Inferno (2016)

Based on the best selling book by Dan Brown, Inferno is the latest entry in Ron Howard's suspenseful film series.  This installment finds Professor Robert Langdon (Tom Hanks) in an Italian hospital, victim of a mysterious head wound and amnesia.  Soon, a few pieces of a larger puzzle are revealed, as Langdon and his attending physician Sienna Brooks (Felicity Jones) are chased across Europe by police officers as well as agents of the W.H.O.  Add to this the mystery of a deceased billionaire with a dangerous philosophy, clues surrounding the work of the poet Dante, and a hidden biological weapon, and this becomes a recipe for danger-filled adventure.
One of the first things that struck me about Inferno was the departure in tone from previous films in this series.  The film immediately grabs you by the neck and shakes vigorously.  With some expertly done editing and makeup/effects work, Inferno displays a nightmarish world that is at once shocking and confusing, reflecting the current state of Robert Langdon himself.  After this, things calm down a bit, and we begin to see the different pieces of the puzzle that has been prepared for our hero.  Interestingly, this puzzle solving format only seems to last for about half of the movie.  After this, the characters become as puzzling as the clues that have been followed.  In fact, I found myself so wrapped up in piecing together the clues hidden in Renaissance paintings and art objects that some of the biggest plot reveals took me completely by surprise, which is exactly what this type of movie should deliver.  Director Ron Howard makes great use of authentic locations in the film, which makes for an incredibly beautiful viewing experience, as well as reinforcing the feeling of secret history being discovered.
For the most part, I found the cast did an excellent job.  However, I found the performance of Felicity Jones a little on the flat side.  It wasn't necessarily bad acting, but I felt that Sienna Brooks was simply there to facilitate the plot movement, and didn't feel like a fully rounded character to me.  That being said, the performance of Tom Hanks and the rest of the cast make up for it.  In particular, I enjoyed the work of Ana Ularu as a trigger-happy police officer, and Omar Sy as a determined W.H.O. agent.  Also, Irrfan Khan is worth a mention as the professionally dangerous company man, Harry Sims.
I don't remember the previous films in the series very clearly, so I'm sure a few moments were lost on me, but I still found Inferno accessible to an essentially new viewer.  There are only a few small callbacks, but it's enough to make one want to go back and watch the previous movies.  If you're into mystery, history, and suspense, Inferno is a perfect movie for you to check out!        

House On Haunted Hill (1959)

Prior to this writing, my only experience of this film was the 1999 remake, which I saw around this time some years ago while recovering from dental surgery.  I remember it being serviceable, but not particularly good or memorable, as is the case with many remakes.
The original House On Haunted Hill begins in a jarring, but effective way.  A black screen is presented, followed by a number of sounds, such as rattling chains, and blood-curdling screams.  Then, out of the blackness appears the head of Watson Pritchard (Elisha Cook Jr.), warning the audience of the harrowing experience that awaits them.  After this, we're introduced to the rest of the cast, via the narration of eccentric millionaire Frederick Loren (Vincent Price).  Loren has offered five guests a chance at ten thousand dollars if they are willing to spend the entire night in a haunted house, along with him and his wife.  Of course, things aren't quite as simple as this, as Loren's wife Annabelle (Carol Ohmart) is planning to murder her husband that night.  The guests are each given a gun 'for protection', and are left to defend themselves from the threat of the supernatural, as well as each other.
Technically speaking, House On Haunted Hill was ambitious for its time, but the effects are laughable by today's standards.  Thankfully, the film takes a greater focus on the paranoia caused by the hauntings, rather than the spirits themselves.  There is a great deal of storytelling surrounding the house's dark history that serves to build atmosphere and builds the tension for the scares that follow.  The cast does a good job of performing the terror of the situations, but it's clear from the beginning that Vincent Price is the star.  His scenes with Carol Ohmart are particularly good.  Price has a way of reading a line that might seem romantic drip with murderous subtext.  Ohmart provides the prefect foil for his sinister character, and responds in kind with a coldness and dark subtext of her own.
I didn't find myself particularly surprised by any of the film's events, but I think this is a case of personal context more than anything else.  House On Haunted Hill uses several horror tropes that by today's standard seem cliched and common, but in 1959, these were likely a little fresher to horror audiences.  For that reason, I think it stands as one of the more important films in the 'haunted house' sub-genre of horror.  If you don't mind a few campy effects and are looking for a decent scare leading up to this Halloween, this is a good place to start.

The First Three - Luke Cage (2016)

Statistics have shown that it takes a few episodes for a viewer to get hooked on any given series.  On average, the number of episodes is three. (thus my title) With this in mind, I welcome you to the first in a series in which I will review shows based on the first three episodes.  In this first edition, I'll be looking at the new Netflix original, Luke Cage.
To those unfamiliar with the character, Luke Cage (sometimes known as Power Man) is a Marvel Comics character who has been around since the 1970s.  The new Netflix series, produced by Marvel and ABC Studios, brings Luke Cage into the here and now, sharing the TV universe of other heroes like Daredevil and Jessica Jones.  Although Luke Cage's powers include super-strength and unbreakable skin, he tends to keep a low profile in the first episodes of this series.  This is in large part to the fact that Cage (Mike Colter) is a man who is running from his troubled past.  Luke does his best to live a quiet, trouble free life in Harlem while people like the gangster 'Cottonmouth' Stokes (Mahershala Ali) and his cousin Mariah (Alfre Woodard), a misguided, if not crooked politician, cause problems that end up affecting the whole neighbourhood.  When a violent tragedy strikes Pop's barber shop, the local social hub, (and one of Cage's workplaces) Luke realizes the impact crime is having on Harlem, and sets out to use his powers to make a lasting change for the city.
One of the most striking elements of Luke Cage is just how steeped in black culture the show truly is.  From background jazz or rap music to discussions of basketball and even black poets and writers, the show covers just about everything.  There were several references that I didn't understand, but this is one of the things that excites me about the show.  It gives me the feeling that the writers know what they're talking about, and that there is true authenticity in the dialogue.
Much of the black community has voiced their support of the show and its cast, though there is some divisiveness over the show's more political elements, such as the use of certain racial language, or Luke Cage's hoodie, a possible reminder of the Trayvon Martin case.  While these things may be uncomfortable for some, I feel that it's all done in the name of authenticity, and the shows writers and producers should be applauded for it.  The show acknowledges the daily issues I'm certain many black people face, while at the same time, not going the route of stereotyping.  From a writing standpoint, this is a difficult balancing act, but it has been done to perfection here, and the show deserves recognition for that alone.  
Another reason the show is so successful is the performance of Mike Colter in the iconic title role.  Colter's Luke Cage is soft spoken, yet powerful.  He will defend himself physically, but doesn't go out looking for trouble.  Throughout the series, we also get glimpses of Cage as a man conflicted by his past, and dealing with feelings of guilt.  Mike Colter brings great depth and seriousness to the character, and he's helped by an outstanding supporting cast.  The women of the series are especially compelling characters for me.  Simone Missick plays the street-smart detective Misty Knight with just the right balance of sharp wit and sex appeal.  Alfre Woodard's portrayal of Mariah is wonderfully complex.  It's clear from Woodard's performance that Mariah believes she is doing the right thing, even though she is doing it in the most unethical of ways.  In my opinion, she may be the most interesting character on the show after Luke Cage himself.
To sum up, Luke Cage is a show that will appeal to not only long time comic fans, but to people who are entirely new to the character.  It contains fantastic action sequences, as well as real human drama.  Luke Cage is great not only for its entertainment value, but is equally valuable for its social commentary.  If you haven't seen it yet, I highly recommend you try watching at least the pilot episode.  Even if it's not to your taste, it will certainly leave you with a few things to think about.

Read This! - Prometheus: Life and Death

Read This! is made possible by The Gauntlet Comics and Games

I was unaware when I picked it up, but Prometheus: Life and Death is part of a larger collection of crossover stories by Dark Horse Comics.  Together, the Life and Death minis bridge the gap between the Alien and Predator universes, and judging by the Prometheus entry of this series, it's done fairly well.
The story, set near the time of the film Aliens, as opposed to Prometheus itself, concerns a team of Colonial Marines who have commandeered an alien ship (a Predator ship, to be exact, though they don't know this), but are faced with unexpected dangers when a member of the near-invincible race known as the Engineers is awakened on board.  The Engineer takes control of the ship and brings it to the planet known as LV-233, home of the Engineers.  While on the planet, the Marines band together with a small band of survivalists (and one very unlikely ally) who are defending their xenomorph infested outpost.  From this point, they devise a dangerous, all-or-nothing plan to get a ship and escape the planet.
Visually, the art of Andrea Mutti and Rain Beredo matches well with the concept art H.R. Giger provided for Prometheus and the original Alien films.  My only complaint is there are a few panels where the xenomorphs have been depicted as having eyes.  It's clear that writer Dan Abnett has a feel for what these films represent.  There is a definite feeling of dread as you read through the story's events, and the moments of violence and horror punctuate scenes very well.  There is some amount of character shown, though much of it takes a backseat to the action.  As in the films, Abnett reinforces the idea that we're following the journey of a few regular military grunts who just want to get out alive and go home.
Prometheus: Life and Death is a short, but entertaining adventure in the Alien/Predator universe.  The surprising amount of backstory leaves me wanting to check out the other pieces of this series, as well as past comics material Dark Horse has put out over the years.

Pan's Labyrinth (2006)

Pan's Labyrinth recently celebrated its 10th anniversary with a screening at the Toronto International Film Festival, so I thought it would be a great time to look back and examine what makes this Guillermo del Toro film so special.
The film takes place in the late years of World War II, in Francisco Franco's Spain, which is still recovering from the Spanish Civil War.  A young girl named Ofelia (Ivana Baquero) and her pregnant mother Carman (Adriana Gil) have been displaced, and taken in by Vidal, a captain in the Spanish army.  While Vidal defends his outpost from guerilla freedom fighters and attempts to root out sympathizers in his ranks, Ofeila is more concerned with her mother.  Carmen's pregnancy is a difficult one, and Ofelia is concerned that her mother may not survive.  Ofelia encounters a faun, who gives her three tasks to carry out.  Not only will these cure her mother's illness, but the faun claims Ofelia will become immortal if she performs her tasks correctly.
One of the things I find interesting about this film is that it is told entirely in Spanish, with subtitles.  Guillermo del Toro could have very easily made Pan's Labyrinth in English, but I am thankful he chose not to.  While subtitles aren't to everyone's taste, I find this style choice to be the most authentic to the cultural setting.  It feels completely natural for the film to be presented in this way.  To have the same film in English would be to settle for a cheapened experience.
The contrast of brutal realism with dark fantasy is one of the things that makes Pan's Labyrinth work so well.  The score by Javier Navarrete mirrors this tone incredibly well.  There are notes of the whimsical tempered by terror and tension as the story develops.  The film has an incredibly strong cast, which also helps to draw the viewer in.  In particular, I was captivated by Sergi Lopez's performance as the cruel Captain Vidal.  His mercurial anger is as terrifying as the script intends, and makes you all the more concerned for the safety of the others.  Alex Angulo is also very good as the determined Doctor Ferreiro, who plays a dangerous game by helping the rebel camp in secret.
My review wouldn't be complete without talking about the incomparable work of creature actor Doug Jones, who performs both the fascinating, yet dangerous looking faun character as well as the baby-eating monster known only as 'the pale man'.  Jones uses every part of his body to create these iconic characters, but this is only half the story.  These performances would be nothing without the masterful technical work of prosthetics and special effects.  While the fantasy sequences in this film are brief, they are so richly detailed that they are the most memorable and iconic scenes from the film.  Credit is also due to the production design team for creating such a finely detailed and fully realized world.  
To sum up, Pan's Labyrinth is still as incredible a piece of film as it was ten years ago.  The characters are strongly written and brilliantly acted.  The effects work is beautifully well done, and solidifies the otherworldly nature of this movie.  In addition, Pan's Labyrinth was a film that catapulted Guillermo del Toro into his position as one of the most visually distinctive and sought-after directors in Hollywood.  In short, it's a high point in the ever-expanding del Toro filmography.