It's Sunday, aka the official lazy day, so let's talk about what to watch and where to find it as you throw your legs up and consume that first Bloody Mary.
Point Blank (Netflix)
Last time, I delivered the hype train on this Joe Lynch (director) and Adam G. Simon (writer) joint. Three viewings later, it's certified fresh. Like the juiciest tomato you'll find this summer in any garden. Marvel pals Frank Grillo and Anthony Mackie teaming up as the most unlikely duo (a criminal and his nurse) going up against corrupt cops, drug dealers and killers across Cincinnati. Eighty-two minutes of sheer, unfiltered and unapologetic fun. Car wash fights, Marcia Gay Harden checking a pistol one-handed, mad car chases, William Friedkin adoration and the wonderful arrival of Markice Moore. Watch it now.
RELATED: Review | Netflix's stimulating 'Point Blank' rises above convention thanks to Grillo and Mackie
City On A Hill (Showtime)
Kevin Bacon playing a dirty FBI agent would be enough to sink the hook into my gums, but this crime-thriller (based on a true Boston story) has a lot of accolades to spread around. Aldis Hodge as a courageous attorney taking it to bad guys, both uniformed and civilian. Jonathan Tucker a bank robber with a heart of gold. Amanda Clayton as Tucker's wife, officially the toughest TV wife, especially when it comes to ripping bathroom cabinets out of the wall. Jill Hennessy as Bacon's deprived wife, struggling with the decision to rip her husband's heart out or just throw him off a bridge.
Produced by Ben Affleck and Matt Damon and created by Chuck Maclean, the show boasts some of the best writing of any show this year, including JFK and Macbeth references along with the kind of pulverizing action that makes you put your phone down. In the early 1990s in Boston, crime plummeted suddenly and this is (sorta) how it happened. Tune in for Bacon's Emmy-worthy performance as the most vicious combination of scum and brain put on the small screen in years.
Yellowstone (Paramount Network)
Sopranos on a ranch is back for a second season, and let's just say the stakes are raised for John Dutton (Kevin Costner) and his crooked family of ranchers. Kelly Reilly still cuts me in half with that shifty eyed blend of cutthroat power and ninja-like ability to slice a man to pieces and Cole Hauser is reliable as ever as the ranch henchman, but this show is anchored by its leading man. Costner has carved out a nice little niche for himself in the past few years: ruthlessly gruff butt-kicker. Whether it's hunting down Bonnie and Clyde or rival land developers, the seasoned actor knows how to command the screen. Taylor Sheridan (who gave us Sicario and Hell or High Water) has made a show that is intoxicating. The rare show I can't wait to watch every Thursday night.
Into the Ashes (On Demand)
Aaron Harvey has been in love with tales of vengeance for years, so writing and directing this restrained blend of revenge was something he was born to do. Luke Grimes (from Yellowstone!) and the invaluable Frank Grillo lead this simplistic yet gritty tale about a former criminal who got clean yet finds his old life (and partners) gunning for him. James Badge Dale and Robert Taylor cut fine supporting roles out of ordinary wood, and the movie dares to be original in its final act. It's fast-paced and can throw its weight around.
Brad Pitt in Quentin Tarantino movies (on Blu-ray and in theaters)
The Missouri native's Cliff Booth is the best part of the brilliant and intimate 'Once Upon a Time ... in Hollywood,' Tarantino's new blend of hypnotic cool out this weekend. The superstar actor has dialed it back in recent years, taking a job only when he sees fit. One could argue he's given his best performances in QT joints. First, he was a hillbilly hunting Adolf Hitler and his comrades. This time, he's an aging gracefully stunt man who's loyal to his best friend and has made the streets of Los Angeles his own private stunt ground.
Whether it's driving his tiny sports car through the streets quick and smooth or knocking out bad hippies, Pitt's Booth is a man of the people and one who adores the simplistic nature of the past. The actor wears the role like a second skin that shouldn't be shed until an Oscar nom rolls around in January. Please Quentin, get Brad drunk more and offer him juicy roles.
Go watch 'Once Upon a Time ... in Hollywood' at the lovely Hi-Pointe Theater tonight.
Quicker passing:
*I didn't like 'Watchmen' when it was in theaters, but the HBO show looks great. Regina King in a starring role .. yes please.
*'Chasing Amy' is Kevin Smith's best movie.
*'The Red Sea Diving Resort,' a true story about Israel Mossad agents rescuing Ethiopian refugees, stars Chris Evans with a beard and 70s haircut. Gideon Raff's film looks like 'Munich' with more pathos and action.
*Bacon might have company in the Best Actor category with Russell Crowe, who is killing it on Showtime's 'The Loudest Voice.'
*Keep an eye on the young Sydney Sweeney, who is doing solid work on HBO's 'Euphoria' and has a small role in Tarantino's new film. She's not just gorgeous, those eyes are hiding something sinister. She's only 21. Watch out, Hollywood.
That's all for now. Come back next time. Please, for the love of a homemade pizza, go be lazy!
More reviews:
- Review | Lulu Wang's 'The Farewell' is all heart, eliciting emotion from honest humor
- Interview | Meet Markice Moore, the breakout star of Netflix's 'Point Blank'
- Aaron Harvey's 'Into the Ashes' sports dark restraint and a top-notch cast
- Review | 'Top Gun: Maverick' trailer retains spirit of Tony Scott's original, 33 years later
- Review | 'The Lion King' is a soulless cash grab
