The Autopsy of Jane Doe Will Get Under Your Skin

For a long time, decent horror films were few and far between - but as we've recently seen, they're starting to make a comeback. With films like The Babadook, The Witch, The Guest, Don't Breathe, and most recently, Get Out, the genre is delivering increasingly smart, gripping films that aren't just trying to hustle up the next franchise. So when good buzz starts building, I'm all over it. 

If you're likewise fond of gasps and dread, be sure to add The Autopsy of Jane Doe to your list. Directed by Trollhunter's André Øvredal, Autopsy is a gripping, atmospheric thriller that starts off as a forensic procedural, when police discover the corpse of a young woman half-buried in the basement beneath a brutal crime scene. Her body is taken to the local coroner, played by the great Brian Cox, who's been guiding his son (Emile Hirsch) into the family business.

Their job is to determine the cause of death. What's her story? What if there doesn't seem to be a cause of death? As the title here should tell you, this film is not for the squeamish. When father and son go to work, we're up close and personal with their trade's unique brand of visceral archaeology. As they begin to peel back layers of the onion, these seasoned, unflinching clinicians start to make discoveries that quickly give them pause.

And, we'll just stop right there, to stay out of spoiler territory. But it's going to be a long night, and a storm is on the way. Cox and Hirsch are just fantastic here, as is the enigmatic and lifeless presence depicted by Olwen Kelly.

Øvredal is beautifully suited for this kind of thing, flavoring the creeping intensity with the occasional dash of humor, and his collaboration with writers Ian Goldberg and Richard Naing, cinematographer Roman Osin and editors Patrick Larsgaard and Peter Gvosdas, serves up a sensational, claustrophobic chamber piece that never drags during its brisk, suspensefully economic 86 minutes.

If you're a fan of John Carpenter and cold, twisting plots that wrench onto your fingers, seek out The Autopsy of Jane Doe at all costs. Sadly, it's had a very limited theatrical release, as this would be a fantastic picture to see with an audience. But right now your best bet is video-on-demand, including Amazon. Do not miss it.

Marvelous Muggles and Fantastic Beasts!

I guess November was a little crazy around my house, because I only just recently got a chance to sit down and catch Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, now out on home video.


This is all a little different from Harry Potter, but we're definitely in the same universe, and that's somehow a very comforting place to be. Newt Scamanger (Eddie Redmayne) is a wizard with a particular interest in magical creatures, which he totes around in a well-worn  leather suitcase. He has an errand that brings him across the Atlantic to New York, where we are introduced to the 1920s American counterpart of the Hogwarts universe - and Ministry of Magic - some 70 years before young Harry first picked up his wand.


Through a bit of accidental happenstance, Newt's case ends up in the hands of a "No-Maj" (Muggle) who has no idea magic exists, and is just trying to start a business. The Ministry is suspicious of Newt, as there have been all manner of dark doings going-on in this gorgeously rendered old world New York. Could it somehow have anything to do with Gellert Grindelwald, the mysterious dark wizard who's been a source of chaos and disruption?


If you wandered in off the street, you'd be forgiven if you thought this was an episode of Doctor Who. Newt is whimsically eccentric and oddly dressed, pulling back the curtain to reveal a universe of wonders to mere mortals who are sucked into his adventure. Like The Doctor's TARDIS, Newt's suitcase is also cavernously gigantic on the interior, the space necessary to house his amazing bestiary. Redmayne plays Newt as shy yet charming and determined, though he speaks with a mumbled whisper that had me reaching for the subtitles button more than once. But here's the thing - Newt - and this movie - really grows on you.


A huge reason for the film's success lies in the supporting performances, which really draw you in. As Jacob Kowalski, the hapless bystander who dreams of opening his own bakery, Dan Fogler is a revelation. Kowalski is the audience - a regular guy who becomes aware of a universe of color after living in black and white - and he's entranced and captivated by it. He dives right in, and he's such a terrific performer, and makes Jacob such a great character, I was ready to follow wherever he went.


Newt and Jacob need help from two magical sisters, Tina (Katherine Waterston) and Queenie (Alison Sudol), and Queenie steals the picture, particularly in any scene she has with Jacob. Sudol and Fogler bring such fresh energy to things, that the story really comes alive when they meet. Sharp-eared fans of Ron Perlman are also in for a delicious treat. I was less enthralled by Colin Farrell, as a kind of Ministry Enforcer, who stalks and glowers around setting his traps.


But like I said, the charm in this movie really gets you, thanks to the phenomenal partnership of J.K. Rowling and seasoned Potter director David Yates. Rowling deserves a lot of credit for daring to dive back into the same universe, creating fresh characters and new situations that aren't dependent on Hogwarts denizens. She's created a whole new world here, and by giving more of the stage to the muggles, it actually makes things seem all the more enchanting. Yates does a splendid job of painting an incredibly rich and baroque picture of 20s New York that's just enthralling and atmospheric. And let's not forget the creatures themselves, which are just terrific, a real assortment of strange and delightful beings that make it easy to understand Newt's passion for.


Fantastic Beasts is a real treat, and now that we know who's who, I'm excited to see where the next chapter in this story will lead us.

Beauty and the Beast: Turning Leftovers Into a Feast!

When Disney began retooling their classic animation catalog as live action event films, many of us feared the worst.

Remembering back to 101 Dalmatians (1996), and the “Unsee! Unsee!” horrors of other live-action-izations (Mike Meyers’ The Cat in the Hat, anyone? – not Disney, but wow…!), it’s a trend that could have been just that – a trend – a business decision, and one bereft of any real caring or eye towards longevity. But surprisingly, the same yardstick of quality that’s buoyed Disney’s efforts with the Star Wars and Marvel franchises has been used in this new series of films, and it’s been paying off handsomely. With both Cinderella and The Jungle Book, real care was made to craft an engaging entertainment that would both satisfy generations of original fans, while introducing them to a whole new legion of young devotees. Classic animation can seemingly live harmoniously with modern, high definition reimaginings – and with Beauty and the Beast, Disney’s taken the model and gone nuclear.

Released 26 years ago, Beauty and the Beast is beloved by millions – and taking this story and making it “visually literal” could easily have gone wrong a hundred different ways. The original is hardly a tale of feminist empowerment; you’ve got the weird “woman/beast/prisoner” subtext that can get more than a little uncomfortable; plus, there’s all the talking furniture. Can you render that in modern terms – with music – and avoid having the whole thing come crashing down in flames? Oh, yes – spectacularly so. Because Beauty and the Beast has been lovingly, shrewdly engineered to deliver maximum charm to its audience, and did it ever open huge at the box office. It’s a global phenomenon.

Directed by Bill Condon (Dreamgirls, Mr. Holmes), Beauty and the Beast is sweeping and lavish to behold, and very deliberately echoes many key moments and shot compositions straight out of the original. There will be those who scream “paint by numbers,” but if you look at these films the way you’d look at any theater company mounting their own rendition of a classic musical, it’s a lot easier to succumb to its charms and appreciate the effort, which is considerable. When you think of girls who are bookish and headstrong, Hermione Granger’s bound to come to mind, and so Beast (along with The Circle) sees Emma Watson making the transition to more mature roles in quick fashion. As a singer, Paige O’Hara is a tough act to follow, but Watson delivers ably (albeit carefully modulated), making Belle a more independent and spirited role model for today’s audience. She’s no stranger to green-screen, that’s for sure.

Dan Stevens is one of the best actors out there these days (if you haven’t seen The Guest yet, run!), and this role must have been a real challenge. The Beast’s design is more organic, but also wholly dependent on CG. Most of the time, you believe The Beast without thinking, thanks in large part to the strength of Stevens’ voice work and charisma. Though there are moments – when descending a flight of stairs – where the effects are still clunky and less convincing. Those awkward lion legs, after all.

As Gaston, the boorish, self-involved narcissist of Belle’s nightmares, Luke Evans does a fantastic job. The role calls for Bruce Campbell lantern-jawed cluelessness, but Evans is a great fit – less cartoonish, but at turns roguishly charming, malevolent and hilarious. As LeFou, Josh Gad is, well, Josh Gad. He’s funny, but he seems curiously detached at times. Kevin Kline is terrific as Belle’s father, giving her a much deeper backstory than in the original, a really nice touch. Emma Thompson, Ian McKellan and Ewan McGregor round-out the bewitched accessories of The Beast’s enchanted castle. It’s odd not to see those familiar wide-eyed animated faces, with candlesticks and teapots here that might be just as much at home in Pan’s Labyrinth. But somehow, it all works, and works delightfully. Though Ewan, that French accent – guessing it’s meant to be deliberately bad…? “Eet ees pain-fell to Zee EEEars, mon amis!”

But what makes Beauty and the Beast such an enduring classic is what’s making it connect with audiences right now: The lavish fairy tale – a romance where someone fueled by selfish rage has to learn to tame himself and think of others – of looking past frightening exteriors to appreciate the person within; a catalog of classic show tunes that are impossible not to sing. The film actually adds new songs, which while quite well done, were unnecessary, and have the effect of dragging out the pace. Disney realizes it’s a rare thing to have a musical (!) that the whole family will willingly go to, and they’ve done a great job of cementing Belle and The Beast’s legacy for generations to come. Beauty and the Beast is a richly detailed, romantic and fun fantasy, that’s only going to inspire plenty more trips back to the well. 

Get Out: A Sensational Shocker For Our Times

The best horror movies are about more than surface jolts - they uncover our deeper, internal fears. Then there are that even rarer few that actually manage to do so while commenting on society - and in Get Out, his directorial debut, Jordan Peele (of comedy duo Key & Peele) has delivered a film that vaults to the top of that list. Perhaps not since Rosemary's Baby has a thriller dealt with the immediacy of social discomfort, weaving satire and shocks to immerse the viewer in equal measures of fear as its protagonist.

After five months of dating, Allison (Rose Armitage) thinks it's time for her parents to meet her boyfriend, Chris (Daniel Kaluuya). "Do they know I'm black?," he asks. Rose reassures him about her parent's liberal cred: "My father would have voted for Obama for a third term if he could have!"

As Rose's parents, Catherine Keener and Bradley Whitford are spectacular as the confidently privileged, non-judgmental, proudly colorblind parents: "So how long has this been going on, this...thang...?" Kaluuya is in virtually every scene in Get Out, and we dance right along with him has he swerves from awkward discomfort to escalating suspicion.

In large part due to the success of producer Jason Blum, we're in the midst of a real horror renaissance right now, with more new voices emerging that are using the genre to hold up a mirror to what's going on around us, including Adam Wingard (The Guest) and Fede Alvarez (Don't Breathe). But with Get Out, Jordan Peele takes things to a whole other level. Here's a guy who's clearly been enthusiastically absorbing the horror genre his entire life - and taking notes. He knows that when the audience is bouncing back and forth between shock and comedy, they're particularly vulnerable - as both conditions thrive off of surprise. Get Out is hilarious, and not just satirically so. As Chris's phone-friend Rod, Lil Rel Howery acts as Peele's own audience surrogate, a guy who's also seen every horror movie out there, a cautionary oracle who tries to warn him about our collective gut reactions.

Peele set out to make a film about the fears of being a black man today, and he's succeeded wildly (a stunning 99% on Rotten Tomatoes), calling back to movies like Night of the Living Dead and The Stepford Wives - genre entries that also deftly used allegory to make their point about the times they came out of. As racism in America continues to reinvent itself, Jordan Peele has found a ruthless way to put it out there that makes Get Out essential - and sensational - viewing.

Kong: Skull Island is Ape-Tacular!

King Kong is my new favorite bad ass. In Kong: Skull Island, the great ape has never had more imposing swagger. He's massive, towering over any previous screen incarnations of the legendary beast. This Kong exists in the same cinematic universe as the decidedly less entertaining Godzilla - where the plan is to eventually "vs" these two in the same film. I'd honestly never heard of director Jordan Vogt-Roberts (The Kings of Summer), so I had some trepidations (sorry, dude). But damn! This movie is the real deal! My inner nine-year-old, steadfastly raised on a diet of Gorgo and War of the Gargantuas, was in hog heaven.

Imagine a fusion of Pacific Rim, Predator, Apocalypse Now and The Land That Time Forgot, and you've got a pretty good idea of what you're in for - then plant this thing firmly in the 1970s and let it rage. John Goodman is a crypto-scientist explorer intent on proving a hollow-earth theory about as-yet undiscovered species hidden from the modern world. He talks his way onto a Landsat survey mission with some Colonel Kilgore level air support provided by Lieutenant Colonel Preston Packard (Samuel L. Jackson). Packard is the kind of soldier who starts twitching at the prospect of returning home. He needs to be on a mission. He needs to be in the thicket - he gets his wish. They're joined by Tom Hiddleston as a former British Intelligence special ops tracker, and soon-to-be Captain Marvel Brie Larson as a combat photographer looking for that "something" that will take her to the next level. It's a corny gang of incredibly pulpy characters, and that's exactly why it works. There's that same old fashioned larger-than-life charm that worked in the first Independence Day, of a diverse paperback rack group of disparate characters thrown into the unimaginable.

And WOW - do Vogt-Roberts and cinematographer Larry Fong (Batman v Superman) know how to render the unimaginable. Skull Island is a character itself. The filmmakers do a frankly jaw-dropping job of depicting the island as a completely primordial and utterly terrifying environment full of denizens that view you as food. The effects work here is off the charts, both in design and execution. Kong is introduced quickly, and in impressive fashion as he lays waste to Packard's 'Nam-era gunships, stranding everyone in the most horrific of all environments. I really don't want to spoil the glee that comes with discovering how messed up Skull Island and its bestiary is, but it's truly awesome. When a colossal water buffalo looms up out of a river, its muzzle is surrounded by swarming flies. Those kind of tiny details add a level of reality to the impossible, oversized insanity of the film.

A real standout for me is John C. Reilly, as a Hell in the Pacific era pilot, who crash-landed on the island decades ago. He's an eccentric, who's definitely there to provide the funny, but who also has some of the most poignant moments in the film. I just loved him here.

But it's all about Kong. Skull Island is his world, and like some colossal Charles Bronson, he surveys his dominion, enforcing his own code, a being of mystery, rage, and even wonder. If you're hungry for a serious dose of old school adventure on a massive scale, do yourself a favor and seek out Kong on the biggest screen you can find. This beast is the real deal.

New York Toy Fair 2017: Day 2

Some pretty cool news from Diamond Select - Pulp Fiction figures! Prototype pics were in Previews magazine over a year ago, so by this time, I think most of us had given up! But here they are, with Jules Winfield, Butch Coolidge and Marcellus Wallace looking pretty damn spot-on in the likeness department. Very little info is available, but with their Muppets, Ghostbusters and Marvel lines in resurgence, Diamond Select could be powering up to claim some turf. Here's hoping we get some decent versions of these characters, the audience is certainly there to support them in a major way.


















































In other news, NECA (online, not at the show) unveiled their Aliens series 11 assortment, featuring a long-anticipated classic character from the original 1979 Ridley Scott film - Lambert, as played by actress Veronica Cartwright, in her astronaut pressure suit. The figure comes with two heads, one with head cap, flashlight and removable helmet. This lets fans finally complete their collections of the three Nostromo astronauts, along with Dallas and Kane - though we're all still hoping someone (cough, cough - @sith_fire30) finally gives us a way to get an "un-facehuggered" John Hurt head!

Series 11 is part of the debut of NECA's new subscription service, NECA Club x Alien, which you can join right here:

https://thenecastore.com/collections/neca-club-x-alien

Members who purchase every release will be eligible for an as-yet unnamed end-of-the-year club exclusive figure. Be very interesting to see how this flies. What's got me confused is that Big Bad Toy Store already has Alien: Covenant figures up for preorder, yet NECA Club x Alien does not. So what if folks already ordered Covenant figs off BBTS, does that invalidate their eligibility for the exclusive figure? Will this cheese-off BBTS, who does plenty of NECA preorders...? We shall see. Estimated availability of Series 11 is this coming May.

 

 

It's New York Toy Fair! 2017 Edition

Day One of New York Toy Fair brought us all kinds of goodness!
Feast your eyes!

Dark Horse continues their massive rollout of figures from HBO's Game of Thrones, with first looks at Tormund...

...and a new Mother of Dragons version of Daenerys...

Fan-favorite NECA debuted some new goodies both online and in person. First, a completely unexpected Ultimate 2-pack Anniversary tribute to Evil Dead 2, with some terrific accessories and simply amazing sculpts. Given how insanely busy NECA is prepping new properties like Alien Covenant and Blade Runner 2049, it's amazing they found time to attend, let alone produce new surprises like these!

 

They're also going into the comic book realm with their Alien franchise, giving us 2-packs of both Batman vs. Predator, Batman vs. Aliens, and Superman vs. Aliens.

 

For fans of the larger 1/4 scale figures, NECA has a nice looking version of Doctor Strange...

 

...and a fantastic comic-inspired version of Dare Devil.

 Mafex gave us a glimpse of the soon to be released astronauts from 2001: A Space Odyssey, as well as a new edition of Batman...

 

 

 ...and dammit, Jim, Mezco is continuing their hot One:12 Collective Star Trek line with Dr. Leonard McCoy - an absolute must-get!

 

That's it for day one, we'll see what else surfaces over the next couple of days!