Month: June 2014

LFM Reviews Edge of Tomorrow

By Joe Bendel. You have to feel for the publishers of Hiroshi Sakurazaka’s light novel and manga, All You Need is Kill. They had a recognizable property with one of the coolest titles ever, but the studio changed the title of their live action adaptation to something sounding like a soap opera or an Edgar Cayce tract—and then they wonder why their tracking is soft. It is a shame, because the eternally recurring battle against alien invaders is rather snappily executed in Doug Liman’s Edge of Tomorrow, which opened Friday nationwide.

The so-called “Mimics” (because they are so blasted adaptable in battle) have overrun continental Europe, but somehow mankind held them off at Verdun. Victory was partly attributed to the development of their Iron Man-like exo-war “jackets” and partly to the leadership of warrior-extraordinaire Rita Vrataski, the “Angel of Verdun” (or “Full Metal Bitch” in the source novel). Embolden by humanity’s first battlefield success, General Brigham is poised to launch a D-Day-like counter-invasion of France. It will not go well, as soon to be ex-Major William Cage (formerly green recruit Keiji Kiriya) experiences over and over again.

Deservedly busted down to private for his incredibly stupid comments to Gen. Brigham, the military PR officer is now amongst the first wave of ground troops set to hit the beaches. Unfortunately, the Mimics know they are coming. Cage is indeed killed in rather short order, as are most of his new comrades, but not before he takes out an unusually large “Alpha” Mimic. Eventually, he learns he has been contaminated by their time altering power through its blood. Each time he dies, his incredibly un-fun day starts afresh. It has to be a clean death though. A transfusion will wash out his Mimic connection, whereas incapacitation would be the worst possible scenario.

Even though it is easy to recognize plenty of familiar military science fiction elements, Liman cobbles them together quite sure-handedly, adding the Groundhog Day twist. The action sequences are intense and brutally honest to the realities of any war. Frankly, there are a handful of moments of 3D shock and awe, but it is mostly unnecessary (as you probably already guessed). The battery of screenwriters also convey as decent sense of the soldier’s perspective and attitude. Yet, the film is relatively circumspect drawing D-Day parallels, notwithstanding the June 6th release date.

From "Edge of Tomorrow."

Younger readers might be interested to know Tom Cruise was once one of the biggest box office stars in the world, before he started handing out flowers at the airport, or whatever. This is the sort of role that used to be his bread-and-butter in the 1980s: the callow hotshot forced to mature thanks to the help of a more experienced woman. It might be a familiar arc for him, but he does not slack on the energy level. Yet, it is Emily Blunt who really delivers the grit and action cred as Vrataski. Science fiction fans will also enjoy watching Bill Paxton play with and against his Aliens persona as the hard-charging Master Sergeant Farrell Bartolome.

There are a handful of moments in Edge that will make the hair on the back of your neck stand on end. Unfortunately, the ending feels like a tacked on exercise in Hollywood gooeyness, almost undoing the in-your-face integrity of everything that came before. Nevertheless, there is more than enough amped-up genre action and time paradox-tripping to satisfy high concept, big budget science fiction fans. Recommended accordingly, Edge of Tomorrow opened Friday across the country, including the AMC Empire in New York.

LFM GRADE: B

Posted on June 12th, 2014 at 12:54pm.

King Hu at BAM: LFM Reviews Painted Skin

From "Painted Skin."

By Joe Bendel. Somehow, they are both based on Pu Songling’s short stories, but you would be hard pressed to find many similarities between King Hu’s final film and the smash hit Chinese cinema and television franchise of the same name. At least the casting made sense when Zhou Xun succeeded Joey Wong as the supernatural femme fatale with the detachable face. A foolish scholar will get more than he bargained for when he takes in a mystery woman in King Hu’s Painted Skin, which screened during BAM Cinématek’s retrospective, All Hail the King: the Films of King Hu.

Wang Hsi-tzu realizes he might have stayed out too late drinking when he starts seeing strange spectral visions on his way home. Nevertheless, he gets a sudden dose of courage when he encounters You Feng. Moved by claims she was badly abused by her husband’s first wife, Wang takes her into his household, much to the annoyance of his own wife. He may have yet to pass an imperial exam, but even Wang quickly realizes there is something a little off about You.

When confronted by a charm provided by two Taoist priests, You admits she is a ghost, trapped between worlds and held in thrall to the King of Yin and Yang. Half ghost, half man, the evil king commands a death cult of similarly in-between spirits. To escape his power, You will need more help than Wang can provide, she sets off in the company of the two priests, to find a legendary high priest, living a hermit like existence tending peach trees.

Without question, the first third of Painted is by far the most effective. Hu defty creates an eerie nocturnal atmosphere and a metaphysically scary villain. In contrast, the subsequent fantasy quest sequences feel more conventional, even though he nicely conveys the notion that the conflict is joined on both physical and spiritual levels. Still, the conclusion is quite redemptive, in every sense.

From "Painted Skin."

Granted, Wong does not have the strongest reputation as a thesp, but when it comes to looking like a doe-eyed lost little girl, she was tough to beat. Likewise, Wang is a great role for Adam Cheng, giving him license to ham it up in two directions. Even though his scenes do not have as much pop, there is no denying Sammo Hung has the appropriate heft, so to speak, for the high priest.

Painted Skin is a relatively minor entry in Hu’s filmography, but it is still a consistently entertaining supernatural wuxia fusion. Indeed, many of his prestigious filmmaker colleagues have ended their careers on weaker codas. Recommended as a ghostly outing in its own right and indispensible for BAM’s retrospective, Painted Skin screened this week in Brooklyn, as part of the perfectly named All Hail the King film series.

LFM GRADE: B

Posted on June 12th, 2014 at 12:46pm.

LFM Reviews Come Drink with Me @ BAM Cinématek

By Joe Bendel. With the release of ScarJo’s Lucy looming, we can expect the publicity campaign to wax rhapsodic about the significance of a female action hero. Of course, Michelle Yeoh has been kicking butt and carrying action films for decades. So has Angela Mao. Cheng Pei-pei also did it before Johansson and did it far better in King Hu’s Shaw Brothers classic, Come Drink with Me, which screens during BAM Cinématek’s retrospective, All Hail the King: the Films of King Hu.

Drink would be Hu’s definitive film for legendary producer Run Run Shaw, but also his last. Furthermore, it introduces the first of Hu’s many strong woman protagonists: Golden Swallow, the daughter of the scrupulously just provincial governor. A gang of outlaws has abducted her brother, expecting to exchange her for a colleague due to be executed for his crimes. Instead, the old man dispatches Golden Swallow to recover her brother and dispense some justice.

Kind of-sort of disguised as a man, Golden Swallow marches into the bandit’s favorite tavern, looking for trouble. They try to oblige, but she far outclasses mere henchmen. Needless to say, they vow to return, with their boss, Jade-Faced Tiger to continue the “negotiations.” To make things fairer, she will make a secret ally in Drunken Cat, the local lush, who is considerably more dangerous than his easygoing façade would suggest.

Come Drink is hardly the most complex wuxia story ever filmed, but it delivers several striking action sequences. Indeed, the fight scenes are vintage Hu, as deeply influenced by ballet as martial arts. It is not hard to gather why Golden Swallow’s exploits are often identified as a forerunner to Ang Lee’s Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. It is also easy to see how it launched Cheng Pei-pei to overnight superstardom. She has poise, presence, and all kind of moves. (It is hard to fathom mistaking her for a man, but that is a genre convention we just have to go along with.) Even though he sings and clowns as Drunken Cat, Yueh Hua more than holds up his end, bringing to mind Donnie Yen with his earnestly likable badassery.

In fact, there is something appealing about Golden Sparrow being her family’s designated action figure. She is impressive, but not super-heroic. Both she and Drunken Cat have their physical and emotional vulnerabilities, but they demonstrate humanist virtues as well.

Thanks to Hu’s mystical trappings and striking backdrops, Come Drink With Me easily ranks amongst the higher end of Shaw Brothers productions. Nor can anyone argue with Cheng’s iconic work as Golden Swallow. A briskly paced tale of good versus the corrupt, Come Drink With Me is a film all wuxia connoisseurs should catch up with eventually. Highly recommended, it screens this today (6/8) at BAM as part of their King Hu retrospective.

LFM GRADE: A-

Posted on June 8th, 2014 at 12:08pm.

LFM Reviews The Cabining @ The 2014 Dances With Films

By Joe Bendel. They are not exactly the Garson Kanin & Ruth Gordon of horror movies. Frankly, the one thing two would-be screenwriting partners lack more than talent is inspiration. However, a quick stay at an artists’ resort will provide the latter, in the worst way possible. The bodies pile up, as well they should, in Steve Kopera’s slasher-spoof The Cabining which screened during the seventeenth Dances With Films.

Bruce is the hopelessly irresponsible one, while Todd is the earnest sad sack. Neither can crank out a halfway watchable scene, even by slasher movie standards. On the plus side, they have a tentative investor lined up for their first film, but if they cannot produce anything reasonably filmable, Todd’s uncle will put his money in a cousin’s heavy metal recording instead. After having their egos handed to them by their writing group, Todd reluctantly agrees to Bruce’s plan, regrouping for a few days at the Shangri-La retreat.

Right, so Shangri-La is a luxury cabin deep in the woods. You know what happens next, except for the surprisingly spirited courtship between Todd and the sarcastic Mindy, a real literary-grade writer also staying at the retreat. Meanwhile, guests act suspicious and/or dead, while Bruce recklessly pursues the disinterested but not completely unwilling Celeste.

From "The Cabining."

There is no getting around the fact Cabining is a meathead movie, but it is an oddly ambitious one. Kopera and co-writer David Silverman get a lot of mileage out of approaching the brink of shopworn horror clichés, but doing a 180º at the last moment. As a result, there is quite a respectable balance of smart and dumb laughs.

Kopera’s brother and co-producer Mike demonstrates solid timing and an easy likability as Todd. He also develops some appealing chemistry with the scene-stealing Angela Relucio’s Mindy. The film really hums when they are bantering. Conversely, Bo Keister’s Bruce is all about clumsy shtick, but Richard Riehle brings some on-target lunacy as Todd’s uncle, Sarge.

Admittedly, Cabining is no Blythe Spirit, but if you have seen your share of crap-goes-down-in-the-woods movies than you will find it consistently entertaining. It’s a scruffy indie, but it’s funny. Recommended for midnight movie patrons, The Cabining screened Friday night as part of this year’s Dances With Films, in Hollywood, CA.

LFM GRADE: B

Posted on June 8th, 2014 at 12:02pm.

LFM Reviews The Sacrament

From "The Sacrament."

By Joe Bendel. Somehow, Hollywood was not especially interested in the close alliance Harvey Milk forged with the cult leader and duly appointed San Francisco Housing Commission Chairman Jim Jones, lest it spoil some perfectly sanitized hagiography. We will still have to wait for that part of the historical record to hit screens. However, genre auteur Ti West tackles the Jonestown legacy without whitewashing the Socialist ideology of its founder with his horrifying-but-not-really-horror The Sacrament, which opened this Friday in New York.

For all we know, we could be in Guyana. This undisclosed developing country is home to Eden Parrish, a socialist religious commune maintained by “Father” and his followers. One of them happens to be Caroline, the “troubled” sister of the well heeled Patrick, who happens to have several good friends at the Vice Media network. Sensing a good story, Sam and his cameraman Jake accompany Patrick to document his reunion and hopefully score an interview with Father. Of course, Caroline insists everything is totally fine, but she cannot wait to introduce her brother to some of the commune’s single women—thereby separating him from his Vice companions.

Soon Sam has his sit-down with Father, but it is a frustrating experience. Stymied by the John Goodman-esque cult leader’s slippery rhetoric and spellbinding cadences, the reporter is ready to admit defeat, until terrified cult members start secretly approaching him for help.

West faces an obvious challenge, since just about everyone, except apparently Gus Van Sant, knows exactly how Jonestown ended. On the other hand, knowledge of what is coming and the uncertainty of whether we really want to see it keeps the audience on pins and needles right from the start. Indeed, the scenes of Sam and Jake sneaking through the darkened compound are just extraordinarily tense.

From "The Sacrament."

Not exactly found footage, per se, The Sacrament is still shaped by the look of field reporting. Mercifully, the action is always clear and easy to follow, with little of the shaky cam distortion to be had, even when Jake is running for his life. The vibe of Eden Parrish is also so spot-on, one almost wonders if production designer Jade Healy had a captive crew of cultists to build it for real.

However, West’s ace in the hole is undeniably the ironically named Gene Jones (previously best known for No Country for Old Men), who delivers a massively chilling, truly Oscar-worthy performance as Father. Frankly, this could have been a take-it-to-a-new-level turn for A.J. Bowen, who is otherwise terrific as Sam, but when Jones throws down, he utterly overwhelms everything and everyone else on-screen.

Thanks to the mesmerizing Jones, The Sacrament vividly depicts how a strong, sociopathic personality can dominate weaker followers. It is a lean, tight thriller that feels uncomfortably true to history. Recommended for West’s fans and those fascinated by the psychological dynamics of cults, The Sacrament opened this Friday (6/6) in New York at the Cinema Village.

LFM GRADE: A-

Posted on June 7th, 2014 at 10:45am.

HK Horror Homage: LFM Reviews Rigor Mortis

By Joe Bendel. Imagine Doctor Strange wearing a bathrobe and flip-flops. That’s old Yau. He also cooks a mean bowl of glutinous rice, but exorcism is his real calling. His ominous HK apartment complex keeps him all kinds of busy, but he might finally find an ally when a suicidal actor arrives in Juno Mak’s Rigor Mortis, which opened this Friday in New York.

Disgraced and bereft for reasons only hinted at, Chin Siu-ho moves into a building so decrepit, it could be in Union City, New Jersey. Of course, Chin does not plan to live there (or anywhere else) for long. However, it turns out suicide is not painless. Given the spirits lurking about, it is a profoundly dark and disturbing experience. Fortunately, Yau intercedes at the last minute, but he keeps seeing the spooks and specters afterward.

Still unsure what comes next, Chin befriends the former tenants of his flat, the emotionally shell-shocked Yeung Feng and her ashen-haired little boy, while tentatively offering Yau a hand here and there.  Meanwhile, Yau’s rival, Gau a shaman who cannot resist dabbling in black magic, helps Auntie Mui re-animate her recently deceased husband. Even though she follows his instructions to the letter, Uncle Tung just doesn’t seem to be his old grouchy self. That will get to be thing for Yau to deal with.

As befits a film set within an apartment building, Rigor Mortis is fully stocked with odd characters, many of whom are played by veterans of the Mr. Vampire series. The comings and goings get rather complicated, but the atmosphere trumps everything. Mak and production designer Irving Cheng create a very creepy space. The exorcism process also involves some distinctive martial arts choreography, for extra added genre appeal. However, the ending is rather frustrating, bringing to mind a 1990 mind game film that would be spoilery to name by title.

From "Rigor Mortis."

In a case of meta-meta casting, Mr. Vampire star Chin Siu-ho plays his washed up namesake. He is so convincingly world weary, he practically blows away with the wind. Conversely, his former franchise co-star, Anthony “Friend” Chan commands the screen with his sly presence. Likewise, Paul Chung chews enough scenery for a Hammer Horror film as the reckless Gau. Although best known for her martial arts chops, Kara Wai is also surprisingly affecting as the traumatized Yeung Feng.

Rigor Mortis looks incredible, in no small measure thanks to cinematographer Ng Kai Ming, and it delivers a number of deeply unsettling scares. Mak and his co-screenwriters, Philip Yung and Jill Leung, take a shotgun approach, spraying all manner of supernatural business across the screen, but it works more often than not. Recommended for fans of HK horror, Rigor Mortis opens this Friday (6/6) in New York at the AMC Empire.

LFM GRADE: B

Posted on June 7th, 2014 at 10:40am.