Gnaw, Movie Review

Escaping from a bad marriage Jennifer moves into an apartment away from the town where her husband lives. In her efforts of creating a new life for herself she ends up having to deal with a different level of abuse.

Gnawcreates a fictional creature that is introduced in a at the start in the film in a manner that we know what it is capable of, and what it probably is, but not how. Of course that was already given in the title.

We don't meet the creature again until much later in the story after we have already been given enough foreshadowing to know what it is and what is happening, even though NAME doesn't. At the same time she is dealing with some unknown horror Jennifer must also deal with the efforts of her ex-husband to take away her control of her life.

The mix of the main plot and the sub plot come together in a climatic conclusion that is executed with precision, even with everyone knowing what the final outcome is going to be. The delivery of how it happens is what makes this movie so good.

Storyline

Gnawplays on the theme of overcoming an abusive relationship from the title to the final scene. After the introduction, Jennifer is shown moving. At first we don't know why, but her reactions to events around her quickly drops clues about who she is and where she is from.

The build of the story continues throughout the movie. Every scene supported the theme. They might not have been obvious that some scenes were supporting the theme until more of Jennifer's backstory is unfolded on screen.

Along with the building within the theme, there are enough misleading clues (red herrings) in the story to keep you guessing on how Jennifer is going to be able to solve her problem, or if she even can.

The relationship between the two main characters, Jennifer and Terry, continues to build the storyline by giving another through another lens.

Acting

Penelope Mitchell (Curve and The Curse of Downers Grove) does a wonderful job in portraying Jennifer. She was nominated for best actress. Penelope gives us a woman who is starting out with hope. She continues to run into roadblocks in her desire for a new life because of her past relationship and the unknown that is happening to her.

She develops a friendship with Terry, another resident in the apartment complex she moved to, who is portrayed by Kyle Gass (Book of Fire). Kyle also gives a performance that brings his character to life. Kyle was nominated for best supporting actor.

When these two are on the screen together they present characters that fit together.

Overall

I saw Gnawat the 2017 FilmQuest Film Festival. It was nominated for eight awards: Best Feature Film, Best Director, Best Actress (Penelope Mitchell), Best Supporting Actor (Kyle Gass), Best Cinematography, Best Sound, Best VFX, and Best Makeup. Gnaw was directed by Haylor Garcia and written by Jim Brennan and Haylar Garcia. The movie is from the USA and runs 99 minutes. Additional listed cast includes Chris Johnson (Game Day and 47 Meters Down) and Sally Kirkland (Price for Freedom and The Most Hated Woman).

Gnawis a supernatural horror thriller that keeps you engaged. There is enough that gives a strong continuity from beginning to end with the right amount of misleading details to keep you guessing how it is going to end up. It was an ending I found fulfilling.

I give Gnaw4 out of 5.

Gnawis currently on the film festival circuit.

This article is submitted to Utah Geek Magazine.

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The Secret Garden (Steampunk), Movie Review

The Secret Garden is a classic story—one that has stood up as a book and as a movie. With this in mind, Director Owen Smith didn't want to be compared to what has come before. Instead of "remaking" the movie in the same style that's been accomplished and enjoyed, he reset it in steampunk.

We are moved to a fictional factory that is in demise. Mary Lennox shows up for a short stay and ends up being orphaned and needing to stay longer. By the end she has changed things around for her uncle and those few people who have been holding on.

Sorry if this is a spoiler, but the story was written in 1910, released as a book in 1911, and the first movie came out in 1949.

The story has become a classic that lends itself to be a good movie. However, it is not the story that makes this movie. What sets this movie apart is the setting and the cast.

Using Steampunk

Smith succeeded with using a steampunk alternative for his presentation of The Secret Garden. The location they found creates a space where the story unfolds in spectacular fashion. Yes, alterations were made to the tale. They were not able to keep to the age of the original characters and as you watch what they did you find the alterations are done with taste and are reflected within this telling.

The aspects of the story they changed fit together to give a delightful family tale. Details were dealt with to make sure continuity is maintained throughout the movie. The visual effects for creating the steampunk universe play on the roles. The costumes fit the characters and add to the setting. Kudos to their designer because there were details in the costumes that could have been easily overlooked.

The extra tidbits used in the costume design helped to reflect the limitation of space and push the story along in the new setting. This was recognized at FilmQuest as The Secret Garden was nominated for Best Costumes.

Cast

The cast played off one another as though they truly were the characters they were portraying. This is probably why The Secret Garden was nominated for Best Ensemble Cast. All did well, but Amanda Waters (Mandie Movies) as Martha Sowerby was exceptional, and was nominated for Best Supporting Actress.

Other cast members included Erin Leigh Bushko as Mrs Medlock, Sacha Dzuba as Doctor Craven, Mark Ashworth as Ben Weatherstaff, Max River as Dickon Sowerby, Hannah Fierman as Lily Craven, Paden Garrett Anderson as Colin Craven, and Michael Vaughn as Archibald Craven.

Overall

I was able to see The Secret Garden at the 2017 FilmQuest Film Festival. It was nominated for seven awards: Best Supporting Actress (Amanda Waters), Best Costumes, Best Production Design, Best Sound, Best Score, Best VFX, and Best Ensemble Cast. The movie runs 90 minutes.

The Secret Garden is a wonderful family tale presented as a movie worth sharing as a family. If you are familiar with the story, or not, this was done in a delightful manner that keeps with the style of movies The Dogwood Motion Picture Company has become known for.

I give The Secret Garden 4 out of 5.

The Secret Garden is currently on the film festival circuit.

This article is submitted to Utah Geek Magazine.

If you have a comment, suggestion, or critique please leave a comment here or send an email to guildmastergaming@gmail.com.

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Dead Leaves, Movie Review, Screened at FilmQuest Film Festival 2017

I saw the French-Canadian film Dead Leaves at the 2017 FilmQuest Film Festival.

Dead Leaves is three stories taking place at the same time in the Canadian woods five years after an economic collapse. Even though there is this overarching setting for the story the three individual stories make it a little harder to give a rundown of the plot.

At the beginning there is a brief moment that shows the stories are taking place in the same area, and hints that they are intertwined. Then each goes on their separate ways, until the closing scene of the movie. So, this felt like three stories in an anthology where there is a known starting point and ending point.

Each of the three stories in Dead Leaves had a different feel to it. There were three directors listed for the movie and who were also listed as the writers. This makes me feel that each created and directed their own storyline.

This gives the movie a rough start. The storylines are very disparate, heading off in their own directions with hints that they are going to be linking back together. With the definite differences in character and feel to each story it was easy enough to tell when the story shifted from one to another. It was almost too much of a difference to give the acceptance that they were all happening close to each other.

After settling in and giving over to the style, I was able to find that each was looking at a different aspect of how life could turn for individuals in the rural setting. Each story told of an individual dealing with the situation in their way. Because of the choices they made, each was having to deal with their own set of individual circumstances.

As the stories continue to unfold we are given the opportunity to see how through their differences they are each dealing with very much the same theme of man's inhumanity to man. And, how they are struggling to rise above the situation, but being dragged into the circumstances of the overarching situation.

The movie builds, creating a more solidified story than what we start with. The final scene gives the culmination that as long as there are people like the three protagonists we can have hope for our continuation.

The film is set in the French-Canadian forests and the setting is used to great affect in telling the story. The locations become elements helping build the story and the impact the collapse has had on the people. And, at the same time, you are given how resilient the land has been in how the impact has been limited to humanity.

There are times we see the tropes used in post-apocalyptic settings. It is hard to say if Dead Leaves was paying homage to earlier works from years past or if there was a deeper meaning. When I first saw the scenes I felt a little pushed out of the story, thinking they were just rehashing. But, they were just scenes and not the rehashing of the story. This led me to think about what the movie was saying at the deeper level and how people fall back on what they known in dealing with the unknown. For many of us the known way of dealing with this type of situation are those stories we have read and seen.

The look of the actors was used just as well, if not better than the settings in telling the story. The look gave an authentic feel to what it would be like just a few years after. It wasn't over-the-top. It looked like people who had dug into their closets, traded, or did with what they could find. It spoke of the hardship of some, and the established luxury of others. Their look even gave hints about what they were willing to do.

The portrayal of the characters never took me out of the movie. I was watching people who were dealing with their life as they now know it. I never felt like anything that was done pulled me back into the present and away from the hardships and decisions they were being faced with.

The strength of having the three storylines is it gives every person seeing this film someone to identify with. Once I did that, and noticed those around me were doing the same, we were drawn in. I could see people leaning forward then back at different times, corresponding to the storyline that had their interest.

It didn't mean the other stories weren't as compelling, they just had different hooks. I listened to people talking about the film afterwards and how they related to different characters, and why.

Overall, Dead Leaves has a slower start and a great finish. The use of the setting provides additional character to the story and to the theme. The acting is wonderful and I could feel what the characters were going through. The movie is in French.

I give Dead Leaves 4 out of 5.

Dead Leaves is currently on the film festival circuit.

Dead Leaves was nominated for eight awards at FilmQuest: Best Feature Film; Best Director; Best Actor, Roy Dupuis; Best Supporting Actress, Audrey Rancourt-Lessard; Best Costumes; Best Sound; Best Score; and Best Makeup.

The Director/Writers were listed as Thierry Bouffard, Steve Landry, and Edouard A. Tremblay. With the cast of Roy Dupuis, Noemie O'Farrell, Audrey Rancourt-Lessard, and Philippe Racine. The movie runs for 103 minutes.

This article is also published with Utah Geek Magazine.

If you have a comment, suggestion, or critique please leave a comment here or send an email to guildmastergaming@gmail.com.

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Curvature, Movie review from the 2017 FilmQuest Film Festival

Curvature is a time travel adventure with a suspenseful twist bringing the lead character, Helen (Lyndsy Fonesca: RePlay, Agent Carter), full circle on herself.

Helen is a robotics engineer who, at the start of the movie is found recovering from the tragic suicide of her engineering husband. She retreats to the family cabin only to find herself waking up on her couch in the city with amnesia. The amount of time she is missing in her memory matches with the experiments her husband was doing with time travel.

With the help of a concerned friend, Alex (Zack Avery), she starts retracing her steps to find out what happened.

Helen comes to understand she sent herself back in time to stop herself from killing her husband's murder, his business and research partner Tomas (Glenn Morshower: Transformers: The Last Knight).

And the adventure begins.

The premise gives the movie a strong start. The acting is strong including the star power appearance of Linda Hamilton (The Terminator) as Florence, Helens Robotics advisor from her school days. The presence on the screen really shines and Diego Hallivis directs them into some stunning performances.

However, the story has some flaws that take away from the story. I noticed a couple of breaks in character and in the plot that made me step back some from the film. Which was a sad thing because I like what they were doing and where the story ended up.

The actors did what they could with the characters, and they did a great job. The flaws presented were in how the characters were written. It felt like there were changes made during production that didn't get incorporated well.

This could very well be the case because I heard the filming of Linda Hamilton's role had to be cut short because she had to leave the set to take care of personal matters.

Removing the minor flaws the story moves well. The scenes are well set and even though there is a very scientific look where it is needed, other parts, with the minor details in the background sets it in a current reality.

There is always a question of an ethical dilemma when time travel is concerned. This provides the basics that we've become used to. There is also an added subplot, developing an additional ethical dilemma, woven in throughout the film.

When we reach the end of the movie the separate plots are brought together nicely. Helen is brought full circle on herself. When she realizes what her true motive was, and, in a sense, is, it brought me back into the story.

Curvature has some mild language use, which would probably give it a PG-13 rating. There is nothing in it that would bring it close to an R.

I saw Curvature at the 2017 FilmQuest Film Festival. The film was nominated for 6 awards at the festival: Best Director (Diego Hallivis won this award), Best Actress (Lyndsy Fonseca as Helen), Best Supporting Actor (Glen Morshower as Tomas), Best Sound, Best Score, Best Ensemble Cast.

Overall I found Curvaturea really good movie giving it 3 ½ out 5.

I give the acting and directing 4 out of 5.

I give the writing 3 out of 5.

Curvature is still on the film festival circuit. If you like sci-fi thrillers, I think you will like Curvature for its twist on the general theme that has been used before.

Director: Diego Hallivis

Writer: Brian DeLeeuw (also wrote Some Kind of Hate)

Cast: Lyndsy Fonseca (Helen), TV RePlay and Agent Carter; Glenn Morshower (Tomas), Transformers: The Last KnIght; Linda Hamilton (Florence), Terminator; Noah Bean (Wells); Alex Lanipekun (Kraviz), The Brothers Grimsby.

Curvature is 91 minutes long and was produced in the United States.

Originally published by Utah Geek Magazine.

If you have a comment, suggestion, or critique please leave a comment here or send an email to guildmastergaming@gmail.com.

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The Gateway, Movie Review screened at FilmQuest 2017

Originally published by Utah Geek Magazine.

A particle physicist, Jane Chandler (Jacqueline McKenzie—The Water Diviner and Deep Blue Sea) has been working with her assistant Regg (Ben Mortley—Pale Blue Eyes and The Woodcutter) on making teleportation a reality. They are close to a breakthrough in their research as they've been able to dematerialize items, but, they haven't been able to get anything to materialize in the receiving chamber. A further complication is thrown into her research when her husband is killed in an accident.

While still grieving, she starts reviewing her research to bring her back to reality and her two children. At which point she comes up with an idea that might explain why the objects they've been teleporting are not rematerializing—they are being sent to a parallel universe. With a little ingenuity Jane is able to prove it.

But, Jane is still working through the grief of losing her husband, Matt (Myles Pollard—X-Men Origins: Wolverine and Tucker and Dale vs Evil). With what she has been able to prove, she comes up with a plan to travel to the other universe and find the man she's lost.

If it wasn't for the fact of the title and the marketing quote, the initial setup of the two teleportation chambers brings to mind the plot of a teleportation gone wrong story. Instead, it is a solid story bringing information from current research taking place around the world to heighten and deliver on the theme of being grateful for what you have.

What sets this movie apart are the subtle details used to illustrate the differences between the parallel universes. These are shown in the characters portrayed and the details added to the alternate universe to give it a different feel.

Wonderful acting brings each of the characters to life. The story is centered on Jane and Matt, and the writing of the characters really reflects that. The additional characters may not be as developed but they are what is needed to build the story.

I'm not saying the actors did poorly in portraying the characters, or even a breakdown in the storyline. They weren't the focus of the story. The additional characters, especially the children played by Ryan Panizza and Shannon Berry gave some pungent points to the scenes, rounding out the story being told. They brought another level of emotional involvement, and a viewpoint of the differences in the alternate character that otherwise would not have been visible.

Myles Pollard as Matt and Ben Mortley as Regg had the opportunity of playing the same characters in two different "roles" (Jacqueline McKenzie, had scenes as her alternate also). The two actors created two distinct characters fitting to the setting they were from. Pollard gives us the Matt of this world and the Matt of the other world in great contrast to each other. He accomplishes the differences without having to be blunt.

To help set the mood of the alternate universe there were touches in the settings that set the tone. The lighting and coloration of the alternate universe immediately gave the feeling there is something different. There were also little touches added to the look of the characters and backgrounds to further the feel.

None of this would have worked if the science wasn't done right.

I've followed science and have worked with a number of scientist, albeit not particle physicists, and The Gateway does a good job of representing the science. There was enough of the theory and practical activity being presented to give a sense of plausibility.

Teleportation has been getting more attention lately with the some of the research that has been coming out of places like Australia where The Gateway was made. I could tell consideration was given to current activity in the field. But don't be worried if you aren't a science geek. The information is delivered so that you don't need to be caught up on the peer reviewed articles coming out of the journals. I felt the amount they touched on, and how they did it kept with the pace of what they wanted to achieve. Personally, I wasn't thrown out of the story because they tried to get too much science involved, or skimmed over it too lightly.

I had the opportunity of seeing The Gateway at this year's (2017) FilmQuest Film Festival. At the festival it was nominated for best screenplay, best actor (Myles Pollard), best actress (Jacqueline McKenzie), best VFX, where it was up for several awards including the screenplay and the two lead actors.

During the question and answers after the screening it was noted that the script for The Gatewaystarted out as a time travel story. As they were working on it they felt there were a number of time travel movies already on the market and they wanted to do something different. They did.

Changing the story to dealing with a parallel universe works.

The other point brought up about the movie was they were looking at obtaining distribution in North America and Australia.

Overall

I liked The Gateway. A solid story maintaining a theme to give it cohesion from beginning to end. Enough detail to the research going on without being overbearing.

The story was compelling and there were twists that fit into the subtlety of the rest of the movie. We are given a promise at the beginning, and the promise is delivered. Even though, it may not be in just the way we thought it was going to happen.

The acting, directing, and cinematography were all well done. The feelings and mood of the movie were portrayed well.

I give The Gateway4 out of 5. It is worth seeing.

Director: John V. Soto (The Reckoning and Needle)

Writers: John V. Soto, Michael White (a large list of science related books since 1992)

Time: 90 minutes

If you have a comment, suggestion, or critique please leave a comment here or send an email to guildmastergaming@gmail.com.

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Dead Shack, Movie Review Screened at FilmQuest 2017

Dead Shack is a horror/comedy/young adult (YA) movie with the tropes you've come to expect. It takes place in a cabin in the woods and there are zombies. There is the smart aleck younger brother. There are teenagers who save the day, and along the way they deal with some of their own teenager problems. There is humor which would push it to a PG level, and there is language, which would take it to an R rating. These elements combined to present a solid story, but none of them stood out to grab me.

That is because, Dead Shack is a YA horror film. The expected layers of a YA story are present. There are teenagers who, because of their familial situations, are socially struggling. They encounter a situation they bring to the adults. The adults don't believe the outlandish story, and then are unable to do anything about the problem. With a little luck and ingenuity, the youth come up with a plan bringing them through the experience. By the end the teens are changed, presumably for the better.

The Characters and Acting Are Solid

Each character in Dead Shack was their own person and the portrayals of the characters were enjoyable because personalities didn't break. Fitting into the YA setup is the tough sister, Summer (Lizzie Boys), her smart aleck brother, Colin (Gabriel LaBelle), and his friend Jason (Matthew Nelson-Mahood) who allows himself to be pushed around and likes Summer. The three are on a camping trip to a cabin in the woods by the sibling's dad (Donavon Stinson) along with his latest girlfriend (Valerie Tian). The kids go exploring and see the neighbor (Lauren Holly) feeding her family, who happen to be zombies.

The Plot is Young Adult

In a horror film I expect to see characters get killed. Some of them you want to see get it, while others are rooted for to make it through to the end. After the initial introduction to are main characters I was fairly confident of who was going to make it through and who wasn't. And those expectations were met.

I found the plot to be predictable because it fit into the YA format. I talked with others who were in the screening and they had different thoughts about the predictability of Dead Shack. They felt there were unexpected turns that kept them guessing till the end. The main point of enjoyment for them was the teenagers solving the situation.

The humor in the movie goes along with the genre. There are some funny situations and the commentary from Colin is a typical teenage boy who has few restraints.

Dead Shack also has some heart to it. Even with the dysfunctionality of the family, they are still family and they are going to do what needs to be done. This theme was carried through from beginning to end giving the movie coherence.

Overall

Dead Shack is a good movie for spending some time with. There is nothing overly gross or disturbing. A couple of scenes come close—it is still a horror movie—there is some flesh eating and hammer bashing.

The YA format in books and movies is strong right now and Dead Shack is a solid representation of the genre.

I saw Dead Shack at FilmQuest2017 in Provo, Utah. It is currently on the film festival circuit.

Dead Shack was shot and made in Canada.

Director: Peter Ricq

Writers: Phil Ivanusic, and Peter Ricq

Length: 82 Minutes

I give it a score of 3 out of 5, a solid movie

Originally published by Utah Geek Magazine.

If you have a comment, suggestion, or critique please leave a comment here or send an email to guildmastergaming@gmail.com.

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FilmQuest, Upcoming Articles and Reviews

I have received an opportunity of covering Utah's second largest film festival, FilmQuest.

The festival is September 8^th through September 16^th. FilmQuest is an international film festival specializing in sci-fi, fantasy, and horror. They had over 1,000 submissions this year and will be screening over 200 full length and short movies.

I will be writing articles about the festival for Utah Geek Magazine. My goal is to cover as much as I can, which means I will be writing a lot of articles. First publication will be going to Utah Geek Magazine, then I will be adding them to Guild Master Gaming.

The articles I will be publishing will be extra articles, I plan on continuing to publish articles about table top gaming. However, because several of the outlets that allow me to share my articles are specialized to different types of gaming, I will only be publishing the articles on a limited number of locations, unless I hear from the site owners it is alright to share across their platform. Otherwise, if you are interested in getting all of the posts I please ask that you like or follow the blog, or one of the social media feeds I maintain.

I hope you will enjoy the information about FilmQuest and the movie reviews that will be forth coming.

Thanks,

Daniel Yocom

If you have a comment, suggestion, or critique please leave a comment here or send an email to guildmastergaming@gmail.com.

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