KAYE BALLARD: THE SHOW GOES ON (2020, doc)

July 13, 2020

 Greetings again from the darkness. I feel obligated to disclose that while growing up, I was never much of a Kaye Ballard fan. It seemed she was mostly seen on game shows (“Hollywood Squares”) and her many appearances on Talk Shows and Variety Shows. Her loud and boisterous humor was a bit outside the nuanced observational humor I preferred. Now, after seeing Dan Wingate’s documentary, I have tremendous admiration and respect for this multi-faceted performer whose showbiz career spanned more than 70 years.

One of the first clips we see is Kaye Ballard performing in front of a live audience (where she was always most comfortable) and she says, “I wish I was 90 again.” It’s a great line that not many comedians get to use. Ms. Ballard died in 2019 at age 93, and she never stopped performing. Director Wingate’s opening credits are in “old school” style, replete with flashing neon lights and big band/orchestral music. It’s the perfect choice for the profile of a performer who evolved as the business changed.

We listen as she recollects the start of her career, and then systematically walks and talks us through the next 70 plus years. She was only 16 years old when she joined Spike Jones’ band, and she admits performing is what she always wanted to do. Wingate includes comments and clips from an incredibly diverse group of entertainers – ranging from Liz Smith to Perry Como to Henry Mancini to Bette Davis to Carol Burnett to Ann-Margret to Woody Allen (and many more). Composer-Singer Michael Feinstein has a few appearances throughout the film, providing some structure, but interviews with Ms. Ballard keep her on screen much of the time.

It’s clear she always thought her best work was from her time in nightclubs, and though she never stopped those performances, her career shifted to live theater and then to TV. Her best-known TV role was co-starring with Eve Arden in “The Mothers-In-Law” series from 1967-69 (re-runs available on Amazon Prime), and then later had a recurring role in “The Doris Day Show.” Ms. Ballard was a vibrant performer and an extremely talented singer.

She jokes about being typecast as a “screaming Italian”, but hearing her talk about her friendships, including Marlon Brando, Carol Channing, and the recently deceased Jerry Stiller, makes it clear she established many personal connections over the years, and was always quick to help out another performer. She even speaks to a couple of exceptions, including Phil Silvers. And who would have guessed she crossed paths with Andy Warhol, while also performing for President Ronald Reagan at The White House? This is a woman who is very grateful and appreciative of the career and friends she made, and I walked away feeling educated, and maybe even guilty for undervaluing her talent. Kaye Ballard was much more than an “X” or “O” on “Hollywood Squares” … she was an incredibly talented and generous woman who lived her dreams.

Viewing details available at KayeBallardMovie.com

watch the trailer:

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Posted by David Ferguson

RELIC (2020)

July 10, 2020

 Greetings again from the darkness. Anyone who has a friend or relative afflicted with dementia knows it’s often like living in a real life horror film. It’s frustrating and claustrophobic and guilt-inducing and above all, frightening. The first feature film from director Natalie Erika James deals with dementia, amongst other topics, in the guise of a horror film. Is it a haunted house movie? Is it a demonic presence movie? Well, yes to both. The script from Ms. James and Christian White blends multiple familiar aspects of horror films into something that ends up quite original.

“Ends up” is the key, because the first two-thirds of the story moves slower than a glacier in the middle of winter. Don’t get me wrong, the film looks great – the house and the atmosphere are ultra-creepy. It’s just that almost nothing happens during that span, and that’s an eternity for set up. Kay (Emily Mortimer) receives a call that a neighbor hasn’t seen her mother in a while. Kay and her 20ish daughter Sam (Bella Heathcote, PRIDE AND PREJUDICE AND ZOMBIES, 2016) take the drive over the hills and through the woods to grandmother’s house. Their initial measured walk-thru of the house tells them (and us) much. Post-it notes are stuck everywhere, including one that says “Don’t follow it”. Spoiled fruit on the counter, a favorite chair moved, and food for a pet long ago passed, are all indicators that something is off. If that’s not enough, the house that grandma is missing from has mold on the walls and ceiling, and strange locks on doors.

After an unsuccessful search party through the nearby woods, Grandma Edna (Robyn Nevin) reappears with no recollection of where she’s been. Of course, this doesn’t really improve things for anyone. We sense that workaholic Kay and her mother have never really been close, and the same can be said for Kay and Sam. Generational disconnect is on display. And poor Edna has lost her husband, her pet dog, and most of her essence … except for the few moments when she snaps back to lucidity.

Dread and impending doom dominate every scene for the first hour. Kay has dreams of an old cabin from her past, and Edna has an unexplained bruise on her chest.  The stained glass window on the front door is a key, and the sounds coming from the walls are unable to be tracked down. As disoriented as Edna is, the house itself has that impact on us and Sam. Is it the house that’s haunted, or the characters?

The cinematography from Charlie Sarroff plays well off the stillness and unknown, and the sound design and music (Brian Reitzell) work hand-in-hand in establishing the creepy atmosphere. The three actresses are superb, and I especially enjoyed Ms. Nevin and her piercing eyes, as she is known mostly for her live theatre work (and also as Councillor Dillard in The Matrix movies). For her first feature, Ms. James has delivered a high-concept Australian horror/suspense film with a very original (and weird) ending. Others may be a bit higher on the film, but we likely all agree that Ms. James is an intriguing filmmaker.

IFC Films will have this available VOD beginning July 10, 2020

watch the trailer:

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Posted by David Ferguson

OLYMPIA (2020, doc)

July 10, 2020

 Greetings again from the darkness. She is now in the 7th decade of her acting career. She was married to one man for 55 years. She recently turned 89 and is still working regularly. Olympia Dukakis is a marvel to behold. Strong-minded, direct-speaking, charismatic, talented and long-lasting, she makes a fascinating subject for director Harry Mavromichalis in his first feature-length documentary.

An early segment features Ed Asner presenting her star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Soon after she admits that “it doesn’t mean anything” to her, but her Academy Award did. She won the Best Supporting Actress for her role as Cher’s mother in MOONSTRUCK (1987), and we later see her at the ceremony as her elderly mother is captured watching it unfold on TV. This moment matters because we have already heard Olympia discuss her challenging times growing up with her mother (she claims to have channeled her own mother for the role).

Much of this documentary was filmed years ago. We are there on her 80th birthday and her 49th wedding anniversary. Clips are included from some of her theater work, as well as movies. Playing a transgender character in PBS’ “Tales of the City” (1993) made her a gay icon, and we see her as Grand Marshal of the Gay Pride parade in San Francisco. This is especially timely today given that Halle Berry just announced she was stepping down from a transgender role … due to the pressure brought on by her not being transgender.

Olympia is very forthcoming in discussing her approach to life, and life itself. She discloses the initial doubts she had regarding a woman’s place in Greek history, before bucking up and proclaiming “it’s not me that’s less.” When she felt the theater world considered her “too ethnic”, in 1973 she founded The Whole Theater in Montclair, New Jersey. She refused to let the world place limits on what she could do. She offers up many personal memories such as her time fencing at Boston University – stories that provide clear examples of her personality and makeup.

As I watched the film, my thought was that it meandered a bit too much. Upon reflection, it makes complete sense, as that’s the manner in which she lives and works and thinks. We see clips as she converses with her cousin Michael Dukakis, the former Governor of Massachusetts, during his candidacy for President. The film bounces around with stops in New York, Los Angeles, Toronto, and Cypress. Toronto was for a Norman Jewison retrospective (including MOONSTRUCK), and while in Cypress we walk the aisles of a grocery store with her (very weird).

Insight is offered from fellow actors such as Laura Linney, Austin Pendleton, Lainie Kazan, and Whoopi Goldberg, but it’s really the bits and pieces we get regarding her long-term marriage to actor Louis Zorich that are most meaningful. The couple discuss why their marriage and partnership has worked, and how friendship is the key. Louis passed away in 2018, and Olympia continues to act and teach acting classes. We even get a peek behind the curtain when we watch her work through/find a character in rehearsal. Seemingly tacked on towards the end are clips from a trip to her mother’s village in Greece with her daughter and grandkids. It’s a chance to see her interact with local women, and does provide a stark contrast to what Olympia has done with her life. She claims that she can “remember plays and theaters”; however, “it’s people” she doesn’t remember. She can be certain that the people will remember her.

Virtual cinema release on July 10, 2020 via https://www.abcinemanow.com/

watch the trailer:

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Posted by David Ferguson

ALL HAIL THE POPCORN KING (2020, doc)

July 10, 2020

 Greetings again from the darkness. For anyone who has ever tried to write a story, you know how difficult it can be. Generating an idea, building characters, and establishing a tone are challenging enough; but discovering the perfect ending is nearly impossible. So no matter how many times you tried, and how frustrating you found it, imagine the world of Joe R Lansdale. He papered his walls with more than 1000 rejection letters, but now (at age 68) has written more than 50 novels and more than 500 short stories.

As if the sheer volume of volumes wasn’t enough, Mr. Lansdale has written in just about every genre you can name: horror, western, science fiction, mystery, and suspense. He’s had success in comic books and graphic novels, and some of his work has been adapted to film and TV series, including cult favorite BUBBA HO-TEP (2005), COLD IN JULY (2014), and the TV crime series “Hap and Leonard.”

Filmmaker Hansi Oppenheimer aims the camera at her garrulous subject and lets him go. Mr. Lansdale loves talking about writing, and it’s clear that he was born to write. He and his wife Karen live in Nacogdoches, Texas which isn’t too far from Gladewater – where Joe was raised, and where he revisits for this film. His East Texas roots seem to have kept him grounded, as there isn’t an ounce of condescending tone in any of the stories he tells or memories he recalls. At least a dozen writers are interviewed here, along with musicians (guitarist Vince White), a book editor, actors (Bruce Campbell, James Purefoy), and directors (Don Coscarelli, Mick Garris).

We hear Joe described as “a genre unto himself”, “a no BS guy”, and “the most well-known unknown author.” Joe talks about the time he was chosen to finish an Edgar Rice Burroughs story that had been left unfinished when the Tarzan writer passed away. He also reminisces about how pulp fiction led to the radio programs of his youth and then evolved into the early TV series he watched. And it’s fascinating to hear about the crazy dreams he had after chowing down on Karen’s greasy (lard-coated) popcorn at movie time … and how those dreams led to many of the stories he wrote.

Ms. Oppenheimer includes many photographs throughout and the use of terrific retro graphics adds a dash of art to the look of the film. Mr. Lansdale owns his own martial arts studio where he still teaches Shen Chuan, and we get a clip of him in action. He claims “The Drive-In” (series) was his most imaginative work, and that’s really saying something coming from the writer who had old Elvis team up with black JFK to battle an Egyptian mummy in a senior citizen home. Surely that will provide a unique epitaph when the time comes. Until then, expect a lot more words to find the Lansdale page.

watch the trailer:

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Posted by David Ferguson

Panel Discussion – Streaming, Theaters, and COVID-19

July 8, 2020

I participated in a panel discussion on the state of movies: the impact of streaming services, the challenges faced by movie theaters, and how the COVID-19 pandemic has changed so much in the movie industry.

The other two panelists were movie critic Will Mann and screenwriter Tim Hodgin (@tim_hodgin). The discussion was moderated by the editor of International Policy Digest, (intpolicydigest.org) and you can read it here:

https://intpolicydigest.org/2020/07/08/streaming-theaters-and-covid-three-cinephiles-weigh-in/

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Posted by David Ferguson

INMATE #1: THE RISE OF DANNY TREJO (2020, doc)

July 6, 2020

 Greetings again from the darkness. It’s easy and convenient to lump folks into the old adage “people don’t change”, because not changing is the easiest way. However, we’d be hard pressed to find someone who fits the “turned over a new leaf” description better than Danny Trejo. He has certainly made the best of his second chance … and he knows it. What makes his story inspirational is his willingness, no make that determination, to share his own story in hopes that he can help others.

Director Brett Harvey surprises us in a couple of ways with this documentary. First, he spends the first two-thirds on Trejo’s background, with barely a mention of movies. Second, he recognizes the gold to mine here is derived from Trejo himself, and he allows the man to talk and show us what he’s all about. Sure, we get bits of insight from Trejo’s neighborhood friends, his acting peers, and his own kids and sister, but no one can tell Trejo’s story better than Trejo. In fact, director Harvey bookends the film with Trejo talking to convicts, and beginning with “my number was B-948.”

While cruising around town in his 1956 Chevy Bel Air, Trejo points out “Richie Valens Junior High”, which is actually Pacoima Middle School. It’s fascinating that he still lives in the same area in which he was raised, especially after we hear him recall his childhood. As a kid, his hero was Uncle Gilbert – the cool guy who had money, cars, and girls. Trejo stuck like glue to Gilbert, who turned the boy onto weed at age 8 and heroin at age 12, and then transitioned him to armed robbery (including a live grenade!). It was four bags of sugar sold to an undercover cop that sent Trejo to San Quentin.

Trejo is very direct as he discusses his time in prison and what occurred to push him towards getting his life in order. He mentions it’s not about reform, but about keeping a promise. He talks about the ‘predator or prey’ aspect of prison and recalls some of the best advice he received: remaining on the path of drugs-alcohol-crime can only lead to death-insanity-jail. He absolutely believes these words and works this in to his motivational speeches to this day.

He stumbled backwards into an acting career, simply by visiting a friend on the set of RUNAWAY TRAIN (1985). His look and that tattoo were instrumental to his acting gigs, and that’s where the title of the documentary comes from – he was cast as “Inmate #1” in the early days. Of course, things really exploded for him after his second cousin, director Robert Rodriguez, cast him as the silent assassin in DESPERADO (1995), and then again when Trejo got the lead in the tongue-in-cheek MACHETE (2010) which spawned from a fake trailer in the Rodriguez-Tarantino blend GRINDHOUSE (2007).

One of those interviewed states, “They make movies about guys like him”, and by the time the documentary ends, we simply with there were more people like Danny Trejo in society. It’s rare that we find such respect for an actor after getting to know what they are like “in real life.” He may joke about learning acting at the San Quentin School of Dramatics, but he spends most of his time doing good for others. His infectious laugh and upbeat demeanor are traits of a man who appreciates his second chance in life. Just keep in mind, “Machete don’t text.”

watch the trailer:

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Posted by David Ferguson

ELVIS FROM OUTER SPACE (2020)

July 6, 2020

 Greetings again from the darkness. All you Elvis Presley fans out there can relax. This is not a documentary. In fact, trying to put a label on the film co-written and co-directed by Marv Z Silverman and Tracy Wuischpard would be pointless … unless we can just agree on “Midnight Movie Madness”, and leave it at that.

Not that I would ever encourage such activity, but some have declared that the best ‘midnight movies’ are most enjoyed whilst a sufficiently mind-altered state is achieved, and one is unnaturally influenced by beverage or ‘other’. Now that’s a category this film easily and happily (and likely by design) fits in. There is no reason to start this film while thinking clearly, and actually, thinking is best avoided for the entire 90 minute runtime.

The story kicks off with the narrator explaining that Elvis has spent the last 30 years or so with the aliens of Alpha Centauri. He has been playing music for the community of ETs proving “music is the universal language.” ’But now Elvis is homesick for Earth and wants to see his daughter, Linda Bess Truman. The aliens contact the CIA and arrangements are made for the drop in Area 51. Some quick math places the story sometime around 2010 or a couple years prior.

There is no way I will risk spoiling the zaniness that occurs, but Elvis, now codename John “JB” Burrows, finds himself in the 1970’s Elvis World Crown Competition at the Desert Sands Hotel in Las Vegas. You may have heard about the time that Charlie Chaplin lost a Charlie Chaplin look-alike contest, but here, JB brings down the house as an Elvis impersonator. He’s so good the other contestants (quite a motley crew) question his identity. One of those is “Big M” who is also the film’s narrator. All of this drama is broadcast via “Barry Live”, a TMZ type show delivers laughs along with the daily scoop.

George Thomas plays JB/Elvis, and he seems at ease in the jumpsuits, although those fake sideburns are a punchline by themselves. David Heavener is Big M and the narrator, and his initial role as rival shifts as the story progresses. Diane Yang Kirk plays CIA Agent Messina, who is on JB’s side, and Lauren-Elaine Powell is Jackie, the earthly love interest. Barry Ratcliffe nearly steals the show as the TV host of “Barry Live”, and I believe TJ Myers plays daughter Linda, while Martin Kove (you’ll recognize as bad guy Kreese from THE KARATE KID, 1984) is the State Trooper. Alexander Butterfield is CIA Chairman Townsend, and in real life, Mr. Butterfield served as Deputy Assistant to President Richard Nixon, and was the one who revealed the existence of the Oval Office recording system during the Watergate investigation. Best of all, Sonny West appears as himself. Sonny was part of Elvis’ “Memphis Mafia” back in the day. Sonny and his cousin Red West died within a couple of months of each other in 2017.

Hopefully you’ve picked up that this move is so far outside of mainstream that a traditional review is simply not possible. Animation is used for the aliens and spaceships and the rest of it must be seen to be … well, seen. It appears to be a re-boot of Mr. Silverman’s 2011 project entitled MEMPHIS RISING: ELVIS RETURNS, making most of the footage almost 10 years old. Still, a passion project is the heartfelt pursuit of a filmmaker, whether it’s SCHINDLER’S LIST or Elvis being held captive in ‘Area 52’.

watch the trailer:

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Posted by David Ferguson

I, PASTAFARI: A FLYING SPAGHETTI MONSTER STORY (2020, doc)

July 6, 2020

 Greetings again from the darkness. You are to be excused for not taking seriously any person, club, organization, or religion that chooses to be identified by wearing colanders (pasta strainers) on their head. After all, many municipalities and courts of law would and have agreed with you. Still, writer-director Michael Arthur takes a direct approach in presenting the Pastafarians, and many will be on board with some of the points made.

Bobby Henderson founded the “ancient but forgotten religion” in 2005 to oppose the teaching of creationism and intelligent design in schools, and claimed Pastafarianism as a real religion, “as much as any other.” The intent was to keep religion out of government-financed schools. While many will agree with the philosophy, it is difficult to gain credibility when one’s deity is an invisible ‘flying spaghetti monster’ and your leader defends the religion as legitimate by showing up in court wearing a colander on his head.

Mr. Arthur takes us through The Netherlands, Germany, Austria, Russia, and Costa Rica as he explores the followers and the factions. We meet Bruder Spaghettus, who claims humans and Pastafarianism are descended from pirates, and he attributes the increase in global warming to a decrease in the number of pirates. Many religions have had “splits”, and this one is no different in that regard. What is different here is that Bruder’s Pastafari followers wear pirate garb instead of colanders. Only you can decide if that’s an improvement. Is this a real religion, a fake religion or a parody of religion? Director Arthur interviews followers, as well as academic scholars in search of the truth.

Reading between the lines, it appears likely that the religion was started as a lark, but has evolved into a somewhat loose organization with a philosophy of opposition to “traditional” religions being given more power, respect, advantages, and influence than should be the case. There is no real evidence to support claims that Pastafari (a play on words from Rastafari, the Jamaican Abrahamic religion) is the ‘fastest growing religion’ or has ‘millions of believers.’ Is it possible to take a serious look at a ridiculous topic? What Mr. Arthur finds is that it seems legitimate to question the manner in which “real” religions are treated with privilege. The film doesn’t feature founder Bobby Henderson, which seems odd, and it skims the surface more for entertainment than enlightenment. And what I have to say to that is … R’amen, brother.

watch the trailer:

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Posted by David Ferguson

HAMILTON (movie, 2020)

July 4, 2020

 Greetings again from the darkness. You know what it’s like when people start talking about some great new restaurant that just opened (think back to pre-pandemic)? And then you start to hear your friends and co-workers raving about it … best ‘steamed broccoli’ (ok, insert your favorite entrée) I’ve ever tasted! Having been burned many times with high expectations, you remain skeptical, but make the reservation. Well, that’s been me with “Hamilton.” For almost 5 years, the hype was just too much. Surely folks were caught up in the frenzy, and peer pressure was such that no one would admit it wasn’t all that. So, now I’m here … throwing myself at the mercy of the Theater Gods. Thanks to Disney Plus, I only needed to invest a little (ok, a lot) of time, rather than a few hundred dollars for a ticket. This is me humbly admitting I was wrong. The show is fantastic, and I only wish my first viewing had been a live performance.

Unfortunately (because of what I mentioned above) this can’t be a comparison of a live stage performance and the film version. Instead, this will briefly outline what I noticed in the movie. First, and I believe this is key, the original stage director Thomas Kail is back to direct the film. It should be noted that the film version is a blend of a couple of recorded live shows, plus some recorded songs seamlessly edited in. This is the original cast doing what they do best, and the edits are imperceptible. Second, the main cast is filled with dynamic performers. In many stage shows, one or two actors are head and shoulders above the others. Not so here. At a minimum the top seven actors are as skilled and fun to watch as any you’ve seen. Third, this is a true musical in that the songs drive the story. Some of the early songs require serious concentration to catch the lines, but even if you miss some lyrics, the gist of what’s happening is pretty clear. These aren’t so much catchy sing-along types, but you’ll easily recall the scenes when you hear the songs again at a later date. We see a perfect melding of music-performance-story.

Of course most everyone knows that Lin-Manuel Miranda is the creative force behind the show. He credits writer Ron Chernow’s book on Alexander Hamilton as the inspiration for the production, but it’s Mr. Miranda that appeared on every talk show for a couple of years, and he also performs as Alexander Hamilton. Daveed Diggs has dual roles as the flamboyant Marquis de Lafayette and the equally flamboyant (at least here) Thomas Jefferson. Renee Elise Goldsberry takes over the stage with her powerful voice as Angelica Schuyler, and Chris Jackson is a dominating physical presence as George Washington. Jonathan Groff (from “Mindhunter”) is absolutely hysterical and unforgettable as King George III, both through song and strut. Everyone will have their favorite performers, and truly they are all exceptional, and I’d like to point out the two that took my breath away. Phillipa Soo as Eliza Hamilton has a pristine voice that will bring tears to many eyes. She may not be as involved with the political elements of the story, but in the most emotional moments, she is front and center. Lastly, the passion Leslie Odom Jr brings to his role as Adam Burr is beyond description. He may be the “villain”, but he makes Burr accessible and easy to understand … plus Odom is a terrific singer and performer, and he lights up the stage.

It’s easy to overlook the dance and stage choreography since it’s never over-the-top, but the dancers are terrific and the performers make great use of the single set – although props are regularly brought in and taken away. Perhaps what really makes this click as movie entertainment is the expert use of cameras and editing. We see the full stage when we should, and we are offered close-ups when it’s most effective. I do hope to catch the live show at some point, but if my Hamilton experience is limited to this cinematic version, well … “that would be enough.”

available on DISNEY PLUS

watch the trailer:

 

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Posted by David Ferguson

THE OUTPOST (2020)

July 2, 2020

 Greetings again from the darkness. Director Rod Lurie’s latest is not only based on a remarkable true story, it uses the real American soldier’s names (and some real soldiers) and depicts the valiant efforts of those who were part of the Battle of Kamdesh in Afghanistan on October 3, 2009. Mr. Lurie (THE CONTENDER, 2000) is a West Point graduate and Army veteran, and the film is based on the book by CNN correspondent Jake Tapper, with a screenplay from Eric Johnson and Paul Tamasy.

We first meet the new arrivals on their helicopter transport under the cover of darkness. They have been assigned to this combat outpost known as “Camp Custer.” The nickname comes from the assumption that everyone there is going to die. Why is that? Well for some reason, this military outpost is positioned so as to be surrounded by the foothills of a mountain range – creating a natural shooting gallery of which the soldiers are sitting ducks. It’s one of the most vulnerable military outposts ever created, and with it comes so many Taliban attacks that the soldiers can’t even take seriously their local scout’s constant warnings, “The Taliban are coming!”

There are 53 soldiers assigned to the camp, and the aura of impending doom hovers non-stop. To compensate, joking around and playing sports are utilized to pass the time between attacks. The men even debate whether calling home is a good thing or not. One of the bunk beds has “It doesn’t get better” carved into the frame – that’s a taste of the kind of inspiration floating around. “Thank you for your service” is pure parody amongst these soldiers, and it’s easy to understand, given the tension they must feel – we are nervous merely watching from the safety of an armchair.

The performances are solid and you’ll recognize a few. Orlando Bloom is Lieutenant Keating, Scott Eastwood is Sergeant Cline Romesha, and Caleb Landry Jones is a standout as Carter, the ex-Marine outcast who is more complex than initial impressions lead us to believe. On an unusual note, the list of “relateds” is quite impressive: Eastwood is of course the son of Clint, Milo Gibson is the son of Mel, James Jagger is the son of Mick, Will Attenborough is the grandson of Sir Richard Attenborough, and Scott Alda Coffey is the grandson of Alan Alda.

Director Lurie divides the film into chapters associated with officers, but the segment that most every viewer will find riveting is the near-40 minute attack on the outpost by hundreds of Taliban gunmen. It’s relentless battle action at a level rarely seen in movies, and we feel like we are in the middle of it. This onslaught feels like hopelessness, followed by desperation, followed by survival mode. Never does it feel like an outright victory, but more a relief for those who survive. Cinematographer Lorenzo Senatore makes this a visceral experience – one we won’t forget.

Very little politics come into play here. Instead this is about the men in the line of fire – their courage – and their desperate attempts to live and hold the outpost. All of which is followed by a haunting breakdown that stuns. This battle resulted in 8 dead and 27 injured American soldiers, followed by many medals, including two Medal of Honors. The closing credits honor those killed in action, and we see photos of the actual soldiers next to the actor who played them.

On Demand and Digital Platforms July 3, 2020

watch the trailer:

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Posted by David Ferguson

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