2 Dumb Dinos - Graphic Novel Review

 

The newspaper-style comic strip has been around for a very long time, and it's a format that doesn't really seem to be going away even in an age where fewer and fewer people are actually engaging in print news; to the point where it looks like many publications may soon be as extinct as the pre-historic stars of this new graphic novel. Despite this, the format of silly, topical, and even bizarre comic strips continues in online spaces, often appearing on people's social media. And this is likely where most people will have met Scumbag and Dingus, the two titular dumb dinos.

Created by Nathan Hamill, son of the Star Wars mega star and talented creator in his own right, and Eric Filipkowski, who's worked on and off screen in a number of comedy shows including South Park and Drunk History, 2 Dumb Dinos collects together the first 36 strips into a small, hardcover volume. Partially inspired by the comic strips of old, the two creators make nods to current affairs, referencing elections and political figures, as well as having completely odd adventures that make little to no sense at times.

One of my biggest take aways from reading the book (a quick experience that took less than thirty minutes all told), was that I don't really know who this humour is for. Much of 2 Dumb Dinos is stuff happening for no real reason, and with no explanation, and it's perhaps more akin to the online comedy style of Gen Z. Now, this is where I'm going to sound old, and I kind of hate that, but because of this I just didn't really gel well with the book. There's a strip where Dingus convinces Scumbag to buy shoes for his hands, and Scumbag then can't get into a Pringles tube and assumes it's a plot by his friend to steal his new hand shoes. Another has one of the dinos dressing as different sub cultures each week, such as goth or as a Harry Potter fan, only for the last panel to reveal he'd been caught on To Catch a Predator, but don't worry, it's not a paedophile thing. If this is supposed to be comedy it didn't work for me as I failed to even crack a smile. 

Many of the strips are like this, with almost disconnected things happening, leading to a punchline that's either got nothing to do with the rest of the strip, or just kind of peters out into nothing. Yes, I know that this is essentially Gen Z humour, where things are either random and weird, or they're funny by not being funny, but I'm not Gen Z, I'm old and boring (I guess), and so there was very little about the writing of the book that I actually liked. One of the strips even succinctly summed up why I didn't really click with it, with one of the dinos saying 'I think the fans are happy just watching us talk in profile in this featureless room that could really just be anywhere…We’ll just stick with what works: jokes that don’t make any sense or even have a punchline.'

But, comics aren't just about writing, they're also art, and the art can be a hugely important part of the final product. So, what's the art on 2 Dumb Dinos like? Well, the front cover is about as colourful as it gets. The purple and green of Dingus and Scumbag on the cover of the book is the only time you're going to get the characters looking like that. The interior of the book is very, very brown. There are two colours, a light brown that's pretty much everything, and a darker brown that's used for shadows and highlights. As such, the book is very dull looking, and mixed with the flat comedy, it led to a reading experience that felt devoid of much enjoyment. If the book was coloured normally, with the lead characters being bright and colourful, and the items and costumes used for their gags having some character, then perhaps the book would have landed better for me; but as it is it's two dull looking characters in a dull brown void that was thoroughly visually unappealing. Hamill has colourist listed amongst his credits, but little of that seems to be on show here.

This seems like a pretty negative review, and I'm disappointed that it comes across that way because I wanted to like the book. I like this kind of format of short funny comics, but I think this boils down to me not being the target audience. There will absolutely be people out there who love this, who find it funny and will get the humour. I'm just not one of them. So I'm not going to say it's bad, I'm not going to say it's a book you shouldn't try out, because it could very well be a hit for you. If you like weird and random humour, if you're Gen Z and grew up on odd internet memes and shows like Spongebob Squarepants then you should definitely give 2 Dumb Dinos a look.

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Marginal by Tom Carlisle - Book Review

 

'When Rob receives a call in the middle of the night, he knows it must be bad news. But he isn't quite prepared for what he hears; his brother, Marcus, has died on the Systematics compound in Scotland, where the two of them grew up. The place Rob managed to escape with his sanity barely intact, the place that hollowed out his parents and his brother.

'Rob is determined to go up north to the compound to see Marcus laid to rest, but more importantly, to get to the bottom of what killed him. Because Rob has been waiting for the Systematics to make a mistake, for their charismatic leader Bjorn Thrissell to show his true colours so that Rob can make their crimes public and bring them down for good.

'But when Rob arrives at the compound with his producer Lucy in tow, they discover a group of people coming apart at the seams and paranoia seeping through the community. Mutiny is in the air and worse still… there is something lurking under the surface, something monstrous and murderous, something that has been biding its time in the margins…

'Trapped and isolated, Rob and Lucy are going to have to put their trust in the community they have come to ruin if any of them are going to have any hope of survival.'

Cults are a ripe ground for horror stories. They're a very real horror that exists within our world, one where we can see how far people can be abused and broken by corrupt leaders, as well as showcasing the extremes that people are willing to go to for their beliefs. Some of the most frightening things people have done throughout history have been because of religion, and modern day cults are usually reflective of this. As such, Marginal is able to tap into some very dark ideas and horror that feels very grounded with its story set around a remote cult in remote Scotland. However, it's not afraid to dive into the realm of the fantastical too.

The story follows Rob, a man who was raised as a member of the Systematics cult, but who managed to escape from it a number of years earlier; an experience that still has a number of psychological scars that he's living with. When Rob is awoken in the middle of the night with a phone call telling him that his brother, Marcus, who remained in Systematics, has died, Rob knows that he's going to have to face the terrible events of his past.

Rob is determined to be there for his brother's funeral, being held within the Systematics compound in Scotland, and wants to find out exactly how and why his brother died so suddenly. Lucy, a young podcaster who wants to get a story about Systematics, accompanies him north, hoping to get the big scoop that will make her career. The two of them arrive at the compound and meet with the leader of the cult, the charismatic Bjorn Thrissell, hoping that they'll be able to learn the truth. Unfortunately, neither of them could ever expect what they find.

In some ways Marginal feels like a book of two halves, with half the book being very grounded in reality, dealing with the Systematics cult, and their affect on Rob and his brother. It's got some dark moments, as all stories about cults tend to do, but it's geared more towards character drama and mystery as to how Marcus died than anything else. 

Rob is something of an unlikeable protagonist in some regards. He's clearly a man with a lot of demons and a lot of trauma in his past, and this is all being dragged up to the fore thanks to the loss of his brother and having to return to the Systematics compound. But, because of this there are times where he's somewhat overly aggressive, he snaps at people, he's surly and withdrawn. His journey throughout Marginal, and the way it affects Rob emotionally is one of the main aspects of the book, and it's interesting to see the journey he goes through, but there are also times where I kind of wanted to yell at Rob. This isn't a bad thing, and having an imperfect lead character can be a lot of fun, but I can see how this might be challenging for some readers, and why not everyone might gel well with him.

The supporting characters are kind of similar too, thanks in no small part to most of them being cult members. A lot of people in the book are self serving, or liars, or simply untrustworthy, and it leads to a situation where as a reader I was never sure if I could trust what people were saying or doing, or if I should want to see them come out the other side. It created this somewhat grey narrative, one where I found myself challenged in a lot of ways.

Marginal is a story about a cult, but it's also more than that, as there's a shift in the narrative part of the way through that turns this from a grounded, realistic cult horror story, into something much, much more frightening. I will not say much about it, as going in knowing as little as possible about the book is definitely the best approach, but this shift introduces some wild new elements to the book, and comes with some extreme violence, gore, and body horror that is sure to shock the reader. 

Overall, I had a pretty decent time with Marginal, it had some cool ideas and some flawed characters that I think will likely challenge some readers. But it was also at times a hard read thanks to its darker tone and more depressing story. Marginal will appeal to a lot of horror fans, but it might not be to everyone's tastes.

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Advent - Film Review

 

The Halloween season has just come to an end, and the Christmas season is just around the corner, so what should people be watching in the meantime? Well, why not bridge the gap with some Christmastime horror in the form of the new movie Advent?

Advent, told in a documentary/YouTube footage combination, tells the story of Hayley (Rasina Alexander), a young woman who's recently lost her mother to a tragic and gruesome suicide, and is trying her best to find some stability in life alongside her alcoholic father. Thanks to her love of urban legends and the paranormal, Hayley has been using her YouTube as an outlet, something where she can share her passions with other like-minded people. Unfortunately, she's somewhat obsessive, checking every comment instantly, tracking her views, and uploading more videos than she can likely manage.

As Christmas is approaching, Hayley tracks down something truly special via an internet seller, a Krampus Calendar. According to legend, this old wooden advent calendar is a way of access the world of the paranormal, and will allow the user to give their soul over to Krampus. Believing that this will help to make her internet famous, she buys the calendar and plans to use it; much to the dismay of her best friend, Charlie (Cian Lorcan). The calendar has some strict rules, each door must be opened at midnight, and the challenge within must be completed within twenty-four hours. Whilst some of the challenges seem simple and innocuous at first, such as circling your Christmas tree three times, or knocking on a window, they soon take on a darker tone, and it's clear that something is having a strange effect on Hayley.

Found footage movies are a common choice amongst low budget horror directors. You don't need much equipment, you don't need a big crew on set, if things look a little janky and unprofessional it adds to the amateur footage quality, and thanks to the advent of everyone having a camera on them it's incredibly believable that people would record strange events happening to them. Whilst there have been some truly great entries into the genre over the years there have been a lot that have left a lot to be desired thanks to how much easier they are to make, and people with little to no experience giving making a horror film a try. And whilst Advent will not be remembered amongst the ranks of films like The Blair Witch Project, Goniam Haunted Asylum, or Paranormal Activity, it manages to be entertaining enough that I never once felt truly bored; which is something I'd class as a big achievement in the found footage genre.

Writer and director Airell Anthony Hayles has managed to craft an interesting narrative in Advent, a film that blends together a sit down interview with Richard Hill (Nicholas Vince), someone who knew Hayley and has expertise on urban legends, and footage from Hayley's YouTube. The choice to blend together what's essentially the regular kind of found footage scenes with a more documentary style helps the movie quite a bit. It breaks up the scenes, allows a narrator to add context and background detail that would be hard to fit in naturally, such as the origin of the evil calendar and the fate of Hayley's mother, and it gives the movie an air of legitimacy. Many found footage films try set themselves up as evidence footage or lost tapes suddenly found, but Advent plays more like a low budget documentary show you might find on a small channel at 11pm, and it kind of really works that way.

Hayley's story, the main thrust of the film, is also very interesting as not a huge amount actually happens in terms of jump scares or frights. I had something of an expectation that as each door on the calendar opened we'd get mounting supernatural experiences, such as the ramping ghost activity in Paranormal Activity, but instead most of the film was a collection of videos where Hayley was showing each challenge and performing them with no apparent result. Instead, it's the overall event that generates the tension. Each challenge seems banal, even silly, but as they go on you start to see a physical and mental decline in Hayley that unnerves more than any shadow figures or loud bangs in the night would manage.

Hayley is a character that suffers, a lot. Her journey over the course of the film feels mostly normal at times, though there are enough weird things that happen that you question if there might be something supernatural at play. Because of this it feels eerily grounded, and the movie takes on this horrible voyeuristic feel where it's like we're watching someone have a terrible mental health crisis. You feel intrusive being there, that we shouldn't be seeing this, and the sense of realism that is brought to things gets under your skin.

Because of this, the film is a slow burn, and so may not be to everyone's tastes, but where most found footage films go for jumps and characters we're waiting to see killed off Advent feels like it's trying to be more of a character study, and so it offers something that will scratch a very different itch. That being said, there is a scene in the film that does a couple of supernatural switcheroo's that lead to a moment that I absolutely adored, and I feel was worth the price of admission alone.

Advent is an unusual film. It's sitting in a genre that has some very tried and true formulas but instead of going along with them is having a go at crafting something a little bit different. The performances from the cast are decent, with Rasina Alexander being of particular note thanks to how well she portrays her characters slow descent into horror. If you're not quite ready for the spooky season to be over and need something to get you ready for the incoming holiday season then Advent is definitely worth considering.

Advent is released on UK digital streaming platforms on 25th November.

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The Last Front - Film Review

 

World War I was hell, anyone who knows about it will agree with that, and the name will spark images of muddy battlefields, trenches, and conditions that were like hell on earth. But, the war was more than just those kinds of battles, and The Last Front, despite the name, takes a look at some of the earlier confrontations in that war through the eyes of a widowed farmer thrust into a position where he has to lead a resistance force against a cruel invader. 

Iain Glenn stars as Leonard Lambert, a Belgian farmer and father of two young adult children, daughter Johanna (Emma Dupont), and son Adrien (James Dowie). Leonard spends most of his time managing his small farmstead, and occasionally having to deal with the budding romance between his son and the daughter of a local doctor, and how their different social classes makes their young love forbidden to their parents. It's a simple life, one that is broken when a group of German soldiers arrive in the village, seeking to take whatever supplies they need, no matter what they must do to take them.

The Germans are led by Lt. Laurentz (Joe Anderson), a particularly twisted and cruel individual. The first time we meet Laurentz and his men they're travelling through a small town when a panicked inhabitants takes a shot at them. This results in every home being raided, and civilians being dragged out into the streets for execution, no matter who they are. Larentz is a villain, pure and simple, with no shades of grey to be found. As such, when he descends on Leonard's community the residents are faced with few choices, die, run, or fight. Despite not wanting to fight, and wanting to take a peaceful way through life, Leonard soon finds the leadership role of the fledgling resistance force thrust upon him. 

Iain Glenn has a great energy to him that really seems to suit the role he's playing in The Last Front. He has a weariness and quiet, gentle way of speaking that you feel like he's a man who's seen a lot of the world and has grown wise from it. He's kindly, and projects a lot of warmth, yet is also able to switch that off and become a fierce fighter. It's many of the qualities that he brought to his character across eight seasons of Game of Thrones, and so those that might be checking out The Last Front because they recognise Glenn from there will likely feel very comfortable with his performance here.

And Glenn isn't alone in delivering a great performance, as the film seems to go out of its way to put some great talent on the screen. Joe Anderson is superb as the monstrous Laurentz, a character who's so one dimensionally evil that in some ways he feels like a bit of a throwback to older movies where filmmakers didn't necessarily want much nuance to their antagonists. Despite this, he's still a great character, largely because he's so despicably nasty that you don't really care that he's a bit of a caricature and you just want to see him get what's coming to him. Anderson makes you hate his character, and keeps ramping up your disgust for him; which is exactly what you need in a film like this. 

The rest of the supporting cast do decent jobs too, and whilst none of them stand out on screen as much as the two leads they all deliver solid performances. The younger cast bring a lot of passion, especially the two young lovers desperate to defy their parents and the class system they're born into. It is very noticeable that a film about Belgium and German characters is populated by British actors, and there are some times when things feel very British, one character yelling 'oy!' like he's down the pub for example, but after a whilst you get lost in the characters and their stories and forget about the slightly off accents.

The Last Front is the first film from director Julien Hayet-Kerknawi, but it doesn't feel like he's stumbling around to find his style, or that he doesn't understand the filmmaking process as some early directors do from time to time. The film is very well shot, and the production values are very impressive for what is a fairly small production. The film looks great on the screen, and the night scenes, illuminated by the flaming torches the characters are carrying with them, really pop and impress.

Someone looking for a more nuanced film, one that presents the idea that people on both sides of World War I were humans, with complexities, motivations we can perhaps understand, and morals skewed by their governments will likely be a bit confused by the way that The Last Front does things, as it takes a much older approach to war movies by making the villains truly evil and the heroes morally good. It's a simple period action affair, but one that presents itself with great charm and care to deliver a decent product that you can't help but enjoy it.

The Last Front is available in UK cinemas from 1st November.

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Studio One Forever - Film Review

 

Queer spaces have become a fairly common sight in modern times, with most large cities having at least one bar catering to the LGBTQ+ community. Of course, that's not always the case; I grew up in a town that has never had a queer space, but is also rampantly homophobic. Times are still hard, but they also feel like they've mostly gotten better. If you ask most queer people about the history of queer bars and clubs they'd name the Stonewall Inn, but there's another place that deserves to be spoken about, Studio One.

Opened in 1974 in Los Angeles, Studio One was a disco dance club, filled with drinks, drugs, and topless men, and a live music venue that would host some of the biggest names in Hollywood as both acts and patrons. Created during a period where homophobia was rife, where two men simply holding hands on the street would be enough to get them a beating from the police, and when raids on queer establishments was a regular occurrence, the opening of Studio One was an act of defiance in a world that punished the queer community. However, thanks to the desperate need for a space such as this, and the glamour of LA, Studio One not only survived, but thrived.

The new documentary film, Studio One Forever, delves into the history of the establishment, featuring first hand accounts from the people that called it home. The documentary was spurred on in large part by that fact that in 2019 a development plan proposed the destruction of the building where Studio One was once based, a building seen as a historic landmark by many. Thanks to the fact that two of the people on the council were once patrons of the bar during the 70's and 80's, attention was given to the situation, and the community was called to rally to save this piece of history.

The film charts this journey, but also goes into the origins of Studio One. We learn about the need of the space, hearing first hand accounts of how hostile LA was to queer people at the time, and how Studio One gave them a place where they could be themselves. Through interviews, and using footage and photographs from the time we're able to see how much Studio One meant to people, and are able to witness the open joy of young queer people able to be themselves, to dance, celebrate, and love openly. 

It's interesting to see the duality of Studio One as well. One side of the building was a heaving dance club, filled with shirtless, sweaty men dancing to loud music, an experience enhanced by both drink and drugs. The other side, however, is presented as a more 'high-class' establishment, with a stage where live performances would be held to a room of seated guests who were wined and dined across the evening. This latter part of Studio One, named the Backlot, would host names like Sammy Davis Jr, Joan Rivers, Tina Turner, and Paul Newman. The club was a creature of two halves that somehow worked together to create a unique space that was able to go beyond just the queer community, and became an icon of the city.

For those that we see campaigning the city to keep Studio One alive, these were the stories they shared, the successes, the celebrations. However, the film also shows us the darker side of this history as we move from the 70's into the late 80's and early 90's, to the height of the AIDs epidemic. Anyone who knows about the AIDs crisis knows how much it harmed the queer community, so much so that many have twisted the narrative of the disease's history into being a 'gay disease', despite it affecting anyone and everyone, no matter their sexuality or gender. But, because it was harming the queer community the most a response to AIDs was slow coming, and many, many lives were lost.

This is the most affecting part of the documentary, as the film covers this period. The people who were there at the time, who are speaking now list name after name of those who were lost. They describe how one week their friends would be alive, and the next they'd be dead. A treasure trove of rediscovered photos from Studio One became a slideshow of faces of the dead. The people who speak during the documentary, people like Lloyd Coleman, Gary Mortimer, Gary Steinberg, Ron Hamill, and John Duran reach a point where they're unable to keep speaking more than once. We get to watch them relive the deep trauma of this period as they tell stories about people who were left to die by an uncaring world. 

Studio One Forever isn't just a story about a nightclub, it's a story about the people who called it home, who had it as a refuge, people who very few of are still with us today. It's a documentary about a unique and often amusing venue that would be entertaining enough on its own, but it's also a monument to those we as the queer community have lost, and a lesson as to why preserving this history is a hugely important thing. I never knew about Studio One before watching this film, but I came away believing that it's an incredibly important story, one that deserves its time on the screen.

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The Convert - Film Review

 

Colonialism has caused irreparable damage to the world, with numerous cultures having been completely erased by mostly European settlers who forced their way of life to convert those they could, and murder those they couldn't in truly terrible ways. Over the centuries since these cultures and nations have been damaged by colonial powers it's been hard for these people to even exist, let alone tell their stories. Thankfully, there has been more of a shift in the last few decades, with more and more people willing to not only listen, but to denounce the actions of their ancestors as horrific. I've enjoyed seeing this shift, and learning the more truthful history of these events and their impact has been hugely educational. As such, I was immediately intrigued by director Lee Tamahori's latest film, The Convert.

Set in the 1830's, the film follows the journey of Thomas Munro (Guy Pearce), a lay preacher who has agreed to travel across the world from his home in England to the new colony of Epworth on the coast of Aotearoa. Along the way the ship he's travelling on must stop to gather timber for repairs, and Munro leaves the ship to explore the new land he'll be calling home for the first time. Whilst exploring, he comes across a clash between two Māori tribes. The chief of one of the tribes, Akatarewa (Lawrence Makoare), is the father of a young Māori man serving on the ship he's travelling on, and so he's able to approach him and ask for mercy for two captured young Māori. Akatarewa agrees to let one live, in exchange for Monro's horse, and kills the others. Thus, Munro ends up becoming the guardian of Rangimai (Tioreore Ngatai-Melbourne), the daughter of another tribe's chief.

Continuing on his way to Epworth, with Rangimai at his side, Munro finds a tiny collection of cabins in a harsh and uncaring landscape. And those that call the town home are similar, showing little to no care for the young woman in Munro's care, refusing to give her much needed medical treatment. As Munro settles into his new home he sees the ugly side of the settlers, those that live on Māori land but show no deference to them or their culture. As Munro learns more about the indigenous people he tries to prevent a coming war between them; a decision that will forever change his life. 

For a film with a title like The Convert, about a preacher travelling to a land that we know used religion to try to erase the native people, and with a story that seems to try and place a white man into the middle of a situation where he could rise up to be the hero, I was worried about The Convert essentially being a white saviour story. Thankfully, the film subverts these tropes and expectations, instead telling a story about a man learning that he may be wrong about his place in the world, and that his faith and its applications might be incorrect. 

The Convert is told from the perspective of Pearce's Munro, and he's in almost every scene of the movie because of this, being our eyes and ears in this setting. Because of this, much of the film rests upon Pearce's shoulders, and how he plays Munro makes or breaks a lot of the film. From the very first scenes of the film he's shown to be a quiet man, one who's happier to watch and learn about others rather than taking the centre stage. He thinks before he acts, and seems to be guided by a strong sense of morality. This becomes even more evident when we reach Epworth, and he's faced with more outward corruption and hostility. You can see a quiet rage simmering away just beneath the surface, and the body language that Pearce has in some of these scenes feels like a man fighting not to explode into action. It's a wonderfully subtle performance, one that's paid off brilliantly later on in the film where we find out about the ghosts he's been carrying with him, and then with where the film leaves his character in the final scenes. 

But, this isn't just his story, it's a story about Aotearoa and its people, and as such the film populates itself with some fantastic characters and actors of Māori descent. Tioreore Ngatai-Melbourne has the most screen time as Rangimai, a young woman dealing with the murder of her husband right in front of her, whilst finding herself suddenly thrust into a strange new situation as she's taken to Epworth. Ngatai-Melbourne is cold to begin with, wanting little to nothing to do with the man who now essentially 'owns' her. However, as time passes and she heals, and learns that Munro is in fact a decent man there's a wonderful sense of adventure and hope that comes over her. She's eager to learn to speak 
English, and her joy at the idea of going to the Epworth town dance is incredibly sweet. It's through her that we also learn a lot about Māori culture, getting to follow her as she returns to her people.

A great deal of the culture and history of these people is given to us via the character of Charlotte (Jacqueline McKenzie), a settler who has been mostly shunned by her own people for having married a Māori man and having had a child with him. Charlotte is Munro's only translator to begin with, and the only person willing to help him with Rangimai when she's sick, and a decent friendship forms between the two of them. She's able to provide Munro, and us the audience, with important information. It would have been easy to make her character quite flat and one-dimensional, but McKenzie injects a lot of heart and pathos into her. 

One of the stand out's for the film is Lawrence Makoare as the cruel Akatarewa. We meet two Māori chiefs over the course of the film, and whilst one is fairly kindly, willing to listen to reason, and seemingly quite benevolent, Akatarewa is quick to anger and violence. Makoare creates a character that you not only absolutely hate, but feel incredibly justified in doing so. He's a man revelling in his cruelty, who mocks the people at his mercy, and who wants to be seen as the biggest, badest chief around no matter how many people he slaughters to get there. It feels like Makoare is having a lot of fun with the character, and is enjoying playing the villain, and it really adds to the sneering, cruel quality of the character. 

As well as a fantastic cast, the film looks fantastic. The landscape of Aotearoa is put on beautiful display, from lush and gorgeous forests that stretch on for miles, to the fierce coastline that ranges from beautiful coves to windswept expanses of sand. We don't explore the nation a great deal, focusing instead on one small area, but from what we do see the beauty and danger of the land is portrayed wonderfully, and it very much feels like Aotearoa is a land that both challenges and rewards those that call it home. Some of the best looking parts of the film come in the latter half, when we visit Rangimai's home, and get to see how her people live. The settlement is gorgeous, with stunning wooden carvings decorating the gateway inside, as well as the buildings. These are mostly background details, but I kept finding my eye drawn to them whenever they were on screen, hungrily absorbing as much of the beauty of Māori art as possible.

The Convert is a film that would have been very different a few decades ago, where it would have played into the white saviour historical trope that we saw in films like Dances with Wolves, a trope that still continues on today even in fictional settings, with recent movies like Dune, and Avatar playing into this. Instead, The Convert feels like the opposite, it's a white man who's trying to exert his views and his will onto these people because he thinks it'll help them, but in the end ultimately fails. Instead, he's the one who has to learn, who has to see things from a different perspective. The Convert is an apt title because of this, and a film that I think deserves a great deal of attention.

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Interview with the Vampire Season 2 - Blu-ray Review

 

Anne Rice's Interview with the Vampire is a global phenomena, and was even before the new television adaptation came into being. The book, which spawned a dozen other entries in what would become The Vampire Chronicles series was such a success that it inspired numerous other creators in the genre, and helped to propel the popularity of fan fiction (despite her turbulent relationship with it. I, like many other fans of the genre my age, watched the film adaptation at a young age, and it helped spawn a love of the gothic vampire genre. Because of this, when I heard that the series was being adapted to television is was excited to see what might become of this sprawling epic. However, it was a series that I had not yet found the time to watch due to other commitments, and my household watching some other shows. 

It wasn't until I was offered a review copy of the Blu-ray release of the second season that I found myself committing to actually sit down and watching the show. I turned on my television, found the first season of streaming, and fired it up. And was instantly hooked. Everything that I liked about the genre was here in spades, and the story that I remember from the film was fleshed out in fantastic ways, expanded and changed, with certain elements such as the timeline being changed and characters being altered slightly in such a way that the heart of the story remained, but was offered to me in a fresh and exciting new manner that (in a possibly contentious statement) I think I like more than the original version. I, much like a hungry fledgling vampire, devoured one episode after another, wanting more each and every time as I was sucked into this narrative, and before I knew it, I was onto the second season, and the reason for this review.

Season two opens big, with the story of Louis de Pointe du Lac (Jacob Anderson) and his companion Claudia (Delainey Hayles - replacing the previous season's Bailey Bass) having fled the United States after the murder of their sire, and Louis' abusive lover, Lestat de Lioncourt (Sam Reid). Claudia, who in the previous season had delved into the history of the vampire in a desire to learn more about her origin, and wanting to find some decent vampires, drives the two of them across the ocean to Europe to search out others of their kind. However, this is the 1940's, and World War II rages on. We follow the two of them through the ruins of Europe, as they move from ancient castle to ancient castle, searching out signs of other vampires. Sleeping in pits during the day, feeding on wounded soldiers and Nazi's by night, the two of them have begun a life of misery. 

After some time searching for answers, answers that almost push Claudia to breaking point, the two of them find themselves in Paris following the conclusion of the war. Having heard much about the city from their maker, Lestat, they hope to find some peace and contentment, and hopefully a vampire or two. Thus begins the main thrust of the season, as Louis and Claudia discover a coven of vampires that have made Paris their home for centuries, and must try to figure out their place in the world that they've stumbled upon. And, just like with the first season, all of this is framed by our current time, where journalist Daniel Molloy (Eric Bogosian) interviews Louis and his immortal lover Armand (Assad Zaman).

The second season of Interview with the Vampire has a lot of heavy lifting to do. Much of the praise of the first season was laid at the feet of the central relationship between Louis and Lestat, and the chemistry the lead actors had. Indeed, it's hard to deny that their abusive, tragic love story was one of the main draws for that initial season, and even if you came away from the show not liking those aspects I think it'd be impossible to deny that Anderson and Reid gave anything less than one hundred percent in every scene. With Lestat gone from the narrative the show would have to focus instead on the relationship between Louis and Claudia, and the recasting of Claudia could make or break the season. 

Bailey Bass was amazing in the first season, and had tons of infectious energy that made it impossible to hate the character of Claudia. She brought youthfulness to the role, portraying the child made into a killer in a way that was incredibly believable. Hayles, in contrast plays the character quite differently. This is a Claudia much changed from the girl who was made into a vampire at 14. An adult in mind, and hardened by her experiences, Hayles brings a mature, almost world weary energy to Claudia in the opening episode of the season, and you very quickly forget that this is a different actress in the role. Changing a lead character, especially one much of the season pivots on, is never easy, but Interview with the Vampire makes it seem almost effortless. As soon as Claudia crawls her way out of the ground, dressed like a refugee of war, smeared in dirt and blood, Hayles makes the character her own with a depth and sense of sorrow that she will carry for the rest of the season.

One of the biggest departures for the show is the huge shift in locations. The first season was set almost exclusively in New Orleans, and the location felt almost comfortable, and whilst we could watch times change around our immortal characters the character of the city melded into the background somewhat towards the end. The change to Europe offers something very different, and the opening episode makes for a dramatic change. The ruins of Europe are dark, almost nightmarish, and a huge departure from the warm lights and comforts of the first season. It's following our characters at their lowest, and the visuals reflect that in some beautifully grim locations and costuming.

It's the relocation to Paris where the season comes into its own. It brings a fresh sense of life into the characters and the narrative following the dour opening. There's a renewed sense of hope in Louis and Claudia, something that only increases when they discover a coven of vampires hiding out in the open as part of the Théâtre des Vampires, where the coven 'pretend' to be vampires to a paying audience. Everything about Paris looks gorgeous, from the small cafes and bars that Louis spends his nights in, people watching, to the monuments and iconic places we visit with them, to the old and somewhat rundown theatre the coven call home. Paris almost becomes a character, one that informs the look and feel of the season and changes Louis and Claudia.

Assad Zaman is promoted somewhat this season thanks to the reveal in the final episode of the first season that he was not the human servant of Louis in the present day, but instead an even older vampire, one able to walk in the sun. Paris is the place where Louis would first meet Armand, where the two of them would fall in love, and so he enters the interview alongside his companion. Zaman is a wonderful addition to the story, and the small trick that the show played with him in the first season makes the viewer want to learn so much more about him here. His relationship with Louis becomes a big part of the second season, and acts as a nice counter to Louis' previous lover. We're given the chance to watch Louis learn to move on, to leave the trauma and the love of his past behind him and embrace a new chapter of his story with Armand, even if he's unsure if that's something that he wants to begin with. It's a very different energy to Louis and Lestat, and it brings something new to the series that I think fans will really love seeing.

Speaking of Lestat, despite his 'death' at the end of the last season this doesn't mean that the show is done with the phenomenal Sam Reid just yet, as the guilt that Louis carries with him manifests in the world around him. Louis sees Lestat wherever he goes, haunted by the man he both loves and hates. This allows for Reid to stay in the series, and for him to approach the character from a different angle. This isn't Lestat, it's Louis' mind playing Lestat, and as such this version of the character does feel somewhat different, a lesser version of him. This doesn't mean that Reid isn't playing him as well, in fact it means he's got a more difficult performance as you start to see parts of Louis coming through this fake Lestat here and there. Reid does this fantastically, and at times it's incredibly subtle, and you can miss it if you're not looking for it, but it allows the character to be used in some interesting scenarios the show hasn't done before, and leads to some truly beautiful and haunting scenes.

Much like with season one, the second season does a lot of new things with the story, and it's very much making Rice's novel it's own thing. This is not a criticism, and if anything I found myself more invested in it because of this. A large part of this is thanks to the knowledge I had of the story beats, mainly learned from the film adaptation. This made certain aspects of the story all the more exciting for me. I remembered what happens with the vampire coven, I remember where this chapter in Louis' story leads, and I found myself unable to stop watching because I was desperate to find out if that's where the series would go, or if they could avert those events with their new interpretation. 

Alongside the episodes, the Blu-ray offers some behind the scenes extras. Each episode comes with a small five to ten minute behind the scenes that shows some of the making of, and features interviews with the cast and crew. There's also a two minute blooper reel, and a 45 minute larger behind the scenes piece that contains more than the shorts, but does also feature some of the moments from them in it. Perhaps it's the length of most of the extras, or the fact that each of them ends with a 'stream now on AMC' screen at the end, but it comes across feeling like most of these extra features have been collected from social media promotional material and thrown onto the disc. I would have loved more, and something like episode commentaries with cast and crew would have been amazing; sadly, outside of the episodes the discs do feel a little barebones. 

Interview with the Vampire was a show that I was wanting to watch, but wasn't sure when I was going to get round to it, and it ended up as a show that I binged two seasons of in a week and am excitedly waiting for the third season of. I found every single episode to be some of the best made, best written, and stunningly acted episodes of TV that I've seen in a long time. The series will appeal to fans of the source material thanks to the creative chances it takes, with the changes it introduces, and the new vision the showrunners are crafting. And new fans are going to be sucked in by how absolutely amazing each and every episode is. The show feels like a masterclass in how to adapt books, and I hope that this show ends up becoming one that people talk about in the highest regards, because it absolutely deserves it.

Interview with the Vampire Season Two Blu-ray, and the Season One & Two boxset, are released on 7th October 2024.

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Things Will Be Different - Film Review

 

There's a lot of things that you can do with time travel, a lot of tricks to the genre, rules that are never consistent, and interpretations of the science that no two stories ever really feel the same, often within the same franchise (Doctor Who rewrites the rules ever few years it seems). But despite this, it can sometimes feel that people never really take any big leaps with the concept, that there's not really a new idea that feels like it's giving you something fresh and captivating. Fortunately, Things Will Be Different, the debut feature from writer/director Michael Felker, might be one of the more intriguing entries in the time travel genre in decades.

The film follows brother and sister Joseph (Adam David Thompson) and Sidney (Riley Dandy), who have come together to pull off a robbery. We never learn what their crime entailed, other than Sidney ran out without her bag of cash and Joseph managed to rescue it, but it's clear that neither of them are professional criminals, and that this was more a crime of both opportunity and desperation. They just need one big score to help them out in life. But, not being hardened career criminals how do they expect to hide out from the law? Well, Joseph has a pretty unique safehouse. 

Having been given a journal by one of the regulars in the bar he works at, Joseph has a series of instructions that lead the siblings to a remote farmhouse that promises to get them away from the long arm of the law. Inside the farmhouse they follow the book's instructions, and moving the hands on a couple of clocks in a specific order, open a locked door. The door take the two of them to an impossibly large space, where they put a code into an old rotary phone, speak a Latin code phrase, and hang up. Stepping out of the closet they walked into, they're transported to a version of the farmhouse outside of time. 

The farmhouse provides them with food, drink, and booze, along with a few pieces of entertainment like a CD player, and an old TV and VHS. Now all the two of them need to do is wait there for two weeks, as that same time passes back in the real world, allowing for them to escape the ensuing police hunt. However, when they try to return home they find the way back barred, and instructions waiting for them. Now they're caught up in a huge plot, one that shows that the house outside of time is merely the tip of the iceberg, and that if either of them ever want to get back to the real world they're going to have to play along with their unseen masters. 

Things Will Be Different does not give the audience many answers, and you're going to come away with questions. So, if that's not the kind of thing that you usually enjoy this might not be for you; but for fans of things such as The X-Files, Twin Peaks, or the Remedy video games such as Control or Alan Wake, this is going to be right up your alley. And I'm squarely in that second camp. Felker has a very strong idea of the kind of story that they want to tell, and it's one of mystery and character interaction first and foremost.

Much of the film is dedicated to our lead characters, and there are large parts of the early part of the film, before their plan derails, where we're treated to interesting conversations between the two of them. Their story feels pretty decent, with their less than perfect relationship having a lot of truth to it, and played in such a way that you feel a lot of empathy and care for the two of them. It's clear that Joseph has guilt for his past actions, and Sidney cares a great deal about her young daughter and is willing to do anything to get back to her. There's very real chemistry between the two of them, and the sibling relationship feels very believable; the times where they're laughing and having fun, and the times when they're screaming at each other. 

But the film isn't just a character study of two people trapped in a single remote location. This is a sci-fi story. The way that the film handles time travel is done very well, and the use of different places operating on different time in order to communicate with each other, or send the other items to help them is something that I can't really remember having seen a film do before. There are certain elements to the film, such as watching the characters figuring out how to communicate with those that control the farmhouse, and things suddenly changing around them, that feel more like a puzzle game than a movie. You can see the characters beginning to understand things, connecting the dots, and it reminds me of the way you'd progress a video game forward. 

I mentioned the game Control earlier in the review, and there were a number of times when watching that this kept popping into my head. The strange science, the mystery organisation, the vintage tech, it makes me think of that universe. And even some of the writing made me think of that too, where you're given half truths, small reveals, and simply have to go along with things and you try and fit what you've just learned into the puzzle you've been building in your mind. I don't know if Felker is a fan of Sam Lake's work, if any of that art inspired this story, but with Lake being one of my favourite creatives my comparison to him is absolutely a badge of honour on my part.

Things Will Be Different sits at an hour and forty minutes in length, and the entire movie flew by for me. Considering how much is squeezed into the film I was surprised at how quickly I reached the end. It felt like what I'd seen was barely scratching the surface, and that there was much more that could have been done. I won't go into specifics so as not to ruin the ending, but it becomes clear at a certain point that there is a lot more in this story that we don't see, and that if we were to see everything this would be a multi-season television series instead of a film, and part of me really wanted that. I wish I could have spent more time here, that I could have learned more about this world and its mysteries. Unfortunately, there is only so much a single film can cover, and I'm happy to end craving more. Like I said, coming away with a load of questions might not be everyone's favourite kind of film experience, but I'm going to be more than happy thinking about this film for weeks to come. 

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The House of Last Resort by Christopher Golden - Book Review

 

'Across Italy, there are many half-empty towns, nearly abandoned by those who migrate to the coast or to cities. The beautiful, crumbling hilltop town of Becchina is among them, but its mayor has taken drastic measures to rebuild—selling abandoned homes to anyone in the world for a single Euro, as long as the buyer promises to live there for at least five years. It’s a no-brainer for American couple Tommy and Kate Puglisi. Both work remotely, and Becchina is the home of Tommy’s grandparents, his closest living relatives.

'It feels like a romantic adventure, an opportunity the young couple would be crazy not to seize. But from the moment they move in, they both feel a shadow has fallen on them. Tommy’s grandmother is furious, even a little frightened, when she realizes which house they’ve bought.

'There are rooms in an annex at the back of the house that they didn’t know were there. The place makes strange noises at night, locked doors are suddenly open, and when they go to a family gathering, they’re certain people are whispering about them, and about their house, which one neighbour refers to as The House of Last Resort. Soon, they learn that the home was owned for generations by the Church, but the real secret, and the true dread, is unlocked when they finally learn what the priests were doing in this house for all those long years…and how many people died in the strange chapel inside. While down in the catacombs beneath Becchina…something stirs.'

One of the things that I immediately loved about The House of Last Resort was that so much of it felt incredibly familiar to me. Not the story, or the characters, but the setting. I have family in Italy, my grandparents come from a small mountain village filled with old houses and old residents. Life is slow, people work hard but live full, and there's a wonderful sense of family and community surrounded by beautiful, remote countryside. And this book had that in spades, to the point where I didn't really feel like I had to imagine much, but instead simply remembered.

The House of Last Resort tells the story of Tommy and Kate, who leave their lives in the US behind to move to the small mountain town of Becchina, where Tommy's family originally came from. The mayor of Becchina, seeing the exodus of younger people from the town and fearing that the town might die out, takes part in a scheme to sell houses in Becchina for a single Euro. Enraptured by the idea of buying a house and furnishings for such a low price, Tommy and Kate move across the world, happy to invest the required money in renovations and years living in the house that the amazing bargain requires. Tommy has family there after all, so it's bound to be good.

However, Tommy and Kate decided on another house at the last minute, a house grander than the others, that sits alone at the end of it's street, staring out over the valley below. Sure that they've gotten the best new start in life, they're surprised when Tommy's grandmother admonishes them for buying the house. As they learn more about the house they begin to uncover a sinister past, and when strange occurrences start happening Kate becomes convinced that there's something in the house with them. 

As I said at the start, this book absolutely spoke to me thanks to the setting. I felt like I could see Becchina so clearly in my mind, the old houses, the tight, steep mountain streets, and the gorgeous countryside that surrounds it. Christopher Golden did a wonderful job at not only capturing that, but making it feel very real and alive too. The mass family get togethers that happen, the small local shops, the cafes on the piazza where the local men sip coffee and play cards. He brought the location to life wonderfully, to the point where I not only found myself thinking about returning to my family's village at some point, but being actively jealous of my parents being on holiday there whilst I was reading it.

But, this isn't a quite read about a young couple making a new life for themselves in Italy, unfortunately there's something much more sinister brewing. Golden takes it somewhat slow with the horror, sprinkling tiny elements here and there through the early chapters of the book. There's hints at something sinister going on, something that's just outside your field of vision, creeping away in the corners. It's done well enough that you find yourself wondering if what the characters are experiencing is actually real, and it happens so infrequently that you end up getting sucked back into the setting and the character interactions, forgetting the horror you've just witnessed. You can understand why the characters are slow to pick up on it, and them getting in too deep feels kind of reasonable.

Whilst the slow burn horror at the start of the book might put some people off it absolutely gives readers the chance to become fully invested in these characters and their story. Yes, Kate and Tommy do come across a bit annoying in some ways, having barely moved to this town that they hardly know and believing that they, and the others who've moved to Becchina, know the exact way to save the town and start coming up with plans to turn the quiet sleepy mountain village into a tourist trap; but this also works. They're not perfect, they kind of fall into the brash American's not assimilating well but having a good heart stereotype, and it's this attitude that does lead to some bad things happening. For a haunted house story the characters are complex, flawed, interesting, and ultimately very charming; and that's what you need for this kind of story.

The House of Last Resort isn't perfect, there are times where I was thinking that perhaps there should have been a bit more horror, and whilst I adored the setting I know that's going to be down to my own personal experiences and likes. But, I do believe that this is a thoroughly enjoyable horror read that will send chills down most people's spines. 

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Two Taoist Tales - Blu-ray Review

 

Hong Kong action comedy films are an interesting genre of movies. There are some that have become quite beloved in the west, having made their way over here in the 80's and 90's and shared round on VHS as something unique that folks would talk about. But a lot of them never really became that big, some never even made it to the UK and US, and some are so downright weird that other than the most avid fan of the genre I find it hard to see most people making it through them.

Eureka Entertainment's latest release, Two Taoism Tales, collects together two such movies, a pair of films that at times feels more akin to a fever dream than anything else. That being said, they're not bad movies, and there's a lot of fun to be found with these unusual, unique films.

The two films collected in this release, Taoism Drunkard and Young Taoism Fighter are the second and third part of what's considered to be something of a loose trilogy alongside Shaolin Drunkard. Whilst none of the films share any real story or characters it's the fact that they were all produced by the Yuen Clan that ties them all together; and those familiar with the Yuen's work will see their fingerprints all over these two. Not least because both Yuen brothers appear in them. 

The first film in the set, Taoism Drunkard follows an old monk (Yuen Cheung-Yan) with an addiction to drink. The monk causes mischief in his temple, riding around in a weird wicker mouse go-cart type contraption (it's actually quite amazing), and manages to break a sacred statue; which gets him kicked out by his brother. Tasked with finding a young virgin boy to take part in a ceremony to fix things, the monk heads out into the world. During his search he stumbles across Chiu (Yuen Yat-Choh) a young man who fits the bill. However, Chiu is destined to become the protector of a sacred scroll that his grandmother (also Yuen Cheung-Yan) is currently guarding and can't go with the old monk. When an evil sorcerer 'Old Devil' (Yuen Shun-Yi) arrives on the scene hoping to get the scroll, it makes matters even more complicated. 

The second movie, Young Taoism Fighter, also stars Yuen Yat-Choh, though in the different role of Ko Sang, a Taoist student who wants to become the best fighter there is, but doesn't want to put the work or effort into things. To do this he's stealing the training manuals and sacred techniques from any and all rivals so that he can cheat and get a leg up on them. Unfortunately, this is happening at the same time that the evil Tien Wu Clan master (Yen Shi-Kwan) is also trying to become the best by any means, but usually by kidnapping and/or killing anyone who might pose a challenge to him. Looking to get revenge for the death of her master, a young female fighter (Hilda Liu Hao-yi) joins forces with Ko Sang to stop the evil Tien Wu Clan master.

Both of the movies in this set are something of a mixed bag. There is a lot of great action to be found throughout, with some superb martial arts and stunt work, and some of the comedy is quite fun if a little slapstick. However, the plots can be a little convoluted at times, some of the comedy is a little lost in translation, and some effects are quite cheap looking. These negatives aren't always bad, such as the weird cheapness of the melon monster in Taoism Drunkard being so bad that it spins round into delightful. But, if you're looking for something a bit more serious, a bit more grounded, then these two movies might leave you feeling a little confused at times.

Alongside the movies, both of which have had brand new 2k restorations allowing them to be released in HD for the first time, there are brand new audio commentaries on both film from Frank Djeng, and another by Arne Venema and Mike Leeder. The three names will be familiar to those who know the Eureka martial arts releases, and will know what to expect from them. They offer different things, with Djeng giving a more detailed breakdown of the film, the people involved in its production, and the actors on screen, whilst Leeder and Venema take a more conversational approach, bouncing comments and stories off each other. There's also a brand new interview with actor/director Yuen Cheung-yan, and filmmaker and critic James Mudge.

For those looking to find unusual martial arts movies that you've likely not seen before, or for fans of the genre wanting to build a robust collection, this new release offers a pair of movies that you're going to want to check out. Even if this isn't your favourite kind of movie they're worth a watch just to see how wild and bizarre they get at times.

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