Suburbicon (2017)

Suburbicon (2017)

C – 105m
Aspect Ratio: 2.39:1 – Widescreen
Writers: Joel Coen, Ethan Coen, George Clooney and Grant Heslov.
Exec. Prod.s: Ethan Coen, Barbara A. Hall and Joel Silver
Prod. – Dir.: George Clooney
Starring: Julianne Moore, Noah Jupe, Matt Damon, Steven Shaw, Ellen Crawford, Richard Kind, Robert Pierce, Oscar Isaac and Josh Brolin (scenes deleted).

As a 1950’s suburban community self–destructs, a home invasion has sinister consequences for one seemingly normal family. … For those who care the body count is: 7. The period detail is nice and the cast is appealing. Too bad the Coen Brothers couldn’t produce a better script with the aid of George Clooney this outing! The movie moves at a snail’s pace, the humor is sparse and tension is never built in this would be thriller. This has to be a career low point for all involved. Though the memory of Clooney’s live television remake Fail–Safe (2000) leaps to mind as another low for the otherwise brilliant actor / director / activist. Best to skip this one. 

Trivia: Josh Brolin was cast as a baseball coach but his scenes were deleted after test screenings showed that the scenes with Brolin took the tension out of the film. George Clooney said he felt bad about deleting Brolin from the film as he felt those scenes were the funniest. George Clooney previously starred in 4 Coen Brothers films, this time he directed it. This also makes the first film that Clooney directed a film without acting in it. This film had the lowest opening weekend grossing of any Paramount film in over 2,000 theaters. George Clooney screened this film for Norman Lear. After the screening Lear told Clooney, “The is the angriest film I have ever seen.” Woody Harrelson dropped out of this film due to scheduling conflicts. 

Rated: [R] – Violence, Language & Some Sexuality
Available on Blu–ray, DVD & Digital Copy

A Quiet Place (2018)

A Quiet Place (2018)

C – 90m
Aspect Ratio: 2.39:1 – Widescreen
Story By: Bryan Woods and Scott Beck
Screenplay By: Bryan Woods, Scott Beck and John Krasinski
Exec. Prod.s: Scott Beck, John Krasinski and Bryan Woods
Prod.s: Michael Bay and Bradley Fuller (as Brad Fuller)
Dir.: John Krasinski
Starring: Emily Blunt, John Krasinski, Millicent Simmonds, Noah Jupe, Cade Woodward, Leon Russom and Doris McCarthy (uncredited).

A family is forced to live in silence when hiding from creatures that hunt by sound. Slow moving and utterly predictable “horror” film. Make no mistake, this is a creature film, but this reviewer felt no suspense, no fear what so ever. When one can see the ending coming from the beginning of the film there is a need for retooling the script. And that is the trouble here, but, alas, this was not done and the film suffers greatly for it. The acting and CGI are good but very little else to commend here.

Trivia: The Bathtub scene with Emily Blunt was shot in one take. Millicent Simmonds was deaf since infancy due to a medical overdose. This was her second film role. Her first was Wonderstruck (2017). Bryan Woods and Scott Beck’s original script contained only one line of dialogue. John Krasinski played the monster using motion capture animation in a few scenes. The filmmakers purchased 20 tons of corn and hired local farmers to grow it. Emily Blunt and John Krasinski were married in real life.

Rated: [PG–13] – Terror & Some Bloody Images
Available on 4K & Regular Blu–ray, DVD & Digital Copy