Reviews

UFO investigator and filmmaker Darcy Weir is back with yet another in a series of thought-provoking productions. This time out it's the absorbing documentary "Secret Space UFOs: NASA's First Missions".

Rife with rapid-fire editing, spectacular astronaut-cultivated images presented both on video and in still photography (and for decades almost entirely unshared with the media or the public) and credible commentary courtesy of Ufology experts running throughout, you're going to be inspired to, at the very least, consider the possibilities of extraterrestrial craft and other unexplained outer space phenomena. If not be persuaded to become a full-blown believer.

The simple fact remains that what our eyes may be seeing, or perceiving that we are seeing, remains speculation. We don't know what the hell we're looking at.

And, to various degrees, this reality touches on dismissive perhaps every bit as much as it does disconcerting.

Pick a path, Galileo.

My father worked as an aerospace engineer for NASA during most of the years covered in this film. He worked with a driving commitment. With heartfelt pride. With a sense that he was part of something far bigger than him.

He worked his ass off. For the U. S. Space program. And for the future of this country he loves with all his might.

My father is my hero.

When he tells me that for humankind to believe that we are the only intelligent lifeform in the entire universe is incredibly arrogant, paraphrasing the public position of current NASA Administrator Bill Nelson in so doing, I side with him.

We may not invest full faith in all of our American administrative and governmental agencies. And by and large for good reason.

But this I know...

In Dad I trust.

La cadena is Spanish for "the chain". The new movie "La Cadena" is a slice of life examination of a quiet man serving as a link, connecting with others in Christian faith. Then they in turn, nurturing a continuing cycle as the meek inherit the earth.

It is a simple story. Yet with profound revelations.

Alfred Castillo wrote and co-directed "La Cadena". I spoke with him.

Q) "La Cadena" is your first film calling the shots, splitting directorial duties here with Lamarcus Tinker. Share with us the challenges, rewards and surprises of this debut experience, and also about how your movie came to be a co-directed project.

AC) As a Christian actor, I found it increasingly difficult to find work in the Houston area without compromising my faith. I felt God was calling me to rise and up and create faith based, family friendly content. I responded to the call and began writing "La Cadena." Upon completion of the script, I kept an eye out for likeminded filmmakers. After responding to a Christian film casting call, I was cast as a coach in the film entitled "Walk by Faith," directed by LaMarcus Tinker and Joan Montreuil. The film was soon picked up by Bridgestone Media Group (BMG), a distributor of family-friendly entertainment. I was impressed by their accomplishment and wanted to emulate their success.

Since this project would be my debut as a writer, producer, and director, I wanted to have the guidance and wisdom of industry professionals to ensure the film's success. I approached Lamarcus Tinker to see if he would be interested in showing me the ropes. He read the script and immediately saw potential and agreed to co-direct this film with me.

This film had plenty of challenges and surprises along the way. You would think casting for a Spanish Speaking movie in Houston, with the 4th largest Hispanic/Latino population, would be a breeze, but I found it difficult. I had to expand my search and attend a few Hispanic churches until I found the talent I needed.

I encountered some issues in post-production. In this digital age, I have learned that multiple backups and file management are a necessity to ensure continuity of the film. We lost some original footage that we had to replace with some stock footage. Close to the film's picture lock, the main hard drive crashed, and it took several months to recover the footage and piece back the timeline to restore the film.

The film was shot over a 5-day period. That seemed to be easiest part of the film lol. I rehearsed several times with the cast prior to filming and with all the locations and dates set, production was a success. It was very rewarding to see the vision that God had given me come to life on the screen. Watching the actors deliver their lines and following my direction was breathtaking. I never knew writing and directing could be so satisfying. I was hooked and will continue creating content in the years to come.

Q) Clearly it is important to you that Ricardo is shown to be "a regular guy". We see him go through his regular morning routine as he prepares to go to his job as a construction worker. There are long stretches of the film depicting the Houston, Texas neighborhood he lives in and the environs surrounding it. The resonate message is that this is a man doing the best he can to support he and his wife, live a life of faith and be a beacon of light for others. The upshot is that we are all Ricardo. And that each of us have something of value to offer our world. Talk about this driving theme that runs throughout "La Cadena".

AC) Many Christians can relate to Ricardo. They are everyday people; diligent in their work/responsibilities as a parent, spouse, employee, and faithfully serving the Lord. It is outside of the church walls/our homes where we tend to mind our own business and keep silent about the things of God, especially with non-believers. That's not to say that we will deny the Lord in the workplace or in the supermarket if confronted, but we just tend to keep our faith to ourselves. We just don't bring it up.

I wanted to create a story that displays the Lord's work through every day, common believers. The Bible says that we are each given a measure of faith. It also says that if we have faith the size of a mustard seed, we can move mountains through God's supernatural power.

The other thing to observe in this story is when you step out in faith for the Lord, the unbelieving world will be watching. In a "La-La" fantasy Christian world, everybody responds and receives God's gift of salvation. Acts Chapter 17 verses 32 - 34 is the premise of the film's message. The world we live in does not embrace the gospel message all at once. Different people respond in various ways with some rejecting the gospel, some considering it, while others accept it by faith and become saved. By exhibiting boldness for the Lord, we release our faith and leave the results to God. We do our part, we let God do His.

Q) I watch and review a lot of movies. As a Christian, I am mystified and deflated by the consistent portrayal of those of faith as unstable or simply as flat-out detached nutjobs. I would imagine you see this scornful mentality pervading the secular motion picture industry, as well. Why do you feel this is? Did this disparagement play a part in inspiring you to produce faith-based properties?

AC) Thank you for bringing this to the forefront. It does alienate me to see secular motion pictures portray men of faith "sipping adult beverages, puffing cigarettes/cigars like a chimney or committing sexually immoral acts" without subsequent scenes of redemption or repentance. With these images etched in our minds from major Hollywood productions, we tend to "accept" this type of behavior as the norm. It brings to mind the scripture in Isaiah 5:20 that states "Woe unto them that call evil good and good evil, that put darkness for light and light for darkness;"

Mind you, we are all sinners. Christians are sinners saved by grace. Christians are not sinless; we just sin less. Regardless of how we see it, those of faith are imperfect people (nutjobs included) serving a perfect God.

I cannot say that the "mainstream image of people of faith" inspired me to write this film. I wrote this story simply to show that even the insecurities of a believing Christian can set the stage for God to operate, and in this case, in the presence of "our enemies" or Ricardo's coworkers. Maybe Ricardo wasn't unstable or a nutjob, but he was someone who didn't have it all together. He comes to find out that a little boldness goes a long way. God saw it and granted his request for His glory. This was the point of the story.

My next project is inspired by a true story involving a newlywed Christian couple and how they deal with finances. Basically, it is a story about giving. It will involve encounters with both believers and non-believers. This comedy was written not only to showcase their flaws and struggles, but also how to trust in God for their provisions.

I am currently writing a script that will follow the life of a Tejano musician. While that sounds glamorous and full of excitement, a lifestyle of sin opens the door for Satan to steal, kill and destroy. This Christian drama will involve adult themes showing the bad, the ugly and the good (not the correct order but intentional).

"La Cadena" (with English language subtitles) is available now on amazon Prime Video.

Evil has infected a vast and forested remote Texas ranch. Into this crucible enter a father, son and uncle.

What follows is terrifying.

Thus is the sinister and multi-layered parable presented us in the new domestic crime thriller "Whitetail".

I spoke with writer/director Derek Presley.

Q: Having grown up in, and lived and traveled throughout, Texas, it is of particular personal interest that "Whitetail" is shot in the north central region of the state. How did this unique choice of location come to be?

A: There's a couple of different reasons why. Mostly, it's because the story originated from my past when I'd go hunting at my family's farm out near Coleman, Texas. The farm was this really flat and dusty stretch of property. I believe it was a few hundred acres, but I was younger so it may as well have been thousands to me. I wanted to shoot the film at the exact location but my family sold the property a few years back. So Austin Williams (producer/upm) had this perfect piece of land that he'd actually shot a few films on. The land was very similar to what I wrote about and off we went. The other reason was that the core group of filmmakers consisting of Jason Starne, Garrett Schwindt and Austin Williams, all lived within an hour or so and we could get to it much easier than what I had originally planned.

Q: Masculinity, and the ofttimes fragility of such, is investigated on a number of levels in this story. Share your thoughts on this prominent and complex theme running through "Whitetail".

A: Well, it's really the nucleus of the whole film. There were two characters in the film that were entirely based on one person in my life from my past. That person quite literally had two different personalities and both of them, while vastly contrasting, were overly masculine. I think there's so much of it going on in the story where there's only men doing men things and behaving like children. The only one with any sense is the one person who has yet to reach real "manhood". My cinematographer/producer, Garrett Schwindt, told me he believed the whole film was a moral cautionary tale about toxic masculinity. I think he's right.

Q: As a Christian, it is especially heartening to see the faith, and, more specifically, The Bible, being presented with both dignity and thoughtfulness. I watch and review a lot of movies. This is enormously rare in the secular film industry. Your thoughts?

A: That's interesting that you've seen it that way. Some people have said it's a secular story and some have thought it was non-secular. There's no direct message from me to anyone about religion in the film. What that was, was to show how this man wouldn't back down and wouldn't give up on seeing the good in someone, even if it didn't turn out the best for him. But at the same time, it was also a way to show that there is pure evil in this world and evil can do a lot of damage, despite the good.

Q: One interpretation of the final moments of "Whitetail" is that we are bearing witness to a "right of passage" between father and son. It is a most uncommon legacy, one that involves unflinching focus and the will to claim life. As both writer and director of the film, does this approach the intent of enduring impression?

A: Partially, absolutely. Hunting is something that is almost ritualistic in deep Texas. Father and son go and bond that way. Not everyone enjoys it. I most certainly won't take my son hunting to bond. Not because I think one way or another about the act of it, but mostly because I just don't find it appealing. There's a bit about innocence because Donnie can't bring himself to take the animal's life and at the end that's all he's really thinking his father would be mad at him about. So that "rite of passage" was kind of never executed, at least on the surface.

I'd say more than anything it's about the innocence of the son and the guilt of the father. Innocence prevailed...kind of....

Q: Where does your creative muse take you and your audience next, Derek?

A: RED STONE is the film we shot after WHITETAIL. Production was in June of 2020, pretty much right after people were coming out of lockdown from Covid. That is a southern crime thriller taking place over the course of one day in a small Texas town. BOON was shot this past January in Washington state up in the mountains and it's a Neo-Western filled with snow and the bitter cold.

"Whitetail" opens in select theaters on July 21, and becomes available on home entertainment this fall.

The new British thriller "Framed" covers a lot of ground. Privacy issues, single female self-sufficiency/independence (as ardently advocated by a fetching Lottie Amor, who needs to be in more movies), frank confirmation that men really do want what woman say men really want aaaand a political scandal tossed in for good measure is plenty to process.

The good news is that, all in all, this portrait of a guy (Thomas Law of BBC-TV's "EastEnders") going gaga over a gorgeous neighbor gal through his camera lenses does a summarily snappy job of focusing in on each of these developing plot lines.

Labeled a thriller, "Framed" is not so much that as it is an intelligent investigation of the legal and moral boundaries of personal privacy, along with accepting accountability for one's actions, regardless of political standing or status in the social strata.

However, in the end, what we really have here is a good old-fashioned love story, featuring a fabulously photogenic young couple.

No matter how they're framed.

I spoke with "Framed" Writer/Director Nick Rizzini about his film:

Q) "Framed" is your first feature film running the whole show as both Writer and Director. What perhaps came as a surprise to you about this new adventure?

NR) There is one thing above all that got me by surprise, but I might be the naive one here. I've always had this romantic idea of a film industry where one rarely finds people without passion and motivation for the job. I couldn't be more wrong. And now I understand the value of finding a team of people that have the same approach to the experience. Being an independent filmmaker comes with a quite limited margin for error. Anything that goes wrong can have a huge impact on the movie. In an environment like this you want a team of people that are willing to go the extra mile for the sake of the project. Luckily I had many people in my team with this mentality.

Q) Among many themes running through "Framed", the question of ostensibly where one's privacy ends and another's begins is front and center among them. Where do you personally fall in this controversial and inflammatory debate?

NR) Personally, I believe balance to be key. Privacy is a huge topic that we need to address in the most careful ways. Framed revolves around a type of privacy that is not anymore at the center of the conversation. Today we are talking more and more about data privacy. I believe in both cases it is important to have an understanding of how our data/image is being used and how important it is to protect it. But we need an understanding of human behaviors too, acknowledging that what we don't protect could potentially be exploited.

Q) Female autonomy is another area delved into here, particularly as regards the single character of Virginia, spiritedly brought to life by a vivacious Lottie Amor. Each one of us are independent souls. However, do you believe that staunch, even, at times, militant, feminism runs the risk of deteriorating the special inherent wonder and grace of the female sensibility?

NR) In certain cases, I do. And I'm not saying that it's necessarily bad, I'm just saying that one attribute doesn't have to exclude the other. Being completely in love with, as you beautifully put it, "that special inherent wonder and grace of the female sensitivity" I find it sad when it's subdued due to a fear of being a weakness. I actually believe it could be one of the most empowering qualities a woman could have. At least, it has a lot of power over me and I'm sure I'm not the only one.

Q) What other aspects of the human condition do you long to bring to the screen as expressions of your vision, Nick?

NR) There is not one condition in particular that I'm drawn to, but the way I write it's quite introspective. My approach is highly influenced by my acting background and I feel it will keep on showing up in my scripts. At the moment I'm writing a spy movie set in a cyber warfare scenario. Reading it this way, it sounds like an action movie, but knowing myself I'm sure the humanity behind the structure will take the lead.

"Framed" is available now on amazon Prime Video.

The new fantasy sci-fi film "Greatland" is gonna rub some folks the wrong way. It is supposed to.

This is not personal opinion. Writer/Director Dana Ziyasheva expresses her pointed intentions during my interview with her.

To turn a Marxian phrase, "Government is the opium of the people." Mindless obedience and unquestioned faith invested in those who solely, and soullessly, seek to keep the masses mollified appears to be one of many themes running through "Greatland". Does this notion dovetail on any level with your intent?

Greats dismiss the notion (of) government as something contemptible that only exists in Evildom. Greats think, they are free, superior to everyone else and no one tells them how to live their life. In fact, they are treated as mindless children by Altruists, the de-facto government of Greatland. Altruists are convinced that they won all cultural wars, empowered every minority group and gave rights to everybody, down to insects.

Clerk is the one who tries to convince Altruists to tune into people's mood. His "Mind Map" shows the growing discontent in the society that Altruists chose to ignore. Clerk worries that social contracts are not working anymore, and Greatland is increasingly vulnerable to external aggression. To me, the realpolitik and erudite Clerk exemplifies the type of a government that sees itself as a servant of people and not their master.

One thing for certain, this is a story that seeks to sear and skewer rampant, over the top, detached political correctness. The relentlessly moving target of ever evolving "gender fluidity", blind acceptance of absurd, and absurdly dangerous, societal tenets and self-delegated "PC doctrine policing" are all targets fired upon at will here. Your thoughts?

"Greatland" takes PC to the extreme, for sure. At the same time, Felinists and the Woof Party can hurl insults at each other all day long, it doesn't change the fact that most of Greats depend on "Mother" for food and shelter. Greatland shows the futility of arguing over definitions and words when one lives in a dumpster. In fact, that's what Altruists want: a population consumed with these endless arguments; it's one of the "divide and conquer" techniques.

The young actor Arman Darbo delivers a strong performance as the pivotal character of Ulysses in "Greatland". His "journey of truth" mimics that of Tennyson's mythic hero, culminating with a climacteric quote from the bard's classic poem near the film's conclusion. Talk about directing this promising young talent Darbo, and about the investigation of exploration, both physical and personal, in "Greatland".

Arman and I discussed the script of "Greatland" a lot, and even modified some of Ulysses' lines based on Arman's feedback. Arman made the logic of "Greatland" his own. At the center of this world is his relationship with "Mother"; Ulysses loves "Mother" like his real mom, he doesn't know better. Arman interacted with the watch on his wrist as if it was a person which was so crazy, it gave me goosebumps!

Ulysses is your average teenager, mild-mannered and apathetic -- the proverbial still waters that run deep. He's OK with the system as long as it serves his interests. The story is told from Ulysses' perspective. What for (the) audience is a discovery of Greatland with its weird rules, for Ulysses is just another day in his life. Arman's relaxed and matter-of-factly portrayal of Ulysses helped to "sell" this world to the audience.

Ulysses' character also has this ambiguity that Arman and many teenagers have: you think he doesn't pay attention, he doesn't care, and all of a sudden, he comes up with an original solution to a riddle. That made the character less generic and more visceral, unpredictable, grounded in reality.

I agree with a film critic at the Moscow Film Festival who hailed Arman's work in "Greatland": "To play such a fierce pink trash in that serious committed manner and without a drop of embarrassment is a feat. And the young man in the frame is like fish in the water."

What drives you to make films, Dana?

My mind works like a prism. It reflects the reality, but the image bounces off of so many angles that what gets eventually projected on the screen surprises me more than anyone else. Making a film is a journey, from the idea inception to who gets to be in the "Thank you" credits. Both the journey and the destination are very exciting and I guess this is what drives me.

"Northwood Pie" is, at it's raunchy roots, a mid 1970s stoner flick updated to the 2020s, packing potency the variety of which ganja genre giants Cheech and Chong would praise on high. While high.

Todd Knaak (who co-wrote this simple, yet, in it's own unusual way, sweet story along with Director Jay Salahi) stars as Crispin, a Southern California kid at a critical crossroads. Will he be content continuing to get paid peanuts to pump out pizzas? Or will he pick a potentially more fulfilling future, galloping away to greener grass, leaving this one-horse town behind to choke on his dust.

The blunt and blue banter between Crispin and his equally lost buds is consistently hilarious here. The script succeeds in rising above the silly, while mercifully stopping short of miring in melancholy melodrama, hence heavily harshing the buzz, bruh.

The closing moments of "Northwood Pie" present a rousing and inspiring homage to a bygone time, both for these characters, and to an American era that once was. This is an indelible conclusion, an enduring final image capturing the uncertainty, and the endless possibilities, of youth. It is one of spontaneous clarity.

Achieved only after the smoke settles.

Crop circles have been a confounding phenomena for decades. Historical evidence even suggests that these intricate farmland formations may have been in evidence as far back as the late 1600s.

The new documentary "Crop Circle Realties", available now on iTunes and Google Play, generates more questions than it answers. Primarily because at present there ARE no answers. Someone, or someTHING, is flattening down segments of crop fields into stunningly meticulous shapes and patterns. Some of this agrarian artwork has been exposed to be elaborate hoaxes, with the perpetrators themselves copping to such shenanigans. Others, however, have NOT been so conveniently dismissed.

Having watched "Crop Circle Realties", here are some among many puzzling points this reviewer pines away pondering:

1. Why are most of the world's known crop circles manifesting in fields throughout the UK? Perhaps the creators are Big Earl Grey sippers?

2. These formations are apparently always fashioned in the dark of night. Yet there is no mention in the film of any effort to strategically erect cameras in an effort to potentially capture those responsible for these acts IN the act. Why not?

3. The movie tells us that, although these crops are mashed down during circle making, none of the plants actually die. This remarkable oddity, along with the manner in which the formations are actually manufactured, purportedly cannot be explained neither scientifically nor technologically in terms of anything known to, or made by, mankind.

4. The suggestion that alien life forces are behind crop circles runs rampant. However, if this is some manner of coded messaging being relayed from galaxies far, far away, most researchers seem to believe that they are communications of a benevolent nature. And that the end game, whatever that may be, is imminent now.

If this be the case, do you think our interplanetary visitors can circle their date of arrival for us?

It'd just be nice to know when to expect company.

Full disclosure. This lad is about as far from a superhero fan boy as it gets. Not a villainous vendetta of any variety. Just doesn't crease my cape is all.

Which brings us to the jokey genre satire "Surge of Power: Revenge of The Sequel", assumedly the first openly gay superhero flick ever made. If you're jonesin' for a journey through the Marvel Universe or the next dark dive into the "Batman" franchise, best quest elsewhere, comics crusaders. But if fun, farce and female impersonators floats your boa, then surge on. This alternative may play perfectly with your lifestyle.

Vincent Roth is the creative curator and star of "Surge of Power: Revenge of The Sequel". I talked with Roth about his off-beat homage to heroes on high.

Is Surge film's first openly gay superhero?

Yes, one of our tag lines, that actually came from a British news outlet is, "cinema's first out gay superhero." Some have said we could drop the "out" because there have not been any gay superheroes in the movies or on TV before Surge. The first gay superhero to show up in comics was in 1985, a character called Extrano in a DC comics title "The New Guardians," later followed in 1990 by the more known Marvel character Northstar of the comic book "Alpha Flight." However, there were no cinematic gay superheroes until Surge when the first movie, Surge of Power: The Stuff of Heroes, started screening in 2004 and then was released in distribution in 2006. After all these years, and 4 movies later, no one has identified a gay superhero in movies or TV before Surge.

"Surge of Power: Revenge of The Sequel" carries a message. Acceptance of who we are is, or should be, universal. Amidst all the comedic commotion, it clearly matters to you that this resonate in your film. Please share your thoughts in this regard.

When I was making the first Surge of Power movie, I wanted to distinguish the movie in two ways. First, I wanted to bring back campy fun of superheroes, a little bit in the spirit of the "Batman" Adam West TV show, which also led to our penchant for getting celebrities to do cameos in the Surge of Power movies. Second, if I was going to make a feature film, I wanted Surge to be gay, because, as noted earlier, there had not been a gay superhero movie, although I kept hearing genre fans asking for one. Over a decade later, Marvel stepped into the campy fray with its Deadpool movies with Ryan Reynolds and now DC Comics has followed up with their own campy superhero in the recent SHAZAM! movie. So, thankfully Surge's distinguishing feature is that he is the only openly gay lead in the movies. I found humor to be a good vehicle for mainstream audiences to enjoy gay characters, like the popular "Will and Grace" TV show that ran for 8 seasons and then was brought back for 3 more seasons. So, I felt a comedy would be a good way to introduce Surge to mainstream audiences. It seems to have worked, because we have 4 movies now - 2 feature films now in distribution and 2 short films currently screening (to the extent movies can screen during this pandemic) and I am now in pre-production for a 5th movie.

The tag line "Make a Difference Where You Can" is used throughout the Surge of Power movies. As you picked up, I am sending a message to genre fans in hopes that I inspire them to make a difference, which could express in various ways, but I hope on some occasions will look like tolerance, greater acceptance, or standing up for the underdog. These are well known concepts in the superhero genre. In fact, science fiction is already a landscape where people tend to have broader minds - they are contemplating super powers, space craft, alien life civilizations and time travel. So, I think genre fans are already more inclined to be accepting. My hope is that the Surge of Power movies will help mainstream audiences be even more accepting. Again, if I was going to put out a feature film, I wanted it to do something meaningful.

I was really encouraged by one aspect of your story in particular. So often in the motion picture industry the stock caricature of Christians is of prejudicial, intolerant, holier-than-thou mentally vacuous miscreants. I am a Christian. This does not describe me. Not even nearly. Your movie seems to go out of it's way to avoid this puzzling and abjectly demeaning stereotype. The phone call between father and son near the end of the film is an especially poignant example. Would you comment on this dynamic from a personal perspective?

I, too, am a church going Christian, which is why Gavin, Surge's alter ego, is shown subtly as a Christian in the first movie, Surge of Power: The Stuff of Heroes. Fans had regularly asked to see more about the Metal Master, and I noticed that villains seemed to be the focus at that time in superhero movies. People seemed to want to know why a villain turned evil and audiences seemed like they wanted to sympathize with the villains. So, for the sequel, I wanted to give fans what they wanted, and explore the Metal Master's background. Since Surge was already revealed as Christian, I had Metal Master be Jewish, and we get introduced to Hector Harris' homophobic parents, Helen Harris and Harold Harris, played by Linda Blair (The Exorcist) and Gil Gerard (Buck Rogers in the 25th Century). I tried not to be preachy, but I wanted audiences to see how religion can harm families, and in Hector's case, harm society because Hector turned his family's rejection into a resentment he took out on society as Surge's nemesis, the Metal Master.

I think Linda Blair has the most powerful line in the movie when she, as Helen, says to her husband, Hector, "God made man, but man made religion," as Hector struggled with what his upbringing taught him about gay people. I recently heard someone say, "a spiritual person will do the right thing, regardless of what they are told, but a religious person will do what they are told, regardless of what the right thing is." Had I heard this when making Surge of Power: Revenge of the Sequel, I probably would have woven this into the dialogue. I think it's far too common that people cannot separate spiritual principles from what are obviously man-made conventions in religion. As a fellow Christian, you know we call this "discernment." Just as guns can do harm and do good, scripture can also be, and has been, weaponized by man giving biased interpretations of passages. In Revenge of the Sequel, I did not want to go down the path of Christianity, since Surge was already shown to be Christian, and I thought Islam was probably a bit too far down a political path than I wanted to go, so I decided Metal Master and his family would be Jewish. Since Judaism and Christianity are so similar, I thought the concept of religious based homophobia would still carry over to the audience.

I, myself, had a very accepting family when I came out and I enjoy a very accepting work environment, but I have seen many friends, classmates and coworkers have less positive environments. I have also seen how homophobia has affected many of them, translating into personal and relational issues in life. This is what I wanted to express in the Metal Master's character. I wanted the audience to see how Harold's and Helen's rejection of Hector had dire consequences - their son, Hector, turned into a supervillain terrorizing society time and again. I also felt this needed reconciliation to have a successful story arc for Hector. So, in the movie, Helen came around sooner, with Harold still struggling. As you noticed, toward the end of the film, Harold was moved enough by Helen's words that while he was still uncomfortable, he made a very big step in calling Hector after 20 years of not speaking. During that call, Harold invites Hector over for Passover, which in the Jewish community is a big sign of acceptance - those invited for Passover are considered family. This was a huge step for Harold, and this reconciliation is the story arc for Hector. Now, experiencing acceptance from his family, maybe Hector will give up his Metal Master life or do something good in the future.

Ever seen a skinny, pale two-legged being with big black almond eyes and ultra-long arms prancing about your proximity? No, not your brother-in-law on New Year's Eve. I'm talkin' humanoids. Kinna like "wanna be people" is the best I can do for ya on this.

The documentary "Beyond The Spectrum-Humanoids" serves up a series of purportedly plausible videos alleged to present these creepy creatures cavorting quite casually among us. There is also the notion suggested here that the world's governments are perched atop ticking time bombs of suppressed alien and UFO evidence, collectively simmering on the verge of detonation and scandalous explosion upon the unaware masses at any given moment.

Geez, man. You'd think something like...oh...I dunno...a GLOBAL PANDEMIC is plenty disruption to suffice for awhile.

Extended Air Force cockpit camera video footage captured by pilots on military maneuvers representing both the U.S. and Mexico recording inexplicable craft doing "unearthly" things. Several reports, including more videotape, of unidentified objects in motion spotted in the sky during a 1982 solar eclipse. Recent reports of infrared images allegedly unveiling UFOs "invisible" to the naked eye.

All this and more are part of the paranormal parade packed into the brief documentary "Beyond The Spectrum-Maussan's UFO Files".

Oh, and you best be braced to dig on veteran Mexican broadcast journalist turned UFO researcher Jaime Maussan.

El tipo habla mucho aquí.

In 1977 filmmaking impresario Steven Spielberg gave us "Close Encounters of the Third Kind". At the end of that movie the character played by Richard Dreyfuss is shown entering into a colossal flying ship, which transports him and other humans into the night sky. This is classified in the "ufology" field as a close encounter of the fourth kind, alien abduction.

The documentary "Beyond The Spectrum-Being Taken" investigates several incidents spanning a number of decades in which people claim to have seen, and many actually to have been physically taken (some even insisting they were bodily probed), by alien beings. Among the most prominently publicized of these alleged events, and which this production chronicles, involves the story of New Hampshire couple Betty and Barney Hill in the 1960s. The Hills reportedly recalled in considerable and striking detail their individual and collective abduction experience both before and during clinically conducted sessions of hypnosis.

Okay. So either you believe or you don't when it comes to UFOs and aliens, right? Or, as is alluded to in "Beyond The Spectrum-Being Taken", there exists a third option. A sort of gray area. Not complete acceptance. But not slam-the-door-shut dismissal either.

You'll find me residing there.

Lots of questions. No answers. At least none conclusive. Yet.

The captivating documentary "Volcanic UFO Mysteries" features video footage of what appear to be flying crafts hovering around, above and disappearing into, active and smoldering volcanoes all about Latin America. Speculation by some observers is that these may be alien ships juicing up with fuel derived from inside these volatile mountains to enable further flight around the world and across the universe.

And then the film hits us with this eruptive revelation: Reports from mainstream media outlets and the U.S. military itself about unidentified craft (even going so far as suggesting possible aliens within them) somehow disabling nuclear missiles.

What on earth? Or more aptly, not of our planet at all?

Many among us believe that the existence of Sasquatch, or Big Foot, is not only plausible, but real. There are also those of the opinion now that the still mythical creature is just one member of a larger society of what are called "Wildmen", ape-like beings surmised to be an offshoot of the evolution of man.

The documentary "Sasquatch Among Wildmen" introduces a host of videos and photographs alleged to be sightings from around the globe, molds of supposed giant foot prints, hair samples and alarming audio recordings of unidentified animalistic screeching. All of this considered collectively may or may not serve to substantiate the possibility that "Wildmen" actually exist.

Physical evidence remains the missing component to inspire any manner of wide acceptance by the scientific community.

Still, it's all pretty flippin' wild, man.

On August 21 of 2017 the whole of North America was able to witness a total solar eclipse. In this Season 5 episode of "UFO Report" we see three different videos, each capturing jaw-dropping images from that day.

The first of these would appear to show a sizeable object moving across the muted sun at an incredible rate of speed. Both the second and third pieces of footage are recorded in broad daylight and focus in on a number of mostly flashing airborne lights, all apparently suspended relatively low in the sky. Some of the objects, at least to the naked eye, appear and disappear from sight and even change position.

I am personally fascinated by the last video taken by a young couple in Yakima, Washington, my home state. These mysterious aircraft seem to hover above the site of a U.S. Army Training Center, one which has been in operation for decades and through which I have driven so many times now that I've lost count. Is this merely a coincidence? Of was this part of some manner of military maneuvers? I, for one, would absolutely love to know the answer.

I conclude this series of reviews spanning all five seasons of "UFO Report" by interviewing co-producer Darcy Weir. Guess what my first question was? Yep.

Do you believe in UFOs? If so, tell us why.

I do believe in UFOs, the now classified UAPs (The Unidentified Aerial Phenomena (UAP) Task Force, a program within the United States Office of Naval Intelligence) seen around the world through the ages. I believe that there's a very high possibility that some of these UFOs are not ours and some are from Earth. There seems to be enough testimonials from military and high ranking officials from around the world that point to those possibilities being real.

Have you personally seen a UFO?

Yes I have seen a UFO through a window on my flight across the US when I was in my early 20s. I also saw a UFO zoom across the night's sky when I lived in Melbourne, Australia.

What is the end game here in your opinion? If UFOs are real, what is the purpose of these crafts? What do you speculate may be the intention of other possible forms of intelligent life in the galaxies with earth and its people?

Endgame? Hopefully it doesn't involve meeting Thanos (Marvel Comics' "Mad Titan", who scours the universe in search of the "Infinity Stones", with which he intends to wield unlimited and malevolent power)...just joking. Well, I hope we get to a point in disclosure where the United States government admits to a cover up that has been in effect regarding our cosmic neighbors throughout history. This would allow for citizens to build a better system of trust and understanding in terms of our place in the universe.

If we as a society are to advance into the stars and develop technologically beyond our current limitations, I think it would require an understanding of what is already out there in the stars waiting for us. Disclosure from our governments about this subject matter will empower citizens and start us on a journey into our own solar system with better expectations of future possibilities for mankind.

All five seasons of "UFO Report" are streaming now on amazon Prime.

Two videos. Each capturing something in the skies over Colorado. The simple explanation: airplane chemtrails. But that may well be too easy.

The first resembles a giant, and quite beautiful, pastel painting of multicolored clouds. Only in the forefront is what appears to be a miles long vertical funnel of yellowish smoke, with possibly some sort of explosion or group of lights at the bottom end. Is this the source or the end though?

Your guess is every bit as good as mine.

The second video follows a pair of more typical looking whitish-grey chemtrails like that produced by an airplane. They each disappear into a large cloud cluster, and then are never seen again. At least not while the amateur photographer's camera was trained on this spot in the early evening sky, providing ample time for them to reemerge.

Again, very odd. And very hard to explain.

All five seasons of "UFO Report" are streaming now on amazon Prime.

On to Season 5 we go including an interview with one of the series' creative team.

In this Season 3 installment, an amateur photographer's Nikon telephoto lens captures something on the surface of the moon. Something striking. Could this actually be a manufactured structure we see inside this crater?

We know that the U.S., Russia and China have all landed robotic and other unmanned craft on the moon, with Americans still the only humans to walk on it's surface. A secret space project of unknown government affiliation is suggested as one theory here. Yet another is the possibility of an interplanetary alien base. There is also an aside reference to the blurry image of an alleged unspecified being reflected in a NASA astronaut's helmet visor, which has commonly been identified as his lunar exploration mission partner.

Still, the apparently credible image presented in this episode of something big and not indigenous lodged within a moon crater has yet to be explained.

All five seasons of "UFO Report" are streaming now on amazon Prime.

Next up, I delve into Season 4 of the compelling series.

In this intriguing episode from the series "UFO Report", we bear witness to several minutes of early 2020 live stream video following a never identified craft and recorded by a camera aboard the International Space Station. NASA has evidently not commented on the footage, which naturally has led to a great deal of speculation.

Is this a project spawned by the new U.S. Space Force? Some kind of super drone? A huge chunk of space debris? At this point, who knows?

One thing for certain. Those who do ain't tellin'.

All five seasons of "UFO Report" are streaming now on amazon Prime.

My next review takes a look at Season 3 in the series.

Do you believe in UFO's? Hawaiian filmmakers Blake and Brent Cousins each do, and have devoted more than 20 years independently investigating the controversial phenomena.

In the first of five looks at the Cousin's series, "UFO Report", I'll offer my commentary on the final episode of the series' debut season, "UFO Sightings Spike".

We are presented with images of two UFO's, presented by way of home videos and camera stills.

In the first, suburbanites have recorded a series of four lights arranged in a row across the night sky. UFO "experts" who evidently study the field beyond a passing interest weigh in. The consensus is that what we are looking at are drones. Still, none among the observers are satisfied that the sighting could be something other than that familiar to the population at large. Of course, this may always include projects undertaken by earthly governments and/or military organizations.

I found the second recording, while not well captured, to be more interesting. A large object in the shape of a plastic juice jug complete with handle floats motionless in a daylight sky. The image put me in the mind of a scene from a found footage flick or the hovering alien crafts featured in the 2016 movie "Arrival". One among the panel aligns with me that it "looks like a gallon jug of water". Another guy calls it out as a hoax. I'm going to toss in a potential, albeit ultra-elaborate, hologram.

This installment of the series has an eerie music bed playing throughout it's entirety. While certainly effective at establishing the requisite mood, many moments here would have been just as spooky with no instrumental enhancement.

This is freaky stuff to be sure. Many roundly dismiss and deride UFO believers as detached zealots or just plain nuts. I don't. I'm not entirely convinced that these mysterious sightings in the skies, or aliens not of our world, are real, or reasonably explained, or not. I do, however, believe it to be enormously arrogant and naive to maintain that human beings are the only intelligent forms of life in all of our vast and expansive universe.

All five seasons of "UFO Report" are streaming now on amazon Prime.

Can't wait to dive into Season Two. Stay tuned for my next report.

Don't ya just love a stoner comedy with a heart? Yeah. It's a thing. Perhaps "Pineapple Express" or "Fast Times at Ridgemont High" sparks a synapse?

"Death" is an indie tripper out of New Zealand about "Marbles", a pothead with a predilection to talk to ghosts (Thomas Sainsbury in an hilariously touching performance). Leave it to those kooky Kiwis to smash up smokin' j's, séances and serial killing jags into one sensationally silly saga with a serious side.

And the cop never puts on pants.

"The Extraordinary Ordinary"(2020): Embracing Uncommon Resilience

Anxiety and depression have both touched my life. They are far less prominent now. For a variety of reasons. Primary among these is the love and support of my family and friends.

This is the essence of the new independent drama "The Extraordinary Ordinary". We all, to paraphrase the enduring poetry of The Beatles, get by with a little help from our friends. Find our reason for being. Our purpose with which to flourish.

I spoke with filmmaker Natalie Rodriguez about "The Extraordinary Ordinary", her first feature motion picture.

"The Extraordinary Ordinary" is truly your baby, having written, directed and exec produced here. Clearly, this is a story you are driven to tell. What inspired you?

Growing up, I used to ask a lot of questions, especially when it came to mental health and wellness. The story was first 'born' when I was a junior in high school. For weeks, I kept thinking about the main character, ERICA (played by Maddison Bullock in the movie), and her journey of finding solace and healing from her own past. It almost felt like an obsession and I wanted to know her story. What pushed me, and I am sure most of the cast and crew could express the same, to get through the production/filming of this project was the rejection process.

Whether that was, rejection by an agent, manager, studio, and even a now-former boss telling me that I would 'fail' at making this movie, it only motivated me to get the project done. There is also a big stigma I continue to hear by some people in the industry how talking about recovery and mental health is a 'bad thing'. That always baffles me because mental health is part of health, therefore, if we go to the doctors for our annual physical, then why can't we do the same for our mind?

Anxiety and depression were once prominent in my life. They are not now. I never went to a place where I wanted to hurt myself. However, this is a subject explored in your film. If you would, please share your personal thoughts on mental health, and about those who struggle with emotional and psychological issues in their lives?

Of course! Until this day, it still bothers me how there is shame around mental health, wellness, and particularly, anxiety and depression. As someone who has been in counseling on and off for the past eight years, it truly does HELP to get help. Especially during this pandemic, I believe it is opening up more eyes on mental health and how people are seeking treatment and/or recognizing they need help themselves. But it is also a process, too. I think people, especially during a pandemic, need to be patient with themselves. Even I am still learning to do so. It is why I strongly recommend people to give counseling a try at least ONCE and see if it is for them. Plus, there could be a lot of good that comes with speaking to someone who is not part of your inner circle but a stranger.

I lost my precious mother earlier this year. One of the characters in "The Extraordinary Ordinary" has, as well. The scene in which this heartbroken son describes his mom as never seeing herself as special, and always only wishing that those she cares about are happy, touched me deeply. This is my mother. Parents play a crucial role in your film, whether it be noxious or nurturing. As the fiercely proud dad of three remarkable sons, would you talk with us about your feelings regarding the critical role, and lasting impact, we all have as parents of our children?

My sincere condolences! Our leading man, ALEX (played by Alex Montalban), actually used this scene as his audition. I watched his audition like 3-4 times and cried each time. There was just so much sincerity and empathy Alex Montalban delivered in the lines during the scene. It is one of my favorite scenes because, to me, even children often have to remind their parental guardian(s) how amazing they truly are.

"The Extraordinary Ordinary" tackles different standpoints of how we see parents portrayed. To me, I always felt that to be realistic, where parents are supportive while others are not. As we see with our main character, ERICA, she leans heavily on her father, ROB (played by John Posey), as she and her mother, CATHY (played by Della Lisi Kerr), disagree on multiple life matters. But in reality, someone such as CATHY is actually in a lot of pain herself and is unaware of it. For me, growing up I saw how much my parents were impacted by the decisions of their parents, and it sort of becomes a cycle, until it is broken. I think in my family, in this case, it is getting help by going to counseling and doing the work to not repeat the sins of our parents.

Aside from success, what do you genuinely want to accomplish with your films moving forward, Natalie?

For me, the ultimate dream is to make an audience feel something after they watch a film. The most impactful thing a creator can do is to get their audience thinking, whether they agree or disagree with something that was said or done in the film. That is something I hope my work can continue (to do) in the years to come. To me, success is all about being content - not the glitz and glam aspect - but hoping your audience sees the passion in the work and feels that way, too.

There is roughly a two month stretch in late summer when the sun never fully sets on The Lofoten Islands of northern Norway. To visitors, this can be most disorienting. As it was for Frances, the character brilliantly brought to life by Jenny Slate (excellent also in 2014's underrecognized "Obvious Child") in the enchanting new dramedy "The Sunlit Night".

I was particularly drawn to this unusual tale of a New York painter (Slate) who accepts a job assisting an iconic but fading Norwegian artist attempting to resuscitate his career by painting a barn yellow (I said it was unusual). My dear dad is Norwegian-born and has been to The Lofotens many times.

As Frances journeys through this Scandinavian Odyssey by the sea she encounters a tourist village of modern-day Vikings (Zac Galifianakis is hilarious as a horde leader), a nude portrait model she recruits from a local grocery store and a young guy/love interest in the throes of family turmoil. That's a lot to process, no matter where you are. And it all manages to come together in a most delicious smorgasbord (I know, I know, that's Swedish) of stunning scenery, simulated swordplay and self-discovery.

The only thing missing was the lutefisk. But then again, to most not indigenous to "The Land of The Midnight Sun", that's a good thing.

Tuller Norge! Uff da!

Yeah, this review's title is unusual. But then so is the new sci-fi drama "Dark Encounter". Unusually good.

You may think space aliens descending upon a Pennsylvania farmhouse does a malevolent movie make. And almost always you would be correct. However, here we have a most uncommon example of interplanetary invasion fashioned as well done domestic drama, ultimately revealing the answer to a mysterious family trauma.

If there is in fact something out there, may they be this unearthly compassionate.

This one has been knocked around by a lot of folks. Not this guy. If you go into the gory thriller "Becky" with no expectations and an open mind (expecting your eyes to slam shut reflexively during these graphic scenes of ghastly carnage) you may well join me in being duly impressed.

Lulu Wilson is a 13-year-old Rambo/MacGyver here, exorcising extreme pain and anger as she systematically, and viciously, vanquishes extreme evil (including comedian Kevin James in a harrowing turn as a neo-Nazi gang leader) at a remote family lake house.

And if you dig on "Becky", sequel alert.

After all, there remains that "key" element yet to be explained.

Found footage is done. Yet I still find myself periodically helpless to resist a fix for shaky shots and blur-streaked scenes. My latest indulgence, the horror romp (is there anything else in the "ff" universe?) "Webcast". Two college kids in a creepy community produce a video class assignment investigating what in the hell happened to her aunt, decades disappeared.

Epic fail, youngsters. Extra points, however, for the ever endearing Brit banter.

The new and super strange horror drama "After Midnight" seems to suggest many subtexts. I'm going with the five steps of wine tasting correlation with the five stages of grief this emotionally torn up guy is going through.

Or maybe it is what he thinks it is.

Nahh. I'm stickin' with the grief thing.