Prestige Magazine #2

PRESTIGE MAGAZINE #2

Writer : Mo Buck

Ranking Every Season 2 Films from Worst to Best

30 - Peter and the Starcatchers

Although the cast seems to be enjoying themselves, the same can't be said about the viewers. A captivating visual spectacle that doesn't really deliver on the narrative side, Peter and the Starcatchers seems to be lacking something that makes for a good movie and the director didn't seem to be able to provide it. 

29 - Akira

Boasting some pretty impressive visuals, but with no compelling efforts behind the camera and the writing room to make this film entirely enjoyable. As it's often the case with manga adaptations, the movie can't capture the magic that made the source material great, even if the cast seems to enjoy themselves.

28 - Velvet

One of Canada's most consistent director and actress (Cronenberg and Maslany) are brutally wasted in an ordinary thriller that could have been way better. There's little to no efforts to make the protagonists likeable and that was important in that kind of story. The production in general is good, but not enough to save the movie. It was bad and don't talk to me about that ending.

27 - Eclipse

Is there a more tired concept than vampires at this point? It's a rather easy sell these days, but not even the incredible amount of violence and gore in the movie can save the feeling of unoriginality the viewer feels when watching the film. The studio resisted the temptation to white-wash the cast, which is a good thing, but I've honestly seen better.

26 - Bunny Lake is Missing

Merriam Model's novel was the subject an adaptation in 1965, starring Laurence Olivier in Mark Strong's role and Carol Lynley instead of Natalie Portman. The film was dismissed by critics after its released and this modern take on the novel is more of the same. We have a talented actress in Portman wasted in a uninspired movie, just like Olivier in 1965. The premise is good, but it all crumbles at the end, but this is not the screenwriter, nor the film maker's fault, but the source material. Dominic Cooper is cringy as Portman's brother and the performances somehow felt flat. This is not a movie to be remembered, but certainly not the worst.

25 - Share

Share has many things working in its favor, like Scott Derrickson's direction and some surprising cameos in Golden Reel Award winner Ralph Fiennes and the equally talented Penelope Cruz. However, the lead roles are bizarrely cast and don't really fit their role, especially Cox and Smith and it makes for an unsatisfactory viewing.

24 - Atlas Shrugged

Cary Fukunaga, a talented and established TV director, assembled an A-list cast for his adaptation of Ayn Rand's novel and it's more of a boring ride than a well made drama. It is hard to identify to the characters and little to effort is made to completely capture our attention. One can only wonder what went wrong given the extraordinary pedigree of the talent involved.

23 - Lucky Luke and the Daltons

This feature earns a rotten rating based only on the disappointment it turned out to be. Filled with an all-star cast and a proven director, Lucky Luke and the Daltons fails to make the audience burst in laughter when it is mostly designed as a comedy. Given the strong box-office performance, a sequel will probably come out and the bar wasn't set high.

22 - Planet LV 426

Originally a great idea (much like Ridley Scott's recent Alien projects), Planet LV 426 is an uneven prequel to the classic original film, from which it borrows a lot (probably too much). Anthony Russo has never proven himself to be a decent director (at least on his own) and this movie won't change that assumption, as a more skilled director could have easily produced a much better final product.

21 - Dino Crisis

Matt Reeves and his more than capable cast can only feel wasted in this cliche-filled blockbuster video game adaptation. It struggles to create its own identity and the end product is a weak and classic blockbuster that will, sadly, probably not stand the test of time. 

20 - Trigger

It breaks my heart to give Peter Weir's latest a rotten rating, but ultimately, it doesn't deliver enough to warrant a fresh rating. The film deals with a difficult subject, well-handled by Ryder and Weir, but the cast filled with unknowns (except Brody and Boseman) fails to properly deliver the important message the film was trying to send.

19 - American Psycho the Musical

The original film being a cult classic, it was a risky move to adapt it into a musical in the first place, but the stage adaptation is relatively better than the motion picture made out of it by Rupert Goold. The cast delivers a great set of performances, but something seems off in the transition between the stage and film. I'm usually not a fan of musicals in general and I gave this one a chance and it missed a fresh rating by a hair.

18 - The Fountainhead

Director Zack Snyder was an odd choice to direct a drama and it's clear that the majority of his efforts went in production design, the film is absolutely gorgeous to look at, but there's little thoughts about everything else, which makes me wonder if another director would've saved the film, well for me. Gosling and Larson highlight a top-notch cast that bring their A-game, but I somehow feel that it could've been better.

17 - Splinter Cell

Director Doug Liman and star Tom Cruise team up once again and deliver an action-packed and tense spy movie that defies the boundaries set by the genre in the previous years. Cruise proves once again that he can be the highlight of an action movie and regains a certain status in Hollywood after his recent performance and box-office flop.

16 - The Banded Ants

Guillermo del Toro's latest may not be the strongest piece in his repertoire, but it still is a solid entry. It is rare to see an animated film filled with battle sequences and the war genre attached to animated films very rarely, surprised me with how much it worked. The movie has its flaws too, from weak performances by some cast members lacking the charisma to deliver a good performance. Iwan Rheon continues to prove he's one trick poney with this performance after his remarkably flat performance on Inhumans and I'm sure someone else could have taken Doug Jones' place. He's a great performer, but it doesn't work on this film. Overall, it is an enjoyable movie for all the family. 

15 - Salem's Lot

With great performances by the cast led by Chris Pine and brilliant performances by Mark Rylance and William Hurt, Salem's Lot offers a quality entertainment that stays close to Stephen King's novel. Samuel Bayer offers what his probably a career-best work. Salem's Lot is way more It than The Dark Tower.

14 - Flicker

The original novel is a complex piece that transferred gracefully to the screen, thanks to John Malone precise screenplay. Rising star Alden Ehrenreich led the cast with a mature performance that will help him reach new heights. Flicker is a complex movie, but it's worth every second of your time.

13 - The Secret History

Ang Lee proved its worth countless times over the years and his most recent directorial effort proves once again that a great director can turn practically anything into a watchable film. Chalamet shines once again in an indy film that could have been totally wasted if not for Lee's ingenuity.

12 - Blue Beetle

Robert Rodriguez always had a unique visual style and this time, it can pretty much be said that it saved the movie from being bad to mildly enjoyable. It was risky to develop a story about a superhero casual may have never heard of prior to seeing the movie, but Rodriguez and his cast of veteran actors, like the underrated Scoot McNairy and Damian Bichir are able to salvage the film and make it worth your time.

11 - Without Remorse

This Tom Clancy adaptation led by the brilliant Tom Hardy delivers great entertainment with ultra violent scenes and some badass moments by the protagonist. The supporting cast doesn't necessarily help the movie to be better, but some performances are worth noting.

10 - 101

The concept of the movie is a hard sell for audiences, but beside all the violence and the controversy surrounding the film, Denis Villeneuve and his talented cast masterfully handle the difficult subject. McAvoy gives an utterly terrifying performance as the killer and Steinfeld truly shines in her supporting role. 101 is disturbing, but worth it.

9 - Siren

Newcomer Ben Collins penned an original screenplay with a great premise that was both dark and unique and with the relatively unexperienced Robert Eggers behind the camera, it had all the right ingredients to be a miss, but surprisingly, the end product is a well crafted and interesting picture that will leave a great impression once you left the theater.

8 - The Hunt

If you look beyond the original film and look at Kenneth Lonergan's The Hunt as its own movie, you can consider it a great look at a character struggling with false accusations in a social climate that doesn't listen to him and let fear conquer them one by one. Mark Ruffalo's performance is nowhere near Mads Mikkelsen's performance in the original, but I strongly think his work on the Danish film is one of the best acting performance in the decade, so Ruffalo did it right, without knocking it out of the park like Mikkelsen. The supporting cast is good and perform their role well, with a great range displayed by Tinsley Price at such a young age. 

7 - Mona Lisa

Antonio Campos stylish film is able to overcome the dreaded style over substance curse and give the viewer a truly memorable viewing. Penelope Cruz and Mickey Rourke both give their best performances in years and the supporting cast does nothing but help them reaching these heights. Truly better than the unmemorable original and a truly great film.

6 - The Child Martyr

The trio composed of writer Mo Buck, director Jean-Marc Vallée and Golden Reel winner Brie Larson strikes again with a tense and moving drama, carried by strong performances in an otherwise difficult movie to watch. Mackenzie Foy is the breakout star here, as she continues her winning streak started in Season 1 with The Last of Us and gives a career-best and attention-grabbing turn in The Child Martyr. Vallée directs well and all of this combined make for a good piece of work. 

5 - And Then There Were None

Agatha Christie's novel is one of the best selling novel in history and a Hollywood remake of the story was begging to come out. The prestige attached to the production attracted probably the best ensemble cast in Last Resort Films' history and each of the roles is perfectly cast. Director Joe Wright keeps things simple, allowing the viewer to focus on the story, a by the book adaptation from James Morgan. Fans of the book have a classic to rediscover and new fans have a great crime film to watch.

4 - The Question

The superhero in which this movie is based may not be the most popular and known to the general public, but the movie that came out of it by Nicolas Winding Refn will surely put The Question on the map. Gosling's brilliant in a different superhero movie that captures the audience's attention either by Refn's unique visuals or the focused plot. A must-see for every cinema fan.

3 - Blackwater

It was strange to see Leonardo DiCaprio getting a role in a movie directed by John Hillcoat, especially after he wasted about everyone's talent in Triple 9, after all, DiCaprio has a certain reputation to only work with big time directors. After viewing the captivating film, DiCaprio blew us away with a gritty performance and a strong plot to hold the pieces together and you're in for a captivating viewing.

2  - Solution

Star and director Ralph Fiennes keeps things simple behind the camera to let the viewer concentrate on the dialogues and the character interactions and it works wonders. The perfectly cast film is practically flawless and offers a great look behind the scenes of a decision that would change the world. Congratulations to Last Resort Films for this excellent movie. 

1 - Blood Meridian

Blood Meridian offers a grim and dark western filled with violent images and a surprisingly good direction from a relatively unknown director. It makes the most of its all-star cast, led by Russell Crowe. Many people taught the source material was unadaptable, but people at Last Resort Films were able to create what may be a masterpiece out of it.

4 Ups and 2 Downs from Season 1

Downs

2- Weak Box Office

Here me out, Last Resort Films managed to gross big money at the box office, more than six billion dollars, but those impressive numbers are somehow down from last season (click here to see what supports my claim) It is a downer from a season full of potential, after the early successes of Peter and the Starcatchers and Splinter Cell.

1- Lack of Leading Ladies

Out of the 30 movies released by Last Resort Films this season, only 7 (Bunny Lake is Missing, Siren, The Child Martyr, Mona Lisa, And Then There Were None, Dino Crisis, Atlas Shrugged) had a woman as the top-billed actress. It is false to assume that women don't draw big box office numbers, as 6 of these 7 movies made a profit and Atlas Shrugged' failure can't fall on Charlize Theron's shoulders. There are some fine leading ladies out there and it would be nice to see them more in the next seasons. 

Ups

4 - Show Me the Money !

Despite the lower box office numbers, Season 2 managed to bring a bigger net profit than Season 1. It proves that there's an interest for Last Resort Films' productions and that the money is managed better. It gives even more cash for future ambitious projects.

3 - Ensemble Casts

Some truly great ensemble casts were attached to Last Resort Films productions. The very British cast of And Then There Were None, the star-filled cast of Atlas Shrugged, the all-male cast of Blood Meridian or the cast of 101, many wonder who Last Resort Films can't attract to one of their productions.

2 - Outside Hires

The outside hires were a down in Season 1, but their increasing diversity bring more life to Last Resort Films and help the studio in general. Some movies were duds, but some were real gems that could be front runners at the Golden Reel Awards and it is promising for the future.

1- More Quality

As a previously mentionned, the overall quality of Last Resort Films productions improved greatly over the course of the season and it is a great sign for the future. 

The 3 Most Anticipated Movie from Season 3

Box Office Analysis

Round 1

Share, a micro-budget film, didn't set the box-office on fire, but managed to double its modest budget, which is a great achievement for Last Resort Films. Salem's Lot, although a good adaptation, in the vein of The Dead Zone and It, is easily one of the biggest box office disappointment in Last Resort Films history. It crossed the 100 million bar, but failed to make a profit, which can be seen as a huge disappointment given the other Stephen King's adaptations numbers. Peter and the Starcatchers, easily the worst production of Season 2, becomes on the highest grossing LRF movie to date. I can't explain this one, it was very bad, but it was really family friendly, that could partially explain it.

Round 2

Solution, a genuinely great movie directed by Ralph Fiennes, fresh off his Golden Reel Award win in Jack the Ripper and his bizarre cameo in Share, comes back with a huge box office hit, that nearly tripled his budget, good for a healthy profit. It feels good to see people still have an interest in prestige project. Splinter Cell, the highest grossing LRF film so far. Many were wondering if Tom Cruise's star power diminished in the past few years, but his newest franchise confirms that it didn't. It had everything working in its favor, a huge star and some refreshing action scenes, perfect for a blockbuster and audiences loved it. Blood Meridian, a prestige project for LRF. This one hurts a lot. It's an extraordinary good movie with a talented cast, but money never came for this one. Perhaps the budget was too high, but I was convinced it would make a profit.

Round 3

Akira, a manga adaptation with a huge budget. They don't have a good track record in Hollywood, but Akira is the exception. With a 160 million budget, it could be considered a let down that it only grossed 150 domestically, but the foreign crowd, unlike the critics, loved it and helped it to bring a healthy profit. The Fountainhead, Zack Snyder's critical mixed bag. It brings together two of the biggest young drama stars in Hollywood in a stylish movie. Star power alone may have saved this one, even though Ayn Rand's source material may still be relevant after all. Flicker, LRF's longest film to date, benefited from a healthy budget and a rising star in its cast, but the length of this one killed its chances at box office success, nearlt doubling its budget, failing to make a profit 

Round 4

The Banded Ants, the first animated movie produced by Last Resort Films. It's rare to see an animated movie failing to bring a profit. With a talented filmmaker at the helm and a interesting and refreshing premise by Jack Ryder, audiences loved it and it grossed a lot of money. Without Remorse, Tom Hardy's latest, although pretty violent, managed to almost triple its production budget, proving Hardy puts butts in seats, with a tremendous 160 million in profits. The Hunt, a remake of critically acclaimed Danish film, seemed like a big gamble at first, but with a more than capable director in Kenneth Lonergan and a great performance by Mark Ruffalo, drama fans went in masses to watch it and it grossed it brang an healthy profit for LRF.

Round 5

Bunny Lake is Missing, both a novel adaptation and a remake, failed to impress critics, but audiences came in masses to see the adorable and beloved Natalie Portman in this rather forgettable thriller. After the critical dud the movie was, it's a surprise to see it managed to gain money. Blue Beetle, a adaptation of a mostly unknown DC superhero, may not have the attraction of a Batman and a Ben Affleck, but the relatively unknown actors and the capable Robert Rodriguez worked together to create a film that impressed both critics and audiences. Blackwater, a Leonardo DiCaprio led crime drama, managed to earn a profit despite the high budget. People are still coming in theaters to see Leo after is break, which is a good news for LRF who gambled a lot with this one. 

Round 6

Trigger, a tense drama/thriller, penned by Jack Ryder, may seem like a tough sell given the nature of its script, but to my surprise, it managed to earn a healthy profit. Lucky Luke and the Daltons, a bad western comedy that fails to make you left despite the talent involved was probably one of the biggest box-office surprise of Season 2. The fact that a badly received film and a western managed to earn a 180 million profit leaves me speechless. American Psycho the Musical, a film some could call a passion project, had a good run at the box office, but the violent musical didn't manage to earn a profit, despite the mixed reviews, you love or you hate it and that surely hurt the results.

Round 7

Siren, an original movie, carrying an interesting premise, was able to find a proper audience even with its gory and sexual nature, which is a pleasant surprise for everyone involved. The Question, another obscure DC Comics superhero adapted by the always good Nicolas Winding Refn and the reliable Ryan Gosling. Even if you don't know the source material, the stylish film and the great cast should be enough to convince the audience and it did, earning a nice, juicy profit. The Child Martyr, a cruel drama based on an obscure and unknown true story would seem like a tough sell, but screenwriter Mo Buck, director Jean-Marc Vallée and star Brie Larson were able to provide a good enough film that people would bother to show up.

Round 8

Eclipse, a vampire gore-fest movie involving foreign talent, may seem like a good recipe for box-office success, saved by incredible foreign box-office numbers, but that was not the case for this dud. Not only it was a critical failure, but it lost money too. Mona Lisa, remake of a mostly unknown film, carried on Penelope Cruz charm and a great, stylish film to earn a nice profit, which may come as a surprise. 101, a dark action-thriller starring two of Hollywood most handsome men Hugh Jackman and Jon Hamm. Denis Villeneuve built a great cast for his latest vehicle, but the ambitious premise didn't seduce audiences enough to care and it failed to bring a profit, which could start to prove that Villeneuve is box office poison after Blade Runner 2049's recent failure. 

Round 9

And Then There Were None, in which an entirely British cast brang their A-game in this Agatha Christie adaptation of the novel of the same name. These adaptations are often risky business, but the quality of the adaptation proved that there's still a market after bringing in an healthy profit. Velvet, an erotic blackmail thriller, may not seem like the perfect recipe for box office success, but David Cronenberg's latest managed to earn healthy box office numbers, enough to bring in a small profit. Dino Crisis, a video game adaptation that got the blockbuster treatment thanks to Matt Reeves and writer Billy Cruder. It may not be the most critically acclaimed movie produced by Last Resort Films, but as it is often the case, disappointing domestic box office is saved by China, enough to bring in a small profit, given the budget, probably leaving the sequel plans on hiatus.

Round 10

Atlas Shrugged, Last Resort Films latest Ayn Rand adaptation, struggled to please both the critics and the audiences, failing to bring in a profit for the largest loss of the Season. Where the Foutainhead was successful, this one wasn't and it was a hard sell, even with the talented cast. The Secret History, a small-budget Ang Lee film, knew how to keep things simple, with a low budget and without flashy visuals. These kind of movies are dependant on quality and it seems like it was good enough, bringing in a small, but meaningful profit. Planet LV 426, an Aliens prequel, didn't have a huge star to draw people in theaters, but relied on the original's popularity and and a massive budget to draw attention and it clearly work to a certain extent, bringing in a healthy profit for the studio.

Movie that deserved better : Blood Meridian
Movie that deserved worse : Peter and the Starcatchers
Surprise hit : Lucky Luke and the Daltons
Surprise bomb : Blood Meridian

Five Questions with Mo Buck... by Ann Morrow

Your movies are often dark and disturbing, what makes you attracted to these types of movies ?

I don't really know, I guess I'm just tired of the general Hollywood formula where it's just basically attractive people on screen for the purpose of entertainment. They throw heavy special effects at them and people go in masses to theaters to see them, but for me, these types of movies aren't satisfying. If I had a movie studio, I'd definitely be more interested in producing niche and ambitious films with small budgets than CGI loaded spectacles, but the harsh reality is that it's incredibly difficult to be profitable that way. I like to tell a story with raw emotions and show the dark side of humans, as you saw in The Child Martyr and 101, this season.

Speaking of The Child Martyr, your planned trilogy of Quebec's most acclaimed literary work seems to be working quite well. What is the message you're trying to send with these movies, if any ?

I don't really think there's a message behind those films, but there's definitely a ascertainment behind every one of them. In Maria, the titular character's love for her parents ultimately led to a life of unhappiness and misery for her, so it shows that no matter what you do, you should always trust yourself, because you know yourself better than everyone, better than your parents than your friends. In The Child Martyr, I wanted to show that there's a dark side, a monster, hidden in every human. The excellent Brie Larson, with her innocent charm, perfectly embodied that, by giving a bone-chilling performance. In the next and final film, I tackle the man's domination over the woman in the past, well, at least in Quebec and I think it will continue in the same vein as the others, which is good. 

You seem to have a hard time at the box-office, am I right?

Yeah, you're right. I'm aware that my movies are a tough sell and can be hard to watch, but that's a part of the risk I'm taking when writing these movies. Some flops, I saw them coming a mile away, like Hunt, I know it was bad, but I certainly didn't think it would be that bad, but I never imagined 101 to lose money, especially with the talents involved, when in my own humble opinion, I've seen worse films perform way better, but again that's part of the risk when writing my movies.

The Association went home with three Golden Reel Awards last season out of five nominations. Do you think you'll be able to replicate this success at the 2nd Golden Reel Awards ?

Well, I don't know. I honestly believe our movies were better than in Season 1, but the overall quality of Last Resort Films improved as well in Season 2. It will ultimately come down to the voters, but I'll happy just to be nominated really, that would be a huge honor, as always.

What do you have in store for the future ?

I currently have three movies planned for Season 3. Obviously, the conclusion of my Quebec trilogy, starring Brie Larson and directed by Jean-Marc Vallée, titled Heart of Stone. There's also my most ambitious project to date, an adaptation of Dante's Divine Comedy, starting with Inferno. I also happen to have a secret project that I do not wish to talk about at the moment.

Most Anticipated Season 3 Movies

Mo Buck

1. The Prisoner
2. Dracula Lives
3. Zombieworld
4. Inferno
5. Six Billion Dollar Man

Ann Morrow

1. Dracula Lives
2. Inhumans
3. Zombieworld
4. Silver Surfer
5. Inferno

Harry Wright

1. The Prisoner
2. Dracula Lives
3. Death and All His Friends
4. Metal Gear Solid
5. Silver Surfer

James Morgan

1. Dracula Lives
2. Metal Gear Solid
3. Inhumans
4. Gorky Park
5. Inferno