Movies
[TIFF ’13 Review] ‘Almost Human’ Is An Affectionate Tribute To 80’s Sci-Fi/Horror
Mike Pereira continues his ten year anniversary of covering the Toronto International Film Festival with a review of Joe Begos’ highly ambitious, Almost Human, which harks backs to classic effects-heavy creature features like John Carpenter’s The Thing. Apparently, this is one of the film’s issues.
Mike explains in his review that Begos and company could have tried to be a little different in their homage to the 1980’s. “As entertaining as I found Almost Human to be, it seems merely content to replicate the source without ever attempting to take it somewhere fresh. There isn’t a moment here that wasn’t inspired from something else,” he explains stating that it sort of felt more like a short than a feature. “Despite these setbacks, I find just enough here to recommend. If you dig the trailer and cheesy 80’s sci-fi horror is your thing, this flick’s for you. It preyed on my nostalgia of a time I will forever cherish. Armed with The Dude Designs’ awesome cover art (below), Almost Human would make a fine VHS rental.”
While it sounds like the film doesn’t quite hit its mark, Mike does make it sound like it would be a super fun weekend rental with your friends.
After pulling in $28 million at the worldwide box office this month, director (and star) Dev Patel’s critically acclaimed action-thriller Monkey Man is now available to watch at home.
You can rent Monkey Man for $19.99 or digitally purchase the film for $24.99!
Monkey Man is currently 88% Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes, with Bloody Disgusting’s head critic Meagan Navarro awarding the film 4.5/5 stars in her review out of SXSW back in March.
Meagan raves, “While the violence onscreen is palpable and painful, it’s not just the exquisite fight choreography and thrilling action set pieces that set Monkey Man apart but also its political consciousness, unique narrative structure, and myth-making scale.”
“While Monkey Man pays tribute to all of the action genre’s greats, from the Indonesian action classics to Korean revenge cinema and even a John Wick joke or two, Dev Patel’s cultural spin and unique narrative structure leave behind all influences in the dust for new terrain,” Meagan’s review continues.
She adds, “Monkey Man presents Dev Patel as a new action hero, a tenacious underdog with a penetrating stare who bites, bludgeons, and stabs his way through bodies to gloriously bloody excess. More excitingly, the film introduces Patel as a strong visionary right out of the gate.”
Inspired by the legend of Hanuman, Monkey Man stars Patel as Kid, an anonymous young man who ekes out a meager living in an underground fight club where, night after night, wearing a gorilla mask, he is beaten bloody by more popular fighters for cash. After years of suppressed rage, Kid discovers a way to infiltrate the enclave of the city’s sinister elite. As his childhood trauma boils over, his mysteriously scarred hands unleash an explosive campaign of retribution to settle the score with the men who took everything from him.
Monkey Man is produced by Jordan Peele’s Monkeypaw Productions.
Looking for New Episodes of “Chucky” on Peacock? Here’s What Changed
‘Mountain Man’ – Joe Manganiello Will Battle Zombies in Upcoming Horror Movie
‘The Blair Witch Project’ – Original Stars Release a Statement Asking Lionsgate for Residuals & Recognition
‘Trap’ – Official Trailer Previews a Wild New Horror Experience from M. Night Shyamalan
‘The Exorcism’ – Russell Crowe Stars in Horror Movie Formerly Titled ‘The Georgetown Project’
You must be logged in to post a comment.