A Law Unto Themselves

Ah, the birthday – a time for family, friends, presents and cake. . . but what if no one was to show up to that party? Could the effects of such a frightful occurrence have repercussions on a young child’s psyche? The genesis event of the 1981 Canadian slasher film Happy Birthday to Me finds veteran director J. Lee Thompson (1962's Cape Fear) transporting the audience into a violent murder mystery with a twist. Straddling the line of a slasher film and an Italian giallo, the killer is no mindless harbinger of undefeatable evil seen in features like Halloween and Friday the 13th, rather a sometimes straight-razor-wielding killer dressed all in black except for their white running shoes – I know what you are probably thinking, what horrible fashion sense. Furthermore, those being killed recognize their murderer, adding another layer to the mystery.

If you’ve ever wondered what it would look like if fifty savage prisoners attempted to attack a single man in a prison stall, then 2014's The Raid 2 might just be for you. Before moving on, to let you in on how they shot the scene, a simply genius technique is used where the stall walls are on hinges – so that the handheld camera can get in and around the developing action. Written, edited, and directed by Gareth Evans, this Indonesian import is a sequel to 2011's The Raid: Redemption (also created by Evans), starting up a mere two hours after the previous film finished. Miraculously, you really do not need to see the original, as this story is easy to catch on to, despite its complexity when compared to the 2011 feature. If Redemption was shot in the style of a non-stop action video game, its sequel is as if John Carpenter (Escape From New York) and David Cronenberg (A History of Violence) came together with Martin Scorsese to create a twisty story along the lines of The Departed.

Once upon a time. . . in Hollywood, a young man named Quentin was fascinated with all things movies. So much did he love those moving pictures of the silver screen that he found a job at the Video Archives, a rental store in Manhattan Beach, California. And, almost like a fateful fairy tale scene in one of his beloved movies, a young Tarantino somehow found his way into the business, becoming a director of success and acclaim. Utilizing his unique vision, he re-purposed those films that he devoured in his long hours at the video store, bringing history alive with a modern spin, melding past and present in most unique ways. With a romantic brainstorm, the acclaimed filmmaker decided that ten motion pictures would encompass his entire filmography, making his most recent effort, Once Upon a Time ... in Hollywood, his second last, a narrative that turns a loving eye to his fantastical hometown – all I’m missing is voice over work from Kurt Russell, and I’ve got the beginnings of my intro to a documentary on the man. A revisionist history of 1969 Los Angeles, Quentin Tarantino writes and directs his least focussed picture, a meandering love letter to the City of Angels. Born in 1963, the filmmaker, who was only the tender age of six the year the movie is set, utilizes his vast knowledge of television and movies to build a vivid picture of that time. Though, by doing so, it also makes for his least accessible feature to date. . . for not only is there graphic violence, much like all of his other pictures, but, to my estimation, you also have to be a passionate film history buff while also needing to have a love for the way movies are crafted to truly appreciate what Tarantino is doing here.

A surprisingly original, unique and sharp take on video games (playing on numerous 90s video game tropes), Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle updates the original Jumanji board game premise for the twenty-first century. An interesting layer of meta finds Jake Kasdan directing – son of Lawrence Kasdan (co-writer of The Empire Strikes Back, Raiders of the Lost Ark. . .), Welcome to the Jungle comes off as a quasi-combination of the two. . . the foursome who centre the feature are a ragtag team like in Star Wars, while the jungle adventure will immediately remind many of an Indiana Jones archaeology adventure – never a bad idea to create a hybrid of two of the most popular franchises in American history.

With some early success in China in the mid to late 1970s, Jackie Chan attempted to break into Hollywood – making appearances in The Big Brawl (1980), The Cannonball Run and its sequel (1981 and 1984), and starring in The Protector (1985). . . perhaps you would think that this was the beginning of his now illustrious career, but no. His supporting roles did not bring him fame in the west, while his first American starring role was a box office bomb. Instead of returning to China sunken and defeated, he began work on what would arguably become his greatest film, Police Story (1985), co-writing and co-directing with Edward Tang and Chi-Hwa Chen respectively. Taking on the starring role of Chan Ka Kui, Chan brings forth that appealing blend of comedic goof-ball and ninja mastermind – a more than likeable everyman who just happens to be a master of the martial arts (for most of his future roles, Chan would play slight variations on this iconic character – making him one of the most popular action stars of the past thirty years).