Here’s the latest episode of the The Filmmakers Podcast, part of the ever-growing podcast roster here on Nerdly. If you haven’t heard the show yet, you can check out previous episodes on the official podcast site, whilst we’ll be featuring each and every new episode as it premieres.
For those unfamiliar with the series, The Filmmakers Podcast is a podcast about how to make films from micro budget indie films to bigger budget studio films and everything in-between. Our hosts Giles Alderson, Dan Richardson, Andrew Rodger and Cristian James talk how to get films made, how to actually make them and how to try not to f… it up in their very humble opinion. Guests will come on and chat about their film making experiences from directors, writers, producers, screenwriters, actors, cinematographers and distributors.
The Filmmakers Podcast #270: Making an Indie Horror Feature with a Crew of...
For those unfamiliar with the series, The Filmmakers Podcast is a podcast about how to make films from micro budget indie films to bigger budget studio films and everything in-between. Our hosts Giles Alderson, Dan Richardson, Andrew Rodger and Cristian James talk how to get films made, how to actually make them and how to try not to f… it up in their very humble opinion. Guests will come on and chat about their film making experiences from directors, writers, producers, screenwriters, actors, cinematographers and distributors.
The Filmmakers Podcast #270: Making an Indie Horror Feature with a Crew of...
- 4/11/2022
- by Phil Wheat
- Nerdly
In the week of the UK release of his debut feature film The Last Rite, writer / director Leroy Kincaide talks about overcoming Dyslexia and High-Functioning Autism, making his debut movie for £27,000 and his personal experiences with sleep paralysis.
Leroy, your debut feature film The Last Rite finally gets a UK release. It’s been quite a journey. How would you describe it?
I have loved every moment both good and bad, but ultimately, I just feel like I have a whole new perspective as a writer/director. Creatively this moment has taught me to always trust my gut and to never be afraid to go for what you believe in. Overall completing The Last Rite has absolutely strengthened me as a storyteller and my love for making movies.
The budget for the film was £27,000. How on earth did you manage to overcome the financial limitations to make such an accomplished film?...
Leroy, your debut feature film The Last Rite finally gets a UK release. It’s been quite a journey. How would you describe it?
I have loved every moment both good and bad, but ultimately, I just feel like I have a whole new perspective as a writer/director. Creatively this moment has taught me to always trust my gut and to never be afraid to go for what you believe in. Overall completing The Last Rite has absolutely strengthened me as a storyteller and my love for making movies.
The budget for the film was £27,000. How on earth did you manage to overcome the financial limitations to make such an accomplished film?...
- 4/7/2022
- by Phil Wheat
- Nerdly
The Last Rite, the feature debut from ex-Undertaker and professional wrestler turned filmmaker, Leroy Kincaide, will be released in the UK on Monday 4th April, courtesy of Koch Films. It will be available via Sky Store, Virgin Movies, Apple TV / iTunes and Amazon, as well Google Play, Rakuten TV and Xbox.
The supernatural horror stars newcomer Bethan Waller as Lucy, a medical student suffering from sleep paralysis, soon after moving in with her boyfriend. She finds herself plagued by a demonic entity, hell-bent on ripping her apart. With time running out and the dark force consuming her from within, Lucy is left with no alternative but to seek help from a local priest, But Father Roberts has a dilemma – does he obey orders or help Lucy by conducting his own exorcism against the will of the church?
Leroy said today: “After an incredible world premiere at Frightfest last year, I...
The supernatural horror stars newcomer Bethan Waller as Lucy, a medical student suffering from sleep paralysis, soon after moving in with her boyfriend. She finds herself plagued by a demonic entity, hell-bent on ripping her apart. With time running out and the dark force consuming her from within, Lucy is left with no alternative but to seek help from a local priest, But Father Roberts has a dilemma – does he obey orders or help Lucy by conducting his own exorcism against the will of the church?
Leroy said today: “After an incredible world premiere at Frightfest last year, I...
- 3/3/2022
- by Phil Wheat
- Nerdly
A relentless demonic force leads to a controversial exorcism in Leroy Kincaide’s The Last Rite, and with the film now in theaters and on VOD and Digital from Samuel Goldwyn Films, we've been provided with an exclusive clip to share with Daily Dead readers!
Below, you can check out our exclusive clip from The Last Rite, and we also have the official press release with additional details on the film:
Press Release: Los Angeles, CA – Samuel Goldwyn Films announced today that the company has acquired U.S. rights to Leroy Kincaide’s The Last Rite. The film stars Bethan Waller (Red Bird), Johnny Fleming (Soho), Kit Smith (Echoes), Tara Hoyos – Martinez (Trust), Ian Macnaughton (Monty Python’s Flying Circus), David Kerr (The Crown), Deborah Blake (Billionaire Boy).
Lucy, a study from home medical student and sleep paralysis victim, moves in with her boyfriend and finds out all is not as it seems,...
Below, you can check out our exclusive clip from The Last Rite, and we also have the official press release with additional details on the film:
Press Release: Los Angeles, CA – Samuel Goldwyn Films announced today that the company has acquired U.S. rights to Leroy Kincaide’s The Last Rite. The film stars Bethan Waller (Red Bird), Johnny Fleming (Soho), Kit Smith (Echoes), Tara Hoyos – Martinez (Trust), Ian Macnaughton (Monty Python’s Flying Circus), David Kerr (The Crown), Deborah Blake (Billionaire Boy).
Lucy, a study from home medical student and sleep paralysis victim, moves in with her boyfriend and finds out all is not as it seems,...
- 12/10/2021
- by Derek Anderson
- DailyDead
The Last Rite Photo: courtesy of Samuel Goldwyn Films
Leroy Kincaide does not come from the usual filmmaking background. He enjoyed a success as a wrestler and was a heavyweight champion before opting for a career change, getting into the film industry through acting and then making his own short works. His first feature, The Last Rite, will be released On Demand and on Digital on Friday 26 November. It’s the story of Lucy (Bethan Waller), a young woman who suffers from sleep paralysis and gradually becomes convinced that she’s being stalked by something supernatural, but who struggles to get anyone to listen and help. Set in suburban England and shorn of the trappings we usually associate with exorcism films, it’s a project which Leroy worked hard to keep anchored in reality. It’s also a very personal project, as he revealed when we sat down to talk...
Leroy Kincaide does not come from the usual filmmaking background. He enjoyed a success as a wrestler and was a heavyweight champion before opting for a career change, getting into the film industry through acting and then making his own short works. His first feature, The Last Rite, will be released On Demand and on Digital on Friday 26 November. It’s the story of Lucy (Bethan Waller), a young woman who suffers from sleep paralysis and gradually becomes convinced that she’s being stalked by something supernatural, but who struggles to get anyone to listen and help. Set in suburban England and shorn of the trappings we usually associate with exorcism films, it’s a project which Leroy worked hard to keep anchored in reality. It’s also a very personal project, as he revealed when we sat down to talk...
- 11/24/2021
- by Jennie Kermode
- eyeforfilm.co.uk
Exorcism films are a form of horror that you either get or you don’t. Viewers with religious backgrounds which incorporate belief in demonic possession tend to find them scary on a whole different level from the rest of us. But by combining that idea with themes around stalking and sleep paralysis, first time feature director (and former wrestling star) Leroy Kincaide has made a film with wider relevance, which many people will feel a connection to.
It all centres on Lucy (Bethan Waller), an ordinary young woman who nevertheless has her share of problems, with hints of a difficult childhood and a troubled relationship with her boyfriend Ben (Johnny Fleming). She’s been getting along well enough day to day, but things begin to go wrong as she gets the feeling that she’s being watched, that there’s some shadowy figure persistently present in her orbit. This may be connected – as cause.
It all centres on Lucy (Bethan Waller), an ordinary young woman who nevertheless has her share of problems, with hints of a difficult childhood and a troubled relationship with her boyfriend Ben (Johnny Fleming). She’s been getting along well enough day to day, but things begin to go wrong as she gets the feeling that she’s being watched, that there’s some shadowy figure persistently present in her orbit. This may be connected – as cause.
- 11/23/2021
- by Jennie Kermode
- eyeforfilm.co.uk
The Last Rite is releasing on November 26th from Samuel Goldwyn Films. Inspired by true events, this film premiered at Arrow Video FrightFest 2021 and is the is the directorial debut of wrester/actor Leroy Kincaide. Here’s the trailer:
Samuel Goldwyn Films announced today that the company has acquired U.S. rights to Leroy Kincaide’s The Last Rite. The film stars Bethan Waller (Red Bird), Johnny Fleming (Soho), Kit Smith (Echoes), Tara Hoyos – Martinez (Trust), Ian Macnaughton (Monty Python’s Flying Circus), David Kerr (The Crown), Deborah Blake (Billionaire Boy).
Lucy, a study from home medical student and sleep paralysis victim, moves in with her boyfriend and finds out all is not as it seems, when she falls prey to a demonic force hell bent on ripping her apart from within. Torn between sanity and the unknown, Lucy is left with no alternative but to contact a local priest, Father Roberts for help.
Samuel Goldwyn Films announced today that the company has acquired U.S. rights to Leroy Kincaide’s The Last Rite. The film stars Bethan Waller (Red Bird), Johnny Fleming (Soho), Kit Smith (Echoes), Tara Hoyos – Martinez (Trust), Ian Macnaughton (Monty Python’s Flying Circus), David Kerr (The Crown), Deborah Blake (Billionaire Boy).
Lucy, a study from home medical student and sleep paralysis victim, moves in with her boyfriend and finds out all is not as it seems, when she falls prey to a demonic force hell bent on ripping her apart from within. Torn between sanity and the unknown, Lucy is left with no alternative but to contact a local priest, Father Roberts for help.
- 10/7/2021
- by Tom Stockman
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
"Do you feel the presence with us now?" "Since the other night, it's never left." Goldwyn Films has revealed an official US trailer for an indie horror film called The Last Rite, marking the feature directorial debut of filmmaker Leroy Kincaide. This recently premiered at FrightFest in the UK, and opens in the US starting November later this fall. A medical student suffering from sleep paralysis finds herself plagued by a demonic entity, after moving in with her boyfriend. She is left with no alternative but to contact a local priest to try and get rid of the demon. Bethan Waller stars as Lucy, joined by Hella Stichlmair, Joe James, Tara Hoyos-Martinez, Johnny Fleming, Deborah Blake, and David Kerr. This looks like a mashup of all kinds of horror concepts - The Tall Man, exorcism, paralysis, possession, and a few other scares. Sleep well. Here's the official US trailer (+ poster...
- 10/7/2021
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
An official selection of FrightFest, it was announced today that Samuel Goldwyn Films has acquired U.S. rights to The Last Rite, a new exorcism horror film that’s said to be rooted in writer-director Leroy Kincaide‘s love of The Amityville Horror, Poltergeist, and The Exorcism of Emily Rose. It’s scheduled for release on November 26th, Bloody Disgusting learned. In the […]...
- 9/10/2021
- by Brad Miska
- bloody-disgusting.com
FrightFest’s Greg Day presents Prano Bailey-Bond with her award Photo: courtesy of Frightfest
Writer/director Prano Bailey-Bond received the Screen Genre Rising Star award last night for her first feature, Censor, at the Frightfest awards ceremony in London's Cineworld Leicester Square. "With this year's shortlist being as strong as ever, it takes a truly special talent to be crowned our Screen International/FrightFest Rising Star of 2021," said Screen''s Nikki Baughan.. "With Censor, writer/director Prano has created a truly exceptional film that leaves an indelible mark on first watch and reveals ever more of itself on multiple viewings; an impressive feat for any filmmaker, let alone one making her feature début,"
Censor
This year's shortlist included two other directors and two actors. Eric Steele was nominated for his distinctive vampire story Boy #5, along with Leroy Kincaide for demonic sleep paralysis-themed chiller The Last Rite. April Pearson made the list...
Writer/director Prano Bailey-Bond received the Screen Genre Rising Star award last night for her first feature, Censor, at the Frightfest awards ceremony in London's Cineworld Leicester Square. "With this year's shortlist being as strong as ever, it takes a truly special talent to be crowned our Screen International/FrightFest Rising Star of 2021," said Screen''s Nikki Baughan.. "With Censor, writer/director Prano has created a truly exceptional film that leaves an indelible mark on first watch and reveals ever more of itself on multiple viewings; an impressive feat for any filmmaker, let alone one making her feature début,"
Censor
This year's shortlist included two other directors and two actors. Eric Steele was nominated for his distinctive vampire story Boy #5, along with Leroy Kincaide for demonic sleep paralysis-themed chiller The Last Rite. April Pearson made the list...
- 9/1/2021
- by Jennie Kermode
- eyeforfilm.co.uk
Bailey-Bond wins the award for feature debut ’Censor’.
UK director Prano Bailey-Bond has won the Screen FrightFest Genre Rising Star award for 2021 for her debut feature Censor.
Bailey-Bond received the award in person on Monday, August 30 at the Cineworld Leicester Square in London. The psychological horror is set in 1985 and follows a film censor who, after viewing a familiar video nasty, sets out to solve the past mystery of her sister’s disappearance.
The film had its world premiere this year at the Sundance Film Festival and screened at the Berlinale 2021 as well as at the Sarajevo Film Festival earlier this month,...
UK director Prano Bailey-Bond has won the Screen FrightFest Genre Rising Star award for 2021 for her debut feature Censor.
Bailey-Bond received the award in person on Monday, August 30 at the Cineworld Leicester Square in London. The psychological horror is set in 1985 and follows a film censor who, after viewing a familiar video nasty, sets out to solve the past mystery of her sister’s disappearance.
The film had its world premiere this year at the Sundance Film Festival and screened at the Berlinale 2021 as well as at the Sarajevo Film Festival earlier this month,...
- 8/31/2021
- by Melissa Kasule
- ScreenDaily
Ahead of the world premiere screening of his debut feature film The Last Rite, writer / director Leroy Kincaide talks about his new movie, the enlightenment of being an undertaker, his personal experiences with sleep paralysis and the ‘badassery’ of 80s horror movies.
Leroy, you began your working life as an Undertaker. How did that come about?
I was introduced to the undertaking industry through my uncle who was also an undertaker at the time. I was only 17 when I took the job, They had a vacancy and I needed the work, so I guess I sort of just fell into the role as I had no real education when I left school. I worked there for just over a year and probably did upwards of 400-500 funerals in that time. I found it a very enlightening and uplifting experience as it taught me the value and perspective of life at a very early age.
Leroy, you began your working life as an Undertaker. How did that come about?
I was introduced to the undertaking industry through my uncle who was also an undertaker at the time. I was only 17 when I took the job, They had a vacancy and I needed the work, so I guess I sort of just fell into the role as I had no real education when I left school. I worked there for just over a year and probably did upwards of 400-500 funerals in that time. I found it a very enlightening and uplifting experience as it taught me the value and perspective of life at a very early age.
- 8/18/2021
- by Phil Wheat
- Nerdly
Nominees include ‘Censor’ director Prano Bailey-Bond.
UK genre festival FrightFest has chosen three directors and two actors on the shortlist for its 2021 Genre Rising Star award, presented by Screen.
This year’s shortlist includes writer-director Prano Bailey-Bond for her debut feature Censor, about a film censor who gets lost between fiction and reality. Bailey-Bond was named a Screen Star of Tomorrow in 2018, and met fellow Star Niamh Algar at an event for the selection, going on to cast her as the lead in Censor.
Also nominated for the FrightFest award is Leroy Kincaide for debut feature The Last Rite, which he wrote,...
UK genre festival FrightFest has chosen three directors and two actors on the shortlist for its 2021 Genre Rising Star award, presented by Screen.
This year’s shortlist includes writer-director Prano Bailey-Bond for her debut feature Censor, about a film censor who gets lost between fiction and reality. Bailey-Bond was named a Screen Star of Tomorrow in 2018, and met fellow Star Niamh Algar at an event for the selection, going on to cast her as the lead in Censor.
Also nominated for the FrightFest award is Leroy Kincaide for debut feature The Last Rite, which he wrote,...
- 8/9/2021
- by Ben Dalton
- ScreenDaily
Leroy Kincaide's The Last Rite is set to have its world premiere at the famed Arrow Video FrightFest next month. This is the writing and directorial debut of the British ex-pro wrestler. Today the teaser trailer have come our way. Check it out down below. The Last Rite, the stunning feature debut from ex-Undertaker and professional wrestler turned actor / film director, Leroy Kincaide, will have its World premiere at Arrow Video FrightFest on Saturday August 28 at the Cineworld, Leicester Sq. The supernatural horror stars newcomer Bethan Waller as Lucy, a medical student suffering from sleep paralysis, soon after moving in with her boyfriend. She finds herself plagued by a demonic entity, hell bent on ripping her apart. With time running out...
[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...
[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...
- 7/26/2021
- Screen Anarchy
An official selection of FrightFest, we now have the first teaser trailer for The Last Rite, a new exorcism horror film that’s said to be rooted in writer-director Leroy Kincaide‘s love of The Amityville Horror, Poltergeist, and The Exorcism of Emily Rose. In the film… “A medical student suffering from sleep paralysis finds herself plagued by a demonic entity […]...
- 7/26/2021
- by Brad Miska
- bloody-disgusting.com
Genre festival to open with ‘Train To Busan Presents: Peninsula’.
South Korean zombie thriller Train To Busan Presents: Peninsula will open UK genre festival FrightFest on October 22 ahead of its UK release by Studiocanal on November 6.
The festival will host 34 features in central London from October 22-25 and has secured seven world premieres and two European premieres.
It will close with the world premiere of US horror Held, directed by Chris Lofing and Travis Cluff, the filmmaking duo behind The Gallows franchise.
Further world premieres include Will Jewell’s Concrete Plans; Leroy Kincaide’s The Last Rite; and Dune Drifter from Marc Price,...
South Korean zombie thriller Train To Busan Presents: Peninsula will open UK genre festival FrightFest on October 22 ahead of its UK release by Studiocanal on November 6.
The festival will host 34 features in central London from October 22-25 and has secured seven world premieres and two European premieres.
It will close with the world premiere of US horror Held, directed by Chris Lofing and Travis Cluff, the filmmaking duo behind The Gallows franchise.
Further world premieres include Will Jewell’s Concrete Plans; Leroy Kincaide’s The Last Rite; and Dune Drifter from Marc Price,...
- 9/17/2020
- by Michael Rosser
- ScreenDaily
Padraig Cotter Jun 22, 2017
The Max Payne movie failed to capture the essence of the videogame - but a new fan film is having a go...
The original Max Payne videogame feels like the result of its developers spending a weekend bingeing on The Matrix and various John Woo movies, while taking the occasional break to read some Raymond Chandler novels. It was a stylish, fluid third-person shooter that made heavy use of slow motion and bullet time, with the story being told through graphic novel panels. Max himself was an insanely cool lead character, and the game went on to become a major hit. It spawned two further games – released in 2003 and 2011 respectively – and remains a cult favourite to this day.
It also spawned – like pretty much every successful video game – a movie adaptation in 2008. Mark Wahlberg took on the title role, with Mila Kunis playing Max’s love interest Mona. While the movie made a modest profit it did little to impress critics, with the harshest judgements coming from the fan base itself.
The movie is essentially forgotten now and is on the same video game movie scrapheap that also houses Hitman: Agent 47 and Tekken. On the flipside of the coin is Max Payne: Retribution, a 2017 fan produced short that manages to recreate the unique feel of the game for a fraction of the cost. For the sake of an experiment let’s contrast the two adaptations, and see if passion and creativity are any match for a Hollywood budget and a major star.
Max Payne: Retribution (2017)
This short doesn’t adapt any particular storyline from the series, and instead feels like a mash-up between the original game and its sequel. The story involves Max – still eternally grieving for his murdered family – trying to save Mona Sax from Jack Lupino (played by director Leroy Kincaide), a drug kingpin with a nasty Devil worshipping hobby. It’s a contained story that gradually builds to an epic gunfight in a drug warehouse.
Fan films are often well-meaning and filled with passion, but are let down by a lack of budget, acting talent or filmmaking ability. It’s one thing to get actors and dressed them up like video game characters, but it’s another thing entirely to breathe life into it. Thankfully Max Payne: Retribution manages to bypass a lot of those potential pitfalls, coming across as a sincere tribute to the franchise.
A love for the material is evident in every frame, from the countless Easter eggs (Max drinking Kong whisky, Address Unknown playing on the television etc) to the faithful recreation of the main characters. Actor Joan James Muixi certainly has the look of old school Max and does a good job with the stylised dialogue. Sadly he lacks the gruff authority of original voice actor James McCaffrey, but then again replicating McCaffrey’s distinct sound is near impossible anyway.
The attention to detail of the short is impressive, especially given Retribution’s modest £1500 budget. The budgetary stretch marks are visible in certain sets or effect shots, but what the crew was able to achieve on that amount is impressive. It has a slick cinematic look, from a moody early scene of Max washing his face while bathed in neon to the warehouse finale. This sequence manages to cram in all the classic elements of the game too; slo-mo, duel wielding and even a spot of bullet time, and it’s a nicely choreographed shootout.
Like many fan films it’s not flawless. Some line readings feel off and a few scenes play out a little long, but Retribution remains a stylish ode that understands what made the series so interesting in the first place. That, and the moment Max picks up another handgun and prepares to dive, should be enough to produce a smirk in even the most jaded fan.
Max Payne (2008)
There are certain characters and franchises that are fundamentally aimed at adults, and trying to tone them down for a lower rating usually ends in disaster; think Live Free Or Die Hard or Alien Vs Predator. Max Payne is a game defined by a high bodycount and bloodshed, so the decision to make it a PG-13 movie was already a sign it was walking down the wrong path.
Before I start beating the film with a stick, let’s start with some positives. The film looks gorgeous, making the snowy New York where the story is set look like a beautiful wasteland. Director John Moore may not be a master storyteller but he’s got a great eye, and clearly had a blast shooting this neo-noir flick. The Valkyrie creatures are an odd inclusion, but they again make for a striking visual, which Moore milks whenever possible. The action scenes – when they arrive – are fun, with Max’s drugged out rampage in the finale injecting the glum thriller with a bit of adrenaline.
That’s pretty much it though, with many of the film's issues running deep. A big one is Mark Wahlberg and his characterization of Max. In the game he may be moody, but he also has a glib sense of humour and his inner monologue made him endearing. Here he’s a mopey, humourless git, and Wahlberg plays him with that singular note throughout. Kunis is completely miscast too, utterly failing to come across as a badass assassin. The rest of the cast are a mixed bag, but nobody here is doing their best work.
The game is almost non-stop action, where the movie is a meandering thriller for the most part. It often feels padded out with useless scenes, like Mona visiting a crime boss who has no bearing on the plot or a bizarre cameo by singer Nelly Furtado. There’s a remarkable lack of action in the first half too, and while it’s not half bad when it arrives, the PG-13 rating sands off the harsher edges.
The video game movie genre has a long history of disappointing fans, and while Max Payne is far from the worst, it was still a major letdown. The pervading feeling is nobody really cared about the material; Wahlberg admitted he didn’t play the game and the movie makes bizarre changes to the source. It doesn’t even feature a scene where Max dives through the air with a Beretta in each hand, which is just about the biggest sin of all.
I remember a friend – who is a big Max Payne fan – summarising it best, “Remember that bit in the game where Max walks around for an hour not shooting anyone? Of course not. That would be boring.”
The Winner: Max Payne: Retribution
It may lack a little spit and polish, but the makers of Max Payne: Retribution took a tiny budget and a lot of passion and funnelled it into a stylish adaptation. Fans should definitely seek it out, and it might help ease the payneful (sorry) gap between games. There’s talk of the makers of Retribution being in discussion with Max Payne publisher Take-Two Interactive about developing a TV series based on the short.
On the evidence shown here, that could be something very fun indeed.
Max Payne: Retribution will be available to view on the official YouTube page from June 24th.
The Max Payne movie failed to capture the essence of the videogame - but a new fan film is having a go...
The original Max Payne videogame feels like the result of its developers spending a weekend bingeing on The Matrix and various John Woo movies, while taking the occasional break to read some Raymond Chandler novels. It was a stylish, fluid third-person shooter that made heavy use of slow motion and bullet time, with the story being told through graphic novel panels. Max himself was an insanely cool lead character, and the game went on to become a major hit. It spawned two further games – released in 2003 and 2011 respectively – and remains a cult favourite to this day.
It also spawned – like pretty much every successful video game – a movie adaptation in 2008. Mark Wahlberg took on the title role, with Mila Kunis playing Max’s love interest Mona. While the movie made a modest profit it did little to impress critics, with the harshest judgements coming from the fan base itself.
The movie is essentially forgotten now and is on the same video game movie scrapheap that also houses Hitman: Agent 47 and Tekken. On the flipside of the coin is Max Payne: Retribution, a 2017 fan produced short that manages to recreate the unique feel of the game for a fraction of the cost. For the sake of an experiment let’s contrast the two adaptations, and see if passion and creativity are any match for a Hollywood budget and a major star.
Max Payne: Retribution (2017)
This short doesn’t adapt any particular storyline from the series, and instead feels like a mash-up between the original game and its sequel. The story involves Max – still eternally grieving for his murdered family – trying to save Mona Sax from Jack Lupino (played by director Leroy Kincaide), a drug kingpin with a nasty Devil worshipping hobby. It’s a contained story that gradually builds to an epic gunfight in a drug warehouse.
Fan films are often well-meaning and filled with passion, but are let down by a lack of budget, acting talent or filmmaking ability. It’s one thing to get actors and dressed them up like video game characters, but it’s another thing entirely to breathe life into it. Thankfully Max Payne: Retribution manages to bypass a lot of those potential pitfalls, coming across as a sincere tribute to the franchise.
A love for the material is evident in every frame, from the countless Easter eggs (Max drinking Kong whisky, Address Unknown playing on the television etc) to the faithful recreation of the main characters. Actor Joan James Muixi certainly has the look of old school Max and does a good job with the stylised dialogue. Sadly he lacks the gruff authority of original voice actor James McCaffrey, but then again replicating McCaffrey’s distinct sound is near impossible anyway.
The attention to detail of the short is impressive, especially given Retribution’s modest £1500 budget. The budgetary stretch marks are visible in certain sets or effect shots, but what the crew was able to achieve on that amount is impressive. It has a slick cinematic look, from a moody early scene of Max washing his face while bathed in neon to the warehouse finale. This sequence manages to cram in all the classic elements of the game too; slo-mo, duel wielding and even a spot of bullet time, and it’s a nicely choreographed shootout.
Like many fan films it’s not flawless. Some line readings feel off and a few scenes play out a little long, but Retribution remains a stylish ode that understands what made the series so interesting in the first place. That, and the moment Max picks up another handgun and prepares to dive, should be enough to produce a smirk in even the most jaded fan.
Max Payne (2008)
There are certain characters and franchises that are fundamentally aimed at adults, and trying to tone them down for a lower rating usually ends in disaster; think Live Free Or Die Hard or Alien Vs Predator. Max Payne is a game defined by a high bodycount and bloodshed, so the decision to make it a PG-13 movie was already a sign it was walking down the wrong path.
Before I start beating the film with a stick, let’s start with some positives. The film looks gorgeous, making the snowy New York where the story is set look like a beautiful wasteland. Director John Moore may not be a master storyteller but he’s got a great eye, and clearly had a blast shooting this neo-noir flick. The Valkyrie creatures are an odd inclusion, but they again make for a striking visual, which Moore milks whenever possible. The action scenes – when they arrive – are fun, with Max’s drugged out rampage in the finale injecting the glum thriller with a bit of adrenaline.
That’s pretty much it though, with many of the film's issues running deep. A big one is Mark Wahlberg and his characterization of Max. In the game he may be moody, but he also has a glib sense of humour and his inner monologue made him endearing. Here he’s a mopey, humourless git, and Wahlberg plays him with that singular note throughout. Kunis is completely miscast too, utterly failing to come across as a badass assassin. The rest of the cast are a mixed bag, but nobody here is doing their best work.
The game is almost non-stop action, where the movie is a meandering thriller for the most part. It often feels padded out with useless scenes, like Mona visiting a crime boss who has no bearing on the plot or a bizarre cameo by singer Nelly Furtado. There’s a remarkable lack of action in the first half too, and while it’s not half bad when it arrives, the PG-13 rating sands off the harsher edges.
The video game movie genre has a long history of disappointing fans, and while Max Payne is far from the worst, it was still a major letdown. The pervading feeling is nobody really cared about the material; Wahlberg admitted he didn’t play the game and the movie makes bizarre changes to the source. It doesn’t even feature a scene where Max dives through the air with a Beretta in each hand, which is just about the biggest sin of all.
I remember a friend – who is a big Max Payne fan – summarising it best, “Remember that bit in the game where Max walks around for an hour not shooting anyone? Of course not. That would be boring.”
The Winner: Max Payne: Retribution
It may lack a little spit and polish, but the makers of Max Payne: Retribution took a tiny budget and a lot of passion and funnelled it into a stylish adaptation. Fans should definitely seek it out, and it might help ease the payneful (sorry) gap between games. There’s talk of the makers of Retribution being in discussion with Max Payne publisher Take-Two Interactive about developing a TV series based on the short.
On the evidence shown here, that could be something very fun indeed.
Max Payne: Retribution will be available to view on the official YouTube page from June 24th.
- 6/20/2017
- Den of Geek
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