Stardust

Director - Gabriel Range (Death of a President, The Man Who Broke Britain)

Starring - Johnny Flynn (The Nightmare Worlds of H.G. Wells, Emma), Marc Maron (Almost Famous, Joker), and Jena Malone (Donnie Darko, The Hunger Games: Catching Fire)

Release Date - 2020

Genre - Drama

Tagline - "David before Bowie"

Format - Bluray (Personal Collection) (Screener)

Rating (out of 5):

     When I was in elementary school my brother introduced me to Black Sabbath, Motorhead, and a bunch of hair metal bands.  He loved Poison, which I didn't care for, but I soon founds myself obsessed with Cinderella and Ratt.  When I was high school age I was a huge fan of Pantera, Black Label Society, and Lamb of God but some of my friends were more into classic rock.  They were often listening to The Doors, Hendrix, CCR, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Dylan, and so on.  This was when I was introduced to David Bowie.  I'm not going to pretend like I'm a huge fan of his but I did dig his work and it was a difficult time for the music scene when he passed.  A few weeks ago Shout Factory sent over a press release announcing a collaboration with IFC Films and the release of the Bowie biopic Stardust.  This isn't a film we would typically cover here at Horror Society but I really wanted to check it out.  I want to thank Shout Factory and IFC for sending this one my way!

     The film follows a young David Bowie (Flynn) who travels to America in order to tour and land his claim to fame. However, an issue with a work visa and Mercury Record's lack of interest in him results in a lackluster trip in the states which eventually prompts Bowie to create his iconic persona Ziggy Stardust.  

     I was pretty excited to give this one a spin but the movie was not what I was expecting.  In fact, this one really surprised me and I can't say in a good way.  The movie was a dialogue heavy drama that did not tell the story I was expecting to see.  There was a few entertaining moments but those were few and far in between.  The acting in this one is great.  Flynn delivers a great performance.  He does sound like Bowie at times but his demeanor and mannerisms are not there.  The supporting cast was great as well.  Everyone delivers some solid performances and some really stood out.  I thoroughly enjoyed the cast in this one.  The story for this one takes a look at what some would consider the most important time in Bowie's life.  However, the movie just paints him as a crybaby trying too hard to be like Warhol.  If you ignore that part of the story you are still given long drawn out scenes that offer up very little historical significance about Bowie and the dialogue in these scenes are tough to swallow.  I respect what they set out to do but the execution is just all wrong.  Finally, the film has a nice wardrobe that does fit with the era but a lot of the sets and locations don't paint the era they were going for.  Overall, Stardust is a bit of a let down.  It doesn't do the icon that is David Bowie justice.  I want to recommend this one but I can't.  Skip it.  

Tesla

Director - Michael Almereyda (Deadwood, The Eternal)

Starring - Ethan Hawke (The Purge, Daybreakers), Eve Hewson (The 27 Club, Robin Hood), and Kyle MacLachlan (The Flintstones, Twin Peaks)

Release Date - 2020

Genre - Drama/Comedy

Tagline - "My achievements and conquests will be evaluated in the future"

Format - Bluray (Personal Collection) (Screener)

Rating (out of 5):

     The IFC Midnight and IFC Films releases lately have been absolutely amazing.  Rent-A-Pal is a contender for my favorite film of the year even though 2021 has just started.  It was a thriller that also made me feel nostalgic taking a deep dive into VHS and the trends that the late 80s and early 90s saw.  They recently released the Russian sci-fi horror film Sputnik which was another amazing release that deserves to be seen.  I received a third IFC release for review but it wasn't a horror title.  Instead, it is a biographic dramedy about Nikola Tesla starring Ethan Hawke.  This was the one I was looking forward to the most but this one was the only real regret.  The movie couldn't figure out what kind of film it wanted to be which resulted in a pretty rough watch. 

     The film is a narrative following the life of underappreciated inventor Nikola Tesla (Hawke).  The film goes through his upbringing, struggling with money, friction between him and Thomas Edison, and love interests.  

     I couldn't wait to spin this one but the movie was nothing like I was expecting.  The quote on the front of the film painted a Drunk History type of biography and, though there was a few moments that was reminiscent of the show, the film was nothing like it.  Instead, the movie struggled to find it's footing.  The acting in this one is extremely underwhelming.  The characters and performances are very dry with the comedy coming in at the wrong time.  I was so fucking excited to see Ethan Hawke take on Tesla but everyone in the film was very underwhelming.  They have no energy and no one can hold the scene.  The cast makes the film extremely heavy and difficult to follow.  The story for this one is a bold attempt at creating a comedic biography on Tesla.  The sad part is the humor completely misses it's mark and the scenes are painfully drawn out.  The humor, when it does hit, is not funny and makes the scenes even more difficult to follow.  When you toss that in with the random narrative, and lackluster acting you are left with a film that is barely unwatchable.  I found myself watching the clock more than the television.  Finally, this is not a bloody or gory flick.  It has a fun soundtrack but aside from that this is a movie most horror fans would want to skip.  Overall, Tesla was a huge disappointment.  The movie was nothing like I was expecting and feels like it was a complicated production from beginning to end.  It doesn't know which way to go which is a very inconsistent experience.  Skip it.  

My Friend Dahmer

 



Director - Marc Meyers (Harvest, How We Fall in Love)
Starring - Ross Lynch (Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, Girl Meets World), Vincent Kartheiser (Mad Men, Masterminds), Alex Wolff (Hereditary, Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle)
Release Date - 2017
Genre - Drama/Crime
Tagline - "Based on the acclaimed graphic novel"
Format - Bluray (Personal Collection) (Screener)

Rating (out of 5):

     Most horror fans have a fascination with true crime.  What is more horrifying than real life horror stories?  When it comes to true crime and serial killers there is very few that need no introduction.  Killers like Gacy, Gein, Bundy, and Dahmer are known the world over for their heinous crimes.  Sometime ago there was a graphic novel going around titled My Friend Dahmer.  I never checked it out but from looking at the previews of it I could tell it wasn't for me.  Last year that novel was adapted by Marc Meyers and stared Disney actor Ross Lynch.  MVD released the film on blu was kind enough to send a review copy my way.

     The film follows Jeffrey Dahmer (Lynch) who is struggling with coming to terms with who he is.  His home life is troubled.  His mother is mentally unstable and hell bent on keeping her independence even though she should be under supervision.  At school he is a social outcast but has found a few friends after an outburst that turns him into a laughing stock.  He only solace is collecting roadkill.  That changes when his father realizes his obsession with dead things is unnatural and forces him to become a typical teen.  Jeffrey is anything but a typical teen and his irrational love for dead creatures starts to take root turning into a much bigger obsession.

      I was excited to check this one out.  I know nothing about the cast or director but a film about Dahmer in high school sounded very entertaining.  I was very, very wrong.  The film was extremely boring and the story was such a stretch considering the running time.  The acting in this one is solid.  Ross Lynch does a decent job at portraying an awkward teenage future serial killer.  The more darker scenes, which were not that dark, was well acted but the more lighter scenes were very underwhelming.  Hereditary star Alex Wolff delivers a decent performance as well.  He does a great job but his character is not written very well.  The supporting cast suffers the same fate.  The characters are extremely flat with nothing interesting or entertaining about them.  The story for this one is not True Crime or horror related.  In fact, it unfolds like a very bland drama or biopic.  The film dabbles a little into his obsession with collecting roadkill but only suggests his murderous side when the film is ending.  The major focus of the film is his high school interaction with his friends who would often use him to get laughs out of the school.  This results in one slow moving piece of cinema that took me almost three different attempts to finish.  I've had a few movies put me to sleep but I've never had a movie that I almost couldn't finish.  Finally, if you want a bloody movie centered around a legendary serial killer then you are out of luck.  This one shies away from the red stuff and focuses more on his teenage year.  Overall, My Friend Dahmer is a huge let down.  Honestly, you could change the name to any one and the film would still have the desire affect.  I cannot recommend this one.