This review of “Emergency” was first published Jan. 20, 2022, after its premiere at the Sundance Film Festival.
To walk the world knowing that you are presumed a threat is the harrowing burden at the heart of “Emergency.” That appalling reality sets three young men of color on a nightmarishly nerve-racking drive, for taking the socially acceptable right course of action in a dire situation could endanger not only their future academic prospects but also their lives.
Walking a thematic line about the racial biases that plague America’s institutions and society at large akin to other such recent indie productions as “Blindspotting,” “The Land” or “Monsters and Men,” the sophomore effort from director Carey Williams (whose debut “R#J” was a social-media take on “Romeo and Juliet”) strikes a difficult equilibrium between its disquieting observations and comedic inclinations.
Williams works from the screenplay by Kd Davila, a director with a similarly topical,...
To walk the world knowing that you are presumed a threat is the harrowing burden at the heart of “Emergency.” That appalling reality sets three young men of color on a nightmarishly nerve-racking drive, for taking the socially acceptable right course of action in a dire situation could endanger not only their future academic prospects but also their lives.
Walking a thematic line about the racial biases that plague America’s institutions and society at large akin to other such recent indie productions as “Blindspotting,” “The Land” or “Monsters and Men,” the sophomore effort from director Carey Williams (whose debut “R#J” was a social-media take on “Romeo and Juliet”) strikes a difficult equilibrium between its disquieting observations and comedic inclinations.
Williams works from the screenplay by Kd Davila, a director with a similarly topical,...
- 5/26/2022
- by Carlos Aguilar
- The Wrap
Synopsis
What if a child from another world crash-landed on Earth, but instead of becoming a hero to mankind, he proved to be something far more sinister? With Brightburn, the visionary filmmaker of Guardians of the Galaxy and Slither presents a startling, subversive take on a radical new genre: superhero horror.
4K Ultra HD Blu-ray, DVD And Digital Bonus Materials
3 “Quick Burns” Vignettes hosted by Actor Elizabeth Banks, Producer James Gunn & Director David Yarovesky “Hero-Horror!” featurette: It’s not often filmmakers successfully and seamlessly combine both Horror and Superhero into a genre-bending “Hero-Horror” category. Hear from Producer James Gunn and Screenwriters Brian and Mark Gunn as we will learn the methods of their filmmaking style and their dotting of the “i”’s and slashing of the “t”’s storytelling process. “Nature vs. Nurture” featurette: Hear from Actor Jackson A. Dunn, Producer James Gunn, Screenwriters Brian and Mark Gunn and understand...
What if a child from another world crash-landed on Earth, but instead of becoming a hero to mankind, he proved to be something far more sinister? With Brightburn, the visionary filmmaker of Guardians of the Galaxy and Slither presents a startling, subversive take on a radical new genre: superhero horror.
4K Ultra HD Blu-ray, DVD And Digital Bonus Materials
3 “Quick Burns” Vignettes hosted by Actor Elizabeth Banks, Producer James Gunn & Director David Yarovesky “Hero-Horror!” featurette: It’s not often filmmakers successfully and seamlessly combine both Horror and Superhero into a genre-bending “Hero-Horror” category. Hear from Producer James Gunn and Screenwriters Brian and Mark Gunn as we will learn the methods of their filmmaking style and their dotting of the “i”’s and slashing of the “t”’s storytelling process. “Nature vs. Nurture” featurette: Hear from Actor Jackson A. Dunn, Producer James Gunn, Screenwriters Brian and Mark Gunn and understand...
- 7/11/2019
- by ComicMix Staff
- Comicmix.com
What if someone with superpowers akin to Superman decided to use their abilities for evil instead of good? The chilling answer to that question is explored in David Yarovesky's Brightburn (which Heather Wixson wrote "soars as a gory slasher/superhero hybrid" in her 4-star review), and if you missed it in theaters or want to experience it again, you'll be pleased to know that Sony is releasing the film on 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray, and DVD on August 20th (following an August 6th digital release), and we've been provided with the cover art and full list of bonus features:
"Synopsis
What if a child from another world crash-landed on Earth, but instead of becoming a hero to mankind, he proved to be something far more sinister? With Brightburn, the visionary filmmaker of Guardians of the Galaxy and Slither presents a startling, subversive take on a radical new genre: superhero horror.
"Synopsis
What if a child from another world crash-landed on Earth, but instead of becoming a hero to mankind, he proved to be something far more sinister? With Brightburn, the visionary filmmaker of Guardians of the Galaxy and Slither presents a startling, subversive take on a radical new genre: superhero horror.
- 7/10/2019
- by Derek Anderson
- DailyDead
David Yarovesky’s Brightburn earns every puddle of eye juice, mangled corpse, and horrific disfigured gore effect of its *hard* R-rating. Yes, this is the “evil Superman origin” slasher promised. Gruesomely inclined to scare prospective parents off pregnancy timetables; complicated enough to thread adoption drama through rural massacre despicableness. A child discovering limitless power, lied to by society, wrestling temperamental consciousness while befalling the corruption of man. There’s a lot to savor, but the flavors end up somewhat expected despite mature adolescent horrors.
Can you kill what you love or love something that kills? Brightburn isn’t the nightmare to answer such crippling caretaker choices, but hey, here are some wicked genre kills you’ll never scrub away!
Brandon Breyer (Jackson A. Dunn) is a Brightburn, Kansas resident with an undefined past. Mother Tori (Elizabeth Banks) and father Kyle (David Denman) found their baby boy when his spacecraft crashed in their backyard.
Can you kill what you love or love something that kills? Brightburn isn’t the nightmare to answer such crippling caretaker choices, but hey, here are some wicked genre kills you’ll never scrub away!
Brandon Breyer (Jackson A. Dunn) is a Brightburn, Kansas resident with an undefined past. Mother Tori (Elizabeth Banks) and father Kyle (David Denman) found their baby boy when his spacecraft crashed in their backyard.
- 5/24/2019
- by Matt Donato
- We Got This Covered
What if Superman started out evil? And what if that was the only idea you had for your movie? Hence “Brightburn,” a wafer-thin exercise in a supposedly new genre called “superhero horror,” but what is really just a body-count flick haphazardly grafted onto a tweaked version of Superman’s origin story — except this version’s isolated farm boy with indestructible (and destructive) alien powers would rather lift a car not to rescue someone but to kill a grown-up who wasn’t nice to him.
The movie is directed by David Yarovesky, but the hyped name is producer James Gunn, the acclaimed if controversial commander of the snarky-sincere “Guardians of the Galaxy” Marvel franchise, but also the mind behind nasty exploitation fare like his black-humored 2010 indie “Super.” That acquired-taste riff on hero notions featured a power-free vigilante, ultraviolence and not much pleasure, but it’s a satiric gem compared to “Brightburn,...
The movie is directed by David Yarovesky, but the hyped name is producer James Gunn, the acclaimed if controversial commander of the snarky-sincere “Guardians of the Galaxy” Marvel franchise, but also the mind behind nasty exploitation fare like his black-humored 2010 indie “Super.” That acquired-taste riff on hero notions featured a power-free vigilante, ultraviolence and not much pleasure, but it’s a satiric gem compared to “Brightburn,...
- 5/22/2019
- by Robert Abele
- The Wrap
The Children's Defense Fund–California hosted its 28th Annual Beat the Odds Awards ceremony on December 6, 2018, at the Skirball Cultural Center in Los Angeles.
Liza and Conan O'Brien at Children's Defense Fund-California's Beat The Odds Awards 2018
The celebration honored five Los Angeles high school “stars” – Ian, Jazmin, Manuel, Samantha, and Samarea – in recognition of their excellence in academic achievement, despite the obstacles that stand in their way.
This momentous occasion was co-chaired by Children’s Defense Fund President Emerita Marian Wright Edelman, Jurnee Smollett-Bell & Josiah Bell, Carol & Frank Biondi, Ruth-Ann Huvane, Kevin Huvane, Alfre Woodard & Roderick Spencer, and Cdf-CA Executive Director Shimica Gaskins. Jurnee Smollett-Bell and Alfre Woodard also served as presenters during the ceremony, and were joined by Angela Bassett, Garcelle Beauvais, Aisha Hinds, Tory Kittles, Jussie Smollett, and DeWanda Wise. Additional special guests included J. Alexander, Andy Buckley, Lex Scott Davis, Reverend James Lawson, Shawn Levy, Mo McRae,...
Liza and Conan O'Brien at Children's Defense Fund-California's Beat The Odds Awards 2018
The celebration honored five Los Angeles high school “stars” – Ian, Jazmin, Manuel, Samantha, and Samarea – in recognition of their excellence in academic achievement, despite the obstacles that stand in their way.
This momentous occasion was co-chaired by Children’s Defense Fund President Emerita Marian Wright Edelman, Jurnee Smollett-Bell & Josiah Bell, Carol & Frank Biondi, Ruth-Ann Huvane, Kevin Huvane, Alfre Woodard & Roderick Spencer, and Cdf-CA Executive Director Shimica Gaskins. Jurnee Smollett-Bell and Alfre Woodard also served as presenters during the ceremony, and were joined by Angela Bassett, Garcelle Beauvais, Aisha Hinds, Tory Kittles, Jussie Smollett, and DeWanda Wise. Additional special guests included J. Alexander, Andy Buckley, Lex Scott Davis, Reverend James Lawson, Shawn Levy, Mo McRae,...
- 12/11/2018
- Look to the Stars
The Palm Springs ShortFest has announced that highly-acclaimed writer/director Gus Van Sant will be presented with the ShortFest Spirit of Short Film Award as part of a special Directing Master Class presentation celebrating his work in film. A selection of his short films will be shown on Saturday, June 23rd at 2:30 p.m. with a discussion headed by Festival Director Darryl Macdonald. Van Sant, who earned Oscar nominations for "Good Will Hunting" and "Milk," was previously honored at the Palm Springs International Film Festival in 2009 when he received the Sonny Bono Visionary Award.
I personally salute the Palm Springs ShortFest. It is such a grassroots effort that honor the diversity and talent of many striving filmmakers. And most of the films shown move on to win Oscars such as "Freeheld" which won Best Documentary Short in 2008.
The Palm Springs ShortFest happens on June 19th to the 25th. For more details,...
I personally salute the Palm Springs ShortFest. It is such a grassroots effort that honor the diversity and talent of many striving filmmakers. And most of the films shown move on to win Oscars such as "Freeheld" which won Best Documentary Short in 2008.
The Palm Springs ShortFest happens on June 19th to the 25th. For more details,...
- 6/13/2012
- by Manny
- Manny the Movie Guy
Last month, I brought you details and clips from writer/producer/director Shawna Baca‘s (Isabel, The Lesson) ambitious project combining Wushu martial arts, sci-fi and mythology entitled, Ascended Masters. The short film is based on a feature screenplay trilogy currently in development and stars Wushu World Champions Don Hyun Kiolbassa and Ernesto Matamoros, and features actress Kikey Castillo (The Broken Hearts Club, Maddoggin’).
Shawna has put together concept art, storyboards, animatics, stunt choreography, visual effects tests and put a creative team, including co-producers Kaz Kipp and Aaron Sanchez, director of photography Michael Dallatorre (Ghild), VFX supervisor Timothy Cairns, and editor Carey Williams to help her complete her vision.
Now, thanks to producer Kaz Kipp, we’ve got our hands on a visual effects test for a battle in the film, along with an interview with director Shawna Baca, where she speaks about why she wants to put this project together.
Shawna has put together concept art, storyboards, animatics, stunt choreography, visual effects tests and put a creative team, including co-producers Kaz Kipp and Aaron Sanchez, director of photography Michael Dallatorre (Ghild), VFX supervisor Timothy Cairns, and editor Carey Williams to help her complete her vision.
Now, thanks to producer Kaz Kipp, we’ve got our hands on a visual effects test for a battle in the film, along with an interview with director Shawna Baca, where she speaks about why she wants to put this project together.
- 4/14/2011
- by Jason Moore
- ScifiMafia
We receive a lot of requests to check out people’s independent sci-fi/fantasy projects, some are good, some are great, and some… well, not so much. When we actually do get a look at something that seems just phenomenal, we have to tell you about it. Enter Ascended Masters. Writer/Producer/Director Shawna Baca (Isabel, The Lesson), who was the only person of American Latin descent out of 12,000 filmmakers to be selected for Fox’s Reality show On The Lot, by executive producers Steven Spielberg and Mark Burnett is putting together one hell of an ambitious project that combines Wushu martial arts, sci-fi and mythology.
Ascended Masters is a short film based on a feature screenplay trilogy currently in development and stars Wushu World Champions Don Hyun Kiolbassa and Ernesto Matamoros, and features actress Kikey Castillo (The Broken Hearts Club, Maddoggin’). Shawna has put together concept art, storyboards, animatics,...
Ascended Masters is a short film based on a feature screenplay trilogy currently in development and stars Wushu World Champions Don Hyun Kiolbassa and Ernesto Matamoros, and features actress Kikey Castillo (The Broken Hearts Club, Maddoggin’). Shawna has put together concept art, storyboards, animatics,...
- 3/28/2011
- by Jason Moore
- ScifiMafia
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