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Antiviral (2012) Film
Malcolm McDowell and Caleb Landry Jones in Antiviral (2012)
Antiviral
(Severin UHD/Blu-ray)
Syd is a sales rep for a new kind of experience. He works for a clinic that injects its clients with the viruses of particular stars and celebrities, promising “biological communion” with the famous for people who seems to have little faith in their own worth. The Musky mastermind of this scheme, Lucas, is the sociopathic peddler of a Brave New World, a glib futurist without conscience.
Antiviral (2012) marked the debut of writer-director Brandon Cronenberg. The film depicts a world whose white-on-white hygiene is flecked with horror, aa society where everything is marketed and surveilled. Caleb Landry Jones plays Syd with an occasional hint of James Dean’s repressed inner turmoil in this fable of toxic celebrity culture. Antiviral is out on UHD/Blu-ray with making-of shorts and audio commentary. (David Luhrssen)
In the Lost Lands
(In Theaters March 7)
“Game of Thrones” author George R.R. Martin wrote a short story that director Paul Anderson expands into a feature-length film. After Earth is ruined, humans congregate in one great city, protected from the nightmarish creatures occupying “The Lost Lands.” To retain her grip on the throne, the city’s queen (Amara Okereke) asks sorceress Gray Alys (Mila Jovovich) to bring her the shape-shifting secrets known only to the last surviving werewolf. The request sends Gray on a perilous journey to The Lost Lands, accompanied by a Hunter named Boyce (Dave Bautista). Both actors have the chops to play well-armed, skilled fighters, so Anderson bets their highly choregraphed, CGI fight sequences are enough to hold the story together. (Lisa Miller)
Rule Breakers
(In Theaters March 7)
Afghan woman Roya Mahboob (Nikohl Boosheri) learned to use a computer, despite rules designating this skill for males only. With support from her brother Ali (Noorin Gulamgaus) and financial backing from an Indian American businessman (Ali Fazal), Roya taught computer classes to young women and in 2017, was granted permission for her all-female robotics team to compete on the international scene. Faith-based Angel Studios dramatizes this real-life tale illustrating Roya’s relentless determination. Director Bill Guttentag delivers a two-hour, PG-rated depiction of the obstacle course Roya overcame. Despite pacing inconsistencies, her efforts to beat an oppressive system, are remarkable. (Lisa Miller)
