Author: BRWC

Summer Of 84: The BRWC Review

By Eric Trigg.

More 80’s Nostalgia

Summer of 84 premiered at the 2018 Sundance Film Festival earlier in the year before going straight to VOD during the summer. This film was directed by three different people and I guess that explains why certain scenes feel different than the last. Directed by Francois Simard, Anouk Whissell, and Yoann Karl Whissell. This film is another trip down memory lane for those that grew up in the 80’s and this film feels like a solid blend between The Goonies, Stand by Me, and the hit series Stranger Things.

Taking place in Cape May, Oregon we follow a group of friends who believe their next-door neighbour is a serial killer. Starring Graham Verchere, Judah Lewis, Caleb Emery, Cory Andrew, Tiera Skovbye, and Rich Sommer. Ever since Stranger Things became a hit several films have come out with 80’s nostalgia being the main inspiration. While this film is not very original it does tell an effective story about a boy who becomes convinced that his neighbour is not who he seems. Sound Familiar? If you have seen 2007’s Disturbia starring Shia LaBeouf, then this film might cross some familiar territory during the viewing experience.

Summer of 84 is just another retro thriller that relies too much on nostalgia but still manages to keep the audience invested. This film is very slow paced so if you are not of fan of slow burn hits like 2015’s The Witch then this may not be the film for you to watch late at night before bed. Davey (Graham Verche) lives next door to Wayne Mackey (Rich Sommer) a well-respected officer in the town of Cape May. Davey becomes convinced that Mackey is responsible for the murders of several people that have been occurring in the area. Davey then convinces his friends Tommy (Judah Lewis), Dale (Caleb Emery), and Curtis (Cory Andrews) that his theories are true, so they spend the summer trying to expose Mackey.

Summer of 84 has a score that moods the viewer back in the 80’s and it illustrates a small group of friends that are portrayed in a likeable way, so the viewer will want to see them succeed. Sadly, one can’t help but wonder how this film would have been received if it hadn’t come out post Stranger Things. Ever since audiences fell in love with the adolescents from Stranger Things films with similar concepts have been forced on audiences for the past two years. This is by no means a bad film, but it does feel like another desperate attempt to ride the wave of a hit Netflix series.

The group of friends all have their own unique styles consisting of geeks, moody punks, and nerds. Summer of 84 does a fine job of depicting a believable bond between the group and balances it all out with an added love interest for Davey. The on-screen chemistry between the two love birds Davey and Nikki (Tiera Skoybe) feels very genuine and natural. Every second they are together it is very charming, and realistic. The cinematography is solid, the performances are strong, and the atmosphere in the film is very nostalgic.

Certain logic gaps such as our group of characters being allowed to play manhunt at night with a serial killer loose hinder the narrative in the film but Summer of 84 can still be an enjoyable trip down memory lane.

25th October 2018
The Secrets Behind The Cars Of Breaking Bad

Ten years ago, Breaking Bad made its TV debut with its pilot being aired on January 20, 2008. Over the time, the show has grown in popularity and eventually redefined television’s golden age by turning Breaking Bad into a multi-Emmy award-winning TV phenomenon with a passionate cult following.

To celebrate the 10th anniversary of Breaking Bad, we’ve partnered with Fulton Leasing to bring you the most comprehensive recap of iconic rides from the series. Featuring treasures such as the 2004 Pontiac Aztec, 1986 Toyota Tercel and 2012 Dodge Challenger, this will be a welcome walk down memory lane for any true Breaking Bad fan.

Breaking Bad Cars

Breaking Bad is an American neo-western crime drama television series created and produced by Vince Gilligan. The show originally aired on the AMC network for five seasons, from January 20, 2008 to September 29, 2013. Set and filmed in Albuquerque, New Mexico, the series tells the story of Walter White (Bryan Cranston), a struggling and depressed high school chemistry teacher who is diagnosed with lung cancer. Together with his former student Jesse Pinkman (Aaron Paul), White turns to a life of crime by producing and selling crystallized methamphetamine to secure his family’s financial future before he dies, while navigating the dangers of the criminal world. The title comes from the Southern colloquialism “breaking bad”, meaning to “raise hell” or turn to a life of crime.

Walter’s family consists of his wife Skyler (Anna Gunn), son Walter, Jr. (RJ Mitte), and daughter Holly (Elanor Anne Wenrich). The show also features Skyler’s sister Marie Schrader (Betsy Brandt) and her husband Hank (Dean Norris), a DEA agent. Walter hires lawyer Saul Goodman (Bob Odenkirk), who connects him with private investigator and fixer Mike Ehrmantraut (Jonathan Banks) and in turn Mike’s employer, drug kingpin Gus Fring (Giancarlo Esposito). The final season introduces the characters Todd Alquist (Jesse Plemons) and Lydia Rodarte-Quayle (Laura Fraser).

23rd October 2018
6 Directional Debuts Of 2018

By Vinod Kathayat.

Every year we see a lot of directional debuts but few of them turned out to taste the success of their unique distinctive style. In fact, you possibly have enjoyed these movies without any doubt as many of them are niche independent films gaining critical acclaim. This year’s debutantes had done quite a job with their skills, ended up making 2018’s finest film and also had strong opening weekends at the box office.

Well, this is 2018 and we have seen many blockbusters this year and so much yet to come but out of these, we are mentioning some of the best directional debuts which received very well by critics and as well as by audiences.

So, here we go…

6. Blindspotting

Director: Carlos López Estrada
Carlos López Estrada, a music video and commercial director make fabulous debut this year with comedy-drama film Blindspotting. The film gets critical acclaim on its world premiere at 2018 Sundance Film Festival for its direction, acting and the writing part. As the duo of Rafael Casal and Daveed Diggs did most of the work by writing, producing and acting.

The only thing they gave up on the direction and hired Estrada. Estrada showed exactly what the Casal and Diggs wants, the life of two friends in Oakland dealing with issues like race, gender and police killings in America.

22nd October 2018
Some Memorable Movie Scores

In any action movie, a powerful music score is essential to set pulses racing and crank up the intensity. A movie moment can be transformed with the use of one simple chord when struck at the right moment – and can turn a movie into an instant classic.

Fast-paced action films are nothing without a pulsating movie score to raise the stakes and maintain the momentum throughout the most dramatic sequences. A brilliant example is the powerful theme “The Beast” by the late composer Jóhann Jóhannsson for the Oscar®-nominated film Sicario, which was re-imagined for the sequel Sicario 2: Soldado by composer Hildur Guðnadóttir.

To celebrate the release of Sicario 2: Soldado on digital download from 22nd October and on 4K UHD, Steelbook, Blu-Ray™ & DVD from 29th October 2018, we are rounding up the top movies with the most memorable scores that continue to stir the senses time after time.

The Dark Knight

The music that scored the 2008 Christopher Nolan Batman reboot was so memorable that it was awarded ‘Best Score Soundtrack for Visual Media’ at the 2009 Grammy Awards. Hans Zimmer and James Newton Howard used a blend of electronic and orchestral elements to create a rich audible experience for the audience.

The theme tune that the duo created for Heath Ledger’s ‘The Joker’ is particularly notable. The theme was made from two notes played on a variety of instruments and is a perfect accompaniment to the tortured character we see on our screens. The musical score is dramatic, at times solemn and menacing, and is a large factor in The Dark Knight being widely regarded as one of the best superhero films of all time.

22nd October 2018
Jeepers Creepers 3: Review

By Eric Trigg.

Stay away from these peepers

For 14 years fans of this series waited for the long overdue 3^rd entry that seemed like it was going to remain trapped in development hell. Several years of speculation, and rumors would come but no 3^rd film. Originally Jeepers Creepers 3 was going to be set 23 years after the first two installments and would follow Trish Jenner (Gina Philips), Jack Taggart Sr. (Ray Wise) and his son as they team up to hunt down and kill the winged monster. That idea was scrapped for a prequel set in between the first two entries and it does not work at all. The original films told the story about an ancient evil that awakened every 23^rd spring for 23 days to eat from humans to regenerate body parts.

Victor Salva returns to write and direct this 3^rd installment, Jonathan Breck reprises his role as the creeper, and Brandon Smith returns to the series as Sgt. Tubbs. Starring Meg Foster, Gabrielle Haugh, Chester Rushing, Brandon Smith, and Stan Shaw. Jeepers Creepers 3 focuses on the creeper in pursuit of an old limb that was buried 23 years ago during it’s last feeding cycle. Once again set in Poho County we follow Sgt. Tubbs who teams up with a task force lead by Sgt. Tashtego (Stan Shaw). After years of promise and rumors fans were ultimately given a half cooked 3^rd entry that was seemingly rushed from start to finish and not taken seriously at all.

Our final girl Addison (Gabrielle Haugh) does not carry this film well compared to those that came before her and it’s amazing that she was casted in this role because her acting is some of the worst on screen. Jeepers Creepers 3 was set to reveal everything about the creeper and all it did was develop plot holes and raise more questions. For most of the film the creeper is hunting down this old hand that belongs to him because when someone touches it the hand exposes the creepers origins. This plot device raises several questions and makes the creeper look like a complete fool. Only operating for 23 days one must wonder why the creeper waited so long to start tracking this hand? Also, the plot device creates logic gaps in the creeper’s operations for Jeepers Creepers 2 which takes place days later.

In the 2003 sequel the creeper attacks a school bus of cheerleaders and basketball players. During this film the creeper seems to have no problem abandoning limbs it no longer needs. So, since our winged bat knows that the limbs hold its origins why does it not care in Jeepers Creepers 2 which is days after the 3^rd film? Did the creeper not learn its lesson or was Victor Salva very stoned while writing this? The narrative for this 3^rd outing suggests that the limbs allow the person in contact with it to be granted access to the myths of the winged creature. Illogical writing is just one of many flaws in Jeepers Creepers 3 and the film gets progressively worse up until a nice surprise before the credits.

Certain actors in the film seem to not care, while others just give bad performances, and then there are some that are trying but their on-screen love interest are very dull. Bad acting, illogical script, horrible visual effects, mixed with the best cinematography in the trilogy make this film the worst. Serving as a direct sequel to the first film it does not help that several characters are aware of the myths surrounding the creeper. What made the monster scary was that lack of knowledge that the viewer and the victims had during the first two films. The task force lead by Sgt. Tashtego (Stan Shaw) team up with Sgt. Tubbs (Brandon Smith) and this task force knows all the crucial information about the creeper’s operations. The film never addresses how they know it instead tries to reason it by letting the audience know the task force consist of people who encountered the creeper 23 years ago.

So, by that logic if I meet a vicious grizzly bear and live to tell my story I now will have knowledge of its schemes including when it likes to feed? That is not how that works at all the narrative here is suggesting that the only way the task force know about the creepers operations is because they encountered it once before. In the original film a psychic was in the area, so she had a reason, but these guys just know due to contact it seems. Jeepers Creepers 3 might be a strong contender for worse 3^rd entry in a horror franchise. The film switches back and forth from one group to the next it tries to focus on way too many characters at once.

In the 2^nd film you had a different set of characters that would get enough screen time to allow proper character development but here the movies focus on too many sets at once. For fans of the original two films I would say you will enjoy watching the creeper do its thing but that’s really it. Jonathan Breck gives another amazing performance as the creeper, but his peers do nothing but coast by. Avoid this movie unless you are a completest because this movie is not worth it.

21st October 2018