The nerds continue on with their horror film month this October. Let’s be honest, last week was an interesting week to discuss a horror film. Whether or not we enjoyed Possession we sure had some thoughts on it. It is the same for this week’s film, Tusk. Listen to find out what we thought about the film because this was quite the interesting watch…
IMDb Synopsis: “A brash and arrogant podcaster gets more than he bargained for when he travels to Canada to interview a mysterious recluse… who has a rather disturbing fondness for walruses.”
No Time to Die wraps our current Bond era well enough as we say farewell to the films of Daniel Craig.
CREDIT: MGM Studios
It is finally here after several delays due to the COVID-19 pandemic. We can finally say that we have watched the final Daniel Craig James Bond performance. Of course, I went to the movie theater for this one and watched it on Cinemark’s awesome XD format. I had my large Coke Zero Sugar along with my large popcorn and I sat on a comfy sat as I enjoyed a movie that I had lost investment in. Yes, that is right I had lost interest in this film because of these constant delays. A long time ago during a time called pre pandemic times this movie was on my most anticipated of 2020 film list. Of course, most of the movies found on the list did not release that year but unlike Dune that has held my interest this one did not keep me “hyped” through its multiple delays. I think that it helped that I was not over the roof excited for this film because this was a pleasant surprise.
This 25th installment of the Bond franchise is directed by Cary Joji Fukunaga (Sin Nombre, Beasts of No Nation, True Detective) and written by Neal Purvis, Robert Wade, Fukunaga, and Phoebe Waller-Bridge (Fleabag, Killing Eve). The film stars an ensemble cast of Daniel Craig, Rami Malek, Léa Seydoux, Lashana Lynch, Ben Whishaw, Naomie Harris, Jeffrey Wright, Christoph Waltz, and Ralph Fiennes. Of course, we know that our road to this film has been bumpy. Originally, this film was set to be directed by Danny Boyle (Trainspotting, Slumdog Millionaire) from a script written by him and John Hodge then they left in August of 2018 because of creative differences. Production started in 2019 and Fukunaga replaced Boyle but then Daniel Craig was injured. Once production started again then in June of 2019 an explosion happened that damaged a soundstage damaged and left a crew member with minor injuries. Production wrapped in 2019 and then the pandemic hit in 2020 so we had multiple delays of the film until it finally released in the United States on October 8th. Was it worth the wait? I definitely think that it was.
I quite enjoyed No Time to Die from its stunning cinematographer by Linus Sandgren to the performances and story beats. Of course, Hans Zimmer always does a great job and this score is no different. The story is interesting enough to keep yourself locked in, but I felt there could have been edits made to its runtime of 163 minutes. The film does not need to be this long but I understand we want to soak in as much time we can with Daniel Craig’s final performance as James Bond. Seydoux does a great job reprising her character from Spectre and the chemistry with Craig is there through it all. Malek plays an interesting villain that really gets under the skin of Bond. I did not expect them to do as great as a job they did with his villain but I was surprised at how much his character was well developed. The performances from everyone else were good too but it was Lashana Lynch who truly surprised me and left me wanting more from her. I’m crossing my fingers that we get her back in some sort of role in the next films or as our next iteration of Bond. Ana De Armas’ presence is small but enjoyable, I just wish they would have done more with her.
Other than those minor gripes, No Time to Die beautifully wraps up this era of the Bond films. I love how we feel the presence and the unresolved trauma of the past films in this one. It feels like everything from Casino Royale to Spectre served a purpose to make this version of James Bond we see. It was tough to walk out of this one knowing it was Craig’s final Bond performance but the film does it justice. I am eager to see what this new era of Bond films will bring to the table.
Raul and Brad continue on with their horror month here on The Nerd Corps podcast. This week they are taking it back to the early 80’s! They sit down and discuss the cult classic, Possession. These nerds definitely have a lot to say about this film so you want to listen to this one. What did they think? Check the episode out to find out!
IMDb Synopsis: “A woman starts exhibiting increasingly disturbing behavior after asking her husband for a divorce. Suspicions of infidelity soon give way to something much more sinister.”
As a filmmaker, we all start somewhere and somewhere is at making short films whether those are narrative or documentaries. The Nashville Film Festival provided a lot of incredible short films provided by their virtual cinema component this year. Now, I honestly cannot make a review for every single short I watched that I want to talk about because I would spam the site. So without a further ado let’s get into this master post of reviews of short films I was able to watch at the Nashville Film Festival this year!
Águilas (2021), directed by Kristy Guevara-Flanagan and Maite Zubiaurre
Courtesy of NashFilm
Águilas takes the viewer right into the journey for migrants who have gone missing while they are travelling through the Arizona desert. Our titular group is an organization that helps locate lost migrants who disappeared while on their journey through the desert. This film is masterful in so many ways. I had shivers going down my spine at specific moments that I am still thinking about now. The film works so well at taking you right into the heat of the rescue mission. They detail everything that they are looking for in order to track down these lost people. This is such a powerful and important documentary that I am not surprised it took the winner of Best Documentary Short at the festival. You do not want to miss this one whenever it becomes available.
Don’t Go Tellin’ Your Momma (2021), directed by Topaz Jones, Simon Davis, and Jason Sondock
Courtesy of NashFilm
Now, this film right here until I watched a certain film from tis festival was my favorite for a bit. Don’t Go Tellin’ Your Momma is exuberant in every aspect possible from its rich cinematography to its beautifully poetic structure. This documentary influenced by the Black ABC’s aims high with its ambition and hits every single mark available. This one had my attention through it all and never lost me. It felt like it was highly influenced by the films of Marlon T. Riggs. A delight of short documentary and just so important beyond comprehension.
Burros, directed by Jefferson Stein
Courtesy of NashFilm
Burros is a beautiful film about friendship and the dark realities of the immigrant experience. Throughout this film, we view the friendship between an indigenous child who befriends a migrant child who lost her way through the desert and cannot find her father. All while the indigenous child’s father’s work is closely related to the US Border Patrol in the area. We look the two blossom a beautiful friendship no matter their inability to communicate due to a language barrier. The film aims to discuss the immigrant experience and the harsh realities of it. It is expertly crafted by such compelling cinematography and beautiful performances by our cast. This film warmed my heart but at the same time decided to stomp on it.
I Am Afraid to Forget Your Face, directed by Sameh Alaa
Courtesy of NashFilm
This is my favorite film of the festival and what I believe to be one of the most riveting pieces of art I have seen this year. From the very beginning I am invested in this film about loss, love, and a repressive government. We embark on a journey as a man tries his hardest to be able to see his dead partner while not being allowed by his government to see her. The film is crafted with some of the most claustrophobic cinematography that is reminiscent of Son of Saul. This thought provoking film blew me away in every way possible and has left still shook to my very core.
Chuj Boys of Summer, directed by Max Walker-Silverman
Courtesy of NashFilm
As I round out these reviews of some excellent short films you’re probably thinking, “Raul why are you not ending this on the film you literally just called the best of the festival?” Well, I was planning on that until I watched this beautiful film. I can sit and explain so much about the immigrant experience based on many of my family’s lived experience but this film does it so well in such a short timeframe. Everything from the homesickness to the desire to want more out of life that is not just work. This short is so beautiful in every way and we truly watch a coming of age story about a teenager who just wants to be given an opportunity to flourish like everyone else. It is so important to also have a film that has their protagonists speaking throughout the whole film in an indigenous language.
All of these short films are so special in their own way. Each of these films are different in their own way like genre, execution, and story. All of these films are movies that you all should keep an eye out for once they are publicly released. Once again, thank you to Nashville Film Festival for giving us this opportunity and here is to more festival coverage to come!
Clean Slate is a brutally honest documentary film that presents the difficulties of being an addict and trying to make a film.
Courtesy of NashFilm
Art is a reflection of us as humans. It is a reflection of the human condition whatever that means to you. I believe that art needs to be honest and it needs to speak your truth. That is when, in my opinion, art works best and creates something that is extraordinary. These are all things I try to follow as I continue on my journey as a filmmaker. It is not easy though, all of this comes with a certain amount of vulnerability. Some people are not ready to pour themselves out to people and that is completely fine. Clean Slate does all of this well and creates a very personal documentary about recovery and the production process.
Clean Slate directed by Jared Callahan and starring Cassidy Detmer and Joshua Litton looks at these two Southern friends who are in a recovery program and trying to film their passion project, a short film called On The Fence. Their short film covers the pain they have caused their families through their long fight with substance abuse. We are presented to our filmmakers through their ups and downs. We examine their fight with their mental illnesses. All of this is done without being sugar coated and it is very personal. This film is a masterclass of the documentary filmmaking medium.
Clean Slate is incredible in every sense of the word. It is honest, patient, and not afraid to show the sides that we do not want to talk about. We care about our protagonists from the get go and want to see them succeed. That optimism is what also takes us through the rollercoaster of a journey, but there is a constant through it all. Film is our constant, the passion to want to continue making this short film even when things are at an all time low. That very passion is what keeps us moving forward and this film expresses the importance of having something to look forward to in life to fight our battles.
You are going to definitely want to watch this one when it eventually releases because I know that I already want to watch it again.
