Film Review: "The Highwaymen" (2019).

"The Legends who took down Bonnie and Clyde." This is the story of The Highwaymen. This period crime drama film directed by John Lee Hancock and written by John Fusco. The film follows the untold story of the legendary detectives who brought down Bonnie and Clyde. When the full force of the FBI and the latest forensic technology aren't enough to capture the nation's most notorious criminals, two former Texas Rangers must rely on their gut instincts and old school skills to get the job done.

Since 2005, the film had been in development hell for many years. Originally pitched by Fusco as a possible Paul Newman and Robert Redford project. Fusco spent time with Frank Hamer's son, Frank Jr, whilst writing the script. In 2013, the film began development at Universal Picture with Woody Harrelson and Liam Neeson set to star, but never came to fruition. In late June 2017, it was reported that Netflix was in negotiations to extricate the production from Universal Pictures. In mid February 2018, it was announced by Netflix had picked up the rights and that the film had entered production with Hancock as director, Harrelson and Kevin Costner to star in the lead roles. In addition, it was announced that Kathy Bates, John Carroll Lynch, Kim Dickens, Thomas Mann, and William Sadler had also joined the cast. At the same time, principal photography commenced, and wrapped in late March. Filming took place throughout Louisiana and in Newcastle, Texas, at the historical sites, with a budget of $49 million. The film was shot on the Panavision Millennium DXL cameras in the 2.39:1 aspect ratio. The strive for authenticity was so great that Hancock filmed Bonnie and Clyde's death scene at the actual spot where they were shot near Bienville Parish, Louisiana.

The film stars Costner, Harrelson, Bates, Carroll Lynch, Dickens, Mann and Sadler. Terrific performances were given by the cast, especially from Costner and Harrelson. Costner and Harrelson are excellent and thanks to them, the film is a consistently entertaining, thoughtful and high paced ride. The performances given by Costner and Harrelson were something else. For once actors playing Texas Rangers does not seem to base their performances on movies they have seen. They start cool. They play Hamer and Gault as the actual men. 

Hancock's The Highwaymen is a grave and beautiful crime thriller. It revisits with meticulous detail and convulsions of violence a short, frantic period in the life and times of Bonnie and Clyde, as well as their pursuers. This superstar crime thriller emerges as something surprising, fascinating and technically dazzling. It's a fascinating moment in history, and Hancock captures the cars, the guns and the buildings with painstaking, immersive authenticity. Hancock has shown an ability to create an interesting crime drama. He doesn't fail here, capturing the era to perfection, but there is an almost distant feel to the material that makes the film more cold and calculated than one might expect. I do think this is a film worth seeing, so obviously, I say see it.

Simon says The Highwaymen receives:

Also, see my review for Saving Mr. Banks.

Film Review: "Dumbo" (2019).

"In 2019, a beloved tale will take you to new heights." That beloved tale is Dumbo (2019). This fantasy adventure film directed by Tim Burton, adapted by Ehren Kruger, and based on the 1941 Disney animated classic and the novel of the same name by Helen Aberson and Harold Pearl. Circus owner Max Medici enlists former star Holt Farrier and his children Milly and Joe to care for a newborn elephant whose oversized ears make him a laughingstock in an already struggling circus. But when they discover that Dumbo can fly, the circus makes an incredible comeback, attracting persuasive entrepreneur V.A. Vandevere, who recruits the peculiar pachyderm for his newest, larger-than-life entertainment venture, Dreamland. Dumbo soars to new heights alongside a charming and spectacular aerial artist, Colette Marchant, until Holt learns that beneath its shiny veneer, Dreamland is full of dark secrets.

In early July 2014, a live-action Dumbo film was announced with a screenplay by Kruger. In early March 2015, Burton was confirmed as director, marking Burton's second live-action adaptation of a Disney animated classic after Alice in Wonderland (2010). In mid July, Disney slated the film for a March 29 2019 release date, seven months before the original's 78th anniversary. In January 2017, Will Smith and Tom Hanks were approached for the protagonist and antagonist respectively. Smith was interested but backed out, where as Hanks turned it down. Ultimately, Colin Farrell and Michael Keaton were cast. By Summer 2017, Danny DeVito, Eva Green, Nico Parker, Finley Hobbins, and Alan Arkin rounded out the film's cast. In July, principal photography began, and wrapped in November. Filming took place entirely at Pinewood Studios and Cardington Airfield in England, under the code name Big Ears. For the titular elephant, the filmmakers originally had a more photo realistic model, however this was eventually scrapped for a more expressive one. For the look of the film, Burton and production designer Rick Heinrichs cited the paintings of Edward Hopper as an inspiration, as well as period architecture and photographs from that era. Costume designer Colleen Atwood used 90% vintage outfits from that era. Vandermere's Dreamland was heavily inspired by Coney Island, World's Fair, and various Disneyland theme parks.

The film stars Farrell, Keaton, DeVito, Green, Parker, Hobbins, and Arkin. The cast gave fine performances despite very weak character development, especially with Farrell and Keaton. Genuine trauma evaded Farrell's protagonist, where as Keaton, in the end, was nothing more than a moustache-twirling villain.

Tim Burton's Dumbo sacrifices the original animated classic's stream-lined/minimalist narrative - and much of its heart - but it's an undeniable visual treat. It's the visual landscape that makes this iteration of Dumbo's story so wondrous, as technology has finally been able to catch up with Burton's endlessly fertile imagination. It has moments of delight, humor and bedazzlement. But it also becomes more ordinary as it goes along, building to a generic climax similar to any number of others in CGI-heavy movies of the past few years.

Simon says Dumbo (2019) receives:

Also, see my review for Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children.

Film Review: "Dragged Across Concrete" (2018).

"Those Who Can't Earn A Living Must Find Another Way To Provide" in Dragged Across Concrete. This neo-noir action thriller film written and directed by S. Craig Zahler. What bad things will good men do for their families? A stolid, old guard policeman, Ridgeman and his volatile younger partner, Anthony, find themselves suspended when a video of them strong-arming a suspect becomes the media's special du jour. Low on cash and with no other options, these two embittered soldiers descend into the criminal underworld to gain their just due. On the other side of the law, Henry Jones comes home from years in prison to find his mother and disabled brother living in squalor. The ex-convict needs a way to help and to this end, his childhood friend Biscuit introduces him to a ruthless crime boss whose ambitious plans put him and his pal in direct conflict with the two renegade officers.

By early February 2017, the film was announced with Zahler signed on to direct his script; Unified Pictures, Cinestate, Assemble Media, Look to the Sky Films, and Unified Film Fund financing and producing; and Mel Gibson and Vince Vaughn to star. In May, Lionsgate acquired the US distribution rights to the film, and would release it through its subsidiary, Summit Entertainment. By mid July, Tory Kittles, Michael Jai White, Jennifer Carpenter, Laurie Holden, Fred Melamed, Udo Kier, Vanessa Bell Calloway, Thomas Kretschmann, Don Johnson, and Richard Newman rounded out the film's cast. At the same time, principal photography commenced, and took place in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. According to many associated with the production, it was long thought that the film would have a wide theatrical release in the US. However, it was rumored that Lionsgate requested the film be edited down to an "audience friendly" a hundred and thirty minutes which was met with much disdain from Zahler. Considering his final cut clause in his contract, Lionsgate opted to release the film in a limited theatrical run and same day digital through Summit Entertainment, mirroring the other Zahler releases. The film stands uncut and unedited at a hundred and fifty nine minutes.

The film features an ensemble cast including Gibson, Vaughn, Kittles, Jai White, Carpenter, Holden, Melamed, Kier, Bell Calloway, Kretschmann, Johnson, and Newman. In the middle of all the wince-inducing, limb-bending, bone-crunching, face-exploding bloodshed, Gibson and Vaughn turn in legitimately great performance that ranks among the finest work they've ever done. Their performances are hard, dark, and mercilessly committed, and the film gives you nowhere to hide from them - no twangs of irony or conspiratorial winks to take the edge off what ensues.

Dragged Across Concrete rides committed performances of Gibson and Vaughn into the brutally violent—and undeniably entertaining—depths of prison-set grindhouse genre fare. In terms of its storyline alone, this is a bit of a potboiler, a typical prison drama, but the dialogue is razor sharp and the performances, especially that of Gibson and Vaughn, are far more nuanced and poignant than you'd expect.

Simon says Dragged Across Concrete receives:

Also, see my review for Brawl in Cell Block 99.

Film Review: "Us" (2019).

"A new nightmare from the mind of Academy Award Winner Jordan Peele, writer/director of Get Out comes" Us. This horror film written and directed by Jordan Peele. Accompanied by her husband, son and daughter, Adelaide Wilson returns to the beachfront home where she grew up as a child. Haunted by a traumatic experience from the past, Adelaide grows increasingly concerned that something bad is going to happen. Her worst fears soon become a reality when four masked strangers descend upon the house, forcing the Wilsons into a fight for survival. When the masks come off, the family is horrified to learn that each attacker takes the appearance of one of them.

After being dismayed by the "genre confusion" of Get Out (2017), Peele opted to make a full-on horror film as his next project. Peele has said that an inspiration for Us was The Twilight Zone episode "Mirror Image" that was centered on a young woman and her evil doppelgänger. In early May 2018, the title for the film was announced as Us. In late July, principal photography began, and wrapped in early October under the pseudonym Deep Cuts. Prior to filming, Peele gave the cast ten horror films to watch so they would have "a shared language" when filming: Dead Again (1991), The Shining (1980), The Babadook (2014), It Follows (2014), A Tale of Two Sisters (2003), The Birds (1963), Funny Games (1997), Martyrs (2008), Let the Right One In (2008), and The Sixth Sense (1999). Filming primarily took place throughout Los Angeles, especially in Pasadena and Santa Cruz, California, including the Santa Cruz Beach Broadwalk. For the Boardwalk, the filmmakers did not need to do much work on it, as many games and rides are originals going far back as the 1910's. Also, indeed there is an underground tunnel system under The Boardwalk, though it is mostly used for storage and as a shelter in case of any emergency. The hall of mirrors was specifically created for the film as one doesn't not actually exist on the beach. During filming, the rides were all filled with dummies, then CGI was used to create moving people. For Adelaide's doppelgänger's voice, Nyong'o based it on Robert F. Kennedy Jr and his spasmodic dysphonia. The visual effects are provided by Industrial Light & Magic. After scoring Peele's Get Out, Michael Abels was tapped to provide the film's score.

The film's core concept of doppelgängers (or the Tethered, in this case) has been likened to "urban legends" and "xenophobic paranoia about the Other" by numerous critics. This links to the definition of doppelgängers as a non-biologically related look-alike or double of a living person, sometimes portrayed as a ghostly or paranormal phenomenon and usually seen as a harbinger of bad luck. Other traditions and stories equate a doppelgänger with an evil twin. In modern times, the term "twin stranger" is occasionally used. The film contains references to Jeremiah 11:11, which reads: "Therefore this is what the Lord says: 'I will bring on them a disaster they cannot escape. Although they cry out to me, I will not listen to them.'" In addition to Jeremiah 11:11 being seen written on a sign twice , the numbers 11:11 appear frequently throughout this film. When Gabe is watching a baseball game on TV, the announcer says that the game is tied 11-11. When Addie and Jason are talking in his room, the digital clock reads 11:11 pm. Also, a carnival worker in 1986 and one of the twins in the present day both wear a T-shirt for the band Black Flag, the logo of which consists of four vertical black bars that resemble the number 1111.

The film stars Lupita Nyong'o, Winston Duke, Shahadi Wright Joseph, Evan Alex, Elisabeth Moss, and Tim Heidecker. The cast gave terrifically nuanced and terrifying performances that convey strong character development throughout. The film belongs to Nyong'o and her traumatized and sombre filled portrayal of the matriarch of the Wilson family as they are thrusted in a terrifying scenario. The film's ace in the hole is the warmth and comedic appeal generated by Duke's happy-go-lucky patriarch, Gabe. Joseph and Alex's portrayal(s) is a perfect balancing act: Zora and Jason are your typical, average African-American kids, yet their doppelgängers are completely detached from humanity with the murders they commit; unemotional yet animalistic, as well as analytical, violent, patient, and savage.

Peele's Us is a brutal, relentlessly grimy shocker with taut performances, slick horror moments, and a haunting finale. The film has the most haunting finale since Rod Serling's original iteration of The Twilight Zone, which Peele is fittingly reviving for a new generation. The only thing missing is Serling's (or Peele's) opening and/or closing narration. For nearly every film with a Twilight Zone-esque scenario, some parts of the film recall the words of Serling, who may be the first man in mainstream media that dared us to wonder and question the reality we are in. The film stands as one of the most complex and disturbing entries in the horror genre since Hereditary (2018). The film is terrifying and bonkers in a good and entertaining way. The reason to see this film, which is decidedly not for the faint of stomach or mind, is not for the punishment of the fear of "the other", but the many virtues of Peele and company's contributions. The sunny and seemingly mundane background in Peele's terrifying shocker feels a little like the atmosphere Kubrick created in The Shining (1980), a real world with its seemingly normal, mundane and unsuspecting atmosphere with dark secrets and dread hiding in the shadows and/or underground, and that sure makes me think that the film is one of the foremost horror movies of modern times. The film is about the magnitudes of xenonphobic paranoia about the Other, how we are, and should be, afraid of the shadows when yet it is really our darker selves lurking in the shadows. Watching it in a cinema that day, I felt the fear of the dark and what could be hidden.

Simon says Us receives:

Also, see my review for Get Out.

'Once Upon a Time in Canada' Chapter 79.

I spent the day at Toronto Comic Con and it wasn’t that great. Mind you, it wasn’t too bad either. I spent the day with Michael and his friend Jason. They were already there when I was making my way to Metro Convention Centre. They might have been there for only an hour or two before Michael called me up to ask if I wanted to come. Luckily they, more specifically Jason, were able to get me in. I’ve always waned to attend a convention and my opportunity came with this one. I brought my 6D (the battery life may not been as full as I wanted it to be, but it wasn’t completely low so I was able to shoot).

I tried getting as many shots of cosplayers as I could, but there weren’t a lot of them standing around. Other than getting the opportunity to attend my first convention, I didn’t feel as though I was really enjoying myself. Well, maybe that was because it just seemed pretty small for a convention here in Toronto, compared to a convention in San Diego. The San Diego Comic Con is the one that everybody has to attend. Unfortunately, given my current situation, I don’t have the money to spare for a trip to San Diego.

While I was there, I had only managed to capture less than twenty-five photos and that’s not an impressive number for an event such as this. Well, it’s better than nothing, right? So right at that moment, I didn’t have a big task to choose the final photos. Or at least edit the photos. Finally, I need to hope that the next convention I’m attending, Anime North, will be better than this one.

Also, see Chapters 78 and 80.

Film Review: "Captive State" (2019).

"Ten years ago, they took our planet. Today, we take it back." This is Captive State. This crime science fiction thriller film directed by Rupert Wyatt, and co-written by Wyatt and Erica Beeney. After 10 years of extraterrestrial occupation, residents of Chicago must decide whether to continue to live under alien rule or support the resistance. When young Gabriel Drummond joins the insurgency, he soon finds himself under careful scrutiny from a shadowy figure who's trying to crush the rebellion and its plans for freedom.

In late August 2016, it was reported that Participant Media had won a heated bidding war for the rights to the film and officially announced the film with Rupert Wyatt set to direct from a script he co-wrote with Erica Beeney. In March 2018, it was reported that Rob Simonsen would compose the film's score, with original songs contributed by Simonsen with Kill the Noise and Mija. By mid February 2017, John Goodman, Ashton Sanders, Jonathan Majors, Machine Gun Kelly, Vera Farmiga, Kevin Dunn, Madeline Brewer, and D. B. Sweeney were cast. At the same time, principal photography commenced, with a budget of $25 million, and took place in Chicago, Illinois and Cinespace Chicago Film Studios.

The film stars Goodman, Sanders, Majors, Kelly, Farmiga, Dunn, Brewer, and Sweeney. The cast gave solid enough performances. But, at times, did come off as average due to not being given enough for certain parts of the film.

Audacious, violent and disquieting, Captive State is a science fiction action flick that is just as good as any B-movie science fiction film has the right to be. The action scenes are spectacular, and the story at the movie's core is evocative and engaging. Wyatt proves himself a highly skilled action merchant, packing the film with dynamic, sometimes disorienting camera movements and coming up with some memorable imagery. Despite being led by Rupert Wyatt's stylish direction, some impressive special effects, and solid performances, the film doesn't quite provide a breath of fresh air to the genre. It's a relatively modest B-movie infused with a B-grade script. The film has some life to it as a sci-fi action film, but every time anyone opens their mouth, man or beast, you'll feel like someone figured out a way to sneak in groundbreaking CGI into your high schooler's class play. It's a satisfying film that easily rests on the CGI and action. The story has big ideas but is underwritten, the acting is pedestrian at best, and though the CGI apes are very well actualized, they still look cartoony at times. It is frustrating in places, but overall, it's entertaining. It's a visual treat that should remind audiences just why they love to see science fiction - because every now and then they are enjoyable films. Paced like a rocket but de-politicized and de-poeticized, adorned with sprawling camera movements yet trapped in shallow screen space, the film clomps through with a flatness that makes its vision of the beginning of mankind's new beginning seem weirdly soothing.

Simon says Captive State receives:

Also, see my review for Rise of the Planet of the Apes.

'Once Upon a Time in Canada' Chapter 78.

Hmmm… Yeah… Interesting… The plays weren’t exactly what I imagined they would be. To give you some indication of how unusual the plays were; the first play was a supernatural thriller entitled Refraction. It followed a young woman who was packing up her life and in the process finds herself face-to-face with dangerous shadows she thought she has buried long ago. Think David Lynch. The piece incorporated various unusual and engaging forms of physicality layered with poetic text to immerse the audience in a vivid and unique theatrical experience. The live music and powerful visual effects created a fantastical story that put me in and made me rethink about my reality. I liked this one a lot, but that’s because I loved surrealistic, disturbing stories like this one. As soon as it harkened everything from German Expressionism to David Lynch, I smiled throughout and enjoyed myself. That’s the kind of stuff I want to see!

The second play was entitled After George, where we were invited to the 50th anniversary of Clifton Heights Secondary School. Clifton Capybaras old and new are encouraged to come back and reminisce about the time they had at school. We’re all connected in ways we may not expect, and we all handle grief in different ways and something as small as an event invitation can change the lives of friends and complete strangers. It was the unique movement vocabulary, immersive scents, or even a strange but compelling community that draws you into learning the stories of five former students and how they handle connection and isolation in this mysterious drama. Honestly, thinking about it at the end, I didn’t think it was anything special. The play, unlike the first one, just didn’t speak to me.

The third play was entitled Dead Skin, a physical theatre show that was dark, grotesque, and thrilling, in a world of otherness that embraced the beauty of the ugly. From alien-like to alienated, we were encouraged to investigate and uncover our own darkness within. Through a physical language that was harsh, jagged, and ultimately captivating, audiences wondered: where have these creatures come from? How did they get here? Where are they going? The play itself was good, not as good as the first one mind you, and the play communicated something interesting.

Finally, the last play was entitled #Filters by Transcendence Theatre, a repertoire founded by a group of friends who want to foster and encourage conversations, which challenge contemporary societal norms through the means of performance art. The play immersed us in the world of social media and beyond, and worked to explore the ways in which modern communication and interactions are impacted and shifted due to its social media’s prevalence in society. They want viewers to critically examine the content they produce, and in turn, they aim to create a discourse that challenges hegemonic norms of social networking behaviours, and encourages audiences to reflect on how they communicate and connect on a day-to-day basis. Speaking of which, the play itself was basically what if Darren Aronofsky’s Requiem for a Dream was a dark, satirical comedy with social media addiction instead of drug addiction. Oh boy was it a show! By the end, I was really damn tired. About at that time, I made my way back home.

Also, see Chapters 77 and 79.

Series Review: "The Disappearance of Madeleine McCann" (2019).

From the director of Fyre comes The Disappearance of Madeleine McCann. This documentary series directed by Chris Smith. The series takes a detailed look at the disappearance of 3-year-old Madeleine McCann, who vanished while on holiday with her family.

On the evening of 3 May 2007, Madeleine Beth McCann disappeared from her bed in a holiday apartment at a resort in Praia da Luz, in the Algarve region of Portugal. Madeleine was on holiday from the UK with her parents, Kate and Gerry McCann; her two-year-old twin siblings; and a group of family friends and their children. She and the twins had been left asleep at 20:30 in the ground-floor apartment, while the McCanns and friends dined in a restaurant 55 metres (180 ft) away. The parents checked on the children throughout the evening, until Kate discovered she was missing at 22:00. Over the following weeks, particularly after misinterpreting a British DNA analysis, the Portuguese police came to believe that Madeleine had died in an accident in the apartment and that her parents had covered it up. In September 2007, the McCanns were given arguido (suspect) status, which was lifted when Portugal's attorney general archived the case in July 2008 for lack of evidence. The parents continued the investigation using private detectives until Scotland Yard opened its own inquiry, Operation Grange, in 2011. The senior investigating officer announced that he was treating the disappearance as "a criminal act by a stranger", most likely a planned abduction or burglary gone wrong. In 2013, Scotland Yard released e-fit images of men they wanted to trace, including one of a man seen carrying a child toward the beach that night. Shortly after this, the Portuguese police reopened their inquiry. In 2015, Operation Grange was scaled back, but the remaining detectives continue to pursue a small number of inquiries described in April 2017 as significant. In June 2020, the police in the German city Braunschweig stated there was a new suspect in McCann's disappearance. To this day, her whereabouts remain unknown. The disappearance attracted sustained international interest and saturation coverage in the UK reminiscent of Princess Diana's death in 1997. The McCanns were subjected to intense scrutiny and baseless allegations of involvement in their daughter's death, particularly in the tabloid press and on Twitter. In 2008 they and their travelling companions received damages and apologies from Express Newspapers, and in 2011 the McCanns testified before the Leveson Inquiry into British press misconduct, lending support to those arguing for tighter press regulation.

Even if this crime is solved someday, the series will remain relevant because of how it processes the psychological experience of death, grief and uncertainty. The series is difficult and challenging, but it is not lazy. And in a world where these kinds of stories so often are the source of hysterical sensationalism, a degree of thoughtfulness and introspection is long overdue. Desperately, these people all want the truth and that tension is what makes the series provocative.

Simon says The Disappearance of Madeleine McCann receives:

Also, see my review for Fyre.

'Once Upon a Time in Canada' Chapter 77.

"I’ll be lining up at the entrance of Yunshang Bridge Rice Noodle restaurant for their grand opening tomorrow", I thought to myself the day before. Presuming nothing goes wrong before then, that is. But hey, everything else has gone smoothly during my time here, right? (That was sarcasm). Today, and for once, I won’t let that happen. As the day was going accordingly, I could taste the noodles. I guess it would taste delicious if I’m going to be standing in line for a long while, but that’s not the point. Of course, I wasn’t alone on this one. It involved Belinda, Kenny, Dennis, Kate, Lanny and her sister. Lanny and her sister came all the way up with me, but hot damn! We’re almost there! I think I can even see the noodles being prepared in the kitchen from North York Centre Station. It’s way the hell off in the distance and it might just be my hangry imagination. It’s four hundred metres away, so if I’m seeing the restaurant, I’m only just barely seeing it, or not at all.

Once we get to the restaurant, we’ll have to line up and remain there until it opens at six. We did some waiting, and when I mean waiting, I mean a lot of waiting, in the dreary weather no less. That made the waiting a lot more tedious and painful. No problem at all! (Again, that was sarcasm) For two hours, we waited and waited patiently as we protected ourselves from the cold wind and rain. It lasted until six, as it was the time that it finally opened. After that, Dennis, Kate, Lanny, her sister and I made our way in as the first five people in the line.

The restaurant itself was filled with the people, including ourselves, who were lining up, which was a lot of people. The restaurant became more and more crowded with amount of people that were coming in. As it got crowded, it got noisier and noisier. Eventually, the time came. The noodles finally made their way out of the kitchen and onto our tables. We no longer had to wait. The hunger lingered until the noodles reached our table, once it did our hunger seized and we just dug right in. The wait was finally over.

The noodles had all sorts of things that could be added into the boiling soup. Things such as hard-boiled eggs, baby mushrooms, cucumber, beef, oyster, prawns, lobster, scallop, crab, tofu, and ham. The tray itself was a work of art. The noodles did the job. It satisfied our hunger, even though it was a little too spicy even for our mouths. Each of the people at our table ate and finished at different rates. While we were almost finishing up our noodles, we were slowly getting full. On reaching the end, the trays were immediately removed from the table, and the table was immediately vacated for the next bunch of people to have their turn. The dreary terrain outside looked terrible, but it was no worse than typical winter terrain.

We made our way up to Finch Station and took shelter from the rain. We took our time with our walk up. We thought even though we had a rather large dinner and excluded the possibility of getting dessert. But it turned out, the noodles weren’t enough. Belinda and Kenny, while we were making our way up what it seemed like a long walk, suggested that we meet them at Soban Café. With still some room in our stomachs after a long, difficult walk up, there was no reason that we saw why couldn’t stop by and have dessert. The café, which was located on Yonge & Finch, was rather a disappointed. The food was plainly average and the service was absolute shit. The waiter who was taking our orders had gotten our orders wrong, not once, not twice, not thrice, but four fucking times! Belinda, Dennis, Kate, and Lanny were not so lucky with their orders. It thus ruined our evening, ruining whatever happy feeling or appetite we had left. After that, we made our way out and made our way home.

Also, see Chapters 76 and 78.

ICFF Classic Film Review: "Black Sunday" ("La maschera del demonio") (1960).

"Stare into these eyes... discover deep within them the unspeakable terrifying secret of Black Sunday... it will paralyze you with fright!" This is Black Sunday (La maschera del demonio). This Italian gothic horror film directed by Mario Bava, in his directorial debut, adapted by Ennio de Concini and Mario Serandrei, and loosely based on Nikolai Gogol's short story Viy. While being burnt at the stake, the witch Asa Vajda vows to enact revenge on her descendents. Hundreds of years later Asa returns to life and immediately raises her henchmen from the dead, ready to keep her promise.

Aside from working on Hercules (1958) and Hercules Unchained (1959), Bava had partially directed other films without credit, including Caltiki and The Giant of Marathon (1959). This led to Galatea's president, Lionello Santi, offering him the opportunity to make a film for foreign markets. According to producer Massimo De Rita, an oft-repeated story suggesting that Santi approached Bava to make a film based on a story of his own choosing after being impressed with his work on The Giant of Marathon is apocryphal; De Rita claims that he was responsible for persuading Santi to allow Bava to make a film of his own and that he also begged Santi to increase the film's budget compared to what he felt would allow the film to turn a profit. Due to the recent success of Terence Fisher's version of Dracula for Hammer Film Productions, Bava decided to make a horror film. To compete with Dracula, Santi wanted the film to be shot in Technicolor, but Bava insisted on shooting in black and white; he justified this as both a stylistic and practical choice, as the makeup transformation sequences required special red and green lights that would have made them impossible to film with color. Bava chose to base his project on Gogol's short story, first published in the 1835 collection Mirgorod. Bava frequently read this story to his children before their bedtime. His first outline of the film, a four-page treatment titled Il Vij and closely follows Gogol's original story. Santi deemed Bava's treatment unsatisfactory and hired de Concini to help Bava turn the concept into a workable screenplay. According to Bava biographer Tim Lucas, while de Concini contributed many ideas to what would become the film, he did little of the actual scripting, which Lucas attributes to Marcello Coscia. During the scripting phase, the film's title was changed from Il Viy to La maschera del demonio to capitalize on the success of House of Wax (1953) (released in Italy as La maschera di cera) and The Curse of Frankenstein (1957) (La maschera di Frankenstein). The Ministerial Commission of Revision, through which all Italian film scripts were required to be submitted for review, remarked that Black Sunday's script "is so stuffed with witches, vampires, skeletons, ghosts, with its complement of murders and dead bodies, that [Fisher's Dracula] looks like a children's show when compared to it." Bava drew extensive storyboards, during which he developed the film's visual style based on his earlier works as cinematographer and co-director. Drawing on both of the films that he had co-directed with Riccardo Freda, I Vampiri (1957) and Caltiki, Bava used the film to develop his frequent use of backstories to expand the scope of his films beyond their narrative and budgetary constraints. By late March 1960, Barbara Steele, John Richardson, Andrea Checchi, Ivo Garrani, Arturo Dominici and Antonio Pierfederici were cast. Bava felt that the film needed a British cast to convince the audience that they would be watching a film as strong as Dracula. Steele was cast in the dual role of Asa and Katia Vajda. There are two accounts describing how Steele came to be cast in the film: one suggests that Bava, while perusing through head shots of British actors under contract at Fox, selected Steele from these photos. Steele, however, recalled that Bava tracked her down after being captivated by photos of her in a Life magazine photoshoot. Bava later commented that Steele "had the perfect face for my films". Richardson was cast as Katia's love interest Andrej. A colleague of Steele's who had also appeared in Sapphire and Bachelor of Hearts, Richardson's Rank contract was similarly sold to Fox and he had come to Italy searching for film work; by this time, both he and Steele were represented by the same agent from William Morris Endeavor. 

Principal photography took place at the studios of Scalera Film, with exteriors and some interiors shot at Castle Massimo in Arsoli. Govoni recalled the shoot to be a "very tiring" experience characterized by long work hours. Lucas believes that this was partially the result of the film entering production prematurely, without a thorough revision of the script or consideration for certain filming logistics, prompting Bava to rely on his instincts and improvise. Steele and Dominici were initially outfitted with prop fangs which do not appear in the final film: Bava recalled that he eventually asked the actors to discard them due to their clichéd appearance, while Govoni stated that the fangs were kept during the shoot, but "Serandrei cut around them" during editing. Most of the cast delivered their dialogue in English, with the exception of Checchi and the Dominicis; Govoni recalled that while the translation of the original Italian text the cast was given to work with was crude, they mostly stuck to it. Throughout the shoot, Steele proved to be difficult to work with. The actress frequently missed her call times or refused to arrive on-set due to misunderstandings. Critic and editor Martyn Conterio considers many of Steele's recollections of the film's production to be unreliable. This includes her claim that the film was shot in winter, and that everyone on set had worn black and white costumes, neither of which are true. Steele admitted to her misbehavior during the film's shoot later in life and noted that towards the end of the shoot, she and Richardson were prone to nervous fits of laughter due to the stress they had accumulated over the course of filming. Although Bava is credited as the film's cinematographer, Govoni stated that camera operator Ubaldo Terzano was the actual director of photography, and insisted he had lit the sets "so perfectly that Bava seldom had to correct him". Lucas concurs on this point, noting that while Bava would provide storyboards and occasionally adjust lights and lenses, Terzano was largely in control of which takes would be printed. The final week of the shooting schedule was reserved for special effects work and tracking shots. An English-dubbed version of the film created for international export, titled The Mask of Satan, was translated from the Italian-language script and directed by George Higgins III and recorded in Rome with the English Language Dubbers Association (ELDA). The music for the Italian and ELDA versions of Black Sunday was composed by Roberto Nicolosi and conduced by Pier Luigi Urbini. Lucas notes that both versions used the score sparingly, leaving the creation of much of the soundscape to the sound editor, although key dramatic scenes play with no music at all, suggesting the difficulties of creating music for a film in a genre that was in its infancy in Italy. In 1960, Samuel Z. Arkoff and James H. Nicholson of American International Pictures (AIP) were invited to Italy by their Roman talent agent, Fulvio Lucisano, to view the film. Arkoff was introduced to Bava after the screening, congratulating him. AIP acquired the film for approximately $100,000, recovering its production budget. For the film's release in the United States, AIP re-edited scenes, re-dubbed the soundtrack, and changed several of the characters' names. Arkoff deemed the ELDA version of the film to be "technically unacceptable", and had Lou Rusoff produce a new English version at Titra Studios in New York City, which was directed by Lee Kresel and edited by Salvatore Billitteri. In contrast to the embellishments of the ELDA version, Titra's dubbing was largely faithful to the cast's onscreen dialogue, although some phrases were softened. AIP removed or shortened the more violent and sexual scenes in the film. AIP's editing reduced the film's runtime to 83 minutes, compared to the 87 minute runtime of most Italian prints. Nicolosi's score was replaced with a new one by Les Baxter. Arkoff and Nicholas felt Nicolosi's score was "too Italian" and that American audiences would not like it.

The film stars Steele, Richardson, Checchi, Garrani, Dominici and Pierfederici. Steele is a menacing and complex presence who never lets the expected fangs and cape dominate.

A film which the passage of the years has managed to put in its place as one of the best horror titles of all time. Morbid and ghoulish though it is, the picture at least has the merit of taking its hideous story quite seriously. Both Bava as well as the cast have taken a serious approach to the macabre theme that adds up to lotsa tension and suspense.

Simon says Black Sunday (La maschera del demonio) receives:

Film Review: "Captain Marvel" (2019).

"Everything begins with a (her)o" in Captain Marvel. This superhero film directed by Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck, written by Boden, Fleck and Geneva Robertson-Dworet, based on the Marvel Comics character, and produced by Marvel Studios. It is the twenty-first film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). Captain Marvel is an extraterrestrial Kree warrior who finds herself caught in the middle of an intergalactic battle between her people and the Skrulls. Living on Earth in 1995, she keeps having recurring memories of another life as U.S. Air Force pilot Carol Danvers. With help from Nick Fury, Captain Marvel tries to uncover the secrets of her past while harnessing her special superpowers to end the war with the evil Skrulls.

As early as May 2013, development on the film began. In October 2014, the film was officially announced with a July 6, 2018 release date as part of their slate of films for Phase Three. The film marks Marvel Studios' first female-led superhero film. Executive producer Louis D'Esposito said the studio was interested in a female-driven superhero film and had plenty of "strong female characters." In February 2015, Marvel pushed the release date back to November 2, 2018. In April, Nicole Perlman and Meg LeFauve were hired to pen the script, submitting separate takes on the character. The story would centre on the Carol Danvers iteration, and would borrow elements from Roy Thomas's 1971 Kree–Skrull War comic book storyline. In October, Marvel changed the release date once again, moving it back to March 8, 2019. In April 2016, several were rumored for the title role before Brie Larson was confirmed at San Diego Comic-Con 2016. In the same month, Boden and Fleck were hired to helm the film after several prominent female directors were on the short list. In mid August, Robertson-Dworet was hired to take over scripting duties after LeFauve left the project. By late January 2018, Samuel L. Jackson, Ben Mendelsohn, Djimon Hounsou, Lee Pace, Lashana Lynch, Gemma Chan, Annette Bening, Clark Gregg, and Jude Law rounded the cast. In mid March, principal photography began, and wrapped in early July. Locations included Baton Rouge and New Orleans, Louisiana, and throughout California. In May, Pinar Toprak signed on to compose the film's score, making her the first woman to score an MCU film. Several visual effects houses created the film's visual effects, including Lola VFX who worked on the de-aging of Jackson and Gregg. Lola VFX used several of Jackson's films in the 90s as references for Jackson's de-aging. In September, the first trailer was released and received more than one hundred nine million global views in just twenty-four hours, making it the eleventh most viewed trailer ever.

Larson stars in the title role, with Jackson, Mendelsohn, Hounsou, Pace, Lynch, Chan, Bening, Gregg, and Law. The cast gave terrific performances with Larson gave a commanding performance as the titular heroine, despite moments of imperatives to eradicate any hint of bossiness or anger from her character.

Captain Marvel isn't groundbreaking in its execution, but its exhibition of strong female heroism makes another solid entry in the MCU.

Simon says Captain Marvel receives:

Also, see my review for Ant-Man and the Wasp.

'Once Upon a Time in Canada' Chapter 76.

I needed to put some more thought into the shots during the photo meetup at Woodbine Beach. Right at that moment, I could only get shots of the waves crashing against the frozen sands when I could get close enough without getting completely drenched. During the entire meetup, because there weren’t much of the Winter Stations art installations, I spent most of the time taking shots of the beach itself rather than the installations. But once I get the installations out of the way, I won’t have much to shoot. Each installation was simple and photogenic enough as they appeared (I regardless had a tricky time trying to capture the best shots since they were too many people in the way, other than the members of the meetup), so it was best that I divert my attention and efforts elsewhere.

Holy crap. I felt the cold waves dunked on my body when it crashed against the frozen sands, and the cold, icy surface pressing against my body as I lay on my stomach as I tried to capture entire beach and waves from a high angle. No big deal. I was having fun experimenting and being adventurous. Yeah! Anyways, I didn’t have much time before we would call it a day. They’re pretty firm on that, especially when it’s freezing cold as it was today. So it wasn’t like anybody, especially I could take all the time in the world to do whatever it was we were doing at the particular moment.

But I took my time with my shots. I didn’t even look at my phone or check the time. The shots mostly involved waves crashing against the icy rocks or the high angle panoramic shots of the beach during twilight, all from a frozen, rocky hilltop. Remember, I could only get the shots I wanted laying down on my stomach on this hilltop, which was no easy or joyful task for shots like these. It’d be bullshit if I had lied and said it was a breeze.

Unfortunately, as I focused and took my time, it never occurred to me until the last minute that the group had called it a day. The time I realized this, I packed up my stuff and made my way to find the group, then caught up with them as they were making their way to Murphy’s Law Pub. Then we had nice, warm drinks and food to recover from the cold.

Also, see Chapters 75 and 77.