"Flickering Dreams" Episode 11: with reviews of 5 new films and a Power Ranger geek-out!
Episode 11 of the Flickering Dreams podcast and the team review 5 of the latest releases including Suzume, Missing and Renfield.
In Episode 11 of Flickering Dreams I’m joined by Scott Forbes of the Forbes Film and TV Review and Andy Godfrey of Sorted Magazine and Konnect Radio.
In this episode Bob, Scott and Andy review the following films:
“Suzume”: the new Anime animation from Makoto Shinkai;
“Renfield”: comedy/horror with Nicholas Hoult, Nicolas Cage and Awkwafina;
“Missing”: a twisty screen-based thriller;
“The…
Renfield (15): Ready to get your teeth into a gory horror/comedy?
#onemannsmovies review of "Renfield" (2023). #renfieldmovie. Funny but very gory modern take on Dracula and his familiar. 3.5/5.
A One Mann’s Movies review of “Renfield” (2023).
I love Nicholas Hoult. From “Mad Max: Fury Road” through “The Favorite” and TVs tonally-similar “The Great” to his terrific turn in last year’s “The Menu“. He can do little wrong in my eyes. So teaming him with Nicolas Cage as Dracula in a horror/comedy seemed a wonderful idea to me. The trailer whetted my appetite even more. So, I was a little…
SYNOPSIS: Renfield is the tortured aide to history’s most narcissistic boss, Dracula. Renfield is forced to procure his master’s prey and do his every bidding, no matter how debased. But now, after about 100 years of servitude, Renfield has found a new spark and is ready to see if there is a life beyond the shadow of The Prince of Darkness. As part of a support group he is trying to figure out how to end his codependency.
REVIEW: Robert Kirkman and Ryan Ridley take on the age old story of master and servant as they take Stoker’s “Dracula,” shift it 100 years into our time, and deliver a hilarious gorefest that hits all the right notes, in the tradition of “Evil Dead 2” or “Shaun of the Dead.” It largely falls on the shoulders of writer Ryan Ridley whose name might be familiar to you as a writer on the “Rick & Morty” series.
The script is fantastic. It's loaded with a great plot, fun jokes and tons of visual gags. While it is Renfield’s story, Dracula gets his fair share of screen time. The screenplay lays the groundwork for what’s transpired for all those unfamiliar to the story, and adds some nice touches for those diehard Universal Monster fans. After that, all best are off as this thrill ride is balanced with a character arc that serves up an instant horror classic.
In terms of cast, Hoult and Cage are great together, but Cage steals the show. Both deliver performances of a lifetime, but Cage is on fire. His Dracula is comparable to Campbell’s Ash in the “Evil Dead” franchise, and earns its place in the catacombs of horror film history. Awkwafina and Ben Schwartz have a bunch of memorable screen moments, but Holt and Cage get more screen time and totally rock the film. The fantastic thing is that the entire cast is channeling the feel of the film that makes it a fantastic ride.
The production values are dazzling. Dracula has a wardrobe to rival Cher and it pays homage to all the incarnations of the count. I loved Dracula’s coffin design, the lair of the gangsters, Dracula’s lair and the restaurant where Renfield encounters the Lobo gang. The film is loaded with practical effects that deliver all the delightful gore. The visual effects enhance and complement them seamlessly and just ramps up the energy of the film. RENFIELD is simply a feast for the eyes.
Nicely wrapping all this up is a contemporary soundtrack and a sensational score by Marco Beltrami. The best way to describe it is that it adds a baseline to the film. It underscores the action and adds to the emotional intensity to the film.
Universal has been struggling to revitalize their monster franchise for a contemporary audience. They’ve had some okay films, such as 2014’s “Dracula Untold,” and some misses like 2017’s “The Mummy,” with Tom Cruise. Kirkman, Ridley, McKay, Cage and Holt get it and come together to deliver, I believe, an unsurpassable genre fan pleaser and I think a real crowd pleaser. If the fans are lured to the theaters this could be the shot to reinvigorate the Universal Monster Franchise. If there is a sequel, it’s going to need to be a reteaming of those in front and behind the camera. Otherwise, they could easily do a new film in a similar theme called “Igor!” On my radar to see again.
CAST: Nicholas Hoult, Nicolas Cage, Awkwafina, Ben Schwartz, Shohreh Aghdashloo, and Adrian Martinez.
CREW: Director/Producer - Chris McKay; Story/Producer - Robert Kirkman; Screenplay - Ryan Ridley; Producers - Bryan Furst & Sean Furst; Cinematographer - Mitchell Amundsen; Score - Marco Beltrami; Editors - Ryan Folsey, Giancarlo Ganziano and Mako Kamitsuna; Production Designers- Julie Berghoff & Alec Hammond; Costume Designer - Lisa Lovaas; Special Effects Supervisor - Matt Kutcher; Special Makeup Effects Artists - Steve Costanza, Dan Crawley, Alex Rondon and Brian Sipe; Visual Effects Supervisor - Andrew Byrne; Visual Effects Companies - Crafty Apes, Skulley Effects, ILM and Pixel Magic.
OFFICIAL: www.renfieldmovie.com
FACEBOOK: www.facebook.com/renfieldmovie
TWITTER: www.twitter.com/renfieldmovie
TRAILER: https://youtu.be/qZjAPG9uY3c
RELEASE DATE: In theaters April 14th, 2023
**Until we can all head back into the theaters our “COVID Reel Value” will be similar to how you rate a film on digital platforms - 👍 (Like), 👌 (It’s just okay), or 👎 (Dislike)
