REVIEW: “River Wild” (2023)

August 16, 2023 by Keith Garlington

A whitewater rafting getaway turns deadly in “River Wild”, the taut new thriller from director and co-writer Ben Ketai. Based on the 1994 film “The River Wild” (written by Denis O’Neill and directed by Curtis Hanson), this new reimagining makes several significant changes to the characters and their stories while maintaining the beautiful yet treacherous setting that plays such an integral part in the film’s success.

The movie opens by introducing us to Joey (Leighton Meester), a doctor from the city on her way to meet her brother Gray (Taran Killam). He gives rafting tours down Idaho’s Salmon River. Joey is looking forward to some time away due to some slightly alluded-to tension between her and her boyfriend. So she joins Gray as he’s preparing to take two young women, Karissa (Olivia Swann) and her free-spirited best friend Van (Eve Connolly) on an excursion down the river.

**Image Courtesy of Universal Pictures**

Joey’s hope for some quality brother-sister bonding time is squashed after she learns Gray has invited his longtime friend Trevor (played by Meester’s real-life husband Adam Brody). Fresh off a three-year prison stint, Trevor is uncomfortably nonchalant and clearly bad news. Joey is leery of his presence which offers the first of several hints at some history that may or may not find its way into the story.

Things start great as the five rafters set out down the mostly docile river which snakes through some truly gorgeous wilderness. Filmed in Eastern Europe, DP Gevorg Gev Juguryan captures scene after scene of stunning natural beauty with Hungary, Bosnia, and Slovakia filling in nicely for Idaho. It’s an exquisitely shot film.

But the trip takes a turn after the group set up camp for the night. Van falls and sustains a skull fracture. The circumstances surrounding her fall are vague but we’re fed some pretty clear suspicions. One thing is for sure – they must get Van medical attention and they can’t wait until morning to do it. Their only option is to get back on the river and head towards the nearest ranger station, navigating both the night and the challenging rapids that lie ahead of them.

Of course over time the rafters learn that their biggest threat isn’t from nature at all. It’s from within their group. Even more suspicions arise, relationships grow more complicated, and motivations shift from sketchy to sinister. The screenplay (penned by Ketai and Mike Nguyen Le) leaves out a few too many details, but it maintains a razor-sharp focus. And along with Ketai’s unflinching direction, it does a good job steadily ratcheting up the tension.

From the very start you can’t help but notice that “River Wild” is edgier and more grounded than its 1994 inspiration. It has its head-scratching moments when characters do (or don’t do) things that’ll have you yelling at the screen. But the film’s grittier tone, kinetic pacing, and terrific performances more than make up for it. Throw in the expected yet utterly thrilling river rapids sequences and you have a movie that grabs your attention and keeps you locked in, all while surprising you in a number of ways. Most importantly, it’s not some meaningless rehash. It comes with its own ideas and ambitions. And that’s something I can always appreciate. “River Wild” is out on Blu-ray and streaming on Netflix.

VERDICT – 3.5 STARS

REVIEW: “Sharknado” 10th Anniversary Edition (2013/2023)

August 15, 2023 by Keith Garlington

If ever there was a cinematic poster child for B-movie schlock it would have to be 2013’s disaster comedy “Sharknado”. First airing ten years ago on the Syfy channel, this utterly shameless, gleefully self-aware, and proudly mindless concoction has gone from made-for-television dreck to a full-blown cult classic that has spawned a total of five sequels and three spin-offs. Who saw that kind of success coming?

Now independent film distributor The Asylum is celebrating the movie’s 10th Anniversary with an all new 4K remastered version of “Sharknado” that features new visual effects and never-before-scene footage. Better yet, they’re bringing it to over 500 big screens across the country for a special two-night engagement. Talk about a movie custom-made for a late-night screening with an energized crowd.

As for the story, it is unbelievably silly and completely implausible in every possible way. Everyone involved in the film knows it and that’s a big part of what makes it entertaining. Yet there is an illusion of seriousness that actually makes it even funnier than it naturally is by concept alone. Director Anthony C. Ferrante and screenwriter Thunder Levin throw all sorts of ingredients together and end up with something you can’t help but enjoy.

How’s this for a wild weather anomaly – twenty miles off the coast of Mexico a massive waterspout forms and begins sucking sharks out of the ocean. Somehow it turns into a dangerous hurricane (I think) and quickly heads up the coast towards California. Now in case you’re tempted to delve into the science of such an anomaly, don’t. Remember, the name of the movie is “Sharknado” so looking for logic is missing the point. Just know the movie attributes it all to global warming and then quickly moves on.

Fin Shepard (Ian Ziering) is an ex-professional surfer who now owns a restaurant and bar on the Santa Monica Pier. With the killer hurricane bearing down on the shore, Fin, his best chum Baz (Jaason Simmons), his loyal barmaid Nova (Cassie Scerbo), and a handsy local lush named George (the late John Heard) flee the pier and head inland. But floodwaters full of frenzied man-eating sharks is soon rushing into the city. Yikes.

Fin and his crew head to Beverly Hills (a funny little in-joke for fans of the 90210 zip code) to warn his ex-wife April (Tara Reid), their daughter Claudia (Aubrey Peeples), and April’s jerk of a boyfriend Collin (Christopher Wolfe). But in a snap the storm is on top of them, bringing not only the floodwaters but sharks to their posh, upscale neighborhood. To make matters worse, three enormous waterspouts hit downtown Los Angeles sucking up more sharks and slinging them across the city.

So yes, it’s remarkably silly but Ferrante, Levin, and (as mentioned) the entire cast is completely aware of it. And the story’s goofiness is only accentuated by everything surrounding it – the hilariously bad one-liners, the stilted overly dramatic performances, the cheap special effects and gobs of glaringly fake gore. You’ll find yourself giggling at nearly every facet of this bonkers creation.

But again, that’s pretty much the point. “Sharknado” is the epitome of “so bad it’s good”. Maybe not good enough to watch again and again, but plenty good enough to do what it sets out to do – entertain in its own offbeat cockamamie way. Don’t overthink it. Just have fun laughing at it. It certainly has fun laughing at itself. “Skarknado 10th Anniversary Edition” will be in select theaters August 15th and 16th.

VERDICT – 3 STARS

New on Home Video: “Is Paris Burning?” – Digitally Restored Blu-ray

August 15, 2023 by Keith Garlington

This month Kino Lorber Studio Classics is bringing acclaimed filmmaker René Clément’s 1966 epic “Is Paris Burning?” to home video in a handsome new special edition. Based on the best-selling book by Larry Collins and Dominique Lapierre, this classic film features an incredible international ensemble cast along with Oscar-nominated cinematography and art direction. This beautiful new release is a must for any fan of the film.

The new Blu-Ray Special Edition of “Is Paris Burning?” will release on August 15, 2023. See below for a full synopsis and release information.

OFFICIAL SYNOPSIS

Year: 1966

Runtime: 173 Minutes

Director: René Clément

Screenwriters: Gore Vidal, Francis Ford Coppola

Cast: Jean-Paul Belmondo, Kirk Douglas, Alain Delon, Glenn Ford, Orson Welles, Charles Boyer, Leslie Caron, Jean-Pierre Cassel, George Chakris, Bruno Cremer, Claude Dauphin, Pierre Dux, Gert Fröbe, Daniel Gélin, Georges Géret, Hannes Messemer, Harry Meyen, Yves Montand, Anthony Perkins, Michel Piccoli, Wolfgang Preiss, Claude Rich, Simone Signoret, Robert Stack, Jean-Louis Trintignant, Pierre Vaneck, Marie Versini

From the Studio:

Acclaimed filmmaker René Clément (Forbidden Games, The Day and the Hour, Rider on the Rain) brings you the explosive, courage-filled story of the Allied Resistance and the Paris Liberation of 1944. As the Nazi jackboot marches through Europe, the freedom fighters of Paris mount a brave resistance. An insane and desperate Hitler sends a top general to determine if the Nazis can hold the city. If not, Paris will be burned.

With a powerful script by Gore Vidal (Suddenly, Last Summer) and Francis Ford Coppola (The Conversation); and a rousing score by legendary composer Maurice Jarre (Doctor Zhivago), this epic film boasts an international cast of screen legends, including Jean-Paul Belmondo, Charles Boyer, Leslie Caron, Jean-Pierre Cassel, George Chakris, Alain Delon, Kirk Douglas, Glenn Ford, Gert Fröbe, Yves Montand, Anthony Perkins, Michel Piccoli, Simone Signoret, Robert Stack, Jean-Louis Trintignant and Orson Welles. Is Paris Burning? is a staggering portrait of heroism and brotherhood, and one of the most riveting stories to come out of World War II.

Bonus Features

Digitally Restored from a 4K scan of the 35mm Original Camera Negative by Paramount Pictures in Association with American Zoetrope and Francis Ford Coppola
NEW Audio Commentary by Film Historians Daniel Kremer and Howard S. Berger
The Roadshow Overture, Intermission, Entr’acte
5.1 Surround/Lossless 2.0 Stereo English Audio and Lossless 2.0 Mono French Audio
Optional English Subtitles

REVIEW: “The Last Voyage of the Demeter” (2023)

August 14, 2023 by Keith Garlington

A film that may not have gotten the hype of the other summer movies but that has remained high on my ‘most anticipated’ list is director André Øvredal’s “The Last Voyage of the Demeter”. Adapted from one lone chapter from Bram Stoker’s 1897 novel “Dracula”, the film is actually an impressively self-contained feature that turns out to be a late summer season surprise.

Co-written by Bragi Schut Jr. and Zak Olkewicz, “The Last Voyage of the Demeter” is a devilishly crafty high seas horror tale. It’s a movie that embraces classic frights and vigorous period detail to create something that at times feels plucked out of a bygone era. At the same time, Øvredal’s imaginative vision is brought to screen through some brilliant modern day craftsmanship. The extraordinary production design, cinematography, and sound work together to develop a delightfully dark and immersive experience.

Over the years there have been countless Dracula stories told on the big screen and television. “Demeter” differentiates itself in a number of fresh and effective ways. First there’s Dracula himself (played by Javier Botet). You’ll find nothing alluring or sensual about Øvredal’s version. Instead this Dracula is a vicious creature who uses brutality and smarts as a means of survival. Second there’s the terrifying setting – an isolated and inescapable vessel (think “Alien” on the open seas). Then there’s the story – a chapter of the Dracula mythos that many people will be experiencing for the first time.

The story is a bit of a slow burn but there’s no dead weight or wasted scenes. Øvredal puts a lot of time into defining his characters, creating and developing atmosphere, and building a steadily intensifying sense of dread. Set in 1897 and framed as a recording from a Captain’s log, it all begins in a bustling Romanian coastal town where a Russian freighter called the Demeter and its noble Captain Elliot (an excellent Liam Cunningham) are in port loading cargo for their doomed voyage to England.

Shorthanded, Captain Elliot sends his first mate Wojchek (David Dastmalchian) into town to select three men to help fill out their small but sea-worthy crew. Among them is Clemens (Corey Hawkins), a doctor and self-proclaimed man of science and nature. Initially the crew are suspicious of the Cambridge educated doctor. But soon he’s proving himself valuable and even befriends the Captain’s 8-year-old grandson Toby (Woody Norman) who has come along for the ride.

But things turn creepy in the Aegean Sea after a deckhand named Olgaren (Stefan Kapičić) reports seeing a strange and menacing figure on the ship. It gets even creepier when the crew discovers that all the livestock onboard has been savagely slaughtered. But the creepiest turn comes after a storm causes a crate in the cargo hold to fall and bust open. Inside they find a young woman buried in soil and barely alive. Is she stowaway or something else?

As Clemens attempts to nurse the woman back to health, Captain Elliot tries to hold his superstitious crew together. But soon they find themselves targeted by a calculated and bloodthirsty evil who begins methodically taking them out, one frightened seaman at a time. That’s when this gnarly gothic chiller really kicks into gear sporting a horror flavor reminiscent of the Hammer films from the late 1960s and early 1970s.

Marked by terrific performances (Hawkins, Cunningham, and Dastmalchian being the standouts), an ominous score from Bear McCreary (one of my favorites of the year), brilliant practical effects and makeup, and a director with a firm grasp of atmosphere, tension, and terror, “Demeter” is as gripping as it is gruesome. It’s a dread-drenched stop on the Dracula timeline that has enough to please the iconic villain’s long-time fans and plenty to win over new ones as well. “The Last Voyage of the Demeter” is in theaters now.

VERDICT – 4.5 STARS

REVIEW: “Heart of Stone” (2023)

August 12, 2023 by Keith Garlington

It’s hard to say why, but it seems that Gal Gadot has become a favorite punching bag for those trapped within the echo chambers of certain social media circles. But for most people who aren’t confined in those bubbles, the star of DC’s still terrific “Wonder Woman” remains a big draw. And Netflix is counting on that with their latest release “Heart of Stone”, a late summer season blockbuster exclusive to their platform.

“Heart of Stone” is directed by Tom Harper working from a screenplay written by Greg Rucka and Allison Schroeder. This big-budgeted action spy thriller is highlighted by a compelling international cast, some eye-catching locations, and several big set pieces that are nothing short of impressive. Some of its machinations can be a tad formulaic and be ready to navigate patches of bad dialogue. But the film has more than its share of surprises, and I admit to being wowed by some truly spectacular action sequences.

The film opens high in the snow-capped mountains of Italy where a team of undercover MI6 agents attempt to snag a notorious European arms dealer who has been lured to a party at a posh ski resort. Their team consists of field agents Parker (Jamie Dornan) and Yang (Jing Lusi), their driver Bailey (Paul Ready), and newcomer Rachel Stone (Gadot), a hacker with little experience and only a few missions under her belt. She’s the one who routinely gets the “stay in the van” order.

What her MI6 teammates don’t know is that Rachel is actually a highly trained asset for an underground group known as The Charter. Believed by most to be a myth, they’re actually a secret peacekeeping organization of ex-intelligence operatives from around the world who answer only to themselves. They’re free from the shackles of national allegiances, government interests, or political pressures. They put out fires and do so with a highly sophisticated quantum computer known as The Heart. It enables them to see everything, hack anything, and foretell outcomes with frightening accuracy.

The mission in the mountains goes sideways after a mysterious young woman named Keya Dhawan (Alia Bhatt) reveals herself and thwarts the team’s plan. The Charter learn that Keya, and whoever she’s working with, want to get their hands on The Heart. Jack (Matthias Schweighöfer), Rachel’s eyes and ears with The Charter, tracks Keya to Lisbon, Portugal . They then leak the information to MI6 who sends Rachel’s team to bring her into custody.

It’s hardly a spoiler to say Rachel eventually has to come clean with her fellow agents and put her true super-spy skills to good use. Gadot physically commits and has some good team chemistry with Dornan, Lusi, and Ready. It’s solid lead work by the 38-year-old star although she does occasionally find herself handcuffed to some pretty corny one-liners that frankly no one could pull off. They’re easy to get past but impossible to miss.

As with any good spy thriller, the filmmakers treat us to a few unexpected twists and turns. The bigger ones land pretty well while others you can see coming from a mile away. That very same predictability is most noticeable in the final act where it ends up stripping the film of any suspense. Over time the storytelling caves to formula and its over-reliance on well-worn arcs and tropes keeps the movie from being as original as it could have been.

Still there’s a lot to enjoy in “Heart of Stone” if you can kick your feet up, recline back, and toss aside any baked-in preconceptions you may have (about Gadot, about Netflix, about any of the other stuff people were saying well before the movie even released). Its flaws are obvious. But so are its strengths. Among them are a solid cast and some lights-out action which plays like a healthy mix of “Mission: Impossible” and “Pathaan” (read about that film HERE). That’s more than enough for a fun evening with the family. “Heart of Stone” is now streaming on Netflix.

VERDICT – 3.5 STARS

REVIEW: “Freddy vs. Jason” (2003)

August 10, 2023 by Keith Garlington

If there was ever a movie that epitomized fan service it would have to be 2003’s “Freddy vs. Jason”. This giddily straightforward celebration of the 1980s slasher genre exists on a plane of existence where criticism seems superfluous. It’s glaringly pointed about what it wants to be and all you have to do is look at its title to know exactly what you’re in for. Unfortunately for it, simply knowing what you are doesn’t make for a good movie.

As its title teases, “Freddy vs. Jason” locks the seemingly invincible Freddy Krueger and Jason Vorhees in immortal combat. Both hacked and slashed their ways to fame during the 80s with each starring in their own franchises that were harder to kill than their superhero killers themselves. Freddy was a child killer who terrorized and murdered kids in their dreams throughout the “A Nightmare of Elm Street” movies. Jason carved, impaled, decapitated, burned, etc., etc., etc. camp counselors in the “Friday the 13th” franchise.

Directed by Ronny Yu, “Freddy vs. Jason” is a blood-drenched celebration of sorts that brings the two titular characters together through a storyline so nonsensical and cliché-riddled that it’s tempting to consider it as little more than a parody. Along the way the two killers feast on a never-ending buffet of brainless teenage fodder who are only there to serve the appetites of the audience. As is often the case in 80s slashers, none of the characters leave much of an impact and none of them earn our sympathy. Most all are simply written to be slaughtered.

Yet anyone who grew up watching (and loving) old-school slasher flicks won’t find any of this surprising. Most of these things are woven into the very fabric of the horror sub-genre and are what die-hard fans fully expect. So how do you come down too hard on a movie that is so intent on recreating what fans loved about a bygone era?

Screenwriters Damian Shannon and Mark Swift patch together what is mostly a Freddy story. Played for the final time by Robert Englund, Freddy has been trapped in Hell following his last defeat. He’s no longer able to enter the dreams of the children of Springwood, Ohio after the town’s parents took some rather extreme steps to erase Freddy from their kids’ memories. By forgetting him they strip him of his power (not sure how that works but okay).

So Freddy hatches a plan. He uses what remains of his “powers” to resurrect Jason Vorhees (Ken Kirzinger), the terror of Camp Crystal Lake (again, I have no idea how that works). Freddy dupes Jason into going to Springwood to hack up some teens in hopes of tricking the townsfolk into fearing he was back. Of course they are your garden variety teens: the pothead, the nerd, the jerk, and of course the final girl.

But it all builds towards the big confrontation between Freddy and Jason – a throwdown that leaves blood splattered from Elm Street to Crystal Lake. While little leading up to it makes much sense, their final fight should give hungry fans what they want. Is it enough to quantify this as a good movie? Hardly. That’s because it leans too heavily on the worst elements of 80s slashers. But it’ll be filling enough for those it’s catering to. And it offers all that some folks will be looking for.