The Hateful Straights: Mills Finds Bigots in the Backwoods in Exploitation Effort
One of the many silver linings of genre filmmaking is the powerful ability of subtext. However, there’s a formidable power in siphoning the subtext to the foreground in compelling ways, like The Stepford Wives (1975) or Get Out (2017), which formulate their own niche of persuasively terrifying social issue horror. However, there’s also a fine line between eloquence and exploitation, and the latest film from Canadian filmmaker Pat Mills, The Retreat, gravitates towards the latter. It’s a far cry from Mills’ previous output, who heretofore reveled in showcasing teen pariahs embracing their freak flags in intriguing ways, such as his 2014 standalone debut Guidance (read review) and 2017’s Don’t Talk to Irene (2017).…...
One of the many silver linings of genre filmmaking is the powerful ability of subtext. However, there’s a formidable power in siphoning the subtext to the foreground in compelling ways, like The Stepford Wives (1975) or Get Out (2017), which formulate their own niche of persuasively terrifying social issue horror. However, there’s also a fine line between eloquence and exploitation, and the latest film from Canadian filmmaker Pat Mills, The Retreat, gravitates towards the latter. It’s a far cry from Mills’ previous output, who heretofore reveled in showcasing teen pariahs embracing their freak flags in intriguing ways, such as his 2014 standalone debut Guidance (read review) and 2017’s Don’t Talk to Irene (2017).…...
- 5/22/2021
- by Nicholas Bell
- IONCINEMA.com
“Culling the herd” is something I’ve heard many times, but never gave it much thought until having watched Pat Mills’ latest film, The Retreat. It is used as a reference to animals, but separating or killing “inferior” human beings to reduce their numbers or to rid a group of their “undesirable” traits has been happening for centuries. It’s still happening to minorities around the world. Alyson Richards’ screenplay uses deer as a metaphor for the queer community. As one character recalls her experiences of hunting as a child to “cull the problem deer,” the other character asks, “Were they a problem? The deer?” The response: “Depends on who you ask.” It’s a simple but poignant phrase that reminds the audience that, in this case, homophobia is still ever-present. And while it may often feel safer in big cities surrounded by a larger number of people like you,...
- 5/21/2021
- by Sara Clements
- DailyDead
The broad strokes are familiar: a couple dealing with emotional strife goes away for a weekend, lands at a rustic/terrifying cabin, and finds themselves at the mercy of murderous freaks. The basic plot of Pat Mills’ “The Retreat” is so basic that it helped frame the tongue-in-cheek “Cabin in the Woods,” which itself unpacked and poked fun at all manner of horror tropes. Mills’ film, which screenwriter Alyson Richards loosely based on her own cabin-in-the-woods experience, attempts to subvert that setup by centering it around a lesbian couple.
Seeing a pair of women (Tommie-Amber Pirie and Sarah Allen) occupy roles usually owned by straight couples, and bolstered by a plot that hinges on their sexuality, is its own kind of subversion. However, the real twist of “The Retreat” goes beyond that. What if, “The Retreat” wonders, they weren’t just a lesbian couple but a pair of women hellbent...
Seeing a pair of women (Tommie-Amber Pirie and Sarah Allen) occupy roles usually owned by straight couples, and bolstered by a plot that hinges on their sexuality, is its own kind of subversion. However, the real twist of “The Retreat” goes beyond that. What if, “The Retreat” wonders, they weren’t just a lesbian couple but a pair of women hellbent...
- 5/19/2021
- by Kate Erbland
- Indiewire
Stars: Adrian Burke, Ariella Mastroianni, Grant Schumacher, Anna Shields, Francesca Anderson, Chris Cimperman, Willard Morgan, LeJon Woods | Written by Anna Shields | Directed by Bruce Wemple
It would seem that the legend of Bigfoot just won’t go away, every decade seems to bring with a new sighting of the monster and a wealth of new films about the subject. And this decade is no different… In fact, Dawn of the Beast is not the first Bigfoot movie we’ve reviewed in the past year and undoubtedly won’t be the last.
Actually the reason this isn’t the first Bigfoot film we’ve reviewed in the past year is because about 8 months ago we covered a Bigfoot film called Monstrous, which was directed by Bruce Wemple and written by Anna Shields. And guess what? Dawn of the Beast is from the pair too! And they’ve thrown in the wendigos from Wemple’s other film,...
It would seem that the legend of Bigfoot just won’t go away, every decade seems to bring with a new sighting of the monster and a wealth of new films about the subject. And this decade is no different… In fact, Dawn of the Beast is not the first Bigfoot movie we’ve reviewed in the past year and undoubtedly won’t be the last.
Actually the reason this isn’t the first Bigfoot film we’ve reviewed in the past year is because about 8 months ago we covered a Bigfoot film called Monstrous, which was directed by Bruce Wemple and written by Anna Shields. And guess what? Dawn of the Beast is from the pair too! And they’ve thrown in the wendigos from Wemple’s other film,...
- 5/10/2021
- by Phil Wheat
- Nerdly
Inspirational Pic ‘Triumph’ Scores Cinemark Release; Quiver Distribution Books ‘The Retreat’ For May
Brett Leonard’s Triumph, the inspirational wrestling movie starring Rj Mitte and Terrence Howard and inspired by screenwriter Michael D. Coffey’s true story, has set a deal with distributor Relativity Media, United Cerebral Palsy and Cinemark to release the pic in 200 theaters nationwide beginning April 30.
Breaking Bad alum Mitte stars as a bright and determined high school senior who strives to be a wrestler despite having cerebral palsy. Going to extreme lengths, he crushes obstacles and inspires others along his journey. Colton Haynes, Grace Victoria Cox and Jonathon Schaech also star in the film that was in mix during the 2019 American Film Market.
The Map Group’s Massimiliano Musina, Digital Ignition Entertainment’s Michael Clofine and Coffey are producers, with Howard and Mitte executive producing alongside Jonathan Bross of Argonaut Entertainment Partners, Mira Howard, Raz Winiarsky, Tyler W. Konney and Gabrielle Tuite.
Tickets are on sale now for the limited release via Cinemark.
Breaking Bad alum Mitte stars as a bright and determined high school senior who strives to be a wrestler despite having cerebral palsy. Going to extreme lengths, he crushes obstacles and inspires others along his journey. Colton Haynes, Grace Victoria Cox and Jonathon Schaech also star in the film that was in mix during the 2019 American Film Market.
The Map Group’s Massimiliano Musina, Digital Ignition Entertainment’s Michael Clofine and Coffey are producers, with Howard and Mitte executive producing alongside Jonathan Bross of Argonaut Entertainment Partners, Mira Howard, Raz Winiarsky, Tyler W. Konney and Gabrielle Tuite.
Tickets are on sale now for the limited release via Cinemark.
- 4/15/2021
- by Patrick Hipes
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: HBO Max has put in development The Future, a one-hour sci-fi tech drama based on Dan Frey’s forthcoming novel The Future Is Yours, from The Batman director and Felicity co-creator Matt Reeves’ 6th & Idaho, Run co-writer-director Aneesh Chaganty and producers Natalie Qasabian and Sev Ohanian, and Warner Bros. TV, where 6th & Idaho is under an overall deal.
Written by Frey based on his book, The Future is the story of two best friends who invent the most revolutionary technological device in modern human history. It’s a sci-fi series set in the Silicon Valley of today, grappling with pressing questions about our relationship with technology, told through an innovative multimedia style that’s never been seen on TV.
Frey executive produces with Chaganty, who also directs. Reeves, Adam Kassan and Daniel Pipski executive produce for 6th & Idaho alongside Qasabian and Ohanian. 6th and Idaho produces in association with Warner Bros.
Written by Frey based on his book, The Future is the story of two best friends who invent the most revolutionary technological device in modern human history. It’s a sci-fi series set in the Silicon Valley of today, grappling with pressing questions about our relationship with technology, told through an innovative multimedia style that’s never been seen on TV.
Frey executive produces with Chaganty, who also directs. Reeves, Adam Kassan and Daniel Pipski executive produce for 6th & Idaho alongside Qasabian and Ohanian. 6th and Idaho produces in association with Warner Bros.
- 1/13/2021
- by Denise Petski
- Deadline Film + TV
Stars: Grant Schumacher, Dylan Grunn, Chris Cimperman, Rick Montgomery Jr., Peter Stray, Ariella Mastroianni, Catherine Daddario | Written and Directed by Bruce Wemple
When you watch some many low budget independent horror movies you get used to having low expectations. Unfortunately, as much as I wish it wasn’t the case, I watch a lot of very average and sometimes very poor independent movies. But there’s always hope that the one you watch will buck the trend and actually be good. Well The Retreat might just be that one.
Horror films where friends go to a cabin in the woods and are attacked by ‘something’ doesn’t exactly sound original. Despite this, The Retreat does a good job of not feeling like a thousand other similar movies. A couple of friends hire a small place to go on a backpacking trip together but things soon go awry when one of...
When you watch some many low budget independent horror movies you get used to having low expectations. Unfortunately, as much as I wish it wasn’t the case, I watch a lot of very average and sometimes very poor independent movies. But there’s always hope that the one you watch will buck the trend and actually be good. Well The Retreat might just be that one.
Horror films where friends go to a cabin in the woods and are attacked by ‘something’ doesn’t exactly sound original. Despite this, The Retreat does a good job of not feeling like a thousand other similar movies. A couple of friends hire a small place to go on a backpacking trip together but things soon go awry when one of...
- 1/11/2021
- by Alain Elliott
- Nerdly
November 10th looks to be an extremely busy day for home media releases, as we have a ton of horror and sci-fi headed home this Tuesday. Two of this writer’s favorite films of 2020 are being released this week—Bill & Ted Face the Music and Spontaneous—and if you’re looking for some classic genre offerings, Scream Factory is keeping busy with a terrifying trifecta of releases: Brides of Dracula: Collector’s Edition, War of the Colossal Beast, and How to Make a Monster.
Giallo fans will want to pick up Cult Epic’s Blu-ray for Death Laid an Egg on Tuesday, and Kino Lorber is showing some love to Play Misty for Me, too. Arrow Video is also doing a few re-releases this week, including American Horror Project: Volume One and The Herschell Gordon Lewis Feast, and if you somehow haven’t had a chance to check it out on Shudder yet,...
Giallo fans will want to pick up Cult Epic’s Blu-ray for Death Laid an Egg on Tuesday, and Kino Lorber is showing some love to Play Misty for Me, too. Arrow Video is also doing a few re-releases this week, including American Horror Project: Volume One and The Herschell Gordon Lewis Feast, and if you somehow haven’t had a chance to check it out on Shudder yet,...
- 11/9/2020
- by Heather Wixson
- DailyDead
After participating in the Nightstream virtual film festival, Popcorn Frights co-founders Igor Shteyrenberg and Marc Ferman kept the horror spirit alive and well in Florida throughout the end of October with the virtual Wicked Weekend Halloween celebration!
Popcorn Frights' Wicked Weekend featured an eclectic 20+ film lineup headlined by the world premiere of Lionsgate's Smiley Face Killers, and following the conclusion of the event, it's been announced that Keith Thomas' The Vigil has won the Audience Award, with Tales of the Uncanny earning the Audience Award Runner Up title.
Even though Wicked Weekend may be over, you can watch the Q&a sessions with the filmmakers and actors behind some of the films that screened at the virtual event on Popcorn Frights' YouTube channel, including a conversation with Smiley Face Killers co-stars Crispin Glover, Mia Serafino, and Ronen Rubinstein, which I was honored to moderate (and which you can watch...
Popcorn Frights' Wicked Weekend featured an eclectic 20+ film lineup headlined by the world premiere of Lionsgate's Smiley Face Killers, and following the conclusion of the event, it's been announced that Keith Thomas' The Vigil has won the Audience Award, with Tales of the Uncanny earning the Audience Award Runner Up title.
Even though Wicked Weekend may be over, you can watch the Q&a sessions with the filmmakers and actors behind some of the films that screened at the virtual event on Popcorn Frights' YouTube channel, including a conversation with Smiley Face Killers co-stars Crispin Glover, Mia Serafino, and Ronen Rubinstein, which I was honored to moderate (and which you can watch...
- 11/3/2020
- by Derek Anderson
- DailyDead
Tagline: "There's Something Waiting in the Mountains." The Retreat is an upcoming horror feature, focusing on an Indigenous legend - the Wendigo. This creature has been put to film before in films like Larry Fessenden's Wendigo (2001) and others. This time, two hikers head up to Upstate New York. Here, they encounter a monster, which bloodies their hiking trip. Developed by director Bruce Wemple (Monstrous), this feature centrally stars: Grant Schumacher (Lake Artifact), Dylan Grunn (Left Hand) and Catharine Daddario. A trailer was released late last week and the clip can be found below, in case you missed it. The trailer shows the creature, in some of the scenes. With glowing eyes, it attacks at night, leaving Gus and Adam disoriented in open country. Now, this duo must find a way to overcome this supernatural entity, before the remaining light of day fizzles out. Uncork'd Entertainment will show The Retreat on DVD and Digital,...
- 10/20/2020
- by noreply@blogger.com (Unknown)
- 28 Days Later Analysis
Bruce Wemple sure has a thing for monsters in the woods. And we cannot decide if he loves or hates upstate New York either as his last horror films, Monstrous and Lake Artifact, also take place in the region. Anyways, his new film The Retreat was picked up by Uncork’d Entertainment and they plan to release the film on DVD and Digital on November 10th. Screen Anarchy has your first look at the trailer and a couple shots of the creature too. Check them out below. The Wendigo goes to New York this November! There’s something waiting in the mountains this November. The Wendigo takes to New York in Uncork’d Entertainment’s The Retreat! From director Bruce Wemple (Monstrous), and starring...
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- 10/15/2020
- Screen Anarchy
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