The Hunt

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Swanner: Before I can review this film you need to drop any preconceived notion of what you think the film is and about. If you think this is a movie about one political party hunting the fringed crazies of the other side of the aisle, okay, yes that’s what’s this is; but this is not a serious film…it’s not a drama. This is a black comedy about how insanely politics have divided the country. If you can get past that, proceed.

A group of 12 people wake up in the middle of a forest. They go to the large box in the center of the meadow, where they open it to find a variety of weapons and then most realize they have been chosen to participate in a game where humans hunt humans…I mean everyone’s heard of it since they read it on the internet. The mistake they made when they put together the hunt was that they chose someone who shouldn’t have been there.

The rest of the film is our main character, Crystal (Betty Glipin), trying not to get killed and she takes down the hunters one by one. I walked into the film with my “preconceived notions” but what i got was a cool political statement about how we all have to stop being so sensitive and laugh a bit more. The film is super gory and keeps the laughs coming. Trust me, it just does. If you’re too gentle, stay home but I fear you need to see this more than anyone.

Swanner 3 stars

Extra Ordinary

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Swanner:  Rose Dooley (Maeve Higgins) comes from a family who has a history of paranormal abilities. After a terrible mistake she made as a child she has pulled away from the family business and now she works as a driving instructor. Enter Martin Martin (Barry Ward) a widow who has been haunted by his dead abusive wife for seven years now. Martin’s daughter suggest talking to Rose about exorcising the wife out of their lives. Enter Christian Winter (Will Forte) a one hit wonder musician/devil worshipper who needs to sacrifice a virgin for the blood moon to revive his failed career. Virgins are hard to find even in a remote Irish town. Rose turns out to be the only hope this town has.

Judd: What intrigued me about this movie is that is a horror rom-com in the view of Warm Bodies. When the movie is focusing on the budding romance between Rose and Martin, the movie shines. The fact that Martin’s dead wife is an abusive ghost is a very funny twist. Sadly, the movie slows to a dead crawl every time Forte is on the screen. The secondary plot line seemed forced, and added only to have an American Name in the cast

Swanner:  I don’t think it’s Forte who is at fault. I mean Yes, his scenes crawl along while he forces out unnecessary silliness but I’m sure the script called for it and that’s the problem. I was thinking back to Elvira, Mistress of the Dark where the villain was the serious character who had to deal with the idiots in town who keep bumbling up his efforts. Christian Winter should have been played for evil and not whatever Forte was doing. The movie works on all other areas. See, you can make a supernatural film without spending millions of dollars.

Judd: The movie was written by Mike Ahern, and directed by Ahern and End Loughman. They both share the credits on two other shorts, and that’s the entirety of their direction career. I can easily see Forte telling them what he’s going to do with the character, rather than take notes from two “amateurs”. I completely think that Forte decided he needed to be “funny” along with Martin and Rose, and he decided to make his character a goofball. Your judgment is clouded because you have a crush on him.

Swanner: I just said he was the eye candy for the show, but then I saw the wig and that all changed. The film has a wonderful independent quality to it that’s hard to find in this country. You watch, two years from this film with be remade with Mellissa McCarthy and Will Farrell and they’ll screw it up with 35 million dollars of ridiculous special effects — and Will Forte still playing the villain. Enjoy this lovely romcom supernatural comedy before Hollywood screws it up.

Swanner 2 ½ stars
Judd: 2 ½ stars