I’ve said it time-and-time again, but those fellas over at the Academy don’t want a little lass like me promoting a movie called The Archivist. And, why is that, you ask? Well, it’s the kind of film that has cojones, a take-no-prisoners attitude, and it’s not afraid to step outside stereotypical Hollywood filmmaking conventions and be something different. In other words, The Archivist is the type of movie that’s not for wimps.
Now, I have to be honest with you, dear reader; I haven’t seen The Archivist just yet. In fact, their production company is still in talks with distributors and there’s no set release date. But based on this glorious trailer alone (embedded below), I can safely say, “HOLY F@&KING SH$T—I AM PUMPED!” I mean, c’mon, there’s a guy who tries to fight an actual biplane with a chainsaw. THAT’S SO COOL.
The Archivist was filmed in stunning 35mm and takes inspiration from 60s and 70s directors like George Romero (The Crazies), George Miller (Mad Max), and, most notably, Sergio Leone (The Good, the Bad and the Ugly). It’s going for that glorious grindhouse feeling—horror, splatter, action, and exploitation all in one beautiful package.
In the trailer, The Archivist pays homage to famous cinematic moments; I’m sure you clocked the Clint Eastwood hat moment from the aforementioned The Good, the Bad and the Ugly, for instance. But these references don’t feel heavy-handed. You can tell that the filmmakers have a deep love and respect for their influences, and they’re using these references to lend their movie the right type of stylistic atmosphere.
And I must say, writer/director/lead actor, Eric Hand, is giving me some serious Karl Urban vibes and I am VERY INTO. Hey, Mr. Beard, hey.
“Whether it was in my choice of a lens or my choice of a gun,” said Hand, “as actor and director I set out to make a no holds barred, hell of a movie that would entertain and maybe just make some people think about what movies used to mean and how they were made, and how they looked during the American New Wave, before digital technologies became the order of the day.”
When I reviewed Tammy and the T-Rex and Rebeller Media, I talked about movies that deliver “the goods.” Well, dear reader, keep your eyes peeled, because The Archivist sure looks like it’ll knock your socks off.
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Ira John Sites
Can’t wait to see it! This world is already taking some hard turns!