LOST ON A MOUNTAIN IN MAINE

 

Jeri Jacquin

Coming to theatres from director Andrew Boodhoo Kightlinger, producer Sylvester Stallone and Blue Fox Entertainment comes the true story about a young man’s fight for survival with LOST ON A MOUNTAIN IN MAINE.

The Fendler family are living the best they can in the summer of 1939 in Maine. Dad Donald (Paul Sparks) and mom Ruth (Caitlin FitzGerald) are raising their children Donn (Luke David Blumm), Ryan (Griffin Wallace Henkel), Tommy (Mason Cufari) and Patsy (Mackenzie Sage). Donn and Ryan are excited to see their dad return home because it means they are closer to their fishing trip that they’ve been looking forward too.

Dad isn’t home long when he makes the announcement that he has to go back to work and that the fishing trip can not happen. Donn is very upset with his father and takes it out on his brother Ryan. Trying to make it up to the boys, Donald tells them about a hiking trip to Mount Katahdin where they can go to the top of a mountain that is close to home and allows them a few days to spend together. Donn is making it outwardly clear that he’s not happy about it.

After a car ride, they meet Henry (Ethan Slater) who begins taking Dad, Donn, Ethan and Tommy up the mountainside. The weather begins to radically change and everyone but Donn wants to turn back. After an argument, Donn takes off into the storm and no one can see him with the fog. When Donald realizes his son is lost, he tries to find help in order to look for him all while dealing with his own guilt.

Mom Ruth is notified and she is devastated that her son is missing in such severe weather. Now Donn realizes that he is truly lost as the cold nights and wandering days begin to take a toll on him. Trying to remember to move forward, he also begins to wonder why he was ever upset and misses his family. This young boy must rely on what he knows and what he’s learned and find a way to get home!

Sparks as Donald is a dad who believes he is teaching his children about the harshness of life. That is why the hiking trip is important to him but the problem is it quickly becomes clear that the hike is dangerous. When confronted by Donn, as a father he makes a decision that sends him into a spiral of guilt. Sparks gives his character the essence of a man in the 1930s trying to do right by his family. FitzGerald as Ruth is a kindly woman who loves her children and the family. When her son goes missing, she knows she needs to reach out for help until her son comes home. FitzGerald gives her role warmth, patience, understanding and a belief in her son.

Blumm as Donn is a bit rebellious but it is based on the anger, he is feeling that he can not spend time with his father. Of course, at that age, boys don’t understand the responsibilities of fathers to the family as a whole. Once he is out in the wilderness, in the beginning it seems like a big adventure and Donn can be and do whatever he wants. It doesn’t take long before the reality of his situations sets in with the wilderness not allowing this boy one solid break. Blumm gives his character the heartache, determination, frustration and love he needs to survive what most would consider a life-ending situation. A well-done performance from a young man who took his role seriously. Henkel as Ryan is a brother who is also dealing with guilt and will do anything to bring his brother home. The reunited of the two is totally heartwarming.

Blue Fox Entertainment is a global film distribution and sales company specializing in connecting filmmakers to audiences and buyers in the United States and around the world internationally. For more of what Blue Fox Entertainment has to offer please visit www.bluefoxentertainment.com.

LOST ON A MOUNTAIN IN MAINE is the true story of Donn Fendler and based on a book by the same name from author Joseph B. Egan. Donn’s disappearance created the largest manhunt, brought out volunteers to help in the search and involves hundreds of people. Finding his way out of the woods, Donn came out in a stream he had been following for days. After his rescue, Donn was presented the Army & Navy Legion of Valor medal from President Franklin D. Roosevelt.

This film is wonderful in its telling following the trials of not only Donn but the family who would never give up looking for him. His parents try to keep their guilt hidden and moved forward doing everything possible to find their son, and a brother who would takes his own risks to find his brother. The story is one that families can watch together and talk about long after it is over. It has all the elements of a family struggling, strong emotions, faith and relationships that can sometimes be difficult, yet, it all comes down to one thing – a belief in something higher than ourselves.

In the end – eighty miles, nine days and one step at a time!

 

 

 

 

RAMBO: Last Blood Battles on Bluray

Jeri Jacquin

Currently on Bluray/DVD and Digital from director Adrian Grunberg and Lionsgate Home Entertainment comes the return of the soldier everyone underestimates and is known as RAMBO: Last Blood.

John Rambo (Sylvester Stallone) is living a quiet life on his ranch along with niece Carmen (Paz Vega) and her grandmother Maria (Carmen Delgado). Everything seems to be going along fine until Rambo discovers that Carmen has questions about her father living in Mexico. Trying to tell her he isn’t a good man; Carmen wants her own answers.

With the help of cousin Gabrielle (Yvette Monreal), Carmen sneaks over the boarder to visit her father to ask why he left. Not getting the answer she was hoping for and visibly upset, Gabrielle suggests that Carmen stay for the night and she will cheer her up by taking her to the local club for some fun.

It isn’t until Carmen wakes up that she realizes something has gone horribly wrong. Maria has learned that her granddaughter is missing and Rambo isn’t about to let that fly. He takes a trip across the border to discover from Gabrielle where Carmen was last seen. To his horror, she has been taken by a notorious cartel that kidnaps young women.

Rambo also runs the leaders El Flaco (Pascacio Lopez), Don Manuel (Joaquin Cosio) and Hugo Martinez (Sergio Peris-Mencheta) who have no intention of giving Carmen back, in fact, they are going to make it even more difficult.

That is when Rambo takes a deep breath and knows they are going to have to play by his rules and that means they couldn’t possibly be prepared for what happens next.

Stallone as Rambo brings back the haunted fighter of a man who thought he had finally found peace in the world. Of course there are always bad guys to test him and these particular men have no idea who they are dealing with. Stallone is sullen, doesn’t speak a lot but gets the job done none the less and, as usual, not without great personal pain. Leaving the final scene open, I have no idea if John Rambo will ever pop up again.

Vega as Carmen is the typical teen who thinks she knows everything and that adults are just talking nonsense. Of course, like the typical teen that thinks adults are talking nonsense, Carmen finds herself on the end of a stick and her actions are the match. Trusting family is the one thing she counted on and you see how that works out for her right? Beltran as Maria just wants Carmen to be happy but when that doesn’t work she puts her faith in John Rambo. Monreal as Gabrielle is that cousin everyone loves but no one wants alone in their home or the silver goes missing!

Peris-Mencheta, Cosio and Lopez as the bad guys are exactly that – very ugly bad guys! They have no one wit of care about Carmen or Rambo let alone the girls they have in their capture. They are all about money, power and fear but then again they’ve never met anyone like John Rambo so as I suspected the lesson was swift, extremely painful and a bit harsh in some spots. That’s a warning for you squeamish folks out there!

Lionsgate is a global leader in motion picture production and distribution for theatres, television, home entertainment and more. Theatre franchises include THE HUNGER GAMES, and DIVERGENT along with JOHN WICK. Now, adding this film to its 16,000 motion picture and television titles you can see everything coming soon as well as available now at http://www.lionsgate.com.

The RAMBO: Last Blood Special Features include Drawing LAST BLOOD: Multipart Production Diary, From First Note to LAST BLOOD: Music for the Massacres and Official Trailer.

As each Rambo film has come along, it seems the character has learned new and better ways to end the bad guys. I watched the film with that five-year-old thing kids do with your hand over your eyes but fingers spread apart because you don’t want to see it but you do have to see it. So be warned there are a few scenes that make your jaw drop.

This is definetly an action film because once the slap John Rambo to the ground you know from that moment on, he’s plotting doom. That’s when the non-stop battle begins and he’s pretty epic about it. From explosions to weaponry to tactics that made me think “I’d never have thought of that”, this is totally a Rambo film from beginning to end.

I mean when Stallone takes to Twitter and says, “Great day! We got our HARD R rating today! What’s coming is going to be unlike anything you have ever seen…” He also said he would play John Rambo as long as the films continue to be successful. I tend to take his word for it. This is also the shortest Rambo film along with the shortest hair John Rambo has ever had so there’s something for everyone.

So, load up the couch with munchies and turn off the lights because if you have a big screen and sound bar as part of your home theatre – this is going to get good!

In the end – everyone has one more fight left in them!

ESCAPE PLAN: The Extractors Attempts a Dangerous Rescue on Bluray

Jeri Jacquin

Coming to Bluray/DVD and Digital from director John Herzefeld, writer Miles Chapman and Lionsgate comes an action packed thriller with an ESCAPE PLAN: The Extractors.

Ray Breslin (Sylvester Stallone) is up against it when a Hong Kong Tech’s daughter Daya (Malese Jow) is kidnapped and the man responsible is his ex-partners angry son. Breslin assembles a team when Daya’s lead security man Bao (Harry Shu, Jr.) brings him information and demands to help.

On the team are Trent DeRosa (Dave Bautista) and Hush (Curtis Jackson) and they have to make sure the plan is together with no mistakes. Kidnapping Daya is on the first step in a plan that has many moving parts. Then Breslin’s girlfriend Abagail (Jamie King) is also taken, the stakes get even higher.

Hold up in the Lativan prison called the Devil’s Station, Breslin now realizes that his ex-partner son is sadistic and completely out of his mind making things even more difficult. It doesn’t mean they aren’t going to go down easy!

Stallone as Breslin is a man that takes jobs with a cost but this isn’t about cost, it becomes personal. Wanting to stop the madness, he isn’t about to walk away from anything a crazy madman wants to dish out.

Jow as Daya is a young woman who works for her father’s company. When she is kidnapped, she realizes that it is not just her own life that is in jeopardy. Harry Shu, Jr. as Bao is head of Daya’s security and once she is taken believes that one moment longer will not go by without trying to find her.

Bautista as DeRosa is a big man carrying a big gun and doing it all with a quiet smirky nature. His humor might be slightly lacking but then again he doesn’t look like he cares one little bit. Jackson as Hush has a small role but it doesn’t take him long to find his place on the crew.

Other cast include Devon Sawa as Lester Clark Jr., Max Zhang as Shen, Sergio Rizzuto as Narco, Shea Buckner as Larry, Lydia Hull as Jules, and Tyler Jon Olson as Moe.

Lionsgate is a global leader in motion picture production and distribution for theatres, television, home entertainment and more. Theatre franchises include THE HUNGER GAMES, and DIVERGENT along with JOHN WICK. Now, adding this film to its 16,000 motion picture and television titles you can see everything coming soon as well as available now at http://www.lionsgate.com.

The Bluray SPECIAL FEATURES include Making ESCAPE PLAN: The Extractors, Commentary with Director John Herzfeld and Actors Sylvester Stallone, Never-Before-Seen Cast and Crew Interviews, Devon Sawa and Daniel Bernhardt as well as the Trailer Gallery.

ESCAPE PLAN: The Extractors is a thrill ride in the style of Stallone! He isn’t about to let the bad guy win no matter how much it hurts in the process of finding him. There are very dark moments yet he still moves forward.

The film itself is very dark in the story telling but yet nothing stops the film once the first scene takes off. It is action, secrets, deception, revenge and redemption all in one film. Stallone leads a fast action cast that goes full force from bang to bullets with even an ending that is full of accountability.

In the end – these stakes are personal!

BACKTRACE

Jeri Jacquin

Coming to Bluray from director Brian A. Miller and Lionsgate is a tale of reliving a memory on the run when you have to BACKTRACE.

Donovan MacDonald (Matthew Modine) is caught up in a 20 million dollar robbery gone wrong he barely escapes with his life. Responding to the shoot out is Det. Sykes (Sylvester Stallone) and Det. Carter (Colin Egglesfield). MacDonald is taken to the hospital ending up in a coma.

Fast forward seven years and MacDonald has recovered from his coma but can not remember anything about the robbery. Serving time in prison for a crime he can not remember, he is approached by an inmate who suggests it is possible for him to get out. As quick as it was suggested, MacDonald finds himself on the outside.

Just as quick, Det. Sykes is on the case trying to discover how he was taken out of the prison and joined by FBI Agent Franks (Christopher McDonald). What they don’t know is that MacDonald has been taken by former prisoner Lucas (Ryan Guzman), Farren (Tyler Jon Olson) and Alicia (Baylee Curran).

Giving him a drug to help regain his memory, their goal…to find the money that was lost seven years ago after the original heist but with a twist!

Modine as MacDonald carries the film as he tries to remember what it is he has forgotten. That’s hard enough but when you’re injected in the spine with a drug that makes things even crazier, well, Modine has his head full. The plot twists and turns add to his characters story all the way to the end.

Stallone as Det. Sykes only wants one thing, to find out who has taken MacDonald and why. Knowing he now has the FBI breathing down his neck, Stallone gives his usual look of ‘you don’t scare me in the slightest’ while doing his job. Egglesfield as Det. Carter is out in the field following every lead possible. McDonald as Agent Franks is always one potential face smack away from anyone he is around because of his ability to just rub everyone wrong.

Guzman as Lucas, Olson as Farren and Curran as Alicia all have a secret that is bigger than the millions they are trying to get their hands on. As much as they think they are taking all the risks, I think it is Modine’s character that pays the price for it all in many ways.

Other cast include Meadow Williams as Erin, Jenna Willis as Det. Bay, Swen Temmel as Truby, Heather Johansen as Sara, Tamara Callie as Melissa, Lydia Hull as Dr. Nichols and Sergio Rizzuto as Foster.

Lionsgate is a global leader in motion picture production and distribution for theatres, television, home entertainment and more. Theatre franchises include THE HUNGER GAMES, and DIVERGENT along with JOHN WICK. Now, adding this film to it’s 16,000 motion picture and television titles you can see everything coming soon as well as available now at http://www.lionsgate.com.

The Bluray includes the Special Features Making BACKTRACE, Cast and Crew Interviews and Trailer Gallery.

BACKTRACE is a film that starts out with a total bang and never lets up. It’s not just the action sequences that are fast, it is the story that changes from one frame to the next. Never knowing exactly what is mystery and what is greed, director Miller takes the mystery deeper into the subconscious of us all.

Coming in at 88 minutes, plan on eating nothing crunchy and don’t take your eyes off the screen because any interruption and you will miss every second of the mystery, the secrets and law enforcement that have ideas of their own.

In the end – some crimes never let you go!