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Vince Vaughn

Freaky: A Sadistic (but Silly) Switcheroo

February 9, 2021 by Steve Norton Leave a Comment

When Blumhouse does something right, it’s worth taking notice.

As the reigning kings of horror, Blumhouse has been involved with some of the last decade’s most iconic franchises. From Paranormal Activity to Split to Insidious, it feels like almost every major franchise of the genre is tied to the House of Blum. While not all of them are instant classics (I’m looking at you, Fantasy Island), the studio has gained credibility for its willingness to try to take risks while still bringing the scares.

And Freaky definitely qualifies as a ‘risk’.

Now on BluRay, DVD and VOD, Freaky follows Millie (Kathryn Newton), a high school senior still grieving the loss of her father and struggling to survive as a social pariah. Keeping a close circle with her besties Nyla (Celeste O’Connor) and Joshua (Misha Osherovich), Millie mostly stays home to help her mother and wants to get through high school unscathed. However, when a terrifying encounter with the Blissfield Butcher (Vince Vaughn) leads to her soul trading bodies with the known serial killer, Millie must race against the clock to reverse the curse and get back to her normal life.

While Freaky doesn’t have the social conscience of recent Blumhouse classics like Get Out, The Purge or The Invisible Man, it’s humour certainly cuts deeply enough to be worth the time. Despite the fact that the body-swap premise is far from fresh, Freaky’s unique vision gives the formula new life. Directed by Christopher Landon (Happy Death Day), Freaky is bloody good fun that accomplishes what it sets out to do. In other words, the film is funny when it wants to be and horrific when it needs to be. 

While Freaky‘s sadistic switcheroo is well-implemented, there are admittedly some characters and side stories that do feel like they get pushed aside in favour of the primary story. (For example, Millie’s mother feels like she’s been given some significant struggles with her alcoholism, yet the film barely blinks the implications of it.) In this way, the film does feel at times like it misses its full potential, even though it thoroughly entertains.

Thankfully, the film’s success is anchored entirely upon the performance of its two stars and both Vaughn and Newton absolutely kill it as the body-swapped duo. Having mostly chosen roles in smaller, independent films in recent years, it’s nice to see Vince Vaughn step back into the comedy limelight. As a 50-year-old man playing a teenage girl, Vaughn shows an vitality and glee that we haven’t seen in his performances in quite some time. In addition, co-star Kathryn Newton counter-balances Vaughn’s silliness with an inner darkness that is almost bone-chilling at times. Empowered by her new personality, Newton works with focus and ferocity as she awaits the proper moment to go in for the kill. 

Somewhat strangely, Freaky is very interested in starting a conversation about female empowerment. Bullied at school for her quiet demeanour, Millie is constantly made to feel weak and helpless by anyone outside her inner circle. (Even Mr. Bernardi [Alan Ruck!], Millie’s abusive shop teacher, seems to have a needless grudge against the quiet young woman.) However, when her spirit lands in the Butcher’s body, she experiences a sense of power for the first time. (In fact, she consistently apologizes for her inability to control her newfound physical strength.) Though she doesn’t inherit his murderous tendencies (well, arguably), Millie’s experience does give her a confidence that she hasn’t experienced before. Having been the victim of many stronger than herself, the experience of life in a man’s body offers Millie a chance to claim a power that has long been taken from her by others.

Interestingly though, the film also never (well, arguably) loses the innocence of Millie’s spirit either. Though she is unrecognizable physically, her friends recognize her quickly because the sweetness of her soul continues to shine through her middle-aged, masculine shell. Even potential love interest Booker Strode (Uriah Shelton) is able to see past the Butcher’s gruff exterior and speak with ‘Millie’ from his heart. (Admittedly, the scene does get particularly awkward when one remembers that it’s Vaughn in the role, but I digress.) While the culture around her has often used her innocence as a reason for abusing her, the purity of her soul is what keeps her from fully embracing the Butcher’s brutality. By emphasizing her heart,  Freaky manages to subtly suggest that true female strength comes from within, especially at the hands of a toxically masculine culture.

Released today on BluRay and DVD, Freaky’s so-called ‘killer bonus features’ are a little on the light side. Features on Christopher Landon’s ‘brand of horror’ and comparing Millie and the Butcher are fun but forgettable addendums. (Of course, the film’s commentary with Landon and an extra explaining how they accomplished their graphic kills are particularly fun.) 

Having said this, Freaky is not a film that requires a tonne of extras on its disc to make it an appealing purchase. As a horror comedy, Freaky successfully lampoons the tropes of the genre while while simultaneously celebrating them as well. What’s more, with surprisingly convincing performances, the duo of Vaughn and Newton give the film enough focus and energy to elevate it from merely a tired concept to an evening of absolutely killer fun.

Freaky is available on BluRay and DVD on Tuesday, February 9th, 2021.

Filed Under: DVD, Featured, Film, VOD Tagged With: Blumhouse, Celeste O'Connor, Christopher Landon, Freaky, Freaky Friday, Kathryn Newton, Misha Osherovich, Uriah Shelton, Vince Vaughn

FREAKY Comes Home this February…

January 20, 2021 by Steve Norton Leave a Comment

The most unlikely reboot of Freaky Friday that you could imagine is making it’s way onto Blu-ray and DVD on February 9th, 2021. You can get more information from the press release below.!

Universal City, California, January 19, 2021 – Prepare for a FREAKY take on the body-swap movie which only Blumhouse, makers of Happy Death Day & The Purge franchise, could bring: a teenage girl switches bodies with a relentless serial killer! From the deliciously debased mind of writer-director Christopher Landon (Happy Death Day, the Paranormal Activity franchise) and prolific horror producer Jason Blum (Halloween, The Purge franchise), comes a horror-comedy about a stalker, a high school senior, and the brutal truth about surviving high school available on Digital on January 26 and on Blu-ray™ and DVD on February 9. FREAKY is “the most purely enjoyable horror movie made in years” (David Sims, THE ATLANTIC). Hailed as “an absolute blast – fun, frantic, horror/comedy mash-up” (Drew Taylor, COLLIDER), the Killer Switch Edition continues the fun and scares with exclusive bonus content including deleted scenes, a behind-the-scenes look at the making of the film and a feature commentary with Co-writer/Director Christopher Landon. With an 83% “fresh” score on Rotten Tomatoes and critical praise for Vaughn and Newton as “the new killer comedy scream team” (Rachel Smith, CELEBRITY PAGE), Vaughn won a Critics Choice Super Award for Best Actor in a Horror Movie.
 
High school senior Millie (Kathryn Newton, Blockers, HBO’s “Big Little Lies”) is just trying to survive being the unpopular kid when she becomes The Butcher’s (Vince Vaughn, Wedding Crashers, Couples Retreat) next target. Their fateful encounter gets twisted and wake up in each other’s bodies. Now looking like a towering psychopath, Millie learns she only has 24 hours to reverse the curse and get her body back before the switch becomes permanent and she’s trapped in the form of a middle-aged maniac forever.  With some help from her friends—ultra-woke Nyla (Celeste O’Connor, Ghostbusters: Afterlife), ultra-fabulous Joshua (Misha Osherovich, The Goldfinch) and her crush Booker (Uriah Shelton, Enter the Warriors Gate)—Millie races against the clock to reverse the curse while The Butcher discovers that having a female teen body is the perfect cover for a little Homecoming killing spree.
BONUS FEATURES on BLU-RAYTM, DVD and Digital:
Deleted Scenes The Butcher Lends a HandCharlene Hears a RumorLate for the Party
Split Personalities: Millie vs. The Butcher – Two opposing characters. One killer chemistry! Go behind-the-scenes to see how Vince Vaughn and Kathryn Newton worked together to bring these two very different characters to life and how they created distinct personal traits for both. This piece will focus on the magnetism between Vaughn and Newton, and how that chemistry raised the stakes for two characters stuck in such a strange situation.
Crafting the Kills – This feature will take viewers into the “Wood Shop” set to see how all of the various elements and departments come together to create an extraordinary kill that fans will talk about for years to come. We will also discuss the inspiration behind this bilateral bisection, what makes it both fun and horrifying, and how it is different from anything else you have seen in other horror films.
Christopher Landon’s Brand of Horror – Blending horror and comedy is a difficult task that not many can achieve, but Christopher Landon has proven time and time again that he is uniquely skilled at it. FREAKY is no different. Learn how Christopher’s vision brought new energy to the concept and elevated the story, all while creating a fun and proficient working environment. This behind-the-scenes look at how he weaves humor and gore together will give fans an intimate understanding of why a Christopher Landon film is a genre of its own.
Final Girl Reframed – The concept of a “Final Girl” is nothing new in the horror genre. However, Millie isn’t your typical Final Girl. We take a closer look at all the ways FREAKY takes your genre expectations and smashes them.
Feature Commentary with Co-writer/Director Christopher Landon

FREAKY will be available on Blu-rayTM, DVD and Digital.Blu-rayTM unleashes the power of your HDTV and is the best way to watch movies at home, featuring 6X the picture resolution of DVD, exclusive extras and theater-quality surround sound.Digital lets fans watch movies anywhere on their favorite devices. Users can instantly stream or download.

Filed Under: News Tagged With: Freaky, Kathryn Newton, Vince Vaughn

Hacksaw Ridge – Faith Under Fire

February 21, 2017 by Jacob Sahms 1 Comment

hr3Hacksaw Ridge is the extraordinary story of an ordinary man named Desmond Doss. Not gifted with exceptional physical powers, or benefitting from a stellar education, Doss enlisted in the Army during World War II as a conscientious objector, challenging the way that his fellow soldiers saw patriotism, bravery, and honor. Directed by Mel Gibson, Doss’ real-life story finally gets the attention it deserves, nearly seventy-five years after Doss set foot on Okinawa. Nominated for Best Picture at the Academy Awards, as well as Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Actor at the Golden Globes, Hacksaw Ridge has a heartfelt story to match its spectacular visuals.

One of the quietly spectacular things about the film is the way that just a few moments spent on Doss’ childhood, and sprinkling in a few flashbacks from his youth, set the stage for us to understand how Doss (Andrew Garfield) formulates his ideas about faith and violence. Gibson and cinematographer Simon Duggan show us a foreshadowing of the Maeda Escarpment (aka Hacksaw Ridge) with a regular hike in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia that winds to the top of a mountain. The balance – between the peace of the Blue Ridge and the violence of Hacksaw – shouldn’t be lost on us in retrospect. But that’s not the only balance the story shows us.

hr1While we see that Doss’ avoidance of violence hinges on battles he had previously with his brother and father, Tom (Hugo Weaving), we are subtly exposed to the depth of the Doss family pain. Tom served in World War I and carries survivor’s guilt; he longs to protect his family from the violence of the current war but he’s too angry with himself for living when all of his comrades die. For the eighteen-year-old Doss, there is no way to understand his father’s deep pain until he sees the violence of war for himself. The struggle of the father to protect the son is evident early on, but it becomes clearly apparent when Doss finally enters basic training at Fort Jackson, South Carolina.

At Fort Jackson, Doss finds himself completely alone. His commanding officers, Sergeant Howell (Vince Vaughn) and Captain Glover (Sam Worthington), want to run him out of the ranks of the Army upon finding out about Doss’ Seventh-day Adventist convictions. Doss’ unwillingness to carry a gun (or work on Saturday) rubs the officers and Doss’ counterparts (namely, Luke Bracey’s Smitty); the Army works to literally beat Doss into submission.

hr2I knew that this segment of the film would trouble me, but I couldn’t be prepared for how upsetting it was. While the greater problem in World War II is the Nazi/Axis threat, Doss’ greatest enemy through eighteen months (compressed in the film) is actually his own company. Gibson’s film sets us up to consider Doss’ faith but here I found one of the major selling points of the film: there’s a clear recognition that we often incur more violence on each other than we do on our real enemy. [As I write this, my Facebook feed is bloodied by those on both sides of our U.S. election, those who won and those who lost. Rather than working to find a way together forward in unity, too many are still focused on the differences they see in each other.]

Yet, in the case of Doss, he remains resolute about what he believes without ever condemning someone else. He never considers himself better than or superior to any of the men who doubt his beliefs or conviction in decision-making. He is the lamb sent to slaughter who refuses to raise its head but which refuses to turn aside from its resolute belief. This is truth and grace, belief and gritty reality mixing together into the existence of actual life.

In the case of Hacksaw Ridge, the crucible is one steep cliff and one terrible battlefield. While the court martial that allows Doss to serve is undeniable, his comrades still consider him less than a soldier. With the first assault on Okinawa, Doss proves himself by rescuing several wounded officers. By staying when the rest of his company retreats, pulling out soldier after soldier pinned down behind the enemy line, Doss proves himself remarkable.

hr4As I watched Gibson’s trademark bloody portrayal of the film, I was shocked by the way that Doss’ spirit stood out in direct contrast to those around him, in the same way that his red cross stood out against the drab greens, tans, and grays of the film. There’s no question that Gibson’s experience shooting the wartime scenes fit in well with the powerful script, but Doss’ story stands out thanks to Garfield’s quiet portrayal. We know that his love for Dorothy Schutte (Teresa Palmer) burns bright, but it’s his faith that sends him in after soldier after soldier.

Sitting in the movie theater, hearing Doss pray, “Give me one more, Lord,” over and over again, while plunging into the smoke and fire of the mortared battlefield, I found myself thinking of Shadrach, Meschach, and Abednego, thrown into the fire of the furnace in Daniel 3. These three men could have turned back on their beliefs and been spared, just like Doss could have bowed out during his court martial or retreated just like every other soldier did. But Doss stayed because he believed that was what God called him to – and he felt compelled to respond.

One last scene stood out to me – one which I had anticipated since seeing the trailer. Here, the company must return to the top of Hacksaw Ridge, and Glover tells Doss that the men won’t go up without him. Doss prays – while the men wait. They don’t necessarily believe what he believes or believe that his prayer works but because he believes and they believe in him, his prayer matters to them.

How powerful is that?

James 5:16 says, “Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.” Doss’ life of prayer and humble service proved to be remarkably transformative for others, in ways that we can hardly believe – but which the furnace of Hacksaw Ridge’s fury proved.

Doss has a litany of men tell him in the aftermath of the first onslaught that they underestimated him, that they didn’t know him the way that they thought they did. And yet, through bombing, shooting, stabbing, and explosions, Doss saves the men who once were his enemies – while they were still his enemy. He never treated them that way, but they saw him that way – and he didn’t let that matter.

While so much turmoil exists in our world today, I am reminded that there is still a cross that shines through the dust and fire. I am reminded that there is still a place where the prayers of a person avail much – in the heart of God. Here is a man, Doss, who believed that he was called to lay down his life for his friends – and even his enemies – because he was pursuing the cross of Christ. Here is a man who proved that there was a way through, that we don’t have to like everyone or agree with everyone, to see that the common goal and the greater good rise above our differences.

Doss stands as an example of the unity of our humanity – the things we have in common – and as an example of one man’s faith in the midst of an unbelieving world.

Hacksaw Ridge is a film for such a time as this.

Special features on the Blu-ray/DVD/Digital HD include deleted scenes, the theatrical trailer, and a Veterans Day greeting from Mel Gibson; “The Soul of War” documentary shows how the film was made, including a look at the story from the perspective of the actors, director Gibson, and those intimate with Doss’ story. 

Filed Under: Current Events, DVD, Editorial, Featured, Film, Oscar Spotlight, Reviews Tagged With: anthology, Desmond Doss, Mel Gibson, Sam Worthington, Vince Vaughn, We Were Soldiers

1on1 with Terry Benedict (producer, HACKSAW RIDGE)

November 20, 2016 by Steve Norton Leave a Comment

hacksaw ridge

HACKSAW RIDGE tells the story of Desmond Doss, a conscientious objector in WWII who earned the Congressional Medal of Honour by  rescuing 75 men as a medic. This week, Steve has the privilege to speak with the film’s producer Terry Benedict about Doss’ life and the relationship between faith and war.

https://screenfish.net/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/Terry-Benedict-Producer-HACKSAW-RIDGE.mp3

A very special thanks to Terry Benedict for joining us for the conversation this week!

hacksaw1

Filed Under: Film, Podcast Tagged With: Andrew Garfield, Conscientious Objector, Desmond Doss, documentary, Hacksaw Ridge, Lionsgate, Mel Gibson, Remembrance Day, Terry Benedict, Vince Vaughn, war

True Detective Season 2: Another Descent into the Darkness

January 12, 2016 by Jacob Sahms Leave a Comment


tdmainO, what a tangled web we weave when first we practise to deceive!–Sir Walter Scott

In the second season of HBO’s hit television series, True Detective, the all-new cast tackles a case full of nooks and crannies wrapped around the morale that “we get the world that we deserve.” An Army veteran and current California patrolman, Paul Woodrugh (Taylor Kitsch), finds the deceased city manager of Vinci, CA, on the highway. Soon, Vinci P.D. detective Ray Velcoro (Colin Farrell) and Ventura County Sheriff Sergeant Ani Bezzerides (McAdams) are called in to investigate. But there are some dangerous ties to crime kingpin Frank Semyon (Vince Vaughn), who wants to recover the financial investment he had made in the city manager. We know Nic Pizzolatto will explore the darkness, but where is he going to take us this time?

I’ll admit that I had a much harder time getting into this season than I did the first one. Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson were supremely nuanced, bending the lines between good and evil, while chasing a serial killer over decades. It was intensely dark, and wildly entertaining, creating water cooler talk. The second season? Not so much. Maybe it was Vaughn’s misplacement as a less-than-funny baddie. It wasn’t Farrell — we know he has made a career of playing twisted antiheroes (Bullseye, anyone?) and it wasn’t McAdams, who delivers as she always does. [I’m no Kitsch fan, but even he played the wounded soldier part well.]

tdfarrellFor those who did dig it the first time through, there’s plenty of commentary in the Blu-ray release that provides the Digital HD as well. I think that the comparison from one to another (the way that FX has provided with a new-cast-each-season set up for American Horror Story and Fargo) allows for bolder storytelling. Pizzolatto is signed for several more years by HBO but we don’t know if we’re getting a third season yet. I’m pulling for Tom Hardy and Ryan Gosling, personally. But I’d be worried if they went with Amy Schumer and Whitney Cummings…

Back in the series, I’m troubled because the first season made both the detectives’ private lives and their investigation matter. I’m not sure that the second season is quite as effective in that. [For the record, it’s also a problem in Liev Schreiber’s Ray Donovan, which is also darkly entertaining.] But we are faced with several men who are put in positions where they doubt their own power, person, or masculinity, all tied up in one. Some of it has to do with secrets; some of it has to do with pain they have not dealt with. But it often points back to the violence they live by, which they are tied to, but which often works against them like a double-edged sword.

tdadams

Still, True Detective has me hooked because it wrestles with the nuances. We are made up of our past decisions, our hopes and dreams both realized and deferred. None of these characters is who they hoped they would be, but they are all forced to wrestle with their realities. In Pizzolatto’s world, some will rise and some will fall, but all will bear the scars for the rest of their lives.

 

Filed Under: DVD, Reviews, Television Tagged With: Amy Schumer, Colin Farrell, HBO, Liev Schreiber, Nic Pizzolatto, Rachel McAdams, Taylor Kitsch, True Detective, Vince Vaughn, Whitney Cummings

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