Monday was known as Spiderman Day; a day where fans celebrated Marvel’s famous webslinger. And, with the latest Spiderman film, ‘No Way Home’, due to be released this year, fans were hoping for a trailer. But they didn’t get their wish. Instead, Sony released a second trailer for the Venom sequel, titled ‘Venom: Let There Be Carnage’.
‘Venom: Let There Be Carnage’ sees Eddie Brock (Tom Hardy – Mad Max: Fury Road) and symbiote Venom learning to co-exist with each other. However, their somewhat peaceful life is interrupted when a new symbiote emerges: Carnage, who’s host is serial killer Cletus Kasady (Woody Harrelson – Zombieland)
Venom and Carnage are my favourite Marvel characters, and the 2018 film was one that I really enjoyed. It was reminiscent of the superhero movies from the early 2000’s and wasn’t ashamed of its tone, plus Tom Hardy is great as Eddie Brock/Venom. Therefore, it comes as no surprise that I cannot wait for the sequel. The film will mark the first-time fans will have a live action Carnage…and it looks fantastic and very comic book accurate.
And the casting for Cletus Kasady is perfect; I think Woody Harrelson will give a great performance; I just hope the film doesn’t show Cletus too much compared to Carnage’s screentime. With a character like this, I also hope the film is much darker and violent compared to its predecessor, as Carnage is a much more sinister character.
But, overall, ‘Venom: Let There Be Carnage’ looks fantastic. The casting for Carnage is perfect and the new symbiote itself looks fantastic. This is a film that I will definitely see in cinemas and, while this wasn’t the trailer that Spiderman fans were hoping for, I’m sure they won’t have too long to wait now. Hopefully.
Old Synopsis: A separating couple, Guy (Gael García Bernal) and Prisca (Vicky Krieps), on a tropical holiday, discovers that the secluded beach where they are staying is somehow causing them to age rapidly, reducing their entire lives into a single day. Based on the graphic novel Sandcastle by Frederik Peeters.
From “The Next Spielberg” to The Last Airbender, M. Night Shyamalan has experienced it all during his multi-decade run as a singular storyteller. While some fixate on his ambitious flops, I can’t celebrate Shyamalan enough for his wide-eyed flair behind the camera. Few directors in the mainstream can match his innovative storytelling and dynamic verve, with Shyamalan crafting an unprecedented run of haunting fables for a broad sensibility (we can ignore After Earth).
M Night’s latest high-concept endeavor, Old, pushes his filmmaking trademarks to their absolute apex. In a story where strangers combat their aging angst amidst supernatural circumstances, Old features Shyamalan returning to his peak of imaginative storytelling. It’s a breathtaking ride that only Shyamalan could dream up, intoxicating viewers through his visceral yet emotionally compelling descent into our untapped fears.
In a mainstream sphere dominated by conformist sensibilities, Shyamalan’s go-for-broke craftsmanship is a feast for the eyes. He and Cinematographer Mike Gioulakis convey our character’s loss of reality through a hypnotic blend of dynamic shots and edits. Matched with pitch-perfect framing (Shyamalan’s playfully pushes his PG-13 rating to the limit with some eerie scares), Shyamalan’s visceral craft sets an intoxicating spell for viewers to get lost in. The camera swoops around with technical aplomb while still purposefully enhancing the film’spotent conceits.
Old excels in horror’s crowdpleasing shock, but that isn’t Shyamalan’s only goal. His adaptation of Frederik Peeters’s inventive material digs at the heart of the character’s ever-slipping grasp on time. The first two acts are cleverly framed as a deranged descent into the characters – and the audiences – deepest fears, stuck moving in fast-forward with no control of their untimely fates. After masking us in horrors, Shyamalan skillfully pulls the curtain to reveal a surprisingly balanced sense of emotionality.
While we can not control the unavoidable, Shymalan understands the melancholic beauty rendered from the passage of time. Standout performances from Gael García Bernal and Vicky Krieps work brilliantly to sell these nuances. Both actors skillfully tap into Shymalan’s detached writing style, encompassing the overbearing existential dread before executing a few warmly tender moments. It all works to create a resounding third act, which bristles with thrilling frights and deeply humanistic sentiments that still stick with me today.
Like every M. Night film, critics have levied a familiar list of complaints. Some find his writing too rigid while others critique his desire to create sensational plot turns with every narrative. Can I call Old a technically perfect film? Probably not, but that didn’t stop me from being enamored with its lively balance between entertainment and emotive storytelling. In a summer movie season crowded with routine blockbusters, Old is the first film to conjure genuine imagination and excitement.
I love seeing Shyamalan still operate like a wide-eyed kid even after trials and tribulations in the industry. His joy and creativity behind the camera are simply infectious, and I hope Old serves as the beginning of a new era of brilliance for the auteur.
“Friend of the world” is a scifi horror comedy film written and directed by Brian Patrick Butler. After his first two short films “The Phantom Hour” (2016) and “Hatred” (2015), Brian Patrick Butler returns to his favorite themes, drama, horror and human madness. The film was nominated for “Best Narrative Feature” and “Best Actor” for Nick Young at the 2020 San Diego Film Awards.
It premiered in 2020 at the Oceanside International Film Festival and is now streaming worldwide. The story follows Diane (played by Alexandra Slade), a young film maker, who after waking up alive amidst several lifeless bodies, meets Gore (played by Nick Young), an eccentric military man who lives in a bunker following a global war that has resulted in a post-apocalyptic context.
The film, composed in 5 acts and filmed in black and white, oscillates between realism and surrealism with the appearance of some metaphorical scenes. The second act illustrating the meeting between Diane and Gore is entitled “Boy meets girl” which is a possible reference to the film of French director Leos Carax, also in black and white. In ‘Friend of the world’, this use of black and white works very well and gives to the film a rather particular aspect by which we are quickly seduced.
Throughout the film, the influence of other directors can be felt. One can think in particular of Cronenberg and his way of modifying and playing with human skin and its various textures, in films like “Videodrome” (1983) or “ExistenZ” (1999). The film, carried by the good performance of its two actors Alexanda Slade and Nick Young, as well as by a careful and interesting writing and a clean photography works very well.
Gore, the character of Nick Young seems to have been written especially for him, he is really very good and brings a lot to the film. However, some viewers who are used to more mainstream films might not appreciate the surrealistic side of the film and some of the special effects/scenery, that with a bigger budget could probably be more successful.
For his debut away from short films, Brian Patrick Butler does an interesting job. However, we would like to see what he is capable of doing with a bigger budget that would allow him to reach a wider audience and to let his creativity run free.
“The Fever”, directed by Maya Da-Rin, is a Brazilian film which has received more than 24 awards and 7 nominations in different festivals around the world. The film focuses mainly on the latent effects of capitalism and industrialization on the people but also on the Brazilian biodiversity.
Justino (played by Regis Myrupu) is a 45 year-old member of the indigenous Desana people. He works as a security guard in the port of Manaus and recently develops a mysterious fever. Justino is a discreet man, following the death of his wife and the departure of his son, he lives alone with his daughter Vanessa (played by Rosa Peixoto). She has been admitted to a medical school in the Brazilian capital and will soon leave him.
The film is composed of many fixed shots. These shots allow us to appreciate superb sequences filmed between the containers on the port of Manaus, in the agitation of the city or in the sumptuous and green Brazilian forest. The rhythm of the film is relatively slow, very contemplative and allows us to penetrate intensely into the repetitive daily life of Justino. The multiple moments of silence that shape the film also contribute to this desired slowness.
Through this film, Maya Da-Rin, an anti-Bolsonaro, tries to alarm us about the catastrophic current state of Brazil. We find several strong themes, racism, massive industrialization leading to the destruction of biodiversity, generational shock but also the alienation of workers.
Within his work, Justino is monitored, restricted. In his own words, he feels “like a hunter without a prey” and thus maintains a feeling of uselessness. After long hours alone guarding containers, he has to walk for a long time to reach the first public transport to finally get home. Régis Myrupu is amazing in this role of a solitary man, almost mute, who seems powerless, and ready to accept his fate.
Through the character of Justino and his daughter Vanessa, Maya Da-Rin paints a portrait of the city of Manaus. A city which has progressed economically, leaving behind its people at every levels, public transport, access to health and education. A city that destroys and damages the surrounding natural spaces without really caring about the impact this could have in the future.
With “The Fever”, Maya Da-Rin succeeds in her challenge. She manages to make a shocking film, aesthetically successful. In which the rhythm is perfectly controlled and the characters smartly written and justly interpreted.
With its tension, emotion and twisting narratives, football is the perfect subject for movies. There have been plenty over the years, and some particularly special creations that linger long in the memory.
#1 Friday Night Lights
This movie was such a success that it spawned its own television series. It has everything that you’d want from a movie of any genre, including emotion, a stellar set of performances and even thought-provoking social commentary. Friday Night Lights revolves around a Texan football coach struggling to keep his successful team together after their star player is injured. It’s about far more than that, though, and examines the social pressures of the town.
#2 Leatherheads
Far removed from the seriousness of Friday Night Lights, Leatherheads is an overwhelmingly feel-good sports comedy. It’s star-studded too, with performances from George Clooney, John Krasinski and Renée Zellweger. The narrative follows a football captain (Clooney) as he strives to give the sport more mass market appeal and boost its popularity. It’s certainly not the movie of choice for purists but it’s laugh out loud funny.
#3 Silver Linings Playbook
Silver Linings Playbook shifts the action away from the field to focus on fans instead. The protagonist is a football fan fresh out of a mental institution. He returns home to rebuild his relationship with his father but quickly falls for a family friend played by Jennifer Lawrence. Among all the action, it’s a love of football that binds this movie together. If you’re a long time follower of the sport, own a season ticket and follow all the latest NFL betting trends, then you’ll love Silver Linings Playbook.
#4 Little Giants
An underdog tale with a twist, Little Giants puts Rick Moranis in the starring role. He’s charged with developing a team of young talent to defeat an elite squad coached by his brother. The dynamic between the two rival coaches is fascinating and the underdog tale heartwarming, but there’s more depth to Little Giants than meets the eye. The town is riven with social and economic divides that come to the fore on the pitch.
#5 The Waterboy
This strange tale of a misfit waterboy who becomes the star of his college football team shouldn’t work as well as it does. It’s outright bizarre, but Sandler embodies the role of the titular waterboy and there are laughs at every turn. The movie also has an emotional undertone as the waterboy’s mother tries to keep hold of him and shield him from the outside world. Sandler’s comedies can be hit and miss at times, but this falls firmly into the category of a big and hilarious hit.
#6 We Are Marshall
Based on a true story, this movie can be a difficult watch at times, but it’s poignant, affirming and (eventually) heartwarming. Mathew McConaughey stars as a coach who must nurture his team through one of the most difficult periods of their life, in the wake of a plane crash that killed many of their fellow players.
