PODCAST 326: RoboWar & It Came From Somewhere Else

This week the Horror Duo chat more about Predator knock-offs, sorta. Forest picks the Reb Brown scream fest, RoboWar. Cory failed in finding the film he sought out to review and instead covered a different deadly alien flick, It Came From Somewhere Else.

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75th Venice International Film Festival Lineup

As was not easy to gather info about films countries submitted to Oscars 2019, decided to do the two missing posts about the 2018 Biennale as it's a lot easier to check info from only one source.  This is the lineup, the second will list the award winners.

Let's start by sharing that the festival poster was made by Lorenzo Mattotti. Mattotti says the following about his design, "I believe that a poster must have something intriguing about it, that attracts the eye, that attracts thought, but without revealing too much. It needs to have a sort of enigma, a sort of mystery to solve. After various attempts, I developed this idea of a girl of this female character – with a very graphic, unrealistic face – who looks with a rather serious expression through a lens. And instead of this lens, there’s Earth, planet Earth, symbolizing a gaze directed at us. Then there is a white square, and I believe that this combination is a successful match, because people wonder: what is that white square? I believe it is natural to think of it as a movie screen, the white screen. The gaze directed on the planet, directed on reality, must pass through this device, must be filtered through the screen".

The festival run was from August 29 to September 8, 2018.

Venezia75 Competition
Opening Film: First Man, Damien Chazelle, USA
22 July, Paul Greengrass, Norway and Iceland
Acusada (The Acused), Gonzalo Tobal, Argentina and Mexico
At Eternity's Gate, Julian Schnabel, USA and France
Capri-Revolution, Mario Martone, Italy and France
Doubles vies (Non-Fiction), Olivier Assayas, France
Frères ennemis (Close Enemies), David Oeljoffen, France and Belgium
Napszállta (Sunset), László Nemes, Hungary and France
Nuestro Tiempo (Our Time), Carlos Reygadas, Mexico, France, Germany, Denmark and Sweden
Peterloo, Mike Leigh, UK and USA
Roma, Alfonso Cuaron, Mexico
Suspiria, Luca Guadagnino, Italy
The Ballad of Buster Scruggs, Joel and Ethan Coen, USA
The Favorite, Yorgos Lanthimos, UK, Ireland, and USA
The Mountain, Rick Alverson, USA
The Nightingale, Jennifer Kent, Australia
The Sisters Brothers, Jacques Audiard, France, Belgium, Romania and Spain
Vox Lux, Brady Corbet, USA
Wek ohne Autor (Never Look Away), Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck, Germany
What You Gonna Do When the World's on Fire?, Roberto Minervini, Italy, USA, and France
斬 Zan (Killing), Shinya Tsukamoto, Japan

Venezia75 Jury
President: Guillermo del Toro, director, Mexico
Sylvia Chang, actress, writer, singer, producer and director, Taiwan
Trine Dyrholm, actress, singer and songwriter, Denmark
Nicole Garcia, actress, director and screenwriter, France
Paolo Genovese, director and screenwriter, Italy
Malgorzata Szumowska, director, screenwriter and producer, Poland
Christoph Waltz, actor, Austria
Taika Waititi, director, screenwriter and actor, New Zealand
Naomi Watts, actress, UK

Out of Competition
Fiction
Closing Film:  Driven, Nick Hamm, UK and USA
A Star is Born, Bradley Cooper, USA
A Tramway in Jerusalem, Amos Gitai, Israel and France
Dragged Across Concrete, S. Craig Zahler, Canada and USA
Les Estivants (The Estimates), Valeria Bruni Tedeschi, France and Italy
L'amica geniale, Saverio Costanzo, Italy and Belgium
La Quietud (The Stillness), Pablo Trapero, Argentina
Mi Obra Maestra (My Masterpiece), Gastón Duprat, Argentina and Spain
影 Ying (Shadow), Zhang Yimou, China
Un Peuple et son roi (A People and His King), Pierre Schoeller, France and Spain
Una Storia Senza Nome (A Story With No Name), Roberto Andò, Italy and France

Non Fiction
1938 Diversi (1938 Different), Giorgio Treves, Italy
A Letter to a Friend in Gaza, Amos Gitai, Israel
American Dharma, Errol Morris, USA
Aquarela, Victor Kossakovsky, UK and Germany
Carmine Street Guitars, Ron Mann, Canada
El Pepe, Una Vida Suprema (El Pepe: A Supreme Life), Emir Kusturica, Argentina, Uruguay and Serbia
Introduzione All'Oscuro (Introduction to the Dark), Gastón Solnicki, Argentina and Austria
Isis, Tomorrow. the Lost Souls of Mosul, Francesca Mannocchi and Alessio Romenzi, Italy and Germany
Monrovia, Indiana, Frederick Wiseman, USA
Ni de Lian (Your Face), Tsai Ming-liang, Taiwan
Process, Sergei Loznitsa, Netherlands

Special Events
Il diario de angela - noi due cineasti, Yervant Gianikian, Italy
They'll Love Me When I'm Dead, Morgan Neville, USA
The Other Side of the Wind, Orson Welles, USA, Iran and France

Orizzonti (Horizons)
Feature Films
Amanda, Mikhaël Hers, France
Anons (The Announcement), Mahmut Fazil Coşkun, Turkey and Bulagaria
Charly Says, Mary Harron, USA
Deslembro, Flavia Castro, Brazil, France and Qatar
Erom (The Love Trilogy: Stripped), Yaron Shani, Israel and Germany
Hamchenan ke mimordam (As I Lay Dying), Mostafa Sayari, Iran
Jinpa, Pema Tseden, China
Kucumbu tubuh indahku (Memories of My Body), Garin Nugroho, Indonesia
Kraben Rahu (Manta Ray), Phuttiphong Aroonpheng, Thailand, France and China
La profezia dell'armadillo, Emanuele Scaringi, Italy
L'Enkas, Sarah Marx, France
Ozen (The River), Emir Baigazin, Kazakhstan, Poland and Norway
La noche de 12 años, Alvaro Brechner, Spain, Argentina, Uruguay and France
Soni, Ivan Ayr, India
Sulla mia pelle (On My Skin), Alessio Cremonini, Italy
Tchelovek kotorij udivil vseh (The Man Who Surprised Everyone), Natasha Mekulova and Aleksey Chupov, Russia, Estonia and France
Tel Aviv On Fire, Same Zoabi, Luxembourg, France, Israel and Belgium
Un giorno all'improvviso (If Life gives you Lemons), Ciro d'Emilio, Italy
Yom Adaatou Souli (The Day I Lost My Shadow), Soudade Kaadan, Syria, Lebanon, France and Qatar

Short Films
Competition
All Inclusive, Corina Schwingruber Ilić, Switzerland
Gli anni, Sara Fgaier, Italy and France
Kado (A Gift), Aditya Ahmad, Indonesia
L'été et tout le reste, Sven Bresser, Netherlands
Leoforos Patision (Patision Avenue), Thanasis Neofotistos, Greece
Los Bastardos, Tomas Posse, Argentina
Manila is Full of Men Named Boy, Andrew Stephen Lee, Philippines and USA
Na li (Down There), Yang Zhengfan, China and France
Ninfe, Isabella Torre, Italy
Sex, strakh i gamburgery (Sex, Fear and Hamburgers), Eldar Shibanov, Kazakhstan
Staircase, Mohsen Banihashemi, Iran
Strano telo (Foreign Body), Dušan Zorić, Serbia

Out of Competition
Blu, Massimo D'Anolfi and Martina Parenti, Italy

Orizzonti Jury
President: Athina Tsangari, director, screenwriter and producer, Greece
Michael Almereyda, director, screenwriter and producer, USA
Fatemeh Motamed-Aria, actress, Iran
Frédéric Bonnaud, film critic, France
Mohamed Hefzy, screenwriter and producer, Egypt
Alison McLean, director and screenwriter, Canada
Andrea Pallaoro, director and screenwriter, Italy

Luigi De Laurentiis Venice Award for Debut Film Jury
President: Ramin Bahrani, director and screenwriter, Iran and USA
Carolina Crescentini, actress, Italy
Kaouther Ben Hania, director and screenwriter, Tunisia
Hayashi Kanako, curator and artistic director, Japan
Gaston Solnicki, director, Argentina

Venezia Classici
Multiple restored films here

Documentary Films
24/25 Il fotogramma in più, Giancarlo Rolandi and Federico Pontiggia, Italy
Friedkin Uncut, Francesco Zippel
Humberto Mauro, Andre Di Mauro, Brazil
Living the Light - Robby Müller, Claire Pijman, Netherlands and Germany
Nice Girls Don't Stay For Breakfast, Bruce Weber, USA
The Great Buster: A Celebration, Peter Bogdanovich, USA
Women Make Film: A New Road Movie Through Cinema, Mark Cousins, UK

Venezia Classici Jury
President: Salvatore Mereu, director and screewriter, Italy
26 cinema history students, Italy

Sconfini
A selection of works of different genres, lengths and targets. The section may include art-house and genre movies, experimental and artists’ films, TV series and crossover productions.
Check films here

Biennale College Cinema
An advanced training workshop for the development and production of three micro-budget audio-visual works, open to teams of directors and producers from around the world.
Check films here

Venice Virtual Reality
A maximum of 30 world-premieres or international premieres of VR Immersive Stories of any length and of any VR format.
Check films here

Venice Virtual Reality Jury
President: Susanne Bier, director and screenwriter, Denmark
Alessandro Baricco, writer, Italy
Clémence Poésy, actress, France

The Lady from Shanghai (1947)

Although I found it to be a flawed film, The Third Man left me wanting more. More film noir, more Orson Welles. Hence, I decided to watch The Lady from Shanghai, as it's considered by many Welles's best film noir. 

The film follows Michael O'Hara (Orson Welles), a young Irish sailor who, after a fateful encounter with a seductive woman, Elsa Bannister (Rita Hayworth), agrees to work on the yacht of her husband, criminal lawyer Arthur Bannister (Everett Sloane). Things get a sinister turn when Bannister's law firm partner, George Grisby (Glenn Anders), comes aboard and makes Michael an offer he can't refuse: $5,000 to help him fake his death.

Plot-wise, The Lady from Shanghai is a mess. The film feels off right from the start as it is highly improbable that Michael and Elsa would meet the way they do and that he would end up working for her. What follows is a plot so complex that it's hard to follow, that's filled with holes --the studios should be blamed for this as a huge part of the film was left in the cutting room-- and has some pretty ridiculous twists. It's not compelling and completely fails to engage. 

The characters are a little more interesting, mainly because of who is playing who. Orson Welles usually plays intelligent and charismatic men that also happen to be the bad guys, but not this time. In The Lady from Shanghai, he is the victim. His character is a dim-witted, naïve man who, as Welles voiceover says, doesn't use his brain very much except to think of Elsa. It's an unusual role and therefore it was interesting seeing him. Also, him portraying O'Hara is very believable. His Irish accent though, not only it's terrible but it's also distracting and at times it makes it hard to understand him.

Rita Hayworth gives an excellent performance as Elsa, the film's femme fatale. The character seems to be genuinely vulnerable and childish at times; at others, she is cynical, the queen of manipulation. Her chemistry with Welles though is horrific, which is not a surprise considering they divorced shortly after the film was released.

Columbia Pictures

Everett Sloane gives a good performance as the husband, but Gleen Anders absolutely steals the show as George Grisby. He is such a bizarre, weird figure and his performance is very entertaining.

The Lady from Shanghai is beautifully filmed too. The black and white cinematography by Charles Lawton Jr. is atmospheric and evocative; lights and shadows are always on point; Hayworth's sex appeal is delivered every time she is on screen. Also, the musical score is good and the film has some memorable scenes --like the unrealistic and kind of humorous courtroom scene toward the end.

DAILY CALL SHEET: SEPTEMBER 25, 2018

Grabbers (2012) Irishmen discover that staying drunk is the only way to defeat invading aliens. Yes, an Irishman wrote this. TIL: John Waters claims the Irish love of drink is "a spiritual placebo... a longing for heaven, a thirst for return to the embrace of the Almighty.”

Your daily dose of culture courtesy of House III: The Horror Show (1989) - "Do not fear mistakes. You will know failure. Continue to reach out." - Benjamin Franklin

Vacation (2015)

I remember seeing the trailer to Vacation like it was yesterday. To be honest, I only remember Chris Hemsworth's huge bulge which is the reason the movie ended up on my watchlist. Three years later, I finally watched this, and it was glorious. I'm still talking about Hemsworth's (prosthetic) penis though. 

Fifth instalment of the Vacation series, the film follows Rusty Griswold (Ed Helms) as he takes his wife, Debbie (Christina Applegate), and their two sons, James (Skyler Gisondo) and Kevin (Steele Stebbins), on a road trip to Walley World, an amusement park, just like he did with his parents and sister when he was a kid. And everything goes wrong, of course. 

Just like in the only other movie of the Vacation series I've seen, it being Christmas Vacation, the plot is very thin, clichéd and beyond predictable. Unlike Christmas Vacation though, the situations that play out aren't that funny, the film doesn't really have a focus and the many subplots, specifically the romance involving James, aren't as explored as they should have. 

Another problem with Vacation is the characters. They are so flat and bland, it's impossible to root or care for them, the only exception maybe being James, Rusty's awkward, nerdy teenage son who is constantly bullied by his foul-mouthed kid brother Kevin, who, by the way, is the most annoying and obnoxious character in the film and perhaps one of the most annoying characters ever. I was genuinely hoping something bad would happen to him, or that James would kick his ass. Non-spoiler alert, nothing bad happens to the kid. 

The cast doesn't go beyond decent. Ed Helms is a funny guy, but he is no Chevy Chase; Christina Applegate isn't terrible but she isn't that great either --she is very likeable but at the same time she lacks charm and is boring. Also, the chemistry between them feels off; Skyler Gisondo and Steele Stebbins are good-ish respectively as James and Kevin; Chevy Chase and Beverly D'Angelo make a cameo but unfortunately it feels forced as they are underused; Chris Hemsworth, on the other hand, absolutely kills it as Rusty's brother-in-law, Stone. Not only he is a feast for the eyes, but he is pretty funny too.

Warner Bros. Pictures

The problem is that, when Hemsworth is not around which is most of the film, the humour barely works. It's the kind of raunchy, crude, sexual humour one would expect from a movie like this, but the cast does a poor job at delivering it and most of the time it falls flat. There are some funny moments, but you can count those on the fingers of one hand. 

Netflix NEWS 09.25.2018

Netflix NEWS

Updates on Netflix original content releasing this week and the announcements from last week. You can always read more about what's coming out this week and in the future on our Upcoming page.
Netflix Originals Releasing This Week

Norsemen Season 2 (September 26)

Netflix Distributed Norwegian Series with NRK1

In 790 AD, the Vikings of Norheim have a hectic schedule that includes pillaging, plundering, enslaving others, and solving problems with violence.

Chef's Table Season 5 (September 28)

Netflix Original Series

This series examines the lives and work of world renowned chefs.
Watch the trailer

El Marginal Season 2 (September 28)

Netflix Spanish Language Exclusive Series

A former cop must protect his identity when he infiltrates a prison to investigate a murder.

Forest of Piano Season 1 (September 28)
Netflix Distributed Animated Series - 24 episodes
Based on the manga The Perfect World of Kai, Kai grows up playing an old piano discarded in the woods. He meets Shuhei whose father is a famous pianist and begins lessons with Kai.

Hold the Dark (September 28)

Netflix Original Movie

From director Jeremy Saulnier who directed Green Room (read my review) and Blue Ruin (read my review), Hold the Dark is set in Alaska, where nature writer Russell Core tracks a pack of wolves suspected of killing three children. He is hired by one of the children's parents, but after the mother disappears, the boy's father returns from the Iraq War intent on wreaking havoc.
Watch the trailer 

Jack Whitehall: Travels with My Father Season 2 (September 28)

Netflix Original Series

Comedian Jack Whitehall takes his unadventurous father Michael, a former theatrical agent, on a a six week trip through Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam.
Watch the trailer

Lessons from a School Shooting: Notes from Dunblane (September 28)
Netflix Distributed Documentary Short
Local clergymen Father Bob Weiss receives a letter from a fellow priest in Dunblane, Scotland, from a community suffering from a 1996 school shooting. From across the Atlantic, the two priests forge a poignant bond through the shared experience of trauma and healing.

Lost Song Season 1 (September 28)
Netflix Distributed Animated Series
War looms over the kingdom of Neunatia, where two young women are both burdened and blessed by the power of song.

Made in Mexico Season 1 (September 28)

Netflix Original Spanish Language Reality Series

This series follows Mexico City's wealthy families and their opulent lifestyles as it trails nine socialites and expats in their rarefied environment.
First reported on August 20, 2018.
Announcement
Watch the trailer

Reboot: The Guardian Code Season 2 (September 28)

 

Netflix Distributed Teen Series

Four teenagers at Alan Turing High School are recruited by V.E.R.A, a "virtual evolutionary recombinant avatar," to protect cyberspace who enter Mainframe to protect the virtual and real world from viruses such as Megabyte.

Skylanders Academy Season 3 (September 28)

Netflix Kids Series

A spin off of the video game. In the game Skylanders defend their world of floating islands from threats with magical weapons and machinery
Watch the Season 1 trailer 

The 3rd Eye Season 1 (September 28)
Netflix Distributed Series
When her little sister claims she sees the dead, Alia consults a psychic, who opens her own eyes to the vengeful ghosts haunting their childhood home.


Two Catalonias (September 28)
Netflix Distributed Documentary
Lawmakers and activists with conflicting ideologies speak about the complexities of Catalonia's politics and the fight for its independence from Spain. This documentary accompanies the candidates on their journey throughout Catalonia, Brussels, and at the prison Estremeran, giving a never-before-seen view of the elections. Backstage at rallies, debate preparations, and the candidates' private moments during the campaign on and election night, go beyond the election.

Netflix Trailers
Shirkers trailer - October 26
The Haunting of Hill House Season 1 trailer - October 12
Little Things Season 1 trailer - October 5
Big Mouth Season 2 trailer - October 5
Lessons from a School Shooting: Notes from Dunblane - October 28
YG Future Strategy Office Season 1 trailer - October 5
Battlefish Season 1 trailer - September 21
They'll Love Me When I'm Dead trailer - November 2
Wanderlust Season 1 trailer - October 19
Joe Rogan: Strange Times Comedy Special trailer - October 2

Netflix Previews & Videos

Netflix & Chills Horror Edition
Maniac - Neberdine Pharmaceutical Biotech 
The Pacakge - Cast Kisses an Eggplant and Other Weird Things
Marvel's Daredevil Season 3 Date Announcement - October 19 
The Good Cop - Behind the Scenes: Protect and Serve
Sacred Games Season 2 Announcement
Maniac - Plan to Break In 
Adam Sandler: 100% Fresh Date Announcement 
American Vandal Season 2 - Demarcus Tillman Talks with Dan Patrick 
To All the Boys I've Loved Before - Noah Centineo Whoa Remix 
The Kissing Booth - Elle Evans' Most Embarrassing Moments

Netflix News & Announcements

Polar - Deadmau5 Creating Score 
Bodyguard to Debut October 24 
Avatar: The Last Airbender Live Action Series Starts Production in 2019 
Shion Takeuchi, Disenchantment Staff Writer, Signs Multi-year Deal to Develop New Series  
6 Underground - A Quiet Moment on Set with Ryan Reynolds 
Untitled Sci-fi Movie (Power) Casts Jamie Foxx & Joseph Gordon-Levitt
Good Sam - Tiya Sircar Cast as Lead
Yankee- New Spanish Language Series for 2019 
AJ and the Queen Season 1 Casting Update - Tia Carrere & More
No Good Nick Series Revealed Starring Melissa Joan Hart & Sean Astin 
Diablo Animated Series Based on the Video Game Could Come to Netflix 
Atypical - How Keir Gilchrist Prepared for the Role 
Maniac - Interview with Creator Patrick Somerville 
Historical Roasts - New Series with Jeff Ross 
Maniac - Justin Theroux Binged The Hills During Production 
Outlaw King - Shortened by 20 Minutes After TIFF Premiere 
ReMastered - Music History Docu-series Announced

Hype List
Black Mirror Season 5 (2019, projected)
The Witcher Season 1 (2020) 
Stranger Things Season 3 (2019, summer)
The Umbrella Academy Season 1 (2018)
Bojack Horseman Season 5 (September 14)
Disenchanted Season 1 Part 2 (2018)
Altered Carbon Season 2 (2019, projected)
Dark Season 2 (2018, projected) 
Ratched Season 1 (2019)
Mindhunter Season 2 (2018)

DAILY CALL SHEET: SEPTEMBER 24, 2018

Graveyard Shift (1990) Temp workers charged with cleaning the world's filthiest basement discover a really, really big rat problem. Not the worst Stephen King adaptation. TIL: Work, no matter how lousy, is a continuing participation in God’s creation, and therefore has dignity.

Your daily dose of culture courtesy of Stuff Stephanie in the Incinerator (1989) - "If you could kick the person in the pants responsible for most of your trouble, you wouldn't sit for a month." - Theodore Roosevelt