Month: February 2018

Released: February 2018

Director: Ryan Coogler

Run Time: 134 Minutes

Rated PG-13

Genre: Action/Adventure

Distributor: Disney/Marvel

Cast:
Chadwick Boseman: T’Challa/Black Panther
Michael B. Jordan: Erik Killmonger
Lupita N’Yongo: Nakia
Danai Gurira: Okoye
Martin Freeman: Everett Ross
Daniel Kaluuya: W’Kabi
Letitia Wright: Shuri
Angela Bassett: Ramonda
Forest Whitaker: Zuri
Andy Serkis: Ulysses Klaue

Being excited for a new comic-book movie these days is not an easy thing.  A lot of the comic-book movies that you see in theaters these days have a tendency to blend in with all the other comic-book movies to the point you can’t even tell them apart anymore.  I’m not going to lie:  I’ve been keeping up with Marvel’s MCU(Marvel Cinematic Universe) since Iron Man.  After The Avengers hit the big screen back in 2012, a good chunk of the MCU movies that had been released since then have felt……generic.  I think part of the problem is that there was an overarching story-line that connected all the movies.  Sure, the first few were kind of cool, but afterwards it became more of a chore.  That kind of changed when Guardians of the Galaxy came out along with Doctor Strange.  The movies that tapped into the mystical and cosmic side of the MCU were far more interesting than the stuff that was based in the “real world.”  While I enjoyed the Captain America films, the third one caught my attention, mostly because it featured a character that hadn’t been seen in the MCU before: Black Panther.  He was probably the best part of that movie, so we kind of knew that a stand-alone Black Panther was coming and it showed up with some serious power.

Black Panther follows the newly crowned king of the African country of Wakanda, T’Challa as he hunts down a notorious weapons dealer.  During his investigation, he discovers that his father may not have been telling the truth about certain events in the past that have lead to Wakanda’s current crisis.  This crisis involves one Erik Killmonger, who has returned to Wakanda to claim his birth-right as king.  The story here works because there are no real twists and turns that pull the rug out from under you.  It also works, because it’s a standalone film that barely has a connection to the other MCU movies.  This is a good thing.  It allows us as the audience to not worry about what’s happening in the world outside of Wakanda.  The fact that Black Panther is mostly self-contained allows the audience to connect with the characters on the screen, because it’s not just about the action or the special effects.  The film focuses a bit more on the people and it’s all the better for it.  The action and spectacle come later.

I have to say this:  Coming out of the theater, I was blown away by how emotionally engaged I was with the film.  That comes down to a very solid script and screenplay.  The director of the film, Ryan Coogler, is no stranger to character development and there’s a lot of it here.  All the characters in this film are 3-dimensional, meaning that there are legitimate reasons for why they are the way they are and why they do what they do.  There really isn’t a wasted character in here.  While all the characters are fantastic, it’s T’Challa and Killmonger who stand out among the pack.  We have two characters here that want to change the world, but they have vastly different methods and motivations for doing so.  I’m going to be honest:  When it comes to villains, the MCU is not really good at having strong and compelling villains with the main exception being Loki.  Black Panther gives us a very strong villain with Killmonger.  This is a character that grew up in an area of the world that was very harsh and he had to be just as harsh to survive.  He’s not evil, he just a very different perspective on the world than T’Challa, and it’s a very understandable point of view that many of us could understand.  It’s his methods that most people tend to question.  It’s important to have a villain that’s just as human as it’s hero, and Killmonger is one of the most human and relatable villains I’ve seen in years.  The women in the film are exceptionally strong, since a great many of them are warriors and have an actual role in what’s going on.  Too many times have I seen women being relegated to the role of “damsel in distress.”  This is not just a movie for men, but for women as well.  The acting is very strong here with Chadwick Boseman playing T’Challa and Michael B. Jordan playing Killmonger.  Honestly, Chadwick Boseman is to Black Panther/T’Challa as Robert Downey, Jr is to Tony Stark/Iron Man.  It’s perfect casting.  Lupita N’Yongo, Letitia Wright, Angela Bassett and Forest Whitaker are absolutely fantastic in their roles.

I’ll get to the action and special effects in a bit, but first I have to mention how beautiful this film is.  The cinematography is unlike anything I’ve ever seen in a Marvel film before.  The African landscapes are just gorgeous with all the wildlife running around.  The canyons and the forests are simply stunning.  This is the kind of movie that makes me want to visit Africa.  While the country of Wakanda is fictional, the film shines a light on a part of the world that we really don’t normally see and it’s a damn shame, because Africa has some of the most serene and stunning vistas in the world.  There is a HUGE amount of detail that went into the making of this film.  The costume designs are beyond extraordinary.  It’s very obvious that the costume designers had done a lot of research into a lot of tribal fashion in Africa to come up with the costumes in the film.  The Black Panther’s costume is no less detailed.  The outfits and armor that the women wear are colorful, yet functional and they don’t over-sexualize the women here.  That’s amazing.

In terms of visual effects, the CGI is mostly good.  We get some really fantastic shots of Wakanda and the advanced technology that inhabits the country.  For the most part, the CGI really does help make Wakanda look and feel like a real place.  There are some points throughout the film where the CGI falters a bit.  Some of the character models and animations really aren’t that great and they do stand out quite a bit.  The final battle with Killmonger is one such sequence that, while entertaining enough, suffers from way too much CGI.  I certainly understand why CGI is used and I can commend the effort that goes into making it as seamless as possible, but there are a few moments where the CGI takes you out of the movie.  A lot of the action that takes place is mostly good, but certain parts during the beginning of the film were a little too dark to see what’s going on.  The stuff where you can see what’s going on is fantastic.  The car chase was particularly awesome and Black Panther doing his thing is awesome.  There are just a few hiccups here and there that kind of stick out to me.

Overall, I would have to say that I’m very impressed with how well Black Panther turned out.  Not only do we have very strong acting with some really outstanding characters, we also have a story that everybody can enjoy.  It doesn’t matter what ethnicity you are, there is something here very everyone.  You have incredible African landscapes along with some amazing costume designs.  It’s just a damned good movie.  I was actually getting a little choked up with some of the stuff that was happening towards the end of the movie and that’s the first time that an MCU film made me feel that way.  Bravo.  So, do I recommend Black Panther?  My answer is a resounding HELL, YES!  Definitely check it out.

My Final Recommendation:  No smart-ass limerick for this one.  9/10.

Clive Barker is a very prolific storyteller both in literature and film.  For a lot of people, Mr. Barker has an incredible imagination, albeit a very dark one.  Yet, that dark imagination has led to some of the most unique and diverse stories ever told.  Clive Barker is responsible for many books including The Hellbound Heart novella as well as the Books of Blood series.  There is no mistaking that this man has a lot of creative energy.  In horror circles, Mr. Barker is an extremely respected and sought after author and film-maker.  Stephen King himself once said, “I have seen the future of horror, his name is Clive Barker.”  When you’ve got the master horror novelist himself respecting you like that, you’re doing something right.  For this list, I’m going to discuss the best movies that were directed, written and/or produced by Clive Barker.  Be aware that a lot of these films that I’m going to go over are based on his novellas or short stories.  So, with that in mind, let’s delve into the dark and twisted mind of Clive Barker.

Hellraiser

The directorial debut of Clive Barker is both one of his best and most shocking movies ever made.  Hellraiser is regarded by most as the movie that introduced us to the demonic character of Pinhead, played brilliantly by Doug Bradley.  However, at its core, Hellraiser is a love story, albeit a very twisted and bloody one.  It’s also a family drama that happens to involve the supernatural and demonic entities brought forth by a mysterious puzzle box.  Not only is Hellraiser one of my favorite horror movies of all time, it’s also one of the most visually distinctive films I’ve ever seen.  It’s gothic, gross and disturbing all at the same time.  The characters are very interesting, including Frank and Julia as well as Kirsty Cotton, played by Ashley Laurence.  Andrew Robinson plays Larry Cotton, the wife of Julia and father of Kirsty.  Hellraiser was released in 1987, a time in which the horror genre was kind of stagnating with all these slasher movies and their sequels.  Hellraiser injected new life into the genre and took it to another level.  If you’re a fan of horror movies, Hellraiser is a must-see.

Nightbreed

The second feature-length film directed by Clive Barker, Nightbreed was as much a fantasy film as it was a horror movie.  Unfortunately, the movie studios felt that the focus of the film was too much on the monsters being the good guys and the humans being the bad guys, which was the original intent.  So, they chopped it up and marketed it as a slasher film, which is what Clive Barker had not intended.  Thankfully, the recent release of the director’s cut of the film rectifies a lot of the problems that the original release had and is more in tune with Mr. Barker’s novella, Cabal.  This is an absolutely bizarre movie.  It’s visually very interesting with amazing costume, creature and set designs.  The underground lair of the Nightbreed is amazing to look at.  The creature designs are simply put, some of the most unique I’ve ever seen.  This, I think, is Mr. Barker at his most imaginative.  It is violent, but it is not gory like Hellraiser.  There are a lot of themes at play here, including prejudice.  This one comes recommended, as it is one of the most original movies I’ve ever seen.

Lord of Illusions

While I would consider Lord of Illusions to be Clive Barker’s weakest directorial effort, it is by no means a bad movie.  Far from it.  This is a film that takes the idea of magic in the real world and approaches it in a very different and visceral way.  While some of the CGI effects in the film are flimsy even by 1995’s standards, a lot of the practical effects and costume designs still stand up.  The story is very interesting about a detective, Harry D’Amour, as he investigates the mysterious death of a famous magician.  Peeling away the layers of the mystery, D’Amour begins to suspect that much darker forces are at play that could threaten the entire world.  You want to know something really funny?  In some of Mr. Barker’s books, the character of Harry D’Amour goes up against Pinhead, which would place Lord of Illusions in the same universe as Hellraiser.  It’s an interesting thought that I would love to see on the big screen.  Scott Bakula is fantastic as D’Amour, with Kevin J. O’Connor and Famke Janssen in supporting roles.  I definitely recommend it.

The Midnight Meat Train

Based on Clive Barker’s short story of the same name, The Midnight Meat Train follows an amateur photographer as he unwittingly witnesses an act of absolute brutality by a mysterious figure played by Vinnie Jones.  Attempting to solve the mystery, the photographer decides to follow the killer to the end of the line.  This is a particularly gruesome film that features some really stark and dreary imagery.  Vinnie Jones as the silent villain is an intimidating presence.  It’s a riveting film from beginning to end and I recommend it to anyone who enjoys Clive Barker’s stories.

While Clive Barker may have only directed a handful of movies, he’s more than made his mark on the horror genre with his movies and his writing.  This is a guy that truly has a finger on the pulse of the genre.  While people may have tried to imitate Mr. Barker, nobody crafts a tale quite like he does.  These are some of the best films that he’s been a part of, in my opinion and I think fans of the genre should check them out.

Released: February 2018

Director: Gary J. Tunnicliffe

Run Time: 81 Minutes

Not Rated

Distributor: Lionsgate Studios/Dimension Films

Genre: Horror

Cast:
Damon Carney: Sean Carter
Randy Wayne: David Carter
Gary J. Tunnicliffe: The Auditor
Rheagan Wallace: Alison Carter
Helena Grace McDonald: Jophiel
John Gulager: The Assessor
Paul T. Taylor: Pinhead

When Clive Barker’s Hellraiser was released by New World Pictures back in 1987, it took the horror genre by storm.  A journey into the dark side of human nature and desire, Hellraiser was a shocking and visually disturbing film that surprised and disgusted movie-goers.  The film had a huge influence on the genre that birthed it and Clive Barker became a household name, essentially.  Probably the most popular aspect of the film was the character of Pinhead, played by Doug Bradley.  While the character was only on screen for maybe about 10 minutes out of the entire movie, his presence was felt throughout and has since become an iconic character alongside Freddy Krueger and Jason Voorhees.  The follow-up film, Hellbound: Hellraiser II, expanded on the mythology of the first film by exploring the origins of Pinhead and giving us a more detailed look into the world of the Cenobites.  Visually, it was just as shocking and grotesque as the original film, but it took the story to another level.  Hellraiser III is where things started going downhill from there with one final theatrical release in Hellraiser: Bloodline.  The following sequels went straight to home video and focuses less on what made Hellraiser so memorable in the first place.  They weren’t necessarily awful, but they just weren’t the same.  Now, in 2018, we have a new Hellraiser film.  How does it stack up with the others?

Hellraiser: Judgment follows three detectives as they try to track down a serial killer using the Ten Commandments as his inspiration.  As they continue to track the killer, they get drawn into a very dark and otherworldly situation from which there may be no escape.  I have to admit, the simplicity of the story is quite surprising and quite engaging.  While there are definitely moments where the film gets very twisted, it’s not convoluted.  I should mention that this is definitely not Clive Barker’s Hellraiser.  While it does carry the name and themes of Mr. Barker’s film, Hellraiser Judgment is a different kind of Hellraiser.  Whether or not you actually like the film may depend on whether or not you’re willing to set aside certain expectations.  It’s different and it’s new.  It introduces new ideas into the franchise that I find to be very interesting.  Bringing angels into the mix(yes, the Heavenly ones)not only spices things up a bit, but it also gives us a bit of a glimpse into where a future installment could go.  I find that absolutely fascinating.  I’m glad that Gary J. Tunnicliffe decided to change things up a bit.  THIS is the movie that Hellraiser: Revelations should have been.

Now, the first thing you are going to notice about Hellraiser: Judgment is the fact that Pinhead is played by someone other than Doug Bradley.  Revelations was the first film to cast someone else, but the film was an unmitigated dumpster fire.  For the tenth installment, Paul T. Taylor was cast as the Hell Priest.  You wanna know something funny?  Mr. Taylor does a pretty good job as the man with the pins in his head.  Don’t get me wrong, nobody can truly replace Doug Bradley as Pinhead, but Mr. Taylor brings his own unique performance to the role and it works.  The make-up effects and costume design for the character are outstanding.  Gary J. Tunnicliffe, who wrote and directed this film, also stars as the Auditor, a new Cenobite that “interviews” people before sending them to be cleansed and judged.  He’s particularly creepy.  The new Cenobites in this film are something to behold.  We have the classic “Chatterer,” while we get new characters like the Assessor and the Butcher.  The other actors do a decent job.  Damon Carney and Randy Wayne play officers who happen to be brothers working on the same case.  Alexandra Harris plays Christine Egerton, who is assigned to the same case as the Carter brothers, but she has another reason for being there.  Overall, the acting is really not bad here.

The effects for this film are really quite good for a film that’s very low-budget.  The make-up and costume designs are on par with some of the previous films if not more so.  Pinhead looks amazing  the way he’s designed.  He looks more like a priest than a sado-masochistic demon.  The other Cenobites are extremely detailed to the point of revulsion, as it should be.  Most of the effects in Hellraiser: Judgment are practical, especially in terms of the gore and violence, and that is generally not something you see in a low-budget horror film these days.  The first few Hellraiser films have always been fairly liberal with the gruesome visuals, and they don’t skimp out on the nasty stuff here.  It’s not gory every second of the film, but when the blood flows, it flows.

So far, so good, right?  It’s nothing like Hellraiser: Revelations, right?  No, but that’s not a particularly high bar to beat.  Thankfully, Judgment comes out swinging and connects more than it misses, in my opinion.  However, there are a number of issues which will most likely keep the film from legendary status.  First of all, people expecting a film like say Hellbound: Hellraiser II need to check their expectations at the door.  This is a very different film than what’s come before, so for some, that could be a huge negative.  Another problem is that some of the pacing is kind of…off despite the 81 minute run-time.  When you’re not actually dealing with the Cenobites, the movie does slow down a bit.  It also borrows elements from movies like Saw and Seven.  Personally, I don’t think that’s a bad thing, but the whole police procedural aspect of the film felt a little underwhelming to me.  There is also a twist in the film that I saw coming a mile away.  The film’s budget is estimated to be at 350,000 bucks, and it kinda shows at times.  There are some sets that don’t look like they were completed in time.  However, it is something that I can forgive because of the low-budget nature of the film.

Overall, I have to say that I’m pleasantly surprised by how good Hellraiser: Judgment ended up being.  Does this film erase the stench of Revelations?  Not really, but it is a huge step in the right direction, and with some new ideas being introduced into the franchise, I’m actually curious about where Pinhead goes from here.  If Lionsgate/Dimension Studios can put the same amount of effort into the next film as they did with Judgment, we may see a turnaround for Hellraiser.  Hopefully, we can get the franchise back on track.  This movie makes me hopeful for that.  Yeah, I would say, if you are a fan of Hellraiser, check this one out.  It may surprise you.

My Final Judgment: Tears are a waste of good suffering. 8.5/10

Released: February 2018

Director: Jesse V. Johnson

Run Time: 105 Minutes

Rated R

Distributor: Sony Pictures

Genre: Action/Thriller

Cast:
Scott Adkins: Mike Fallon
Ray Stevenson: Big Ray
Ashley Greene: Charlie Adams
David Paymer: Milton
Michael Jai White: Mick
Ray Park: Mac
Amy Johnston: Jane The Ripper

The independent action film scene has been around for decades, but some of the films have only come out in the past 15 years.  A huge part of that is due to the efforts of one British martial arts actor/stuntman Scott Adkins.  While the man has had small roles working with folks like Jackie Chan, it wasn’t really until Undisputed II: Last Man Standing that Scott really exploded on to the scene.  The man has had a steady line of work ever since working in films like The Shepard, Ninja, Expendables 2, Wolf Warrior, Hard Target 2, Doctor Strange, and Savage Dog.  Not everything that he’s made has been at the very least entertaining if not fantastic.  The man has put so much effort into everything that he does, that it was about time that he started having more of a direct involvement in the movies that he’s been making.  Enter Accident Man, a personal project for Scott Adkins that ends up being better than most “personal projects” by other actors.

Scott Adkins pays Mike Fallon, an assassin whose specialty is making hits look like accidents.  After each target is eliminated, Mike either takes out his stress on either a punching bag or groups of random dirtbags in local pubs.  Everything goes according to plan until he finds out that his ex-girlfriend was murdered and that the killer may be a member of the organization that Mike is a part of.  His quest for vengeance and the truth ends up leading him to turn against his fellow assassins.  I love movies like this.  The story doesn’t waste time with overly complicated twists and shock endings.  The story here is surprisingly well thought out and engaging.  Again, it’s not overly complicated and can be predictable at times, but when it hooks you, it doesn’t let go.  A lot of that is the result of some pretty strong writing.  Some of the strongest writing and lines here come from Scott Adkins who shares the writing credit with Stu Small.  While the film certainly has an edge, it’s smart enough to know to not take itself super-serious.  While that can work for certain films, the writing here is genuinely funny at times with plenty of dirty jokes and more off-color humor.  I would love to see Scott do some more writing in the future, because his wit is as accurate as his fighting.

The action sequences in this film are second-to-none, thanks to Tim Man, a frequent collaborator with Scott Adkins.  The fight choreography is sharp and hard-hitting.  One of my favorite fight scenes is when Scott’s character takes on Michael Jai White’s and Ray Park’s characters in a dojo.  Tim Man has a real gift for 1-on-2 fights.  All the fight scenes are incredible.  The finale when Scott takes on Amy Johnston’s character is one of the coolest fight sequences I’ve seen in a long time.  Even though the fight scenes are pretty brutal, there’s still an element of humor thrown into the mix which makes them all the more entertaining.  Again, it comes back to some pretty sharp writing.

I’ve been throwing around the whole “Expendables” comparison thing over the past couple of reviews here, but Accident Man is another one.  Not only do we have Scott Adkins at the helm, we’ve also got Ray Stevenson.  Michael Jai White third time starring with Scott Adkins and seeing these two fight each other is something to behold.  Darth Maul himself, Ray Park, is also here and he’s actually really good.  He and Michael Jai White form this duo of ex-special forces characters known as Mick and Mac.  We also have an up-and-coming martial arts superstar in Amy Johnston who more than holds her own against the boys.  There’s a lot of strange characters in this film, but each of them is fairly memorable.  One of them is this character called Poison Pete whose specialty is…well…poison.  He’s a very squirrely and anti-social character that’s pretty creepy.

For an indie film, Accident Man has a very professional, big-budget look throughout the entire movie.  We can thank director Jesse V. Johnson for helping give the film its look.  It’s incredibly well-shot with wide exteriors and proper lighting so we can see what’s going on.  The camera-work is also fantastic as the director doesn’t rely on the weak-ass “shaky-cam” technique that a lot of big-budget action films tend to use.  The soundtrack for the film is equally amazing.  It’s a combination of punk rock, heavy metal, and classic rock-style music.  This should not work at all in a movie like this, but it does.  It definitely gives the film a mid-80s, early 90s vibe that is absolutely fantastic.

If there’s really one nitpick that I have with this movie is that we aren’t really given more insight into Mike Fallon’s relationship with his girlfriend.  Also, I would have loved to see how Big Ray got his crew together.  However, those are just some minor nitpicks in an other-wise bad-ass action flick that should be on the radar for anyone looking for a good time.  It’s a movie with an edge and a sense of humor that does have a bit of heart.  It’s well-written, in no small part due to Scott Adkins and his passion for the project.  Scott’s got a lot of interesting stuff coming up this year including a film called Triple Threat.  If you haven’t been paying attention to this guy’s work, I would start paying attention right now.

My Final Recommendation:   Beware of defenestration.  9.5/10