FAST & FURIOUS 7

There’s a slight problem inherent in reviewing a Fast & Furious film: by any conventional measure, they’re dreadful. The scripts are preposterous, refusing to make any concessions to logic, believability or even the laws of physics. The dialogue’s awful. Characters are so badly sketched they barely even qualify as caricatures. And in Vin Diesel, the series has a leading man who struggles to deliver more than three consecutive words – fine when your lines consist solely of “I am Groot”, but a touch more problematic when you’re delivering actual dialogue.

And yet, it works. After the patchy early instalments, Fast & Furious turned itself around with part five. By turning its weaknesses into strengths, this is a series that now revels in its own batshit craziness, inviting audiences to suspend believability and just go along for the ride. And they have, in great numbers. This latest instalment is currently the fifth highest grossing film of all time, to the tune of $1.5 billion.

From the opening moments of part seven, it’s clear that any lingering concessions to reality have been casually discarded. Jason Statham’s big bad, Deckard Shaw, walks through the wreck of a hospital past cowering doctors, nurses, and the corpses of the SWAT team who unwisely tried to enforce visiting hours for his brother (Luke Evans, the villain of the previous instalment). And it just gets sillier from there.

Shaw travels to Tokyo and kills a member of Toretto’s (Vin Diesel) team; an event which places the third film, Tokyo Drift, as occurring between parts six and seven (and whose star, Lucas Black, briefly returns here). Naturally Vin Diesel isn’t thrilled about this and, alongside the rest of his team, vows to track down Shaw. Since Shaw’s looking for him as well, you’d be forgiven for thinking this would be fairly straightforward.

But the Fast & Furious movies have their own warped logic. Enter Kurt Russell as a shady government type – a man so cool he has infra-red sunglasses to help him fight in the dark. He offers to help Toretto track Shaw down in exchange for recovering a sophisticated surveillance system called God’s Eye.

This leads to the series’ now customary globetrotting, first tracking down the hacker who created the device (Game Of Thrones’ Nathalie Emmanuel, meaning the list of franchises not employing Thrones actors is now down to Jurassic Park and Paul Blart: Mall Cop) and then the device itself; a journey that takes in Azerbaijan (looking suspiciously like America) and Abu Dhabi.

Throughout their journey they’re hotly pursued by Statham, who has a habit of turning up mid-action scene, snarling and blowing things up. A more thoughtful franchise might consider this a slight plot hole considering the gang are on this mission to obtain a device so they can track a man who is generally about two minutes behind them. But this is a film where, upon deciding on a location for their final showdown with Statham and his private army, decide that Los Angeles would be perfect, leading to a swathe of destruction (and presumably a matching civilian body count) that Man of Steel would be proud of. Like we said, just go with it.

Over the course of the series, the films have gained an ever growing ensemble cast; the latest instalment sees Vin Diesel promoted to sole lead following the tragic death of Paul Walker during filming; Tyrese Gibson and Ludacris are still the misogynistic comic relief; Michelle Rodriguez is more or less back to normal following her death, resurrection and amnesia of the last few films; Jordan Brewster has literally nothing to do whatsoever; and Gal Godot, although billed, isn’t even in it (she was killed off in part six, although that’s never held anyone back in this series before). F&F’s never been the most progressive series in terms of female roles, so it’s little surprise than the female characters are sidelined. What is surprising, however, is that Dwayne Johnson joins them. After being the best thing about the last two movies, he spends most of his limited screen time confined to a hospital bed following an early encounter with Statham. It’s an odd choice, considering how much fun he brings to the franchise – although we’ll give them this: when he does finally return to the action, it’s glorious. You just wish it’d been sooner.

Director James Wan (Saw, The Conjuring) proves just as adept at action as he is with horror, offering up one ridiculous set-piece after another; cars parachute out of planes and leap between skyscrapers; drones pursue our heroes through LA, destroying half the city in the process; characters run along buses as they fall off cliffs, all without anyone getting so much as a scratch. At this point, the series more resembles a live-action Looney Tunes cartoon than anything else. With Bond currently stuck in introspective mode, Fast & Furious is the current franchise to look to for larger-than-life action, and for a series that’s always had a tenuous grip on reality this is next level silliness.

Fast & Furious 7 is big, ridiculous and, in its final moments – which see the retirement of Paul Walker’s character – oddly poignant. Put your brain into neutral and enjoy the ride.

Special Features: Back to the Startling Line featurette

FAST & FURIOUS 7 / CERT: 12 / DIRECTOR: JAMES WAN/ SCREENPLAY: CHRIS MORGAN / STARRING: VIN DIESEL, PAUL WALKER, DWAYNE JOHNSON, MICHELLE RODREIGEZ, JASON STATHAM / RELEASE DATE: SEPTEMBER 7TH

ODYSSEUS – VOYAGE TO THE UNDERWORLD

The premise for this entirely ‘original’ account ostensibly from the Odyssey, is that the story of The Isle of the Mists was too terrible for Homer to tell. Frankly, it’s not that bad; just a little innocuous. Certainly on a Syfy Channel budget (albeit boosted for a 2008 theatrical release), and with a television sensibility, it was never going to be especially horrific. In truth, it barely earns its 15 certificate – which makes you wonder just exactly what kind of audience Syfy were aiming for.

Odysseus (a reasonable Arnold Vosloo) having fought and won the Trojan War, is heading home to Ithaca and his wife Penelope, having missed out on the first two decades of his son’s life. But Odysseus’ ship is attacked by winged creatures and wrecked on the shore of what turns out to be the Isle of the Mists, fabled home of the fallen goddess Persephone (the striking Stefanie von Pfetten; an appropriately Teutonic substitute for Troy’s Diane Kruger – the most beautiful women in Ancient Greece being all of Germanic heritage). Tagging along with his lack of combat prowess – but much to his benefit – is a young Homer, who has been attempting to persuade Odysseus to allow him to publish the great warrior’s story.

The early scenes on the island are gorgeously shot and promising of if not an epic adventure to come, at least an involving one. But sadly the script is beset by silliness (a “safety zone” that’s straight out of a school playground) and predictability – and the character with the most potential removes himself from the stranded party and almost out of the film entirely. What ensues is almost painfully serious, when the film could have benefitted from more levity; a story this hokey needed to be told in a befittingly trashy fashion. The occasional stab at profundity falls wilfully short of success, while there isn’t enough money to give the battle sequences impact nor integrate the effects effectively. What results is 90 minutes of passable but tame adventure that might, with just a little extra inspiration, have raised itself to bear comparison with the Ray Harryhausen pictures it is so obviously in thrall to.

Those Sinbad and Argonaut flicks took themselves seriously and got away with it, having been created half a century ago with all the mores that that entailed. By being shamelessly old-fashioned, yet with a darker, more horrifying subject matter, the producers of this seem caught between two stools. A little more gung ho might have appealed to the younger generation, a little more terror might have satisfied horror fans. But by being neither one thing nor the other, Odysseus doesn’t really have an audience to engage with.

ODYSSEUS – VOYAGE TO THE UNDERWORLD (AKA ODYSSEUS AND THE ISLE OF THE MISTS) / CERT: 15 / DIRECTOR: TERRY INGRAM / SCREENPLAY: BROOK DURHAM, KEVIN LEESON / STARRING: ARNOLD VOSLOO, STEVE BACIC, J.R. BOURNE, STEFANIE VON PFETTEN, RANDAL EDWARDS / RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW

 

THE CURSE OF DOWNERS GROVE

Based on the 1999 novel Downers Grove written by Michael Hornburg, this American thriller tells the story of an apparent curse that enchants the Downers Grove High School. Every year without fail a senior dies at the high school.

As the senior prom approaches, angst and tension fills the air as it’s only a matter of time before the curse claims its next victim. Our main protagonist, Chrissie (Bella Heathcote), just so happens to be in her senior year, and she expects to graduate and has plans for college. She’s always been skeptical of the curse but her paranoid best friend, Tracey (Penelope Mitchell), believes she may be the next victim. After attending a house party, Chrissie becomes threatened by a jackass jock, Chuck (Kevin Zegers), who sexually assaults her, but in retaliation she pokes his eye out. With his football career ruined, Chuck is angry and wants revenge.

The film looks crisp and sharp, is cleverly shot, but as the story evolves and Chrissie appears to be having an assortment of visions, the edits are jarring and lack creativity as they don’t fit into the rest of the aesthetics of the film. Perhaps they are trying to show the effects of the curse, however it takes you completely away from the story. It also has a retro ‘90s vibe from the style of shooting to the costumes, but the end result is rather lacklustre. Chrissie is a Plain Jane, but for some reason all the guys are creepily fixated on her and she remains blissfully ignorant of this despite being in a life-threatening situation.

Could it all be the curse or unfortunate circumstances? It’s a rather predictable plot for the most part. There were hopes that this would be a supernatural horror given the title, but instead you get a second rate teen psycho thriller. With the narration from Chrissie giving all the exposition, there is little left for the imagination. Co-written by American Psycho author Bret Easton Ellis, there is no surprise that a large theme in the film is aggressive and violent masculinity mixed with a cliché of characters who seem to consistently go against their own character traits; Chrissie is reluctant to attend the house party but still decides to get wasted, then when her own life and her friends are threatened she gives in to throwing her own house party. Everything is all too convenient; the police’s hands are tied, the parents are out of town, the brother is too high to be overwhelmed by this. Even in the hopes that the curse is all an allegory for teen angst, self-destruction and mere idiocy, the execution is too obvious with no originality. It’s all rather underwhelming and by the end you don’t care if this curse is the real deal or not.

THE CURSE OF DOWNERS GROVE / CERT: TBC / DIRECTOR: DERICK MARTINI / SCREENPLAY: BRET EASTON ELLIS, DERICK MARTINI / STARRING: BELLA HEATHCOTE, PENELOPE MITCHELL, KEVIN ZEGERS, LUCAS TILL, HELEN SLATER / RELEASE DATE: TBC
 

DOG DAY AFTERNOON – 40TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION

Re-released on Blu-ray to mark its 40th anniversary, Sidney Lumet’s crime classic remains compulsive viewing, and just as timely as ever.

Based on a true story, Dog Day Afternoon chronicles a pair of would-be New York bank robbers Sonny (Al Pacino) and Sal (John Cazale) and their spectacularly unsuccessful attempt to pull off a heist. About as far from professional criminals as its possible to get, the charismatic Sonny and nervy Sal are a pair of complete fuck-ups who, thanks to a series of blunders – they’re abandoned by an accomplice early on, choose a day when there’s little money in the bank, and manage to alert the police to their presence – find themselves trapped in the bank, surrounded by police, the FBI and an ever-growing crowd of onlookers.

As Sonny, Pacino delivers one of his greatest performances – only The Godfather‘s Michael Corelone and Serpico top it (sorry, Scarface fans). He bonds with the hostages, establishes a cordial relationship with the cop (Charles Durning) tasked with ending the siege, and wins over the hostile crowd. Pacino’s character is one who revels in his moment in the spotlight. The glimpses of his life away from the bank, with a failed marriage and a transsexual lover who doesn’t want him, suggest that away from the bank, he has very little to live for, and he makes the most of his new-found infamy. For an actor famous for his grandstanding, Pacino also delivers in the quiet moments. It’s impossible not to be moved by Sonny as he realises he may not make it out of the siege alive and starts dictating his will to one of the hostages.

Likewise, Cazele, in the less showy role, is equally impressive. More reserved and nervy than his partner, Cazale adds an unpredictable edge to the situation. We know Sonny’s unlikely to snap under the pressure, but Sal is a different matter entirely. Between Dog Day Afternoon, the first two Godfather movies and The Deer Hunter, the actor gave a trio of great performances in the early 1970s, making his premature death in 1978 even more tragic.

Although the film is very much a snapshot of the social unrest of early 1970s America, for a film made in 1975, it’s amazing how much Dog Day Afternoon still resonates today. Through their exploits, the pair become unlikely celebrities, with TV stations interviewing them live on air, and the entire siege is played out under the glare of cameras. Then there’s the crowd gathered outside the bank, revelling in the pair’s exploits, but equally happy baying for their blood. It may be set in the 1970s, but both our and the media’s fascination with characters like Sonny and Sal, and our morbid fascination with crime and tragedy, are just as relevant today as they were 40 years ago.

Special Features: Director commentary / Five featurettes / Trailer

DOG DAY AFTERNOON – 40TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION / CERT: 15 / DIRECTOR: SIDNEY LUMET / SCREENPLAY: FRANK PIERSON / STARRING: AL PACINO, JOHN CAZALE, CHARLES DURNING, CHRIS SARANDON / RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW


 

MADMAN

Many are familiar with the behemoths of the slasher subgenre – The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Halloween, Friday the 13th – but the American slasher cycle of the late ‘70s and ‘80s produced some slightly lesser known gems, such as Madman from 1982. Here at STARBURST we are particularly fond appreciators of cult films, and this new Arrow Blu-ray release of Madman is a quintessential example of a cult classic. As the new introduction to the film by producer Gary Sales and the Madman himself, Paul Ehlers, reveals, Madman never received a UK release due to the video nasties scandal and so it doesn’t have the notoriety of its contemporaries, however, it is still beloved by many horror aficionados.

Originally, the plot was based on the Cropsy maniac urban legend, only for the crew to find out in pre-production that The Burning (1981) was filming the exact same premise. Due alterations followed. Despite this hiccup, Madman became a pretty popular drive-in film for kids in the ‘80s eager to have their proverbial pants scared off.

The film opens with a fantastic scene set around the campfire. One camp councillor, TP (Tony ‘Fish’ Nunziata) is singing a song that prophesises of the chaos to come. Interestingly, this song is accompanied by interwoven images that flash-forward to later in the film and reveal the camp counsellors fate. It’s a nice piece of experimental filmmaking that riffs on the conventions of the slasher genre by saying, ‘yeah, you know what’s coming’ whilst also adding a degree of tension. One of the great aspects about Madman is how it constructs its own mythology, and TP’s song is followed by a campfire tale from elderly head councillor Max (Carl Fredericks). Max tells the story of a local farmer who one day decides to kill his family, then heads to the local pub for a swift pint (as you do) only for the patrons to notice his bloody axe on the bar and hang him for his crimes. As it happens, the hanging wasn’t enough to see off old Madman Marz, and if you dare utter his name above a whisper he won’t be happy at all. Naturally, a cocky teenager, Richie (Tom Candela), decides to call the killer out and spoil the camping trip for everyone.

What ensues next is a thoroughly enjoyable slasher film, as Madman Marz chases the counsellors through the woods with his big axe. Not to sound morbid but there really are some top death scenes on offer here. They include a hanging, an impaling, and a great scene with a car – all which feature practical effects that would make Tom Savini proud.

Fair enough, the dialogue is a bit cheesy and the characters aren’t the most complex bunch of people you’ll ever meet, but Madman has its stylistic accomplishments. As the feature-length documentary included on the Blu-ray reveals, the film only cost a measly $350,000 so the distinct aesthetic is impressive. The fact it is shot entirely at night gives Madman a really isolative and claustrophobic feel, and the squelchy, synth-laden score that pervades the film only enhances this. The blue-rinsed, moonlit cinematography throughout also adds to the atmospheric ambience and it looks impressive with a 4k transfer for this release.

Ignore that Madman got a frankly preposterous rating of 17% on Rotten Tomatoes and take it from us that if you like your slasher films, you’ll appreciate this. Not to mention the fact that Madman Marz has his own badass theme tune that appears in the credits. Jason Vorhees wishes he had a theme tune half as good as Madman Marz…

Special Features: The Legend Still Lives documentary / Two audio commentaries / Four featurettes / Interviews / TV spots / Stills gallery / Trailer / Collector’s booklet

MADMAN / CERT: 18 / DIRECTOR & SCREENPLAY: JOE GIANNONE / STARRING: GAYLEN ROSS, TONY FISH, HARRIET BASS, TOM CANDELA, PAUL EHLERS / RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW


 

PARKS AND RECREATION: THE COMPLETE SERIES

Looking back now, some six years later, to when Parks and Recreation first hit our screens, it’s easy to forget that it didn’t drop into our lives like a sleek comedy missile but was, instead, met with some criticism, occasionally missing its target and not quite sure of itself. 

After all, visionary creators Greg Daniels and Michael Schur, with their already impressive canon of work including The Simpsons and The Office, were taking a massive punt on a premise that doesn’t automatically suggest great comedic potential, namely the machinations of an inconsequential small-town’s under-budgeted and underwhelming Parks and Recreation department. By the second season, however, the show had finely tuned its trajectory and set a course for award-winning accolade and timeless cult status thanks, in no small part, to its fabulous characters and the collaborative writing of its ensemble cast.

Of all the characters in the show the real stand-out performances and unforgettable moments have to be those of Nick Offerman’s good old-fashioned curmudgeon, Ron Swanson. Swanson is to Parks and Rec‘ what Homer is to The Simpsons in that neither were intended to be the main character but have become, nonetheless, one of the reasons we watch their respective shows (Simpsons’ creators maintain that the cartoon was always intended to be primarily about Bart and that Homer’s popularity was largely unplanned). Ron Swanson’s gruff, objectionable attitude to mostly everything would be lost, however, were it not parried by the star of the show, Amy Poehler’s irrepressibly optimistic and cajoling officiate Leslie Knope. There simply isn’t space to mention every cast member’s contribution but suffice it to say that from Rob Lowe’s overly-perky, health-obsessed government official, to the office loser Gerry Gergich played by Jim O’Heir, there isn’t a single weak link in the endless comedy chain. It is worth mentioning that Chris Pratt is much more likeable as the slightly podgy, clumsy chump, Andy Dwyer than the buff all-action-hero of Jurassic World. 

As for the box set itself, it is rather plainly packaged for such a momentous show and, frankly, boasts a hefty price tag but it is nice to see the conventional use of seven separate boxes (one for each season) rather than, for example, a recent release of Modern Family box set with 17 discs crammed confusingly into one case. The extras are exhaustive and no matter who your favourite character is there will be something here to add to their body of work. If you need to have the absolutely definitive collection of what has become an almost legendary show then this is just the thing for you.

Extras: Deleted scenes / Gag Reels / Music Video / Webisodes / Commentaries / Feature on the 100th Episode and more.

PARKS AND RECREATION: THE COMPLETE SERIES / CERT: 15 / CREATORS: GREG DANIELS, MICHAEL SCHUR / STARRING: AMY POEHLER, JIM O’HEIR, NICK OFFERMAN, AUBREY PLAZA, CHRIS PRATT / RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW

 

THE PHOENIX INCIDENT

Based on true events known as The Phoenix Lights, The Phoenix Incident indulges in the conspiracies behind the Arizona UFO sightings in 1997. A documentary-style sci-fi thriller that studies the case of a group of friends who went missing during the incident in which the skies mysteriously lit up by UFOs.

The feeling throughout many sci-fi and horror fans is that found footage is tiresome and overdone. Even incorporated into documentary style, it’s all the same; shaky cameras with terrible lighting and supposedly ‘real people’ who would still hold a camera up right when in great peril. Who leaves a camera turned on tilted at a perfect angle and recording in the boot of a car? It was innovative, experimental and clever when the style exploded with The Blair Witch Project, however, it’s not so clever when using the method for the sake of doing found footage. It may be practical and cost effective, but it ruins what is an interesting and promising concept and it makes you wonder, what is the point?

Upon hearing of mysterious lights in the sky, military forces take action and a group of curious and foolhardy men decide to check it out. It’s an adventure story turned horror movie when they realise what they’ve stumbled into. The atmosphere of the film is electric, but the pace is jarring with the use of intercutting interview pieces. Despite the annoyance of mediocre footage, the effects are great when they show the unusual space crafts among the military jets. The light flares and sonar footage of the action brings it together and gives those thrilling science fiction moments. Director Keith Arem is known for working in video games as a director and in sound design. The Phoenix Incident definitely has the melodrama of an action-packed game. There are some good monster moments that, with more build up, would have been startling. We want to see more action, we don’t want to read about it or hear people talk about it. Just show us the damn story please!

Despite the feeding of information, we remain at a loss for what these creatures are, what are their special abilities? There is a lot ambiguity and there is one strange and remarkable character who remains ominous and dangerous and it brings a rather demonic ending to the film, if you can wait till the end of the credits that is.

THE PHOENIX INCIDENT / CERT: 15 / DIRECTOR & SCREENPLAY: KEITH AREM / STARRING: ELISE MULLER, TROY BAKER, JAMES C. BURNS, KARL GIROLAMO, WILLIAM GOLDMAN, YURI LOWENTHAL / RELEASE DATE: SEPTEMBER 7TH
 
 

 

AWAITING

Tony Curran, an ex-Corrie actor and Diana Vickers – homegrown horror doesn’t get much more British than Awaiting. After crashing his car in a storm, hotshot city slicker Jake (Corrie boy Rupert Hill) is taken in by creepy single dad Morris, brought to the rural farm where he lives with his daughter Lauren (X-Factor crooner Diana Vickers) – just in time for Christmas!

Christmas in September is only the start of Morris’s madness, the demented dad being in possession of some seriously sinister predilections. That’d be of the cannibalistic variety, among other things. As the sozzled dad kisses his daughter firmly on the chops, the words “Merry Christmas, baby” have never felt quite so skeezy. What follows is like a quintessentially British cross between Misery and The Loved Ones (there’s even a little torture with a kettle full of hot water).

Its grand musical score takes its cues from The Descent (no, let’s be honest, it practically is The Descent) but Awaiting is much more low-down and melodramatic than that. It feels like a soap opera in scale and budget, its leading man not helping much in that regard. The presence of the ever-reliable Curran helps, though. Jake is so loathsome that there’s plenty of schadenfreude to be had in watching the angry ginger repeatedly beat the snot out of him. Diana Vickers is surprisingly good as innocent young Lauren too, although foot fetish types may be disappointed – she spends more time wearing shoes than one might expect.

If it’s tedious during the set-up, all that is forgotten during the film’s last half, when Curran is allowed to let loose and some surprisingly effective gore is unleashed upon the audience. It’s still melodramatic and soap opera in scale and budget, but here it works in the film’s favour. That only serves to make its shocks even more, well, shocking. It’s wonderfully kooky, a battle of wits between an idiot, Diana Vickers and a psychopath, with one truly ghastly bit of gore towards the end to really shake things up. And yeah, Vickers gets to sing over the end credits.

Awaiting is demented, brutal fun. Bolstered by some great performances and packing in some unexpectedly good shocks, it might just be the biggest horror surprise of the year. Maybe Christmas has come early after all.

AWAITING / CERT: TBC / DIRECTOR & SCREEPLAY: MARK MURPHY / STARRING: TONY CURRAN, DIANA VICKERS, RUPERT HILL, PETER WOODWARD / RELEASE DATE: SEPTEMBER 7TH

 

A LULL IN THE SEA PART 2

It’s been five years since the Ofunehiki, where the land dwellers try and appease the Lord Sea God, and the people of Shioshishio were forced into hibernation. Since then, strange meteorological phenomena have become commonplace even in the inland cities, and the sea has frozen over. Despite being the second half of one series, the difference in tone and time make this latter part seem more like a separate entry. It’s altogether sparser, with the coastal region dusted in salt flake snow, and more intimate in scope and scale.

Chisaki was the only one of her friends left on land after the fraught events that rounded off the previous curve. Now she’s living with Tsumugu and tending his sick grandpa as a fully-fledged nurse, adding new depth to her character; it’s a good job too because she was probably the most neglected of the previous thirteen episodes. Tsumugu himself has become a college student and flits between his home life and his studies, desperate to unravel what went wrong during the ritual.

Hikari is the first to rouse from hibernation, found naked out on the frozen sea, and fixed in his futile struggle to save Manaka. Even five years on, he’s a fish out of water, shocked to discover just how much things have changed, especially in the cities, channelling the battle of modernity verses the traditional that concerns so many Japanese narratives. After he comes to terms with things, settling down with his sister Akari and her family, he resumes his search for Manaka while the rest of his friends start to wake up.

Troublesome twosome Miuna and Sayu are now the same age as Hikari and co, adding new variations to the complex love triangles (and about every other geometric shape) channelling A Midsummers Night’s Dream in the who’s in love with who, that touches on farce but never oversteps the line. After Tsumugu is cursed in the same style that caused Manaka so much anxiety years before, the reunited friends’ cotton on that Lord Uroko must be on land. He’s the physical manifestation of one of the Lord Sea God’s sundry scales, and the religious nucleus of Shioshishio. Miuna and Sayu try to appeal to his immeasurable appetite and pervy inclination, by luring him out with food and porn.

If the first curve was about generation gaps and culture clash, then the second puts more emphasis on family and the complex relationships of its characters. It’s a musing series that’s as much about the pros and cons of love than its exploration of generational divides. The last few episodes do start to drag and repeat ideas and plot points, but the outcomes of each character and the beautiful concept of the sea makes for a poignant and satisfying end. And like the adage about old movies, any frame of A Lull in the Sea could hang proudly on a wall.

Special Features: Clean opening and closing credits / Trailers

A LULL IN THE SEA PART 2 / CERT: 12 / DIRECTOR: TOSHIYA SHINOHARA / SCREENPLAY: MARI OKADA / STARRING: NATSUKI HANAE, MAX MITTELMAN, KANA HANAZAWA, MICHELLE RUFF, AI KAYANO, BRIANNA KNICKERBOCKER / RELEASE DATE: SEPTEMBER 7TH

BAIT

Difficult ‘second album’ time for Dominic “Paddy off Emmerdale” Brunt as he follows up his extraordinary directorial debut, 2012’s intimate-yet-terrifying ‘zombie’ drama Before Dawn, with a movie which, superficially, couldn’t be more different. Yet dig a little deeper – watch out for zombies! – and you’ll find that Before Dawn and Bait have much more in common than might be initially apparent. Both films feature two people battling against a formidable, implacable and impossibly-hostile adversary; Before Dawn’s zombies are replaced here with monsters which are much more shocking, much more threatening and, ultimately, much more real. Welcome to the murky, grimy, bloody underworld of ruthless debt collectors – and a story of what two desperate woman are driven to when they’re pushed too far.

Both films establish that one of the signatures of Dominic Brunt movies is a desire to set up extraordinary situations populated by believable, realistic people speaking and behaving the way real people do. Paul Roundell’s tight script deftly establishes the flighty Bex (Victoria Smurfitt) and the more restrained Dawn (Joanne Mitchell) in bold strokes and with snappy, naturalistic dialogue and character quirks which instantly endear them to the audience. Desperate to better themselves, the girls allow the oily, plausible Jeremy into their lives and it’s only when he offers to loan them the balance of the cash they need to set up their own little cafe that they realise he’s actually a loan shark with a neat line in astronomical interest rates for his customers. The girls try to back out of the deal but it’s too late; Jeremy imposes an ‘arrangement fee’ which is itself more than the amount he’s loaned them. The girls are soon up to their necks in debt and trouble – and Jeremy and his silent heavy Sy won’t take no for an answer as they impose their own enforcement rules on their hapless victims.

Bait can be a difficult film to watch. Sequences of pensioners being brutalised are disturbing and upsetting albeit necessary to establish just how appalling these creatures really are. When Jeremy is finally revealed in his true colours, the violence escalates to a degree and a scale which come pretty close to Grand Guignol as Dawn and Bex finally decide to fight back after being humiliated and brutalised and the results are extraordinary touching on the surreal.

Bait might not have quite the same impact as its predecessor (which might well be just because Before Dawn came right out of left field, unexpected and without fanfare) but it’s a haunting and memorable movie in its own right and it will stay with you long after it’s finished. The second half seems a little frenetic and episodic where we might have wanted to spend a bit more quality time with Bex, Dawn and Co. but once the situation is set up there’s no time to waste in small talk and as we reach the climax the tension is pretty near unbearable. Bait (retitled from the original The Taking) is a worthy, possibly more challenging piece than Before Dawn and it cements Dominic Brunt’s growing confidence as an ambitious film-maker with the ability to tell strong stories with power, grace and economy.

BAIT / CERT: 18 / DIRECTOR: DOMINIC BRUNT / SCREENPLAY: PAUL ROUNDELL / STARRING: VICTORIA SMURFITT, JOANNE MITCHELL, JONATHAN SLINGER, RULA LENSKA / RELEASE DATE: SEPTEMBER 7TH