Review Category: DVD/Blu Ray

STEALING CHAPLIN

Stealing Chaplin is a weird premise for a comedy crime caper. Two idiotic British conmen living in LA decide that the best way to pay off their debts and maybe make a bit of money is to kidnap a famous person; specifically Hollywood Legend Charlie Chaplin. As this movie is set in the modern day, Chaplin is conveniently dead, so they decide to dig him up. It’s a quirky idea for a feature that doesn’t quite live up to its promise.

Low budget crime comedies are a tricky thing to pull off – comedy is hard and making crime exciting and interesting without being too grim requires skill, timing and good performances. For the most part, Stealing Chaplin finds the balance, but when it slips it does slip quite bady. Much of the action and humour revolves around the characters of Terry and Cal, played by Doug and Simon Phillips. The problem is, weirdly, that the chemistry between the two is just a little off – both come across as genuinely bad people rather than hapless idiots and this makes the humour a little darker than intended, despite solid performances from both of them. They come across as an grim-dark version of the Chuckle Brothers in places and this just doesn’t quite work.

You can clearly see what the movie is intended to be; a smooth slapstick drama in which two fools navigate their way through Hollywood’s underbelly with a hare-brained scheme that just about works. Instead what we have is a very choppy story; little time is given to develop some of the characters and in an attempt to create a whacky ‘pile-on’ where multiple factions are chasing the corpse of Chaplin, the con-men or both, we end up losing track of both the plot and the comedy.

There’s also a noticeable shift in tone in the second act; it’s as if the creators decided to flirt with ‘Tarantino but lighter’ approach and then suddenly changed their mind. This is jarring and it’s a pity as if it was a little more consistent this would be a much better movie.

They are some nice touches; the movie is divided into chapters, each using a Chaplin quote and some of the set gags really work. Alas the overall experience is all over the place. Stealing Chaplin is a fun, forgettable and not terribly well put-together flick. It’s worth a watch as it has some stand-out moments but it’s not one to make too much effort to seek out.

Release Date: Out Now (US)

UNCLE PECKERHEAD

Fictional DIY punk band DUH are about to embark on their first tour – six shows in seven days, potentially ending with homecoming show supporting the mighty Queef Queens (it’s not often you see the word”queef” on Starburst – hope you enjoyed it!), whose drummer is the owner of a celebrated indie record label. Such exciting opportunities are rarely afforded to bands who have only just managed to record their first demo, so of course things go slightly awry before the tour even gets underway when the band’s van is repossessed and they’re stuck without transport. That’s until they come across Peckerhead – Peck to his friends – a gentle southern redneck who rather fortuitously owns a decent-sized van and agrees to drive the band and act as their roadie. What they don’t know about Peck, but will very quickly discover, is that he suffers from a condition that turns him into a cannibalistic monster every night at midnight…

There’s a crazy amount of chemistry between the four main cast members, and it’s easy to believe they might be a real-life band who have known each other for years. The band themselves are a thoroughly likeable bunch – not the usual cliche-ridden punk stereotypes you might expect, but a much softer, goofier and generally friendlier group of people (two girls and one boy, which is a nice subversion of the “norm”, too). We do, of course, meet a few detestable, self-centred and egotistical characters, but Peck will surely take care of them in good time.

Uncle Peckerhead is one of those low-budget films that manages to work absolute magic with its humble means. The casting, writing and cinematography are all tremendous, and the performances from everyone involved are just absolutely on point. It seems unfair to single anyone out when everyone plays their parts so perfectly, but David Littleton’s effortless, magnetic and charismatic turn as Peck is a real eye-opener, especially considering this is Littleton’s first ever leading role. If anyone’s looking for a “new” Sid Haig, this is 100% the man to look out for.

The Blu-ray includes a music video by The Holy Mess (DUH vocalist/guitarist Max’s real-life band), a 15-minute short film by Peckerhead director Matt Lawrence, and an audio commentary with the cast and crew which is full of the same sort of enthusiasm and warmth as the movie itself. Funny, gory, ridiculous and joyful, Uncle Peckerhead should be seen by anyone and everyone with an interest in punk rock and monster movies – two of the finest things in life coming together to form a super enjoyable 90 minute ride that won’t be quickly forgotten.

Release date: out now

WRONG TURN

Even in a world where reboots, remakes and re-imaginings are commonplace a new entry into the Wrong Turn film franchise appears at first glance unusual. From the series debut in 2003 through to the proposed reboot Wrong Turn 6: Last Resort in 2014, the films varied greatly in quality and popularity, never quite achieving much in the way of credibility or cult status. But here we are with another entry titled Wrong Turn and against all expectations it’s rather good.

While hiking the Appalachian Trail in West Virginia a group of friends fall foul of a self-sufficient community known as The Foundation and events take an unpleasant turn.

While it may be pedantic to point out the group never actually take a wrong turn, but simply wander off the trail, this is largely irrelevant for the plot itself. Alan McElroy who penned the original film has written a good old-fashioned folk tale, where lines between good and bad, right and wrong blur – although become more distinct as the film progresses – and questions relevant to the modern world are raised. But this is also a genuine horror film. The jump scares are well executed, there is gore and violence aplenty, and the performances are consistently strong; with Modine and Vega particularly impressive.

Do not be distracted by that title. Simply called The Foundation or frankly anything other than Wrong Turn, this film would garner and rightly deserve greater attention. This is a good horror film, a worthy Friday night fright, and a considerable improvement on what’s gone before.

UK Release Date: February 26th (Digital Rental), April 26th (Digital Purchase), May 3rd (DVD/Blu-ray)

A GHOST WAITS

Everyone loves a haunted house film, but A Ghost Waits is a little different. Rather than going bump in the night, it has a thumping heart and is all the more endearing for it.

Jack (MacLeod Andrews) is a handyman tasked with checking over a house following the sudden departure of the latest in a string of tenants. His ‘friends’ won’t get back to him with a place to stay, so he sleeps on the floor while he takes a few days going over the place. It’s not long until the house’s resident ‘spectral agent’ Muriel (Natalie Walker) makes her presence known. Although freaked out at first, Jack has a job to do – he’s a decent guy despite not having anyone who appreciates it.

Presented in a greyish monochrome that, surprisingly for a haunted house film, doesn’t emphasise the darks as much as the light. This is certainly fitting since first-time director Adam Stovall’s A Ghost Waits isn’t a horror film. It’s best described as a romantic fantasy; it owes as much to Topper and The Ghost and Mrs Muir as it does Beetlejuice. Some shots even have a touch of Bergman to them. Surprisingly, Jack and Muriel hit it off when they begin talk, even though the spirit is adamant that this isn’t what’s supposed to happen.

As well as being amusing, the film reflects on what it is to have an identity, a meaning, and someone in your life. Slight musical interludes are not as out of place as they sound in theory, and the songs are much more haunting than any of the action in the best way possible. The climax may not be for some people, but is deeply emotional and beautifully affecting.

ZOMBIE KING

When Samuel (Edward Furlong) makes a pact with the voodoo god Kalfu (Corey Feldman) to become the Zombie King and live for eternity with his recently-deceased wife, he didn’t count on coming up against such formidable foes as Ed the postman, Boris the jumpy, nervous, borderline man-child traffic warden and portly, potty-mouthed milkman, Munch. These three unlikely heroes find themselves surrounded by zombies one day, and fate brings them together with several other strangers in a battle of survival that leads to a showdown with not only the Zombie King but also Kalfu himself…

Very much coming across like a super low-budget version of Shaun of the Dead, The Zombie King is one of those films that’s easy to find fault with but still manages to be consistently entertaining. There’s a lot of “this place isn’t safe… nowhere is” cheesy zombie movie dialogue, but the majority of the cast seem to be aware of the silliness and play their parts with at least half a tongue in cheek. It’s very puerile and sweary but in a very British way and, while a few performances are rather on the wooden side, there are some especially delightful turns from David McClelland as Munch, Jane Foufas’ 50-something mutton-dressed-as-lamb Vera, and Jon Campling (Final Fantasy‘s King Regis and Otis from The Devil’s Rejects lookalike) as the drunken priest, Father Lawrence, who all seem to revel in the campy and filthy dialogue they’ve been given.

It’s low on special effects and gore (for a zombie film, at least), cover stars Furlong and Feldman appear on-screen for less than 10 minutes in total and, being a low-budget production, technical standards are less than stellar. But there’s always something going on, it never drags, and if you’re in the right frame of mind, you’ll definitely laugh out loud more than once. If you ever wanted a mash-up of Viz comic, Dawn of the Dead and The Vicar of Dibley, Zombie King is exactly what you’ve been looking for!

Release date: May 4th (US)

THE VIRTUOSO

Opening with a narrated approach, know-it-all hitman The Virtuoso (Anson Mount) pulls the audience into his dark, gruesome, and ultimately, mysterious world. Anthony Hopkins (who is on top form right now after another Oscar win for The Father) plays The Mentor, a damaged soul with an unfortunate background that sets assignments for our main killer. For the latest mission The Virtuoso descends upon a quiet town to find and knock down the target White Rivers.

One of the most gripping parts of the film is where The Virtuoso breaks down through narration every figure at the bar he is in. From Abbie Cornish as The Waitress, through to David Morse as the deputy, there’s a fantastic cast just in that one room. It briefly has the feel of something like The Hateful Eight, and displays a noteworthy direction idea from Nick Stagliano. As The Virtuoso ventures to find out who White Rivers is – with many unforeseen elements attempting to ruin his task – he assesses every situation in advance, and crosses people off his list in the most hitman way possible. We’re frequently given an inside look at how the mind of a hitman might work. At the depths of the plot, The Virtuoso is fighting a mind battle, as he just doesn’t want to do this horrendous, soul destroying job any more. He has become detached from reality, and doesn’t know how to act in the real world. Anson Mount does well to capture this character’s redemption within a slow tempo screenplay.

The Virtuoso can sadly feel unnecessarily dragged out. There’s an interesting story here, it’s just tough to cut through the lengthy style to get to it. Hitmen are obviously renowned for being emotionless, but a film about one shouldn’t be so monotone. Overall, this hitman vacation is held up by the unpredictable back and forth conversations between The Waitress and The Virtuoso, as well as any intense dialogue delivered by Anthony Hopkins.

TIMELINE (2003)

Taking a high concept time travel premise, and despite having a grand pedigree and impressive talent on board, Timeline fumbles when it comes to delivering the goods.

A group of archaeologists make a strange find while examining the site of an ancient battle where the French, enraged by the murder of their Lady Claire, stormed the English castle and obliterated the oppressors. A bifocal lens and a scroll with handwriting that is remarkably similar to Professor Johnston (Billy Connolly), who had recently disappeared.

There are two plot strands battling for attention here; the 14th-century Quantum Leap-esque action is fun enough, but it comes at the expense of the other story, the power struggle going on between the scientists working on the wormhole machine. There’s not enough on this side of things to give provide enough tension, while the time travellers get lumbered with a hackneyed romance subplot. The simplification of Michael Crichton’s original novel just doesn’t do the story justice.

Despite being directed by Richard Donner (Superman), the action never really gets above what you’d expect from a TV movie. Even the relatively big names – Paul Walker, Gerard Butler, and Michael Sheen – don’t raise the entertainment stakes and Billy Connolly is out of his depth in one of his rare straight roles. Imprint’s Blu-ray release adds some decent supplementary material, including several featurettes that include some fun behind the scenes footage of Donner at work.

I START COUNTING (1969)

An adaptation of the 1966 novel of the same name by Audrey Erskine Lindop, 1969 Brit-flick I Start Counting is an ‘end of innocence’ story in more than one sense. At the heart of the film is Wynne, a fourteen-year old girl (played by the then sixteen-year old Jenny Agutter). On the edge of adolescence, Wynne is haunted by, and is nostalgic about, growing up in her family home in the woods. Now living in a new urban tower block, she’s worried about the challenges of young adulthood and the thought of leaving her childhood behind.

Wynne’s preoccupations find a focus in an unhealthy obsession with her step-brother George, damaged by the death of his fiancée. But while she indulges in fantasies about the romantic life they could have together, she harbours the fear that he might be the killer who’s murdering young girls in the area. This coming of age story unfolds in the midst of another form of social transition: as the ‘new towns’ of the 1960s replaced the exhausted and worn out cities of an earlier industrial era. But the fact that the promised idylls of the town planner could become the sites of murder, betrayal, and selfishness is, in the plot of I Start Counting, evidence of the naivety of this kind of social engineering.

Director David Greene gives the film a considered and thoughtful tempo, favouring insights into his characters over the frenetic energy of many psychological thrillers of the time. Agutter delivers an impressively accomplished performance as the yearning Wynne. Clare Sutcliffe shines in the role of Corinne, her hedonistic and competitive best friend who’s determined to be older-than-her-years. There’s assured work too from the ever-dependable Bryan Marshall as the suspicious, and possibly duplicitous, George.

As befits a BFI Blu-ray release of this type, I Start Counting boasts an impressive quantity of special and supplementary material. In addition to the usual audio commentary, trailer, and image collections, are four new features and five historic ones. Loss of Innocence, a short treatise on the film by Chris O’Neill, is backed by interviews with screenwriter Richard Harris (An Apprentice with a Master’s Ticket); lead actor Agutter (A Kickstart); and record label owner Jonny Trunk (Worlds Within Worlds), a champion of ambient music pioneer Basil Kirchin, who wrote the film’s soundtrack.

The archival material on the disc explores the wider social and cultural context in which I Start Counting is set, as seen through contemporary eyes. It’s something that enhances an appreciation of the times in which the film was made. I Start Building is a collection of three newsreel documentaries which highlight the woefully unrealistic expectations that informed the ‘new town’ initiative of the 1960s. Don’t Be like Brenda is a finger-wagging warning to young women of the early 1970s not to succumb to the lure of lust that will result in teenage pregnancy and ruination.

Lighter relief is found in Danger on Dartmoor, a spirited Children’s Film Foundation drama from 1980, penned by Lindop, and featuring ‘national treasure’ Patricia Hayes, David Jackson (Gan from Blake’s 7), and Barry Foster (Van der Valk) amongst others. The first pressing of the Blu-ray also includes a fully-illustrated booklet, offering an expert view of the film and the work of its cast and crew. Such engaged and informed treatment of the subject matter is one of the signatures of this BFI series, and other specialist film labels would do well to emulate the approach.

REUNION FROM HELL

It’s fair to say that in the 43 years since its release, John Carpenter’s Halloween has spawned more than its fair share of knockoffs. Most of these aren’t worth bothering with, but occasionally one comes along that’s worth an audience’s time: Reunion From Hell is one of these. It’s rather cheesy and certainly won’t change your life, but it still manages to be a fun and enjoyable watch that pays homage to Carpenter’s original without ever feeling derivative of it.

Director Hayden Newman also stars as Riley Conner, a therapist who’s estranged from his family and friends and who returns home when he receives news that an old friend has been killed in mysterious circumstances. Upon his return, more friends start dying, and Riley is forced to figure out what’s going on.

On the surface, Reunion From Hell might not seem like much – but there’s a whimsical charm to it that manages to make everything click. Yes, it’s all rather silly, and the dialogue isn’t all that great, and some of the acting is pretty hammy, but it somehow just… works.

Its main strength is the chemistry between its core cast members. Despite much of the dialogue not doing them any favours, their chemistry feels authentic, and the film’s conversational scenes are some of its best for exactly this reason.

The various kill scenes are also rather enjoyable – and pretty impressive given the film’s meagre $35,000 budget (for context, Carpenter’s original Halloween had ten times this budget). They’re tenser than one might expect, and the blood and makeup effects are admirable, especially in light of monetary constraints and how much focus is given to them.

It’s also surprisingly refreshing to see a horror film that doesn’t treat its gay characters with complete disdain. The genre hasn’t been particularly kind to the LGBTQ+ community in the past, but Reunion From Hell does its best to move gay representation forward in the genre. It goes without saying that one little indie film like this isn’t going to change the world, but it’s certainly a nice start.

Admirably, Reunion From Hell somehow comes together pretty nicely. It’s not revolutionary by any means, but it certainly works as a love letter to the ’80s slasher flicks that Carpenter first inspired well over forty years ago. Hollywood could certainly take notes from its representation of the gay community.

Release Date: April 30th (US)

THE SEVENTH DAY

You think you’ve seen enough exorcism movies? Well Justin P. Lange’s The Seventh Day may give you something a little different. While it doesn’t reinvent the wheel, it avoids the usual pitfalls.

Father Peter (Guy Pearce) has had a literal baptism of fire as the Church’s go-to exorcist. Years earlier, he was being mentored (by the legendary Keith David) through a particularly tough possession: a young boy whose demon inside is particularly virulent. The exorcism didn’t go well and the boy burned to death in front of the young priest and the boy’s parents. In the present day, he’s given a young protégé, Father Daniel (Vadhir Derbez), by the Archbishop (Stephen Lang, playing completely opposite type), and he’s a tough teacher. The dynamic between the two is more akin to a dysfunctional pairing of cops from a Hollywood movie than an ecumenical union. Their first real case together is that of a boy who killed his family, but Father Peter believes to be a vessel for a demon.

Guy Pearce dominates the screen, as you’d expect, leaving Vadhir Derbez looking a tad lost throughout their scenes but come the climax, he comes into his own. All the exorcism tropes are here: flickering lights, bloody visions, and screaming kids taunting priests, but that’s part of the fun and director Lange and DP Nick Remy Matthews manage to give many of the scenes a fresh eye, making them

The production values are above the slew of possession films we’ve had forced upon us over the past few years, and there are more than enough shocks to keep the average audience entertained. All this – and the great cast – mean we can wholeheartedly recommend The Seventh Day as a diverting ninety minutes, but don’t go in expecting an epiphany.