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buzzdixonwriter · 5 years ago

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Yellowface, You’ve Got The Cutest Li’l Yellowface…

Yellowface -- and its illegitimate cousins black-, brown-, and redface -- carts a long and dishonorable history.

Too often racial impersonation is at the service of racism: Minority actors simply rejected sight unseen by audiences and casting directors.

Occasionally it is a little less offensive; there’s at least an attempt to portray the minority character benignly.

Charlie Chan is the most notable example, with the four actors playing him in the sound era all being whites using tinted skin and eyefold appliances.

Chan was intended as a positive role model, and watched in that context the movies are not consciously insulting.

But in a wider context, casting against ethnic or racial type is fraught with danger.

On stage, where a multi-ethnic cast may play the Scots of MacBeth or the Thais of The King And I or the Ozark hillbillies of Li’l Abner, the sheer artifice of theatricality allows audiences to overlook casting against ethnicity.

Patrick Stewart famously played Othello against an all African-American supporting cast, and stage productions where multi-ethnic casts play biological family members are readily accepted.

But film and TV impersonations (with the exception of comedy skits that play towards theatrical tropes) are supposed to be real and convincing. Trying to pass off any performer as a different ethnicity, particularly a significantly different one physically, risks alienating a huge portion of one’s audience.

But…it can be done…if one earns it…and The 7 Faces Of Dr. Lao earns it.

It is not a universally loved film: It’s corny and derivative and producer / director George Pal steers the production with an unsteady hand, but it also possesses heart and soul and more than a little philosophy that turns out to be surprisingly profound.

If you love it, you’re going to really love it. If you’re going to stub your toe on the clunky parts, there’s a lot of clunky parts for a lot of toes.

So, is Tony Randall’s turn as Dr. Lao + 6 other characters an acceptable case of cultural appropriation / ethnic impersonation or not?

Well, consider…

In the context of the story Dr. Lao is a quintessential Trickster come to a remote American West town to teach the good -- and not-so-good -- citizens a thing or two. As a Trickster, he employs a variety of methods to divert attention and deflect questions, including a grab bag of voices, accents, and dialects. He speaks most often in refined, flawless, unaccented English, but switches to sing-song “Chinee” pidgin when people start getting too inquisitive. Exactly who he is could be anyone’s guess since most of his cultural references are European and Greek while his few Asian references are dismissed as lies and fabrications. So for an Asian character to be portrayed by an Anglo-looking Jewish-American actor works in the story itself since Dr. Lao as a character is shown to be a fictional construct overlaying the real yet still hidden persona.

In the context of the film, Randall the actor plays a wide variety of human and non-human characters: Dr. Lao (presumably Asian, not necessarily human), Merlin (Anglo, human), Apollonius (Greek, human with disability), Pan (Greek, non-human), Medusa (Greek, non-human female), The Abominable Snowman (Asian, non-human), and the voice of The Great Serpent (Biblical, presumably Middle-Eastern, non-human). (Randall also appears in a one-shot cameo sans make-up as a spectator at Dr. Lao’s circus.) So the film sets itself up as the kind of movie where part of the deliberate artifice is that one actor will play multiple characters and actively invites the audience to search for him among the rest of the cast (the irony being that The Abominable Snowman in the film was played by a bodybuilder made up to look like Tony Randall wearing Snowman make-up; Randall only donned the make-up for publicity photos). From that perspective, Randall could have been replaced by any comparable actor of any ethnicity or gender and the end result would have been the same.

In the context of theme, transformation and illusion are crucial foundations upon which the story is built, with several characters loaning their appearance to others (including a sea monster that sprouts 6 extra heads, all of them characters Randall played). And this does not touch on transformations of heart and soul and mind and body that also take place, nor does it take into consideration that Dr. Lao never appears in the same shot with any of the other characters, suggesting all of them are really him (in fact, except for the Abominable Snowman pulling The Great Serpent’s cage in the parade and the aforementioned sea monster scene, none of the characters played by Randall appear together). The possibility that anything and everything is either malleable or an illusion permeates the film and calls into question whether Randall’s various performances themselves are self-referential to this theme.

The 7 Faces Of Dr. Lao is based on Charles G. Finney’s novel The Circus Of Dr. Lao and bears the same relationship to its source as the film L.A. Confidential shares with James Elroy’s novel (i.e., same theme, and several characters and plot points port over, but otherwise totally different).

The screenplay is credited to Charles Beaumont but how much he actually contributed is in doubt. Beaumont, a prolific short story and TV writer in the 1950s, suffered a severe physiological and cognitive decline in the early 1960s. Many of his post 1963 credits were actually written in part or in total by writer friends who wanted to ensure his wife and children received health care and residuals after his death.

Most of the script is probably the work of Ben Hecht, the incredibly prolific Chicago crime reporter turned novelist / playwright / movie producer. Hecht, well known for 1930s gangster films and screwball comedies, also possessed a taste for the fantastic and macabre (read his novel Fantazius Mallare for a sample of his imaginative writing). He died in 1964, shortly after The 7 Faces Of Dr. Lao’s release, but screenplays he’d written or worked on continued being produced for decades after that.

When work on the screenplay started is unclear. Hecht’s style seems more in tune with Finney’s than Beaumont’s, but Beaumont in his prime would have been an excellent choice as an adaptor.

The 7 Faces Of Dr. Lao addresses the issue of racial prejudice quite directly, and while all three writers involved are known for their firm stands in favor of racial equality, to me the final flourishes belong to Hecht. Early in the film one grizzled old Western character wonders if Dr. Lao is “a Jap” and is immediately corrected by one of his friends who correctly identifies Dr. Lao (or at least the clothes he is wearing) as Chinese. When asked how he knows this, the friend replies: “Because I ain’t stupid.”

Through out the film there are examples of racism and racial prejudices being confronted and confounded, and by the end even the chief antagonist has come to change his ways.

Producer / director George Pal holds a venerated place in the history of fantastic cinema, but his own career was dotted with racially problematic works. Pal, a Hungarian animator who brought his Puppetoon films to Hollywood, did not harbor the racial animosity of many white Americans, but his visual style was influenced by American stereotypes.

Pal made several short films featuring a character named Jasper, based on African-American culture as seen through white eyes. One can look at those films and tell Pal did not make them with malicious intent, but unintended stereotypes sting just as badly as deliberate ones.

To his credit, Pal responded to criticisms of the Jasper shorts by making John Henry and the Inky Poo, using more physiologically accurate puppets to depict the legendary African-American folk hero.

When Pal segued into live action feature films, he tended to avoid racial issues by avoiding racial minorities. Conquest Of Space featured a Japanese astronaut but When Worlds Collide shows only white people surviving the end of the world. The Naked Jungle’s white plantation owner browbeats native workers into fighting off a massive swarm of army ants, and Pal’s last film Doc Savage tried to recapture the feel of 1930s pulp adventures but unfortunately dredged up native stereotypes of that era as well.

Pal’s feature career is rather uneven: When he made a good film it was really good, when he misfired it was a resounding dud. The 7 Faces Of Dr. Lao marks the beginning of the end of his active career. It faltered at the box office and while it shows he clearly wanted to move into more mature, more thoughtful films, his family friendly reputation trapped him. It took him four years to produce his next film, The Power, an edgy for the era sci-fi thriller, then seven years after that for his last movie, the remarkably unappealing Doc Savage, a kiddee matinee pastiche.

Back to the issue of racial impersonation.

As stated above, it’s very, very difficult to justify racial or ethnic impersonations today. The 7 Faces Of Dr. Lao is one of the extremely rare cases where it can be excused, if not justified, based on the particular (if not downright peculiar) elements of the story and the intent behind them.

#7 Faces Of Dr Lao #Tony Randall #Charles Beaumont #Ben Hecht #George Pal #Charles G. Finney #fantasy #media #ethics #morality #prejudice #racism #ethnic impersonations #yellowface #philosophy #things of the spirit

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aion-rsa · 4 years ago

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Best Martial Arts Movies on Netflix Right Now

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There are so many great martial arts movies on Netflix. Always with a watchful eye on foreign film, Netflix has acquired many of the most talked about titles, fresh off the boat from Asia which remains the cutting edge of the genre. Netflix also has a solid collection of the classics, so many groundbreaking films that launched enduring franchises.

With movies ranging from internationally recognized masterpieces to cheesy and gratuitously ultra-violent flicks, it’s time for “Netflix and Kill” as we take revenge on the villains who dishonored our family and the Shaolin Temple. Here is a selection of some of the latest actioners to have recently become available on Netflix, which longtime fans may have overlooked. And for those newbies to the genre, here are also some of the must-see classics, just to get you started.

Ip Man (2008)

U.S. Only

When Donnie Yen launched this fictionalized account of Bruce Lee’s master, it was so popular that several copycat Ip Man films came out in its wake (Ip Man is a real historical person so there’s no copyright on the character). There were so many that Ip Man films can almost constitute a genre on its own. However Yen’s Ip Man tetralogy is the original and the strongest.

Netflix has all four installments, but start at the beginning. It’s a franchise that demands to be viewed in order. Each film has its qualities, so much so that fans debate which is the best. The storyline builds complexity with each sequel, from the introduction of a child Bruce Lee until Ip Man visits Bruce in San Francisco. That never really happened, but it’s in the latest chapter Ip Man 4: The Finale, which was released on Netflix this summer. Donnie Yen, who appeared as the blind Chirrut Imwe in Rogue One, also recently played Commander Tung in Mulan.

Master Z: The Ip Man Legacy (2018)

Master Z is a spinoff of Donnie Yen’s Ip Man franchise. It follows Cheung Tin Chi (Max Zhang), a rival defeated by Ip Man in Ip Man 3. To ramp things up, Master Z adds Dave Bautista as a devious restaurateur and Michelle Yeoh returning to her martial roots after her scene-stealing roles in Crazy Rich Asians and Star Trek: Discovery.

It’s directed by Yuen Woo-Ping, the renowned fight choreographer behind Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon and the Matrix films. He took over as fight choreographer in Ip Man 3, replacing Jackie Chan’s martial big brother Sammo Hung. Master Z aspires to create its own franchise, and it was announced last year that Zhang is on board for a sequel.

The Grandmaster (2013)

Other Ip Man films had to stand out from the shadow of Donnie Yen. While Herman Yau’s The Legend is Born: Ip Man and Ip Man: The Final Fight added cameos of Ip Man’s real-life son Ip Chun, The Grandmaster elevated Ip Man to a critically acclaimed arthouse film. The Grandmaster is from internationally recognized auteur, Wong Kar-wai, and garnered a dozen wins at the Hong Kong Film Awards, plus two Oscar nominations.

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Ip Man: The Man, The Myth, The Movies

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Tony Leung stars as Ip Man alongside Zhang Ziyi and many authentic Kung Fu masters, including Yuen Woo-Ping who serves as choreographer and appears as Ip Man’s teacher. Beyond the choreographic artistry, The Grandmaster is a sumptuous spectacle. Wong knows he has two gorgeous lead actors and frames their faces like a Rembrandt painting. This is one of the most beautiful martial arts films ever made.

Triple Threat (2019)

The ‘Triple Threat’ is three of the hottest martial arts stars crossing the Pacific now: Iko Uwais, Tony Jaa, and Tiger Chen. Jaa recently appeared in Furious 7 and xXx: The Return of Xander Cage (he’s also in the aforementioned Master Z); Chen was a stuntman on Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon and the Matrix sequels, and did some uncredited work for John Wick: Chapter 3 Parabellum; Iko is discussed in the next recommendation.

Triple Threat stacked the deck by adding even more martial firepower with Scott Adkins, Jeeja Yanin, Michael Jai White, and Michael Bisping. It’s a throwback tribute to the old days of grindhouse fight flicks like what Cannon Films was putting out in the early ‘80s, updated for the new millennium. For those unfamiliar with any of these action stars, here’s a starting place.

Headshot (2016)

Headshot is an underrated ultra-violent example of what Indonesian fight films are doing lately. It’s like the martial arts take on torture porn. The sets are dark dingy dungeons. There is gratuitous bloodletting, bone breaking, knife slashing, flesh chopping, and ass kicking, with so many slo-mo blood spit-takes that they punctuate all the fights like money shots.

This stars Iko Uwais, who is breaking into Hollywood with appearances in features like Mile 22 and Stuber, a small cameo in The Force Awakens and most notably, the lead role in Netflix’s original series Wu Assassins. What’s more, he’s cast as the ‘Hard Master’ in the upcoming Snake Eyes: G. I. Joe Origins.

Savage Dog (2017)

U.S. Only

The ‘underground no-holds-barred tournament’ is a hackneyed martial plot device, but this one pits today’s top film fighters against each other. The lead is Scott Adkins, who starred in dozens of indie actioners like this, as well as appearing in Doctor Strange and Ip Man 4. Marko Zaror, aka the Latin Dragon, hails from Chile and is most recognizable for playing multiple clone assassins in Machete Kills. And Cung Le is a real-life MMA champion who played a villain in The Grandmaster.

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Zatoichi: The Best Martial Arts Movie Series You’ve Never Heard Of

By Craig Lines

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BE WATER: Director Bao Nguyen Reveals Bruce Lee’s Fight Against Racism in America

By Gene Ching

All three actors sell their strikes by really hitting each other–not at knockout force but enough to injure a normal person. There’s fighting in mud pits, huge folding knives, machete chopping, shotguns, machine guns, grenades, and some excellent hand-to-hand. It’s not a film to watch for the plot. It’s all about the fights.

Haywire (2011)

U.S. Only

Another real-life MMA champ turned actor, Gina Carano, has entered the spotlight again as Cara Dune in The Mandalorian. Haywire was her first feature film leading role, directed by Steven Soderbergh. It’s unheard of for a reputed director to cast an untested female actress as a lead in an actioner like this. And despite conflicts between the director and distributor, as well as the digital alteration to deepen Carano’s voice, her nascent talent for action and screen presence are on full display. Carano made several more indie actioners, along with appearing in Fast and Furious 6 and Deadpool, however Haywire remains her most interesting work.

Furie (2019)

Female Strong films have always been a staple in the martial arts genre. Furie was Vietnam’s biggest box office hit as well as the Oscar International Feature entrée and rightly so. It’s a beautiful film–Vietnam offers such texture, lush villages, boat communities, harsh ghettos, big cities, so colorful exacerbated by brilliant lighting schemes–and everything is cast in reds, blues, greens and purples.

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Best Martial Arts Movies on Amazon Prime Right Now

By Gene Ching

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By Gene Ching

But it’s Veronica Ngo that makes this outstanding. Ngo plays a debt collector single mom whose daughter gets kidnapped by organ harvesters. As the fights escalate in intensity (as they should in any decent martial arts flick), Ngo pulls off some complex, albeit implausible, long take sequences that are a good dozen moves deep, re-establishing herself as Vietnam’s leading action diva. She also appears in The Old Guard on Netflix.

BuyBust (2018)

Anne Curtis, a Filipino TV star, astonished her fans with this savage actioner. She plays a member of a DEA squad that gets lured into a drug kingpin’s trap in a labyrinthian shantytown and must fight their way out. After a few minutes of setup, the rest is just fight scenes. The poor folk living in the shantytown attack them in droves, like a zombie horde.

Most of this is shot in the dark, in the rain, with weird neon light. It’s a lot of shanking, not crisp choreography but rolling in mud, gritty and brutal. There’s an extraordinary long take action sequence toward the end that earns Curtis her fight cred. For fans of martial arts movies, it’s all about long take fight scenes, because sophisticated choreography takes real skill to sustain.

Shadow (2018)

Shadow is from one of China’s most celebrated filmmakers, Zhang Yimou. It’s an arthouse film that screened at noted international film festivals in London, Toronto, and Venice, and it is opulent cinema. All the sets, locations and costumes are awash with monochromatic filters as a yin-yang parable, a symbolic device that works visually and dramatically.

Flesh tones and candlelight appear especially bright and warm in contrast. So does the blood. It’s a little long-winded for those just looking for action, but the fights are imaginative and artistic, and the overall production is breathtaking. This is wuxia–the romantic Chinese genre of swords and sorcery that underpins so much of Kung Fu cinema.

The Foreigner (2017)

In Hollywood, Jackie Chan is stereotyped for his action comedies despite several serious actioners from Asia. This is the first Hollywood feature that shows Jackie’s ability to do a non-comedic thriller. In The Foreigner, Jackie plays a former special operative that re-activates himself after his daughter is killed in an IRA terrorist bombing. Pierce Brosnan stars as a translucent caricature of Irish politician Gerry Adams.

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Jackie Chan’s Hard Road to Hollywood

By Craig Lines

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These are not Jackie’s signature lighthearted acrobatic fights. Instead this is hard-hitting street fights as Jackie doles out the damage on the road of vengeance. Reminiscent of his films like Police Story: Lockdown and Shinjuku Incident, this is Jackie playing tragic roles, which is challenging for many of his western fans to digest.

Baaghi (2016)

Bollywood has been gaining steadily in the martial arts genre and Tiger Shroff is a prime example. Baaghi showcases India’s indigenous martial art of Kalari, and yes, there are lavish song and dance numbers typical of Indian film. Tiger is a great dancer too. If you’re not into Bollywood, just get through the first hour when the fight scenes unleash.

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10 of the Weirdest Kung Fu Movies Ever

By Craig Lines

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Ninjas All The Way Down: The Mysterious World of Godfrey Ho

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Bollywood choreography leans towards one shot, one move action with lots of wirework and overdone flying slow-motion shots, however Tiger is glorious to behold in such shots. He poaches scenes from other martial arts films, even Jackie Chan’s signature end credit stunt fails, called NGs (no goods) in Asia. However, Tiger’s fights are a delicious masala mix of martial arts, worthy of a taste for the uninitiated.

Baahubali: The Beginning (2015)

There is nothing like Baahubali. It was the most expensive Indian film and the highest grossing, spawning a sequel, Baahubali: The Conclusion, as well an upcoming Netflix original series Baahubali: Before the Beginning. It is an unparalleled fantasy film, so visually ostentatious with eye-popping CGI effects and absurd plot twists that it is astonishingly entertaining. The battle sequences are ridiculously corny and creative. There’s song and dance, and silly romance, and some of the most outrageous chariot warfare, sword fights, and insane weaponry ever. Netflix has both Baahubali films in the original Tamil language version and the Hindi version with subtitles.

Wira (2019)

Hairul Azreen is a bright martial newcomer from Malaysia who has starred in several major action films, but this is his first strictly martial feature. It’s another ‘underground no-holds-barred tournament’ with Azreen as the reluctant champion blackmailed into competing. Nevertheless, Azreen is a genuine Taekwondo champion and delivers an extraordinary long take warehouse fight (warehouse fights are another timeworn cliché, but satisfying like comfort food).

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Wira Review: Meet the Next Martial Arts Movie Star

By Gene Ching

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How Wira Star Hairul Azreen Became Malaysia’s Rising Action Hero

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Fify Asmi also shines as Azreen’s fighter sister, and Yayan Ruhian (John Wick: Chapter 3 Parabellum) plays a classic righthand hitman with minimal dialog and maximal impact. The single take drone footage is groundbreaking.

Love on Delivery (1994)

Stephen Chow is known for an irreverent third wall breaking slapstick comedies, called Mo Lei Tau. Most know his CGI-driven parody Kung Fu Hustle (also on Netflix), and Shaolin Soccer. Love on Delivery is an earlier work with the same comic sensibilities playing on classic Kung Fu tropes. Chow plays a coward trying to woo the always cute Christy Chung, the hottest student at his Judo dojo. It’s Chow at his sharpest Mo Lei Tau humor with hairpin comic turns and Easter egg film homages. What’s more, as a pre-CGI film, the cheesy special effects just add to its campiness. If you like Chow, this is a must-see.

The Karate Kid (1984)

The Karate Kid launched a four-film franchise, a Saturday morning cartoon, a redux with Jackie Chan and Jaden Smith, and the YouTube series Cobra Kai, which is now headed into its third season. Netflix has all three of the original Daniel-san (Ralph Macchio) and Mr. Miyagi (Pat Morita) films (the fourth was a spinoff–The Next Karate Kid–starring a young Hilary Swank as Miyagi’s new student). Nothing beats the original ‘Wax on, wax off’ as Daniel-san, the pioneering martial arts nerd who overcomes his rivals and gets the girl, Ali (Elizabeth Shue), who is way out of his league. The Daniel-san films are all good and follow a continuous story arc, but nothing beats the original.

Scott Pilgrim vs. the World (2010)

U.S. Only

If Daniel-san was the pioneering martial arts nerd, Scott Pilgrim is the epitome. Scott Pilgrim vs. the World is based on a graphic novel and its novel cinematic style rips panels right out of a comic book. Michael Cera plays Scott, a loser who must battle the seven evil Xs to win his love. The film, which just celebrated its 10th anniversary in mid-August, flopped in the theaters because it was way ahead of its time but has since become a major cult favorite.

The Real Martial Arts Behind Cobra Kai and The Karate Kid

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Scott Pilgrim Anime Plans Afoot

By Kirsten Howard

The movie features early performances by Anna Kendrick, Brandon Routh, Chris Evans, and Brie Larson, plus songs by Beck. But it’s the martial arts here because making Cera into a convincing fighter takes a lot of special effects magic and a top-notch choreographer. That magic came from Brad Allen, a former member of Jackie Chan’s Stunt Team, who also worked on the Kingsman franchise and will be directing the fight unit for Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings.

Double World (2020)

Director Teddy Chan brings this brand-new visionary wuxia film based on a popular Chinese MMORPG that boasts millions of players. It’s yet another no-holds-barred tournament, but not underground. It’s at the behest of the Emperor, set in a fantasy medieval world with dragons, giant scorpions, and fanciful arms and armor.

Double World is a dazzling piece of eye candy with high-flying wirework fights choreographed by Hong Kong veteran Stephen Tung. It’s like an anime come to live-action, the sort of sensational experience that would’ve been great on the big screen, but the pandemic sent it straight to streaming. Netflix astutely picked it up for the international market.

Mortal Kombat (1995)

U.S. Only

When it comes to video game films, this classic was a game changer. Now celebrating its 25th anniversary this August, Mortal Kombat launched two animated sequels and a live-action sequel with another live-action on the way for 2021. The original film is as cheesy as ever, but still retains its charm.

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The fight choreography is mediocre at best. While the hero (Robin Shou) and villain (Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa) had martial training as did many of the stunt performers, the other lead actors did not, and it shows. Pat E. Johnson, who is a genuine Tang Soo Do master and choreographed the original Karate Kid, does his best, yet the fight choreography remains dated. Fight scenes have come a long way since then. Nevertheless, there’s that earworm soundtrack that combined techno with traditional Japanese instruments, didgeridoos, and Tuvan throat singing that makes all the fights somehow better. Finish him!

Bloodsport (1988)

The testosterone-fueled battle between Jean-Claude Van Damme and the hulking Bolo Yeung has become fodder for so many internet memes that it has made Bloodsport a ‘must-see.’ This is yet another ‘underground no-holds-barred tournament’ film, but this time it is based on the highly disputed claims of an alleged fighter named Frank Dux. Nevertheless, despite the clichés, it’s a cult classic. Van Damme is at the peak of his physicality and his signature splits remain his gift. And Bolo is at his villainous best, raging like some steroidal psycho beast.

The Flying Guillotine (1975)

The Flying Guillotine is the ultimate medieval assassin weapon, a frisbee hat on a cord that when thrown over a victim, lops off their head which can be retrieved for a trophy with a quick yank. It’s a totally made-up weapon, but as ludicrous as it may be, it had legs. The Flying Guillotine launched a series of sequels and knockoffs, including a 2012 CGI-soaked redux.

Directed by Ho Menghua, who directed a lot of splatter horror films, and starring Chen Kuan Tai, a venerated Kung Fu star with nearly 150 credits, it’s another wuxia classic that became a cult film favorite, so much so that flying guillotines appear in many other successive unrelated films like The Heroic Trio and The Machine Girl.

Opium and the Kung Fu Master (1984)

An anti-drug propaganda film from Shaw Brothers Studios, this stars Ti Lung as Tit Kiu Sam, a real-life Kung Fu master although this story is completely fictitious. Ti Lung usually plays gentlemen swordsmen, but here he delivers a poignant dramatic performance as a master compromised by drug addiction. He also brings some incredible fights, facing off against multiple gangs of opponents alone, showcasing his incredible command of both drama and action. Ti Lung has over a hundred films to his credit, mostly martial arts but some strictly dramatic. This also stars the mighty Chen Kuan Tai and the cross-eyed comic relief Yue Tau Wan.

The 36th Chamber of Shaolin (1978)

One of the most common plot devices in Kung Fu movies is esoteric training. The hero gets violated somehow, then must find some hidden master who trains Kung Fu using the weirdest methods so the hero can take revenge for the finale. Even The Karate Kid follows this storyline, but The 36th Chamber of Shaolin is the King Daddy.

Movies

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The 36th Chamber Trilogy‏ – Essential Kung Fu Movie Viewing

By Craig Lines

Gordon Liu plays San Te, a Confucian scholar who flees to Shaolin Temple when his school is outed as rebels by the dastardly Manchus. There he endures an outrageous series of trials to learn Kung Fu, invents a new weapon, the three-section staff, and returns for vengeance. But it’s all about the training methods which comprise the central section of this classic. The film spawned two sequels Return to the 36th Chamber of Shaolin, and Disciples of the 36th Chamber, both of which are also on Netflix.

Legendary Weapons of China (1982)

For weapon aficionados, this is a masterpiece, an epic showcase of cold arm choreography and wuxia cinema. Legendary Weapons of China stars blood brothers Lau Kar-Leung and Lau Kar-Wing, two of the most prominent fight choreographers in the game, displaying their incredible virtuosity with a wide array of traditional Kung Fu weapons in a parade of duels. Backed by Shaw Brothers stable actors Gordon Liu, Alexander Fu Sheng, and Kara Hui, this film was the basis of many of the samples for the Wu-Tang Clan compilation album “Legendary Weapons.”

The Five Venoms (1978)

This classic wuxia directed by Chang Cheh launched the ‘Venom Mob,’ a celebrated team of martial filmmakers. The original stars of The Five Venoms (a.k.a. The Five Deadly Venoms), Chiang Sheng, Phillip Kwok, Lo Meng, Lu Feng, Sun Chien, and Wei Pai, all made dozens of movies each, many together, shaping the industry for generations (Lo Meng made the most with over 90, the most recent being Ip Man 4: the Finale).

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It’s a tale of intrigue and masked masters of the poisonous styles of centipede, lizard, scorpion, snake, and toad. Among the choreographers was Grandmaster Leung Ting, the last student of the real life Ip Man. Considered one of the top Kung Fu cult favorites, the soundtrack poaches from Monty Python and the Holy Grail. Poison Clan rocks the world!

The post Best Martial Arts Movies on Netflix Right Now appeared first on Den of Geek.

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vivalatoons · 7 years ago

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My Talk: TMNT 2003

I’m so excited about this, I don’t have an intro. Let’s get into this reflection of TMNT 2003. Turtles count it off: 1, 2, 3, 4!

Turtle Nation influenced me to get into the Turtles. I finished TMNT 1987, and I headed to the 2003 Turtles. October 20th, 2015 I saw the pilot, Things Change. This series took a drastic change from silliness to a dark tone. I absolutely enjoyed it.

Plot. Four ninja turtles live in the sewers with their rat father. They fight bad guys, save anyone that is in harm’s way, make human and mutant allies, and protect the city of New York. However, they are arcs that have interesting character interactions. From the Shredder Strikes to Ninja Tribunal, it’s great to watch the Turtles go on the epic adventures and kick ass.

Characters. Leo, Donnie, Raph, and Mikey are the Ninjas in Green. Splinter is their rat father, who train and love his sons. April and Casey are the Turtles’ human friends. Shredder is the main villain. Characters like LeatherHead and Stockman would reappear with some changes. Other characters that were in comics also made their TV debut like Karai, The Purple Dragons, Bishop, and Professor Honeycutt.

Animation. It’s incredible how the series nails its animation. I enjoy the dark and sharp look of NYC, characters, and action sequences. I love the colors and dark tone. It gives the Turtles an awesome look, like I’m watching a superhero movie. I’m amazed how the animation holds perfectly.

Voice acting. A part of the show that is talented. The voice cast is beloved by many, like me. Michael Sinterniklaas, Sam Riegel, Greg Abbey, and Wayne Grayson voiced Leo, Don, Raph, and Mikey. Darren Dunstan and Scottie Ray voiced Splinter and Shredder. Veronica Taylor, Marc Thompson, and Karen Neill voiced April, Casey, and Karai. They all do terrific jobs voicing their roles.

How it’s different from the other Turtle series. The origin story has some new parts. Splinter is the pet rat of Hamato Yoshi. Yoshi would die in the hands of Shredder. Splinter is devastated, and escapes to New York. How did the Turtles came to Splinter? Well, a boy had fish bowl of four turtles. There was a truck coming, and a blind man was crossing the street. The boy saved a blind man from a truck. He dropped the turtles, who later falls into a sewer. A canister of mutagen falls out of the truck, heads into the sewers, and mutates the Turtles and Splinter himself. They would grow and have human characteristic. Splinter would teach them ninjutsu. Shredder is completely different from his 1987 counterpart. April was an assistant to Stockman, then an owner of an antique shop. Casey Jones has a great backstory on why he bust on bad guys, mainly his deal with the Purple Dragons. This series is darker from the 1987 series. I mean it’s dark. Three Two episodes were well known for its content, SAINW and Insane in the Membrane. I’m not going into details with SAINW because of trauma it’s just intense and dark to watch. Insane in the Membrane was banned from the US til 2015 because of what happens to a character. An episode that was pulled would have showed a surgeon separating conjured twins, leaving one of them in the trash. Yeah, there’s no fun and games when you watch this version of TMNT. There’s a little fun, but a majority of the time it’s serious and the Turtles mean business when it comes to bad guys.

Why this is my favorite version of TMNT? It’s because it stays closer to the Mirage Comics. I haven’t read the comics, but this series gives me a sum of what the comics were like. I’m happy with some of the characters, especially Casey Jones. I don’t like 1987 Casey, he was more of a crazy man who took fighting crime too serious. 2003 Casey is great, and I love this version of Casey. This series also made me love Donatello. Not a fan of 1987 Donatello, because he was either fixing stuff and making technologic stuff. 2003 Don shows more of him and how he contributes. I enjoy his character and Sam voicing him. Episodes are entertaining and tell an great story. Voice actors do a good job with voicing their roles. It’s just…it’s just such a great show. If we’re excluding the last 2 seasons, but yeah awesome reboot of TMNT.

Recognition. I feel that this version of TMNT is under appreciated. I get when a favorite show we love getting remade is terrible, but this is a good example of a remake done right. It stays with the Mirage Comics, animation is great, so is the writing and voice actors. It kicks the 1987 series’ butt with its amazing aspects. This is the closest of Mirage TMNT I have seen. It had a fanbase. It was a part of 4Kids. It was a fantastic series. I don’t want this version of TMNT to be hidden from the shadows of other TMNT series and movies.

TMNT 2003 is a prime example of recreating a franchise in an awesome way. I’ll continue to praise this series. It broke boundaries, retold the TMNT story in a cool way, and mostly it’s just plain awesome. These turtles are badass. I love it, I’ll always think of 2003 TMNT as the best version of Turtles ever. Again, it’s my favorite version of TMNT. Nothing can compare how excellent this series is. I love my badass Turtles and this series shows what they’re capable of.

#my talk #long post #happy 15th anniversary #tmnt 2003

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beastlondoninfo · 4 years ago

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The Scent Movie 2020

Allow us to lower proper to the chase...or proper to the screaming as lots of the people on this record would like! Not solely am I married to a prime house haunter, I've been a giant fan of horror films (additionally known as monster films) for years. In my expertise, as a fan of the style, listed below are my prime ten monsters of all time! The Scent Movie 2020

10. Kraken (1981)

From the 1981 Conflict of the Titans, this can be a creature that stirs the creativeness. Though the Kraken is a creature of delusion, it's the movie model that everybody remembers. Who might overlook the top scene of the unique Conflict of the Titans the place the Kraken comes for Andromeda? (What he wished her for isn't clear to me. Did he plan to eat her? Invite her to go for a swim?) At any charge, the Kraken was delivered to life by the stop-motion animation of Ray Harryhausen, a legend in horror and fantasy films. The picture of Perseus turning the Kraken to stone is basic and so is that this multi-armed monster on this author's opinion.

9. Creature From the Black Lagoon (all variations)

There have been many films about terrifying sea creatures, however Creature From the Black Lagoon continues to be the very best. (Sorry, Jaws!) Launched in 1954, it incorporates a monster-like gill-man found on an expedition within the Amazon. Like many well-known monsters of the silver display screen, the Creature spawned sequels. The unique Creature of the Black Lagoon film is being remade for a 2011 launch, in keeping with the IMDB Web page.

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#The Scent Movie 2020

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ljones41 · 8 years ago

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"INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS" (2009) Review

"INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS" (2009) Review I have slightly mixed feelings about director Quentin Tarantino’s work. I have not seen all of the movies that he has directed. Of the movies that I have seen, I can name at least four that I would consider favorites of mine. One of those favorites happened to be his 2009 Oscar winning film, "INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS", a World War II comedy-melodrama (I do not know how else to describe the movie) about two attempts to assassinate Nazi leader Adolph Hitler during a movie premiere in occupied Paris. Thinking about "INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS", it occurred to me that its premise struck a familiar note. It bears a strong resemblance to the 2008 movie, ”VALKYRIE”, a thriller about the last attempt to kill Hitler by a group of high-ranking German Army officers. But unlike Bryan Singer’s movie, "INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS" featured two separate plots to kill Hitler that ended with a particular twist. In order to present a detailed account of these two accounts, Tarantino divided his story into five chapters. The first chapter introduced Colonel Hans Landa (Christoph Waltz), a notorious S.S. officer known for hunting and finding refugee Jews in Austria and occupied France. He appears at a French dairy farm in search of a missing Jewish family named Dreyfus. After threatening to punish the dairy farmer (Denis Menochet) hiding the family, Landa manages to have them all killed, except for the 18-19 year-old Shosanna Dreyfus (Mélanie Laurent), who escapes due to Landa lacking bullets in his revolver. Chapter Two opens in early 1944 and introduces U.S. Army Lieutenant Aldo Raine (Brad Pitt), a Tennessee hillbilly, who has recruited a group of Jewish-American soldiers to kill and mutilate as many Nazi soldiers they can get their hands on behind enemy lines in occupied France. By the time they have recruited Hugo Stiglitz (Til Schweiger), a former German soldier set to be punished for killing 13 S.S. soldiers, the "Basterds" have created a reputation as butchers by the German high command. Shosanna returns to the story in Chapter Three, as the owner of a Parisian movie theater. Her theater is chosen to host the premiere of "A Nation's Pride", one of Joseph Goebbels’ (Sylvester Groth) propaganda films about the exploits of a German war hero named Fredrick Zoller (Daniel Brühl) . . . after Zoller meets and becomes attracted to Shosanna. The theater owner realizes that the movie premiere is the perfect place for her to get revenge for the deaths of her family and she plots with her lover and projectionist, Marcel (Jacky Ido) to burn down the theater with the moviegoers locked inside. In Chapter Four, British intelligence learns about the premiere from one of their agents – popular German actress Bridget von Hammersmark (Diane Kruger) and her plans to have the German high command assassinated. They send one of their operatives to France – German speaking Lieutenant Archie Hicox (Michael Fassbender) – to meet up with the Basterds and von Hammersmark and go along with her assassination plans. Unfortunately, the meeting goes awry due to an encounter with some German soldiers and a Gestapo officer named Dieter Hellstrom (August Diehl). Raines and von Hammersmark are forced to make some changes in their assassination plot. Chapter Five featured the movie’s finale at Shosanna’s movie theater, where the two plots to kill Hitler and the Nazi high command weave in a series of revelations, betrayals, death, sacrifice and a surprising plot twist. "INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS", like some of Tarantino’s films, turned out to be a prime example of how several unconnected subplots merge into one major plot or goal. In the case of this particular movie, the goal to assassinate Hitler and the Nazi high command. I have noticed that in movies like "PULP FICTION" and "JACKIE BROWN", Tarantino likes to use nonlinear story lines. This does not seemed to be the case for "INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS". In fact, he carefully introduced the characters and the story in a straight, linear fashion in Chapters One to Four. Once the finale unfolded in Chapter Five, Tarantino pulled the rug from under moviegoers with several surprising plot twists that left me reeling. And by the time the last scene ended, only two major characters and a supporting character were left standing. Another aspect about "INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS" that I found enjoyable was its mixture of humor, drama, suspense and action. Well, most of the action featured massive shootings, a major fire, stabbings, strangulation and mutilation. And the ironic thing is that the percentage of action featured in the film was minor in compare to the number of scenes dominated by dialogue. This should not be surprising, considering that many of Tarantino’s films seemed to feature more dialogue than action. Aside from one or two scenes, this did not bother me at all. I think it had something to do with the fact that I found many of the characters in "INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS" fascinating. Tarantino really earned his Best Original Screenplay Oscar. If there is one thing you can count on a Quentin Tarantino film, it is bound to feature a cast of some interesting characters and performances. I suspect that Lieutenant Aldo Raine will go down as one of my favorite characters portrayed by Brad Pitt. The movie never explained Raine’s dislike and hostility toward the Nazis. But his recruitment speech to his "Basterds" made it clear that he disliked them . . . intensely. He even makes sure that his men know that he expects each of them to take at least 100 Nazi scalps. And he literally means scalps. Also, Pitt did an excellent job of expressing not only Raine’s dislike of the Nazis, but also his ruthlessness, sadism and ornery streak. And as long as I remember this movie, I will always relish Pitt’s Tennessee accent and the way he says "Nat-sees". Another performance I will certainly remember is Christoph Waltz’s superb performance as the soft-spoken, yet sinister Waffen-SS-turned-SD officer Colonel Hans Landa. The Nazi officer, known for successfully hunting down refugee Jews, is clearly the movie’s main antagonist, yet watching Waltz portray this guy is a joy to behold. He does not resort to the usual clichés about Nazi characters. Instead, his Landa is a polite, humorous and yet, sadistic man who enjoys putting his victims through psychological torture. His interrogations of the French dairy farmer Perrier LaPadite, Shosanna and even Raine are prime examples of this. Only with Raine, I think he may have met his match. It is not surprising that Waltz received the Best Actor Award at the 2009 Cannes Film Festival and a Best Supporting Actor Academy Award. However, Pitt and Waltz are not the only ones who provided some memorable performances. I really enjoyed Mélanie Laurent’s performance as the intense and vengeful Shosanna Dreyfus. Not many critics seemed impressed by her performance, but then Shosanna is not exactly what one would call an in-your-face role. I could also say the same about Diane Kruger’s role as the German-born film star, Bridget von Hammersmark. Her role as the anti-Nazi spy for the British is not as colorful as some of the other roles in the film, but it is certainly more complex and interesting than her performances in the "NATIONAL TREASURE" movies and "TROY". I heard a rumor that Kruger had fought for the role of von Hammersmark. Judging from the way she seemed to relish in her role that seem very obvious. Another low key, yet complex performance came from Daniel Brühl as the war hero-turned film actor Fredrick Zoller. He did an excellent job in conveying a genuine attraction to Shosanna, along with his frustration over her cold attitude toward him. He also seemed embarrassed and slightly ashamed of his heroics that led to the deaths of many American soldiers in Italy. Yet, he loves the celebrity that he has managed to acquire as due to his actions as a military sniper. I was also impressed by Michael Fassbender as the British intelligence officer, Lieutenant Archie Hicox, who was selected to assist von Hammersmark and the Basterds in the plot to kill Hitler. I enjoyed Fassbender’s sharp performance as the British officer as a suave "George Saunders" type, whose command of the German language is perfect, but not his knowledge of German regional accents. And Til Schweiger was perfect as Hugo Stiglitz, the psychotic German soldier whose dislike of the Nazi regime led him to murder 13 Gestapo officers before joining Raine’s group of "Basterds". He was hilarious, yet frightening in the Chapter Four sequence that featured von Hammersmark’s rendezvous with his fellow Basterd Corporal Wilhelm Wicki (Gedeon Burkhard) and Hicox. Schweiger’s struggle to keep his temper and murderous impulses in check during their encounter with Major Hellstrom was fascinating to watch. Speaking of the latter, August Diehl gave a subtle, yet scary performance as the uber-observant S.S. officer, Major Dieter Hellstrom. This was esepcially apparent in the Chapter Four sequence, as his character played mind games with Ms. von Hammersmark and Hicox. Apparently actor-writer-producer Eli Roth does not have a great reputation as an actor. Even I could see that he was no great shakes as an actor. Yet, the role of the violent and obnoxious Staff Sergeant Donny “The Bear Jew” Donowitz seemed to fit him like a glove. Roth did a pretty good job in conveying Donowitz’s funny, yet psychotic nature. Before one would assume that I consider "INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS" as an example of cinematic perfection, I must admit there were a few aspects of the film that troubled me. There were moments when the pacing seemed a bit too slow for me. I thought that Tarantino had lingered on the conversation between Colonel Landa and Perrier LaPadite longer than necessary. I suspect that this scene was merely a showcase for Landa’s talents as an investigator and his penchant for psychological sadism. Unfortunately, I found myself longing for it to end before it actually did. Another scene that I found mind boggling was Landa's last encounter with Ms. von Hammersmark. Knowing that the actress was a Allied spy and had been at the tavern that featured a murderous shoot-out, Landa toyed with her before strangling her to death. My question is why? Why did he kill her? I would have understood this if he had remained loyal to the Third Reich until the bitter end. But moments after he murdered her, Landa betrayed the German High command by trying to help the "Basterds" go ahead with their assassination plan. Why . . . "punish" Ms. von Hammersmark before making the decision to commit treason himself? My last quibble centered around Lieutenant Raine’s men – the "Basterds". Aside from Hugo Stiglitz and Donny Donowitz, we never really got a chance to really know the Basterds. Most of them were given brief spotlights, but not enough to really satisfy me. After all, the movie is named after their group. Of the other "Basterds" - Wilhelm Wicki, Smithson Utivich, Omar Ulmer, Gerold Hirschberg, Andy Kagan, Michael Zimmerman, and Simon Sakowitz - at least three of them were given brief spotlights. And Tarantino never revealed what happened to the "Basterds" who were at the movie theater in Chapter Five.. I also understand that Tarantino had attempted to recruit Oscar-winning composer Ennio Morricone to create the movie’s score. The composer rejected the offer, due to the film’s sped-up production schedule. Instead, Tarantino utilized some of Morricone’s tracks from previous films into the movie’s soundtrack. I only hope that Tarantino did this with the composer’s permission. Perhaps he did. Morricone would go to work on Tarantino’s 2015 movie, “THE HATEFUL EIGHT” with Oscar winning results. As for the technical aspects of "INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS", I believe that Tarantino did a solid job in consolidating the cinematography, production designs, costume designs, and special effects to create a first-rate movie. But I must admit that I found myself especially impressed by Tarantino’s own script that featured a straight, linear story that concluded in a very surprising manner. I was also very impressed by the visual effects supervised by Gregory D. Liegey and Viktor Muller . . . especially during the final sequence that featured the movie premiere. I might as well say it . . . I really enjoyed ”INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS. It is one of the very few movies I really enjoyed back in 2009. And it is one of my top favorite Tarantino films. It featured an excellent story with some surprising twists and a superb international cast led by Brad Pitt, Christoph Waltz and Mélanie Laurent. And considering my mixed views on Tarantino’s body of work that has to be saying something.

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highonbits · 5 years ago

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10 Great Movies to Watch During This Quarantine

Feeling bored in this quarantine??? here are some movies you can watch during this quarantine/lockdown. whenever you google something they show you some movies which you never heard before, so we recommend you these 10 movies which has everything, drama, entertainment, humor, suspense, period films and morals for life.

Avengers: Endgame

Phenomenally entertaining movie and a masterpiece! The movies have everything; drama, uptight, some funny comedy moments, adventure, mystery, and impressive action sequences. The movie will have you off the edge of your seat, surprises, emotional sad events which that you can’t miss at all. Their legacy of the finale is Perfect. Amazing movie!!! If we talk about acting, it was phenomenal and convincing. Beautifully directed and with a fantastic plot. An amazing emotional experience for everyone that has seen all the Marvel movies collected all together with our most favorite iconic characters. What an incredible journey of 22 Marvel movies. I can surely say that these movies will not disappoint you. With a bunch of great twists and turns, these movies leave a great impression on us. To deal with tragedy, disaster, and the consequences of our actions and to overcome our struggles in life. Countless heartwarming moments will make you melt.

You can watch this on Hotstar

The Godfather Part II

The Godfather Part-2 is a movie/series which has a theme of loyalty, family, and sacrifice. One of the first sequels ever to surpass its forerunner, the movie flows with confidence. Part II takes a look at Vito Corleone’s early years in Sicily, depicting his accomplishments before he became a New York City mafia. Robert De Niro joins Al Pacino in the role of the young Don in the greatest gangster movie ever made.

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Casablanca (1943)

Casablanca’s the great American movie. A brilliant blend of romance, thriller, and warlike field with two of his game’s top-actors in leading roles. You can’t deny the visibility of two world war adventures by Michael Curtis, who sees Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman as two lovers who can’t be together. The chemistry like them is chemistry is fantastic, it is the result of his off-set friendship which also gave the film its memorable small joke. Meanwhile, Bogart, teaches his co-star Poker, often repeated the phrase, “He is looking at you,” to Bergman with genuine affection.

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1917(2019)

1917, is a film by acclaimed director Sam Mendes. One can say that the movie is a great combination of excellent editing and superb acting.1917 is an example of absolute cinematic perfection. It gives the illusion of a single take and it works in conveying a feeling of realism in present-day films. It has its own sets providing a dramatic and even shocking contrast between the two. Thomas Newman did a fantastic job with the movie’s soundtrack, which feeds wonderfully into the already immersive atmosphere. I must say that the movie strikes the perfect balance of being calm and soft in some instances, or extremely intense in others. sound design had a great work in this movie. Here, each gun is the weight of the shot ton, making everyone question whether it landed or not. The cast is also brilliant. The story remains consistent throughout the film keeping you guessing all times. 1917 is without a doubt an absolute sensation.

the movie is available on amazon prime video.

Bloodshot

This movie is way deeper than its trailer. Trailer only shows the primary 1/2 the movie & it should make us think that this can be just another Sci-fi action movie, but it’s NOT! nobody can even presume a touch about the uptight of this film until it’s revealed after the interval. Fans of Vin Diesel will surely visiting Respect this. The computer graphics during this movie are worthwhile. It’s a big-budget film. they’re amazing and keep us on our toes. This movie is worth expecting its computer graphics. you will see that each scene has been highlight enough to know easily. Cinematography is so detailed that each action scene is felt by the audience deeply. that’s the most effective feature of this film. HIGHonBITS says that is has Neither too slow neither too fast but detailed concepts.

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Top 10 amazing web series to watch in HINDI

Once Upon A Time In Hollywood(2019)

the title says it all! The movie may be a period film and is about Actor Rick Dalton who gained fame and fortune by starring during a 1950s television Western, but he’s fighting to seek out meaningful add a Hollywood that he doesn’t recognize anymore. with a budget of $ 90-96M. movie earns $374.3M. one can say that the movie is blockbuster. there isn’t any shame in watching this movie. Multiple storylines within the modern fairy tale.

the movie is currently available on amazon prime video.

Joker(2019)

Dark as hell, Joker takes you through the journey of Arthur Fleck, from being a clown & a wannabe comedian (with just one joke with him – his life) to be THE “JOKER” this journey never looked fake. As this journey is logical and beautifully graphed also captured. Heath Ledger from the ‘Dark Knight’ was my favorite joker till date & Joaquin Phoenix took the legacy of Heath to a different level altogether. That laugh, that dance, that sprint, that walk! can’t endure that !!! inspite of all this. The movie gives such a large amount of morals to measure life.

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Dolittle(2020)

This movie encompasses a bunch of comedy punches and tragedy (the story of Dolittle’s wife’s fate and Dolittle being isolated for years makes the tone slightly dark.) But overall, the story is extremely light. The chemistry between humans and animals is well illustrated and provides us life lessons. The voice-over artists for the animals are very nice. This movie is a reunion of WWE player John Cena, Oscar winners like Marion Cottilard (La vie en rose) and Rami Malek (Bohemian Rhapsody), singer Selena Gomez, Kumail Nanjiani, and RDJ and Tom Holland.

movie is currently available on amazon prime video.

Jumanji: the subsequent Level(2019)

In 2019, three years after their adventure in Jumanji, actors have developed their lives. If you’re someone who likes to watch adventure movies and have an interest in games you want to opt for this one! The movie is a few games where the lead actor and their friends travel from reality to the virtual world of games and the way they enjoy it’s worth watching. The group decides to carry a reunion brunch in Brantford that year. On his first night back, he begins to contemplate returning to Jumanji with a purpose of getting held onto the broken video-game system. The movie begins with the four friends Spencer, Fridge, Martha, and Bethany deciding for a reunion. Spencer, who gets skeptical about the meeting and somehow restarts the videogame! The film keeps you on the sting of your seat almost through the film. Film involves a bunch of hilarious jokes and humorous scenes. This movie may be a good combination of entertainment.

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Toy Story 4

After the heartwarming finale from “Toy Story 3”, one among the best-animated sequels that have ever been made, it had been believed that the beloved saga had reached its end. Fortunately, thanks to how strong of a franchise it means to everyone who’s grown up with great fondness towards these characters, they simply can’t seem to urge enough of them. So with all the build-up and hype for nearly ten years, we’ve got this highly ambitious sequel, which picks up directly after the last film, where all the familiar toys we’ve grown to like are passed onto a brand new generation. A welcome expansion to the story. Children must opt for this movie. Fun entertaining and amazing experience while watching these.

You can watch this on Hotstar

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spryfilm · 6 years ago

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“Save Me – Series One” (2018)

Drama/Mystery

6 Episodes

Developed by: Lennie James

Directed by: Nick Murphy

Featuring: Lennie James,Suranne Jones, Stephen Graham, Jason Flemyng, Susan Lynch, Kerry Godliman, Nadine Marshall, Barry Ward, Jimmy Walker

“Save Me” (2018) revolves around Nelson “Nelly” Rowe, a down-and-out whose life is turned upside down when Jody, the estranged daughter he fathered thirteen years ago, mysteriously disappears. The main plot is about the journey he and others go through in attempting to find Jody and punish the perpetrators.

I am always staggered by the ability of the English to produce high quality television dramas of all types no matter what genre they might occupy, sci-fi, procedural, horror, thrillers or even comedies – yes, I said comedies, some of the best English comedies contain more dramatic tension than many other countries actual dramas. I recently sat down to watch the (mini?) series “Save Me” (2018) a television show based around one of the hot button topics that is troubling the UK at the moment, that is child abductions as well as the ongoing crimes related to human trafficking. These meta-issue are not overtly talked about but they will be at the forefront of people living in the UK while watching this. What I loved about this show is that, as you would expect, it is full of memorable characters as well as the now tried and true red herrings (thank you Scandi-noir), it sticks close to its narrative, not so much a whodunit but an exploration of a man who did not know how lost he was until he becomes a suspect in his own biological daughter’s possible abduction.

This new series features what has to be one of the best line ups of UK character actors around, as well as an actress that has to be the most popular in demand television actress around, Suranne Jones in the lead alongside Lennie James who created and wrote the entire series. The series also boasts Stephen Graham, who for me is the most valuable player, as a possible pedophile who after episode two really comes into his own and threatens to steal the entire series from the two leads – I have to say I find Graham endlessly fascinating as an actor who knows just how to play against not only his co-stars but the camera as well. Graham for me has to be the consummate character actor who is so good that he becomes the character he portrays – and he can do comedy as well – he seems to have enviable skills that only come along once in a lifetime. You can look for examples in the recent “Little Boy Blue” (2017), “Taboo” (2017) and “Decline and Fall” (2017) all in one year – it does not seem fair. The rest of the cast is rounded out by Jason Flemyng, Susan Lynch, Kerry Godliman, Nadine Marshall, Barry Wardand Jimmy Walker who all play very different roles that all maintain the narrative with very different motivations but all have the same end in sight.

The story of Save Me is as all great television shows should be, simple, a child is taken after which everyone is trying to recover her or find out what happened. The secret to this series is the way in which the story unfolds, as well as the narrative that is employed to help explore themes as well as characters, all the while unpacking the mystery that surrounds that narrative. The main theme is the exploration of one character, Nelly (Lennie James) who is in his mid-50s and is a lost man, he has no home and is basically a fun guy who everybody likes to be around but nobody really knows, he has had at least one child and signed his rights away to the mother, Claire (Suranne Jones) and her husband, Barry (Barry Ward). Nelly comes to the realization that he has little in life and possibly the best thing he ever did, he has ignored and now will lose it – he is a man in crisis that this event brings to the fore. Through the story we see a man driven with no “Taken” (2009) like skills to fall back on, just his own personal promise to bring his daughter home, by any means necessary, what we see is someone who pits himself and his friends in danger to find himself as well as his daughter. Nelly’s own journey is at once sad, exhilarating, full of promise but of course you know no matter what happens there is no redemption for this character.

“Save Me” is a show that provides an example of an issue that is haunting the UK at the moment and that is the endemic issue of kidnapped children which has reached record highs. A report from the charity ‘Missing People’ claims 140,000 children – that’s 383 a day – go missing across the country every year – although many return within 24 hours some are never seen again. Action Against Abduction claims that most of these cases are sexually motivated, yet many attempted abductions are still not reported to police. However, offences by strangers are still quite rare – with the NSPCC pointing out that more than 90% of child sexual abuse is perpetrated by someone known to the child. This television show and many like it should be a call to change or to highlight the fact that children are the most vulnerable group that are exploited today, many of course by pedophiles not with murder but other heinous acts, of course in ‘Save Me’ the first thought is murder but when a body fails to materialize thoughts turn to more diabolical thoughts.

The show directed by Nick Murphy who has had a busy but unspectacular career so far, here excels in what is definitely the best series he has ever been involved with, this is the kind of series that comes along only rarely for a director to stamp themselves on and he has done with all of his talent. The use of not only the tenements but the surrounding area of Lewisham in London is striking as well as the color palette used throughout gives off a look of coolness that accentuates the emotional stability of the main characters. We see Nelly walking (and running) throughout much of the show either by himself or with one other character which again highlights his isolation from not only other people by his daughter as well. Another striking aspect is the use of flashbacks to an earlier time with Jody, which are never explained as being real or are they from an unreliable narrator? We also at times see older people dancing for no real obvious reason, they are seen by Nelly at different times, as is a tattooed man that always says ‘Hi’. These may seem random, and I am sure they are supposed to, but I wonder their narrative reason for appearing. This is the kind of drama that is highly stylised with many bright colors appearing throughout, take the early decision of Nelly to wear a bright yellow puffer jacket which stands out, not only the color but the size and shape as well – the yellow color even makes an appearance in the last episode but it is a chilling one. The color yellow can mean many things, it is a duplicitous color, as it can mean wisdom, knowledge, relaxation, joy, happiness, optimism, idealism, imagination, hope, sunshine, summer, dishonesty, cowardice, betrayal, jealousy, covetousness, deceit, illness and hazard – many of these relate to Nelly directly, as I said his is lost for most of the series. Of course, the rest of the characters have motivating factors as well but they are all definitely secondary to Nelly’s who is the prime move in this show, although whether that remains in the just announced second season remains to be seen.

Interestingly even the name Nelly has some meaning to the character as well as the show, the word/name ‘Nelly’ can mean stubborn and often pessimistic. More of a leader then follower. Often not one of the most popular around but does have a group of friends. Nelly’s often switch back and forth from the dark and light side. They will get evil if pushed to it, but will be an angel if treated right. And often act before thinking.These descriptions often fit the Nelly in “Save me”, which illustrates that nothing is what it seems or an accident. Which brings me back nicely to the older people dancing throughout the show, something that remains a mystery, which is nice to have.

If you have a chance to watch this series you should grab it with both hands as once you begin I believe you will see it through to the end, it is a great piece of television where everyone shines, the outcome is not guaranteed and it hints at a real dark underbelly where none should exist.

Episode One: Nelson “Nelly” Rowe, a self-styled womaniser, has his life is turned upside down when the police suddenly burst into his flat and arrest him on suspicion of kidnapping. Nelly discovers that his supposed victim is his estranged thirteen-year-old daughter Jody, whom he has not seen in ten years. After attempting to convince the police of his innocence, Nelly decides to take matters into his own hands and track Jody down himself. Later that night, Nelly is attacked after his girlfriend’s son discovers he has been cheating on her with a number of other women.

Episode Two: Tam helps Nelly get back on his feet. Barry makes a surprising reward offer at a press conference, leading Claire to suspect his motives. When Melon disappears after being arrested, Nelly suspects he may be involved in Jody’s disappearance and with the help of Goz, decides to track him down. Nelly also approaches Jody’s best friend, Dylan, whom he suspects may know more about what happened on the night she disappeared.

Episode Three: Nelly confronts Melon and questions him over Jody’s disappearance. Thorpe and O’Halloran reveal to Claire and Barry that the police received a distress call from Jody over two weeks ago, the day after she went missing. Claire helps out with a press drive organised by Stace.

Episode Four: After the police reveal a possible location from where the distress call was made, Nelly decides to go door-to-door in an attempt to find the house where Jody is being held, and finds an abandoned house which is partially boarded up. Later that night, he and Claire decide to investigate. They break into the house, only to find Jody’s bloodstained jumper. Meanwhile, Zita discloses a possible lead in the form of a local brothel, run by a paedophile kingpin. With Melon’s help, Nelly trawls the darkweb and finds a videoclip of another girl being abused in the room where Jody was being held.

Episode Five: Nelly begs Melon to help him get close to brothel owner Richard, in the hope that he will lead him to Jody. Melon learns that a young girl answering Jody’s description is to be sold through an auction at the brothel in just five days time. Nelly begs Claire to stump up £15,000 to allow him access to the auction. Meanwhile, Goz discovers a semi-naked picture of Jody in Gavin’s room, and just hours later, Gavin takes his own life. Nelly suspects Gavin of being involved in Jody’s disappearance, until Luke slips up and reveals a vital clue which points towards him being involved.

Episode Six: Nelly stages a lock-in and confronts Luke over his involvement in Jody’s disappearance. Claire manages to find £12,000 which Nelly takes along to the auction, but he soon realises that he is out of his depth. Claire resorts to drastic measures in an attempt to get Luke to talk.

“Save Me” is out now on DVD.

Missing girl reconstruction Photographer: Des Willie

DVD review: “Save Me – Series One” (2018) “Save Me – Series One” (2018) Drama/Mystery 6 Episodes Developed by: Lennie James Directed by: Nick Murphy…

#Barry Ward #Jason Flemyng #Jimmy Walker #Kerry Godliman #Lennie James #Nadine Marshall #save me #save me dvd #save me dvd review #save me review #stephen graham #Suranne Jones #Susan Lynch

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dorksideproductions · 7 years ago

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We’re back with another installment in our ongoing fan casting series, Canon Casting! If you’re unfamiliar, we take a canon, non-film project, assign a budget to it, and cast it! Aside from our podcast, Canon Casting gets the most feedback from fans and we are so stoked you guys like them! For today’s update, I am going to keep it short and sweet, and fan cast a novel that flies under the radar for most fans, but one that is among the best – Battlefront: Twilight Company! If you’re unfamiliar with Canon Casting, here’s how it works:

We tackle a non-film project and fan cast it – with a few rules. Actors have to be alive, and age appropriate. So, in other words, you can’t cast an actor who’s passed away, even if it means a recast. Same deal with not being able to ‘time travel’ to find the perfect actor – no, Marlon Brando isn’t available… Lastly, if one of my current or previous Canon Casting choices actually gets cast in an official Star Wars film, I have to recast them. Yes, it happens, ask Thandie Newton…. Make sense, good? I also approach each Canon Casting project with what I feel is an appropriate budget, etc., as not every story will be made into a billion dollar movie. For Twilight Company I’ve chosen the route of a premium, direct-to-consumer movie (i.e. Disney Now, Netflix, HBO, Showtime, etc.) OK, let’s get to it:

There are a TON of characters in Twilight Company, but not a lot of major ones. For this update I’ve focused on the ten characters I feel made the most impact on the story and/or left the largest impression on me after running through the book a few times. Let’s start with a couple of the minor members of Twilight Company, but two that made an impression on me:

Roach and Pol ‘Charmer’ Andrisius:

Annalisse Basso asRoach

Doug Savant as Pol Charmer Andrisius

For the role of recovering spice addict and new Twilight Company ‘fresh meat’ recruit Roach, I tapped up-and-coming actress Analisse Basso. I recently watched Electric Dreams on Amazon Prime, and while the series itself was up-and-down, I loved Annalisse’s performance in the episode Safe and Sound. The role of Roach is small-but-important, and I have no doubts that Annalisse will be amazing playing the part. For veteran company member Pol ‘Charmer’ Andrisius, I went with a leftfield kind of choice (which I’m known to do..) in Doug Savant. Charmer is a battle-hardened solder for the Rebellion who’s good looks were marred by an explosion a few years back. While he still carries the nickname Charmer, it’s obvious those days are long past for him. I’ve always liked Savant, sue me. Based on his previous work I have no doubts that he will step right into the role of Charmer and perform admirably.

Gadren and Brand:

Terry Crews as Gadren

Aisha Hinds as Brand

For the pivotal roles of Brand and Gadren, two of Twilight Company’s veteran members, I am tapping Aisha Hinds and Terry Crews (in a voice/mo-cap performance). Brand, the former bounty hunter-turned rebel, and Gadren, the gruff Besalisk warrior, both play important roles in not only the action but also the character arc and development of our main protagonist, Hazram Namir (more on him in a bit). I first came across Hinds in True Blood, and quite frankly she’s the first actress that came to mind when I was listening to the Twilight Company audiobook. Brand is a reluctant leader who does so by example, and I would be stoked to have Hinds in this role. Since a Besalisk is a large, four-armed alien (think Dexter Jettster from Attack of the Clones), the character of Gadren would certainly have to be brought to life via motion capture. In the audiobook Gadren is Namir’s compass in regards to how and when to do the right thing. And although Jonathan Davis’ (the narrator of the audiobook) performance is deep and commanding, I decided to go a slightly different route and tap retired NFL player and an accomplished actor in his own right, Terry Crews. I think Crews would deliver on both the gruff mentor role that Gadren provides to Namir, but would also lighten the role up a bit from the portrayal in the audiobook. If you follow Canon Casting you know that I will take a chance out of left field once in a while, and this would probably qualify here.

Thara Nyende:

Taylor Hickson as Thara Nyende

Thara Nyende was a stormtrooper on her homeworld of Sullust and is yet another prime example of allowing the readers to get inside the head of the everyday men and women under the employ and in service of the Empire, something the stable of authors Lucasfilm is employing for their new canon stories is excelling at. We see that she is shunned by many of the locals of Sullust who oppose the oppression of the Empire, yet still feels a sense of duty to fulfill what she believes is right. In the end, it blows up in her face and Nyende is left to face some hard truths about war and the galaxy… For this role, I went with up-and-coming actress Taylor Hickson, best known for her role in the TV series Aftermath. I would love to see the lives of female troopers and officers explored a bit deeper in future on-screen Star Wars projects, and for our Canon Casting series Taylor as Thara would be a great place to start!

Micha ‘Howl’ Evon:

Scott Glenn as Micha Howl Evon

As the battle-hardened founding member and leader of Twilight Company, Micha ‘Howl’ Evon, I went with the no-brainer choice of veteran screen and film actor Scott Glenn. Glenn needs absolutely no introduction, and he’s the very first name and face that came to mind when I first heard Jonathan Davis’ portrayal of the reserved and calculating Captain. Our main protagonist, Hazram Namir, doesn’t always understand how and why Howl made decisions for Twilight Company, and it was this brand of leadership that gives our hero the foundation he needs to step in and lead the battalion once Howl is cut down at Echo Base on Hoth by none other than Darth Vader. Hell, if any actor in Hollywood deserves an on-screen death by the most famous Dark Lord of the Sith in the galaxy it’s Scott Glenn!

Prelate Verge and Captain Tabor Seitaron:

Freddie Highmore as Prelate Verge

Mitch Pileggi as Tabor Seitaron

Now we are getting down to the meat and potatoes of this edition of Canon Casting, as we tackle the two main antagonists of the book, the young Prelate Verge and the former Academy Instructor and present Captain, Tabor Seitaron. The latter was easy – as I love Mitch Pileggi. The man needs no introduction to any fans of the sci-fi genre, as he portrayed FBI Director Skinner on The X-Files for a decade. Seitaron is a man who is at the end of his career and certainly doesn’t like being put under the incredibly young and ambitious Prelate Verge, at least at first. However, as the story progresses he learns to appreciate and respect the youthful leader but has to make a difficult decision in the end regarding that relationship… And that leaves us with Prelate Verge. Young. Very young. Brash. Ambitious the point of considering to scar is visage to more closely resemble Emperor Palpatine. I had a few actors in mind for this role, but I decided Freddie Highmore of Bates Motel fame was the man for the job. Equal parts babyfaced and psychotic in his portrayal of Norman Bates on the show, there is no doubt in my mind he would crush it in the role of Verge.

Governor Everi Chalis:

Lara Pulver as Governor Everi Chalis

I absolutely love the character of Everi Chalis. In fact, she’s one of my favorite new characters created within the rebooted canon. Beautiful, cunning, and scorned, the former member of the Imperial Ruling Council and Governor of Haidoral Prime, Chalis is a force to be reckoned with – a force who’s introduction into Twilight Company’s ranks wreaks havoc on the destiny of the battalion and its members. For this role, I chose Lara Pulver, who I first saw playing Irene Adler on Sherlock opposite Benedict Cumberbatch. Her initial episode of that show is quite possibly one of the best entries of any television show in history, and I immediately thought of her when I heard the part of Everi Chalis for the first time – so much so that I don’t think I even considered anyone else! For this role, you have to have a beautiful actress that equal parts vulnerable and ruthless, and Pulver is THE choice. Period.

Hazram Namir:

Ricky Whittle as Hazram Namir

The role of Hazram Namir, the main character in Battlefront: Twilight Company, goes to Ricky Whittle. Best known for his roles on The 100 and American Gods, Whittle is, in my opinion, the best choice for Namir. Hailing from the war-torn world of Crucival, Namir joins Twilight Company after a gruesome battle on his homeworld left him with nothing left to fight for there. A capable soldier, Namir learns leadership as the novel progresses, eventually assuming control of Twilight Company after its leadership is decimated on Hoth. Whittle has the combination of rugged good looks, charisma, and an edge to bring the role of Namir to life on the screen, and I for one would absolutely love to see it happen!

There it is, short and sweet – my Canon Casting of Battlefront: Twilight Company. As I mentioned this book has really flown under the radar for most fans, even those who are all-in on the rebooted canon, and that’s a shame. I for one loved getting down and dirty with the members of Twilight Company, and I have little doubt you’ll enjoy the book as well. Be on the lookout in the coming weeks for a couple more additions to Canon Casting, as I have some rad stuff in the works!

~Todd

Canon Casting – Battlefront: Twilight Company We're back with another installment in our ongoing fan casting series, Canon Casting! If you're unfamiliar, we take a canon, non-film project, assign a budget to it, and cast it!

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spryfilm · 6 years ago

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“A Quiet Place” (2018)

Thriller/Horror

Running Time: 90 minutes

Written by: John Krasinski, Bryan Woods and Scott Beck

Directed by: John Krasinski

Featuring: John Krasinski, Emily Blunt, Millicent Simmonds, Noah Jupe

Evelyn: “Who are we if we can’t protect them? We have to protect them.”

Critical Commentary:

Thanks to various decisions as well as new production companies, I am looking at you Blumhouse, there seems to be more and more quality horror movies being produced each year, as well as finding success with audiences and critics, most importantly this is happening in theatres. It appeared that with last years “Get Out” (2017) which was produced for US$4.5 million dollars and generated over US$255 million at the box office as well as being nominated for a slew of Oscars (winning Jordan Peele the best screenplay award) the limit may have been reached for measuring success in the genre – it appears that the top has not been reached for this genre, not even close. Now comes the release of not only a great horror movie but of a great film, in “A Quiet Place” (2018). Firstly, surprise of surprises this is not a Blumhouse film, it is a production company known for Horror remakes, Platinum Dunes who counts director Michael Bay as one of its main owners, as well as counting its biggest success as the remake, “A Nightmare on Elm Street” (2011) – not a great pedigree at all or an example of the promise of producing what must be the Hollywood movie of the year so far, at least on a par with the critical and box office success of “Black Panther” (2018), look for a possible screenplay nomination come awards time for Krasinski and co.

“A Quiet Place” owes much of its success in terms of quality to co-writer, director and star John Krasinski whose talent he seems to have been hiding in even though he has written and directed other projects. He seems to have shinned the idea of making genre movies which after this home run appear that he has a natural talent for as well as a calling. This movie is so well written and directed that it is an almost perfect genre film feel, not only that it has a great central idea with much of the narrative naturally built around it as well as taking it further to producing something truly rare, an original monster movie that is actually hard to compare it to any other film of its kind. It cannot be understated how impressive this movie is as well as the incredible job that Krasinski has been able to pull off not only with an original script but also with a relatively low budget that is shot on location with some studio work. Not only that but one of the central aspects of the film is the use of sign language and Krasinski as well as his producers have done something that few have done before, that is to actually cast a deaf actress in the part of a deaf character, making that person the central character that not only the narrative is based around but the plot is as well. “A Quiet Place” is an example of taking a script, casting it perfectly, operating within a low budget as well as creating a visual style that suits the genre.

The film is set in 2020, most of Earth’s human population has been wiped out by sightless creatures with hypersensitive hearing and a seemingly impenetrable armoured shell that attack anything that makes noise. The Abbott family — husband Lee, wife Evelyn, congenitally deaf daughter Regan, and sons Marcus and Beau — silently scavenge for supplies in a deserted town. Though skilled in American Sign Language, the family must nonetheless be vigilant lest they make accidental noise. Four-year-old Beau is drawn to a battery-operated space shuttle toy, but his father takes it away. Regan returns the toy to Beau, who unbeknownst to her has also taken the batteries his father removed. Beau activates the shuttle when the family is walking home through the woods, near a bridge. Its noise makes him an instant target for a nearby creature, and he is swiftly killed.

There is no doubt in my mind that this movie is perfectly cast with a mixture of experienced as well as great actors, juxtaposed with some new talent that prove themselves to be well chosen as well as being able to match talents with the more experienced cast members. As well as John Krasinski in the role of the father there is his real life wife Emily Blunt in the role of the mother. Krasinski is just wonderful as the father who only has one job, protect his family at all costs; he is a smart resourceful man who speaks very little, as all good actors do conveys emotion as well as plot details through his face as well as sign language. Emily Blunt as the mother of the family has more speaking parts but also carries much of the emotion of the film; she also has to do a lot of physically nuanced acting which is a challenge in its own right. It would not be fair to the other cast members to say she is the central character or hero of the piece but she as an actress is rewarded by a great script as well as a solidly written character. The cast is rounded out by three children Millicent Simmonds, Noah Jupe and Cade Woodward who are all excellent as well as perfectly cast, but it is Simmonds who steals the movie as the oldest child as well as the chief agent of change who really comes through by the end of the movie. Simmonds is also really deaf so of course there is an authenticity to her role, which informs the entire film as well one of the main reasons the family, has lasted so long, surviving on wits as well as intelligence. She is also a revelation although she has appeared in other movies before it has to be said that “A Quiet Place” is one of those special films that allows her to show a full range of emotions as well as acting both physically and emotionally in a very good movie, one of the best of the year so far.

Whilst this is definitely not Krasinski’s directorial debut there was little hint that he had a film like “A Quiet Place” within him or ready to be made. It is an old adage that film is a visual medium but when the subject of the movie is being is silent then there is no room for endless exposition, which has become a hallmark of Hollywood movies in recent years with exceptionally lazy film-making. In fact from the opening scene this movie represents itself as something that has seldom been seen, an English language movie that uses American Sign Language as its language with the need for almost total sub-titles throughout. The conceit that almost any noise could be met with death is an almost primal feeling of what could be represented as isolation. Imagine being surrounded by people but not being able to speak, not being able to communicate the most basic pieces of information – even though you are with someone it is isolating bur anything else will effect everyones survival. The question remains is that without human communication do we survive or just prolonging the inevitable. From the very beginning we realise that something has happened to the world, the family we see is terrified, it is not until the use of newspapers as prime information both in the streets as well as at the family’s home do we know what is occurring, as well as the reason why there is fear of noise of any kind which has been replaced by silence, deafening in a way.

What Krasinski has done is to take a conceit like aliens or monsters hunting through the use of sound and expanded on that with many issues and solutions that are extremely well thought out as well as being told in a very compact and economical way. I will not spoil anything but there are many situations that have been mapped out in full, with obstacles as well as solutions, which fit well with the overall narrative as well as plot. This is something many genre movies could learn from, come up with a story that will fit within a narrative then realise the strengths and weaknesses of any antagonist as well as the protagonists – exactly what Krasinski has done as co-writer and of course director.

In many ways “A Quiet Place” does nothing that hasn’t been seen in many genre movies before but where it deviates from a vast majority is to take the typical monster movie, then give it a twist in terms of not only its narrative but the way the rules operate in its particular universe. It also heightens the mood and atmosphere by making this a family drama not as a result of the invasion but making this the central aspect of the plot, which again differentiates itself from other genre movies. The themes of family protection as well as the idea of familial loss and the ability to move past tragedy is as important as fighting the aliens or surviving in a hostile world. I recommend “A Quiet Place” highly and am not being original or alone as one of the best movies of the year so far, go and see it in a cinema where hopefully the audience will play along with the great narrative.

Technical Commentary:

Vital Disc Stats:

“A Quiet Place” arrives on 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray as a two-disc combo pack with an UltraViolet Digital Copy. At startup, viewers are taken directly to a static screen with the usual selection along the bottom and music playing in the background.

The Video:

“A Quiet Place” has a great-looking HEVC H.265 encode that offers an excellent step-up over its Blu-ray counterpart. The difference is obvious, notable and extremely enjoyable, making it the endorsed medium for viewing the movie.

Coming from a 35mm source that was later mastered to a 2K digital intermediate, the freshly-minted 2160p transfer is highly-detailed for a majority of the runtime, exposing each element that is available in close up as well as a depth of field like few low budget movies around. However, there are a few moments that noticeably dip in resolution, most of which are extreme long shots and likely the result of the creative choices. Nevertheless, a visibly thin and stable grain structure, which can be a bit more prominent during several wide shots at night, which is a big chunk of the movie, provides a beautiful film-like quality.

Presented in its original 2.39:1 aspect ratio, the 4K presentation comes with a slightly warmer than normal contrast balance, which tends to lightly bloom some of the hottest areas. This appears to be a deliberate visual style meant to reflect the family’s hot country surroundings. In either case, whites are crisp as the brightest spots are revealing especially with the times during the day, however as the movie heads into darkness these become rare.

Thankfully, brightness levels are not affected by the stylized photography, which is important in a movie mostly unfolding at night. Deeply rich and silky blacks are in abundance and show distinct gradational differences between the various shades, providing the image with appreciable dimensionality. Meanwhile, inky, dismally bleak shadows penetrate deep into the background, but sadly, the finer aspects are occasionally engulfed by the pitch-black darkness.

Audio:

“A Quiet Place” arrives with a reference-quality Dolby Atmos soundtrack that takes full advantage of the object-based format. The design utilizes silence and noise for generating a particular experience. It’s not meant for bombarding the audience with the typical loudness as well as brute force expected of the genre, of which there are a few, but for creating a sense of dread and apprehension. So, various ambient effects, like the rustling of leaves, birds chirping or crickets singing in the distance, are endlessly occupying the surrounds and the ceiling channels. The better moments are those when the creatures are on the prowl or to give a greater sense of their menacing size. Their hungry growls and slow, determined footsteps flawlessly pan from the sides and rears into the back heights and continue directly overhead into the fronts.

The Supplements:

Reading the Quiet (HD, 15 min): Standard EPK-like featurette made of BTS footage and cast & crew interviews discussing the plot, its themes, the performances and other aspects of the production.

The Sound of Darkness (HD, 12 min): As the title implies, a short piece on creating and editing the sound design with particular attention on the film’s creative effects, lack of dialogue and the ominous musical score.

A Reason for Silence (HD, 8 min): Devoted to the specifics of designing the alien creatures

“A Quiet Place” is in cinemas now.

4K Blu-ray review: “A Quiet Place” (2018) “A Quiet Place” (2018) Thriller/Horror Running Time: 90 minutes Written by: John Krasinski, Bryan Woods and Scott Beck…

#a Quiet place #A Quiet Place 4k #A Quiet Place 4k review #A Quiet Place bluray #A Quiet Place bluray review #A Quiet Place dvd #A Quiet Place dvd review #a Quiet place review #Bryan Woods #emily blunt #horror #john krasinski #michael bay #Millicent Simmonds #Noah Jupe #Sci-Fi #Scott Beck

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spryfilm · 6 years ago

Text

“A Quiet Place” (2018)

Thriller/Horror

Running Time: 90 minutes

Written by: John Krasinski, Bryan Woods and Scott Beck

Directed by: John Krasinski

Featuring: John Krasinski, Emily Blunt, Millicent Simmonds, Noah Jupe

Evelyn: “Who are we if we can’t protect them? We have to protect them.”

“A Quiet Place” is in cinemas now.

Film review: “A Quiet Place” (2018) “A Quiet Place” (2018) Thriller/Horror Running Time: 90 minutes Written by: John Krasinski, Bryan Woods and Scott Beck…

#a Quiet place #a Quiet place film #a Quiet place film review #a Quiet place movie #a Quiet place movie review #a Quiet place review #emily blunt #horror #horror review #john krasinski #Millicent Simmonds #Noah Jupe #Review #Reviews #Scott Beck

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spryfilm · 7 years ago

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“Save Me – Series One” (2018)

Drama/Mystery

6 Episodes

Developed by: Lennie James

Directed by: Nick Murphy

Featuring: Lennie James,Suranne Jones, Stephen Graham, Jason Flemyng, Susan Lynch, Kerry Godliman, Nadine Marshall, Barry Ward, Jimmy Walker

Missing girl reconstruction Photographer: Des Willie

Television review: “Save me” (2018) “Save Me – Series One” (2018) Drama/Mystery 6 Episodes Developed by: Lennie James Directed by: Nick Murphy…

#Barry Ward #Jason Flemyng #Jimmy Walker #Kerry Godliman #Lennie James #Nadine Marshall #save me #save me ky atlantic #save me review #save me sky atlantic #save me sky Atlantic review #save television review #stephen graham #streaming #streaming television #Suranne Jones #Susan Lynch

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