“Renfield,” a new horror comedy starring Nicholas Hoult as the beleaguered familiar to the Prince of Darkness (Nicolas Cage), pays homage to the menace of Universal’s 1931 “Dracula,” while adding some fun with the addition of gory laughs.
Hoult is Robert Montagu Renfield, an assistant to the narcissistic Count Dracula, galvanized with just enough vampiric power to be able to subdue victims for his master’s pleasure.
“Renfield,” sneers Dracula, “your sole purpose is to serve me! Now let’s eat!”
Together for almost 100 years, Renfield spent most of that time eating bugs and risking life and limb to provide for Dracula’s voracious appetite. He’s at his wit’s end, but it’s not until his latest job, looking for potential victims at a counselling group for people trapped in toxic relationships, turns from a hunting ground to a self-actualization session, that he has a moment of clarity.
“I will no longer tolerate abuse,” he says, after listening to the stories shared by the group. “I deserve happiness.”
His journey to a normal life begins with Rebecca Quincy (Awkwafina), a New Orleans traffic cop still stinging from the loss of her father at the hands of the violent Lobo crime family run by Ella (Shohreh Aghdashloo). When Renfield uses his Dracula-given powers to save Rebecca and others from mob enforcer Teddy Lobo (Ben Schwartz), he is seen as a hero for the first time in his life. Empowered, he now faces his greatest enemy, his employer Dracula.
“I will unleash an army of death,” Dracula threatens. “Everyone you care about will suffer because you betrayed me.”
Perhaps an alternate title for “Renfield” might have been “Dracula: I’m OK, You’re OK.” A mix of Bram Stoker and group therapy pioneer Joseph H. Pratt, it is a modern interpretation of the Dracula legend and therapeutic treatment that doesn’t take itself too seriously. The blend of self-help and horror is absurd, but director Chris McKay keeps his foot on the pedal, barreling through the story and recreating vampire lore–in this version, for instance, eating bugs isn’t a sign of madness, it gives Renfield superhero ability—with the efficiency of Van Helsing’s stake carver.
In on the fun are the dueling Nics, Hoult and Cage. This is the hapless Renfield’s story, so his search for freedom and redemption takes a chomp out of the film’s economical 90-minute running time, allowing Hoult to go from sniveling supernatural servant to empowered paladin at a quick pace. It’s a fun, lightweight performance, that works whether he’s opposite Awkwafina, who plays it broad, or Cage who is equal parts creepy, campy and dangerous.
With a mouthful of needle-like teeth, super strength and an uncanny resemblance to Bela Lugosi, Cage sinks his teeth into Dracula in a performance that benefits from the actor’s gonzo approach. He is supernatural, but his narcissistic “I’m the real victim here!” attitude is deeply human, often hilarious and is the lifeblood of the film.
“Renfield” is based on an original pitch by Robert Kirkman, co-creator of “The Walking Dead,” so you know it will deliver the old-school splatter, but it is the way it updates and pays homage to the Dracula legend, filtered through some very dark comedy, that gives it its bite.
Richard speaks to “CTV News at 11:30” anchor Andria Case about television and movies to watch this weekend including the musical drama “The Cuban,” the meta horror film “Random Acts of Violence” and the rock ‘n’ roll documentary “Creem: America’s Only Rock ‘N’ Roll Magazine.”
Richard sits in on the CTV NewsChannel with host Marcia MacMillan to have a look at the new movies coming to VOD, streaming services and drive-ins including the musical drama “The Cuban,” the meta horror film “Random Acts of Violence,” the rock ‘n’ roll documentary “Creem: America’s Only Rock ‘N’ Roll Magazine” and the new Nicolas Cage movie “Primal.”
Richard sits in on the CFRA Ottawa morning show with guest host Matt Harris to talk the new movies coming to VOD and streaming services including the soulful drama “The Cuban,” the meta horror film “Random Acts of Violence,” the rock ‘n’ roll documentary “Creem: America’s Only Rock ‘N’ Roll Magazine” and the new Nicolas Cage movie “Primal.”
A testament to the healing power of music and friendship, “The Cuban,” now playing at drive ins, makes the most of strong performances from Louis Gossett Jr., Shohreh Aghdashloo and “Degrassi: The Next Generation” alum Ana Golja, to tell a story that brims with heart.
Golja is nineteen-year-old Mina Ayoub, a pre-med student who gave up her dream of becoming a musician after she was orphaned in Afghanistan and sent to Canada to live with her aunt Bano (Aghdashloo). In Afghanistan Bano had been a doctor, but, stropped of her credentials when she immigrated, she now works as the administrator of a long-term care home. Her dream is to see her niece practice medicine, but Mina dreams of the long-ago days she and her grandfather would make music together.
Working at the care home, Mina meets Luis (Gossett Jr.), an elderly man in the late stages of Alzheimer’s Disease. Nearly catatonic, he is non-communicative, staring blankly into space, until Mina hums a familiar jazz tune. He responds, and soon she creates her own brand of musical therapy to help Luis remember his past. And what a past. He tells her of his career as a famous musician in Cuba and the love of his life Elana. Despite objections from the other care home staff who think Mina is overstepping medical boundaries, she continues out of affection for Luis who reminds her of her musical grandfather.
“The Cuban” could easily have been too earnest by half, a coming-of-age movie with heart tugging moments scored to a toe tapping soundtrack but the poignant performances elevate the predictable story.
Gossett Jr., who is silent for much of the running time, finds multitudes in the character. Luis’ life is scarred by loss and loneliness, and he carries that with him, but the sheer joy that he exudes when he hears or makes music shows the profound effect it has had on his life. The actor finds poignancy in the performance and never overdoes it.
Aghdashloo does domineering really well, but her overprotective streak toward Mina is tempered by, like everything else in this movie, by love.
Golja plays off both of them very well, allowing the relationships to take front and centre, holding her own with her seasoned co-stars.
“The Cuban” works best when it focusses on those relationships. It wanders some when Mina gets a love interest and during the larger scale musical fantasy sequence but as a story of the curative power of music, it works, has a good beat and you can dance to it.
The Cuban is on a Canada-wide drive-in theatre summer tour starting at the 5 Drive-In in Oakville with more dates at the 5 Drive-in tba. Additional dates currently confirmed include the Newmarket Drive In on Aug 5th, the Sunset Barrie Drive In on Aug 11th, and Starlite Drive-In Stoney Creek Drive In on Aug 19th. The movie is also starting to book some indoor cinemas and is booked into the Regina Rainbow Theatre Aug 14-16 and the Roxy in Saskatoon on Aug 15th.
Check out episode twenty-six of Richard’s web series, “In Isolation With…” It’s the talk show where we make a connection without actually making contact! Today, broadcasting directly from Isolation Studios (a.k.a. my home office), we meet an actor who won an Academy Award winning role for playing Gunnery Sergeant Emil Foley in the film An Officer and a Gentleman and an Emmy Award for his role as Fiddler in the television miniseries Roots. From Broadway Louis Gossett Jr made the movie to film, starring in A Raisin in the Sun in 1961, and has been busy ever since. With nearly 70 years as an actor and activist under his belt, he’s still working, starring on the critically acclaimed television series Watchmen and starring in a new film called The Cuban.
In it he plays an elderly man in the late stages of Alzheimer’s Disease. Nearly catatonic, he is non-communicative, staring blankly into space, until his nurse hums a familiar jazz tune. He responds, and soon she creates her own brand of musical therapy to help Luis remember his past. And what a past. He tells her of his career as a famous musician in Cuba and the love of his life Elana.
Louis Gossett Jr., who is silent for much of the running time, finds multitudes in the character. The character’s life is scarred by loss and loneliness, and he carries that with him, but the sheer joy that he exudes when he hears or makes music shows the profound effect it has had on his life. The actor finds poignancy in the performance and never overdoes it.
The Cuban is a testament to the healing power of music and friendship and kicks off a Canada-wide drive-in theatre summer tour on Tuesday the 28th at the 5 Drive-In in Oakville. Check local listings for a location near you.
Let’s get to know Louis Gossett Jr.
Watch the whole thing HERE on YouTube or HERE on ctvnews.ca!
Richard sits in with CTV NewsChannel anchor Marcia MacMillan to have a look at the big weekend movies, the great ape flick “Kong: Skull Island,” the Shirley MacLaine dramedy “The Last Word” and the animated “Window Horses.”
“Window Horses” is an animated cultural comedy of errors from Asian-Canadian director Ann Marie Fleming.
Rosie Ming (voiced by Sandra Oh) is a twenty year-old half Chinese, half Iranian fast food worker and poet. Raised by her overprotective Chinese grandparents (voiced by Nancy Kwan and Eddy Ko) following her mother’s death and father’s disappearance, she has dreams of one day visiting France, but so far has never been outside Canada.
When her self-published book of poetry, “My Eye Full, Poems by a Person Who Has Never Been to France,” earns her an invitation a festival she’s thrilled, even if it will take her to Shiraz, Iran, not France. Upon arrival the beret wearing Francophile learns about the father she never met and, through poetry, learns the healing power of art and to embrace a culture she was connected to but knew nothing about.
Fleming uses a variety of animators and a who’s who of Canadian talent, like Ellen Page and Don McKellar, and Iranian film legends Peyman Moaadi and Shohreh Aghdashloo, to bring Rose’s journey to life. It’s a beautifully whimsical about curiosity, finding a voice and staying open.
The director’s avatar—a stick figure that has appeared in her other short animated films—represents Rosie. The character’s lack of expression is more than compensated for in Oh’s vivid vocal performance. Visually she’s a blank slate who grows throughout to become a fully rounded character.
“Window Horses” is a gentle, airy film that cuts through the complicated clutter of everyday life with a simple message of peace, love and understanding.
“Renfield,” a new horror comedy starring Nicholas Hoult as the beleaguered familiar to the Prince of Darkness (Nicolas Cage), pays homage to the menace of Universal’s 1931 “Dracula,” while adding some fun with the addition of gory laughs.
