FREEZE

freeze

The latest offering from the prolific Charlie Steeds blends the monster mayhem of his earlier film The Barge People, and an old-school seafaring adventure with The Descent.

An expedition being undertaken by the crew of ship Innsmouth to find a lost vessel, The Eibon and its captain become stricken when they enter the Artic and become ice-locked. When they find a system of caves, the frozen landscape is the least of their problems.

Steeds doesn’t waste time bringing his creatures to the screen, and the action romps along at a nice pace from the start. Kudos must go to the art design, which really lifts the movie above its independent roots. The creatures themselves are a mix of The Wizard of Oz’s flying monkeys and the Gill-man and manage to provide a few fun scares.

Freeze has the feel of the classic Kevin Connor costume adventures such as The Land that Time Forgot and Warlords of Atlantis. The ensemble cast of those films replaced by relatively unknowns (although it’s great to see Johnny Vivash (Walking Against the Rain) in a prominent role) but they hold their own and sell the action well. The story might be a little over-ambitious for the budget, but it makes a decent fist of Lovecraft lore, which is more than some more luxurious productions have done.

 

Freeze is released on digital on December 12th and DVD on January 23rd. 

 

TROLL

troll

Sometimes there’s really nothing more likely to hit that sweet spot than a  big, loud creature feature. Directed by Roar Uthaug (and monster lovers will find plenty of roaring here) Troll does exactly what you’d hope from a film called Troll. It’s about a big-nosed mythical monster that wakes up in the Norwegian hills, the last of its kind, and proceeds to stumble about the countryside, swatting helicopters and stomping on buildings as it heads to Oslo. The spirit of King Kong and many other halfway decent giant monster movies looms large in this one, and Troll is all the better for embracing its forebears and its heritage and telling a simple, unpretentious story that delivers thrills, spills and…did we mention it?…a big-nosed mythical monster.

The story is a thing of beautiful simplicity, and for once we’re not complaining. The Norwegian government call in palaeontologist Nora Tidenham (Ine Marie Wilmann) when a group of protesters are killed in the mountains of Dovre. Teaming up with the Norwegian’s Prime Minster’s advisor (and the film’s comic relief) Andreas (Kim Falck), military muscle Kris Holm (Mads Sjogard Pettersen) and Nora’s slightly fruit loop father Tobias (Gard B. Eidsvold) who lost his professional credibility and his job because of his fervent belief in the existence mythical monsters, Nora discovers the incredible truth. Trolls are real, and a very large one is causing chaos and carnage as it wanders around the country. There’s actually a bit more to it, of course, some troll backstory that adds a pleasing layer of humanity to the creature and makes it more than just a big, bad beast tormenting humanity for the sake of it. The human characters are a quirky, likeable bunch, but we’re all really here for the troll action, and the film sparkles in a handful of key sequences where the troll is flattening a holiday resort, fighting off an attack from a squad of helicopters and, in the finale,  bearing down on Oslo. We’re not talking Godzilla-level devastation here – this is a much more modestly-budgeted feature – but Troll is all the better for not sacrificing its soul and heart for the sake of tiresome scenes of wanton destruction. And it does have real heart, too; once we learn of the history of the trolls and their tragic fate at the hands of the early Christians, it’s hard not to pity the creature and feel some genuine sympathy for its plight even as plans are laid to destroy it by utilising UV light to turn it back into rock.

Troll is a great piece of unassuming monster mayhem, a refreshingly Nordic take on tropes and cliches that Hollywood has mined to the point of exhaustion over the years. Thrilling, fast-paced, funny and with a proper emotional beating heart, Troll is a terrific treat, and we’re keeping our fingers crossed for the sequel cheekily teased during the end credits. Monstrously good.

Troll is streaming now on Netflix

VIOLENT NIGHT

violent-night-starburst-movie-review

’Tis the season for Christmas movie folly, tra-la la la la La-la la la. Whether Hallmark junk or off their trolley, tra-la la la la La-la la la. Sugary romances or murderous grinches, tra-la la la la La-la la la. Still we never thought Santa would be giving out stitches, tra-la la la la La-la la la!

Righto, enough of that. Let’s get serious. It may be the most wonderful time of the year but the best present we can get at Christmas time is a festive film that dares to be a little different. And with its anti-hero sledgehammer-swinging Santa, Violent Night is that film! A film you can welcome as a new alternative Christmas classic to cherish and add to your film collection. 

David Harbour’s St. Nick is in a not-so-jolly frame of mind, as he feels Christmas has lost its warmth. However, one night plenty of creatures are stirring, at the lavish home of a wealthy family, as a group of mercenaries take the family hostage and Santa finds himself right in the middle of the bullet-riddled chaos. Urged into action to save a young girl who is not only on his nice list, but might just be the one to remind him of why Christmas matters.

Starting as a Bad Santa-like story, the film soon swings out into Die Hard (or rather Die Hard 2) meets Home Alone (and it knows it), starring one helluva badass big screen Mr. Claus. At once a film seemingly defiant of the modern-day Christmas celebrations but which ultimately is a loving tribute to the true spirit of it, Violent Night comes bearing far more heart than you might expect, alongside its profane laughs and gory scraps!

Daring to fill the screen with a fair share of unlikeable – and nastily rich – characters, the movie makes a statement about how greedy, corporate and selfish (and drained of magic) Christmas has become but shows how, in just one child’s inner goodness, that age old hope and joyous soul can remain. It’s quite refreshing to see this very genuine sentiment done in a way that’s not too sickly.

David Harbour is everything here as Santa, and carries the film as effortlessly as the sack on his back. Very funny, poignant and flawed, he gives us a well rounded (and heavy drinking) take on Santa, as a former barbarian-turned-hero, who generations later has lost himself in the face of a very vapid age but who fights for the right cause, and he commands the screen. While the likes of Leah Brady as Trudy, John Leguizamo as the villainous “Mr. Scrooge” and Beverly D’Angelo as foul-mouthed matriarch Gertrude, all have fun in supporting roles. 

The John Wick-influenced action is excellent and not overused, not to mention with some original sequences (the climactic fight is particularly inspired), while the Christmas film references are apt ad well placed, as is the Yuletide soundtrack. 

Even if some plot points don’t all hang together neatly, and the concept does every now and then veer a tad off course, this is a great genre film, lovingly laced with Christmas cheer, and the results are a very entertaining and refreshing dose of decking people’s halls and seasons beatings! 

Ho ho wholly enjoyable!

SOMETHING IN THE DIRT

Something in the Dirt

Neighbourly cordiality becomes a ghost-hunting partnership when two slackers discover paranormal activity in their Los Angeles apartment block. Hitting it off over a bummed cigarette, John (Aaron Moorhead) and Levi (Justin Benson) form a bond when an ashtray begins spontaneously levitating in the latter’s apartment. Sensing an opportunity for fame and fortune, the pair assemble a collection of cameras and recording equipment and set about documenting their experience.

The latest from Indie darlings Benson and Moorhead (The Endless, Moon Knight) picks up threads from their previous work, infusing slacker comedy with cosmic oddities and metaphysical theory. Sounds like heady stuff but is grounded by Moorhead and Benson’s character work. The dialogue sparkles as layers and hidden depths are peeled off of these rounded, lived-in characters. It’s a testament to the performances and characters that the slow-burn two-hour runtime never feels like a drag.

Drawn to each other, John and Levi inhabit a vision of Los Angeles that appears to be teetering on the edge of apocalypse. As the landscape burns and smoke fills the sky, earthquakes shake the very foundations of the city, birds slam into windows, and ashtrays levitate across the room. Benson and Moorhead tap into a cosmic conspiracy, uncovering decades of supernatural mythology, buried deep in Los Angeles history. As talk turns to doomsday cults and scary doors, not-quite friendship fragments, and tension build between the pair.

Still, the film keeps it light, employing a unique framework to the story – the ultimate unreliable narrator.  This haunting sci-fi comedy recalls Close Encounters of the Third Kind and Poltergeist, employing a Spielbergian tone and special effects to deliver a worthy follow-up to the directors’ previous work.  Something in the Dirt is a complex and ponderous piece but feels down-to-Earth and real. Rich in metaphysical delights but never loses sight of its humanity.

Something In The Dirt is in UK Cinemas from 4th November and on Digital Download & Blu-Ray from 5th December

PRETTY BABY (1978)

pretty baby

Perhaps even more controversial than it was on its first release, Louis Malle’s drama of a 1917 New Orleans brothel as seen through the perspective of a young, pre-pubescent girl is evocative, occasionally disturbing, utterly absorbing, and visually sumptuous.

Violet (Brooke Shields) can’t wait to follow in her mother’s footsteps. Hattie (Susan Sarandon), her mom, is one of a dozen prostitutes working from a house always bustling with action. As everyone counts down to Violet’s entry into the oldest profession, Hattie moves out to find a new life with a former customer. When a photographer (Keith Carradine) joins the household to document the ladies, he becomes protective of Violet.

The casting and performance of Shields have overshadowed the film and were a cause célèbre right from the start. Some moments are difficult to watch with modern sensibilities, but the director doesn’t stoop to exploitation techniques. The interview with the actor on Imprint’s Blu-ray sheds more light on this.

Look beyond the controversy, and Malle’s film is one to savour. He takes his European filmmaking sense to a lavish, US production that sympathetically treats the subject and has tender moments amongst the salacious situations.

Imprint’s Blu-ray presents the film well, with an informative commentary from Kat Ellinger and a video essay on Malle’s other American films alongside the aforementioned interview with Brooke Shields. While not as exhaustive as some of their other releases, it’s still worth checking out.

TESTAMENT (1983)

testament

Not all post-apocalyptic films are full of mutated zombies and roaming savages fighting over fuel. Some focus on the human stories that will be the reality for many of us if one of the mentalists decides to press the button.

Set in a suburban town, the story focuses on a regular American family, a Mother (Jane Alexander) and Father (William Devane) and their children. When Father is out of town on business, nuclear war breaks out.

Testament has a similar brooding dread that burns through the classic On the Beach, albeit with more of a made-for-TV feel. We see the human aspect of the aftermath of a nuclear attack. The attempt at normalcy and the desperation of not having any control over what’s occurring. Everything takes place in a regular, middle-class environment. While there may be a little looting in the town, the family we follow keeps an essence of politeness and decency. The young boy gets to know an elderly neighbour with a ham radio, and they attempt to contact other towns. The sad reality of the fallout of a nuclear bomb creeps in, and this is also handled gently, which makes it all the more devastating. Kevin Costner has a small but effective part as a father who loses a child early in the aftermath.

Lynne Littman directs with a daytime TV aesthetic, but rather than making the film look cheap, it gives it an immediacy that a grander production may have lost.

Imprint’s Blu-ray has enough bonus features to make this a worthy purchase, but the film alone is worth your money. Haunting and sobering stuff.

Testament is out now on Blu-ray in Australia from Imprint (region free).

A WOUNDED FAWN

wounded fawn

We’re already in no doubt that slick Bruce (Josh Ruben) is a bad ‘un, as we’ve seen him slaughter a woman he’s attempting to buy a statue from after she beat him at an auction. Our assumptions about him are skewed, however, when we discover more about him. That’s later on, though. Meredith (Sarah Lind) is elated that she has a weekend date with a new guy, so when Bruce picks her up, she has no idea what’s in store for her when they arrive at his remote bolthole.

Travis Stevens (Jakob’s Wife) deftly directs A Wounded Fawn, piling the tension to an almost unbearable level. We know something bad is going to happen, but when? And what is it Meredith glimpses in the woods near the isolated cabin? There’s a looming evil that surrounds Bruce, compelling him to do the heinous acts, and the statue of The Erinyes plays a major part in how things pan out.

Mixing elements of Greek mythology with the regular psycho boyfriend beats is interesting and takes things into places we wouldn’t necessarily guess. Both Ruben and Lind are fantastic as the couple, exuding quiet menace and mounting anxiety, respectively. Yes, it’s another misogynistic male dominating and murdering women, but there’s a different element brought in so that Meredith – the figurative wounded fawn following a previous abusive relationship – isn’t the easy prey the smooth-talking but certifiable Bruce thought she was.

A Wounded Fawn is available to stream on Shudder.

GOODBYE, DON GLEES!

How did you spend your adolescent years? That and so much more are explored to beautiful yet tragic lengths in Atsuko Ishizuka’s first original anime film, Goodbye, Don Glees!

A young boy, Roma (Natsuki Hanae, Demon Slayer), and his friend Toto (Yuki Kaji, Attack on Titan) run the “Don Glees” club – a secret two-man club that young boys use to bond. After Toto leaves their local farming community for the bright lights of Tokyo, Roma is left alone and has to face the harsh reality of life without his best friend. When Toto returns and reconnects with Roma, he has already found a new friend in the mysterious Drop (Ayumu Murase, Haikyu!! To the Top) – together the three of them are thrust into an adventure to prove their innocence when the local forest catches fire. On that journey, they face their biggest challenge yet – learning how to move on from childhood to adulthood.

What makes this wonderful film stand it is that it is not a straightforward coming-of-age tale, helped by the fact that anime and animation can allow creators to achieve so much more than your standard live-action affair. Not only that but this film which was also written by Ishizuka-san is about three boys from the perspective of a grown woman. It adds a flavour that is not all that common in a lot of today’s stories. Typically in the past, society has dictated that male-identifying people should not be so confident in displaying emotions or sharing their worries with those of the same gender. But what Goodbye, Don Glees! does is shows that it is okay to talk about your feelings and you should never, ever let anyone tell you otherwise.

The journey the three boys go on covers so many relatable yet fantastical moments from all of our childhoods that it manages to stay raw and down to earth whilst also putting you in their shoes. One particular moment that will always stay with us is when the boys all sing “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star” in this magical musical number that just really pulls at your heartstrings.

With gorgeous visuals and a touching story that also doesn’t shy away from breaking your heart, especially towards the final act, Ishizuka-san’s Goodbye, Don Glees! is a special little film.

Goodbye, Don Glees! is out now in select UK cinemas with a limited theatrical run.

ENOLA HOLMES 2

Enola Holmes 2

Released on Netflix in 2020, Enola Holmes, based on the young adult mystery novel series by Nancy Springer, was a huge hit, a pandemic-struck housebound audience thirstily lapping up its lavish, quirky, tongue-in-cheek cod Victorian origin story for Sherlock Holmes’s feisty, fleet-footed, and smart-mouthed younger sister Enola (Stranger Things star Millie Bobby Brown). This quickly-commissioned sequel – again penned by the supernaturally-prolific Jack Thorne and again directed by Harry Bradbeer – is a significantly better film. The first film’s story was muddied by its need to set up Enola, her relationship with her brother, her own determination to establish herself as an independent, free-thinking young woman whose detective skills may well be the equal of Sherlock himself and, of course, the world its story was set in. The mystery element of the story was a little underwhelming too. Fortunately, Enola Holmes 2 is a nippier and more confident affair. With the groundwork laid and its world established, the film can crack on with the story – and it’s a good one. With her own detective agency on the brink of collapse, Enola is enlisted by a factory girl named Bessie (Serrana Su-Ling) to find her missing sister, a match factory girl named Sarah Chapman (Hannah Dodd). Sherlock meanwhile (Henry Cavill, woefully miscast as the most ridiculously Un-Sherlock Holmes of all time but giving it his all regardless) is struggling to solve his own latest case involving Government blackmail at the highest levels engineered, he eventually discovers, by a criminal mastermind known as Moriarty. As Enola finds herself digging deeper into the underbelly of London aristocracy and facing the grim reality of the pitiful lives of the girls working for slave labour wages at the match factory, the two investigations start to move closer together and Enola and Sherlock must join forces to expose a sinister web of deceit and duplicity.

Enola Holmes 2 is great fun. The plot hitches up its skirts and races along from the very first scene and the style and tone very much echo the original with Enola’s occasional cheeky fourth wall breaking as she addresses her “audience” and her growing friendship with the timid Lord Tewkesbury (Louis Partridge). Helena Bonham-Carter is back in a slightly larger cameo as Enola’s madcap mother Euphoria and David Thewlis’ villainous Grail is a baddie in the glorious penny dreadful tradition.  Modern sensibilities are catered for with Adeel Akhtar’s all-at-sea Inspector Lestrade, a complete reinvention of Moriarty and, in a mid-credits sequence, the arrival of another Conan Doyle icon not yet introduced into this version of Sherlock’s world. But this is really Enola’s film and Millie Bobby Brown is a delight; Enola is possessed of the same mercurial intelligence as her brother but her lack of experience leads her to take uncalculated risks and she finds herself in tricky situations more often than she should. It’s a lively, atmospheric confection, nicely-realised, and Enola Holmes 2, busier and better structured and paced than the first film, sees this franchise find its feet and opens the door for further adventures to come.

 

Enola Holmes 2 is streaming now on Netflix

THE WITCH: PART 2. THE OTHER ONE

Four years after bringing us the stellar first installment of his trilogy “The Witch”, writer/director Park Hoon-jung returns with the bigger and more ambitious sequel, The Witch: Part 2. The Other One.

After a pregnant teen is abducted from a school trip by Dr. Baek and her organisation, she is told that her future children are important to their cause. Years later, a young girl known only as “girl” or “Ark 1” with extraordinary powers escapes from the Ark, a top-secret facility, and, because of her abilities, is tracked by various interested parties.

In the first film, Hoon-jung not only made a highly entertaining and thrilling action-horror but also crafted the foundations of an interesting world. In this sequel, which we would call more of a companion piece than a typical sequel, that world has expanded. Ja-yoon from Part 1 is no longer the most powerful being that Dr. Baek has created as we, the audience, previously thought, which opens up so many avenues for where the story could go. However, with most middle chapters of a trilogy, some of the choices as to how the story is told leading up to the final part and climax can seem a bit too safe or similar. “Ark 1″‘s story is very similar to that of Ja-yoon where once she is out in the world, she latches on to regular civilians before her powers are revealed to devasting effect. That being said, the pace at which we get to some of the incredible action is much swifter than its predecessor, but the beats are most definitely similar.

The action itself is considerably more intense in terms of scope and spectacle – which most likely comes from not only a larger budget but the idea of making the protagonist a much more powerful entity. The special effects and set pieces are a tremendous joy to behold, but it fails to capture that particular claustrophobic and impactful nature that the corridors scenes toward the climax of Part 1 possessed. Like with Part 1, Hoon-jung has used his keen sense of immense talent to once again find a future star in Shin Si-ah who plays our titular witch. Her performance echoes that of Kim Da-mi but she also manages to stand out on her own – helped by the talent of the great supporting cast including Park Eun-bin making her return to feature films.

The Witch: Part 2. The Other One is another outstanding South Korean action film that complements Part 1 and also entices the audience into peak anticipation for its final chapter even though it plays it safe with some of the story elements. It’s full of bigger action set pieces than its predecessor along with great pacing and capped off with a lead performance of another sensational debut actor in Shin Si-ah – we are most certainly very excited for Part 3!

The Witch: Part 2. The Other One is out on VOD in the UK from November 28th 2022, courtesy of Signature Entertainment.