QUANTUM STORM .357 ISSUE 25 IS RELEASED FOR OCTOBER 2023!

 

QSE .357 ISSUE 25 dtd 10/1/2023

52 Pages

ON THE COVER - Jessica Manes. Photo by
D. R. Quintana.

MAIN ARTICLES

Top Dollar Halloween Costumes - Halloween costumes aren't cheap anymore, we show you some of the best costumes money can buy.

 Ready for the Truth? - The Austin, Dallas, Houston, and San Antonio Indie film hype bus has been making it's rounds this summer. We tracked 177 indie films and quickly reviewed them all. Is your film on our top 100 indie films or the bottom 50 shitty indie films of the year? Come see for yourself!

Behind The Scenes - This passed summer, two big Indie films went into production in Austin, TX. Hundreds of extras were required and we were there following both of the productions from beginning to end. Check out some of the photos we were allowed to take. Are you one of the many indie film actors who was captured on set?

 

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AMAZON PRIMES "A MILLION MILES AWAY" DIDN'T HAVE TO GO THAT FAR...

🎥🎞️Movie Review🎞️🎥 - A MILLION MILES AWAY [2023] - [PG] - Amazon Prime - Directed by Alejandra Marquez. Written by Bettina Gilois, Hernan Jimenez, Alejandra Marquez, Jose Hernandez. Starring Michael Pena, Rosa Salazar, Garret Dillahunt, Sarayu Blue, and Ashley Ciarra. This specific film has a heavy Latin Production team, something that is very rare in the era of Amazon Prime films.

This is the life story based on Jose Hernandez [performed by Michael Pena], a NASA Astronaut, who came to the United States as an immigrant, worked in the fields as a child, graduated college, and after what seemed like years of applying for the space program, he was finally selected and went to space to make history. Through thick and thin, no matter how hard things got or how he's looked down upon for being known at work as the resident "enchilada guy," he works hard to prove himself and reaches for a dream he's had as a young boy. With the help of his supporting wife, he makes all of his dreams come true and he unknowingly enters the history books of American space flight.

THE GOOD - The films script was written from the eyes of the Latin/Mexican culture and community, so there is a lot of humor that is hidden within the film, but this feature is far from being a comedy. During the main characters young life, the director does a fine job laying out how hard times were during the 1970's in southern California. There is some incredible attention to detail, classic cars, and even some old cultural Mexican festivals and family hierarchies that are rarely presented in films today. Location spotting was absolutely perfect for this film.

THE BAD - IMO the director went a little too far with the character development, presenting the family moving from one place to another, and another, and another; when all of this could have been edited out and presented in a shorter sense to make more time for the big pay off of Hernandez actually going to train at NASA. Even though the director and writers were trying to sell to the audience that the movie was aimed at developing a "family is important" atmosphere, the point was drug out and very little time was spent on presenting how being an astronaut is a team effort; save one scene where the astonaut's are pushed to the limit underwater, and Hernandez makes a decision to save a teammate which gives the NASA leaders a green light to put Hernandez on the team for a space launch...presenting the team and their tough training sessions should have been a bigger focus in the film.

POST MORTEM - This is a good film, but there are a lot of slow parts and an extreme need to over emphasize “family” and what's happened to the old ways of doing things, living life, and how Hernandez had to progress out of the old culture to fit in with the ever changing society of success. There were no real stand out performances and there's sometimes where I feel that Pena is just lazily sitting there, performing his parts from one scene to another; looking like he could just take a nap to get enough juice to finish the next scene driving around. The true part of the film works and I always like seeing the end credits showing the real Hernandez family and where they are now.

⭐️⭐️⭐️💫[3.5 of 5 Stars]

HOUSTON INDIE ACTORS WANTED TO KNOW "WHERE ARE THEY NOW?" - AND WE DELIVERED WITH DETAILED UPDATES!

Houston, TX - From 2010 to around 2017, the Houston amateur independent film scene [or industry if it makes you happy] was captivated by some talented people who had the luckiest time making their names prominent in virtually every new indie film that was in production. They seemed to have all of the right connections, knew the ins and outs of producing indie films, and were wrapped up in some wild drama. Being “the best” in local indie films it certainly didn’t matter to most that some of these “legends” either still lived with their mommy, a few were honestly homeless, some running from paying child support, some helped run scam indie film festivals, some couldn't afford the cheapest medical insurance, and even a few divorced their partner for another actor. At the time, they were all part of a main stream movement...

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COMMENTS ON THIS BLOG - Many are flowing in, telling the same story. Here are some of the best words from the local Houston community.

VS_Desarge - 9/30/23 @2033 - One of the best blog articles that I've ever read about the Houston film industry. There is no shame in presenting the truth about all of the local actors and "industry know-it-all's" who staked their claim to real success. You presented some outstanding facts in each case and you went out of your way to show links to many articles and videos that show that no one really stood out at all. My hats off to you and I eagerly await the October edition of your magazine to find out more about what little white lies the local industries have hidden away about success and what everyone tried to do to breakout into the world of Hollywood.

 

David Q - With the plethora of actors in the indie film scene who believe that "playing the part of being successful" is the first step in breaking through, has both it's benefits and obscure, but intense failures that no one wants to admit can and will happen. It's a damn shame at times.

Olephie_377 - 9/27/23 @1538 - Great article! I spent so much time working with half of the 22 actors you previewed on your blog and I am astonished that someone actually went through so many histories and investigated where their success and failures truly landed. I'm not one that wanted to be a star or actually make a living off of being an indie actor, but I do like that you presented many facts that everyone on the list of 22 were normal people who had to work real jobs to stay alive. I kind of figured that no one was really famous, but finding out that many are now considered infamous within the indie film scene is a real relief since I left the "film industry" to the idiots in charge.

 

David Q - For a long time during the period presented in the article, many of the actors and producers were being exclusively interviewed and presented in Hector Luna's C47 Magazine that highlighted a ton of local "successful people" while passing over actors and directors who were genuinely making the real mark in entertainment where it counted most.

D_Alsfor - 9/21/23 @1944 - Your background on Larry Carrell was spot on! As much as I know him for being slime, he did work his ass off to try and make his way out. But like life does, he tried to move to California, moved in with friends, and found out it was harder than anything he imagined. In the end, it was a sweeter deal just sticking around in Houston; working as an extra and making a little cash. Yes, you did a great job investigating the other slime-balls that tried to buck the system locally. They were successful for a while when things were being presented as a glorious lifestyle working with the best this and that. I'm a super subscriber now. Thank you!

David Q - Larry was quite the character when I met him and he worked with me on numerous film projects. In his own right, he was pretty intelligent and knew how to outsmart and bully people in his path. One thing I learned from him was that he talked so much smack about people when they weren't around, but was such a friend and gentlemen whenever the ones he was just talking shit about were near.  But there's no doubt that he's on the right path for making himself a big name in the Indie film industry.

Alter_Mn44 - 9/20/23 @0717 - At one time during the 2015 timeframe there was so much hope that Houston was going to be the epicenter of the new film industry. Even thought much of the talk was centered around the industry being established in Austin, people felt that Houston had the capital, the locations, and the talent to create the biggest industry ever thought of. I was part of the groups - or cliques - mentioned in the blog and I can attest that many of the indie actors that were entrusted to help develop this city into the next industry were filled only with talk and well wishes. Houston was never intended to be the mecca of a film industry, just a location. It's nobodies fault. This was an informative blog. Thank you!

David Q - Houston will never be the epicenter of a film industry until Harris County changes it's leaning political atmosphere. The failure for this to happen has nothing to with the local indie film scene or the actors previewed on this blog.

Rob_Dvore - 9/22/23 @1119 - No slander, just good reporting. Each and every one of the 22 locals list themselves as public figures and deserve what they get. Most of the people had huge egos and now they dive for scraps, working as extras, making films amongst themselves, and going nowhere. I like that you investigated Shawn Welling who has directed and produced several low budget "B" films and tries to ride the train of success when most of his films truly suck and have plots and stories that make no sense except to the people who are cast as actors and the production teams that work on them. If you haven't seen Narco Sub, DON'T!

 

David Q - I reviewed Narco Sub and Welling wrote me an email once over my review of another film project that was both horrible and a possible huge legal gamble as he stole ideas from several movies and created a spoof film called "The Legend of Darkhorse County" starring Nick "The Tuba" Nicholson.

Larr_Rivas - 10/3/23 @0233 - Such a pathetic and obvious insight into a large group of people who thought the "local world of Hollywood" revolved around them! The local acting agencies didn't help build the hype, using local contacts to reel in cash with expensive and non-certified acting classes, photographers and videographers who didn't have any real experience in the big game. You should know David, you worked with these assholes!

 

David Q -  I only worked with one of the people on the list of 22 and any other list that is planned for release in October. I am often vetted through some of these actors who claim that I am difficult to work with, but the real truth is that I've worked with well over 250 local actors and have never been accused of any wrong doings as listed in the blog article. If anything, I am guilty for not following the norm of many of these people and openly presenting my work on a platforms that anyone can see at any time.

"WHEEL OF TIME" DOESN'T JUST MISFIRE, IT IMPLODES FROM THE START

🎥🎞Series Review🎞🎥 - WHEEL OF TIME Season 2 - Amazon Prime - [PG 13] - This series is based on the book series by Robert Jordan. During the first season, there was something about this series that honestly intrigued me to follow it...maybe it was the addition of Rosamund Pike [from Gone Girl (2014)] that honed my willingness to give this thing a try; or maybe it was the visual effects, the details in the production, the hint of mystical mystery, the look of being defiant against the new prequel series out there, some distant recollection of the Lord of the Rings...whatever it was, I fell for it watching the first trailer and I only watched the second season in hopes the show would change direction and gain strength. SEASON 1 REVIEW if you dare to read this one too.

Honestly, after Season One, I have no earthly idea what this series is about or what is going on. There are witches or sorts in a world led by strong women, some guys that have the abilities of Warlocks, and I honestly don't know or care to know anything else about this dumpster fire. There are three plots and at least five storylines all going on at the same time and your guess is as good as mine to what this season is all about.

THE GOOD - Uhmn...lets see. Rosamund Pike is in the series. She definitely is the best actor in the entire production and she takes up the entire screen with her emotions, which sell perfectly when she's upset or failed to do something...uh yeah, that's about it.

THE BAD - Good Lord, where do I start. The pacing is atrocious; primarily due to the lack of emphasis on the plot and making a story that aligns with it. The writers to this train wreck lost all credibility to the series by slowing down and having arc after arc of character development, when all of that should have been established in the first season. There's tons and tons of bad acting. The screenplay completely fails to bring in a big reveal when it's needed and every episode ends with a badly choreographed battle or quick skirmish that leaves some of the main characters injured, maimed, or unconscious. There's so much mystery in this "what could be" epic series, but the director and the production team can't being in enough CGI to save the show from just drowning in the huge toilet flush that the viewers are sure to activate within the first two episodes of this fresh season.

POST MORTEM - There's far too much female liberalism and hints of lesbian love that's damaged the core of this show. Wiping the male race as a bunch of brainless warriors and lower priests just brings this thing to a non-clamactic pyre of burning dog shit that I just can't review anymore.

COMPLETE DOGSHIT! [💩]

"HYPNOTIC" SEEMS IMPRESSIVE BUT FAILS WHERE IT COUNTS

🎥🎞️Movie Review🎞️🎥 - HYPNOTIC [2023] - Peacock - PG13 - Directed by Robert Rodriguez. Screenplay by Robert Rodriguez and Max Borenstein. Stars Ben Affleck, Alice Braga, William Fichtner, JD Pardo, and Dayo Okeniyi.

Affleck plays Detective Danny Rourke, an Austin Texas Detective, who is mentally unbalanced after his daughter was kidnapped from a playground in mere seconds before his eyes. In his life following the kidnapping, the detective and his team are investigating a series of bank robberies by a man who has the ability to control peoples minds with hypnotic suggestion. Through the help of a psychic palm reader [Braga], the detective learns what he's up against and must now learn that anyone can be used as a puppet by a mystery man, performed brilliantly by Fichtner. The movie spirals into an action-packed film with a plethora of fight scenes, gun shoots and explosions. In the end, Rourke learns that he is somewhat immune to the spells weaved by the mystery man, and that only the detective may hold the answers to what really happened to his daughter.

THE GOOD - The opening sequence is perfect. Spectacular camera angles, cinematography and some dramatic acting. Pacing is good, the action scenes are everything that you'd expect from a Robert Rodriguez film.

THE BAD - After the opening sequence the film just falls flat. Each new reveal in the story and plot are nothing spine tingling new and Rodriguez just doesn't have the directing ability to drop an earth shattering reveal to the audience. There is some silly sexiness that is brought to the film, something that Rodriguez is notable for in his previous works to show sexy women in his movies. But he also brings in CGI visual effects, story elements and mind-bending theories seen in other films like THE MATRIX and INCEPTION, which fail miserably to stun anyone with the delivery of the films real plot. Adding more injury to the flow of the film are some bad performances, Afflek has to resort to showing a crummy grin on his face as his dialog is cut short after the “big reveal” and he just stands there watching the reality of each situation when facing what actually happened to his missing daughter; at times he looks like he's lost interest in the films progression.

POST MORTEM - If the movie had remained on course with the initial sequences of the film and stayed in an [R] rating, William Fichtner could have been developed into one of the best, most notorious bad guys to hit the big screen since Doctor Hannibal Lector of SILENCE OF THE LAMBS; and possibly pushed this film into eventual sequels. Fichtner did a damn good job in this film giving his character and eerie entrance and dramatic flair to keep him interesting. But the movie fails at all levels and the story isn't smart enough to carry the plot along. This failure is due to the directing, not the acting.

⭐️⭐️💫 [2.5 of 5 Stars]

QUANTUM STORM PICTURES STUDIO AWARD HISTORY

THIS IS JUST A SMALL LOOK AT OUR GROWING TEAM

D. R. Quintana is the producer and publisher of the Award Winning Quantum Storm .357 E-Magazine; the publication is owned and operated by its parent company, Micro Entertainment.

Established and covering Texas filmmakers since 2021, the QSE.357 has grown to encompass the Texas statewide independent filmmaking scene.

Mr. Quintana holds two degrees, served honorably in the United States Navy Submarine Force for twenty years [now retired], has filmed over 200 independent films, and has volunteered in his community for over 18 years. He has served on numerous independent film committees, worked in advisory and consulting positions, and has worked as an actor and director in films and professional photography across the country.

Born and raised in West Texas, eventually earning a film degree in Southern California, Mr. Quintana is a director, writer, editor, and producer of film and the publisher of the QSE .357 that helps independent filmmakers bring their ideas to the big screen, understand the process of producing films, providing guidance with the positive and negative cultures of the independent film culture, giving to charities, providing funds to those in need and helping out where help is needed.

Saira Ramos is an established independent film actress and has been a prominent figure of many of the studios web series productions, short film and feature film co-star. She is a huge supporter of independent films, often previewing new films and sometimes even being a critic to some of the previews she's witnessed. She is fit and tough and has shown interest in partaking in stunt woman positions within some film productions.

A proud Houstonian through and through, she has worked in a few professional film roles as an extra and also has worked as a model in many photoshoots crossing many formats. She has taken a huge leap in working more behind the camera, adding her talents to production as a camera operator and a behind the scenes producer on several recent video productions.

Saira is widely known for her work in the convention circuit, lending her talent to procure professional actors to some of the largest film and art conventions in the nation. She always stays positive in some of the most stressful situations on set and has never been ill prepared for any job related position placed upon her.

Lora Mao has worked in the Houston area independent film scene for well over ten years. A plethora of her music compositions have been used in both semi-professional and bonafide independent film production musical scores. She is known to work extra-expedient in time crunch situations during film productions that require only hours to prepare music for a specific scene.

Lora is extremely confident with her musical skills and is always in a positive mindset when working along film teams. She has partook in many roles in film as an extra and most of her acting work is unaccredited. Whether she is chosen to play a zombie, a monster, or just a receptionist, she gives her full attention to her position and always has an eye for detail. Her wide range of music scoring cover drama, comedy, SciFi, romance, and steampunk genre's, which anyone can fall in love with.

Many of Lora's musical tracks are also loaded up on YouTube and easily acceptable for preview or downloading to add to future films. 

 

Adriana Villedas is a mind-blowing makeup artist who just surfaced from out of no where and has hit the local Houston area with a plethora of makeup jobs that are truly breathtaking. Her first works in independent films was on the set with Quantum Storm Productions "ZERO-ZERO ONE" where she masterfully produced monster/zombie makeup works to a large cast of actors in a relatively short time.

Adriana has also produced makeup work for local models with exceptional ease, but professional results which have proven to be quite a gift to local photographers and filmmakers alike. 

Rest assured, if Adriana is hired for your project; whether personal or professional, you will not be disappointed with her makeup skills or positive attitude whenever she puts a brush on a face.

QUANTUM STORM .357 ISSUE 24 IS RELEASED FOR SEPTEMBER 2023!

QSE .357 ISSUE 24 dtd 9/1/2023

36 Pages

ON THE COVER - Fitness Model. Used by permission.

MAIN ARTICLES

The local arena of Fitness Modeling - We interviewed ten of the top fitness models hired in the state of Texas. You can see their image everywhere; sports shops, posters, ads, and TV commercials.

 Are you ready to workout? - An interview with a physical trainer certified in Crossfit Levels I, II, and an ISSA Certified Personal Trainer, who provides some workout suggestions, dietary recommendations, and provides guides to controlling muscle tone and weight gain.

Some of the best workout equipment - If it's your first time in the gym, don't try to "wing it," do your best to find a fitness trainer to get you started on the right equipment to maximize your workout. We introduce you to three gym managers who provide insight on what to look for in a gym.

 

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APPLE TV'S "INVASION" JUST CAN'T GET OFF IT'S FEET FAST ENOUGH...

🎥🎞️Series Review🎞️🎥 - INVASION [2021] - Season 1 - APPLE TV - [PG13 or TV MA] - Written by Simon Kinberg, David Well, Adam Benic, Gursimran Sandau, Andrew Baldwin, David Rosen, and Uzoamaka Maduka. Directed by Amanda Marsalis, Jakob Verbruggen, Jamie Payne, and Alik Sakharov. Sam Neill, Shioli Kutsuna, Golshifteh Farahani, Shamier Anderson, and Billy Barratt. There was a tremendous promotional push for this series with action filled trailers and TV ads.

This series spins plot about five groups of naive people from various cultures and countries who find themselves in the middle of an alien invasion, a few are too busy in their own personal worlds to see what's actually taking place around them until it's way too late for them to accept what's going on. After local communications and power grids are disrupted, we see how losing the internet, communications, and television can start a quick panic between countries. There is no standout star in this series, except it is somewhat expected that all of the characters presented in the show are surely going to cross paths at some point. There is plenty of chaos, unexplained explosions, some blame on terrorists, and love triangles that bend this sci-fi series in a direction that can either lead the characters to save the world or doom the livelihood they all lived in.

THE GOOD - There are no big names in the series, Sam Neill's part is cut short, but he brings a very interesting twist to the show's beginning. There is a story arc of some Navy SEALS who are presented in the series and I was pleasantly pleased with the tactical prowess and comradery of the team shown in the first four episodes. The location spotting for the series took tremendous effort for the series production team, and they presented some realistic locations for the show.

THE BAD - Apple TV pushes the gay/Lesbian agenda in this series, presenting right away that the earth's only hope to communicate with the alien race is the love bond between two women....and some viewers might admire the production team spending tons of time developing characters, and I feel that the method used in the screenplay seems to drag on a bit too long, cutting back and forth between the five sub plots and then having to read captions throughout most of the important scientific jib-jab in the show. The sound quality is very bad, especially where the director felt the need to focus on the sound of rain and wind, instead of making the characters clearly communicate during moments building up to some much desired action sequences; the whispering dialog is so bad at some points that I had to switch to a head set and then captions to understand what anyone was saying. The aliens aren't explained at all and most of their appearance is presented in shadows and dark places; very little detail to show expect that their fast, have a gaping mouth[?] area and they love to tear people apart. For all of the aliens know ability to shred humans pretty instantly, there's very little blood and gore.

POST MORTEM - I was not impressed with this series. By the time the aliens began to show themselves and make moves against the main characters, there was some cheesy reason why the alien advance was suddenly turned around and how several characters suddenly had the ability to suddenly control the aliens or see into their actions to prevent certain death. Watch this series if your seriously bored and have nothing else to do. On a side note, I stumbled on to the fact that there's a Season 2 already released and I was wasn't impressed that the new season presents the alien species suddenly attacking in full force and in broad daylight...and don't get me started with the notion that a "one woman warrior" now knows how to kill the aliens....puh-lease...I'll pass on Season 2.

⭐️⭐️💫[2.5 out of 5 Stars]

APPLE TV’S "THE MORNING SHOW" SURPRISES AUDIENCES WITH DIABOLICAL EASE

🎥🎞️Series Review-🎞️🎥 THE MORNING SHOW Season One [2019] - Apple TV - R - Created by Jay Carson. Executive Producers Jennifer Aniston; Reese Witherspoon; Kerry Ehrin; Michael Ellenberg; Mimi Leder; Kristin Hahn; and Lauren Levy Neustadter. Starring Jennifer Aniston, Reese Witherspoon, Steve Carrell, and Billy Crudup. Season One actually won a ton of Emmy and Independent Film awards.

The series covers a plot and story which is loosely based on the "Today Show's" criminal antics of Matt Lauer; who was disgraced from the popular morning show in 2017. Carrell plays "Mitch Kessler," a popular morning anchor who is accused of several instances of sexual assault and harassment in the workplace. Anniston plays Alex Levy, his cohost who is pushed into a political fight to try and keep her job, after Kessler is removed from the morning show. Witherspoon plays Bradley Jackson, a stern and upfront, small town reporter who is hired by the morning shows new executive producer, to fill in Kessler's void but also possibly replace Levy should contract negotiations fail. The series is professionally produced in epic movie format with stationary cameras, soft lighting, fantastic sound and controlled sets.

THE GOOD - Aniston and Witherspoon perform brilliantly in this series format, breaking away from quirky comedy and going straight for the dramatic. Carrell also stands up and portrays an overly dramatic character who has spent years being pampered by the shows network and he now finds himself on the edge of losing everything for his behind the camera sins. The show plays out a power struggle within the ranks; everyone trying to move up in the totem pole while the sexual misconduct being alleged against Carrell's character is investigated by the same network show.

THE BAD - The "Matt Lauer effect" for the members of the morning shows cast and crew is over dramatized for obvious entertainment. Even though the power of the dollar is an obvious attribute that happens in the network business, there's a little bit too much to swallow when the actors spend their time bitching out their paychecks. Other than that, there's nothing to actually complain about with this show.

POST MORTEM - This is a fantastically produced series. Overly dramatic at times, but it delivers the message well about how things could have went down when Matt Lauer was accused of both Sexual Misconduct and Harassment.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ [4 of 5 Stars]

QUANTUM STORM .357 ISSUE 23 IS RELEASED FOR AUGUST 2023!

QSE .357 ISSUE 23 dtd 8/1/2023

40 Pages

ON THE COVER - Headshot of Hector Luna. Used by permission.

MAIN ARTICLES

Remembering C-47s Creator - Hector Luna was ahead of his time in the local Houston Indie Film Scene, creating an e-magazine filled with actor and directors interviews, production notes, meetings and activities, and an editorial by D. R. Quintana, remembering his friend.

 Who Rode Luna's Legacy - The list is long, but Luna had his favorite local Indie Film Scene actors, directors and film teams who were always presented in the C-47 Houston Magazine. Here we present a few of them and where the are today.

The Planned Hector Luna Film Festival for 2025 - Because Hector Luna loved the film scene so much, a handful of his friends have put together the first annual film festival in his honor. 

 

YOU MUST BE A SUBSCRIBER TO VIEW THE FULL CONTENTS THIS NEW 2023 ISSUE OF THE QUANTUM STORM .357 E-MAGAZINE AND FOLLOW THIS BLOG

 

 Subscribers from the local Houston Indie Film Scene came out to support this new issue of the QSE.357 E-Magazine and comment on the article concerning Hector Luna's Legacy. All comments are posted under writers 1st Amendment clause.

Thank you for stopping by!

"PLANE" IS THE SURPRISE ACTION FILM WE'VE BEEN NEEDING!

🎥🎞️Movie Review🎞️🎥 - PLANE [2023] - STARZ - [R] - Directed by Jean-Francois Richet. Story by Charles Cumming. Starring Gerard Butler [also a producer], Mike Colter, Lilly King, Tony Goldwyn, and Evan Dane Taylor. The entire production was mostly filmed in Puerto Rico and was filmed during the Covid-19 Shutdown. The film was shelved for two years before it was finally released.

This is a very dramatic and action filled film. Some of the initial scenes in the film concern a commercial plane being piloted by Captain Brodie Torrance, played by a relatively passive Gerard Butler; who plays the character of a commercial pilot with only previous military pilot experience. The plane is leaving Singapore on New Years eve and has  about 14 passengers on board, including a prisoner transfer. The prisoner, Louis Gaspare [played brilliantly by Mike Colter], is a charged criminal who spent years with the Foreign Legion. When the plane experiences some intense turbulence in a storm along the intended flight path, being hit by lightning in the process, the plane is forced to crash land in a cluster of Philippine Islands filled with hostile militants. The pilot and the criminal must work together to protect and save the passengers who have no idea about the amount of trouble they are in.

THE GOOD - The initial scenes are filled with surreal turbulence and are delivered with some intense camera angles and practical effects that work seamlessly to deliver a harrowing flight during the storm sequence. The film takes the right time to develop solid characters and also sharpen the delivery of the antagonist bad-guy, who has complete control of a group of heavily armed guerilla militants under his dark leadership.  There is a vulnerability to the crew and passengers of the plane that keeps the feeling real and Butler doesn't play the "instant hero" that he is well known for; presenting a more cautious and emotional character, than a killer behemoth. Colter's portrayal of Gaspare has qualities that could lead his character to helm a spinoff sequel to the film, which is currently in pre-production.

THE BAD - There are two to three scenes which are obviously poorly filmed with green screen. The ending to the film seemed rushed, as the plane is prevented covering 50 miles in only thirty seconds; it doesn't ruin the entire film, but I'm surprised the final action sequences of the movie decided to rush the final landing of the plane in such a poorly played order of the screenplay.

POST MORTEM - This is a finely tuned action film. The military tactics are perfect for today's military-style format and the graphics in combat are delivered perfectly and without remorse. There weren't a lot of large explosions to admire, and much of the combat scenes were kept realistic; delivering skirmish style firefights with M-16s, AR-15s, and AK-47s. I can guarantee that this film will keep you on the edge of your seat, forcing you to stay focused on what will happen next!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ [4 of 5 Stars]