The MFF Podcast #34: Creating the Ultimate Romantic Comedy Drama
Hello all. Mark here.
Great news! Blog Talk Radio, Sharkdropper and MFF have teamed up to form the perfect movie podcast. Now, you can stream the pods on the BTR website or download from Itunes.
Do you love romantic comedies that feature a little drama? Do you love incredibly random romantic comedies that feature time travel, sandals, literal gold hearts and krakens? If you said “yes” to both of these questions you will love this pod.
Sidenote: John Cusack gets a lot of pod time.
.
We combined ten romantic comedy tropes and broke them down in order to create something glorious. In this pod you will be transported to a new world featuring three Zoey Deschanel’s and several Sandra Bullocks.
Sit back, relax and enjoy another random movie podcast from MFF. Check out the MFF pod on Blog Talk Radio or head over to Itunes and listen to the randomness!
If you get a chance please REVIEW, RATE and SHARE the pod!
Share this post:
The MFF Random Awards: The 2015 Spying Awards
2015 has been a banner year for spying. We’ve been blessed with a cornucopia of fantastic spy films that trot the globe and put fake mustaches on Jason Statham. In honor of Spy, Bridge of Spies, The Man from U.N.C.L.E., Spectre, Kingsman and Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation I’ve compiled a list of random awards that honor the fun spy films. As always the awards don’t make much sense but they highlight the best moments in some very good movies.
Here they are!
Sidenote: Hitman has been left out for obvious reasons.
Best usage of Jason Statham wearing a fake mustache
Jason Statham was really really ridiculously funny in Spy. You need to watch it.
.
Best usage of a lisping Samuel L. Jackson award
A good spy film needs a good villain. Samuel L. Jackson is a good villain in Kingsman.
.
Best background boat chase
I love that a Man From U.N.C.L.E. boat chase plays second fiddle to a guy eating cheese and drinking wine.
.
Hundreds of people are killed via decapitation, slit throats and impalement but one joke at the end had people up in arms award
The Eggsy/princess moment at the end of Kingsman sure got a lot of press.
.
Best standing around in a barren landscape
If you are going to stand around in the middle of nowhere you better look ridiculously good like the people in Spectre.
.
Best usage of whiskey
Tom Hanks never turns down whiskey in Bridge of Spies. I respect that.
Yes, I will have another.
Second best usage of whiskey
I love that Kingsman appreciates good Scotch. I am very happy they didn’t waste the 1962 Dalmore.
.
Best outfit that supposedly makes someone look like a “slutty dolphin trainer”
Rose Byrne is awesome and profane in Spy. She also has a lot of hair.
.
Best Usage of a dress that allows you to look fashionable while attempting to kill somebody.
This Rogue Nation dress says “I’m practical and deadly.” Good job costume designer.
.
Best monologuing while wearing loafers without socks.
Christoph Waltz needs to look stylish while monologuing. I guess he feels more free to be evil without socks.
.
Best incredibly violent gunfight inside a church.
Colin Firth is my new action hero. The church scene was crazy in Kingsman.
.
Give Luther and Brandt their own movie award.
Give them a spin-off and call it Mission Impossible: Legacy. Get it?
.
Best moment involving dentures
Mark Rylance is awesome in Bridge in Spies. In a 60 second scene involving dentures we learn everything we need to know about the guy.
.
Best reaction to being drugged
What does Napoleon Solo do when he is drugged in U.N.C.L.E.? He gets comfy on a couch and awaits unconsciousness.
.
Best motorcycle riding that will make investors incredibly nervous and stuntmen cringe
Tom Cruise is a maniac and it makes the movies better and seemingly more dangerous.
Photo credit: Christian Black
.
Best Moped moment involving cement
Melissa McCarthy is pure gold in Spy. She also wrecks a construction crews day.
.
Best usage of two tall people on a moped
Did I mention that while I dislike typing The Man From U.N.C.L.E. I think it is breezy and fun?
.
Most gratuitous motorcycle themed poster
Ving Rhames should get the same poster.
.
Did I forget any random spy awards? Let me know in the comments!
Share this post:
Spectre: A Solid Addition to the James Bond Franchise
Bond films are rarely judged as a single entity. There is so much baggage associated with the Bond world that is is hard to review one of them without drawing comparisons from 50 years worth of super spy antics. I feel bad for Spectre because it will always live under the shadow of Casino Royale and Skyfall. However, Spectre is a solid addition to the Bond cannon and gives viewers what they want (explosions, martinis, beautiful people looking beautiful).
The film revolves around Bond hunting down a mysterious group called Spectre. His travels take him all over the world and find him engaging in martini drinking, fist fights and fitting into readily available tailored clothes. As Bond’s antics stay the same the world around him is changing. His rogue antics add fuel to the fire for intelligence agencies who want to trade out agents for drones. The license to kill agent is becoming obsolete and it gets to the point where he is injected with smart blood in order for M (Ralph Fiennes) and Q (Ben Whishaw) to keep track of him. Eventually, Bond goes AWOL and and it leads to a lot of death, sex and dastardly villains.
As always Christoph Waltz is fantastic as the villain. My favorite moment of the film involves him monologuing whilst wearing loafers without socks. He is a bad guy with style and I love how Waltz plays up all the bonkers traits that make Bond villains memorable. He is the world’s smartest man yet he inevitably places Bond in easy to escape situations and plays way too many games. Dave Bautista (Guardians of the Galaxy) is fun as the the mute (ish) villain Hinx. He may not be as personable as Odd Job or Jaws but his physicality adds another level to the fist fights. The guy can fight and his brawl with Bond aboard a train is brilliantly brutal and fits right alongside the From Russia With Love train brawl.
I missed cinematographer Roger Deakins (Skyfall, Prisoners) but I thought Hoyte Van Hoytema (Interstellar) did a fine job making the action and people look great. I am 100% certain that specific shots were created just to show off Daniel Craig and new Bond woman Lea Seydoux.
.
What I loved about Spectre is how much care and art they put into the action set pieces. The opening scene in Mexico is a beautiful combination of steadicam work, fantastic costuming and a whole lot of tension. It is the best part of the movie and I can’t imagine the amount of work that went into creating the Day of the Dead parade. I think it might be my favorite of all the Bond cold opens because of the sheer size of it all. It is a brilliant way to open a film and I 100% think it has the best usage of a couch in any Bond film.
.
What I appreciated most about the action is that it furthered the story. I dug how the action moved along the plot points, got expository dialogue out of the way and taught us what we need to know about the characters. Whether it be incredibly expensive super cars racing around Rome or an airplane chasing down cars in the Alps they further the story organically. It was really cool to see how director Sam Mendes incorporated old Bond tropes (skiing, chases, car gags, train fights) and made them fresh again. I had a smile on my face during the action scenes because they played with the familiar but added enough of a twist to make them exciting. That is why people love Bond films. There is a sense of familiar even as everything is changing. Sam Mendes paid respect to the fans and I hope they notice.
Spectre is a solid addition to the Bond cannon and I think it is better than any of the other Bond actors fourth entries (Tomorrow Never Dies, Moonraker, Thunderball). I can’t wait to add this to my Bond Blu-Ray collection and I hope audiences appreciate the amount of work that went into making this a solid film.
Share this post:
My 13 Favorite Cinematic Moments Involving Somebody Throwing a Rock
Rocks have played an important part in the history of cinema. When used correctly the rock can be a valuable tool to start a conversation or throw at an alien lizard.
.
What I love most about cinematic rock throwing is that it covers all genres. You can throw a rock in any type of film and it will probably make it better (no evidence of this). The list below features several Academy Award winners and cult classics that all expertly utilized picking up hard objects and throwing them.
The following post highlights my 12 favorite moments involving rocks throwing and I hope you enjoy!
Life of Brian
The stoning scene in Life of Brian is a perfect example of rock usage in cinema. The Monty Python crew know how to use accessories (rabbits, swords, rocks) perfectly and the stoning scene is glorious. Whether it be them looking for stoning rocks or hitting the wrong person they’ve perfected the art of the rock throw.
.
The Shawshank Redemption
Andy Dufresne has escaped prison and the warden is in an uproar. He can’t fathom how the guy escaped so he does what any evil warden would do. He starts throwing rocks at Morgan Freeman then chucks a rock through the Raquel Welch poster on Andy’s wall. That tiny rock gives away a hole dug through the wall and it is one of the greatest reveals in cinema history.
.
Braveheart
What do you do when challenged by Brendan Gleeson? You let him throw a big rock at you then you pick up a little rock and whack him between the eyes. The rock won a lot of respect.
.
The Incredibles
I love when Mr. Incredible infiltrated a secret evil lair and knocked out a henchman with a perfectly thrown rock. He threw the rock about 200 yards and it perfectly dinked off the poor henchman’s head. The Incredibles is loaded with amazing action and monologues but my favorite scene is the rock throw.
.
Mom and Dad Save the World
Warrior: This is one of our weapons.
Dad: This is a rock….
Warrior: Exactly! What you do is, raise your arm like so then you throw it (a guy gets knocked unconscious).
Dad: Right…..
.
The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
The death of Boromir is the best scene of The Lord of the Rings Trilogy. It is a fantastic moment involving lots of death and really solid rock throwing. What really impressed me was Merry and Pippin’s throwing arms. They knock out massive beasts with little rocks. Their aim is clinical and they give Boromir enough room to wipe out boatloads of Uruk-hais.
.
Forrest Gump
Robin Wright’s rock throwing acting is probably the best of the bunch. She unloads with an angry fury and you totally buy into why she does it. Also, Forest ends the scene with the killer line “Sometimes I guess there just aren’t enough rocks.”
.
Amelie
Amelie made skipping stones look like art. It is an ambitious shot that says a lot about the character (she climbs things and skips a mean rock).
.
It’s a Wonderful Life
“What are you gonna throw a rock?” With this immortal line we are treated to one of the most charming cinematic scenes of all time. It all happened because of a rock (and a great script).
.
Tremors
Rocks save lives. The rocks in Tremors kept people safe and momentarily tricked the Tremors into staying in one place. I’m not sure about Bacon’s throwing arm though.
.
Godzilla
Godzilla and his foes throw a lot of rocks. None of them seem to hurt but I love watching rubber suited creatures throw fake rocks at each other.
.
The Darjeeling Limited
I love The Darjeeling Limited. You need to watch it. The rock throwing isn’t spectacular but I like that the three brothers actually do something together.
.
What cinematic rock throwing do you appreciate?
Share this post:
The MFF Podcast #33: Carpenter (1978) vs Zombie (2007)
You can download the pod on Itunes or head over to Blog Talk Radio to stream it. If you get a chance please make sure to review, rate and share. You are awesome!
We hope you enjoyed our previous episode: Street Fighter Casting Call.
SUMMARY: This week the MFF crew discusses John Carpenter’s masterpiece Halloween (1978), Rob Zombie’s 2007 Halloween remake, and the things that made these films.
We also answer such important questions as…
“What Halloween party from a movie would you most like to attend?”
“Why was John Carpenter’s Halloween iconic?”
“Would Team America World Police be effective against a Sharknado?”
“Why do we love Halloween H20: 20 years later?”
“Which Halloween movie featured the filthiest feet?”
So if you get a chance please REVIEW, RATE and SHARE the pod!
You can listen to the pod on Blog Talk Radio
or head over Itunes so you can download, rate, review and share. Thanks!
Share this post:
3 Days until Halloween! October Pick #5: Trick ‘r Treat (2007)
WHAT MAKES THIS A GOOD HALLOWEEN MOVIE? More like why is this “the” Halloween movie?!?!?! This is 77 minutes of impressively nuanced Halloween anthology goodness with diverse effects and expertly interwoven stories. Anthologies in general are great for Halloween because of all the different flavors of horror they offer us. This movie blows away expectations and is loads of fun. MOVIES LIKE Trick ‘r Treat: Some other fun, decent and/or clever anthologies include (in order of release date): Black Sabbath (1963), Tales from the Crypt (1972), The Vault of Horror (1973), Creepshow (1982), Twilight Zone: The Movie (1983), Stephen King’s Cat’s Eye (1985), Creepshow 2 (1987), Tales from the Dark Side: The Movie (1990), Necronomicon: Book of the Dead (1993), Campfire Tales (1997), 3 Extremes (2004), Trick ‘r Treat (2007), Chillerama (2011), Little Deaths (2011), V/H/S (2012), The Theater Bizarre (2012), The ABCs of Death (2013), V/H/S 2 (2013) and The Profane Exhibit (2013).
This fun little Halloween romp includes several interwoven stories. Unlike most anthologies, all of the stories herein share the same writer and director (Michael Dougherty; only feature film as director). So, also unlike most anthologies, there is a more consistent level of quality as we move from one short story to the next and there is no obvious beginning or end to each segment–instead they all overlap one another quite well. So much so, in fact, that some would even argue that this isn’t really an anthology film. Like in Creepshow, comic-book text boxes flag-post story shifts as light comedy and some downright silliness shine through to keep us smiling. After all, who said Halloween couldn’t be both gory and light-hearted? Mixed among the stories is a nice variety: vampires, werewolves, zombies, serial killers and midget monsters.
Here is a brief summary of the stories:
1. Four girls in cleavage-rich fairy tale costumes go out on Halloween night seeking manly fare. The girls are played by Anna Paquin (True Blood, Scream 4, Darkness), Rochelle Aytes, Moneca Delain (Lost Boys: The Tribe) and Lauren Lee Smith (Pathology). Paquin plays the shy virgin among a pack of experienced man-eaters.
Well, as we know, Disney always has been generous in the cleavage department.
Whoa. There’s a change up. From innocent school girl (above) to R-rated Van Helsing extra (below).
2. A bus driver attempts to kill a bus full of mentally disturbed children and sort of succeeds. This event (which is told as a scary story) is linked to a mean prank that some kids pull. The kids include Britt McKillip (Mission to Mars) and Jean-Luc Bilodeau (Piranha 3DD).
What’s down there? I’m guessing a trick.
3+. The overarching intro-to-closing story observes trick-or-treating and trick-or-treaters or all ages in a pleasant neighborhood. Pleasant, that is, until people start dying at the hands of a strange diminutive murderer and a kid-killing school principal. This “story” features really more than one story of its own and the cast features Leslie Bibb (Hell Baby, 7500), Dylan Baker (The Cell, Fido) and Brian Cox (Zodiac, The Ring).
Dylan Baker is pretty handy with a carving knife. Check it out, fat kid from Bad Santa.
While not “maturely” or seriously presented, the writing felt sound, credible and free of any flaws that would provoke criticism. Great, in fact, for this kind of movie. A finer detail in this film is the effective use of jack-o-lanterns as a symbol of death. Pay attention to what happens after someone blows a jack-o-lantern’s candle out. Also note that the bus driver and the principal each find themselves in more than one story. Also pay attention as a murderer’s child dresses as the murder, complete with a blood-stained shirt after murdering someone earlier in the film! Now that is META!
A fine job was done with the special effects. There’s no CGI (that I can tell) and every nuance worth showing got plenty of skillful attention. The gore includes geyser-like vomiting, bloody bodies, severed heads, rubber guts, broken legs with exposed bones, stacks of corpses and a breasty flesh-stripping transformation scene. I really dug the artistic license taken on the werewolf transformation scene! It may seem a little dumb to horror fans at first glance, but it was done VERY well and it mingled fantastically with the “girls in slutty costumes” theme; they literally “stripped” off their human skin to reveal the wolf within. Given the tone of the movie and the scene, it felt perfect.
It saddens me that Michael Dougherty (the man behind this tactful movie) hasn’t done anything in years. I’d like to think he’s working on his next horror masterpiece. But I fear he’s fallen into obscurity.
This is far more worthy than any anthologies of the last 20 years in terms of overall quality. So take the time this Halloween to enjoy this light-hearted masterpiece.
Share this post:
Hello all. Mark here.
The world is inundated with lists telling you which horror films to watch on Halloween. I’m sure they all have their merits but they aren’t looking out for everybody. We here at MFF want to bring you a wide variety of films in order to give you options. We understand that not everybody watches the same kind of movies so options are always nice.
The following posts features 11 categories and in those categories I’ve given you a main option and a backup in case you don’t like the first recommendation. Hopefully you can find something you will enjoy.
If you are in the mood for…..
A foreign horror film that will punch you in the face with an insane amount of depravity and awesomeness.
I Saw the Devil – This is the kind of film I don’t normally recommend because it is crazy bleak. However, if you appreciate horror or good cinema you will love this story about a cat and mouse game between a serial killer and vengeful cop. It is violent, bleak and amazingly directed.
- If you aren’t interested: You should check out Thirst. It is a glorious South Korean vampire tale that tires you out and makes you fall in love with it.
A foreign horror film that features a unique monster battling a resourceful family.
The Host – It doesn’t get any better than The Host. It tells a bonkers story about a kidnapping monster and the family that battles it. Watch it now!
- If you aren’t interested: Check out Black Sheep. Both The Host and Black Sheep have WETA special effects which means the creatures look awesome.
A Bonkers delight that features demon goats, car park battles and Sam Raimi awesomeness.
Drag Me To Hell – You will love this movie. It is the first movie my wife and I watched together (she is still with me) and it is incredibly fun and very gooey.
- If you aren’t interested: There aren’t any demon goats but Evil Dead II is a gonzo delight that proves sequels aren’t always bad.
A Vampire mockumentary that is big on blood and humor.
What We Do in the Shadows – “We are werewolves, not swearwolves.” You need to watch this film about cheeky vampires who deal with all sorts of cheeky problems.
- If you aren’t interested: Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon is a cheeky/violent mockumentary that focuses on a budding serial killer who lives in the same world as Freddy, Jason and leatherface.
A found footage movie about a Tomb Raider type who totally redeems herself.
As Above, So Below – It is refreshing when everybody doesn’t die. Also, I like the Indiana Jones/ Tomb Raider type plot.
- If you aren’t interested: Check out Trollhunter. It is found footage done right.
A horror film that pretty much takes place in one location.
Pontypool – I still can’t believe how much I loved this movie. It features four people, lots of talking and very effective creeps. It is inventive and fun.
- If you aren’t interested; Check out Devil. Ignore the “produced by M. Night” label and embrace the neat sense of dread and singular plot.
A film about spelunkers battling claustrophobia and other terrible stuff.
The Descent – I love this movie and you need to watch it now. It will scare you senseless.
- If you aren’t interested – Check out Attack the Block. Nobody spelunks but the English film features cool characters and unique creature design.
A remake that is better than it has any right to be.
Fright Night – The chemistry is fantastic and David Tennant is awesome. There are some some solid frights as well.
- If You Aren’t Interested – The Crazies is a low-budget remake that works marvels and has a fantastic cast.
A Halloween cult classic anthology film.
Trick r’ Treat – This cult classic Halloween centered film has amassed a loyal following and I recommend you become one of those people.
- If you aren’t Interested – Halloween is a classic and you might as well watch something that revolves around Halloween.
A horror comedy featuring kindly rednecks.
Tucker & Dale vs. Evil – It is almost impossible to dislike Tucker and Dale. They are good dudes who have to deal with jerky college kids.
- If you aren’t interested – Shaun of the Dead is a beautiful horror comedy that will make you laugh and feel all the feels.
A trilogy of films where you actually like the people involved.
Insidious I, II, and III – I love these films and they feature a whole lot of nice people battling jerky demons.
- If you aren’t Interested: Watch Final Destination I, II, III and V and skip the fourth one.
Hopefully somewhere in here you will have found a movie you want to watch! If not, try 28 Days later, 28 Weeks Later and the remake of Dawn of the Dead. Fast zombies galore!
Share this post:
John’s Horror Corner: The Final Girls (2015), an excellent horror satire and a clever slasher metamovie.
MY CALL: This film is all about celebrating metamoviedom. Not kills, not gore, not action, but geeky commentary and smart, playful satire. I highly recommend it and would even prescribe it to people who generally don’t like horror movies. MOVIES LIKE The Final Girls: While they’re far more serious (yet satirical), I’d suggest the Scream movies (1996-2011; discussed in our podcast). Those looking for more smart horror comedy should try out Tucker and Dale versus Evil (2010), Cooties (2015), or the extremely silly Love in the Time of Monsters (2014) and Zombeavers (2015; discussed in our podcast).
Director Todd Strauss-Schulson is responsible for this playful metamovie, presenting a “movie within a movie” premise in which the protagonists must follow the classic horror axioms in order to survive the film into which they are magically transported. As a true honorarium to early summer camp horror, the film in question has a poster reminiscent of The Burning (1981) and is called is Camp Blood, which was the original working title for Friday the 13th (1980).
Clearly mirroring Camp Crystal Lake, the film is complete with “ch ch ch ka ka ka” which our protagonists can actually hear as if they were watching the very movie that has entrapped them! They also make interesting use of flashbacks as a metamovie filmmaking device to escape the killer. The flashbacks tell the killer’s origin story and it’s very much akin to that of Jason Vorrhees, including the flashback timeframe (1957) and the “present day” timeframe of Camp Blood (1986). It’s all in good fun and it will light up smiles on fans of 80s horror.
This film knows exactly what it is and it uses that effectively to entertain viewers with nods to things we love about the 80s horror era. Manic power geek Duncan (Thomas Middleditch; Silicon Valley) assumes Jamie Kennedy’s Scream role as the meta-analyst and Camp Blood expert of the group. His knowledge of horror movies and Camp Blood helps them to safely navigate this horror fantasy world and understand the rules—for a while anyway. He makes silly comments about how the characters behave, knowing the lines of the script, and how they should treat their experience like they’re in a nature preserve: “don’t interrupt, only observe.” He is the key character that connects us to the theme.
Max (Taissa Farmiga; American Horror Story) is the typical final girl, a likable sympathetic virgin. Perhaps a namesake in honor of A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984), Max’s mother is Nancy (Malin Akerman; Watchmen), a single mother struggling to find work who was a scream queen in the cult classic Camp Blood (fictionally made in 1986). In the real world Nancy died in a car accident, so when we find her character again in Camp Blood, Max has the opportunity to reconnect with her even if it’s under the guise that they are peers working together for the summer. This gets particularly entertaining when Nancy talks about sleeping with Kurt (Adam DeVine; Pitch Perfect), the over-sexed alpha bro.
Kurt brings loads of comic relief and the characters are rounded out with Chris (Alexander Ludwig; Vikings, The Hunger Games), Vicki (Nina Dobrev; The Vampire Diaries) and the stereotypical slut Tina (Angela Trimbur; Halloween II). I was pleased with the acting and story, and even more pleased with the nuances. Most notably the color correction of the forest plants and flowers was starkly in brilliant contrast, as if the protagonists had just been displaced to Oz.
As if their horror microcosm comprised only the scenes and sets of Camp Blood, attempts to escape the camp site loop them right back and it even affects the behavior of the Camp Blood characters. Once the group has a handle on the metamovie rules they discover that one of them has to be the “final girl” and, in fact, their idea of who that should be and why shifts a bit. They also use tropes that lead to death (i.e., implications of nudity) to set a trap for the killer. How that turns out will delight viewers.
There are some very funny death scenes but gore is kept to a minimum and scares are completely absent (in lieu of comedy). One kill even reminds me of the gymnast’s death in Final Destination 5 (2011).
Overall, this film was smartly scripted and a true delight. It should please diehard horror fans and even occasional visitors to the genre.
Share this post:
The MFF Podcast #32: Street Fighter Casting Call
You can download the pod on Itunes or head over to Blog Talk Radio to stream it. If you get a chance please make sure to review, rate and share. You are awesome!
We hope you enjoyed our previous episode: A Scream on Elm Street.
SUMMARY: This week the MFF crew discusses the our dream team cast for a cinematic reboot of Street Fighter (or, more specifically, Street Fighter II).
We also answer such important questions as…
“Why is it so hard to cast Chun Li in Street Fighter?”
“Where does Dolph Lundgren fit in a Street Fighter reboot and future Rocky films?”
Sit back, relax and learn about everything you missed.
If you haven’t seen some of these movies, be comforted that we will geekily inform you as to why you should watch them.
JCVD (Guile from Street Fighter) has a Chinese penny for your thoughts…
So if you get a chance please REVIEW, RATE and SHARE the pod!
You can listen to the pod on Blog Talk Radio
or head over Itunes so you can download, rate, review and share. Thanks!
Share this post:
The Last Witch Hunter: Dungeons, Dragons and Diesel
.
The Last Witch Hunter ain’t Shakespeare but it is a lot of fun. Anytime a movie creates a new world and features Vin Diesel punching witches I’m sold. I’ve grown tired of watching sequels, remakes and prequels so I’m happy a movie as ridiculous as The Last Witch Hunter was released. I was able to take my brain out and appreciate a world full of plague trees, shadow walkers and gnarly beards.
.
The Last Witch Hunter is based on a Dungeons and Dragons character that Vin created during his D&D days. He is a massive gamer and thought it would be cool to make a movie about the character. With the Fast & Furious series making insane amounts of money I guess Vin Diesel was given carte blanche when it came to creating this film. Thus, a script was written and Breck Eisner (The Crazies) was pegged to direct the movie about a suave immortal witch hunter.
Think of The Last Witch Hunter as the anti-Constantine. In Constantine the character was dying and looking to atone for his wrong doings via eradicating evil. In The Last Witch Hunter Kaulder (Diesel) was cursed with immortality and uses his powers to wrangle up trouble making witches. He is basically a mixture of The Highlander, Constantine and Hansel & Gretel Witch Hunters. Throw in some James Bond and tailored shirts and you have Kaulder.
.
The plot centers around Kaulder preventing his old nemesis the witch queen from rising again. He laid the smack down on her 800 years prior and now he has no urge to battle with the deadly villain again. So, he travels around town with his handler Dolan (Elijah Wood) and deals with various trouble makers in order to get a handle on the strange things that are afoot. His journey leads him to potions, curses, cupcakes, plague flies, hell portals, fizzy drinks, double crosses and a shadow walker named Chloe (Rose Leslie).
My favorite part of the movie was watching Kaulder traveling around doing detective work. I loved how the world unfolded and I definitely caught a strong John Wick world building vibe. A lot of nerd energy went into building this gonzo world and I would have been happy if it would have lead to a simple detective story as opposed to the obligatory CGI battle that doesn’t make a lick of sense. If there is a sequel I hope it becomes more grounded but still fashionable.
.
This isn’t a knock on Vin but I’m glad they made his character immortal because he is basically going that route in the Riddick and Fast series. The immortal angle allows Vin to run through skeleton creatures whilst still being relaxed. He is an unstoppable force that is immortal for a pretty good reason. I won’t give it away but when the big moment comes and you learn about his immortality you get it. Vin came up with a good idea and I really we get another installment because I’m down for more witch punching.
I’m not saying The Last Witch Hunter is as good as Constantine or as fun as The Mummy. I’m saying it creates a new world and you can tell Vin loves every second of it. For me as consumer I appreciate new stories and I think Vin’s world is perfect for further stories about witches getting drop kicked.
Movies, Films & Flix 