Showing posts with label sci-fi. Show all posts
Showing posts with label sci-fi. Show all posts

17 May 2015

Dead by Dawn 2015 Review - Ava's Possessions (2015)

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Genre:
Horror, Sci-fi, Thriller
Distributor: TBC
Screened:
2015 Dead By Dawn (UK)
Release Date: TBC
Rating: 15
Director:
Jordan Galland
Cast:
Carol Kane, Dan Fogler, Jemima Kirke, Lou Taylor Pucci


The exorcism sub-genre has successfully stood its ground time and time again in every mode of the horror genre, so it’s a tough place to make your voice heard. Even then, Jordan Galland’s Ava’s Possessions is an absolute treat, not least because there seems to be a lack of post-exorcism films. Ava (Louisa Krause) is a young and beautiful girl who’s just been exorcised after a month of demon-fuelled mayhem. Agreeing to sign on with a support group for other people like her, Ava sets about atoning for her digressions, coming to terms with her benign other half, and unravelling the mystery of what happened to her.

Once the film starts, Galland quickly gets us on board, mixing his demonic PTS with staunch referencing, vibrant colouring, and a wicked sense of humour. The result is a Day-Glo package of horror goodies that might be camp as Christmas, but still has the balls to bite. Krause makes a splendid lead keeping a tight rein on Ava’s fluctuating personality and dark dark turns. Imagine Linda Blair going full-Cage for a demonic Bad Lieutenant and you’re getting closer to Ava’s Possessions. It’s a truly remarkable experiment in horror.

As with any experiment in horror, there might not be enough spooks and shade to keep genre-racists at bay, Ava’s Possessions is its own beast and doesn’t take kindly to shoehorning. Galland is an obvious fan of horror films, but he has no interest in recreating the gloomy nihilism of classic possession stories. Instead he exploits every facet of his script visually to ensure it’s a magnificent spectacle for any audience: a piece of possession pop art dripping with colour and an awareness of what its audience has seen and wants to see.

Like any great story, the film starts with the pieces scattered and shattered, confusingly, ominously out of reach. Like 13 Sins last year, Dead by Dawn 2015 has its twisting adventure: a moral sink-hole where characters and audience swirl until liberated by the crushing tide of familial secrets and spiritual danger. But the facts of the plot aren’t the only nostalgic endeavours. A fantastic, varied, and magnetic cast of genre regulars, and outright watchables, (William Saddler and Deborah Rush) pins Ava to the board of credibility in a rabid attempt at ensuring our engagement.

Whether or not Galland is a horror fan is totally irrelevant since the genre will only survive in the hands of people who have the audacity to change it, rather than releasing films that, though void of originals, are still really just remakes. Ava’s Possessions is a fresh-faced triumph and one of the most vibrant genre experiences you’ll have this year.

★★★★
Scott Clark



Ava's Possessions (2015) Official Teaser Trailer from Jordan Galland on Vimeo.

10 March 2015

BFI Unleash A Stunning New UK trailer For Upcoming Blade Runner:The Final Cut

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You may say to yourself "Again?!!!" but to true film fans will relish a  rare chance to see Ridley Scott's 1982 sci-fi Masterpiece Blade Runner on the big screen again, watch new trailer.

After numerous special editions for the home release and fans of the cult film argue which one is the best, we have to say the best is to relive the enjoyment of the big screen. BFI are bringing the film back to UK cinemas for a limited release and if your of a certain age group (like myself) either too young or weren't born so we see this as a rare chance.

So what version version will we watch? BFI are distributing Blade Runner:The Final Cut the version approved by director Ridley Scott, here's what he said about this version...

The Final Cut is my definitive version of BLADE RUNNER, and I’m thrilled that audiences will have the opportunity to enjoy it in the way I intended – on the big screen. This new trailer captures the essence of the film and I hope will inspire a new generation to see BLADE RUNNER when it is re-released across the UK on 3 April.



Graced with extraordinary sets, ground-breaking special effects, stunning costumes and photography, Blade Runner: The Final Cut brilliantly evokes a dystopian vision of the future. Breathtaking city vistas, rain-drenched neon-lit streets and gloomy interiors combine with Vangelis’ sweeping, sensual score to conjure an oppressive futuristic Los Angeles, a dark and dehumanising landscape where the sun no longer shines.

Blade Runner: The Final Cut will make an limited UK cinema release from 3rd April, check BFI website for a list of cinema who will show the film.

10 January 2015

Sci-fi Short Atropa Pays Homage To Classic Ridley Scott Science Fiction

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If you adore Alien, Blade Runner Eli Sasich's Science Fiction short Atropa will be right up your street, paying Homage to classic gritty sci-fi of 1970s & 1980s.

Sasich's beautifully created film tells the tale of a space detective (Anthony Bonavetura) whose sent on a deep space mission to investigate the missing  research vessel Atropa, but what he finds everything is not what it seems.

There's also a big nod to the sci-fi horror Event Horizon here, a fantastically constructed film and for short with impressive CGI. Atropa is another fine example to filmmaker wannabe's that sometimes crating something smaller with plenty of TLC is a smarter move than going the juggular with a full feature. Here's hoping those with the power in film have there eyes on Sasich's fantastic film as it's a film we love to see created into a full feature.

ATROPA -- Sci-fi Short from Eli Sasich on Vimeo.


source: GeekTyrant

6 September 2014

Memories Or Dream? Reconcile Yourself With Dan Marcus Streamline Short Film

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Put the questionable acting to one side Dan Marcus Streamline is a decent little short film that attempts to reconcile between memory and dreams. Throw in an dreadful father and a strange woman who can look like can access every nook & cranny of your mind no wonder the film's protagonist feels a bit all over the place.

Apart from the typical set up for sci-fi  what Streamline does best is deliver a little emotion and a film that can shift it's emotions at the right time. Whatever you think father/son relationships can fit nicely into any genre, enjoy....


Source: Filmschoolrejects




30 December 2013

DVD Review - Upstream Colour

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Genre:
Sci-fi, Drama, Arthouse
Distributor:
Metrodome Distribution
Rating:
15
BD/DVD Release Date:
30th December 2013 (UK)
Director:
Shane Carruth
Cast:
Amy Seimetz, Frank Mosley, Shane Carruth
Buy Upstream Colour:
[DVD] or [Blu-ray] [Amazon]


Upstream Color is without a doubt the strangest film of 2013 and there have been some strange films this year. It’s the 2nd film by Shane Carruth who made a splash in the indie world 9 years ago with the incredibly overrated Primer which was made for $7,000 but it was unnecessarily complex for it’s own good. Carruth worked on a highly ambitious science fiction epic for the years in-between films but it eventually gave up due to lack of funding.

The film starts with a woman being tasered and kidnapped by a man called “The Thief” in the credits. She is under his mind control and forfeits her money to him and she is only allowed to small portions of water. The Thief performs surgery on her which involves putting a live roundworm in her which has blue tinged orchid leaves dust in it which infects her system.

She awakes and the roundworm is attracted by infrasound waves and she goes to a pig farmer/field recorder’s farm in trance. The farmer performs a transfer of the worm into one of his pig’s. She awakes and has no memory of what happened in her SUV. The woman finally realizes that all her money has been stolen and her employer fires her.

The film picks up a year later and she meets a man on a train (played by the director) and they bond and fall in love. They may have more in common than they initially thought. It then becomes increasingly stranger and stranger.

Carruth literally served as director, writer, producer, actor, cinematographer, editor, composer, casting director, production designer and sound designer… take that Orson Welles! His cinematography is reminiscent of the recent Terrence Malick films at times. The sound design is outstanding which he won a special jury award at Sundance for his sound design. Carruth is being a very talented director and he has the makings of a real auteur but give it a couple more films before calling him one.

It’s a very admirable film even though it’s extremely pretentious at times and utterly baffling. Despite some of the film’s problems it’s a breath of fresh air in a time of endless sequels and comic book films than somebody makes a film this out there. I don’t full understand what the film is about and it’s quite possibly Carruth himself doesn’t. It’s a pretty unforgettable film with plenty of ideas and an endlessly fascinating story that surprisingly wraps itself up in the end. There are still many unanswered questions and people will debate them for years to come.

★★★★

Ian Schultz


6 December 2013

Watch The Engrossing Short Film Grays

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If there's any reason why here at Cinehouse should be posting more short films Henry Hobson's Grays is that reason. Hobson may not be known by many but some will now his work as a designer designing title sequences for many popular TV shows and Films such as Rango, The Walking Dead and Guy Ritchie's Sherlock Holmes. Hobson is actually a established short film director and below is his latest Grays.

The story is simple about a young man determined to find out why his father has died with a military official they go search for that information leads him to meeting something possibly not of this earth.

This is a fantastic film and one that needs to be expanded from its 5 minutes running time, nice ending but most of all it has the uber-cool Michael Ironside in it!



source: Geektyrant

15 November 2013

Blu-Ray Review - Invasion Of The Body Snatchers (1978)

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Genre:
Sci-fi, horror, cult
Release Date:
18th November 2013 (UK)
Distributor:
Arrow
Director:
Philip Kaufman
Cast:
Donald Sutherland, Leonord Nimoy, Brooke Adams, Jeff Goldblum, Kevin Mccarthy,
Buy:
[Blu-ray] or [Blu-ray SteelBook]


Philip Kaufman unwitting started the trend of remaking classic horror films with his 1978 reimagining of Invasion of the Body Snatchers. It started this trend because it was actually really good and similar remakes followed like The Thing and The Fly. Body Snatchers started life as a novel by Jack Finney and have been adapted 4 times to the silver screen. It was first made in 1956 by Don Siegel and remains the best, the aforementioned 1978 one, the underrated Abel Ferrara take in the early 90s and more the recently the version with Nicole Kidman but let’s try to forget that one.

The film’s protagonist in this take is Matthew Bennell (Donald Sutherland) a San Franciscan heath inspector who hears from a friend Elizabeth (Brooke Adams) that her boyfriend is acting strange around her. Matthew gets his friend in touch with Dr. Kibner (Leonard Nimoy) a psychiatrist. At the same time two of his friends discovered a body that resembles one of them Jack (Jeff Goldblum) that appears to be browing. They call Matt to have a look at it and if he can help

Matt comes down to examine it and heads back to see Elizabeth and finds a pod person version of her growing. Matt gets the real Elizabeth to safety and contacts the police but soon realizes they are pod people. The invasion has started and Matt and his friends can’t fall asleep or they will become pod people as well.

Kaufman’s take is very much of its time it’s set in a post-Watergate world. It has that great 70s paranoia feel and you know from the extremely creepy opening scene something is amidst. This is refined with the inclusion of Robert Duvall’s unsettling cameo as a priest in a playground. It also includes fantastic cinematography from Michael Chapman who also shot Taxi Driver.

It’s one of the finest film remakes of its kind with only The Thing or The Fly surpassing it in quality. Kaufman is a very versatile director who has director stuff like The Wanderers and The Right Stuff and casts the film impeccably. Sutherland feel adds some gravitas to his role, which is rare in the genre. The film also features a cameo by the original film’s lead actor Kevin McCarthy which begs the question is it a remake or sequel.

The blu-ray Arrow has complied is packed to the gills with material; the real highlight is the roundtable discussion with Kim Newman, Ben Wheatley and Norman J. Warren who discuss the film at quite length. The disc also includes a really pretentious interview with Kaufman’s biographer Annette Insdorf along with an interview about Jack Finney from Jack Seabrook and some featurettes from the American MGM blu-ray and a director’s commentary.

★★★★

Ian Schultz


11 September 2013

Ikarie XB-1 DVD Review

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Release Date:
23rd September 2013 (UK)
Rating:
15
Distributor:
Second Run
Director:
Jindrich Polák
Cast:
Zdenek Stepánek, Frantisek Smolík, Dana Medrická
Buy:
Ikarie XB-1 [DVD]

Ikarie XB-1 is a fascinating piece of pre-2001: a Space Odyssey science fiction filmmaking. It was made 5 years before in 1963 and it’s from Czechoslovakia, which is not known for it’s science fiction with the possible exception of the writer Karel Ćapek. Ikarie XB-1 has never been released on these shores until now with Second Run’s (a label who specialises in Czech cinema) release. The film however has it admirers including esteemed directors like Joe Dante and Alex Cox. It has also been suggested its one of many space films Stanley Kubrick watched before he embarked on the task of making 2001.

The film’s source comes from one of the most world-renowned science fiction writers Stanislaw Lem, he also wrote the book Solaris is based on. Stanislaw like most great sci-fi writers dealt with philosophical themes and his work also at times were very satiric. He is also considered one of the most difficult writers to translate because of his elaborate word formulations. The book Ikarie XB-1 is based on The Mangellanic Cloud that has not yet been translated into English.

Ikarie XB-1 is not that dissimilarly to the better-known Solaris as both films are set almost entirety on a space ship. It is equally a journey though space to discover new worlds (in Ikarie XB-1 they are trying to find alien life on star near Alpha Centauri) and a mental one. Solaris is definitely a more artistically successful film but that’s part of the mastery of its director Andrei Tarkovsky.

Ikarie XB-1 has fantastic production design that at times is almost hallucinatory with its shapes and patterns of the interior of the ship. The cinematography throughout is really stunning with lots of strange disorienting angles that get the viewer into the mind-set of the crew. The outer space sequences are surprisingly effect and don’t seem too cheesy.

It’s overall a really surprising piece of early intelligent science fiction in cinema (they’re was already lots in the fiction world) that will really surprise a lot of people. The film was cut down by the US distributor and retitled Voyage to the end of the universe. The twist ending was cut and was replaced with a much happier ending but of course Second Run has released the original cut. The DVD is under £10 and it’s certainly worth you investment.

★★★★

Ian Schultz

1 September 2013

Extracted DVD Review

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rating:
18
DVD Release Date:
2nd September 2013 (UK)
Director:
Nir Paniry
Cast:
Jenny Mollen, Dominic Bogart, Sasha Roiz
Buy Extracted:
Extraction (DVD)

At first glance Nir Paniry’s neuro-trip Extracted (nee Extraction) can seem a little too Inception for its own good.  Nolan’s cerebral masterpiece has unfortunately taken command of an entire ocean of narrative possibility meaning that no matter what happens, any film that tries to tackle this area will undoubtedly end up being compared to the mega budget, thrill ride of 2010. If you can stomach a first half that’s perhaps a little too caught up in the science of Inception and the near-monotonous base storyline of a scientist trapped in the machine of his own making, then the second act will impress with a well-tempered tale of cyclical abuse and the power of memory.

The basic story follows an obsessed scientist, Tom, (Sasha Roiz) who has created a machine capable of allowing a person into the memories of another, for the purposes of psychological therapy. The machine is tested on a junky convicted of shooting his girlfriend but something goes wrong trapping the scientist in the mind of a killer.

The key turning point for the film is when Paniry becomes less interested in the mind boggling genius of Tom’s endeavours, and more focused on the realities of venturing into a human mind. Unfortunately, though Roiz provides a solid performance, Tom’s drives and goals are quickly overtaken by the desperation and urgency of addict Anthony, here played wonderfully by Dominic Bogart. Anthony’s story arc is a far more interesting, complex chain of events punctuated by more edgy characters.  The best of these is Anthony’s bilious but loving father played by the fantastic Frank Ashmore (The Lost Coat Tapes), an ever-magnetic screen underdog.

Come the end of the film, the Inception likeness pops up in a bittersweet but effectively grand finale accompanied by a Zimmer-esque piece of music. No matter what, it’s still a good end, better than the one they use, because here is a film that suffers from multiple ending syndrome. So many points present themselves and many would be suitable and great places to cap the tale, but Paniry goes for the one that is, if not pretentious, then dull in comparison to some of the other opportunities.< Extraction’s main issue is that it does seem a bit predisposed with trying to stay sharp and edgy, injecting moments of speed and action into an otherwise tame but thought-provoking affair. Overall it’s a fairly good go at the cerebral thriller genre, boring at points but still an enjoyable watch.

★★★☆☆

Scott Clark