#Ridley scott has made two (2) good movies

[frogsinajar]

Todays the 43rd anniversary of the premiere of Alien (1979) so I draw June dressed as Ellen Ripley, again.

[invisibletripwire]

The last two years 4 movies came out that I saw in the cinema that I really liked, The Green Knight, The Last Duel, The Northman and Devotion. They all reminded me of movies like they used to be, before franchises and superheroes took over the big screen. Except for The Green Knight (who slightly over-performed in the box office) they all ended up flopping. Sure, the pandemic and bad marketing played a role (Ridley Scott really need to stop blaming millennials and their phones) but another thing is happening as well. People are bad-mouthing these movies before they even see them. Let’s take two examples:

The Last Duel is about a very sensitive subject matter (that’s why it’s rated R) but the film acknowledges this, it is not just ‘’two men butchering each other over the honor of a woman’’, as I heard said (by people who did not watch the film), and no, the woman in question is not just a prop in the story. Her story matters here. 

Devotion is not ‘’whitewashing’’ the Korean war. It is less of a warfilm and more of a character drama about Jesse Brown, who was the first black naval aviator. Only at the end of the movie do you see any war at all. And the movie is pretty accurate to the true story, especially considering they had to condense it down to a 2 hour runtime. It’s a good movie, and very moving at times. 

I really whish more people saw these movies, so original stand-alone movies is seen as less of a risk for Hollywood and more are made. Sure, The Last Duel has violence (including sexual violence) and Devotion tells of racism and grief, totally understand if you want to avoid them for that reason, but they don’t deserve the bad rep they get. Again, mostly by people who have not bothered to see them. 

Stories deserves to seen on the big screen even if they have a sensitive subject matter. 

[spiderdreamer-blog]

The Rescuers Down Under (1990)

Movie sequels are a funny thing. Done well, they can be clever, meaningful expansions of the original film or give artists chances to take the creative impulse in a different direction; compare Ridley Scott's Alien to James Cameron's Aliens. Done poorly, they seem like cheap cash-ins with lazy writing and not an ounce of true artistic passion. Nowhere can this divide be more apparent than in the decade-plus of direct-to-video Disney sequels that kicked off with 1994's Aladdin follow-up The Retun of Jafar. As I've said in other posts, it's not ALWAYS true that these or the TV spinoffs were bad. In addition to my previously published review of 101 Dalmatians II and Atlantis: Milo's Return, I swear by Aladdin and the King of Thieves for being a solid adventure film. And Cinderella III: A Twist in Time fills in characterizations for characters that often came off as ciphers in the original, as well as being a clever story in its own right. Some could even be downright inspired, like how The Lion King 1 1/2 takes a page from both MST3K and Tom Stoppard's play Rosencrantz and Guildernstern Are Dead compared to the original's Hamlet influences. But many fumbled in trying to justify further stories for characters that weren't necessarily built for them or did lazy reversal rehashes. Curiously, though, a built-for-the-theaters sequel beat this crowd to it, in the form of 1990's The Rescuers Down Under, coming to us in the midst of the Disney Renaissance. How does that one stack up?

A sequel to the 1977 film The Rescuers, Down Under reunites us with Miss Bianca and Bernard (Eva Gabor and Bob Newhart, reprising their roles), two mice who are agents of the Rescue Aid Society, which dedicates itself to helping lost or kidnapped children. Their case this time is Cody (Adam Ryen, who, in a fun fact, dubbed his own part in the Norwegian dub), an Australian boy captured by the evil poacher McLeach (George C. Scott) and his sidekick goanna Joanna (Frank Welker) in pursuit of the great golden eagle Marahute. Bianca and Bernard catch a flight with Wilbur the albatross (John Candy), taking over from his brother Orville from the original, and catch up with local hero Jake (Tristan Rogers, the only natively Australian actor in the film) to track down McLeach.

The most immediately striking thing about the film compared to its predecessor is its look. The original Rescuers was made in the heyday of Xerography, the process wherein Xerox machines could print animators' drawings directly onto cels and save a shitload of money/time in terms of hand-inking and painting. Starting with 101 Dalmatians (which necessitated the process both for the logistics of all those puppies and because the gorgeously rendered, lovingly hand-painted over years of production Sleeping Beauty had been a financial failure), this gave Disney's films a scratchier, more graphic look through the next couple decades. It's not a BAD way to make a film, and I would say the results often looked quite good, especially for moody, atmospheric scenes such as the swamplands in the original film.

Down Under, however, took a different approach, being the first Disney animated film to be fully inked-and-painted digitally in Disney's CAPS (Computer Animation Production System) pipeline. This has a number of advantages, such as better integration of the CGI elements like McLeach's Truck Of Doom, but not the least of which is the bright, vibrant colors. The Outback truly feels like an epic stage for the adventures, with the justly famous Marahute flight showing off its grand scope and beauty. Even the urban night-time New York scenes feel freshened up compared to the muddier vision of before. Even beyond that, the filmmaking has evolved. The original's director, Wolfgang "Woolie" Reitherman, was a fine talent (I'm especially partial to his Robin Hood), but the 1977 film feels awfully slow-paced for what's supposed to be exciting and propulsive. Down Under's directors Hendel Butoy and Mike Gabriel use tighter angles and much brisker editing to lend a real sense of Spielbergian action mechanics, such as in a scene where the mice try and board the Truck Of Doom or the nervy climax.

The character animation is excellent as usual, with the obvious standout being Glen Keane's Marahute. Bird anatomy is perhaps the hardest to do in animation outside of horses, and Keane gives the eagle both a sense of realism and character without anthropomorphizing her to the same degree as the rest of the cast. Mark Henn, meanwhile, does a solid job of grounding Bianca and Bernard as a duo and separately; they never reach too far for effect and seem more or less like normal people doing their best. The great Ruben Aquino, whose resume is more diverse than he gets credit for (Ursula, Adult Simba, and Pleakley are among his characters), gives Jake a full dashing-rogue bearing. Nik Ranieri does honestly some underrated work with Wilbur on the anatomy front, and Duncan Marjoribanks and David Cutler attack the duo of McLeach and Joanna with gusto. The way the latter moves in particular is hilarious, such as in a scene where she tries to steal eggs from a pondering McLeach.

Story-wise are where things get interesting. In addition to the original being well-suited to a sequel (literally having the "you've got another case!" ending), we smartly get things rolling fast. The first film is about the same runtime length-wise, but it spends a long-ass time getting anywhere, or at least feels that way. Whereas this is like "yup, we're off to the races, kids, iconic eagle flight in the first 10 dang minutes". Thus, while Bianca and Bernard don't enter the film for a hot minute, we don't feel like our time's being wasted in the first act as we set up the situation. I like also how the potential triangle between Bernard, Bianca, and Jake is handled with remarkable subtlety. Bianca barely seems to notice, while Jake is certainly puffed-up but never outright cruel to Bernard, and the latter gets a great chance to step up to prove himself when the time comes. The only possible negative effect is that the film is ultimately on the short end, and the plot is fairly simple as a result. Thus we get some goofy comedy padding with Wilbur being subjected to unhelpful medical practices to straighten out his back, as well as a pair of scenes with Cody and some Marketable Animal Friends as they try to escape McLeach. Hardly bad, but a little perfunctory.

I also like Cody a little better as a kid protagonist, tbh. The original film tries to get a lot of pathos out of the plight of Penny, who's not just an orphan, but a KIDNAPPED orphan. It's not bad in and of itself, with an effective scene where the villainous Madame Medusa insults her passive-aggressively to try and get her under her thumb. And it anticipates where Don Bluth, who worked on the film as a directing animator, would go in terms of his own child protagonists like Fievel or Littlefoot. But a little of it goes a long way, even if my heart's not fully made of stone. Down Under trades things up for Cody in terms of being well-adjusted with a single mother and tenacious enough both to save Marahute upfront, as well as seeing right through McLeach's transparent attempt at bullshitting him (though a later manipulation DOES succeed).

The audio end is a good marriage here too, starting with Bruce Broughton giving us an absolutely iconic adventure score. There's lots of distinct themes here that all weave together fantastically, never feeling overly like a "cartoon" score. In terms of the voice cast, Ryen gives a nicely natural performance, kid-like without ever being too cutesy, and brave, but not SO brave that it feels out of place. Gabor and Newhart, the highlight of the earlier film, reach a nice equilibrium between "society lady who takes nobody's shit" and "nice normal guy who can nonetheless keep up with her". Rogers is one of my favorites here, his Aussie twang lending some authenticity to the proceedings, and his soap opera experience (he's a longtime fixture on General Hospital) lets him access the slightly broader cartoon acting necessary. Candy, of course, was a comedy legend, and he adjusts well here in terms of making Wilbur a distinct chatterbug with a noble streak rather than simply recycling his genteel screen presence. My favorite performance, though, is undoubtedly George C. Scott as McLeach. Always an intense, thoughtful actor (he's my favorite Ebenezer Scrooge on film), he makes what could've been a generic "evil hunter" type into something really memorable by snacking on the scenery and giving him a real cruel streak. And I'd be remiss without mentioning Welker's Joanna, who nearly sounds like an anticipation of Andy Serkis' Gollum in her slobbery growls and chuckles.

I'll be honest, I can't be TOTALLY objective about this movie. It was one of the first Disney films I owned on VHS, and many a rewind was had because I couldn't get enough. It's a little rougher around the edges now that I'm an adult, true, but when Marahute starts to fly as the music swells? Every time, I get transported back to a living room in Peachtree City, Georgia, inches away from the TV. That still means something, and thankfully, most of the movie still backs that kid up.

[world-cinema-research]

Gladiator (2002)

Gunner Drake

April 14th, 2024

The film I chose this week for our assignments was Gladiator (2000). I remember the first time I watched Gladiator when I was young and after rewatching it again this week, it is just as good as the first time I saw it. The way the movie shows the main character Maximus fight through all of this adversary while still maintaining a strong, smart mind and being an all around good selfless person is close to perfect. This film also depicts the main antagonist extremely well and does a great job of getting you invested into their characters. 

While doing research on the film Gladiator I was surprised to find out that Gladiator made over 465.4 million dollars while only costing 103 million dollars to make, making this a huge commercial success. But it didn't stop there for Gladiator, The film was also a huge critical success being nominated for twelve academy awards or oscars and winning 5, being nominated for 5 golden globes and winning two of them and also winning the BAFTA award for best film. Reviews were a little bit of a different story. For the most part they were pretty mixed even though the general public ate it up. Here is one of many positive reviews from metacritic https://www.metacritic.com/movie/gladiator/ “Gladiator is one of the best films Ridley Scott ever made. Maybe is not historically accurate, but the story, the soundtrack, the fighting are perfect, and shows probably the most beautiful performance of Russell Crowe.” on the other hand this review by Roger Ebert (https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/gladiator-2000) is extremely critical of the film calling it,"A foolish choice in art direction casts a pall over Ridley Scott's "Gladiator" that no swordplay can cut through" and also gave it 2 stars. So this movie wasn’t everyone's favorite thing ever but for the most part the public thought it was pretty good. Although if you look at the recent reviews they are a lot more positive than negative. Now the big question is what did the filmmakers do to make gladiator so attractive to such a big audience? They started with the setting in Rome, the filmmakers knew Rome would be a perfect setting for their narrative. They were able to take historically accurate figures such as Marcus Aurelius, Commodus, and Lucilla to give the movie a genuine roman feel and then they add the main character Maximus which is not a real person but give the filmmakers freedom to choose whatever they want for him. At the time in 2000 this gave the historical roman setting almost a new fresh look for the viewers and very much popularized it bigger than anything before. 

The gladiator had an extremely dramatic story and many action packed fight scenes which was a huge part of the movie that the producers relied on for a strong return on investment. In one fight scene After the main character Maximus defeats many enemies in spectacular fashion, he stands in the middle of the colosseum and yells, “Are you not entertained!”(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BPNOdkLcL_g) This scene alone has etched its way into pop culture and 9 out of 10 people will know exactly what you're talking about if you say, “ are you not entertained”. But Gladiator does have some limiting factors for the audience. The movie is rated R for bloody battle and fight scenes plus some language. 

Gladiator was definitely a conventional movie. This movie cost over 100 million dollars to make so the investors and producers wanted to maximize profit as much as they could without trying anything too crazy or too new. Growing up this was one of my favorite movies and I definitely would blow off any criticism about the film in the past. But doing my research for this project and reading all of the reviews I was able to appreciate parts or aspects of the movie in ways I didn't consider before. I especially liked reading the criticism reviews of the movie because I was able to go back and forth with These ideas and in some cases even changed my mind on parts of the movie. This film came out 24 years ago and still looks amazing. Newer movies obviously have better special effects and more money to make them better but after not seeing Gladiator in years I can confidently say it is still an amazing quality film. Not that there isn't anything I could pick out but for being 24 years old I would still choose this movie over most newer ones in recent years. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lEM5nJ-AUiMLinks to an external site.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yD0XIowNAG8Links to an external site.https://www.youtube.com/embed/yD0XIowNAG8?autoplay=1&rel=0&hl=en_US&fs=1

In 2000 the Sony released the PS2

laketahoecc.instructure.com

In 2000 the Olympics were held in Sydney Australia.

laketahoecc.instructure.com

[smallturtlebomb]

INFO AND HEAD CANON STUFF FOR MY ROTTMNT OCS!!!

Section 1: Akira Kimura

Akira Kimura is an Olive Ridley Sea Turtle. He has two moms and one sister (His moms being Kōki and Miu Kimura and his sister being Mina Kimura). He is gay and uses he/him pronouns!! He is 6’3, Korean and Japanese, and loves to play his drums and piano. He also likes writing, drawing, surfing/skating,,singing, crafting, training. He is the drummer in his band (The Late Night Dolls/TLND) and the backup vocals. In his private time he likes dressing up as a girl (yes he is a drag queen). Also by joining Mari-Lynn’s clan (The Nakaruma Clan) He got two special powers. He can control water and he can clone/make life (but he doesn’t know about the second power yet..)

Some head canons:

• He will totally listen to you rant about your interest, as long as you do the same with him.

• His favorite music genres are Punk rock, Jazz rock, j-pop, k-pop, hip hop metal, and grunge!

• He is a huge nerd about romance films (mostly movies like studio ghibli)

• He has a big fat crush one Donnie and tries his best to hide it (it’s sometimes obvious)

• He calls Donnie “Don-Don”. He also calls Rae “Rae-Rae”

• He loves writing songs and poems (some songs in the band are made by him).

Andddd…. That’s all I can remember for Akira. Feel free to ask him (and other characters) some questions as well!

Section 2: Mari-Lynn Nakaruma

Maria Linda Nakaruma (also known as Mari-Lynn), is a 5’9 Nekomata yōkai. He has one brother and one uncle (where r her parents? That’s a story for another day!). She is Pansexual and uses any pronouns (mainly She/He/They)! She’s also Japanese Puerto Rican and plays the guitar and is the lead vocals for her band. He also likes drawing (mostly doing graffiti art tho), skating, training, reading comic books, doing punk stuff too! Her main powers are Controlling fire, shapeshifting into different felines, and raising the dead (but she can barely control the zombie power). He is also the next leader of the Nakaruma Clan and sort of looks forward to it.

Some head canons:

• She loves watching/Reading “Ryan Collin Vs. The Alternate Universe” which is just rottmnt’s version of Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World”

• Big fan of horror movies (Like human centipede but I’ve never watched it in my life)

• Her favorite music genres are: Punk rock, metal, hip hop, grunge, and j-pop

• Also has a crush on Raphael and hides it pretty well (he can’t hold it in much longer, he has to confess..)

• Her uncle helped her make her band and learn how to play music

• ML is a chill but chaotic person

And that concludes ML’s section! U can also ask her some questions if you’d like! ^^

Section 3: Mina Kimura

Mina Kimura is the little sister of Akira. She is a 5’3 Kemp’s Ridley Sea Turtle but doesn’t have the marks like Akira (She actually gets the marks from her mom Koki)! She uses She/Her pronouns and is AroAce! She is also Korean and Japanese as well and is the bassist and music editor in the band. She loves creating a bunch of outfits and clothes (Akira mostly gets dresses made from her), Swimming, doing makeup, skating/surfing, drawing, and painting. Her powers in the Nakaruma Clan are controlling nature and Telekinesis.

Some head canons:

• Mina provides clothes for everybody (including some yōkai’s and mutants living on the streets of New York or The Underground City.

• Mina loves watching stop motion films

• Mina is chaotic but sweet too

• Mina gives good advice to people when they need help

• She protects her older brother since he can be insecure at times

• Her favorite music genres are: Punk rock, metal, hip hop, breakcore, Indie music, and Chiptune

And that ends Mina’s section. Now for my last but certainly not least oc…

Section 4: Rae Koji

Rae Koji is an 5’9 Kitsune yōkai. Her family has been ‘missing’ ever since an incident (that I’ll explain next time). She is a lesbian and uses She/Her pronouns. She’s Japanese Chinese and the backup guitarist and vocals for her band. She likes graffiti, skating, playing games, watching movies, and reading. Her powers are controlling wind, shapeshifting, and healing. She is most of the time grumpy and silent but cares about her friends a lot.

Some head canons:

• Painting can calm her down

• She has a crush on ML and gets a bit jealous whenever ML talks abt Raph

• Her favorite music genres are: Punk rock, lofi, metal, j-pop, and hip hop

• Rae collects anime figures and action figures (she also puts them in cool poses and takes pictures of them)

• She’s really competitive while playing games with her friends

• She also has some Lou Jitsu merch in her room

And that concludes the info/head canons of my ocs!! This took a lot to type out so I hope u enjoyed reading! Baii now! <3

[r-rook-studio]

Movie Fun with Team Sherwood: The Robin Hood Film Duets

I'm impatient, so I just pushed "go" on my holiday weekend sales. That means my TTRPG Sherwood is $5.25 on Itch and DriveThru. So are My Chivalric Bromance and both versions of Dragonmaw Cave (all also on Itch where I'll get a bigger cut of the proceeds).

It also means I'm gonna talk about Robin Hood movies. Why? To celebrate! Also, on Tumblr, you can't mute me!

Before 1991, I'm pretty sure it was really rare to have a big Robin Hood cinematic release accompanied by separate TV movies, direct-to-video, and direct-to-streaming titles. Since then, it's become the new normal, with most big-screen Robin movies accompanied by a lower-budget limited release.

I'm trying to avoid spoilers below, but I make no promises since the story is old. If you're worried about them, you may want to avoid this.

1991

In 1991, we got a major cinematic release with a big name cast that was one of the highest grossing films in the US that year.

Then we got a good UK movie starring Uma Thurman and Patrick Bergin.

The UK's 1991 Robin Hood starts off in a gloomy, foggy, rainy England where Robert Hode offends a visiting dignitary (Jürgen Prochnow) here to marry to local Sheriff's niece (Uma Thurman's Marian), refusing to allow him to execute a poacher. Things progress, and as they do we go from a gloomy quasi-realism to a Midsummer Night's Dream surrealism. It's a strange transition, but it sure as fuck isn't a boring one. By the time the outlaws get into the Sheriff's castle disguised as Feast of Fools revelers (with Jeff Nuttall as Friar Tuck), it's unsurprising to hear the impious friar greeting the outlaws' defeated foes with "Welcome to Hell!"

Over in the US, the script and Costner's palpable disinterest in the film (and the role, his costars, the audience, etc.) were the twin black holes that no capable actor's efforts could escape. Well, almost because Alan Rickman (the Sheriff) and Geraldine McEwan (Mortianna) were both incredible—though both avoided sharing screen time with Costner—and Rickman improvised the only good lines in the film on his own.

2009-2010

No this isn't the same year. I know that, but I'm the person writing this, and I'm making up all of my own rules as I go.

One of the favorite complaints of film reviewers is that a movie "has nothing to do with the Robin Hood tradition." That's almost never true in any coherent sense of "the tradition." But then this set of movies happened:

In 2009, Robin Dunn lead Beyond Sherwood Forest, a SyFy made-for-cable film about Robin Hood finding a magical portal, talking to fey, and meeting a dragon.

In 2010, Ridley Scott released a Russel Crowe lead film that had jack shit nothing to do with the Robin Hood tradition.

Okay, technically, there are other Robin Hood films that feature the Magna Carta, but this was the first one that had Ridley Scott, Cate Blanchett, and a budget. But all they could afford was a weird Magna Carta conspiracy theory.

2018

By now, you're probably thinking that I just look at 2 Robin Hood films and just pick the one with the lower budget as the good one. But we've not gotten to 2018 yet. Two films came out this year: Robin Hood and Robin Hood: The Rebellion.

Neither was good, but there's a certain weird charm to Taron Egerton's portrayal (and Jamie Foxx's Little John was one of the more exciting revisions to that character's story I've seen in a long time). Egerton's probably one of the more charismatic actors to take on the role (next to Disney's red-n-furry guy, of course).

The Direct-to-Video Rebellion has a better premise and better ideas behind the script. It also had a really strong cast (Brian Blessed and Kristian Nairn are on the box cover, but neither are in the film for more than a few minutes). Like the wonderful Hammer films before it, it tries to focus on a single moment or mission in the Robin legend.

But then, it's just grim and joyless and devoid of substance as Zweihander. It's pretty sure it's got something important to say, but if that something was ever there, it got cut out in post.

2022

Finally, we get to this year with two direct-to-video entries: The Siege of Robin Hood and The Adventures of Maid Marian.

Marian isn't getting in competition from this guy, though.

You're probably looking at that cover, worried that you're going to judge the movie by the bad costumes and awful production design. Lots of RH movies I love have bad costumes and awful production design, though.

Paul Allica wrote, directed, and starred in this travesty, so all the blame goes to him. Before we get to the 20 minute mark, we've seen people clapping because a flamboyantly gay character got stabbed. Shortly after, we get a lot of racist bullshit about Asian Mercenaries being expensive but quiet and compliant. About 40-45 minutes in, we get the first fridging (but definitely not the last).

Don't worry though. There's still 70+ minutes left, all of it just as sexist and racist as before. (No more homophobia though: the one is dead.)

Allica and co have a background doing stunts and working as extras in martial arts films. Somehow, the fight scenes still suck. If Rebellion is like playing Zweihander with edgelords, Siege is like playing FATAL at a Q-Anon conference.

Filmed as the pandemic raged, the production faced a lot of challenges. The script might be weak and self-serious, but it makes up for some of it by keeping the action moving and the dialogue on point. Like some of my favorite Robin movies, there's no origin story here: Robin and Marian are on the run almost from the start. Marian is leaving Kirklees and Robin back from King Richard's endless wars, but they discover one-time Sheriff is hunting for them. Lead by Sophie-Louise Craig (with Dominic Andersen and Robin), this is a quick-moving take on Robin's encounters with the Prioress of Kirklees in the ballads, possibly the most interesting one since BBC's Legend of Robin Hood or Robin & Marian. (That's not the spoiler you probably think it is.)

[topreviewin]

Within the pantheon of good sci-fi franchises, the Alien team is obviously probably the most important. The team revolutionized the sci-fi style and has now created a few of the biggest science-fiction spectacles seen in the giant screen. But’s in addition created its reasonable share of extreme misses. Ridley Scott’s 1979 work of art Alien set the building blocks for just what the team is, producing an immediate classic that's the best sci-fi films available. Subsequently, seven even more Alien films have actually used, including two prequel films as well as 2 spinoffs. The team is iconic and another of the very most familiar brands in Hollywood’s record. From bursting chests to acidic bloodstream, the team features created numerous extremely unforgettable moments and pictures. The team has additionally included work from a few of the biggest administrators in Hollywood, from Scott to Avatar: the way in which of Water‘s James Cameron to David Fincher. Its not all Alien film is similar. Most are action-packed war films outfitted with laser weapons and room mercenaries, while many of these tend to be philosophical meditations on creation. From jaw-dropping spectacles to careless snooze fests, each Alien film differs in effectiveness. listed here are all films when you look at the Alien team, rated from worst to most readily useful. 8. Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem (2007) 20th Century Studios The 2nd installment when you look at the Alien vs. Predatorspinoff show is a complete tragedy. While neither AvP movie is great, Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem takes the dessert given that worst Alien film when you look at the team. Introduced in 2007, Requiem takes whatever made the prior Alien and Predator films great and tosses it when you look at the garbage. Exactly what benefits is an appartment, meaningless, and completely forgettable film. Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem is defined just after the occasions associated with the earlier AvPmovie. The movie mostly has to do with the look between a Predator and an Alien-Predator hybrid referred to as Predalien. Following the Predalien escapes and results in destruction in a nearby small-town, an experienced veteran Predator is sent to eliminate the Predalien. The film demonstrably would like to only show two badass extraterrestrial animals battling one another in a gory R-rated getaway, however it mostly doesn't fulfill that itch. As an alternative, Requiem is hindered by its level figures and useless assault. There are many gory fatalities and enjoyable activity for followers of bloody beast murders, nevertheless film’s overly dim illumination helps it be such that it’s extremely difficult to see any such thing. 7. Alien vs. Predator (2004) 20th Century Studios The very first AvP film, Alien vs. Predator, is not since horrific as Requiem, however it pretty sure is not great, often. Just like Requiem, the 2004 spinoff is an appartment 110 moments that's seriously restricted to its PG-13 score. Followers associated with the show had been looking to see a Xenomorph square off against a Predator from the time an Easter egg in Predator 2 teased the truth that those two types take the exact same world. Sadly, Alien vs. Predator is a letdown. The film is targeted on its peoples figures way too much for a film entitled Alien vs. Predator, with two-dimensional folks offering just as goals for frightening eliminates. Alien vs. Predator follows several archaeologists because they investigate a pyramid discovered hidden beneath the Antarctic ice. Unbeknownst towards group, is the fact that they’ve only discovered a war between two alien events. While Alien vs. Predator gets some things for the enjoyable mythologizing associated with the two iconic film beasts, the film is way too muted and risk-averse becoming recalled. Its scares and gore tend to be seriously hindered by its score, and people are continuously remaining restlessly waiting around for next epic Xenomorph-Yautja showdown. Whenever those showdowns do come, however, this film discovers its feet.

6. Alien: Resurrection (1997) 20th Century Studios Alien: Resurrection is a film that hardly ever really must be made, however it is mostly organized by Sigourney Weaver’s last overall performance as Ripley. Really, kind of. Weaver in fact plays Ripley 8, a clone of Ellen Ripley that armed forces boffins made out of DNA from bloodstream examples taken before Ripley’s demise in Alien 3. However, Alien: Resurrection had been significantly condemned right away; it is well-noted that studio mostly had no clue locations to use the team following the lackluster box-office overall performance of Alien 3. Consequently, Resurrection is a disjointed film that simply does not work. Set 200 many years following the occasions of Alien 3, Resurrection continues and concludes the first Alien tale. The armed forces resurrects Ripley being draw out the alien from within the lady, unwittingly fusing Ripley 8’s DNA with the DNA associated with the Xenomorph queen. Whenever an enormous amount of bred Xenomorphs escape containment and start to ruin the armed forces ship, Ripley must determine in which the woman allegiance lies. Alien Resurrection is quirky and unusual, with quippy discussion and strange land machinations prevalent throughout Joss Whedon’s script. But’s mostly an inoffensive sci-fi knowledge that has a fantastic cast including Winona Ryder, Brad Dourif, and Ron Perlman. 5. Alien 3 (1992) 20th Century Fox Alien 3 the most maligned sequels ever, however it’s not since awful as some claim it becoming. The film, the very first function movie directed by David Fincher, considerably diverts the tone and future associated with the team. Alien 3 had a great deal to meet, seeing that its two predecessors tend to be masterpieces, therefore it is practical why it absolutely wasn’t obtained warmly. Itsn’t since great as Alien or Aliens, naturally but inaddition it is not a steaming stack of garbage like a few of the various other films when you look at the team (I’m viewing you, Alien vs. Predator: Requiem). The film is a wild spin in the team which could never be performed perfectly, however it’s nonetheless interesting to see these types of a big move on some blockbuster internet protocol address. After the occasions of Aliens, Ripley could be the only survivor following the ship holding the lady, Newt, and Hicks crash-lands on Fiorina 161, a desolate wasteland populated by previous inmates associated with the planet’s maximum-security jail. Today needing to protect against the grimy guys, including the woman extraterrestrial enemies, Ripley is required into the woman many intense tale however. The film is a startling vary from the prior films, showing followers within extremely outset that any feeling of crowd-pleasing fanfare will be dumped the screen. Alien 3 is interesting for the faults; Fincher himself notoriously disowned the film as a result of the stressful behind-the-scenes imaginative merry-go-round that put this movie down in the incorrect track through the get-go. 4. Alien: Covenant (2017) 20th Century Studios / twentieth Century Studios The 2nd prequel when you look at the Alien team does not do just about anything brand new using internet protocol address, but that is alright. Alien: Covenant presents followers with a far more grounded film following the huge aspirations of Prometheus, concentrating straight back in the absolute scary to be hunted by a terrifying alien animal. It’s the scariest the team has-been because the initial Alien, plus it appears since great given that vast expanses in Prometheus. Alien: Covenant uses the people in a colony ship bound for a remote world in the far region of the galaxy. They find out what is apparently an uncharted utopia and meet David (Michael Fassbender), the artificial survivor associated with the condemned Prometheus journey. All appears ideal for this band of partners, but things just take a deadly change the even worse if they very first encounter aggressive aliens. Fassbender’s

overall performance given that android David could be the franchise’s well acting getaway since Sigourney Weaver, plus it’s among shows associated with the prequel show. David’s mental flatness produces the absolute most terrifying non-Xenomorph personality when you look at the whole team. Covenant is held back once again, however, by its torn nature. It seems just as if manager Ridley Scott would like to explore the philosophical ramifications setup in Prometheus, additionally would like to provide in a far more classic scary film means. However, Alien: Covenant is a grand callback as to the made initial films so unique. 3. Prometheus (2012) 20th Century Fox Prometheus kicks from the prequel installments towards Alien team is an efficient means. It provides in reliving the thrilling fear associated with the initial films, yet in addition expands the world in a huge means. With manager Ridley Scott straight back within helm, the movie’s biggest power is simply exactly how great it seems. Scott catches an astounding beauty when you look at the alien globe, washing the viewers with an even of scale which haven’t already been seen before when you look at the show. But Prometheus can also be most likely the absolute most divisive film when you look at the whole team. An exceedingly complicated land and huge thematic objectives can alienate some followers through the style enjoyable that made initial two films so efficient. Prometheus is certainlyn’t everyone’s cup beverage, however if you are able to belly the galaxy-brained land and motifs, it is a great experience. Prometheus uses a group of explorers and boffins towards darkest elements of the world once they discover an idea to mankind’s beginnings. Leading the journey tend to be Shaw (Noomi Rapace) and Holloway (Logan Marshall-Green), two brilliant individuals who hold excessively various thinking toward the spiritual body weight of the trip. If the team gets to the remote moon, they discover responses they look for. Sadly, in addition they discover unimaginable scary. While Prometheus is wanting to-do lots using its thematic resonance, the film is without question efficient in producing a beautifully terrifying environment. It might take advantage of a lighter dosage of mythology, but Prometheus is a good hunting sci-fi scary movie which makes excellent using its twists and horror. 2. Aliens (1986) 20th Century Studios / twentieth Century Studios James Cameron does not have actually an enormous filmography, nevertheless guy yes does not miss. He’s many revered for films like Titanic and their two Avatar installments, but Aliens is without question one of his true most readily useful. One of the biggest sequels available, Aliens takes the team in a unique path in a highly skilled manner. Whereas the first Alien is much more of a claustrophobic scary film in room, Aliens is an all-out science-fiction war film. Cameron’s path causes a tense, action-packed excitement trip of a film, and Weaver’s overall performance as Ripley reasons the movie in an individual realism that offers a difficult body weight towards movie’s happenings. Released seven many years following the initial film, Aliens follows a deeply distraught Ripley as she comes back towards moon in which the lady team discovered the alien ship to start with. Ripley, who was simply drifting in room for 57 many years in cryo-sleep, is informed that moon has already been colonized by people for terraforming functions. Whenever communications tend to be lost using colony, Ripley agrees to come back towards web site with a unit of Colonial Marines to research. Whatever they encounter is a complete hive of a huge selection of Xenomorphs. Today, the group must capture and destroy their particular way-off associated with the infested moon. Aliens is teeming with design and surface; it is an ass-kicking activity film that never ever stops to within the ante from scene to scene. 1. Alien (1979) 20th Century Studios / twentieth Century Studios

exactly what else could top this record aside from the first Alien, among best classic sci-fi movies ever made. Ridley Scott’s 1979 masterpiece is a stunning, intense piece of science fiction horror. Featuring outstanding performances and personable characters, Alien turns a sci-fi odyssey into the nether regions of space into a horrifying, claustrophobic nightmare. Whereas the rest of the Alien movies aren’t afraid to create intense action set pieces and vast mythologies, Alien finds beauty with its general ease of use. The film uses the deep-space team associated with the commercial starship Nostromo. If the ship obtains a distress sign from an alien vessel, the team is awakened from their particular cryo-sleep capsules to research the beacon. Onboard the alien ship, they encounter a nightmare. An organism from inside an egg connects it self to 1 associated with the team and unwittingly herbs an alien embryo within themselves. If the alien comes into the world aboard, the team is obligated to endure from this as yet not known and extremely dangerous menace. Alien is masterfully crafted in most means; Scott skillfully transforms the Nostromo into a coffin of horrors. No Alien film is ever going to match the original’s absolute horror and standard of social value. it is terrifying, it is gory, it is intense, plus it’s wonderful. Alien isn't just the very best of the team, it is one of the better blockbusters available. Editors' tips #Alien #movies #ranked #Digital #styles

[thelastraigeki]

My Thoughts on Predator 5

It’s been a long time since I talked about anything in relation to the Predator franchise. To me, the franchise has been steadily going down hill with the release of Robert Rodriguez’s 2010 sequel PREDATORS and there didn’t seem to be going back after that movie whatsoever. Bad ideas had begotten more bad ideas in the expanded universe material with the idea that there were Predators who were bigger and badder than the original concept which Stan Winston came up with, that the idea of the original Yautja species was outdated and no longer iconic.

And for nearly eight years, I struggled to hold onto the franchise as a loyal fan. And then when 2018′s sequel, The Predator was released under the direction of Shane Black and written by Fred Dekker... I considered the franchise dead in the water, and that there was nothing short of saving it save for a full on reboot or a massive retcon which kept Predator, Predator 2, and both AVP films in continuity... But I knew I was never going to get that. A fan would have to be hopeful or deluded to think that would happen. Perhaps I was the former, perhaps I was the latter, perhaps I was both.

And then the Disney purchase happened. My greatest fear was finally realized, as the Mouse devoured another company in the film industry and now owned the intellectual rights to both the Alien and Predator franchise. I saw what they are doing to Star Wars, or rather what they were doing-- and I saw what they are doing to Marvel comics-- the MCU being a success but the comics not so much with Disney pandering to the Tumblr and Twitter crowd.

And with the Disney purchase I knew that they were going to do to Alien-Predator with what they did to Star Wars. And that was the erasure of the existing expanded universe material which was published by Dark Horse, the first stewards in creating what used to be a shared universe which was birthed in the comics. Marvel acquired the rights, and so far it doesn’t seem like as if they plan on continuing the continuity laid out by Dark Horse.

In hindsight, I consider this a blessing as I hope they NEVER touch the beloved characters of Dachande, Machiko Noguchi and many other characters that are so beloved by the fandom.

And then I had read that after the DISASTROUS performance and fandom reaction towards Shane Black’s The Predator, that a Predator 5 was going to be put into production. A part of me was hopeful in that this could be a full on retcon of Shane Black’s movie, and maybe Robert Rodriguez’s movie-- or a full on reboot of the franchise. But instead, what we were getting was a prequel to the 1987 John McTiernan movie...

So, this was a movie which... everyone wanted to see. It’s something that’s never really been explored, unless you count the first AVP: Alien vs Predator movie, but those were flashback segments in the film.

Then the details of the movie started coming out, and already it was just... stinking of Disney’s agenda. It would serve as a complete antithesis to what the original movie was-- which let’s face it, was a testosterone injected and masculine 1980s action movie with memorable one liners. The story for this upcoming movie was about a Native American young girl who decides to go up against the tribe patriarchy while also fighting against an enemy never before encountered on Earth.

Now, I am not saying that an action movie cannot have a female protagonist. The Alien films show this and they do it BEAUTIFULLY. But bare in mind, this was handled with care and focus on the story first from both Ridley Scott and James Cameron for the first two Alien films. This could most certainly be done for Predator if in the right hands...

But Disney is NOT what I would consider the right hands, especially considering what Disney has done to Star Wars with the sequel films-- which I now hearing, are about to be retconned out of continuity by the efforts of John Favreau and company much to the displeasure of Kathleen Kennedy.

But this movie just screams everything Anti-Predator. Many fans have even said that this is just Mulan but with a Predator in it. And I have to agree with them.

And then word got out that the Thomas Brothers were fighting for the acquisition of the franchise from the hands of Disney. I say good luck to the Thomas Brothers, especially since they are fighting to get the franchise which they have a major hand in creating from the clutches of Mickey Mouse, but we all know the Mouse has a crack team of lawyers who are going to do whatever they can for their company to keep the franchise.

And then the news gets worse, as now the word is that Predator 5, now titled as Skull, is going to be about the FIRST hunt on planet Earth-- the first visitation by the Predators in a pre-colonial era America. So when this was announced, this was an indicator that both the AVP films were going to be ejected out from the Predator canon, as they were ejected out from the Alien canon with the arrival of Prometheus.

This would mean for both the Alien and Predator franchises, that thirty years of storytelling, thirty years of character development, thirty years of developing the Predator culture, thirty years of a shared universe... Is now destroyed. It’s put on the chopping block, ready to be axed and when that happens... the past has been destroyed. Yes, that pun was intentional as it’s a reference to what Kylo Ren said in one of the Star Wars sequel movies.

And the upcoming movie is rumored to be released only on Hulu because of the legal disputes between the Thomas Brothers and Disney... It might not even get a theater release. And I hope it doesn’t.

To me, the golden era of Alien and Predator has long since passed with the 1990s when Alien vs. Predator was a big thing-- to where even children’s toys were produced by Kenner for it and a side-scrolling beat’em up by Capcom was released. I am quite happy with the 2004 and 2007′s AVP films-- regardless of what anyone else thought of them as I felt they were true to the original source material-- which was the comics and novels, as they spawned the idea of a shared universe.

2010 was where it ALL started falling apart... And now Disney owns it all.

The franchise is dead. Now it’s being desecrated for the greedy corporate shills who just don’t care about the lore and want to see nothing but dollar signs... Of course, Fox wasn’t doing any better with the franchise. It’s been dead since 2018.

I’m not going to see this movie. What made it special is going to be killed off a second time. And I hope it doesn’t release in theatres and that the Thomas Brothers get it back.

[reallivegeekgirl]

StanQuest

Something clicked on in my brain a couple months ago and suddenly Sebastian Stan became the hottest man alive. So I decided to watch everything he’s ever been in. A friend and I called it StanQuest.

Here are my spoiler-free reviews for anyone considering something similar (in inverse chronological order starting with latest works and going back in time. The stars are an overall rating of the work, not of Sebastian’s performance.

This only lists things I could find streaming for free or a price I was willing to pay. It does not count after credits scenes, music videos, or works in which he was uncredited.

The Falcon and the Winter Soldier (2021) - TV show - ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ - This started it all. I very much enjoyed it. Good balance of humor and action, heart and heroics. I’ve watched it four times already, and will watch it again. Bucky Barnes is my favorite character of his and this is my favorite story of Bucky's so far. I can’t wait to see what he does next. (And I have a lot to say about how they treat his trauma in this show. I’ve definitely written about it before and may again.)

Monday (2020) - Movie - ⭐⭐⭐ - This is the one where he gets naked. If that’s all you’re looking for, enjoy. It was a very realistic portrayal of a relationship between two deeply flawed people. It can get depressing. But hey, penis.

The Devil All the Time (2020) - Movie - ⭐⭐⭐⭐ - If you think Monday is depressing, this movie says “hold my beer”. But something about it is just captivating. It’s really disturbing, and if you’ve ever been screwed over by American Evangelical Christianity it might be more disturbing. Still, I’ve watched it twice. And as much of a bastard as Lee Bodecker is, he also looks really cuddly. He’s just barely in it.

The Last Full Measure (2019) - Movie - ⭐⭐⭐⭐ - You will cry. A lot. It’s based on a true story. Sebastian plays a man who cares more about his career than this weird quest dumped on his desk by his boss, but changes his mind and his heart as he investigates why a war hero was denied a medal of honor 34 years before. Definitely recommend.

Endings, Beginnings (2019) - Movie - ⭐⭐⭐⭐ - One of two love interests in the complicated life of Shailene Woodley’s Daphne, Sebastian is an adorable mess. The editing is interesting and fresh feeling. Watch it and you’ll see what I mean. Fair amount of sex in this movie, and you see his butt. It’s a very nice butt. I’ve watched this one a few times so far.

Avengers: Endgame (2019) - Movie - ⭐⭐ - There is no reason to watch this movie if you’re not familiar with at least most of the rest of the MCU. It plays merry hob with the rules of time travel, and only makes sense if you don’t really think about it. In my opinion, the ending is really freaking stupid comsidering his character’s history, but at least it sets up TFatWS, which was amazing.

We Have Always Lived in the Castle (2018) - Movie - ⭐ - If you’re into movies that are creepy but also almost nothing happens for most of the movie, this is the one for you. Sebastian is handsome as hell, but also a complete asshole. As fine as he is, I’m not gonna watch this again. I fucking hated it.

Destroyer (2018) - Movie - ⭐⭐- I had a hard time paying attention to the plot because it seemed like they made this movie just to get Nicole Kidman an Oscar nomination for wearing ugly makeup and playing a complete mess of a person. It’s a fine movie, and all of the performances are good. Sebastian looks surprisingly good with the short hair and goatee. Ultimately, the plot is depressing and the whole movie seems kind of pointless.

Avengers: Infinity War (2018) - Movie - ⭐⭐- Again, no reason to watch this if you aren’t already familiar with all the movies leading up to it. It’s long and the villain looks like Grimace and a California Raisin had an evil baby. The ending made me scream with frustration that I had to wait until the next one came out. Now I just watch them back-to-back if I watch them at all. It’s not a good movie, but it is part of a long-form story that I enjoy in general.

I’m Not Here (2017) - Movie - ⭐⭐- Another depressing one. Told over the course of one man’s terrible life, it’s a sad account of how much your parents can fuck you up. Sebastian portrays the middle part of the man’s life. J.K. Simmons plays the current day part and unreliable narrator.. Do not watch unless you are fully prepared to be sad for a really long time after.

I, Tonya (2017) - Movie - ⭐⭐⭐- This movie is hilarious. I mean, the true story is insane and really stupid. The spousal abuse is hard to watch, and Sebastian’s mustache in this is a war crime. But the acting is great and it’s a very engaging movie. The parts that aren’t horrifying are pretty funny.

Logan Lucky (2017) - Movie - ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ - Watch. This. Movie. Sebastian Stan is only in it a little, but it’s a really fun, clever caper/heist movie and everyone in it is fantastic. I don’t want to say anything else about it if you’re going in fresh. I’ll be rewatching this one a lot

Captain America: Civil War (2016) - Movie - ⭐⭐⭐⭐ - If you ignore how kind of silly the conflict over the Sokovia Accords is, this is a good Marvel movie. Sebastian gets a lot of screen time because Bucky is the more pressing concern/urgent point of contention than the Accords. Bucky is my favorite character of his partly because of this movie.

The Martian (2015) - Movie - ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ - I’m watching it(again) as I’m typing this. I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve watched it. Sebastian Stan isn’t in it very much, but he’s very cute and so is his little story arc. Mostly I watch it because Ridley Scott made a fantastic movie. If you can get your hands on the Blu-Ray, it comes with a ton of extras. They made a very complete story that isn’t all seen in the movie. A lot of it is stuff about Mars, but there are also extra “crew” interviews, so there’s another chance to see more of Sebastian’s character.

Ricki and the Flash (2015) - Movie - ⭐⭐⭐⭐ - He’s not in this very much, but he’s very cute when he does appear. It’s all about the relationship between Ricki and her daughter. Definitely rewatchable. Meryl Streep is fantastic, because she’s Meryl Streep.

The Bronze (2015) - Movie - ⭐ - This is not a good movie. It’s about Olympic gymnastics, so it might be slightly more interesting right now while the Olympics are happening. Sebastian isn’t in it a lot, but his performance is certainly… memorable. Weirdest sex scene I’ve ever seen. Worth watching just for that.

Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014) - Movie - ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ - This is the one I can watch over and over. I bought a Winter Soldier face mask for when I need to feel like a badass. Bucky’s story is really sad, but he’s also extremely sexy with the metal arm and determined walk.

Once Upon a Time (2012-2013) - TV Show - ⭐⭐⭐ - This show is so stupid, but it’s also fun. If you haven’t seen it, the premise is that fairy tale characters are real and live in another land. Snow White’s Evil Queen casts a spell to transport a bunch of them to a town she creates in Maine called Storybrooke, and gives them all fake memories so she can be mayor and watch them all not remember who they are. Sebastian plays Jefferson, a.k.a. The Mad Hatter. He’s in a few episodes in season 1 and 2, and doesn’t get a ton of screen time, but he’s really cute and tragic as Jefferson. It probably helps to watch the whole first season just to understand his episodes, but that’s up to your tolerance for weird shit. Note: IMDB says he’s in an episode uncredited, but I’ve watched it and didn’t see him anywhere in that one.

Labyrinth (2012) - TV Mini-Series - ⭐⭐⭐ - Two episodes that tell a complete story. Sebastian isn’t in this one a whole lot, but he is adorable. It’s a strange story about religious stuff and a sort of Holy Grail that’s three books. It’s hard to describe. It’s on Amazon Prime right now, but they’re taking it down August 8, 2021, so watch it while you can.

The Apparition (2012) - Movie - ⭐ - If you like horror movies, you might like this. I did not. From what I understand, it’s not a very good horror movie. Watch with caution and expect it to suck.

Political Animals (2012) - TV Mini-Series - ⭐⭐⭐⭐ - I had to buy this through Apple and watch it on a Mac, but it was worth it. Sebastian plays TJ Hammond, the out gay son of a former American president who is clearly based on Bill Clinton. Sigorney Weaver plays the former first lady and current secretary of state. TJ struggles with addiction and relationship problems. His performance is heart-wrenching. The whole show is pretty great. I wish there was more of it.

Gone (2012) - Movie - ⭐⭐⭐ - More of a psychological thriller than a horror movie. Sebastian has a small amount of screen time as the worried boyfriend. Amanda Seyfried is good. She carries the film well on her own.

Captain America: The First Avenger (2011) - Movie - ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ - If you haven’t seen this yet, I’d like to know what it’s like under your rock. This is a movie I can rewatch a lot, and have. I 100% cried in the theater. Sebastian looks fantastic in uniform as Bucky Barnes. This is his introduction and the start of his ultimately tragic story (before he’s saved by his best friend, again).

Black Swan (2010) - Movie - ⭐⭐⭐⭐ - Sebastian is barely in this. He’s basically just in one scene in a dance club. But I watched it to try to complete StanQuest, and I had seen it before. It’s a good movie, but might induce some nightmares, depending on what scares you. If Natalie Portman didn’t at least get a nomination for an award she was robbed.

Gossip Girl (2007-2010) - TV Show - ⭐⭐ - Carter Baizen is a little shit. The episodes with Sebastian in them might have made more sense if I watched the show from the beginning, but I didn’t want to. His character is an asshole, but a very cute one.

Hot Tub Time Machine (2010) - Movie - ⭐⭐⭐- The people who made this movie are bad at math, and their rules of time travel are sketchy at best, but it is funny and entertaining. Sebastian plays a ski patrol bro who’s paranoid about the Russians, which is hilarious irony to me. Worth watching if you want to laugh at something dumb.

Kings (2009) - TV Show - ⭐⭐⭐- Sebastian plays Jack Benjamin, the closeted gay son of the king of a fictional place. It’s loosely based on the David and Goliath story from the Bible. Sebastian is so sad and so gay. His family makes his life a living hell. Ian McShane is a force of nature in this. It’s only one season. I’ve watched it twice. I will watch it again.

Spread (2009) - Movie - no stars - This movie was practically unwatchable. It stars Ashton Kutcher and Anne Heche as a romantic couple, I guess? I ended up just skipping to Sebastian’s scenes and only watching those. Still painful.

The Covenant (2006) - Movie - ⭐⭐⭐ - This movie is so fuckig stupid, and I will watch it a ridiculous number of times. It’s about magic and teenagers, like The Craft for boys. Nothing about it makes sense. It’s terrible, almost irredeemable, but an evil Sebastian with magic powers is a siren song that will make me steer my boat right into the rocks.

And there you have it. There are a bunch of earlier things on IMDB that I just can’t find or don’t want to pay to rent. Maybe some day I’ll watch them and add them to this list.

[giorno-plays-piano]

Come play with me

Pairing: Bucky Barnes x Reader

Warnings: yandere, obsession, home invasion, allusion to stalking and non-con.

Words: 1987.

Summary: Having to deal with Bucky Barnes, a talented head engineer who you have to convince cooperating with your boss, you suddenly discover his psychopathic tendencies. Worse, he has taken an eerie interest in you.

_______________________

“Listen, dear, I know what he asks for seems like something very inappropriate, but, in fact, the guy just likes you and-”

“No, Mr. Simons, he doesn’t just like me.” You snapped, bringing the cellphone closer your face. “This madman asked me to be at his disposal any time he wants. Please, don’t try to convince me it’s okay because this is madness.”

“I know, I know, he sounds like a psycho, but he’s not. Mr. Barnes is just... difficult. He needs to work on his communicational skills, he admitted it himself during our meeting today.” Your boss - or rather your ex-boss - was almost pleading you to listen to him, but you had enough of this nonsense. Nothing could change your mind after yesterday’s humiliating encounter with James Buchanan Barnes, the head engineer of HYDRA Corp.

“Sir, I have already submitted the resignation form. I perfectly understand the position you are in, but I’m not going to become a toy of this psychopatic man-child.” You answered firmly, looking at your lovely blue clock on the wall and knowing it was too late for any work calls. “Goodbye, Mr. Simons. Have a nice evening.”

Before he tried saying anything else to make you change your decision, you had turned your phone off and put it on your desk, sighing. You could never imagined one day you would face a situation like that.

Yes, when your boss got a promotion, you were truly happy for him. It also meant that you, his secretary, would now get a different type of tasks since you worked more like his personal assistant rather than someone who simply answered the phone calls and built his schedule. A raise was also quite nice. What you didn’t expect was having issues with Bucky, the genius the whole corporation knew about. He was that very same man HYDRA owed its success to as his innovative approach made the company widely known in the whole world for its - his - active protection systems. Barnes was now working on the brand new weapon system control, but he had never submitted sufficient reports, and, apparently, the previous executive left exactly because of Bucky and his wild temperament.

Despite the fact that he was a legendary figure, you had never met him or dealt with him directly. And since now Barnes became your boss’ pain, he became yours, too.

First, it was impossible to set a meeting with him directly. Mr. Simons wanted to take care of this issue himself and emailed Bucky multiple times, but always got the same dry answer that Barnes is too busy. Of course, he never answered any calls - until it was you calling him. Oddly, he was eager to talk to you. It took you just two calls to organize an online meeting for your boss, and, finally, yesterday you got to see the mysterious genius with your own eyes.

He was nothing like you expected. He wasn’t some skinny geek wearing glasses on his long nose, but a beefy man, his shoulders twice wider than your boss’. Barnes had dirty disheveled hair and a three-days beard, but, aside from that, he looked more like a star athlete rather than a nerdy engineer. He dressed in a pretty weird fashion, wearing tight t-shirts, leather pants, chains and heavy studded boots, but criticizing his style wasn’t a part of your job. You needed the reports he refused to submit and get him to attend the meetings.

Of course, he blamed everything on too many bureaucratic procedures and lack of time for anything but his new project. Even while speaking to the two of you he was pacing back and force in his laboratory, fetching this and that, fiddling with something that looked like a futuristic gun from one of Scott Ridley’s movies, his table full of screws and nails, markers, dirty papers, and metal parts of something you couldn’t recognize. Now you could see the true technological genius everyone was talking about.

However, you weren’t satisfied with the lack of information he was willing to give about his project. Barnes had a ridiculous amount of privileges, able to order whatever supplies he needed without anyone’s approval and working in a total secrecy, but HYDRA’s board of directors was growing tired of his reticence and temper tantrums Barnes was throwing every time someone tried to uncover his secrets. The career of your boss was at stake, and you needed Bucky to cooperate. You doubted the company would be willing to get rid of its most valuable employee, but the board of directors could easily limit his access to many of his beloved projects and make his life much more difficult.

Discussing the endless possibilities of what could happen if Barnes still refused to cooperate, you realized he wasn’t worried even the slightest bit. But he agreed to submit the reports if 1) he would get the team of engineers he picked by himself to help him with his project, regardless of whether they are involved with other things 2) he would get you “at his disposal any time he wanted”. Of course, at first you thought it was some kind of weird joke. Who in a right state of mind would ask for anything like this? You tried to laugh it off along with your boss, who was as shocked as you.

Then you figured out Barnes was dead serious. He wanted you.

Of course, you weren’t having it. Maybe your boss career was at stake, but it was his business, not yours. If the only thing he could offer you was being Barnes’ toy for the sake of the corporation, you would prefer to leave your place and find a position somewhere else.

How could he even suggest submitting to that psycho? Who did he think you were? A doll? A disposable Barbie or something? Even thinking of that was making you furious.

Sighing, you dropped your phone on the table and went to the kitchen to have a glass of wine. Despite the fact that you had already submitted the resignation form, you still needed to keep working before Mr. Simons would find a new secretary. It meant you would hear him pleading you to stay every day, and it wasn’t going to be nice. This damn Barnes made your life insufferable with just a couple of sentences.

Of course, you weren’t going to keep calling Bucky or trying to talk to some sense into him. Fuck that. Barnes was totally mad, and you weren’t having more of his bullshit.

Suddenly, the lights went out, and you stilled, growing in frustration. What the hell? You had to carefully put an empty glass back on the counter and move to your room again to take the phone. Glancing out of the window, you saw that it was just your apartment while others had light in them. Oh, perfect.

“Why do I pay for all this new technology that never works?” You growled in frustration, rooting around to find your phone.

“That’s a good question. To be honest, I wouldn’t.”

You froze. Somebody was in your room. Turning around quickly, you had finally found your phone and touched the screen - the subtle blue glowing lit Barnes’ gloomy face, and for a few seconds he narrowed his eyes as your phone blinded him.

Fuck.

“What are you doing here?” You whispered in terror, stepping away from him and visibly shaking. God, how did he get through the security system? You had just installed a pretty expensive one, made by...

By HYDRA Corp.

“You see, your security system has so many drawbacks I hacked it even without a proper preparation. You have to consider switching to something more solid.” He said calmly as he made a step towards you. In the darkness of the room he looked even more intimidating with his long dark hair hanging on his eyes, his huge figure looming over you as you ended up being pressed to the wall. “You know, since you were so enthusiastic in the beginning, I expected you to act... more professional.”

You didn’t know what to say. You were trapped between the wall and Barnes’ body as you stared into his face, terrified to the core. What was he doing here? Did he break into your home just because you refused him? Was he damn insane?

Oh yes. Yes, Barnes was.

“You know, we can have so much fun together if you just leave your pathetic boss and come play with me.” He tilted his head to the side, letting his disheveled hair fall on his broad shoulder and taking away the phone from your hand. “You’re a smart girl, aren’t you? I know how much you’re doing while Simons pretends it’s all him. Aren’t you tired of it?”

Well, it was true. Your boss had finally offered you a promotion after you would take care of Barnes issue, so you didn’t complain, waiting for your chance. It was all over now.

“And what do you suggest?” You asked, knowing you needed to somehow get away from this psycho and run to the door.

“Take care of me instead of him.”

You clenched your teeth as Barnes got closer, almost touching the tip of your nose with his, his icy blue eyes fixated on you. You felt the strong smell of cigarettes coming from him and winced from this unwanted intimacy. Barnes was too close to let you get away.

“What do you mean? I don’t think you need a secretary.” You played innocent, not looking him into eyes and staring at something on your right. Now your eyes almost adjusted to the darkness surrounding you.

“I can get you a better position, baby. A project manager, huh? You will ensure me and my team do things right.” His hot breath was burning your skin as Bucky nuzzled against your cheek, making you squirm. “You’ll be the one overseeing the development of a new system, and I get to have you close all the time. Besides, your paycheck gonna be way bigger. Isn’t it nice?”

“I don’t think I have sufficient skills for this job.” You mumbled meekly, squeezing your eyes shut when he put his hand on your shoulder gently. “The Corporation won’t allow me to take this position.”

There was a smug grin on his face. “Oh dear, you’re perfect for the job, I know it. And don’t you worry about the Board of Directors, I can be quite... persuasive.” As he smiled at you, you were ready to cry in front of him, so frightened and almost hysterical.

“What do you want from me, Barnes?” You pleaded in distress, tired and scared of the game he was playing with you.

He took your arm in his and made you move to the bed, forcing you to sit down while he hovered over you, brushing his long hair out of his face and tucking one of his locks behind the ear. Then Barnes cupped your chin with his hand, making you look directly at him.

“Come play with me, baby.” He cooed gently at you, wiping away a tear running down your cheek. “I want you close. Come to me. Talk to me. Have fun with me. I’m not asking much, am I?”

“We’ve only met yesterday. Why-”

You heard him chuckling and got silent immediately. You didn’t like that creepy smile on his face. Why did he look like you were wrong? You knew for sure you didn’t meet him before - who could possibly forget someone like Bucky Barnes - but his smile was telling you that he knew you from somewhere before your yesterday’s encounter. Where else could he meet you? You had no idea.

“It’s alright, dear. You’ll have enough time to know me better.” Barnes whispered, rubbing your chin with his thumb and closing the distance between the two of you. “We’re gonna have lots of fun together.”

______________

Tags: @finleyjayne​ @alexakeyloveloki​   ​@helenaeisenhower​ @villanellevi​ @hurricanerin​ ​@void-hoechlin​ @abyssaint​ @heeeyitskay​ @chris-evans-indian-fanfic​ @navegandoaciegas​ @rosalynshields​ @brattycherubwrites​ @sllooney​ @angrythingstarlight​ @iheartsebastianstan​ @soleil-dor​ @iheartsebastianstan​

[ms-demeanor]

You're right, George is more than his abs, but why would he need to be nearly naked the entire movie though? "some characters briefly objectify George but the *film* does not treat George as an object." Ok, but why THIS distinction never made when talking about the male gaze? What I mean is, how is objectifying George any less sexist than Megan Fox's character in Transformers? They both have character beyond looks and both subvert gender tropes.

Why would he need to be nearly naked the entire movie though?

It is obtuse of you to pretend that George of the Jungle is not clearly a children’s comedy interpretation of Tarzan. That’s it. That’s the joke. Me Tarzan, You Jane. Me Handsome Strong Jungle Man, You Smart City Lady. When George makes it to the city he looks pretty darn good in Armani and happily wears a dress because it’s comfortable. When he’s in the jungle he’s dressed like Tarzan because this movie is based on a cartoon that is a children’s comedy interpretation of Tarzan.

It’s not like there’s a rash of criticism of Blue Crush for featuring women in swimsuits or Bring it On for putting girls in short skirts because in the context of the films swimsuits and short skirts are relevant and appropriate. There HAS, however, been a lot of mockery and some serious criticism of Marvel for putting Chris Evans in uncomfortably tight clothing with no purpose other than showcasing his body. “Steve Rogers can’t buy clothes that fit and all of his shirts are too tight” is actually a major fanfic trope because of that.

"some characters briefly objectify George but the *film* does not treat George as an object." Ok, but why THIS distinction never made when talking about the male gaze?

It is. Constantly. It’s the second sentence of the Wikipedia entry on “Male Gaze.” That’s a constant feature of academic media criticism. Here, have a video about how the framing and direction of Michael Bay in Transformers objectifies Megan Fox in a way that the film’s script does not:

undefined

That’s a whole video about that distinction.

Fox’s character in the first Transformers film was written as a hypercompetent, intelligent, complex woman. People remember the character as tits and ass because that’s what the camera reduced her to. 

Think about Ellen Ripley.

Did you think about her in a Powerloader? Did you think about her holding a flame thrower? Did you think about her in her jumpsuit calmly trying to enforce quarantine and protect the entire ship?

You probably, on reading the name “Ellen Ripley” did not think about her like this:

[Image description: Ellen Ripley wearing revealing underwear in front of a bunch of computer consoles and pipes; if you look very closely it is possible to see that the pipe behind her is not a pipe but is actually the alien Xenomorph curled up and camouflaged by the console]

The underwear scene stands out in Alien. It’s unusual, given the way that Ripley has been framed in the rest of the film. In the underwear scene Ridley Scott uses the framing of Ellen Ripley as a sexual object to 1) distract the viewer from seeing the xenomorph that is right behind her and 2) increase the character’s vulnerability to ratchet up tension in the film’s climactic scene.

This is an example of the director taking advantage of cinematic language to use the audience’s gaze against them and it is very well done.

That is very different than the way that Fox’s character (Michaela? I think? Someone who is so objectified that it is difficult to remember her name in spite of the fact that “Sam Witwicky” is almost obnoxiously hard to forget) is sexualized and objectified in Transformers.

But even Bay makes use of this! WHILE he is busy objectifying Fox as a director we also see the way her character is the subject of Sam’s gaze and the audience is STILL set up to be sympathetic to Sam because we’ve seen Michaela’s boyfriend objectifying her in a much more overt way than Sam does.

What I mean is, how is objectifying George any less sexist than Megan Fox's character in Transformers? They both have character beyond looks and both subvert gender tropes.

I mean, aside from the fact that I’ve already made the distinction that while some characters in GotJ objectify George the FILM does not, you know that just saying “This person is really hot!” isn’t itself objectifying, right? Michaela is a sexy prize that Sam is trying to win throughout the first Transformers film, George is a person who Ursula meets and takes on an adventure to the city and she gets to know and appreciate him as a *person* beyond his novelty as a “find” on her jungle excursion.

If Ursula spent the entire film attempting to seduce George by being sexy and ignored his wants and needs because he was just a dumb jungle man then yeah, it would be ALMOST as sexist as Bay is against his male characters. (Transformers goes hard as fuck at reinforcing “appropriate” gender roles and punishing characters who don’t live up to them and it is arguably more interested in gender policing its male characters than its female characters)

But you are asking me “isn’t this movie that you have repeatedly praised for modeling healthy masculinity sexist against men” and no? It’s not?

The fact that someone is naked and attractive is not in and of itself sexist.  A major, major part of the plot of GotJ is people (and the audience!) seeing that George is more than the silly beefcake they initially mistook him for and I think you’re missing the fact that most films that feminists criticize as sexist have female characters who are naked and attractive and have very few memorable traits beyond being naked and attractive and fawning over the protagonist.

Who here remembered that Michaela’s dad was a felon and that she has a record for refusing to testify against him? You probably remembered that she’s good at cars because Transformers is a movie about cars and there are at least two scenes where people expect Michaela to be bad at cars and she isn’t. So. Okay. Michaela is good at cars. DOES THIS EVER HAVE ANY IMPACT ON THE PLOT? She hotwires a truck in the climactic fight scene and it is window dressing as the background for Sam to make his heroic sacrifice. If you replace Michaela with a sexy lamp is the film any different? It wouldn’t stop Sam from being the target of the Decepticons, wouldn’t change the fact that Sam gets Bumblebee, wouldn’t change the conflict with the government, and wouldn’t change anything in the final battle. Michaela exists to be a sexy lamp for Sam to kiss after he’s won the movie.

If you make George a sexy lamp you don’t have a movie. Now! Obviously Michaela is not the protagonist of Transformers and George IS the protagonist of the movie made about him so it’s not a one to one comparison, but “could you edit this character out without it having a significant impact on the plot of the film” is a pretty decent test as to whether the film treats the character as a Person or as a Decoration.

Michaela is good at cars. She exits the Transformers series by getting cheated on after spending a movie trying to trap Sam into proposing. This is not the gender subversion that you’re claiming it is.

Michaela deserved a better movie than Transformers and Megan Fox deserved better than working with Michael Bay.

[ratingtheframe]

Enola Holmes, The Devil All the Time and i’m thinking of ending things: Everything I watched in September.

Thank God we are almost at the end of the year. With October just around the corner and 2021 in full view, it seems like the film industry is slowly piecing themselves back together after months of being on a complete hiatus. Cinemas are slowly starting to return back to normal and streaming services are now full to capacity with content.

Netflix in particular has some exciting things to come and the successful release of Harry Bradbeer’s Enola Holmes and Antonio Campos’ The Devil All the Time, has proven that their ability to produce outstanding content hasn’t been stunted at all by COVID-19. Here are the 31 titles I watched this month and for you to add to your watch list. 

Searching (2018) as seen on Netflix

Searching recently came onto Netflix, however the film was actually first released in 2018, screening at Sundance Film Festival. It had a very impressive response and grossed $75 million worldwide and with a budget of only $880,000 it was certainly a success. I rate this film highly, due to the simplicity and execution of it, with a lot of twists and turns in appropriate places. Structurally, the film is flawless and it’s clear a lot of thought had gone into the payoff of the entirety of the film. Certainly an indie filmmaker's dream and a film to watch to learn about the “less is more” rule of screenwriting.

Score: 10/10

Zodiac (2007) as seen on Netflix

I’ve been avoiding Zodiac on Netflix for a loooong time, and after watching it I wonder why I didn’t check it out sooner. David Fincher’s (Fight Club, Panic Room, the Social Network) thriller based on the case files of the “Zodiac Killer” stars the likes of Mark Ruffalo, Robert Downey Junior and Jake Gyllenhaal, all of which had amazing on screen chemistry. The dialogue and structure is Aaron Sorkin-esque as you figuratively become one the detectives, unravelling the case as the two and a half hour film delves deeper and deeper. You honestly feel as if you become one of the team whilst watching Zodiac and just for that, it goes down as a praise worthy film with a perfect structure and surprising twist to the end. Zodiac is the thriller of thrillers.

Score: 11/10

I See You (2019) as seen on Netflix

Now a film like I see you has me questioning

Netflix’s

choices a little. The film scores handsomely on

Rotten Tomatoes

, with a metric score of

78%,

which is quite high for a largely gimmicky film. I can’t quite fault the overall concept, however the story itself fell flat by the end. Things just seemed to mount too much to the point that it became overtly inauthentic and questionable. Instead of paying attention to the movie, I found myself picking up all the irregularities such as why a police man would suffocate someone, drive them to their own home and then shoot them in the head. Surely a policeman would just leave her in the woods? On a brighter note,

Judah Lewis’ (Babysitter: Killer Queen)

was quite praiseworthy in his performance, but it wasn’t enough to drag the film out of a hole of confusion.

Score: 2/10

Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (1998) as seen on Netflix

If there is one film that you NEED to watch from this list, it would be Terry Gilliam’s Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas. The crackhead energy in this film is OFF THE CHARTS as Johnny Depp and Benecio Del Toro play two drug addicts exploring Las Vegas. The production design in this is marvellous and really captures the psychedelic world the two men enter every time they’re high. I particularly enjoyed Depp’s narration throughout this; his voice is the most sensual yet hilarious thing to listen to for 2 hours straight. Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas is HILARIOUS and such a well rounded, off the wall film to watch.

Score: 12/10

I’m thinking of ending things (2020) as seen on Netflix 

Even though I watched i’m thinking of ending things nearly a month ago, I’m still recovering from it. Charlie Kaufman (Adaptation, Being John Malkovich) directs this satisfying yet highly confusing tale based on the Iain Reid book with the same title. Despite it’s perplexing plot, I certainly can’t fault the film’s performances or set design. Jesse Plemons, Jess Buckley, Toni Colette and David Thwelis made a surprisingly good ensemble and the makeup in this film is probably the best I have ever seen. HOWEVER and this is a big however, the waywardness of the story can’t override the success of artistry behind the film. I feel like there’s becoming a trend where films are visually perfect but make zero sense. By sense I mean a clear, concise story, that has character journeys and some sort of resolution at the end, no matter how big or small. I’m thinking of ending things that had just about NONE of these elements, and that doesn’t make it a bad film at all. It’s certainly not a film I’ve seen before and perhaps it raises the questions whether films need to make complete sense in order for them to be good. We can take a look at experimental cinema to delve deeper into that theory, for within this type of cinema, films can still be appreciated even when they are confusing. Perhaps the meaning of i’m thinking of ending things, is more powerful and higher than the average movie goer can understand, but still appreciate.

score: 9/10

Hacksaw Ridge (2016) as seen on Amazon Prime

Again, another film I’ve been avoiding for a loooong time and regret not watching sooner. The film stars Andrew Garfield as a devoted Christian who goes to war to serve his country, but refuses to carry a weapon yet lives to tell the tale. Preacher Desmond T. Doss saved the lives of between 50-100 men on Hacksaw Ridge during the Second World War. He was heavily commended for his service and the film itself earnt 6 Academy Award nominations. It’s a story that was born to be on screen and it’s hard to believe it was all true. Andrew Garfield’s performance was exemplary and he is definitely underrated as a truthful actor.

Score: 10/10

Fear (1996) as seen on Netflix 

I am sucker for a thriller, good OR bad and this one from 1996 was surprisingly decent. Starring Mark Wahlberg and Reese Witherspoon in their early days, Fear follows a pair of young lovers whose strong relationship turns into a possessive one, when Witherspoon’s character, Nicole learns the true intentions of her boyfriend. It's a 90s teen flick that isn’t talked about enough and certainly an easy one to get sucked into as a guilty pleasure.

Score: 10/10

Make Up (2019) as seen at the BFI Southbank 

Make Up first screened at the London Film Festival last year and was later released this year. I wanted to catch it at the festival and was glad it made it into cinemas. The eeriness of the british film directed by Claire Oakley, was a slow burnt, intriguing watch, however as artistically visual it was, a satisfying resolution to the film was missed. The payoff of the story was easy to define despite it’s ambiguity, however it wasn’t as hard hitting as it should’ve been, which is common in most indie features. The better ones expose ideas and truths in a punchy way, such as La Haine or Whiplash. The film’s genre was also undefinebale and although the story was interesting, I wouldn't be inclined to come back for more of it. 

Score: 7/10

Zoolander (2001) as seen on Netflix

I’m not a huge comedy fan, however it’s about time I watched Zoolander, for it’s probably one of the most iconic films of the early 2000s. The film follows a model targeted by a fashion brand who wants him to kill the prime minister of Malaysia. Anyone who was anyone in the 00s is in this film, from Naomi Campbell to Lil’ Kim, Paris Hilton, Donald Trump, Lenny Kravitz, Natalie Porter and even David Bowie. How they managed to get these famous faces as well as the actual cast (Owen Wilson, Ben Stiller and Will Ferrell) onto this film is certainly a mastery at casting. As far as comedies go, Zoolander is iconic and a must watch for those who are thoroughly in love with these types of outlandish films. 

Score: 8/10

American Pie (2001) as seen on Netflix 

This is the my first time seeing American Pie and for someone who hates comedies, it thoroughly made me laugh. I definitely had to look past at the amount of misogyny and questionable scenes in this film and just sit back and enjoy it all. I felt that all four leads (Jason Briggs, Thomas Ian Nicholas, Chris Klein and Eddie Kaye Thomas) were well casted as an ensemble and were really down to earth in their performances. They were authentic in being high school boys still figuring themselves out and in the end I found each one to be highly likeable. As a comedy, this is definitely a go to and an iconic film from the early 2000s. 

Score: 9/10

Clemency (2019) as seen on Amazon Prime 

A Sundance Film Festival graduate, Clemency was a deeply moving and well shot film that exposed the shocking reality of prison inmates on death row in the US. The word clemency is essentially a term used to define an act of mercy by the justice system, who at the last minute of a prison’s life can grant “clemency” if they feel worthy of doing so, stopping them from being executed. Factors such as new evidence or a parole grant can influence this decision and this film shows the abrasiveness of such an idea. Imagine being a prisoner moments away from death and because of Clemency, you sit there thinking your life can still be saved. But as this film depicts, this isn’t always the case and the masterful acting of Alfre Woodard puts this grief into context beautifully. Her performance ignited this film and it was easy to see this story got to her on a deeper level, that went beyond serving a character. A seriously good film that is professional, dynamic and heart wrenching.

Score: 10/10

Gladiator (2000) as seen on Netflix

I never saw myself as someone who would like Gladiator, however Ridley Scott’s Oscar winning film thoroughly surprised me in an unexpected way. Moving past the amazing visuals and outstanding production value of this film, the actual story itself was just so damn good. It had an excellent, Hollywood worthy structure that saw a hefty and clear journey of it’s lead, Maximus (Russell Crowe). I was VERY surprised to see Joaquin Phoenix play alongside Russell Crowe, who gave a great performance as a bratty roman emperor. Gladiator was nominated for 12 Academy Awards in 2001, which is unsurprising seeing as it's a pretty much flawless film, with the character’s fierce journey being the main contributor to this. 

Score: 11/10

American Pie 2 (2001) as seen on Netflix 

Now sequels are known to be the downfall of some films, especially as the first films were okay on their own. However, I definitely enjoyed American Pie 2 as much as I enjoyed the first. The performances of all characters seemed to get better with time and it still remained outlandish and hilarious to watch. 

Score: 9/10

3096 days (2013) as seen on Netflix

When you laugh more at a film than you should have, there’s something clearly wrong. This Netflix film based on the true story of the kidnapped Natascha Kampusch was directed by German-American director Sherry Hormann. This is gonna sound whack, but one of the most annoying things about this film was the lighting. It felt as if it was never truly dark in this film and because of that, it distracted from the fear of the situation young Natascha was in. Lighting plays an important role in thrillers and horror films, as the idea of these films is to keep people constantly on edge and the dark is something that does that perfectly. I felt safe when watching this film and although it’s meant to be a biopic, I don’t think it captured Natascha’s situation as best as it could have. Another thing that really let the film down was the dubbing from German to English. This is a pet peeve I have with films, but is understandable seeing as the majority of people are too lazy to follow foreign language subtitles and miss out on some of the best films ever made. Because of this, it forces foreign language films to cater towards an English speaking market so the film becomes more viable. I would’ve respected this film a lot more if it was completely in German and had English subtitles.

Score: 5/10

Cruel Intentions (1999) as seen on Netflix

About a year ago, I saw the Glenn Close and John Malkovich film version of the french novel Dangerous Liaisons and I fell asleep. Maybe it was the film I had seen before it that had made me nod off or the fact I couldn’t understand what the hell was going on. However, Cruel Intentions follows the same story with younger leads; Sarah Michelle Geller, Ryan Phillipe and Reese Witherspoon and is set in the modern day. As you can probably tell by now, I am a sucker for a 90s teen movie and Cruel Intentions was all that and more, for the performances and story structure in this film were top notch. Ryan Phillipe is a much underrated actor and heartthrob, playing a jealous and callous Sebastian, the step brother of Sarah Michelle Geller’s character, Kathryn. Both of them were spiteful, abrasive and mean and I LOVED IT. Their non-fuckery was enviable as they cheat and turn the lives of others upside down. Reese Witherspoon was an angel in this film, and I thoroughly appreciated the strength of her character throughout. Cruel Intentions sits highly as a film from the 90s and boasts a hoard of young talent from that era.

Score: 10/10

Wildlife (2018) as seen on Netflix

If you are in love with Paul Dano as much as I am, you’re gonna want to marry him after you find out that he’s also a director. His first feature Wildlife, stars Jake Gyllenhaal and Carey Mulligan as a couple battling the demons in their relationship whilst caring for their young son. I really really REALLY can’t wait to see what Paul Dano directs in the future based off this film. It’s everything I love about a good indie film; well shot, a perfect cast and a touching story. It truly is a beautiful film and one I would recommend to my indie lovers out there.

Score: 10/10

The Perks of Being A Wallflower (2012) as seen on Netflix

My excuse for not having seen The Perks of Being A Wallflower is that I thought it would be yet another predictable high school blunder, with flat dialogue and basic character arcs. And I was half right in that. The first half of the film (mostly exposition) was filled with cringey dialogue and basic high school motifs that set up the film. Some moments were overtly far fetched and it took me a while to fall in love with the main character instead of feeling desperately sorry for him ALL THE TIME. Ezra Miller, Emma Watson and Logan Lerman all together as an ensemble was whack casting that just about worked. However, once we made it through the blizzard of exposition and got to the heart of the story, it truly was a touching and tear jerking movie to watch and for that, it scores highly. “We accept the love we think we deserve” was the ringing message of the film and certainly something I carry around with me daily as I reflect on the unfulling crushes I’ve had in the past.

Score: 9/10

The Devil All the Time (2020) as seen on Netflix

Probably my most favourite film on this list, The Devil All the Time is pure ART. I have a full review uploaded onto my tumblr account so please do check it out to see an in depth review of the Netflix film. All I will say is that it is a must watch film with an unreal cast and story.

https://ratingtheframe.tumblr.com/post/629443058079055872/the-south-of-america-meets-gritty-gothic-horror

Score: 11/10

Way of the Gun (2000) as seen on Amazon Prime 

Ryan Phillipe and Benicio del Toro star side by side in this action packed crime thriller about two guys who kidnap the wrong woman. Simple in it’s log line with the potentiality to be limitless in its telling; ie the basis of every good film. Juliette Lewis (the it girl of the 90s) also stars in the film and really compliments the performances of both leads. Any film that Juliette Lewis is in, is a good film and she is an actor with a very impressive portfolio of work under her belt.

Score: 9/10

Judy and Punch (2019) as seen on Netflix

I’ve been waiting since the end of last year to see Judy and Punch and was thrilled to see it had been put onto Netflix. However, after watching it, that thrill deteriorated and what was left was a disheartened feeling towards this film. It’s a shame to say this, seeing as the story of Judy and Punch is so satiable and fulfilled in its possibilities of telling it. However, probably the biggest problem within this film was its pace; it was too quick of a film. The beginning was organic and smooth, but as it went on it started to become continuously rushed. There were characters I didn’t have time to get to know and actually didn’t even end up knowing their names. There’s a point in the film when Judy is welcomed into an isolated society outside of her home, most of which in that society were women. I would’ve liked to get to know them better and see how they influence Judy’s character and revenge on her husband. The film felt very rushed, which is a shame because everything else; acting, production and story were well aligned.

Score: 6/10

22nd July (2018) as seen on Netflix

I remember the 22nd July 2011 as clear as day but for all the wrong reasons. On this day, 77 people in Norway were killed by a terror attack caused by a right wing, anti-immigrant supporter, Andres Brevik, who was a member of a radical organisation and spent nine years preparing his attack on Oslo and Utøya Island. The most shocking part of this massacre was what happened on Utøya Island, which was the main body of Netflix’s film 22nd July. Viljar Hanssen was a teenager attending a political youth camp on Utøya Island in the summer of 2011. Whilst on the island with his younger brother, a bomb went off in the centre of Oslo, outside a government building, killing 8 people. By the time news of the attack got to Utøya Island, its perpetrator had also arrived, and begun gunning down the kids on the island. 69 people were killed, most of which were under 18. Viljar Hanssen was shot five times, in the head, arm, legs and hand. The attack lost him an eye, several fingers and bullet fragments still remain in his brain. He also lost close friends and the ability to perform in many activities he used to do growing up. His ordeal and that of many on the island, is captured in 22nd July, that from beginning to end, approaches this story with sensitivity and facts. Out of the many events I have heard of that include a massacre of some kind, this attack always sticks out in my mind. The perpetrator was truly merciless in his rage against immigrants coming into Norway and he made sure to express that hatred in such a shocking and profound way. The entire story is one that is so hard to believe and is important in preventing future attacks of this kind.

Score: 11/10

Les Misérables (2019) as seen at Curzon Bloomsbury

Les Misérables was nominated for Best Foreign Language film this year at the Oscars and despite it being thrilling and highly well made, I felt quite disappointed by it. The film was accurate in exposing the many communities now prevalent in France today and it was definitely one of those gritty, Cannes worthy films to sink your teeth into. It's not a bad film at all, it's just one I found hard to relate to and therefore I switched off whilst watching it. In fact, I think Portrait of a Lady on Fire was a better contender as Best Foreign Language film at the Oscars and I was left fuming when I found out it hadn’t been nominated in that category. Les Misérables is a film I’d recommend but found it hard to love it overall.

Score: 9/10

A Cure for Wellness (2016) as seen on Netflix

The logline for Shutter Island (2010) is as follows: Teddy Daniels and Chuck Aule, two US marshals, are sent to an asylum on a remote island in order to investigate the disappearance of a patient, where Teddy uncovers a shocking truth about the place. 

And the logline for A Cure for Wellness is as follows: Lockhart, an executive, is sent to a wellness spa in the Swiss Alps to retrieve his company's CEO. At the centre, he encounters strange activities that make him investigate the illness of the people.

Notice anything? They are literally the same film and it's not just the loglines that share an alikeness. On watching A Cure for Wellness, I noticed how similar it was to Shutter Island, from the location, to the colour grading, costumes and even lighting. Both films are almost identical and I pretty much hate both films anyway. I’ll admit, A Cure for Wellness has a better story and tells it better as well, but if it's just a rip off from Shutter Island, is it all that good? I appreciated the production value of this film yet it was hard to tear it away from Shutter Island’s own production. Overall, I found it quiet gimmicky and too close to Shutter Island for it to have much originality.

Score: 6/10

U want me 2 kill him? (2013) as seen on Netflix 

The only thing that let this film down was the acting. There’s something about solely British productions that rub me the wrong way. Admittedly, their structure is always good and the story is well put together, however the artistic side of these films lacks in parts, from acting to set design. U want me 2 kill him? Is based on a true story which really alleviated the film. I thoroughly enjoyed delving into this story and it was an interesting, engaging plot. However, its production value and acting is what let it down.

Score: 7/10

After (2019) as seen on Netflix

So in short, this wasn’t a good film. The twist was satisfying, however the rest of it was just plain annoying. Any film that uses reality tv type music in its montages pisses me off. It's just such a cringey way of showing emotion on screen and I’d much rather they use music with no lyrics or music that actually conveys the emotion of the scene. The relationship between the leads, Hardin and Tessa (Hero Fiennes-Tiffin and Josephine Langford) was very predictable and the conflict between the two only made up like 5% of the film; 2.5% at the beginning and a further 2.5% at the end. For the rest of the 95% of the film, they were pretty much happy throughout, meaning the story had nowhere to go, besides the fact that Tessa’s mom disapproves of Hardin. But besides that and a shocking revelation..that was about it. No one died, no one was really hurt. Hardin was made out to be more troubled than he actually was (his dad is chancellor of a college for fuck’s sake) and I found myself laughing when I shouldn’t be. As for After We Collided, I can’t wait to tear it apart this month.

Score: 4/10

Miss Juneteenth (2020) as seen at BFI Southbank

Miss Juneteenth is the underdog movie of the month for me. You can read a full, in depth review of it right here:

https://ratingtheframe.tumblr.com/post/630357041253400576/she-my-dream-now-miss-juneteenth-review

Score: 11/10

Monsoon (2020) as seen at BFI Southbank 

Why this film was praised by critics is unknown to me. The number one thing that this film did wrong was not showing ANY conflict on screen whatsoever, the characters merily TALKED about conflict. Conflict and actions based on those conflicts is what moves a story forward, and this film was certainly static. The story follows a man (Henry Golding) and his return to Vietnam as he learns about the war and the life he left behind. But the film shows no war, no deprivation or heartache that many vietnamese people had to go through. It's just filled with empty shots of Vietnam and Henry Golding looking out at the city. Why not just make a documentary about The Vietnam War with Henry Golding presenting it, as that is what this film was virtually. You can’t get away with nice looking shots to produce a praise worthy feature. Maybe I’m getting the wrong jist of the film, but in terms of its telling, I didn’t feel anything at all whilst watching it and if I didn’t feel anything, I wasn’t thinking about anything because it was so mundane.

Score: 5/10

The Riot Club (2014) as seen on Amazon Prime 

I’ve had a strong soft spot for Sam Claflin since he played Finnick in The Hunger Games. My crush on him was further confirmed with The Riot Club a British Production based on Laura Wade’s theatre play Posh that shows the ongoings of Oxford’s Riot Club. The group of ten men are all self entitled posh twats who think their education and parent’s money allows them to act in a horrendous way, with their initiation ceremonies and club rules. Sam Claflin plays Ryan, a 1st year student at Oxford and one of the Riot Club’s newest members. Max Irons plays Miles, another new member of the club, who becomes the focal point of Ryan’s jealousy, causing him to do some unspeakable things in one night out of envy for Miles. The ten men in the film work brilliantly as an ensemble, which is unquestionable seeing as five of them went to Guildhall School of Music and Drama, three went to LAMDA, one studied drama at University and the last went to Bristol Old Vic. All the leads in this film are well trained and it's clear to see that in their performances. A really enjoyable, yet eye opening film that exposes the privilege of some living right in the UK, including Boris Johnson and David Cameron, who were former members of this heinous club.

Score: 10/10

Enola Holmes (2020) as seen on Netflix 

Hmmm...there is a great deal of hype going around for this film and with a 92% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, Enola Holmes is well liked. This is understandable, seeing as Fleabag’s director Harry Bradbeer directed this film for Netflix and the cast includes the likes of Millie Bobbie Brown, Henry Cavill and Sam Claflin. I have never seen Millie Bobbie Brown in anything and yet I don’t think she’s doing anything special for me at this moment in time. As a viewer, I am 100% not into actors talking to the camera, a communication technique that I think should stay in theatre. I get this is a big part of Fleabag however I think Enola Holmes could have done without it. Another movie pet peeve is when the opening of a film explains what the film is about directly, something Enola Holmes did in an artistic, yet blatant way. Audiences aren’t dumb and will catch on with given clues, there’s no need to go through a character’s entire history in the opening of a film. For kids aged between 8 and 12, this film is great and Enola Holmes makes a great hero for many young girls. I don’t fall in this age bracket and therefore I enjoyed it a whole lot less.

Score: 6/10

American Murder: Family Next Door (2020) as seen on Netflix

Netflix is known for producing some of the finest, most eye opening documentaries out there. Despite this one being quite simple using found footage, its impact is certainly something that grew organically throughout the documentary. You can read my full review of American Murder: Family Next Door here:

https://ratingtheframe.tumblr.com/post/630780350645354496/netflix-documentary-delves-into-the-murder-of-a

Score: 10/10

Peppermint (2018) as seen on Netflix

I was thoroughly shocked to discover this film was made 2 years ago. You’d think we’re past a time of creating bad films that actually get released, but I guess we’re not. Peppermint was released in the same year as The Favourite, Blackkklansman and A Star is Born, three courageous films, all of which were showered with awards. Peppermint had two major problems; 1) it was boring and 2) the lead wasn’t orchestrated properly. The mexican drug cartel who murder the protagonist’s (Jennifer Garner) husband and child was almost insulting. Because it felt so inauthentic and gimmicky, I didn’t really understand why the drug cartel in the film was even mexican. Peppermint proves that a good story can turn bad in the wrong hands. The script was quite terrible and surrounding that was the nonsensical, half asked directing which saw Jennifer Garner get way too many injuries to still be alive in the end. The whole thing just had my eyes rolling, as nothing about it was original or provoking at all. In fact, the film didn’t even EXPLAIN how Garner’s character became a bloodthirsty vigilante. It merely showed us her training as a cage fighter. Das it. Nothing else in her character made her into this dominant and highly skilled fighter who takes down an ENTIRE DRUG CARTEL ONE HANDED. It, made, no, sense and sits a good example of how NOT to make a film. Also the only reason why it was called Peppermint was because of peppermint ice cream...yeah I don’t get it either.

Score: 2/10

And that is September, which marks an entire year since I’ve been critiquing movies and in that time, I’ve watched well over 350 films. There’s a lot more to come though, for the London Film Festival commences in October and titles such as Dune and the No Time to Die await a winter release. Stay tuned!

[tabloidtoc]

Life & Style, January 4

You can buy a copy of this issue for your very own at my eBay store: https://www.ebay.com/str/bradentonbooks

Cover: Brad Pitt destroys Angelina Jolie after her affair with Johnny Depp is exposed

Page 1: Photo Flash -- it’s been just under four months since Simon Cowell underwent six hours of surgery after breaking his back in an electric bike accident forcing him to cancel all his work duties for the rest of the year but you wouldn’t know it to look at him -- on his annual tropical vacation with his family to Barbados Simon appeared to have made a full recovery as he took to the water on a jet ski 

Page 2: Contents 

Page 4: The top 10 red looks -- Dove Cameron, Meghan Markle, Scarlett Johansson, Maya Rudolph, Danai Gurira 

Page 5: Emma Mackey, Ciara, Kathryn Hahn, Daisy Ridley, Kat Graham 

Page 6: Britney Spears’ father Jamie Spears is speaking out amid his ongoing legal battle with Britney, saying he loves his daughter very much and noting that he hasn’t spoken to Britney since August when she requested to have him officially removed from her conservatorship -- he added when a family member needs special care and protection families need to step up as he has done for the last 12-plus years to safeguard and protect and continue to love Britney unconditionally -- while Jamie’s attorney insists that he and Britney have a normal father-daughter relationship insofar as there has always been mutual love and respect for each other Britney’s legal team claims that Britney is afraid of her father and will not perform as long as he is in charge of her career

Page 7: Nicole Kidman is earning rave reviews for her role in the hit drama The Undoing and Reese Witherspoon can’t stand it -- the last episode of The Undoing drew in the network’s biggest audience since Big Little Lies’ season 2 finale and there’s already talk of Nicole sweeping awards season -- tensions between the two leading ladies threatened to boil over in 2018 when Nic won an Emmy and a Golden Globe for BLL beating out her co-star Reese both times and to make matters worse Nicole recently signed on to star in a new show based on BLL author Liane Moriarty’s book Nine Perfect Strangers without Reese -- Nicole and Reese used to be the best of friends but now they barely talk and it’s only a matter of time until they stop speaking altogether 

* Throwback -- Jordin Sparks 

* Biggest Spenders of the Week -- Ellen DeGeneres, Tom Brady, Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds

Page 8: Ben Affleck is no stranger to getting inked -- he has five tattoos including a phoenix rising from the ashes on his back and a dolphin on his hip but when he asked girlfriend Ana de Armas to go under the needle she told him no way -- Ben wanted Ana to get a small tattoo but she refused and she would do almost anything for him except get a tattoo because her family would kill her 

* Armie Hammer and Rumer Willis have called it quits over his refusal to commit -- the two were first linked in September shortly after he split from his wife of 10 years Elizabeth Chambers but Rumer wanted something more serious but Armie wasn’t ready to settle down

Page 10: The Week in Photos -- Prince William and Duchess Kate Middleton treated Prince George and Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis to a special pantomime performance at London’s historic Palladium theater 

Page 11: Kelly Clarkson congratulated The Voice contestant Desz on making it to the Top 5, Brooke Burke filmed a challenge for her app in Malibu 

Page 12: Cameron Mathison was joined by his daughter Leila while hosting Hallmark’s Home & Family 

Page 13: Rebel Wilson at the Rockefeller Center ice rink, Bethenny Frankel and her pups Biggy and Smallz by the Christmas tree

Page 14: Hailee Steinfeld and Jeremy Renner on the set of their upcoming series Hawkeye 

Page 16: Stars Behaving Badly -- Selling Sunset’s Christine Quinn left little to the imagination stripping down for a Playboy shoot at the famous Chateau Rose in Bel Air, Blake Shelton used a safety cone as a megaphone on the set of The Voice, Malin Akerman couldn’t resist jumping on the bed at a Hotel Style collection event in NYC 

Page 18: Say What?! Garcelle Beauvais on filming The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, Rumer Willis on father Bruce Willis’ baby boy dreams after welcoming five daughters, Dolly Parton who turns 75 in January, Meghan Trainor on refusing to get intimate with husband Daryl Sabara during her pregnancy, Jason Momoa on his go-to form of exercise 

Page 20: Dakota Johnson was seen sporting a massive emerald stone while out shopping in L.A. sparking speculation that she is engaged to Chris Martin -- there’s no big announcement yet but Chris has quietly proposed and he and Dakota already act like a married couple and they’re excited about finally making it official -- Chris’ children with Gwyneth Paltrow Apple and Moses really like Dakota and will obviously be an important part of their special day and there’s a good chance that Gwyneth who couldn’t be happier about the engagement will be invited to the wedding too 

Page 21: Cardi B is giving her marriage to Offset another shot -- she filed for divorce in September after growing tired of not seeing things eye to eye but withdrew the petition without prejudice a few weeks later and now that they’ve rekindled their love she’s asked her husband to renew their wedding vows -- Cardi wants Offset to recommit to their marriage and she wants him to do it for them and for their daughter Kulture so that her little girl can see just how much her parents truly love each other 

Page 22: Cover Story -- Brad Pitt gets revenge after Angelina Jolie’s alleged affair with Johnny Depp is exposed -- as his custody battle with Angie drags on Brad might have Johnny to thank for giving him a path to victory -- Brad always suspected something may have gone on between Johnny and Angie when they were making 2010′s The Tourist at a time when they were two of the sexiest and most successful movie stars in Hollywood 

Page 26: Kim Kardashian and Kanye West separate lives -- after six years of marriage Kim and Kanye are barely interacting -- Kim is focused on her own projects and on raising the children and Kanye’s interests don’t align with hers anymore -- Kanye is thoughtful and does nice things for Kim but there is no real chemistry or romance left in their marriage; the spark is no longer there -- while Kanye obsessed over Kim for years before they became an item his love and attention as well as hers is now trained on their four kids 

Page 28: Cameron Diaz: This is the happiest time in my life -- with her acting days behind her Cameron feels fulfilled at last -- a lot of people do it the other way around ...they get married and have a family in their youth Cameron notes but she’s doing it in the second half of her life -- Cam says she cooked every single meal for Benji Madden and Raddix during the first four months of quarantine and loved it; they’re her everything 

Page 30: Royal TV War -- Duchess Kate Middleton and Prince William seem poised to steal Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s spotlight -- Will and Kate want to branch out and expanding their media reach with The Earthshot Prize is just a springboard for them and there are a host of projects they’d like to get off the ground including giving people a more down-to-earth picture of what their life is like behind closed doors -- The Earthshot Prize which will award five monetary prizes each year for the next 10 years launched with Cate Blanchett and Sir Richard Attenborough and Shakira already signed on as judges and Will and Kate aren’t done recruiting stars though and they like the idea of teaming up more formally with personalities they respect and admire and exploring the world of documentaries and streaming platforms and radio broadcasts and other aspects of the internet is the perfect way to do that  -- royal family members were said to have raised eyebrows over Meghan and Harry’s deal with Netflix so the couple now finds it surprising and suspicious that Will and Kate are following their lead and there’s a potential for fireworks if they step on each other’s toes 

Page 32: Who Lives Here? Leslie Jones 

Page 36: Fashion -- 2020 Style Recap -- all about loungewear and masks -- with no red carpets to attend Hollywood hit pause on glam and embraced comfort in sweats and athleisurewear -- Vanessa Hudgens, Hilary Duff, Hailey Baldwin, Alessandra Ambrosio, Addison Rae 

Page 37: Brie Larson, Jennifer Lopez, Olivia Munn, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley 

Page 38: Beauty Beat -- new year, new zen -- Kendall Jenner, Elizabeth Banks, Camila Cabello, Madelaine Petsch 

Page 40: Diva or Down-to-Earth? Sara Bareilles had a helper hold her umbrella -- Diva, Katie Holmes browses for books -- Down-to-earth 

Page 41: Julia Garner requires a primp posse -- Diva, Jax Taylor mows the lawn -- Down-to-earth 

Page 42: Social Stars Posts of the Week -- Andy Cohen and son Benjamin, Tim McGraw, Kourtney Kardashian and Kendall Jenner, Jonathan Scott and girlfriend Zooey Deschanel 

Page 44: Horoscope -- Capricorn Sienna Miller turned 39 on December 28 

* They’re Not Together But They Should Be -- Leo Kate Beckinsale and Sagittarius Jake Gyllenhaal 

Page 48: What I’m Into -- Kristin Cavallari 

[starwarsnonsense]

Top 10 Most Anticipated Films of 2020

Now I’ve got my embarrassingly late ‘Best of 2019′ list out of the way, I can finally proceed to the list that’s probably more exciting - my most anticipated films of 2020!

This list excludes films that have already been screened at festivals (otherwise, stuff like Saint Maud would be here). It’s also somewhat analogous to groping about for a light switch in the dark - these lists very rarely accurately predict my ultimate favourites for the year, so it’s more of a fun speculative exercise. Hopefully this puts some intriguing-looking films on your radar for the year ahead! 

1. Dune (dir. Denis Villeneuve)

Plot: The story of Paul Atreides (Timothée Chalamet), a brilliant and gifted young man born into a great destiny beyond his understanding, who must travel to the most dangerous planet in the universe to ensure the future of his family and his people.

Why be excited? The reasons to be excited about Dune should be pretty self-evident - it’s directed by one of the greatest filmmakers working today (Villeneuve’s Incendies and Blade Runner 2049 are all-timers for me), and is based on one of the best science-fiction novels ever written. The cast -  Timothée Chalamet, Rebecca Ferguson, Oscar Isaac, Javier Bardem, Charlotte Rampling, and more - is absolutely stacked with talent. There’s every reason to believe that this will be something special, and I couldn’t be more pleased that Villeneuve is the man responsible for filling that Star Wars-shaped hole in the December release schedule.

2. Annette (dir. Leos Carax)

Plot: A stand-up comedian (Adam Driver), and his opera singer wife (Marion Cotillard), have a two-year-old daughter with a surprising gift.

Why be excited? You may not have heard of him, but Leos Carax is one of the most exciting directors working - he only makes around one film a decade, but the films he does make tend to be very special. I’ve only seen one film of his - Lovers on the Bridge - but that was filled with such ecstatic romance and wondrous visuals that it made me tremendously excited for Annette. Annette is a top-to-bottom musical with songs by American duo Sparks (if you know them for anything, it will be ‘This Town Ain’t Big Enough for the Both of Us’), and said songs will be delivered by Adam Driver and Marion Cotillard. It goes without saying that both actors are extremely talented performers with great voices (see Driver in Marriage Story and Cotillard in Nine for evidence), and I’m looking forward to seeing how they demonstrate their talents here.

3. Last Night in Solo (dir. Edgar Wright)

Plot: A young girl (Thomasin McKenzie), passionate in fashion design, is mysteriously able to enter the 1960s where she encounters her idol, a dazzling wannabe singer (Anya Taylor-Joy). But 1960s London is not what it seems, and time seems to fall apart with shady consequences.

Why be excited? I’m not the biggest Edgar Wright fan, but I admire him greatly and the premise of Last Night in Soho is like cat-nip to me. Speaking to Empire, Wright explained the story as follows: “I’m taking a premise whereby you have a character who, in a sort of abstract way, gets to travel in time. And the reality of the decade is maybe not what she imagines. It has an element of ‘be careful what you wish for’.” I’m a sucker for a good, old-fashioned high concept, especially when said films play with genre and really challenge the viewer. The two female leads - Thomasin McKenzie (JoJo Rabbit, Leave No Trace) and Anya Taylor-Joy (The Witch, Emma) - are among the very best young actors working today, and the supporting cast features absolute legends such as Diana Rigg and Terence Stamp. Whether it’s successful or not, this film feels like a genuinely original prospect and I’m eager to see how it turns out.

4. The Green Knight (dir. David Lowery)

Plot: A fantasy re-telling of the medieval tale of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight.

Why be excited? There has been a sad lack of films based on mythology in recent years - or, to be more accurate, there has been a sad lack of films that attempt to honour what the myths were actually trying to convey. The stunning trailer for Green Knight promises a film that genuinely engages with its source material, and is just as interested in the psychological truths of the tale as the spectacle of its fantastical scenarios. Dev Patel is an extremely talented actor coming off another great movie in The Personal History of David Copperfield, and the supporting cast (Alicia Vikander!) appear to be fully committed to their parts. I’m excited to see a true myth on the big screen again, and David Lowery (A Ghost Story, The Old Man & The Gun) can be trusted to give an old tale a new sense of vitality. 

5. The French Dispatch (dir. Wes Anderson)

Plot: The staff of a European publication decides to publish a memorial edition highlighting the three best stories from the last decade: an artist sentenced to life imprisonment, student riots, and a kidnapping resolved by a chef.

Why be excited? It’s a Wes Anderson movie! Of course I’m excited! In all seriousness, the trailer was all I needed to get hyped about this. It’s clearly Anderson’s quintessential style, but it also shows flashes of some very bold and striking compositions (yes, I’m thinking of Chalamet on the back of that motorcycle) that you wouldn’t necessarily think of in relation to him. I’m intrigued by the prospect of there being stories nested within a story, which feels like the perfect choice for the structure of a film about a newspaper. The cast features all of Anderson’s old favourites (Swinton! Murray! McDormand!), as well as some exciting new additions (Timothée Chalamet, Elisabeth Moss, Christoph Waltz, among others) that feel so well-suited to his style it’s surprising they haven’t worked together before. Bring on all those immaculately composed shots and exquisite colour palettes.

6. Tenet (dir. Christopher Nolan)

Plot: Unknown. The project is described as an action epic revolving around international espionage.

Why be excited? I hate to sound repetitive, but ... it’s a Christopher Nolan movie. That alone is enough to be hyped about this. Details of the plot are vague for now, but the teaser suggests the sort of intelligent, high-concept film-making we’ve come to expect from Nolan. John David Washington - who impressed in BlacKkKlansman - is a great choice for the lead, and I also love that Tenet will feature Robert Pattinson and Elizabeth Debicki (among my favourite actors) in prominent roles. There’s not much else to say given how little we know about this, but suffice to say I’ll be there on day one!

7. Wonder Woman 1984 (dir. Patty Jenkins)

Plot: Wonder Woman (Gal Gadot) comes into conflict with the Soviet Union during the Cold War in the 1980s and finds a formidable foe by the name of the Cheetah (Kristen Wiig).

Why be excited? The original Wonder Woman was an absolute delight, and I couldn’t be more pleased that Patty Jenkins is back to continue Diana’s story. The decision to pick up with Diana in the 1980s is most intriguing (and paves the way for all kinds of exciting choices when it comes to the music and the fashions), especially since it looks like the film is actually going to explore the implications of being an immortal being in a mortal world. 

8. Raya and the Last Dragon (dir. Paul Briggs and Dean Wellins)

Plot: A lone warrior from the fantasy kingdom of Kumandra teams up with a crew of misfits in her quest to find the Last Dragon and bring light and unity back to their world.

Why be excited? The animation scene in 2020 looks kind of ... blah at the moment, with the notable exception of Raya and the Last Dragon. The setting was described by the film’s producer as  "a reimagined Earth inhabited by an ancient civilization that venerated the mythical dragons for their power and their wisdom”, and that alone is enough to fire up my imagination. Off the back of Moana and the Frozen films (which I all unabashedly love), I trust Disney Animation to instil this with plenty of colour and verve.

9. I’m Thinking of Ending Things (dir. Charlie Kaufman)

Plot: An unexpected detour turns a couple’s road trip into a terrifying journey through their fragile psyches.

Why be excited? Directed by Charlie Kaufman (writer of Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind), I’m Thinking of Ending Things is based on a prize-winning novel. However, despite the pedigree the main reason I’m looking forward to this is Jessie Buckley. Buckley gave a star-making performance in Beast a few years ago, and has since proven herself an actor of immense talent and skill (see Wild Rose for proof of what a powerhouse she is). I’m excited to see her career continue to go from strength to strength, and I’m Thinking of Ending Things seems poised to be a great showcase for her.

10. The Last Duel (dir. Ridley Scott)

Plot: King Charles VI declares that Knight Jean de Carrouges (Matt Damon) settle his dispute with his squire (Adam Driver) by challenging him to a duel.

Why be excited? Ridley Scott is a bit of a mixed bag for me, and has never come close to reaching the heights of Alien and Blade Runner with his recent work. Nonetheless, against my better judgement I can’t help but be excited by the prospect of a medieval epic with Scott at the helm. The acting talent attached to The Last Duel is top-notch, and I’m particularly fond of Jodie Comer (of Killing Eve fame) and Adam Driver (do you really need me to say more?). There’s a very real danger of the highly sensitive plot (the ‘dispute’ at the heart of the story concerns an accusation of rape, the truth of which is to be determined with a duel) being mishandled by Scott, but the involvement of screenwriter Nicole Holofcener gives me some hope. This could turn out to be a misfire, but my hope is that it will, at the very least, be interesting.

[aion-rsa]

Coming to America: The Secret Shared Cinematic Universe You Forgot About

https://ift.tt/3bcJ0Cq

When one thinks about 1988’s Coming to America, a few things stand out: James Earl Jones and Madge Sinclair as the King and Queen of Zamunda speaking to their son Prince Akeem (Eddie Murphy) at a breakfast table with intercom radios; the opulence of Zamunda’s palace, which represented an idealized African nation to 1980s audiences the way Wakanda does today; and of course Murphy and Arsenio Hall’s Semmi fresh off the plane in Queens, New York with no idea what “common” means—or also Murphy and Hall under pounds of makeup as the argumentative old-timers at the nearby barbershop.

The film has many great elements that make it a comedy classic. However, what’s often overlooked is that the picture is not-so-secretly part of a shared cinematic universe. Indeed, Coming to America is the film which confirmed several of director John Landis’ films all occur in the same world: One with another Eddie Murphy as Billy Ray Valentine, a small time hustler who gets one over on some rich old racists and winds up nouveau riche in Trading Places, and one with carnivorous lunar activities in An American Werewolf in London. Weird, right? 

The more overt and official of these is the callback to Murphy and Landis’ previous collaboration, Trading Places (1983). In that film, Murphy’s Billy Ray Valentine is an unimpressive grifter who’s trying to get by on a put-on about being a Vietnam vet without legs. Obviously Billy Ray has never had the opportunity to achieve more, and two corrupt blue bloods named Randolph and Mortimer Duke (Ralph Bellamy and Don Ameche) think it would be funny to give Billy Ray that chance to succeed—if only temporarily, after all they don’t want a Black man actually flourishing at their company—while throwing their silver spoon lackey, Louis Winthorpe III (Dan Aykroyd) into poverty.

It’s a cynical racist game they’re playing, and it ends up blowing up in their faces, with Billy Ray and Louis eventually joining forces to get rich while bankrupting the Dukes. In other words, it’s a perfectly ‘80s comedy in tune with that decade’s values: humor based in a lot of stereotypes that ends with the good guys getting rich. Still, it’s a charmer which, alongside 48 Hrs. (1982), proved Murphy was a bona fide movie star outside of Saturday Night Live. Hence why Murphy and Landis are so keen to call back to it in Coming to America.

Late in the 1988 comedy about Prince Akeem traveling to New York City in order to meet a nice American girl, the prince and Lisa (Shari Headley) are taking a walk in the promenade near the Brooklyn Bridge when Akeem gives a handful of rolled up hundred dollar bills to two homeless men. Committed to embracing a life of poverty, Akeem tells Lisa he just gave away pocket change. However, when the camera returns to the two old-timers beneath blankets and cardboard, we learn that (gasp) it’s Ralph Bellamy and Don Ameche! It seems Billy Ray and Louis really did thoroughly put these capitalist vultures out on the street. But the two grumpy old men are thrilled with this newfound investment.

“Mortimer, we’re back!” Bellamy announces with a Cheshire grin. The two then show up again to bang on Akeem and Lisa’s window as they have dinner, shouting, “Let’s have lunch.”

It’s an amusing and impossible-to-miss Easter egg for fans of Murphy’s films. Although given how rotten the Duke brothers are, we fear Akeem has done more harm than good. The moment also makes the two films a rare thing in 20th century Hollywood cinema: a shared cinematic universe. While the Universal Movie Monsters did this 40 years prior to Trading Places, we were still a long way from Quentin Tarantino and Kevin Smith’s independent world-building in their 1990s films, never mind the Marvel Cinematic Universe popularizing the idea a decade after that.

However, what many miss is that Trading Places isn’t the only Landis movie that Coming to America also calls back to. Later in the 1988 movie, Akeem is chasing Lisa, and the two run through an appropriately scuzzy New York City subway. There are real posters from that time period on the walls, such as one for August Wilson’s Broadway play Fences, which starred James Earl Jones and Frankie Faison (both players in Coming to America). But there’s also a poster for See You Next Wednesday.

This fictional title does not correspond with a real movie, however it does match a running joke throughout Landis’ filmography, including most famously in The Blues Brothers (1980) and An American Werewolf in London (1981). Consider a nondescript billboard for a movie called See You Next Wednesday also appears in The Blues Brothers, with Aykroyd and John Belushi driving right past it in Chicago while on a mission from God. In American Werewolf, meanwhile, there are posters scattered throughout the London tube system for a movie of sorts also titled See You Next Wednesday.

The title is a play on the dirty turn of phrase “See You Next Tuesday,” and actually originates from a line of dialogue spoken in Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey. Landis, however, enjoys sprinkling it throughout his work, suggesting it’s the name of a fictional movie, one with a significant underground advertising budget between Werewolf and Coming to America.

The movie-within-a-movie is revealed in Werewolf’s third act to actually be a seedy porno film playing in London’s Piccadilly Circus. It’s there that the poor schmuck David Kessler (David Naughton) transforms into a werewolf one last time, and kills some perverts on his way out the door.

Admittedly, this is not an official connection between Coming to America and An American Werewolf in London, or The Blues Brothers. For starters, it legally has to be slightly different since Werewolf and Brothers are Universal Pictures releases while Coming to America (like Trading Places) was produced by Paramount. Additionally, the See You Next Wednesday poster in Coming to America is not for a porno film, but a glossy sci-fi cheesefest apparently starring Jamie Lee Curtis, who also happened to appear in Trading Places. But we suspect these superficial differences in the posters (that you have to squint to notice) are concessions to the legal need to differentiate the running joke.

Like the fan theory that Ridley Scott’s Alien and Blade Runner occur in the same universe—a theory Scott himself has publicly supported—despite the sci-fi films being produced by different studios, Landis seems to invite folks to imagine Coming to America and a number of his other films are also part of the same universe.

It’s a funny thing to imagine that there are two Eddie Murphys out there, one yachting with Aykroyd’s Louis and Curtis’ Ophelia around the world, and the other a kind hearted if overly naïve African prince. And while Zamunda is a kind of paradise (at least for the men in its highly patriarchal society), demons and cursed devils like David Kessler prowl the moors of England, picking off American tourists too dim to beware the moon and stick to the road.

Read more

Movies

Coming 2 America: How Wesley Snipes Got Into Rhythm with Eddie Murphy

By Tony Sokol

Movies

Coming to America: Ranking Every Eddie Murphy Character

By David Crow

Of course these are more winks and nods than concrete world-building, and they’re masterminded by one of the most controversial directors of their era. In fact, it is hard to consider these connections and not also recall the director’s complicated past. For a short time, Landis was on top of the world when he made Animal House, The Blues Brothers, and An American Werewolf in London back-to-back-to-back. But by the time of Coming to America’s release, fewer and fewer colleagues were working with him due to the tragic and entirely avoidable disaster on the Twilight Zone: The Movie set, an accident which led to the deaths of three people, two of them children. Murphy, however, was one person who continued to work with Landis.

And the two worked exceptionally well together, indeed. Landis’ specific brand of outlandish, sometimes fratty humor complemented Murphy’s big swings as a performer, including beginning to experiment with makeup comedy. He never more adeptly used prosthetics than in Coming to America; and much of this film’s iconography comes from Landis and his wife, costume designer Deborah Nadoolman, who imagined Akeem and Semmi’s now iconic Zamunda winter wear.

Whatever else, Landis helmed some of the most popular comedies of the 1980s, with four of them apparently existing in the same universe. Remembering that these days can still crack a smile. Or at least a howl.

cnx.cmd.push(function() { cnx({ playerId: "106e33c0-3911-473c-b599-b1426db57530", }).render("0270c398a82f44f49c23c16122516796"); });

The post Coming to America: The Secret Shared Cinematic Universe You Forgot About appeared first on Den of Geek.

from Den of Geek https://ift.tt/3bbdPaF