Raven Banner Entertainment Film Review - Turbo Kid

The dystopian future is 1997 in Anouk Whissell , Francois Simard and Yoann-Karl Whissell's new film Turbo Kid. The world was destroyed due to wars, a nuclear winter and Acid Rain. Technology stopped in the 80's and the most precious item is water. The Kid (Munro Chambers) lives in an underground bunker with traps rigged to catch small animals around the compound. He goes out scavenging daily hoping to find some items that he can trade for water or the occasional comic book of his hero Turbo Rider. He rides his BMX bike, the main mode of transportation in the Wasteland on his hunts following his main rules of staying away from people that look evil, always having water with him and a makeshift weapon that can be used for defence or offence.

The Kid's world is turned upside down when he meets a staccato speaking highly positive girl named Apple (Laurence Leboeuf) The Kid is put off by her at first but grows to enjoy her company. When she is abducted by agents of Zeus (Michael Ironside) the ruler of the Wasteland and the controller of the water the Kid goes to the warehouse to save her. Armed with a suit found in a buried spaceship that's equipped with a power glove that can explode matter. The Kid is thrown into a partnership with Frederick the Arm-Wrestler (Aaron Jeffery), defeats Zeuses fighters in a gladiator style battle then escapes with a wounded Apple on the run to a spot to get her healed.

The narrative is a s stripped down telling of futuristic apocalyptic world tale. The BMX bikes stand in for the home made road vehicles but a ruthless ruler that controls the precious resource remains the same. The story makes many references to 80's items that sets a tone the from the opening 80's pop song. The Kid comes across a rubix cube on his first scavenging outing. The VHS tape was the last form of home movies and the computer system on the downed plane looks like a cross between a Commodore 64 and an early Apple Mackintosh. The special effects are low tech as well from the blast that shoot out of the Kids glove to the power source in the ship.

Munro Chambers is fresh faced and energetic as the Kid. He is an orphan, loner and survivor having seen his parents killed for their water supply as a child. Laurence Leboeuf is highly unconventional as Apple. She is hyper positive, smiling and happy when she shouldn't be but teaches Turbo Kid a few things that he needs to know about life, fighting and being a friend. Michael Ironside turns in another strong Sci-fi villain performance and New Zeland Actor Aaron Jeffery is the perfect balance for the kid with his gruff, short sentence, stay out of my personal space turn as Frederick.

Turbo Kid is a fun low budget science fiction romp with comic book violence that may not be suitable for some younger kids. The writing is clean, the cast strong as is its message on friendship and rallying together to oppose a common enemy.  It is a film I can recommend.

*** Out of 4

Turbo Kid | Francois Simard /Anou Whissell / Yoann-Karl Whissell | Canada / New Zealand | 2015 | 93 Minutes.

Tags: Dystopia, Post Apocalypse, Nuclear Winter, Acid Rain, Water, Friendship, Scavenging, BMX Bike.

Fantasia 2015 Film Review - H.

A tale set in Troy New York featuring two parallel stories both with lead characters named Helen as a Meteor strikes at the outskirts of town possibly signalling the end of the world is the premise for H. The elder Helen (Robin Bartlett) lives with her husband Roy (Julian Gamble) in their Troy home. They are regular seniors with growing aches and pains doing mundane daily tasks. The exception is Helen's "Reborn" vinyl baby doll Henry that she treats like a real baby. Helen dresses Henry, wakes up for feedings, washes Henry and puts him in a car seat when she goes out for drives.

The younger Helen (Rebecca Dayan) lives with her partner Alex (Will Janowitz). The pair are performance artists and expecting their first child. They battle each other physically and mentaly to create their art following their mantra: creation needs destruction. When out one evening Helen spontaneously lactates as the pair are giving a talk to a class. Then later outside a coffee house Alex hears a piercing sound that leaves him with one bloodshot eye a growing trend around town along with people standing facing walls rocking back and forth. This is followed by cars parked abandoned with the drivers side doors open left by the owners who have headed off to the outskirts of town.

The directors Renia Attieh and Daniel Garcia throw a lot of ideas at the wall but most fail to stick or fully develop. The narrative features several appearances of a black horse running though town and in the woods. There are no details on the origin of Helen's doll or why theses other women that come to rebirth party. When the story switches to Alex and Helen at their home they lose time in large chunks but do not seem too concerned that this is highly unusual. The only explanation for any of the events is a T.V. report stating that some members of the population have slipped into a Narcoleptic State. The high point of the film is the work of the sound department that produced the ear piercing noises, sharp instances of electric interference, pulses and hums that cause the towns people to act out of the ordinary.

Robin Bartlett performance as the older Helen is the notable. She is very convincing when she' s taking care of Henry in the early scene that the viewer is not sure if she truly believes that its real. Her later persistence search for her husband when he is linked to the missing townspeople is agonizing and in the end disturbing. Rebecca Dayan is sound portraying the younger Helen. She's a free spirit and open artist that begins to see and hear things after the meteor crash. Helen becomes compelled to go the gathering on the outskirts of town acting as if she is being called home.

H. is a valiant attempt to create an end of the world film set in a small upstate New York town. The creators have several good ideas and some sequence of the film play out well. The directors take a low tech approach to the apocalypse which could have some merit. But here too much is going on that make the film appear scattered resulting it a production that will not have wide appeal.

** Out of 4

H | Renia Attieh / Daniel Garcia | U.S.A. / Argentina | 2014 | 93 Minutes.

Tags: Vinyl Dolls, Rebirth, Performance Art, Meteor, Apocalypse, End for the World.

Fantasia 2015 Film Review - Dark Places

Libby Day (Charlize Theron) was eight years old in 1985 when her two sisters and mother were killed and her brother Ben convicted of the crime. The case gained national attention and people from all over the country sent her money that was managed in a Trust.  At present Libby is no longer a cute little girl and the trust is down to $482.12. At the films opening Libby is discussing the Trust with the fund manager who advises that if she had taken any time of job over the last 10 years to contribute some funds to the Trust it would have been much healthier. Now broke Libby receives a mysterious letter from a Lyle Wirth (Nicholas Hoult). He is a member of the Kill Club that wants Libby to appear as a special gusts.  The club re enacts famous killing and reviews cold or controversial cases. Libby agrees as she needs the money but is not prepared for their passionate plea that her brother Ben did not do the killings.

The club want Libby to help them go back over the facts and meet with her brother to discuss the case. She's three months behind in her rent plus her car is stuck in the shop so as she takes them up on their offer. The club sends her the file, she goes to visit her brother becomes intrigued by the documents and some items found in the family farmhouse and starts her investigation.

Dark Places is based on a Gillian Flynn best settling novel following the 2014 David Fincher adaptation of her movie Gone Girl. Director Gilles Paquet- Brenner's screenplay looks at the modern day investigation by Libby assisted by Wirth juxtaposed to the days leading up to the night of the murders in 1985. The jail house  meetings between the siblings are intense expertly filmed and cut.  Adult Ben (Corey Stoll) calmness when looking at the person that put him in prison is remarkable. The narrative also peaks depicting the relationship between young Ben (Tye Sheridan) and his girlfriend Diondra (Chloe Grace Mortez) documenting how mesmerized young Ben was by his rich unbalanced teen companion.

Charlize Theron turns in a hard-edged performance as Libby Day. She is still traumatized from the 1985 events, often wakes up from nightmares, doesn't want anyone in her personal space, is angry all the time and dresses like she's been in a garage fixing cars all day. Both the younger and older Ben's balance each other well. Sheridan as the younger where he is still a follower to older kids but can be an intimidating loner to pre and early teens. Stoll as the older with his quiet acceptance of his fate showing no anger or malice to anyone or anything.

Dark Places is a rich narrative that builds slowly to the events of the fateful 1985 evening. The screenplay places little clues throughout that lay the seeds for how individuals act on the night of the killings. It's a compelling story and a film I can recommend.

*** Out of 4.

Dark Places | Gilles Paquet- Brenner | UK/France/USA | 2015 | 113 minutes.

Tags: Kansas, Murdered Family, Satan Worship, Trust Fund, Post Traumatic Stress, Crime Groupies, Jail House Visits, Failing Farm, Gillian Flynn Novel.

Fantasia 2015 Film Review - Tag

The roots of Tag lies in a 2001 novel from Yusuke Yamada where people with the same last name are hunted and killed. Similar stories using the concept that depict a chase and kill scenario or tagging have appeared since the 2001 Yamada book. Sion Sono gives his take on the subject using three main female characters that are all chased by supernatural forces throughout the film trying to survive as those around them are gruesomely cut down.

Mitsuko (Reina Triendl) is on the second of two busloads of schoolgirls headed down a quiet road. Her classmates are taunting her calling her foreigner for being mixed and spending too much time doing poetry. Mitsuko bends down to the floor of the bus to retrieve her fallen pen as a mysterious wind slices through the air at seat height cutting the both buses and occupants in two at the midriff leaving Mitsuko as the only survivor.  Our heroine runs chased down the road, though a stream and back to her school by the wind to find her friends Aki (Yuki Sakai) Jun (Maryjun Takashahi) and Mutsuko (Sayaja Isoyama) who knew nothing of the event leading Mitsuko to doubt if it even occurred. Shortly after they're seemingly friendly homeroom teachers point heavy artillery at the students and begin firing. Mitsuko and her friends run from the class room and school where Mitsuko ends up alone where she is spotted by a police officer that begins to call her a different name Keiko.

Sion Sono presents another production that is visually stunning and full of frantic camera work. A good number of shots are from the perspective of the presence chasing the heroine. Therefore the camera follows Mitsuko as she is looking back while running away or when portraying the razor sharp wind it sweeps up and around then swoops down suddenly which is particular effective in one instant as Mitsuko dives for cover after warning some citizens about the wind but they are not so lucky suffering the sliced through the torso fate. Sono's story evokes thoughts of the Matrix or the Wizard of Oz as the audience wonders who is controlling the action that we are seeing on screen?

Renia Triendl is memorable as Mitsuko. We meet her when things first appear normal then she departs during the middle portion of the film to return in the final segments of the proceedings to make a major choice to bring the cycle of being hunted to an end. Yuki Sakai appears in different segments as Mitsuko's loyal friend Aki who speaks outside of the boundaries of their environment and also willing to make a sacrifice for the benefit of her friend. Mariko Shinoda (Keiko) and Erina Mano (Izumi) who play the heroine when Triendl is not on screen both are solid but the audience are not as invested in them as they are with Triendl's Mitsuko as she is the original.

Sion Sono continues his hectic 2015 six film slate with another winning production. His adaptation of the chase scenario is original and compelling. His direction imaginative supporting his strong ensemble cast.  Tag is a film that I can definitely recommend.

*** 1/2 Out of 4.


Tag | Sion Sono | Japan | 2015 | 85 Minutes.

Tags: Schoolgirl, Bride, Runner, Supernatural Force, Game, Inventor, Homeroom.

Fantasia 2015 Film Review - They Look Like People

The mind is one of the most complex things on the planet.  Despite the vast increase in medical knowledge over the last 100 years we still know little about how it works. When someone has a mental issue they go to a doctor, psychologist or psychiatrist who provide coping mechanisms and medication by trial and error hoping to hit on something that will work and not cause any more harm.

Wyatt (MacLeod Andrews) arrives in New York City outside of his old friend Christian (Evan Dumouchel) Walk-up with a duffle back draped over his shoulder.  Wyatt claims that he has a place to stay but Christian invites him in insisting that Wyatt stay with him. The pair catch up on each others lives talking about the recent break ups of both of their long time relationships and work. Wyatt had been working at a rural nunnery while Christian is trying to get ahead at an Ad agency listening to positive reinforcement tapes that will allow him to dominate in the office. Christian has also been spending a lot of time in the gym to present a stronger bigger presence. He also finally got up the courage to ask co-worker Mara (Margaret Drake) out for a date.

Perry Blackshear wears just about every behind the camera hat for the micro budget production. He writes, directs and edits plus served as cinematographer and executive producer on the project. The story is internal as it gets as it focuses on the nuances of a Wyatt's damaged mind causing him to hear things, see things and believe things to be true that are not. The immobilizing horror revolves around what he will do to work his way out or will he carry out the orders from the voices or believe his eyes and attack the enemies that reveal themselves.

MacLeod Andrews turns in an understated yet powerful performance as Wyatt. Andrews uses a lot of subtle body language to communicate the stress level of his character including lowering his head, fidgeting, avoiding eye contact and throwing in uncomfortable pauses before responding to simple questions. Evan Dumouchel comes across as the ideal best friend in the production. He sacrifices a date with Mara by bringing Wyatt along. Entertains his friend's theories and ultimately puts himself into harms way in an attempt to shock Wyatt back into reality. Margaret Drake is also very effective as Mara. She's the toughest and most together of the three main characters and is willing to give both Christian and Wyatt the benefit of the doubt despite strange behaviour from both.

They Look Like People is an intense study of the intricacies of the mind on a minimalist stage. Perry Blackshear provides big content for a small price as the critical action of the piece all takes place in Christian apartment. The story is excellent and the results of Blackshear's vision is a film I can definitely recommend.

*** 1/2 Out of 4.

They Look Like People | Perry Blackshear | U.S.A.  | 2015 | 80 Minutes.

Tags: Mental Illness, Schizophrenia, Monsters, Evil, Preppers, Friendship, Self Help, Psychiatry, Nail Gun, Axe. Sulphuric Acid.

Fantasia 2015 Film Review - Lady Psycho Killer

Ella (Kate Daly) has lived a very sheltered life. She has not had many friends, been intimate with boys or ventured too far form the safety of her home. Her mother Patricia (Meredith Heinrich) kept a watchful eye on Ella setting things up so they're each other's only friend. Ella is now at Tellmont University and looking for things to change. She is starting to develop urges as she settles in to her Psychology 101 class with Professor Douglas (Michael Madsen). Professor Douglas challenges his students in an untraditional manner.  His assignment for the year; do something that breaks a sexual norm. Ella thinks at first it might mean to consider dancing at a strip club but soon realizes that her urges are really a bloodlust that can only be satisfied by killing male members of the population in her town.

At the same time Ella starts a relationship with classmate Daniel (Dennis Andres) who is kind, respectful and not a target of Ella's bloodthirst. But the relationship remains secondary to her desire to cut into flesh with a sharp edged knife. The most curious reaction comes from her mother who sees her daughter come home covered in blood on more than one occasion choosing to help her clean up once she is sure that her child is not injured. Her actions remind her of similar activities she performed for Ella's father up until she was pregnant and had to put some distance between him and her baby.

Director Nathan Oliver tells a horror story that has a strong comedic spine. Oliver also shares a writing credit with the films producer Albert Melamed. The dialogue portrays a playful and seductive heroine who's internal debates on whether or not to strike are more amusing than chilling. The narrative gives just enough back story on Ella's father to give some reasoning behind her sudden turn towards violence and her mothers blinding support of her activities.

Kate Daly shines as the titular character. She plays timid good girl, seductive temptress, attentive student and psychotic killer at different points in the film. The inner dialogue device and dream sequences allow her to play good and bad at the same time. Meredith Heinrich is solid as Ella's mom. He unconditional support of her daughter and her dad before demonstrates a duality of being used or encouraging the behaviour with her silence. Look for Malcolm McDowell as creepy neighbour Gerald. Usually armed with his pruning shears Gerald has the habit of staring at Ella inappropriately and uttering phrases to her that are better off kept private.

Lady Psycho Killer is a slasher movie with a twist. The killer is proud of her work, wants to show it off and expects an A in Psych 101 for her efforts. The film benefits from a charismatic lead actor and a narrative that bends away from tradition. It's good messy fun that I can recommend.

*** Out of 4.

Lady Psycho Killer | Nathan Oliver |  Canada / U.S.A. | 2015 | 82 Minutes.

Tags: Serial Killer, University, Strip Club, Disco, Stuffed Animals, Knife, Psych 101, Class Assignment.

Fantasia 2015 Film Review- Socialphobia

Perhaps the worst by product of the internet is the bullying and public shaming that occurs on the web. People who would never say something confrontational in person feel empowered behind a username on the web to spew vicious criticism or to post personal information. These online elements are key in Director Hong Seok-Jae internet mystery film Socialphobia.

Ji-woong (Byeon-Yo-han) and Yong-min (Lee Joo-seung) are both training to become police officers having completed the first stage of tests. They spend time with a group of college friends who are always on their phones, posting in chat rooms and sending out tweets on trending topics. A solider from the army deserts and commits suicide thus becoming the number one media story on the web. A female poster Ha-yeong (Ha Yoon-Kyeong) known a Rena tweets unflattering things about the solider and men in general. She receives immediate backlash from the Korean Netizens leading Ji-woong, Yong-min and their friends join up with Internet live show host Mr. Babble to go after her to shame her live on air for her comments.

Rena address is made public and the group head to her place with laptop in hand streaming live on the air. When they arrive she is found hanging leading to quick police involvement and a crystal path of the boys activities on the web. The students now face a backlash themselves as the internet devotees begin to theorize that Rena was possibly murdered.  Ji-woong and Yong-min's jump on the investigation hoping to clear their names and not jeopardize their chances of joining the police force.

Director Hong Seok Jae continues the growing trend of turning the movie screen into a giant social media display. Tweets, instant messages, chat boxes all appear on screen as does the feed of the Mr. Babble show. The result is a cluttered landscape that takes the viewer out of being in the moment with the film. The technique is used effectively on one occasion as a key piece of information is gleaned then discussed in a chat room. However this time the screen is black save for the white wording and current users comments on screen. The production also suffered from uneven writing. The investigation into the death is poorly done turning into a mob attack and accusations of guilt on whoever appears to be the key suspect at the moment.

The cast is functional with no member separating from the ensemble to warrant specific comment. For the majority of the time the characters are staring at or typing on their phones passing them around to colleagues to view when they have said something particularly insulting to some unseen adversary.

Socialphobia is a mean spirited look at the pitfalls of social networking. The story is uneven and the main plot point for does not reach a satisfactory conclusion. There are some elements here that could have been developed into a useful commentary on the topic but it just doesn't occur.

** Out of 4

Socialphobia | Hong Seok Jae | South Korea | 2014 | 100 Minutes.

Tags : Internet bullying, suicide, homicide, Chat Room, Twitter, Cell Phone, investigation, Mob mentality.