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We're Back! First up, there are SPOILERS throughout the podcast. Only listen if you have seen the final season of Game of Thrones and Godzilla: King of Monsters. In the podcast we share our thoughts on the ending of Game of Thrones. We saw Godzilla: King o...

We’re back guys. First podcast in about 18months. Our podcast home is now at Podbean Podcast so give us a follow. We chat about the ending of Game of Thrones and the creature feature Godzilla: King of the Monsters. We also mention Long Shot, Us and The Secret Life Of Pets 2. Enjoy

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Godzilla: King of the Monsters (2019) – Review

It’s been a long time between reviews, having kids really sucks up your movie watching and writing time, but now I’m feeling the need to get back into it, and what has dragged me back to the ol’ Microsoft Word is Godzilla: King of the Monsters (2019), sequel to Godzilla (2014) and third film in Legendary and WB MonsterVerse franchise.

I love a good monster movie and I was sorely disappointed in 2014 when I didn’t get one. I felt ripped off when most of those moments were shown from a point of view of someone near the action or through a tv, instead of clear framing and shots of the heavy attacks. I go to a monster movie to see big, cool creatures fighting and attacking each other and/or people. Well, it seems I wasn’t the only one with this problem and now I have a Godzilla movie I can love (besides from the original 1954 film).

The world is now aware of these giant monsters, now known as Titans, that use to dominate the Earth. Monarch, the secret scientific organisation, has tracked down seventeen of these Titans, who are mostly in hibernation, and have set up scientific outposts around each one. An environmental extremist, Colonel Alan Jonah (Charles Dance) uses a device made by Dr Emma Russell (Vera Farmiga), a paleobiologist working for Monarch, to awaken the gods and let nature restore order and wipe out the damage humans have done to the Earth. Godzilla needs to keep these Titans in line but Ghidorah has other plans.

Critics are panning the film, with a 39% critical review on Rotten Tomatoes, complaining the movie’s characters are two-dimensional, predictable, lack of character growth, with terrible dialogue and too much dumb, CGI monster fights. Well, I agree with the dialogue comment. There are some very cheesy and predictable lines but other than that, this is exactly what I want in a monster film. The 2014 Godzilla tried to make a more human focused monster movie, but its downfall was after Bryan Cranston’s character was killed off there was no characters that could carry the film, nor ones the audience cared about. Thankfully, Godzilla: King of Monsters does not have that problem, meaning the human character development is not a dominate focus. We get human characters that are there to drive the storyline, are fun and don’t over complicate the plot. Millie Bobby Brown plays Madison, the daughter of Dr Emma Russell, who shows the same awesome girl-power strength we know her for in Stranger Things. She’s the character you barrack for and follow through the journey. Vera Farmiga’s character drives the plot along nicely and I can never complain about her being in a movie. The other lead character is Dr Mark Russell, ex-husband to Emma Russell and Madison’s father, played by Kyle Chandler. I’m fairly certain he does nothing of interest and the movie would go along as normal if he wasn’t there. Sally Hawkins and Ken Watanabe reprise their roles to deliver the exposition to the audience. I love it when Charles Dance turns up in these types of films. The Shakespearean actor, known recently as Tywin Lannister, seems way to classy to be in creature features such as Dracula Untold, the Underworld films and now this Godzilla movie but it is fantastic, and he brings a certain gravitas to the villainous character. Eleven and Tywin are the people worth noting in the film.

That enough of the unimportant human characters. This is Godzilla’s movie. Godzilla gets to face off with some of his classic foes, Rodon, Mothra and King Ghidorah. It’s pretty awesome. The CGI and fight scenes are fun and what’s better is you can see it. Wide shots, close ups, you see it all; unlike 2014. I have a bit to say about these fights, but it would go into spoiler territory. All I will say is I think King Ghidorah should have won. I have a problem with the way Godzilla beat Ghidorah. And that isn’t a spoiler, of course Godzilla will win. It’s his movie! This is what you come to a monster movie for; the dumb, action shots of giant CGI monsters being destructive to each other and the cities around them. Love it!

As they have in all Godzilla films, the environmental agenda is present. Previously, it has been a high concern of the effects of atomic power, and the fallout the radioactivity on our planet. This film extends that to humans being a disease upon the Earth, slowly destroying it to a point of no return. I like the themes. I agree with their statement and I don’t think it goes unnoticed.

I didn’t intend this review to be a comparative between the 2014 and 2019 Godzilla films, but I am just so excited that I now have a Godzilla film to love. Also, stick around till the end of the credits. There is a post credit scene which, I think, is worth staying around for. The next instalment of the MonsterVerse is Godzilla vs. Kong, due in cinemas March 2020 and I cannot wait. Godzilla: King of Monsters earns ★★★★ from me.

Terry

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Ocean’s Eight (2018)

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA. FUN.

Director Gary Ross and screen writer Olivia Milch gives us Debbie Ocean (Sandra Bullock), recently released from prison and already planning the perfect heist (and incidentally, sister of the late Danny Ocean). Together with old friend Lou (Cate Blanchett) she puts begins to put together her team for the job that will set them all up for life.

Let’s be real, something you want from an ensemble heist movie is a shot of the case, impeccably dressed in clothes for getting business done, striding abreast one another to an iconic piece of music. Ocean’s Eight doesn’t deliver that exactly, it delivers a variant on the theme that is much much better than you hoped for. This is the essence of the movie, an all-killer-no-filler caper that delivers the enterprise, twists, banter, and sheer fun that such a thing should deliver, with no recourse to the perfunctory drama and conflict that all too often swamps modern popcorn cinema. Here there are two things- fun and smarts- and that is all, and that is all there should be.

Given that this film hinges on suspense and the manipulation of expectations and so forth, I shan’t be going into much more detail, but I do want to mention one thing about the conception of the thing. Here there we don’t simply have the traditional roles of the heist caper- the scammer, the money, the tech guru- filled by women. Here the film has found distinctly feminine variations on the theme to play with, while still delivering a universally enjoyable experience.

If there is any flaw here, it is that there is not enough of it. It’s a tight film-110 minutes in length- which means there are less of the character moments that make up much of the sheer fun of the thing than there could be. Mindy Kaling is again underutilised as rogue jeweler Amita, I personally could’ve done with more of Sarah Paulson’s suburban housewife fence Tammy and Awkwafina’s street hustling pickpocket Constance, and literally every human on Earth needs more of Rhianna’s hacker nine ball. Of course, it’s entirely possible to dream up a whole slew of additions to the line up, such that it would be Ocean’s Thirty Seven or somesuch.

If there’s a standout performance it’s Anne Hathaway as actress Daphne Kluger, a role that allows her to both draw on and prevail over the garbage that a woman in modern Hollywood endures. Having said that, the most fun performances to watch are those of Bullock and Blanchett, and the searing chemistry between them (that at one point takes place in a well-maintained two-tone 60 series Land Cruiser, cool!), with Helena Bonham Carter’s fully-utilised character acting not far behind. Aditionally, James Corden gets a fun turn as insurance investigator John Frazier, and cameos abound.

That’s enough from me, if you want to watch a fun movie about women and largely made by women you should stop reading this and go see Ocean’s Eight.

Tim

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Solo: A Star Wars Story (2018)

Director Ron Howard gives us the titular rogue (Alden Ehrenreich). From his early life on the streets of Corellia, we follow Captain Han Solo’s adventures as he learns his trade as a stuck up, scruffy looking, nerf herder. Chewie (Joonas Suotamo), Lando (Donald Glover), the Falcon, and some other randos are in there as well. SPOILERS HO.

Solo: A Star Wars story is essentially a competently made fun heist movie. The action is pretty good, the banter is pretty funny, and it’s stuffed with all the references you might expect- some of which don’t grate too much. There’s a great sense of scheme-as-improvisation here, and the film does capture that fundamental sense of running around screaming with little idea of what is actually happening that makes for a good Star War. All in all, it’s a fun time at the movies.

But it’s not much more. If you’re hoping for some understanding of what makes Han Solo tick, there’s little to find here. We are essentially told he is a great pilot-mostly by Han himself- throughout most of the film, and then lo and behold he does some fancy flying. Characters muse briefly on loneliness and the scoundrel’s life, and then move on to the next action sequence. Qi’ra (Emilia Clarke) literally tells the old pirate he’s one of the good guys, and then he saves the day. There are no great surprises here, as the film treads through those aspects of Han’s life (winning the Falcon, meeting Chewie, the Kessel run) that you might expect it to, without revealing anything unexpected about any of it. As such, the film is neither a simple, fun episode from the scum and villainy side of the galaxy, nor a particularly meaningful meditation on the character.

Where the majority of the previous films in the series have followed the Skywalkers, and Rogue One was largely defined as the first movie to something other than that, Solo is the first Star wars movie to feel very much like an Expanded Universe story. There are aliens here we’ve seen before, and most notably, one very confusing cameo that firmly cements Lucasfilm-under-Disney’s commitment to that One Continuous Story. They chose the one character whose presence will leave casual audiences confused and followers of the new canon realising they’re still confused even though they’re across this, but still.

Performances are generally strong, so much so that they are almost worth the price of admission in themselves. Most notably, Donald Glover is pitch-perfect as Lando, aping Billy Dee Williams’ performance while injecting a great deal of his own charm. He is admirably aided by the costume design surrounding the character. Similarly, Ehrenreich is fantastic as Solo, capturing the charm of Ford’s original performance while refraining from the urge to inject it with any sense of cool. Chewie is handled really well, although whether this is due to Suotamo’s performance or the sound design or the cinematography or what is difficult to clarify; it’s likely down to a bunch of stuff. Paul Bettany gets a turn as sinister space gangster Dryden Vos; you can find this kind of character elsewhere but Bettany makes a terrific go of it and is consistently truly frightening. Woody Harrelson is a space gangster with a bad combover, which is much better than it sounds.

Emilia Clarke does fairly well as street-rat-turned-unwilling-gangster Qi’ra, despite some pretty clunky material to work with, alternately explaining things and feeling bad about men. Indeed, the film serves it’s female characters quite badly, with Thandie Newton’s great turn as Val cut short, and Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s L3-37- a droid who wants to fight for the rights of her kind, which is surely a fascinating thing to explore in the galaxy far, far away- reduced to punchlines and then killed for the sake of some notional character development and another reference. Oddly enough it’s possible for some sequel to making something of Qi-ra’s position at the end of the film, along with the cool helmeted Enfys Nest, although I suspect such a thing will be left for one of the book publishers to take up. It’s entirely possible that the state of things here is a result of Howard’s need to salvage a watchable movie from Lord and Miller’s work in time for the scheduled release date, but regardless this film should do better than it does in 2018.

Should you actually see it? Well it’s a fun Star Wars movie with some good performances, so it should be good for a cheap Tuesday viewing.

Tim

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Reviews - A Quiet Place, Rampage, Avengers: Infinity War, Early Man

It has been a while since I have done a film review, so instead of doing full reviews, here are some shorter reviews on a few films I have seen recently. This is a safe zone. All thoughts are spoiler-free.

A Quiet Place (2018)

A Quiet Place is a smart, tense horror film about a family who are just trying to survive after blind, alien creatures have taken over the Earth. They may not be able to see you, but they have superb hearing, which will attract them instantly and kill you mercilessly.

First of all, if you are anti-subtitles then skip this film. I would say 98% of the film is silent, the characters communicating through American Sign Language. This works for the plot of the film, it eliminates the use of verbal speech, and the family are fluent because one of the members is deaf. But please don’t be anti-subtitles, it is an amazing film. It has some great thriller/horror elements, the cast is great, including the children, and the premise and vision of doing a more-or-less silent film makes it unique and interesting. The film shot is a little cheesy, but I can forgive that. See it. ★★★★

Rampage (2018)

Rampage is a monster action film based on the video games, where giant animals destroy cities. Three animals, a wolf, an alligator and an albino silver-back gorilla named George are all infected by a mutagen causing extreme growth and enhanced aggression. Primatologist Davis Okoye, played by Dwayne Johnson, must save his friend George and stop the other creatures before they destroy the world.

We’re lucky that the Rock is so damn charismatic and personable, otherwise this would have flopped big time, and some may argue that it has. However, if you are looking for some ‘turn your brain off’ popcorn fun, then here it is. I found it was a little slow to get going but once the creatures get bigger so does pace. The creatures are fierce and have a talent for causing city-wide destruction, which is all I really need out of my giant monsters. The real star is Jeffrey Dean Morgan’s cowboy federal agent character. He knows what type of movie they are making and acts accordingly. Jake Lacy does not know what type of film he is in as he overacts the villain’s dimwit brother to the point that he is a caricature of Bebop and/or Rocksteady. The rock does his usual muscles and charm thing so there isn’t really anything to talk about there. If B-grade monster movies are your jam than definitely check out Rampage. ★★★

Avengers: Infinity War (2018)

After 10 years of foreplay we finally get to the main event, and what a climax it was! Thanos finally gets out of his space chair to chase the Infinity Stones himself, which makes the Avengers and the Guardians of the Galaxy do a fair bit of hard work. It was always going to be hard to bring all these characters that we’ve been introduced to in the previous 18 films together and make a movie that gels them cohesively. Well, the Russo Brothers (i.e. the directors) did it. All the characters get their time to shine, there is a great, dramatic story being told with enough levity from the characters to keep it fun. Thanos is really fantastic and the best villain we have seen from Marvel. Infinity War is easily in my top three MCU films. You probably have already seen it but see it again. It’s worth it. ★★★★½

Early Man (2018)

From the studio that bought me my favourite sheep film (Shaun the Sheep) and the highest grossing stop-motion animation (Chicken Run), brings you the birth of soccer, eh I mean football. After a small tribe of cavemen are forced out of their valley by a sinister overlord of the Bronze age, their only hope to return to their home is the battle it out on the football field. I wouldn’t say this is the best Aardman has produced but it is still some great, family fun. There is plenty of slapstick for the kids, witty dialogue for the parents and the most popular sport in the world. Sounds like a winner to me. Best line of dialogue: “Of course I’m not alright. I just got massaged by a pig!” See it. ★★★

Terry.

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A Wrinkle in Time (2018)

Meg (Storm Reid) is reeling after the disappearance of her father (Chris Pine), an astrophysicist who claimed to be able to travel the universe using only the power of his mind. When her precocious brother Charles Wallace (Deric McCabe) turns out to have befriended three omnipotent beings- Mrs Whatsit (Reese Witherspoon), Mrs Who (Mindy Kaling), and Mrs Which (Oprah Winfrey)- who claim that Meg’s father is alive and in need of rescuing, Meg, Charles Wallace, and inconsequential dweeb Calvin (Levi Miller) are thrust across the universe. SPOLIERS BELOW PROBABLY.

Did you want to like Ava DuVernay’s A Wrinkle in Time? I certainly did. Unfortunately, it’s a bit of a mess. The structure is warped, with an extremely long second act mostly devoted to giving the three Mrssesses screen time, and a rushed third act into which most of the actually kids’ adventure is crammed. The majority of the run time is thus spent waiting for something to happen, that is then over all too soon.

What substance does come across is inconsistent. Ont eh one hand there is an extremely sincere and earnest story of family as bound by love-not-blood, and should it have been given a proper introduction the climax would’ve been shattering. However, there’s also a good chunk of the missusses simply telling Meg why she’s good and important, when we could instead be seeing why Meg thinks otherwise and also why she is wrong. Granted it is entirely possible that the source material has simply dated, likely due to being aped by a hundred things we’ve seen instead, and that these elements may well work for the target audiences where they don’t for a cranky old engineer.

Cinematography is odd, with a massive surplus of extreme closeups. Admittedly this makes a change from the usual meaningless vistas that can pad an epic out, but there is little reason to familiarise the audience with Deric McCabe’s teeth to the extent seen here. Think of it this way, if you see a movie in which Oprah plays a twenty foot tall disco witch, wouldn’t you rather see that in all it’s glory than Levi Miller failing to react to things? What design we do get to see is pretty fun.

The cast is also inconsistent. Storm Reid and Deric McCabe are great, although the sheer precociousness of McCabe’s Charles Wallace is likely to grate. The three Missessesses are hit-and-miss, with none of them really having much to work with; Kaling is particularly ill-served, and Oprah cannot deliver the required gravitas that of which she is surely capable. Levi Miller gives a bland performance as a completely unnecessary character. Michael Pena again confirms that he is fantastic whenever he is required to wear glasses.

Ultimately A Wrinkle in Time does not reach it’s potential. It may well improve upon repeat viewing, when it’s failings are known and it’s detail can be examined. It’s likely worth seeing if you’re interested in any of the cast or crew, or enjoy the novel. But you don’t need to rush out and see it.

Tim

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Spielberg Reviewed #32 – Ready Player One (2018)

Steven Spielberg is one of my favourite filmmakers of all time. He directed my top two favourite films, Jurassic Park and Jaws. After recently reviewing his entire portfolio of directed films, I realised that I had only seen a small portion of them. So in order to truly realise if his stories, style and direction are in fact my favourite, I need to watch his entire catalogue, starting with his 1971 film directorial debut Duel through to his latest works.

Ready Player One is a sci-fi adventure film based on the novel by Ernest Cline. The film is set in 2045 where humanity escape the desolate real world into the virtual reality of the OASIS. The OASIS was created by James Halliday (Mark Rylance) who upon his death released a video starting a world-wide competition. Halliday hid three keys inside the OASIS which unlocks a secret easter egg. The first person to find all three keys and the egg will inherit Halliday’s entire fortune and control over the OASIS. Wade Watts (Tye Sheridan), a teenager from the poor part of town called the Stacks, and his online friends are in a race against a malevolent corporation determined to have the OASIS for themselves for profitable reasons.

Ready Player One is an epic adventure of wits, skill, and courage. It’s an underdog story, showing time, effort, study and faith in one’s own skill, irrelevant of having the latest tech or endless money and resources, can prevail. This is perfect Spielberg material. It has the adventure of Raiders of the Lost Ark, the technology of Minority Report, the naïve child-like power of E.T. and the dinosaur of Jurassic Park (literally). The journey is exciting and gripping with enough romance to get the ol’ feels working. As always, it isn’t exactly the same as the book. The challenges are different, and some roles have been slimed down and changed but thems the breaks when you are working to a two-hour time limit. I really had a great time watching it unfold.

Tye Sheridan does a fine job portraying Wade Watts, aka Parzival. I’m ambivalent towards him. I don’t like him in the role, but I have no reason to dislike him either. Olivia Cooke is the one to watch. She was very charming in her role as Samantha Cook, aka Art3mis. Every time she was one screen, she stole the show.

As head of the IOI, Innovative Online Industries, Ben Mendelsohn is superb as the diabolical Nolan Sorrento. Even though his character will stop at nothing to win Halliday’s easter egg, he still has room for growth, even if it is evil growth. I have similar feelings towards Mark Rylance as James Halliday as I do with Tye Sheridan. I wouldn’t have picked him for the role and I am not keen on his portrayal but for no obvious reasons. It just doesn’t sit right with me.

The novel is a love letter to 1980’s pop culture which makes Steven Spielberg the perfect choice to direct the film as he had a large role in shaping the culture that the characters in the book so enthusiastically want to emulate. However, the film states to be a love letter to the 1980s but works its magic from the 1970s to the present, mainly I think to broaden their frame of references and also the issues the production had with licencing as some of the rights holders denied use of their characters. Similar to Who Framed Roger Rabbit, there is a lot of fun to see all of your favourite characters come together in one movie and interact with each other. The Chucky scene was particularly fun for me and I’m sure there is something there for you.

The effects that bring all these characters together are top-notch. Nothing looks substandard and it all blends in nicely together.

The score is classic 80s adventure in its design. The frequent Robert Zemeckis collaborator, Alan Silvestri, scored Ready Player One. You would recognise a lot of his music from 80’s films such as Back to the Future, Predator, Overboard and the Abyss, which makes him perfectly qualified to write the music for Spielberg’s homage to the specified timeframe.

Ready Player One is very enjoyable and a great addition to Spielberg’s resume. It’s very fun and a great time spent watching it. It’ll definitely be one I’ll be watching again and often. ★★★★

Special Bonus Content – Spielberg Ranked. I will be ranking Spielberg’s films (thanks to Letterboxd.com for all your film diary needs), not necessarily by which are better films but only on my personal enjoyment and preference of the films.

Ready Player One made it into the top half of my list. There are much better films than this, but you cannot deny it’s entertainment value.

Click here to view all issues of Spielberg Reviewed. The next instalment of Spielberg Reviewed will be possibly a remake of West Side Story. We’ll have to wait and see.

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Upcoming Flicks April 2018

Here are the cinema listings for April in Australia.

April 5

· A Quiet Place

The world has been taken over by creatures that hunt by sound. In order to survive, the family must live their life in silence. Genre: Horror Director: John Krasinski Stars: John Krasinski, Emily Blunt, Noah Jupe, Millicent Simmonds, Cade Woodward Recommendation: The trailer looks good. It has a cool story with some awesome tension. I’ll certainly be seeing this one.

· Walking Out

A father and his estranged son journey to Montana for a big game hunt. As they struggle to connect, their time together gets even grimmer after the father is several wounded by a bear. Genre: Drama/Thriller Director: Alex Smith, Andrew J. Smith Stars: Matt Bomer, Josh Wiggins, Bill Pullman, Alex Neustaedter, Lily Gladstone Recommendation: I’m not sure about this one. It seems like a generic survival film, but it was selected as a nominee for the Grand Jury Prize at the 2017 Sundance Film Festival, so it must have something special to it. 50/50 chance.

April 12

· Isle of Dogs

A young boy sets off on a journey to find this dog. Genre: Animation Director: Wes Anderson Stars: Bryan Cranston, Bill Murray, Jeff Goldblum, Edward Norton, Bob Balaban, F. Murray Abraham, Tilda Swinton, Scarlett Johansson, Harvey Keitel, Greta Gerwig, Frances McDormand, Liev Schreiber, Yoko Ono Recommendation: I am mixed on this. On one hand I love stop-motion animation and the cast that is attached, but I don’t have any love for Wes Anderson. I think that maybe they are too quirky for me. I think I’ll give it a go mainly because I love stop-motion and dogs.

· Rampage

Based on the 1980’s video game, Rampage is about a primatologist Davis Okoye and his silverback gorilla George, who he has cared for since birth. But after a genetic experiment mutates George, increasing his size and aggression, the pair must save the city from other animals that were also infected by the experiment. Genre: Action/Adventure Director: Brad Payton Stars: Dwayne Johnson, Naomie Harris, Joe Manganiello Recommendation: See it. It’ll be stupid popcorn fun. Enjoy it for what it is and don’t over think it.

· The Party

Janet has a small party celebrating her promotion to Shadow Minister for Health with seven friends, but her party gets a side-tracked after her husband makes a shocking announcement. Genre: Comedy Director: Sally Potter Stars: Patricia Clarkson, Bruno Ganz, Emily Mortimer, Cherry Jones, Cillian Murphy, Kristin Scott Thomas and Timothy Spall. Recommendation: See it. British, black comedies are gold for me, and I love to watch Emily Mortimer in anything she does.

· Truth or Dare

Play Truth or Dare. Do it or die. In a similar vein to It Follows, a guy passes on the death game to a new group of people by playing truth or dare, however if the person lies or refuses the dare, they die. Genre: Horror Director: Jeff Wadlow Stars: Tyler Posey, Lucy Hale, Aurora Perrineau, Nolan Gerard Funk Recommendation: See it. It looks like a very fun, creepy horror film with some very potentially creative deaths.

April 19

· I Feel Pretty

After Renee sustains a head injury in an accident while trying to lose weight and be a slim, hot chick, she thinks she is an absolute stunner, giving her the confidence she never had before. Genre: Comedy Director: Abby Kohn, Marc Silverstein Stars: Amy Schumer, Michelle Williams Recommendation: I cannot recommend this. I don’t find Amy Schumer funny at all and this just seems like Shallow Hal for the selfie generation, and surprisingly I don’t like Shallow Hal either.

· Super Troopers 2

The troopers are dealing with a US/Canada border dispute. Genre: Comedy Director: Jay Chandrasekhar Stars: Jay Chandrasekhar, Kevin Heffernan, Steve Lemme, Erik Stolhanske, Paul Soter, Emmanuelle Chriqui, Rob Lowe, Brian Cox, Will Sasso Recommendation: It’s the long-awaited sequel, just not by me. I couldn’t even crack a smile in the trailer.

· The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society

Based on the novel by the same name, journalists Juliet Ashton is contacted by a book club that was formed during their occupation in WWII. She is intrigued by their story and decides to meet them and write about their experiences. Genre: Drama/Romance/Historical Director: Mike Newell Stars: Lily James, Jessica Brown Findlay, Matthew Goode, Michiel Huisman, Katherine Parkinson, Glen Powell, Tom Courtenay, Kit Connor Recommendation: This is going to be a movie that will charm the socks off you. See it.

· The Little Vampire

Rudolph is a 13-year-old vampire who enlists the help of a mortal boy to save his clan from vampire hunters. Genre: Animated Director: Richard Claus Stars: Jim Carter, Rasmus Hardiker, Alice Krige Recommendation: Despite the fact the vampire boy looks exactly like my Xbox avatar and there are vampire cows, I cannot bring myself to like it. However, I am slightly older than the targeted demographic which will surely lap up kid-friendly horror element.

April 25

· Avengers: Infinity War

Marvel has been building to this for 10 years and eighteen films. Avengers: Infinity War brings all our heroes together in one film, to battle it out with the biggest, baddest villain of them all, Thanos. Genre: Action/Adventure Director: Anthony Russo, Joe Russo Stars: Chris Evans, Chris Hemsworth, Chris Pratt, Mark Ruffalo, Scarlett Johansson, Elizabeth Olsen, Zoe Saldana, Tom Holland, Bradley Cooper, Paul Rudd, Jeremy Renner, Vin Diesel, Dave Bautista, Josh Brolin, Peter Dinklage, Brie Larson, Samuel L. Jackson, Benedict Cumberbatch Recommendation: If you have been following these films, you cannot miss it.

· Last Flag Flying

Doc Shepard calls up his old war buddies to help drive his dead son, who died in Iraq, across the country to be buried in his home town. Genre: Drama/Comedy Director: Richard Linklater Stars: Bryan Cranston, Steve Carell, Laurence Fishburne Recommendation: Linklater has this skill of portraying a heavy drama but adding just enough comedy that it imitates real life. Great director, great cast, there is nothing to do except see it.

· Unsane

Sawyer Valentini is involuntarily committed to a mental institution where she still continues to see her stalker. Is it real or a delusion? Genre: Horror/Thriller Director: Steven Soderbergh Stars: Claire Foy, Joshua Leonard, Jay Pharoah Recommendation: I like it. It’s dark. There’s intrigue but somehow I have the feeling we aren’t going to get a definitive answer whether she is delusional or not.

My picks for the month are Avengers: Infinity War and A Quiet Place, but I am sure there will be a lot of love for Isle of Dogs and I am excited for Rampage for some dumb fun.

-Terry

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Pacific Rim: Uprising (2018)

Help me save the world.

Following up the best movie of 2013, director Steven S DeKnight gives us Jake Pentecost (John Boyega), son of the late Stacker Pentecost and Jaeger pilot washout. When Jake’s scavenging leads him to Amara Namani (Cailee Spaeny) and her homebuilt Jaeger Scrapper, the pair- along with a ragtag crew of new recruits- are thrust into the Jaeger program proper, just as the world is threatened once again. SPOILERS BELOW PROBABLY, WHAT EVEN IS A SPOILER I ASK YOU.

As a functioning human being, I was delighted by 2013′s Pacific Rim, a film that used the medium of giant robots vs giant monsters to tell a story about human connection in the face of great adversity. I was however skeptical of it’s successor, owing abscence of much of the creative team of the first film (most of the cast are nowhere to be seen, and Guillermo del Toro, Travis Beecham, and Ramin Djwadi are somewhere else as well), and the self-seriousness of the early promotional material, which showed little promise of continuance of the approach that made the first film so unique.

Rest assured then, that Pacific Rim: Uprising is not the ‘big dumb action movie’ it may be described as. Starting with great cinematic catnip- a teen girl inventor who has built her own robot (something I have needed since it was first promised me), paired with a lovable rogue- the film trucks along, filling us in on events since the rift was closed and establishing the stakes here. It’s great triumph is the avoidance of dramatic traps that might slow the narrative down. Jake’s relationship with adoptive sister Mako Mori (Rinko Kikuchi), which might be milked for conflict, is instead shown to be perfectly functional, and indeed Boyega and Kikuchi do a fantastic job of establishing the history between their characters in very few scenes. Similarly, while Jake has an adversarial relationship with fellow Jaeger pilot Nate Lambert (Scott Eastwood), any fights that might result are forgone in favour of simply addressing the greater concern of the GIANT MONSTERS that need to be dealt with. There is a great sidestepping of convention that works to provide a more energetic and constructive film than otherwise.

The world building is again great, fleshing out the post-Kaiju world at large without intruding on the story proper. We again get a fun slection of supporting characters, although this time they get far more to do, with Burn Gorman’s Hermann Gottleib and Charlie Day’s Newt Geiszler getting far more to do than simple cameo, and the various Jaeger cadets getting far more screen time than their counterparts in the previous film (I’m pretty sure that cadet Viktoria (Ivanna Sakhno) is the daughter of Cherno Alpha pilots Sasha and Alexi).

There are a few niggles. The intensely efficient editing allows room for a long drawn out climax, and drawn out it is. A lot happens here, and it’s far too interminable to enjoy for what it is- Jaeger glamour shots not withstanding. The presence and role of Chinese industry in the film is not subtle, although it does give us more Tian Jing (whom you may remember from The Great Wall) which is pretty fun.

Most significantly, little time is spent on the significance of the Drift. For all the effort spent on the interpersonal revelation required to achieve it in the first film, all we see here is a little of Amara’s past and some fleeting montages, and then all is overcome. Whether this is an ignorance of how the first film worked or a willingness to trust that film’s work to imply what is happening here will likely be subjective.

Performances are pretty great, with Boyega being incredibly charming, Cailee Spaeny incredibly earnest, and Scott Eastwood incredibly well cast.

Pacific Rim was not a big dumb action movie, and Pacific Rim: Uprising is not a big dumb action sequel. It knows the heart of the first film and evokes and extends it while mirroring it’s charms and sense of fun. See it.

Tim

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Jon Favreau Wars

You may be aware that Lucasfilm have announced that Jon Favreau is set write and produce a live-action Star Wars series. The variety of reactions have been limited; some people like Jon Favreau’s previous work and see this as good news, some people see the appointment of another straight white man as creative head of a Star Wars property- announced on International Women’s Day no less- as an indictment of the Disney corporations ability and willingness to find new voices to tell the story of the galaxy, and some of us are still trying to figure out why the academy and the world at large completely ignored Detroit this year.

But to concern oneself with the suitability or otherwise of Favreau’s appointment is to miss an important point regarding the new series, which is that we’ve really know idea what it might be about. Should you wish- as I certainly do- to speculate on it’s content, you have little recourse but to examine the entrails of Favreau’s previous works, such as those Iron Man films, and that run on Friends. This will not be conclusive, nor illuminating, nor satisfying.

What would be better then, would be an announcement that gives us some idea of what this new show might be about, rather than rely on what ever cache Favreau’s name brings to proceedings. And while it is true that little about the show is determined yet, and that there is therefore little to announce, note that the announcement that Rian Johnson’s new trilogy will “introduce new characters from a corner of the galaxy that Star Wars lore has never before explored”. That tells us very little, but is nonetheless enough to set the speculation machine in motion.

What would also be better, would be some idea of who else will be working on the show. There is currently a convention of understanding television as the product of a singular showrunner, much as we understand literature to be the product of the author and film to be the product of the director. That’s not how TV works, which is made apparent by the fact that nobody is ever actually credited as ‘showrunner’. Production and even ‘created by’ credits yes, but the notion of a showrunner has been constructed out of the process in order to provide a figurehead for the shows we like. The problem here is that all art- and TV more than most- is a collaborative product, and to focus on a single supposed creator is to erase the myriad of others who bring it to the screen. There are going to be thousands of people making this show- many of them women and people of colour and LGBT people- who’s efforts will be subsumed as the work of whatever name gets most attached to it.

There’s going to be a Star Wars TV show and that’s good, but until I for one know what it might be about I shan’t be getting excited, and I look forward to finding out what other names might be in the credits.

Tim

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Winchester (2018) - Review

As far as haunted houses go, the Winchester Mansion in San Jose is one of the most infamous. After Sarah Winchester’s husband died in 1881 she inherited over $20 million and 50% of the Winchester Repeating Arms Company. She moved from New Haven to San Jose for a fresh start after a psychic told her she needs to continuously build a mansion for herself and also the spirits of those killed by the Winchester rifle. From 1884 till her death in 1922 construction was around the clock and all the rooms were designed by Sarah Winchester herself causing an inept labyrinth of a tenement, purposely to confuse the spirits.

The film Winchester takes all this history and displays it in detail. The atmosphere of the house and the Sarah Winchester character are the real winners of the film. Helen Mirren portrays the superstitious heiress with grace, dignity and a sharp mind, qualities that are not usually associated with people who are open in their belief and going to extreme lengths to control the paranormal. I’m glad they chose to take her character this way instead of the crazy lady rattling around in her mansion talking to the walls.

The story woven through this great history is slow and predictable. Jason Clarke’s Dr Eric Price is the character that takes us through the main plot. Price does have an interesting back story that leads him to the house and his rapport with Mrs. Winchester is delightful but ultimately, he’s character is a little dull, and consequently so is the plot.

As a horror film, I enjoyed the few jump scares but there was very little tension created and not enough creepy atmosphere that should seep into every scene of a haunted house film. If anything, it feels it was made thirty years ago; just a very dated horror film.

Overall, it’s alright. I think I’m on the side of liking it, but only just. The history of the house is what makes it and Helen Mirren of course. If you are curious about seeing it, then by all means do so but there is no rush for it. You aren’t missing out on much.

Terry.

P.s. I love that poster!

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Upcoming Flicks March 2018

Australian cinema listings for March 2018.

March 1

· Red Sparrow

Dominika Egorova is recruited into Sparrow School, a secret intelligence agency, after an injury ends her career as a ballerina. The harsh and sadistic training regime turns the prima into their deadliest Sparrow. Genre: Thriller Director: Francis Lawrence Stars: Jennifer Lawrence, Joel Edgerton, Jeremy Irons Recommendation: See it. It looks superb.

· Samson

The Old Testament of Samson, a man empowered with superhuman strength by God, and the betrayal that occurs by his wife Delilah. Genre: Drama Director: Bruce Macdonald, Gabriel Sabloff Stars: Jackson Rathbone, Billy Zane, Taylor James Recommendation: Personally, I like religious stories when they are the big spectacle and more for the entertainment rather than the religion, but some stories do peak my interest, and this is one of them.

March 8

· 12 Strong

After 9/11, twelve U.S. Special Forces soldiers go to Afghanistan to convince Northern Alliance General Dostum to join forces with them to fight the Taliban and their Al Qaeda allies. Genre: Historical War Drama Director: Nicolai Fuglsig Stars: Chris Hemsworth, Michael Shannon, Michael Peña, Elsa Pataky Recommendation: It sounds like an interesting story, but it has not been well received. 50/50

· The Mercy

In 1968 amateur sailor Donald Crowhurst attempted to circumnavigate the world. This is the story of the struggles of his solo trek and the family he left at home to follow the horizon. Genre: Drama Director: James Marsh Stars: Colin Firth, Rachel Weisz, David Thewlis Recommendation: These small dramas always have big heart and I love to watch someone take risks to follow their dreams, even if it doesn’t work out for the best.

· Death Wish

Death Wish is a remake of the 1974 Charles Bronson film. After Paul Kersey’s wife was murdered and the police we unable to bring the murderers to justice, Kersey takes the law into his own hands and becomes a vigilante of Chicago. Genre: Action/Thriller Director: Eli Roth Stars: Bruce Willis, Vincent D'Onofrio Recommendation: Without having seen the original film, or its numerous sequels, this seems to be a very standard Bruce Willis action film, and they are always a good way to kill a couple of hours.

March 15

· Tomb Raider

Based on the video games, Lara Croft tracks attempts to track her father’s final destination in hopes of solving his disappearance, leading her on an adventure with unknown dangers. Genre: Action/Adventure Director: Roar Uthaug Stars: Alicia Vikander, Walton Goggins, Dominic West, Daniel Wu Recommendation: I love global adventure films. I really like the trailers for this, even if Lara does do 1000 jumps where she only just grabs onto the other side by the tips of her fingernails. I wonder if it’ll be successful enough to reboot the franchise or will it just fizzle away like so many others?

March 22

· Pacific Rim: Uprising

Set 10 years after the first film, the Jaeger is the most powerful defence program in history and is still currently used against the Kaiju that continue to breach through our oceans. Genre: Action/Adventure Director: Steven S. DeKnight Stars: John Boyega, Scott Eastwood, Cailee Spaeny, Rinko Kikuchi, Tian Jing, Charlie Day Recommendation: I was a fan of the first one, and it was lucky that a Chinese cinema chain bought Legendary Pictures, or we may not have the sequel. The first one did very well in the Asian market but not great in the U.S… but here we are, and I’ll be seeing it.

· Mary Magdalene

Constricted by the hierarchies of the day, Mary defies her traditional family to join a new social movement led by the charismatic Jesus of Nazareth. She soon finds a place within the movement and at the heart of a journey that will lead to Jerusalem. Genre: Drama Director: Garth Davis Stars: Rooney Mara, Joaquin Phoenix, Chiwetel Ejiofor Recommendation: Well, you can have yourself a biblical double feature. After seeing Samson, you can go see the film of the other Mary. What a cast! Joaquin Phoenix as Jesus! One must wonder how did the method actor prepared for that role? Again, I find religious stories interesting, so I am curious what they have done with it.

· Peter Rabbit

If you are familiar Peter Rabbit than you are aware he has an ongoing feud with a local farmer, Mr. McGregor. This escalates to greater heights as they fight for the affections of the warm-hearted animal lover who lives next door. Genre: Animated/Family Director: Will Gluck Stars: James Corden, Domhnall Gleeson, Rose Byrne, Sam Neill, Daisy Ridley, Margot Robbie, and Elizabeth Debicki. Recommendation: I may cop some hate for this, but I am not a fan of Peter Rabbit. He is a bully, he teases, he steals and thinks he has the right to take anything. I don’t think he is a good role model for young children by any means. And I haven’t even seen the movie that is now being criticised for Peter being an allergy bully. I am sure it is a very fun, family friendly film, but I cannot get onboard with it.

March 29

· Ready Player One

Based on Ernest Cline’s novel, Ready Player One is set in a not too distant, dystopian future where the world connects through the virtual space called the OASIS, designed by James Halliday. Halliday’s will reveal that he has hidden three easter eggs in the OASIS and the one who finds all three will inherit Halliday’s entire fortune and ownership of the OASIS. Genre: Sci-Fi/Fantasy Director: Steven Spielberg Stars: Tye Sheridan, Olivia Cooke, Ben Mendelsohn, T. J. Miller, Simon Pegg, Mark Rylance Recommendation: See it. The book is fantastic. There are numerous Spielberg references built into the grandeur of 80s/90s pop culture references and I cannot wait to see how my favourite director brings that to screen.

· A Wrinkle in Time

Disney’s A Wrinkle in Time is based on the 1962 by Madeleine L'Engle. After her father goes missing on a distant planet, Meg Murry, starts a search for him with the help of three astral travellers. Genre: Sci-Fi/Fantasy Director: Ava DuVernay Stars: Oprah Winfrey, Reese Witherspoon, Mindy Kaling, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Michael Peña, Storm Reid, Zach Galifianakis, Chris Pine Recommendation: See it, and take the kids. This looks like a magical experience with some awe-inspiring effects with genuine heart.

· Blockers

Three parents stumble upon their three daughters’ emoji txts and decipher that they have all made a pact to lose their virginity on prom night. The parents are out to cock block them. Genre: Comedy Director: Kay Cannon Stars: Leslie Mann, Ike Barinholtz, John Cena, Kathryn Newton, Graham Phillips, June Diane Raphael, Hannibal Buress, Sarayu Blue Recommendation: I was very surprised when I found myself cracking up at the red band trailer. It was so funny, and I am not usually a fan of recent American comedies. See it.

· Early Man

Early Man is a stop-motion animated adventure from Aardman Animations (Wallace & Gromit, Flushed Away, Shaun the Sheep). Early Man tells the story of Dug who must defend his tribe against a tyrant of the Bronze Age, Lord Nooth. Genre: Animated Director: Nick Park Stars: Eddie Redmayne, Maisie Williams, Timothy Spall, Tom Hiddleston Recommendation: See it. Aardman have a successful history with the latest, Shaun the Sheep, being hilarious with so much love and heart. Their themes run deep and thorough throughout the film and I wouldn’t expect anything less than from Early Man.

· Love, Simon

Based on the novel Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli, Love, Simon we follow a normal high school student that tries to fit in but has a secret he cannot bring himself to face. Simon is gay and there is someone at the school that is blackmailing him. Genre: Drama Director: Greg Berlanti Stars: Nick Robinson, Josh Duhamel, Jennifer Garner Recommendation: It looks good. Simon seems to be a sympathetic character. I’m not expecting great things from the film, but just an enjoyable mid-range film.

· Paul, Apostle of Christ

Held under Roman imprisonment during his final days, Paul shares the events that led him there. Genre: Drama Director: Andrew Hyatt Stars: James Faulkner, Jim Caviezel, Joanne Whalley Recommendation: Well, now you can make it a triple religious feature. This one is clearly just promoting Christianity for Christians. I think I’ll just stick with Samson and Mary this month. Paul, I’m not overly interested in what you’re selling.

· Sherlock Gnomes

Sherlock Gnomes is asked to help Gnomeo and Juliet find some lawn ornaments that have disappeared. Genre: Animated Director: John Stevenson Stars: James McAvoy, Emily Blunt, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Mary J. Blige, Johnny Depp Recommendation: I like the cast, but I just don’t find it funny or entertaining, so I’ll say gnome way Jose.

That’s March all wrapped up. My picks for the month are Ready Player One, Red Sparrow and Early Man. Get to the cinema and check out some flicks.

-Terry

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Movies I want to Watch #9: What if Black Panther was Revolutionary?

Black Panther has some great elements. Performances are captivating; Daniel Kaluuya conveys multitudes while merely standing still, and Danai Gurira gives us the most earnestly applaudable character to grace the wider franchise in a long, long time. The design is outstanding, and the music- when it doesn’t default into generic superhero movie histrionics- is compelling.

But, this is an MCU movie, and narratively it does that which so many MCU movies have done before. There is a villain who mirrors the hero, and who must be fought in some epic climax. When the credits role the world should look substantially as it does when the lights go down, lest the larger franchise be written into a corner. What if it were otherwise?

Black Panther repeats many of the sins of it’s forebears. While all superhero stories are to some extent authoritarian by nature, this one is about a literal superking, who resolves a constitutional crisis by murdering a few of his subjects. His moral authority is subverted by the fact that his foe kind of has a point: The riches of Wakanda could very well save the downtrodden, and the isolationism of the country leaves many to rot. Granted, Michael B Jordan’s ‘Killmonger’ advocates arming all black people so that they may end their oppression through murder, and Lupita Nyong’o’s Nakia advocates a less violent version of the same ethos. And so T’Challa is justified in fighting a self-styled Killmonger- and thus giving us that all-important action climax- before implementing his ex-girlfriend’s variation on his foe’s plan.

What if, instead of the above, The Black Panther sought compromise with Erik Killmonger (wait, is his name really literally Killmonger? Geez, comics)? Erik *insert plausible name here* is after all a legitimate head of government to some extent. We know why he has chosen the methods he has, and so a good king- which is what T’Challa aspires to be- should have all the information necessary to reason with him. What if Black Panther ended not with the same fighting and collateral damage we are so tired of, but with the talking down of a soul-hurt man from his position of resolute violence? What if T’Challa (with ample help from the amazing women that surround him) withdrew his claim on the throne, in exchange for King Erik’s decision to implement a less vicious version of his plan? And if you want your action climax, there’s ample scope for a sneaking-into-the-castle caper in that.

Black Panther does a lot of things very very well, but it could be great if it did things a little differently.

Tim

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Black Panther (2018) - Review

Black Panther is the eighteenth film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe franchise. After the events of Captain America: Civil War T’Challa returns to his home where he is ceremonially proclaimed King of Wakanda, after his father’s death at the bombing of the United Nations summit but his reign is challenged by a foe of equal merit but with more extremist views.

Black Panther is a very good movie. T’Challa, played by Chadwick Boseman, is a character of strong, decent morals who is brave and fights for what is right. He is a character who you would willingly follow into battle. The supporting characters are very likeable, especially T’Challa’s sister Shuri (Letitia Wright) who is the Black Panther’s Q, updating his suits with her latest vibranium technology. Lupita Nyong'o as Nakia, T’Challa’s lover and wardog (spy), brings a soft, romantic aspect to the film and our hero’s character. We see several very strong female characters, including his fierce and caring mother (Angela Bassett), throughout the film, with different, individual strengths that all support T’Challa. It is balanced very well as these supporting characters bring out a well-rounded hero; warrior, family man, leader.

Michael B Jorden plays the antagonist, Eric ‘Killmonger’ Stevens. Raised in Los Angeles, he who went on to join the army and earned the nickname ‘Killmonger’ for the extraordinary amount of people he killed during his service. Killmonger is a very good villain. He is strong, intelligent, has only few morals and believes that extreme action is the only way to win the day. His cause is just but the way he is choosing to help others is not.

The production is beautiful. There are some gorgeous scenes where the design is clearly futuristic but still holds the roots in the traditional African bright colours and designs. The action scenes are fun, stylised and entertaining.

There is a strong historical and political theme that drives the story. The slavery and oppression of African people in history and the current hardships that are on the people today are key factors in the storyline and expose truths of humanity that should not be forgotten.

Here is my problem with the film, and not just this film, but Marvel’s character origin films generally. I am sick of the hero being pitted against a villain that has the exact same powers. We saw Iron Man vs Obadiah Stane in an Iron Man suit, and Iron Man vs. Ivan Vanko in another Iron Man-like suit. Hulk goes against Abomination, Captain America battles a super soldier from WWII, and Ant-Man sizes up against Yellowjacket, someone else who can shrink and grow. Now we have a Black Panther film that says a lot politically, takes us to a new exciting world with some amazing characters but fails to do anything different or interesting with the final battle as it is essentially just Black Panther vs. another Black Panther. The final showdown felt stale and redundant. Also, the stakes were never high at any time in the film. We all know that Black Panther will not die in his first solo film. We know that but there should still be tension and ‘oh no!’ moments but it is hard to get to that point where Black Panther is prominently shown in the trailer for Avengers: Infinity War directly preceding the film.

As long as you don’t get depressed by the Marvel formula, Black Panther is a good film that has more to say than previous Marvel films, it’s comedy is light and natural, and all the characters are very enjoyable to be around. ★★★½

Terry.

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Burton Reviewed #10 – Big Fish (2003)

Tim Burton has a very creative and unique style to all of his films. I enjoy his dark humour and the quirky visuals that aid in telling his eccentric stories in both his live action and animated films. Here I’ll be reviewing Tim Burton directed feature films in chronological order starting with Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure (1985).

Tim Burton’s Big Fish is based on a novel by Daniel Wallace. We are told the life story of Edward Bloom through a series of exaggerated tall tales he recounts them to his family in his last days before his death.

Big Fish would be my favourite of Tim Burton’s films. The emotional drama combined with exaggerated tall tales allows Burton to tell various stories of different genres with the film, all the while retaining the father-son theme.

Ewan McGregor brings so much fun to the younger Edward Bloom as he journeys from his small home town along his many escapades. The younger Edward does not seem to match up well to the older storyteller, played by Albert Finney, and this does irritate me, however as the flashbacks are quite the truth of the life but an embellishment of himself this can be forgiven.

Billy Crudup stars as Edward’s son Will. Will has been raised on these stories his whole life only wants to know the true man Edward is without the hyperbolic, razzle dazzle on his life. As we watch the two estranged men try and rebuild a connection both realise that they have what each other needs. One, a little more seriousness, and the other a little more flare. The fairy-tale like finale is truly heart-warming.

The supporting cast is impressive. Jessica Lange is as classy as ever in her role as Edward’s wife, the older version. Helena Bonham Carter, Steve Buscemi and Danny DeVito add their own brand of wacky into their overstated characters that compliments legendary imagery being displayed.

Again, Danny Elfman composed the score for Burton matching music to the fantastical yarn. He was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Original Score in 2004 losing to Lord of the Rings: Return of the King.

An abundance of flavour and splendour flow from this film that treads the line of real life in a way that only Tim Burton’s mind does. It is a complete joy to watch. ★★★★½

Special Bonus Content – Burton Ranked. I will be ranking Burton’s films (thanks to Letterboxd.com for all your film diary needs), not necessarily by which are better films but only on my personal enjoyment and preference of the films.

Big Fish is easily my favourite Burton film, hence it’s first place.

Click here to view all issues of Burton Reviewed. The next instalment of Burton Reviewed will be Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005).

Terry.

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Insidious: The Last Key (2018) – Review

The fourth instalment of the Insidious franchise takes us further into the Further. Insidious: The Last Key gives us an origin story for Elise Rainier, played by Lin Shaye, the psychic that guides us through these horrific tales. She returns to her once family home to help the man that is currently living there and exposes herself to her own past demons that drove her away when she was a teenager.

These Insidious films, which I have only recently watched, feel like the homebrand version of the Conjuring franchise. The scares aren’t as big, the stories are thinner, but it does the job. There is some really good tension throughout the film, I had some good jumps a few times and I thoroughly enjoyed seeing Elise’s backstory fleshed out more.

Another part I like, but could be very annoying for others, is the timeline of the films. The franchise does not run linear but they all fit together like a giant puzzle, each instalment forming part of the picture and interlocking and showing apart of those around it. Chronologically the order of the films’ timeline runs Chapter 3, the Last Key, Insidious 1, Chapter 2. But I enjoyed watching them in the order of which they were made, similar to watching the original series of Star Wars then the prequels.

Lin Shaye is the jewel in the Insidious franchise. The difference between the previous three films and the Last Key is that it is Elise’s own demons she is fending off, it is herself and her family that she is fighting for instead of fighting to help someone else. Lin Shaye really brings it in this. We know she is this strong, powerful psychic that can fight off evil spirits, but we see her vulnerable side. She is a woman who has emotional, and physical, scars from her childhood, traumatic memories that people cannot move past. Her performance is fantastic. She compels you to stand strong with Elise when she needs it, but you also drown in her emotional turmoil when it’s too much for her to bear.

There is a strong theme in the film of domestic violence and child abuse. It’s disheartening and the true horror story that many deal with every day of their life, either currently living with it or living with the effects that it has had upon them. It is not solely the physical act, one that can be concealed by some carefully placed make-up, but also a mental one that continues to abuse you possibly for decades, if it ever stops. The film made me feel for the characters that were abused by real people, they are the real demons, and it made me think of all those in our society that are living in the same situation.

All in all, if you enjoy some supernatural horror, and/or are a fan of the previous Insidious films than you’ll get your monies worth out of seeing the Last Key.

Terry.

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Quick Reviews: Phantom Thread (2017)

Paul Thomas Anderson gives us Reynolds Woodcock (Daniel Day-Lewis), a high-end London dressmaker who lives with his sister Cyril (Lesley Manville) and whatever young woman he happens to have taken a liking to. When he takes Alma (Vicky Krieps) as his latest fling, events take an unexpected turn.

Phantom Thread is long, subtle, and sparse. Part critique of the savant, part psychological drama, Phantom Thread first appears to give us a skillfully told yet ultimately predictable story, before going further. It is a very meditative film, filled with sparse decadence and absorbing character studies.

Performances are strong, from Day-Lewis of course but many others. Lesley Manville has an enormous screen presence, and there is a fascinating turn from Harriet Sansom Harris. Direction is very strong and measured, but the standout element here is Jonny Greenwood’s score, which is evocative, pervasive, and perfect.

From this year’s glut of Oscar bait, you should see Phantom Thread.

Tim

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