Review: ‘Reality Winner’
Documentarian Sonia Kennebeck Shines A Compelling Light On The Convicted Veteran

By
Cortland Jacoby
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“I think ‘naive’ as a word to describe me feels a lot better than ‘idiot’ but both equally apply.” Former military veteran Reality Winner says this early on in Sonia Kennebeck’s titular documentary. Convicted under the Espionage Act for releasing an NSA-protected document showing Russian interference in the 2016 election, Kennebeck captures Winner and her family during her trial, imprisonment, and subsequent release as she comes to terms with her past while dealing with betrayal in her present.

In June 2017, Winner was approached in her home by a seemingly friendly group of FBI agents asking to search the house. A recording of their encounter plays throughout the 90-minute runtime. What started as a friendly interaction quickly escalated into something more sinister as both agents corner her with the information that she printed out a single document indicating that Russia tried to hack election devices in 2016, something that the current government and intelligence community previously denied publicly. Because she believed she told the truth and didn’t give out particular details, she believed she would not be charged with a crime.

As events evolved, the focus shifted from the information she leaked to the fact she leaked it. Kennebeck’s thesis relies heavily on two vital pieces of information. The first is that the Espionage Act is written with no allowed justifications, so either you leaked or you didn’t. She also delves heavily on how the news outlet where Winner sent the document to, failed to protect their source from litigation and government investigation.

Winner brings an honest and humorous melancholy to her story, which ironically was used against her in her trial. A series of glib and very millennial Facebook messages she sent her sister, where she explicitly expressed her hatred of then-President Donald Trump, were used to deny her bail at her pre-trial hearing. As Kennebeck lays out the government’s case against her, the director threads a damning needle against the systems that condemned her.

Kennebeck relies on talking head interviews with Winner, her parents Billy and Gary, and her sister Brittany to give a full perspective on her case. Providing further outside context are other famous whistleblowers like Edward Snowden, Thomas Blake, and John Kiriakou. Unlike Winner, Snowden and Blake never served time for their leaks, the former escaping to Russia and the latter having his charges dropped. Kiriakou only served 28 ½ months in prison as opposed to Winner’s sentence of 63 months, the longest to date for the unauthorized release of government information to the media. Kennebeck’s smart inclusion of these white men and The Intercept’s editorial staff only drives her point home more that Winner didn’t receive justice. She was made an example of.

Kennebeck struggles with the placement of expository yet vital information pertaining to Winner’s life. Her relationships with both her father and stepfather are explored towards the film’s end. This feels thrown in and could’ve provided better context earlier on in the film’s narrative.

Earlier in 2023, HBO released a fictional account of Winner’s interrogation called Reality starring Euphoria breakout Sydney Sweeney. Cat Person director Susanna Fogel is reteaming with Emilia Jones on another retelling of the story. Plays, comedy segments, and NPR think pieces have all been created about the former soldier. However, Kennebeck’s Reality Winner is able to capture the full circumstances of her subject’s life in a way the others can’t.

Reality Winner premiered two years ago at the 2021 South By Southwest Film Festival, under the title United States vs. Reality Winner. In that time between its first festival showing and its release now, Kennebeck gives the film and her subject a new ending. With Trump under indictment for violating the same laws as the young woman he condemned, the film concludes with a feeling of “I told you so” that slaps you in the face and leaves you with a sense of tragic triumph.

Reality Winner is currently playing in theaters. A VOD release is scheduled for Oct. 31.

31 Days Of Horror: Day 14 ‘The Evil’ (1978)
Directed by: Gus Trikonis

By
Ronny Sharpes
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Synopsis: A doctor buys a Civil War-era dilapidated mansion and hires a few friends to fix it up, but the mansion hides a deadly secret.

In The Evil, A psychologist buys a mansion with the intention of using it as a rehab facility. He recruits some colleagues and students to help him with repairs. Everything is fine and dandy until they discover a stone doorway in the floor of the basement, barricaded by a cross. One of them removes said cross, the house is locked down and the Devil himself is set free. As every person in the house is tormented one by one, their only hope for escape is a ghostly former resident that only one of them can see.

The effects might be cheesy and the acting a bit exaggerated but I enjoyed the hell out of this low-budget horror from the late 70’s. In an era of exploitation films and extreme gore, it was a lowkey supernatural thriller with a certain charm. Yes it was full of cliche tropes and textbook eerie sounds but the setting was interesting and the simple plot of good vs. evil is one that I enjoy. The execution of the effects for the time were extremely well done, the acting was adequate and the third act closed everything out sealing it with a nice neat bow.

There’s really not much more I can say about this. It wasn’t the best but it was a fun little flick to watch during this spooky season. If you’re looking for something that’s not too heavy to throw on the tv and turn the lights down low, this might be it. You can find this one streaming on Tubi as of this writing.

Join me again tomorrow as we continue our strange little journey down the horror rabbit hole.

‘Anyone But You’ First Look: Sydney Sweeney And Glen Powell Are A Fake Couple In New Rom-Com

By

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October 13, 2023

For a supposedly dead genre, traditional rom-coms haven’t gone anywhere and are still quite popular. You just have to make sure to have the right leads, and in the case of Anyone But You, it’s tough to argue with the pairing of Euphoria breakout Sydney Sweeney and Top Gun: Maverick‘s Glen Powell.

The premise is a familiar one, as the duo play an especially toxic pair of old college classmates who fake being in a relationship so as to deal with their exes while attending a friend’s wedding in Australia. We’ve seen this exact plot done many times before, drawing inspiration from Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing.

Steering this ship is Will Gluck, a filmmaker who launched his career by catapulting Emma Stone to stardom with Easy A. He also directed Annie, Friends with Benefits, and both Peter Rabbit movies. Basically, every comedy he touches is gold at the box office. The results don’t lie.

Also in the cast are Alexandra Shipp, Bryan Brown, GaTa, Hadley Robinson, Michelle Hurd, and Dermot Mulroney. Darren Barnet and Rachel Griffiths.

Anyone But You opens in theaters on December 15th.

‘The Strangers: Chapter 1’ Clip: A Mysterious Stranger Won’t Stop Knocking In First Of Renny Harlin’s Slasher Trilogy

By

Travis Hopson

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October 13, 2023

While it doesn’t have the long, established genre cred of some other thriller franchises out there, The Strangers has been around since the breakout 2008 film, and has more than its share of fans. They were pretty much the only ones who stuck it out for the long-awaited sequel, 2018’s The Strangers: Prey At Night. And they are probably also the ones who are eagerly anticipating 2024, where not one, not two, but three new Strangers films will drop, courtesy of veteran filmmaker Renny Harlin.

It was announced last year that Harlin, the director behind Die Hard 2, Deep Blue Sea, and other ’90s flicks, would be directing a new trilogy of movies, starting with The Strangers: Chapter 1. Each film in the trilogy was shot concurrently, and are all expected to debut next year.

At New York Comic-Con, Lionsgate debuted the first clip from The Strangers: Chapter 1. The footage shows star Madelaine Petsch targeted by a stranger who keeps knocking on the door. Also in the cast are Froy Gutierrez and Gabriel Basso, along with Rachel Shenton, Gabriel Basso, and Ema Horvath, as well as Florian Clare and Rebecka Johnston.

No word on a release date, but we’ll let you know when to expect The Stranger: Chapter 1 in a theater near you.

31 Days Of Horror: Day 13 ‘Grotesque’ (1988)
Directed by: Joe Tornatore

By
Ronny Sharpes
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Synopsis: In Grotesque, A gang of crazed punkers breaks into a family’s vacation home in the mountains and slaughters the entire family, except for one daughter who gets away. As the gang pursues the girl through the snow, they are chased by a murderous deformed creature.

This extremely low budget, direct to tape “horror” movie begins with Lisa (Linda Blair) heading to her family’s vacation home with her friend Kathy (Donna Wilkes). When they arrive where we are treated to a little scare from her makeup effects artist father, testing out some of his new latex appliances. Soon after, some over-the-top punkers arrive, picture Bobcat Goldthwait’s character in Police Academy 3 to the nth degree. They begin tearing up the place looking for the loot and ending up slaughtering most of the family as well as Kathy with Lisa escaping into the snow covered woods. The punkers give chase but are tailed by a hulking disfigured man. Police eventually arrive, find the family and track down the remaining punkers only to have them accuse the disfigured man for the deaths. Believing the punkers, the cops shoot and kill him. Kathy is now in the hospital and Linda Blair is essentially out of the movie with the focus shifting to her plastic surgeon uncle Rod (Tab Hunter) who tracks down the punkers to exact his revenge. At this point, shit goes completely off the rails. Between the big reveal and what happens pre-credits this flick is all over the place and makes me wonder, how high was Joe Tornatore?

I just don’t know where to begin with this one. This is the definition of a “B” movie through and through. With the nonsensical acting and elementary effects, this flick felt like a high school production. It was like a slow-motion train wreck that you couldn’t look away from. You had to keep watching just to see what they were going to try to dish up next. I honestly wondered halfway through if this was just a money laundering operation. I mean, I’m not making any accusations but cocaine was big in the 80’s. Don’t get me wrong, there is a time and place for “B” movies but some are just scraping the bottom of the barrel and this is a prime example of that.

My sole reason for watching this one was because it starred Linda Blair but even she couldn’t save this one. Honestly it’s kind of sad to see what she was reduced to doing for a paycheck but I digress.

Just for consistency I’ll let you know that this one is streaming on Tubi but do yourself a favor and find another way to waste 89 minutes.

Join me again tomorrow and see if we can find something better as we tumble down the horror rabbit hole.

Miramax Snags ‘Halloween’ Rights With Plans To Launch Film/TV Cinematic Universe

By

Travis Hopson

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October 13, 2023

The general consensus seems to be that David Gordon Green’s recent Halloween trilogy started off hot, then fizzled out with each sequel. That said, a good slasher is never truly dead. Only the next time Michael Myers returns, it won’t be for Blumhouse and Universal, but for Miramax TV.

Deadline confirms that Miramax TV has secured the rights to Halloween, with plans “to potentially launch a cinematic universe spanning film and television.”

“We couldn’t be more excited to bring Halloween to television,” said Miramax’s Head of Global TV Marc Helwig. “We are thrilled to expand our long and successful partnership with Trancas and the brilliant Malek Akkad in introducing this iconic franchise to a new form of storytelling and a new generation of fans.”

Malek Akkan, son original Halloween producer Moustapha Akkad, said “Trancas International Films is extremely enthused to be expanding our long-standing relationship with Miramax, and we look forward to working with Marc Helwig and the entire team in creating this new chapter.”

A fierce, weeks-long bidding war for Halloween saw Miramax beat out rivals including Blumhouse and A24. While this may seem like a surprising outcome, Miramax does have a long history of successfully adapting its titles into TV shows.

The question is what form will this Halloween series take? Green’s trilogy is still very fresh in mind, and so steps could be taken to lessen the presence of Michael Myers. Perhaps an anthology-type format? Or a prequel set in the same universe? Who knows? It’s more clear than ever that you just can’t keep a good slasher down.

‘Monarch: Legacy Of Monsters’ Trailer: Godzilla Sets The World On Fire In Apple’s MonsterVerse Series

By

Travis Hopson

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October 13, 2023

Legendary knows they have a good thing going with the MonsterVerse, having launched an entire franchise of blockbuster hits in Godzilla, Kong: Skull Island, Godzilla: King of the Monsters, and Godzilla vs. Kong. That’s a lot of kaiju action for the big screen to handle, and so we’re going to see if the small-screen can handle the cinematic titans in Apple’s Monarch: Legacy of Monsters series.

The series serves as both a prequel and a continuation, following the same character, Monarch agent Lee Shaw, across decades. In one of the show’s most clever hooks, Shaw will be played by Wyatt Russell in the 1960s and his father, screen legend Kurt Russell, in the present day.

Here’s the synopsis: Following the thunderous battle between Godzilla and the Titans that leveled San Francisco and the shocking revelation that monsters are real, “Monarch: Legacy of Monsters” tracks two siblings following in their father’s footsteps to uncover their family’s connection to the secretive organization known as Monarch. Clues lead them into the world of monsters and ultimately down the rabbit hole to Army officer Lee Shaw (played by Kurt Russell and Wyatt Russell), taking place in the 1950s and half a century later, where Monarch is threatened by what Shaw knows. The dramatic saga – spanning three generations – reveals buried secrets and the ways that epic, earth-shattering events can reverberate through our lives.

Anna Sawai, Kiersey Clemons, Ren Watabe, Mari Yamamoto, Anders Holm, Joe Tippett, and Elisa Lasowski star in the series, as well, with WandaVision‘s Matt Shakman directing the first two episodes. Monarch: Legacy of Monsters hits Apple TV+ on November 17th.

Review: ‘In The Fire’
Amber Heard Barely Manages To Heat Up This Tired Faith Vs. Science Thriller

By
Travis Hopson
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It’s a shame that overheated, toxic fans who hate Amber Heard long ago began review bombing her new psychological thriller, In the Fire. The film is terrible enough on its own without their help. To be fair, very little of the reason it’s bad has anything to do with her. Blame director Conor Allyn who oversaw a bland science vs. religion narrative, dull pacing, and the utter failure to differentiate from other movies about demonic possession.

In a rare centerpiece role for Heard, she plays Grace, a New York doctor in the 1890s who is called to a remote Spanish plantation to care for Martin (Lorenzo McGovern Zaini), a troubled boy the locals believe is pure evil. Martin does show signs of inexplicable abilities, and he has eyes of two wildly different colors, but Grace believes his problems are psychological in nature, all evidence to the contrary. For example, when a gang of men on horseback attack, Martin seemingly sends one of the animals into a frenzy.

The people of this town are extremely religious, believing from the moment of Martin’s birth that he is the Devil. They blame him for everything awful that happens. When famine and disease strike, killing the crops, the animals, and then the children, Grace is under threat just for treating Martin. After being whipped into a violent mob by a charismatic priest, the people go so far as to manhandle Grace before whipping her right in the middle of the street

Allyn previously directed the 2021 neo-Western, No Man’s Land, and he takes a similarly slow burn approach here. Under better circumstances that would be the smart course of action, but Allyn, who also co-wrote the script, brings nothing new to this familiar battle of faith vs. medicine. Grace becomes something like a surrogate mother to Martin, and we see the many sides of his personality. There are moments when he’s nurturing and generous (some demon he is!!), and others where he’s ready to unleash Holy hell. We eventually learn more of his tragic backstory and the overwhelming guilt the young boy carries, all of which Grace is all-too-eager to take at face value if it means helping her charge.

While the vast majority of characters are one-dimensional, leading to sleepy performances by the supporting cast, Heard is actually quite good as the caring, patient Grace. A flawed protagonist at best, Grace’s confidence sometimes borders on arrogance. It’s easy to understand why the townspeople despise this white, educated outsider coming into their village and telling them what’s what, and Grace does herself no favors by waving medical texts in their faces. Heard gives herself over to the role, the first time she’s had a lead all to herself in quite some time as she fights to rebound from years of bad press. I’m not sure In the Fire is the movie that will be the start of a career renaissance for her, though. It’s problems are many, such as stilted dialogue and predictable genre tropes, and there’s a general sense that this movie wouldn’t even exist if Heard had passed on it. But Heard can at least look back on the forgettable In the Fire and know that she elevated this weak material as best she could.

In the Fire is available now in theaters, VOD, and digital platforms.

31 Days Of Horror: Day 12 ‘The Grim Reaper’
Directed by: Joe D’Amato

By
Ronny Sharpes
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Synopsis: A group of friends and a hitchhiker become stranded on a tourist island where they are stalked by a disfigured cannibalistic killer who is prowling the island after killing its residents.

Joe D’Amato made a handful of horror films in the 70’s and early 80’s before moving toward more erotic fare and eventually transitioning into hardcore pornography. Within the horror films, there were a few to reach cult status such as Beyond the Darkness and Absurd. I myself have a bit of a love/hate relationship with his films so The Grim Reaper aka The Savage Island aka Anthropophagus was one that I never really had the desire to watch. Given this month I’m attempting to fill the voids in my genre viewing, I figured why not give this one a shot. I kind of wish I didn’t.

This flick takes a little while to get going as the group heads to the remote island. You get brief glimpses of the terror stalking them but it is basically all meaningless filler littered with terrible dialogue. That is, until about midway when the action starts. From there it rolls in fits and starts when it comes to the action/gore and I found myself completely bored. The only saving grace is a couple scenes of fairly decent practical effects toward the end but all in all this was pretty terrible and not in that good, charming kind of way.

When it comes to this genre, they can’t all be winners but you take the good with the bad. Sometimes you can find that little hidden gem but you have to wade through the shit to get there. Don’t get me wrong though, I like some of D’Amato’s work but this one just completely misses the mark for me. If you want to experience this one for yourself, you can find it streaming on Tubi.

Join me again tomorrow as we continue down the horror rabbit hole…hopefully we find a good one next.

Review: ‘The Burial’
Jamie Foxx Is Electric In Maggie Betts' Crowd-Pleasing But Uneven Courtroom Dramedy

By
Travis Hopson
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The pairing of Jamie Foxx and Tommy Lee Jones is the kind of star-powered duo fronting a feel-good courtroom straight out of the ’90s. Somehow, we never got the pleasure of seeing them do that during the appropriate era. Better late than never, because Foxx and Jones are quite a lot of fun in Maggie Betts’ crowd-pleasing legal dramedy The Burial.

Based on a New Yorker article on a true David & Goliath story, The Burial stars Jones as Jeremiah O’ Keefe, and war hero and now Mississippi funeral home owner whose mounting debts have him seeking a way out. Jeremiah hopes to keep the business going as something to leave behind to his 13 kids, while his wife (the welcome presence of Pamela Reed, another ’90s favorite) is more concerned about present difficulties. Turning to his longtime attorney friend (a slimy Alan Ruck), Jeremiah is persuaded to strike a deal with the Loewen Group, a large funeral home company, that will solve many of his problems. However, Jeremiah gets screwed by the bullying conglomerate, and with the aid of Hal (Mamoudou Athie) a hopeful upstart attorney, he’s convinced to hire Willie E. Gary (Foxx), a grandiose personal injury attorney so rich and famous he’s been profiled by Robin Leach. Willie initially refuses; the financial stakes are far too small for a guy like him. But when he realizes what a win like this can do for his professional profile, elevating him to Johnnie Cochran levels, Willie jumps at the chance.

It would be easy to dislike Willie, who is playing all of the angles here, including the race card, if it weren’t for a rousing opening scene. Commanding the courtroom like P.T. Barnum commands a three-ring circus, Willie expertly sways us, and the jurors, in favor of a problematic client against a cold, unfeeling, and ultra-wealthy corporation. This story becomes more about Willie’s evolution as he realizes the magnitude of the deathcare industry’s manipulations of the market, its abuses family-owned businesses, and its poor treatment of clients of color. Pretty soon, this becomes less about Jeremiah’s personal grievance and more about taking down an entire corrupt industry.

Writer/director Betts is an unexpected choice for a film like this in the approach that is taken. Her previous film, the clergy drama Novitiate, might’ve suggested a more dramatic, straight-minded adaptation of events. But The Burial is not that, taking on the aesthetics of the era including ’90s specific tunes (such as En Voge, Gang Starr) and broad comedy that clash with the sobering material. It too often feels as if the film isn’t taking itself very seriously, which undercuts some of the quiet moments when Jeremiah is forced to grapple with the potential consequences of failure. There are other avenues one wishes could’ve been fleshed out even further. Jurnee Smollett stars as Mame Downes, Willie’s confident, capable opponent. There’s a nice throughline where these people of color acknowledge that they are both living versions of the American Dream, but as a Black woman who is constantly underestimated, including by Black men such as Willie, Mame’s story is intriguing enough to wish it received more time.

Betts and co-writer Doug Wright keep the legal mumbo-jumbo, if which there is plenty, as upbeat and minimal as possible. But there are still stretches where the film can’t help but slow down until Foxx charges things back up again. The Burial doesn’t always make the perfect case for itself, but it’s hard not to like an underdog story with an anti-corporate message delivered with the kind of gusto that Foxx brings to the table.

The Burial is in select theaters now and will stream on Prime Video on October 13th.