Scarlett Sperduto and Booboo Stewart in THOSE WHO WALK AWAY. Courtesy of VMI Releasing
As low-budget horror flicks go, THOSE WHO WALK AWAY, begins intriguingly as it establishes the two lead personae via their awkward chatting during the first meeting, resulting from their on-line dating connection. Booboo Stewart plays Max, a shy lad tentatively re-entering the social scene after a long preoccupation with caring for his mother during a severe illness. Scarlett Sperduto’s character Avery is relatively cool, though carrying her own set of baggage, as the two verbally circle each other like wary boxers at the start of a match.
As they wander through their small town, gradually opening up to this new potential partner beside them, it soon becomes apparent that Avery will be the Alpha if they become a couple. She persuades him to join her in exploring a reputedly haunted house. Odd choice for a first date but it’s one way to skip past the usual facades people bring to such encounters. So far, so good. We’re getting to like them as they are warming to each other, thanks to believable dialog and spot-on body language.
Once they enter the creepy dwelling, events turn ugly for the characters and the audience. The place houses a hideous creature with a homicidal agenda. We’re supposed to be scared by what happens, but mostly I found myself disoriented.
Apparently working on a low budget called for camera and lighting gimmicks that cost little and achieved less. Even worse, they didn’t invest what they saved on the filming in further writing efforts to make the script more coherent. I can’t be more specific without spoilers but I’d have remained more emotionally engaged with better understanding of how this all came about, including more of the backstory and abilities of the evil entity driving the whole thing. Three credited writers, including director Robert Rippberger, needed more time together. Or a fresh fourth set of eyes before they started shooting.
Whatever energy the latter half might have contained was dampened by a combination of pointlessly weird cuts and angles within the house, and excessively lingering shots of nothing in particular happening. The two leads were well cast. Stewart is presumably popular with younger viewers, since he was featured in the TWILIGHT series. I have no idea what his career aspirations may be but choosing the name of Yogi Bear’s sidekick over his birth name (Nils) and limitless alternatives seems to indicate a lack of ambition. “The name’s Bond; Booboo Bond” would only work on “Saturday Night Live.” Sperduto could clearly carry her weight in better films, and most certainly will.
Bottom line, Stewart and Sperduto are worth getting to know. She impresses me as a younger version of an Aubrey Plaza. I’m mildly curious about what Rippberger, whose directing career has been mainly shorts and documentaries, may yet accomplish with better scripts and bigger budgets. This effort is a reasonable choice for a mildly gory horror flick when you’re in that mood. But nothing here is particularly unique or memorable.
THOSE WHO WALK AWAY is available streaming starting on Friday, Feb. 11, on Apple TV, Amazon, Hoopla, iTunes, Google Play, Vudu and Microsoft, and in theaters in selected cities.
Scout Taylor-Compton and Nolan Gerard Funk in THE LONG NIGHT. Photo courtesy of Well Go USA Entertainment
In director Rich Ragsdale’s THE LONG NIGHT, Scout Taylor-Compton stars as a woman engaged to a rich city lad (Nolan Gerard Funk) and on the threshold of a much larger life than she could have imagined growing up in a Deep South orphanage. She’s long been trying to learn who her birth parents were, and as the film opens she gets her first solid lead, requiring the couple to drive to the investigator’s isolated house in the boonies. What could possibly go wrong?
Upon arrival, their host is missing but he’d left the key for them with permission to settle in. A few things start to feel a bit hinky, including the intrusion of a couple of large snakes. But once the sun sets, the real mayhem starts to kick in. They are soon surrounded by silent folks wearing black robes and cattle and deer skulls, denoting some kind of cult. At least one seems to have supernatural powers, including the ability to block all means of communication and escape.
Most of the early going proceeds slowly, creating an eerie atmosphere that bodes ill for our young protagonists. Reliable character actor Jeff Fahey shows up to add another level to the mystery. Without divulging who does what to whom in which gory manner, I’ll just say that the couple scrambles frantically for survival for about an hour before anyone starts to learn what’s behind all of this. If taken seriously, orphans will think long and hard before searching for their roots. Horror fans already know to be wary of nights in dwellings in woods far from other humans, but none were around to give these two a heads-up.
Genre fans should be satisfied with the visceral component of maimings and killings. Some may find the prolonged escalation phase allows too much time to think about inconsistencies and other plot flaws along the way to “the reveal.” Taylor-Compton does well as the prototypical endangered heroine of such tales, doing most of the heavy lifting. Her fans should be pleased with how she handles this gig. Funk is convincing as a spoiled yutz who does manage to overcome his snobbery enough to actually love his partner. The few other cast members with speaking parts adhere to the tropes for their roles. The net result is a so-so bloody horror flick that’s OK if you’re in the mood for one, but won’t stand out from those you’ve seen before.
THE LONG NIGHT opens Friday, Feb. 4, in theaters in select cities and digitally on Apple, Amazon Prime Video, Google Play, Vudu, and Xbox.
So, for the last four weekends, one film has dominated, really ruled the box office. I’m talking about the latest installment of a near twenty-year-old franchise. So, what could possibly challenge this “rock-solid” tentpole and knock the “webhead’ off his perch? Perhaps the “de-throner” will be the latest installment of a franchise that’s over twenty-five-years-old. Oh, and it’s far less “family-friendly”, so maybe it’s not for the same audience. So, leave the kiddos home, when this masked knife-wielding maniac starts stalking the teens once again. “Ghostface” returns, hoping to make movie audiences (and studio coffers) SCREAM.
Alright, who’s “dying’ to revisit Woodsboro? Well your wish is granted with this flick’s opening sequence, which harkens back to a familiar night in 1996. Phone “tech” is a lot different now (texts, video chat, etc.), but it finishes with a brutal attack on young Tara (Jenna Ortega). Several miles away a frantic call sends her sister “Sam” (Melissa Barrera) sharing a ride home with boyfriend/co-worker Richie (Jack Quaid). When they arrive, a mini-reunion begins with Tara’s over-protective BFF Amber (Mikey Madison), twins Mindy (Jasmine Savoy Brown) and Chad (Mason Gooding) who’s never far from his “bae” Liv (Sonia Ammar), and Wes (Dylan Minnette), the son of Sheriff Hicks (Marley Shelton). She and Sam clash immediately, so the still-stunned big sister decides to consult with the “vets”. But the bitter reclusive former lawman Dewey Riley (David Arquette) is at first hesitant, but he sends a message to ex Gale (Courtney Cox), now a network tv news “morning anchor” in the Big Apple. The chain begins when she in turn calls Sydney Prescott (Neve Campbell), now a busy big city mom. So will the trio reunite in their old “stomping grounds” before Ghostface slices and dices the “new kids”? And what about the “ghost of movies past’ who pops up to haunt Sam?
Oh, but she’s also haunted by memories as Barrera makes Sam a more complex screen “scream queen”, a young woman who wants to escape her hometown. But she’s pulled back by that burg’s history forcing her into action. Barrera has us investing in the heroine who’s not sure of herself. Plus Ortega as Tara truly tests that sisterly bond, resenting Sam but still needing her nurturing nature, Ortega turns Tara from “fodder’ into a fiesty spitfire, almost matched by Madison’s snarky, acid-spewing Amber. Quaid is quite entertaining as the beau who feels out of place, wanting to be there for Sam, but fearful of being “fresh meat’ for the deadly village. Ably filling the role of pop culture savant is the engaging Brown who seems more than a bit giddy to be part of the “re-qual”. But the movie’s “heavy lifting” is done by the tired but still standing original trio. Arquette’s Dewey has a world-weary affability, knowing of the threats but ready to put a stop to the “legacy”. As with previous incarnations, Cox’s Gale seems to be using the tragedies as a “self-promotion” until her inner-defender is awakened. It’s Campbell as Sydney that sounds that alarm, making her one of the genre’s greatest survivors, always thinking ahead and never backing down. Perhaps she can be spun off for a horror/road trip series, bashing creeps all over the globe.
The producers faced a big challenge as the series original scribe, Kevin Williamson, stepped down and the director of the previous entries, Wes Craven, sadly passed away in 2015. Stepping up are the directing team of Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillet (READY OR NOT) who recreate the pacing and action dynamic of the first entry. Though it feels familiar they’re able to give each scene an air of dread and doom. Ultimately they’re tripped up by the sneering script from James Vanderbilt and Guy Busick that feels the need to drag down the midsection in a “meta mess”, skewering online trolls, while poking holes in the “fake Stab” movie series, which echoes the previous entries of this one, while also name-dropping other horror franchises. It all becomes tiresome very quickly giving the last act a “not as clever as they think they are” vibe. This leads to a final sequence denouncement that’s just plain silly and sophomoric (that’s the force, or farce, behind the body count). And though most thriller fans don’t find it a problem, the aggressive, extreme violence just seems to be a celebration of vicious cruelty. But I did like Tara’s admiration for “art-house horror” and Campbell is always a welcome movie presence. The fervent fanbase of the franchise will no doubt revel in this, but if I had to endure another “inside joke”, I was afraid that I’d clear out the theatre with a loud SCREAM.
2 Out of 4
SCREAM opens in theatres everywhere on Thursday evening, January 13, 2022
Before you begin to fill the candy bowls and light up the jack o’lantern, how about taking a terror trek to the “haunted” multiplex for a very modern take on the traditional “creature feature”? Yes, there’s a growling drooling mythical monster at the center of the story, though the town and its past are pretty scary without this “beastie”. Perhaps this is a result of the unique behind-the-scenes pairing of a producer known for his fantasy fright flicks and a director who’d helmed several films that deal with all-too-human horrors. Together this “mad move-scientist” duo have stitched together a shambling nightmare thing that threatens to impale several villagers on its razor-sharp ANTLERS.
This said nightmare actually begins during another overcast day, just outside a remote dying town in Oregon. Its life’s blood, the mining operation, has long-shuttered its doors. But, there’s a glimmer of hope as the news spreads of a re-opening. This sends two locals, who were using it as a meth lab, scrambling to get their stuff out of the mine entrance. Though Frank Weaver (Scott Haze) and his pal are hurriedly filling up cardboard boxes, a growling noise coming from the cave entrance commands their attention. And when their screams join the noise, Frank’s seven-year-old son Aiden (Sawyer Jones) strolls into the darkness. Several weeks later, new teacher and returning resident Julia Meadows (Keri Russell) struggles to hold the interest of her elementary school class as she talks about myths and fables. One student, sullen, quiet Lucas Weaver (Jeremy T. Thomas) grabs her interest. She’s especially unnerved when he reads from his assignment. It’s a tale about a family of sick ravenous bears. The accompanying drawings, filled with red-ink gore, sound off the alarms in Julia’s head. She mentions this to her brother Paul (Jesse Plemons), who’s the town sheriff, in the family home they share (he’s now the owner as Julia’s looking for her own place). He warns her not to get involved. Meanwhile, Lucas returns to his ramshackle house, locking his bedroom door as hideous shrieks and screams, along with violent pounding, fill the darkness. Julia forges ahead with her sleuthing as the remains of someone, torn apart by seemingly human teeth, is found in the woods. Could this have been caused by whatever’s in the Weaver home? And could the Meadows siblings be next on its menu?
Though perhaps best known for her TV work (“Felicity”), Russell expertly handles the many “layers” of the story’s main facilitator. Her Julia sets the story “in motion”, though she’s more than a “scholarly savior”. This heroine is battling her past demons as much as the menacing monster. Through Russell’s eyes, you can see Julia waver as she almosts opts for ‘self-medication” while trying to drown the ghosts that tormented her in every room of the home she somehow survived. Many of those spirits swirl about her brother Paul, played with stoic subtlety by Plemons. He loves his big sister, though he suppresses a “tinge’ of resentment over her escape from the Hell that their father created for them. He’s dealing with “it’ by putting his head down and doing his job, even as it consists mainly of evicting his neighbors. But perhaps the most “haunted” character might be young Lucas, brought to heartbreaking life by Thomas. Much as with old cartoon icons, a dark cloud seems to always hover over him as he deals with a merciless bully in between doing his disturbing red-drenched art. Yet, Thomas gives him stubborn dignity and even optimism as he is convinced that he can somehow repair his broken family. The story also benefits from several screen vets in supporting roles. Rory Cochrane is the loyal deputy, Amy Madigan is a stern but sympathetic school principal, and Graham Greene is the former town lawman who “fills in the blanks” on the source of the town’s scourge while trying to hide his belief that nothing can stop what’s been “put into motion” by ancient vengeful forces.
There’s a ‘gloom” that covers nearly every frame in this vision of small-town life helmed by director Scott Cooper and produced by (amongst others) Guillermo del Toro. The main street is filled with boarded-up storefronts, while the sidewalk is filled with an endless line of residents awaiting treatment at the overwhelmed drug rehab facilities (almost as big a line as the liquor store). This is a dying community, one that can be “snuffed out” with little notice by the media or the nation. The screenplay co-written by Cooper along with Henry Chaisson and Antosca (based on his original short story) balances that slow march to oblivion with the childhood fears of the outdoors (something is watching you in those woods…and waiting). And at the story’s heart is the power of often long-forgotten myth which can curse those too weak to fight back. Luckily the human drama is as powerful as the supernatural showdowns with sequences that should satisfy the “horror crowd”. And without “spoiling” the finale, it isn’t cut and dry as the effects of the beast will still menace , even if only in dreams. ANTLERS delivers on the scares, but its setting and characters (given life by a superb cast) will linger long after the lights go up.
Barbara Hershey in THE MANOR, one of the “Welcome to the Blumhouse” four-film series. Courtesy of Amazon Studios.
There have been plenty of suspense and horror flicks set in the sequestered confines of nursing homes and mental hospitals for a very good reason. When any of the residents start sensing something amiss, they’re least likely to be believed by those who might help them. When the menace comes from those in charge, the diminished capacity of their victim pools provides excellent cover for their nefarious deeds. Vincent Price comes to mind as one who thrived in the genre. Many others did so before and after his turns at chilling our bones.
In THE MANOR, Barbara Hershey plays a spry granny of 70, who realizes her Parkinson’s is starting to cause a decline she doesn’t want her family, especially her devoted grandson (Nicholas Alexander), to endure with her. She chooses a nursing home that looks good at first but soon starts seeming otherwise. That’s essential for there to be a movie in the first place. Otherwise, all you’d get is a PSA for eldercare. The sense of peril begins with rules cutting off contact with the outside world (gasp! No cell phones!), and even requiring a security code and escort to walk through the woods and garden within the remote, gated property. Several residents act fearful in various ways but it’s hard to tell how grounded or demented they may be. The film perpetuates a classic trope of dreading the attentions of the home’s black cat, which reputedly senses who’s about to die, and hops onto their lap or bed to function as a fatal spoiler alert. Draw your own conclusion about whether the cat feels glee or compassion in those moments.
Hershey finds a trio of relatively alert pals to start feeling somewhat more at home. But a variety of eerie sounds and visions during the nights could mean something wicked her way comes. Inexplicable, unverifiable events cause her to doubt her own sanity. If the menace exists, could it be from a supernatural entity? Is something malicious going on that’s of human origin, as telegraphed by a couple of Nurse Ratched types among the staff? Or could it be both? As the saying goes, just because you’re paranoid doesn’t mean they’re not really out to get you. Similarly, demons and villainous caregivers just might share roles in the same movie.
I’m not sure how much writer/director Axelle Carolyn’s script was more compelling than average, or the extent to which my own age made Hershey’s situation seem more relevant than the slew of analogs watched by my younger selves. After all, I’m almost four years older than her character, and several months older than the actress. What’s certain is that as director, Carolyn dangles many possibilities in an efficient package, maintaining the suspense all the way to an excellent climax. As a star, Hershey’s still got the chops to carry the ball through some challenging territory, putting this one comfortably within the plus side of the quality ledger. And she’s aging more gracefully than your faithful correspondent.
THE MANOR is available to stream on Amazon Prime starting Oct. 8.
So, we know that these new vaccines can work wonders, but could they also be a cure for “Sequelitis Interruptus”. Yeah, I made that up, but it should be a real thing that would certainly apply to this week’s big movie release. Way back in April of 2018 (ah, the before times), John Krasinski was the star, director, and co-writer of a weird hybrid flick (part family drama. part horror, part SF action) that become an unexpected box office smash. So naturally, a sequel was in order, and after some resistance, John K was back at the helm, with a release date of March 2020. I had already RSVP’d to the press sneak peek when everything literally shutdown, in those first few weeks of the pandemic. Would it be regulated to the streaming services? “No way!”, said John K, who insisted that we’d all get to see it together when things were safe. Well he, and Paramount, have kept their promise. It’s not the start of the month, but it’s still May, so we can say that the Summer movie season has officially begun, with a Disney prequel/origin story and a long (14 months) awaited follow-up that’s imaginatively titled A QUIET PLACE PART II…shhhh.
But as it begins, we’re taken back to “day one”, long before the events of that previous film. Perhaps this is really a prequel as Lee Abbott (Krasinski) brings some last-minute supplies (those kids need their orange slices) to a little league game in their quiet. almost designed by Norman Rockwell, upper New York state village. But with son Marcus (Noah Jupe) at bat, the crowd is distracted by a fire and black smoke trail piercing the perfect fluffy mid-afternoon clouds. Everyone scampers home with Lee and his wife Evelyn (Emily Blount) loading the kids into their respective vehicles. Suddenly all Hell breaks loose as those spindly, fast-moving creatures destroy the main street and its residents. Jumpcut to moments after the ending of the previous flick as Evelyn readies her shotgun while daughter Regan (Millicent Simmonds) gathers up the hearing aid/boombox combo that produces feedback that’s almost lethal to the audio-sensitive alien monsters. As fire consumes their last home/sanctuary, the Abbotts, including Marcus and his baby brother, are on the move again. After lots of very slow, soft walking, they come across what seems to be a shuttered factory/foundry. Ah, but the trail is booby-trapped, causing Marcus to suffer a grave injury. But before the monsters arrive, they’re ushered into a concrete bunker (perhaps the long-cooled furnace) by Emmett (Cillian Murphy) one of the last survivors from their hometown. .He wants them to move on, but Evelyn pleads with him to allow Marcus to rest and heal. While working with the radio, they’re stunned to find a clear signal playing the same 60s pop tune nonstop. Regan uses a map to pinpoint its source, and, despite her mother’s objections, heads out on her own to find the station. Emmett reluctantly agrees to bring her back, while Evelyn makes the dangerous trek to find medical supplies for her boys. But as everyone splits up, how long before someone makes a noise that will attract the near-unstoppable killing creatures?
Blunt effortlessly slips back into the role of Evelyn, one of the silver screen’s greatest “mama grizzlies”. She is fierce with a capital “F”, her intense gaze broadcasts her devotion. Very tough, yet so tender as she takes time to comfort her still traumatized offspring. Jupe as marcus yearns to prove himself, but his injury frustrates him and sidelines him from fighter to (he thinks )burden or victim. But the Abbott that’s really straining to spread her wings is Simmonds as the fiesty Regan, butting heads with Mom as most teeens do, though she believes herself to be the only hope for the family (and perhaps humanity). And after losing her adored papa, she tries to push back on her terror in order to be his avenger. Murphy proves to be a terrific addition to the saga, as we can see his struggle to hang on to his humanity, despite his own catastrophic losses. Though he rescues the Abbotts, they somehow free him from a future of selfishness. Though not seen till the story’s final act, Djimon Hounsou makes a strong impression as another traveler offering a hand and good advice. Flipping things around, it’s great to see Krasinski back as the patriarch Lee if only for the brief prologue, giving us a glimpse of the pre-disaster dad, and reminding us of the loss that will also haunt his family.
But this time out, Krasinski is mostly behind the camera, directing from his own script, building on the characters and situations created by writers Scott Beck and Bryan Woods. He creates enormous tension when the Abbotts venture out, be it the dead of night or a sun-drenched morning. The slightest murmur and the demon hordes are mere inches away. Much of the film’s power hinges on the sound team, who more than match their impressive work from the original (last year’s Oscar-worthy work on THE SOUND OF METAL comes very close). And somehow the spider-like alien beasties are more impressive, as we get to view them a tad more closely, their flared faces seeming more of a mix of blooming flower and angry reptile, so big kudos to those CGI creature creators. But this sequel mainly works due to John K’s vision. He’s avoided the pitfalls of most non-franchise follow-ups, not rehashing the “best of the first”, but expanding on the family dynamic and opening up this savage new world that they try to navigate. And much like many post-apocalypse thrillers (especially TV’s “The Walking Dead”), the Abbotts learn that the other humans are just as monstrous as the alien invaders. But there are the added emotions involved, as the adults must deal with their children embracing adulthood, and knowing when to step aside. This may not quite be the cinema “home run” from 2018, but Krasinski and crew have delivered a solid triple. A tightly muffled hurray for A QUIET PLACE PART II, it’s more horror and heart. Well worth the wait.
3 Out of 4
A QUIET PLACE II opens in theatres everywhere on Friday, May 28, 2021.
With Memorial Day weekend looming, what better time to kick back and enjoy and a noisy action blockbuster. That’s the way movie fans marked the beginning of the Summer season, well, in those before times. Sure this week’s new blockbuster began running on several screens last weekend, but the main focus of its marketing right now is about its “dropping” on a major streaming service (several would say “the streaming service”). It, however, “changes up” the usual formula for thrillers, aside from its distribution, since it’s another “high-concept hybrid”. You see this is a modern-day action heist flick, complete with the all “big plan’ and assembling the team. Y’know like the main variations, reboots, and sequels to OCEAN’S ELEVEN. So what’s the twist? Well, the big “window of opportunity” for the “grab” is opened due to a big disaster, though not a natural one like the big storm in 1008’s HARD RAIN. Nope, this is another one of those pesky zombie outbreaks. Yes, it’s extra tough to make that “big score” when you’ve got to contend with an ARMY OF THE DEAD.
The story does begin with the start of said “outbreak” when two newlyweds begin their honeymoon on the road to Vegas. The very distracted driver collides with a heavily armored military transport, dislodging its deadly cargo” a ravenous cannibalistic super-powered murder machine. Naturally his bite turns the surviving escort soldiers into killers who are quickly drawn to that “bright-light city”. Via an opening title montage, we see the town become overrun by the undead mobs, which also overwhelm the military. It’s soon determined that “Lost Wages” is a loss that needs to be isolated by a containment fence-like wall made of boxcars dropped by helicopters. A tent city is also set up outside the city by the World Health Organization to quarantine and monitor the evacuating citizens. As the TV news reports of plans to obliterate the infected city with a tactical nuclear strike (on July 4th, natch’), the grill man at a dusty diner, Scott Ward (Dave Bautista) is stunned to get a visit from casino kingpin Bly Tanaka (Hiroyuki Sanada). His insurance has already re-reimbursed him for the 200 million stuck in the big vault beneath his showcase hotel/spa, but he now wants a team to secretly sneak into the city and grab the vault’s contents prior to it getting “nuked”. Since Scott’s a decorated vet and former Vegas resident, he’s offered 50 million to assemble a team (and split that dough any way he wants). He reluctantly agrees and puts together his crew of old cohorts. First is super-mechanic Maria (Ana de la Reguera), “muscle” Vanderohe (Omari Hardwick), and ace chopper pilot Peters (Tig Notaro). Then some “newbies’ are recruited: safecracker ‘savant” Dieter (Matthias Schweighofer) and social media zombie-killing star “Guz” (Raul Castillo) and his “right-hand” Chambers (Samantha Win). Everyone is startled when they’re joined at the last minute by Tanaka’s security chief Marin (Garret Dillahunt). Is he there to keep them on track, or does he have his own agenda? Scott decides the best way to enter Vegas is through the detention camp which entails an uneasy reunion with estranged daughter and WHO worker Kate (Ella Purnell). She enlists a “Coyote”, who has been sneaking folks into town, Lilly (Nora Arnezeder), who also brings in an abusive military guard Burt (Theo Rossi). Oh, and much to Scott’s ire, Kate insists on coming so she can keep an eye out for a mother who made the trek recently. As the clock ticks down to the nuclear blast, can this motley crew make the grab and fly out, while avoiding a horde of rampaging hungry hordes? If they stick to the plan, everything will work out, right?
In his best post-Drax leading role, Bautista proves to be a compelling screen presence casting a commanding silhouette, but still showing a bit more of his human side. Scott is able to shake off the “biters’ as though they were ragdolls, but he can’t shake off the guilt of his failure during the attack on his family. His MCU role may present more of his wry comic timing, but we’re getting a bit more of his heartfelt dramatic side, especially as he finally opens up to his daughter close to the big finale. Purnell, as that sibling kate, is a strong sparring partner for him, never backing down, though the role often seems abrasive and headstrong. Scott’s other partner, perhaps his BFF, is the warm, but no-nonsense de la Reguera who can now add action lead to her growing resume. Hardwick also is an impressive physical presence but is best as a big brother/straight-man to the tightly-wound, eccentric Schweighofer as the endearing, often dense Dieter. Notaro projects just the right amount of “fly-boy swagger” as the sweetly sarcastic Parker. And Rossi, Amezeder, and Dillahunt add an air of mystery as characters who may be a great back-up, though often have secretive motivations.
After a seventeen-year hiatus, in which he became the controversial guiding force in the Warner/DC franchises (“wrecking ball” springs to mind, IMO), Zack Snyder returns to the land of the “non-living” with this epic tale (clocking in at nearly 150 minutes (brevity alludes him). And as in DAWN, these ghouls are almost Olympic sprinters (a trait George Romero chided in his LAND OF THE DEAD), while several new twists are added (they all tend to get into Spider-Man-style poses since I’m guessing that most are played by “Cirque du Soleil” vets). An almost-social hierarchy (maybe a class system) is established. “Alphas”, those bitten by “Zombie Zero” AKA “Zeus”, seem a bit smarter and lord over the majority known as “shamblers”. And there’s a huge development that I won’t spoil, but I’m guessing it will figure into the sequel (or prequel). Still, for all the “rules” set up, Snyder gleefully bends them so that the monsters can slowly advance the plot. And it is a slow build-up into the mayhem that finally begins (we learn that the dead “hibernate”). Snyder, who co-wrote the screenplay with Shay Hatten and Joby Harold, does get the sun-drenched Hell vibe of Vegas correct (as does the current HBOMax series “Hacks”), but certain “out-of-nowhere character confessions are poorly planned. Much of the big action set-pieces quickly devolve into “first-person shooter’ video game homages, slowed down to a crawl (Z love his ultra “slo-mo”) and backed up by campy choices of pop tunes and Vegas standards. And after, what is it, 30 seasons of TV’s “The Walking Dead” (which has two spin-offs now), many of the creeping around/zombie ambushes feel awfully familiar. And I think I mentioned the two-and-a-half-hour runtime. Even a bit of Snyder’s superhero flicks, Zuess sports a cape and a bullet-proof cowl, creeps in, but he doesn’t add enough to now trite Canibal creep tropes. Action and gore fans will get their fill, but for many ARMY OF THE DEAD is a ponderous platoon march through “glitter gulch”. Cash me out.
2 Out of 4
ARMY OF THE DEAD is now playing in select theatres and begins streaming exclusively on Netflix beginning Friday, May 21, 2021.
If there’s anyone that truly believes in the expression, “Everything old is new again”, they probably live in Hollywood. And they are probably a movie studio exec. That’s because there seems to be a reboot, remake, or (the marketers coined this new phrase) a “re-imagining” of a familiar story or concept. Now, this week, the “old” part of that adage is really being put to the test…or stretched thin. After all, the last one hit theatres less than four years ago, And as for the original 2004 entry, it was followed up by six sequels every year, reminding us of the “B” movie franchises of the 30s and 40s, in which you could count on a yearly visit from Andy Hardy’s family, Tarzan, and Boston Blackie. I’m referring to the SAW series. This weekend we’ll see a new spin (sorry) on them via a new thriller whose original subtitle included “From the Book of Saw”, but will now appear on theatre marquees and box office listings as simply SPIRAL. And around it goes…
…until it lands in the middle of a crowded celebration (with the fireworks, it must be July Fourth). In the packed carnival midway, a woman screams that her purse was snatched. A “plainclothes” cop pursues the thief to a “porta-potty”. But the “perp” has vanished…or so it would seem. The er, “seat” has an opening that leads to a ladder that empties into a subway tunnel. It’s then that the cop becomes the prey of a “pig-mask” wearing fiend with a distorted voice and a knack for gruesome torture devices. The next morning we meet another cop who’s having a bad day (though less deadly). The drug bust that Det. Zeke Banks (Chris Rock) worked solo goes sideways. Which leads to a “dressing down” by his boss, Chief Garza (Marisol Nichols). Zeke tells her that he has to work alone since many of the other cops have branded him a “rat” for helping to take down a “dirty” officer. Even though he’s the son of the precinct’s former captain, Zeke will be assigned a partner, a “green” rookie right out of the academy, Will Schenk (Max Minghella). The two are sent out to work a weird subway death of a homeless guy. But later that day, Zeke gets a special delivery package that ID’s the “vic”. Next to a grisly appendage is the badge of Zeke’s only “work buddy”, Boz. Oh, and there’s a flash drive with an image of a red spiral sprayed on the courthouse door along with an audio message from that same distorted voice claiming that Boz has paid the price for his sins. Everyone in the squad room believes it’s the return of “jigsaw”, or a “copy-cat’. That night Zeke goes over the case with his dad Marcus (Samuel L Jackson), who is also his landlord as Zeke’s marriage is crumbling. The news springs Banks Senior into action, though he shares little with his son. As the investigation continues, the packages and bodies pile up. But why do the deliveries always go straight to Banks? Could there be a connection? Or could he be the killer’s ultimate final goal?
Carrying the dramatic weight of this thriller is the always entertaining Rock, who builds upon his recent much-lauded character work in the FX “Fargo” series. The years have given the celebrated stand-up comic a real sense of gravitas making us believe in his Zeke, a man who strives to be just but is frustrated at nearly every turn, by fate and his surly co-workers. Yet, somehow his humor shines through the somber situations as Zeke spouts endless cynical observations and even tosses off an “inside joke” over a very early Rock screen role (30 years already). His work really elevates the often flimsy material. Much the same can be said of Jackson, who makes a most compelling “tough love” pop for Rock’s Zeke. He shows us that retirement hasn’t worked for Marcus, as a return to “the life” actually puts a “spring in his step”. Unfortunately, after an early scene with Rock, which just crackles with energy, the two are apart for most of the flick, making us hope for another pairing as prickly partners. As Zeke’s actual partner, Minghella is quite believable as the “straight arrow’ who can be a “sounding board’ for Rock’s rants, but can also stand up to some of the questionable tactics while getting the job done “by the book”. He gives us hope for the soured system, while we root for him and his ideals to survive the constant chaos.
Series vet Darren Lynn Bousman strives to bring a gritty sense of reality to the often far-fetched fantasy set-pieces. He sets his sights on the classic police/serial killer flicks like SILENCE OF THE LAMBS and especially SE7EN, but is tossed off course by the formula structure of the SAW legacy. The “boiling point” feel is pushed to the limit early as we are told of the city’s “heatwave” and frequent “brown-outs” which layers everyone with a sheen of sweat along with “pit stains” and slowly rotating fans left over from BODY HEAT. But the atmosphere can’t mask some of the script’s extreme “suspensions of disbelief”. We’ve got to accept that the killer can somehow sneak into places (one, in particular, is pretty darn public) and set up and monitor these Rube Golberg-inspired torture contraptions. One somehow meshed broken bottles with what seems to be a sort-of jet engine. The marriage of machine, grime and sticky gore soon becomes tedious as the victims are told via that wonky voice that they have a way out, which never seems to work. It doesn’t help that the mystery elements are so sloppy. There’s a squad room full of suspects, so when the “splatter ” set-ups are disrupted, it’s easy to zero in on the killer’s true identity. An early injection of Tarantino snark, when Zeke does a comic riff on an iconic Tom Hanks role, it doesn’t come close to QT’s pop culture bits (from Madonna to “Green Acres”). All the entrails in “blue boxes” lead up to a climax that’s like a balloon sputtering out it’s last bit of air before its limp plunge to the ground (I was reminded of the last moments of the recent Oscars telecast). Rock is always compelling but the tired gore formula and familiat serial killer tropes just cause SPIRAL to keep spinning its bloody wheel to little effect or real interest. Time to put that worn ole’ saw back in the cinema tool shed.
1.5 Out of 4
SPIRAL opens in select theatres on Friday May 14, 2021
This time of year family’s at the forefront of the thoughts of many. Aside from being together (tough right now for some), the matriarch or patriarch is thinking about how to keep the home crew safe from harm and secure in their toasty beds. Unlike the Garrity clan from this week’s other big release GREENLAND, the Sharpe’s (well, mainly the papa) isn’t dealing with a planet-killing comet. His fears arise from the possible onslaught of stealthy intruders in the dead of night. It’s too bad that he doesn’t recall the quote from one of the founding fathers (maybe more of a cool uncle), Ben Franklin: “Those who would give up essential Liberty to purchase a little temporary Safety deserve neither Liberty nor Safety”. Still, it probably didn’t occur to him that his fears could inspire his whole “unit” to succumb to a BAD IMPULSE.
The story does indeed begin (well, after a nasty vignette of homicide/suicide) with the wholesome, seemingly happy Sharpe family outside their two-story plush home on this sunny day. Mom Christine (Sonya Walger) is trying to get on the road for a day trip with her eldest daughter, sixteen-year-old Angela (Abbi Ford), and her two sons, fourteen-year-old Mike (Nicholas Danner) and eight-year-old Sam (Oscar Debler). Dad Henry (Grant Bowler) can’t join them this time, though. Tonight’s a big “one on one” dinner with his boss (perhaps a promotion). Just as he goes back into the house he hears a knock at the door. It’s a somber middle-aged stranger dressed in a black suit and fedora. He introduces himself as Lou Branch (Paul Sorvino) and asks Henry if they could discuss his home’s security system. Branch insists it’s the state of the art hi-tech, but Henry’s got to get going and takes his card after the “pitch”. Dinner with his boss Mr. Reilly (Dan Lauria) ends abruptly when the real reason for the night is revealed. It seems that the company has lost a lot of money on a bad investment made for their biggest client. Reilly and the board decided that somebody has to take the blame, so….Despite the offer of a big “under the table” pay-off for silence, Henry angrily storms out. He’s so enraged he doesn’t hear the group of thugs that push their way in as he opens his front door. They deliver a vicious beating which causes Henry to awaken in the hospital. This spurs him to sign up with Branch’s security company. He, along with his wife, kids, and their live-in nanny/maid/cook Lucia (Stephanie Cayo) get microchips implanted under the skin, close to their permanent ankle “bracelets” which interact with the many mounted wall monitors in the home. Things slowly get back to normal, but only for a while. Sam now squashes ants for fun, while brother Mike retreats into his violent “single shooter” video games as he deals with several school bullies. Meanwhile, Angela’s getting tattoos and shoplifting. Christine (now the main breadwinner) is indulging in an office affair, as Henry boils with rage as he begins his at-home sales gig (maybe Lucia now digs this about him). Hmmm…could there be more to Branch’s “tech” than mere home security?
We can almost sense the strained effort of the cast to overcome this turgid trite tale of a self-destructing family unit. Bowler tries to roll “with the flow” of his inconsistent character. First, he’s got to be the easy-going 80s TV dad (cue the laugh track), then gets to nearly froth at the mouth at the big job dinner. He’s pretty dazed after the beating (head trauma is hinted at), but he eases into phone sales before lashing out with little reason. Then Bowler seems to be falling back into a SHINING riff as the punishing “Daddy-monster”. He does try to sell it, but it makes little sense. Ditto for the talented Walger (forever Penny of TV’s “Lost”) whose Christine is the perfect working mom, but her professional exec persona morphs into a petty “Queen B”, jealous of her flirty aide and too receptive to the “company creep”. Ford introduces Angela as the cute shy gal yearning to be the knock-out that catches the eye of the “school hunk”, but her character changes into one that would seem too much of a clichéd teen “B-girl” in a reboot of the POISON IVY flicks. In the case of Danner’s Mike, he conveys the fearful air of the perfect “patsy” for the school predator, but there’s little motivation for his attempts to bribe the bully before finally acting on his video game alter ego. And Debler’s Sam has little to do until he’s the “tot in danger’ for the story’s finale. Oh, 15 minutes in we’re introduced to the unofficial family member as Cayo plays a caretaker who appears to have stepped right off the fashion show runway. She seems to be there only as a temptation for papa, as we wonder about her aggressive pursuit of him as he naps on the couch. As for the biggest “name” in the cast, Sorvino tries to bring a bit of sinister energy to Branch but comes off as a cross between Willy Loman and a menacing 1930s school headmaster (with a touch of Mitchum from NIGHT OF THE HUNTER). He looks to be trouble right on Henry’s doorstep, so it hard to fathom why he places so much trust in this somber sad-eyed salesman. And to make the whole thing a tad more strange and “arty”, James Landry Hebert (the giggly tire deflator in ONCE UPON A TIME IN HOLLYWOOD) pops up in multiple creepy small roles, usually leering at Angela.
Director Michelle Danner attempts to wring some drama from the predictable script from Jason Chase Tyrrell, but the film is often just “spinning its wheels” until the big “surprise” climax we can see coming from miles away. Perhaps they were hoping for an “edgier” take on THE SHINING or AMERICAN BEAUTY, but it feels like a very drawn-out episode of a second-tier TV anthology like “The Hitchhiker” or “Tales of the Unexpected”. The movie wants to stun and shock, but often chooses to wallow in clumsy ugliness. If you’re thinking about spending 100 minutes (and the VOD fee) on this, do your best to squelch that extremely BAD IMPULSE.
One Half Out of Four
BAD IMPULSE is available as a Video-On-Demand via most streaming apps and platforms
C’mon film fans. let’s shake off the stuck-at-home isolation blues with this week’s new release. Yup, it’s not an “indie” full of despair and drama. So, it’s a rollicking comedy? Well..uh uh. A toe-tappin’ musical, perhaps?, Nah…it’s a horror flick. Well. at least you can feel good that all the weirdness isn’t directed at you as you stare out the window (hmm, the hero spends lots of screentime doing just that). And this is indeed an independent film, another in the subgenre of “art-house” horror led by THE WITCH, THE BABADOOK, and the very recent THE OTHER LAMB, though, in spirit, it may be closest to the retro thrills of IT FOLLOWS. This one owes a lot to that 70s homage, though it has more of the 1980’s thriller vibe of the Netflix hit “Stranger Things”. So with all the real-world scares outside can THE WRETCHED deliver the shivers?
Speaking of that past decade, the story begins with a flashback to a gruesome graphic incident in 1985 (it looks like an “afterschool special” no network would run). Jumpcut to today as teenager Ben (John-Paul Howard) gazes out the window of the bus taking him to a sleepy lakeside town somewhere in the US. After his folks split, this is where dad Liam (Jamison Jones) landed, running the local marina. And since Ben is spending the Summer with him, he’s got a job there. He’s not too keen about taking grief from the local rich kids, nor is he thrilled about Dad’s new girlfriend Sara (Azie Tesfal). But at least he’s made a friend, his cute and snarky co-worker Mallory (Piper Curda). And then there’s the weird next-door neighbors, Summer renters: affable beer-guzzling Ty (Kevin Bigley), doting mother Abbie (Zarah Mahler), grade-schooler Dillon (Blane Crockarell) and baby Sam. Everything changes when Abbie brings home a deer carcass in their truck (it was an accident…sure…). But they get much more than fresh venison. Then Ben observes some strange stuff. Ty’s in a stupor while Abbie’s wardrobe goes from “biker chick chic” (jean shorts, heavy metal T’s, and plaid) to flowing sundresses (with prominent crimson coloring). Ben discovers that Dillon is sleeping in one of the kids’ rental boats. And that baby’s awful quiet now. It all adds up to a sinister plot, but how can Ben get anybody, Mallory and especially his pop Liam to believe him? And what can he do before “whatever’s out there” gets to him?
At first, Howard appears to be doing a riff on the clean-cut all-American teen trapped in a supernatural web, but Ben seems to have his own inner demons. He sports an arm cast through most of the story, making us curious until midway in the film when he reveals that a botched drug theft (the opioid crisis rears its ugly head) caused it. His parents’ split has done some damage, as he lashes out, verbally berating his “laid back” papa, giving a Ben a “chip on his shoulder”. Even before he’s aware of the creepshow next door, he both hates the rich taunting “townies” and wishes he were part of their orbit. Curda’s quite charming as his best bud, “sounding board” and caper cohort (a mix of Daphne and Velma). Mallory’s a likable take on the “girl next door” (or work-pal) who helps ground Ben during some of his manic rants. Jones makes Liam a sympathetic single dad, especially when he gifts Ben with a bicycle (it’s got a basket already) and learns that his ex has already promised him her old car. Luckily he gets his confidence back in order to deal with his boy’s erratic behavior. The cast’s other stand-out is the main villain. Mahler’s Abbie seems to be the ultimate “cool mom”, who can rock a cradle while suiting up for a motorcycle jaunt. Then it’s as though she’s taken a variation of Jeykll’s formula. Without raising her voice, Abbie’s running ‘the show”, gliding from room to room, and house to house, purring threats to Ben through a flimsy screen door as she floats away in her billowy long red dresses (or is it a shroud). Ole’ Ty doesn’t stand a chance against her new sultry sinister self.
With their first film since the 2011 zombie flick DEADHEADS, the brothers Pierce (Drew T. and Brett) have crafted an engaging homage to the VHS classics, which probably were stacked around the family VCR. That’s not to say that their script is a Frankenstein cut and stitch job since the plot does go in several surprising directions (a late in the third act “curveball” is quite a risky jolt of energy). And their direction has just the right balance of atmosphere (can’t go wrong with the woods and all those dark dank basements) and frantic action set pieces (with that arm cast Ben is a challenged protagonist). Yes, it’s a bit bloody, but there’s also buckets of oozing dark sludge that fill the screen. Speaking of balance, the Pierces do use some nifty CG effects while giving us some variations of the type of practical make-ups inspired by the 82′ THING and the original HOWLING (Baker, Bottin, and Savini would be pleased). And there’s a bit of Hitchcock-style paranoia as Ben fails to convince any adults of his observations (a tip to another 80s classic, the original FRIGHT NIGHT and a nod to REAR WINDOW). The only time the story really stumbles is with a clumsy pool prank on Ben which takes us away from Abbie’s antics. And though both actors are terrific, there’s little romantic chemistry between the Ben and Mallory characters, as they work better as a Hardy boy teamed with Nancy Drew. But that’s a minor quibble because THE WRETCHED really delivers those “old school” thrills and chills. And, as always, don’t go in the basement!!!
3 out of 4
THE WRETCHED opens May 1 at drive-ins everywhere. It is also streaming through digital and cable platforms including VOD, iTunes, VUDU, Amazon Prime, GooglePlay, and YouTube
