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LANDMAN Season Two (Blu-ray) - I know series creator Taylor Sheridan is a big deal right now (he practically owns Paramount+). But to be honest, I wish he’d go back to doing more movies because he’s written some real bangers over the years. But I get it…Yellowstone and its spin-offs were much bigger than the likes of Sicario and Wind River (and probably made his wallet a lot fatter). But I think he’s starting to spread himself a little thin now. Tulsa King is okay, but Lioness? Marshalls? The Madison? Meh. Like those shows, Landman boasts a killer cast, this time led by Billy Bob Thornton as Tommy Norris, a Texas oil landman and president of T-Mex Oil. Having never seen Season One, it took me a while to sort out the various subplots and who’s who, but once I did, I kinda felt like I was watching Dallas with F-bombs. While there isn’t necessarily anything wrong with that, there are way too many characters to keep track of, and not all of their conflicts are very interesting, which tends to detract from these 10 episodes’ overall bingeworthiness. Fighting for screen time in Season Two include Demi Moore, Andy Garcia, Sam Elliot, Ali Larter, though the show is at its best when focused on Thornton and his character. (2025/418 min/Paramount).
KITTY CONSENSUS: 😼😼
THE MONSTER (Il mostro) (Blu-ray) - This Italian obscurity walks, talks and generally looks like classic Giallo, but to call it such isn’t entirely accurate. The plot involves a mysterious killer who calls themself “The Monster” and commences bludgeoning a seemingly random batch of victims, but not before sending letters to down-and-out reporter Valerio Barigozzi (Johnny Dorelli), announcing each attack in advance. Seizing the opportunity to get back the respect and notoriety he once had, Valerio milks the situation for all its worth, with histrionic, tabloid-style articles that are a media sensation. Along the way, he becomes a celebrity by actually creating the news rather than simply reporting it. Sorelli himself is a real piece of work. Bitter and angry at first, sudden fame goes to his head, while new-found ambition and greed turn him into something of a monster himself. Though there are certainly Giallo elements to be found, both narratively and aesthetically, actual onscreen violence is limited and the story itself largely unfolds like a black comedy. As such, the film is pretty entertaining, with a wonderfully acidic performance by Dorelli (who was largely known as a Sinatra-like crooner back then). I also wonder if The Monster served as partial inspiration for the conceptually similar Kurt Russell vehicle, The Mean Season. (1977/95 min/Radiance Films).
KITTY CONSENSUS: 😼😼😼
BURNING (DVD) - Not to be confused with the critically-acclaimed 2018 South Korean thriller with the same title, this one hails from Kyrgyzstan. And despite the ominous cover art, grim overall tone and some genuinely creepy sequences (especially during the first act), Burning is ultimately not a horror film...yet arguably more disturbing. It opens with a fire that destroys a young couple’s home, then focuses on a few neighbors who’ve gathered in a nearby shop, three of whom each have different accounts of what caused the fire. Taking a narrative cue from the likes of Rashomon, the film presents three different versions of the same scenario. Only the first segment - the recollection of an old man with a drinking problem - is horror-based and features a couple of effectively nasty scenes. The other accounts are more grounded in reality, and interestingly, based on the subjectivity of the characters telling them. Throughout the story, more is revealed about the young couple (and their history), which eventually alters our perception of each. All the while, Burning becomes an increasingly downbeat, emotionally harrowing film to endure. Though it features good performances, effectively moody direction and timely themes worth exploring, be prepared for one hell of a Debbie Downer. (2024/101 min/IndiePix).
KITTY CONSENSUS: 😺😺😺
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