Tag: Crime

Shine On, Gattaca, You Crazy Diamond! (in a Rough)

Is this 4K edition worth the upgrade? If you don’t have the 2008 release and want the extras, buying the steel book edition (from after owning just the DVD) is a must for any science-fiction movie fan’s library.

Gattaca
Available to preorder on Amazon USA

By Ed Sum
(The Vintage Tempest)

Sony Entertainment

Release Date:
March 23, 2021

Andrew Nicol’s thought-provoking Gattaca is looking very shiny in its 4K upgrade. Fans of this film will find the Sony’s investment into smoothing out this classic movie–where perfection and subterfuge are central to the plot–a fitting call to the concept of cleaning up the flaws in the film stock.

This movie stands the test of time. It’s a gorgeous film which looks visually sharp on a 4K screen. The science of looking at original film negatives on a computer and the mathematical process involved to make this sleek and deadly thriller look pristine requires both machine logic and humans mutually agreeing which is better. Only the human eye can tell.

This film was shot in 35mm photochemical film stock. Any noticeable grain on the original or intentional use of soft imagery through the lens was light when looking back at my DVD. Also, it doesn’t help when my 4K television does its own upscaling to give a simulated higher resolution on the screener version I examined; a 2160p version wasn’t available at the time. Kudos must still be given to the team behind the colour grading fixes, though.

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On How It’s Best Not to Get Lost In “The Tangle”

This film is more of a detective story than a hard boiled crime investigation

GattacaBy Ed Sum (The Vintage Tempest)

Damn Warrior & SitkaBlu Productions

Available to rent/sell on www.nestofvampires.com.

Amazon Prime Watch party on Facebook
March 19, 2021 6pm PDT
(Not available on all countries)

Big Brother watches over everything, and records every action people do in The Tangle. Just how they manage to record everything is with nanotechnology and micro drones! This chilling world is a well crafted Orwellian style look at what could be in our reality, and thankfully the film by actor / filmmaker Christopher Soren Kelly in his directorial debut in a feature length work knows a few boundaries that should not be crossed… or does it?

That various technologies employed to keep track of people include S.O.L. (Secure OnTangle Line), a quantum encrypted hard drive implanted in the brain of many. The purpose for all this monitoring is to prevent people from committing murder. This is the future of Los Angeles after all. More people are able to live that life they want in a virtual world known as Xanadu.

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When Infighting Causes Problems with a Nest of Vampires

The world is very familiar, and anyone not paying attention will miss the punch line early in the film. We’re led down a story that’s one part heist (seeing an innocent girl get kidnapped) and another part recovery (of said woman) and vampires are involved!

Gattaca

By Ed Sum
(The Vintage Tempest)

Coming to Digital
March 15th
Amazon, Tubi, iTunes

Exclusive screening on Facebook March 13, 2021 at 1 PM PST

When human blood suckers gather, what are they called? Is it a coven or a cauldron like the bats they are? It’s hard to say, but Chris Sanders’ Nest of Vampires is an aptly named film about a cadre who is having trouble keeping quiet in a small town in England. Kit Valentine (Tom Fairfoot), a top MI5 agent, lost his wife to a group of them and the authorities are not investigating. His daughter, Anna (Daria Krauzo), is kidnapped and no self-respecting father will let this case go cold.

Had Dracula ever wanted to lay down an empire as detailed in Bram Stoker’s novel, this movie would be a perfect followup! There’s no relation to the Victorian work. Instead, this crowdfunded film project by Sanders is styled to fit in the world of The Lost Boys. Yes, the setup is cheesy, and this nest is in over their heads, but the concept nicely works.

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Discovering Immortality in Eternal Code

I had to rely on my imagination in considering how souls are moved in the makeshift medical facility Corey infiltrates. The result was more cops and robbers by the end. This movie written and directed by Harley Wallen deserves a part two, but I suspect the Hitchcock-style ending he crafted will be left at just that.

GattacaBy Ed Sum
(The Vintage Tempest)

On Amazon Prime

Eternal Code is a high fidelity thriller with low-fi science fiction ideas as the MacGuffin. In between the exposition is a discussion about the ethics of human experimentation–especially when it concerns being able to move the consciousness of one individual to another. One fact is certain: the recipient of this procedure is better off being brain dead. Another is who deserves this “second chance” more, those who can pay for the procedure or those who truly deserve a second chance at life because of something they did in the past which warrants a complete change of physical identity?

The idea can give hope to Corey (Damien Chinappi, a suicidal military vet) and Stephanie (Kaiti Wallen, a prostitute). It’d be terrible if they got the wrong end of the stick if offered. Instead, by befriending Miranda (Angelina Danielle Cama), they are more like heroes and don’t need any change at all. They can do it all for themselves, which is where this story shines.

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Breaking B, the Beginning Down Before Home Video Busts The Demons Loose!

Koku is an enigma. He’s an alien of sorts and has lost his memory. The only thing that keeps him going is a search for his beloved, someone who knows what his mission is, and the trail of breadcrumbs he leaves behind is rather bloody. Keith is a Royal Investigation Service agent (RIS) and the two are close to butting heads more often than not. The detective believes the Koku is B the Killer.

Gattaca
B: The Beginning – Season One available to pre-order on Amazon USA [Blu-ray]Gattaca
By Ed Sum
(The Vintage Tempest)

Release Date:
Oct 6, 2020

Shout! Factory

Before Netflix acquired the license to air B the Series, the animation made on spec certainly teased at a techno supernatural crime thriller. The pilot was very short, but it was very teasing of what feels like Highlander meets The Incredible Hulk meets X-Files because of a certain berserker wandering around the kingdom of Cremona and secret conspiracies going on.

Kazuto Nakazawa created this universe, and when considering his impressive resume includes creating the animated sequence in Kill Bill Vol 1 and he’s the character designer of El Hazard, I became intrigued. There were moments where I couldn’t help but think of Neon Genesis Evangelion. Well, that’s how I read this anime so far, especially after watching the second disc of the blu-ray release, which contains episodes five to seven and includes an interview with this creator who gives us a better breakdown of what he had in mind for the series. We have an introduction of who Killer B is–an anti-hero.

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What Will It Take for Harley Quinn: Birds of Prey to Recoup?

Image result for harley quinn birds of prey posterBy Ed Sum
(The Vintage Tempest)

Harley Quinn is a tough nut to crack. When she more or less helped form the Birds of Prey, the question of who is the protagonist and antagonist almost needs to be asked. To save viewers from the confusion, the longer movie title of (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn) took too long so say in one breath. And it took far too long for me to finally decide to see this film. I was lucky to see it before it completely disappeared from theatres.

Margot Robbie loves playing the psychiatrist turned psycho killer. That much is certain. If she doesn’t run far enough away from her former shackles–The Talking Heads notwithstanding–she’ll never truly be free.

I remember the television show from decades ago and it generally worked. The movie counts on fans not remembering that iteration and redoes how Harley pretty much helped form the Birds. Unfortunately, this film sadly doesn’t come out as very memorable. It’s more of a setup for later escapades.

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