By David Baldwin

Shawn Ruddy (Joseph Winter) is an online influencer and streamer who is left in ruins after uploading a controversial video. Wanting to get back into the public’s good graces, Shawn decides to livestream his visit to an abandoned haunted house where real murders have taken place. He locks himself in for the night, sets up his cameras and waits for something to happen. When he accidentally pisses-off the vengeful spirit that inhabits the home, he must find a way to survive by any means necessary.

Watching a Film play out in the same way you may watch an influencer’s videos on YouTube and Twitch may seem like a less than riveting experience. Yet by tapping into and satirizing that visual language while employing the bloody gross out gags of low-budget ’80s Horror films, the Writing/Directing/Editing team of Winter and Vanessa Winter have created a film that needs to be seen to be believed. Ruddy is an extremely annoying character (think of a personality along the lines of Jake and Logan Paul) who becomes rather insufferable as the Film sets all the pieces in motion in real time. Thankfully, you are not so much watching him in these early scenes so much as you are watching the Winters edit a cohesive picture together using various platforms and cameras. It feels like a genuine evolution of the style we have seen in Horror films like Unfriended and Host, but instead of static cameras staying put, we are getting first person movements along the lines of a Hardcore Henry. The Film even employs some video game language and motifs to assist with some of the action.

Once Ruddy pisses off the spirit, all bets are off and the Film becomes one hilarious and obnoxiously bloody gag after the other in the vein of the early gonzo horror flicks by Sam Raimi and Peter Jackson. Winter’s Ruddy even seems to be aping some of the hallmarks of Bruce Campbell’s legendary performance as Ash Williams in many of these scenes, and becomes a whole lot more tolerable than he was satirizing real-life streamers. He leans in wonderfully into the Physical Humour and the jump scares, and really lends to how captivating DEADSTREAM quickly becomes. While the creature effects are a bit too crude and cheaply done, the gore and makeup effects are top-notch. I had a lot of fun watching this one, and can only imagine how much more entertaining it would have been with a crowd.

DEADSTREAM screens at SXSW ‘22 as follows:

In-Person:

Friday, March 11 at 11:45PM EST – Alamo Lamar E

Monday, March 14 at 3:00PM EST – Stateside Theatre

Tuesday, March 15 at 8:30PM EST – Alamo Lamar E

Wednesday, March 16 at 10:45PM EST – Alamo Lamar E

Online:

Saturday, March 12 at 10:00AM EST – Available for 48 Hours

By David Baldwin

If you were a child of the ’90s, there is absolutely no way you were able to escape “Tubthumping”. That song was everywhere and so was the Band who sang it, Chumbawamba. Dunstan Bruce was the Band’s frontman, and now 20+ years after the release of that one-hit wonder, is not sure how to stay visible in a rapidly-deteriorating world. Haunted by the adult manifestation of the baby on the Band’s album cover, Bruce must question everything he was a part of before and find a way to become relevant again.

Part-Documentary, part-Mockumentary, part-fever dream, and part-dystopic hellscape. I feel like that just about covers the anarchistic style of I GET KNOCKED DOWN, which obviously takes its title from the lyrics of Chumbawamba’s hit song. The Film is all of these things at once, and feels like a bold example of avant-garde narrative that really stretches the limits and patience of its audience. When it is acting as a Documentary however, it brings together a wealth of vintage interview clips, candid clips from the Band living together and their first shows, and new clips of Bruce interviewing his Bandmates about what the song and accompanying album meant to them and how it has lead them to where they are now. I did not know much about the Band prior to watching the Film, and learning of their Punk anarchist roots, it makes sense that the Film is such a wildly chaotic pastiche of ideas and styles. Bruce holds the whole thing together, with his interactions with the baby’s adult manifestation really honing-in on his bizarre sense of humour.

Not all of it works of course, and a deviation into Bruce’s new Music at the end and a take on a pivotal scene from Reservoir Dogs really do not add much to everything that came before it. When the Film is celebrating the importance of “Tubthumping” and discussing what the Band did with its newfound fame and influence is where it really shines. I wanted more of that, and a lot less of the surreal nonsense in-between. I would be hard-pressed to suggest it is anything but a true original though.

I GET KNOCKED DOWN screens at SXSW ’22 as follows:

In-Person:
Friday, March 11 at 9:45PM EST – Alamo Lamar B
Tuesday, March 15 at 11:30PM EST – Alamo Lamar E

Online:
Sunday, March 13 at 10:00AM EST – Available for 48 Hours

By David Baldwin

Patton Oswalt is Chuck, an estranged father who always seems to have an excuse for not being able to spend time with his son Franklin (James Morosini). Following a rehab stint after a suicide attempt, Franklin cuts his Dad off and blocks Chuck from contacting him. Concerned and wanting to reconnect, Chuck makes a fake Facebook account posing as a local waitress named Becca (Claudia Sulewski) in order to speak to his son. When Franklin starts getting more than a little casually invested in Becca, Chuck must figure out how to tell his son that he has been catfishing him all along.

What ensues is just as cringe-worthy and awkward as you might expect from such an unusual storyline. On the flip side though, that is exactly what enriches this tale – based at least partially on a true story involving Writer/Director Morosini and his actual father – and makes it feel so genuine and lived in. You can feel the palpable sense of grief and regret in Oswalt’s acting choices, and you can visibly see the damage it has inflicted on Morosini’s character. It is gut-wrenching stuff, even if you are acutely aware of the humour that these two and the wonderful Supporting Cast (including Sulewski, Lil Rel Howery, Amy Landecker and SNL alum Rachel Dratch) are attempting to tap into. Though it leads to a few gross-out jokes that take away from the Film’s poignancy, I appreciated Morosini’s text message motif of having the characters actually talk and interact with each other physically rather than just hear their voices or read what they are saying.

Speaking as someone who has a tumultuous relationship with their father (and desperately hopes to not repeat the same behaviour with my own son), I LOVE MY DAD is an emotional experience that will have you laughing, crying and cringing all at the same time. There is a bit more depth I hoped it would mine, but the cast Morosini has put together here do their very best to treat this storyline with the humour and realism it deserves. And even though he has always been a spectacular supporting player, Oswalt really shines here – pulling out the same kind of nuanced work he did in the underappreciated Young Adult. His performance here is even better, and may just be his best work yet.

I LOVE MY DAD screens at SXSW ’22 as follows:

In-Person:

Saturday, March 12 at 2:30PM EST – Alamo Lamar D

Sunday, March 13 at 4:30PM EST – Violet Crown Cinema 1

Sunday, March 13 at 5:00PM EST – Violet Crown Cinema 3

Friday, March 18 at 4:45PM EST – ZACH Theatre

Online:

Sunday, March 13 at 10:00AM EST – Available for 48 Hours

By David Baldwin

After spending years in development hell, Microsoft X-Box fans can rejoice – the long-awaited HALO series is finally here. It tells the story of Master Chief (Pablo Schrieber), a genetically modified “Spartan” super soldier from the year 2552. When he discovers a mysterious object after a firefight with the villainous alien Covenant group threatening humanity’s very existence, Master Chief’s worldview is irrevocably changed.

As my experience with HALO-lore is minimal at best (I tended to get my ass handed to me every time I picked-up a controller), I cannot speak to the attention to detail that fans are sure to equally enjoy and pick apart with a fine-toothed comb. Speaking as a non-fan however, the look and feel of the first two episodes I was able to screen is nothing short of astounding. The battle scene in Episode 1 is epic and appropriately violent for a series based on an M-rated Video Game franchise, the special effects are terrific and the booming score is exactly as great as I hoped it would be. There is one controversial decision that is certain to annoy some die-hard fans, though I hope they can look past it and appreciate just how much effort was put into getting these worlds, creatures, armour, backdrops and spaceships to look as great as they do. This is easily one of the most expensive TV Shows ever made, and no expense appears to have been spared (and it looks a whole lot more real and polished than another popular space-set series that has been streaming for a few years now).

The acting is strong thus far, with Schrieber (best known for his work as Pornstache on Orange is the New Black )really embodying the stoic, emotionless demeanour of Master Chief. I was also a fan of Natasha McElhone as Dr. Catherine Halsey and Yerin Ha (also at SXSW with SISSY) as Quan Ha. Their work is compelling and does a great job lifting up the story coming together under a plethora of exposition. My main concern so far – which may be alleviated with future episodes – is that the Series does not seem to have any sense of personality. Some may decry the lack of humour as the reason (though they will likely gravitate towards the scene-stealing turn from Character Actor Bokeem Woodbine as Master Chief’s old friend Soren), yet I think it is more complicated than that. The Creators spent so much time trying to get the look and feel of the Video Game franchise just right (up to and including the HUD fans should know all too well) that they did not stop and think about how to keep the non-fans invested, and how to differentiate the story for a new medium. Much of this should be ironed out in future episodes, but I sincerely hope the series does not sink under mountains of story exposition or wait until the already greenlit Season 2 to adjust.

The first episode of HALO premieres on Thursday, March 24, 2022 on Paramount+ with new episodes every following Thursday.

Be sure to read more here about what we learned from the Cast at this year’s Television Critics Week.

HALO screens at SXSW ’22 as follows:

In-Person:

Monday, March 14 at 5:00pm EST – Paramount Theatre

By Amanda Gilmore

Kath (Winona Ryder) and her boyfriend Max (John Gallagher Jr) decide to take a trip to a remote cabin in the redwoods. However, when they arrive they find a younger couple, Al (Owen Teague) and Greta (Brianne Tju), already there. It turns out the rental has been double-booked. With nowhere else to go, they decide to share the cabin for one night. But when Kath wakes up the next morning she learns Max has run away with Greta. She then searches for an explanation for their sudden breakup.

Director and Co-Writer Eli Horowitz crafts an intriguing mystery with twists and turns. The more Kath searches for her explanation, the bigger the web becomes. Horowitz and fellow Screenwriter Matthew Derby find exciting ways to toy with their audience, leading them to second guess each theory they make until the shocking reveal.

It’s a reveal that most won’t see coming, however, some attentive viewers might. This is due to the introduction of Dermot Mulroney’s character, the cabin owner. Kath contacts him when trying to track down Greta. His role becomes bigger as the Film progresses, hinting that he has more at stake in her search than is led on. This mystery surrounding his character works due to Mulroney’s talent.

Leading the Cast is Ryder who turns in an impactful performance. She’s great in Kath’s confusion and frustration at Max leaving her for a younger woman. And she excels as a woman on a mission to find answers. Teague and Tju are great as the ominous couple. The latter steals the show in the Rhird Act.

The Cow screens at SXSW ’22 as follows:
In-Person:
Sunday, March 13 at 10:30 PM EST – ZACH Theatre

Tuesday, March 15 at 7:30 PM EST – Rollins Theatre at The Long Center

Wednesday, March 16 at 9:30 PM EST – Stateside Theatre

Online:
Monday, March 14 at 10:00 AM EST – Available for 48 hours

By David Baldwin

Lindsay (Britt Rentschler) and Jack (Michael Tennant) are stuck in a rut. She dreams of working in fashion, but is stuck working the cash at someone else’s shop; he is a disbarred lawyer who is now a door-to-door salesman – and he has mandatory court ordered drug testing once a week. Things change when Lindsay meets obscenely rich housewife Cat Flax (J.J. Nolan). They become fast friends and soon Lindsay and Jack are invited on a weekend getaway with Cat and others in her orbit. Jack is apprehensive, but Lindsay is very interested.

As you might predict, things are not as they seem and shenanigans and debauchery ensue.

PRETTY PROBLEMS has a satirical edge that speaks to the major differences between the haves and have nots, and takes great pleasure in escalating how outrageous things become for this couple. There is some value in the backstories of the characters, as well as the histories they share with the supporting cast. They are all one-note, yet the cast portray them with vivid precision. Much like the Film itself, they are clearly enjoying hamming it up and playing into the tropes we all instinctively understand.

When it comes down to it though, PRETTY PROBLEMS is not very funny and is actually rather irritating (which of course, may be the point). Many of the jokes land with a thud, and the repetitive nature of certain lines and personality quirks is unneeded. Their importance to the plotline is pretty clear after the second mention. While there are a few twists I did not see coming (including one ripped wholesale from a recent mini-series), others you can see coming from a mile away. It is a truly mixed bag and I can only assume others will find much more to like about it than I did. I just wish the Film had likeable characters, because with them, PRETTY PROBLEMS could have been a lot more fun.

PRETTY PROBLEMS screens at SXSW ’22:

In-Person:
Monday, March 14 at 12:30pm EST – ZACH Theatre
Wednesday, March 16 at 4:30pm EST – Violet Crown Cinema 1
Wednesday, March 16 at 5:00pm EST – Violet Crown Cinema 3

Online:
Tuesday, March 15 at 10:00am EST – Available for 48 hours

To be honest, I didn’t know much about Sarma Melngallis, who propelled to the top of New York City’s food scene just over ten years ago. Her Pure Food and Wine and One Lucky Duck restaurants served buzzy vegan cuisine, frequented by celebrities. We learn Alec Baldwin was smitten by her as a frequent patron at Pure Food and Wine, and wanted to court her even.

Four-part Netflix Docu-Series BAD VEGAN: FAME. FRAUD. FUGITIVES. chronicles her downfall after meeting and marrying then-husband Anthony Strangis who would deceive her into giving him large sums of money in hopes of receiving even larger returns back. This drained profits from her successful businesses, placing her in severe debt. What resulted was her workers being unpaid, refusing to work, and then on the guidance of Strangis, swindling potential investors to buy into her brand, eventually leading to them being on-the-run, controlled in a cult-like manner by him. As it turns out, her ex-husband gambled away all the money, all while she stood by as a passive by-stander picking-up his fast food for him. The irony, considering the health food she became known for. Melngallis would face a guilty sentence for fraud, tax evasion and criminal tax fraud, landing her four months in prison.

Director Chris Smith, who brought us Tiger King, once again delivers a very fascinating story, though it perhaps could’ve been told more succinctly. While there aren’t big personalities nor much spectacle, and an admitted lack of Strangis‘ actual involvement, we do find ourselves feeling compassion for Melngallis, who to this day doesn’t even know why she did some of the things she did. We do get a sense of her shame, embarrassment, yet hopefulness through it all and this is her chance to tell her side of the story even when headlines and those victimized by the crimes aren’t forgiving of her. And ultimately, the Series explores the perils of what it means to not be in control of your own life and destiny.

BAD VEGAN: FAME. FRAUD. FUGITIVES. streams March 16, 2022 on Netflix.

We present a new Trailer for SONIC THE HEDGEHOG 2, in theatres this April!

OFFICIAL SYNOPSIS

The world’s favorite blue hedgehog is back for a next-level adventure in SONIC THE HEDGEHOG 2. After settling in Green Hills, Sonic is eager to prove he has what it takes to be a true hero. His test comes when Dr. Robotnik returns, this time with a new partner, Knuckles, in search for an emerald that has the power to destroy civilizations. Sonic teams up with his own sidekick, Tails, and together they embark on a globe-trotting journey to find the emerald before it falls into the wrong hands. From the filmmakers behind The Fast and the Furious and Deadpool, SONIC THE HEDGEHOG 2 stars James Marsden, Ben Schwartz as the voice of Sonic, Tika Sumpter, Natasha Rothwell, Adam Pally, Lee Majdoub and Jim Carrey returning, alongside new additions Shemar Moore, with Idris Elba as the voice of Knuckles and Colleen O’Shaughnessey as the voice of Tails.

Trailer:

SONIC THE HEDGEHOG 2 FAN EVENT EARLY ACCESS SCREENING 

Fans will have the opportunity to see Sonic the Hedgehog on Wednesday, April 6, 2022, prior to the Film’s opening on Friday, April 8, 2022. Tickets and listings here.

SONIC THE HEDGEHOG 2IS IN THEATRES APRIL 8, 2022

(Photo/video credit: Paramount Pictures Canada)

The third season of Netflix’s THE UMBRELLA ACADEMY promises new excitement as we meet the Sparrow Academy! See the brand-new Teaser for this wildly-popular Netflix Series.

About THE UMBRELLA ACADEMY Season 3:
After putting a stop to 1963’s doomsday, the Umbrella Academy return home to the present, convinced they prevented the initial apocalypse and fixed this godforsaken timeline once and for all. But after a brief moment of celebration, they realize things aren’t exactly (okay, not at all) how they left them. Enter the Sparrow Academy. Smart, stylish, and about as warm as a sea of icebergs, the Sparrows immediately clash with the Umbrellas in a violent face-off that turns out to be the least of everyone’s concerns. Navigating challenges, losses, and surprises of their own – and dealing with an unidentified destructive entity wreaking havoc in the Universe (something they may have caused) — now all they need to do is convince Dad’s new and possibly better family to help them put right what their arrival made wrong. Will they find a way back to their pre-apocalyptic lives? Or is this new world about to reveal more than just a hiccup in the timeline?

The third season of Netflix’s THE UMBRELLA ACADEMY arrives June 22, 2022.

(Photo/video credit: Netflix)

By David Baldwin

Whether you know everything or absolutely nothing about investing in the stock market, chances are you heard about a group of Redditors who took on Wall Street and won early last year. Or at least, how they made an obscene amount of money and changed long held perceptions about the industry at large.

Drea Cooper and Zackary Canepari’s Documentary DIAMOND HANDS: THE LEGEND OF WALLSTREETBETS gives an overview of the events as told by many of the Redditors who were part of the r/WallStreetBets Subreddit group (one member even goes so far as to wear a knight’s helmet to mask his true identity). They are mainly comprised of angry millennials fighting a losing battle against a system that has been rigged against them, and chronicles how they found their way to joining this group during the raging pandemic. The Film never gets into the nitty gritty, nor does it receive answers for the hard questions about the fallout from the group’s short squeeze on the Gamestop stock. There are some insightful moments with some classic cutthroat Wall Street types, but the majority of players from the big corporations refuse to speak to the camera. Rather than dwell on who they cannot talk to, DIAMOND HANDS generally just plays into the hype and hysteria around what happened, frequently cutting to stock news footage and interviews, or the plethora of profane gifs and memes that populate the Subreddit. Some are hilarious, while others are hilariously offensive.

While it may not be in-depth, DIAMOND HANDS is thoroughly entertaining and genuinely riveting to watch the players describe the events before, during and after what happened with the Gamestop stock. It does not so much capture the zeitgeist as much as it speaks to the attitudes of a generation tired of being treated as condescendingly. The Film is even pretty informative in a tongue-in-cheek way, moving along the same lines as Adam McKay’s Oscar-winning The Big Short in some cases, with its explanations and lingo. More specifically, it highlights the difference between Diamond Hands and Paper Hands – which is pretty key if you are like me and suddenly keen on wanting to join the r/WallStreetBets subreddit immediately after watching.

DIAMOND HANDS: THE LEGEND OF WALLSTREET BETS screens at SXSW ’22:

In-Person:
Sunday, March 13 at 8:00pm EST – SXSW Film Theater
Tuesday, March 15 at 3:45pm EST – Alamo Lamar A
Thursday, March 17 at 12:15pm EST – Alamo Lamar B

Online:
Monday, March 14 at 10:00am EST – Available for 48 hours