GRAND THEFT HAMLET
In Pinny Grylls and Sam Crane‘s extraordinary documentary GRAND THEFT HAMLET, Mark and Sam, friends and out-of-work actors during London’s third Covid-19 lockdown, hatch a plan to put on the notorious play inside the action-adventure gaming world.
The entire concept of the film began as a creative outlet. The result is undeniably hilarious. The voyeuristic journey moves from amusing to genuinely intriguing and heartfelt. It’s strangely relatable, particularly for fellow performers grappling with the reality of their livelihoods being ripped away from them in an instant.
Sam and Mark try to entice an audience while simultaneously playing the game. GRAND THEFT HAMLET is hands down one of the most entertaining documentaries ever. Guns blazing, blood spraying, and lines of Shakespeare flying willy-nilly, it’s brilliant madness.
Sam and Mark deliver tangible performances for Shakespeare novices while attempting to make their idea a reality. Those who finally join in on the fun present the audiences, the one in the game and the one at home, with catharsis and joy. Auditions are captivating. This beautifully eclectic group of players *double entendre* mesmerizes with personal backstories and, ultimately, their storytelling skills.
Having only witnessed clips of Grand Theft Auto through the years, I was blown away by the ability to customize the experience. It was both exhilarating and terrifying. It is something akin to a virtual vision board. (Yes, my theatre nerd girl roots are showing.) Could this be a new way to rehearse actors? The director in me has all the thoughts currently rushing into my brain.
GRAND THEFT HAMLET also grounds us in the truth of the pandemic’s isolation and sadness. Mark, Sam, and the cast delve into the play’s text as it pertains to current circumstances and life in general. It’s essentially a masterclass in performance and communication in more ways than you can fathom.
On the technical side of things, the editing and soundtrack are award-worthy. The film exemplifies the power of human connection when it was not possible in the physical world. It is a light in the ongoing darkness that often feels all-consuming. Sam’s plea from the film’s audition recruitment segment says it all. “You can’t stop art, motherfuckers!” GRAND THEFT HAMLET is the epitome of the creative community’s ability to bring hope.
GRAND THEFT HAMLET Trailer:
The SXSW Prize-Winning Documentary Opening in Theaters January 17, 2025 via MUBI
Directed by: Pinny Grylls and Sam Crane
Written by: Pinny Grylls and Sam Crane
Staring: Sam Crane, Mark Oosterveen, Jen Cohn
Producers: Rebecca Wolf and Julia Ton
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IT’S COMING
Ashley can see and hear spirits. The physical and mental toll is obvious, despite her shockingly calm demeanor. She has become so accustomed to her circumstances, and not much ruffles her feathers, until she realizes how deep the negative energy goes.
Ashley brings in medium Soledad Haren to cleanse the apartment. She provides viewers with paranormal canon, reasons, and triggers for an uptick in activity. It is a solid checklist if you aren’t a connoisseur of this genre. Like clockwork, incidents get worse. An acrid odor pervades their apartment, so intense it triggers CO2 alarms and multiple fire department visits. Soledad returns with her spirit box and performs an automatic writing session, providing few answers and more questions.
A husband and wife team of demonologists, Chris and Harmony DeFlorio, arrive with all the electronic bells and whistles. We see their footage intercut with Shannon’s. The results are undeniably unsettling. This is the point where Ashley finally breaks. It is the first time we see her cry and become physically unwell. When you witness the effect on Chris and Harmony, your heart rate increases tenfold. The comparisons to England’s most infamous haunting, The Enfield Poltergeist, are inevitable.
Javier’s personality slowly changes throughout the long months of filming. He describes a growing friendship with the black entity he calls Kitty. If you know anything about the paranormal, you understand how dangerous this is. You can track what looks like disassociation creeping onto his face. Something is affecting this child, whether it’s his mother’s energy or something genuinely sinister is up to the viewer, but I’ve not been this disturbed by a paranormal documentary in a long time. The final scene will send a shiver down your spine. IT’S COMING will haunt your mind long after the credits roll. You’ll question everything.
Experiencing Fanny’s songs for the first time, I immediately recognized the impact made on so many other artists. So how is Fanny not in my musical catalog? Jean, June, Alice, Brie, Patti, Cam, and Nickey were trailblazers who worked three times as hard as men and cranked out thought-provoking lyrics ahead of the times. Fanny was a feminist rock group with sharp wit and zero fear. The documentary utilizes sit-down interviews, studio sessions past and present, and live performances on stage and on television. The archival photography from Linda Wolf is extraordinary.
Fanny broke up due to a deadly combination of things; misogyny, societal times, no one big bop to make money, and having a studio that pushed them to their limits. As members came and went throughout the years, the sound morphed but always retained that iconic grit.
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