Beatique

Category: Movies

  • Coyote vs. ACME: We’re All Sisyphus

    In 1990, “Coyote vs. ACME,” a satirical essay by Ian Frazier,first appeared in The New Yorker. Written as an opening statement in Wile E. Coyote’s case against the fictional ACME, the essay documents injuries the cartoon predator suffered as a result of using the corporation’s shoddy products while relentlessly pursuing Road Runner in vain. More than 30 years later, right around the time that the word “enshittification” entered our lexicon, Coyote vs. ACME was adapted as a live-action animated feature with an expanded plot digging into corporate conspiracy and an overarching theme that the system is designed to keep the little guy locked into failure. Then the studio shelved the film as a “tax write-off.” 

    But, a lot of people wouldn’t shut up about Coyote vs. ACME, so, almost three years after it was nearly killed, the movie finally opened on the big screen. I saw it last week and am writing to urge you now to see Coyote vs. ACME while it’s still in theaters, not so much because of the story behind the film, but because of the story in it. 

    The premise of the film is that Wile E. Coyote decides to sue ACME because he keeps getting injured using their products. He goes to an attorney, Kevin Avery (Will Forte), who prefers to settle cases instead of having to go up against slick, corporate attorneys in court. But, after Mr. Coyote tears up a settlement offer, that’s what happens. Then, Coyote’s team catches wind of something called the Sisyphus Project. 

    (more…)

  • Like Rashomon and Columbo? Check Out The Samurai and the Prisoner

    I didn’t know anything about The Samurai and the Prisoner outside of the title before seeing it at Alamo Drafthouse last night. The title, though, is straightforward and, in fact, the new movie from Japanese director Kiyoshi Kurosawa is about a samurai and a prisoner. The plot is a little more involved, comprised of smaller, seemingly isolated, mysteries that point to multiple, overarching threads of castle intrigue. 

    (more…)

  • This Is the Dark Shadows Movie You Should See

    Barnabas Collins in House of Dark Shadows (1970)
    Barnabas Collins in House of Dark Shadows (1970)

    In 1970, just a few short years after Barnabas Collins took Dark Shadows from struggling soap opera to pop culture phenomenon, the vampire’s journey began anew. This time, though, it played out on the big screen. House of Dark Shadows was the first of two films based on show and made by the team behind the television series. Unlike the much more recognizable 2012 film, this one is actually worth watching. At the time of writing this, House of Dark Shadows is streaming on YouTube. If you want to see it in a theater, and live in Los Angeles, it’s screening at the NoHo 7 on Monday, July 27. 

    (more…)

  • Obex Is a Different Kind of Video Game Adventure Film

    It’s not until Obex nears its conclusion that the films theme, or really one of its thee, is expressly stated: “Someday we’ll all live in computers because life outside is too sad.” The 2025 DIY fantasy film from Albert Birney, which recently made its streaming premiere on Night Flight Plus, uses old school video game tropes and retro setting to tell a story that’s all-to-relevant to the contemporary film audience. 

    (more…)

  • Poppers Isn’t the Movie You Think It Is. You Should Still Watch It.

    Poppers Spanish film 1984 screenshot
    Spanish new wave revenge tale Poppers is available now on streaming and physical release.

    Poppers isn’t what you think. Or, at least, it isn’t what I thought, when I noticed the movie on Night Flight’s homepage recently. I figured it would be an Italo disco-fueled sex romp trimmed in leather. The film’s opening scene, where a chiseled, dark-eyed hunk lathers himself in the shower, gave false confirmation of my suspicions. All too quickly, the scene, and the tone shifted. That would happen multiple times in the first handful of minutes into the film, until it becomes clear that what we actually have here is a Spanish new wave revenge romp clad in leather, but with no actual poppers in sight. To be honest, the title still leaves me scratching my head. Do poppers mean something else in 1980s Spain? No sé. 

    Released in 1984, Poppers, from what I read, languished in obscurity until relatively recently. Last year, the film was released in the U.S. as part of Severin’s box set Exorcismo: Defying a Dictator & Raising Hell in Post-Franco Spain and it’s now streaming on multiple platforms. If you’re into post-punk cinema oddities- think Liquid Sky, Decoder or Der Fan– you should check out Poppers. It’s more a thriller than a horror film, albeit one with some nods to giallo. 

    (more…)

  • The 1999 WTO Seattle Protests Revisited in New Archival Documentary

    I used to think that the 21st century didn’t really begin until 9/11, that this was the one event that set the course for the years to follow. Now, I’m willing to admit that I was wrong. Maybe, the 21st century actually began at the end of 1999 with the WTO protests. In late November of the final year of the ‘90s, some 40,000 people hit the streets of Seattle to shut down the World Trade Organization’s conference in the city. They were people from varying backgrounds, including environmental activists, union members and farmers. Those of us who remember the protests only from watching the news may hazily recall reports of “blah blah blah anarchists, blah blah blah Starbucks.” However, a new documentary, WTO/99, drops viewers in the middle of the scene for four days of protests and, in the process, tells a very different story. 

    (more…)

  • Depeche Mode: M Is More Than a Concert Film

    Somewhere in the middle of Depeche Mode: M there’s a quote about technology and how, despite the access to advanced tech today, it’s the old school gear that feels more authentic. I’m paraphrasing, obviously, but that’s the gist of a statement that stuck with me through the rest of the film, partially because I agree with it, but mostly because I think that there’s more to it. Not only does vintage tech feel more authentic, but so does vintage content, y’know, the stuff we used to call art. I say that because the immediacy watching clip after clip of Depeche Mode’s concerts in your Instagram stories while the Momento Mori tour was happening does not compare to seeing M in the theater.  Depeche Mode: M is a stellar concert film, one that I will confidently say is essential viewing for fans of the band. 

    (more…)

  • Director Christopher Bickel on Pater Noster and the Mission of Light

    Pater Noster and the Mission of Light directed by Christopher Bickel movie still
    Pater Noster and the Mission of Light (2024) directed by Christopher Bickel

    Earlier this year, while scrolling through Night Flight (the only streamer worth a paid subscription), I stumbled across a movie called Pater Noster and the Mission of Light. A horror movie about the hunt for a possibly cursed record made by a cult in the ‘70s, it was full of vinyl nerd in-jokes, references to the Source Family, the Merry Pranksters and Whipped Cream and Other Delights. I was smitten with it. 

    Directed by Christopher Bickel, Pater Noster is a wild ride through dusty record bins and into the strange, terrifying world of a fictional psychedelic cult. The film, made with a budget of just $21,000, is also an exercise in resourcefulness. “We do these movies on such a low budget, so when I go to write it, I have to write to things that I have access to,” says Bickel on a recent video call, “things that I think would elevate the production value, to make it look like we spent money on this thing or that thing.”

    (more…)

  • Five Animated Movies to See in Theaters on May 4

    Son of the White Mare 1981 psychedelic animated movie from Hungarian director Marcell Jankovics
    Son of the White Mare (1981) screens at Philosophical Research Society on Sunday, May 4, 2025

    Since my Premium magazine feature on L.A.-area repertory cinema is out now, I wanted to highlight a few movie theaters for this week’s recommendations. And since I love animation, that will be the focus of this week’s picks. All of the screenings are happening on Sunday and there is some geographic diversity, so hopefully, you can fit one of these into your schedule. They’re (nearly) all movies that I have seen previously and 10/10 recommend. 

    (more…)

  • New Stories on Repertory Cinema, Violeta Parra and More Out Now

    Premium Magazine art house repertory cinema story by Liz Ohanesian

    Just wanted to give you a quick update about some stories that I’ve recently written for other magazines and newspapers. 

    Now is a good time to watch a movie. At least it is if you’re in the greater Los Angeles area, where repertory and arthouse cinemas are experiencing a revival. I wrote about the resurgence of in-person movie screenings, focusing mainly on Philosophical Research Society in Los Feliz and The Frida Cinema in Santa Ana for Premium, which is the magazine Southern California News Group newspaper subscribers. Click here for a gift link to read the story.

    (more…)