Star Wars Visions: Sith

Summary

A former Sith apprentice must face off against her old master in order to regain control over her own life.

I liked the focus on the Sith, it was nice to see them as something more than just the outright villains they are often shown as. Although the Sith shown here are still definitely villains. I also thought the focus of the grey area in between the light and dark sides of the Force was an interesting avenue for the episode to approach thematically, and I liked where they went with it.

My issues with this episode however were twofold.

Firstly, I wasn’t a fan of the animation style, the water colour esque aesthetic just didn’t work for me and I found it to be distracting. I understand the point of this show is to do different things and be experimental but this felt a little bit too abstract at times for me.

Secondly, I thought the episode was fairly sparse on context or dialogue, and though I am not saying I wanted long scenes of exposition but a lot of this episode’s narrative was told through your own inference rather than the show telling you what is happening. This approach definitely is appreciated in that it treats the audience as adults but also at the same time adds to this artsy, abstract, interpretative feel to the episode that just didn’t work for me.

Overall, a mixed start to the new batch of episodes.

3/5

Pros.

I liked the focus on the Sith

I also appreciated the comments and themes of moral ambiguity and grey areas of the Force

It was an interesting premise

Cons.

The animation style didn’t work for me

The show but don’t tell approach was taken to too far of an extreme here

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The Pope’s Exorcist: Russell Crowe’s Italian Adventure On A Vespa

Written by Luke Barnes

Summary

The Vatican’s best exorcist, played by Russell Crowe, has to travel to Spain to fight the forces of evil.

This one was strange. On the one hand it was a very competent possession film, nothing ground breaking but it delivered all of its scares as you would expect them and ticked most of the boxes of what people would want out of a possession film. However, on the other hand the film had a number of overtly comedic moments and little jokes which took me right out of the film. I am not saying there isn’t a place for levity within a scary horror film but I am saying that cracking a joke right as something spooky is happening takes the tension right out of the scene. What is worst the demonic voice they gave to the little boy who was possessed just sounds like a Cockney person who has smoked too much and is almost unintentionally funny coming out of him.

I think Crowe is a serviceable lead, however, I do think the films decision to have him speak partly in English and partly in Italian was confusing, as it would have made more sense to go one way or the other with it, as it stands it seems clashing.

Overall, a watchable possession film that doesn’t do anything new but delivers mostly in the way you would want it to.

3/5

Pros.

It is serviceable

It has a few good scares

Crowe anchors the film well

Cons.

It is unintentionally hilarious at times

It forces in awkward jokes that derail the tension

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The Hard Life And Times Of Clownie Volume 1: The Struggles After Clown College

Written by Luke Barnes

Summary

Clownie finally gets a feature.

So this film is the full adaption of the Hey Bro short I reviewed a while back and I have to say in a lot of ways this film is a step up. Everything that was enjoyable about the original short is here in spades and the film does justify its need for a longer runtime.

I liked that we got to explore the characters a lot more and learn more about their lives. I think the added character work added a nice new dimension to the world of the film and made me care more about these characters. As I was watching I found myself quite often relating to the characters I think they certainly feel more realised here and that is very much a good thing.

The one area in which I would criticise this film, however, is in terms of its pacing. I thought that the second act was overly long and at times felt like it was padding for time. This is a shame as the first and third act both move along at a nice place and are very enjoyable, it is just the slow down in the middle that hampers my enjoyment of the feature more broadly.

Overall, a good expansion, but the slow second act really bogs it down.

4/5

Pros.

The character work

Expanding the world

It justifies its existence

Relatable

Cons.

A slow second act

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Polite Society: Martial Arts And Uncomfortable Relationships

Written by Luke Barnes

Summary

A wannbe stuntwoman, played by Priya Kansara, becomes convinced her sister, played by Ritu Arya, is marrying a baddie.

In a sense I really wanted to connect with this film as I often do try to give British films the benefit of the doubt, but in all honesty this film just didn’t jive with me.

I think there are certainly some entertaining parts to it, and the fight scenes are impressive for what they are but I do think in the end the issues outweigh the positives.

The main issue I had with this film is that tonally it is two separate films. The first half is much more of a comedy about a girl struggling to accept that her sister is moving on with her life and then the second half is full of vaguely incestuous clones and kidnapping scenes, they don’t align at any point and at others feels very much at odds with one another.

To make matters worse the lead character isn’t likeable. Throughout most of the film the character comes off as incredibly possessive towards her sister, and thinks that it is okay for her to interfere and mess with her life doing worse and worse things to try and get the outcome she wants. The film justifies this in the end by having her being proven right to be so involved in her sister’s life, but throughout the film she just comes across as a busy body.

Moreover, I don’t know if it is just how I red it but there is a subtext to this film that is quite depressing and sad. In a sense the second half of the film could be read as a metaphor for mental illness and the sister fully falling into delusion, as the film likes to remind us she has an overactive imagination. In this sense the ending then develops something of an uncanny and almost unsettling quality but perhaps that was just how I made sense of the two drastically different tones within the film.

Overall, the tone of this film was all wrong and the main character was unlikeable.

2.5/5

Pros.

The fight scenes were good

It was nice to see a British film in the multiplex

It has a charm to it.

Cons.

It has pacing issues

It is tonally a mess

The main character has a God complex

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Scream VI: A Triggering Opening Sequence

Written by Luke Barnes

Summary

The Woodsboro gang move to New York.

To get right into spoiler territory, I don’t know how I feel about no one, of importance, dying in this instalment. On the one hand I wouldn’t have wanted to see Gale, played by Courtney Cox, meet her end in a film without Sidney, played by Neve Campbell, but on the other the amount of stab wounds the cast take and survive beggars belief. You really have to suspend your disbelief with this one as in some scenes the characters are stabbed repeatedly and given injuries that would surely kill them, only to be fine enough for a kiss at the end of the film.

Adding to my issues with the film I don’t know if this instalment did enough to justify its existence. As I just don’t think having the family come to avenge the death of one of the killers from the previous film is enough of a reason to make a sequel, especially as it has been done by the franchise before. I did like however that they are continuing with the question of whether Sam, played by Melissa Barrera, will become a slasher just like her dad. I think that is a really interesting angle that I would like the next film to focus on.

In terms of performances the central cast were all fairly strong. I do think that Jenna Ortega is starting to upstage Barrera a little bit and may end up fronting the franchise a little ways down the line. Speaking off I did feel weird watching a Scream film without Neve Campbell, it didn’t feel right and I hope she comes back for the inevitable sequel.

Overall, an enjoyable sequel for the most part, but one that doesn’t completely justify its own existence.

4/5

Pros.

The meta commentary

The opening kill with Samara Weaving

Teasing out Sam as a future killer

It feels like the most violent

Cons.

The lack of deaths feels entirely unrealistic

It doesn’t justify its own existence

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Pillow Party Massacre: A Sublime Slasher Parody

Written by Luke Barnes

Summary

A group of teens reunite at a remote getaway a short while after their friend killed someone because of a prank that went wrong.

No this film won’t win any medals for originality but when viewed from a brain switched off place it is surprisingly entertaining. I must state before I get into it that I have an affinity towards the slasher genre and can watch the same thing over and over again within it, as such I am more forgiving.

What I liked about this film is that it bothered to set up a mystery and build the world. When the film does reveal the killer at the end it won’t be who you are expecting it to be as the film does quite a good job of misdirecting you. The more I think of this misdirection the more I wonder whether it was a direct homage or parody of the first Friday the 13^th, small spoilers there, if so bravo.

I also liked that this film had its female characters have personalities and have conversations rather than just strip off and be hacked up. When comparing this to the film from last month Kill Her Goats the two films do a similar thing yet the focus of KHG seems to just be getting the women out of their clothes for a shower scene rather than trying to set up a world or mystery as this film does.

Overall, to me this film felt like a warm mug of soup, familiar, comforting and at times a terrific parody.

3/5

Pros.

The characters and the world

The kills and the gore, even if the effects are bad

It feels like a knowing parody of other genre films in a good way

Cons.

It is overly familiar

The characters make dumb decisions

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Assassin Club: Give Noomi Rapace More Action Roles Please

Written by Luke Barnes

Summary

An assassin, played by Henry Golding, must kill his fellow assassins before they kill him.

The premise is very worn, many films have been there before and this one doesn’t change it at all, who know right where it is going and every twist and turn is completely guessable.

However, the enjoyment of this film comes from its surprisingly good performances. Noomi Rapace steals the show as her unhinged villain Falk, but the real power of her performance comes from how well and distinguished Rapace plays both Falk and her day time persona of a government agent. The duality in her performance is palpable, and you really do feel as though she is playing two different characters. Moreover, Daniela Melchior is also a very welcome addition to the cast. After impressing in The Suicide Squad a few years back I like what she did with the role here, and think that she elevated it beyond simply being the girlfriend in distress. Golding of course was a capable leading man, but I would say that Rapace acted circles around him at every turn.

Another thing to give this film credit for is it’s fight scenes. Though at times they were a little choppy the fight scenes were well done throughout and some of them felt really quite intense and bone breaking which is nice when thinking about the sea of mediocre fight scenes that exist within the action genre.

Overall, don’t watch this for something new because it isn’t . Instead it takes the familiar and repackages it in a fairly enjoyable way with good performances and strong action. Not a must see.

3/5

Pros.

Solid action

Rapace

Melchior

Cons.

Familiar

Easily guessable

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Interview With Writer/Director Harry Wells: Clockwork

Written by Luke Barnes

I recently had the chance to interview Writer/ Director Harry Wells about their new anthology film Clockwork. In this interview we discuss, script writing, making the most out of what you have and the wonders of the iPhone headphones mic in low-budget filmmaking.I hope you enjoy.

Q: How did you get started as a filmmaker?

HW: I started out as a screenwriter, for around two-three years I was entering the screenwriting competitions and getting some wins along the way and then last year I was able to secure two write-for-hire jobs which eventually sold and will hopefully find their way into production this year. I always loved the idea of making a short film, and filmmaking as a whole is an avenue that I’d always wanted to go down, plus I really wanted something out there with my name on it – just to effectively give me another advantage within the industry.

So, around Christmas time last year I was watching (yearly tradition) It’s a Wonderful Life and I really felt inspired to make something similar to that and really catch that feeling of warm nostalgia along with the importance of family around Christmas. So, I sat down and wrote the script for Clockwork. I sent the script around to some trusted friends and they all said the same thing – “you have to make this.”

With that, I decided, with barely any knowledge on filmmaking nor any idea where to really start, that I was going to make my first short film.

Q: How would you describe micro-budget filmmaking?

HW: A challenge, but a fun-creative challenge. You have to be strategic in all aspects, as you’re working with barely any money, cast, or crew. So everything you do, has to fit within them standards. Even when writing the script, you have to keep in mind what you’re realistically going to be able to shoot. I didn’t really follow the “set rules” of shooting a film – there wasn’t so much a schedule nor a fixed timescale – it was about as amateur as filmmaking can really get, but in a way, that made it rewarding, because we ended up something great for virtually nothing. I just believed that if I had an iPhone, some trusted friends and a good script, we could make a good amateur film.

Q: Would you say that micro-budget filmmaking is better or worse than filmmaking on a larger budget?

HW: Having never really had the experience of large-scale filmmaking it would be unfair of me to really compare the two. But I could throw the positives and negatives of micro-budget filmmaking forward – there’s less pressure, as you’re making something with nothing. It’s a massive learning experience and pure trial and error. I done SO many things wrong but you need these mistakes to learn, and they can only improve you ready for the next film. I really do think it can only help you once you step up to large budget filmmaking, as you’ll have so much more people working with you and having a big team together can only push you in the right direction. For example : I wrote, directed, shot, and edited Clockwork, the writing and directing was fun. But I am not an editor. To say I struggled with it would be an understatement and I definitely feel for my next film hiring an editor will be an essential. Where-as, on a large budget project, an editor will already be in place.

Q: What are some of the trails and challenges you have had to face as a filmmaker?

HW: Oh, there were many – around the time of shooting, there was a nasty storm heading over the South East, strong winds, heavy rain, etc..etc… and we were shooting in the loft of a local theatre, so the sound of wind and rain clattering against the roof made the audio unusable. We also happened to have a power cut just as we finished setting up the set ready for filming! Thankfully, the power cut didn’t last too long, but safe to say I was fearing the worst.

Then, on the outdoor shoots, we were shooting by a church and the scene was set in the 50s, something we couldn’t avoid was people walking within the shot. And obviously a person in jeans and trainers holding an iPhone was not something you’d normally see in 50s, so although they had every right to be there they also naturally were curious as to what was going on – we had to politely ask them to step out of our shot… some took it better than others!

Another big issue – sound. We originally had a boom mic, which was perfect, until I started to realize it wasn’t picking up any sound. Great. So I bought two cheap mics online… everything seemed to be going smoothly until I (the foolish amateur filmmaker) got home and looked over the footage – the mics had broken early doors and our actors sounded like two robots having an argument in the middle of a malfunction, again, something you didn’t really get in the 50s! So, we done it again with non-other than an iPhone headphone mic wrapped around the boom-pole and kept on with some sellotape! Sounds laughable when I look back at it now, but believe it or not, it actually worked pretty well!

Q: Do you have any tips for someone starting out in filmmaking?

HW: My advice would be just to do it. Pick up a smart phone, get some friends together and go out there and shoot something. You will learn so much about filmmaking, and you really never know where it could take you. I think filmmaking is more accessible to everyone now than it ever has been. So pick up on the momentum and just make something great.

Q: How did you shoot and make Clockwork with no budget or backing?

HW: I wrote the script knowing there would be no money towards it, so kept that heavily in mind. And then it was just asking for favours. I went around a few clock shops in my local area, none of them wanted me filming in there, which was fair enough. Then, my good friend at the local theatre said I could come along and check out the loft – it was perfect, a cosy little corner to build a clock workshop. Then it was purely just friends coming along and helping out with filming. We had some late nights and early mornings, but it was all worth it. I really hope the film can be seen as an inspiration to anyone wanting to make a film, but not having the budget or backing – Clockwork has now picked up multiple awards – it’s entirely possible to make a decent film with nothing!

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Evil Dead Rise: Some Books Are Better Left Unread

Written by Luke Barnes

Summary

A new family find the Necronomicon.

This was a sore disappointment for me. I had been excited for this film for a while, it was certainly one of my most anticipated of April, if not the year, but after watching it I have to say it wasn’t very good. I want to state up front that I am a big fan of the original trilogy of Evil Dead Movies and Ash Vs The Evil Dead, but I wasn’t taken with the remake from a decade ago and this I found had a lot of the same mistakes.

I think the problems of this film fit broadly into four key areas. Firstly, there is way too much fan service and nods back to the previous films, if you are going to do another quasi reboot then you have to have it stand on its own, by having all the call backs it makes people compare it to the original trilogy of films, and that is not in the films favour. Secondly, the opening sequence by the lake is dumb and should have been cut out, it has no relevance on the main plot of the film and just serves to tie up an ending tease, the book ended approach to the storytelling but done in reverse really doesn’t work. Thirdly, the first act of the film is a mess and is awfully paced. The first act feels like it goes on forever introducing us to all of these characters, who we don’t care about, it takes way too long to get into the deadite action and by that point you have stopped caring. Fourthly and finally, a lot of the scares and horror aspects of the film no longer feel fresh, they might have done had this come out a few decades ago, but there wasn’t anything here that I hadn’t seen already done to death in other films.

All that said I will give the film props for being fun and a good time from the second act onwards. Once Alyssa Sutherland’s character turns into a deadite and things start to go off the wall and into a gory spectacle things get a lot better and become more entertaining. I still wouldn’t say the scares land in the way the film wants them to but the gory spectacle of the film is at least good for a laugh.

Overall, I would leave the series here, it feels very much out of steam, if they have to do another film they should bring back old man Ash, played by Bruce Campbell.

2.5/5

Pros.

The gore

Fun with the deadites

It is watchable

Cons.

The first act is horribly paced and way too long

There is too much fan service for something that is supposed to be its own thing

You don’t care about any of the characters

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Beef: Season One Overview

Written by Luke Barnes

Summary

Two random strangers, played by Steven Yeun and Ali Wong, get into a road rage incident that changes their lives forever.

I think this is one of the best shows Netflix has made in years. Why can’t we get more like this and less angsty teen shows that get cancelled after one season?

The show works so well as a series of escalations wherein each episode tops the drama of the last, and does so in a way that both makes sense and feels organic. At no point in this series did I think it strayed into the territory of the unbelievable.

Adding to this Wong and Yeun both have really great chemistry together and deliver fantastic performances. I particularly liked Wong’s performance and how it comments on depression and past trauma and shame, speaking off the monster that speaks to her as a little girl in one of the last few episodes is genuinely quite terrifying. It was clear to me from the off that the show was going to end up with Wong and Yeun’s characters getting together and in a sense it did that, but it just works as they are so good together.

Moreover, some of the more abstract elements of the show such as the previously mentioned monster and the crows that talk to one another in the final episode really add a nice different dimension to the realism of the rest of the show and perfectly juxtapose it.

Overall, if you haven’t already seen it you should binge this show the next time you have time to spare.

4.5/5

Pros.

Wong

Yeun

The drama and the escalation

The fun abstract elements

The ending

Cons.

The pace of the show is a little off and could be cut down by an episode which would also help to reduce the Netflix bloat.

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