HAUNT

haunt

HAUNT / CERT: TBC / DIRECTOR & SCREENPLAY: SCOTT BECK, BRYAN WOODS /STARRING: KATIE STEVENS, WILL BRITTAIN, ANDREW CALDWELL / RELEASE DATE: TBC

It has been a while since the line ‘from producer Eli Roth’ had any meaning. The utterly mediocre The Last Exorcism, Part II, the unnecessary Cabin Fever remake and the very problematic Aftershock all had Roth’s involvement and weren’t any better for it. Imagine our surprise when Haunt turned out to be good. It could have used some polishing, but it’s a meat-and-potatoes delight. Effective crescendo, solid jump scares and ghastly practical effects. All this, without deviating from the ‘Final Girl’ formula.

At the center of Haunt is Harper (Stevens). Fresh out of an abusive relationship, Harper reluctantly agrees to a night out with her sorority sisters. It’s Halloween after all. When the bar scene fails to deliver, the girls, plus a couple of male acquaintances, agree to visit an ‘extreme’ haunted house. Like with most of this makeshifts attractions, the decorations are chintzy and the scares lame. But the moment the group begins to splinter, the hapless visitors’ perception of what’s real and what’s staged begins to crack.

Even though Haunt hints at toxic masculinity as the source of the carnage, it soon settles for scary clowns as culprits. While the unfolding of the film follows traditional patterns (you can roughly tell the order the youths will meet their grisly demise), it does it with certain panache: The kills are original and the would-be victims are far from sitting ducks. Even better, the villains aren’t given any motivation. They’re just meanies.

The flow of the film is more problematic. Even though in the beginning the audience has an idea of the geography of the house, towards the end that concern seems to be abandoned and people start popping up all over the place out of narrative expediency. In a couple of occasions, it seems some gory sequences have been trimmed probably for rating purposes. Whatever the reason, expect some choppiness.

Given that Halloween is upon us, Haunt is a good alternative for those tired of re-watching the same movies year after year. It won’t linger, but gets the job done.

ISABELLE

CERT: TBC | DIRECTOR: ROB HEYDON | SCREENPLAY: DONALD MARTIN | STARRING: ADAM BRODY, AMANDA CREW, ZOE BELKIN, SHIELA MCCARTHY | RELEASE DATE: TBC

After the loss of their son during birth, a grief stricken couple, especially the mother, are faced with dealing with the creepy girl next door, Isabelle.

Grief in Horror media can be a powerful took and can be used to devasting effect. 2017’s STILL/BORN is a prime example of how a mother losing a child is such a haunting and emotional experience. However, Isabelle never manages to reach the dizzy heights of its peers despite having a strong first act.

The story follows Larissa (Amanda Crew) and Matt Kane (Adam Brody) who move into a new home in preparation for starting a family. Shortly after the move, Larissa meets her strange neighbour who lives a mysterious life with her disabled daughter Isabelle who spends her spends staring out of the second floor window until Larissa suddenly miscarries. After returning home, Larissa who is clearly suffering with grief and depression begins to notice strange occurrences and is convinced that Isabelle is the cause.

After a strong emotional start which is well acted and competently crafted, the film unfortunately falls completely apart, almost as if a switch has been flicked.

Firstly, there are little to no scares. The tension is completely drained away by common horror tropes such as no sound before a cheap loud bang. Couple that with weak writing that disengage the audience and the foundation entirely washes away.

Not only that but at several points throughout the runtime, the editing is so poor and jarring that you think you accidentally skipped over a scene. The final act also dramatically lets the film down. Isabelle herself is not at all creepy or unnerving and super-imposed red eyes onto a lacklustre CGI model is incredibly disappointing.

With better films on the market, Isabelle misses the mark but has solid acting throughout which is at least something positive.

 

RAMBO: LAST BLOOD

Rambo

DIRECTOR: ADRIAN GRUNBERG | SCREENPLAY: MATTHEW CIRULNICK, SYLVESTER STALLONE | STARRING: SYLVESTER STALLONE, PAZ VEGA, YVETTE MONTREAL | RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW

There’s an old song that goes “Old soldiers never die; they simply fade away”, but John J. Rambo of the elite U.S. Special Forces will not go quietly. We’ve seen cinema’s most notorious Vietnam vet fall foul of a bullying local police force in a small American backwater, we’ve gone with him into battle in Vietnam, Afghanistan, and Burma. And finally, he went home. 

 But Rambo is not going to retire quietly and live the good life, though he does try. He’s minding his own business, as ever, living on his late father’s Arizona ranch, breeding and training horses when he’s not digging a complex network of rat tunnels under the house and land where he keeps a bewildering armoury of guns, mines, bows, and knives. But when his housekeeper’s daughter who he considers family is drugged, kidnapped, and exploited by a Mexican sex trafficking cartel it’s time to take up arms again. 

This is a film we’ve been promised for several years, and as time rolled by and Sly Stallone wasn’t getting any younger, it seemed less and less likely. ButStallone delivers a film worthy of being part of the Rambo legacy, now in its fortieth year. The plot might at first glance seem to have been lifted from Liam Neeson’s Taken franchise, but as fans of the First Blood series are aware, Rambo has his own modus operandi which is basically total destruction and an absurdly high mortality rate among those who’ve wronged him. 

Stallone wisely plays Rambo as a wily veteran rather than the super-soldier we’ve seen in the past. Rambo is older and thus slower – so there’s a greater emphasis on using the same kind of makeshift traps we saw way back in First Blood, and that echo brings the films full circle.

There’s no doubt that there will be accusations of racism and racial stereotyping in the film because the Mexican sex traffickers are all undeniably exaggerated, cartoonish bad hombres who deserve the violent rough justice Rambo metes out – and there’s equally no doubt that some will point to the film as a clear message in support of ‘The Wall’, but surely the simple way the gang (actually a small army) use to get across the border can just as easily be taken as an argument on its futility. 

It’s far better to just sit back and enjoy the film for exactly what it is – an action movie with a revenge theme, because as we all know, righteous vengeance is always a great motive for such a film, and this one has more guts and gore spattering the screen than any we’ve seen in a long time. 

Teachable moment, folks – don’t chase Rambo down a tunnel of his own making. 

A SHAUN THE SHEEP MOVIE: FARMAGEDDON

Farmageddon

A SHAUN THE SHEEP MOVIE: FARMAGEDDON / CERT: U / DIRECTOR: WILL BECHER, RICHARD PHELAN / SCREENPLAY: JON BROWN, MARK BURTON / STARRING: JUSTIN FLETCHER, JOHN SPARKES, CHRIS MORRELL, KATE HARBOUR / RELEASE DATE: OCTOBER 18TH

The name is Sheep – Shaun the Sheep. With a Silver Jubilee for one of Aardman’s best-loved characters in 2020, and a box-office of $22m for the first big-screen outing for Shaun, one can suspect that money, rather than sheep, was being counted in the Bristol HQ of Nick Park and co, whose Oscar-winning credentials were guaranteed with their Wallace and Gromit shorts. Co-directed by Richard Phelan and Will Becher, from a script by Mark Burton and Jon Brown, Farmageddon gives Shaun a more epic canvas on which to inhabit.

All roads still lead to Mossy Bottom Farm, Mossingham – and life remains as tranquil and routine for Shaun and his community of farmland friends. His jobsworth sheepdog rival Bitzer (described by the filmmakers as ‘Shaun’s older brother’) is determined to stop Shaun having fun with all manner of deterrents, but the farm combine harvester proves too irresistible. However, there is nothing like an alien popping down from the cosmos to really mess things up – and so it does when an alien ship carrying young Lu-La arrives nearby. No prizes for guessing who the alien connects with first.

An alien visitation would not be the same in movie-land without a good old government agency keen to track Lu-La down, so enter Agent Red and her hazmat-suited goons, who arrive when another local and his dog guide them to the alleged site. However, it is Shaun who has to play Elliott to Lu-La’s E.T. and try and get the diminutive alien right back to where it came from.

Referencing Kubrick and space-age Spielberg (with an affectionate nod to the late Terry Nation), Farmageddon proves that in cinema, action does speak a lot louder than words (or in the case of this film, grunts and ho-hums, punctuated with a few galactic-sized burps from Lu-La).

Like that other Aardman fave Gromit (and it was in his world that Shaun made his bit-part debut back in 1995’s A Close Shave), Shaun is a seemingly timid character who is savvy enough to evade the farmer. In this escapade, the farmer is out to make money from the alien craze that’s spreading in the locality by conceived the titular Farmageddon. Shaun, the littlest of heroes, provides much delight and fun in a film that has tremendous crossover for both adults and children alike. Farmageddon happily retains the inventive action of the early classic shorts, and there is more than enough in the frame to hold the attention throughout.

Production design references the likes of Close Encounters of the Third Kind and John Williams’ legacy from numerous classic films is tracked accurately thanks to Tom Howe’s sweepingly diverse score. Make sure you stick through the end credits for a last-minute gag that older UK fans of both science fiction and ‘90s music will get a big kick out of.

Expected Rating: 8 out of 10

NE ZHA

CERT: PG | DIRECTOR: JIAOZI | SCREENPLAY: JIAOZI | STARRING: LU YANTING, JOESEPH, HAN MO, CHEN HAO, LU QI, ZHANG JIAMING, YANG WEI | RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW

After the sentient Chaos Pearl is subdued and split into two opposite elements; the Demon Orb and Spirit Pearl (essentially Yin and Yang), a ritualist birth of the son of a nobleman and his wife is thwarted by a jealous disciple of a Taoist immortal and the son is infused with the energy of the Orb instead of the Pearl in Ne Zha, a Chinese 3D-animated film that is taking the world by storm.

With foreign cinema reaching a wider audience in recent years, there has never been a better time for countries who are yet to feature at the forefront of Western viewers to give it there all and break the mould. Step forward Chinese animation studio Chengdu Coco Cartoon and Director Jiaozi whose debut film has broken countless box office records not only in China, but across the rest of the world too including America.

The story of Ne Zha (or its full translated title: The Birth of the Demon Child Nezha) is derived from the Chinese folklore tale Investiture of the Gods and tells the history of the popular titular mythological character and his struggle with being accepted because of the power he was cruelly transfused with by a jealous disciple of God. It’s essentially a well-written tale of Heaven and Hell, Good vs Evil, Yin and Yang whilst also having a whimsical and lighthearted message of wanted to be accepted for who you truly are.

The computer animation used to create the film even rivals the likes of Dreamworks or even Disney – for those not in the know, one would think that it was one of those animation giants that made the film. Each character, from our protagonists right down to the town folk, all have a unique individual look to them and they all fell as though they have a part to play. The animators must be commended for the appearance of Ne Zha especially, as they managed to find a balance of the young boy looking cute yet menacing when his more demonic and evil side comes out to play and torment the townsfolk after he escapes the confines of his home.

Not only does the film possess a great message and beautiful animation but it is also incredibly funny throughout. For example, towards the beginning of the film there is a Terminator reference as a band plays the iconic melody as Ne Zha is bathed in fire in the classic pose shortly after being born – a surreal yet belly-laugh inducing moment. Ne Zha’s relationship with his mentor Taiyi Zhenren is played to pitch perfect comedic effect with the latter’s weight playing into a plethora of body comedy moments.

Amongst the second act of the narrative, Ne Zha befriends a Dragonkin named Ao Bing who, like Ne Zha, feels like an outcast because of the power he inherited. Their bonding moment is accompanied by a wonderful score that pulls on the heartstrings and said musical tones are present throughout the 110-minute runtime.

At its core, Ne Zha tells a fantastical story of Gods, power and finding your place in the world no matter who you are. It possesses buckets of charm, chemistry and comedy that places it amongst the elite animated films from across the globe. It certainly won’t be for everyone due to its location-centric source material and the fact that the film does tend to predict that the audience will have at least some history with the story, but it still manages to entertain with its humour and gorgeous visuals.

HIGH LIFE

HIGH LIFE / CERT: 18 / DIRECTOR: CLAIRE DENIS / SCREENPLAY: CLAIRE DENIS, JEAN-POL FARGEAU, GEOFF COX / STARRING: ROBERT PATTINSON, JULIETTE BINOCHE, MIA GOTH, JESSIE ROTH / RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW

Set on a spaceship in the far reaches of the universe, a single father and his young daughter are the last remaining survivors of a scientific experiment turned suicide mission in Claire Denis’ visually striking yet narratively muddled English Language debut High Life.

From the outside, this film looks like a deep character-driven narrative that taps into human nature and the will to adapt and survive – and on most accounts it successfully accomplishes that, but in others it does not as it transforms into a story that is full of unlikeable characters and possesses some truly difficult to watch material.

The story begins with Monte (played by the ever-superb Robert Pattinson) who is having to jettison a corpse of a blonde woman into space before returning to care for his infant child, all whilst sustaining the onboard garden for food and sending reports back down to earth. As the narrative progresses, we discover that the members of the crew on the ship are all criminals who have been sent to space to live out their days and take part in an experiment to see if they can reproduce whilst millions of lightyears away from home – this is explained in one of the biggest throwaway scenes of the year with a reporter interviewing a man on a train.

But soon after the film devolves into a brutal and uncomfortable array of scenes involving rape and artificial insemination by the crazy doctor Dib (a zany performance by Juliette Binoche) on board as the crew members begin to lose their minds. Essentially the film feels like two distinctly different stories at opposite ends of the spectrum.

The film only excels in the scenes between the flashbacks to the savagery when Monte is left to grow as a character as he is forced into fatherhood and as a member of the audience, one would have much rather seen more of that grounded and real interaction than the twisted drug-fuelled erotica that was placed before us – however, the cinematography of Yorick Le Sauk has to be commended as even though these scenes are hard to view, they are shot in an interesting way.

That being said, High Life does invoke a variety of emotions that makes it stand out from its peers, but goes too far in the repulsive direction that will alienate viewers and is a muddled narrative when not in the strong screen presence of star Robert Pattinson who continues to break out of the glittery mould that he has was once trapped in.

SPECIAL FEATURES

The special features contained on the DVD release of High Life are a selection of interviews with Director Claire Denis on her focus to filmmaking and the making of her film – an interesting watch for budding filmmakers.

BFI MASTERCLASS WITH CLAIRE DENIS [48:58] – An full-length video of “An Audience with Claire Denis” that took place at the BFI in London.

Q&A WITH CLAIRE DENIS & MIA GOTH [19:23] – A Q&A with Director Claire Denis and Actor Mia Goth after a screen of High Life at the BFI in London.

DORA AND THE LOST CITY OF GOLD

CERT: PG | DIRECTOR: JAMES BOBIN | SCREENPLAY: NICHOLAS STOLLER, MATTHEW ROBINSON | STARRING: ISABELA MONER, EUGENIO DERBEZ, MICHAEL PENA, EVA LONGORIA, DANNY TREJO, BENECIO DEL TORO  | RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW

These days, when you hear the words “Live-Action Adaptation” uttered from someone’s lips, that phrase is met with grumbles and groans due to the current poor track record of said projects. However, that trend is about to change courtesy of Director James Bobin with his incredibly entertaining and endearing take on the beloved Children’s TV character Dora the Explorer in Dora and the Lost City of Gold.

Set in the depths of the Peruvian jungle, young Dora lives with her explorer parents Cole and Elena (Peña and Longoria respectively) and dreams of following in their footprints. After reaching the age of 16, Dora (Moner) is sent by her parents to “The City” to live with her cousin Diego (Wahlberg) and attend High School to learn more about the world. After she finds out that her parents have been kidnapped while searching for Parapata, the Lost City of Gold, Dora along with Diego, class know-it-all Sammy (Madeleine Madden) and social outcast Randy (Nicholas Coombe) are whisked away by mercenaries to Peru, where they must escape and become fully-fledged explorers to find her mum and dad and discover the secret of their surroundings.

On the surface, this may seem like any other licensed cash grab, but it is so much more. The film knows exactly the audience it is playing to – that being all age ranges from young children to adults and families – and crafts an impressive blend of charm and self-aware humour to appeal to everyone in the auditorium. For the kids, we have fan favourite characters such as Boots the monkey and Swiper the devious fox making their big-screen appearance, and for the older members of the audience, we have some fantastic performances and character development, especially from Moner as our leading lady. Simply put, there is something for everyone.

After Dora ventures to “The City”, her child-like innocence of not understanding the correct protocols in society is hilariously played off by Moner’s wonderful acting ability (in this instance, think Crocodile Dundee but with a teenager having to traverse school for the first time). Earlier in the film, they include Dora’s trademark action of breaking the fourth wall and talking directly to the audience – this is cleverly played off as something that “she will grow out of” by her parents. As the film progresses and our heroes venture into the jungle, they encounter the likes of quicksand, jungle puzzles, and deadly traps – essentially painting this film as a family-friendly, and at times, educational, alternative to that of Tomb Raider or Indiana Jones.

Along with great chemistry between all the characters and some solid action set-pieces, Dora and the Lost City of Gold has buckets of charm and a plethora of great messages for the younger members of the audience – all that and a side-splitting song about digging a poo-hole (no really!). For once, we’re graced with a truly entertaining story about a young intrepid explorer learning about her place in the world, and a live-action adaptation that was approached with genuine care and attention.

BLOOD AND FLESH: THE REEL LIFE AND GHASTLY DEATH OF AL ADAMSON [FrightFest 2019]

blood flesh

BLOOD AND FLESH: THE REEL LIFE AND GHASTLY DEATH OF AL ADAMSON / CERT: TBC / DIRECTOR: DAVID GREGORY / STARRING: AL ADAMSON, STEVEE ASHLOCK, FRED OLEN RAY, SAMUEL SHERMAN / RELEASE DATE: TBC

We’ve become used to seeing documentaries celebrating low- and no-budget filmmakers from the past, some with more merit than others. David Gregory’s look at the shoestring auteur Al Adamson follows the usual formula, but as the subject has more legs than you’d expect due his unfortunate demise.

Adamson’s films may not have been to everyone’s taste; modern audiences would probably struggle to sit through one of them. But through archive footage of the man himself and insightful comments from those who knew and worked with him, it’s hard not to get a little fondness for the threadbare kookiness of them. The first part of the documentary focuses on this aspect of his life, while allowing us to get to know more about his upbringing and passions. The rehashing of his material to release as new movies was a genius move that he must be applauded for – even if the new versions didn’t make them any better. With titles such as Blood of Ghastly Horror and Dracula vs Frankenstein, you just know what kind of Z-grade movie you’re going to get.

It’s the more sombre final act that has the audience mesmerised, however. Stepping away from movies, Al and his wife took in a handyman to help redevelop his house. It’s this man – Fred Fulford – who would cruelly snuff Adamson’s life out. It’s a massive testament to the team behind Blood and Flesh that this element works so perfectly and is genuinely upsetting without being overly lurid. Producer Heather Buckley turned super sleuth and managed to track down many of those who knew Al at this time, and even secured an audio interview with Fulford, who naturally denies any involvement in the murder of his so-called friend. This is despite the fact his remains were found under the concrete of the hot tub he was tasked with working on.

As a document of a cult filmmaker who was never really admired in his own lifetime, it’s perfect. For every laugh that a creaky old clip generates, there’s a heart-warming anecdote from one of the talking heads – even if some of those participating are brutally honest in their opinions. While his work may not even be held in high esteem with the ‘so bad it’s good’ fans, the story of his life and sad death is worthy of anyone’s attention.

IT CHAPTER TWO

it chapter

IT CHAPTER TWO / CERT: 18 / DIRECTOR: ANDY MUSCHIETTI / STARRING: GARY DAUBERMAN / STARRING: JESSICA CHASTAIN, JAMES MCAVOY, BILL HADER, BILL SKARSGÅRD, ISAIAH MUSTAFA / RELEASE DATE: SEPTEMBER 6TH

‘A depressing Stand by Me’ is how IT: The Losers’ Club might have been described. For all the camaraderie, the first part of Stephen King’s story finished with the kids traumatised after fighting Pennywise the Dancing Clown. Director Andy Muschietti’s new film is literally IT: Chapter Two as the adult Losers try to right their pasts and save their town, Derry, from evil.

The adult stars so closely resemble their child counterparts that suspension of disbelief is instant thanks to the miracle that is casting agent Rich Della. The Wire’s James Ransone even has Jack ‘Eddie’ Grazer’s eyebrow wiggle down to a tee. The acting is uniformly good, in some places great. Jessica Chastain is believably hanging on by a well-manicured fingernail as Bev, James McAvoy is appropriately angry as Bill (if the stutter does come and go with the tide) and Bill Hader makes even the manic Richie quiet behind the eyes. Andy Bean gives Stan a beautifully nuanced, narrative-altering calm. Bill Skarsgård’s Pennywise gets to lark about a lot, but is at his best when playing with quiet menace. The kids are back, too, with Sophia Lillis even more blazingly brilliant this time around. They’re not quite the characters of the book, but they make the film their own. Keep your eyes peeled for cameos, both extended and of the ‘blink or you’ll miss them’ kind.

Storywise, these Losers are more realistic, acting as you might if some dude you knew nearly thirty years ago told you to fight a supernatural beastie. And fight they do – the practical effects are inventive, beguilingly folksy, and not a little bit grotesque.

Key book sequences have made it in, new sequences – some more necessary than others – have been added and the 2-hour, 49 minutes running time has a very showy conclusion with lots of fan service. It is sometimes a little tonally awkward with extended gags altering the emotional beats, but these changes are also heart-warming – even in mortal danger, the Losers are having the best time. In fact, the film actually uses King’s own style to address his reputation and that of his story; you’ll need a hanky or ten.

IT: Chapter Two mixes blockbuster effects with characters with whom you can believe you are there. If the film is a core of King’s legacy, I suspect he’s now a very happy man. The Losers live on forever.

Doc Charlie Allbright’s book Stephen King’s IT: Culture and the Clown will be released later this year.

Expected Rating: 9 out of 10

READY OR NOT

ready or not

DIRECTOR: MATT BETTINELLI-OLPIN, TYLER GILLETT | SCREENPLAY: GUY BUSICK, RYAN MURPHY | STARRING: SAMARA WEAVING, ADAM BRODY, MARK O’BRIEN, HENRY CZERNY, ANDIE MACDOWELL | RELEASE DATE: SEPTEMBER 27TH

Ready or Not is an irreverent cult film in the making (whether it will be recognised as such immediately or retrospectively depends on the marketing ahead of release), powered by a star-making performance from Samara Weaving. Somewhere between a horror, black comedy and thriller lies Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett’s latest offering of laugh-out-loud hilarity, nail-biting tension and squirm-in-your-seat violence.

Set on their sprawling estate, Ready or Not introduces the Le Domases, a family who made their incredible fortune in the manufacturing of board games. It follows that when Grace (Weaving) marries Alex (O’Brien) despite whisperings that she’s a “gold-digging whore,” she would be summoned to join the family game night, a tradition which will seal her acceptance into the clan. Which game is played depends on what card Grace picks – as luck would have it, she draws the one card that ensures she’ll have no happy ending.

In a game of Hide and Seek, the bride must hide, while the others seek. The Le Domases believe that if the newcomer isn’t found before sunrise, an ancient curse means they will lose both their wealth and their lives – the class commentary isn’t hard to find. As such when she’s found, she will be killed in ritual sacrifice (though Grace, giggling as she hides in a dumbwaiter, doesn’t yet know that). What ensues is an impeccably paced, high-stakes game of cat and mouse.

Weaving is the beating (and bloody) heart of this piece, carrying the story with charm, vulnerability, strength and raging defiance. She’s come to make this film her bitch, and she’s taking no prisoners. The movie fully embraces the clichés of the white woman, sole-survivor heroine trope in a way that brings the viewer in on the joke. We see Grace catch sight of herself in her ripped wedding dress, her yellow converses and an ammo belt slung across her body, and she shakes her head at the absurdity of it all. Ready or Not doesn’t avoid stereotypes; it has a lot of fun with them.

On the other team is an eclectic ensemble of hilariously inept but determined family members, featuring pitch-perfect performances from Andie MacDowell, Adam Brody, and Henry Czerny. Far from a nebulous body of bad people, each character has their own misgivings, motivations, perspectives, unique depth. You might even feel for them. What unites them is familial loyalty and the fear that, despite their doubts, the curse might be real.

Ready or Not is dark in a way that’s thrilling as opposed to oppressive, a couple of narrative twists ensure the stakes stay high, it’s as campy as it gets, and every performance is captivating. The directors are flawlessly in sync with their audience and ensure they, in turn, breathe to the film’s rhythms. Go see it.