MRC

Snack Shack (2024): Hot Dog!

Posted on by Jack Drees

“Snack Shack” is written and directed by Adam Rehmeier (Jonas, Dinner in America) and stars Conor Sherry (Are You Afraid of the Dark?, The Terminal List), Gabriel LaBelle (The Fabelmans, American Gigolo), Mika Abdalla (Sex Appeal, The Flash), David Costabile (Breaking Bad, Suits), and Nick Robinson (Love, Simon, The Fifth Wave). This film is about two boys who find themselves in a situation where they end up running a snack shack by an outdoor swimming pool. The film dives into their attempts to make money, find romance, and cook up the best summer they can.

It almost feels like yesterday when I was a teenager. Frankly, I do not miss that time of my life, but I will admit it had its moments. That said, to some people, it is an undeniably special time. If I were to miss one thing about being a teenager, it is having a summer to just chill. It was a relaxing time with few worries. This brings me to what made me gravitate towards seeing “Snack Shack” in the first place, it looked like a wonderfully nostalgic story. In more ways than one, “Snack Shack,” at least from the marketing, reminded me of “The Sandlot.” Both films involve multiple teens trying to have the time of their lives during the summer, it is very much a slice of life tale, and as a bonus, both movies involve swimming pools! In terms of plot and characters, the movies have their fair share of differences, but that is perhaps the easiest comparison I can make off the bat.

Now, is “Snack Shack” as good as “The Sandlot?” Not really. In fact, I would recommend not going into this movie expecting to watch this generation’s version of that film. These are two different projects with completely different ideas and structures. But is “Snack Shack” a fine movie? For sure. It is one of the better watches I had so far this year.

What ties this film together is the leading duo of A.J. and Moose, played excellently by Conor Sherry and Gabriel LaBelle. As for Sherry, this is my first time watching him in anything. He has experience with other projects, but I cannot say I bothered to check them out. That said, I like him in his respective role. When it comes to LaBelle, I was pleasantly shocked to know that he was in this movie given how much I enjoyed “The Fabelmans,” which he starred in. Compared to that project, LaBelle ends up giving a much more energetic and upbeat performance to match the mood of a film like this. He does a good job. These two friends feel legitimate and have solid chemistry. Every moment these two are on screen together shows they are perfectly cast and play off each other well. The movie goes to show that these two will do anything, even at such a young age, to make a buck. But when I look at these two best friends, it does not come off as if money is the only thing they care about. They seem to enjoy hanging out, they enjoy life, even if it means getting into a little trouble. They seem like fun dudes.

This film is marketed mainly as a comedy. You could say it falls into that “coming of age” bracket as well, but if I had to name one genre to associate with “Snack Shack,” it would be comedy. Thankfully, the movie is quite funny. It has plenty of laughs. The movie has a fair amount of visual gags. There was one moment that got a chuckle out of me where we see the two friends trying to buy the “Snack Shack.” From a visual perspective, the duo’s choice of outfits in that scene was already funny enough. But on top of that, you also have the community’s reaction to their investment, and the overall pacing of the dialogue. Simply put, the scene could not have been any better. One of my other favorite visual gags of the movie is when the guys start selling a foul hot dog. This is not to say the hot dog looks, smells, or tastes bad. But the guys find a way to get creative with condiments and write a swear word on the sausage itself. The way this is executed is one of my favorite parts of the movie from the way it starts to seeing customers react to the whole idea.

Another highlight of the film is Mika Abdalla as Brooke, who serves as this story’s love interest of sorts. It becomes clear that both of the boys fall for her. But the way this connection goes about only intensifies and gets in the way of the boys’ relationship. When it comes to Mika’s character, there is one part of the story I enjoyed where we see her using a camera. There are several moments of the movie where a camera comes into play that had me immersed. The object basically becomes a part of the character’s personality.

If I have to give any negatives for the film, I would say the supporting characters are not that memorable. Did I like most of the supporting characters as I watched them? Sure. I will not deny that. But if you had to ask me about them right now, I would almost not even be able to tell you a single thing about them. At the same time though, my lack of knowledge towards the supporting cast does not take away from the fun I had watching A.J., Moose, and Brooke, the three most integral characters to the story.

I mentioned this movie is kind of a slice of life story. And in that sense, it really does feel like it is a part of someone’s life. The film is a semi-autobiographical tale from the viewpoint of writer-director Adam Rehmeier. It is inspired by his time working at a snack shack. The way the movie goes feels less like a linear story, though it is told in chronological order, and more like a topsy turvy journey. It is kind of like life itself. A series of ups and downs until it is all over. You just never know what is going to come next.

This film has been out since last March. And this is not to say that the film is unwatchable. I’m clearly giving this a positive review. I do not know why the people behind this film decided to release it at such an early point of the year. Maybe the strikes put a damper on things, I do not know. Although I bring this up because “Snack Shack” feels like a fine summer watch. This is a movie could easily get you in the mood to jump in the pool or go outside and bask in the sun. Maybe the studio thought the season would be overcrowded with blockbusters or people might be, I don’t know, actually going outside. But if you need a movie to get you in the summer mood, I think “Snack Shack” will satisfy your cravings.

In the end, “Snack Shack” is delicious. Between the stellar main characters, intriguing story, well executed dialogue, and overall energetic flow of the script, the movie has a lot of strengths. The film is not perfect. But again, summer is around the corner. If it is a rainy day and you want to be inspired to go outside by the next time the sun comes out, “Snack Shack” is an effective watch. One last positive, the film made me thirsty. Now, as someone who has seen a lot of movies, I kind of groan when a movie has obvious product placement. That said, when I looked at the drink cups the snack shack had in stock, all I can say is that I immediately wanted a Diet Coke from the drink fountain. So, props to the movie for selling me on Coca-Cola products. I am going to give “Snack Shack” a 7/10.

“Snack Shack” is now available to rent or buy on VOD.

Thanks for reading this review! If you enjoyed this review, good news! I have more coming! Be sure to stay tuned for my thoughts on “Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire,” “Monkey Man,” “Abigail, “Civil War,” “Boy Kills World,” and “Challengers.” If you want to see these reviews and more from Scene Before, follow the blog either with an email or WordPress account! Also, check out the official Facebook page! I want to know, did you see “Snack Shack?” What did you think about it? Or, what is the one food that comes to mind that screams “summer” to you? Just writing this is making me want a basket of french fries. Let me know down below! Scene Before is your click to the flicks!

American Fiction (2023): Cord Jefferson’s Directorial Debut Balances Humor and Emotion with Excellence

Posted on by Jack Drees

“American Fiction” is directed by Cord Jefferson and this is his directorial debut. The film stars Jeffrey Wright (Asteroid City, What If…?), Tracee Ellis Ross (Black-ish, The High Note), John Ortiz (Fast & Furious, Clyde Goes Boating), Erika Alexander (The Cosby Show, Living Single), Leslie Uggams (Roots, Deadpool), Adam Brody (Shazam!, Ready or Not), Issa Rae (Barbie, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse), and Sterling K. Brown (This Is Us, Army Wives). This film is about an author who creates a satirical book under a pen name that becomes bigger than anyone, even he, could have imagined.

As we approach the end of the 2023 film awards season, it is time to discuss a movie that may not be a frontrunner to win all the Oscars this year, but one that has had a respectable share of spotlight. I knew about a lot of movies coming out towards the year’s end, but “American Fiction” was one that kind of came out of nowhere for me. It took me a couple trailer watches, mentions from social circles, and online pundits to drill the title in my head, but the whole idea of the film was something that I could get behind. It looked funny, well-acted, and well-written. Thankfully, when it comes to my expectations, this film hits all three of those checkmarks. The humor is great. The acting is great. The screenplay is great. And what makes all of this even better is that the director of this film, Cord Jefferson, is making this picture his debut.

According to his IMDb page, Cord Jefferson has never once directed anything else before “American Fiction.” This includes other features. This includes shorts. This includes television. Up until now, Jefferson has had a hand in television producing and writing. His resume includes “Master of None,” “Watchmen,” and “The Good Place,” the latter of which I have watched and find quite hilarious. It got me through my recovery after getting my wisdom teeth removed so I feel like I owe something to the people who made that show. And now Jefferson his taking his TV talents and using them to deliver one of 2023’s funniest films.

The ensemble for “American Fiction” can do no wrong. From the commanding, but not quite in your face presence of Jeffrey Wright, to the quality charisma of Tracee Ellis Ross to the flamboyant glory of Issa Rae, the latter of whom makes me imagine that she could eventually become one of my favorite performers in the near future. I thought Rae was a standout in “Barbie.” But she is a different kind of great here. Honestly, I almost cannot see anyone else playing her character. She does a great job not only having a hypnotic presence from scene one, but when we see her read her book, she does a great job at immersing me into the scene and feeling as if I am not only getting to hear the book, but maybe also getting some speck of imagination to the point where I would be mistaken to believe the events of the book are actually playing out in front of me.

As I have grown older, one of things I continue to appreciate about movies is the very idea of how people can take something and deliver a primarily visual experience, but if you have to ask me, “American Fiction’s” greatest asset has to be its dialogue. There are several lines from this film that are contenders to be some of the year’s best. I don’t think any of them will have as monumental of an impact as “Oppenheimer‘s” final line, “I believe we did,” but when it comes to individual lines, there is one quote from the main character that is funny, not only because of its delivery, but because regardless of its context, the more I think about it, the more I feel it applies to some aspects of modern society. Specifically, “The dumber I behave, the richer I get.” In fact, some would say this line even links to how entertainment works nowadays. There seems to be a consensus that we keep making entertainment, whether it is through movies, television, or in this movie’s case, books, arguably for the lowest common denominator. In fact, that falls in line with the main protagonist’s goal as well, because the film follows his journey as an author who cares about and finds passion in what he does, even though he does not have the widest audience. But the more he panders to a demographic or lie about himself, the more successful he becomes.

As for other standouts, the film itself looks beautiful. This film is shot by Cristina Dunlap. Cinematography-wise, it is not the top dog of the year, but it is sometimes enchanting to look at. The film is packed with a variety of eye-popping exterior shots. I may be biased because I am from Massachusetts and this movie is set around various areas I have been to around the state, but I can say that when it comes to showcasing those areas on camera, I will not deny that the showcase itself is rather pleasing. But the film is not just easy on the eyes, but also the ears. Laura Karpman’s score is quite good. It fits every scene well.

While this film may not win Best Picture at the Oscars this year, that said, you never know, it could pull an upset… I will say when it comes to this year’s slate, particularly the movies that are going for the heavy-hitting awards, this film gets some things right that I would say “Barbie” also gets right. Specifically the vibes and tone, mixed together with the overall look of the film. In some sense, “American Fiction” is a down to earth story about people you could probably find in our society, but it also comes off with this slight sense of fantasy. It is hard to describe, but I appreciated it.

I also must note that when I remember this film, I will remember it well for the laughs I had. The smiles I had. But it is a pretty balanced movie in terms of emotion. When we get to know Thelonious’s family, we also get to know his mother, who we find out has Alzheimer’s. While I will affirm the film is not quite as memorable as “Everything Everywhere All at Once,” when you take the main idea of “American Fiction” and combine it with this Alzheimer’s subplot, the two films feel similar tonally. Because “Everything Everywhere All at Once” had tons of multiversal shenanigans, but you also have an intriguing subplot that is more down to earth like the turmoil between multiple family relationships. As for the subplot itself, I thought it was handled with grace and it unleashed a great performance out of Leslie Uggams (right). In terms of story and characters, what “American Fiction” provides on the surface, is intriguing. That said, there is more to it that paints a pretty picture.

In the end, “American Fiction” is unpredictable, exciting, and hilarious. When it comes to commentary, this is one of 2023’s finest works. But it also does something equally as important. Entertain. Once again, this is the first film from Cord Jefferson, and I honestly cannot wait to see what he does next. It is not just a good time, it is a great time. And I think you will have a great time should you decide to watch this film. Not the best of 2023, but it gets a lot of things right. When it comes to flaws, they do exist. I will remember some aspects of this film more than others. Some scenes feel a tad abrupt in terms of flow. But there’s nothing game-breaking. As for my score, I am going to give “American Fiction” a high 7/10, and honestly if I were to watch it a second time, it could go up.

“American Fiction” is now playing in theaters everywhere. Tickets are available now.

Thanks for reading this review! If you enjoyed this review, I have more where that came from! Pretty soon I am going to have reviews for “Lisa Frankenstein,” “Madame Web,” “Bob Marley: One Love,” “Drive-Away Dolls” and my most anticipated movie this year, “Dune Part Two.” Also, if you have a lot of time on your hands and you want to find what films defined the art form in 2023, check out the 6th Annual Jack Awards, possibly the biggest waste of time in your entire life. Who knows? If you want to see more great content like this, follow the blog either with an email or WordPress account! Also, check out the official Facebook page! I want to know, did you see “American Fiction?” What did you think about it? Or, what is your favorite directorial debut? I don’t have a concrete answer, but I recently rewatched “Deadpool” over Valentine’s Day, because what other movie would I watch?! That was Tim Miller’s first feature film and it ended up being one of the funniest I have ever seen. If you have an answer of your own, say it down below! Scene Before is your click to the flicks!

The Blackening (2022): I Don’t Want to Play This Game Again

Posted on by Jack Drees

“The Blackening” is directed by Tim Story (Fantastic Four, Think Like a Man) and stars Grace Byers (Harlem, Empire), Jermaine Fowler (Coming 2 America, Superior Donuts), Melvin Gregg (The Way Back, Snowfall), X Mayo (American Auto, The Farewell), Dewayne Perkins (The Upshaws, Saved by the Bell), Antoinette Robertson (Hart of Dixie, Dear White People), Sinqua Walls (Power, American Soul), Jay Pharoah (Saturday Night Live, Unsane), and Yvonne Orji (Velma, Insecure). This horror spoof is about a group of friends who gather together at a house for a Juneteenth party. When the tables turn, it is up for each one of these friends to survive to the very end.

It is time for me to beat a dead horse. If you are going to take that statement literally, I have a bridge in Brooklyn to sell you. To be clear, as I have said in other reviews, horror is not my most watched genre. There are several major titles that I have yet to see, and I usually flock to genres like science fiction, action, and comedy prior to it. Although if you look back at the 2022 cinematic calendar, movies like “Smile,” “Barbarian,” and “Nope” just to name a few, were amongst my favorites of the year. Of all the genres, horror may have been the clear winner. 2023 horror has only had few candidates that I have seen. To be fair, it is not fall yet. More will be coming. But of the ones that I have seen, none have had the spark that any of those movies did.

“M3GAN” was likable, and it had some decently executed commentary, but it also is not the most replayable film I have seen. Another horror comedy that came out recently, “Renfield,” was quite good. Though I had some minor problems with Awkwafina’s performance and even though it is funny, I would not call it laugh out loud funny. “Infinity Pool,” which came out early on in the year, felt like an instantly forgettable headache inducer. As great of a performer Mia Goth is, I cannot tell you one thing I enjoyed about “Infinity Pool” that stood out aside from that.

Now we have “The Blackening,” which much like “Renfield,” blends horror and comedy together but seems to extremify both of those elements just a bit more. Whereas “Renfield” could be described as a comedy, I would put “The Blackening” in the category of spoof. Now, I am pretty weak on spoof horror myself, so my expectations may have been somewhere in the middle. Although the more I looked at the poster, the more I lowered said expectations. Thankfully, we got a movie that appears better than its poster, but that is not saying much.

“The Blackening” calls itself a comedy horror. Unfortunately, it does neither of those things well. The jokes do not land and neither do the creeps. I have seen bad comedies and just as awful horror flicks. When you combine the two together in this case, it only delivers twice the disappointment. Two wastes of genres happen to be worse than one. It is simple math. This is not to say there are not inklings of entertainment at all. There is a chuckle here and there, and maybe one or two moments of genuine tension. The scene where the cast are all playing the board game for the first time may have been the highlight of the film. Between everyone’s performances and the pacing of the script, it is a genuinely tense, occasionally humorous instance in what is otherwise a below average film.

The biggest problem I have with “The Blackening” is that the characters, despite their respective actors trying their best with each one, feel interchangeable. Even if there are individual traits given to each character, they all feel like the same person in a different body. Maybe that is what makes them good friends, but it does not help when it comes to indicating things about them that stand out. I ended up caring about certain characters more than others. That is to the point where I likely did not give a crap if someone else ended up dying before the others did.

I saw this film a month ago during a free screening. Knowing what the results of said movie are, I do not think it is worth paying for. Maybe your reaction will be different. The film did get plenty of reactions at my screening ranging from laughs to gasps to hollers. If I had to pick a favorite reaction of mine, in the earlier half, one guy saw something that threw him off. Therefore, this allowed him to swear loud enough for the whole theater to hear. I am not usually for talking during movies in the cinema. But if it is reactionary, I can make an exception. Honestly, I kind of chuckled at his reaction. Speaking of being honest, I would truthfully confess that this guy’s reaction to said scare, may be have been funnier than most of the comedy this movie was trying to deliver. Although if there is one thing I noticed during my screening, and I do not know if this will be the case during yours because with the amount of movies out right now, it is that this movie may be interesting to watch with a crowd. The audible reactions were almost through the roof by the end. Knowing the two genres of this film, I am aware of their infinite subjectivity. Comedy and horror will sit different with each individual perhaps more than action. As of this writing, the film has an 87% critic score and 85% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes. It seems to be sitting well with a lot of people. I cannot say the same for myself. I do not know, I think while I may continue to recall the tension of some moments while the players were around the game board, I will equally recall the cringe that was induced whenever this movie resorted to a gag about reading people’s minds.

Going back to the end, my last critique to (literally) end this review, is that the ending is not satisfying. I have seen worse endings, I have seen better endings. However, this movie tends to wrap itself up too quick. Calling it anticlimactic would not be the right description, but that is the closest word that comes to mind. Basically when the movie ended, I felt indifferent. I was not angry, nor was I happy. The right word to describe my mood at such a point may be “content.” I want to leave a film feeling some sort of reaction. If I leave feeling silent, there better a good reason for it. A lack of passion for what I just saw is far from one of them. Again, the scores on this film are mostly positive. Perhaps you will feel different. Maybe go try the movie for yourself sometime and see if that is the case.

In the end, “The Blackening” came and gone like the wind. One moment it was in front of me, and in the next, I wanted to know if there was a better movie that I could watch. Speaking of better movies, if you look hard enough, you can find better comedy and horror titles. When it comes to comedy and horror blended together, “Renfield” just came out a couple months ago. That film delivers more laughs in addition to scares. It is no masterpiece, but it is worth the watch. There are a ton of movies out right now. Of those films competing for your hard earned money, “The Blackening” is not what I would call the prime candidate. I am going to give “The Blackening” a 5/10.

“The Blackening” is now playing in theatres everywhere. Tickets are available now.

Thanks for reading this review! Pretty soon I will have reviews for movies like “Transformers: Rise of the Beasts,” “The Flash,” “No Hard Feelings,” “Elemental,” and “Ruby Gillman, Teenage Kraken.” Stay tuned! If you want to see this and more from Scene Before, follow the blog either with an email or WordPress account! Also, check out the official Facebook page! I want to know, did you see “The Blackening?” What did you think about it? Or what is a movie with a high Rotten Tomatoes score that you disagree with? Let me know down below! Scene Before is your click to the flicks!