Review: ‘The Spine Of Night’ is classically epic and ultra-violent adult animation.

Synopsis: Heroes band together to face ancient, dark magic that falls into sinister hands.


Fantasy, folklore, and bloody horror are on full display in this unique animated film. It’s a story of neverending violence and rule. The Spine Of Night is a glorious retelling of past, present, and inevitable futures, as knowledge, magic, and power are on the line. The cast is extraordinary. Two performances, in particular, stand out in my mind. As The Guardian, Richard E Grant‘s performance is exquisite. His voice and rhythm are so iconic. Lucy Lawless is the lifeblood of Tzod. She projects strength and vulnerability through her performance, and it is captivating. 

The Spine Of Night is often a whirlwind of information. Numerous lands and leaders collide through time. Keeping track proved slightly challenging for me, but that does not lessen its epicness. I would watch a live-action version in series form. The hand-drawn rotoscope work is impressive. The physicality of the characters feels organic, which is usually difficult to produce in animation. Some retellings are in the style of black shadow form backed by ever-evolving colors. It’s a nice switch up for that particular section. Even if the amount of information feels overwhelming at times, The Spine of Night is a timeless fantasy. It will stand among the likes of WillowGame of Thrones, and The Hobbit. It’s good versus evil in its most sincere form. 


RLJE Films will release the fantasy horror animated film THE SPINE OF NIGHT in theaters, on-demand and digital October 29, 2021.

Starring: Richard E. Grant, Lucy Lawless, Patton Oswalt

Directed By: Philip Gelatt, Morgan Galen King


Interview: André Øvredal for his latest film ‘Mortal’

From acclaimed filmmaker André Øvredal (The Autopsy Of Jane Doe, Scary Stories To Tell In The Dark), MORTAL stars Nat Wolff (The Fault In Our Stars) as a young man discovering he has God-like powers based on ancient Norwegian mythology.

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Our amazing colleague and friend Matthew Schuchman had the opportunity to sit down with director André Øvredal to talk all things Mortal. Here is their interview. Find out how long André took to make the film, how Nat Wolff was cast, and what it’s like to compete with big-budget studio films like Marvel. If you’re a fan of his work, you’ll get a quick peek into André’s creative and humble energy.

Saban Films releases MORTAL today in theaters and On-Demand

WATCH THE TRAILER:

Release dateNovember 6, 2020 (USA)
NorwegianTorden
LanguagesNorwegian, English

 

Review: ‘The Man Who Killed Don Quixote’ is Terry Gilliam’s fantastic passion project.

The Man Who Killed Don Quixote 

Toby (Driver), a cynical advertising director, finds himself trapped in the outrageous delusions of an old Spanish shoe-maker (Pryce) who believes himself to be Don Quixote. In the course of their comic and increasingly surreal adventures, Toby is forced to confront the tragic repercussions of a film he made in his idealistic youth – a film that changed the hopes and dreams of a small Spanish village forever. Can Toby make amends and regain his humanity? Can Don Quixote survive his madness and imminent death? Or will love conquer all?

Decades in the making, The Man Who Killed Don Quixote is finally coming to the big screen. It was worth the wait. Adam Driver plays a young director taking on his own passion project under the financial thumb of studio execs, locals, and his own ego. No doubt is the film about as metaphorical as you can get for the wild ups and downs the legendary Terry Gilliam has endured in bringing this film to fruition. Poking fun at itself and the industry at every turn, it must have been truly cathartic for Gilliam to shoot. The visuals and writing are all so satisfying you’ll want to applaud at the twists and turns along the way. Though admittedly, you’ll most likely be just as confused as both Driver and “Don Quixote” himself, Jonathan Pryce. One of the film’s best moments perfectly sums up the controlled chaos that is this epic story. “Try to keep up with the plot.’ To which Adam Driver‘s Toby replies, “There’s a plot?!”

Having watched, there is no way these roles would have been better served by other actors. Pryce walks the perfect line between madness and sadness. His commitment from beat to beat is the glue that keeps the story moving along its absurdist pace. But it is Driver who had me belly laughing every time a “FUCK” was spewed with genuine intention. I’ll have to go back and watch again if only to count the number of “F” words, each precisely placed and completely warranted. It’s sheer perfection. There is no doubt that Toby is Terry… and Don Quixote. The love that is so obviously infused within the film will be evident to anyone familiar with Gilliam and his fantastic passion project. It’s a combination of hilarity and insanity. The Man Who Killed Don Quixote and filmmakers like Terry Gilliam are the reasons we go to the movies.

Screen Media will then give the film a theatrical run starting April 19th.

The Man Who Killed Don Quixote stars Adam Driver, Jonathan Pryce, Stellan Skarsgard, Olga Kurylenko and Jordi Molla.

Review: ‘A Wish For Giants’ Warms Your Heart

A Wish For Giants

Release Date: February 17, 2018

Run Time: 1 hour 18 minutes

Reviewed By: Reel Reviews Over Brews

Sophie (Naysa Altmeyer) meets a kindred spirit in Roxie (Alexa Mechling), a young girl with an inoperable brain tumor and the impossible wish to meet Bigfoot. As if the task at hand isn’t hard enough, Sophie must contend with meddling from Derrick (Connor McClain), a fame-hungry classmate born into privilege from her graduate classes. As time grows short and pressures mount, Sophie must align herself with Derrick in order to see Roxie’s wish granted, even if not in the way she may have hoped for. Unknown to everyone is the possibility that there may be magic in the wish of a dying girl, and a truth beyond belief.

Going into A Wish For Giants, I wasn’t sure what to expect. The only other movie with Bigfoot I’ve seen is Harry and the Hendersons. When I was little, Harry used to give me nightmares… who knows why, but this would be my first Bigfoot movie since. So I began this adventure only knowing two things. One was, it was a Bigfoot movie, but not a typical Bigfoot movie. The other was, it won Best Dramatic Feature at a film festival and it is consideration for awards at several other festivals. I can certainly see why it won one award and is in consideration for more. A Wish For Giants was wonderful. It truly warms your heart. You can tell it’s a low budget film (i.e., sound and video quality), but that doesn’t change how great the story line is. I would love to see what a major Hollywood producing company could do with it. Reminded me of a movie you would find on Hallmark or Lifetime. It just had that feel. I think you’ll know what I mean. If you happen upon A Wish For Giants, it’s definitely worth the watch! It’ll leave you with a smile on your face. Now maybe I’ll give Harry and the Hendersons another shot… maybe.

Reel ROB Rating: 6.5 out of 10 stars

Post Credits Scene: No

We want to thank our friends at Reel News Daily for allowing us to do this guest review!

Review: ‘Wildling’ is dark, coming of age tale.

WILDLING

 **WORLD PREMIERE – 2018 SXSW FILM FESTIVAL**

The feature debut from Fritz Böhm, WILDLING is a spellbinding take on the werewolf legend starring Independent Spirit Award Nominee Bel Powley (The Diary of a Teenage Girl), SAG Award® Winner Liv Tyler (Lord of the Rings, Armageddon) and Academy Award® Nominee Brad Dourif (One Flew Over Cuckoo’s Nest, Child’s Play).

 WILDLING is a unique dark fantasy tale centered on young Anna (Powley) who has been raised in isolation by a man she knows only as Daddy (Dourif) who has done everything possible to conceal the truth about the girl’s origins from her. But when the teenage Anna is suddenly thrust into the real world under the protection of no-nonsense police officer Ellen Cooper (Tyler), it soon becomes clear that the young woman is far from ordinary. Unable to adjust to a normal life, Anna finds herself drawn instead to the wild freedom of the forest while struggling to resist the growing bloodlust that has awakened inside her. This moodily atmospheric thriller combines supernatural scares with a myth-like tale of self-discovery.

There are many elements of Wildling that excited me. The cast is beyond excellent. Bel Powley is undeniably a star. As she never seems to age, she can continue to portray exceedingly young characters. Her onscreen presence is captivating. And while she actually speaks relatively few lines in the film, she owns each scene she appears in. Liv Tyler is as elegant as ever. Never doubt her ability to completely inhabit any role. Brad Dourif is scary as hell. He makes your skin crawl in the best way possible. The lighting is truly something to behold. Extra attention to the sound mixing plays perfectly on the audience’s sense of dread or wonder, depending on the moment to moment needs of the plot.

After all of the positives, I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the rushed feel of the story. Much of the plot seems to be missing as if there is an entire section of canon that was left out for runtime. I have so many questions pertaining to missing elements (I won’t be too specific because of spoilers) and I was a genuinely baffled by their absence. Some serious plot holes. The emotional transition of all the major players was swifter than feel natural under the circumstances. Finally, if I hadn’t seen Netflix’s original series Big Mouth, perhaps I wouldn’t be so bothered by the final creature FX.

Wilding has a graphic novel turned feature film feeling to it. It’s most definitely entertaining and worth the watch. You can watch the trailer below.

IFC Midnight will release the upcoming thriller WILDLING in theaters in NYC and LA as well as on VOD and Digital HD on April 13.

Review: ‘DAVE MADE A MAZE’ is a wild and wacky journey.

presents

When I was a senior in high school, I took a psych elective. My best friends and I built a life sized maze for our classmates to run through. It was an exact replica of one we had built for mice. While we did not subject the mice to rock music and darkness, we did get a kick out of watching our friends get insanely lost and disoriented while we very scientifically studied and recorded their panic and need to beat their own times a second time through. In films like Labyrinth and The Shining, a maze can be a thing of life and death. In a quirky new film by Bill Watterson, you will find that and much. much more. Welcome to the wonder that is Dave Made A Maze.

DAVE MADE A MAZE tells the story of an unaccomplished and frustrated artist (Thune) who builds a cardboard box fort in his living room and winds up trapped with a gang of oddball explorers in a fantasy world of his own creation, threatened by booby traps and a bloodthirsty Minotaur.

Dave Made A Maze features Nick Thune (Knocked Up), Meera Rohit Kumbhani (“The Mindy Project”), James Urbaniak (“Difficult People”), Stephanie Allynne (Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates), Kirsten Vangsness (“Criminal Minds”), Scott Krinsky (Jobs), Frank Caeti (Stranger Than Fiction), Timothy Nordwind  (The Amazing Spider-Man 2) and WWE Star John Hennigan; along with Scott Narver (Monday Morning), Rick Overton (Groundhog Day), and Adam Busch (Sugar & Spice).

Steven Sears (Take Back the Couch) co-wrote the film with Bill Watterson (Jersey Boys), who makes his directorial debut.

This film is nothing short of awesome’/hilarious/bizarre/fantastic. I can only imagine that this must have been one of the most fun sets to work on. The hours it must have taken to construct, with each room completely different than the last. With nods to past adventure films around each corner, the tongue in cheek dialogue and perfect suspension of disbelief from the cast is pure genius. Speaking of the cast, you will easily think that this cast regularly hangs out with one another, as their chemistry is so chill and comfortable. The witty banter is endless. Mixing stop-motion animation, puppetry, and on camera optical illusions, you cannot help but enjoy Dave Made A Maze.  You’ll wish there were a replica of the maze (for the most part… no spoilers from this lady) for you to romp around in. Huge props to the artists that made big kid dreams come true. But don’t  just take the film at face value, there is a deeper message underneath all the fun. You can catch the film in theaters and on VOD this Friday! Check out the trailer below for a sneak peek at what waits beyond the “Enter” sign. 

DAVE MADE A MAZE -(8/18) release in theaters and on VOD.

Review: ‘Kill Switch’… The Way We Want Video Game Movies To Be

Kill Switch

Theatrical Release Date: June 16, 2017

Guest review from Reel Reviews Over Brews

Kill Switch is a video game style movie that takes place in a future world. In this future world an experiment is taking place to produce unlimited energy, which is being taken from parallel universes. The experiment takes a turn for the worse and pilot/physicist, Will Porter (Dan Stevens), is stuck in one of the collapsing parallel universes. Will is a wanted man in this parallel world and is being chased by rebels, drones, and soldiers. His mission is a race against time trying to get the Redivider Box to the energy tower. If he is able to complete this mission he will not only save his family, but all of humanity.

When we first heard the movie Kill Switch was coming out and was video game-esque, we immediately thought that it was going to be based on the video game Kill Switch that came out for Xbox and PlayStation 2 back in 2003, of course, those who only play www.casinodames.com don’t know anything about it, which we were absolutely obsessed with. Well, it wasn’t.

The game was third person… the movie was in first person and the stories were completely different. However, this did not play a factor in us liking the movie. We actually really enjoyed Kill Switch the movie! An absolutely awesome and unique way to shoot a film. It literally felt like playing a first person video game, which is just as exciting as 슬롯사이트, especially with the sick graphics.

We love video games just like those you can find at https://918kiss.news/, but one thing we’ve heard people say in the past is that the way video games spin and turn so much it makes them feel sick. Well, if you fall into this category then this movie won’t be for you.

Dan Stevens played a great role as Will, even though there were only a few scenes he was actually in (most of the movie was just his voice, as it was shot 90% in first person). It was hard not to get caught up with the story line. Is Will going to make it to the energy tower in time!? Will he survive through all of these beatings he is taking!? It is a very action packed hour and a half. When the movie ended, we were left with one question… What would it be like if they did a reboot of the Doom franchise and shot it like Kill Switch? Maybe it could actually give Doom a leg to stand on because they really did the game an injustice with the original movie attempt. The game was one of our favorites growing up! Used to play it on the computer all of the time. The movie however… woof! This is the way we would love to see video game movies. Could definitely change the bad rep they have been getting. It’s certainly worth a try!

Reel ROB Rating: 4.25 out of 5 stars

Post Credits Scene: No

We want to thank our friends at Reel News Daily for allowing us to do this guest review for them!

Review: ‘Tomorrow Ever After’ Has Everlasting Message

Tomorrow Ever After

Theatrical Release Date: May 5, 2017

Guest review from Reel Reviews Over Brews

Tomorrow Ever After follows a woman, named Shaina (Ela Thier), who claims to have come from the year 2592. Something goes wrong while she is visiting some physicists, who experiment with time travel, and Shaina ends up stranded in 2015. As a historian in her time, she has read about the past, and refers to the time frame she is stranded in as “The Great Despair.” Shaina very quickly comes across a mugger, Milton (Nabil Viñas) and spends the entire movie, with Milton and his friends, searching for someone to help her get back to where she came from. On this journey, Shaina also gets a chance to experience things that she has studied of the past.

Tomorrow Ever After was written, directed, and produced by Ela Thier, who was also the star of the movie. The movie has taken home four awards across three different film festivals. This indie comedy did a great job keeping us interested and laughing at Shaina’s attempt of adjusting to the past’s way of life. Ela Thier did an excellent job of portraying how today’s general public looks at someone in need of help. Whether it is a woman from the future or your next door neighbor, people today don’t always jump at the chance to help a fellow person.

Throughout the movie there are plenty of moments with funny exchanges. We enjoyed watching Shaina trying to adapt and also get confused by the way things are done in “today’s” society. One of the big differences from the future is hugging. Shaina quickly realizes this is not accepted very warmly by strangers in 2015. Our biggest, and really only, complaint with Tomorrow Ever After, is Shaina was such an interesting character that we wish more of her journey was shown. The ending, being one example, leaves us with a few questions that, if answered, would have left us more fulfilled. However, Tomorrow Ever After, is a fantastic movie with an everlasting message and will leave everyone with hope for our future!

Reel ROB Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Post Credits Scene: No

We want to thank our friends at Reel News Daily for allowing us to do this guest review for them!

Review: ‘THERAPY FOR A VAMPIRE’ is a glorious romp with bite.

 

Presents

THERAPY FOR A VAMPIREtherapy for a vampire poster

A Film by David Ruehm

Opening in New York and Los Angeles June 10th 

therapy fpo a vamp Freud and count

How long do you have to be a couple in order to know everything about the other person? A few months? A few years? Does your lover leave their socks on the bedroom floor instead of putting them in the hamper? Do they slurp their soup, even in public. Is their neediness just too much to bear sometimes? How long is too long to have to endure these annoying habits?  In the new festival favorite finally coming to theaters, THERAPY FOR A VAMPIRE, 500 years is enough.

Running Time: 87 minutes 

Vienna, 1932. Count von Közsnöm (Tobias Moretti) has lost his thirst for life, and his eternally long marriage to Countess Gräfin Elsa von Közsnöm (Jeanette Hain) cooled centuries ago. Fortunately, Sigmund Freud (Karl Fischer), with his innovative new approach to solving life’s existential problems, is accepting new patients. During their strictly nocturnal sessions, the good doctor suggests the Count appease his vain wife, desperate to see her own reflection, by commissioning a portrait of her by his assistant, Viktor (Dominic Oley), an aspiring painter. But it’s Viktor’s headstrong girlfriend Lucy (Cornelia Ivancan) who most intrigues the Count, convinced she’s the reincarnation of his one true love. Soon, the whole crowd is a hilarious mess of mistaken identities and misplaced affections in this send -up of the vampire genre, proving once and for all that 500 years of marriage is enough. 

Vampire_-_5

Writer/Director David Ruehm‘s script could not be funnier. The dialogue is filled to the brim with clever double entendre. Using Freud as a go-between was a massively ingenious choice, using his dream analysis and general beliefs as a backdrop for a film that is, in all accounts, about relationships and their deeper meaning. The story is a fantastical cat and mouse game, centered around longing, jealousy, boredom, and vanity. There is not a loose end when it comes to performances. For a brief moment, I tried to imagine an American version of this film and could not think of any other actors that would have done the roles justice. Tobias Moretti, as the Count, might very well be an actual vampire for all I know. His natural comic timing is a pure delight to watch. Jeanette Hain, as the Countess, is seductive and a sheer wonder to behold on-screen. Cornelia Ivancan, as Lucy, is effortless in her 1930’s ingenue look and quirkiness. Dominic Oley‘s portrayal of Viktor is dashing and adorable all in one, as a man who idolizes his restless lover. Karl Fischer, as Dr. Freud, is genuinely funny and endearing. The cast’s chemistry is immaculate from end to end. Vampire_-_2The cinematography from Austria’s preeminent DP Martin Gschlacht (Goodnight MommyOscar-nominated Revanche) is splendid. The sets are meticulous and the costuming is both period appropriate and completely innovative. I have nothing but absolute love for this film. If Wes Andserson ever made a vampire rom-com, THERAPY FOR A VAMPIRE might look something like the final product. The film has been making the rounds at film festivals for quite some time, and racking up awards as a result. No matter the state of your relationship, everyone, (living or undead) will relate to how the comedy plays out on-screen. The film is nothing short of brilliant.

Official Website: www.musicboxfilms.com/vampire 

Awards & Festivals

  • Winner, Audience Award – Fantasia International Film Festival
  • Official Selection – Zurich Film Festival
  • Official Selection – Sarasota Film Festival
  • Official Selection – Minneapolis / St. Paul Film Festival
  • Official Selection – Secret Film Festival, Santa Cruz

Liz’s Review: I hear ‘THE VOICES’ , and I like it

1214378Poster_r2.pdfAs a child I watched Tom & Jerry cartoons. Cat chases mouse, and on rare occasions, Tom would be presented with a small angel on one should and a small devil on the other, telling him to do things. In Marjane Satrapi‘s new horror comedy, THE VOICES, a man life is being controlled by good and evil. Though it’s not an angel and a devil but ironically, a cat and a dog.

6 New Movies From Ryan Reynolds This Year

Read More →