DETENTION MOVIE REVIEW

This is the best video game adaptation ever made (ok, we haven’t seen “Ace Attorney”). And yes, it’s from Taiwan, based on a very popular side-scrolling horror game from Red Candle Games of the same name. And yes, it’s VERY political and specific to Taiwan. And honestly, those themes are so universal in many ways that you feel like you’re watching the best ever “Silent Hill” movie that’s all about taking down fascism. Taking place in 1962 during the “White Terror” in Taiwan, it follows a student named Fang Ray-shin who is secretly/not so secretly in love with her teacher Chang Ming-Hui. Chang secretly runs a study group for banned books along with another teacher Yin Tsui-han and said group is loyally attended by another student, Wei Chong-ting. And banned books are no small thing. The punishment is death for breaking these rules. Then the fascists show up. Then people start getting ‘disappeared’. Did I mention all of this is happening in flashback chunks as Fang and Wei navigate a nightmarish hell version of the school trying to figure out how they got there? Chris, Adrian, Ryan, and Lewayne have a ton of praise to heap on this one so check out their review.

OFFICIAL TRAILER

DIRECTED BY: John Hsu

STARRING: Gingle Wang, Fu Meng-po, Tseng Ching-hua, Cecilia Choi, Hung Chang Chu, Hsia Ching-ting, Jessie Chang

 

YOUR REVIEWERS

 

Christopher Lawrence Cox (Founder, Da Boss)

Born in the wilds of northern Virginia, Chris managed to put all of his survival skills to use and barely escaped with his life to Austin Texas in 1992 where ever since he’s dabbled in everything from plumber’s assistant to sandwich maker, from band to bar management. An opportunity to see theatrical release films for free by becoming a critic on a local public access show called “The Reel Deal” turned into a full-time job when Chris and his friends decided to take it to the internet. They built the site Spill.com, adding multiple podcasts and animated features, to no small amount of success. During this time, a fortuitous friendship sprung up between Chris and young Brian Salisbury, who was also a local film critic, and they merged their forces of will, and their laundry list of ideas for shows, to eventually build this community of critics. While Brian eventually followed his heart to a new family, Chris continues on with a cast of colorful folks from all over the country (and a few others). You can also check out Chris in his videocast, along with Martin Thomas and Danni Danger, that One Of Us does with our friends at Bell of Lost Souls: Crossover Event. He also regularly guests on the video game website Rage Select. Follow Chris on Twitter and Facebook and check out his Amazon Wish List.

 

 

Adrian El Critico (Screener Squad)

Though born and raised in Chicago, this film critic is Mexican to the bone. Adrian has been watching movies since he was a child, many of which might not have been age appropriate. Still, he couldn’t get enough. All throughout his life, friends and family would look to him for his recommendations and reviews on whatever films had come their way. Inspired earlier in life by the likes of Ebert and Roper at The Movies and then later Spill.com, Adrian decided film criticism and analysis provided a...