New Flix: Harbinger Down (2015)

Is this a triumph of Practical over Computer?  Today's Film is Harbinger Down, a 2015 Sci-Fi Action Film.  It was pushed and funded via Kickstarter as a pushback to the dramatic (over?)use of CG in Films.  To that end, Practical Effects Producer Alec Gillis- who worked with Stan Winston!- put together a Film with ZERO CG used to create its Monster.  The genesis of this goes back to 2011's The Thing (ugh) which had all of its Practical Effects (done so well in the Original) overwritten with CG.  While the Film has more issues than just iffy CG in it, the stuff they used was pretty bad.  Gillis' response was...to make The Thing (1982).  Well, sort of.  In the Film's defense, the notes of The Thing are obvious, but not the only thing here.  The Story takes some twists and turns that make it stand out.  THIS is what an Homage looks like, Insidious: Chapter 2!  In this Film, a Crabbing Boat picks up some mysterious cargo, leading to all hell breaking loose!  With Lance Henriksen in charge, I'm sure that everything will be fine.  I won't SPOIL this one too much, so don't worry...

In 1982 (the same year The Thing came out), a Russian Ship crashes from Space into the Ocean.

In 2015, a Crabbing Vessel led by Henriksen takes on some new Crew- specifically his Daughter!- and later discovers the wreckage frozen in the water.

After the group foolishly messes with the debris, they unleash the thawed-out Russian.  There is another organism on board too and it is not friendly.

If The Thing comparisons weren't apt enough, here is Inuit Kurt Russell.  Just don't call him Eskimo Kurt Russell.

Without SPOILing too much, the creature causes some crazy havoc and the Ship gets far less hospitable.

With the harsh, Winter wind rushing and the Creature on the loose, who will survive?  To find out, watch the Film.

Not wholly-original, but good fun.  This one is obviously inspired by The Thing.  To that I say 'Yeah- so what?'  The Thing (1982) is based on a 1950s Movie that is itself based on a Short Story.  If it is good, do it.  In this case, it was really good.  The Characters are solid, the Writing is solid and the Atmosphere is quite good.  The Story takes some nice Twists and keeps flowing quite well.  The real strong point here is the great use of Practical Effects.  Gillis and company show off some of the tricks that they originally made for The Thing (2011).  It is nice to see them used in a Film that is far less pointless!  The group shows their experience- working on Films ranging from Mortal Kombat to Alien vs Predator to...Super Capers-  here in full force.  The whole thing is nice, entertaining stuff.  It isn't going to blow your minds with the originality of the Story, but it is a great testament to what talented people can do when they put their minds to something.  It is also notable for crediting all of their Kickstarter Backers (a trend of the future?)...

Next up, I continue to cover some newer Films.  When in doubt, go with Horror and/or Comedy.  Stay tuned...

Quick Reviews: Scooby-Doo! and KISS- Rock and Roll Mystery

After Scooby-Doo and company's recent visit with WWE Superstars, I had to check out this new, bizarre pairing that seems to be 30+ years in the making...

The Gang goes to KISS World, since Guest-Stars must now have their own Attraction in these Films.  Why are they going though?

Well, there is a red, floating Witch causing trouble there and the only one that can solve the case is...

Well, they did stop that Phantom.

It is worth noting that KISS' anachronistic attraction is a giant, walking Lawsuit.  How is the Witch the biggest problem?

With the Witch around, all sorts of freaky stuff is happening.  

The freakiest: Velma's attraction to 63-year old Paul Stanley.  

Oh and this...

Credit where credit is due: they do stick in plenty of in-jokes about how KISS markets everything.

Will the Witch get what she is after or will KISS save the day?  

All I can tell you is that things get pretty damn weird about halfway through.  

The End.

Silly, silly stuff.  

This one is just plain odd for many reasons.  

Why KISS?  Why now?  Was there a sudden demand for KISS that I wasn't aware of?  

The Story is just plain bizarre, with notes from KISS Meet The Phantom of the Park, but never any knowing homage to that one.  I guess KISS are still ashamed of it, huh? 

Aside from that, you also have Scooby-Doo, Garry Marshall (huh?), Darius Rucker (Hooty?!?) ...plus Kevin Smith and Jason Mewes in the Intro.  Who Cast this thing?!?  

The Animation wasn't my favorite (it has that loose, lazy look at times), but there is some good, Kirby-influenced stuff (see above) that stands out.  

I'd like to think that KISS and company just like Kirby's stuff and wanted to use it...but it could be the work of the Animation Director.  

The Film has some weird, random moments which do stand out.  As a whole though, it is definitely more for younger kids than I.  Mind you, they won't know who the hell KISS is.  

What do you think of doing a Sequel, Kevin Smith and Jason Mewes?

Damn silly and not that great for older Viewers.  If you love KISS and or Scooby-Doo, you can probably get through this one fine.

Quick Reviews: Insomnia (1997)

Before I get to Christopher Nolan's 2002 Version of Insomnia (Update from the Future- it only take 8 1/2 years!), let's check out the 1997 Version from Norway...

Stellan Skarsgard Stars as a Detective sent to Norway to investigate a Murder.

Let's get to this irony: Stellan has a recurring Role in Marvel Films, while Nolan would make Billions for DC as a Batman Director.

After narrowing down the search to a key suspect, the Cops move in.  Unfortunately, a shot in the misty fog leaves one Cop dead...at Skarsgard's hands.

He covers up the incident- blaming it on the killer- and focuses on solving the case.  That will help him with his guilt, right?

He gets involved in a bit of romance while in Town working the case.  No problems there...

With his obvious lack of sleep and the guilt he is living with, can our hero catch the real killer?

...or will his guilt and insomnia overtake him?  To find out, watch the Film.

Not the most fun watch, but quite good.  This Film tells a dark, layered tale.  The Characters are serious and don't play around.  The Tone is serious and has no laughs in it.  All in all, it is a serious and dark Crime Thriller.  All of that is just to tell you what to expect- not to judge.  The Characters are quite interesting and feel pretty developed.  Skarsgard really commits here, making me wonder if Pacino (who tends to overplay Roles these days) can/did match up.  The Villain is not that special, but plays his part just fine.  The Story is neat as the Villain and the Hero don't always do what they should and also aren't black or white.  The Villain's motivations don't make him to be super-evil, while the Hero's actions covering up his shame make him not super-good either.  There is still a difference between them when it all comes down to it though, so this isn't so bleak as to ruin things.  It is interesting to see a Story like this that only features on real Murder being investigate and doesn't feel the need to escalate things with more.  After all this time, this one still holds up real well.  No matter what Nolan did to make his own Version stand out, he can't match these eyes...

A solid Character Piece that only suffers from being so bleak.  It is Norwegian, so...no shock.

Super-Old School Flix: The Magic Cloak of Oz (1914)

Since nobody demanded it, here's a Silent Film.  I thought it might be fun to put Films in perspective by going back a Century from the last Film I reviewed.  Today's Film is The Magic Cloak of Oz, a 1914 Film actually Produced under the supervision of L. Frank Baum.  It was often accompanied by The Patchwork Girl of Oz, a Film already covered here.  Like many Authors that would come after him, Baum would actually work on the early Films based on his works.  This Short Film is all sorts of crazy.  That's really all there is to it.  The Story involves the titular Cloak, some weird creatures and all sorts of bizarre stuff.  There's not much else to say, so let's dive right in...

So a bunch of Fairies decided to make a Magic Cloak that grants the wearer one wish.  What to do with it though?

Well, the answer lies in seeking out the right source...

A woman moves to Noland when her spouse dies, bringing the 2 kids and their creepy Donkey along.  When the King dies, the kids end up as royalty by sheer random chance and obscure Rules of Succession.  Hurray!

The kid takes to power quickly, as shown by this statement said (mercifully) in jest...

What little Plot there is in this forty-two minute Short (compiled from 5 Reels down to 3) kind of meanders as the Donkey is stolen, escapes and then starts doing this with a Monkey (I think)...

The other take-away from this one is that for as much as Oz seems to be whimsical, life can also be hellish for some!

To complete the nightmare fuel, these creatures take control of the Town (to make Soup) until the Animals work together to expel them...though the Text Cards give credit to the Cloak for no clear reason.

The Fairies take the Cloak back, but only after everything is wrapped up.  Yea?  The End.

Damn- this is weird.  If the Story from Baum's Book is like this, I kind of want to read it.  Weird Animals rescuing little girls from kidnappers!  Rotund mutants that eat buttons!  A magic Cloak made by Fairies who talk to the Man in the Moon!  L. Frank Baum was either super-creative or did lots of drugs!  I'll say this: there are some really neat Visuals for a Film that is over 100 years old.  Many of the Masks tend to dip a bit far into the Uncanny Valley (see above), but still look like they took alot of work.  They can really be creepy as hell!  When this Short actually has a clear Plot, it can be kind of fun.  Unfortunately, it tends to veer off into nonsense quite often.  Given that this Version is supposedly a composite of a 5-Reel Film down to 2 or 3 Reels, that may explain alot.  Since that Footage is lost to time (for now?), I can only judge what I see.  For what it is worth, this is creative as far as the Visuals go, but a bit incoherent as far as any Story goes.  It is free to watch on YouTube, so what's to lose?  Speaking of the Internet, someone found this pamphlet from the Film's early Marketing- neat...

Next up, I jump back to the present.  This time, it is a much-vaunted Film backed by Kickstarter.  Stay tuned...

Quick Reviews: Insidious- Chapter 2

After I wasn't super 'in love' with the Original (but it was still decent), how will the inevitable Sequel turn out?  Let's see...

In a somewhat-pointless Flashback opening, we learn about Josh's earlier targeting by a spirit.  We already knew all that, but it did give us the creepy over-dub of Elise's voice on her 'younger self.'

Is that better or worse than Digital De-Aging of Actors?  Discuss.

In the wake of what happened in the last Film, Josh is now possessed by an evil Spirit.  How he didn't fend it off is anyone's guess I suppose.  He managed to scare off that Freddy-acting guy earlier...

Since it worked so well twice in The Amityville Horror, the Dad now starts to act suspicious and more aggressive.

Since it worked so well in Insidious, we get lots and lots of Scenes of the Mom being spooked.  Yea?

With 'Male Elise' on the case (along with the Screenwriter and his buddy), we learn that this has to do with the Spirit of a Male Killer who dressed like his Mother to kill women.

There's an Homage and then there is just ripping off a Film.  Tell me how this isn't ripping off Psycho- please.

With the Ghosts of his victims haunting everyone (for some reason!) and the Dad losing control, can the day be saved?  For once, I won't SPOIL this one next time...since the 3rd Film is a Prequel (naturally).  The End.

I was expecting a letdown (given the Reviews) and I wasn't disappointed...that I was disappointed.  Make sense?  Who knows?  The basic idea is fine: people try to find Ghosts to save family.  It works well enough.  The problem: the Film tries to get gimmicky.  They go to the 'Horror Well' way too often as if this 2nd Film in a Series needs to remind you of other Films to make you like it.  You got a great response from the 1st Film, so what do you have to prove, James?  It isn't like they don't do their 'Homages' well enough.  I won't say that the make-up work and visuals aren't good.  The problem is that they don't feel too inspired.  My other big thing is the odd turn that the Third Act takes.  Without SPOILing things too much, the Further appears to allow you to interact with outside events at different times.  Is this Interstellar now?  Yes, I know that this one came out first- thanks.  If this was super-thoroughly planned out and all of these things panned out perfectly, I might be more forgiving.  However, most of what they play with happened in the Film you were already watching.  That's...less impressive.  In addition, can I ask why these Spirits always show up on Camera?  Furthermore, why does Josh's family keep all of this information to themselves?  Even if they don't want fame, they could help Elise AND help any Family who may be wary of calling someone like her.  How many Families needed help, but didn't call for it due to the stigma?  Good job, Barbara Hershey!  The Film's biggest crime though: reminding me of this lady again!

 A bit of a retread of the first Film and with too many 'Homages' to not be distracting.  This was bound to disappoint a little, right?

Twin Piqued: Wounds & Scars

The morning Sun rises this Saturday just as it closes in everyone's favorite Town of...

This week, the Sub-Plots fight back for attention as Windom Earle plays dress-up and Truman gets emo...

Important Stuff

- Cooper meets with Log Lady and Stargate Commander to discuss some mysterious symbols.  What proof will they find in the Cave?

- The Doc helps Nadine & Ed talk about getting divorced, which the former doesn't quite get.

- A woman working for Eckhardt leaves a mysterious Box with Catherine.

- Sparks fly between Billy Zane and Audrey, leading to the 2 kissing at the End.

- Nadine's Sister comes to Town and it's...Heather Graham!  Too bad this isn't one of those places with the Servers on Roller Skates...

- Norma convinces her other Employee to try out for the upcoming Miss Twin Peaks Pageant.

- Windom Earle keeps an eye on two of his targets in disguise (more on that later), while the third (Audrey) is busy running a Fashion Show run by her Father to stop the Ghostwood Development.  It ends in a runaway Weasel!

- Truman takes Josie's death (and the truths about her past) very hard.  A mysterious woman places a gun by his bed and then climbs into bed with him.  Huh?

Theme(s)

We've got a recurring Theme here- The Past.
- Truman can't accept Josie's dark past and somewhat snaps.
- Ben Horne's opposition to Ghostwood now stands in stark contrast to it being his project.
- Ed and Norma seem to make a big move to become a couple for the first time in Decades.
- Earle continues to target the people of Twin Peaks b/c of Cooper.
- Hell, they brought back 'Squiggy,' who we haven't seen since he was selling stuff for comatose Leo.
- Audrey and Zane reunite and fall for each other.

Weird Moment(s)

Nadine's run continues to be over as Andy takes First 'Prize' for his performance in Ben Horne's Fashion Show.  That's too much plaid!

Coming in at a strong Second is Windom Earle's pair of silly (but apparently effective) disguises.

A bit more back to form this Week.  Not that last Week's one was bad, but the hyper-focus on Josie was a bit distracting.  This time, everything is about how it should be.  Windom Earle is sneaking, Cooper is investigating and everything else is just crazy.  The Sub-Plots this week were fun and kind of interesting.  Seeing Ben Horne act so different is neat, while Audrey seems to be rebounding from Cooper pretty well.  There's also none of that To Die For stuff with James, which is appreciated.  Seeing Earle make some moves is neat as his endgame is still not clear.  Speaking of Endgame, his disguises remind me of Kurt Angle's from that titular Film.  His are slightly more convincing, of course.  The White Lodge stuff is on slow-burn, but I can tell that it will be answered more clearly soon.  With more of what works best and less of what doesn't, this one is a good rebound from last Week's one.  Speaking of rebounds, the one-time Series Director would go on to make a Film in the following year (1992) that would be remembered as much as the Show itself...

Next week, what secrets will we discover next about this crazy Town?  Will they save the Pine Weasel?  See you then...

Immediate Response: Ant-Man

Yes, I'm late to the 'party' on this one.  Even so, it is still in Theaters and I just saw it, so let me give you may take on Marvel's latest Film...

The Good

* Paul Rudd really nails the Character and his interaction with all of the Cast is great.
* The Visual Effects are top-notch and they make great use of the Shrinking visual.
* While the Plot is serious, the Film is lightened by key moments of humor.
* Marvel continues to do some great world-building.  Take note, DC/Warner Bros!
* Kudos for explaining why they don't just call The Avengers.  Take note, future Captain America Films.
* That bit with Falcon (thanks, SPOILER Trailers!) was quite fun.
* It takes a good Film to make you care about an Ant with a pun name.  Kudos!

The Bad

 No major complaints here, so I guess I have to be a bit nitpicky...
* There are some major Iron Man vibes going on, making me wonder what changed between the 2 Scripts.
* You're gonna make us wait for Wasp.  You tease!

I'm sure that some will debate whether this is just Fun Style over Substance.  Either way, I liked it!

Here's the Phase 3!  You've got a high bar to hurdle.