Entertainment Maven

Cockneys Rule and Zombies Drool: Director Matthias Hoene talks ‘Cockneys Vs Zombies’

Opening in select Cineplex theaters across Canada for two shows only, as part of Cineplex’s ‘Great Digital Film Festival’ starting this Friday Feb 1, 2013, is the horror comedy that made a huge splash at last year’s Toronto After Dark Film Festival: Cockneys vs Zombies. The Movie Junkie was able to sit down with director Matthias Hoene to talk about his film, his influences and whether the Cockneys will make a return to the big screen.

Movie Junkie (MJ) – Hello Matthias, I must say I really enjoyed your film. Can you tell us about some of your biggest influences in putting the film together?

Matthias Hoene (MH) – Well the journey started when a friend of mine slipped me a grubby, slightly dodgy copy, of Peter Jackson’s Braindead. I snuck it into the VHS player after my parents had gone to bed, and sat in the living room watching it on my own and it really blew my mind away. What I loved about it was it was so gory, the goriest film I’d ever seen, probably still one of the goriest out there, yet so funny at the same time. It was full of heartfelt character work and story at its core, it really had a big impact on me and it’s exactly my sense of humor. Dark, twisted, action-packed filmmaking but with a heart to it. Evil Dead 2 I loved as well as it had many similar themes. Some of the other influences come from Aliens, Terminator and Jean-Pierre Jeunet’s Delicatessen to name just a few.

MJ – Wow, that’s a great story. I have to ask you where the idea of using a care home (elderly nursing home) in the film came from, as it’s a brilliant setting and Alan Ford almost steals the show!

MH – Well it came from the idea that we needed something for our young heroes to fight for and to not feel selfish, we wanted them to rob a bank for a reason and the care home seemed a fit great in that a) it symbolizes the old guard of the cockneys slowly being pushed out of east London and old cockney culture disappearing out of London and b) the idea of the zombies being slow and the pensioners being even slower. I loved that idea and felt it was a really good hook for a zombie film and I hoped it would give the film its own place and feel, unique in tone and voice.

MJ – It certainly does separate itself from the pack, especially with the elderly Cockneys as our protagonists. That said my favorite character may have been the demented and insane Mental Mickey played by Ashley Bashy Thomas. Where did this character come from and how did you come about casting Thomas?

MH – With the Mental Mickey part we could have cast the stereotypical east London thug, but we decided we couldn’t do that and tried something different. We found Ashley who is a really handsome straight up, doesn’t drink only eats chicken and no red meat, wholesome kind of guy. He’s a great actor, he’s already been in a couple of movies before, and when we watched him we noticed he really has a lot of charisma. After casting, I spoke to him in the costume session and said ‘Ashley I want to take you to a really dark and twisted place, are you going to be cool with that?” He looked at me and said “You just made my day Matthias” and we created this character. We wanted something really iconic, he was supposed to be the unstoppable zombie, the zombie with a steel plate in his head that you can’t shoot, can’t kill. We put a scar on the side of his head and gave him unbranded clothes, like he just picked something out of the dumpster and put it on, this shifty character. He went quite crazy with his performance and I thought either people will hate or love this cause it’s crazy and off the hook. I also like that he’s so different in this film than anything else he’s been in.

MJ – Like I said before, I am a big fan of the performance. One of the standout parts of the film is the set pieces and what you would describe as the ‘kills’. The production looks slick and is certainly inventive, how were you able to pull off a look that looks anything but low budget?

MH – Thank you very much. First off we had six weeks of shooting, which is a lot for a low budget film, and all the credit and thanks must go to the producers for making that happen. Some set pieces we would spend half a day on, just to get a 4-second shot, like the zombie flying out the back of the van. We rehearsed and made sure it was really well choreographed and safe as it’s always kind of scary when you do an action movie as injuries will happen. But even though it’s a scary process we were really keen to have those moments, and personally I would have loved to have even more because I’m greedy and as a director we always want more. I tried to make sure we had enough balance between the comedy, character moments and the action moments. Every day on set was a huge challenge with choreographing in terms of 6 to 10 lead actors and 40 background extras with prosthetic work on all of them. Along with staging some gun fighting and other action staging with half a day to do it, every day was intense and it felt like I was on a big movie set and had to be super decisive to make sure it got done. But that’s what film making is about, making choices and then going through with it. I had a great time though; I love the energy and adrenaline of a short shooting schedule.

MJ – It certainly sounds like you guys had a hectic yet fun set to work on. So tell me Matthias, will we be seeing the Cockneys in another big screen romp?

MH – We’ve had conversations about sequels but you know I love the idea of making this unique and making it a one off. While I support original ideas and new movies I can recognize the need for sequels and remakes in terms of marketing and awareness. I feel we should fight for original movies, and I personally think unless it’s an amazing idea why not keep it a one off. Cockney’s vs Vampires I could see, Werewolves I can see as well but that would have to have a bigger budget to really make it work visually. I think Vampires would be cheaper effects and makeup-wise but werewolves would be more expensive, and we are not going to do Aliens!

MJ – As much as I would love to see these characters back on screen again, I can completely concur and get behind the notion of the film being one of a kind. So what’s on tap next?

MH – Well I’m developing a science fiction story in Los Angeles called Capsule, it’s a high concept sci-fi thriller but that’s all I’m saying for now. I’m also developing a fantasy movie with the some of the producers of Harry Potter movies, Heyday films, and I’m developing an occult thriller set in Africa which I love as a setting for a horror movie. Africa hasn’t been really been shown that much on the cinema screen, in a horror/thriller context, and when I was in Africa a few years ago the texture and characters and the ritualistic magic that has been woven there got me thinking. All those things have great potential for a story and there’s something there that is unique and should be experienced on cinema screens.

For more information on Cineplex’s ‘Great Digital Film Festival’ and the theaters participating check out the event page here.

Till Next Time

Movie Junkie TO

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Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters Review (Kirk Haviland)

Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters

Starring: Jeremy Renner, Gemma Arterton, Famke Janssen, Pihla Viitala, Derek Mears, Thomas Mann, Rainer Bock and Peter Stormare

Written by D.W. Harper and Tommy Wirkola

Directed by Tommy Wirkola

New in theaters this week is the first big budget Hollywood production from the Norwegian director of the horror comedy Dead Snow, Tommy Wirkola: the horror/fairy tale reinvention Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters. Jeremy Renner and Gemma Arterton star as the legendary siblings. In this version of the story the two have become full blown witch hunters after disposing of the witch in the candy house of the original fairy tale. But can Hansel and Gretel match the absurdly fun Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter, from last year, on the enjoyment scale?

After getting a taste for blood as children, Hansel (Renner) and Gretel (Arterton) have devoted their lives on their hell bent retribution against all witches. Now, unbeknownst to them, Hansel and Gretel have become the hunted, and must face a nemesis far greater than the average witch. As the fabled Blood Moon approaches, the siblings encounter a new form of evil that might hold a secret to their past. Along the way the pair must deal with an over bearing Sherriff (Stormare), a pair of determined admirers in Ben (Mann) and Mina (Viitala), and a troll (Mears), named Edward, in league with the evil witch Muriel (Janssen).

Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters is not a good movie, it’s ludicrous and ridiculous in concept and sadly does not know exactly what to do with it. The film languishes in the middle, not pulling back enough to be taken seriously and not going far enough over-the-top to be considered a full out tongue-in-cheek romp. Unlike last year’s Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter Hansel and Gretel lacks charm and the loveable goofiness of the presidential supernatural flick. The script and direction play a major part here, as director Wirkola seems to be afraid to let his cast go completely over the top. You can almost see the reigns being pulled back on the actors steering them directly towards straight line readings on dialogue so perverse in parts it’s practically screaming for an ironic/comedic delivery. In fact, Stormare seems to be the only one getting exactly what he is supposed to be doing here, devilishly smiling and sneering throughout and screaming almost 50% of his dialogue until his admittedly fun demise.

But that brings us to the biggest issue on display here, the total miscasting of Jeremy Renner. Arterton’s turn as Gretel is actually very satisfying, especially considering the limitations of the script she was presented with. It’s Renner as Hansel that really lets the film down. Renner seems to lack the ability to just completely cut loose and go comedic, his punch line delivery is uninspired and does not work, and as a result spends the film mainly in a gloomy/moody haze that he hops out of for action sequences then drops right back into. Adding to this is the ‘phoned in’ performance of Famke Janssen as our main villain. Janssen seems disinterested, as if he were under the influence of marijuana, throughout the film and in the end lacks any real gravitas as a foil for Hansel and Gretel.

The special effects work is one of the highlights here as there are many aspects that impress. The legendary ‘house of candy’ is a visual treat when we first see it, and looks grimy and unkempt when we see it later on. Hansel and Gretel’s arsenal is quite impressive, including Hansel’s modified shotgun and Gretel’s souped up crossbow, and the weapons cache used in the final showdown is impressive as is the damage it delivers. But the real highlight here is the work done with Edward. Edward looks impressive and immense, but also becomes endearing and a crowd favorite.

Ultimately Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters is a shiny looking wrapper with an empty center. It lacks the substance at the heart of the film to truly engage for more than moments at a time. With content and aspects of production that do work, the film seems like a rudderless ship that constantly drifts back towards the areas that don’t work. Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters is a non-recommend.

Till Next Time,

Movie Junkie TO

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Life’s Too Short Season 1 DVD Review (Kirk Haviland)

Life’s Too Short Season 1 DVD Review

Starring Warwick Davis, Ricky Gervais, Stephen Merchant, Rosamund Hanson, Steve Brody and Jo Enright

Series created by Warwick Davis, Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant

Written and Directed by Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant

The team behind The Office and Extras, Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant, are back with another HBO/BBC co-production: Life’s Too Short, now available on DVD from HBO Home Entertainment. Life’s Too Short stars Warwick Davis, star of Willow and Star Wars: Return of the Jedi, as he plays an egotistical and self centered version of himself. Returning to the faux documentary style with great success in the Office, the question remains will that style work for them a second time in Life’s Too Short?

The seven episode series centres on Warwick Davis, or a fictional version of him, who is one of Britain’s preeminent dwarf actors, or at least he is desperately attempting to hold on to the title. Warwick also runs an agency dedicated to finding for other dwarves: Dwarves for Hire, along with his dimwitted secretary Cheryl (Hanson). Some feel Warwik abuses this position in order to keep the roles for himself. Warwick is also going through a divorce from his wife Sue (Enright). Davis is also frequently visiting the offices of Gervais and Merchant, playing versions of themselves, who quite frankly cannot be bothered dealing with Davis and frequently offer him terrible advice. We follow Warwick through a series of embarrassing and uncomfortable sequences, but despite his brash and callous posturing, we still find a way to cheer him on in the long run.

Life’s Too Short is sort of a mixed bag of a series. The show is very hit and miss, but when it hits the results are hilarious. A lot of the series focuses on putting Davis into very awkward social experiences, which can still be funny, but do tend to become monotonous as a lot of them focus on Warwick’s height. Warwick is really good here in the role of a smarmy, creepy and outright despicable at times former ‘star’ desperately trying to hold on. His treatment of people, especially the women in his life, is callous and unforgivable for the most part, but comes from a deep seeded desire to succeed as fame and fortune continue to slip away. Gervais and Merchant are here in supporting roles, popping up for a couple of minutes each episode in their office. Warwick’s right hand is the loveable Cheryl played with aplomb by Hanson. Her Cheryl is responsible for some of the biggest laughs from the show regulars.

Much Like Extras, Life’s Too Short features a litany of guest stars from famous friends. This time around we get Liam Neeson, Johnny Depp, Sting, Steve Carrell, Helena Bonham Carter and Cat Deely. Neeson’s turn is almost worth buying the disc alone, as his appearance ranks as one of the best things Merchant and Gervais have ever written and will have you doubled over in laughter. But the Depp and Bonham Carter turns are underwhelming, especially Depp’s turn which makes him look petty and creepy. Much like The Office, Life’s Too Short features very minimal locations and keeps the filming to a simple handheld style. The faux documentary style does not stay static though, as with the Office, there are the times that the camera is roaming and does not stick strictly to the documentary style to move the story along.

The set includes a half-hour making of special, half an hour of behind the scenes footage, deleted scenes and outtakes. The making of special is very funny, with a lot of Ricky Gervais busting out laughing on set and a hilarious take with Gervais refusing to call cut at the end of the featurette. The behind the scenes segments are fun, though most are repeated from the ‘making of ‘special. The outtakes are mainly busted takes as people on set laugh uncontrollably.

Life’s Too Short is not a perfect series, there are many areas that fall flat, are genuinely uncomfortable to watch or are just not funny. But the series when at its best is one of the most insightful and funny pieces of entertainment out there, shedding light on issues that dwarves deal with every day mixed into the ludicrous antics of Davis and his own issues with his height. These moments are when the series tend to work best. With a sale price under $25 on Amazon, Life’s Too Short is worth a buy for some of its best moments, the Neeson appearance alone, and is well worth a rental. Life’s Too Short is a recommend.

Till Next Time,

Movie Junkie TO

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Taken 2 Blu-Ray Review (Kirk Haviland) (entertainmentmaven.com)

The Last Stand Review (Kirk Haviland)

The Last Stand (2013)

Starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, Forest Whitaker, Eduardo Noriega, Rodrigo Santoro, Johnny Knoxville, Jaimie Alexander, Luis Guzmán, Peter Stormare and Genesis Rodriguez

Written by Andrew Knauer, Jeffrey Nachmanoff and Goergeo Nolfi

Directed by Jee-Woon Kim

Making his first starring bow since leaving his office as Governor of California, Arnold Schwarzenegger returns this week with his new film: The Last Stand. The film also marks the English language debut of Korean director Jee-woon Kim, the director of atmospheric thriller “I Saw the Devil” and the western homage “The Good, The Bad and the Weird”. But will Jee-woon’s frenetic style mesh with the action veteran Schwarzenegger’s own signature style?

Sheriff Ray Owens (Schwarzenegger) moved out of Los Angeles and settled into a life fighting what little crime takes place in the sleepy border town of Sommerton Junction. But that peaceful existence is shattered when Gabriel Cortez (Noriega), the most wanted drug kingpin in the western hemisphere, makes a spectacular escape from an FBI prisoner convoy. With the help of a fierce band of lawless mercenaries led by the icy Burrell (Stormare), Cortez begins racing towards the US-Mexico border at 250 mph in a specially-outfitted Corvette ZR1, a hostage in tow. Cortez’ path is straight through Summerton Junction, where the whole of the U.S. law enforcement, including Agent John Bannister (Whitaker) will have their final opportunity to intercept him before the violent fugitive slips across the border forever. At first reluctant to become involved, Owens ultimately rallies his team and takes the matter into his own hands after a tragic encounter, which sets the stage for a classic showdown in the middle of Sommerton Junction.

The Last Stand is a film that knows very much what it is meant to do and who the film is targeted at, and boy does it delivers. Arnold is in classic mode here, with many sequences feeling like he is winking directly at the audience, all that is missing is an actual wink and an already lit stogie. The film title sequence is a broad animated sequence that lasts about 30 seconds as just when you are ready for a full out sequence it ends as abruptly as it started. This just sets the tone for an all-out, action packed 107 minutes of bullets and blood that will satisfy any action fan. Schwarzenegger’s welcome return is flanked by a handful of familiar faces: Knoxville, playing a local gun aficionado who coincidentally has a full arsenal that he makes available for the final shoot out; Stormare, the leader of the mercenary team helping Cortez escape; the always hilarious Guzmán, playing a bumbling deputy; and Forest Whitaker, the agent in charge of the case. Whitaker’s performance is noteworthy as he is full on tongue-in-cheek and hilariously over the top throughout.

Jee-Woon is very good at is staging action. The set pieces here all work very well and cater to Schwarzenegger’s capabilities. The sheer amount of blood exploding out of the very ‘juicy’ squibs used for the bullet wounds add a level of comic book mentality to the film and allows the audience to buy into the more comedic tone of the action. Schwarzenegger’s dispatching of a roof top mercenary is a stand-out among the sequences, as is Guzmán’s ‘hero moment’ in the film. The final chase through a cornfield ending on a knockdown, drag out fight on a bridge with traditional fisticuffs facing off against jujitsu is excellently staged and extremely satisfying. Car buffs will love the Corvette of Cortez’s and gawk in awe at how the film uses the vehicle as an escape device as well as weapon. The action here is also more “Expendables” that “Kindergarten Cop” in nature as it is extremely violent and not intended for small children as the 14a rating would suggest, and Jee-Woon revels in the freedom of this choice.

An extremely satisfying North American debut form one of Korea’s rising stars, Jee-Woon makes the most of his opportunity in delivering a film very much influenced by his own “The Good, The Bad and The Weird”, with its western feel being set in a small town and a Sheriff refusing to back down. He is a very astute action director as Last Stand will attest to and with his compatriots in Chan-wook Park and Joon-Ho Bong also set for their English language debuts later this year, 2013 could be a breakout year for Korean cinema in mainstream North America. Full of plot inconsistencies with goofy dialogue and predictable story lines, The Last Stand is ‘technically’ not a great movie, but this film knows all this and plays to it, resulting an film that may end up one of the most fun times in a theatre this year. The Last Stand is a strong recommend.

Till Next Time,

Movie Junkie TO

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The Waiting Room Review (Kirk Haviland)

The Waiting Room

Directed by Peter Nicks

Today (Friday, Jan 18), the Bloor Hot Docs Cinema begins an exclusive run of another of its 2012 festival favorites, The Waiting Room. When the shortlist of documentaries up for nomination for this year’s Academy Awards was released back in early December, director Peter Nicks found his film among the contenders. And even though it did not make the cut the film was in the mix for a reason, the day in the life of a U.S. hospital is an impactful and insightful piece of film making.

The Waiting Room is a riveting day in the life of an Oakland, California, public hospital’s overtaxed emergency room. The purely observational character-driven documentary expertly weaves the stories of several patients, most of them are uninsured, and who come to the inner-city facility because they have nowhere else to go. Director Nicks is afforded extraordinary access to patients and caregivers that allows him to paint a vivid picture of the decaying state of America’s health care system, something most Canadians know little about. A ballsy nurse, an anxious father, a drugged out serial patient and a small group of other memorable characters are engaging and draw you in with their stories as the system may be the only real ‘bad guy’ in these circumstances. The narrative is driven by the interactions as there is little structuring and interpretations beyond just that.

The film is filled with static shots of patients anxiously waiting interspersed with time lapse photography to emphasize the ebb and flow of the waiting room, while conversely showing that many people never move as they wait hours for a little help. The one sequence that may be the most powerful is when the camera is an observer in a room as a patient flatlines. There is no swelling score like in ‘ER’ or ‘Grey’s Anatomy’, just the sound of machines, shuffling doctors and nurses and the sullen look of desperate onlookers unable to help as the patient slowly slips away. What’s left is a body covered in a sheet, as a toe tag is applied and a pile of red stained bandages sit in a pool of blood on the floor, a grim reminder that an emergency room is also a place of death as well as life.

The most fascinating aspect of Waiting Room for Canadians is likely the checkout procedure when patients have to decide how they will settle their accounts. For most in this documentary, those without insurance, this practice is similar to asking a bank for money or taking out a loan on a new vehicle. Patients try to barter and plead their way to discounts and reduced fees as the duty nurses discuss payment plans and other options. The line of cubicles devoted to this task as patients leave is a startling reminder to those Canadians who may complain about the system north of the border, this is much, much worse than you’ll ever see up here.

Director Nicks’ first feature film is a winner. His low rent, almost guerrilla style of documenting that allows the people and the camera to do the narrative work gives the final result a little more grit and energy than forcing a voiceover or narrative would have allowed. By using very minimal voice over and what is used is only from the people involved, there is no narration here, the flow and concept of the film stays focused and engaging. The Waiting Room is a recommend.

For more info show times visit the Bloor Hot Docs Cinema Online Schedule.

Till Next Time,

Movie Junkie TO

Follow me directly on twitter @moviejunkieto and by liking my Facebook page at Movie Junkie TO

Email me at moviejunkieto@gmail.com

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