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a14 people & arts
Thursday 23 June 2022
Thriller ‘The Black Phone’ is captivating, really

By MARK KENNEDY royalty — the source ma-
AP Entertainment Writer terial is a short story by Joe
Phones in serial killer mov- Hill, the pen name of Joe
ies are usually used by the King, son of Stephen King.
deranged hunters to taunt The filmmakers, to my mind,
the police or carefully tell lean a little too much on
victims how they’ll die. But the supernatural to free
in “The Black Phone” it’s the Finney — does the phone
other way around, fitting really need to periodically
for a horror-thriller that flips beat like a heart? — but
many of the genre’s for- that’s me. The movie has
mula. The serial killer at the a “Stranger Things”-meets-
heart of Scott Derrickson’s ”Room” vibe and even na-
latest film is clueless about mechecks a film deep in
the chunky wall-mounted its debt: “Texas Chain Saw
rotary phone in his sound- Massacre.”
proof dungeon. He tells his The film’s tagline is “Don’t
victims it hasn’t worked in Talk to Strangers” and it’s
years. They think otherwise: painfully wrong. While ap-
They use it to communicate plicable to The Grabber,
with each other. Finn learns that the voices
The kid-centric thriller “The on the other end of the
Black Phone” is a very sat- black phone are his previ-
isfying balancing act of a This image released by Universal Pictures shows Ethan Hawke, left, and Mason Thames in a scene ous victims. They’re help-
movie that has elements from “The Black Phone.” Associated Press ing him, each call a way
of supernatural, psycho- to outwit The Grabber and,
logical suspense and horror on walls. There’s a serial kill- saying his name out loud is ing. We’ve seen his like put together, a way home
but never falls heavily into er prowling, nicknamed The unlucky. before, a chilling precision safe. “Use what we gave
a single camp. It also has Grabber, (In a nod to John Finney knows a few of with enunciation and that you,” one disembodied
one of the most satisfying Wayne Gacy, he’s a pro- the victims but gets a first- relentless, bloodless toy- voice counsels.
ending of a horror-thriller in fessional magician. And in hand knowledge when The ing with his victim. His only What makes “The Black
recent years. perhaps another nod to The Grabber — a confusing stand-out quality is a very Phone” stand out is how it
The film — set in northern Steve Miller Band, he drives Ethan Hawke — nabs him good collection of creepy perfectly captures what
Denver in 1978 — follows around in a black truck and locks him in his base- masks. (Halloween will be growing up was like in the
13-year-old Finney, played emblazoned with the word ment, a space meant to super nuts this year if this often raw ‘70s and an ut-
with real verve by new- “Abracadabra,” fitting hold humans. It’s carefully movie takes off.) ter respect for the world
comer Mason Thames. The the lyrics “I wanna reach curated except for that “The Black Phone” is in of kids. Every adult is either
filmmakers establish a grim out and grab ya.”) Five black phone the killer says some ways a reteaming of dismissive and distant — or
mood right from the start, teen boys have vanished. is disconnected, it’s wires the guys who made “Sinis- downright murderous. At
with wide-scale bullying, Finney — and his spunky cut. So why does it keep ter” in 2012 — Derrickson its center is the fraternity of
school-yard fights, bloody younger sister, a fabulous ringing for Finney? and cowriter C. Robert Car- teen victims and the bond
bruises and alcoholic and Madeleine McGraw — are Poor Hawk is marooned as gill partnered with produc- between sister and brother
abusive parents. Add to this old enough to understand another one of those pure er Jason Blum and Hawke working against the twisted
mix, the low-level buzz of stranger abduction but still movie psychos, by turns for that one, too. This time, adult world. It will, uh, grab
homemade missing posters young enough to think that gentlemanly and menac- they’re leaning on horror you.q

Chaka Khan, Ukraine tribute highlight

Boston Pops show

BOSTON (AP) — The Boston glewood Festival Chorus, 1974 transformed it from a
Pops Fireworks Spectacular the Middlesex County Vol- local event into a national
on the July Fourth holiday unteers Fifes & Drums, and celebration. Mugar died in
this year will feature guest the Honor Guard of the January.
artist and 10-time Gram- Massachusetts 54th Volun- The Ukrainian national an-
my winner Chaka Khan as teer Regiment. them performance “will be
well as a performance of A portion of the program dedicated to the people of
the Ukrainian national an- will be dedicated to the Ukraine and the courage
them, the Boston Sympho- people of Ukraine, em- and perseverance they
ny Orchestra announced broiled in a war with Russia, have consistently shown in
Wednesday. including a performance their struggle for their coun-
The show at the Hatch Me- of the national anthem, try’s continuing indepen-
morial Shell on the Charles “Shche ne vmerla Ukrainy i dence,” Boston Pops con-
River Esplanade — the first slava, i volia,” which trans- ductor Keith Lockhart said
full holiday concert since lates as “The glory and in a statement.
2019 because of the coro- freedom of Ukraine has not The 2020 live show was can-
navirus pandemic — will yet perished.” celed. Last year featured a
also feature “The Voice” This year’s free show will pared-down event.
Chaka Khan sings the national anthem before the NBA All-Star winner Javier Colon, Tony also include a tribute to The event dates to 1929,
basketball game, on Feb. 16, 2020, in Chicago. and Grammy winner David Mugar, whose sup- but was revitalized by
Associated Press Heather Headley, the Tan- port of the event starting in Mugar in the 1970s.q