Popcorn Perspectives with Danny Minton
Week of April 10, 2023
Renfield
Rated R for some drug use, language throughout, bloody violence and some goreRotten
Tomatoes Score: 58%
In Theatres
Nicholas Hoult plays Renfield to Nicolas Cage’s Dracula in this new dark comedy about Dracula’s titular familiar who has spent much of his life as a servant to the dark lord. Set in modern day New Orleans, Renfield gets tied up with local mafia as he tries to procure some fresh blood, and inadvertently falls for a local cop (Awkwafina) determined to bring down the mob. At just about 90 minutes, the film is a short and sweet Uber-violent comedy that delivers exactly what it promises in the trailer, and not much more. It is fun, funny, and as campy as you can get putting Cage as the famous Count. It also looked like it was a lot of fun to make, and never takes itself seriously. It might have been a better film had they taken it a little more serious, as the script isn’t nearly as creative as the premise or the production, but it’s hard to fault such paint-by-numbers writing since it obviously works to give the audience what it sets out to deliver. B-
Beef: Season 1
Rated TV-MA
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 99%
Streaming on Netflix
Beef, the hottest new streaming show on Netflix, follows two people (Steven Yeun and Ali Wong), a failed contractor and an unfulfilled entrepreneur, who get into a massive road rage incident when she honks at him in a parking lot and a crazy fight ensues. Over 10 darkly funny episodes, each in the 30ish minute range, the two go back and forth, never satisfied with any temporary resolution or an ability to let it just go away. Premiering at South By Southwest in Austin last month, it was apparent that Beef wouldn’t be your run of the mill episodic. And it most certainly is not. Yeun and Wong both put in fantastic performances and the script is just bonkers nuts, in a good way, giving them some really juicy roles to jump into. The supporting cast and the characters they play are a bit over the top, but still add interesting spice to the constantly boiling-over pot of gumbo that is the series. What makes the show so likable, though, isn’t the constant war, but rather the times of peace where you get to know the characters, what makes them tick, and finding out how absolutely human they are. In that way the writing is as big of a star as the two huge actors that chew up most of the scenery. Deeply bingeable, the show will be hard for you to stop watching once you start the first episode. A
Jason Isbell: Running With Our Eyes Closed
Rated R for language and substance abuse
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 100% at time of writing
Steaming on HBOmax
New to HBO this week is an intimate look at Grammy-award winning singer/songwriter Jason Isbell as he explores the demons he is constantly fighting, all the while building his Covid-era album Reunions. Being that he is one of my absolutely favorite artists, I came in having a really nice personal connection to his story and his plight, through his music. And while I thought I knew all about him and his journey, I found my knowledge only scratched the surface. This film gives a deep dive into what makes Jason Jason, while also showing his process for song-writing and juggling work, life, and former addiction. But most importantly, the music is just fantastic with lyrics that really mean something and a superbly talented band to pull the tunes off. That being said, it does, at times, appear to be more of a commercial for him and his craft, but I kind of expected that. I’m not sure how it will come across if you aren’t familiar with him, but I’m guessing it will only win him over plenty of new fans. A-