Drafthouse Films does it again, scouring, quite literally, the entire planet for the very best films otherwise virtually unseen by the majority of film goers. In an ongoing effort to bring powerful, hard-hitting films closer to the forefront, GRACELAND caught the attention of savvy film enthusiasts and now has the opportunity to spread its wings amidst a larger audience. Will you be one amidst those many?

GRACELAND tells the story of a working class father, and honest and good young man named Marlon Villar, played by Arnold Reyes. Set in the Philippines, Marlon finds his world thrown into chaos when a kidnapping goes terribly wrong and he finds himself fighting for his daughter’s life. Torn between his love for his own family and the demand placed upon him by his employer, Marlon must juggle a dangerous balance between doing what’s right and doing what he must.

Written and directed by Ron Morales, a filmmaker of respectable technical talent, GRACELAND marks only his second feature film as a director. Having earned his industry chops working on more mainstream Hollywood fare, from SPIDER-MAN 3 to NICK & NORAH’S INFINITE PLAYLIST, its clear that his wide exposure to various styles and genres has allowed him to find his own much more pure artistic vision.

Marlon encounters elements all too familiar, from corruption to class segregation, all of which play into the overall arc of the film that proves not to be a sum greater than its parts, but an experience of which the parts and the sum are of equally high value. GRACELAND catches us off guard, nudging us off the curb into the filthy gutter, drags us through Marlon’s agonizing ordeal, and then just when we thing Morales is going to lift us up out of our shallow grave, instead he throws a few more shovels of dirt on our heads. Why? Because the truth is, real life is rarely about perfect happy endings. Real life is twisted, bent and jaded.

Forget about the flashy, high-action kidnapping films like TAKEN that are short on plot. GRACELAND never sacrifices its heart for a quick and easy adrenaline fix. On second thought, let me retract that statement. Instead, let me say that GRACELAND relies on masterful storytelling and a potent story with more resonant real-world issues to slowly fill the viewers veins with an adrenalized rush. As a suspenseful tale of a man desperate to save his daughter, GRACELAND matches the bar. As an emotional, intelligent case study of life in a world few of us will ever dream of actually stepping foot into, this film will knock you on your ass.

Morales maintains a close and personal vantage point, often uncomfortably so, never allowing the viewer to pull away and remind themselves “hey, this is only a movie.” Even in the films’ opening moments, Morales already has us hating a key character, while empathizing with Marlon and the nauseatingly disgusting situation he is in and must face on what seems a daily basis just to make ends meet. Its this dichotomy of Marlon’s restrained morals and the requirements of his job that give us hope that he will somehow find a way out of this mess.

GRACELAND co-stars Menggie Cobarrubias as the corrupt Congressman Changho and Dido De La Paz as the corrupt detective Ramos. Both men have their flaws, but at varying degrees and with subtly contradicting lines in the sand. Changho represents the “upper class” of the Philippines, fitting as his role takes something of a backseat to that of the detectives, who serves as a sort of intermediary between the very small upper class and the vast lower class. GRACELAND is a gritty, dirty looking film yet also manages to capture a certain untarnished beauty in the way the world looks around Marlon. Morales portrays things as they are, for better or for worse. At times, it even seems perhaps that shots may not have been authorized, perhaps even captured at great risk to the filmmakers themselves. All of this adds to the tension, builds layers upon layers onto the texture of the film. This allows the viewer to get a little dirty. We need to feel some of that to fully appreciate the cinematic environment in which the story is told.

In the end, no one character is quite what they seemed in the beginning. In the end, GRACELAND has us playing everything back in our minds, looking for explanations and justifications. In the end, the truth is that a father will do whatever he must to protect his family and damn anyone that wants to tell him what’s right and wrong in the eyes of those who haven’t walked in his shoes. However, in the end, all actions also have their consequences. GRACELAND is available on VOD/iTunes now and opens in theaters on Friday, April 26, 2013. Be sure to visit the official GRACELAND website for more information and to find a screening near you.

Overall: 4 out of 5 stars

If you’re anything like me, the first thought in your head when you heard about the remake of the 1984 classic RED DAWN was to shrug it off thinking “whatever.” Then, as the film is completed and nearing release, we hear that instead of being invaded by the Russians like the original — which is entirely understandable — or, as a way to update the story, invaded by the Chinese, which was the original plan, it turns out we’re being invaded by North Korea. Exactly. My first thought was… [scoff] “Yeah, right. How does that work?”

[Biting my tongue...] As it turns out, it works rather well. Surprised? I am. RED DAWN (2012) is, structurally, more or less loosely the same film as the 1984 original. I mean, when it comes down to brass tacks, both films are about the U.S. being caught off guard by a surprise invasion from a Communist enemy, occupied, then ultimately saved by a band of unlikely heroes. The difference is in the details. Instead of the Soviet Union, we’re invaded by North Korea… but, with some help from a couple of all-too-familiar [and previously mentioned] forces with a common goal. Nonetheless, the U.S. initially gets its ass handed to them, making the struggle to fight back all the more exciting.

Dan Bradley directs this modern retelling of the Cold War classic. Bradley is a stunt man with an extensive resume, stepping behind the camera as director for the first time. Its my theory that his time spent throwing punches, dodging bullets and taking falls are a significant factor in establishing the kind of realistic, modestly-paced action we get in RED DAWN. The film opens on a local high school football game, featuring the hometown Wolverines — from which the soon-to-be-realized American rebels get their name — and sets up the character profile for one of our two main heroes.

Josh Peck (THE WACKNESS) plays the star high school quarterback with an attitude, Matt Eckert, who must overcome his own selfishness and realize that in order to survive — ironically — he must learn to be a team player. Chris Hemsworth (THOR, THE AVENGERS) plays Matt’s older brother Jed, the more responsible of the two and a Marine on leave. Isabel Lucas (IMMORTALS) plays Erica, Matt’s sweetheart who is both the driving force for Matt’s fight against the invaders and the potential undoing of their small band of freedom fighters.

RED DAWN spends just enough time introducing characters and setting up back story, then throws the viewer head first into the invasion. The title of the film is no random choice, as the Communist, or “Red” invaders parachute from a legion of bombers into the Pacific Northwest. In our case, we witness what unfolds in Spokane, Washington as Matt and Jed wake to find North Korean soldiers have quickly taken control of their town, complete with fully armed soldiers, military vehicles and a barrage of exploding houses throughout the neighborhood. What little CGI is visibly present in this film, appears during the initial takeover, but is done so with a sense of holding back, not to exceed any suspension of disbelief, but actually causes a noticeable sense of dread and patriotism in the viewer.

As the viewer becomes attached to certain characters and distrustful of others, the film leads us through this devastating turn of events without ever sensationalizing them. RED DAWN is a violent, sometimes graphic film, but is never gratuitous. The characters are written in a way that we care about them, we want to see them succeed, even the ones who clearly have their priorities skewed. Adrianne Palicki, Josh Hutcherson, and Connor Cruise round out the primary cast, forming the core of the rebel Fighters known as the Wolverines. Jeffrey Dean Morgan makes a welcome casting addition as Col. Andy Tanner, a Marine pulled out of retirement in the latter half of the film.

At one point, RED DAWN actually pokes fun at itself, but does so innocently by allowing Matt to reveal how ignorant he is to the current state of world affairs. Despite the opening title sequence revealing a well-crafted and much appreciated montage of world news broadcasts and the like, Matt fails to grasp the scope of events leading up to the North Korean invasion when he asks “How is that possible?” This all becomes clear, not only for Matt, but for an otherwise potentially skeptical audience. In fact, the premise of this remake is perhaps even more realistic and terrifying than that of the 1984 original.

Unlike so many films that shove a sort of uber-patriotism down our throats, RED DAWN delivers an easily digestible dose of patriotic storytelling that pleases the pallet, while still succeeding and it’s primary goal of entertaining the audience. RED DAWN offers a strong story, but one that’s not overly complicated; a satisfying portion of realistic action that never goes over-the-top; and a decent helping of relationship side story to please the female perspective without overwhelming the rest of the film.

Overall Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

RED DAWN opens nationwide in theaters on Wednesday, November 21st, 2012.

If you were to combine GROUNDHOG’S DAY with THE SIXTH SENSE and add some of HBO’s original series IN TREATMENT, what would you get? Well, it would probably be a big mess, but it could begin to resemble something like H.P. Mendoza’s I AM A GHOST. If there’s one thing we have no shortage of in theaters today, its ghost stories, particularly ones that focus on the unfortunate living who are haunted and terrorized by some rarely-seen, malicious paranormal entity. Not that this is bad, but as with all things… its nice to have a change of pace at times.

Thank you, H.P. Mendoza, writer and director of the low-budget, indie horror film I AM A GHOST. What makes this such a refreshing little flick? Mendoza turns the table. I AM A GHOST doesn’t focus on the living, you know… those mostly oblivious, often illogical humans who go into dark basements without a flashlight after hearing creepy noises. Instead, Mendoza focuses on the ghost, or spirit, or whatever you want to call her.

Emily, played by Anna Ishida, is a confused spirit, repeatedly haunted her own house, day after day, following the same routine, struggling to figure out why she can’t move on. In the beginning, her eternity seems like a grueling Hell of monotonous boredom. Frankly, the beginning third of the film could seem quite pointless, if not for a nagging curiosity that revolves around getting an inside look at the life of a ghost. Haven’t you ever wondered what their day is like, I mean, when they’re not trying to scare off the inhabitants.

With each repetition, each time we go through the motions with Emily, a little more is revealed and we get a little closer to the dark secret that lies behind Emily’s being trapped in her own house. I AM A GHOST is strictly a psychological thriller, but is a mystery as well, as she attempts to solve her own afterlife dilemma. The only assistance Emily receives comes in the form of a woman’s voice, a medium brought into the house on a regular basis to communicate with Emily. We never see the medium, but only hear her voice off camera as she guides Emily through a ritual of making peace with her demons and moving on. This doesn’t go well at first, but eventually a breakthrough is made and the horrifying truth is revealed that will shock audiences, emotionally and physically.

I AM A GHOST is a true pioneer of modern indie horror filmmaking. Where PARANORMAL ACTIVITY sparked a financial goldmine with its approach to utilizing technology as a crutch for low-budget horror, Mendoza shuns most of the technological approach — albeit some does trickle in with positive effects in the end — favoring instead a twist on storytelling and perspective. We rarely have the opportunity to feel empathy for and connect with the departed. Not since BEETLEJUICE have I cared about the ghostly main characters as “good guys,” except maybe for THE SIXTH SENSE, but that doesn’t count because of its reliance on the twist ending.

I AM LEGEND does have a twist at the end, a damn good one if you ask me, but the entire film doesn’t hinge on that one plot device. Its a smart, thought-provoking final act, as well as frightening, but its Mendoza’s ability to craft a character we come to appreciate that really sells the ending. If, by the end of the film, we aren’t emotionally invested in Emily’s story, it just becomes another scary horror movie about something bad Hellbent on causing an innocent harm… and those are a dime a dozen.

Overall Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

I AM A GHOST screens during the 21st Annual Whitaker St. Louis International Film Festival on Saturday, November 17th, 11:59pm at the Hi-Pointe Theatre.

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High school is a tough place. We all know that. Its a struggle to survive at a time when hormones rule and pressure builds from every angle. Parents, teachers, friends, where to go to college, whether to even go to college? For Carson Phillips, everything is boiling to a point and all he wants is one simple thing… to get into his dream college.

Chris Colfer (GLEE) not only stars as the sharp-tongued Carson Phillips, he wrote this darkly comical satire on the high school experience. Directed by Brian Dannelly, the film is a good fit for someone whose resume includes TV shows like WEEDS, PUSHING DAISIES and THE UNITES STATES OF TARA. STRUCK BY LIGHTNING begins with the death of Carson Phillips. I know, its a risky way to start a film. After all, it goes to reason that Carson never makes it to college, but that’s not really what its all about, as we come to learn while Carson’s recently departed spirit narrates the film in retrospect.

Carson is the editor of his school’s newspaper. This would be a commendable accomplishment, except that he attends a small, rural country school, where everyone assumes they are destined to be stuck in the dreadful town of Clover for the remainder of their days and therefor aspire to do next to nothing with their lives. That is, all but one… Carson Phillips. Smarter than the average Clover resident — by his own measure – Carson dreams of becoming an accomplished journalist. The problem is, no one at his school cares.

Rebel Wilson (BRIDEMAIDS) plays Malerie, an odd character and Carson’s only friend. Allyson Janney plays Carson’s alcoholic mother, devastated when Carson’s father Neil (Dermot Mulroney) leaves them, she takes it out on Carson, day after day. Things for Carson are looking grim, until he comes up with not just a plan to get into his dream college, but a master plan for forcing the student body to contribute by way of blackmailing them with their dirty little secrets in exchange for their help.

STRUCK BY LIGHTNING features all the high school stereotypes, dialed up to be especially unlikeable. For that matter, even Carson is difficult to like, with his smart mouth and arrogant attitude, but we root for him as the lesser of all evils. Clover is not a town most people will find inviting, but it lends to an idea that small town teenagers often struggle with what to do with their lives and how to achieve such goals. On the other hand, Carson ultimately learns a valuable lesson about life, albeit a short one in his case.

Like so many high school comedies today, STRUCK BY LIGHTNING does fall into the same general melting pot of modern teen-life stories. This is no DONNIE DARKO, but the film does still have a personality of its own buried just beneath the many cliches. The supporting cast offers an added touch of talent, including Christina Hendricks as Carson’s dad’s new fiance, Sarah Hyland as Claire, the stuck-up lead cheerleader who “probably sh*ts cupcakes,” Ashley Rickards as Vicki, the apathetic Goth girl, Angela Kinsey as the absent-minded blond bimbo school counselor, and Brad William Henke as the jaded high school principal with anger management issues.

Overall, STRUCK BY LIGHTNING is an exaggerated and humorous take on a certain set of truths about high school. Chris Colfer interjects a dialogue clearly inspired by his experience with GLEE, but fails to deliver anything refreshingly original. Instead of a film that could grow into a cult classic of the genre, the film settles for being an entertaining movie worth seeing with a bucket of popcorn in one arm and a lovely companion in the other. The film is not likely to stick with you for long, but you certainly will have a good time and plenty of laughs.

Overall Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

STRUCK BY LIGHTNING screens during the 21st Annual Whitaker St. Louis International Film Festival on Tuesday, November 13th, 7:30pm at the Tivoli Theatre.

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I have a lot of respect for street performers. From music to magic and everything in between, street performer add a level of artistic vibrancy to areas otherwise typically bogged down in the dry, monotone corporate atmosphere. Have you ever been having a bad day, been walking along sulking in your grumpiness, then come upon a street performer who actually made you smile, even for a moment? If not, I hope you do, because it works… and, this is where THE GIANT MECHANICAL MAN succeeds.

For a feature film debut, writer and director Lee Kirk does play it safe on some level. THE GIANT MECHANICAL MAN certainly follows a fairly standard format of the romantic comedy genre. The humor is offbeat, quirky but never heavy-handed. The film may be playing itself safe structurally, but the content is what makes the film enjoyable. How many romantic comedies have we seen that are absurdly unrealistic or saturated in sappiness? It’s refreshing to see one like this come along that tosses those conventions to the wayside.

THE GIANT MECHANICAL MAN stars hometown girl Jenna Fischer as Janice and Chris Messina as Tim. This is, of course, a story about boy meets girl, but there’s an underlying vein of existentialism that inks this map to our characters’ story ending “happily ever after.” Tim is an artist, at least he believes he is and can be, refusing to give up and supplements his journey as a street performer. Tim paints his face silver, hops onto stilts and throws on his silver suit and bowler hat, transforming into the giant mechanical man passersby see on the streets. Toss some change in his briefcase, and he does a little show mimicking a mechanical robot toy. Chris Messina sells these performances well.

Janice is a kindred spirit. With no true direction in her life, she works for a temp agency to make ends meet. Janice struggles with how everyone around her appears to happy, seems to have it all figured out while she really has no clue what she wants from life. However, its the constant pressure she gets from the world around her that makes her unhappy, not her lack of direction. Her younger sister Jill (Malin Akerman) and her husband are constantly on her case, pressuring her to figure things out, but all Janice really wants is to enjoy her life and find her own way.

THE GIANT MECHANICAL MAN starts off at a relatively slow pace, but is hoisted up by the blunt, quirky humor that resides just below the threshold we’ve come to find familiar in TV shows like THE OFFICE, from which Fischer cut her chops. Not until Janice loses her temp job and begins looking for new work do things begin to fall into place. Meanwhile, Tim finds himself cut loose by his pretentiously hip girlfriend who deals a devastating blow to his ego, leading him also to find new work to make ends meet. Both parties find work at the zoo.

One thing leads to another, Janice and Tim meet, they fall in love, stuff happens… sadness… and so on. As I mentioned before, THE GIANT MECHANICAL MAN follows a pretty standard romantic comedy formula. The difference is in how Lee Kirk fills in the blanks. There is a subtle sweetness to the film, just enough to pep you up rather than loading you so full that you slip into a diabetic coma. After all, isn’t that how life really is… filled with little moments of just the right amount of sweetness to make you remember everything will be alright?

Tim has an outsider-looking-in view of the world. He’s not depressed, nor is he a pessimist; he’s just a guy who sees others for who they really are and refuses to be someone other than exactly who he is, unlike so many he sees around him, always pretending to be whomever others will accept. Chris Messina puts a lot of stock in his eyes, giving his character a depth necessary to sell the performance. Jenna Fischer takes a few steps deeper into the emotional end of the pool and pulls it off swimmingly. Together, Messina and Fischer maintain on on screen chemistry that is honest and entertaining. For lack of better words, the two of them together are truly cute.

THE GIANT MECHANICAL MAN is not real life, but it takes romance and the struggles inherent into territory not common to the genre. Tim and Janice are surrounded by self-absorbed, often nasty human beings, making them seem like the normal ones struggling to stay afloat in a world bent on keeping them under. Janice’s sister Jill spends most of the film trying way too hard to hook her up with a self-absorbed, nauseatingly fake and annoying self-help author named Doug (Topher Grace). He is primarily here for comic relief, and while Topher Grace succeeds at making us truly hate his character, it often becomes unbearable to watch.

Lee Kirk has crafted a commendable addition to the romantic comedy genre. THE GIANT MECHANICAL MAN is a film I would happily watch again, especially since there’s a level of intelligence to the story and what the director appears to be saying about how meeting people and developing relationships in life is often a struggle for the more sensitive, outsider types that don’t fit into a common mold. THE GIANT MECHANICAL MAN was shot in Detroit, played at the Tribeca Film Festival (also, being distributed by Tribeca Films) and is accompanied by an appealing soft indie rock soundtrack I look forward to hopefully being able to purchase someday down the road.

Overall Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

THE GIANT MECHANICAL MAN screens during the 21st Annual Whitaker St. Louis International Film Festival on Monday, November 12th, 7:15pm at the Tivoli Theatre.

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I normally do not subscribe to the hipness of using “OMG” but found the obnoxious acronym making numerous appearances in my mind while watching KLOWN. Based on the popular Danish television series by the same creative force, the film fine tunes its awkwardly direct and unbelievable content to fit perfectly within a feature film.

KLOWN follows the antics of Frank (Frank Hvam) and Casper (Casper Christensen) as they embark on the “Tour de Pussy,” an annual pilgrimage to the estate of a wealthy man who hosts the best prostitutes from around the world for just on day of unforgettable debauchery. But, this is the story of their journey, not of the event itself. After Frank makes an utter mess of his relationship with Mia (Mia Lyhne) following some major, unexpected news. He joins Casper for a canoe trip down the river to the big event, but not without making a complete disaster of that as well.

Co-written by real-life comics Casper Christensen and Frank Hvam, and directed by Mikkel Norgaard, KLOWN pulls few punches and shies from even fewer taboos, but approaches the material with a distinctly European style. The film is a hilarious riot, but garners its laughs with subtle, brilliant tastelessness. Structurally, the film resembles THE HANGOVER, but with an ironically higher level of maturity. In many ways, KLOWN combines the vulgarity of this style of comedy with the awkwardness of THE OFFICE and the intelligence of Louis CK’s TV series LOUIE.

The key ingredient to the underlying story of KLOWN, is the young boy named Bo (Marcuz Jess Petersen) whom Frank uses catastrophically as a tool to prove to Mia he is a responsible man. Despite the crude nature of the comedy, KLOWN is actually a movie with a message, nearly invisible but present, as Frank gradually learns how to be a better man. Frank and Casper are polar opposite personalities, but work well together, like Abbott and Costello or Lucy and Desi. Both characters are accidents waiting to happen, walking magnets for things to go horribly wrong.

KLOWN’s real appeal comes from Frank’s misguided actions aren’t without good intentions, albeit microscopic, but are masked by his selfish nature, a trait he is entirely oblivious too. Casper’s relentless pathology for sex only exasperates the many gut-wrenching scenes, dragging Frank and Bo along with him through the muck and filth. There is a very clear and well choreographed chain reaction at play here, allowing the absurdity to play out naturally on screen.

Fair warning goes out to those easily offended, as KLOWN raises the shock bar higher than we’ve seen in American cinema, yet does so with a much more candid, more easily digestible formula to swallow.

Overall Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

KLOWN will play during the 21st Annual Whitaker St. Louis International Film Festival on Monday, November 12th (9:30pm) at Plaza Frontenac Cinema and again on Friday, November 16th (9:30pm) at Wildey Theatre.

The Movie -

The dinosaur has been a fascination with myself, like with so many both young and old. Such magnificent, yet enigmatic beasts that can only be imagined by those uneducated in the paleontological studies, the experts themselves cannot agree and are constantly finding themselves rewriting the textbooks on a species of creature hundreds of thousands, even millions of years prior to our very existence. This alone, on its very surface, is enough to call me thoroughly captivated.

Steven Spielberg first captured and capitalized on the possibilities of what I may call dino-tainment in 1993 with JURASSIC PARK. Even today, some nearly 20 years later, the film holds up spectacularly to the test of time. However, its the dinosaur itself whom truly stands the ultimate test of time. From cartoons and TV shows, children’s toys and public broadcasting specials, from the absolutely absurd to the most numbing narratives, dinosaurs never went extinct in our minds.

Filmmakers David Krentz and Erik Nelson bring new life to the dino-doc with DINOTASIA, a feature-length film with a brief running time of 83-minutes. In fact, this is not truly a “documentary” in the purist’s standard. No, this film is far to flamboyant for that. However, there are elements of the genre clearly at play, overshadowed perhaps by the quirkiness, the tongue-in-cheek glibness and the unmistakably poetic prose narration from legendary filmmaker Werner Herzog.

Fully computer-animated, DINOTASIA is presented in chapters, sort of like how Tarantino presented PULP FICTION. The film is more a collection of vignettes that play to a common theme, rather than one, continuously flowing linear narrative. The time frame of DINOTASIA spans entire eras of dinosaur history, from the Triassic to the cretaceous, no period was spared. The individual stories range from the cute and charming to the risque to the violent. This is a story of survival, of birth and death, of daily life… done in a way more appealing to our modern sense of dramatic engagement than to one of scientific authenticity.

DINOTASIA makes clear early on that it means not to educate us so much as to entertain, but some minimal level of dino-knowledge can be gleaned from this film. Certainly, the more humanistic characteristics, the humorous anecdotes and escapades on display, these are meant for our pure enjoyment. To this, I confess they are hit and miss, but to find such a film presenting itself in a documentary fashion, but doing so with a sense of humor is refreshing. Have you ever pondered the experience of a dinosaur unexpectedly tripping off a prehistoric psychedelic mushroom? Look no further.

Violence was a fact of life for dinosaurs. DINOTASIA takes this to heart. Carnivores abound, especially in the skin of Tyrannosaurus Rex, whom makes multiple appearances. To those who still believe the T-Rex is king of all dinosaurs, prepare to be surprised. Sure, the big T dishes out his share of carnage, but takes it in the arm himself a few times as well. (wink, wink — that’s an inside joke) For the little ones, DINOTASIA is an acceptable enough film, with parental guidance, but parents beware of a fair amount of dino-on-dino violence of a graphic nature.

Artistically and technically speaking, the animation and design is commendable. Not nearly as accomplished as the effects in JURASSIC PARK (which, lest you forget, were greatly non-animated) but a vast improvement over so many stop-motion animated sci-fi/fantasy films and documentaries from the ’80s. In terms of the colors and attention to detail, I found myself somewhat mesmerized by the care taken, especially when one considers this anti-documentary is still based on hard science, including some relatively new and groundbreaking paleontological discoveries made since the earlier days of dinosaurs’ big screen debut.

Finally, I must give props to the peculiarity of Werner Herzog’s presence in DINOTASIA. For those who have seen Herzog’s fascinating documentary CAVE OF FORGOTTEN DREAMS, his narration is a character on its own merit, lending his oddly lyrical cadence to such a subject only add to its uniquely kitsch quality. An early fan of this project, Herzog joined long-time collaborator Erik Nelson as the narrating voice for the film. Always a treat, occasionally perplexing, Herzog seemingly can do no wrong, whether he makes sense to you or not.

On one final note regarding the overall allure of DINOTASIA… imagine watching the 1991 TV series DINOSAURS, but done as CGI instead of puppets and men in suits, and produced for HBO instead of network television… and, the dinosaurs don’t speak. Imagine this, and once you stop laughing, you may be close to what you can expect from DINOTASIA… a daring, nonsensical, surprisingly non-fictional faux documentary film.

The Extras -

The extra features on this disc are fairly minimal. There is one deleted scene, which deals with dinosaur mating rites, which is interesting and mildly humorous. In addition, there is a hand-drawn version of the final story with is worth a look. The behind-the-scenes segments of the extra features may appeal to those intrigued by the highly technical process of modern animation, but there is little in this portion of the blu-ray to hold the average viewer’s attention.

• Deleted Scenes
• Extended Scenes
• Behind-the-Scenes Animator Clips

Overall Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

Video Resolution: 1080p
Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1
Running Time: 83 minutes + extras
Audio: English – 5.1 Surround / Stereo
Subtitles: None.

Flat Iron Film Company brings DINOTASIA to DVD and Blu-Ray on Tuesday, November 6th, 2012.

In anticipation of the release of TARANTINO XX: 8-FILM COLLECTION on Blu-ray this November 20th, 2012, check out the full interior artwork created by Mondo artist Ken Taylor. Stylistic, bold and unique, Ken Taylor add the same artistic flair to this boxed set as he has for so many of his Mondo poster designs, including this amazing poster for DRIVE (2011) amongst others. A fitting addition to a boxed set already so highly anticipated it could literally make some film buffs’ heads actually explode. For many, this may be a rare opportunity to own some Mondo art, even if mass produced, as original Mondo prints typically sell out within minutes, if not seconds. For many, it’s been a long wait as we’ve watched various Blu-ray editions of Tarantino films pop up in other countries, but not in the United States… ’till now. Tarantino + Blu-ray + Mondo = a very happy fan of cool cinema!

Celebrating Quentin Tarantino’s legendary filmmaking, Lionsgate and Miramax are proud to present the Tarantino XX: 8-Film Collection, arriving on Blu-ray Disc November 20th.

Tarantino XX contains eight films chosen by Tarantino to illustrate the first 20 years of his career, featuring the films that helped define his early success, including Reservoir Dogs, True Romance, Pulp Fiction, Jackie Brown, Kill Bill Vol. 1, Kill Bill Vol. 2, Death Proof and Inglourious Basterds.  To complete the stunning high definition 10-disc set, the Tarantino XX: 8-Film Collection also features two discs with five hours of all-new bonus material, highlighted by a critics’ retrospective on Tarantino’s groundbreaking catalog of films and “20 Years of Filmmaking” that contains interviews with critics, stars and other masters of cinema.

Tarantino XX: 8-Film Collection showcases one of the most innovative filmmakers of our time and is a must-have for serious film fans, as Tarantino’s highly-anticipated new film, Django Unchained, prepares to hit theaters. Honoring the 20^th anniversary of Reservoir Dogs — the cultural milestone that brought Tarantino to the forefront as a cinematic legend — the collection is highlighted by recurring appearances from celebrated actors including Uma Thurman (Pulp Fiction, Kill Bill), Samuel L. Jackson (Pulp Fiction, Jackie Brown, Kill Bill), Tim Roth (Reservoir Dogs, Pulp Fiction) and Steve Buscemi (Reservoir Dogs, Pulp Fiction), and also includes starring performances from iconic actors such as Brad Pitt (Inglourious Basterds), Pam Grier (Jackie Brown) and Robert Forster (Jackie Brown).

Tarantino XX on Blu-ray also features striking, original artwork designed and illustrated by MONDO (www.mondotees.com). Housed in collectible packaging, the Tarantino XX: 8-Film Collection will be available for the suggested retail price of $119.99.

CONTENTS SUMMARY

BLU-RAY SPECIAL FEATURES — 2 Discs*

• Critics Corner: The Films of Quentin Tarantino — In-depth critics’ discussion piece exploring Tarantino’s films that redefined cinema and the impact of one of the most influential writers/directors of our time.
• 20 Years of Filmmaking — Take a look at Tarantino’s career from the beginning, with interviews from co-workers, critics, stars and master filmmakers alike as well as a tribute to his greatest collaborator, Sally Menke.

RESERVOIR DOGS

Quentin Tarantino’s directorial debut, nominated for the Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival (1992) and awarded the International Critics Award at the Toronto International Film Festival (1992), is raw, violent and unforgettable. Four perfect strangers are assembled to pull off the perfect crime, but when a botched robbery reveals a police informant among them, their simple robbery explodes into a bloody ambush.

Blu-ray Special Features*

• Pulp Factoids Viewer
• Playing It Fast and Loose
• Profiling the Reservoir Dogs

TRUE ROMANCE – DIRECTOR’S CUT

Runaway lovers Clarence and Alabama (Christian Slater and Patricia Arquette) play a dangerous game with a stolen suitcase containing $5 million worth of cocaine. They head for Los Angeles, where they’ll sell the goods and begin a new life, but both sides of the law have other ideas. This dark comic web of crime, murder and mayhem from writer Quentin Tarantino and director Tony Scott (Top Gun, Spy Game), features an ensemble cast including Dennis Hopper, Val Kilmer, Gary Oldman, Brad Pitt, James Gandolfini and Christopher Walken.

Blu-ray Special Features*

• Audio commentary by Christian Slater and Patricia Arquette
• Audio commentary by Tony Scott
• Audio commentary by Quentin Tarantino
• Scene selective commentaries by Val Kilmer, Dennis Hopper, Brad Pitt and Michael

Rapaport

• Deleted/Extended Scenes with Optional Director Commentary
• Alternate Ending with Optional Director and Writer Commentary
• Original 1993 Mini-feature
• Behind-the-Scenes Interactive Feature
• Animated Photo Gallery
• Theatrical Trailer

PULP FICTION

Pulp Fiction has been hailed by critics and audiences worldwide as a film that redefined cinema. A burger-loving hit man (John Travolta), his philosophical partner (Samuel L. Jackson), a drug-addled gangster’s moll (Uma Thurman) and a washed-up boxer (Bruce Willis) converge in four tales of violence and redemption. The film was honored with an Academy Award^® for Best Original Screenplay (1994) and earned seven total nominations, including Best Picture and Best Director. It has also been listed as one of the best films of all-time by Time and Entertainment Weekly.

Blu-ray Special Features*

• Interviews with Cast
• Critics’ Retrospective on the Movie’s Place in Film History
• Behind-the-Scenes Footage
• Pulp Fiction: The Facts
• Production Design Feature
• Siskel & Ebert At the Movies — The Tarantino Generation
• Independent Spirit Awards Footage
• Cannes Film Festival Footage
• Charlie Rose – Tarantino Interview
• Stills Galleries
• Trivia Track
• Deleted Scenes

JACKIE BROWN

Quentin Tarantino’s acclaimed adaptation of Elmore Leonard’s Rum Punch follows a cash-smuggling flight attendant (Pam Grier) who is busted by an ATF agent (Michael Keaton) and a cop (Michael Bowen). When pressured to help with their investigation, she agrees to do one last run for a ruthless arms dealer (Samuel L. Jackson). Mistrust and suspicions arise when Jackie plays the opposing forces against each other in an effort to walk away with the dough. Robert Forster earned a Best Supporting Actor Oscar^® nomination for his role as Max Cherry, a bail bondsman who falls for Jackie and becomes embroiled in the scheme.

Blu-ray Special Features*

• Breaking Down Jackie Brown
• Jackie Brown: How It Went Down — Retrospective Interviews with Cast and Crew
• A Look Back at Jackie Brown — Interview with Quentin Tarantino
• Chicks with Guns Video
• Siskel & Ebert At the Movies – Jackie Brown Review
• Jackie Brown on MTV
• Marketing Gallery
• Stills Galleries
• Trivia Track
• Deleted and Alternate Scenes

KILL BILL VOL. 1

In the first volume of this gritty revenge saga, an assassin (Uma Thurman) is shot at the altar by her ruthless employer, Bill (David Carradine), and other members of his Deadly Vipers Assassination Squad. In this epic tale of survival The Bride sets out to bring justice to all those who wronged her, including a reformed suburban mother (Vivica A. Fox) and the Japanese Yakuza crime-lord (Lucy Liu).

Blu-ray Special Features*

• The Making of Kill Bill Vol. 1
• The 5.6.7.8′s Bonus Musical Performances
• Tarantino Trailers

KILL BILL VOL. 2

The murderous Bride (Uma Thurman) mercilessly continues her vengeance quest against her ex-boss, Bill (David Carradine), and his two remaining associates: Bill’s degenerate younger brother (Michael Madsen) and a vicious one-eyed swords-woman (Daryl Hannah).

Blu-ray Special Features*

• The Making of Kill Bill Vol. 2
• Damoe Deleted Scene
• Chingon Musical Performance

DEATH PROOF

Kurt Russell stars as a tough-talking, psychotic serial murderer who transforms his stunt car into an indestructible killing machine, then climbs behind the wheel to stalk and terrorize a group of women on the road. What he doesn’t realize is that he’s picked the wrong babes to mess with.

Blu-ray Special Features*

• Stunts on Wheels: The Legendary Drivers of Death Proof
• Introducing Zoe Bell
• Kurt Russell as Stuntman Mike
• The Uncut Version of Baby, It’s You performed by Mary Elizabeth Winstead
• The Guys of Death Proof
• Quentin’s Greatest Collaborator: Editor Sally Menke
• Double Dare Trailer
• Death Proof International Trailer
• An International Poster Gallery
• BD Live

INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS

A Jewish cinema owner in Nazi-occupied Paris is forced to host a movie premiere for the Third Reich, where a radical group of American soldiers, The Basterds, led by Lt. Aldo Raine (Brad Pitt), plan to roll out a score-settling scheme. The film was honored with an Academy Award^® for Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role (2009, Christoph Waltz) and earned seven total nominations, including Best Motion Picture of the Year for Lawrence Bender and Best Writing, Original Screenplay for Quentin Tarantino.

Blu-ray Special Features*

• Extended and Alternate Scenes
• Roundtable Discussion with Quentin Tarantino, Brad Pitt and Elvis Mitchell
• The Making of Nation’s Pride
• A Conversation with Rod Taylor
• Nation’s Pride — the film within the film
• The Original Inglorious Bastards
• Quentin Tarantino’s Camera Angel
• Film Poster Gallery Tour
• Rod Taylor on Victoria Bitter
• Hi Sallys
• Killin’ Nazis Trivia Challenge
• Trailers

PROGRAM INFORMATION

Years of Production: 1992-2009

Reservoir Dogs: 1992
True Romance – Director’s Cut: 1993
Pulp Fiction: 1994
Jackie Brown: 1997
Kill Bill Vol. 1: 2003
Kill Bill Vol. 2:2004
Death Proof: 2007
Inglourious Basterds: 2009

Title Copyrights:

Pulp Fiction/Jackie Brown/Kill Bill Vol. 1/Kill Bill Vol. 2: © Miramax
Reservoir Dogs: © 1991 Dog Eat Dog Productions, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Inglourious Basterds: © 2009 Visiona Romantica. All Rights Reserved.
Death Proof: © 2007 The Weinstein Company LLC. All Rights Reserved.
True Romance – Director’s Cut: © 1993, Supplementary Material Compilation © 2009 Morgan Creek Productions, Inc.

Type: Blu-ray Disc Special Edition Set

Rating:

Reservoir Dogs: R for strong language and violence
True Romance – Director’s Cut: Not Rated
Pulp Fiction: R for strong graphic violence and drug use, pervasive strong language and some sexuality
Jackie Brown: R for strong language, some violence, drug use and sexuality
Kill Bill Vol. 1: R for strong bloody violence, language and some sexual content
Kill Bill Vol. 2: R for violence, language and brief drug use
Death Proof: Unrated; this motion picture previously was released in a version rated R for strong graphic bloody violence and gore, pervasive language, some sexuality, nudity and drug use. This unrated version contains material different from the original R-Rated version.
Inglourious Basterds: R for strong graphic violence, language and brief sexuality

Genre: Compilation; Crime; Drama; Thriller

Blu-ray Closed Captioned: English SDH

Subtitles:
Reservoir Dogs, Pulp Fiction, Jackie Brown, Kill Bill Vol. 1, Kill Bill Vol. 2, Death Proof: English and Spanish
True Romance -Director’s Cut, Inglourious Basterds: English, Spanish and French

Blu-ray Format:

Pulp Fiction, Reservoir Dogs, Death Proof: 1080P High Definition 16×9 Widescreen (2.35:1)
Jackie Brown: 1080P High Definition 16×9 Widescreen (1.85:1)
Inglourious Basterds, Kill Bill Vol. 1, Kill Bill Vol. 2, True Romance: 1080P High Definition 16×9 Widescreen (2.40:1)

Feature Running Time:

Reservoir Dogs: 100 minutes
True Romance – Director’s Cut: 121 minutes
Pulp Fiction: 154 minutes
Jackie Brown: 154 minutes
Kill Bill Vol. 1: 111 minutes
Kill Bill Vol. 2: 136 minutes
Death Proof: 113 minutes
Inglourious Basterds: 153 minutes

Blu-ray Audio Status:

Reservoir Dogs: DTS-HD Master Audio and 5.1 Dolby Digital Surround EX
True Romance -Director’s Cut: English, French 5.1 Dolby Digital and English 5.1 Dolby TrueHD
Pulp Fiction, Jackie Brown: 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio
Kill Bill Vol. 1, Kill Bill Vol. 2: English 5.1 Uncompressed, English and French 5.1 Dolby Digital
Death Proof: 5.1 Dolby TrueHD, English, French, Spanish, Italian Dolby 5.1 Dolby Digital
Inglourious Basterds: 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio and English 5.1 Dolby Digital
*Subject to change

THE MATRIX trilogy may be their most recognizable work, but I would contend that CLOUD ATLAS is Andy and Lana Wachowski‘s most profound, accomplished film to date. Co-directed with Tom Tykwer (RUN LOLA RUN) and based upon David Mitchell‘s award-winning novel of the same name, this science-fiction film addresses how individual lives can affect others’ lives in the past, present and future. The film contains multiples stories spanning many eras in human history, from centuries ago to centuries into the future, where the setting is a post-apocalyptic society.

CLOUD ATLAS features a line-up of talented stars rarely seen in one film. Leading the cast are Tom Hanks (CASTAWAY) and Halle Berry (MONSTER’S BALL), whose roles form the primary storyline throughout time, but are not the sole focal point of the film. Hugh Grant (ABOUT A BOY) delivers performances far outside his normal wheelhouse, delivering some truly unlikeable characters in addition to the enjoyably villainous characters delivered by Hugo Weaving (CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE FIRST AVENGER). Weaving, who you may remember as the relentless Agent Smith from THE MATRIX, is much more accustomed to these roles, but seeing Hugh Grant take on this new type of role is refreshing, especially given how well he adapts.

The cast also features veterans performing alongside relatively new faces. Jim Broadbent (THE IRON LADY) is splendid and Susan Sarandon (THE LOVELY BONES), while not prevalent in the film, still adds some seasoned texture to the overall film. Newer talent includes Jim Sturgess (ACROSS THE UNIVERSE) and Doona Bae (THE HOST) amongst others, most of whom provide varied performances for multiple characters in different stories set in different stages of time. Not only is this an impressive undertaking, its also impressively effective, if not dauntingly complex.

CLOUD ATLAS is immeasurably satisfying and uplifting, although few are likely to leave the theater having fully understood the massive scope of this enigmatic cinematic puzzle. David Mitchell’s novel followed six story lines through time, but the film takes it further, following several more story lines, attempting to connect many more lives throughout time than the book. The structure of the film jumps forward and backward in time, as does the tone and the genre, making this a truly unique and original work of daring filmmaking.

CLOUD ATLAS can be an intimidating film to take on, but only on the surface. Once engaged, the film flows surprisingly well, leaping in time from one life to another, setting the viewer up to discover one connection after the other. The whole of the film is tied together by a number of things, one being the actors playing multiple roles. I specifically refuse to point out who plays the individual roles, as part of the experience of watching this film is making those discoveries and connections on your own. The other significant element that serves as the most intoxicating adhesive is the original score from Reinhold Heil, Johnny Klimek and especially Tom Tykwer for his Cloud Atlas title piece of classically-inspired music.

For a film that cost an estimated $100 million to make, with such an enormous star-studded cast and as much high-quality CGI special effects work as CLOUD ATLAS, the fact that this is independently produced should compel even more interest. The Wachowski’s and Tykwer have created a philosophical playground on screen. The viewer’s eyes and ears will relish the feast that is CLOUD ATLAS and what the viewer witnesses is likely to stay with them indefinitely, resonating with an endless amount of food for thought as connections continually get made beyond the initial viewing.

For me, the most compelling story line takes place in the distant future, set in the post-apocalyptic society with a hint of BLADE RUNNER meets THE MATRIX, but the most engaging performances come from Tom Hanks, Jim Broadbent and Halle Berry, which should help refuel the fire in her recently faltering career. As much as I am drawn to go on for a few thousand more words, describing every last detail of the film, attempting to convey all the various themes and ideas, I would not be doing justice to CLOUD ATLAS, as much an enlightening event as it is an enjoyable film.

Overall Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

CLOUD ATLAS opens in theaters nationwide on Friday, October 26th, 2012.

The Movie -

Watch any number of political thrillers or espionage films and you’ve undoubtedly seen more than a few ambassadors portrayed on screen, but when it comes to real life, how much do we really know about these appointed figures who seem to be untouchable? I can imagine at some point, this very same thought went through the head of Danish journalist Mads Brugger. Whatever his motivation, the journalist turned filmmaker turned his investigative eyes and ears toward the connection between ambassadorship to the Central African Republic (CAR) and the lucrative smuggling of blood diamonds out of the country.

The term “blood diamonds” refers to diamonds that have been illegally exported from war-torn countries without authorization. If you’ve seen Edward Zwick’s 2006 film BLOOD DIAMOND, then you may have a sensationalized idea of what goes on in this region of Africa. What Brugger does is to take the viewer into the heart of the CAR first-hand, to witness for themselves what Hollywood can only dramatize for entertainment. Here’s the catch… Mads Brugger is a tall, lanky, pale-skinned, red-haired, white European voluntarily entering into one of the most dangerous regions of Africa, posing as the Liberian ambassador to CAR and a businessman seeking to open a match factory in the country. This, of course, is all 100% false and by doing so puts his life in great peril… all for the purpose of hopefully constructing a documentary that reveals the darker side of the diamond trade and it’s affiliation to European ambassadors.

The $64,000 question: Does Mads pull it off? Let’s break this down into two categories; the entertainment factor and the informational/educational factor. Imagine, if you will, you look like Conan O’Brien shaved bald and you’re in the heart of “blood diamond” territory pretending to be a wealthy businessman seeking ambassadorship. Where do you start? Mads takes the viewer on the jaw-dropping, often awkwardly humorous five-cent tour of this process of enlisting an “agent” to acquire for you a position as ambassador with the necessary paperwork by way of bribes to government officials. Hilarious, right? In fact, it is, but its also incredibly frustrating. The film is entertaining, yes, but more importantly, the film opens the flood gates of exposure to a world we’ve only been able to speculate on, until now.

THE AMBASSADOR is like watching Sacha Baron Cohen’s BRUNO (minus the sexual references) and THE DICTATOR mashed up into one movie that tells a true story. At times, the film is almost difficult to believe, but the remainder of the film is proof unto its own validity. Apparently, some have questioned whether THE AMBASSADOR is staged, but after seeing the film twice now, I’ve concluded for myself that Brugger’s film is sincere. Each viewer will have to make this call on their own, as I cannot expect you to take my word on the matter. Another element of the film viewers may find oddly alluring is the uncanny similarity Brugger’s narration has to the like of Werner Herzog’s documentaries.

How did he do it? Brugger — the businessman — employs a “press photographer” to follow and record his business dealings for the benefit of his investors. This, of course, is actually Johan Stahl Winthereik, his cinematographer. The third member of Brugger’s tiny entourage is a woman he passes off as his executive assistant. For the more volatile scenes requiring creative recording, Brugger’s team uses pinhole cameras hidden in his clothes or in wall fixtures, whatever it takes to capture the kind of audio/video footage that makes this film so damning for those involved. I know that fear can make a person do things previously unfathomable, but how Brugger is able to keep his cool so convincingly throughout the film is amazing. Even the moments when he seems nervous or uncomfortable, he comes off as just another businessman upset about a deal possibly going south. I would love to have Brugger’s constitution.

THE AMBASSADOR will have viewers wondering many things, but at the top of that list is the question, “How can this happen, and how does it continue to happen?” Hopefully, Brugger’s documentary will be the catalyst for change, the tipping point at which progress in the region is made toward peace and an end to corruption inflicted by African leaders and backed by certain European governments.

The Extras -

THE AMBASSADOR blu-ray includes the theatrical trailer for the film, as well as a 16-page booklet. The cherry on top, however, is the audio commentary by director Mads Brugger. In his own words, this is Brugger’s first audio commentary and this shows. His delivery is dry, but highly informative. Once you’ve seen the film, I adamantly express the necessity to re-watch the film — immediately, if possible — with the audio commentary engaged.

This is essential because Brugger gives so much more information than is available through the film on its own. Even the tiniest of details about his experience and the process of making the film offer a deeper insight into the experiment as a whole. I say experiment, because this gonzo-style of journalistic documentary filmmaking has never really been done on this level. While the audio commentary lacks the usual supply of humorous anecdotes, it offers an impeccable supply of first-hand knowledge that adds priceless value to the viewing experience.

Overall Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Video Codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video Resolution: 1080p
Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1
Audio: English – Dolby Digital 2.0 (192kbps)
Subtitles: English

• Single 25GB Blu-ray Disc
• Digital copy (as download)
• 16-Page Booklet

Image Entertainment and Drafthouse Films bring THE AMBASSADOR to DVD and Blu-Ray on Tuesday, October 23rd, 2012.

We’ve all been there, regardless of which side we’re on, hearing complaints of men being obsessed with their, um… let’s call them members for the sake of a family-friendly review. With that said, it’s a tired — if not occasionally accurate — stereotypical sort of debate. An ageless battle of the sexes, if you will. So, I must admit that when I first heard of a new documentary that’s all about a man obsessed with “members” of all types, my mind began to shut down in response to what I was sure would be a lousy film. Oh, boy… was I wrong!

As much as I would love to tell you this film has no Freudian content, I would be a bald-faced liar if I did, so what I will tell you is that THE FINAL MEMBER is an absolutely mesmerizing documentary that takes ownership of all that Freudian stuff and uses it to it’s own advantage, resulting in one of the most entertaining, intelligent and emotional non-fiction films in some time. Co-directed by Jonah Bekhor and Zach Math, this film will undoubtedly weasel it’s way into your heart, one way or another. Emotionally, its as heartbreaking as it is uplifting. It will often make you laugh, occasionally forcing you into a double-take, but also pull at your strings at times as characters’ hopes and dreams follow the roller coaster ride of becoming a reality.

THE FINAL MEMBER is set in the northern Icelandic town of Husavik, an ironing locale given the subject matter. How do you think your member would react to being thirty miles from the Arctic Circle? The film is primarily centered around Siggi Hjartarson, the founder of the Icelandic Phallological Museum – the world’s only penis museum. Husavik is home to this museum, where the founder has accumulated an impressive — if not, at first, curiously off-putting — collection of members representing virtually every mammalian species on the planet… except for one. In the forty plus years this collection has taken to assemble, the one and only member — the “final member,” if you will — that is missing is a human specimen.

I’m utterly shocked and pleasantly surprised at how candidly THE FINAL MEMBER flows, rolling through the audiences collective mind with such smooth coolness and maturity, while also remaining just quirky enough to be entertaining without becoming degrading. Bekhor and Math clearly had their heads — no pun intended –  in the right places making this film, as the ratio of respect and tastefulness to humor and openness about the subject matter couldn’t be any closer to perfect. The museum’s founder wears his intent on his sleeve, devoted to using the museum to help society get past its awkwardness towards sex and the male genitalia. How’s that for a mission in life?

As compelling as this already surely has you hooked, THE FINAL MEMBER is not focused entirely on the museum and its founder. Just as the audience gets comfortable around the man with many members, we’re introduced to his two most promising potential donors. Yes, donors… as in, men willing to donate their members to the museum for the benefit of all mankind. Is there a greater purpose in life? If you though the film was incredible before, it gets even better once the race begins to be known as the first man to have their member displayed in the Icelandic Phallological Museum. The contenders: a locally famous, once-adventurous Icelandic ladies man in his 90s versus an upper-middle-aged, well-endowed Texan whose member is affectionately named Elmo; allegedly not affiliated with Sesame Street’s Elmo.

THE FINAL MEMBER becomes a sort of battle of personal patriotism between these two potential donors, while the museum’s founder is stuck in the middle simply waiting to receive the donated member, whosoever comes first. (Really? Minds out of the gutter.) The second half of the film focuses more heavily on these two donors and the process by which the donors’ eligibility is verified, including having one’s member plaster cast for a mold to be sent as proof the member meets the minimum “legally required length of 5 inches.” You heard me correctly. As the saying goes, “truth is often stranger than fiction” and that certainly applies here, especially in the case of the Texan and his Elmo, whose adventures together range from a strategically tattooed stars and stripes to a concept for a comic book.

All silliness aside, this really is a smart, genuinely sincere documentary about real people with really unique stories. As the filmmakers’ first feature-length outing, this is an even more impressive accomplishment. If ever you wondered how such a film could be made and be taken seriously, this is it. If ever there was a film about the human penis that you simply must experience, THE FINAL MEMBER is the film that fits just right.

Overall Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

If you’re school was anything like mine growing up, you may have been assigned to read William Golding’s Lord of the Flies, but if not, maybe you’ve seen one of two film adaptations that have been made. This serves as a jumping off point for better understanding I DECLARE WAR. No, this isn’t another remake of LORD OF THE FLIES, but it does share some of the classic thematic content. If you have no idea what I’m talking about, it’s all right. It’s far from mandatory for enjoying this hidden gem.

Written by Jason Lapeyre and co-directed with Robert Wilson, I DECLARE WAR tackles the darker heart of what happens when innocent fun evolves into real-life danger. I can imagine the contemporary societal obsession with video games and the abundance of violence prevalent in these games as having an inspiration, but are the video games really the focal point? I think not. With the world we live in becoming increasingly violent and the access to real-time, uncensored live media not slowing, it could be read as commentary on what led these children to the film’s climax. Even this, as logical as it sounds, I don’t believe is at the heart of the film.

I DECLARE WAR follows a group of pre-teen aged kids in the midst of war. Not a “real war” — although an argument could be made that it becomes just that — but a “war game.” Here we have two opposing forces, in this case a band of 5-6 kids on either side, both led by their respective generals. For the group of kids through whose perspective the story is being told, the general is PK, played by Gage Munroe. If this kid looks familiar, you may have seen him in IMMORTALS (2011) on on the TV series ALPHAS. However, Munroe also has one of those faces that encourages a sense of deja vu, while his talent is impressive for delivering sophisticated lines of military dialogue with accuracy and conviction while still allowing the viewer to believe he’s just a kid.

As PK leads his troops through the local woods in search of the enemy’s base, which of course holds the all-important “flag,” they get ambushed by Skinner, played by Michael Friend. Skinner is not the opposing general, but rather one of his ranks gone rogue. Skinner and his small band of soldiers of fortune take PK’s best friend Kwon (Siam Yu) prisoner with the intent of getting him to talk, revealing the location of his base and therefor securing victory over the yet-to-be-defeated General PK.

Quinn (Aidan Gouveia), the general challenging PK’s undefeated status, desires to best him at his own game, proving he has the military mustard. Unfortunately, Skinner proves to be an obstacle that destroys Quinn’s hopes and threatens more than the fate of a game for Kwon and PK. When the game begins to unravel, the reality of childhood emotions begin to take over. Fear, paranoia, envy and anger become the driving force in a battle that turns ugly, pitting wits against rage. Meanwhile, Jess (McKenzie Munroe) becomes a wild card that could turn the tables of this war either direction with her cunning tactics driven by love.

I DECLARE WAR works so well, not just for the talent of its young cast, but because the filmmakers chose to make a family-friendly — that is, with parental guidance — film that takes on such a subject, but did so without dumbing it down or lightening it up. This is a rather dark, but realistically portrayed story of a series of events that I can absolutely see occurring in real life. No real guns are ever used by the characters, but their imaginations are depicted in such a way that the viewer is transported into their minds, allowing us to perceive the sticks and other various objects thrown together to vaguely resemble a gun, with creativity filling in the details.

While the film clearly focuses on children, I DECLARE WAR could also be considered a commentary on adults. Everything that occurs in this film, occurs between adults in real life. Simply change the setting and what’s at stake, and you have the rat race, etc. The film actually paints a pretty vivid portrait of a society that, for the most part, never truly grows up emotionally. We may think we do, but in most cases we just give these conflicts grown up names to make ourselves feel better. Food for thought.

Overall Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

“Like” I DECLARE WAR on Facebook.

home haunter: one who transforms the place where one lives with the intent to invoke fear upon visitors as entertainment on the holiday of Halloween.

With the exception of the classic cartoon It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown, rarely are Halloween themed films described as “heart warming,” but THE AMERICAN SCREAM is an outstanding exception. This original documentary follows three families in the small town of Fairhaven, Massachusetts. These three families all share a common love for Halloween and the art of home haunting, or transforming their homes into frightening displays for the benefit of trick or treaters. The levels of expertise, and even the motivation for each of these families’ interest in such an undertaking varies greatly, but the one universal trait is the pleasure and joy they get from seeing visitors react to what they have created and having fun in the process.

THE AMERICAN SCREAM is directed by Michael Stephenson, his second feature length documentary film, which follows the much loved cult hit BEST WORST MOVIE (2009). At first, the viewer may find themselves wondering whether the film will go down a less mature, derogatory path. For some viewers, this may be encouraging, but Stephenson’s ultimate intention couldn’t be further from this false reading of the first act. As Stephenson sets up his three families’ stories, we’re introduced to them fully exposed, with all their “flaws” for the world to see. As a viewer, be a better person and look past this, as these people being profiled are about to fill your heart with holiday joy, inspire you and perhaps even initiate a few tears.

We are first introduced to the Bariteau family; Victor (the father), his wife and two girls. Victor is the man with an endless passion for Halloween and home haunting. Eight years he has been at this, having started with merely a single hand-made prop his first year. This tradition has grown since then to become the most cherished and anticipated home haunting in the area. Victor works year-round developing and building the various elements of his annual masterpiece, always adding and changing, ever striving closer to that elusively, perfectly frightening experience. What his story conveys is a sense of passion, a drive to succeed no matter the obstacle — and Victor does have obstacles — the way in which a family comes together and supports each other, and finally — as cheesy as it may sound — how dreams can come true.

While the Bariteau family is the film’s centerpiece, THE AMERICAN SCREAM is not solely Victor’s story. Once comfortable in Victor’s home, we’re introduced to Manny and Lori Souza, a working class couple with kids. It becomes apparent early on that Manny doesn’t have the same passion for the art of home haunting as Victor. He boasts about how most of what he uses for his home haunting is free. Manny shows off a massive pirate display he had built in the past, all of which set him back a total of about $8, which admittedly is impressive, but Manny is recycling other people’s junks into pleasant memories for his and other families’ kids who visit on Halloween. This is what drives Manny, seeing the happiness on the faces of children. He openly admits, if people stopped coming, he’d stop home haunting.

Victor may be the artist striving for perfection, while Manny may be the tough guy with a heart of gold, but the Brodeurs are the philanthropists. Matthew and his father Richard live together, take care of each other and both are as kind-hearted and generous as they are peculiar. Watching Matthew and his father interact is — as unintentionally mean-spirited as this sounds — like watching a hilarious sitcom. Despite the obvious personality points, these two men are an inspiration for all of us to do more for others. Not only are Matthew and Richard best friends, but they both contribute immensely to their community as Shriners, they’re both seasons clowns, and they work together each year on their home haunting as a benefit to the local children’s hospital. On the scale of artistic talent, the Brodeur’s may fall somewhere near the bottom, but they put their hearts into it and show us that it’s not always about the quality or even the quantity, but about the intention.

Michael Stephenson takes Halloween back, giving us a backstage pass to creating fear for fun, returning us to our youth and to what we all truly loved about the only time of year being scared was this much fun. THE AMERICAN SCREAM portrays a community that is brought together by Halloween, as Victor calls “the only holiday that does this,” pointing out that Thanksgiving and Christmas are for families, but Halloween is for the community. This is illustrated by the hordes of people who visit his home haunting, the majority of whom Victor and his family have never met before, and may never see again. In Victor’s words, “they may not remember me, but they’ll remember what I’ve done.” This one line sums up the entire film with crystal clarity.

“Like” the film on Facebook and request a screening near you on Tugg.com

Overall Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

THE AMERICAN SCREAM will premiere on ChillerTV at 7pm CST on Sunday, October 28th, 2012. If you’d like to see one of the best documentaries in recent years in the theater, THE AMERICAN SCREAM will also have a limited theatrical release, as listed below:

October 5 – Hollywood Theater (Portland, OR)
October 5 – Music Box Theater (Chicago, IL)
October 6 – The Grand Illusion Cinema (Seattle, OR)
October 13 & 14 – The Cinefamily (L.A., CA) w/ Director Michael Paul Stephenson in person
October 16 – Roxie Theater (San Francisco, CA)
October 19 – Coolidge Corner Theater (Boston, MA)
October 20 – Nitehawk Cinema (Brooklyn, NY)
November 9-14 – Alamo Drafthouse (Austin and Houston, TX)

It pains me to say this, but truly scary, well-made horror films being released in theaters are few and far between these days. Such films being released during the holy horror month of October — oddly — are even more scarce. Fortunately, we have writer C. Robert Cargill‘s frightening film to thank, inspired by the persistent image of a family hanging dead from an old tree, which haunted his dreams until the day he wrote the screenplay… or, perhaps it still does.

SINISTER is Cargill’s first feature screenplay and is directed by Scott Derrickson (HELLRAISER: INFERNO). The film stars an unlikely, but familiar face in Ethan Hawke (DAYBREAKERS), an actor not known for showing up in horror films. Regardless, Hawke still delivers the same caliber of performance we’re used to seeing in his dramatic roles, playing Ellison Oswalt, a once famous now struggling writer of true crime novels. Expecting to capture inspiration for what he hopes is his second best seller, Ellison moves his family into the home of the victims he is currently writing about, a sleazy yet understandably logical strategy.

Ellison is not a bad man, by nature, but merely a good man who has lost his way and now is driven — unbeknownst to himself — by the powerful allure of fame and fortune. Focused entirely on his own success, excusing it as his answer to giving his family a better life, Ellison allows himself to blindly pursue a path much darker than he had ever imagined when he discovers a mysterious box of super-8 films in the attic of their new house. Wearing an awful grey sweater vest, Hawke supplies Ellison with the appropriate blend of being a loving family man and an obsessed, reckless fame monster… sort of like Mister Rogers meets Stephen King.

Juliet Rylance is commendable as Ellison’s concerned, yet supportive wife Tracy, who is oblivious to the truth about her new home for much of the film. Giving Ellison the space he needs and the freedom to pursue his craft, Tracy provides the counter-balance to a town unfriendly and bitter toward Ellison’s work. This is most readily illustrated by the sharp, unwelcoming yet witty exchange that takes place between Ellison and the town’s Sheriff (Fred Dalton Thompson) upon their first meeting. What Tracy does not realize — nor does Ellison, at first — is that her husband’s research is gravely endangering the lives of his entire family.

SINISTER not only builds with an intensely slow burn, it creates the first truly creepy horror villain that isn’t just a slasher, but is a humanoid monster of sorts… since, well, let’s say JEEPERS CREEPERS, but that’s not the best example. In an age where most horror is predicated on mean, violent humans doing very bad things, SINISTER is a breath of  fresh foul air. The baddy in SINISTER is kept at a distance, just out of reach, making him that much more frightening. Derrickson employes the same tactic that worked so well for Spielberg’s JAWS, in that what we don’t see is far more unnerving than what we do see.

As Ellison continues to dig deeper into the increasingly disturbing home movies, gradually piecing together the mystery of the family’s death and their connection to other similar murders across the country, the Oswalt family begin to find themselves subject to some very unfortunate side effects to Ellison’s new project. What SINISTER does so well is to capitalize on terror in the unknown, the fear of the dark and the inherent creepiness of waiting for the inevitable to occur. Derrickson creates a canvas in many of his shots, giving the audience so much visual information to take in that its difficult to pinpoint exactly where in frame, when or how the scare will occur, but we know its coming and can’t do a damn thing about it. Making this ever more effective, Derrickson allows himself to linger on these shots, creating even more tension for a greater scare once the inevitable occurs.

SINISTER plays on our basic fears, more than the visual shock of blood and gore, but that’s not to say this film isn’t graphic. There is plenty of blood and a fair amount of gore, but Derrickson takes the high road and chooses to imply most of the more gruesome events in the film, rather than putting them front and center as an outright spectacle. Nonetheless, the contents of this film are far from mild and not for an audience unaccustomed to some seriously demented content. Hawke succeeds at capturing the emotional range of his character, convincing the viewer of Ellison’s transformation through fear.

With all this evil menacing and bloody terror, one might expect the film to be an unbearably grueling ordeal to sit through, but SINISTER is actually a carefully considered, well-written story with a solid structure. Cargill provides just enough comic relief — but, not too much — to ease our troubled minds and weary souls when things get to be a bit too much for us to carry on. In fact, one of the most enjoyable scenes in the film occurs when Ellison and the Deputy Sheriff (James Ransone) — and fan — he has befriended discuss the validity of paranormal activity in the house of a murdered family. I, for one, did not expect to laugh so heartily in such a film, but it works and is welcome.

SINISTER is easily one of the best horror films I’ve seen in recent years. The only complaint I have about the film, albeit minor in scope, is that I personally felt the ending could have been tightened up a tad, shortened by ending in a more clean-cut space. Instead, the film meanders beyond this point to divulge some additional creative story details that ultimately work, but in the end aren’t terribly necessary. If you’re seeking out some fresh new horror to chew on this Halloween, I’d have to say you won’t find a better specimen than this.

Overall Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

SINISTER opens in theaters nationwide on Friday, October 12th, 2012.

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What was your relationship to monsters as a child? Were they the boogeymen under your bed, or were they the things of wonder that fueled your imagination? My experience growing up follows the latter, filling my young mind with freakish fascinations. Clearly, the same goes for Tim Burton, who has taken his popular 1984 short film of the same name and expanded it into his newest feature film. FRANKENWEENIE (2012) is still a stop-motion animated film, in 3D this go ’round, adding even more of Burton’s uniquely dark charm to the semi-autobiographical story of a strange loner of a boy and his undead pooch.

FRANKENWEENIE is shot in glorious black and white, capturing the moody universe of Burton’s imagination. Much like the original short, the story begins by painting a picture of young Victor’s daily life, his time at school, his personality. Victor, voiced by Charlie Tahan (CHARLIE ST. CLOUD), is an intelligent loner with a knack for science. His best, and only friend, is his dog Sparky. Mr. Rzykruski, voiced by Martin Landau (ED WOOD), is the new science teacher whom has the town of New Holland’s parents and Mayor up in arms, proves to be a major influence on young Victor.

Victor’s father encourages him to get outside and try sports, but in doing so results in a tragedy that will forever change Victor’s life. Poor little Sparky meets his unexpected demise, but after Mr. Rzykruski demonstrates an experiment with electricity, Victor’s focus immediately becomes applying this new knowledge to bringing his beloved Sparky back from the dead. His success sparks a chain of events amidst his schoolmates and neighbors that slowly spirals out of control and provides a hilariously enjoyable, nostalgic adventure through multiple eras of monster movies classics.

As always, the animation in Burton’s film is awe-inspiring. The pace of FRANKENWEENIE is charged with energy and kept my eyes fixed on the action and the antics of the loyal Sparky. Combined with Danny Elfman‘s quirky trademark style of composing, the film resembles a fun house amusement ride of Gothic proportions. Seeing Burton’s creativity and love of monster films take shape in this film is a real gem. Inspirations varies widely, but I can say that it spans from the gargantuan in 1954 to the reptilian mischief of 1984, and beyond.

FRANKENWEENIE comes full circle in a fairly conventional fashion, lacking any significantly jaw-dropping moments, but the film as a whole is a marvelous experience for fans of the horror genre of all ages. Backed by Disney, Burton provides another film to the pool of monster films suitable as introductory fare to the youngest of blossoming fans. While the story is obviously most connected to that of FRANKENSTEIN, and Mr. Rzykruski is clearly inspired by Vincent Price, be prepared to pick out all the other winks and nods to genre classics.

In addition to Landau, FRANKENWEENIE also features Burton regulars Wynona Ryder as the voice of Elsa van Helsing, and Catherine O’Hara voicing Victor’s mother as well as two other characters. Having failed to keep Sparky’s return a secret, Victor must overcome the Mayor’s hatred for his dog and the bigger danger of classmate Edgar E. Gor’s irresponsibly fiendish plot to win the science fair by employing Victor’s experiment for selfish purposes. In the process, Victor learns a valuable lesson.

FRANKENWEENIE is being presented in IMAX 3D — as well as in 2D — but the 3D provides an added dimension to the film that is welcome, blending in rather than popping out as merely a gimmick. The short running time of 87 minutes also lends itself well to younger viewers.

Overall Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

It’s a treat when a major movie comes along, one that looks and feels like a studio-produced movie yet has the intelligence and creativity of an independently film. Not since, say… THE FOUNTAIN, have I experienced such an event. That is until I saw CLOUD ATLAS. Not only was this in incredible eye-popping, jaw-dropping treat, it was a complete surprise, having seen this film as one of the two scheduled “secret screenings” while in attendance at Fantastic Fest 2012. And, as if that wasn’t enough to pour my affection all over like thick, rich gravy… this actually IS an independently-produced film!

THE MATRIX trilogy may be their most recognizable work, but I would contend that CLOUD ATLAS is Andy and Lana Wachowski‘s most profound, accomplished film to date. Co-directed with Tom Tykwer (RUN LOLA RUN) and based upon David Mitchell‘s award-winning novel of the same name, this science-fiction film addresses how individual lives can affect others’ lives in the past, present and future. The film contains multiples stories spanning many eras in human history, from centuries ago to centuries into the future, where the setting is a post-apocalyptic society.

CLOUD ATLAS features a line-up of talented stars rarely seen in one film. Leading the cast are Tom Hanks (CASTAWAY) and Halle Berry (MONSTER’S BALL), whose roles form the primary storyline throughout time, but are not the sole focal point of the film. Hugh Grant (ABOUT A BOY) delivers performances far outside his normal wheelhouse, delivering some truly unlikeable characters in addition to the enjoyably villainous characters delivered by Hugo Weaving (CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE FIRST AVENGER). Weaving, who you may remember as the relentless Agent Smith from THE MATRIX, is much more accustomed to these roles, but seeing Hugh Grant take on this new type of role is refreshing, especially given how well he adapts.

The cast also features veterans performing alongside relatively new faces. Jim Broadbent (THE IRON LADY) is splendid and Susan Sarandon (THE LOVELY BONES), while not prevalent in the film, still adds some seasoned texture to the overall film. Newer talent includes Jim Sturgess (ACROSS THE UNIVERSE) and Doona Bae (THE HOST) amongst others, most of whom provide varied performances for multiple characters in different stories set in different stages of time. Not only is this an impressive undertaking, its also impressively effective, if not dauntingly complex.

CLOUD ATLAS is immeasurably satisfying and uplifting, although few are likely to leave the theater having fully understood the massive scope of this enigmatic cinematic puzzle. David Mitchell’s novel followed six story lines through time, but the film takes it further, following several more story lines, attempting to connect many more lives throughout time than the book. The structure of the film jumps forward and backward in time, as does the tone and the genre, making this a truly unique and original work of daring filmmaking.

CLOUD ATLAS can be an intimidating film to take on, but only on the surface. Once engaged, the film flows surprisingly well, leaping in time from one life to another, setting the viewer up to discover one connection after the other. The whole of the film is tied together by a number of things, one being the actors playing multiple roles. I specifically refuse to point out who plays the individual roles, as part of the experience of watching this film is making those discoveries and connections on your own. The other significant element that serves as the most intoxicating adhesive is the original score from Reinhold Heil, Johnny Klimek and especially Tom Tykwer for his Cloud Atlas title piece of classically-inspired music.

For a film that cost an estimated $100 million to make, with such an enormous star-studded cast and as much high-quality CGI special effects work as CLOUD ATLAS, the fact that this is independently produced should compel even more interest. The Wachowski’s and Tykwer have created a philosophical playground on screen. The viewer’s eyes and ears will relish the feast that is CLOUD ATLAS and what the viewer witnesses is likely to stay with them indefinitely, resonating with an endless amount of food for thought as connections continually get made beyond the initial viewing.

For me, the most compelling story line takes place in the distant future, set in the post-apocalyptic society with a hint of BLADE RUNNER meets THE MATRIX, but the most engaging performances come from Tom Hanks, Jim Broadbent and Halle Berry, which should help refuel the fire in her recently faltering career. As much as I am drawn to go on for a few thousand more words, describing every last detail of the film, attempting to convey all the various themes and ideas, I would not be doing justice to CLOUD ATLAS, as much an enlightening event as it is an enjoyable film.

Overall Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

CLOUD ATLAS opens in theaters nationwide on Friday, October 26th, 2012.

It pains me to say this, but truly scary, well-made horror films being released in theaters are few and far between these days. Such films being released during the holy horror month of October — oddly — are even more scarce. Fortunately, we have writer C. Robert Cargill‘s frightening film to thank, inspired by the persistent image of a family hanging dead from an old tree, which haunted his dreams until the day he wrote the screenplay… or, perhaps it still does.

SINISTER is Cargill’s first feature screenplay and is directed by Scott Derrickson (HELLRAISER: INFERNO). The film stars an unlikely, but familiar face in Ethan Hawke (DAYBREAKERS), an actor not known for showing up in horror films. Regardless, Hawke still delivers the same caliber of performance we’re used to seeing in his dramatic roles, playing Ellison Oswalt, a once famous now struggling writer of true crime novels. Expecting to capture inspiration for what he hopes is his second best seller, Ellison moves his family into the home of the victims he is currently writing about, a sleazy yet understandably logical strategy.

Ellison is not a bad man, by nature, but merely a good man who has lost his way and now is driven — unbeknownst to himself — by the powerful allure of fame and fortune. Focused entirely on his own success, excusing it as his answer to giving his family a better life, Ellison allows himself to blindly pursue a path much darker than he had ever imagined when he discovers a mysterious box of super-8 films in the attic of their new house. Wearing an awful grey sweater vest, Hawke supplies Ellison with the appropriate blend of being a loving family man and an obsessed, reckless fame monster… sort of like Mister Rogers meets Stephen King.

Juliet Rylance is commendable as Ellison’s concerned, yet supportive wife Tracy, who is oblivious to the truth about her new home for much of the film. Giving Ellison the space he needs and the freedom to pursue his craft, Tracy provides the counter-balance to a town unfriendly and bitter toward Ellison’s work. This is most readily illustrated by the sharp, unwelcoming yet witty exchange that takes place between Ellison and the town’s Sheriff (Fred Dalton Thompson) upon their first meeting. What Tracy does not realize — nor does Ellison, at first — is that her husband’s research is gravely endangering the lives of his entire family.

SINISTER not only builds with an intensely slow burn, it creates the first truly creepy horror villain that isn’t just a slasher, but is a humanoid monster of sorts… since, well, let’s say JEEPERS CREEPERS, but that’s not the best example. In an age where most horror is predicated on mean, violent humans doing very bad things, SINISTER is a breath of  fresh foul air. The baddy in SINISTER is kept at a distance, just out of reach, making him that much more frightening. Derrickson employes the same tactic that worked so well for Spielberg’s JAWS, in that what we don’t see is far more unnerving than what we do see.

As Ellison continues to dig deeper into the increasingly disturbing home movies, gradually piecing together the mystery of the family’s death and their connection to other similar murders across the country, the Oswalt family begin to find themselves subject to some very unfortunate side effects to Ellison’s new project. What SINISTER does so well is to capitalize on terror in the unknown, the fear of the dark and the inherent creepiness of waiting for the inevitable to occur. Derrickson creates a canvas in many of his shots, giving the audience so much visual information to take in that its difficult to pinpoint exactly where in frame, when or how the scare will occur, but we know its coming and can’t do a damn thing about it. Making this ever more effective, Derrickson allows himself to linger on these shots, creating even more tension for a greater scare once the inevitable occurs.

SINISTER plays on our basic fears, more than the visual shock of blood and gore, but that’s not to say this film isn’t graphic. There is plenty of blood and a fair amount of gore, but Derrickson takes the high road and chooses to imply most of the more gruesome events in the film, rather than putting them front and center as an outright spectacle. Nonetheless, the contents of this film are far from mild and not for an audience unaccustomed to some seriously demented content. Hawke succeeds at capturing the emotional range of his character, convincing the viewer of Ellison’s transformation through fear.

With all this evil menacing and bloody terror, one might expect the film to be an unbearably grueling ordeal to sit through, but SINISTER is actually a carefully considered, well-written story with a solid structure. Cargill provides just enough comic relief — but, not too much — to ease our troubled minds and weary souls when things get to be a bit too much for us to carry on. In fact, one of the most enjoyable scenes in the film occurs when Ellison and the Deputy Sheriff (James Ransone) — and fan — he has befriended discuss the validity of paranormal activity in the house of a murdered family. I, for one, did not expect to laugh so heartily in such a film, but it works and is welcome.

SINISTER is easily one of the best horror films I’ve seen in recent years. The only complaint I have about the film, albeit minor in scope, is that I personally felt the ending could have been tightened up a tad, shortened by ending in a more clean-cut space. Instead, the film meanders beyond this point to divulge some additional creative story details that ultimately work, but in the end aren’t terribly necessary. If you’re seeking out some fresh new horror to chew on this Halloween, I’d have to say you won’t find a better specimen than this.

Overall Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

SINISTER opens in theaters nationwide on Friday, October 12th, 2012.

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How do you react when you walk past a strange man or woman shouting seemingly absurd statements about politics, aliens or the end of the world? Do you stop and listen intently? Do you retaliate with your own brand of biased retorts, or do you simply pass them by, putting every ounce of your being into convincing yourself they do not exist? Now, consider this… what if everything coming out of their loud, obnoxious mouths were true.

Writer and director Christopher MacBride invites the audience to consider this while viewing his film THE CONSPIRACY, which is a faux documentary of sorts, but doesn’t attempt to fool the audience that it’s a real documentary. Intentional or not, there are signs that the film is a fictional production, from the way the documentary filmmakers are presented to the way in which the film is shot and structured. The opening scenes are very much designed to convey the feel of a riveting documentary, but this feeling rapidly tapers off as the story progresses and the heart of the film begins to take form.

THE CONSPIRACY begins with interview segments and on-the-street clips inter-cut with various bits of archival footage as documentary filmmakers Aaron (Aaron Poole) and Jim (James Gilbert) build a profile of an outspoken conspiracy theorist. As their exploration evolves, the man who at first appears mentally unbalanced begins to actually start making sense… and then, he disappears. His apartment ransacked, the filmmakers’ footage is all that remains to prove the man had ever existed.

Left with an unfinished film and a mess of the missing conspiracy theorist’s collected documents, Aaron and Jim choose to explore his theories further in hopes of either finding the man, or what happened to him. This marks the point at which a rift begins to form between Aaron and Jim, but also where the film itself begins to morph into something completely different from what was initially presented to viewers. This is also the point at which it becomes unquestionably apparent that the filmmakers were not out to fool audiences that this is an authentic documentary.

THE CONSPIRACY shifts from feeling like a documentary expose to a film that actually draws the audience in and makes them feel a part of the conspiracy, challenges the viewer to ask themselves about the validity of the “facts” and “theories” they are being exposed to on screen. MacBride clearly took great care in his research and in constructing the this film. MacBride wants us to question the truth as we know it, not to suggest that what we understand is false, but instead encourages us to questions the sources from which we receive our information.

As the stakes in THE CONSPIRACY increase and we inch closer to the truth, the film is already in the process of shifting into thriller mode. While there is a point where the film’s outcome becomes something predictable, it doesn’t draw too much from the experience. There are some logistical arguments to be made regarding the production, such as a flawed attempt to convincingly present a portion of the film as shot by a tiny, hidden tie pin camera. Then again, most viewers probably won’t even bat an eye, but for some viewers this will nag at you after the fact.

THE CONSPIRACY is engaging, entertaining, even a little bit educational. While the ending does get chalked up to being a fairly typical genre conclusion, it’s the journey to reach that outcome, the experience of the film that makes THE CONSPIRACY worth seeing. Allow yourself to be taken for a ride. Follow the filmmakers down the rabbit hole of the conspiracy theories and the mystery inherent to revealing the identity of who is pulling the strings.

Overall Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

If you’re anything like me, the first thought in your head when you heard about the remake of the 1984 classic RED DAWN was to shrug it off thinking “whatever.” Then, as the film is completed and nearing release, we hear that instead of being invaded by the Russians like the original — which is entirely understandable — or, as a way to update the story, invaded by the Chinese, which was the original plan, it turns out we’re being invaded by North Korea. Exactly. My first thought was… [scoff] “Yeah, right. How does that work?”

[Biting my tongue...] As it turns out, it works rather well. Surprised? I am. RED DAWN (2012) is, structurally, more or less loosely the same film as the 1984 original. I mean, when it comes down to brass tacks, both films are about the U.S. being caught off guard by a surprise invasion from a Communist enemy, occupied, then ultimately saved by a band of unlikely heroes. The difference is in the details. Instead of the Soviet Union, we’re invaded by North Korea… but, with some help from a couple of all-too-familiar [and previously mentioned] forces with a common goal. Nonetheless, the U.S. initially gets its ass handed to them, making the struggle to fight back all the more exciting.

Dan Bradley directs this modern retelling of the Cold War classic. Bradley is a stunt man with an extensive resume, stepping behind the camera as director for the first time. Its my theory that his time spent throwing punches, dodging bullets and taking falls are a significant factor in establishing the kind of realistic, modestly-paced action we get in RED DAWN. The film opens on a local high school football game, featuring the hometown Wolverines — from which the soon-to-be-realized American rebels get their name — and sets up the character profile for one of our two main heroes.

Josh Peck (THE WACKNESS) plays the star high school quarterback with an attitude, Matt Eckert, who must overcome his own selfishness and realize that in order to survive — ironically — he must learn to be a team player. Chris Hemsworth (THOR, THE AVENGERS) plays Matt’s older brother Jed, the more responsible of the two and a Marine on leave. Isabel Lucas (IMMORTALS) plays Erica, Matt’s sweetheart who is both the driving force for Matt’s fight against the invaders and the potential undoing of their small band of freedom fighters.

RED DAWN spends just enough time introducing characters and setting up back story, then throws the viewer head first into the invasion. The title of the film is no random choice, as the Communist, or “Red” invaders parachute from a legion of bombers into the Pacific Northwest. In our case, we witness what unfolds in Spokane, Washington as Matt and Jed wake to find North Korean soldiers have quickly taken control of their town, complete with fully armed soldiers, military vehicles and a barrage of exploding houses throughout the neighborhood. What little CGI is visibly present in this film, appears during the initial takeover, but is done so with a sense of holding back, not to exceed any suspension of disbelief, but actually causes a noticeable sense of dread and patriotism in the viewer.

As the viewer becomes attached to certain characters and distrustful of others, the film leads us through this devastating turn of events without ever sensationalizing them. RED DAWN is a violent, sometimes graphic film, but is never gratuitous. The characters are written in a way that we care about them, we want to see them succeed, even the ones who clearly have their priorities skewed. Adrianne Palicki, Josh Hutcherson, and Connor Cruise round out the primary cast, forming the core of the rebel Fighters known as the Wolverines. Jeffrey Dean Morgan makes a welcome casting addition as Col. Andy Tanner, a Marine pulled out of retirement in the latter half of the film.

At one point, RED DAWN actually pokes fun at itself, but does so innocently by allowing Matt to reveal how ignorant he is to the current state of world affairs. Despite the opening title sequence revealing a well-crafted and much appreciated montage of world news broadcasts and the like, Matt fails to grasp the scope of events leading up to the North Korean invasion when he asks “How is that possible?” This all becomes clear, not only for Matt, but for an otherwise potentially skeptical audience. In fact, the premise of this remake is perhaps even more realistic and terrifying than that of the 1984 original.

Unlike so many films that shove a sort of uber-patriotism down our throats, RED DAWN delivers an easily digestible dose of patriotic storytelling that pleases the pallet, while still succeeding and it’s primary goal of entertaining the audience. RED DAWN offers a strong story, but one that’s not overly complicated; a satisfying portion of realistic action that never goes over-the-top; and a decent helping of relationship side story to please the female perspective without overwhelming the rest of the film.

Overall Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

RED DAWN opens nationwide in theaters on Wednesday, November 21st, 2012.

As an avid fan of the works of filmmaker David Cronenberg, I found myself fully committed to absorbing the feature film debut from his son, Brandon Cronenberg… for better or for worse. Fortunately, it paid off and I can honestly say that the Cronenberg name is becoming synonymous with daring, experimental film of a high caliber, beyond that of the founding father. ANTIVIRAL is a mesmerizing science-fiction film of one possible societal shift of the not-so-distant future.

Whether or not Brandon wishes to admit or acknowledge the influence of his father’s work on his own, this influence is clearly evident in ANTIVIRAL. I want only to point this out up front, but will refrain from making this the focus of my case for the film. From the elements of body horror, to the use of a fever dream and even distorted video displays of the human form, the truth lies in the film itself. However, Brandon doesn’t merely settle with making a film reminiscent of his father’s legacy, but expands upon it, making it his own. Brandon’s concept is his own, revealing his voice for the first time as a feature film writer and director with a bizarre bravado.

As writer, Brandon Cronenberg tackles some intriguing — even controversial — subject matter, transporting us into a society so utterly engrossed in celebrity worship that fans pay good money to a corporate clinic to be infected by a strain of viral illness collected directly from their celebrity of choice in an effort to become intimately closer on a biological level. This is the central product upon which the film revolves, but audiences get a broader taste of this twisted trend as the story progresses.

Caleb Landry Jones (X-MEN: FIRST CLASS) plays Syd March, a young salesman of sorts for Lucas Clinic, pushing the latest of celebrity viruses on demanding fans, willing to feed their obsession. Hannah Geist, played by Sarah Gadon, is Lucas Clinics’ biggest money maker, but her most recent viral illness is proving far more serious than anyone expected. This becomes a significant problem for Syd, not just because she’s the Clinic’s cash cow, but because Syd has been skimming off the top to bank some cash on the side. This is particularly troubling as his method of smuggling consequently brings himself closer to the celebrity whose virus he is smuggling.

ANTIVIRAL features a sterile, white-washed corporate atmosphere while Syd is at the clinic, set against the grimy underbelly of the black market with which he is tangled smuggling the celebrity contraband to his fence, the owner of a delicatessen of the strangest order who deals in distributing exclusive viral illnesses to the masses. E.C. Woodley provides a fitting score to accompany the visual dynamics of cinematographer Karim Hussain.

Caleb Landry Jones truly captures the enigmatic nature of Syd, complete with the internal struggle that infects both his conscience and his body. Syd is clearly not a devoted supporter of the industry within which he works, nor is he rebelling against it. As Arvid (Joe Pingue), his delicatessen fence points out, perhaps Syd is in denial of his own deep-seeded obsession with Hannah. This peculiar imperfection in his master plan of making his own way drives Syd down a less certain and far more nefarious path as he uncovers a hidden agenda put into play by certain players.

Visually, ANTIVIRAL engages the viewer on multiple layers, including some impressive but low-key special effects and a unique use of flesh and the human cellular material in only a handful of creative applications. These scenes, however, particularly the final scene, may warrant a word of caution for the squeamish regarding human blood, not in excess, but in context. Perhaps the only thing I can legitimately make a case for improving would be a slight tightening of the pace, but not much, and the absence of any further fever dreams beyond the one and only example involving Syd becoming one with machine.

Overall Rating: 4 out of 5 stars