DAMIEN RILEY, world musician and performer

Tag: Sci-Fi

  • Bokeh

    A couple in their twenties in a post apocalyptic setting where all the people in their icelandic town have vanished. Just like that they have to adapt.

    TV-MA | 1h 32min | Drama, Sci-Fi | 24 March 2017 (USA)

    On a romantic getaway to Iceland, a young American couple wake up one morning to discover every person on earth has disappeared. Their struggle to survive and to reconcile the mysterious … See full summary »
    Directors: Geoffrey Orthwein (co-director), Andrew Sullivan (co-director)
    Writers: Geoffrey Orthwein (co-writer), Andrew Sullivan (co-writer)
    Stars: Maika Monroe, Matt O’Leary, Arnar Jónsson

    You have a directing/writing duo at work here. Geoffrey Orthwein and Andrew Sullivan. I like what they’ve done here: created a entertaining fantasy movie. I’m not sure how it did but I really found it entertaining. These days we need more directors who can produce entertaining pieces of art. So many try to preach.

    The couple are played by very good actors. Maika Monroe took the world by storm in the horror hit It Follows. Something about those eyes! Her dialog is a little scant I would say. I think most women would be very worried at the end of the world. She remains entranced. Oh well, she looks great doing it. The store scenes are the best. The couple is having fun like grade school kids in a candy store. Of course, all this happens where there are no employees or shoppers.

    There is a conflict with these two. I kept wondering if a larger one would come. She gets very concerned when he is playing on a shopping cart and falls severely cutting himself. After scolding him, he promises to not fool around anymore. Maybe it’s the internal conflict in a couple that’s worse than any zombies? Maybe that’s why you don’t have them ever showing up in this movie. Nils does though, an old man. The ending is one to discuss. This is a slow burn, maybe we’re meant to feel that as they do. Maybe it’s saying we need people more than we know.

    7/10

  • After Earth

    I don’t understand why the critics tend to rate this movie down. To me it was exciting and suspenseful. It had only one flaw: in a time of amazing technology (the film was made by Sony) the creature looked awfully fake.

    image

    After Earth (2013)
    Cast

    Jaden Smith as Kitai Raige
    Will Smith as Cypher Raige
    Sophie Okonedo as Faia Raige

    Directed by

    M.Night Shyamalan

    Written by

    Will Smith (story) M.Night Shyamalan (screenplay)

    Other Info

    Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi
    Rated PG-13
    1h 45min

    I watched a movie tonight in preparation for the podcast I’m doing with a new movie reviewing friend Darren Lucas. We’re set to discuss the movies of M. Night Shyalaman, this was one I hadn’t seen yet. There is one scene that reminded me of “Signs,” truly a masterpiece of his. When the boy is recovering from being poisoned by a pink giant roach, he summons the strength to face a large beast. It is like slow motion and reminded me of the scene when the father in “Signs” tells Merrill to “swing away. I found the vibe very similar. There is another scene like that I can think of in his psychological fun “The Village.” All three of those movies are definitely worth seeing and I recommend them.

    The bare bones version of the story is that a son, trying to please his hero father, tries to do the impossible. Against all odds he is trying to save the mission. In the quest to be victorious, a best is faced. It’s a great premise for a story. Everything takes place after the earth has become uninhabited by humans.

    My word to the wise: When I do a search on Google of this film, a lot of titles indicate that it is a production of “Sony Films.” I don’t know why but this liked peculiar to me. It’s as if they spent millions on the film but never got past the promotional sites it debuted with. It’s lees of M. Night “art” and more of a “wannabe” sci fi blockbuster that never made it the distance. Having said that, it was highly enjoyable as an action, suspense, sci-fi Obie. It didn’t have the signature of M. Night for me, which is a “twist” at the end. I got the feeling he was trying something new.

  • The Survivalist

    A well-acted thriller set in post-apocalyptic foliage.

    Most post-apocalyptic films focus on the water shortage (“Tank Girl”) or even gasoline (“The Road Warrior”. This film has famine as its hazard. It starts in a survivalist’s cabin that has food among starving people who don’t. As a result, conflict happens.

    The Survivalist (2015)
    Cast
    Mia Goth

    as Milja

    Martin McCann

    as Survivalist

    Barry Ward

    as Forager

    Directed by
    Stephen Fingleton
    Written by
    Stephen Fingleton
    Other Info

    Drama, Sci-Fi, Thriller
    Rated PG-13
    1h 44min

    An excellent film that captures attention with no emotion. The people we see here are shells of their former selves. Like “Mad Max” the world as we know it has been destroyed. People are scavengers making their way to survival. The “Survivalist” played by Martin McCann has fond a way to farm his own food. When I say food, I’m talking about things like leeks and radishes. It’s humble to be sure. Still, in a world that is starving, he is like a king. Furthermore, thieves would love to have their way with his produce and they are constantly trying to do so.

    While the film starts out showing us nifty survival stuff, that passes. After that it is a subdued dialog between few drifters and most notably, an old woman and her daughter played by Mia Goth. Incidentally, in real life she is the fiance of Shia Lebouef. Once the girl shows up we see a lot of attempts at communication, mostly by the old woman, but we find that sex barter is the only thing that really allows them close to him.

    I kept thinking about how it could get to this after an apocalypse. I mean, if we know no one can really do anything for us, do we continue being charitable? Is the Survivalist charitable? He comes close but I can’t say he ever is truly. Is this what we must become in order to survive? Is survival worth losing trust for anyone? These are the sorts of questions that came up for me.

    The film has an eerie feeling to it and a surprising twist at the end. The events that precede that twist are important to recall. I’m not si sure U know what the twist really means. I have a hunch it’s more than I am relaying to you now. I will most definitely see it a second time but if you have any ideas, do tell! This kept my wife and I’s attention the whole time and for that reason I recommend it. Because it had no emotion, I felt it was somewhat lacking. Furthermore, there could have been more foreshadowing about the twist at the end. That’s why I took a star from the score.

  • The Purge: Election Year

    It’s easier to believe the Purge when the masks are on. That’s when the magic of the film happens. It’s violence and fun and … yes, election year!

    purge-poster

    The Purge: Election Year
    Cast

    Frank Grillo, Elizabeth Mitchell, Mykelti Williamson

    Directed by

    James DeMonaco

    Written by

    James DeMonaco

    Other Info

    1h 45min | Action, Horror, Sci-Fi
    Rated R

    I rate a movie based on what genre it says it is. This makes horror movies tough because the genre is not cut-and-dry like the others. If horror is scares that produce a negative reaction such as fear, shock, sadness, etc. then The Purge: Election Year is more thriller than horror. Because it advertises as horror and produces few scares, it lost a star with me. Having said that though, it’s a pretty good thriller. Frank Grilli is back as Leo Barnes from the second film of the franchise. His son was killed in the Purge and now he has become the special security for a congresswoman running for President, Senator Charlie Roan played by Elizabeth Mitchell. The senator witnessed the brutal execution of her entire family in a Purge and as a result is running for President to use an executive order to end the Purge.

    On the inner city front, Mykelti Williamson plays shop owner Joe Dixon who has just lost his Purge insurance along with millions in the city. The companies pulled out at the last minute offering continued coverage but only for impossible sums. The result is that many low to middle income people are vulnerable to the Purge. We saw this in the first two movies as a theme of the wealthy vs middle class. purge2The plot continues to a full on battle to keep the Senator safe. She is the hope of the middle and lower class to end the Purge. I started watching this franchise thinking what it could mean, because it’s not a movie to be taken at face value. Now, after the third installment I find the purpose and message of the film more muddied.As with the first film, I think an important message is to love your neighbor and not shoot his brains out with a shotgun, There are subtle things to take out of it too but few thrillers focus on morality and even less horror films do. It’s action packed and there is some vengeance play that’s fun to watch. This is a well made movie but the masks were under utilized. Finally, it comes up short on scares for a horror movie.

  • The Martian

    Films made from novels are usually great in my opinion. I think screenwriting a story without a famous novel behind it may be fading by convention. “The Martian” is one of those hip cool novel-to-movie examples. I read the first few chapters before seeing the movie. The understated humor and NASA space themes drew me in right away. That and the universal praise of the critics put seeing this one at a high priority.

    “Star Wars” proved a global love for space movies. “Castaway” did the same for survival films. It’s likely “The Martian” draws from both audiences along with readers of the novel. It’s already being given “Blockbuster” status in the press. In the story, a manned mission to Mars goes wrong and an astronaut, thought to be dead, is left behind. He uses his ingenuity and tenacity to survive. The movie is well over 2 hours and I wasn’t bored once. I give this one a perfect 5/5.

  • The Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials

    3 out of 5 stars. For a director to go from the highly praised insightful drama “Beginners” to the medium rated action film “The Maze Runner” is notable in a career. Wes Ball is one to take note of. In the second film of the franchise, “Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials,” he has crafted a film much more busy than the first but lacking any visible moral stance. This is surprising given the strong pro homosexual stance in “Beginners.” It’s a proud film that promoted acceptance of gays and the dreams of others. But back to Maze Runner: I found myself at the end of the first film in the franchise excited to see the next one. It was like the end of a black and white superhero serial tv show. ie; “Don’t miss next week when Buck Rodgers tackles an octopus to save the day!” After watching that, you were more than excited to see what happens! Unfortunately, the second film Scorch Trials didn’t live up to the hype for me.

    The characters were underdeveloped and the story rolled out with a very typical and overused technique. The method is “I know the ending, you don’t. So I will reveal a little more for you each scene but never the whole thing until the end.” A non-example of this technique of storytelling is the Columbo method. In Columbo episodes, we see the killer long before the end. Columbo is the one who discovers clues and we enjoy watching him figure out what we already know. I like his method a lot better. I suppose the “Maze Runner” method only can work when the things revealed are interesting. In the interest of avoiding spoilers I will only say the secrets are contemporary twists and themes. In particular, one of them is currently saturated and overused in film and television. I was surprised to see it used in the storyline. If you prefer to avoid the spoiler, don’t read any further. Spoiler sentence below:

    Kids, there are zombies (yes, it’s true) that bite humans and then the bitten “turn.”