The Prophecy 3: God’s Plan

The Prophecy 3 is a fantasy action thriller directed by Patrick Lussier, serving as a continuation of the Prophecy series. The war in Haven rages on, and now the Angel of Genocide Pyriel (Scott Cleverdon), has arrived on Earth to finish what Gabriel (Christopher Walken), started and wipe out the Nephilim and the humans with them.

This film completes the obvious character arc of Gabriel, and makes him a hero, which it turns out was God’s plan all along. Yes, this time around Gabriel wants to save the humans, as he himself is now one, and fight along side them to defeat Pyriel. I enjoyed seeing Walken play the character differently, it gives him chance to flex his charm and show his more loveable side.

I thought this film was a step up from the second but is still behind the first. The main reason for this is Cleverdon’s Pyriel. Pyriel is a much better antagonist, than a played-out Gabriel and has much needed presences and menace, I enjoyed seeing him ham it up as a very over the top evil villain and he looked like he was having fun.

The ending to this film also adds a nice sense of finality to the series as it feels like a lot of the lore and plot stuff has been tided up neatly and can be filled away; I am aware that there are two more sequels and maybe one day I will watch them.

Overall, still a lot of pulpy heavily 90’s fun and a decent final note.

Pros.

Cleverdon

Walken

The ending

Gabriel becoming the hero, even though it was cheesy and predictable

Cons.

It feels unnecessary

The production quality is still quite low

3.5/5

Reviewed by Luke

For The Sake Of The Vicious: Motorcycle Gang Of Death

For The Sake Of The Vicious is an action thriller film directed by Gabriel Carrer and Reese Eveneshen. The plot revolves around a tragic misunderstanding. When Chris’s (Nick Smyth), daughter is raped he abducts the man he thinks is responsible, he then brings him to the house of nurse Romina (Lora Burke), for unsaid reasons to begin the investigation. However, things are far more complicated than any of them know.

This film is unrelentingly bleak, which can be an issue for some people, it is not as easy watch I myself had trouble with it at times; but it is well worth sticking around for. The unpleasantness creates a real visceral sense of brutality which nicely compliments the film in its later stages when it shifts from being a character piece into basically being a slasher film.

The performances were strong and compelling, Romina was very easy to root for and it was easy for us the audience to put ourselves in her shoes and empathise with her. I think the standout performance of the film was definitely Smyth’s Chris who played a man possessed well. You could tell how haunted and troubled he was every second he was on screen it was both off putting and fascinating

My one issue with the film would be that the first act is very slow, and I mean slow. It was a bit of a slog to get through, but it is worth sticking with for the all-out brawl at the end.

Overall, a very intense film that wont be to everyone’s tastes, but if it sounds like something you might enjoy then you should definitely check it out.

Pros.

The drama and slasher elements nicely complement each other

The action scenes in the final act are really well done

The performances are top notch

The drama is compelling and engaging

Cons.

It is very bleak

The first act is too slow

4/5

Reviewed by Luke

The Tell Tale Heart: Look What You Made Me Do

The Tell-Tale Heart is a horror short film directed by McClain Lindquist. The film serves as a modern reimagining of the classic Edgar Allen Poe tale of the same name. The plot sees a man (Sonny Grimsley), be driven to madness and murder and we the audience are left to put the pieces together.

Sonny Grimsley might be my favourite performance of the year so far, or at least in my top 5. This narrator character perfectly capture the sense of the original tale and is so wonderfully disconcerting throughout, you never want to turn your back on him. There is an elements of mania to the performance that really heightens it into being something special.

I really enjoyed the practical effects in this film, I thought they had a great retro feel to them and the horror as a whole reminded me of classic 80’s pieces; I will admit I am a sucker for a good practical effect.

I thought the film itself was quite scary and threatening and had many moments in its short runtime that sent a chill down my spine. I would easily recommend this to any horror fan. You don’t need to be familiar with the Poe original to enjoy this either which is helpful for newcomers.

Overall, an incredibly strong horror short that is reminiscent of early Sam Raimi or Joe Dante which is high praise indeed.

Pros.

Sonny Grimsley

The scares

Being friendly to newcomers as well as a good adaption of the Poe original

The effects

Nicely paced and perfectly edited

5/5

Reviewed by Luke

Hail Caesar: In Hollywood Commies Lurk Around Every Corner

Hail Caesar! Is a comedy film directed by Joel and Ethan Coen. The plot follows a fixer in the Golden Age of Hollywood as he fights to keep everything running smoothly at a movie studio, this involves finding the star of the studio’s big sand and sandals epic who has gone missing.

This might be one of Josh Brolin’s finest performances to date. Brolin play’s the fixer, as you might have guessed, and he plays the part with such gusto and relish that you can’t help but be transfixed by him for the entirety of the movie. I believe no other actor could have done as much with the part as Brolin.

Obviously this film is a love letter, and some what of a scolding critique on the Golden Age of Hollywood as well as it’s contemporary incarnation. While that can sometimes feel a bit smug and cliquey, I believe the love here, and I love the version of the Golden Age this film portrays. I easily got lost in the world and would like to see more content set therein.

The supporting cast all have their moments to shine which I enjoyed, even though most are only relegated to glorified cameos they still leave a mark, which I find impressive. Channing Tatum is especially good in this regard and his musical number might be one of the best I have ever seen.

Overall, a fun ride for those who love the Golden Age with enough interesting goings on to entertain those who might not be so enamoured.

Pros.

Josh Brolin

Channing Tatum

The world

The cameos

Cons.

If you aren’t hugely into the time period or film history you might not like it

4.5/5

Reviewed by Luke

Everybody Wants Some: The Life And Times Of 30 Year Old College Freshmen

Everybody Wants Some is a teen comedy film directed by Richard Linklater. The plot follows a group of fresh and returning college baseball players on their first days of the new college year.

This feels very similar to Dazed and Confused which makes sense as this is a spiritual sequel of sorts, and while that film was great this one does just feel like more of the same, which is or isn’t a bad thing depending on your viewpoint. Personally, I was looking to see some growth and evolution that this film didn’t end up providing me with.

On an acting front, the film is a mixed bag. Lead character Jake (Blake Jenner), feels like a wet blanket, he doesn’t have much personality and what he does have he has through osmosis with the other characters, who are much better developed and are much more interesting.

For proof of my point look at Wyatt Russel’s Willoughby, we see him go from a stoner to a fraud over the course of the film, it is a sudden change admittedly, but it results in his character having an arc. Whereas Jake starts and ends on pretty much the same note.

I did enjoy the romance between Jake and Beverly (Zoey Deutch), I thought that was touching and sweet, however I again would have liked to see more of it, and or it developed further.

A pro I will give this film, is it is a star making turn for Glen Powell he is terrific as Finn and basically steals the entire film.

Overall, it is more of the same which personally I find underwhelming. However, it does showcase some great upcoming talent, so worth a watch on that basis.

Pros.

Glen Powell

The romance

The jokes were funny, if a little repetitive

Cons.

There is nothing new here

It lacked depth and a lot of the characters were deeply underdeveloped.

3/5

Reviewed by Luke

High Rise: Anarchy In The Flat Block

High Rise is a British Dystopian film directed by Ben Wheatley. The plot follows the goings on in a high-rise tower block that has become dived along class lines. We see Laing (Tom Hiddleston), try to adjust to life here and he becomes wrapped up in the class conflict.

So yes, the political and social commentary are very on the nose, there is no subtly here. Though usually I find this to be a sign of poor writing I go the other way here, as I believe it was Wheatly’s intent all along to be very blunt and in the audiences face with the film’s themes and messages. Furthermore, I find the points drawn therein to be well thought out and have surprising depth.

I enjoyed the absurdist nature, that is very present in the beginning, that quickly turns to a more threatening and violent edge. I find this film, much like a lot of Wheatley’s other work, straddles the black comedy line so well. At first these ideas might seem funny, but you quickly become aware of the bite behind them.

I think Hiddleston does well in the lead, he is a very serviceable stand in for the audience. That said he is blown out of the water by Luke Evans. Evan’s Wilder goes through an entire mental break over the course of the film and becomes a man possessed by the end in what can only be called a tour de force performance.

Elizabeth Moss is also in this film and she pulls off a pretty convincing accent, so props there to.

Pros.

The in your face messages

The black comedy/ dystopian mixture

Luke Evans

Elizabeth Moss

Cons.

It might be too absurdist at times, it can be confusing

4/5

Reviewed by Luke

Cannibal Holocaust: THE Video Nasty

Cannibal Holocaust is an Italian cannibal horror film directed by Ruggero Deodato. The plot recounters the final days of a group of budding documentarians as they head to the Amazon jungle to try and make contact with the tribes.

So, yes before we get into it, I just want to say that don’t want this if you are easily offended. There is real animal death in this film, and very vicious rape scenes which are both very off putting. I myself had to look away during some of these scenes as I thought that it was just needlessly vulgar. I think an argument can be made that these scenes were only put in the film to add a shock factor that would lead to its infamy, making it more of a must see for a certain type of people.

That aside, I enjoyed parts of this film. I enjoyed how the film subverted our expectation in having the missing teens be the real villains of the piece rather than have it be the savage evil tribe trope again. I thought it was a nice comment on the fact that just because someone is classed as ‘civilised’ it doesn’t mean they are. I read the whole thing as a commentary on colonialization.

I enjoyed the sense of tension especially in the later stages of the film, when it feels like the whole of this world has become hostile and there is this looming sense of death that just doesn’t go away. The frights are physiological as you see the level of human depravity just below the surface.

Overall, not an easy watch, but one that is worth your time as a comment on the past and human nature.

Pros.

Not using the evil tribe trope

A strong sense of tension

Interesting themes and comments on society

Cons.

It is not an easy watch

A lot of the more vulgar elements feel done for little more than shock value

3/5

Reviewed by Luke

Faith Based: Lance Reddick Is GOD

Faith Based is a comedy film directed by Vincent Masciale. The plot follows two slacker friends Luke (Luke Barnett) and Tanner (Tanner Thomason), who decide to make a Christian movie after they hear that they can make a lot of money if they pull it off. Cynically and rather naively the friends think that it will be easy to make a crappy faith-based movie, quickly the learn how wrong they are.

I am loving this trend of Lance Reddick just appearing in random small budget comedy and horror films. He always makes them much better and brings much need gravitas; the man is a treasure. He plays Luke’s adoptive father, who never really believed in this son always viewing him as the screw up. The scenes him and Barnett share are easily the best in the film, there is a sweetness and a tenderness to their relationship that is really quite touching.

I enjoyed this film quite a bit, I liked the satirical edge to it. It never felt mean spirited in its jokes about faith-based films, but it also felt spot on with its commentary hitting all the right spots. The jokes worked for me and often made me laugh, but remember humour is subjective.

Overall, a delightful comedy film that brings a smile to your face and touches your heart.

Pros.

Spot on commentary

It is funny

It doesn’t feel mean spirited

Lance Reddick

Cons.

The leads don’t bring much

4/5

Reviewed by Luke

Peppermint: John Wick Was A Good Film Right? Lets Copy It.

Peppermint is an action thriller film directed by Pierre Morel. The plot follows the transformation of quiet suburban mother Riley North (Jennifer Garner), after the death of her family.

So, this is a deeply average action film that is clearly trying to cash in on things like John Wick and those other kind of action films for as much as they can get. As such the story is played out before it begins and you can guess easily where it is going, it is a mash up of many different genre cliches and stereotypes.

Jennifer Garner is fine, nothing more than that. She is believable enough in the physicality of the role, but because the film is so poorly written and has no real reason to exist, her character feels incredibly hollow. Yes she is a badass, so what? We don’t feel anything for the character and the drama feels cliché and forced.

I mainly watched this as I was looking for schlocky action and that is pretty much all it is good for. It is just fun to watch guys get mowed down sometimes, I guess. Some of the scenes push the boat out on what is possible and are usually better for it.

Overall, only watchable if you either can’t find anything better or are looking for just some generic action schlock.

Pros.

It is watchable

Some of the more unbelievable action scenes are fun to watch

It is schlocky as hell

Cons.

Jennifer Garner brings nothing to the role

The film feels like a rip off

It has no reason to exist

It is incredibly generic

2/5

Reviewed by Luke

The Way Back: Ben Affleck’s Painful Return

The Way Back is an American sports film directed by Gavin O’Connor. The plot follows Jack Cunningham (Ben Affleck), a basketball player who turned to drink after his child died, now he is resigned to drink himself to death. That is until one day his old high school ask him to coach their basketball team, after their old coach unexpectedly retires, this gives him a reason to carry on.

This is a very generic film, there have been, are and will be so many other sports dramas that follow this same plot outline. A has been who has personal problems, coming back from obscurity to help the next generation. The plot did nothing for me as I already knew where it was going.

However, though the plot is generic Ben Affleck saves this film and elevates it far beyond what it would be otherwise. Ben Affleck’s performance here might be one of the best of the year, he plays the broken man who has given up so well; it is frightening how convincing he is. Obviously, he is drawing on his heavily publicised substance abuse battles, for this role and you can tell that, and it really adds to the performance.

Overall, the film really isn’t anything special, you have seen it countless times before, but you haven’t seen Affleck this raw and vulnerable and it is worth a watch for that alone. Affleck really does save this film.

Pros.

Ben Affleck and his raw performance

The feel-good story

How well Ben Affleck sells the character and his journey

Cons.

The plot is very generic

You know exactly what is going to happen

2/5

Reviewed by Luke