Barricade
Plot: Terrance Shade (Eric McCormack) takes his two children, Cynthia (Conner Dwelly) and Jake (Ryan Grantham), to a retreat in the snowy woods. His late wife, Leah (Jody Thompson), spent her childhood there and wanted to take her children there. Terrance does so to honor her, but slowly realizes that something may be after his family. He barricades the cabin, but fears he may have locked something in instead of out.
Review: “Barricade” is as milquetoast as they come. It’s a bland psychological thriller that ultimately builds to a lousy ending. Andrew Currie plays everything by the book and never takes any chances. This may also be a problem with the script, written by Michaelbrent Collings, though he should have intervened. This film could have used spicing up (no pun intended).
I’d give him credit that the ending isn’t predictable, but that would be misinterpreting it as good. I’d rather the ending I thought that was going to occur happen instead of the lame one we were given. It goes against everything that was built and feels more like something out of a drama. Let me rephrase that; it feels more like something out of a Lifetime drama.
It’s a testament to Eric McCormack’s acting ability that he was able to take a one-note character and develop him richly. Sure, the script gives him emotional baggage with the dead wife and Currie constantly flashes back to their marriage. But, it only feels like padding than it does character development. It doesn’t play much into the ending outside of how McCormack balances it into his character.
I’m glad to see WWE Studios branching out with their films. They’ve been garnering good actors for their films, but always saddled them with a wrestler. I have nothing against that formula and enjoy it from time to time (such as “Legendary” and “That’s What I Am”). It is nice to see them exclude their talent and simply produce films. This will give their film company a bit more prestige. All they need now is to produce better films.
Final Rating: C-
Mansome
Plot: Morgan Spurlock explores the history and culture of man and discovers what makes one in today’s age of manscaping. He interviews various celebrities on the subject matter, as well as everyday folk. He follows those who compete in beard competitions, those who partake in manscaping and barbers and hair stylists who are the heart of today’s man. Wrapping around the segments are Jason Bateman and Will Arnett spending a day at the spa and philosophizing about manhood.
Review: A documentary on manscaping sounds better on paper. It seems like an endless black hole of information to wade through. In watching “Mansome”, I slowly learned this isn’t the case. The topic is limited to about forty minutes worth of material. The rest is made up of differing opinions (more so than already showcased) on the subject matter.
I’ll give Morgan Spurlock credit; he does a fine job of keeping things interesting. He’s known as one of the more glossy documentarians, almost always inserting himself into the picture with his charismatic personality (“Comic-Con Episode IV: A Fan’s Hope” being an exception). He does so here, but only briefly in the beginning. He shocks the world by shaving off his handlebar mustache and provides the film’s second most entertaining segment!
The first would be any time Zach Galifianakis is interviewed. He brings his sardonic wit to the table and lampoons the entire documentary. He does by answering the questions with silly remarks, but in a dead serious tone. Jason Bateman and Will Arnett seemed to be shooting for this, but never rise to the occasion. They may be likable gentlemen, but their segments here (outside of the massage battle) are flat and feel pointless.
The meat and potatoes of the documentary are the interviews with everyday folk. Whether it be the professional beard competitors (you read that right), the barbers and stylists or the metrosexuals. There’s even a segment devoted to professional wrestlers (TNA’ Davairi, Matt Morgan, Jeff Jarrett, Dixie Carter and NWA’s Colt Cabana) and why they need to look their best. These are all interesting, but start to lose their luster after a few minutes. Is it because the topic itself is limited or that the answer is quite clear from the start? It took until the end for one of the women interviewed about physical attraction to men that everybody has different tastes. There’s bound to be someone out there who finds one man’s “radical” appearance attractive.
That’s what hurts “Mansome” the most. While it can be a fun and breezy documentary, it almost feels pointless. Most documentaries have a question that need answered and have two opposing sides stating their case. This isn’t the case for all, but the main template. “Mansome” follows this template, but the answer is clear from the start. So, why drag it out for eighty-two minutes? This is a question that’s never answered. Thankfully, Morgan Spurlock knows how to make most of that eighty-two minutes interesting.
Final Rating: B-
The Loved Ones
Plot: When Brent (Xavier Samuel) turns down Lola’s (Robin McLeavy) offer to go to the school dance and goes with Holly (Victoria Thaine) instead, he’s abducted by the ‘Princess’. Along with her Daddy (John Brumpton), she tortures the teen while his girlfriend and mother search for him.
Review: For anybody who’s had someone basically stalk them, “The Loved Ones” will send chills down your spine! It doesn’t matter whether or not you’re male or female, though being of the former gender will help. Some of the ways that Lola and Daddy torture Brent will make the toughest of men cringe. Think of it as a less extreme version of “Audition” with Australian teens. That doesn’t limit this film’s appeal. All age groups of horror fans will dig this!
Sean Byrne wrote and directed this clever little gem with a demented mean streak and a pinch of humor. He wisely never has the funny moments detract from the main plot. They’re thrown in during the down time, mostly to give the audience a breather. Since most of it comes from Brent’s friend, Jamie (Richard Wilson), and his date, Mia (Jessica McNamee), it feels more natural than forced. What’s also nice is that their inclusion ties into the story well instead of playing as filler.
Byrne even gives Brent a back story instead of just being a pretty face. The film opens with him and his father getting into a car accident, killing his father. Not only does this give him emotional baggage, but the person he dodged that caused the crash plays a huge role later on. I’m obviously not going to spoil it, but it’s clear from the start he’d play a part in the story. The way that he does is diabolically clever!
The performances takes “The Loved Ones” to a whole new level. While the plot itself is effective, Robin McLeavy’s turn as the psychotic Lola is what truly delivers the thrills! She channels that of a lonely girl who has lost her mind. Daddy’s twisted mental state only exacerbates her behavior. Xavier Samuel plays off of them well and gets the crowd on his side.
It’s been a long and bumpy road for “The Loved Ones” to reach American soil. It’s first exposure was at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2009. From there, it traveled from film festivals around the globe before landing theatrically in it’s home country of Australia on November 4th, 2010. After having a limited theatrical run earlier this summer, it finally hit DVD shelves here in the States. I had a fear that it’s delayed release and hype would tarnish the film. I can safely say the wait was well worth it!
Final Rating: A
Beyond the Black Rainbow
Plot: Elena (Eva Allan) resides in a futuristic commune run by Barry Nyle (Michael Rogers). Despite being under heavy sedation, she tries to escape the fortress. Nyle hunts her down at every turn.
Review: “Beyond the Black Rainbow” is a visually striking film and that’s about it. Norm Li (the cinematographer), Brant McIlroy (the special effects coordinator) and Milton Muller, Richard Patterson and Claudio Sepulveda (the visual effects team) deserve all of the credit from saving Panos Cosmatos’ film from being a complete misfire. It still misses the mark by a long shot, but it at least looks good doing so.
Cosmatos was clearly inspired by the likes of Stanley Kubrick, David Cronenberg and Terence Malick. The visual presentation he has his crew achieve is heavily reminiscent of those filmmakers’ attributes. I’d even throw in Dario Argento as an inspiration, what with the use of colors (especially red). The Cronenberg connection comes from the occasional body horror present (mainly during Nyle’s transformation). The Kubrick connections comes from his views of a futuristic society (as well as a few set pieces reminding me of “2001: A Space Odyssey”). The Malick connection simply from the visual style.
What Cosmatos forgot to borrow from those filmmakers is the ability to tell a story. When you take away the visuals and effects, you’re stuck with a standard stalker tale. It even begins to feel like a slasher near it’s finale (which, for the record, is incredibly weak). Thrown in are some not so hidden messages about psychology and one’s mental stability that fall flat. Had they worked, maybe the film would have been more compelling.
Had I cared about Elena, which would have required more character development, maybe I would have been more invested in the film. Maybe then Cosmatos’ ideas would have struck a chord with me. Maybe then the visuals would have had more impact (which they deserved). I can keep saying maybe all day long and get nowhere. All I know for certain is that “Beyond the Black Rainbow” had an interesting premise, but a muddled execution.
Final Rating: C-