Muse, Movie Review

Muse hints in its title at a high level to what the story is about. A struggling artist finds his muse, and in so doing rises quickly in the ranks of the southern California art scene. What the title doesn't tell you is the story doesn't retell the more common known story of the Greek muses. Instead it delves into the mythology of Ireland.

The story in Musegoes into deeper details of the overarching conflict between the blessing and the curse of finding your talent—finding your muse

Adam (Riley Egan) finds his muse. His work takes on a new emotional level he didn't have before. Their relationship grows, along with his fame. But, there is a price because an Irish Muse, Leannan Si, is a jealous creature willing to defend their love from anything that would take them away.

As Adam's fame grows a love interest begins to compete with the Leannan Si, at which point the artist must make a decision.

By going to Irish mythology this story takes unexpected twists. Choices come with greater consequences and Adam's choices will affect others.

SETTING

Adam's studio/home, along with the surrounding area, does a great job of portraying the life of a struggling artist in the Los Angeles art scene. It builds what he is facing in his life and career.

The spaces used developed the story without needing the characters to be present. There was as much of the story being told with the location and layout of the rooms and the camera work as by the acting and the dialogue.

STORYLINE

Museuses intriguing story arcs. I enjoyed the fact that we were being introduced to something outside of Greek mythology. There were a couple of points I felt were weaker and took away from the overall storytelling of the film.

The introductory sequence introduces us to the muse, but we don't know it until later. What we are given is an introduction to a supernatural creature with the capability of dealing destruction. Although it ties in later, the introduction felt disjointed from the rest of the story and the connection to the artist felt forced.

The other part that bothered me was a period of conversation to explain a Leannan Si. I'm sure this was information many people would need about a different mythology they are not used to hearing about. I felt much of the information had already been presented in earlier scenes and the additional information could have been covered in less of a maid and butler setting.

Acting

The lead actor, Riley Egan (nominated for Best Actor) sold the role of being the struggling artist. I'm sure it didn't hurt he knew how to paint, and, therefore, able to portray painting in a realistic manner. He presented himself not only struggling financially, but as a person struggling in social settings. He gave a performance reflecting his character's arc. At first, he showed the lack of confidence. Then, through the help of his muse, he gained the confidence to do incredible actions—many people would never dream of doing.

Elle Evans (nominated for Best Supporting Actress) plays his muse. She also gave a wonderful performance in a role which had its own difficulties: she has no lines. She successfully creates a performance telling her story without words. She also wonderfully represents her story arc of a creature of need.

Together, the two actors carry the audience forward in the story without the need of words.

Overall

I saw Museat the 2017 FilmQuest Film Festival. It was nominated for five awards: Best Actor (Riley Egan), Best Supporting Actress (Elle Evans), Best Cinematography, Best Production Design, and Best Score. It was written and directed by John Burr. Additional cast included Kate Mansi and Lou Ferrigno, Jr. Muse comes from the USA and runs 88 minutes.

Museis a horror movie with an overture of sexuality. There is nudity and sexual situations. There is gore and splatter. There are decisions of embracing the darkness of the circumstance to create fame. This would get an R rating.

All of this comes together to tell a story with a twist. Even with the points mentioned above, this is a horror movie worth seeing.

I give Muse3 ½ out of 5.

Museis 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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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.

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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What Immortal Hand, Book Review

For me, this is the first time I have seen a story that starts in Wendover, which sits on the border of Nevada and Utah. Having lived for over 40 years in the Salt Lake valley, I have traveled to many of the locations and over the roads in Johnny Worthen's What Immortal Hand. It was a hook for me, and the story drew me in deeper.

Michael Oswald is hitting a mid-life crisis. Life has been going in the wrong direction for a while. He has gone through a divorce and his kids are living in another state with their mom and her new husband. His job is one he despises, and he despises himself for doing it. He no longer has a house, or apartment, preferring to live out of his car and the occasional motel room.

Now he's even losing it mentally, he is experiencing hallucinations and blacking out. We see Michael grasping for something to cling onto, something to help him get grounded. He starts exploring his past to find out who he really is.

Just about everyone goes through a time in their life where they feel lost, and losing. Like Michael, we look for something to ground us. Something to help us get an understanding about who we are and where we come from.

Self-discovery can be a dark path. For some it is darker than others. Science has proven that our brains block out the memories of pain. Then, when we go digging through our thoughts to find what is missing we must deal with it in some manner. Isn't that the idea of going to therapy? After we find what we are looking for, we still have to decide what to do with it. Where we take it into the future.

In What Immortal Hand, Johnny Worthen (published by Omnium Gatherum) has created a 300-page journey of discovery with dark twists and turns. A psychological horror story for adults that contemplates those losses we have, the memories we are missing. Then, the inner battle we face when we learn about ourselves.

Join Michael on his dark adventure of discovery. Find out where it leads him. Decide if digging into your past is something you want to do to find out who you are, where you are from, and where you want to go.

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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Halloween Horror Gaming

From Plusquotes.com

'Tis the season of ghosts and ghouls and horror stories and adventures that ring in Halloween. Earlier today I was involved in a discussion about running a horror adventure for the upcoming Halloween weekend. The discussion was focused around the encounter. At first I was right in the discussion with everyone else working on what monster should be thrown against the party. Afterwards, when I started working on the possibility, I was flailing and failing horribly.

In working up a horror encounter, it is not so much of what you are running into, but how it is set up. Any monster can be used to create a horror encounter, especially when dealing with the possibilities presented in a fantasy setting like Dungeons and Dragons. My thoughts of creating the encounter for presentation changed. Instead, here are some thoughts from several authors who know something about horror.

Recently I reviewed the first volume of the Iron Dragon Series (The Golden Cord) by Paul Genesse. Along with being a dragon enthusiast, he is an established writer and editor of horror. Johnny Worthen has a number of published novels including a horror novel, Beatrysel. Along with being an author he is teaching a class this semester at the University of Utah on horror and film. Michaelbrent Collins is one of the top indie horror authors in the U.S. and screenwriter.

I want to be clear that I am talking about a horror setting, not a slasher setting. They do have some similar aspects, but I want to get into the psychological thrillers that get under your skin and not just make you jump.

When you think about a horror adventure the one thing most people go to first is the creature to be encountered, which my discussion group did. The encounter is just the fight, the combat with the boss that allows for the final showdown. You need a solid encounter to finish of the horror adventure, but it is not what makes the adventure a horror. Any creature can be used for the final encounter as long as it fits into the storyline.

Nosferatu

How the story is set changes a story into a horror story. And, this same principle applies to horror role-playing games (RPGs).

Horror continually hints at the possibility of what could happen. It is a means of looking at the darker possibilities of the world around us, and what it may hide. Horror writers do this by creating a setting that is as much a character of the story as any other character. It could be the location, but a transformation takes place to turn it into something horrific.

The use of language is important in setting the story. In gaming there have always been descriptions giving the physical layout of the room. A horror setting needs to add a layer of description presenting the possibilities and a layering affecting the psyche of the players. The shadows are lurking, and even though the characters can chase them away, there develops the lingering question of what was there and how it felt.

A place can be constricting, claustrophobic, tightening in around the characters, limiting the actions and abilities. The language of the description of every place heightens the threat, even when no threat is present. The location becomes a larger part of the encounter as it plays into the how actions can be taken.

Horror gives characters a chance at gathering themselves.  There is a rollercoaster ride of activity heightening the risk and then providing a place of peace. If your adventure runs from one high-octane encounter to the next you create a risk, but the tension of a true horror doesn't come about because the characters become "burned out" by going at the high level on a constant basis—the risk is lost. This doesn't mean you back off the language of the possibility of threats, but you develop a sense of hope for the characters between situations and then subtlety remove the hope.

In an interview I saw with Michaelbrent Collins and a later article from him, he talks about how horror gives hope and a sense of fairness, or justice. It is from this sense of hope and justice that I know a number of RPG players who don't like to play horror based games. There has to be the compensate hope versus fairness based on the actions of the characters. We see this all the time in the horror movies we watch. Players like to bash forward, knock down the door, and charge in. In many campaigns the heroes need to live to be around in the next session. In horror settings many of the characters don't come back for the sequel.

Night of the Living Dead

Characters are punished for making bad decisions or doing stupid things. They are also rewarded for doing something right or intelligent. This is a core element of horror as to why they are enjoyed by so many people. Now, in the books and movies we the foolish acts must take place at some point or the story doesn't happen. "Look an old house with flickering spectral light." "Let's not go in there." End of story.

Don't let that be your adventure. Yes, you can force characters into going into the house because that is where thy must go to get the lost tome. However, setting up an adventure that builds on setting creates intrigue as well as fear. People can be drawn to the location.

The old house sitting at the base of the hill has flickering spectral lights flashing from the windows. The flashes seemed directed towards the party as they are passing on the road beyond the wall and fallen gate. The shadows of the evening penetrate into the building and appear to flow back out as the sun sinks to the western horizon. You can feel there is something wrong about the place. And yet, the flashes come again as though someone is reflecting a candle or small lantern to gain your attention.

Enjoy the season. May you have a wonderful adventure with your gaming group.

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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