What to Watch This Weekend: Caveat, The Real Thing, Conjuring, Spare Parts, Plan B, Port Authority, Boogie, Monster

For A Tense, Unsettling Night: Caveat (Shudder)
Caveat is a masterfully done indie horror film with a use of light and sound that plays with the viewers senses and keeps them on edge throughout this tension-filled film.  For more information, check out the review!

For A Dramatic Slice of Life (Virtual Cinema)

The Real Thing is a wonderful slice of life with complex characters and plenty of drama, looking at life and relationships in modern Japan.  For more information, check out the review!

For A Horrorific Return To Form: The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It (HBO Max and Theaters)

The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It possesses your attention with the great chemistry between Wilson and Farmiga and some spectacular and creepy effects.  For more information, check out the review! 

For A Punk-Fueled Grindhouse: Spare Parts (Digital)

Spare Parts tells a strange, grindhouse story fueled by pumping music, plenty of gore, and a badass group of female rockers.  For more information, check out the review!

For A Thoroughly Modern Romance Drama: Port Authority (Digital)

Port Authority is a thoroughly modern coming of age story with complicated lead characters, great acting, and a story that will challenge you.  For more information, check out the review!

For Love And Basketball: Boogie (Redbox)
Boogie scores some easy points with its realistic setting and wonderful characters and uses sports to explore issues of race, dreams, and realities.  For more information, check out the review!

For A Drama About Criminal Justice: Monster (Netflix)

This film about a talented teen whose world is turned upside down when he is charged with felony murder has inconsistent pacing, but is worth watching for Kelvin Harrison, Jr.'s performance alone.  

For A Sharp, Funny Comedy: Plan B (Hulu)
Plan B gets your attention with the wonderful chemistry between the main characters and the sharp funny writing.  Plan B is a girl buddy comedy that should be your choice A. 

What to Watch This Weekend: Shoplifters of the World, Truffle Hunters, Nobody, The Arbors, Blood Moon, News of the World, Soul, Boogie

For A Rebellious Music-Filled Night: Shopkeepers of the World (Theaters and Digital)
Shoplifters of the World is a musical journey through the Smith's discography, fueled by this rebellious soundtrack and the dreams, disappointments, and angst of youth.  For more information, check out the review!

For An Action-Filled John Wick-like: Nobody (Theaters)

Nobody is a middle class, family man John Wick, with high energy and varied action, a mysterious story, and an epic, final fightsravaganza.  For more information, check out the review!

For A Sumptuous and Fulfilling Documentary: The Truffle Hunters (Theaters)

The Truffle Hunters chronicles this unique business and its wonderful participants with sumptuous shots that let you fully savor the joy and traditions of this lifestyle.  For more information, check out the review!

For A Psychological, Dramatic Creature Feature: The Arbors (Digital)

The Arbors uses its wonderfully unsettling atmosphere, camera work, and unconventional story to deliver a more dramatic, psychological take on the creature feature.  For more information, check out the review!

For A Slow Burn Horror Film: Into the Dark: Blood Moon (Hulu)

Into the Dark: Blood Moon's measured, interesting, and mysterious story and great characters will leave a full moon-sized impression on you.  For more information, check out the review!

For Some Additional March Madness: Boogie (Theaters and Digital)
Boogie scores some easy points with its realistic setting and wonderful characters and uses sports to explore issues of race, dreams, and realities.  For more information, check out the review!

For A Simpler Time: News of the World (Redbox)
News of the World shows the power of information and connection in a unique western setting, delivering a wonderful performance by Zengel and two hours of signature Tom Hanks!  For more information, check out the review!

For One Some Amazing Animation And Music: Soul (Redbox)

Soul will reinvigorate your heart and soul, with its stunning animation, wonderfully diverse characters and focus on black culture, and humorous and heartfelt story.  For more information, check out the review!

Interview: Taylor Takahashi from Boogie, Asian Basketball Drama starring Pop Smoke, Taylour Paige, Eddie Huang

Taylor Takahashi, who plays the title role in Boogie discusses his Asian background, his love of basketball, and how he found this film. We also discuss some of his on court moves and what is next for him! So give it a watch and make sure to check out Boogie, available in theaters and on demand! Director: Eddie Huang Cast: Taylor Takahashi, Pamelyn Chee, Jorge Lendeborg Jr., Dave East, Alexa Mareka, Mike Moh, Taylour Paige, Perry Yung Synopsis: The film follows a young Chinese American basketball phenom Boogie (Takahashi) who struggles to balance the expectations of his immigrant family with his own dreams of becoming a player for the NBA.

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Screening: Get in the March Madness Spirit With Boogie, March 25 at 7:30 ET

Hopefully, the NCAA isn't the only basketball you're watching this week! RSVP for the ultimate match-up featuring Alfred 'Chin' Boogie and his biggest rival, Monk, during Focus Features virtual screening of BOOGIE. Check out the TRAILER here. 

Virtual Screening Details

Boogie

Thursday, March 25th

7:30pm EST 

To RSVP, click here 

For those that are able to RSVP, an hour before the screening time a link will be provided for you to reserve your spot.  Make sure to click that link as soon as you get it (and in the device that you are planning to watch the movie in).  Film will begin at 7:30 pm EST.  Enjoy!  

What to Watch This Weekend: Fishbowl, Boogie, Coming 2 America, Half Brothers, Boogie, Sophie Jones, Lucky, Dark and the Wicked, The Dig

For A Stylish And Cinematic Drama About Faith and Family: Fishbowl (Amazon)
One of my favorite movies of 2020, Fishbowl's fantastic style, understated humor, wonderful performances, and subtle touches highlight a crisis of family and faith in a small town that cannot accept or cope with either.  For more information, check out the review!

For A Slam Dunk Sports Drama: Boogie (Theaters)
Boogie scores some easy points with its realistic setting and wonderful characters and uses sports to explore issues of race, dreams, and realities.  For more information, check out the review!

For A Hilarious Return To Zamunda: Coming 2 America (Amazon)

Coming 2 America sees a return to Zamunda with a lot of the same cast from the Eddie Murphy classic along with new characters, cameos, and some modern updates.  For more information, check out the review!

For A Horror Film With A Much Deeper Message: Lucky (Shudder)

Lucky has an entertaining premise and a dark comedy, fueled by Brea Grant's writing and performance, that will draw you into its deeper, impactful, and important message.  For more information, check out the review!

For A Realistic And Grow Coming Of Age Drama: Sophie Jones (Virtual Cinema)

Sophie Jones is a complicated and raw coming of age story, with realistic performances by this talented cast and some frank conversations about dating, relationships, and life.  For more information, check out the review!

For An Atmospheric And Tense Horror Experience: The Dark And The Wicked (Shudder)

The Dark and the Wicked will keep you on edge with it's palatable sense of tension, dread-filled atmospheric horror, amazing gore and effects, and wonderfully nuanced characters in a terrible predicament.  For more information, check out the review!

For A Suprisingly Entertaining Buddy Comedy: Half Brothers (Redbox)

Half Brothers has a ridiculous premise, two very likeable stars, and enough laugh out loud and heartfelt moments to make you feel like you're part of this loving, crazy family.  For more information, check out the review!

For An Emotional Period Drama: The Dig (Netflix)

The Dig features wonderful performances from Ralph Fiennes and Carey Mulligan, a wonderful setting, and an elegance to the storytelling that will please fans of historical or period dramas!

Boogie Review: A Sports-Fueled Look At Dreams and Race

Release date: February 12, 2021
Running time: 89 minutes
Director: Eddie Huang 
Cast: Taylor Takahashi, Pamelyn Chee, Jorge Lendeborg Jr., Dave East, Alexa Mareka, Mike Moh, Taylour Paige, Perry Yung 

The film follows a young Chinese American basketball phenom Boogie (Takahashi) who struggles to balance the expectations of his immigrant family with his own dreams of becoming a player for the NBA. 

Although Boogie focuses a lot on Chinese culture, it is a distinctly Chinese American film.  This is made clear from the first beats of the movie, with its wonderful hip hop soundtrack that hits you at the start and comes in and out throughout the film.  Boogie mostly follows the namesake character and his family, as they sacrifice, push, and dream of their son's future success.  I really liked seeing all the scenes with the family because they helped to highlight Boogie's own struggles.  He is often the most free when he is alone with his friends, but his personality completely changes when when is with his family.  This is probably a common feature among teenagers but definitely showed itself more due to Boogie's Chinese roots.

And the movie touches on a lot more subject matter than your typical coming of age story.  It blends the responsibilities and expectations of the two cultures effortlessly.  Boogie feels like a real character who is trying to come to grips with the two worlds he is in.  He keeps his Chinese traditions and duties, while still rebelling and being decidedly American.  There is an early scene where home is discussed and Boogie questions why it would be anywhere other than here (America).  This type of mindset is a perfect encapsulation of the new generation of Asian Americans growing up (and apart) from the landscape and traditions of their own families.   

But a movie about a rising basketball player must get the sports side of things right and Boogie does that as well.  The movie has some exciting basketball action, and Takahashi can definitely hold his own on the court.  But as I said, Boogie deals with more than just sports; it deals with life, expectations, and dreams.  And in that respect it feels very real.  Boogie's dream is not different than any other high school phenom, and in Boogie, the main character has all the talent to make that happen.  But the film also explores the dreams and expectations of several characters, as well as their success and failure to achieve those dreams.  It doesn't happen often, but when you get to see the conflicts that Boogie is going through reflected on the other characters it is quite enlightening.  

If Boogie bricks some layups, it is in some of the line delivery and the end of the story.  Some of the lines just do not feel natural, and I am not sure if it is the writing or the characters that are the problem.  There is plenty of fantastic dialogue and insights in this movie, so these one off air balls can be forgiven.  But the ending of the film also feels anticlimactic, and I would have greatly appreciated a scene or two to highlight what happened.  But don't let that dissuade you from this really wonderful film.

Boogie scores some easy points with its realistic setting and wonderful characters and uses sports to explore issues of race, dreams, and realities.   

Watch it.

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Boogie is in theaters on March 5, 2021.  For showtimes, click here.

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