#Adam J. Minnick | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

glenngaylord · 4 years

Text

OUTFEST 2020 FILM REVIEW: THE CARNIVORES (3 1/2 Stars)

Over the years, too many LGBTQ+ films have relied on tired tropes to tell our stories. Coming out angst, U-haul lesbians, and drugged out circuit queens have seemingly been done to death. Imagine my surprise while watching writer/director Caleb Johnson’s The Carnivores, which on the surface trots out the old chestnut of Lesbian Bed Death, yet manages to find an imaginative, and highly cinematic way of telling its tale.

Alice (Tallie Medel), a bank teller, and Bret (Lindsay Burdge), a postal worker, have been together long enough to never have sex anymore. We know this because Alice keeps scrupulous records. Bret seems more dedicated to her dying dog Harvie than to Alice. Johnson perfectly establishes the fracture in their relationship right away as we catch them searching their neighborhood for their missing pup. Bret appears laser-focused and ferocious, whereas Alice seems adrift.

Alice also seems half-hearted about their vegan lifestyle as she finds herself hypnotized in the meat section at their local Austin supermarket. As we dive deeper into Alice’s crumbling mindset, it’s easy to see her obsession as a metaphor for the carnality she craves in her relationship. Although the two clearly love each other, Alice, in no uncertain terms, wants the heat back. Trying everything she can to make that happen, Alice either imagines or resorts to a more diabolical option. It’s hard to tell since Johnson puts us inside her head, and our unreliable narrator refuses to make that an easy place to stay.

Johnson who shot the film with his cinematographer Adam J. Minnick, has a wonderfully fluid style, hypnotizing the audience while simultaneously throwing us off track. Using shallow focus, intense closeups, and fractured editing techniques, Johnson eschews any type of camp sensibility in favor of an odd mixture of surrealism and naturalism. Although extremely humorous at times, The Carnivores explores mental illness in a very serious way. Still, it’s impossible not to laugh during the multiple break room scenes Alice has with her co-worker Roland (Vincent James Prendergast), who doles out ridiculous advice on any subject, especially ones he knows nothing about.

Burdge and Medel, who contributed dialogue to the script along with co-writer Jeff Bay Smith, also excel, each with their own unique approaches to their roles. Both never shy away from appearing unsympathetic, yet they also have found nuanced ways to convey their closeness and also how they can hurt each other. One moment, in which Bret informs Alice that she’s known her dog a good two years before she knew her, proves a chilling way to get under someone’s skin.

Although difficult to categorize, the film mixes together thriller elements along with psychodrama, and a bit of David Lynch-ian oddness. It may seem a little too slender, especially with its 74 minute running time, but I’ve never seen anything quite like it. The filmmaker and his actors have no fear of getting bloody and dirty, literally. It’s a film filled with angry, damaged people who ache for something better. If you’ve ever been in a relationship filled with overwhelming problems, yet had a deep desire to make things work, the journey Alice and Bret take in The Carnivores will sate your hunger.

0 notes

fearsmagazine · 3 years

Text

THE CARNIVORES - Review

DISTRIBUTOR: Dark Sky Films

SYNOPSIS: Alice and Bret’s dog, Harvie, is dying and he’s ruining everything. What had been a bright little family is quickly being consumed by clouds of self-doubt, suspicion, and a disturbing amount of ground beef. As the stress on Alice, a vegan, manifests in increasingly strange ways involving sleepwalking and a fascination with meat, she plans to get rid of Harvie to reclaim Bret’s love. But when Alice wakes one night holding an empty leash with no sign of Harvie except his severed ear, she begins to fear she's become a monster. As each woman sets out in search of what's been lost, Alice and Bret uncover parts of each other they never suspected, hideous and beautiful alike.

REVIEW: The best way to sum up THE CARNIVORES is - two vegan lesbians with issues and their dog, who live in Austin, TX. Hey, keep Austin weird! The filmmakers do a solid job of maintaining the city’s anonymity. As I was watching the film I thought it might be Portland, OR. Keep Portland weird! Regardless of the city, the film is an incredibly bizarre comedy reminiscent in many ways of the 1989 film “Parents,” which was directed by the amazing Bob Balaban. Even with all its exteriors and additional locations, there is an aspect to the film that feels like it could have been adapted from a theatrical production.

THE CARNIVORES is one of those special films where it is a delicate balance of screenplay, directing, and casting that all come together to create a memorable cinematic experience. It all starts with two very fractured personalities that are attempting to have a relationship. Bret, played by actress Lindsay Burdge, is a postal worker with an unhealthy attachment to her dog. Actress Tallie Medel plays Alice who is attempting to adapt to a vegan lifestyle and be supportive of Bret’s issues with her dog, in hopes of maintaining whatever their relationship is. At the beginning we see how the pressures are causing Alice to fray around the emotional edges, but Bret only comes unhinged rather quickly when Harvie goes missing. Here are two characters that are primed for a mental breakdown and the fireworks are spectacular. Adding to the overall weirdness of the film are the even more peculiar and strange characters that surround their lives. They feel like people from an alternate reality we might have encountered in our workplace or while taking public transportation.

Filmmaker Caleb Michael Johnson does an excellent job of working with his cast to create characters with an instability or tick, but they remain grounded. They could easily come across as caricatures or clichés, but are presented as damaged people on a weird journey. The film is an excellent collection of memorable performances and set pieces. The nice touch to this edgy satire is that the only normal “person” in the whole story is the dog.

Caleb Michael Johnson is a skilled filmmaker who conveys an unbalanced reality that connects with the viewer and sets them on edge. His characters may feel grounded, yet he manages a frenetic energy that resonates up to the closing of the film. There are quiet moments where you feel the underlying tension of the characters emotional instability and are riveted by the potential outcome.

The costumes and locations feel authentic and help maintain the viewers immersion in the story. Having been to Austin, the cinematography captures the tone and mood of the city and complements the narrative.

Caleb Michael Johnson’s THE CARNIVORES is a weird, contemporary, dramedy that is wonderfully written, masterfully directed, and features a memorable cast of characters. I thoroughly enjoyed this wickedly delightful film that is undoubtedly one of my favorite films of 2021. I have to say it, but it is a film that keeps the “weird” in “Keep Austin Weird!” Although I’m not sure this would be a recommended date night film, I think your pooch might find it entertaining.

CAST: Lindsay Burdge, Tallie Medel, Vincent James Prendergast, Thomas Fernandes, Frank Mosley, and Aiden the dog as Harvie CREW: Director/Screenplay/Editor/Special Effects/Visual Effects - Caleb Michael Johnson; Screenplay - Jeff Bay Smith; Producers - Thomas Fernandes, Adam J. Minnick, Jeff Bay Smith, and Ted Speaker; Cinematographers - Caleb Michael Johnson & Adam J. Minnick; Score - Curtis Heath; Production Designer - Scott Colquitt; Special Effects - Danie Plott; Visual Effects - Glenn Dill & Daniel Stuyck. OFFICIAL: N.A. FACEBOOK: www.facebook.com/The-Carnivores-107241998233732/ TWITTER: N.A. TRAILER: https://youtu.be/oshBF1b3RzI RELEASE DATE: In Theaters and VOD/Digital Platforms June 4th, 2021

**Until we can all head back into the theaters our “COVID Reel Value” will be similar to how you rate a film on digital platforms - 👍 (Like), 👌 (It’s just okay), or 👎 (Dislike) Reviewed by Joseph B Mauceri

#film review #movie review #the carnivores #THECARNIVORESMOVIE #Dark Sky Films #caleb michael johnson #lindsay burdge #tallie medel #horror #satir #romance #LGBTQ #joseph mauceri #joseph b mauceri

1 note · View note