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The Lynchian Liminal World Of ‘Riverdale’

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This review contains spoilers for Riverdale episodes 1 and 2.

Sure, Riverdale is a pastiche of a pastiche of a pastiche—but what isn’t, these days? We’ve seen countless variations of the teen angst TV show since the 1960s and Peyton Place; and no less a lauded director as David Lynch “cribbing” aspects of the series for his own Twin Peaks.

I’ll put it to you straight: Riverdale wears its intentions to be the CW’s answer to Twin Peaks on its sleeve.

These intentions are welded onto a 75-year-old comic book property which—outside of the last several years and a number of reboots/re-visions—has become synonymous with a sort of generic and “harmless” adolescent humor. Such attempts to make these types of older brands “relevant” can either work amazingly (Battlestar Galactica, Star Trek The Next Generation), be mediocre-but-money-making (the Scooby-Doo movies) or end up downright unwatchable (flicks like Bewitched, Dark Shadows, I Spy, The Avengers, unto infinity).

So which is it with Riverdale? I watched the first two episodes and here’s my assessment.

Episode one is called “The River’s Edge”—River’s Edge was a highly-influential 1986 movie starring a young Crispin Glover & Keanu Reeves that featured a murder covered up by a bunch of disaffected teens. Likewise in “The River’s Edge,” high-school jock Jason Blossom is missing and presumed the victim of foul play. With a large cast of pretty people who seem perfect but have demons swimming right under the surface of their lives, we have our murder mystery a la Twin Peaks—with red-headed Jason essentially Laura Palmer.

So where does Archie Andrews (K.J. Apa) fit into all this? Well, he—a sophomore—is having torrid CW-level sex with his adult teacher, Miss Grundy (Sarah Habel). Archie also plays around with the affections of “good girl” Betty (Lili Reinhart), making her a neurotic mess. When Lynch-level heroine Veronica (Camila Mendes, who is like the second coming of Mulholland Drive actress Laura Harring) comes in to town after the arrest of her Bernie Madoff-like father, Archie seems to have the hots for her as well.

As is the case with the comic books, I’m really trying to figure out how exactly Archie is considered a likable protagonist.

I mean, Apa does a fine job in the role but…Archie’s sort of like this blank slate the rest of his world revolves around. And as with the late-Nineties show Dawson’s Creek, it is the Pacey of the group—moody hoodie-wearing cynical Elliot Alderson-lite Jughead (played by Cole Sprouse)—who is by far more interesting and relatable.

In contrast to “buff” football player Archie, Jughead seems much more like the type of (anti)hero who becomes a breakout character in a series like this (I’m also thinking of Stiles in the Teen Wolf series).

And, setting aside for the moment rumors of the character’s asexuality, he’s pretty damn androgynous. I mean, even in a “teen idol” market that pumps out androgynous-looking male heartthrobs, Jughead seems unique.

But then again, many of the characters in Riverdale seem to be on various “spectrums” of sexuality and self-identity. As Veronica says at one point, “In this post-James Franco world, we can be everything at once.” The line perhaps refers to Franco’s own flexibility when referring to his sexuality; not needing to be labelled “gay,” “straight,” or even “bisexual” but, simply, “James Franco.”

And so we have the budding new relationship of Veronica and Betty—which, though I think it genuinely has aspects of affection beyond merely friendship (and I’m not even talking about the kissing scene at the cheerleader tryouts), is also something that doesn’t necessarily need a special definition. Ditto for Archie’s relationship with Betty, which may be “just friends” but also something more…and even some of the subtext of his scenes with Jughead in episode 2.

Likewise, the character of Moose is apparently bisexual, having an affair with Kevin Keller. Keller wants Moose to either come fully “out” as gay or go back to his heterosexual life; but it’s possible the latter just feels more comfortable being both.

(This is, by the way, why I don’t feel that Jughead needs to be officially defined as asexual on the show, as some fans have demanded. Does he really need the label to be spelled out? Or do we understand who he is by his actions? Similarly, do we need to define Betty and Veronica as being either “only friends” or something more? In an ever-changing world, do these things always stay the same? Do they always fit in these neat check-boxes?)

This atmosphere of liminality—of pushing past boundaries and definition—is David Lynch’s bread and butter. Lynch is everywhere in Riverdale—from the first scenes of Cheryl Blossom and her fire-engine red pumps (compare to Audrey Horne’s introduction in Twin Peaks), to the dynamic between Betty and Veronica (they could easily be the teen versions of the heroines of Mulholland Drive), to the weirdly similar “looks” of Archie and the dead Jason Blossom (the idea of sinister “doubles”).

And the Twin Peaks connection carries over all the way to the casting of Betty’s mom—Mädchen E. Amick, whose character Alice Cooper (!) seems so unhinged that she may be already in the running as a possible murderer of Jason Blossom.

By episode 2, “A Touch Of Evil” (also the name of a 1958 Orson Welles film noir), we are placed far more firmly into Twin Peaks territory. Jason’s body has been recovered (in the water, as with Laura Palmer), and shot in the forehead. Also like Palmer, his body has evidence that he might have been kidnapped and tortured before the murder.

At this point, the cracks have begun to show and widen all over the residents of the seemingly ideal town. And so let’s now tackle the big elephant in the room in terms of the show so far—Archie’s relationship with his teacher Miss Grundy.

This was the biggest turn-off for me in episode 1. He’s a teenager, she’s an adult in a position of authority. It’s called statutory rape. Certainly, the “boundary-spanning” aesthetic and ideology I’ve spoken about earlier could be applied here…but it gets really squicky really fast. The opening shots of their carnal encounters are presented as sexy—not as a situation of predation, which if the genders were reversed it would immediately appear to be.

But if there was any previous question of Grundy manipulating Archie, it becomes clear when she convinces him not to go to the authorities with possible evidence relating to Jason’s murder. To provide the evidence would be to incriminate Grundy in having an affair with her student. And it’s Jughead—the writer, the truth-teller—who finally gets through to Archie as to how screwed up that situation is. To me, Jughead’s confrontation with Archie eases my dis-ease with this plot line, and sends it to its honest conclusion; I’m glad I stuck through the second episode to see it through rather than overreacted and dumped the series.

By the end of episode 2, we’ve got a possible murderer (who of course is most likely a red-headed herring as well) and the series really kicks into high gear, leaving us with a cliffhanger.

To be honest, Riverdale—like most CW shows outside of Legends of Tomorrow and Whose Line Is It Anyway—is not the type of programming I usually turn to. It’s not really “made” for me—it’s made for teens and twenties. And yet, with all the allusions to the works that came before it, the stunt-casting (in addition to Amick there’s Luke Perry as Archie’s dad), and the Lynchian liminality…there’s enough here for me to work with.

So if you’re looking for a warm-up to the Twin Peaks revival later this year, you can give Riverdale a try.

Riverdale airs Thursdays at 8PM/7PM CST on The CW


‘Stake Land II’ (review)

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Produced by Larry Fessenden,
Greg Newman, Peter Phok
Written by Nick Damici
Directed by Dan Berk, Robert Olsen
Starring Connor Paolo, Nick Damici,
Laura Abramsen, A.C. Peterson,
Steven Williams,Bonnie Dennison

 

Stake Land II, as it’s called in the opening credits, or The Stakelander according to the end credits, is a sequel to 2010’s sleeper Stake Land, which was directed by Jim Mickle and written by – and starring – Nick Damici.

The original was one of my favorite horror films of its year; a scary, involving and at times surprisingly emotional and poignant movie about a vampire apocalypse, and the struggle of the remaining humans to fight the fanged beasts and survive.

The protagonists were a teenaged boy named Martin who loses his family to vampires and the man who takes him under his wing, Mister. Mister is a tight-lipped, stoic vampire hunter who trains Martin to fight the enemy.

The sequel picks up a few years later. Martin again experiences tragedy in the opening scenes and is driven to find Mister to help him destroy the female vampire leader known as “The Mother”.

The film is structurally similar to the first film and that’s just fine. The vampire action is once again scary and exciting, the acting is at the very least solid and often excellent, the makeup and gore effects are superb (especially for a low budget) and the writing is once again sturdy.

The direction is missing the snap that original director Mickle provided; still, co-directors Dan Berk and Robert Olsen do a creditable job of keeping things moving and interests perked.

They’ve also captured, along with the production designer, costume designer, cinematographer, et al, the same tone as the first film, and that’s a very good thing. This world truly feels threatening, the vampires are menacing, and the characters feel real.

There are elements when the film feels derivative, both of the first film and others, such as The Road Warrior (to be fair, it’s tough to make a post-apocalyptic film without appropriating something from that classic).

But there are also some unique moments here, as when Mister must fend off a vampire horde while crucified!  It’s a nifty scene, as is one near the climax wherein a very unexpected kiss occurs.

Also, as with the first film, there are some poignant moments (such as that kiss) that help separate this from other brutal horror movies.

Stake Land II probably won’t set the world on fire, but it’s a worthy successor to the first cult flick.  By all means, if you haven’t seen Stake Land, do watch that film first.  And then, with slightly tempered expectations, give the second film a shot.

Stake Land II is now available on Digital HD, and
arrives on Blu-ray and DVD on February 14th.

 

 

‘Doc Unknown’ Protects Gate City at Dark Horse

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Dark Horse is excited to announce the hardcover collection of Doc Unknown, a pulp action comic by Fabian Rangel Jr. (Space Riders) and Ryan Cody (The Phantom). The Complete Doc Unknown contains Doc Unknown Volumes 1–3, the Boss Snake one-shot, and pinups by Mike Mignola, Eric Powell, and more.

Hailed as “one of the very best indie comics series ever made” by IGN, Doc Unknown follows Warren Williams, a fighter pilot during World War II who crashes his plane and is taken in and trained by the warrior monks of the secret temple of Min-Yao. After a Nazi ambush, Warren returns to Gate City as Doc Unknown, a mysterious man fighting for good. Doc Unknown must protect Gate City from ruthless gangsters, monstrous mobsters, possessed museum attractions, evil secret societies, vampire ninjas, vengeful ghosts, hypnotizing fish-women, and much more!

The hardcover The Complete Doc Unknown goes on sale July 19, 2017.

Giant-Size Graphic Breakdown: DC Knocks It Out of The Park!

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Welcome back to Graphic Breakdown!

It’s cold out there but things are really heating up over at DC Comics and their Rebirth line!

Let’s review some comics!

Deathstroke #12 
Written by Christopher Priest
Breakdowns by Larry Hama
Illustrated by Joe Bennett

Deathstroke keeps on trucking as one of the most adventurous, thrilling books month in and month out.

This issue is a hell of a journey from start to finish and I just love it. Everything just works here. It’s really spectacular.

What happens when the World’s Deadliest Assassin begins to go blind? A bold new tale begins here!

After the Red Lion breaks Deathstroke out of prison, he maneuvers Slade into a deadly encounter with the enigmatic thief known as the Raptor.

The Raptor isn’t my favorite villain but Priest handles his story well well. In fact, I will say Priest is the best writer DC has writing for them right now. His story shines again and shines brightly.

The art by Bennett is good too. He works off the breakdowns by Larry Hama perfectly and this is a great comic book. Thumbs up, again.

RATING: A

 

All Star Batman # 7 
Written by Scott Snyder
Illustrated by Tula Lotay

I didn’t enjoy this issue as much as I had the previous one.

Of course, the previous issue had Jock illustrating the book. This issue has Tula Lotay illustrating and it isn’t terrible, yet it feels terribly like a fill in issue.

Step aside, gentlemen—Poison Ivy is about to steal the spotlight in Batman’s continuing rogues gallery road trip.

Lotay is actually a very good artist but the work here just isn’t that exciting again.

Likewise, Snyder writes well but I get the sense that writing Poison Ivy isn’t really his forte.

Still, it’s not terrible and the backup is pretty good.

Let’s hope the next issue picks up again!

RATING: B

 

Titans #8 
Written by Dan Abnett
Illustrated by Brett Booth

This issue was awesome!

Not only were we treated to the return of the energetic art of Brett Booth, we get a hell of a story to boot!

Abnett has been really kicking it on this title and the “Made in Manhattan” storyline here gets a good first issue.

As Wally West and the Titans adjust to their new lives in New York City and investigate a mysterious new threat, Karen and Mal Duncan visit Meta Solutions to discuss their future.

But the meeting takes an unexpected turn when Mal delivers a shocking revelation, and Karen is faced with a difficult choice.

Abnett writes a really good story here. The art is thrilling. The whole thing is pretty thrilling.

Pick this up. It’s getting good over here.

RATING: A

 

Suicide Squad #11
Written by Rob Williams
Illustrated by John Romita Jr. and Eddy Barrows

Well, thank god. Finally we get a really fantastic issue of Suicide Squad. This issue just takes off from the get go in the first storyline and doesn’t let up.

It’s also seemingly got a tie to Watchmen and that storyline seems to be heating up.

Spinning directly out of the events of Justice League vs. Suicide Squad! Hidden somewhere deep within, the world is a burning flame. Its light is blinding. Its heat is deadly. It’s a fire fueled by hatred, by rage and by vengeance.

Used, abused and left for dead, the greatest foe the Suicide Squad has ever faced returns, more powerful than ever, to burn down the world Amanda Waller has given everything to protect.

The first story is all action and is just awesome. The art by Romita Jr. is good there.  The second (with excellent art by Barrows) is a shocker and just is awesome. Jim Lee off the title may be for the best. Rob Williams shows he can actually write well here and I’m glad to see it. Let’s keep this up too!

RATING: A

 

Batgirl and the Birds of Prey #7   
Written by Julie and Shawna Benson
Illustrated by Claire Roe

This has been a fairly consistent book for the line. Not extraordinary by any means but still really good.

The Bensons are decent comic book writers and they keep the story flowing at a steady clip.

The new Oracle is now embedded in the Birds of Prey’s lives…and they’re going to have to make it work whether they like it or not!

Plus, Huntress has decided to make Gotham her permanent home—but that means venturing into the most dangerous world of all…the Gotham City real-estate market!

Perhaps an abandoned amusement park with a murder slide is up her alley?

The art by Claire Roe is good as well. The whole package is pretty decent overall. It’s been a nice read month in and month out. Give it a chance.

RATING: B

 

Detective Comics # 950   
Written by James Tynion IV
Illustrated by Marcio Takara

Detective Comics has been quite good these last few issues. This one is as well. It’s really taking off going into 2017. Tynion is doing much better with the writing and he is a solid creator.

This issue is the “League of Shadows” prologue. Celebrate 950 issues of the original Batman series with this extra-sized extravaganza!

Cassandra Cain has stayed out of the spotlight on Batman’s team as she slowly comes to terms with the civilized world she was kept away from all her life…but the time for her to step up is fast approaching!

Will she ever learn how to fit in among the masses, or will she always be more weapon than woman? Plus: a primer on the history of the League of Assassins, and an adventure with the team’s newest recruit: Azrael, the Avenging Angel!

There is a last story in this by Tynion and Eddy Barrows (he’s on this too!)  it’s the best part of the book.

The last line is quite awesome. It’s one of the best last lines of a book I’ve read in awhile and sets up so much. It’s going to be a hell of a year it looks like.

RATING: A-

 

The Flash # 16
Written by Joshua Williamson
Illustrated by Carmine Di Giandomenico

Man, this book is damn awesome too. I like the story but they should have no fill ins anymore…they should literally let Carmine Di Giandomenico illustrate every story. Because he has the Flash down.

And it’s damn beautiful how he is drawn.

Dragged on a wild goose chase all over the world, The Flash tracks the Rogues to their next target: the people of Central City!

But is even Barry Allen fast enough to solve five diabolical crimes at the same time?

This book is also well written by Williamson. There seems to be tighter focus on the book and the story ahead. I really am enjoying what I’m seeing. Let’s hope it continues!

RATING: A-

 

Red Hood and the Outlaws #7 
Written by Scott Lobdell
Illustrated by Mirko Colak
Breakdowns by Tom Derenick

This is probably the best Bizarro story I have ever read.

Lobdell really has written a fantastic script on this book and it shows. The story is funny, and a bit emotional as well. I loved every second of it and hope every issue can be this good.

Now that Black Mask is defeated, Artemis continues her quest for the Bow of Ra—a weapon of immense power. Meanwhile, Jason is dealing with an immense power of his own—Bizarro. What’s to be done about such a volatile creature…and is he too dangerous to be kept alive?

The art is perfect for this issue as well and I love every panel, every moment. This is a great issue and it stands alone quite well. I recommend picking it up. That last image of the book is a keeper as well.

RATING: A-

And the rest….

Earth 2 Society #21   
Written by Dan Abnett
Illustrated by Vicente Cifuentes
This is not a book I normally follow. Except I have been here. The story is fairly decent and the art is very good. I keep saying it: I may have to pick up this book from the beginning.
RATING: B

Gotham Academy: Second Semester #6 
Written by Brenden Fletcher and Becky Cloonan and Karl Kerschl
Illustrated by Adam Archer and Msassyk
This book is okay. It started off kind of cute and then devolved into something that is just okay. Still, the art isn’t half bad and it still has some charms. B minus!
RATING: B-

Hal Jordan and the Green Lantern Corps #14
Written by Robert Venditti
Illustrated by Rafa Sandoval Jordi Tarrogona
This book needs a reboot. Still, the art by Sandoval is great. He can stay. I just feel we are so far away from what I love in Green Lantern that it’s hard for me to read without wincing.
RATING: C

New Superman #8 
Written by Gene Luen Yang
Illustrated by Billy Tan
Man, what a difference an artist makes. Billy Tan has brought a hell of a vibrancy to this book. He makes Yang’s story really stand out. This has turned into a great book. Pick it up.
RATING: B+

The Lost Boys #5 
Written by Tim Seeley
Illustrated by Scott Godlewski
The art is very good on this and the story is just okay. This could have been a ton of fun. Instead it’s just ehhh. The best part of this book however is the cover by Tony Harris. So it gets a B Minus because of it.
RATING: B-

Scooby-Doo Where Are You? #78   
Written by Robbie Bush
Illustrated by Scott Neely
A fun book! Just a nice time and a nice fun family read. Read this with your kids. Because they will remember it one day.
RATING: A-

Scooby: Apocalypse #10 
Written by Keith Giffen and J.M. Dematteis
Illustrated by Chris Batista
Why is this still a thing? I can’t follow the book at all! It’s the Apocalypse all right..for comic books. Read at your own risk!!
RATING: F

Ice-T’s ‘Bloodrunners’ Sinks Its Fangs Into Blu-ray, DVD & Digital HD

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Speakeasy Pictures and IMPULSE-FX have announced the March 7th Blu-ray/DVD combo pack and Digital HD release of the period action thriller Bloodrunners. The latest feature from writer-director Dan Lantz, Bloodrunners centers on a turf war between a crooked cop and a power-hungry vampire (Ice-T, “Law and Order: SVU”) over a small town soaked in illegal hooch during the height of Prohibition.

Bloodrunners will be available to rent or own globally on iTunes and Steam and across the US and Canada on iTunes, Steam, Google Play, Xbox, Playstation and various cable platforms, including Comcast, Dish, Rogers and Shaw. The Blu-ray/DVD combo pack, featuring 1080p video, 5.1 Dolby Surround Sound and bonus features will be available on Amazon and the Bloodrunners official site.

Bloodrunners combines the action of crime dramas with the otherworldly gore of vampire legends. Michael McFadden (The Networker) headlines as a cop living large on looking the other way as booze flows through his protectorate. When he discovers that Chesterfield, the owner of the latest speakeasy has a thirst for warm blood as well as cold hard cash, he must find a way to save his town before it dries up.

By 1933, Prohibition has proven a booming enterprise, where average citizens break the law, hide in the shadows and operate at night. The new world order has even lined the pockets of corrupt cops like Jack Malone (McFadden). He collects a ‘luxury tax’ from every bootlegger and scofflaw in the small town he has sworn to protect. While shaking down the newest speakeasy in the local underground, Jack and his men uncover a clan of vampires hell bent on taking over the town. Now Chesterfield (Ice-T), an ancient vampire, and his horde must hide their secret at any cost. The bloody result leaves several bodies and innocent townsfolk taken as lambs to await the slaughter. With nowhere else to turn, Jack joins forces with a busboy and a crazy preacher to save the town and make a final stand against Chesterfield and his vampires.

The Blu-ray/DVD (SRP $14.99) and iTunes releases of Bloodrunners will include a feature-length commentary with director Dan Lantz, deleted and extended scenes, a gag reel and trailers.

‘Do You Dream in Color?’ (review)

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Produced by Abigail Fuller, Sarah Ivy,
Regina Saldivar, Ryland Aldrich,
Chiemi Karasawa, Douglas Haack,
Lloyd Bryan Adams, Annette Hobday

Directed by Abigail Fuller, Sarah Ivy
Starring Connor Head, Nick Helms,
Carina Orozco, Sarah Wright

A good documentary can make us feel and learn.  Well-made documentaries tell a true story in such way that the audience has no choice but to get invested in the issue, people and narrative.

A strong documentary narrative crackles with power and purpose.

Do You Dream in Color? stands on the edge of being a good documentary and falls short.

Directors Abigail Fuller and Sarah Ivy follow the lives of four blind teenagers as they try and achieve their dreams. The dreams span music, extreme sports, travel and graduation.

On the surface they seem similar to the dreams of every teenager in America, but the directors layer in the complexity that blindness brings to the equation.

Connor is a blind skateboarder who longs to be sponsored on a skate team. He’s the most engaging and charismatic of the teens.  Learning about the challenges of skateboarding blind is mildly interesting.  If you are a fan of Daredevil you will really enjoy the 2 minutes he spends talking about it.  Connor’s family interactions and friends are not generally compelling. Teen aged stuff with a teen aged dreamer looking for more.

Sarah’s mother passed away when she was younger and the loss has left a hole in Sarah’s identity,  She longs to travel and study in Portugal, her mother’s homeland.  Her entire narrative is built around getting accepted into a travel abroad program. The dramatic anticipation seems very forced and the directors go back to similar imagery over and over again as if they didn’t have enough footage.  There are also some strange scenes where Sarah’s teachers and support system meet without her and it seems scripted. It seems so disjointed at times it distracts from the story the directors were trying to tell.

Nick is a blind musician with dreams of more. Sighted people are pretty comfortable with blind songwriters and musicians thanks to Stevie Wonder and Ray Charles, so this dream isn’t particularly aggressive or unrealistic. It is a fairly common tale of a high school band trying to make good and one of the members of the band happens to be blind. Nick’s family interactions are sweet and his relationship with his twin brother is one of the more interesting sub plots in the documentary, but right when it seems like we are getting to something real, we jump to a new topic.

Carina is a second generation Mexican immigrant who wants to be the first member of her family to graduate from high school and go to college.  Her relationship with her mother is the most compelling one in the documentary.  Her mother’s worry and pain feel real and unforced.  The struggle of being a blind student under-served in a public school is clearly demonstrated but right when the directors could have gotten deeply into a serious issue, they moved on to a new topic.

The real challenge with Do You Dream In Color? is a simple one.  The directors didn’t bother to go deep into the stories. Telling four stories in just over an hour is too much crammed into too little time. Carina is a compelling figure, with real challenges and emotional complexity, carrying the burden of her mother’s dreams for her, but we don’t spend enough time with her to really understand.

Another failure in the story telling is glossing over some really important issues facing the blind community. The documentary tells us at one point that there is over 70% unemployment in the blind community of the United States, but doesn’t address any of the real reasons why. What are the real systemic challenges public schools face when trying to meet their obligations to blind children? We never really learn anything of substance about what these kids are facing at the institutional level.

In the areas the film grabbed me, it let me go just as fast. In the moments I was touched, I wasn’t given a chance to invest in the person I was feeling for. The joyous moments and the sad ones seemed forced, engineered to fit the fragmented narrative.

Overall the children in the film are likable, but I never learned enough about them to truly care.
 

Rating: 2 stars out of 5

 

Do You Dream in Color? arrives on VOD on February 10th

 

History Network’s ‘SIX’ Arrives on Blu-ray (plus Digital HD) and DVD 3/14!

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Take home HISTORY Network’s new action-packed, scripted series inspired by the real-life missions of the heroic Navy SEALs when SIX arrives on Blu-ray (plus Digital HD) and DVD March 14 from Lionsgate.

With a remarkable cast, featuring the acclaimed Walton Goggins (“Justified”), the 8-episode scripted drama series follows a brotherhood of modern American warriors, Navy SEAL Team Six, as they fight to save a kidnapped former team member after their 2014 mission to eliminate a terrorist leader goes awry.

SIX follows members of Navy SEAL Team Six, modern American warriors whose mission to eliminate a Taliban leader in Afghanistan goes awry when they uncover a U.S. citizen working with the terrorists. Inspired by real missions, the series authentically captures the inside world of America’s elite special operations unit, what these SEALs do, their personal lives, combat, and the life-and-death decisions they make.

From executive producers William Broyles (Apollo 13) and David Broyles, Harvey Weinstein and Bob Weinstein, David Glasser, Nicolas Chartier, Alfredo Barrios, Jr., Bruce C. McKenna, Barry Jossen, Lesli Linka Glatter, and George W. Perkins, the SIX Blu-ray and DVD will be available for the suggested retail price of $29.99 and $24.98, respectively.

 

That Time of The Week: DVD & Blu-ray Releases To Whet Your Whistle

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Things here are slowly getting back on schedule with the rest of the DVD & Blu-ray reviews coming soon.  Then (if all goes to plan) we’ll have everything covered on a weekly basis.

There’s a blizzard coming to the East Coast tomorrow, so bundle up, Fire up that queue and prep that shopping cart, it’s That Time of The Week….

 

 

The Girl on the Train
Universal / Released 1/17/16

The Girl on the Train is based on Paula Hawkins’ bestselling thriller that shocked the world.

Rachel (Emily Blunt), devastated by her recent divorce, spends her daily commute fantasizing about the seemingly perfect couple who live in a house that her train passes every day. Everything changes when she sees something shocking happen there, and becomes entangled in the mystery that unfolds.

Extras include featurettes, deleted and extended scenes and commentary.

Last Word: There’s something darkly satisfying in imagining the still #1 bestselling The Girl On The Train is bringing heated debate amongst mostly female book clubs across America.

The twisty British suspense-thriller of the moment rides themes of voyeurism, envy, gender, and social status at a steady pace.

For the built-in book audience, I’m happy to say the film’s Americanized track change to New York’s Hudson Valley doesn’t derail the original story’s tone or intent.

In fact, the upper-middle class setting might hit all audiences over the head with its ugly truths.

Whereas Tate Taylor (Get on Up, The Help) does an unremarkable job directing the material (I would have loved to see De Palma play with this train set), Emily Blunt is perfectly cast as Rachel Watson.  Blunt gives an award-worthy performance.  On paper, it’s a strong character.  An alcoholic divorcee at rock-bottom with an unhealthy obsession over the life that keeps, literally, passing her by on her daily train ride. But Blunt takes Rachel to extremes physically and emotionally.  While you may not feel for this lead character as role-model, you’ll sympathize with her heartbreak.

But there are other women on board the thriller, and lead characters at that.  Megan (Haley Bennett) is one half of the “perfect couple” that Rachel admires from her commuter seat.  And Anna is the new wife of Rachel’s ex, who during a poorly-timed drunken blackout, might have something to do with the disappearance of Megan.

These three women on the surface (and there’s lots of surface) couldn’t have more different dilemmas, but all three share one ugly truth.  They don’t like the women they think they’re supposed to be, and a lot of that is driven by men who think they need to be a certain way themselves.

Take away the alcoholism, adultery and abuse, and the characters are still stuck in repeating suburban nightmares, watching their own lives pass by in a blur.  That’s the sick joke of this thriller, and screenwriter Erin Cressida Wilson (Secretary) knows where to play it for laughs.  Anna needs Megan to nanny so that she has time to properly purée fresh carrots to raise her baby on.  Megan “doesn’t do” cleaning, and can’t wait to get home to wash the scent of baby off.  Additional ancillary women comment on bad food at homeless fundraisers (Lisa Kudrow in a particularly stonefaced role), while Allison Janney’s jaded Detective equally despises every one of these ladies.

The filmmakers were smart to focus on the self-pity and stress of gender expectations.  It’s what keeps the movie interesting.  Honestly I would have loved to see the satire pushed a little more (à la Gone Girl). Take away some of the more expository back-story plotting and it would have tunneled into a more mainstream movie-of-the-week.  Luckily, it earns its R rated, popcorn thriller expectations.

You could do worse in search of a vicarious thrill.  (– Todd Sokolove)

 

The Birth Of A Nation
20th Century Fox / Released 1/20/17

Set against the antebellum South, The Birth of a Nation follows Nat Turner (Nate Parker), a literate slave and preacher, whose financially strained owner, Samuel Turner (Armie Hammer), accepts an offer to use Nats preaching to subdue slaves. As he witnesses countless atrocities, against himself and his fellow slaves, Nat orchestrates an uprising in the hopes of leading his people to freedom. Extras include documentaries, featurettes, deleted scenes, short film, screenplay, gallery, trailers and commentary.

Last Word: Sweeping, epic slavery narratives have become a genre of their own with films such as 12 Years A Slave and Amistad being the gold standards.

Nate Parker’s The Birth Of A Nation seeks to add something fresh and new to the canon with a story from the view of a slave uprising, which has rarely been the central focus of such a widely released movie.

Unfortunately, this film takes a new viewpoint and tells it in a rather formulaic and heavy way. While made with no lack of passion and necessity, the viewer is unlikely to find anything new in this directorial-debut.

Birth Of A Nation is based on the true story of the Nat Turner slave rebellion of 1831 in Southampton County, Virginia. A literate slave is trained to be a preacher and is rented out by his debt-ridden master to preach at other plantations in order to quiet growing unrest. As Turner becomes familiar with atrocities at less genteel properties than his own, he is moved to organize the masses towards a violent uprising with the aim of restoring freedom and justice to his people.

Much of the movie is centered on writer and director Nate Parker’s turn as Nat Turner, which is a thankful occurrence. His earnest though somewhat simplistic performance does a wonderful job of giving the viewer a character that they can endlessly empathize with, even through the violent ending.

The most standout scenes occur as Turner struggles with watching his faith turned into a weapon of oppression as he preaches to slaves who are little more than skin and bones. The emotion that plays across Parker’s face is palpable and heart-wrenching, but rarely provides the reflective nuance a more seasoned actor may have given. The desire for more visible struggle is a constant theme in the movie. A steady march towards the eventual uprising builds in a predictable way as we see the conditions ever worsening, and Turner becoming increasingly disillusioned with no surprises or complications in process.

A one man show, Turner rarely receives or requests guidance and input from other slaves, which could have provided a more well-rounded story.

This is unfortunate, as Parker secured talents such as Gabrielle Union, Jackie Earle Haley, and Roger Guenveur Smith to work for scale. Though Union’s name is heavily attached to the film, she is featured for a surprisingly short time (though she plays it gracefully, as usual).  Many of the co-stars storylines are seen as simple afterthoughts rather than being woven into the film. They fulfill the standard archetypes in the genre: well-meaning female slave owner versus cruel master, those quick to fight the system versus those resigned to their station, and endlessly patient women juxtaposed with strong and quick-tempered men. Every actor does well enough with what they are given that the viewer wishes Parker had trusted them more to work off each other rather than reciting somewhat straightforward lines at the camera.

One of the more interesting turns is how Parker uses violence judiciously to move the story along.

The movie does not shy away from the brutal realities of slavery, from whippings to inventive punishments to lack of human dignity. The harsh imagery from treatment by masters (and later the slaves’ bloody retribution), serves a purpose in every instance. I sat between what I feel will be a representation of any theater: on my left a viewer sat at the edge of his seat taking in the scenes with concern and empathy, while on the right there was a significant amount of cringing and eye-covering at the visually painful scenes. At no time did it seem misplaced, which shows promising restraint on Parker’s part.

It is curious to note that Parker and co-writer Jean Celestin have neglected to include scenes that directly feature violence against women. Though the uprising is widely known to have included the deaths of women and children alike, they are absent from the film. Additionally, rape of female slaves (a widespread historical epidemic) is eluded to before and after though never seen on camera. Parker is careful to give no opportunity to the audience to view Turner in the role of anything but savior. Indeed, he has done a very masterful job in making sure that the majority of the film is spent generating easily found empathy for the slaves and justifying the brutality of what some have viewed as a controversial uprising.

The film is very watchable and it will undoubtedly be looked to for several Oscar nominations if not awards. Parker has mined the well-worn slave genre and come out with a film that is interesting and enjoyable, but could use more polish to truly shine. (– Kristen Halbert)

 

Author: The JT Leroy Story
Sony /Released 12/6/16

On January 9, 2006 The New York Times sent shockwaves through the literary world when it unmasked “it boy” wunderkind JT LeRoy, whose tough prose about a sordid childhood had captivated icons and luminaries internationally. It turned out LeRoy didn’t actually exist.

He was the creative expression of 40-year-old San Francisco former phone-sex operator turned housewife, Laura Albert.

Author: The JT LeRoy Story takes us down the infinitely fascinating rabbit hole of how Laura Albert—like a Cyrano de Bergerac on steroids—breathed not only words, but life, into her avatar for a decade. Albert’s epic and entertaining account plunges us into a glittery world of rock shows, fashion events, and the Cannes red carpet where LeRoy becomes a mysterious sensation.

As she recounts this astonishing odyssey, Albert also reveals the intricate web spun by irrepressible creative forces within her. Her extended and layered JT LeRoy performance still infuriates many; but according to Albert, channeling her brilliant fiction through another identity was the only possible path to self-expression.

Last Word: One of the most fascinating literary scandals unfolded about 10 years ago when famously reclusive author JT LeRoy — an “it boy” who had been championed by everyone from Lou Reed to Tom Waits — was exposed as an alter ego of JT’s manager, 40-year-old Laura Albert. And the young blond boy claiming to be JT LeRoy, who rubbed elbows with celebrities such as Bono and Winona Ryder, turned out to be Albert’s sister-in-law, Savannah Knoop, who donned wigs and sunglasses to aid her disguise.

For the first time in this riveting documentary, Albert tells her side of the story and it’s a surprisingly sympathetic one. While the scathing 2005 New York magazine article that revealed the deception labeled her whole career a hoax, according to Albert, her initial intention was never that calculated. In her defense, she had no way of knowing how out of control this literary invention would become. On the other hand, she had several opportunities to walk away before being exposed and chose not to, leaving friends and supporters feeling understandably betrayed.

Albert began writing as JT — a young boy who’d been pimped out as both a boy and a girl by his lowlife mother — as part of her therapy. While her own past (as we learn in bits and pieces throughout the film) was not as sordidly dramatic as JT’s, it was still deeply troubled and included stints in a metal institution.

As she explains, she always felt more comfortable writing from a male perspective, which led to her getting guidance over the phone using a male alter ego. When a therapist suggested “he” begin writing, JT, then known simply as “Terminator,” began faxing stories to favorite writers, who all urged him to publish.

Soon JT was a media darling thanks to his 1999 book, Sarah, which was supposedly a lightly fictionalized biography of his mother who turned tricks at truck stops. While the reclusiveness and his refusal to go on camera added to his allure, soon he was just too popular to go on being a faceless entity.

Up until then, Albert was simply adopting a literary persona: Now she took a bold step to make JT real. It’s hard to believe it actually worked, but Savannah, Albert’s square-jawed sister-in-law, agreed to the deception and soon she was partying with celebrities as JT and posing for magazine photo shoots. Along for the ride was Albert’s husband and Savannah’s brother, who eventually grew tired of the charade.

While Albert kept up prolific friendships over the phone with celebrity fans including Courtney Love and Shirley Manson, Savannah played JT in public. Savannah even walked the red carpet at Cannes with Asia Argento, who’d directed a movie based on LeRoy’s second book, The Heart Is Deceitful Above All Things.

The film opens with footage of Winona Ryder at a reading gushing about how much she loves JT and it’s surreal to see how devotedly the alternative arts community embraced the author. Since JT was legendarily too shy do his own readings, celebs including Lou Reed and Matthew Modine read for him. When we learn, late in the film, that Albert herself was at nearly all these readings as an unnoticed audience member, the meta-ness of the situation is nuts.

Albert — who’s now 50 — doesn’t offer many apologies for misleading so many of her friends. Her greatest misstep — besides convincing Savannah to play JT — was her reaction when rumors began circulating that JT was a fabrication: Instead of coming clean, she doubled down, asking her celebrity supporters to go to bat for her and insist that JT was absolutely real. You can chalk that up to panic or perversity, but it makes it a lot harder to argue that she never intended anyone any harm through this whole deception.

What’s astonishing is how much material the film has to work with. Albert seems to have documented every minute of her life from childhood on — not only are there photos of her with every celebrity she met as JT’s manager, she also recorded every phone conversation, so we can hear when her answering machine clogs up with famous friends pledging their support as the article hits and then, later, demanding to know the truth. Unbelievably, she even kept recordings of her phone sex sessions, including one with a Mr. LeRoy, whose name she borrowed for her alter ego.

I came away from the film thinking that if Albert had found a more respectable avenue for her writing, she would likely be celebrated as the gifted writer she clearly is instead of reviled as a con artist. But it’s extremely doubtful her books would have been so passionately embraced by the hipster elite if they were credited to a middle-aged mother instead of an abused and sexually confused waif.

Albert will always have her detractors, but this sympathetic documentary might gain her a few more defenders. (– Sharon Knolle)

 

The Handmaiden
Sony / Released 1/24/17

1930s Korea, in the period of Japanese occupation, a new girl (Sookee) is hired as a handmaiden to a Japanese heiress (Hideko) who lives a secluded life on a large countryside estate with her domineering Uncle (Kouzuki). But the maid has a secret. She is a pickpocket recruited by a swindler posing as a Japanese Count to help him seduce the Lady to elope with him, rob her of her fortune, and lock her up in a madhouse.

The plan seems to proceed according to plan until Sookee and Hideko discover some unexpected emotions.

Last Word: Allow me to quote Maximilian “Max” Bercovicz, the gangster that James Woods portrayed in Sergio Leone’s Once Upon a Time in America: “You’ll live with the stink of the streets all your life.”

The same can be said of the stink that Hollywood leaves on your talent whenever you are foolish enough to leave your homeland for the chance to work for the film industry housed in that crap factory. Leone found out how true that statement is when the legendary director of The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly came to America in the 1980s to make an underworld masterpiece, only to have his brilliant work chopped into a million incomprehensible pieces by oafish, untalented editors. Leone sadly never directed again.

Park Chan-wook left his Korean homeland in 2013 so that he could work in Tinseltown where he made the embarrassingly bad psycho-sexual drama, Stoker, which was created from only the second screenplay written by the hunky star of the overly-sweaty television drama, Prison Break. We were elated to hear that after the failure of Stoker, Park decided to go back to South Korea to make movies again, but sadly, the stink came with him. I won’t to go into the tedious sexual plot of The Handmaiden, but what transpires feels like a laughably clumsy version of an early Park Chan-wook film made by someone who really wants a job in Hollywood.

The Handmaiden fails to capture even the slightest aspects of what made Park one of the most exciting filmmakers of the last twenty years. We so wish that the director of Oldboy had picked up a phone to talk to Wong Kar-wai before buying his plane ticket here, or perhaps Park should’ve at least taken a look at My Blueberry Nights before ever stepping foot anywhere near Sunset Boulevard. (– Generoso Fiero)

 

The Monster
Lionsgate / Released 1/24/17

Acclaimed horror filmmaker Bryan Bertino (The Strangers) directs this suspenseful and scary film, in which a divorced mother (Zoe Kazan) and her headstrong daughter must make an emergency late night road trip to see the girl’s father.

As they drive through deserted country roads on a stormy night, they suddenly have a startling collision that leaves them shaken but not seriously hurt. Their car, however, is dead, and as they try in vain to get help, they come to realize they are not alone on these desolate backroads – a terrifying evil is lurking in the surrounding woods, intent on never letting them leave. Extras include featurette.

Last Word: Writer/director Bryan Bertino made a smash debut – and was an overnight horror fan darling – for the downbeat, and very effective, home invasion flick, 2008’s The Strangers.

Anticipation was high for his follow-up – which finally arrived two years ago with no fanfare whatsoever. (For the record, the film was Mockingbird, an apparently blah found footage thriller that I missed.  Hell, I didn’t know it existed).

His third feature, The Monster, may not be quite the minor classic many consider The Strangers to be, but it’s more than worthwhile for monster movie fans.

Zoe Kazan (excellent) plays a ne’er-do-well single mother; a chain-smoking alcoholic who also has terrible taste in men. Her daughter, Lizzy (Ella Ballentine, also excellent), and her mom have what might be charitably termed a contentious relationship. Lizzy’s decided she wants to stay with her dad and stepmom for a while.  Her mom knows that Lizzy most likely won’t choose to come back.

On the drive to Lizzy’s dad’s house, they have an accident and their car is unable to drive any further.  They call 911 and are told a tow truck and ambulance will find them on the basically deserted street.

Unfortunately, it seems they’re not alone on this tree-lined stretch of road.

What I liked about The Monster is the way Bertino takes the time to set up the mother/daughter relationship.  In fact, for the first third or so, The Monster feels like a straightforward indie drama.

Even after the titular creature starts making their difficult lives much, much worse, The Monster cuts away from the present-day horror to flashbacks that flesh out their rocky relationship.  This works surprisingly well, and makes the reach for emotion near the end feel earned.

I was surprised that while watching a bloody monster movie I found myself choked up, during one scene in particular.  This scene – you’ll know it when you see it – is also nicely edited, this time with flashbacks AND flashforwards.

As for the monster itself, it’s a really neat old-school, man-in-a-suit creature.  I was pleasantly surprised that Bertino had the courage to show the monster fully; however, since there are a few lingering shots where the phoniness shines through, perhaps Bertino should’ve been a tad LESS courageous.

Still, it’s a minor complaint. The only real complaint I have with the movie is that as smart as it is in displaying the lead characters’ relationship, it really drops the ball with some of the minor characters’ actions.

There are moments during the film I can imagine watching with a typical Saturday night crowd at a theater in Philly in the 80s, wherein the crowd would be screaming at the stupidity of some of the characters.

Too bad, because The Monster could otherwise have been a minor classic, à la The Strangers.  As is, though, it’s a solid little creature feature that may actually bring a tear to your eye. (– Dean Galanis)

 

Queen of Katwe
Walt Disney / Released 1/31/17

Queen of Katwe is based on the vibrant true story of a young girl (Madina Nalwanga) from the streets of Uganda whose world changes when she is introduced to the game of chess, and, as a result of the support she receives from her family and community, is instilled with the confidence and determination she needs to pursue her dream of becoming an international chess champion.

It is a remarkable story of perseverance against all odds that will leave viewers feeling humbled and inspired.

Extras include featurettes, music videos, deleted scenes, short film and commentary.

Last Word: The inspirational true story of Phiona Mutesi, a girl from the slums of Katwe in Uganda who became a Chess Grand Master makes for a winning, family-friendly Disney film.

Newcomer Madina Nalwanga stars as Phiona and David Oyelowo (Selma) stars as the mentor who teachers her chess and Lupita Nyong’o plays her mother Nakku Harriet, who doesn’t see the value in something so trivial when her daughter could be helping put food on the table.

In this case “food on the table” is a woeful metaphor, because the fatherless family (dad tragically died young) rents a sad hovel that doesn’t even have four full walls and a roof, let alone a table or beds. Their poverty is staggering, especially when you learn the film was shot in the real slums of Katwe (as well as in Johannesburg, South Africa).

Besides the mostly solemn, determined Phiona, the children (all who have never acted before) are a delight, including Ethan Nazario Lubega as pint-sized Benjamin and Nikita Waligwa as pig-tailed Gloria.

Oscar winner Nyong’o’s face is largest on the movie’s poster and she’s both fierce and funny as Phiona’s overprotective mother. But the film really belongs to Oyelowo, whose warmth and dedication to his kids is the heart of the movie, especially when he turns down a better job to stay with his kids.

Two standout scenes: When he sidesteps the organizer of a prestigious chess competition into letting his “slum children” participate and when the children are intimidated by their more privileged competitors and want to go home — he nods and then makes them laugh with a story about a hungry dog he saw chasing a cat. “The dog was running for a meal, but the cat was running for his life,” he tells them and the kids have not only found their motivation, but a new nickname, Katwe Cats. Naturally, they walk away with their first of many trophies and a newfound sense of pride and purpose.

In the film’s inevitable march to a happy ending where Phiona becomes a world-renowned Chess Grand Master, there are several setbacks. A little too much time is spent showing her frustration when she’s forced to return to Katwe after having seen a better life beyond its slums. And a melodramatic subplot with her older sister could easily have been cut.

But that’s a small quibble for an otherwise thoroughly enjoyable film that will send you out with a smile, thanks to the triumphant last chess match and a fantastic end-credit sequence where we meet the real Phiona. (– Sharon Knolle)

 

Goat
Paramount / Released 12/20/16

Reeling from a terrifying assault over the summer, 19-year-old Brad Land (Ben Schnetzer) starts college determined to get his life back to normal.

His brother, Brett (Nick Jonas), is already established on campus and with a fraternity that allures Brad with its promise of protection, popularity and life-long friendships. Brad is desperate to belong but as he sets out to join the fraternity his brother exhibits reservations, a sentiment that threatens to divide them.

As the pledging ritual moves into hell week, a rite that promises to usher these unproven boys into manhood, the stakes violently increase with a series of torturous and humiliating events. What occurs in the name of “brotherhood” tests both boys and their relationship in brutal ways.

Last Word: The tagline for Andrew Neel’s newest film Goat reads “cruelty, brutality, fraternity,” and he doesn’t shy away from showing cruelty and brutality in gory detail.

Unfortunately because we know this film is based on actual events, and adapted from the controversial 2004 memoir by Brad Land, we also know what it means by “fraternity.”  The film is clearly set on undoing the typical played-for-laughs approach of Greek life by Hollywood.

As with the book, Goat is an eye-opening, and ultimately depressing first-hand look inside some very ugly truths not only about the very worst of frat hazing, but of the darker origins of shared machismo.

The film’s first half hour is focused on establishing Brad Land’s poor self-esteem, having lived in the shadow of his real-life brother Brett (played by Nick Jonas).  Upon leaving a typical party that’s not his scene, he’s brutally assaulted by two men.  When the police initially reject his story of the crime, Brad decides to get tough, go to his brother’s school and pledge his Phi Sigma Mu (the fictionalized Kappa Sigma) fraternity.

This is more set up than I would have expected from the film for Brad, and I actually think it’s one of the stronger decisions screenwriters David Gordon Green, Andrew Neel, and Mike Roberts come up with.  They know that the next hour of the film will be a series of violent and despicable actions and events, leading up to a climax that, once again, made hazing a topic of news in the US.

Up and coming British actor Ben Schnetzer is fantastic in the lead role of Brad, and he has to be since the camera is often solely fixed on his face from bruised and beaten, to bold and brave.  You might not often feel for Brad’s poor choices, but you’ll have a deeper understanding of where they’re coming from, and that’s all on the subtlety of Schnetzer’s performance.

Unfortunately the film makes a few poor choices of its own, the most egregious being a walk-on cameo from James Franco as Mitch, one of the frat’s living legends.  Franco’s character is played for laughs, and after seeing the trailer to his recent film Why Him?, I’d say he’s on the brink of going becoming this generation’s Christopher Walken.

It’s possible that Mitch is a cautionary character, but the film already has enough displays of racism, sexism, and homophobia for the audience to understand these are not boys with exemplary judgement skills.  Worse yet, most of them are probably CEOs of Fortune 500s right now.  We get who they are and who they’re going to become, thank you very much Mr. Franco you can go home now.

Ultimately at just over 90 minutes, the film’s exhaustingly graphic.  A true horror film for any parents of college Freshman this September.  The camera lingers when you wish it wouldn’t, the puke is just a tad too real, and then of course there’s that goat.  That poor, poor goat.

When the on-screen brotherhood traditions and rite of passage turn into criminal actions, you be on brother Brett’s side asking, “what’s the point?”  Will this film be the turning point that puts an end to college hazing rituals?  Probably not.  Tales of fraternity suspension and investigations continue to hit the headlines each semester.

Fortunately, the film retains the book’s strong narrative of personal redemption.  After we cringe at Brad’s misguided search for masculine affirmation, and witness his darkest nature, getting to his emotional liberation makes it worth the watch. (– Todd Sokolove)

 
The Man Who Fell To Earth: Limited Collector’s Edition
Lionsgate / Released 1/24/17

Featuring a startling and era defining lead performance from David Bowie (The Prestige, Labyrinth) in his debut feature role and based on the cult novel by Walter Tevis, The Man Who Fell to Earth endures as, not only a bitingly caustic indictment of the modern world but, also, a poignant commentary on the loneliness of the outsider.

Thomas Jerome Newton (David Bowie) is a humanoid alien who comes to Earth from a distant planet on a mission to take water back to his home planet in the midst of a catastrophic drought. Using the advanced technology of his home planet to patent many inventions on Earth, Newton, aided by leading patent attorney Oliver Farnsworth (Buck Henry, The Graduate, Get Smart), acquires incredible wealth as the head of a technology-based conglomerate that he intends to use to finance the construction of a space vehicle to ship water back to his planet. Newton embarks on a relationship with hotel maid Mary-Lou (Candy Clark, American Graffiti, Zodiac) and makes progress with the construction of his vehicle but soon finds his true identity at risk via his roguish colleague and confidant Dr. Nathan Bryce (Rip Torn, Men in Black, Marie Antoinette) who threatens not only his relationship with Mary-Lou, but his freedom and chances of making it home to the family he yearns for. Extras include featurette, interviews, a 72-page bound book, press booklet, four art cards and a mini poster.

Last Word: Bowie’s acting is superb. His “Newton” character is mysterious (you always get the feeling he is hiding something) yet likeable (he seems dreamily secretly erudite). Candy Clark plays Mary-Lou with an unselfconscious charm. Rip Torn plays the chemistry professor with increasing precision: a careless skirt-chaser who later matures into a humble older man. Yet the characters are placed within a meandering and illogical storyline, something that annoys many viewers. Things seem to make sense for about 90 minutes. Then everything takes off inexplicably into new directions. At last the new plotlines seem to converge in the final minutes. It’s hard to tell if we ought to be thinking very hard about this film, analyzing layers of apparent symbolism, or if we should simply enjoy the weird fun, not thinking hard at all. The main point seems to be the style and the mood. Images of all types dance before our eyes; many of them meld light and water. The soundtrack is heartfelt one moment, satirical the next. It seems more about postmodern philosophy than about science fiction.

I couldn’t help but think. Is “Newton” a symbolic name? The dominant motif is that of the eye, and optics. Lines between illusion and reality get blurred, and it seems that once we see something for long enough, it becomes the truth. Note how somebody sees Newton when he first arrives on Earth, and note that his invention (self-developing film) enables us to see things easily and quickly. Many characters wear eyeglasses, sunglasses, or visors of some kind (don’t miss the motorcycle visors). The frequent casual nudity seems to tempt the viewer into a playful voyeurism. The televisions “show,” as Newton says, but don’t always “tell.” The mirrors reflect reality; do they have a hand in creating it? The other easily-spotted motif is that of water and alcohol drinking. Newton grows fond of gin; is this because it appears closest to water?

Bowie does not contribute music to the film, but his album Low (1977) seems obviously connected to it; the album’s cover shows him with his alien red hair and alien hooded robe. I’ve always felt that Low was overrated by the croissant-and-cappuccino crowd, but I do think it melds very nicely with this film. The key track is probably the instrumental “Art Decade.” Roeg had the honor not only of directing Bowie in his first film but Mick Jagger in his: the confusing but unforgettable Performance (1968/1970). (– David E. Goldweber).


‘John Wick: Chapter 2’ (review)

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Produced by Basil Iwanyk, Erica Lee
Written by Derek Kolstad
Based on Characters by Derek Kolstad
Directed by Chad Stahelski
Starring Keanu Reeves, Common,
Laurence Fishburne, Riccardo Scamarcio,
Ruby Rose, John Leguizamo, Ian McShane,
Bridget Moynahan, Lance Reddick,
Thomas Sadoski, David Patrick Kelly,
Peter Stormare, Franco Nero,
Peter Serafinowicz, Claudia Gerini

 

John Wick: Chapter 2 is the sequel to the 2014 sleeper hit, starring Keanu Reeves, that I wanted and that we all deserve.

In the first film, John Wick, played by Reeves, must avenge his dog and car after one was killed and the other stolen respectively. In doing so he winds up taking out the entire Russian mafia in New York City in one of the most beautiful displays of destruction and death put to cinema.

In this next and even more insane chapter, Wick is once again driven out of retirement when a “marker” he owes is called in by a trusted colleague. The task he is required to do is a “catch-22” though. To refuse means death in this world of honorable killers and to accept means to betray the very honor his work and reputation relies on to live.

What unfolds is pure magic.

 

A bullet ballet. A tour-de-force of headshots and broken bones that will leave you feeling like John Woo and the action films that have preceded it were the Revenge of the Ninja and “Golan-Globus action films of the 80’s. That is to say that this is a proverbial adrenaline-filled, kinetic masterpiece of death and destruction that makes watching Twitch streams of Call of Duty play-throughs seem like episodes of M*A*S*H.

Written as a trilogy, the John Wick series, so far, has been one of the best visceral, internal screaming, joyrides I have experienced in a long time. The writer/director team of Derek Kolstad and Chad Stahelski definitely have a vision and the chops to execute it. The visuals, as I have mentioned are stunning and there is an underlying humor that I love. This film doesn’t take itself too seriously while allowing the genre it so fervently relies on to be respected.

The gunfights are mind blowing but it was actually the close quarter combat jujitsu and other fighting styles that really make this action film shine. Mixing it up and really pushing the limits of what the human body can do, I feel like this is what the 2002 film Equilibrium wanted to achieve in a way. I believe they coined the phrase “Gun-Fu”. Well it has been fully realized in John Wick: Chapter 2.

This second chapter of the Wick series is a little more plot oriented and not just “you stole my car and killed my dog now I have to kill everyone”. There are some much needed breaks in the violence to propel the basic story along. Look, this film isn’t going to be winning any awards for screenwriting and story telling. What it does is it has revitalized a genre that has been a little tepid recently and has fun doing it.

The returning cast featuring Ian McShane, Lance Reddick, John Leguizamo, David Patrick Kelly and Bridget Moynahan are all still brilliant and the new cast members including, Common, Laurence Fishburne, Claudia Gerini, and Riccardo Scamarcio are all perfect. My only disappointment in the cast was the underutilization and waste of Ruby Rose as Ares, the mute assassin/bodyguard to Riccardo Scamarcio’s bad guy, Santino. I really wish they had done more with her character. She wasn’t as wasted as Adrianne Palicki in the first but I had hoped for a more substantial opposite female operative to Wick in this installment. There is always Chapter 3.

If you like action, if you are a fan of the first John Wick then you will not be disappointed in this next installment of the trilogy. The only thing I am trying to figure out is how they plan on ending this series because to top they are going to basically have to make “John Wick Kills Everyone” in Chapter 3 and all I can say is “Bring it on”.

 

‘The LEGO Batman Movie’ (review)

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Produced by Dan Lin, Roy Lee,
Phil Lord, Christopher Miller
Screenplay by Seth Grahame-Smith,
Chris McKenna, Erik Sommers,
|Jared Stern, John Whittington
Story by Seth Grahame-Smith
Based on Batman by Bob Kane and Bill Finger,
Lego Construction Toys
Directed by Chris McKay
Starring Will Arnett, Zach Galifianakis,
Michael Cera, Rosario Dawson, Ralph Fiennes

LEGO Batman is back and with even less parents than the last time!

That’s not exactly true, Batman (Will Arnett) has surrogate father Alfred (Ralph Fiennes) by his side and his trusty ward Robin (Michael Cera) this time around for a true Batman Family adventure.

Commissioner Barbara Gordon aka Batgirl (Rosario Dawson) rounds out the good guy cast.

Batman’s nemesis? Of course it is The Joker (Zach Galifianakis) and a slew of familiar rogues.

Robot Chicken veteran Chris McKay directs this hilarious animated feature that bridges the gap between the animated LEGO DC Universe and 2014’s The LEGO Movie.

The LEGO Batman Movie, while obviously riding the success of the first film, also sets itself apart and is more than a sequel. Primarily basing itself in DC locations Gotham and The Phantom Zone, this is a decidedly DC Comics Batman movie. When rattling off a list of super villains in his cadre: Bane, Clayface, Two-Face, Riddler, The Joker is asked if he was making some of them up! Maybe he was, but this movie does introduce Condiment Man to LEGO canon, armed with both a Ketchup and a Mustard gun! OOOH, it stains!

I could tell by the laughter of kids of all ages in the screening that this movie will be a hit. Arnett’s sardonic tones as Batman carry the jokes but also make him more of a hero than he was in The LEGO Movie. Using character development and a clever twist to the “Batman and Joker need each other” trope, the story kicks off as Joker is getting Bats to commit to him as his one true enemy. LEGO Batman insists that he doesn’t need anyone, and he doesn’t “Do” relationships, even one as adversarial as having an arch enemy! This ticks of Joker, so the madman hatches a master plan to win his way into the Dark Knight’s heart with Harley Quinn (Jenny Slate) by his side.

Cera is a brilliant, funny and goofy Robin, tapping into his George Michael voice at times. The toys and builds in the Batcave are over the top, ranging from the Batwing all the way up to Bat Space Shuttle. Pennyworth plays the roll of both parents to Bruce, locking him out of his Batcomputer but also leaving dinner for him after a hard night out fighting Joker.

The cameos are off the charts, and as Joker says, “Probably worth the Google”. From Billy Dee Williams FINALLY Getting to play Two-Face, Doug Benson doing his best Tom Hardy impression as Bane, Zoë Kravitz as Catwoman and so many more. As you can expect from these movies, the Easter Eggs are deep cuts and plenty. Too many to mention in fact, but my favorite has to be the author of the book Alfred is reading about taming your kid, written by Dr. Bartholomew Wolper. You may remember Wolper as the doctor who cured Joker in Frank Miller’s The Dark Knight Returns. Well played, The LEGO Batman Movie, well played.

Batman and Robin crash the Justice League 57th anniversary party (that Batman wasn’t invited to) at Superman’s Fortress of Solitude to steal The Phantom Zone Projector. When Bats sends Joker there, he’s met by a 2 x 4 brick named Phyllis (Ellie Kemper, TV’s Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt) and a multi-property gang of bad guys that includes Voldemort (Eddie Izzard), Sauron (Jemaine Clement), and The Gremlins! While obviously playing in the DC/Warner properties, it was great fun to see the mashup of Big Bads. One bonus jab across the street: a clever swipe at Iron Man’s buddy James Rhodes’ computer password!

This feels like an entirely different movie than a sequel to The LEGO Movie. With no live-action elements implied plus joke after joke and non-stop action, it did have a bit more to offer. Focusing on familiar characters in Gotham, and having Batman use his Master Builder skill set to get out of binds throughout the movie was greatly satisfying. The tone of LEGO Batman lent itself to an editing pace more aligned to a long television episode. McKay was able to bring what we love in Robot Chicken to the big screen by steering the ship the way he did. And by having Joker take over the Batcave, he can quite literally use all the toys in the DC toybox!

This movie is for everyone, with quite a few nods (more than enough) to our geeky Batman-loving friends and continuity. Even Batman ’66 shows up in a surprising Batusi cameo. Arnett’s Batman is as funny as his Arrested Development character with even more hubris.

Sign me up for more LEGO movies! I was already sold, but Batman really sweetened the deal.

‘Fifty Shades Darker’ (review)

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Produced by Michael De Luca, E. L. James,
Dana Brunetti, Marcus Viscidi
Screenplay by Niall Leonard
Based on Fifty Shades Darker by E. L. James
Directed by James Foley
Starring Dakota Johnson, Jamie Dornan,
Eric Johnson, Eloise Mumford, Rita Ora,
Bella Heathcote,, Luke Grimes, Victor Rasuk,
Kim Basinger, Marcia Gay Harden

 

Fifty Shades Darker is a faithful adaptation of the second book in the Fifty Shades series written by E.L.James.

Which means if you liked the books or the first movie you will probably enjoy the Fifty Shades Darker.  If you you thought source material or the first film was trash, then get ready to not be surprised.  Fifty Shades Darker is just more of the same.

This sequel picks up shortly after Fifty Shades of Grey ends.  It is the continuation of the co-dependent fairy tale of the naive young girl who “fixes/saves” the cold, worldly man with nothing but herself and love. If you were a Twilight fan, then this is probably your speed.

Dakota Johnson reprises her role as Anastasia “Ana” Steele, your girl-next-door that catches the fancy of handsome yet emotionally damaged billionaire Christian Grey played by Jamie Dornan.

For a story that entirely revolves around passion and love healing old wounds and conquering all odds, this onscreen couple’s passion couldn’t ignite flash paper with a blowtorch.  Johnson and Dornan have no chemistry whatsoever, which makes the sex scenes somewhat comical, but definitely not erotic.  Johnson’s bland delivery of lines may have been an aesthetic choice by director James Foley to enhance Anastasia’s “vanilla” personality.  However, the approach does not have a long shelf life.  Halfway through the film I found myself bored with Ana and wondering how she could hold the attention of anyone beyond two hours.

Jamie Dornan has shown himself to be a complex actor with such rolls as Paul Spector on the tv series The Fall.  Unfortunately there is little evidence of it in Fifty Shades Darker.  His Christian Grey plays at one note the entire film.  Even when he is supposed to be happy, the emotion never quite comes through.  It’s a disappointing performance from an otherwise talented actor.

The supporting cast is made up of some great actors who are wasted in short scenes with barely any screen time to make an impression.  Marcia Gay Harden as Christian’s adoptive mother, Grace, makes the most of her meager role and lends some much needed depth and character development for Grey. Kim Basinger as Elena Lincoln, one of the the stories main antagonists, is barely a blip on the radar, so much so that when the climatic confrontation happens towards the end of the film, the audience barely has any basis for why the confrontation is a big deal in the first place.  Jack Hyde (Eric Johnson, The Knick) who will play an important part in the third installment is given an estimated 6 minutes of screentime.  I could have done with a little less awkward, cross eyed close-ups of the lovers looking at each other and a little more time with the rest of the cast.  Having a firm story populated by more than ghost of other characters would have given Anastasia and Grey’s relationship more depth.

Let’s face it.  No one goes to Fifty Shades Darker for the writing, character development, or the plot twists.  They are going for the “naughty bits’.  But with the lack of chemistry between the actors, and the repetitive filming and editing of the love scenes, the parts of the film that are supposed to be titillating and risque are actually quite monotonous.  Location and accoutrements may change, but it’s the same close-ups of Ana biting her lip and moaning with sprinkles of other body parts included.  The same formula used over and over.

Even though I disliked the books and the first film, I still volunteered to see Fifty Shades Darker.  Why? Because it’s the junk food of cinema.  You know it’s not good, you’ll regret it after ingesting it, but you make the bad choice anyway because sometimes it’s just fun watch the trainwreck. I can see it joining the cult classics in the way that Showgirls has its ironic viewers.

Released in time for Valentine’s Day it is sure to see some success at the box office.  My thoughts, if you are looking for a kinky Valentine’s Day movie, stay home and rent Secretary.

 

‘Havenhurst’ (review)

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Produced by Tosca Musk,
Jina Panebianco, Andrew C. Erin
Written by Andrew C. Erin, Daniel Farrands
Directed by Andrew C. Erin
Starring Julie Benz, Fionnula Flanagan,
Belle Shouse, Matt Lasky, Douglas Tait,
Josh Stamberg, Danielle Harris,
Dendrie Taylor, Toby Huss, Jennifer Blanc

 

When middle aged recovering alcoholic Jackie takes a room in an old fashioned apartment complex turned half-way house its not only for her recovery.

It seems that Jackie’s friend, Danielle, previously had an apartment in the building, but she mysteriously disappeared, and she’s not the only one.  As Jackie investigates it appears that the building has many secrets such as hidden nooks and passageways, and the people who run the building are very keen to make sure the residents complete their rehabilitation and stick to the rules.

Havenhurst is, if nothing else, an extremely ambitions feature film with complex storylines and characters; but I can’t help but think that something didn’t quite translate from script to screen.

Now in fairness I am not trying to bash this film, Havenhurst is a very interesting film with good acting, likeable characters, and a fantastic premise. Plus, on the technical side the film’s cinematography and art direction look wonderfu,l while the gruesome effects look appropriately awful and in at least one scene are rather shocking.

Nevertheless, I just feel that the dense script, which serviced a complex plot and exposition, as well as it’s connection to real life events, was simplified during production leaving a somewhat intangible aspect of the story slightly unsatisfying.

Overall I found Havenhurst to be an enjoyable and entertaining film with a great location, great characters, and great effects. If you are a horror fan and get the chance to watch Havenhurst you won’t be disappointed.

 

Havenhurst opens today in select cities, VOD and Digital HD.

 

‘Lion’ Arrives on Blu-ray, DVD and On Demand 3/21; Digital HD 3/7

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The journey begins for audiences everywhere when Anchor Bay Entertainment and The Weinstein Company release the critically acclaimed LION on Blu-ray, DVD and On Demand March 21, 2017 and on Digital HD March 7, 2017.

Garth Davis’ directorial film debut garnered six Academy Award nominations including Best Picture. The film features an astounding cast with Best Supporting Actor nominee Dev Patel (Slumdog Millionaire), Rooney Mara (The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo), David Wenham (300), Best Supporting Actress nominee Nicole Kidman (Academy Award winner for The Hours) and newcomers Abhishek Bharate and Sunny Pawar. Additional Academy Award nominations include Best Music (Original Score), Best Cinematography and Best Writing (Adapted Screenplay).

LION follows five-year-old Saroo (Sunny Pawar) who gets lost on a train traveling away from his home and family. Frightened and bewildered, he ends up thousands of miles away, in chaotic Kolkata. Somehow he survives living on the streets, escaping all sorts of terrors and close calls in the process, before ending up in an orphanage that is itself not exactly a safe haven. Eventually Saroo is adopted by an Australian couple (Nicole Kidman and David Wenham), and finds love and security as he grows up in Hobart. As an adult, not wanting to hurt his adoptive parents’ feelings, Saroo (Dev Patel) suppresses his past, his emotional need for reunification and his hope of ever finding his lost mother and brother. But a chance meeting with some fellow Indians reawakens his buried yearning. Armed with only a handful of memories, his unwavering determination, and a revolutionary technology known as Google Earth, Saroo sets out to find his lost family and finally return to his first home.

Inspired by a true story, LION shows us that even if we lose our way we should never lose hope. LION is “majestic and moving” Pete Hammond.

The Blu-ray and DVD bonus content includes Deleted Scenes, Behind the Scenes Gallery and “Never Give Up” Official Lyric Video performed by Sia.

Win ‘The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson: Johnny and Friends Featuring Jerry Seinfeld’ on DVD!

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The Original King of Late Night is back and better than ever with a new-to-retail DVD series, The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson: Johnny and Friends.  Featuring the very best episodes from the ’70s, ’80s and ’90s, the series will include some of the best loved guests from The Tonight Show. Each DVD features full episodes – including original commercials – that showcase an amazing talent and true American icon who, across 30 years and 4,000 shows, paved the way for a late night TV revolution in memorable fashion.
The inaugural release, The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson: Johnny and Friends Featuring Jerry Seinfeld, contains three complete episodes starringtheinimitable comedian before his eponymous sitcom re-wrote TV history.  After his first appearance (May 6, 1981), Carson was impressed and Seinfeld became a frequent guest on The Tonight Show. In 1989, Seinfeld debuted on NBC, and by its fourth season, it had become the most popular and successful sitcom on American television.  However, this Johnny and Friends release features pre-Seinfeld episodes, allowing home audiences to watch the evolution of the iconic comedian.
Episodes include: 
  • Show 1 (June 27, 1985) — A true classic is now released from The Tonight Show Vaults!  Not only does this show feature an appearance by Jerry Seinfeld early in his career, but it also includes one of Johnny’s most famous sketches by The Mighty Carson Art Players: “Mr. Rambo’s Neighborhood.”
  • Show 2 (February 21, 1986) — In this historic show from 1986, Seinfeld is joined by drag racer Shirley Muldowney, and that’s not all, watch as the future “Queen of all Media” meets the “King of Late Night” during the first appearance of Oprah Winfrey on The Tonight Show.
  • Show 3 (June 9, 1988)— A star studded evening closes this DVD as Johnny’s guests include Jerry Seinfeld, Arnold Schwarzenegger and an 18 year old Andre Agassi. 

And we’re giving away 3 copies of The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson: Johnny and Friends Featuring Jerry Seinfeld!

To enter, please send an email with the subject header “Johnny and Jerry” to geekcontest @ gmail dot com and answer the following:

What was the name of Johnny’s longtime sidekick and announcer?

Please include your name and address (U.S. Residents only. You must be 18 years old).

Only one entry per person and a winner will be chosen at random.

Contest ends at 11:59 PM EST on February 20th, 2017.

 

‘Bornless Ones’ (review)

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Produced by Devin Goodsell, Mariietta Volynska
Written and Directed by Alexander Babaev
Starring Margaret Judson, Devin Goodsell,
Michael Johnston, Mark Furze, Bobby T

 

When a group of friends including Emily and her brother Zack, who suffers from Cerebral Palsy, head to a secluded cabin for a getaway they soon realize that the cabin holds a dark secret.

As strange things turn up around the house, Zach seems to be mysteriously mobile and no longer showing the outward signs of Cerebral Palsy.

As events escalate the friends begin turning on each other while Emily figures out the house’s dark past.

Bornless Ones is an odd duck of a film and not the easiest to review, it is kind of a bad jumbled mess but I had a blast watching it.

The story is definitely a mish mash of elements from Evil Dead and numerous possession films while most of the acting and character choices are nonsensical and unbelievable.

The good aspects of Bornless Ones definitely fall within the aesthetic range. The cinematography and art direction lend a great creepy atmosphere to the film’s woodland setting.

Although the true saving grace for Bornless Ones are the film’s practical gore effects. Effects artist Jerami Cruise (Tales Of Halloween and the August Underground Trilogy) brings some truly disgusting visuals to the films killings, which is certainly the element that saves Bornless Ones.  Well worth a watch.

 

Bornless Ones arrives in theaters and VOD today

 

 


Image Comics Founders Reunite To Celebrate 25th Anniversary at ECCC 2017

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Image Comics and ReedPOP, the leading producer of pop culture events are pleased to announce that original Image Comics company founders Todd McFarlane, Jim Valentino, Erik Larsen, Rob Liefeld, Marc Silvestri, and Whilce Portacio will reunite at Emerald City Comicon 2017 to celebrate the company’s milestone 25th anniversary. The panel will be moderated by Walking Dead creator and Image Comics partner, Robert Kirkman.

The Image Comics founders will come together for a very special ECCC panel on Friday, March 3rd from 1:00–2:30 PM. The panel will focus on the origin story of the company when, 25 years ago, a group of comics artists looked at the difference between what they were capable of and what they were being given, and left the promise of steady work for new pastures. The result was Image Comics, which has grown from an upstart group to a comics publisher that has changed the course of the industry. Image’s 25th anniversary year begins with this special event, a rare gathering that is not to be missed.

Following the panel, there will be an exclusive signing with the Image Comics founders in the Grand Ballroom at the Sheraton Hotel located next door to the Washington State Convention Center from 3:00–4:30 PM. ECCC will coordinate a ‘lottery system’ where badge-holding fans will submit their names and a lucky 300 fans will win a limited edition poster and admission to have it signed by the founders. Lottery applications are open on the Emerald City Comicon website until February 21st.

On February 1, 1992 seven comics superstars Erik Larsen, Jim Lee, Rob Liefeld, Todd McFarlane, Whilce Portacio, Marc Silvestri, and Jim Valentino came together to form their own company that would change the landscape of comics forever. Current partners McFarlane, Valentino, Kirkman, Larsen, and Silvestri collectively have brought creator-owned comics to the forefront of industry change and, after 25 years of amazing storytelling freedom, Image Comics celebrates the milestone anniversary all year long with ongoing promotions, events, and festivities.

For more details on Image Comics at ECCC, including the full list of panels, signings, show variants, and attending creators, check back for updates at: www.imagecomics.com.

Emerald City Comicon is the premier comic book and pop culture convention in the Northwest taking place in downtown Seattle at the Washington State Convention Center. Celebrating its 15th anniversary, this year’s show will take place March 2 – 5, 2017. For tickets and additional show information, please visit www.EmeraldCityComicon.com.

‘Hunting Grounds’ (review)

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Produced by Jeremy Berg, Matt Medisch,
John Portanova, Brent Stiefel
Written and Directed by John Portanova
Starring  Bill Oberst Jr., Jason Vail,
Miles Joris-Peyrafitte, D’Angelo Midili,
David Saucedo, Connor Conrad

 

When a father and son move into a family member’s woodland cabin it causes friction in their relationship.

Interpersonal troubles intensify when the cabin’s owner and a family friend come to visit.

But these troubles are nothing compared to the clan of sasquatch which live in the surrounding forest.

Hunting Grounds is a quality first feature from director John Portanova.

While the movie suffers from many of the hallmarks of a low budget production such as poor or flat lighting and occasional unconvincing special effects the simple but effective story and committed acting help to elevate Hunting Grounds above the Red Box fodder.

Another positive aspect of Hunting Grounds is the location shooting; the cabin and forest setting offer a great isolated feel, which adds greatly to the effectiveness of the film’s mood. Also the aforementioned special effects do work on some levels.

Any of Hunting Grounds’ gore effects work well while the sasquatch effects look great in action but aren’t always effective when lingered on in close up.

Hunting Grounds is certainly an impressive first feature that offers some excitement for bigfoot loving horror fans.

 

Hunting Grounds is now available On Demand

‘Mystery Science Theater 3000: Vol. XXXVIII’ Available 3/28/17 from Shout! Factory

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Riffer extraordinaire Mike Nelson hosts all four episodes in the 38th collection of episodes from the beloved comedy series Mystery Science Theater 3000, but the true theme for this set is diversity. Proving to the world that no single genre is immune to cheesy movies and that our hilarious heroes aboard the Satellite of Love are equal opportunity critics, Shout! Factory presents an incredible melting pot of cinema’s multicultural genres, including the worst in Cold War drama, Sword and Sandals, Juvenile Delinquents, and Monster movies.

Available March 28th, 2017 from Shout! Factory, Mystery Science Theater 3000: Volume XXXVIII includes previously unreleased episodes Invasion USA, Colossus and The Headhunters, High School Big Shot and Track of The Moon Beast, as well as a plethora of bonus features including the featurette Zugsmith Confidential , Tracking A Moon Beast with actress Leigh Drake, Mike, by Joel interview, the original feature film of High School Big Shot, four mini-posters by artist Steve Vance and more!

In addition, the first 1,500 fans who order directly from ShoutFactory.com will receive an exclusive bonus disc,  MST3K: Play MSTie For Me Triple Decker, which gathers 39 of the finest MST3K musical moments into one eminently singable package.

In Invasion USA, a tapestry of Cold War-era American archetypes discuss the perils of Communism before witnessing the invasion of America by an unnamed but Soviet-flavored army; Colossus and The Headhunters is a 1960 Italian flick that clearly found the swords and the sandals at an Italian movie thrift store. We have a hero, we have a damsel in distress, and we have plenty of bad guys. Atypical of this genre, however, there are no monsters, unless you count the filmmakers and cast; High School Big Shot follows a beleaguered young man who gets involved in a crime for a payoff that he thinks will cure the troubles with his alcoholic father and cheating girlfriend;  and Track of The Moon Beast brings us a sad tale of a mineralogist’s nightly transformation into a killer reptile following an unfortunate meteor shower.  Alas, even make up effects by legend Rick Baker cannot redeem this film.

Volume XXXVIII Bonus Features

  • Zugsmith Confidential featurette
  • High School Big Shot (original feature film)
  • Mike, By Joel interview
  • Tracking a Moon Beast with Actress Leigh Drake
  • Theatrical Trailers

 

For more details, visit shoutfactory.com.

 

Inside Meow Wolf’s House of Eternal Return

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Smack dab in the middle of Santa Fe, New Mexico, is a once drab bowling alley that now houses a sci-fi interactive play, sans the actors. Built by hundreds upon hundreds of off-kilter artists and sponsored by George RR Martin, Meow Wolf’s House of Eternal Return is not to be taken lightly.

The 20,000 foot exhibition, the exhibition is an experiment of sorts in non-linear storytelling. From the beginning, guests are encouraged to touch and explore everything they can get their itty-bitty meathooks on.

From rifling through the mail or exploring pill bottles and coat closets galore, surprises and the usual lurk behind every turn as folks attempt to solve the mystery of Selig family.

From there, take a mind trip that rivals any episode of The Twilight Zone.

Behind the fireplace leads to a full-size dino bone xylophone. The fish tank in the living room makes a second appearance as a hallway later in the day as guests become the fishies. Slide down a glitter slide of lost socks hidden in a dryer in the kitchen to land in a portal travel agency. Snoop through mom and dad’s closet to discover a full size piano and a gateway to 1986, complete with Dynamite centerfolds hanging proudly on the walls.

And somewhere among the chaos of itty-bitty Tokyo and under-the-sea living room is the sad and tragic story of the Selig family, who appear to be swallowed by the portals that swarm the Victorian home.

Build by a collective of over 130 artists nationwide inside of a bowling alley donated by Martin, Meow Wolf first opened on March 17, 2016, after two years of construction. While few remnants of the bowling alley still remain here and there, the exhibit itself is transformative.

Hundreds of secret passageways and “portals” leading to different eras and dimensions. Jumping from light harps to fully functioning arcades, The House of Eternal Return seems like an acid-soak visit to the Happiest Place on Earth on the first go round, but all roads lead back to the Seligs and the mystery that surrounds their disappearance.

In the end, the clues are all there and the story is set. Guests are given a task: Get a shovel and dig beyond the madness to find the answer.

Oh, you can also see show’s there. If you can find them.

The Meow Wolf Art Complex is located at 1352 Rufina Circle in Santa Fe, NM.

 

For more details visit meowwolf.com

 

 

Abrams Signs Deal with BOOM! Studios to Publish Original ‘Lumberjanes’ Middle-Grade Novels

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Amulet Books, an imprint of ABRAMS, will launch an original middle-grade fiction series based on Lumberjanes, the bestselling graphic novel series published by BOOM! Studios, it was announced today by Andrew Smith, senior vice president and publisher of ABRAMS Children’s Books. In addition to the middle-grade novels, other formats that dive deeper into the world of Lumberjanes are also planned. The publishing program, which is for world rights, was acquired by Smith and Susan Van Metre, vice president and editor-in-chief, and was negotiated with Filip Sablik, president of publishing and marketing at BOOM! Studios. Charlotte Sheedy at Charlotte Sheedy Literary represented Tamaki, and Charlie Olsen at Inkwell Management Literary Agency represented Allen in the deal. Van Metre will edit the books.

Bringing the beloved Lumberjanes characters into a novel format for the first time, the series features original adventures that reveal back stories of scouts Jo, April, Molly, Mal, and Ripley, and introduces a host of new supernatural mischief-makers around the camp for Hardcore Lady Types.  The series will be written by New York Times bestselling author and Printz Honor winner Mariko Tamaki, and illustrated with black-and-white art throughout by Brooke Allen, one of the original creators and illustrators of the Lumberjanes comics. Book One in the Lumberjanes series will publish in October 2017 with a first printing of 150,000 copies.

“We are huge fans of the Lumberjanes and are so excited to extend the beloved, action-packed, and inclusive world of the comics into the world of middle-grade fiction and beyond. We can’t wait for existing fans and new readers alike to dive into the epic new adventure that Mariko and Brooke have created,” says Smith. “We also look forward to announcing further collaborations with BOOM! Studios in the coming months.”

The New York Times bestselling Lumberjanes is a comic and graphic novel series created by Shannon Watters, Grace Ellis, Noelle Stevenson, and Brooke Allen that was launched under BOOM!’s BOOM! Box imprint in 2014. Since its initial release, the series has won multiple Eisner and Harvey Awards along with a GLAAD Media Award, and routinely lands on “Best Of” and “Top Ten” lists across the industry. Lumberjanes has sold over 800,000 copies and is available in more than six languages worldwide. In 2015, 20th Century Fox optioned Lumberjanes for development as a feature film with screenwriter Will Widger. In 2016, the studio announced the attachment of Emily Carmichael to direct the film. Also in 2016, BOOM! published Lumberjanes/Gotham Academy, a crossover series with DC Comics.

“Shannon Watters, Grace Ellis, Noelle Stevenson, and Brooke Allen created something incredibly rare with Lumberjanes, a series that has not only been critically acclaimed and a sales phenomenon, but a property that has ushered in widespread changes throughout the comic publishing industry,” says Sablik. “They and everyone at BOOM! love the books ABRAMS publishes and couldn’t be more excited to see Mariko and Brooke extend the world of Lumberjanes for middle-grade readers and beyond.”

In this new middle-grade series, readers are welcomed to Miss Qiunzella Thiskwin Penniquiqul Thistle Crumpet’s Camp for Hardcore Lady Types. The five scouts of Roanoke cabin—Jo, April, Molly, Mal, and Ripley—love their summers at camp. They get to hang out with their best friends, earn Lumberjane scout badges, annoy their no-nonsense counselor Jen . . . and go on supernatural adventures. In the series opener, when the challenge-loving April leads the girls on a hike up the tallest mountain they’ve ever seen, things don’t go quite as planned. For one thing, the mountain might not be a mountain. Also, unicorns.

An aggressive marketing campaign for the Lumberjanes novel series is planned, including joint promotion with BOOM! studios, Comic-Con promotion, national publicity, author appearances, retail promotion and a large social media presence.

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