Film Review: Bone Tomahawk

When a doctor, a deputy and an inmate are abducted from an old west town, four men set out to save them. Unfortunately the four men believe they are up against an average Native American tribe only to find out that they have to face a near mythical tribe of cannibalistic cave dwellers that even the other tribes fear. As the men get closer to the tribe’s land the tension and violence escalates to a graphically action-packed climax.

Bone Tomahawk is a great western with a touch of thriller and horror given the group’s adversaries and some of the graphic situations they find themselves in. First time feature director S. Craig Zahler wrote a gripping story and directed this film with a confident flair. The acting in many cases is down right wonderful and the cast is strong as can be, Kurt Russell and Patrick Wilson are fantastic, but at times Richard Jenkins and Mathew Fox steal the show.

The production of Bone Tomahawk is also a feat to be reckoned with as they managed to pull off a beautifully shot, decently paced period thriller, packed with special effects for under two million dollars. This frankly puts many a major studio film to shame when an independent film can come along and prove that with a solid story and well-planned production, a fantastic movie can be made for a fraction of what the studios are spending. And the kicker is that you cannot see Bone Tomahawk in theaters because it didn’t get a good distribution deal so it was practically straight to VOD.

If you love a good western, thriller or “men on a mission” film, then you should do yourself a favor and see Bone Tomahawk immediately.

Bone Tomahawk (2015); Director: S. Craig Zahler; Starring: Kurt Russell, Patrick Wilson, Lili Simmons Film Review: Suffragette

Maud Watts is a hard working mother in early 1900s England who works in a commercial laundry by day while caring for her husband and son by night. Through a series of coincidences and circumstance, Maud finds herself associated with the Women’s Suffrage movement. While Maud at first is merely a curious outsider, the various men who want to keep her out of it push her further and further into the movement. As Maud embraces her political beliefs, the Women’s Suffrage movement gains in controversy and notoriety leading to numerous violent conflicts with the law and government in general while they attempt to get their message out to the world.

Suffragette is a beautifully shot and wonderful looking movie that certainly evokes the rough and tragic conditions of the time period while visually conveying the desperation the working class lived with and the struggle of the Women’s Suffrage Movement. The story is fast-paced and emotionally engaging, complemented by excellent performances all around.

My only real critique of the film is that the story is a fictionalized telling of the British suffragette movement. Our lead character Maud Watts, played wonderfully by Carey Mulligan, is not a real historical figure but rather a composite of various stories associated with the suffragette movement. I just personally feel that this film would have had more power had it concentrated on the stories of the actual women involved in the Women’s Suffrage Movement rather than Forrest Gump’ing a story together, relegating all of the actual historical figures to being supporting or background characters. In the end it doesn’t really affect the power of the story, but rather simply misses the opportunity to educate people to the historical truth.

Suffragette is currently playing in numerous theaters throughout the area including Cinema World Lincoln.

Suffragette (2015); Director: Sarah Gavron; Starring: Carey Mulligan, Helena Bonham Carter, and Meryl Streep Film Review:

One town, one Halloween night, 10 stories intersect to tell the tales that make up an array of stories related to the holiday. From creatures to witches and slashers to troublesome trick or treaters there is something for every horror fan to enjoy in Tales Of Halloween.

Some of the highlights include the segment “Sweet Tooth,” a creepy tale about not hogging all of the candy. “This Means War” is a fun take on rival home haunters, while “Friday The 31st” is a grand gory slasher spoof. But those were just my favorites; there are seven more stories crammed into a fast-paced hour and a half so there is bound to be something for everyone’s tastes.

While there is some minor fluctuation in the quality of each story involved, the overall movie is extremely entertaining and has a great balance of both scares and laughs. The film maintains a great cohesive feeling and visual style even though seven different cinematographers shot the movie, which is a credit to the producers who oversaw the project.

Tales Of Halloween benefits from the involvement of both genre veterans and up-and-comers in front of and behind the camera. With segments directed by (The Descent), Lucky Mckee (May), (Repo: A Genetic Opera), and Paul Solet (Dark Summer) among others we are also treated to a wealth of recognizable filmmakers and actors who appear in the film such as Adrienne Barbeau, , , Barbara Crampton, , , and plus many many more.

I can’t recommend Tales Of Halloween enough for horror fans and people looking for a fun film to watch for Halloween. I feel confident in stating that I believe Tales Of Halloween will become a seasonal regular alongside Halloween (1978) and Trick ’r Treat (2007), not only for me but for legions of horror fans. Check out Tales Of Halloween now on all VOD platforms.

Tales Of Halloween (2015); Directors: Darren Lynn Bousman, Axelle Carolyn, Adam Gierasch, Andrew Kasch, Neil Marshall, Lucky McKee, Mike Mendez, Dave Parker, Ryan Schifrin, John Skipp, and Paul Solet; Starring: Way too many people to list.

First Annual Art & Design Film Fest

The First Annual Providence Art and Design Film Festival is in full swing at the Cable Car Cinema in Providence, running from October 29 until November 1st.

The aim of the festival is to examine different facets of the art and design world, from showcasing artists and designers to examining how art and design have played a role in shaping the modern world, exploring their influence on topics such as politics, history, and personal expression.

Thursday the 29th marked the opening night of the festival with a reception at the RISD Museum followed by a screening of the film “Peggy Guggenheim: Art Addict”. The film was followed by a question and answer session with Director Lisa Immordino Vreeland and John Smith, Director of the RISD Museum.

The festival is covering a wide range of subject matter, from sneaker obsessions to the displacement of the Kathputli Colony of artists in New Delhi, India. There is a strong international film presence, including films from Switzerland, Germany, France, Austria, the Netherlands, Taiwan and India.

Many of the film screenings are followed by Q & A sessions with local artists and designers, RISD- associated artists, professors, and museum curators, as well as professors from Brown and various experts on the subject matter of the films.

Unusual Halloween Movies to Enjoy As we are well in to the Halloween season and I am generally regarded as “the horror guy,” people are asking for viewing recommendations. So I’ve compiled a handy list that you can use. My only rule in this list is that I wanted to avoid all of the obvious choices such as the Halloween series and 2007’s Trick ‘r Treat since those are everyone’s go-to films of the season; and while there is nothing wrong with them (I have already watched Halloween 3 twice this month) I thought it would be fun to recommend some titles that are a little bit different. Not all of my choices are directly Halloween-related, but I feel that they all have a great creepy atmosphere and are all fun films to watch as well. If you like what you see here then venture deeper and you’ll find a treasure trove of fun horror films.

1: Kolchak: The Night Stalker (1972) Now to be honest, I started with this one first because it’s a bit of a cheat. I’m not only recommending the 1972 television movie The Night Stalker, but also its 1973 follow-up The Night Strangler and the 1974 series Kolchak: The Night Stalker. All of them follow the misadventures of Carl Kolchak, a second- rate reporter who keeps finding himself entangled in supernatural happenings. It is definitely worth noting that Kolchak was the main inspiration for “The X-Files” and both the movies and series walk that fine line between creepy atmosphere and slapstick comedy very carefully.

2. The Monster Squad (1987) This has been one of my favorite films since I caught a matinee of it back in ’87. The quick synopsis is The Goonies meets the Universal Monsters, and it’s just as amazing as that premise sounds. Plus with a PG-13 rating it’s something you can watch with the slightly older kids.

3. Ghosthouse (1988) This late ’80s Euro horror (a particular favorite genre of mine) gem is one of the strangest films ever produced. It is a literal “everything and the kitchen sink” production as this haunted house story evokes every cliché and trope imaginable to create one of the most ludicrously enjoyable spooky movie experiences you can have.

4. The Halloween Tree (1993) This animated feature based off of the book by Ray Bradbury is an excellent choice for families as it is spooky, fun and educational. We follow a group of trick or treaters through the origins of Halloween customs as they try to help a friend.

5. The Fog (1980) This tale of a town cursed by its past deeds is hands-down one of the simplest and most effective ghost stories ever filmed. ’s mood masterpiece is both a stylistic achievement and a solid story, which usually gets overshadowed by Halloween when picking one of his films to watch this time of year. 6. Night Of The Demons (1988) This tale of a group of teens partying in a haunted mansion on Halloween night is truly an unsung classic of ’80s horror and perfect viewing for the season. With its atmospheric setting, loud rock music and over-the-top practical gore and creature effects, this is certain to entertain you on Halloween.

Film Review: Steve Jobs

Danny Boyle’s new film, Steve Jobs, is an interesting look at the personal and business relationships in Jobs’ life as it only takes place backstage before three iconic product launches. The film opens in 1984 at the Mac launch, continues in 1988 at the NeXT computer launch and concludes in 1998 with the launch of the iMac. All three acts take place within a short period of time leading up to the actual presentation while Jobs meets with business partners, friends, and his ex and daughter. We see Jobs’ clever and creative side while also seeing how shrewd and manipulative he can be in business while being blinded by his own ego.

Now I’m going to be forthright in telling you that this isn’t an easy film to review; because of its style it is merely a portion of a story and gives the audience no resolution whatsoever. I can state that in my opinion the script by Aaron Sorkin was compelling and the acting very good all around, while the direction was strong throughout. For a two-hour film entirely made up of conversations, Steve Jobs is an engaging and at times tense watch, and it breezes by like a much shorter film. My only complaints with Steve Jobs are that the film is limited in its storytelling approach. You never feel like you’re getting the whole story, because you aren’t. On top of that, the third act struggles to present the audience with the illusion of a happy ending in which Jobs makes some concessions toward bettering his relationships with those around him. While this could be an attempt to play into the Steve Jobs “reality distortion field” of him spinning the facts and telling half truths, it more feels like the filmmakers are trying to end the film on an upswing, even though any basic research will show you that Jobs never was one to “make good” with people and that the film ends at a point where Apple was just getting into some very duplicitous business practices. Overall the film is a strong and entertaining watch, just not entirely correct, so if you check it out, be aware of that.

Steve Jobs (2015); Director: Danny Boyle; Starring: Michael Fassbender, Seth Rogen, and Kate Winslet

Film Review: Steve Jobs: The Man In The Machine (2015)

Alex Gibney’s newest documentary is an interesting look at the life of Apple founder Steve Jobs’ professional and private life. From the first time Jobs used a computer at age 12 to his friendship and early work with Steve Wozniak right through his work with Atari, we are given a good understanding of what brought Jobs to founding Apple. Then the documentary thoroughly covers the ups and downs of Apple, NeXT, then Apple again as we are given a look at the positive and negative aspects of Jobs’ business and interpersonal relationships.

Steve Jobs: The Man In The Machine is a dense documentary with a well-balanced point of view. For all the negative material Gibney gives us, he still manages to temper it with positive information that gives this well-crafted documentary a refreshingly impartial view to a degree.

The bulk of Steve Jobs: The Man In The Machine is made up of archival interviews, news clips and talking heads, but it never loses the viewers’ interest as the career path Jobs took was certainly a compelling one. Alex Gibney is known for his high-profile documentaries such as Enron: The Smartest Guys In The Room and last years Going Clear: Scientology And The Prison Of Belief, and I believe that this new film will be just as highly regarded as the rest of his work.

Steve Jobs: The Man In The Machine opens at the Avon Cinema on Friday, October 16 and I recommend that people who love a good documentary or are fans of Apple products (especially those planning to see Danny Boyles’ new biopic next week) make time to check this film out.

Steve Jobs: The Man In The Machine (2015); Director: Alex Gibney; Featuring: Steve Jobs

Film Review: He Named Me Malala

Malala Yousafzai has risen to prominence as a proponent of free speech, the right for girls to get the same education as boys, and for getting the Taliban out of power in Pakistan among other countries after the Taliban shot her in the head on her way to school. Davis Guggenheim’s newest documentary follows the Yousafzai family after the shooting and documents their move from Pakistan to England, and their struggle to fit in while Malala travels the world speaking to political groups and government officials. The film also gives us a background on the Taliban’s rise to power in Pakistan and the Yousafzai’s continual involvement as part of the resistance to the Taliban. All of this builds to Malala’s speech to the United Nations and her becoming the youngest person to be awarded a Nobel Peace Prize at the age of 17.

He Named Me Malala is a touching and engaging documentary about an extremely strong-willed individual but also about the family that is her network of support. Much of the documentary features footage of Malala traveling and speaking publicly but the most effective moments come when the other members of the Yousafzai family discuss their situation and their family’s back-story. The talking head interviews are also augmented with stylish animated sequences that help to illustrate back-story and important events.

He Named Me Malala is an important documentary and bound to be the must-see documentary of the year. It opens in theaters Friday, October 9.

He Named Me Malala (2015); Director: Davis Guggenheim; Starring: Malala Yousafzai, Ziauddin Yousafzai, and Khushal Yousafzai Film Review: The Green Inferno

Justine is an American college student with a privileged background who joins up with an eco-activist group working out of her college. She joins them on a trip to Peru to stop the destruction of the rain forest by a development company who are pushing indigenous tribes off of their land for the natural gas underneath. Unfortunately for the students, their trip takes a nasty turn when a plane crash drops them right in the middle of the jungle and at the mercy of the primitive tribe they were trying to save.

Eli Roth’s The Green Inferno is a loving homage to the lesser-known sub-genre of Italian cannibal films, and boy is it great. The story and structure match the genre perfectly by starting in New York City before heading into the jungle while the cast are a good mix of likeable kids and arrogant jackasseswho you want to see get eaten. The main highlight of The Green Inferno are the movie’s practical gore effects. While I recall seeing the names of KNB’s Greg Nicotero and Howard Berger in the opening credits, they don’t seem to be credited on the film’s IMDB page, but the second half of the movie is chock full of their work. While the films before The Green Inferno were known for being disgusting, Roth’s movie reaches the top tier of the genre in that respect as The Green Inferno contains almost every body part being lopped off and eaten. The film also has beautiful photography, but I feel that the movie suffers slightly from being shot digitally because it is an homage to a genre that is generally well regarded for its lush 35mm photography and juxtaposing of beautiful images with disturbing ones.

My only real complaints about the film are relatively minor in that one scene has some CGI that stands out for the wrong reasons while I believe that the end of the film could have been wrapped up a bit quicker without the usual last-minute jump scares.

Overall I highly recommend that any fans of horror, jungle adventures, or gory disturbing films should get to a theater and see The Green Inferno as soon as possible. It isn’t often that a film of this nature gets a mainstream release so support it while you can, especially if you are a fan of the sub-genre as there are some fun references to other cannibal films and it was an added treat to hear some of rokOPERA’s tribute score for Cannibal Ferox in the credits. And if you enjoy the movie and are unfamiliar with the Italian cannibal sub-genre, then stick around during the credits as Roth has included a list of the landmark films in the genre for you to seek out.

The Green Inferno (2015); Director: ; Starring: Lorenza Izzo, Ariel Levy, Aaron Burns, and Sky Ferreira

Film Review: The Intern

In The Intern, Robert De Niro plays Ben Whittaker, a retired widower who finds that his daily routine has become boring. Ben decides to apply for a senior internship program with up-and-coming internet clothing company About The Fit, run by mid-20s entrepreneur Jules Ostin played by Anne Hathaway. After initial resistance, Jules accepts Ben as her personal intern to set an example for the rest of the company and while hilarity ensues, everyone learns and benefits from Ben’s life experience.

The Intern is certainly a well-made film with good performances all around, but it comes off a little uneven. The first two-thirds of the film concentrate on the comedic aspects of a senior citizen going off to work with a bunch of early 20-somethings, while the last third lets some dramatic aspects creep in that all have to wrapped up fairly quickly for the movie to have a neat, happy ending. Overall, I recommend The Intern because the comedic aspects work very well, while the dramatic aspects could have worked if given the proper time to play out. Also the comedic portion of this film does contain what may be the strangest homage to the Taxi Driver mirror scene ever filmed.

The Intern will make a fun date movie, so if you’re looking for something rather light and entertaining, be sure to check it out. The Intern opens in theaters Friday, September 25. The Intern (2015); Director: Nancy Meyers; Starring Robert De Niro, Anne Hathaway, Renee Russo