Arts & Culture • Podcast • Short Segment

Freeze Frame

Freeze Frame is a weekly show reviewing the latest movies from Hollywood's best films to independent and arthouse movies.

Hosted by

Russ Simmons

• Airs on Thursday, Friday and Saturday at 10:58 am; Sunday at 12:30 pm; Monday ats at Noon on "Arts Magazine"

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Freeze Frame is a weekly show reviewing the latest movies from Hollywood’s best films to independent and arthouse movies.

Recent Episodes

September 25, 2020 Arts & Culture, Podcast, Short Segment

Freeze Frame: “Kajillionaire” (R), “Enola Holmes” (PG-13), “Secret Society of Second Born Royals” (Not rated), “LX 2048” (Not rated), “Ottolenghi and the Cakes of Versailles” (Not rated)

If nothing else, you’ll have to admit that the comic drama “Kajillionaire” is not the same old thing. This quirky and gentle movie stars Evan Rachel Wood as an emotionally stunted young woman who works as a petty scam artist with her parents, Richard Jenkins and Debra Winger. Things get complicated when they invite a stranger, played by Gina Rodriguez, into one of their schemes. “Kajillionaire” has a sweet and eccentric vibe that viewers will find either refreshing or annoying. In either case, “Kajillionaire” unique.

Millie Bobbi Brown of “Stranger Things” fame is terrific as Sherlock Holmes’ teenage sister in the lighthearted Netflix mystery thriller, “Enola Holmes.” When her mom disappears, Enola attempts to find her by deciphering clues her tricky mother left behind. The story is told with a wink and a nod and never really amounts to much, but Brown carries the day in “Enola Holmes,” the probable first installment of a wannabe franchise.

“Secret Society of Second Born Royals” is a Disney+ fantasy aimed at preteens. It seems that some folks with royal blood have unusual superpowers and they’re recruited to save their kingdoms from an evil villain. It’s very pat and predictable, but the kids won’t mind. You will.

“LX 2048” is a terminally talky and boring sci-fi offering that is one of the worst films of the year. James D’Arcy plays a man contending with terminal illness, family squabbles and clones, all in a future where the rays of the sun are deadly. Stay inside…and watch something else.

“Ottolenghi and the Cakes of Versailles” is a documentary about the famous chef who recruits renowned bakers from around the world to create unique pastries for an exhibit at The Metropolitan Museum of Art. It’s a mouthwatering and decadent behind the scenes look at culinary creativity.

Your local art house theaters are offering online viewing options for a number of intriguing movie titles. More information is available at nelson-atkins.org, Screenland.com, fineartsgroup.com and drafthouse.com.

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September 18, 2020 Arts & Culture, Podcast, Short Segment

Freeze Frame: “Antebellum” (R), “The Devil All the Time” (R), “Blackbird” (R), “H is for Happiness” (Not rated)

Pop superstar and Kansas City native Janelle Monáe stars in “Antebellum,” a bizarre horror entry with significant social overtones. Monáe plays a slave on a plantation in the Civil War South…or is she a renowned author living today? This well acted but enigmatic film doesn’t make much sense until the final scenes when the film starts to look like a project that M. Night Shyamalan might have started…and rejected.

Sitting through the Netflix drama “The Devil All the Time,” based on the novel by Donald Ray Pollock, may be a certified form of torture. The beautifully acted and lensed drama stars Tom Holland and Robert Pattinson in a sweeping story spanning two generations dealing with religiously conflicted rednecks in post- WWII rural Ohio. It’s unrelentingly ugly and violent, filled with loathsome characters. “The Devil All the Time” falls well short of its lofty thematic aims.

Susan Sarandon, Kate Winslett and Sam Neill lead a potent cast in the talky family drama, “Blackbird.” Dying of ALS, Sarandon decides to get the family together for one last sendoff before she commits suicide. It’s hard to knock the cast and the filmmakers’ intent, but the dialogue goes over like fingernails on the chalkboard.

The easy-going family flick “H is for Happiness” is yet another cute Australian import. Based on the novel “My Life as an Alphabet” by Barry Jonsberg, it’s a sweet-natured story about a precocious 13-year-old girl named Candice who attempts to overcome her family’s emotional malaise and mend fences with her unflinching, Pollyanna-like optimism. The filmmakers’ aren’t quite able to strike the right balance between serious drama and whimsey, but “H is for Happiness” is a painless, inoffensive distraction.

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September 11, 2020 Arts & Culture, Podcast, Short Segment

Freeze Frame: “The Broken Hearts Gallery” (PG-13), “I Am Woman” (Not rated), “All In: The Fight for Democracy” (PG-13)

“Broken Hearts Gallery” is a cute, maybe too cute romantic comedy for millennials that exists in an otherworldly rom-com dimension. Geraldine Viswanathan (VISH van ath aun) plays a young woman who saves mementos from her many failed romances and turns them into a gallery exhibit. Can she ever find true love? What do you think? The cast is affable and there are some hearty laughs, although the amusing dialogue often sounds like it’s all coming from the same voice.

Seventies pop music star Helen Reddy gets the biopic treatment in “I Am Woman.” Australian actress Tilda Cobham-Hervey plays the singer who went through many personal struggles before hitting it big and writing the number one hit “I Am Woman” that became the anthem for the women’s movement. It’s slickly produced and features many of Reddy’s hit songs, but it suffers somewhat due to its formulaic and melodramatic execution. The feminist angle of “I Am Woman” may, however, strike a chord with viewers in the “Me Too” era.

“All In: The Fight for Democracy” is a compelling documentary about contemporary voter suppression efforts in the run-up to the 2020 Presidential election. A number of expert talking heads weigh in on the subject and the historical background of voter suppression is covered, but the film focuses mainly on Stacey Abrams, the Democratic candidate in the 2018 Georgia gubernatorial election who, the filmmakers argue, may have been robbed of a victory due to underhanded efforts by her opponent, Brian Kemp, the then Secretary of State who was also in charge of the election. If nothing else, “All In: The Fight for Democracy” is a thoughtful rallying cry for voter involvement.

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September 4, 2020 Arts & Culture, Podcast, Short Segment

Freeze Frame: “Tenet” (PG-13), “Mulan” (PG-13), “I’m Thinking of Ending Things” (R), “All Together Now” (PG)

Christopher Nolan’s mind-boggling sci-fi action thriller “Tenet” begs to be seen on the big screen. It also begs to have subtitles. While it’s involving and visually dazzling, the confounding time-inversion plotline is further muddled by an obtrusive soundtrack and heavy accents. John David Washington and Kevin Branagh do an impressive job of navigating their tricky roles. “Tenet” is virtuoso filmmaking and frustrating storytelling in equal measure.

“Mulan,” the live-action, non-musical adaptation of its 1998 animated hit is now on Disney+. Liu Yifei takes the title role of a Chinese girl who poses as a man to enter the Imperial Army and defend against Northern invaders in 620AD. It’s a beautifully produced and involving action fantasy, with considerably more violence than we’re used to seeing from Disney. Little girls everywhere will be inspired.

Charlie Kaufman, Hollywood’s most acclaimed eccentric stays true to form with the mind-bending and soul-chilling metaphysical horror film, “I’m Thinking of Ending Things.” A young woman travels to her boyfriend’s childhood farm to meet the parents, which serves as an excuse for Kaufman to comment on a number of existential subjects. Jessie Buckley is nothing short of brilliant in a movie brimming with terrific performances. It’s disturbing and depressing, but watchable until it goes completely off the rails in the final scenes.

“All Together Now” is a sentimental Netflix drama about a good-hearted teenager, played by Auli'i Cravalho, who keeps her homeless status a secret from her friends. Carol Burnett has an effective cameo as a curmudgeonly retirement home resident. This heartfelt and optimistic drama walks the edge of treacle but never quite succumbs to excessive sweetness.

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August 28, 2020 Arts & Culture, Podcast, Short Segment

Freeze Frame: “The Personal History of David Copperfield,” (PG), “Skin: A History of Nudity in the Movies” (Not rated), “Cut Throat City” (R), “Desert One” (Not rated), “Get Duked” (R)

“The Personal History of David Copperfield” is a fanciful reimagining of Charles Dickens’ classic novel. Dev Patel takes the title role in this quirky adaptation, an offbeat but fresh, exuberant and mostly comic take from writer/director Armando Iannucci, the man behind TV’s “Veep.” Purists may balk, but many viewers will be captivated by this version’s unconventional casting and upbeat whimsy.

“Skin: A History of Nudity in the Movies” is a documentary that’s true to its title. While there are plenty of naked bodies on display, if your interests are prurient, you may be disappointed. The expert talking heads offer a clinical examination of censorship and the role of nudity in mainstream Hollywood, porn excluded. It’s not erotic, it’s academic.

“Cut Throat City” is a very dark, gritty and violent gangster thriller set in New Orleans, the third film directed by rap star RZA. It’s all very familiar, often doesn’t ring true and could have used some tightening in the editing bay. But “Cut Throat City” is involving and has a relevant social undercurrent that makes it hard to dismiss.

“Desert One” is a comprehensive and informative documentary about the courageous but ill-fated special ops attempt to rescue the American hostages in Iran in 1980. Oscar-winning filmmaker Barbara Koppel leaves no stone unturned, and the first-hand accounts she captures are heartbreaking.

“Get Duked” is a wacky horror comedy about some foul mouthed, drug loving delinquent Scottish teens who are forced to participate in a survivalist program in the remote Highlands. Set on their own, they’re hunted like game by a bizarre cult. It often seems forced, but “Get Duked” has a twisted sensibility that may generate laughs for those who enjoy raunchy, irreverent humor.

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August 21, 2020 Arts & Culture, Podcast, Short Segment

Freeze Frame: “The 24th” (Not rated), “Unhinged” (R), “The Vanished” (R), “Words on Bathroom Walls” (PG-13), “The Sleepover” (Not rated), “The One and Only Ivan” (PG), “Tesla” (PG-13)

Oscar winning filmmaker Kevin Willmott’s drama “The 24th” is a harrowing depiction of the intolerable racism that led to the 1917 mutiny of an all-black US infantry division. Trai Byers leads a solid cast in this true story that ably illuminates a dark episode in American history.

Russell Crowe’s bloodcurdling performance fuels “Unhinged,” a sadistic thriller about a psycho with road rage. It’s tense and well made, but the wheels fall off due to some improbable plot elements.

Plot absurdities also plague “The Vanished,” an unnerving thriller starring Thomas Jane and Anne Heche about a couple whose daughter goes missing during a camping vacation. If you stick it out until the end, your eyes will be rolling.

Taylor Russell and Charlie Plummer are excellent in the YA drama “Words on Bathroom Walls,” a sympathetic look at a teen with schizophrenia. It’s modestly effective thanks to its unique visual approach.

“The Sleepover” is Netflix family comedy about kids who embark on an adventure when they discover that their mom is a black ops-trained international jewel thief. It’s wacky, but surprisingly funny and powered by an amusing cast.

“The One and Only Ivan” is a sweet-natured DisneyPlus flick, an adaptation of the children’s book that uses a mix of live action and CGI to tell the story of a gorilla who stars in a small circus in a mall. It’s got the high gloss Disney sheen and may even evoke a tear or two.

Ethan Hawke stars in the artsy, avant-garde biopic, “Tesla,” about the struggles that the brilliant inventor faced during America’s Gilded Age. The offbeat approach to this tale about the conflict between altruistic science and unbridled capitalism doesn’t quite generate the electricity it had hoped for.

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August 14, 2020 Arts & Culture, Podcast, Short Segment

Freeze Frame: “Project Power” (Not rated), “Endless” (PG-13), “Sputnik” (R), “Day 13” (Not rated), “What We Found” (Not rated)

The star power of Jamie Foxx and Joseph Gordon-Levitt is the only thing powering Netflix’s “Project Power,” a silly, overblown sci-fi action flick about a street drug that provides short-lived superpowers. The premise showed promise, but the plot gets goofier as it goes along. Try not to laugh.

“Endless” is a morose paranormal romance that plays like a dull reworking of the 1990 film “Ghost.” Alexandra Shipp plays a teen whose boyfriend, who was killed in a car wreck she caused, comes back in spirit to console her. Shipp’s presence helps, but not enough to console viewers.

“Sputnik” is a genuinely chilling and extremely well-made sci-fi horror offering from Russia about a cosmonaut who brings back a malevolent parasite from space. This grisly thriller has more intelligence and thematic depth than you might expect. Just be prepared to be creeped out.

“Day 13” on the other hand, is a boring horror flick about a teenage who notices strange goings on by new neighbors across the street. Nothing happens until the movie’s final moments, and then it devolves into a laughable avalanche of bad special effects.

“What We Found” is a suspense thriller about middle school kids who try to unravel the mystery when one of their classmates goes missing. A capable and appealing cast give this little indie a boost, but the rambling pace and improbable plot elements make “What We Found” flounder.

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August 7, 2020 Arts & Culture, Podcast, Short Segment

Freeze Frame: “An American Pickle” (PG-13), “Work It” (Not rated), “The Secret Garden” (PG), “She Dies Tomorrow” (R)

“An American Pickle” is a ‘stranger-in-a-strange-land’ comic fantasy starring Seth Rogan in dual roles. He plays an immigrant worker accidentally brined in a pickle vat 100 years in ago. When he miraculously awakens, he meets his only living descendant, his great-grandson, also played by Rogan. “An American Pickle” is a surprisingly sentimental look at the ups and downs of family ties.

“Work It” is a Netflix musical comedy about misfit dancers. Sabrina Carpenter and Liza Koshy lead an appealing and talented cast as high school seniors who form a competitive dance group to further their post-school ambitions. It’s goofy and predictable but “Work It” should prove to be engaging for fans of contemporary dance.

“The Secret Garden” is at least the seventh adaptation of the classic children’s novel. Colin Firth and Dixie Egerickx star in a well-produced and workmanlike version that doesn’t avoid the story’s dark themes. However, it relies heavily on visual dynamics and doesn’t quite achieve the emotional catharsis it aims for. For a better rendition, seek out the film version of “The Secret Garden” that was released in 1993.

“She Dies Tomorrow” is an original, high-concept horror film that couldn’t be timelier. For unexplained reasons, a woman is convinced she will die the following day. Her fears become contagious to everyone she encounters and to everyone they encounter. It doesn’t all work, but it’s a chilling and thought-provoking creep-fest that captures the zeitgeist of our paranoid times.

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July 31, 2020 Arts & Culture, Podcast, Short Segment

Freeze Frame” “Upside-Down Magic” (Not rated), “Summerland” (Not rated), “Rebuilding Paradise” (PG-13)

“Upside-Down Magic” is a “Harry Potter” wannabe aimed at an even younger demographic. This Disney Channel movie, based on the Scholastic book series, is about students who attend a school for kids with the gift of magic, but the story concentrates on the struggles of four misfits who are ostracized because their magical powers don’t conform to magical norms. The production values are fine, and the cast is likable, but the movie’s execution is so pedestrian that it will appeal only to the very young. It has cool special effects, but not much movie magic.

“Summerland” is an easy-going British import set during WWII. Gemma Arterton plays an ill-tempered, antisocial writer living alone in a small seaside village who is forced by authorities to board a young boy whose parents are tied up in the war effort. Her hard-kept secrets are slowly revealed as she reluctantly bonds with the lad. While the cast is fine, the story lacks the hard edges necessary to give the drama a real spark. Still, “Summerland” is a sweet-natured and sentimental trifle.

Ron Howard, who directed the firefighter drama “Backdraft” almost 30 years ago, turns his attention to the aftermath of a real-life fire disaster with the documentary “Rebuilding Paradise.” The film includes some truly harrowing footage of the raging blaze that decimated Paradise, California and the surrounding countryside in 2018. It then chronicles the town’s recovery efforts as it follows the lives of a handful of survivors over a period of many months. ”Rebuilding Paradise” serves as a fitting tribute to the tenacity and resilience of the human spirit.

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July 24, 2020 Arts & Culture, Podcast, Short Segment

Freeze Frame: “Radioactive” (PG-13), “The Rental” (R), “The Big Ugly” (R), “Yes, God, Yes” (R), “Babysplitters” (R)

Rosamund Pike’s solid performance is the main attraction of the arthouse biopic, “Radioactive,” the story of Madame Curie and her discovery of radium. Scenes that jump forward in time to illustrate the ultimate effects of her pioneering work are awkward and heavy handed. But “Radioactive” still serves as an informative primer about the world’s first female Noble Prize winner.

“The Rental” is a genuinely creepy horror effort that marks the directorial debut of actor Dave Franco. Dan Stevens and Alison Brie star in this story about two couples on a weekend retreat who are stalked by a video-savvy peeping tom. The territory it covers is all-too familiar, but “The Rental” is a well-acted thriller that manages to effectively rachet up the tension.

“The Big Ugly” is a film noir opus that feels like a 1970s drive-in throwback. Vinnie Jones, Malcom MacDowell and Ron Perlman star in the story of a British mobster whose bodyguard goes on a bloody quest for revenge when his girlfriend is murdered in rural Appalachia. It’s atmospheric…and sadistic.

Natalia Dyer from “Stranger Things” stars in the coming-of-age comic drama, “Yes, God, Yes, “ about a Catholic teenager, guilt-ridden because of her self-pleasuring. She goes on a religious retreat only to learn that her shame is something that could be shared by all. “Yes, God, Yes” is a modestly effective, low-key social polemic.

Dani Pudi from TV’s “Community” stars in “Babysplitters,” a comedy about two childless couples who decide to conceive a single baby between them and divide the responsibilities. It’s a raunchy sitcom that wears out its welcome well before its two-hour running time.

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