Monkey Man... Boy Kills World... Bringing Out the Dead... Enter the Clones of Bruce... The First Omen... Lost Angel Judee Sill.

Welp, I clearly failed to do the monthly roundup in a timely fashion. While I typically have some excuse that usually orbits claims of being too busy, this time I have nothing to say except pure distraction. Work is one thing, but life is another animal entirely. Though it didn’t bite me too severely, some folks I know are having a tough go. Helping them out when I can hasn’t eaten up too much of my time, but it has made me contemplate a lot of things which drew my focus away from certain tasks. Let’s just say sometimes you have to get lost in order to be found. 

April came in with a horror movie I was excited to see The First Omen. I knew nothing about this going in which is always the best way to see films. That keeps expectations low, and nothing has spoiled what’s about to hit the screen. In a lot of ways, The First Omen is a solid horror movie, but its connection to the prequel is more shackle than building block. Personally, I think it could’ve done better on its own. The movie is also one jarring metaphor about birth and reproductive rights. For more details on what works, what doesn’t, and why it might be worth one streaming – if you haven’t seen it, it’s new to you – follow the link to my review.

The First Omen Is a Ghastly Allegory | Film Obsessive

After that I got the privilege of attending the press screener for Monkey Man. Initially, I got assigned the job as a backup. The main reviewer passed the assignment on to me when they couldn’t finish the writeup on time. One thing I like to think I excel at is speedy production. It harkens back to my days writing for BYOT. I’ve always enjoyed the pressure of penning a piece while the door is closing, throwing the pages under the stone barricade about to shut forever. However, I may be getting a reputation for being the guy who can get it done with three hours left. Speedily produced quality articles may make someone a valuable writer but the pressure of such situations can hasten burnout, so I’ve been more cautious lately about accepting similar assignments.

In any case, Dev Patel is a solid performer whom I’ve enjoyed in films such as The Green Knight (2021) and The Personal History of David Copperfield (2019). This step as writer-director into an action role is just another excellent moment in what continues to be a stellar career. Monkey Man has a wonderful energy, slick cinematic presentation, and brutal action. However, it manages to have heart utilizing minimalist storytelling techniques employed by the first John Wick film. In essence, Monkey Man is part of an elevated breed of action films that don’t sacrifice character, knowing that emotions, even if simple, connect the audience and make every moment more impactful.

Monkey Man Mixes Brutal Violence with Emotion | Film Obsessive

After that began a run of documentaries. Fortunately, they were all entertaining. It probably didn’t hurt that all involved the entertainment industry.

The first was Lost Angel: The Genius of Judee Sill. This looked at the tragically brief life and career of a ‘70s singer-songwriter. To say she’s a force of one would be an understatement. This flick is worth watching simply for the anecdotes about her as a youth. This is a person who knew what they wanted out of life and pursued that path without compromise even when it led to ruin. If nothing else, Lost Angel: The Genius of Judee Sill may introduce folks to music that’s always been around yet missing from their lives.

Lost Angel: The Genius of Judee Sill Sings Her Praises | Film Obsessive

Following those flicks I took a moment to put together a retrospective on Bring Out the Dead. It’s not necessarily one of Martin Scorsese ’s best known films, however, I think it’s an underappreciated picture. For one thing, it doesn’t look like any other movie the acclaimed director has done. For one thing, there’s an artistic stretch cinematically. Furthermore, this continues the notion of Scorsese’s tendency to make movies that border on being confessions from broken people. But the details are best consumed in the article as a whole.

Resuscitating Bringing Out the Dead | Film Obsessive

Finally, I closed out the month by getting to review Boy Kills World. This ludicrous action film inspired by side scrolling street brawler video games is a gem. The absolute insanity of the action here is top tier. Narratively, some bits get a tad old. However, the jokes land often enough to keep the chuckles coming between cringes at the shockingly brutal violence throughout. This may be a movie I revisit in the future, exploring the implications of its borderline satirical take on action. And though that risks being pretentious, freelance writers need to pitch articles to earn their pennies. Regardless of what tomorrow holds, Boy Kills World is an action movie well worth seeing. For all the reasons why, follow the link.

Boy Kills World Is Absurdly Brutal Escapism | Film Obsessive