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To Wax Philosophy or Sociology in A Silent Voice, Where Forth Art Thou?

31 Mar

By Ed Sum
(The Vintage Tempest)

* Spoiler Alert

A Silent Voice is coming to home video in North America on April 2nd courtesy of Shout! Factory. This movie based on Yoshitoki Ōima’s manga of the same name arrived at Japanese theatres back in late 2016, toured film festivals the subsequent year and took a rest period before getting a localized release. The extras in the region one issue are the same as the Japanese, meaning music videos and trailers (no directors commentary was made). I would love to hear about the challenges of adapting the longer printed material to film, and that can still be offered if a special edition release is being considered for later.

Life was tough for young Shōya Ishida. As he looks ready to commit suicide, other forces are at work to show life is not completely hopeless. He made mistakes. He realizes how they have affected the lives of others and himself. He seeks amends. Back in elementary school, he had a cadre of pals–Naoka Ueno, Miki Kawai, and Kazuki Shimada–but he never fully understood what friendship entailed. When his class gets a new student, Shōko Nishimiya, her disability made her a target for jokes, and he was amongst those who bullied her. They made her life difficult because she is deaf.

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Daring to Defy the Odds; Dumbo, a Movie Review

29 Mar

By Ed Sum
(The Vintage Tempest)

Disney’s film entertainment division really need not turn all their past animated hits to live-action spectacles. That said, Dumbo is the latest and while it looks terrific in a post-World War I America setting, none of the backstories matters. Holt Farrier (Colin Farrell) comes home to his two kids, Milly (Nico Parker) and Joe (Finley Hobbins) who have been living at the circus. Prior to being sent off to fight for his country, the father was part of a circus act–a headliner.

Before anyone can yell, “It’s showtime!” enter the elephant’s mother and the birth of a big-eared baby pachyderm. The CGI is decent, but the emotional performance is hit and miss. Unlike Gollum, and other animated critters, who have graced cinema in the past, to convey fear and grief is only as good as understanding the creature itself.

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Folk-Horror and Kyrsyä–Tuftland

17 Mar

By Ed Sum
(The Vintage Tempest)

The beauty of the countryside of Finland is the spotlight in Kyrsyä–Tuftland, a melodramatic piece of Folk Horror by director-producer Roope Olenius. This work is his first feature film and his attention to detail does more to emphasize a hidden terror than provide supernatural scares. Billed as Rosemary’s Baby meets Wicker Man, this hook was enough to get me interested in examining this film. Darkside Releasing made this title available in Canada last month. In the States, it’s now available on VOD with thanks to Subliminal Films.

Irina Vaahtera (Veera W. Vilo) is this film’s protagonist, and she’s feeling very lost, especially after finding out her boyfriend cheated on her. She’s not doing too well in school either, and she simply decided to get away from it all, by taking a summer internship in a small town which specializes in making a special embroidery.

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Flying Higher and Higher with the Dreams of Captain Marvel, but What’s Next?

15 Mar

Image result for captain marvel movie posterBy Ed Sum
(The Vintage Tempest)

* Spoiler Alert

Captain Marvel is the final film in stage four of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. When most viewers know that Thanos is a threat and not many superheroes can go toe to toe with him, we need a character who can. Carol Danvers (Brie Larson) is a type who wants none of this alpha male stuff if her standalone movie is any indication. Before her awakening, though, she’s was a grunt in a team known as the Starforce, and Yon-Rogg (Jude Law) wastes no time putting her (known as Vars) in her place.

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