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Ken and Robin Consume Media: A Damn Fine Cup of [REDACTED]

September 5th, 2017 | Robin

Ken and Robin Consume Media is brought to you by the discriminating and good-looking backers of the Ken and Robin Talk About Stuff Patreon. Each week we provide capsule reviews of the books, movies, TV seasons and more we cram into our hyper-analytical sensoriums. Join the Patreon to help pick the items we’ll talk about in greater depth on our new podcast segment, Tell Me More.

The Pinnacle

Twin Peaks: The Return (Television, US, David Lynch, 2018) Grotesque, otherworldly servitors of good engineer earthly events to awaken FBI agent Dale Cooper (Kyle MacLachlan) from a false existence his evil doppelganger has spun him into to prevent his full emergence from a generation-long stint in the pocket universe known as the Black Lodge. Gobsmacking phantasmagoria of narrative, genre, dream, nostalgia, aging, America dualism, and the myth of [REDACTED.]—RDL

Recommended

The Brink’s Job (Film, US, William Friedkin, 1978) Played by a posse of magnificent character actors led by Peter Falk, a gang of two-bit lugs stumbles into a perfect crime in 1950 Boston: heisting $2 million from the Brink’s headquarters office. Friedkin manages not just the tightrope of comedy and heist thriller, but also of making working-class dingbats his main characters without condescension. Special mention must be made of Warren Oates’ manic turn as an unstable ordnance expert. –KH

Charlie Varrick (Film, US, Don Siegel, 1973) Small-time bank robber Varrick (Walter Matthau) accidentally steals $750,000 in mob money from a small-time bank in New Mexico, and has to stay two steps ahead of the cops, the Mafia, and his wild-eyed partner (Andy Robinson). A prime example of the surprisingly sparse “actually intelligent protagonist” genre. I’ve already seen this film, which I just watched again on the big screen, but I’m breaking the implied KARCM rules and posting here because it’s one of the best crime films ever made and you, our beloved backers, deserve to know that. –KH

Lovecraft: A Study in the Fantastic (Nonfiction, Maurice Lévy, 1972 (trans. 1988)) In this short work, Lévy prefigures almost every major critical view of Lovecraft that would follow, from the psychoanalytic to the mythopoetic to the antimodernist. Lévy is especially good on the symbol-concept of the Lovecraftian abyss, which encompasses both the underground and outer space. –KH

Personal Shopper (Film, France, Olivier Assayas, 2017) Young woman with mediumistic powers (Kristen Stewart) works as stylist to a temperamental celebrity while waiting for her dead twin brother to send her a message from beyond. Stewart pushes her mannerisms to the limit in this enigmatic supernatural drama about temptation and loss.—RDL

Six Bridges to Cross (Film, US, Joseph Pevney, 1955) When thief and racketeer Jerry Florea (Tony Curtis) uses Boston cop Ed Gallagher (George Nader) as his alibi for an armored car company robbery, their lifelong friendship gets put to the test. Based on the 1950 Brink’s job but more concerned with emotion than criminology, Pevney’s film wins with Curtis’ strong, many-hued performance. –KH

Good

The Steel Trap (Film, US, Andrew L. Stone, 1952) Devoted family man (Joseph Cotten) decides to rob the bank where he works and escape to extradition-free Brazil with his unknowing wife (Teresa Wright) before his employers discover the theft. Part of a cycle of 50s noirs about squarejohn citizens spiraling into criminality, this is at its best when cranking suspense from a succession of tiny logistical hang-ups.—RDL

Okay

A Royal Affair (Film, Denmark, Nikolaj Arcel, 2012) English princess (Alicia Vikander) marries the Danish king Christian VII, an unstable twit whose charms dim compared to to their intense, Voltaire-loving court physician (Mads Mikkelsen.) Lushly appointed, often obvious historical drama kept alive by Mikkelsen’s star charisma.—RDL

Not Recommended

The Defenders (Television, Netflix, Douglas Petrie and Marco Ramirez, 2017) Daredevil, Jessica Jones and Luke Cage team up to keep Iron Fist out of the clutches of an ancient international conspiracy. Coasts for a while on the winning characterizations and performances established in Netflix’s first three Marvel shows before it becomes evident that the script needs every writing crutch in the book to fit two hours of story into an eight hour bag.—RDL

One Response to “Ken and Robin Consume Media: A Damn Fine Cup of [REDACTED]”

  1. Davis A. says:

    If anyone knows of any of these films currently on streaming services, please comment with the title, which service (Netflix, Amazon, Hulu, etc) and which country (since offerings vary according to region.) Thank you!

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