AWAY is Visually Stunning and Artfully Told

Jeri Jacquin

Wanting to experience something truly spectacular? Coming from animator Gints Zilbalodis and Subliminal Films is the upcoming film AWAY.

A young boy finds himself hanging from a tree in the desert still attached to his parachute when he sees a huge dark figure coming towards him. In moments he feels enveloped by something he doesn't understand and manages to break free of it. Running away towards the mountains he is followed slowly by the figure but when he crosses under a half round sculpture, the figure stops outside of it.

The boy decides to continue away from the figure into a beautiful green, lush and relaxing forest. Discovering fresh water he revives himself from the desert and even finds fruit. He also finds a small bird who is unable to fly and grateful for any morsels the boy cares to share.

Exploring further he discovers a motorcycle and teaches himself to ride, a backpack that holds the key to where he needs to go and the figure still standing outside the half round sculpture. To his surprise he also finds something in the caves that motivates him to leave even more. Loading up and preparing, the boy knows that he has to be swift to get away from the figure.

Food, water and a feathered passenger flies past and begins to follow the other half round sculptures that are the visual road to where he needs to be. Along the way the boy finds challenges, nature and the ability to survive more than he ever thought possible.

It is a journey of wonder to be sure!

Writer/director Zilbalodis is responsible for such short films as Aqua (2012), Priorities (2014), Followers (2014), Inaudible (2015) and Oasis (2017), the last of which was developed further into the feature version of AWAY. He worked on AWAY for over three years single handedly before it premiered in 2019 in such festivals as Annecy, Fantasia, Animafest, Shanghai, Anima Mundi, Strasbourg, Sitges and Tokyo.

In the three years it took Zilbalodis to bring AWAY to the screen let me say that every single solitary moment of that time is breathtaking to behold. The most amazing part of it is that not a single word is spoken, not - a - single -word! It doesn't need any to understand everything that is happening. In fact, had I heard a word I honestly believe I would have been taken out of the spell I was completely under.

There are so many things to take away from this film (no pun intended) but for me it was a combination of the will to take life into your own hands, respect fear but don't let it rule you, look at the stunning beauty around you, explore everything even if you can only do it in your own back yard and, above all, embrace the little feathery things in this life because they won't be around forever.

I know that might seem too simplistic of a list but that's just my personal take. Let's talk about the animation because even though I am a huge animation film fan, this is so much more than that. I loved the foliage, the birds, lake, elephants, elements and the cats. I loved the colors, the imagery, the voids and everything in between.

To be honest I wasn't sure what I would be seeing with this film but something tremendous drew me to it and whatever that something was - I thank it from the bottom of my film loving heart. Sharing every emotion with the boy, catching my breath here and there, cheering him on and yet a little sad when it was over - that is what AWAY did to me and for me.

The music and sounds are everything to the imagery we are shown on the screen and it is nothing short of stellar and spectacular. A triumph of life with whimsy and hope, it is a powerful film that I will see again and again.

In the end - he is going home!

TURTLE ODYSSEY: Bunji's Big Adventure Swims to 4K and Bluray

Jeri Jacquin

Coming to 4K Ultra UHD, Bluray and DVD from SHOUT! Factory, directors Caspar Mazzotti and Paul Phelan is the adventure of a the sea and a TURTLE ODYSSEY: Bunji's Big Adventure.

Narrated by Russell Crowe, this is the story of Bunji, a small sea turtle who has popped out of the Australian sand facing the race to the sea. Facing predators who want a small snack, Bunji isn't finished facing troubles. Once away from the hazards on land, she faces the creatures from the sea!

Learning how to survive, she gets stronger, bigger and smarter in the ways of being a sea turtle. What she has on her side is over 100 million years of DNA flowing through her as easy as she flows through water. An ancient creature, Bunji travels thousands of miles and (insert human jealousy here) sees and experiences some of the most beautiful things to be found in the sea.

When she reaches adulthood, Bunji finds a mate and the cycle that brought her into the sea begins to happen for her. Including the long journey back to the same sandy beach she popped out from. It truly is the circle of life and Bunji has let us join her through it all.

Majestic and beautiful, Bunji is truly a unique creature.

IMAX TURTLE ODYSSEY: Bunji's Big Adventure joins Shout! Factory's exising catalog of 4K films that includes the incredible critically acclaimed and award-winning odysseys WE, THE MARINES, JOURNEY TO SPACE, FLIGHT OF THE BUTTERFLIES, THE LAST REEF: Cities Beneath the Sea,  NATIONAL PARK ADVENTURES and so many more.

SHOUT! Factory has grown into a tremendous multi-platform media company. Releasing new animated features such as the exquisite Long Way North, and the epic fantasy Beauty And The Beast. Also their own original horror film, Fender Bender gives fans a good scare. For more of what SHOUT Factor has to offer please visit www.shoutfactory.com.

The Special Feature of TURTLE ODYSSEY: Bunji's Big Adventure is an Interview with Dr. Ian Bell, Senior Conversation Officer.

TURTLE ODYSSEY: Bunji's Big Adventure is such a wonderful look at a creature that most know so little about. Bunji shares with us the history of her species from sand back to sand. We are witness to her surviving birth and trying to stay away from any other creatures dinner menu. All of this is hard enough but with the encroachment of human kind, they brings a new struggle to her survival. The interesting part of this is that with creature predators it is part of, and forgive me for using the phrase, but circle of life, but human encroachment is something we can and should do something about.

What this film does is gives us all more of a reason to want to do everything possible to help Bunji and her species survive and, more importantly, thrive!

In the end - her epic journey becomes our very own!

SPLIT Revisit Stellar Performances and Fright Now on Bluray!

Jenise Jacquin

This week on Bluray from director M. Night Shyamalan and Universal Pictures Home Entertainment is the fantastically creepy SPLIT.

The film star James McAvoy (be still my heart!) as a man who has several serious problems named Dennis, Patricia, Hedwig, Barry, Orwell, Jade, The Beast and Kevin Wendell Crumb. One day he kidnaps Casey (Haley Lu Richardson), Marcia (Jessica Sula) and Claire (Anya Taylor-Joy) taking them to a dark and dismal location. He kidnaps the girls with a plan but Claire is an extra not planned on. It is clear this man has a problem with girls and when they stick together against him; their main goal is to escape.

Claire realizes that this man has the voice of a young boy name Hedwig and tries to be convincing about the need to escape. It also becomes clear that this man is responsible for different personalities who have different agendas. One by one each girl tries to escape and their different tactics keep their captor on edge. What they don't know is that something sinister called The Beast is more terrifying than any of the personalities they have ever seen. 

McAvoy portraying all of these different personalities gives him the opportunity to cement his status as an actor. The most interesting thing about him is that he takes roles that are as equally diverse as the personalities in SPLIT (except perhaps not quite as frightening). I enjoyed the transition between the characters - from the sweet, helpful innocent to the creepy-man-next-door but what I loved most is the spots of 

creepy/mean characters, there are moments of compassion. Especially when he becomes Kevin because there is a moment where you feel for him and what he is going through. In the short time he is Kevin you feel his emotions down to the core and forget everything that came before it. No matter what he does he's a sexy man - call me!

Taylor-Joy as Claire is the character most involved with the splits. She is secluded and misunderstood even before she is kidnapped with the girls and is perfect for this role. It's a good life lesson actually for teens that you never really know what is going on. Claire is actually very smart but has been through a lot and does a great job of hiding it. Taylor-Joy gives the "weird kid" persona something to think about but in a calm, collective, peaceful and beautiful kind of way. You will see exactly what I mean from scene one!

Richardson as Casey was the reason Claire was in the car in the first place so we blame her for everything...period. Sula as Marcia is the follower and she had no guts so there isn't about to be no glory. Even when Claire tells her to stop putting them all in danger, Marcia just does what Marcia does.

Betty Buckley as Dr. Karen Fletcher gets a personal shout out from me. She kept all the characters in line and respectfully sought out to help each one individually. I believe her character is one that sticks out because her presence made me feel like I was in the film not just watching it. Buckley captures different aspects of film because it made me root for her who rooted for Kevin and the other personalities. She had a huge role in a way in how the character behaves because she calls him out when he tries to put something over on everyone. I just plain out enjoyed her performance. 

Other cast includes Sebastian Arcelus as Casey’s Father, Brad William Henke as Uncle John, Neal Huff as Mr. Benoit, Robert Michael Kelly as Joe, and Jon Rainey as Dr. Clerque.

Universal Studios Home Entertainment has just added an amazing film to their library and making it available for us all to experience and re-experience in our own home theatres. There are films of every genre available from scary to drama to family films. For more of what they have to offer please visit www.uphe.com.

I really think the film is as creepy, original, and suspenseful on Bluray as it was the first time I saw it on the screen. It isn't a bloody horror film but a suspenseful and smart telling of a man with a serious problem. The different ideas and characters always kept me aware but still creeped out wondering what was going to happen next and who is going to show up at the door - and when you are going to meet The Beast.

I'm making sure to leave tons of information out of this review because this is the film you want to experience for yourself and personally I hate when people give to much away - its more fun to discover the creepy within us all right? SPLIT will definitely give you just that and don't be in such a hurry to hit the stop button on your player because nothing is ever quite finished the way you might expect. 

The Bluray includes the awesome Bonus Features of Alternate Ending and Deleted Scenes with an introduction by M. Night Shyamalan, The Making of SPLIT, The Many Faces of James McAvoy, and The Filmmaker’s Eyes: M. Night Shyamalan. The Digital HD and Ultraviolet Watch It Anywhere gives instant streaming and download on your television, computer, Tablet and Smartphone.

In the end - Kevin has 23 personalities and the 24th is about to be unleashed!

Edited by Jeri Jacquin