Popcorn Perspectives with Danny Minton
Week of March 25, 2023
Late Night with the Devil
Rated R for violent content, a sexual reference, some gore and language
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 97%
In Theaters
This low budget horror indie from IFC stars David Dastmalchian (Dune, Oppenheimer) as a late-night show host from the 70s who has played second fiddle in the ratings to Johnny Carson for years. In an attempt to drive said ratings, he plans a Halloween show for the ages, complete with a medium who can talk to the dead as well as a possessed teenager. But when an evil spirit is unleashed in the theater, home viewers are given a bigger scare than they asked for. For sure the story is interesting, and the performances are decent enough, for a B-movie. But there’s a lot of that here. If this were a major studio release, it would be widely panned. But for an indie, it’s not bad. Different expectations for sure. Personally, I didn’t find the movie very scary or intense, but members of my family did. So, in that regard, I can say that for the right audience, this might be a decent horror film. But for many like myself, the movie is just a bizarre and intriguing found-footage pic with a smart angle that is well enough put together to be entertaining. B-
Steve! (Martin) A Documentary in 2 Pieces
No Rotten Tomatoes Score at the time of writing
Streaming on Apple TV+
Steve Martin has had one fantastic career, starting as an avant garde comedian in the 70s, followed by a great run on SNL, and then on to a legendary movie and television career. This new documentary follows Steve’s life in two parts. Part one focuses on his younger years up to his very first movies. Part two shows an older Steve, along with his friends Martin Short, Jerry Seinfeld and others, as he recollects what has gotten him to what is going on today. The documentary really helps you understand the comic genius that he is and at the same time gives you an appreciation for the person he has become and what shaped him. If you don’t know much about the man, this will surely give you a great primer and springboard to go back and take in all of the classic films, television and recordings. If you are like me and have loved the man all of your life, literally, you will now feel like you know the man personally and intimately. It is a truly great homage to one of the greatest entertainers of the last half-century. A