Category Archives: Film

Film Review: Godzilla Minus One

Posted on by

Godzilla Minus One. Written and directed by Takashi Yamazaki. Produced by Minami Ichikawa, Shūji Abe, Kenji Yamada, Kazuaki Kishida, Gō Abe, and Keiichirō Moriya.

The 37th film in the franchise delivers a mutated Godzilla as a result of the radioactive sea spray contamination during Operation Crossroads at Bikini Atoll. The story is set in 1945, a tragic year in Japan’s history.

Kōichi Shikishima (Ryunosuke Kamiki) seems to have failed his duty as a kamikaze pilot, bringing shame to his name. Due to shock and fear, he is also unable to shoot Godzilla when the monster attacks his garrison on Odo Island. The only survivors of the attack are Shikishima and Tachibana (Munetaka Aoki), a lead mechanic who blames Shikishima for failing to shoot Godzilla.

Returning back home, Shikishima finds out that his parents were killed during the bombing of Tokyo—massive air raids known as Operation Meetinghouse. He finds a girl, Noriko Ōishi (Minami Hamabe), who also lost her parents during the raids, and an orphan baby named Akiko, rescued by Noriko. Trying to rebuild his life, he decides to take care of them and live as a family.

As Godzilla continues his devastating path towards Japan, Shikishima finds a job as a minesweeper and his crew is commissioned by the Japanese government to stop Godzilla before the kaiju reaches the mainland.

The film includes two relevant elements. For one, its social and historical commentary. The story unfolds during WWII, few months before the detonation of the atomic bombs over Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The scene where Shikishima returns home captures the extensive damage by the Operation Meetinghouse raids. Napalm-carrying bombs were dropped over Tokyo, causing between 83,000 to 97,000 deaths and more than a million people left homeless due to the destruction of over 260,000 buildings. In the film, Shikishima, Noriko, and Akiko suffered the death of their parents. Noriko and Akiko were also left homeless. Shikishima rebuilding his house gives a sense of back to normality, a feature that might reference the Japanese efforts to rebuild the country’s infrastructure and its social fabric.

The other element is the visual effects. Godzilla Minus One is the Japanese style to create epic monster movies. 610 VFX shots, of which 100 were water shots, were created by a group of 35 artists, supervised by Screenwriter/Director Takashi Yamazaki and VFX Director Kiyoko Shibuya. The fluidity of movement, the eyes and body details, the destruction of Ginza, and the explosions are such a technical achievement that the film has received an Academy nomination for Best Visual Effects.

Another significant aspect of the film are the themes of guilt, redemption, and love, all of them universal attributes that connect strongly with the audience. The navigation of Shikishima through rejection, loss, and heroism, makes him a compelling character that gives him a human factor impossible to resist.

The question left in the air is: What lurks below Sagami Bay?

Godzilla Minus One

Written and directed by Takashi Yamazaki. Visual effects by Takashi Yamazaki and Kiyoko Shibuya. Produced by Minami Ichikawa, Shūji Abe, Kenji Yamada, Kazuaki Kishida, Gō Abe, and Keiichirō Moriya. Cast: Ryunosuke Kamiki. Minami Hamabe. Yuki Yamada. Munetaka Aoki. Hidetaka Yoshioka. Sakura Ando. Kuranosuke Sasaki.

Cinematography by Kōzō Shibasaki. Edited by Ryūji Miyajima. Music by Naoki Satō. Production companies: Toho Studios and Robot Communications. Distributed by Toho.

Film Review: Yoshiki: Under the Sky

Posted on by

Yoshiki: Under the Sky is directed by Yoshiki. Produced by Sid Ganis, Mark Ritchie, Doug Kluthe, and Aaron Latham-James.

Featuring the skyline of Los Angeles, Yoshiki: Under the Sky is a film that explores the intimate relationship between personal pain and music. International musician Yoshiki shares the way he was able to channel his personal tragedies into art in the form of music.

The film is a music documentary with the collaboration of other world-renowned stars: Sarah Brightman, Jane Zhang, Scorpions, SixTONES, Nicole Scherzinger, St. Vincent, Sugizo, Hyde, Lindsey Stirling, and The Chainsmokers.

Yoshiki shows his skills as a composer, pianist, guitarist, and drummer. The duo with The Chainsmokers’ drummer Matt McGuire is truly epic. Yoshiki’s talent allows him to blend effortlessly with different styles of music. He can easily create rock, pop, or classical music. And now, he does his directorial debut, performing some of his most famous songs with a wide variety of artists.

The cinematography by Ken Whales, Michael Pessah, and Rachel Bickert enhances the inspirational message of the film. It’s a poetic combination of light and color, as stunning as the music itself. The visuals intertwined with music become a lyrical element to elevate the value of this production.

The devastation from personal loss has been a constant in Yoshiki’s life, and somehow, his lyrics create some sort of magic that talks to his fans all over the world. Yoshiki’s music is an evidence that some of the most beautiful art comes from a place of pain. One touching moment of the film is the message Yoshiki shares with a Japanese fan whose wife is terminally ill. It’s heartbreaking, but it’s also an example of how music can be uplifting, even when we go through difficult experiences. And that’s exactly how certain music becomes the soundtrack of one’s life.

The closing of the film couldn’t be more sublime. Voices from around the world join Yoshiki’s interpretation of “Endless Rain”, a song that reflects the spirit of the film. It penetrates your skin, going straight to your heart. It’s a poem to the healing power of music, transcending the pain, no matter how deep it might be.

Yoshiki: Under the Sky

Directed by Yoshiki. Produced by Sid Ganis, Mark Ritchie, Doug Kluthe, and Aaron Latham-James. Starring Yoshiki, Sarah Brightman, Jane Zhang, Scorpions, SixTONES, Nicole Scherzinger, St. Vincent, Sugizo, Hyde, Lindsey Stirling, and The Chainsmokers. Cinematography by Ken Whales, Michael Pessah, and Rachel Bickert. Edited by Spencer Lee, Takashi Uchida, David Swift, Merritt Lear, Jim Yukich, Claire Didier, Imran Virani, and Bryan Roberts. Music by Yoshiki.

Production company: A List Media Entertainment.

Distributed by: Abramorama.

Yoshiki: Under the Sky poster

Film Review: Air

Posted on by

Air is directed by Ben Affleck. Written by Alex Convery. Produced by David Ellison, Jesse Sisgold, Jon Weinbach, Ben Affleck, Matt Damon, Madison Ainley, Jeff Robinov, Peter Guber, and Jason Michael Berman.

In the world of basketball clothing, Adidas and Converse were two of the hotter brands back in 1984. Converse, in particular, meant basketball. Nike, on the other hand, was considered a brand for joggers. What Adidas and Converse had is that they appealed to rappers and Black people in general, two influential sectors in the basketball scene.

Air is a movie that captures the period when Phil Knight (Ben Affleck) and his team wanted to change the status quo and turn Nike around to start appealing to the basketball fans. At the center of this exciting times was Michael Jordan (Damian Delano Young), the young player seen as the potential biggest star in the history of basketball. For Knight and his team, signing Michael Jordan was a bold and expensive move that would allow Nike to become the hottest sports brand in existence.

Air centers around the extraordinary effort by Sonny Vaccaro (Matt Damon), Nike’s basketball talent scout, to convince Jordan to sign with Nike over its competitors Adidas and Converse. It is during the pitch meeting that Vaccaro delivers an emotional and inspiring speech that serves as the pivotal moment in the story. The pitch is so moving that Jordan’s parents, Deloris (Viola Davis) and James (Julius Tennon), see their dreams reflected in those words.

The film features a stellar cast that can make it a serious contender in the race to the Oscars. As an actor, director, and producer, Affleck shows his versatility and experience as an artist. It’s no surprise that he is one of the most active entertainers in the industry, having received several awards and nominations. His screen magnetism is evident throughout the film, and the same goes to the rest of the main actors. Damon’s portrayal of Vaccaro, in particular, is both convincing and inspiring. His performance carries a lot of the weight of this film. It won’t be a surprise if he gets another Academy nomination.

The soundtrack, compiled by Affleck and Music Supervisor Andrea von Foerster, is a fascinating collection of some of the most popular 80s songs. “Money for Nothing”, “Ain’t Nobody”, “My Adidas”, and “Born in the U.S.A.”—with a brief explanation about its meaning—are some of the titles included in the film that become a special touch to enhance the compelling message of the story.

The story of Nike as a corporation is not just a story about a successful conglomerate. It features the special relationship between corporations and the stars that make sports the exciting arena that inspires and, at times, make some dreams come true. The film shows Michael Jordan as a sports star born in the basketball court, but also a financial star born in Nike’s corporate office. Air Jordan brought in $162 million the first year. Michael Jordan makes approximately $400 million a year in passive income. Deloris Jordan made made that relationship very clear in the film: “A shoe is just a shoe until someone steps into it”.

Air

Directed by by Ben Affleck. Written by Alex Convery. Produced by David Ellison, Jesse Sisgold, Jon Weinbach, Ben Affleck, Matt Damon, Madison Ainley, Jeff Robinov, Peter Guber, and Jason Michael Berman.

Production companies: Amazon Studios, Skydance Sports, Artists Equity, and Mandalay Pictures.

Distributed by: Amazon Studios (United States) and Warner Bros. Pictures (International).

Starring: Matt Damon, Ben Affleck, Jason Bateman, Marlon Wayans, Chris Messina, Chris Tucker, and Viola Davis.

Creative team: Cinematography by Robert Richardson. Edited by William Goldenberg. Music by Andrea von Foerster.

Air poster
Air. Photo courtesy of Amazon/MGM Studios.

Film Review: Creed III

Posted on by

Creed III is directed by Michael B. Jordan. Screenplay by Keenan Coogler and Zach Baylin. Story by Ryan Coogler, Keenan Coogler, and Zach Baylin. Based on characters created by Sylvester Stallone. Produced by Irwin Winkler, Charles Winkler, William Chartoff, David Winkler, Ryan Coogler, Michael B. Jordan, Elizabeth Raposo, Jonathan Glickman, and Sylvester Stallone.

Following the steps of Rocky Balboa (Sylvester Stallone) in the original Rocky film, Creed (Michael B. Jordan) and Dame (Jonathan Majors) also need to fight to prove their worth. Both characters are at different stages in their lives, but they need a common ground to settle their differences. Guilt and feelings of being left behind set the stage for an exceptional drama with the world of boxing as the background.  

The movie delves into different universal themes that appeal to a wide audience. Family dynamics, cheering for the underdog, and overcoming difficult challenges in life are relatable experiences that shape the latest installment of the franchise. Even though these themes have been used many times over, Creed III excels in integrating them into the story to reverberate in people’s hearts and minds, as they portray the very nature of human society.

Another moving message captured by the film is adapting to change when things don’t go your way. For Bianca (Tessa Thompson), she had to quit performing as a singer—her passion in life—due to hearing loss. Adjusting to her new reality and making the best of what she has left, she becomes a music producer instead, a less protagonist role in the music industry.

Another factor that makes the story to travel is the use of different languages: English, Spanish, sign language to communicate with Amara (Mila Davis-Kent), and the unique language of boxing. Training, sparring, how fights are set up, and what drives a boxer to fight are elements featured in this film. To add a touch of reality, Creed III features the following professional boxers: Canelo Álvarez, Florian Munteanu, Tony Bellew, José Benavides Jr., and Teófimo López.

In his role of director and as a homage to an attribute of Anime, Jordan has Creed and Dame go through a quiet space for an internal conversation during the intensity of their title fight. This visual technique highlights the complex relationship between the two characters, adding a powerful emotional effect to the fighting sequence.

Jordan demonstrates that he is a tour de force in the prestigious world of cinema. In Creed III, he serves as actor, director, and producer, three of the most demanding roles in filmmaking. Jordan delivers an exciting and engaging story, keeping the spirit of the original Rocky film alive and still leaving room for more expansion of the franchise. 

Creed III

Directed by Michael B. Jordan. Screenplay by Keenan Coogler and Zach Baylin. Story by Ryan Coogler, Keenan Coogler, and Zach Baylin. Based on characters created by Sylvester Stallone. Produced by Irwin Winkler, Charles Winkler, William Chartoff, David Winkler, Ryan Coogler, Michael B. Jordan, Elizabeth Raposo, Jonathan Glickman, and Sylvester Stallone.

Production companies: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures, Chartoff-Winkler Productions, Proximity Media, and Outlier Society.

Distributed by: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures (North America). Warner Bros. Pictures (International).

Starring: Michael B. Jordan, Tessa Thompson, Jonathan Majors, Wood Harris, Mila Davis-Kent, Florian Munteanu, and Phylicia Rashad.

Creative team: Cinematography by Kramer Morgenthau. Edited by Tyler Nelson and Jessica Baclesse. Music by Joseph Shirley.

A scene from Creed III
A scene from Creed III
A scene from Creed III

Film Review: American Fiction

Posted on by

American Fiction is directed by Cord Jefferson. Screenplay by Cord Jefferson, based on Erasure, by Percival Everett. Produced by Ben LeClair, Nikos Karamigios, Cord Jefferson, and Jermaine Johnson.

For Thelonious “Monk” Ellison (Jeffrey Wright), a writer living in Los Angeles, it’s just another day. Another fight. Even though he is capable of writing about the Greeks, the publishing industry refuses to accept his point of view about subjects considered exclusive to White people. Being labeled a Black writer rather than just a writer starts to take a toll on Monk, specially at his middle age phase.

To complicate things further, he goes back to his hometown in Boston and finds his mother Agnes (Leslie Uggams) experiencing the early stages of Alzheimer’s. While in Boston, Monk tries to reconnect with his sister Lisa (Tracee Ellis Ross)—a gynecologist who takes care of their mom—but she dies suddenly, leaving him with the responsibility to care for Agnes. His brother Cliff (Sterling K. Brown), a plastic surgeon in Tucson, only visits once in a while and is not reliable.

Writer/Director Cord Jefferson uses comedy and stereotypes to explore the nuances of American society’s expectations of Black artists. Monk seems trapped in that perpetual realm where Black artists try to express and propose new ideas about pretty much any subject, only to find out that they are expected to continue the narrative of oppression and underdevelopment that White audiences like so much. And that’s exactly what Monk decides to do, give the readers what they want and play the game, with unexpected consequences.

American Fiction presents the two faces of the story. For one, White audiences are eager to read about the Black experience, but only if that experience involves poverty, oppression, violence, and harsh upbringing. Anything outside of that context is off-limits. The film is also a symbol of the frustrations of Black writers when they are not taken seriously if they try to explore topics that are not related to their past struggles of racism and mistreatment, two themes that been exploited persistently by mainstream media for decades in a form of detrimental cultural appropriation.

An amazing play titled Hooded or Being Black for Dummies by Tearrance Arvelle Chisholm comes to mind when we talk about appropriation. In the play, the protagonist writes a manual for a fellow Black man about how to be Black. The manual, however, falls into the hands of a White man, who starts to speak and behave like a Black person, signifying the appropriation of the Black experience. Likewise, the White audiences in American Fiction seem to be in a relentless pursuit of Black stories, an attitude to show empathy and imply a new era of equality, whether real or imaginary. This can either be a true new beginning, or the perpetuation of a pervasive entrenchment of inequality.

American Fiction is based on Erasure, the 2001 novel by Percival Everett. Jefferson’s adaptation includes the subplots of Erasure: Sexual identity, family, professional jealousy, and ultimate surrender to the devouring forces of the American readership. One of the most poignant aspects of the film is how Jefferson tied together the various subplots of the story to reach a cohesive denouement without preaching what’s right or wrong. Rather, he allows the audience to come out with their own conclusions, opening the door for further discussions on the subject matter.

The film is also a technical treat, the cinematography by Cristina Dunlap plays well with the lighting intensities both in the interior shots as well as the exterior ones, highlighting the humorous and dramatic feel of the scenes. The score by Laura Karpman is a vibrant combination of bossa nova and jazz that gives a distinct mood to the entire film.

American Fiction

Directed by Cord Jefferson. Screenplay by Cord Jefferson. Based on Erasure by Percival Everett. Produced by Ben LeClair, Nikos Karamigios, Cord Jefferson, and Jermaine Johnson. Executive producers: Rian Johnson, Ram Bergman, Percival Everett, Michael Bowes.

Production companies: Orion Pictures, MRC Film, T-Street Productions, and 3 Arts Entertainment.

Distributed by Amazon MGM Studios.

Starring Jeffrey Wright, Tracee Ellis Ross, Issa Rae, Sterling K. Brown, John Ortiz, Erika Alexander, Leslie Uggams, Adam Brody, Keith David, Okieriete Onaodowan, Myra Lucretia Taylor, Raymond Anthony Thomas, Miriam Shor, J.C. MacKenzie, Patrick Fischler, and Michael Cyril Creighton.

Creative team: Cinematographer Cristina Dunlap. Edited by Hilda Rasula. Music by Laura Karpman.

 

Jeffrey Wright image
A scene from American Fiction
A scene from American Fiction

News Release: Stars Kristina Wong and Charisma Carpenter Cast in “HOLD YOU SO TIGHT”

Posted on by

Stage and screen phenoms Kristina Wong (Sweatshop Overlord – LA Times “Must See” / NY Times “Critic’s Pick”) and Charisma Carpenter (Buffy the Vampire Slayer; Angel) come together in an AI comfort Film as final casting was announced for Eric Rudnick’s new short film, HOLD YOU SO TIGHT.

“Kristina Wong’s stage show Sweatshop Overlord was at the Kirk Douglas Theatre when I was working on the script for Hold You So Tight,” says director Eric Rudnick. “She’s authentic, charming, and hilarious, and she’ll soon be showing up regularly on TV and in films. Charisma Carpenter is a great actor with an iconic presence, and given the Sci-Fi and fantasy themes involved in the roles she’s most known for, I immediately knew that she would be perfect for this film.”

Additional talent in the film includes Steve Chiotakis (Edward R. Murrow Award for writing, “Best Radio Anchor in Southern California” and “Best Feature” – LA Press Club; “Best Anchor and Reporter” – AP Honoree), multi-award winner Kareem Ferguson (Watching O.J – EST/LA, HBO series Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty, Netflix/Ryan Murphy series Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story), and Tamika Katon-Donegal (Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike; TV: Adam Ruins Everything, How to Get Away With Murder, and recurring on Side Hustle).

HOLD YOU SO TIGHT tells the story of a modern-day personal challenge as an uncommon hero comes to the rescue. In the parking lot of a Los Angeles motel, a young woman is on the brink of a nervous breakdown. Although her current teletherapy session is not going well, she’s parked herself, maybe for the first time, in just the right spot.

A life-changing new treatment, administered by two men, comes highly recommended from a trusted college friend. HOLD YOU SO TIGHT is the business that the men operate, providing hugs that are specifically calibrated to each customer’s needs. The embrace is delivered by a custom-made robot, traveling the country with this clandestine company.

As our heroine reaches the door to Room 11, she is near the end of her very frayed rope. What happens next is a synchronistic phenomenon between technology and humanity – perhaps the place we’ve all been searching for since the dawn of time.

Director Rudnick described the project’s genesis while revealing, “After being absolutely floored when I met this robot on a TV pilot that I was producing, I knew that there had to be a story about its intricate technology and the connection to us. I needed to see this idea that was in my head and wanted an audience to feel what I felt, so I figured I could pull together the resources for a short film.”

Shooting is scheduled to begin this month in Los Angeles.

Photos Courtesy Kristina Wong and Charisma Carpenter

For more information: https://www.filmindependent.org/programs/fiscal-sponsorship/hold-you-so-tight/

Image of Kristina Wong
Image of Charisma Carpenter