Popcorn Perspectives with Danny Minton
Week of June 22, 2020
Corpus Christi
Not Rated (But would be a solid R)
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 97%
On Disc and Streaming
In Polish with English Subtitles
This Oscar nominee for best foreign film follows the life of a young man, who upon leaving a detention center for committing murder, wants to be a priest, but is denied due to his criminal background. But when opportunity presents itself, he fakes his way into a small-town parish in a city that has just faced a horrible tragedy. At first glance you begin to think that this is going to be the Polish version of Sister Act without the humor, but it quickly shows you its true colors, allowing you to invest yourself more deeply in the main character’s flaws and strengths. At times, it is a very challenging and uncomfortable to watch, but it is hard to take your eyes off of it as the film takes a non-conventional pathway rather than conforming to its expected formula, which would have only served up a disappointment had they gone that direction. The end result is a disturbing film at times, but one that leaves you empathetic and interested in its hero’s plight. B+
South Park: Season 23
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 50%
Available on Disc and Hulu
This rather short and disjointed season of this Comedy Central staple tries to be as topical as previous seasons, but ends up with more misses than hits due to way too much time spent with the adventures of Randy and his Tegridy weed farm, which has more than worn out its welcome. But while there are some lame episodes here, there are some gems thrown in that are truly thought-provoking in their satire, like Mexican Joker which isn’t very funny, but uses the film Joker to show the real possibility of our recent border policy malfunctions. And then there is Shots!!! which is one of their all-time greats as Cartman turns into a squealing and elusive pig every time someone tries to give him his vaccinations. That one still has me in stitches. My advice – watch them all, but don’t expect too much and appreciate the good times when they pop up. B-
Summer of Spielberg: Week Four
The Adventures of Tintin: The Secret of the Unicorn
Rated PG for adventure action violence, some drunkeness and brief smoking
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 74%
Looking at his body of work, it appears that most of Spielberg’s movies are geared toward an American audience. But while Tintin, based on the comics of Belgian cartoonist Hergé, is an almost unknown character in the states, he is an icon in Europe, where the film launched months before it was introduced here, and took in the vast majority of its moderately large international box office haul. This collaboration between Spielberg and Peter Jackson (The Lord of the Rings) follows a young journalist who, along with his faithful dog, follows a lead to a mystery that takes him around the world to stop a mad villain and discover a hidden treasure. For most of its 107 minutes, the film is a constant rollercoaster ride that barely lets you up for breath, and the action feels like it comes straight from the Indiana Jones franchise with dozens of close calls and convenient saves that, while highly unbelievable, offer up a gigantic amount of fun. While it is Rated PG, the film is way more violent than its rating, and also contains a surprising amount of adult-themed content, while still being fairly kid-friendly. If you are one who skipped this (and that is many of you considering its low U.S. box office), now is a great opportunity to catch up on one of his lesser-seen adventures.