In this episode I review 4 popular films: Bohemian Rhapsody, Candyman, Beautiful Boy, & Widows.

Transcript/Text below can be read easier at rileyonfilm.com

Bohemian Rhapsody
As far as realism goes, Brian May looks like himself. No other cast member resembles their character, especially not Rami Malik who plays Freddie Mercury. Besides that, when he talks he doesn’t sound like him. Rami is making a different voice but it isn’t the singer fans know of. But I’m only touching the tip of the iceberg, on several levels this film is a sellout mess.

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Bohemian Rhapsody (2018) PG-13 | 2h 14min | Biography, Drama, Music | 2 November 2018 (USA) Bohemian Rhapsody Poster A chronicle of the years leading up to Queen’s legendary appearance at the Live Aid (1985) concert. Director: Bryan Singer Writers: Anthony McCarten (story by), Peter Morgan (story by) | 1 more credit » Stars: Rami Malek, Lucy Boynton, Gwilym Lee
The real McCoy:

Malik’s Mess (ignore the music, he lip syncs the original Queen):

Directing an Xmen movie apparently does not prepare you to do an effective biopic of a rock band. This film is proof that our director Bryan Singer lost his vision for this film.

The writing is fragmented at times. Suddenly the setting will change and there is no development as to why. It could have been a great time to show how they write but it didn’t happen. We are reduced to “Can you go higher?” as the genius for recording a signature part of BR.

Anyone who’s written or recorded will tell you it wouldn’t be said that way. Words like “play the middle note,” “the 3rd or the 5th” or “octave” would be used. As such they are insulting a trained musician and reducing him to an episode of “Wayne’s World.”

My understanding of Mercury’s marriage and his “endless” amount of lovers would not be portrayed this way. They should have shown what he was doing and the dark side he had. This is relevant! The songs were not new takes by new players, instead they were carbon copy stamps that appranetly 3 voices were spliced together in to sound more like Malik. Well, they don’t.

Two hours was way too long for my daughter and I. We left for home 45 minutes early. I cannot recommend this movie though I have respect for all opinions about it. This is nothing less that derivative, unsoulful cash grabbing. Hopefully someday we’ll get a good telling by a brave director, even a tv special of what Queen were really all about. 2/10.

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POSTED ONNOVEMBER 24, 2018EDIT "CANDYMAN"
Candyman
Candyman is a throwback 90’s horror, mystery, thriller written by the horror master Clive Barker. I’ve heard recently that producer Jordan Peele bought the rights to do a remake. We’ll have to see how good that project goes.

Candyman (1992)
R | 1h 39min | Horror, Thriller | 16 October 1992 (USA)
The Candyman, a murderous soul with a hook for a hand, is accidentally summoned to reality by a skeptic grad student researching the monster’s myth.
Director: Bernard Rose
Writers: Clive Barker (based on “The Forbidden” by), Bernard Rose
Stars: Virginia Madsen, Xander Berkeley, Tony Todd
The legend here is that the son of a slave, having been mistreated and disfigured by his father has become a killer, immortalized in urban legend as “The Candyman.” The story is great, the kills are repulsive … everything I like in a horror movie. The creepiness is not really present but the soundtrack works like a calliope to give it just a bit of that.

Helen Lyle, played by Virginia Mardsen, does a foxy job chasing an urban legend. Being early in her career in 1992, it makes sense the director got her to reveal so mu...