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Fantastic Fest 2018: HOLD THE DARK Because It’s Just Outside the Windows and It’s Coming For You
Jeremy Saulnier and Macon Blair continue to be a filmmaking duo par excellence
Directed with the calm assurance of a master, Jeremy Saulnier is only gifting us with his fourth film and appears to be running laps around most other practitioners of his craft. His frequent co-creator Macon Blair also rises to a new level with his adaptation of William Giraldi’s novel of the same name. To be clear, I haven’t read that novel, but the screenplay for Hold The Dark is fantastic regardless. A bit of a slow burn mystery/thriller, the film explores the life and religion of Alaskan people at the very edges of civilization. What’s beyond does not appear to be a friendly or inviting place.
Jeffrey Wright’s Russell Core is a wolf expert and a lonely man, distant from his adult daughter and separated from his wife. Alaskan mother Medora Slone (Riley Keough continuing a hot streak) writes to Core, asking him to come, hunt, and kill the wolf who snatched her son and took him into the wilderness. Soon Medora’s husband Vernon (Alexander Skarsgard in a terrifying performance) returns home from the war to news of his son’s passing, and, after the grisly discovery of young Bailey Slone’s body, lawman Donald Marium (James Badge Dale having a banner year) comes in to handle the case. Wolves have set off a chain of events that are more or less apocalyptic to the small town, and things aren’t going to end well for anyone involved.
Alternately gorgeous and foreboding, Saulnier deftly doles out breadcrumbs for a tense and dark mystery while also exploring the unfamiliar religious practices of the Alaskan natives, the peculiarities of the people who live on the fringes, and the ultimate nature of true wilderness. Hold The Dark shares much in the way of visuals, setting, and genre with last year’s Wind River. But Saulnier’s film deals much more explicitly in the supernatural, with characters’ deeply held and mysterious beliefs driving much of the mystery forward.
It’s definitely going to be a movie that rewards rewatches. Saulnier and Blair aren’t giving up the answers to the mystery with a bunch of exposition dumps or Oscar speeches from our characters. There’s a subtlety that makes the mystery even deeper and leaves some viewers uncertain as to what they’ve seen or what it means. This yielded great post-screening discussion and debate, and brought me some alternative theories to meditate on. This type of thing could frustrate many viewers, or leave them feeling disconnected from the material. There are different ways one could read the ending, for instance. Or different understandings of the motivations of the Slones, especially.
Hold The Dark offers a kind of existential dread that permeates the tragic story and even cuts into the gorgeous landscapes. We’re asked to question if the unknown is, at its core, chaos? There are explorations of generational trauma, and just how much damage we do to our children in the process of raising them in an unforgiving world. Keogh and Skarsgard as grieving parents provide the greatest mystery of the whole film. Who are these blonde white people living in an otherwise Native village? In perhaps the most unsettling early sequence, a clearly traumatized Medora enters Core’s room wearing nothing but a wolf mask in the middle of the night. The score and the situation made me so tense it was almost unbearable. Medora says and does things we don’t understand, and soon the same becomes true of Vernon. Wright’s character is perhaps the most relatable, as a bit of a cypher for us into an unknown world. And yet, his isolation from his family and regret over a life unlike what he’d wanted perhaps allow him to fit right in amidst this chaotic investigation.
What I simply can’t get over is the direction on display. There’s aerial work, massive shootout set pieces, wolves, and a knockout cast all captured with a master’s hand (credit where it’s due: Magnus Nordenhof Jønck served as cinematographer). So much of Hold The Dark is elevated by Saulnier’s brilliance. Small moments that we’ve seen a thousand times before, like a man being shot unexpectedly, are captured in such a way as to feel fresh and new and unlike what we’re used to seeing. That the film is coming to Netflix is somewhat of a disappointment as it deserves the big screen treatment. But they also financed it, so perhaps it wouldn’t exist at all without them? I also sincerely hope to be able to own it on Blu-ray someday, but that’s neither here nor there.
Hold The Dark posits a number of questions, and withholds some of the answers. Or, at best, simply offers some hints and asks you to do the legwork of connecting the dots. It asks of its audience, and in turn it will reward with repeat viewings and spirited conversations among friends. It may not be as commercial or straightforward as either Green Room or Blue Ruin, respectively, but it represents a next level of filmmaking for Saulnier and Blair. From pulse pounding thrills to existential nightmares, Hold The Dark delivers something masterful and nuanced that will keep you guessing long after the end credits roll (or after the dark takes you, whichever comes first).
And I’m Out.
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Fantastic Fest 2018: In DONNYBROOK, Modern America Already Is The Post-Apocalypse
Jamie Bell and Frank Grillo bare knuckle box as the world burns
If I’m being honest, it was Frank Grillo and “bare knuckle boxing” that got me in the door to see writer/director Tim Sutton’s Donnybrook at Fantastic Fest. The programmers had done enough to dissuade me of the notion that this was some kind of heroic action film, so my expectations were in check. But nothing can probably prepare you for the bleak depths that this film is willing to go to in order to portray the broken humanity of its characters and these United States in which our characters find themselves.
I’m going to go ahead and share my beefs with Donnybrook right up front, because then I can spend most of my time singing its praises. Beef number one is that while I love Frank Grillo and actually feel he did a great job as an absolute monster in this film… the team didn’t do enough to make Frank Grillo fit into this rural Ohioan(?) hellscape. He just looks and sounds like Frank Grillo, trademark peacoat and all, and doesn’t quite fit in with everyone else’s look in the film. Sutton argued that this was intentional in the film’s Q&A, making Grillo’s Angus character an outsider even among his own people. I’m glad it was intentional but it didn’t work for me. This could have been an opportunity for Grillo to try a different look, get a little uglier, or at least dress like a blackhearted hick-monster instead of a tight t-shirted hunk.
Beef number two is simply that the film perhaps lays on one layer too thick its social commentary. One of the first spoken lines includes a character opining “the world has changed”, and a few other instances occur where characters more or less verbalize the ideas that the film is otherwise doing a great job of showing us visually and through its script. It’s a minor beef, and honestly removing just a few of those “too overt” lines would have sent Donnybrook into “greatness” territory.
Enough with the criticism. Because Donnybrook is a powerful film that throws punches and pulls none.
Jarhead Earl (Jamie Bell in a riveting lead performance) is a veteran, husband, and father. We meet him on his way to the Donnybrook in a small boat accompanied by Delia (Margaret Qualley in perhaps the film’s most remarkable performance). The Donnybrook, we come to understand, is a bare knuckle tournament that take $1,000 to enter, with the winner taking home the pot. It’s whispered about around the region, and it appears to be just about the only ticket out of the economic despair of our characters. We jump back in time from the boat and watch as Earl robs a store to collect his entry money. When he arrives home he finds Grillo’s Angus in his home supplying his wife with the meth she’s addicted to, accompanied by his sister Delia. Earl and Angus’ initial violent clash sets the stage for what will come after, and it’s all quite effective. We follow Earl and his family, and Angus and Delia through a fateful few days in which each are committing multiple crimes. It’s clear, however, that Earl fights for his family and simply to survive. Angus, on the other hand, represents the truly monstrous, surviving only by destroying. On Angus’ trail is James Badge Dale’s Marshall Whalen. Donnybrook is the kind of film that seeks to remind you that a badge does not a hero make, and Whalen is shown to be just as broken as the rest of our ensemble.
Tim Sutton clearly has a lot on his mind about America today. Adapted from a novel of the same name by author Frank Bill, Donnybrook is anything but a heroic action film offering cathartic, redemptive violence. In Sutton’s America (an America I recognize all too well despite my own privilege) the law as represented by Whalen is not only amoral, but an empty void. Whalen is intent upon catching and killing Angus, but wreaks as much havoc on those around him as he can in the process, and ultimately proves to be completely ineffective. The law isn’t going to help you here.
The drama and character work that comes through in the script and performances is actually enough to sustain the vast majority of the film’s runtime, to the point where I began to believe we’d never even get to the actual Donnybrook. But we do, and that’s where the film truly plays its entire hand. I won’t spoil much in the way of plot, but I will say that it’s here where we understand the full weight of what Sutton has to say. Here we realize that the America we’re living in today has already fallen so hard that we don’t even need some calamitous nuclear war to experience post-apocalyptic cinema. Grimy, rainy, barb-wiry, and on fire… the Donnybrook is hell and no one is getting out unscathed. And gott-damn if the neo-Nazi who runs the Donnybrook won’t stop everything to make sure the national anthem is sung before the wholesale slaughter for entertainment begins.
More traditionally, we do find ourselves rooting for Earl and his family, and it’s clear that Earl is an otherwise good person forced into Donnybrook’s hellscape by the system that has ensnared him. Qualley’s Delia is remarkably complicated as the younger sister of a human monster. She’s victimized, forced to do unthinkable things (but still does them), and seemingly occasionally allows herself to dream of something different. She’s unpredictable in a film replete with surprises and seemingly no bottom to hit in the black hole. All of our main characters are born out of the broken country in which they were raised. We encounter them on some kind of march towards their ultimate fates, but in all the years before we met them, the hardscrabble fight to survive shaped them, and ultimately Sutton reminds us that these individuals are more real and tangible than the high flying ideals of our pledges, creeds, and anthems. The Donnybrook is the consequence of the America that we’re currently allowing to exist, rather than the America those increasingly hollow ideals upon which we’re supposedly founded promise. There’s little hope to be found in Donnybrook, but there is an inherent will found within Earl, Delia, and many of us to fight. That base instinct to fight propels Earl and compels us to perhaps escape the Donnybrook with our lives and try to do what we can to right the ship.
And I’m Out.
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Fantastic Fest 2018: ONE CUT OF THE DEAD: World’s Longest Set Up To Surprisingly Great Meta Pay Off
Pom!
It’s not really en vogue to utilize the term “meta” any longer, it seems. But wow, does One Cut Of The Dead take us to profound new levels of meta-narrative storytelling.
It’ll be a challenge to review this film without spoiling it, but I’m going to do my best. That said, this is a film that would best be experienced going in cold, and I recommend that you do so if you think you’d like to see it. I’m going to dive into the 3 act structure of the film, and even that might spoil some of the experience for you if you’re sensitive to that kind of thing. Just know that it is smarter than it appears to be, is full of heart and laughs (and zombies), and is also a bit of a love letter to filmmaking.
Beginning exactly as you would expect with this title, One Cut Of The Dead is a single-take zombie movie about a filmmaking team who is making a zombie movie. So you’ve got actors in zombie makeup, a tyrannical director, some sloppy filmmaking allowed in an attempt to capture it all in one take, and then some real zombies breaking in on the whole business. It’s funny and already attempting to be somewhat meta, though sloppy and unremarkable. Oddly, the end credits roll some 30 minutes in, and we’re really unsure what to expect from there.
We’re taken back in time to the inception of this live, single take broadcast, and we begin to meet the “real” characters who made up the cast and crew of this film we’ve just seen. In a frankly brilliant feat of screenwriting, we’re efficiently introduced to a core cast and family that we’ll shortly come to empathize with, understand, and root for. I just can’t believe how effectively this movie switches gears to make us care about the people who made a crappy zombie short. But they do this with a seeming ease, and we’re shortly in the corner of our main characters, rooting for their success. The clock is ticking, and ready or not, all of these characters are going to get swept up into this hurried, live, single-take broadcast. Will they be ready?
In the third act, One Cut Of The Dead truly sings. It may be one of the longest setups I’ve ever seen, and it turns into a wholly satisfying payoff. It’s also an absolute love letter to the chaos and anarchy of film production, and you’ll want to cheer by the time the actual end credits roll. And you know what? You don’t tend to expect swelling emotions and goodwill towards men in your heart when you watch zombie movies. That’s what really sets this film apart and makes it bearable in a world overrun by zombie IP.
One Cut of the Dead appears to be director Shinichiro Ueda’s first feature length film and second feature length screenplay after having directed several short films. The restraint and willingness displayed here to delay gratification in a first feature portends a bright future for a filmmaker able to elicit scares, laughs, heart, and complexity out of possibly the most tired subgenre in pop entertainment right now.
And I’m Out.
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Unboxing The [🔴REC] Collection Box Set
A look at Scream Factory’s upcoming release of the acclaimed Spanish horror franchise
Scream Factory will release The [🔴REC] Collection 4-Film Box Set on September 25, 2018.
The first two entries in the series were co-directed by Paco Plaza and Jaume Balagueró, and are frequently cited as two of the very greatest examples of “found footage” style horror films. The third and fourth entries shed that style to in favor of more cinematic storytelling, with the two directors each taking a turn at the helm to craft their own follow-up.
Let’s check this bad boy out.
All four titles are included in Scream Factory’s new box set. Each movie is packed in its own individual standard Blu-ray case, collected together in a sturdy slipbox.
A full list of the bonus features abbreviated above can be found at the end of this article.
Each movie’s individual case features the original poster design as well as internal artwork.
Bonus Features
Here’s the official list of bonus features (taken from Scream Factory’s product listing).
DISC ONE: [REC]
- In Spanish With English Subtitles And English Dub
- Audio Commentary With Writers/Directors Jaume Balagueró And Paco Plaza (In Spanish With English Subtitles)
- The Making Of [REC] (40 Minutes)
- Crew Interviews (46 Minutes)
- Extended Scenes
- Deleted Scenes
- Behind The Scenes Footage (43 Minutes)
- Teaser
- Theatrical Trailers
- TV Spots
- Still Gallery
DISC TWO: [REC] 2
- In Spanish With English Subtitles
- Audio Commentary With Writers/Directors Jaume Balagueró And Paco Plaza (In Spanish With English Subtitles)
- The Making of [REC] 2 — In An Affected World (118 Minutes)
- Behind The Scenes
- Deleted Scenes
- Extended Scenes
- A Walkthrough Of The Set
- [REC] 2 On Tour
- Sitges Film Festival Press Conference
- Theatrical Trailers
- TV Spots
- Still Gallery
DISC THREE: [REC] 3: GENESIS
- In Spanish With English Subtitles
- [REC] 3: Genesis — Preparing A Bloody Wedding (117 Minutes)
- The Making Of [REC] 3
- Deleted Scenes
- Outtakes
- Theatrical Trailers
- TV Spots
- Still Gallery
DISC FOUR: [REC] 4: APOCALYPSE
- In Spanish With English Subtitles
- The Making Of [REC] 4: APOCALYPSE
- Theatrical Trailers
- TV Spot
- Still Gallery
A/V Out.
Update: my colleague Jon has posted his review of this box set. Check it out!
https://cinapse.co/press-play-on-the-rec-collection-from-shout-factory-blu-ray-b9ec706d9030
Get it at Amazon:
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All package photography was taken by the reviewer.
https://cinapse.co/press-play-on-the-rec-collection-from-shout-factory-blu-ray-b9ec706d9030
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Spinema Issue 22 — FULL CIRCLE: THE BIRTH, DEATH & REBIRTH OF CIRCLE OF DUST
Circle of Dust is an artist that most people haven’t heard of, but you’ve definitely heard their influence. In certain circles this band is legendary — an industrial metal pioneer with a massive sound and far-reaching imprint.
While the group had touring members in its heyday (including “Klank”, who went on to become a great frontman in his own projects), the man behind the music was Scott Albert. These days he has settled on “Klayton” as his central identity, but over the years he established a presence that was difficult to measure, particularly in pre-Internet times. Similar to hip-hop’s MF Doom, he has worked under various pseudonyms, sometimes even appearing under multiple names on the same project — among them Brainchild, Klay Scott, Dread, Deathwish, Celldweller, and Scandroid, not to mention numerous side projects, collaborations, and producer efforts with Argyle Park, Chatterbox, Criss Angel, and Klank, among others.
In 1998, frustrated by years of bad record deals, financial strain, and the sensation of constantly getting screwed and going nowhere in a cesspool music industry, Klayton put out a final album (and sonic masterpiece) as Circle of Dust, Disengage, and then dissolved the project.
Working for himself and focusing on his new project Celldweller, Klayton achieved success as an artist, producer, and businessman — he launched his own record and merch label, which has become one of the most respected brands in electronic and industrial music, and with the onset of the “post-album” age and music industry downturn, managed to find a new niche, complementing traditional distribution with major licensing and commercial music efforts, providing music for films, trailers, and video games.
Two decades after Disengage, Klayton had acquired the rights to all his old albums and finally found success as an artist — and decided to bring things full circle, resurrecting Circle of Dust with deluxe remastered re-releases of the entire classic catalogue, and even a new record.
Full Circle is his way of telling the whole story, as Klayton combs through his archives and narrates three decades of music history.
Along for the ride are many guest interviewees from the band’s history — including bandmates, fellow artists, and even the record label execs who are part of the fabric of the tale. The interviews vary in production quality (many are simply Skype videos), but the story is a fascinating one.
While many voices lend themselves to this tale, this is still a first-party documentary created by the artist, so we’re definitely getting his specific perspective on the story. That’s not necessarily a bad thing — I want to hear that story — but there’s some stuff that doesn’t really get touched on, most notably any commentary on how Circle of Dust was (inadvertently?) linked to the Christian music industry by their association with REX Records, and the huge negative and positive impacts this had on both the band and their audience. It’s a big part of the band’s story (if also a sore point), and a more objective approach should’ve covered this.
As a huge and longtime Circle of Dust fan it’s difficult for me to gauge how much appeal this would hold for someone who isn’t, but it’s definitely a fascinating story that would be of relevance to anyone who has an interest in music industry tales, or of heavy metal and electronic music — and the intersection thereof. If you enjoy hard music in general and are not a fan, this film will probably make you one.
For the fans, this is an absolute must-own release, and the bonus-packed DVD edition is a career-spanning collection of material that pretty much serves as the band’s definitive video representation.
The Package
The DVD package is a handsome region-free 2-disc set with the documentary and ample bonus features, as well as a 12-page booklet with photos and discography.
The notable bummer here is that this is on DVD and not Blu-ray, though I can understand the thought process behind that decision — between vintage footage and webcam recordings, a lot of the video is of lower quality sources to begin with. The good news is that if you purchase the DVD from the FiXT Store, you’ll get an HD digital copy as well.
Special Features and Extras — Disc 1
A pair of mini-docs or extra segments that follow a similar format to the film on a couple of tangential subjects:
- “Argyle Park: Misguided” (11:58)
One of the Klayton’s coolest side projects, Argyle Park boasted a ton of guest artists and eventually became a highly sought-after record in fan circles (fun story — I paid a king’s ransom for a copy on eBay, then soon after found one locally at a used record shop for $7). This discussion doesn’t really fit into the documentary, so I’m glad it was still included as a side narrative.
- “Making The Music: The Gear & Production of Circle of Dust” (32:47)
Klayton is joined by BlueStahli on a tour of his studio; intriguingly the focus is on his creative and technical processes with the older gear used on the classic records — samplers, synthesizer soundbanks, ADAT recorders, a comically tiny Macintosh Classic, and hundreds of DATs and floppy disks. This one’s fascinating for hardcore fans and gearheads; casual viewers will probably tune out.
Special Features and Extras — Disc 2
Disc 2 Content is DVD-exclusive material not included in the VOD edition of the film.
- Circle of Dust Live: VHS Bootlegs (1:31:44)
Live recordings of 17 songs from various classic Circle shows. The audio quality on these fan-submitted bootlegs varies from very poor to surprisingly decent, but for anyone who’s never seen them live, these are probably the closest thing we’ll ever get. Standouts include well-shot multi-angle videos of “Dissolved” and “Rational Lies”, and an acoustic performance of “Consequence”.
- Music Videos
Classic videos of “Deviate” (3:58) and “Telltale Crime” (4:21), as well as the new ones from the Rebirth era: “Machines of our Disgrace” (5:25), “alt_human” (5:00), and “Contagion” (5:24)
It’s worth noting that while all the Rebirth era music and lyric videos are available on Circle of Dust’s YouTube channel, the classic ones are not. It’s not like they really got any distribution back in the day, so even longtime fans may be seeing these for the first time.
- Lyric Videos
“Dust to Dust” (5:49), “Embracing Entropy” (6:52), “Hive Mind” (5:56), “Humanarchy” (4:59), “Neurachem” (4:43), “Outside In” (6:10)
A/V Out.
Get it at FiXT:
Circle of Dust – Full Circle: The Birth, Death & Rebirth of Circle of Dust (Documentary)
Except where noted, all 16:9 screen images in this review are direct captures from the disc(s) in question with no editing applied, but may have compression or resizing inherent to file formats and Medium’s image system. All package photography was taken by the reviewer.
Circle of Dust – Full Circle: The Birth, Death & Rebirth of Circle of Dust (Documentary)
- “Argyle Park: Misguided” (11:58)
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Back to School Series: Two Cents has a Most Triumphant Time with BILL & TED’S EXCELLENT ADVENTURE
Two Cents is an original column akin to a book club for films. The Cinapse team will program films and contribute our best, most insightful, or most creative thoughts on each film using a maximum of 200 words each. Guest writers and fan comments are encouraged, as are suggestions for future entries to the column. Join us as we share our two cents on films we love, films we are curious about, and films we believe merit some discussion.
The Pick
It’s been almost 30 years since the release of Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure, but strange things remain afoot at the Circle K. The low-fi sci-fi epic was a modest production back in the mid-80s, with many of the parties involved assuming the film, a cheerfully dimwitted trek through time starring two unknowns (Keanu Reeves and Alex Winter) would never see the light of day. Indeed, Bill & Ted sat on a shelf for a couple years after production before finally getting release by Orion Pictures in 1989.
Despite these humble origins and expectations, the Stephen Herek-directed, Ed Solomon and Chris Matheson-written romp cleaned up nicely at the box office and lives on as an oft-quoted cult item. That’s due to the ongoing star power of Reeves, ageless highlander that he is, in part due to the presence of comedy icon George Carlin as time-tripping guide Rufus, and in part due to the amiable vibe the film projects as its titular cheerful dudes wreak havoc on the space time continuum.
Bill (Winter) and Ted (Reeves) are soft-headed, kindhearted high school kids more concerned with their nascent band, Wyld Stallyns, than school, putting them in danger of flunking out and killing the band as a result. Things seem awfully hopeless until Carlin’s Rufus arrives in a time-traveling phone booth. It seems that Wyld Stallyns’ music is hugely important to the creation of a utopian future, so Bill and Ted must pass that history class.
From there, the film skips all across time as Bill and Ted round up every historical figure they can get their hands on. Napoleon runs amok at a water park, Billy the Kid and Socrates strike out with the babes at the food court, and it turns out there are actual negative connotations to “iron maiden”.
Find out more with the team and guests below!
Next Week’s Pick:
We can’t very well do a Back to School series without it. Our final pick is Back To School! The classic comedy follows the goofy exploits of an obnoxious but lovable lug (65 year old Rodney Dangerfield) who enrolls in college alongside his adult son. Back to School is currently available streaming on Amazon Prime.
Would you like to be a guest in next week’s Two Cents column? Simply watch and send your under-200-word review to twocents(at)cinapse.co anytime before midnight on Thursday!
Special Guest — Sam Van Haren
We invited our friend Sam, a movie nerd who loves Keanu Reeves, to join this week’s film club as our special guest. Sam is an Assistant Editor over at Talk Film Society, but more relevantly a podcast host at the TFS Network, currently exploring Keanu Reeves’ filmography in the all-Keanu podcast Keanu Believe It, with new episodes every Friday. Find him on Twitter at @SamShotFirst!
Sam:
What better way to finally join the Two Cents ranks than talking about the movie that started my unceasing love of Keanu Reeves, Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure. I can’t rightly say exactly how many times I watched this movie on cable as a kid, it’s endlessly watchable and honestly smarter than it’s often given credit for. As good as Chris Matheson and Ed Solomon’s script is, and it’s damn good, this movie would not remotely work without the station chemistry between Keanu and Alex Winters. They are clearly fond of each other in real life and that allows us to instantly connect with the lovable slackers.
Watching Bill & Ted visit the past is an absolute joy, but what makes the film a classic is third act which finds them bringing their historical pals to 1980s San Dimas. What’s not to love about Joan of Arc leading an aerobics class, Genghis Khan wrecking up a sporting goods store, or Sigmund Freud holding a corn dog (A+ visual gag there). My absolute favorite scene of the film sees Bill & Ted using illogical time travel rules to their advantage in a jail break. It encapsulates the entire film in one wacky scene, as things just kind of work out for Bill & Ted and we’re cool with it because they are just good dudes. (SamShotFirst)
Our Guests
Karou Negisa:
Stripping this movie of nostalgia is difficult, particularly since by all rights it’s a film that we should love only for its association with our childhood. It’s a fun movie about two dumb guys destined to save the world through rock music if they can only pass history class.
However, the fact of the matter is that B&T is tightly written with a lot of subtle dialogue and a unique take on what was becoming a tired premise by 1988. The title characters are both highly likable and have amazing chemistry. The soundtrack is absolutely killer, filled with great deep cut tracks that tell the story as much as anything else.
But more than anything, other than one homophobic joke, it’s a story about two guys with really good will. Their message is one of love and kindness, and their destiny is to help make the universe a place where we communicate meaningfully, care about one another, and find the balance between responsibility and fun. It’s about pursuing your dreams, even if you’re not totally solid on how to get there. We need more Bill & Ted in the world. (@Moonpanther22)
The Team
It’s hard to know what to say about Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure. I feel like it’s all been said, but that doesn’t change the fact that I love the film as much today as when it first came out. Without this film, our world would be a far different one. I doubt Keanu would ever become Keanu and I’m sure we’d never have had Alex Winter’s Freaked. This isn’t even to mention the influence the film had on so many future comedies and filmmakers.
It’s dumb at times and brilliant at others. No matter what, though, it’s wall to wall fun. No matter what anyone ever says, it’ll always be a masterpiece to me.
In other words, bring on the new one. I’ll be first in line. And, till the end of my days on this Earth, I’ll watch this one regularly and fondly. Even if I didn’t love both Bill and Ted, Rufus alone makes this one an all time great.
In closing, be excellent to each other, everyone! If nothing else, let’s take that advice to heart in this age of anger and contradiction. (@ThePaintedMan)
Outside of one groan-inducingly ugly homophobic moment (which I’m sure all involved regret), Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure is about as lovable as films from this era get. Even the best of 80s comedies are marred by intermittent bouts of sleaze, racism, or the ol’ “date rape played for yuks” ploy you saw all the time back then. Instead the movie takes its cues from the central dudes, and both Reeves and Winter are a delight as the bone-headed but eternally sunny Bill and Ted. There’s an innate sweetness to both these actors that they imbue their characters with, and it carries over across the entire film.
In general, Bill & Ted is lacking in explosive belly-laughs, instead settling for a steady stream of chuckles. Maybe that makes it deficient from other comedies, but Herek, the writers, and the cast all succeed in striking a tone that is thoroughly amiable, and that goes a long way. And if the film’s slangy banter isn’t at the level of polish of something like Clueless, it’s still clever enough on the page and in the hands of Reeves and Winter to score repeatedly. Excellent all around. (@TheTrueBrendanF)
While credit for concept, dialogue, and the banterish humor goes to writers Chris Matheson and Ed Solomon, along with director Stephen Herek, much of the cult status of the film is owed to the two leads, Keanu Reeves and Alex Winter. Stoner/slacker types, they’re imbued with a genuine likability, a harmless sweetness that makes them so endearing. Reeves brings a gangly innocence, while Winter is brimming with joy and affability.
Much of the humor in the film plays off their ‘dumbness’ or the fish out of water aspects of their travels, but it’s never mean spirited. The bond between them is also sweetly done. They’re in this together, not just the assignment and travels through time, but in many of their actions and decisions throughout the film. They seem inseparable, like genuine brothers; pairing them with twins in the romantic subplot seems a necessary step to service their own relationship. Reeves and Winter built unlimited goodwill from their work here, a palpable affection between these two teens, then built on in Bill & Ted’s Bogus Journey, in my opinion a far weirder, bolder, and superior outing. (@Texas_Jon)
(Excerpted from Jon’s review of the film’s Steelbook release.)
Unlike most who adore this film, I didn’t watch it as as kid. There’s no nostalgic component to my huge affection for Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure — it’s just great. If anything, my appreciation has only grown after many rewatches, as this is a really smart and joyful movie that feels fresh every time.
I love that Bill & Ted are such good-natured dudes.
I love George Carlin’s presence as Rufus.
I love that all the historical figures are immediately game for this nonsense and actively help with additional abductions.
I love the weird comradeship between Socrates and Billy the Kid.
I love Beethoven jamming an impromptu piano-rock concert upon discovering electronic keyboards.
I love that blaxploitation legend Bernie Casey has a supporting role (and that this thread continued with Pam Grier in Bogus Journey).
I love that there’s no central villain, nor is one necessary.
…
I love the time travel hijinks and payoffs.
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I definitely love the climactic and most victorious presentation of the history report.
…
…
SAN DIMAS HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL RULES! (@VforVashaw)
Next week’s pick:
Further reading:
Next week’s pick:
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THE TREE OF LIFE: Terrence Malick’s Revelatory Wrestling Match With The Eternal
A profound meditation revisited in a new director’s cut from Criterion
Job 38: 4,7: Where were you when I laid the foundations of the Earth?….When the morning stars sang together and all the sons of God shouted for joy?
Rare indeed is the film that attempts to grapple with the eternal, with the beginning and end times on a cosmic level; a film that attempts to be at once deeply intimate and profound on the grandest scale. Rarer still is the film that attempts these things and succeeds wildly, leaving viewers in a state of awe and wonder. The Tree Of Life is that rare bird of a film. So rare that even filmmaker Terrence Malick himself has struggled to recapture that same grand wonder in his subsequent films which are crafted in a similar (and wholly unique) style which is so specific as to be dubbed “Malickian”. The Tree Of Life, it seems, is the most perfect match of subject matter and the filmmakers style, and ranks among his great achievements.
Humans ask questions. It’s a core trait that has compelled us to where we are as a species today. We universally ask big questions and meditate on higher things, whether we aim those questions at God or a higher power, or simply to fate or the rules that seem to govern the universe. It appears that Terrence Malick is a man of faith who crafts The Tree Of Life around questions aimed at the Christian God of creation. That’s the lens and framework through which The Tree Of Life asks its questions, but it by no means precludes those among us who might direct their questions elsewhere. That’s part of what makes Malick’s film so profound and effective. Religious cinema is far too often crafted for an audience who already believes and exists simply to pat them on the back for those beliefs. It’s exclusive and generally artless. Malick, on the other hand, gets at something elemental and universal among us. One need not personally believe in the Christian God to take the profound journey that The Tree Of Life beckons us on. While the high style and ethereal narrative of the film may impede the more conventional viewer, those who choose to engage with The Tree Of Life will almost certainly find some truth to cling to, some pain to grapple with, or some profundity to meditate on.
The Tree Of Life brings us intimately into the lives of the O’Brien family and grants us access to their memories and internal monologues. We experience them in multiple “timelines” spanning across large swaths of their lives. We get to know and identify with our characters in the way we access and engage with our own memories, in dreamlike vignettes with some details coming into sharp focus, and others peripheral. We leap through time in much the same ways that our minds can when accessing memories. This results in an extremely fragmented narrative that nonetheless coalesces into a kind of symphonic order and rhythm that’s simply unlike the work of any other filmmaker.
That said, there very much IS a narrative. At the core of The Tree Of Life is the tragic loss of a child at the young age of 19. We don’t see the death onscreen or even see the O’Brien children at this stage of their lives. Rather, we’re quickly made aware of the death, and then go back in time, experiencing the rapturous growth of a family as adoring mother (Jessica Chastain in her first big breakout role) and stern father (Brad Pitt) revel in the miracles as three baby boys are born to them. This sequence is almost miraculous in its beauty, yet always tinged with melancholy (as is the rest of the picture) as we know of the tragic death to come and the impact that will have on the family.
We’re also introduced to a modern-set timeline in which Sean Penn is playing the adult Jack, the eldest son of the O’Briens. Played for most of the 1950s-set sequences by actor Hunter McCracken, much of the film is experienced through Jack’s consciousness (though not all of it). By introducing the “modern” generation into the story, we see the intense ripple effects of not just a tragic loss, but of the entirety of the impact one’s family has on the person they become. Sean Penn’s Jack feels disconnected and out of place in the modern world as he wrestles with who he has become in light of his family and childhood. “Mother. Father. Always you wrestle inside me. Always you will.”
And in an oft discussed and massively bold departure, The Tree Of Life regularly leaves behind the O’Brien family and spends large chunks of time depicting sequences of space, the cosmos, the literal creation of the earth, and extinction of the dinosaurs. Yes… there are dinosaurs in The Tree Of Life. And they’re glorious. There are also micro sequences depicting cells, reproduction, and the authoring of life. Accompanied by classical music, these sequences are filled with such awe and wonder as to bring tears to one’s eyes. They’re also the only possible response to the harrowing and gut-wrenching questions the O’Brien family, representing us all, are asking.
It’s the middle son, R.L. (Laramie Eppler), who will pass on tragically young. We’ll see the three brothers grow, play, bond, and interact with their parents in genuine moments of pure spontaneity as captured by Malick’s signature style that only he can bring. R.L. is shown to be more of a burgeoning artist and musician (like his father), but with the gentle soul of his mother. Jack is often depicted in conflict with his father and warring against the traits he sees within himself that are more like his father than his mother. Despite the dream-like style of the narrative, The Tree Of Life actually allows us an uncomfortably intimate access to the O’Briens. They’re painfully human, and it’s easy to personally identify with their experience and therefore plant oneself into the story right along with them, making this a very personal journey. We understand the compulsion to do the wrong things, like Jack experiences in his adolescence. We recognize the purity and fierceness of a mother’s love for her children, the all-consuming nature of motherhood. We swing wildly from hatred to understanding as we observe Brad Pitt’s portrayal of the stern father who believes he must make his kids strong in order to face an unforgiving world with no room for weakness. “The world lives by trickery. If you want to succeed, you can’t be too good”.
The ultimate brilliance of The Tree Of Life is the film’s utter disinterest in answering the questions it poses. The film escapes triviality or pretension, criticisms that could easily be hurled at a movie attempting to portray the entirety of the human experience from creation to the afterlife, by refusing to preach or moralize. Sure, we’re shown the eternal through the lens of a Christian worldview, but Malick insists on portraying universal themes that hit us very close to home. The only response possible to questions such as “Where were You?” are to pull back, consider the grandiosity of the cosmos, and attempt to contextualize our own lives and their ultimate significance in the face of cosmic and microscopic realms. It’s the very same brilliance of the book of Job, in which Job is stripped of his fortune, his lands, his family, and cries out to God for answers. God’s response, as quoted at the top and in the opening card of the film, is simply to ask MORE questions of Job; essentially asking “who are you?” in the face of the eternal. The Tree Of Life allows viewers to feel anger towards God, or the universe, or whatever power you need to feel angry at. It allows viewers to experience purity and light. It depicts a final restoration of all things, when the O’Briens are reunited and all loss and pain are gone, no longer haunted by spectres of time or looming loss. The Tree Of Life allows viewers to feel, honestly, the entire gamut of the human experience, and does so authentically and rapturously. There simply aren’t but a handful of films that can claim to accomplish this feat.
The Director’s Cut
Lauded as an unprecedented project within the Criterion Collection, the company underwent this project with Terrence Malick and his team. They restored footage and funded the process, allowing a substantially longer new vision to come into being. The theatrical cut and new version aren’t fundamentally different films, however. The review written above can fully apply to both versions, for instance. Early rumors swirling around this new cut were that the film was wildly different. Those rumors are exaggerated.
What was there in the theatrical cut remains on screen in this version. I didn’t detect anything from the theatrical cut being excised. Certainly in a film like this with such fleeting and flowing visuals, there could have been some content removed which I simply missed. But mostly this new cut adds to what was there before. Some major sequences are added which include a family visit from Chastain’s character’s family, including a brother/uncle to the boys. This sequence adds some nuance to the mother which is somewhat lacking in the theatrical cut. I think it fleshes out the humanity of the mother wonderfully. There’s also an extended sequence depicting a hurricane hitting the small town where the O’Briens live (ostensibly Waco, TX). This is visually interesting, but didn’t add the same level of new insight that the family visit did. There’s also further sequences featuring the mother character’s own mother. These conversations also further serve to flesh out Chastain’s character in positive ways. Jack’s story is also fleshed out more and it’s revealed that Jack is sent away to boarding school at some point to relieve some of the tension between his father and himself. This portends the disconnected and mournful adult Jack we meet in the theatrical cut.
It’s hard to say if the Director’s Cut is my preferred version or not. While this film borders on the transcendent, there is such a thing as too much of a good thing. Malick’s style is so singular and so earnest that the shorter experience of the theatrical version might be more successful as an overall experience simply because it’s more sustainable. At 3 hours in length, the Director’s Cut fleshes out a lot of the human elements of this tale more fully, but potentially slips some in its ability to sustain our wrapt wonder.
The Tree Of Life is an essential addition to the Criterion Collection and this release is absolutely visually stunning. On top of the two cuts, there are bonus features and essays aplenty, making this the clear and obvious definitive release of the film. The only thing I could possibly have wanted might have been for Criterion to finally break into the 4K market and release this stunning title in that new and cutting edge format. Malick fans and Criterion collectors will want to seek this out at their earliest convenience.
And I’m Out.
The Tree Of Life is now available on Criterion Collection Blu-ray
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In 4K, PREDATOR is Definitely Not an “Ugly Motherfu**er”
A capital G Great action film hits 4K UHD
Predator director John McTiernan dwells among the action movie gods. You can’t get much more elite than having *several* of the greatest titles of the action genre under your belt, not the least of which being Die Hard, which is generally regarded as history’s greatest pure (American) action film. He also helmed Die Hard With A Vengeance, which virtually all Die Hard fans will agree is the second best film in that storied franchise.
Just prior to jumping on the John McClane train in 1988 and forever cementing his action bona fides, McTiernan directed Arnold Schwarzenegger in Predator in 1987. That’s right. Back to back, from the jungle to Nakatomi Plaza, John McTiernan lensed two of the greatest action movies in the genre’s entire history.
Predator has gone on to inspire about as many sequels as the Die Hard franchise, with either a fourth or a sixth entry (depending on who you talk to and whether you count the two Alien Vs. Predator films) hitting theaters soon from director Shane Black. That upcoming film is certainly the reason that Predator, Predator 2, and Predators are all getting the 4K treatment, and I’m here for it.
One of the things that makes Predator so fundamentally great is just how far from a guarantee this eventuality was. Plagued with myriad issues, Predator could easily have become an embarrassment for all involved. Instead it has become a shining example of a smart team of filmmakers rallying, getting creative, and crafting something eternally memorable. Shooting locations required jungles, and their first choice for that setting was a total debacle. They rallied, moved, and shot one of the most iconic jungle films ever made. The necessary “heat vision” for the Predator creature proved cost prohibitive and ineffective. They rallied, found a solution, and the heat vision has been an essential visual cue for the entire franchise. The Predator creature design initially filmed on set has become a thing of legend: embarrassingly silly looking and, curiously, worn by a then-unknown Jean-Claude Van Damme. They rallied, and Stan Winston’s workshop created one of modern cinema’s most iconic movie monsters. All of these examples just go to show how much of a true uphill battle motion pictures really are, and all of those challenges had really nothing to do with some of the core elements of great filmmaking: the script and the cast.
Brothers Jim and John Thomas wrote a great script for Predator. That could all have been for naught if the elements above had gone south. But when McTiernan and crew came through, it was the strong backbone of a wonderful script that kept this thing afloat. (Though McTiernan indicated in his commentary that he also made some character changes that probably impacted the final shooting script). Snappy, filled with characters that you feel like you know and love before they’re unpleasantly dispatched, and appropriately badass, the Thomas’ script stands the test of time (and their return for the sequel also proves crucial to the success of Predator 2 as well).
It’s in the cast where Predator cements its legacy. Arnold Schwarzenegger plays Dutch, a military team leader who is the “best of the best”. His unit is brought into the jungle on a CIA mission led by Carl Weathers’ Dillon, a former operative turned desk jockey who has a past with Dutch. There’s a fair amount of action and drama that establishes these characters, as well as Dutch’s whole team including Bill Duke, Sonny Landham, Shane Black, Jesse Ventura, and more, which all takes place before we really even leap into the extraterrestrial with our titular intergalactic hunter. In many movies this would be a bad thing. Wheel spinning. But here we get killer set pieces that really give weight to our characters, the situation they are in, and shows us how formidable of a group of opponents they are going to be for our Predator.
It can’t be understated just how awesome the Predator creature really is. Truly a work of designing genius, this creature just looks like the epitome of what can be done to make a man (Kevin Peter Hall in this case) in a suit look like something entirely otherworldly and also very physically present, tangible, and threatening. The Predator has endured as a cinematic monster of our generation because they have a story behind them as well. Sure, an alien that hunts for sport isn’t EXACTLY Shakespeare, but the look of the creature, the VFX utilized to bring its cloaking and heat vision technology to life, the Alan Silvestri score and sound design, and the mythology and culture behind its actions all build together to create a wholly satisfying threat to Dutch and his men.
And that screenplay really shines as the story goes along. Different aspects of the creature are revealed ever so slowly in a page right out of the Jaws manual of filmmaking. Characters are methodically killed and removed from the equation. Eventually, as though it were destined, only Dutch and the creature will remain. It’s a showdown for the ages, with mankind’s greatest physical specimen up against a godlike creature with powers beyond those of a mere man, but with a bit of a hunter’s code that gives Dutch just the edge he needs.
A whole mess of talent working at the top of their games in front of and behind the camera came together at the perfect times in their careers to create the lightning in a bottle that is Predator. If any of the various pieces of this wildly constructed film had failed, this movie almost certainly would have collapsed. Instead Predator fires on all cylinders and stands out as the far and away best entry in a now long-suffering franchise that hopefully gets a shot in the arm in just a weeks time with Shane Black at the helm.
The Package
Predator is one of those films that, due to its enduring and widespread appeal, has gotten the prestige home video treatment many times in the past. Just 5 or 6 years ago a big prestige Blu-ray featuring a 3D version of the film hit the market with much fanfare. (I never caught that version as I am not much of a 3D guy). I’m happy to report that the 4K disc does indeed look great, with the best visual of the entire film being the sweaty, panicked face of Bill Duke as he encounters the Predator. All that said, this is one of those situations where the 4K presentation didn’t create a demonstrably new viewing experience for me. As a matter of fact, I watched Predator 2 on Blu-ray just after this, and that film looked so fantastic on Blu-ray that it retroactively made me think this 4K wasn’t all that revolutionary.
For Predator fans who haven’t revisited the film in ages, this release is an easy recommend. You get the Blu-ray and a ton of the special features that likely all existed in previous releases, and you get the new 4K transfer. If you’re happy with the Predator films you already own, however, I wouldn’t say rushing to the store to buy this 4K disc is a must. I may have felt differently if I’d gotten the chance to check out all of the films in their new 4K transfers, but I only got the chance to see the first and best one.
And I’m Out.
Predator is now available on 4K UHD from Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment
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Back to School Series: Two Cents Cheers on DON’T TALK TO IRENE
Two Cents is an original column akin to a book club for films. The Cinapse team will program films and contribute our best, most insightful, or most creative thoughts on each film using a maximum of 200 words each. Guest writers and fan comments are encouraged, as are suggestions for future entries to the column. Join us as we share our two cents on films we love, films we are curious about, and films we believe merit some discussion.
The Pick
You’ve seen plenty high school misfits, but you’ve never met Irene (Michelle McLeod).
The eponymous heroine of Don’t Talk to Irene, from writer-director Pat Mills, goes through all the usual rigors of high school (and then some) in her quest to become a cheerleader. This, despite being openly discouraged by her worrywart mom (Anastasia Phillips) and roundly mocked by mean girls like Sarah (Aviva Mongillo).
When one of Sarah’s cruel pranks gets both girls suspended and assigned to do volunteer work at a neighboring retirement home, Irene makes the best of the situation and recruits some of the elderly inhabitants (alongside other local misfits) to her fledgling dance troupe.
Combining quirky comedy, dance moves, the lewd habits of the elderly, Canada, and Geena Davis voicing herself as Irene’s spiritual guide and mentor, Don’t Talk to Irene received rave reviews as it did the festival circuit recently, and seems primed to enter the cult canon alongside other off-beat high school films.
But does Irene have what it takes to soar alongside some of the other picks in our Back to School series, or should she stay on the sidelines? — Brendan
Next Week’s Pick:
Continuing our Back to School series, history comes alive for two dopey but good-natured teen rockstar wannabes when a hip visitor from the future, knowing that the duo will have a profound influence on society, arrives on the eve of their last day of school to save them from flunking history, thereby bringing an end to the most excellent timeline. Armed with a time machine, the dudes set out on the ultimate cram session by rubbing shoulders with some of history’s most interesting personages firsthand. Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure is a beloved 80s classic, but if you haven’t seen it in awhile you might be surprised at how incredibly smart and infectiously lovable it is. — Austin
9/14 — Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure
9/21 — Back to SchoolWould you like to be a guest in next week’s Two Cents column? Simply watch and send your under-200-word review to twocents(at)cinapse.co anytime before midnight on Thursday!
The Team
Well, this was charming all get out. I wasn’t sure what to make of Don’t Talk to Irene at first, as the film’s twee sensibilities put me in mind of a Canadian Napoleon Dynamite about a decade past that particular aesthetic’s sell-by date. But there is a kindness and generosity to how Mills tackles this story, and there is just enough bite to the humor and worldview to give the proceedings a sense of weight, even as Irene is visiting the astral plane to speak with Geena Davis (long story).
Irene lays things on a bit too thick with characters like Irene’s Mom and bully, both of whom are such caricatures of shrill nastiness that their pre-ordained conversions to Irene’s side don’t work as well as the material between Irene and the seniors, or Irene’s bonding with some of the other misfits in town. But the film is such a cheery concoction that it’s hard to hold these imbalances against it. Don’t Talk to Irene strays towards some dark subject matter at times, but it’s ultimately a big warm hug of a film. (@theTrueBrendanF)
We all know and love Geena Davis the actress, but in the last few years she’s been quietly carving out a niche as a producer, promoter, and champion of independent film, especially in amplifying female voices, most notably as the co-founder of the Bentonville Film Festival. Davis lends her star power as a supporting character in Don’t Talk To Irene, but the film has charm to spare with a cast of quirky characters.
Chubby and sheltered Irene, who has a staggering lack of self-awareness, is immediately a heroine to root for. Even though she’s bullied and taunted endlessly, she follows her passions and never gives up (thanks in part to encouragement from Geena Davis), even when it means looking ridiculous. It’s pretty delightful watching her win over new senior friends (and other misfits) through her sincerity and get them to grudgingly join her dance troupe, culminating in a big finale that doesn’t go as planned but perhaps is something better. It does come off as a bit scripted and quirky for quirk’s sake, but is ultimately a winsome and surprisingly non-judgmental story that even ends with the suggestion that Irene’s tormentor Sarah is not beyond redemption.
The film targets R-rated laughs with profane humor and language (particularly among the cranky seniors) and does a fun job of it, but it’s interesting to think of how a cleaner version of this might play as a family film more accessible to young girls in need of encouragement. (@VforVashaw)
Irene has all the qualities of a high school outsider: She’s fat, has chunky glasses, and is unaware of her quirkiness. She’s also fearless.
The over-the-top happy ending that caps the film doesn’t feel contrived, but rather feels right for this young girl who knows who she is, what she wants, and won’t let anyone tell her she’s too flawed to have it. Irene is a teenager worth rooting for.
Editor’s Note: You can read Rod’s full review HERE. (@rodmachen)
Next week’s pick:
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RAPID FIRE: Brandon Lee’s Star Is Born
One of the great action films of the 1990s hits Blu-ray
The Crow isn’t even my second favorite Brandon Lee movie.
Sure, there was a time when it was the greatest thing to ever grace this earth. I dressed as The Crow multiple years in a row for Halloween and mourned Lee’s death like only a true 13 year old can. Obviously I still find his early and accidental death to be tragic and mourn for the life and career that could have been. And yes, The Crow was a visionary trend setter and propelled Lee to international stardom which could have blown his career up to brand new heights.
But I’m here to tell you that Rapid Fire is far and away Brandon Lee’s greatest film. And it’s a showstopper ranking among the very best action films of the 1990s. This was Lee’s first solo starring role after co-headlining Showdown In Little Tokyo with Dolph Lundgren (and yes, I’m also here to tell you that that film is Brandon Lee’s second best). Rapid Fire utilizes Bruce Lee’s Jeet Kune Do style of fighting effectively and respectfully. It also takes that Bruce Lee style and infuses some John Woo and Jackie Chan into the mix to create a unique space for Brandon Lee to bring something to the screen that only he could. Lee starred in three major Hollywood/studio films and they’re all uniquely awesome and portray a handsome, talented, charming, and charismatic leading man who not only honored the legacy of his father Bruce Lee, but made an impact all his own for my generation. It’s few and far between a person lives a life (or leaves a legacy) like that.
Bringing his own martial arts choreography to the project, Lee not only stars and does his own fight sequences, but also had the part written specifically for him and was involved in the pre-production from the start. Rapid Fire is Lee’s movie, and that’s why it’s his best. Alex Proyas is one of the few directors who lives up to the loaded moniker of being a “visionary” director. And while his vision for The Crow broke Lee into a whole new world of potential roles, Rapid Fire showcases a young man with passion to honor his father’s martial arts legacy and take his shot at the spotlight. It’s been unfairly swept aside due to the drama and enduring goth legacy of The Crow, but it truly deserves to be spoken of alongside such other 1990s action classics as Speed, Cliffhanger, Point Break, and the like. It’s perhaps lower stakes than those, and certainly lower budget. It fits a formula maybe a little bit too comfortably. But dammit… it’s a great formula and a sublime piece of mass consumption entertainment.
Lee plays art student Jake Lo, a talented young man who tragically watched his father die in a protest in China’s Tiananmen Square and who consequently wants nothing to do with any righteous causes. When he witnesses a gangland murder, he’s caught up in a fight much bigger than himself. But soon, good cop Mace Ryan (Powers Boothe, typically fantastic here) and his team will be the only shot Lo has at getting out alive. But Mace will need Lo just as much as Lo will need him. The script from Alan McElroy is effective, keeping Lo on his toes, providing a rogues gallery of villains you love to hate, and sprinkling classic action set pieces throughout. As Twilight Time essayist Julie Kirgo astutely point out as well, there’s a touching father figure subplot between Lee and Booth’s characters that takes on more potency knowing Lee’s own loss of his father. It’s subtle enough to be effective without ever getting melodramatic. Director Dwight H. Little had just done Steven Seagal’s Marked For Death prior to this project, and displays some major action chops here. Lee’s choreography is deftly captured, the pacing is strong, the comedy beats click, and most importantly the characters connect.
Ultimately it’s Lee’s contributions to the film that really make it sing, however. And the action he was able to create along with his team led by stunt coordinator (and living legend) Jeff Imada is the kind of inventive and fist pumping stuff that gives you goosebumps. It’s hard to review this kind of thing because of how purely visual and kinetic it all is, but there are moments here that absolutely slay and stand far and above your average sequence of fisticuffs. Lee sells all of this displaying both vulnerability and engenuity, all of which endears us to his character.
With heart, thrills, killer action set pieces, homage to legends, and a new twist that only its spectacular lead could pull off, Rapid Fire is a film that feels squarely of its time, but singular in its execution. Though it’s been largely forgotten by time and overshadowed by The Crow, Rapid Fire is the film that will allow Brandon Lee to live forever in my memory as a bright shining star who will never be replaced.
The Package
As always, this Twilight Time limited edition Blu-ray release is accompanied by a stellar essay from Julie Kirgo. The commentary track highlights the score of the film and features Twilight Time founder and film historian Nick Redman interviewing Rapid Fire composer Christopher Young. Redman and Young are old friends and have an easy rapport. The track heavily focuses on film scores and composition, which is just fine by me. You’ll also get some promotional featurettes from the film’s release and the theatrical trailer.
Because Rapid Fire is a visually explosive film, it thrives here on Blu-ray and comes with a high recommendation for any action fans.
And I’m Out.
Rapid Fire is now available on limited edition Blu-ray from Twilight Time
