tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-56818293650244059492024-03-04T13:33:49.265-05:00Oh So GeekyUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger606125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5681829365024405949.post-57389315633091354252023-10-31T18:26:00.002-04:002023-10-31T18:37:55.634-04:00Courtney Gets Possessed (2023)<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBxhMtfeuSKwg2njs58E5Td2hyphenhyphensYeudchwERqF1fhcihk0M4yJ9zj-8Z3fnYtnd-_KmcG2bvH5LVaaoTUjvlIFuXG_NzotUD4zNasH2-CDyDWGqTs128F7IrZI852ljEIPiM9Wh9luJqvMSWrGtTeVRWvvwXXRyhRVNM4RmW7PZxghuhQbp9NR1-68HMh7/s826/courtney-gets-possessed-movie-review-horror.jpg"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBxhMtfeuSKwg2njs58E5Td2hyphenhyphensYeudchwERqF1fhcihk0M4yJ9zj-8Z3fnYtnd-_KmcG2bvH5LVaaoTUjvlIFuXG_NzotUD4zNasH2-CDyDWGqTs128F7IrZI852ljEIPiM9Wh9luJqvMSWrGtTeVRWvvwXXRyhRVNM4RmW7PZxghuhQbp9NR1-68HMh7/s16000/courtney-gets-possessed-movie-review-horror.jpg" width="750" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b>“<i>In Sickness
and In Hell.”</i></b></div>
Melting ice sculptures. Sibling rivalries. A mother’s cringe-worthy honeymoon advice. Plenty of mishaps can <i>and</i> will throw off a bride’s special day. Perhaps nothing more can cause such damage than when an ex-flame shows up out of nowhere and that ex just happens to be….Dave. Also known as Satan.<br><br>
The
horror of tying the knot has never been so much fun than in director and writer combo Jono Mitchell and Madison Hatfield’s latest film <i>Courtney Gets Possessed.</i><br><br>When
soon-to-be-newlywed Courtney (Lauren Bugioli) becomes possessed by Dave (Jonathon Pawlowski), her bridal party –
including type A maid of honor Lexi (Aditi George), jealous sister Caitlin (Madison Hatfield), and groom’s disapproving sister Jasmine (Najah Bradley) – race to exorcise Dave out of the picture for good before he makes their beloved friend tie the cursed knot for all eternity.<br><br>Following in the footsteps of famed classic <i>The Exorcism</i> and hit-comedy <i>Bridesmaids</i>, Mitchell and Hatfield captures both the anticipation and joy of such an occasion as a wedding. Using a limited setting in the characters’ main home, there’s tremendous attention to detail with the production from the neon lighting design that evokes both hell and a rave to the 80s synth theme score composed by Jordan Benett. The film manages to break the limitations of independent features to capture the essence of major studio flick – it never feels entirely claustrophobic with clever cinematography by Brett A. Frager that moves the story forward from room to room. <br><br>As the panicked attendees take the DIY approach to get their friend back, the direction paces the unexpected bloodshed with wry humor. When a large ensemble shares sufficient scream-time and mic-drop jokes, many films stumble in losing sight of the story to capture all of the players at work and vice versa. In contrast, <i>Courtney Gets Possessed </i>allows Bugioli to offer a stellar leading performance with a double-take between Courtney and as Dave, but never dilutes the supporting cast into mere reinforcements. Each character leads as a star in their own right – Madison Hatfield masking Caitlin’s sarcasm with self-doubt and envy, Jonathon Pawlowski’s mischievous devilry as Dave/Satan, Najah Bradley’s Jasmine heartfelt protectiveness over her brother and charismatic bait Zae Jordan Glen, Aditi George’s spinning Lexi’s perfectionism into nerdy endearment, Steve Reddington’s blusters of expletives will live in my head rent-free – to name a few. It's difficult to point out one performance over another, speaking to how evenly focused the directors were to both the plot and characters.<br><br>Performing a cover of boy band hits and delving into sibling rivalries while performing a How To: Exorcise The Devil can only be carried on with verve if trust is infused by the directors and carried on by the actors. As the characters feel the pressure to save Courtney while peeking at the Prince of Darkness’s Wikipedia and throwing together impromptu internet-ordained exorcisms, Hatfield and Mitchell maintain a steady confidence over their inspiration from cinema and wedding season. While there are notable homages and nods to classic demonic possession movies, the duo at the helm put their own confident stamp on both comedy and horror. Even though every day is a good day for an exorcism for some – for others, not so much. But <i>Courtney Gets Possessed</i> certainly makes a must-watch good case for it.<br><br><b>Rating: </b>★★★★★<br><br><b>Note: </b>I was provided with a screener to provide this review. Be sure to check out <i>Courtney Gets Possessed -</i> available on digital and demand November 3rd.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5681829365024405949.post-27929879292145717232023-10-13T23:18:00.006-04:002023-10-13T23:18:53.452-04:00The Eras Tour<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9l8acRktjyRcM_93N_yF-fmgJzNu8ucoqk2lhZgo1X435ccdZZQQUdspaJQcrdmzrW-bnp5R837me2y1SYIa-j2hYv02LCheS2egZxoidxTLcqoYzgwBgPoK9c5_ZE-wzzj-Dj1sNR3T1nmSnChLG1uXeQSeHZWPh4G-z7sphBeG9c_zNoZk2F80_-kZl/s750/taylor%20swift%20eras%20tour%20movie.jpg"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="750" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9l8acRktjyRcM_93N_yF-fmgJzNu8ucoqk2lhZgo1X435ccdZZQQUdspaJQcrdmzrW-bnp5R837me2y1SYIa-j2hYv02LCheS2egZxoidxTLcqoYzgwBgPoK9c5_ZE-wzzj-Dj1sNR3T1nmSnChLG1uXeQSeHZWPh4G-z7sphBeG9c_zNoZk2F80_-kZl/s16000/taylor%20swift%20eras%20tour%20movie.jpg" /></a></div><p>I've only been a Swiftie for a good six or seven years. I always kinda question my stance in the fandom, given that I'm not afraid to speak out against things that I disagree with and haven't been following her career since the beginning (which I guess earns some the 'real stan' badge or something on social media). But the depth of my admiration for her springing out is not something that I'm genuinely aware of until I pretty much become the resident Swiftie in close circles. With the 1989 re-recording on the way, and much of the publicity this year for the Eras Tour, Speak Now re-release, and the hubbub with the NFL, has been giving me overexposure vibes via 2015 right before she got cancelled. Going into this, and being a big lover of concert films in general, I was very much giving neutral energy just to keep my expectations at bay and mostly expecting to have a nice day out from my hellfire workplace. And, what in turn ended up happening was feeling like not only was I back seeing the concert in person earlier this summer but just completely absorbing everything that was happening on stage as if for the first time.</p><p>A journey of her albums from one to the next, takes us through as promised, seventeen years of unflinching inventive, vulnerable, and catchy entries into country, pop, and indie-folk history. With some of her past concerts ranging from getting a gold star for trying (<i>Fearless</i>), and hardcore 'someone edited this on shrooms' (<i>1989</i>) to the solid production of finding light and love in the world's white noise (<i>Reputation</i>), director Sam Wrench simultaneously lets us settle in for the night as if we're in the stadium seeing it in person and also drop kicks us into the imagination that is Taylor Swift. By taking the concert running time from 3 1/2 hours to 2 hours and 48 minutes (with 30 minutes of "trailers"), unfortunately someone's favorite song is gonna get cut. But with those cuts still encompasses a concert movie where every song is treated like it's only mini-production complete with costume changes and succinct set details you might never be able to pick out unless you memorize the whole concert - dancers taking golf clubs to the famous <i>Blank Space </i>car and smashing it to pieces or performing in the glass cages during <i>Look What You Made Me Do</i>, the tracks on the stage while witches cast a spell in <i>Willow </i>- and a performer at the highest of all her heights thus far. Wonderful cinematography and smooth editing makes it possible to accompany Taylor and her co. on stage, that is a real lavish visual treat that neither leaves you with whiplash or deprived of getting the full scope of the production design.</p><p>Though the running time is bound to have casual viewers running away - there is no behind the scenes documentary footage or intermissions - the pacing of over-the-top hits to softer vulnerable tracks offers a nice balance between the heartracing highs and slow-sway lows. At the center of the concert is a performer who invites you into her radio-ready Grammy winning life-spanning diary with an expressive presence that wields both an nostalgic appreciation for her longest-running hits and a mature artist on top of the world. Rather than showcasing a presence that feels implicity only 'on' for the cameras, she makes you feel as if she's performing just for you whether you're in the nosebleeds and first row at a massive stadium, or row five in the a movie theater. It's a real fantastical feat. Even though I've seen the concert in person and streamed it on social media, and knew what to expect, there was so much that I felt like I was just absorbing, and other times I'm pretty sure I just Winnie The Pooh-esque ascended to another plane of existence - it might've been wanting to go anywhere my Lover goes, having a marvelous time ruining everything with the last great American dynasty, or committing revenge with only a chair and some hardcore <i>Chicago</i> vibes like my life depends on it. By the end, it's tough to trace back exactly when a smile that breaks out on your face or the awe you've just witnessed. Maybe it's been there the whole 3 hours. Regardless, like everything Taylor touches, this is a joyful and heartfelt spectacle that proves why she's a mastermind and we're all so lucky to live in a world where we can take it all in and go along for the ride.</p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #575757; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 14.3px;">Rating: ★★★★</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #575757; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 14.3px;">★</span></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5681829365024405949.post-39408160625153132502023-08-15T17:20:00.006-04:002023-08-15T17:20:51.455-04:00Barbie (2023)<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmvnYVdIgf7g2yuiFJ7-0aWKTuLLncvBwG_JDW3aGBLF9DBdtXj4ktgvPluHs8bKFllyBpxlw_respfKtNLsorpoxDD6dCORGfWSjej-tF1a2IWFY8kKQxQVcziuks6zLbuc04fenyrnj4JFjZIJ2UhN_n_tQlxtVUeCWWsfnheL0hdCTqLHuo85JW3P4q/s750/barbie%20movie.jpg"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="750" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmvnYVdIgf7g2yuiFJ7-0aWKTuLLncvBwG_JDW3aGBLF9DBdtXj4ktgvPluHs8bKFllyBpxlw_respfKtNLsorpoxDD6dCORGfWSjej-tF1a2IWFY8kKQxQVcziuks6zLbuc04fenyrnj4JFjZIJ2UhN_n_tQlxtVUeCWWsfnheL0hdCTqLHuo85JW3P4q/s16000/barbie%20movie.jpg" /></a></div><i>Humans have only one ending. Ideas live forever.</i><p></p><p><b>Contains slight spoilers</b></p><span><a name='more'></a></span><p>Movies do not solve everything. Neither do objects like dolls. But humans are prone to wanting things to be our way in every way imaginable and somehow remain unproblematic and bury imperfections under a mask. When <i>Barbie</i> was in the works, the pre-production was inundated with criticism that has been lauded on the iconic doll herself - can't be too much of this or that because one or the other is never enough. The goal posts are out there, but they're never set and there's never a concrete number of how many hoops we gotta jump through to accomplish something. They just keep moving away. There really is no wonder why we are all plagued with a sense of emptiness, depression, anxiety, body image issues, existential crises going on with our identities all the time.</p><p>The funny thing is that this is just a movie, and Barbie is just a doll. But they are both somehow much more than that. Barbie herself is everything, a collectible that helped generations of girls know they can be and do anything they want, and to some people, she is nothing, a piece of plastic who just defined girls into a stereotype of pink and impossible expectations. The movie also contends with the same things - the complications of being a woman, being a man, of being human, the fragile line of walking all these tightropes - for better and worse in a fantastical, imaginative, funny, moving, and relateable portrait of our times. It's also nothing - another movie that doesn't settle on satire, but also varying reminders of the social norms we can never fix.</p><p>Similar to Penny Marshall and Nora Ephron, there are just certain lines, moments, beats, scenes, that you just know comes from the mind of Greta Gerwig. With only three movies down as the writer and director, there's such wondrous specificity in the ad placements, the casting, gorgeous practical effects, and dreamy production design that echo her attention to detail and sense of wonder. She wants to have fun at the cinemas, and without being pretentious, she wants us to have fun too. And the combination of both - the vision of a director and the joy of an audience member - in the dolls mannerisms, costume design, props, and script to name a few balances out the potent film-making with the pure escape.</p><p>Additionally, the casting is pretty spot-on. As Stereotypical Barbie, Margot Robbie brings just enough of that "plastic" like perfection that, as usual, being as beautiful, skinny, and having-it-all-together on the surface, is cracking enough underneath to see where all of the pressure of the real world comes from and her wanting to find out something more for herself. Robbie balances the line of being more than an idea of the doll but someone with a real heart and is sensing that there is more to life than what she's been always known. The supporting cast fills out the rest of the chart more or less. They are all charming but I wouldn't be lying if I didn't want more for them - Issa Rae, Michael Cera, Kate McKinnon, Sim Lu, Hari Nef, America Ferrera to name a few. Perhaps, though, nobody beats out the main contender Ryan Gosling. The doll is everything he possibly needed to be but he's more than Just Ken. Beyond his social media busting red carpet appearances where he shared his wise words of Kenergy, he puts out at a searing comedic performance that gives all the other cinematic Himbos a run for the money. He plays the jokes well, but he never succumbs to only being the butt or abs of the toxic masculinity jokes.</p><p>Too many of us, all of us, are aware of the pressure of what is expected day to day - on social media, from consumerism, living with racism, sexism, and gender identity. Juxtaposing this with Barbie is not too far-fetched, and the landscape is there to work out on the idea. Barbie Land is the epitome of women's success - feminism and equal rights have been solved as all the Barbies in their utopia hold important jobs, live in their dream house with dream cars, and men wait with bated breath for the smallest amount of attention and respect. We've been there for thousands of years, am I right ladies?, so a part of me felt a bit vindicated to see the women in control, not vying for the love of their counterparts, wanting to party, and later after some self-discovery, get depressed and roll over. Again though, nothing is what it seems. Stereotypical Barbie starts facing some real obstacles - persistent thoughts of death, cellulite, a quest of how do I matter, scathing critiques of the Mattel and capitalistic suits from Gen Zers, and sexism. The real effects we get being women. As she goes on a quest to reconnect with the person who is playing with her as a doll and transplanting their fears into her, she heads towards the real world and gets thrown into a world created by men primarily for men. When Ken gets that same taste, he brings the good ol' patriarchy back to Barbie Land, scratch that Ken Dome, with horses and bro brewskies were already driving it home.</p><p>Where the film falters for me is that the commitment to Barbie Land is so high and delivered so well for the first half of the movie, the inclusion of "reality" starts feeling hollow and bland. I'm not talking about how Barbie Land is the epitome of pink and the corporate ladder is white and black. When we see Barbie Land, and get to live in that unfair yet weirdly satisfying utopia, the running jokes feel natural both towards the product brand and as a counter-portrait of the real world, even if it's with dolls. There's plenty of showing in the script, production design, and direction, that when the movies shifts into 'telling', it tells so much of what we already know and are aware of. As much as America Ferrara's impassioned monologue about the pressures of being a woman in the world makes me want to shout YEESSSSS til I'm blue in the face, it also comes close to being too on the nose of telling the point of the movie when it's already obvious what they're trying to achieve. For many, it will be a necessary scene that airs our frustrations directly, and that's great. For me, the film didn't need to belabor the point when so many things were super-ceded that.</p><p>Barbie being introduced to the new world does play to a point of a mic-drop punchline and empowering message that makes the story worth it. But it just strikes me that Ken could've easily visited a library (maybe for the first time ever) and come across a book about horses or President Reagan, and forced the same kind of coup, and the Barbies could've helped Stereotypical Barbie to show they are more than just their titles and brand image. Even more than that, there are other loosely-plugged in concepts that don't necessarily stick the landing - the old lady at the bus stop who is specifically filmed as a major cameo but is not Ruth Handler; Rhea Pearlman as Ruth Handler haunting Mattel and coming back as a god-like figure; the world-building of the dolls taking on their players emotions / some have gotten out before and put back / etc. Gerwig is so imaginative when it comes to the full vision of Barbie Land, a part of me wished the patriarchy was introduced solely in that landscape without the inclusion of the real world....because the latter just simply sucks too much to want to keep going back there, and the latter ideas feel more like sketches than fleshed out concepts.</p><p>The film did, I think, what nobody expected it to - make a billion dollars at the box office with a female director for the first time, jumpstart BarbieCore aesthetic all over social media, and bring back the conversation of letting a movie be for the women, but also for the guys. There's a lot going on for the movie - a lot of it works, some of it doesn't. After seeing the movie for the first time, I found myself wanting to go back to Barbie Land. I think a part of that is because it is a land to play, to imagine, to dream, to believe that women can do it all because we already do - out of necessity, out of narrative choices, out of our own journey of self-discovery. Gerwig certainly does it all here - comedy, musical, satire, heartfelt drama. When the two co-exist it's everything you want it to be, but it's also a little imperfect, and that's okay. What remains is that ideas like Barbie or equality or gender norms or sexism, shift and change, if we allow them to, and at some point it would be nice if they just weren't hidden better. There is no limit to what we or even a doll can do next. Yes, <i>Barbie </i>isn't here to solve everything. That's never going to happen in a two hour running time, let alone maybe for all-time. But sometimes seeing is enough, and that's a really great big ide and hope to have. Fingers crossed, at least.</p><p>Rating: ★★★★☆</p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5681829365024405949.post-27136488036592837042022-09-07T16:14:00.004-04:002022-09-07T16:14:22.547-04:00Nope (2022)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF5j4f1WMRQPqwpTHobv7Sr7uLn0_t0f2_dlovmqQhJOtiypzhPy-Bn6T-vkU0xk7k6NkDIEREZcghG_gLt7KKNZ7VzZV6i5z6MiqnYjkLdqpSsUaMp2hH-vTQjp6JrkbahuMXyT9Gbc4RB3wS8Qdhio6QCGuMrlRTH_kGyGRxlNubuWKB-YUwtZvkNA/s750/nope%20movie%20review.jpg"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="750" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF5j4f1WMRQPqwpTHobv7Sr7uLn0_t0f2_dlovmqQhJOtiypzhPy-Bn6T-vkU0xk7k6NkDIEREZcghG_gLt7KKNZ7VzZV6i5z6MiqnYjkLdqpSsUaMp2hH-vTQjp6JrkbahuMXyT9Gbc4RB3wS8Qdhio6QCGuMrlRTH_kGyGRxlNubuWKB-YUwtZvkNA/s16000/nope%20movie%20review.jpg" /></a></div><p>The muddled execution of <i>Us</i> didn't make me question what Jordan Peele could do next. He's only three films into his career, and doing all right for himself despite the divisiveness surrounding his last film. Still, with so little time to prepare my hype in these 'The Myans Were Wrong' times, Peele has regained stride from <i>Get Out . </i></p><span><a name='more'></a></span><p>Generational family venture Haywood’s Hollywood Horses are falling on hard times. Despite their great-great-great grandfather Alistair E. Haywood's (based on a true story) debut as a Black horse jockey in the first ever moving picture, his descendants OJ (Daniel Kaluuya) and Emerald (Keke Palmer) struggle to keep their training ranch going after their father mysteriously dies from falling debris. As CGI becomes the standard and selling their own horses isn't sustainable, OJ and Emerald seemingly strike an opportunity to get the money shot of an alien-being lurking in the horizon. Meanwhile, just down the road, former child star Rick Park (Steven Yeun) buries a traumatic experience of his heyday into a Western-styled theme park and make his stardom rise with his own discovery.</p><p>What will it take for them to save themselves, to find relevance in an industry that's cast them out, to reconcile with their losses? The answer is not without a taste of a sublime yet violent showdown. From the opening title card, "Nahum 3:6: I will cast abominable filth upon you, make you vile, and make you a spectacle", the idea of a spectacle and the sacrifices (sometimes bloody, sometimes technological, sometimes blurring the line between predator versus prey or artist versus audience) is all over <i>Nope.</i> </p><p>Attention isn't always good - curiosity easily leads to voyeurism; voyeurism leads to exploitation; exploitation leads to punishment of sorts. As it becomes impossible for the characters to turn away from the thing in the sky, it's hard for us to do the same in the cinema itself. In this day and age, anyone can pull out their phone to make the TikTok rounds with a few swipes and a tap to publish. The thing in the sky is a thing to own, to control, to have for the characters' own gain. It's likely going to kill them but something that could set them up for life if they can outrun and outsmart it, and get it all on video.</p><p>Similarly, the characters themselves are exploited too. Alistair E. Haywood was essentially the star of a moving picture, yet all the credit goes to the guys who filmed and financed it. Ryan Park was cast as an adopted Asian child alongside a chimp in an all-white family, surviving a horrific production where one of the actor chimps attacks. He grows up essentially homogenizing his career in an industry that didn't utilize him as anything but an exotic trope. Now, generations down the road with OJ and Emerald, and Park as an adult, market their trauma in order to survive. Fiction like film has always been an escape from reality. Yet audiences usually felt a dissonance between what they experienced on screen to the real filming process. So many beloved classics have bloody stories staining their production - cutthroat tactics by directors, actors consumed with insecurities or personal ailments, stories that are ripped from the headlines. Yet the very horrors of these productions become commodified; the intrigue and lure of what went wrong almost usurps the quality of the films. Now, reality itself is vastly turning into a representation of fiction, where real human beings are viewed more like characters and snaps of life (where the truth can be misconstrued, theorized, broken down, etc.) is etched in digital-stone forever. Everything and anything can be twisted into a story ready for consumption, especially if the people involved are not in a position of power to tell their own stories.</p><p><i>Nope</i> becomes the ultimate 'gaze' film. Eyes are said to be the windows of the soul. We can tell a lot by someone who can look us in the eyes as they talk to us or avoid our presence. One of the first things OJ tries to teach a crew on a Hollywood soundstage is not to look a horse in the eyes as its intimidating. The rest of the film presents a challenge to look or not to look; to question what we're seeing. Even the best way to survive the alien-being is not to look at it in the eye. Peele litters the film with other subtler details - round objects looking like dilated pupils; Rick's survival of a traumatic event rest on the bad miracle of not looking his attackers in the eyes; Keke Palmer's character sexual identity as a lesbian averts becoming a horror heroine men love to gaze over; OJ and Emerald show they have each other's backs by saying 'I see you'. Hell, Daniel Kaluuya's eyes gives some of the best performances most actors dream of giving because of what we can do with his gaze. It's only a matter of time, if OJ and Emerald are successful in their quest, that the eyes of the world will be upon them for what they achieved - something that nobody can erase.</p><p>The thing in the sky also camouflages itself as it needs to for the sake of the plot and as we the audience sees it, making it hard for us to not sit in awe or terror. Jean Jacket debuts as one with the clouds, appearing as another mere mysterious curiosity - much like a phantom of our childhoods that made us believe something was out there. Us humans cannot avoid itching that scratch of discovery, so gradually as OJ and Emerald seek to face off against their Goliath, the invisible-visible cloud morphs away from that iconic impression of a silver glistening UFO. It becomes God watching their every move; a capitalist chewing up people and spitting out money; a replica of Rick's cowboy hat, the lens of a camera as if to film its victims; a vacuum that squeezes and sucks the life out of its meals; it's an animal trying to sustain its own life. We're terrified of it but it's not exactly a villain, per say. The more OJ and Emerald strive to document Jean Jacket to save their ranch, the film explores the acts of exploitation to make a movie - everything between studios ruthlessly using and disposing of crew to get the impossible shot, how Hollywood has treated Black artists and people of color as props, exploiting a subject to make one's own career skyrocket. As OJ tries to understand the alien and train it, he becomes the Black cowboy Hollywood erased. The more Park treats it like a predator that can be tamed, the alien is also hunting them, letting Peele also reign in the idea of people demonizing animals for behaving naturally in man-made environments, and human's pension to try to control what can't be controlled. There is a food chain, figuratively and creatively, Peele seems to say, and we're all on the menu whether we are actively a participant or not.</p><p>Peele wanted to make the next Great American UFO story, and he does so in spades. We never know what we're going to get with his movies, but the cast absolutely shines. He also paces his script with humor, action, and horror as well as a Western without the typical white cowboy heroes. As many interpretations Peele weaves into the story, he's never too self-aware of his message and the analysis itself doesn't feel heavy-handed. It's quite easy to digest if you take apart it in pieces. I personally don't know why people are haranguing this as too complicated. I feel like this is the film movie buffs have been drooling to obsess over. Though he didn't quite disappear from Hollywood's radar, even during the COVID lockdown, this ultimately is his shot of re-writing, producing, filming, and directing back on top, and making the movie theater experience worth it again.</p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Rating: ★★</span><span style="font-size: x-large;">★</span></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5681829365024405949.post-7469281431949575042022-07-18T16:57:00.005-04:002022-07-18T16:59:57.548-04:00The Gray Man (2022)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBHvwBOvCAJsjQFO8F4OJ5yrGcOEFvtyv-TTpmAkCQXxPpTWAMGRtClZ3aXw7Xpc93GsfM-tvyZFDPBe2HYPoHta83ZaxT6dsMS83tpE4rsS_hYqMJhZV7cgW8B1WLMkU1VCg4H_ZrSUYlbfe0pD00Cpi25bsjsXA_GHHBNMHAXTbLpq4Wxw2hPqvLHQ/s750/AAAABdy-faTwQD7YK6tirPkhmsovv6blu05YcjEwFCYGa_ToIxtusZGR-edOY-bHfyYNyVo5w46tWCW3IV5Cgx4G196M-V6d-b5FMRNZ.jpg"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="750" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBHvwBOvCAJsjQFO8F4OJ5yrGcOEFvtyv-TTpmAkCQXxPpTWAMGRtClZ3aXw7Xpc93GsfM-tvyZFDPBe2HYPoHta83ZaxT6dsMS83tpE4rsS_hYqMJhZV7cgW8B1WLMkU1VCg4H_ZrSUYlbfe0pD00Cpi25bsjsXA_GHHBNMHAXTbLpq4Wxw2hPqvLHQ/s16000/AAAABdy-faTwQD7YK6tirPkhmsovv6blu05YcjEwFCYGa_ToIxtusZGR-edOY-bHfyYNyVo5w46tWCW3IV5Cgx4G196M-V6d-b5FMRNZ.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div>For the past four years I’ve been playing a torturous one-sided game of 'Where in the world is Ryan Gosling?' Without hesitation or any expectations, <i>The Gray Man</i> answered that question. And the answer is pretty much everywhere - Bangkok, Hong Kong, Croatia, Berlin, Florida. Despite the impressive array of settings for the Russos' latest Netflix project, and the streaming service making me wait two years for this with barely any promo tours of my baes Ryan and Chris...the film itself is spectacularly bland. Fun? Yes. But bland.</div><br />
My long-awaited return of Gosling brings him to play a so-called violent prisoner picked up from the CIA to do their dirty work as Sierra Six aka American Bond. On a mission to kill another target, he realizes his time is up. A hotshot new director is hunting the agents in the shadows like Six ~for reasons~ and is forced to go on the run as a rogue assassin Lloyd Hansen (Chris Evans) guns him down.<br /><br />
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Similar to so many spy capers from Mission : Impossible to the Bourne franchise, the plot inches our guy escaping one trap and showdown to another with relative ease. It’s been lathered up from other adaptations and basically rinses and repeats their formulas- the good guy is noble despite his pension for violence; there’s a young girl to tug his heartstrings and show us he's human; the villain is having a blast just blowing the shit out of everything in sight. But just because it’s been done before doesn’t mean it can’t be improved or modified.<br /><br />
The Russos, and their writing Marvel partners in crime Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely, got the blockbuster budget to pull off big action stunts but they didn’t get the memo to focus on what they could do to make this spicier. If<i> Top Gun: Maverick</i> hadn't just been released, and impressively only employs a stunning action scene in the third act to blow every other movie out of the water this summer, <i>The Gray Man</i> would've fared better on my radar. But, ignoring its impact, and the influence of other flicks like<i> John Wick</i>, still would've done them and this a disservice. Because honestly, The Russos' approach to action is film it. Like the parking lot scene in <i>Captain America: Civil War</i> that is yes, very entertaining because of all of the superhero characters pitted against each other, but also a prime example of a fight scene without any real stakes involved - The Accords is a footnote in the battle between Stark and Rogers; there are supposed to be other Winter Soldiers out there but lol not really; and the Avengers team as a whole don't have any real beefs with each other - they're mostly kids caught between their parents divorce agreement. But I digress.<br /><br />
Filming an action scene just as it is...is kind of like the most basic thing you can do for an action movie these days. You could theoretically summarize <i>Mad Max: Fury Road</i> as a circus of desert dwellers just driving trucks back and forth. But it's <b>criminal</b> to leave it at that because George Miller's remake is also a stunning piece of action in its seismic editing and pacing, giving characters' connections, making mother nature a character in itself, creating a villain who feels like he has something to lose too (not just the heroes). <i>The Gray Man</i> has cool ideas and unique production designs set around Six executing numerous red shirts that are fun. Like it opens up with Six attempting to kill his target at a massive NYE gala, and the Russos deploy fireworks, and the crowd, and a random ass kid to make his set-up challenging...but the editing of multiple angles to see one punch or gun shot makes it difficult to see the stunts in full. The pacing is too plain and simple. Blink and its over before it starts. (They also employ a drone shot multiple times...and it's like they attached a Go-Pro to Batman...it does not make sense). The choreography and set-up to the action scenes are so smooth, there's nothing tangible or rarely makes us feel like Six is actually in harms way. You eat your popcorn; when one is over, you wait for the next one start.<br /><br />
Because of the genre's history, it's expected that most spies are going to MacGyver their way of out the corner they’re backed into but there’s not any breadcrumbs to follow here. There's no real intrigue in how The Gray Man is going to get from one place to another or hide out from all the other criminals hunting him down or anything. He just goes and does things, and you're like 'oh okay, it's that simple?'. You get snippets of supporting characters - Six's recruiter and father-like figure in Billy Bob Thorton; Six's right hand woman on the battlefield (Ana De Armas is wasted here); the CIA's new directors have messed up royally (Regé-Jean Page and Jessica Henwick ham it up as much as possible and they make it work). You also get snippets of challenges that are supposed to matter, but are quite forgettable by the end.<br /><br />
That lack of taking notes from more successful action films lends to the vanilla-ness of Gray Mans characterization. John Clancy and James Patterson esque novels are a dime a dozen. But they have millions of ardent fans, even casual ‘need to fill my time on a long fight’ readers, because they camouflage their tropes. Again, the screenwriters mostly went along with the flow for theirs. Six gets the broodiness of a tortured past and the heart to protect his recruiter's niece but as a spy he comes across as a normal guy so much it’s hard to believe he’s even a spy. There’s no real allure or swag. Gosling began his career as the tortured method artist, but thankfully veered out of developing the Jared Leto Complex. In the past several years, he’s been picking projects he enjoys. And, that works for him here. He wears the normalcy of Six well, killing targets like it's just another Thursday. But the skill Gray attained over the years makes it hard to believe why he’s so revered and feared. Newer or unfamiliar Gosling fans would not get the sense that he is stunning as The Driver in <i>Drive</i>, and that's quite the feat. But at the same time, it's like The Russos didn't say 'access a little of that darkness for us will you?'. He doesn't seem sociopathic in his own way, and his big backstory reveal is on par with Jon Voigt tearing down the IMF because of a mid-life crisis in the first <i>Mission: Impossible</i>. That absence of inner conflict - what could've been the breaking point to turn him into a Llloyd Hansen - would've been interesting...but he's more or less a propped up by minor characters as a reformed prisoner.<br /><br />
This is where Evans' trash stache and all, comes in. That boy was ready to chew up the scenery. And he does it exceedingly well. Again, there's no real backstory or development of Hansen. He's straight up nutso and knows it, relishes it, wants to eat popcorn, sit back and have a beer while he's blowing up the world. As much as I love Evans, I was worried a lot of....mannerisms would shine through or he would become a caricature. I, personally, think he has a habit of picking projects he's enthusiastic about, but then his personal anxiety sometimes interrupts his commitment to a character. He's always good and different in every single role, but there's something preventing him from going all the way. While Hansen mostly exclaims funny one liners, he never makes that the only thing about him. Evans sustains comedic timing that hits at all the right moments and makes you want to see if there’s a method to Hansen's madness. He steals every scene he's in (excluding Dhanush) and is that element that would be missing if the film went with another villain.<br /><br />
Style makes for enjoyable popcorn flicks. Evans brings that to the table in spades. But the precision of Tom Cruise/Christopher McQuarrie’s work makes you feel the stakes involved. <i>The Gray Man</i> is a straight arrow through and through. But so is Cruise's <i>Jack Reacher,</i> who Christopher McQuarrie made threatening enough that you can always feel the calm before the storm when he strikes, even if he's just <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cgLMSMIU124" target="_blank">trying to escape two bozos in a bathroom</a>. It's choreographed to perfection, but it still comes across as tactile and imperfect and improvised on the spot, which is what <i>The Gray Man</i> is missing. There's not a lot of tension in the action, and there's too much humor to discern if the movie even wants to be a spy thriller. At some point, Netflix and the Russos banked on Six versus Lloyd Hansen; the draw for audiences would be Gosling vs Evans. With that in mind, the film is...fine. It'll be something I put on when I'm at home working or cleaning or just want to daydream about my baes. It's okay to watch movies that you don't have to think about. On that note, it's falling perfectly in line with what Netflix has to offer these days.<br /><br />
*shots fired* sorry ryan i love you baeUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5681829365024405949.post-20079872270412766532022-03-13T20:24:00.005-04:002022-03-13T20:24:27.932-04:00The Batman (2022)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgqo4vz1iGH_gZbe578bCUnKqa8Nj_Y5a9hBmmHCopTaoJqps7uGUPZL5aGbauo3KZGqQ9ePGuXygBSPlsOWkWnWbo-B3QRm4vgqYK2CsJzwPM7fPdZkwEIHZI6YKdT0IAbzW89k3VPgp-kBEHaFqF83AH8Sk54gsYASm9T29oLnKBk54lrAm-lUB2Fjg=s750"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="750" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgqo4vz1iGH_gZbe578bCUnKqa8Nj_Y5a9hBmmHCopTaoJqps7uGUPZL5aGbauo3KZGqQ9ePGuXygBSPlsOWkWnWbo-B3QRm4vgqYK2CsJzwPM7fPdZkwEIHZI6YKdT0IAbzW89k3VPgp-kBEHaFqF83AH8Sk54gsYASm9T29oLnKBk54lrAm-lUB2Fjg=s16000" /></a></div><div>Is Batman overrated? Aren't there more superheroes to make movies about? Isn't a big reason why some feel Batman is overrated is because he's gotten so many adaptations - almost as much, if not more, than Superman? It's hard to ignore these questions as another reboot releases this Spring and takes the world by storm. However, when its long-awaited hype promises to do something different with the Caped Crusade and delivers, it's almost impossible to not acknowledge how an iconic character can once again seem new.</div><br />
Director Matt Reeves had a very specific vision that made Warner Bros want to take another shot at the eternally brooding Bruce Wayne. It's that vision which makes going to the cinemas worthy again, especially after the past two years we've had. His universe is designed specifically for a cinematic experience with Michael Giacchino's unpredictable score, larger-than-life cinematography, and visceral production design. Set against the darkest days Gotham faces, this doesn't take us back to the roots of Wayne's origins as Batman - it drops us right in the middle of his second year with the "Gotham Project", trying to etch a legacy through his family name as his alter-ego as the Riddler uses the bodies of Gotham's elite as pawns in an ambitious cat-and-mouse game.<br /><br />
Brought to life by a top-notch ensemble, the familiar faces we've seen before come to life on-screen with a few twists - Zoe Kravitz's Catwoman wanting to escape and avenger from the power-hold of her crooked bosses (the character is slinkier and graceful than ever before yet just as bad-ass as Eartha Kitt, Michelle Pfieffer, and Anne Hathaway (sorry Halle Berry). Jim Carrey's over-the-top and very gay Riddler is usurped by Paul Dano's 99%er plotting and murdering his way to justice. Colin Farrell's Penguin doesn't see the light of day as much as Danny DeVito's sympathetic villain from <i>Batman Returns</i>, but it's a character turn that's refreshing for the blockbuster-turned-character actor. Jim Gordon still maintains his right-hand-man status with Bruce Wayne investigating crimes, but Jeffrey Wright feels just as grounded and palpably anxious to rid Gotham of its devils. Not to mention - Andy Serkis, Peter Sarsgarrd, John Tuturro, and whoever is silhouetted as the next possible villain before the ending credits roll. Oh, and then there's Robert Pattinson. Known for his weird quirks and insane choice of freakish roles, Pattinson slips into the scarred and damaged Bruce Wayne almost as easily as Christian Bale - if not more so. <i>When that light hits the sky, it's not just a call, it's a warning. </i>While the rest of the film certainly roll along, he manages to exude elements of past actors - their awkwardness, pain, hope, resilience, humanity - and also adds new layers of fear, intimidation, and anger.<div><br />
As grim and raw as<i> The Batman </i>is in the wake of his predecessors more family-friendly vibes, it's not as revolutionary as so many reviews point out for me. Story-wise, I didn't find the plot much different than Christopher Nolan's trilogy. The script still heavily focuses on corrupt cops and government needing to be overthrown, not putting to use supporting characters of color, the seediness of Gotham's underground taking advantage of the system and disadvantaged as Nolan's series did. In the same vein, as much plot as this film tries not be as formulaic as the MCU or DCEU recent entries, some of the characters fall to the wayside - Riddler is terrifying but his re-appearances grow repetitive; Farrell's unrecognizable as The Penguin, but he's mainly a lackey who will have his own familiar rise to power soon. The winding road of 'see another victim, get a new clue' rinse and repeat runs the plot for the most part, which makes the running time run pretty smoothly. However, the big reveals wasn't predictable - it's like realizing halfway through a maze, you already know where the exit is.<br /><br />
In looking towards the future of the new Batman slate, we also have to look at the past...and it's refreshing that <i>The Batman</i> managed to give a whole arc to its leading character in one-go rather than resting on the whims of the studio bouncing from director or actor to another, or inhabiting the same type of themes throughout a trilogy. We've come so far with these films, it's a disservice to say this one is merely better when it's merely adapted to audiences' tastes and technology over the decades. Yet Reeves's approach does not detract from its subtle humor and effective character development. Two and a half hour plus running time seems excessive in the beginning, but the film remains intriguing enough from beginning to end that the time simply flies by with suspense, action, and romance peaking at just the right moments. After my showing, someone on the way out of the theater mentioned that they'd like to see a five hour cut, and I have to agree. Even if every frame is utilized to its best advantage, it doesn't stop me from wanting more, more,<i> more.</i></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Rating: ★★1/2☆</span></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5681829365024405949.post-40517058837067164592022-02-08T12:26:00.004-05:002022-02-09T13:52:07.742-05:00Cosmic Dawn (2021)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEheXV-4XBK5ZSK7dgrr067bHmXEy8cPdtCo7pdGzKR_r_zZDcMSWljMR49Mbm92WNAYZrtJrdiflFEe9QmDnK6lma9wN4kIATDVXRcnBLFTfPOw-Y4Ueb7q9_VPxJFBnpSnoHP6HbrGBkRxo79PJEVjpvsI95aZ--qvD1QxZ0fFrofjYjdbp4jSyq0_yg=s750"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="750" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEheXV-4XBK5ZSK7dgrr067bHmXEy8cPdtCo7pdGzKR_r_zZDcMSWljMR49Mbm92WNAYZrtJrdiflFEe9QmDnK6lma9wN4kIATDVXRcnBLFTfPOw-Y4Ueb7q9_VPxJFBnpSnoHP6HbrGBkRxo79PJEVjpvsI95aZ--qvD1QxZ0fFrofjYjdbp4jSyq0_yg=s16000" /></a></div><div><br /></div>We’ve been looking towards the cosmos to understand ourselves since the beginning of time. For those who have venture closer than admiring space from afar, abductees or the families left behind try to make sense of what happened and why. It can be a tumultuous experience struggling to believe their own encounters and facing skeptics who question them.<br /><br />
In writer/director Jefferson Moneo’s latest film, Aurora (Camilla Rowe) has been searching for answers since she was a young girl and witnessed her mother inexplicably disappearing into the night sky. Years later as an adult, she’s compelled to join a UFO cult The Cosmic Dawn seemingly finding the community she's needed until she discovers its leader Elyse (Antonia Zegers) is not who she seems to be.<br /><br />
Aurora is the central anchor to take us through the effects of her life before joining the group, her indoctrination, and the escape attempt afterwards. Largely a model before turning to film, Camille Rowe only has a few credits under her belt, but it's tough to not imagine roles eventually coming her way. She balances Aurora’s naivete to be swept up by the group’s unusual practices with desperation of seeing her mom again through a cosmic connection. It helps that she is joined by Emmanuelle Chiriquí as Natalie – a mysterious young woman who recruits Aurora into the group – and her husband Tom, played by Joshua Barge. Both are mindful to tread their roles ambiguously enough to doubt whether they are merely pawns in Elyse’s web or using Aurora for their own gain.<br /><br />
At the core of <i>Cosmic Dawn</i>, Jefferson Moneo (who’s own experience inspired the film) searches for meaning towards why someone would join a cult and what they’re looking for – answers, community, a part of themselves that’s been lost. He also infuses the world-building with details that are both familiar with other cult-inspired films and well-executed on their own. This deep sense of personalization flows throughout that makes you question the world around them, but not necessarily the characters' trauma. His vision - styled with a synth-led score by Alan Howarth and MGMT, cinematography framed in bold neon, and drug-induced hallucinations – becomes a downright trippy experience.<br /><br />
Even though the cast and production brings sufficient substance to the story, they<i> are</i> hindered by its style at times. The film primarily anchors to Aurora’s vulnerability as she searches for her mother in others, primarily Elyse as the group’s leader. Antonia Zegers invites a warm maternal presence that shows what Aurora sees in her, but her leadership also comes across as a rough amalgamation of ideas rather than a fully-realized process to fully flesh out their individual circumstances. More than that, the script divides into exploring Aurora both joining and leaving the group. Consistently flash-backing, or flashing-forward, becomes gradually haphazard to adding suspense to Elyse’s intentions and what’s to become of Aurora.<div><br /><i>
Cosmic Dawn</i> features performances and production design that hold your attention, mixing the awe of <i>Close Encounters of the Third Kind</i> and trippiness of <i>Midsommar</i>. Moneo isn’t asking or plodding for viewers to come away believing in aliens – only to explore the plausible after-effects to those who encounter them. His plot and style is led astray at times, struggling to juggle the atmospheric sci-fi elements with drama. Aurora’s emotional journey might be divisive for some but ultimately engrossing enough for the concept to be worthwhile.<p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Rating: ★★☆</span></p><p><b>Thank you to <a href="https://crankedupfilms.com/cosmicdawn" target="_blank">Cranked Up Films</a> for providing a screener. <i>Cosmic Dawn </i>is available to watch on-demand and limited in theaters.</b></p></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5681829365024405949.post-55883288725770007682022-01-02T17:35:00.006-05:002022-01-03T01:47:19.722-05:0052 Films By Women Challenge Year-End Recap<p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh5id-FA00xjzS9bBudALVvYG3xhokHmz26KvyYdwT9FL6VF2DSyMM5rhIU8c4XAx06TDJeZHLGX2T1OrwwRsZv4UUcywpqivLp-J6rLYlvFbMu45dNf6ew1XLcdKmdGiMDe2tukEIM-lizQ8P_Bjf79o2LmMyGQG3gUjCY1z4aGxzPnGhxoEVGTvaiQg=s750" style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh5id-FA00xjzS9bBudALVvYG3xhokHmz26KvyYdwT9FL6VF2DSyMM5rhIU8c4XAx06TDJeZHLGX2T1OrwwRsZv4UUcywpqivLp-J6rLYlvFbMu45dNf6ew1XLcdKmdGiMDe2tukEIM-lizQ8P_Bjf79o2LmMyGQG3gUjCY1z4aGxzPnGhxoEVGTvaiQg=s16000" /></a></p><p>Earlier this year, I set up a few film challenges for myself. The major one was watching 52 films by women - one film a week for a year. </p><p>I thought it'd be a pretty seamless challenge - find a movie every week and watch it. But it took quite a few different turns. Streaming services or rentals dropped a lot of titles before I got the chance to watch them, or movies I wanted to check out at random were difficult to find. More often than not, my work schedule took over my days and nights, so squeezing in time was tougher than it was a couple of years ago when I was mainly working from home. Covering <a href="https://www.ohsogeeky.com/search/label/athena%20film%20festival" target="_blank">the Athena Film Festival</a> gave me a bit of an edge in Spring. But, my original list looks absolutely nothing with <a href="https://letterboxd.com/krochelle/list/52-films-by-women-2021-challenge/" target="_blank">what it looks now</a>.</p><p>Consciously trying to watch more films by a wide range of directors truly put into perspective just how much more movies (usually by male directors) are out there and easily available. Browse any genre across Hulu, Netflix, HBO Max, etc. and it's dominated by one gender instead of a spectrum. That's not the same with films directed by women. Many don't get a second time to helm another feature, even if they're first is a financial success, making movie goers opportunities to find unique films in multiple genres extremely limited. Want to watch animated movie by a woman? They're out there, definitely, but harder to access.</p><p>Besides some of the cons, there were also pros. There is such a great variety of stories to be told. Every time a female director steps behind the camera, the representation on-screen and off becomes more normalized yet remains inspiring. Even if a film didn't land with me, I still appreciated knowing a female director was behind the camera and was putting a piece of her ideas and work or a female-lead out there, and to cover more ground with a focus on women of color, LGBTQ+ community, etc.</p><p>I didn't quite keep up with a side-goal to review every movie - as I just really lost my sense of writing this year. Anxiety became so bad that I restarted my letterboxd and deleted my other one. While I wish I could specifically talk about the movies I watched, my heart wasn't just in it beyond brief recaps of when I watched what.</p><p>One of the biggest habits that I have is waiting to watch a film when the time is right - whatever that means. But this challenge opened me up to watching movies that sounded interesting and just checking it out without putting any preface and expectations on the experience. I found that it gave me a lot more freedom to watch whatever I felt I was in the mood for, and not worry about whether it was good or bad, if I could write about it or not.</p><p><b>Out of the 52 films that I watched, these stood out to me the most: </b><i>A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood, Professor Marston and the Wonder Women, Love and Basketball, Julia Scotti: Funny That Way, Test Pattern, Abominable, The Piano, But I'm A Cheerleader, A Vigilante, Miss You Already, Our Friend, and Shiva Baby. </i></p><div><div><b>A few honorable mentions: </b><i>All Too Well short film, D.E.B.S, Home for the Holidays, Mamma Gloria, Beyond the Lights, Mudbound, Leave No Trace, Somethings Gotta Give, Eves Bayou.</i></div></div><div><br /></div><div>I'm definitely going to watch films by more directors this year, but I'm not sure I'll continue this specific goal. There are still several late releases I wished to have checked out and pushed me over the finishing line - <i>Passing, The Power of the Dog, The Lost Daughter, Petite Maman</i>. But I just didn't have time with work and holidays taking over in December...I guess I know where to start in 2022.</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5681829365024405949.post-11478425775593547352021-12-23T11:55:00.001-05:002021-12-26T13:33:27.219-05:00Thursday Movie Picks - Holiday Party<p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkE8e_sa8e78ZGUgZJAgIQdhplrkVNNj4j9-UeCrc_osW-0BI4WgurLQetHaQbQHxJq8-B4RKCuQmAiPA1UT-JM4PzBPpv7E4PXKgYxMhSt38kktSvwupTZzxNsqXNpD-hUUM9Q-dfIT-I/s750/thursday+movie+picks+wandering.jpg" style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="750" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkE8e_sa8e78ZGUgZJAgIQdhplrkVNNj4j9-UeCrc_osW-0BI4WgurLQetHaQbQHxJq8-B4RKCuQmAiPA1UT-JM4PzBPpv7E4PXKgYxMhSt38kktSvwupTZzxNsqXNpD-hUUM9Q-dfIT-I/s16000/thursday+movie+picks+wandering.jpg" /></a></p><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 15.4px;">Wandering Through the Shelves hosts </span><a href="https://www.ohsogeeky.com/search/label/thursday%20movie%20picks" style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 15.4px;" target="_blank">Thursday Movie Picks</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 15.4px;">. It's a weekly series where bloggers post and share various movie picks every Thursday. </span><p></p><b>The rules are simple: based on the theme of the week pick three to five movies and tell us why you picked them. For further details and the schedule visit the series main page <a href="http://wanderingthroughtheshelves.blogspot.com/2020/12/2021-thursday-movie-picks-schedule-final.html" target="_blank">here</a>.</b><div><p><b>This week's theme is Holiday Party.</b></p><p><span></span></p><a name='more'></a><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="326" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/sAQogHJ529g" width="720" youtube-src-id="sAQogHJ529g"></iframe></div><h2>You've Got Mail</h2></div><div><i>Struggling boutique bookseller Kathleen Kelly (Meg Ryan) accidentally develops a blossoming companionship with her biggest rival - Foxbooks chain store owner Joe Fox (Tom Hanks) - through an anonymous internet chatroom. When Joe learns that the enchanting woman he's involved with is Kathleen, he must reconcile their strong distaste for each other to see if there is a real connection beyond the cyber world.</i></div><div><br /></div><div>Nora Ephron created year-long movie magic with <i>You've Got Mail</i>..because you can watch it any time and it fits spring, summer, fall, and winter. One of the best scenes is Kathleen discovering that one of her patrons is her biggest rival. It's a good thing Frank gets there in time to put down the knife. <i>F-O-X</i>.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="366" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/GgPlz67L-LI" width="720" youtube-src-id="GgPlz67L-LI"></iframe></div><h2 style="text-align: left;">Scrooge</h2><div><i>Ebenezer Scrooge (Albert Finney) is the definition of a miser. On Christmas Eve, he is in store for a rude awakening when he is visited by three ghosts, including the Ghosts of Christmas Past (Edith Evans) and Present (Kenneth More).</i></div><div><br /></div><div>I was so sad to discover that songwriter Leslie Bricusse passed away in October 2021. He contributed to so many musicals over the years like <i>Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory</i> and <i>Victor Victoria</i>. Even when it gets depressing or scary towards the end (hello third ghost!), I loved how he turned<i> A Christmas Carol</i> into a tender musical. I hope it still finds it way to the stage in the upcoming years. This is probably my favorite version next to<i> A Muppet Christmas Carol.</i></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="366" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/I6wRZCV7naE" width="720" youtube-src-id="I6wRZCV7naE"></iframe></div><h2 style="text-align: left;">Die Hard</h2><div>One of my favorite scenes of all time - not gonna lie. Pretty amazing how 99% of the whole movie is a holiday party but the debate still lives on if it's Christmas-y enough. </div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5681829365024405949.post-80345946644716716062021-12-23T11:53:00.007-05:002022-01-01T13:34:33.069-05:00Thursday Movie Picks: TMP Television Edition: Holiday<p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkE8e_sa8e78ZGUgZJAgIQdhplrkVNNj4j9-UeCrc_osW-0BI4WgurLQetHaQbQHxJq8-B4RKCuQmAiPA1UT-JM4PzBPpv7E4PXKgYxMhSt38kktSvwupTZzxNsqXNpD-hUUM9Q-dfIT-I/s750/thursday+movie+picks+wandering.jpg" style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="750" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkE8e_sa8e78ZGUgZJAgIQdhplrkVNNj4j9-UeCrc_osW-0BI4WgurLQetHaQbQHxJq8-B4RKCuQmAiPA1UT-JM4PzBPpv7E4PXKgYxMhSt38kktSvwupTZzxNsqXNpD-hUUM9Q-dfIT-I/s16000/thursday+movie+picks+wandering.jpg" /></a></p><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 15.4px;">Wandering Through the Shelves hosts </span><a href="https://www.ohsogeeky.com/search/label/thursday%20movie%20picks" style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 15.4px;" target="_blank">Thursday Movie Picks</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 15.4px;">. It's a weekly series where bloggers post and share various movie picks every Thursday. </span><p></p><b>The rules are simple: based on the theme of the week pick three to five movies and tell us why you picked them. For further details and the schedule visit the series main page <a href="http://wanderingthroughtheshelves.blogspot.com/2020/12/2021-thursday-movie-picks-schedule-final.html" target="_blank">here</a>.</b><div><p><b>This week's theme is TMP Television Edition: Holiday. December 23rd flew passed me so fast, I didn't realize it. This is completely late, but it's here. lol</b></p><p><span></span></p><a name='more'></a><h2>Doctor Who Special</h2></div><div>I haven't watched the series in a long time, but the Doctor Who specials for Christmas always stick out for me. In "Voyage of the Damned," the Doctor finds himself on the intergalactic cruise ship 'Titanic', doomed to crash to earth. While fighting scary Christmas angels, with the help of Kylie Minogue's character Astrid, the Doctor saves the day. But sadly he is unable to save Astrid as well. You throw Titanic and David Tennant together, and yeah, I'll watch and love it.</div><div><br /></div><h2 style="text-align: left;">The Office - Christmas Party</h2><div><i>When Michael's gift exceeds the $20 limit to buy Ryan a $400 Ipod and is disappointed with the handmade gift he receives in return, the Secret Santa gift exchange turns into a dysfunctional round of Yankee Swap. To make up for his misdeeds, he treats the party to excessive amounts of licour and letting the Secret Santa exchange go back to normal.</i></div><div><br /></div><div>I love The Office, but Michael could be a real asshat during the holidays. Luckily, he always turned things around. But I'm not sure that the series ever had an episode where things were dysfunctional but he didn't act like a Scrooge. <i>Christmas Party </i>is probably the most easiest-going episode.</div><h2 style="text-align: left;">The One With the Holiday Armadillo</h2><div><i>Ross wants to do something special for his son Ben during Christmas. Since all the Santa costumes have been rented out, Ross dons the best outfit left and entertains Ben as the holiday armadillo.</i></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div>Going through various FRIENDS episodes, the series seemed to celebrate every holiday with a party - Thanksgiving, New Years, Halloween. But Christmas episodes were much more low-key with the gang getting ready for the holiday instead. The Holiday Armadillo teaching Ben the origins of Hanukkah (in a special rendition where Superman flies all Jewish people out of Egypt) is the best one that could fit this week's theme and definitely one of my favorite episodes of all time.</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5681829365024405949.post-10826409697154370942021-12-17T13:58:00.000-05:002021-12-17T13:58:04.462-05:00Thursday Movie Picks: New to the City<p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkE8e_sa8e78ZGUgZJAgIQdhplrkVNNj4j9-UeCrc_osW-0BI4WgurLQetHaQbQHxJq8-B4RKCuQmAiPA1UT-JM4PzBPpv7E4PXKgYxMhSt38kktSvwupTZzxNsqXNpD-hUUM9Q-dfIT-I/s750/thursday+movie+picks+wandering.jpg" style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="750" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkE8e_sa8e78ZGUgZJAgIQdhplrkVNNj4j9-UeCrc_osW-0BI4WgurLQetHaQbQHxJq8-B4RKCuQmAiPA1UT-JM4PzBPpv7E4PXKgYxMhSt38kktSvwupTZzxNsqXNpD-hUUM9Q-dfIT-I/s16000/thursday+movie+picks+wandering.jpg" /></a></p><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 15.4px;">Wandering Through the Shelves hosts </span><a href="https://www.ohsogeeky.com/search/label/thursday%20movie%20picks" style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 15.4px;" target="_blank">Thursday Movie Picks</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 15.4px;">. It's a weekly series where bloggers post and share various movie picks every Thursday. </span><p></p><b>The rules are simple: based on the theme of the week pick three to five movies and tell us why you picked them. For further details and the schedule visit the series main page <a href="http://wanderingthroughtheshelves.blogspot.com/2020/12/2021-thursday-movie-picks-schedule-final.html" target="_blank">here</a>.</b><div><p><b>This week's theme is New to the City.</b></p><p><span></span></p><a name='more'></a><h2 style="text-align: left;">Spider-Man 2</h2></div><div><i>When a failed nuclear fusion experiment results in an explosion that kills his wife, Dr. Otto Octavius (Alfred Molina) is transformed into Dr. Octopus, a cyborg with deadly metal tentacles. Doc Ock blames Spider-Man (Tobey Maguire) for the accident and seeks revenge. Meanwhile, Spidey's alter ego, Peter Parker, faces fading powers and self-doubt as he moves into the city.</i></div><div><br /></div><div>One of my favorite parts of the Spider-Man trilogy is that it is really rooted in the character struggling to make ends meets, trying to decide what kind of person he wants to be. And that it's always rooted back to Uncle Ben's lasting memory that great power invites great responsibility. I don't really feel like superhero movies focus on this other side of being an alter-ego anymore - just the moral or political questions of saving people...so I love the 'every day' aspects of Peter's arc.</div><h2 style="text-align: left;">Wonder Woman</h2><div><i>Before she was Wonder Woman (Gal Gadot), she was Diana, princess of the Amazons, trained to be an unconquerable warrior. Raised on a sheltered island paradise, Diana meets an American pilot (Chris Pine) who tells her about the massive conflict that's raging in Europe. Convinced that she can stop the threat, Diana leaves her home for the first time. Fighting alongside men in a war to end all wars, she finally discovers her full powers and true destiny.</i></div><div><br /></div><div>Having lived on Themyscira all of her life, Diana jettisons into the 20th Century having zero experience with any modern wonders like ice cream and inconveniences like Victorian dresses. Gal Gadot does such an amazing job capturing Diana's arc from teenagerly curiosity to becoming a mature woman. Choosing this made me realize I still haven't watched WW84...and I'm still not sure I will with all the bad reviews.</div><div><br /></div><h2 style="text-align: left;">Superman: The Movie</h2><div><i>Just before the destruction of the planet Krypton, scientist Jor-El (Marlon Brando) sends his infant son Kal-El on a spaceship to Earth. Raised by kindly farmers Jonathan (Glenn Ford) and Martha Kent (Phyllis Thaxter), young Clark (Christopher Reeve) discovers the source of his superhuman powers and moves to Metropolis to fight evil.</i></div><div><br /></div><div>If it wasn't for Clark sporting glasses once the world discovers Superman, would the MCU have any idea how to protect their<a href="https://www.google.com/search?q=mcu+disguises&rlz=1C1CHBD_enUS889US889&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjvq4_U38X0AhUfVTABHXn0ATAQ_AUoAXoECAMQAw&biw=1253&bih=725&dpr=1.1#imgrc=x4IhPeIQuva_WM" target="_blank"> superheros without the hat and glasses mind-trick?</a></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5681829365024405949.post-633974749927765312021-12-09T10:40:00.003-05:002021-12-09T10:40:21.810-05:00Thursday Movie Picks: Rags to Riches<p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkE8e_sa8e78ZGUgZJAgIQdhplrkVNNj4j9-UeCrc_osW-0BI4WgurLQetHaQbQHxJq8-B4RKCuQmAiPA1UT-JM4PzBPpv7E4PXKgYxMhSt38kktSvwupTZzxNsqXNpD-hUUM9Q-dfIT-I/s750/thursday+movie+picks+wandering.jpg" style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="750" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkE8e_sa8e78ZGUgZJAgIQdhplrkVNNj4j9-UeCrc_osW-0BI4WgurLQetHaQbQHxJq8-B4RKCuQmAiPA1UT-JM4PzBPpv7E4PXKgYxMhSt38kktSvwupTZzxNsqXNpD-hUUM9Q-dfIT-I/s16000/thursday+movie+picks+wandering.jpg" /></a></p><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 15.4px;">Wandering Through the Shelves hosts </span><a href="https://www.ohsogeeky.com/search/label/thursday%20movie%20picks" style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 15.4px;" target="_blank">Thursday Movie Picks</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 15.4px;">. It's a weekly series where bloggers post and share various movie picks every Thursday. </span><p></p><b>The rules are simple: based on the theme of the week pick three to five movies and tell us why you picked them. For further details and the schedule visit the series main page <a href="http://wanderingthroughtheshelves.blogspot.com/2020/12/2021-thursday-movie-picks-schedule-final.html" target="_blank">here</a>.</b><div><p><b>This week's theme is Rags to Riches.</b></p><p><span></span></p><a name='more'></a><h2>The Pursuit of Happyness</h2></div><div><i>Evicted from their apartment, single father Chris Gardner (Will Smith) and his young son (Jaden Christopher Syre Smith) find themselves alone with no place to go. Even though Chris eventually lands a job as an intern at a prestigious brokerage firm, the position pays no money. The pair endures many hardships as Chris lands a job as an intern at a prestigious brokerage firm and refuses to give in to despair while trying to create a better life for himself and his son.</i></div><div><br /></div><div>Will Smith is getting a lot of attention for King Richard (which I haven't seen yet), but he and his kid Jaden was also really good in <i>The Pursuit of Happyness. </i></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><h2 style="text-align: left;">It's A Wonderful Life</h2><div><i>When an angel saves a desperate man George Bailey (James Stewart) from attempting suicide, he sees the impact he made on his family and community, and gets a second chance at life.</i></div><div><br /></div><div>Technically, the money that the town hands over is to save the builds and loan company, but still - that money is going to go back into the community and help everyone build a better life. Not a typical rags to riches story, but George does become the richest man in town. Take that, Mr. Potter.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><h2 style="text-align: left;">Dolemite is My Name</h2><div><i>Performer Rudy Ray Moore (Eddie Murphy develops an outrageous character named Dolemite, who becomes an underground sensation and star of a kung-fu, anti-establisment film that could make or break Moore.</i></div><div><br /></div><div>I feel like it's really rare to watch a movie about movie stars or making projects in Hollywood without it being depressing. The more Rudy believes in himself, the more everyone else believes in him too and money he pours into his passion projects. His films aren't necessarily about the end results but at least they'll pay the bills. Damn, it feels good when it all pays off to succeed.</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5681829365024405949.post-28810045902514556572021-12-02T00:32:00.012-05:002021-12-02T00:41:28.429-05:00tick, tick,....BOOM (2021)<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjvj9QY99mSxDLv5XCRXWK3J563tepjM70-2RYHXhGuzotq0s9UoJYyzVIH_Uv4LFyCN2Anq9P4KmfjaD46o4IumFSb1AH-Qc-A8zYPczYkGHRk7OW_5327mmOUY0StpoOp5Cy6P0LqZBP9N3DHmXgvj_gVp2BJJMyzK7t5XH4q5G-foR81Hb8vZgh-9A=s750"><img border="0" data-original-height="567" data-original-width="750" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjvj9QY99mSxDLv5XCRXWK3J563tepjM70-2RYHXhGuzotq0s9UoJYyzVIH_Uv4LFyCN2Anq9P4KmfjaD46o4IumFSb1AH-Qc-A8zYPczYkGHRk7OW_5327mmOUY0StpoOp5Cy6P0LqZBP9N3DHmXgvj_gVp2BJJMyzK7t5XH4q5G-foR81Hb8vZgh-9A=s16000" /></a></div><br />Even though I'm a musical nerd, I've never been an avid <i>Rent </i>fan. #blasphemy However, I am Lin-Manuel Miranda trash, so the two was easily a mixed bag to convince me to watch. Like it or not, he's doing things with musicals across every medium that just isn't being achieved by one person. And that is both a good and bad thing. <p></p><p>The level of creativity in lyricism and storytelling explodes from his mind at a frenetic unmatched pace, but that doesn't always spell 'accessible' to most audiences especially when it comes to musicals (an already divisive genre). For his directorial debut, the story of Jonathan Larson's (Andrew Garfield) life is right up his alley. He filters the composer's creativity as he tortures himself to produce his breakthrough Broadway show (a couple of years before <i>Rent</i>) and the sacrifice of never giving up on his dream even if it means paying a significant price to make it come true. </p><p>As a musical first, it works. Miranda provides a wealth of inner-genre homages and styles that helps Andrew Garfield go balls-to-the-walls in a performance that...nobody probably expected to pour out of him. For Miranda's first step behind the camera, it doesn't surprise me that he wants to maximize his experience from the stage. Throughout most of the film, I was awed by his sheer imagination to transform songs in a multitude of ways most would never dream to string together. </p><p>But as a film told part flashback, part-prophecy of the now-recognized genius, the plot plods along from one musical sequence to another that makes Larson range from a destitute artist to insufferable know-it-all as the world and his friends struggle as much, if not more than him. The story holds the promise of what it means for creative types to never give up because one day that dedication above all else will be worth it, but other than that, it's tough to see the forest from the trees several pivotal moments of his personal arc. Garfield commands the role effortlessly, balancing a breakdown of his character's own journey and the journey itself - it might be one of his best yet. Somehow, he doesn't let Miranda's complex vision drown him out and instead leads the parade to make Larson's workaholism as heart-racking as possible.</p><p>However, couple a character that's not the most likable with occasional confusing, occasional brilliant staging and editing choices that simply needs more restraint, <i>tick, tick...BOOM!'s </i>build-up to the spark of inspiration for <i>Rent </i>doesn't feel as contextually layered as the film leads on. Some elements that work on stage might not work on film and vice versa - it's still a lesson that most adaptations or musicals need to accept. Of Miranda's works so far, that also split audiences between musicals versus their subjects, <i>tick, tick...BOOM!</i> will primarily pack a punch for the theatre kids crowd. Even this one.</p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Rating: ★★☆</span></p><p style="text-align: center;">Rest in peace, Stephen Sondheim. Thank you for way too many 3 am nights where I should've been studying but was listening to your work and pretending I was on stage in my bedroom instead.</p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5681829365024405949.post-57580979333947029282021-11-29T17:00:00.009-05:002021-11-29T17:11:01.355-05:00Spencer (2021)<p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh-PQlDo3PXjnsZaCbrjjIfoIEYfDT-v5LIVTyUjV8JZVe7pqQMc1OwulMi3kVPYdhvWf76ZaMPFpLYYkUOdrAon2ZJV9GUZ5OR27uSHyKf1K_eqVio4zl7wm03Gkxnsy-soW6Oqz3M0tMwwQJpoRhBxcp2UTKU08j6muSCHHCULNTRABAHQ7jaOovgSw=s750"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh-PQlDo3PXjnsZaCbrjjIfoIEYfDT-v5LIVTyUjV8JZVe7pqQMc1OwulMi3kVPYdhvWf76ZaMPFpLYYkUOdrAon2ZJV9GUZ5OR27uSHyKf1K_eqVio4zl7wm03Gkxnsy-soW6Oqz3M0tMwwQJpoRhBxcp2UTKU08j6muSCHHCULNTRABAHQ7jaOovgSw=s16000" /></a><br />The world knows everything there is to know about Princess Diana. Hollywood has certainly exhibited its fair share of arthouse films and hot-gossip biopics of her life to have all of the bases covered. Where could another movie delve into that hasn't been explored before? Enter: Pablo Larrain, who does not settle for a paint-by-numbers biopic and goes all out with a psychological mindfuck. </p><p>Set during the weekend of December 1991, the British Royal family is spending the Christmas holidays at the Queen's Sandringham Estate in Norfolk. Instead of bucking to the traditions of showing up on time, weighing-in on arrival, and hunting escapades, Diana becomes consumed with the image of herself - in the mirror, all the ways the house hears and sees her every move, what the world will think of her in the future - and trying to break free from it. </p><p>Where his former biopic<i> Jackie </i>is a spiritual monument to American royalty, here Diana eats her giants pearls for dinner, convinced Anne Boleyn is sending her messages from the beyond, and breaks into her dilapidated childhood home to say goodbye for good. This is far from a dysfunctional-family drama, even a royal one; it's a gothic-esque horror with Johnny Greenwood's haunting score, and Claire Mathon's claustrophobic cinematography. Rarely is there a moment where any interaction Diana has doesn't pivot close to Kristen Stewart like you're climbing the walls with her or towards the house staff conversing with the ghostly bartenders in <i>The Shining</i> - eery one-on-one probing interrogations and endless heresy. There isn't a second that this movie doesn't let up with Diana's tribulations and what she needs to shed before the weekend is over - her royal responsibilities, the ghosts of her past, any vague prophecies she thinks the world will have of her. </p><p>All of this certainly feels like a hefty subject matter, and for bigger Diana fans, they will automatically try to carry the burden that she had to. However, as much as the film is a visceral cinematic treat, I also found it lacking in its effectiveness to make me lose myself in the story. With <i>Jackie</i>, Larrain was both bold and subtle in its symbolism; there was a drive for Jackie Onassis to enshrine John F. Kennedy's legacy into his funeral, to not leave the White House quietly in the night like the Johnson administration wanted her to - but with a bang. And, her decisions to do so, losing Jack and their hot' n cold marriage played into that all-consuming grief. For <i>Spencer</i>, the plot is very much static - almost too much. There's symbolism, there's intense isolation and paranoia, there are plays on imagery and what is reality vs Diana's imagination. The film opens as a "fable based on a true tragedy" and drops the audience into her nervousness right off the bat. As the running time goes on though, it doesn't necessarily capitalize more on fictionalizing the facts to create tension or drive a palpable unease in the script. Maybe because Diana has had more than her fair share of B-list drama and lies surrounding her name, the film veered away from that. But I kept wanting "more" I can't put my finger on - more stakes placed on Diana and her breakdown/breakthrough, tension with Queen Elizabeth and Prince Charles or the new Equerry Major, less of a carousel of symbolism to carry me to the end. Something to give me more than Stewart's performance to go on. </p><p>Understandably, Stewart is one of - if not the - front runner for the upcoming Oscars season, and for good reason. The film leans on her to bring us into the surrealist fold of Diana's life and that specific weekend. And, she does so by achieving what so many in biopics who have won Oscars has achieved - capturing the likeness to a tee that it makes you forget and at times remember this isn't the real person - it's an actor. But, it's also not enough for me to confidently say she carries the film on her own. Around the half-way mark, the story and performance trying not to to summarize her life as the tragic princess by fictionalizing a lot of the tragedy...just felt like her portrayal was going around in circles. (Sean Harris's stern yet tender performance as the royal head chef and Sally Hawkins as her dresser stood out to me portraying the commonfolk rooting for Diana to survive the royal circus. But the supporting cast isn't featured enough to be an ensemble). </p><p>When Diana's liberation to reclaim her name arrives, the ending is an earned wish-fulfillment of a future she struggled to achieve. I understood everything that was conveyed, but that catharsis didn't burrow itself as deeply for me as it has with many critics and admirers. I'll revisit this in the upcoming months and years to see if another viewing will change my mind - I'm open to it. Vague familiarity with the real events is suitable for anyone who wants to see this, but fans with advanced degrees in all things Diana will walk away the most satisfied with this refreshing arthouse take.</p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Rating: ★1/2 to </span><span style="font-size: x-large;">★</span><span style="font-size: large;">☆</span></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5681829365024405949.post-15943489002636308262021-11-27T15:38:00.000-05:002021-11-27T15:38:58.637-05:00Thursday Movie Picks - TMP Television Edition: Mystery<p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkE8e_sa8e78ZGUgZJAgIQdhplrkVNNj4j9-UeCrc_osW-0BI4WgurLQetHaQbQHxJq8-B4RKCuQmAiPA1UT-JM4PzBPpv7E4PXKgYxMhSt38kktSvwupTZzxNsqXNpD-hUUM9Q-dfIT-I/s750/thursday+movie+picks+wandering.jpg" style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="750" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkE8e_sa8e78ZGUgZJAgIQdhplrkVNNj4j9-UeCrc_osW-0BI4WgurLQetHaQbQHxJq8-B4RKCuQmAiPA1UT-JM4PzBPpv7E4PXKgYxMhSt38kktSvwupTZzxNsqXNpD-hUUM9Q-dfIT-I/s16000/thursday+movie+picks+wandering.jpg" /></a></p><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 15.4px;">Wandering Through the Shelves hosts </span><a href="https://www.ohsogeeky.com/search/label/thursday%20movie%20picks" style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 15.4px;" target="_blank">Thursday Movie Picks</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 15.4px;">. It's a weekly series where bloggers post and share various movie picks every Thursday. </span><p></p><b>The rules are simple: based on the theme of the week pick three to five movies and tell us why you picked them. For further details and the schedule visit the series main page <a href="http://wanderingthroughtheshelves.blogspot.com/2020/12/2021-thursday-movie-picks-schedule-final.html" target="_blank">here</a>.</b><div><p><b>This week's theme is TMP Television Edition: Mystery.</b></p><p><span></span></p><a name='more'></a><h2>True Detective</h2></div><div><i>The lives of police detectives as they chase criminals, using unconventional methods. The officers struggle to gain control of their own personal demons as they attack different cases.</i></div><div><br /></div><div>I finally watched the series earlier this year/last year, and thought it was pretty good. McConaughey's performance was spot-on for awards, though Harrelson frustrated me more than anything. I haven't decided if I'll watch the following seasons since they've gotten lower ratings.</div><h2 style="text-align: left;">The Bodyguard</h2><div><i>War veteran David Budd (Richard Madden) is assigned to protect the home secretary Rt Hon Julia Montague MP as a police sergeant. Finding himself increasingly at odds with Montague's policies and personality, and dealing with physical and psychological scars from his time serving in Afghanistan, volatile Budd is torn between his beliefs and his duty to protect.</i></div><div><br /></div><div>I wasn't expecting much from this and mostly tuned in because of how Madden is. But I was surprised by how intriguing and suspenseful it was for only six episodes. It'd be cool if they did another season, and I'm kind of surprised Netflix didn't capitalize on its popularity and award show seasons to give it another go.</div><h2 style="text-align: left;">Pushing Daisies</h2><div><i>Ned possesses a rare gift -- the ability to restore life to the dead -- with a touch. He puts his power to good use, helping an investigator solve murders by reviving the victim and asking the deceased to name the killer. Complications arise when Ned brings his childhood sweetheart, Chuck, back from the dead with the intention of keeping her alive. There's just one snag: If Ned ever touches Chuck again, she goes back to being dead, for keeps.</i></div><div><br /></div><div>This was such a fun show. series - the perfect combo of mystery and fantasy with a great cast. Every time I watch it, I just want to live in its world and own everything Chuck wears.</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5681829365024405949.post-90174016281579443142021-11-19T12:04:00.003-05:002021-11-28T20:12:03.723-05:00Ghostbusters: Afterlife (2021)<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgpP_cbEIcM59mkFhE2YPEjALOY5jJuwivMN0szNcZHExPOhmjj0eR8_yG0BSXrw81rhC0e2Y_NKJMR1a4UkyNA-FmlzQAvblO16m8Sdp0tGkV91r7r5fNIe0PMGvjuBIDK0LjUF28Nk9sY3Lert4ajKg4sHsUB-7I5pcUGHOxhjchA7MOA90pdTp_z-g=s750"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="750" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgpP_cbEIcM59mkFhE2YPEjALOY5jJuwivMN0szNcZHExPOhmjj0eR8_yG0BSXrw81rhC0e2Y_NKJMR1a4UkyNA-FmlzQAvblO16m8Sdp0tGkV91r7r5fNIe0PMGvjuBIDK0LjUF28Nk9sY3Lert4ajKg4sHsUB-7I5pcUGHOxhjchA7MOA90pdTp_z-g=s16000" /></a></div><p><i>Do throwbacks make the movie? </i>is a question that has been on my mind with the current string of beloved franchises - specifically ever since <i>Avengers: Endgame</i> . Since the 22nd Marvel film and the end of an era delivered a soul-satisfying ending for me as a Captain America fan, I shouldn't complain. But it's lack of a tight script and loose threads back down memory lane simply doesn't compare to the leaner, meaner and more tension-driven conflict of <i>Avengers: Infinity War </i> that always leads me to question 'what if sequels didn't focus so much on fanservice'. And, it's something that came up repeatedly with <i>Ghostbusters: Afterlife.</i></p>With director and writer Jason Reitman's personal attachment to the original 1984 film, it's obvious that this version would try to be a family affair both in production and plot -<i> the grandkids and daughter of Egon Spengler are drawn into an old conspiracy that drove him to the middle of nowhere and face-off against another ancient 'inevitable' ploy towards the end of the world. </i>Any personal connection between characters is a dead giveaway to build a foundation for the second reboot, but the script doesn't feel as confident in its choices. <div><br /></div><div>Like proton packs crossing the streams, the film tries to establish itself as an original YA piece bridging to the original, but before you know it becomes all consumed by connecting every dot towards a throwback. Nerdy and awkward Phoebe Spengler (McKenna Grace) and her friend Podcast (the amazing Logan Kim) drive what could've been a deadbeat summer into an spectral-fighting adventure, unlocking the clues of what her misunderstood and ostracized grandfather left behind.... while everyone else starts out as compelling characters but then end up unraveling as time goes on (Finn Wolfhard, Paul Rudd, Carrie Coon, and Celeste O'Connor). Reitman aims to unravel a new mystery Egon left behind, but can't do so without rehashing the past to the point that the easter eggs run the extreme gamut between earned and forced. Every time the story moves towards establishing more of the new characters, there's always another moving piece that takes it backwards too much. It never quite feels like this cast or characters enacting on a new adventure gets their due.</div><div><br />It's not that this movie isn't a good time at the cinemas. It is. And, after the year-plus we've had with COVID, we shouldn't not feel good about having more harmless fun. There are plenty of laughs and fitting homages, and the beating heart of a disconnected family rehabilitating their legacy is wonderful (again, McKenna Grace embodies a heroine I love now as an adult and makes me sad that 15 year old me didn't have growing up). But eventually, the easter eggs mainly add up to satisfying hardcore fans who are divisive about <i>Ghostbusters 2</i> and want to completely erase the 2016 reboot as if it never existed. Outside of that, there aren't many risks or originality that makes it stand out from the string of sequels-reboots struggling to follow the footsteps of their iconic predecessors. For a film that remains unmatched by the newer reiterations, when will we accept that the originals are free to be revered without something shiny trying to live up to its memory.</div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Rating: ★1/2☆☆</span></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5681829365024405949.post-65221057840918984972021-11-18T16:38:00.005-05:002021-11-18T16:38:58.681-05:00Thursday Movie Picks - Book Adaptations<p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkE8e_sa8e78ZGUgZJAgIQdhplrkVNNj4j9-UeCrc_osW-0BI4WgurLQetHaQbQHxJq8-B4RKCuQmAiPA1UT-JM4PzBPpv7E4PXKgYxMhSt38kktSvwupTZzxNsqXNpD-hUUM9Q-dfIT-I/s750/thursday+movie+picks+wandering.jpg" style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="750" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkE8e_sa8e78ZGUgZJAgIQdhplrkVNNj4j9-UeCrc_osW-0BI4WgurLQetHaQbQHxJq8-B4RKCuQmAiPA1UT-JM4PzBPpv7E4PXKgYxMhSt38kktSvwupTZzxNsqXNpD-hUUM9Q-dfIT-I/s16000/thursday+movie+picks+wandering.jpg" /></a></p><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 15.4px;">Wandering Through the Shelves hosts </span><a href="https://www.ohsogeeky.com/search/label/thursday%20movie%20picks" style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 15.4px;" target="_blank">Thursday Movie Picks</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 15.4px;">. It's a weekly series where bloggers post and share various movie picks every Thursday. </span><p></p><b>The rules are simple: based on the theme of the week pick three to five movies and tell us why you picked them. For further details and the schedule visit the series main page <a href="http://wanderingthroughtheshelves.blogspot.com/2020/12/2021-thursday-movie-picks-schedule-final.html" target="_blank">here</a>.</b><div><p><b>This week's theme is Book Adaptations.</b></p><p><span></span></p><a name='more'></a><h2>The Fault in Our Stars</h2></div><div><i>Hazel Grace Lancaster (Shailene Woodley), a 16-year-old cancer patient, meets and falls in love with Gus Waters (Ansel Elgort), a similarly afflicted teen from her cancer support group. </i></div><div><br /></div><div>It seems like a million years ago since this came out when Woodley with Elgort were all the rage in Hollywood over this. Even though the following subgenre of YA films where one or both characters suffer from a terminal disease and fall in love is questionable at best, this adaptation could've been terribly schmaltzy and pretentious. But it's not. The casting was pretty stellar, and managed to come out at the right time before the internet tried to cancel John Green for writing a book dedicated to his real-life inspiration.</div><h2 style="text-align: left;">Love, Simon</h2><div><i>Everyone deserves a great love story, but for 17-year-old Simon Spier, it's a little more complicated. The only person who knows Simon's gay is an anonymous classmate known as 'Blue' he emailed through an online school blog. As he tries to figure out who 'Blue' is, he faces being blackmailed by another student into coming out.</i></div><div><br /></div><div>It was odd to see the movie first, and then read the book. I didn't expect the two to be so vastly different. The book isn't bad per say, but it skims over the story more than I thought it would. The movie's script is much tighter in handling Blue's identity, the blackmail, and developing the characters. And Nick Robinson's performance is wonderful (a great example of a straight actor playing a gay character). </div><div><div><h2>The Perks of Being A Wallflower </h2></div><div><i>Socially awkward teen Charlie (Logan Lerman) always watching life from the sidelines, until two charismatic students free-spirited Sam (Emma Watson) and her stepbrother Patrick (Ezra Miller) welcome them into his inner circle of friends.</i></div><div><br /></div><div>I miss the days when YA book adaptations lived up to the hype. The book and the film really helped me discover who I was in my early 20s and going to college, and it's one that I always think about from time to time and watch around the holidays (even if it isn't a particularly cheerful movie for the season.)</div></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5681829365024405949.post-90226216678724066332021-11-14T20:23:00.010-05:002021-11-14T21:08:50.716-05:00All Too Well (2021)<p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjMf9FDn_iWo89W2sy-KdYbctPiACiFyPavYhAjTQ6zreSHNiuGAju2asM2XgjQXpnT9075QpfXsg4fVERHTWMOstptIFTji02fRPwtl5ZQIUZruH7dMAtRFJwKwze1rDGg82IEL1fihI7lQHdS7UpnaLgYJLHRLCIja-gLyNT3lgF5j5zWegx6DnHO4A=s750" style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjMf9FDn_iWo89W2sy-KdYbctPiACiFyPavYhAjTQ6zreSHNiuGAju2asM2XgjQXpnT9075QpfXsg4fVERHTWMOstptIFTji02fRPwtl5ZQIUZruH7dMAtRFJwKwze1rDGg82IEL1fihI7lQHdS7UpnaLgYJLHRLCIja-gLyNT3lgF5j5zWegx6DnHO4A=s16000" /></a></p><p><i>All Too Well </i>could be considered 'the song' for Taylor Swift's fanbase. It's tough, but not impossible, to find fans who voice an opinion for it above okay. If they do, they're certainly outdone by the legions who have been singing, nay screaming, the lyrics back to Swift for the past ten years. With Taylor working on the re-releases of her past albums, there are expectations of more songs from her vault to come. But none have accomplished the hype for one of her most popular ballads. It's this special reverence - about a seemingly casual break-up that provokes cruel and painful memories - that has had fans begging Taylor to release an extended ten minute version, and now she's finally delivered.</p><p>As a certified Swiftie, <i>All Too Well </i>is one of my favorites of hers. It's not my most beloved song, but it's cathartic to listen to, to shout-sing when I'm left reeling by the world or a person in my life. And though I follow along with fun updates and crazy-ass theories with the fandom, I can't say for sure I ever wanted the extended version. It'd be fun to listen to, sure, but I mostly wandered if it would add anything new. It'll be blasphemy to say - in comparison to the rest of the internet - but Taylor's Version of <i>All Too Well </i>was reasonably good enough on a first listen. The added imagery heightened the lyrics and will also simply take some getting used - since like so many, I know the original track forwards and backwards, sideways and diagonal. I love the addition of several new lines and metaphors here and there, but I was still left wondering what was new that added to the song that made my emotions echo everyone else the second this version dropped online.</p><p>And, that answer really came with the short film starring Sadie Sink and Dylan O'Brian.</p><p>"I walked through the door with you, the air was cold / But something 'bout it felt like home somehow / And I left my scarf there at your sister's house / And you've still got it in your drawer, even now /" as well as "Autumn leaves falling down like pieces into place / And I can picture it after all these days" sets the stage - a familiarity of a new relationship starting, a blossoming of love when Mother Nature is going into hibernation, the adventurous innocence and hope of something to live for. Swift starts by taking the audience upstate, exuding the long road ahead of ups and downs. On the surface it seems like nothing can go wrong; surely, this will have an happy ending. As we lean into the 2 minute mark, things divert into a horror movie. Bright dispositions are laced with passive-aggression. Sink might be wrapped O'Brian's arms but the embraces are practically empty. Passion seems to boil with the slightest sign of affection, but withdrawing it all leaves her dead in her tracks and questioning everything. </p><p>Instead of moving the film's settings along at the same pace of the song, Swift cleverly avoids making this another music video. It's simultaneously a vignette of memories but also a story that's progressively moving forward. For the first two acts, she focuses more on the relationship between herself and Jake-Gyllenhaal-Or-Not-Jake. There's no real need for the lyrics to line up exactly with the imagery. Yet, at the video's most poignant moments, she manages to do both without feeling too forced or rushed. She's not strictly going by her own words to tell the story to build up the bridge, but at the same time she is.</p><p>As director and writer of the song she wrote about her life, it could be easy to take that personalization a little too far - to not see the forest from the trees. The best places where Swift casts distance between herself and the story is the casting. Sink creates the balance of being a young girl becoming increasingly aware of how broken and twisted this relationship is; she's not a blank canvas but she's not an impersonation of Swift either. And, O'Brien, I hate to say it, immediately captures the essence of a douchebag with his anger-driven expressions in the eyes practically casting aspersions towards her, the mocking apologies, and white-man-hipster bruised ego. They hold down the story where Swift's attention to detail is both a strength and a hindrance.</p><p>For the back-half of the song, however, Swift struggles to keep up her own pace. Most of the 'script' navigates her lyrics without being too on the nose. But, her inclination to spell out what's happening on screen can be distracting. Here, she uses title cards to mark the various beats she's already hitting naturally. On their own, they're just harmless title cards. But as the story wraps up between 'the breaking point, the reeling, the remembering', the newer verses (3 and 5 in particular) feel rushed. Taylor initially uses the song to show that this moment in her life is impossible to forget, yet proved that pain could be forged creatively and take on new meaning. She loosely shows the connection between the characters so they aren't screaming the meaning of the lyrics at us. As the new additions pivots to the "nameless" heartbreaker remembering the relationship, we're left to wonder why he wouldn't just return the scarf and make amends. Does he recognize the heartbreak he caused too much to do anything about it after all this time, or still just to ignorant to be anything but an observer from the sidelines? Has too much time passed now to even try to make up for what was lost? The ending doesn't focus on vague imagery anymore, but it's trying to squeeze in both narratives that the film doesn't have enough room for.</p><p>Swift can be and is recognized for having a reputation of extremes - taking what the critics say and proving them wrong; reaching unexpected places with every new album or era; hinting countless easter eggs that fans sort through and predict her next move. Not many artists would probably consider dropping a whole short film for an old-new song, but Taylor does. While I'm a huge fan but not always on the same page of extremes the fandom goes to, or Swift herself, I think she did a good job here with creating a short film that puts into context the extent of the pain of <i>All Too Well </i> emanates- especially for those like me who might not automatically relate to the extended version or understand its vision.</p><p>Swift's film directorial debut is a gift for the fans, but where Swift saves face is not by crowding it with so many easter eggs that it's alienating to non-fans. Swifties can still watch this and pick it apart, or pass it onto non-fans to say 'hey check this out' without needing an advanced degree in her career or the song itself. It can be the new starter park to becoming a Swiftie or another familiar tune in a long list of familiar tunes by her. This, in itself, will make the song an even grander masterpiece to be remembered all too well.</p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Rating: ★★☆</span></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5681829365024405949.post-16251661605903400722021-11-11T15:43:00.005-05:002021-11-11T15:45:40.325-05:00Thursday Movie Picks: Dream Sequences<p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkE8e_sa8e78ZGUgZJAgIQdhplrkVNNj4j9-UeCrc_osW-0BI4WgurLQetHaQbQHxJq8-B4RKCuQmAiPA1UT-JM4PzBPpv7E4PXKgYxMhSt38kktSvwupTZzxNsqXNpD-hUUM9Q-dfIT-I/s750/thursday+movie+picks+wandering.jpg" style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="750" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkE8e_sa8e78ZGUgZJAgIQdhplrkVNNj4j9-UeCrc_osW-0BI4WgurLQetHaQbQHxJq8-B4RKCuQmAiPA1UT-JM4PzBPpv7E4PXKgYxMhSt38kktSvwupTZzxNsqXNpD-hUUM9Q-dfIT-I/s16000/thursday+movie+picks+wandering.jpg" /></a></p><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 15.4px;">Wandering Through the Shelves hosts </span><a href="https://www.ohsogeeky.com/search/label/thursday%20movie%20picks" style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 15.4px;" target="_blank">Thursday Movie Picks</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 15.4px;">. It's a weekly series where bloggers post and share various movie picks every Thursday. </span><p></p><b>The rules are simple: based on the theme of the week pick three to five movies and tell us why you picked them. For further details and the schedule visit the series main page <a href="http://wanderingthroughtheshelves.blogspot.com/2020/12/2021-thursday-movie-picks-schedule-final.html" target="_blank">here</a>.</b><div><p><b>This week's theme is Dream Sequences</b><b>.</b></p><p><span></span></p><a name='more'></a><h2>The Wizard of Oz</h2></div><div><i>When a tornado rips through Kansas, Dorothy (Judy Garland) and her dog, Toto, are whisked away in their house to the magical land of Oz. They follow the Yellow Brick Road toward the Emerald City to meet the Wizard, and en route they meet a Scarecrow (Ray Bolger) that needs a brain, a Tin Man (Jack Haley) missing a heart, and a Cowardly Lion (Bert Lahr) who wants courage. The wizard asks the group to bring him the broom of the Wicked Witch of the West (Margaret Hamilton) to earn his help.</i></div><div><br /></div><div>Not gonna lie - the beginning and ending are bookended so perfectly, I completely forgot this whole movie is set in a dream.</div><div><br /></div><h2 style="text-align: left;">Inception</h2><div><i>Dom Cobb (Leonardo DiCaprio) is a thief with the rare ability to enter people's dreams and steal their secrets from their subconscious. After his wife passes away and he's exiled overseas, Cobb gets a chance at redemption when he is offered a seemingly impossible task: Plant an idea in someone's mind. If he succeeds, it will be the perfect crime, but a dangerous enemy anticipates Cobb's every move.</i></div><div><br /></div><div>This is probably going to be a hot commodity this week as far as picks goes - because there are a couple of dream sequences that are truly memorable. If the whole movie is a dream will be a debate for film fans forever.</div><div><br /></div><h2 style="text-align: left;">A Christmas Story</h2><div><i>In the 1940s, a young boy named Ralphie attempts to convince his parents, his teacher and Santa that a Red Ryder BB gun really is the perfect Christmas gift.</i></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div>All Ralphie wants is a damn Red Ryder BB Gun. His fantasies of being the hero and nightmares of failing to get what he wants are something every kid feels growing up around Christmas and making their wishlist. It's always satisfying when his dream finally comes true - even though he almost shot his eye out.</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5681829365024405949.post-31461201550250739162021-11-01T19:36:00.006-04:002021-12-01T16:34:24.641-05:0052 Films By Women - Fall Update<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL6SRTkaY-OBNaVz2nKD-FfhNeqP5m5pHA17BHO8u7fawwbobOcvkM4BVbGaFOUUCZJmIraic7q3XpgLm3In4LDxKxFLFp7rOCRfpnggaeOpy_5Rev9vNGTNvrI6vVtdCrM4wgguHmF7o5/s750/52+films+by+women+challenge.jpg"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="750" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL6SRTkaY-OBNaVz2nKD-FfhNeqP5m5pHA17BHO8u7fawwbobOcvkM4BVbGaFOUUCZJmIraic7q3XpgLm3In4LDxKxFLFp7rOCRfpnggaeOpy_5Rev9vNGTNvrI6vVtdCrM4wgguHmF7o5/s16000/52+films+by+women+challenge.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We're less than two months away until the end of 2021. It took me a few months into the year to get used to the challenge, but I started to hit a solid stride in late summer where I wasn't too far ahead or behind. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">However, I still struggled to find some films to watch from my original list. <b>Two sites that were a big help were <a href="https://mubi.com/lists/films-directed-by-women--3" target="_blank">Mubi</a> and <a href="https://reelgood.com/" target="_blank">ReelGood</a>. </b>Mubi lists movies directed by women on a single page, which gave me ideas of what to look out for and makes it easier to remember what I haven't seen. And, ReelGood offers lists of movies directed by women filtered by subscription services. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b>The movies I've watched since my summer update include: </b><i>Clemency, Black Widow, Leave No Trace, The Virgin Suicides, The Feels, W.E., The Last Letter From Your Lover, High Life, The Piano, A Beautiful Planet, Aeon Flux, But I'm A Cheerleader, Mary J Blige's: My Life, Home for the Holidays, Miss You Already, Saving Face, Black As Night, A Vigilante, Our Friend,</i> and<i> Eve's Bayou.</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The first half of the year didn't warrant a lot, if any, unenjoyable viewings. But I do feel like this latter half offered more variety, fun ideas, and directors that have left a huge impact. Some of my faves are: <i>Leave No Trace, The Piano, But I'm A Cheerleader, Miss You Already, A Vigilante, and Eve's Bayou.</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Right now, I only have 8 more movies to watch before I cross the finishing line. I'm pretty excited because I did not think I'd come this far at all.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">One of the biggest takeaway has been the amount of different stories and voices that are not pushed by the mainstream industry and studios. I've come across a lot of films that were negatively lauded that I enjoyed or didn't get as much attention as it could've as an independent film. I don't know if I'll do a specific challenge like this next year, but I'm definitely keeping my options open to be more conscious about what I watch and who is the director moving ahead.</div><div><p></p></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5681829365024405949.post-77104005560540977992021-10-28T14:05:00.002-04:002021-10-31T19:10:46.761-04:00Halloween/ TMP Television Edition: Horror<p> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkE8e_sa8e78ZGUgZJAgIQdhplrkVNNj4j9-UeCrc_osW-0BI4WgurLQetHaQbQHxJq8-B4RKCuQmAiPA1UT-JM4PzBPpv7E4PXKgYxMhSt38kktSvwupTZzxNsqXNpD-hUUM9Q-dfIT-I/s750/thursday+movie+picks+wandering.jpg" style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="750" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkE8e_sa8e78ZGUgZJAgIQdhplrkVNNj4j9-UeCrc_osW-0BI4WgurLQetHaQbQHxJq8-B4RKCuQmAiPA1UT-JM4PzBPpv7E4PXKgYxMhSt38kktSvwupTZzxNsqXNpD-hUUM9Q-dfIT-I/s16000/thursday+movie+picks+wandering.jpg" /></a></p><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 15.4px;">Wandering Through the Shelves hosts </span><a href="https://www.ohsogeeky.com/search/label/thursday%20movie%20picks" style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 15.4px;" target="_blank">Thursday Movie Picks</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 15.4px;">. It's a weekly series where bloggers post and share various movie picks every Thursday. </span><p></p><b>The rules are simple: based on the theme of the week pick three to five movies and tell us why you picked them. For further details and the schedule visit the series main page <a href="http://wanderingthroughtheshelves.blogspot.com/2020/12/2021-thursday-movie-picks-schedule-final.html" target="_blank">here</a>.</b><div><p><b>This week's theme is Halloween/ TMP Television Edition: Horror.</b></p><p><span></span></p><a name='more'></a><h2>True Blood</h2></div><div><i>Small-town Louisiana waitress Sookie Stackhouse falls for Bill Compton, a 173-year-old vampire who has `come out of the coffin' along with many of his undead comrades now that a new synthetic blood has made it possible for vampires to survive without preying on humans.</i></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div>My sister just got HBO Max, so we're rewatching some shows including<i> True Blood. </i>We were huge fans when it first aired. So much so, we met half the cast at conventions. But over time, the writing fell apart and treated the characters as sex props. I eventually bowed out with Lafayette's death and Nelsan Ellis's passing. I'm not sure how far I'll last in a re-run but it's crazy so far.</div><div><i><br /></i><h2 style="text-align: left;">The Haunting of Bly Manor</h2><div><i>A young governess arrives at Bly Manor and begins to see apparitions haunting the estate.</i></div><br />After hearing how terrifying <i>The Haunting of Hill House</i> is supposed to be, I started this first because I'm a scaredy cat. At times, the story was too much of a slow burner. It didn't pick up for me until episode 5, and I didn't care too much for Peter and Rebecca's love story. So, it was kind of boring to me since most of the backstory focused on them. In the end, it was worth it to watch for the cast, and Dani and Jamie was wonderful. I might watch the other series now.</div><div><br /></div><h2>Ghost Adventures</h2><div><i>Three paranormal investigators document their experiences with ghosts. (reality / travel show)</i></div><div><br /></div><div>I don't know if I believe in ghosts. I've had some experiences I can't quite explain. And, I'm not sure how much <i>Ghost Adventures</i> findings are true or fake. But there have been times when their recordings have set chills down my spine. Either way, many similar paranormal travel shows have premiered on TV, especially the Travel Channel. But no group has as much over-the-top dramatic reactions as Zak Baggins and Aaron Goodwin.</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5681829365024405949.post-74764496155761597882021-10-26T15:37:00.003-04:002021-10-28T14:08:06.996-04:00No Time to Die (2021)<div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiyCEkgnox6_pcBjT2DKD5uhy-ZK33bEGaUDxuFdoPRccJyztWGDlm7mGDkt7FuhZkh12v5WvQHVjelMXx54BrRoAPPIUqSYQxC5_wlbewT46T9CLIB86z_19RSajcD4JEjKRQDmXkkmrWy35sMajOZoYr8jBnL3mJG6vVfGjNV6b16zOwJ7RrWUaN7Zw=s750" style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="750" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiyCEkgnox6_pcBjT2DKD5uhy-ZK33bEGaUDxuFdoPRccJyztWGDlm7mGDkt7FuhZkh12v5WvQHVjelMXx54BrRoAPPIUqSYQxC5_wlbewT46T9CLIB86z_19RSajcD4JEjKRQDmXkkmrWy35sMajOZoYr8jBnL3mJG6vVfGjNV6b16zOwJ7RrWUaN7Zw=s16000" /></a></div><br /><div><i>James Bond (Daniel Craig) is enjoying a tranquil life in Jamaica after leaving active service. However, his peace is short-lived as his old CIA friend, Felix Leiter, (Jeffrey Wright) shows up and asks for help. The mission to rescue a kidnapped scientist turns out to be far more treacherous than expected, leading Bond on the trail back to a past love Madeleine Swann (Lea Seydoux) and her connection to a mysterious villain (Rami Malek) who's armed with a dangerous new bio-technology.</i></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="color: red;"><b>This review contains spoilers for No Time to Die.</b></span></div><span><a name='more'></a></span><div><br /></div>No man is an island. But Daniel Craig's Bond thought he had to be. He used to swallow his emotions so much, he didn't even start letting him fuel his actions and judgement until Vesper made him question everything in <i>Casino Royale</i> - a life outside of being a spy, a sense of normalcy, and also how much someone can betray you once you open up to them. No matter how much incels might hate that this Bond wasn't just a panty-snatchy drink-swilling spy of their dreams, he faced similiar trials with his feelings in every subsequent installment. Emotions clouded his judgement in<i> Quantum of Solace</i> until he saw the mistakes his vengeance heeded and sought to reconcile with what Vesper did. <i>Skyfall</i> arguably sharpens his senses to the best of his and the franchise's abilities by acting as a love letter to Judi Dench's M. Facing off against a brother from another mother, there's a current running through him that made him focus on the mission at hand, especially as it hit closest to home. He couldn't prevent M's death, but he could try to avenge it by holding onto the trust M had in him despite having to make tough calls against him and staying on with MI6. <i>Spectre </i>blew this all up by giving him something to live for with Madelyn. Here are two people who have battened the hatches of their trust, wanting to show each other their scars and start over. It's a perfect place for <i>No Time To Die</i> to pick up, but it definitely bits off more than it can chew.<div><br /></div><div>
Most, if not all of, the final installment races to catch up with the idea of legacy - for Bond achieving 007 status and beyond, who he could be outside of a spy, and the franchise righting its wrongs. To do so, it also delves deep into Madeleine's backstory, introduce a more powerful villain and his whole other network of double-agents, get rid of the last one, and lay down the franchise's future. It's quite a lot for a film to cover its bases, but <i>No Time To Die</i> definitely doesn't want you to walk away feeling like zero stones were left unturned.<br /><br />
Where the film suffers the most - an element that 3/4 of this era's Bond films have struggled with - is having the story live up to the running time. For a spy film, the script is obviously going to venture into a wider network of the villains. As linear as the plot in retrospect leads from Bond to Madeleine to Safin, I still felt lost in the weeds of what to keep track of - Blofield (Christoph Waltz) and whether or not Spectre was still viable, Logan Ash and who he was working with, Primo and who he was working for, Valdo Obruchev, Lyutsifer Safin. I consider myself an astute movie goer, but the plot is so busy weaving the biological weapon between old and new villains (or are they all the same and working together? Idk still), I'm pretty sure I just ended up recognizing Rami as the bad guy whenever he showed up. The expanding network of villains and immoral red shirts could've been leaner and linear by honestly killing Blofield in <i>Spectre</i>. In fact, a big portion of this movie wants you to forget the revelation that Blofield was in charge of committing most of the tragedies in Bond's life, and that Safin is primarily hunting down Madeleine - not Bond. While Christoph only sat in his cell still looking bored, the movie thankfully has Rami Malek to cherish his role more. Though his motivations for revenge feels more like an over-reaction to childhood trauma in the third act, he is certainly fun to watch. Just when we thought Blofield was as powerful as any antagonist, this needed one more to up the ante, and Safin fits the bill.<br /><br />
That said, this is still about Bond (and his posse) more than anyone else. Though I still wasn't quite convinced that Craig and Lea Seydoux had palpable chemistry, I appreciated that they're both good enough that they sold it. It helped that they made Madeleine look more mature, given that she's seventeen years younger than him. They also took the time to develop her as a survivor-in-distress. So much so, I swear I heard a thousand incel's voices crying out when she shot a henchman in a forest while Bond carried her daughter to safety. We also get plenty of scenes with Ralph Fiennes, Naomie Harris, Ben Whishaw, Jeffrey Wright, and Lashana Lynch that feels like the whole band is back together after a long five-year wait.
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However, Ana De Armas truly steals the show from the ensemble. I thought her role was going to be so much bigger than what it was. So often characters who are bubbly and sweet, are also written or portrayed as stupid. But Paloma wasn't. She was animated, inexperienced, and funny, but also clever, focused, and bad-ass. She really did so much ten minutes, I kept waiting for her to come back. I'm just so excited to see everything Ana does. (For those who know me more, she's reached Dakota Johnson status - so that should say a lot lol) The women in Bond's life have always had a profound impact on him whether longterm fans want to admit or not, and it's nice that the film didn't shy away from that and to see see Ana, Lashana, Lea and Naomie further break into the boys club after Judi and Eva cracked the glass ceiling for this era.
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Taking over for Craig's last Bond film is no easy feat, and director Cary Joji Fukunaga truly delivers on making sure this one is memorable. For the past few films, the cinematography and score has never faltered. And Linus Sandgren and Hans Zimmer made sure to uphold its reputation with plenty of scenes where the music and look of the film were exactly right - so much so, I found myself feeling grateful to be seeing it for the first time in cinema instead of at home. As much as there was enough action and moments of stillness to keep the movie chugging along, there was also more humor too. Some jokes were remnants of quips as classy as <i>Casino Royale</i> and <i>Skyfall</i>, and there were others that didn't feel essential. While there are definitely some moments where I think it's Craig being himself than Bond as a character (like slapping Obruchev's ass), it was refreshing to see Bond lose that insular wall he's built. Unlike some other franchises where you can clearly see the production and budget grow exponentially depending on its box office success, this reign of Bond never managed to lose its noir-core too. Even though the plot and the running time is definitely an endurance test, Fukunaga keeps the balance between action, character development, and humor enough that it doesn't feel like the beginning of the end.<br /><br />
Even though Bond already handled his past with Vesper three movies ago and I question how much of this ever came full circle to how she was used as a pawn in the beginning, the film opens with Madeleine asking him to bare his soul, and in exchange, she'll bare hers. Instead of only exuding his patriotism to the love of his country, Bond finally reaches a level of vulnerability he didn't have before. We get to see him be everything he wanted to be - the action hero, the protector, the jokester, the lover, the potential father, the sacrificer. With so many significant series coming to an end in the past few years, it's a special moment when actors are able to give it their all for the final entry of a franchise. There's no doubt that Craig was able to do that here. He's probably one of the most non-toxic men to take up the mantle of Bond, and it's fitting to see a franchise live up to the actor for once, and vice versa. By the closing frames, there was a certain pang of loss for his performances moving forward and a level of uncertainty of how the series will move forward without revamping its whole approach. <i>No Time to Die</i> is not necessarily asking us to consider how the world at large will grieve the loss of someone who lives in the shadows, but showing us how his family will lift his namesake into light.</div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Rating: ★</b></span><b style="font-size: x-large;">★</b><b style="font-size: x-large;">☆</b></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5681829365024405949.post-13356388634183914762021-10-21T13:21:00.012-04:002021-10-22T12:33:00.695-04:00 Venom: Let There Be Carnage (2021)<div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-weight: bold; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgXaRTdfM4R9yzX42SQPWPHPOtG0_Ne0c1TWcAgb_6iJPG87Fa5rL3HPfMz3VXnbvCeuVyK9kI5SnsBRD-r3DcyC5-JwMb1p7po7XvDJ8sF0AcpQB_5nmfLQ6J5E0ALq0f0nqOV9IEPFfOluN6x4RFvW-5t6TQrZB6T0tTB2houYcLZVYxhz96n1cThow=s750"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="750" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgXaRTdfM4R9yzX42SQPWPHPOtG0_Ne0c1TWcAgb_6iJPG87Fa5rL3HPfMz3VXnbvCeuVyK9kI5SnsBRD-r3DcyC5-JwMb1p7po7XvDJ8sF0AcpQB_5nmfLQ6J5E0ALq0f0nqOV9IEPFfOluN6x4RFvW-5t6TQrZB6T0tTB2houYcLZVYxhz96n1cThow=s16000" /></a></div><div><br /></div><i>Eddie Brock (Tom Hardy) struggles to coexist with the shape-shifting extraterrestrial Venom. While on the verge of splitting up, deranged serial killer Cletus Kasady (Woody Harrelson) also becomes host to an alien symbiote that amplifies his psychotic behavior. Brock and Venom must put aside their differences to stop his reign of terror as Cletus strives to </i><i>reunite with his long lost love Shriek (Naomie Harris)</i><i>.</i></div><div><b><span style="color: red;"><br /></span></b></div><div><b><span style="color: red;">The review below contains spoilers regarding the post-credit scene. </span></b></div><div><br /></div><i>Venom: Let There Be Carnage</i> was honestly one of my most-anticipated movies of the year because I enjoy the first one so much. The bar wasn't set necessarily low, to be honest, even in the wake of all of the terrible reviews since its release this October. I wanted more of Eddie and Venom's relationship, or double the Tom Hardy, and I got it. There were more than enough scenes where his real tattoos were peaking through his shirt collars, so that alone made me happy. But more than that, his performance as Eddie and Venom remained hilarious and heartfelt. Harrelson and Harris' relationship was sorely under-developed but offered enough layers for their crazy-love story to explode from the screen. And the action scenes featured some cinematography that manages to be refreshing in the ever-expanding comic book genre. As a movie goer, I'm at a point right now where I would rather choose an imperfect movie and enjoy its flaws, rather than suffer through boredom and tears to a formulaic film trying to be perfect. I couldn't help but imagine and looking forward to watching this back-to-back with the first film.<br /><br />
However, setting that aside, this is deeply flawed. Three different plots are taking place - Cletus Kasady's crimes, the cover-up of Shriek's death and her origins, and Ed/Venom's floundering relationship. Despite the fact that there's plenty of material to go-around, it's truly only the latter that's given room to grow. For everything else, the movie doesn't have time to flesh them out. The dialogue is spoken so fast it's like a tape-recorder stuck on fast-forward or the script assistant was holding a stop-watch. Once you settle into one scene, it's propelling to the next. The first two acts whirl by, that when the third act copy-cat battle from Spider-Man 3 hits, the pacing finally becomes steadier but tremendous whiplash kicks in. It's tough to recollect how much of the story leads to the ending because it feels like two seconds ago you arrived to the theater.
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In comparison, <i>Venom's</i> running time is about two hours, where its sequel barely hits 97 minutes. The former was far from complicated with its paint-by-numbers origin story. But still, directing an actor talking to himself and trying to convey that he's half controlled by symbiote isn't an easy feat. And that running time lets Eddie and Venom's coupling grow stronger against their feud against Carlton Drake. Serkis' direction picks up where Ruben Fleischer left off with dry humor and CGI-packed action that the tone between the two films is almost seamless. <a href="https://www.cbr.com/venom-2-runtime-short-for-storytelling-reason/" target="_blank">Serkis aimed for the film to be lean to be as lean as possible</a>, but if anymore of the story had been edited, there wouldn't have been a plot. Kelly Marcel's script doesn't feel it's the culprit as much as it could've been. Her script maintains the same vibes as the first film, which she was a co-writer on. She's helming this material as the solo writer and doesn't have trouble reigning in the different threads so they come together in an explosive showdown. But, it's that editing prowess that hinders what could've been.<div><div><br />
But after everything is said and done, once the post-credit scene arrived with Tom Holland's Spider-Man, the race through the entire movie became somewhat clearer - Marvel wanted to plug in Spidey's next installment releasing this Christmas. Granted, the pandemic hasn't made movie-making or movie-going easy. Plenty of movies' production schedule and release dates have been bumped up, delayed, rinse, repeat. <i>Venom: Let There Be Carnage</i> wasn't an exception. But, Marvel is known for pulling in audiences with its cliffhangers for the past decade. And someone lost confidence in the film on its own to take its time to do what it needed to do for its fans before jumping into Marvel's ill-conceived timeline for phase 4. Now with the semi-average streaming machine of the Disney+ shows, <i>What If?</i>, and <i>Black Widow </i>(I have yet to see <i>Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings </i>or <i>The Eternals</i>), there's nothing inventive or spectacular about Marvel right now. Marvel's going through the paces of keeping up with its own trajectory, and now other titles are getting hit with the consequences. <div><br /></div><div>Now, I'm not saying Venom was a game-changer, but it did carve its own space, even as a movie that critics loathed and fans loved. Somewhere along the way <i>Venom: Let There Be Carnage</i> starts cutting corners, sprinting between Brock or Kasady moving from place to place, and intention to intention, to the point that there was smaller in-between moments left on the editing room floor for no reason. Any semblance of scenes would've slowed down the pacing. It's more understandable for a film to be over two hours long and to know which scenes need to be cut than for a movie to barely graze the 90 minute mark and clearly see gaping holes where more could've filled in. The subsequent headlines and critics aren't talking about what the film had to offer or the potential it had outside of the post-credit scene like it did for the first installment - only what Kevin Feige has to say about the post-credits. The merge between Sony and Marvel's different worlds isn't going to be as seamless as one used to hope. And that's disappointing. <i>Venom: Let There Be Carnage</i> getting caught in the middle is a result of that.<div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Rating: </b>★1/2☆</span><span style="font-size: x-large;">☆</span></div></div></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5681829365024405949.post-35000992451671875872021-10-17T16:03:00.004-04:002021-10-17T16:13:58.977-04:0010 Favorite Frames From New The Batman Trailer<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjVM0YdcIyoEfe-juUPTWxmpUljA2sjfed6U4lW4ZxMaC2myfWHdyKoSzgS5QO7cTRCYWJCHlF0DhvtlaeOT2bAqzwq5O7C0yDuMou6F2WIcb1Lwr2gk7DGhJ0Z2g3u5Gxdjzq2isX3IzBE3TFNGr19NiZI-031_gnRwiGYfUQugmUEjfn1tOnOO9fmfg=s750"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="750" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjVM0YdcIyoEfe-juUPTWxmpUljA2sjfed6U4lW4ZxMaC2myfWHdyKoSzgS5QO7cTRCYWJCHlF0DhvtlaeOT2bAqzwq5O7C0yDuMou6F2WIcb1Lwr2gk7DGhJ0Z2g3u5Gxdjzq2isX3IzBE3TFNGr19NiZI-031_gnRwiGYfUQugmUEjfn1tOnOO9fmfg=s16000" /></a></div><p>Before my embarrassing well-documented obsession with Captain America, Batman was my #1 superhero. Like so many, I've been reading comics and seeing his flicks in cinema since I was a kid. Of which, compared with almost all other dudes donning a cape and mask, Bruce Wayne has appeared in almost thirteen live-action adaptations - at least nine are his own films. When it was announced that director Matt Reeves would helm another iteration, a part of me thought <i>UGH, AGAIN. </i>Especially, since I'm not always on board with the current state of the DCEU. #blasphemy </p><p>As the casting came together for the next film, that same doubtful part of me grew infinitely intrigued. First, they had me at Robert Pattinson. If you follow me on twitter or my letterboxd reviews of his films, you know of my love for his odd charisma. Then, the perks kept piling up - Zoe Kravitz joining on as Catwoman years after facing <a href="https://www.nylon.com/articles/zoe-kravitz-august-2015" target="_blank">casting treatment for a previous Batman film</a>, Colin Farrell as The Penguin, Paul Dano as The Riddler, Jeffrey Wright as James Gordon, Andy Serkis as Alfred Pennyworth.</p><p><b>After a year the teaser was released online, the trailer (<a href="https://vimeo.com/633805668" target="_blank">watch it in 4K</a>!) finally dropped during this years DC FanDome. And Holy Here We Go Again, I'm counting down for 2022 and thought it'd be fun to highlight </b><b><i>some</i> of my favorite frames. The cinematography by Greig Fraser left me jaw-dropped. What are your favorite shots from the trailer? Are you excited for Matt Reeves film?</b></p><p><span></span></p><a name='more'></a><b><br /></b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEguDocDd68NnYAjISbS_LshzxeroauxtJpFiVJEHKvfIW9YX7kJ2P6rvHOEW5C0NzXvwJ2G0_hrzE46St6JeY3O9ZUbm4m2wdAhRn4UHl0tQEBvZIyEHxdTrpLsesLEqkqUuDlgOzSKwzvsL-QjGy2Ql0YbvYnrvtxw3rexbpjLYCTL_FpYRrXvXJ0NIw=s750"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEguDocDd68NnYAjISbS_LshzxeroauxtJpFiVJEHKvfIW9YX7kJ2P6rvHOEW5C0NzXvwJ2G0_hrzE46St6JeY3O9ZUbm4m2wdAhRn4UHl0tQEBvZIyEHxdTrpLsesLEqkqUuDlgOzSKwzvsL-QjGy2Ql0YbvYnrvtxw3rexbpjLYCTL_FpYRrXvXJ0NIw=s16000" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b style="text-align: left;"><i>Fear is a tool. When that light hits the sky, it's not just a call. It's a warning.</i></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">When James Gordon needs Batman, he lights his symbol into sky. Typically, it puts everyone on notice of the danger lurking in Gotham and hope that he'll be there to take care of it. But this time, it's splendidly blurry, immediately kicking off the trailer with an ambiguous tone. Batman's on the loose to hunt the bad guys, but is he going to be enough to take them down?</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhGT4gDM_EJhv05FkA5_mPu_jWORILenGu52j8fYrFOLBaVNoyDdLBi93534rtr_ci_mzUVfhqGhV8ZSCwCwIWlIfC6O-l3pgtb5--sqwgo79kuVWYaOIatIf5yu_aspIJVGDzcsXbY7g7ne6TkqC03ECeUdfoExX2Wq8WguquqBoW1HOilK2w9pMlIcA=s750"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhGT4gDM_EJhv05FkA5_mPu_jWORILenGu52j8fYrFOLBaVNoyDdLBi93534rtr_ci_mzUVfhqGhV8ZSCwCwIWlIfC6O-l3pgtb5--sqwgo79kuVWYaOIatIf5yu_aspIJVGDzcsXbY7g7ne6TkqC03ECeUdfoExX2Wq8WguquqBoW1HOilK2w9pMlIcA=s16000" /></a></div><div>The shot is immediately followed with a light silhouette of Batman. The color tone of black and orange (or red) is the biggest theme throughout - black symbolizing night, darkness, the abyss in a sense, contrasted with bursts of bold and bright oranges signaling illumination, changing seasons, fire, hope. </div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">"This is a powder keg. And Riddler's the match."</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhG2NEy9eOAJJwrI0sHNHL0F4D1ptGC4WwIa9BaDcKBgaXK_Lz8dnqmHG9tggf0Hv0I5tzmvOs4OSuN4AtWhYy-Am8zbaO7YZALdSn6FUYl2qZ96sLV27LMj6K9XPQHfncYhddzqEfu281YAnIBvptUFHrBgerhqdtNxF5jiitjGaxWcpd_kZXhGeagEQ=s750"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhG2NEy9eOAJJwrI0sHNHL0F4D1ptGC4WwIa9BaDcKBgaXK_Lz8dnqmHG9tggf0Hv0I5tzmvOs4OSuN4AtWhYy-Am8zbaO7YZALdSn6FUYl2qZ96sLV27LMj6K9XPQHfncYhddzqEfu281YAnIBvptUFHrBgerhqdtNxF5jiitjGaxWcpd_kZXhGeagEQ=s16000" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;">There's plenty of actual snippets of Zoe donning various wigs and costumes. This quick shot of her shiny leather boots is such a strong reminder of Michelle Pfieffer's <u>Catwoman </u>costume from <i>Batman Returns</i>, how could I not include it? Her wardrobe is going to be amazing.</div></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEil2LjDShFWdHoPrpxB0C22eTDwZ0MdVja8p8avuJUFyGekZd9UukbxNlLetVzlWGsLVR6Ok3WHQWAnadciwXMv2trCX9SelvYzHfh76KzOOebnNU2o-eRhELdcfkG8PSuOoj0te2n__9y3YoCXpXyALmG2EArtYaodgCaG_XqZn5dWgoP5hx5E5wkirA=s750"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEil2LjDShFWdHoPrpxB0C22eTDwZ0MdVja8p8avuJUFyGekZd9UukbxNlLetVzlWGsLVR6Ok3WHQWAnadciwXMv2trCX9SelvYzHfh76KzOOebnNU2o-eRhELdcfkG8PSuOoj0te2n__9y3YoCXpXyALmG2EArtYaodgCaG_XqZn5dWgoP5hx5E5wkirA=s16000" /></a></div><div>Absolutely and immediately an iconic for comic book fans, if you ask me.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhygLigFquwEoG9YvjevLAjD3bfHkidtXCpugylDraLvMX5SEWsqMSIKH1KPytJidocJ2hSxtj3Yo2oGyCfjMCRFxZao_iEVy_7fr3rcsrYBNTLlg9km66vorvUBQMoTeFVom88dXVRZ-dBWhXzT4fYIqEyJZHRGnkSCiBQmqC3Fo_kAdIvidsS7KH_Hw=s750"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhygLigFquwEoG9YvjevLAjD3bfHkidtXCpugylDraLvMX5SEWsqMSIKH1KPytJidocJ2hSxtj3Yo2oGyCfjMCRFxZao_iEVy_7fr3rcsrYBNTLlg9km66vorvUBQMoTeFVom88dXVRZ-dBWhXzT4fYIqEyJZHRGnkSCiBQmqC3Fo_kAdIvidsS7KH_Hw=s16000" /></a></div><div>White seems to be the color for The Riddler (more on that later). The spray painted venn diagram could easily fit this type too for the character. Is he investigating the wrongdoings of his father? Gil Colson - Gotham's district attorney? How does Mitchell play a role in one of Riddler's games?</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgqRfIFemQc7L91EY2E8QG4JCKEw3rwc8FHmhuu-GlPOTgTFVTUutpAYTWdTTLaPY5QFZ8aK5jLTdXbq3sQ2ig40C19Z2Cs05emDnwpcFZrLY0ouG_HOYwk9s2H2TfpDMb5q9SN8y3lUOOgGf9xPTLtRbSWZWNbYoiKnFIdNNijYo5O80T1gSNeaHUJ6w=s750"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgqRfIFemQc7L91EY2E8QG4JCKEw3rwc8FHmhuu-GlPOTgTFVTUutpAYTWdTTLaPY5QFZ8aK5jLTdXbq3sQ2ig40C19Z2Cs05emDnwpcFZrLY0ouG_HOYwk9s2H2TfpDMb5q9SN8y3lUOOgGf9xPTLtRbSWZWNbYoiKnFIdNNijYo5O80T1gSNeaHUJ6w=s16000" /></a></div><div>"The darkest night is just before the dawn." - Harvey Dent <br />Just how well does Gotham survive all this chaos?</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEimb76wFwww3-zDfYbXp8ZjmzTcPylKjPmJ2r4tmb7tjLbRZNPkY4knuaYTaYLLi0fRnzvDh0B8rjuJ5WL6eHQE6bPwYw-E63MXiYgN1w4QztVQOFSLLtJvElB-JVwr4Yhn6sR8nZqRcGhTi0aUvbOCppG4lMz9ItdKytSAEHKMrQmM0WQpkB8C0Tk1zQ=s750"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEimb76wFwww3-zDfYbXp8ZjmzTcPylKjPmJ2r4tmb7tjLbRZNPkY4knuaYTaYLLi0fRnzvDh0B8rjuJ5WL6eHQE6bPwYw-E63MXiYgN1w4QztVQOFSLLtJvElB-JVwr4Yhn6sR8nZqRcGhTi0aUvbOCppG4lMz9ItdKytSAEHKMrQmM0WQpkB8C0Tk1zQ=s16000" /></a></div><div>The internet went into a tizzy about on-set sightings of a stunt double on top of Liverpool's Liver Building. It's so sneaky for <a href="https://youtu.be/Qm9yon5x0tc?t=115" target="_blank">Reeves to throw in a POV jump</a> into the mix.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgV7L0nUnD78rrrxBdXgBk08J6yfIpJJwLIQ5OpsDVtmgaBms3Heuly1gS_w9S6rkALd4nZi2Grtlvq0i5HSfSj_UDYMCDLE5IL8720_X4kbdVJjp1UMzQNZ82TKXuA6xsWf4dFoTP3IKiTSfhMjVIp491EP6tgg43-uNrd6Gin2kDeT8qYcTpZGVCNkg=s750"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgV7L0nUnD78rrrxBdXgBk08J6yfIpJJwLIQ5OpsDVtmgaBms3Heuly1gS_w9S6rkALd4nZi2Grtlvq0i5HSfSj_UDYMCDLE5IL8720_X4kbdVJjp1UMzQNZ82TKXuA6xsWf4dFoTP3IKiTSfhMjVIp491EP6tgg43-uNrd6Gin2kDeT8qYcTpZGVCNkg=s16000" /></a></div><div>The grim of combat camouflaging the only parts of Bruce we get to see outside of his mask. *chef's kiss*</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhgwjDkuJgvJc5Mnlfs0Subf164IWDjxX3u61FKns21aWWVJNrHv3kAzkyDWWv8Kbeqz9U-gobKhW-x_ftYyn_8R1WFHkqljbb63D3avvxXFrFBIGvg7av-J3xJc1UWZfJNjdvU46JPT60p87LQfnI1737dX_9bXxzFYNmohvmaqA7AEkw6UWoCYYIRUA=s750"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhgwjDkuJgvJc5Mnlfs0Subf164IWDjxX3u61FKns21aWWVJNrHv3kAzkyDWWv8Kbeqz9U-gobKhW-x_ftYyn_8R1WFHkqljbb63D3avvxXFrFBIGvg7av-J3xJc1UWZfJNjdvU46JPT60p87LQfnI1737dX_9bXxzFYNmohvmaqA7AEkw6UWoCYYIRUA=s16000" /></a></div><div>There's plenty of combat throughout the trailer. But here, it looks like Batman is lighting the way for others to follow? We'll have to wait and see.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEghNO7CJA4w4iGe_g_7iPX0cgfo5jpJs0q612nuUj5AkdjvJx0E3948G0yTirSmQkO9D4go0cZxPjFf3fgkNrnoh-_EJEbBJzLHEaVtaIDrEPdLlXgQuE_F5hSu6su7rxuDEQWpUpJdfriZN3uwX8l9tphQYMNOxNW-ULtgo2-ccjptGjYC2wzUXW3LHQ=s750"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEghNO7CJA4w4iGe_g_7iPX0cgfo5jpJs0q612nuUj5AkdjvJx0E3948G0yTirSmQkO9D4go0cZxPjFf3fgkNrnoh-_EJEbBJzLHEaVtaIDrEPdLlXgQuE_F5hSu6su7rxuDEQWpUpJdfriZN3uwX8l9tphQYMNOxNW-ULtgo2-ccjptGjYC2wzUXW3LHQ=s16000" /></a></div>We are offered very few glances of Paul Dano as The Riddler. Rumor has it - he will be more like a Jigsaw-type character from Saw. Gone is the cartoony purples and greens so far. When he does appear in the trailer, he's in black, red, and <i>stark stark stark</i> white. It's a chilling choice given that the latter represents innocence and purity.<div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgJKNjEzSaqwkkuuOCCSac9Vj4VNrTl3wxt4axID2nnVCU857DE3bsrflgIzONxEMv6nNpiURjTdyY_cBwNeaWLxVOoHKP5sl_nFg1pVb4wFYXdzUt9uNOiBvw6RFh60dhnuLq6-al7aCP0LusW4dywLSA7GP4KtLi45k29dXx7KyufBuCDYgG4BWm6jw=s750"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgJKNjEzSaqwkkuuOCCSac9Vj4VNrTl3wxt4axID2nnVCU857DE3bsrflgIzONxEMv6nNpiURjTdyY_cBwNeaWLxVOoHKP5sl_nFg1pVb4wFYXdzUt9uNOiBvw6RFh60dhnuLq6-al7aCP0LusW4dywLSA7GP4KtLi45k29dXx7KyufBuCDYgG4BWm6jw=s16000" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEikadtcEkIXd3lQUgYRjm_meSOhmezMiwJEjiZpzIl2bjoN3foli1j2kVrNfpWXxXZDI2gfk4pnqj8-FpxWLvmvnjBzmi7l0FD9H4OimsRR3kbgO26ty9YBBdAHzrs-V0skVcpFhIr1bWNogQeN66xykawWtaKRYP7bPoxubKMZyu-s52yjQ3m6yyFPWQ=s750"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEikadtcEkIXd3lQUgYRjm_meSOhmezMiwJEjiZpzIl2bjoN3foli1j2kVrNfpWXxXZDI2gfk4pnqj8-FpxWLvmvnjBzmi7l0FD9H4OimsRR3kbgO26ty9YBBdAHzrs-V0skVcpFhIr1bWNogQeN66xykawWtaKRYP7bPoxubKMZyu-s52yjQ3m6yyFPWQ=s16000" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>"I got you! I GOT YOU!"</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>[Batmobile bursts through an inferno]</i></div><div><br /></div><div>Bullets, punches, a city on the rampage, and madmen aren't going to keep him down for long. When he comes back, it's with vengeance and fury. While most of the trailer shows Bruce brooding and fighting as Gotham goes up in smoke, there's some weird level of comfort that he's still there to take down The Penguin after all of the hell the trailer explodes with. But that last frame signals the Batman 'we grew up' watching is gone. A new era is coming.</div></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>I can't wait. The Batman releases into theaters March 4th, 2022.</b></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5681829365024405949.post-39586289051184953792021-10-14T01:52:00.002-04:002021-10-14T01:52:23.167-04:00Thursday Movie Picks - Halloween Edition: Folk or Urban Legend<p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkE8e_sa8e78ZGUgZJAgIQdhplrkVNNj4j9-UeCrc_osW-0BI4WgurLQetHaQbQHxJq8-B4RKCuQmAiPA1UT-JM4PzBPpv7E4PXKgYxMhSt38kktSvwupTZzxNsqXNpD-hUUM9Q-dfIT-I/s750/thursday+movie+picks+wandering.jpg" style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="750" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkE8e_sa8e78ZGUgZJAgIQdhplrkVNNj4j9-UeCrc_osW-0BI4WgurLQetHaQbQHxJq8-B4RKCuQmAiPA1UT-JM4PzBPpv7E4PXKgYxMhSt38kktSvwupTZzxNsqXNpD-hUUM9Q-dfIT-I/s16000/thursday+movie+picks+wandering.jpg" /></a></p><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 15.4px;">Wandering Through the Shelves hosts </span><a href="https://www.ohsogeeky.com/search/label/thursday%20movie%20picks" style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 15.4px;" target="_blank">Thursday Movie Picks</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 15.4px;">. It's a weekly series where bloggers post and share various movie picks every Thursday. </span><p></p><b>The rules are simple: based on the theme of the week pick three to five movies and tell us why you picked them. For further details and the schedule visit the series main page <a href="http://wanderingthroughtheshelves.blogspot.com/2020/12/2021-thursday-movie-picks-schedule-final.html" target="_blank">here</a>.</b><div><p><b>This week's theme is Halloween Edition: Folk or Urban Legend.</b></p><p><span></span></p><a name='more'></a><h2><p class="MsoNormal">The Blair Witch Project</p></h2><i>Found video footage tells the tale of three film studentswho've documenting footage about the Blair Witch, a legendary local murderer and lose their way in the woods.</i></div><div><br /></div><div>I had no idea mazephobia (getting lost on a trip) is a real thing but it's something I've always had and learned about this year. It was probably never smart for me to watch this <i>years ago</i>, but yeah, it scared the bejesus out of me. That ending will haunt me for ever. I can see why people think it's more corny than scary though.</div><div><br /></div><div><h2>The Mothman Prophecies</h2></div><div><i>A journalist whose wife experienced a strange moth-like vision immediately before she was killed in a car accident. Two years later, driving to an interview, he suddenly finds himself hundreds of miles out of his way in the remote town of Point Pleasant, where there has been a proliferation of `mothman' sightings leading him to research similar experiences to his late wife.</i></div><div><br /></div><div>We don't ever explicitly see the Mothman except in sketches/newspaper archives, which is something a lot of critics and audiences didn't enjoy. But I thought the word-of-mouth aspect of different characters' experiences and premonitions offered enough intrigue. It gives enough fictional and factual details that make me want to look into what really happened.</div><div><br /></div><h2 style="text-align: left;">Candyman</h2><div><i>Skeptical graduate student Helen Lyle (Virginia Madsen) befriends Anne-Marie McCoy (Vanessa Williams) while researching superstitions in a housing project on Chicago's Near North Side. From Anne-Marie, Helen learns about the Candyman (Tony Todd), a knife-wielding figure of urban legend that may be all too real.</i></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div>I was so excited for the reboot...however, the follow-up takes a stronger direct interpretation of the original's themes that feels dumbed down. I was surprised since it had Nia DaCosta's direction and Jordan Peele as producer on its side. But perhaps it's a result of too many cooks in the kitchen, so to speak. Looking back, I'm not sure a reboot could've ever lived up to the original.</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0