Tag: Hillary Spera

DUCK BUTTER (2018)

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Directed By: Miguel Arteta Written By: Miguel Arteta & Alia Shawkat Cinematography: Hillary Spera Editor: Christopher Donlon

Cast: Alia Shawkat, Laia Costa, Jay Duplass, Mark Duplass, Kumail Nanjiani, Lindsay Burdge, Mae Whitman, Hong Chau, Kate Berlant, Jenny O’Hara 

Two women, who are dissatisfied with the dishonesty they see in dating and relationships, decide to make a pact to spend 24 hours together hoping to find a new way to create intimacy.

This is a lesbian romance film that seems artsier. Where it seems like the actors get more outbid it than the audience.

While the film does offer a mismatched couple who affect each other in the end. By having one be the more negative over-thinker who is more afraid to try new things. Yet is an actress and the other a free spirit. Who seems to have no grounding. Whereby the end one is affected in a positive way the other in a more morose way. 

The aspect that the film offers is that these two characters hook up and decide on the morning to spend the next 24 hours together. After some initial conflict with the idea. The film explores the following 24 hours where they get to know one another, good and bad. 

It seems like they go through all the painful aspects and rewarding ones in the son of 24 hours. Which makes the film quirky. The characters and their problems always seem to bring it back to reality.

Even if it always has the aspect of a romantic and fantasy. The emotions at times are what ground it.

While Alia Shawkat is always interesting on screen and graduating to bigger roles. Here she is more nebbish, shy, neurotic, and a little depressed than every woman. Who hooks up with this beautiful free spirit played by the gorgeous Laia Costa who seems too good to be true and by the end. We do get to learn about each other a bit more and the dream girl still is unbelievable but at least we get to see her sweat (amongst other things)  and be human. 

Their relationship is believable and takes what most films would spread out over weeks and months and grounds it into the span of 48 hours for the characters. Where you feel that this is the first time they have ever been open not only with anyone else but maybe even themselves.

It’s an intriguing premise and I wish it had been more involving for the audience but while it offers some surprises. Again it is something that we have seen before and know where it is going. As it feels too familiar.

Not to mention interesting characters. You wish more happened or that they were a bit more interesting to keep your attention. This is why ever so often there is a sex scene between the two of them. Which are graphic yet erotic.

Which then seems to force the film into a third act. This reminds me of the movie CHASING AMY. Where a weird self-sabotage logic emerges and while it is understandable feels like a huge mistake out of nowhere. That is a challenge for the characters to one another where they both know will not have a happy ending so to speak 

Grade: C

THE CRAFT: LEGACY (2020)

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Written & Directed By: Zoe Lister Jones 
Based On Characters created by: Peter Filardi 
Cinematography: Hillary Spera
Editor: Libby Cuenin 

Cast: Cailee Spaeny, Gideon Adlon, Lovie Simone, Zoey Luna, David Duchovny, Michelle Monaghan, Nicholas Galitzine, Julian Gray, Hannah Gordon 

An update to the original movie. A group of high school students form a coven of witches.

The surprise about this film is that it’s not as bad as I thought it would be. Though it still did end up being the film that was predicted after watching the trailer.

The film works as a sequel/reboot of the franchise. Even though the characters here are younger than the first film’s original set. The characters are so young that this film feels perfect for its audience of preteen and teenage girls.

The film is never as hard-hitting as the original. This is why in a certain way it feels more like a prequel except for modernizing it and setting up a link to the first film.

This film is more sensitive than the robins land deals more with different issues that are mentioned debut barely dealt with except for the central character. She is being bullied and dealing with a relationship with her new all ape stepfamily abs feeling like she is losing the close relationship with her mother.

Though the film does express the idea of the coven depending on ie. Another and being in tune. Rather than in the original separating and pitting them against each other. This film offers a villain but one who really only becomes a menace at the end. So that it feels like a Scooby-doo type ending.

The film also never quite answers the questions: do the other girls who have been studying magic really have powers or are they only empowered as the lead already has the capacity to do magic unintentionally.

The film does have magic but doesn’t rely on it as much as the original. This plays out more as a coming-of-age drama about female friendship and in a way feminism by the end. Rather than horror or supernatural film.

Even when the coven questions her power, the members trying to make a decision whether to bind them or not is not out of jealousy or a power move. nor because they are being bad and she is shaming them for it. It is after what they believe a careless spell caused and are trying to decide out of responsibility more than anything else.

Again I am definitely not the target audience for this film, but am a huge fan of the original. Luckily This film doesn’t embarrass itself, but it does have a much lighter touch. That could have easily been an episode of ARE YOU AFRAID OF THE DARK or HULU’S INTO THE DARK series. Only it is not as cynical, cruel, or violent as those shows. 

So this is a perfect film for young teens. Who wants to watch a film that feels a little more mature and deals with issues that are a little more serious and prevalent in their lives. With a positive message by the end.

Grade: C