DC and Warner beat Marvel to the punch by comprising a superhero team made up of some of the most popular bit players from the DC television-verse, ending in a pretty mixed result. Season one of “Legends of Tomorrow” is a scattered and pretty crazy series of episodes that finds a rag tag group of DC’s heroes and villains coming together to stop the evil Vandal Savage. Along with the confusing time paradoxes, the writers and producers seem to be scrambling to also keep up with their long list of team members, conflicts, sub-plots and the like resulting in only a mediocre start from out of the gate. What happens when people like The Flash and Arrow are busy with their own enemies?
Tag Archives: Science Fiction
Atmo HorrorX (2016) [Fantasia International Film Festival]
This review must start with a warning: Even though this reviewer watched this movie attentively, getting any of it was very, very difficult; if not nary impossible, so external information sources had to be sought, mainly from IMDB and the Fantasia program book. That being said, let’s start with its official summary on IMDB: “Through a surreal chase of spying, Catafuse, a dubiously dressed creature, hunts humans with the help of Molosstrap. But in a world ruled by the pharma industry, reality becomes so complex, that the mastering of insanity might just be the only way out.”
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.
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.
Supergirl: The Complete First Season [Blu-Ray/Digital]
The series “Supergirl” is in a tricky dilemma from episode one. It’s been created by a network like CBS in America that doesn’t quite understand it. CBS has never really embraced the superhero boom of the aughts, and “Supergirl” pretty much was walking on egg shells from episode one. It’s a good bit of fortune it’s been ported over to the CW where it can live and breathe among other superhero fare like “The Flash” and “Arrow.” After swearing off Supergirl for many years, I decided to be a good little super fan boy and check out “Supergirl” and I’m glad that I did. It’s a pretty remarkable and loyal adaptation of the DC Comics character that is so much more Superman than Superman has been in the last sixteen years.
Tank 432 (2015) [Fantasia International Film Festival 2016]
A military-trained group wakes up in a forest with no clue how they got there or how to make it out. They venture to a farm where they find dead bodies and live prisoners. Taking the latter with them, they head for a field where they find the titular tank and hole themselves up in it. While looking for a way out of their situation, things go from bad to worse.
Harmony (2015) [Fantasia International Film Festival 2016]
Health and happiness conscious people have found a way to live forever and without despair. In this utopian future, Tuan Kirie is an investigator for the health agency. As she breaks the rules at her outpost position, she is brought back to Japan where a sudden wave of suicides happens as she arrives. Tuan Kirie is dispatched to investigate these and she takes advantage of this to investigate her past as well.