Month: August 2017

1987 Movie Review: THE MONSTER SQUAD, 1987

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THE MONSTER SQUAD, 1987
Movie Reviews

Directed by Fred Dekker
Starring: Andre Gower, Robby Kiger, Stephen Macht, Duncan Regehr
Review by Sarah Evans

SYNOPSIS:

A couple of neighborhood kids set up a club dedicated to everything that has to do with monsters. However, their obsession with monsters turns into real life when Dracula and other legendary monsters return to rule the world. Together, The Monster Squad must device a plan to save humanity in battle between good versus evil.

REVIEW:

Let’s all think back to the days of our childhood, where anything from comic books to chronic nose bleeds automatically got transformed into some sort of club. This was what was evoked from my memory after watching “The Monster Squad” except with a way cool tree house and what ends up being a true purpose for their monster inspired club.

You can’t save the world with a club dedicated to processed meat sandwiches. If you have a coin club, maybe you have a better chance.

In this harmonious blend of comedy, horror and dare I say…family? You might think, “Wait, is this The Goonies?”, but trust me, it’s not. Although, “The Monster Squad” features a similar group of ratty outsider kids, their adventures are on a different path. Sean, the leader of the club and played by Andre Gower, receives a Van Helsing book that his mom found at a garage sale. At that point, everything starts going wrong. Mom and dad hate each other, that stupid Van Helsing book is in German, and suddenly there’s word of monsters creeping the streets. What do they do? Luckily, the creepy German guy down the street is able to translate the books secrets whilst easing their nerves with joy-flavoured pie. At this point they discover that the only thing protecting them from the forces of the undead are an amulet, a discount find of Van Helsing’s secret diary, and a virgin.

The film is played by a number of actors whose existence is unknown, with exception to Michael Faustino starring as one of the youngest Monster Squad members, Eugene. Also pairing with the post Married With Children star was Jason Hervey as E.J. the Bully. If you don’t remember who Jason Hervey is, just remember him as the same furrow browed meat head in The Wonder Years. Regardless of whom these actors are, or what they’re doing now, they all seamlessly come together with such afoul-mouthed twelve year old childhood innocence. Alongside Sean, the leader of the pack, and Eugene the youngster wannabe, are also other great characters that come to their aid. Patrick, his trusty neurotic sidekick is accompanied by Horace aka “Fat Kid” (Brent Chalem), who plays the lovable pudge everyone overestimates. Then there’s Rudy (Ryan Lambert), the squad bad ass who has a knack for artillery weapons and a future in nude photography. Last but not least, there’s poor little Phoebe who desperately wants to be in her brother’s club and struggles to prove that girls know just as much about monsters as boys do. The combination of nervous kids and whiney sisters leads to some pretty hilarious one-liners, not to mention an intricate plan that seems to get executed under twenty-four hours of a gigantic crisis. I guess kids really are little miracles. The best part is seeing all their nerdy qualities coming together like an intricate puzzle and then seeing that puzzle kick ass!

It’s hard to hate a story that has a bunch of outsiders having evil eat pavement but most of all; it’s hard to hate a story that has amazing monsters. We actually get to see the monsters we know and love team up for an incredible comeback, which includes Dracula (Duncan Regehr), The Gillman (Tom Woodruff Jr.), Wolf Man (Carl Thibault), The Mummy (Michael Reid Mackay) and last but not least, Frankenstein (Tom Noonan). If you were to walk into a bar one day, are these not the same characters you would want to see sitting together with a pitcher of beer laughing and Dracula saying “You guys go ahead with the appetizers, I had a truck driver on the way. He was a real juicy one.” Amazing! However, this is not the scenario in the movie but I think it’s safe to say that the most memorable monster in the movie is Frankenstein, who much like Horace, is an underestimated force with his monster friends. Instead he becomes the “cool” slang talking monster and Phoebe’s new playmate.

Although I’ve already hinted at a comparison with this film and “The Goonies”, but for some reason I also feel a connection with “Little Monsters”. Perhaps it could be that familiar event of a monster crossing over to the “good side” and helping prevail over evil. Or maybe it’s the Fred Savage/Jason Hervey connection throwing me off… I mean whatever. Both show a bunch of kids banding together to prove the impossible.

There are several things that highlight this film, so without giving any spoilers, I’ll only hint at a few. Be prepared for a Horace’s hilarious comment regarding Wolf Man’s nether regions and his shining moment in the hour of panic. Also, pay close attention to things going on in the background, especially the kitchen blackboard in Sean’s kitchen. And I beg you to watch the credits, if not out of interest for the crew involved with the film but for what sounds like a last minute soundtrack to the film. Enjoy!

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1987 Movie Review: THE LOST BOYS, 1987

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THE LOST BOYS, MOVIE POSTERTHE LOST BOYS, 1987
Movie Reviews

Directed by: Joel Schumacher

Starring: Jason Patric, Kiefer Sutherland, Corey Haim, Jamie Gertz, Corey Feldman, Dianne Wiest, Edward Hermann and Barnard Hughes
Review by Sean McDonald

SYNOPSIS:

A recent divorcee and her two sons move to a coastal town in California, where they end up fighting a gang of teenage vampires.

REVIEW:

Years before Stephanie Meyer had even an inkling of the teen vampire genre, Joel Schumacher created his own homage to classic vampire lore, setting the action in coastal California. Under the watchful eye of producer Richard Donner – who left the directing reins to focus on Lethal Weapon – the film honed in on the MTV generation and subsequently created one of the most recognised flicks of the 1980s.

From the opening credits, the film is immediately beguiling – as we soar effortlessly over the Santa Carla fairground in orchestration to the theme song, Cry Little Sister. We follow the ever reliable Dianne Wiest and her two sons as they move in with her father in Santa Carla – an area burdened with motorbike gangs and unexplained disappearances (in reference to the film’s title and J.M. Barrie’s fictional characters). One evening at a concert, the oldest son, Michael (played with aplomb by Jason Patric) falls for the endearing Jami Gertz, who hangs around with a group of ‘youthful’ vampires – led by a brash alpha-male, Kiefer Sutherland. Naturally, Michael is ‘initiated’ into the gang and wakes up the next morning, disorientated and sensitive to sunlight…

For the most part, the film concentrates on Patric (with a stylish leather jacket and ray-ban sunglasses) as he tries (and fails) to hide his involuntary transformation into a half-vampire. At the same time, his younger brother (Corey Haim) befriends a cocky pair of vampire-slaying brothers (including Corey Feldman) who offer their expertise and solutions to the problem: a stake through the heart. Refusing to do it, Haim and the brothers settle on an alternative method– identify and kill the head vampire in Santa Carla before Michael succumbs to the thirst. Uh-oh.

The young Patric and Sutherland bring appeal to their roles with the latter, quite literally, chewing on the badboy/antagonist stereotype. The two Coreys, then at the height of their success, handle their parts with swift enthusiasm whilst the Oscar-winning Wiest is criminally underused; though her seemingly minor story arc becomes an important part of the film’s denouement. Heavyweight actor, Barnard Hughes handles his short but eccentric screen time with memorable repercussions and Alex Winter (forever adorned as Bill S. Preston Esq.) shows up as one of Sutherland’s gang members.

Like the original vampire yarns, the film uses plenty of exposition to remind us of the “rules” when it comes to tackling the bloodthirsty undead. The classics such as sunlight, garlic, reflections, etc., are present and implemented to great effect without letting the film fall into satire. The union of horror and comedy also manages to work well: a scene involving Haim singing in a bubble bath while his bloodthirsty brother creeps up the stairs is executed perfectly. Though not as scary or gory as it could have been, Schumacher doesn’t shy away from amping the violence and horror when necessary – take the shocking campfire attack as an undiluted example of the excellent makeup prosthetics.

Albeit, the movie has its share of problems. Jamie Gertz struggles to transcend a manufactured romantic role and the end mano-a-mano showdown comes across as a little camp by today’s standards (unless you’ve seen 2006’s The Covenant). It is also difficult to believe that Dianne Wiest and her family seem to completely overlook the various ‘missing people’ posters that flypaper the streets of the sinister town. However, these faults are minor and like Schumacher’s previous effort, St Elmo’s Fire, the film is effortlessly nostalgic with an amazing soundtrack and eerie score by Thomas Newman (American Beauty).

At the heart of the film, there is no denying its original script and witty dialogue – “As a matter of fact, we’re almost certain that ghouls and werewolves occupy high positions at city hall.” It also offers some innovative visuals such as the dizzying aerial shots, POV camerawork and startling locations (the old hotel hangout and foggy railroad.) The film also sports an array of dreamlike sequences, from Michael’s hazy consumption of the wine and the timeless motorcycle race through the beach. And who can forget the final, if slightly predictable, twist and quotable closing line?

Though not as tongue-in-cheek as Fright Night or as serious as Near Dark, The Lost Boys pulls away as the most memorable with its clever deconstruction of the vampiric mould and adventurous storyline. It just beggars belief that Schumacher would go on to direct Batman and Robin.

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1987 Movie Review: THE LIVING DAYLIGHT, 1987

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The Living Daylights, MOVIE POSTERTHE LIVING DAYLIGHT, 1987
Movie Reviews

Directed by John Glen
Starring Timothy Dalton, Maryam d’Abo, Joe Don Baker, Art Malik, Jeroen Krabbe and Robert Brown.
Review by Jesse Ryder Hughes

SYNOPSIS:

New Bond Dalton jumps in full force investigating why spy’s are getting killed. He goes on a mission to help Russian defector Koskov (Krabbe) escape getting killed by a sniper. Bond succeeds and then Koskov is kidnapped by Necros outside London. As the story unfolds Bond finds Koskov isn’t what he seems and Bond finds himself traveling from Vienna to Afghanistan getting himself into all sorts of death defying trouble.

REVIEW:

I love Dalton. He is either loved or hated as Bond I find. He is the angry, dark but honest Bond with hints of happiness. He has a no bullshit attitude and doesn’t deal with stupidity all that well. He is hard edged and dangerous. A highly underrated portrayal of Bond. I give Dalton my props for stepping up to the challenge and risking to play Bond in his own way.

The movie itself is exciting and full of twists and has a sense of not knowing who to trust. The story is much improved from the last two installments. This feels like the Bond that realizes the decade of the 80’s the most, with its new techno Bond score and music by a-ha. The themes are well done with a Russian, Koskov, and an American, Whitaker, an arms dealer and war enthusiast, teaming up and exploiting there own countries for their own selfish gains. They take advantage of the war in Afghanistan. with Russian involvement. which was a big ordeal at the time.

All in all The Living Daylights was a great reboot with a classic car chase scene in the snows of Bratislava and a great final battle between Bond and Necros way up in the sky on an army cargo plane. It keeps the classic elements of Bond, but adds an edge to the series never before felt since early Connery. It shows a dark side to the Bond franchise, which is very exciting and often uncomfortable and takes pride in it. Dalton doesn’t use seduction like Moore did to get information, he blatantly kicks ass and forces the information out of his victims. I think this is partly why Dalton isn’t liked as much, because he doesn’t emanate the charm and charisma that Connery and Moore naturally had, but if you think about it Bond doesn’t have time to be charming. Dalton plays Bond as an unlikeable guy, but he throws in hints of joy, which is good. He is criticized that he added no humor to his role, but he actually does, he just has a darker approach to it than the other guys did.

A great Bond film to start off Dalton, it’s too bad he only got to do two films to grow with the character, but they are both good Bond films. Great bad guys, a good Bond girl, an Aston Martin and a lot of hair raising stunts with an interesting plot that aids to the villains and social issues present with the film.

THE LIVING DAYLIGHT, 1987

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1987 Movie Review: LETHAL WEAPON, 1987

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LETHAL WEAPON MOVIE POSTERLETHAL WEAPON, 1987
Movie Reviews

Directed by Richard Donner
Starring: Mel Gibson, Danny Glover, Gary Busey, Mitch Ryan, Tom Atkins, Darlene Love, Traci Wolfe
Review by Andrew Kosarko

SYNOPSIS:

Two tough Los Angeles cops, one who carries a lethal weapon (Glover) and the other who is one (Gibson), are teamed as partners in a highly unusual case involving a massive international ring which has its roots in Vietnam – a place they are both all too familiar with. This film, with its fresh, energetic combination of comedy, drama and action, has managed to spawn three highly successful sequels.

REVIEW:

I had never seen the Lethal Weapon films prior to reviewing them this week. Which, as I understand it, is grounds for having my man card revoked. Nevertheless, of course I enjoyed the films, but it’s not without it’s criticisms.

The Story: The film hits the reset button on the “buddy cop” genre, if not creating it all together. The odd couple dynamic is the focus for the first hour of the film, with little coming out of the plot to actually have an overall effect on the outcome. Basically it’s 50 minutes of the film telling us “Riggs is crazy” and “Murtaugh is “too old for this shit.” It’s only once the film gets to an hour into it does it start going anywhere. That’s my biggest criticism of the film. Usually, character driven films are what everyone wants, and don’t misunderstand me, the creation of these characters is what makes the film great and the franchise sustainable. But there are better ways to go about it. Now once it gets into the actual plot, it becomes extremely interesting. The ties to these characters back stories and their draw to see it through becomes deeply routed in the audience’s desire. That, mixed with the great characterization and explosions is how you make a entertaining film.

Acting: It’s really Mel Gibson’s movie to steal. And he does. It’s always the offbeat character that everyone loves the most. But Glover provides a sturdy straight man (in terms of characterization – not sexual orientation…just to be clear.) The lack of problem here is while Gary Busey is menacing, he’s somewhat underused in this film and doesn’t get much play. While it did reinvigorate his career, there’s really not a whole lot going on there. In the end, it’s Riggs that keeps the movie going when it starts to lull in the action.

Directing: Richard Donner does a great job for what it’s worth. He made a successful film that launched a franchise. However, he is guilty of 80’s stylistic value. Ain’t no dodging that one.

Cinematography: While it doesn’t have the soft focus of the 80’s style (thank the Lord above) it does have the same old fog machine look on occasion. Some of the action scenes are shot a little too tight for my taste, but they work. And again, there is some guilty 80’s moments with the slo-motion shot to death scenes.

Production Design: 1986. Again…not a whole lot more to be said there.

Editing: Here’s, once again, where my criticism lies. There’s too much character setup in the first hour. It becomes filler to be honest. We could deal with one or two short situations that establish Riggs is crazy and Murtaugh is too old. But we get it drawn out in several long scenes that just cover fill up time. It could have been tighter.

Score: Now while most of the action scenes are scored with the stereotypical 80’s classical score (no synthesizers thank the Lord yet again haha) the drama and comedy are scored with this saxophone type style. Which works very much for the buddy-cop tone of the film and is repeated in the sequels. It establishes an overall character to the franchise itself. A smart move on the part of the film makers that paid off for the long run.

Special Effects: it’s the 80’s….stuff blows up….it really blew up. Haha. Simple as that.

In closing: In my honest opinion, the film is dated and overrated. Does that mean it doesn’t stand well on it’s own feet? Not at all. It’s an enjoyable movie. But there could have been so much more going on. It was fresh for it’s time and that’s why it’s so highly rated. So now that we’ve spent one hour on characters and one hour on a plot, let’s see how the sequel fares up….

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1987 Movie Review: THE LAST EMPEROR, 1987

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MOVIE POSTERTHE LAST EMPEROR, 1987 
Movie Reviews

Directed by: Bernardo Bertolucci

Starring: John Lone, Joan Chen, Peter O’Toole

Review by Travis Seppala

SYNOPSIS:

A dramatic true history of Puyi, the last of the Emperors of China, from his lofty birth and brief reign in the Forbidden City, the object of worship by half a billion people; through his abdication, his decline and dissolute lifestyle; his exploitation by the invading Japanese, and finally to his obscure existence as just another peasant worker in the People’s Republic of China.

REVIEW

A few weeks ago I reviewed “Gandhi”, a Hollywood made historical biopic that was a fantastic film and deserving of its win of the Oscar for Best Picture. Now I’m reviewing “The Last Emperor”, a Hollywood made historical biopic that was a fantastic film and deserving of its win of the Oscar for Best Picture. Why couldn’t they have shown us these Oscar winning historical films in high school history class instead of those boring documentaries that were mostly just photographs zooming in and out while some old guy narrated? I’m sure a lot less of us would have fallen asleep (although, to be fair, I’m sure there would be some people falling asleep as this movie is nearly 3 hours long)!

“The Last Emperor” is not told in sequential chronological order. Instead, it bounces back and forth in time from Puyi as an adult in a POW camp to his history from birth until adulthood giving us two splintered time lines of the same persons life (each flashback is in chronological order, and each“present” scene is also in chronological order).

A big deal was made of Puyi’s birth as he was next in line to be Emperor of the Manchu Qing dynasty of China. He lived a life of absolute luxury and became Emperor at the age of 2 and reined until just after his 6th birthday. During that time, he was still breastfed and treated so lavishly he didn’t know how “normal” people lived. All that changed once he and his family were forced to leave their palace in the Forbidden City and he was exiled.

Years later, once the Japanese had invaded China, Puyi was seated on the thrown in Manchukuo as a puppet ruler- he was Emperor, but everything he did or said for Manchukuo was the will of the Japanese forces. He met a woman and fell in love only to have that love falter and die before being hauled off to a be a prisoner of war.

After years as a prisoner of the Japanese (and being forced to go through Communist rehabilitation) Puyi was released as a “reformed citizen” and began working as a gardener. He got to see his Communist re-education teacher suffer during the anti-revolutionary parade as a political prisoner and later, at the end of his life get to return to the Forbidden City to see his former thrown, now as a simple tourist.

To go into much greater detail than that of the happenings of “The Last Emperor” would make this review much too long as it’s a nearly 3 hour movie which portrays a very VERY detailed representation of the life of Puyi, the last Qing Emperor. Just know that there is much MUCH more to the movie that what I’ve outlined here.

In some movies where the time line is shifted all around like it is here, the story can get hard to understand as you try to remember where in history each aspect occurs. In “The Last Emperor”, however, the transitioning from one segment of Puyi’s life to another is flawless and flows so perfectly that there almost doesn’t feel like flashbacks and fast forwards. It plays out like one story unfolding normally.

The acting is unbelievable. The costumes are stunning. The use of vibrant colors is jaw-dropping and the interesting camera work is… well… interesting! Every member of the cast and crew of “The Last Emperor” did their job exceedingly well and the director brought their talents together to make this movie flow like a will tuned piece of machinery… a detailed work of art.

“The Last Emperor” is a beautiful and enticing film to behold as well as being an interesting history lesson on the fall of Imperial China and the invasion of Communist Japan during both world wars in their sequence. It’s a little on the long side, I agree, but everything in the film is absolutely necessary and could not be cut. So make sure you get comfy and have your snacks and drinks handy and whatever else you need to sit still for 3 hours, because “The Last Emperor” is definitely worth your time!

 the last emperor

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Film Review: LOGAN LUCKY (USA 2017) ***

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logan luckyTwo brothers attempt to pull off a heist during a NASCAR race in North Carolina.

Director: Steven Soderbergh
Writer: Rebecca Blunt
Stars: Channing Tatum, Adam Driver, Daniel Craig

Review by Gilbert Seah

 Veteran director Steven Soderbergh, most famous for his OCEANS ELEVEN trilogy and for his Oscar winning ERIN BROCKOVICH and critically acclaimed films like KAFKA and THE LIMEY was supposed to have retired after his last film UNDER THE CANDELABRA . But after reading the script for LOGAN LUCKY, he was supposedly so enamoured that he decided to direct it. LOGAN LUCKY is a stylish crime caper, a sort of anti-OCEAN’s ELEVEN film without the glamour. Everything is seedy on LOGAN LUCKY, the props, the heist and life depicted in the film.

Soderbergh said of LUCKY LOGAN: “Nobody dresses nice. Nobody has nice stuff. They have no money. They have no technology. It’s all rubber band technology”.
The film involves two brothers. Trying to reverse a family curse (as lame as excuses come), siblings Jimmy (Channing Tatum), Mellie (Riley Keough), and Clyde Logan (Adam Driver) set out to execute an elaborate robbery during the Coca-Cola 600 race at Charlotte Motor Speedway in Concord, North Carolina during Memorial Day weekend. Simple though the plot might seem, the story is complicated by all the baggage brought on by the characters.

These are a few examples: (proving Soderbergh’s liking for the script)
Jimmy is separated and has a daughter that is entering a talent contest, which he should support. She performs John Denver’s famous song “Country Road”, in one of the film’s best scenes.

Clyde has lost his hand during the Iraq war. He still serves a mean martini as a bartender using only one arm, and his hand is sucked into the vacuum during the heist.

Special Agent Sarah Grayson (Hilary Swank) has a no-nonsense role as an investigator who hates tight alibis and coincidences

Warden Burns (Dwight Yoakam) as a 9-year old veteran who believes his prison to be the best and escapee proof.

Because of all these distractions, the film runs almost two hours. Though the story actually gets a bit convoluted and also a bit complicated at times, no one really cares, as Soderbergh always surprises with his style and dead-pan humour, reminiscent of KAFKA, my favourite film of his.

The heist segment is executed with a combination of more wry humour than suspense. The home made bomb form the film’s funniest part. Note that there are no exciting car races in this car race heist film.

The cast is impressive with well-known actors including James Bond 007’s Daniel Craig playing against time as a sprung convict, Joe Bang as well as 6 NASCAR drivers playing minor roles. Carl Edwards and Kyle Busch play West Virginia state troopers, Brad Keselowski and Joey Logano are security guards, Kyle Larson is a limo driver, and Ryan Blaney is a delivery boy. Everyone in the cast and crd appear to he having fun and the fun shows.

Not the best of the Soderbergh’s films, but LOGAN LUKCY is still an entertaining watch from a director who knows how to entertain, especially with a good caper comedy.

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aPzvKH8AVf0

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Film Review: BLOW-UP (Italy/UK 1966) *****

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blow-upA mod London photographer finds something very suspicious in the shots he has taken of a mysterious beauty in a desolate park.

>Director: Michelangelo Antonioni
Writers: Michelangelo Antonioni (story), Julio Cortázar (short story “Las babas del diablo”) (as Julio Cortazar) »
Stars: David Hemmings, Vanessa Redgrave, Sarah Miles

Review by Gilbert Seah

 Italian director Michelangelo Antonioni’s first of three English Language films under contract with Carlo Ponti is arguably the best of the three and sets the standard for the 60’s and 79’s film look of fashionable London. It is also the film that shot David Hemmings and Oscar Winner Vanessa Redgrave to fame.

The plot was inspired by the short story, “Las babas del diablo” or “The Devil’s Drool”. The film follows the the life of a swinging extremely successful photographer, David Bailey (Hemmings). He is so successful that all the pretty birds in London are willing to sleep with him just to be photographed by him.

The story involves his random photographing of a lady, Jane in the park (Redgrave). He chases her around London and developes a love/hate relationship with her. Upon closer examination of the photograph, and blowing it up (hence the film’s title), he discovers an image of a corpse in the park. Wondering whether there was a murder, strange things start happening like missing things in his studio and strangers following him. But this murder mystery is not the aim of Antonioni’s film.

Antonioni’s films have not been murder or suspense films. He is no Master of Suspense, but his works have been equally praised for its insight on society, especially on youth, as in his two other English features, THE PASSENGER and ZABRIESKI POINT, which I had not seen since it was first released.

Another trait of Antonioni is his spontaneity in film. This can be observed in three of the film’s segments that basically make this movie. The first is David’s shooting in his studio of real life model, Veruschka von Lehndorff. Veruschka plays herself in a 5-minute long photo-shoot sequence.

The second and the film’s best scene also occurs at random. When David goes into town, he sees Jane and follows her into a club where The Yardbirds, featuring both Jimmy Page and Jeff Beck on guitar and Keith Relf on vocals, are seen performing the song “Stroll On.” This is an extended club scene where Antonioni captures perfectly both the spirit of the band and the crowd. A buzz in Beck’s amplifier angers him so much he smashes his guitar on stage, then throws its neck into the crowd. David grabs the neck and runs out of the club before anyone can snatch it from him. The roar of the crowd, the uncontrollability of the situation and the pure madness are all magnificently caught on camera.

The third segment forms the film’s sexiest part where David wrestles with two topless birds (Jill Kennington and Peggy Moffitt) in his studio. This constituted explicit sexual content of contemporary standards by a major Hollywood studio that was in direct defiance of the Production Code at the time.
BLOW-UP won the Grand Prix du Festival International du Film, the festival’s highest honour. It is the film’s 50th Anniversary and has a Special Screening on August the 16th Thursday at 9 pm at the Bell Lightbox. A must-see for cinephiles.

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Xz1utzILj4

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Film Review: GOOD TIME (USA 2017 ) ****

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GOOD TIMEA bank robber finds himself unable to evade those who are looking for him.

Directors: Benny Safdie, Josh Safdie
Writers: Ronald Bronstein, Josh Safdie
Stars: Robert Pattinson, Benny Safdie, Taliah Webster

Review by Gilbert Seah
 
GOOD TIME features Robert Pattinson in the role of bank robber unable to display love for his brother that will have critics screaming that Pattinson can act.

Though the film is called GOOD TIME, no one in the film appears to having one at any point. The film begins with Nick (Ben Safdie) under psychiatric treatment before his brother Connie (Robert Pattinson) takes him on a botched bank robbery where he is arrested and put into hospital after running through a glass door. Connie tries to spring Nick out but takes another felon, Ray instead.

The scene where Ray, already half beaten up with his face covered in bandages, scales a high fence, finally falling to the other side hurting his bad shoulder even more, best describes the entire film. Intense, f***ed-up and painful to watch! But Ben and Safdie’s film is a minor miracle, already garnering accolades of praises after Cannes, in the desperate journey of Constantine “Connie” Nikas (Robert Pattinson) in trying to right a wrong.

It is interesting to note that at one point in the film – Connie’s somewhat mentally challenged brother has been replaced by Ray, the wrong guy Connie springs out of the hospital. Not only do the two look somewhat alike, but if the film had gone on with the brother instead of Ray, not much would have changed and the film could have resulted in the same sorry outcome. The only difference in the plot would be the bottle of acid that Ray came up with. This is a bromance that has gone totally wrong, and one in which Connie wants to show love towards his brother or to Ray for that matter, but is unable to do so.

The directors are fond of close-ups, with the bank robbery shot mainly with close ups without the camera moving back at all to show what the rest of the customers at the bank are doing. The close-ups of the faces, often revealing the film’s characters in trouble, heightens the intensity of the film.

‘Oneohtrix Point Never’ won the Cannes soundtrack award in creating a one-of-a-kind soundtrack containing in many parts, a screeching metallic sound that is as unnerving as the film’s plot. The film also features an original song.

Pattinson delivers what might be the best performance of his career, as the edgy bank robber trying to help spring his brother while keeping himself out of the law’s reach. Jennifer Jason Leigh has a small role as Corey and one wishes there would be more of her. Co-director Ben Safdie whom plays the brother and Buddy Duress as Ray are equally good but the small role by Barkhad Abdi as the poor amusement park security caught in the crossfire deserves mention. Abdi can be best remembered for his role as the pirate in CAPTAIN PHILLIPS that earned him an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor.

The film shifts focus between Connie and his brother. At the film’s start and end, the camera is on Nick and what is happening to him. While the majority of the film switches and stays with Connie, the film oddly leaves out what has happened to him after his arrest.

The film is bookended by Nick in his prison psychiatric sessions. The film also questions the effectiveness of the prison system is rehabilitating criminals who are not all there mentally. The film’s most disturbing segment is the prison scene where Nick is beaten up for changing the TV channel while another fight breaks two between two black inmates.

Ben and Josh Safdie is to be commended in their absorbing, fresh and exciting caper movie that captures the seediness and desperation of NYC street life.

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AVyGCxHZ_Ko
 

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MOVIE REVIEW: SUICIDE NOTE (UK, Fantasy/Thriller)

festreviews 2017 movies, movie, Movie Review, Short Film Movie Review, Uncategorized , , , , ,

REAL ARTISTS played to rave reviews at the July 2017 FANTASY FEEDBACK Film Festival.

by Kierston Drier

Highly interpretive and deeply symbolic, this five minute fantasy-thriller from the United Kingdom is an exploration of life, death and it’s faceted transition. SUICIDE NOTE is deep meditation of one person’s journey from life to whatever is beyond it. Set against a haunting ethereal soundtrack and a featuring dramatic and dynamic framing, this piece is filmed in black and white. It has an almost unknowable quality to its tone and atmosphere- as though the viewer, is intentionally meant to never see the full scape of the hero’s world. Perhaps this is because it is the symbolic portrayal of the ultimate journey out of life.

A large portion of the piece is focused on the frame of a delicate doll, seemingly floating or suspended, set against the eye of the main hero. It is possible this doll represents the hero’s human body, while their eye represents their sense of self, both metaphorically and literally. Highly open to interpretation, this is a film that must be watched with an open mind. It may not be conventional cinema, but it is breathtakingly detailed, gorgeously shot and has an hauntingly beautiful tone. A delight for the senses.

 

SUICIDE NOTE, 5min, UK, Fantasy/Thriller
Directed by Marina Waltz

A surrealist meditation on the many self-inflicted deaths of identity we must courageously endure in order to attain a more complete understanding of who we are.

CLICK HERE – and see full info and more pics of the film!

MOVIE REVIEW: REAL ARTISTS (USA, Fantasy/Drama)

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REAL ARTISTS played to rave reviews at the July 2017 FANTASY FEEDBACK Film Festival.

“Winner of BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY at the Festival.”

by Kierston Drier

 A breathtaking leap into speculative fiction, REAL ARTISTS is a profoundly powerful portrayal of humanity, biology and entertainment. Full of rich cinematic details, exceptional casting, brilliant performances and subtle but meaningful writing, this is a piece that demands to be engaged with.

Based on a short story by Ken Liu, a young woman with big dreams in the entertainment world, is summoned to a renowned film-producing giant. Initially excited by the prospect of being head hunted, she soon uncovers a dark secret about the film “factory”.

Intense, riveting and introspective while delivering all the powerful emotional punches of any good film, watching REAL ARTISTS feels like watching a bite-sized version of a dense and thrilling feature. Flawless graphics, engaging stories and powerful twists keep the viewers not wanting to blink of fear of missing a moment.

A gorgeous film to behold. REAL ARTISTS will make you think and make you feel. As the credits rolls, a viewer may find themselves wondering what the future of human creativity it- a brave new world, indeed.

 

REAL ARTISTS, 12min, USA, Fantasy/Drama
Directed by Cameo Wood

Real Artists, a dark tale set in the near future, is based on Ken Liu’s short story of the same name. Sophia just scored every animator’s dream interview at world famous Semaphore Animation Studios. But when the Creative Director, Anne Palladon, reveals that she knows about Sophia’s fan-edit of Semaphore’s hit film Mythos, Sophia sees her dreams begin to slip away.

CLICK HERE – and see full info and more pics of the film!