Carl Andress and Charles Busch co-wrote and co-directed the film The Sixth Reel, which was released in theaters on September 22nd.
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When I was conducting the mental list of my favorite movies of 2023 so far, I did not expect to place a horror flick among the top spots a horror flick. I consider myself a horror aficionado, but it has recently felt like every scary movie has seemed derivative, devoid of creativity, and just…not scary. Talk to Me by the Australian Philippou brothers finally broke me out of the horror slump and presented me with a fresh, genuinely scary concept that has been the best scary movie, for me at least, since 2018’s Hereditary, also an A24 film.
Looking back at Hereditary, I can draw similarities between the two that make both hallmark horror films. For one, while we get the blood, guts, and ghouls in each film, the primary context that each establishes is one of conflicts within the family. To this end, Talk to Me is wonderful in its depiction of the main character Mia’s (Sophie Wilde) trauma after losing her mother to an accidental suicide, which becomes her primary motivation for the rest of the film. She encounters a group of teens who have come across an embalmed hand that allows them to haphazardly summon spirits of the dead for laughs and social media posts, and while they enact a strict 90-second limit to talking with the dead, Mia frantically surpasses this when the spirit that response is that of her deceased mother. This is where the distinctions between this film and other, lesser films in the same genre begin — while another film may have attributed her “breaking the rules of the game” to teenage stupidity, as many do, this film has real, grounded motivations that frankly any of us would fall victim to.
Of course, surpassing the 90-second mark leads to a door to the spirit world opening, and all hell breaking loose. Once again, relationships serve as the focus of the plot, with Mia’s relationship with her mother highlighted as she comes closer to finding out the secret of her death, her strained interactions with her father as she realizes he has been hiding something, and her guilt towards putting her friend’s brother in the hospital in a dilapidated state after her selfish actions. The way they weave together these three threads is masterfully done and leaves the audience on the edge of their seat almost constantly. This also very much gives credence to how a movie needs the “human factor” to satisfy, as, without relatability and depth of character, they impressed little on the viewer’s mind other than cheesy scares.
While the story is brilliant, not that they have undermined the special effects of this film. The blood and gore are fantastic, and even while knowing that what I was seeing wasn’t real, my stomach lurched and a certain queasiness enveloped me. Most of the effects are practical, with CGI only used sparingly and invisibly. This creates a sense of realism that is exceedingly rare in modern cinema and adds to the feeling that this is something that happened to someone, somewhere in the world (probably Australia). There is one scene involving Riley (Joe Bird), Mia’s best friend’s brother. That is harrowing.
With all of this film’s intense successes, it’s hard to believe that the directors, Danny and Michael Phillipou, started on YouTube posting homemade skits and special effect videos. This film marks their feature directorial debut, but watching the movie, it feels like they have been directing for decades. To direct for the first time and have the film immediately stand with other greats in the genre is an incredible feat, and this speaks to the Phillipou brothers’ talent that was honed over the years, as well as their dedication to all the endeavors they set their minds to. It gives the idea that greatness can come from anywhere, and the brothers completely deserve the high reviews, the intense bidding war for rights to the film, and the eventual A24 purchase for rights to distribution. This is the birth of another defining directorial pair, and I, for one, cannot wait to see what they have in store for us next.
“Sheroes”: A Thrilling and Empowering Action Film Celebrating Female Bonds
In the world of action cinema, it’s not often that we see women taking center stage as fearless heroes. However, the highly anticipated film “Sheroes” aims to change that narrative with its compelling story of strength, resilience, and unbreakable female bonds. Starring Isabelle Fuhrman, Sasha Luss, Wallis Day, and Skai Jackson, this action-packed adventure promises to captivate audiences with its powerful performances and breathtaking visuals.
When we think of a Western, several images come to mind.
A tumbleweed rolling through a dusty town. The hero has to be the first to draw his gun. John Wayne rides off on his horse into the great wide somewhere. These stories tend to have one thing in common: a man in his natural habitat. The Old West towns, the wide open plains, the badlands are all considered to be rightfully possessed by the hero who roams them—and that hero is always a man.
Then Callie Khouri’s screenplay for Thelma & Louise flipped the script on the genre forever.
In lieu of the Western genre’s signature cowboy, Thelma & Louise featured two anti-heroes cursed by their femininity. Instead of a horse, audiences got a blue 1966 Ford Thunderbird. The scenery of mountains, oil rigs, deserts, and canyons were deserving of the genre—but served the purpose of being their escape instead of their domain.
The Knockturnal was recently on the scene of an early exclusive fan screening of “Camilo: Camilo: El Primer Tour de mi Vida | El Documental.” These early premieres occurred at the Rooftop Cinema Club Miami and Rooftop Cinema Club Los Angeles.
Camilo Echeverry, commonly referred to as Camilo, is a Colombian singer, musician, and songwriter. Camilo was born in Medellín, Colombia in 1994 and married Evaluna Montaner in 2020. Camilo’s nominations include a Latin Grammy Award for Best Urban Fusion/Performance and more. The top singles he is known for are “Tutu”, alongside Pedro Capó and Shakira, and “Desconocidos”, with Mau y Ricky and Manuel Turizo. His music is generally categorized as Latin pop with a mix of urban music and is noted for his romantic lyrics and soprano voice. Camilo is currently signed to Sony Music Latin.
The Knockturnal was on the scene of the Miami screening. The night started off with cocktails, photo ops, and grabbing your favorite movie candy and freshly popped popcorn. The drinks were on theme with drink names such as “la tribu”, “mis manos” and “amar es nuestra revolucion.” My personal favorite was the “la tribu”, this cocktail was a tequila-based drink with passion fruit, lime, agave, and triple sec. La tribu was a refreshing and flavorful drink to have while enjoying the documentary. We also had to make sure we grabbed some of the sweet candy and fresh popcorn. After grabbing our goods we captured videos (reel on our IG) and pictures in front of the many great photo ops. There was a tent, car, and more places to capture content with the documentaries name on it.
Lastly, we all went into the rooftop movie theater and watched the documentary under the beautiful Miami stars. To keep up with the documentary make sure to follow the hashtag #CamiloHBOMax and follow @palantehbomax and @camilo.
Photo credit courtesy of HBO Max.
After four long years, Marvel Studios has finally blessed us with a Black Panther sequel: Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. Having been released mere days ago, the film is already the highest grossing theatrical debut for the year and 13th highest opening weekend grossing film of all time. How do we suggest you see this top crossing film? On a Dolby screen, of course. And here’s why…
To begin, much of the film is a tribute to Chadwick Boseman, who tragically passed away in 2020 of stage III colon cancer at the age of 43. Dolby’s ultra-vivid colors and sound system make seeing Boseman’s face on the silver screen feel like we never lost the talented actor at all. Beginning with T’Challa’s (Boseman) death, Queen Ramonda (Angela Bassett) is now at the helm, running an empire that is rich in vibranium, a metal used to make weapons and armor. Tensions rise when other nations attempt to procure this scarce resource via taking it by force or tracking missions in the Atlantic Ocean led by the US government.
The Atlantic is populated by the Talokan and led by Namor (Tenoch Huerta), who wishes to keep Talokan secluded. However, the tracking mission threatens exposure to his secret empire. Infuriated, Namor goes to Wakanda, claiming them responsible for the mission and asks for help to kill the lead scientist who built the vibranium tracking device, but Wakanda refuses, thus spurring conflict between the two worlds. What ensues is a complex tale of colonialism, struggle, and loss.
Seeing the world building executed by Ryan Coogler on the Dolby screen enriched the experience for the viewers. The Dolby screen unlocked the emotional impact of every scene and enhanced the costume design that defines each character within their respective communities. And thanks to Dolby’s superior sound capabilities, the audience felt like they were part of the action scenes.
In all, if you want to be one of the millions who have seen Black Panther: Wakanda Forever on the silver screen, our suggestion is to experience the beauty and power of this film on a Dolby screen near you.