The Paperboy

Director: Lee Daniels

Writers: Peter Dexter and Lee Daniels

Stars: Zac Efron, Matthew McConaughey, Nicole Kidman and John Cusack

When I first heard about 'The Paperboy' it sounded awful. I had heard it was to be based on the game of the same name from the 80's and to star Zac Efron. I couldn't imagine how they'd base a film on someone delivering papers especially as that someone would be the star of Disney's High School Musical. When I finally saw a trailer it became glaringly obvious that this wasn't a video game inspired movie, Efron was still staring but it looked good. Surprisingly so. Turn out that 'The Paperboy' is actually based on the 1995 novel by Peter Dexter (who co-wrote the screenplay along with director Lee Daniels).

Set in late 60's Florida, The story revolves around a prisoner, Hilary van Wetter (Cusack) convicted for the murder of the small town sheriff. His pen-pal girlfriend, Charlotte Bliss (Kidman) insists that he is innocent and that an injustice was carried out in jailing him. She writes to Miami based, former local boy, journalist Ward Jansen (McConaughey) and he investigates to find out the truth with the help of Charlotte, Colleague Yardley Acheman (David Oyewolo) and his younger brother Jack Jansen (Efron).

Matthew McConaughey is now a powerhouse of a star and he has been going from strength to strength for the last few years and he is fantastic here too. His character, Ward is the moral justice of the story, striving to find out the truth while burying his own demons inside. Nicole Kidman is great too and shows her range as Charlotte is very unlike many of her normal type of characters. Efron surprised me, admittedly I was a bit obnoxious and jumped to the conclusion he'd be awful in everything as per my opinion of him in '17 Again' and the 'High School Musical' films (although I really shouldn't enjoy them as they aren't aimed at me and I shouldn't form an opinion considering I have only seen bits, but we all do that from time to time) but he was great. He shines as the lead character, the slightly flawed and naive Jack. He keeps the film feeling grounded and is the most relatable of the characters, his performance is strong and he showed that he is willing to move his image away from that of Mickey Mouse's nephew which is probably a wise move for the longevity of his career. My favourite performance though is that of John Cusack. He is brilliantly creepy and terrifying as hillbilly Hilary van Wetten, the swamp originating convict. Cusack should definitely play more bad guy roles as he is a great antagonist.

There are some negatives, the weird non-contact prison sex scene between Kidman and Cusack while the other 3 aforementioned characters look on is over done and had me shifting awkwardly in my seat. It felt overplayed and slightly out of place for me and could have been hinted at or even left out altogether. The film maybe suffers from being rushed at the very end although the last twenty minutes are great and tense, the final two minutes just seem oddly quicker.

Overall though 'The Paperboy' is fantastic and definitely underrated probably having suffered from obnoxious opinions like mine previous to watching about Efron being in it (imdb particularly is full of that). The setting is beautiful and the swamplands are a character all in themselves. A quick mention also to Macy Gray who is very good in probably her biggest role to date as home help Anita. Her character is also the narrator and the narration definitely helps to keep everything stitched together seamlessly.

If you enjoy dark mysterious thrillers then it's definitely worth a watch, and the performances are brilliant too.

4/5.

EFF's Short Spotlight - Vol. 4

This week's short spotlight is a bit later than usual, I've been writing all day and hopefully we will be making a short that we can put on this blog very soon.

I'm making a slight change to Short's Spotlight and I'm just going to post just one short each week, for now at least. The short this week is comedy 'The Black Hole' from HSI Films.

Directed and Written by: Philip Sansom and Olly Williams

Starring: Napoleon Ryan

A great short comedy that proves that you can fit a smart, clever plot into under three minutes, The Black Hole is a funny tale of human greed.

4.5/5

Hopefully the more time I get each week the more videos I can post and the more detailed the reviews will be. If you's like us to watch and review your short (and each submitted one will be reviewed properly) then leave a link below in the comments or email us at eightyfivefilms@gmail.com

EFF's Shorts Spotlight - Vol.3

Every Monday here on EFF's blogspot we are looking at short films from around the web and here we are in our third week! This week we have got Action from Intelligent Artists, Comedy from Back2Back Productions and a classic drama from Argos Films that was an inspiration for one of Terry Gilliam's Blockbusters.

If you would like us to watch and consider including your short film then leave a link in the comments below or alternatively hit us up on our twitter page +eightyfivefilms. I would recommend that you watch each of the shorts before reading the review as there may be spoilers. All films may include bad language, violence etc. so be prepared and watch at your own discretion.

I'm not going to go to deep into reviewing this week due to lack of time but hopefully you will still get the jist of my thoughts.

First Impressions (2013)
Directed by: Leo Kei Angelos
Written by: George Ruiz and Leo Kei Angelos
Starring: Hailey Bright, Chester See and Doug Jones
View on YouTube

A great superhero fan film, First Impressions impresses. The fighting is very well choreographed and look great, the acting performances are fantastic and it's well directed. I defy anyone with even the remotest interest in the superhero universe to not get a shiver down their spine when the camera gives a glance of the crown of Wonder Woman in her bag.

As first dates go this was pretty good! 4/5.

Off Road (2010)
Directed and written by: Martijn Smits, Erwin van der Eshof
Starring: Barbara Klaaysen and Kenan Raven
View on YouTube

Off Road is a Dutch comedy/drama (in English) about a a man being talked out of doing something possibly bad by his SatNav. It's very well shot, has great performances from its two human actors and is very funny. I really like the small twist at the end and enjoyed watching.

Off road but on route. 4/5

La Jetée (1962)
Directed and Written by: Chris Marker
Starring: Jean Négroni, Étienne Becker and Hélène Chatelain
View on Vimeo

"La jetée" by Chris Marker from Steele on Vimeo.

I tried in vain to find the French spoken version with English subtitles but did manage to find the English narration version; not as great as the original language track but still pretty good. Anyway, La Jetee is simply a classic, it's outstanding. It's amazing how a series of still photos can still work as a film and credit has to go to the sound design for really making that happen. I found it almost hypnotic listening along with the images and I almost forgot I wasn't watching a 'motion picture'.

As you may or may not have noticed La Jetee was a major inspiration for Terry Gilliam's 1995 film 'Twelve Monkeys' and itself drew inspiration from 'Vertigo'.

Incredible and timeless - 5/5.

What did you think of this weeks shorts? Let us know in the comment section below.

EFF's Shorts Spotlight - Vol. 2

Last week I introduced a new regular feature here on the Eighty Five Films blog called EFF's Shorts Spotlight. We decided that every Monday we'd post some of the shorts we've found while trawling the web avoiding doing real work. So here, as promised, I am in week two.

This week we have a student drama from 'ryanhutchinsfilm' called 'Too Shy', a comedy from 'Boxcar Films' called '92 Skybox Alonzo Mourning Rookie Card' and the third is another comedy, this time from Australian production company 'Play TV', called 'Glenn Owen Dodds'.

As I said last week I would recommend watching the videos before reading as the article may include spoilers. Also I think I'd better place a warning somewhere so I'll stick it here: The films may contain bad language, nudity, horror or violence so children should only watch with their parents guidance and those old enough to watch by themselves do so at their own discretion.

Too Shy (2011)
Directed and Written by: Ryan Hutchins
Starring: Will Avon, James Duncan, Nina Gamgort

What I like about 'Too Shy' is it's simplicity. It's an amazing short, especially for a student film and it's all down to the storytelling. Hutchins does a fantastic job of writing a heartfelt poem that feels completely real, maybe Hutchins himself has felt this way; he gets the watcher to really feel for the main character. He manages to put a nice twist in too, skipping from heartbreak to joy in a matter of seconds, really playing with your emotions. Maybe I'm just soppy but I've felt a tear breaking loose each time I've seen it!

It's also well shot and well lit, while again keeping things nice and simple and the piano soundtrack work beautifully alongside the words of the lovestruck poet. The actors performances, while they don't have too much to do, are also excellent; keeping things feeling real.

'Too Shy' manages to show you can create a great film with little or no budget and is a fine example of how sometimes less is more. I do honestly think it is fantastic and would recommend it to everyone.

5/5.

'92 Skybox Alonzo Mourning Rookie Card (2012)
Directed by: Todd Sklar
Written by: Todd Sklar and Alex Rennie
Starring: James Pumphrey and Alex Rennie

Today's second film has a whole different feel to it than 'Too Shy'. The lengthily titled ''92 Skybox Alonzo Mourning Rookie Card' is a comedy, that while sometimes quite dark, is very funny. The best scene, in my opinion, is the dinner table scene which has some very good laugh-out-loud moments. I like the competitive nature between the two brothers and the violent extent to which their drinking competition finishes.

I did find the main characters quite hard to like, even though the one brother does redeem himself at the end. They are brash and childish, I suspect that is the way they are supposed to be but I just found them hard to sympathise with.

Sklar does a good job of directing, the film is well shot, moves at a good pace and sounds great. There is a slight sync issue every now and again (although this could have just been a YouTube issue) but overall everything worked well.

4/5.

Note: '92 Skybox Alonso Mourning Rookie Card has since been made into a feature length film called 'Awful Nice'.


Glenn Owen Dodds (2010)
Directed by: Frazer Bailey
Written by: Trent Dalton
Starring: David Wenham, Abe Forsythe, Bella Heathcote

Our short spotlight this week is rounded up with Glenn Owen Dodds or G.O.D. for short is quirky, funny and intriguing. We, as the viewer, are in the same boat as the young man Michael as he discovers the line to see Glenn. It at first appears that there is nothing mystical about Glenn and that he is just some bloke that is a bit off his rocker. I think it works very well to employ the slow reveal that maybe there is something heavenly about him after all as he manages to comment on things in Michael's life that nobody could possibly know. Slowly, more things pop into place and by the end it's revealed that Glenn probably is God after all.

The funniest moment for me comes at the end of Michael's five minute session, just as he is about to get the answer to his question (or not as the case may be, after all Glenn is all knowing and would be aware of the time). The comedy works thanks to a great performance from David Wenham (300, The Lord of the Rings) who really pulls off the character, his comedy timing is excellent and he makes Glenn very likeable.

The ending is very clever, turning seemingly whimsical remarks made by Glenn into all knowing set-ups for Michael and his quest for true love before returning us one more time to Glenn and his funny remarks on horses. The same credit as given to Wenham has to be given to writer Trent Dalton for writing a very funny script and director Frazer Bailey for moving it to camera.

4.5/5.


If you enjoyed the films, agreed with me or even though opinion was completely and utterly wrong then please leave a comment in the section below. Also if you would like us to feature your short in future spotlights then you can leave a link in the comments or contact us on our twitter page @eightyfivefilms at any time.

Which of this week's three shorts was your favourite?

EFF's Shorts Spotlight

Instead of writing reviews or redrafting scripts I often find myself being distracted by the internet. I read IMDB news, take the daily poll (great to have it back, although its not as good as it used to be) and watch endless amounts of videos. A large portion of the videos I watch on YouTube or Vimeo are short films, I find them a great way of passing time and due to their length they are often easier to watch than feature length films (yes I have a short attention span, guilty as charged). The quality out there is fantastic and as it obviously costs a lot less to produce a short, its a great showcase for upcoming talent. It was while avoiding doing work and watching yet more videos I realised these viewings could be a source of work for Eighty Five Films' blog. So every Monday we are going to post about the great shorts we have found around the web and I would recommend you watch the videos before reading on as they may contain spoilers.

Onto the first video then!

God and Vodka (2011)
Directed and Written by: Daniel Stine
Starring: Daniel Stine and Emma Reaves

God and Vodka is a very touching, funny drama about writer Evelyn (Reaves) and her attempt at getting the story of her friendship and relationship with Ben (Stine) finally down on paper. She looks back over all the dishevelled pages of memories and though they are not in any seemingly narrative order this is relevant to her memories, as Evelyn says "I find myself flicking through hundreds of pages each of them disconnected from the next, or maybe they are connected". I get that feel from each scene, all of these different events happening may not be in order yet they are all brought together through the bond of the two main characters. The relationship Evelyn and Ben have is not only very likeable but also incredibly real. While watching God and Vodka I felt similarities to my relationship with my girlfriend, the way the two look at each other, the way they joke around and have their traditions ("wanna play Ouija"). You can see the love between them and the fondness she clearly feels towards him while remembering their times together.

The dialogue is very strong and exceptionally written, it's both funny and touching, it made me laugh out loud and sent me silent with sadness. Credit should not just got to Stine for writing it but for his and Eaves' performances, they have great on screen chemistry and are both clearly talented actors. Cinematographer Pedro Ciampolini does a great job here too, capturing the sentimental feel within the look of each shot. God and Vodka is a beautiful short film both visually and atmospherically and is honestly one of the best shorts I have seen. Daniel Stine is going to go a long way and has already made considerable gains since, directing Harold Perrineau  (Lost, Romeo & Juliet) in his latest offering. Make sure to keep an eye out for him.

5/5.

Proximity (2013)

Directed by: Ryan Connolly

Written by: Ryan Connolly and Seth Worley

Starring: Todd Bruno

Proximity is a short action film from famous YouTubers Film Riot. It opens mysteriously with four captives in the back of a flat bed truck being held by two armed guards. As the guards let the captives off the truck it becomes clear this is some kind of hunt as is linked to an electrical device placed around the captives' ankles.

I particularly enjoyed the tempo of Proximity and the music by Daniel James did a good job of helping to maintain the quick paced feel. The special effects were pulled off very believably especially for the cheap price they were produced, as the behind the scenes video explains. The fight scene likewise looks very real and credit goes to the two actors involved in achieving this.

The ending is very strong with a great twist but it left me wanting to know more, how does it work? Who is behind this? If the main protagonist is able to turn the gun on his 'team-mate' (for want of a better word) then what was to stop him running at the end of his own hunting? The leaving of such questions isn't necessarily a bad thing though, because as the famous saying goes, always leave them wanting more. 

4.5/5

George

Directed and Written by: Matt Allen

Starring: Matt Allen

Okay, okay, okay. I know the choice for the third video today may seem self-indulgent but technically, as I wasn't involved with EFF at the time George was made, its not really self-indulgent at all. Okay maybe a little, but as this is the first EFF's Shorts Spotlight I thought it would be fitting we link to our first short.

I won't comment or review George, but if you would like to let us know what you think about this and all the other titles here then please leave a comment in the section below. 

All the titles today can be rated on IMDB (in fact I encourage it) by clicking on the hyper-linked heading for each entry.

Which of this week's shorts is your favourite?

Only God Forgives (2013)

Only God Forgives (2013)
Director:  Nicolas Winding Refn
Starring: Ryan Gosling, Kristin Scott Thomas, Vithaya Pansringarm
Runtime: 90mins

After Nicolas Winding Refn's previous film 'Drive' I was expecting a lot from Only God Forgives. I expected another good performance from Ryan Gosling, another good score from composer Cliff Martinez and more of the beautiful cinematography and I got that. Gosling gives a solid performance, quiet and brooding like the Driver but this character is slightly unhinged as shown in a scene where he tells his 'girlfriend' to give him the dress he gave her back.

This is my mad face.

Kristen Scott Thomas is also fantastic as the despicable mother of Gosling's character as she gives a performance that really made me despise her with her harsh words and worse actions. Vithaya Pansringarm, who only got into acting in 2008 after meeting a cameraman at a party, also gives a strong performance. He plays a policeman who takes justice into his own hands. It may be that his character believes himself to be the film's titular God, passing judgement on the citizens of Bangkok, while blurring the lines of whether he is good or bad.

Vithaya Pansringarm and his backscratcher.

The score from Martinez, as earlier noted, is again fantastic. I'm a big fan of films that use music as an extra layer to the narrative, Drive did it fantastically, Tarantino and his collaborators are obviously brilliant at it, Donnie Darko was another film where the music added to its feel. The music in Only God Forgives, traditionally Thai in places, really compliments its abstract look which is beautiful. Again, as in Drive the cinematography was masterful. There's a real contrast of colour in different shots, with red against blue and black against white both dominant. This may reflect the stark contrast of good and bad in (most of) the main characters, and the bad does seem to almost always happen with a red glow to it. Gosling's brother's (played by Tom Burke) most violent action and demise takes place in blood red light as does the confrontation between Gosling and Pansringarm. Another use of Red and Blue is in Thai Boxing, with each colour adorning the fighters in the opposing corners and with the sport being a part of the film this again reflects in the opposite of the two colours.

I'm blue, da-ba-de.

Yet with all of my pre-expectations of good acting, cinematography and sound for Only God Forgives being met, I just did not like it. I was left feeling very underwhelmed, disappointed and to be honest, I was even bored. The film is slow paced which isn't normally something I complain about, but it's almost as if Refn was aiming for a release in art galleries rather than cinemas. If the long, moody, staring into distance scenes were cut out then Only God Forgives would only be 20 minutes long and while that's an obvious exaggeration it puts my point across, not a lot seems to happen. Yes there is a good fight scene, there's the hit attempt and the fallout from that but it's the filler moments that let Refn down. There are also scenes that, to me, didn't make much sense. There are scenes that I presume to be dream sequences that just don't really fit. Now I'm not someone who has to have the plot all explained, I enjoy a film that leaves me pondering but unfortunately here it felt like Refn was being confusing just for the sake of it.

That it, stare moodily, keep doing that. For 90 minutes.

I'm not going to write Refn off after one film that I didn't particularly enjoy as he has produced some great work and Only God Forgives certainly has it's plus points. It has stunning visuals, great acting and a wonderful sound but unfortunately it just feels a little flat.

Only God Forgives scores 2 out of 5.

Let us know in the comments whether you agree or disagree.

Welcome to EFF!

This is our first blog post here at Eighty Five Films so it's only right that it should be an introductory one. We are an independent British film company currently based in the West Midlands; founded in 2012. We strive to make great original short and feature length films, music videos and documentaries.

We decided to set this blog up not only as a new way to reach out to you, followers new and old, but as a tool to share our experiences within the film-making industry. We are a relatively new company so thought it would make for an interesting read to be able to follow our collective journeys into this fascinating world. Alongside this, we hope to post film and TV reviews, news and anything else that may pop into our weird little minds.

As of writing this EFF have made and released two short films 'George' and '6 seconds to die'. 'George' made on 2011 is a zombie based comedy/horror following an un-dead being in his... Actually we won't say any more instead the link for you to find out for yourselves is here. 'George' went on to win the  ZZUB Fest 2012 Golden Clapper-board award.

Our second short '6 seconds to die' was made in 2013 as an entry for the '666 short-cuts to hell' competition. While unfortunately it didn't win, we still produced a short vampire horror that we are very proud of. The film asks a question and given 6 seconds to choose what would you do? To find out what the question is (we're not going to make it that easy for you) watch '6 seconds to die' here. Keep your eyes peeled on this blog for a further behind the scenes look at '6 seconds to die'.

We have just released a third short, which is our first entry for Film Fights, entitled 'If These Walls Could Talk' and can be viewed here. Like the title suggests the Film Fight asked what would walls say if they could talk, maybe they witnessed a murder or even love. We told the tale of some very old walls who have witnessed some bad things but is there a twist in the tale?

We currently have a few projects in various stages of pre-production at the moment and hope to have some exciting news for you soon!

So the desperate question on all of your lips is "Who are the brilliant minds behind 'Eighty Five Films'"?

Matt Allen 

Matt Created EFF in 2012.

Simon D. Blaney

Simon joined EFF in March 2013.

Geraint-Rhys Hallmark

Rhys joined EFF in October 2013.