DEATH BY LIGHTNING (2025)
(***** / *****) As perfect a combo of THE WEST WING (if it were set in 1880) - Bradley Whitford's Lyman-as-Blaine more than helped here - and Scorsese's KING OF COMEDY (his most underrated film) as one could ask for. Shannon and MacFayden unsurprisingly superb, though Nick Offerman's portrayal of Chester Arthur should be mentioned in the same breathless breath. Also nice to see a more positive presidential ending for Offerman than the last time he occupied the Oval.
FRANKENSTEIN (Guillermo del Toro, 2025)
***+ / *****: Some amazing performances - especially Jacob Elordi’s Wrightson-brought-to-life Creature - and moments of brilliance but overall left me wanting. The Netflix sheen shellacked over Del Toro’s too-conservative / reverent direction of his own script diluted what should have been a cinematic powerhouse into the streaming version of the early 90’s ABC event mini-series iterations of JEKYLL AND HYDE and PHANTOM OF THE OPERA (presented with limited commercial interruption); I’m not mad, just disappointed.
SIX FOUR (I)
Nearing the 400 page mark of Hideo Yokoyama’s much-lauded crime novel and I'm a.) pretty sure that I like it and b.) not quite sure what I was expecting. It certainly wasn't an INSIDER-esque look at the relationship between the Japanese police and the media; perhaps something more along the lines of DRAGON TATTOO or even HIGH AND LOW (a favorite film; mem: still need to watch Spike Lee's HIGHEST 2 LOWEST). Expectations aside, I know like it well enough to have picked up Yokoyama’s other books in English translation (SEVENTEEN and THE NORTH LIGHT) – I'll just be sure to never read the back or anything about any of his work before diving in. Marketing copy expectations are a cruel temptress and, now that I'm over waiting for the kidnapping part to take over, I realize that I should've known better. Even though I did write my own copy for my own book all those years ago but hey, whatever works.