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Blu-ray Review: ‘A Girl Walks Home Alone At Night’

Published

9 years ago

April 22, 2015

What do you get when you combine elements of a spaghetti western, an Iranian vampire film and a love story? You get a new kind of film that is a different chemical composition all together, in the form of “A Girl Walks Home Alone At Night.”

Visionary writer/director (and all around cool person) Ana Lily Amirpour digs deep for the black and white Iranian vampire movie that is one of those films that you know instantly while watching is going to be timeless.

The story follows both Arash, (Arash Marandi) a good hearted guy who is helping his father pay off his debts that were born from drug use and “The Girl,” (Sheila Vand) a vampire who watches the streets of Bad City and feeds on those unlucky enough to get on her bad side. Through a series of events their paths are crossed and fates become entwined.

Vand, plays the vampire with ferocity with a splash of vulnerability. The black and white film adds to her pale skin and predatory big eyes. She makes vampires entrancing and scary again in the same way that Bela Lugosi made the iconic role of “Dracula” in 1931.

“A Girl Walks Home Alone At Night” gets everything right and transports you into a black and white dreamscape that is filled with characters cut from a caring creators mind.

This is one of those films you could literally pause at any time and have a still of art for your art collection or at the very least your computer desktop.

Small items and moments make this movie what it is. “The Girl” skateboarding around Bad City looking for prey is one of those cool things in films that are instantly burned into your memory forever.

Amirpour is a film fanatic first. In one of the special features on the Blu-ray, she talks about her inspiration for the look and feel of this film and high on that list is none other than David Lynch and his film “Wild At Heart.” Her passion for film not only comes out in conversation but also in vision. She manages to create the same droning dreadful feelings that accompany many of Lynch’s films.

Much like the vampire in the film, “A Girl Walks Home At Night” is simultaneously beautiful and menacing and haunting. Amirpour and the cast create a world that is supposed to be based in Iran but also feels alien. It feels like a world that is not of this earth, which adds to the spell that the film casts from opening frame to closing frame.

My favorite thing about purchasing a Blu-ray is the physical product first and a special features second. I like my Blu-ray purchases to have weight to them that way when you are pulling away the shrink wrap when opening it for the first time, you are not only greeted by the intoxicating new Blu-ray smell but also a handful of content to discover.

“A Girl Walks Home Alone At Night” on Blu-ray does not disappoint in that direction. Distributor Kino Lorber did a fantastic job with this release, which includes beautiful artwork from top to bottom and then some.

The Blu-ray comes inside of slipcover with a foldable inner sleeve and a graphic novel of more dark adventures of the vampire from the film.

The graphic novel features beautiful artwork done by Michael DeWeese and is written by Ana Lily Amirpour. The stories give some background on the character and explain how she arrived in Bad City.

The special features on the disk are plentiful and lengthy as well. The range from behind the scenes footage of Shelia Vand as she is fitted for her fangs and Dominic Rains getting molded for prosthetics. Vice also does a featurette on Ana Lily and features some behind the scenes stuff as well as conversations with executive producer Elijah Wood.

The crowning special feature has Ana Lily doing a Q&A session with none other than the legendary Roger Corman about “A Girl Walks Home Alone At Night.” During the Q&A Ana Lily discusses her influences, while Corman confirms that “Little Shop of Horrors” was indeed shot in two days and one night.

The special features are good and give a great look at what went into “Girl “while giving an up close look at the director. For me the packaging (and of course the brilliant vampire story) really makes this release worth adding to your collection.

Ana Lily Amirpour is a director that we will all be seeing a ton of in the future. Her next project “The Bad Batch” stars Jim Carrey and Keanu Reeves and takes places in a Texan wasteland where cannibalism has taken over certain group’s appetites. Get in on the ground floor with the seductive and dangerous “A Girl Walks Home Alone At Night” now on Blu-ray and DVD.

'Civil War' Review: Is It Worth Watching?

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Movies

Trailer for ‘The Exorcism’ Has Russell Crowe Possessed

Published

5 mins ago

April 25, 2024

Timothy Rawles

The latest exorcism movie is about to drop this summer. It’s aptly titled The Exorcism and it stars Academy Award winner turned B-movie savant Russell Crowe. The trailer dropped today and by the looks of it, we are getting a possession movie that takes place on a movie set.

Just like this year’s recent demon-in-media-space film Late Night With the Devil, The Exorcism happens during a production. Although the former takes place on a live network talk show, the latter is on an active sound stage. Hopefully, it won’t be entirely serious and we’ll get some meta chuckles out of it.

The film will open in theaters on June 7, but since Shudder also acquired it, it probably won’t be long after that until it finds a home on the streaming service.

Crowe plays, “Anthony Miller, a troubled actor who begins to unravel while shooting a supernatural horror film. His estranged daughter, Lee (Ryan Simpkins), wonders if he’s slipping back into his past addictions or if there’s something more sinister at play. The film also stars Sam Worthington, Chloe Bailey, Adam Goldberg and David Hyde Pierce.”

Crowe did see some success in last year’s The Pope’s Exorcist mostly because his character was so over-the-top and infused with such comical hubris it bordered on parody. We will see if that is the route actor-turned-director Joshua John Miller takes with The Exorcism.

'Civil War' Review: Is It Worth Watching?

News

Win a Stay at The Lizzie Borden House From Spirit Halloween

Published

2 hours ago

April 25, 2024

Timothy Rawles

Spirit Halloween has declared that this week marks the start of spooky season and to celebrate they are offering fans a chance to stay at the Lizzie Borden House with so many perks Lizzie herself would approve.

The Lizzie Borden House in Fall River, MA is claimed to be one of the most haunted houses in America. Of course one lucky winner and up to 12 of their friends will find out if the rumors are true if they win the grand prize: A private stay in the notorious house.

“We are delighted to work with Spirit Halloween to roll out the red carpet and offer the public a chance to win a one-of-a-kind experience at the infamous Lizzie Borden House, which also includes additional haunted experiences and merchandise,” said Lance Zaal, President & Founder of US Ghost Adventures.

Fans can enter to win by following Spirit Halloween‘s Instagram and leaving a comment on the contest post from now through April 28.

The prize also includes:

An exclusive guided house tour, including insider insight around the murder, the trial, and commonly reported hauntings

A late-night ghost tour, complete with professional ghost-hunting gear

A private breakfast in the Borden family dining room

A ghost hunting starter kit with two pieces of Ghost Daddy Ghost Hunting Gear and a lesson for two at US Ghost Adventures Ghost Hunting Course

The ultimate Lizzie Borden gift package, featuring an official hatchet, the Lizzie Borden board game, Lily the Haunted Doll, and America’s Most Haunted Volume II

Winner’s choice of a Ghost Tour experience in Salem or a True Crime experience in Boston for two

“Our Halfway to Halloween celebration provides fans an exhilarating taste of what’s to come this fall and empowers them to start planning for their favorite season as early as they please,” said Steven Silverstein, CEO of Spirit Halloween. “We have cultivated an incredible following of enthusiasts who embody the Halloween lifestyle, and we’re thrilled to bring the fun back to life.”

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Spirit Halloween is also preparing for their retail haunted houses. On Thursday, August 1 their flagship store in Egg Harbor Township, NJ. will officially open to start off the season. That event usually draws in hordes of people eager to see what new merch, animatronics, and exclusive IP goods will be trending this year.

'Civil War' Review: Is It Worth Watching?

Movies

’28 Years Later’ Trilogy Taking Shape With Serious Star Power

Published

3 hours ago

April 25, 2024

Timothy Rawles

Danny Boyle is revisiting his 28 Days Later universe with three new films. He will direct the first, 28 Years Later, with two more to follow. Deadline is reporting that sources say Jodie Comer, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, and Ralph Fiennes have been cast for the first entry, a sequel to the original. Details are being kept under wraps so we don’t know how or if the first original sequel 28 Weeks Later fits into the project.

**Jodie Comer, Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Ralph Fiennes**

Boyle will direct the first movie but it’s unclear which role he will take on in the subsequent films. What is known is Candyman (2021) director Nia DaCosta is scheduled to direct the second film in this trilogy and that the third will be filmed immediately afterward. Whether DaCosta will direct both is still unclear.

Alex Garland is writing the scripts. Garland is having a successful time at the box office right now. He wrote and directed the current action/thriller Civil War which was just knocked out of the theatrical top spot by Radio Silence’s Abigail.

There is no word yet on when, or where, 28 Years Later will start production.