Starring Gabriela Pedraza, Jamie Trevino, Stephanie Marie Baggett, Stefanie Jo Saenz, Natalie Wise
Directed by Joshua Kennedy
(actor & director credits courtesy IMDB.com)
An all-girl gang kidnap a young woman and hide out in an abandoned house south of the Mexican border, unaware that a deadly supernatural creature will soon be stalking them.
Young auteur Joshua Kennedy delivers a mashup of classic horror and exploitation in his latest production, filmed in black and white, and full of classic movie references, apparently most inspired by Russ Meyer's Faster Pussycat! Kill! Kill. I've never seen Meyer's film, but with plenty of attractive ladies in the cast, and a full-fledged catfight, other reviewers have made the connection.
Although the picture's black and white photography is part of Kennedy's homage to the period he's paying tribute to, it certainly works well within the boundaries of the film, adding mystery and mystique particularly during the driving sequences in which we only see bright headlight beams penetrating the darkness. It also adds some monochromatic spice to the appearance of the feisty ladies in the cast, setting off blonde Stephanie Marie Baggett against the other brunettes visually, as well in the story when it's revealed she's made a major mistake.
While the action's going on, the ladies are watching the classic B-movie Horrors Of Spider Island on the television, which thematically with its cast of ladies being stalked by a spider monster has similarities with the plot of this picture, a nice addition that foreshadows on the TV what's to come in Kennedy's movie, in another sly tribute by the director.
Kennedy regular Marco Munoz also makes an appearance as the scruffy and uncouth male leader of the gang who has had relations with more than one of the ladies, leading to more tension and struggles between the women. Saenz, as the gang's victim, and the heroine of the piece, subtly shows off her smarts and resources in a nice performance. Pedraza and Trevino square off over Munoz in the well-choreographed catfight with convincing determination by both actresses, and Wise, brandishing an imposing serrated knife, makes a fearsome impression.
The appearance of the fungus, often showcased in green-tinted sequences, is effectively used in the film, quite similar to the alien growth in the '60s sci-fi flick Mutiny In Outer Space. Sound effects and makeup on its victims heighten the menace of the fungus, that moves under its own power and goes from slight movement towards its first victims, to a rapid expansion and spread near the climax.
Tom Milligan provides some eerie musical themes to set the film's early tone, and classical hits are also excerpted for maximum effect as the tension builds. The combination is not as effective as a full score would have been, but Kennedy also uses the silence on the soundtrack in between to the film's advantage in some key moments.
Clocking in at a brisk 45 minutes, I felt the movie started a little slow with its focus on the bickering characters, but once the fungus shows up, things pick up rather nicely and it becomes a taut suspenseful work. Kennedy's love for the material shows, I think the photography is first rate, and his cast does a nice job of selling a seamy story, making the picture seem just like the kinds of movies they used to show on late night television.
Showing posts with label Joshua Kennedy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Joshua Kennedy. Show all posts
Saturday, September 21, 2019
Friday, April 5, 2019
House Of The Gorgon (2019)
Starring Caroline Munro, Martine Beswicke, Veronica Carlson, Christopher Neame, Georgina Dugdale
Directed by Joshua Kennedy
(actor & director credits courtesy IMDB.com)
A young woman travels with her mother and her best friend to the village of Carlsdadt to reunite with her fiancee, but the village is beset with mysterious killings by a pair of legendary monsters.
Joshua Kennedy's ultimate tribute to Hammer horror is one of his best films, and in my opinion his masterpiece, enhanced by the casting of a quartet of thespians who originally appeared in films for the legendary British studio: Caroline Munro, Martine Beswicke, Veronica Carlson, and Christopher Neame. Munro's daughter, Georgina Dugdale, also impresses as Isobel, the virginal young woman facing a horrific fate, who refuses to give up and leave despite multiple warnings.
The production, funded by an Indiegogo campaign, is Kennedy's most impressively mounted, with a Texas banquet facility lushly decorated to stand in for the environs of Carlsdadt, including a train station, a tavern, and the castle where most of the action takes place, enhanced by paintings of actors from the past productions of Hammer and other classic horror films. Exteriors of the village and the castle (using the same building that stood in for Dark Shadows' Collinwood) are superb and help support the imagery of the film's world.
I do not think it would be a major spoiler to reveal that Munro and Beswicke are the film's villains, playing the Gorgon sisters, whose characters are wonderfully reimagined from Greek mythology, as not simply creatures turning their victims to stone, but predatory monsters stalking their prey. It's never really explained what drives the sisters to seek out victims, but this is a fresh and unique take on the classic legends. Both actresses are excellent, with a meaty role Munro sinks her teeth into, and Beswicke's vamping recalls her roles in a number of past Hammer productions, which I know are among Kennedy's favorite films.
At this point, I should offer full disclosure as I was a backer of the Indiegogo campaign, and have a friendship with Kennedy and a number of other people involved in the production, and also contributed a background voice to the film. However, I truly believe in everything I'm professing about the movie, and how it stands out not just from Kennedy's past releases, but also compared to other films of the genre.
Veronica Carlson, playing Isobel's mother, a clearly long suffering grand dame leaning on an unfortunate drinking habit, has some wonderfully acted scenes etching out her character, and becomes the driving force in the film standing up to the fearsome villainesses, and she is wonderful, a nice reversal on her past performances as victims of Dracula and Frankenstein in the Hammer classics.
Christopher Neame, co-star of Hammer's Dracula A.D. 1972 as the vampire's acolyte Johnny Alucard, portrays Father Llewellyn, the priest driven by fear into hiding from the evil that threatens his parish, but who regains his courage and joins the battle against the evil sisters. He gives a layered and textured performance in the role, showing the audience his torment as well as the vestiges of the pride his character has largely sacrificed.
Georgina Dugdale is charming and a definite asset to the production as Isobel, who is no shrinking violet, but a strong young woman ready to help her fiancee overcome the evil influences he's under, and ready to right matters to preserve her future happiness.
Kennedy himself plays her fiancee, in another fine brooding performance of his own, but never stealing the limelight from his wonderful cast, who has a standout scene watching a funeral from a rooftop, clad in black cape and hat, as well as a memorably tense encounter with Isobel when overcome by the power of the dark sisters.
Supporting roles are filled in by many past Kennedy regulars, including his father Gus as a drunken tavern patron shaken by the loss of his daughter, Marco Munoz as the hunchbacked bartender, Jamie Trevino as Isobel's friend and traveling companion, Tom Pearson as a kindly Gorgon victim, and Dan Day Jr., Mark Holmes, and many others as villagers of Carlsdadt. There may not be many British accents among them, but they play their roles effectively and efficiently.
Mitch Gonzales provides some cinema magic in animating the snakes of the Gorgons, but before we get to see them, there are many well-staged attack sequences in which the victims are effectively bathed in a frightening green light, courtesy of the production's lighting designer, Rosa Cano. She efficiently adds in a number of other hues as well throughout the film that set a horrific tone, and mask absent scenery.
One of the production's strongest assets is the original score composed by Reber Clark, which recalls moments from James Bernard's scores for Hammer and adds tension and suspense at key times throughout the film. I believe this is the first fully-realized score for one of Kennedy's films, and it's a very strong piece of work that uplifts the picture whenever needed, and I positively love the main title. The photography by Martin Torres and Joshua Kennedy is also very well done, as is Derek Koch's sound mixing.
I haven't mentioned any of the Hammer references in the film, and there are a plenty from the swirling leaves familiar to those with Terence Fisher's Hammer work, Dugdale's wearing of a brown cloak with a fur-lined hood, echoing Barbara Shelley's raiment in a sequence in The Gorgon, and the inclusion of lines of dialogue and visual cues and shot selection recalling past Hammer pictures. There are undoubtedly many more.
Do I have any criticisms of the film? At times, I hoped for something that would bring us as an audience more into the village of Carlsdadt, perhaps a sequence with our main characters walking through the city streets and having people shut and bolt their windows. Such a scene would probably have been beyond Kennedy's financial means however. I would have also liked to see more exploration of what drove the Gorgons' predatory attacks.
Nevertheless, on a limited budget, Kennedy has worked wonders, even more amazingly when you consider the fact that he completed principal photography for the film within seven days. He's not only created a tribute and a testament to Hammer horror, he's provided a worthy showcase for some of the studio's talent that we're lucky to have still with us, and most of all, given us an entertaining film worth revisiting again and again.
Directed by Joshua Kennedy
(actor & director credits courtesy IMDB.com)
A young woman travels with her mother and her best friend to the village of Carlsdadt to reunite with her fiancee, but the village is beset with mysterious killings by a pair of legendary monsters.
Joshua Kennedy's ultimate tribute to Hammer horror is one of his best films, and in my opinion his masterpiece, enhanced by the casting of a quartet of thespians who originally appeared in films for the legendary British studio: Caroline Munro, Martine Beswicke, Veronica Carlson, and Christopher Neame. Munro's daughter, Georgina Dugdale, also impresses as Isobel, the virginal young woman facing a horrific fate, who refuses to give up and leave despite multiple warnings.
The production, funded by an Indiegogo campaign, is Kennedy's most impressively mounted, with a Texas banquet facility lushly decorated to stand in for the environs of Carlsdadt, including a train station, a tavern, and the castle where most of the action takes place, enhanced by paintings of actors from the past productions of Hammer and other classic horror films. Exteriors of the village and the castle (using the same building that stood in for Dark Shadows' Collinwood) are superb and help support the imagery of the film's world.
I do not think it would be a major spoiler to reveal that Munro and Beswicke are the film's villains, playing the Gorgon sisters, whose characters are wonderfully reimagined from Greek mythology, as not simply creatures turning their victims to stone, but predatory monsters stalking their prey. It's never really explained what drives the sisters to seek out victims, but this is a fresh and unique take on the classic legends. Both actresses are excellent, with a meaty role Munro sinks her teeth into, and Beswicke's vamping recalls her roles in a number of past Hammer productions, which I know are among Kennedy's favorite films.
At this point, I should offer full disclosure as I was a backer of the Indiegogo campaign, and have a friendship with Kennedy and a number of other people involved in the production, and also contributed a background voice to the film. However, I truly believe in everything I'm professing about the movie, and how it stands out not just from Kennedy's past releases, but also compared to other films of the genre.
Veronica Carlson, playing Isobel's mother, a clearly long suffering grand dame leaning on an unfortunate drinking habit, has some wonderfully acted scenes etching out her character, and becomes the driving force in the film standing up to the fearsome villainesses, and she is wonderful, a nice reversal on her past performances as victims of Dracula and Frankenstein in the Hammer classics.
Christopher Neame, co-star of Hammer's Dracula A.D. 1972 as the vampire's acolyte Johnny Alucard, portrays Father Llewellyn, the priest driven by fear into hiding from the evil that threatens his parish, but who regains his courage and joins the battle against the evil sisters. He gives a layered and textured performance in the role, showing the audience his torment as well as the vestiges of the pride his character has largely sacrificed.
Georgina Dugdale is charming and a definite asset to the production as Isobel, who is no shrinking violet, but a strong young woman ready to help her fiancee overcome the evil influences he's under, and ready to right matters to preserve her future happiness.
Kennedy himself plays her fiancee, in another fine brooding performance of his own, but never stealing the limelight from his wonderful cast, who has a standout scene watching a funeral from a rooftop, clad in black cape and hat, as well as a memorably tense encounter with Isobel when overcome by the power of the dark sisters.
Supporting roles are filled in by many past Kennedy regulars, including his father Gus as a drunken tavern patron shaken by the loss of his daughter, Marco Munoz as the hunchbacked bartender, Jamie Trevino as Isobel's friend and traveling companion, Tom Pearson as a kindly Gorgon victim, and Dan Day Jr., Mark Holmes, and many others as villagers of Carlsdadt. There may not be many British accents among them, but they play their roles effectively and efficiently.
Mitch Gonzales provides some cinema magic in animating the snakes of the Gorgons, but before we get to see them, there are many well-staged attack sequences in which the victims are effectively bathed in a frightening green light, courtesy of the production's lighting designer, Rosa Cano. She efficiently adds in a number of other hues as well throughout the film that set a horrific tone, and mask absent scenery.
One of the production's strongest assets is the original score composed by Reber Clark, which recalls moments from James Bernard's scores for Hammer and adds tension and suspense at key times throughout the film. I believe this is the first fully-realized score for one of Kennedy's films, and it's a very strong piece of work that uplifts the picture whenever needed, and I positively love the main title. The photography by Martin Torres and Joshua Kennedy is also very well done, as is Derek Koch's sound mixing.
I haven't mentioned any of the Hammer references in the film, and there are a plenty from the swirling leaves familiar to those with Terence Fisher's Hammer work, Dugdale's wearing of a brown cloak with a fur-lined hood, echoing Barbara Shelley's raiment in a sequence in The Gorgon, and the inclusion of lines of dialogue and visual cues and shot selection recalling past Hammer pictures. There are undoubtedly many more.
Do I have any criticisms of the film? At times, I hoped for something that would bring us as an audience more into the village of Carlsdadt, perhaps a sequence with our main characters walking through the city streets and having people shut and bolt their windows. Such a scene would probably have been beyond Kennedy's financial means however. I would have also liked to see more exploration of what drove the Gorgons' predatory attacks.
Nevertheless, on a limited budget, Kennedy has worked wonders, even more amazingly when you consider the fact that he completed principal photography for the film within seven days. He's not only created a tribute and a testament to Hammer horror, he's provided a worthy showcase for some of the studio's talent that we're lucky to have still with us, and most of all, given us an entertaining film worth revisiting again and again.
Monday, July 10, 2017
Theseus And The Minotaur (2017)
Starring Marco Munoz, Joshua Kennedy, Jamie Trevino, Gus Kennedy, Brian Warren
Directed by Joshua Kennedy
(actor & director credits courtesy IMDB.com)
After the wicked magician Minos takes the throne of Athens, and sacrifices innocent victims to a supernatural beast, the populace wait for a destined hero to deliver them from Minos' tyranny.
Perhaps Joshua Kennedy's most epic adventure, this production with a grand scale and the talented stop-motion animation of Ryan Lengyel, is a loving homage to the works of special effects wizard Ray Harryhausen.
Springing from the well-known tale from Greek mythology of Theseus, Kennedy makes a few changes story-wise, but all the hallmarks are still here, from the legendary beast, to the impossible maze of Minos' labyrinth, to the beautiful Ariadne who aids Theseus in his quest. Although this story was never brought to life in a Ray Harryhausen production, Josh borrows visual and narrative elements from other Harryhausen films that bring back nostalgic memories of films like The Seventh Voyage Of Sinbad and The Golden Voyage Of Sinbad among many others. In keeping with the presentation of this classic legend, Kennedy has crafted his dialogue, although not in verse, to have a poetic quality, assisted by acclaimed author Stephen D. Sullivan who contributed to the screenplay.
The director also gets wonderful performances from his actors, including Marco Munoz as Theseus, who looks the part of the swashbuckling hero, bringing a determined stare, and a talent for swordplay to the role. Jamie Trevino's Ariadne is given a backstory never included in the myths and brings both beauty and righteousness to her character. Josh's father Gus Kennedy is given a wonderful part as the blinded Gregorios, bringing sensitivity and nobility to the character in a selfless portrayal, and his son has the juicy role of Minos. With a demonic expression, a scruffy beard, and a wildness in his eyes, Kennedy presents a unique villain, assembled from aspects of the fine actors who portrayed evil masterminds in the films of Harryhausen.
I said this film might be Josh's most epic, and visually it's definitely his most appealing, with Theseus' journey depicted against the background of a vast panoramic desert, a gift to any filmmaker apparently located in Kennedy's home state of Texas. It gives the film scope, but there's compelling photography and visual compositing on display here as well, showing the torment of Theseus and his companions by the seductive sirens of myth, and allowing Minos to turn into a being of energy jumping across the screen as Theseus attempts to battle him. The filmmaker of course can't deliver the elaborate interior sets of a Hollywood film on his budget, but creatively uses shadow to his advantage in depicting the insides of Minos' palace and the labyrinth, which is well-suited to the dark events transpiring within. I also greatly enjoyed the rich palette of colors in the film, with red-garbed Theseus, white-costumed Ariadne, and black-clad Minos interacting against a bright tapestry of images.
The strong visuals and epic story make a worthy foundation for the stop-motion effects that the audience has been waiting to see, with animator Ryan Lengyel delivering two unique creatures constructed by hand over armatures as Harryhausen so memorably did throughout his career. The Stymphalion Bird has a memorably creepy appearance, and is intriguingly integrated into the story as the deliverer of the black feather that will doom a person to death by the Minotaur. The Minotaur itself is a triumph of design, resembling artistic depictions of the creature, but with unique details like a formidable jaw of crooked teeth exposed when the beast roars. Lengyel may not be on the same level as Harryhausen, but his animation is still very impressive, and the fact that he and Kennedy could make their two worlds come together visually on an independent movie budget is something to behold.
Some of Harryhausen's finest moments on film came accompanied by the music of talented composers like Bernard Herrmann, and although the film does not have the advantage of a score delivered by a master like Herrmann, Josh has picked some thrilling themes from classical symphonies which bring excitement to his cinematic adventure. As a fan of film music himself, Josh knows the importance of the aural component to the visuals he's presenting, and it's wonderful to see both come together. Of all of Josh's films, I think the soundtrack here sounds the most like a unified orchestral score, and he should be credited for his fine selections.
This may not be a new Harryhausen classic, but it's the closest thing to it many of us will see in our lifetime, with stop-motion rendered the same painstaking way Ray did, and bright and colorful characters taking us back in time to a fantasy world like those visited by Sinbad, Jason, and other fantastic heroes. Save perfectly rendered CGI creatures without heart and soul and grungy cinematography for the box office bombs that dwell in our cineplexes. I'll take this wonderfully realized dream of true Harryhausen fans instead.
Directed by Joshua Kennedy
(actor & director credits courtesy IMDB.com)
After the wicked magician Minos takes the throne of Athens, and sacrifices innocent victims to a supernatural beast, the populace wait for a destined hero to deliver them from Minos' tyranny.
Perhaps Joshua Kennedy's most epic adventure, this production with a grand scale and the talented stop-motion animation of Ryan Lengyel, is a loving homage to the works of special effects wizard Ray Harryhausen.
Springing from the well-known tale from Greek mythology of Theseus, Kennedy makes a few changes story-wise, but all the hallmarks are still here, from the legendary beast, to the impossible maze of Minos' labyrinth, to the beautiful Ariadne who aids Theseus in his quest. Although this story was never brought to life in a Ray Harryhausen production, Josh borrows visual and narrative elements from other Harryhausen films that bring back nostalgic memories of films like The Seventh Voyage Of Sinbad and The Golden Voyage Of Sinbad among many others. In keeping with the presentation of this classic legend, Kennedy has crafted his dialogue, although not in verse, to have a poetic quality, assisted by acclaimed author Stephen D. Sullivan who contributed to the screenplay.
The director also gets wonderful performances from his actors, including Marco Munoz as Theseus, who looks the part of the swashbuckling hero, bringing a determined stare, and a talent for swordplay to the role. Jamie Trevino's Ariadne is given a backstory never included in the myths and brings both beauty and righteousness to her character. Josh's father Gus Kennedy is given a wonderful part as the blinded Gregorios, bringing sensitivity and nobility to the character in a selfless portrayal, and his son has the juicy role of Minos. With a demonic expression, a scruffy beard, and a wildness in his eyes, Kennedy presents a unique villain, assembled from aspects of the fine actors who portrayed evil masterminds in the films of Harryhausen.
I said this film might be Josh's most epic, and visually it's definitely his most appealing, with Theseus' journey depicted against the background of a vast panoramic desert, a gift to any filmmaker apparently located in Kennedy's home state of Texas. It gives the film scope, but there's compelling photography and visual compositing on display here as well, showing the torment of Theseus and his companions by the seductive sirens of myth, and allowing Minos to turn into a being of energy jumping across the screen as Theseus attempts to battle him. The filmmaker of course can't deliver the elaborate interior sets of a Hollywood film on his budget, but creatively uses shadow to his advantage in depicting the insides of Minos' palace and the labyrinth, which is well-suited to the dark events transpiring within. I also greatly enjoyed the rich palette of colors in the film, with red-garbed Theseus, white-costumed Ariadne, and black-clad Minos interacting against a bright tapestry of images.
The strong visuals and epic story make a worthy foundation for the stop-motion effects that the audience has been waiting to see, with animator Ryan Lengyel delivering two unique creatures constructed by hand over armatures as Harryhausen so memorably did throughout his career. The Stymphalion Bird has a memorably creepy appearance, and is intriguingly integrated into the story as the deliverer of the black feather that will doom a person to death by the Minotaur. The Minotaur itself is a triumph of design, resembling artistic depictions of the creature, but with unique details like a formidable jaw of crooked teeth exposed when the beast roars. Lengyel may not be on the same level as Harryhausen, but his animation is still very impressive, and the fact that he and Kennedy could make their two worlds come together visually on an independent movie budget is something to behold.
Some of Harryhausen's finest moments on film came accompanied by the music of talented composers like Bernard Herrmann, and although the film does not have the advantage of a score delivered by a master like Herrmann, Josh has picked some thrilling themes from classical symphonies which bring excitement to his cinematic adventure. As a fan of film music himself, Josh knows the importance of the aural component to the visuals he's presenting, and it's wonderful to see both come together. Of all of Josh's films, I think the soundtrack here sounds the most like a unified orchestral score, and he should be credited for his fine selections.
This may not be a new Harryhausen classic, but it's the closest thing to it many of us will see in our lifetime, with stop-motion rendered the same painstaking way Ray did, and bright and colorful characters taking us back in time to a fantasy world like those visited by Sinbad, Jason, and other fantastic heroes. Save perfectly rendered CGI creatures without heart and soul and grungy cinematography for the box office bombs that dwell in our cineplexes. I'll take this wonderfully realized dream of true Harryhausen fans instead.
The St. Augustine Monster (2016)
Starring Joshua Kennedy, Kat Kennedy, Gus Kennedy
Directed by Joshua Kennedy
(actor & director credits courtesy IMDB.com)
A doctor discovers the washed up body of a giant cephalopod, and in the course of studying it, he becomes dominated by the creature's evil mind who wants to consume the blood of the living.
Although the plot of this feature may sound inspired by films like The Little Shop Of Horrors and Donovan's Brain, and it may well have been, Kennedy has produced the film as a silent feature with a visual design paying tribute to the 1919 German expressionist classic, The Cabinet Of Dr. Caligari. Utilizing hand-drawn backgrounds by his mother, Ana Kennedy, in the same way that made Robert Wiene's film so memorable, Kennedy brings to life his story, apparently filmed between semesters with family and friends during his final year at Pace University.
The story of St. Augustine's monster is a true one, if lacking the supernatural overtones Kennedy adds to his narrative. According to Wikipedia, the remains of a giant creature did wash ashore near St. Augustine, Florida in 1896, and was thought to have been a giant octopus, although later studies have concluded it might have been the remains of a whale. Josh's creature is certainly the former, and could not have been otherwise given the young filmmaker's fondness for the eight legged marine animal. The monster is given a three dimensional visage through cylindrical tentacles attached to the drawn body that are animated when the beast regains evil life. Although these effects are elementary, they fit in well with the film's design and are particularly effective in the dark corners of a lighthouse that becomes the monster's lair.
Kennedy takes center stage as the doctor, who when consumed by the cephalopod's madness, takes on disturbingly obsessive characteristics, well displayed by Kennedy's rolling of his pupils back and forth, a mirthful grin, and dark makeup around his eyes. There are visual cues back to Caligari in some sequences when Kennedy dons a dark bodysuit like that of the 1919 film's Cesare, but the actor/director brings his own characterization into the mix as well.
Josh is supported by sister Kat Kennedy, as his on-screen sister, father Gus Kennedy as an ill-fated police inspector, Aleyda Aguirre as a female victim of the doctor's evil persona, and Tom Pearson as the priest who will restore order at the film's climax. Each play their roles convincingly with limited movement, making Josh's exaggerated gestures stand out all the more, effectively displaying his character's madness.
This may be Kennedy's shortest film, at a brief 19 minutes, but feels the perfect length, bridging an engaging narrative across limited sets with a memorable look and feel. His musical selections are well-suited to the story and help transport us back to not only the period of the 1896 discovery, but the era of silent cinema. It's a wonderful tribute, but an involving film all its own.
Directed by Joshua Kennedy
(actor & director credits courtesy IMDB.com)
A doctor discovers the washed up body of a giant cephalopod, and in the course of studying it, he becomes dominated by the creature's evil mind who wants to consume the blood of the living.
Although the plot of this feature may sound inspired by films like The Little Shop Of Horrors and Donovan's Brain, and it may well have been, Kennedy has produced the film as a silent feature with a visual design paying tribute to the 1919 German expressionist classic, The Cabinet Of Dr. Caligari. Utilizing hand-drawn backgrounds by his mother, Ana Kennedy, in the same way that made Robert Wiene's film so memorable, Kennedy brings to life his story, apparently filmed between semesters with family and friends during his final year at Pace University.
The story of St. Augustine's monster is a true one, if lacking the supernatural overtones Kennedy adds to his narrative. According to Wikipedia, the remains of a giant creature did wash ashore near St. Augustine, Florida in 1896, and was thought to have been a giant octopus, although later studies have concluded it might have been the remains of a whale. Josh's creature is certainly the former, and could not have been otherwise given the young filmmaker's fondness for the eight legged marine animal. The monster is given a three dimensional visage through cylindrical tentacles attached to the drawn body that are animated when the beast regains evil life. Although these effects are elementary, they fit in well with the film's design and are particularly effective in the dark corners of a lighthouse that becomes the monster's lair.
Kennedy takes center stage as the doctor, who when consumed by the cephalopod's madness, takes on disturbingly obsessive characteristics, well displayed by Kennedy's rolling of his pupils back and forth, a mirthful grin, and dark makeup around his eyes. There are visual cues back to Caligari in some sequences when Kennedy dons a dark bodysuit like that of the 1919 film's Cesare, but the actor/director brings his own characterization into the mix as well.
Josh is supported by sister Kat Kennedy, as his on-screen sister, father Gus Kennedy as an ill-fated police inspector, Aleyda Aguirre as a female victim of the doctor's evil persona, and Tom Pearson as the priest who will restore order at the film's climax. Each play their roles convincingly with limited movement, making Josh's exaggerated gestures stand out all the more, effectively displaying his character's madness.
This may be Kennedy's shortest film, at a brief 19 minutes, but feels the perfect length, bridging an engaging narrative across limited sets with a memorable look and feel. His musical selections are well-suited to the story and help transport us back to not only the period of the 1896 discovery, but the era of silent cinema. It's a wonderful tribute, but an involving film all its own.
Saturday, March 18, 2017
The Return Of Sherlock Holmes (2016)
Starring Joshua Kennedy, Bessie Nellis, Jonathan Danziger, Amy Zilliax, Jake Williams
Directed by Joshua Kennedy
(actor & director credits courtesy IMDB.com)
After surviving his apparent death at the Reichenbach Falls, Sherlock Holmes reunites with Doctor Watson and they investigate the mysterious theft and destruction of several busts of Napoleon.
A few years ago, after I had discovered the films of Joshua Kennedy and been greatly entertained by them, I contacted Josh, expressing my admiration and suggested he make a Sherlock Holmes film, impressed by his distinctive voice and strong vocal delivery. The result of that message was the beginning of our friendship and the film I suggested did indeed come into being, but he and his cast and collaborators deserve all the credit.
After having watched a number of the films Kennedy made during his education at Pace University in New York City, it had not been surprising, with his limited budget and access, to be easily able to recognize university buildings and facilities in the backgrounds of the scenes he shot. He couldn't rent a real airplane to film Airline '79, nor did he have access to an actual hospital in The Vesuvius Xperiment, nor was he able to construct futuristic sets for Slave Girls On The Moon. Of course none of that was greatly significant because the strength of his narratives easily made us look past those backgrounds and not focus on them, and Kennedy sidestepped that issue by setting the locales of Dracula A.D. 2015 and The Night Of Medusa on Pace's campus. However, in this film, he had to recreate the look of period London and thanks to strong location scouting and tightly composited shots, he succeeds, while still filming within the same vicinity of Pace's campus. There's no background that doesn't look like it couldn't have existed in Victorian London, from streets filled with vintage architecture to a fine recreation of Holmes' lodgings filled with shelves of books and convincing period furniture. Even a grassy knoll standing in for Reichenbach's environs fits in well.
Kennedy's cast again consists of youthful friends and classmates, but is able to add several more experienced faces to bring credibility to the tale. Jonathan Danziger is a friendly but doubtful Inspector Lestrade, Michael Rosenfeld and Kennedy's father Gus distinguished gentlemen who own some of the Napoleon busts, and Amy Zilliax is a hoot as the eager to please Mrs. Hudson. Author Will McKinley makes a dastardly Colonel Sebastian Moran, Mark Holmes has a delightfully wicked grimace as one of the film's other villains, and professional actor Mark Redfield is welcome as the infamous Professor Moriarty in a brief but worthwhile cameo.
The youthful faces however bring weight to their own roles as well as fairly good British accents, enlivening their characters with memorable quirks like those distinctively described in Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's original stories. Jake Williams entertains as a very genial shopkeeper, Traci Thomas is memorable as a journalist who also operates a brothel, and Jorge Chapa brings the jovial but not easily impressed manufacturer of the busts to life.
As Sherlock Holmes, Kennedy is everything I pictured when I suggested he'd be a natural as the great detective. Playing him as energetic and egocentric, his Holmes is great fun to watch, with a glib tongue and an excited manner when plunging into his latest case. Bessie Nellis, so good in Dracula A.D. 2015 as the Pace teacher who reincarnates the evil Count, is a female Doctor Watson, lovely but cool and logical, making her value to Holmes clearly evident. Wearing a pair of spectacles with enlarging lenses she slips into place to examine clues and medical matters, and delivering her dialogue in a measured and cultured voice, she's wonderful as the yin to Kennedy's yang.
The film's screenplay by Kennedy (with additional dialogue provided by Nellis), incorporates adaptations of two Holmes tales by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, The Adventure Of The Empty House and The Adventure Of The Six Napoleons, authentically recreating those stories, while inserting a few other elements to add color to the narrative. Hayden Dabbs' cinematography provides bright hues and well-lit backgrounds, while Kennedy again concocts a memorable soundtrack from some unidentified orchestral sources.
Classic film references are always to be found in a Joshua Kennedy film, with moments from The Hound Of The Baskervilles, The Private Life Of Sherlock Holmes, and Journey To The Center Of The Earth making it into this one, along with probably several more I didn't catch at first, but will on subsequent viewings. This film, despite its familiar stories and iconic characters, is distinctive thanks to Kennedy's youthful exuberance, Nellis' refined Watson, and its imaginative capturing of a time long ago and a place far away.
Directed by Joshua Kennedy
(actor & director credits courtesy IMDB.com)
After surviving his apparent death at the Reichenbach Falls, Sherlock Holmes reunites with Doctor Watson and they investigate the mysterious theft and destruction of several busts of Napoleon.
A few years ago, after I had discovered the films of Joshua Kennedy and been greatly entertained by them, I contacted Josh, expressing my admiration and suggested he make a Sherlock Holmes film, impressed by his distinctive voice and strong vocal delivery. The result of that message was the beginning of our friendship and the film I suggested did indeed come into being, but he and his cast and collaborators deserve all the credit.
After having watched a number of the films Kennedy made during his education at Pace University in New York City, it had not been surprising, with his limited budget and access, to be easily able to recognize university buildings and facilities in the backgrounds of the scenes he shot. He couldn't rent a real airplane to film Airline '79, nor did he have access to an actual hospital in The Vesuvius Xperiment, nor was he able to construct futuristic sets for Slave Girls On The Moon. Of course none of that was greatly significant because the strength of his narratives easily made us look past those backgrounds and not focus on them, and Kennedy sidestepped that issue by setting the locales of Dracula A.D. 2015 and The Night Of Medusa on Pace's campus. However, in this film, he had to recreate the look of period London and thanks to strong location scouting and tightly composited shots, he succeeds, while still filming within the same vicinity of Pace's campus. There's no background that doesn't look like it couldn't have existed in Victorian London, from streets filled with vintage architecture to a fine recreation of Holmes' lodgings filled with shelves of books and convincing period furniture. Even a grassy knoll standing in for Reichenbach's environs fits in well.
Kennedy's cast again consists of youthful friends and classmates, but is able to add several more experienced faces to bring credibility to the tale. Jonathan Danziger is a friendly but doubtful Inspector Lestrade, Michael Rosenfeld and Kennedy's father Gus distinguished gentlemen who own some of the Napoleon busts, and Amy Zilliax is a hoot as the eager to please Mrs. Hudson. Author Will McKinley makes a dastardly Colonel Sebastian Moran, Mark Holmes has a delightfully wicked grimace as one of the film's other villains, and professional actor Mark Redfield is welcome as the infamous Professor Moriarty in a brief but worthwhile cameo.
The youthful faces however bring weight to their own roles as well as fairly good British accents, enlivening their characters with memorable quirks like those distinctively described in Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's original stories. Jake Williams entertains as a very genial shopkeeper, Traci Thomas is memorable as a journalist who also operates a brothel, and Jorge Chapa brings the jovial but not easily impressed manufacturer of the busts to life.
As Sherlock Holmes, Kennedy is everything I pictured when I suggested he'd be a natural as the great detective. Playing him as energetic and egocentric, his Holmes is great fun to watch, with a glib tongue and an excited manner when plunging into his latest case. Bessie Nellis, so good in Dracula A.D. 2015 as the Pace teacher who reincarnates the evil Count, is a female Doctor Watson, lovely but cool and logical, making her value to Holmes clearly evident. Wearing a pair of spectacles with enlarging lenses she slips into place to examine clues and medical matters, and delivering her dialogue in a measured and cultured voice, she's wonderful as the yin to Kennedy's yang.
The film's screenplay by Kennedy (with additional dialogue provided by Nellis), incorporates adaptations of two Holmes tales by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, The Adventure Of The Empty House and The Adventure Of The Six Napoleons, authentically recreating those stories, while inserting a few other elements to add color to the narrative. Hayden Dabbs' cinematography provides bright hues and well-lit backgrounds, while Kennedy again concocts a memorable soundtrack from some unidentified orchestral sources.
Classic film references are always to be found in a Joshua Kennedy film, with moments from The Hound Of The Baskervilles, The Private Life Of Sherlock Holmes, and Journey To The Center Of The Earth making it into this one, along with probably several more I didn't catch at first, but will on subsequent viewings. This film, despite its familiar stories and iconic characters, is distinctive thanks to Kennedy's youthful exuberance, Nellis' refined Watson, and its imaginative capturing of a time long ago and a place far away.
Sunday, March 12, 2017
The Night Of Medusa (2016)
Starring Haley Zega, Carmen Vienhage, Liam Wildes, Joshua Kennedy, Traci Thomas
Directed by Joshua Kennedy
(actor & director credits courtesy IMDB.com)
An exchange student from Greece begins classes at New York's Pace University, and is tormented by a cruel roommate and her friends, while haunted by a statue out of classic mythology.
One of Joshua Kennedy's most original movies, although it abounds in classic film references, is one of his greatest works, a memorable tale of an innocent girl abused by those around her, who will receive their comeuppance thanks to her connection to a legendary monster.
Kennedy has gone on record time and again professing his love for his favorite film of all time, Hammer's 1964 production of The Gorgon, which involved the discovery of one of the legendary sisters of Medusa turning victims to stone in an English village. In Kennedy's audio commentary for his production, he mentions borrowing character and crew names, as well as camera setups from Terence Fisher's film, and impressively also works in references to The Cabinet Of Dr. Caligari, Nosferatu, Carrie, The Empire Strikes Back, and many others.
However, as stated before, this is a very original effort from Kennedy, "a dark fairy tale," as he describes it on his commentary, with two lovely and wonderful actresses, Haley Zega and Carmen Vienhage, playing polar opposites, dressed throughout the film in bright and dark clothes to illustrate this further. Vienhage had appeared in a few other Kennedy productions as bubbly blondes, but shows her dramatic range here, playing a selfish and morally bankrupt student who's eager to humiliate her roommate. Zega, as the victimized Elaine Carlisle, is as sweet and innocent as Vienhage is cruel and we feel her torment and confusion through a fine performance, which ultimately leads to a quest for vengeance.
Also in the cast is Liam Wildes as a handsome paramour for the inexperienced Elaine, who has his own ulterior motives, and Kennedy himself, playing the mysterious Count Saknussemm, whose name comes from the 1959 filming of Journey To The Center Of The Earth, but as Josh points out in his commentary, is modeled after a number of cinema icons, with a beard tailored to resemble Peter Cushing's in The Gorgon. A mixture of familiar faces from Kennedy's past productions and new ones fill out the cast, with Traci Thomas memorable as Carlisle's loquacious resident advisor.
The film's soundtrack commences with a stirring organ piece by Tom Milligan, preparing us for a unique experience. In addition, Kennedy assembles a number of memorable classical music selections, including portions from Swan Lake and Tristan und Isolde to create a neoclassical background for his "fairy tale," which are well utilized in scenes including the Perseus & Medusa statue and other classical statues shot at New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art. Although the film is very much contemporary in focus, with cell phones and an Instagram site providing important plot points, the music, the scenery, and Kennedy's clever use of primary colors give it a nostalgic feel. Night scenes shot on the streets of New York and within Central Park under a full moon recall the Hammer Gorgon production and contribute outstanding atmosphere.
Kennedy doesn't have the budget for an elaborate creature makeup or special effects capturing characters turning to stone, but visually composites live snakes filmed at a local pet store effectively enough, and uses camera tricks and sound effects to cleverly create the stone transformation. He also wisely uses them in only limited glimpses as first, as he unravels Carlisle's connection to Medusa slowly and mysteriously, as done in The Gorgon and other classic creature films.
Nominated for The Rondo Classic Horror Award for Best Independent Film this year, The Night Of Medusa is an entertaining mix of the classic and contemporary and another fine Hammer tribute in the same spirit as Kennedy's excellent Dracula A.D. 2015. However it stands on its own as a compelling original story and an affecting and moving film.
Directed by Joshua Kennedy
(actor & director credits courtesy IMDB.com)
An exchange student from Greece begins classes at New York's Pace University, and is tormented by a cruel roommate and her friends, while haunted by a statue out of classic mythology.
One of Joshua Kennedy's most original movies, although it abounds in classic film references, is one of his greatest works, a memorable tale of an innocent girl abused by those around her, who will receive their comeuppance thanks to her connection to a legendary monster.
Kennedy has gone on record time and again professing his love for his favorite film of all time, Hammer's 1964 production of The Gorgon, which involved the discovery of one of the legendary sisters of Medusa turning victims to stone in an English village. In Kennedy's audio commentary for his production, he mentions borrowing character and crew names, as well as camera setups from Terence Fisher's film, and impressively also works in references to The Cabinet Of Dr. Caligari, Nosferatu, Carrie, The Empire Strikes Back, and many others.
However, as stated before, this is a very original effort from Kennedy, "a dark fairy tale," as he describes it on his commentary, with two lovely and wonderful actresses, Haley Zega and Carmen Vienhage, playing polar opposites, dressed throughout the film in bright and dark clothes to illustrate this further. Vienhage had appeared in a few other Kennedy productions as bubbly blondes, but shows her dramatic range here, playing a selfish and morally bankrupt student who's eager to humiliate her roommate. Zega, as the victimized Elaine Carlisle, is as sweet and innocent as Vienhage is cruel and we feel her torment and confusion through a fine performance, which ultimately leads to a quest for vengeance.
Also in the cast is Liam Wildes as a handsome paramour for the inexperienced Elaine, who has his own ulterior motives, and Kennedy himself, playing the mysterious Count Saknussemm, whose name comes from the 1959 filming of Journey To The Center Of The Earth, but as Josh points out in his commentary, is modeled after a number of cinema icons, with a beard tailored to resemble Peter Cushing's in The Gorgon. A mixture of familiar faces from Kennedy's past productions and new ones fill out the cast, with Traci Thomas memorable as Carlisle's loquacious resident advisor.
The film's soundtrack commences with a stirring organ piece by Tom Milligan, preparing us for a unique experience. In addition, Kennedy assembles a number of memorable classical music selections, including portions from Swan Lake and Tristan und Isolde to create a neoclassical background for his "fairy tale," which are well utilized in scenes including the Perseus & Medusa statue and other classical statues shot at New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art. Although the film is very much contemporary in focus, with cell phones and an Instagram site providing important plot points, the music, the scenery, and Kennedy's clever use of primary colors give it a nostalgic feel. Night scenes shot on the streets of New York and within Central Park under a full moon recall the Hammer Gorgon production and contribute outstanding atmosphere.
Kennedy doesn't have the budget for an elaborate creature makeup or special effects capturing characters turning to stone, but visually composites live snakes filmed at a local pet store effectively enough, and uses camera tricks and sound effects to cleverly create the stone transformation. He also wisely uses them in only limited glimpses as first, as he unravels Carlisle's connection to Medusa slowly and mysteriously, as done in The Gorgon and other classic creature films.
Nominated for The Rondo Classic Horror Award for Best Independent Film this year, The Night Of Medusa is an entertaining mix of the classic and contemporary and another fine Hammer tribute in the same spirit as Kennedy's excellent Dracula A.D. 2015. However it stands on its own as a compelling original story and an affecting and moving film.
Saturday, March 4, 2017
Dracula A.D. 2015 (2015)
Starring Joshua Kennedy, Xander Pretorius, Bessie Nellis, Kat Kennedy, Jeremy Kreuzer
Directed by Joshua Kennedy
(actor & director credits courtesy IMDB.com)
A teacher at Pace University in New York City succeeds in bringing about the reincarnation of Dracula, but one of the university's professors is well versed in combatting vampires.
Hammer horror films are among the favorite productions of Joshua Kennedy, and he pays homage to them in this clever amalgam of moments from all of Hammer's Dracula films, united in a screenplay restaging them on his own university campus, with Kennedy playing the vampire hunter after Pretorius' Dracula.
The story from one of Hammer's last Dracula movies, Dracula A.D. 1972, provides the primary outline for Kennedy's film, smartly adapted to fit the college setting and scenes in which modern conveniences like cellphones and online chatrooms help drive the story forward. Kennedy uses the main title theme from that film to set the stage, and was able to utilize one of its actresses, Caroline Munro, who has a vocal cameo and therefore ties the two movies together. Although Kennedy's vampire hunter, Terence Fordyce, is a new character not appearing in the earlier film, he's clearly modeled after Peter Cushing who played two different generations of Van Helsing opposing Christopher Lee's Dracula, who is the clear template for Pretorius' performance. Pretorius doesn't exactly replicate the great Christopher Lee, but he does show glimmers of Lee in his icy stares and nuzzling of Dracula's victims before he bares his fangs.
Josh's friends and classmates provide color to the supporting cast, with Kat Kennedy playing the confused and frightened Jennifer, (Dracula's primary target), Cody Alvord portraying her fun-loving but faithful boyfriend, Jeremy Kreuzer bringing to life a version of Renfield harkening back to the original Bela Lugosi film, and Hannah Rose Ammon, Madelyn Wiley, and Claire Daniels adding the right touches as victims who succumb to the vampire's bite with relish. However, standing out among them is Bessie Nellis, in one of her best performances for Kennedy, as the teacher who brings Dracula to the university, and ends up becoming a vampire herself. Although Nellis' role is based on Christopher Neame's in Dracula A.D. 1972, she makes it her own with a compelling creepy gaze and a grim voice that unsettles her friends and the audience.
While Kennedy's adaptation of Dracula A.D. 1972 provides his narrative thrust here, it's far from the only film referenced. Scenes from Horror Of Dracula and Brides of Dracula fuel Kennedy's confrontations with Pretorius, while dialogue from the other Hammer productions permeate the screenplay, and selections from many of their scores layer the soundtrack. The athletic pursuit of the fleeing Dracula by Peter Cushing in those films inspires dynamic scenes where Kennedy rushes through New York streets, leading to a memorable conflict aboard a subway train. I'm sure it would be entertaining to hear how Kennedy requested permission from the proper authorities and explained what he would be shooting for this sequence.
Horror Of Dracula of course also provides the framework for the film's finale, in which Kennedy and his crew recreate that movie's denouement with homegrown special effects that are very reminiscent of the originals. The effects throughout the film are staged that way with smoke and flying dust and fades recapturing that Hammer feel, while Kennedy and Pretorius match Cushing and Lee's expressions and reactions, to create a thrilling tribute to one of the studio's most memorable climaxes.
While I enjoy all of Kennedy's productions, I have to say this is my favorite of the bunch, as Josh's love of the subject matter is more than evident not only in the look of the film and its staging but in his vibrant performance, in which he gets to play hero against one of cinema's greatest villains. He's not Peter Cushing and can't bring the exact same gravitas and weight to the lines he quotes from that great actor's dialogue, but he does a fine job in capturing the nobility of Cushing, and representing to the audience those classic moments that we all love to relive. The film itself is one of his most exciting productions, with suspenseful stalkings, action-packed chases, and some fun original humor as well. Although the Hammer films inspired the the highlights of this picture, their packaging into such an entertaining product is perhaps Kennedy's greatest triumph.
Directed by Joshua Kennedy
(actor & director credits courtesy IMDB.com)
A teacher at Pace University in New York City succeeds in bringing about the reincarnation of Dracula, but one of the university's professors is well versed in combatting vampires.
Hammer horror films are among the favorite productions of Joshua Kennedy, and he pays homage to them in this clever amalgam of moments from all of Hammer's Dracula films, united in a screenplay restaging them on his own university campus, with Kennedy playing the vampire hunter after Pretorius' Dracula.
The story from one of Hammer's last Dracula movies, Dracula A.D. 1972, provides the primary outline for Kennedy's film, smartly adapted to fit the college setting and scenes in which modern conveniences like cellphones and online chatrooms help drive the story forward. Kennedy uses the main title theme from that film to set the stage, and was able to utilize one of its actresses, Caroline Munro, who has a vocal cameo and therefore ties the two movies together. Although Kennedy's vampire hunter, Terence Fordyce, is a new character not appearing in the earlier film, he's clearly modeled after Peter Cushing who played two different generations of Van Helsing opposing Christopher Lee's Dracula, who is the clear template for Pretorius' performance. Pretorius doesn't exactly replicate the great Christopher Lee, but he does show glimmers of Lee in his icy stares and nuzzling of Dracula's victims before he bares his fangs.
Josh's friends and classmates provide color to the supporting cast, with Kat Kennedy playing the confused and frightened Jennifer, (Dracula's primary target), Cody Alvord portraying her fun-loving but faithful boyfriend, Jeremy Kreuzer bringing to life a version of Renfield harkening back to the original Bela Lugosi film, and Hannah Rose Ammon, Madelyn Wiley, and Claire Daniels adding the right touches as victims who succumb to the vampire's bite with relish. However, standing out among them is Bessie Nellis, in one of her best performances for Kennedy, as the teacher who brings Dracula to the university, and ends up becoming a vampire herself. Although Nellis' role is based on Christopher Neame's in Dracula A.D. 1972, she makes it her own with a compelling creepy gaze and a grim voice that unsettles her friends and the audience.
While Kennedy's adaptation of Dracula A.D. 1972 provides his narrative thrust here, it's far from the only film referenced. Scenes from Horror Of Dracula and Brides of Dracula fuel Kennedy's confrontations with Pretorius, while dialogue from the other Hammer productions permeate the screenplay, and selections from many of their scores layer the soundtrack. The athletic pursuit of the fleeing Dracula by Peter Cushing in those films inspires dynamic scenes where Kennedy rushes through New York streets, leading to a memorable conflict aboard a subway train. I'm sure it would be entertaining to hear how Kennedy requested permission from the proper authorities and explained what he would be shooting for this sequence.
Horror Of Dracula of course also provides the framework for the film's finale, in which Kennedy and his crew recreate that movie's denouement with homegrown special effects that are very reminiscent of the originals. The effects throughout the film are staged that way with smoke and flying dust and fades recapturing that Hammer feel, while Kennedy and Pretorius match Cushing and Lee's expressions and reactions, to create a thrilling tribute to one of the studio's most memorable climaxes.
While I enjoy all of Kennedy's productions, I have to say this is my favorite of the bunch, as Josh's love of the subject matter is more than evident not only in the look of the film and its staging but in his vibrant performance, in which he gets to play hero against one of cinema's greatest villains. He's not Peter Cushing and can't bring the exact same gravitas and weight to the lines he quotes from that great actor's dialogue, but he does a fine job in capturing the nobility of Cushing, and representing to the audience those classic moments that we all love to relive. The film itself is one of his most exciting productions, with suspenseful stalkings, action-packed chases, and some fun original humor as well. Although the Hammer films inspired the the highlights of this picture, their packaging into such an entertaining product is perhaps Kennedy's greatest triumph.
Saturday, February 25, 2017
The Vesuvius Xperiment (2015)
Starring Joshua Kennedy, Tomi Heady, Nick McNeil, Giancarlo Caccamo, Brianna Gentilella
Directed by Joshua Kennedy
(actor & director credits courtesy IMDB.com)
An experiment by the famed Dr. Vesuvius to give a man the ability to breathe underwater results in a terrible mutation, turning him into a murdering monster that escapes a New York hospital.
Turning his eye towards late 1950's science fiction shockers, writer/director/star Joshua Kennedy crafts another wonderful tribute to classic film, again making the most out of limited resources. The picture adopts the structure and some key scenes from 1955's The Quatermass Xperiment, with Kennedy stepping into the shoes of that film's Brian Donlevy, playing a brilliant scientist whose overarching dedication to science rubs several the wrong way, although he also taps into some of his other acting heroes, notably the great Peter Cushing. His performance, so dedicated to the cool determined scientist, should recall Cushing and Donlevy and other great actors, delivering his dialogue seriously in his rich deep voice while never cracking a smile.
In addition to Quatermass, there's also visual and dialogue references to the Hammer Frankenstein films, Kurt Neumann's The Fly, and some others I probably missed- it's always fun to watch Kennedy's movies and try to guess what classics of the past inspired him, as well as to witness how cleverly he recreates scenes without the budget, makeup, and special effects that the earlier films enjoyed.
Returning to the world of black and white after his past few movies were lensed in color, the young director makes good use of shadow and spotlights to add contrast and camouflage the university buildings he filmed in, while getting good performances from Caccamo as his ill-fated monster, Heady as the man's dedicated wife, and McNeil as Vesuvius' assistant who boldly challenges the single-minded doctor on a number of occasions. Friends and classmates of Josh's playing mentally imbalanced hospital patients effectively add a feeling of unease to the setting, with Traci Thomas, Jeremy Kreuzer, and Carmen Vienhage adding some entertaining comic relief, and professors Michael Rosenfeld & Jonathan Danziger providing credibility to the story.
Although the nature of the transformation of Richard Delambre, a nod to the scientist's surname in The Fly, is so fantastic that it could generate laughs from the audience if allowed, Kennedy never lets that happen, steering the film forward with a single-minded focus not unlike that of the character he plays. Caccamo helps sell this, emulating Richard Wordsworth's fine performance in Quatermass, and looks great wandering hunched over by his mutation against the backdrop of New York City buildings.
A tribute to The Fly's famous reveal, featuring fine acting by Heady and the exposure of Delambre's mutated face doesn't quite have the same shock value as in that classic film (what could), but represents a best effort from Kennedy with what he had available to him- I think as he grows as a filmmaker, he will have better tools at hand for such scenes, but the same creativity with which to use them.
How wonderful it would have been had Kennedy had a James Bernard to score his picture, as that composer's past work would have been a perfect match for the visuals on the screen, but Josh finds an acceptable replacement in other musical selections, with passages from Holst's Mars, The Bringer Of War providing the right tone of dark menace.
I hope another film of this type is in Kennedy's future- he's shown a fine hand at capturing the eerie and unsettling images that unnerved audiences in the 1950s, and we could always use more movies mining unearthly horror on black and white film stock.
Directed by Joshua Kennedy
(actor & director credits courtesy IMDB.com)
An experiment by the famed Dr. Vesuvius to give a man the ability to breathe underwater results in a terrible mutation, turning him into a murdering monster that escapes a New York hospital.
Turning his eye towards late 1950's science fiction shockers, writer/director/star Joshua Kennedy crafts another wonderful tribute to classic film, again making the most out of limited resources. The picture adopts the structure and some key scenes from 1955's The Quatermass Xperiment, with Kennedy stepping into the shoes of that film's Brian Donlevy, playing a brilliant scientist whose overarching dedication to science rubs several the wrong way, although he also taps into some of his other acting heroes, notably the great Peter Cushing. His performance, so dedicated to the cool determined scientist, should recall Cushing and Donlevy and other great actors, delivering his dialogue seriously in his rich deep voice while never cracking a smile.
In addition to Quatermass, there's also visual and dialogue references to the Hammer Frankenstein films, Kurt Neumann's The Fly, and some others I probably missed- it's always fun to watch Kennedy's movies and try to guess what classics of the past inspired him, as well as to witness how cleverly he recreates scenes without the budget, makeup, and special effects that the earlier films enjoyed.
Returning to the world of black and white after his past few movies were lensed in color, the young director makes good use of shadow and spotlights to add contrast and camouflage the university buildings he filmed in, while getting good performances from Caccamo as his ill-fated monster, Heady as the man's dedicated wife, and McNeil as Vesuvius' assistant who boldly challenges the single-minded doctor on a number of occasions. Friends and classmates of Josh's playing mentally imbalanced hospital patients effectively add a feeling of unease to the setting, with Traci Thomas, Jeremy Kreuzer, and Carmen Vienhage adding some entertaining comic relief, and professors Michael Rosenfeld & Jonathan Danziger providing credibility to the story.
Although the nature of the transformation of Richard Delambre, a nod to the scientist's surname in The Fly, is so fantastic that it could generate laughs from the audience if allowed, Kennedy never lets that happen, steering the film forward with a single-minded focus not unlike that of the character he plays. Caccamo helps sell this, emulating Richard Wordsworth's fine performance in Quatermass, and looks great wandering hunched over by his mutation against the backdrop of New York City buildings.
A tribute to The Fly's famous reveal, featuring fine acting by Heady and the exposure of Delambre's mutated face doesn't quite have the same shock value as in that classic film (what could), but represents a best effort from Kennedy with what he had available to him- I think as he grows as a filmmaker, he will have better tools at hand for such scenes, but the same creativity with which to use them.
How wonderful it would have been had Kennedy had a James Bernard to score his picture, as that composer's past work would have been a perfect match for the visuals on the screen, but Josh finds an acceptable replacement in other musical selections, with passages from Holst's Mars, The Bringer Of War providing the right tone of dark menace.
I hope another film of this type is in Kennedy's future- he's shown a fine hand at capturing the eerie and unsettling images that unnerved audiences in the 1950s, and we could always use more movies mining unearthly horror on black and white film stock.
Saturday, February 18, 2017
Airline '79 (2015)
Starring Joshua Kennedy, Allie Anschutz, Jeremy Kreuzer, Cody Alvord, Hannah Rose Ammon
Directed by Joshua Kennedy
(actor & director credits courtesy IMDB.com)
An airline flight to London is placed in jeopardy by a bomb threat, and it's up to Captain Chuck Daniels to try and outsmart the bomber and find a way to save his passengers and crew.
This effort by writer/producer/director Joshua Kennedy is a homage to the airplane disaster films of the 1970s, which were kicked off by the initial film adaptation by Universal Pictures of Arthur Hailey's novel Airport, followed by several sequels. Also included in the oeuvre was a competing film from MGM, 1972's Skyjacked, which provides the crux of the plot for Kennedy's tribute, in which a message scrawled in lipstick in one of the plane's restrooms spurs the action forward.
Charlton Heston, one of Kennedy's favorite actors, starred in two of the movies referenced, and Kennedy is clearly modeling his performance after the legendary star, which a confrontational speech aimed at the bomber once discovered makes abundantly clear. He also as Hailey did in his novel, layers the film with multiple intersecting subplots, including a girl fleeing her abusive boyfriend, a pair of pickpockets hounded by an autograph seeker, and flight attendants competing for the Captain's romantic attentions. The balancing of all those narrative elements within a 50-minute film is impressively pulled off by Kennedy and his cast and crew.
Filmed at Pace University in New York City, the young filmmaker didn't have a real plane interior to work with, but a cobbled-together cockpit and passenger cabin help suspend our disbelief, and although those sets are clearly artificial, that's quickly forgotten when the drama starts to escalate. Scenes in a traffic control tower, dominated by Pace professor Jonathan Danziger playing the film's hard-nosed troubleshooter, aptly named Art Hailey, are of the same quality, with projections of radar displays on screens and monitors making us forget this was likely filmed in a university classroom.
Kennedy gets fine performances from his young cast of friends and classmates, with memorable turns from Allie Anschutz as his leading lady, Jeremy Kreuzer as a Southern drunkard, Kat Kennedy as the abused girl, Tomi Heady as the more cynical of the pickpockets, Brianna Gentilleia as the perky autograph seeker, Jake Williams as the worried navigator who starts to fold under pressure, and Traci Thomas providing comic relief as a sassy veterinarian who amusingly mispronounces a number of phrases.
Although the film lifts a number of bits of business and pieces of dialogue verbatim from the Airport and Skyjacked movies, uniting those elements in a cohesive screenplay had to have been a challenging chore, but it's the kind of chore which Kennedy has already shown a talent for in past productions. There were countless scenes from those 1970s efforts he could have chosen to pay tribute to, but the ones selected are effectively used to create drama within the confines of his sets and budget, something he does so well, we've come to expect it.
No, Kennedy's film doesn't contain the star-studded casts or breathtaking aerial effects of the movies he's referencing, but for me, this effort recaptures much of the human spirit on display that made these productions so popular. And for those who'd like to see another airborne adventure in these modern times where good triumphs over evil after a suspenseful crisis, they need look no further than this film.
Directed by Joshua Kennedy
(actor & director credits courtesy IMDB.com)
An airline flight to London is placed in jeopardy by a bomb threat, and it's up to Captain Chuck Daniels to try and outsmart the bomber and find a way to save his passengers and crew.
This effort by writer/producer/director Joshua Kennedy is a homage to the airplane disaster films of the 1970s, which were kicked off by the initial film adaptation by Universal Pictures of Arthur Hailey's novel Airport, followed by several sequels. Also included in the oeuvre was a competing film from MGM, 1972's Skyjacked, which provides the crux of the plot for Kennedy's tribute, in which a message scrawled in lipstick in one of the plane's restrooms spurs the action forward.
Charlton Heston, one of Kennedy's favorite actors, starred in two of the movies referenced, and Kennedy is clearly modeling his performance after the legendary star, which a confrontational speech aimed at the bomber once discovered makes abundantly clear. He also as Hailey did in his novel, layers the film with multiple intersecting subplots, including a girl fleeing her abusive boyfriend, a pair of pickpockets hounded by an autograph seeker, and flight attendants competing for the Captain's romantic attentions. The balancing of all those narrative elements within a 50-minute film is impressively pulled off by Kennedy and his cast and crew.
Filmed at Pace University in New York City, the young filmmaker didn't have a real plane interior to work with, but a cobbled-together cockpit and passenger cabin help suspend our disbelief, and although those sets are clearly artificial, that's quickly forgotten when the drama starts to escalate. Scenes in a traffic control tower, dominated by Pace professor Jonathan Danziger playing the film's hard-nosed troubleshooter, aptly named Art Hailey, are of the same quality, with projections of radar displays on screens and monitors making us forget this was likely filmed in a university classroom.
Kennedy gets fine performances from his young cast of friends and classmates, with memorable turns from Allie Anschutz as his leading lady, Jeremy Kreuzer as a Southern drunkard, Kat Kennedy as the abused girl, Tomi Heady as the more cynical of the pickpockets, Brianna Gentilleia as the perky autograph seeker, Jake Williams as the worried navigator who starts to fold under pressure, and Traci Thomas providing comic relief as a sassy veterinarian who amusingly mispronounces a number of phrases.
Although the film lifts a number of bits of business and pieces of dialogue verbatim from the Airport and Skyjacked movies, uniting those elements in a cohesive screenplay had to have been a challenging chore, but it's the kind of chore which Kennedy has already shown a talent for in past productions. There were countless scenes from those 1970s efforts he could have chosen to pay tribute to, but the ones selected are effectively used to create drama within the confines of his sets and budget, something he does so well, we've come to expect it.
No, Kennedy's film doesn't contain the star-studded casts or breathtaking aerial effects of the movies he's referencing, but for me, this effort recaptures much of the human spirit on display that made these productions so popular. And for those who'd like to see another airborne adventure in these modern times where good triumphs over evil after a suspenseful crisis, they need look no further than this film.
Saturday, February 11, 2017
Slave Girls On The Moon (2014)
Starring Madelyn Wiley, Devin Dunne, Tomi Heady, Joshua Kennedy, Jeremy Kreuzer
Directed by Joshua Kennedy
(actor & director credits courtesy IMDB.com)
A young woman is sent over 6,000 years into the future in order to rescue another time traveler who's gone missing, and both of them end up incarcerated in a nearly impenetrable prison on the moon.
Joshua Kennedy nods his cap towards classic films of the 1960s and 1970s in this madcap sci-fi comedy, but at the same time, it's one of his most original films, and a surefire crowd pleaser. While the movie employs some familiar plot devices (such as women in prison bonding together against a cruel warden and a talent show put on to cover a jailbreak), it flows with a wild energy that embraces the outlandish and discards the ordinary.
Taking a page from Stanley Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey and its classical music score, Kennedy peppers the soundtrack with a wide variety of familiar selections ranging from Also Sprach Zarathustra to The William Tell Overture along with some more contemporary choices to drive the film forward. With fast-paced scenes matching the tempo of the music, Kennedy sustains excitement and keeps the mood light, despite some grim moments throughout the picture.
The dark tone underlying the comedy is set primarily through Kennedy's own performance as the evil warden, a clear tribute to one of Josh's favorite performances, that of James Mason as Captain Nemo in Disney's classic 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea. One does not have to concentrate hard to hear Mason's distinguished and cool but bitter inflection in a striking imitation. The young filmmaker's costume, complete with wispy beard, navy blazer, and white turtleneck adds to the nostalgic recapturing of the image of Nemo, while a futuristic eyepatch enhances the character's villainy.
Opposing Kennedy's villain is a bevy of lovely ladies playing the inmates of the prison, led by Madelyn Wiley's wide-eyed and spunky Chloe Trustcott, Devin Dunne's slightly off-balance Genevieve Fonda, and Tomi Heady's clever and determined Mai-Ling. The young ladies do a fine job of settling into the familiar prisoner film archetypes, but making the roles their own, and co-stars like Brianna Gentilella, Carmen Vienhage, and Traci Thomas add some daffy humor to the mix. Jeremy Kreuzer stands out among the male leads as the silver skinned android-like Lobo, whose hysterical laugh and darting tongue adds character to another sinister adversary for the ladies.
I presume this was Josh's first production filmed nearly entirely at Pace University, and although we can tell university halls and common rooms are standing in for his sets, Kennedy unleashes a cavalcade of special effects and optical shots to sustain the illusion of the future setting. It's more than impressive for a young student filmmaker to have been able to insert so many visual effects in a film (there must be at least 50 optical shots if not more), and although no one will mistake his work for Industrial Light & Magic's, the end result is certainly successful.
This film recently won an award for best comedy at the Miami Science Fiction Festival and it deserves that accolade and more. Josh's theater background in mounting productions of The Ten Commandments and 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea in high school surely came in handy here, in uniting such a wide variety of actresses into an entertaining ensemble, most of whom he probably had not known before he arrived at Pace. The film might have been improved in some ways here and there- I'm not sure Wiley's voice-over narration works quite as well as it should, and the talent show may have benefitted from some stronger acts to balance out all the weak ones- but the movie remains a jewel in Kennedy's filmography, one which I hope many audiences in the mood for a good time will soon discover.
Directed by Joshua Kennedy
(actor & director credits courtesy IMDB.com)
A young woman is sent over 6,000 years into the future in order to rescue another time traveler who's gone missing, and both of them end up incarcerated in a nearly impenetrable prison on the moon.
Joshua Kennedy nods his cap towards classic films of the 1960s and 1970s in this madcap sci-fi comedy, but at the same time, it's one of his most original films, and a surefire crowd pleaser. While the movie employs some familiar plot devices (such as women in prison bonding together against a cruel warden and a talent show put on to cover a jailbreak), it flows with a wild energy that embraces the outlandish and discards the ordinary.
Taking a page from Stanley Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey and its classical music score, Kennedy peppers the soundtrack with a wide variety of familiar selections ranging from Also Sprach Zarathustra to The William Tell Overture along with some more contemporary choices to drive the film forward. With fast-paced scenes matching the tempo of the music, Kennedy sustains excitement and keeps the mood light, despite some grim moments throughout the picture.
The dark tone underlying the comedy is set primarily through Kennedy's own performance as the evil warden, a clear tribute to one of Josh's favorite performances, that of James Mason as Captain Nemo in Disney's classic 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea. One does not have to concentrate hard to hear Mason's distinguished and cool but bitter inflection in a striking imitation. The young filmmaker's costume, complete with wispy beard, navy blazer, and white turtleneck adds to the nostalgic recapturing of the image of Nemo, while a futuristic eyepatch enhances the character's villainy.
Opposing Kennedy's villain is a bevy of lovely ladies playing the inmates of the prison, led by Madelyn Wiley's wide-eyed and spunky Chloe Trustcott, Devin Dunne's slightly off-balance Genevieve Fonda, and Tomi Heady's clever and determined Mai-Ling. The young ladies do a fine job of settling into the familiar prisoner film archetypes, but making the roles their own, and co-stars like Brianna Gentilella, Carmen Vienhage, and Traci Thomas add some daffy humor to the mix. Jeremy Kreuzer stands out among the male leads as the silver skinned android-like Lobo, whose hysterical laugh and darting tongue adds character to another sinister adversary for the ladies.
I presume this was Josh's first production filmed nearly entirely at Pace University, and although we can tell university halls and common rooms are standing in for his sets, Kennedy unleashes a cavalcade of special effects and optical shots to sustain the illusion of the future setting. It's more than impressive for a young student filmmaker to have been able to insert so many visual effects in a film (there must be at least 50 optical shots if not more), and although no one will mistake his work for Industrial Light & Magic's, the end result is certainly successful.
This film recently won an award for best comedy at the Miami Science Fiction Festival and it deserves that accolade and more. Josh's theater background in mounting productions of The Ten Commandments and 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea in high school surely came in handy here, in uniting such a wide variety of actresses into an entertaining ensemble, most of whom he probably had not known before he arrived at Pace. The film might have been improved in some ways here and there- I'm not sure Wiley's voice-over narration works quite as well as it should, and the talent show may have benefitted from some stronger acts to balance out all the weak ones- but the movie remains a jewel in Kennedy's filmography, one which I hope many audiences in the mood for a good time will soon discover.
Saturday, February 4, 2017
The Menace With 5 Arms (2013)
Starring Joshua Kennedy, Ayssette Munoz, Devin Dunne, Jorge Chapa, Kat Kennedy
Directed by Joshua Kennedy
(actor & director credits courtesy IMDB.com)
A small-town sheriff teams with a marine biologist to investigate the mysterious disappearances of people in the nearby desert, and learn a gigantic starfish is behind it all.
Joshua Kennedy's tribute to the giant creatures of 1950s monster movies offers more of what we've come to expect from the young writer/director, a savvy homage to films of the past that also showcases his talent in front of and behind the camera. Filmed partly in his home state of Texas, and also near Pace University in New York City, the film school which would become his new home, the movie features familiar faces in the cast from Kennedy's past productions, as well as some fresh new ones.
Josh himself, having grown a beard since his last production, graduates to an adult role as Joseph Kerwin, a promoted deputy under stress from dissatisfied locals after the death of the town's popular sheriff, as well as from a breakup with his long-time girlfriend. He hasn't written for himself an easy character to play, seemingly patterned after the roles of familiar 50's leading man John Agar, a good and decent man who's not perfect and makes mistakes, but doing the best he can, he struggles against simmering anger building up in him. When his temper finally boils over, it's real and believable, and a worthy accomplishment of acting for a young man still in his teens. When the film's leading lady enters the picture, he's also able to channel considerable charm and self-confidence despite his character's problems.
That lady is played by Ayssette Munoz, a lovely and self-assured actress who projects a sweet innocence as well as a chip on her character's shoulder after a blunder that damaged her academic reputation. Her scenes with Kennedy genuinely build rapport and warmth between their characters, even when at odds, with dialogue so reminiscent of the movies 1950s sci-fi fans know by heart.
Those looking for references to their favorite classics will find them in characters like Tommy Green's, representing the teller of tall tales who's the first to warn Kerwin about the starfish, Michael Albeis' defiant promoter who ignores Kerwin's warning to stay out of the desert, and the young girl in shock from her experience with the creature (Erin Alexis Cantu), who comes out of it in a scene paying tribute to 1954's Them!
Kennedy has come a long way in just a few years since the limited special effects of his first production, and is able to stage some impressive technical visuals, sending crowds fleeing across the screen from the giant projected starfish, and helicopters reeling towards their destruction as the menacing creature scales an actual Pace University building. Still, those nostalgic for Kennedy's creative use of miniature toys in his past movies, will smile when they find those employed here too.
In another sign of the director's growth, Kennedy also composed the music that accompanies the film and although the score is fairly elementary, it's remarkably effective, particularly during the monster scenes. The sound recording and use of sound effects is also a step up from his past efforts, convincingly creating the bustling background noise of an airport, and the slurping of the creature when attacking its screaming victims.
Kennedy's creativity shines throughout the picture with his only limitation being his budget, and he again finds unique ways to counter that shortcoming. Not every scene is all that it could be, but that could be said of any film, and like his character of Joseph Kerwin, he endeavors to make a picture that's not a perfect replica of those made by his predecessors, but one that will recall fond memories in an audience appreciative of his efforts.
Directed by Joshua Kennedy
(actor & director credits courtesy IMDB.com)
A small-town sheriff teams with a marine biologist to investigate the mysterious disappearances of people in the nearby desert, and learn a gigantic starfish is behind it all.
Joshua Kennedy's tribute to the giant creatures of 1950s monster movies offers more of what we've come to expect from the young writer/director, a savvy homage to films of the past that also showcases his talent in front of and behind the camera. Filmed partly in his home state of Texas, and also near Pace University in New York City, the film school which would become his new home, the movie features familiar faces in the cast from Kennedy's past productions, as well as some fresh new ones.
Josh himself, having grown a beard since his last production, graduates to an adult role as Joseph Kerwin, a promoted deputy under stress from dissatisfied locals after the death of the town's popular sheriff, as well as from a breakup with his long-time girlfriend. He hasn't written for himself an easy character to play, seemingly patterned after the roles of familiar 50's leading man John Agar, a good and decent man who's not perfect and makes mistakes, but doing the best he can, he struggles against simmering anger building up in him. When his temper finally boils over, it's real and believable, and a worthy accomplishment of acting for a young man still in his teens. When the film's leading lady enters the picture, he's also able to channel considerable charm and self-confidence despite his character's problems.
That lady is played by Ayssette Munoz, a lovely and self-assured actress who projects a sweet innocence as well as a chip on her character's shoulder after a blunder that damaged her academic reputation. Her scenes with Kennedy genuinely build rapport and warmth between their characters, even when at odds, with dialogue so reminiscent of the movies 1950s sci-fi fans know by heart.
Those looking for references to their favorite classics will find them in characters like Tommy Green's, representing the teller of tall tales who's the first to warn Kerwin about the starfish, Michael Albeis' defiant promoter who ignores Kerwin's warning to stay out of the desert, and the young girl in shock from her experience with the creature (Erin Alexis Cantu), who comes out of it in a scene paying tribute to 1954's Them!
Kennedy has come a long way in just a few years since the limited special effects of his first production, and is able to stage some impressive technical visuals, sending crowds fleeing across the screen from the giant projected starfish, and helicopters reeling towards their destruction as the menacing creature scales an actual Pace University building. Still, those nostalgic for Kennedy's creative use of miniature toys in his past movies, will smile when they find those employed here too.
In another sign of the director's growth, Kennedy also composed the music that accompanies the film and although the score is fairly elementary, it's remarkably effective, particularly during the monster scenes. The sound recording and use of sound effects is also a step up from his past efforts, convincingly creating the bustling background noise of an airport, and the slurping of the creature when attacking its screaming victims.
Kennedy's creativity shines throughout the picture with his only limitation being his budget, and he again finds unique ways to counter that shortcoming. Not every scene is all that it could be, but that could be said of any film, and like his character of Joseph Kerwin, he endeavors to make a picture that's not a perfect replica of those made by his predecessors, but one that will recall fond memories in an audience appreciative of his efforts.
Saturday, January 28, 2017
Voyage To The Planet Of Teenage Cave Women (2012)
Starring Joshua Kennedy, April Michelle Gomez, Xavier Aguilar, Michael Moralez, Leslie Ann Leal
Directed by Joshua Kennedy
(actor & director credits courtesy IMDB.com)
A trio of astronauts blast off to a pair of planets hurtling on a collision course towards the Earth, where they encounter a race of beautiful cave women and the evil creatures that stalk them at night.
Joshua Kennedy pays homage to the foreign science fiction movies of the 1950s and 1960s in this enjoyable romp, scripted by Kennedy and Rock Baker with many a knowing nod to those foreign fantasy epics. Just as Roger Corman repackaged the Russian film Planeta Burg as Voyage To The Prehistoric Planet after adding new scenes to it, Kennedy approximates that approach by filming wrap arounds with American characters and then completely redubbing the rest of the movie (often comically out of sync) to represent the imported content. He also cleverly inserts scenes with Basil Rathbone from Voyage To The Prehistoric Planet as additional stock footage.
Filmed during Kennedy's late teen years in his home state of Texas, the young filmmaker found a pretty terrific rocky landscape to approximate the alien world his astronauts visit, and populates it with the young beauties in his cast, staging perilous scenes and heightening the menace with terrific score cuts from the films of composer Herman Stein. Although the special effects are elementary, they recall the same techniques used in those films of long ago, including a giant mock-up of a ravenous alien spider that tackles its victims, and an immense projection of a real-life lobster. Fans of the movies that influenced this production should be tickled by how these alien beasts recall those that appeared on theater screens decades ago.
Kennedy and Baker's screenplay reflects a vast knowledge of the genre, incorporating romances for the astronauts, a savage catfight among two cave women, dated sexist comments that help age the film to the proper period, and launching the film with a scientific explanation by an esteemed scholar (played by Ralph Haskins), approximating Dr. Frank Baxter's prologue in the 1956 thriller The Mole People.
As in his past films, Kennedy recruits his friends and classmates to play the supporting characters, with Aguilar a hoot as a fellow astronaut with eyes for one of the young ladies, and Moralez perfectly deadpan as the mission's doctor. Gomez is cute as the cave women's queen who doesn't hide her attraction to Kennedy's character very well, and Viviana Rodriguez impresses as a noble soldier to the queen. Several others in black clothes and dark glasses effectively play the villainous Bavans, who in another knowing reference, when robbed of their shades, have their eyes bulge into ping pong balls, like those worn by the hostile aliens in 1954's Killers From Space.
Yes, it's a student film made for fun starring high-schoolers, but that doesn't mean it's not entertaining, or lacks the power it most definitely holds as a homage to the genre, and an affectionate kind-spirited tribute. Kennedy's talent in the editing room shines through again, and the photography by his sister Kat (billed as "In SuperColorScope"), duplicates the tinted sequences of movies like The Angry Red Planet, another visual treat for fans. While Kennedy has made several films since, none has quite had the epic scope of this one, but hopefully another sci-fi saga is in his future.
Directed by Joshua Kennedy
(actor & director credits courtesy IMDB.com)
A trio of astronauts blast off to a pair of planets hurtling on a collision course towards the Earth, where they encounter a race of beautiful cave women and the evil creatures that stalk them at night.
Joshua Kennedy pays homage to the foreign science fiction movies of the 1950s and 1960s in this enjoyable romp, scripted by Kennedy and Rock Baker with many a knowing nod to those foreign fantasy epics. Just as Roger Corman repackaged the Russian film Planeta Burg as Voyage To The Prehistoric Planet after adding new scenes to it, Kennedy approximates that approach by filming wrap arounds with American characters and then completely redubbing the rest of the movie (often comically out of sync) to represent the imported content. He also cleverly inserts scenes with Basil Rathbone from Voyage To The Prehistoric Planet as additional stock footage.
Filmed during Kennedy's late teen years in his home state of Texas, the young filmmaker found a pretty terrific rocky landscape to approximate the alien world his astronauts visit, and populates it with the young beauties in his cast, staging perilous scenes and heightening the menace with terrific score cuts from the films of composer Herman Stein. Although the special effects are elementary, they recall the same techniques used in those films of long ago, including a giant mock-up of a ravenous alien spider that tackles its victims, and an immense projection of a real-life lobster. Fans of the movies that influenced this production should be tickled by how these alien beasts recall those that appeared on theater screens decades ago.
Kennedy and Baker's screenplay reflects a vast knowledge of the genre, incorporating romances for the astronauts, a savage catfight among two cave women, dated sexist comments that help age the film to the proper period, and launching the film with a scientific explanation by an esteemed scholar (played by Ralph Haskins), approximating Dr. Frank Baxter's prologue in the 1956 thriller The Mole People.
As in his past films, Kennedy recruits his friends and classmates to play the supporting characters, with Aguilar a hoot as a fellow astronaut with eyes for one of the young ladies, and Moralez perfectly deadpan as the mission's doctor. Gomez is cute as the cave women's queen who doesn't hide her attraction to Kennedy's character very well, and Viviana Rodriguez impresses as a noble soldier to the queen. Several others in black clothes and dark glasses effectively play the villainous Bavans, who in another knowing reference, when robbed of their shades, have their eyes bulge into ping pong balls, like those worn by the hostile aliens in 1954's Killers From Space.
Yes, it's a student film made for fun starring high-schoolers, but that doesn't mean it's not entertaining, or lacks the power it most definitely holds as a homage to the genre, and an affectionate kind-spirited tribute. Kennedy's talent in the editing room shines through again, and the photography by his sister Kat (billed as "In SuperColorScope"), duplicates the tinted sequences of movies like The Angry Red Planet, another visual treat for fans. While Kennedy has made several films since, none has quite had the epic scope of this one, but hopefully another sci-fi saga is in his future.
Friday, January 20, 2017
Curse Of The Insect Woman (2011)
Starring Joshua Kennedy, Andrea Negrete, Alex Villarreal, Joshua Palacios, Marco Adriel Munoz
Directed by Joshua Kennedy
(actor & director credits courtesy IMDB.com)
After attending a class reunion, young people find themselves being stalked and murdered by a legendary half-human creature.
Young filmmaker Joshua Kennedy delivers another of his tribute films to classics of the past, this time focusing on the horror films of Universal Pictures and Hammer Films, if I'm not mistaken. Lensed in black and white like his debut picture, Attack Of The Octopus People, the movie makes good use of swirling fog, dark shadows, and an effective creature costume to build its chills.
We know this is a bunch of teenagers performing in their homes and school, but they're earnest and believable, and those returning from Kennedy's original picture are more accomplished actors than they were the first time around, particularly Negrete and Palacios. Kennedy stars, but as one of a more cohesive ensemble this time around, including his father Gus as a saddened and vengeful parent, and the memorably mustached Jairus Esparza as the local sheriff. A special role is saved for Kennedy's sister Kat, who delights as the aged Madame Ouspenskaya, named in tribute to The Wolf Man's wise gypsy, offering the customary grim warnings that are heeded too late. Josh's dialogue for his characters must have been fun to deliver with many a memorable line well spoken by his cast.
Kennedy's technical effects are a bit more seamless than in his first movie, with even a car crash involving footage of a matchbox size toy coming off well. I'm not familiar with the music sources used on the soundtrack but they capably underscore the action, and add to the creepy atmosphere. Although still a teenager when this was filmed, Josh's editing and integration of close ups with medium and long shots display more skill than I've seen from some adult filmmakers.
For an amateur production with no budget to speak of, this is an entertaining film which should stand the test of time for any with an appreciation for classic horror, especially those films that aimed to bring fun to the audience along with their frights.
Directed by Joshua Kennedy
(actor & director credits courtesy IMDB.com)
After attending a class reunion, young people find themselves being stalked and murdered by a legendary half-human creature.
Young filmmaker Joshua Kennedy delivers another of his tribute films to classics of the past, this time focusing on the horror films of Universal Pictures and Hammer Films, if I'm not mistaken. Lensed in black and white like his debut picture, Attack Of The Octopus People, the movie makes good use of swirling fog, dark shadows, and an effective creature costume to build its chills.
We know this is a bunch of teenagers performing in their homes and school, but they're earnest and believable, and those returning from Kennedy's original picture are more accomplished actors than they were the first time around, particularly Negrete and Palacios. Kennedy stars, but as one of a more cohesive ensemble this time around, including his father Gus as a saddened and vengeful parent, and the memorably mustached Jairus Esparza as the local sheriff. A special role is saved for Kennedy's sister Kat, who delights as the aged Madame Ouspenskaya, named in tribute to The Wolf Man's wise gypsy, offering the customary grim warnings that are heeded too late. Josh's dialogue for his characters must have been fun to deliver with many a memorable line well spoken by his cast.
Kennedy's technical effects are a bit more seamless than in his first movie, with even a car crash involving footage of a matchbox size toy coming off well. I'm not familiar with the music sources used on the soundtrack but they capably underscore the action, and add to the creepy atmosphere. Although still a teenager when this was filmed, Josh's editing and integration of close ups with medium and long shots display more skill than I've seen from some adult filmmakers.
For an amateur production with no budget to speak of, this is an entertaining film which should stand the test of time for any with an appreciation for classic horror, especially those films that aimed to bring fun to the audience along with their frights.
Wednesday, January 11, 2017
Attack Of The Octopus People (2010)
Starring Joshua Kennedy, Andrea Negrete, Joshua Palacios, Alex Villarreal, Kat Kennedy
Directed by Joshua Kennedy
(actor & director credits courtesy IMDB.com)
A young man returns home from military service to take a job at a seafood manufacturer, and discovers a conspiracy there to take over humanity by creatures from the deep.
Joshua Kennedy's debut feature is an ode to classic sci-fi films of the 1950s and beyond, filmed during his teenage years, with a cast populated by his family and friends, and everyone looks like they're having a lot of fun. Although the picture features references to movies like The Tingler and It Conquered The World and a soundtrack assembled from the film scores of composer Herman Stein, the story is an original one, and what Kennedy lacks in his limited budget, he makes up for in the exuberance of the film, which launches octopus toys and puppets across the screen with all the seriousness of a creature feature filmed on the Universal-International lot.
A lot of us played around with movie cameras at a young age, but few probably put together anything like this film, which is impressively edited and never drags. The sets may be primarily rooms at Kennedy's house or school, with furniture sometimes hidden behind hanging sheets, and computer printouts standing in for official signs, but I didn't care, as Josh's strong narrative sense propels the story along. All the hallmarks of the 1950s features are here, from the prologue that introduces us to Josh Palacios' well-spoken villain, the sweet romance between Kennedy's hero and love interest Negrete, the eerie focus on the octopi bursting from their captive containers, introductions of suspicious characters like Kat Kennedy's cantankerous hotel manager, and the crowds running in terror once the sea creatures take to the streets.
Yes, the special effects are not very convincing, and the octopus props not all that effective, and a few scenes would have benefitted from some post-dubbing, but that doesn't negate the impressiveness of this accomplishment for a boy of Kennedy's age.
Kennedy's plea to a frightened theater audience, lifted almost verbatim from a Vincent Price film, shows off his fine rich voice which would be a definite asset in his later films, and friends of Josh should smile at a sequence in which he manages to share the screen with one of his cinema heroes. It's not many who can capture their childhood in a piece of work that manages to last, but I think he'll look back on this work fondly for years to come.
Directed by Joshua Kennedy
(actor & director credits courtesy IMDB.com)
A young man returns home from military service to take a job at a seafood manufacturer, and discovers a conspiracy there to take over humanity by creatures from the deep.
Joshua Kennedy's debut feature is an ode to classic sci-fi films of the 1950s and beyond, filmed during his teenage years, with a cast populated by his family and friends, and everyone looks like they're having a lot of fun. Although the picture features references to movies like The Tingler and It Conquered The World and a soundtrack assembled from the film scores of composer Herman Stein, the story is an original one, and what Kennedy lacks in his limited budget, he makes up for in the exuberance of the film, which launches octopus toys and puppets across the screen with all the seriousness of a creature feature filmed on the Universal-International lot.
A lot of us played around with movie cameras at a young age, but few probably put together anything like this film, which is impressively edited and never drags. The sets may be primarily rooms at Kennedy's house or school, with furniture sometimes hidden behind hanging sheets, and computer printouts standing in for official signs, but I didn't care, as Josh's strong narrative sense propels the story along. All the hallmarks of the 1950s features are here, from the prologue that introduces us to Josh Palacios' well-spoken villain, the sweet romance between Kennedy's hero and love interest Negrete, the eerie focus on the octopi bursting from their captive containers, introductions of suspicious characters like Kat Kennedy's cantankerous hotel manager, and the crowds running in terror once the sea creatures take to the streets.
Yes, the special effects are not very convincing, and the octopus props not all that effective, and a few scenes would have benefitted from some post-dubbing, but that doesn't negate the impressiveness of this accomplishment for a boy of Kennedy's age.
Kennedy's plea to a frightened theater audience, lifted almost verbatim from a Vincent Price film, shows off his fine rich voice which would be a definite asset in his later films, and friends of Josh should smile at a sequence in which he manages to share the screen with one of his cinema heroes. It's not many who can capture their childhood in a piece of work that manages to last, but I think he'll look back on this work fondly for years to come.
Friday, December 30, 2016
The Alpha Omega Man (2016)
Starring Joshua Kennedy, Laura Laureano, Kat Kennedy
Directed by Joshua Kennedy
(actor & director credits courtesy IMDB.com)
On a future Earth where a deadly plague has killed most of the population, a scientist who's survived faces nightly attacks from half-dead plague victims he hunts during the day.
I usually only look at classic films of the past in this space, but am making an exception for the work of young filmmaker Joshua Kennedy, a cinephile who enjoys the classics as well, and who has made some terrific films while completing his education at Pace University in New York City. Here's a look at Josh's latest, a homage to Charlton Heston's The Omega Man (full disclosure, I have a brief cameo as one of the plague victims :)):
Joshua Kennedy's love letter to Charlton Heston and his 1971 picture, The Omega Man, based on Richard Matheson's classic novel, I Am Legend, offers what we've come to expect from Josh, in the recapturing of classic cinema moments while using inventive means of getting around his budgetary limitations. In this film, the more expensive vehicles available to Heston are replaced by bicycles, a giant stadium is replaced by a university building, stadium lights are replaced by an A/V projector, and yet the scale of Josh's composition seems comparable to the film he reveres due to his skill as a filmmaker, and his retention of Ron Grainer's original score.
Kennedy plays Heston's role as Robert Neville, and there are moments when he sounds exactly like him, using much of the dialogue from the original screenplay, but he brings his own qualities to the role, including some touches of humor absent from the original picture. His sister Kat gives an admirable performance taking on the mutant cult leader Matthias, played by Anthony Zerbe in the original, and her diction and facial expressiveness could not be better. The makeup effect used to simulate the dilated eyes of the mutants in the original film is very well done, and I'm not sure how it was accomplished, but full credit must go to whoever created it.
Laura Laureano has a nice rapport with Josh and credibly recaptures Rosalind Cash's memorable turn as the infected but still beautiful Lisa, and Kennedy's troupe of friends, classmates, and collaborators add the proper notes as Kat's mutant followers and the early victims of the plague in the film's flashback sequence. Dan Day, Jr. was a fine choice for reprising the newscaster who narrates the flashback, delivering the proper vocal inflection for the part.
Scenes where Neville fires a crossbow with machine gun sound effects are not really miscues, as Josh has told me that his having to use the crossbow had much to do with New York's ban on toy guns. He had to exercise a great deal of patience to find times he could film on deserted New York City streets, but this paid off in some wonderfully memorable shots.
In summary, Kennedy's ode to the original feels as fun for the audience as it must have been for him to recreate one of his favorite movies. In times when many filmmakers deliver dour works, it's very refreshing that Kennedy is able to capture his zest for filmmaking in his pictures with a reverent eye towards the greats of the past.
Directed by Joshua Kennedy
(actor & director credits courtesy IMDB.com)
On a future Earth where a deadly plague has killed most of the population, a scientist who's survived faces nightly attacks from half-dead plague victims he hunts during the day.
I usually only look at classic films of the past in this space, but am making an exception for the work of young filmmaker Joshua Kennedy, a cinephile who enjoys the classics as well, and who has made some terrific films while completing his education at Pace University in New York City. Here's a look at Josh's latest, a homage to Charlton Heston's The Omega Man (full disclosure, I have a brief cameo as one of the plague victims :)):
Joshua Kennedy's love letter to Charlton Heston and his 1971 picture, The Omega Man, based on Richard Matheson's classic novel, I Am Legend, offers what we've come to expect from Josh, in the recapturing of classic cinema moments while using inventive means of getting around his budgetary limitations. In this film, the more expensive vehicles available to Heston are replaced by bicycles, a giant stadium is replaced by a university building, stadium lights are replaced by an A/V projector, and yet the scale of Josh's composition seems comparable to the film he reveres due to his skill as a filmmaker, and his retention of Ron Grainer's original score.
Kennedy plays Heston's role as Robert Neville, and there are moments when he sounds exactly like him, using much of the dialogue from the original screenplay, but he brings his own qualities to the role, including some touches of humor absent from the original picture. His sister Kat gives an admirable performance taking on the mutant cult leader Matthias, played by Anthony Zerbe in the original, and her diction and facial expressiveness could not be better. The makeup effect used to simulate the dilated eyes of the mutants in the original film is very well done, and I'm not sure how it was accomplished, but full credit must go to whoever created it.
Laura Laureano has a nice rapport with Josh and credibly recaptures Rosalind Cash's memorable turn as the infected but still beautiful Lisa, and Kennedy's troupe of friends, classmates, and collaborators add the proper notes as Kat's mutant followers and the early victims of the plague in the film's flashback sequence. Dan Day, Jr. was a fine choice for reprising the newscaster who narrates the flashback, delivering the proper vocal inflection for the part.
Scenes where Neville fires a crossbow with machine gun sound effects are not really miscues, as Josh has told me that his having to use the crossbow had much to do with New York's ban on toy guns. He had to exercise a great deal of patience to find times he could film on deserted New York City streets, but this paid off in some wonderfully memorable shots.
In summary, Kennedy's ode to the original feels as fun for the audience as it must have been for him to recreate one of his favorite movies. In times when many filmmakers deliver dour works, it's very refreshing that Kennedy is able to capture his zest for filmmaking in his pictures with a reverent eye towards the greats of the past.
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