The Suicide Squad (2016)

wasn't bad, I rather enjoyed it thanks to the sturdy shield of low expectations. That having been said the end of the film is utterly incoherent (but thats par for the course in this film genre at this point, can anyone out there summarize Lex Luthor's plan in "Batman versus Superman"? Did HE even understand it??) and relies almost completely on Will Smith's still vital charisma and Margot Robbie's willingness to bounce off the walls to carry the day. But what th' hell, at least this one worked....like I said low expectations and I did manage to see it at the Drive In (and on a rainy night too I "parted the storm" in drive in parlance) that undoubtedly helped. Hell the best movie I've seen so far in this benighted summer has been "Don't Think Twice" which is still playing around town in various venues, its the story of the decline and fall of a NYC Improv Comedy Group but whole scenes were very evocative of our experience running the Channel Zero Repertory Film Series.... That and "Bad Moms" are probably the two best movies I've seen since May....its been a bad summer otherwise for movies but I begin to repeat myself.

Star Trek Beyond (2016)

I'm calling it folks, this was a TERRIBLE movie, confusing, loud, incoherent, the villain was disposable with a moribund gimmick, in two hours of action there was maybe five minutes of authentic science fiction in what is supposed to be The Tentpole sci fi Franchise of All Time. Chris Pine and Zachary Quinto both phoned it in & looked bored by it all as well, Karl Urban at least put some skin in the game but he can't carry a film this misbegotten, no one can quite frankly. The movie's one other saving grace was the sturdy notion held over from the original series that whatever old clunker of a starship Kirk is on, instantly becomes the bad-ass fightingest ship in the Starfleet. And I hate to say this cuz' he is a talent, but I think Simon Pegg should stick to writing comedies....this was not his best work by any means. Its been an awful summer for movies overall, "Ghostbusters" was funny enough (McCarthy & Wiig are a natural comedy team IMHO) but it fell afoul of weird gender resistance, frankly the best movie I've seen this summer was "Bad Moms" and that was a pretty predictable exercise. Well Hell, Hollywood went into a death spiral two full years ago it just hasn't shot down the drain yet, they can't even pander to our basest urges anymore with any success....bad karma indeed.