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TADFF Review: ‘Overlord’ is a WWII Action-Horror with a Brass-Knuckle Punch

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Overlord

As Overlord opens, we are shoved into a plane stuffed with anxious paratroopers, waiting to be dropped outside enemy lines the night before D-Day. The men have a crucial mission to destroy a German radio tower in an old church (the success of the seaborne invasion depends on it), and tensions are high as they nervously prepare. We spend brief moments with the men – some barely hiding their anxious terror, others posturing with cocky bravado.

It is here that we are introduced to the first horrors of Overlord. As planes are shot down around them, the men prepare to jump – their chances of survival plummeting with each passing second. Their fear is palpable, and the reality of this scenario is sobering and devastating.

via Paramount Pictures

This is a bold opening that prepares us for the following intensity and sets the tone for each character we’re introduced to on that flight. We’re shown that explosives expert Cpl. Ford (Wyatt Russell – Black Mirror, Lodge 49) is an edgy man-on-a-mission, a lone wolf with nothing to lose; Pvt. Boyce (Jovan Adepo – The Leftovers, Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan) is our relatable everyman with a good heart and strong conscience; Tibbet (John Magaro – The Big Short, Carol) is the loudmouth, watch-your-own-ass soldier archetype we so often see in film; and Chase (Iain De Caestecker – Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.) is way out of his depth in this violent world of war.

As the men prepare to complete their mission and take out the radio tower, Boyce uncovers a horrible secret about the German base; the Nazis have been conducting monstrous experiments on their prisoners.

Now, it’s worth a reminder that – while not quite as fantasy-level nightmarish – this highly unethical scientific experimentation did actually occur during WWII. Overlord stomps on the throttle of this horrific truth to create tragic abominations that will haunt your dreams.

via Paramount Pictures

The cast finds balance in the strong-willed Chloe (Mathilde Ollivier – The Misfortunes of François Jane), a civilian who has witnessed and been subjected to the Nazis’ cruelty during their invasion of her town. Chloe is resourceful, fierce, and capable. She’s not placed in the story as a damsel to be saved or wooed; she’s a key player in the development of the plot with her own skills and motivations.

Pilor Asbæk (Ghost in the Shell, Game of Thrones) plays Dr. Wafner, a villain so perfectly evil it’s almost cartoonish. Writers Billy Ray (Captain Phillips, The Hunger Games) and Mark L. Smith (The Revenant, Vacancy) went all out, checking every single box on the “awful villain” list to ensure that we really hate this guy. When paired with a forceful performance from Asbæk, it works deliciously well. He’s a vile character and the perfect super evil Nazi villain for such an ambitiously violent film.

And yes, there is a ton of violence. Overlord has earned its R rating with vicious brutality and genuinely shocking moments of body horror. Director Julius Avery lovingly delivers the most intense transformation scene that horror audiences have witnessed in a long time. It’s gnarly as hell and incredible to watch.

via Paramount Pictures

Overlord circles a concept that was phrased so eloquently by Winston Churchill; fear is a reaction, courage is a decision. Even when faced with a seemingly unstoppable threat (that truly, effectively feels insurmountable), our soldiers know that failure is not an option. They’re not an elite squad of highly trained professionals – they’re just men who have been thrust into this mission where the stakes are impossibly high.

As an audience, you can get swept away by the big-budget action sequences and visceral gore. Really, really easily, actually. They’re very well done. But Overlord’s base instincts are very human; you feel invested and concerned for our heroes and their mission.

via Paramount Pictures

That said, the J.J. Abrams-produced Overlord certainly has a target audience. Fans of the horror (and action/horror) genre and anyone that has enjoyed the Nazi Zombie maps in Call of Duty will surely have an absolute blast. Those in search of a period piece with a bit more flavor will likely not find this to their taste.

In the ring of action/war movies, Overlord is brass-knuckle boxing. Though the form is surprisingly polished, its hits reverberate with a brutal force that will knock the wind right out of you.

Overlord (recently praised by Stephen King) had its premiere at Fantastic Fest before moving to Toronto After Dark in October.
You can find it in theatres on November 9th, and find the trailer and poster below.

 

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Russell Crowe To Star in Another Exorcism Movie & It’s Not a Sequel

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Maybe it’s because The Exorcist just celebrated its 50th-anniversary last year, or maybe it’s because aging Academy Award-winning actors aren’t too proud to take on obscure roles, but Russell Crowe is visiting the Devil once again in yet another possession film. And it’s not related to his last one, The Pope’s Exorcist.

According to Collider, the film titled The Exorcism was originally going to be released under the name The Georgetown Project. Rights for its North American release were once in the hands of Miramax but then went to Vertical Entertainment. It will release on June 7 in theaters then head over to Shudder for subscribers.

Crowe will also star in this year’s upcoming Kraven the Hunter which is set to drop in theaters on August 30.

As for The Exorcism, Collider provides us with what it’s about:

“The film centers around actor Anthony Miller (Crowe), whose troubles come to the forefront as he shoots a supernatural horror movie. His estranged daughter (Ryan Simpkins) has to figure out whether he’s lapsing into his past addictions, or if something even more horrific is occurring. “

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New F-Bomb Laden ‘Deadpool & Wolverine’ Trailer: Bloody Buddy Movie

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Deadpool & Wolverine might be the buddy movie of the decade. The two heterodox superheroes are back in the latest trailer for the summer blockbuster, this time with more f-bombs than a gangster film.

‘Deadpool & Wolverine’ Movie Trailer

This time the focus is on Wolverine played by Hugh Jackman. The adamantium-infused X-Man is having a bit of a pity party when Deadpool (Ryan Reynolds) arrives on the scene who then tries to convince him to team up for selfish reasons. The result is a profanity-filled trailer with a Strange surprise at the end.

Deadpool & Wolverine is one of the most anticipated movies of the year. It comes out on July 26. Here is the latest trailer, and we suggest if you are at work and your space isn’t private, you might want to put in headphones.

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Original Blair Witch Cast Ask Lionsgate for Retroactive Residuals in Light of New Film

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The Blair Witch Project Cast

Jason Blum is planning to reboot The Blair Witch Project for the second time. That’s a fairly large task considering none of the reboots or sequels have managed to capture the magic of the 1999 film that brought found footage into the mainstream.

This idea has not been lost on the original Blair Witch cast, who has recently reached out to Lionsgate to ask for what they feel is fair compensation for their role in the pivotal film. Lionsgate gained access to The Blair Witch Project in 2003 when they purchased Artisan Entertainment.

Blair witch
The Blair Witch Project Cast

However, Artisan Entertainment was an independent studio before its purchase, meaning the actors were not part of SAG-AFTRA. As a result, the cast are not entitled to the same residuals from the project as actors in other major films. The cast doesn’t feel that the studio should be able to continue to profit off of their hard work and likenesses without fair compensation.

Their most recent request asks for “meaningful consultation on any future ‘Blair Witch’ reboot, sequel, prequel, toy, game, ride, escape room, etc., in which one could reasonably assume that Heather, Michael & Josh’s names and/or likenesses will be associated for promotional purposes in the public sphere.”

The blair witch project

At this time, Lionsgate has not offered any comment about this issue.

The full statement made by the cast can be found below.

OUR ASKS OF LIONSGATE (From Heather, Michael & Josh, stars of “The Blair Witch Project”):

1. Retroactive + future residual payments to Heather, Michael and Josh for acting services rendered in the original BWP, equivalent to the sum that would’ve been allotted through SAG-AFTRA, had we had proper union or legal representation when the film was made.

2. Meaningful consultation on any future Blair Witch reboot, sequel, prequel, toy, game, ride, escape room, etc…, in which one could reasonably assume that Heather, Michael & Josh’s names and/or likenesses will be associated for promotional purposes in the public sphere.

Note: Our film has now been rebooted twice, both times were a disappointment from a fan/box office/critical perspective. Neither of these films were made with significant creative input from the original team. As the insiders who created the Blair Witch and have been listening to what fans love & want for 25 years, we’re your single greatest, yet thus-far un-utilized secret-weapon!

3. “The Blair Witch Grant”: A 60k grant (the budget of our original movie), paid out yearly by Lionsgate, to an unknown/aspiring genre filmmaker to assist in making theirfirst feature film. This is a GRANT, not a development fund, hence Lionsgate will not own any of the underlying rights to the project.

A PUBLIC STATEMENT FROM THE DIRECTORS & PRODUCERS OF “THE BLAIR WITCH PROJECT”:

As we near the 25th anniversary of The Blair Witch Project, our pride in the storyworld we created and the film we produced is reaffirmed by the recent announcement of a reboot by horror icons Jason Blum and James Wan.

While we, the original filmmakers, respect Lionsgate’s right to monetize the intellectual property as it sees fit, we must highlight the significant contributions of the original cast — Heather Donahue, Joshua Leonard, and Mike Williams. As the literal faces of what has become a franchise, their likenesses, voices, and real names are inseparably tied to The Blair Witch Project. Their unique contributions not only defined the film’s authenticity but continue to resonate with audiences around the world.

We celebrate our film’s legacy, and equally, we believe the actors deserve to be celebrated for their enduring association with the franchise.

Sincerely, Eduardo Sanchez, Dan Myrick, Gregg Hale, Robin Cowie, and Michael Monello

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