Blood Pageant Available Now For Rental Or Purchase (C) 2021 Dan's Movie Report - Danny Templegod

 

Above: Poster for 'Blood Pageant' All rights reserved, Image (C) 2021 Vision Films

Greetings valued Dan's Movie Report readers. Brand new movie 'Blood Pageant' is available now on Amazon and various streaming media outlets. The horror/comedy has a unique take on a reality show. Plot synopsis: In this horror-comedy-thriller, a cheesy $1 million reality competition between 7 beautiful women turns into a battle for life itself when one contestant opens the doors to ungodly evil and witchcraft! Who will win - who will survive? With a wink and a nod, this good vs evil story pokes fun at the pop culture stereotypes of reality competition shows, vision boards, chakras, and life coaches!

'Blood Pageant' stars Beverly Mitchell, Snoop Dog, Stephen Baldwin, David Chokachi, Ted Lange, Natasha Blasick, and others!

Check out the trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SQkmvPjj98o

 

IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt7184122/

Facebook Official: https://www.facebook.com/BloodPageantTheMovie

Amazon buy or rent: https://www.amazon.com/Blood-Pageant-Beverley-Mitchell/dp/B097R7J5KD/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=blood+Pageant&qid=1625955054&sr=8-1

Director/Writer Suza Singh Interview © 2021 Dan's Movie Report - Danny Templegod

 

Above Image: Suza Singh from IMDB, Image used for promotional purposes only, not monetized.

Greetings valued Dan's Movie Report readers. Today I have the unique opportunity to interview the writer/director of the new action film 'Honorable Sins'. The movie is garnering several awards across the film festival circuit and actually is available to rent now. https://store.cineplex.com/Product/honorable-sins Is the link to view the film~ Suza Singh stops by to chat about creating 'Honorable Sins' and her thought process regarding the script and filming. Sit back, relax and garner some independent film wisdom!

DMR: Chat about your background and what made you decide to be come a director and writer of films?

SS: I was a professional singer, so I was always having to self tape for auditions. I become quite comfortable around video equipment. I moved to corporate video’s and ventured into feature films!!! Yeah. How difficult could it be, I thought!!!

 

 Above Photo: Provided by Suza Singh

DMR: Chat about the concept and script of Honorable Sins, did you first think about the pace of the story and how to build suspense and characters?

SS: To be honest I love fast moving action thrillers so this was my first attempt at a slow burn. The tricky thing is about the ‘slow burn’ is that you can lose people if it is too slow. I started with the action and worked backwards from there. I worked on character arcs for the main characters and worked to show that every character had layers. I created the characters that everyone had some idiosyncratic characteristic that was slightly off kilter. I also threw quite a few mis directional threads too. One technique I used was to have slower scenes in the beginning and cut the scenes faster towards the end.

 

Above Image: Poster for 'Honorable Sins' from IMDB all rights reserved, image used for promotional use only, not monetized.
 

DMR: How many drafts did you do and curious how long it took to write 'Honorable Sins'.

SS: The initial draft took about 2 days non-stop. The second and subsequent drafts took around 2 - 3 months. Also re-writes happened during filming also. During rehearsals we could see if certain words sounded better than others. It was more like a living document that was tweaked when needed.

 

Above Photo: Provided by Suza Singh
 

DMR: Chat about securing locations internal and external in Alberta, most of my audience is based in either the U.S.A., Europe, and South East Asia, must have been challenging to shoot in some of the areas.

SS: The locations were very local to us. One of the towns is called Beiseker, our offices used to be there a year or so ago. Then the other regions were Bragg Creek and just on the outskirts of Calgary. These are popular filming locations in Alberta for major studios. We shoot in private locations which makes filming easier. Filming in the woods is always challenging due to lack of power, so we had to do a lot of prep work!

DMR: Curious about the change of seasons and such, looks like some scenes were filmed in far colder weather than others.

SS: One of the strange things about living in Calgary, we have four seasons in one afternoon. Lasts week we were in 35 degrees, today there is snowfall. We were able to catch some of the different seasons due to our location. In addition we did shoot some scenes out of sequence to catch the weather we needed.

 

 Above Photo: Provided by Suza Singh

DMR: Chat about the casting of 'Honorable Sins', since it was filmed pre-pandemic, did you have the opportunity to do a table read?

SS: When we started 'Honorable Sins', there was no lock down so we filmed as normal. The film did take a long time to shoot and was not like most 20 day shoots back to back. I usually don’t do table reads, I just go into rehearsals where I can see and hear everything in context.

DMR: Curious of any changes made to the script or dialogue just prior to shooting, are there scenes you wanted to extend for dramatic effect?

SS: Lots of changes to the script throughout the film. The script is a guide more than a rigid document. There was also some adlibs from our actors that remained in the film. Our first draft of the film, it was 15 minutes longer than what you see now. I had to edit down quite a bit in order to keep the pace steady.

DMR: Any strange or funny stories from the set?

SS: A funny story was that at the theatre for our premiere a lady who worked at the theatre asked me if I was going to submit to film festivals. I said I would not be submitting at all. My decision was to move onto my next project without too much fanfare. After we won an Excellent Film Award I thought I would submit to ‘just one more festival’ and the rest as they say is history! One additional funny story is that we have won awards and been played around the world but we have never once been selected or been screened in any festival big or small in Alberta!

DMR: Chat about bringing Honorable Sins to the film festival market, I see many events have expressed interest.

SS: We have received around 20 nominations, and awards including Best Western, Best Female Director, Best Ensemble, Best Young Actress, Best Thriller and Excellent Film Award. We have been pleasantly surprised with the response.

DMR: Although the audience now can rent the film out direct, do you have a streaming service or outlet you would like to use for final distribution?

SS: We are happy to announce that we have a distributor in Canada called Cineplex. Cineplex is a Canadian wide theatre chain, before last year I basically lived there, as I am a complete movie buff. We were very pleased to have secured this distributor.

DMR: Chat about the rise in prominence of female directors Worldwide. How has this helped the chance to get films financed and distributed?

SS: I am happy to see many more women Directors around, it is always a positive move to see narratives told from different perspectives. Many of the Women Directors have come from a more traditional route. Coming from the acting world appears to be a successful path for many women Directors, and also from the world of TV appears to be a good way to get your foot through the door. As Indie filmmakers we are not supported, or financed by any government agency in Canada. Many Canadian films are funded this way here (different from the US). I was told first hand by one of the funding organizations that they are not looking for my kind of material and want ‘Canadian content’ which translates to well, your guess is as good as mine!!!! As a person of color the kind of projects that typically get funded revolve around stories where the emphasis is ‘being a person of color’ refugees, abuse victims, victims of racial violence ad nauseam. Having a story where people of color are lead protagonists, but where color is not the main focus is not a desirable project for most funders in Canada. Therefore we took it upon ourselves to complete the movie. Some stories have to be told!

DMR: Wrapping up, chat about any additional ideas and projects you would like work on, and do you have some advice for someone who wants to do all three, Produce/Direct/Write a film.

SS: Honorable Sins is an example of 'Auteur film-making'. (Ed. Note: referring to a style-specific to the author). I think that many filmmakers are writing, directing and producing by necessity. I believe that this can work for many. For example I compose the score then I know how to film the shot along with the music in my head. My advice is 1. No one will finance your film, you have to find a way to do it. 2. Don’t take advice from anyone who has not made their own movie, and you enjoyed that movie. 3.Work in a way that works for you, not for others. I was told I had to change how I work but I decided I would stick to what I know best because on the day, the Director has to know who what where why and when. If you don’t like it change it, if it doesn’t work adapt. 4. Film-making like life is not a meritocracy, making a good product can help but it guarantees nothing. 5.Your movie might change some persons life in some small way, MAKE YOUR MOVIE!

For further information on 'Honorable Sins' point your browsers to the following official websites:

Official Facebook Page for 'Honorable Sins':

https://www.facebook.com/HonorableSins

IMDB page for 'Honorable Sins': https://www.imdb.com/title/tt9326646/

Official Website for 'Honorable Sins': https://www.infractionmedia.com/honorable-sins

Actress Rachel Grace Interview © 2021 Dan's Movie Report – Danny Templegod (House of Quarantine Chat!)

 

Above: Actress Rachel Grace (C) 2020 Robin Lorraine Photography, all rights reserved, image used for promotional purposes only, not monetized.

 

 

Greetings valued Dan's Movie Report readers. Actress Rachel Grace stops by and chats about her career and her new film 'House of Quarantine'. Rachel has some cool ideas and ways to improve, and shares her experiences. Sit down, relax, grab some tea and read what the talented Rachel has to say!

DMR: Please chat about your background and upbringing, and what made you decide to pursue acting? If you were not acting, what other profession or jobs would you have?

RG: When I was younger I tried a little of everything: dance, choir, band, and theatre. I realized in college I enjoyed acting, but not necessarily on stage. I really enjoy doing commercials and film, and that has been my side job whenever I can. Full time I work as a financial analyst, and I love that job as well! So acting is a fun, creative outlet for me and something enjoyable to do besides finance.

DMR: Chat about your  auditioning processes in general, is there a routine you follow?

RG: When I get an audition I read over the script multiple times without focusing on memorizing the lines. Then I create a story for the character, who are they, what happens before and after this, what is the emotion they’re going through? Once I get this down I memorize the lines.

Above: House of Quarantine Poster (C) 2020 All rights reserved, image used for promotional purposes only, not monetized.


DMR: How did you get the part as Macy? Did you test for other roles?

RG: I didn’t know exactly what each character was and what part I was auditioning for. The sides I had were a general female role from what I remember. From what I knew I was just auditioning for one of the college aged students. I think before the audition, casting had an idea of who we could play, but final choices were made after they saw us in person and saw that we were a good fit.

DMR: Interesting how the roles on films can change over time. How long was your portion of the filming process and did you encounter any major changes to your dialogue?

RG: I was on set for every day, but had a lot of downtime between my scenes. I had some changes to dialogue at the end. The ending of the script was adjusted last minute so some of that ended up being improvised.

DMR: Were you able to add any of your own personality to the movie or were things rigidly worked out ahead of time?

RG: I think a lot of it was worked out in the script, we also got direction from the director on what emotions were happening in that moment. From what I remember there wasn’t room for too much extra input from the actors.

DMR: Nice to hear how organized the script and directing was from Mitesh Kumar Patel What about watching the final product, are you over critical of your performance or do you look for the positives?

RG: I think I will always be over critical of my own work. Since then I have gotten an acting coach and work on scenes and emotions regularly. I am always looking for ways to improve and make the next projects better.

DMR: I love seeing people growing through learning. What is your next project and share some advice that a coach or mentor gave you in your early acting career that has helped you?

RG: I don’t have any huge next projects coming up, although I work on print and commercial work here and there. My acting coach always says, find out the emotion of the scene first. The best scenes always have a clear emotion. In addition to that, it is better to not show emotion on the face but rather have the audience feel what you’re going through by the subtext you’re putting out.

Thank you!
Rachel Grace 

DMR: Thank you Rachel for your time and thoughtful responses 

For further information on Ms Grace, please visit her IMDB page:

https://www.imdb.com/name/nm10506930/

House of Quarantine (2020) Movie Review © 2021 Dan's Movie Report – Danny Templegod

 

Above Image: (C) 2021 Gavitas Ventures, all rights reserved, used for promotional use only, image not monetized.

From Gavitas Ventures, HOUSE OF QUARANTINE launches its poster ahead of its theatrical release and VOD rollout on all major platforms on July 20th. 

Director Mitesh Patel (Anti-Coronavirus, Instant Karma) brings together a diverse cast for a tense, edge-of-your-seat thriller shot during the COVID lockdowns of 2020. 

SYNOPSIS:

Nine people have been locked down together in a house while trying to shoot a movie. Unknowingly, one of their group is infected with COVID-19. The next three weeks become a life and death struggle for survival with no help from the outside amidst a global pandemic and national chaos.

 

 

Greetings valued Dan's Movie Report readers. Across my desk today comes a film made during quarantine, about a quarantine of a more extreme variety. 'House of Quarantine' has a group in a home, who happen to be making a movie, so in essence we are watching a movie, about making a movie. Being brutally honest the first 20 or so minutes of the film I really did not care for, but the final hour is really amazing as things take a decidedly dark turn, no spoilers!

There is a film director, a sound guy, a PA, and of course the stars all together in the producer's house. When it appears that no one is allowed to even leave their own home, actually this did happen in China and parts of Italy, they become increasingly agitated and scared, lashing out at one another.

I really cannot describe the movie without spoiling the plot. I could classify this film as a thriller, as there are no exterior forces, no monsters, and no supernatural elements. The acting is average, but not too bad for this level of film, some seems a bit wooden, but again the story is solid in the second half.

Director Mitesh Kumar Patel seems to focus on what he wants out of his actors. Because they are supposedly stuck inside the same house for over two weeks, they do not have a change of clothes except for the lead actors. I think although this understandable they are in a home so I would have to figure the owner of the home would at least have t shirts and shorts etc... Let us just say other things in the home were taken or removed, but not clothing!

There is some action and violence near the middle and the end, some things are predictable, some are not, again solid story, but nothing Earth-shattering. The lighting, music and sound are decent, slightly above the B movie level. Rachel Grace as Macy and Zoey Walker as Brenna seemed to rise above the rest of the cast Zoey in particular had some great sarcastic lines, plus she has potential as a strong actress in the future. The rest of the cast were solid enough to not waiver or slow down the story.

Overall, I just thought the first 20 minutes were tedious, even though this was setting up the story, the house was not super nice but say upper middle class, color grading was a bit drab. With all of those detraction's yet 'House of Quarantine' is worthy of a rent, and rates a 6 out of 10!

The Fatal Raid (2019) Movie Review – © 2020 Dan's Movie Report – Danny Templegod

 

Above Image: Theatrical Release Photo for The Fatal Raid. (C) 2019 Yes Culture Limited https://www.yes.com.hk/thefatalraid All rights reserved, image not monetized, and used for promotional use only.

Greetings valued Dan's Movie Report and Action-Flix.com readers. Thanks to John over at Action-Flix I heard about 'The Fatal Raid' being released in the USA on Well-Go, yet the film was actually released a couple of years back in Asia and is actually available to buy as an import with English subtitles. Being an old guy, ha the HK Girls with Guns and action films from the 1988 thru 1998 era are just amazing to me, I can easily recommend many of them, including 'Her Name is Cat' and of course 'Naked Killer', I always thought that one of the really underrated films was the essential remake of LeFemme Nikita entitled 'The Black Cat' far better than the U.S. Remake, actress Jade Leung is a power house talent that I always thought could easily have been at a level of Maggie Q or Michelle Yeoh given her demeanor and skill. I always wondered what would happen if a 1990s style girl with guns film, shot in the same style would be like in the modern era. The end has a cool twist to tie things in from the 'The Black Cat', no spoilers!

Again it is VERY important to know, these films are highly violent with some softer interludes, but ultimately they are lower budget B movie fare, yet 'The Fatal Raid' manages to bridge the gap and mix younger and older people, thus audience for this should be higher. Well-Go USA is absolutely the right company to release this, I must say, PLEASE Jade Leung, continue and give it another go, even if it more in a supervisory role.

In 1995 Jade played a rookie police woman who enlists a pimp to help her catch the person who attacked her called 'Fox Hunter' so this 2019 film is kind of like her passing through the force, yes they are unrelated, but oddly they are. I recommend watching Jade in 'The Black Cat' and 'Fox Hunter' prior to watching 'The Fatal Raid'.

'The Fatal Raid' has a definitive style, yet minus the high tech cell phones, cars and presentation, the style hearkens back to a day before the handover of HK to China when movies were really thriving, Yes gone are the hypersexualized cat III or Category 3 films like 'Robotrix' another crazy film I recommend, yet 'The Fatal Raid' has that seething under, intense quality that is sadly missing in many HK films after 1998.

The action in 'The Fatal Raid' is more explosive when it happens, yet enough downtime occurs to not be lost in the madness. There is a particular scene in the middle, I will not spoil yet it involves some pretty crazy on purpose car crash, yet they never over exploit the violence. The film's setting in Macau may have had something to do with the exterior action, but who knows.

'The Fatal Raid' is a classic crime drama, mixed with action. Director Jackie Lee, has a firm grasp on the style of movie he wants to make. Veteran actors Michael Tong and Patrick Tam adds an air of experience and authority. What I like here is that the ladies are also experienced with Jade Leung and Kristy Yeung. I think the experience of the actors really helps the director to create a more entertaining, and detailed story film as well.

The fact that you have 50 year old vets, some 30 year old and younger starring in 'The Fatal Raid; is important. To have a random older person in a supervisory role just to have them in a film is often a tactic used and thus they only have to be seen, either on the phone or in their office. Jade and Michael Tong are both over 50 yet, action for them is not just a second thought.

My only real problem with this film aesthetically is the entire film even at the brightest settings needed some more vibrant color correction, that said, it looks just like a film shot in the 1990s so if that is what they were going for, the succeeded.

Musically 'The Fatal Raid' is unobtrusive, but in a good way, it gets very loud during the action, and a low tense hum during the tense dialogue. Several different styles were used, even one heavy rock song!

The sound is clear and even though the film is not in English, the voices are easy to hear as well as the inflection.

Dealing with the action, there is a pretty crazy opening scene in a brothel or something like that which really kicks things off, yet the rest of the film is more of a police procedural with action interspersed.

The ladies are not afraid one bit of the action, I am sure doubles were used in some parts, but it is not as obvious as some films so good work.

At just 91 minutes, trying to tell a story that should have ran another 10-15 minutes is hard, but then again, this is the norm now for direct to video as it was back in the late 80s early 90s HK film era. I just wanted more, more drawn out action sequences, a bit of a back story on the new characters. Jade Leung, is also not in the film as much as I would have liked to see, but she is in there, so points for that

Was reading that this film was written and directed by Jackie Lee, a daunting task for the man, and kudos for assembling such a cast, as a second time feature film maker. I hope to see more of his work in the future, hopefully a US release of this film will help all involved.

'The one who breaks the law should be punished' is one of the quotes in this film, and the kind police lady who says this means business, yet so do the criminals! No dumb police here, these ones are no keystone cops!

Overall, I could go on and on, just go out and get either the upcoming USA version or the original Asian version as both are on Amazon! The 'Girls with Guns' HK style 1988 to 1998 genre is back! Would love to do an interview with Jade Leung! OK I have to put it out there! This is a very specific genre film so I rate it based on how it would interest fans like myself of these films, and thus rates a solid 7 out of 10.

For further info go to www.wellgousa.com

To buy the film: https://www.amazon.com/Fatal-Raid-Region-English-Subtitled/dp/B085VRB5KK/ref=sr_1_2?dchild=1&keywords=the+fatal+raid&qid=1624219907&sr=8-2

Amazon has the pre-release sale as it will unleash on August 24^th https://www.amazon.com/Fatal-Raid-Blu-ray-Jacky-Lee/dp/B093QCHWRV/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=the+fatal+raid&qid=1624219979&sr=8-1

Blu-Ray for under 20 dollars is well worth your time!

 

Below is the original theatrical trailer for 2019:

 

Miranda Veil (2020) Movie Review © 2021 Dan's Movie Report – Danny Templegod

 

Above Image: Poster for 'Miranda Veil' from IMDB, all rights reserved to original copyright holders, image used for promotional purposes only not monetized. Lionsgate Releasing

Greetings valued Dan's Movie Report readers. Across my desk today thanks to Mr. Williamson comes a movie entitled 'Miranda Veil' I always like watching indie movies. If at all possible it is often best for me to view films without watching any trailer or even reading anything about them, usually that is hard but, in this case I did. I was working on judging films for the IDTV Action Fest, and I decided to go all in and watch, literally as soon as the link was sent over! I must say, the film is surprisingly complex, many layers of allegory, wrapped in an enigma, people mirroring the lives of animals, one can only imagine the life you would lead if you could not die. 'Miranda Veil' explores the nuances of life and death.

It may seem intrinsically simple, a serial killer movie where a man hears voices in his head. In 'Miranda Veil he cannot act upon them, because he cannot find the right girl. The first girl is taken back to this ramshackle building, yet he cannot go through with the final act. Zach Steffey (Soren) is a tortured soul, conflicted, yet seemingly a horrible person in waiting. He soon meets up with Annabel Barrett (Miranda Veil) first by seeing her drunk then running into her again the next day. I refuse to spoil the content, let us just say that Barrett and Steffey put on a master class in acting, angst, anger, joy, and horrified emotions.

Miranda's parents, expertly played by Vida Ghaffari as Alice Veil and Kelton Jones as Daniel Veil, are trying to have normal lives, yet something is off, again no spoilers, but it gets pretty crazy! This is one area I kind of wish was explored more in the movie, more of Miranda's home life.

Director/Writer Levin Garbisch has a very detailed and creative script, and watching this movie makes me think that he had to direct it, as the script had so many nuanced dialogue and placement of the people involved. Garbish did something also amazing, while on the road, Miranda Veil and Soren meet up with several characters, each representing an animal you would find. Upon second viewing, yes it takes two full watching, the characters could all represent aspects of human life, but wrapped in human form, One man they meet is dressed in a bunny suit, he describes his story. I will not spoil it but one of the more interesting ones was Irena Violette as (The Cat) she is found perched on top of a dumpster, her movements were quite intriguing. Dean Satriano as (The Fox) was like a hippy guy, yet had a very odd vibe. Garbish to his credit never gets sidetracked in the 104 minute movie, the movie is a bit longer than many slasher films, but things are not what they seem! All of his actors are well coached and very much engaged in the dialogue.

Aesthetically the movie is solid, of course the film is independent, yet camera work is clear, many shots are during the daylight hours, and the simplistic, yet effective settings work wonders in a film like this allowing the viewer to take in the dialogue and performances. Musical score is very good, as is the ADR and Foley. Respect on this! Hard work getting these types of films to look and sound amazing.

Minor gripes as I said before, I wanted more time spent with Miranda's parents. I will not spoil the ending, but to be honest, it was something I did not expect, not that it is bad at all, yet I guess I really thought it was going to end different, but upon second watching, and thinking, 'Miranda Veil' can only end two possible ways. Again, no spoilers!

'Miranda Veil' is an innovative, and unusual story, with top notch acting, minor issues aside, the film rates a very strong 8 out of 10, a must watch! Support indie! Hopefully the creative people involved will level up due to the popularity of this on the streaming services!. 'Miranda Veil is available all over the World!

Amazon link: https://www.amazon.com/Miranda-Veil-Annabel-Barrett/dp/B096C92N3N

Check also Itunes and various other services, for additional links.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MirandaVeilthemovie

IMDB: https://www.facebook.com/MirandaVeilthemovie

Hopefully later in 2021 I can do an interview with director Levin Garbish, want to get his thoughts on the film. Also I would like Annabel Barrett to discus her thoughts on her character. For Vida, as always she is amazing and creative, we will do an interview, I know long overdue, great work in a motherly role!

The Reef: Stalked - In Production Now © 2021 Dan's Movie Report – Danny Templegod

Above Photo: Pre-production poster for 'The Reef: Stalked' (C) 2021 Amp Films International, Image used for promotional purposes only not monetized. https://amp-film.com/screeners/the_reef_stalked.html#

Greetings valued Dan's Movie Report readers, IF.com.au reports that a sequel to the 2009 film The Reef is currently in production. Writer/Director Andrew Traucki returns in the same capacity. Article Credit: Matthew Kappos https://www.if.com.au/andrew-traucki-returns-to-the-deep-end-as-the-reef-stalked-enters-production/?fbclid=IwAR2r_R-y7wAItGg-p7HGo5Zm9geLOrVKrkK4mZnoIwNzFad4o-MtZY09CvA

Amp Films International is returning for the sequel. The movie began pre-production in November of 2020. Connect with them @ https://amp-film.com/

Currently the film is in production in Queensland, Australia. The six week shoot should wrap in early August. 

Above photo credit: (C) 2021 https://www.if.com.au  A;; rights reserved, image used for promotional use only not monetized. 'The Reef: Stalked' lead cast (L-R): Saskia Archer, Ann Truong, Kate Lister, Teressa Liane

Synopsis:

In an effort to heal after witnessing her sister's horrific murder, Nic, her sister Annie and two close friends travel to a remote Pacific island for a kayaking and diving adventure.

Only hours into their expedition, the women are stalked and then attacked by a massive Great White Shark.

To survive the women will need to band together, and Nic will have to overcome her post-traumatic stress, face her fears and slay a monster.

'THE REEF: STALKED' is the franchise sequel to Andrew Traucki’s hugely successful 2010 thriller 'THE REEF' which regularly features in best shark films of all time that aren't JAWS.

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt12735282/ IMDB link for 'The Reef: Stalked'

Occupation: Rainfall (2020) Movie Review - Dan's Movie Report – Danny Templegod

Above: Poster for 'Occupation: Rainfall' (C) 2020/2021 Monster Films and Saban Films, All rights reserved image used for promotional purposes only not monetized.

 

Greetings valued Dan's Movie Report and Action-Flix.com readers, across my desk today comes the second installment of the Occupation film series titled 'Occupation: Rainfall. The film is released in the USA on Saban Films. When director Luke Sparke had a vision for the original film he probably never could have imagined how a indie film from Australia could have such a global impact. The first film is a masterful story of everyday people fighting for their lives in the midst of initial aliens invading Earth. The first film had detailed character development and an every-man relatable quality. The second film assumes that the viewer has seen the first one, thus the action and starts out basically in the middle of a full blown war.

'Occupation: Rainfall' has a budget probably three times as high as the first one, and the money was used for obviously larger sets, more detailed VFX and superior cinematography. 'Rainfall' does not have the charm and innocence of the first film, but this film is told from a soldier sense, rather than a bunch of locals rounded up to combat the aliens. Because of this I recommend watching the first film prior to viewing the sequel.

Dan Ewing reprises his role as Matt Simmons and Temuera Morrison also returns to the leadership role of Peter Bartlett. The lead female role of Amelia Chambers played by Stephany Jacobsen in the first film has been replaced by the amazing Jet Tranter . Normally I do not like replacing characters in a direct sequel, but in 'Occupation: Rainfall' the alteration of character from civilian to hardened soldier implies almost a totally new character. Yes in 'Terminator 2' Linda Hamilton bulked up to warrior size, but there was six years between films. Since Jet already had her acting and physical action skills on point she was an easy choice and the proper one. That said, Jacobson was a great choice for the first film.

'Occupation: Rainfall' is loud, booming, full of explosions and firefights. Director Luke Sparke made a film for theaters, I watched this at home, and in this case I wish I was watching this in a huge IMAX screen. The movie progresses at a frantic pace, not even allowing for much time to catch your breath, save for a few scenes of tender moments with Amelia, and some explaining of the weaponry and tactics. Normally I would like more time spent on character development, but here it is on the fly, and works within the rapind pace structure of the story.

There is an alien named Garry, who is sympathetic to the humans. He is hunted by his own kind and the humans, yet the small group shelter him and he helps them. This fact adds a conundrum to the group, some of who do not trust him. The aliens are referred to as The Greys, Garry the alien has a scene in which the humans attack the home where he is housed along with the soldiers. I see correlation here as to how the aboriginal people in Australia are often treated, as outcasts, even though they deserve a voice and to stand on equal footing.

The musical score gives Occupation: Rainfall a bigger feel, and demonstrates the emotional connection with the characters. The importance of a solid musical bed really amplifies the intensity and urgency in films and kudos must go to Frederik Wiedmann and the entire team of sound recorders as well. Occupation: Rainfall not only sounded epic, but even the background sound in headphones were quite stunning.

Project Rainfall is mentioned and I will not spoil it, as the reveal is in the final 30 minutes of the film. Let us just say it involves an alien weapon, yet the humans have a their own reverse engineered weapon as well. Actor Ken Jeong portrays Bud Miller and he chats about Project Rainfall and adds an bit of levity to the otherwise very serious film.

The ending is pretty crazy, and the sheer number of explosions and action rival a Michael Bay 200 million dollar film, let us just say a third film will happen. Overall I liked 'Occupation: Rainfall' Kind of like the massive budget Chinese film 'Red Cliff', the film essentially is a two parter. I am curious how the battle will unfold in the second part of the film. Respect to all involved, a labor of passion, sweat and determination. 'Occupation: Rainfall' rates a 7 out of 10, if you can view in a theater I recommend it, otherwise a worthy of a rent or purchase if you like SciFi.

Please check my interviews for Stephany Jacobson as the original Amelia and director Luke Sparke, watch for a third Jet Tranter interview later in 2021:

http://dansmoviereport.blogspot.com/2018/07/actress-stephany-jacobsen-interview-c.html

http://dansmoviereport.blogspot.com/2020/11/director-luke-sparke-interview.html

Facebook Official site for Occupation: Rainfall

https://www.facebook.com/occupationthemovie

For further information go to the Saban Films Official Website:

https://www.sabanfilms.com/

 

The film is available on Itunes and various digital platforms.

PeiPei Alena - Action Specialist Spotlight - © 2021 Dan's Movie Report – Danny Templegod

 

Above Image: PeiPei from her Official Facebook page, all rights reserved, image not monetized

Greetings valued Dan's Movie Report and Action-Flix.com readers. Stunt action specialist PeiPei Alena has worked on dozens of projects and over the course of the past few years has worked on stunt coordinating in addition to her various specialty skills. PeiPei is a hard working action woman who has creative ideas, a sense of humor, and impeccable fighting technique.

A few years back PeiPei worked as Director, Editor, SFX, and Executive Producer on a kick ass hysterical short called 'Yoga Pant Brawl'. Tamiko Brownlee worked as the film's fight coordinator. PeiPei has released the short to YouTube after a successful film festival run: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4fIfiYGQ-Q8

For more information on Yoga Pant Brawl: http://facebook.com/YogaPantBrawl

 

 Above Image: PeiPei Alena - Photography credit @shauncharneyofficial 

Recently PeiPei unleashed a 2021 compilation demo of her fight coordinating and second unit directing work:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=phttSFdqq0Y

PeiPei is always looking for collaborations and interesting action work. Please connect to her on her official social media outlets:

Facebook: http://Facebook.com/BgirlPeppa

Instagram: http://Instagram.com/BgirlPeppa

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAxxEuRT8goXBd8mSQy0OUw

Keep reading Dan's Movie Report and Action-Flix.com form more information on PeiPei and many other action luminaries coming later in 2021!

The Vault (2021) Movie Review © 2021 Dan's Movie Report – Danny Templegod

 

Above: Poster for 'The Vault' (C) 2021 Saban Films, all rights reserved, image not monetized.

Greetings valued Dan's Movie Report and Action-Flix.com readers. On a whim and due to the fact that one of my favorite actresses Famke Jannsen is in it, I checked out the 2021 Saban Films release 'The Vault'. This is not the same as the 2017 film with the same name, starring James Franco. The 2017 film is about 20 minutes shorter, although both films revolve around some of the same themes, this one is far more thought out, and has no supernatural elements.

Obvious comparisons to the big budget 'Ocean's 11' series of films will be made, however what is interesting is, given the setting, a backdrop of 2010 Madrid, pre- ultra high tech, pre-drone, much of this film's revealed science is quite plausible.

The film opens in 2009 with Liam Cunningham as Walter captaining a salvage mission off the cost of Spain to locate treasure in the sea. Actually the film-makers including Director Jaume Balagueró take their time to establish the connection between past events and present day. The treasure is taken and sealed in an vault in Madrid.

Then the opening credits roll and the team is assembled as we fast forward to 2010. Freddie Highmore as Thom and Astrid Bergès-Frisbey as Lorraine are the main characters in the vault maneuvering process though the entire team plays an important part. Revealing other characters and their role will basically spoil the plot, which I will not do. Suffice to say all of the acting is really solid, the movie plays itself quite seriously and The head of security at the bank and the CEO of the bank are not portrayed as the bumbling idiots as in so many other films.

The movie is really riviting, the nearly 2 hour movie flies by with a dialogue intensive explanation, followed by action. What is great is that 'The Vault' seems to know that an episode of 'Numbers' provides a solid back science, yet they can expand it to the tense action over the course of two hours.

The bank vault itself it quite interesting, always providing puzzles and forcing the team to come up with solutions. I like the fact that things go wrong, again, no spoilers!

The team is forced to find creative ways to enter the vault, including ladders, zip lines, and due to the fact that their ingress occurs during the day, we get to see everything, no dark muddy scenes in the shadows! Great work to the camera people and prop-makers!

Incidentally Famke only plays a minor role here as the friend of Walter and is seen in the beginning, a short time in the middle and end, no matter, this is a great film. On IMDB there is listed a series of 6 writers, normally that is a sign that the plot has been reworked and not always good, this time it works. I am sure that some technological advice was added to make things plausible.

Camera work, lighting, editing and the rock soundtrack spice things up. The entire cast and crew is to be commended, the movie is great and ends in a way that could possible lend itself to a second film. The question arises here of rewatchablilty, I watched 'Ocean's 11' one time, as once you see it, the process is just not as entertaining. Heist movies are tricky with regards to inherent long term watching multiple times.

As much as I love the film, I can suggest a definite rent, as the film once you watch it carefully and uninterrupted you will have the sense of satisfaction. I find that although you may get out a bit more upon second watching. unless you live in a home filled with distractions, it is not needed. That said if they ever put out a detailed Blu-Ray with behind the scenes, deleted scenes, director commentary etc... and such, it may be worth it. 'The Vault' from Saban Films rates a very strong 8.5 out of 10.

For further information:  https://www.sabanfilms.com/

IMDB:  https://www.imdb.com/title/tt9742794

SciFi/Action Film 'Unit 19' In Production Now in the U.K.! © 2021 Dan's Movie Report – Danny Templegod (Exclusive!)

 

Above Image credit:  Dan Burgess (Actresses: Giedre Jackyte. Rachel Warren. Zara Phythian. Tori Nursall Helen Pawson)

Greetings valued Dan's Movie Report readers. Actress Zara Phythian ('Doctor Strange') has informed me that production has begun in the United Kingdom on a new SciFi/Action film called 'Unit 19'. 

Above: Actress Rachel Warren in character on 'Unit 19' Image Credit: Dan Burgess
 

Plot synopsis: It’s 2185... the uneasy alliance of the corporations Genesis and Paradigm are all that’s left for mankind after years of government wars that nearly destroyed Earth and Humankind.

Above: Exclusive set photo! (C) 2021 Dan Burgess Actress Zara Pythian and cameraman Carl Barnet

 

Production Team: Debut director Vic Marke. Character Posters and behind the scenes photos: Dan Burgess. DOP: Nick Hardy, Set Designer: Karina Visha , Producers: David Blackwell and Zara Marke. 

Above: Actress Zara Phythian in character on 'Unit 19' Image Credit: Dan Burgess

IMDB page full cast: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt10007208/

The film has already set up official social media outlets for further information and new behind the scenes photos:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/unit19movie/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/unit19_movie/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/unit19_2021?lang=en

Watch for more on Dan's Movie Report later in 2021!

Army Of The Dead (2021) Movie Review © 2021 Dan's Movie Report - Danny Templegod

 

Above: Army of the Dead Poster from IMDB (C) 2021 Netflix, all rights reserved, image used for review purposes only and not monetized.

Greetings valued Dan's Movie Report and Action-Flix.com readers. Time now for a brand new rapid fire review! Netflix, have to live their style and panache! The good folks at Netflix decided to give Zack Snyder and his team somewhere in the 80 million dollar range to unleash the “Snyder Cut” Zombie film! Seriously, at 150 minutes 'Army of the Dead' is perhaps too long for it's own good, but provides the viewer with a violent ballet of zombie killing and zombie munching madness.

Make no mistake about it, 'Army of the Dead' is an R rated opus, epic in scope, and probably shortened by 30 minutes could have had am even successful theater run, if not for Covid. Synder ramps up the human element by involving Dave Bautista's character Scott Ward and his on screen daughter into the fray. Oddly enough time is taken to have detailed dialogue in the midst of zombies, I mean do the undead stop for human interpersonal relationship?

My snide remarks aside, Bautisita shines as the lead, once again cementing his big budget action prowess. Actually actress Ella Purnell does a solid job playing his daughter and is given a sizable on screen presence. This brings me to a real positive point of 'Army of the Dead', strong female characters! Whoohoo! Actress Tig Notaro plays a bad ass helicopter pilot, who is sarcastic and fun. Actress Nora Arnezeder plays Lilly the Coyote, her job is to shuttle the team inside the closed city of Las Vegas. Indian actress Huma Qureshi plays Geeta, adding an international flair with style and intellect. Like I said, the ladies play a big role!

 

Above: Samatha Win gets ready for a zombie massacre! (C) 2021 Netflix, all rights reserved, image used for review purposes only, not monetized.
 

Now focusing on my favorite character and aspect of 'Army of the Dead' Actress Samantha Win , absolutely kills it as Chambers, a hard talking, action filled Jenette Goldstein model soldier, who gets rough and kills and moves with style. Win actually brings my score up a point as her portrayal of the character. Obviously modeled after Goldstein's Private Vasquez, complete with headband! I am sure we will see more of Samantha Win in the very near future.

Against the backdrop of the zombies is a plot to steal 200million dollars from a vault in a casino, inside the container walled city of Las Vegas. Many sub plots are around, and actually seem to get lost in the shuffle like Bautista's daughter searching for the mother of one of the children she watches in the camp she works in. just a bit unnecessary. Balancing out is a violent, lustful zombie queen!

Action, stunts, lighting, and set up are great, though and the movie really hits stride during the frantic action. Overall I liked it and rate 'Army of the Dead' a 7 out of 10, and Samantha Win, a bad ass 10! Unleash your zombie killing self and go to www.netflix.com for further information.

Spirit Machines – Feel Again (2020) CD Review - © 2021 Dan's Movie Report – Danny Templegod

 

Above: Spirit Machines - Feel Again CD (C) 2020 all rights reserved to Spirit Machines, image used for review purposes only

Greetings valued Dan's Movie Report readers and rock music lovers, as you all know, prior to me working on Dan's Movie Report I wrote about music for several magazines including the Florida based Jam Magazine with a 75,000 print run, and it was in virtually every venue and music store in the state. Although I love all styles of music, metal and rock is by far my favorite. Honestly I thought rock was dead, recently though my hopes were lifted upon hearing a new band from Utah, Spirit Machines. Already popular due to the band Tool sharing them online and featured in Loudwire Magazine, Spirit Machines is ready to explode on the national scene.

I like their style and desire for musical and creative independence. I spoke at length with guitarist Dave Crespo, and he basically told me that the band is ready to break out and tour in the Fall and has a few shows in the works. Singer Pepper Rose, just recently got her P.H.D. and the band recently had a live virtual stream concert to celebrate her graduation that was attended by over 200 guests online.I had a communication with Pepper and she was quite respectful and humble as well.

  

Above: Spirit Machines --- Photo from the band's Official Facebook Page (C) 2020

Musically Spirit Machines skirts the line between rock and hard pop. 'Spirit Machines' has a soulful honest sound that pierces the night. 'Feel Again' plays like a long form concert with each song smoothly and seamlessly blends like butter melting in a saute' pot. The CD begins with a rocking tune called 'Watch it Burn' with a taught, driving beat, and never lets up until the amazing final song 'Zober' which is a mashup of Led Zeppelin and Tool. Some songs like 'Portland' slide into the mellow zone, power ballad, yet melodic. No filler songs on 'Feel Again' and the musicianship is top notch as is their live set.

Spirit Machines prides themselves by not bending to the musical norm and pushing to make music for the masses, they make music for their fans. The band produced the CDs themselves, independent printing and Pepper herself works on the T-Shirts! This band is a throwback to the 80s when bands put out cassettes to sell at their shows and just put themselves out there.

The band has several ways to support them, outside of just buying their CD, which is quite reasonable. You can for about 100USD join their Inner Circle, which allows a private page to connect to the band, exclusive content and an Inner Circle T-shirt. Also for the big ballets they have a huge connection called Cecret Society the 1,000USD tier allows for a huge variety of exclusive clothing, concert meet and greets, all live shows and producer credit on their upcoming releases, and you can pick as song for them to cover and send the video to you privately. Either way they just want eyes and ears on their music and realize that not all of their fans can afford to spend so much, even a like and share of their music helps them out.

Spirit Machines enjoys their independence and honest connection to their fans, very refreshing. Kind of reminds me of how Doro and Dio are to their fans, staying to sign autographs for hours and to chat with everyone. I can see Dave and Pepper being this way for years to come, Pepper is a talented respectful young woman, with a bright future in music, I cannot wait to hear what is next from her and Spirit Machines!!

Overall, the Spirit Machines 'Feel Again' CD rates a very strong 9 out of 10, and I cannot wait to here more and look forward to a U.S. Tour in the Fall and in 2022!

For further information on Spirit Machines, please connect through their official sites:

Official site: https://www.spiritmachinesband.com/feel-again-cd-2

Facebook: https://business.facebook.com/spiritmachines/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/spiritmachines/?hl=en

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC9W3tw-58vxwf8yu-NI2HBQ

Check out the video for Zober Live @

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TGP8Z1ORQME

Prepare to ROCK!