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DVD Review – Collection (2015)

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Collection, 2015.

Directed by John Herzfeld.
Starring Sylvester Stallone, Thomas Jane, Danny Aiello, Lauren Cohan, Kyra Sedgwick, Danny Trejo, Tom Sizemore, Nelly, Kevin Connolly, David O’Hara, Kelsey Grammer, Tom Berenger, Terry Crews, Cary Elwes, Frank Stallone, Elizabeth Henstridge.

Collection DVDSYNOPSIS:

A motivational book written by a mystery author inspires a cross-section of different people to re-evaluate their lives.

Collection

When a film boasts as much screen talent as Collection does then it’s pretty hard to see how it could fail. The trouble is that having names such as Stallone, Trejo, Berenger, Aiello et al in your film doesn’t mean a thing unless you’ve got the material for them to go to work with, and Collection is a film that is in desperate need for something – anything – to justify having so many big name actors on board.

A lightweight plot about a motivational book called ‘Reach Me’ (the original, and better, title of the film) that has become hugely popular but nobody knows who author Teddy Raymond is. The film then focuses on several different groups of people as they take a look at their lives and the decisions they make, and as their lives play out they all come into contact with the book and manage to come to some sort of realisation that their lives need re-evaluating.

So we have a media mogul (Sylvester Stallone) who wants more out of his apprentice (Kevin Connolly) and sends him out to expose Teddy Raymond for being cowardly, a pretty young actress looking for her big break who gets sexually assaulted by her co-star (Cary Elwes) whilst on camera, a trigger-happy undercover cop (Thomas Jane) who feels the need to go to confession after every kill, much to the misery of his priest (Danny Aiello), and so on. It must be said that the standard of acting in this film is quite high – as you would expect with such a high profile cast – and you can’t really fault anybody on their performance.

The main problem with Collection is that it feels like a bunch of random scenes tacked together with no coherence, and even though the book is supposed to link everything together, by the time you get to the end and all of the movie’s main characters are on-screen together you a) have no idea what is going on and b) don’t really care. The script is littered with several philosophical speeches, mostly delivered by Sylvester Stallone (because he did them in Rocky, see?) as the ruthless media mogul Gerald, but they only serve to motivate your finger towards the skip button as every tiresome and redundant cliché about reaching inside yourself is spewed out again and. To be fair, Stallone seems to have grasped what is required and delivers his lines with a bit of self-awareness but you get the impression that he either owed writer/director John Herzfeld a favour or that Herzfeld has some compromising photographs he’s threatening to reveal. Either way, and despite Stallone’s best attempts, just the physical spectacle of Sly as a bespectacled journalist called Gerald doesn’t work.

Of the other cast members, Danny Trejo is fun for the two minutes he is in the film, Thomas Jane channels his inner Clint Eastwood and shows he can handle a revolver, and Tom Berenger comes across fairly well with what he has to do, but otherwise it feels like such a waste having so much talent on-screen but putting them in such a tedious film.

Collection is a movie that desperately wants to be seen in the same light as Paul Haggis’ 2004 film Crash but whereas that movie had a socially conscious message, albeit a heavy-handed one, this is an inconsistent string of underwritten ideas that John Herzfeld can’t seem to wrangle anything worthwhile out of. And after you’ve sat through nearly 90 minutes of this uninspiring mess you realise that you never actually found out what is in the book, meaning that the only achievement Collection can boast is having so many decent actors in one ensemble cast, which might have been fun on the set but for a viewing audience is nothing short of confusing, pretentious and dull.

Still want to give Collection a watch? Then buy it on DVD and Blu-Ray here in the US, and here in the UK.

Flickering Myth Rating – Film: ★/ Movie: ★

Chris Ward


Naomi Watts and Tom Sizemore added to Twin Peaks revival cast, David Lynch to reprise role

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The cast of 2017’s revival of the cult classic Twin Peaks has just grown larger, as Naomi Watts (While We’re Young) and Tom Sizemore (Reach Me) are reportedly signing on to the show in unknown roles, and series co-creator David Lynch is rumored to be returning to play FBI Regional Bureau Chief Gordon Cole.

Naomi Watts

Lynch, who will also be helming and co-writing all of the episodes alongside Mark Frost, has directed Watts in the past on 2001’s critically acclaimed neo-noir mystery film Mulholland Drive. Sizemore, on the other hand, has yet to work with the director.

Gordon Cole appeared in a handful of episodes during the original 1990 to 1991 run of Twin Peaks. Most of Lynch’s appearances as the character came in the show’s second season, and his inclusion in the limited series is unexpected but much-welcomed news.

The new Twin Peaks will see the return of  Kyle MacLachlan as Agent Dale Cooper, while Sheryl Lee (Laura Palmer), David Patrick Kelly (Jerry Horne), Richard Beymer (Ben Horne), Miguel Ferrer (Albert Rosenfield), David Lynch (Gordon Cole) and Dana Ashbrook (Bobby Briggs) are also expected to return. Newcomers to the cast include Laura Dern, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Robert Knepper, Balthazar Getty, Amanda Seyfried, Naomi Watts and Tom Sizemore.

Source: Deadline

Blu-ray Review – Heat: Director’s Definitive Edition (1995)

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Heat: Director’s Definitive Edition, 1995.

Directed by Michael Mann.
Starring Al Pacino, Robert De Niro, Val Kilmer, Jon Voight, Tom Sizemore, Ashley Judd, Mykelti Willliamson, Natalie Portman, Amy Brenneman, and Hank Azaria.

SYNOPSIS:

Heat has been released on Blu-ray before in a pretty definitive edition, but this new one features remastered video from a 4K scan supervised by director Michael Mann, along with a new audio mix. The bonus features found on the two-disc DVD and earlier Blu-ray were ported to this edition, which also has two new discussions from 2015 and 2016 with Mann and many of the cast members.

Can a crime drama be considered epic? Sure, movies like The Godfather Parts I and II and Casino would fall into that category, but they’re films that take place over long periods of time that trace a rise-and-fall arc. Heat’s story unfolds along a relatively short timeline, but it takes its time with its characters, telling us more about who they are, what they want, and which weaknesses will likely lead to their undoing. It’s actually Shakespearean in that way.

Heat is also notable for uniting Al Pacino (career-driven detective Lt. Vincent Hanna) and Robert De Niro (tough-as-nails criminal mastermind Neil McAuley) in their first onscreen appearance together (The Godfather Part II obviously didn’t count). The story unfolds as a tense cat-and-mouse game, as McAuley moves his pieces into place for a big score and Hanna pursues leads that he hopes will enable him to nab McAuley. Along the way, both men deal with personal relationships that interfere with their plans.

Writer and director Michael Mann surrounded Pacino and De Niro with a supporting cast packed with big names, including Val Kilmer, Tom Sizemore, Danny Trejo, and a young Natalie Portman. Mann may not be as big of a name as other directors who broke through in the 1970s, but Heat still stands as not only one of his greatest films but also one of the best crime dramas ever made. Like The Shawshank Redemption, it’s a 90s era film that didn’t light the box office on fire but found a second life on home video, growing in stature over time.

This new double-disc Blu-ray set is billed as Director’s Definitive Edition, although it’s the same version of the movie that’s been released before. Mann made a few small trims to the theatrical version that are pretty inconsequential, so it’s not like there’s a major need for both versions of the movie to be included here. However, Mann did oversee a new 4K scan of the movie that’s used here, so the visual presentation is supposed to be greatly improved over the 2009 Blu-ray (I only have an earlier bare bones DVD, so I can’t do much of a comparison). There’s also a new audio mix.

An audio commentary by Mann accompanies the movie on the first platter. It’s the same track that was previously recorded for a two-disc DVD release, but if you haven’t heard it before, it’s worth a listen. He covers a wide range of topics, including the inspiration for the movie, technical details, anecdotes about the making of the film, and much more. He falls into silence a little more than I’d like, but you can’t have it all.

Over on disc two, we have the original, nearly hour-long The Making of Heat documentary, which was also ported from the original DVD to the earlier Blu-ray. Mann, Kilmer, Pacino, De Niro, Sizemore, and others lend their thoughts to a comprehensive look at the movie. I really enjoy these kinds of making-of features, so this was right up my alley.

Some other materials were also ported over, including:

  • Pacino and De Niro: The Conversation (10 minutes): A closer look at the diner scene that features the two leads. (The pan-and-scan version of the film on VHS back in the 90s led some people to think the actors were filmed separately and didn’t appear together onscreen in this scene, but thankfully those days of visually butchered movies are long gone.)
  • Return to the Scene of the Crime (12 minutes): A visit to the LA locations used in the movie.
  • Deleted scenes: There are 11 of them, running almost 10 minutes total. When viewed in the context of the finished product, they offer a nice lesson into how editing shapes a movie and how little things can have a big impact. (Note that temp music was used, so they don’t reflect the final score for those scenes, had they been included.)

However, that’s not all for this one. A pair of new extras were created:

  • 2016 Academy of Motion Pictures and Sciences Panel: Christopher Nolan hosted this 63-minute discussion with Mann, Pacino, De Niro, Kilmer, and others.
  • 2015 Toronto International Film Festival Q&A: Mann was interviewed for this 30-minute look back at the movie.

The new discussions don’t contain anything earth-shattering, but, if you’re a sports fan, I would describe them as similar to those retrospective documentaries where players and coaches look back on memorable seasons, championships, and so forth and get a chance to bask in the glow of their victories once more. That’s what the 2015 and 2016 discussions entail, but that’s not a bad thing, especially for fans of the film. They show how Heat continues to stand the test of time and will remain a classic film.

If you haven’t picked up Heat before, or want to upgrade your DVD, this is a worthwhile purchase, especially since you can find it pretty cheap online. That low price means it’s even a worthwhile upgrade for those who have the earlier Blu-ray.

Flickering Myth Rating – Film: ★ ★ ★ ★ / Movie: ★ ★ ★ ★

Brad Cook

Movie Review – Bad Frank (2017)

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Bad Frank, 2017.

Directed by Tony Germinario.
Starring Kevin Interdonato, Amanda Clayton, Tom Sizemore, Brian O’Halloran, Russ Russo, Ray “Boom Boom” Mancini, Brandon Heitkamp, and Lynn Mancinelli.

SYNOPSIS:

Construction worker Frank Pierce, formerly a baseball player and a Marine, goes on a brutal path of righteous vengeance after a scummy crime boss kidnaps his wife.

Bad Frank, the debut feature of co-writer/director Tony Germinario, is the kind of testosterone-fueled kidnapping drama that you’d expect to stumble onto on late night television. While the story is relatively generic, it is elevated by a fine performance by Kevin Interdonato as the titular Frank, some great cinematography, and by a gross, bonkers conclusion.

The film introduces Frank and his wife Gina (Amanda Clayton, appealing but underused) as a happy couple with some obvious darkness in their past. Frank is sober, but has apparently burned a lot of bridges, as his mother won’t speak to him and his relationship with his father Charlie (retired boxer Ray “Boom Boom” Mancini) is rather prickly. It’s also immediately apparent that Frank is suffering, relying on medication to deal with debilitating headaches.

Predictably, Frank is pulled back towards the dark side by an old buddy (Brandon Heitkamp) who needs some help getting out of a bind. However, in returning to his old ways, Frank stumbles upon an old acquaintance, Mickey (Tom Sizemore). Things really kick off when Mickey kidnaps Gina, sending Frank into a violent spiral.

Bad Frank’s biggest strength is how believable Interdonato is as a troubled man struggling to keep his life on track. His performance is incredibly physical, and he gives Frank a heaviness, in both movement and expression, that portrays a lot of pain beneath the surface. When Gina is kidnapped, Interdonato’s Frank is Hulk-like in his range, and the combination of strength and hurt is well-portrayed.

Though Bad Frank’s budget was obviously quite limited, Mike Hechanova’s cinematography masks it, as do smart locations that make Frank’s haunts feel like real, working-class haunts rather than movie sets or warehouses. There is a troubling lack of music, which goes beyond austerity and into awkwardness.

Though some of the production credits are sharp, they cannot rescue Bad Frank from its script, which is at best predictable and at worst offensive. Of the two significant female roles, one (Gina) is underwritten and the other (Mickey’s daughter Crystal, played by Lynn Mancinelli) is the kind of undeveloped, hypersexualized, physically brutalized character that has no place in movies today. And though it is fun to watch Interdonato’s acting as Frank goes off the edge, it isn’t at all surprising.

Bad Frank does slightly make up for its predictable storytelling with its graphic conclusion, which is admirably vicious. However, the frenetic brutality of the end makes the rest of the movie seem especially tame by comparison, and it is hard not to wish that Germinario and company had spread the wealth.

Though there are some solid performances and below-the-line work on display in Bad Frank, there is little else to recommend it by. However, its occasional high points do give the impression that several of the folks involved have bright futures, particularly lead actor Kevin Interdonato.

Flickering Myth Rating – Film: ★ ★/ Movie: ★

Mike McClelland

Liam Neeson is Deep Throat in trailer for Mark Felt: The Man Who Brought Down The White House

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Ahead of its release next month, a new trailer has arrived online for writer-director Peter Landesman’s upcoming biopic Mark Felt: The Man Who Brought Down The White House which sees Liam Neeson leading the cast as Mark Felt, a.k.a. ‘Deep Throat’, the high-ranking FBI informant from the Watergate Scandal, alongside Diane Lane, Marton Csokas, Josh Lucas, Tony Goldwyn, Michael C. Hall, Tom Sizemore, Wendi McLendon-Covey, Ike Barinholtz, Bruce Greenwood, Brian D’Arcy James, Kate Walsh, Noah Wyle, and Maika Monroe; watch it below…

Mark Felt: The Man Who Brought Down The White House centres on “Deep Throat”, the pseudonym given to the notorious whistleblower for the Watergate scandal. The true identity of the secret informant remained a mystery and source of much public curiosity and speculation for more than 30 years. That is until, in 2005, special agent Mark Felt shockingly revealed himself as the tipster.

Mark Felt: The Man Who Brought Down The White House is set for release on September 29th in the States.

Movie Review – Mark Felt: The Man Who Brought Down the White House (2017)

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Mark Felt: The Man Who Brought Down the White House, 2017.

Written and Directed by Peter Landesman.
Starring Liam Neeson, Martin Csokas, Michael C. Hall, Diane Lane, Ike Barinholtz, Bruce Greenwood, Maika Monroe, Josh Lucas, Tom Sizemore, Kate Walsh, Eddie Marsan, Wendi McLendon-Covey, Tony Goldwyn, Julian Morris, Brian d’Arcy James, and Noah Wyle.

SYNOPSIS:

The story of Mark Felt, who under the name “Deep Throat” helped journalists Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein uncover the Watergate scandal in 1974.

At one point during Mark Felt: The Man Who Brought Down the White House the titular famed whistleblower states that “no force is stronger than FBI, not even the FBI”, which offers insight to just how big the Watergate scandal investigation was not just for citizens of the United States, but the country’s authority. For the first time in the history of the organization, they were being blacklisted from interviewing various aspects and further exploring deeper intricacies of all the recent shady ongoings. Essentially, it was truly time for someone to blow everything wide-open, effectively eradicating all of the dirty secrets from the Nixon administration.

The obvious comparison to draw here is not of the never-ending circus that is the Trump regime, which definitely gives the film some added purpose and relevancy instead of coming across as a reverse telling of All the Presidents Men. In reality, that depiction of the story will never be topped, but new perspectives painted by a modern-day brush justify a new version’s existence. The current political climate contains everything from accusations on false news to wiretapping conspiracies to rigged elections, leaving one wondering if the chaos unfolding in the house of cards will yield another Mark Felt/Deepthroat.

Even taking the film at surface value, there is quite a bit worthy of praise, most notably the performance from a gray-haired, noble, stuck between a rock and a hard place performance from Liam Neeson. His voice contains a booming sense of command and dignity, and as the investigation grows increasingly complex we begin to further empathize with his inner conflict. Mark Felt: The Man Who Brought Down the White House actually boasts a cast of well-known names (supporting characters are played by actors Diane Lane, Michael C. Hall, Tom Sizemore, Martin Csokas, Maika Monroe, and more) but it’s undoubtedly Neeson that is actually given the most material to work with, and he certainly leaves a lasting impression. On a wildly unrelated but personal note, hey Jordan Vogt-Roberts, if by some chance you ever read this, Liam Neeson in this movie is the spitting image of Old Snake in Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots.

Anyway, Mark Felt: The Man Who Brought Down the White House is largely just about that; bringing down a corrupt establishment. However, there are also windows into the personal life of Mark Felt that are undercooked and better left off in a film that is exclusively interested in portraying his life outside the FBI. Granted, that wouldn’t necessarily be much, but subplots involving an alcoholic wife and a runaway radical daughter are afterthoughts with little reason to care. They also have crucial scenes related to them smashed in between the ending of the movie, coming across highly disjointed.

Some of the direction by Peter Landesman (2015’s NFL head injury drama biopic Concussion) is also poor and amateurish, as frequently characters have conversations in darkly lit rooms where certain figures use overstated voice tones dictating whether they are good or bad. There are also numerous moments where Mark stares out windows while deep in thought that feels like something one would see in a television movie on the subject. Of course, pivotable information to the investigation is also found during lame scenes of Mark looking over different files. The script itself, also by Peter Landesman and based on the book of the same name, is serviceable, but his approach to the execution does not bring out nearly as much emotion as the film should.

Still, the central performance by Liam Neeson along with the story itself and its parallels to the current political climate makes Mark Felt: The Man Who Brought Down the White House an easy recommendation. It’s absolutely flawed and misses out on its full potential, but functions thanks to at least finding focus when doling out the facts and showing what went on throughout the investigation. There are worse things than playing something safe.

Flickering Myth Rating – Film: ★ ★ ★ / Movie: ★ ★ ★

Robert Kojder is a member of the Chicago Film Critics Association and the Flickering Myth Reviews Editor. Check here for new reviews, friend me on Facebook, follow my Twitter or Letterboxd, or email me at MetalGearSolid719@gmail.com

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Sci-fi horror Black Wake gets a poster, trailer and images

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Ahead of its home entertainment release next month, a trailer, poster and batch of images have arrived online for the upcoming sci-fi horror Black Wake. Directed by Jeremiah Kipp, the film stars Nana Gouvea, Tom Sizemore, Eric Roberts, Vincent Pastore, Jonny Beauchamp, and Chuck Zito; check them out here…

 

Strange events are happening such as people disappearing, irrational behavior and unexplainable deaths. Specialists gather in a top-secret facility to investigate and find that the common thread between the occurrences is water. One of the team’s scientists (Nana Gouvea) examines video evidence and uncovers a possible parasitic explanation for the fatalities. But when a determined detective (Tom Sizemore, Saving Private Ryan) sends her the seemingly crazed writings of a mysterious homeless man (Jonny Beauchamp, Penny Dreadful), she learns that the actual threat may be more dangerous and far older than anyone ever imagined. Can she convince her colleagues (led by Eric Roberts, The Dark Knight) of the true danger before an ancient force rises from the sea to bring madness and death to all of humanity?

Black Wake is set for a DVD and VOD release on August 7th.

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Action thriller The Runners gets a trailer and poster

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Uncork’d Entertainment has released a poster and trailer for the upcoming action thriller The Runners which stars Micah Lyons as Ryan, a man in a race against time to save his teenage sister (Netty Leach) after she is abducted with the intention of selling her to the cartel for human trafficking. Joining Lyons and Leach […]

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Heat at 25: Still the Best Crime Thriller of the Modern Era

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Tom Jolliffe looks back at Heat which turns 25 and remains the best crime thriller in the modern era… It’s hard to believe, but Heat turns 25 this month. The enduring neo-noir instantly enraptured fans upon release, bringing two screen titans in Al Pacino and Robert De Niro, together for the first time since The […]

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A Forgotten Sylvester Stallone Gem: Lock Up

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Tom Jolliffe looks back at Lock Up, one of Sylvester Stallone’s less heralded peak era films… 1989. Sylvester Stallone had topped the mountain in the 80’s. It all came to a head in 1985 when Rocky IV and Rambo: First Blood Part II dominated the box office. In today’s world, it was akin to having […]

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4K Ultra HD Review – True Romance (1993)

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True Romance, 1993. Directed by Tony Scott. Starring Patricia Arquette, Christian Slater, Dennis Hopper, Christopher Walken, Val Kilmer, Brad Pitt, Gary Oldman, Samuel L. Jackson, James Gandolfini, Tom Sizemore and Michael Rapaport. SYNOPSIS: An Elvis-loving movie fan and his new wife go on the run when they inadvertently come into the possession of a bag […]

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A Must Watch New Year’s Movie: Strange Days

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Tom Jolliffe revisits the cult classic Strange Days, a great New Year-set film that was way ahead of its time… A number of films throughout the 90’s dealt with the idea of virtual reality. For better and worse, this became a popular sci-fi trend through the decade. The Lawnmower Man really kick-started the trend, which […]

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Trailer for found footage sci-fi thriller Project Skyquake

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A trailer, poster and images have arrived online for writer-director József Gallai’s upcoming sci-fi thriller Project Skyquake which follows an aspiring journalist who with the help of her best friend, investigates reports of strange trumpet-like sounds in the sky throughout different locations around the world; take a look here… After strange trumpet-like sounds in the […]

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4K Ultra HD Review – True Romance (1993)

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True-Romance-4k-600x338

True Romance, 1993. Directed by Tony Scott. Starring Christian Slater, Patricia Arquette, Dennis Hopper, Val Kilmer, Gary Oldman, Brad Pitt, Christopher Walken, Chris Penn, Michael Rapaport, Tom Sizemore, Bronson Pinchot, Samuel L. Jackson, James Gandolfini, and Saul Rubinek. SYNOPSIS: True Romance arrives in 4K in time for its 29th anniversary. With an early script by […]

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Tom Sizemore horror The Haunting of Hell Hole Mine gets a trailer and poster

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With less than a week to go until its digital release, Film Hub has shared a trailer and poster for the supernatural horror The Haunting of Hell Hole Mine.

Directed by Paul Collett and Tammy Massa, the film features a cast that includes the late Tom Sizemore and Tiny Lister alongside Sally Kirkland, Rudy Youngblood, May Myot Noe, and David Fennoy. Watch the trailer below…

Inside a long-abandoned gold mine, lurks the Shakani, a dark supernatural being conjured by the Shanowah tribe ages ago to defeat their enemies. Not only ferocious and fast, but can appear as anyone and get inside your mind. Luke’s ancestors trapped it in the mine but each has also gone crazy. Now Luke’s niece Poni, has come down with “the family curse.” But Luke believes with the proper medical treatment she can be healed if only he can get the money to pay for it. So with a couple friends he tries his luck at the gold mine but gradually realizes he must defeat the Shakani and end the family curse.

The Haunting of Hell Hole Mine arrives on digital on May 18th.

 

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Trailer for monster movie Mega Ape starring Bai Ling and Tom Sizemore

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Wild Eye Releasing has shared a trailer, poster and images for the upcoming creature feature Mega Ape.

Directed by Dustin Ferguson (Apex Predators), the film sees a genetically engineered ape embark on a destructive rampage through Hollywood after it is unknowingly released by animal rights activists from a secret research facility. Watch the trailer below…

A team of animal rights activists unknowingly release a genetically engineered ape from a top secret research facility, who soon grows to enormous size and embarks on a rampage of total destruction in Hollywood.

Featuring in the cast of Mega Ape are Jonathan Nation, Bai Ling, Mel Novak, Tom Sizemore, Vida Ghaffari, Erik Anthony Russo, and Traci Burr.

Mega Ape arrives on DVD and digital on September 12th.

 

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Natural Born Killers receiving Collector’s Edition 4K Ultra HD release

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Shout! has announced that Oliver Stone’s 1994 crime thriller Natural Born Killers is set to arrives on Collector’s Edition 4K Ultra HD this September as part of the Shout Select line, complete with new director-approved transfers of both the Director’s and Theatrical Cuts; check out the cover artwork and details below…

Three-time Academy Award® winner* Oliver Stone (JFK, Platoon) delivers a powerful movie unlike any other! As fugitive serial killers Mickey and Mallory, Woody Harrelson and Juliette Lewis play two crazy, mixed-up kids that’d give a demon nightmares. The amazing supporting cast, including Robert Downey Jr., Tommy Lee Jones, Tom Sizemore and Rodney Dangerfield, set the screen ablaze in this wild ride that will rattle your senses.

DISC ONE (4K UHD – DIRECTOR’S CUT):

  • NEW 2023 4K Director-Approved Transfer From The Original Negative
  • In Dolby Vision (HDR-10 Compatible)
  • Audio: 5.1 Surround DTS-HD Master Audio, 2.0 Stereo DTS-HD Master Audio
  • Commentary By Director/Co-Writer Oliver Stone

DISC TWO (BLU-RAY – DIRECTOR’S CUT):

  • NEW 2023 Director-Approved Transfer From The Original Negative
  • Audio: 5.1 Surround DTS-HD Master Audio, 2.0 Stereo DTS-HD Master Audio
  • Commentary By Director/Co-Writer Oliver Stone
  • Introduction By Oliver Stone
  • NEW On Dawn’s Highway Bleeding – Editor Hank Corwin On Natural Born Killers
  • NEW The Scream of the Butterfly – Producer Clayton Townsend On Natural Born Killers
  • NEW A Bloody Pail Of Nitro – Special Makeup Effects Artist Gordon J. Smith On Natural Born Killers
  • NEW Wilderness Of Pain – Cinematographer Robert Richardson On Natural Born Killers

DISC THREE (BLU-RAY – THEATRICAL CUT):

  • NEW 2023 Director-Approved Transfer From The Original Negative
  • Audio: 5.1 Surround DTS-HD Master Audio, 2.0 Stereo DTS-HD Master Audio
  • Commentary By Director/Co-Writer Oliver Stone
  • Natural Born Killers: Method in the Madness
  • Natural Born Killers Evolution: How Would It All Go Down Now?
  • Chaos Rising: The Storm Around Natural Born Killers
  • Deleted Scenes With Introductions By Oliver Stone
  • Alternate Ending With Introduction By Oliver Stone
  • Theatrical Trailer

 

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True Romance at 30: Revisiting the Cult Classic Crime Drama

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Hasitha Fernando revisits True Romance on its 30th anniversary…

Very few crime-dramas released in the 90s era have gone on to cement a cult status down the line, and True Romance is one such film that upon release didn’t receive the attention it deserved, but with the passage of time have gone on to be re-appraised and embraced for its uniqueness and craftsmanship.

Now, on its 30th anniversary we revisit the cult-classic and look back at the behind-the-scenes happenings that took place during the making of this iconic romance infused crime drama…

The script helped finance Reservoir Dogs

True Romance was the first screenplay from Quentin Tarantino, who back then was a showbiz unknown working as a store clerk at the Manhattan Beach Video Archives, along with Roger Avery. In 1987, the pair drafted an unfinished 80-page script titled Open Road, and some of its ideas eventually found their way into the script pages of True Romance and Natural Born Killers respectively.

Avery described its basic premise as, “an odd couple relationship an uptight businessman and an out-of-control hitchhiker who travel into a hellish mid-western town together.” Whatever the source of inspiration maybe, Tarantino was able to sell his screenplay for $ 50,000, the bare minimum allowed under WGA guidelines, and finance the production of Reservoir Dogs in 1992, which literally changed the face of independent cinema in the USA.

The flick’s title and plot was a play on genre comics of the past

Romance comics was a genre that gained popularity in the immediate years following World War II. Influenced by radio soap operas, newspaper comic strips and pulp magazines of its era, they primarily dealt with stories concerning love affairs and explored their messy and complicated aftermaths. The title and plot of True Romance were a play on the corny titles that belonged to this, once popular, genre of comics.

The original director was given the boot

It would surprise a great many that Tony Scott wasn’t the filmmaker originally attached to True Romance. That honor goes to B-horror movie director William Lustig, who previously helmed the controversial psychological slasher Maniac in 1980. Lustig demanded major location changes, that most of the interior scenes be moved outdoors, but the producers would have none of it, and Lustig was promptly replaced by Top Gun helmer Tony Scott. Even Tarantino voiced his displeasure regarding Lustig’s initial hire, since he thought the filmmaker wasn’t a good fit to the material he’s crafted.

Tony Scott altered some of Tarantino’s original script

Now considered one of the most influential American directors out there who exercises a notorious amount of creative control, Tarantino back in the day didn’t possess that kind of clout. So, when director Tony Scott requested some alterations to the writer’s original script, he had to make it happen. One of the changes that Scott required was for Tarantino to retool his script’s unconventional non-linear narrative into a more straightforward linear one, which was easier for audiences to comprehend and follow.

SEE ALSO: The Films Quentin Tarantino Wrote But Didn’t Direct

Tarantino, however, opposed Scott’s decision to change the ending of the story but the director was adamant saying, “I just fell in love with these two characters, and I didn’t want to see them die.” Tarantino’s opinion changed upon seeing the final product, as he realized the ending crafted by Scott was more appropriate, since the film was his take on the material.

The story features a pastiche of unique characters and performances

True Romance is a movie chock full of oddball characters and these unique personas are brought to life in unforgettable fashion by an ensemble cast of talented A-listers who deliver on the money and then some. It’s pretty much the crème-de-la-crème of Hollywood working with Tarantino’s brilliant script under the guidance of Scott’s singular vision. Some of these scenes are so good, an entire movie centered around certain specific characters could have been made.

One of the most memorable performances featured in the movie is brought to life by Academy award winner Gary Oldman – who plays the psychopathic pimp Drexl Spivey – and in a career spanning decades of indelible character acting, Oldman has called Spivey and Lee Harvey Oswald of JFK, his two most favorite characters. Oldman even went all out to create Drexl’s signature look by getting the help of his wigmaker and costume designer from Bram Stoker’s Dracula, which he wrapped the year prior.

SEE ALSO: In praise of Gary Oldman’s performance in True Romance

In the same breathe, the sheer brilliance of the much talked about “Sicilian Scene” featuring the two Hollywood heavyweights – Dennis Hopper and Christopher Walken – is also worth a mention here. A scene that Tarantino takes great pride in as a writer, it’s believed that the man drew inspiration for it from a real-life incident which happened to him a few years prior. Regardless, the utterly engrossing exchange stands as a testament to Tarantino’s inherent talent as a creative writer.

James Gandolfini owed his small-screen success to True Romance

The late James Gandolfini will forever be remembered as Tony Soprano from The Sopranos. However, Gandolfini may have not even nabbed the part if it wasn’t for his terrifying performance as mob enforcer Virgil in True Romance. The talented creative was invited to audition for the part of Tony Soprano after casting director Susan Fitzgerald glimpsed a short clip of Gandolfini’s work in the movie. Needlessly to say, the actor ended up receiving the role ahead of several other performers like Steven Van Zandt and Michael Rispoli, who were also competing for the coveted role.

The film’s score was an homage to a Terence Malick movie

Hans Zimmer was a rising musical talent in Hollywood when he was assigned to write the score for True Romance. This was a year before Zimmer got his first big break as a film composer, for his music for Disney’s Lion King in 1994. Zimmer based the main title theme on Carl Orff’s Gassenhauer which was featured prominently in Terence Malick’s 1973 crime drama Badlands, at the very beginning of its story. Seeing similar themes being explored in True Romance, the young musician decided to give his own spin on Orff’s timeless composition whilst paying homage to Malick’s genre classic.

Certain scenes were cut in order to secure an R-rating

The Motion Picture Association (MPA) deemed certain scenes too violent, and therefore trimmed down parts of it to secure an R rating for the flick’s theatrical release. The majority of the controversial confrontation scene between James Gandolfini’s Virgil and Patricia Arquette’s Alabama, as well as, the shootout scene that plays out at the end, were the most affected by this edit. Although this version was the one seen in the VHS format, all subsequent formats since have featured the original unrated director’s cut.

True Romance was a box office failure on release

Even with its star-studded cast and strong production values True Romance cost only a mere $ 12.5 million to make. If the film ended up making big bucks at the box-office it would have been a different story, however, such was not the case here. Even with the solid critic reviews it received, the movie ended up making only a paltry $12.6 million for its entire theatrical run. Lest we forget, 1993 was the year blockbusters like Jurassic Park, The Fugitive and The Firm came out, but even if that were the case, the fact that this movie couldn’t make a splash at the box-office despite the level of talent involved is just plain insane.

The birth of a cult classic and an enduring legacy 

True Romance is one of those movies that simply gets better with each repeated viewing. Which is why this romantic crime drama has, over the years, developed a significant following paving way for its current cult-status. Now the effort has been hailed as one of the best 90s era films, that offer up an incendiary brew showcasing the stylistic tendencies of two unique artists – Tony Scott and Quentin Tarantino. The fabulous ensemble cast also give it their all, literally elevating the already brilliant material they are working with to dizzying levels of greatness. There ain’t no half-hearted turns in this affair, no sir, and that’s what makes True Romance truly special.

SEE ALSO: Read our review of the 4K Ultra HD release of True Romance here

What are your thoughts on True Romance? Be sure to let us know on our socials @FlickeringMyth…

Hasitha Fernando is a part-time medical practitioner and full-time cinephile. Follow him on Twitter via @DoctorCinephile for regular updates on the world of entertainment.

 

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4K Ultra HD Review – Black Hawk Down (2001)

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Black Hawk Down, 2001.

Directed by Ridley Scott.
Starring Josh Hartnett, Eric Bana, Ewan McGregor, Tom Sizemore, William Fichtner, and Sam Shepard.

SYNOPSIS:

If you missed Sony’s fabulous 4K Ultra HD edition of Black Hawk Down in 2019, here’s a chance to nab it again in a handsome SteelBook package. You get the theatrical and extended versions of the film, a code for digital copies of both, and tons of bonus features. Highly recommended for fans of the film.

Based on a true story, Ridley Scott’s 2001 film Black Hawk Down tells the story of a raid gone awry in Mogadishu, Somalia. It was supposed to be a 30-minute mission to grab some prisoners from territory controlled by warlord Mohamed Farrah Aidid and return them to a location secured by US troops and UN peacekeeping forces.

Unfortunately, two Black Hawk helicopters were shot down and several soldiers were killed or wounded, turning a supposedly simple operation into an hours-long ordeal that stretched into the next day. Separated from each other and under constant fire by militants, various soldiers try to secure the two crash sites and live up to the motto “no man left behind.”

Josh Hartnett plays the primary role of Staff Sergeant Matt Eversmann, who is tasked with leading men into a hostile situation for the first time. Ewan McGregor is Specialist John Grimes, a desk-bound soldier pressed into duty because of an injury to someone else. 

McGregor’s Trainspotting co-star Ewen Bremner has a role too, as does Tom Sizemore as no-nonsense Lieutenant Colonel Danny McKnight, Eric Bana as Delta Force member Norm “Hoot” Gibson, and Sam Shepard as Major General William F. Garrison, who oversees the operation from a central command point.

Eversmann is more or less our primary protagonist, an idealistic young commander who has a hard time dealing with his men getting injured or killed. If anyone has an arc, he does, as he finds himself dealing with the realities of modern warfare, which often consist of highly trained troops going up against guerrilla forces who try to make up for their lack of sophistication with fanatical devotion to their cause.

The militants’ fierce desire to control the two helicopter crash sites is testament to that, as they throw dozens and dozens of men into a meat grinder; they die left and right until finally they can overwhelm the few Americans trying to defend themselves. One American soldier is captured, although he remains that way at the end of the film, with a text epilogue explaining what happened later, including his release.

The main thing Black Hawk Down has going for it is its brutally realistic depiction of combat. The main thing against it, however, is a relentlessly violent story that leaves very little room for character development, along with a portrayal of the militants as fanatics without delving into the dynamics that created the situation. Personally, I have mixed views on the film, although I didn’t mind revisiting it for this review.

This new SteelBook edition is, as far as I know, the same one issued by Sony in 2019, with 4K UltraHD and Blu-ray discs housing the movie and another Blu-ray for the bulk of the bonus features. There’s also a code for a digital copy of the theatrical and extended versions; the latter adds about eight minutes of footage to the film and is available on both movie discs via seamless branching.

No new extras were created for this release, although what’s here is plenty for fans of the film. Here’s what you’ll find:

• Three commentary tracks: Mark Bowden, who wrote the book on which the movie is based, chats with screenwriter Ken Nolan for one track, while another features director Ridley Scott and producer Jerry Bruckheimer and the third has veterans from the actual military operation in Somalia. All of them are worth a listen, and the third one is particularly interesting as the veterans discuss the differences between fiction and reality in the movie.

• The Essence of Combat: Making Black Hawk Down (151 minutes): Charles de Lauzirika serves up another of his in-depth, very worthwhile documentaries. It’s a carry-over from the original DVD edition way back when studios were willing to put money into these kinds of extras. I’m glad it’s been preserved.

• Black Hawk Down On the Set (24 minutes): Scott, Bruckheimer, and many members of the cast pop up here to talk about how the real-life incident was translated to a movie.

• The History Channel: The True Story of Black Hawk Down (91 minutes): If you’re interested in a deep dive into the real-life incident, this is well worth 91 minutes of your time.

• Frontline: Ambush in Mogadishu (55 minutes): This report originally aired on PBS and as such, it has more of a “just the facts” approach compared to the History Channel documentary, which had to be sensationalized a bit for mainstream network TV. Rather than repeating the same territory, this one is a good companion piece to the previous bonus feature.

• Question & Answer Forums (32.75 minutes): Scott, Bruckheimer, and various cast members appear in three different interview sessions that were held at BAFTA, American Cinematheque, and the Editor’s Guild.

• Target Building Insertion (6 minutes): There are tons of harrowing scenes in this movie. First Assistant Director Terry Needham provides commentary over one of those scenes, a key one in the film, as shown from six different angles.

• Deleted and Alternate Scenes (20 minutes): Available with optional commentary from Ridley Scott, this excised footage is interesting, but none of it feels like it should be reinstated into the movie.

• Designing Mogadishu (13 minutes): Morocco stood in for Mogadishu, and this is a look at how the location was transformed.

• Ridleygrams with Commentary (7.5 minutes): Scott’s storyboards are compared against the finished product.

• Jerry Bruckheimer’s On-Set Photography (5.5 minutes): I’ll admit I didn’t know Bruckheimer is a big photography guy. This is a quick look at that interest, along with still photos he shot on set.

• Invisible Design/Title Exploration with Commentary (3.5): These extras are so comprehensive that even the movie’s title sequence gets some love.

• Image & Design (29.5 minutes): This is a four-part series of video galleries with commentary.

A music video, the theatrical trailer, TV commercials, and photo galleries round out the platter. It’s quite a meal.

Flickering Myth Rating – Film: ★★★ / Movie: ★★★★

Brad Cook

 

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Revisiting Enemy of the State at 25

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As it turns 25, we take a look back at the underrated Tony Scott espionage thriller Enemy of the State…

It’s the year 1998 and everybody loves Will Smith. The guy can do no wrong, from coming fresh off the back of an iconic and much-loved TV show to an almost instantaneous leap into blockbuster cinema which saw him become one of the most bankable stars around. In the late 90s, going into the beginning of the new century, a good old conspiracy thriller still seemed like a fruitful exercise with megastars like Harrison Ford (notably as Jack Ryan) to Tom Cruise all dipping their toes into the murky waters at some point throughout the decade. 

Since then, Will Smith has had some notable controversies and turned into a meme goldmine. The internet’s King of Cucks has probably seen his legacy take a hammering, but even prior to Slap Gate, one box office smash from 1998 seemed to be a hazy millennial memory… How come Enemy of the State isn’t more well regarded?

The film triggered a new wave in Tony Scott’s career as he sought a new trend-setting style which differed from the slightly John Woo-inspired theatrics seen in Beverly Hills Cop 2 and True Romance. Enemy of the State felt like the start of a stylistic period that gradually dialled up to the avid fart excess of Man on Fire, before being honed back slightly with his last few high-concept thrillers such as Deja Vu and Unstoppable. Although Scott would never top the overall brilliance of True Romance, he certainly produced some bangers in that final 12-year stretch, not least Enemy of the State

The film has the classic Hitchcockian set-up, not unlike North by Northwest, when an average family man and lawyer accidentally takes hold of video evidence relating to the death of a congressman and is targeted by rogue agents and the CIA once he’s been framed for murder. On the run, entangled in a conspiracy and in over his head against government hitmen with all the mod-con tech of 1998 (some of what is created here being ahead of its time), Robert Dean (Will Smith) gets help from a rogue former agent in hiding (Gene Hackman). It’s a tense thrill ride that slaps up the gears pretty quickly and continues to escalate Dean’s mounting problems. 

Scott paces everything brilliantly and produces an atypically slick film, with voyeuristic long lens camera work, nicely mixed with CCTV and satellite shots. As you might expect from a combo of Bruckheimer and Tony Scott, this one has plenty of spectacle but always tries to stay more grounded in comparison to the chaotic films of the era like The Rock and Con Air which were more action-centric. Much of the action here relies on the notion of a man trying to evade detection from limitless CCTV, satellite tracking, sniper scopes and agents on his tail. It’s largely down to his nous and sheer luck to remain on the lam, as well as the help from his ageing accomplice. 

Enemy of the State feels very much of its time but not in a sense of feeling particularly dated aside from some of the consumer tech on display. It feels like a time when blockbusters had more variety to pick from. Bruckheimer was a hit merchant who did things big and it could be everything from disaster films to sci-fi, to buddy cop films to spy thrillers. Perhaps a reason why Enemy of the State hasn’t accumulated as many new viewers as it probably deserves is because we’ve just come to the end (seemingly) of the superhero era. It may be that now we could see more tentpole-level movies dive into all the conspiracies that AI and/or other state-of-the-art tech will inherently attract.

Likewise, Smith’s star power could hit a nostalgic rebound once the dust settles on slapping the hell out of Chris Rock and the fallout from perpetual public humiliation from the lovely Jada. Audiences who never experienced the Smith pomp era may discover the likes of Enemy of the State and Wild Wild West (tumbleweed…no?).

As for Smith, his rising star power and charisma at the time were undeniable. He captured the perfect blend of everyman and superstar here, that you needed for a Bruckheimer thriller. He’s also given great support by a stellar supporting cast headed up by Gene Hackman, along with Lisa Bonet, Jack Black, Barry Pepper, Jon Voight, Regina King, Seth Green and the late Tom Sizemore. 

One of the more interesting facets of Enemy of the State is how prescient it feels in today’s world, perhaps even more so than in 1998. Some of the high-tech wizardry on display, as a team of spooks set out to systematically destroy Dean’s life seems to have gone from feeling far-fetched to decidedly more plausible. The 3D long-range scanning used to delve into the placement of a tape recorder dunked into Dean’s shopping bag felt ridiculous in 1998 but is highly likely today (perhaps even more refined and with greater functions).

Of course, the tin foil hat brigade might also look at how ruthlessly a government agency could wreck a man’s reputation at the mere thought he poses a threat to them. To the staunch defender of [insert any ‘cancelled’ celeb with a legion of cult worshippers], they might watch a film like Enemy of the State and submit it as evidence to the defence. Regardless, in a first world where everyone is tracked by their cell phone, hooked into a financial system increasingly moving to digital currency, where a single tweet could destroy a reputation and AI can deepfake anything you want, Scott’s film is now running more parallel to the real world. 

As part of the Disney+ algorithm now, Enemy of the State will undoubtedly harvest some more viewers and hopefully be appreciated as the pulse-pounding thriller it is, just whether or not you buy into the scenarios and the backdrop of corruption, cover-ups and conspiracies is another matter. Built on some very grounded thrills with some great practical stunt work, it’s also far more engrossing than most modern blockbusters. 

What do you think of Enemy of the State? Let us know on our social channels @flickeringmyth or hit me up @jolliffeproductions

 

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