Crowdfunding Push: Lucifer Rising

There are several staples of the horror genre, but one of the most basic one, the idea of the Devil (or some of his many alternative names) was somewhat disregarded over the past couple of years. Now, however, a crowdfunding campaign for a film by P. Vincent DeMartino seems determined to change this and do it with a movie called Lucifer Rising.

Here�s what the official Indiegogo page of the film states about the project and its purpose:

Since the dawn of time man has been locked in an epic battle of good and evil. You do not have to be a Biblical scholar to understand that we may very well be living in End Times. Based on actual events and Biblical Prophecy, Lucifer Rising takes you on a powerful journey into the shadowy practices of Satanism and their evil plans to bring about the rise of Lucifer's New World Order. Presented by Luna Rossa Entertainment, Lucifer Rising is one of the most anticipated Supernatural Horror films in years. Based on actual events and Biblical Prophecy, Lucifer Rising has been likened to The Exorcist and The Omen for its horrifying content. Simply stated, you will never view the world the same once you have experienced, Lucifer Rising. 

Judging by the material that is available at this point, Lucifer Rising is really serious about following in the footsteps of the classic horror films its lists as its role models. The test footage is clean, concise and quickly sets up the eerie atmosphere ideal for this type of a film. With the vintage story of the prince of darkness himself (or itself), the movie has all that it takes to become a solid horror, created as a very welcomed change compared to the current mainstream trends in this genre.

Additionally, the film comes with a really well-thought-out campaign that clearly marks out its goals and provides cool perks for its backers, like branded clothing and planned VIP parties. All of this showcases a serious commitment to the project and a solid chance for a fine film at the end of the road.

The campaign started hours ago and just began to collect its funds. Check it out on its Indiegogo page and see how you can help make Lucifer Rising into a future horror classic.

Coming Soon: The Magnificent Seven

As the release date of September 23rd edges closer, the public interest for The Magnificent Seven only appears to grow. Recently praised for a very diverse cast, the film's director Antoine Fuqua played down this idea, saying that everyone simply worked hard on the movie. His last remake, The Equalizer did not fair that well with me, so I'm hoping that he's back to his sharp self with this one.

Check out the official trailer for The Magnificent Seven below.

Crowdfunding Push: Blackpoint's Daughter

In a previous couple of years, some fantastic Neo-Westerns were made all over the world. With films like Bone Tomahawk, Das finstere Tal and The Salvation, it is clear that this genre is currently attracting excellent filmmakers. Now, a director by the name of Marika S. Cotter needs help in finishing her project in the same domain called Blackpoint's Daughter. Here is what the film�s Indiegogo page states:

Blackpoint's Daughter is a soulful Neo-Western set deep in the haunting wilderness of the Santa Lucia Mountains. It's about the daughter of a hitman who must embrace her violent roots in order to save her sister from a deranged crime boss bent on revenge.

Being that this is a full-length film, Cotter divided the project into phases and this is the first one. Currently, the campaign generated about one-third of the targeted funds with one day to go. Check out Blackpoint's Daughter official Indiegogo campaign and see if you can help out.

Coming Soon: Dunkirk

If war is hell, then the Battle of Dunkirk was a special kind of hell, which saw thousands die in a small patch of land in France as BEF and their allies desperately tried to evacuate by sea as many soldiers from the mainland Europe as possible.

Now, Christoper Nolan is making a film simply called Dunkirk which will showcase the evacuation. The movie promises to deliver a war epic hopefully in the footprints of modern films like Fury and it comes to the theaters in summer of 2017.

Have a look at a short trailer that recently came out.

Movie Review: Star Trek Beyond (2016)

Copyright: Paramount Pictures

This film has the drive, the familiarity and it has just enough unique charm to make it a great family adventure set in the Star Trek universe. Jason Lin, its director, must have a very in-depth knowledge of the popcorn genre and how the same can be rehashed to seem new and exciting.

But, Lin is not a snake oil salesman and there are no cheap gimmicks in the film. Simon Pegg and Doug Jung wrote the film as if they made a very long episode of the original TV show, making the plot simple and self-contained. Star Trek Beyond begins when a lonely shuttle reaches the Federation�s newest and biggest space station Yorktown. Its single crew member pleads with the authorities to come to the rescue of the stranded ship and the captain and the crew of the Enterprise takes up this challenge.

When they arrive at their destination, a very cruel fate awaits them. Just like that, Lin takes Enterprise and does horrible things with it, making the process of the ship breaking apart a very visceral feeling. The Enterprise goes down and the crew scatters across the unknown planet. In a TV show, this would be one of those episodes where the crewmembers are left stranded on some strange and dangerous world, but here, there are no cheap locations here. Instead, the full force of AAA production is there to support the film and all of its glorious action scenes.

The casualty of this approach is the loss of the contemplative nature of Star Trek, but to be honest, J.J. Abrams is the surgeon who removed that part when the reboot began. The same is true when it comes to the ever-important (at least to Trekkies) lore. Now, there are just a couple of throwback moments referencing the original cast and practically nothing more.

The film ends as a satisfying blockbuster experience which went nowhere in terms of any intellectual or emotional ideas. At the completion of the story, the actors might have very well taken out bottles of Coca-Cola and revealed that the entire film is one giant commercial. But, Lin did the film in such a splendid manner that the lack of any substance really does not make a huge difference to the overall fun experience it provides.

Coming (Not So) Soon: Kong: Skull Island

Kong: Skull Island is not going to be hitting the movie theaters anytime soon (the release date is in 2017), but the film does look both impressive and kind of idiotic at the same time. So far, it looks like the producers decided to combine the notion of King Kong with the first part of the Predator series and then put in a big chunk of Aliens from 1986, mainly with the current military aspect of the film. This will make the film either pretty fun or intensely bad.

Check out Kong: Skull Island trailer below.

Film Review: High-Rise (2015)

Copyright: StudioCanal

Ben Wheatley knows films. His Hit List is a marvelous noir movie, developed and executed in a manner that should have made Wheatley rich and famous in a more just world. After it came out in 2011, this relatively young writer, director, and producer continued working on edgy films that only rare individuals thought they completely understood.

Now, he has branched out to the domain of big budgets and celebrity actors, while at the same time hooking a chain tied to a great literary name to his film. High-Rise is to Wheatley what The Brothers Bloom was for Rian Johnson and Godzilla was for Gareth Edwards. All of these directors showed immense talent and ability to make small films where they attained a huge level of control. Their first film on an AAA budget, however, ended up as something not exactly spectacular. 

In High-Rise, Wheatley had to fight expectations, but also a story by J. G. Ballard, one of the best writers of the 20th century and a man who is righteously adored by millions of smart people. The tale is a metaphor for the social divisions that were boiling up in the 1970�s UK and the film follows the same narrative. In it, the main character is Dr. Robert Laing, played by Tom Hiddleston, who arrives at an ultra-modern, self-sustained (regarding regular modern needs like schools and supermarkets) residential tower. He begins his new life there, but soon the structure of both the tower and the tenants begins to splinter towards a horrific end.

Wheatley went for the Stanley Kubrick approach, shooting the High-Rise using very sterile shots that were meticulously set up. His cast works well with the environment, especially the main actor and Luke Evans as his violent and volatile counterpart. But, like the shots, the film remains strangely sterile as well, working like a clock mechanism but lacking its Cuckoo bird or something else to give it either some flavor or some edge.

Unlike his other equally strange films, the director tried to use the idea of decadence as the main emotional hook. But, this concept is very troublesome for the centerpiece element of any movie, mainly because a setting needs to be shown as true initially and then slowly slide into its dark corners. Here, all of the characters are repulsive from the get-go and get very little sympathy from the audience. This might be intentional, but it makes the transition as something the audience cares little about. A social message, if there is any, wasn�t really adapted for the time 40 years after the novel was written.

It�s good to know that Wheatley broke into the big league, but the High-Rise is not something that will provide him with many impressed fans, while Ballard aficionado can only be modestly happy that this film got made. If Johnson and Edwards are a good reference point for his future, Wheatley migth soon be getting his first offers to begin working in the Star Wars franchise.