ONE DAY AS A LION: Saved By Its Characters

ONE DAY AS A LION (DVD)

2023 / 87 min

FROM LIONSGATE

Review by Stinky the Destroyer😽

You gotta admire J.K. Simmons’ worth ethic. He’s been in some huge films over the years, but even after nabbing an Oscar for Whiplash, he’s not above appearing in comparatively minor efforts like One Day As a Lion. Hell, the guy still enjoys doing commercials. Either he is completely egoless or simply loves to act.

Ditto Frank Grillo. In my opinion, he could probably write his own ticket as a major action hero, yet in-between blockbusters, he still does a slew of low-budget, direct-to-video potboilers, many of them cranked out by the Cannon Films of the 21st Century, Grindstone Entertainment (as this movie was). So either Frank can’t hang onto his money or, he too, simply loves to act.

Whatever the case, both have sizable roles in One Day As a Lion, though Scott Caan (who also wrote the screenplay) is the actual star. He plays Jackie Powers, a dimwitted ex-boxer who becomes a hitman hoping to get enough money to hire a lawyer and free his incarcerated son. Unfortunately, he botches his first job, which was to kill Walter Boggs (Simmons), a cranky old farmer who owes a gambling debt to local thug Pauly Russo (Grillo). 

Accidentally shooting a diner owner instead, Jackie takes disgruntled waitress Lola (Marianne Rendon) as a hostage. But since she's also financially strapped, Lola suggests they pretend to be engaged in order to coax cash from her rich, dying mother (Virginia Madsen). Meanwhile, Pauly orders the guy who hired Jackie in the first place, childhood friend Dom (George Carroll), to find and kill him. As for Walter…he flat out refuses to pay Pauly the money he owes.

"Fine, Scott, you're a mind-reader. I'm thinking about bagels."

There are other complications and subplots, some of which are interesting, while others are somewhat implausible. Overall, the film strives for a loose, quirky tone similar to a Coen Brothers movie. It isn’t particularly successful in that respect. Simply having Grillo’s character try to single-handedly break The Big Lebowski’s record for f-bombs is a comparatively simplistic attempt at humor.

Still, the characters make One Day As a Lion watchable. Jackie is a fairly endearing protagonist, partially because he’s likably self-deprecating, but also because his heart is in the right place. He’s well-played by Caan, giving a congenial performance that occasionally reminded me a little of his old man (RIP). Though Grillo is somewhat wasted in a thankless role, the other supporting characters and performances are engaging as well.

Though leisurely paced and seldom as funny as it often tries to be, One Day As a Lion is just entertaining enough to keep our attention for 90 minutes. The film isn’t a gold star on anyone’s resume and most viewers are likely to forget about it shortly afterwards, but it’s kind of enjoyable in the moment.

EXTRA KIBBLES

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TRAILER

KNOCK AT THE CABIN: Bye-Bye, Cannon Beach

KNOCK AT THE CABIN (Blu-ray)

2023 / 100 min

FROM UNIVERSAL

Review by Tiger the Terrible🙀

I should probably point out that I’m a fan of M. Night Shyamalan. Not that he’s knocked every movie out of the park, mind you. I think most of us can agree that a few of them - maybe more than a few - have been hot garbage. But even in some of his worst films, there’s sort of an off-center quirkiness to his stories and characters that I find amusing. 

Early successes like The Sixth Sense and Unbreakable set the bar pretty damn high, so maybe it was inevitable that so many subsequent films were seen as disappointments. But with tempered expectations, I found recent efforts like Old, The Visit and even The Happening highly enjoyable (while fully acknowledging their wonkier elements).

That being said, Knock at the Cabin immediately scored points with me for taking out Cannon Beach, Oregon with a massive tsunami. Cannon Beach is in my neck of the woods, so trust me when I say what used to be a quaint little coastal town has long-since evolved into a trendy, overpriced tourist trap. As far as I’m concerned, the sea can have her.

Cannon Beach’s well-deserved demise is just one of several cataclysmic events foretold by four strangers who break into a family’s vacation home and gravely inform them that the world will end unless they willingly sacrifice one of their own. The parents, Eric (Jonathan Groff) and Andrew (Ben Aldridge), naturally believe the group is a bunch of delusional zealots and refuse to play along, even after leader Leonard (Dave Bautista) insists the escalating disasters on TV are the result. 

However, Andrew counter-argues that some of the events were already occurring, and for a while, we’re led to suspect these strangers could be crazy after all…at least until 700 airliners simultaneously drop from the sky. Even then, it seems that Eric and Andrew appear ready to doom the world to save their daughter, Wen (Kristen Cui). Interestingly, that had me pondering what I would do in the same situation. Call me selfish, but sorry folks…you’re all going down.

"Uh...housekeeping."

Like Shyamalan’s last film, Old, the story and tone of Knock at the Cabin are pretty grim, mainly because the very concept precludes a hunky-dory ending. The entire film takes place in and around the cabin, which tends to render the apocalyptic implications a little less ominous. There are also a few asides that ultimately aren’t all that necessary, such as the flashbacks depicting obstacles Andrew & Eric have faced as a gay couple. These scenes certainly earn our empathy, but are almost completely irrelevant to the main narrative. 

The success or failure of a movie like this ultimately comes down to the performances. Groff and Andrew are solid in their roles, while young Ciu holds her own as the story grows increasingly intense. However, the movie belongs to Bautista, masterfully balancing compassion, menace, fear and fortitude, sometimes within the same scene. Despite his hulking, tattooed presence, we totally buy him as a kindhearted second grade teacher forced to do the unthinkable. Of all the former WWE stars to graduate from the ring to the screen, he’s arguably their valedictorian.

Because of their unusual concepts and oddball flourishes, I tend to evaluate Shyamalan films based on how they measure up to other Shyamalan films (he is sort of a brand name). Knock at the Cabin doesn’t rank among his greatest, but the wild premise and Bautista’s knock-out performance make it a gloomy good time. There’s also the added bonus of watching Cannon Beach go down.

EXTRA KIBBLES

FEATURETTES - “Choosing Wisely: Behind the Scenes of Knock at the Cabin” (runs about 24 minutes); “Tools of the Apocalypse” (the strange makeshift weapons, aka ‘tools’); “Drawing a Picture” (storyboards); “Kristen Cui Shines a Light” (focus on the child actor).

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EXTENDED “CHOWBLASTER” COMMERCIAL - Longer version of M. Night’s usual cameo.

BLU-RAY, DVD & DIGITAL COPIES

Three Films by HIDEO GOSHA, Japan's Larry Cohen

SAMURAI WOLF 1 & 2 and VIOLENT STREETS (Blu-ray)

FROM FILM MOVEMENT

Review by Mr. Paws😺

To truly appreciate Japanese director Hideo Gosha, who I’d wager many on this side of the pond have never heard of, it’s probably good to be aware of his objective. According to his own daughter, interviewed here on each disc, he didn’t aspire to create high art. Gosha just wanted to crank out profitable, entertaining audience pictures with the resources at his disposal. In that respect, one could compare his output to that of Larry Cohen.

Film Movement has unearthed and restored a few of Gosha’s flicks, which reflect his apparent tendency to follow trends that were big at the time. Hence, one disc collects a couple of samurai films from the 60s, the other is a yakuza gangster epic released during the peak of the genre’s popularity. Like Cohen’s work, they ain’t masterpieces, but as quick & dirty slabs of action cinema, you could do far worse.

Samurai pedicure.

SAMURAI WOLF / SAMURAI WOLF II: HELL CUT

1966-1967 / 146 min (2 movies)

Clearly inspired by Kurosawa’s Yojimbo and Sanjuro, these two films feature Kiba (Isao Natsuyagi), a wandering ronin who stumbles into situations where his swordsmanship comes in handy. In Samurai Wolf, he comes to the aid of a beautiful (and blind) relay post owner being threatened by bandits and a corrupt shogun. Samurai Wolf II: Hell Cut sees him escorting another wayward ronin to stand trial for murder. However, those who originally hired the man want him dead.

While Gosha is no Kurosawa, both films are fast-paced and entertaining, with good stories, plenty of violent action and interesting secondary characters. As Kibo, Natsuyagi is engaging and likable, even somewhat vulnerable in the second film. Overall, what Gosha lacks in a budget is compensated by his obvious fondness for this character (and no small amount of exuberance). 

EXTRA KIBBLES

“OUTLAW DIRECTOR: HIDEO GOSHA” - An insightful interview with Gosha’s daughter, Tomoe.

AUDIO COMMENTARY - By author Chris Poggiali.

SUPPLEMENTAL BOOKLET - Includes a new essay by Gosha biographer Robin Gatto.

"I told them no anchovies."

VIOLENT STREETS

1974 / 96 min

Perhaps adding a bit to its authenticity (or at the very least, its publicity), Violent Streets stars Noboru Ando, who was a real-life yakuza before becoming an actor. He displays a strong screen presence as Egawa, a retired gangster who was given a nightclub by his former yakuza family for his years of loyalty. However, now they want it back, since it apparently gives them a foothold in the territory of a rival family. Following a kidnapping gone-wrong - instigated to spark a war between the two gangs, Egawa finds himself forced to square off against his former bosses.

Aptly named, Violent Streets won’t win any awards for subtlety. Brash, ballsy and brutal, the complex plot is punctuated by ample amounts of knife fights, gunplay, murder and prolonged sex scenes. While definitely on the exploitative side - especially its overall depiction of women - the film is very well made for what it is. Though the narrative is sometimes a little too complicated for its own good, Violent Streets encompasses everything that makes the yakuza genre such disreputable fun.

EXTRA KIBBLES

“TATTOOED DIRECTOR: HIDEO GOSHA” - Another excellent interview with Gosha’s daughter, Tomoe.

“A STREET THAT CAN’T BE BEAT” - Video essay by author Patrick Macias.

SUPPLEMENTAL BOOKLET - Includes a new essay by author/historian Mark Schilling.

Available separately, both discs include informative, affectionate bonus features that showcase the director’s career, and the movies themselves have been nicely restored for Blu-ray. Hideo Gosha may not be mentioned among Japan’s legendary filmmakers, but as Samurai Wolf and Violent Streets demonstrate, he certainly knew how to crank out a good potboiler.

VIRTUAL REALITY and the Creative Curveball

VIRTUAL REALITY (Blu-ray)

2021 / 85 min

FROM ARTSPLOITATION FILMS

Review by Josey, the Sudden Cat🙀

The title of this Argentinian horror film is a little misleading. The plot of Virtual Reality doesn’t really have anything to do with VR simulators or gaming. That’s ultimately a good thing because we’ve seen enough of those anyway.

Instead, Matias (Guillermo Berthold) is an arrogant horror film director who goes to extreme lengths to acquire a mysterious flash drive, which his “producer” promises will turn his latest slasher film, which has just wrapped, into a classic. When done editing, he invites the cast and crew to his home for the first screening. However, the movie has scenes no one remembers shooting, and when the killer - called “The Celtic” - is choking the “final girl” on-screen, the actress playing her, Guada (Vanesa Gonzalez), begins choking for real.

One by one, those in attendance die when their movie counterparts are murdered. But even after figuring that out, they aren’t able to shut-off the computer playing the film. Meanwhile, Matias himself has disappeared, and for a while, everyone appears helpless to do anything but watch the film to see who dies next. But that doesn’t stop them from tying-up Julian (Christian Sancho), the guy who played The Celtic…just in case.

When you forget how to use a cheese grater.

Up to this point, Virtual Reality is unremarkable, with a concept similar to A Nightmare on Elm Street. Bland characters and dull dialogue clog the first act, and even when the mayhem begins, we assume the novelty of these people vicariously witnessing their own violent deaths is all the film has to offer. But then the narrative throws a sudden, fiendishly clever curveball when Guada and her friends accidentally discover they can communicate with the characters on-screen. I wouldn’t dream of spoiling the hows or whys, but it’s the first of several twists that ultimately make Virtual Reality a wild ride.  

Writer-director Hirnan Findling manages to do a lot with very little. Despite the title, this is a fairly low-tech affair, with a setting and aesthetic that reflects its limited budget. But who needs visual shock & awe when armed with ideas that confound viewer expectations and occasionally messes with their heads? While still embracing traditional slasher elements - and featuring some impressively gruesome death scenes - Virtual Reality evolves into a unique little horror film with a quasi-meta denouement that’s both ominous and amusing.

YOUNG IP MAN was Inevitable

YOUNG IP MAN (Blu-ray)

2020 / 79 min

FROM WELL GO USA

Review by Tiger the Terrible😼

I shouldn’t have enjoyed Young Ip Man, a cynically conceived product if there ever was one.

There are currently more Ip Man movies than stars in the heavens…sequels, prequels, spin-offs and quite a few that dubiously incorporate the legendary martial arts master as a brand-name. So a movie depicting his childhood days was inevitable. 

But before anyone gets the idea that Young Ip Man is the martial arts equivalent of Young Mr Lincoln, it's completely fictional, with a Die Hard-in-a-school premise that has the teenage title character squaring-off against his former master, Ma Long (Mu Fengbin), who just escaped prison and is holding Ip Man’s classmates hostage. As Ip Man, Zhao Wen Hao superficially resembles a teenage Donnie Yen (whose own films in this series remain the gold standard). But really, this could be any 17-year-old kid implausibly taking-on Ma Long’s crew of thugs. 

"Talk to the hand."

Like other tenuously related films (such as last year’s Ip Man: The Awakening), this film feels thrown together without much effort put into the narrative...or even the setting. For example, the story is set in 1917, yet the vehicles, weapons and technology are clearly from the 1940s, leading one to suspect it was shot using sets left over from another movie. Not only that, Ma Long and his gang sport outfits and hairstyles straight out of The Matrix. 

There are superficial attempts to paint Ma Long as some kind of tragic figure, which is tough to swallow after he slaughters his way into the school and threatens to kill every student (even throwing one off a building). But at least he’s given more depth than Ip Man himself, who’s basically just a fighting machine (despite living by a philosophical code Ma Long taught him as a boy).

Still, I kind-of liked Young Ip Man. Sure, it’s contrived as all get out and the main character is Ip Man in name only. And yeah, the story is sometimes ridiculous. But the film is fast-paced and chock full of violent, well-choreographed fight sequences, wasting little of its scant running time on pointless peripheries. Zhao Wen Hao may not be a dynamic actor, but the kid’s got some serious fighting skills. So while it bears almost no relation to any other Ip Man movie, there’s some undemanding fun to be had for martial arts fans.

THE POOP SCOOP: Upcoming Summer Kibbles!

🙀EVIL DEAD RISE on 4K Ultra HD Combo Pack, Blu-ray Combo Pack and June 27, DVD; On Digital Now from Warner Bros.

Experience a riveting, gore-filled thriller when “Evil Dead Rise” arrives for purchase Digitally at home on May 9. The film is directed by Lee Cronin, starring Lily Sullivan (“I Met a Girl,” TV’s “Barkskins”) and Alyssa Sutherland (TV’s “New Gold Mountain,” TV’s “Vikings). The film will also be available to purchase on 4K UHD Combo Pack, Blu-ray and DVD beginning on June 27. From New Line Cinema and Renaissance Pictures, the film also stars Morgan Davies (TV’s “The End,” “Storm Boy”), Gabrielle Echols (“Reminiscence”) and introducing Nell Fisher (“Northspur”). The film was produced by longtime franchise producer Rob Tapert and executive produced by series creator and horror icon Sam Raimi and cult legend and “Ash” himself, Bruce Campbell, along with John Keville, Macdara Kelleher, Richard Brener, Dave Neustadter, Romel Adam and Victoria Palmeri. In “Evil Dead Rise,” the action moves out of the woods and into the city, and tells a twisted tale of two estranged sisters, played by Sullivan and Sutherland, whose reunion is cut short by the rise of flesh-possessing demons, thrusting them into a primal battle for survival as they face the most nightmarish version of family imaginable.

😺All four INDIANA JONES adventures available on 4K Ultra HD individually June 6th from Paramount.

Relive all the thrilling adventures of Indiana Jones on 4K Ultra HD™ before the new feature film debuts in theatres! Raiders of the Lost Ark, Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, and Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull will be available on 4K Ultra HD individually and nationwide with Dolby Vision® and HDR-10 on June 6, 2023 from Lucasfilm Ltd. and Paramount Home Entertainment. Each film has been remastered from 4K scans of the original negatives with extensive work done to ensure the most pristine and highest quality image.  All picture work was approved by director Steven Spielberg.  In addition, all four films were remixed at Skywalker Sound to create Dolby Atmos® soundtracks*. Each disc will be beautifully packaged with artwork inspired by the original theatrical posters and will include access to a digital copy of each respective film. In addition, fans will have the chance to relive the unforgettable exploits of the world-renowned, globetrotting hero in the cinematic classic that started it all when Raiders of the Lost Ark returns to select theatres on June 4th and 7th. Tickets for this special engagement presented by Fathom Events and Paramount Pictures can be purchased at www.fathomevents.com or at participating theatre box offices.

😺Guy Ritchie's THE COVENANT on Blu-ray & DVD June 20 from Warner Bros.

Guy Ritchie’s The Covenant from Metro-Goldwyn Mayer will be released on Blu-ray and DVD on June 20. Directed by prolific filmmaker Guy Ritchie (Wrath of Man, Aladdin) from a screenplay by Ritchie, Ivan Atkinson and Marn Davies, the film is produced by Guy Ritchie, Ivan Atkinson, John Friedberg and Josh Berger. Guy Ritchie’s The Covenant stars Jake Gyllenhaal (Ambulance, Spider-Man: Far from Home), Dar Salim (Game of Thrones), Antony Starr (The Boys), Alexander Ludwig (Bad Boys for Life, Vikings), Bobby Schofield (Cherry), Emily Beecham (Cruella) and Jonny Lee Miller (T2 Trainspotting). The film follows US Army Sergeant John Kinley (Gyllenhaal) and Afghan interpreter Ahmed (Salim). After an ambush, Ahmed goes to Herculean lengths to save Kinley’s life. When Kinley learns that Ahmed and his family were not given safe passage to America as promised, he must repay his debt by returning to the war zone to retrieve them before the Taliban hunts them down.

You've Already Seen RIGHTEOUS THIEVES

RIGHTEOUS THIEVES (Blu-ray)

2023 / 92 min

FROM LIONSGATE

Review by Stinky the Destroyer😾

Who doesn’t love a good heist film? Sometimes there’s nothing more entertaining than watching an eclectic band of thieves, assembled by a charismatic leader, who engage in a sophisticated caper where the odds are against them. Though technically criminals, their quirky charm wins us over. And it's especially satisfying if the victim deserves to be robbed.

Righteous Thieves desperately wants to be one of those films. But unfortunately, it’s just a checklist of familiar tropes that plays like it was assembled by a committee, who simply filled-in the blanks until they had their own heist movie. 

The basic plot has a woman named Annabel (Lisa Videl) assembling a crew to steal a batch of priceless Jewish artwork from billionaire neo-Nazi Otto Huizen (Brian Cousins). You’ve met all these people before…the computer hacker, the safe-cracker, the infiltrator, the hired gun and the overconfident bad guy who practically dares them to steal from him. Of course, the entire crew, including Annabel herself, is photogenic and bursting with swagger, their actions punctuated by blaring hip-hop tunes to remind us how cool they are.

"Maybe there's a key under the mat."

Damn near every scene will spark deja vu, too. First, the crew is assembled, which obviously includes one who doesn’t initially want to join. Then there’s the plan, with a lot of talk about the building and vault’s impenetrability. And let’s not leave out a couple of personal clashes among the crew (most of which are quickly resolved). It’s all so familiar that one could literally leave the room for minutes at a time and still be up-to-speed on every plot development.

Then there’s the heist itself. For a supposedly complicated job, none of it really looks all that difficult. They break into the place with relative ease, and for such a priceless collection, there ain’t much in the way of security…some cameras and a half-dozen “elite” mercenaries hired by Otto. But not only is the crew able to crack any safe and hack any computer, they’re all consummate ass-kickers.

Every aspect of Righteous Thieves is devoid of surprises…from the plot to the characters to the obligatory “gotcha!” twist ending. But even utter predictability can be enjoyable if done with a little flair. Unfortunately, the direction and performances never rise above perfunctory, while the screenplay is so generically assembled you can almost anticipate some of the dialogue before it’s even spoken. 

EXTRA KIBBLES

MAKING-OF FEATURETTE

DIGITAL COPY