Tag Archives: Jordan Peele

NOPE (2022): The Things I Liked…

Nope (2022), Daniel Kaluuya, Brandon Perea, Keke Palmer, Universal Pictures
Nope (2022), Daniel Kaluuya, Brandon Perea, Keke Palmer, Universal Pictures

I would love to say that Nope is one of my favourite movies of 2022, but that wouldn’t be true. Director Jordan Peele’s third film, following Get Out (2017) and Us (2019), truly tested my patience so much that I came close to giving up on it.

It wasn’t until the fifty-five-minute mark that things changed. I was finally fully engaged and excited about what was happening in Peele’s horror/mystery/sci-fi film about the uncanny, chilling and undoubtedly alien events in an inland California gulch.

The cinematography of Nope is one of its key highlights. Daniel Kaluuya and Keke Palmer’s performances were two more high points. There was a point or two when I wanted Palmer’s character to speak less. Still, what I loved most about Nope is the sibling connection between Kaluuya and Palmer’s characters. A pleasing dynamic that happens to shine through even more after the aforementioned fifty-five-minute mark

As for the question of whether to watch Nope or not, that depends on your patience levels. It also depends on how big of a Peele fan you are. And, lastly, your curiosity about everything that happens after fifty-five minutes. 

I can’t say I completely forgive Peele for the slow half of the movie, just because I enjoyed the second half a lot more. But, I can say that I am somewhat less mad. 

Have you seen Nope? If so, what did you like most and least about it?

Happy Film Loving 

G

CANDYMAN (2020): New Trailer From Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Tony Todd, Teyonah Parris…

Candyman (2020),  Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Universal Pictures
Candyman (2020), Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Universal Pictures

Candyman (1992) was a horror hit about a murderous soul with a hook for a hand. A dark soul that can be summoned simply by a person saying his name in the mirror five times.

Starring Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Tony Todd, Teyonah Parris, plus, co-written by Jordan Peele and directed by Nia DaCosta; we have a new Candyman story for 2021. This time the dark murderous soul returns to the now-gentrified Chicago neighbourhood where it all began.

I remember watching the original Candyman movie, but I’d forgotten about the bees. I don’t believe the original film gave me nightmares. However, I may have blocked out such unpleasantness from memory.

This trailer looks good, DaCosta is a promising new director, and Jordan Peele’s involvement can only mean good things. I therefore can’t wait to see how this turns out. I’ll be watching as early as possible in the day. That way, by nighttime, hopefully, I’d have forgotten about the scenes that have nightmare-inducing powers.

Colman Domingo, Nathan Stewart-Jarrett, Rebecca Spence, Cassie Kramer, Brian King, Miriam Moss, Avery Moss, Nadia Simms and Hannah Love Jones also star.

Candyman Release Dates: August 27th, 2021 (US & UK)…

Happy film loving,

G

GET OUT (2017): A Scary Movie I Just Had To See (No Spoilers Commentary/Review)…

Get Out Commentary / Review, TheMovieMyLife
Get Out Commentary / Review, TheMovieMyLife

I filmed my first ever video response/commentary/review of a movie I’ve recently seen.

The lucky movie this time  is Jordan Peele’s Get Out. If you read my original review on this blog you’ll already know some of what I have to say. Nevertheless, and without further ado…

Happy Film Loving,

G

GET OUT (2017): A Scary, Suspenseful & Clever Mystery…

Get Out (2017), Daniel Kaluuya, Allison Williams
Get Out (2017), Daniel Kaluuya, Allison Williams

Meeting a girlfriend’s parents for the first time is scary for any young man, but when you’re a young African-American man (Daniel Kaluuya) visiting his Caucasian girlfriend’s mysterious family estate for the first time, there’s another level of scary that comes into play. And it’s writer/director Jordan Peele’s exploration of this fear, combined with his smart social and cultural observations, that make Get Out a thing to see.

As a self-confessed wuss, especially where scary movies are concerned, as soon as Get Out started, I was more than ready for the film to end. Not because I was having a bad time, as such. I simply knew that something bad was going to happen and I was looking forward to the point when it was over.  

In spite of my ‘wussy’ ways, I did make it to the very end of Get Out, a well constructed mystery where the immediate scares come in the suspenseful moments when you don’t quite know how the impending horror is going to take shape. 

Watch this movie because it’s worth it, and you probably won’t have nightmares afterwards. At least not on the night you watch it. I didn’t, though I did have plenty of other thoughts going on. So that’s probably why. Or, maybe tonight is when the scares will come. Tonight. Or not.

Happy Film Loving,

G

CAPTAIN UNDERPANTS – THE FIRST EPIC MOVIE (2017): New Trailer From Kevin Hart, Thomas Middleditch, Ed Helms…

Captain Underpants - The First Epic Movie (2017), Kevin Hart (George), Thomas Middleditch (Harold)
Captain Underpants – The First Epic Movie (2017), Kevin Hart (George), Thomas Middleditch (Harold)

In Captain Underpants – The First Epic Movie, Kevin Hart and Thomas Middleditch are the voices of two mischievous elementary school kids.

Directed by David Soren and based on the popular books by Dave Pilkey, the two very naughty fourth graders hypnotise their principal into becoming their comic book creation, Captain Underpants.

I’m officially intrigued. Yet,  the remaining question is, how distracting will it be that Kevin Hart is voicing a fourth-grader when he generally sounds like a real-life adult? Hopefully, the answer is not at all, at least eventually.

Nick Kroll, Jordan Peele and Kristen Schaal also star.

Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie Release Dates: June 2nd, 2017 (US); July 21st, 2017 (UK)…

Happy Film Loving,

G