Well, folks, it happened. Despite the best efforts of Tim Howard, the US is out of the World Cup, so its time to burn some belgian waffles, smash some bottles of Stella Artois, and go back to not watching soccer like every other year. But with the TV season over, and the summer movie season just ramping up, how will you occupy your time? Despite your girlfriend saying now’s the “perfect time to start watching Once Upon A Time” it’s not (and it never will be), so what’s a guy to do? Well, fear not. You need a new fix, and Man of the Hour is here to give it to you. This week, we send you to the movies, build up your Blu-Ray collection, and wet your appetite for a new fall show we got a sneak peek of. We also dive through the infinite abyss of the internet to highlight a short film you just gotta see, and tell you all the news you need to know about your favorite films and TV shows. So turn on, tune in, and get your weekly buzz.
Movies: Normally the kind of genre flick that would be unknown to all but hardcore horror fans, Deliver Us From Evil was thrust into the spotlight as a potential hit when its director, Scott Derrickson, had been officially selected to direct Marvel Studio’s upcoming Dr. Strange movie. It was a surprising choice, both because Derrickson wasn’t at all a known director like Joss Whedon or Edgar Wright, but also because none of his previous films had ever been particularly well-liked, from the mixed reviews of 2012’s Sinister to the abysmal affront to classic sci-fi that was the remake of The Day the Earth Stood Still (and the less said aboutHellraiser: Inferno the better). All this seemed to suggest that Deliver Us From Evil showed such promise on its own so as to sway the mighty Mickey Mouse glove in the direction of Mr. Derrickson, and all but guaranteed decent box-office returns, if only from people curious as to what the future seigneur of the Sorcerer Supreme could do (this critic included). So is Deliver Us From Evil worth your weekend movie money? Well, that sort of depends.
Horror is a film genre unlike any other. Whereas every rom-com is essentially a retread of It Happened One Night (with a few Annie Halls, Chasing Amys and Love Actuallys thrown in to spice things up), and every Western comes back to The Searchers, horror is an ever evolving genre, morphing to match the times, the tech, and founded on, not a formula, but a question: “What scares you?”. The success or failure of a horror film is far more unpredictable than any other as its power, its ability to connect with each individual audience member, isn’t based on some universal truth like love or laughter, but hinges on the hopeful inquiry of “Are you afraid of this?”. And in the case of Deliver Us From Evil, like many others before it, the question is that which has been posed, in one form or another, throughout history as it was to Booker DeWitt in last year’sBioshock Infinite: “Do you fear God?”
See, that’s where horror films get tricky. A horror film’s prime objective is to scare, and with that premise alone, you’ve already lost atheists, Buddhists, and all variety of non-deists before the first frame hits the screen. But assuming the thought of devils and demons can raise the hair on your neck, does Deliver Us From Evil deliver the chills? Sadly, not so much. Yes, there are the occasional jump scares, and some disturbing and graphic imagery, but the film falls flat where others (even Derrickson’s own The Exorcism of Emily Rose) had greater success. Though the film introduces some clever twists and motifs (let’s just say the early inclusion of X’s “Soul Kitchen” is precisely as conspicuous as it seems at the time), it borrows just enough from The Exorcist, Se7en, and James Wan’s recent Insidious series to feel like a rip-off of all three, and fails to satisfy nearly as much, even with some stellar set-pieces and committed performances from Eric Bana, Olivia Munn and a solid if transformation-less dramatic debut from Community’s Joel McHale. Of the three, while Bana delivers as brilliantly as he always does, it’s Munn who deserves a great deal of credit for making a memorable performance out of virtually nothing. If only the same could be said for the second hour of the film.
That’s where the trouble truly begins, both for the characters on screen and the viewers in their seats. What starts as a compelling, if heavily telegraphing narrative (they only ever include a scene of a daughter asking “Daddy, why don’t you go to church?” if the character finds God in the end) eradicates all intrigue once the cause of the chaos is determined, and its time for the loose-cannon cop and the chain-smoking cleric to get down to a good ol’ fashioned, Friedkin filching exorcism, which diverts from Exorcist “homage” just enough to have its blonde, bleeding, shirtless and recently exorcised Sean Harris be bathed in rain water and blue-light at just the right angle to show someone had just watched the end of Blade Runner before shooting, whilst the last bit of the audience’s interest disappears, like tears in the rain.
Yet Marvel fans, don’t start writing your posts of hate just yet. Despite this seemingly less-than-ringing endorsement, the eventual Dr. Strange will not be the Byron Orpheus you fear. If there’s any positive takeaway from Deliver Us From Evil, its that Scott Derrickson is a master of tone, and can clearly direct the hell out of anything. From the shot choices to the near-precision utilization of light and speed, Derrickson maintains a sense of eerie dread throughout the film that, while the story never lives up to it, undeniably gives one faith that Steve Ditko’s beloved Doctor is in safe hands. As for casting (if he has any say in such matters on his next film), Deliver Us From Evil shows he makes good picks and he knows how to work with them, even if he does seem to forget McHale’s Butler halfway through the film and renders him utterly pointless by the third act.
All in all, is Deliver Us From Evil a terrible way to spend your day at the movies? You could do far worse (and with Tammy and Transformers 4 also out this weekend, you have plenty of options to do so), but its also not the best use of your $7-12. Hardcore horror fans may get a few kicks, and the curious comic book fan may take comfort in Derrickson’s direction, but for everyone else, at best, it’s two hours in an air-conditioned room with some semi-decent entertainment.
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Well, then, is there anything worth watching? If you’re willing to do a bit of searching (and depending on where you live, some light traveling), then yes. Almost undeniably yes. In 2012, cinema icon and prolific tweeter Roger Ebert announced that his memoir, Life Itself, had been optioned for a feature length documentary by Steve James, who had previously directed one of Ebert’s favorite films, Hoop Dreams. No one could have known, though there were intimations everyone defiantly ignored, that this would also document the final days of the revered film scholar. Admittedly, its as difficult for a film critic to broach the subject of Roger Ebert as it is for a baseball player to discuss Lou Gehrig or a politician to discuss Abraham Lincoln, such is the ultimate tragedy of their story and the reverence their name carries. Ebert, who had the advantage of being an equally brilliant but more accessible Pauline Kael, became America’s critic, and his legendary on-air bouts with long time cine-mate Gene Siskel were more exciting than some of the movies they discussed. Anyone who ever fell in love with film has read his work, and he’s there every time a review is written. There’s always some panicked comparison, or some mental reassurance that no matter how badly you massacre a film, its not as harsh as Roger’s blood-bath review of North or The Brown Bunny. Therefor, it’s admittedly hard to trust any critic when discussing the film itself, such is the emotional impact of the subject. Yet, truly, Life Itself stands on its own as a brilliantly crafted and moving tribute to the man who loved movies, who exemplified what a critic should be and changed what the role of the critic was in the lives of the average American. To hear him acclaimed and eulogized by the very people he himself revered, like Martin Scorsese and Werner Herzog, speaks volumes to his influence, and Steve James’ stellar direction and editing speaks even more to Ebert’s character. As sad as the circumstances are that brought about this film, its a fitting tribute to a great man.
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But hey, it’s fourth of July weekend, and you’ve got a lot of anti-Belgium rage to channel. You want something pulse-pounding. Well, be careful what you wish for, cause this flick will pound your pulse so hard, you’ll be ruined for all other action films to come. Kung-Fu fans know the name Gareth Evans well, but mainstream audiences only discovered the Welsh-born, Indonesia-based director when The Raid: Redemption blew the doors off of Sundance in 2012. Even then, while the film garnered as much critical praise as seemed possible (and in spite of his short "Safe Haven" being the only memorable part of the horror anthology V/H/S 2), Evans’ masterful follow-up The Raid 2: Berandal still only received a limited, barely promoted release. Which is a supreme shame, as many are calling it the greatest action movie ever made, and its hard to argue otherwise. While the biggest complaint about the first Raid film was its lack of a unique plot (or honestly any plot at all), the sequel makes up for that in spades with a story of crime and double-crossing so complex it makes Le Doulos look quaint. Sure, it helps to have seen the first film, but only to understand the opening scene. After that, the film stands on its own as a tale of undercover cop battling corruption from the inside, starting with tossing the ever intense Rama (a career-making and career-defining role for Iko Uwais, who’s well overdue a trip stateside under the direction of, say, Mr. Tarantino) into a prison in order to infiltrate a gang. What ensues within ten minutes of exposition is one of the most lively and inventive fights in recent memory, within the confines of a bathroom stall. From there, it’s non-stop action, in a way you’ve never seen it before. Those who swooned for the single-take thrills of True Detective’s fourth episode shoot-out will be ecstatic over the prison-yard mud-fight which Evans directs like a bone-crunching ballet. Every movement, every detail is so intricately placed that each jab, grab and stab is a spectacle. And unlike the faceless horde of henchman, cops and drug lords unloaded in the first Raid, Evans delivers ingenious and inimitable characters in every scene, including the ever memorable and menacingly mute “Hammer Girl”. Don’t let the subtitles or the run time dissuade you, this is a film like nothing you’ve seen, and it’s everything you’ve ever wanted. The film invites the involuntary howls and cheers that the viewer emits, reveling in its own precision pandemonium, and it redefines what action films can do. It refuses to dumb itself down, and demands your attention, your intellect, and your intense passion. If you truly want an unforgettable experience, skip the theatre this weekend, hit your local brick and mortar movie store, and get The Raid 2 on Blu-Ray. Also available on DVD (but this kind of action deserves only the highest definition, in our humble opinion).
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TV: Piracy is rampant these days, and it seems like every other day something gets leaked, be it a script, a set photo, or sometimes even a whole pilot. Such was the case for the CW’s upcoming Arrow spin-off, The Flash, based on the DC Comics character of the same name. Such an act calls into question a critic’s very ethics. Does one review something that wasn’t necessarily meant to be seen? Even if, as it seems by the official trailer using ample footage, the pilot will be the very first episode we see come the October 7th premiere date; all the same, judging an as-of-yet unaired pilot is like judging a yet to be published novel: it’s not necessarily the finished product, and one doesn’t want to sour the public opinion before anything’s set in stone. Sometimes, pilots don’t work. Some never see air-time, or in the famous case of Star Trek’s two part "The Menagerie", some are reconfigured to work far better than they originally had. So it’s tough to judge a show’s potential based on a leaked pilot, as sometimes pilots change. That said, if someone had seen this leaked pilot, its likely they’d suggest that nobody change a thing. Not one golden lightning bolt on the near-straight-from-the-comics costume whose origin is more logically explained than any “realistic” take on a hero has ever done before. If someone were to watch the pilot, it’s very likely they’d say that while even its predecessor Arrow needed several episodes to assure us that everyone was right for their respective part (some we’re still a bit unsure of), every member of The Flash cast nails it from their very first line, from Tom Cavanaugh’s brooding Dr. Harrison Wells to Grant Gustin as the titular fastest man alive. It’s possible they’d say that the appearance of Stephen Amell’s Arrow is flawless, and displays the kind of crossover synergy that Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. could only dream of, and that its astounding how endearing the relationship between Barry Allen and his falsely-convicted father is despite only having a brief scene together in the pilot. Barry’s father is, fittingly, played by actor John Wesley Shipp, who had previously played The Flash in an attempt to bring the character to television in the 90’s, and if one were to review the leaked pilot, one could (while giving credit to the quality of the original series) joke that the current take on The Flash “runs circles” around the original, and confidently speculate that this series will run for quite some time. They would go on to tease that Shipp and Amell aren’t the show’s only connection to the DC Universe, while refusing to spoil any more than that, and would likely assert that long-time Flash fans will catch countless references to the character’s lore, going back to Barry’s first appearance in Showcase #4. If someone were able to resolve the moral quandary of writing a review for the (possibly intentionally) leaked Flash pilot, they would probably very emphatically tell the reader to mark their calendars for October 7th, and to set their DVRs, because this is the kind of episode you’ll want to watch again and again, imbued with as much fun as the Marvel movies, with the grounded sensibility DC’s TV and films are known for. They’d say that hands down, The Flash is the most exciting new series of the year, and suggest that if this isn’t the future of comic books on TV, it damn well should be.
But, of course, with that whole ethical dilemma lingering in the air, we certainly wouldn’t do anything like that…
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News: Until a few days ago, the plan for this news piece was to discuss how “retired” director Steven Soderbergh’s 2009 experimental film The Girlfriend Experience would be adapted into a 13 part series on Starz. That was the plan. In preparation, Soderbergh’s film was watched and rewatched. Notes were taken on all the directions the series could possibly go. Hours were spent on the internet scrounging every detail possible about the upcoming series, and more hours spent researching the film’s star, Sasha Grey (alright, so it wasn’t all grueling work). But then, it was all rendered moot, as the ever shifting tectonic plates of the TV industry sent shockwaves through the blogosphere with news so big, so monstrously monumental that not even a peacock could kill it (and one certainly did try).
Yes, it was recently announced that the Brechtian, meta-fictional cult show Community had been revived, once more continuing its mission toward the oft-quoted and hashtagged “Six Seasons and a Movie” after NBC left fans one season and a movie short. While many expected the series to be picked up by Netflix or Hulu, in the end Greendale was saved by Yahoo!, who until now had best been known for the under the radar web spoof Burning Love (which itself had featured Community’s Ken Jeong). The cast seemed enthusiastic about the show’s revival, with star Joel McHale reminding us of the new possibilities the show had online, saying “#SixSeasonsAndaMovie is real. Thank you Sony. Thank you Yahoo. Thank you Dan Harmon. And thank you to the greatest f%$#ing fans in the history of the human race. It's the Internet. We can swear now.” Fans of Starburns, Annie’s Boobs (the monkey who lives in the air vents), and maybe even Troy and Abed in the Morning (if Harmon has his way), let us rejoice, eat some fine Let’s potato chips, and gather round a bon fire of Season 4 DVDs.
Of course, fans of meta-fiction weren’t the only ones to get good news this week, as fantasy fans have just had their greatest hope since The Hobbit realized with the announcement that genre icon Neil Gaiman’s most-beloved (picture-less) book was finally being brought to the screen, after being bandied about in the development ether for nearly a decade. American Gods, the best-selling novel about the gods of every religion gathering together at an American diner, will be brought to the screen on the Starz network, and helmed by acclaimed show runner Bryan Fuller. Fuller has had the most success and support of his career with his newest endeavor, Hannibal on NBC, now entering its third acclaimed season. However, despite the show’s broad appeal, some find it too trite, too crass and too senselessly sanguinary to feel comfortable letting their beloved novel be adapted under his watchful eye. To those folks we say worry not. Before Fuller was NBC’s golden boy of gore, he was a cult icon for creating a string of critically beloved, quirky shows that never got a fighting chance: Dead Like Me, Wonderfalls, and the Emmy-winning Pushing Daisies, all of which possess the very gothically optimistic sentiment Gaiman imbues in all his work. So Hannibal fan or not, rest assured American Gods is in good, life-giving hands.
Of course, as the above mentioned Pushing Daisies taught us, every time a life is saved, another is lost. Just as the new life was breathed into Community and American Gods, the axe had to come down on two shows. And who better to wield that axe than the kings of cancellation, the focus of more nerd-rage than every Covenant on Halo, Fox. The mighty hand that slew the three year old Arrested Development, the two year old Dollhouse and the internet’s sacred Serenity crew after barely a season (not to mention canceling their cash cow Family Guy twice), Fox gave two series the Old Yeller treatment before ever bringing them to air. First, after pouring money likely in the millions to produce 7 episodes of an American version of the Brit-comGavin & Stacey entitled Us & Them, Fox decided to kick it to the curb without ever airing a single episode. Then, as though they hadn’t just blown a vast amount of non-recoupable cash already, Fox decided to nix their massively expensive period drama Hieroglyph, an Egyptian attempt to rival Game of Thrones the network was so confident in, they skipped the pilot stage completely and just straight ordered 13 episodes, how many of which have actually been produced to go unaired is unknown. We understand that sometimes things don’t come together as planned, but one more premature cancellation, and the other Big Three might just have to stage an intervention.
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Short Film: Short films are truly an unappreciated art-form. Even though they have their own Oscar categories (three to be precise), the general population sees the announcement of the Best Live-Action Short winner was the universal sign for bathroom break during the telecast, and most only see an animated short when it precedes the Pixar film their kids dragged them to. The truth is, however, that all those who lament the death of Hollywood originality need only turn to the shorter side of cinema to see some of the most inventive and fun storytelling today. Trust us, it’s not all black and white student films of cats and sad clowns. And now, you don’t even have to head to a film festival to see short films like in the olden days. The internet provides a venue for every burgeoning filmmaker to put their most daring work out there for the world to see, so take a few minutes out of your day and give one a watch. Who knows, maybe the film we pick will be the one in that aforementioned Oscar envelope, and just maybe you’ll wait till the commercials to hit the head this year.
This week’s short premiered at the prestigious Sundance Film Festival this year, but don’t take that as an indication its got even a hint of indie film aloofness. The Apocalypse (a popular cinematic subject these days) has a different take on what brings about the end of mankind, which dawns as a group of 20-somethings (including Freaks and Geeks’ Martin Starr) try to decide how to while away the day. Like any good short film, there’s several ways to interpret it, either as a cultural criticism utilizing the apocalypse as a metaphor for the current societal climate and its anti-intellectual bend, or perhaps the opposite: an expression of dadaist ideals, rebelling against the importance of complex thought over instinct and questioning the necessity of contemplation. And yet, then again, it could just be a funny little short that people are thinking into way too much. Which could, in itself, be what the meaning is. A statement on cinema and how we think far too deeply into the meaning of a film without just enjoying it for its surface pleasures, and that’s the true deeper meaning of The Apocalypse: that to discern it is to destroy it. Or maybe, just maybe, we should all stop speculating what it means, and just watch the film already.
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