Michael Shannon Movies Blog

  This is another film that I’d previously reviewed for my Definite Article Movie Blog. I’ve adapted my summary below and added some additional Shannon thoughts based on my re-watch. I enjoyed it more the second time around with my IMDb rating soaring from a 6 to a 7! ‘ The Iceman’ isn’t a spin off from ‘Spider-Man and his Amazing Friends’ instead it’s a bio-pic of mob hit man Richard Kuklinski, splayed by this blog’s subject Mr Shannon. It has a ‘Based on a true story’ caption at the start so it’s certain that some things have been added to the tale we’re being told. The film opens with an aged and beardy Shannon being asked if he has any regrets. Before he can answer the film morphs back to 1964, with a younger Shannon on his first date with soon to be wife, Winona Ryder. She admires his tattoos and slow drawl, and even believes his story of being employed as a voice actor for Walt Disney. In fact he has a slightly seedier job copying porno films. He later plays pool for ...

  This is an enjoyable murder mystery that was the first of a franchise which now stands at two films, with a third to be released in 2025. The thread through the films is Daniel Craig’s detective character Benoit Blanc who uses deduction and a funny accent to unravel cavernous crimes. The film opens with a death. Best selling author Harlan Thromby (a fun Christopher Plummer, seen mostly in flashback) is found with a seemingly self inflicted cut to the throat. The police determine the death to be self inflicted and the family gather to have the funeral and for the will reading. Clearly that’s not a film, so Benoit shows up, having been hired anonymously to have a look into the matter. The film’s indulgent cast all get their introductions as the police investigate the four family members who would benefit from the death – Don Johnston, Toni Collette, Jamie Lee Curtis and our man Mr Shannon as the author’s youngest son and business manager. For your money you also get turns ...