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Showing posts with label Entertainment One. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Entertainment One. Show all posts
Streaming Services: Netflix Movie Name/Year: Awake (2021) Genre: Action, Adventure, Drama Length: 96 minutes Rating: TV-MA Production/Distribution: Entertainment One, Netflix,
Paul Schiff Productions Director: Mark Raso Writer: Gregory Poirier, Joseph Raso, Mark Raso Actors: Gina Rodriguez, Shamier Anderson, Dan Beirne, Gil Bellows,
Frances Fisher, Ariana Greenblatt, Lucius Hoyos Blurb from IMDb: After a devastating global
event wipes out all electronics and eliminated people's ability to sleep, a
former soldier may have found a solution with her daughter.
Selina’s Point of View: Awake wasn’t quite as original as I’d
hoped, but I still really enjoyed it. There were
tropes. There always are, though. What impressed me about the utilization of
them is that Awake did manage to subvert some. I mean, when I
see an apocalypse movie and a character is shown to have insulin-dependent diabetes
– or some other illness that they need constant access to medication for – I immediately
know that’s going to come into play. They’re going to lose their insulin, or it’ll
be stolen, or they’ll just run out and it’ll be a whole thing. Although they showed
a character taking insulin early on in the film, they didn’t take the road that
trope normally goes. I know that seems
small – but I have NEVER seen an apocalypse movie do that. Not ever. I’ve seen
everything from insulin, to inhalers, to anti-psychotics get lost. It’s such a
recurring side-plot, that I go into every movie like this assuming it will be a
thing. I’m usually right. Not all of the
tropes were subverted, but a few did go the way of the not-missing-insulin.
Which was nice.
It did end the
way I thought it would – but there was so much suspense leading up to it, that
I didn’t mind. The whole flick felt incredibly fast-paced. About 7-minutes in,
the catalyst for the apocalypse happened and there were no more chances to take
a breath. I didn’t feel
time move. Gina Rodriguez (Annihilation,
Kajillionaire, Carmen Sandiego) made me feel every moment of her character’s
journey to protect her kids. Ariana Greenblatt (Scoob!, Love and Monsters,
In the Heights) also did a stunning job. I believed her. There were moments
that she played her character so well, that it heightened my immersion –
despite my not having any issues with that to begin with. She’s young, but she’s
already got a decent amount of experience. If she keeps going, she’ll be a
future A-lister. The reviews are
showing that a lot of people disagree with me about Awake. I think they’re
wrong, and I think Awake has the chance to become a cult film. There are
going to be people like me who see mostly good in it. It’s just a matter of how
many. Time will tell.
Cat’s Point of View: I’ve been looking
forward to Awake since I saw the trailer. It felt like this would be a
fresh take for the disaster-flick genre. In recent years,
there have been TV shows and films featuring loss of electricity in the world –
however nothing quite with this particular flavor for the apocalypse. It was
fresh and intriguing. I went in with so many questions. I wish I could
say that I got some answers, if not the ones I was hoping for. There’s a mild
explanation that left me fairly dissatisfied on that front – it felt like a few
throw-away lines. I get it that the delivery was given while the character was
generally delirious, but you’d think there’d be more substance to it. Aside from that,
the rest of Awake had my attention and I was far from any danger of
zoning out.
Gina Rodriguez was
impressive, as usual, in her role as a young mother with a troubled past now
fighting for her children’s future. I enjoyed seeing this new facet to her
range -- portraying someone desperately trying not to unravel.
We should
definitely keep our eyes on young Ariana Greenblatt. She’s come a long way from
the precocious younger sister in Disney’s Stuck in the Middle
(2016-2018), and I have a feeling her career is only going up from here. Aside from a few
great moments here and there, I’m afraid there weren’t a lot of elements in Awake
to set it apart from the majority of the productions that focus on the
crumbling of society – whether from disasters or illness. In any case, I’d
still give Awake a recommendation as a good warm-up movie to kick the
summer season off. It might not blow your socks off, but it’s not a bad flick.
Rotten Tomatoes Critic Score – 38% Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score – 33% Metascore – 36/100 Metacritic User Score – None IMDB Score – 5.1/10 Trust the Dice: Selina’s Rating – 4.5/5 Trust the Dice: Cat’s Rating – 3/5 Movie Trailer:
Streaming
Services: Shudder Movie
Name/Year: Nekrotronic
(2018) Genre: Action, Comedy, Horror Length: 99 minutes Rating: R Production/Distribution: Create NSW, Entertainment
One Features, Guerilla Films, Hopscotch Features, GEM Entertainment, Culture
Publishers (CP), Entertainment One, Momentum Pictures, Universal Pictures Home
Entertainment, eOne Films Spain Director: Kiah Roache-Turner Writer: Kiah Roache-Turner, Tristan
Roache-Turner Actors: Ben O’Toole, Monica
Bellucci, Caroline Ford, Tess Haubrich, Epine Bob Savea, David Wenham, Berynn
Schwerdt, Jay Gallagher, Felix Williamson, Ron Smyck, Goran D. Kleut, Jessica
Racz, Nic Westaway, Dave Beamish, James Formosa, Jonathan Formosa, Alex Jewson Blurb
from IMDb: A
man who discovers that he is part of a secret sect of magical beings who hunt
down and destroy demons in the internet.
Selina’s
Point of View: Let’s face it.
After our last movie, absolutely anything would have been an improvement. That
said, this film was more than just that, it was amazing. I remember seeing
the trailer when it came out and being intrigued. It looked like a B-movie, but
the fun kind. What I saw today exceeded those expectations. It wasn’t a
B-movie at all. It had a decent $10 million budget and it shows. A lot of the
graphics were on point, as well as the soundtrack, acting, sets, and just about
everything else. Now, I’m not saying it wasn’t campy. It was incredibly over-the-top,
but that’s what they were going for, and it works. What surprised me
the most was how well written it was. Now, I’ll admit,
that there were some very typical aspects to the script. There was one point in
the film that I guessed a line of dialogue before it was spoken. There were
also some plot tropes. Still, when the characters were talking to each other,
or reacting to circumstances, it felt organic. I want to talk
about another part of the film that impressed me, but first I need to discuss a
pet peeve I have with newer horror films. As technology has
evolved over time, horror movies seem to have tried to ignore it. For example:
everyone has a cell phone these days. Instead of addressing that in story, most
new horror flicks just default to the ‘out of service’ trope. I hate that.
Especially since it would be so simple do something with it. I mean, a 911
operator is still going to accuse you of a prank call if you ring them up about
ghosts or vampires or something. Seriously, even if you get through to someone,
who’s going to believe you watched someone get possessed? Just saying the phone
is ‘out of service’ is a cop out.
You can’t write a
script for 1960 and make it work today without adjusting it to fit the
evolutions of our world. Well, you can,
but it wouldn’t make sense. That kind of
thing really digs at me. I want newer horror films to take advantage of our
modern technology. It seems like creators see the upgrades as a hurdle when, in
reality, it has the ability to be a new source of terror. That’s one of the
reasons the plot of Nekrotronic works so well. Characters had a find a
way around modern-age technology, or find a way to handicap it. Nothing was
done for them. The script used cell phones and the internet – even augmented
reality – to tell the tale. It’s because the creators acknowledged the state of
our 2018 reality that I was able to become so immersed it. I also need to
compliment Caroline Ford (Anti-Social, Carnival Row, Free Rein) for her
acting. Everyone was great, but there was one scene where Ford was post-battle
and had blood all over her face. There was a bit of crying involved, and she went
for it. It wasn’t ugly-crying, but she was dropping tears at such a level that
she was leaving clean streaks through the blood make-up as it went on. It was
impressive. Nekrotronic was pure campy fun. It had all the
spirits, demons, and other paranormal creatures you could want for a Halloween
movie marathon – and there was a ton of comedic gold mixed in. Although it’s
not a movie for critics, this is an entertaining flick for people just looking
for something fun. It’s a Shudder exclusive,
and I think it’s worth getting the subscription for.
Cat’s
Point of View: For a little bit,
I had Nekrotronic confused with another movie. Whoops. I realized the
error of my notion as I watched the opening credits and failed to see the name
I was expecting as director. The name is really immaterial, honestly. I just
knew then that I wasn’t sure what to expect anymore. I didn’t mind, and my
gamble was paid off because Nekrotronic took me on one hell of a ride. I have an
increasingly positive opinion about Australian cinema. Nekrotronic adds
to the growing list of good movies that have come from the ‘land down under.’
Of course, there’s always the bonus of getting to listen to glorious Aussie
accents throughout the production. I digress… This movie had a
little bit of everything in it. There were huge elements of sci-fi, a generous
helping of horror, and a liberal sprinkle of comedy. It was a recipe for
delicious fun. I laughed, gasped, and had a blast watching the
demon-vanquishing escapades. I know I was
harsh on the last film’s effects, but the distance between that movie and this
one could be measured in light-years. Nekrotronic had quite a few
elements that required effects. The core supernatural essence of the story
called for some heavy-duty cgi, at that. The production got a lot of bang for
their bucks here. Nothing felt hokey, and it was seamless enough that I
believed every second of it.
This movie even
gave me a lot of warm nostalgic fuzzies, as it felt like they paid homage to
some classic 80’s horror movies such as Lifeforce (1985) and Hellraiser
(1987). There were even some heavy influences from Ghostbusters (1984).
I loved how the story drew on these elements without blatantly trying to copy
them. It made those tidbits all the more enjoyable to watch. Some moments were
even reminiscent of the zombie horror genre, and even that was done well in
setting itself apart from that popular trope. That being said, this was
definitely not a throw-back movie. It was clearly set in the current age, if
not a little further in the future. There were some great references that
cemented that for me. I really enjoyed
the cast, as well. The story gets big kudos for having strong female roles in
general, but the ladies portraying them on screen also kicked ass. Monica
Belucci (The Brothers Grimm, The Whistleblower, Mozart in the Jungle),
Caroline Ford, and Tess Haubrich (Alien: Covenant, Bleeding Steel,
Treadstone) were all solid in their roles. Of course, the main character
wasn’t a lady – but that’s ok! I was completely invested in the bumbling
intensity of Howard, played by Ben O'Toole (The Water Diviner, Hacksaw
Ridge, 12 Strong). To sum up, this
was a really well-rounded movie with a little bit of everything in it – and all
done well, in my opinion. I had a really good time watching, and barely noticed
the passage of time. I think this would be a wonderful addition to a spooky
marathon, or just for viewing in general for this Halloween season. It was
another killer edition to our Shudder Spree.
Rotten
Tomatoes Critic Score – 39% Rotten
Tomatoes Audience Score – 76% Metascore – 25/100 Metacritic
User Score – 6.8/10 IMDB
Score – 5.5/10 Trust
the Dice: Selina’s Rating – 4/5 Trust
the Dice: Cat’s Rating – 4.5/5 P.S.: There is one mid-credits scene. Movie
Trailer:
Streaming Services: Amazon
Prime Video, Vudu Free, Tubi
Movie Name/Year: Miss
Meadows (2014)
Genre: Comedy,
Crime, Drama
Length:
88 minutes
Rating: Unrated
Production/Distribution: Vie
Vision Pictures, Atlantic Film, Eagle Films, Entertainment One, Home Box
Office, Lighthouse Home Entertainment, Programs 4 Media, River, Three Lines
Pictures
Blurb from IMDb: A
story centered on a proper elementary school teacher who moonlights as a
vigilante.
Cat’s Point of View:
I have to say, Miss Meadows
was certainly unexpected. I don’t remember this movie from back in 2014, though
it had some stiff competition at the box office at that time. (Can we say
Baymax?) If anyone is looking for something new and interesting to watch, this
movie would not only provide quite the intriguing change of pace but also
offer something unique to the vigilante genre as well.
Another good word to describe Miss
Meadows is quirky – it applies well to both the character and the film,
itself. I can’t say that I’ve seen its like before, and that’s quite the feat
in this age of Hollywood recycling every good idea that’s come before into
reboots, remakes, and re-hashes oh my.
The concept of this movie is deceptively full of whimsy. At its core,
however, is something darker and more substantial.
Of course, some might not like the formality of the dialogue. It did
make some scenes feel a little stiff at times, but I have to feel that the
inherent awkwardness of it was intentional. It was perfectly in tune with the
somewhat anachronistic protagonist.
Another thing I adore about this movie is the purposeful, yet seemingly
random incorporation of dance into the story. It really doesn’t surprise me, as
this film was used as a vehicle to help expose the children cast members to the
arts – which was noted in a line within the credits. Katie Holmes (Jack and Jill, The Giver, Logan Lucky)
has long been a supporter of such projects for quite a while. She was one of
the 4 founding members of the Dizzy Feet Foundation in 2009, after all. That
organization is all about supporting and promoting dance education. I digress.
As for Holmes’ role in the movie, I honestly couldn’t picture anyone
else in the part. Her portrayal of this character felt so emotionally honest. I
could feel how internally broken the character was, and how it fueled her life
choices, as everything played across Holmes’ body language.
I am a bit disappointed in the way the trailer for this movie was
packaged. It seems to try and spin the film as something of a thriller when
it’s less fast-paced and is sparse on the edge-of-the-seat moments. I worry
that those watching the trailer may be disappointed when watching the actual movie
because of that. On the bright side, it did mention the one descriptive phrase
that nails the heart of this odd, yet enjoyable, vigilante tale – “Pulp Fiction
Mary Poppins.”
Of course, while Holmes dominates the screen here, she certainly wasn’t
the only notable cast member. I really enjoyed the dynamic between Miss Meadows
and the sheriff. James Badge Dale (The
Grey, Donnybrook, The Kitchen) really captured well his character’s moral
quandary.
I always get a bit giddy with nostalgic feels when I see Jean Smart (Life Itself, A Simple Favor, Watchmen)
involved with a project. Designing Women
(1986-1993) remains one of my favorite shows from yester-year, and every time I
see Smart on the screen, I get all sorts of fuzzy nostalgic feelings. It does
help that she’s immensely talented.
If you prepare yourself for the fact that this isn’t your typical tale,
and oddness is the name of the game for Miss Meadows, this movie can be quite
touching and compelling. There’s some really profound stuff going on under the
surface here. I will probably recommend this movie to many if only to open a discussion about it afterward.
Actors: Emma
Thompson, Mindy Kaling, Denis O'Hare, Max Casella, John Lithgow, Hugh Dancy,
Amy Ryan, Ike Barinholtz, Megalyn Echikunwoke, Paul Walter Hauser, Bill Maher
Blurb from IMDb: A
late night talk show host suspects that she may soon lose her long-running
show.
Cat’s Point of View:
I was excited that Late
Night was our movie for today. It’s been a rough week and a comedy was just
what the doctor ordered. In hindsight, I wish I’d put this movie a little
higher on my Top 20 list for June 2019, but it was amusing that both Selina and
I had this film as our #16 spot.
If asked for a comparison, I’d say Late Night is similar to The
Devil Wears Prada (2006) but set in the late talk-show industry rather than
fashion. This film touches on a lot of similar themes, yet at the same time is
wildly different and more up-to-date.
Mindy Kaling (License
to Wed, No Strings Attached, Inside Out) hit another home run with this
movie. Her talent for both writing and performing comedy is pretty astounding.
I was invested in her character rather quickly and everything flowed so well. I
barely noticed the passing of time as the film progressed.
The rest of the cast is also pretty amazing. I am loving
Dame Emma Thompson (Burnt, Beauty and the
Beast, The Children Act) in this role that was written for her. There’s great chemistry in the dynamic she has on-screen with Kaling and the other cast
members. John Lithgow (Leap Year, The
Homesman, Beatriz at Dinner) and Denis O'Hare (True Blood, Danger One, Swallow) are among other cast members I was
giddy to see in this project.
I loved the peek behind the scenes of the late-night talk
show world, and some of the creative process that makes it go-round. I also
appreciated the directness with which the film treated the issues that came up
and, while the story is fiction, how it humanizes our favorite talk-show
figures.
I wouldn’t hesitate to give someone the thumbs-up if
requested for a recommendation here. I wouldn’t even mind watching it again.
Production/Distribution: Amazon
Studios, Mandeville Films, One Shoe Films, Popcorn Storm, Entertainment One,
Shaw Organisation, The Searchers, Ascot Elite Entertainment Group, Bir Film,
NOS Audiovisuais
Director: Tom
Harper
Writers: Tom
Harper, Jack Thorne
Actors: Felicity
Jones, Eddie Redmayne, Himesh Patel, Phoebe Fox, Tim McInnerny, Rebecca Front,
Tom Courtenay, Anne Reid, Lewin Lloyd, Vincent Perez, Robert Glenister, Julian
Ferro, Thomas Arnold, Andy Mihalache, Bella
Blurb from IMDb: Balloon
pilot Amelia Wren and scientist James Glaisher find themselves in an epic fight
for survival while attempting to make discoveries in a gas balloon in the
1860s.
Cat’s Point of View:
Balloons are such an icon of wonder and whimsy. It’s nearly
universal – regardless of age, someone will smile when presented with your
average standard helium balloon. People stare, caught up in the moment when
hot-air balloons are in the sky. I know I do, at least. We have an annual
hot-air balloon rally here, and it’s something to see so many beautiful
balloons in the sky at the same time. I digress…
I think that The Aeronauts deftly captures the wonder of
witnessing balloon-flight and relentless pursuit of scientific discovery, which
are at the heart of this story. Of course, perseverance, courage, and daring to
push beyond the status quo are also themes well represented here.
The visuals in The Aeronauts were simply stunning.
Breathtaking cloud vistas and heart-stopping moments are woven liberally into
the film. I have a thing with heights. There were a few moments my heart was
racing a little.
I’ve seen a lot of negative buzz about this movie due to the
fact that the production has taken a biography and then applied a generous bit
of literary license with it. If one looks at the actual events that frame this
biopic, it becomes clear that Felicity Jones’ (The Theory of Everything, Inferno, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story)
character, Amelia, doesn’t actually exist. James Glaisher, played by Eddie
Redmayne (Black Death, Jupiter Ascending,
The Danish Girl), did have an aeronaut partner on his record-breaking
flight, but it was a man named Henry Tracey Coxwell.
Some feel that his character was overlooked merely for the
sake of politically correct diversity. While I can’t argue that the portrayal
of the movie doesn’t fit the entire truth of the story, I have to interject
that Amelia’s involvement in the tale does elevate the narrative, regardless. Further,
not every historical movie has 100% of all the facts portrayed accurately. This
wasn’t a situation where they just chucked in a female character for the sake
of romance or something equally extraneous to the story.
My theory is that the writers combined another historical
ballooning figure with the pilot of the famous flight in order to tie two
aspects of the history of ballooning and flight together and offer a bit of
showmanship at the same time. I imagine it would be a safe bet that Jones’
character’s name is based on none other than Amelia Earhart, as a symbol of
aviation innovation and inspiration to girls of all ages. It would be an
entirely different, and I dare say likely dull, movie if she weren’t involved.
Hats off to Jones and Redmayne for a phenomenal job here! I feel entirely justified listing this film as my #6 on my personal Top 20 for December 2019 (it was #15 for Selina). I would certainly give this one a recommendation for anyone with
a sense of adventure, and I will likely watch this one again in the near future; as
I intend to get my daughter to watch it with me next time.
Production/Distribution: Caffeination,
Exclusive Media Group, Hammer Films, Traveling Picture Show Company, Lionsgate,
Batrax Entertainment, A Company Hungary, A Company Russia, Alfa Films,
Cathay-Keris Films, Delta Films, Entertainment One, Independent Films, Innoform
Media, Key Films, Lionsgate UK, Scanbox Entertainment, Umbrella Entertainment,
Ascot Elite Entertainment Group, Divisa Home Video, Film & TV House, Film1
Action, Front Row Filmed Entertainment, GEM Entertainment, Tanweer Films, Zon
Audiovisuais
Director: John
Pogue
Writers: Craig
Rosenberg, Oren Moverman, John Pogue, Tom de Ville
Actors: Jared
Harris, Sam Claflin, Olivia Cooke, Erin Richards, Rory Fleck Byrne, Laurie
Calvert, Aldo Maland, Max Pirkis
Blurb from IMDb: A
university professor and a team of students conduct an experiment on a young
woman, uncovering terrifyingly dark, unexpected forces in the process.
Cat’s Point of View:
Where do I even begin? This movie was a bit of a hot mess. I
really try to find positives in everything I watch. I don’t like the tendency
that professional critics have of finding ways to tear down projects that they
don’t particularly like. That being said, I’m struggling a bit here.
When I searched for John Pogue (U.S. Marshalls, The Skulls,
Quarantine 2: Terminal) on IMDb, I learned that he has penned the screenplay or
has produced several movies that I have really enjoyed over the years. The
Quiet Ones is the second credited movie he has directed. Perhaps it’s the
transition from one ‘hat’ to another that he’s still working on? I can only
speculate.
The premise of the film is interesting. I watch a lot of
paranormal-related shows, as I’m fascinated with such interactions with
‘energies from the beyond’ so to speak. The science behind modern ‘ghost
hunting’ specialists is also intriguing. I’m familiar with the theory that a
person with latent ability can manifest a poltergeist without even realizing it
– especially females entering puberty. To cut to the chase, inducing such a
person to manifest seems plausible enough that it should be able to carry the
story. I suppose it was moderately successful there – but only by the bare
minimum.
The fact that this movie is based on actual events is what
lies at the core of what is horrifying to me. To think that a girl was actually
put through the experiences that the character Jane Harper goes through is
sickening. Whether it actually yielded results or not, it was tantamount to
torture.
There are some loose ends waving around in how that process
ties with the other plot nuggets that are woven into the film. I feel like I’m
left with more questions than anything. That is sometimes the hallmark of a
good mystery. In this case, it’s just unnecessarily complicated.
Aside from the annoying shaky-cam that comes with movies
that show you the story literally through a character’s camera lens, the audio
was a bit disjointed. I get that part of it may have been for dramatic effect
and to make sure that jump-scares were more effective. I just found it tedious
that one moment sounds were normal, then everyone is talking so softly that you
have to turn the volume up and/or rewind to understand what they’re saying.
Then suddenly the sound blares up again. It left me scrambling to adjust the volume
over and over again since I was watching this movie at night while my family
was sleeping. They don’t have the same appreciation of the horror genre as I
do.
I wish I could find something more positive to say about
this film, alas I could not in good conscience recommend this one. Perhaps
die-hard fans of some of the cast members might take more away from the
experience. I like the actors well enough, but not enough to give me blinders
on The Quiet Ones.
Rotten Tomatoes Critic Score –
37%
Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score –
25%
Metascore –
41/100
Metacritic User Score –
4.5/10
IMDB Score –
5.1/10
CinemaScore –
None
Trust the Dice: Cat’s Rating – 2/5
P.S. There’s a short scene and images
during the credits.
