From a famous film fest to a fan favorite icon, we discuss “Somewhere Quiet” out of Tribeca and the great new Robert Englund documentary.
Action movies just aren’t our thing. Sure, there are exceptions like John Wick and Sisu. But for every Hobbes & Shaw, there is the entire Fast & Furious franchise. The Expendables never caught our fancy, and the poster for the latest installment pretty much sums up what we think of the entire series.
We begin with a film out of Tribeca.
We spoke a few weeks ago about the surprising number of genre films that are showing at this year’s Tribeca Festival. We start the show with one of the fest’s many world premieres.
Somewhere Quiet is the story of a woman who has escaped an awful kidnapping. She and her husband, Scott, head out to his house in the woods so she can regroup. The unexpected appearance of Scott’s cousin leads to high anxiety.
We discuss the difficulty of getting behind certain characters, suspect writing, and one outstanding performance.
There is plenty of good things in Somewhere Quiet, but is it enough to save its confusing ending? Or did the deeper meaning just fly over our heads?
Then it’s on to our featured new movie review.
Robert Englund is a true icon of horror.
He may not want to admit it, and every person may not recognize his name, but there isn’t a soul who does not know who Freddy Krueger is. But there is more to Englund than A Nightmare on Elm Street.
Hollywood Dreams and Nightmares is an in-depth look at the actor’s career.
The thing that comes across most is Englund’s love of cinema and his humility. He is interesting and has some great stories to share. (He has been in the orbit of some of Hollywood’s most influential films.)
There is a lot of talk about Nightmare, but the documentary has a whole lot more to offer. We also talk about our newfound appreciation for the streaming platform Screambox.
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT:
Last week, we talked about Follow Her, which owes a large debt to erotic thrillers of the past. It adds a modern sensibility and is easily the steamiest social media thriller around.
ABOUT THIS PODCAST:
Every week AIPT Movie Editor Nathaniel Muir and his cinema partner in crime Blake Heath discuss indie and genre movies you have have never heard of, the ones you cannot hear enough about, and the ones you never want to hear about again.
It is almost impossible to quantify what Roger Corman has done for horror. He pretty much invented B horror, launched the careers of some of the most talented directors of all time, and is behind some of the most iconic genre films of all time. His influence can be seen in the video box art that older fans pine about and in podcasts like our own. He is a true icon.
Typecasting is an interesting part of Hollywood. Some like scream queens and rom-com hunks lean into it. Others try to break out of the box others try to put them in. Think all of the comedic actors who have tried their hands at serious roles or child actors who appeared in more risque fare. It is always a shame to see an actor who obviously has a range of talents regulated to the same types of roles.
But what if an actor typecasts themselves?
Faceless After Dark stars Terrifer’s Jenna Kanell as an actor whose breakout role was in a movie about a killer clown. The synopsis is a little misleading (when she is held hostage by a fan dressed as said clown, she must do whatever she can to survive) as it is more of a revenge story than the logline implies. And that is just the first confusing thing.
The lead character is completely unlikable, the direction is headache inducing, and motivations are nonsensical. Are we supposed to root for Bowie Davidson (Kanell)? Why does she hate her fans so much? Is jealousy truly the root of all evil. Faceless After Dark has something to say, and it touches on real issues like toxic fandom and gender, but it is all done in a way that is confusing and just plain insulting. This movie was absolutely directed towards Terrifer fans and they are not going to like what it has to say.
Bruceploitation Month ends with the most famous Bruce Lee imitator of all. He was also the person who brought an end to the genre. Initially, Jackie Chan was supposed to continue in the footsteps of Dragon Lee, Bruce Li, Bruce Lea, and so many others. He did not want that and proceeded to carve out his own name. But not before he gave us 1976’s New Fist of Fury.
Xenophobia, confounding death scenes, a complete downer of an ending and, of course, a completely random Bruce Lee reference are all part of the film. It is a chance to see Jackie Chan very early in his career and has a powerful story to boot. At least, it seems powerful. Since the subtitles do not translate everything, we are left to assume that much of what is happening is very poignant and meaningful. The final shot certainly left us feeling something; too bad none of it was good.
Adventures in Movies! is a part of the Morbidly Beautiful Podcast Network. Morbidly Beautiful is your one stop shop for all your horror needs. From the latest news and reviews to interviews and old favorites, it can be found at Morbidly Beautiful.
Adventures in Movies! is hosted by Nathaniel and Blake. You can find Nathaniel on Instagram at nathaninpoortaste. Blake can be found on Twitter @foureyedhorror and on Instagram at foureyedhorror. You can reach us personally or on Twitter @AdventuresinMo1.
Music in the background from https://www.FesliyanStudios.com
Adventures in Movies! is hosted by Nathaniel and Blake. You can find Nathaniel on Instagram at nathaninpoortaste. Blake can be found on Twitter @foureyedhorror and on Instagram at foureyedhorror.
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