Greetings again from the darkness. Not so long ago, it was a compliment to be called “a man’s man.” It was a term of endearment and respect that meant a man was strong, quiet, adventurous, and trustworthy. Sir Ranulph Fiennes, born Ranulph Twisleton-Wykeham-Fiennes, 3rd Baronet, fit the bill. He refused the royal title saying being born into it is not the same as earning it. The man-the myth-the legend is cousin to actors Joseph and Ralph Fiennes, and has been better labeled as “the greatest living explorer”, and documentarian Matthew Dyas wants us to know all about him.
An astonishing list of ‘Ran’s’ (as he prefers to be called) exploits, adventures, and records scrolls over the film’s opening. We don’t even have time to absorb what we’re being fed, but the first thought is … no one man could have done all of this. Director Dyas takes us through Ran’s childhood and his service in the Army. Turns out, he was always one to push boundaries. A significant portion of the film is spent detailing the long-time relationship between Ran and his first wife, Ginny. She was his biggest supporter, and the love of his life. We learn this, and much more, through the fantastic archival footage, photographs, and audio recordings, the latter of which are used instead of the customary talking heads posed for the camera.
This is a man who traversed the planet through both poles. Ran takes us through the process of cutting off the tips of his own frostbite-damaged fingers on his left hand by using a hacksaw and having Ginny assist. We learn about his heart attack, which caused him to ‘take it easy’ as he ran 7 marathons in 7 days on 7 continents (known as the World Marathon Challenge). When Ginny was diagnosed with terminal cancer in 2004, she encouraged him to re-marry. He did so to Louisa, with whom he fathered his only child. After the wedding, Ran headed back to Mount Everest, and at age 65, was successful on what was his third attempt. He also self-treats his Parkinson’s with frigid sea water.
Perhaps “a man’s man” is not so fitting for Ranulph Fiennes. With this being a partial list of what he’s done in his life, there can be no other man who belongs to his club. Of course, he has his detractors, and director Dyas allows those to have their say. But the actual video footage and recollections of those who knew him are simply too amazing to disparage. He’s now 78 years old and still has his adventure goals. Learning about Ranulph Fiennes is likely to humble you and hopefully inspire a few to push those boundaries.
Available on Digital and On Demand beginning August 30, 2022
Posted by David Ferguson 
Greetings again from the darkness. I should start by admitting I would purchase a ticket to watch Tilda Swinton jaywalk on a country road or sit in a corner reading quietly to herself or carefully slice the crust off a PBJ. In other words, I find her to be a fascinating performer who takes risks and whose characters and movies are consistently worthy of attention. This film is directed by Oscar winner George Miller and he adapted the script with co-writer August Gore (Mr. Miller’s daughter) from the 1994 short story, “The Djinn in the Nightingale’s Eye” by AS Byatt. This is Mr. Miller’s first film since MAD MAX: FURY ROAD (2015) and fits into his diverse filmography that also includes the original MAD MAX (1979), THE WITCHES OF EASTWICK (1987), LORENZO’S OIL (1992), BABE: PIG IN THE CITY (1998), and HAPPY FEET (2006). This is a filmmaker who chooses his own projects.
Greetings again from the darkness. Bank robbers are commonplace in movies, and some focus on the planning stage, while others look to the actual robbery or the escape. Writer-director Abi Damaris Corbin and co-writer Kwame Kwei-Armah tell the true story of a man who went into a bank, made a bomb threat, and took hostages … all while having no intention of stealing the bank’s money. A former Marine went to this extreme to make a very visible point about how veterans are mistreated, especially by the VA.
Greetings again from the darkness. Movies featuring man versus beast date back to at least 1933 with KING KONG, and have proven to be fan favorites many times since, likely peaking with JAWS in 1975. Of course, this sub-genre has also produced too many flops to count as low-budget filmmakers have attempted to capitalize with the cheap-thrills approach to entertainment. Director Baltasar Kormakur has previously flashed his skill with nature thrillers ADRIFT (2018) and EVEREST (2015), and here he’s working from a script and story by Ryan Engle (NON-STOP, 2014) and Jaime Premak Sullivan (BREAKING IN, 2018). It’s tempting to call this one ‘Cujo as a lion’, as a tip of the cap to the 1983 adaptation of Stephen King’s horror-novel, but there are many reasons not to do so.
Greetings again from the darkness. Drugs continue to destroy lives despite this being 40 years past when Nancy Reagan first counselled folks to ‘Just say no’. Not surprisingly, an ad campaign had little effect in the war against illicit drugs that immediately made people feel better (regardless of the long-term impact). Before and since that era, there have been countless films with storylines depicting the negative side of drugs – violence, gang activity, broken families, shattered dreams, failing health, and death. The drug stories that work best are those that narrow the focus and zero in on a personal story, and that’s what director Michelle Danner and screenwriter Jason Chase Tyrrell have done here.
Greetings again from the darkness. It’s been 25 years since the paparazzi chased the car into that Paris tunnel. The ensuing accident took the lives of Princess Diana, her boyfriend Dodi Al Fayed, and their driver, Henri Paul. The tragic and stunning event led to global grieving for a Princess who many felt never was accepted as a member of the Royal Family. Director Ed Perkins (BLACK SHEET, 2018) uses only archival footage, stills, and news clips to show how the media covered Diana over what was less than two decades in the spotlight. No new interviews – the talking heads we are accustomed to in documentaries – are included here, only the editing of existing media materials are offered as storytelling devices.
Greetings again from the darkness. We are taught from an early age to take good care of our teeth. For vampires, oral health care is even more important. See, their fangs cannot grow back … in fact, that’s the only part of their bodies that those supernatural powers can’t heal. This leads us to the premise of this film – vampire hunters collecting fangs not just to thin the heard, but also for the monetary reward attached to such valuable collectibles. Look, I’m trying here; but this first feature from long-time stuntman and stunt coordinator JJ Perry suffers from a lackluster script seemingly gap-filled to connect a handful of decent ideas and raucous fight sequences.
Greetings again from the darkness. Aubrey Plaza proved during “Parks and Recreation”, and most every role since, that she is nearly unmatched in her ability to deliver blistering one-liners. However, over the last few years, she has expanded her repertoire and has become a fascinating, multi-talented actress who is exciting to watch. The feature film debut of writer-director John Patton Ford provides the opportunity for Ms. Plaza to push her dramatic chops into the world of crime. She not only doesn’t disappoint, she excels.
Greetings again from the darkness. Co-written with Michael Bronner (THE MAURITANIAN), co-writers and co-directors Declan Lawn and Adam Patterson base their first feature film on a remarkable true story … one whose final chapter may not yet be written. We are surrounded by fraud on a daily basis – emails from a Nigerian Prince and spam calls for an expired car warranty that never existed, to name a couple of mainstream schemes. But the real life saga of Robert Freegard takes fraud and the long con to a whole new level.
Greetings again from the darkness. If you’ve ever wondered what a recurring nightmare would look like if filmed for the big screen, writer-director Scott Mann (HEIST, 2015) and co-writer Jonathan Frank are here to show you. Not much plot exists, and the bulk of the movie consists of two characters stuck in one place. Sounds pretty simple, right? Well I can tell you that my palms were sweaty and the tension was high.
