Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey

Courtesy of Arrow Video

 

They always say, the second album is the hardest to make, but when it comes to sequels, they can sometimes outshine the original. Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure was a hit, with a modest box office result and ended up with a cult following to boot. The story that followed this one really had to be something special. Following 3 years later, Bill & Ted’s Bogus Journey arrived but with a slightly different vibe. With Peter Hewitt at the helm, this being his directorial debut feature and though time travel was involved, this time our unlikely heroes were going to hell and back again, with much more than a school project at stake. Getting the Arrow Video treatment in 4K, alongside the extras including EPK footage from the year of release, documentaries exploring the making of, an indepth look at the production design and the usual Arrow extras that make these release stand out, its great to see the sequel in this series get a bit more attention.

Full review over at Filmhounds. 

Home Bodies - Fantasia International Film Festival

 

Courtesy of Fantasia

Red (Emma Ho) and Blue (Ian Ho), teenages, who live alone in an automated house where they have everything provided for them. They live a naive existence, spending their days watch the video tapes of a children’s show that appear each day, colouring in pictures and playing catch ball together. They adhere to rules laid out to them by the mysterious voice behind a locked door, known as ‘Pappa’. But when one day their receive a gift, a humanoid known as PAL, the balance between Red and Blue shifts. While Red is curious of their new friend, Blue only wishes for it to disappear. However there is something more sinister underneath the arrival of PAL, one will only be discovered when one of the teens makes a drastic decision.

Full review over at Filmhounds.

Holy Days

Courtesy of Lightbulb Film Distribution

 

It's strange how a story featuring nuns trying to save their convent and a young boy still grieving the death of his mother should in some way involve prayer and a closeness to God, but there is barely a religious bearing in the entire film, and oh my it is refreshing! Nat Boltt’s script, loosely based on the novel of the same name by Dame Joy Cowley, and directorial debut feature is a film that fit very well in the genre of surprisingly uplifting New Zealand based, incredibly wholesome and funny to boot films that have been released in recent years. Through all the action packed, crime ridden, violent angry films out there, its actually a pleasant diversion to go on a journey with three elderly nuns in a nearly broken down car in search of very important paperwork.

Full review over at Filmhounds.

No Rest For The Wicked - Fantasia International Film Festival

 

courtesy of Fantasia IFF

Set in the 19th Century on the Faroe Islands, fisherman Baldur lives with his widowed mother amongst their small god fearing community. When Danish sailor Helge ends up on the islands, the two men share more than an attraction for one another. But when tragedy strikes, a darker side to their passion takes hold, one of blood, death and possession.

Full review over at Filmhounds. 

Corpus - Fantasia International Film Festival

Courtesy of Yellow Veil

 

Photographer and drug dealer Sayo is invited to a ‘party’ upstate by his longtime crush and friend Vince, a star on the rise. Whisked away from the busy haze of the city, the boys along with another friend Ross find that the party isn’t exactly what they had in mind. Hosted by three mysterious women who slowly reveal their disturbing agenda, drawing the boys in until its too late for any escape.

Full review over at Filmhounds.

Vampire's Kiss

 

Courtesy of Transmission/Radiance Films

Peter Loew, an arrogant self absorbed literary agent yuppie doesn't have much going on in his life except one night stands, terrorising his colleagues and keeping to his weekly therapist appointments. One night he brings home the mysterious Rachel who makes it a night to remember. Peter’s life from then on takes stranger and darker turns as he descends into near madness believing he has been turned into a vampire.

Full review over at Filmhounds.

Pools

Courtesy of KLA Media Group 

 On the verge of being kicked out of college, Kennedy decides that putting her head down and getting on with school work is not what she needs. Gathering together a group of random acquaintances also stuck at college over the long hot summer, she leads the group to go nighttime pool hopping throughout the lavish estates in her college town. But as she is still grieving the recent loss of her father, this spontaneous adventure becomes more of a journey of self discovery.

Full review over at Filmhounds.

The Dark Crystal

Courtesy of Anime Limited & Radial Entertainment

 

Straight from the mind of puppet pioneer and filmmaker Jim Henson, The Dark Crystal was a story conceived by him, produced and eventually co-directed by him alongside Frank Oz. Everyone remembers Labyrinth (how could they not?) which came out in 1986, but everyone talks about or remembers The Dark Crystal. Though the puppets are equally as fantastical, there were no human characters, or epic soundtrack, this was pure fantasy. From the world building, the design, the characters that inhabited this world in an age of wonder, this was fantasy at its most whimsical, enchanting and darkest. The world of The Dark Crystal earned its cult status and a short lived new lease of life when Netflix released a prequel series, The Age of Resistance, which received decent reviews and audience but not enough to get another season sadly. But The Dark Crystal still remains one of the highest grossing puppet films of all time and will forever be engrained in the minds of millennials as ‘that childhood’ movie that probably gave them nightmares. It's exciting to see the film receive a brand new 4K release, with a whole host of new features for longtime fans of the film to delve into.

Full review over at Filmhounds.

Kraken

Courtesy of Samuel Goldwyn Films

 

Marine biologist Johanne is asked to investigate a salmon farm in a Norwegian fjord after the area has experienced a series of odd events; fish jumping on land on mass, damaged fishing equipment and more recently missing people. Once at the salmon farm, Johanne discovers that they have been using a sonic device to de-lice the fish but at a dangerously high frequency. Unfortunately, the damage is already done. The sonic wave has also woken up something else.

Full review over at Filmhounds.

Strictly Ballroom

 

Courtesy of Vertigo Releasing

When Baz Luhrmann arrived on the film scene with Strictly Ballroom, an adaptation of a play he had been involved with and had staged back in 1984, there were no expectations. The film had its world premiere at Cannes in 1992 as part of Un Certain Regard and was an instant hit with the audience. The film went on to become one of the most successful films in Australia of all time as well as becoming a legacy for Luhrmann as he continued making his Red Curtain trilogy and cementing himself as one of the most commercially successful directors to come out of Australia. This romantic comedy set in the world of ballroom dancing is more than just a two-step down memory lane, this is a chance to watch the film in all its ‘flashy crowd pleasing steps glory as its re-released in cinemas.

Full review over at Filmhounds.

The Christophers

courtesy of Picturehouse Entertainment

 

The art world is brutal. Art is only considered art once someone else has deemed it worthy, let alone worth anything. The difference between creating art and making a living in the art world becomes clear very quickly in Steven Soderbergh’s latest. There is no heist, no grand plan, but there is most definitely a crime taking place. This near two-hander story about two artists confronting truths, whether they sound pretentious or not is beyond what is comprehended. This Christophers is an intriguing and beguiling story with Ian McKellen and Michaela Coel taking centre stage, capturing our attention with every word and stoney glare.

Full review over at Filmhounds.

Soldier

courtesy of Arrow Video

 

A science fiction action film from the 90s starring Kurt Russell as a military grade highly skilled soldier seems like a long forgotten gem that should be the cult film its been labeled as. However, all these elements only look good on the surface, beneath the shiny intriguing logline, is a script that was left in development for 15 years and is trying to be a spiritual spin off to Blade Runner. The fact that Soldier was released a year before the likes of The Matrix shows just how out of date the film was when it was being made.

Full review over at Filmhounds.

Couture

courtesy of Signature Entertainment

 

There is a never ending fascination into the creative worlds, fashion being one that mesmerizes many on the outside. Though Couture isn’t necessarily for those keen to get a glimpse into the fashion world, but maybe for those looking to see who are the artists that make the glitz and glamour happen and see the very human struggles that they experience.

During Paris Fashion Week, three women; filmmaker Maxine, make-up artist Angèle and new model Ada, all intersect in the lead up to a fashion show.

Full review on Filmhounds.

Madfabulous - BFI Flare

 

courtesy of Icon distribution

The famous quote from Oscar Wilde, “be yourself, everyone else is already taken”, rings true and is often said throughout the historical drama, Madfabulous. The story, based on the notorious Henry Paget, 5th Marquess of Anglesey, follows the young lord as he precariously navigates his family, his fortune and above all his theatrical dreams and desires, going completely against what is expected of someone with his position. With a cast that sparkles, costumes to evoke the past and some fantastic locations, Madfabulous captures a personality in history that we haven’t seen before. 

The 5th Marquess of Anglesey seems like a completely fictional character, brought to life for story purposes. His personality, his behaviour towards the peerage, his blatant disrespect for the stuffy old fashioned rules, all add to the strange character that was indeed a real person. Though Madfabulous does take quite a bit of artistic licence, which makes sense to bring the story to life, the truth runs through, capturing moments that did take place.

Full review over at Filmhounds

Ben-Hur

 

Courtesy of Warner Bros. Home Entertainment

Being produced, filmed and released towards the end of Hollywood’s golden age, Ben-Hur was an MGM studio film of epic proportions. The film took nearly 9 months to shoot on the biggest studio in Europe, Cinecittà in Rome, used over 10,000 extras and over 2,000 horses. The film was nominated for countless awards, winning 11 Oscars, including Best Picture and is stapled in people’s mind for the myths surrounding on set deaths, as well as the sight of a caravan in the infamous chariot race scene.

Full review is over at Filmhounds.

Arco

 

Courtesy of Picturehouse Entertainment

In the distant peaceful future, 2932,, time travel is a normal occurrence, where anyone aged 12 and over is able to experience. Impatient to travel through time himself, 10 year old Arco steals his sister’s flight suit and sets out, only to find himself, by mistake, in 2075. Robots are common in homes and society, performing essential jobs and services. Extreme weather conditions ravage the Earth, but most homes and buildings can be kept in protective bubbles. Here is where Arco befriends 10 year old Iris who had been wishing for something in her life to change.

Full review over at Filmhounds.

Same Same But Different - SXSW

 

Courtesy of SXSW & 42 West

Romantic comedies are never just about the romance or the comedy, its all about the drama that each character can bring to the situation they all find themselves in. Same Same But Different encapsulates what it means to celebrate differences, honour your heritage and be honest about what you truly want, as well as making sure its all as chaotic as that sounds.

When poet Rana has her visa application denied again, she resigns herself to returning home to Iran, which she is looking forward to. But when Adam, the son of her wealthy employer and whom she has been secretly seeing over the summer, proposes to her. She decides to embrace this opportunity, after much deliberation and rationalising. She invites her two Iranian best friends, along with their American boyfriends, who each have their own dramas to deal with, resulting in a whirlwind weekend.

Full review over at Filmhounds.

Spaceballs

 

Courtesy of Arrow Video

Decent spoof or parody films are hard to come by these days, so much so we have to turn to the past and to one director who really knows how to tell a story, keep the jokes going and keep with whatever genre he’s chosen, Mel Brooks. Released in 1987, just 4 years after The Return of the Jedi, Spaceballs earned mixed reviews upon initial release, but like every other sci-fi film, it gained a cult following. At nearly 100 years old, Mel Brooks is still making films. Having gone back to his previous material and filmography to bring his films to the stage, he’s also involved (though not directing) the upcoming Spaceballs sequel.

Full review over at Filmhounds.

How to Make a Killing

Courtesy of Studiocanal

Though loosely based on the Ealing Comedy, Kind Hearts and Coronets, there are far too many similarities. Modernised and characters updated, some slightly changed to fit the times, it still feels very much like a copy. Very much in the vein of the Coen brothers version of The Ladykillers, but the less said about this film the better. How to Make a Killing however, tries to be it’s own story and film, but not relying on comedy as the key, which is a shame as this could have been the darkest of comedies if it had really leaned into it. Unfortunately, writer-director John Patton Ford decided to emphasise the drama and the tragedy, which, along with missing a prime opportunity to offer a different ending, is the film’s downfall.

After his mother was disowned by her own family, the insanely wealthy Redfellows, Becket decides to reclaim his inheritance by killing off his relatives, one by one.

Full review over at Filmhounds.

The Man Who Wasn't There

 

Courtesy of The Criterion Collection

The masters of the genre twist, Joel and Ethan Coen, known mostly as the Coen Brothers, know exactly how to follow up on a hit. Releasing O Brother Where Art Thou? in 2000 to critical praise and award nominations as well as box office success, they decided that their next film was to be the slow burn neo-noir, a genre they are very comfortable in, The Man Who Wasn’t There. An ironic title as this is probably one of the least talked about or mentioned films in their catalogue. Unlike O’Brother, The Man Who Wasn’t There was not a box office success, nor did it really click with audiences, though critics on the whole admired it. Joel and Ethan did actually win Best Director at Cannes the year of release, a joint win with David Lynch for Mulholland Drive, but its a fact that is quietly forgotten about. The cinematography was universally praised and definitely reflected in the nominations for their frequent collaborator Roger Deakins, yet apart from these facts, the film has remained a piece of background history. Obviously seeing something in the film and believing it deserved its turn in the spotlight, the Criterion Collection has chosen to release a 4K version, giving fans of the Coens a chance to revisit it as well as curious new viewers to witness this unusual yet straightforward film.

Full review over at Filmhounds.