The Masked Cinema 2022 - Sissy

Sissy is the latest Aussie film (along with horror film) to hit the big screen as part of my The Masked Cinema 2022 series.

Teen best friends Cecilia and Emma, after a decade run into each other. Cecilia is invited on Emma's bachelorette weekend where she gets stuck in a remote cabin with her high school bully with a taste for revenge.

Aisha Dee is Cecilia or Sissy depending on who you ask. She was bullied as a child, which leads to a horrific incident. As an adult though she is Cecilia the 200K wellness influencer.

Wellness influencer! If you like me are thinking, fucking hell, how qualified do you need to be? How does one get 200,000 followers? Well by living in a dodgy apartment somewhere near Canberra with dishes piling up in your sink while having a green screen set up in the living room. All amongst empty pizza boxes.

A wellness influencer eating pizza? Yes Sissy pokes fun at the Kardashian, bullshit of our modern 2022 world. Where everyday people think they know these "celebrities"/influencers.

Sissy is absolutely far from perfect, it's also almost way to woke. I know call me a right winger but having a gay, disabled character saying Yass Queen along with any other gay stereotype saying, the film filmed/set somewhere outside Canberra really ticks the diversity boxes.

The gore is a little bit too much at times, however maybe that's what horror streaming platform Shudder wanted for their audiences. 

I love to support Aussie films, so I will pass this. It's slightly original, it's very dark but at times a little funny.

2022 is really the year for the horror genre. 3 Stars. I'm being overly kind, however the first half of the film really did shine, maybe a shorter run time may have also benefited the couple behind me who left in the last twenty minutes of the film.

Spring Minseries Ender - This England

This England was originally titled This Sceptred Isle is a docudrama miniseries based on the  first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom.

It is based on testimonies of people in the Boris Johnson administration, on the various intergovernmental advisory groups (including the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies), and in other affected British institutions such as care homes and hospitals.

In the UK, it premiered on Sky Atlantic and Now on 28 September, whereas in Australia all six episodes stream now on Binge.

Kenneth Branagh is unrecognisable as Boris Johnson whilst Ophelia Lovibond plays Carrie Johnson. The story picks up after Boris Johnson wins a landslide victory in the December 2019 general election.

This follows the whole, Get Brexit Done slogan. Then it happens. Within a few months the UK faces the COVID-19 pandemic, for which he is ultimately hospitalised, and the birth of his first child with his then partner Carrie Symonds.

It's very pro fear of COVID-19 whilst being here in Australia was interesting to see how March 2020 unfolded for another country.

It's easy to reflect back on what we know now, however this was a rough as guts time for everyone, all around the world.

COVID-19 changed the world (most likely for the worst in most cases) however will definitely be one of the most full on things our generation will face. 

I enjoyed episodes one to three, however four to six become a bit much. It was a rough AF two years, reliving it through "entertainment" is a little tough. Big props to Kenneth Branagh, he was truly outstanding. Happy to have watched it, however this will not be everyone's cup of tea!

The (Non) Masked (Home) Cinema 2022 - Do Revenge

Do Revenge is my second Netflix film in one weekend. Yep delayed posts a go-go this week!

I do love a teen dark comedy film! Especially when it's free on someone else's Netflix log in. Dropping mid last month, I was a little late to the teen drama starring Camila Mendes, Maya Hawke, Austin Abrams, Rish Shah plus Sarah Michelle Gellar.

Yes SMG!

So good seeing her back on the screen.

Do Revenge is loosely inspired by Alfred Hitchcock's 1951 film, Strangers on a Train.

Receiving generally positive reviews from critics, an 84% on review sit, while Coleman Spilde of The Daily Beast called the film a "generation defining masterpiece", saying that "Once a decade, there comes a high school comedy so stylish, so witty, and so instantly influential that it cannot be topped. Netflix's colorful new romp is that movie."

Riverdale's Camila Mendes excels outside of the lame CW, finally getting some decent lines! My score below the fun AF trailer!

So Netflix have had some hits lately, The Watcher, Dahmer, The Good Nurse and now Do Revenge. This was actually a wee bit of fun, 3 stars. FUN!

Spring Season 1 Ender - Reboot

Reboot is the reason why I will continue my Disney+ subscription.... for now.

The excellent new comedy commenced on September 20 on Hulu or here in OZ Disney+. Reboot is about the dysfunctional cast of an early 2000s hit sitcom, Step Right Up, who must face their unresolved issues and navigate a vastly different media and entertainment environment when a young writer successfully pitches a reboot of their show.

Keegan-Michael Key, Johnny Knoxville, Judy Greer, Rachel Bloom, Paul Reiser, Krista Marie Yu  and finally Calum Worthy as Zack.

The cast all works so well together, there are some classic one liners, the scenes in the writers room are by far the standout.

If you like your comedy slightly dirty, mostly drama free Reboot is 100% for you!

I smashed this eight episode first season run. I totally hope the series returns for a second. It's an interesting peek behind the curtains, poking fun of streaming platforms (by a streaming platform) whilst also just making a damn funny little comedy.

This is one show I highly recommend!

The (Non) Masked (Home) Cinema 2022 - The Good Nurse

The Good Nurse is actually a good Netflix film. Y'all heard me right the Jessica Chastain and Eddie Redmayne true crime film is actually a hit!

As two nurses (Chastain + Redmayne) one who suspects the other of being responsible for a series of patient deaths. 

Based on the 2013 true-crime book of the same name by Charles Graeber about the serial killer Charles Cullen. Eddie Redmayne is excellent as Cullen while the under two hour film also stars Nnamdi Asomugha, Kim Dickens, and Noah Emmerich.

The Good Nurse landed on Netflix, October 26, where is has received positive reviews from critics. My star rating and thoughts? Below the trailer folks!

I am impressed by this Netflix film. It was deeply disturbing (nothing as bad as Dahmer, but still disturbing) with Cullen being a complete psycho.

It even had a good Rotten Tomatoes score, at just over 80%! So if you have a Netflix log in, need something to watch while a few US shows are on Halloween break, give this one a crack.

The Good Nurse scores a solid 3 Stars.

Spring Season 1 Ender - American Gigolo (TV series)

American Gigolo is not the best Showtime original. I much preferred The Chi, Billions or even Your Honor.

The television series developed by David Hollander, based on the 1980 film is written and directed by Paul Schrader. 

The American Gigolo is Jon Bernthal as Julian Kaye. Also starring in the eight episode run is, Gretchen Mol, Lizzie Brocheré, Gabriel LaBelle, Leland Orser, and Rosie O'Donnell. 

It premiered on Stan on September 11, for eight Fridays. Yep Friday is the new day for premium drama.

Julian Kaye (Bernthal) is exonerated 15 years after being arrested for murder and struggling to find his footing in the modern-day Los Angeles sex industry. He seeks the truth about the frame that sent him to prison all those years ago, and hopes to reconnect with his one true love, Michelle.

Bernthal is sexy AF, he would be an ultimate fantasy fuck for men and women. However the story is rather dull. A secret son, a long stint in prison after being falsely sent there by detective Rosie O'Donnell.

I would be very surprised if this Showtime series returns for a second run. With Rotten Tomatoes only giving a 35% approval rating so far, there is too much competition for a low rated series such as American Gigolo to return. Unless like American Rust (former Showtime one and done series) the series gets a second life somewhere else.

Reboot's, movie spin-offs etc are now super common, which is why I am loving sick the new Disney+ comedy series, Reboot.

If over summer you need something to watch, American Gigolo is an easy watch, most likely not the best series though you'll see in 2022.

The Masked Cinema 2022 - Bro's

Bros is the latest in a long string of sex comedies from Judd Apatow, along with Nicholas Stoller who co-wrote the screenplay with Billy Eichner.

Starring alongside Eichner, Luke Macfarlane, Ts Madison, Monica Raymund, Guillermo Díaz, Guy Branum, and Amanda Bearse.

It is one of the first gay romantic comedies released by a major studio, and features an openly LGBTQ+ principal cast.

Bros had its world premiere at the 2022 Toronto International Film Festival on September 9, 2022. Getting a comedy release date of Halloween is not ideal in Australia, however it is a nice break to see a comedy at the movies in place of a horror film.

For me Eichner stars as a 40-something gay man in New York, who has a successful podcast along with creating a LGBTQ+ history museum. So his career is on track however his love life isn't.

It does tackle a lot of the issues with gay relationships in 2022. Open relationships, Grindr, hook ups, clubbing, partying, gym culture along with playing masc for masc!

I enjoyed a real life look into gay culture. Films often pop gay characters into the background or supporting "fun" roles.

Fire Island from Hulu recently gave us another look into gay culture. However for an Australian in Sydney, Fire Island didn't mean to much to me. A 40 year old in a big city however, did.

Bro's has sweet moments, however it also points out how very hard us gays make it for ourselves. Like really we do. From the body images in porn and mens health magazines to the faceless torsos on dating/fucking apps.

Bro's was a breath of fresh air at the cinema. It wasn't groundbreaking, the laughs were a little few and far between, some popular culture references were very niche, however it did a good job. It landed at a perfect time for me to enjoy this. 4 Stars.