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Where the Crawdads Sing: Murder in the Marsh

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When one thinks about summer films, the mind usually imagines superhero blockbusters and animated fare. But, sometimes, a film sneaks through that offers solid counterprogramming for those disinterested in revisiting the worlds of rampaging dinosaurs or villainous minions. 

This summer, that film is Where the Crawdads Sing.

Based on the best-selling book, Where the Crawdads Sing tells the story of Catherine ‘Kya’ Clark (Daisy Edgar-Jones), a resourceful young woman who lives alone in the North Carolina marsh. When her boyfriend is mysteriously killed, Kya quickly becomes the prime suspect. While the townspeople quickly band against the ‘Marsh Girl’, local lawyer Tom Milton (David Strathairn) believes in the young woman’s innocenct and offers to represent her. As Kya unravels her complex story of growing up in an abusive home during a turbulent era, Tom works tirelessly to piece together the death of her former beau in order to save her from the death penalty.

Young Kya (Jojo Regina) in Columbia Pictures’ WHERE THE CRAWDADS SING.

Directed by Olivia Newman and produced by Reese Witherspoon, Where the Crawdads Sing is a brutal but beautiful story of one young woman’s journey to freedom. Beginning in the early 1950s and told mostly in flashback, Crawdads highlights the darkest parts of Kya’s journey. From her abusive childhood to her toxic relationships, Kya has struggled her entire life to trust anyone, especially men. Drowning in a sea of toxic masculinity, Kya has mostly seen the worst of men who have taken advantage of her. This has led to her inability to trust others, leaving her alone in a reclusive life in the marsh. While it’s often difficult to watch, Crawdads is strongly written and well-executed, creating a compelling character drama that’s wrapped in murder and intrigue

While Crawdads benefits from some solid performances, easily the star of the film is Edgar-Jones. As the emotionally-bruised Kya, Edgar-Jones portrays her character with a blend of shyness and inner strength. In essence, there is a gentleness about her character but also an inner fury. At the same time, Strathairn brings a sensitivity and stability to the film which carries it as the courtroom drama begins to take over. There’s simply a likeability about Strathairn that makes him instantly trustworthy. Paired with Edgar-Jones’ quiet rage, his gentleness and confidence helps balance out their pairing, allowing for some genuine chemistry between them. 

Kya (Daisy Edgar-Jones) and Tom (David Strathairn) in Columbia Pictures’ WHERE THE CRAWDADS SING.

At its heart, Crawdads is very much a film about finding one’s inner strength in the face of oppression. Known primarily as the ‘Marsh Girl’, Kya lives a life of seclusion. Although she yearns for safe community, the scorn of the townsfolk forces her to hide away in the solitude of her small cabin. At every turn, she feels the pressure of labels from townsfolk who are unwilling to get to know her. As such, even though she lives only a few miles away from them, Kya is viewed as an outsider. Because her life differs so drastically from theirs, they refuse to accept her and rumours begin to swirl about her. (Incidentally, Crawdads also manages to compare Kya’s situation with Jumpin’ and Mable, the African-American couple who have taken her under her wing. Set during a time of racial segregation, they too are viewed as outsiders from the white community that surrounds them.)

However, while others may view her as weak or insignificant, Kya maintains an inner strength. Though trapped in a white, male-dominated culture, she continues to fight against the powers that be. Men insist that they will take care of her yet she refuses. They are oppressive and abusive, but she has a strength that endures. 

Kya (Daisy Edgar-Jones) in Columbia Pictures’ WHERE THE CRAWDADS SING.

For this reason, there’s a beauty about the film. Kya‘s journey may be filled with pain yet it is also one of power. We empathize with her suffering but we also believe that she is resilient enough to fight back when necessary. 

She has a heart of love but also of fire.

As a result, Where the Crawdads Sing has its own quest for justice. From Kya’s battle for freedom to Jumpin’ and Mable’s courage under oppression, Newman tells a compelling story about what it means to fight back when the world is firmly against you. Anchored by strong performances, the film hears the voice of the oppressed and invites them to tell their story of pain and suffering.

Because, like the Crawdads that sing from the depths of the marsh, they too must be heard.

Where the Crawdads Sing is available in theatres on Friday, July 15th, 2022.

Morbius: It’s Morbin’ Time!

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The relationship between Sony and Morbius is… complicated.

As they lean further into their SPUMC (or ‘Sony Pictures Universe of Marvel Characters’), Sony continues to fight for their share of the Marvel box office pie. After the success of the Venom films, one can almost see Sony salivate over the potential of creating their own extended universe of super-characters. Plans to merge characters such as Spider-Woman, Kraven the Huner, Vulture and even the rumoured return of Andrew Garfield as Spider-Man into the Venom-verse have driven this (sub)Marvel franchise forward with surprising speed over the last couple of years.

But things hit a speedbump with Morbius. 

Morbius tells the story of Michael Morbius (Jared Leto), a brilliant doctor that has suffered from a rare blood disorder since childhood. Determined to save himself and others who are suffering from the same fate, Morbius allows his DNA to be fused with that of vampire bats in the hopes of creating a cure. However, while his experiment seems to be successful, the effects on him are far worse than he could have imagined. Now with a taste for human blood, Morbius must decide if he can quell his evil urges and become the hero he wants to be.

After a disastrous run in theatres, Morbius didn’t take well with audiences for any number of reasons. Whether it’s Jared Leto’s more serious tone, bad writing or removed Spider-Man teases, the Living Vampire was not seen as a success in taking their plans to the next level. 

But that’s when things took a turn. All of a sudden, the Twitter-verse took over. Memes and TikTok clips celebrating ‘Morbin’ Time’ began to mock the film constantly. Tweets about the hilarious nature of the film seemed to make it trend popularly once again. Unable to recognize the fact that the film’s trending popularity was due to the brutal mocking of internet trolls, Sony even re-released the film in theatres, trying to capitalize on the film’s (sarcastic) buzz. When the film failed again to garner money, they seemed surprised. (Personally, my favourite response from one TikTok’r was ‘We were busy that weekend. Please release it a third time.’)

They may have missed the memo.

But seriously, is Morbius misunderstood? Misguided? Or just plain awful?

In truth, it’s probably a bit of all three. Directed by Daniel Espinoza, Morbius is an ambitious project that continues to develop the more horrifying aspects of Sony’s universe. However, whereas Venom appears to own its silliness (especially in its second film), Morbius leans into the seriousness of its darker tone. Frankly, it doesn’t work. While Leto seems committed to his character, his performance is somewhat joyless in the midst of a ridiculous concept. (At least Tom Hardy appears to be having some fun with his evil symbiote…) While one can’t expect (or even potentially, want) Sony’s superhero universe to mimic Marvel’s blend of action and humour, one would hope that they would understand that their characters lack both the grit of Batman or the silliness of Iron Man. 

They’re something different. And different can be great, if done well.

As with Venom, Morbius has the opportunity to explore what it means to battle our darkest impulses and even potentially use them for good. Is it possible to find redemption after our inner demons have been unleashed? As Morbius wrestles his own desire for human blood, Espinoza could have used the character to take a deep dive into the human experience. It’s ripe with potential. Yet, unfortunately, all that we’re given is a bland photocopy of other films we’ve received over the last decade, without the fun that could’ve been had along the way.

Admittedly, the disc transfer does look good. Morbius features a lot of heavy shadows and backlit areas, yet the film is clear and looks surprisingly sharp onscreen. However, special features are lacking. While Defining the Antihero is a relatively interesting look at the dark side of heroes, few other features are notable. (If anything, this is a project which needs to have a director’s commentary attached, especially one that acknowledges the mixed reaction to the film.)

So, while Morbius may not a ‘good’ film (or even a ‘so-bad-it’s-good’ film), it may make for a night of laughs with friends who are in on the joke.

Because, apparently, Sony is not.

Morbius is available on Blu-ray, DVD and VOD on Tuesday, June 14, 2022

Uncharted: Game for Adventure

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Films based off video games rarely go well. 

Despite their popularity, games seem to struggle to make the jump to the big screen. For every Sonic the Hedghog, there seems to be countless Street Fighters and Mortal Kombats that struggle to meet expectations. Every now and then though, one squeaks through and surprises moviegoers.

Uncharted is one of those surprises. 

Beloved for its puzzles and gruff lead character, Playstation’s Uncharted has been a series that fans have demanded to see onscreen for years. But the journey hasn’t been easy. Known for its solid storytelling, this particular gaming franchise carried high expectations. From poor scripts to miscasting, the games seemed destined to never satisfy. (Even the casting of the beloved Tom Holland raised eyebrows because he wasn’t deemed ‘old enough’ by fans.) 

For those who are unaware, Uncharted tells the story of Nathan Drake (Holland), a young thief who has a passion for ancient antiquities. When he is recruited by treasure hunter Victor ‘Sully’ Sullivan (Mark Wahlberg) to recover a 500-year-old treasure, Nathan is skeptical. However, when Sully points out that Nathan’s long lost brother may be nearby, he decides to hop on board. Now, the two men must race against the clock in order to nab the prize before the wealthy Santiago Moncada (Antonio Banderas) gets there first.

Thankfully, Uncharted is far more fun than failure. Directed by Ruben Fleischer (Zombieland), the film unashamed works as an homage to Tomb Raider and Indiana Jones with its reliance on ancient puzzles and humour. Although the film contains countless references to its source material, this is an original story as opposed to being based upon any of the games. While stunts border on the insanity level of Pirates of the Caribbean at times, an enthusiastic performance by Holland keeps Uncharted from sinking. (In fact, while his portrayal of Nathan Drake doesn’t feel too different here from his time as Peter Parker, the success of Uncharted proves that Sony has a bonafied, bankable action hero on their hands in Holland, without the need of the Marvel Universe.)

Even though Uncharted’s bread and butter are double-crosses and ancient puzzles, the heart of the film lies with brotherhood. Having lost his brother at an early age, Nathan is a man without family or connections. As a result, when he’s approached by Sully, he’s apprehensive at best. For him, trust is a luxury that he can’t afford. Yet, as the two men begin to work together, so too do they begin to build a bond. United in purpose, the sense that there is something worth saving about the other. In other words, while their connect may have started with a treasure, they begin to see the value in the other as well. As they do that, the allure of the ancient gold begins to lose its shine if it means losing the other person.

Admittedly, Uncharted is an adventure designed for the big screen but the transfer onto home video does look good. Features are relatively unspectacular with all the standard ‘stunt featurettes’ and deleted scenes. But, Uncharted’s greatest treasure is its director’s commentary with Fleischer to give insight into the development of the project. (Commentaries are always welcome and increasingly rare so, any time a major release adds one, it’s noteworthy.)

So, for families looking for fun outside the MCU, Uncharted may be the treasure that they’re looking for. Fueled by fun and adventure, the film may be silly in places but it finds its worth by the end.

Uncharted is now available on Blu-Ray and VOD.

GIVEAWAY! UNCHARTED on Blu-Ray!

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Start your weekend off right with a taste for adventure!

Thanks to our friends at TARO PR, we’re giving away a Blu-ray copy of UNCHARTED, starring Tom Holland and Mark Wahlberg!

Treasure hunter Victor “Sully” Sullivan recruits street-smart Nathan Drake to help him recover a 500-year-old lost fortune amassed by explorer Ferdinand Magellan. What starts out as a heist soon becomes a globe-trotting, white-knuckle race to reach the prize before the ruthless Santiago Moncada can get his hands on it. If Sully and Nate can decipher the clues and solve one of the world’s oldest mysteries, they stand to find $5 billion in treasure — but only if they can learn to work together.

In order to enter, simply like/share this post on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram and tell us the name of Tom Holland’s character within the film!

The winner will receive a Blu-ray copy of Uncharted!

All entries must be received by 11:59pm on Sunday, May 15th, 2022.

Venom: Let There Be Carnage – For the Love of Carnage

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Some relationships just don’t make sense. But they can sure be fun to watch.

In the new rom-com superhero flick Venom: Let There Be Carnage, Eddie Brock (Tom Hardy) has fallen on hard times. After the events of the first film, Brock has fallen on hard times. Struggling to pay the bills while living life with his frustrated (and hungry) symbiote Venom, Brock is doing everything he can to keep things together. When he is called in for an exclusive interview with serial killer Cletus Kasady (Woody Harrelson), Brock reluctantly takes the job. However, after a freak accident transfers some of Venom’s symbiote into Kasady’s bloodstream, a new terror is unleashed upon the city. Suddenly, Eddie and Venom must decide whether or not they can put aside their differences in order to work together and defeat the villainous monster known as Carnage.

Directed by Andy Serkis, Venom: Let There Be Carnage in an energetic ball of silliness. Instead of leaning into the potential gravitas of the evil symbiote, Serkis opts to create a film solely about monster mayhem and wanton destruction. (The title Let There Be Carnage is more than just a character reference.) However, in doing so, the film seems to fight many of the major tropes of modern superhero fare. For example, clocking in at a shockingly brief 97 minutes, the film leans into its story without any extra padding. (Compare that to the next Spider-Man film which has a reported runtime of 150 minutes.) There are no long soliloquys or moments where characters contemplate what it means to be a hero. Instead, the film pushes ahead with the story quickly as it builds to the inevitable superhero brawl at the film’s climax.

What’s more, despite the darkness of the character, Serkis use Venom’s relationship with Eddie to create a bromance comedy with a surprisingly light tone. In fact, the film feels more like the campier Batman films of the 90s than it does with other entries in to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Despite the fact that Venom speaks openly about his desire to eat people, somehow the film manages to portray the demonic force as a ‘grumpy best friend’ rather than a menacing threat to others. (At one point, Venom even attends a rave wearing glow necklaces and drops the mic after speaking onstage.)

While these may seem like criticisms, the sheer ridiculousness of the franchise makes the film an absolute blast to watch. (Dare I say, it may even be refreshing?) This is a franchise that began with the expectation of darkness but has decided to surprise audiences with something entirely different. Stars Hardy, Williams and Harrelson may best be known for their more serious dramatic work yet they seem like they’re having an absolute blast leaning into the goofiness of the film. Hardy argues with Venom about taking on ‘superhero names’ while Harrelson’s sly smirk barely hides his own madness. Even Michelle Williams speaks to Venom as though he’s some form of estranged best friend as opposed to a terrifying alien symbiote. 

Underneath the laughs, this is ultimately a film about the signs of toxic relationships. Throughout the film, there are several spaces where the flaws between couples are exposed. Whether it’s Eddie and Anne, Anne and Dan, or even Cletus and Eddie, this is a film filled with duos who are struggling to keep things together. However, having said this, the best example of this may come in through Cletus and Frances as they attempt to build something, despite their issues together.

Drawn to the darkest aspects of each other, the would-be supervillain couple feed off each other’s thirst for revenge. However, despite their intense connection, their individual powers are in direct conflict with one another. With every shriek she makes, Carnage experiences pain, forcing Cletus to ask her to not use her abilities. (Incidentally, even though he cares for Frances, one could also read that as a sign of toxic masculinity where the male refuses to let his partner speak for herself.)

On the other hand, held up against the relationship between Cletus and Frances is the connection between Eddie and Venom. On the surface, the tension between host and symbiote is palpable as they want to be free from one another. However, even though they constantly bicker and fight, there’s something strangely supportive about their relationship. Whereas Eddie needs Venom’s strength and brains to find success, Venom has a difficult time finding another person that can properly host his power. For Eddie and Venom, they begin to understand the importance of the other and sacrifice their wants to make things work between them. In other words, whereas Cletus and Frances fail to find common ground, Eddie and Venom recognize that they need to humble themselves for their relationship to function in a healthy manner.

If that all sounds very strange, that’s because it is. 

But, somehow, it works.

Admittedly, special features on the disc are surprisingly sparse. While outtakes and deleted scenes are expected, the disc is definitely missing a commentary by Serkis to discuss his vision. While he does offer his views in a segment entitled ‘Eddie and Venom: The Odd Couple’, it’s really limited. Even a feature entitled ‘Tangled Webs: Easter Eggs’ that may appear tantalizing for tie-ins for future films lacks meaningful content beyond the obvious teases. (Sorry, Sony. Cletus crushing an actual spider does not qualify.)

With all that being said, Venom: Let There Be Carnage may be utter madness but it also might be one of the best comedies of the year. Wild and wacky, Serkis has bizarrely created an Odd Couple-esque relationship out of one of Marvel’s more sinister villains yet hits the right notes to keep it entertaining. So, bring on another entry.

I, for one, am actually interested to see where this relationship goes.

To hear our conversation with Venom creator Todd McFarlane, click here (audio).

Venom: Let There Be Carnage is available on 4K and Blu-ray on Tuesday, December 14th, 2021.

SF Radio 8.09 Resurrecting a Franchise in GHOSTBUSTERS: AFTERLIFE

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After 2016’s reboot of the franchise landed with a thud, many felt like the GHOSTBUSTERS franchise may never be able to launch a worthy sequel. However, with the release of Jason Reitman’s GHOSTBUSTERS: AFTERLIFE, the ‘Busters are back in [another] rebooted sequel that honours the past while looking to the future. This week, writer Victor Stiff (VictorStiff.com) and podcaster David Peck (Face2Face Live) stop by to talk about what it takes to resurrect a long-deceased franchise and the tension between science and the paranormal.

You can watch the episode on YouTube and stream on podomatic, Alexa (via Stitcher), Spotify, iHeart Radio or Amazon Podcasts! Or, you can downoad the ep on Apple Podcasts!

Want to continue to conversation at home?  Click the link below to download ‘Fishing for More’ — some small group questions for you to bring to those in your area.

8.09-Ghostbusters-AfterlifeDownload

Peter Rabbit 2: The Runaway – Tell Me Who I Am

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Growing up can be difficult enough without people telling you who they think you are.

Written and directed by Will Gluck (Easy A), Peter Rabbit 2: The Runaway is an enjoyable romp through the English countryside and city that never loses its heart. Balancing the outlandishly silly and simple charm, Gluck has created a sequel worthy of the original film that should entertain both children and their parents alike. Adding to the film’s effectiveness are the voice cast who are so star-studded that one will likely be shocked by some of the names attached during the end credits. (Admittedly though, other than Corden himself, one would have a difficult time identifying the other actors throughout the film strictly by their performances.)

Peter Rabbit 2: The Runaway takes us back to McGregor’s garden for the wedding of Bea and Thomas (Rose Byrne and Dohmnall Gleeson). Though they have no kids of their own, Bea and Thomas have developed a makeshift family with the rabbits and other animals and all seems well in their abode. Even so, despite the fact that he wants to be a good rabbit, Peter (James Corden) can’t seem to break free from his reputation of causing trouble. Then, when Bea gets a call from a publishing company about her book, the family hops into the truck and travels to the city. Suddenly out of the garden, Peter finds himself in a world where being a rascal is celebrated. After he meets Barnabas (Lenny James), an old friend of his father, Peter is invited into the criminal underworld (well, for bunnies that is) and must decide what type of rabbit he wants to be.

In some ways, The Runaway is an odd take on the franchise. On the one hand, it doesn’t always feel like the books that were read to me as a child. With my young ears, those simple tales about animals learning lessons about growing up at the farm felt almost thought-provoking with their innocence. However, the film adaptation feels like a different animal entirely. Like the first film, Runaway is filled with energy and life with an eye on pop culture and modern sensibilities. On the surface, that style of vigorous storytelling style feels like it should be incongruous with the original. 

However, on the other hand, somehow Gluck blends the two styles very well together and creates something both fun and honest. Even with its urban environment and life, Peter Rabbit 2: The Runaway still manages to charm and delight. Instead of losing its innocence at the hands of the big, bad city, Runaway manages to bring the rural purity along for the ride. There’s an intentional desire on behalf of Gluck and his team to allow the heart of the Potter characters to remain true to the characters, despite their change in setting.

In fact, that’s very much the point of the story itself.

As Bea’s stories about Peter become a local success, she catches the eye of major publisher, Nigel Basil-Jones (David Oyelowo). Nigel loves her stories yet he also believes they can make the property even more accessible to the masses by steering the characters into increasingly wild scenarios. For Nigel, success is the standard and that can be achieved if Bea is willing to make a few compromises to her material along the way. (After all, who wouldn’t want to see rabbits in space?)

However, are these changes true to Bea’s characters ? Although fame is knocking on their garden door, Bea and Thomas begin to ask themselves whether it’s worth the cost of their integrity. To them, losing the soul of their characters would demonstrate a lack of authenticity to the stories that they had created. (This is also referenced with a hilarious wink at the camera when the rabbits suggest that these types of stories are often adapted poorly, ‘usually by some cocky American’.)

At the same time, Peter is undergoing somewhat of an identity crisis as well. Having been labelled as the ‘bad seed’ of the group, Peter is left despondent. While he’s always known that he’s a little mischievous, he has never thought of himself to be a villain. However, his new label leaves him feeling lost. If others see him as the bad guy, maybe he’s wrong about himself. Then, after meeting Barnabas, Peter is led to explore his own ‘dark side’ to see if he’s really as bad as other’s say. 

Held up against one another, both stories offer slightly different takes on what it means to find out who you are. In The Runaway, Bea and Peter must both ask themselves tough questions about the quality of their character. In this way, the film becomes somewhat of a coming-of-age story as the two wrestle with whether or not the allure of a carefree life of success outweighs the concessions that they must make to get there.

Hopping along with youthful exuberance, Peter Rabbit 2: The Runaway is a delightful film with humour and heart. Though this seems like an unlikely take on the material at first, Runaway is a delightful addition to the franchise that expands the world yet maintains its soul. Even if Peter may say that “[he] didn’t think they’d get this far”, I would welcome the chance to return to McGregor’s garden one more time should the opportunity arise.

Peter Rabbit 2: The Runaway is available on demand on Friday, July 2nd, 2021.