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Netflix’s “Bright” is “Bad Boys” Meets “Lord of the Rings”

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You have to pay attention to the opening credits of Netflix’s newest original film, Bright.  If you’re not paying attention, you might just think this is another run of the mill buddy cop movie in Los Angeles.

The music is right; the setting is right; even the graffiti is right…no, wait it isn’t.  Yeah, that graffiti is definitely not what you usually see in an urban cop movie.  Oh the sentiments are right, but some of the words will catch you off guard.

“In the beginning God created all races equal, but Elves are more equal…”

“Orcs fight for you…who fights for us?”

“The Dark Lord will return!”

“Curse the police!”

See what I mean?  Bright is anything but your average buddy cop movie set in the urban sprawl of Los Angeles.

Written by Max Landis (American Ultra, Victor Frankenstein) and directed by David Ayer (Suicide Squad), Bright imagines a world where orcs, fairies, elves, and a whole host of other fantasy beings live alongside humans.

Will Smith plays Daryl Ward, a Los Angeles street cop whose partner, NIck Jakoby played by Joel Edgerton, is the first ever orc cop in the world.

 

Orcs hate the humans for never letting them forget it.  And the Elves, well, they watch it all from the lofty social heights of their exclusive clubs and neighborhoods.

Ayer and the cast tackle the problems of racism head-on under the guise of these fantastic beings.  It’s a lesson that is all too timely and is portrayed honestly without the heavy handedness of other films.

Ward and Jakoby have a shaky partnership at the best of times.

So when a routine call turns bloody and they discover an Elf woman with a powerful magic wand that everyone wants to get their hands on, they have to find a way to really work together for the first time.

The setup, in any other hands, might prove disastrous but Landis supplied a solid script and Ayer knocked it out of the park.  Every piece fits together beautifully.

Smith is no stranger to these kinds of roles and he settles into it with the confidence of a man who knows what he’s doing while Edgerton brings an endearing honesty to Jakoby.

Their partnership is awkward, uncomfortable, and instantly likable from the first moments we see them together.  I found myself genuinely invested in the partnership and rooting for them to succeed.

The supporting cast is equally skilled.  Noomi Rapace (The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo) is fiendishly tenacious as the Elf Leilah, who wants to use the wand to raise the Dark Lord of the world’s Elvish lore to wipe out their enemies while Edgar Ramirez is a quiet storm of intention as Kandomere, an Elf who works with the FBI’s Magical Task Force to keep dangerous weapons like this wand out of the hands of her and others like her.

Lucy Fry (Vampire Academy) is equal parts vulnerable and powerful as Tikka, the Elf who holds the wand and is hunted by both while under the protection of Ward and Jakoby.

 

Leilah (Noomi Rapace), Kandomere (Edgar Ramirez), Tikka (Lucy Fry) from Netflix’s Bright

After moving to Los Angeles and seeing that this was hardly the case, he decides to hand out his own form of justice, running an Orcish organization that’s one part mafia and one part street gang.

Say what you want about David Ayer and his films, but the man knows how to bring together a soundtrack that rocks and Bright is no exception.

With tracks by Snoop Dogg, Bastille, Grey, Ty Dolla Sign, Sam Hunt, and so many more perfectly pitched to enhance the emotion, tension and humor of each scene.  David Sardy’s score complements the songs to create a cohesive and unique sound for the film.

With a $90 million budget, Bright is currently the most expensive film that Netflix has produced and it shows.

Special effects, make-up effects, set designers and dressers, and all the rest brought their A-game to this film so that every creature, every place, and every situation felt absolutely real.

Bright is available today exclusively on Netflix, and fans will be happy to know that it will also be the first Netflix original with a planned sequel which was signed for before the release of this first film!

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Brad Dourif Says He’s Retiring Except For One Important Role

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Brad Dourif has been doing movies for nearly 50 years. Now it seems he is walking away from the industry at 74 to enjoy his golden years. Except, there is a caveat.

Recently, digital entertainment publication JoBlo’s Tyler Nichols talked to some of the Chucky television series cast members. During the interview, Dourif made an announcement.

“Dourif said that he’s retired from acting,” says Nichols. “The only reason he came back for the show was because of his daughter Fiona and he considers Chucky creator Don Mancini to be family. But for non-Chucky stuff, he considers himself retired.”

Dourif has voiced the possessed doll since 1988 (minus the 2019 reboot). The original movie “Child’s Play” has become such a cult classic it’s at the top of some people’s best chillers of all time. Chucky himself is ingrained in pop culture history much like Frankenstein or Jason Voorhees.

While Dourif may be known for his famous voiceover, he is also an Oscar-nominated actor for his part in One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest. Another famous horror role is The Gemini Killer in William Peter Blatty’s Exorcist III. And who can forget Betazoid Lon Suder in Star Trek: Voyager?

The good news is that Don Mancini is already pitching a concept for season four of Chucky which might also include a feature-length movie with a series tie-in. So, Although Dourif says he is retiring from the industry, ironically he is Chucky’s friend till the end.

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Editorial

7 Great ‘Scream’ Fan Films & Shorts Worth a Watch

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The Scream franchise is such an iconic series, that many budding filmmakers take inspiration from it and make their own sequels or, at least, build upon the original universe created by screenwriter Kevin Williamson. YouTube is the perfect medium to showcase these talents (and budgets) with fan-made homages with their own personal twists.

The great thing about Ghostface is that he can appear anywhere, in any town, he just needs the signature mask, knife, and unhinged motive. Thanks to Fair Use laws it’s possible to expand upon Wes Craven’s creation by simply getting a group of young adults together and killing them off one by one. Oh, and don’t forget the twist. You’ll notice that Roger Jackson’s famous Ghostface voice is uncanny valley, but you get the gist.

We have gathered five fan films/shorts related to Scream that we thought were pretty good. Although they can’t possibly match the beats of a $33 million blockbuster, they get by on what they have. But who needs money? If you’re talented and motivated anything is possible as proven by these filmmakers who are well on their way to the big leagues.

Take a look at the below films and let us know what you think. And while you’re at it, leave these young filmmakers a thumbs up, or leave them a comment to encourage them to create more films. Besides, where else are you going to see Ghostface vs. a Katana all set to a hip-hop soundtrack?

Scream Live (2023)

Scream Live

Ghostface (2021)

Ghostface

Ghost Face (2023)

Ghost Face

Don’t Scream (2022)

Don’t Scream

Scream: A Fan Film (2023)

Scream: A Fan Film

The Scream (2023)

The Scream

A Scream Fan Film (2023)

A Scream Fan Film
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Movies

Another Creepy Spider Movie Hits Shudder This Month

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Good spider films are a theme this year. First, we had Sting and then there was Infested. The former is still in theaters and the latter is coming to Shudder starting April 26.

Infested has been getting some good reviews. People are saying that it’s not only a great creature feature but also a social commentary on racism in France.

According to IMDb: Writer/director Sébastien Vanicek was looking for ideas around the discrimination faced by black and Arab-looking people in France, and that led him to spiders, which are rarely welcome in homes; whenever they’re spotted, they’re swatted. As everyone in the story (people and spiders) is treated like vermin by society, the title came to him naturally.

Shudder has become the gold standard for streaming horror content. Since 2016, the service has been offering fans an expansive library of genre movies. in 2017, they began to stream exclusive content.

Since then Shudder has become a powerhouse in the film festival circuit, buying distribution rights to movies, or just producing some of their own. Just like Netflix, they give a film a short theatrical run before adding it to their library exclusively for subscribers.

Late Night With the Devil is a great example. It was released theatrically on March 22 and will begin streaming on the platform starting April 19.

While not getting the same buzz as Late Night, Infested is a festival favorite and many have said if you suffer from arachnophobia, you might want to take heed before watching it.

Infested

According to the synopsis, our main character, Kalib is turning 30 and dealing with some family issues. “He’s fighting with his sister over an inheritance and has cut ties with his best friend. Fascinated by exotic animals, he finds a venomous spider in a shop and brings it back to his apartment. It only takes a moment for the spider to escape and reproduce, turning the whole building into a dreadful web trap. The only option for Kaleb and his friends is to find a way out and survive.”

The film will be available to watch on Shudder starting April 26.

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