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The Hunter Anthology: Review

Mac (Taylor August) is a demon hunter and his latest hunt takes him into the subway. There’s already a small group of people waiting to go about their day when the train suddenly stops and Mac reveals his true intentions.

He believes that one of them is a demon and he’s going to have to look into their souls to reveal who the demon is and stop them before they continue their evil rampage. However, the group are all holding dark secrets and so as each story plays out, Mac discovers that these seemingly innocent people have pasts that are bubbling beneath the surface.

The Hunter Anthology is a short anthology series written and directed by Robert Smithline that seemingly pays homage to anthology series from the 90’s that were very short lived, low budget and were only really made to fill the schedule until something better came along.

With its obviously low budget, Smithline’s scripts have to make up for it and besides some shoddy special effects, the stories may be the thing that draws in the audience. Unfortunately, although The Hunter Anthology may be taking inspiration from less than top quality work, it’s unclear as to whether it’s a parody or whether it’s truly sincere.

There are stories such as a woman who takes revenge on a tarot reader for ruining her sister’s life, a couple taunted by a demon who they spy on a security camera and even a man who may or may not be trapped inside a hospital for the mentally ill.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wRpTo4adj0g

The trick is to work out whether the makers of the series really think that the series is a masterpiece or whether the stories are so exaggerated that they’re meant to be funny. A particular highlight is a story about conjoined twins that’s so over the top that it becomes funny and is probably the most memorable one.

To casual viewers, The Hunter’s Anthology may just be a badly made, badly acted series that they probably should waste their time with. However, some people might get a kick out of it because it’s slightly reminiscent of a late-night TV show that they may have accidentally started watching so long ago.

17th July 2021
Nine Days: Another Review

Great films find a way to take the minor happenings of the human experience and express them so poignantly that it’s as if we’re seeing them for the first time. Edson Oda’s debut feature “Nine Days” is one such film, a singularly beautiful piece of evocative cinema designed to explore what it means to live.

We follow Will (Winston Duke), a calm and contained man whom we meet in his quaint house surrounded by ethereal desert. He sits watching television, only there are many screens, and each one shows a different POV shot. Quickly it becomes apparent that each screen represents a life in our world, and Will is who sent them there; he is a selector. In this otherworldly place, souls appear to meet selectors, in hopes that they choose them to be a lucky soul who lives. So, when Will’s favourite soul passes suddenly, her screen goes black, leaving him the solemn duty of filling the vacancy.

What proceeds to play out is one of film’s most powerful explorations of theology. Souls come to Will, and he commences a series of interviews to determine which one he’ll select. In between the discussions, they watch the screens to learn about life and interact with Kyo (Benedict Wong), a sort of assistant and friend to Will. At the start, there are many souls, and each comes and goes as Will names them and takes their photo. However, the bulk of Nine Days revolves around only five. They are as follows, Mike (David Rysdahl), Alexander (Tony Hale), Maria (Arianna Ortiz), Kane (Bill Skarsgård) and Emma (Zazie Beetz). Each one connects with Will in their own way as time slowly forces them to confront that if they are not selected, life as they know it ends. Here the idea of existence before birth is realised in a confronting manner; it’s a purgatory before any joy. Yet Oda embraces his sombre atmosphere, and in doing so, uncovers something undeniably hopeful about the human condition.

With five candidates and one spot to fill, we ultimately witness the heart-shattering conversations Will must have to send away the spirits not selected. When this occurs, he offers them the chance to experience the one thing they loved most while witnessing life. As these moments come alive, so begins some of the rawest and most impactful filmmaking I’ve seen in years. Here Oda takes his blank slate souls and explores them in a fashion that proves anyone, from pessimist to optimist and all in between, can experience the simple delights of living. One asks for the pleasures of an evening at the beach, and another the glories of a bike ride down the street, and when they get these things, the realisation that is all they’ll ever live hits, and it hits hard. Both moments are profoundly moving, and they elevate Nine Days above being a platitude and into the realm of a genuine masterwork.

Of course, this isn’t possible without the fantastic cast. The work from the entire ensemble glows with so much humanity and turmoil that they feel authentic even in their uniquely constructed world. Some are cerebral, some are blithe, others are kind, and some are too kind, but all of them are indelible, and each performance makes sure of that. The strongest of which is most certainly Duke’s. Will becomes obsessive over the death of his favourite soul, spending hours puzzling out how it is that she could die. It makes him a tortured figure as he goes about his job effectively replacing her, and Duke displays this with devastating repression and pitch-perfect sensitivity. It is the finest work of his short career, and I hope we see many more performances like it.

Nine Days is a gorgeous cinematic musing on the meaning of life, and it makes for an auspicious debut for Edson Oda, who is sure to become a star director in the near future.

16th July 2021
Gunpowder Milkshake: The BRWC Review

Gunpowder Milkshake Synopsis: In her turbulent life as a professional assassin, Scarlet (Lena Headey) was cruelly forced to abandon her daughter Sam (Karen Gillan) and go on the run. Years later, despite the estrangement, Sam has also grown up into a cold-blooded hitwoman. After a high-stake mission spins out of control, Sam has no choice but to team up with her estranged mother and her associates.

While big streamers set their eyes on expensive acquisitions (Amazon Prime purchased several discarded Paramount properties), Netflix is wisely shifting towards their own in-house franchises. Promising debut chapters like Enola Holmes and The Old Guard displayed the streamer’s eye for creative switch-ups from blockbuster formula. It’s been a joy to see a studio take genuine risks with their money, even if all those chances haven’t exactly paid off (looking at you, Bright).

Netflix’s latest throw at the dartboard, Gunpowder Milkshake, embraces a multi-generational tale following poised female assassins battling against an enigmatic agency. It’s a brilliant concept, one where writer/director Navot Papushado and co-writer Ehud Lavski can personify their own stamp amongst the crowded action subgenre. Instead of reinventing, Gunpowder Milkshake‘s overproduced emptiness sinks under the weight of its appealing aesthetics.

Papushado’s film desperately wants to go for the gusto. He and his team spend ample energy on inventive world-building, establishing a striking pallet of sets and costumes that playfully dances away from the genre’s overly machismo tendencies. All the vibrant decor helps set the tone for a tongue-in-cheek deviation from the run-of-the-mill formula. I give Papushado and Lavski credit for creatively meshing the violent extremes of gnarly, R-rated actioners with an acute sense of self-awareness. Gunpowder Milkshake’s unique cocktail of traits could have created a sharp and semi-reflexive spin on the genre’s inequitable gender dynamics if executed properly.

Gunpowder Milkshake sadly never discovers that intriguing wavelength. Papushado and Lavski find themselves settling for the bare minimum, coasting off inventive design work and hollow corporate pandering under the guise of a dynamic personality (the few feminist-driven scenes are hilariously underwritten). Buried beneath the perfunctory colors and noisy song choices, there’s virtually nothing to excite or engage even the most hardened of action fans.

Papushado’s action reeks of flat busyness, with the director impassionately dancing between varied angles without developing a rhythmic momentum. There’s a handful of impactful stunts along the way (a goon gets beheaded by a falling tooth prop), but the distinct lack of energy behind the camera prohibits much of a punch. For a film vying for a hard-R rating, the action often feels weightless in its overly-coordinated design (many of the hand-to-hand scenes leave a staged aroma).

Where the action struggles to ignite, the narrative feels equally thankless. The two scribes create a generic amalgamation of action movie cliches, as the film’s distant mother-daughter relationship and makeshift family dynamics lack the genuine emotionality to surpass their foreboding cliches. A great ensemble cast should plausibly boost investment, but none of the actors are given much material to work with. Karen Gillan’s vacant protagonist is stuck operating in the wooden action hero mold, while all-time greats like Lena Headey, Michelle Yeoh, and Angela Basset are woefully underutilized as thankless action figures. Seriously, it should be a crime to waste a cast with so many prominent talents.

Gunpowder Milkshake wants to spearhead a new franchise (a flat ending tease certainly makes this apparent). However, Papushado and Lavski’s disengaged effort blunders from its calculated studio cynicism. For the planned sequel, including more women behind the camera should become a central priority.

Gunpowder Milkshake is now available on Netflix.

16th July 2021
Giant Monster Movies: A Brief History

Giant Monster Movies: A Brief History – The ‘kaiju’ film – the Japanese giant monster movie – includes such classic screen icons as mutated sea monster Godzilla, flying caterpillar deity Mothra and towering turtle Gamera. Among the multitude of magnificent monsters was Daimajin, inspired by the ancient Golem story where a large stone-carved being comes to life. The Daimajin Trilogy has been brought back to life by ARROW VIDEO in a Limited Edition 3-disc collection that comes with postcards, a 100-page book, and beautiful restorations of the three classic 1960’s kaiju films. To celebrate the release, here’s a look at the magnificent seven key players on the monster movie scene.

1. King Kong

The success of the 1931 Hollywood epic King Kong would not only kickstart the ‘creature feature’ genre, but also became a staple part of Japanese kaiju film. RKO, who owned the rights, licensed Kong to the famous Toho film studio in Japan – resulting in King Kong v Godzilla in 1962 and King Kong Escapes in 1967. The massive ape might have looked a bit flea-bitten in the Toho films, but you’d never say it to his face.

2. Godzilla

Toho had come up with their very own giant monster in 1954, in the form of a sea creature disturbed by underwater hydrogen bomb testing who goes on the rampage. The original film, Godzilla, features not only fantastic effects and a lovable monster, but provided a pertinent commentary on man’s fraught and neglectful relationship with his environment. In the subsequent thirty plus Godzilla films, he went up against the likes of Astro-Monster, Mechagodzilla, King Kong and Mothra – and, of course, has been the subject of several big budget Hollywood remakes.

3. Mothra

Following roughly the same outline as the King Kong and Godzilla films that preceded it, Mothra (1961) featured the title character, an island deity in the form of a flying caterpillar, setting off to rescue two fairies who have been kidnapped by a greedy businessman. Mothra became the second most popular kaiju character after Godzilla, and appears in 11 films alongside him.

4. Mighty Peking Man

Let’s take a brief foray to Hong Kong, for Ho Meng Hua’s King Kong-inspired Mighty Peking Man, one of the most unmissable insane monster movies ever made. A restored version of the film will be available later this year as part of Arrow Video’s Shaw Brothers’ classics, the box set Shawscope Volume One.

5. Ultraman

This kaiju superhero burst onto the small screen with his own series in 1966. Ultraman is an alien being who ends up on Earth, chasing after an alien… and gives a human the power to turn himself into a giant superhero – just in time to stop a series of attacks on the planet by giant monsters! As well as the TV series, there was a film in 1967, followed by a whole series of Ultraman adventures – and this year sees the release of a reimagining of the character in Shin Ultraman.

6. Gamera

The titanic terrapin Gamera appeared in a host of films, from 1965’s Gamera the Giant Monster to 2006’s Gamera The Brave (all recently restored and re-issued by Arrow Video). Gamera, a giant prehistoric turtle, is awoken by the accidental detonation of an atomic bomb. He was, in his earlier films, more light-hearted and kid-friendly, developing into the ‘Guardian of the Universe’ in the groundbreaking 1990s reboot series, The Heisei Trilogy, often hailed as three of the best kaiju films ever made.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C5S5dsrUJEQ

7. Daimajin

The Daimajin Trilogy is a unique kaiju series that transplanted the ancient Golem legend to Japan’s Warring States period of the late-16th century. It features three thrilling tales (Daimajin, Return of Daimajin and Wrath of Daimajin) of feudal oppression and divine retribution meted out by the iconic stone warrior of the title, combining lavish period detail with jaw-dropping special effects. What chance do mere mortals have against the crushing stone fists and stamping stone feet of the mighty Daimajin? Clue: not much of one.

The Daimajin Trilogy is available on Limited Edition Blu-ray 26th July from Arrow Video

15th July 2021
Teddy: Review

“Teddy” is a French film written and directed by the Boukherma brothers. Released in France on June 30, the film won the special jury prize at the Gerardmer International Fantastic Film Festival and has the “Cannes 2020” label. Teddy (played by Anthony Bajon), 19 years old, is a young man with no reference points and no diploma. He lives in a small country village with his uncle and works as a temp in a massage parlor. His girlfriend, Rebecca (Christine Gautier), has just graduated from high school. One night during a full moon, he is scratched by an unknown beast in the forest.

Despite the synopsis, the film is not a werewolf movie as we are used to see like “Wolfman” (2010) by Joe Johnston. Indeed, the film alternates between comedy, drama, fantasy and horror. Teddy is a teenager who has difficulty to find his place in society. He is rejected by other people of his age who are still in school. Frequently humiliated in his work and violated by the police of his village. All this will gradually lead to frustration and anger.

In this film, the werewolf is more used as a concept than as the central subject of the film. By artistic choice or/and by lack of budget, Ludovic and Zoran Boukherma have chosen to not really show the werewolf, relying on some tricks. This allows to maintain the mystery about the existence of the wolf during the whole film.

The writing of the character of Teddy is very interesting, despite his raw and aggressive side, he is really touching, thanks to Anthony Bajon, we can feel the different emotions of Teddy and develop true empathy. All this makes him a very complete and really interesting character. We feel that the two directors know and understand the subjects and the universe they approach. First of all, they present, through the character of Teddy, a youth that violently confronts reality, which advances without reference points and that painfully experiences the different aspects of life.

Moreover, the fact that the film takes place in a village in the Pyrenees brings something special to the film. We find the southern accent in actors who are not professional for the most part. All of this creates a very particular universe to the film, and gives off a certain lightness, as if this small village had no link with the rest of the world. We can also notice that the two directors seem to have bathed in horror cinema. Throughout the film, they use certain codes of classic horror cinema, between a simple homage and a real scenaristic utility, these different sequences work very well. However, I would have liked the film to focus more on horror, to see how far the mastery of the Boukherma brothers goes in this genre.

Thanks to the impressive performance of Anthony Bajon and the superb work of the young Boukherma brothers and their team, “Teddy” is a real comic, dramatic and fantastic success. However, this comic success taints the horrific aspect of the film. It will be interesting to follow the next work of Anthony and Zoran Boukherma, who look very promising.

15th July 2021