Review Category: DVD/Blu Ray

PROJECT ALMANAC

David Raskin (Jonny Weston) has just been accepted into MIT, if he can find a further $20,000 to complete his registration. With no benefactor making themselves known, David has taken to rifling through his father’s old files in the hope that he may have had an idea before he died in a car accident when David was still young.

Incredulously, David finds blueprints for a temporal relocation device (or time machine to you and us) and, with the help of his friends and sister, goes about building the damn thing. David even manages to get closer to his high school crush as a result (who says being a nerd is bad for your sex life?). The group agree on a set of rules to try and ensure that nothing goes wrong. Then they win the lottery and go to a music festival, enjoying themselves as much as they can.

Of course, although the power of the machine only allows the group to shift back and forward in time over a short period, the changes caused by their trips create a ripple effect, or butterfly effect depending on your preference, and David realises that his attempts to sort things out only makes them worse.

Project Almanac is a lo-fi time travel, found footage movie that ticks all the relevant cliché boxes that those sub-genres demand. But at the same time, as well as having everything that would normally culminate in a dull, rerun of everything that these movies can sometimes stand for, we actually get a fun film. Consider a mix up of Chronicle and Back to the Future and you’re pretty much there. You actually like the characters, which is always a nice change when you get a young cast, the lo-fi aspect works in its favour, and overall it’s a pleasant surprise to realise that the running time has shot by. Sure, it does falter in certain aspects, as all time travel films do, but you can’t help but enjoy this.

This deserves to be seen by as many people as possible. It doesn’t purport to be big or clever, but it does over achieve. Go, grab it now.

Special Features: Alternate opening / Alternative endings / Deleted scenes

INFO: PROJECT ALMANAC / CERT: 12 / DIRECTOR: DEAN ISRAELITE / SCREENPLAY: JASON PAGAN, ANDREW DEUTSCHMAN / STARRING: JONNY WESTON, SOFIA BLACK-D’ELIA, SAM LERNER, ALLEN EVANGELISTA, VIRGINIA GARDNER / RELEASE DATE: JUNE 15TH

 

SUPERNATURAL: SEASON 9

The misadventures of Sam and Dean Winchester seem like they’ll never end. The show, which has recently been commissioned for an eleventh season next year, seems unstoppable, and it’s nice to see that a collected edition of last year’s season has finally arrived.

Season 9 of Supernatural is a return to form for the long running TV series. This makes sense when you realise that it’s a soft reboot of sorts. Season 8 ended with a potential ‘show ending finale’ – Sam was about to die and all the angels had been kicked out of Heaven. As cliff-hangers go, it was a powerful one, but also one that would be hard to top. Fortunately, the next season began quite strongly and avoids descending into farce (though if the show ever did go down the comedy route, we’d hope they’d rename it to Carry On My Wayward Son).

From the get go, we have Sam fighting Death itself and angels rampaging across the Earth. Long-time ally Castiel has lost all of his angelic powers and is mortal. Not only does this allow actor Misha Collins to get all the best lines, it also throws some of the flaws of the show into sharp contrast; Castiel’s journey of discovery highlights the essential lack of humanity that Supernatural has had since Season 6 onwards, and this arc tries to fix that. Mark Shepherd turns in a similarly masterful performance as Crowley, the King of Hell, who begins the series locked in the Winchester’s basement. If all of this sounds like a bit much, rest assured that this is just another Tuesday for Sam and Dean.

The arch plot deals with the disenfranchised angels and starts to tie up loose ends that have dogged the show since Season 6. With hell lacking its king, another demon attempts to take the role and the result is a war of attrition with humanity slap bang in the middle. Of course, the two brothers are keeping secrets from each other and there’s plenty of angst. The show’s internal mythology begins to take over at this point, and they are some lovely stabs at the uniquely American interpretation of Christianity and TV-evangelism in particular.

Highlights include Slumber Party, which introduces us to a version of Dorothy from The Wizard of Oz. It also features Felicia Day’s character, Charlie and the two hit it off almost straight away. It’s a fun episode with some wild ideas that really work. Sharp Teeth brings everybody’s favourite amateur monster hunter Garth back into play and introduces us to the idea of friendly werewolves. Garth and chums do a better job introducing us to the idea of supernatural communities than Bloodlines, a back door pilot that was (thankfully) never made into a series. With a dull backstory and boring characters, Bloodlines is the only real clunker in this season. A better episode is The Purge, which is not only funny, it also explores the idea of monsters living in human communities better than Bloodlines ever did.

Fans of Dean are well served throughout, though the episode First Born is a great mix of violence and horror and has some brilliant scowling from actor Jensen Ackles. The season finale is a similar treat, with a shock ending that will make you want to see Season 10 immediately.

They are a raft of extras available as well, which mostly explain how much loving detail and thoughtful backstory go into the show. The commentary is also worth a listen, though don’t expect anything world changing. Overall, a great collection of extras and episodes, and it’s easy to see why this show is so popular.

Special Features: Audio commentaries / Nine featurettes / 2013 Comic-Con panel / Deleted scenes / Gag reel

INFO: SUPERNATURAL: SEASON 9 / CERT: 15 / CREATOR: ERIC KRIPKE / STARRING: JARED PADALECKI, JENSEN ACKLES, JIM BEAVER, MISHA COLLINS, MARK SHEPHERD / RELEASE DATE: JUNE 8TH

LIFE OF RILEY

We take a break from our regular science fiction, horror and fantasy coverage to bring you a review of a French film which heavily involves Yorkshire. Thank god we cover cult entertainment now, otherwise this would be so far outside our remit it would be on the other side of the galaxy.

If you’re one of those types that isn’t really interested in plays or mundane fiction about everyday life, then don’t worry. We are just like you and we still found a lot to enjoy here; this adaptation of an Alan Ayckbourn play is certainly something to behold.

Featuring more colours than a Pantone paint palette (sometimes to its detriment; you’ll be so busy looking at the rainbow on offer that you’ll have missed three screens’ worth of plot-critical subtitles), this film has taken an unusual approach to scenery and decor, choosing to represent houses or a theatre interior with decorated fabric drapes. It is a strange choice to be sure, but the intention seems to have been to remind viewers of the film’s roots, and we can’t fault the filmmakers for that.

But we haven’t mentioned the most interesting part yet. The whole film is about a character (George Riley, a randy teacher) who never actually appears. Rather, the film is about the impact that his impending death has on his friends. His inevitable demise hangs over the film like the sword of Damocles. The fact that you never see him renders this especially effective, as it seems that any cut could be accompanied by a time jump and his death announced solemnly in the next scene.

There’s so much here that we haven’t been able to cover. There’s the rich dialogue (some of which remains laughably unchanged from when the play used doors), the elegant transitions and lush cinematography. The film is an oddity, to be sure, but it’s a charming look into the mindset of middle age.

Special Features: Cast interviews / Interview with critic Geoffrey O’Brien / Original theatrical trailer / 36-page booklet

INFO: LIFE OF RILEY / CERT: 12 / DIRECTOR: ALAIN RESNAIS / SCREENPLAY: VARIOUS / STARRING: SABINE AZEMA, SANDRINE KIBERLAIN, CAROLINE SIHOL, ANDRE DUSSOLLIER, HIPPOLYTE GIRARDOT / RELEASE DATE: MAY 25TH

AWOL

According to its Wikipedia page, AWOL (also known as Lionheart in the US) is “arguably one of the essential Van Damme films”. Whilst that may well be true, it’s fair to say that that’s more of a statement on the questionable quality of most of his movies, rather than a ringing endorsement of this one. Although it’s got its charms, AWOL is, sadly, by no means a classic.

Plot wise, it’s fairly standard stuff. When his brother is burnt alive by a particularly nasty group of drug dealers, Van Damme deserts from the French Foreign Legion and makes his way to America in order to avenge him. Upon arriving in the States, he finds out no one knows who killed his brother so he forgets all about that and instead gets involved with underground fighting clubs in order to support his brother’s family. And, err, that’s about it really. A couple of legionnaires show up to try and arrest him, and there’s a succession of bizarre opponents for him to fight (Man in a kilt! Man in lycra who flicks his hair like he’s in a shampoo ad! Man with massive sideburns and a Bond villain style cat!). There’s also a tick-list of early ‘90s B-movie clichés, including a ropey soundtrack, terrible outfits, Brian Thompson, a plot that even Stallone would have second thoughts about, the obligatory scene when Van Damme gets his arse out, and, bizarrely, a clothes shopping scene that seems to be included purely on the grounds that Pretty Woman had one the previous year.

It would be churlish to dismiss AWOL for any of these reasons, however. No one’s ever watched a Van Damme movie for the plot. You watch it for the fight scenes. And this is AWOL’s one redeeming feature (okay, that and Van Damme trying to act drunk). The fights, although hardly ground-breaking, are well staged, varied, and, for the most part, a good demonstration of Van Damme’s skills (not sure about the fight he wins just by punching his opponent in the balls five seconds in, though). However, in comparison to modern martial arts movies such as The Raid, their slow speed and general tameness seems rather quaint.

One of Van Damme’s essential films it may be (if such a thing exists), but unfortunately AWOL hasn’t aged well. It’s cheesy, clichéd as hell, but just about gets by on charm and nostalgia value.

Special Features: None

INFO: AWOL / CERT: 18 / DIRECTOR: SHELDON LETTICH / SCREENPLAY: SHELDON LETTICH & JEAN-CLAUDE VAN DAMME / STARRING: JEAN-CLAUDE VAN DAMME, HARRISON PAGE, DEBORAH RENNARD, LISA PELIKAN / RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW

APPARITION

Quinn Saunders sophomore feature effort, Apparition, is a 90 minute blur of tired plot devices, dull characters and story shortcomings. Beautiful couple Doug (Jody Quigley) and Lori (Katrina Law) take on a shoddy doer-upper in the hopes of starting a family and settling down. It’s a syrupy status quo, him a loony financier and her a ditsy arty type. The house has a history, a manifestation of evil in colonial brick and wood, warping the minds of its occupants to kill, torture and maim. After a trite argument and a bout of the drive-angries, Lori is killed and Doug throws himself in to renovating the house. Sure enough, it has its wicked way with him.

The supernatural elements take a backseat until well past the 30 minute mark, by then it’s a configuration of cliché bait and ineffectual jump-scares. The score is a typical frisson of strings and synth and the odd piano melody telling us which are the tender moments. Of the small cast, the only standout performance is from Lili Bordán as the once troubled grad student Jamie. As well as outshining everyone else, she also seems to have guzzled up the best lines.

The scares are largely drawn from the horror of losing a loved one, and the crippling fallout of grief and bereavement. A more meditative approach to this concept would have made for a tighter narrative and a more chilling study of loss. The editing isn’t bad and some of the transitions are terrific, Saunders knows what he’s doing, but first time script writers Pete Cafaro and Andrew Kayros haven’t done him any favours. Apparition is a trashy romantic drama, strung together with hackneyed supernatural flourishes that takes too much from The Amityville Horror to be anything more than one of 2014’s genre causalities.

Special Features: TBC

INFO: APPARITION / CERT: TBC / DIRECTOR: QUINN SAUNDERS / SCREENPLAY: PETE CAFARO, ANDREW KAYROS / STARRING: KATRINA LAW, JODY QUIGLEY, LILI BORDAN, DAVE DROXLER / RELEASE DATE: TBC

IN THE BLOOD

Independent British Crime thriller from debut director Mark Abraham, In the Blood centres on Johnny, a low-level junkie whose safe-cracking grandfather has just died. After the funeral, a gang of violent gangsters then kidnaps Johnny, believing that he can open a safe for them. He is taken to a farmhouse out in the middle of nowhere, gets thrown in the basement and is told to crack the safe. But, after a long time of not getting a fix, withdrawal starts to kick in and the ghosts of Johnny’s past comes back to haunt him. He’s consumed by guilt of not doing right with his grandfather and has no clue about whether or not he’s able to open the safe, even if he survives his ordeal. As time ticks away, tensions rise between the gang members and things get bloody very quickly.

Being made on a minimalist budget, this is nevertheless a solid debut for Abraham, who opts for a very low-key approach. Even though the film starts uneasily slow, it suddenly begins to find its feet as soon as the kidnapping happens, and from there, you do feel the pain and the batterings that goes on as the film progresses. The look, tone and atmosphere are immensely stark and gritty, and you certainly feel the grit and the grime that the film offers. You also feel confined as well, and film has a claustrophobic uncertainty and panic, from the way the small sets are shot to the frequent uses of close-ups on the actors’ faces, which is all reflected in Andy Bloom’s perfectly constrained script. There’s almost a hint of the outstanding Disappearance of Alice Creed about it, which is no bad thing, yet the film lacks the edge, the bite and the surprise of Disappearance of Alice Creed.

Even though the film is nearly 90 minutes long, the principal characters are compelling enough to be thoroughly interesting. There is no annoying cockney-gangster stereotypes or any toe-curling Pinteresque criminal speak to be found here at all. All the characters have different layers about them, with each layer being unique, despite how briefly glimpsed it may be. Having proved popular with the likes of TV’s Skins and Peaky Blinders, Joe Cole is compelling as the main anti-hero, giving a performance that perfectly balances the right mixture of both determination and vulnerability. The supporting players each give solid performances, whilst both Peter Bowles and Phil Davis lend an air of gravitas to the proceedings.

While it may not completely reinvent or breath new life into the Brit-crime sub-genre and is not as iconic as The Disappearance of Alice Creed, In the Blood never manages to be boring or stale, and it promises big things to come for Mark Abraham. It is thoroughly compelling throughout, boasts solid performances, and on deserves a watch from even the average viewer.

Special Features: None

INFO: IN THE BLOOD / CERT: 15 / DIRECTOR: MARK ABRAHAM / SCREENPLAY: ANDY BLOOM / STARRING: JOE COLE, PETER BOWLES, ALISON STEADMAN, PHILLIP DAVIS, STUART GRAHAM / RELEASE DATE: JUNE 1ST

 

THE SISTER OF URSULA (1978)

Coming from the Italian wave of sleazy cinema known as giallo, this relatively obscure offering provides more flesh than fear, but certainly has enough eye opening moments to keep fans of that subgenre entertained.

Two sisters, Ursula (Magnolfi) and Dagmar (D’Amario) are searching for their mother who disappeared some time previous. Making themselves at home at a hotel by the sea – it’s literally less than three minutes before Dagmar has undressed to nothing – they get embroiled in a series of horrible murders, which Ursula also sees in her terrifying nightmares.

Amid the backdrop of sun, sea, nightclubs, sex, and drugs, the bodies begin piling up. Men are sliced and diced with the sharpest (and coolest looking) knives, while the obligatory black-gloved stalker has a more horrible fate for the promiscuous women. Their reproductive organs are quite literally torn apart by the vicious killer. The list of suspects mounts up as fast as the bodies, and indeed, as fast as the copulation.

While not the greatest example of giallo, there’s still plenty of interesting points and it ticks many of the boxes of what one would expect. The main problem, however, is the ratio of sex to murder. While we’re not adverse to either in our horror films, the naked fumbling tends to overpower the slaughter. We’re shown mostly the aftermath of the killings, which of course is still effective, but is somewhat of an anti-climax when the build-up is handled so well. The shots of the murderer’s eyes – although repeated a little too often – are sinister enough to chill, and by using fabulous ploys such as shadows and reaction shots, the murder weapon is kept as secret as it could be until the final reveal. You will probably be able to guess it, but it’s still so unique (even for a giallo) that it’s brilliant.

As with many of its type, it has a luscious score by Mimi Uva, which while not as memorable as some, still gives the required flavour. It may fail as an erotic thriller (there were attempts to release it with non-director approved hardcore scenes) but it’s certainly passable as a lower level entry to the subgenre.

Shameless’ release has ported over the brilliant thirty-minute featurette with the writer/director Milioni being incredibly candid and honest about the making of the film and his memories and fate of the cast, and is certainly worth a look. There’s also almost half-an-hour of trailers for other Shameless releases which in itself is as entertaining (if not more in some cases) as the films themselves.

INFO: / CERT: 18 / DIRECTOR & SCREENPLAY: ENZO MILIONI / STARRING: BARBARA MAGNOLFI, STEFANIA D’AMARIO, ANNA ZINNEMANN, ANTINISKA NEMOUR / RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW

THE FAMILIAR OF ZERO – SEASON 2

Based on the light novels by Noboru Yamaguchi and left unfished due to his death, Familiar of Zero was originally serialised in anime form as far back as 2006. Since then there’ve been four series and one OVA episode. But having seen the first series makes little difference to watching the second, with more than enough exposition to bridge the gap.

Nicknamed ‘Zero Louise’, a young noble girl is teased for her shoddy use of magic at Tristain Academy. During a class ceremony to summon their familiars, Louise summons Saito Hiraga, a boob-obsessed high school student. Saito, motivated by tit size, finds himself the centre of plenty of attention and echhi enabling plot devices. Big boobs and panties might be the be all and end all for Saito, and the lynchpin for all the comedy, but it doesn’t approach it a playful or inventive way like this year’s Punch Line.

The series functions in much the same way as the high-schooler-trapped-in-video game or sent back in time tropes. While it’s a fictional kingdom, it’s largely based on a warring Europe and the settings are lavishly rendered and cunningly brought to life. The cutesy character models aren’t without merit and the fight sequences are enjoyable. Though none of it leaves a particularly deep impression.

With the rule of three episodes (where you reserve judgement until viewing the first three episodes) it passes . . . barely. It’s not without style and some impressive visuals, mostly of the glowing twin moons themselves, and not without genuinely tender moments. There’s redemption in endings, and the series closer, The Farewell Wedding Ceremony, makes finishing the series worth it.

Special Features: Trailers / Opening and closing animation

INFO: THE FAMILIAR OF ZERO – SEASON 2 / CERT: 15 / DIRECTOR: YU KO / SCREENPLAY: YUJI KAWAHARA / STARRING: RIE KUGIMIYA, SATOSHI HINO, MICHIKO NEYA / RELEASE DATE: JUNE 8TH

 

THE STRANGE CASE OF DR. JEKYLL AND MISS OSBOURNE

Walerian Borowczyk’s The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Miss Osbourne is very aptly named. Falling in an unusual middle ground between art house cinema and sexually exploitative horror, it’s a film that is at once gorgeously mysterious and unflinchingly violent. It’s such a contradiction at times that one struggles to make sense of what’s going on, despite the fact that the film’s plot is readily apparent to anyone who is familiar with Robert Louis Stevenson’s classic work.

However, while Borowczyk’s take on Dr. Jekyll sticks with the violence and transformation, so much more is added. Henry Jekyll is engaged to a Miss Fanny Osbourne, and the gathering at this house is a celebration of their impending nuptials. And that’s basically where the similarities end, because in this version, there’s a prosthetic penis which looks like a weapon. Also, men and women alike are raped to death and Fanny and Henry nearly feast upon one another at the end. It’s a strange thing. It’s hazy and red and violet, and given that all of the women are made to take morphine, while the men are left to bumble about like the Keystone Kops, the entirety of the movie might as well be some sort of waking nightmare.

One again, though, Udo Kier is what elevates this film from mediocrity. His mere presence in a film can do so much, despite having someone voice him in a manner that renders Kier a weakened character. You’d expect Kier and Jekyll or Hyde to speak with a resonant, authoritative tone, but it’s a bland persona cast by the looped dialogue. It’s terrible for everyone involved – Dr. Jekyll & Miss Osborne might as well be a cartoon for all of the squeaky, goofy emoting going on here – but Kier, as the protagonist and antagonist both, needs a bit of strength. Thankfully, his steely gaze can make for a discomforting means of communicating his intent.

Also helpful in deciphering Dr. Jekyll and Miss Osbourne are the myriad supplemental materials on this disc. Michael Brooke’s introduction to the films of Borowczyk provides an excellent overview of the man’s work, and places this film nicely within an interesting pantheon of experimental and exploitation film. The interviews with the film’s stars are lovely reminisces, but as per usual with this sort of thing, provide more cute stories than actual filmic insight.

We recommend watching this with subtitles, as the dubbing is atrocious and, as the film looks amazing, any excuse to soak up more of Arrow’s excellent new 2K transfer should be welcomed. There’s hours of content here, and even if you’re not the sort to look into Polish-directed, French-language adaptations of classic English literature, this is an excellent opportunity to start.

Special Features: Audio commentary / Six featurettes / Interviews / Two short films / Booklet

INFO: CERT: 18 / DIRECTOR: WALERIAN BOROWCZYK / SCREENPLAY: WALERIAN BOROWCZYK / STARRING: UDO KIER, MARINA PIERRO, PATRICK MAGEE/  RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW

BLEACH SERIES 15 PART 1

The problem with long running anime is filling the time, and Bleach, by its penultimate season, was really showing signs of fatigue. But with the same blend of whimsy, supernatural mystery, engaging battles and effortlessly cool soundtrack, it soldiered on.

The first part of the Gotei 13 Invading Army arc sees soul reaper Ichigo Kurosaki dealing with his fading powers in the fallout of fighting Sōsuke Aizen. He and his friends explore a variety of odd events in the Soul Society. Many of the reapers have disappeared, in admits a conspiracy that threatens the Soul Society, the Land of the Living and the Precipice World. Kon, meanwhile, discovers a disorientated and lost Nozomi. She’s in the tsundere vein, shirking help and friendship, but gradually warming to the group, injecting a highly needed dose of stoicism to even things out.

The combat is typically spectacular, and seeing Kenpachi and Toshiro fight their doppelgangers is invigorating, and proves that Bleach, even three years since it finished, still has action sequences that are second to none. For a series that is primarily a slew of tenuous fight scenes, it really does a great job and keeping things fresh.

Even with filler, it’s well paced, spinning all the character plates and going through the motions. Sadly, Rukia isn’t given nearly enough to do and can go episodes at a time without saying anything. There’s plenty of gags and light relief, though the weight of the humour rests solely on Kol, who ends up having much more to do then a lot of the other characters clashing arms.

The episodes themselves aren’t satisfying enough to take in single viewings, instead it’s better to binge watch, making the surprising revelation at the half way point all the more satisfying. Since you’re only getting half a series, and with a real lack of extras, it’s not the best buy. But with a cliff-hanger that compelling, you’ll probably want to fork over the cash for the next volume anyway.

Special Features: Opening / Ending

INFO: BLEACH SERIES 15 PART 1 / CERT: 15 / DIRECTOR: NORIYUKI ABE / SCREENPLAY: MASASHI SOGO / STARRING: JOHNNY YONG BOSCH, STEPHANIE SHEH, DEREK STEPHEN PRINCE / RELEASE DATE: MAY 25TH