REVIEW: “The Head Hunter” (2019)

May 30, 2019 by Keith Garlington

I’ve written this before, but I’ve always loved watching a filmmaker work with a shoestring budget yet still tell their story and capture their vision. “The Head Hunter” from director, co-producer, co-writer, and editor Jordan Downey stands as a shining example. Said to be made for $30,000 with the tiniest of cast and crew, his film is a brilliant accomplishment.

Set in medieval times, “The Head Hunter” stars Christopher Rygh who quite literally carries the load on his shoulders. He plays a character known only as Father, a warrior tormented by the death of his daughter by an unseen monster. “I always thought I could protect her” he painfully mutters in a brief memory flashback. It’s literally one of the few lines of dialogue in the entire picture. We never see his tragic loss, only the painful aftereffects.

He spends his days as a creature of habit, piddling around his remote cabin awaiting the sound of a distant horn that summons him to kill a beast. Afterwards he mounts the heads of the slain on his wall, not as a trophy but as a reminder that the monster who killed his daughter is still out there. It fills the emptiness inside of him with the only thing that can – a deep-seeded hunger for revenge. And neither he or his daughter can rest in peace until the beast is put down.

During the film’s first half we watch this grief-stricken father grimly go about his day. But within his routine are nuggets of information. We learn he gets paid for his work but has no interest in the money, only vengeance. We watch him concoct grotesque healing potions. We see him make poignant visits to his daughter’s grave. It all leads to the second half where his blood-thirst flirts with madness.

“The Head Hunter” can be best described as pure visual storytelling. Downey and cinematographer Kevin Stewart (who also serves as co-writer and co-producer) put a heavy emphasis on atmosphere. Their fantastic use of lighting, shadows, and camera perspectives feed into the film’s dark and sometimes macabre vibe. Portugal provides most of the location shots, some of which are nothing short of stunning.

Without question “The Head Hunter” is a bleak and at times gruesome movie. Yet within this rich slice of fantasy horror is a subtle meditation on grief. The story is a tragedy of sorts placed within a relentlessly harsh and despairing world. And the filmmakers stick with this vision. Clocking in at a lean 72 minutes, they avoid the temptation to pad the run time with pointless and frivolous filler. This keeps the film tight, focused, and utterly enthralling.

VERDICT – 4.5 STARS

REVIEW: “John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum”

May 29, 2019 by Keith Garlington

Who would have thought back in 2014 that a meager budgeted action flick about a hitman avenging his dog’s death would turn into a hugely popular neo-noir franchise complete with its own growing mythology and cast of characters? I know I didn’t but I sure have enjoyed the crazy ride.

“John Wick” was a lot of fun. 2017’s follow-up was wilder and added a ton to what we can call the John Wick Universe. Now we get “John Wick: Chapter 3 – “Parabellum” and it takes everything from the previous two movies and ramps it up crazy levels. And trust me, I say that as the highest compliment.

“Parabellum” (which is Latin for “Prepare for War”) begins with the action dialed to 10. Keanu Reeves returns as the title character and right out of the gate he’s on the run in downtown Manhattan. After breaking some established underworld rules through an unsanctioned killing (see Chapter 2), John Wick is declared “excommunicado” by the ruling High Table. For those uninitiated in John Wick Universe vocabulary, this means he is officially persona non grata and has all of his underworld rights and privileges revoked. No one can help him on penalty of death and a $14 million bounty is placed on his head.

The open contract makes John Wick an immediate target for gangs, assassins, and bounty hunters. Former stuntman and returning director Chad Stahelski wastes no time diving into his steady diet of bullets, blades, and blood. The action is relentless but at the same time exhilarating, intense, brutal, and wickedly choreographed. Obviously there is no Oscar category for fight choreography but if their was this would be your frontrunner.

Smartly, “Parabellum” never ever takes itself seriously. I mean in the opening few minutes a man gets beat to death with a library book of all things. And John riding horseback through downtown New York City traffic is…well, you know. So the movie knows exactly what it is. And not only is it completely self-aware, but it fully embraces its over-the-top absurdity.

Several new characters appear who help build the mythology. A devious and mysterious person known only as the Adjudicator (Asia Kate Dillon) gives more insight into the clandestine High Table. Halle Berry crushes it playing Sofia, a dog-loving former associate of John’s who’s also really good at killing. And Anjelica Huston shows up as the cryptic Director, a woman of immeasurable clout.

Then you have the returning pieces. The wonderful Ian McShane is back as Winston, the owner/operator of the Continental Hotel. Lawrence Fishburne returns as the seemingly good-hearted crime lord The Bowery King. And can I just say I love Lance Reddick as Charon, the Continental’s concierge. He’s always great behind the front desk, but Chapter 3 let’s him roll up his sleeves and really get to work.

I would be lying if I didn’t admit to finding the big final fight just a hair exhausting. I think it’s because by that time we had seen everything in the film’s arsenal. Over-the-shoulder flips, sliced limbs, bloody headshots, people tossed through panes of glass, among so much more. But that doesn’t mean the ending doesn’t satisfy. Quite the opposite. I love where “Parabellum” lands and it clearly has its sights on a Chapter 4.

So the John Wick franchise entered Chapter 3 in high gear and left it screaming towards the next installment in overdrive. “Parabellum” is an old-school action-lover’s dream with a body count that easily rivals anything put up by Schwarzenegger or Stallone in the 1980’s. Yet it’s loaded with style and character. It has an ever-present but often subtle sense of humor and Keanu Reeves has charisma to spare. It left me hungry for more and judging by the box office I’m not alone.

VERDICT – 4.5 STARS

REVIEW: “Brightburn”

May 28, 2019 by Keith Garlington

So here’s a story I bet you’ve never heard. Something from space crashes down near the property of a hard-working farm family. In the wreckage the couple finds a baby boy who they take in as their own. As the child grows up it is revealed that the boy possesses an assortment of superpowers. Sound familiar?

The new film “Brightburn” essentially takes the Superman origin story, changes the characters, and adds a pretty big ‘what if’ element to it. What if the child grew up and used his powers for evil instead of good. “Brightburn” takes that premise, runs with it, and (most importantly) sticks to it which is a key reason why the movie works as well as it does.

“Brightburn” has been touted as a James Gunn production, written by Mark and Brian Gunn, and directed by Gunn collaborator David Yarovesky. The story follows Tori and Kyle Breyer (played by Elizabeth Banks and David Denman), a couple who have struggled with their farm and with having children. That’s why they saw the arrival of Brandon (Jackson A. Dunn) to be such a blessing.

Ten years prior a meteor fell near their home. Inside was a baby who the Breyers adopted and named Brandon. But as years pass he begins to notice he’s different than other kids. And with the discovery these newfound superpowers comes a troubling turn in Brandon’s psyche. Tori and Kyle desperately try to keep their son’s secret and keep him on the right path. But can they shield him from the dark forces that are pulling him towards evil?

The unique central premise of “Brightburn” drives the film from beginning to end. It’s a cool subversion of the superhero genre although it’s nothing too deep. Instead, at its core it’s a straight supernatural horror movie. And not just another tame jump-scare thriller that we get by the dozens these days. Yes, there are a few sudden loud bumps but there is also some delightful old-school Raimi-esque gore that I wasn’t expecting. And by keeping it focused on and revolving around the film’s central conceit, it never loses its freshness.

But there is one big frustration that unfortunately had a big effect on my experience with “Brightburn”. This turns out to be one those examples of a trailer revealing too much and killing the suspense in some of the film’s biggest scenes. If you’ve seen the trailer you already know the fate of several characters. Knowing ultimately undermines the impact of what should have been big some of the movie’s big moments. It’s hard to figure out how that should effect a review score but it certainly effected my viewing experience.

And that’s a real bummer because there is so much I like about “Brightburn”. The performances are good, the pacing is crisp, end it sees its concept through to the end, finishing up in what I think is a very intriguing place. It’s truly a fun alternative take on the superhero genre. Just make sure you stay away from the trailers. Their impact on the movie had me pulling out my hair.

VERDICT – 3.5 STARS

First Glance: “Terminator: Dark Fate”

May 24, 2019 by Keith Garlington

It seems the Terminator franchise is harder to kill than Arnold Schwarzenegger’s cyborg killing machine himself. I mean the pretty terrible “Terminator: Genisys” couldn’t even put the series down. And now the trailer for the sixth Terminator film has landed and lets just say it hasn’t exactly eased my skepticism.

After watching it something doesn’t feel quite right. Aside from crappy title, it’s hard to get too excited about what we see. Obviously the big plus is the return of Linda Hamilton and a token glimpse of Arnie, but the rest feels pretty familiar. The new model terminators show off a couple of fresh features but they also borrow from things we have seen before. It all left me kind of cold. There is still potential there but hopefully the second trailer will do me to raise my excitement level.

“Terminator: Dark Fate” hits theaters November 1st. Check out the trailer below and let me know if you’ll be seeing it or giving it a pass.

THE THROWDOWN : Star Wars vs. Star Trek

May 23, 2019 by Keith Garlington

Just what is The Throwdown you ask? It’s a feature I ran for a while that had a lot of fun interaction. We take two movie subjects and pit them against each other and see who’s left standing. It could be actors, actresses, movies, genres, scenes, and so much more. You play a big part in this. You get to vote and determine who comes out on top. I’ll share my take and then open up the polls to you. Vote to decide the true winner!

In keeping with my week-long Star Wars theme what better Throwdown to have than between two quintessential science-fiction franchises. Both are etched into the culture and have left their marks on generations of followers. They each possess huge, devoted fan bases that are passionate and more than willing to both praise and scrutinize every new piece of content that comes out. So which is the better sci-fi franchise, Star Wars or Star Trek? Just like before you make the final decision. Vote now and defend your favorite. It’s up to you!

Star Wars vs. Star Trek

While both Star Wars and Star Trek are staples in the science-fiction world, they are really quite different in both scope and ambition. Star Trek has mostly kept close to its television roots (with the exception of the fairly controversial “Nemesis” and the newer reboot movies). It is intensely character focused with strong emphasis on exploration, peacekeeping, meeting new species, and of course boldly going where no man has gone before. I’m not saying Star Trek is all talk and action-free. It certainly has some memorable action-fueled moments. But Star Trek at its purest has stuck to what has made it unique.

Star Wars is a much different animal. It has often been called a ‘space opera’ and that’s pretty accurate. It’s vast, sprawling and often known for its ground-breaking effects and big action. But it is also deeply rooted in its lore which expands through the movies, animated series, video games, comics, and novels. For me Star Wars will always be my favorite due to the depth and vibrancy of its universe, the iconic personalities of its key characters, and its stunning sci-fi action. From it’s old-school movie serial influence to it’s ever-growing canon of people and places, I’ll always be captivated by the immersive George Lucas creation.

Now it’s up to you. Which science-fiction franchise is your favorite? Which franchise are you more drawn to? Vote below and see which one comes out on top.

REVIEW: “Star Wars: Episode II – “Attack of the Clones”

May 21, 2019 by Keith Garlington

For many the second film in George Lucas’ Star Wars prequel trilogy holds a rather unflattering honor. More than a few consider it to be the worst movie in the entire franchise. As someone who truly loves the series to varying degrees, it’s hard for me to christen any of the films with such a title. But that doesn’t mean I’m oblivious to its flaws.

“Star Wars: Episode II – “Attack of the Clones” does hold a particularly surprising movie record for me. I saw it six times in the theater, more than any other film. Overkill? Perhaps. Star Wars fandom run amuck? Most definitely. I’ve seen it a few times since then but this recent rewatch was the first time in several years.

“Attack of the Clones” takes place ten years after the events of “The Phantom Menace”. Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi (Ewan McGregor) and his apprentice Anakin Skywalker (now played by Hayden Christensen) are summoned to protect Padme Amidala (Natalie Portman) after she narrowly escapes an assassination attempt. The former Queen of Naboo and now Senator holds a key vote in the decision whether or not to create an army to fight a growing Separatist movement.

For me one of Episode II’s biggest attractions (and often overlooked strengths) is in how it draws from numerous classic movie genres. It’s very much a political drama. But there is also a mystery element to it as Obi-Wan sets out to investigate and track down Padme’s potential assassin. We get winks to old-school fantasy pictures in the vein of “Sinbad” and “Clash of the Titans”. And of course the influence of war films, particularly World War II documentary footage, is clearly seen in the final act.

I also think the writing deserves more credit than it receives (at least a portion of it). For me it’s a tale of two parts – the story and the dialogue. Lucas and co-writer Jonathan Halles give us a well-conceived story with tons of depth that moves the overall narrative forward in a satisfying way. I remain impressed with its numerous threads, none better that puppet-master Chancellor Palpatine (Ian McDiarmid) and his secret, multi-layered quest for power.

But then there is the dialogue which ranges from good to atrocious. There are times in Episode II where the dialogue is painfully bad. We see it in a handful attempts at humor but mostly its in some of the film’s heavier scenes. Accentuating the problem is the fact that a couple of the performers haven’t the chops to overcome it. Christensen’s performance is all over the map. There are scenes where he is really good, but others he simply can’t sell and Lucas’ dialogue doesn’t help a bit. Portman is a little better but not much.

Visually you can see Lucas and company flexing the new technology available to them in a variety of ways. There are a couple of scenes that feel like nothing more than showcases for the special effects – an overly long care chase through the city planet of Coruscant, a battle in a Geonosian droid factory. But the CGI can also look extraordinary and it often adds a ton to the settings and action sequences. The clone army battlefield scene is nothing short of spectacular.

Fans of Star Wars have some legitimate gripes about Episode II, but overall I think they often undervalue its contributions to the franchise. It advances the stories of its three pivotal characters in meaningful ways. It’s a technical marvel despite some visual overindulgences. Plus it supplied the framework for what was a fantastic television series “The Clone Wars”. Those are just a few of the key reasons Episode II still works for me.