Mike Goes To Movies

Palm Springs (2020) TLDR: An entertaining story of a man and woman stuck in a same-day loop, an entertaining story of a man and woman stuck in a same-day loop, an entertaining sto -- While not the first and definitely not the last take on the 'time loop' story, Palm Springs succeeds as a contemporary rom-com due to the strength of the two leads, the film's consistent laughs and shocks, and an underlying and compelling depth at the heart of the story.  Palm Springs is yet another highly-recommended indie film that gives new life into a well worn genre and premise. The time loop setup has been attached to pretty much every type of story at this point from action to horror, drama to rom-com. Of course, one of the originals, Groundhog Day, may be the most similar to Palm Springs in its somewhat kitschy romantic comedy. However, Palm Springs has contemporary stylings in its honest and flawed characters, its edge and bouts of crudeness/violence, and its tendency to ve...

Thunder Road (2018) Thunder Road is an interesting film in many respects. The road leading to its making is arguably as well-known as the film itself. Coming largely from the singular mind of Jim Cummings, the film first began as a one-shot proof-of-concept short film in 2016 that took festivals by storm, winning the Short Film Grand Jury Prize award at Sundance. Cummings then went on to make a feature version of the film, which similarly did remarkably well, winning the Grand Jury Award at SXSW 2018 and generally received steadfast critical-acclaim from critics and audiences alike. Cummings has earned personal acclaim for his auteurship and for his economic success with the film. Astonishingly, the feature film was made on a micro-budget of $200,000. Cummings himself wrote, directed, composed, co-edited, managed VFX, and starred in the film - thus, making Thunder Road his film in every way imaginable. The film itself is about Jim Arnaud (Cummings), a struggling small-town sin...

Come to Daddy (2020) Like the dynamics of the father-son relationship at the heart of its story, Come to Daddy has layers waiting to be peeled back and revealed; each one rife with surprises and secrets, drama, and more than a few oddities. Nothing is ever as it seems in Come to Daddy, something that the deft filmmakers here fully understand and play with, turning and twisting the plot on its head and ratcheting up the suspense and action in ways that are equally absurd and surprisingly relatable. As far as unique indie films go, Come to Daddy hits all of its marks. The setup for the film is quite uncomplicated, allowing the creeping tension to begin building right from the get-go. Norval Greenwood (Elijah Wood) receives a letter from his estranged-father who he hasn't seen for over thirty years to come out to visit him at his secluded beach-side house. Immediately upon arriving, Norval takes note of the less-than enthusiastic welcome he receives from his dad (Stephen McHatti...