I join CTV Atlantic anchor Todd Battis to talk about Spike Lee’s “Highest 2 Lowest,” the action comedy “Nobody 2,” the music doc “It’s Never Over, Jeff Buckley”and the crime drama “Americana.”
Watch the whole thing HERE! (Starts at 29:49)
I joined CTV NewsChannel anchor Roger Peterson to have a look at new movies coming to theatres, including Spike Lee’s “Highest 2 Lowest,” the action comedy “Nobody 2” and the crime drama “Americana.”
Watch the whole thing HERE!
I sit in on the CFRA Ottawa morning show with guest host Bill Carroll to talk about the new movies coming to theatres including Spike Lee’s “Highest 2 Lowest,” the action comedy “Nobody 2,” the music doc “It’s Never Over, Jeff Buckley”and the crime drama “Americana.”
Listen to thew whole thing HERE!
Fast reviews for busy people! Watch as I review three movies in less time than it takes to make the bed! Have a look as I race against the clock to tell you about Spike Lee’s “Highest 2 Lowest,” the action comedy “Nobody 2” and the crime drama “Americana.”
Watch the whole thing HERE!
SYNOPSIS: In “Americana,” a neo-Western starring Halsey and Sydney Sweeney, and now playing in theatres, a group of disparate characters are brought together by a rare Indigenous jacket.
CAST: Sydney Sweeney, Paul Walter Hauser, Halsey, Eric Dane, Zahn McClarnon, and Simon Rex. Directed by Tony Tost.
REVIEW: Set in a small South Dakota town “Americana” is a gritty neo-Western that feels like an artifact from the time when the Coen Bros and Tarantino crime dramas roamed free.
In his feature film directorial debut Tony Tost places a stolen Indigenous heirloom in the middle of the action in a story featuring a diner waitress with a speech impediment (Sydney Sweeney) and dreams of becoming a star in Nashville, a lovelorn military veteran (Paul Walter Hauser), a vicious killer (Eric Dane), a Western antiquities dealer (Simon Rex), the leader of an Indigenous group (Zahn McClarnon), a desperate woman on-the-run (Halsey) and her young son (Gavin Maddox Bergman) who sincerely believes that he’s the reincarnation of legendary Lakota warrior Sitting Bull.
It feels like a mid-90s indie ensemble piece, complete with a broken timeline, romance, violence, quirky humor and lots of star power. Tost avoids clutter by cutting the fat, paring the story down to its essentials. The result is a tightly crafted, violent crime drama that tells a compelling story with interesting characters and subtext about identity, cultural appropriation, greed and the commodification of Indigenous culture.
At the same time, by avoiding the stereotypes of the Western genre, it feels fresh and authentic, particularly in the case of Halsey, in her feature film debut. Her character Mandy has a troubled past, present and is trying to make a better future for herself and son. Driven to extremes, she consistently subverts our expectations to create a character that never goes over-the-top but packs a huge punch.
“Americana” is a welcome return to the quirky indie films of the Jean Chrétien years.
Fast reviews for busy people! Watch as I review three movies in less time than it takes to make the bed! Have a look as I race against the clock to tell you about the absurd gravitas of “The Naked Gun,” the body horror rom com “Together” and the stylish kid’s flick “The Bad Guys 2.”
Watch the whole thing HERE!
I join CTV Atlantic anchor Todd Battis to talk about the absurd gravitas of “The Naked Gun,” the body horror rom com “Together” and the stylish kid’s flick “The Bad Guys 2.”
Watch the whole thing HERE!
Deb Hutton is off, so I sit in with host Jim Richards on NewsTalk 1010 to go over some of the week’s biggest entertainment stories and let you know what’s happening in theatres. We talk about King Charles’ soldiers honoured Ozzy Osbourne with a musical tribute, “South Park’s” huge ratings, the new MuchMusic YouTube channel and the eye popping ticket price for the Grateful Dead’s 60th aniversary concert. Plus, I’ll do a quick review of “The Naked Gun.”
Listen to the whole thing HERE!
I joined CTV NewsChannel anchor Roger Peterson to have a look at new movies coming to theatres, including the stylish cartoon action of “The Bad Guys,” the absurd gravitas of “The Naked Gun”
Watch the whole thing HERE!
