Movies, Films & Flix

Avatar: Fire and Ash quick thoughts:

1. Good news! There’s still a lot of aquatic mayhem. I was worried there would be an overwhelming amount of fire and ash.
2. If you like the first two Avatar films, you will like this film
3. The Avatar world works because of the immersive world and impressive visual effects. If you won’t allow yourself to get lost in the world because of the clunky dialogue/story, don’t watch it. 
4. Between Avatar 2 & 3, Whale Rider, Murina, Meg 1 & 2, Last Breath, The Fountain, Virus, True Spirit, and Deep Rising, Cliff Curtis is the water movie king.
5. Trust James Cameron. 

While many cinephiles complain that Cameron should be making other films, I love that he keeps returning to the Avatar world for several reasons. 

1. James Cameron does what he wants. Nobody is forcing him to make them, and he must enjoy the world because he spends a lot of time in Pandora
2. The Avatar films are visually beautiful and immersive in a way that needs to be experienced. 
3. Cameron knows that the Avatar movies will make tremendous sums of money. This is good for theaters and his bank account.
4. The Avatar films feature gigantic battles in which large sea creatures obliterate hunting boats. 
5. The films are jaw-droppingly beautiful. 

When it comes to the Avatar world created by James Cameron, you either love Pandora or cringe every time you hear the word “unobtanium.” If you’re cool with familiar storylines and clunky dialogue that happen in the immersive world, then you’ll have a grand time watching the impressive visuals. If you can’t stand clunky dialogue or familiar storylines, then you’ll look at the gorgeous VFX with contempt. I love what James Cameron has created because he’s given the world a reason to go to theaters.

Avatar: Fire and Ash is a perfect movie for film critics who need to fulfill a specific word count because the 197-minute movie packs an incredible amount of story into its running time. Recapping the plot would require at least 3,000 words because there’s the Sully family, old enemies, new enemies, ancient sea creatures, evil corporations, ancient flying monsters, sky battles, sea battles, jail breaks, family drama, big speeches, Wind Traders, and about 43 characters with speaking roles. In the press notes, Cameron explained that the movie is about “a family processing what it means to be in a war, for kids to be in a war, for parents to let their kids go and trust them enough that they’re going to make the right decisions.” This is a great mini-summation, but it leaves out a lot of story.

The opening of the film focuses on Jake (Sam Worthington), Neytiri (Zoe Saldaña), Lo’ak (Britain Dalton), Tuktirey (Trinity Jo-Li Bliss), Spider (Jack Champion), and Kiri (Sigourney Weaver), grieving the loss of their eldest son, Neteyam (Jamie Slatter), who died in Avatar: The Way of Water. They are still living amongst the Metkayina clan, and enjoy a peaceful life as they hide out from the RDA and franchise villain Colonel Miles Quaritch (Stephen Lang). Problems arise when Jake realizes that Spider (a human who can’t breathe Pandora’s air) can’t wear an oxygen mask forever, as its batteries need charging and they occasionally die when he’s asleep (which isn’t good). Jake and Neytiri decide to send Spider off with a group of Wind Traders who promise to take Spider to a high altitude with breathable air. The journey is perilous for the Wind Traders, so the Sully family agree to provide security, which will allow them to spend more time with their adopted son. While on the trip, the convoy is attacked by a maniac named Varang (Oona Chaplin), who is the leader of the war-loving Mangkwan clan (who live near a volcano, hence the fire and ash), and the family is separated around Pandora. 

While Sully is looking for his kids, he’s attacked and subdued by Quaritch and Corporal Lyle Wainfleet (Matt Gerald). While tied up, Sully informs Quaritch that Spider (Quaritch is his dad – so much plot), has been kidnapped by Varang, and he recruits the two recombinants to help save his family. During the rescue mission, Quaritch meets Varang, and the two eventually team up to kill Sully. Everything builds to a massive battle between several armies, hundreds of sea creatures, thousands of flying monsters, and a bunch of badass sea squid. 

The reason audiences go to watch the Avatar films is because Pandora is a great place to visit. The 3D effects and lush design are unrivaled and need to be seen on the largest screen possible. Russell Carpenter’s cinematography allows the world to feel immersive as he relies on wide shots that capture the immense world created by the wizards at WETA. The production design by Dylan Cole and Ben Procter is wonderful and makes the world feel real and gigantic. Cameron has created a world worth visiting, and I wouldn’t mind if the film were 4+ hours because I like getting lost in the world. Sure, there are way too many characters, but since each character needs screen time, it means that I get to spend more time watching massive sea creatures jumping out of the water so they can destroy whaling boats. 

I had a great time watching Avatar: Fire and Ash because I wasn’t expecting world-changing dialogue or nuance. I wanted beautiful-looking Pandora action and that’s exactly what I got. Cameron is out here making huge movies that take us to another world, and I respect that. 

Quick Thoughts:

• Between Beast of War and We Bury the Dead, Mark Coles Smith is becoming one of my favorite actors.
• The Western Australia locations add a lot to the film. 
• The SFX and prophetic work from Jason Baird (Elvis, Aquaman, The Fall Guy) is excellent. The radiated “zombies” look wonderful.
• The original script, written by director/writer Zak Hilditch (1922, These Final Hours) didn’t feature zombies, but their inclusion was smart because they add stakes and make the film more marketable. People want to see a “Daisy Ridley zombie movie.”
• Any movie that features Kid Cudi and Metric on its soundtrack is cool with me. 

We Bury the Dead focuses on the journey of a grief-stricken woman named Ava, who travels from Los Angeles to Tasmania and joins a Body Retrieval Unit (BRU) that is working its way through the island. The island was hit by an American EMP that instantly killed most of the 573,000 permanent inhabitants and thousands of visiting tourists. Ava’s husband Mitch (Matt Whelan) was visiting the southern coast when the EMP went off, so she signed up for the unit in hopes of finding whatever’s left of him. It’s an interesting idea for a film made better by the fact that some of the corpses are reanimating and attacking soldiers and volunteers. The zombies add a welcome dose of stress into the cinematic equation as every home/garage/warehouse she enters becomes a potential death trap, and there’s nothing scarier than the idea of a corpse coming alive while you’re carrying it out of a house (I’d probably hurt my back during the ordeal, which would make everything worse). 

Ava is paired up with a man named Clay (Brenton Thwaites), and together they scour homes, businesses, garages and warehouses in search of rotting corpses. When they come across a “zombie,” they light a red flare, which alerts nearby soldiers, who quickly dispatch the undead person. Most of the zombies they stumble upon are “new” zombies who haven’t become aggressive yet (they get more and more aggressive), and are easily identifiable due to their bloodshot eyes, gnashing teeth, and overall zombie-esque behavior. When Ava learns that her group won’t be making their way south, she talks Clay into stealing a motorcycle (the fact that it’s a Ducati makes it an easy sell) so they can travel from Devonport to Woodbridge (located near the southern end of the island), where her husband was visiting. The trip is illegal and dangerous, but Ava needs closure, so they hop on the awesome motorcycle and head off into a wasteland loaded with wildfires, zombies and murderous humans. While on their journey, they come across a soldier named Riley (Mark Coles Smith – always good), who initially seems helpful but soon becomes more dangerous than the hungry zombies (Yes, humans are the monsters in this film). It would be a shame to spoil the rest of Ava’s journey, but know that it involves barn zombies, gorgeous visuals, and several fun set pieces. 

If you’re looking for a 94-minute film that is confidently directed and uses its Western Australia locations to perfection, you should watch We Bury the Dead. Understandably, the majority of the film’s marketing focuses on zombie mayhem and the fact that it’s a “Daisy Ridley zombie film.” However, if you’re looking for a Dawn of the Dead (2004) zombie experience, you’ll be disappointed.. At its core, We Bury the Dead is a film about grief, isolation, loss, and redemption that takes place in the irradiated remains of Tasmania. The original script written by Hilditch in 2019 didn’t feature any zombies, but as he fine-tuned the screenplay during the pandemic, zombies were included to make the high-concept idea more marketable.

The special effect makeup and zombie prosthetics created by Jason Baird (who received an Oscar nomination for his work on Elvis) give the film a lot of credibility, as the undead humans look amazing. The Western Australian locations are shot expertly by DP Steve Annis (Color out of Space, Inside, I Am Mother) who worked wonders during the 25-day shoot. Also, the sound design by Duncan Campbell (You’ll Never Find Me, Sting) is first-rate as it gives the zombies a plethora of crunchy/cracking/gnashing sounds, which helps build their personalities. Technically speaking, We Bury the Dead is a top-notch production that stretches its budget and provides a handful of visuals that have been lingered in my memory. 

Final thoughts – It’s worth a watch for zombie-movie enthusiasts.

Quick Thoughts:

1. Cannibal beach fight!
2. Cinematographer Noah Greenberg does a fine job capturing the beauty of the Indonesian locations
3. A badass samurai + a remote island + cannibals = A good time
4. It’s pretty much three movies in one. Don’t expect nonstop chaos. 
5. The fight choreography by Yandi Sutisna (The Night Comes for Us), Erik Rukmanila (Beyond Skyline) and Rama Ramadhan (The Raid: Redemption) is wonderful. I like knowing that executive producer Iko Uwais is handing out opportunities to young stunt choreographers. 

I love movies that feature problems on top of problems, and Lone Samurai is a great example of a lone samurai having a terrible time on a remote island. Here’s why.

1. Riku (Shogen), a badass samurai, gets stranded on an island because a tsunami broke out during a sea battle with a Mongolian armada. 
2. When he wakes up on the island, he learns that he has a hunk of wood stuck in his leg AND his sword is broken in half.
3. The guy is tired, dehydrated, injured and weaponless. 
4. After regaining his strength (and becoming cool with the local Komodo Dragon populace), he decides to build a shrine on top of the tallest mountain on the island.
5. After building the shrine, he’s knocked unconscious by a cannibal.
6. He’s imprisoned deep inside a cave system and is third in line to be eaten by the cannibals
7. One of the cannibals is played by Yayan Ruhian (The Raid, The Raid 2, John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum, Boy Kills World, Skylines, Beyond Skyline, Yakuza Apocalypse, Merantau). Yayan is probably the last person a movie character would want to fight. 
8. After escaping, the lone samurai has to battle a gang of cannibals who are really tough. There is a henchman named Bone Thin (Faisal Rachman – a breakdancer and martial artist), who looks like he belongs in Only the Strong (watch it now). 
9. The final villain is named Boar (Rama Ramadhan), and he’s a cannibal tank.
10. If Riku wins, he’s still stranded on an island….

The best thing about Lone Samurai is that it takes you to some unexpected places. I normally hate comparing movies to other movies, but it’s like Bone Tomahawk, Apocalypto, 13 Assassins, Cast Away, The 13th Warrior, and a samurai film were dropped into a Vitamix and blended into a unique action-horror film that ends with a beach fight. Director Josh C. Waller came up with the “Samurai on an island” narrative after seeing a lone fisherman standing knee-deep in the water on the north shore of Oahu. He initially wanted the film to be an “entirely silent” journey that subverted tropes and featured things audiences had never seen before (according to the press notes). However, after learning that an entirely silent film wouldn’t get much funding, he edited the script and managed to cobble together some money for his experimental film. Filming on Oahu would’ve been too expensive, so he found Indonesian shooting locations and recruited the talented Team Uwais for all the fights and stunts. 

Waller’s experience as a producer most certainly helped stretch the budget, as his work on Mandy, Color Out of Space, A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night, and The Greasy Strangler proves he can churn out great-looking films on a budget. Waller pulled together a solid group of contributors to help him make movie magic. What’s interesting is that production was rough as he had to fire his art department, recast actors, and change the way he directs (he said he was way too “intense” on his crew). The end result is a neat experimental film that ends with a 30-minute beach brawl.

Final thoughts – Watch it. Enjoy the beach brawl.

You can download or stream the pod on Apple Podcasts, Tune In, Podbean, or Spreaker (or wherever you listen to podcasts…..we’re almost everywhere).

If you get a chance please make sure to review, rate and share. You are awesome.

Mark and Jack Austin discuss the 2024 sci-fi epic Dune: Part Two. Directed by Denis Villeneuve and starring Timothée Chalamet, Zendaya, Austin Butler and lots of sand, the movie focuses on what happens when a manufactured prophecy created by a powerful religious force comes to fruition. In this episode, they also talk about accessible sci-fi, sandworm riding, and terrible employers. Enjoy!

If you are a fan of the podcast, make sure to send in some random listener questions (we love random questions). We thank you for listening, and hope you enjoy the episode!

Quick Thoughts:

1. The cast is pitch-perfect.
2. It has the feel of an old-school rom-com, which is nice. Director David Freyne was inspired by The Apartment (1960), Heaven Can Wait  and Sullivan’s Travels
3. The high-concept idea is stretched a bit thin, but I appreciate the world-building
4. Miles Teller is perfect as a big oaf of a guy
5. Elizabeth Olsen has a lot to do, and she does it effortlessly. 

It makes a lot of sense that the screenplay for Eternity landed on the Blacklist because it’s simultaneously high concept and unwieldy. On the surface, the idea of a deceased woman named Joan (Elizabeth Olsen) having to choose which of her deceased husbands (Miles Teller, Callum Turner) to spend eternity with is perfectly straightforward for a rom-com. However, toss in world-building, a love triangle, additional characters, rom-com tropes, and a “bureaucratic Brutalist hub that encased a chaotic tourism expo of eternities,” (thank you press notes) and you have a lot of story to cover. The good news is that Eternity is a refreshingly nice film that features solid work from Elizabeth Olsen, Miles Teller, Callum Turner, and Da’Vine Joy Randolph.

The story opens with an elderly man (who is supremely cranky) named Larry Cutler (Teller) choking on a pretzel during a gender reveal party thrown by his daughter. After dying, he wakes up on a train and is delivered to an afterlife waystation where his afterlife coordinator Anna (Joy Da’Vine Randolph) tells him he has seven days to choose where he’ll spend eternity. When he died, Larry was in his 80s, but in the afterlife he’s in his mid-30s, which was when he was the happiest during his life as he and his wife Joan (Elizabeth Olsen) had just welcomed their second child into the world. While there, he meets Luke (Callum Turner), a handsome bartender, who after dying in the Korean War, has been waiting in the waystation for 67 years so he can be reunited with his wife. The problem is that both men were married to Joan, and when she passes away several days after Larry dies, she arrives in the afterlife with both of her husbands expecting she will spend eternity with them. Does she pick her handsome first husband whom she was married to briefly and loved passionately? Or, will she pick Larry, an oaf of a guy, who after 65 years of marriage knows how to make her comfortable and happy (there’s a great bit that involves squats)? It’s a perfect setup for a rom-com because it’s absurd and allows for miscommunications, love triangles, dancing scenes, and third-act running scenes that always appear in rom-coms (think When Harry Met Sally, Jerry Maguire, The Graduate, Love Actually, and Licorice Pizza). 

An inspired idea from writers Patrick Cunnane and David Freyne was to make the afterlife waystation look like it’s inside the atrium of a large hotel (or casino) that’s filled with stuffy rooms, a convention center (filled with thousands of afterlife options), and a train station used to deliver the deceased to their afterlives. The production design by Zazu Myers (My Old Ass – wonderful movie) is inspired as the low-budget film leans into artifice by using large curtains to symbolize day and night. If you’ve ever been stuffed into a stuffy hotel room or convention hall, you’ll know how claustrophobic things can seem, so it makes sense that the waystation to the afterlife isn’t comfortable or welcoming. The goal of the in-between area is for newly deceased people to pick where they want to spend eternity. They can pick from thousands of eternities (Beach World, Capitalist World and Man Free World are some examples), and can never leave the one they pick – if they do, they’ll be tossed into a dark void where they’ll float in darkness for eternity. Making the purgatory-esque waystation worse is that drinking still leads to hangovers, and the afterlife coordinators don’t really care about the potential happiness of their clients because they’re too busy filling afterlife quotas.

At press screenings, you’re asked to share your thoughts with a representative when leaving the theater. I must’ve used the word “nice” about 20 times and I consider that to be a compliment. If you dig deeper into the world of Eternity, it could become a horror film, but knowing that it takes place in a rom-com world and stars a trio of excellent performers makes the experience supremely pleasant. Elizabeth Olsen has a lot to do, and she does it effortlessly, and you completely understand why the characters played by Miles Teller and Callum Turner love her. Of the three actors, Turner gets the least to do as the majority of the dialogue revolves around his resemblance to Montgomery Clift (dude is handsome). The MVP of the film is Miles Teller, who has an everyman charm that makes him a far-from-perfect oaf who just really loves his wife (despite complaining all the time).

Final Thoughts – It’s a nice film. Watch it.