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  • The Intergalactic Adventures Of Max Cloud: Review

    The Intergalactic Adventures Of Max Cloud: Review

    In an age where low-rent actioners are often pushed aside for bombastic blockbusters, Scott Akins’ endurance as a strong-willed action star has been a welcomed development. The Debt Collector star has pushed out a steady output of agreeable offerings, with Adkins’ steady presence often carrying middling material over the finish line. His latest lo-fi effort The Intergalactic Adventures of Max Cloud warmly delves into 80’s gamer culture with mostly winning results.

    Max Cloud follows Sarah (Isabella Allen) a skilled gamer who suddenly gets transported into the world of a new science fiction game. To escape this eternal purgatory, Sarah relies on her good friend Cowboy (Franz Drameh) and game’s heroic protagonist Max Cloud (Scott Akins) to defeat the nefarious Revengor (John Hannah).

    Writer/director Martin Owen has been searching for his footing as a genre filmmaker (Killers Anonymous was a well-intended mixed bag). Thankfully, Max Cloud extenuates his strengths and passions as a director. Owen adeptly dials into the 80’s bright synths and colors, evoking the period’s innate charms without overplaying his hand. The inspired visceral choices aid the film’s cheeky action setpieces, with Owen often finding a comfortable middle ground between well-coordinated stunts and entertaining action camp. Unlike other genre vehicles that tirelessly try (and fail) to evoke a finite cultural subsection, Max Cloud displays genuine knowledge and adoration for its unique time period (the melding of video game-esque frames with Cloud’s live-action setting is engaging and often quite clever).

    The cast is well-calibrated with the film’s tonal frequency. Scott Adkins has a blast as the self-serious Max Cloud, often finding ways to subvert the action star pastiche with his deft lampooning hand. His over-the-top bravado rings with an earnest cheesiness that registers most of the film’s best laughs. Isabella Allen and Franz Drameh infuse an infectious charisma into their archetype roles, morphing seemingly cliched characters into likable lived in personas. Supporting players Tommy Flanagan, John Hannah, and the future James Bond Lashana Lynch also have a blast with their colorful roles.

    The Intergalactic Adventures of Max Cloud boasts a scrappy energy that’s often endearing, yet there are still glaring inconsistencies present throughout. Owen’s screenplay serviceably tells a light-hearted narrative, but his effort does little to build an experience with substantive impact. The characters are relatively one-dimensional while the story beats play out with a casual obviousness. Max Cloud’s humor streak also lacks consistency, overplaying gags till they become tiresome to endure.

    It may play into genre formula, but Max Cloud offers an agreeable diversion through its creative video game lens.

    The Intergalactic Adventures of Max Cloud is now available on VOD platforms, and in the UK on digital, DVD & Blu-ray from 18th January 2021.

  • Minari: The BRWC Review

    Minari: The BRWC Review

    Minari: The BRWC Review. By Liam Trump.

    Ever since its initial release at Sundance, people can’t stop talking about Lee Isaac Chung’s Minari. Since Sundance, Minari won awards at nearly every film festival it was shown at. The H\hype stems from a number of reasons. This film is distributed by A24, it won the Audience Award and the Grand Jury Prize at Sundance, and the ensemble cast got nothing but praise. It’s clear to see that Minari is one of the most prominent films of 2020.

    The story of Minari mainly follows a Korean family as they must adapt to their new living conditions after moving to Arkansas. Each member of the family has distinct character traits, creating poignant, dramatic beats throughout the film. The father, Jacob played by Steven Yeun has a burning desire to live the American dream at all costs. The mother, Monica played by Yeri Han doesn’t have the same ambitions as her husband, wanting to live a simple, normal life. Both of their children now have to get used to the new living conditions, a mobile home in the middle of a field. 

    Later on, Monica’s mother comes to join the family, bring her own Korean culture which strongly clashes with Jacob and Monica’s son, David. David hasn’t been to Korea and is confused with Soonja’s mannerisms. The fact that both David and Soonja were born and experienced two different countries is the main driving force of their relationship. 

    Going back to Jacob, he wants to have a garden where he can gown Korean vegetables and capitalize off of that market. He’s told at the beginning of the film that Reagon’s new policies would help with these aspirations. He even has help from Will Patton’s character, Paul, who gives advice to Jacob and is even the first guest that the Yi family hosts. Everything seems to be working out for Jacob: he’s bonding with his son, has found a source of free water, and a store that will sell his food. 

    The first time the Yi family go to church is when it can be clearly seen how different they are from all the other families. The pastor asks everyone who’s new to stand up and, in one of the best-framed shots in the movie, it’s just the Yi family that stood up. During this sequence, David meets an American boy around his own age, Johnnie. Johnnie, more than anything, is fascinated by David. They form a type of friendship with ending up with David sleeping over at Johnnie’s house. While the sleepover isn’t necessarily integral to the part, it does expose David to the nature of another American family. Johnnie’s Dad pretty much leaves them to their own devices, asking Johnnie not to tell his mother of this. Before he leaves; however, he tells David of the Yi family’s house previous owner and how he killed himself since the land offered him no success. 

    While everything was going well for Jacob, his success runs out. The well where he bounded with his son and was the foundation of his garden ran dry. His solution to this is to simply take from the water supply that they’re actually paying for in order for his produce to grow. Monica notices this immediately and see’s first hand how this idea of the American dream has tampered with Jacob’s priorities, creating an obsession in the process. 

    Filmmaking-wise, Minari excels in nearly every aspect. The acting from the aforementioned Steven Yeun is truly amazing. Basically, the entire cast does a terrific job in delivering dialogue and emotion. The color palette is quite simple on the surface, but it brilliantly captures the scenery of this field in Arkansas. This coupled with Emile Mosseri’s score creates a beautiful atmosphere through the art direction and music alone. Minari also had some great comedy. The dynamic between David and Soonja lead to many creative scenarios. This dynamic is special in the way that it doesn’t show brainless humor, but there’s a real emotional core to it. 

    All in all, Minari is a wonderful film full of endearing characters and a legitimate commentary on America. Lee Isaac Chung deconstructed the American dream, ambition, and family in a grounded, natural way. There could’ve easily been a stronger focus on racism, but that would’ve contradicted the story he’s trying to express. While some of the tonal changes were a bit jarring, Minari still manages to be one of the best movies 2020 has to offer. 

  • The Pale Door: Review

    The Pale Door: Review

    Jake (Devin Druid) has had a hard life, as most would have had growing up in the old west. When he was young, his parents were killed when their family home was raided by bandits, leaving Jake alone with his brother, Duncan (Zachary Knighton).

    Years later, Jake meets the Dalton gang and seeing as they’re a man short after a gunfight, they coerce Jake into helping them rob a train, despite Duncan’s objections. Seeing no other choice, Duncan joins them, but after the robbery goes wrong, Duncan is wounded.

    To top it all off they also find a woman named Pearl (Natasha Bassett) inside a chest that they steal and she tells them that if they take her home then they will be greatly rewarded.

    When they get there, they are greeted warmly by a group of women who seem to be the only residents in town. Nonetheless, the gang soon settle down and indulge themselves in what the town has to offer, including the women. However, when the women find out that Jake has never taken a life and is a virgin, they reveal their true forms to horrifying effect.

    The Pale Door is a Western horror story coming exclusively to Shudder which may be a little difficult to talk about considering its twist. Starting out as a typical western, the world built is something that fully tells its audience that this is the Old West. However, The Pale Door is on Shudder, so despite initial impressions, you may know that something supernatural is about to happen.

    The plot could be likened in structure to another bandit themed movie with a horror twist from the Nineties, but again that would also give away too much of the twist. Let’s just say that those who wish to watch The Pale Door may enjoy it best by knowing very little about it.

    Unfortunately, this may put some people off though as there is a long wait until the action starts and when it does it may leave some people disappointed. There are some good effects and fans of body horror may be pleased by the inventive deaths, but in the end The Pale Door feels like a great premise wasted on something that takes too long to get going.

  • Crock Of Gold: Review

    Crock Of Gold: Review

    Crock of Gold: A Few Rounds with Shane MacGowan – Review. By Trent Neely.

    This documentary details the life and career of Shane MacGowan, infamous Irish poet and lead singer of The Pogues. Spanning MacGowan’s early days growing up on a farm in Tipperary Ireland to the present day, the film serves both as an expose on what led to MacGowan becoming the influential figure he became, and a retrospective on what his lasting legacy for the genre of punk music and the Irish people has been.

    The film particularly shines in its first half, detailing Shane’s upbringing in Ireland to his emergence on the punk scene with The Pogues in England. With a combination of interviews, archival footage, dramatizations, and clever short animations, director Julien Temple, editor Caroline Richards, and the rest of the crew do a great job of making sure that the film remains engaging despite the heavy amount of exposition present. Especially considering that MacGowan himself is shown to be resistant to prompts from interviewers when asked direct questions.

    When he does answer, it is short, blunt and unashamed in its reveal of a man who has fully pushed life to the edge. Yet despite their simple delivery, most of MacGowan’s statements offer layered  insight into music, history, society and his own behavior. As we hear him talk about exploring the Irish countryside in his youth, enjoying his first drinks with family and hearing Irish poetry around town, MacGowan’s love for the Irish culture and its legacy is made perfectly clear. 

    MacGowan’s art is not entirely defined by romance and nostalgia however. Archival footage and interviewees illustrate how strong the conflict between the English and the Irish was during the 20th century. MacGowan himself talks about how he was isolated and bullied when his family came to England due to the fact that they were Irish. MacGowan is portrayed in the film as feeling almost duty bound to proudly proclaim his heritage, revitalize Irish music, and also use it to help bring awareness to the strife and complexity of the Irish people worldwide.

    These historical facets illustrate quite effectively that an artist and art itself is not only formed by talent, but the circumstances and times in which the artist and art are crafted. When considering this cultural context,  the audience comes to understand why his songs evocative of Irish music of the past were both so beloved by fans and so meaningful to MacGowan himself, he wasn’t just making music for himself, he was making it for Ireland.

    The second half of the film details MacGowan’s life as he battles addiction and wrestles with the increased commercial nature of his music, feeling pressure to write songs that top the charts and play well in various markets. While the first half’s foundation helps the audience understand why Macgowan became so frustrated and depressed by his lack of artistic creativity and integrity, MacGowan’s purpose was to revitalize a genre and celebrate a culture not to just make money after all.

    Audiences familiar with the stories surrounding artists damaged by addictive tendencies and embittered by the profit-centric mindset of the music industry may find that the second half of the film drags slightly and be somewhat derivative in format. Though it does serve to paint a full picture of who MacGowan is, celebrating him for all his idiosyncrasies and complexities.

    If you are looking for a film that shows how time, history, culture, and tradition can influence art and a story of how art can help someone find their voice and speak about what matters to them, watch this film if given a chance.    

  • Wonder Woman 1984: The BRWC Review

    Wonder Woman 1984: The BRWC Review

    Wonder Woman 1984: The BRWC Review. By Alif Majeed.

    After watching Avengers Endgame, you realize that it would be hard to top that movie in a long while. Especially now, with Marvel focusing as much on their TV shows and the DC universe, it is hellbent on steering its superhero movies into TV shows or giving it the small screen treatment. But I’m happy to say that WW84 makes a case for solo hero movies, which does not hold back with spectacle and creates a sequel that mostly works. 

    I was apprehensive when the movie started, as it opens with a Quidditch cum Hunger Games like contest set among the Amazonian where special effects looked pretty quizzical. As the scene progressed, though, I felt myself getting caught with the escalating spectacle.

    One thing that bothered me when I knew Chris Pine was returning was how they planned to bring back Steve Trevor. Dead characters coming back is not that unusual in the comics, and Steve has come back from the dead in the books, but you do wonder how it would convince on screen. Thankfully, they got him back in a way that makes sense and is in line with what was happening in the movie. 

    After Wonder Woman thwarts a robbery in a mall, the Smithsonian Institute, where she works under her Diana Prince identity, comes in possession of some rare artifacts, including an ancient one that seems to have some strange powers. Pretty soon, it catches the attention of Maxwell Lord (Pedro Pascal), a TV millionaire hiding a lot more than he lets on and desperately wanting the artifact for himself. 

    Kooky artifacts asides, a large part of what works in the movie is the cast and how invested they are in what is happening. Gal Gadot has long become the face of the DC universe, and this movie makes it clear that it will remain so for quite a while. She is the living, breathing center of the film, and, to her credit, she lets none of the supporting cast upstage her even while remaining secure and gracious with others getting their place under the sun.

    As Steve Trevor, Chris Pine is one of the better superheroes’ other halves, and you are glad seeing him in Diana’s corner. There is a scene where Steve Trevor and Diane Lane are trying to break into a building to investigate the artifact. The moment he sees the entrance locked, he immediately lets Diane do the honors without an iota of ego or a misplaced sense of masculinity.

    Here is a guy who knows his place, which makes it satisfying to see him know precisely when to take charge, even coming to her rescue when she needs it. There may be a time when Diane gets together with other people with Steve long becoming a footnote, but the pleasure and clear love Patty Jenkins and the team had for this couple shows.

    The secret weapon of the movie is an effective Kristen Wiig as Barbara Minerva, aka Cheetah. Actors who are known for their comedic talents tend to add their quirks and personality to the character. Or try to adlib their way through many of their lines, which sometimes come across as showy. Many may not agree with me, but I was grateful that she plays the character straight because she could have gone overboard to Jim Carrey in Batman Returns level proportions.

    Speaking of Jim Carrey’s Tommy Lee Jones, Pedro Pascal plays the big bad in a role supposed to have been offered to Tom Cruise first. That is not surprising as Maxwell Lord appears as a cross between Lex Luthor and Donald Trump bunny looped with Tom Cruise. (Or at least Christian Bale’s interpretation of him in American Psycho). To his credit, even when he is hamming his way around the character, Pedro Pascal holds your attention and sometimes even your sympathy. It is also quite a pleasure to see Maxwell going all out with the artifact and its powers and Wonder Woman trying to stop him with some help from Steve Trevor. 

    Despite a lot of what works in the movie, there are still things that don’t. For example, the special effects in some places, especially during the climax boss fight between Cheetah (Kristen Wiig) and Wonder Woman, threatens to derail the movie. It almost did for the prequel where the climactic battle looked out of place with the rest of the film, and the same thing happens here. 

    And the rules about how the artifact works and what powers it is also a bit confusing. There were at least a couple of times where I caught myself asking, “Wait, what are the rules of that thing again?”. But it is easy to let go of the nitpicking when you realize that what you are watching is a pretty fun movie.

    It is a real shame that the movie would not get a full release in the theaters in some regions. Giving the present situation that might be what the future business model will be but WW84 does make a case for the theatre spectacle. It deserves to be seen in the theatres as it is a real big event blockbuster that needs the big screen treatment.