Film reviews

Psycho Killer Review

Leave a comment

The title is fun and sketchy. Many will think of the famous song by the Talking Heads. However, it has no correlation to this film. The premise of the story made me feel like I was watching a repeat plot of a videogame. The film nails it with scares and kills, but the rest of the film is flawed yet utterly exhilarating. Directed by Gabin Polone, this is Psycho Killer. The familiar traits of many terror and slasher films I love are combined in Psycho Killer. Titles which correlate to this film range from Weapons to Se7en. The same writer, Andrew Kevin Walker, is also behind those films. While he may have written for some masterpieces in the past, the direction was not quite as promising as well in Psycho Killer.

The film is a murder mystery that keeps pace by keeping the grizzly components as the primary scenario. A killer kills and creates a trail. There are clues, but also a pattern where evidence goes awry. The pattern is put together and broken again, but the grizzly violence continues to shock and awe. Some may enjoy this and others will not. My mind was neutral. Although I usually love films where suspense includes puzzles and patterns, those factors did not have me aching to solve much during Psycho Killer.

The main character is Jane Archer (Georgina Campbell). She suffers a tragic loss with a killer right in front of her. The killer’s character name is Psycho Killer (James Preston Rogers). He goes from state-to-state, using traceless methods to continue to kill and send messages. While Jane tries her best with her investigations, Psycho Killer is always ahead of her. With his many tactics of kills happening on his behalf and timing them perfectly, there is a unique rollercoaster in which one kill is more detrimental than the other. The film is creepy and disturbing but still lacks quality because the predictability is so much like a videogame.

I have mentioned the concept of a videogame multiple times in this review, and I even struggled to decide if this movie did it for me or not. The videogame that Psycho Killer seems to have clips from and correlations to is called Hatred and is only available to download on Steam. The game is tougher to find because it is so violent that it got an AO rating. Psycho Killer does not have the same level of violence as the game Hatred but shares the extreme and predictable theme—kill them all! This plotline is becoming more prevalent and overused in so many slasher films like this. In short, the film was poorly written, yet there were moments of extreme graphics that were cinematic. Overall, though, Psycho Killer is below average. The kills may impress some viewers, but the quality of context is why I’m still unconvinced about this movie. In the end, I believe this director is still getting his feet wet with a genre that he may want to continue in his career. Two out of four stars for Psycho Killer.

Film reviews

EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert Review

Leave a comment

When there is a film to be made where the music shines and memories are spellbinding, director Baz Luhrmann does it right. After directing Elvis in 2022, he takes on another film in that same vein, only this time it contains archived footage of the real Elvis Presley. It is filled with moments of conversations, concerts, and the deep personality of the Elvis the world knows. EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert is surreal in its purpose, like a time-machine of moving and musical memories. With the IMAX experience, the gritty aspects of fame feel both circular and angular—the musical moments radiate out loud in the context tomake one feel present.

Audiences can immerse themselves in this film. Especially those who grew up with Elvis. The archived footage moves in a chronological mode jumping frequently from interviews to concerts. This felt like Moulin Rouge but with real footage, as the spellbinding aspects are on the same level in both films. Luhrmann knows how to transition from heartache and shining. Vividly emotional, EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert is a journey through time that keeps rocking with the very well-done concert footage.

There is a sense of appreciation that keeps moving through Luhrmann’s direction, especially in the frequent moments where the facial expression of Elvis is captured. Even though the audience will find themselves jamming a lot with the film, they will also see the realization that money and fame do not always buy happiness. The appreciative form of an artist is how real the experience feels. It is unstoppable.

The archived images of the tours in Las Vegas are where I felt the sparks of magnificence in the visions Luhrmann brings forth. There is a certain magic in all of his projects. Much of which had me thinking back to Elvis and Moulin Rouge. He weaves elements of hidden sadness with the attention of impacting the world with the charms of music and showmanship. Like Moulin Rouge, EPiC: Elvis Presley creates a vision of connections while hiding the sorrow below the fame—a humanistic value that speaks to many from the mind of Luhrman.

This is documentary- driven, and at times feels slow, but that is what the film is about. Appreciating Elvis Presley is what EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert is all about, because much of the footage has never been seen.  The era of when the footage was recorded gives it a time machine feeling that felt more immersive to me in IMAX. I felt like I was transported to a world of concerts I never got to experience. It takes us back toan era where it was all about ticket stands and phone lines to acquire concert seats. The days before the internet shine with thrills in Epic: Elvis Presley in Concert.

Despite the sad moments, the concert does not stop going. Luhrmann continuously pushes on with the true shots of the concerts—every moment matters.  EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert continues to relive the importance of one man that changed the world with not only his music, but his persona alone. Deep down the shots and continuity with fame and the concerts is what makes Epic: Elvis Presley in Concert an unstoppable force of a vivid musical sensation. I was hooked, and the IMAX technology continued to blow my mind in its and hour-and-a-half running time.

This is one that I feel must be seen on the big screen, and IMAX if available. To experience a film of this nature, it should definitely be seen in a way to feel as real as it can possibly be. Without that, the presence will not shine as big as it should in order to be fully appreciated.  An overall unforgettableexperience.   Four out of four stars for Epic: Elvis Presley in Concert.

 

Film reviews

How to Make a Killing Review

Leave a comment

Glen Powell is starting to create a brand for himself no matter what type of character he plays. He can be bold and positive, or an egotistical businessman. He can also play someone who looks innocent while maintaining a professional, laid-back attitude. In How to Make a Killing, his nice guy vibes hide a secret. Eventually, a con-artist setup of moving parts topples the center of Powell’s personality in How to Make a Killing. While predictable at times, the story drives home the point that karma can come back with vengeance.

Written and directed by John Patton Ford. I was mesmerized by the criminality and creativity when he directed Emily the Criminal. How to Make a Killing loops in the same type of scenario, but the background is based on the theme of getting what one deserves. Emily the Criminal is different in that there is someone who does bad deeds due to a variety of legal errors. This time Ford focuses the choices on a personal matter. The film is structured, but also wicked.

Powell plays Beckett Redfellow who was abandoned at birth by his extremely rich family. With the idea his family has had privilege thrown into their laps because of nepotism, Beckett fights back. Not by actual violence, but staged scenarios which cause fatalities. His main targets are his cousins Noah Redfellow (Zach Woods), Taylor Redfellow (Raff Law), and Pastor Steven J. Redfellow (Topher Grace). From Beckett’s vantage point, he believes the family dynasty should belong to him. This makes him create ways to eliminate family members. The more he eliminates, the higher the chances are of the inheritance falling into his lap.

The film is classy with how the setups and narration flow. Powell tells the story in his performance because the film is staged where he is in prison for his actions. I will not share much, but I will say the film felt insightful due to his sharing of the details about the events leading up to the beginning of the film. Beckett may have some luck, but the power of his family may be more dangerous than he expects. It is revealed that his grandfather Whitelaw Redfellow (Ed Harris) is the reason behind the dismissal of Beckett’s childhood.

Ford knows how to highlight first-world problems and how they bring out a person’s true colors. On the inside Beckett is lonely, but on the outside, he experiences jealousy and entitlement. Hisemotions lead him to strange incidences. These make the film joyful, but also sinister with class. Ford is the master at illustrating fulfillment based on shady deeds. He always posesthe question of whether something can be mastered without getting caught. I saw this in Emily the Criminal on a more serious level and again in How to Make a Killing on a lighter, yet horrid way. 

To clarify, the other parties in the mix who pose a risk are Ruth (Jessica Henwick), Beckett’s girlfriend. She is oblivious to the shady wealth, but then his full colors start to appear. There is Julia Steinway (Margaret Qualley), an old friend of Beckett. Can Beckett’s charming personality gain him more attention? Or is there a sign that allows others to put the puzzle of his deeds-for-wealth schemes together? Overall, the film is somewhat predictable but executed with sinister laughs that revolve around an undeserved inheritance. Three-and-a-half out of four stars for How to Make a Killing.

 

Treating cinema in many forms of art!