Best Album of 2019: Triples - “Big Time” (2019)

When it comes to the best album of the year, for me it’s about inspiration, boldness, fun, integrity and heart. All of that and beyond is found here in Big Time by Toronto duo Triples. A 10 song cassette full length debut, that harkens back to early 90s lo fi indie punk aesthetics, and carry over of the same indie style of the early 2000s underground emo and 90s revival scene.

Youthful yet old school and nostalgic, Big Time carries those skate punk jangly off signature guitar riffs into songs about growing up, heart break and even climate change, all woven together through overwhelmingly warm harmonies and much needed female perspective. Big Time will make you flourish in the 90s punk lo fi outlook and memories which could bring you to tears and unleash your inner mosh all at the same time. For all those reasons and more, The Best Album of 2019 belongs to Triples - Big Time.

Triples reminds me that the Toronto GTA will always have some of the best music ever created and the best pop rock ever made. 

If you’re a fan of PLUMTREE, Cap n’ Jazz, Liz Phair, Juliana Hatfield, Frankie Cosmos or of anything that truly rocks, Triples is the one for you. Check em out.

 https://triplesband.bandcamp.com/album/big-time

10/10

• Maurice Jones

JoJo Rabbit (2019)

A true comedic satire of 1940’s Nazi Germany, with a real heart surrounded by the harshness of the Nazi party, racism, fascism and the reality of nationalism and war. 

Taika Waititi is back with JoJo Rabbit, about a ten-year-old boy JoJo, who’s being groomed to be a Nazi solider in the midst of WW2 Nazi Germany. His imaginary friend Hitler aids him along the way as JoJo hopes to one day befriend the real-life Hitler and become a full-fledged Nazi solider. When JoJo finds a Jewish girl hiding in his dead sister's bedroom walls, JoJo has to quickly come of age, when it comes to exposing the Jewish girl to the Gestapo or helping her escape Nazi Germany safely. 

JoJo Rabbit is a cinematic triumph in Taika Waitit’s career, being his most daring, possibly most affective film to date and his most emotional poignant film yet. Perfectly melding the topic of hatred with the banality of evil and straight ignorance and stupidity, creating joyfully dry comedy while never forgetting it’s a film about Nazi’s. Taika Waititi isn’t afraid to hit us with a brunch of chuckles, knowing he’s going to knock us onto the cold, sobering ground of fascism, hate and destruction. Taika starts off the film light and cute with flashes of real-world horror, but eventually it crescendos into practically a full blown war picture. Powerful and frightening with flashes of comedy throughout. 

JoJo Rabbit subtly yet boldly and rightfully shows the propaganda of it all, the facade of war. That we’re all just on teams wearing colours and waving flags, but if we’d all just claim down and let everyone be their own design without exclusion, greed or abuse, there is no need for war. If we could all just feel the pleasure of being loved and live in it. 

Taika Waititi has created a rare feat of the anti-family film or the uncensored children’s movie. Where a ten year-old boy can be the centre of a heart-warming tale about historic hate, that doesn’t shy away from the truth, but accurately makes light of pain for the better.



9/10

• Maurice Jones

The Lighthouse (2019): Employee/Manager Relations

Two fishermen in the 1800’s (played by Robert Pattinson and Willem Dafoe) are dropped off at a coastal island that harbours a lighthouse, to enact maintenance on the estate for a few days. When their boat ride back home is delayed due to a storm, things take an unnecessary dark turn. 

As Robert Egger’s, The Witch is very much about strained family relationships, Robert Egger’s, The Lighthouse is very much about strained workplace relationships. About how gruellingly intense the nature of a blue-collar job is, that leads one wanting to relax or fuck around to debauchery type lengths, because of the repetitive nature and low-income reward of these jobs. The film showing the only relief after a hard day at work is drinking, pointing out a cause for alcoholism. 

The ultimate signifier of darkness in The Lighthouse is its dark, tonally moody, sinister score, that shrouds the film from moment one. Preparing you for the grim regretful journey of two fishermen.



The use of fart, bird and hyperbole humour, illuminates the anger and intensity of the films characters and makes things oddly creepier knowing they’re acknowledged later in the film. The set pieces you notice and comment on to yourself are brought up by the characters nearing the films climax, expressing the frustrations built up in this scenario which gives way to the regrets the characters have in their past lives, making this film partly about ones trajectory in life and the toll the past takes on you when you’re not where you want to be. And like the blue collar work place one puts their head down and ignores extreme conditions to get the work done only to relieve their thoughts later in the gaze of masculine design. 

The dynamics of the manager and employee relationship is very much put on display in The Lighthouse. The greed of capitalism and the power of status that makes a person in a managerial position treat a person in a subordinate role like a dog and that pain being so felt that the subordinate wants to reverse the situation so exactly making the manger feel what the subordinate feels as pointed out in the film. Along with workplace safety ignorance in a company and the manipulation of the worker. 

Beautifully shot in Nova Scotia with its vast lighthouse cliff water scenery and roaring storms. Set in rectangle aspect ratio coloured with black and white, which cozies you into the story but as well marvels you and disturbs you at the same time. With such simple aesthetics, the aspect ratio centres key moments all fenced and dripping with cold unforgiving storm water. Not to mention the blast of the air conditioning at your local cinema that adds the experience of the films frigid wet landscape that makes you wonder how many times the actors got sick being in constant torrential rain. 

Robert Pattinson puts himself threw the ringer as he did in Good Time, again portraying someone who beyond desperate and like Pattinson himself, will do anything to prove themselves.

As Pattinson carries the film Dafoe anchors it, and forms it with a strong and terrifying performance that has no mercy or back down, and is effortless self assured beyond any role Dafoe has done. Both actor’s unconventional facial features and eye intensity, were absolutely made for this films creepy and broken intentions of the 1800’s. 

Eggers again shows talent in the “Horror Hangout” movie and in a deep longing character study of location, place and home among people of a certain older time period striped of the amenities and thoughtfulness we so dependently need and rely on. First with family annoyances in The Witch and now workplace annoyances with The Lighthouse to extreme degrees. 

The Lighthouse is great sophomore effort in the exercise of momentary pain and strain, and all that has created it. And oddly makes you want relive it all once you’ve see it, because of the relatability of work culture and the allure of something that’s barred from us as some sort of a next level promotional amenity, only to come to terms, with your place in life.



9/10

• Maurice Jones

IT: Chapter Two

Upon re watching IT: Chapter One, which thrilled me to no end in theatres, unfortunately didn’t thrill me at all re watching at home. All the scares I anticipated too much this time and the obvious set pieces became even more obvious. Mike is needless replaced by Ben as the town historian and the heart felt moments didn’t seem as heart felt as they once did, not to mention that “creepy” old house that looks like a Spirit Halloween prop.

Upon watching IT: Chapter Two, I came to realize as I’ve always believed, things are scarier and more entertaining with adult protagonists.



The Loser’s Club is all grown up and Andy Muschietti sets the stage with Pennywise the dancing clown 27 years later, for an awkwardly directed, bizarrely jam packed, CGI abused, most Stephen King-esque horror adventure that’s ever been put to film in a while. 

IT: Chapter Two takes inspiration when needed and properly sets up comedic elements to remind us of the comedic excitement of the first chapter and then some. The film makes use of Bill Hader as Richie and James Ransone as Eddie, who give us many thrillingly funny moments which brilliantly comment on the films weird plot points and Mike’s sometimes extraneous exposition, even though their comedic timing relies heavily on the use of “FUCK”. The adult cast though, is perfect, each cast member reflecting on their child counter part which works well with many constant childhood flashbacks, and the adult cast giving their all to the performances, making us believe in them when we need to. And once again Bill Hader and James Ransone give emotional relevance that absolutely makes this film.



Bill Skarsgard as Pennywise has more to do but weirdly feels subdued at points, but that just makes room for different kinds of horror to happen but more involved dialogue from Pennywise would of been great. 

Many negatives haunt the film as expected but one would wish these could be avoided. Such as; use of CGI when not needed, the horrendous CGI of the child actors in flashbacks, the casting of adult Beverly with Jessica Chastain, as it should of been Amy Adams, seeing Amy Adams has played adult Sophia Lillis before, in HBO’s Sharp Objects and can handle emotional reflecting way better. The film is awkwardly edited which takes you out of the film quite a few times. The staging of the Bill, Ben and Beverly love stage feels forced and soap opera-esque. The films dialogue could have used more creativity during horror scenes besides screaming “NOOOOO!!!!” at every chance. And again, the film relies on “SHIT” and “FUCK” too give us thrills. Beyond that the films score is a little too predictable and child like to invoke fear, a Carpenter-esque score would have worked better to create a real horror tone. 

As an important note, IT: Chapter Two isn’t afraid of depicting gay characters (even if those moments and characters have a tragic end), and as a mainstream movie this is commendable, as we don’t see gay depictions as an everyday thing in mainstream films as often as we should. I also appreciated a black horror lead in adult Mike well acted by Isaiah Mustafa. He guided the story and gave the exposition, began and ended the film, and wasn’t a stereotype or shy of expressing sadness and love for others as a black male character in a mainstream horror film. IT: Chapter Two also shows many instances of male to male love and friendship and images of the male body as just what it is, a body. Also, the film being set in 2016 (27 years from 1989), the vulgarities of what people said then before awareness of fat-shaming and Me Too isn’t hidden away from, and really puts into perspective how times can change so quickly and importantly. 

IT: Chapter Two presents more much needed real-world violence and grand images for thrills, with self aware big swings that give us a very Stephen King horror experience. With many laughs, a great and talented cast, and good heart felt intentions behind it all. That’s all we can ask for in a horror movie, let alone any movie. 9/10.

• Maurice Jones

Brightburn (2019)

With conviction, great acting, straight up gore, a tight earnest sardonic script and perfect plotting, Brightburn knows to deliver the goods as it has nothing else to prove, but tell the alternate story of Superman’s origins. What if Superman was bad? 

The Breyers (played by Elizabeth Banks and David Denman) have been trying to get pregnant for sometime with no avail, but when a spaceship crash lands on their farm, their prays have been answered the form of a baby boy they name Brandon. Years later as their son Brandon grows to puberty, he discovers he has alien powers. As his 12th birthday arrives, the frustrations of a preteen come to head, and his new found abilities take on a whole new devastating meaning, when he decides to lash out. 

“Superhero Horror” is trending very quickly these days as Superhero films are dominating the theatres and as well, Horror movies. David Yarovesky directs this urgent, poignantly made hybrid with the inspired tone of James Gunn at the producing helm and his brothers - Brian and Mark Gunn writing. With that, like James Gunn’s Slither (also featuring Elizabeth Banks) Brightburn takes a great b movie premise and takes it to the it’s darkest realms, without flinching compromise and with absolute indifferent sarcasm towards the Superhero genre. James Gunn (director of Guardians of the Galaxy) knows both genres and completely understands the value in exploring the grim reality a person with special abilities faces being an instant outsider, and the pressure to be a hero in a thankless world. Brightburn wants to immediately expose the Superman mythos for want it really us. Superman is an alien first and foremost and he wouldn’t exactly know what to do with his powers as a kid. Being an outsider in all respects Superman would be bound to do awful things with his powers before he would be able to do good, that’s just part of his growing up. And Brightburn wants you to be scared of Brandons’s foreign perspective to our human world as we probably should be, and at 1 hour and 30 minutes, David Yarovesky doesn’t waste a single frame to convey this 12-year old’s ability to destroy you. 

Elizabeth Banks does her best work here playing Brandon Breyer’s trusting mom. Truly expressing the denial and desperation of wanting her son to be a normal human boy and not someone capable of murder. If there is a bias against Horror at the Oscars let’s hope it lifts in time for Lupita Nyongo to get a nomination for Us and for just as well Elizabeth Banks to finally get her first nomination. This is the role for exactly that. Jackson A. Dunn is a perfect choice as the cold, disconnected and misunderstood Brandon, and plays the role extremely frighteningly alien. David Denman using his hard nose yet reliable character style such as his role in The Office, is undeniably suitable as Brandon’s earth Dad, whom he appropriately bumps heads with. 

Like a one-off Twilight Zone episode, Brightburn is creepy, terrifying, thought provoking and thrilling all at once, and delightfully so. Un-compromised, efficient and refreshingly inspired, Brightburn gives you want you expect and more and has fun doing so, while delivering an important chilling message and a new perspective on the Superhero genre, and adding some new tricks to the Horror one. 9/10.

• Maurice Jones

Us (2019)

Jordan Peele is BAAAAAAAACCCCKKKKK.........with Us.



When Adelaide Wilson and her husband Gabe take their kids out on a trip to the beach, things take a turn, when clones of themselves start to appear at their summer home. Confronted by their body doubles, Adelaide and her family must deal with Us.

Throughout the years, political standings have never made such a splash than in 2019. With the “Make America Great Again” baseball cap, the Trump era is the most cultish campaign know to man, in the form of the colour red. With the 80’s slogan “Hands across America” for the campaign that was to shed light on poverty in 1986. Two things very different from each other in ideals but both supposedly about unity through symbolism and both the political underpinnings of Us.

Us is about duality of oneself recognizing itself in its other. We all have a feral side of ourselves, we all have a civilized side of ourselves, but can these sides coexist, and if not, why?

Us explores the birth of a terrorist. The absorbing of a troll. The emerges of campaign/cult rise and white supremacy rise. In an age of shirt logos and slogans and sentences, in order to gain momentum these days you need others to buy into what you’re selling. Narcissism leads to tranny under the gaze of false leadership, companionship and connection. On top of that, the rich ignore the poor and live to be shut off and sophisticated while leaving their less fortunate counterparts to stew and fester, and to fall to violent options of survival.

Us is very much about the immigrant experience and an assimilation to American society and culture, seeking for a sense of belonging. While touching on the journey through the Underground Rail Road and re-assimilation to Canada. These moments having duality with modern America’s fast food consumption, climate abuse and political and moral crisis.With that leads to the metaphor of black duality. Black people of colour and especially black women of colour, having to use dance and music to succeed but as well a more aggressive side to themselves to be heard and make it to some station of means in life, but in the end at a certain point, having to kill that more tough side of themselves to coexist in supposed civilized society, but really coexist in a white society.




Us is about reminding humanity that we’re nothing more than a virus that is over populating and systematically destroying the world. All the while reminding us that there is beauty in our existence, that we can be worth while, but that mediocrity is a threat to our minds and we can easily lose focus to what is happening around us. Both sides of ourselves are fighting for the top spot but we all want the same thing. In the end the answer, the solution is Us.

It’s apparent that once again Jordan Peele wrote a story with deep thought ahead of it. With influences of some of the best zombie and body snatching horror flicks of our time, but like Get Out displays the black experience within it and how everyone is against it, but Us now exposes, how everyone is ultimately connected to it. 10/10.

• Maurice Jones

Greta (2019)

Neil Jordan of The Crying Game, now brings us Greta, about a young lady named Frances (played by Chloe Grace-Moretz) who finds a purse on the subway and decides to return it to its rightful owner; the titular Greta (played by Isabelle Hupert). Frances is way in over her head though, when she realizes Greta wants more than just her purse.

 

The general consensus is that Greta is a terrible waste of time. BUT to those yet to see it or to those who have seen it, despite it’s flaws Greta gives us an Isabelle Hupert role we’ve never seen her play, and puts depth to female roles of women her age, who usually are put to the sidelines in mainstream films, instead of being a lead. Some may say that Greta promotes mistrust in others, but that’s the horror genre as a whole and the film knows it doesn’t take itself too seriously. Greta, revels in supposedly tense scenes that could be thwarted with a confrontation or a call to the cops, and that are ridiculously, hilariously executed that way as scenes, which are perfect for a good laugh. Most important of all, like Get Out, Greta pushes the notion that the goofy best friend can be more than just a harbinger of doom.

Greta is a spine-tingling confusing horror thriller with a hilariously contrived plot, a shocking third act and a great poster. With a boring yet earnest performance by Chloe Grace-Moretz and a fantastically fun performance by Isabelle Hubert. Greta is a laugh riot when it comes to figuring out how this film came to be. 8/10.

• Maurice Jones

Lords of Chaos (2019)

From Spun director Jonas Akerlund, comes Lords of Chaos, the inherently satirical real-life Goodfellas-esque bio pic, about the Norwegian black metal band Mayhem and their decent into extreme vandalism and murder in the streets and plains of Norway, burning churches down and murdering innocent people, all in the name of marketing.

Based on real events, Oystein (played by Rory Culkin) is the leader of his band Mayhem in late eighties Norway. When his lead singer commits suicide, Oystein uses this as a stepping off point to become a legend, creating the black metal scene in Norway through insinuation of murder involving his singer’s death. This opens a can of actual mayhem when “poser” Varg enters Oystein’s world as a fan, but who does literally anything to become Oystein’s disciple beyond what Oystein ever wanted; including terrorism. Creating the real life Norwegian black metal crimes of the 1990s, that plagued Norway and reinforced the “satanic panic” of that era.

Whether or not the events are portrayed accurately, Lords of Chaos responsibly dissects the intense problems of masculinity, which lead to bullying, humiliation and psychologically forced violence all to “fit in”. As well as It’s connection to the music industry, industry and marketing as a whole. Lords of Chaos isn’t afraid of expressing the humour in displaying the absurdity and ridiculousness of mixing false integrity with extreme marketing tactics to make money and to become famous within the metal scene, and especially within that era of metal. The idea of rich white kids, who eat shawarma wraps and listen to and play loud music wanting something more out of nothing, can easily lead themselves to suicide, heinous acts and Nazism, out of boredom, belonging, extreme disillusionment, capitalism and bullying. Paired with confused understandings of constant horror imagery and literature of the occult. Lords of Chaos reiterates that the Norwegian black metal scene is no different than any other music scene as far as it’s goals, and can be enjoyed as such, but when taken beyond that in order to prove something, no good can be had. Within any group, band or gang.

Jonas Akerlund’s direction darkly and viciously displays the psychosis of the boys involved in these disturbing crimes, and the confusion between their love of black metal images and sounds and terrorist attacks, with black and white flashed scenes and monstrous CGI interpretations of the devil and murder. Portraying Oystein’s cringe inducing nightmares of finding his lead singer dead, and what led him to suicide and the literal demons beneath it. All personified through the culture of Norwegian black metal genre, horror movies and Satanism. Helping us understand Oystein’s regret of creating this culture and inducting Varg. 

The casting of Rory Culkin as Oystein and Emory Cohen as Varg is inspired. As Rory’s piercing blue eyes, short stature, gaunt appearance and creepy, wispy but reassuring voice, perfectly portrays a guy who can influence someone but who also can be defeated and proven wrong easily, and feels the need to sheepishly lie to get his way but then regrets it. Emory’s self-deprecating portrayal of Varg, who eventually become villainous through bullying, is well measured and thought out, giving us a clear-cut understanding of how Varg would bluntly transition from calm, respectful loner to a forceful, Nazi obsessed tormentor terrorist, in a white toxic masculine music scene. 

By the end, Lords of Chaos becomes something of a true horror film, but not just to be gratuitous and portray the brutal reality of what happened within these crimes, but to show how certain members of the group saw the execution and self importance of what they were violently committing, opposed to what it actually looked like.

If you want a better understanding of the 1980s - 1990s era of black metal and where it all came from, and reassurance that the music industry and toxic masculinity is the same no matter where you go. Lords of Chaos explores that perfectly, with a great early 90s black metal soundtrack that is sure to please fans, and is far more deserving of a rating beyond 67% on Rotten Tomatoes. 9/10. See it.

• Maurice Jones