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Fantastic Fest 2024: MADS is a One-Take Roller-Coaster Ride into Hell
French auteur David Moreau delivers one of the year’s most disturbing and awe-inspiring horror vehicles
Young Romain (Milton Riche) is living his best life–it’s his birthday, celebrating with best friends, no parents, and plenty of drugs. Gifted a new drug from his usual dealer, Romain gets sky-high before speeding off in his father’s Mustang–until he’s flagged down by a bandaged woman in a hospital gown. Drenching him in blood, Romain is caught in the moral quandary of being arrested by whoever answers his calls for help. He tries to sit the situation out at home–until girlfriend Anaïs (Lucille Guillaume) appears to whisk him off to a house party. This chance encounter kicks off the nonstop apocalyptic fury set within a small French suburb in MadS, a delicious real-time, one-take horror that David Moreau directs with an effortless flourish and unsparing bleakness.
Following in the tradition of Gaspar Noe’s Climax or Sebastian Schipper’s Victoria as well as his own paranoid thriller Ils, David Moreau’s zombie apocalypse unfolds with mounting dread, turning its main characters’ bloodstreams into ticking time bombs before they succumb to the mysterious plague taking hold of them. Steeped in Euphoria-like French party culture, the gruesome tension spills out amid nonstop flashing lights and booming house music, effectively fusing their transformation with the chilling paralysis of an overstimulating anxiety attack. Trapped within the immediacy of its single-take format, information comes at a trickle and terrors come from nowhere, rooting us feverishly within our leads’ tenuous mental state.
Because of the central drug’s hallucinatory properties–we’re quickly telegraphed that we can’t trust anything of what we see. Is Romain caught in the crossfire of some sinister medical experiment, or is he just having the worst trip of his life? Are their sharp, snarling tics and glowing eyes the early signs of catastrophic infection, or the consequence of some severely tainted stuff? It’s MadS’ bleak selling point to be removed from nearly all context or comfort, delivering a visceral, real-time primal scream of a thrill ride. It’s a conceit that proves infectious as various characters succumb to the madness, and is a gruesome evolution of Ils’ moment-to-moment suspense, as well as the experimental in-the-moment horror of Jaume Balagueró and Paco Plaza’s [REC].
It’s also an approach that’s clearly demanding of leads Milton Riche, fellow partier Laurie Pavy, and especially Lucille Guillaume, which all three meet with disturbing determination. Under Moreau’s beautifully choreographed chaos, Riche, Pavy, and Guillaume carefully translate each of their character’s descent into depravity through gradual shifts in body language and mental acuity until they reach a very bloody breaking point. While Riche’s hapless teen effectively introduces us to a world slowly going Mad(S), Lucille Guillaume gives an astonishing breakout performance. Reminiscent of Garance Marillier in fellow French gorefest Raw, Guillaume’s Anaïs reels from betrayal and bemusement before realizing the disturbing scope of what this night has in store for her. Moreau and Guillaume are more than eager to trap us within Anaïs’ thrilling subsequent rampage, pivoting between earnest terror and girlish glee on a dime. The characters’ self-revulsion as they indulge in their disturbing impulses is wrenching to witness, infusing such pandemonium with gripping emotional clarity.
Equally fascinating is how Moreau’s apocalypse never compromises this laser-focus on character, instead remaining very much a background element. As characters flee down empty city streets, the sounds of distant explosions and gunfire from mysterious law enforcement draw closer and closer to home, blurring the line between a chaotic party night and the terror of a domestic war zone. It’s hard here not to think of the inspiring bleakness of George Romero’s The Crazies or Danny Boyle’s 28 Days Later, both of which effectively channeled the shambling, blank slates of traditional Zombies into an all-too-human menace and rage. This new, one-take context takes this to new heights, as we helplessly see just how these vivacious teens slip away into the depths of monstrousness. In a France plagued with social instability, ruled by forces shifting on unpredictable yet powerful whims, there’s a brooding power to MadS’ imagery. These youths’ entire world seems destined to be swallowed by chaos one way or another. Understandably, the only thing they can do is rave to the grave and lose themselves to whatever madness the night has in store.
MadS had its North American premiere at Fantastic Fest 2024, with a streaming debut on Shudder coming October 18th.
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Fantastic Fest 2024: In THE WILD ROBOT, Kindness is a Survival Skill
(from left) Roz (Lupita N’yongo) and Brightbill (Kit Connor) in DreamWorks Animation’s Wild Robot, directed by Chris Sanders. The Wild Robot will almost certainly be my favorite animated film of 2024, not to mention one of my favorite films to play Fantastic Fest 2024.
Both broadly entertaining for kids and families, and a nuanced and sweeping sci-fi epic, The Wild Robot evokes comparisons to such masterful work as Wall-E on the one hand or Silent Running or Blade Runner on the other.
Roz (Lupita Nyong’o continues to prove limitless) is already crash landed on a lush island that feels Pacific Northwest-ish when we meet her. She is activated and begins wandering the wilderness attempting to establish a directive, as is her wont as a service robot created by mega corporation Universal Dynamics. In glorious “show not tell” fashion, we come to learn about Roz’s situation, her setting, and who she is right alongside her. Endearing, smart, and silly from the outset, The Wild Robot quickly introduces us to the primary forest creatures that will become central to the story and Roz’s quest for purpose and meaning via the completion of service tasks. Pedro Pascal’s outcast and wily Fink The Fox initially looks to take advantage of Roz as a meal ticket but soon becomes entangled in the raising of little Brightbill (Kit Conner), a runt goose that Roz becomes a mother figure for after she accidentally crushes the nest of his family when he’s still just an egg. With Brightbill acquired, Roz has a programmed task to complete, and we’re off to the races to get Brightbill learning how to swim and fly in time for migration.
Incredibly blunt about the stakes in the wilderness, The Wild Robot is a kids film that isn’t afraid to address life’s fragility, and the miracle of survival against all odds. It’s clear in writer/director Chris Sanders’ script (adapted from Peter Brown’s book series) that Brightbill’s very life is at stake and no bones are made about the animal kingdom’s cutthroat nature. The Wild Robot is also a story of outcasts, with a friendless fox, a feared robot, and a runt unlike any of his fellow geese, the forged family of our trio of leads know deeply the feelings of rejection and isolation that can come when community turns its back on you. They’ll have ups and downs, but they’ll work together to survive, and it’ll be their differences and disabilities that ultimately make them the only heroes who can save the forest when the threats of unsurvivable winters and nefarious future tech threaten their habitat and their survival.
Initially limited exclusively to the (absolutely jaw-droppingly gorgeously rendered in wildly colorful animation) island at first, eventually the film pulls back to show us the wider world and this is when The Wild Robot begins to sell itself as a powerful work of science fiction that has something to say not only about family, parenthood, and adolescence, but also about society and technology and how we steward our world. It’s subtle for a kids movie, but The Wild Robot does imply a future for humankind that we may be careening towards rather than swerving away from. And it helps that the stately and magnificent Bill Nighy shows up as Longneck, the goose leader who will offer Brightbill the chance to fly or die.
I spend a lot of time watching, writing about, and pursuing cinema that celebrates empathy and The Wild Robot will no doubt be one of my favorite films of 2024 not only because it is a deeply compassionate and kind film, but because it’s not afraid to lay bare the stakes for not embracing kindness. Indeed, a central premise of the film is that kindness is a survival skill and it does a fantastic job of subtly reminding us viewers that this skill isn’t only key to our characters’ survival, but for society as well. It’s bizarre to live in a time where simple kindness and self-sacrificial love are revolutionary concepts that feel antithetical to the societal norm, but nevertheless here we are, and The Wild Robot offers somewhat of a countercultural narrative to the masses as a result. Roz, Brightbill, and Fink are a loveable family of misfits that I would gladly follow across multiple stories, though Wild Robot succeeds entirely on its own as a standalone film if future entries don’t manifest. It’s heartwarming and heart rending in equal measure as parents and children will both find much to relate to in that endless cycle of preparing our next generations to fly the nest and build something better than what has come before. In Roz, Brightbill, Fink, and Chris Sanders I trust.
And I’m Out.
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Fantastic Fest 2024: PLANET B: Political Resistance Via Dystopian Sci-Fi
In classic film festival fashion, I went into Planet B knowing only that it was sci-fi of some kind, and that it starred Adèle Exarchopoulos (Blue Is The Warmest Color). This was a perfect level of awareness to enter into a clever, twisty, political sci-fi thriller that took me on an adventure with dire implications.
It is 2039 and France has become an oppressive fascist state. The skies are littered with surveillance drones and jack-booted thugs herd citizens around like cattle. “The R” is a group of resistance fighters doing what they can to fight for freedom in underground bunkers filled with hacked and grimy future tech that attempts to disrupt the state’s machine. When a mission goes south, Exarchopoulos’ field leader Julia Bombarth and several of her compatriots are captured, only to wake up in a mysterious virtual prison; a gorgeous waterfront villa that will nonetheless be a place of nightmares as the state tries to pry information out of them while their physical bodies are locked away somewhere unknown. Meanwhile, Souheila Yacoub’s Nour is an Iraqi immigrant scraping by as a janitor in a top level government facility that houses the tech which runs Planet B, the virtual prison. She’s just days away from her documents expiring and she’s desperate for any solution that won’t see her deported. Julia and Nour’s journeys will intersect in fascinating ways in this taut and gritty political sci-fi thriller.
I knew nothing about writer/director Aude Léa Rapin but our Fantastic Fest team introduced the film by letting us know that she got her start doing some pretty hard hitting journalism in places like Africa and the Middle East, so it seems immediately apparent that her massively ambitious and creative sci-fi thriller would actually take a highly naturalistic and gritty tone. Think more Children Of Men than Hunger Games. Planet B takes us to a dirty, street level future France where the sky is actually littered with drones almost like space junk and the promise of technology has devolved into QR code and retinal scanners at every door.
Rapin creates a visually rich world filled with stark contrast between the grimy hell of the future and the paradisiac ocean villa feel of the virtual prison. While it’s likely the budget was modest here, Planet B feels quite lush and fully visually developed. Perhaps most importantly, the urgency of the political messaging and the sacrifice required to actually affect any kind of change on society felt on point and relevant without ever feeling too on the nose. While Julia and her crew languish in their prison, experiencing confidence shattering nightmares that slowly begin to chip away at their resolve to not sell out their cause, the genuine cost of loyalty and resistance becomes clear. Different characters suffer and falter in varying ways and trust becomes almost impossible. But it is precisely trust that must be forged if there is to be any hope. When Nour finds a way into the virtual prison, tensions ratchet up, but a slim path to victory may also open up. It’ll be up to these two women with everything to lose to forge any chance at escape and revolution.
A cool sci-fi thriller told through a largely female lens (both behind and in front of the camera), Planet B has a lot to say without ever feeling even remotely like homework. Yacoub and Exarchopoulos are compelling leads for what amounts to a pretty weighty thriller that couldn’t feel more relevant today. And Rapin establishes herself as a voice that can deliver grounded thrills through compelling character work carried by determined female protagonists who put it all on the line for a chance at redemption.
And I’m Out.
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Coralie Fargeat’s Bold Body Horror Delivers Style and THE SUBSTANCE.
Fargeat’s sophomore feature is a raging scream at beauty standards, male toxicity, and showbusiness
Back in 2017, Coralie Fargeat announced her presence with the vibrant, violent, and assuredly feminist thriller Revenge. Her sophomore effort doesn’t dial back on any of her visual flair, visceral triggers, or penchant for blood letting, rather it’s all dialed up even further, and again married to a raging scream against female exploitation and male toxicity, this time within the entertainment industry.
Demi Moore stars as Elisabeth Sparkle, an award winning actress who in her later career, segues a Jane Fonda-esque role as a TV workout instructor. A somewhat antiquated format of leotards, legwarmers, and low impact moves. Elisabeth soon becomes aware that her time is up, finding out in unceremonious fashion from executive Harvey (a gleefully loathsome Dennis Quaid) that her “fuckability” is diminishing, and a younger model is needed. Shell shocked from her disposal, she gets into an accident while driving home. Safe but shaken, she is discharged, but not before a young male nurse slips her a USB drive, the cryptic information within leads her to a a secretive new medical procedure, one offering a new lease of life for the patient by unlocking a new and improved version from their DNA. A kit supplied via an underground drop box contains the compounds needed to activate and sustain the process, as well the instructions on how to sustain the experiment. Key to this is a mantra, “REMEMBER YOU ARE ONE”. A reminder and a warning to the pair of subjects as they begin a new way of living. 7 days in one form, then a switch for the other to take over. A downtime for each that is crucial to sustaining the other. The downtrodden Elisabeth takes the activator and begins to violently convulse, her body writhing, cracking, and tearing, and out emerges Sue (Margaret Qualley), a young, nubile woman, who after shaking off the disorientation of her ‘birth’ gets to work stitching a dormant Elisabeth back up, and hooking her to her 7 day feed. The word awaits, and she attacks it with vigor. Answering the casting call for Elisabeth’s replacement she soon finds herself under Harvey’s care, and on the fast track to stardom. A headlong plunge into decadence and career success as Sue looks to disprove the old adage that “youth is wasted on the young”. For Elisabeth, her life seems empty by comparison, and her self-hate and resentment festers. For Sue, the allure of life and success pushes her to take more time than she should, and so delicate balance essential to their survival becomes threatened.
Fargeaut pays homage to Cronenberg, Hennenlotter, and even Zemeckis with this blackly comedic, over the top, gnarly slice of body horror, but it clearly sets itself out as a unique vision. The science of The Substance is suspect, and I say this as someone with knowledge of the field, but a suspension of belief is easy to adopt as the film plunges you into this wild ride. An enthralling and overt condemnation of the expectations on women to not only achieve, but also sustain impossible beauty standards.
Show-business is the most egregious place for this, but the theme resonates widely and loudly beyond the sparkle of Hollywood. A place where fame, and fortune can be as quickly snatched away as it is given. After years of service, Elisabeth receives a farewell gift that serves as a message to just get back in the kitchen. Her desperation, and raging at the dying of the light drives her to this extreme solution.
Where the film finds an extra level of insight is in not just looking at women against societal expectations, but the side effects of how they can pitch women against each other,Elisabeth becomes resentful of not just Sue’s popularity but in seeing exactly what part of herself was in demand. A confrontation with the superficial, a reckoning with self-loathing and isolation. For Sue, its about time being wasted on her counterpoint, a desire to live life to the fullest, work on her burgeoning career. Its this that pushes Sue to disrupt the necessary harmony that exists, and seize time and vigor from Elisabeth to further her own agenda. It’s a disrespecting of each other (or a disrespect of themself if you look at it another way) that pulls the trigger on mutually assured destruction.For Qualley, the role fits in well with some of her other recent work, like Sanctuary, Kinds of Kindness, and Poor Things. Even so, there’s an applaudable gusto which which she seizes the role, not just as the perky, playful tease, but in the later sequences where the resentment, resolve, and fear for her own survival comes to the fore. Demi Moore is a tour de force, with a raw and resonant performance. There’s perfection in her casting, herself having emerged from the squeeze of the Hollywood machine and the quieter period that followed. It’s channeled into the more poignant as well as potent scenes she delivers. It’s an exposing role, in many ways, and she commits expertly to meets the tone and timbre of the film.
Fargeat again shows her assured direction with creative imagery, visceral moments, and a propulsive energy. She also leverages her female point of view to neatly skewer the male gaze that so often informs films, and inform its narrative. One that draws from the tortuous elements of female life, including birth, menstrual cycles, the pain of tight fitting clothing or wearing heels, and even the need to force a smile. A climax that mirrors the overuse of plastic surgery in crafting a monster is just the cherry on top of a nightmarish blend of imagery and experiences. Production design from Stanislas Reydellet is clean, but informed, adding to the meaning and metaphor of the tale. A pulsating score from Raffertie isn’t just adding to the assault on the senses, it’s setting a benchmark as one of the best compositions of the year
The Substance is a fiercely feminist tale of misogyny and monsters. A condemnation of societal views when it comes to women, and beauty standards. Fargeat attacks this with a cartoonish exuberance, crafting a film that revels in its excess. A wonderfully fucked up and resonant howl at how we confine and contort women, and ultimately destroy them.
Inject your eyeballs with The Substance, in theaters from Sept. 19th
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ALL THAT MONEY CAN BUY Remains a Dazzling, Surreal Concoction
“It is the eternal right of every man to raise his fist against fate!”
I remember hearing the title The Devil and Daniel Webster, not about this 1941 gem, but in regards to the remake that Alec Baldwin was starring in as well as directing. The film, shot in 2001, was to co-star Dan Aykroyd, Kim Cattrall, Amy Poehler, and, as the titular duo, Jennifer Love Hewitt and Anthony Hopkins. For a while, in the pre-youtube days, an early cut of the trailer started circulating, which signaled the promise of a madcap experience with a game cast. But funding fell through, killing the post-production time needed when an indie studio snapped up the rights, causing Baldwin to eventually lose control of his film.
Eventually, re-cut and retitled as Shortcut to Happiness, the movie finally came out without ceremony to a handful of reviews that mourned what could have been a fresh retelling worthy of author Stephen Vincent Benet’s classic story. It was a sad end that ensured this wonderfully dark and compelling morality tale would remain virtually forgotten, that is until Criterion decided to give director William Dieterle’s original version a new, vibrant resurrection.
In All That Money Can Buy, a struggling farmer named Jabez Stone (James Craig) finds his life and his livelihood turning to shambles as he’s unable to produce successful crops or sell what he’s able to harvest. When he’s offered a deal by a man named Mr. Scratch (Walter Huston), his luck instantly turns. Unfortunately, Scratch is actually the devil, who has a habit of making deals promising wealth and prosperity in exchange for human souls. Not knowing what to do when payment becomes due, Jabez turns to Daniel Webster (Edward Arnold), a prominent social figure who has a history with Scratch, for help.
All That Money Can Buy falls into the category of fable due to its surrealistic elements and the way they blend into the film’s depiction of the real world. But the film could also rightly claim the label of parable for the way it presents its tale of morality and uses it to not only tell what is ostensibly a black comedy, but also the story of America at one of the most precarious times in its history. It is this setting that allows Jabez’s choice to be seen as one of desperation rather than greed, making his subsequent actions (at least in the beginning), somewhat understandable.
What also helps our main character come across as someone not to be loathed by the audience is the fact that Jabez is a person who is very much deserving of good fortune. Furthermore, he’s someone who recognizes his sudden windfall and isn’t ruthless or selfish with it, at least not at first. Still, he can’t help but be pulled into the spell that comes with great wealth, despite his own promise to himself that he never would. But eventually, Jabez loses perspective, gives in to greed and selfishness, and becomes the kind of person he never thought he was. In actuality, however, it isn’t so much that he’s the kind of person driven by money and power. He’s just merely mortal.
Recognizing this is his family with wife Mary (Anne Shirley) never losing faith in him and mother Ma (Jane Darwell) refusing to fully be taken by his good fortune, no matter how prosperous he becomes. It’s the two of them who give All That Money Can Buy its strength and soul. That very combination is taken to the most extreme when Daniel shows up to take on Scratch on Stone’s behalf. The wisdom and reverence surrounding Daniel shows strength, and conviction, both of which make him the ultimate worthy opponent to Scratch for what becomes a compelling battle over a man’s soul. Even when the movie leans more into the religious side rather than the faith side in its third act before venturing into slight slapstick, this ultimate fight for humanity can’t help but work.
As might’ve been guessed by now, this is a film with two titles, both of which are emblematic of the story and its themes in their own ways. Due to some obvious concerns from various theater owners in certain parts of the country, the title of The Devil and Daniel Webster was not a necessarily appealing one. There is, however, a playfulness to the movie’s original title and a certain level of intrigue that suggests a mischief-filled romp that could also serve as a cautionary tale of what happens when a person takes on the most fateful of dances. This is aided by Huston’s tour-de-force performance, Bernard Hermann’s Oscar-winning score, and the movie’s impressive special effects.
While some may have preferred the original title, it’s hard to dismiss the philosophical nature of a film called All That Money Can Buy. In a way, it’s the title that best sums up the film. Through an emotionally surreal journey, this is a film that serves as an exploration of both the blessing and the curse that comes with getting everything you’ve ever wanted. No matter the title, the film remains a great illustration of a very universal question: Is it worth it to sell your soul for something you really want, or at least, think you want?
All That Money Can Buy is now available on Blu-Ray and DVD as part of the Criterion Collection.
Alec Baldwin, All That Money Can Buy, Amy Poehler, Anne Shirley, Anthony Hopkins, Blu-ray, Criterion Collection, Dan Aykroyd, Edward Arnold, James Craig, Jane Darwell, Jennifer Love Hewitt, Kim Cattrall, Movies, Shortcut to Happiness, Stephen Vincent Benet, The Devil and Daniel Webster, Walter Huston, William Dieterle -
Checking Back Into THE SHINING
“We’ve all been waiting for you.”
My true discovery of Stephen King began in 1997 the moment I laid my eyes on the cover of his then-recent novel, Desperation. All of the classics were quickly covered soon after from Misery to Christine to his monumental tale of madness, The Shining. There was nothing but pure delight to be had at watching this miniseries when it came out shortly after my King education had begun. Seeing one of the author’s most personal stories come to glorious life before me throughout three nights on network television was the thrill I hoped it would be. By this point, I had already seen Stanley Kubrick’s 1980 version (already a classic), but there was something more human and intriguing about this 1997 interpretation by director Mick Garris. This isn’t meant to be a piece about which version is better, except to say this take on The Shining does manage to bring out the novel’s soul in a way the 1980 film never did. Even though it had to contend with the confines of network TV, The Shining still managed to bring forth all the aspects that made King’s novel work. Thankfully, it still does.
The miniseries would never come close to eclipsing the cinematic tour-de-force that was Kubrick’s version. Despite King’s famous dislike of the film and any negative reviews that came its way, for some, the 1980 adaptation is one of the best films ever made. Knowing it couldn’t compete with what came before allowed this version to be its own creation. The third collaboration between King and Garris turns out to be the right combination for this story as the author/screenwriter and director both feel as if they’re firmly on the same page here. The Shining is also another prime example that shows how great the mini/limited series was for King and his sensibilities as an author turned screenwriter. This can be seen not only in the dialogue but in the almost magical way King’s descriptions are brought to life here. A great number of above-average angles and zooms all prove mesmerizing, while the great use of practical effects works wonders at giving the right kind of ominous feel that’s needed to make The Shining effectively play out. These are followed by the hotel’s subtle, but stunning transformation over the change of seasons, all of which gives off a sense of the serene and the surreal. If not all of the miniseries’ special effects work given the limited TV budget, that’s okay. There’s such a strong feeling of heightened foreboding throughout, beginning with the horrific voices accompanying the opening credits that ensure the scares are coming from places the non-King audience won’t expect.
Much like Garris, each of the three leads found themselves with the tall order of recreating roles made iconic by other actors. Fortunately, no one in the cast seemed daunted by this, nor did anyone seem influenced by the likes of those who came before them. In true actor fashion, each person makes their character their own. As Danny, Courtland Mead does a very watchable job of being a child who’s trying to battle his own fears while also trying to understand the change that’s happening to him. Rebecca DeMornay’s Wendy not only succeeds in being closer to King’s original vision for the character but also allows the actress to find a role worthy of her underrated talents at a time when the features she found herself in had begun to let her down. Coming off his Wings success, Steven Weber couldn’t have asked for a better role. His turn as Jack gives off an appropriate feeling of whiplash where his emotional intensity is concerned, while his physical transformation is as equally astonishing. The brilliance contained in the way Weber approaches one of horror literature’s most indelible characters results in the actor’s best performance. With each performance influencing the other, the trio of actors succeed in their roles partly because of their acting, but also for playing their characters as King wrote them, rather than what they all became in popular culture.
The strongest aspect of The Shining is how it looks and feels like its own version. Despite the familiarity with the material, the miniseries comes across like a story we are seeing for the first time. Garris and King both do a great job of laying out exposition and establishing characters, showing us both the real-world fears as well as the supernatural ones that haunt them, blending them seamlessly. Danny’s sporadic visions, especially those he experiences in the presidential suite, are exhilaratingly chilling, managing to capture the tone set by the novel. There are plenty of moments given to Jack and Wendy as a married couple, an element that was sadly lacking in Kubrick’s version. Sure, it can be argued that the inclusion of these was done to fill enough airtime for three nights, but these scenes count and go a long way to making their marriage feel like a marriage. The same goes for the relationship between Jack and Danny. Their complex father/son bond is at the heart of the story here and can rightfully be called the soul of The Shining with its mix of familial frailty and love. Both the horror sequences and the complexities of the relationships might have pushed the boundaries set by late 90s ABC standards, but never once is the integrity or the darkness of the story sacrificed.
One of the reasons that this Shining actually feels like The Shining can unquestionably be chalked up to King’s involvement as both screenwriter and producer. The author’s closeness to the material and his screenwriting experience made him the ideal choice to adapt one of his most popular novels. By the time The Shining came along, King already had experience writing for the screen, including adapting a number of his own works, such as Pet Semetary and Silver Bullet. With the success of 1995’s The Stand, King showed that not only did he know how to write for the medium of television, but just how the novel should transfer. Through his script, the world of The Shining comes to life in a way fans of the novel always hoped it would. There are supernatural moments that happen in the blink of an eye (some of them almost imperceptibly), not to mention the struggle of trying to hold onto normalcy as the horror slowly begins to surround the Torrance family. Meanwhile, the physical settings are richly ornate but made slightly off-putting and unsettling thanks to the otherworldly darkness that King’s story lays over everything in that world. When the themes of guilt, regret, and madness shine through (no pun intended), you can’t help but feel King’s true self as a visual storyteller come out.
When The Shining aired, it defied expectations and the weight of the 1980 film to bring in huge numbers and become a somewhat critical hit. The production went on to win Emmys for both makeup and sound design and was even nominated as Outstanding Miniseries alongside the remake of Truman Capote’s In Cold Blood and the Francis Ford Coppola-produced version of The Odyssey. However, the reputation it has today seems to signify that it never had the chance to enjoy its success in the years that followed as many not only consider it to be the weaker of the two adaptations, but a subpar King entry in general. In a listicle published earlier this year ranking all of the miniseries based on King’s works, Slash Film’s Chris Evangelista placed The Shining at number 10 out of 16. But look deep enough and you’ll find that The Shining does have its supporters who recognize it as a true interpretation of King’s iconic novel. For them, the joining of King and Garris and the melding of their two sensibilities conspire to take an already thrilling story to places many fans never could have imagined.
The Shining is now available on Blu-Ray and DVD from Scream Factory.
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Fantastic Fest 2024: GHOST KILLER Brings Unique Spin to Kensuke Sonomura’s Legendary Fight Choreography
Action filmmaker Kensuke Sonomura is my guy.
A storied action designer, fight choreographer, and stunt professional who has been nothing if not prolific (almost a hundred IMDb credits under the “stunts” category alone), Sonomura has made the leap to directing, as well, with Hydra, Bad City (itself a Fantastic Fest alum), and now Ghost Killer.
As a die-hard lifelong action cinema fanatic, I have to admit that I’m not always particularly discerning when it comes to styles. By that I mean, I’m not well-versed enough in martial arts to necessarily tell you if someone is doing kung fu or judo, karate or krav maga. I generally just know if I like it or not. And that’s what matters to me. Kensuke Sonomura is one of the first fight choreographers who came along and brought such a distinct look and feel to his work that I could pop in a movie and think “hey, is this Sonomura doing the action here?” and often be correct in my guess. It’s hard to describe the wildly unique grappling and smooth, off kilter movements of his characters’ fights. And that’s what I love about it. I know the entire action community doesn’t feel as strongly about it as I do, but not only have I not tired of his signature style, it’s become somewhat of a cinematic warm blanket for me, and it’s in top form here in Ghost Killer.
I’m somewhat loathe to even reveal the unique, high concept “hook” of Ghost Killer, because much of the fun to be had here is the gradual unfolding of what the dynamic between stars Akari Takaishi (Baby Assassins’ gorgeous goofball) and frequent Sonomura star and collaborator Masanori Mimoto is really all about. Ghost Killer doesn’t appear to be a particularly highly budgeted film, but what it may lack in funding is made up for in its technical prowess and its bizarre high concept. So, consider yourself warned and steer clear of the rest of the review if you’re already sold and can’t wait for your next hit of that sweet Sonomura sauce, because you’ll get it here and I recommend you do.
Fumika (Takaishi) is just a regular college girl: She’s trying her hand at dating, working a rough job in the service industry, and supporting a friend through an abusive relationship. She loves her apartment. By total chance she picks up a shell casing for a bullet that was used to kill the ruthlessly talented hit man Kudo (Mimoto), and his ghost somehow begins to haunt her. J-horror fans may delight at this more humorous and touching approach to a Japanese “grudge” situation. As Fumika and Kudo adjust to their newfound haunting situation (Kudo is new to being dead, after all), they begin to slowly connect relationally and, in the most key dynamic of the film, they realize that with a clasp of hands, Kudo can possess Fumika and imbue her with his “particular set of skills”. And he may need to do this a lot as the only way to break the grudge is to kill whoever killed Kudo. There’s honestly a fair amount of exploration of the concept of consent in the film as Fumika and Kudo work out how each of them feel about entering one another’s bodies. And there’s a whole throughline of some creepy date-rapists that Fumika and Kudo get in some good ass-whupping practice on before they take on the big bads. Like I said, it’s a pretty high concept and Sonomura does everything he can to make it an entertaining one. (The hand clasp component becomes a highly satisfying mechanic that feels totally unique to this film and gloriously portends an imminent merking).
I had a really good time with the premise and the sense of humor and heart clicked more for me here than it does with Akari Takaishi’s famous Baby Assassins films. I do think Ghost Killer sags a bit in the middle and occasionally teeters on the edge of losing control of its high concept. But with a dynamite final fight and a charming dynamic between the leads, Ghost Killer certainly makes Sonomura 3 for 3 in my book.
And I’m Out.
Ghost Killer is having its world premiere at Fantastic Fest 2024
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Indian Cinema Roundup: SURYA’S SATURDAY, A.R.M., and KALINGA are Playing Now in US Theaters
By happenstance, the last three movies I’ve seen theatrically have all been Indian films, and that seems like something worth celebrating and sharing.
It seems only a few years ago that Indian films were often collectively and incorrectly pigeonholed as “Bollywood”; in more recent times American viewers seem to have caught up to the fact that the Indian film industries (plural) have carved out a vast and rich identity with terrific films across different subcultures, native languages, and genres.
All three of my screenings were well attended, but in each I was the only non-Indian audience member, highlighting an opportunity to encourage American audiences to take chances on this exciting and rewarding pocket of world cinema.
I’m a novice in this arena and unfamiliar with these stars and filmmakers and their work, but here’s a look at what I’ve viewed lately. All three of these films are currently playing in US theaters and have at least one thing in common: absolute banger soundtracks.
Surya’s Saturday (Saripodhaa Sanivaaram)
A high concept Telugu-language action thriller that’s easily the highlight of this roundup, Surya’s Saturday focuses on a protagonist who has a unique way of dealing with his anger issues. As a promise to his dying mother, a young Suyra (Nani) agreed to only act on his rage on Saturdays; a mechanism to force him to calm himself and avoid behaving too rashly, allowing minor offenses to be forgiven and forgotten. But if, on Saturdays, he still holds a grievance, he may act on his anger.
As an adult, Surya has ardently kept his promise, and with such a fervor that he follow his practice with a religious focus. And over he years, his anger has matured into more of a righteous indignation. Recording any offenses in a notebook, he reads over his grievances each Saturday and then acts on those that still anger him – often ending in a violent beatdown for the offender. His habit of dutifully righting injustices on Saturdays alerts police and criminals alike to the existence of a “Saturday vigilante”, his identity for the most part unknown.
But Surya’s rigid devotion to his practice causes stress and danger for his family, puts the strain of secrecy on his relationship with Charulathe (Priyanka Mohan), a police officer with whom he has fallen in love, and targets him as a threat to both ruthless gangsters and an outrageously corrupt police captain who terrorizes a local slum (and who happens to be his girlfriend’s boss).
This is a big crowd-pleaser of a movie, with likeable characters, a charming romance, enjoyable action and fighting sequences, interesting villains, some fun humor (especially as channeled through Surya’s dad, who has has own weekly routine in response to Surya’s), and a unique concept that invites some thought, framed in a plot that could almost play as a western. And of course an incredible hard-driving score. My audience was vocal and engaged, and clearly having a blast.
Surya’s Saturday is currently wrapping up its theatrical run in the US, so catch it if you can, while you can. A streaming date hasn’t been announced, but the film’s credits highlight Netflix as a distribution partner so it seems likely to hit that platform in the future – but with different international markets that’s not a guarantee. If you’re lucky enough to have this playing near you, I definitely advise to seek it out immediately.
Update: It’s on Netflix now. Check it out!
A.R.M. (Ajayante Randam Moshanam)
Ajayan (Tovino Thomas) is a clever and morally upstanding electrician who has taught himself a valuable trade. He’s also distinguished himself as a formidable fighter and practitioner of the martial art Kalaripayattu. But to most in his village he’s dismissed only as an untrustworthy hoodlum, having come from an infamous family which has yielded two prior generations of thieves. Unfortunately for Ajayan, there actually is a thief in the village, causing him great inconvenience as the #1 suspect.
Ajayan carries on a secret romance with Lakshmi, his childhood best friend who happens to be the daughter of the richest guy in town. Their forbidden love would never be approved by the old tyrant, who is committed to the concept of superior (and inferior) castes.
Coerced by gangsters who wish to steal the valuable object for themselves, Ajayan is forced to search for the village’s lost sacred lamp, a religious relic crafted from a fallen asteroid and considered a gift from the heavens – and with whom his family of thieves has a long and storied history.
Partially told in a nonlinear format, the film recounts the multi-generational stories of Ajayan and his grandfather and great-grandfather (also played by Thomas), piecing together their histories and parallels in their lives, and unlocking past secrets that play on the current story.
Can Ajayan find the artifact, restore his family’s honor, and live happily ever after with the woman he loves? You can probably anticipate the answer but it sure is a fun adventure to watch.
The film, which is natively in the Malayalam language, can be watched in 3D screenings as well as 2D, and the 3D deserves a review of its own. It’s very obviously a post-conversion, by which I mean it’s by far the jankiest conversion I’ve ever seen – you can really see the seams of the approach. Objects and edges flit and out of depth, especially in motion. Finer details like tree limbs and hair are blobs. But it’s also an approach that shapes the experience, clearly going for “in your face” impact rather than realism; characters’ faces in particular loom large and protrude garishly. I kind of respect the boldness of it. The 3D does tend to add some fun character to action sequences, even if at times (and arguably because) it looks bonkers. But if you want to appreciate the film more purely on its merits, I’d avoid the distraction of the 3D version.
Kalinga
On paper, the Telugu horror thriller Kalinga sounds like it would be right up my alley, but slippery storytelling execution make it a rougher watch than the two other films above. There’s actually a somewhat compelling narrative here, but the film’s unevenness – combining very disparate halves of musical romance and surreal horror – didn’t quite gel for me.
Almost immediately, the film frustrated me with its introductory narration, a history of gods and monsters illustrated through what appear to be AI-generated images. It was a rough start that would be hard to overcome.
The rural village of Kalinga borders a vast forest, but the villages rarely venture there – it’s known to be a cursed land. On the rare occasion when they do cross the threshold – to offer a sacrifice, for example – they only stay for a couple of minutes to avoid invoking the wrath of the unknown evil within.
A young man named Lingaa (Dhruva Vahyu), eager to marry his sweetheart, seeks the release of his generational land held by the Village Head (Adukalam Naren), a ruthless and gangster-like landlord who’s not above murdering uppity peasants to retain or increase his wealth. Seeing the young man’s resolve, the wily Village Head offers Lingaa twice as much land as what he’s owed – but in the cursed area of the forest. It’s clearly the only offer on the table.
Undeterred, Lingaa agrees to the terms and grabs his reluctant best pal, and the pair enter the forbidden forest to survey his new property and face the ancient evil within. The film takes some stylistic inspiration from The Evil Dead, utilizing a similar first person camera and establishing a foreboding tone to the environs.
The film picks up considerably in the second half as the duo explore the forest and its caverns and encounter the monster that makes its home there, but it feels a bit labored in getting to this point: The film’s first half focuses on the challenges of romance and real estate (complete with musical numbers), oddly sprinkled with some establishing horror bits. An intermission splits the halves, demonstrating that the filmmakers clearly understood and designed the 2-part narrative structure, even if it felt a little strange to me.
I really enjoyed the film’s eventual descent into ancient rural horror, but the unevenness of the approach and distasteful AI sequences make it tough to recommend – it was certainly the weakest of this particular trio.
A/V Out
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Criterion Review: Bernardo Bertolucci’s THE LAST EMPEROR
A sweeping epic, given new luster with a 4K-UHD release
The phrase ‘epic’ is used all too liberally these days when it comes to movies. An overloaded term used when the latest bit of CGI overload or fan fiction ideals unfold onscreen. Bernardo Bertolucci’s The Last Emperor is one of the true epics. Centered around the life and times of Puyi, the last Emperor of the Qing-dynasty, it’s a window into the end of an era. A film large in scope, undeniable in ambition, and impressive in execution. It won all 9 Academy Awards it was nominated for in1988, including Best Cinematography, Best Costume Design, Best Picture and Best Director
The year is 1908, and three year old Puyi ascends to the throne. What follows is a revolution, and China’s transition into a republic. The young Emperor and his closest supporters remain sequestered within the walls of the Forbidden palace as the country around them undergoes change. To help Puyi prepare, a tutor named Reginald Johnston arrives from England (the always splendid Peter O’Toole) to illuminate him as to the ways of the world. Eventually leaving the palace behind, Puyi goes from playboy to eventual puppet of two masters, the Japanese and Chinese governments, as his lineage looks to be used to serve their own ends. It’s a fascinating period, the turn of the century bringing massive change across the social and political spectrum. For China, it’s a shift from the Qing-dynasty that had lasted hundreds of years (with Imperial rule actually running over two millennia), with millions of individuals as subjects. In place, the Xinhai Revolution and the rise of the People’s Republic. A paving of the way for Chairman Mao Zedong and his ideologies. With this bigger backdrop, Bertolucci trains his focus on the figure at the center of this sea change. A boy raised with the belief he was chosen by God to lead his people, worshipped and adorned with the trappings of his office, then forced to endure abdication. In the mix is his education and exposure to Western civilization. It’s an eventful journey for Puyi and those in his orbit, tragic at times, especially in the case of his wife, Wan Jung (a heart-wrenching turn from Joan Chen).
From a filmmaking point of view, The Last Emperor feels like one of those prestige projects that would make or break a studio, something in the vein of Gandhi or Lawrence of Arabia. Much of the epic sheen comes from the unprecedented access given to China and its locations (including the Forbidden City) in order to make the film. This boon to production values we well leveraged by designer Ferdinando Scarfiotti and beautifully showcased by cinematographer Vittorio Storaro. The Last Emperor is detailed, textured, and authentic to the point of decadency. Prestigious fare, where the what’s onscreen matches a level of ambition. Bertolucci was known as a more transgressive filmmaker, with films such as La Luna The Conformist, The Dreamers, and Las Tango in Paris, showcasing his edgier, more confrontational fare. The Last Emperor doesn’t quite resonate in the same way, but it has a more incisive edge that you might expect given the degree to Chinese cooperation. Rather than painting everything in a rosier light, there is a subversive quality to the film. There’s certainly some issues of edging off truths here, John Lone’s performance burnishing Puyi in a way that coupled with the script, certainly glosses over some of his darker tendencies and acts. But, there’s a strong sense within the film that this political transition, which might seem like a shift from tradition to modernity, isn’t so much a move forward as a step sideways. One authoritarian replaces another. Control remains rather than into anything really resembling democracy, or of benefit to your average Chinese citizen. It’s a bold undercurrent threaded through a film that offers a remarkable insight into an age and Chinese culture.
The Package
The Last Emperor is a dense, and visually rich film, one that takes on another level of life in 4K. The sheer density of the image elevates details and textures. Colors are robust, balanced, and supported by deep blacks and crisp whites. The details in the dark are especially noteworthy. It should be noted that this all covers the 4K treatment of the theatrical edition. It’s included Blu-ray edition also is a really nice presentation. A third disc includes a TV version of the film which does show up some inconsistencies in quality (and frame ratio), likely due to variances in source material, which is to be expected with those kinds of film cuts. In addition to the two versions of the film, the release is well supported by a host of extras:
- Audio commentary featuring director Bernardo Bertolucci, producer Jeremy Thomas, screenwriter Mark Peploe, and composer-actor Ryuichi Sakamoto: Rather then a collaboration, the contributors are recorded individually and intercut. It takes away some of the potential for interesting tangents, but the commentary is still interesting, as each breaks down their contributions, insights on the production, experiences on location in China, thoughts on each other, and comments on their other works too
- 218-minute television version: A longer runtime due to the addition of various expositionary scenes, extended scenes, and additional footage that to be frank, feels somewhat redundant. Apparently recut for a multi-night TV event, the extra content does not add anything but runtime, and severely hampers the films pacing
- The Italian Traveler, Bernardo Bertolucci, a film by Fernand Moszkowicz tracing the director’s geographic influences, from Parma to China: A personal reflection on filmmakers career, shot in the run up to the start of production on Last Emperor
- Footage taken by Bertolucci while on preproduction in China: Short, but insightful snippets of video as they scouted locations and reflected on the local culture
- Bernardo Bertolucci’s Chinese Adventure: Essentially a making of, which at nearly an hour in length, does a pretty good job of covering what’s needed. What is a standout is how portions of it are shot as a guerilla-style documentary, with the camera weaving its way around the sets and sequences, allowing insight and comparison to the completed footage.
- The Making of The Last Emperor featuring cinematographer Vittorio Storaro, editor Gabriella Cristiani, costume designer James Acheson, and art director Gianni Silvestri: A really good dive into one of the standout qualities of the film, it’s design and production
- Archival interview with Bertolucci: Taken from a TV broadcast, the director discusses the film’s acclaim and awards, before moving into reflections on his own career, tastes, and French cinema
- Interviews with composer David Byrne and cultural historian Ian Buruma: Byrne opens up on his approach (showcasing early pieces and samples) and his collaboration with Ryuichi Sakamoto. The latter entitled Beyond the Forbidden City, is a good dive into the history of this period in China, and well worth a watch. The
- Trailer
- PLUS: An essay by film critic David Thomson, a reminiscence by Bertolucci, interviews with production designer Ferdinando Scarfiotti and actor Ying Ruocheng, and an essay by Fabien S. Gerard: Contained in the liner notes
- Cover by Lucien S. Y. Yang
The Bottom Line
Criterion’s treatment of The Last Emperor is truly impressive. The 4K remaster is a visual feast for the eyes, and the package is brimming with extra features that do much to expand on the scope, scale, and ambition of the production, as well as dive into and expand upon the historical context of the film, the protagonist, and the wider era of Chinese history.
The Last Emperor is available August 13th, via 4K-UHD Criterion
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Arrow Heads: The Underrated CHRONICLES OF RIDDICK Finally Gets its Due on 4K UHD
When I got the pitch to take a look at Arrow’s 4K UHD release of 2004’s The Chronicles of Riddick, it offered up a bit of a moral quandary and something I’ve been pondering for quite some time. While the Sexual Battery charge against star Vin Diesel is still pending, and he’s continued to deny these allegations. Given the recent incident with Joaquin Phoenix, who just walked out on a pending production causing irreparable financial loss to so many folks, whose livelihoods relied on the film, I felt like simply ignoring this film might have been the wrong choice. When I got to dig into the set to review, thanks to the absence of Diesel, probably due to availability or possibly these allegations, it spotlighted how these blockbusters, while they rely on a big name to market them, aren’t simply conjured and are the fruits of hundreds if not thousands of individuals.
So with that said….So I am digging in.
The Chronicles of Riddick was a film that could have only been made thanks to both Diesel’s stardom and director David Twohy unrelenting passion for the charismatic antihero. While the first film respectably doubled its 25 million budget – it was the quintupling of the Fast and the Furious’ 38 million budget that greenlit the blank check film, that is the literal definition of “go big or go home”. For those too young to remember, Diesel was a master of the Facebooks, before Chronicles and subsequently in the leadup to the sequels, Friday were labeled “Furyan Fridays” by the star and he would essentially hype his fans for his eventual return to the character. While his meme game was cringe, he was one of the first stars really leveraging social media in this way, and while it’s now commonplace, this online reaction was the other component that led to the audacity and ambition of Riddick.
See, while most would have simply replicated the first film, maybe sent Riddick to a new planet where the antihero was yet again charged with saving a group of individuals or fighting for his life (Which was what they did with the third film), Twohy had something bigger in mind. The Chronicles of Riddick is an ambitious world building exercise that rivals a Star Wars or a Dune with its sheer breadth and scope, and to be honest it still is a thing of beauty to behold. The film picks up with Riddick a few years after the events of Pitch Black where a 1.5 Million Dollar bounty has him brought back to Helion Prime and face to face with Abu “Imam” al-Walid (Keith David), the holy man whom he saved in Pitch Black. He’s then asked to help save the universe from a group of intergalactic colonizers called Necromongers, who worship death. They’ve been traveling world to world, killing anyone they can’t convert to their cause.
Of course, we also bring back Jack, the young girl who was disguised as a boy from the first film as Riddick tears his way through the Necromonger ranks to save the universe. But along the way we also soon discover they had something to do with the carnage that enveloped his home world of Furya. To be completely honest, I was underwhelmed the first time I caught The Chronicles of Riddick, theatrically, opening day. When I heard a director’s cut was incoming I picked up the special edition day and date and found that it definitely addressed the issues I had with the plot holes, and provided a much more satisfying and enjoyable narrative. That cut is presented here on the set on a 4K UHD, along with the theatrical cut and an “Open Matte” version of the film (LIMITED EDITION EXCLUSIVE), which essentially removed the black bars applied to the image for the 2.35:1 aspect ratio revealing more image. This is a big thing with the collector market right now, with folks buy fullscreen DVDs to enjoy more of the image in these editions.
As we’ve witnessed from countless Star Wars clones, intergalactic world building isn’t easy, but here writer/director David Twohy makes it feel effortless. It doesn’t hurt that thanks to Pitch Black he’s already got a stable of engaging characters, including a great anti-hero, who just fires off the one liners like he was trapped in an 80s action flick. Here he’s pitted against the Necromongers, whose not only a great group of antagonists, thanks to their religious zealotry, but their baroque aesthetic that makes them as stylish as they are badass. Subtextually the film is a little light, other than its anti-colonizer message, paired with the ruthlessness of the religious zealots who lack the morals of those who they feel are below them.That said this is a summer blockbuster after all, or was poised to be one, because poor reviews kept fans away from this one. The film currently stands with a 29% on Rotten Tomatoes.
While the film missed the mark both critically and financially on its initial theatrical release, it thankfully has since begun to be reappraised thanks to the director’s cut release of the film, hence this release. After The Chronicles fizzled out at the box office, the property was shelved by Universal and famously Diesel leveraged his stinger cameo in Tokyo Drift for the rights to the character, so he could continue the series. This led to not only 2013’s sequel Riddick that was super successful, but the fourth entry in the series that’s currently filming and announced of course – by a Furyan Friday announcement. Watching The Chronicles of Riddick now, you have to admire the sheer audacity behind the film and wonder what might have happened had the director’s cut been the one released. This reasoning is one of the many things discussed on the exhaustive and comprehensive extras on the set put forth by Arrow.
The film here is presented in a brand new 4K restorations by Arrow Films of the Theatrical and Director’s Cuts of the film, approved by David Twohy and to be honest the film looks way better than it did on its Blu-ray release. The HDR has been used to hone in on those sci-fi hues and the grain here given the internegative source is present, but not overwhelming. Also, the CGI here has aged as well as the film, since it holds up with the 4K upgrade. The production design is also even more spectacular here, with every fabric and every nook and cranny of every set on display in this new transfer. They really went all out, and every bit of that is thankfully captured here in this detailed and crisp transfer.
Not only are all three cuts presented on their own 4K UHDs here, but the previous extras were all ported as well. Keep in mind these were the kind of extras crafted when DVD sales were equally as important as theatrical numbers. A big piece of that, once upon a time, was special features to entice folks to buy the film to watch it again and sift through those extras. Coupled with these pre-existing extras is a brand new feature length documentary Ambition on Another Scale: Chronicling a Blockbuster Sequel, featuring interviews with writer-director David Twohy, actors Keith David and Linus Roache, storyboard artist Brian Murray and many others that explores nearly every aspect of the film imaginable.Since these interviews were recent, you get the addition of some added perspective, from the choices then compared to now.
The reset of the set is a wealth of information that comes with one of my favorite extras along with the doc, Escape from Butcher Bay, a compilation of cutscenes from the tie-in video game (LIMITED EDITION EXCLUSIVE). This is a super cut of the cutscenes from the XBox game that transpired before the film and explained where Riddick really got his night vision from. Riddick came out around the time in the early aughts where summer blockbusters, like a Matrix, could get not only a video game, but an anime adaptation, which are all pieces of a larger story. I didn’t play the game when the film came out, so this was a welcome bit of lore to get to experience.
Check out the full rundown of extras below:
- DISC ONE
- 4K (2160p) UHD Blu-ray presentation in Dolby Vision (HDR10 compatible) of the Theatrical Cut from the original negative
- Ambition on Another Scale: Chronicling a Blockbuster Sequel, a brand-new feature-length documentary on the film, featuring interviews with writer-director David Twohy, actors Keith David and Linus Roache, storyboard artist Brian Murray, and many others
- Realizing Riddick, a new interview with Twohy on the creation of the character
- Back to Black, a new interview with Murray on his continuing work within the Riddick saga
- Chronicles of a Cult Film Celebrity, a new interview with David on the role of Imam
- Theatrical trailers
- DISC TWO
- 4K (2160p) UHD Blu-ray presentation in Dolby Vision (HDR10 compatible) of the Director’s Cut
- Archive audio commentary by David Twohy and Vin Diesel
- Archive audio commentary by Twohy and co-stars Karl Urban and Alexa Davelos
- Archive introduction by Twohy
- Creation of New Mecca, an archive featurette focusing on the world and characters of Helion Prime
- Riddick Rises, an archive featurette focusing on the prison planet of Crematoria
- Keep What You Kill, an archive featurette focusing on the world of the Necromongers
- Visual Effects Revealed, an archive featurette focusing on the VFX
- Interactive Production Calendar, a series of short, candid videos filmed throughout shooting
- Production Vignettes, a series of short behind-the-scenes segments
- Three deleted scenes
- Virtual Guide to the Chronicles of Riddick, a series of short animated segments explaining the world of the film
- Toombs’ Chase Log, a short film narrated by Nick Chinlund in character
- A guided tour of the set by Vin Diesel, along with 360-degree panoramic views of eight sets from the film
- On-set interviews with Twohy, Diesel, Dench, Urban, Colm Feore, Alexa Davelos, Thandiwe Newton and producer Scott Kroopf
- Promotional interviews with Twohy, Diesel, Newton, Urban, Davelos and Feore
- Easter egg
- DISC THREE (LIMITED EDITION EXCLUSIVE)
- 4K (2160p) UHD Blu-ray presentation in Dolby Vision (HDR10 compatible) of the Theatrical Cut in the alternate 1.78:1 aspect ratio
- Escape from Butcher Bay, a compilation of cutscenes from the acclaimed tie-in video game
- The Lowdown, a television special produced to promote the film’s original release
It’s at times frustrating watching The Chronicles of Riddick now, especially in its director’s cut form. The film is a rare example of a really well executed sci-fi, horror, fantasy, that didn’t get its due thanks to studio interference over runtime of all things. Afterwards it would be nearly a decade before we would get another glimpse into the world and that would lead to another film. Arrow have really outdid themselves here presenting featurettes and interviews that delve into almost anything a fan would want to know, utilizing both archival and new interviews along with restoring a film that most never gave a second chance. It’s great that they are not just focusing on obscure genre fare and also releasing blockbusters that may not get the same treatment otherwise even by their own home studios.
