THIS IS GWAR

There’s not really anything in the entertainment world quite like Gwar. This infamous troupe of intergalactic cannibalistic barbarians has been causing chaos across the world since the early 1980s, playing loud as hell metal while clad in spiky oversized masks and shoulderpads to huge crowds who willingly pay for the privilege of being covered with all manner of bodily fluids sprayed right into their faces from a variety of monstrous orifices.

This is Gwar is a two-hour documentary that tells the band’s story, taking viewers from its initial formation (a collaboration between artists in an abandoned milk bottling factory) to record deals, tours and their inclusion on an episode of MTV’s Beavis & Butt-Head which lead to further TV appearances, run-ins with censors and a huge increase in notoriety. Many of the surviving members who are interviewed talk with great affection for both the ridiculous situations the band found themselves in and (mostly) for each other as human beings.

It’s unfortunate that founding member Dave Brockie is no longer around to tell his own part of the tale, and fellow co-founder Hunter Jackson occasionally brings the mood down with his less-than-affectionate attitude towards his former partner in crime, but it’s still difficult to escape the feeling that being in Gwar during its heyday must have been an absolute blast. A handful of short features included as Blu-ray extras confirm these suspicions – we’re given a look at how the band sets up for a live show, as well as some behind the scenes footage from the band’s brief cameo on Empire Records and a quick summary of Gwar’s fictional backstory. Despite all being less than 5 minutes long, they’re all worth seeing. There are a few more lengthy inclusions too, such as Dave Brockie’s last recorded interview from 2014 (11 minutes) and a 9-minute fan tribute. The highlight though is the 28-minute tour of “the Slave Pit”, where a couple of band members take us around Gwar’s workshop / studio / office which is stuffed to the brim with artwork, props and memorabilia.

Music documentaries are ten a penny these days, but when you’re talking about such a unique band as this – and with plenty of insane footage to accompany the stories – This is Gwar really does stand out amongst all the others as a must-see film. Fans of the band are, of course, likely to get much more out of it than most other viewers, but those with even a passing interest in the wilder side of the music world should find themselves thoroughly entertained by the band’s antics. There’s a pretty powerful message somewhere, too – we’re not here for very long, so do what you want, make the most of what you’ve got, be good to the people around you and just enjoy yourself. Wise words indeed!

This is Gwar is available on Shudder from July 21st

MATILDA THE MUSICAL

Based on the Royal Shakespeare Company hit-musical adaptation of the classic Roald Dahl novel, Matilda the Musical does not aim to improve on or compete with Danny DeVito’s beloved 1996 classic, nor does it set out to surpass the Tony-winning stage play. Instead, the Netflix feature is content to faithfully translate Tim Minchin and Dennis Kelly’s musical to the screen and deliver an infectiously fun, vibrant family film for a new generation.

roald dahl's matilda the musical still of revolting children number

 

Alisha Weir is a revelation as Matilda, the genius, mischievous, but deeply lonely little girl with secret superpowers. Neglected (read: straight-up abused) and supposedly home-schooled by her gleefully rude, self-centred parents – played with riotous energy by Andrea Riseborough and Stephen Graham – the local authorities insist that the Wormwoods send their daughter to school. The establishment in question is an Oliver Twist workhouse-meets-Shawshank prison, otherwise known as Crunchem Hall. Presiding over the terror camp is Headmistress Trunchbull, a fabulously unpredictable disciplinarian with the lion’s share of rancorous one-liners played by a scenery-chewing Emma Thompson in heavy prosthetics. Lashana Lynch, meanwhile, is perfect as the gentle and nurturing Miss Honey.

The stage is set for a series of barnstorming musical numbers (“School Song” and “Revolting Children” are particular standouts) featuring elaborate choreography and dizzying set pieces; it’s one of the best ways in which Matilda takes advantage of its feature format and pushes its scale and energy to new heights.

What Netflix’s Matilda may lack in Dahl’s defining cynicism and horror, it reinvests in warmth, humour, and familiarity – it’s a film whose Christmas Day release makes perfect sense.

 

Roald Dahl’s Matilda the Musical releases in cinemas from November 25th, and on Netflix from December 25th. 

By Laura Potier

R.I.P.D. 2: RISE OF THE DAMNED

RIPD2 Rise of the Damned Starburst Movie Review

There was much excitement surrounding this sequel to R.I.P.D….R.I.P.D….the Ryan Reynolds and Jeff Bridges film? Back in 2013? Kevin Bacon was in it too? No?

Seriously though, the 2013 box office bomb had potential, adapting Peter M. Lenkov’s 1999 comic book, to unleash a supernatural story of a police department of the departed, who try to keep the souls of those who escaped judgment (aka, “Deados”) from causing havoc in the land of the living. Sadly, in spite of Bridges’ commitment, the film fell afoul with critics and audiences, who saw it as a barely hung together sub-par Men in Black. So the news that a sequel had been greenlit, and 10 years later to boot, was shall we say, a shock.

So, here we are, with R.I.P.D. 2: Rise of the Damned, which – despite its title – is actually a prequel, set back in 1876, as the Wild West has gone to hell! Telling the backstory of Bridges’ character Roicephus “Roy” Pulsipher (here played by Jeffrey Donovan), who teams up with fellow RIPD officer Jeanne (Penelope Mitchell), to save humanity from an evil force who has possessed one of the living and aims to open the gateway to Hell.

Maybe R.I.P.D wasn’t so bad after all…because this prequel really is DOA. Look, Westerns are often blended with other genres, with mixed results it must be said, but even the failures can be fun unhinged products. Rise of the Damned however feels very much like a sub-par Western and doesn’t blend at all with the supernatural elements of this story.

Add to this the fact that this franchise reboot/prequel doesn’t even feel related to the film that came before it in hardly any way. Its lore is messy and unclear (why does Roy ultimately age if he’s dead, when his partner hasn’t for over a 100 years?), the backstory of Roy is altered needlessly, and more chronically than that, this film is kneecapped by its own struggles to justify its existence.

Who was this made for? Fans, clearly not. Critics, why bother? Hell, it has been nearly a decade later, and even back in 2013 the first film died a death at the box office. The project makes no sense, even as a cash in, because where is the cash potential? Even the fabric of the movie itself is riddled with holes, the film’s attempts at messages about racism and sexism are obvious considering the era, lacking any punch that other recent films have made, and are only here to try and add meat to what is a picked clean carcass of a film.

You know, all this would have even be ok in some way, were it not for the film’s crushing unmemorability. By the time you reach the end, you have already forgotten much of what the story even was, and this is a film that you won’t just have forgotten watching by next year, it’s a film you won’t even remember actually happened next month.

Donovan and Mitchell are the sole saving graces of the film, trying their best with the flat comedy (and boy is some of it flatter than roadkill) and uneasy blend of the concept with Western. They even manage to get in a scene of genuine heart, but it’s all too much of an uphill battle for a film that is a head scratcher in so many ways.

What was it Jud Crandall said in Pet Semetary? “Sometimes dead is better”.

BONES AND ALL

Bones and All stars Taylor Russell and Timothee Chalamet

Maren (Taylor Russell) is a quiet, isolated teen living in small-town, backroad Americana. It’s immediately apparent that Maren yearns for connection, but making friends at a new school isn’t easy when your dad locks you in your room every night. When she finally sneaks out for a sleepover one evening, we’re cheering for her freedom – until, caught in the relaxed throes of girlish intimacy, sweet Maren chomps off someone’s finger and savours it like a fat, satisfied cat.  

It turns out her dad wasn’t paranoid about protecting her from the world; he was trying to protect the world from her. Maren is a cannibal, an irresistible compulsion that has kept them on the run for years. When she awakes on her 18th birthday to find her dad has abandoned her and left only some cash, her birth certificate, and a cassette of her history, she decides to search for her mother in hopes she may have answers as to Maren’s nature. 

Timothee Chalamet as Lee in Luca Guadagnino's Bones and All

 

Russell is phenomenal as a conflicted young woman torn by shame, desire, and wavering morals, perfectly matched with Timothée Chalamet’s Lee, a fellow “feeder” whose soothing assurance conceals old wounds. Elsewhere, Mark Rylance is deliciously creepy as Sully, a veteran flesh-eater who shows Maren the ropes. 

Luca Guadagnino and writer David Kajganich skilfully weave a bizarrely sweet, thoughtful coming-of-age romance about two young cannibals simply trying to find their place. The film brings together disparate elements with delicate ease: grisly gore, tenderness, sensuality, melancholia, and a strangely Romantic notion of the world. Bones and All is as violently carnal as it is elegant – an unmissable, wryly funny, and oddly poignant addition to the cannibal canon.  

stars

BONES AND ALL releases in cinemas from November 23rd

 

 

FALL

Fall Movie

By Joel Harley

Not one for those of a nervous disposition, this. Scott Mann’s anxiety-inducing vertigo ‘em up takes its two plucky heroines (Grace Fulton, Virginia Gardner) and strands them 2,000 feet in the air. Less 48 Meters Down, more 609 Meters Up. Not so much The Descent, more The Ascent. As Below, So – you get the idea.

After deciding to climb a 2,000 foot radio tower out in rural nowhere, Becky (Fulton) and best pal Hunter (Gardner) are trapped at the top when the rickety old ladder suddenly breaks. With nobody but the vultures and the baking desert sun for company, the friends must dig deep to figure a way out of (or down from) their precarious predicament.

A daring entry in the already massive ‘trapped in a stupid place’ subgenre of thrillers (see also: Frozen, 127 Hours, and any number of shark movies), Fall is the heights-fearer’s worst nightmare. Combining dizzying stunt work with shocking VFX, it should leave anyone with even a healthy respect for heights with sweaty palms. True, some of that CGI is rough around the edges (like we said, ‘shocking’), and much of the decision work leading to the ladies’ position is infuriating, but the terrors of Fall are universal.

As the pair stuck up the top, Fulton and Gardner do admirable work, keeping the film grounded even as the action reaches ludicrous new heights. It may be silly, but chances are, you’ll be too dizzy from it all to notice. A gravity – and disbelief–defying experience.

Fall is released on Blu-ray and DVD on November 28th

Angels of Death – Final Cut

Angels of Death poster moody armoured figure

The grim ‘dark ages in cursed space’ franchise Warhammer 40,000 has had a rough ride when it comes to on-screen adaptations. This gothic, atmospheric setting is mostly told through books, art and painted models. Games Workshop have had some pretty gross mis-steps in an attempt to turn their world-famous product into a movie.  Angels of Death – Final Cut  is arguably the best attempt thus far.

Angels of Death is the story of band of  space marines making the treacherous journey to their homeworld, Baal. Their space-craft, The Sword of Baal, is a giant fortress cathedral. In it are the Blood Angels, an order of knight-like, super human warriors who exist in a hostile galaxy filled with demons, alien monsters, cults and superstition. The ship travels vast distances by punching a hole through a hell-like sea of demons. When the ship emerges into real space to find safe harbour, they  become ensnared in more violence and conflict.

The entire feature is a sort of monochrome; it’s shades of black, white or red. The Blood Angels themselves are of course clad in red armour, some of their equipment flashes so brilliantly white it almost looks silver, and the abyssal black is a constant tone throughout. It looks gorgeous and combined with an appropriately gothic soundtrack, the entire thing oozes atmosphere.

The two directors, Boman Modine and  Richard Boylan are clearly no strangers to horror, gore or action and they handle these elements brilliantly. Fan favourite voice actors such as Gareth Armstrong and Toby Longworth give very notable performances. Penelope Rawlin’s is particularly notable as Livia, a hard nosed ship’s mistress who seems the sanest character in the entire movie. The acting is strong, though the characters themselves are deliberately narrow; the grim darkness of the 41st millennium, no one has time for hobbies or a decent work/life balance, after all.

Coming in at about 2 hours and 40 minutes, Final Cut is the Angels of Death animated series spliced together into one epic movie. The show so far only been available via Games Workshop’s bespoke streaming service, Warhammer Plus. Which is a pity, as it really does need a big screen to be appreciated, we do hope the powers that be in Nottingham decided to show it at a festival or two.

Parts of the story are very, very steeped in lore, though it doesn’t get in the way of actual story. The Blood Angels themselves have a back-story filled with mysticism and sacrifice and this is built into the story itself; the result tends to be some very pretty (and weird) visuals which will mean nothing to casual viewers and delight fans.

It is, a little long, but then it is several episodes spliced together. The pacing is good, the action is very pretty and it’s nice to see a certain monster get to run around and cause havoc.  It does work as a single coherent movie, but don’t forget to bring snacks.

HEX

hex

Ten years after the tragic death of her father in a skydiving accident, loner Sarah (Kayla Adams) returns to her hometown and tries to make some new friends by teaming up with the local skydiving group – although you’d be forgiven for thinking, considering what happened to her father, that she’d want to keep well away from the very thought of parachutes and keep her feet on the ground for the rest of her life. She manages to work her way into the group and is eventually persuaded to participate in ‘The Hex’, a near-impossible group formation jump. Their first attempt doesn’t go well but the second is successful…at least until Payson (Matthew Holcombe), one of their number, disappears literally into thin air. Over the following days, it’s clear that something very strange is going on when the other members of the group start to die in strange circumstances and Sarah has to discover the truth of ‘The Hex’ before it comes for her…

Good to see that the spirit of the Final Destination series lives on in Chris Johnson’s ambitious Hex as fate will not be denied its true course.  The survivors of the Hex jump suffer terrifying visions of a disaster that never happened but clearly should have and the dramatic beats are ones we’re familiar with from not only the FD series but also a number of other horror films predicated on the implacable nature of destiny. Hex is inevitably hampered by its low budget – the gore factor is pretty low and one character perishes in a blaze of hugely-unconvincing CGI fire – and a story that becomes a little meandering in its final act where it fails to deliver a satisfying conclusion or a proper resolution or even an explanation for the origin of the Hex curse. But despite its shortcomings – it’s not remotely scary despite the potential of its intriguing concept and it’s hard to imagine that the group would merrily go up for another jump the day after one of their number has vanished before their very eyes –  Hex is enlivened by some earnest acting and some genuinely impressively stomach-churning aerial photography.

BLACK PANTHER: WAKANDA FOREVER

Letitia Wright as Shuri in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever

Making a sequel to a cultural phenomenon was never going to be easy. Making an MCU blockbuster that could entertain and move the franchise forward but also mourn and honour Chadwick Boseman’s legacy presented an even bigger challenge. Yet against all odds, Ryan Coogler’s Black Panther: Wakanda Forever pulls off an exciting, intelligent, and sorrowful sequel with conviction and grace.

The death of Boseman’s King T’Challa by some unnamed disease is the starting point, as those left behind try to pick up the pieces in a grieving daze. It’s clear from the outset that the spectre of loss will hang heavily over this film, even in its lighter and more escapist moments.

Chadwick Boseman as T'Challa on mural in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever

 

One year after the loss of their leader and Black Panther, Wakanda is under pressure from world powers to share their vibranium reserves – with some parties going so far as to try to take it by force. It isn’t long before the U.S. government comes in possession of a vibranium-detecting machine and locates a deposit of the precious resource in the depths of the Atlantic Ocean. However, when they attempt to drill into the seabed, the ship is attacked, and its entire crew is decimated by a blue-skinned, water-dwelling people led by Namor (a fantastic Tenoch Huerta).

Back on land, Namor easily bypasses Wakanda’s advanced security to ambush Queen Ramonda (Angela Bassett) and Shuri (Letitia Wright). Blaming them for the vibranium race, the winged-footed leader gives the Wakandans an ultimatum: find and deliver him the scientist responsible for the vibranium-detecting machine (Dominique Thorne as Riri Williams, introducing Ironheart), or his nation will come for Wakanda first.

Tenoch Huerta as Namor in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever

 

As Michael B. Jordan’s Killmonger did in Black Panther, Namor presents an antagonist entirely justified in his anger, one with righteous ideals and moral strength. Ryan Coogler continues to push the boundaries of what a Marvel film can be: present here is his keen interest in the geopolitical implications of superheroism, his talent for constructing intricate worlds – the underwater city of Talokan, a Mesoamerican civilisation inspired by ancient Mayan culture, is nothing short of stunning – and his propensity for confronting heroes with complex existential dilemmas.

Wakanda Forever, at times, sprawls out of focus. Genius MIT student Riri Williams feels lost in the story, functioning as more of a plot device akin to America Chavez’s role in Multiverse of Madness than a fully-fledged character. So too, does it struggle to slot some of its actors amid the crowded cast – Michaela Coel and Lupita Nyong’o sadly take the hit – and despite the strong principles animating the central conflict, its culmination isn’t as persuasive as it needs to be.

Lupita Nyong'o as Nakia in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever

 

If it sometimes feels pulled in too many directions, perhaps it’s because the film and its many voices are still processing their loss. The turbulence of grief is present and uncensored, destabilising the film’s focus – one can’t help but forgive any stumble entirely.

Besides, Wright binds together every thread of Wakanda Forever with a magnetic and emotionally raw performance. The actress finds captivating volatility in Shuri, whose rage, shame, and sorrow at the loss of her brother struggle against her duty to his memory and desire for peace. She is poignant to watch, and together with Boseman’s memory, pulls Wakanda Forever into a beautiful, uncommonly grounded, and deeply moving whole.

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is out in cinemas now. Watch the final trailer here.

THE SCHOOL FOR GOOD AND EVIL

starburst magazine the school for good and evil movie review

CERT: 12 / PLATFORMS: NETFLIX / RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW

It has been a long time since Harry Potter hasn’t it? Ever since the lightning-scarred boy wizard conquered the world across the 2000s, we have seen countless other (usually book adapted) young adult fantasy strive to conjure up the same box office magic. 

Some have found their own mammoth success (regardless of quality) like Twilight and The Hunger Games, others have just felt second tier (The Maze Runner and Divergent series), and others have been disastrous failures (Mortal Instruments). Hell, even the wider Wizarding World has struggled (hello there The Secrets of Dumbledore). Now Netflix is attempting to get some stuff going with their adaptation of Soman Chainani’s bestseller. Does it? Well, let’s just say that ending sequel tease is hopeful to say the least.

The film sees two young women Sophie (Sophia Anne Caruso) and Agatha (Sofia Wylie) who are the best of friends, isolated from their community of Gavaldon, and they only have each other. But when one aspires for a life greater than she has, and makes a wish, they find themselves transported to a fantastical world and the (don’t call me Hogwarts) School For Good and Evil, divided into two camps – The Evers and The Nevers. Only problem is Sophie and Agatha have been separated and Sophie in particular does not think she belongs in the school she has been placed in.

Bafflingly cut and released as a feature film instead go a TV series/episodic format, which would have better suited its concept and narrative, The School For Good and Evil is a bit of a hodgepodge. Like Ghostbusters or Last Christmas, watching this makes you yearn for Paul Feig’s higher calibre work (Spy, The Heat and A Simple Favour). 

In fact, this one starts off really really badly, feeling like a tooth grindingly flat little theatre production of Potter and ye olde fantasy cliche, thankfully finding more of a footing after the first hour with a handful of more poignant notes, but its thin line between evil and good themes do race around in a story that has more and more chucked into it, and much to its overall detriment.

Packed with Gen Z needle drops (some fine, some awkward) and modern colloquial sass to appeal to the kids, some may have fun but anyone of any age will have seen far better, and for all its attempts, far bigger fare than this. Which, for all the effects and action, just feels rather wooden and stilted.

Once again Charlize Theron finds herself in a film she far outclasses, while Sofia Wylie and Sophia Anne Caruso’s great efforts go some way in providing heart but things just eventually spiral out of control. While a plethora of other bigger name stars are utterly wasted in disposable roles. 

The School For Good and Evil is an overlong and over-packed uneasy mash-up of Harry Potter’s Wizarding World and The Descendants which starts off threatening to be nigh on unwatchable, never finds its groove enough to be magical, and in the end just emerges as a mess.

THE INVITATION

The Invitation 2022 starburst movie review

It feels to have been some time since we have had a film like The Invitation on the big screen, but after more than doubling its budget at the box office (to the surprise of many), maybe we will get more. It is perhaps giving the game away to say the film was inspired by Bram Stoker’s legendary text Dracula but the marketing has made little effort to hide its toothy reveal. Plus, early on, you know exactly where the film is going, in what is a Ready or Not style genre-spliced take on the well known vampiric character/backstory.

The film sees aspiring artist Evelyn (an excellent and charismatic Nathalie Emmanuel) working to make ends meet as a freelance caterer, serving rich dismissive douchebags. Having lost both her parents, she takes a DNA test, curious to see if there is anyone out there she can call family, to her surprise she gets a response from a wealthy family in England. Meeting up with her distant posh cousin Oliver Alexander, she takes his invitation to attend a wedding at a mansion home in Whitby overseen by the attractive Lord Walter De Ville (Thomas Doherty). Everything seems grand (in more ways than one) but a great, and historic darkness lies in this home and it wants something, or rather, someone.

Needless to say you have probably put two and two together by now, and if you haven’t, you will early into Jessica M. Thompson’s very well dressed film. Aesthetically enchanting, with a sense of Gothic and a Hammer-like vibe, this film has plenty of atmosphere at its disposal. While its slow burning blend of romance and horror largely offers an engaging experience. 

Sure, you know precisely what is going on and yes, the film perhaps takes on far too much all at once, as it combines horror thrills, with a sweeping (or not) love story, a stab at social commentary on class/racial division (that’s all done in rather broad strokes) and that aggrandised climax, and odd sequel baiting ending, but it’s all decent fun really isn’t it? Nothing to re-invent the wheel certainly, and not always subtle but still effectively entertaining and with some nice little references for fans of the lingering source material.

Led by a fantastic lead performance by Emmanuel and a strong supporting turn by Doherty, as well as the likes of Sean Pertwee, Stephanie Corneliussen and Carol Ann Crawford, The Invitation works. It is really, in spite of some modernised interjections, quite an old fashioned fanged tale, that makes for a visually seductive viewing, if not always a full-blooded scare-fest…though that bit with the fingernail at the spa. Bleugh Bleugh Bleugh!