If you just wanna hear what I’m talking about, click on that link in the “Where To Watch” section and go to 1:00 mark.
Side note: if you like this sort of thing or are interested in the Donner Party at all, I cannot recommend the book The Indifferent Stars Above by Daniel James Brown enough. One of the most compelling books I’ve read in my life.
I’m adding a new section to these monthly roundups. Most of you have heard me mention physical media in this newsletter a time or tow and it’s something I’m pretty passionate about, especially for movies. Gonna add a small section detailing any physical media (movie specific) that I picked up during the month as well
Physical Media Added To Collection? - Yes
What Did I Get: I Walked With A Zombie (1943) / The Seventh Victim (1943) Criterion Collection 4k
I actually picked this up at an absolutely insane store here in Los Angeles called Vidéothequè. I was there to grab a copy of 28 DAYS LATER and 28 WEEKS later to get ready for 28 YEARS LATER and this was laying up front by the register. I’ve had this one on my wishlist for a bit now, so I grabbed it while I was there. I’m currently building out a list of all the movies I own on physical media and I’ll hopefully share that out here soon for the real sickos.
Another month down but as mentioned earlier, we’re entering movie prime time with a lot of good things coming out soon. I’m also almost finished with my X-FILES rewatch so I’ll be able to jump back in and go Movie Mode (that’s where you watch movies) here shortly. As always, thank you for reading and we’ll see you soon.
I also had a light movie watching month, and because of travel last week and a busy week right now, I have yet to see Sinners. It's been tough to avoid spoilers!