MOVIE REVIEW: THE LAST VOYAGE OF THE DEMETER

 

Dracula's unholy presence dooms the crew of the merchant ship Demeter as it sails from Carpathia to London.

Director: André Øvredal

Cast: Corey Hawkins, Aisling Franciosi, Liam Cunningham, David Dastmalchian, Javier Botet

Release Date: August 11, 2023

Genre: Horror

Rated R for bloody violence

Runtime: 1h 58m

There's a built in predictability ingrained in The Last Voyage of the Demeter due to the nature of the story. However, the cast and crew do an admirable job of delivering some tension and thrills.  André Øvredal film borrow heavily from Ridley Scott's original Alien in terms of set up and structure, so much so that's hard to tell if it’s an homage or just straight up plagiarism, an early discussion about bonuses kind of leans me toward the latter.  Either way, Øvredal's self-assured style delivers a glossy, well shot film that establishes the setting and mood early on by keeping the monster in the shadows until the midpoint of the film.  The monster itself uses Count Orlok's design from 1922's Nosferatu as its basis which gives him a more animalistic and menacing look.  It makes the character a tangible threat to the collected human chum assembled for his feeding.  Corey Hawkins and Liam Cunningham lead the cast with deadly serious turns as the ship’s doctor and doomed captain.  They both deliver stoic, committed performances that make the film far more watchable than it deserves to be since the script doesn't flesh them too much.  They still manage to make the characters interesting enough to make the audience care about their wellbeing.  Aisling Franciosi and David Dastmalchian don't fare quite as well in supporting roles as they struggle to make their characters come off as more than one dimensional.  They do the best they can with underwritten characters but your left with the sense that some depth would have added to the overall quality of the film.  Ultimately, The Last Voyage of the Demeter is the very definition of disposable entertainment which delivers just enough to keep you entertained during its runtime, but it'll be quickly forgotten shortly thereafter.  

C+

MOVIE REVIEW: [REC]³ GENESIS

ON DEMAND IN THEATERS

[REC]³ GENESIS




The origins of the demonically possessed that inhabit the apartment building from the first two [REC] movies is explained in this prequel from director Paco Plaza, one of the two co-directors of the series. His twice-over collaborator, Jaume Balaguero, returns to helm [REC] Apocalypse, the conclusion to the first-person action/horror franchise. Diego Martin and Leticia Dolera star. ~ Jeremy Wheeler, Rovi

Director: Paco Plaza

Cast: Diego Martín, Leticia Dolera, Javier Botet, Mireia Ros

Release Date: Sep 07, 2012

Rated R for some Language and Strong Bloody Horror Violence

Runtime: 1 hr. 19 min.

Genres: Horror, Suspense/Thriller

Review:

[REC]³ Génesis is the third entry in one of my favorite horror franchises around. The first two films delivered a visceral punch that hard to match. Their use of the first person POV worked for the series incredibly well giving it an immediacy and tension that made it stand out from the rest. The first 20 minutes or so play out much like the first two films until director Paco Plaza literally knocks the camera out of the actors hand and changes the perspective along with the general tone of the film. It’s jarring and sure to make some fans of the series question this entry. Taking a more comedic and traditional tone, the third film is still visceral and full of gore and scares but it’s far different from it’s more serious in tone predecessors. Once the turn occurs the film will either win you over or turn you off entirely. Your enjoyment of the film will depend entirely on how much you are willing to accept this version of [REC]. To their credit the 2 leads do fine work with Leticia Dolera, a more attractive Shelly Duvall, leaving the biggest impression. Dolera has some of the better “hero” shots throughout the latter part of the film. Dolera and Martin are given a fairly weak script which doesn’t allow for much in terms of characterizations but by the end of the film I still found myself invested in their story, a testament to their work. [REC]³ Génesis won’t be for everyone and might even turn off some fans of the franchise but it’s still an enjoyable if more traditionally shot zombie film.

B-

[Trailer] [REC]³ Génesis

After I finished watching [REC]2 I was just begging for a 3rd part, thankfully we’ll be getting one!

The teaser trailer for the 3rd part seems to be taking a different approach from the first 2 films but this still looks like an excellent addition to the Spanish horror franchise, hopefully we in the states won’t be left waiting for years like with the 2nd part…..