Tag Archives: small cast

Review: ‘Atomica’ presents a moral dilemma in the not too distant future.

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In the new Sci-Fi/Thriller ATOMICA, frightening parallels present themselves with what’s quietly happening in our political world today. Where money is king and the little guy’s health and well-being are brushed aside under the guise of deregulation. This film has all the mystery and fear you’re looking for in this genre.

The sci-fi thriller film is directed by Dagen Merrill (Broken Hill, Beneath) and features an all-star cast: Dominic Monaghan (The Lord of the Rings trilogy, Pet), Sarah Habel (CW’s “Riverdale“, USA’s “Rush“, Whip It, Hostel: Part II) and Tom Sizemore. Set in the future, when communications go offline at a remote nuclear power plant isolated in the desert, a young safety inspector, Abby Dixon, is forced to fly out to bring them back online. Once inside the facility, mysterious clues and strange behaviors cause Abby to have doubts about the sanity, and perhaps identities, of the two employees onsite.

Dominic Monaghan shells out the sarcasm and darkness with joy. He is quirky and creepy and has multiple levels of intrigue. As expected I was treated to nothing less than a fantastic performance from him. I would watch him in anything. Sarah Habel‘s performance, on the other hand, leaves much to be desired. Her delivery of the dialogue feels mostly unbelievable. She does progress as the film rolls on, but I would tag her as the weakest of the 3 person cast. Tom Sizemore easily fills out a complex character in both screen presence and performance. He and Monaghan are a wonderful pairing. The film’s overall aesthetic is brilliant. It strikes the perfect balance of a small time Bladerunner meets Alien. The holographic CG is stunning against the rusted out, spacious feel of the rest of the sets. Lighting, whether overwhelmingly bright or damn near pitch black elevates the sense of solitude and impending dread. The script is much more complex than it appears to be. You will not know what’s truly unfolding until the very end. You can certainly try and guess, but writers Kevin Burke, Fred Fernandez-Armesto, Adam Gyngell definitely keep you on your toes. You can catch Atomica in select theaters this Friday, the 17th and on VOD and Digital HDMarch 21st.

TITLE:  ATOMICA
IN THEATERS: March 17, 2017
AVAILABLE ON VOD AND DIGITAL HD: March 21, 2017
DIRECTOR: Dagen Merrill
WRITERS: Kevin Burke, Fred Fernandez-Armesto, Adam Gyngell
CAST: Dominic Monaghan, Tom Sizemore, Sarah Habel
SYNOPSIS:  In the near future, when communications go offline at a remote nuclear power plant isolated in the desert, a young safety inspector, Abby Dixon, is forced to fly out to bring them back online. Once inside the facility, mysterious clues and strange behaviors cause Abby to have doubts about the sanity, and perhaps identities, of the two employees onsite.
GENRE: Sci-Fi / Thriller
DISTRIBUTOR: Syfy Films

Liz’s Review: ‘DOOMSDAYS’ are indeed coming, so you might as well laugh it up until then

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If Wes Anderson made a movie with 1/50th of his usual budget and a cast of indie gems, you’d have the new pre-apocalyptic comedy DOOMSDAYS. Since post-apocalyptic films are all the rage these days, the concept of a precursor is already funny in it’s own right. The story revolves around two eccentric slackers extraordinaire who have a penchant for breaking into vacation homes in the Catskills. Why, you might ask? Well, the world’s need for oil as a natural resource is rapidly running into a bit of a snafu since mother nature is none  too pleased with the choice, besides the fact that when it does eventually and inevitably run out, life as we know it essentially fucked. So, before this becomes a major reality, Dirty Fred and Bruho have decided that the vagabond lifestyle is the bees knees. Using existing resources left behind by these dwellings owners, these two gentleman roam the countryside of upstate New York living a life relatively free of consequences from ‘the man’. Once they run into a teen runaway and wanderlust filled young woman, the small group dynamic shifts dramatically. doomsdays still oneFilled with sharp and witty dialogue that’s just weird enough to be both funny and face-palmy (new word), Doomsdays is like nothing you expect it to be. Scenes filled with nothing become everything. There is no technology in this film. No cell phones, no television, and no working laptops, allow conversation and contemplation to become the main focus of this unusual film. With a strangely adorable slice of buddy comedy mixed in, it’s a film any indie buff would be proud to have in his/her back pocket of greatness. Reyna and Fred Gallery 4KWriter/Director Eddie Mullins clearly knows his shit. Besides the obvious writing talent, his use of a singular stationary camera is a perfect fit for this piece. The structure is laid out in a month long calendar style, which only adds to the great pacing. The original score by Bang And Yell is catchy and really well placed. Justin Rice as Dirty Fred is a pretentious nutter but completely lovable.  Leo Fitzpatrick plays Bruho with a genuine curmudgeonly edge. Brian Charles Johnson, who this theater nerd recognized from Broadway’s Spring Awakening, is young Jaidon. Comic timing of a master and excitable enthusiasm of a star, I loved him. Laura Campbell is Reyna. Not so different from the rest of the crew, this seemingly normal woman is just as damaged and adventurous as the boys. These four have an incredible chemistry which makes me ponder the amount of rehearsal time everyone had together, which is clearly a total compliment.Punching game DoomsdaysDoomsdays is ultimately a story about adjusting to other people’s odd idiosyncrasies. This film nails all the things we wish we could get away with doing and saying. I highly recommend catching this unique indie this weekend. DOOMSDAYS comes to theaters and VOD Fridsay, June 5th.