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  • Fantastic Fest 2023 – The Cinapse Team’s Most Anticipated Features

    Fantastic Fest 2023 – The Cinapse Team’s Most Anticipated Features

    Chaos reigns! in Austin, TX, from September 21st – 28th

    It’s that time of year again when the Alamo Drafthouse S Lamar gives itself over to the fiends of Fantastic Fest. The chaotic genre film festival that blends weird and wild films, with equally nutso parties and events. Sure we don’t have a lobby this year, but Chaos will find a way!

    It’s not too late to get on over and secure one of the remaining badges. The 2023 lineup has already been announced, and after a digging into things, the Cinapse team attending this year, has gotten together to share their most anticipated features. Read on to see what stood out, and and check in with us next week, as we’ll be running full coverage from the festival.

    Ed Travis

    As is always the case for me, I plan to focus as much on the action cinema options as I possibly can. What’s different this year is that Fantastic Fest doesn’t seem to just have a smattering of a couple of action titles, but rather quite a few offerings from all across the world in my genre of choice. I couldn’t be more excited about this development and offer my sincerest thanks to the programmers. Here are the action films I plan to check out and potentially cover here at Cinapse!

    Kill: Perhaps creeping into “my most anticipated” territory is Kill, an Indian action film that promises a more stripped down and grounded Raid-like approach than your average mega-amped, music-filled Indian blockbuster. Don’t get me wrong, India has been emerging for years as one of the most exciting hubs for action cinema, but I’m always a sucker for a stripped down hardcore brawler and the buzz on Kill is pretty electric.

    One Percenter: Ever since the early 2000s when my young mind was blown by the cross-genre face-melter Versus… I’ve been a Tak Sakaguchi fan. So when a Tak action film hits Fantastic Fest, I’ll be there. He’s just got such an iconic screen presence and he also seems interested in pushing the envelope to bring us something new time and time again. From Crazy Samurai (which I didn’t care for but which is a feat of accomplishment) to Re:Born, the guy is innovating and I can’t wait to see what he has in store for us here.

    100 Yards: I am not super familiar with a lot of the talent behind the Chinese 1920 set martial arts epic 100 Yards. But, as an action and martial arts cinema fan, I’ve seen hundreds of these types of films and nobody does period martial arts like Chinese crews do. Fantastic Fest is one of the only places each year where I can see grand martial arts films on the big screen with a roaring crowd and I can’t wait to experience that again with this Game Of Thrones-sounding tale.

    The Last Stop In Yuma County: I’m fascinated by actor and filmmaker Jim Cummings (The Beta Test, The Wolf Of Snow Hollow, Thunder Road) and his involvement in a project will immediately get my attention. Make it a modern slow burn western and you’ve got my butt in a seat.

    The Creator: Look, I know this is a highly mainstream pick and the film will be hitting wide just days after it plays Fantastic Fest. But I’ve been a Gareth Edwards fan since his indie breakout Monsters and have enjoyed watching his meteoric rise to Godzilla and Rogue One. But somehow it seems he really has something to prove right now, and an original sci-fi epic like The Creator is catnip to me. I’m really hoping this is something special and proves Edwards has the chops to match his heart and ambition.

    Honorary Mentions: I’ll Crush Y’all, Baby Assassins 2, Enter The Clones Of Bruce, Kennedy, Triggered

    One Percenter

    Dan Tabor

    My top 3 most anticipated for this year’s Fantastic Fest in no particular order. 

    CONANN, is the latest by Bertrand Mandico who previously brought the surreal masterwork After Blue to Fantastic Fest in 2021, taking home Best Film that year. That was easily one of my favorites that year with its visceral vision of pure decadence and splendor contained in a lesbian acid western. This year however, he’s tackling the myth of Conan the Barbarian with what promises to be “a gory time-traveling fantasy.” After that synopsis, I can’t even imagine what the transgressive auteur has in store for us this time around.

    CALIGULA MMXX or CALIGULA THE ULTIMATE CUT – Nothing is going to be beat seeing one of my most anticipated films of the year (Read my post as to why,where I interviewed the editor of the project) with its target audience. I couldn’t be more excited for this screening, and the fact that its star Malcolm McDowell will be on hand, means it’s going to be one hell of a Q&A. I’ve seen that man speak before and can be hilariously poignant and sometimes a bit too candid. So I am counting down the days to see if it truly is the film they originally set out to make, or another glorious disaster. 

    ONE – PERCENTER – Yûdai Yamaguchi (Deadball, Meatball Machine) is back at Fantastic Fest with one of the best Stuntmen in the business Tak Sakaguchi (Versus), who in his latest is playing a weathered stuntman who tussles with the Yakuza while making his latest actioner. Given Tak’s reputation, expect plenty of fights with a focus on frantic and fast paced choreography while he gazes off into the distance looking as badass as humanly possible. This also sounds like just the meta exercise that will give the seasoned genre veteran a moment for some real introspective moments as well the action he is known for.

    Conann

    Jon Partridge

    Opening night of Fantastic Fest is always crackling with energy. This year even more so, as Fest-alum, and Austin-based filmmaker/actor Macon Blair (Blue Ruin, Green Room, I Don’t Feel at Home in this World Anymore) kicks things off with his new film, The Toxic Avenger. Yep, Troma is back baby, and if it’s half as gnarly and blackly comedic as his previous projects, we’re in for a treat.

    Like everyone else who saw it, I was fucking delighted by Beyond the Infinite Two Minutes. The team behind it is back with more time-bending shenanigans so you can bet I’ll be there for River.

    I always feel a little weird picking something that’s getting a general release, but as an unabashed lover of Rogue One, I can’t wait to see The Creator, the new slice of dystopian sci-fi from Gareth Edwards, one that looks to set out a possible future as we collide with AI.

    I always make time for a documentary at Fantastic Fest, it feels like a nice change of pace and a way to further my insights. From this year’s lineup, SCALA!!! is the standout. As a Brit, I had certainly heard of the (in)famous) London repertory theatre that courted controversy with it’s screenings of films such as The Clockwork Orange in the 70s/80s. It’ll be good to refresh and fill in the blanks on this one.

    Finally, The Origin. The synopsis seems to distill into “stone age survival meets mystical monster”. Sold.

    The Origin

    Julian Singleton

    River: Beyond the Infinite Two Minutes was one of the most surprising and joyful discoveries I’ve ever had at Fantastic Fest, so naturally Junta Yamaguchi’s follow-up tops my list for what I’m most anticipating at this year’s festival. Here, Yamaguchi swaps time-travel for time loops–with jaw-dropping camera trickery and smile-splitting zaniness surely to follow.

    Cobweb: Beloved South Korean actor Song Kang-Ho reunites with the stellar director Kim Jee-Woon (A Tale of Two Sisters) in what appears to be a twisted black comedy about the 70s Korean film industry? Say no more, I’m sold.

    Eileen: William Oldroyd’s Lady Macbeth wasn’t just my magnificent introduction to Florence Pugh–it was a nail-biting, gut-churning, venomous character study with crackling tension. I missed his long-awaited follow-up film, Eileen, at this year’s Sundance film fest–but I’m so excited to rectify that at this year’s festival, and to see what bewitching and sinister chemistry Oldroyd concocts between leads Thomasin McKenzie and Anne Hathaway.

    UFO Sweden: The Vast of Night was one of my favorite out-of-nowhere titles from Fantastic Fest a few years ago–and UFO Sweden appears to capture a similar sense of suspenseful, wide-eyed wonder while boasting visuals that harken back to ET, Super 8, and other “kids on bikes” sci-fi classics.

    Honorable Mention: Where The Devil Roams, When Evil Lurks, Sleep, The Fall of the House of Usher, Totally Killer, All 4 Secret Screenings

    Cobweb

    For the latest developments, visit the Fantastic Fest official site www.fantasticfest.com and follow the fest on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.

    About Fantastic Fest

    Fantastic Fest is the largest genre film festival in the U.S., specializing in horror, fantasy, sci-fi, action and just plain fantastic movies from all around the world. In years past, the festival has been home to the world and US premieres of PARASITE, JOJO RABBIT, BONE TOMAHAWK, JOHN WICK, FRANKENWEENIE, THERE WILL BE BLOOD, APOCALYPTO, ZOMBIELAND, RED, SPLIT, HALLOWEEN, BAD TIMES AT THE EL ROYALE, MID 90s, and SUSPIRIA while the guest roster has included such talent as Tim Burton, Nicolas Winding-Refn, Lilly and Lana Wachowski, Bong Joon-Ho, Taika Waititi, Robert Rodriguez, Rian Johnson, Bill Murray, Keanu Reeves, Martin Landau, Winona Ryder, Edward Norton, Ryan Reynolds, Patrick Wilson, Matthew Fox, Karl Urban, Josh Hartnett, The RZA, Dolph Lundgren, Paul Rudd, Bill Pullman, Paul Thomas Anderson, Kevin Smith, Jon Favreau, George Romero, Darren Aronofsky, Mike Judge, Karyn Kusama, M. Night Shyamalan, James McAvoy, Vince Vaughn, Jamie Lee Curtis, Jonah Hill, Barbara Crampton and Jessica Harper. Fantastic Fest also features world, national, and regional premieres of new, up-and-coming genre films. Fantastic Fest has seen the acquisition of many titles, including BULLHEAD, KILL LIST, MONSTERS, KLOWN, THE FP, PENUMBRA, HERE COMES THE DEVIL, NO REST FOR THE WICKED, VANISHING WAVES, COMBAT GIRLS, I DECLARE WAR, THE PERFECTION, and TIGERS ARE NOT AFRAID. Fantastic Fest is held each year at the Alamo Drafthouse Cinema in Austin, Texas. Alamo Drafthouse has been named the best theater in the country by Entertainment Weekly, Wired, and TIME. Variety included Fantastic Fest in a list of “10 Film Festivals We Love” and was also named one of the “25 coolest film festivals” by Moviemaker Magazine.

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  • ONE PIECE Reviewed By Someone Who Knows Nothing About ONE PIECE

    ONE PIECE Reviewed By Someone Who Knows Nothing About ONE PIECE

    Pirates and Swordfights and Fish-People, oh my!

    One Piece is one of those titles that I’ve been aware of for most of my life without ever knowing the first thing about what it actually is. I knew it was a popular manga and a popular anime, and that the franchise mascot was a smiling kid with a red shirt and a straw hat. And that really was the extent of it until very recently. Hell, until the hype started building for the live-action Netflix adaptation, I wasn’t even aware that this is a series about pirates, never mind that said smiling kid is a wannabe pirate with Elastigirl-style stretching powers by the name of Monkey D. Luffy (‘Luffy’ rhyming with ‘poofy’ rather than with “fluffy”, in defiance of God’s will).

    But the trailers for the Netflix show made it look like a big colorful fantasy adventure that was right up my alley, and my buddy explained enough of the intricacies of the original series and its world and lore to pique my interest, so it was with genuine curiosity that I fired up the first episode of the live action series. None of that set-up prepared me for just how much I would love this show, these characters, and the gonzo world of pirates, wandering swordsmen, secret organizations, half-machine people, fish-people, sheep-people, people with super powers because they ate magic fruit, people with super powers because fuck you that’s why, and a seemingly infinite ocean with endless space for whatever mayhem you can imagine.

    Jesus, no wonder this thing has been going strong for so long.

    Quick primer for my fellow newcomers: One Piece began life in 1997 as a manga series written and drawn by Eiichiro Oda. Since then, there has been a long-running anime adaptation, along with strings of movies, specials, video games, and basically any form of media you can name. The comic is finally in its endgame, but the saga of the Straw Hat Pirates spans hundreds of comic volumes and over a thousand episodes of the animated series.

    Set in a fantasy world that is almost completely covered in water, the story of One Piece kicks off with the execution of Pirate King Gol D. Roger at the hands of the tyrannical World Government. Before he dies, Roger declares that his greatest treasure, known as the One Piece, is up for grabs. All you have to do is find it. This kicks off a new age of piracy, as people race to the ocean in droves hoping to find this most inconceivable of all treasures.

    22 years after Roger’s death, a hapless (but deceptively competent) young man enters the fray. Monkey D. Luffy (played here by Iñaki Godoy) is a happy-go-lucky doofus gifted and/or cursed with stretching abilities courtesy of a Devil Fruit (look it’s a whole…it’s a whole thing. The kid stretches like a rubber band, just go with it) and he’s determined to find the One Piece and be declared the new King of the Pirates.

    Over the course of this first season, we watch Luffy go from treading water in a sinking dinghy to being an actual captain, assembling a fellowship of similar losers, outcasts, and dreamers to join him on his seemingly endless quest. There’s Zoro (Mackenyu), a taciturn bounty hunter determined to become the greatest swordsman alive; Nami (Emily Rudd), a mysterious thief and master navigator; Usopp (Jacob Romero Gibson), a motormouth fabulist with a knack for marksmanship who wants to prove his mettle, and Sanji (Taz Skylar), a smooth-talking chef on his own quest to uncover the ocean’s secrets.

    But wait, there’s more. There’s also Koby (Morgan Davies), a cabin boy Luffy rescues who wants to become a Marine, and also on the Navy side there’s Helmeppo (Aidan Scott) and the fearsome Vice Admiral Garp (Vincent Regan), and then there’s all the pirates like the clown who can disassemble his body into pieces and the black cat folks who have super-speed for some reason and then there’s Red-Haired Shanks and his whole crew, and that’s not even getting into Arlong and his band of fishmen and their set-up and-

    Look, it’s a busy show. After finishing all eight episodes, I went back and watched a bit of the first season of the anime, and it only served to highlight the sheer staggering density of this source material. The sheer effort that has gone into streamlining and editing this material to fit within a busy but fairly breezy eight hour season is a remarkable feat even before you start considering that the final product is actually successful. Very successful, in fact.

    The breathless enthusiasm and unflagging energy go a long way to keeping a newcomer invested in each fresh bit of berserk worldbuilding and cheerfully nonsensical bit of design or action. One Piece moves with such absolute confidence and such unfaltering conviction that it’s easy to surrender to its excesses and its go-for-broke imagination. The show walks a delicate balance of grounding the cartoon physics and logic just enough in reality to allow for the possibility of even a bit of sincere dramatic weight, while also being a show in which essentially every character is capable of gravity-defying martial arts and some even go a step beyond that and fully just have superpowers. There’s a lived in practicality to the costumes and the sets, and that practicality sits side by side with a sequence in which Luffy inflates himself to the size of a parade float in order to catch a cannonball in his belly and send it flying back at an attacking ship.

    It’s a split that’s also palpable in the cast and the various approaches they take to this material. The uniformly excellent young cast playing the Straw Hat crew are doing everything in their considerable power to bring as much sincerity and gravitas as they possibly can to every scene detailing the broken homes and haunted pasts and implacable feelings of yearning driving them to the sea.

    Meanwhile, the various actors playing the villains and antagonists, particularly Jeff Ward as the rabid clown Buggy and Regan as the over-zealous Garp, are one and all going so far over the top it’s a wonder they don’t crack the ozone. Even before the physics-shattering action starts up, these performances keep One Piece firmly rooted in its origins as a demented cartoon, even as the younger cast members valiantly strive to bring the humanity front and center.

    Striking a balance between these extremes and making it all feel like…one…piece…is Iñaki Godoy as Luffy. The task would seem impossible, but Godoy makes it look as easy as breathing, assuming that breathing comes easily. Apologies to asthmatics, but the simile stands.

    Godoy somehow identifies an earnest and empathetic core to Luffy even in the most heightened and ridiculous moments of the series. Radiating joy and enthusiasm in his every second on screen, you fully believe that this bizarre creature would compel others to his cause and bend the rules of reality around his deeply felt sense of right and wrong. Godoy’s not a total newcomer (he had a prominent role in a previous Netflix series, The Irregulars) but One Piece should be a star-making turn given the difficulty of what he achieves, and how easy he makes it look.

    The other major standout of the cast is Mackenyu as the sword-wielding Zoro (one R though, so he’s totally distinct from that other Zorro). Mackenyu also stole the show in Rurouni Kenshin: The Final as the villainous Enishi. In that film and this series, Mackenyu not only leaks charisma out of his pores, but he seems to have an intuitive understanding that the more relaxed he is in comparison to the mania around him, the more of an impression he makes. He knows how to use a silent scowl to nail a punchline better than any dialogue could, and he knows that striking the right pose can sell a badass moment more than even the choreography.

    One Piece has martial arts battles, sea monsters, found families, the power of friendship enabling flawed people to overcome their traumas and live as their best selves, super-powered brawls, a goat-guy in one episode for some reason, the list goes on and on.

    American efforts at anime adaptations have had a…mixed…reaction, let us say, and there will always be the question of why a property or story that’s been told perfectly well in one medium ‘needs’ to be ported over to another. Especially in the case of a series like One Piece, where the elasticity of comics and animation is a literal better fit for a main character who is indeed elastic.

    I can’t speak to how longtime One Piece readers and viewers will respond to this (though the anecdotal response I’ve seen so far has been pretty delighted) but taking it on its own terms as a new original fantasy/adventure series, I was immediately hooked by the world and characters of One Piece. With endless invention and a surprising amount of sincere heart and humanity, it’s a daffy brew unlike any other major fantasy series going on right now.

    Netflix, hurry up and pay your goddamn writers and your goddamn actors so they can start working on a second season already.

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  • Spin the BLACK CIRCLE on Blu-ray thanks to Synapse Films!

    Spin the BLACK CIRCLE on Blu-ray thanks to Synapse Films!


    Black Circle is the latest by Here Comes the Devil’s Adrian Garcia Bogliano, which just hit Blu-ray thanks to Synapse Films in a feature packed special edition. The film stars Swedish genre icon Christina Lindberg, who most will recognize from her turn as Frigga from Thriller: A Cruel Picture aka They Call Her One Eye, who plays the creator of a self help record album from the 70’s that has an eerie side effect. This comes into play in the present day when Isla (Erica Midfjäll), lends the album she credits with her new found executive job to her sister Celeste (Felice Jankell), who recently suffered a bad break up and lost her job. While Celeste’s demeanor takes a turn for the better, she begins to have visions of a doppelganger, which echoes her sister’s recent paranoia that someone who bears a striking resemblance to her is following her after giving up the record. 

    The pair of course go looking for answers, and that takes them to Chirstina Lindberg’s character, who is a witch of sorts, who knows what’s happening to the women – and it’s not good. There’s an interesting commentary on the whole self-care phenomenon, that I found thematically gives the horror film a rather strangely empowering message. Also our sister protagonists do a rather remarkable job at selling some of the rather big swings the narrative takes here, while also keeping us firmly invested in their relationship. As for Lindberg, who’s the reason I picked the film up, I was worried that either she wouldn’t be in the film very much or basically be cast to the periphery, but that’s thankfully not the case. She’s definitely in the mix with the leads and puts in a rather stirring take on a witch with a conscience. 

    The disc has a great balance for both fans of the film and those who came to the film thanks to Lindberg. I started as the latter, but thankfully became a fan of the film as well and parsed through the rest of the rousing extras. The disc comes with a director’s commentary, a cd soundtrack, the original short film that inspired the film, a behind the scenes featurette, and a 57 minute interview with Lindenberg by the director of Black Circle Adrian Garcia Bogliano who is obviously a fan as well. That conversation digs into most of her life and career and thankfully she remembers quite a bit and is introspective and pragmatic about her time working in sexploitation and in the adult industry in the 1970s. This interview alone is worth the price of the disc for fans of Christina. 

    Black Circle is a moody little slice of psychological horror that came as a pleasant surprise. While most like myself will be coming into the film solely as a fan of Lindberg, thanks to the rather captivating performances by Erica and Felice, I found myself completely along for the ride even when the film gets weird in the third act. Fortunately by then, Christina has entered the mix and Bogliano has set the stage in such a way that I was nothing short of completely in when it’s revealed how it can be reversed. That combined with the interview – that should honestly be a documentary unto itself, makes this a must buy for fans of Lindberg and those curious about her career renaissance. To me it’s a bittersweet package, because while Lindberg reveals the sad reality behind why she stepped away from acting, you can at least see she was welcomed back with open arms. 

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  • [Q&A] REBEL Directors Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah Discuss the Real Life Inspirations Behind their Exploration of ISIS and the Radicalization of Muslim Youth

    [Q&A] REBEL Directors Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah Discuss the Real Life Inspirations Behind their Exploration of ISIS and the Radicalization of Muslim Youth
    Photo by: Kris Janssens

    Rebel the latest by Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah (Bad Boys for Life, Ms. Marvel and Batgirl) which premiered at 2022 Cannes Film Festival opens in theaters TODAY and has the directors utilizing their skillset in the action genre, to tell a very personal and moving story this time around. Rebel focuses on Kamal Wasaki (Aboubakr Bensaihi) an idealistic Belgian rapper who after getting busted for drugs in his home country flees to Syria to volunteer to help the victims of the war. Soon after he is kidnapped by ISIS where he is forced to shoot their propaganda videos thanks to his experience shooting his own hip-hop videos. Then one day to prove his loyalty, he is charged to kill a US soldier in front of the camera. When this clip is played on the news his family is reluctantly brought into the story. 

    While Kamal’s mother (Lubna Azabal) struggles with what drove her eldest son down that path that has branded her an outcast in her community. She starts to notice Kamal’s younger brother Nassim(Amir El Arbi) has become the target of local ISIS recruiters who wish to use his brother and video games to lure in him. Rebel looks to tell a story of war, radicalization and family that’s unflinching in its deception of the atrocities of war, while not losing site of the very humanity of people trapped in these conflicts. The director’s turn in what is easily one of the best films, which is unlike anything that’s ever tackled this material. Interspersed in the film’s narrative are musical interludes that manage to dig into the character, showing us Kamal’s inner struggles in a way that is usually associated with monologues, but instead showing us the world through his eyes. 

    In anticipation for the film’s release I got to speak with both Adil and Bilall about Rebel, dig a bit into the film and its very real-life inspirations and of course ask about Batgirl. 

    So you’ve directed Bad Boys for Life, Batgirl for the DCU, MS. MARVEL and now REBEL, that’s some pretty impressive range. What inspired you to tackle the much more challenging and personal story this time around, rather than another blockbuster?

    Adil El Arbi: We love all, all kinds of movies, but this is a story that was so personal and that we’ve been working on throughout our Hollywood career. I think this is also the best movie we ever made, which is like the combination of everything that we learned, whether it’s in Hollywood, or in Belgium. 

    But for Bilall it was something very personal for him.

    Bilall Fallah: I come from a neighborhood with the highest percentage of young Belgian Muslims that went to Syria. So I really saw it firsthand. I saw people I went to school with that I know as friends, I saw them leave. And then to see all the attacks in Europe, it was really painful to see and these guys that are just like us. They have the same background. They’re Belgium, Moroccan Muslims, and to see them in ISIS videos, it was like really disconnecting. We really wanted to understand what is happening and understand what this radicalization comes from, and how it affected not just the whole Muslim community, but also the whole world.

    We felt like we had to tell this story, and that’s why, we decided not to go for a big commercial movie, but tell this super personal story, that I think is extremely important to tell.

    Do you think with how prevalent radicalization has become on a world stage especially in America, people are more open to finally hearing the whole story of some of these ISIS recruits, because it’s never quite as simple as it seems and we see that because Kumar really didn’t sign up to be in Isis.

    Adil El Arbi: Radicalization is a very universal story and it’s not necessarily only connected with a certain religion or ideology. When you watch movies about Muslim extremism, you would sometimes think, oh, it’s just Islam radicalism and that’s not how it is. (But) it’s much more complex than that. It functions as a cult or even as a criminal organization, as a mafia and ISIS used all the techniques of social media, of propaganda – making those slick videos and making it look like a video game and giving a sense of community to a young audience. 

    It’s something that extremism uses – that false sense of community. An individual might be not important in society or think he’s not important, but when he is part of that extremist group, all of a sudden he’s important. He’s working on something bigger than himself, and that is something that is true for not just Islam, but also for far right extremism, and all other kinds of extremism. ISIS was the first big internet terrorist group that perfected it.

    You previously worked with your lead Abu on BLACK, and he’s back in the lead on Rebel and it’s an emotionally vulnerable performance, that’s the gateway for the audience into this world. How did you work with him on that performance and was it hard for Abu to give himself over to the role of Kumar because he definitely takes you through his journey?

    Adil El Arbi: We consider Rebel to be really a historical document, in the same way that the Vietnam movies of Oliver Stone are a document of that era. It is trying to understand how it was inside ISIS, how the behind the scenes worked. A lot of these guys, they started out just  like a lot of people that go to Ukraine to volunteer now. They started out with this ideology of trying to save people, trying to be a hero. But then all of a sudden this gets sucked in by this organization. It’s like a mafia, you cannot get out of it unless you die. 

    For Abu Bacca, who plays Kamal, it is very personal to him too, because he grew up in Moerbeke, the neighborhood where a lot of those that went on to ISIS guys grew up. He knew personally a lot of these guys, that eventually became part of ISIS and terrorists.

    It’s labeled as the terrorist neighborhood of Europe, basically.

    Bilall Fallah: He (Abu) felt like this label was an injustice to not just his community, but also to the whole Muslim community. He felt like he had to tell this story from a real deep human aspect and he portrayed it so well, because he knows it inside out. He knew these guys and he’s also a rapper. So casting him for us felt obvious. 

    The subject matter is so grim here, were the musical interludes always part of the narrative? I mean somehow they really managed to work and Abu really imbues them with his performance. 

    Adil El Arbi:In 2013, 2014, (when we started the project) we always wanted to put music in it because it was the best way we thought to convey the madness and the emotion, that pure narrative and dialogue could not. Music, poetry and dance touches the audience on another level, even if you do not understand the lyrics. 

    Music is such an important aspect of the Muslim Arab culture, whereas ISIS was radically against that. They were against rap, music, female voices and dance. So if you’re gonna make a movie against ISIS, you have a musical component. It’s also a way to get really inside the heads of the character and Aboubakr Bensaihi, who is very musical in his mind, also gives this kind of Arabian Nights vibe to the story.

    It was a risk, obviously, we were not a hundred percent sure if it would work out. So we had a plan to edit the movie without it just in case. But once we edited together and we saw how emotionally it resonated in the heart of the audience, we felt, okay, we are on the right track. We keep it in. 

    That said, were there any you had to cut?

    Adil El Arbi:(Laughs) That’s all we had because while doing those scenes, we understood why musicals are mostly Hollywood productions. Because it’s very hard to do and very expensive.(Laughs) 

    The action here is on par with your other work, but you really manage to imbue it with a weight of consequence and purpose. Was it hard to not to eclipse the emotional beats of the film and not overwhelm that story? 

    Adil El Arbi: I think the fact that we had this experience of Bad Boys for Life, the Jerry Bruckheimer Action School, we had this skill set to be able to focus and  really dig deep on the characters. Our approach was always however big the situation we stay very close to our characters. We experience every moment with them. So the audience feels the danger and, and feels all of that cruelty and the harshness of the war scenes. 

    That definitely translates, because the film is very grim and it definitely doesn’t shy away from anything.  I’m still haunted by that ending. Was that always the way you were gonna end the film?

    Adil El Arbi: Well, the movie is a recollection of several real stories that we heard. One of the most heartbreaking was the story of a guy who was forced by ISIS to shoot his own mother. It’s like child soldiers in Africa, you heard similar stories. So all these separate stories resonated on a very emotional level to us. So we felt like this is the natural consequence, the natural ending of the movie. 

    Finally, as a fan of your work and being a comic book fan, I have to ask about Batgirl? What was that experience like, will we ever see it?

    Adil El Arbi: Well, you know, we like to say, you wanna know what Bat Girl would’ve been like, well watch the most recent movie right before that. It was Rebel. 

    You know, the thing is that it’s still a mystery. I’m still not a hundred percent sure what happened, one day maybe we’ll write a book about it.

    I would read that!

    Adil El Arbi: But without a doubt, it’s the biggest disappointment of our career, obviously. Because, you wanna make a movie for the DC fandom, you know, they are, they are our boss. So we felt like they are the guys and girls that eventually should decide whether a movie is good or bad. They didn’t get the chance to do that. We didn’t get our day in court and, and make our case, that’s kind of unfinished business. But we go back and forth on that sometimes. We’re very sad and frustrated on one hand, but on the other, we got the chance to be in Gotham.

    Leslie Grace gave a fantastic performance. She gave a very human and vulnerable take on Barbara Gordon, but also a strong Barbara Gordon, somebody that really grows with flaws. But has aspirations and you look up to her. Working with Keaton, who is the ultimate Batman, that was a fanboy, dream come true. Brendan Fraser was a villain with so much, it was heartbreaking, basically, to see how he played that villain. He was very nuanced and the movie overall was very Burton-esque, but also a bit more grounded like what Nolan did.


    Bilall Fallah: It was like a wintertime Batman Returns world, you could say, with a very straightforward and grounded story.

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  • Kenneth Branagh’s A HAUNTING IN VENICE Blends Style and Scares with Aplomb

    Kenneth Branagh’s A HAUNTING IN VENICE Blends Style and Scares with Aplomb

    A HAUNTING IN VENICE, or How Hercule Poirot Got His Groove Back….

    As someone who grew up in the UK observing David Suchet’s unparalleled take on the character, I approached Kenneth Branagh’s Murder on the Orient Express with hope and trepidation. The film impressed with it’s style and polish, but fell short of greatness. Two years ago Death on the Nile ran into similar issues while also being weighted down some baggage surrounding members of the cast. While flawed, both showcased Branagh’s passion for these ventures into Agatha Christie’s famous literary creation, as well as his adeptness at bringing the titular star to life. A series of movies that entertain, and perhaps feel like a season staple for family viewing. A Haunting in Venice, continues this trend (although not necessarily centered around the holiday you might thing), while also delivering Branagh’s most accomplished and adventurous adaptation yet.

    Scripted by Michael Green (the previous two entries, Blade Runner 2047, Logan), Haunting is a loose adaptation of Christie’s novel Hallowe’en Party. The era, location, and some character tweaks makeup the bulk of the changes. The opening sees Poirot seconded to Venice, exiling himself from the public, and from the sleuthing pursuits that have made him a worldwide name. His occasional jaunts around the city are facilitated by an an Italian bodyguard (Riccardo Scamarcio), who intercepts the advances of those who dare to seek out the detective’s services. One day, old friend and crime novelist Ariadne Oliver (Tina Fey) turns up on his doorstep. Her series of crime books inspired by Poirot’s exploits made them both a household name, and in search of inspiration she has stumbled across something she cannot explain, and is looking to puncture the mystery with Poirot’s perspective. She paints a case intriguing enough to draw him out of retirement, at least for one night. A family enveloped by tragedy, a long rumored haunted location, and a mystic who demonstrates unerring insight into hidden events. During a Halloween night séance, an attendee is identified as being responsible for a believed suicide in this home one year earlier. Shortly after, a guest is found murdered. Connecting the two, Poirot seals the storm lashed palazzo, holding all survivors within its walls overnight, as he looks to uncover the truth being both deaths.

    A HAUNTING IN VENICE

    At the root of things is a young girl, Alicia Drake (Rowan Robinson) a bout of mental illness, apparently threw herself rom the balcony of her bedroom, into the treacherous canals of Venice below. More than a crime tale, it’s a ghost story. The guests at that circle, all haunted by the loss of this girl, or by something else from their past. The grieving mother, Rowena (Kelly Reilly), the housekeeper Olga (Camille Cottin), even her fired up ex-fiancé Maxime (Kyle Allen). Also in attendance is the family doctor, Leslie (Jamie Dornan), a man traumatized from his time one the front lines and now heavily reliant on his precocious young son Leopold (Jude Hill) for emotional support. Amidst it all is this is the beguiling medium, Joyce Reynolds (Michelle Yeoh), and her assistants Nicholas (Ali Khan) and Desdemona (Emma). Seems to puncture the veil between worlds in an eerie sequence that sets this whodunnit in motion.

    Refreshingly, this isn’t a mystery that isn’t overly complicated. Instead, these people and the visceral emotions of it all front and center. These haunting traumas run from the loss of a child, to the loss of a love, PTSD after serving in World War 2, and even one of the guests own ability to commune with the dead. Even Poirot himself is not immune to the cloud that hangs over us and affects our perceptions, our insights, and our actions. Bringing his own pain and disconnect from life to the proceedings ties him to events emotionally, and also connects back to his mythology laid down in the previous two chapters. The cast all turn in performances that don’t just meet, but enhance the tone and timbre of the film. Branagh in particular has this down pat, peeling back new layer’s of this character’s psyche, and with the wry comedy he delivers proving the lifeblood of the film. Yeoh’s monologue early in the film is a standout, Dornan manages to pack an emotional heft into his performance, and Reilly’s assured turn should come as no surprise to anyone who has followed her career.

    It’s a tight film, perhaps overly so. While a 104 minute runtime is appreciated, some of the scenes and character arcs would benefit from a little breathing room. This aside, the snappy pace really adds to the rather frenetic feel as the tale unfolds in the dark, twisting confines of this palazzo. Dark but without losing detail, cinematographer Haris Zambarloukos showcases the stylish but minimal production design that reflects the melancholic mood of the piece. Branagh threads that period feel with a pulpy horror lilt, wheeling out old tropes such as jump scares, ominous bangs, lingering shots on dark corners, sheets draped over statues, jump scares, and good old sights in the mirror. Handheld cameras, wide-lensed shots, snappy transitions, and Dutch angles add to the off-kilter feeling pervades the film, and Poirot’s place within it. In front of and from behind the camera, this is clearly a labor of love for Branagh who by shaking off some of the formality of the series, hits his stride with a Poirot outing that is intriguing, playful, and unabashedly fun.

    A Haunting in Venice opens on September 13th

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  • MERCENARIES FROM HONG KONG: Shawscope Volume 2 – Roundtable Reviews

    MERCENARIES FROM HONG KONG: Shawscope Volume 2 – Roundtable Reviews

    Cinapse is all about cinematic discovery. This Shawscope Volume 2 column is, therefore, a watch project for our team, and guests, to work through this phenomenal set from Arrow Video. These capsule reviews are designed to give glimpses of our thoughts as we discover these films for ourselves. Some are kung fu cinema experts, some less so; all are excited for the adventure.

    The Hong Kong-based Shaw Brothers Studio cranked out a staggering number of feature films over its lifetime. With worldwide influence continuing to this very day, their contributions to cinema are myriad and undeniable. Arrow Video has curated a second volume of titles; an intentional way to wade into the deep waters of the Shaw Brothers. Beyond capsule reviews, our team also offers thoughts on the set curation and bonus features. Watch along with us, join us in the comments, or reach out on social media (linked below) if you’d like to submit your own

    Special Guest Charles Bujan

    By the 1980s the Shaw Brothers were having an identity crisis. The classic Kung Fu films the studio built their brand on had fallen out of favor with audiences. During this time of uncertainty & desperation they gambled on new genres & more western-flavored contemporary offerings. A highlight of this era– Mercenaries From Hong Kong— is the story of a group of military veterans hired to track down an assassin hiding in Cambodia and while the film features an all star cast of recognizable Shaw Brothers players, led by Ti Lung at possibly his coolest, the stand out is the young & inexperienced writer/director Wong Jing who infuses what might have been a grim men-on-a-mission action thriller with an endearing mix of juvenile silliness, over the top action & spectacular stunts. Jing’s earnest & eager to entertain approach of almost non stop action & gags feels like a kid gleefully playing with his action figures. When the team of assembled badass killers regularly travel together wearing matching jumpsuits or there are posters of cute kittens on the wall of the rapist drug dealer’s penthouse, the movie has the feeling & charm of a Max Fisher production. Wong Jing is having fun and genuinely hopes you are as well.

    Ed Travis

    Despite the shrinking market share of DVD sales overall, 2023 is a golden era for Hong Kong cinema making its way to high definition home video in the United States. At the same time that Arrow Video is releasing these amazing Shaw Brothers box sets, other companies like 88 Films and Shout Factory are also cranking out disc after lovely disc of kung fu and heroic bloodshed titles to such a degree that it is an embarrassment of riches. Alongside all these old school kung fu movies here, I’ve also been enjoying the In The Line Of Duty films that I’ve recently picked up. The energy and style of the action films from that time and place are simply irreplicable. And let me tell you: Mercenaries From Hong Kong is 100%, grade-A, top tier, my shit. Easily the biggest surprise on the set and most closely aligned with my personal contemporary 1980s heroic bloodshed vibe that I came up with as a film fan, I adored this. Director Wong Jing has over 100 directing credits to his name and is still working today, but this is a very early work at the beginning of his career and it just absolutely pops with the energy of the industry at that time. Stunts are dangerous, choreography is killer, and melodrama is a must. It helps that the legendary Ti Lung stars here as he assembles a ragtag group of former comrades in arms to undertake a mission assigned by a beautiful femme fatale. Before our guys are hurling grenades in the jungle, however, they’ve first got to enjoy the town in matching tracksuits while a thumping soundtrack guides them. Ridiculous, energetic, and mixing classic tropes with the “lightning in a bottle” that was 1980s Hong Kong cinema, I adored Mercenaries From Hong Kong and am likely to revisit this more often than most any other title I’ve discovered in these sets.

    Dan Tabor

    Going from historical kung-fu epic to a present day batshit crazy man on a mission flick delivered a pulpy face melter that made Mercenaries From Hong Kong a definite high point of the set for me. Wong Jing administers a dose of 80s action madness that features a team of Vietnam vets clad in matching Members Only jackets laying waste to not only Hong Kong, but Cambodia as well.  Mercenaries is a film where no one walks down the steps, they simply jump out the closest window with a bazooka in hand to a rock infused soundtrack and a well timed explosion in the background for good measure. Obviously a reaction to their competitors at Golden Harvest proving no one can do action like Shaw Brothers, Mercenaries From Hong Kong is truly a sight to behold and a hell of a fun ride.

    And We’re Out.

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  • A HAUNTING IN VENICE Shows Third Crime’s a Charm

    A HAUNTING IN VENICE Shows Third Crime’s a Charm

    “No one shall leave until I find out if the living have been killed by the dead.”

    When Murder on the Orient Express came out back in 2017, many were expecting director/star Kenneth Branagh’s latest effort to be a flat-out bomb. The Agatha Christie whodunit was a sub-genre of film from a bygone era that most felt had no place in a world dominated by Marvel. But the all-star retelling of one of the most famous mysteries ever written was a surprise smash thanks to its all-star cast and top production values. Unfortunately, the director’s follow-up choice, 2022’s Death on the Nile, was the exact opposite. That movie was plagued by a scandal-filled cast, a shifting release date, and one of the weakest mysteries Christie ever wrote, all of which resulted in a lackluster movie experience. Fortunately (again) Branagh was still riding the success of Orient Express and his Oscar win for Belfast, allowing him to get his latest in the series, A Haunting in Venice, greenlit. While the movie might land somewhere in between the first two efforts for some, it should actually be considered Branagh’s finest hour in the world of Christie.

    In A Haunting in Venice, a now-retired Hercule Poirot (Branagh) has resigned himself to a life that is quiet, yet unfulfilling. When American crime author Ariadne Oliver (Tina Fey) shows up with a proposition for the legendary detective, Poirot reluctantly agrees. Soon, he finds himself attending a séance held by a medium (Michelle Yeoh) who has been hired by a wealthy woman (Kelly Reilly) looking to summon the spirit of her dead daughter. Also in attendance are a fragile doctor (Jamie Dornan), his young son (Jude Hill), and the dead girl’s former fiancé (Kyle Allen), among others. As expected, a dead body suddenly enters the picture, sending Poirot into a mystery that will test both his detective skills as well as his sanity. 

    As was the case with the first two outings, Branagh has ensured that A Haunting in Venice is a visual wonder. The director has proudly boasted in the past of how he’s employed David Lean-like camera techniques while insisting he be allowed to shoot on film. This means that his Christie turns all promise to be rich on the technical side, regardless of whatever the quality of the mystery itself may be. Here, Branagh has crafted the most intoxicatingly stunning film of the three. A Haunting in Venice is ripe with wonderfully dizzying camera angles, rich cinematography, and a sound design that evokes its own kind of fear, instantly ranking itself as one of the year’s best. Adding to the atmosphere is the crumbling palazzo where the entire film takes place. Draped in despair, faded elegance, and a slight menace, the movie’s physical setting gives off an otherworldly sense of place, one that bears only a passing resemblance to the real world. After heavily favoring green screen for his previous Poirot efforts, Branagh’s use of practical sets and effects work wonders when it comes to making A Haunting in Venice a visceral, chilling affair. 

    Of course, all the cinematic style in the world wouldn’t be worth much in a film such as this without a compelling narrative waiting to be solved, which thankfully, A Haunting in Venice has. Based on the novel “Hallowe’en Party,” the movie begins life as a story of loneliness and regret, two very common Christie themes. When the aforementioned séance and subsequent scares start to ramp up at the beginning of the second act, the movie unleashes a skillfully executed balance between horror and mystery as Poirot fearfully clings to his instincts even as he’s forced to question the reality of what he sees around him. This allows for some great acting moments for Branagh as he shows Poirot at what may be his most vulnerable to date. Dead bodies and ghostly apparitions (especially that of the deceased daughter) take turns as the detective works to uncover if there is a flesh and blood killer at play, or something truly unexplainable. To its credit, A Haunting in Venice doesn’t rely too heavily on standard jump scares but instead depends on the eeriness of the story and the tortured souls at the center of it to carry its audience all the way through.

    After getting much flack for his version of the famous fictional detective in the first two go-arounds (mainly from biased fans of David Suchet’s incarnation), Branagh’s performance here is something of a revelation compared to his previous times at bat. Gone are the humorous quips from the first movie and the theatrics of the second and in their place is a portrait of a much-revered man who has lost a part of himself. Branagh plays Poirot as a weary shell of a human being whose internal battles see him searching for purpose. The actor’s physicality, vocal inflections, and overly tense look in his eyes help to give a special depth to the character that hasn’t been there before. 

    The outstanding supporting cast is well assembled and each member manages to give some solid character moments that add to the mood and humanity of the story in their separate ways. Among the standouts are Fey (never more sharp and quick-witted), Dornan (truly devastating), Hill (poetic and heartbreaking), and Reilly (so compelling as perhaps the film’s most tragic figure). The most enjoyable performance, however, comes from Yeoh, who makes the most of her scenes, playing her character as a woman who genuinely believes what she’s selling before revealing her own agenda.

    A Haunting in Venice doesn’t end without a couple of glaring issues. The movie’s black-and-white sequences still feel a little too modern and polished, while a few of the characters’ fates are tied up a little too neatly, especially given the largely grounded tone that’s been held all the way through. Overall, however, it’s fair to say that Branagh has finally gotten it right. The filmmaker lucked out the first time with a solid mystery and a cast that worked in sync to bring out that movie’s emotional side. Here, it feels like the director himself is finally in tune with the human element of Christie and has crafted a film with the kind of character and nuance that always served as the author’s secret weapons. Many would be justified in considering Branagh’s past interpretations of the famous writer’s works more tribute than adaptation. This time, however, he’s gotten to the source’s heart and finally understands the difference.

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  • A HAUNTING IN VENICE Beautifully Blends Horror Mystery and Humor

    A HAUNTING IN VENICE Beautifully Blends Horror Mystery and Humor

    Kenneth Branagh’s third outing at Hercule Poirot proves his best yet

    Photos provided by the Walt Disney Company.

    While modern day Hollywood seems exclusively built on franchises and intellectual property, perhaps one of the stranger examples is Kenneth Branagh has quietly carving a corner for himself to seemingly make Hercule Poirot films until he loses interest in them. Doubly interesting, thanks to a major studio absorbing another, the most risk-averse of all studios, the Walt Disney Company, is the money behind these unapologetically grown-up mystery films. Thus far however, Branagh’s takes on Poirot are have proven mostly safe if confidently done adaptations, but nothing that distinguishes itself from previous variations. They are comfortable and inoffensive, but never really felt vital the first two times out.

    Luckily for fans of both Branagh and Poirot, and those disappointed by his seemingly cursed adaptation of Death on the Nile, the latest outing, A Haunting in Venice, is his strongest Poirot film yet, intermingling the sophisticated whodunit formula with elements of supernatural horror. Which is especially encouraging, as while the three films do form something of a loose trilogy, each is ultimately a stand alone mystery. Meaning that there is no reason for people to jump in now, especially as we approach the beginning of spooky season, for a unique and creepy murder mystery with equal parts dread, humor and sophisticated ambiance.

    Loosely based on Agatha Christie’s Hallowe’en Party, Haunting is set a full decade, as well as an entire World War, after the last time we saw Branagh’s Poirot in Nile. Now officially retired and retreated to Venice, Poirot is refusing to take on any new cases. But when an old friend, Ariadne Oliver (Tina Fey) shows up to ask him a simple favor: to observe famed medium Joyce Reynolds (Michelle Yeoh) and attempt to debunk her claimed ability to commune with the dead. Poirot seems less than interested out of all-consumed cynicism on anything regarding spirits or souls, but out of his duty of friendship to Ariadne he agrees.

    Of course, this being a Poirot story, things ultimately go a bit awry. Poirot soon learns that the person Reynolds is meant to commune with was a young woman who died under mysterious circumstances. Her grieving mother, Rowena Drake (Kelly Reilly), longs to find closure in her daughter’s death, but also is convinced that the ghosts who haunt her villa are responsible. Before too long, new murders draw Poirot out of retirement, setting the stage for him to solve yet another puzzling parlor mystery. And that is even before mysterious unexplainable things start occurring, causing Poirot to question his own skepticism on the existence of supernatural phenomena.

    Like all the previous Branagh Poirot films, Haunting largely functions as an ensemble piece, with the potential suspects all having their own time with the quirky, methodical detective. What makes it feel more unique is how it is by design more contained and claustrophobic, circling around a colorful set of character tropes who are all interconnected. There is the deeply religious family caretaker convinced the home is possessed (Camille Cottin), the doctor scarred by PTSD related to his time in World War II (Jamie Dornan), his precocious son (Jude Hill), and a pair of refugees who assist Yeoh’s mysterious medium (Emma Laird and Ali Khan.) The strength of both Branagh’s direction and the excellent script from Michael Green is the balancing between all these voices, giving everyone moments to shine, but also casting suspicion on each in due turn.

    Kenneth Branagh and Tina Fey prove a winning on-screen pairing.

    While the fun of unraveling multiple interrelated mysteries is at the heart of what this franchise continues to offer, it is that script from Green that truly sets this outing apart from the previous two adaptations. Unlike both Murder on the Orient Express and Nile, Green used Hallowe’en Party as the barest sketch to build on, meaning that even the most avid Christie fans will have surprises in store. The setting of the film,  a post-War Italy coming to terms with its role in the Axis, carries with it much weight, both explicit and implicit. Through its setting and set pieces, the film circles around and explores topics as diverse as faith, the existence of God, and the very purpose of living in a seemingly unjust and cruel world. These people are not just haunted by ghosts, but rather haunted by questions regarding the very nature of humanity, and if it’s worth worrying about in the wake of the horrors recently revealed.

    The more supernatural horror elements of the film are also expertly implemented. The suspense of the circumstances never is played cheaply, leaning more into tension and unsettling circumstances than cheap jump scares. Branagh makes great use of his location, an actual villa in Venice, that carries the seeming weight of the scares with it, a place dripping with atmosphere. At times you feel like you have a sense of the space, but as Poirot’s grip on the circumstances change, Branagh’s composition of the space morphs and shifts, keeping the viewer off-center as well.

    And while it took him three films to get there, Branagh seems to have finally found his voice for Poirot. He is funny, if dryly so, containing a sense of warmth that is bundled under all of his mannerisms and meticulous calculated movements. His interactions with Tina Fay’s Ariadne are especially thrilling, as he finally has another mystery-minded foil to bounce his calculations against, someone who can follow along with his train of thought, if perhaps a step behind her colleague. But after two films where he was gesturing towards big ideas, Branagh’s finally settles into a deeply human, deeply engaging take on the famous detective to feels both true and fully his.

    The arc of a successful mystery is of course allowing the audience to be in on the pieces, to give them enough to feel like they are playing along, but never quite revealing the whole circumstances until the final magic trick is revealed. To this end, the mystery of Haunting resolves satisfactorily, feeling appropriately solvable while not obvious. But the true magic is how the themes and the mystery converge, and how Poirot’s piece in the case connects back to his own traumas and pains. Hopefully Branagh and Green are given the runway to make another delightful mystery together, because they just appear to be hitting their stride.

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  • MY YOUNG AUNTIE – Shawscope Vol. 2 – Roundtable Reviews

    MY YOUNG AUNTIE – Shawscope Vol. 2 – Roundtable Reviews

    Cinapse is all about cinematic discovery. This Shawscope Volume 2 column is, therefore, a watch project for our team, and guests, to work through this phenomenal set from Arrow Video. These capsule reviews are designed to give glimpses of our thoughts as we discover these films for ourselves. Some are kung fu cinema experts, some less so; all are excited for the adventure.

    The Hong Kong-based Shaw Brothers Studio cranked out a staggering number of feature films over its lifetime. With worldwide influence continuing to this very day, their contributions to cinema are myriad and undeniable. Arrow Video has curated a second volume of titles; an intentional way to wade into the deep waters of the Shaw Brothers. Beyond capsule reviews, our team also offers thoughts on the set curation and bonus features. Watch along with us, join us in the comments, or reach out on social media (linked below) if you’d like to submit your own

    Ed Travis

    My sense is that My Young Auntie has a ton of fans and when the Arrow Shawscope Vol. 2 set was announced it felt like there was a bunch of buzz about this title being included. I do love digging deep into these Shaw Brothers titles but I have to admit there’s… a bit of a sameness that arises watching them week after week. So I, too, was very excited to check out My Young Auntie if only as a reprieve from so much similarity. Here was a Shaw Brothers film starring a real live woman! And Kara Hui absolutely did not disappoint as a young martial arts master who marries a dying patriarch so that she can assist in executing his will in a way that bypasses their wicked relative and continues the family honor. And so, she becomes the “young Auntie” of Hsiao Ho’s Charlie. Charlie studies in Hong Kong and is a fan of speaking English and celebrating western customs. His father Yu is the heir of the family fortune and is (for some reason secretly?) a martial arts master and an honorable man. Yu is played by my guy (and the director of the film) Lau Kar Leung. Entertaining and silly, My Young Auntie is indeed a refreshing entry in this collection. Hui is dazzling as an accomplished martial artist and she brings elegance and beauty to the role. There’s lots of broad and occasionally interminable comedy. And while I ultimately enjoyed the film, I have to express a sincere frustration that despite Hui being the clear lead around which this film was built, Lau Kar Leung seems to have still been shackled to masculine tropes which led to Charlie and Yu being the big forces in the final battle, which finds Kara Hui conveniently captured and tied up and unable to truly be the final hero at the end of her own movie. It’s a highly unfortunate trope when “strong female leads” are created for films but they end up sidelined in their own movies. I wish Lau Kar Leung could have stuck the landing here as this film ultimately isn’t as refreshing or empowering as it might have seemed at first glance. All that said, I’d gladly check out more Kara Hui films!

    Dan Tabor

    Given the last few films were all Chang Cheh/Venom Mob beat’em ups, My Young Auntie was a much needed comedic reprieve. This film brought back Lau Kar-leung who’s both directing and acting in a film that has a young martial-arts champion Cheng Tai-nun (Kara Hui) marrying her teacher twice her age to keep his land from falling in the hands of his brother Yu Yung-Sheng (Wang Lung Wei). This is surprisingly done in a way that’s neither creepy nor robs our protagonist of her agency. This also forges the crux of the comedy, because of this marriage she is given great auntie status in this family. That has Kar-leung as a director using both her age and how revered elders are in Chinese culture for the bulk of the laughs, while also playing into the fresh off the boat trope, since Cheng travels from the country to the bustling city of Canton.

    Comedy aside, the film also takes place during the industrialization of China, which was another fun change of setting. Western clothes, cars and sunglasses are part of the narrative that has Cheng-chuan’s son Yu Tao (Hsiao Ho), educating his conservative country bumpkin auntie on all these new fads and technology that he’s learned about during his time at school in Hong Kong. It’s a fun and frothy little film that thankfully even manages to side step turning into a weirder romance with Yu Tao, keeping its wholesome story of empowerment for Cheng Tai-nun. Definitely one of my favorites from the set just because of how unique it is compared to the other films on the set with its comedic story and empowered female protagonist.

    Austin Vashaw

    From 1981, My Young Auntie is on the latter end of Shaw Bros’ classic era, by which time Jackie Chan had changed the landscape, carving out a niche for kung fu comedies. A dying man marries a much younger woman (Kara Hui) in order to legally bequeath her his estate and keep it out of the hands of his greedy brother; the film’s premise pits her as an ‘auntie’ (or elder) by marriage over her new family, including her much older nephew Yu Cheng-chuan (Lau Kar Leung, who also writes and directs), and his dipshit son Charlie (Hsiao Ho). It’s a humorous concept that buts against conventional ideas of age, gender, and seniority.

    Hui’s fish-out-of-water character Tai-Nun is mostly charming and there’s some solid fighting scenes, and like most Shaw Bros films you’ll see some really familiar faces, like Wang Lung Wei as the villain, and Gordon Liu as a member of Charlie’s cadre.

    I have a bit of a pet peeve that gets triggered a lot in Asian media (particularly in anime, but it pops up a fair bit in martial arts as well) – shouty dialogue where characters constantly scream at each other. There’s quite a lot of that going on here and it can get pretty grating. Charlie and his friends are all rather obnoxious and have a weird fetishization of western culture which means there’s a lot of English shouting mixed in with the Cantonese, which somehow makes it worse.

    In one particular sequence, the gang tries to embarrass Auntie by making her dance with them at a Westernized costume ball; she yelps and screams in protest through the entire dance and it’s really painful to endure, both for the insensitive cruelty of the boys and for listening to her squealing non-stop for three minutes.

    The definite highlight of the film is its climax, when “the uncles”, who are getting on in years but still have formidable fighting skills, join Charlie and Yu Tao in the battle to recover the Auntie’s stolen deed. It’s a blast to watch them, and in particular Lau Kar Leung, win the day – but it’s also kind of a bummer because it really should be Auntie’s fight and instead the writer-director made himself clearly the coolest character?

    ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

    And We’re Out.

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  • CHUCKY Comes Out to Play in 4K-UHD

    CHUCKY Comes Out to Play in 4K-UHD

    Scream Factory complete the 4K Child’s Play collection with Bride, Seed, Curse, and Cult of Chucky

    Last year, Shout! Factory gave one of the stalwarts of American horror a new lease of life, as the original Child’s Play trilogy came to 4K-UHD. Impressive visuals, and a host of extras celebrated these dark chapters in the rise of Chucky, a kids toy possessed by the soul of murderer Charles Lee-Ray (Brad Dourif). Since the originals, the series has ventured into wilder, camper fare, expanding the lore and cast of psychotic dolls through 4 films (not to mention a TV show), Bride, Seed, Curse, and Cult of Chucky. Rejoice as Scream Factory round out the series this month in UHD.

    BRIDE OF CHUCKY

    The original trilogy stay true to their name, centering proceedings around the kids that Chucky ends up stalking, but that dynamic shifts here with the more adult themes (so long Andy!). The fourth film in the franchise also shakes things up by adding another killer doll, one housing the unhinged soul of Charles Lee Ray’s old flame Tiffany (Jennifer Tilly). Together, it’s double the trouble as they form a killer pairing, and with such a combustible relationship, scope for plenty of doll on doll action, in more ways than one. A love/hate relationship as they concoct a plan to find to restore themselves to human bodies.

    Any franchise that makes it this far either stagnates, or shakes things up, and Bride certainly delivers the latter. It shakes off the last remnants of that gritty, dark tone that debuted in the first film, becomes fully aware of it’s own absurdity, and just runs with it. The script from creator Don Mancini pokes plenty of fun at itself, and the horror genre in general. Plenty of grisly moments and gore (nail gun action ahoy), and scenes that tilt toward the more risque, often with a healthy streak of black comedy. Ronny Yu’s direction is playful and lively, adding to the fun of it all. Douriff continues to revel in the vocal role and it met in this by the stellar work of Tilly, who doesn’t just create an instant horror icon in Tiffany, but also gives the franchise a whole new dimension and lease of life.

    The Package

    The 4K-treatment here is very well done, revitalizing the film over previous transfers. The depth of detail, vibrancy of image (and colors) stands out. Presentation is strong and vivid in both low light and daytime sequences. A nice, cinematic grain is preserved too. A clean, consistent, quality presentation. This release includes the film on 4K-UHD, with associated audio commentaries, as well as on Blu-ray with other assorted extra features:

    • Audio Commentary with director Ronny Yu: Yu infuses the commentary with the humor and energy he brings to the film, while also conveying his approach to carrying on the franchise
    • Audio Commentary with actors Jennifer Tilly, Brad Dourif and screenwriter Don Mancini: A lively commentary, with a nice rapport between the trio, and plenty of personal insights
    • BRIDE OF CHUCKY Spotlight on Location: Cuts together on set footage with an assortment of short interviews
    • The Making of BRIDE OF CHUCKY: An EPK style addition that recycles some of the interviews seen in other featurettes here
    • Additional scenes from the television version: Just under 3 minutes of cut material
    • Theatrical Trailer and TV Spots

    SEED OF CHUCKY

    You take a murderous doll, give him a bride, the next logical step is to round out the family unit with a child. A horrific birth is how Bride left off, and Seed runs with that premise in perhaps the most maligned film in the series. Building from Chucky and Tiffany meeting their end in the previous film, we see an orphaned young “Shitface” working as a ventriloquist doll. Eventually, they set out to reconnect with their roots. A meta-setup, reveals a movie being made depicting the murderous actives of his parents sees a journey to Hollywood, and after hijacking some props and a voodoo ritual later, and the family are reunited. The duo once again look to restore their human form with their child, now named Glen/Glenda, in tow.

    While Bride tilted into dark comedy with aplomb, Seed is less successful. Writer/director Mancini brings his typically offbeat sensibilities to bear, but a waning budget and a few bad creative choices lumber the film with an angle that fails to connect, and jokes that simply don’t land, no matter how often they’re repeated. The film has a weird meta layer as it transplants the franchise into the “real world”. Things like Tilly appearing as herself, which could be great, and she herself is, but the idea just feels forced and not fully thought out. Shots at Hollywood and the film industry, in jokes, and pop culture nods/quips, permeate proceedings. Seed seems preoccupied with trying to be clever, it not only fails at this, but also forgets to deliver horror, and be more importantly be fun.

    The Package

    While the film itself is a bit of a letdown, the transfer itself is still quite impressive. Colors are well represented, but natural. Detail is good, even in darker scenes, and image is overall clean, consistent, and preserves a nice grain. Extra features are quite plentiful:

    • NEW Off With the Head – Tony Gardner on SEED OF CHUCKY: The makeup effects supervisor delves into the process of rebuilding the Chucky and Tiffany dolls for the new film, as well as the puppeteering process
    • NEW Chucky Be Demented – John Waters on SEED OF CHUCKY: The filmmaker discusses his love of the franchise, and his experience featuring in the film
    • Audio Commentary with writer/director Don Mancini and special makeup effects artist Tony Gardner
    • Audio Commentary with writer/director Don Mancini and Jennifer Tilly
    • Slashed Scene with optional commentary by writer/director Don Mancini and Debbie Carrington
    • Heeeeer’s Chucky
    • Family Hell-day Slide Show
    • Conceiving the Seed of Chucky
    • Till on The Tonight Show
    • FuZion Up Close with The Seed of Chucky stars
    • Storyboard to Final Feature Comparison
    • Teaser Trailer, Theatrical Trailer and TV Spots

    CURSE OF CHUCKY

    After the last film, the theme of family has pervaded the franchise, and Curse shakes that up by taking a different approach. A back to basics approach seeing a young paraplegic named Nica (Fiona Dourif, daughter of Brad) dealing with the aftermath of her mother’s mysterious death after a mysterious package containing a doll shows up on their doorstep. A family reunion follows, and they fall one by one to this malevolent doll in their midst, prompting Nica to suspect these accidents are somehow connected to this red headed doll.

    The ever decreasing budget for these films really starts to become apparent here, but Mancini makes great use of the (largely) single location. In terms of setting, story, and tone, Curse really harkens back to the first Child’s Play. Time is taken to build suspense and works the emotional element, introducing the characters and their baggage and relationships, getting you to root for them, before letting chaos commence. The wheelchair bound nature of the protagonist is well worked into the story and tension of the tale and some of the kills are incredibly inventive. Complementing the thriller vibe is Chucky himself. A shift from the more bombastic form seen in the past few outings to a more crafty approach, one complemented by the as ever sterling work of Brad Dourif.

    The Package

    Picture quality is again impressive, solidly consistent with deeply saturated blacks, a good palette range, and good fine detail. This all benefits the dark interiors of the house where the film primarily takes place. As with the other releases, Scream Factory do a terrific job with collating a ton of extra features, some legacy, some all new:

    • Audio Commentary with writer/director Don Mancini, special makeup effects artist Tony Gardner and actress Fiona Dourif:
    • NEW Andy’s Secret Return – Alex Vincent of CURSE OF CHUCKY: Offers context as to the planning and filming of the star from the original film
    • NEW It’s Got A Death Curse – Tony Gardner on CURSE OF CHUCKY: A return to an ongoing issue that plagued the films, the loss or destuction of the Chucky doll. The featurette also gives a little istorical background on the house used in filming
    • NEW Twist of Jill – Danielle Bisutti on CURSE OF CHUCKY: A perspective on the actor’s character, as well as her take on Mancini’s approach to direction, and collaboration with Fiona Dourif
    • Playing with Dolls: The Making of CURSE OF CHUCKY:
    • Living Doll: Bringing Chucky to Life:
    • Voodoo Doll: The Chucky Legacy:
    • Storyboard Comparisons:
    • Deleted Scenes:
    • Gag Reel:
    • Trailer and TV Spot:

    CULT OF CHUCKY

    Each Child’s Play installment finds ways to reinvent or expand the franchise and Cult of Chucky is no different. Its approach involves the evil Charles Lee Ray finding a way to fragment his soul. Why have one murderous Chucky doll when you can have three? The result is a film with bigger scope, not just in terms of threat, but in how scenes can play out with this multi-threat.

    The film picks up with Nica (Fiona Dourif), who having been left mentally unstable after the events of the previous film, has been undergoing rehabilitation under the care of Dr. Foley (Michael Therriault). Of course Chucky returns, in the form of a therapy tool at first, before he works his way through the staff and patients before getting to Nica, who finally begins to realize she isn’t crazy after all. It’s another inventive aspect of the film that is used to good effect — the disbelief at Nica’s story about murderous dolls, her treatment, then finally reality sinking in for them all. That said, it’s the films final act when the real carnage is unleashed, which is what most fans will be waiting for. A bonkers stretch that shows some smart plot turns and impressive kills.

    Brad Dourif and Jennifer Tilly give the usual amount of gusto in their voice roles, but it’s Fiona Dourif who is the standout. Her range throughout the film is impressive and largely key to making the far fetched premise work. The supporting cast too, notably the patients in the asylum such as Grace Lynn Kung, Adam Hurtig, and Elisabeth Rosen, commit themselves well (pun intended). Mancini & Co. embrace some of the more bizarre and twisted elements of the sequels here, the appeal of which will very greatly depending on the viewer. As you’d expect from a low budget slasher, some of the material is recycled, and there is a suspension of belief needed for some moments, but the end product is entertaining and surprisingly slick and inventive.

    The Package

    The most recent film in the series was actually shot in 2K, that being used for the 4K upscale/remaster seen here. The film lacks some of the grit and texture seen in the earlier entries, a more sterile looking film. This benefits the institutional setting, but when scrutinized the lack of production value is more noticeable. Still, the transfer itself is clean, showing sharp detail, a good depth of colors and blacks, and an improved level of contrast in darker scenes than the previous Blu-ray release. The package also includes a Blu-ray version of both the unrated, and R-rated versions, only 1 minute of runtime separates them. There is quite a substantial array of extra features included too:

    • Audio Commentary with writer/director Don Mancini and special effects makeup artist Tony Gardner (Unrated Version): Interesting and frank conversation about the making of the film, as well as how their careers have entwined. Plenty of snippets about the highs and lows of production.
    • NEW Doll in the Familly – Tony Gardner on CULT OF CHUCKY: More prop insights, largely from the logistical issues of needing multiple Chucky dolls, Mancini’s management, and budget limitations
    • NEW Do the Chucky Stomp – Alex Vincent on CULT OF CHUCKY: Somewhat of a reflection on the actors history with Chucky, as a character and in the real worls
    • NEW A look inside Alex Vincent’s Recording Studio
    • Inside the Insanity of Cult of Chucky: Insights from director-writer Don Mancini, head puppeteer Tony Gardner, production designer Craig Sandells, actors Fiona Dourif, Jennifer Tilly, Alex Vincent, and Michael Therriault. They touch on topics such as production, set design, the story and its characters, as well as how it fits into the franchise.
    • Good Guy Gone Bad: The incarnations of Chucky: This featurette offers a peek into Alterian’s workshop, the studio behind Chucky’s puppeteering, to see how the magic is created and focuses on how the look of Chucky has evolved over the years.
    • The Dollhouse: Brad and Fiona Dourif along with puppeteers Tony and Kyra Gardner talk about their collaborative approach to bringing these murderous dolls to life. Also some insights from Don Mancini and producer David Kirschner about the practical effects.
    • Deleted Scenes with optional commentary by Don Mancini
    • Trailers and TV Spot

    Bride of Chucky, Seed of Chucky, Curse of Chucky, and Cult of Chucky are available via Scream Factory on 4k-UHD now.


    SCREAM FACTORY™ SITE EXCLUSIVE OFFERS: Scream Factory™ is also offering exclusive merchandise and bundles for fans to collect while supplies last.

    Chucky 4-7 + 8 Posters + 4 Slipcovers + Prism Sticker
    This ShoutFactory.com exclusive offer contains the following items:
    Bride Of Chucky [Collector’s Edition] 2-Disc UHD/Blu-ray set (with slipcover) Seed Of Chucky [Collector’s Edition] 2-Disc UHD/Blu-ray set (with slipcover) Curse Of Chucky [Collector’s Edition] 2-Disc UHD/Blu-ray set (with slipcover) Cult Of Chucky [Collector’s Edition] 2-Disc UHD/Blu-ray set (with slipcover) Limited edition 18” x 24” rolled posters of the original theatrical artwork for all four films (these will ship rolled, in a poster tube) Four additional slipcovers — made exclusively for this promotion — featuring new artwork from artist Devon Whitehead for all four films Four exclusive, limited edition 18” x 24” rolled posters — made exclusively for this promotion — of the newly-designed art for all four films from artist Devon Whitehead (these will ship rolled, in a poster tube) A 2.5” x 3.5” retro prism sticker, featuring artwork by Matthew Skiff, designed to replicate vintage vending machine horror prism stickers from the late 80s and early 90s (this will ship in a stay-flat folded cardboard sleeve)

    Chucky 4-7 + 8 Posters + 4 Slipcovers + Prism Sticker + Trading Cards + Enamel Pin Set
    This ShoutFactory.com exclusive offer contains the following items:
    Bride Of Chucky [Collector’s Edition] 2-Disc UHD/Blu-ray set (with slipcover) Seed Of Chucky [Collector’s Edition] 2-Disc UHD/Blu-ray set (with slipcover) Curse Of Chucky [Collector’s Edition] 2-Disc UHD/Blu-ray set (with slipcover) Cult Of Chucky [Collector’s Edition] 2-Disc UHD/Blu-ray set (with slipcover) Limited edition 18” x 24” rolled posters of the original theatrical artwork for all four films (these will ship rolled, in a poster tube) Four additional slipcovers — made exclusively for this promotion — featuring new artwork from artist Devon Whitehead for all four films Four exclusive, limited edition 18” x 24” rolled posters — made exclusively for this promotion — of the newly-designed art for all four films from artist Devon Whitehead (these will ship rolled, in a poster tube) A 2.5” x 3.5” retro prism sticker, featuring artwork by Matthew Skiff, designed to replicate vintage vending machine horror prism stickers from the late 80s and early 90s (this will ship in a stay-flat folded cardboard sleeve) A set of 5 retro movie cards, each measuring 2.5” x 3.5”, designed by Beyond Horror Design, and packaged in a custom foil wrapper (limited to 500 units)

    Plus, Scream Factory™ and Gutter Garbs have teamed up to bring you the official Chucky 4-7 Collectible Enamel Pin Set, exclusive to ShoutFactory.com and limited to 500 units.
    Set includes 5 pins Each pin is hard enamel Each pin measures approx. 1.5” – 2” in height and/or width Each pin includes clutch with rubber backer Set includes custom backer card, which measures approx. 6” x 5” Pin set (on card) stored in custom keepsake box, which measures approx. 7” x 6” Keepsake box includes custom insert to keep pin set (on card) in place Art by Matthew Skiff


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