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TRAILER WATCH - NEWS OF THE WORLDPosted on 23 Oct 2020 |
Genre: Drama
Director: Lee Isaac Chung
Cast: Steven Yuen, Yeri Han, Alan S. Kim, Noel Cho, Yuh-Jung Youn, Darryl Cox, Esther Moon, Will Patton
Runtime: 1 h 55 mins
Rating: PG
Released By: Encore Films
Official Website:
Opening Day: 11 March 2021
Synopsis: A tender and sweeping story about what roots us, Minari follows a Korean American family that moves to a tiny Arkansas farm in search of their own American Dream. The family home changes completely with the arrival of their sly, foul-mouthed, but incredibly loving grandmother. Amidst the instability and challenges of this new life in the rugged Ozarks, Minari shows the undeniable resilience of family and what really makes a home.
Movie Review:
Two months into the new year and we may very well have another Parasite on our hands. Minari is Lee Isaac Chung’s feathery opus, chronicling an immigrant family trying to take root in a new motherland while earning their own particular version of success. It’s a gentle story held aloft by deceptively easy story-telling, yet takes flight from an incredible showing of talent and skill from cast and crew.
The film is an echo of the world we live in today, where a global community is becoming increasingly vocal, claiming identity over social media through cultural ownership. So how does one stay authentic, especially when in a foreign land? Do you identify through ethnicity, lifestyle or ideal? Is there even proprietorship over cultural methods? What parts of tradition do you forsake and what do you keep? Are you ever the same after?
Lee dissects these as one would a beautiful butterfly - tenderly. Revelations here are whispered - personal discoveries that seep slowly like water on dry soil. It is this that keeps the film intimate and yet the audience rapt, and also because the story here is of millions, told through the South Korean Yi family, human to the core.
Steven Yuen is Jacob, the leader of his small family, eager to manifest his dream of a 50-acre farm after growing tired of a tedious stagnating career as a chicken sexer in California. He brings wife Monica (Yeri Han) and his children Anne (Noel Kate Cho) and David (Alan Kim) to the Ozarks, surprising them with a new “house on wheels”, his enthusiasm clouding the resentment from his city-centric wife.
He manages to convince the family to give the new lifestyle a go, but to pacify Monica, has her mother Soonja (Yuh-Jung Youn) moving in from South Korea to care for the kids. This does not sit well with David, who after having to share his room, blurts in a tantrum that the elderly “smells like Korea”. The energetic grand dame is unfazed, and proceeds to try and win him over with her cheeky expressions of love.
Minari sits like a pile of fine threads, with each character pulling on the slowly tightening ball. The pace may be languid, but is helped by the incidental scenes of development and philosophies. “Things that hide are often more dangerous and scary,” Soonja shares to her grandson when he spots a snake at a creek. She could just as well have been talking about each member of the family.
And even at cruise speed and buckled up, the film still manages to serve a heartbreaking crescendo. This might have something to do with cinematographer Lachlan Milne’s poetic work, layering visulas one upon another lusciously. Add in composer Emile Mosseri’s seductive score and you have a vehicle that coos beautifully on all fronts.
The fact that the material has roots in Lee’s own childhood in Arkansas makes this a semi-autobiographical piece. The period is also the same - the 1980s. There are observations here that border on caricature (such as the sheltered church-going locals), but the humanistic details and a wry undertone softens the presumed racism into an ignorance that even comes across charming (as demonstrated by the local kids and evangelical war veteran, brilliantly acted by Will Patton). In an age of trending wokeness and where there’s always someone gatekeeping language and culture, this was a refreshing way to handle the phenomena.
But what Minari succeeds the most, is in expanding the migrant story. Instead of rehashing the rags-to-riches story, or a chest-beating showcase of struggles, it furthers the conversation by sitting us in the now. This is a family that has already “made it”, but is shifting gears to move past survival to create a legacy, and this is a struggle that’s more familiar to today’s audience.
The title references a waterside plant that Soonja brings from South Korea and plants by a creek. It grows effortlessly, this foreign species, when left to its own devices, unlike Jacob’s crop of Korean produce, which only rewards with constant sacrifice.
It’s easy to draw the parallels from there.
Movie Rating:
(A modest but deeply poignant project. The examination here is poetic and affecting, courtesy of the brilliant filmwork from cast and crew)
Review by Morgan Awyong
SYNOPSIS: To be more specific, this is the Borat Subsequent Moviefilm: Delivery of Prodigious Bribe to American Regime for Make Benefit Once Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan. Chenqui!
MOVIE REVIEW:
Fourteen years ago, we were blessed with a mockumentary film titled Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan. The movie was outrageously rude, but also relevant for a world that needed to see reveals the racist, anti-Semite and sexist views that some people in the Western world had. More than a decade later, the Kazakh journalist is back. And this time, he is even more relevant for a world that has changed drastically over time. It is also interesting to note that he is making waves during this time of the year, where the USpresidential election is looming round the corner.
Like the first movie, the sequel is also hilariously titled. Borat Subsequent Moviefilm: Delivery of Prodigious Bribe to American Regime for Make Benefit Once Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan gives us more of the satirical fictional character created and performed by Sacha Baron Cohen. Released from prison for bringing shame to his country (go rewatch the first film because if you were a fan because it will still make you laugh out loud), Borat gets an opportunity to redeem himself. His original mission was to deliver the Kazakh Minister of Culture Johnny the Monkey (yup, you read that right) to US Vice President Mike Pence, but circumstances has it that he has to gift his 15 year old daughter Tutar instead.
Fans of the first movie wouldn’t be disappointed. As you’d expect, the 96 film is a collection of pranks. While the question of whether some of them were staged for entertainment purpose remains, it is with no doubt that the jokes are offensive yet poignant. Depending on your preference for humour, the entire movie can be top notch comedy or a crude attempt at making viewers laugh. It’s obvious that this writer belongs to the former group of audience.
The pranks range from seemingly innocent ones where Borat buys a cage for Tutar to the more contentious ones where Borat meets a Holocaust survivor. Then there are the politically charged ones (which you may have read about from the massive social media coverage) where Borat crashes Pence’s speech and Tutar interviews Rudy Giuliani, President Donald Trump's personal lawyer. If you haven’t heard already, the prank involves Tutar posing as a reporter for a fake right wing news media and it ends with Giuliani in a compromising position. There can be non stop debate whether these are camera and editing tricks, but you have to hand it to the filmmakers for pulling this off.
Amidst the laughs, there is also quite a bit of heart in this movie. The bond between Borat and Tutar is, dare we say it, heartfelt. Essentially, this is a story about a father’s love for her daughter, regardless of how silly and ridiculous the premise may sound. Bulgarian actress Maria Bakalova takes on the role with Tutar with guts, and this experience will be one that the 24 year old will never forget.
The film ends with a plot twist that is apt for the current COVID-19 pandemic the world is battling. This is a story that the world needs and deserves right now – kudos to the filmmakers for such an incredible feat.
MOVIE RATING:
Review by John Li
Genre: Mystery/Thriller
Director: David Prior
Cast: James Badge Dale, Stephen Root, Joel Courtney
Runtime: 2 hrs 17 mins
Rating: NC16 (Violence & Sexual Scene)
Released By: Walt Disney Pictures
Official Website:
Opening Day: 22 October 2020
Synopsis: In a quiet town in the rural Midwest, a former police officer (Stephen Root) takes it upon himself to continue investigating the disappearance of a young girl despite the case going cold. In his search, he stumbles upon a group of youths that he suspects may be harboring a sinister, supernatural secret. The further he becomes involved with the group, the more connections to his investigation he pieces together.
Movie Review:
The COVID-19 pandemic has caused quite a bit of a dry spell for movies which were planned to hit the big screen in 2020. There are blockbusters which are postponed, and then there are movies like this one written by David Prior that are going head to head with the coronavirus.
There isn’t much marketing for this horror flick based on Cullen Bunn and Vanesa R. Del Rey's graphic novel of same name published by Boom! Studios. You can imagine the studio executives saying: “Great. Halloween is coming. Let’s just get this over and done with before we incur more losses.” It’s unfortunate, but this is probably the state of things for the filmmaking industry now.
Things don’t look good on the get go, and you step into the cinema with very low expectations. The 20 minute prologue is well set up. It is 1995, and four hikers are hiking in Bhutan. You know what they say about foreigners in a sacred land – things always mess up when they step into realms that are supposed to remain untouched. An unfortunate incident happens and we are brought to 2018 where the movie begins proper.
A group of teenagers go missing and it is believed that an urban legend known as the Empty Man is the culprit. A world weary retired policeman begins investigating and things become even more mysterious as he uncovers what looks like a cult. Digging deeper, he becomes dangerously involved and things get out of hand when he discovers the group’s attempts to summon a mystical entity.
It has been a while since we’ve seen a horror flick that runs more than two hours. The 137 minute movie is a slow burner and is tonally different from the usual productions of the same genre. There is a sense of foreboding gloom throughout, and although there are obligatory moments of cheap scares and sudden appearances of a ghastly made up monster, the filmmakers clearly wanted to produce an atmospheric work that creeps up to you with immense dread.
The use of close ups and sound design works well to keep you engaged. One particular scene has the protagonist discovering a group of cult members from afar. The setup is effectively heart thumping as the screen disrupts your senses with light strobes, while every footstep heard makes you fear for the protagonist’s fate. While we won’t say that the story is out of this world innovative, let it be known that there are many trashier screenplays out there which got the green light for a bigger budget.
The cast is relatively unknown, but each member does a decent job. Kudos to the male lead James Badge Dale for portraying a man who is visibly tired and emotionally exhausted. As the story progresses, you find out why and empathise with what he has gone through.
This is evidently a movie project that has become a casualty of the current situation. It probably will suffer financial losses, and will be forgotten in time to come. One can argue that it is not a horror classic by any means, but we’d say it definitely deserves more credit than many of the horror movies we’ve seen.
Movie Rating:
(An atmospheric and slow burning horror movie that deserves more credit than it will get, no thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic)
Review by John Li
Genre: Horror/Thriller
Director: Eric Bress
Cast: Brenton Thwaites, Theo Rossi, Skylar Astin, Kyle Gallner, Alan Ritchson, Billy Zane, Shaun Toub
Runtime: 1 hr 35 mins
Rating: M18 (Violence & Gore)
Released By: Golden Village Pictures
Official Website:
Opening Day: 29 October 2020
Synopsis: During the bleakest days of WW2, five battled-hardened soldiers are given a cake assignment; to hold down a Chateau in the French countryside formerly used by the Nazi high command. What begins as an unexpected respite quickly descends into madness when they encounter an enemy far more terrifying than anything seen on the battlefield. Cut off from contact with the outside world, Lieutenant Goodson and his men begin experiencing inexplicable events and are taunted by malevolent unseen forces. Something is occupying the house; an evil that will not let them leave alive. The soldiers eventually uncover that they are being hunted by the Helwig family, the original residents who were brutally slaughtered by the Nazis and are now seeking vengeance for their family’s gruesome slaughter. When the die-hard soldiers’ skillsets are rendered useless in the face of this supernatural enemy, their last-ditch attempts to escape lead to the discovery that they are trapped in a twisted nightmare where the sins of their own crimes returning upon them may be more unbearable than the evil lurking within.
Movie Review:
Let this be fair warning for those eager to step into the ‘Ghosts of War’ – this sophomore feature from writer/ director Eric Bress of ‘The Butterfly Effect’ boasts a third act revelation that you’ll either love or hate, only because it is the sort of narrative leap which makes or breaks a film. Yet those willing to suspend their disbelief will find that there is something enjoyably bonkers about this intriguing but implausible genre mashup that few other directors would probably have even thought of.
On the surface, this is about five American soldiers who have been assigned to guard a lavish chateau in the French countryside which had recently been used by German high-command. After what had clearly been a traumatic tour-of-duty, resulting in not just symptoms of PTSD among the quintet but also borderline psychotic by one of them, this latest mission must seem like a vacation to the group of men led by Lt. Goodson (Brenton Thwaites).
The first sign that things may not be as straightforward as they seem is when the company they are replacing seem to be in an awful hurry to get out of there. It isn’t long before they realise that the house is haunted, ostensibly by the French family who once lived there before being murdered by the Nazis for harbouring Jews. Among the notable encounters include mysterious clanging sounds which turn out to be messages/ warnings in Morse Code, an elaborate pentagram symbol drawn on the wooden floorboards and hidden underneath a rug, and random visions of the French household in the form of nightmares.
Thanks to production designer Antonello Rubino and cinematographer Lorenzo Senator, there is good atmosphere in the scenes set within the chateau, which leverage the ornate interiors to generate plenty of dread. Bress resorts a little too often to jump scares, but the plotting has enough mystery to keep you hooked – what exactly do these spirits want; why do they seem to be plaguing yet protecting these five men; and what about the deliberately incongruous bits, such as a Muslim curse or the box of Puerto Rican cigars?
The last is intended as lead-up to the twist which we described at the start, the sort of surprise that you’d either embrace or reject outright. Admittedly, Bress doesn’t do himself any favours by glossing over the logical gaps in his storytelling, lapses that even the explanatory reveal doesn’t quite account for. Yet those who are willing to forgive the patchy narrative of such a B-genre offering will nonetheless be swept away by the sheer will of Bress’ imagination; and it helps too that he has a game young cast – besides Thwaites, there is Skylar Austin as the bookish Eugene, Alan Ritchson as the brawny Butchie, Theo Rossi as the straight-arrow Kirk, and Kyle Gallner as the borderline-crazy Tappert.
It has taken more than a decade for Bress to make his sophomore film, but those who remember ‘The Butterfly Effect’ will recognise the similarities in plotting, especially the ‘gotcha’ ending. There is an emphatic statement to be found here about the horrors and traumas of war, and for his conviction, though it does require a reasonable suspension of disbelief, we were willing to give Bress the generosity to buy into his conceit.
Movie Rating:
(Strong atmosphere and a committed young cast carry this intriguing but uneven horror mystery which bears a love-it-or-hate-it third act twist)
Review by Gabriel Chong
Genre: Supernatural
Director: Zoe Lister-Jones
Cast: Cailee Spaeny, Gideon Adlon, Lovie Simone, Zoey Luna, Nicholas Galitzine, Michelle Monaghan, David Duchovny
Runtime: 1 hr 35 mins
Rating: NC16 (Sexual References)
Released By: Sony Pictures
Official Website:
Opening Day: 29 October 2020
Synopsis: In Blumhouse’s continuation of the cult hit The Craft, an eclectic foursome of aspiring teenage witches get more than they bargained for as they lean into their newfound powers.
Movie Review:
Witchcraft makes a fascinating theme in movies and the original Craft is a supernatural hit that deals with more than that just witchcraft. It’s one that touches on traumatic teenager issues such as insecurities, BGR, domestic violence and the danger of indulging in witchery.
More than two decades later, we have the reimagined sequel to it entitled The Craft: Legacy. Proudly brought to you by Blumhouse productions known for their sometimes cheap horror takeaways.
Written and directed by actress Zoe Lister-Jones, Legacy is a mix of the original cult hit with elements tailored for the tik-tok generation. There are references and throwbacks to the Andre Fleming version of course but it doesn’t really matter if you are too young to catch the 1996 one. As mentioned, this is a reimagined tale, in other words not exactly imaginative nor is it original.
The story opens with Lily (Cailee Spaeney) and her mother, Helen (Michelle Monaghan) on their way to their new home where Helen’s boyfriend, Adam (David Duchovny) and his three sons lived. Adam is a successful self-help guru for men though Lily seems to feel slightly apprehensive upon meeting him. Well, there’s probably more than meet the eyes where Adam is concerned. But the story needs to move on.
After an unfortunate accident that involves ahem menstruation, Lily went on to make friends with three other girls, Frankie (Gideon Adlon), Tabby (Lovie Simone) and Lourdes (Zoey Luna). Coincidentally, the trio are searching for the last girl to complete their coven and Lily with her mysterious powers happen to be the chosen one. And thus comes a series of montages where we see the group of girls dabbling with their newfound superpowers and their first victim happened to be the class bully, Timmy (Nicholas Galitzine).
Instead of focusing the core of the story on the four girls, Legacy somehow diverts all its available resources on Lily presumably its budget concern or a creative decision. First, Lily puts a love spell on Timmy which is a no-no when it comes to witchcraft. As the rest of the girls put it, they are doing witchcraft for the whole of the community not for the benefit of one self. Ok, point taken. Then Lily discovered she is actually adopted and Helen never reveal the fact to her until now. Wait, and there is seemingly a far more sinister presence lurking around Lily and he wants Lily to voluntarily surrender her powers to him.
In an ideal scenario, we should experience more emotional connection between the girls. There is a thing called friendship which is sadly entirely left out. For a movie that deals with witchcraft, there is never a proper explanation or execution of witchcraft except a couple of brief scenes. The girls seem to be born conveniently with supernatural powers liked a comic book superhero. Zoe Lister-Jones attempts to work in a strong message about toxic masculinity against female empowerment. It’s a shame as it just comes across as dopey and awkward.
The Craft: Legacy fails miserably compared to its predecessor on the whole. The CG is awful. The third act feels rushed especially with the motives and sudden appearance of the villain character. The entire process feels like a low-cost TV pilot despite Cailee Spaeney’s likeable performance.
Movie Rating:
(What makes the original so effective are sorely lacking in this legacy)
Review by Linus Tee
Genre: Thriller
Director: Mikael Marcimain
Cast: Alexander Dreymon, Allison Williams, Keith David
Runtime: 1 hr 27 mins
Rating: TBA
Released By: Golden Village Pictures
Official Website:
Opening Day: 12 November 2020
Synopsis: From the creators of 10 Cloverfield Lane and The Shallows, HORIZON LINE is a thrilling survival story about an estranged couple, Sara (Allison Williams) and Jackson (Alexander Dreymon) who discover new altitudes of fear aboard a single-engine Cessna plane. It was supposed to be a routine and casual 99-minute flight to their friend’s tropical island wedding. But within minutes after takeoff, their pilot suffers a fatal heart attack, leaving Sara and Jackson with no idea of where they are, no communication, and no clue on how to land the plane. With nothing but miles of ocean and sky in every direction, and a terrifying storm that’s about to envelop them, Sara and Jackson have only one shot – and there’s no going back.
Movie Review:
It must have been a while for most but if you’re looking for a year-end holiday escape in the form of an aviation movie, you might wish to look somewhere else. Horizon Line does feature a very idyllic postcard-perfect destination and a romantic Cessna plane ride for two, but the plot is far from relaxing.
Sara (Allison Williams) and Jackson (Alexander Dreymon) meet in Mauritius and are perfect for each other. Both are adventurous and spontaneous. Both have a lofty dream that they are pursuing. Except Jackson’s is on the islands, while Sara wishes to return to her brand consultant job back home in the States. Bad at goodbyes, Sara slips off at their last meeting, and tries to forget about this fling - however destined it was meant to be.
Turns out, destiny thinks long term. A year later, she returns to the islands for a friend’s wedding, and awkwardly rekindles a connection with Jackson when trying to make amends. But life has a way of helping out. During a schedule screw-up, the two board a single-engine plane to their friend’s wedding location but halfway in, the pilot has a heart attack and dies.
Good news - Sara has taken flight lessons before. Bad news - it was only for a few lessons. What faces the couple for the duration of the film are tough choices they have to make when extenuating circumstances present themselves to them, including a broken compass, low fuel and a staggering storm blocking their path.
The circumstances actually were inspired by real-life questions the writers had during their own holidays. Screenwriters Josh Campbell & Matt Stuecken each had their own moments of doubt when flying. For Campbell, it was during a honeymoon flight with his fiancee at the Cook Islands, when he suddenly felt overwhelmed by the endless blue seas. He thought, “You’re over the water the whole time you’re in the air, and you cannot see land, so if you do have plane issues ... you’re in trouble.”
Stuecken and his wife endured a more physical manifestation. They once traveled in a small plane through a thunderstorm, which of course made him question, “what will happen if something goes wrong up here?”
The writers did infuse these horrific realisations into the movie really well, including a decision near the ending that has horrific consequences, but sometimes the pace and degree at which things get flung at them do seem more than a little unlucky.
In a press release, the writers alluded as much to the fact that this was their intention. From these experiences, the idea for a screenplay developed which Stuecken confesses they had the idea “to always throw bigger obstacles at Jackson and Sara. Just when they solved one problem, we threw another one at them!”
However, the photogenic stars and Director Mikael Marcimain still manages to keep the movie buoyant with engaging characters that are easy to root for. While their streak of bad luck will be tragic if it actually happened, it makes for some nail-biting moments as entertainment.
Movie Rating:
(A situational thriller that tightens with excitement, even if the proceedings sometimes become a little unbelievable)
Review by Morgan Awyong
Genre: Romance
Director: David Wnendt
Cast: Jessica Hecht, Gillian Anderson, Jenny Slate
Runtime: 1 hr 22 mins
Rating: NC16 (Scene of Intimacy And Some Nudity)
Released By: Shaw Organisation
Official Website:
Opening Day: 22 October 2020
Synopsis: Set between New York City and the far north of Norway, The Sunlit Night follows American painter Frances (Slate) and Russian émigré Yasha (Sharp) as an unlikely pair who find each other in the Arctic circle. Frances has arrived to jumpstart her career while Yasha has come in search of a proper Viking funeral only to find that the Chief, Haldor, (Galifaniakis) is but a re-enactor from Cincinnati. Together under a sun that never quite sets, they discover a future, and family, they didn’t know they had.
Movie Review:
The common perception about artists is that because they are special, they need a unique environment to get inspiration, before they produce their great works. They are continually searching for locales, occasions and people for them to fully feel alive. Painters probably belong to this category of people, and what you see in galleries and museums are likely to have stories behind them.
This film directed by David Wnendt seems to be exploring this theme, where the female protagonist is in search of a particular purpose, and her artwork is the result of whatever happens in the 81 minute movie. In this story written by Rebecca Dinerstein based on her novel of the same name, we follow Frances the painter as she finds her way to Norway. There, she tries to find her place in the art scene (and business). Along comes a guy (but of course) who is planning to bury his father in the breathtaking land of the Vikings.
You should know what happens next – the two will meet, hit it off, talk about their aspirations, and discover things they never realised about life. Sounds romantic? It is made possible by Norway’s scenic backdrop where the movie was filmed.
Cynics will ponder what the point of this movie is, as viewers are expected to spend almost one and a half hour to watch the characters on a relatively inconsequential journey to connect with each other. Don’t get us wrong – we are not prudes. There are other non blockbuster films where characters are on a similar journey, but this one feels negligible.
We can’t pinpoint a particular reason, because Jenny Slate and Alex Sharp’s performances feel breezy enough for us to stay engaged. There is an easy going chemistry between them that works in a laissez faire manner. Gillian Anderson and Zach Galifianakis show up as minor characters to lend star power to the movie. Besides the agreeable cast, the postcard pretty sceneries are pleasing to the eyes. It makes you miss travelling, especially during the current COVID-19 situation.
So what is it lacking in this movie which premiered at last year’s Sundance Film Festival? Maybe it’s because the story seems to go nowhere, or perhaps there isn’t a dramatic turn of events to leave an impression. As the movie opens and closes with discourses on a painting, you get the feeling that the movie is all talk and fluff. Since it is based on a novel, the story might have worked better if it stayed within the pages and readers could imagine the wondrous journey that the protagonist is experiencing.
Movie Rating:
(The premise of this independent production is inspiring, but its the result on screen feels inconsequential)
Review by John Li
Genre: Horror
Director: Justin Dix
Cast: Robert Taylor, Alyssa Sutherland, Nathan Phillips
Runtime: 1 hr 35 mins
Rating: NC16 (Some Violence and Horror)
Released By: Shaw Organisation
Official Website:
Opening Day: 29 October 2020
Synopsis: Somewhere in the North Atlantic, late 1945. A life raft adrift at sea, and in it, the survivors of a torpedoed hospital ship. With no food, water, or shelter, all seems lost - until an abandoned German minesweeper drifts ominously towards them, giving them one last chance at survival.
Movie Review:
You should probably not expect a film with a title such as this to be high art; and true enough, ‘Blood Vessel’ is exactly the sort of old-school B-horror you ought to be looking out for.
The premise is as attractively silly as it should be – a group of castaways on a lifeboat (whose medical ship they were on had been bombed by the Nazis) board a seemingly desolate German minesweeper, and soon find that the ship has been overtaken by a family of ancient vampires (or ‘strigoi’) who have devoured the Nazi crew.
True to its B-horror nature, the film draws you in with a creepy and claustrophobic setting. Much of the first hour is spent exploring the confines of the ship, where the group finds the charred remains of several Germans after being doused in gasoline and set on fire before stumbling upon a little girl named Mya (Ruby Isobel Hall).
It shouldn’t come as any surprise that Mya is a ‘strigoi’, not least when the only former crew member who is still human freaks out when he sees her. Alas, it will take a while before that dawns on our ragtag group of survivors, definitely not before some of them get shot in a closed-quarter shootout involving the aforementioned German sailor.
To say more would be spoiling the surprise for those intrigued enough to want to catch it; indeed, you’re best off letting the movie slowly unveil its secrets. Suffice to say though that it does evolve from a haunted house to a creature feature in the second half of the movie, especially once the rest of the ‘strigoi’ on board the ship are revealed in their full glory.
Director and co-writer Justin Dix makes the best use of what was clearly a limited budget in these later scenes, ratcheting the tension and action in confident and contained ways. His background in special effects and model-making (fun fact: the ‘Wicked of Oz’ production studio behind his movie was founded by him) certainly comes in handy here, and there are some nicely gruesome bits towards the end which will satisfy those looking for their ‘vampire’ movies to come with splatter.
To his credit too, Dix and his fellow screenwriter Jordan Prosser build just enough investment in the roster of characters to keep us invested. Among them, there is the Russian sniper Alexander (Alex Cooke), the medic Jane (Alyssa Sutherland), self-interested Englishman codebreaker Gerard (John Lloyd Fillingham) and Aussie digger Nathan (Nathan Phillips); in particular, you’ll enjoy the solid performances by Cooke and Phillips, especially towards the end when they team up to end the ‘strigoi’ once and for all.
Neither the movie itself or we are pretending that ‘Blood Vessel’ is anything more than B-grade shlock, but within that template, it does many things right – including strong atmosphere, pacing and old-school 1980s feel. Kudos to Dix for an assured effort in his sophomore feature film, and if you approach it with just the right attitude, you’ll find this Halloween-timed release a enjoyably cheesy viewing with popcorn and drinks..
Movie Rating:
(If you get the title, you should know what this B- but solidly made horror feature aims to - and succeeds in - delivering)
Review by Gabriel Chong
Genre: Drama
Director: Jack Neo
Cast: Mark Lee, Richie Koh, Danny Lee, Meixin Macy, Henry Thia, Wang Lei, Yap Hui Xin, Regina Lin, Suhaimi Yusof, Silvarajoo Prakasam
Runtime: 1 hr 50 mins
Rating: PG13 (Some Coarse Language)
Released By: MM2 Entertainment, J Team, Cathay Cineplexes, Golden Village Pictures & Shaw Organisation
Official Website:
Opening Day: 26 November 2020
Synopsis: “THE DIAM DIAM ERA" begins from 1979, spanning over a decade through the end of 1980s. Through the experiences and tribulations of the 2nd Generation of Zhao Di’s and Ah Kun’s family, the audiences will walk through the same great changes in Singapore's environment and lives that the characters went through. The film focuses on Ah Kun’s son Yong Xin and Zhao Di’s son Shun Fa. It explores the attitudes, life views and differences between the young generation, their different reactions and treatment of policies implemented in Nation Building from the founding of Singapore to the present, modern developed country.
Movie Review:
Jack Neo’s continuation of his ‘Long Long Time Ago’ series sees him at probably his most political in years. Whereas the first two movies took a rose-tinted view of kampung life and was content to be unabashed yet undoubtedly effective melodrama, this first of a new two-part series sees Neo take on the then-Government’s controversial policy of installing English as the lingua franca in the education system, leading to the perceived erasure of Chinese-ness which led to much consternation especially among the more mature members of the Chinese community.
It is not an easy subject to tackle, and as we feared, Neo may not be the best filmmaker to deal with such a nuanced topic. Indeed, Neo uses his characters as mouthpieces for his own criticisms – including a secondary school Maths teacher who laments how he is handicapped by the change in language of instruction; a Chinese-educated schoolboy who is mocked by his schoolmates and subsequently army mates for being a ‘Chinese helicopter’; and even the ‘merger’ of Nanyang University with the University of Singapore to form what is today’s National University of Singapore.
Not surprisingly, these criticisms are presented as diatribes, and Neo hardly cares to present a balanced view. These are not the only gripes he has with the Government of the day; others which Neo feels ripe for the picking include the ‘restricted zone’ coupon policy, which predated the Electronic Road Pricing system in managing daily traffic into the Central Business District area, and the bureaucratic manner in which Government departments handled parking violations. We’re not sure what pissed Neo off in the 1980s, but he sure has his grievances.
So much so that the last act of the film takes a literally political turn when the disgruntled Ah Kun (Mark Lee) decides to join the opposition in an attempt to change the Government policies of the day; that decision not only leads to a blunt but funny encounter with a fictional English-speaking opposition leader played by Wang Lei, but also coffee shop sessions with his Malay and Indian kampung friends (played by Suhaimi Yusof and Silvarajoo Prakasam respectively) which lead to the formation of the multi-racial (ahem) CMI party. That’s typical Jack Neo for you.
Like many, if not most, of Neo’s films, ‘The Diam Diam Era’ suffers from an all-too episodic structure. The tension between the late Zhao Di’s son Shun Fa (Ritchie Koh) and Ah Kun’s son Yong Xin (Danny Lee) is largely the focus of the first two acts, the latter regarded as a star student in school due to his grades and other non-academic awards whereas the former relegated to a recalcitrant ‘ah beng’ who picks fights and fails in school. Yet there are pointless subplots, including Shun Fa’s illegal door-to-door video rental business which he starts with his Hong Kong-born army mate, and his budding romance with a pretty folk singer (played by former K-pop star Tasha Low); most egregious is an utterly cringe-worthy cryfest after Shun Fa’s youngest sister gets taken advantage of by her do-no-gooder boyfriend that even brings out Aileen Tan for a cameo in order to assuage the eldest Su Ting (Macy Meixin) for doing her best to take care of her siblings.
As with most Neo films, the best parts are the ones with Lee. Although there is little likeable about his brash and obnoxious character Ah Kun, Lee’s over-the-top acting coupled with his unparalleled ability for Hokkien wordplay is absolutely hilarious to watch. Everything – and shall we say, everyone – else pales in comparison, whether Koh’s wimpy turn as Shun Fa that is more ingratiating than endearing or Lee’s flimsy performance not helped by the incongruity between his command of English and that which the role demands. More so than either of the earlier two films, this one feels choppy, with the sum of the uneven parts amounting to much less than the whole.
Neo has never been a filmmaker of subtlety, and whereas that may work fine, even perfectly, for big bawling melodrama, it is hardly what is needed for a finer appreciation of a sensitive moment in Singapore’s history. His boldness at opening cultural wounds that have healed only over time is commendable, but his technique leaves much to be desired. And so, as ironic as it may seem, ‘The Diam Diam Era’ would be much better suited if Neo had taken a more introspective and certainly a less shrill voice to channel his own personal gripes. Yes, sometimes it helps if we ‘diam diam’ a bit.
Movie Rating:
(Shrill, unsubtle and even ingratiating, this first-parter of the continuation of Jack Neo's nostalgic 'Long Long Time Ago' series finds him at his most political, and definitely not at his best)
Review by Gabriel Chong
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