Heya Shamblers!
Lots of changes coming to the site as we do some work to get things back on track, one of the changes is we are adding a couple new qhouls to the family, and here is one of the latest… DEDDIE PAGE! She sends us her take on the brand new Sci-Fi/Cult Hit to be… DREDD
Opening night of Midnight Madness (at TIFF) kicked off with a bang , well more of a splat…
The crowd in line was electric with buzz and energy with two Judges on a “Lawmaster” motorbikes riding around the theatre. Once inside and settled; Karl Urban (Judge Dredd, Doom, Lord of the Rings, Star Trek) introduced the film with Midnight Madness Programmer extraordinaire Colin Geddes by exclaiming “I am the law muthafuckers“
This is not your Stallone’s 95 Dredd, this is a film for fans of the comic books.
The audience is thrust into the film wearing 3D Dolby glasses with a SPLAT.
Urban’s Dredd is well played. He trained 14 weeks and did 2 in boot camp to prepare. Reading the comics since he was young, he loves this character and knew how to bring him to life. He is sullen and gruff, but has great one-liners said in an Eastwood/Batman affected voice.
We are quickly introduced to Anderson played by Olivia Thirlby . She is a rookie who although lacks experience, has special abilities all her own. Dredd is her mentor and will decide if she will Pass or Fail in her last chance to become a Judge.
Their first run through the bleached and arid post apocalyptic world of Mega City One, we find ourselves at the Peach Trees. A ghetto slum, gritty and 200 floors of gangs and families trying to get by.
As the director Pete Travis (Endgame, Vantage Point) says, “this is a drug movie“. SloMo the drug of choice and made in the Peach Trees. It takes the users brain down to 1% speed and it ties the story together with the impressive 3D effects which take us from the beautiful to the grotesque.SloMo also makes for some head blowing, face melting, mind fucking death scenes!
Ma-Ma played fabulously by Lena Headey (Sarah Connor Chronicles and Game of Thrones). She is a deeply scarred prostitute turned psychopathic drug lord, who has taken out her competition in wicked ways and is a great counterpart to Dredd.
The “Lawgiver” pistol is prominent, as well as the Judgments. Anderson moves past a helpless mentee and comes into her own and dark and fun ways. This cat and mouse game is a wild ride. Staying true, filled with twists, Dredd is a slow consistent burn building in action. Its more about the graphic violence, that is done in new and interesting ways and will keep you gasping and groaning.
Urban described being on the bike while filming in South Africa as one of those moments where you think “I can’t believe they let me do this“.
Catch it Septemtber 21st!
————————————–
Thanks Deddie Page, and welcome to the site… I have to say, it looks like that one will have to go under the ‘Zombieking Approved’ mark, but rather than take up space with that pic, here is the trailer and ‘official synopsis’.
Synopsis: The future America is an irradiated waste land. On its East Coast, running from Boston to Washington DC, lies Mega City One- a vast, violent metropolis where criminals rule the chaotic streets. The only force of order lies with the urban cops called “Judges” who possess the combined powers of judge, jury and instant executioner. Known and feared throughout the city, Dredd (Karl Urban) is the ultimate Judge, challenged with ridding the city of its latest scourge — a dangerous drug epidemic that has users of “Slo-Mo” experiencing reality at a fraction of its normal speed.
During a routine day on the job, Dredd is assigned to train and evaluate Cassandra Anderson (Olivia Thirlby), a rookie with powerful psychic abilities thanks to a genetic mutation. A heinous crime calls them to a neighborhood where fellow Judges rarely dare to venture- a 200 story vertical slum controlled by prostitute turned drug lord Ma-Ma (Lena Headey) and her ruthless clan. When they capture one of the clan’s inner circle, Ma-Ma overtakes the compound’s control center and wages a dirty, vicious war against the Judges that proves she will stop at nothing to protect her empire. With the body count climbing and no way out, Dredd and Anderson must confront the odds and engage in the relentless battle for their survival.
The endlessly inventive mind of writer Alex Garland and director Pete Travis bring DREDD to life as a futuristic neo-noir action film. Filmed in 3D with stunning slow motion photography sequences, the film returns the celebrated character to the dark, visceral incarnation from John Wagner and Carlos Ezquerra’s revered comic strip.
Niiiiice…aw screw it… here’s the approved pic anyway!
2 Responses to “DREDD-3D”
Leave a Reply
September 20th, 2012 at 10:26 am
Karl Urban as Dredd? I… CAN see that working.
Hrmmm… sounds more fun than I thought!!
Can’t wait!
Cheers for the review DP!
September 20th, 2012 at 8:56 pm
Sounds like a cool flick, great review there Ms Page, looking forward to catching this when it hits the box office. Keep up the good work.