Tag: Angus Cloud

FREAKY TALES – Review

As the big Spring break period approaches its conclusion, there’s still just enough time left for a quick trip via the multiplex. The destination’s not an exotic locale far from our shores, nor the pixel-generated backdrops of this weekend’s big studio flick. This movie “getaway” all takes place on the sunny streets of Oakland, CA. And, more importantly, this is a “time trip” since the “stories” are set in the long-ago Reagan era of 1987. Yes, I said “stories’ as this is an anthology of “twisted” fables with characters dropped in and out of different segments, so it differs from the TALES FROM THE CRYPT or NEW YORK STORIES template, though there’s an off-screen narrator (unlike the Cryptkeeper). So, get your hair teased out, unplug the Walkman, lace up the Reeboks, and set the “Wayback machine” 38 years in reverse to take in some truly FREAKY TALES.

Speaking of that narrator, he provides a bit of a prologue as we’re told of a mysterious green glow, perhaps alien in origin, that affected that gritty West Coast city in 1987. As a TV commercial for a “self-help” style center called “Psytopics” fades out, we’re taken to the outside of a movie theatre playing a quartet of classic 80s flicks for the first story, “The Gilman Strikes Back”. A trio of “New Wave” garbed friends are hassled by a truck full of teenage Neo-Nazi skinheads, who speed away. Ah, but they aren’t done for the night as they invade an underground dance club and destroy the venue and the band’s instruments. A young couple, Tina (Ji-young Yoo) and “Lucid” (Jack Champion) decide, along with the other club regulars and owners, to fight back. Next is “Don’t Fight the Feeling,” in which two young women who work in an ice cream shop decide to pursue their dream of being hip-hop stars. It may come true when Entice (Normani) and Barbie (Dominique Thorne), AKA “Danger Zone”, get a chance to be part of a big concert with rap superstar Too $hort (DeMario Simba Driver). But could it actually be a “set up”? From there we’re dropped into the last days of a loan shark enforcer with the third tale “Born to Mack”, as weary “leg-breaker” Clint (Pedro Pascal) tries to leave the “life’ and settle down with his pregnant partner Grace (Natalia Dominguez). But the ‘sins of the past” catch up to him outise a video rental shop, run by a familar talkative cinefile. The final story is “The Legend of Sleepy Floyd”, which focuses on the title Golden State Warriors superstar (Jay Ellis) who becomes the target of a home invasion committed by a biker gang turned burglars sent out by the crime mastermind known simply as “The Guy” (Ben Mendelsohn). They soon find out that basketball is just one of Floyd’s incredible “skills”.

Now, even though it’s four stories, several of the actors should be lauded since there’s certainly a lot of “cross-over” activity. Its biggest star might be the busiest guy in streaming TV, though he’ll truly stretch (sorry) as Mr. Fantastic this Summer: the internet’s “daddy”, Pedro Pascal. He brings a real gravitas to the haunted Clint, a “working class” mob soldier who’s aching to reach that light at the end of the tunnel, the road to a better future. That’s reachable unless the past grabs him. Yes, he’s fearsome when he confronts his last “gig”, but Pascal can tug on our hearts moments later with his love. At the opposite end of the spectrum is the always terrific Mendelsohn, who is ruthless and brutal with none of the sophistication of previous “baddies” in STAR WARS: ROGUE ONE or READY PLAYER ONE as the sneering, lascivious crimeboss creep. And kudos to him for resisting the temptation to twirl his mustache. The most physical, rather than verbal, of the main roles is “Sleepy,” played with lots of charisma and steely determination by Ellis. He’s gregarious and charming after the big game, but “flips a switch” when responding to the tragedy in a twist on the typical superhero origin story. Also engaging are the BFFS played by Normani and Thorne, who try to escape food service “Hell”, with a chance at hip hop stardom. Their ‘arc” takes a turn when they decide to forge ahead even though they believe their “invite” was merely to put them back in “their place”, mainly as “eye candy” for the men with the mike. And happily we get one last big screen performance by the late Angus Cloud as the main “intel man” for The Guy.

My lack of knowledge about the people behind this film gave an added element of pleasant surprise as the end credits rolled. I had assumed (which is always a “no-no”) that this was made by a film student (or students) fresh from graduation, eager to make their “mark”, and trying to use all the cinematic “toys ” at their disposal. But no, this is from the directing/screenwriting team of Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck, who have been making features for twenty years now. Most of their work would be considered “indie”, though their last effort was a stint in the Marvel Cinematic Universe with CAPTAIN MARVEL. With that film’s late 1990s setting, they were comfortable in going back another decade with this sprightly, grungy, zingy ode to pop culture tropes at he time. Sure, there’s a definite Quentin Tarantino influence, particularly PULP FICTION and especially ONCE UPON A TIME IN HOLLYWOOD with the inclusion of several real people (Sleepy and Too $hort), but it also felt as though the story was concocted after a weekend video store rental “binge” during that era. We get nods to everything from SEVEN SAMURAI to the “Lone Wolf and Cub” flicks to REPO MAN and even SCANNERS, with some Bruce Lee tossed in for a bit of spice. Oh, and back to the “toys”, Boden and Fleck make great use of retro special effects, from the practical “gore” of the final battle to the green glow that gives a boost to a city bus (which is a riff on the orb from HEAVY METAL). And there’s some nifty “2D” animation, as sketchy stick folk act out the inner thoughts of Tina and Lucid (naughty boy), and later to illustrate the big basketball game in the style of Saturday morning TV adventure shows. Those cartoon bits may have been “side winks” to underground comix, lurid paperbacks, and the glory days of black and white comic magazines such as “Creepy” and “Eerie”. Boden and Fleck also reward us for paying attention as they return to different locales and offer “blink-and-you ‘miss them” cameos, which add to the fun of the flick. And “fun” is the main “f” word, along with fabulous, flashy, funky, and ferocious, making it the perfect “midnight movie” that can be enjoyed anytime of day at the multiplex, drive-in, or “grindhouse”. So thank you, Oakland, for the perfect quick escape from the 2020s via the talent and imagination of the truly dynamic duo of Boden and Fleck and their FREAKY TALES. Hmm, now I’m in the mood for the tasty hot dogs this curly-haired lanky kid once sold at the A’s games…

3.5 Out of 4

FREAKY TALES is now playing in theatres everywhere

ABIGAIL – Review

An old saying goes that “You can’t keep a good man down”. Well, despite the meager box office returns for last year’s big Dracula flicks, RENFIELD, and THE LAST VOYAGE OF THE DEMETER, this weekend’s new monster movie believes that “You can’t keep a good vampire down”. Really, they just keep popping up, just check out those Christopher Lee Hammer Film classics (seriously, they’re loads of frightful fun). Ha, “down for the Count”…and enough of the “groaners”. Although this new flick’s working title was “Dracula’s Daughter”, this chiller isn’t officially connected to the Bram Stoker creation. For one thing, it’s set in today’s world, so a speedy beaten van replaces the horse-drawn carriages. Oh, and it’s got elements of a crime thriller. This tale concerns a “snatch and grab” crew who get more than they bargained for when their target is ABIGAIL.

The film’s opening moments introduce us to the title character (Alisha Weir), a preteen lass indulging in her passion for dance as she performs “Swan Lake” in an empty theatre. Ah, it turns out that someone else aside from the family driver is waiting for her to head home. Six black-clad adults in an old commercial van follow her towncar through the night, past the city, and into her gated mansion. As one of the crew hacks into the estate’s security system, a trio swiftly moves in. Young Abigail believes she’s safe in her bedroom, until the invaders burst in, and one injects her with a powerful tranquilizer. She’s placed in a large duffel bag, and the trio sprints back to the van just as another vehicle with Abigail’s father shows up. The van speeds away, far out into the country, and pulls up to another gated mansion, although this one has seen better days. They’re greeted in the library by the mastermind who has put them together for the “job”, the suave Lambert (Giancarlo Esposito). He explains that they will hide out there with Abigail for 24 hours until the ransom is met (plenty of food and drink are provided along with beds). He insists that they don’t reveal their own names, deciding to bestow “code monikers”. The surly leader is “Frank” (Dan Stevens). The slightly baked driver is “Dean” (Angus Cloud). “Sammy” (Kathryn Newton) is the loopy punk-rock “hacker”. The boozy “muscle” is “Peter” (Kevin Durand). “Rickles” (as in the the insult comic king, ya’ hockey puck) is an ex-military sniper (William Catlett). And the “druggist” who put Abigail to sleep is “Joey” (Melissa Barrera), who will be the one to check on her, though Joey will be masked. Lambert departs, as most of the gang hits the bar. Joey forms a bond with the now fully awake Abigail, though the the little girl makes an odd icy threat while putting out a creepy “vibe”. This alarms Frank who visits their prey and is more rattled when she reveals the identity of her powerful papa. He tells the crew they need to split just as steel plates slide over the windows and barred gates appear over the doors with a loud “clang”. Could the kidnapping have been an elaborate “set-up” to trap them? Then panic engulfs the criminals as something lurking in the shadows begins to strike…

Though she’s not the title character, the story’s main focus is the conflicted, tragic ex-combat medic played by the soulful Barrera. We find out some of her motives in taking the “one last crime gig”, which are also the reason Joey forms an intense almost immediate bond with Abigail. Barrera’s both tender and very tough as she clashes with her cohorts when they try to “lean on the kid”. Speaking of, the ads have let the “cat” (or is it bat) out of the “bag” on the “tiny dancer” (the crew’s codename for her). Weir switches from sweet innocence to murderous menace at the flutter of her tutu. Her dance moves turn “death stalk” remind us of the pre-murder “mamba” of “last year’s demon doll” M3GAN. And somehow Weir conveys that longing well after she reveals her true form. Much like Stevens who is the all too human monster in the story, a bullying blowhard who’s always looking out for “#1”.He’s engaging even as he sounds as though he stepped out of a late 40s noir crime caper. Stevens appears to be having almost as much fun as Newton whose Sammy almost becomes the audience surrogate as she is quick to bolt when things go too weird. Her funky free spirit lightens things considerably. Newton gets almost as many laughs as Durand’s Peter, the confused lunkhead who’s not used to responding with his brain rather than his fists, which are usually clutching a bottle. Catlett is more of a mystery as the tightly-wound triggerman, while Esposito is a terrific sarcastic snob as the effete master planner Lambert. However, the film’s real breakout star may tragically be Cloud as the hustling streetwise getaway man, who passed shortly after wrapping his role.

After jumpstarting the SCREAM franchise with the last two entries, directors Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett try to put a new spin on the old bloodsucker on the loose in a haunted house genre but mixing in a criminal team much like those bickering, but still cool RESERVOIR DOGS, and assorted other “heist” flicks. And it does indeed inject some fresh blood into the genre, while also exploring the idea of an immortal killing machine trapped forever in a child’s body that was a big part of NEAR DARK and INTERVIEW WITH THE VAMPIRE. Plus the filmmakers surprise us with the amount of humor generously sprinkled in (something that many newer terror tales lack). The gang can’t quite accept the supernatural, then try to recall the “rules” from pop culture (how to kill them, powers, etc.). And this movie’s take on the classic monster is interesting, especially in the look of the vamps, eschewing the twin fangs and opting for a row of jagged choppers that shred throats. Unfortunately, this becomes part of the problem with the flick, as the settings and characters are constantly drenched in the sticky crimson fluid. I kept thinking about the actors rushing to the showers after they wrapped for what must have been a looong day. This indulgence adds to the unneeded length of the film, as characters engage in double and triple-crosses when not tossing each other in the walls and antique furnishings (we get that vampires are strong…move on). And the action doesn’t even adhere to the “new rules” they have for the undead. Perhaps the plot is spinning its wheels to establish the time passage from the wee hours to dawn and back to dusk again. It’s a shame since there are lots of original flourishes on vamp lore, though the finale result isn’t nearly as engaging and graceful as the dance moves of that bloody ballerina ABIGAIL.

2.5 Out of 4

ABIGAIL is now playing in theatres everywhere

ABIGAIL Is A Bloody, Ballerina Vampire Kidnapped By Melissa Barrera, Angus Cloud, Dan Stevens And Kevin Durand In First Trailer

Alisha Weir as Abigail in Abigail, directed by Matt Bettinelli-Olpin & Tyler Gillett. © 2023 Universal Studios Bernard Walsh/Universal Pictures

Children can be such monsters.

After a group of would-be criminals kidnap the 12-year-old ballerina daughter of a powerful underworld figure, all they have to do to collect a $50 million ransom is watch the girl overnight. In an isolated mansion, the captors start to dwindle, one by one, and they discover, to their mounting horror, that they’re locked inside with no normal little girl.

From Radio Silence—the directing team of Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett behind the terrifying modern horror hits Ready or Not, 2022’s Scream and last year’s Scream VI—comes a brash, blood-thirsty new vision of the vampire flick, written by Stephen Shields (The Hole in the Ground, Zombie Bashers) and Guy Busick (Scream franchise, Ready or Not).

ABIGAIL stars Melissa Barrera (Scream franchise, In the Heights), Dan Stevens (Gaslit, Legion), Kathryn Newton (Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, Freaky), William Catlett (Black Lightning, True Story), Kevin Durand (Resident Evil: Retribution, X-Men Origins: Wolverine) and Angus Cloud (Euphoria, North Hollywood) as the kidnappers and Alisha Weir (Roald Dahl’s Matilda the Musical, Darklands) as Abigail.

The film produced by William Sherak (Scream franchise, Ready or Not), Paul Neinstein (Scream franchise; executive producer, The Night Agent) and James Vanderbilt (Zodiac, Scream franchise) for Project X Entertainment, by Tripp Vinson (Ready or Not, Journey 2: The Mysterious Island) and by Radio Silence’s Chad Vilella (executive producer Ready or Not and Scream franchise). The executive producers are Ron Lynch and Macdara Kelleher.