Category: REVIEWS

It has been reported that, as of 2018, 17% of Americans report a UFO sighting. While these mostly just stay as a statistic, Daniel Myrick went a step further and documented one particular man.

‘Skyman’ is a documentary written and directed by Daniel Myrick, and follows Carl Merryweather, a man who says he saw an alien when he was a child. Now, 30 years later, he wants to revisit the same spot he met the alien in, in hopes that they’ll reunite.

The documentary follows Carl through this journey, as well as featuring news footage of the alien sighting in question. The documentary then gives its audience another perspective of Carl via interviews from family and friends; he’s someone who had held onto this one memory all his life and, in doing so, isn’t living in the present. While the documentary is fascinating. It also paints a sad picture of Carl Merryweather because of these other interviews. 

Carl’s interviews are unbiased and do fantastically well at not painting him as the stereotype that is seen in alien invasion films; he’s a rational man who saw something extra-terrestrial when he was a kid. The news footage that is shown, reporting the same sighting as well as witness statements further imply that Carl may have actually seen what he said he saw. When recounting the UFO memory, it’s obvious that it affected Carl, and whether you believe it or not is irrelevant. Once something stays in someone’s mind, it’s there for their whole life; it isn’t something that can be forgotten. However, you can either act on old memories, or just keep them as memories and, for Carl, it’s the former. Ever since the sighting, he’s been doing research on other sightings, as well as preparing for his own re-sighting, if it ever happens. But the documentary stays unbiased and takes its time to let Carl tell his story.

It also gives audiences a glimpse into Carl’s childhood home life, revealing that his father was a Vietnam soldier who lived through, and prepared for, the Cold War in case things went wrong. In one interview, Carl even says that his father ‘always had a plan B in case things went wrong’. As we watch Carl take us on a tour of his bunker-like home that he lived in as a child, his own research and preparation skills become clear, in terms of how and when he picked those skills up; the phrase ‘like father, like son’ rings true here. However, interviews with his sister and friend reveal that he doesn’t keep in regular contact with the people he knows as family and has become distant and the documentary changes its tone seamlessly, whether intended to or not. Like previously mentioned, Carl is holding and relying on one childhood memory and forgetting about the present in the process.

If I were to critique anything, it’s that the documentary has a slightly unfocused start, and too many panning shots seemingly for no reason. The opening shot starts with a University professor explaining that sometimes we see something and, because we can’t identify it, our minds make up the rest of what we’re seeing. However, this is questioned later on in the film, when the film crew ask whether Carl has a back-up plan if no alien shows up. 

Overall, ‘Skyman’ was a fascinating watch into someone who had encountered a UFO sighting. It was also a sad glimpse into someone who hadn’t let go of the past and, in doing so, wasn’t living in the present. If anything, ‘Skyman’ serves as a message to people: don’t keep holding onto the past in the hopes that it’ll return, because you’ll miss what’s happening now. Life may be out there, but there’s also life here on Earth, and that is your family and friends.

By Nick Boyd.

“Waves,” a powerful and haunting dark coming-of-age drama taking place in Florida, centers its first half on a very competitive high school wrestler named Tyler Williams (Kelvin Harrison Jr.), with a “win at all costs” dad named Ronald (Sterling K. Brown).  Tyler has a vibrant social life, with his many friends, attractive girlfriend Alexis (Alexa Demie), and social functions he attends. 

He also is continually doing whatever he can to keep his body in shape for wrestling and to keep up with his dad’s growing demands to succeed, even if that means popping opioids to deal with an injury.  Outward appearance in all aspects means everything to him.  When Tyler finds himself suddenly dealing with some serious challenges related to his wrestling and his girlfriend, he begins to unravel. 

Harrison Jr. shows insight in depicting a teenager under immense pressure, while Brown does strong work as well, displaying a full range of believable emotions, going from tough and demanding in the first half, to more tender, loving, and vulnerable in the second half.  One quibble about the picture that I had was I found the editing of the first half to be too hyper stylized
Then at about the halfway point, the film shifts focus to the viewpoint of Tyler’s sister Emily, phenomenally played by Taylor Russell. 

Not only does the perspective of things change, but so does the tone of the movie, going from ominous and high-intensity, to introspective and poignant, almost like a different movie altogether.  Compared to her older brother, Emily is reserved and pensive. 

One day while Emily is at school, she meets Tyler’s shy teammate Luke (Lucas Hedges).  Their relationship, which over time develops into romance, is believable and affecting.  They do fun things, share intimacies, and seem to genuinely enjoy spending time together.  Both Russell and Hedges perfectly capture the initial awkwardness and then excitement of young love, creating a couple that we care about.  

This is a film where romance, family relations, and heartache are all delved into insightfully, as the emotional experiences go from the raw to the tender.  The director, who was not quite 30 when the movie was being made, has an acute understanding of what teenagers deal with and this comes through even in small details, such as through Instagram posts and text messages that are visually displayed on the screen. 

He also effectively uses the setting of the film, Florida, with its abundance of sunshine, beaches, and nature settings, to capture a carefree way of life.  

“Waves” is a journey not easily forgotten.  

The Historian is the first feature film by Miles Doleac.

Who is Miles Doleac? You may recognise him from such TV shows as American Horror Story (2014), Containment (2016), or The Astronaut Wives Club (2015). Writer, actor, producer, and director, he is also a history professor in real life, and he really wants you to know it. He named his production company Historia, so we won’t forget. 

Starting with The Historian, it looks like he’s cycling through genres until he hits upon one that fits. Romantic drama wasn’t an inspiring start, but perhaps he needed to get the history lessons out of his system first. Following on from his debut feature, are a handful of short films, and the crime/mystery drama The Hollow (2016).

Then the 2017 horror Demons, and a second horror, Hallowed Ground, in 2019. That one includes lesbians, so expect them to be well written characters. In 2020 he teams up with Michael Donovan Horn for a horror/thriller The Dinner Party, so it looks like he has found his niche. Plenty of special effects, and room for corny acting.

His films include regular appearances from William Sadler, best known for roles in Die Hard 2 (1990), The Shawshank Redemption (1994), and of course, as the Grim Reaper in Bill & Ted’s Bogus Journey (1991). Sadler is returning as the Grim Reaper in the upcoming Bill & Ted Face the Music. Side note: I wholeheartedly agree with Hannah Ines Flint on the matter of Keanu’s beard (or lack thereof). 

So back to The Historian. Originally released in 2014, it is just over two hours long. If you have time to fill, other films clocking in at two hours plus change include Serpico (1973), Raging Bull (1980), and One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest (1975). 

The Historian drags—I had to watch it in two sittings, tired from all the eye-rolling. The script is littered with such profundities as “I hate death. It sucks balls”. And the combination of too many close-ups, and odd editing choices make for awkward viewing.

Then there is a horribly handled case of sexual assault, in which our hero repeatedly shouts “What did he do to you?!” in the face of the victim under the guise of protecting her. A little later, he interrupts her in the middle of her sit-down-cry-shower in order to give her a history lecture. Seriously dude, you’re not even going to pass her a towel? 

Doleac places himself front and centre as Professor Ben Rhodes, with hot young grad students swooning as he enters the room. There’s some Very Big Acting from minor characters, and painful attempts to give said characters depth: The sidekick, a zany professor guy (Colin Cunningham), is high energy. He smokes lots of cigarettes, see. And he dresses as a cowboy. And he likes guns. Every time Professor Rhodes gets stressed out he takes a swig from the handy bottle of pepto bismol. At this point I could be describing a Neil Breen picture. The Historian is not as bad as, say, Fateful Findings, but it certainly shares some of the Breen markers.

Doleac has the makings of a Breen type cult filmmaker. He’s no match for Tommy Wiseau, but it might not be such a terrible thing if he gave his ego free rein.

The broadway musical Hamilton premiered in The Public Theatre in New York City on January 20, 2015. Starring Lin-Manuel Miranda, Daveed Diggs, and Phillipa Soo just to name a few, it depicts the life and career of Alexander Hamilton, an immigrant from the Caribbean island of Nevis. The first act covers Hamilton’s arrival in New York City in 1776, his work as an aide-de-camp to General George Washington during the American Revolution, and how he met and married Eliza Schuyler. The second act covers Hamilton’s postwar work as the first U.S. Secretary of the Treasury and his death in a duel with Aaron Burr.

Hamilton is a musical that I have wanted to see ever since its debut five years ago. Some people may not know that I absolutely adore musicals. Since I live in a city that doesn’t get a lot of Broadway attention, I have never gone to a musical in my life. But one of the ones that I’ve always wanted to see was Hamilton. Although I may not be able to see this story performed live in person anytime soon, I finally got to see this live-taped film on Disney+ and it was definitely worth the wait.

The greatest thing that this film does is inject a sense of enormous energy right from the opening scene and keeps it going right down to the very last minute. It’s a two and a half-hour long movie, and it admittedly does feel quite long and exhausting after a while, but it’s never boring per se. The charisma and energy that every single cast members brings to this production feel so lively and full of life. While watching them sing, dance, and tell a story on the stage, I could almost feel their passion for this story seeping out of them. I had a humongous smile on my face the entire time.

All of the musical numbers are hugely impressive, too, for a number of reasons. For one, they are all incredibly fun to listen to and have catchy rhyming lyrics that will surely stick in your head for a long time afterward. It’s even more incredible that these lyrics were written by lead-star Lin-Manuel Miranda. He manages to tell fascinating stories in each song and also incorporates amazing humor in a lot of them as well. It was a blast to listen to and watch.

There are some instances in which a lot of the lyrics are sung a bit fast, and so it can be quite easy to miss what some of the actors are saying, and as a result, you can miss crucial story beats along the way. But if you have a careful ear, you should have no problem having a great time with this production. Hamilton is one of the most alive and upbeat Broadway musicals I have ever witnessed. It’s ridiculously fun to watch and tells an interesting and captivating story. After watching it, I want to see it in person even more than I already did.

Hamilton is a powerhouse of a Broadway musical thanks to its incredibly catchy, well-written songs and its hugely talented and lively cast.

John Stewart has thrived at sharply skewering political ineptitude during his tenure on The Daily Show, operating as a critical voice while paving the way for other satirical correspondents. Since moving on from the program, Stewart has engaged in a multitude of artistic platforms, including an emerging directorial career launched by 2014’s Rosewater. Now stepping into the political comedy field that he once mastered, Stewart’s latest Irresistible is a bizarre misfire despite its promising agenda.

Irresistible follows Gary Zimmer (Steve Carrell, who worked on The Daily Show early in his career), a Democratic political executive searching for avenues to gain middle-Americans’ interest. After witnessing an inspiring town hall speech by retired marine Jack Hastings (Chris Cooper), Zimmer moves to the small Wisconsin town to run his campaign against Republican rival Faith Brewster (Rose Byrne).

Stewart’s film is a much-needed change-of-pace for the genre, admirably attempting to pointedly criticize the United State’s flawed political infrastructure. His script takes aim at White House elites’ ambivalent disdain towards their voter base, viewing their behind-the-scenes mucky mind games from both spectrums. I appreciate how Stewart cleverly implements Zimmeran’s elitist perspective throughout the narrative, viewing the townies as aw-shucks folksy simpletons the way a jaded executive would. This dynamic slyly builds to a third-act twist that cleverly eschews the audience’s preconceived notions, giving much-needed purpose to its simplistic character design.

Settling into the executive roles with ease, Steve Carrell and Rose Byrne are a joy to watch as dynamic love/hate rivals. Carrell feels tailor-made to play Zimmerman’s dismissive know-it-all personality, acerbically delivering bitting lines with a smarmy arrogance. His routine meshes well against Byrne’s well-tuned deadpan energy, with the two generating the film’s only laughs through sheer talent.

Considering Stewart’s wide-ranging ability and knowhow, Irresistible’s perplexing lack of presence behind-the-camera is a letdown to witness. His direction feels passive and stiff, suffering from bland visuals and a jumpy sitcom-esque score that plays moments too broadly. Stewart has acted as an outspoken lightning rod throughout his career, yet his film lacks the bite to examine its subject matter, saying little outside of generally obvious critiques.

Irresistible’s woeful swing-and-miss attempts at humor derail any of the project’s good intentions. Stewart’s attempts at capturing the awkward interplay between elites and average joes are stilted, with the script largely leaning on offbeat moments that are conceived without much wit. I can’t help but feel like there should be a more brazen version of this project, one that simultaneously condemns and satirizes the lingering disconnect with emphatic barbs.

Irresistible keys its focus towards vital subject matter, but lacks the sharp precision needed to properly satirize the ambivalence of our political infrastructure.