#and the co existence of his existential fatigue and his will to try and try again

[doyochieks]

the man of my dreams.

DoyoungxReader

Word Count: 2.6k

Sometimes, if I look closely, I can still see him.

His eyes, delicate and strong, telling stories with every blink.

And his smile...that gummy smile of his, a breath of fresh air in midsummer. It's warm but it's not the kind you loathe for being too ardent.

I like everything about him. He is sturdy yet clumsy. With a physique like his, you'll never imagine that clumsiness is a part of his charm. He is clever yet humble. Sometimes, I hate him for being a smart mouth but he never crossed the line nor chose to show off. He is self-loving yet considerate. He knows what he wants and I admire him for that, but he was never not cautious with his actions or words. Delicate words always come out of his mouth that makes me wonder if it is really his words or his lips that make it so beautiful. To sum it up, he is imperfect and humane.

But the thing is...I don't even know him, or if he exists.

Usually, when you dream in your sleep, it is either of the two: it involves you or somewhere you thought of being involved in. But mine is a little different, someone else appears and I have no idea how and why it happened. It's like a system within me, every time I close my eyes, I see him. But when it's open, he was never there.

--

Today is a usual Saturday at the coffee shop; swarming with people combined with the cacophony of their chitchats. I don't hate it but I like the stillness of Tuesdays better. The smell of coffee never fails to elate me which is why I love my job. Making people drinks and seeing them enjoy it over either a me-time or hangout with friends intoxicate me. And well, free coffee!

"Two Iced Americano for Johnny!"

It was almost closing time yet there are still people left; some coming in, but most are leaving. I was preparing to clean up when I heard the door open, perhaps rushing in as it is just ten minutes before closing. The customer might have tripped himself since there was a rattle of chairs near the entrance.

"Uh, sorry about that. I can still order, can't I?" he asked my co-worker who was assigned to be today's cashier.

"Yes, sir. You're just about in time." I can hear her smile through the words she just uttered. Washing my hands to prepare for his drink, I didn't mind looking back. Upon confirming the order, I started working on it. I usually remember the first and last customers of the day. They seem special in a way that out of all the customers, I'm most thankful for them. For trusting a barista in either making or ruining their morning, and coming in even if the door seems closing already.

"One iced latte for Do---young?"

And that moment, I was so sure I won't forget today's last customer. He looked at me with those eyes, those that I’ve only seen in my dreams. I'm not sure how long I stared but I was sure that his eyes were dreamier in person.

"Uhm, yes? That would be me."

Confusion is painted on his face that I always longed to touch. But no, this can't be real. I'm starting to think that it may be because I had four cups of coffee today.

"Ah right! Enjoy your drink, Doyoung."

I handed him his drink and stared at his hands instead. It's as pretty as I always see with my closed eyes and recurring dreams. He smiled at me as he said thanks and I just smiled back, or I thought I did. Standing there in what feels like forever, I turned to my colleague.

"I'm sorry but can you close up for the day? I just remembered something really really important."

"If it's your gas valve, then you should run for your life."

"Thanks! I'm going."

I grabbed my bag and ran out as fast as I could, looking right and left thinking where he headed to. My mind has stopped functioning properly but my feet were constantly moving. This must be the luckiest day for me as I saw him waiting on the bus stop, with the coffee I made in his hands. He might have heard how loud my thoughts were (or it's because I was panting from the run) because he stood up and got worried all of a sudden. I watched him struggling to check his pockets while holding the latte in his other hand as I catch my breath. With much of a thought, I said,

"Uh....hi!"

But he replied as soon as I greeted him,

"Sorry! Did I leave my card behind?? I'm sorry you have to run all the way I---"

"No, it's not that."

He stopped looking for his wallet and gave me a questioning look. The way he tilted his head a bit and curiosity flashing through his eyes got me giggling: you can never really fail to catch what he's thinking through that mind of his.

"Sorry, didn't mean to laugh. I just had to say something but it might sound really weird. Well, actually, it ---"

"What is it?"

He cut me off, surprised and I knowingly smiled. He really can't stand not knowing something huh.

"It is weird so please bear with me, and I'm apologizing in advance."

"No, not that."

"What?"

"I meant the giggle, what's with that?

He caught me off guard with his question, as he always did in my dreams. How come he's real? I thought he was just a figment of my frivolous imagination. And yet, he's here standing in front of me dressed in his usual alluring self, with my very own open eyes. I'm still doubting if this is just the effect of my caffeine intake plus the fatigue today's shift has brought me, or maybe this is one of those dreams again pretending it is real. Either way, I decided not to let this pass.

"It's just that...you're very transparent and you do not even try to cover it up, well, most of the time."

Eyes boring into me and eyebrows meeting a bit in the middle, it is evident that he is questioning this very moment, me, and the unknown that I didn't have an answer to. Ah, it's the Aquarius in him. I wanted to laugh but I don't want to look weirder than I already am, instead I gave him a nervous smile.

"Wait, you know me?"

"Uh, well, I first heard your name like 10 minutes ago?"

"I mean, me. Not my name."

That smart mouth of his never misses its timing. My smile turns bigger but not enough to shake the nervousness away.

"So?"

He asked with sassiness and kindness combined I don't know how he does it. I just find it amazing, I mean everything about him is.

"I told you it's weird and it's a long story. But if you want to know--"

"I'm all ears."

"Uh, okay? Uhm would it be alright if I ask that we walk around the park?"

He raises his eyebrow and I felt myself blushing with all the ideas coming to his head. I want to bump my head on a hard surface so that I can think straight since I'm not really sure what I'm doing but every cell in me shouts to make the most of this chance so I did.

"I mean, it's just that, I don't think I'll be able to tell you all about it while standing still and just staring at you. But if you're not comfortable with it, it's totally fine!"

It must be because I look and sound dumb, he grinned. He is as warm as I've always seen in my dreams, my heart can't help but flutter.

"A walk sounds good."

He smiled like he's assuring me that I'm still fine, not crazy enough for him to shout for help. I've always had existential crisis but this is the most I've had in a day, and maybe, just maybe this is the answer to it.

"Let's go?"

"Uh yes, okay. Let me just take off my apron. Oh god, I was wearing it this whole time?"

I did a lot of things to be embarrassed about but I never thought that talking to the man I like in my barista apron, and realizing it later on could be the worst of it all. I turned around for the sole purpose of hiding my abashed self, and untied my apron as the excuse. His hearty laugh is all I hear and even though it must be because of how foolish I look, it makes me feel giddy.

I walked ahead of him since there is no doubt that I'm all red and yet I wanna look back and check if he's following me only to see that he's walking beside me already. I avoided eye contact, cursing myself internally for all the things that I could've done better today. I don't think I could bring to trust myself for making the first move or uttering the first word due to shame I brought upon myself so I matched my every step with his.

Seconds passed and he asked, thank the gods old and new he did,

"So what's the long and weird story you were talking about?"

Then again, he smiled. One expressing benevolence and a hope of not making someone discomfort. Right there and then, I realized, there is one thing I hate about him: he easily smiles. I breathed in and started story-telling.

--

I told him how I started seeing flashes of him since the start of college and how terrified I was at first since it felt like I was invading his privacy or something. Added in the bits of my conspiracy theory about this and that I tried knowing more about it then eventually giving up. Lastly, I narrated how it turned from mystery to curiosity of knowing him to affection and longing. I don't think I can save face after all this, but this is it. No backing out. I heave a deep sigh.

"And now you're here, listening to this non-sense I stated. It feels like a fever dream, really."

He stopped walking and turned to me, the iced latte cup left with some ice cubes in hand.

"It's a beautiful story. I don't fully believe you but I don't think you made this up either. Plus, the Doyoung in your dreams sounds like me so if I was in your shoes, I'd be confused too."

He laughs and I can't help but smile. I know it was too much to take in, especially from a stranger but he was considerate enough to listen and try to comprehend. I haven't met the whole population of men in this vast universe but I don't think I can ever look at them the way I look at Doyoung. I was just hoping that his kindness would go a long way, so I mustered the remaining courage I have in me.

"I bet this is all confusing for you, but this is what I'm sure of: I like you, Doyoung. I really do."

But fate had plans and his kindness has its limits.

"I'm sorry."

If this is a dream, please wake me up now. Please.

"It's a beautiful story, and I had fun listening to you tonight. But I don't think it's me, it's the man in your dreams that you like, not me."

"It is you. I just didn't know your name before or of your existence but it is you!"

"You didn't even know if I exist before. I just happened to walk in that café and the characteristics of the man from your dream fits so you decided it is me. We maybe alike but I'm not him. You like him, that we're sure of, but I'm not him. I'm sorry."

Every rationality I have left struck through me and tears started falling. As always, he's right.

"But I've seen you. I'm sure of those eyes that show what you feel or think as of the moment, that build looking so sturdy yet there's a hidden clumsiness, that smart mouth of yours that doesn't miss its beat. And these hands, I'm sure it is the one I'm always holding in my dreams. It is you."

I held on his soft hands like a lifeline, dropping on the ground. I never cried publicly so this must be a first and I know people are staring, I just can't seem to prioritize what they think of me over how my heart feels like it is hammered to pieces. This can't be real. I squeezed his hand for validation, praying this is just a nightmare or a joke, yes I think I can take this as joke but he squeezed my hand back. I hid my face between my knees as tears won't stop. My throat feels like someone poured a whole bottle of whiskey on it, I'm on fire, and I'm slowly burning to ashes, about to scatter away. It hurts.

I felt him match my current height. Without letting go of my hand, he held my face in his other one and all I see are his eyes. Those eyes that always made my day, reassured me when I was feeling doubtful, looked at me like he was happy to have me in every moment we had, and never hid any emotion with me. And as I looked at him, I see that he feels sorry for me, and confused with what he needs to do. So I did, what I have to. I let go of his hand, stood up and smiled at him.

"Sorry for all the ruckus. I'm pretty sure you didn't sign up for this."

I tried laughing but he smiled at me, and now my eyes are starting to send a new batch of tears.

"I really am sorry. I don't know what to say but I do hope you'll find him."

Isn't it ironic? Someone waving his goodbye with hopeful wishes of you finding the one you've longed for but it is him. You know it is him. But he knows himself, better than a stranger whose been seeing him only in her dreams. He is sure it isn't him, his face tells it all.

I looked away, not able to handle looking at him, walking away.

"I guess this is goodbye?"

Goodbye never sounded so painful like this until it came from him. He smiled and I nod, diverting my face away.

My eyes once again began to well up. I waved him a single goodbye and didn't dare look. I can hear him walking away and it was the saddest song I ever heard. I hugged myself while silently crying in the middle of the night at a park. Suddenly, I realized that this is the probably the last I'll ever saw of him so I dared look. He's walking towards the bus stop where I found him earlier. The image is so heart-rending but I can't look away either. I want to see him more, even if it's the sight of him walking away from me.

--

Sometimes, if I look closely, I can still see him.

His eyes, telling me that he's sorry.

His smile, bright against the dimness of the night, trying to console me.

His figure walking away from me, sure of himself and what he did.

His words, carefully constructed to a stranger who claims she knows him through her dreams.

He exists and he's out there.

I never dreamt of him again. I dread every waking hour as I plead for another hour, minute or second of perhaps seeing him again but it never happened. Every time I closed my eyes, I see him walking away from me in the park and I've come to accept that I'll never wake up from that...since it wasn't a dream anyway.

[sound-tracker-flac]

Nier: Automata OST Review

Echoes of What’s Left of Us, and of Them

Mild spoilers to follow.

Keiichi Okabe (岡部啓一) and team MONACA had a great deal to live up to, namely their masterpiece that was the Nier: Gestalt & Replicant soundtrack from 2010. Theirs was already a titanic feat—finding the right thematic approach to the Yoko Taro’s insanity must have been immensely difficult. Despite that, the soundtrack to Nier was a runaway hit; it has become one of my top ten soundtracks ever.

So, does Nier: Automata’s OST deliver?

Packaging and Design

The 3-disc set is enclosed by the game’s fantastic artwork.

Disc One has Toobie 2B’s 2Bootiful form etched on its surface. Discs Two and Three are next to each other and are 9S and A2, respectively. Granted, there were “only” three protagonists, but I found it interesting that these two were put next to each other. I guess no-one dies alone, after all…

Artwork of the City Ruins in the case interior. Very nice.

The booklet is adorned by the early concept art of 2B meeting the Forest King.

Goddamn it, Yoko Taro

On the previous page, Okabe wrote an insightful paragraph about the creation of the original Nier soundtrack and writing for Automata in its legacy (more on that later). Here, Yoko Taro gave us…this. (Plot details so I won’t include the translation)

An interesting tidbit: the track names in Japanese were written without Hiragana, instead using Kanji and Katakana entirely. The use of this linguistic trope in Japanese pop culture is often associated with the formality of technical/academic jargon, giving the track titles a “technological,” “mechanical,” and “robotic” aesthetic. Very fitting, considering the game’s setting.

All in all, the physical copy of the soundtrack added more to its value.

Soundtrack Review

Spoilers ahead.

Upon landing in the first area (after the heart-pounding prologue), I knew I needed the soundtrack. The track is “City Ruins: Ray of Light”, which immediately set the tone of the game: seemingly desolate, yet teeming with life within. While the the first Nier OST featured mostly key pieces tied to specific characters/situations, the tracks’ in-game impact was somewhat lessened by their overuse in the game. Not so with Automata, as the soundtrack is punctuated with segmented key pieces that are amazing ambient themes, the permutations of “City Ruins” being one such example. Key pieces such as the later action themes were tied to key moments, giving them the impact and attention they deserve.

Okabe mixed acoustic instruments and synthetic sounds, bestowing each track an expansive soundstage best enjoyed on open-back headphones. Pieces like “City Ruins” were written in movements not unlike Bloodborne’s use of segments to delineate boss phases, but in Automata, the game used segments to transition between different areas in the same map. Though areas are revisited often in the game, this dynamic use of movements actually reinforced the strengths of both gameplay and music, avoiding repetition and fatigue.

Additionally, the composers wrote different variants for the motifs depending on the sequence of the game; for instance, “Significance” and the sweet, melodramatic “Vague Hope” had several versions, changing between A, B, C/D/E. Returning veteran co-composer Keigo Hoashi (帆足圭吾) composed one of my favorite tracks, “Vague Hope: Spring Rain.”  The solo vocalist paired with the delicate strings delivers a highly emotional theme depicting a fragile hope…and love, or a memory thereof… 

Is it OK to cry while writing a soundtrack review

One mark of a great composer is flexibility in creating diverse, memorable motifs. Okabe shows that, again, he is a master of his trade with Automata. Soft pieces like “Peaceful Sleep” have actually rocked me to restful dreams. And, befitting the soul-crushing, heart-wrenching writing under Yoko Taro’s pen, Okabe delivered the punches with genuinely disturbing tracks. “Mourning” is one such example: it began with a twisted, heavy male chorus slowly elevated by layers of female chorus, rendering the theme significantly more religious as it progressed. The female chorus briefly lessened the sorrow with major chords, only to be dragged down by the weight of the male chorus once more into a sorrowful minor key. The string quartet faded in with a solo session starting at 2:15 that reinforced the motif, and finally joined by the chorus once more at 3:18, rising to a mournful crescendo at 3:57 that was no less than an operatic processional. For the moments that warranted the use of “Mourning,”* the track absolutely killed it, and also killed my heart, hopes and dreams for the characters.  *see the end of the Golden Machines sidequest

There is no lack of EPIC in Automata, and I am stoked to say that Okabe and Hoashi have written some of the best action pieces ever once more. Their flexibility came into play again, spinning a twist of action from slow, calm motifs. “War&War” was a pleasant surprise when I realized it was a battle-ready version of the obsessively calm “City Ruins” that might as well have been sung by the Red Orchestra. “End of Aliens” is almost lifted straight out of Tekken, considering the fighting-game showdown between Adam/Eve VS 2B/9S.  “Alien Manifestation” by both Okabe and Hoashi is my second favorite action-track in the listing. A powerful collaboration between the two powerhouses, they employed vocals and percussion heavily influenced by Southeast Asian and South Asian music. A decidedly culturally-laden theme depicting something that was inhuman in origin yet becoming human…

See above for EPIC

But the star amidst the shining action-tracks was “Emil: Despair.” Hoashi stole the thunder in this one, carrying on the legacy of the previous soundtrack, other examples being Okabe’s “Faltering Prayer” and “Song of the Ancients (Atonement),” but “Emil: Despair” went full SSJ3 on its already superb predecessor “Emil: Karma” from Nier. The piece is at once filled with the familiar, somber chorus, tense with weight from the Trombone, and fraught with immense sorrow driven by strings and trumpets. A new interlude, starting at 1:20, introduced a new solo vocal that demonstrates Hoashi’s brilliance in composition: introducing new ideas congruent to existing ones, bringing both to a higher place. “Emil: Despair” was truly a prime example of thus; an immensely satisfying blend of percussion-backed action and sadness.

It didn’t take eternity to hurt me, Emil

Okabe worked with amazing vocalists again. The supremely talented Emi Evans returns in key pieces to reprise her excellent performance in the first Nier soundtrack. She is flanked by newcomers J'Nique Nicole and Marina Kawano who performed the English and Japanese versions of the ending theme “Weight of the World,” respectively. Nicole’s voice had nuance and strength and was complemented by Evans’ higher, softer approach. Kawano’s performance is fairly decent although the JP version of “Weight of the World” got a little weird towards the end. I don’t know if it was from overdramatization or if Kawano was trying to emulate Nicole’s deeper vocal range, but the last vocal segment of the song seemed forced for an otherwise good performance. 

Nevertheless, the vocal work in Automata’s soundtrack was among the best in the industry. The diversity in the styles of chorus for the soundtrack was particularly noteworthy; you will hear everything from solo vocals to Latin-style hymns to a style close to temple chants in South/Southeast Asian cultures, a musical style rarely found in mainstream media. This tonal diversity somehow retained the thematic consistency of the entire soundtrack, yet bringing a fresh approach to every track.

All I wanted was Metal Gear Rising with Badass Goth Lolita Androids. I did get what I wanted /and/ existential crisis, a torrent of tears, and the one of the best game soundtrack in years. Pretty good deal.

Okabe wrote in the soundtrack booklet:

[This soundtrack] is the result of spending time and thought on capturing the “essence of Nier” as well as introducing new themes to bring the new world of Nier:Automata to life.

His collaboration with Hoashi, Takahashi and Ishihama as well as the talented performers for both vocals and instruments have realized that vision and then some. Nier:Automata Original Soundtrack was yet another masterpiece befitting Yoko Taro’s madness—a bleak outlook on what it means to be human, brought about by deceit and despair, and the faint, blossoming hope rising above the carnage. The game asked if humanity could exist without humans, and the answer was a resounding “Yes.” I hope that music, being an intrinsically emotional creation, will be one of humanity’s enduring legacies in the vastness of existence. Perhaps in 10,000 years, a badass blindfolded goth lolita android will find a CD of Nier Automata’s soundtrack buried in the city ruins, and experience a glimpse of the emotions that defined us.

This soundtrack is a must own for all fans of Nier: Automata and those who enjoy action and ambient tracks. It is available digitally on iTunes and Amazon. I bought the physical copy from Amazon JP.

This review was not sponsored by Amazon, Apple, Square Enix, Platinum Games, or MONACA.

[horrortoyou]

The Best Horror Movies of 2018 So Far

best horror movies  of 2018

Click here to know more.

Hot damn, 2018 is turning out to be one serious year for repulsiveness. Around this time a year ago, Blumhouse had just conveyed the one-two punch of Split and Get Out, and that was just the beginning of a string of frightfulness hits that finished in IT turning into the most noteworthy earning blood and gore flick ever. So it's sheltered to state this year beyond any doubt has a ton to satisfy, however with the absolute most foreseen titled of the year still on the docket, it's as of now simple to see this is a standout amongst the most energizing and effective years with sickening apprehension history.

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The lineup has run the range from educated and existential fear to shocking retribution spine chillers and abuse twisted loathsomeness comic drama. We've discussed "raised repulsiveness," did the calmest popcorn chomping ever in A Quiet Place, recollected the amount we cherish Nicolas Cage, and delved profound into discussions over testing films like Annihilation and Hereditary. It's been an extremely solid year for the class, to be sure.

We're keeping this rundown bound to films that have been discharged in 2018 — be it dramatically, carefully or on a spilling administration — so you won't perceive any unreleased celebration top choices on here, yet we'll be refreshing the rundown consistently. Also, with movies like Halloween and Suspiria on the docket, we have a ton to anticipate,

Unsane.

A producer who's never substance to avoid any risk, Steven Soderbergh chose to handle enormous thoughts with little means in Unsane, another mental blood and gore flick shot totally on an iPhone (however as a matter of fact with some huge spending focal points and programming). The organization may appear to be a hacky contrivance, however in Soderbergh's grasp, it works, conveying a bizarre closeness to the skewed story of biting suspicion and society's preposterous hesitance to trust ladies. Claire Foy proceeds with her ascent to the best as Sawyer Valentini, a youthful agent who moves to another city after a frightening knowledge with a stalker. When she begins seeing him wherever once more, she starts to scrutinize her very own existence, and after an as well fair treatment session, she coincidentally concedes to a psychological healing facility where she could possibly be caught with the man she's endeavoring to get away. Soderbergh plays with your brain, and that is a large portion of the fun, however it's the manner in which he jabs and goads at the experience of uneasiness and entanglement that makes Unsane such a viable excursion down the rabbit opening. It tends to be somewhat obtuse and schlocky at minutes, yet when Unsane burrows at a nerve, it generally hits, making for a greatly frightening knowledge.

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Mother and Dad

For the wonky, wild awfulness drama Mom and Dad Nicolas Cage reunites with Brian Taylor, who co-coordinated Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance, and the broadly OTT performing artist is unmistakably having a great time in the anarchic film. Mother and Dad pursues a suburbs gone to damnation when a puzzling mass insanity plunges on the guardians of the populace, giving them a voracious want to kill their own kids. It's an ideal corruption of the common request, and everybody on board has a fabulous time with the idea, hamming it up and inclining toward the blandness with jazzed merriment. Taylor knows precisely what sort of motion picture he's creation, keeping the run time trim and conveying various camp-frightfulness successions that keep the gathering of people smiling and squirming all through, including a doozy of an appearance from Lance Henrikson and the best utilization of Selma Blair's abilities in 10 years. Mother and Dad is a midnight motion picture to boot and it works so well since it never endeavors to be whatever else.

Veronica

After three [REC] films, executive Paco Plaza is back behind the focal point of another component film, something that shares some comparative characteristics with the [REC] establishment (short [REC] 3 Genesis), particularly the style, yet in addition how vulnerable Plaza can make a watcher feel inside a specific account. Notwithstanding, there's additionally one champion quality that makes the story profoundly close to home and lifts the force of the film by and large – an extremely solid hero. Veronica was roused by an unsolved case including a young lady who passed on not long after utilizing an Ouija board. In Plaza's film, the title character played by Sandra Escacena does only that and what pursues is to a great degree agitating, however it's Veronica's ground-breaking association with her three more youthful kin that ups the stakes ten times. It's a chilling, personal and exceptionally climatic experience that adds amazingly, one more thing to the endless rundown of motivations to avoid Ouija sheets. — Perri Nemiroff

Load

Immediately, Cargo has outstanding amongst other theoretical snares of any blood and gore flick this year — a man chomped by a zombie has merely hours to locate a sheltered place for his baby girl in the end of the world before he turns. It's basic, it's solid, and you're in a split second intruiged — luckily, it's additionally supported by a pitch-ideal execution from Martin Freeman and a delightfully shot take a gander at provincial Australia that gives the zombie kind a truly necessary new setting. Freeman stars Andy, the dad being referred to, executives Ben Howling and Yolanda Ramke furnish the performer with the ideal job for his reality fatigued aura, giving him a ton to bite on in a quieted, driven execution. Savvy with being excessively shrewd for its own great, Cargo relies on the groups of onlookers comprehension of how zombie films function, without turning into a meta-critique, or, in other words change of pace in a class that is simply beginning to break out of a time of staleness.

The Ritual

It's been a long sit tight for David Bruckner's first element film, however luckily, it was justified, despite all the trouble. The movie producer behind champion sections in Signal and V/H/S made his element make a big appearance this year with The Ritual, a Netflix unique that dives into the well of disgrace and lament to mine piercing, unmistakably grown-up dread. Goodness, and there's a quite extraordinary beast as well. The Ritual pursues four companions into the forested areas, where they adventure out grieve the passing of a dear companion, yet once they're there, a spindly, hardly observed animal frequents them consistently. Bruckner takes as much time as is needed building the dread, offering brief looks at their colossal stalker and utilizing the common cover of the backwoods further bolstering his good fortune in organizing his alarms, and between the chilling takes a gander at the animal, he takes as much time as is needed fleshing out the injury shared by these old companions and the contentions that would undermine to shred them regardless of whether they weren't being chased by an extraordinary power. The final product is a develop, downplayed blood and guts film that gradually settles in under your skin.

Overhaul

Saw and Insidious co-maker Leigh Whannell conveys his present for chilling ideas to the science fiction classification with Upgrade, a propulsive impact of technophobic fear that joins activity, loathsomeness, and sci-fi to wind up a standout amongst the most engaging movies of the year. Set in a not very new future where self-driving autos and bio-tech inserts twist a generally relatable image of the world, Upgrade pursues Gray Trace (Logan Marshall-Green) on a mission of retribution after a gathering of culprits murder his significant other and abandon him deadened starting from the waist. Everything changes when he's acquainted with STEM, a PC chip embed that enables Gray to move again, yet substantially quicker and superior to anything he at any point did previously, and not generally inside his control. Relying on a totally dazzling physical and passionate execution from Marshall-Green, Upgrade is part tech awfulness, part body frightfulness, and kick ass completely through, showing some savvy course from essayist/performer/maker turned-chief Whannell and demonstrating by and by that this person has a talent for snappy kind thoughts. In the event that you missed it, try searching this one out at home, since it's one of the most slender, meanest old fashioned science fiction rushes of the most recent decade and in a simply world, Marshall-Green's execution would be all the rage.

Vengeance

French movie producer Coralie Fargeat creates a treat shaded, sun-soaked bad dream of survival and retaliation in her singing directorial make a big appearance Revenge. Succintly titled and snappy to summon the oft-dull custom of the assault exact retribution subgenera, Revenge offers a more instinctive, refined, and a la mode turn on the material that never shies from its abuse roots. Flipping the male look on its head in a demonstration of subversive viewpoint moving, Fargeat challenges the crowd to denounce her explicitly uninhibited hero, Jen (Matilda Lutz), for her short skirts and Lolita-designed enchantment. While on a sentimental escape with her wedded sweetheart, the platinum blonde wannabe on-screen character teases and displays, sucking on a candy and granulating on her darling's companions, however when the snapshot of infringement arrives, it conveys a striking censure to injured individual disgracing and "what was she wearing?" attitude, uncovering the attack for what it genuinely is — the activity of a couple of frail, entitled, and frantic men. From that point on, Revenge is a jamboree of bloodletting as Jen first tries to get away, at that point survive, and at last overwhelm her attackers in a fierce, blood-heaving representation of resurrection.

Chilly Hell

A fighting Giallo return by method for sex bowed Taxi Driver, Cold Hell is a motor, kickass wrongdoing spine chiller of the most elevated request with a thick damp with sweat sheen of black market grime. Violetta Schurawlow conveys a breakout execution as Özge, an unpleasant cabbie in Vienna, where she spends her evenings grabbing rough and brutal clients, fuelling her inward anger with each new pickup — seethe she doles out every day in her Thai boxing club. When she returns home after another exhausting night in the driver's seat, she observes a grim homicide, and when the killer witnessess her as well, he sets his sights on Özge as his next unfortunate casualty. But, she is the keep going lady on earth you need to upset. Established in prejudice, sex and religion, Cold Hell has more to state than your normal thick spine chiller, and coordinated by Oscar-winning movie producer Stephan Ruzowitzky (The Counterf

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A gruesome murder bares world powers’ flawed policies

By James M. Dorsey

A podcast version of this story is available on Soundcloud, Stitcher, TuneIn and Tumblr.

Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi’s gruesome murder raises fundamental questions that go far beyond Middle Eastern geopolitics.

They go to the risks of support for autocratic regimes by democratic and authoritarian world powers, the rise of illiberal democracy in the West, increasing authoritarianism in Russia, and absolute power in China in which checks and balances are weakened or non-existent.

Mr. Khashoggi’s killing is but the latest incident of hubris that stems from the abandonment of notions of civility, tolerance and plurality; and the ability of leaders to get away with murder, literally and figuratively. It also is the product of political systems with no provisions to ensure that the power of men like Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman is restrained and checked.

Mr. Khashoggi was an advocate of the necessary checks and balances.

In his last column published in The Washington Post posthumously, Mr. Khashoggi argued that “the Arab world needs a modern version of the old transnational media so citizens can be informed about global events. More important, we need to provide a platform for Arab voices. We suffer from poverty, mismanagement and poor education. Through the creation of an independent international forum, isolated from the influence of nationalist governments spreading hate through propaganda, ordinary people in the Arab world would be able to address the structural problems their societies face.”

Mr. Khashoggi’s words were echoed by prominent journalist and political analyst Rami Khouri. “We are heading to the law of the jungle if big power and Mideast state autocracy is not held accountable,” Mr. Khouri said.

In a similar vein, a survey by the Arab Barometer survey concluded that public institutions in the Arab world, including the judiciary enjoyed little, if any, public trust.

“Part of the lack of trust comes from the disenfranchisement felt by many, especially youth and women… The lack of alternative political forces is adding to the fatigue and lack of trust in institutions. Citizens in the region struggle to find an alternative to the ruling elite that might help address the issues of ineffective governance and corruption,” said a report by the Carnegie for Endowment of Peace.

“Citizens are increasingly turning toward informal mechanisms such as protests and boycotts, and focusing more on specific issues of governance, such as service provision, particularly at the local level. Furthermore, with democracy under threat across the globe, calls for broad democratic reform have been replaced by more basic demands,” the report went on to say.

What puts the price Mr. Khashoggi paid for advocating controls of absolute power in a class of its own, is the brutality of his killing, the fact that he was murdered in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul rather than, for example, by an unknown killer on a motorbike; and the increasingly difficult effort to resolve politically the crisis his death sparked.

Beyond the support by world powers of often brutal autocrats facilitated by a lack of checks and balances that in the past three decades has destroyed countries and costs the lives of millions, Mr. Khashoggi’s murder is also the product of the failure of Western leaders to seriously address the breakdown in confidence in leadership and political systems at home and abroad.

The breakdown peaked with the 2011 popular Arab revolts; simultaneous widespread protests in Latin America, the United States and Europe; and the increased popularity of anti-system, nationalist and populist politicians on both the right and the left.

Mr. Khashoggi joins the victims of extrajudicial poisoning in Britain by Russian operatives of people who like him may have been a thorn in the side of their leaders but did not pose an existential threat – not that that would justify murder or attempted murder.

He also joins the millions of casualties of failed policy and hubris caused by Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein’s gassing of Kurds in the 1980s and reckless 1990 invasion of Kuwait, support for Syrian president Bashar al-Assad’s determination to cling to power irrespective of the human cost, the Saudi-UAE-led war in Yemen that has produced the worst humanitarian crisis since World War Two, and China’s attempt to brainwash and socially engineer what the country’s leaders see as the model Chinese citizen.

And those are just some of the most egregious instances.

No better are the multiple ways in which autocratic leaders try to ensure conformity not only through repression and suppression of a free press but also, for example, by deciding who deserves citizenship based upon whether they like their political, economic or social views rather than on birth right.

Take Bahrain whose minority Sunni Muslim regime has stripped hundreds of its nationals of their citizenship simply because it did not like their views or Turkey with its mass arrests of anyone critical of the government.

The irony is that if elections in democracies are producing illiberal leaders like US President Donald J. Trump, Turkey’s Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Hungary’s Victor Orban, in Asia and Africa they are bring forth governments mandated to reverse Belt and Road-related, Chinese funding of projects that primarily benefit China rather than the recipient economically and pave the way for greater Chinese influencing of domestic politics as well as the export of systems that enhance unchecked state power.

In some cases, like Malaysia, they produce leaders willing to take on China’s creation of a 21st century Orwellian surveillance state in its north-western province of Xinjiang.

It matters little what label world powers put on their support for autocrats and illiberals. The United States has long justified its policy with the need for regional stability in the greater Middle East. Russia calls it international legality while China packages is it as non-interference in the domestic affairs of others.

Said Middle East expert and former US official Charles Kestenbaum building on Mr. Khashoggi’s words: “If they (Middle Eastern states) want to compete with the globe in IT (information technology) and tech more broadly, they must encourage risk, innovation and freedom to fail. Such social and political freedom does not exist adequately in the region. The opposite in fact, authoritarian regimes repress such initiative and openness. So what do they have to compete and globally engage in the 2020’s? Nothing.”

Dr. James M. Dorsey is a senior fellow at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies, co-director of the University of Würzburg’s Institute for Fan Culture, and co-host of the New Books in Middle Eastern Studies podcast. James is the author of The Turbulent World of Middle East Soccer blog, a book with the same title and a co-authored volume, Comparative Political Transitions between Southeast Asia and the Middle East and North Africa as well as Shifting Sands, Essays on Sports and Politics in the Middle East and North Africa and just published China and the Middle East: Venturing into the Maelstrom