All posts by Nathan Joseph Sitton Marchand

John Goodman is the Real Monster in ‘10 Cloverfield Lane’

It’s been eight years since Bad Robot’s unorthodox kaiju (giant monster) film Cloverfield was released. Now a “sequel” has slipped in under the radar with 10 Cloverfield Lane. Is it just as terrifying, or does it succumb to the monstrous tropes that plague most horror movies?

Having just survived a car accident, a young woman (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) wakes to find herself held in a bunker by a paranoid man (John Goodman) who claims the world has ended and the surface is uninhabitable. But after talking with another bunker dweller (John Gallagher, Jr), she wonders if everything is as it seems.

A large part of Cloverfield’s success was its brilliantly enigmatic viral marketing campaign. The creature was never shown in any of the promotional materials, leaving it ambiguous as to what it was about. The mystery spawned theories all over the internet (some even going so far as to say it was a secret Godzilla movie), creating a surprising amount of hype. While it technically wasn’t the first “found footage” film ever produced, I’d argue it started the current trend for that style, particularly in horror (although it was amplified by Paranormal Activity). Say what you want about the finished product—whether it was terrifying or nausea-inducing—but it’s impact is indelible.

I say all that because the complete opposite was done with this “blood relative” or “spiritual successor,” as producer J.J. Abrams calls it. I somehow didn’t know about it until January because the promotion was surprisingly sparse. Plus, the film isn’t done in the found footage style. Indeed, it seemed to have little in common with the original aside from a commonality with the title. I didn’t know if it’d be a creature feature, let alone a kaiju movie, aside from a recent trailer that hinted at something huge threatening the characters.

The truth is this is a sequel devoid of “sequel-itis,” as one of my writer friends once said. It has none of the characters from the original, a completely different style and a different setting (Louisiana instead of New York) . There are references to events happening in the world at large, but they aren’t necessarily direct ties to preceding film. Honestly, it’s a stand-alone story someone who’s never seen Cloverfield could watch and not be lost. That isn’t to say that fans of the original, like myself, won’t be rewarded. (More on that in my spoiler section).

10 Cloverfield Lane is a refreshingly old-fashioned horror film. Absent are the cheap gimmicks of excessive gore and stupid characters. If I had to describe it in one word, I’d say, “Tense.” As soon as Michelle, the heroine, awakens after her car accident, there’s almost no respite from the suspense. The filmmakers create fear through setting and character. The bunker is claustrophobic and isolated. Howard, the conspiracy theorist who built it, seems at once to be well-meaning and insane. His claims that the world has ended never seem to be quite accurate. His social awkwardness and temper only inhibits his ability to communicate. As the film progresses and more clues are uncovered, the tension only continues to mount until it reaches a boiling point the last 15 minutes. Bad Robot is to be commended for taking advantage of these and keeping it classy in a genre replete with trash.

Horror stories are often only as good as their antagonists, and 10 Cloverfield Lane is no exception. John Goodman is yet another comedic actor who’s proven he has a wide range. He is simply terrifying in this film. But his character is at once likable and pitiable. He rescues Michelle after her accident. His family, he says, left him years before. He truly believes he’s protecting those in the bunker from mysterious dangers topside. The problem is he’s paranoid and possibly delusional. He has little tolerance for having his authority questioned or his rules broken. While he doesn’t get violent, a threatening aura emanates from him. Only in a few scenes does that let up, and even then it was simply a respite for the audience to relieve tension.

While Goodman is certainly the best actor, his co-stars aren’t lightweights. Winstead plays a resourceful and smart heroine. She’s not easily persuaded by Howard’s claims of the apocalypse. She uses her skills as a fashion designer—seriously—and limited resources to overcome obstacles. But more than that, she’s a young woman who runs from everything whenever it gets tough. She leaves her fiancé—voiced by Bradley Cooper over a cell phone, by the way—at the beginning of the film because they had an argument. Now she’s being forced to face fear. In a genre where women are usually helpless victims or top-heavy eye candy or both, it’s great to see a character in the vein of Nancy from the late Wes Craven’s classic A Nightmare on Elm Street. Gallagher plays Emmitt, a fellow “prisoner” in the bunker. He may be dumb, but he’s loyal and fun-loving. He doesn’t turn into comic relief, though, at least not in the traditional sense. He cracks a few jokes and tries to lighten the mood, but that only happens a few times. He becomes Michelle’s friend and ally in trying to escape the bunker.
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The script itself is tightly written. Every line and scene has meaning, whether it’s an insight into the characters or a foreshadowing of things to come. Each question is answered; every mystery explained (the ones raised within this film, at least). The pacing is just right, never moving too slow or at breakneck speed.

(SPOILER WARNING!)

Is this a kaiju movie? No, it isn’t. It is a creature feature, though. When Michelle escapes to the surface at the end, she discovers that aliens have invaded and are now scouring the countryside for survivors.

So, how does this connect to Cloverfield?

My theory is the monster in the previous film was a bio-weapon used as part of what Howard called “the first wave” of the extraterrestrial attack. This is also implied because the one alien seen in 10 Cloverfield Lane—which was essentially an attack dog that is sure to be someone’s nightmare fuel—had a similar physiology to the Cloverfield monster. Since the creature’s origin was never revealed and only theorized upon by the characters, that gap could easily be filled by a film like this. Also, keep in mind that both films have focused stories with isolated characters. They’re cut off from the rest of the world right as a crisis erupts. This ambiguity gives the filmmakers at Bad Robot enough leeway to expand on what was happening. Admittedly, these connections are implied and not stated, but I think that’s part of the fun of this, well, franchise.

(SPOILERS END)

10 Cloverfield Lane is not only a remarkable horror movie but an excellent film. In an era that sees the horror genre inundated with schlock, a film like this are a breath of fresh air. It shows that horror is best done when it includes good stories and characters.

Final Grade: A-

But I Digress… Episode 34: My Top 5 Favorite Films of 2015

Being the resident movie guy at Giga, I made the latest episode of my YouTube show about my top five favorite films of 2016–including a few I didn’t review for your favorite geeky e-zine!

“But I Digress…”
Hosted by Nathan Marchand

I’m a little late to the party with this one, but in this episode, I discuss my top five favorite films of 2015. I even get a visit from Nerdimus Prime–who is suddenly *not* an alternate mode for me. Weird.

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Please comment, subscribe, and share!

www.NathanJSMarchand.com

Nathan’s YouTube Channel.

Street Fighter V Cinematic Story Mode Coming This Summer!

Great news, Street Fighters! Capcom announced recently in a new press release that the PS4 exclusive Street Fighter V will have a “cinematic story mode” as a free update this summer. Not only that, but each character’s individual stories—i.e. the stories for each one in the arcade mode, most likely—will serve as prologues to this larger tale.

“Players will have the opportunity to play through individual character stories that provide important background information on each of the characters, their roles in the game, and their relationships with other fighters. The character stories have a recognizable throwback art style created by Bengus, a famous Japanese illustrator who has worked on a variety of past Street Fighter projects,” Capcom said.

Then in June 2016, all SFV players will receive the cinematic story mode for free. Capcom says it takes place between Street Fighter IV and Street Fighter III (the former is actually a prequel to the latter, which, admittedly, is a bit confusing), and they promise it will bridge the gap between the two games. “This is the first time in franchise history that fans will be able to play through this type of cinematic-story experience in a Street Fighter game.”

Here’s a teaser trailer for the upcoming mode:

Capcom went on saying players will be able to earn in-game money called “Zenny” to purchase DLC characters (no word yet on if it can be used to buy other DLC items like costumes), by playing through individual character stories and other single-player modes.

Finally, Capcom announced that the final SFV beta will run January 30-31.

Personally, this has me more excited than ever to play the game. Heck, it’s the big reason why I’m using a portion of my tax refund to buy a PS4. While I’m sad that certain characters like Sagat don’t appear to be returning for this game (at least as playable characters), hearing about this in-depth story mode makes me think this could be the best Street Fighter game yet, especially for longtime fans like myself.
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In previous games, the Street Fighter mythos was mostly developed by piecemeal with each character’s ending (and sometimes prologue) in the arcade mode. These formed semi-coherent though simple plotlines. Instruction manuals for most of these classic games also included some biographical information on each character, which fed into the narrative. However, as time went on, things did start to get a bit confusing—like who the heck is GillStreet Fighter V promises to deliver on what appears to be an epic story, which could also be dangerous. As I mentioned, most of the cast of Street Fighter II—and Street Fighter IV, for that matter—are absent in Street Fighter III. Capcom could be crazy and kill off some characters. I don’t know if they would, and it would have to be done carefully to avoid an abundant backlash from fans.

It’s refreshing to see Capcom continuing the trend of story-driven fighting games. For years the genre lagged behind most others, which have steadily increased the amount of narrative in their games to keep players interested. Just as games like the new Killer Instinct and Mortal Kombat X have borrowed gameplay elements from Street Fighter, Capcom is following suit on adding more story. Interestingly, while most think this started with NeatherRealm’s 2011 reboot of Mortal Kombat, they actually did it first in Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe. Before that, cult classic games like Guilty Gear X2 and, to a lesser extent, the King of Fighters series featured in-depth story modes. The difference is these older games utilize still artwork and Japanese dialogue with subtitles to detail their plotlines. It doesn’t help that these stories are convoluted and, honestly, insane. Street Fighter may be comic book-y, what with its supervillains bent on taking over the world…

via GIPHY

…among other things in its minimal storylines, but it still makes more sense than most of what goes on in those other games’ complicated narratives.

At the moment, plot details remain scarce. I’d daresay, “Mum’s the word,” with Capcom as to what might be going on in SFV’s cinematic story. There’s no word yet on if players will cycle through playable characters like in Injustice: Gods Among Us or sit back and watch like in Guilty Gear Xrd -Sign-. If Capcom is smart, it’ll follow NeatherRealm’s example with the former. It looks like M. Bison may once again be the final boss, which hasn’t happened since the Street Fighter Alpha games. Considering that other than Necalli no other characters seemed like they fill that role, it’s a welcome throwback to the series’ roots.

For now, players can be excited that Street Fighter V is only a few weeks away. It will be released February 16. (I’m getting the special edition).

Get those fight pads and arcade sticks ready!

Godzilla’s Terrifying New Design Revealed for ‘Resurgence’

A few weeks ago, I wrote an article about the latest news from Toho— the studio that created everyone’s favorite kaiju Godzilla—on its upcoming monster epic, Godzilla: Resurgence. A teaser trailer and a poster were released. A mild controversy erupted among fans over Godzilla’s new design, which they described as “lacking personality.” I offered a brief defense, but it should be noted that the only hint at the new design is a close-up of Godzilla’s face on the poster.

Now Bloody-Disgusting.com has reported on some leaked images from the film:

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Higuchi has said that Big G will be brought to life using what he calls “hybrid” technology, which is used in the Attack on Titan film. This involves using a combination of CGI and shots of live actors on sets. In other words, Toho aims to combine the best of both worlds from its “suitmation” history and Gareth Edwards’ reboot. I, being a fan of both, look forward to seeing what Toho produces. Although, there has yet to be a domestic release date announced for Godzilla: Resurgence.

The film will be released in Japan July 29, 2016.

The Force is Strong in This One: My Review of ‘Star Wars, Episode VII: The Force Awakens’ (SPOILERS)

The poster for the film, which was released December 18, 2015. Image courtesy of www.StarWars.com.

The Force—or rather, the hype—has been strong with The Force Awakens, the long-awaited sequel to the iconic Star Wars saga. Like a budding Jedi apprentice, the hype machine for this film has grown steadily stronger since the first trailer was released last December. Tickets went on sale in October, and both Movie Tickets and Fandango crashed within five minutes of them going on sale. The advertising campaign has been in hyper-drive for the last month.

I feel sorry for anyone who doesn’t like Star Wars. It’s everywhere now.

Now the day has finally arrived: the first Star Wars film in ten years. New studio, new director, new actors. Can it live up to the hype?

Thirty years after Return of the Jedi, a dark warrior (Adam Driver), serving Galactic Empire remnants known as the First Order, seeks a droid containing a map that will lead him to the legendary Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill). This droid is now in the hands of a scavenger (Daisy Ridley) and a Stormtrooper defector (John Boyega).

The Han Solo character poster for the film. Image courtesy of www.StarWars.com.

Where do I even begin? There’s much I could and should say about this film. While I’m a more avid fan of the Star Trek franchise, which was also revived by director J.J. Abrams, I’d be lying if I said I didn’t grow up something of a Star Wars fan as well. It left an indelible mark on my upbringing, especially when I was in college—Attack of the Clones was released the summer before I entered university and Revenge of the Sith during my junior year. While I’m not one of the infamous impossible-to-please fans who did things like troll Amazon’s listing of the Star Wars Blu-Ray collection to prevent people from buying it, I was still stoked by the hype surrounding this film.

Hence why I’m at a bit of a loss for words. On one hand, this is undeniably the strongest entry in the saga in years. It certainly blows the prequel trilogy out of the water. On the other hand, well, for now I’ll just say that J.J. Abrams has joined the likes of Joss Whedon for one major reason.

Speaking of Abrams, putting him at the film’s helm was probably the smartest move Disney made after buying the franchise from creator George Lucas in 2012. In fact, according to Wikipedia, he was handpicked by Lucas himself. Abrams has often described himself as a longtime fan of Star Wars, and his previous work has shown him to be a student of both George Lucas and Steven Spielberg. I’d argue that it was good that Abrams cut his teeth on Star Trek (2009) and its sequel Star Trek Into Darkness—which definitely had Star Wars influences—because it undoubtedly prepared him for this. There are few directors in Hollywood who could handle an epic space opera from a long-running franchise filled with beloved iconic characters. Plus, given Abrams’ penchant for secrecy that’d make the C.I.A. jealous, it’d only increase interest in the film.

Kylo Ren, the new villain in “Star Wars: The Force Awakens.” Image courtesy of The Nerdist.

All that to say Abrams’ fingerprints are all over this film. Since he also co-wrote the script with Lucas’ past collaborator Lawrence Kasdan, it’s no wonder. The kinetic pacing, energetic camera work, fast zooms and, yes, the occasional lens flare all combine to recreate the feel of the original 1977 classic, albeit with a modern panache. Abrams treats the material as neither a belligerent revisionist nor a nitpicky fanboy. He respects what came before while also creating exciting new characters, set pieces, stories and ideas, all of which fit within the marvelous universe. One of the subtlest yet most obvious examples of this is the villainous Kylo Ren’s famous lightsaber, which features a cross guard made of the same energy. It’s the first ever major redesign of the classic weapon, and not only does it make sense from a sword-fighting perspective, Ren uses it to great effect in the film.

Ultimately, though, it’s Abrams’ handling of the story that makes or breaks this film. CinemaBlend reported in January that George Lucas’ treatments for Episodes VII-IX were discarded, making this the first Star Wars film without his input (though he was brought on as a consultant). However, it was Disney’s announcement that all of the Expanded Universe (rebranded “Legends”) that had been built over several decades in novels, comics, video games and television to be non-canonical that grated fans. I can’t begin to tell you what a controversy this was in the geek community. Personally, I’d always questioned their canonicity given that until Disney made the announcement, there was no firm rule on what was and wasn’t canon. I can understand the frustration, though. In the long run, I think this was a good move. It freed up the filmmakers to try fresh ideas and not be beholden to a mountain of continuity.

Admittedly, my knowledge of the Expanded Universe is limited by comparison to many fans. I bring this up not only to explain why excluding it from the canon didn’t bother me, but also to say that if I get any details in following paragraph wrong, please feel free to correct me.

General Leia Organa (Carrie Fischer) embraces Han Solo (Harrison Ford) in “Star Wars: The Force Awakens.” Image courtesy of www.hngn.com

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Now the ultimate question: is the story good? Yes, it is. In fact, it might be the strongest story of all the films. Is that crazy talk? Maybe, but there’s no denying that this is a great Star Wars tale. Like A New Hope, it presents a universe with a long history that is in turmoil, and two young heroes heed the call to save it with the aid of old veterans. If taken in the context of the entire saga, A New Hope is as much a transitional story as The Force Awakens proves to be: the torch is passed from one generation of characters to the next. In the former’s case, it is from the likes of Obi-Wan Kenobi (Sir Alec Guinness) to Luke Skywalker. A notable improvement—yes, I dared say that—is the dialogue and acting. While the prequels are often derided for hokey dialogue and wooden acting, even the original trilogy has such foibles to a much lesser extent (though that was more A New Hope than the last two films). Here, however, there’s little. This is a testament to both the actors and Abrams.

That being said, it isn’t perfect. It includes many elements that, while probably intended to be homages, do detract from it slightly. It begins on a desert planet that looks like Tattooine yet isn’t. The bad guys have rebuilt the Death Star again(!), this time taking the Daft Punk approach (“Harder, Faster, Better, Stronger”) by making it the size of a planet instead of a moon. Interestingly, though, it is called Starkiller Base, a reference to the original surname George Lucas used for Anakin and Luke in the rough draft of Star Wars. My point is the Empire should’ve learned the first time not to build the same seemingly indestructible super-weapon again. Why do it a third time?

The new “Star Wars” heroes. (L to R: Rey, BB-8, Finn). Image courtesy of Screenrant.

Regardless, the new characters are delightful, fun and interesting. Rey is a scrappy scavenger from said desert planet. She has a mysterious past, which is only compounded when she discovers she’s a Force user. I confess I expected her to turn out to be Han and Leia’s daughter, especially when she frequently demonstrated an aptitude for machines and piloting, but the questions of her origin are left unanswered as a set-up for Episodes VIII-IX. Finn proves to be the most original in that he’s a Stormtrooper who defects to the Resistance, an anti-First Order movement supported by the New Republic. He’s a reluctant hero with a slight cowardly streak in him, which he learns to overcome as the film progresses. Then there’s the new villain, Kylo Ren, who—SPOILER WARNING!—turns out to be Han and Leia’s son. Like his grandfather, he succumbed to the Dark Side, yet he constantly battles against “the Light.” While he may not reach the iconic status of Darth Vader, he’s a worthy, multilayered addition in the annals of Star Wars villains.

Old friends: Peter Mayhew (left) and Harrison Ford (right) return as Chewbacca and Han Solo, respectively. Image courtesy of Screenrant.

The returning characters are treated as mythic figures, both by the filmmakers and the new characters. Their exploits are the stuff of legends, some of which Rey and Finn had heard and some they didn’t. It is an appropriate response, I thought, in that it almost bordered on being meta. Rey and Finn, in many ways, are like younger Millennials and post-Millennials who aren’t as familiar with the Star Wars franchise. For longtime fans, while these actors/characters are thirty years older, they’re still the “old friends” we know and love. Which only made the moment where, as I hinted at before, J.J. Abrams becomes Joss Whedon.

Han Solo dies.

(BOOM! ULTIMATE SPOILER!)

Late in the film, Han confronts his son, Kylo Ren, on a catwalk, calling him by his given name, Ben, and appealing to him to turn away from the Dark Side.  Immediately, I tensed up. I saw it coming, but I hoped against it. Even when Han’s efforts seemed to be working, I was nervous. Then as the sun being drained by the Starkiller Base was snuffed (yes, it can do that), Kylo ran him through with his lightsaber and dropped him into the chasm below. I flinched.

I hadn’t felt like that since watching Captain Kirk die in Star Trek: Generations.

I don’t know what to think of this or how to feel about it. It makes sense narratively, but at the same time, a fan-favorite character is now dead. For good. This isn’t like seeing a superhero die because nobody stays dead in comics. This is irreversible. I haven’t recovered enough from the shock to say whether or not it is, well, there only for the shock value. This is like the death of Wash in 2005’s Serenity, but amplified ten-fold (hence my comparison to Whedon). It’ll take time for me to process this.

That being said, Star Wars, Episode VII: The Force Awakens is a tour de force of character, special effects, action and story that lives up to the hype and then some. People have wondered what this generation’s Star Wars would be. Little did they know it’d just be a new Star Wars.

Final Grade: A