Week 3 (July 5 – 11) – Maverick Entertainment Group
One of the most overlooked and consistent low-budget film companies of the 21st century, they’ve been full steam ahead in the streaming era while other indies have cratered. From the Maverick Entertainment Group website:
Founded in 1997, Maverick continues to be a leading distributor and producer of niche independent and Black Cinema content. Having released more than 1,300 films over the past 26 years, Maverick currently distributes the world’s largest library of feature-length Black Cinema.
Avatar meets two movies that are glued together by the thinnest sliver of voice-over narration.
In the first half, we follow Colonel Mara Shryyke (Eve Connelly), who spends the vast majority of her time wandering aimlessly through an alien desert—if space is Arizona—while being stalked by an enemy agent. They eventually have a CGI-blurred super-speed fight, and then Mara hitches a ride on a rocket plant, flies to space and gets blown up real good.
Then, we jump decades ahead to the third act to meet our new heroine: the Colonel’s daughter, Iva (also played by Connelly). We learn that everyone has flash drives implanted in them that record their life events, which serves as a convenient excuse for all the exposition-heavy flashbacks. Iva is stuck on a space station near a sun that randomly shoots fire. Other reviewers have claimed this sun can fart. I agree. It farts.
Iva has to stop the heat death of the universe, but just like her mom, she has no luck. The universe blows up anyway, and the film ends with a flash drive floating into space, presumably holding out for a sequel.
Paul Darrow, Avon from Blake’s 7, is the voice of the computer. There’s a ton of CGI and a great cover. This also feels like you wandered into someone’s Warhammer campaign, you have no idea what is going on, and no one ever smartens you up.
You can watch this on Tubi.
