258. Roofman, Tron: Ares, The Conjuring: Last Rites, Black Phone 2, and I Like Me

It’s a weird one this week. Lauren is here for a quick rundown of Roofman, but her technical difficulties cute her a hair short. Then Kevin and Andrew run with Tron: Ares, The Conjuring: Last Rites, Black Phone 2, and I Like Me.

Lauren had a chance to get out to the theater this week and, despite needing to hop off the podcast early this week, gives us a pretty great rundown of the movie. It’s based on a true story and stars Channing Tatum as an almost lovable criminal sho makes camp inside a Toys R Us while on the run from the police. As you’d expectm the film takes some liberties with true events, but it’s very close to fact and Tatum gives what might be the performance of his career. It seems to deserve all of the praise it’s been getting, so get out there and catch it if you can!

After the internet deems Lauren’s time done for the evening, the mic is passed to Andrew who reviews Tron: Ares. Here’s the thing… it’s really not as bad as it is being made out to be. Is it perfect? No. Is it better than Legacy? Probably? It’s hard to say for sure, but it’s certainly got more going for it than the recent press would suggest. That said, the biggest letdown is the lead, played by Jared Leto, which never helps a film succeed. That being said, if you enjoyed the first two Tron movies, you might really enjoy this one.

Sticking with sequels that are less than stellar (though this time more in quality than just reviews), Kevin discusses The Conjuring: Last Rites. This film is a perfect example of what Roofman avoided. The longer this franchise has gone on, the further it’s strayed from the facts. It even manages to paint the Warren’s (played by Vera Farmiga and Patrick Wilson) as incredibly kind and giving, glossing over some truly terrible parts of their past. On top of that, the haunting used for this film is so vastly different from the original story, including a conjuring mirror (the actual name) that was not involved at all. This movie feels more like a cash grab than a sequel and is really only worth watching if you’re looking to complete the film series.

Andrew starts to right the ship with his review of Black Phone 2. This one is the best film of the 3 sequels reviewed so far and definitely keeps the ball rolling from the first film. We lean more into the supernatural with this one, but it ups the drama and really does a great job drawing you in. The performances are all solid and we are given a return of a great villain. Kevin’s fears have all been assuaged and he is definitely excited to catch this when it streams. 

The guys close the show out on a light note, discussing the new documentary about John Candy, I Like Me. If you were not alive or under a rock, then maybe, somehow, you don’t know who John Candy is. but for anyone else, this doc is essential viewing. It’s a great telling of the life of a wonderful man, told by those who knew him the best. It’s the story of struggle, success, love, and sadness. There isn’t a ton that we can say that the doc can’t say better, so if you have Prime, go watch this right away.

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