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Donald Trump V. The United States
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In the early days of the Trump presidency, the people who work in the institutions that make America...
The Condemnation of Blackness: Race, Crime, and the Making of Modern Urban America
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Winner of the John Hope Franklin Prize A Moyers & Company Best Book of the Year “A brilliant work...
Quad City Killers
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Quad City Killers: Murderous Fun for the Whole Family! QCK is created in the style of an 80s...
Heather Cranmer (2721 KP) created a post
Feb 22, 2023
Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated Phoenix Incident (2016) in Movies
Aug 6, 2019
Today’s selection, for your consideration, is another movie from the ‘found footage’ genre. I know I know. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again … ‘The Blair Witch Project’ pretty much broke ground and played out that genre in the timespan of a single film. Hear me out though, cause the folks responsible for today’s selection tapped into the world of science fiction and ufos (and somewhat of a larger budget) to make this movie and the result is I believe a movie worthy enough to add to the selection of your Friday/Saturday night scary movie marathon. I’d even give it B-Movie/Cult Film status.
‘The Phoenix Incident’ is a documentary/sci-fi/thriller written and directed by Keith Arem and stars Yuri Lowenthal, Travis Willingham, Jamie Tisdale, Liam O’Brian, James C. Burns, Troy Baker, and Michael Adamthwaite. Based on the infamous ‘Phoenix Lights’ ufo incident which occurred on Thursday, March 13th 1997, the film merges the fictional disappearance of four local men and a military conspiracy with the factual account of thousands of people seeing what was described as a squadron or fleet of ufos seen traveling from the Nevada state line all the way to Phoenix, Arizona and later as far south as Mexico. The whole event was later attributed to a series of flares deployed as part of a trading exercise by A-10 Warthogs of U.S. National Guard (accounts vary by reports made by various media, law enforcement, and military outlets).
After overcoming a brief car accident outside of town and a brief but hostile encounter with a local religious fanatic, four of the five friends take off on their ATVs for an afternoon in the desert terrain surrounding Phoenix. As the friends are traversing the terrain and recording live video of their afternoon they suddenly spot a huge military presence consisting of warplanes, troop carriers, and attack helicopters racing into the desert at high speed. Intrigued and perhaps far too curious, the group of friends decide to try and follow the aircraft further into the desert as seen through their own camera footage. Darkness soon falls and the men become witnesses themselves to the mass UFO incident occurring over their town. Soon after though, their outing descends into absolute chaos as they become witnesses to something else. Something horrifying that will lead them into the unknown where their ultimate fate will become a mystery all its own. Included with the footage of the group are interviews with family and friends of the four missing men as well as interviews with law enforcement officials who each have different theories on what happened to the four friends. Intertwined with this footage is the account of the military exercises the men witnessed by an anonymous Air Force officer and his knowledge as to what REALLY happened to the four men that evening.
For a film made on less than a million dollars, I give this one major props. It’s definitely falls into the X-Files niche only without Mulder and Scully. I’m wondering if the filmmakers weren’t fans of ‘Unsolved Mysteries’ back in the day when Robert Stack hosted cause it has a similar bone-chilling aspect too it at some points. They didn’t CGI the hell out of the special effects either which I think is a real issue today in film and television. The acting ‘doesn’t look like acting’ either. The majority of ‘footage’ genuinely looks like a bunch of friends that start off spending the day goofing off and hanging out only to have their fun filled afternoon descend into utter hell.
I’ll give this one 3 out of 5 stars. Definitely worth the money for the digital download. Watch during sunset or at night to enhance the ‘thrill factor’ and checkout the bonus features included with the film as well. You’re liable to get caught up in it though and forget it’s fiction.
Or is it?
‘The Phoenix Incident’ is a documentary/sci-fi/thriller written and directed by Keith Arem and stars Yuri Lowenthal, Travis Willingham, Jamie Tisdale, Liam O’Brian, James C. Burns, Troy Baker, and Michael Adamthwaite. Based on the infamous ‘Phoenix Lights’ ufo incident which occurred on Thursday, March 13th 1997, the film merges the fictional disappearance of four local men and a military conspiracy with the factual account of thousands of people seeing what was described as a squadron or fleet of ufos seen traveling from the Nevada state line all the way to Phoenix, Arizona and later as far south as Mexico. The whole event was later attributed to a series of flares deployed as part of a trading exercise by A-10 Warthogs of U.S. National Guard (accounts vary by reports made by various media, law enforcement, and military outlets).
After overcoming a brief car accident outside of town and a brief but hostile encounter with a local religious fanatic, four of the five friends take off on their ATVs for an afternoon in the desert terrain surrounding Phoenix. As the friends are traversing the terrain and recording live video of their afternoon they suddenly spot a huge military presence consisting of warplanes, troop carriers, and attack helicopters racing into the desert at high speed. Intrigued and perhaps far too curious, the group of friends decide to try and follow the aircraft further into the desert as seen through their own camera footage. Darkness soon falls and the men become witnesses themselves to the mass UFO incident occurring over their town. Soon after though, their outing descends into absolute chaos as they become witnesses to something else. Something horrifying that will lead them into the unknown where their ultimate fate will become a mystery all its own. Included with the footage of the group are interviews with family and friends of the four missing men as well as interviews with law enforcement officials who each have different theories on what happened to the four friends. Intertwined with this footage is the account of the military exercises the men witnessed by an anonymous Air Force officer and his knowledge as to what REALLY happened to the four men that evening.
For a film made on less than a million dollars, I give this one major props. It’s definitely falls into the X-Files niche only without Mulder and Scully. I’m wondering if the filmmakers weren’t fans of ‘Unsolved Mysteries’ back in the day when Robert Stack hosted cause it has a similar bone-chilling aspect too it at some points. They didn’t CGI the hell out of the special effects either which I think is a real issue today in film and television. The acting ‘doesn’t look like acting’ either. The majority of ‘footage’ genuinely looks like a bunch of friends that start off spending the day goofing off and hanging out only to have their fun filled afternoon descend into utter hell.
I’ll give this one 3 out of 5 stars. Definitely worth the money for the digital download. Watch during sunset or at night to enhance the ‘thrill factor’ and checkout the bonus features included with the film as well. You’re liable to get caught up in it though and forget it’s fiction.
Or is it?
CCW – Concealed Carry 50 State Guide
Reference and Travel
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This application is about empowering the CCW (concealed or open carry permit) holder (or anyone who...
Kristy H (1252 KP) rated The Murder Book in Books
Apr 4, 2019
I was really happy to see Lissa Marie Redmond's Lauren Riley back again. I enjoyed her first book, A Cold Day in Hell a lot and this one was a great addition. The second Lauren Riley installment focuses more on Lauren's work as a police officer versus her PI cases, as the first novel did. Lauren is stabbed on the job, and it quickly becomes clear that whoever did it was a cop and they were trying to access files at the precinct.
From there, the case weaves together seamlessly. Redmond is such a good storyteller; her past in law enforcement is clear, as she provides details that makes the story realistic and strong. Riley is a great character. She's still the strong yet flawed woman we came to love in the first book. Grappling with the issues that come with being injured on the job is hard for Lauren, including being more dependent on others. She's as tough and feisty as ever, though, and determined to figure out what happened to her.
As a reader, figuring out what happened to Lauren is interesting and well-done. Redmond's books are so easy-to-read, with bits and pieces pulled together so well. The book isn't full of crazy twists and turns, but it's a really good police procedural that held my interest. And don't worry, there are plenty of good reveals along the way. There are ties to the first book (this book would stand-alone, but I highly recommend reading book one, because there are references to it and because it's really good). We also see more of Lauren's family, including her daughters, her sisters, and her mom. Plus, there's great banter with Reese, who is as enjoyable (and protective of Lauren) as ever.
Overall, this is a great read--compelling, top-notch on its police knowledge, and featuring an excellent, strong female lead character. Highly recommend, and I quite enjoy this series. 4+ stars.
From there, the case weaves together seamlessly. Redmond is such a good storyteller; her past in law enforcement is clear, as she provides details that makes the story realistic and strong. Riley is a great character. She's still the strong yet flawed woman we came to love in the first book. Grappling with the issues that come with being injured on the job is hard for Lauren, including being more dependent on others. She's as tough and feisty as ever, though, and determined to figure out what happened to her.
As a reader, figuring out what happened to Lauren is interesting and well-done. Redmond's books are so easy-to-read, with bits and pieces pulled together so well. The book isn't full of crazy twists and turns, but it's a really good police procedural that held my interest. And don't worry, there are plenty of good reveals along the way. There are ties to the first book (this book would stand-alone, but I highly recommend reading book one, because there are references to it and because it's really good). We also see more of Lauren's family, including her daughters, her sisters, and her mom. Plus, there's great banter with Reese, who is as enjoyable (and protective of Lauren) as ever.
Overall, this is a great read--compelling, top-notch on its police knowledge, and featuring an excellent, strong female lead character. Highly recommend, and I quite enjoy this series. 4+ stars.
Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated Project X (2012) in Movies
Aug 7, 2019
Project X is a wild ride fueled by drugs, booze, nudity, strong language, and a mob mentality. It starts off very slow, like every other day at high school (for most of us), and then quickly escalates into a series of events that seem inevitable, like watching dominoes fall.
The story follows three teens: Thomas, Costa, and JB. Costa and JB are on a mission to execute the biggest birthday bash known to man for their best friend Thomas. Their mission? To hopefully change their reputations as high school losers. Of these three, Costa is the only one whose real life name is not the same as his character. Many of the characters in this film used their real names, much to my surprise.
When I first read the film’s synopsis, the following phrase was included: “Project X is a warning to teens, parents and law enforcement.” Naturally, I assumed the film was going to be a documentary laced with lessons for the viewers. While I can’t say more without giving away what happens, I was surprised — and that’s saying something.
Nima Nourizadeh showcases his skills on the silver screen for the first time in a non-documentary capacity, though the film is very documentary-esque. I have to give him two thumbs up for creating a very funny, visually appealing, and emotionally charged film.
The best part for me was the comedy, which I’m sure resonated with younger viewers more, but was hilarious none-the-less. It’s a triumph for true laugh-out-loud film-making.
My only criticism comes from a scene near the end, which seems completely implausible given the realistic nature of the film. This particular scene felt very out of place. At the risk of ruining the moment for you, I will simply say that the drug dealer really lights up the scene, albeit
in a very unlikely manner.
I would call this underdog film an unexpected win.
The story follows three teens: Thomas, Costa, and JB. Costa and JB are on a mission to execute the biggest birthday bash known to man for their best friend Thomas. Their mission? To hopefully change their reputations as high school losers. Of these three, Costa is the only one whose real life name is not the same as his character. Many of the characters in this film used their real names, much to my surprise.
When I first read the film’s synopsis, the following phrase was included: “Project X is a warning to teens, parents and law enforcement.” Naturally, I assumed the film was going to be a documentary laced with lessons for the viewers. While I can’t say more without giving away what happens, I was surprised — and that’s saying something.
Nima Nourizadeh showcases his skills on the silver screen for the first time in a non-documentary capacity, though the film is very documentary-esque. I have to give him two thumbs up for creating a very funny, visually appealing, and emotionally charged film.
The best part for me was the comedy, which I’m sure resonated with younger viewers more, but was hilarious none-the-less. It’s a triumph for true laugh-out-loud film-making.
My only criticism comes from a scene near the end, which seems completely implausible given the realistic nature of the film. This particular scene felt very out of place. At the risk of ruining the moment for you, I will simply say that the drug dealer really lights up the scene, albeit
in a very unlikely manner.
I would call this underdog film an unexpected win.
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