Author: Alex Cole

A tale of friendship, joy, frustration and betrayal Junk embodies everything that can be drawn from a collaborative and creative process. Former friends Kaveh and Raul are reluctantly drawn back together when their B-movie flick Islama-rama 2: Mustafa Lives is entered into a small-time film festival attended by their hero Yukio Tai (James Hong). Hilarity ensures as they compete with other equally quirky film-makers for the chance to pitch their next film to the king of B-movies.

Poking fun at film festivals and fledgling film-makers in way that says we understand; it’s the close relationship with his material that makes Kevin Hamedami’s film so appealing. Junk has some very funny moments, and some less than funny moments and walks the line between humour and cringe; but strong performances from its stars Kevin Hamedani and Ramen Isao, an equally strong supporting cast and some unexpected cameos push it over the line to humour and make a very entertaining picture. The on screen connection between Kaveh (Hamedani) and Raul (Isao) is unmistakable and their friendship easily transferable. The best moments in this film are when imagination comes to life. Their fantasies are portrayed in their B-movie glory complete with the appropriately high levels of over-acting. 

As a film Junk was captivating, relatable and fully deserving of the recognition it has received. It is a success in creativity and satire but yet I don’t expect it to be a great success. It will be loved by film-makers and film lovers everywhere and discarded everyone else. Some aspects of the film don’t work. I wasn’t convinced about the role of drugs in the film or why marijuana leaf holds such a significant place in the artwork and the humour won’t appeal to a mass audience. Certain scenes , particularly one featuring a white blues singer describing her fight for emancipation will leave you wondering what on earth you’ve just watched but it is all a part of this film and is part of the reason I think Junk will be an underground success.

Known for his outlandish film plots including Zombies of Mass Destruction which tells the story of a gay man coming out to his zombie mother Kevin Hamedami who co-wrote, directed and starred in this film has given himself a strong platform to build upon. Despite rejections from the larger film festivals Junk demonstrates his ability as a multi-faceted filmmaker and actor. Despite the relatively low budget Junk has Hemedami displays an unquestionable skill in communicating basic human relationships and it is exciting to consider the prospects should he be graced as Kaveh was with the chance to bring his next vision to life; though I for one sincerely hope it isn’t Islama-rama 3.

One of my favourite talking points as a film fan is re-makes. I love and hate them in equal measure. Expectancy, hope and depression strike all at once when I read an article on the latest Hollywood re-boot of a much beloved classic. Fortunately sometimes they’re brilliant and bring plenty of new ideas to a franchise but more often than not they lack the spirit and passion of the original or even the cheese that made it so inviting and popular. But how do we combat such a large industry, and one in which people like myself still pay good money to see these films in the hope they don’t ruin our favourites? Well, with the latest Hollywood re-boot RoboCop a group of filmmakers has found a unique way to tackle Hollywood’s growing industry.

A scene for scene retelling of Paul Verhoeven’s classic RoboCop, Our RoboCop Remake is a crowd sourced film project produced and led by David Segar. Filmed by and starring a group of fifty filmmakers from across New York and Los Angeles it is a collection individual pieces retelling each scene in a variety of different styles, themes and let’s face it differing levels of acting talent.

This unique approach to film-making and Hollywood re-boots has produced an incredibly interesting film and a definite watch for true fans of RoboCop and film-makers alike. Unfortunately whilst the project is interesting and the 8-bit 80’s opening music sent tingles down my spine the rest of the film just couldn’t match up. There are some amusing moments, and a few laughs as well as some exciting ideas and concepts but it’s just far too long. In a style akin to [adult swim] this would have worked in a short half an hour sitting, but as a full-feature it’s stretched and it wasn’t long till I wanted it to finish, or at least get to the meaty bits. The use of multiple filmmakers had led to a large repetition in jokes and how much co-ordination was involved and how much this repetition was intended I’m not sure; but with more fart jokes than Terrance and Philip I fear that only the biggest fans of toilet humour can possibly survive the near two hour parade of crass humour.

I salute this film for its concept innovation and for ‘sticking it to the man’ in the way only a group of filmmakers can. Its strength of community has given a huge outlet for small filmmakers and film lovers alike. I would recommend anyone to give it a try. For me, it didn’t work as a film, but this is a hugely individual piece and was never meant to compete as a commercial enterprise. It is an amusing dig at an industry’s inability to innovate and current obsession with re-booting or ‘ruining’ classics and something film-lovers everywhere should support.

Find the film here at www.ourrobocopremake.com

Frankenstein (2004), starring Luke Goss as the most humanising vision of Frankenstein I have ever seen on screen is an accurate and highly entertaining portrayal of Mary Shelley’s classic Frankenstein. With only minor changes to the plot, but holding steady on her vision (Director) has given us a two part TV drama that gives us the story how it was meant to be. It tells the story of Victor Frankenstein (Alec Newman) who is consumed by his thirst for knowledge and the pursuit of science. Whilst attending Ingelstadt University, inspired by Professor Waldman played brilliantly by William hurt Victor comes to battle the scientific reality of death itself. After raising his creation from the dead he is horrified at what he is created and overcome with fear. Abandoning his creation to face the perils of the world alone, with all the innocence of a child but strength of a monster Victor is forced to face the consequences of his arrogance. This Hallmark drama follows both Victor and the creature in their experience, as told to an old sea captain (Donald Sutherland), before he faces his final battle with his own creation.

Far flung from incarnations such as I, Frankenstein in which Frankenstein’s monster is caught up in a battle between Demons and Gargoyles, Kevin Connor’s Frankenstein gives us a battle of humanity, conscience and morality in which Frankenstein’s creation struggles in a world in which he is not meant to exist. Whilst Alec Newman and Donald Sutherland do themselves justice, Luke Goss, who’s performance stands out in this adaptation is excellent as the monster. Although his image is less gruesome than I imagined reading Mary Shelley’s book and far less horrific than commonly portrayed, the emotion, and indeed humanity he gives the part is outstanding. The dialogue in this film is interesting. Performed in a Victorian-esque manor it holds truer to the words written by Shelly, and contains many direct quotes. I appreciated the setting remaining in Europe rather than being moved to the U.S, the premise on which the film is built relies on an 18^th century European obsession with the natural sciences and would do an injustice to have been moved.

The directing is simple for this film and there is nothing spectacular about this drama, but that’s what I liked about it. At times the film can feel stretched, and halted with some unnecessary scenes; which is a little disappointing but as you reach the conclusion of this 3 hour long story it feels vindicated. It is the understanding of the characters and their experiences that build this feature, not a series of lengthy battles. The lengthy scenes of dialogue and emotion help to build the viewer’s impression of their thoughts and motivation and internal struggle and whilst they may not be for everyone, they are perfect for some. This drama may not be a world beater, but it drew me in, and is an excellent example of how literary classics can be adapted for the silver screen without their essence being lost.