Posted in: The Reel World by Brent Lorentson on October 25th, 2019
When it comes to writer/director Robert Eggers, despite only directing The Witch, he’s currently one of the most divisive directors working today. Personally I loved The Witch and feel it’s one of the best horror films in the past decade, while others openly loathe the film and consider it a snooze-fest. Eggers has a style that really isn’t for everyone, but for those who are fans (myself included), he’s a breath of fresh air to the horror genre, though his style is very much a throwback to the times before computer graphics and his films rely heavily on atmosphere, where his stories take time to develop as he wants us to be like a fly on the wall as we watch his characters fall apart. The Lighthouse is very much a claustrophobic character piece that will once again divide audiences, but one thing I believe we can all agree on: the performances of Willem Dafoe and Robert Pattinson are phenomenal and deserve all the recognition that will be coming their way.
When we meet Thomas (Dafoe) and Ephraim (Pattinson), they are being taken out to the lonely island where they will be serving their time tending to the lighthouse until their replacements arrive. The beautiful black and white cinematography sets the tone for this film and gives it a timeless feel. This is one of the factors that makes this film work, because it could easily take place in the late 1800’s or even today (though obviously there would be better equipment if it were more modern). Thomas makes it clear right from the start he is the only one who will be tending to the light, while Ephraim is expected to tend to the rest of the duties. For a good portion of the film, we are with the men as they go about their grueling day-to-day routine, and we get to see the resentment grow in Ephraim towards Thomas. Sure, there is the push and shove of masculinity as we see Thomas overtly trying to maintain his dominance while we’re seeing Ephraim slowly break down, and it’s in this where we see the film shift as it exploits Ephraim’s mental decline.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Brent Lorentson on October 23rd, 2019
When it comes to gritty detective films, Seven and Zodiac are two that help define the genre. It seems like there are so many films that are attempting to piggyback off the style, but so many films fail because they are trying so hard to copycat the films, or they simply pull their punches with the material. Night Hunter is the newest film to make an attempt but sadly just falls apart. There is a lot of potential in this film, with Henry Cavill (Man of Steel) taking the top billing; then there are Ben Kingsley, Stanley Tucci, and Nathan Fillion filling out the cast. The cast and the storyline give this the potential to be a great thriller, but unfortunately the delivery ends up being something just a little better than an episode of Law and Order.
After a woman manages to escape from her kidnapper, exhausted and barely clothed in the cold, she chooses to take a leap from a bridge rather than go back into the hands of her attacker. The leap ends up killing her as she lands on the back of a logging truck, and this is where Marshall (Cavill) comes in, as he’s tasked with investigating what happened to the woman. On a more entertaining side, there is Cooper (Kingsley), a former judge. With the aid of his young ward they lure out pedophiles, and after the would-be sex offender has succumbed, they castrate the men. Yeah, this film starts off dark and sets us up for what we hope can be a gritty vigilante tale, but instead this goes a much more safe and generic route. Really, what are the odds that the same attacker involved with Marshall’s case would just so happen to kidnap the girl working with Cooper? It’s a bit of a stretch, but this film takes so many leaps in logic that it becomes borderline absurd.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Brent Lorentson on October 17th, 2019
The novel The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson is certainly a literary classic, but for the sake of this review you’ll need to ignore the book and the previous film adaptations…I think it’ll be easy to forget the 1999 film The Haunting. I say this mostly because if you go into this series expecting that story, you will be disappointed. Instead, what creator and director Mike Flanagan has delivered is a masterpiece of horror that is so good that as the season plays out it manages to outdo itself again and again up to its final episode. When it first aired on Netflix I binged it and instantly fell in love, and when the opportunity arose to return to the series and see extended cuts of the episodes, I was more than happy to oblige.
First off, only three episodes are given the extended treatment. Steven Sees a Ghost, The Bent-Neck Lady and the last episode, Silence Lay Steadily. Honestly, it had been a year since I last watched the show, and I didn’t recognize what was added till listening to the commentary tracks that were attached. Does it hurt the series any by having these added scenes? Not at all; if anything, I enjoyed it more this time around.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Brent Lorentson on October 16th, 2019
Ever since I saw High Tension, I’ve been a fan of Alexandre Aja. The guy simply has a nice visual flair and for the most part puts out quality horror films. From The Hills Have Eyes remake, to Mirrors, and the beautifully shot Piranha 3D, Aja has made gore look like fine art on the big screen. So to hear he’d be working with Sam Raimi on a horror film, well, that’s simply music to my ears. It’s been a while since we’ve had a good man vs. nature horror film, and the concept of a family attempting to survive a category 5 hurricane in Florida while being hunted by alligators in their crawlspace, well, if that doesn’t get you excited, then just back away now. Crawl isn’t a movie attempting to be high art or go for Oscars; it’s a movie that just wants you to have fun for 90 minutes, and it delivers on that.
My only major complaint comes with the start of the film where we are with Haley (Kaya Scodelario) during her swim team practice as a category 5 storm is barreling their way. As a life time Florida resident, I know that there is no way this school would be doing this with the storm as close as it is. Nitpicking aside, the scene is setting our heroine up as a strong, capable swimmer who has some adversity to overcome, since we see she may not be on the starting squad for her team. This is for the most part the unnecessary back-story we’re used to seeing in horror films where we’ll of course see her overcome her self-doubt later in the film. It also seems they couldn’t help themselves by having her attend the University of Florida, making Haley a Gator herself.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Brent Lorentson on October 15th, 2019
I wonder how this film would have been received if The Road simply didn’t exist. It’s just about impossible to watch this film and not see the striking similarities between the films, though Light of My Life definitely isn’t as grim or as brutal as The Road. Light of My Life is the directorial debut from Casey Affleck, who seems to be following in his brother’s footsteps by taking the step behind the camera. How does he fare behind the camera? He definitely shows that he has a solid eye when setting up his shots and telling a story, though there is certainly room for him to improve. It’s a bold move to make a post-apocalyptic film your first feature and decide to star in the film as well, but for me I was glad to see him take such a risk, and I’m impressed he almost nailed it. The film takes us into a world where most of the world’s female population has been killed off by some sort of a disease. While the world isn’t quite in shambles, we definitely see that society has quickly crumbled as cities struggle to thrive. Rag (Anna Pniowsky) has somehow managed to survive this vicious disease, and with the aid of her Dad (Casey Affleck) he’s kept her alive and has been training her to survive in this hostile environment. This is pretty much a father’s worst nightmare for his daughter to grow up in, and we get to see how her father deals with everything from suspicious travelers to simply educating her on puberty. By keeping the film focused on the relationship between the father and daughter, the film excels at getting us involved and attached to this pair, but we also know in this type of film there are some inevitable bad things to come. Here is the problem: the film manages to pull its punches when it comes to the danger of the world they exist in. Sure, things are hinted at, but for a majority of the film everything feels like it’s building to something that never occurs.
Do things need to be as bleak or as in-your-face as The Road for this to be good? No, but for a film that has an R rating this feels like a very neutered film that just is afraid to go dark. It’s obvious this film wants to be about a father’s love and show the extent a father will go to protect their child, but really I don’t believe this father figure would survive in this world or succeed at protecting his child as well as he has. We don’t get to see Rag as a hunter, or having much if any ability to defend herself if someone were to attack her. You’d think these would be things he’d want to teach her, but instead he’s invested in teaching her to run and hide.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Brent Lorentson on October 11th, 2019
The Conjuring franchise and its spin-offs have been a success at the box office since 2013. Now with the third Annabelle hitting the big screen, it’s time ask the question: is this the end for the franchise? We already know there is going to be a third Conjuring film coming out next year, but beyond that, I’m guessing the studio heads are watching to see how this film fares with the summer competition. I wasn’t a fan of the first Annabelle. The second one was better, but still it seemed to pale in comparison to The Conjuring films, so to be honest, my expectations were not very high for this new installment. As it turns out, this ended up being my favorite of the spin-off movies, and I have no shame admitting how much fun I had with this one.
First off let me just state that I love The Conjuring films. Personally they are in my top ten for paranormal films. I’m a sucker for the cinematic Warren family, and I’m a fan of their work, Whether you believe in it or not, they make for good stories. I feel this is important to get out there, because while I had a blast with this film, I can’t put it in the same sandbox. Annabelle Comes Home works because it knows what it is: a B-movie carnival ride, and it embraces it. This isn’t a dig by any means; instead, it’s a compliment.
Posted in: 1.78:1 Widescreen, 1080p, AVC MPEG4, Blu Ray, Disc Reviews, DTS HD 5.1 MA (English), Sci-Fi / Fantasy, Warner Bros. by Brent Lorentson on October 6th, 2019
When it comes to the DC universe on television, I feel like Warner Bros. knows exactly what they are doing and truly understands the comics as well as their audience. Ever since they launched their streaming service they’ve been putting out new material that is arguably upping the stakes, knowing that soon Disney will be putting out there new streaming service in a matter of weeks. I was impressed with Season 1 of Titans. I loved how it was a show targeting a more mature audience, but it was Doom Patrol I wasn’t so sure about. All I had known about the Doom Patrol was from their one episode in Titans, and from what I saw, I really enjoyed the possibilities. Well, now that I’ve seen all 15 episodes of Season 1, I can honestly say What the F***?, followed by that was certainly a unique experience.
You think you’ve seen some weird and off-the-beaten-path shows? Well, Doom Patrol is without a doubt the most fun, unique show I’ve seen. This makes Twin Peaks seem normal, and really, calling the show bonkers is putting it lightly. Oh, and for those of you with young kids, you definitely may want to steer them clear of this show until you’ve seen what it offers. From talking cockroaches, town swallowing donkeys, asses with feet that can eat you, and talking streets, that is just a tiny glimpse at the oddball fun this show has in store for its audiences, and seriously, I haven’t even gotten to some of the more absurd aspects of the show. But please don’t let this scare you off, because this motley crew of misfit superheroes are a hell of a good time to watch, and even more surprising is how lovable they all are.
Posted in: The Reel World by Brent Lorentson on October 4th, 2019
“Art is dangerous.” It’s a quote that has been passed around over the decades, and it’s something I tend to agree with. Over the weeks building up to the release of the film, there seems to be a manufactured panic about what could happen when Joker releases onto the big screen. In Aurora, Colorado, they’ve elected to not show the film as a way to not trigger local residents who were involved in the 2012 shooting. This I can understand, considering the shooter did indeed dress as the Joker when he committed his act of violence. As for other parts of the US, the local police and military have been placed on high alert, all because people are worried about the gun violence and how it may motivate deranged fans to go on shooting sprees. This obviously is not what the studios or filmmakers ever intended, but it is unfortunately a sign of the times that we are living in. No one should have to fear going to the movies. The theater for many is the place for audiences to escape for two hours and forget the troubles and the horrors of the real world, and my hope is audiences will be able to do so without violent incidents.
To be fair, Joker isn’t the first film to have the spotlight thrust upon it due to its violence, nor will it be the last. A part of me wonders if the controversy was even manufactured to create more buzz for the film. After all, scaring audiences has always been a powerful tool in marketing, when you look back at the films of William Castle and Roger Corman. For some of their films, audiences would have to sign waivers to ensure the studio wouldn’t be at fault if anything were to happen to audience members while watching the film, while having ambulances parked outside the movie house. Is it a stretch to believe the studios would do this? Maybe. But is it possible, considering how the box office is underperforming, that people will attempt to create buzz for the film? And then there are the political motivations, attempting to use a film in the fight for control. So many possibilities, so much controversy, and still as I write this the film hasn’t even been released to the masses for them to judge for themselves.
Posted in: No Huddle Reviews by Brent Lorentson on September 27th, 2019
When it comes to shows that simply sneak up on you and manage to suck you in, This Is Us would be a show I never saw coming nor expected to simply fall in love with. As a show that is on network television it stands toe to toe with the best that cable has to offer. But what is most surprising is that what sets this show apart from the rest of the pack isn’t a complex antihero or dragons; instead, it is as simple as being a show that feels as real as anything I’ve seen on television in some time. As the title would suggest This Is Us is simply about a family and the struggles and successes that come day to day, though as many of you can understand and relate, there is nothing simple about life and the constant hurdles that are thrown at us on a day-to-day basis. I was hesitant when I first began the series, but I was quickly moved by its characters and their stories. I was impressed by the first two seasons, and I’ve wondered if it can maintain its level of quality moving into a third season level. After another 18 episodes and plenty of tears, I was a little let down by the first part of the season, but it came together in the end, delivering some of the best moments in the shows run to date.
Dan Fogelman (Crazy, Stupid, Love) has created a show about the Pearsons, Jack (Milo Ventimiglia) and Rebecca (Mandy Moore) as they go about their journey raising their three kids who all happen to share the same birthday with their father. This season we start off with the siblings turning 38. There is Kate (Chrissy Metz) who is continuing to follow her interest in singing as well as enjoying the newly married life with Toby (Chris Sullivan), Kevin (Justin Hartley) who is on his way to becoming a respected actor after the success of his new film, and then we have Randall (Sterling K. Brown) who seems to finally have a handle on his life and family. Everything seems to be going well for the Pearsons, but of course, that is all going to change.
Posted in: No Huddle Reviews by Brent Lorentson on September 13th, 2019
Last month it was officially 50 years since the Manson Family brought chaos into the world with the massacre at Ciello Drive that left a pregnant Sharon Tate brutally murdered along with her friends. Since then the name Charles Manson has become a symbol of pop culture despite not ever being a part of the actual murders. Even after all these years, there are so many myths about Manson and his followers, it’s doubtful we’ll ever really know the truth. Over the period of 50 years there have been countless films about the murders and the Manson family. Most recently Quentin Tarantino put out Once Upon a Time in Hollywood that gave audiences a fantasy perspective of the events of that night and came out to be a successful film over the summer and a contender for numerous awards. With that being said, there are also films like Manson Family Movies that came out in 1984 and was nowhere near the commercial success. Manson Family Movies is impressive where it dabbles in the found-footage genre as a recreation of the events that led up to the murders while also recreating the violent crimes. Unfortunately, despite how ambitious it may be, this looks like it was made with no budget and at times is painful to watch.
One of the first things you’ll notice while watching Manson Home Movies is that it was filmed on 8mm and shot as though these were random videos done by the Manson Family. There really doesn’t seem to be much of a plot, as we get footage of them around Los Angeles and then shooting at Spahn Ranch. When a plot is sort of introduced, it’s a bit hard to follow, though we are introduced to the characters as the actors hold up signs for whom they are playing. Considering there is no dialog, and actors become interchangeable in various roles, it shouldn’t be a surprise that this wasn’t a SAG-sanctioned film. While this is somewhat a silent film, there is music that plays over the course of the film, and a good portion of it is performed by Charles Manson…yes, you read that correctly. Getting back to the “narrative” of this film, it wants to introduce bookies and drug deals gone bad to explain why the murders occurred. Granted we know this wasn’t the case, but hopefully no one is watching this in hopes of watching a true account of the events.
