spryfilm.com

Blu-ray/DVD review: “Doctor Who – Season 11

March 8, 2019
“Doctor Who – Season 11

Television/Sci-Fi

Ten Episodes

Produced by: Chris Chibnall

Featuring: Jodie Whittaker, Bradley Walsh, Tosin Cole, and Mandip Gill

Tim Shaw: “Who are you?”

The Doctor: “I’m glad you asked that again. Bit of adrenaline, dash of outrage, and a hint of panic knitted my brain back together. I know exactly who I am! I’m the Doctor, sorting out fair play throughout the universe.”

After what seems like an inordinate amount of time the latest season of “Doctor Who” returned to screens with some of the biggest changes in its fifty year history which in my mind are not only welcome but long overdue. The most significant as well as most obvious change is the Doctor’s latest regeneration from the older male Scottish actor Peter Capaldi to the more youthful female Jodie Whittaker is going to divide fans of the show like no previous alteration. The other changes that have occurred this year are a new show runner, a different screening time, a cosmetic change in the look of the show and the way in which the companions are going to be used in relation to the Doctor herself. To be fair on everyone it is far to early to tell how all these changes are going to be received or which ones are going to work and of course which ones are going to fail, you cannot please everyone all of the time.

After viewing the initial episode, “The Woman Who Fell to Earth”, it appears on the surface that their have been some very wise decisions made and the decisions to cast Whittaker was a canny one by Chibnall who does share a past with the actress after casting her in previous roles. Change whether it works or not is good, it shakes things up, challenges the status quo, keeps audiences guessing and introduces new points of view. After introducing two new ‘Doctors’ as well as following the person that re-started “Doctor Who” in Russell T. Davies, it was time for David Moffat to hand over the reigns especially since the show had seemed to reach a peak and was seemingly a little lost in terms of its arc for the characters as well as feeling that casting Capaldi may have been a mistake as well as little backward looking. There had been from some quarters a call to have a regeneration from Matt Smith that was not a white man, but in fact asking the question that if the Doctor was indeed an alien why would race or gender need to be the same each time, especially for a being that is hundreds of years old, after change is the spice of life.

There is no doubt that Davies struck gold with the casting of David Tennant who was an instant success as the Doctor, he ‘got’ the role like few before, possibly second only to Tom Baker whose career it must be said was to the point of being cast very similar to each others. Tennant, of course has gone on to be in many successful television shows and a few movies that have realised his strengths in creating characters and have let him shine in whatever he appeared in. It was always going to be a struggle following Tennant but the then new show runner cast a seemingly unknown Matt Smith who acquitted himself well, then followed by Capaldi who was an extremely well known actor, he had stamped his authority in movies and film for over four decades, who as I have said may have been too senior for the role in this new millennium. Whoever followed Capaldi was going to have to reset the character as well as be someone who could carry a series that had been around for fifty years. It could have been viewed as stunt casting by having a woman but that really is not an issue when you look at Jodie Whittaker’s oeuvre, she may be one of the most experienced Doctor’s to ever be cast, that is extremely impressive to say the least. I believe she is one of the better actors to be cast, in her career she has played some complicated characters as well as acting opposite some truly great actors, matching them in talent every time.

In contrast to the casting of Whittaker, Chibnall as the new show runner has made some smart choices in supplying a mixed supporting cast to help the main star with her first season in a very unique role where she must be many things to a great many people. So we have young as well as older companions that will be offering very different skills in each adventure, possibly with the light shining on each in different stories involving different antagonists, which is something “Doctor Who” has been doing for years. The other element in the all of the new casting is that there are no holdovers from previous seasons in terms of characters, plot lines and even the TARDIS so that we, as viewers, are starting from the beginning of a narrative that has lasted for decades.

This is should have been one of the most important seasons in the history of “Doctor Who”, possibly just after the reboot all those years ago. Say what you want about the Davies era, that first season was unmissable with a new Doctor, new effects, a great companion as well some stories that had big payoffs and really went for it, they knew that it could end at any point. Now we have the same circumstances but it really has been mediocre because of the structure of the season as well as the foes that have been put forward. Don’t forget that first season brought back at lease two classic Who villains who were used very wisely – I think that is what is missing here.

Normally I would say that I am very much enjoying these new episodes quite a bit, it is a big step up from last season, with stand alone episodes being a very good decision to get audiences used to some very big changes, I am looking forward to what is to come. My hope is that next the season will be another step up, follow through on some of the early promise as well as making the show relevant, not forgetting that it is a sci-fi show first that operates on the fact that the central character is a Timelord who is not only one step ahead of her friends but also knows instinctively what is going on around her, think back to not only classic Who but also the very best of new Who as well.

Episodes:

“The Woman Who Fell to Earth“

Written: Chris Chibnall Directed: Jamie Childs

In Sheffield, Ryan Sinclair accidentally calls an alien pod to the planet, leading to a strange being attacking his grandmother Grace and step-grandfather Graham. He and traffic officer Yasmin Khan attempt to stop it when the newly regenerated Doctor falls out of the sky and sees it flee. Investigating the strangeness, the five discover a second alien is tracking a local construction worker as a hunting game. The Doctor manages to rework the alien’s systems, causing it to flee home, but Grace is killed in the fight against it. After Grace’s funeral, the Doctor reworks one of the alien’s escape teleporters to find the TARDIS. She bids goodbye to Ryan, Yas, and Graham, but accidentally teleports all four of them into deep space.

“The Ghost Monument“

Written: Chris Chibnall Directed: Mark Tonderai

The Doctor and her new friends are rescued from deep space by Angstrom and Epzo, aliens competing in an intergalactic competition playing out across the stars. Caught up in their contest, they join them in a trek across a deadly planet to reach the ‘Ghost Monument’ – a mystical box that the Doctor quickly recognises as her TARDIS. They soon discover that the planet has been ravaged by lethal science experiments, a testing ground for the Stenza – the warrior race they previously encountered in Sheffield – to develop new weaponry. The team eventually reach the site of the Ghost Monument and the Doctor is reunited with her TARDIS, sporting a new look.

“Rosa“

Written: Chris Chibnall & Malorie Blackman Directed: Mark Tonderai

The Doctor’s attempt to return her friends to modern-day Sheffield goes awry when the TARDIS lands in 1955 Montgomery, Alabama. The team soon encounter civil rights activist Rosa Parks, just days before she refuses to give up her seat on a bus and ignites a historic black rights movement in the Deep South. However, the Doctor soon realises someone is meddling with history: a white supremacist from the future, determined to stop Rosa from sparking a revolution. The TARDIS team must work against the clock to put history right, and soon end up embroiled in the legendary moment themselves.

“Arachnids in the U.K.

Written: Chris Chibnall Directed: Sallie Aprahamian

Arriving back home in Sheffield, the Doctor and her friends discover massive spiders are attacking the population. They enlist the help of a local scientist, Jade, who helps them track the source of the spiders to a hotel where Yaz’s mother works. The group confronts the hotel owner and American politician, Robertson, who reveals that there is a chemical dump under the hotel. This infected the spiders, causing them to grow to unusual size. The group successfully traps most of the spiders in a bomb shelter, but the mother, the largest spider, is already dying due to her abnormal size. The Doctor wishes to spare it and let it die peacefully, but Robertson shoots and kills it despite her protests. Later, Graham reveals he’s not ready to go back to the apartment he and Grace shared, and he, Yaz, and Ryan inform the Doctor they wish to keep traveling as the group sets off on their next adventure.

“The Tsuranga Conundrum”

Written: Chris Chibnall Directed: Jennifer Perrott

While scavenging on an alien junkyard planet, Team TARDIS are injured when Graham unearths a sonic mine. When they regain consciousness, they find themselves onboard the Tsuranga, a medical ship crossing space to reach a ‘resus’ spacestation. But within minutes of their arrival, the ship comes under siege from the P’Ting, a creature that causes havoc by eating the Tsuranga’s power source. While Graham and Ryan are called to the side of a male patient who’s about to give birth, the Doctor and Yaz rally the ship’s patients to stop the P’Ting – but their victory comes at a cost.

“Demons of the Punjab”

Written: Vinay Patel Directed: Jamie Childs

India, 1947. The Doctor and her friends arrive in the Punjab, as the country is being torn apart. While Yaz attempts to discover her grandmother’s hidden history, the Doctor discovers demons haunting the land. Who are they and what do they want?

“Kerblam!”

Written: Pete McTighe Directed: Jennifer Perrott

“Delivery for the Doctor!” A mysterious message arrives in a package addressed to the Doctor, leading her, Graham, Yaz and Ryan to investigate the warehouse moon orbiting Kandoka, and the home of the galaxy’s largest retailer: Kerblam!

“The Witchfinders”

Written: Joy Wilkinson Directed: Sallie Aprahamian

Arriving in 17th Century Lancashire, the TARDIS team become embroiled in a witch trial. With the arrival of King James I, the hunt for witches intensifies. However, could something more dangerous be at play? Can the Doctor, Graham, Yaz and Ryan keep the populous of Bilehurst Cragg safe from the forces surrounding the land?

“It takes you away”

Written: Ed Hime Directed: Jamie Childs

On the edge of a Norwegian fjord, in the present day, The Doctor, Ryan, Graham and Yaz discover a boarded-up cottage and a girl named Hanne in need of their help. What has happened here? What monster lurks in the woods around the cottage – and beyond?

“The Battle of Ranskoor Av Kolos”

Written: Chris Chibnall Directed: Jamie Childs

The Battle of Ranskoor Av Kolos finds the Doctor and co on the planet of Ranskoor Av Kolos amongst the remains of a brutal battlefield, where they must field nine separate distress calls. The planet, however, holds far more secrets. Who is the mysterious commander with no memory? What lies beyond the mists? Who or what are the Ux?
Television/Streaming review: “The Passage – Episode Eight – You Are Not That Girl Anymore” (2019)

March 8, 2019
“The Passage – Episode Eight – You Are Not That Girl Anymore” (2019)

Ten Episodes

Created by: Liz Heldens based on the novels written by Justin Cronin

Featuring: Mark-Paul Gosselaar, Saniyya Sidney, Vincent Piazza, Brianne Howey McKinley Belcher III, Jamie McShane, Caroline Chikezie, Emmanuelle Chriqui

Grey: “The truth is I dont have a choice and neither do you.”

The eighth episode has arrived of the show based on the excellent adult trilogy ‘The Passage’ by Justin Cronin that charts the world as it passes from a pre apocalyptic period through to an ante period through to the post part which takes place over a one thousand year time period.

The general plot of the “The Passage” (2019) focuses on Project Noah, a secret medical facility where scientists are experimenting with a dangerous virus that could lead to the cure for all disease, but also carries the potential to wipe out the human race. When a young girl, Amy Bellafonte, is chosen to be a test subject, Federal Agent Brad Wolgast is the man who is tasked with bringing her to Project Noah. Ultimately, however, Wolgast becomes her surrogate father, as he tries to protect her at any cost.

The problems, and make not mistake there are many, again stem from the fact that that the people behind the series have ignored what was great, compelling and original about the initial novel, ‘The Passage’. That is the pacing as well as the offering back stories to only the really important characters, not only that there were revelations about the other subordinate characters made throughout the novels which built up tension. Here there are revelations made whenever new characters are introduced which dulls the impact of the action that is taking place.

It is obvious now that the writers of the show have no idea where the plot is going which in turns mean that we see jumps in the narrative that make no sense as above. This episode has been taken to new heights in ridiculousness with not only once again characters making dumb decisions but also coincidences galore. As each episode has unfolded we can see that the writers of the show have been chopped and changed from episode to episode which lends to the jig saw nature and unevenness that this show smacks of, if there is one thing that this show needed it was a unified voice from one person with input on the overall narrative to make sure it made sense, if there is one thing that is obvious about this show it is the unevenness that effects everything from performance to direction.

That brings us to the direction of this episode which is the first time I have really written about this element of the series which has not been bad, just lackluster, if anything it is the editing that has rivaled the storytelling in its shortcoming. This week is a good week to talk about direction as it has been the job of Eduardo Sánchez who is most well known for “The Blair Witch Project” (1999), as well as his failing reputation for all his work following that success. Sanchez has directed a few episodes of other television shows, that experience shows here as he has been asked to direct one episode toward the end of the season, he obviously has a talent, and to be honest it is probably one of the best directed episodes of the season, although that is not honestly saying a lot at all.

As has been present throughout this entire series there is the continuing use of the most overused plot devices that is essentially an artificial way to build tension as well as move the narrative, that is keeping information or a secret away from others when in fact they should know what is going on. We also see a pattern emerging at the end of each episode there is a jarring cliffhanger of sorts which make no sense as we already have that information from earlier episodes.

At this stage the brightest part of the series is still Saniyya Sidney, she shines above all others as Amy, the main character in both novels and series. At this early stage it does seem she might be better than the character that has been written for her, the reasons for her being, the relationship with her mother, the other worldliness of her actual being, the reason she is wanted, her actual attractiveness to Wolgast and finally why the story is centred around her.

After watching over half a season this show is really feeling like hard work, I can only imagine what readers of the novel who are still watching think of this. For people that have not read the novel this show must feel like a retread of so many other horror/fantasy genre pieces that it becomes obvious with each passing moment what is going to happen next, which again is unlike the novel that had no easy answers for readers which in this day and age is a real gift.

We are now at the point in the season where we should be, as the first novel did, really see some thrilling elements taking centre stage, however that is not the case at all. We are still being exposed to back stories that add very little to the overall plot except by trying to pull the wool over audiences eyes with a convoluted narrative which is neither original or engaging. There is simply nothing at the centre of this show which means everything is stacked like a house of cards, one good tug on a thread will see it collapsing under its own weight. I pray that this show will be put out of its and my misery.

Episode Eight – “You Are Not That Girl Anymore”

Directed by: Ti West

Written by: Peter Elkoff & C.A. Johnson

As Amy experiences symptoms of the virus that indicate she is close to turning, Brad brings everyone together, and Lila and Sykes race to perfect an anti-viral medicine to save her from Fanning.
Movie review: “Captain Marvel” (2019)

March 5, 2019
“Captain Marvel” (2019)

Action

Running Time: 124 minutes

Written by: Anna Boden & Ryan Fleck and Geneva Robertson-Dworet and Jac Schaeffer

Directed by: Anna Boden & Ryan Fleck

Featuring: Brie Larson, Samuel L. Jackson, Ben Mendelsohn, Djimon Hounsou, Lee Pace, Lashana Lynch, Gemma Chan, Annette Bening, Clark Gregg and Jude Law

Carol Danvers:“What is this?”

Nick Fury:“It’s a shield logo.”

Carol Danvers:“Does announcing your identity help with the covert part of the job?”

Nick Fury: “…said the space soldier whose wearing a rubber suit.”

Released this week into cinemas pretty much worldwide is the twenty first movie in the franchise known as the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) in the form of “Captain Marvel” (2019) their first movie being solely headlined by a female character as well as introducing audiences to a handful of new concepts that may pave the way for the events following the conclusion to their first ten years in the highly anticipated as well as aptly titled “Avengers: Endgame” (2019). This new movie much like many in the MCU is an origin story that takes very familiar tropes that will be well known to audiences and bends them slightly in a few ways that will be refreshing, at least they should be. Firstly the filmmakers have used a flashback narrative to tell the main protagonists story as well as those around her, keeping revelations tight enough that if audiences go with the plot there will be some nice revelations in the third act. Secondly this is unlike many MCU movies in that it highlights actual character moments keeping the action as a fall back position, again if audiences go with that aspect they will be richly rewarded as many of the supporting characters are not only written well but they are performed well which is one of the main strengths of all the MCU movies to date. Thirdly, this movie treats the main protagonist, Carol Danvers, as a person with some deep psychological trauma, as well as someone who seems like a real person dealing with events seemingly out of her control until they aren’t, which of course is what we have paid to see. Lastly, Carol is not a statement maker for her gender, even though that is a big part of her character, she is just a person who is dealing with all the things that many of the previous super powered beings have had to deal with, control, trust, fear and responsibility and in the case of “Captain Marvel” she does it in her own way which is all anyone can ask, she becomes a leader as well as someone who will not take a backseat to anything or anyone.

Audiences are introduced to the classic Kree-Skrull war which was a huge part of the comic version of the Marvel Universe as well as casually being introduced to some of the major Kree characters in the make-up of the ‘Starforce’ which for fans is a real bonus. There is also a look into who the Kree are apart from Ronin the Accuser who was introduced in the fantastic “Guardians of the Galaxy” (2015) as well as the ‘Supreme Intelligence’. “Captain Marvel” also capitalizes on the cosmic elements also introduced in Guardians, moving further along so as to indicate a possible future for not only Captain Marvel but all who come after her.

What Kevin Feige has done with “Captain Marvel” is to put people at the helm, in this case Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck, who have never been in charge of a movie this big, this expensive, this pivotal and with this amount of spectacle but trusted them to deliver a unique experience that has something to say not only about the MCU but also something larger that has come to the fore in the past ten years. This is definitely something it has in common with last years MCU blockbuster “Black Panther”(2018) that is representation, history and the future of our own world and the societies that make it up, where we have been as well as where we are heading. Having Boden and Fleck involved in the directing as well as co-writing means that many of the more memorable moments are between two or three people talking about very real topics which gives the movie a real heart as well as emotions that play out right up to the third act which I found not only refreshing but very enjoyable. Boden and Fleck are most known for independent dramas that focus on people above all else, this is true of “Captain Marvel”. However one of the definite weaknesses of having untested blockbuster directors like these is that while they are supported by the MCU production machine the action can take a backseat lending a feeling of roughness and it looking very average, nonsensical or mixed up which reflects directly on the fighting scenes in the third, they look messy as well as a little boring. On the other hand with a woman at the centre, as the protagonist, there is a definite X factor to the action in particular because as a character she is one of the more powerful entities around, not only that but there is a coldness to her, which for me is welcome, she is not a ‘sexy’ hero bound to a love interest, she actually has more agency in her decision making as the plot unfolds culminating in revelations that means sh is ultimately in charge of herself.

“Captain Marvel” is set in 1995, it follows Carol Danvers, a former U.S. Air Force fighter pilot, as she turns into one of the galaxy’s mightiest heroes and joins Starforce, an elite Kree military team, before returning home with questions about her past and identity when Earth is caught in the center of a galactic conflict between two alien worlds.

As we all should know by now Brie Larson is playing the titular character in this movie, in her first real lead role since being awarded the Best Actress Oscar for “Room” (2015), which illustrated what kind of actress she is. Here in “Captain Marvel” Larson has to juggle her performance in a variety of ways, playing three very different personalities, having to judge a great many elements from scene to scene which is not an easy task in the slightest, she deserves a lot of credit on that front. In fact this might be the best performance by an actor in an MCU movie so far just because of the decisions she has to make especially if one analyses the plot and the way her character changes from the start to the end of the narrative. Of course where would any MCU movie be without the casting of some seriously great actors in what really are supporting roles that are all character driven, needing to be believable to the plot as well as their place within the MCU. I do not have enough time to go into all of them, there are just far too many but I will mention a couple. Firstly it was with some delight that one the best performances comes from Ben Mendelsohn as the head Skrull, Talos, who like a few other actors in this movie needs to change who he is playing not only from scene to scene but at times within the same scene buried under some heavy practical make-up, this has to be his best performance in a blockbuster to date, armed with a great character, some serious story beats, an arc and acting opposite great talent, for me he shines and I hope he returns to the MCU in some form or other. Annette Bening is another actor playing three different roles one as the Kree Supreme Intelligence who is an A.I. that is in command of a warlike Empire, one a scientist and finally another who is a secret best left spoiler free. Bening who is a great talent does what Mendelsohn must but also adds some gravitas that only aids in this movie.

As with any MCU movie there is a huge amount of CGI in use, which sometimes can look a little ropey or unfinished, which is true for some of the work in “Captain Marvel”, however the big departure from other MCU movies is the use of the de-aging effects we have seen deployed before albeit in small parts not the centrepiece that it plays here with actors Samuel L. Jackson and Clark Gregg which for the former works well but with the latter actor looks very artificial and noticeably plastic. Of course these are both very good actors so performance is not an issue in fact for Jackson it is great seeing him for the much of the movie being promoted to fully fledged co-star he is magnificent and Gregg lends the movie a touch of class with his performance as fan favourite Agent Coulsen. However now that we have seen this special effect used for an entire movie it does have some way to go before we need to see it again which is a shame but also bodes well for its use in the future.

“Captain Marvel” is also a period piece being set for its vast majority of runtime in the 1990s which is referred to quite clumsily throughout with its use of now defunct businesses, the available technology as well as its use of music which for the most part was as you would expect although I did find the choices of music to be the most obvious that could have been chosen and so does not add to the narrative at all which for me was a missed opportunity.

This is by far a perfect movie, but it is does stand up to being one of the better origin movies not just for MCU movies but for all superhero movies, not only that it is only the second female led superhero to be made after “Wonder Woman” (2017) which was far from perfect, in fact the entire last third is so flawed as to have a negative effect on what went before. What sets “Captain Marvel” apart from all those other superhero movies (“Wonder Woman” included) is that it makes itself into a drama about the journey the hero goes on, which most viewers will be aware of. The filmmakers have made a conscious decision to tread lightly with their story which they could have easily hit the audience over the head with and make it obviously about girl power and all that entails especially in the environment we find ourselves in. Instead they opt to rob the main character of identity and history, making her bereft in a sea of nothingness while she realises that there is something missing she accepts the help of others to regain control of herself thereby freeing herself to become the best version of herself which is a powerful message in and off itself one anyone can strive for men or women.

I enjoyed “Captain Marvel” far more than I thought I was going to and I recommend it highly and it should be seen in cinemas, it has everything you could want in a MCU movie and still surprise after over ten years of this particular genre.
Trailer: “Hellboy” (2019)

March 5, 2019
“Hellboy” (2019)

Hellboy_16x9_Trailer2_ONLINE_APRIL11_HD-Online

Hellboy is back, and he’s on fire. From the pages of Mike Mignola’s seminal work, this action packed story sees the legendary half-demon superhero called to the English countryside to battle a trio of rampaging giants. There he discovers The Blood Queen, Nimue, a resurrected ancient sorceress thirsting to avenge a past betrayal. Suddenly caught in a clash between the supernatural and the human, Hellboy is now hell-bent on stopping Nimue without triggering the end of the world.

HELLBOY is directed by Neil Marshall and stars David Harbour, Milla Jovovich, and Ian McShane, Sasha Lane, Penelope Mitchell, with Daniel Dae Kim.

HELLBOY releases in New Zealand cinemas on April 11, 2019.
Television/Streaming review: “Project Blue Book – Episode Seven – The Scoutmaster” (2019)

February 28, 2019
“Project Blue Book – Episode Seven – The Scoutmaster” (2019)

Sci-Fi

Ten Episodes

Created by: David O’Leary

Featuring: Aidan Gillen, Laura Mennell, Michael Harney, Ksenia Solo, Michael MalarkeyC

Deep Throat: “The pseudonym given to the secret informant who provided information in 1972 to Bob Woodward, who shared it with Carl Bernstein. Woodward and Bernstein were reporters for The Washington Post, and Deep Throat provided key details about the involvement of U.S. President Richard Nixon’s administration in what came to be known as the Watergate scandal.”

This new series revolves around secret U.S. Air Force investigations into supposed UFO encounters and unexplained phenomenon, undertaken by astrophysicist, and eventual ufologist, Josef Allen Hynek in the 1950s and 1960s.

This week’s episode, the seventh, follows the pattern of the previous six installments, however what is different is that our investigators are separated to follow two very different story elements. The main part of the narrative follows a real case once again however many of the actual events have been altered to what end I am not sure, it could be because of the section of the story that involves children and a scoutmaster which could have been a problem in our modern age, but really who knows?

The actual events covered in this weeks episode concern Dunham Sanborn “Sonny” Desvergers, a relatively new scoutmaster in the area of West Palm Beach, Florida, he thought Desvergers was genuine, and genuinely shaken. Deputy Sheriff Mott N. Partin said, “In all my 19 years of law enforcement work, I’ve never seen anyone as terrified as he was,” after Desvergers scrambled up the embankment, out of the palmetto groves on the night of August 19, 1952.

Desvergers was driving three Boy Scouts home when he noticed a light out in the palmettos, and after protests from the kids, eventually stopped to trek into the darkness and check it out. The boys could see the scoutmaster’s flashlight, and possibly some other white lights pass by (stories conflict here), and then “a series of red lights … a lot like flares.” Desvergers would subsequently come out of the grove with burn marks on his cap, singed arm hair and a story about a “ship” over his head that belched a red ball of flame (or something similar) at him.

As it turned out, Desvergers had a lot of stories, like his four-month-old son being able to walk and talk (he couldn’t), and being crushed by a car and requiring a three-month hospitalization (which the doctor who examined him after the incident found very unlikely). The doctor said the hair on his arms was indeed singed, but saw no evidence of burns on his body.

During the first investigation, Desvergers had made a big deal about keeping things secret if the Air Force wanted him to, despite Ruppelt saying he could talk to anyone he liked. Desvergers continued to tell others he wouldn’t, because, “It’s not foolish to say that it will determine the future of all of us someday.” This didn’t stop Desvergers from hiring a press agent almost immediately.

Ruppelt became suspicious and decided to interview Desvergers and the boys a second time upon finding out the scoutmaster had been “less than honorably discharged” from the Marines for going AWOL and stealing a car (he would later be sentenced to seven years probation for passing phony checks). The oldest scout seemed uncomfortable and just parroted what Desvergers said, and the accounts of the other two diverged somewhat significantly, though did reveal that Desvergers had thought the light might be a “flying saucer” before he even left the vehicle. Further interviews with Desvergers’ brothers and others pegged him as an “exhibitionist” who always had to top everyone else’s stories.

Desvergers’ agent dropped him when learning of the scoutmaster’s sketchy past, and he ended up selling his story to the Sunday newspaper supplement American Weekly, first adding that he had seen a creature in the craft (which hadn’t come up before), and then going so far as to tell someone else he had fought three different aliens on the edge of the saucer. He was overpowering the weaklings until the saucer shifted and dumped him onto the ground.

This was after Ruppelt had already concluded, following the second investigation, this was “the best hoax in UFO history.”

As we move through the first season it is starting to become apparent what kind of show this is turning into, that is a Cold War version of the “X-Files” (1993-present) which as I have stated in the past is not a completely bad or negative thing to be, especially in this day and age of ‘fake news’. What I mean by that is that “Project Blue Book” (2019) is taking real events or at least real reports of reported events that really have not been substantiated, then making narrative leaps in terms of showing them onscreen as well as creating new stories about how they fit into a wider narrative, albeit something of a conspiracy revolving around new technology as well as paranoia. For some people who have watched the “X-Files” some of the stories as well as the narrative flourishes may seem all to familiar but I am actually enjoying it as it is similar to viewing something I enjoyed from a new angle, but I can understood others who may think this is a little bit of a ripoff.

Of course we still have the dual narrative of the possible Russian spy befriending Hynek’s wife which has now been folded into an alien conspiracy plot that links back to episode one, whether or not this ever happened is unknown to me, but I would say not as it adds too much color to the series. That is not a bad thing but it does nicely tie in the entire family to a possible over arching alien conspiracy which is right out of Chris Carters playbook.

Episode Seven – The Scoutmaster

Directed by: Thomas Carter

Written by: Aaron Rapke & Stewart Kaye

Hynek investigates a Scoutmaster’s disappearance after he and his troop witnessed a strange craft hovering in the woods; Quinn is pulled into a rogue mission for Harding.
Television/Streaming review: “Project Blue Book – Episode Six – The Green Fireballs” (2019)

February 27, 2019
“Project Blue Book – Episode Six – The Green Fireballs” (2019)

Sci-Fi

Ten Episodes

Created by: David O’Leary

Featuring: Aidan Gillen, Laura Mennell, Michael Harney, Ksenia Solo, Michael Malarkey

Red Scare: “This was a period (1947-57) of paranoia about communist infiltration or invasion in the United States. During this period, ordinary Americans were paralysed by a fear of ‘Reds under the bed’.”

This new series revolves around secret U.S. Air Force investigations into supposed UFO encounters and unexplained phenomenon, undertaken by astrophysicist, and eventual ufologist, Josef Allen Hynek in the 1950s and 1960s.

This week’s episode, the sixth, follows the pattern of the previous five installments, which is rather enjoyable, it follows yet another true event but it does exaggerate even more than the others how the two investigators were treated as well as their own encounter with a possible UFO. The episode seems to be realistic however when it starts to delve deep into the story there are liberties taken with what actually happened with the green fireballs of the stories title.

Green fireballs are a type of unidentified flying object which have been sighted in the sky since the late 1940s. Early sightings primarily occurred in the southwestern United States, particularly in New Mexico. They were once of notable concern to the US government because they were often clustered around sensitive research and military installations, such as Los Alamos and Sandia National Laboratory, then Sandia base.^[

Meteor expert Dr. Lincoln LaPaz headed much of the investigation into the fireballs on behalf of the military. LaPaz’s conclusion was that the objects displayed too many anomalous characteristics to be a type of meteor and instead were artificial, perhaps secret Soviet spy devices. The green fireballs were seen by many people of high repute including LaPaz, distinguished Los Alamos scientists, Kirtland AFB intelligence officers and Air Command Defense personnel. A February 1949 Los Alamos conference attended by aforementioned sighters, Project Sign, world-renowned upper atmosphere physicist Dr. Joseph Kaplan, H-bomb scientist Dr. Edward Teller, other scientists and military brass concluded, though far from unanimously, that green fireballs were natural phenomena. To the conference attendees, though the green fire ball source was unknown, their existence was unquestioned.^[

In December 1949 Project Twinkle, a network of green fireball observation and photographic stations, was established but never fully implemented. It was discontinued two years later, with the official conclusion that the phenomenon was probably natural in origin.

Green fireballs have been given natural, man-made, and extraterrestrial origins and have become associated with both the Cold War and ufology.^[ Because of the extensive government paper trail on the phenomenon, many ufologists consider the green fireballs to be among the best documented examples of unidentified flying objects(UFOs).

As we move through the first season it is starting to become apparent what kind of show this is turning into, that is a Cold War version of the “X-Files” (1993-present) which as I have stated in the past is not a completely bad or negative thing to be, especially in this day and age of ‘fake news’. What I mean by that is that “Project Blue Book” (2019) is taking real events or at least real reports of reported events that really have not been substantiated, then making narrative leaps in terms of showing them onscreen as well as creating new stories about how they fit into a wider narrative, albeit something of a conspiracy revolving around new technology as well as paranoia. For some people who have watched the “X-Files” some of the stories as well as the narrative flourishes may seem all to familiar but I am actually enjoying it as it is similar to viewing something I enjoyed from a new angle, but I can understood others who may think this is a little bit of a ripoff.

As with all of these episodes we end the show on a revelation that involves a possible government coverup of one sort or another, through the first few it seemed like there might be an alien ship on an Air Force Base, however as this episode reveals it seems like these reveals might be leading up to the invention of new technology, but the question remains how has it been developed and what does it all mean in terms of Hynek’s investigations. Of course the past three episodes have essentially let this lie or has been ignored possibly the producers may have bitten off more than they could chew with so many competing storylines.

Like all the episodes so far there is a basis in real life with the sightings of the green lights but everything from that concept onwards is either completely fictional or real life is bent so that Hynek becomes the centre point of the episode. For instance it is Hynek that comes up with the idea of a monitoring station to analyze the green lights which is fine but can be confusing for viewers who believe they are witnessing true events. What we are seeing is the character of Hynek being made more important and smart because of his breakthroughs, both real and fictional, it is a shame that the fictional aspects are taking over the non-fiction parts.

Of course we still have the dual narrative of the possible Russian spy befriending Hynek’s wife which has now been folded into an alien conspiracy plot that links back to episode one, whether or not this ever happened is unknown to me, but I would say not as it adds too much color to the series. That is not a bad thing but it does nicely tie in the entire family to a possible over arching alien conspiracy which is right out of Chris Carters playbook. The other idea that we are seeing even more of is the Cold War plot linking to the ‘Red Under the Bed’ as well as the nuclear war tensions that existed in this time period. Speaking of nuclear war in this episode we are also introduced to a testing facility where nuclear warheads were let off to test their destructive capability as well as fall out potential which is a treat as they were towns constructed with families that were mannequins which lends an eerie quality to the show, again something that is reminiscent of “The X-Files” – I sense a common thread running through this show.

One of the strengths of the show is the relationship between Allen and Mimi Hynek which comes to the fore in this episode in a most unexpectant way in two very important elements. The first is Mimi being manipulated by Susie into searching Allen’s office for information about what he is doing for the Government which they do in the form of a diary that makes for depressing reading. Allen in the meantime in one of the more unoriginal parts of the show, again borrowing heavily from “The X-Files” with the introduction of a ‘deep throat’ the character who reveals some kind of truth which for me begs to be made fun of. Allen finds some kind of (alien?) technology and in direct opposition to what we have seen throughout the series so far shares it with his wife who is understanding and now it appears at end of episode six that Allen has found his Scully, which for me is fine as they have the best chemistry in the entire show.

Episode Six – The Green Fireballs

Directed by: Norma Bailey

Written by: Harley Peyton

After mysterious green fireballs nearly cause nuclear disaster, Hynek and Quinn must investigate how it could have occurred.
Television/Streaming review: “Project Blue Book – Episode Five – Foo Fighters” (2019)

February 27, 2019
“Project Blue Book – Episode Five – Foo Fighters” (2019)

Sci-Fi

Ten Episodes

Created by: David O’Leary

Featuring: Aidan Gillen, Laura Mennell, Michael Harney, Ksenia Solo, Michael Malarkey

Crop Circle: “An area of standing crops which has been flattened in the form of a circle or more complex pattern. No general cause of crop circles has been identified although various natural and unorthodox explanations have been put forward; many are known to have been hoaxes.”

This new series revolves around secret U.S. Air Force investigations into supposed UFO encounters and unexplained phenomenon, undertaken by astrophysicist, and eventual ufologist, Josef Allen Hynek in the 1950s and 1960s.

This week’s episode, the fourth, follows the pattern of the previous three installments, which is rather enjoyable, it follows yet another true event but it does exaggerate even more than the others how the two investigators were treated as well as their own encounter with a possible UFO. The episode seems to be realistic however it takes a sharp turn when after what must be a fictional account of an interaction with a possible UFO our main characters attempt to find answers on a military base that is run by an ex-Nazi scientist that has been taken by the Americans after WWII to seemingly work on the nascent space program, under Operation Paperclip.

The term foo fighter was used by Allied aircraft pilots in World War II to describe various UFOs or mysterious aerial phenomena seen in the skies over both the European and Pacific theaters of operations.

Though “foo fighter” initially described a type of UFO reported and named by the U.S. 415th Night Fighter Squadron, the term was also commonly used to mean any UFO sighting from that period.^[1] Formally reported from November 1944 onwards, witnesses often assumed that the foo fighters were secret weapons employed by the enemy.

The Robertson Panel explored possible explanations, for instance that they were electrostatic phenomena similar to St. Elmo’s fire, electromagnetic phenomena, or simply reflections of light from ice crystals.

As we move through the first season it is starting to become apparent what kind of show this is turning into, that is a Cold War version of the “X-Files” (1993-present) which as I have stated in the past is not a completely bad or negative thing to be, especially in this day and age of ‘fake news’. What I mean by that is that “Project Blue Book” (2019) is taking real events or at least real reports of reported events that really have not been substantiated, then making narrative leaps in terms of showing them onscreen as well as creating new stories about how they fit into a wider narrative, albeit something of a conspiracy revolving around new technology as well as paranoia. For some people who have watched the “X-Files” some of the stories as well as the narrative flourishes may seem all to familiar but I am actually enjoying it as it is similar to viewing something I enjoyed from a new angle, but I can understood others who may think this is a little bit of a ripoff.

This episode is a continuation of what was revealed to Hynek in an abandoned show ground as well as the revelation that there is a group of ex-pilots who may be receiving some kind of signals from UFO’s after their own encounters with the Foo Fighters from the above, hence the name of this episode. We are now halfway through the season so the narrative is starting to take shape especially with bits and pieces of information being revealed to the main character. This is also the first episode where the A and B stories seem to cross over with the Susie and Captain Clarke meeting for a kind of debrief which is not written well especially since as the audience we know elements of her life that others have no clue about which is a reflection of lazy writing as in a perfect world we should not know what she is doing either but that revelation in may mind was made far too soon in the first season.

Of course we still have the dual narrative of the possible Russian spy befriending Hynek’s wife which has now been folded into an alien conspiracy plot that links back to episode one, whether or not this ever happened is unknown to me, but I would say not as it adds too much color to the series. That is not a bad thing but it does nicely tie in the entire family to a possible over arching alien conspiracy which is right out of Chris Carters playbook. The other idea that we are seeing even more of is the Cold War plot linking to the ‘Red Under the Bed’ as well as the nuclear war tensions that existed. This is becoming more of a plot device as I have said above but it is becoming a little tiring as the show really has to be about one thing before it starts to get going as the spy angle can take from the main story which needs to be established first.

Episode Five – Foo Fighters

Directed by: Norma Bailey

Written by: David O’Leary & Emily Brochin

A series of strange clues lead Hynek and Quinn to a secret group who claim to have witnessed strange lights during combat, and a way to contact them.
Streaming review: “Behind the Curve” (2018)

February 27, 2019
“Behind the Curve” (2018)

Documentary

Running Time: 96 minutes

Directed by: Daniel J. Clark

Featuring: Darryle Marble

Modern flat Earth societies: “Organizations that promote the misconception that the Earth is flat rather than a globe. Such groups date from the middle of the 20th century; some adherents are serious and some are not. Those who are serious are often motivated by pseudoscience or Biblical literalism.”

“Behind the Curve” (2018) was released in late 2018 on iTunes and Netflix, a documentary that at first glance may be dismissed as a curio or even seen as a chance to make fun of a group of people that are on the fringes of society, However, that would be overlooking the craft, planning as well as the actual nature of a movement that is being looked at in the excellent documentary “Behind the Curve”. This is a documentary based around the seemingly comic ‘flatearthers’ or the ‘Flat Earth Society’ (FES). This is a group that has come to light because of marketing as well as the need for the media to fill air time with items that are curious, although given that air time they are then seen as legitimate, which of course they are not, unless you come from a time before Galileo.

This is such a canny documentary with an inventive narrative that places the audience in a (hopefully) uncomfortable position of being exposed and engulfed in what it means to be a part of the FES that at different times we sometimes begin to see their point of view, in fact the entire narrative is almost entirely from the FES point of view which shows two things straight off, one is that any rational personal will see the actual truth as people taking a position that the Earth is flat will ultimately undo themselves, especially as it is obvious that many actual scientists dismiss them out of hand. Secondly, we receive a measured reason argument from people outside this movement such as psychiatrists and scientists who give logic based reasons for why these people exist, why they have been ignored (up until recently) as well as why they should be challenged, not in the ways you might immediately think of. All of the experts recognize the danger these ‘flat earthers’ pose as well as how they should be challenged so that they are not ignored but engulfed by reason.

The past two years or so has been an excellent year for documentaries not only on streaming or DVD but in cinemas which is a trend that goes against what many people may have expected. However I find this to be exactly what should be expected especially with the concentration of so-called ‘fake news’ that now exists on the internet, coupled with what has been coming from the White House under the Trump Presidency. In fact there was a thought that cinematic documentaries might be a thing of the past especially with the success as well as saturation of Disney-fied blockbusters invading multiplexes, in fact audiences have been flocking to cinemas to seek out stories about real people making real differences in times and places where many others have been marginalised and made powerless by the people in charge in their respective times. Some of the great, as well as critically received, not forgetting making money documentaires at the box office are: “Wont you be my neighbour?” (2018), “Three Identical Strangers” (2018), “Jane” (2018), “RBG” (2018), and my personal favourite “Bombshell: The Hedy Lamarr Story” (2017) with so many more. What this says about audiences is that they will seek out true stories told in the relative first person that are not only inspiring but are direct counter programming to the politics of the day as well as the lies that are being produced by a President who is not only artificial but hate fuelled. My belief as a fan of documentaries is that this genre will only gain in popularity, with the coming years being a boon as well as revealing the importance of truth in the media as well as the importance of researching decisions made by the electorate. It is no surprise that the rise in fake news, Donald Trump, racism and may other hate fuelled elements has been answered by artists creating documentaries that prove there can be positive outcomes when people choose to buck the system as well as believing in others, differences, freedom and most of all, discussion.

“Behind the Curve” concerns ‘Flat Earthers’, a term synonymous with conspiracy theorists who wear tinfoil hats. Meet real Flat Earthers, a small but growing contingent of people who firmly believe in a conspiracy to suppress the truth that the Earth is flat. One of the most prominent Flat Earthers is Mark Sargent who, in the midst of the upcoming Solar Eclipse, proudly speaks at the first Flat Earther conference.

This is such an excellent documentary that I only wish it had have received a cinematic release, it really deserved that, it covers a variety of subjects without resorting to the lowest common denominator, or treating its actual subjects like jokes, nor does it go out of its way to prove the ‘flat earthers’ wrong which is something it could have done, very easily as well as dismissively. Instead the director has let the ‘flat earthers’ speak not just about their cause but about themselves as well which is a key aspect to this documentary. All at once we learn of the flat earth theory, what the subjects think about it as well as an insight into who these people are with just a hint as to why they believe what they believe no matter who crazy it seems from the outside.

Of course the other elements of the documentary, possibly the most important parts are reflective of our society today especially in terms of the media, politics as well as the current situation we all find ourselves in. The central part which all others feed from seems to be the confluence of social platforms which in turn has led to the uprising of the formation of illogical theories and of course fake news which is uttered here by the main character in an interview to someone who should know better than to feed his fantasy. This documentary also exposes the political divide that exists in the US with the rabid Trump supporters that we see at his rallies as well as the left leaning idealism that seems to have permeated the culture especially since the 2016 election. It is a polite educated left that seeks to educate others to point out the very real concepts of global warming, pro vaccination, science, reason and everything that goes with that while we see the right (for want of a better word) that use instinct as well as a complete disregard for actual science even when they conduct at least two experiments within the documentary that produce results that pretty much prove the Earth is round but are so insistent ignore the results, making up excuses as to the outcome that would mean they are incorrect.

Towards the end of the documentary we are presented with two sides of an argument, one, that the flat earthers are adamant about their theories, actually giving explanations at a conference as to the reasoning behind their acceptance of a flat earth such as the feeling of not fitting in with others, the feeling of always knowing something is wrong with the world as well as a host of other feelings which looking at it from the outside does hint at a certain personality type. This is juxtaposed with a meeting of scientists who are presenting a room with actual ideas, not only that but the final person to speak talks of educating people like the flat earthers, not dismissing them as all that is really required is a conversation to help others, not ridicule or dismiss them, this would only make their ’cause’ stronger, which is not the outcome that is required.

The skill of the director as well as editor and producers is evident in “Behind the Curve” is evident after about fifteen minutes when one understands how the narrative is being formed, it is like many modern documentaries in that it seeks to offer a truth to all viewers all the while sticking to a narrative that could be seen as objective but does actually offer one side of an argument that speaks to mankind’s rational nature all the while embracing what makes us great storytellers, the trick is not to mix fact with fiction no matter how simple that seems at the time.
Television/Streaming review: “The Passage – Episode Seven – You Are like the Sun” (2019)

February 27, 2019
Television/Streaming review: “The Passage – Episode Seven – You Are like the Sun” (2019)

Ten Episodes

Created by: Liz Heldens based on the novels written by Justin Cronin

Featuring: Mark-Paul Gosselaar, Saniyya Sidney, Vincent Piazza, Brianne Howey McKinley Belcher III, Jamie McShane, Caroline Chikezie, Emmanuelle Chriqui

Carter: “I want you to beat Fanning.”

The fifth episode has arrived of the show based on the excellent adult trilogy ‘The Passage’ by Justin Cronin that charts the world as it passes from a pre apocalyptic period through to an ante period through to the post part which takes place over a one thousand year time period.

The general plot of the “The Passage” (2019) focuses on Project Noah, a secret medical facility where scientists are experimenting with a dangerous virus that could lead to the cure for all disease, but also carries the potential to wipe out the human race. When a young girl, Amy Bellafonte, is chosen to be a test subject, Federal Agent Brad Wolgast is the man who is tasked with bringing her to Project Noah. Ultimately, however, Wolgast becomes her surrogate father, as he tries to protect her at any cost.

The problems, and make not mistake there are many, again stem from the fact that that the people behind the series have ignored what was great, compelling and original about the initial novel, ‘The Passage’. That is the pacing as well as the offering back stories to only the really important characters, not only that there were revelations about the other subordinate characters made throughout the novels which built up tension. Here there are revelations made whenever new characters are introduced which dulls the impact of the action that is taking place.

Watching this weeks episode I was struck by the absolute pointlessness of the two flashback subplots involving Wolgast’s daughter, who is dead and Amy’s mother who has disappeared from her life. In this narrative both Amy and Wolgast blame themselves for their own losses but of course that is just a simplistic as well as trope laden way to move a plot forward as well as one of the more obvious manipulations that have been made in this series. What was great about the novel was the unsentimental way in which both of these characters were not only treated but in how they were motivated in their own lives.

It is obvious now that the writers of the show have no idea where the plot is going which in turns mean that we see jumps in the narrative that make no sense as above. This episode has been taken to new heights in ridiculousness with not only once again characters making dumb decisions but also coincidences galore. As each episode has unfolded we can see that the writers of the show have been chopped and changed from episode to episode which lends to the jig saw nature and unevenness that this show smacks of, if there is one thing that this show needed it was a unified voice from one person with input on the overall narrative to make sure it made sense, if there is one thing that is obvious about this show it is the unevenness that effects everything from performance to direction.

That brings us to the direction of this episode which is the first time I have really written about this element of the series which has not been bad, just lackluster, if anything it is the editing that has rivaled the storytelling in its shortcoming. This week is a good week to talk about direction as it has been the job of Eduardo Sánchez who is most well known for “The Blair Witch Project” (1999), as well as his failing reputation for all his work following that success. Sanchez has directed a few episodes of other television shows, that experience shows here as he has been asked to direct one episode toward the end of the season, he obviously has a talent, and to be honest it is probably one of the best directed episodes of the season, although that is not honestly saying a lot at all.

As has been present throughout this entire series there is the continuing use of the most overused plot devices that is essentially an artificial way to build tension as well as move the narrative, that is keeping information or a secret away from others when in fact they should know what is going on. We also see a pattern emerging at the end of each episode there is a jarring cliffhanger of sorts which make no sense as we already have that information from earlier episodes.

At this stage the brightest part of the series is still Saniyya Sidney, she shines above all others as Amy, the main character in both novels and series. At this early stage it does seem she might be better than the character that has been written for her, the reasons for her being, the relationship with her mother, the other worldliness of her actual being, the reason she is wanted, her actual attractiveness to Wolgast and finally why the story is centred around her.

After watching over half a season this show is really feeling like hard work, I can only imagine what readers of the novel who are still watching think of this. For people that have not read the novel this show must feel like a retread of so many other horror/fantasy genre pieces that it becomes obvious with each passing moment what is going to happen next, which again is unlike the novel that had no easy answers for readers which in this day and age is a real gift.

The problems with the show are numerous, but the one that stands out for me is that it is exactly no different from a variety of other shows. We are now seeing shadowy figures like the one played by the excellent James LeGros (wasted here) who want to control the virals, while all along a larger plan by those virals is being played out. Again giving the virals themselves personalities as well as actual goals and an ability to mentally manipulate people is something that was not in the novel, they were treated like their origins, that is they were animals a force of nature unleashed onto the world with only one unconscious objective, to kill everyone else and survive. The producers were obviously too scared to do this so we have virals as traditional vampire which is something that is unforgivable: boring.

Episode Seven – “You Are like the Sun”

Directed by: Eduardo Sanchez

Written by: Kate Erickson

Brad and Lila remember their history together as they plan to save Amy; Horace Guilder is given full authority over Project NOAH; Carter prepares Amy for Fanning’s grand plan; Lear fights to help Elizabeth.
Official Trailer 2 Debut – “POKÉMON Detective Pikachu” (2019)

February 27, 2019
Official Trailer 2 Debut – POKÉMON “Detective Pikachu” (2019)

The world of Pokémon comes to life! The first-ever live-action Pokémon adventure, “POKÉMON Detective Pikachu” stars Ryan Reynolds as Pikachu, the iconic face of the global Pokémon phenomenon—one of the world’s most popular, multi-generation entertainment properties and the most successful media franchise of all time. Fans everywhere can now experience Pikachu on the big screen as never before, as Detective Pikachu, a Pokémon like no other. The film also showcases a wide array of beloved Pokémon characters, each with its own unique abilities and personality.

The story begins when ace private eye Harry Goodman goes mysteriously missing, prompting his 21-year-old son Tim to find out what happened. Aiding in the investigation is Harry’s former Pokémon partner, Detective Pikachu: a hilariously wise-cracking, adorable super-sleuth who is a puzzlement even to himself. Finding that they are uniquely equipped to communicate with one another, Tim and Pikachu join forces on a thrilling adventure to unravel the tangled mystery. Chasing clues together through the neon-lit streets of Ryme City—a sprawling, modern metropolis where humans and Pokémon live side by side in a hyper-realistic live-action world—they encounter a diverse cast of Pokémon characters and uncover a shocking plot that could destroy this peaceful co-existence and threaten the whole Pokémon universe.

POKÉMON Detective Pikachu is directed by Rob Letterman and also stars Justice Smith as Tim, and Kathryn Newton as Lucy, a junior reporter following her first big story; as well as Suki Waterhouse, Omar Chaparro, Chris Geere, with Oscar nominee Ken Watanabe and Bill Nighy.

POKÉMON Detective Pikachu releases in New Zealand on May 9, 2019.
Official Trailer – “POMS” (2019)

February 27, 2019
Official Trailer – “POMS” (2019)

Poms_16x9_Trailer_ComingSoon_HD-Online

POMS is an uplifting comedy about Martha, a woman who moves into a retirement community and starts a cheerleading squad with her fellow residents, Sheryl, Olive and Alice, proving that it’s never too late to follow your dreams.

POMS is directed by Zara Hayes and stars Diane Keaton, Jacki Weaver, Rhea Perlman, Pam Grier, Celia Weston, Phyllis Somerville, Charli Tahan, Alisha Boe and Bruce McGill.

POMS releases in New Zealand cinemas on May 9, 2019.
4K Blu-ray review: “Widows” (2018)

February 21, 2019
“Widows” (2018)

Drama/Thriller

Running Time: 129 minutes

Written by: Gillian Flynn & Steve McQueen

Directed by: Steve McQueen

Featuring: Viola Davis, Michelle Rodriguez, Elizabeth Debicki, Cynthia Erivo, Colin Farrell, Brian Tyree Henry, Daniel Kaluuya, Jacki Weaver, Carrie Coon, Robert Duvall and Liam Neeson

Veronica:[to her gang] “Now the best thing we have going for us, is being who we are.”

Alice: “Why?”

Veronica: “Because no-one thinks we have the balls to pull this off.”

Released this month on 4K, DVD and Blu-ray the latest film from Steve McQueen, “Widows” (2018) arrives just in time for the annual Academy Awards, it is easily as great as any of his other movies, my main question is why was this unique film pretty much ignored not only at the box office (it has made under US$70 million globally), but by critics as well as awards bodies, when “Widows” is exactly what is needed right now. That is a smart, focused, somewhat original, ensemble thriller that for all intents and purposes is more akin to “Heat” (1995) than anything else I have seen for a number of years, to top it off it is led by women who are all at the top of their games performance wise, with some excellent support from very able character actors, everyone involved in this film knows exactly what they are doing, this really is a modern masterpiece that will only get better as time goes by. This is a genre movie that like the best ones gives us a snapshot into who we are, who we would like to be as well as the fallacies that exist in modern society which is a gift as this is not a film that, on the surface, preaches in any way.

“Widows”, directed by Oscar winner Steven McQueen (best picture for “12 Years a Slave” (2013) who so far in his relatively short career has only made excellent films that are as different from each other as any could be, not only that they have all captured the imagination as well as their current zeitgeist, meaning his films feel of the moment – with an all female cast this one fits right in. McQueen has also co-written “Widows” with Gillian Flynn, who through her own novels is a master at writing for women as well as building tension with payoffs that seem satisfying to those that read her books. What I find most interesting as well as a great jumping off point is that this is a reimagining of an earlier television series that the great English crime author (and legend) Lynda La Plante developed in the 1970s/19080s, that ran over two series featuring some great actresses from that time period. McQueen and Flynn have kept what made that series great but have also been able to update it both stylistically as well as narratively by mixing in the melodrama, thriller as well as political genres to create something that not only fits within the general crime genre but compliments McQueen’s own oeuvre so that he is not making a knock off but is saying something about the times we inhabit on a number of very intimate levels.

While Steven McQueen is not primarily known for his visuals as a director it is important to note that each of his films has a certain look and feel, with each subsequent film looking more lush and cinematic as they have been released which in part goes to the director continually using cinematographer Sean Bobbitt. As a cinematographer Bobbitt’s work has never looked so good as it does here, with crisp whites as well as dark blacks that give the film a nourish look while being as clear as any similar movie has ever looked. A good contrast is that while “Heat” had a very steely quality to it that was almost clinical looking here we see every part of the screen and action that means we are seeing everything clearly as it unfolds much like the narrative they really compliment each other.

The movie is based around Harry Rawlings (Liam Neeson), a renowned thief, who is killed alongside his partners Carlos (Manuel Garcia-Rulfo), Florek (Jon Bernthal), and Jimmy (Coburn Goss) during a botched robbery. His widow, Veronica (Viola Davis), is threatened by crime boss Jamal Manning (Brian Tyree Henry), from whom Harry and his partners robbed $2 million. Jamal needs the money to finance his electoral campaign for alderman of a South Side precinct, where he is running against Jack Mulligan (Colin Farrell), the next-in-line of the Mulligan political family who have historically dominated the alderman position.

For the second year in a row Viola Davis gives a tour de force performance in the lead role of a movie that contains either veteran actors, character actors or up and coming stars who you can tell are at the top of their game and who do not want to let their director down. Davis plays the matriarch with all the finesse we have come to expect going from a strong figure who at the beginning of the movie seems to be in charge of own story but as we peel back layers we see she has been suffering for some time not only being a second to her husband but also recovering from very personal losses. Of Davis’s group of ‘widows’ the standouts are Elizabeth Debicki in a fairly central role and Cynthia Erivo in a limited but effective part that goes to her strengths as well her under the radar casting which speaks to her talents. With the Australian Debicki who seems to have been on the brink of breaking out for what seems like a long time she really puts in a full rounded performance in a three dimensional character, that while it does land not a million miles away from Ashley Judd’s performance in the aforementioned “Heat”, here this character seems to force her way into decisions that she makes for herself with only a hint of escape from her life that she wants to hang onto much like but very different to Davis’s own character, the final scene in the films speaks to that in a very soft spoken and poignant way. “Widows” while featuring an absolutely massive cast does allow for great performances from everyone, even those that seemingly have small parts, which is a talent that few directors actually have, so it appears that McQueen is not only great at directing action but is also present for his actors. Once again Colin Farrell in a supporting role, which he is doing more and more, shines in a politically duplicitous part that is the underpinning of the entire film, he does superb work in a part that is the yin to Davis’s yang in so many ways, it also speaks to a larger story that exists which could have been a main narrative but again ends up being an undercurrent to all that is going on which pays off in more ways than one over the many narrative strands that exists within this film.

There are so many other performances that are just terrific but far too many to go into here, suffice to say that while viewing this film any audience will be knocked out by the depth of talent as well as how that talent match’s performance so well. There are really no false notes, possibly that is the reason why this has not had some well deserved awards recognition in that there are just too many to chose from which in turn has led to the film being more or less dismissed which is a crime to be sure.

Only in the best way possible would I compare this to a new millennium “Heat”, that is not to be reductive as this movie is much more of a drama as well as of course female centred which is not exactly a twist as the source material was definitely female centred as well. Much like all of Lynda La Plante’s work it is female centred but offers a chance to look into the actual lives of those it is concerned with, one only has to look at the Viola Davis character to see that she makes a decision to not wither on a vine but to take charge creating her own story that comes to a head when she discovers the reason for her predicament might not exactly be how she has perceived it.

I only wish this was a film review so I could convince people to go and see this in cinemas, it is so good and deserves to be seen that way, however a good second is on 4K where it pops so much that it jumps off the screen. But we are dealing with a home release so I cannot recommend this highly enough, my only disappointment is that the 4K version does not come with a complimentary Blu-ray as it would have been nice to have had some special features.
Television/Streaming review: “The Passage – Episode Six – I Want to Know What You Taste Like” (2019)

February 19, 2019
“The Passage – Episode Six – I Want to Know What You Taste Like” (2019)

Ten Episodes

Created by: Liz Heldens based on the novels written by Justin Cronin

Featuring: Mark-Paul Gosselaar, Saniyya Sidney, Vincent Piazza, Brianne Howey McKinley Belcher III, Jamie McShane, Caroline Chikezie, Emmanuelle Chriqui

Nicole: “I want to go and see “The Quiet Place” and describe it to Babcock.”

The fifth episode has arrived of the show based on the excellent adult trilogy ‘The Passage’ by Justin Cronin that charts the world as it passes from a pre apocalyptic period through to an ante period through to the post part which takes place over a one thousand year time period.

The general plot of the “The Passage” (2019) focuses on Project Noah, a secret medical facility where scientists are experimenting with a dangerous virus that could lead to the cure for all disease, but also carries the potential to wipe out the human race. When a young girl, Amy Bellafonte, is chosen to be a test subject, Federal Agent Brad Wolgast is the man who is tasked with bringing her to Project Noah. Ultimately, however, Wolgast becomes her surrogate father, as he tries to protect her at any cost.

The problems, and make not mistake there are many, again stem from the fact that that the people behind the series have ignored what was great, compelling and original about the initial novel, ‘The Passage’. That is the pacing as well as the offering back stories to only the really important characters, not only that there were revelations about the other subordinate characters made throughout the novels which built up tension. Here there are revelations made whenever new characters are introduced which dulls the impact of the action that is taking place.

Watching this weeks episode the word that comes to mind is ponderous, that is the long time it is taking for the story to actually get going to a point that is interesting enough to actually enjoy – we are not there yet. Once again we have illogical decision making by all the main characters for arbitrary reasons as well as once again jumps in action that make little narrative sense. Not only that decision making that actual people would do seems to be out the window. Witness two linked events where one of the suck up scientists not only tests the ability of the virals to read minds but trusts the outcomes of his experiment, then later carries it out again by himself, you can guess what happens then. At the end of last episode we left the two main characters evading a viral, however this episode we jump to them stuck in an elevator which Wolgast is unable to open for no real apparent reason, the power has gone out but why? This is just one example of a jump in narrative for no apparent reason.

It is obvious now that the writers of the show have no idea where the plot is going which in turns mean that we see jumps in the narrative that make no sense as above. This episode has been taken to new heights in ridiculousness with not only once again characters making dumb decisions but also coincidences galore. So for no explanation Wolgast’s wife has been kidnapped and taken to the science facility, not only that she arrives at night when one of the virals has escaped and evades it to be met by her ex husband and Amy, just ridiculous. Then we seemingly switch from night to day to hunt the viral which has infected others – this seems arbitrary at this point – who soldiers kill with bullets as well as sunlight, not only that it has taken weeks for the original virals to turn but these humans turn in a matter of hours. Not only that but apparently if you kill the viral that turns other virals then they all die – the estate for Robert A. Heinlen should really sue, this is straight out of any of his sc-fi, as well as a bunch of Hammer Horror movies. There is so much else to complain about any average viewer should be able to pick up on inconsistencies (I am being nice) as well as just rip offs from other genre shows that the writers, producers and directors should frankly feel embarrassed.

As has been present throughout this entire series there is the continuing use of the most overused plot devices that is essentially an artificial way to build tension as well as move the narrative, that is keeping information or a secret away from others when in fact they should know what is going on. We also see a pattern emerging at the end of each episode there is a jarring cliffhanger of sorts which make no sense as we already have that information from earlier episodes.

At this stage the brightest part of the series is still Saniyya Sidney, she shines above all others as Amy, the main character in both novels and series. At this early stage it does seem she might be better than the character that has been written for her, the reasons for her being, the relationship with her mother, the other worldliness of her actual being, the reason she is wanted, her actual attractiveness to Wolgast and finally why the story is centred around her.

After watching over half a season this show is really feeling like hard work, I can only imagine what readers of the novel who are still watching think of this. For people that have not read the novel this show must feel like a retread of so many other horror/fantasy genre pieces that it becomes obvious with each passing moment what is going to happen next, which again is unlike the novel that had no easy answers for readers which in this day and age is a real gift.

The problems with the show are numerous, but the one that stands out for me is that it is exactly no different from a variety of other shows. We are now seeing shadowy figures like the one played by the excellent James LeGros (wasted here) who want to control the virals, while all along a larger plan by those virals is being played out. Again giving the virals themselves personalities as well as actual goals and an ability to mentally manipulate people is something that was not in the novel, they were treated like their origins, that is they were animals a force of nature unleashed onto the world with only one unconscious objective, to kill everyone else and survive. The producers were obviously too scared to do this so we have virals as traditional vampire which is something that is unforgivable: boring.

Episode Six – “I Want to Know What You Taste Like”

Directed by: Jessica Lowrey

Written by: Dennis Saldua

Guilder and Richards race to mobilize a search party when a viral gets loose outside Project NOAH; Amy creates friction with Brad when she volunteers to help in an unexpected way.
Blu-ray & DVD review: “Billionaire Boys Club” (2018)

February 18, 2019
“Billionaire Boys Club” (2018)

Drama/Thriller

Running Time: 108 minutes

Written by: James Cox and Captain Mauzner

Directed by: James Cox

Featuring: Ansel Elgort, Taron Egerton, Kevin Spacey, Emma Roberts, Jeremy Irvine, Thomas Cocquerel, Rosanna Arquette, Cary Elwes and Judd Nelson

Ron Levin:“There are only 17 Bullas on the entire planet, and every single one of them… is locked in a museum.”

“There are only 17 Bullas on the entire planet, and every single one of them… is locked in a museum.”

Joe Hunt: “It’s a fake.”

Ron Levin:“But you thought it was an original.”

Joe Hunt: “Yeah.”

Ron Levin: “And why?… Because the perception of reality… is more real than reality itself…”

Released this week on DVD and Blu-ray is a one time possible awards contender in the remake “Billionaire Boys Club” (2018) which had already been made into a miniseries of the same name in 1987 with Judd Nelson as the main character. This time the appeal in it being remade, I assume is the fact that it is based on a true story, with some of the hottest up and coming talent in the industry, that offers equal amounts of comedy, drama and a touch of a thriller that ends up failing in two important places, one is that the story has a been there done that feel to it, which for me is the biggest problem as a movie has to at least feel special and original. The second issue, possibly its biggest one, is that it features Kevin Spacey in a pivotal role, which even after all this time feels like an uneasy watch, with him in a movie, especially knowing the unease he caused behind multiple television and movie sets. What is obviously coincidental is that this movie features as a narrative element the concept of honesty as well as authenticity which Spacey now has to deal with in his real life.

Interestingly the movie has at its heart two young actors’ who have made an impact in other films with either bigger named costars, or really experienced directors that know how to tell a story as well as how to communicate with their actor’s and draw out a performance. So in Ansel Elgort and Taron Egerton who are coming off the pretty fantastic “Baby Driver” (2017) and the “Kingsman” (2014-2017) movies respectively this was their time to shine as the leads in an ensemble, they needed to stand out as well as give really great performances, unfortunately this is not the case with “Billionaire Boys Club”. Not only does this movie do nothing new with its plot or narrative, all of the actor’s seems to be at a loss as to what movie they are in, as well as how to gauge their own performances onscreen. This also had the issue of being made just prior to the Kevin Spacey controversy so any real commercial value disappeared, this also shows the balls Ridley Scott had when he replaced Spacey with Christopher Plummer in “All the money in the world” (2017), in an attempt to save a movie as well as proving that their are some classy people in Hollywood. Of course this movie received a streaming and theatrical release and bombed on both accounts but to be fair it was not all due to Spacey, the filmmakers have to take some of the blame as well, not forgetting the producers as well who made some very poor decisions.

“Billionaire Boys Club” was directed by James Cox, co-written by Cox and Captain Mauzner who both have limited film making experience, in fact their highest profile movie, where they had the same roles was the John Holmes biopic “Wonderland” (2009) which was not critically or financially successful but did feature a very good Val Kilmer performance. Unfortunately with a movie like this that is based on a true story it is fairly easy to see where the plot is going especially with the narrative that reads like many similar stories that have populated television and film in the past twenty years. What was interesting about the miniseries was that it was produced not that long after the crimes that were committed unlike this production which is now considered a period piece, where all the crimes that are committed if carried out today would have easily been identified with a Google search so many of todays audience find this kind of story run of the mill and a little redundant. The other element that goes against this movie and something that should have been addressed is that almost all the characters in this movie are completely unlikeable, not only that but audiences do not really care about rich kids being ripped off by people who are inherently not good as well as not very appealing, this is a narrative weakness that should have been exploited.

“Billionaire Boys Club” is based around Joe Hunt who leads a group of wealthy young men in 1980s Los Angeles come up with a plan to get-rich-quick with a Ponzi scheme. The plan ends badly for all involved when Hunt and friend Tim Pitt end up murdering investor and con man Ron Levin.

As I have already said there are a few very good actors leading “Billionaire Boys Club” in Ansel Elgort and Taron Egerton who seem a little lost in this movie in fact they seem to be working against each other to a point which is a shame as they both could have really shined in this movie, it’s a real lost opportunity. The female co-stars are interesting in both Emma Roberts and Billie Lourd who have both been in multiple seasons of televisions “American Horror Story” (2011-present) and are always great in that, normally as witches, here whilst I loved seeing them, they are both wasted which is actually a great description of the entire cast.

There are no two ways about it, this movie is not great, it suffers from some ordinary direction, a trope laden plot that is as obvious as they get, it also has some very uninspired performances from actors that should really know better. There is also the added fact that the miniseries from the 1980s is actually superior and directed by someone who was a great television director, which is missed here. Finally this movie was released directly after the scandal that broke about Kevin Spacey, which casts a long shadow over not only this movie but also everything he has ever been involved with as he was not only accused of sexual harassment but sexual assault as well much on the sets of movies. My other concern is I question why this movie even made in the first place, it seems like it may have been a vehicle for the actors but is that a reason to make a movie like this, there is no real redeemable value in this, maybe if it was an original story or said something about the world we live in today but it has little value at all.

There is no doubt that I would not pay to see this movie but if it turned up on a streaming service then it might be worth the time although I would not expect much.
DVD review: “The Professionals” (1977-1983)

February 18, 2019
“The Professionals” (1977-1983)

Television/Drama

Five Seasons / Fifty-Seven Episodes

Created by: Brian Clemens

Featuring: Martin Shaw, Lewis Collins and Gordon Jackson

George Cowley: “Anarchy, acts of terror, crimes against the public. To combat it I’ve got special men – experts from the army, the police, from every service – these are The Professionals.”

Released this month on DVD is the English television series based around a secret law enforcement agency of sorts loosely based on MI5 in “The Professionals” (1977-1983) which was a hard edge (for its time) that frequently dealt in some serious stories with quite a bit of on-screen violence that at times could be shocking, sometimes even by today’s standards.

Below is a brief description of the series as well as brief descriptions of each episode but I have to say something about the way people who are seen as different are treated by the predominantly white men who are either in charge of CI5 or who work in the organization.

In terms of the treatment of women in the show they are either mostly seen as victims or objects of male gratification which we see in almost every episode which could be seen as a sign of the times but speaks to larger issues that existed in society in the UK which looking back feels out of date, antiquated and actually depressing not just for society but for the actresses playing the parts. In particular any chance for the men to make comments about women or trying to pick them up with extremely sexist lines is difficult to watch. In fact even when a powerful strong female character makes an entrance they are either made fun of or seen as shrill or out of step which does occur frequently. Women in general are seen as needing men, or are helpless on their own, waiting for a man to either rescue them or take them out, or both.

The treatment of non white people within society is fairly similar to how they were seen throughout the world which again is on par with the treatment of women. In particular the n-word as well as other putdowns especially the word spade is used liberally. The only person that seems to be progressive is the head of CI5, Cowley who has been to war and seen how minorities are treated, he is possibly the most enlightened of the cast which is saying something as the younger people are predominantly racist to a degree as well as sexist.

“The Professionals” is based around CI5 (Criminal Intelligence 5) a British law enforcement department, instructed by the Home Secretary to use any means to deal with crimes of a serious nature that go beyond the capacity of the police, but which are not tasks for the Security Service or the military.

The choice of CI5’s name is possibly inspired by Criminal Investigation Department and MI5. The premise allowed the programme-makers to involve a wide variety of villains, including terrorists, hit-men, racist groups and espionage suspects, with plots sometimes relating to the Cold War. Led by the formidable George Cowley (Gordon Jackson), CI5 is known for using unconventional and sometimes illegal methods to beat criminals, or as Cowley put it “Fight fire with fire!”

Cowley’s two best agents are Ray Doyle (Martin Shaw) and William Bodie (Lewis Collins). Doyle is an ex-detective constable who has worked the seedier parts of London, while Bodie is an ex-paratrooper, mercenary and Special Air Service sergeant. Of the two, Doyle is the softer, compassionate and more thoughtful character, while Bodie is ruthless and more willing to take on criminals on their own terms. That said, Doyle is more hot-headed and tended to rush in, while Bodie waits for the shooting to start.

While polar opposites, Bodie and Doyle have a deep and enduring friendship, and are almost inseparable. Although their loyalty to Cowley is beyond question, they have no qualms about disobeying orders if it means getting the right result, either for the case or themselves.

Episodes:

Season One:

1. Private Madness Public Danger:A rogue biochemist threatens to poison London’s water supply with a powerful hallucinogenic drug unless the government ceases all research into chemical warfare.

2. The Female Factor: Soviet agents use a “honey trap” in an attempt to extort state secrets from an ambitious politician.

3. Old Dog With New Tricks: A recently released gangster steals an arms shipment from the IRA, intending to kidnap the Home Secretary to exchange for his brother, who is still in prison.

4. Killer With A Long Arm: CI5 uncover a plot to assassinate a visiting Greek dignitary at the Wimbledon tennis tournament using a sniper rifle with an exceptionally long range.

5. Heroes: An unpopular US politician is assassinated at a road block on a busy highway, and CI5 are forced to protect the witnesses when a newspaper irresponsibly publishes their names.

6. Where The Jungle Ends: A gang of ex-mercenaries stages a bank robbery, attracting the attention of a major crime boss who offers to employ them. Bodie, himself an ex-mercenary, is determined to settle some old scores with the gang’s leader.

7. Close Quarters:An off-duty Bodie arrests the leader of a German terrorist cell. Pursued by the rest of the gang, he and his girlfriend hole up in a country vicarage, but find themselves under siege and unable to call for help.

8. Everest Was Also Conquered: CI5 are called upon to investigate the 1953 death of a key witness in a corruption trial following the death bed confession of a former security chief.

9. When The Heat Cools Off: A girl claims to have new evidence to free her convicted father from prison, a man arrested by Doyle before he joined CI5. Doyle agrees to re-open the case, but does his relationship with the girl cloud his judgement?

10. Stake Out: A CI5 agent is murdered and a man dies of plutonium poisoning. How is a bowling alley connected – Bodie and Doyle stake it out.

11. Long Shot: An American delegate is saved by Cowley when shots are seemingly fired at him, but no further attempt is made to kill him before he departs the country. CI5 is aware of the presence of a hitman called Ramos, and predict a second assassination attempt.

12. Look After Annie: A socialist preacher becomes a target when she visits London. An old flame of Cowley’s, Bodie and Doyle are set to protect her, without realising who attempts to have her killed.

13. Klansmen: A “Keep Britain White” group is harassing black residents to leave the area. While most members want to scare the black community, a few members have an ulterior motive. Bodie is hospitalised and Doyle infiltrates the fascist group.

Season Two:

1. Hunter/Hunted: Doyle tests a prototype new rifle, but it is stolen and “used” against him.

2. The Rack: A suspect in CI5’s custody dies, allegedly through Doyle’s rough treatment. CI5 is put under the scrutiny of a public enquiry and faces being closed down.

3. First Night: An Israeli government minister is kidnapped on a visit to London. The only clue is a poorly shot photograph.

4. Man without a Past: Bodie is on a date but the restaurant he is at is bombed and his girlfriend seriously injured. Is Bodie the target?

5. In the Public Interest: A chief constable is impressing with his city being totally crime free, but the free rein his officers have lets them infringe suspects’ rights in the pursuit of zero tolerance.

6. Rogue: Veteran CI5 agent Barry Martin lends his expertise to criminal elements in order to fund his lifestyle.

7. Not a Very Civil Civil Servant: Newly built council houses are falling apart, CI5 investigates the building company’s management and the councillors involved.

8. A Stirring of Dust: A rogue MI6 agent comes home with the threat of spilling the secrets about British security. Can CI5 get him before the KGB or his betrayed colleagues do?

9. Blind Run: Bodie and Doyle are assigned to protect a foreign official en route to several meetings. But why are the diplomat’s moves known by a team of assassins.

10. Fall Girl: An old flame of Bodie’s gets him unwittingly involved in an assassination and finds himself to be the target of MI6 and CI5.

Season Three:

1. The Purging of CI5: CI5’s headquarters are being bombed and its agents assassinated.

2. Backtrack: A burglar comes across a gang of drugs and arms smugglers during a break-in. Not even the police can protect him and it’s up to CI5 to uncover and stop the gang.

3. Stopover: An old colleague of Cowley’s has information on a double agent – in exchange for CI5’s protection.

4. Dead Reckoning: An extradited spy’s presence in Britain is being kept top secret, yet the Bulgarians who sent him try their best to make his whereabouts public. When he is murdered, all eyes suspect the spy’s daughter.

5. The Madness of Mickey Hamilton: A man whose daughter is severely brain damaged after a complicated birth and then loses his wife to an overdose, blames the incompetence of the doctors and seeks revenge. With the blessings of an unsuspecting priest, he systematically starts to wipe out doctors, one by one.

6. A Hiding to Nothing: Palestinian extremists plan on assassinating one of their ministers when information is leaked to them that he is holding secret diplomatic negotiations in London. CI5 need to find the leak and keep the diplomat’s own security team at bay.

7. Runner: A breakaway group from a criminal gang want to start a street war, but their leader has other ideas.

8. Servant of Two Masters: Has Cowley turned traitor selling a nerve gas to the East Germans?

Season Four:

1. The Acorn Syndrome: The daughter of a government engineer who develops top secret defence equipment been kidnapped. In exchange for her life, he must give up the plans of one of the projects.

2. Wild Justice: A psychologist tries to convince CI5 that Bodie’s mental state is putting both him and CI5 at risk.

3. Fugitive: A terrorist group kills a CIA agent working in London. CI5 try to set up a fake arms deal with the group.

4. Involvement: Is the girl Doyle wants to marry involved with drug smuggling?

5. Need to Know: A former colleague of Cowley’s is arrested for being a double agent, and implicates Ci5 chief is also rogue.

6. Take Away: Innocent Chinese people are being used as heroin traffickers, CI5 joins with Hong Kong Police to uncover the truth.

7. Black Out: The only clue to a terrorist attack is a girl with amnesia.

8. Blood Sports: CI5 step in to protect the daughter of a South American president, after her brother is murdered.

9. Slush Fund: A reporter has a scoop on a new fighter aircraft being a deathtrap. Ready to publish, becomes the target of several countries’ officials

10. The Gun: A drug pusher murders an addict. His hastily discarded gun is soon found by a young boy. The pusher must get to the boy before the drug barons do.

11. Hijack: CI5 investigate the theft of silver bullion imported from behind the iron curtain.

12. Mixed Doubles: A foreign official is visiting so Bodie and Doyle receive special training to protect him. Meanwhile, two hit-men are being trained to murder him…..

13. Weekend in the Country: During a weekend break, fugitive criminals capture the off-duty and unarmed Bodie & Doyle along with their girlfriends.

14. Kickback: Bodie teams up with his old SAS partner Keller to infiltrate an Italian terrorist group. They fake an assassination, but Keller has an alternative agenda.

15. It’s Only a Beautiful Picture…: A gang is exporting rare antiques and top secret industrial equipment using the ignorance of Customs and Excise in foreign countries. CI5 decide to set a trap.

Season Five:

1.Foxhole on the Roof: A newly released convict holds the post-operative ward of a hospital hostage from his rooftop hideaway.

2.Operation Susie: Government department MI17 try to cover up their bungled drugs raid involving South American nationalists.

3. You’ll Be All Right: A criminal gang leader is in hiding, and his family are threatened. He offers to surrender himself if CI5 protect his family and flush out the person threatening them.

4. Lawson’s Last Stand: A mentally unstable army officer has disappeared, taking NATO secrets with him.

5. Discovered in a Graveyard: The campaign against a much hated oriental leader has spilt over into London. CI5 intervenes with Doyle being shot in revenge. While having a life-saving operation, Doyle has to decide whether to live, or die.

6. Spy Probe: A mysterious organisation assassinates seemingly innocent ‘nobodies’. Bodie and Doyle infiltrate & investigate.

7. Cry Wolf: A young lady claims to be continually harassed, and her local constabulary claim she is crying wolf.

8. The Untouchables: Bodie loses in a private poker game and is indebted to a foreign diplomat. In order to clear what he owes, Bodie must give the diplomat CI5’s secrets.

9. The Ojuka Situation: The British government want to help Hakim Ojuka, the overthrown leader of an African state, reclaim his country from the rebels that overthrew him. CI5 take him into their protection, but Cowley’s watertight security is leaking, and Ojuka’s enemies are on his tail.

10. A Man Called Quinn: Former secret service agent Quinn is on the run from an asylum, deranged by years of torture by the KGB. He seeks revenge by killing his former SAS comrades.

11. No Stone: A girl rebels against her wealthy background and British justice claiming they are corrupt. With the help of a sympathetic lawyer, she plans the destruction of legal establishments in London. To stop this terror, CI5 intervenes and become collateral damage.
Blu-ray/DVD review: “The Cloverfield Paradox” (2018)

February 18, 2019
“The Cloverfield Paradox” (2018)

Sci-Fi/Horror

Running Time: 102 minutes

Written by: Oren Uziel and Doug Jung

Directed by: Julius Onah

Featuring: Daniel Brühl, Elizabeth Debicki, Aksel Hennie, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Chris O’Dowd, John Ortiz, David Oyelowo, and Zhang Ziyi

Mundy: “That’s my fucking arm!“

In this modern age can a movie still be surprising, when there is twenty four hour coverage of behind the scenes stories as well as castings, announcements with every film production company trying to get the edge over another. I would have thought not, even when a fake movie is marketed like the possible “Crocodile Dundee” sequel that turned out to be a marketing campaign for Tourism Australia – I don’t think I have been more let down in some time when that was revealed. On the flipside of that there is the new ‘Cloverfield’ movie, “The Cloverfield Paradox” (2018), that has been teased for over a year, a release date announced of February then changed to April – with the big news as well as huge surprise that it would be hitting Netflix today (New Zealand time 5th February) – a shocking twist you might expect from a M. Night Shyamalan, not a Cloverfield film. This may be Netflix’s biggest gamble yet in terms of a high profile genre project, directly fighting its closest direct competitor, Amazon studios, by being able to surpise an audience, while being able to measure if a possible audience will sign up just to view this highly anticipated franchise genre entry.

Of course there would be no franchise without super producer J.J. Abrams (he who is a hugely successful writer/director in his own right) who has seemingly handpicked the writers and director for this new film – all three being relatively untested in genre films, but who have an atheistic that is closer to Abrams own than at first glance. What is refreshing to see is that Abrams has tried to keep things fresh much like the first two films where relative unknowns steered the ship to create two of the more memorable as well as original hybrid horror/Sci-Fi movies around. Not only that but whilst the first movie was a found footage movie Abrams had the courage to deviate from that genre into more of a narrative feel that reflected the cold war Sci-Fi’s of the 1950s and 1960s. So now comes what must be the latest installment after title changes, date changes, as well as plot details that have constantly been revised in very public ways – the questions is of course does “The Cloverfield Paradox” live up to the hype, is it any good and will audiences be happy with this effort?

In the near future, Earth is suffering from a global energy crisis. The collective space agencies of the world launch the Cloverfield station to perfect the Shepard particle accelerator, which if successful, would providing an unlimited supply of energy for Earth, but would be far too dangerous to test on Earth, some pundits arguing this would create the “Cloverfield Paradox” and open up portals to other dimensions to let monsters onto Earth. One of the crew includes Hamilton, who frets about leaving her husband Michael for potentially many years; the two have struggled with the death of their children years prior which has left their relationship cold. They are unable to get the accelerator working for about two years, but eventually, they are successful. However, the system overloads, causing a massive power surge on the station. When they restore basic functions, they find that Earth is nowhere to be found, and the station’s gyroscope, necessary for navigation, has gone missing.

As each installment has progressed the actors that have been recruited have bigger name recognition to tie audiences into the characters that they portray. So with “The Cloverfield Paradox” it comes as no surprise that the large ensemble cast is not only international in flavor but has possibly the biggest names yet. There is no doubt that both David Oyelowo and Daniel Brühl are the anchors of this film who as you would expect are excellent in their roles as Commander and scientist respectively, they have been in enough films to know their characters as well as their roles in a genre piece like this – although it is safe to say that none of the cast involved have been in a movie quite like this. In saying that this is most definitely Gugu Mbatha-Raw’s film, she is the emotional lynchpin to this entire story, without her or her performance this film would be dead in the water. There is absolutely no doubt that with all the weird happenings within this film that Mbatha-Raw’s role is indispensible not only to the film but for the audience as well – her character is the one that we learn most about so is the one we care about, and it works extremely well – I can only assume this is Abrams influence as it comes across as very Spielbergian, who Abrams is a great fan of. The cast is rounded out with Chris O’Dowd as the comic relief and as usual he steals many scenes, there is also John Ortiz, Zhang Ziyi and Elizabeth Debicki who have their own motivations serving the plot extremely well, it is worth noting that all of the actors in this film could easily be leads of their own films – that is how strong this cast is. They all carry their loads well without once overplaying their own parts, it is a well oiled machine that operates effectively.

The film does make the wise decision of only having only two locations so as to maximize tension as well as the budget that is required to make this type of film not only believable in its environments, but to give the characters something to work with that is solid. Julius Onah, the director, makes excellent decisions about the way he has shot this as well as how he reveals the plot through narrative although parts of this movie do feel like “Life” (2017) from last year, but with a steadier hand as well as working within an overall pre-existing narrative. I found it to be an excellent second film and look forward to more form this talented director.

This film like the previous two entries in this franchise deals with isolation, the effect this has on people as well as how it is dealt with from a variety of perspectives. Many horror movies deal with isolated victims who are attempting to dodge certain death from an unknown entity or person – think about any horror film and many of them follow this trope. Mix in the technology angle that a Sci-Fi has at its heart and then you can add a variety of unknowns, which is what “The Cloverfield Paradox” plays off of. “The Cloverfield Paradox” also takes a trope that has been used in Sci-Fi films for years, the alternate universe and multiverse theory to power the plot as well as making it the reason for many of the action as well as horror. At this stage I would say it is not amazingly original but combined with a plot device that gives a solid reason for many of the characters decisions it is a good one – it is also a good move to make this movie about something other than tension, monsters and the unknown as it provides stakes the audience understands and we do not have to wade through plot to get to some twist or a ‘to be continued’ device like 10 Cloverfield Lane (2016).

By itself “The Cloverfield Paradox” would be a very good Sci-Fi movie with a morality tale woven in to the narrative, but because it is part of the Cloverfield franchise it has some other heavy lifting to do which it does admirably. It goes along way to explain some of the events of the previous to movies although it does have the hard task of following those two excellent movies which it succeeds at considering it is making it up as it goes along – with an ending that could be considered routine as far as the genre goes. However this is a very good film from a novice writer and director with a killer cast that begs to be watched, possibly more than once, do yourself a favor.

Special Features:
- The Making of The Cloverfield Paradox (HD 14:23)
- Shepard Team: The Cast (HD 14:48)
Film review: “Swimming with men” (2018)

February 18, 2019
“Swimming with men” (2018)

Drama/Comedy

Running Time: 96 minutes

Written by: Aschlin Ditta

Directed by: Oliver Parker

Featuring: Rob Brydon, Jane Horrocks, Rupert Graves, Daniel Mays, Thomas Turgoose, Jim Carter, Adeel Akhtar and Charlotte Riley

Eric Scott:[Reading from the book of rules] “The first rule of swim club, don’t talk about swim club.”

It’s remarkable the seeming ease that the British Film Industry is able to produce great independent drama, comedies and horror movies each and every year. Not only that, but the talent on show always seems to be original as well as first class. What many of these English films have in common is that they are based around something unique or have some kind of gimmick, this new movie “Swimming with men” (2018) has both, it is a drama set around an amateur men’s synchronised swimming team who come together with different issues (mostly personal), ending up competing in a world cup of sorts where they all end up exceeding their own expectations, they were not high to begin with. However with most English movies of this ilk they normally follow very familiar A and B narratives where the main character is going through some life changing event, or has been through one, facing trauma, that is always on a large scale. Then there is a larger overarching narrative for the main cast that propels the plot and is broad in that it appeals to a larger general audience, i.e. it is normally pretty non offensive. “Swimming with men” really fits that bill with the main character seemingly having issues with his life and marriage who meets a synchronised swimming team who are missing a key part, which in turn is coincidental as they are all missing elements in their lives to make them complete. This really is a hackneyed plot device that is attempting to be a metaphor in the most obvious and clumsiest way possible, for these movies to break through they need to be original. Unfortunately much of this movie just does not work at all which is a real shame as I wanted to enjoy and like this film. However in saying that there are two great reasons to see this movie, the first is the cast, which is actually spectacular, it is stacked with great character actors, one wonders the reasons they were drawn to this movie as they are all too good for what ended up onscreen. The other reason to see the movie is the way the synchronised swimming is seen onscreen not only as a sport, but the way in which we move from scene to scene, there are some lovely interstitials (for want of a better term). Other than that this is a very hard sell as at times it moves slowly with an A story that seems to have been tacked on as an afterthought to beef up the plot much like other similarly themed movies, the one that comes to mind is “The Full Monty” (1997) that was about male strippers based around small town economic issues, however there it was presented in a much better, original and realistic way.

Directed by a somewhat veteran English director in Oliver Parker who arguably had his biggest success with his debut in 1995 when he directed the Shakespearean adaptation “Othello” (1995) featuring Kenneth Branagh and Laurence Fishburne, from there however his career has been mediocre and this new movie shows no real signs of improvement. Interestingly the movies he has directed have mostly made money which explains how he has been able to not only keep a career going but also cast some very experienced actors in all of his work. “Swimming with men” was based on a Swedish 2010 documentary and has been written by Aschlin Ditta who has very little experience in writing for the big screen with much of his work being restricted to television episodes which may explain how this movie has been constructed as well as the fairly standard framing device that has been used to make a movie about men’s synchronised swimming that does revolve around a pretty standard Hollywood three act structure straight from a textbook. If there had been some real thought about how to get the main character into the swimming part of the movie it would have been more enjoyable as well as having a more natural feel.

“Swimming with men” is based around accountant Eric, (Brydon), who seeks to win back his wife Heather (Horrocks), he stumbles upon a solution in the form of a male synchronised swimming team: Men Who Swim. Joining his local team, Eric finds brotherhood in this crew as they train for the world championships in Milan.

The film is led by comedian and character actor Rob Brydon who acquits himself well but his entire performance is limited by the script, he does extremely well in the water where it must have been a challenge to show yourself onscreen not only just in swimwear but also dancing in the water, him as well as the rest of the cast acquit themselves well in the water, not an easy thing to do. The rest of the cast is made up of great character actors from a variety of generations, but the standouts for me are the always-fantastic Jim Carter who over the past two decades has shined in almost all the roles he has played. In the relative new actors Daniel Mays, Thomas Turgoose and Adeel Akhtar bring their roles to life playin three very differntnt people who again know what movie they are in and adjust their performances accordingly. However my favorite performance is from Charlotte Riley as the teams somewhat coach and love interest for Rupert Graves which is a bit icky within the actual movie but both are so good I looked past that, however some people might not.

I would go so far as to say that the most entertaining as well as best crafted parts of “Swimming with men” are the swimming scenes as well as the underwater photography that is presented which is vitally important when the subject if the film revolves around all that action. There are some subtle variations of the swimming which is welcome when the actual arc of the main character played by Rob Brydon is so unsatisfying as well as actually extremely boring and a non event. The idea of a man going through some kind of mid life crisis as well as not trusting his wife seems so out of step with the times we are living as to be insulting to any possible audience. It also seems like his wife played by the excellent Jane Horrocks is written as a shrill character that is so unlikeable as to be a stereotype that the audience rallies against but there is actually no evidence to suggest she is anything but a working wife who has to take on the responsibility of both parents when her husband leaves for little or no reason. For me this is the portion of the film I enjoyed least but the other two aspects, the actors and the swimming do counter that quite well so I would recommend this as streaming watch as you may be disappointed if you venture out to a cinema to see it as even final scenes seem a bit forced as well.
Trailer: “Five Feet Apart” (2019)

February 15, 2019

Trailer: “Five Feet Apart” (2019)

FiveFeetApart_16x9_Trailer2_PRE_HD-Online

Stella Grant is every bit a seventeen-year-old… she’s attached to her laptop and loves her best friends. But unlike most teenagers, she spends much of her time living in a hospital as a cystic fibrosis patient. Her life is full of routines, boundaries and self-control – all of which is put to the test when she meets an impossibly charming fellow patient named Will Newman. There’s an instant flirtation, though restrictions dictate that they must maintain a safe distance between them. As their connection intensifies, so does the temptation to throw the rules out the window and embrace that attraction. Further complicating matters is Will’s potentially dangerous rebellion against his ongoing medical treatment. Stella gradually inspires Will to live life to the fullest, but can she ultimately save the person she loves when even a single touch is off limits?

FIVE FEET APART is directed by Justin Baldoni and stars Haley Lu Richardson, Cole Sprouse, Moises Arias, Kimberly Hébert Gregory, Paraminder Nagra and Claire Forlani.

FIVE FEET APART releases in New Zealand cinemas on March 28, 2019.
“Shazam!” (2019) – Featurette

February 14, 2019

“Shazam!” (2019):

David F. Sandberg directs New Line Cinema’s “Shazam!,” the origin story that stars Zachary Levi as the titular DC Super Hero, along with Mark Strong in the role of Super-Villain Dr. Thaddeus Sivana, and Asher Angel as Billy Batson. Peter Safran produced the film.

We all have a superhero inside us, it just takes a bit of magic to bring it out. In Billy Batson’s case, by shouting out one word—SHAZAM!—this streetwise 14-year-old foster kid can turn into the adult Super Hero Shazam, courtesy of an ancient wizard. Still a kid at heart—inside a ripped, godlike body—Shazam revels in this adult version of himself by doing what any teen would do with superpowers: have fun with them! Can he fly? Does he have X-ray vision? Can he shoot lightning out of his hands? Can he skip his social studies test? Shazam sets out to test the limits of his abilities with the joyful recklessness of a child. But he’ll need to master these powers quickly in order to fight the deadly forces of evil controlled by Dr. Thaddeus Sivana.

“SHAZAM!” also stars Jack Dylan Grazer as Billy’s best friend and ultimate superhero enthusiast, Freddy, and Oscar nominee Djimon Hounsou as the Wizard. The cast also includes Faithe Herman, Grace Fulton, Ian Chen, Jovan Armand, Marta Milans and Cooper Andrews.

SHAZAM! releases in New Zealand cinemas on April 4, 2019.
Trailer: “Swimming with men”(2018)

February 14, 2019
Trailer: “Swimming with men”(2018)

04_SwimmingWithMen_Trailer_NewZealand_CS (1)

Rob Brydon stars alongside a talented British cast in this comedy that tips its (swimming) cap at beloved British comedies such as The Full Monty and Calendar Girls. Inspired by the Dylan Williams 2010 documentary, Men Who Swim, SWIMMING WITH MEN tells the story of a man (Brydon) who is suffering a mid-life crisis and eventually finds new meaning to his life as part of an all-male, middle-aged amateur synchronised swimming team. Together they make a bid to compete at the Unofficial Male Synch-Swimming World Championships, and no doubt a shot at personal redemption along the way.
- SWM_3405.tif

recent posts

about