Review: ‘ONE OF THESE DAYS’ provides an irresistible competition narrative.

ONE OF THESE DAYS

Bastian Günther’s One of These Days is a fascinating drama with an attention-grabbing core concept you can’t look away from. Based on real events, it centers on an annual Texas competition (Hands On) where contestants place their hands on a truck and then try to outlast the other hopefuls to bring the vehicle home. Contestants must maintain constant contact with the truck at all times, but they cannot lean on the vehicle or squat down. 5-minute breaks are given every hour, and 15-minute breaks are every 6 hours. The contest can last for days.

Despite the length of the contest, we learn very little about most of the contestants. This is the rare film I actually wished was a mini-series. Kyle (Joe Cole) serves as the audience’s main proxy in the competition. Before the competition details surrounding Kyle are mostly superficial. Kyle works at a local fast-food restaurant, has a deaf brother, and is motivated to win the truck to provide for his wife and baby. Kyle begins to unravel as the contest drags on from hours into days.

Cole is effective as Kyle, but the true star of the film is Carrie Preston’s Joan. Joan is not a contestant – she’s the marketing brains behind Hands On. A cheaper movie might paint Joan as an egomaniacal villain with an appetite as wide as Texas. Preston imbues Joan with equal parts sweet gusto, social cunning, and quiet sadness. Small details surrounding her family and personal life are given, but they nevertheless contribute to a richer understanding of her every action. Preston shines, but her brilliance also serves to highlight the lack of detail given to the other characters.

The atmosphere surrounding the contest itself is beautifully realized. The imagery surrounding the laying of hands on the gleaming metal car feels explicitly religious. As the contest progresses, certain elements of the plot do begin to strain credibility. Kyle faces many rivals within the contest, but none of the build-ups leads to a satisfying payoff. A twist surrounding one character seems particularly far-fetched. A final coda has rich details but feels like it arrives too late.

The competition at the core of the film is a strong enough hook to overcome the film’s shortcomings. The central themes of One of These Days are gripping and compelling. Ultimately, this was a film I didn’t regret taking for a test drive.


Directed by: Bastian Günther

Starring: Carrie Preston, Joe Cole, Carrie Hernandez

Distributor: Uncork’d Entertainment


In a small town in Texas, an annual endurance contest (Hands On) to win a pickup truck promises thrilling entertainment to spectators and the chance of a lifetime to participants but ends in real tragedy.

From writer/director Bastian Günther, and starring Carrie Preston (“True Blood”, “The Good Fight”), Callie Hernandez (Shotgun Wedding, “The Flight Attendant”), Joe Cole (“Gangs of London”, “Peaky Blinders”), and Cullen Moss (“Outer Banks”), ONE OF THESE DAYS will screen in select theaters and be available On Demand and Digital April 14, 2023 from Gravitas Ventures.


*** SHOWING AT THE FOLLOWING THEATERS

FROM THIS FRIDAY APRIL 14

AND AVAILABLE IN THE US AND CANADA ON DEMAND AND DIGITAL ***

CA – L.A/SAN FRAN

Arena Cinelounge (Hollywood, CA)

Cinelounge – Tiburon (Tiburon, CA)

New York

Kent Triplex (Brooklyn, NY)

Cleveland

Atlas Cinemas Diamond Center 16 (Mentor, OH)

Boston

Entertainment Cinemas Leominster 10 (Leominster, MA)


 

Official trailer drop: A bloody cool concept, ‘SAWED OFF’ arrives on digital and DVD October 11th.

SAWED OFF is coming to digital and DVD on October 11th. The synopsis reads as follows “In the vein of “THE EVIL DEAD meets GROUNDHOG DAY,” the movie centers on two hunters, friends for years and vying for the affections of the same woman, who find themselves on cursed land and keep killing each other and coming back to life.” From what I can make out from the trailer, the concept is really cool. Whether it translates into production remains to be seen. Color me intrigued. Stay tuned for coverage.

Uncork’d Entertainment has acquired SAWED OFF, a new supernatural horror feature based on a comic anthology story and starring Eva Hamilton (RUIN ME, DEATH KISS), Jody Barton (UGLY SWEATER PARTY), and Trae Ireland (13/13/13).

Hunter Johnson (IRRATIONAL FEAR) produces and directs.  The screenplay is by Barton, Johnson, and Chuck Wagner, based on Wagner’s Eclipse Comics story “Bag Limit,” published in TALES OF TERROR in 1986.

SAWED OFF will be released on digital platforms and on DVD on October 11.


Review: ‘Tales From The Other Side’ is spooky fun for horror lovers.

I love a good horror anthology. With a classic Halloween trope of three kids getting pulled into the town legend’s Victorian mansion, Tales From The Other Side finds Scary Mary spinning tales of terror for her eager guests. Six separate stories send shivers down their spines and sweets into their bellies. 

“Petrified Boy”

A ringmaster takes advantage of a tragedy.

“Flicker”

An aspiring filmmaker takes a job making memorial videos for a funeral home. 

“Crystal Ball”

A couple in turmoil steals the coveted object of a fortune teller. 

“Either / Or”

Trae Ireland, Tonya Cornelisse, and James Duval pack a punch in a story about a mental facility patient claiming to be the prophet, Elijah. This segment is the epitome of masterful performance. The finale will blow you away. 

“Blood Red”

An artist’s triste gets bloody complicated. 

“Krampus Vs. Elf”

A visually jarring stop motion battle between good and evil. It’s pretty disgusting, but the ending is chef’s kiss. 

Our three young leads are fantastic. Brooklyn Anne Miller, in particular, is flawless. Get that girl a show on Nickelodeon ASAP. Roslyn Gentle, as Mary, is a superstar. I’d watch an entire franchise with her as the center. 

Tales From The Other Side has a solid “Are You Afraid of the Dark?” vibes. It’s tricky to stand out amongst hits like The Mortuary Collection and the VHS franchise, but Tales From The Other Side gives it an honest-to-goodness try. The filmmakers are clear classic genre fans working on a micro-budget. The makeup and scores are great additions. The opening title sequence from Sean Wyn is creative and disturbing. What more could you ask for setting up scary stories with anything but horrifying drawings from children? It’s not as if you don’t know where the overarching narrative around Scary Mary is going. Tales From The Other Side is still a gruesome delight.


ON DIGITAL AND DVD JUNE 7


Directors: Pablo Macho Maysonet IV, Jamaal Burden, Scotty Baker, Jacob Cooney, Lucas Heyne, Kern Saxton, Frank Merle

Cast: Ros Gentle, Michael Broderick, Rafael Delgado Jr., James Duval, Chelsea Vale, Vernon Wells, Andreas Rodriguez


Review: ‘Discreet’ is intense psycho-sexual thriller.

SYNOPSIS
After years in hiding and struggling to control his demons, an eccentric drifter returns home and discovers that his childhood abuser, the center of his pain, is still alive.  Armed with this knowledge,  the drifter plots his revenge, all the while navigating the perilous land of masculine fragility in modern-day America.

There are so many disturbing elements in this narrative. From the real-life alt-right radio that quietly screams at you during pensive moments, to the cyclical nature of abuse. Discreet gets under your skin as it crawls into your brain. The augmented sound is somewhere in between nails on a chalkboard and brilliance. Discreet calls attention to a section of the population that feels ashamed and threatened by their desires. Travis Mathews has tapped into something many want to keep private. Performances from the entire cast pervade your viewing experience. Their effect is undeniable. The twisted plot depicted is worthy of your time, although be prepared to squirm for numerous reasons.

You can find the trailer for Discreet below.

Discreet Trailer from Uncork’d Entertainment on Vimeo.

June 1st L.A. + Multi-City Theatrical / VOD

Directed, Written and Produced by Travis Mathews
Produced by Don Swaynos, Joao Federici, Johnny Mars, Chris Ohlson & PJ Raval
Cinematography by Drew Xanthopoulos
Edited by Travis Mathews & Don Swaynos
Distributed by Uncork’d Entertainment