How did you come up with the idea for Bullets of Justice?
It all started with a music video for my band Project Zenit. Valeri Milev came up with an idea where human-pigs take over the world and people were their food. As the video came out very cinematic, a lot of people were asking if it was a trailer for the film. After giving a thought we decided with Valeri to go all in and shoot 45 min short film which we later extended to full feature by shooting extra material.
What was it like working with Danny Trejo?
It was really surprising to see how energetic and fit he is at that age. Unfortunately, we couldn’t allow ourselves to hire him for a whole film, but for the little time that we had we shot as much scenes as time allowed us.
He is very down to earth and we didn’t have any problems with him. He did everything what was written in the script and understanding that we are tight on budget, like a true professional didn’t waste time.
This is your first time acting on screen, did you have any concerns with filling the role?
As this was my first ever experience in acting, it was very nerve-wracking. Because when everything is in pre-production especially at script writing stage, all is fun. You write the lines, laugh at them and inside think “yeah, I can do that, there’s nothing hard about acting”.
However, when the first shooting day came and you see 30 people around you with cameras, microphones, monitors, props, etc. You listen to director’s instruction’s for example “Ok, you approach the table, pick up the glass of water and look outside the window” and then you hear “Sound! Camera! Aaaaaand action!”.
At that moment stroke occurs inside your head with severe paralysis of the body and simple actions such as picking up glass of water becomes an incredible effort because million questions start circling inside: “Am I picking it up too fast?”, “Am I doing it too slow?”, “Am I doing it fakely?”, “What am I doing here?”.
I think this self-overanalysis which occurs uncontrollably makes acting difficult. I was lucky that Rob Justice role wasn’t demanding on emotional delivery which requires a lot of training.
The whole experience of first-time filming reminds me of moment when you jump off the cliff into the cold water. And in that second when you are in the air you realize that there’s no turning back and all that is left is to relax and embrace it.
What’s your favourite action comedy?
One of my favorite is Kung Fu Hustle.
Which action movie star inspired Rob Justice the most?
It’s hard to say. Rob Justice is unique a character, a soft macho who is fighting his own war.
Bullets of Justice was originally shot as a pilot for a TV show, what prompted the decision to make it into a movie?
At first, we were aiming to do the series but then we saw it was hard to sell that concept as we didn’t know how to establish a system where each series would finance the next episode. For us it would’ve been the perfect system. So, we decided to extend the pilot episode into the full movie.
What cliches in other genres do you feel are overdone?
I think we see so many cliches because the means of production of films became much more accessible with development of technology. However, techniques of visual storytelling cannot be amended by technology which require years of training and deep knowledge. So, most of the time people choose just to copy what has worked before.
How did you get that amazing footballing cameo? By that I mean Bulgarian footballer Daniel Zlatkov
When we first invited Daniel to shoot, we were afraid that he wouldn’t understand the concept of the film and would think that we are making fun of him as we forced him to speak in Portuguese. But luckily, we were wrong as he is a great guy, very fun to work with, hard-working, never had any complains, did everything what was written in the script.
If it was up to you to save the world, what would you do first?
It’s hard to say. Depends on saving it from what. Probably I would banish neuroses from all the people. The world would become much more peaceful place.
What are you doing next?
We really want to continue shooting the series of Bullets of Justice, we have the story and everything all we need is to find financing.
Directed by Rodney Ascher and David Lawrence, with interviews directed by Ryan Sexton, The El Duce Tapes is a unique, outrageous portrait of the self-styled “King of Sleaze”, described on American national television as a ‘disgusting pervert’, a hugely divisive, troubled figure who was a skilled musician and prescient provocateur, with a very interesting background, who also claimed he was asked to kill Kurt Cobain for $50,000.
OLEANDER, 17, is the star and sole creator of her own provocative, sex-positive YouTube channel. She is also an unwilling student at a Christian abstinence program, led by the poised and charismatic ALISSA, 50s. When Alissa demands that Oleander issue an on-camera apology for mocking her abstinence program online, a fierce battle of wills ensues. Alissa is aided by KIM, 30s, a filmmaker-for-hire who has no allegiance other than to serve her client. Oleander fights desperately for her voice and her beliefs, but will her anti slut-shaming message be able to stand up against the manipulative power of the two adults who seek to suppress her?
Tensions and temperatures rise over the course of an afternoon recording session in 1920s Chicago as a band of musicians await trailblazing performer, the legendary “Mother of the Blues,” Ma Rainey (Academy Award® winner Viola Davis). Late to the session, the fearless, fiery Ma engages in a battle of wills with her white manager and producer over control of her music. As the band waits in the studio’s claustrophobic rehearsal room, ambitious trumpeter Levee (Chadwick Boseman) — who has an eye for Ma’s girlfriend and is determined to stake his own claim on the music industry — spurs his fellow musicians into an eruption of stories revealing truths that will forever change the course of their lives.
From the visionary mind of writer director Brandon Cronenberg (Antiviral), Possessor is a game-changing sci-fi thriller about elite, corporate assassin Tasya Vos (Andrea Riseborough, Mandy).
A Christmas Carol, a brand new retelling of the classic family Christmas tale, will be coming to both cinemas and select theatres nationwide from November 20th, as Scrooge looks to help save Christmas.
Audrey Hepburn won her first Academy Award at the age of 24 and went on to become one of the world’s greatest cultural icons: a once-in-a-generation beauty, and legendary star of Hollywood’s Golden Age, whose style and pioneering collaboration with Hubert de Givenchy continues to inspire. But who was the real Audrey Hepburn?
Sarah (Eva Green) is a French astronaut training at the European Space Agency in Cologne. She is the only woman in the arduous program. She lives alone with Stella, her seven-year-old daughter. Sarah feels guilty that she cannot spend more time with her child. Her love is overpowering, unsettling. When Sarah is chosen to be part of the crew of a year-long space mission called ‘Proxima,’ it creates chaos in the mother-daughter relationship.
Following its launch at Grimmfest (where it won the “Best Screenplay” award) and Sitges last week, Rent-A-Pal arrives across all digital download platforms from November 16 and on DVD from January 11.
HOST, the critically acclaimed British horror sensation, is released in UK and Irish cinemas and on digital platforms on 4th December, courtesy of Vertigo Releasing.
Allison Williams (Get Out; Girls) and Alexander Dreymon(The Last Kingdom; American Horror Story) star in edge-of-your-seat action thriller HORIZON LINE, released in cinemas nationwide on 6th November 2020.
Enter the surreal dystopian prophecy of 2020: Greatland, a world where boys are married to trees, cats and dogs run for President and the Virus has become a new religion. An acid roller coaster ride into the future after Covid-19, on a mission to debunk 2020!
An idealistic engineer builds his own island off the Italian coast and declares it a nation, drawing the world’s attention. Values are tested when the Italian Government declares him an enemy, but to change the world risks must be taken.
Inspired by true events, COUNTY LINES is the highly acclaimed and hugely topical feature from writer and director Henry Blake. The film is a vivid and moving coming-of-age film about a struggling mum (Ashley Madekwe) and her 14-year-old son Tyler (Conrad Khan) who is groomed and recruited by Simon (Harris Dickinson) into a lethal drug-selling network – a ‘county line’ that exploits vulnerable children and puts them to work nationwide.
It’s no secret that streaming has taken an increased role in Hollywood, especially considering the current COVID-19 conditions. Studios are scaling back on theatrical content, leaving it to streaming services to pick up the slack this Halloween season. Thankfully, Amazon Prime is up for the task, debuting their “Welcome to Blumhouse” series to display the marquee horror studio’s latest content.
Before delving into their slate, I do want to commend Amazon for experimenting with this release. Despite horror being among the most popular film genres, streaming services have largely ignored scary movies in favor of sprawling TV shows (Haunting of Hill House). This year has been a welcome change to that structure, with Prime and Netflix debuting a few much-needed titles for scare-obsessed audiences (Vampires vs. The Bronx and Hubie Halloween were welcomed surprises).
Prime’s partnership with Blumhouse does create some mixed feelings. While Jason Blum has consistently proven his financial acumen, the horror studio’s slate has been the definition of a mixed bag. Breakout hits (The Invisible Manand Get Out) have often been followed up by uninspired missteps (Fantasy Island and Truth or Dare), leaving audiences on their toes with what to expect with each offering. With that being said, I decided to watch each “Welcome to Blumhouse” film and break down which films are worth your time (the list goes from best to worst).
BLACK BOX – Directed by Emmanuel Osei-Kuffour
Synopsis: After losing his wife and his memory in a car accident, Nolan, a single father undergoes an agonizing experimental treatment that causes him to question who he really is.
Presenting reflective thoughts on identity and it’s evolving relationship with technology, Black Box is delivered with the kind of weighty chilliness of Netflix’s Black Mirror anthology series. That’s not necessarily a bad trait, with Black Box spinning a high-concept yarn that keeps audiences on their toes throughout.
Emmanuel Osei-Kuffour’s film trudges through some formulaic sci-fi elements, but his slicks presentation always keeps the narrative engaging. The central mystery is deployed with enough care to register a few genuine surprises, while Osei-Kuffour employs some creative visuals to display the character’s murky descent into his lost memories. Mamoudou Athie’s lead performance imbues some much-needed agency and humanity into Nolan’s journey of self-rediscovery (he and his daughter played by Amanda Christine share a genuine rapport). I also was won over by Phylicia Rashad’s icy performance as Nolan’s mysterious doctor, with the overlooked character actress conveying the stern menace that the script desperately calls for.
Black Box ultimately restricts itself with relatively low aspirations. Intriguing questions that could derive from the subject matter are rarely addressed, with the script only incorporating these conceits through clumsy metaphors (the third act involves a physical fight inside Nolan’s head). There’s also little the film does that hasn’t been improved upon in other offerings, lacking the creative edge to reinvent its trappings.
Unlikely to challenge viewers’ mindsets, Black Box still draws a compelling psycho-thriller from its meat-and-potatoes elements.
EVIL EYE: Directed by Elan and Rajeev Dassani
Synopsis: A superstitious mother is convinced that her daughter’s new boyfriend is the reincarnation of a man who tried to kill her 30 years ago.
It may not be my favorite of the bunch, but I respect Blumehouse’s inclusive lens with Evil Eye (though one could argue they should be implementing that spirit with their big-screen offerings). Elan and Rajeev Dassani’s film represents their Indian culture with earnest sincerity, focusing on thoughtfully-constructed character dynamics over repetitive jump scares. Sarita Choudhury and Sunita Mani propel the film’s mother-daughter duo soundly, creating a lived-in dynamic that personalizes its familiar sentiments.
Ironically enough, Evil Eye works best when it skates away from its genre trappings. Elan and Rajeeve’s visual aesthetics are largely unimpressive, relying upon shaky camera motions that blur any potential horrors. The script also doesn’t develop its narrative with much care. Its central mystery plays out with haphazard obviousness, merely revealing the key twist without a proper build-up. Considering the promising nucleus, it’s a letdown that the film’s genre elements are so timid and unimpressive.
Evil Eye boasts some much-needed reinvention for its horror trappings, but that can only carry the middling genre elements so far. I am excited to see where Elan and Rajeeve’s career goes from here though, with the duo instilling a finite character-driven focus with their admirable misfire.
NOCTURNE – Directed by Zu Quirke
Synopsis: An incredibly gifted pianist makes a Faustian bargain to overtake her older sister at a prestigious institution for classical musicians.
Similar to Evil Eye, Nocturne is somewhat timid in its genre approach (works more as an adolescent drama than a horror film). While that will turn off conventional horror fans, Zu Quirke’s mannered depiction of music’s cutthroat nature packs some appealing qualities. Quirke’s direction conducts a few enthralling sequences, with her bold use of color and framing depicting the allures of the character’s vivid illusions. Euphoria star Sydney Sweeney also serves as a solid protagonist, portraying Juliet’s insecurities and desires with genuine weight.
Quirke’s amiable film ultimately derails itself through its lack of originality. Whether it’s dramatic heavyweights like Whiplashor surrealist masterworks like Black Swan, the dog-eats-dog culture of the refined arts has been depicted better by the film’s superior peers. As a screenwriter, Quirke’s effort lacks agency and dynamism, never digging underneath the surface of the school’s posh exterior. Qurike never pushes her narrative forward with a sense of discomfort, while her characters blankly stand in as generic stereotypes.
Nocturne is competently constructed, but the film fails to excel in any specific manner. It’s too flat to strike on a dramatic level, while also being too pale to register impactful genre thrills (it may not be the worst “Welcome to Blumhouse” film, but it’s certainly the most forgettable).
THE LIE- Directed by Veena Sud
Synopsis: A father and daughter are on their way to dance camp when they spot the girl’s best friend on the side of the road. When they stop to offer the friend a ride, their good intentions soon result in terrible consequences.
The Lie is a hard film to articulate my feelings towards, as its guilty-pleasure strengths are simultaneously the film’s stark falterings. Debuting back at the Toronto Film Festival in 2018 (it’s now infamously remembered as a centerpiece selection), Veena Sud’s woefully misguided attempt to ruminate on familial disconnect lands with a mawkish self-seriousness.
That being said, I can’t deny The Lie’s inherent entertainment value. Sud’s screenplay spins a bevy of illogical twists, leaving viewers hollowing at their screens with each implausible turn. The direction’s deadpan solemnness only enhances these missteps, with the pretentious sincerity registering with an infectious “so-bad-its-good” energy. It helps that the central performance muster genuine dramatic weight, with Joey King’s empathetic turn as a depressed teen elevating the poorly-constructed character.
Still, viewers will have a hard time ignoring the narrative’s apparent problems. The concept has the ability to connect to modern families’ apathetic tendencies, as they often highlight a superficial togetherness that masks their obvious disconnect. Sud’s script lacks the emotional intelligence to say anything of note, further distancing itself from reality with each passing twist. Everything concludes with one of the year’s most ridiculous finales, with the narrative woefully straining itself to a laughable degree.
The Lie doesn’t really work, but it’s the kind of infectious flop that will entertain genre enthusiasts. For a streaming title, it scratches that campy itch with reasonable success.
All and all, I enjoyed my descent into the “Welcome to Blumhouse” event. While these films don’t exhibit the best of what the studio has to offer, some of them are crafted with enough gusto and originality to please die-hard genre enthusiasts. I hope this becomes a recurring event in the future.
You can check out the “Welcome to Blumhouse” films on Amazon Prime
A poll conducted by the Official Charts Company and FindAnyFilm.com to celebrate Must See Movies 80s, part of the National Album Day celebrations, has found that Back To The Future as the nation’s favourite 80s movie.
The poll was launched to mark Must See Movies 80s, a promotion that saw participating stores including Amazon, ASDA, HMV, Morrisons, and Tesco celebrate the very best of the decade with exclusive collections on DVD. Fans voted in the Official Charts Company poll across the month of October, allocating votes to their top three choices, with the 80s sci-fi classic coming out on top.
Released in 1985 and starring Michael J. Fox & Christopher Lloyd – Back To The Future sees Marty McFly, a teenager accidentally sent back in time to 1955 in a time-traveling DeLorean built by his eccentric scientist friend “Doc” Brown. With its iconic soundtrack and 1980s fashion, the film has stood the test of time as a must-see for any film fan.
Looking across the rest of the top 10 – festive-action classic Die Hard comes second, followed closely by iconic sci-fi Blade Runner. Coming in at joint fourth in the poll is adventure-comedy The Goonies and James Cameron’s acclaimed sequel, Aliens. Three more sci-fi titles come in at six, seven and eight in the form of The Empire Strikes Back, E.T. & The Terminator. Completing the top 10 is horror The Shining at nine and romantic comedy classic, When Harry Met Sally at number ten.
The Top 10 Movies Of The 80s, as voted by followers of the Official Charts Company & FindAnyFilm.com, are:
Borat Subsequent Moviefilm: The BRWC Review. By Alif Majeed.
Preconceived notions are a hard thing to get rid of when you sometimes begin to watch a movie. Especially a film which comes with as much baggage as Borat 2. Or rather, Borat Subsequent Moviefilm: The rest of the title is still quite a mouthful. Before you start watching Borat 2, you couldn’t help but think, why the hell do we need a sequel after all these years? What was the point? Yes, the first movie was a sensation when it came out and still has plenty of people quoting it after all these years. The series of films he subsequently made with diminishing returns also made the first movie lose its sheen.
But what we tend to forget about the first movie is that it was immensely quotable and super funny. And exactly how brave it was when it initially came out and how Sacha Baron Cohen was willing to give life and limb to provoke reactions out of people and for the sake of comedy.
So you can’t help but wonder if he can do the same thing again after all these years, or did lightning indeed strike just once in his case.
The answer to that question is a resounding yes! There are times when the jokes might miss its mark, but overall this is a sequel that works surprisingly well and has its large heart in the right place.
Borat, now set in present times (and boy does Sacha cut things as current as possible), and as a character, he has aged in real-time. He is in trouble in his home country for portraying them lousy manner despite becoming a celebrity after the first movie’s events. Banished by his countrymen and his family for shaming them, his only recourse to not get murdered is to go back to America and give present Vice President Mike Pence a gift. When his stowaway daughter eats the chosen gift, Kazakh Minister of Culture Johnny the Monkey (it gets as absurd as it sounds), he has no other option but to give his daughter away as a bride (having misinterpreted the word bribe). So begins his epic journey across America again to tutor his daughter in the ways of America while learning a few new things himself.
The best thing about Borat 2 is the significant heart it shows. Right off the bat, he acknowledges how difficult it is to go undercover as Borat, as he has become synonymous with the role for better or worse. So he decides to hide in plain sight using several other disguises.
The first movie made Borat look pretty dickish, and it didn’t help matters when his lines became immensely quotable by people who often tend to miss the statement he is making. There is no doubt what statement he is making here as the movie is just as timely as any can ever be.
What also works is how he managed to somehow beat the odds and film this movie right under everyone’s noses, even creating a couple of incidents which did receive coverage for entirely different reasons at the time of filming. It is too good to spoil here, but you can’t help but be surprised and amazed at how he pulled it off.
Sacha Baron Cohen has always been a person who has been pretty ballsy as an artist, which sometimes works against his favor. Like his ousting from Bohemian Rhapsody, part of which might have come about because of his persona and reputation. But it has been a good year for him with the one-two punch of Borat 2 and The Trial of Chicago 7. Both of which combine to show how much of an underrated talent he has always been. It’s easy to take for granted how easy he makes it looks despite leaving many people in the lurch baying for his blood—all for the sake of his movies.
You initially miss Kenneth Davitian a bit, but you quickly realize the movie’s need to have Maria Bakalova as the daughter’s character as a replacement and surrogate. Being an unknown entity (both as a character and an actress), she inadvertently becomes his equal partner in crime. She is dead center in some of the movie’s best gags, which works because she was there matching Sacha Baron beat for beat.
The movie is as much about her as it is about Borat, and you appreciate how Sacha lets her gracefully take center stage when required. The gut splittingly shocking scene staged at a debutante ball or their meeting with a pro-life pastor is a testimony of it. They are as glorious and stunning as any among Borat’s best scenes. The heartwarming nature of their see-sawing relationship also stays with you as much as its most controversial or funny scenes.
After the movie is over, you realize that though you came in with your preconceived notions about a sequel you believed had no reason to exist, you had the rug pulled right from underneath you, like many of Borat’s unsuspecting victims. What you get is a pretty funny movie, which was also a beautiful tale of a father and daughter’s journey across America for some sexy time.. Not!!
