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Fantasia 2019: ‘Harpoon’ is a Sharp, Powerful Thriller [REVIEW]

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Harpoon

Rivalries, dark secrets, and sexual tension crash together in Rob Grant’s Harpoon, a taut and delightfully dark comedic thriller. The film follows three friends who venture out on a yacht for a day trip, only to find themselves stranded in the ocean and at each other’s throats.

Harpoon explores friendship and the strains we put on our relationships. It makes us question the nature and history of our personal connections and why we choose to maintain them.

The film’s three leads – Richard (Christopher Gray), his girlfriend Sasha (Emily Tyra), and best friend Jonah (Munro Chambers) – are stuck in an everlasting cycle of enabling bad behavior. An opening statement in the narration — provided brilliantly by Brett Gelman — describes Aristotle’s philosophy of the three kinds of friendship; friendships of utility, friendships of pleasure, and friendships of the good. Through the film, it becomes clear that Richard, Sasha, and Jonah don’t exactly fit into any of these three categories.

They exist in a vacuum of their own nastiness, constantly pushing and pulling at each other in a way that shows their sickened dependence. While this collaborative friendship is truly toxic for everyone involved, it creates one hell of a compelling film. 

via Fantasia Fest

For a film with only one set and three characters, Harpoon works surprisingly well thanks to its tight direction by Grant and excellent chemistry between the cast. Most notably, Chambers delivers a razor-sharp performance as Jonah, carving through each emotional scene with impressive precision. 

Tyra is excellent as Sasha, the exasperated referee between her boyfriend and his best friend. While she holds an air of righteousness, she’s far from saintly herself. Gray is perfect as Richard, bringing life and humanity to a detestable character. The three work together in brilliant harmony to create a group of deeply flawed individuals with a friendship that walks the line between love and loathing. 

As the film progresses, the boat begins to match the unraveling minds of our poor castaways; the lower deck goes from cozy to crazed thanks to a shifting set design. The lighting moves between painfully bright and depressingly low, but it’s done in a way that expresses the extremes that the characters experience without compromising the shot; scenes are washed with yellows and blues to impose a tone.

The script is wickedly clever with a delightful streak of dark humor. Gelman’s pitch-perfect narration provides some additional details about the characters and their situation, while lightly bumping up the tone of the film to keep it from getting too horrifically bleak. But don’t let the smooth, dulcet tones of Gelman’s voice distract you – Harpoon is sinfully dark and deeply satisfying. 

Writers Rob Grant and Mike Kovac have found the perfect balance of comedy and intensity to really make the film click. There’s a building pressure that keeps the pace moving, driving the story forward despite the stagnant scenery. It’s like the ultimate bottle episode, taking full advantage of the creative liberties that can be found within that isolated focus. 

via Fantasia Fest

The film pushes just enough to satisfy the audience’s desire for depravity while showing enough restraint to not go completely off the rails. It keeps one sea-shaky leg in the realm of realism while the other dances a mad dervish of disastrous worst-case scenarios. 

Effectively, Harpoon raises some questions about the minefield of relationships. Is personal history enough to keep friends together? How dangerously close have we come to permanently damaging our friendships? When a bond has been broken, can it ever be repaired? 

Once you’ve seen the worst in someone, can you ever go back?

The answers aren’t as simple as you’d think.

Harpoon is a bubbling ocean of deep resentment, dark comedy, and maritime superstitions gone awry. From the script to the direction, the performances, and the plot, it’s sharp, powerful, and deadly. If you have the opportunity, I’d recommend you take the shot. 

 

Harpoon is playing as part of Fantasia Festival’s 2019 lineup. For an interview with writer/director Rob Grant, click here. Or click here to read our interview with one of the stars of the film, Munro Chambers.

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‘The Strangers’ Invaded Coachella in Instagramable PR Stunt

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Renny Harlin’s reboot of The Strangers isn’t coming out until May 17, but those murderous home invaders are making a pit stop at Coachella first.

In the latest Instagramable PR stunt, the studio behind the film decided to have the trio of masked intruders crash Coachella, a music festival that takes place for two weekends in Southern California.

The Strangers

This type of publicity began when Paramount did the same thing with their horror movie Smile in 2022. Their version had seemingly ordinary people in populated places look directly into a camera with an evil grin.

The Strangers

Harlin’s reboot is actually a trilogy with a more expansive world than that of the original.

“When setting out to remake The Strangers, we felt there was a bigger story to be told, which could be as powerful, chilling, and terrifying as the original and could really expand that world,” said producer Courtney Solomon. “Shooting this story as a trilogy allows us to create a hyperreal and terrifying character study. We’re fortunate to be joining forces with Madelaine Petsch, an amazing talent whose character is the driving force of this story.”

The Strangers

The movie follows a young couple (Madelaine Petsch and Froy Gutierrez) who “after their car breaks down in an eerie small town, are forced to spend the night in a remote cabin. Panic ensues as they are terrorized by three masked strangers who strike with no mercy and seemingly no motive in The Strangers: Chapter 1 the chilling first entry of this upcoming horror feature film series.”

The Strangers

The Strangers: Chapter 1 opens in theaters on May 17.

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‘Alien’ Returning to Theaters For a Limited Time

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It’s been 45 years since Ridley Scott’s Alien hit theaters and in celebration of that milestone, it is headed back to the big screen for a limited time. And what better day to do that than Alien Day on April 26?

It also works as a primer for the upcoming Fede Alvarez sequel Alien: Romulus opening on August 16. A special feature in which both Alvarez and Scott discuss the original sci-fi classic will be shown as a part of your theater admission. Take a look at the preview of that conversation below.

Fede Alvarez and Ridley Scott

Back in 1979, the original trailer for Alien was kind of terrifying. Imagine sitting in front of a CRT TV (Cathode Ray Tube) at night and suddenly Jerry Goldsmith’s haunting score begins to play as a giant chicken egg starts to crack with beams of light bursting through the shell and the word “Alien” slowly forms in slanted all caps across the screen. To a twelve-year-old, it was a scary pre-bedtime experience, especially Goldsmith’s screaming electronic musical flourishes playing over scenes of the actual movie. Let the “Is it horror or sci-fi?” debate begin.

Alien became a pop culture phenomenon, complete with kid’s toys, a graphic novel, and an Academy Award for Best Visual Effects. It also inspired dioramas in wax museums and even a frightening setpiece at Walt Disney World in the now-defunct Great Movie Ride attraction.

Great Movie Ride

The film stars Sigourney Weaver, Tom Skerritt, and John Hurt. It tells the tale of a futuristic crew of blue-collar workers suddenly awakened out of stasis to investigate an undecipherable distress signal coming from a nearby moon. They investigate the source of the signal and discover it’s a warning and not a cry for help. Unbeknownst to the crew, they have brought a giant space creature back on board which they find out in one of the most iconic scenes in cinema history.

It is said that Alvarez’s sequel will pay homage to the original film’s storytelling and set design.

Alien Romulus
Alien (1979)

The Alien theatrical re-release will take place on April 26. Pre-order your tickets and find out where Alien will screen at a theater near you.

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Home Depot’s 12-Foot Skeleton Returns with a New Friend, Plus New Life-Size Prop from Spirit Halloween

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Halloween is the greatest holiday of them all. However, every great holiday needs amazing props to go with it. Luckily for you, there are two new amazing props that have been released, which are sure to impress your neighbors and frighten any neighborhood children who are unfortunate enough to wander past your yard.

The first entry is the return of the Home Depot 12-foot skeleton prop. Home Depot has outdone themselves in the past. But this year the company is bringing bigger and better things to their Halloween prop lineup.

Home Depot Skeleton Prop

This year, the company unveiled its new and improved Skelly. But what is a giant skeleton without a loyal friend? Home Depot has also announced that they will release a five-foot tall skeleton dog prop to eternally keep Skelly company as he haunts your yard this spooky season.

This bony pooch will be five feet tall and seven feet long. The prop will also feature a posable mouth and LCD eyes with eight variable settings. Lance Allen, Home Depot’s merchant of decorative Holliday gear, had the following to say about this year’s lineup.

“This year we increased our realism within the animatronics category, created some impressive, licensed characters and even brought back some fan favorites. Overall, we are most proud of the quality and value we are able to bring to our customers with these pieces so they can continue to grow their collections.”

Home Depot Prop

But what if giant skeletons just aren’t your thing? Well, Spirit Halloween has you covered with their giant life size Terror Dog replica. This massive prop has been ripped out of your nightmares to appear frighteningly on your lawn.

This prop weighs in at almost fifty pounds and features glowing red eyes that are sure to keep your yard safe from any toilet paper throwing hooligans. This iconic Ghostbusters nightmare is a must have for any fan of 80s horror. Or, anyone who loves all things spooky.

Terror Dog Prop
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