Phoenix, Arizona. A group of kidnap victims are taken in a house like many others. There they are kept captive, beaten, and forced to contact family and friends for their ransom. Part of the group is an expecting couple who are split up as they keep the men and women separately. The father-to-be does everything he can to protect his wife and unborn child.
Category Archives: Movie Reviews
Realive (2016) [Fantasia International Film Festival 2016]
Marc Jarvis has made a good life for himself, a successful career, a house by the beach, great friends, and the love of his life by his side. That is until he is diagnosed with an incurable disease. He decides to live to the fullest and die on his own terms, then get cryogenically frozen until a time when his disease can be cured. When this day comes, he is put back together like some kind of futuristic Frankenstein’s Monster and brought back to life.
Session 9 (2001) [Blu-Ray]
Brad Anderson’s supernatural thriller is perhaps one of the most criminally overlooked genre entries of the early aughts. In a time where most audiences are embracing cinema about the supernatural, “Session 9” deserves another look and so much more praise than ever. Director Anderson doesn’t opt for cheap jump scares and shocks, so much as he does a slow boil and uneasy thriller that culminates in a rather disturbing explosion. Upon first viewing “Session 9” it’s safe to say the climax threw me for a loop and kept me thinking about it for days. “Session 9” feels so much like a real life dramatization of actual events, thanks to director Anderson’s digital photography and tendency to film in one setting for the duration of “Session 9.”
Clown (2016) [Blu-Ray/Digital]
For such a unique premise and concept, it’s surprising how unremarkable “Clown” ends up being, in the end. Despite its best efforts, “Clown” feels like a short film that perhaps should have stayed a short film, as most of its narrative feels spread out to fit a hundred minutes. And I don’t know how they’ll pull off a sequel, if the final scene is any indication. “Clown” probably watches a lot better as a short film, but it breezes through the premise in the first thirty minutes and stops being interesting by the end of the first hour. Kent is an average dad who finds out the clown he had booked for his son’s birthday has cancelled. Anxious to keep his promise of a clown, Kent goes rummaging through his basement and finds a clown suit locked in a mysterious chest.
Agonie (2016) [Fantasia International Film Festival]
A law student starts a fling with another student. A young ex-military trains to become stronger. The law student works out his bedroom kinks with his girl in increasingly violent ways. The ex-military discovers a potential new side to himself that he has difficulty accepting. Both lash out in violent ways, one going to an unexpected extreme. David Clay Diaz creates an almost sober drama with his script writing and direction. The film shows the lives of two early twenties men and how their lives evolve. Both of their stories evolve slowly throughout most of the film until each of their story’s end when things take a turn with acts of violence changing everything for both of them.
Both stories are strong character studies of two very different men. The calm and control of the first, his disconnect from most of society, lead him to being able to do despicable acts without anyone expecting it or knowing why. The second is more volatile but also more involved with others, he has a short temper that leads him to bad decisions and violence, but for him it’s anything but cold, he is more connected to his surroundings, creating a much different character. This dichotomy of types and style is artfully contrasted in how David Clay Diaz represents each of their lives, their surroundings, their families, and the characters themselves.
As both stories are contrasted, each has its lead character. The law student, Christian, is played by Samuel Schneider who plays charming with a very cold side, like a calculated man who knows when to be charming but who gets satisfaction from inflicting pain of increasing intensity. As the film goes by, his shows an increasing to complete disconnect with society, very little bring a reaction out of him. The performance by Schneider reflects this perfectly. Playing the other lead of Alex is Alexander Srtschin bringing a nervous, twitchy energy to his scenes, even the calmer ones to some extent. He shows his characters inner turmoil without saying a word. Both of them show talent and how great casting can make all the difference.
The film’s story is slow and dark, so the cinematography by Julian Krubasik matches this. His framing showcases the grey weather, the coldness of the stories and of life. His style fits the film and its characters, showing everything as it is, no sugar-coating, no adding any hope with happy images.
Agonie is a very cold drama with little emotions from the characters besides various forms of anger and indifference. The little bit of love that is shown is quickly snuffed out. According to the director’s IMDB page, his next movie is one titled Agony to come out in 2016, which sounds a lot like a remake, so see the original first if you can.
Fantasia International Film Festival ran from July 14th until August 3rd, 2016 and will be back in the summer of 2017.
Man Underground (2016) [Fantasia International Film Festival 2016]
A conspiracy theorist living in a small North Eastern town removes himself from society more and more after having a visit from aliens on his government job. As he lives his life as best he can following the loss of his job and of his marriage, he gives talks about aliens to dwindling crowds. After meeting an actress, he decides to make a film about his life with her and his only friend left.
Co-writers/co-directors Sam Marine and Michael Borowiec work very well together, building a film laced with the lead’s paranoia and showing three sides of what he has to deal with: friendly people who want to help; people wanting to use him as s how; and people who have complete condescension for him. They build a world where the audience feels for him while understanding where others come from on how they deal with him. They build a character study of a man who may have lost his mind or not, a man with an absolute conviction in his belief that is unbreakable even if he is. The way they construct the characters and story pulls the viewer in even if alien conspiracy is not their thing like this reviewer.
The cast of course helps a lot. George Basil does a phenomenal job in the part of Willem Koda, the alien conspiracy theory at the center of the film. The way he embodies the character makes him so human and believable. His portrayal makes Willem the town kook that everyone wants to know more about and care about. As the actress Willem takes an interest in, Flossie Ferguson, actress Pamela Fila shows that interest and care, bringing the viewer in further as she becomes their stand-in in his life. The conflict she shows in parts of the film looks genuine like her interest. Rounding out the great lead cast is Andy Rocco as Todd Muckle, Willem’s best and only friend who stands by him no matter what, even when they don’t agree on everything. His performance is also spot-on and creates a character everyone can care for and who is a little goofy but with his heart in the right place.
Man Underground is a carefully planned and made film that makes more than the most of its small budget. From the production design by Amber Cicardo to the art direction she did with costume designer Alexandra Lopez to the music by Zach De Sorbo to the cinematography by Maximilian Lewing, everything looks and sounds like a bigger budget film. It’s a testament to the talent of all involved and to the importance of choosing a great team to work with and stretch your dollars.
Michael Borowiec and Sam Marine craft a great film about a man who wants to be believed, who needs to be believed, a character study of a conspiracy theorist and whose beliefs have affected his life. Their film is touching while giving a glimpse into the life of someone considered crazy without turning it into a satire or a comedy at the expense of this man.
Fantasia International Film Festival ran from July 14th until August 3rd, 2016 and will be back in the summer of 2017.
Suicide Squad (2016)
Viola Davis plays a big muckety-muck named Amanda Waller who works for the government. Much like Bruce Wayne, she saw a lot of the carnage inflicted by Superman and Zod in “Man of Steel,” and now that he’s dead, she wants to ensure there’s never another Superman coming to Earth to cause chaos. So naturally, she goes to Belle Reeve prison to assemble a team of super villains, all of whom have already had their asses handed to them by Batman and The Flash. Her reasoning is that the best way to defeat another potential alien menace is by enlisting a group of super villains on a suicide mission including a man crocodile, boomerang throwing maniac, and a Joker fan girl with an obsession with bats and mallets.