There are very few movies like Gunpowder Milkshake, but this film puts forward an irrefutable case of why there should be more.
Written and directed by Navot Papushado, who was inspired Buster Keaton, Charlie Chaplin, Quentin Tarantino the Coen Brothers, the production is a genre-blending, female-led action film that features some of Hollywood’s most sought after names such as Black Panther star Angela Bassett and Michelle Yeoh from Crazy Rich Asians. What’s more, it’s full of snappy one-liners that give the film a sense of humour without diluting the focus on female resilience — a refreshing change for this genre that often feels the need to pepper the action with cutesy-ness to make the women’s actions more palatable.
Drawing inspiration from the genres of Western, noir, action and thriller, the story centres on Sam (played by Avengers star Karen Gillan) who has been raised by a ruthless crime syndicate called The Firm. Sam’s mother Scarlett (Lena Headey from Game of Thrones) had also been a member of the crime group but was forced to abandon Sam when she was just 12-years-old. Now a woman in her own right, Sam has become one hell of a hit-woman, just like her mum.
When a high-risk job goes horribly wrong, Sam is faced with the choice between remaining loyal to The Firm, or ensuring the protection of an innocent 8-year-old girl – Emily (Chloe Coleman). Deciding not to abandon Emily in the way her own mother abandoned her, Sam chooses to reunite with her mother and her lethal associates, The Librarians. Together, the women must learn to trust one another and stand up to The Firm and their army of henchmen.
If this type of film sounds right up your alley, you should definitely make the most of the $11 movie tickets that are available to all eBay shoppers. You can purchase tickets to Gunpowder Milkshake — which lands in cinemas on July 15 — thanks to eBay Tuesdays simply by heading to eBay for the details. Follow the prompts to book your $11 tickets for Tuesday showings of Gunpowder Milkshake and all the latest releases. eBay Plus members can also get $25 HOYTS LUX tickets which is the perfect way to indulge in a little early-week treat.
And trust us, Gunpowder Milkshake is absolutely worth a trip to the cinema as you won’t want to miss seeing the incredible action sequences on the big screen. Here are just a few more reasons why getting out to see this fast-paced, female-led flick should be top of your “to-do” list.
Stunning Stunts
Given that it is an action film, it should come as no surprise that the stunts are executed to perfection, however, they also represent something fresh.
Working with stunt and fight coordinator Laurent Demianoff (who has worked on the Jack Ryan films) Papushado and his team set out to bring to life a new style of fight scene with gun battles that audiences have never seen before.
“The fun thing in this movie is we don’t try to be very realistic,” Demianoff has said. “In so many films there is a need for realism in the action, fights and stunts. In this film, it’s more like a cartoon or a comic book. Navot and I are of the same generation so when we discussed particular scenes from movies, our references were from the 1970s and Westerns and Sergio Leone movies.”
Gillan said that it’s during the fight scenes that Sam’s abandonment issues come roaring out. “She’s like a caged animal that’s just been unleashed,” she said. “She’s angry and it’s coming out during those fight sequences.
“The fight sequence which was the most fun to play was one with three goons who paralyse both Sam’s arms and so she has to fight using everything but her arms which is pretty comedic to look at, but she manages it. But it doesn’t stop there because then Sam gets into a car chase sequence and quickly teaches Emily how to drive.”
Do Not Mess With Librarians
Yes, you read that correctly before when we mentioned that Scarlett’s lethal associates are called The Librarians and, trust us, these bookworms mean business.
“I knew I wanted the film to feature librarians because they have always intrigued me,” Papushado said. “As a kid, I spent almost my entire school life hiding in the library reading sci-fi. Librarians have always fascinated and intimidated me; they’re like sheriffs, the original peacekeepers. I thought a library would be the perfect location and alter ego for a group of hired assassins. But it’s also a metaphor: a library holds maybe the strongest weapon of all – knowledge.”
Michelle Yeoh, Angela Bassett and Carla Gugino each take on their roles with gusto, with Bassett, who plays Anna May, saying, “When you think of a librarian, you think of someone who’s very genteel, very erudite, very smart, and who stays at home with her kitty cats, reading her books and her novels.
“You never think they may have another side. But individuals have good sides and they have sides they don’t show to the world, their secret lives if you will. And the secret life of these librarians is really something to behold!”
Friends for Life
Think about it, aren’t films and TV shows so much more fun to watch when you know the cast were having a ball behind the scenes?
Well, apparently in Gunpowder Milkshake — despite playing an estranged mother/daughter duo — Headey and Gillan became the best of buds.
“Karen and Lena are like two peas in a pod,” revealed the film’s producer Andrew Rona. “They had way too much fun both on and off the set. Every time I turned around they’re making an Instagram post or there’s karaoke singing going on. A real sisterhood formed between the two of them and the rest of the cast.
“It’s great to know that we put together this incredibly talented cast of women and they genuinely enjoyed themselves making the film. That energy comes across on screen as they bring the characters to life.”
Gunpowder Milkshake lands in cinemas on July 15, 2021. Watch the trailer below and be sure to grab yourself an $11 ticket to this fierce, funny, female-led action flick. Simply head to eBay and follow the prompts to book those eBay Tuesdays tickets.
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