Thunder Levin: An Interview by Kent Hill

by Kent Hill, posted in Interviews

 

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It was because of a whacky-clips-from-the-internet-show called The Soup that I first became aware of  the glorious thing that is Sharknado.

Near the end of the show there played a short clip of Ian Ziering of all people, cutting himself free from the guts of a shark with a chainsaw. I was, I must say, smitten from the beginning. Then I saw that this instant phenomenon was showing for one night only at a local cinema. I was there with bells on – what a hot ticket.

It was dizzying, ditzy and deliciously good. I saw it again, soon after, on the Universal Channel which had a great programming night called Mockbuster Mondays, where it played along with its director’s, Anthony C. Ferrante, Two-Headed Shark Attack.

Sharksploitation was in full swing, and of course, based on the strength of the overwhelming popularity of the first, hot on its heels would come The Second One. They are up to 4 now, with a 5th on the way. I had contacted Anthony during post-production on Sharknado 3 about writing the foreword for my anthology The Sequel: Straight 2 Video, which he graciously agreed to do. The book came out at the same time as Oh Hell No! – and coincidently, I too was well into my own third instalment Conquest of the Planet of the Tapes.

I reached out at that time to Sharknado scribe Thunder Levin to be a part of the filmmaker commentary which ran throughout the span of the Conquest. He, unfortunately, was busy at work on a script. In the weeks that followed there soon came an announcement on my news feed of Sharknado 4. “So that’s the script he was busy with,” I thought, smiling at the prospect.

At long last, and in the wake of The 4th Awakens, I was finally able to sit and have a chat with this multi-talented gentleman, who did the hard yards in Hollywood for quite a number of years before he became part of the creative team that would bring to the world the perfect storm – seeing sharks and tornadoes come together in the coolest possible way.

So, ladies and gentlemen, I give you Thunder Levin. Enough said…

Daybreakers: A Review by Nate Hill

by natewatchescoolmovies, posted in Film Review

  

As each genre evolves, it has to find new and creative ways to stay alive and entertain it’s audience. The vampire genre has come a long way, from the grainy film stock showcasing a theatrical Bela Lugosi, to the slick, throat ripping Baltic nocturnal terrors of 30 Days Of Night. No other corner of horror (except perhaps the zombie arena) has worked so hard to reinvent, rework and revamp (hehe) it’s aesthetic than the bloodsuckers realm, and it’s in that area that Daybreakers is a huge success. Not necessarily the most groundbreaking or incredible outing as a film alone, it breaks impressive new ground in the vampire genre and had me wondering why no one had come up with such ideas sooner than 2009! In the year 2019, ninety five percent of the world’s population are now vampires, following an outbreak decades earlier. The remaining five percent of humans keep an understandably low profile and continue to dwindle in this harsh new world. There’s just one problem: vampires need blood to thrive, and once the last human is drained, they face a serious problem. In this lore, a vampire deprived of sustenance turns into a savage berserker that will attack anyone and everyone in pure feral mania. Vampire scientist Edward Dalton (Ethan Hawke) searches endlessly for an artificial blood substitute, partly out of an instinct to preserve a race that was never his own, and partly out of compassion for the humans he once called kin. Corporation executive Charles Bromley (a downright creepy Sam Neill) hordes the scarce resources, and chaos threatens on the horizon if a solution is not found. A bombshell drops, however, when Dalton stumbles across a rebel band of humans who claim that they were once vamps, until some variable turned them back into fleshy human critters. Led by hotshot renegade McCormac (Willem Dafoe dialling up the grit) they see a glimmer of hope in Dalton, not to mention his scientific prowess. Bromley sees the end of days and gets dangerous with his power, Dalton and newfound friends work to overturn the Vampire order, and gore splatters all over the screen in a sleek, entertaining and supremely gory film that should have a little more infamy. The R rating is gloriously wrung out as gallons of blood are thrown, flung and dripped all about the place and a real sense of supernatural, apocalyptic danger is attained with the story. Neill is an inspired choice to play a vamp too; Even when he’s playing a gold hearted protagonist (remember how ominous he got with the raptor claw in Jurassic Park?), there’s a semi dormant aura of menace that always dances in those Aussie eyes. Dafoe is at his best when his playing around in the genre theme park, and he’s having a barroom blast here, getting to play the ultimate badass. There’s a reverence for humanity here too, attention paid to a last ditch effort to save our race from a predatory one that is just trying to survive as well. Terrific stuff. 

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them – A Review by Kyle Jonathan

by 39frames, posted in Film Review

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them

2016.  Directed by David Yates.

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David Yates returns to the Harry Potter universe with a delightful prequel that focuses on the adult wizarding world of America.  Featuring gorgeous visuals, unforgettable costuming, and a terrific ensemble performance, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them provides an enchanting atmosphere, populated with mythical creatures, devious villains, and some surprisingly dark subject matter that abandons it’s intriguing set up in favor of a cataclysmic superhero finale.

Newt Scamander is a protector of magical beasts who arrives in New York City with a mysterious agenda.  Some of his collection escapes from his bewitched suit case and begin to wreak havoc on the city, increasing tensions among the magical community who are desperate to remain unknown to ordinary humans.  A wizard detective named Graves is investigating a series of supernatural disturbances that he believes are being perpetrated by one of the escaped creatures.  Newt, along with a human bystander named Jacob set about recapturing the animals before they’re harmed by the paranoia of the American wizards.  Their quest takes them through the heart of an esoteric metropolis where they’re joined by new comrades and challenged by unspeakable darkness.

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Eddie Redmayne does an outstanding job as Newt, portraying him as the consummate outsider.  It’s a refreshing take on the awkward loner, with Redmayne communicating pain and wonder in equal amounts, without ever turning nasty.  He’s a mischievous and misunderstood explorer whose pursuits have left him isolated, but not cold.  Katherine Waterston does an admirable job as one of his sidekicks, but many of her scenes are so rushed that its difficult to identify with her until the film gets through it’s clunky first act.  However, once it does, this film shines, with Phillipe Rousselot’s spellbinding cinematography coming alive.  There are some outstanding compositions, especially during the sequences inside the magical headquarters, with a daring escape scene stealing the thunder.

Dan Fogler has the comic relief portion, starring as the human who is unwittingly drawn into the wizards’s reality.  One of the best parts of his role is how his character is a summation of everything great about the golden age of America and it never feels forced.  Alison Sudol stars as a telepathic love interest who outshines her classic good looks with empathy and wit.  These are desperate times, despite them not involving He Who Will Not Be Named, and the film does a great job at making things count by focusing on the social issues of a city tearing itself apart.  Colin Farrell’s Graves is under cooked, due to the nonsensical script.  When it’s brilliant, it’s brilliant, but the moments in between are confusing and often hard to follow due to the sound editing.  Despite this, once it becomes apparent that the focus is on adult wizards who are proficient in their trade, many of the conveniences of the narrative are forgivable.

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Coleen Atwood’s costume design is one of the strongest elements, easily transporting the viewer to an alternate 1920’s.  Every character’s ensemble is top notch and perfectly at home in the chaos.  David Allday’s art direction bolsters the roaring 20’s veneer by sprinkling mystifying artifacts throughout, with a sequence inside an arcane speakeasy being the centerpiece.  Music icon James Newton Howard’s score is the final touch, using the familiar notes of the franchise to create a foundation for an entirely new vision that mimics the child like awe of Newt’s perspective.

There are stumbles in the set up, but once it calms down, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them becomes one of the best films in the series.  If there is a flaw it’s in the climax, which forgoes the academic problem solving of the central act for a CGI bonanza, complete with city destruction and dazzling light effects.   The subplot that leads to the final showdown is shallow and tacked on, but this is easily forgotten thanks to the amazing work of the central quartet, whose actions would gain them an instant invitation to Dumbledore’s Army.

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In theaters now, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them is a worthy entry into one of the most popular film franchises of all time.  Featuring a touching lead performance, crisp visuals, and a softball ending, this is a film that reminds the viewer, what it’s all about: Telling an engrossing story that allows the audience to have a memorable and enjoyable time in a world that appears different from their own, but also a place with hope, goodwill, and heroes to root for.

Recommend.

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CASINO ROYALE – A Review by Frank Mengarelli

by Frank Mengarelli, posted in Film Review

CASINO ROYALE created a new dawn in film. Not only was it a swift and needed step away from the loathsome DIE ANOTHER DAY, it also created a template on how to not only reboot a mainstay franchise, but do it with such gravitas and clarity that the franchise itself feels anew and reinvigorated.

Daniel Craig was more or less unknown to the masses. He had appeared in LAYER CAKE, Sam Mendes’ ROAD TO PERDITION, and a handful of small, independent European films. Craig quickly proved his naysayers wrong (including me, who was a staunch lobbyist for Clive Owen).

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Craig’s blonde hair and blue eyes may not have been akin to what James Bond is supposed to look like, but his swagger, attitude, and brutish demeanor brought absolute justice to the biggest standing franchise in film history.

While the film was updated to the current digital age, and reflecting our current pop culture obsession with the addition of Texas Hold’em, the film remained grounded in it’s original source material. Validating every word that Ian Flemming wrote in his 1953 novel.

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While now, the Texas Hold’em arc may seem silly considering the fad has long been removed from ESPN and the mainstream of American culture; essentially that’s what a Bond film is. It had always been a reflection of our present day culture.

Enter into the fold Mads Mikkelsen, Jeffery Wright, Eva Green, Giancarlo Giannini, and Jesper Christensen; the film stayed true to casting an exotic array of worldly cinematic actors, while retaining Judi Dench’s M, GoldenEye’s Martin Campbell and seminal Bond scribes Neal Purvis and Robert Wade – the film remained grounded within the cinematic world of James Bond whilst taking the franchise in a much needed and welcomed new direction.

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ROBERT ROSSEN’S THE HUSTLER — A REVIEW BY NICK CLEMENT

by nlclement, posted in Film Review

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Robert Rossen’s silky-smooth 1961 drama The Hustler contains one of Paul Newman’s finest screen performances, and is easily one of the most subtly complex stories about gamesmanship and the art of winning, losing, and knowing when you’ve met your match. Based on Walter Tevis’ 1959 novel and adapted by Rossen and Sidney Carroll, the pool hustling narrative packs both a visceral and emotional punch, with a sterling supporting cast doing some extra-fine character work, including George C. Scott, Jackie Gleason, Piper Laurie, Michael Constantine, and Murray Hamilton. Eugene Shuftan’s extremely stylish cinematography made excellent use of the monochromatic visual style, with perfectly chosen angles employed during the various pool matches, and knowing exactly when and where to opt for close-ups. The music by Kenyon Hopkins unobtrusively sets a great mood for the picture, matched by legendary editor Dede Allen’s smart and sharp cutting. The fact that Rossen and his collaborators never went over the top with the material, instead staying true to real life, has made this film the classic that it has become. Infamous boxer and nightclub owner Jake LaMotta appears briefly as a bartender. A huge success with critics and audiences, The Hustler would receive nine Oscar nominations (winning two), while Martin Scorsese would later helm the sequel The Color of Money, which brought back Newman as Eddie Felson and paired him with a young hot-shot played by Tom Cruise.

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Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk – A Review by Kyle Jonathan

by 39frames, posted in Film Review

Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk

2016.  Directed by Ang Lee.

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One of the most talented directors working today, Ang Lee’s latest is a war story that focuses on the soldier’s personal plight and the impossibilities of returning to a country that cannot fully comprehend their experiences.  Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk is an awkward epic, using slick visuals and first person points of view to keep everything within Lynn’s conflicted mind.  A largely wooden cast and shallow script are overcome by the sheer scope of the picture, delivering an emotionally resonate film that forgoes preaching in favor of intimacy.

Billy Lynn is an Army Specialist who received the Silver Star for an act of bravery in Iraq.  As a result, his squad, the Bravos, become national heroes and are sent on a US tour to bolster support for the armed forces.  The tour ends on Thanksgiving, with the Bravos being the guest of honor at a professional football game in Dallas, including their participation in the half time show.  What follows is Lynn’s recollection of the war interwoven with his current dilemma on whether to return to the fight or abandon his unit in order to heal his traumatized soul.

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This is the first film to be shot at 120 FPS in 3D at 4k resolution.  Lee’s choice to unleash the technical fuselage on a dramatic film is controversial, with only a handful of theaters in the country able to show it in all of it’s splendor.  The result on a conventional screen is nothing short of breathtaking.   John Toll’s formidable camera work has a surreal quality, bolstered by the electronic wizardry.  Even the most innocuous items are so saturated with color that it’s difficult to focus on any one thing for too long.  There’s some wonderful reverse shots and close ups that are framed as if the viewer is Lynn, giving the proceedings a video game feel that takes some time to get used to and Lee never seems to settle down.  The combat scenes are the centerpiece, with Drew Kunin’s sound mixing adding depth to the visceral carnage. Every gunshot and explosion cascades off of the screen, putting the viewer into a figurative harm’s way.

Jean-Christophe Castelli’s script is double edged.  On one hand, the characters, for the most part, have a cardboard quality that is compounded by the optical kinetics.  None of the soldiers appear real, and yet that is part of the design.  The heart of the story is how veterans return as ghosts, faded images of the people they were before the bloodshed, haunting the national focus during war time and then receding to the fringe of social awareness until another news cycle summons them once again from the darkness.  Newcomer Joe Alwynn is the best surprise.  Lynn is a role that doesn’t require a lot of vocal effort.  Everything hinges on body language and Alwynn’s pathos is both heartbreaking and familiar.  Kristen Stewart continues to show her prowess with her portrayal of Lynn’s defiant sister.  What could have easily been a cliche’d social justice caricature is transformed into a believable rebel, who no matter what remains loyal to her sibling.

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Garett Hedlund does solid work as Lynn’s superior.  One of the more disturbing aspects of this film is how it depicts post traumatic stress disorder.  Hedlund, more so than any other character, embodies the danger that hides in the wounded hearts of those who have experienced the nonstop life or death situations of war.  The amazing Steve Martin has a villainous role as a sports tycoon looking to buy the film,rights to the team’s ordeal for a paltry amount, simulating the sensationalism of war by the corporate elite.

In theaters now, Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk is a unique film that doesn’t quite hit the mark.  It’s refreshing focus on the personal tribulations of American soldiers is endearing for its lack of politics, but is also unable to overcome to obtuse script and odd pacing.  Despite these flaws, it is a technical wonder and a genuinely human film that treads through familiar territory with a complacent sense of self.  It doesn’t offer anything new, but what it does provide is a lush viewing experience that focuses on a level of brotherhood few non combatants will ever truly understand.

Recommend.

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Hell Or Highwater: A Review by Nate Hill 

by natewatchescoolmovies, posted in Film Review

Hell Or Highwater is an acrid, mournful little tumbleweed lullaby sung at the American southwest, a tale of hard times and desperate men infused with the laconic nature of the area and given the spare yet hard hitting writing skills of Taylor Sheridan, who also penned the equally bleak Sicario. I wasn’t quite sure what time period he was going for here until Jeff Bridges’s salty Texas Ranger brandishes a smartphone, signifying the present. I imagined an 80’s throwback, but I suppose the vacuous dereliction hanging about the rural West has only gathered with time, in a place where time has curiously seemed to halt dead in a financial sinkhole where not much of anything in the way of hard earned success can flourish. Chris Pine and Ben Foster play brothers and partners in crime, in the thick of a statewide bank robbing spree which gets progressivly more dangerous, all to save a piece of property from the big banks threatening to foreclose. They’re not evil men, they’re not even bad men because Sheridan’s script doesn’t allow such stark delineation. They are men forced to make decisions, just like any other, yet in times like these one’s decisions are often of an extreme nature, out of self preservation or desire to protect one’s family. Pine is the introverted one, and the actor disappears into the role with ease and scruffy calm that contrasts his usal golden boy charm. Foster is the live wire, a man who functions on mostly instinct alone, lives in the moment and reacts like an animal from situation to situation. Quite the actor he is, and hasn’t been let completely off the chain since 2004’s Hostage. Here he fills the screen with intensity and much needed humour. The two have love for each other that occasionally peeks through the cloud of trouble they’re flying in, the film adament in showing us their damaged humanity through the desperation of their actions. Bridges is crusty and jaded, the badge and gun serving as his only family other than the uneasy camaraderie he has with his younger partner (Gil Birmingham), a man he berates solely because he seems incapable of proper human interaction, no doubt a result of decades on the job, wandering through the desolation of the desert hunting men who have broken their lives and wishing he ever had one of his own to begin with. There’s an emptiness to this tale, a lonely ambience punctuated by many a beautiful song from both Nick Cave, T Bone Burnett and more, whose downbeat lyrics only pile on the mood thicker. The film wants to examine the need to go to extreme measures in times of strife, but holds us in our seat long after the deed is done to show us the ramifications, both negative and positive, of such actions. The result isn’t pretty, but it’s damn well beautiful and one of the best films I’ve seen so far this year. 

PTS Presents Director’s Chair with Terry McMahon

by Frank Mengarelli, posted in Film Review, Interviews, Podcast

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terry-mcmahonPodcasting Them Softly is beyond excited to present a conversation with filmmaker, actor, and teacher Terry McMahon! Terry‘s two feature films, Charlie Casanova and Patrick’s Day, are some of the best pieces of cinema to come out of Ireland in recent years, with Patrick’s Day making a big splash over the last two years as both a brilliant piece of cinema and enduring conversation piece. Terry‘s a filmmaker who is interested in society, people, and how we all relate and communicate with one another, and his keen eye and sharp voice can be seen and heard in everything he does. An actor, producer, writer, and director, Terry is a true talent, which was solidified when Patrick’s Day, which premiered at the 2014 South By Southwest Film Festival, was nominated for 9 Irish Film and Television Awards, and winning three, for Best Screenplay, Best Sound, and Best Actor for Moe Dunford. Terry also made an appearance in Christopher Nolan’s Batman Begins, and serves as an acting coach for Dublin-based performers. We hope you enjoy this informative, passionate, and humorous chat with one of the biggest personalities that we’ve had the pleasure of speaking with thus far!

WERNER HERZOG’S INTO THE INFERNO — A REVIEW BY NICK CLEMENT

by nlclement, posted in Film Review

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Leave it to the ultra-eccentric and always ambitious Werner Herzog to take his audience directly inside of active volcanoes at various points on the globe, as his latest documentary, Into the Inferno (currently streaming on Netflix), peers into the smoky-hot abyss while simultaneously commenting on the world all around us, drawing parallels to exotic jungle tribes and the people of North Korea, all in an effort to show us how corrosive certain aspects of life can be, and how the effects from global change can be felt everywhere. Herzog’s regular (and rather fearless) cinematographer Peter Zeitlinger again demonstrates an unflinching eye behind the camera, showing the audience surreal sights and sounds (the engrossing and at times haunting musical score goes a long way in this film) that echo throughout your consciousness long after watching; Herzog and Zeitlinger have long understood the power of the sustained image, and some of the shots of the erupting magma take on an almost otherworldly effect. Working with volcanologist and co-director Clive Oppenheimer, Herzog and his creative team have yet again provided audiences with a distinctive sociological piece of entertainment that simultaneously appeases our desires to see new things and learn about ideas of humanity that might not be so upfront or obvious.

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Dirty Harry – A Review by Kyle Jonathan

by 39frames, posted in Film Review

Dirty Harry

1971.  Directed by Don Siegel.

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Iconic.  Controversial.  Misunderstood.

Don Siegel’s legendary cop saga, Dirty Harry, is an abrasive and uncompromising bare knuckle brawl.  Built atop a turgid city in distress and featuring one of Clint Eastwood’s most memorable performances, Dirty Harry strips away peaceful reflection, opting to depict a world in violence is not only appropriate, but welcomed.  An unapologetic imagining of one man’s obsessive hunt for a serial killer and one of the most revered films of the 70’s, Dirty Harry is a perfect marriage of blue collar grit and heart stopping action.

A serial killer known as Scorpio is terrorizing the streets of San Francisco.  Inept bureaucrats and bumbling police administrators are baffled and turn to Inspector Harry Callahan, an infamous detective, to bring the assailant to justice.  Paired with a Latino detective, Callahan pursues Scorpio across a variety of locales and tension wound scenarios, in which both the hunter and the prey switch roles numerous times.  As the violence escalates, Callahan’s disdain for the system forces him to abandon conventional means in order to stop the killer, leading him to forsake the badge and embrace the trappings of his dubious nickname.

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Clint Eastwood’s performance has been unfairly categorized as a macho cop vehicle.  One of the best things about Eastwood in this film is how his Harry always seems inconvenienced.  He begins as a believer, who is always being interrupted by the nonstop corruption and villainy of the city he’s sworn to protect.  He stops a bank heist while absently chewing on his lunch.  During a ransom delivery scavenger hunt, Harry meets a myriad of miscreants, each of which he approaches with a tired sense of concern, desperately wanting to be left alone to pursue true evil, and yet unable to stop himself from policing.  Yes, he has catchy lines and always exudes an aura of coolness, but it’s the vulnerable outsider that brings everything home.

John Milius worked on the Zodiac Killer inspired script, which portrays San Francisco as a false haven.  On the surface, the city is populated by the beautiful and hard working masses, living in relative harmony while the rest of the nation fractured over Vietnam.  Underneath the veneer, the police perpetuate bigotry and the system ultimately fails those it seeks to protect.  Callahan’s colleagues shame his tactics and yet continue to call on him when the situation demands a forceful response, enriching the theme of necessary transgression when confronted with darkness outside human understanding.

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Lalo Schifrin’s unique score combines jazz, creepy voice overs, classic rifts, and free love rock into a eclectic knife that cleaves through the smog, with memorable melodies that are still used in television and other mediums today.  Glenn Wright’s costume design is often overlooked, giving Harry a modern hounds tooth blazer, a symbol of his devotion to justice.  Bruce Surtees’s brash cinematography features some amazing shots of the nightlife, using aerial photography and stark contrasts to set the dark city apart from it’s sunshine counterpart.  There is a wide shot of Eastwood on elevated train tracks that is sublime, and the following sequence, in which Harry jumps onto a moving bus was performed by Eastwood himself.

Everything about Dirty Harry is a perfect convergence.  Siegel’s patented directorial genius shines in every scene, using a wealth of technical expertise and a phenomenal central performance to create a singular cinematic endeavor.  Available now for digital rental, Dirty Harry is an overwhelmingly American film, revered for it’s tough guy mystique and misjudged for its unrepentant brutality.  Underneath the blood and bullets lies one of the more thoughtful cop films of the 70’s,right down to its heartbreaking finale.  A slimmed down neo noir in an uncomfortably tight package, Dirty Harry is an essential piece of American crime cinema.

Highly Recommend.

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