Review Category: DVD/Blu Ray

DVD REVIEW: PSYCHO-PASS / CERT: 15 / DIRECTOR: NAOYOSHI SHIOTANI / SCREENPLAY: GEN UROBUCHI / STARRING: ROBERT MCCOLLUM, KATE OXLEY, ALEX ORGAN, JOSH GRIELLE, JASON DOUGLAS, SCOTT FREEMAN, LINDSAY SEIDEL / RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW

The Japan of the future has become a self-sustaining isolationist nation where order is maintained by the Sibyl System, a centralised AI network of instant personality assessment and behaviour analysis that constantly monitors the psychological stability of the country’s citizens. Anyone whose mental state even briefly fluctuates outside rigidly defined parameters (the titular psycho-pass) is immediately branded a latent criminal (someone deemed in possession of the mindset to one day commit a crime) and pre-emptively incarcerated in order to preserve stability.

After a series of horrific murders begins, Kogami, one of the police department’s Enforcers (latent criminals indentured to the police to avoid imprisonment), becomes convinced that they are the work of a past unidentified serial killer. Along with newly appointed Inspector Akane, he searches for the killer’s identity.

A spiritual cousin to the groundbreaking Ghost in the Shell, instead of searching for the human soul amidst electronic circuitry, Psycho-Pass explores what it means to be human when we willingly place ourselves at the mercy and judgement of machines. The setting evokes the futuristic technological nightmares of authors like George Orwell, William Gibson and Philip K. Dick – all three are specifically referenced, and the script namechecks both Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? and the “old movie” that was based on it (Blade Runner), which is also a clear influence on the series’ visual style.

The great irony of the setting is that everyone is living in an authoritarian dystopia without actually realising it. Aptitude tests decide what career a person is most suited for and thus the path through life they must take, like it or not, while anything intellectual or individually creative runs the risk of its creator being branded a latent criminal (the paradoxical concept of state-approved punk music gives you an idea of just how all-encompassing the system is on human culture). Emotionally pacified to a state of voluntary somnambulism, people go about their lives without complaint, utterly lost without the system they have submitted to, while any elevated stress caused by the constant possibility of failing a psycho-pass scan often becomes the self-fulfilling reason for the failure. So insidious is the dominance of Sybil, it takes the actions of a sociopathic murderer to expose the flaws in this supposedly perfect system of social justice. Appropriately, Sibyl is named after the prophetic oracles of Ancient Greece, whose vague predictions were often validated – Nostradamus-like – after they had occurred.

The progression of the series is structured in such a way that it continually increases in scope as it progresses. The first few episodes are throwaway cases to give both Akane and the viewers an introduction to the world of this volatile social utopia; next it progresses to the investigation of the actions of a serial killer; and then events escalate into a potential revolution before the hideous truth at the heart of this brave new world is revealed in all its grotesque and morally reprehensible glory.

Through its philosophical musings, the series asks a number of questions about morality, identity, law, justice and what concessions we should be willing to allow in the name of maintaining order. However, it does not presume to dictate answers, instead leaving people to make up their own minds about whose actions and beliefs, if any, are justified.

Extras: Trailers

DVD REVIEW: RAVEN’S CABIN / CERT: 15 / DIRECTOR: LOREN JOHNSON / SCREENPLAY: KATRINA RODRIGUEZ / STARRING: ANDREA BURDETT, LUKE LEDGER, JOHN MCPHERSON, PIA PRENDIVILLE, MAURICIO MERINO JR, NEAL HUXLEY, JAG PANNU / RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW

Redback is a “youth behaviour modification” camp operated deep in the woods, where wayward young adults are set back on the straight and narrow by a regime of humiliation, degradation and abuse both psychological and physical. Among a new batch of inmates grabbed off the street by some thuggish bounty hunters is the tormented psychic Andrea (Burdett), who begins seeing an apparition of a girl who died at the camp as a victim of an apparent suicide.

Raven’s Cabin is driven by three parallel plotlines: the survival of a regime of abuse by sadistic councillors suffered by those trapped there; a police investigation into ill treatment allegations made by a former inmate of the camp; and a supernatural aspect courtesy of Andrea’s visitations from the dead girl’s spectre. While there’s nothing especially wrong with the ideas presented, the film seems unsure of what kind of story it’s trying to tell. While its components are all part of the same narrative, they never properly mesh together into a coherent whole. Each one would be sufficient as an individual plot by itself, and as a result the constant juggling between each of them is to the detriment of them all.

Exactly how such a place managed to come into existence is not explained, nor is any reasoning given for how it has managed to continue operating for so long and why this appears to be the first time anyone has made a complaint about their treatment there. Yes, the setting was created purely for the needs of the plot, but it really shouldn’t feel like that within the context of the story. Harris (McPherson), the leader of the sadistic camp guards, does at one point mention having previously been a failed school councillor, but it’s quite a leap from that to his cruel behaviour on-screen.

Although much time is spent on the assorted inmates, there are a few too many to allow each of them much individual personality; like the narrative, the multiple interactions of related yet disparate elements leaves all of them feeling like secondary considerations. Andrea is easily the most interesting of the bunch, a girl cursed with visions of death and prophecy she neither wants nor can control. She states exactly what a crappy gift it is, being able to hear the tortured wailings of restless spirits and experience people’s future suffering without being able to do much about either.

A subtle and low-key piece of Australian filmmaking (if you’re looking for a stopgap before Wolf Creek 2 comes out, you’re going to be sorely disappointed), Raven’s Cabin is a decent achievement given its limited resources, but its unfocused structure prevents you from truly engaging with it.

MOVIE REVIEW: WHITE SETTLERS / CERT: 15 / DIRECTOR: SIMEON HALLIGAN / SCREENPLAY: IAN FENTON / STARRING: POLLYANNA MCINTOSH, LEE WILLIAMS, JOANNE MITCHELL / RELEASE DATE: SEPTEMBER 6TH (LIMITED SCREENS), SEPTEMBER 8TH (VOD)

You know, sometimes you are aware that you are just not welcome. The sophomore feature from Simeon Halligan (Splintered) preys on both that feeling, and a fear even more common: home invasion.

Ed (Williams) and Sarah (McIntosh) have moved into their dream home: Castle Farm, an isolated farmhouse with plenty of land in the remote Scottish borders. Although it’s run down – the previous owner couldn’t afford to keep it running and eventually died there, the estate going to probate rather his family – the pair sees its potential and hope it will kick start a new life for them. On the very first night, however, their nightmare begins.

With its very simple premise, White Settlers manages to draw the viewer into its deeply disturbing and intensely terrifying scenario incredibly quickly. As the evening progresses, the couple endure fright after fright, each more nerve-wracking than the last before they finally come under physical attack.

Although there’s a fair amount of violence, White Settlers doesn’t take the easy route of heading straight for shock value, scoring points instead by psychological means; through relentless tension and building anxiety. Which is not to say it doesn’t have its average share of jolts and jumps, but wisely, they are applied sparingly.

Pollyanna once again proves herself as one of the best actors currently in the country, (the irony that she’s actually Scottish isn’t lost on us) and appears to be completely fearless with the roles she undertakes; it certainly won’t be long until she is recognised as a major league player. Her character acts as both final girl and hero; rising from frightened victim to brave-hearted survivalist, while Williams’ Ed seems to do the reverse. Sarah is certainly the most proactive person in the relationship!

Despite some outcry by some areas of the press, the film doesn’t come across as merely exploiting the upcoming referendum to make Scotland independent from Great Britain, but the timing of the release couldn’t come at a more apt time, so who could blame the producers for playing on it for the promotion? The film doesn’t in any way insinuate anything about the Scots; this is a tale of territories and entitlement, not politics, and could take place in any rural area the world over.

White Settlers exudes a quality not often seen in those of a similar or even higher budget. The daytime shots are stunning, presenting the tranquil surroundings at their very best (with the Peak District standing in for the Scottish borders), and while the bulk of the activity takes place at night, it is never so murky that one struggles to understand what’s going on. If there is a fault, it’s a common one; in that the trailer reveals too much (particularly in regard to Pollyanna’s character). Despite that, it still packs quite a punch.

It’s a film which benefits greatly from being seen on the big screen, so don’t miss your chance on the short September run. 

DVD REVIEW: RPG / CERT: 18 / DIRECTOR: TINO NAVARRO, DAVID REBORDÃO / SCREENPLAY: TINO NAVARRO, ARTUR RIBEIRO / STARRING: RUTGER HAUER, CIAN BARRY, ALIX WILTON REGAN, DAFNE FERNÁNDEZ, CHRIS TASHIMA / RELEASE DATE: SEPTEMBER 8TH

The most surprising thing about this Portuguese science fiction film is that, in many ways, it is not as bad as it looks. Indeed, the concept is pretty ambitious. However, for all Rebordão and Navarro’s good intentions, RPG (which somewhat disappointingly stands for Real Playing Game) is not quite as distinctive as it needs to be. A shame, because with some tweaks this could have at least been more fun.

The film sees an ill, rich old man, (the cheekily named, for all you Blade Runner fans) Steve Battier (Hauer), travel to a facility to take part in a 10-hour game with nine other wealthy participants. Their minds are transferred into younger bodies, and the aim of the game is to outlive your competition by the hour (if nobody dies in an hour, the game chooses one to eliminate at random) and the last person standing gets to reclaim their youth. The concept may be similar to other films but the gender politics and morality that Ribeiro and Navarro instil into the film are very admirable. The fact that, once in the game, the participants have no recollection of who they really are is an intriguing touch (although not without its problems).

In fact, the film comes with some considered moments and is bookended by a very stylish (think TRON: Legacy but on a far, far, far smaller scale) opening and climax. Sadly, once the game progresses, cracks begin to appear. The ideas raised are simply that – raised. They are not explored enough and come the final twist, the whole film is rendered a tad pointless. The characters remain mostly nameless, although we know who Roy… I mean Steve’s younger self is (Cian Barry), and that is another issue. The film only really presents this bunch of characters through thick young stereotypes (handy girl, promiscuous girl, Mexican, Asian, sex-obsessed douche, etc). Then there is the acting, which is wildly inconsistent, veering from dreadful to tolerable. Hauer is billed as the lead but only really shows up at the start and finish and while there is fun to be had in Chris Tamisha’s turn as The Gamemaster, character-wise there is little here to elevate this game.

RPG is not a particularly good film, but it does feel unfair to write it off entirely, as it has its plus points. It is a pity that it feels so forgettable come the end because in spite of all its faults, a few rewrites and some changes to the dialogue could have made all the difference. As it is, RPG is watchable but ultimately cannot escape a late-night throwaway vibe.

Extras: None

DVD REVIEW: PRESIDENT WOLFMAN / CERT: TBC / DIRECTOR: MIKE DAVIS / SCREENPLAY: MIKE DAVIS / STARRING: MARC EVAN JACKSON, PAUL ALVAREZ, ASHLEY ANN / RELEASE DATE: VOD OUT NOW

Mike Davis impressed with his ambitious 2008 feature-length debut, Sex Galaxy, which cobbled together public domain footage to create a new narrative. His follow-up is another ‘green’ movie, one that is sure to be unique in the horror genre. Like its predecessor, President Wolfman is made from recycled footage which has been cunningly re-edited and re-dubbed.

The bulk of the material is taken from the 1973 howler The Werewolf of Washington, starring Dean Stockwell. Davis has reimagined the film, pitching Stockwell as President John Wolfman in this comedy-cum-satire, who is bitten by a werewolf on the brink of a deal which would see China take over America, creating Chimerica in the process. In exchange for their obedience, politicians get a swanky skyscraper to themselves. President Wolfman fights tooth and claw to prevent this.

Given the Frankenstein effect, the editing is surprisingly deft, seamless almost, but there is something of YouTube about it. The same filter effect is used throughout for continuity. It’s a disorientating watch, for sure, but it’s also quite hilarious, with the humour owing as much to South Park as it does to Naked Gun and Airplane!

If nothing else, Davis has reminded us that film doesn’t have a fixed structure, and President Wolfman pushes the boundaries of just what a film can be. This is never going to be a mainstream hit, and that’s no bad thing; instead it’s set for cult status with Davis a filmmaker to look out for.

Extras: None

VOD REVIEW: EVIL FEED / CERT: 18 / DIRECTOR: KIMANI RAY SMITH / SCREENPLAY: AARON AU, KIMANI RAY SMITH, JANA MITSOULA / STARRING: LACI J. MAILEY, TERRY CHEN, ALAIN CHANOINE, ALYSON BATH, DEREK GILROY / RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW

Welcome to The Long Pig. A Chinese restaurant that serves a range of cannibalised delights including wontongue soup, special chow brain, kung po flesh and sweet and sour skin, all washed down with a delightfully fresh ‘clot’-tail. While you wait for your meal, why not place a bet on a brutal fight to the death or indulge in some sexual favours from a vast selection of ladies dressed in bloodstained pig masks? Because if it’s sexy you want, farmyard animal is what you get.

Absurd horror gore-fests don’t come much more schizophrenic than Evil Feed. Part horror, part martial arts and part man eating a ‘dicky roll’, it’s a movie based around the mantra of ‘you are what you eat’. Starting out with the owner’s son taking over the family business, we are introduced to his vision of ‘tendertainment’ through the ‘Pit of Gore’, a televised arena where customers watch captured elite fighters duke it out to avoid being diced into an appetiser. When one fighter however turns out to be a member of a much larger martial arts gang, the rest of the group decide to infiltrate the restaurant and save their friends from certain noodle fodder fate.

From there, cartoony characters, outrageous gore, martial arts sequences and clumsy dialogue thrust the movie along a bumpy path of jarring tonal shifts. Ridiculous one-liners and light-hearted splatter humour are interspersed with grim scenes of torture which don’t entirely gel together. It turns into an odd and slightly frustrating experience which jumps between wonderfully silly to overtly serious at the switch of a frame.

It’s unfortunate because when Evil Feed embraces its absurd concept, we see glimmers of the B-movie horror romp it could have been. Standout moments like the ‘house special’ room and the consumption of the aforementioned ‘dicky roll’ are the perfect kind of crazy which will make fans of the genre shriek in joyous disgust. Some of the fighting set-pieces are also well executed and tense, perhaps due to director Kimani Ray Smith’s previous work on stunts for a variety of blockbuster movies including Rise of the Planet of the Apes.

While enjoyable in parts, Evil Feed doesn’t quite live up to its bonkers premise. With too many styles and ideas battling for attention, its brilliantly repulsive moments become a little lost in the mix. Hopefully, a sequel can improve on its blend of sweet and sour and serve up a dish which isn’t so hard to swallow.

DVD REVIEW: ELECTRA GLIDE IN BLUE / CERT: 18 / DIRECTOR: JAMES WILLIAM GUERCIO / SCREENPLAY: ROBERT BORIS / STARRING: ROBERT BLAKE, BILLY GREEN, MITCH RYAN, ELISHA COOK JR. / RELEASE DATE: SEPTEMBER 15TH

‘Big’ John Wintergreen (Blake – later to star on TV as Baretta and as the creepy ‘Mystery Man’ in David Lynch’s Lost Highway) is a motorcycle cop, working the long stretch of Arizona highway. As the squad gear up for the arrival of some hippies for a music festival, his mind is still on moving on to bigger things, namely the homicide department. Other than his aspirations, he’s stands out for a number of reasons: he’s a nice guy, giving everyone a chance and following the letter of the law, and he’s also a full foot shorter than the rest. When a hermit is found dead of an apparent self-inflicted shotgun wound, John is convinced that it is murder, rather than suicide. A hard-nosed detective (Ryan) takes John under his wing on the investigation when they find he was shot in the back of the head before the shotgun blast to the chest.

An undisputed cult classic, Electra Glide in Blue is one of those ’70s films that just get better every time you watch it. Which probably isn’t often, since it’s rarely seen on TV in the UK these days. The beautiful photography by Conrad Hall makes the most of the remote regions of Arizona, with everything looking particularly breathtaking, the desert expanse surrounded by stunning, cragged rock formations. There are camera angles that come from Wintergreen’s height, focusing on other character’s mid-torsos, which give us even more empathy with the ambitious cop’s stature, but for the most part, it’s the unpretentious, often ponderous, direction that fully engrosses, practically mesmerising the viewer.

The film is full of pathos, as Blake’s Wintergreen realises the life he aspires to isn’t as glamorous as he’d imagined, nor the cops he looks up to any less corrupt or unscrupulous as his regular squad. Veteran actor Elisha Cook Jr. (House on Haunted Hill) is brilliant as the demented Willie, distraught friend of the dead hermit.

Although it’s the only directorial credit for Guercio (he would later be behind AOR band Chicago, some of whom appear as gang members; notably Peter Cetera – yep, that fella who sang the theme to The Karate Kid II), it’s certainly one to be proud of. Electra Glide in Blue proves that one man can make a stand, however tall he may be. Don’t pigeonhole this, it’s not a cop movie; instead it’s as much a counterculture film of rebellion as Easy Rider and Taxi Driver. A forgotten classic, not to be missed this time around.

DVD REVIEW: DIRTY MARY, CRAZY LARRY / CERT: 15 / DIRECTOR: JOHN HOUGH / SCREENPLAY: LEIGH CHAPMAN, ANTONIO SANTEAN / STARRING: PETER FONDA, SUSAN GEORGE, ADAM ROARKE, VIC MORROW / RELEASE DATE: SEPTEMBER 15TH

We meet our anti-heroes Larry (Fonda) and Deke (Roarke) as they are pulling off an audacious ransom/extortion demand on an executive (an uncredited Roddy McDowall). This money will enable Larry to enter a NASCAR racing tournament on the other side of the country. But he has just had a one-night stand with a pretty blonde, Mary (Susan George), and he’s not too pleased to see her sat in the passenger seat of his getaway vehicle. She insists on tagging along, and with the police on their trail sooner than they’d hoped, they have no choice. Sheriff Franklin (Morrow – a great character actor, now more famous for losing his life – and head – while filming John Landis’ Twilight Zone the Movie section) is in lukewarm pursuit; outwitted on almost every turn, commanding his troops from the air in the police helicopter (better to be in rather than under it, we suppose).

Cue ninety minutes of car chase action, interspersed with some fantastic humour and great, if not too OTT, crashes along the way. With a rough line in ‘of its time’ dialogue (he tells Mary to ‘braid her tits‘ at one point), Larry is abrasive, selfish, and incredibly focused, although despite the methods, has only valid intentions at heart.

Dirty Mary, Crazy Lazy almost epitomises the ’70s Americana car-chase movie, despite being directed by a Brit (Hough, Twins of Evil, The Legend of Hell House). There’s no fat on these bones; it concludes as quickly as it begins, but that’s not a negative. It’s a dour, full stop of an ending that underlines the recklessness and single-mindedness of Larry and, indeed, a generation.

Without resorting to the slapstick of the later Smokey and the Bandit films, it still manages to be a whole lot of fun, cramming a few gags in among with the spills, thrills, and crashes. Fonda, already a pop culture icon at this point, is suitably laid-back as the career-driven Larry, while Roarke (also a veteran of the bikesploitation movies of the time) plays his put-upon mechanic Deke with a weary, defeatist edge. Morrow’s rogue sheriff really shines, eschewing the need of a badge or gun, his dogged pursuit of the trio gives the film a fun edge.

It’s a great time-capsule film, almost forgotten in cinema history, but well worth seeking out, particularly as it’s been released on DVD for the first time in the UK by Odyssey Video.

DVD REVIEW: WOLF CREEK 2 / CERT: 18 / DIRECTOR: GREG MCLEAN / SCREENPLAY: GREG MCLEAN, AARON STERNS / STARRING: JOHN JARRATT, RYAN CORR, SHANNON ASHLYN, PHILIPPE KLAUS / RELEASE DATE: SEPTEMBER 15TH

A follow-up to McLean’s 2005 Wolf Creek, this sequel reacquaints audiences with Mick Taylor (Jarratt) and his twisted sense of humour and national pride. For those not familiar with the first film, Mick is a pig hunter who just so happens to have a penchant for torturing and slaughtering backpackers. And in Wolf Creek 2, that’s exactly what we see.

Whereas Wolf Creek eased us in gently to Taylor and his antics, this follow-up slams us straight into the action. After Mick has an early run-in with the law, the film’s tone is firmly set, and before we know it, we get conveniently introduced to a couple of young German tourists looking for a traditional taste of the Australian outback. Ever the willing tour guide, it’s not long before Mick reaches out to the couple. In the blink of an eye, Paul (Corr) is added to the mix as Taylor looks to continue his sadistic tradition of torment and terror.

Given how part of the first movie’s charm was in its slow build and pacing, it’s a shame to see Wolf Creek 2 take a different route. The action starts right from the opening of the movie, meaning that newcomers may find it hard to get to grips with Mick Taylor and his unique outlook. Similarly, this fast pace of action leads to a first half of the movie that has no real character development on either the side of the villain or his victims, as Taylor slices, shoots and explodes his way from pillar to post.

The second half of Wolf Creek 2 does finally see the pace slow down, as Mick preys on Brit Paul. It’s just a shame that the movie then descends into the territory of torture porn and over the top gore for the sake of it. With Jarratt’s Taylor coming across as more camp than in his previous outing, the needless splatter and comical tones of Wolf Creek 2 does to the series what some of the A Nightmare on Elm Street sequels did to that franchise.

In terms of positives, the final third of the movie results in a nice change of scenery, whilst Ryan Corr offers a mildly charismatic performance. As for Jarratt, he does well when he’s given more to do than just popping out one-liners or snarling to himself. And that’s the problem: the film so often becomes repetitive and, as a result, boring. For every step Wolf Creek 2 takes in the right direction, it takes five steps back through blood-soaked, quip-laden scenes that lose all effectiveness early on. Given the supposed long-term planning that went into this sequel, we quite frankly expected a hell of a lot more. And don’t get us started on CGI kangaroos!

DEADLY VIRTUES / CERT: 18 / DIRECTOR: ATE DE JONG / SCREENPLAY: MARK ROGERS / STARRING: EDWARD AKROUT, MATT BARBER, MEGAN MACZKO / RELEASE DATE: 28th SEPTEMBER

Ever see someone all tied up in a horror film and think, “Oh, come on! I could get out of that easily!”? Not so the bondage of Deadly Virtues, a British home invasion thriller which fuses its realistic brutality with equally plausible, inescapable ropework. Forget the pretentious, relatively vanilla Christian Grey – the antagonist of Deadly Virtues is a shoe-sniffing, dildo-licking, shibari-abusing weirdo who makes fifty shades of fucked up (yes, I read it) look like the pinnacle of mental health by comparison.

Breaking into our hero and heroine’s home as they canoodle in the bedroom, bondage bastard Aaron (Akrout) knocks hubby Tom (Barber) out with a cosh made of rope and chokes poor Alison (Maczko) into unconsciousness. The pair wake up bound and gagged – Tom in the bathtub, Alison suspended from the ceiling. The whole house is transformed into Aaron’s red room as he proceeds to use and abuse the couple like his own private playthings. What follows is like (a slightly less pretentious) Funny Games crossed with (a much more pretentious) Bound.

Directed by Drop Dead Fred‘s Ate de Jong (!), Deadly Virtues is a stylish, classy thriller which should give the art-house crowd plenty to talk about. The Marquis de Sade book subtly placed on the mantelpiece suggests that everything is deliberately done and, like Aaron’s ropework, intricately delicate. It looks great, even as the story goes to some less than savoury places. At first, it seems as though Aaron is going to be your run-of-the-mill rapey psychopath, exemplified during a particularly unpleasant shower scene. That’s easier to handle, however, than the later action, during which Aaron decides to wait for the onset of Stockholm syndrome before making his move. Edward Akrout does his best, but his nice guy act is even creepier than his sadist material. Better that than poor Matt Barber, who essentially spends most of the film tied up in the bathtub crying, then, when he does get something to do, becomes the worst thing about Deadly Virtues. That leaves poor Megan Maczo, trapped between a cock and a hardcase. Ideally, she’d get at least one scene to kick ass (even Naomi Watts got her hands on a shotgun in Funny Games) but de Jong’s story is too artful for something so crowd-pleasing. Then there’s the cameo from Sadie Frost (!!) at the end, finishing the film on as oddball a note as it started.

A film as hypnotic as it is distasteful, Deadly Virtues certainly bears checking out. Like the art of bondage, it’s not for everyone, but those who can appreciate such things should enjoy it. Deadly or otherwise, it does have its virtues.