TIFF 2021: Dashcam

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  Movie Review: Halloween Kills

  há um dia

  36:17

  The first reaction to Halloween Kills, the sequel to 2018 Halloween, is "What the Hell happened?" The 2018 film felt like a fitting end for Michael Meyers and Jamie Lee Curtis' Laurie Strode. In that 2018 film, we watched Laurie take the fight to Michael and it was actually pretty enjoyable. Halloween Kills is a far cry from that film. It's so bad it leaves you wondering if the same crew that made the first film made this one. Surprisingly, the answer is "yes". David Gordon Greene is back as director as are the same writers (Scott Teams and Danny McBride). So what the hell happened? Why did this film fall so far off from what they originally did? The biggest thing that doesn't work for this film is that it sidelines the best thing about the first film. Jamie Lee Curtis was great in the first film. In this film she doesn't share a single scene with her nemesis Michael Meyers. She doesn't die, she's just not used in any scenes with him. That is a bit of a spoiler but after seeing the trailers and promotion for this film, it feels like false advertisement and needs to be called out. Instead of focusing on Strode the film decides to bring in a bunch of other characters from previous films or encounters with Meyers and turn them into a militia that goes after Meyers. While that seems like a plot point that could be interesting, it falls flat for a couple of reasons.  First, it feels forced. Anthony Michael Hall plays an adult Tommy Doyle. Tommy has an obsession with taking down Michael but he thinks he's going to do it with a handful of random folks with a baseball bat. Why on earth would Tommy think a baseball bat is going to stop Michael Meyers? It just feels like the film wanted to say "See, we're connecting it all back to the original series" but didn't care how or why or even if they should. The second issue is that the film seems like it's trying to make a larger commentary on mob mentality but it does a piss poor job at it.  On a positive (maybe the only one), the kills are gory. But they're also boring. Yes, Michael Meyers is a force of nature that is going too plow through people. But Halloween Kills feels like that was the only trick they had up their sleeve and it overplayed it. At some point it felt like watching an old school horror film where you're watching not because it's scary but because the characters are so dumb they deserve to die.  This film ends with the clear indication that they want to make another one. But it really doesn't deserve to continue. Yet that's the history of the Halloween films and the curse of Michael Meyers. Even when they should die, they just pop back up and continue on. Like what you hear? Subscribe so you don't miss an episode! Follow us on Twitter: @Phenomblak @InsanityReport @TheMTRNetwork   Our shirts are now on TeePublic.  https://teepublic.com/stores/mtr-network   Want more podcast greatness? Sign up for a MTR Premium Account!
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  TIFF 2021: Silent Night

  04/10/2021

  Since we’ve all lived through a deadly pandemic, there have been jokes made about how certain storylines and plot devices in movies just won’t work any more because we’ve seen the reality of how people behave. We’ve seen how people react to science, the calls from the government to stay home or get vaccinated. Unfortunately what we saw was people react in ways that prior to 2020 would be called too ridiculous and dumb if they saw play out in a movie. So how does that relate to the movie Silent Night? Well, the problem is that one of the major plot points now seems completely unrelateable now after what we’ve all witnessed (and continue to witness) the last 18 months.  Silent Night has the feel of the 2015 film, The Invitation. A group of friends get together for the holidays, gathering at the home of Nell (Keira Knightley) & Simon (Matthew Goode) to celebrate what might be their last time together. As the film goes on you get bits and pieces of the larger issue that is happening outside of this group that they’re desperately trying to pretend isn’t happening for just one night.  While Silent Night isn’t bad, there are two big problems with it. First is the aforementioned issue of the reality of the last 18 months. Without spoiling the film, there are certain things that happen that just seem unrealistic. It’s not really the fault of the film but more of timing. One of the most important aspects of the story is the UK government issuing certain claims and people just buying into it. Having seen how the UK & US had plenty of doubts around very real issues with COVID, it kinda takes you out of the film. It might just be that we’re still dealing with anti-vaxxers and anti-maskers and so seeing a film where people just go along with the government with little pushback just seems a bit unbelievable. But the bigger issue is that the film doesn’t use its great cast well. In a film like this, the thing that should be most interesting would be the tension in the social group. And while there is some there, it mostly feels like wasted opportunities. There is talk about classism a bit but they never address it really with the group. Which there are plenty of opportunities to do that but don’t.  In the end Silent Night isn’t a bad film, just a forgettable one.  Follow more of our Toronto Film Festival 2021 Reviews and Coverage on our Press Page Page: https://press.mtrnetwork.net Follow us on Social Media: MTRNetwork MTRNetwork @InsanityReport @TheMTRNetwork
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  TIFF 2021: Encounter

  27/09/2021

  Encounter is a film that has some interesting themes but doesn’t fully flesh them all out. It doesn’t have the message it thinks it does mainly because it doesn’t fully complete the thoughts it lays out. It’s not a bad film but also not a very good one either. Really it just sits there in  the middle giving a taste of what could be important themes on policing, mental health and the need for good social workers but not producing the full meal. The synopsis for Encounter states that the movie is about two brothers that embark on a journey with their father (Riz Ahmed) who is trying to protect them from an alien invasion. You quickly figure out that the movie isn’t really about an alien invasion but more about how we treat veterans and ex-felons and how jumps to conclusions for law enforcement can lead to deadly situations.  This cast is pretty solid. As always Riz Ahmed does a fantastic job. He always pulls out great emotions from his characters and this film even gets him to lean into some action for a bit as well. Honestly, Ahmed’s performance is probably the singular thing that saves this film from being totally forgettable. That’s not a knock against the others in this film. They’re also fantastic (particularly Octavia Spencer). But as the lead, Ahmed does a lot of the heavy lifting and had it been anyone else, it actually would have been too much to ask. Again, this film isn’t bad and is definitely worth checking out for the acting. The problem just comes that it will feel a bit unfulfilling. There’s a really great cast here that does what they can but it’s just not enough. Encounter is being distributed by Amazon Studios and will have a limited release on December 3rd and hit Prime Video on December 10th. Follow more of our Toronto Film Festival 2021 Reviews and Coverage on our Press Page Page: https://press.mtrnetwork.net Follow us on Social Media: MTRNetwork MTRNetwork @InsanityReport @TheMTRNetwork
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  TIFF 2021: Saloum

  27/09/2021

  38:33

  If Saloum is an example of what we can expect from new distributor Lacmé Studios and director Jean Luc Herbulot, then the future is very bright for what we might be seeing coming out of African cinema over the next few years. Clocking in at only 84 minutes, Saloum is able to tell a compelling story that covers several different themes while also being interesting and entertaining story. Usually when a film is trying to do so much and has such a dramatic turn, it loses what it’s trying to say and confuses the audience. Either that or it just runs out of time to fully flesh out the story.  In the beginning this film has the same feel as a spaghetti western or samurai film. It follows three mercenaries that you don’t know much about and are unsure if they’re bad guys or good guys. The one thing that is certain is that they have a very close bond. It’s almost like they’re antihero Three Musketeers. The audience is given just enough about each of them to know what their role in the group dynamic is. What does become clear is that their leader Chaka (Yann Gael) is hiding something and that something might get them all in deeper trouble. What’s really fun about Saloum is the turn at the back third of this film. It’s reminiscent of the turn in From Dusk Till Dawn. The film turns into a horror film based on the lore of the region that works very well. What’s impressive is how the film is able to weave this in without feeling rushed or forced. In fact the turn actually fits in very well with the saying at the very beginning of the film “Revenge is like a river whose bottom is reached only when we drown.” Saloum is definitely something to checkout as is anything else coming out of Lacmé Studios. Follow more of our Toronto Film Festival 2021 Reviews and Coverage on our Press Page Page: https://press.mtrnetwork.net Follow us on Social Media: MTRNetwork MTRNetwork @InsanityReport @TheMTRNetwork
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  TIFF 2021: Out of Sync

  20/09/2021

  18:58

  Out of Sync tells a compelling story story about a woman that finds herself slowly falling out of sync with the world both mentally and physically. It’s a good story about how a person can feel their world closing down around them but not realize that those close to them love and support them if they would accept the help.  Marta Nieto does a great job playing the unnamed lead character as detached from those around her and standoffish. She plays a sound editor whose personal life is a mess (her ex & his wife need her to vacate the apartment she’s in) and realizes that her hearing is falling out of sync. Add to that her mother has a secret about her upbringing that could be the key to what’s happening to her. What's really great about this film is that the characters you would expect to be terrible and mean, aren't. The main character thinks no one really cares about her but the opposite is revealed. She has plenty of people that care about her if she lets them. Instead she's purposely cut herself off from the world and that's led to this situation where she's now completely falling out of sync. The sound editing in Out of Sync is outstanding. As the lead character falls more and more out of sync with the world, the delay in sound becomes more pronounce. It starts off subtly with the sound being just off slightly. Then the delay becomes longer and longer. It adds to some great moments in the film. Usually having a film being out of sync, isn't a desired effect but in this case it really does work. And honestly in some scenes it really takes some skill. Out of Sync isn't the film for everyone but it's definitely worth checking out. The subtitles in the film actually help, especially with the delay in some oof the audio. If you can sit through that, then this will be right up your alley. Follow more of our Toronto Film Festival 2021 Reviews and Coverage on our Press Page Page: https://press.mtrnetwork.net Follow us on Social Media: MTRNetwork MTRNetwork @InsanityReport @TheMTRNetwork
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  TIFF 2021: Hellbound

  19/09/2021

  37:09

  How would society react if people started getting predictions that they were set to die and be bound to Hell that came true? That’s the basis for Hellbound. And the first episode opens up showing just how serious it can be. Giant smoke “Hulks” show up and chase a man out of a coffee shop and then beat him to death in the middle of a busy street. Then they perform some kind of “ritual” that leaves only a smoking pile of ash behind. This intense scene happens before the credits even roll and does a good job of setting the stage for the rest of the first 3 episodes.  Hellbound uses the supernatural as a method to tell a story about how society reacts to events that they don’t really understand. Considering what we’ve been dealing with when it comes to COVID and a global pandemic, it comes off as very relevant. First, there’s how religion is used to try to find meaning in things that are happening. There’s a cult in this series that tries really hard to act like they’re not a cult but is clearly a cult. Hellbound uses the idea of “sin” to try to explain away how these things are happening. Obviously if people are being bound to Hell, then clearly they deserve it. There must be a reason for it and so there becomes a national interest in finding out what secrets these people are hiding.  The first three episodes unfold in a way that really suck the audience in. There are moments that almost feel like cliffhangers but aren't even the end of the episode. As things start to get revealed, more questions come up. The third episode really starts to show what's really going on and could even be a good ending if this was a film and not a series. A Netflix release date for Hellbound hasn't been given yet but when it does, it is definitely worth checking out. Follow more of our Toronto Film Festival 2021 Reviews and Coverage on our Press Page Page: https://press.mtrnetwork.net Follow us on Social Media: MTRNetwork MTRNetwork @InsanityReport @TheMTRNetwork
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  TIFF 2021: Dashcam

  18/09/2021

  29:18

  There’s been a lot of buzz around Rob Savage’s Dashcam and to be honest, none of it is deserved. Dashcam is a film that thinks it’s more shocking than it really is. This is one of those “found footage” type films that gives other films in that category a bad name. It’s frustrating because Savage’s Host has gotten great reviews. But Dashcam is a swing in the opposite direction. Found Footage/“Documentary style” fictional films can be good. Hell, they can be great. Most folks immediately jump to thinking about films like The Blair Witch Project and to be honest, that film is terrible. It’s mostly shaky camera, frantic for no reason and uses unnecessary close-ups to try to force tension. Good found footage films understand that there are several keys to making them work: Have a reason for the camera to always be on Don’t overdo the shaky camera Have a story/plot Make sure there’s a payoff for the audience. Dashcam doesn’t even come close to the good category because it has none of the 4 things need to make the film good. Instead it's just a lazy, mediocre at best movie that relies on the audience sticking around to see the unlikeable and annoying protagonist get what she deserves. Seriously, making your lead character a rapping white woman who is a MAGA troll and Covid denier is a choice. Even worse, this short film spends an aggravating amount of time following her stupid antics before getting to anything interesting (namely whatever the hell was going on with 'Angela'). When we finally do get Angela and the horror elements, we never get the reveal of the story of what's going on. Instead we get annoying moments like a wannabe rapper trying to rap about incest shortly after running for her life. It's all just one big, annoying waste of time.  But the most disappointing thing is that nothing in Dashcam is original. Spend some time scrolling through the Amazon Prime catalog fo horror films and you'll find films that look and feel just like Dashcam does (but better in some cases). It feels hack and lazy. By the time something actually interesting shows up the film is just about over. The most frightening thing about Dashcam is the realization that you'll never get those 77 minutes back. If Rob Savage’s point with Dashcam was to get people “triggered” or talking about his film because of how bad it is, then maybe it’s a success. Other than that this is just a forgettable film in a category flooded with bad to mediocre films. The one positive takeaway from this film is that it increases the desire to highlight the good films. If you’re looking for good found footage films here’s a list to checkout: Troll Hunter Creep 1 & Creep 2 the Hell House LLC series Searching The Visit The Taking of Deborah Logan Chronicle V/H/S 1 & V/H/S 2 the [REC] series Butterfly Kisses Willow Creek Frankenstein’s Army Gehenna: Where Death Lives Follow more of our Toronto Film Festival 2021 Reviews and Coverage on our Press Page Page: https://press.mtrnetwork.net Follow us on Social Media: MTRNetwork MTRNetwork @InsanityReport @TheMTRNetwork
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  TIFF 2021: The Guilty

  17/09/2021

  32:30

  The Guilty is one of those films that feels like actually benefited from COVID restrictions. Any other time and this film would have gone too far into showing us car chases and big set pieces. Even worse, it would have turned this film into a cop propaganda film that happens so often when a police officer that is clearly unhinged is somehow made into a hero. Instead what we got was an intense thriller that plays on the concept of police jumping to conclusions and how that can lead to dangerous situations. There are several things that really work for The Guilty. First and foremost is Jake Gyllenhaal. Gyllenhaal might be one of the latest set of celebrities to dry snitch on themselves when it come to their questionable hygiene habits but the man can still act his ass off. Playing demoted and clearly troubled officer Joe Bailey, Gyllenhaal captures completely frantic and out of control nature of a police officer that should never have a badge and a gun. Intensity is something Gyllenhaal always brings to his characters and his Joe Bailey really channels his Louis Bloom character from 2014's Nightcrawler. He's very unlikable and clearly shouldn't be working dispatch much less being a cop with a badge. But he also serves as a great vantage point for how dangerous it is for cops to try too hard to dictate situations and jump to conclusions when they don't have all the facts. The rest of the cast is also well suited for this film. Most are not visibly seen (due to Covid restrictions) but still do a great job helping to bring the story together. Da'Vine Joy Randolph plays a CHP dispatcher who routinely reminds Officer Bailey he doesn't have the authority to tell her or anyone else how to do their job. Its a much needed performance that serves in contrast to Bailey's ego and need to play supercop. Peter Sarsgaard and Riley Keough also give great performances that help drive the level of urgency in the film. Also, like Randolph, they do a great job playing off of Gyllenhaal and help enhance his performance since all of their interactions happen through the phone. This is a huge reason why this film works so well. Usually films do better when they “show instead of tell” you what’s happening. However, in The Guilty, hearing what’s happening without actually seeing it works to the film’s advantage. It puts the audience right there in the seat with Officer Bailey with a  little sense of hopelessness because just like him, there’s nothing you can do but sit and wait for someone to explain what happened. this increases the tension in the film and really draws the audience in. It also makes the film feel like there are real stakes. More importantly though, it shows how context matters and that when you’re only one the receiving end of information, it's easy to jump to conclusions that could have devastating consequences. The Guilty has suspense, tension and a sense of urgency that all make this a film worth checking out. Even better, it also shows how the “super cop” on the police force isn’t a good thing for public safety and doesn’t shy away from it.  The Guilty will release in select in select theaters on September 24 and on Netflix October 1. Follow more of our Toronto Film Festival 2021 Reviews and Coverage on our Press Page Page: https://press.mtrnetwork.net Follow us on Social Media: MTRNetwork MTRNetwork @InsanityReport @TheMTRNetwork
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  Movie Review: Candyman

  26/08/2021

  49:11

  Candyman suffers from an inconsistent script, wrapped in a beautifully shot film with a great cast that is going to leave audiences either absolutely loving it or feeling like it didn’t live up to expectations. On the surface, everything is there to make this a film that should be universally loved. Director Nia DaCosta embraces the lore of Candyman and attempts to wrap it in an updated and modern tale. There’s been some talk that (wrongly) associates Candyman with “black trauma porn” and that is just false. Candyman has always been more than that. Yes, Tony Todd’s Daniel Robitaille meets a tragic and violent end at the hands of racist white people, but this series has always been more about Robitaille being the Boogeyman and being a Black centered horror franchise. It’s more about revenge and, to be blunt, when white people don’t take Black people serious when they talk about not disturbing the dead or respecting the history of a space they’re invading. DaCosta takes that and adds to it by connecting the tale to modern day Chicago and gentrification and overpolicing.  The biggest problem Candyman faces is the lack of focus on what story it’s trying to tell. It becomes very obvious there were two directions that written and the final product was a mash up of both that ends up with an ending that on paper is good, but isn’t earned. There are three distinct acts in this film and each act feels like it had its own writer that had a different idea of the overall story that should be told. The result is several good paths the film goes down never being fully fleshed out. Instead we get throwaway lines that are easily missed (the significance of Brianna Cartwright’s father and his tragic end) or painfully underused actors in good scenes that should be used more (Vanessa Williams is criminally underused). When the end of the film comes, it comes with a sense of satisfaction that quickly fade away because of how hollow it is due to being rushed in the third act and thereby being unearned. It honestly felt like there was more focus on making sure this could turn into another set of future movies instead of making sure the end was earned. Candyman’s story never equals or exceeds the talent of the cast put together. On their own, each does what they need to. Yahya Abdul-Mateen II is clearly a star that is going to continue to shine. Funny enough, both have superhero titles in their future with Abdul-Mateen returning for Aquaman 2 and Teyonah Parris showing up in The Marvels (and teaming bak up with DaCosta who will be directing). Individually both are fine but have very little onscreen chemistry which is always tragic when you have two beautiful people on screen and yet they just have no energy together. Colman Domingo outacts everyone (no surprise) but again, feels underused up until the rushed third act. Overall there will be many audiences that are satisfied with Candyman as a film. The lack of a consistent voice in the script and unearned payoff at the end will be overshadowed by the well shot scenes, two less and overall intentions the story has even with the flaws. Regardless of how audiences feel, this film will definitely generate conversations and help propel those involved into bigger and better things.   Like what you hear? Subscribe so you don't miss an episode! Follow us on Twitter: @Phenomblak @InsanityReport @TheMTRNetwork   Our shirts are now on TeePublic.  https://teepublic.com/stores/mtr-network   Want more podcast greatness? Sign up for a MTR Premium Account!
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  Movie Review: The Night House

  20/08/2021

  39:01

  The Night House is what happens when David Bruckner the director of V/H/S segment "Amateur Night" and Ben Collins and Luke Piotrowski the writers of the film it ultimately became, SiREN  realize they should absolutely make a movie together. The result was a horror film that brought jump scares that were actually earned. Couple that with a story that was compelling, a great use of sound and a lead in Rebecca Hall who balances a character that is part crazy and being haunted into being crazier and what you get is a very good horror film. The camera angles used in The Night House are fantastic. Angles are used to create “living” shadows that move as the camera moves and leave you wondering if Beth (Hall) is being haunted by her dead husband or is spiraling out of control. Added to that is the use of sound and music. Fair warning, if you're watching this film at home with a surround sound system, be prepared for some terrifying sounds creeping over your left shoulder at times. Hall’s performance in The Night House is reminiscent of Riz Ahmed’s in Mogul Mowgli. She’s asked to do a lot of the heavy lifting here (not in a bad way) and excels. She balances playing the grieving widow, suspicious wife and emotionally compromised person extremely well and at times is playing all three roles as once. The biggest issue that The Night House has is that the ending is a big unsatisfying. But even that is due to how good the story is. By the time the film comes to it’s ending, you realize there’s a third story that gets revealed that will leave the audience wanting more. David Bruckner definitely has a win on his hands with The Night House. Knowing that he will be reuniting with writer Ben Collins on the Hellraiser remake should raise the interest in that film. For now though, The Night House is definitely something to check out.   Like what you hear? Subscribe so you don't miss an episode! Follow us on Twitter: @Phenomblak @InsanityReport @TheMTRNetwork   Our shirts are now on TeePublic.  https://teepublic.com/stores/mtr-network   Want more podcast greatness? Sign up for a MTR Premium Account!