VAMPIRE CARNIVAL Holds Secrets

 

Jeri Jacquin

Currently in theatres from directors David Charbonier, Justin Douglas Powell, Capstone Pictures and Aura Entertainment is a night out in a very different VAMPIRE CARNIVAL.

Gemma (Nell Verlaque) is dealing with the death of a parent and issues at home when mom, Angela (Elizabeth Sanjuan), suggests she go out with friends. A night at the carnival with friends Ryan (Corrado Martini) and Olivia (Paulina Chavez) looks promising. That is until she runs into Eric ‘Post’ (Kieron Moore), someone from her past who left on bad terms. Inviting them all to his tent show, everyone is nervous. Gemma can’t help herself but go.

Introducing the Carnival Gothic portion is Toussaint (Jason Isaacs), who shares his gifts with Gemma. When that isn’t enough, he takes on tough girl Olivia, a non-believer in anything magical with a bad attitude. Taking the stage next is Eric, lauded as “The Man Who Feels No Pain”. The audience that includes Gemma, is stunned, shocked, and full of visceral reactions by what he can do.

Ready to get away, Gemma meets up with Sebastian (Alvise Rigo), who runs a booth and has taken a liking to her. Gemma knows there is something strange about the carnival, and they are all about to find out what that is. Beyond the tents is a world she could never have imagined. Instead of running away from it all, she runs towards it. When those she cares for come under attack, Gemma takes it upon herself to fight the past in the same town that is trying to take her future.

Verlaque as Gemma is a young woman dealing with loss. One night out with friends doesn’t change it, but it does take her mind off of it, until it doesn’t. Meeting someone from the past and becoming quickly close to a carny isn’t unusual when someone grieving doesn’t fear danger. That’s what I appreciated about Verlaque’s performance. The grief is there, and so is the need to find something to fill it. She isn’t outwardly reckless; it just comes naturally. Every step she took interested me, and the ending by her character is a chef’s kiss!

Martini as Ryan is out for a night of fun. Little did he know how far that fun would take him. Each step he takes is exactly what I’d expect from a guy his age. Even standing up to someone from the past is filled with testosterone. Chavez as Olivia is enjoying time with her friends. There is a moment when she gets tense with Gemma; maybe it was the beer, right? Sanjuan as Angela is Gemma’s mom who is trying to do her best by her daughter, but grief is a nasty companion. She is trying just as hard as Gemma to place her grief.

Moore as Eric is just as bad as he wants to be. Not scared of anyone and ready to take on anyone past or present. The scenes in the tent are harsh; you can’t have a bit of a freak show without a true freak. Moore gives his character the right amount of fierceness, and his rendition of ‘Losing My Religion’ is so damn cool. Rigo as Sebastian is a character I didn’t expect. Yes, he has a thing for Gemma; at the same time, he knows who he is and is not in the market for a slaughter of humans. His softness and concern were totally unexpected; way to go, Sebastian!

Isaacs as Toussaint is a low-key leader, and the rules apply to everyone in the carnival, which he makes very clear, repeatedly. Not sure I’d have that much patience.  Never would I have believed I’d say, well done sticking to that. To be honest, I love everything Isaacs does, so taking on this role, his understated behavior works beautifully for the construct of what the carnival is.

Shout out to Sanz as Isabelle. Sleek, unafraid, and loyal!

Other cast include Cedrick Cooper as Dan, Darren Cullen as Manuel, Guillermo Llaguno as Father Molina, Eoin Macken as Michael, Sergio Momo as Arnaud, Rodrigo Romeo as Deputy, and Alicia Sanz as Isabelle.

VAMPIRE CARNIVAL is a fun watch for anyone into the spooky season. I love that the film stays mainly focused on the carnival. It lets the viewer become totally immersed in the story, with Gemma’s house being the only other set. I loved the look of the carnival, the feel of it, in that it could be just about any carnival you would find around Halloween. Adding the name Gothic allows Toussaint to slide into town because who doesn’t love things ‘gothic’?

There are several things in the film that are so well done. No, I’m not going to tell you what they are. Nothing screams “spoiler” more than someone like me giving everything away. Just know, my jaw dropped. You’ll know it when you see it. The cast is so good; they vibed right into the story so well, it just flowed without me even thinking about it. That’s the kind of film I enjoy: reel me in and make me forget I’m supposed to be writing about it.

The season is here to get your fill of thrills, chills, frights, and bites. Get that bucket of popcorn ready and an arm to hold on to. This isn’t your usual carnival!

In the end – this is a night out that changes everything!

He Goes Up Against ICEFALL

 

Jeri Jacquin

Currently on Digital and On Demand from director Stefan Ruzowitzky, Arclight Films and Aura Entertainment comes the thriller that happens on ICEFALL.

A gang of thieves led by Drake (Jaymes Butler), break into an underground site and steal $20 million dollars. Loading it onto a plane, the agreement is that the group meet up with their leader Rhodes (Danny Huston) to split up the money. That was the plan anyway. Living on the land in the middle of Montana is Harlan (Joel Kinnaman), a man dealing with the loss of family wanting to be away from people. Checking on his fishing hole in the middle of a big lake, he finds a suitcase full of money and discovers a plane at the bottom of the frozen water.

Ani (Cara Jade Myers) is the local Indigenous game warden and to the land who doesn’t have time to deal with people who want to break the rules. A single mother, she isn’t about to let anyone tell her how to earn a living for her family. Getting a call to help a local who is stuck on the ice, Ani comes across Harlan and discovers what he has found. It doesn’t take but a moment before a black sedan arrives making it clear they aren’t leaving without the case.

Now the madness begins, Harlan and Ani know they must escape or die. Being chased by Drake and his team, the two realize they have to stay one step ahead. They turn to tribal leader Oz (Graham Greene) who has his issues with Harlan but quickly sees that Sheriff Raleigh (Trevor Van Uden) has turned against them all. Being taken back to Rhodes isn’t something either of them are ready to do, fight back even harder and have a bit of a secret weapon that lies beneath the ice.

Kinnaman as Harlan is a man who is dealing with the sadness and repercussions of losing his family. The only way to do that is being alone in the wilderness and fending for himself. Being alone isn’t going to last when you find a mysterious case full of cash. Kinnaman takes his character from solitude into action. What the bad guys don’t know is he knows how to fend for himself and he has to do that with the help of Ani. I am always happy to see Kinnaman on the screen as my first introduction to his skills was the hit series The Killing and For All Mankind and if you haven’t seen each of these, prepare to binge on some amazing work.

Myers as Ani is the game warden who is busy trying to be a single mother in a law enforcement position that her family doesn’t like. Keeping people in line as well as helping the locals, Ani has no idea of what is about to happen. On the ice, the moment she cuffs Harlan, her world is turned upside down and becomes more violent than she could ever have imagined. Myers is a strong character bringing the Indigenous peoples into focus. She also has no problem getting her character to jump into the fray and I cheered her on!

Butler as Drake is definitely a man you do not want to mess with. He makes it clear that he only asks a question once without there being consequences. In the middle of all the madness, Butler shows you can be a complete killer but do it calmly. Van Uden as the Sheriff has a moment in the sun but you can be sure that Kinnaman’s Harlan is going to make sure he doesn’t shine for long. Houston as Rhodes has always been such a fantastic character actor but one thing he is excellent at is portraying bad guys with style.

Shout out to Greene as Oz and it is his last role passing away in September of this year. Greene has always been one of my favorite actors for many reasons but when I see his name attached to a film, then it was definitely one to see.

Other cast include Martin Sensmeier as Pen, Frida Gustavsson as Sirena, Will Fletcher as Ellis, Oliver Trevena as Dax, Trevor Van Uden as Sheriff Raleigh, Bashar Rahal as Carl, Michael Saccente as Jed, Joyce Grey-Carter as Carol, Addam Bramich as Pete, Euan Macnaughton as Lowery, Antanas Srebrev as Miclas, Kelly Gale as Mia and Robert Hall as the Medicine Man.

AURA bridges the gap between artistic integrity and commercial appeal. Formed through a strategic partnership of Signature Entertainment, Capstone Pictures, and Ascending Media Group, AURA specializes in mid to high-end independent films with commercial potential. With extensive experience in distribution, global sales, production, and financing, AURA is uniquely equipped to bring diverse, genre-defying films to audiences, maximizing value across all platforms and windows. AURA ensures filmmakers reach mainstream viewers, delivering entertaining, high-quality films that succeed commercially and creatively, leveraging over 100 years of combined industry expertise. For more please visit www.auraentertainment.com.

Arclight Films is an award-winning feature film production house and one of the world's leading international sales companies for theatrical, television and home entertainment. Arclight Films has sold over 300 motion pictures including the Best Picture Oscar winner Crash; Golden Globe Best Picture Nominee Bobby, Lord of War starring Nicolas Cage, Jared Leto and Ethan Hawke and the company’s own production First Reformed, written and directed by Paul Schrader, starring Ethan Hawke and Amanda Seyfried. For more of what Arclight Films has to offer please visit www.arclightfilms.com.

ICEFALL is the perfect film to cuddle up to with some snacks, a large screen television and a sound bar that will capture it all loudly. Keeping the film focused to the lake and shoreline really does give the viewer the opportunity to stay with the story without distraction. Harlan’s backstory of the military explains his quickness and ingenuity, especially since he doesn’t have any weapons that go up against machine guns. Kinnaman and Myers might have come together in a strange way but their characters both have the determination to put the bad guys in their place.

Director Ruzowitzky takes an interesting concept of a vast frozen lake to bring on a thriller like ICEFALL. Each character has their own storyline with a mixture of bad guys looking for redemption, good guys realizing their blocked path is of their own making and villains are absolute villains. The best part is that is all works and works well.

In the end – they fight till the end!