River's End (2021)

 This look at the water situation in California is a dire warning to all of us about what we may be facing in the near future. As climate change alters which parts of the world are wet and what are dry there is going to be a battle of those with water  to keep their liquid gold while those further down the line will have to fight to get their share.

This is a good documentary on an urgent problem.  This is a film that lays out the potential conflicts that will be happening in the near future. If you are unfamiliar with what is going on this is a great primer on the subject.

While the film is largely focused on the situation in California we get hints of how similar battles are playing out elsewhere, for example there is a mention of how China is damning its rivers thus cutting off countries like Cambodia from the water it needs to survive. The expansion of the discussion allows for River’s End to have greater resonance be yond the American West Coast.

Recommended.

EDICIUS (2021)

After discovering who his bosses really are and realizing his life is in danger, a man is confronted by his doppelganger who tells him he will help him, but he must do exactly as told.

This is a great thriller I can’t really talk about. I say this because the course of the film is full of twists that make this something you really want to see. I don’t want to spoil it.

Currently on the festival circuit.

Suriving the BLOOD-O-RAMA SHOCK FEST at the Circle Drive-in

If you weren't there on Friday the 22nd, you missed a fun evening at one the coolest drive-ins in the Northeast.

If you weren't there it's understandable. The weather was for most of the day, very rainy. Indeed it didn't stop until about two hours before show time and even then it turned rather chilly, which was why my brother and I brought layers.

The screen 2 hours before show time

The Circle Drive -in is one of the best drive-ins I've been to recently. It has stunning projection (the projection on the second screen which was playing DUNE was as good as the projection at the New Yok Film Festival screenings). The bathrooms are immaculate. The food is excellent. And the staff is magnificent. I can't say enough good about it.

The evening was a tribute to legendary filmmaker Sam Sherman. Sam is a guy is responsible for some of the legendary drive in films of the 70's. He also brought a lot of creepy films from the Philippines and gaillos from Italy not to mention many many other films. He is a grand man and I got to do a brief email interview before a longer one that will be coming soon.

Because this was a Sam Sherman inspired evening they gave away a set of vampire fangs and a copy of Dracula's ding from DRANCULA VS FRANKENSTEIN to each car/

Each one has a car had the Vampire's Blood Oath inserted/

The snack bar  and projection booth right as doors opened

What I loved about this mid autumn drive in fest was that the films could start early. They started just after 630 and went on straight until after 11.

The first film was DRACULA VS FRANKENSTEIN. Best known as the last film of J Carol Nash and one of the last films from Lon Chaney.  Really watching the film for the first time in years I found it to  be not quite as horrible as I previous thought. Its not a god film, but it is fun nonsense. More so when you riff it hich Joe and I did mercilessly.

The second film was BRAIN OF BLOOD. This hellish nightmare is a mix of political intrigue and brain swapping. Riffs flew  from start to finish as Joe and I some how added a whole sublot involving Udon noodles.

The third film was MAD DOCTOR OF BLOOD ISLAND. Yea Joe and I saw this last year at the Riverside, but this time out we were more awake with the result that we had a great deal of fun watching one of the coolest monsters run amok.

There was a hiccup  when circumstances beyond anyone's control forced the evening to stop before the fourth film (BEAST OF BLOOD) could run. But that as okay because we not only had a blast watching the 3  we saw but because we got to bed a little early.

I

n the end Joe and I had a blast. We absolutely fell in love with the Circle Drive in and we absolute look forward to returning, preferably for the the Second Annual Blood-O-Rama Shock Festival

Shock Wave 2 (2020) hits home video Tuesday

 

An retired bomb disposal expert is suspected of being part of a terrorist plot after being found near an attack. Unfortunately he has amnesia and barely remembers who is. However as his former colleagues race to stop a plot that will destroy Hong Kong Airport, our hero finds himself in the middle of things and he maybe the only person who can stop a catastrophic attack.

No that is not a spoiler since the film begins with a sequence that foreshadows the climax of this film.

Pure popcorn film is an entertaining action film that is completely unconnected to reality. Things happen in this film that could never happen, even if the real world was as heavily CGI as the one on screen.  Seriously I was watching sequences going “That’s really cool-but it could never happen”. This isn’t taxing it’s just eye candy.

If there is anything really wrong with the film is that it’s one of the many big budget “RAH RAH the authorities are the good guys” films that are coming out of China.  There is no blurring of the lines here. The authorities are most certainly the good guys- which kind of takes off the edge of the suspense. Sacrifices will be made but the bad guys aren’t going to win.

I was entertained, which is enough.

Live Health (2021)

Timothy Cox and his wife  have codirected and written one hell of a short film. The film is a day in the life of a therapist  working remotely with his patients. It will move you.

As much as I don’t like computer screen films, the Coxes have made a film where it adds to the film. This is a film about among other things isolation and the use of the people on screens trying to connect is key to the film working – not so much for the people who are unloading on therapist Cox but for how we see Cox himself. He is isolated from the world. We see life outside of his window and we see the people talking to him but we don’t see his connections to the world except via the screen.

The most amazing thing here are the performances. The Coxes have assembled a stellar cast of patients who bleed on screen. Its painful to watch some of their stories. They are all so good that I can’t believe they aren’t actual patients spilling their pain for the camera. And holding it all together is Timothy Cox, giving one of his best performances. A pretty much wordless performance we watch as he sits and listens to his patients. In a stunningly modulated performance Cox slowly gets worn down as he takes on the pain of the world upon himself. It’s a gloriously subtle performance  that reveals just how good Cox is. Why isn’t he getting the big roles in Hollywood?

LIVE HEALTH  is a stunner and a must see.

SomeBlood in the Snow Streaming Shorts

I will have more reviews up over the weekend but I wanted to make sure I got some of the shorts playing Blood in the Snow's streaming part up because I am running behind and if I waited to get them all up the first part of the fest would be almost over.

DISQUIETUDE
A young woman gets locked in a room that is totally quiet. The silence makes her spin out of control.

Good little thriller with an unexpected ending.

WE ALL DREAM
A sleep walking young girl keeps trying to get some ice cream.

While I could quibble about a couple of technical choices (the sound of crickets in the winter)  this little film is ultimately a charmer with a couple of unexpected turns that will make you smile. Recommended.

GHOST-PRIMITIVE ENCOUNTER
A music video for a song called Ghost by Primitive Encounter.  This is good promotional video. However since the video is one part performance and one part narrative it’s hard for me to say more than that. Definitely worth a look.

DEATH DOULA
When an app lets a man know he has only a short time to live he tries to make amends with a lost love.

An interesting idea is good, but I would have liked a little bit more. What I mean by more, is more time with the characters. I really think this could have been expanded into either a feature or a longer form film.. Quibble aside this is very good and worth seeing.

GIANT BEAR
Beautifully animated tale of a First Nation hunting a bear.

This film is a stunner and one of the coolest looking films I’ve seen all year. An absolute must see however you can see it.

REVENGE OF THE SNOWFLAKES
A young woman decides to fight back against on line bullies.

Amusing short film maybe a little to short for what it is. I could easily see this going on longer. Worth a look.

MIDNIGHT LUNCHBREAK
On Halloween a rude radio host finds the people in the studio are being hunted by a killer.

While I enjoyed myself while watching this, I really think this could be expanded into something. Yes the story is essentially a blackout sort of a tale but it could be something more…which I can’t explain lest I ruin what’s here.

WATERSHED
After a waterborne illness wipes out mankind a woman believes she found someone who can make uncontaminated water. 

I want a feature version of this. There is so much here that I really think this film could turn into a classic feature film. Half way in I found I wanted to know more about everything on screen.

Search this one out.

CREEPY BITS: BABY FACE
First of the six part horror anthology is the best. The series is a series of six short horror films all running about three minutes each. In this scary tale a babysitter sees weird things on the baby monitor. Definitely worth searching out

Brief thoughts on Roh (2020) (aka Soul)

 

A mother and her two children live away from any village. The are wary of outsiders. However they take in a little girl  who tells them they will be dead by the next full moon before slashing her own throat.

Moody Malaysian horror film is all about things unseen and implied. While we don't see a lot of scary things, things are implied by sounds and words. This isn't to say what we see isn't scary, it is, more so since director Emir Ezwan picks and chooses for effect. For example once we see a throat cut we are in the palm of his hands as we wait for the next terrible thing.

This is a film for anyone who love not only folk horror but slow burn horror. This is a film that slowly builds in intensity to the point where by the time it ends we are deeply bothered.

Recommended.

Spine Of The Night (2021)

This is a throw back fantasy film that borrows Ralph Bakshi's style of rotoscoping, particularly his FIRE AND ICE which he made with his life long friend Frank Frazetta. It tells the centuries long tale of a power crazed librarian chasing the last flower of a powerful plant so he can have total dominance over the world. It's a film full of blood, violence, nudity and cryptic musings. 

I've been chasing this film since it premiered this summer.  The film has always been one step ahead of me until earlier this week when I as given a chance to see the film.  I mention this because I know the quest effected my thoughts on the film. I know it wasn't until about a half an hour in that I was able to just see the film for itself.

As someone who grew up reading endless swords and sorcery books and stories THE SPINE OF THE NIGHT was familiar territory. I've read countless similar tales over the years. That is not a knock on the film, indeed part of the fun of the fun is trying work out what film or novel is being riffed where. If  the film is as loaded as I think it is someone could probably write a very long piece annotating everything. This is a film that is going to delight fans of the genre.

To be honest, as entertaining as the film is, the story is kind of unremarkable. It's what my aunt used to call much of the various genre novels she read, "random". What she meant was that its a story that is good, entertaining, but crafted in such a way that plot points were randomly pulled off the shelf. Yea, it makes for a good read, or in this case a good watch, but it never generates enough of its own personality to stand out. In this case the film feels like a blood relative of FIRE AND ICE, which would be fine, except that it  kind of randomly put together film simply because it allowed Bakshi and Frazetta to work together.  Outside of the graphic nudity and violence SPINE OF THE NIGHT never manages to stand on it's own legs, its just a familiar tale that seems like so many others. It doesn't help that the plot isn't particularly strong (the centuries long telling doesn't help) and there are times when things seem to angle toward nastiness, just because the directors wanted to have blood and severed limbs.

Again I was entertained  but I really was hoping for something more, say a hero I could really root for instead of one main bad guy and a rotating series of antagonists, or a more solid narrative through line.

Then again the film has flashes of brilliance in it. The order of librarians is intriguing. The arc of one of the "main" characters is unexpected. And there are some great lines and exchanges. There is much here to like.

For those who like fantasy films  SPINE OF NIGHT is definitely worth a look.

Bulletproof (2021)

In these days before Halloween the real world horror film BULLETPROOF is a kick in the chest. Its a film that starts rocking your world and then pushes you to the ground.

Todd Chandler's film opens with an active shooter drill in a school. We watch as students and teachers react to a drill simulating an attack on the school and then moves out to to explore how we as a nation are handling the very real possibility that some nut will bring a gun to a school and begin shooting. What I found chilling was not so much that it happens any more, it happens enough I feel kind of dead to it, rather the horrifying part was the realization that there is no a who industry that feeds on the threat of violence. Think about it school shootings happen so often there are people making a living selling things to help you stop a shooter or help in the aftermath.

Basically this film is scary because we've reached the point where we pretty much know someone is going to go nuts and shoot up some kids every week or so. We have stopped being shocked and just accept that kids are going to die.

I have no words for the revelation.

I know many of you are going "no, duh" but at the same time you have to realize as intellectually obvious the fact is, the horror doesn't come until Chandler forces us to feel the horror. He makes us consider, really consider what it all means and we are rocked by it.

This is a must see. Even assuming you think you know what's going on intellectually, BULLETPROOF will make you feel it emotionally.

Recommended.

BULLETPROOF opens Friday in NYC (Metrograph), LA (Laemmle) and Chicago (Facets) among other cities. All playdates: http://grasshopperfilm.com/film/bulletproof/ It is also available to rent via Grasshopper Film's https://projectr.tv/ in the US and Canada. Todd Chandler will be doing in person Q&As at The Metrograph on 10/29 and 11/1 and will be joined by Kirsten Johnson on 11/1.

ATTICA (2021) opens Friday

While there were a number of films premiering at Toronto this year the one film I wanted to see the most was the documentary ATTICA about the infamous riot that happened fifty years ago and still is reverberating through society. It is a tale that I don't think most people full grasp any more. Using the first person testimony of the prisoners, the observers and some of the National Guard, the film puts us into the prison when it all went to hell

A big note about the film, it is not focused on either the run up to or what happened after the riot. ATTICA is simply focused on the riot itself, pausing to explain things like how all the guards were white and came from generations of prison guards, as needed. I mention this because there was a point where I was curious when they were going to give some background on what happened.

Despite this ATTICA kicks serious ass. This is a film that lays out hat happened in great detail. Because so much of it was filmed and photographed we get to see how it all went down. More importantly in the end we get to see the and truly understand the carnage and hell the guards rained down on every one in the prison yard. I was  horrified.

My horror at what the film shows comes from my doing a paper on the uprising when I was in college about ten years after the fact. I was stuck using the books and periodicals I could get from the school library. I didn't have access to the images of the rivers of  blood, the footage of the prisoners being forced to crawl through the latrines or of the shot up bodies of the guards victims. I never fully understood the full level of evil visited on the prisoners.

This film is a masterpiece. Its a brilliant explanation of what happened over five days in 1971. I only wish that the film might have put things into context of what it all meant and how the uprising changed many things. Still as a recounting of what happened this film can't be beat.

Highly recommended.

The Medium (2021) on Shudder

 

While it probably is too long at two hours and ten minutes, THE MEDIUM still packs one hell of a punch. It’s a twisted film that is going to leave you feeling uneasy for days after seeing.

One of the best of the found footage films I’ve run across the film is the story of a film crew doing a story on a shaman in the backwoods of Thailand. She is supposed to be able to commune with the god  of her village. Of course of the course of the filming things go horribly sideways.

This is some messed up stuff.  I can completely believe that the film has connections to the Korean film THE WAILING which is simply put one of the most messed up and truly scary horror films I’ve ever seen. I wasn’t aware of the connection until after I saw the film, which is good because I may not have watched it had I known before.

I can’t stress to you this is a truly messed up film (yes I know I said that already but it’s that sort of a film). I’m talking about the sort of thing that just might have you talking to the screen.  As such if you think I’m going to clue you into what happens you’re seriously mistaken. I had to endure the insanity and as a result I am hoping to inflict the same fear and uncertainty upon you.

Normally I hate found footage films but when it works like this one, I’m not sleeping for days afterward.

Highly recommended- THE MEDIUM is one of the best horror films of 2021 and a must see

Blood in the Snow Film Festival returns to the Royal Cinema Nov 18 – 23 with stellar lineup for horror fans

TORONTO (October 25, 2021) – Blood in the Snow Film Festival (BITS), a unique and imaginative showcase of contemporary Canadian horror films, is pleased to announce the lineup for the in-theatre portion of this year’s hybrid festival taking place November 18 – 23 at the Royal Cinema.

“After being forced to take a break from in-person gatherings due to the COVID 19 pandemic and pivoting to a virtual format with the help of Super Channel in 2020, we are thrilled to be able to welcome festival fans back to the Royal Cinema this year,” said Kelly Michael Stewart, BITS Festival Director and Founder. “We can’t wait to share these exceptional films and experience them together in-person again. And with the virtual edition of the festival showcasing an entirely different selection of films on Super Channel Fuse this weekend, it’s the best of both worlds!”

BITS has two features proudly making their World Premieres at the Royal: The Chamber of Terror from writer/director Michael Pereira, featuring a who’s who of Blood in the Snow alumni including Ry Barrett (The Demolisher, The Hoard), Jessica Vano (Art of Obsession) and Robert Nolan (Mourning Has Broken), and Woodland Grey, directed by Adam Reider from a screenplay co-written with Jesse Toufexis and starring Jenny Raven, Ryan Blakely and Art Hindle. 

Also making their Canadian premieres at BITS are the thrillers Peppergrass, from directors Steven Garbas and Chantelle Han (Black Summer), as well as the festival’s closing night film, The Family directed by Dan Slater (Ashes).

Below is the lineup of all the thrills and chills headed to the BITS festival for its six-night run at the Royal Cinema. Visit www.bloodinthesnow.ca for full details.

Thursday, November 18

8:00pm - Vicious Fun (dir. Cody Calahan) 100 mins – Toronto Theatrical Premiere

Joel, a caustic 1980’s film critic for a national horror magazine, finds himself unwittingly trapped in a self-help group for serial killers. With no other choice, Joel attempts to blend in with his homicidal surroundings or risk becoming the next victim.

Friday, November 19

6:45pm - Funny Frights (87 mins) - A collection of premieres of Canadian genre shorts that look on the “lighter” side of horror.

9:30pm - Peppergrass (dir. Steven Garbas, Chantelle Han) 92 mins – Canadian Premiere

During a pandemic, a pregnant restaurateur tries to rob a priceless truffle from a reclusive veteran.

Saturday, November 20

6:45pm - Dark Visions (100 mins) - A collection of the darkest, scariest, moodiest and the most intense Canadian short films playing this year.

9:30 pm - The Chamber of Terror (dir. Michael Pereira) 93 mins – World Premiere

Nash Caruthers is on a deadly collision course with the people that tore his world apart...along with something unexpected. Something far more sinister.

Sunday, November 21

6:45 pm – Emerging Screams – A collection of short films from brilliant first-time directors and the most promising student filmmakers in Canadian horror.

9:30 pm – Flee the Light (dir. Alexandra Senza) 75 mins – Toronto Premiere

A mystical horror-thriller where reincarnation, demons and sorceresses intertwine to tell the story of a spiritual search gone wrong. A psychology student delves into her sister’s psychosis, exposing herself to an ancient predator who hunts souls.

Monday, November 22

8:00pm - Woodland Grey (dir. Adam Reider) 91 mins - World Premiere

A man living alone in the deep woods finds Emily, a hiker, unconscious and laying on the forest floor. He brings her back to his home and helps her get back to health so she can leave the forest and get home. After a few tense days coexisting, Emily makes a discovery. She finds a crudely built shed behind the man's home. When she opens it, she unleashes something truly haunting. As Emily and the man come to terms with what has been released, they also attempt to find a way out of the forest which isn't exactly what it seems.

Tuesday, November 23

8pm - The Family (dir. Dan Slater) 104 mins – Canadian Premiere

On an isolated farm in what appears to be the 1800s, a family is led by their tyrannical father who preaches fire and brimstone and their devout mother who preaches obedience. They live in fear of a higher power and an existential threat living beyond their farm. Promising eternal salvation and protection against these outside forces, the father demands blind faith and back-breaking labor.

Passes and tickets are on sale now at www.bloodinthesnow.ca

Horror fans across the country are reminded that the virtual edition of the BITS festival runs over Halloween weekend on Super Channel Fuse with a collection of films not screened at the Royal Cinema. The Blood in the Snow Film Festival presented by Super Channel will showcase five harrowing horror features and a variety of hair-raising shorts programs across three nights of terror-ific programming (Oct 29 – 31). The virtual film festival experience will include pre-recorded film intros and Q&A’s with filmmakers.

About Blood in the Snow

The Blood in the Snow Film Festival is a unique and imaginative showcase of contemporary Canadian horror, genre and underground cinema that exists to challenge social boundaries, explore artistic taboos and support and exhibit independent Canadian genre media artists. BITS takes place in Toronto, Ontario and brings together audiences, media coverage, community partnerships and the filmmaking industry to exhibit and celebrate Canadian genre film.

Website: https://bloodinthesnow.ca

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bitsfilmfest/

Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/bitsfilmfest

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bitsfilmfest/

About Super Channel Entertainment Network

Super Channel is a national pay television network, offering subscribers exceptional entertainment value, uncut and commercial-free, with four diverse channels – Super Channel Fuse, Super Channel Heart & Home, Super Channel Vault and GINX Esports TV Canada – plus, access to Super Channel On Demand where available by service provider.

Super Channel's mission is to entertain and engage Canadian audiences by providing a unique and exclusive entertainment experience.  With a core foundation of integrity and accountability, we dedicate ourselves to implementing innovative programming strategies and unparalleled teamwork that provides viewers with exceptional value and variety.

Super Channel is owned by Allarco Entertainment 2008 Inc., an Edmonton-based media company. For a list of service providers, please visit: superchannel.ca/subscribe

Connect with Super Channel: www.superchannel.ca

The story that won't die...Coda

 Dave Chappelle mess continues....

For those who want to see the first two parts of my response go here and here

The latest twist is that Dave has released a video which confuses the hell out of me. He basically says I said what I said. I will talk to the trans community if they want to meet (and under his conditions)  and it's all about corporate greed.

Okay....

First its clear that he really doesn't understand, he's said some terrible things. He doesn't care, actually he's probably too pissed off that people aren't showering him with praise to care.  He thinks it begins and ends with his right to say what he wants. While on some level it does, it also comes with consequences- which he seems to feel he's immune to. After all the members of the LGBT community he knows are nice people and okay with him. Its a comment that reminds me of the bigot who says that the members of the INSERT GROUP doesn't mind the bigot's horrible comments.

Actually the comment about the LGBT community comes in talking about the filming of his new documentary on his 2020 comedy shows and in the context doesn't rally reflect their feelings toward the special that's pissed off the world.

The documentary brings me to Dave's comment that the response to the special is a matter of corporate greed.... can anyone explain to me how people angry that they have been attacked is a matter of corporate greed? Everyone I know who is pissed off has no corporate connection.  More importantly what is the corporation which wants to stop him? Netflix? They have backed him? Who is this corporation?

The reality is that Dave is pissed off that no one wants to play his documentary. He says its been uninvited to festivals across the globe. No one wants to handle his toxic personality right now. It seems he's angry that he can't hawk his movie and make some money. Dave Chappelle the corporation is the one that can't make any money. If you listen to the whole message Dave released he's basically trying to save his new movie by trying to turn it into a cause celeb.

Smooth move Dave, this whole thing is about corporate greed, yours. You don't want your cash cow to die and you can't bring yourself to do the right thing to save it.

I'm sorry, Dave, I don't care. While I'm curious about the documentary, I'm tired of your shit.  You're a cranky/angry old man who doesn't know how to calm things down because you don't know when to shut the f-up.

Nate Hood on Blue Bayou (2021)

Then he said, “The Sabbath was created for humans; humans weren’t created for the Sabbath. –Mark 2:27

The bayou is all the man knows—or at least all he can remember. Standing on the water’s edge and looking out over the Mississippi River, Antonio LeBlanc (Justin Chon) feels a strange kind of peace. Sneaking a forbidden cigarette he’s sworn he’s quit, he reflects on a difficult life. Orphaned in Korea, he was adopted by white Americans who abused him for years. After escaping, he bounced around Louisiana, getting in and out of trouble with the law as he struggled to survive. But now, he’s reformed and finally found a life worth living—a hard one, but a good one. He’s married a kind woman named Kathy (Alicia Vikander) and fallen in love with being the step-father of her daughter Jessie (Sydney Kowalske). Now the two have their own baby on the way, and though Antonio’s felony charges prevent him from getting a job besides piecemeal work at a tattoo parlor, the three are really and truly happy.

At least until ICE came knocking. Following an unjust arrest by a corrupt, power-tripping police officer, Antonio is scheduled for deportation after it’s discovered that his abusive foster parents never technically filed to naturalize him. He may be racially Korean, but America is all he’s ever known. But now because of a legal loophole he faces being separated from his family and sent to a country where he doesn’t even speak the language. Now he faces legal fees for an appeal he can’t afford and the specter of a future he can’t control. This is the plot to Justin Chon’s devastating melodrama Blue Bayou. Sound farfetched? It isn’t. In recent years the nativist politicization of America’s immigration system has led to an explosion of unjust rulings where countless citizens who were legally adopted from abroad as children in the 80s and 90s have been sent back to their “home countries” thanks to an aggressive, legalistic interpretation of the Child Citizenship Act of 2000. I say “countless” because the actual number of adoptees who’ve been deported has proven difficult to calculate. Blue Bayou alone was directly inspired by thirteen such cases.

The film itself is understandably difficult to sit through, both in its examination of an immigration system gone insane, a law enforcement system riddled with corrupt officers, and the psychological turmoil Antonio feels as a Korean-American who, despite his thick New Orleans accent, has never felt fully accepted by his white neighbors. There’s a lovely subplot where Antonio develops a friendship with a terminally ill Vietnamese refugee named Parker (Linh Dan Pham) whose extended family provides him with a glimpse of a possible life where his Asianness might complement his American identity instead of hindering it. But for him it’s not to be. All the justice system sees in him is a foreigner—and an illegal one, at that.

Blue Bayou is above all a damning indictment of a broken immigration system that’s been hijacked by bureaucrats who see the enforcement of the letter of the law as more important than actually helping people. The second chapter of Mark sees Jesus confront such corrupt authorities after a group of Pharisees condemn him and his disciples for picking and eating heads of grain on the Sabbath, a violation of one of their 613 laws extrapolated from the teachings of Moses. Jesus rebukes them, reminding them that King David once broke such a regulation when he and his army needed food. He continues by reminding them that the Sabbath—and by extension the laws associated with it—was made for humanity, not the other way around. Here Jesus argues that if following the letter of the law hurts the people it was meant to protect, then the law itself should be reconsidered or even ignored. What good are Sabbath laws if they keep the hungry feeling hungry! One can’t help but wonder what Jesus—himself a refugee whose family fled violence into a foreign country when he was a baby—would think of Antonio’s story. What, then, might Jesus think of the immigration system that victimized him? One can’t help but shudder.

VHS 94 (2021) on Shudder

 

I’m in the minority and in that I don’t particular love VHS 94.  It’s not that the stories that make up the film are bad, rather the conceit of it all being period found footage films didn’t work for me.

The film is the story of a swat team making a raid on a cult. When they arrive at the location they find bodies in cages with their eyes pulled out. We then get three stories and a short commercial. The first story  is about a news crew covering a story about a rat man in the sewers. The second is about a woman having to watch a body in a funeral home in a rain storm. The Third is about a mad scientist. The fourth is a vampire story with a twinge of political shading. The film then returns to the swat team.

Okay full disclosure I am notoriously not a fan of found footage films, finding most of them fall down because the films almost always take liberties with the form, we see things we could never have seen or they are shot in a way that works for a film but would never be something anyone but a filmmaker would shoot.  I am always pulled out of the films as a result. However when the found footage films work, say in the Vicious Brothers GRAVE ENCOUNTERS or the recent Shudder film THE MEDIUM, they are absolutely terrifying.

Sadly VHS94 is not among the best. While having genuinely creepy moments and a few  scares I found the film never fully connected to me. Blame the conceit of the film being a series of found footage tapes inside a found footage tape. Blame the shooting style which aped the various video styles  but never nailed them. This is more apparent when you realize that the film is supposed to be from 1994. I was more aware of the technical issues of what I was seeing rather than being lost in the madness. It also didn’t help that the stories are uneven and have issues of their own.

I liked it but I would have been pissed if I hadn’t seen it as part of Shudder.

Worth a look, but your mileage will vary.

Blood in the Snow goes virtual October 29

Blood in the Snow is doing a two pronged attack on October 29 to the 31st the festival will screen on the Super Channel.

It will be in person November 18-23  and the schedule will be announced soon.

Because the SUper Channel screenings are Halloween weekend- which is always busy for me, I am not able to really cover (I'm hoping to cover the in person portion of the fest). But just cause I can't cover doesn't mean you can't watch so check out the website and see what interests you

I've seen a trio of the Super Channel films and the reviews can be found here.

DON’T SAY ITS NAME

RIGHTEOUS

TIN CAN

For more information and tickets go here:

Website: https://bloodinthesnow.ca

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bitsfilmfest/

Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/bitsfilmfest

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SEANCE (2021) is on Shudder

 

SÉANCE is a by the numbers thriller that is too by the numbers to really thrill.

The plot of the film has a couple of sorority girls staging a fake séance to raise the spirit of a dead girl. It scares one girl so badly she leaps to her death out a window. A new girl is invited in, but she chafes at the hazing and soon things turn deadly.

While not bad and competently put together the film never generates much in the way of thrills.  The problem is the script which does nothing new. We’re way ahead of  everyone on screen and occasionally asking “why?”.

SÉANCE is worth a look as part of the slate of films screening on Shudder or for a “free” streaming screening but it isn’t a film I would search out and pay for on it’s own

Brief thoughts on Cry Macho (2021)

Clint Eastwood's latest film is a largely inoffensive, unremarkable drama that indicates that the Hollywood Superstar probably should hang it up when it comes to acting.

The film concerns horse trainer Eastwood being fired by his boss Dwight Yokum. Eastwood is past his prime and Yokum feels he needs to move on. However a short time later Yokum asks Eastwood to go collect his son from his mother who is in Mexico. Eastwood takes the job and ends up bonding with the boy and his chicken, who is named Macho.

Pastural road film doesn't do anything unexpected (except perhaps in not having Eastwood die in the end). This is your basic young man learns from an old codger tale that we've seen any umber of times.  In its own way its rather sweet, though it still makes you wonder what Eastwood saw in the short story four decades ago that made him want to try to film it all after all these years.

Its a largely by the numbers Eastwood film from top to bottom, which isn't bad, but assures that it doesn't stand out.

If there is any flaw in the film it's Eastwood himself. Giving a wildly uneven performance there are times when he is spot on, but more times than not, he he seems to be half heartedly walking  through a by the numbers performance. He seems distant and unconnected. While there is no doubt his directing chops are still there, Eastwood's acting chops aren't and he should consider smaller roles or just stopping.

Despite my quibbles the film is worth a look, especially for the Eastwood faithful.

18½(2021) Tallgrass Film Festival 2021

In 1974 Washington a stenographer assigned to transcribe a meeting discovers that at the end of the tape is a recording of Nixon listening to to the legendary tape with the missing 18 minutes. She contacts a reporter she admires and they end up going to listen to a motel to hear the tape. The trouble is the tape recorder is broken. This sets in motion a chase to get a new recorder and to stay out of the way of the people who maybe tracking them.

This dark comedic thriller feels like it fell through a time warp and landed here. While the film doesn't seem like a film from the 1970's, it feels like it is a document of the 1970's. I was  watching the film and a lot of little things seem like they were ripped from my memories. Watching the film it feels like I was ten again. Actually the only thing that I can see that the film got wrong is no one is smoking.

Another thing that is 1970's about the film is it's political thriller spine. The tale at the center is some thing from the family of thrillers like THE PARALAXVIEW, TWLIGHTS LAST GLEAMING and even ALL THE PRESIDENTS MEN.  It should be stated that outside of the 18½ minute gap and the political figures at the center of the tale, none of this is true. Not that it matters, you'll be hooked early. 18½ mixes fiction with history.to create a compelling tale that keeps you watching.

In going throwback writer director Dan Mirvish has fashioned something fresh. No one is making films like this. It feels old school but it has a modern edge. Its a difficult path to walk but Mirvish does it near perfectly. The blending makes the film something we warm to instantly. Its so nice to fall into a film this quickly and feel utterly at home. This is something special.

If there is any bump in the film, it's some of the farcical elements. Some of the turns are a little too silly. Some of the hippie bits and bits with the older couple didn't have to be played as "broadly". The film would have been just fine playing it all completely straight.

Bumps or no 18½ is recommended. Its a wonderful little gem that tells one hell of a story. More importantly its a film that is unlike anything else out there. Its a singular film that is the perfect cure for anyone who is tired of your typical Hollywood fodder.

Vivo (2021) Animation is Film 2021

Long time coming animated film started life as an animated project from Lin Manuel Miranda started life shortly after he hit with IN THE HEIGHTS in 20210.  Dreamworks closed the project down before it was revived, finished by Sony who then sold it to Netflix.

The plot has  Vivo, a kinkajou making a trek to Miami  from Havana in order to deliver a song to the woman his deceased human partner loved. Along the way he has many adventures on his journey to find a new home.

Playing and sounding like the work of Lin Manuel Miranda (he wrote the songs and plays Vivo) this feels like a Broadway show gone weird. The songs feel very much like IN THE HEIGHTS having the same cadences of the earlier work. Additionally while Miranda  isn't listed as writer of the story, the film seems to have characters that could have come from his other works. The result is a good film, with some great sequences. that feels like it's plot and music have been borrowed from some where else.

On the other hand the film has some great characters such as Gabi, the young girl who befriends Vivo, Lutador, a python who hates loud noises and Marta, the great singer Viv is trying to find. Its the characters who make this film shine. 

The film also has some great moments, including several of the musical numbers, that beautifully show what animation can do to create real movie magic.

Definitely worth a look when the film plays Animation First this weekend.

Al-Sit (2021)

Oscar qualified film was made entirely with a crew from Sudan is a good little film.

The film is the story of a young woman who is living in a rural part of Sudan. She unexpected and unhappily is in formed that she is going to be married to someone not of her choosing. She would rather marry one of the local boys but her family has plans for her to marry a rich and obnoxious fellow from the city.

This is a nicely done film revealing how tradition is preventing many women from finding their own way in many parts of the world. Clearly our heroine is not going to be given a choice in determining her future and she is not happy  about- just as millions of other women are not happy about.

Currently on the festival circuit AL-SIT is worth a look.

Celebrating A Movie Maverick: Sam Sherman Answers Sixteen Questions In Honor Of The Circle-Drive-In's Celebration Of His Films

Sam Sherman's memoir

Sam Sherman is an icon. He is in his way a cinematic God on the level with contemporaries like Roger Corman. He is a man who was responsible for not only making a whole slew movies (including many AL Adamson films) but bringing scores of films from around the world to the US (BEAST OF BLOOD and many giallos) to fill double and triple bills and TV slots.  Running Independent International he is responsible for many more films than his IMDB listings give him credit for.

I have loved Sherman’s films ever since I first ran across them. While some of them are among my most favorite films (the Blood Island films)  and while some are WTF were they thinking patch jobs made for a buck (BRAIN OF BLOOD)  they were all a hell of a lot of fun in the right frame of mind. They were fun because Sherman cared enough to have fun. As a result  he ended up making films that have stood the test of time. Consider that his films are still being watched, studied and celebrated half a century after they were made, while many other filmmakers have their films sitting unwatched and gathering dust.

Sam Sherman made films that touch the part of our soul where we are most comfortable and want to revisit often, usually with huge bowls of popcorn. He made films with just enough love that we end up loving them too.

This weekend the Circle Drive-in in Scranton Pennsylvania is having their First  Annual Blood-O Rama Shock Fest in  honor of Mr Sherman and is running four films connected to him- DRACULA VS FRANKENSTEIN and BRAIN OF BLOOD (which he produced) and MAD DOCTOR OF BLOOD ISLAND  and BEAST OF BLOOD which he brought to the US.

While Mr Sherman is not going to be attending the Shock Fest, I was given a chance to interview Mr Sherman.  While time has prevented me from doing a long interview with him for the moment (one is coming) I did manage to ask Mr Sherman a few questions via email  specifically geared toward the screenings at the Circle Drive-in.

I want to thank David Sehring for setting this up. I also want to thank Mr Sherman for taking the time to do this (I can’t wait to really have a sit down with you)

(For more information on the screenings at the Circle Drive-in go here)

STEVE: With the Circle Drive-in doing an evening of your films, and since so many of your films played in drive-ins, I was wondering if you like going to the drive in and if you still go?

SAM:I used to live by The Whitestone Drive-In in the Bronx and enjoyed the drive-in experience.  Sadly, only one drive-in survives in New Jersey where I live,  so I don't get much of a chance to go these days. 

STEVE: Does it surprise you that 50 years on that the films you made and released are still being talked about, shown, studied  and the source of tributes?

SAM: I'm surprised, pleased and hope people enjoy the films.  Ever since my partner Al Adamson passed, I've put a great effort in to keeping his memory alive.

STEVE: Two of the films the Circle Drive-in is showing are from your friend Al Adamson. (BRAIN OF BLOOD and DRACULA VS FRANKENSTEIN) . How important was Adamson to the success if Independent International.

SAM: Very important.  He had a unique way of looking at films and scripts and made interesting pictures. He had a specialized team of good people who worked with him including his wife, Regina Carrol.

STEVE: Speaking of DRACULA VS FRANKENSTEIN, it seems as though you had a hand in every part of the film. Is there any part of the film that you weren't involved in?

SAM: I wasn't involved in the shooting of the original filming for THE BLOOD SEEKERS which I  later reimagined as Dracula vs Frankenstein

STEVE: The Circle Drive-in is showing two of the Blood Island films (MAD DOCTOR OF BLOOD ISLAND and BEAST OF BLOOD). I know that the films were made by Eddie Romero in the Philippines however I was wondering if you had input into the films? Additionally did  you have any hand in the production of any of the other films from around the world that you released?

SAM: I often reviewed the scripts

I helped get Ronald Remy from the Blood Drinkers cast as Dr. Lorca in The Mad Doctor of Blood Island.

I created and produced the OATH OF GREEN BLOOD for MAD DOCTOR which was shot by Eddie Romero to my direction.

STEVE: The Blood Island films had various types of ballyhoo attached to them, say the Oath of the Green Blood as part of MAD DOCTOR. Do you miss the says of those sort of promotions? What was your favorite sort of promotion connected to your films?

SAM: OATH OF GREEN BLOOD and THE BRIDES OF BLOOD wedding ring gimmick were

I had fun doing it.

STEVE: You had your hand in so many films over the years. How many films did you have a hand in?

SAM: In excess of 50.

STEVE: related to that you are listed as having done pretty much everything related to filmmaking. What do you see your ultimate role as? Producer? Writer Director?

SAM: I like to be remembered as a film buff and historian who got a break to work in it but my ultimate role was as a PRODUCER and DISTRIBUTOR.

STEVE: You only directed a couple of films, why didn't you direct more?

SAM: Because I appreciated the hard work Al Adamson did and preferred he tackle the difficult subject matter.

STEVE:  Were there any films that you were offered to be part of but which you turned down only to later regret the decision?

SAM: NO

STEVE: Some of your contemporary producers like Roger Corman, had aspirations of making "art" films and this resulted in a number of films that no one watches any more. You on the other hand have made films that were always earnest and fun and are still being watched. Did you ever have dreams of invading the art house?

SAM: NO

STEVE: Which of the films that you've been part of  were your favorites? What films do you not like?  Are there any you regret making?

SAM: BLAZING STEWARDESSES is my favorite because it was a satire of classic Westerns with classic  Hollywood actors.   

STEVE: What films do you watch now? Are there any filmmakers who are impressing you now?

SAM: I like the film THE KING'S SPEECH.   I also like the films of Ron Howard and Martin Scorsese.

STEVE: Many of your films were not well liked by critics and some audience members. How did you handle people not liking the films you made?

SAM: It is an audience and critics right to like or dislike anything ... just as I have my opinions.   Our movies were successful and that was all that mattered.

STEVE: We're now 50 years on since many of your films were made. The films are still being shown and discovered  by new generations who are falling in love with them. At the same time the words of the critics who trashed your films have been lost to time. Does it please you that your films live on and your critics are gone?

SAM: It doesn't matter either way.  The films speak for themselves and reached their audience and still do via theatrical, home entertainment and the great American Drive-In.

STEVE I know that you are not going to make it to the Circle Drive-in, but I was wondering if there was anything you'd like to say to the people who are attending the screening?

SAM: Enjoy the show!  Buy something good at the concession stand, too.  Support The Circle Drive-In.

CHAMP (2021)

A young boy’s father wants him to grow up to be a real man, despite his desire to take a another root.

This is a killer film that I can’t really discuss because the film has one hell of an ending. It’s the ending that makes the film and unless I can discuss that there really no point in talking about it.

That said this film is a kick ass one. It’s a small gem that carries you along from start to finish, never taking a turn toward the expected. This is the way all film should be, well made and unexpected.

Currently on the festival circuit  it’s highly recommended.

ESCAPE FROM MOGADISHU Hits home video today

ESCAPE FROM MOGIDISHU is the true story of the Korean diplomats from both North and South Korea who had to put aside their petty sniping and work together and get out of the city and Somalia when the country exploded into full blown civil war. It’s a crazy story that will ultimately move you.

Full confession having seen, and been excited by the trailer for the film I was ready to turn the film off about fifteen minutes into the film.  I was looking for a tense thriller/action film and what the early part of the film is recounting of some of the games being played between the two Koreas in a far off land. While it introduced the characters, there was a silliness that really didn’t work for me. It wasn't all that exciting.  I stuck it out, which was good because once things get going this is a killer suspense film. About 25 minutes in some one turns the suspense knob to 50 and it never lets up until the end.

I have no idea how gospel true this is, but god damn some of this is wild. From the group of diplomats being confronted by little kids with big guns as they begin their flight to "safety", straight on to the mad dash in cars with jerry-rigged armor this film will blow you away.

What I loved is that the characters remain always in focus. This is always about the people which makes it even more tense. I was so invested that the fate of one of the characters broke my heart as did the final goodbyes of two groups of diplomats who had to stop being a family forged in fire.

This is a stunning film and recommended.

Animation Is Film 2021 opens Friday

Animation Is Film is a killer animation festival in Los Angeles. It’s a fest that is screening some the best animated films you will see all year, plus it’s having a ton of special events and talks. The festival is so good that I am trying to arrange to do coverage of the festival from a distance.

The festival is geared toward  showing that animation just a means of telling important stories. For example the film JOSEP is a look a concentration camp during the Spanish Civil War. The almost certain to be Oscar nominated FLEE is about trying to get out of Syria. These are not the sort of thing that most people think of when they think of animated films but Animation Is Film. wants to correct that.

Of course the festival is showing more family orients which explains RAYA AND THE LAST DRAGON and THE MICHELLS VS THE MACHINES.

This is great stuff and if you want to see some of the best films (animated or not) of the year you need to go to the festival.  And I know the festival is running some of the best films of the year  because I’ve seen a number of them. If you want a heads up on what great films to see click on the links:

NAHULE AND THE MAGIC BOOK

THE MITCHELL'S VS THE MACHINE
BELLE
JOSEP
FORTUNE FAVORS LADY NIKUKO
FLEE
RAYA AND THE LAST DRAGON

Do yourself a favor- Go buy some tickets. For more information  and tickets go here

A quick reminder the Circle Drive-in in Scranton Pennsylvania is having a BLOOD-O-RAMA SHOCK FESTIVAL Friday

Just want to remind you that the Circle Drive-in in Scranton Pennsylvania is doing their first annual  BLOOD-O-RAMA SHOCK FESTIVAL. Four great drive-in films- DRACULA VS FRANKENSTEIN, BRAIN OF BLOOD, MAD DOCTOR OF BLOOD ISLAND and BEAST OF BLOOD- for an all night movie feast in honor of movie mogul Sam Sherman who produced the first two and released the second. I am hoping to have an interview with Mr Sherman next couple of days at which time I will talk more about the movies.

Yes I am going to the show. It is going to be the last drive in trip for the year and we are going to make it count. 

They are having giveaways, monsters at the car and lots of fun stuff. And if you need an additional push they are also running their annual Halloween Haunt aka haunted house( there are combination tickets.)

The doors open around 4pm. The information I was given as that the movies will start sometime after 6pm.

GO BUY TICKETS.

Becoming Cousteau (2021) opens Friday

 

Jacques Cousteau is one of my boyhood heroes. I grew up watching his TV show and watching him on the TV talk shows. He opened my eyes to the world in ways you can not imagine. He along with Muhammad Ali were the two people I regret not meeting. 

As you can imagine when I found out there was a documentary of the man I had to see it. Honestly I sooooooo had to see it it was the only reason I made a hole in my dance card to cover the Camden Film Festival.

Culled from hundreds of hours of film and video and hundreds more hours of audio BECOMING COUSTEAU is a film about the man in his own words and images. It does have the words of other people chiming in, but mostly this is all Cousteau.

I both loved this film and as disappointed. What I loved about the film was that the film brings us back into the world of the man himself. I never realized how much I missed listening to him talk about things until I saw this film. He was a man full of wonder and it bleeds off the screen. We also get a sense of how the TV nature documentaries we see today all come from him. If there was no Cousteau there would have been no Discovery Channel or Nat Geo. I love that we see how important he was to people in the 1970's. I also love that the documentary kind of takes the man to task for the bad things he did like working for big oil and killing many of the animals he was supposed to be studying. 

What disappointed me was that the form and structure of the film is incredibly conventional. Yes Cousteau created the conventions, but he did it by destroying out previous notions of what the form could be. I was hoping for something that was magical in form, instead of by the numbers. Basically I wanted something as special as the man himself. And while what is here is choice I would have liked more fireworks.

Then again I suspect that had I seen this on the big screen I would have loved this unconditionally.

BECOMING COUSTEAU hits theaters Friday

The Tallgrass Film Festival is in person October 20-24 and virtual Oct 24-29

One of the great film fests of the year The Tallgrass Film Festival starts its in person festival on Wednesday before turning into a virtual one on the 24th. Its place to go see great films in person if you are located in and around Wichita Kansas or around the country if you want to do a virtual fest.

While I have been remiss in many past years for not throwing the festival some coverage, it doesn't mean that I haven't been looking at what films it's programmed. What Tallgrass screens is often a pointer toward many of the films that people will be talking abut at years end. Honestly I have been looking at the festival to know what films I will need to pick up before the year turns.

 This year I'm slightly a head. I've seen a large number of films already, however I am still hoping to pick up a few along the way.

In rder to help you decide what to see (and you should see something) I'm presenting a list of links to the films we've previously reviewed. Just click on the link and see what we thought of the films- a word of warning some of these are some of the best films you'll see all year.

KILI BIG

SUBJECT OF DESIRE

UPROOTED

ZERO GRAVITY

ASCENSION

FATHER OF THE CYBORGS

I’M FINE

LUZZU

NOT GOING QUIETLY

POSER

NEUTRAL GROUND

A BAG AND A RIFLE

SISTERS WITH TRANSISTORS

FIRST STEP

BEING BEBE

FINDING SALLY

FERGUSON RISES

CHOICE OF WEAPONS

CHASING CHILDHOOD

ALICE STREET

ADDICT NAMED HAL

And now if you forgive me I'm going to go look at the film list and see what I can fit in.

For more information and tickets go here

Addendum to the Netflix special mess- no one is really defending what was said or claiming its funny

Any real defense of Chappelle's anti-LGBT screed has been lacking. Not that he should be defended, he shouldn't, but those that are being marched out to speak for their friend are failing badly. I say this because anyone saying a word defending Chappelle is doing so purely on free speech grounds, which is the only way you can.

As I said in my original piece on the matter even I would and will defend Chappelle's right to spew his hate but I don't have to like or want to hear it. 

Truthfully as a proponent of free speech, even something as hateful as Chappelle's, results in crashing up against a wall of is it defensible? It is because I will not take anyone's words away, however I will clearly state that what Chappelle is saying is hateful from top to bottom.

On the other hand I would rather just say that the special isn't funny or clever and not worth seeing since that will go along way to kill it. Several people I know were curious about seeing the special until I said it was not funny and then they lost interest.

Honestly I feel bad for the people defending Chappelle in the media. I've heard several people on the radio and TV and I've seen some stuff in the paper "defending" his right to say what he did. Everyone talks about the First Amendment rights, the speak of the great cases preserving it and argue that not to support it will kill comedy. While I totally agree with that tact (its the only way to do it), no one, and I mean no one is actually addressing the special.

Seriously no one defending him is mentioning what was said at all. People have discussed Chappelle and his style of comedy, but that is as close to the subjects discussed as anyone will go. I've heard a couple of comedians say that they still haven't seen the special. You haven't seen it? Then what the hell are you doing on TV or the radio talking about it? I suspect no one wants to offend Chappelle as if he's going to wreck their career, but the truth is Chappelle just wrecked his, since he's just offended a large number of people with his comments in an unfunny special.

If you want to know if  Chappelle crossed a line realize that what he said is so vile that no one wants to talk about what he said in discussing what he said- not even comedians who pretty much have no boundaries.  Think about it- he's actually gone so far the comedians won't say he's funny here. Chappelle has caused the very talkative comedy brotherhood to shut up

Should stop Chappelle from speaking?

No. Let him talk. Let people see what a hateful man he apparently is. Let him talk so that we can tell the world that he is wrong. Best of all let him talk so that he can see that we've stopped listening and that he needs to pack up his circus and go home.

--

And as for Netflix, they need to do something beyond just saying that Chappelle has the right to say what he did because it doesn't wash. They have censored too much to take the high road. Worse, everything they are doing is just making it worse. They are screwed  no matter what they are going to do. It's not worth continuing forward on this track when the cost to gain ratio is so narrow as is when the service may start to hemorrhage viewers.

What do I mean it's not worth it? Apparently they spent over $20 million on the special and got less views than many less costly similar shows. Why spend 20 million on a special of a guy and a mic on stage?