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Saturday, February 25, 2023
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Friday, February 17, 2023
Review: "Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania" Takes Us on a Fantastic Voyage
Sunday, January 1, 2023
Review: "AVATAR: The Way of Water" is Indeed Too Long, But it is Never Boring
Thursday, December 15, 2022
Review: For "CLERKS III," It's Closing Time
Thursday, December 1, 2022
Review: "PEARL" Horror Film is as Crazy as It Wants to Be
Saturday, November 19, 2022
Review: Spielberg's "INDIANA JONES and the Temple of Doom" Still Goes Boom! (Celebrating "The Fabelmans")
TRASH IN MY EYE No. 71 of 2022 (No. 1883) by Leroy Douresseaux
Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984)
Running time: 118 minutes (1 hour, 58 minutes)
MPAA – PG
DIRECTOR: Steven Spielberg
WRITERS: Willard Huyck and Gloria Katz; from a story by George Lucas
PRODUCER: Robert Watts
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Douglas Slocombe (D.o.P.)
EDITOR: Michael Kahn, A.C.E.
COMPOSER: John Williams
Academy Awards winner
ACTION/ADVENTURE
Starring: Harrison Ford, Kate Capshaw, Ke Huy Quan, Amrish Puri, Roy Chiao, Roshan Seth, Philip Stone, Raj Singh, D. R. Nanayakkara, Dan Aykroyd, and Pat Roach
Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom is a 1984 action-adventure film from director Steven Spielberg. It is the second entry in the “Indiana Jones” film franchise that began with the 1981 film, Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981), but it is also a prequel to Raiders. In the Temple of Doom, Indiana Jones takes on a secret cult in India in order to reclaim a sacred rock stolen from a simple Indian village.
Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom opens in Shanghai, 1935. Dr. Henry “Indiana” Jones, Jr. a.k.a. “Indy” (Harrison Ford) has been hired by Lao Che (Roy Chiao), a Shanghai crime boss, to find the remains of Emperor Nurhaci. Che betrays Indy, who goes on the run with Willie Scott (Kate Capshaw), one of Che's nightclub singers, and Short Round (Ke Huy Quan), a young Chinese orphan who is Indy's sidekick.
After surviving a plane crash orchestrated by Lao Che, the trio ends up in a small village in northern India. The village chieftain (D. R. Nanayakkara) believes that Indy's arrival is fated, and that he will help the village with two problems. The first is to retrieve the village's stolen “Shivalinga,” a rock the villagers hold in high esteem. Indy believes that this rock is one of the five sacred “Sankara stones.” The chieftain also wants Indy to find the villagers' missing children. The chieftain informs Indy that the village's troubles began when the new Maharajá reopened the Pankot Palace in Pankot, an opening that has brought back a “dark light” to the land.
Traveling to Pankot Palace, Indy, Willie, and Short Round discover that the Maharajá of Pankot (Raj Singh) is a child, and beneath his palace, the ancient “Thuggee” cult has also been revived. The cult leader, Mola Ram (Amrish Puri), wants to find all five Sankara stones in order to gain power from the Thuggees' goddess, Kali. Now, Indiana Jones has taken it upon himself to stop the cult.
For years, I encountered pretentious film fans who despised Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom and who insisted that I should hate it, too. However, I have always found Temple of Doom to be endlessly entertaining, but I also understand that it has a lot to live up to. It is the sequel (prequel) to one of the most popular movies of all time and one of the greatest films of all time (as far as I'm concerned), Raiders of the Lost Ark.
Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom is a great action-adventure film precisely because the filmmakers were not trying to make “Raiders of the Lost Ark II” so much as they were creating a franchise. Temple of Doom is essentially world-building, as the film, especially early in the narrative, hints that Indiana Jones has had many adventures. So before there was Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark, there was Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom. That is what I liked most when I first saw it and still like: Indiana Jones was not a one-time great thing; it was new universe and a new series of adventures centering on an archaeologist who was as much a cowboy as he was an professor and academic.
Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom also remains the most unique film in the series. To date, it is the only entry that does not have a single moment set in the United States. Set in China and India, it is the only film in the series in which the main cast is largely non-white. The film has an intriguing villain to open the story, the Shanghai crime boss, Lao Che, and a superb main villain, Mola Ram, the Thuggee cult leader. Both actors play their respective villainous roles quite well.
Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom is also the first film in the series to suggest that Indy has a network of helpers or at least a circle of associates. For me, Short Round is an excellent sidekick, and he fits better than Kate Capshaw's Willie Scott, who seems like nothing more than a noisy dame.
Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom also has excellent production values, especially its costumes, hair and make-up, and art direction and sets. The film won an Oscar for its visual effects, which remain impressive four decades later, especially for the scenes involving the lava pit and the chase through the mine's tunnel system.
I am watching and, in some cases, re-watching early Steven Spielberg films, such as Duel, Jaws, and 1941, in anticipation of Spielberg's autobiographical film, The Fabelmans. I have lost track of how many times I have watched at least part of Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, but this is the first time that I have watched the film in its entirety in decades. Watching it again, I am sure now, more than ever, that I love this film. Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom was the first sequel to Raiders of the Lost Ark, and to date, it remains the best.
8 of 10
A
★★★★ out of 4 stars
Saturday, November 19, 2022
You can purchase the "INDIANA JONES 4-Movie Collection" Blu-ray or DVD here at AMAZON.
NOTES:
1985 Academy Awards, USA: 1 win: “Best Effects, Visual Effects” (Dennis Muren, Michael J. McAlister, Lorne Peterson, and George Gibbs) and 1 nomination: “Best Music, Original Score” (John Williams)
1985 BAFTA Awards: 1 win: “Best Special Visual Effects” (Dennis Muren, George Gibbs, Michael J. McAlister, and Lorne Peterson; 3 nominations: “Best Cinematography” (Douglas Slocombe), “Best Editing” (Michael Kahn), and “Best Sound” (Ben Burtt, Simon Kaye, and Laurel Ladevich)
The text is copyright © 2022 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this site or blog for reprint and syndication rights and fees.
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Friday, November 11, 2022
Review: "BLACK PANTHER: Wakanda Forever" is the Best Marvel Movie in Years
TRASH IN MY EYE No. 69 of 2022 (No. 1881) by Leroy Douresseaux
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2022)
Running time: 161 minutes
MPA – PG-13 for sequences of strong violence, action and some language
DIRECTOR: Ryan Coogler
WRITERS: Ryan Coogler and Joe Robert Cole; from a story by Ryan Coogler (based on the Marvel Comics)
PRODUCERS: Kevin Feige and Nate Moore
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Autumn Durald Arkapaw (D.o.P.)
EDITORS: Kelley Dixon, Jennifer Lame, and Michael P. Shawver
COMPOSER: Ludwig Göransson
SUPERHERO/ACTION/SCI-FI/DRAMA
Starring: Letitia Wright, Lupita Nyong'o, Danai Gurira, Tenoch Huerta, Winston Duke, Angela Bassett, Martin Freeman, Dominique Thorne, Florence Kasumba, Michaela Cole, Alex Livinalli, Mabel Cadena, Richard Schiff, Robert John Burke, Lake Bell, Manuel Chavez, Maria Mercedes Coroy, Divine Love Konadu-Sun, Trevor Noah (voice), Julia Louis-Dreyfus, and Michael B. Jordan
[Emotionally super-charged and possessing some of the Marvel Cinematic Universe's greatest battles, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is Marvel Studios' best film in over three years.]
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is a 2022 superhero, fantasy-drama, science fiction, and action movie directed by Ryan Coogler and produced by Marvel Studios. The film is a direct sequel to the 2018 film, Black Panther, and is the 30th film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. It is based on the Marvel Comics character, Black Panther, that first appeared in Fantastic Four #52 (cover dated: July 1966) and was created by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby. Wakanda Forever finds Wakanda in mourning following the death of its king while also facing a threatening world and a mysterious new adversary.
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever opens in the African nation of Wakanda as King T'Challa/Black Panther (Chadwick Boseman) dies from a mysterious illness. One year later, his mother, Queen Ramonda (Angela Bassett), must face the United Nations, as world powers demand access to Wakanda's most precious resource, the metal Vibranium. One particular nation even hires mercenaries to invade a Wakandan outpost in order to steal its vibranium, but they are foiled by Okoye (Danai Gurira) and the Dora Milaje, the King of Wakanda's personal guard.
However, the American CIA's attempt to find vibranium on its own draws the attention of a mysterious new adversary, known by many names, but is called “Namor” (Tenoch Huerta) by his enemies. Namor leads the forces of his kingdom, Talokan, in a strike against the Americans. He confronts Ramonda and Shuri (Letitia Wright), Ramonda's daughter and T'Challa's younger sister, as they grieve. He demands that they find the scientist who created the Americans' vibranium detecting device and kill him. The him turns out to be a her, a Chicago-based teen named Riri Williams (Dominique Thorne). Now, Shuri and Ramonda must gather allies, including T'Challa's ex-lover, Nakia (Lupita Nyong'o), and M'Baku (Winston Duke), leader of the Wakandan border tribe, the Jibari, in order to fight off the forces of Namor, which are more than capable of destroying Wakanda and perhaps, the world. Can Wakanda survive without its champion, the Black Panther, or must another arise?...
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is a triumphant – a poignant triumphant and a superhero action movie triumph. It is much better than I expected and that I could have hoped for. Wakanda Forever is the most emotionally honest, genuine, and heartfelt Marvel Studios film since Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame. The fight scenes are some of the best outside of martial arts films, and the action and battles scenes are Avengers-level.
Angela Bassett stands astride this film, which is both a eulogy to Chadwick Boseman's T'Challa/Black Panther and also a powerful and successful attempt to forge ahead with the franchise. Bassett, as regal and as dramatically potent as she has ever been, is glorious, and it time for her to receive the Oscar win she should have had ages ago. She exemplifies the grief in the film for half its narrative.
Letitia Wright exemplifies that grief the rest of the way. Wright also shows impressive range – playing Shuri as obstinate and angry in the face of her brother's death. [That death is depicted in Wakanda Forever's opening moments, and the audience with which I saw this film was stunned into silence.] Wright plays Shuri's turn to the “dark side” with the depth of performance that usually earns actors some award season notice. She is truly the lead in Wakanda Forever, and she carries it with the flair of a veteran, accomplished actor.
I also had high hopes for Tenoch Huerta as Namor, and he easily surpasses them. Huerta makes Namor seem so real that his murderous inclinations come across as entirely appropriate for that which Namor is fighting and defending. Huerta's performance also works to uplift the other actors playing denizens of the kingdom of Talokan.
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is filled so much good stuff. The costumes, art direction, make-up and hair, cinematography, and editing are all … well, Oscar-worthy. Ludwig Göransson's score is a masterpiece of tones both subtle and tremendous and is easily on the level of Hans Zimmer's award-winning score for Dune: Part One (2021).
I don't want this review to run-on too long... If I could speak to Ryan Coogler, I would tell him that already loved him for his film, Fruitvale Station, and that he made me love him even more after the first Black Panther. I don't have the words to describe how great an accomplishment Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is. Coogler honored his friend and partner, Chadwick Boseman, as well as he could, and he made a truly great and magnificent film. It honors Boseman and reveals how much respect Coogler has for his audience via the film art he creates. I am giving Black Panther: Wakanda Forever my highest recommendation.
10 of 10
Friday, November 11, 2022
The text is copyright © 2022 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for reprint and syndication rights and fees.
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Wednesday, October 19, 2022
Review: "SCOOBY-DOO! Return to Zombie Island" Revisits Scooby-Doo History
TRASH IN MY EYE No. 62 of 2022 (No. 1874) by Leroy Douresseaux
Scooby-Doo! Return to Zombie Island (2019) – Video
Running time: 77 minutes (1 hour, 17 minutes)
Rated TV-G
DIRECTORS: Cecilia Aranovich Hamilton and Ethan Spaulding
WRITER: Jeremy Adams
PRODUCERS: Amy McKenna and and Rick Morales
EXECUTIVE PRODUCER: Sam Register
EDITOR: Robert Ehrenreich
COMPOSER: Robert J. Kral
ANIMATION STUDIO: Digital eMation
ANIMATION/FANTASY/FAMILY and ACTION/COMEDY/MYSTERY
Starring: (voices) Frank Welker, Matthew Lillard, Grey Griffin, Kate Micucci, Janell Cox, David Herman, John Michael Higgins, Dave B. Mitchell, Cassandra Peterson, Roger Rose, and Travis Willingham
Scooby-Doo! Return to Zombie Island is a 2019 straight-to-video, animated, comic mystery film. It is the thirty-third entry in the Scooby-Doo straight-to-video series from Warner Bros. Animation, and it is a direct sequel to 1998's Scooby-Doo on Zombie Island, the first movie in this series. In Return to Zombie Island, the retired Mystery Inc. gang visits a remote, but familiar island with a dark secret.
Scooby-Doo! Return to Zombie Island opens a few months after the events depicted in Scooby-Doo! and the Curse of the 13th Ghost. The members of Mystery Inc.: Fred Jones (Frank Welker), Daphne Blake (Grey Griffin), Velma Dinkley (Kate Micucci), Shaggy Rogers (Matthew Lillard), and Scooby-Doo (Frank Welker), have retired, and Fred is still depressed about selling the Mystery Machine.
On her television show, legendary horror hostess, Elvira (Cassandra Peterson), announces that Shaggy has won a trip to a tropical island paradise. Coincidentally, Shaggy is allowed to bring three friends and a dog along. Because they are supposedly retired from mystery-solving, Shaggy and Scooby-Doo make Fred, Daphne, and Velma promise that they will not solve any more mysteries and will actually try to relax on this vacation.
As they sail on a ferry toward the island, Fred, Daphne, and Velma realize the surroundings are more swamp-like than tropical. The ferry captain (Dave B. Mitchell) says that zombies inhabit the island, which reminds some of the gang of the last time, years ago, when they visited “Moonscar Island” a.k.a. “Zombie Island,” an island with zombies on it.
When they arrive on this supposed island paradise, two people greet them off the boat, but warn them to get out. Also, once on the island, a mysterious dark cat creature stalks them. Even the the hotel is coincidentally named “Moonstar Island Resort.” Still, no matter how many times they run into something that reminds them of Zombie Island, Shaggy and Scooby make their friends stick to their promise not to try to solve mysteries. But has that promise put them all in danger of suffering a fate from which they once only narrowly escaped?
Scooby-Doo! Return to Zombie Island, like its predecessor, 1998's Scooby-Doo on Zombie Island, has an strong premise, but clumsy execution delivers an inconsistent film. Sometimes, the sequel is fun, fast-moving, and comically horrifying, in the tradition of Scooby-Doo TV series and films, but other times, Return to Zombie Island meanders, juggling multiple subplots. One of those subplots pops up late in the film and involves a movie, “Zombie Teenagers and the Island of Doom.” At this point, Return to Zombie Island loses credibility, although the film-within-a-film subplot introduces a fun character, the self-absorbed movie director, Alan Smithee, voiced by John Michael Higgins, who delivers a good performance.
Scooby-Doo! Return to Zombie Island is a children's movie, but adults who are fans of this straight-to-video series will want to watch it. Like me, they may even find some enjoyment in it.
Tuesday, October 5, 2022
The text is copyright © 2021 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for reprint and syndication rights and fees.
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Friday, October 7, 2022
Review: "HELLRAISER III: Hell on Earth" Raises Fresh Hell
TRASH IN MY EYE No. 59 of 2022 (No. 1871) by Leroy Douresseaux
Hellraiser III: Hell on Earth (1992)
Running time: 93 minutes (1 hour, 33 minutes)
MPAA – R for strong violence and sexuality, and for language
DIRECTOR: Anthony Hickox
WRITERS: Peter Atkins; from a story by Peter Atkins and Tony Randel (based on the characters created by Clive Barker)
PRODUCER: Lawrence Mortorff
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Gerry Lively (D.o.P.)
EDITORS: James D.R. Hickox and Christopher Cibelli (supervising film editor)
COMPOSER: Randy Miller
HORROR/FANTASY
Starring: Terry Farrell, Doug Bradley, Paula Marshall, Kevin Bernhardt, Ken Carpenter, Peter Atkins, Peter G. Boynton, and Ashley Laurence
Hellraiser III: Hell on Earth is a 1992 supernatural horror and dark fantasy film directed by Anthony Hickox. The film is based on characters and concepts taken from the 1986 novella, “The Hellbound Heart,” which was written by Clive Barker, who is the executive producer of this film. Hell on Earth is also the third film in the Hellraiser film franchise. Hellraiser III focuses on a young reporter who finds herself taking on the most powerful of the Cenobites.
Hellraiser III: Hell on Earth opens in the wake of the incidents depicted in Hellbound: Hellraiser II. The Cenobite (demon) called “Pinhead” (Doug Bradley) has been split into two entities: his former human self, World War I British Army Captain Elliot Spencer (Doug Bradley) and the manifestation of Spencer's id that has taken on the form of Pinhead.
In modern day New York City, J.P. Monroe (Kevin Bernhardt) visits the “Pyramid Gallery,” a creepy art gallery where he buys an intricately carved pillar, “the Pillar of Souls,” which depicts writhing figures and distorted faces etched into its surface. J.P. installs the pillar at his popular nightclub, “The Boiler Room.” What Monroe does not know is that Pinhead is one of the figures trapped in the pillar, along with one of those puzzle boxes used to summon the Cenobites.
Meanwhile, Joanne “Joey” Summerskill (Terry Farrell), an ambitious young television reporter, is struggling to get respect and attention at the station for which she works, Channel 8. However, an incident at a local hospital brings her into contact with Terri (Paula Marshall), a young homeless woman who has had a relationship with J.P. Monroe. As Joey delves deeper into the the hospital incident, she learns that Terri has a puzzle box in her possession. Now, the box is diving into Joey's dreams. Trapped in limbo, Elliot Spencer needs Joey's help, because he is depending on her to send Pinhead and his new Cenobites back to Hell.
Hellraiser III: Hell on Earth is a direct sequel to the second film in the series, Hellbound: Hellraiser II. That surprised me, as I have only seen Hell on Earth once, and that was when it was first release to theaters – 30 years ago! I remember not liking it, but now, I can honestly say that Hellraiser III is much better than Hellraiser II.
The third film was the first to be filmed in the United States (specifically North Carolina), and it is more action-oriented than the previous films, including the original, Hellraiser (1987). Hell on Earth also emphasizes that the Cenobites are denizens of Hell and are demons. Previously, the Cenobites' “home” was a dimension called “Labyrinth,” and they could be angels or demons – depending upon the point of view. The third film also has something the first two films did not have – a thumbing soundtrack full of good rock and heavy metal music.
The film has some interesting characters, especially the human characters: Joey, Terri, and J.P., but it really does not do much with them. As Joey, Terry Farrell does her best with weak character material, and Kevin Bernhardt adds a jolt to the film as the arrogant womanizer, J.P. Doug Bradley does his best work in his dual role as Pinhead and as Capt. Elliot Spencer. If there were ever any doubt, Hellraiser III makes it clear that Pinhead is the true star of this franchise, although Kirsty Cotton (Ashley Laurence), who makes a cameo here, is the film's “other star.”
To this day, Hellraiser III: Hell on Earth is the last film in the series that I have seen. When I originally saw it, I did not care for it, and it finished the series for me. Three decades later, I like it, and I really like the new Cenobites. We are awaiting the debut of the franchise reboot, entitled Hellraiser, in early October 2022 on the streaming service, Hulu. So, I feel comfortable recommending the heavy metal Hellraiser III: Hell on Earth for those interested in the original movies.
6 of 10
B
★★★ out of 4 stars
Monday, October 3, 2022
The text is copyright © 2022 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for syndication rights and fees.
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Thursday, October 6, 2022
Review: Gory "HELLBOUND: Hellraiser II" is More Weird Fantasy Than Horror
TRASH IN MY EYE No. 58 of 2022 (No. 1870) by Leroy Douresseaux
Hellbound: Hellraiser II (1988)
Running time: 97 minutes (1 hour, 37 minutes)
Rated – R
DIRECTOR: Tony Randel
WRITERS: Peter Atkins; from a story by Clive Barker
PRODUCER: Christopher Figg
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Robin Vidgeon (D.o.P.)
EDITOR: Richard Marden
COMPOSER: Christopher Young
HORROR/FANTASY
Starring: Clare Higgins, Ashley Laurence, Doug Bradley, Kenneth Cranham, Imogen Boorman, William Hope, Barbie Wilde, Nicholas Vince, Simon Bamford, Sean Chapman, and Oliver Smith
Hellbound: Hellraiser II is a 1988 British supernatural horror and dark fantasy film directed by Tony Randel. The film is a direct sequel to the 1987 film, Hellraiser. Like the first film, Hellbound is based on characters and concepts taken from the 1986 novella, “The Hellbound Heart,” which was written by Clive Barker, one of the people behind this film. Hellbound is also the second film in the Hellraiser film franchise. Hellbound finds the survivor of the first film, Kirsty, in a psychiatric hospital and dealing with a doctor who is obsessed with the sadomasochistic beings known as the “Cenobites” and the occult world from which they originate.
Hellbound: Hellraiser II opens shortly after the events of the first film. Kirsty Cotton (Ashley Laurence) has been admitted into the Channard Institute, a psychiatric hospital. She is still dealing with the terrible events surrounding the death of her father, Larry Cotton. When she is interviewed by Dr. Phillip Channard (Kenneth Cranham) and his assistant, Dr. Kyle MacRae (William Hope), she gives her account of the events at her father's home (as seen in the first film). Kirsty is shocked to discover that the bloody mattress upon which her murderous and wicked stepmother, Julia Cotton (Clare Higgins), died is in police custody, and she begs Channard and MacRae to destroy it.
What Kirsty doesn't realize is that Dr. Channard is secretly obsessed with the puzzle boxes that bring forth the Cenobites and with their occult, demonic underworld. Taking possession of the mattress, Channard discovers that Julia is still inside it, waiting for the blood of fresh victims that will revive her. Channard's plot involves another patient at his institute, a girl named Tiffany (Imogen Boorman). Seemingly mute, Tiffany demonstrates an aptitude for puzzles, and Channard wants her to solve one of the three puzzle boxes that have come into his possession.
Now, Kirsty must enter the labyrinth-like world of the Cenobites because she believes that is where she can save her father. However, both she and Tiffany will have to survive the Cenobites, Julia and Channard's schemes, and “Leviathan the Lord of the Labyrinth.”
The original Hellraiser was indeed a supernatural horror film. Hellbound: Hellraiser II is more dark fantasy than horror. In fact, it reminds me of a number of weird and unusual 1980s sci-fi and/or fantasy films that took readers on strange journeys, from 1981's Heavy Metal and 1983's Krull to 1985's Legend and 1986's Labyrinth.
Hellbound has good production values – not as good as Hellraiser, however. Christopher Young, who scored the first film, provides the musical score for Hellbound, but this time, the music is a bit noisier than in the first film. The costumes are still good, but mostly repeats the aesthetic of Hellraiser. The make-up seems more tacky, and in some cases, needlessly gory and excessively bloody.
The story is odd, but has some interesting elements. Unfortunately, the film does not have much of a plot, and there really isn't a beginning, middle, and end. It is as if Hellbound is a slice of something larger. Hellbound is more about shocking visuals and gruesome images than it is about plot. Other than introducing the Cenobites' labyrinth-like dimension and its lord, Leviathan, the film tells us nothing in the way of details about it or its inhabitants.
The characters are intriguing, but the writer and director treat them like nothing more than bodies to be abused, tortured, and killed. Still, I find myself fascinated by Ashley Laurence's Kirsty and newcomer Imogen Boorman's Tiffany. In this film, I decided that Clare Higgins' Julia was more fascinating than she was in the original, although she was good in that, also.
Hellbound dimmed my enthusiasm for this franchise, and I had little patience for the next film in the series, Hellraiser III: Hell on Earth (1992). Hellraiser wanted to tear your soul apart. Hellbound: Hellraiser II only wants to cut your body to pieces … before the boredom sets in.
4 of 10
C
★★ out of 4 stars
Tuesday, September 27, 2022
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Sunday, August 28, 2022
Review: "JURASSIC WORLD: Dominion" Ends Trilogy with its Best Film
TRASH IN MY EYE No. 50 of 2022 (No. 1862) by Leroy Douresseaux
Jurassic World: Dominion (2022)
Running time: 147 minutes (2 hours, 27 minutes)
MPA – PG-13 for intense sequences of action, some violence and language
DIRECTOR: Colin Trevorrow
WRITERS: Colin Trevorrow and Emily Carmichael; from a story by Colin Trevorrow and Derek Connolly (based on characters created by Michael Crichton)
PRODUCERS: Patrick Crowley and Frank Marshall
CINEMATOGRAPHER: John Schwartzman (D.o.P.)
EDITOR: Mark Sanger
COMPOSER: Michael Giacchino
SCI-FI/ACTION/ADVENTURE/THRILLER
Starring: Chris Pratt, Bryce Dallas Howard, Laura Dern, Sam Neill, Jeff Goldblum, DeWanda Wise, Mamoudou Athie, Isabella Sermon, Campbell Scott, Justice Smith, Daniella Pineda, Omar Sy, Scott Haze, Dichen Lachman, and B.D. Wong
Jurassic World: Dominion is a 2022 science fiction and action-adventure and dinosaur film from director Colin Trevorrow. It is the direct sequel to Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom (2018) and the final film in a trilogy that began with the 2015 film, Jurassic World. Dominion also ties up the story line that began with the 1993 film, Jurassic Park. Dominion focuses on the heroes of two film trilogies as they try to stop a corporation's genetic experiments from endangering the world.
Jurassic World: Dominion opens three decades after the events depicted in Jurassic Park and four years after the cataclysmic volcanic eruption on Isla Nublar and the incidents at Lockwood Estate (as seen in Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom). Dinosaurs, no longer extinct, freely roam the Earth, causing ecological problems and the deaths of numerous humans – 37 in just the past year. International corporation, Biosyn Genetics, has won the sole rights to collect dinosaurs, and it has created a dinosaur sanctuary in the Dolomite Mountains of Italy.
Meanwhile, Owen Grady (Chris Pratt) and Claire Dearing (Bryce Dallas Howard), former employees of the disastrous “Jurassic World” theme park, are still working to protect dinosaurs. Claire works with a dinosaur protection organization and investigates illegal dinosaur breeding sites. Owen works as a wrangler, relocating stray dinosaurs. They live together in a remote cabin in the Sierra Nevada Mountains where they secretly raise 14-year-old Maisie Lockwood (Isabella Sermon), the granddaughter of the late Benjamin Lockwood and the granddaughter who turned out to a clone of Benjamin's late daughter, Charlotte Lockwood. Living nearby is Blue, one of the Velociraptors (raptors) that Owen once trained at Jurassic World. She is a mother, having given birth to a baby raptor that Owen named “Beta.”
It turns out that Lewis Dodgson (Campbell Scott), the CEO and owner of Biosyn, wants to possess both Maisie and Beta for the goldmine of information that their genes are. Meanwhile, the original Jurassic heroes: paleobotanist, Dr. Ellie Sattler (Laura Dern); paleontologist, Dr. Alan Grant (Sam Neill); and chaos theorist, Dr. Ian Malcolm (Jeff Goldblum), are also investigating Biosyn's dark plans. But can they infiltrate Biosyn and avoid a hoard of hungry dinosaurs?
A few months ago, I read a review of Jurassic World: Dominion in which the reviewer said that the presence of the star trio of Jurassic Park: Ellie, Alan, and Ian, diminished the presence of Jurassic World's star couple, Claire and Owen. I disagree. Actually, Chris Pratt and Bryce Dallas Howard make the most of every minute in which their characters are on screen. In fact, I believe that the film is more about Claire and Owen than it is about Ellie, Alan, and Ian, although they are a huge part of the film's narrative. I see the union of Jurassic Park's biggest characters and Jurassic World's biggest as the best of both worlds. Frankly, this union should have happened in the first Jurassic World film.
In addition to the stars, Dominion sees the return of previous franchise supporting characters. Omar Sy returns as Barry Sembene, Owen's fellow animal trainer from Jurassic World. BD Wong's Dr. Henry Wu only appeared in the original Jurassic Park, but has appeared in all three Jurassic World films. Dominion offers Henry a chance at redemption. Dominion also offers two killer new characters, DeWanda Wise's Kayla Watts, a pilot who could be straight out of yesteryear's adventure serials – except Black women were not pulp fiction heroes. Mamoudou Athie is espionage-cool as Ramsay Cole, the head of communications at Biosyn Genetics.
However, Jurassic World: Dominion is not really about stories or characters. Yes, there is a lot going on; the movie is essentially a … park full of subplots, all around a basic (thin) plot – which is to stop Biosyn. Dominion is really a science fiction action-adventure movie filled with action scenes. There must be about twenty or so action set pieces: a race to escape illegal breeders; a stop the poachers fight; run away from the giant, killer locusts; and running away from the dinosaurs in the forest, on a frozen pond, in plane, in a cave, etc.
And it all works. The cast, director, writers, and crew of editors, sound, cameras, stunts, visual effects, assistants and everyone else. They all come together to make a thrill machine of a movie with action scenes that keep the viewer too occupied to notice the lapses in logic and common sense.
In the first trilogy, the films that followed Jurassic Park were inferior to it. In the Jurassic World trilogy, the final film is the best of the lot. Bringing in so many characters from previous films is a good idea. Putting them in a series of well-staged action scenes is another good idea. Giving us a happy ending full of happy endings and heartwarming resolutions is an even better idea. Jurassic World: Dominion is not a great film, but it is a very satisfying conclusion to what started back in 1993, when Jurassic Park made us believe that its dinosaurs were real.
7 of 10
B+
★★★½ out of 4 stars
Saturday, August 27, 2022
The text is copyright © 2022 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this site or blog for reprint and syndication rights and fees.
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Saturday, July 16, 2022
Review: DOWNTON ABBEY: A New Era" Celebrates the New with the Old
Downton Abbey: A New Era (2022)
Running time: 124 minutes (2 hours, four minutes)
MPAA – PG for some suggestive references, language and thematic elements
DIRECTOR: Simon Curtis
WRITER: Julian Fellowes (based on the television series created by Julian Fellowes)
PRODUCERS: Julian Fellowes, Gareth Neame, and Liz Trubridge
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Andrew Dunn (D.o.P.)
EDITOR: Adam Recht
COMPOSER: John Lunn
DRAMA/HISTORICAL
Starring: Hugh Bonneville, Laura Carmichael, Jim Carter, Raquel Cassidy, Brendan Coyle, Michelle Dockery, Kevin Doyle, Michael Fox, Joanne Froggatt, Robert James-Collier, Allen Leech, Phyllis Logan, Elizabeth McGovern, Sophie McShera, Tuppence Middleton, Lesley Nicol, Harry Hadden-Paton, Maggie Smith, Imelda Staunton, and Penelope Wilton with Dominic West, Hugh Dancy, Laura Haddock, Jonathan Coy, Jonathan Zaccai, and Nathalie Baye
Downton Abbey: A New Era is a 2022 historical drama film directed by Simon Curtis. It is based on the British television series, “Downton Abbey” (ITV, 2010-15), which was created by Julian Fellowes, who also wrote the screenplay for this film. A New Era is also a direct sequel to the 2019 film, Downton Abbey. In A New Era, the Crawley family go on a grand journey to uncover the mysteries behind the dowager countess' recent inheritance, a villa in the south of France.
Downton Abbey: A New Era opens in 1928. Tom Branson (Alan Leech), the son-in-law of Robert Crawley, Lord Grantham and 7th Earl of Grantham (Hugh Bonneville), is marrying Lucy Smith (Tuppence Middleton). Lucy is the former maid and the recently-revealed daughter of Lady Bagshaw (Imelda Staunton), and she will become the heiress to Lady Bagshaw's extensive estate.
Returning from the wedding, the Crawley family experience two big surprises. First, they learn that Lord Grantham's mother, Violet Crawley, Dowager Countess of Grantham (Maggie Smith), has inherited a villa near Toulon, in the south of France, from a gentleman she knew in the 1860s, the Marquis de Montmirail. He has recently died, and his son, the new Marquis (Jonathan Zaccai), has invited the Crawleys to visit the villa, named “La Villa des Colombes” (the Villa of the Doves).
Violet is not well enough to travel, but she is particularly anxious for Tom and Lucy to go, because she has decided to transfer ownership of the villa to Sybbie, Tom's daughter with the late Lady Sybil Crawley. So Lord Grantham and his wife, Cora Crawley, Countess of Grantham (Elizabeth McGovern), lead a small group of family and servants to the south of France, where the late Maquis' wife, La Marquise, Madame Montmirail (Nathalie Baye), awaits them with a mind to challenge her late husband's will.
The second surprise is that a studio, British Lion, wishes to use Downton as a filming location for a silent film entitled, The Gambler. Although Robert, Lord Grantham is initially opposed to the idea, his eldest daughter, Lady Mary Talbot (Michelle Dockery), convinces him that the money from the film could be used to replace Downton Abbey's leaky roof.
So the film crew arrives. The members of the staff at Downton Abbey are intrigued by the chance to see the stars of the film, the leading man, Guy Dexter (Dominic West), and the leading lady, Myrna Dalgleish (Laura Haddock). Lady Mary appears to make an impression on the film's director, Jack Barber (Hugh Dancy), and he soon needs her help. The Gambler is being made just as a great change is occurring in the world of cinema, one that could prematurely end production of the film.
These are just a few of the dramas and melodramas, both large and small, that threaten to upend the lives of those upstairs and downstairs at Downton Abbey.
The original television series, Downton Abbey, began airing on the British television network, ITV, in 2010 and ended in 2015, after six seasons and 52 episodes. It aired on the American broadcast network, PBS, as part of its “Masterpiece” series from 2011-20, before moving onto streaming services, Peacock and Netflix. The final episode of “Downton Abbey” was set on New Year's Eve, 1925. The first film, 2019's Downton Abbey, is set in 1927, 18 months after the TV series finale. Downton Abbey: A New Era opens in the following year and picks up on some of the plot lines from the first film.
As I wrote in my review of the first film, when I first heard of “Downton Abbey,” I mostly ignored it, although I watched a few minutes here and there. One Sunday afternoon, however, while channel surfing, I came across the show and recognized an actor (maybe American actress Elizabeth McGovern). I decided to see what she was doing on the show and within a few minutes I was hooked. It wasn't until two hours later I realized that I still had chores to do, but it was hard to pull myself away from the TV. I found myself in the thrall of “Downton Abbey's” hypnotic powers.
I also found Downton Abbey the movie hypnotic, and a New Era was no less hypnotic, in large part because director Simon Curtis seems to have a grasp of all elements of the film, down to the details. Both films offer many of the same ingredients of the television series that made it so popular and have since made it an enduring favorite.
One thing that A New Era does that the first film did not is offer a lot of change, including one monumental change. Much of that change directly or indirectly involves the ailing dowager countess, Violet Crawley, as she settles her affairs and prepares the family for her eventual passing. Series creator and screenwriter of both films, Julian Fellowes, specializes in historical ensemble dramas, such as Gosford Park (2001), and historical costume dramas, such as The Young Victoria (2009). Fellowes spends much of this film introducing a sense of newness or of renewal in the lives of the denizens of Downton Abbey and of those connected to them.
There are new relationships and changes in employment, including the promise of another wedding and of two acquaintances becoming a couple. Individuals assume new positions in the Crawley family, and even members of the film crew get new leases on their careers and in their personal relationships. Downton Abbey: A New Era is truly the dawning of a new era in this world, and while this film does indeed have two primary settings, its story feels a bit more focused than the first film's story.
If you liked the television series, you will like this second film, to some degree, because it is more Downton Abbey. Honestly, as with the first film, I love it and want more. Downton Abbey: A New Era makes me happy, and I look forward to what is next...
8 of 10
A
★★★★ out of 4 stars
Saturday, July 16, 2022
The text is copyright © 2022 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for reprint and syndication rights and fees.