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DREDD: Because Slo-Mo Just Looks Better In 4K
Ed Gets Past 3rd Base With 4K Blu-ray
Dredd is a fantastic film; laser focused, true to the spirit of the comic book character, and filled with ratcheting tension and killer hard-R action set pieces. That it resembles The Raid in structure and didn’t light the box office on fire are incidental to how truly awesome the film itself is.
It’s great news, then, that it’s getting the 4K Blu-ray treatment from Lionsgate. Rumors are swirling as I type that Karl Urban, the titular (and definitive… Sorry, Sly) Dredd, may be returning to voice the character in an adult-skewing animated television show exploring Mega-City One. I would absolutely welcome that since this property has so much sci-fi action gold to mine. And since this film garnered fan and critical acclaim but no financial breakthrough, an animated series sounds like a perfectly wonderful way to keep this property in front of people’s eyeballs. The re-release of this film on 4K is another!
Shot and designed for a 3D experience, this release actually includes a 3D Blu-ray disc, though the 4K disc does not support 3D. There was a visual intention behind the design of this film that really keeps it memorable, with or without 3D. A new drug called Slo-Mo is circulating through Mega-City One and its users experience reality in a slowed down state that is visualized here with stunning clarity and color. What could have been a gimmick becomes a central plot device and a trademark visual of the film. The experience of falling off of a skyscraper on Slo-Mo, for instance, feels like eternity for the poor schmuck doing the falling. And director Pete Travis and cinematographer Anthony Dod Mantle (heck, even composer Paul Leonard-Morgan) take every opportunity to make this Slo-Mo storyline pop, ripple, and explode. While this film takes place almost entirely in the slum-like Peach Trees mega tower, making it a dreary and dark affair, the film nevertheless becomes an enjoyable title to experience on 4K due to this visual flair.
Taking place over a single day, writer Alex Garland drafts a clean and entertaining adventure for Dredd which also humorously insinuates this is “just another day” for The Law. Informing his trainee, the psychic new recruit Anderson (Olivia Thirlby), that Judges are only able to respond to roughly 6% of the sprawling mega city’s crimes, Dredd and Anderson simply answer a call to the nearest triple homicide, and soon find themselves trapped in the tower of the dreaded gangster Ma-Ma (Lena Heady crushing it as a scarred drug lord) with no way to escape except to kill ’em all. In this apocalyptic future, Judges act as jury and executioner, barely containing the chaos of mega cities surrounded by scorched wastelands. Dredd is a kind of embodiment of the oppressive state, while at the same time being the uncontested hero of the story. There’s a wonderful balance struck of thrilling entertainment and square-jawed (and frown-faced) triumph of The Man. The satire elements are sprinkled just liberally enough through this otherwise kickass action movie that it all feels just right. One almost feels that Dredd’s singular and unwavering devotion to the law is the key to holding this tenuous society from teetering right off the brink. Yet here in 2017 (and even written into this “day in the life” story) we experience a corrupt and broken system of law all the time, and we’re reminded that it’s a dangerous thing indeed for anyone to have the power of judge, jury, and executioner.
So much of the impetus for Dredd to keep being adapted and readapted for current mediums is the brilliant foundation the original character was built on in the pages of British comics 2000 A.D. Creators John Wagner and Carlos Ezquerra have simply created an iconic and enduring character that, while maybe not hugely mainstream in the United States, nevertheless remains compelling and relevant. Famously never depicted without wearing his signature helmet, Dredd is always The Law. This trope was abandoned in Stallone’s Judge Dredd, much to fans’ dismay. And while this critic finds a lot to like in the high profile failure of that project, 2012’s Dredd nails Wagner and Ezquerra’s character far more squarely than 1995’s adaptation. The world Dredd traverses is also a major ingredient to the endurance of the character. We’re obsessed with post apocalyptic societies and the Mega-Cities built atop the earth’s scorched remains feel like a distinct and unique element of this particular apocalypse. A billion stories could be told (and have been told over the years) about the goings on in Mega-City One. Which is another reason the “day in the life” approach of this film works so wonderfully. Had Dredd taken off financially, there clearly would have been many more stories to tell in the chaotic mega city, and this fan would have loved to see what else Travis and Garland might have had up their sleeves.
Succeeding as an action movie, a comic book adaptation, a tonally tricky science fiction narrative, and a visually compelling live action adaptation, Dredd’s only true failing was its disappointing box office. This 4K release reissues a killer film onto a new market which may be exclusively populated by pre-existing fans and collectors, but certainly does showcase a film that all involved can be proud of. While not the most visually dynamic of the expansive 3 total films I’ve experienced in 4K UHD so far, Dredd does make its case for inclusion in this niche format.
The Package
Disc 1–4K Ultra HD
- “Mega-City Masters: 35 Years Of Judge Dredd” Featurette
- “Day Of Chaos: The Visual Effects of Dredd 3D” Featurette
- “Dredd” and “Dredd’s Gear” Featurettes
Disc 2 — Blu-ray (Includes 2D and 3D Presentations)
- “The 3rd Dimension” Featurette
- “Welcome To Peach Trees” Featurette
- DREDD Motion Comic Prequel
- Theatrical Trailer
And I’m Out.
Dredd is now available on 4K UHD from Lionsgate Home Entertainment
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THE ASSIGNMENT: Walter Hill’s Gender Bending Contract Killer Thriller is a Trip
Can a movie still be kind of awesome when its central premise fails utterly?
Stop me if you’ve heard this one before: Michelle Rodriguez wakes up in a seedy motel after having undergone forced gender reassignment surgery at the hands of a disgraced surgeon played by Sigourney Weaver. No? Haven’t heard that story before? That’s right. You definitely haven’t. And that’s a huge part of the fun to be had here with The Assignment. It’s just so bizarre and bold. Throw in the fact that it’s directed by legendary action auteur Walter Hill, and you’ve got yourself a bit of a must see release.
Though while yes, you do kind of have to see this movie if any of the above paragraph sounds appealing to you, it also has to be stated clearly that the central premise of The Assignment fundamentally does not succeed on a visual, story, or performance level. Michelle Rodriguez plays Frank Kitchen, a hitman with very little dimensionality of character beyond whatever exposition Sigourney Weaver’s Dr. Rachel Jane blurts out about him. He’s a scumbag contract killer. And he never for one second looks anything other than Michelle Rodriguez with a beard glued to her face and a prosthetic penis. Yep, Michelle Rodriguez is walking around this movie with a big old swinging dick. And you have to respect that, no? It’s a… ballsy choice… ahem.
Rodriguez is a cool performer that I enjoy watching on screen from her early indie days like Girlfight to ultra-mega-super blockbusters like the Fast/Furious franchise and Avatar. She’s probably got as many box office dollars assigned to her filmography as any actress working today, and she seems to have a great time doing what she does. This role in The Assignment is a brave one to take on and I can’t quite imagine anyone else in the role. But that isn’t to say it’s a success. She’s utterly unconvincing as a man, and the whole movie hinges on that. As a female, she’s a perfectly solid lead… even as a female who has many masculine traits left over from her maleness. She just looks damn ridiculous as a male hitman, and one gets the sense that a lot more effort could have gone into selling this (a man-bun perhaps? A little more bulk to her frame? Hobbit-style forced perspective? I don’t know, just spit-balling here) crucial story element.
Really a full-on co-lead, Weaver gets almost as much screen time as Rodriguez. Sadly she’s confined to a straight jacket for significant portions of the runtime. And she’s largely part of an unfortunate framing device where she’s explaining the events of the film to Tony Shalhoub, who is interrogating her after the fact. It’s another weird and fun role, with Weaver commanding the screen as a male suit-wearing underground doctor with unorthodox beliefs. She’s basically a Batman villain, and there ain’t nothin’ wrong with that. But due to the setup of the film’s script, she does a lot more telling than showing. It’s a talky role that only someone like Weaver could have breathed as much life into as she does.
The rest of the film is fairly workmanlike, which is unfortunate coming from a master like Walter Hill. But The Assignment feels like a case where the audacity of the premise and the talent attached to the project kind of supercede the ultimate quality of the film, making it a must see for Hill or Weaver fans. Aside from that premise, the film struggles. There’s not a whole lot of interesting exploration of gender identity, and the action isn’t particularly expertly executed (a definite bummer coming from one of cinema’s great action experts). Frank is bent on vengeance, and upon waking up in a gender-swapped state, he kind of just tries to kill everyone and see a doctor or two. There’s a little button of a twist all the way at the very end of the film which does take things a little darker, and I appreciated that. It’s just that whatever ideas are explored seem to be primarily exposited by Weaver’s crazy doctor character, ranting in a straight jacket to the audience. It’s not an engaging way to think about any of the issues the film might present, or any of the moral complexity the characters may have had.
If you’re stumbling across The Assignment at a Red Box, you’re probably going to be disappointed and quite frankly flummoxed. If you’re coming to it as a Walter Hill fan, or a film geek who knows the pure insanity of the premise of the film, then you probably want to see it anyway. For those who embrace the craziness of the swingin’ prosthetic penis in Walter Hill’s latest project, why haven’t you pressed play yet?
The Package
There’s some kind of single special feature on this one, but it’s largely a bare bones release. I suspect that’s because it’s a movie in which Michelle Rodriguez plays a hit man who is gender swapped and somehow the studio didn’t see wide release potential in this one. But who am I to presume? Again, if you’re buying this or renting it, you’re doing so to experience the insanity and the brilliance of Walter Hill… you probably didn’t need a million bonus features.
And I’m Out.
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Yul Brynner & Lee Van Cleef Tag-Team ADIOS, SABATA and RETURN OF SABATA
Quirky Spaghetti Western sequels hit Blu-ray from KL Studio Classics — Review with DVD Screen Comparisons
Sometimes history has a funny way of unfolding.
Western aficionados are of course familiar with the Yul Brunner-fronted The Magnificent Seven. Brynner returned for a sequel but was succeeded by George Kennedy in the role of frontier vigilante Chris Adams. For the fourth and final film The Magnificent Seven Ride, Lee Van Cleef stepped in.
While Van Cleef was taking over a role that Brynner had made famous, an ironic reversal was also taking place. Van Cleef’s quirky 1969 spaghetti western Sabata, produced by Alberto Grimaldi (of Leone’s Dollars Trilogy fame), proved to be something of a hit.
Spaghetti Western eponyms were parodied in Bob’s Burgers with “Banjo” — in actuality the name of a character in Sabata. Italy has historically been a fertile ground for rampant IP infringement, and as with popular spaghetti western characters like Django, Trinity, and Sartana, Van Cleef’s Sabata was quickly hijacked into unauthorized sequels, mounting pressure to move quickly on an official one. With Van Cleef committed to Seven (or demanding too much money, depending on which version you hear), Grimaldi landed on another solution.
ADIOS, SABATA (1970)
Yul Brynner was teamed with the producer and Sabata director Gianfranco Parolin on another spaghetti western called Indio Black. In the wake of Sabata’s success, it was hastily retooled as a Sabata tale and is considered the second film of the trilogy, though oddly its Italian release retained the Indio Black moniker.
Perhaps because of its different genesis, it is the least interesting of the Trilogy. It’s also unsurprisingly the most off-brand. Yul Brynner is definitely a badass, but he plays the role more stoically, without Van Cleef’s sly smile and wily sense of mischief.
The story is standard stuff — a cruel and oppressive Austrian occupational presence is headed up by Colonel Skimmel, a devious and morally deficient commanding officer. Sabata and his revolutionary partners plot to steal a horde of gold from the Austrians, only to find that the Colonel has beaten them to the punch.
The series’ affinity for cool gadgetry is indulged here with Sabata’s unique multi-shot rifle and the Colonel’s novel method of execution, a contraption hidden within his office’s decor. The sequel also continues to establish the throughline of an untrustworthy ally who may or may not be a dirty double-crosser, and features a handful of returning actors in new roles.
While probably the low point for the franchise, it’s still pretty entertaining and a cut above most of the nameless and little-remembered Italian westerns that were churned out during this era.
RETURN OF SABATA (1971)
Van Cleef returned for the character’s trilogy closer, and he’s clearly more at home with the material than the awesome but misplaced Brynner.
Another movie, another town. Sabata quickly makes his presence known — he outright refuses to pay their outrageous taxes. The townsfolk resent him immediately — those taxes are earmarked to to build out their ambitious expansion plan and really put them on the map. Sabata knows better, of course. The duplicitous baron in charge of their urban planning project is stealing the money and will soon make his exit with their combined wealth.
Van Cleef’s smarmy charisma is on full display here and adds a sense of fun that was missing in Adios. He’s always one step ahead of everyone else and not particularly humble about it, calling out the bad guys and demonstrating his formidable gunplay skills at every opportunity.
The cast once again includes a bunch of recurring actors from the prior films, and the unusual gadgets make a return as well. Sabata brandishes a couple of different concealable specialty pistols, but that’s nothing next to his acrobatic allies, one of whom straps a rubber cord to his feet to turn himself into a deadly projectile weapon.
Ah, that old spaghetti western staple — the POV human slingshot. Return Of Sabata is at times downright silly, yet unquestionably entertaining, and a culmination of the offbeat style of the series. By this time the genre was definitely waning, but it’s interesting to imagine how absurd future entries might have become.
The Packages
Kino Lorber Studio Classics has released both Adios, Sabata and Return Of Sabata on Blu-ray, following up their prior release of the original Sabata. Both packages feature reversible artwork.
Visually, the new Blu-rays handily trounce MGM’s earlier 2006 DVD Trilogy box set. The clarity and attention to grain are a big improvement. Additionally, the DVDs were interlaced and exhibited combing effects.
Disappointingly though, neither of the new discs has subtitles (a downgrade from the MGM DVDs).
Adios, Sabata — Old DVD 
Adios, Sabata — New Blu-ray 
Return Of Sabata — Old DVD 
Return Of Sabata — New Blu-ray The discs don’t have much in the way of extras. Each includes a different trailer gallery, with all three Sabata trailers appearing on both.
Special Features and Extras — Adios, Sabata
Theatrical Trailers
File Of The Golden Goose (2:37)
Invitation To A Gunfighter (2:14)
Kings Of The Sun (3:43)
Sabata (1:37)
Adios, Sabata (2:04)
Return Of Sabata (2:08)Special Features and Extras — Return Of Sabata
Theatrical Trailers
Barquero (2:36)
Sabata (1:37)
Adios, Sabata (2:04)
Return Of Sabata (2:08)
Parting Thoughts:
The Sabata sequels continued to build on the franchise’s quirky traits: tons of gadgets, shifty allies, acrobatic stuntwork, and a stable of recurring cast members.
I watched all three Sabata films about ten years ago and while I recalled liking them, I have to admit that I forgot them entirely. Having watched them again, I find this both surprising and understandable — while not always great, these movies are pretty wild. They exhibit a lot of quirky gimmicks and characters and a bit of comedy, but at their core the stories are common, forgettable western fare. The recycling of actors and plot points also makes them a bit difficult to differentiate, and they start to blur together, especially if watched in quick succession.
A/V Out.
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 slight compression inherent to file formats. All package photography was taken by the reviewer.
Get ’em at Amazon:
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AFTERMATH: For When You Like Your Arnold Schwarzenegger Dour
Arnold is picking really interesting roles these days, but that does not a good movie make.
Holding on tightly to the screen heroes of my youth is something I have no shame about. We’ve got history together. Some of these actors have provided me many of my life’s most memorable cinematic moments. And regardless of the individual quality from picture to picture, I have to say that Arnold Schwarzenegger’s post-politics and post-family-scandal movie career is fascinating to behold. I stand alone on this island, but I adored The Last Stand, when he made his re-appearance as a leading man after leaving the governorship of California. It’s possible that I hated Sabotage, his team up director David Ayer… but I also can’t stop thinking about it. Then came Maggie, which was a tragic family drama that benefitted from its genre trappings to become a kind of indie zombie drama. With Aftermath, Arnold’s history as an on screen tough guy comes along with him to the screen. But his character Roman really isn’t any of the things we’ve come to expect from Arnold’s onscreen personas. Roman is an everyman dealing with a horrific tragedy from which he may never bounce back.
The trouble is… there just isn’t a lot of dimensionality to this story. Arnold manages to largely shed his baggage and he continually shows himself to be a better actor than he’s often given credit for. (Van Damme shares this trait). But Roman is a walking tragedy who lost his wife and pregnant adult daughter in a horrible midair plane collision. He’s a shell of a man after this, and the script from Javier Gullon (Enemy) leaves perhaps too much unsaid. It isn’t so much that the movie is subtle or sparing, it’s just that very little happens to raise it above a perfunctory level. Scoot McNairy does admirable work in a very unforgiving role as Jake, the air traffic controller who, through a series of unfortunate events, ends up being on duty when the two planes collide. There’s just enough detail shown to make Jake’s plight suitably grey. It isn’t incompetence or delinquency that cause the planes to crash, it’s a horrific “could’ve happened to anyone” kind of scenario. But that’s about as interesting as the human exploration gets in Aftermath.
Jake’s wife Christina is played by Maggie Grace, who is allowed to play a real adult here as opposed to in the Taken films, and she’s good. Christina has no idea how to be a spouse to a man who has been a part of such a tragedy as this. And no idea how to expose their son to this new reality. There’s a sense that Roman and Jake are on some kind of collision course (JUST LIKE THE AIRPLANES WERE), but even the shocking conclusion to this story doesn’t feel like it’s executed with the kind of weight and moral complexity that it seems director Elliott Lester (Blitz, Nightingale) was going for.
Yes, there remains a novelty factor to watching Arnold Schwarzenegger act, and act well, in a stripped down tragedy with no genre or action hero trappings whatsoever. He acquits himself well and seems to bring his own life of troubles with him in these latter performances. But this film is pretty relentlessly bleak without a whole lot to say about any of the proceedings. Tragedy sometimes strikes. Mistakes sometimes lead to inconceivably horrific results. People sometimes have trouble recovering from loss. All of these themes are presented right at the surface level of Aftermath, and never go any deeper. Without much in the way of beauty or complexity, Aftermath mostly just feels like a slog.
The Package
Aftermath has a director’s commentary with Lester and producer Eric Watson as well as some brief bonus features (interviews with Lester and DP Pieter Vermeer). I couldn’t make it all too far into the commentary as I found it about as insightful as the final film itself. Lester does bring some skill and flare to the table here, with lots of overhead “god’s eye” shots, coaxing a typically great performance out of Scoot McNairy, the completely INSANE shirts that Arnold’s character wears, and giving Arnold some of the meatiest dramatic work of his career. But even with a commentary and bonus features, Aftermath struggles to bring enough to the table to make it worth a purchase.
And I’m Out.
Aftermath is now available on home video from Lionsgate Premiere
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JCVD’s KILL ’EM ALL is DOA
Sometimes the DTV market is the fertile crescent of indie action… and sometimes it’s KILL ’EM ALL
DTV action movies are kind of my “beat” here at Cinapse. As a father with a full time day job (both roles I adore), I have to pass on reviewing tons of content that younger me would likely have jumped at. Hell, I even pass on MOST of the DTV action stuff that comes down the pike. I don’t mess with the Steven Seagal vehicles or the Danny Trejo joints. I don’t know who most WWE superstars are, so I let those come and go. But my man Jean-Claude Van Damme is still commanding my attention. No one would accuse him of being consistent, but many would agree with me that latter career Van Damme is fascinating. Still occasionally putting in 110%, coming into his own as a comedic presence, and also embracing many darker and more somber roles, Van Damme may have passed his physical prime, but he’s pushing the boundaries, and I respect that. So I’m often willing to take the plunge and commit to reviewing his newer releases.
Kill ’Em All is a film that displays none of the exciting physicality or bravery of performance that some of JCVD’s recent work has shown. Limp and relentlessly dour, the playful title is an epic rope-a-dope. I hate to say it, but there’s actually nothing about the film that stood out as dynamic, interesting, well-shot, or least of all fun. And that’s a big issue with the dour version of JCVD. Sometimes a nice tale of dark brutality matched with decent filmmaking or paired with Scott Adkins (Assassination Games) makes for a solid story. But the risk is a lack of fun, and Kill ’Em All embodies this risk. Reaching, I would say that I liked seeing a fight between The Muscles and his adult son Kris Van Damme. I didn’t know it was his son until the end credits, but in retrospect that is pretty awesome. It happened to be among the better fights of the film as well.
I do also love when stuntmen make the jump to directing, and am pleased to see that director Peter Malota is a long time Hollywood stuntman and collaborator with Van Damme. The direction isn’t award winning here, but it certainly isn’t the biggest culprit. That would be the script.
Kill ’Em All is saddled by a framing device that places it squarely in the “Usual Suspects knock-off” camp. Suzanne (Autumn Reeser) is the only survivor of a hospital shoot out, and she’s being interrogated by Peter Stormare and Maria Conchita Alonso. This has the double bummer effect of making ALL of the film’s action feel like boring exposition and past tense events lacking urgency. Suzanne is a nothing character, as are Stormare and Alonso. These three sit in a plain conference room and exchange lines in such a way as to almost blatantly acknowledge that all their lines were filmed in a day or two to afford Storemare and Alonso. This is a DTV staple, to get some names on the DVD cover for a day or two of work. I don’t have a problem with the strategy, but if I recall correctly these two never share so much as a single shot with Van Damme, and there’s nothing more boring than people sitting in a conference room chatting. Well, I guess Usual Suspects pulled it off. And you better believe Kill ’Em All is going to try real hard to bite off the game-changing twist ending that Suspects did. Lifeless, inevitable, and non-sensical, Kill ’Em All’s attempt at a clever final twist was extremely ill-advised.
Van Damme is the main character of the movie in a sense, though he mostly only exists in flashback due to the framing device. There’s some stuff about former Yugoslavian territories, the death of his father as a child, and a revenge plot. We’re supposed to be guessing whether Van Damme is a good guy or a bad guy as events unfold, and to the writers’ credit there are some attempts at twists and turns to break up the generic fight scenes loaded with Van Damme stand ins and stunt doubles. But none of it really clicks and Kill ’Em All ends up being the most dreaded kind of DTV action film: a boring one.
The Package
Devoid of any special features, this is a quick release to capitalize on Van Damme’s name, and that’s exactly what got me to check it out. The film doesn’t look particularly good, taking place largely in a visually bland abandoned hospital or conference room, so the Blu-ray treatment isn’t adding much value. Kill ’Em All is only for JCVD complete-ists or PERHAPS those curious whether Maria Conchita Alonso is still beautiful (she is).
And I’m Out.
Kill ’Em All is now available on home video from Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
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IT COMES AT NIGHT: The Disease Is At Our Core
KRISHA’s Trey Edward Shults has no interest in comforting you.
Editor’s Note: It Comes At Night producer Wilson Smith is an active member of the Cinapse writing team, so that association should be duly noted here.
With Krisha, writer/director Trey Edward Shults imbued a family reunion film with horror elements to great success. With It Comes At Night, he crafts a horror film built entirely around a family unit, with similarly harrowing results.
Refusing to break beyond the confines of our main characters, It Comes At Night is set amidst a devastating outbreak of disease that has brought the world to an apocalyptic state which is entirely experienced and felt through one, and then two, families. It’s not a zombie movie. It’s not a Mad Max riff. It’s not even in the vein of Outbreak or Contagion. There’s no explanation of who patient zero was, or “who killed the world”. We simply experience Joel Edgerton’s Paul struggle to keep his family alive through strict adherence to rules that seem to have worked so far. In an isolated and boarded up mansion deeply protected by dense woods, Paul and his wife Sarah (Carmen Ejogo) and teenaged son Travis (Kelvin Harrison Jr.), never go outside at night. They stay isolated. They do what they need to do to survive and stay together. Family first.
Soon a stranger attempts to enter the house, and our family puts a stop to the entry. Upon a harsh grilling, Will (Christopher Abbott) is given a chance to bring his wife and son to the house as they’re desperate and running out of food and water. Paul’s family decides to take them in in an attempt to spread out the work load. Riley Keogh’s Kim then enters the picture, along with the couple’s little son Andrew. After all… Paul and clan are good people… right?
It’s at this point that everything going on in It Comes At Night becomes truly fascinating. Paul’s rules are sacrosanct in this house, because the adherence to the rules is what keeps the disease out. The bonds of family are priority number one. But when the world has become such a threat, how can one maintain their humanity?
Never venturing beyond the immediate surroundings of the house, the story feels like a boiling kettle. In many ways the restoration of community brings a little humanity to our motley crew. Travis, who is kind of the audience surrogate, builds bonds with Will, Kim, and Andrew. This poor teenager whose life has been upended by world events is haunted by nightmares and struggling to cope with the hand fate has dealt him. It’s Travis’ youthfulness and desire for community that will be the only hope for these two families to connect and become one unit.
But there are lies being told. There are grave threats outside the walls of the home. Humanity is on the brink, and those stakes may just be a little too high for our microcosm of humanity we’re trapped with in It Comes At Night. Mistrust, innocence, and the blurred boundaries of “who is my neighbor?” will stir and simmer. Expertly explored without being too overt, Shults wonders if survival is even worth the cost in this bleak world of his own making. What is the value of human existence if all community and joy is stripped away and survival becomes god? And one can’t help but compare Paul’s mentality to the current nationalistic political climate, giving this intimate story a broader context… can we even be citizens of the world any longer if our own priorities are the only ones considered?
With striking visuals drawn from confined quarters, Shults is a new master of domicile horror, and I’d watch the hell out of a Shults-helmed classic haunted house spook-a-blast. With wonderful performances, jarring music, nightmarish visuals, and devastating thematic exploration, Shults is confident in his ability to rattle you and disinterested in coddling his audience. The one-two punch of Krisha and It Comes At Night display a young voice wise beyond his years, showcasing an ability to rivet audiences to the screen and send them back out into the world shaken by the experience he has designed.
And I’m Out.
It Comes At Night hits theaters June 9th from A24.
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KINGDOM: Frank Grillo’s Hard-R, MMA-themed FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS
With an MMA drama you had my curiosity, KINGDOM. With Frank Grillo you got my attention.
I’m always down for a little Frank Grillo. A tested character actor who is gaining momentum as a leading man, Grillo has the 1970s rugged tough guy image down to a science, and he backs it up with acting chops to spare. Beginning in bit parts on TV shows and slowly gaining ground as a standout ensemble player, Grillo has headlined the last two Purge films (both superior to the original), stolen the show from Liam Neeson in The Grey, and even done the supervillain thing in the last two Captain America films. Here in Kingdom, he headlines a strong ensemble cast made up largely of actors you’ve seen before, but maybe aren’t major marquee names. Well, except for that one MAJOR marquee name, but we’ll get there momentarily. Grillo’s Alvey Kulino is a former pro-fighter who owns an MMA gym in partnership with his much younger paramour Lisa (Kiele Sanchez, Lost). His sons are both training in his gym, and former champion and recent parolee (not to mention Lisa’s former fiance) Ryan Wheeler (Matt Lauria, Friday Night Lights) has also appeared back in Alvey’s life. These five make up the core characters of Kingdom.
Alvey’s sons? Well, one is the out of control addict Jay (Jonathan Tucker, Justified). The youngest is Nate, the laser focused and perpetually pent up fighter who seems to have his act together at least when compared to Jay. Nate is played by none other than Disney superstar and pop idol Nick Jonas. And you know what? He’s pretty ferocious here. It’s as though Jonas’ agents were tasked with finding him a role that could distance him as far as humanly possible from his matinee idol image… and they’ve succeeded. Kingdom is a punishingly brutal show which would fall into the “hard R” world of ratings if it were a film. Absolutely saturated with foul language, bro behavior, drug use, and sexually explicit material, this show pulls zero punches.
Originally a television show produced for broadcast on AT&T’s Audience Network (a network I’ve genuinely never even heard of, much less viewed) and DirecTV, Kingdom probably doesn’t have the world’s broadest audience. As companies compete with one another and attempt to create exclusive content that demands attention, I’m not sure that Kingdom is getting the audience it deserves, but I will say after Season 1 I’m totally in its corner.
Playing out like a wonderfully paced alpha-bro soap opera, Kingdom features killer fights, dimensional characters, and a never ceasing milieu of issues facing our core characters. There’s very little to complain about if any or most of what I’ve just described to you sounds at all like a show you’d want to watch. It’s heavy on chiseled sweaty dudes. But while Sanchez is the only lead female of the bunch, there are other complex female figures that show up and Sanchez’s Lisa is a whip-smart business woman with plenty of agency to go around.
I’m grateful to have gotten the chance to watch and review Season 1 of Kingdom via Shout! Factory’s DVD release of the first two seasons of the show. My sense is that this release will open the audience up to a much wider base beyond DirecTV subscribers. And I hope that is the case. I chose to go ahead and crank out a review before I delved into the (slightly longer) Season 2, because life is packed I’m totally sold on the show enough for a hearty recommend. But both seasons are right here in this set, and that’s a pretty killer deal. I eagerly await binging Season 2 in the same way I did 1, and the word on the street is that the soap opera theatrics are dialed up to 11, a prospect I relish eagerly.
Season 1 of Kingdom is a very cohesive whole. The character drama is as rich as the MMA fights, but the fights punctuate the season in a thrilling way. We’re invested in our fighters and their coaches and managers in a way that makes the fight sequences major events. If well-beyond-excessive cursing or explicit sexuality turn you off from a show, then Kingdom most definitely isn’t for you. But if you always loved Friday Night Lights and felt it was just a little too wholesome, then Grillo’s Alvey Kulina is your potty-mouthed, face-punching, off-the-handle Coach Taylor for a new generation.
The Package
As mentioned, I only reviewed Season 1 above, but this set contains two seasons of television comprising 30 episodes across 9 discs. Would it have been awesome for this show to have been released on Blu-ray? Absolutely. Because the camera work and visuals of the show are pretty strong. But in all honesty, the DVDs look great. And I love the idea of this well-produced show potentially finding a much broader audience, even if that requires a fairly “no frills” home video release. There’s a lot of TV to take in here, so while I’m personally okay with just enjoying the show, there really could have been some bonus features to appease hardcore fans.
And I’m Out.
Kingdom Seasons 1 & 2 are available June 6th, 2017 on DVD from Shout! Factory
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BRUTAL TALES OF CHIVALRY, Fantastic Yakuza Melodrama
Chivalry may not be dead, but there’s a good chance it will get you killed.
Having seen only two of his films (this one and The Yakuza, a film that joins the ranks of my all time favorites), I can now confidently say that Ken Takakura is a Japanese movie star incarnate; a man whose films I’ll go out of my way to experience.
In Brutal Tales Of Chivalry, (the first of a 9 film series I’ll now want to consume in its entirety) Takakura plays Seiji, a Japanese soldier returning from the failed campaign that was World War II. His hometown in shambles and his yakuza clan shaken by the recent assassination of their boss, Seiji is named head of the clan, and tasked by his murdered predecessor to maintain peace with the rival clans at all cost.
A code-living exemplar, Seiji’s stoic bravery and steadfastness will be the anchor of this film as wave after wave of post-war societal stress and criminal violence threaten to pull the town apart at its seams. Seiji (though himself technically an underworld criminal boss) is the embodiment of the Japanese code of honor in a world where the old ways are tossed aside by a new crop of criminals smarting from a major global defeat. His adherence to code above all else creates sore spots with other characters. The love of his life Aya (Yoshiko Mita) has married another in a bid to bolster the Yakuza clan she is a part of. While Aya seems extremely troubled by this, she’s even more troubled by Seiji’s unwavering acceptance of the situation. Also a source of tension: The young men in Seiji’s clan are interested in vengeance for their master, in spite having heard his dying wish for peace. As the rival clan commits increasingly flagrant acts of disrespect in an attempt to gain dominance of the local economy, it becomes more and more difficult for Seiji to keep the peace.
Ultimately, Brutal Tales of Chivalry does live up to its title, as an exploration of one man and how his adherence to a societal code of conduct ripples throughout a town ravaged by war. The code seems to value stability at the expense of individual life, and many will die by the sword as the conflict plays out. Seiji is a formidable hero on which to hang a film; humble, wise, unfalteringly brave… but there’s a gray area where he himself is a part of a criminal enterprise, and the code by which he lives clearly results in bloodshed. Yet, when your Imperial government has sent you into an earth-shatteringly violent World War… can the underworld be the system that must save you from your own government? The film is simultaneously asking these salient and complex questions and presenting an unflappable hero on which the audience can rely to bring about righteous retribution.
There’s an attention to detail in Brutal Tales Of Chivalry that is reminiscent of many of the classic yakuza films I love so much. As in the Zatoichi series, period details and cultural particularities are given rigorous and accurate attention, while fantastical elements of badassery are also sprinkled throughout for good measure. A wandering stranger Kazama (Ryo Ikebe) becomes a guest of our hero’s clan and proves his mettle (and his handiwork with a gun) and loyalty to Seiji’s clan even as he searches for his sister whom he had lost amidst the chaos of the war. Kazama has his own tragic arc relating to his sister and being swept up into the conflict over the local peasant market which our clans are warring over. One of the greatest scenes of the film involves Kazama’s extremely formal introduction to the clan, back bent, hand outstretched, round after round of customary introduction and bonafides and ritual provide him access to the clan and provide the audience with an entry point into the rigidity of this society.
For as fascinating and well crafted as it is, Kiyoshi Saeki’s film (he appears to have directed most if not all of the 9 film series here) is also rip-roaringly entertaining. As with the greatest samurai and yakuza tales, we ultimately come down to a couple of righteous badasses squaring off against a horde of villains, swords clashing, guns blazing, bloodied tattoos exposed, and some sense of justice being restored at great cost. It’s wonderful stuff that comes highly recommended.
The Package
As is always the case with Twilight Time releases, one of the great highlights is the liner note essay from film historian Julie Kirgo. My take on the film gravitated much more strongly to the individual code of honor and how that played out in Ken Takakura’s character and performance. Kirgo’s thoughts on the way that code specifically played out in the post-World War II setting enriched my experience of (and reflection on) the film tremendously.
A genuine treat to own on Blu-ray, here’s to hoping Twilight Time is able to slowly release the entire Showa Zankyo-den series to a new audience also struggling with how to live in a society where our government is floundering at best, leading us into disaster at worst.
And I’m Out.
Brutal Tales Of Chivalry is now available on limited edition Blu-ray from Twilight Time.
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Unboxing LOGAN 4K UHD Blu-ray: Walmart-Exclusive Limited Edition
Logan, the final and arguably best film in Hugh Jackman’s career-defining role as Marvel’s Wolverine, has dropped on home video with a number of different retailer-exclusive options including a comic art Steelbook (Best Buy), prestige Digibook (Target), and a modified version of the standard release with character cards packed in (Walmart).
Speaking personally, I don’t much care for the Steelbook’s artwork or price point. The Digibook lacks a 4K UHD option, and in terms of shelf presence is taller than my other X-Men and Wolverine Blu-rays, making Walmart’s Limited Edition an easy choice. It’s available in both 4K and Standard Blu-ray options; the 4K version is pictured here.
Front and back covers of the unopened package The packaging of this edition is thicker than the common versions to accommodate the bonus items, and is also a side-load slipcase rather than an O-card.
An envelope full of nine character cards is what separates this from the standard release. The images chronicle Jackman’s two decades of playing Wolverine, his breakout role that immediately became his signature character. One for each of his appearances — even the cameos.
9 collector cards exclusive to this edition The 9 cards can be placed together to form a poster of sorts. Due to slight irregularities in the creation of the cards, when I placed them together they didn’t quite fit seamlessly — but pretty close.
That covers the exclusive aspects of the package, what remains is the same as the normal 4K release: a 4-disc set featuring the Theatrical and black and white Logan Noir versions of the film in both 4K UHD and 1080p Blu-ray formats, along with digital copy insert.
Like most retailer exclusives, this is a limited introductory release that will probably sell out quickly.
Check out this week’s COBRA Connection new release roundup for links to purchase any of the limited or standard versions of the film.
https://cinapse.co/the-cobra-connection-new-blu-ray-releases-for-may-23-2017-fa42199c9bfd
A/V Out.
https://cinapse.co/the-cobra-connection-new-blu-ray-releases-for-may-23-2017-fa42199c9bfd
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DHEEPAN: Remarkable Thriller Birthed From a War-torn Refugee Drama [Criterion Review]
It’s probably a bad idea to underestimate refugees.
After all, they’ve likely been through a lot more than the average citizen. And yet, marginalize and underestimate them we do. We strip away their names, stories, identities, and herd them like cattle. We all do it to one degree or another.
And French writer/director Jacques Audiard is smart enough to take our insecurities, guilt, racism, and disaffection, and turn it on us, unleashing a fairly blistering character piece that morphs into a nail biting thriller.
Putting faces and names to a very particular refugee experience, Dheepan tells the story of 3 Sri Lankan strangers who form a makeshift family and escape their war ravaged home by adopting the identities of a deceased family. At times we hear the true names of our characters, but this story requires them to adopt new names and identities for survival. Dheepan (Jesuthasan Antonythasan) and Yalini (Kalieaswari Srinivasan) must pose as husband and wife, as well as the parents of Illayaal (Claudine Vinasithamby). Not only must this makeshift family adjust to the challenges of a new culture in the slums of France, but they must maintain a false front and live into their forged identities. Misleadingly titled, Dheepan gives equal screentime to Yalini’s plight as a woman adjusting to life as a mother having never had a real child of her own. Illayaal’s attempts to adjust to a Western-style school is also compelling and authentic, if not given quite as much screen time. Regardless, these refugees who were desperate to escape war have hitched themselves to one another and must remain allied if they’re going to stay legal.
It’s probably time to mention that Dheepan is not just fleeing the war; he is himself a former child soldier and hardened veteran who took his one chance to escape and ran with it. Perhaps even more potent than the character is that novice actor Antonyhasan is himself a former child soldier, unafraid to display on screen the real life scars of his own experience of war.
As Dheepan settles into life as a maintenance man in a series of urban apartment projects, Yalini takes on a caretaker role for an elderly man whom the drug dealers and gangsters seem to have an unexplained deference for. The window of our family’s apartment provides a view into the crime-ridden squalor of the drug dens across the courtyard, and the tension simmers.
Never once displaying anything even remotely resembling fear, Dheepan is nevertheless shown to be vulnerable… finding newfound feelings for Yalini (with whom he conducts himself as a gentleman) even as he mourns the loss of his family who had died in the war. All three of our family members are given ample time in both script and on screen to feel dimensional. They’re resourceful people who are making a near-impossible situation work.
But war is a cancer. And it spreads. As much as Dheepan tries to escape his past, it comes calling for him. And when the leader of the gang across the courtyard returns from prison and returns to the apartment of his elderly relative where Yalini is working, a collision course between the gang, Yalini, and Dheepan is all but unavoidable. And let me tell you, when this aching character study boils over, it is riveting.
The viewer is so deeply invested in these characters and in their successful transition into life in France that the dynamite conclusion is heightened to a fever pitch. What I love about the action movie trappings of the final act of the film is that Dheepan is a man we’ve come to respect and admire and empathize with as a human being who’s seen too much. But we know there’s a badass inside of him because he’s never once feared the gangs across the yard. He’s even dismissive of them. He’s more afraid of the Western bureaucracy that has the power to strip away his new identity and send him back home than he is of the criminals next door who pose a physical threat he can’t be bothered with. As an action movie fanatic, I can’t tell you how thrilling it is to see Dheepan compelled for a variety of reasons to finally confront the youthful gang, while at the same time having an almost blase contempt for them and their threats of violence. It’s breathtaking stuff that wouldn’t have been possible had Audiard not built up his main characters with such a relentless and unflinching authenticity.
The genre trappings of Dheepan are unquestionably what got me excited about watching and reviewing the film. They’re what excite me even now as I type. But more importantly, Audiard makes movie magic happen by putting flesh and bone on the immigrant experience and shaking audiences out of complacency regarding their plight. This isn’t misery porn, it’s a vision of interesting characters stretching themselves to their limits and making it work. It not only puts names and faces to a refugee family, it shows them to be resourceful and worthy of our respect and reverence.
Beyond the masterfully escalating story and dimensional character work, Dheepan simply soars as a motion picture. Young female cinematographer Éponine Momenceau lends formidable camera talent to the film. From sweeping drone shots to meditative soft focus moments, the camera is an important component to the success of the film. Composer Nicolas Jaar also contributes mightily to the narrative, offering an almost religious score to a film which feels largely grounded in harsh reality, but which does highlight the traditional faith of our characters.
Jacques Audiard is a filmmaker I’ve been highly interested in over the years, but still somehow haven’t experienced until Dheepan. This won’t be my last engagement with his work. Films like A Prophet and Rust And Bone have been highly praised and intriguing to me. And after falling head over heels for the Palme D’or winning Dheepan, he’ll be a personal filmmaker to watch from here on out.
The Package
Criterion put this remarkable release out with their high standard of excellence all over it. With eye-catching art throughout the package, a killer essay in the liner notes, a French-language commentary with Audiard and others, Dheepan is a no brainer blind buy for fans of Criterion, relevant drama, or edge-of-your-seat thrills.
The strongest bonus offerings on the disc are interviews with both writer/director Audiard, and star Antonyhasan. Both men are fascinating to listen to. Antonyhasan’s tale of war, immigration, and life as an author and artist who got swept up into movie stardom is truly singular. The pride he feels at representing his people and his country in a film seen around the world and which won the Palme D’or is palpable. Audiard is hugely endearing, rocking the scarfed Parisian look and seemingly embodying every French artist stereotype while at the same time offering true insight and nuance to the motivations and technique behind crafting this remarkable film.
And I’m Out.
Dheepan hits Criterion Blu-ray on May 23rd, 2017.
