RETRO REVIEW: “The Lost Boys: (1987)

May 13, 2020 by Keith Garlington

The 1987 cult classic “The Lost Boys” forever broadened the way moviegoers would look at vampires. Throughout the decades there had been slight variations in the depictions of the fanged bloodsuckers, but most were still in the older, stodgier Dracula vein (bad pun attended). “The Lost Boys” presented them differently – young, cool, and with more real-world complexities than you would expect. The film would inspire the likes of “Buffy the Vampire Slayer”, “Angel” and “True Blood” to name a few.

I’ve seen “The Lost Boys” countless times yet I’m always surprised by how funny a movie it is. Yes, it’s a horror film with vampires and a little (very little actually) blood and gore tossed in, but it fully embraces its comedy elements which helps give it a unique flavor. Add to it a terrific rock-infused soundtrack (I remember owning the cassette) and a fun, memorable cast which actually gave birth to The Two Coreys (80’s kids know what I’m talking about).

PHOTO: Courtesy Warner Bros.

The story begins with Lucy (Dianne Wiest) and her two sons Michael (Jason Patric) and Sam (Corey Haim) pulling into the fictional beach town of Santa Carla. Recently divorced and flat broke, Lucy and her boys left Phoenix to move in with her eccentric father (Barnard Hughes). She gets a job at a video store (remember those) ran by local bachelor (Edward Herrmann) while the boys try to fit in with their new surroundings.

As cliché as it may sound, Santa Carla itself is very much a character. The self-anointed “Murder Capital of the World” is full of personality, sporting a boardwalk replete with eclectic shops, street performers, and of course the Santa Clara amusement park. It’s where Michael first eyes a beautiful young woman named Star (Jami Gertz). There’s one problem, she’s in a relationship of sorts with David (Kiefer Sutherland) who quickly lures Michael into his biker group’s big secret (hint: they’re vampires).

PHOTO: Courtesy Warner Bros.

Soon Michael finds himself growing sensitive to sunlight, sleeping all day, and developing, shall we say, new appetites. Sam, fearing that his brother is a bloodsucker, seeks the council of local comic shop owners/Santa Carla vampire killers extraordinaire Edgar and Alan Frog (Corey Feldman and Jamison Newlander). Resembling something akin to The Goonies meets Rambo, the Frog Brothers offer up the biggest bursts of humor. Feldman and Newlander never crack a grin, straight-facing every line of super-serious yet hysterical dialogue.

If you’ve watched enough of these movies you know that there are so many rules when it comes to vampires. “The Lost Boys” has a blast playing around with them. All of the big ones are present: garlic, holy water, a good ol’ wooden stake through the heart. But there are plenty of obscure ones as well which I’ll let you discover for yourself. They, along with the vampire vernacular aplenty, add an extra layer of fun. Meanwhile the steady theme of what it means to be a family reverberates throughout the entire film.

PHOTO: Courtesy Warner Bros.

But I don’t want to downplay the movie’s horror component. “The Lost Boys” isn’t a particularly scary movie, but director Joel Schumacher does a wonderful job with tone management. While his movie is often funny, Schumacher nicely balances the humor with several memorable scenes of genuine tension along with great atmosphere. And the inevitable showdown at the end is the perfect consummation of all of these elements.

There are several other cool little nuggets. The title is a reference to J.M. Barrie’s “Peter Pan”. There is a hilarious hard-to-see nod to Schumacher’s previous film “St. Elmo’s Fire”. And all Edgar and Alan need is a brother named Poe. Those are just a few of then little nuggets scattered throughout this 80’s romp that completely earns its cult classic status. It still has its detractors, but I’m firmly in the camp that proudly adores “The Lost Boys”.

VERDICT – 5 STARS

REVIEW: “The Lodge” (2020)

May 12, 2020 by Keith Garlington

Despite the unusual virus-related circumstances with theater closings and various movie productions halting, there has been no shortage of new horror films in 2020. “The Lodge” actually debuted at Sundance last year but finally premiered in select theaters earlier this year just prior to COVID-19 outbreak. Now it’s available to watch at home and it’s certainly worth a visit.

“The Lodge” is the English-language debut from the Austrian filmmaking duo of Veronika Franz and Severin Fiala. The aunt and nephew team not only direct but co-wrote the script along with Sergio Casci. Together they craft a monster-less chiller set within a complicated family framework where there are no clear-cut villains. It’s driven by flawed, hurting characters whose actions aren’t strictly black or white, good or evil. It’s also an unnerving dive into psychological horror that will have you glued to the screen and on the edge of your seat.

Photo Courtesy of Neon Pictures

If there are two tropes modern horror movies relish it’s creepy children and remote cabins in the woods. “The Lodge” uses both (to a measured degree) but hardly in the conventional sense. Teenaged Aiden (Jaeden Martell) and his younger sister Mia (Lia McHugh) have been devastated by the sudden death of their mother Laura (Alicia Silverstone). Separated from their mother at the time, the children’s father Richard (Richard Armitage) is set to marry again six months after Laura’s death.

Richard’s well-meaning fiancé Grace (Riley Keough) hopes to break the ice with the kids via a snowy Christmas-time retreat to the family’s remote lakeside lodge. Aiden and Mia want no part of it, still aching over their mother’s passing and seeing any show of affection towards Grace as a betrayal. They dig into Grace’s past, discovering she was the lone survivor of a pseudo-Christian suicide cult. That only adds to their apprehension and displeasure.

Of course they end up going to the lodge and things are pretty icy. It only gets worse when Richard has to drive back to the city for a couple of days leaving Grace and the children behind. After coming to a head, the needling and contention shows signs of dying down. But then they wake up to a power outage. There’s no food, no running water. Also all of their clothes, luggage, Christmas decorations – everything is gone. Even weirder, Grace discovers all the clocks are suddenly set to January 9th.

From there things grow more unsettling as a dark psychological tension takes a grip. We begin questioning much of what we see and the characters become harder to read. Franz and Fiala make great use of their setting, shooting on location rather than in a studio. You’ve heard this before, but the house truly is a character, in this case representing the looming, watchful presence of the children’s mother. She’s in the family photographs, the Christmas decorations, and more specifically a painting of a saintly woman.

Photo Courtesy of Neon Pictures

Other touches work well to groom the ever-present sense of unease. Frequent cuts to Mia’s realistic dollhouse bring thoughts of “Hereditary” but here it adds its own spooky layer to the story. Also Franz and Fiala are far more interested in atmosphere and mood than cheap jump scares. And they show the effectiveness of silence, using minimal music that gets under your skin rather than dictate your emotions.

The performances are rock-solid especially from Riley Keough who digs deep into her character’s damaged psyche without ever overplaying the inner-turmoil. She fits well into this unique slice of horror that brings a crafty European sensibility to a genre that far too often tends to repeat itself. Certain elements of the story are certain to ring familiar, but as a whole the movie carves out a smart and entrancing path of its own.

VERDICT – 4 STARS

REVIEW: “Deerskin” (2020)

May 11, 2020 by Keith Garlington

I would bet most stateside moviegoers only know Jean Dujardin from his Oscar-winning performance in “The Artist”. It’s unfortunate because he’s a seasoned actor who has shown a dynamic range throughout his nearly 25 year career. The French actor has dabbled in nearly every genre, arguably shining brightest in the area of comedy. He’s a captivating leading man who can do some of everything.

His latest film “Deerskin” may not be the best movie to use as an introduction to Dujardin’s work especially for mainstream audiences. But man is it one entertaining and utterly bonkers ride. Writer-director-editor-cinematographer Quentin Dupieux isn’t up to much of anything nor does he have a lot to say. That’s crucial to understand because I can see “Deerskin” totally confounding those who scour its lean frame for any deeper meaning. Instead it’s 77 minutes of hypnotic deadpan absurdity – a conscious-free black comedy with a wacky dash of grisly horror. Nothing more, nothing less.

Dujardin makes the entire thing work. He plays a middle-aged sad-sack named Georges who has recently separated from his wife. He drives out to an old man’s house in the hills and spends every dime he has to buy a used deerskin jacket. The old man (knowing he has scored big) tosses in a “slightly used” camcorder. Georges tries on the jacket, gazes into the mirror, and utters with unbridled satisfaction “Stoking. Killer style.”

Photo Courtesy of Greenwich Entertainment

One of the early signs that something’s not right with this man is in his belief that the jacket actually looks great. The dated brown suede with its fringed highlights seems perfect for a hippie from Woodstock or Daniel Boone. Georges, not so much. Aside from being a modern day fashion faux pas, it barely reaches his waist and tightly hugs his slightly chunky torso. But Georges is smitten, overcome with ecstasy and full of newfound yet thoroughly misguided confidence.

He stops at a small alpine inn to stay for a while. But with no money he’s forced to begin building his house of lies. It starts in the local tavern where he meets the impressionable Denise (Adèle Haenel, so good in the Dardenne brothers’ film “The Unknown Girl”). She’s stuck in a dead-end job as a bartender but aspires to be a film editor. When Georges proclaims himself to be a filmmaker who’s in the area to shoot his new movie, the naive Denise is instantly intrigued.

In the meantime Georges develops a ‘personal’ relationship with his jacket. The two begin carrying on conversations with Georges weirdly voicing each side. Turns out they both share similar dreams. The jacket wants to be the only jacket in the world. Georges want to be the only person in the world wearing a jacket. So they essentially set out on a mission to make both of their dreams come true, by any means necessary including violence.

Photo Courtesy of Greenwich Entertainment

Dupieux’s screenplay fully embraces the absurdity of its idea even as the goofiness eventually gives way to the macabre. Through it all, Dujardin’s straight-faced performance and complete conviction sells the humor and the unease. One minute you’ll be giggling at one of Georges’ ludicrous tall tales which grow more and more far-fetched. At the same time you’re taking a dip into madness, watching a man’s mid-life crisis turn him into a full-blown sociopath.

“Deerskin” will baffle some, probably bore others. It’s unquestionably weird and off-beat, pretty shallow when it comes to story, and has a twisted final act that could be seen as off-putting. But if you come to the movie on its own terms and just go with the nuttiness, you’ll find a wickedly entertaining and devilishly funny yarn that plays by its own bizarre set of rules. And Dupieux, a filmmaker who has a movie about a murderous car tire to his credit, is certainly no stranger to his own bizarre rules.

VERDICT – 4 STARS

REVIEW: “Sergio” (2020)

May 8, 2020 by Keith Garlington

International diplomats tend to go largely unnoticed, but Sérgio Vieira de Mello was as close as they come to being a celebrity. The Brazilian born de Mello rose through the United Nations ranks due to his humanitarian efforts, his tireless quest for peace and his steady advocacy for those trapped in war-torn regions. On August 19, 2003 a truck loaded with explosives drove up to the UN headquarters in Baghdad and detonated. Sérgio Vieira de Mello was among the 22 people killed.

The new Netflix Original simply titled “Sergio” tells chunks of de Mello’s story from an unexpectedly unique point of view. The film opens with the bombing which left de Mello (passionately played by Wagner Moura) and his top aide Gil Loescher (Brian F. O’Byrne) pinned under a pile of rubble. We then bounce back-and-forth on the timeline as Sergio reflects on significant moments of his life. While the approach makes sense of the fractured storytelling, it doesn’t make it any less messy.

Director Greg Barker and writer Craig Borten hit a few of the high points from Sergio’s career. They touch on his efforts to ease the boiling tensions in East Timor which had been invaded and occupied by neighboring Indonesia. It shows bits of his work in Iraq, butting heads with George Bush’s envoy Paul Bremer (Bradley Whitford) over the withdrawal of American troops. Yet while the filmmakers clearly admire de Mello and his work, they show surprisingly little interest in digging deeper and exploring what drove the man to risk life and limb for the persecuted.

Photo Courtesy of Netflix

Instead, much of the movie focuses on Sergio the romantic. Although married, he develops a fiery attraction to a beautiful U.N. economic adviser Carolina Larriera (Ana de Armas). Interestingly, the movie doesn’t make much of a judgement on their affair and his wife gets nothing more than fleeting mentions. In fact the only real negative image of Sergio is in the movie’s brief depiction of his relationship with his two sons. Otherwise it’s a doting portrayal that removes any potential scandalous edge. As a result the film’s Sergio is missing the complexity and depth that comes with being flawed people.

While the heavy emphasis on the affair is a puzzling choice especially in light of Sergio’s accomplishments, there’s no denying the simmering chemistry between Moura and de Armas. They’re no strangers, also working together in Olivier Assayas’ Cuban political thriller “Wasp Network”, a Netflix film set to release later this year. Here the romantic tension is palpable even when their scenes wander into sentiment. But it still undercuts de Mello’s profound work in the field which only gets what amounts to the bullet point treatment.

Photo Courtesy of Netflix

When the film is chronicling Sergio’s diplomatic journey it moves between inspirational and perplexing. For those who don’t know de Mello, the sheer scope of the movie reveals the importance of his impact even though on a mostly surface level. But it’s in the handling of the details where things get a little murky. For example, if you patch together a handful of seemingly damning scenes there is a subtle implication that the American military presence in Iraq was the indirect cause of the U.N. bombing. In reality, Al Qaeda terrorist Abu Musab al-Zarqawi claimed responsibility stating that de Mello was targeted due to his work leading East Timor to independence. If explored that could be the kind of dramatic layer the movie really needs.

So we end up with an almost saintly portrait that glosses over milestones, mostly skips internal conflicts, and favors a passionate yet overcooked romance. The performances are strong, vibrant, and committed and you can squeeze enough out of the story to get a general idea of who Sérgio Vieira de Mello was. But if you’re looking for a deeper, more informative dive and want more high-stakes historical drama, “Sergio” will probably leave you feeling shortchanged.

VERDICT – 2 STARS

REVIEW: “1BR” (2020)

May 7, 2020 by Keith Garlington

Sarah is a twenty-something aspiring fashion designer whose world is shaken after the death of her mother to cancer. To make matters worse, her estranged father had an affair while his wife was on her deathbed. This drives Sarah to leave home and move across the country to Los Angeles in hopes starting a new life. But I’ve been told finding a good place to stay LA can be tough.

Unlucky for Sarah (played by impressive newcomer Nicole Brydon Bloom) she finds Asilo Del Mar, “Affordable Luxury Apartment Living“. This gated apartment building seems too good to be true: a great location, spacious units, smiling uber-friendly tenants who love community cookouts in the courtyard. Sarah attends an open house for a recent vacancy but little does she know it’s actually an audition. More on that later. To her surprise she gets a call a few days later from apartment manager Jerry (Taylor Nichols) letting her know she can move in.

If the queasy perfection wasn’t enough to rouse your suspicions, things get weirder at night when Sarah is kept awake by loud creaking noises in the walls. And when she breaks the cardinal rule of “No Pets Allowed”, lets just say things get a little heated. The more I leave for you to uncover on your own the better, but suffice it to say things aren’t as they appear. And while it’s glaringly obvious the community has a secret, it’s eventually confirmed with a twisted (and gruesome) jolt. It’s followed by a slow-drip reveal that I found utterly gripping.

“1BR” is written and directed by first-time feature filmmaker David Marmor. His debut is a tense, uneasy thriller with a ‘ripped from the headlines’ appeal. Much of his story is inspired by communal cults, specifically Synanon, a Santa Monica cult founded in 1958 and disbanded in 1991. Marmor was drawn to the idea of pure intentions (Synanon was initially a drug rehab program) taking dark and violent turns over time. He also pulls from his own memories of being a twenty-something first moving to L.A.

Photo Courtesy of Epicenter

The personal touches and real-world pulse certainly benefit “1BR” and its story. But it’s helped most by smart and efficient filmmaking. Marmor makes one good choice after another. He makes great use of his location. He never overplays his hand or exploits a situation. He uses gore sparingly but very effectively. And he wisely leans on his lead actress Bloom who is the narrative and emotional linchpin that holds the film together. The story puts Sarah through the wringer and Bloom handles it with a seasoned poise – never too big but always with the right amount of feeling.

“1BR” is an assured and well-made thriller, brimming with suspense and packing a sharp psychological edge. It’s also a movie featuring two eye-opening debuts, one from its lead actress Nicole Brydon Bloom and another from writer-director David Marmor, both certain to have exciting things ahead of them. The movie’s predictability in some areas may take away some of the intrigue, but watching it all play out is a blast and Marmor’s shrewd approach to storytelling ensures there is never a dull moment.

VERDICT – 4 STARS

RETRO REVIEW: “Gremlins” (1984)

May 6, 2020 by Keith Garlington

For the past few months I’ve dedicated Wednesdays to doing Retro Reviews. The way it works is I put up three options on my Twitter feed (you can follow me @KeithandMovies). Followers vote, I rewatch the movie, and then post the review the following Wednesday. Whatever film finishes second comes back the next week against two new choices. So basically you pick what I watch and review.

Going into last week’s poll I had a pretty good feeling how it was going to turn out. Sure enough “Gremlins” won in a landslide. I can’t say I’m disappointed. “Gremlins” is a movie I first saw during its original summer 1984 theater run and it’s a movie I watched countless times once it came out on VHS. But it has been years since I last sat down and watched it. So I looked forward to seeing it again with a pair of fresh eyes.

Photo Courtesy of Warner Bros.

“Gremlins” was directed by Joe Dante in what would easily be the biggest film of his career. He worked from a script written by Chris Columbus. While doing a little business in Chinatown, a struggling inventor Rand Peltzer (Hoyt Axton) stops in an old antique shop to get his son a Christmas gift before heading home. Tucked away in the back is a cute little mogwai – adorable but with three very important rules. Don’t get them wet. Keep them out of the light (especially sunlight). And most importantly, no matter how much they beg, never feed them after midnight.

Rand returns home to the quaint town of Kingston Falls. He surprises his son Billy (Zach Galligan) with his new pet which they name Gizmo. Billy is an all-around good guy who works as a bank teller but aspires to be a comic book artist. He also has his eye on his co-worker Kate played by Phoebe Cates (I mean who wouldn’t). They, along with the comical array of townsfolk we meet, have pretty normal lives. That is until those critical mogwai rules are broken. Soon Kingston Falls is overran by devilish gremlins who throw this once cozy little community into absolute, unfettered chaos.

Photo Courtesy of Warner Bros.

Dante has a blast embracing every facet of this sci-fi, horror, comedy, creature-feature. He, Columbus, and executive producer Steven Spielberg start with a heavy emphasis on the cute and cuddly Gizmo. The first 30 minutes alone probably sold countless stuffed animals. But they let it rip in the wild, rambunctious, and often riotous second half which is probably best epitomized in one hysterically anarchic bar scene. It’s a preposterous mix of comedy and violent mischief that cracked me up the same way it did years ago.

Interestingly this was Galligan’s first movie role and easily the biggest role of his career. Cates would appear in a few more films before retiring from acting in 1994. Both do well in this wacky movie rich with running gags, laugh-out-loud humor, creature mayhem, and a healthy splash of 80’s nostalgia. While some of the lines feel a bit dated, overall the movie has aged well and it has the same fun, over-the-top energy that made it such a big hit in 1984.