To the Barricade This Saturday

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Good morning and Happy Saturday, all. I’m so pleased you’re here to share a little bit of your weekend with me, especially since things feel so crazy lately. I don’t know about you, but weekends aren’t made for relaxing these days. I hope that will change soon.

That’s especially true this time. Today is another round of No Kings rallies across the country. If you’re looking for a protest near you, here’s a good place to find one. Nic and I went to the big one in Downtown Los Angeles back in June, and that’s where he wants to go to again. Last time, it felt joyous: tens of thousands took to the streets, every kind of person, hilarious signs, and the LA rock band Ozomatli performing from a flatbed truck along the route. It felt hopeful. Today, I’m a little more concerned about what the mood might be like, with increased ICE presence in so many cities, including ours. But hey, the Dodgers got into the World Series last night, so maybe that will inspire a prevailing sense of celebration.

Then on Sunday, I’m taking Nic to see “Les Miserables” before it leaves the Pantages Theatre. This is partly because I think he’ll enjoy it, and partly because it gets him extra credit in his French class. But also, my dad took me to “Les Mis” — and “Annie,” and “Barnum,” and “The Phantom of the Opera” — when I was a kid, and seeing a Broadway musical felt like such a grown-up cultural experience. Plus, that spirit of youthful rebellion is all-too relevant right now. I’ve been singing “Castle on a Cloud” in an annoying, tiny-girl voice around the house in preparation, so I’m sure he (and Chris) are ready for that to stop.

Anyway, thank you for indulging me. You are here for movie reviews, and movie reviews you shall have. It was another jam-packed week at our Breakfast All Day YouTube channel and podcast, with much more to come in October.

• FRANKENSTEIN. It’s the movie Guillermo del Toro has wanted to make his entire career, and it’s everything you would expect from this master of mood. If you’re a fan of his, this is a must-see in the theater before it begins streaming on Netflix Nov. 7. The production design, cinematography and creature effects are all stunning, but go for Mia Goth’s insane costumes alone. The great Katie Walsh joins me for this review because Alonso is traveling.

• BLACK PHONE 2. This is a sequel to the 2022 horror film “The Black Phone,” which nobody seemed to anticipate, given the fate of Ethan Hawke’s character. This time, The Grabber is back, haunting people’s dreams, Freddy Krueger-style. There are some cool ideas and visuals here, but eventually the rules make no sense. In theaters.

• AFTER THE HUNT. We are huge fans of Luca Guadagnino around here, but his latest provocation is a misfire. It’s got an incredible cast (Julia Roberts, Andrew Garfield, Ayo Edebiri, and stealth MVP Michael Stuhlbarg), but its message about the Me Too movement and cancel culture feels muddled. Also, I hated the Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross score, which is unusual. In theaters.

• IF I HAD LEGS I’D KICK YOU. Rose Byrne gives the performance of her long and eclectic career as a harried mother handling constant aggressions from all sides. This is a mom who makes bad decisions, and the film from writer-director Mary Bronstein never judges her. I’ll have the pleasure of moderating a Q&A with Byrne later today. In theaters.

• ORWELL: 2+2=5. Writer-director Raoul Peck, who earned an Oscar nomination for his 2016 James Baldwin documentary “I Am Not Your Negro,” applies the same poetic, video essay approach to the writings of George Orwell. Peck marries images throughout history and film with Orwell’s own words about authoritarianism, narrated in hushed, intimate tones by Damian Lewis. The result is dizzying and urgent. In theaters.

• JOHN CANDY: I LIKE ME. This is a warm and affectionate documentary looking back at the life and career of John Candy, who was only 43 when he died in 1994. It features a who’s-who of stars whose work you like, singing his praises: Steve Martin, Catherine O’Hara, Bill Murray, Eugene Levy, Mel Brooks, Andrea Martin, Dan Aykroyd, Martin Short and many more. Streaming on Prime Video.

Also this week, we looked back on the life and career of Diane Keaton, who died last Saturday at 79. This was a particularly shocking loss. Keaton is someone whose presence has been so singular and enduring, it felt like she’d be around forever. From “The Godfather” movies to her era-defining work with Woody Allen to the many rom-coms she brightened, she had an authenticity that was hugely compelling. And of course she was a style icon, with a signature look that was clean, classic and elegant. We spoke about her a bit in this video and we’ll go more in-depth on our Patreon, where Keaton will be the subject of our November Off the Menu poll. It will be hard to narrow down the movies to choose from, because — like October’s subject, Robert Redford — she gave so many great performances over the years. Join us and pick what we review.

Plus! AMC Theatres are re-releasing two Keaton classics — “Annie Hall” and “Something’s Gotta Give” — for one week only. So if you’ve never seen these movies, or never seen them projected, here’s a great chance.

Finally, I’m thrilled for my dear friend and former neighbor Phil Johnston (“Ralph Breaks the Internet”), whose new animated movie “The Twits” is finally out on Netflix. His Roald Dahl adaptation has been a long time coming, and Nic and I had the pleasure of seeing it this week on the big screen at the beautiful Egyptian Theatre in Hollywood. I can’t review it because Phil and his family have been close friends of ours for nearly 25 years, all the way back to our days in Brooklyn, when we lived in the same loft building, pre-kids. But I can tell you it has a look that’s bold and strange, with a kinetic energy, clever wordplay, and a twisted sense of humor that’s very Phil. It’s also extremely relevant for our times, and features music from the legendary David Byrne. The stacked voice cast includes Margo Martindale, Johnny Vegas, Natalie Portman, Emilia Clarke, Jason Mantzoukas, Timothy Simons and Alan Tudyk. Check it out on Netflix!

That will do it for me for this week. If you’re heading out to a No Kings rally yourself, thank you, and please stay safe. If you’ve enjoyed my newsletter, I hope you’ll pass it along to someone else. And if someone passed it along to you, I hope you’ll subscribe. Have a great week, and I’ll see you back here next Saturday.