Author: BRWC

Lazer Team: The BRWC Review

By Jamie McNaught.

Rooster Teeth to the uninitiated are one of the internets prodigal sons, being most famous for the machinima series Red Vs Blue using the Halo Engine to create the show. Now in its 14th season and boasting other series as RWBY, Let’s Plays, Podcasts etc. As far as companies go on the internet, RT are up there. So naturally, giving their successful move into live action shorts (all acted by the staff themselves) it was inevitable they would move into full featured films. Originally set for a budget of $650,000 RT went about funding the film via Indigogo. This modest aim was blown out of the water eventually receiving approximately $2.4m, a record breaking amount on the site for film funding.

So, for a Sci-Fi flick that budget equals that of the likes of SyFy’s ‘Big Sea Monster vs Ludicrous Robot Giraffe…’ This is a very low budget genre film. The reason for the likeness is to highlight just how far the company stretches the money onto the screen to elevate itself from the schlocky efforts seen else where. With epic sweeping camera movements, many shots from the air, great SFX on the whole and quite frankly excellent lighting, this easily rivals mid budget films for pure aesthetics.

Lazer Team

Just as the case in their shorts, most of the actors are directly used from the company and are not fully trained actors, with the exception of Alan Ritchson (Smallville, The Hunger Games) and Colton Dunn (writer on The Key and Peele and various RT productions). Knowing this fact it does impress as the ensemble hold their own on the whole with their acting chops. Michael Jones (RT’s Achievement Hunter shouty man) ultimately plays a Dude Bro Frat Boy, Zach, as 2D as it sounds, but he does it with fluidity and gusto. Gavin Free of The Slo-Mo guys starts as an American Southerner with an absolutely awful southern drawl, limiting him to one liners and no chance to shine. Luckily he later talks in his native English accent and begins to shine with his “Gavinisms”.

Writer and Executive Producer Burnie Burns plays a deadbeat cop Hagan, whom absolutely no one respects. A role one would expect Burns to relish in but seemed rather stiff and felt a bit too try hard. Onto Alan Ritchson and he plays his poorly written plot device character as well as he can. Finally Colton Dunn raises a few laughs with his once great All American Football star turned large drunk. However the tiresome cliched lines such as “Awww heeellll nooo…Oh no you didn’t” highlights the continued problem of African Americans being marginalised with such problems in many a script.

The script then, is poor overall. It has a sense of a parodic love note to 80s/90s Sci Fi films with wise one liner cracks to some of the staples of the genre story arc. The problem with these wise cracks are that they are generally the lowest common denominator, akin to what ‘that guy’ in the cinema would blurt out to get a raise from his friends. The machine gun approach to jokes largely fall short, referencing Millennial zeitgeists, mainly involving social media or again, obvious jokes referencing exactly what the audience have just seen. At times however the film shows a confidence in comedy timing and when they hit it will raise a titter or two. One laugh out loud moment comes ripe from the likes of Road Trip/American Pie, working as a multi generational joke and a highlight for the film.

It is a shame then, knowing RT’s excellent body of work from the brilliant RVB to fantastic shorts that have done a lot better on parodying/being self aware genre pieces. Maybe there is an amount of seeing people you know well from Let’s Plays etc that elevates the film, as if watching your friends do something funny within your circle but will pass others outside of that.

A fantastic achievement with it’s cinematography, SFX and lighting considering it’s budget and large use of non actors. It is however ultimately let down by a script struggling to find an interesting group dynamic without repeating or stretching thinning ideas. From the outside, it’s an incredibly average film, from the inside it may be a bit more interesting seeing the likes of Gavin Free being…Well, Gavin Free. It is a positive move for the company however and certainly shows promise for future projects if they learn from the mistakes of this film.

31st July 2016
Is Jason Bourne The Best Action Series Since 2000?

By Ben Taylor.

Friday, July 29 marks the release of “Jason Bourne,” the fifth entry in a modern-day action series that’s part “Memento,” part “James Bond.” Based on the Robert Ludlum books, the series follows a former CIA assassin who’s lost his memory. He’s resourceful but bewildered, trained to kill but clueless about his past.

Backup star Jeremy Renner filled in for the Matt Damon-less fourth movie, but Damon will reprise his starring role for the fifth. Paul Greengrass — who directed the second and third entries — will also return.

Outside the cozy confines of childhood fantasy (see: “Harry Potter”), pushing a series beyond two or three films tends to lead to trouble, whether critically, commercially or both. Consider the bang of the original “Saw” next to the whimper of “Saw: The Final Chapter.” Or look to the charm of the original “Transformers” against the near-universal dissatisfaction with “Age of Extinction.” From “Terminator” to “Pirates of the Caribbean,” “Spy Kids” to “Scary Movie,” the list goes on and on.

But Bourne has mostly bucked this trend. Yes, the Renner-led “Legacy” suffered a small dip in ratings and box office success, but it was by no means a flop. If “Jason Bourne” goes on to charm critics and conquer the box office, is it safe to call Bourne the best action series of the millennium?

To answer that question, PrettyFamous — an entertainment site from Graphiq — rounded up Rotten Tomatoes ratings, Metacritic averages and IMDb scores for 24 of the biggest action series since 2000.* The team then normalized the review scores on a scale from 0 to 100 for every film in each series. Finally, they made a small adjustment for box office success. The following list emerged.

*Specifically, PrettyFamous only looked at major action series with at least three entries, with the majority of entries coming out after the year 2000. Some series with a very recent third entry — like Star Trek — did not qualify, because review scores and box office figures have yet to be finalized. While the list is not necessarily comprehensive, it should cover most of the major action series of the last 16 years.

Note: averages include scores for all films in the series, not just the first three or four.

Strong series like “Spider-Man” (the Tobey Maguire version), “Mission: Impossible” and “Men in Black” each suffer from a single stinker. Meanwhile, series like “Pirates of the Caribbean” and “X-Men” simply don’t reach the same heights as Bourne. Finally, you’ve got nose-divers like “Rush Hour,” “Taken” and “Transformers” — great originals that spawned mediocre sequels.

By almost any measurement, however, Christopher Nolan’s Batman series claims the top spot. As if the first and third entries (“Batman Begins” and “The Dark Knight Rises,” respectively) weren’t already good enough, “The Dark Knight” ensures the series’ place in history. It’s the single highest-scoring film on the whole list.

Meanwhile, the Bourne series fares quite well — tied for the fourth-highest average on the list — but must still settle for less than the best.

Suppose, however, that we only counted the first three Jason Bourne flicks — that is, those starring the venerable Mr. Damon? In that scenario, the Bourne series jumps to second place, outpacing “Captain America” and “Iron Man.” In other words, it’s no wonder Universal has gone back to the Damon-Greengrass well — arguably the second-most reliable tandem in modern action cinema.

Still, the stakes for “Jason Bourne” are high. A strong entry would solidify the series’ status as a modern-day classic, more beloved than recent Bonds, better reviewed than “Captain America.” Just as easily, a poor showing would flip the narrative entirely: a further misstep along the Renner-blazed trail.

Would moviegoers still see a sixth Bourne film if 2016’s “Jason Bourne” falls flat? Perhaps. Unlike Mr. Bourne himself, however, movie fans don’t easily forget.

More: How the Summer Blockbuster Got Worse — and Why Hollywood Doesn’t Care

29th July 2016
A Don Cheadle Retrospective

Four time Golden Globe Award nominee, with wins for both best supporting actor, and best actor, Academy Award nominee for best actor, with five substantial producing credits to his name, Don Cheadle is now adding writer and director to his resume as well. Miles Ahead, a project in development for over ten years, Cheadle’s directorial debut, who also produced and co-wrote the film.

Available on digital platforms on 15^th August and on Blu-ray and DVD from 22^nd August, 2016, in Miles Ahead, Cheadle delivers a career defining portrayal of legendary Jazz musician Miles Davis during one of the darkest periods of his career.

To honour Don Cheadle for perhaps his most compelling performance yet, here’s a look back at some of the actor’s best work over the years.

Miles Davis | Miles Ahead

Miles Ahead picks up on perhaps the darkest period of Miles Davis’ career. Davis has sequestered himself in a wrecked Upper West side apt in New York City. It’s 1979, and the musician has not performed publicly in six years, let alone picked up the trumpet in three. His own worst enemy, Davis has struggled through severe depression and drug addiction, yet he holds on to one tape of his own music that his record company has yet to seize. In a surprising twist, it is a Rolling Stones reporter played by Ewan McGregor (August: Osage County, Trainspotting 2) that relinquishes his own reporting agenda to help Davis save his music in what becomes an epic battle against corporate music execs to pull the musician out of his funk and back to life. In Miles Ahead, Cheadle brilliantly exhibits the complex and mercurial character of musical genius that plagued Davis throughout his career.

Buck Swope | Boogie Nights

It is impossible not to love Don Cheadle in this movie. A breakout role for the actor, in Boogie Nights, Cheadle portrays the geeky but loveable part time porn star, part time stereo salesman, Buck Swope. Buck has a penchant for country music, and big dreams of opening his own stereo business. Trusting and kind to his very core, when Buck is shot down for a loan based on his history as a porn star, the pushover suddenly gets a backbone.

BRWC FiLMiX – BOOGiE NiGHTS from BRWC on Vimeo.

After witnessing a bank robbery in which Buck is left with a chunk of cash, Buck decides not to report the crime to police, but instead take the cash as the loan he was previous denied. He then fulfils his dream of opening a stereo store with his new wife, ex porn star Jessie St. Vincent played by Melora Walters (Sugar Mountain, Underdogs).

Montel Gordon | Traffic

From a porn star to a policeman, in Steven Soderbergh’s four time Academy Award winning film, Traffic, Cheadle takes on a far different kind of role as Montel Gordon, a key player in one of the films three subplots displaying the varying perspectives of the illegal drug trade. Montel Gordon is an undercover cop for the office of the Drug Enforcement Agency of San Diego. When Gordon and his partner arrest a major distributor for drug lord Carl Ayala, Eduardo Ruiz played by Miguel Ferrer (Twin Peaks, Iron Man 3), Ruiz agrees to testify against Ayala in what will be a monumental takedown for the DEA. Ayala’s wife, played by Catherine Zeta Jones (Red 2, Side Effects), interferes, and in the process has Gordon’s partner, Ray Castro, played by Luiz Guzman (Code Black, How to Make it in America) killed. Gordon is furious and will stop at nothing. Though he does is not successful in arresting Ayala at the film’s climax, a bug plant leaves room for hope.

Basher Tarr | Ocean’s Eleven, Ocean’s Twelve, & Ocean’s Thirteen

It’s hard to forget Cheadle as the explosively eccentric and winning Basher Tarr from the Ocean’s trilogy. With a surprisingly authentic cockney accent, the dramatic munitions genius is brought in to Ocean’s missions to create city blackouts long enough for the rest of Ocean’s gang to execute large scale robberies. In the Ocean’s trilogy, Cheadle is accompanied by an all star cast of Hollywood heavy-weights including George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Matt Damon, Bernie Mac, Carl Reiner, and Casey Affleck.

Paul Rusesabagina | Hotel Rwanda

The role that earned Cheadle his first Academy Award nomination for Best Actor, in Hotel Rwanda, a historical drama based on the 1994 Rwandan genocide, Cheadle portrays Paul Rusesabagina, a Tutu hotelier married to a Tutsi woman in a time of extreme political tension between the two tribes in Rwanda. When civil war erupted, Rusesabagina hid thousands of refugees in the Hotel des Mille Collines. Rusesabagina eventually stood up to tyrant Hutu army general Augustin Bizimungu played by Fana Mokoena (Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom, World War Z) threatening to blackmail him. Through this triumphant act, Rusesabagina successfully garnered freedom for his family and the reported 1,628 refugees that had been given shelter in his hotel.

Col. James “Rhodey” Rhodes | Iron Man 2 & 3, Avengers: Age of Ultron, Captain America Civil War

Proving he truly can play every kind of character, in 2010 Cheadle literally flexed his muscled to take on the role of Colonel James Rhodes, or as he is informally called, “Rhodey” in Iron Man 2, part of the Marvel Franchise. Rhodey, or War Machine, as he is called when wearing his heavily armed battle suit is a U.S. military officer and jet pilot in the U.S. air force. He is also best friend to Iron Man and the liaison between stark industries and the military. Cheadle has reprised this role in subsequent Marvel films such as Iron Man 3, Avengers Age of Ultron, and most recently Captain America Civil War.

Marty Kaan | House of Lies (2011- 2016)

Last but certainly not least, we would be remiss to leave out Cheadle’s unforgettable role in the deliciously addicting Showtime series House of Lies. In the series, Cheadle plays Marty Kaan, a cold calculated, and devious management consultant that will go to any length to get a deal done. The comedy series alternates between Cheadle’s fast paced work life, with intermittent freeze frame scenes where the charismatic smooth talker provides entertaining social commentary, and his disastrous personal life including close relationships with his equally cold and ambitious wife, Jessica, played by Dawn Oliveri (Avengers, Entourage) and boldly flamboyant son, Roscoe. The series concluded this year after four successful seasons. Cheadle won a Golden Globe for Best Actor in a television series in 2012 for his brilliant take on the complex role.

MILES AHEAD arrives on digital platforms on 15^th August and on Blu-ray and DVD from 22^nd August, 2016, courtesy of Icon Film Distribution.

28th July 2016
Up For Love: Top 10 French Rom Coms

It’s long been known that, when it comes to romantic comedy, France has some of the best films cinema has to offer. From quirky sun-soaked romances to crowd-pleasing Academy Award-winning hits, filmmakers across the pond have for decades known how to speak the language of love like no others.

The latest rom-com to come out of France is Up For Love, which stars Jean Dujardin and Virginie Efira and hits UK cinemas Friday August 5. As humorous as it is unconventional, the film combines excellent performances with a story whose moral messages have universal appeal.

To celebrate the film’s release, we’ve lovingly gone back through the recent decades to list ten of the very best romantic comedies France has to offer.

Up For Love – 2016

Diane (Virginie Efira) is brilliant, beautiful, witty… and a formidable lawyer. She’s just put an end to a toxic, unhappy marriage and is finally considering the idea of meeting someone new. A series of fateful events lead Diane to receive a phone call from the mysterious Alexandre (Oscar-winner Jean Dujardin), who has found her lost mobile phone. Courteous, funny, and effortlessly charming, he soon wins Diane over… and before she knows it, she’s agreed to a date. But their first meeting is not quite what either of them expected… This charming, quirky and feel-good comedy puts a spin on the classic love story elements, with standout performances from Dujardin and Efira.

Gemma Bovery – 2015

Anne Fontaine’s adaptation of Posy Simmonds’ 1999 graphic novel puts a twist on Gustave Flaubert’s classic literary masterpiece, Madame Bovary. When Gemma Bovary (Gemma Arterton) moves to the picturesque Normandy with her new husband Charles (Jason Flemyng), she gets more than she bargained for when it comes to her intrusive neighbours. Martin (Fabrice Luchini), an ex-Parisian with a deep love for Flaubert, engages with the young couple, observing Gemma’s behaviour and telling her that she’s headed for a tragic finale like the character in the novel. Gemma Bovery is a watchable, funny comedy with heartwarming performances by Arterton and Luchini.

Chinese Puzzle – 2014

Cédric Klapisch’s L’Auberge Espagnole trilogy that introduced us to a cast of twentysomethings doing a studentship in Brussels, comes to a close with the 2014 film Chinese Puzzle. Picking up from the last instalment Russian Dolls (2005), Xavier (Romain Duris) is now divorced from Wendy (Kelly Reilly). But when she takes their children to move to New York, he decides to follow her, convincing himself that it’s the right thing to do to be close to his kids. But in a twist, Xavier’s ex-girlfriend Martine (Audrey Tautou) shows up in New York, leading to them rekindling their romance. Klapisch neatly rounds off his trilogy with a freewheeling, witty dramedy.

Love Is in the Air – 2013

From writer-director Alexandre Castagnetti, this modern rom-com pits Ludivine Sagnier against Populaire star Nicolas Bedos, making for a match made thousands of miles in the air. Bedos plays Antoine, a New York-based lawyer who, whilst on a flight to France ahead of a job interview, finds himself sitting next to his ex-girlfriend Julie (Sagnier). The pair’s previously messy break-up ensures that this seven-hour flight proves to be quite eventful…

Populaire – 2012

The directorial debut from Régis Roinsard, this screwball period rom-com, set in late 1950a France, sees Déborah François playing Rose, a secretary at an insurance agency who is terrible at her job but an incredibly fast typewriter. When her talents are noticed by her handsome boss, Louis (Romain Duris), he takes it upon himself to train and transform her into the fastest typist in the world. He makes a bet with his friend that Rose can win the regional championship, but will their budding feelings for one another scupper her chance at success?

The Artist – 2011

Michel Hazanavicius’ modern hit sits firmly in the category for being one of the best films of all time. The Artist scooped up all the major awards, and won five Oscars including best film, director and actor for Jean Dujardin, the first French star to do so. The story takes place in 1920’s Hollywood, focusing on the relationship of an older silent film star George Valentin (Jean Dujardin) and rising young actress Peppy Miller (Bérénice Bejo). As the era of silent cinema takes its bow, Valentin fears of being replaced by the ‘talkies’. The film’s beautiful cinematography coupled with the shining performances by Dujardin and Bejo make it an instant stand-out classic.

Heartbreaker – 2010

Romain Duris plays Alex Lippi, the lynchpin of a business hired to drive a wedge between unsuitable couples, deploying his seductive charm to help women see the flaws in their relationships. His next assignment is Juliette (Vanessa Paradis), a strong-minded businesswoman who’s about to marry a charming, wealthy English philanthropist (Andrew Lincoln). Heartbreaker is smart, well-acted (with a stand-out performance from Paradis) film that thinks fast on its feet until the end.

Romantics Anonymous – 2010

From Jean-Pierre Améris, this gentle romantic comedy weaves together love and chocolate into a charming, feel-good confection. Benoît Poelvoorde plays Jean-René Van Den Hugde, the boss of a small chocolate factory who falls in love with Angélique (Isabelle Carré), the talented chocolate maker he’s recently hired. All would be straightforward if it weren’t for the fact that both individuals are extremely shy, making for a delightful will-they won’t-they story that puts a sweet spin on an age-old story.

Beautiful Lies – 2010

A staple of French cinema, Audrey Tautou stars in Pierre Salvadori’s playful film about Émilie (played by Tautou), the co-owner of a hair salon who receives an anonymous love letter from her handyman Jean (Sami Bouajila) who, unbeknownst to her, is actually a highly educated man. Thinking it will rouse her from a deep depression, Émilie forwards this letter to her mother (Nathalie Baye), and she is immediately smitten, though complications arrive when her daughter becomes the middleman in the pair’s burgeoning romance.

Amélie – 2001

The BAFTA-award winning Amelie was an instant hit, and became one of the most well known French films of this decade. It stars Audrey Tautou as Amélie Poulain, a shy waitress struggling with isolation, who finds bliss by devoting her life to the people around her. She resorts her own life to her own fantastical world and dreams of love and beauty. But in doing so, Amélie begins to leave behind her own life and her own quest for love. This French classic is a feel-good charmer that showcases Tautou as a delightful heroine, and introduced her to a wider international audience.

Up For Love

Up For Love is released in UK cinemas August 5

28th July 2016
Review: The Killing Joke

By Lewis Mainwaring

*Spoilers*

Fans of Alan Moore and Brian Bolland‘s 1988 definitive one-shot graphic novel – Batman: The Killing Joke, have been waiting a very long time to see a full-length adaptation.

Batman: The Killing Joke is a 2016 American animated superhero film produced by Warner Bros: Animation and distributed by Warner Bros: Pictures. The film is the twenty-sixth film in the DC Universe Animated Original Movies series.

Both the original graphic novel and this film is set in the fictional U.S. city of Gotham, Batman: The Killing Joke provides an origin story for the supervillain the Joker, loosely adapted from the 1951 story arc “The Man Behind the Red Hood!”.

Taking place over two timelines, The Killing Joke depicts the Joker attempting to drive Jim Gordon insane and Batman’s desperate attempt to stop him.

The film is directed by Sam Liu, written by Brian Azzarello and stars the voices of Kevin Conroy, Mark Hamill, Tara Strong and Ray Wise.

In January 2016, Bruce Timm (producer) revealed that the team had to “add a lot more story” for the film due to the source novel not being long enough to make a feature-length film.

This “added story” came in the form of the first 30 minutes or so that sees Batgirl on patrol and trying to stop robber and crime family member Paris Franz (Maury Sterling). During this cat and mouse game between Batgirl and Paris – Batman becomes even more concerned about her safety and takes her off the case.

Outraged, Batgirl starts attacking Batman both verbally and physically. She eventually subdues him, shares a kiss with him, and they have sex !!!!!!!!!!

Fast forward a few awkward minutes that sees Batgirl transform from heroin to stroppy teenager mooning over the Bat – she retires from crime-fighting – but not before she has some scenes bitching about her ‘mystery man’ with her gay friend and fellow library worker (who is a walking talking stereotype !!!). All that was missing from these scenes was Barbara heading out for a morning after pill !

At this point of the film I was ready to turn off the TV and give up !!!! – Moving on to the better part of the film – the ACTUAL Killing Joke. Which is set one week after Batgirl hangs up her cape (and pulls up her Bat-knickers – sorry had to write that !!!!).

This part of the film is very much a shot for shot remake of the graphic novel but with a feel of the 90’s animated series – which is of-course helped by so many of the voices coming straight from the show.

Created by Moore in 1988 as his own take on Joker’s source and psychology, the story became famous for its origin of the Joker as a tragic character; a family man and failed comedian who suffered “one bad day” that finally drove him insane. Moore stated that he attempted to show the similarities between the characters of Batman and the Joker.

The story’s effects on the mainstream Batman continuity also included the shooting and paralysis of Barbara Gordon (a.k.a.Batgirl), an event that laid the groundwork for her to develop the identity of Oracle. This development of her Oracle persona is shown in a mid-credits scene.

The films adaptation of the source material is excellent – however, the degrading of Batgirls character in the first 30 minutes makes it hard to become immersed in the dark, crazy antics of the Joker (even with Mark Hamill’s amazing performance).

The scene in the hospital where Batman ‘comforts’ Barbara just seems icky ! Is Batman going after the Joker due to a sense of morality or is he super pissed that the Joker shot up his fuck buddy !!!! – By this point you can tell I’m not letting this go !!!!

I personally think the expectation for The Killing Joke was ridiculously high and whatever was released would of not pleased everyone.

The use of Batgirl’s prologue could of been used to humanise and explore the complex character of Barbara Gordon; daughter of Commissioner who turns into caped-crimefighter.

Instead we had 30 minutes of sexist remarks, close ups of her tits and ass as Barbara goes jogging, sex on a roof, ‘funny’ period jokes and gossip with her offensively stereotypical gay friend Reese.

As a member of the LGBT community and as a 90’s child (where Batman: The Animated Series was my first taste of the Batman universe) – I was so excited to read there was going to be a ‘out’ gay character in this movie. My excitement quickly turned to fighting the urge to throw my TV out the window.

Overall I’d give this a 3/5 as the only saving grace for this piece of sexist garbage is the excellent voice work of the cast. Maybe the DC Animation department should now look to the future and work on original ideas instead of rehashing classic stories and turning them into this hideous car crash !

If you wanna see a feature length Batman Animated outing done right – go rent Mask of the Phantasm!!!!!

27th July 2016