Screening Room: Venom: The Last Dance, Conclave, Your Monster & More
Tag Archives: George Wolf
Games People Play
The Remarkable Life of Ibelin
by George Wolf
If you join me in sometimes wondering whether we all might have been better off if the internet was never invented, The Remarkable Life of Ibelin will turn your head.
It will also put tears in your eyes, so come prepared for a moving story about one young man’s very secret, very fulfilling life.
Norwegian Mats Steen was born with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, a rare and degenerative muscle disease that took Mats’s life at the age of 25. As his disease progressed, Mats spent more and more time online playing World of Warcraft, leaving his parents despondent that their son would never know the simple joys of friendship, community and social interaction.
But Mats was careful to leave behind his password, And with it, his family soon discovered that Mats enjoyed all they wished for him and more as Ibelin Redemore, P.I., the role he played within a WoW community called Starlight.
And because of the the online game’s extensive archive, director Benjamin Ree (The Painter and the Thief) is able to recreate the life Mats lived inside the game.
On a broader scale, the gaming community will find plenty of reinforcement here, but the real power of this film lies in its intimacy. It is a story of empowerment, and how a special young man transcended his limitations to touch people’s lives in ways his parents could never imagine.
The Remarkable Life of Ibelin is remarkable in its own right. It weaves together interviews, home movies and stylized game recreations into a journey of stirring emotion, led by one young man whose humanity would not be denied.
Dear Diary: I Wanna Rock!
Road Diary: Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band
by George Wolf
In early 2020, Bruce Springsteen had a new album to promote, but – thanks to lockdown – no place to play. Instead, Bruce and longtime collaborator Thom Zimny filmed a very exclusive show at his New Jersey ranch, and released the Western Stars concert film.
The music was inspired by the smooth California sound of artists such as Glen Campbell and Burt Bacharach, and featured a band full of orchestral musicians instead of Bruce’s longtime road warriors.
By the time the E Streeters -Rock Hall of Famers on their own – reunited for Bruce’s current tour, they hadn’t been together for six full years. Hulu’s Road Diary digs into that reunion with joy and celebration, showcasing the creative process fueling Springsteen’s reputation as one of the greatest live performers in the history of rock and roll.
Zimny is back to direct, and though we are treated to several Springsteen bangers, the focus here is less about songwriting inspirations and more about the business of how those legendary E Street shows come together.
It starts, of course, with rehearsals, and Zimny’s access gives us fascinating insight into how Bruce gets the two things he wants from the warmups: to “shake off the cobwebs” and to assemble a set list.
Springsteen’s devotion to live performing is inescapable, as is the power of the musical unit backing him up. And while the band is getting prepared for the future, we do get some charming glimpses of their past. Home movies and band interviews bring context for these longtime bonds, and provide the opportunity for warm tributes in memory of Clarence Clemons and Danny Federici.
Obviously, the film is a must for Springsteen devotees, and a thrilling bookend to any show from this current tour. But for anyone who has only heard tell of the Bruce/E Street experience and wondered about the hype, Road Diary should provide a healthy nudge toward the next nearest concert.
Yes, Bruce just turned 75, but this film will also dispel any talk of retirement.
“It’s my job,” he says. “After 50 years on the road, it’s too late to stop now.”
One, two, three, FOUR!
Fright Club: Nightmares Film Festival New Distribution Panel
The 2024 Nightmares Film Festival — the Cannes of genre fests — is in the books! One highlight from the fest was their panel discussion concerning independent film distribution. Hope joins filmmaker Joe Swanberg, marketer Cicely Enriques and Phil Garrett from Cranked Up/Good Deed Entertainment.
Beasts of Burden
Rumours
by George Wolf
Did you know that swag bags at the G7 Summit come with a free copy of Incumbent Life magazine?
That’s just one example of the winking comedy at work in Rumours, which finds Guy Maddin teaming with brothers Evan and Galen Johnson to pen a well-developed satire about the “burden of leadership.”
At this latest Summit, the leaders of Germany (Cate Blacchett), the U.S. (Charles Dance), Canada (Roy Dupuis), Italy (Rolondo Ravello), Great Britain (Nikki Amuka-Bird), France (Denis Ménochet) and Japan (Takehiro Hira) all agree they need to draft a cohesive statement on an unnamed world crisis.
Actually doing it becomes more of a challenge, one that gets even harder when they all find themselves lost in the woods around the German compound. With no servants in sight, the Heads of State grow fearful of Bog Zombies, are perplexed by the oversized brain they come across, and incredulous when the missing President of the European Commission (Alicia Vikander) suddenly reappears.
That’s a busy night.
Evan Johnson directs, putting understandable confidence in these wonderful actors to craft distinct personalities while grounding the comedy with the bone dry delivery required to wring the last ounce of wry mischief from every line. The target is more than just fiddling while the world burns, it’s aimed at those who congratulate themselves just for agreeing that the temperature has changed.
This is high concept satire, for sure, but Johnston doesn’t front load the fun. The steady pace has room for surprises throughout, with enough relatable truth to smooth out the overly goofy spots.
And for those who thought Don’t Look Up was just too obvious and on-the-nose, Rumours may be the perfect blend of comedy and world’s end commentary. It’s quieter, more polite, but still able to wield absurdity as a potent spotlight on the pathetic.
And just look at that big brain near Blanchett!
Fright Club: Weddings in Horror
Brides are terrifying. That is a simple fact. It’s just one of the reasons that weddings are so ripe for horror’s picking: emotions are high, the promise of a lovely future creates ironic tension, a lot of people are confined (and often drunk). And do you really know who you’re binding yourself to for the rest of your life? We invite you to the best in wedding day horror.
5. [Rec] 3: Genesis (2012)
Paco Plaza’s third [REC] installment takes place simultaneously with his original found footage classic but picks up on the religious elements of the first sequel.
It’s wedding day for Clara (Leticia Dolera, badass) and Koldo (Diego Martín), but one guest was bitten by a dog and that is not going to bode well for the many, many guests at the reception. The confined chaos is all viscera and glory, perfectly staged and executed. There’s a lack of cynicism in this film that suits it and makes the finale more touching than what you might expect.
4. Ready or Not (2019)
Directors Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett (Scream, Scream IV, Abigail) invite you to join one happy couple as they plunge into a world where the wealthiest among us would rather commit murder than do without what none of them worked very hard to earn. The inky black comedy plays like a game of Clue gone mad with arterial spray.
Samara Weaving is reliably badass, her central performance elevated by the sometimes inspired work of the ensemble. Andie MacDowell, in particular, seems to be enjoying herself immensely. It’s fun, it’s funny, and it’s a bloody mess.
3. The Lure (2015)
Who’s up for Polish vampire mermaids? Gold (Michalina Olszanska) and Silver (Marta Mazurek) are not your typical movie mermaids, and director Agnieszka Smoczynska’s feature debut The Lure is not your typical – well, anything. The musical fable offers a vivid mix of fairy tale, socio-political commentary, whimsy and throat tearing.
Underneath everything, this is The Little Mermaid, leading to the big wedding. Expect lurid side turns, fetishistic explorations, dissonant musical numbers and a host of other vaguely defined sea creatures to color the fable.
2. Freaks (1932)
Short and sweet, like most of its performers, Tod Browning’s controversial film Freaks is one of those movies you will never forget. Populated almost entirely by unusual actors – amputees, the physically deformed, and an honest to god set of conjoined twins (Daisy and Violet Hilton) – Freaks makes you wonder whether you should be watching it at all. This, of course, is an underlying tension in most horror films, but with Freaks, it’s right up front. Is what Browning does with the film empathetic or exploitative, or both? And, of course, am I a bad person for watching this film?
Well, that’s not for us to say. We suspect you may be a bad person, perhaps even a serial killer. Or maybe that’s Hope. What we can tell you for sure is that this film is unsettling, and the final, rainy act of vengeance after a wedding ceremony gone wrong is truly creepy to watch.
1. Demon (2015)
The British Piotr travels to his Polish fiance’s old family vacation home for a proper Catholic wedding. There he attempts to maneuver a new language, impress reluctant in-laws, and grasp wife-to-be Zaneta’s (Agnieszka Zulewska) heritage. Though Zaneta’s family is reluctant to embrace him, a wandering spirit is happy to.
Director/co-writer Marcin Wrona’s final feature (he ended his life at a festival where the film was playing) offers a spooky, atmospheric rumination on cultural loss. Like the mournful soul that clings to poor bridegroom Piotr (Itay Tiran), Demon sticks to you.
Fun Bones
Title Below
by George Wolf
I had this review written and ready to post, but it seems the AI program picked up trigger words that seemed like a shady sales pitch, and wouldn’t allow it.
So take two.
Ahem…THIS IS A MOVIE about a woman not backing down from the evil spirits that are blocking the path to her dream house.
In the enchanting mockumentary titled For Sale By Exorcist, resourceful realtor Susan Price is likely to tell those ghosts “Out of the way, Jose!,” with a big smile and maybe even a “Bless your heart!”
Susan (Emily Classen) also happens to be a certified exorcist. After a decade of flipping haunted houses coast to coast, she realizes the irony of not having a home a call her own. But just when Susan is looking to put down some roots, the displaced spirits she’s sent packing through the years come back to torment her.
“I don’t want some boo-hag lookin’ at me when I’m down here doing my yoga!”
First-time feature director Melissa LaMartina digs into the silly charm of the premise with a confident and strategic touch. She employs plenty of quick cuts, reaction shots and non sequiturs to keep the pace lively and craft a “The Office” or “Parks and Recreation” – styled expose.
Classen is an engaging and energetic presence, while screenwriters Chris LaMartina and Rob Walker keep the goofs and gags coming, including a well-dropped aside about searching for a good BLT sandwich that eventually gets its other shoe.
Both the horror and the comedy here are on the lighter side, but THE MOVIE CALLED For Sale By Exorcist is heavy on love for each genre, and built with some seriously fun bones. It’s a delight.
And also a movie. Not a sales pitch.
Screening Room: Saturday Night, Terrifier 3, The Apprentice & More
Parent Trap
Daddy’s Head
by George Wolf
You see the title Daddy’s Head and you might expect a bit of grind house fun, full of schlock and awe and signifying little. But this Shudder original has higher aspirations, as writer/director Benjamin Barfoot pulls off a nifty creature feature steeped in the psychology of grief.
Young Isaac (Rupert Turnbull) lives with his father James (Charles Aitken) and stepmother Laura (Julia Brown) in the English countryside. Life has already dealt the boy a terrible blow with the death of his mother, so James’s fatal car accident weighs heavy with cruel trauma.
Isaac is left with no next of kin, and officials from social services favor Laura taking over as legal guardian, if she is agreeable.
But while Laura is sorting through the legalities, days and nights begin to get bumpy.
Isaac insists that his father has returned. Something breaks through a picture window and attacks the family dog.** A kitchen knife turns up missing. And James’s divorced friend Robert (Nathaniel Martello-White) is always finding reasons to drop by.
As Isaac becomes convinced that is father is calling to him from the nearby woods, Barfoot punctures the questionable realities with some well-crafted jump scares and satisfying practical effects. The frights that come in the third act succeed because of the character dynamics that Barfoot and his talented cast build in the first two. The child-centered mystery and sleek, imposing aesthetics will likely call Goodnight Mommy to mind early on, before giving way to a Babadook-styled struggle with a monster.
But Daddy’s Head tripping is committed to upping the ante, and the escalation ultimately delivers enough to satisfy fans of both blood and metaphors.
**trigger warning: violence to animals
Screening Room: Joker: Folei à Deux, Salem’s Lot, White Bird & More
