#Icarus reviews: films

[icarusreading]

La Chimera (Alice Rohrwacher)-4.5/5 stars

!!Spoilers Ahead!!

Cast-5/5

I’ve loved Josh O’conner since Challengers-I mean, he’s just so endearing and a phenomenal actor all around. I loved the array of emotions he was able to display in this movie with only his eyes. I think that’s one of the best features an actor can have. He was able to display sadness, anger, love, happiness, without a word.

Yile Vianelli as Beniamenia is another actress who stood out to me. Even with her extremely limited dialogue and screen time, she made playing a dead character feel so alive. She felt so captivating in Arthur’s dream sequences and i don’t know, her presence in the movie was prevalent even though she was barely there.

Overall the casting was beautiful. I’m a sucker for actors who don’t OVERact which is exactly what this movie did. Everyone felt so real, like they were really the characters they were playing. Arthur’s little posse felt real and familial, just in the way that they all interacted. As dysfunctional as they were. I don’t know how else to put it other than everyone in this movie played their characters, whether major or minor, phenomenally. I have not felt this enraptured by a film since call me by your name.

Plot-4/5

For the first solid half an hour of this movie, I was confused. I didn’t really follow. But once the pieces started clicking, i couldn’t tear my eyes away. I still don’t fully understand Arthur’s ‘gift’ or how it worked but maybe that’s just a piece i’m missing. Overall I think this was a love story, in the most haunting way it could be. While Arthur is being used for his gift for his friends to make money, what he’s searching for isn’t pots or statues. As said in the synopsis-‘Everyone has their own Chimera, something they try to achieve but can never find. For Arthur, the Chimera is the woman he lost, Beniamina’. In a way, Italia almost filled that void. What stands out most to me is Arthur’s ghostliness. He was never really there, he was always on the search for Beniamenia. Even as the main character, he faded into the background (often times literally) and I think that does more storytelling than any amount of dialogue.

Score-5/5

Not super knowledgeable in this topic, but i thought the music fit super well so i have no complaints. The violins gave it both a wistful and dreamlike atmosphere while also an eerie one at times.

Cinematography-5/5

Right off the bat I have to talk about Arthur’s dreams. The movie was literally at its most vibrant when he was dreaming of Beniamenia. When awake, he was a walking ghost while Beniamenia was a literal one. His life was most vibrant when she was alive and I think it’s so beautiful how his yearning is represented through color. Also the way the width of the shot (i don’t know how else to put it??) is smaller. To me that represented the small portion of his life he was still clinging onto, or the tunnel vision he has in searching for the feeling she gave him. Even subconsciously, he searches for her in everything.

Overall I think the way this movie was filmed was gorgeous. It felt easy to follow, which I think with a movie like this is needed. What made me give it such a high score was the stark contrast between his dreams and real life, and the changes in color/shadow to give the viewer a physical representation of Arthur’s emotions.

Another note-when we find out the people sitting with Arthur in the beginning are ghosts of the people whose tombs he’s stolen from…art. that’s all i have to say. it really stuck with me, the way the ghosts of his past play such a unique role in his life.

Ending-5/5

Oh. My. God. One of the best endings to a movie i’ve ever seen. In a way I expected it to be a different one. I thought he beat the odds against him and would live a happy life with Italia-which of course would go against everything the movie is about.

I clocked the fact that he was going to get buried the second they were pressuring him in. But when i tell you the second i saw that red string…i lost it. I’m such a sucker for red string theory. And again, as i’ve probably made it clear, im a huge fan of lighting. the way he was pulling down, like he was pulling her down to him, but she was pulling up, like they’ve always had a pull on each other even in death. The light casting upon him in the darkness of the tunnel was literally the light at the end of the tunnel. Whether that be the end of his life or the end of his journey of searching for his Chimera (or both) it tugs at you. The final scene where they’re finally reunited made me cry. Because it was his dream sequence but wider (again, i don’t know how to word this?? full screen??). Finally he was at the end of his search. It felt magical and wistful. The way I felt once the credits rolled was weirdly serene. Although, I think that was the point. Because there was this sense of acceptance to the whole thing. It was sad, not devastating. it just was. I’m just yapping at this point, but truly the ending of this movie has to be up in my top 10 favorites of all time.

Favorite quote/scene-

‘non sei fatta per gli occhi degli uomini’ - You are not made for human eyes.

I could go on and on and on, but this was the moment i realized how much this movie was going to stick with me. Because it was clear he saw a glimpse of Beniamenia in the statue, but he knows that’s the closest he’s going to be to finding her in this life. Throwing it in the water to be was him letting go. Water often represents freedom, purification, and healing. Arthur so deeply struggles to embrace what his life is like now without her and in a way this felt like his way of acceptance.

Final thoughts-

Looking at this from an artistic standpoint, it was stunning. I watched it with a friend who, i’ll admit, doesn’t analyze every second of a movie like i do, and she loved it just as much. I think the only thing i’ll say is that it was a little bit slow, but then again that’s not really an issue in my book. I might just be easily entertained. Another thing i’ll note is that I am not versed in the history of Etruscan art, so there may be some things i’m missing that this movie was trying to say. But overall i think the acting was off the hook, and i can’t believe this got 4th place at Cannes. I’m a little biased because Josh O’conner holds a special place in my heart, but i would recommend this movie to anyone who has the patience to really sit down and take in this movie for what it is. I’ve watched a few interview clips with Josh and Alice, and it sounds like it was a very hands on film in terms of researching and connecting with where they were filming. It has left me with a lot of lingering thoughts on love and yearning and what it means to live without living in the past.

divider credits: @strangergraphics-archive <3

[ligbi]

So there was a french animated film about the friendship between Icarus and the Minotaur last year and I was supposed to hear about it on the bird app?

I mean it’s literally not streaming anywhere yet nor does it have a home media release at this time but I would like to get hyped in hopes of one of those things happening eventually.

It has a good style! I would like to see the tragedy! 

[oneofusnet]

Digital Noise Episode 337: Digital Warriors Have Come Out To Play DIGITAL NOISE EPISODE 337: DIGITAL WARRIORS HAVE COME OUT TO PLAY John and Chris take on their stack with aplomb and yet don’t see eye to eye on everything this week. From a stack of very different Hong Kong films that range from Police Academy variants to the HK version of Dead Heat, to a gathering of British horror legends that doesn’t quite work out. From a French take on the failures of the Warren Report, to an upgrade to a legendary Warrior cult classic. We got a lot to tell you about this week. All titles were sent to… Read More »Digital Noise Episode 337: Digital Warriors Have Come Out To Play read more on One of Us

[tarnia2]

I just watched Icarus and the Minotaur (2022). I loved it, the animation was gorgeous and the story was, well, enjoyable at least.

Now I just read reviews and people are saying it's for "the whole family"? And the movie itself was advertised for kids? I'm not going to enter into detail, but this is something I would NOT show to anyone under thirteen. The violence and sexual tones only gets bigger as the film progresses. I think this is a case of the "animation is for kids" syndrome.

[sunnydaleherald]

The Sunnydale Herald Newsletter, Tuesday, October 31

Willow: Buffy, are you all right? Buffy: What? Xander: Are you hurt? Willow: Buffy, are you hurt? Buffy: Buffy? Willow: She's not Buffy. Xander: Who's Buffy? Willow: Oh, this is fun. What year is this? Buffy: 1775, I believe. I-I don't understand. Who are you? Willow: We're friends. Buffy: F-friends of whom? Y-your dress... Everything is strange! How did I come to be here? Willow: Breathe, okay, breathe. You're gonna faint again. How are we supposed to get through this without the Slayer? Xander: What's a Slayer?

~~Buffy Episode #18: "Halloween" ~~

[Drabbles & Short Fiction]

Man Wonder (Xander/Giles, T) by drsquidlove

I Want Candy (Spike/Xander, T) by forsaken2003

Part of the Family (Buffy/Spike, Dawn, T) by Anonymous

Somthing Old, New Borrowed and Blue (Ensemble, T, SPN xover) by DreamingInColor

Curious Little Thing (Drusilla/Reader, T) by FiveBiFiveMind

With You (Jenny/Giles, T) by Bobbie23

Candy Corn Mischief (Buffy/Spike, E) by honeygirl51885

[Chaptered Fiction]

So Very Ch. 1-2/? (Buffy/Angel, M, multiple xovers) by AnyaChristinaJenkins

Kinktober 2023 Ch. 31/? (Buffy/Giles, E) by DancingAngel0013

hit rewind Ch. 14 (Buffy/Spike, M) by untiljanuary

Goodbye to Everything That I Knew Ch. 5 (Buffy/Spike, M) by My_Barbaric_Yawp

New York Ch. 1-3/43 (Giles/Xander, M) by drsquidlove

Kinktober 2023 Ch 31 (COMPLETE) (Buffy/GIles) by Skyson

Shadow Over Hellmouth Ch 96/264 (Ensemble, E) by Tuxedo_Mark

1632 Revello Drive CH. 1/? (Buffy/Willow, T) by A_Most_Sovereign_Lady

The Poet At The Door (or: Not Writ In The Stars) Ch. 8 (Spike/Drusilla, M) by Eyeballs_to_Entrails

What the Drabble?, Chapter 34 (Buffy/Spike, M) by VeroNyxK84

Once More With Feelings, Chapter 2 (Buffy/Spike, E) by Spikelover4ever

something wretched, something precious, Chapter 27-30 (Buffy/Spike, M) by LittleTayy

Icarus, Chapter 1 (Buffy/Spike, E) by HappyWhenItRains

In the Depths of October, Chapter 13 (Buffy/Spike, E) by acekoomboom, violettathepiratequeen

Forgiveness Doesn't Come Easy, Chapter 2 (Buffy/Spike, E) by slaymesoftly

Can We Keep Him?, Chapter 2 (Buffy/Spike, E) by Desicat

The Whole Point of Halloween , Chapter 1-2 (Buffy/Spike, M) by Dynamite

Startlingly Moral, Chapter 1 (Buffy/Spike, T) by acekoomboom

Autumnal Shorts, Chapter 30 (Buffy/Spike, M) by VeroNyxK84

[Images, Audio & Video]

Artwork:Happy Halloween!!! (Dark Willow) by jasonriv37

Cosplay:Slayer Halloween costume () by vouloir

Artwork:Buffy and Spike () by lialivingart

Video: JibJab video: Halloween Rap () by Double Dutchess

Artwork:Spike () by vampyrwaltz

Video: Honest Trailer for Buffy The Vampire Slayer () by Infamous-Lab-8136

[Reviews & Recaps]

PODCAST: Episode 1 - Chatter in the Caf by The Sunnydale Diaries

[Fandom Discussions]

Slayers Audio book by Multiple Authors

fun notice for patriotic fan while rewatching Beer Bad by Thin-Sleep-9524

Thoughts on Joyce by Quick_Surprise_1911

What does indirect sunlight actually do? by AnyNeck1885

Enjoying the scene by LGonthego

[Articles, Interviews, and Other News]

PUBLICATION: Spike & Dru Reunite in Slayers: A Buffyverse Story by Popverse

PUBLICATION: NYCC Interview: James Marsters & James Leary Talk 'Slayers: A Buffyverse Story' by The Cosmic Circus

PUBLICATION: NYCC Interview: Juliet Landau & Laya DeLeon Hayes Talk 'Slayers' by The Cosmic Circus

PUBLICATION: The Only Episode Of Buffy Where Joss Whedon Told Anthony Head To Do More, Not Less by Slash Film

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Join the editor team :)

[moviereviews101web]

Icarus (2017) Movie Review

Icarus – Movie Review ABC Film Challenge – Oscar Nominations – I Director: Bryan Fogel (The Dissident) Plot: When Bryan sets out to uncover the truth about doping in sports, a chance meeting with a Russian scientist transforms his story from a personal experiment into a geopolitical thriller. Runtime: 2 Hours There may be spoilers in the rest of the review Verdict on Icarus Icarus is a…

[the-gig-attender]

ZAYN, Los Angeles Power Disco

Date and Loc: Dec 8, O2 Edinburgh

Who: Zayn is Zayn from One Direction. He's appeared generally to not like being in One Direction. He is now four albums into a solo career - which he seems, at times, to have generally not liked that much either. There are signs that he's enjoying it slightly more now, which is why he's touring.

The question as to who LAPD are seems to be one you have to untangle. What appears to have happened is that a cult band called Cobra Man, who described their sound as 'L.A. Power Disco' and who were known for soundtracking skateboarding compilations, have broken up.

About a third of the band have pressed on, taking that LAPD tagline as their new moniker. The main guy from Cobra Man does not seem to be involved.

Why Am I here: I am here because Zayn solo is really underrated!

To break them down: Mind of Mine is a fantastically performed pop record, with beautiful production and vocals. I think it houses some of the best pop the 2010s, particularly 'It's You', 'Befour, 'Bordersz'. Icarus Falls was a catastrophic commercial flop but one I've never quite got my head around - it is a long album but a very sturdy, consistent one. Nobody Is Listening (which turned out to be aptly titled as it flopped) opens with a slightly dodgy rap but has otherwise aged very well. His latest is good too - a modest commercial comeback.

Across all these albums, there are only two songs (gates of hell, whatever track 1 on NIL is called) that I don't really rate. There's also been a pattern of quite sniffy reviews on release, only for the albums to get a bit more respect as time goes on.

Solo: Yes. I somewhat stood out. I'd say demographics were probably 85-90% female.

Was it good: Taking them in turn:

LAPD absolutely baffled me and prompted me to spend the bus ride home googling. As a programming fit for Zayn's music, just deeply strange. They're basically a *completely* straight-forward 80s AOR act. Like completely. Lyrics, pleather, hair, everything. Every note and aspect of production is 80s AOR. They sound like FM.

I had to piece it together after the gig: Basically, Cobra Man was an attempt to blend AOR with the lo-fo skater aesthetic. Listening to them on the ride home, they really reminded me of the band Haunt - who make straight-up heavy metal, very slightly on the glam side, but with a homespun, lo-fi kind of vibe.

I think something has been lost in the transition from Cobra Man to LAPD - any sense of edge or novelty. I think the modernisation of a very familiar sound has become more akin to recreation.

They're actually decent at it - it is a precise and detailed reconstruction, and the lead, i think someone called Sarah - has a very strong voice. If you were making a film, set in the 80s, about an AOR band, you'd want to cast these two.

It just feels very strange on the night. AOR was an intensely oversaturated niche, which has proven revival-proof even as every other trend ever has come in out of fashion. Closing my eyes during the performance - it felt like something you'd hear played over a montage of someone driving on a Vinegar Syndrome zero budget reissue of a shot-on-video 80s action film.

Opening for Zayn - who makes very earnest music - just feels strange. That they were at some point a skate-adjacent outfit made some sense of it, but I don't think that's quite what the band is anymore. But at the same time, whatever happened with Cobra Man is probably very fresh and maybe they've just not fully figured it out yet. As is - if nothing else - they'd be a perfect fit warming you up for an evening with John Corabi's dead daisies.

As for Zayn - four albums and 8+ years in the making, the tour is solid. He's a good singer - and frequently live actually pushes his vocal slightly further than the studio take. He has one of the best male voices in contemporary pop.

It's been an interesting ride. His albums have failed worse than you'd have thought possible in some respects - you'd think momentum alone would have compelled Icarus Falls to a higher chart peak than *77* in the UK - but the long and short of it is that he has a better body of work than any of his bandmates.

He has never toured as a solo artist before. You wouldn't have guessed. He is not a massive presence on stage, but he's not really trying to be. He has a bigger band than I was expecting (and all women, which is rare). The show is unfussy, very straight-forward, devoid of any theatricality whatsoever but tastefully presented.

It probably had a different vibe in London actually - the O2 Edinburgh is a kind of fascinating venue in some respects - it's almost exactly the same shape as the Barrowlands, probably the most beloved venue in Scotland, but is negative on vibes, rubbish acoustics. It is maybe the most basic, least romantic venue in central Scotland. And the bar is extortionate. But fundamentally I spent the evening standing about, listening to Zayn, and I moderately enjoyed myself.

I don't know what I'd have made of it if it'd been me hearing the songs for the first time - but there's something nice about finally hearing lives tunes I've been listening to consistently for the last eight years. And I respect too how just, on his own terms it is as a production. His fans are old enough now - just - to feel nostalgic. He is not interested in catering to it at all - the only nod to OD whatsoever is one circumstances pretty much forced him to take - a closing tribute to Liam, who is dead.

As someone who likes all his albums - my ideal setlist would be less heavy on the new cut and would dig deeper into Icarus in particular - I thought the two best moments of the night were quite deep cuts: 'Sweat', much warmer than the studio version, and 'Scripted'. The latter in particular is a beautiful song, beautifully performed.

'Pillowtalk' I think was the biggest departure, as an arrangement - given a more laid back, even gentle treatment. I think I miss the drama and sweep of the original cut - but it makes perhaps his least representative single feel of a piece with the more americana-adjacent sounds of his latest.

I'm curious as to what comes next - this'll mark either a belated start to a conventional solo career or it could be a farewell. I'm still hoping for the former.

[flowerbwrites]

The Red, White, and Royal Blue Movie

Yes this is a movie review, because I was so excited and so disappointed. If you liked the movie, you’re gonna want to skip this review. It’s for my own catharsis, not to start arguments.

If you didn’t like the movie and haven’t read the book - READ THE BOOK. Do not judge this book by its movie!

Keep reading if you want spoilers and my anguished thoughts about all this movie was lacking.

Let me start with: I think there was too much in the book for a movie to cover. Time was the biggest thing missing from the movie, it needed to be a series. If the Summer I Turned Pretty got a series, why was RWRB shoved into a movie? Disgraceful.

The director said he cut “anything that wasn’t about the boys and their love story”. Oh boy is that true! He took this book to a butcher shop and lobbed off 90% of it! If you cut what makes the boys who they are, I think you ruin the love story. A good romance should not JUST be about romance. The characters need to grow, they need to struggle and come to some new understanding of themselves in addition to falling in love.

So let’s start with what he cut, in order of what I was angriest about.

1. June. They cut Alex’s ENTIRE SISTER. She does not appear in the film, Alex is an only child. Gone is June’s struggle with journalism, her mom’s expectations, her mediation of the family drama. All eldest sister relatability. From the first few chapters of the book: Alex pushes them, June steadies them, and Nora keeps them honest. Without June, Alex is off the handle and unsteady. Without the White House Trio, you lose so much of what makes Alex Alex. It also makes this movie fail the Bechtel Test which is wild.

2. Alex coming to terms with his sexuality. Gone is his googling, his running, his trying to understand. Gone is “straight people probably don’t spend this much time convincing themselves they’re straight”. Gone is Alex pinning the iconic photo “if I die of AIDS forget burial just drop my body on the steps of the FDA”. Gone is the pining over magazines and Liam and Luna! No PowerPoint from his mother, no understanding, no learning.

3. Mental illness. There is no touching on Alex’s frenetic energy, habits of running himself ragged, conversations about self care. Gone is Henry’s grief and depression and moods. They cut “On purpose, I love him on purpose”! So much nuance of Henry’s character, all conversations about his dad except a throwaway line. I don’t even remember if they mention he is JAMES BOND’S son. Horrible. All Princess Diana parallels, all the real talk about grief and substance abuse and depression and loving someone with depression.

4. The divorce. That’s right, in the movie, Alex’s parents are still married! All of the content on the family dynamic, Alex trying to be so busy he didn’t care about the divorce, June trying to keep the peace, his mom trying to win re election as a divorced woman. Alex’s parents are really not very involved in the movie. It’s a shame because that was great detail about Alex.

5. Bea’s substance abuse. Also gone. All Henry’s paranoia about press because of that, his need to protect her, the important content about it. Bea gets to be in the movie but appears to be younger than Henry and has maybe three lines.

6. The politics. This is a wild one. But I really felt like they shoved the election in for five minutes at the end. They cut Luna, they cut Richards being a Trump stand in, they cut most of the political commentary in RWRB. In a movie about the presidents son.

7. Alex’s dreams. Without learning about Alex’s deep desire to help people, his tendencies to overwork himself, his dedication to politics, etc etc, he really just comes across as a dumb party boy. So much of Alex was lacking. He was not a boy burning too bright like he is in the books, no Icarus. And when he looks thirty, acting like he’s 21 comes across rough. I hated movie alex.

8. Henry’s mom. She is not in the movie at all. We never learn about her grief and she never gets to come alive to fight for her son. There is no family healing. There is nothing.

9. The slow burn. This movie moved SO FAST. They were making out twenty minutes in while I was waiting on my enemies to lovers content. That’s not the directors fault, again it needed more time. But it depresses me.

Other things the movie cut: Henry’s philanthropical dreams, most of the emails, the “history, huh” shirts, Phillip coming around to stand up for Henry, many of the nights out bonding.

Things they chose to include: the worst sex scene ever where they really make Henry say “I think we should make love” out loud and it’s so awkward. Too many sex scenes, not enough making out, not enough genuine bonding and falling in love.

Crushingly disappointing movie. The book covered so much content, touched on so many issues, and had characters that were so incredibly complex. The book sets us from the first chapter, where Alex wants a Shakespearen love, and delivers on epic romance that deserved to be painted in oil and hung in the White House. Don’t bother with the movie. I’m sorry Casey, but they butchered your boys.

Time for a re-read to remind myself I actually like Alex.

[panosatthemovies]

Icarus is a fascinating documentary about the doping scandal of the Russian Olympic team that has apparently been going on for years, and escalated during the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics, right before becoming public ahead of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games. What’s interesting is that the documentary began as an experiment by its creator to see if he’d perform better on illegal substances, and in the process, he discovered that them man coaching him was responsible for the biggest scandal in the world. So the story is a real thriller, with stakes that become bigger and bigger as we move to the dramatic finale. In the end, though, the film ends on a sad note as the international cover-up proves stronger than any investigation. Skype calls, hidden cameras and live footage give the story a real-time feel that at times feels too good to be true. Or actually, too bad that it’s true.

A-

Trailer: https://youtu.be/qXoRdSTrR-4

[icarusreading]

The Virgin Suicides (Sofia Coppola)-5/5 Stars

!!Spoilers Ahead!! (this is much less formal than La Chimera because this is my favorite movie ever and i have many thoughts)

Cast-5/5

Kirsten Dunst and AJ Cook my loves. My angels. They are so good. I think something that stood out to me that i’m not 100% sure was intentional was that all do the Lisbon sisters looked old/mature for their age while the majority of the boys (besides Trip…asshole…) looked young for their age. I just find that and interesting detail, intentional or not.

Also Trip was far too well casted. He is SO someone that i would’ve crushed on and been heartbroken by. I’m biased though because the longest crush i ever had was a Trip Fontaine lookalike and that did not work out for me.

(and Danny Devito making a brief cameo in this movie made me giggle the first time i watched it)

Plot-5/5

I think what makes this movie so interesting is how the viewer sees the girls. As a viewer, we’re being put into the eyes of the boys who are so heavily infatuated with them. So, we actually barely know a thing about the girls. We don’t know if what they said is how they said it, if there really were signs of their impending doom, because we’re getting all our information from a secondhand source. Had this been written in Lux or Mary’s perspective, i guarantee we would see the characters in a different light. and I think that’s why this has stuck with me.

Overall, I love the plot. I watched this movie at a difficult time in my life and it felt equally as haunting as it did comforting. I think if anything it’s a commentary on the male gaze. These girls weren’t a mystery to be investigated, they were just girls. I know i keep talking about the book when this is a movie review but I feel it’s important to mention how in the book, the girls are rarely ever described as human. Even in the movie, one of the first lines describes them as “creatures”. This whole plot centers around them being these weird, almost god like beings to the world around them. Everyone admired, no one knew them.

Score-1000/5

I think i’m Airs #1 listener on Spotify. Like actually, the soundtrack for this movie is one of my most listened to albums. Again, i’m not super well versed in this topic but I think it matched the movie very well. It gave an almost melancholic air to the film without being typical ‘sad’ music.

Cinematography-5/5

I love Sofia Coppola’s style of filming. I really do feel like she achieved making this movie feel nostalgic, because that’s what the story was to the narrators. I remember there being a lot of color in this movie but at the same time i felt like it was almost dull, like a faded memory. That’s really what it felt like to me, although I don’t even know how to fully describe how that was accomplished. It’s really stunning.

I liked how the girls were almost always filmed in groups, except for Lux. Lux is the girl that the boys most focused on. She was like a sex symbol to them, and I feel like she always stood out even when she was being filmed with the other sisters. She’s the most vibrant part of the memory the boys are trying to piece together.

Ending-4.5/5

The only problem i have with the ending of this movie is that they didn’t stay true to how Mary died!!! That part of the book felt so important because the Lisbons were living with a daughter that they already viewed as a corpse and although it was a more detail, it was what gutted me most at the end. Although i don’t hate that they didn’t add that in the film.

I liked especially how they mentioned that Lux was the last to go because it did feel like more of a full ending. Lux was the girl the boys knew the most about, and even then it was very superficial. They were most infatuated with her and when she was gone it closed that chapter (even if it was reopened later in the boys lives)

Favorite quote/scene-

‘Obviously, Doctor, you’ve never been a thirteen year old girl’

She was right. I was a 13 year old girl once and it sucked. But honestly i think this whole scene just sets the tone for the story. No one listened to any of them. We never know what truly went on in that house.

Final thoughts-

What i find so incredibly haunting about this movie is that we will never know what the Lisbon sisters were like. We saw them through the eyes of boys who knew nothing about them, saw them as a mystery to solve. I watched and read the book when i was in a very dark place myself and i connected to it to a point where it will always stick with me. The Lisbon sisters were never, and will never, be understood by those in their world. And yet i think to people who connect with their hardships and tragic endings are the ones that know them the most intimately.

Also. I have to say. When the girls were communicating through morse code and the boys thought they were saying “help, send bobo” THEY WERE SPELLING POPO. AS IN POLICE. that detail makes me so upset because it was RIGHT THERE.

divider credit: @strangergraphics-archive

[silenthillmutual]

Us (2019, dir. Jordan Peele)

don’t feel like bothering with 8tracks anymore so for the mix from now on, i’ll just do this:

thriller  michael jackson  |  americans  janelle monae  |  breezeblocks  alt-j *  |  people are strange  the doors  |  i’ve got no strings  andrews sisters & glenn miller orchestra  |  we are the world

* cw for murder depicted in the music video

all pics found using the ‘free to use / share / modify’ filter on google images sources under the cut:

mirror maze / caged rabbits / beach boardwalk tethered satellite / scissors / michael jackson’s thriller hand holding / ballet shoes / shattered glass

[speewackfilms]

Film Review | Icarus (2017)

Absolutely stunning. A director/cyclist sets out to do some PEDs and see what’s up... ends up being a key player in shedding the light on the Russian doping conspiracy going back 40+ years, including protecting and assisting the director of the lab at the center of everything. This is one of the best examples of how malleable and incredible doc filmmaking is - a master class in reality.

The story itself is heartbreaking for Grigory Rodchenkov - whistleblowing on an entire government and escaping for fear of his life. It’s inspiring, terrifying, and darkly beautiful. Seeing the Olympic committee move forward with allowing Russia to compete in Rio makes the entire story that much harder to watch. it’s crazy, y’all gotta check it out.

8 of 365.

4.5 out of 5.

[jacquelinemerritt]

Dragon Ball Z: Lord Slug Abridged Review

Originally posted December 1st, 2015

Excellent comedy combined with new insights into characters.

Lord Slug Abridged is a great example of how strong Team Four Star’s comedy and storytelling can be when they aren’t limited by the scope necessary for the long form. This abridged film is a riot, with great jokes coming at a rapid pace, and its pacing is just as strong, moving through the story deftly and quickly without ever losing its stride. The voice-work is also as good as ever, with MasakoX and Lanipator especially standing out as Goku and Piccolo. All this and the fact that Team Four Star manages to show us new sides to their characters make Lord Slug an excellent film.

Piccolo is the best example of how Team Four Star shows us new sides to their characters, as Lord Slug is the first time we get to see Piccolo being a pure, unadulterated badass. Piccolo, of course, has had his moments of badassery in the series so far, but here he’s allowed to really let loose, defeating Lord Slug’s minions with sheer brutality and snappy one-liners. Lanipator does an excellent job selling this new side of Piccolo, bringing out an intensity we haven’t seen in his character until now. What makes this more impressive though is the fact that Team Four Star never abandons their previous characterization of Piccolo for this badassery; Piccolo still takes a bullet for Gohan, and he also gives all his energy to Goku, ensuring Lord Slug’s defeat.

We also get to see new sides to both Chi Chi and Super Kami Guru. Chi Chi’s is only momentary, but it’s still incredibly satisfying to see her charge into battle and take down a couple goons (the joke about her having the fighting style of twelve menstrual kicks is pretty funny too, despite being a little sexist). Super Kami Guru’s other side is shown to us literally through Lord Slug, as he is meant to be his polar opposite. Team Four Star’s clever twist here though is in making Super Kami Guru the evil half, which begs the question, if the good half of this Namekian invaded earth and froze the planet, what worse could the evil half have done?

The last thing I want to mention about Lord Slug is its excellent music selection. Like “Bardock: Father of Goku,” Lord Slug incorporates music from a number of different sources, and while it lacks the clear theme of “Bardock,” its incorporation of John William’s Superman Theme, “What a Wonderful World,” and Disturbed all work together beautifully, either setting the mood for the scene or serving as clever punchlines. They even let the final blow to Lord Slug be dealt by the Andy Griffith Theme, and if that isn’t great music selection, then I don’t know what is.

Rating: 4.5/5

If you liked this review, please consider supporting me on Patreon.

Stray Observations

Yes, I know I called it a film, despite Team Four Star and the title calling it a movie. Get over it.

Icarus is so cute, and Gohan is so happy with him!

As the meteor approaches, Dr. Briefs is listening to “Don’t Wanna Miss A Thing” by Aerosmith. Clever gag, Team Four Star, clever gag.

“Look everyone, it’s Jesus’ death army! Something about what I said doesn’t sound right.”

The spokesman for Lord Slug’s army is WeeklyTubeShow doing an excellent Zap Brannigan impression.

Henchman: “Well, Lord Slug, it is my humble opinion, Lord Slug, that it will take three days, Lord Slug. Go Team Slug.”

Chi Chi: “Gohan, it’s Dragon-Icarus stew!” But… But… WHY?!?!

“Oh my god, are you Batman?” Nope. It’s Mr. Goddamn Piccolo.

Piccolo: “Hey, hey Gohan. You wanna do that thing where you get really mad and start beating the guy up? Gohan? Gohan? Don’t you f***ing ignore me.”

Goku: “Hey King Kai. My nipples are rigid right now.” King Kai: “That’s… Anyway…”

*squeak* Goku: “Why does everyone laugh when they do that? That’s my ribs crushing my lungs.” *squeaky*

Goku: “Sun, sun! Mr. Golden Sun, kill my enemies!”

Super Kami Guru: “Nail! Come and mail this for me.” Nail: “Sir, we don’t have a mail system.” Super Kami Guru: “Nail, gather the Dragonballs.”

[sabugabr]

"Eternals" is not a bad movie — it just doesn't look like a Marvel movie (2/2)

Continuing from part 1...

So, I discussed in part 1 about where I thought Eternals (2021) got its base material from and why I think that might have impacted on the movie concept, and now I'd like to talk about those bad reviews I mentioned before. But first, just to mention the thing we all agree on,

This movie is so absurdly stunning

Are you seeing all these parallels between colors and elements? It's almost outrageous

And that links to my first point (and no need to say, but there'll be A LOT OF SPOILERS ahead)...

"IT DOESN'T FEEL LIKE A MARVEL MOVIE"

Honestly, I saw this CBW review of how the opening scene was one of Marvel's "worst missteps", and I couldn't desagree more. The moment I saw that ship piercing through the sun, I was already breathless. It didn't look beautiful simply because the CGI was impecable, it looked beautiful because the concept of the scene was beautiful, and so, so intelligent.

When the ship blocks the sun, for this little moments we don't understand what is this rectangle appearing because the ship mixes perfecly with the dark space behind. It's smart.

And to my concept, I have never seen a Marvel movie with such beautiful cinematography (not even Black Panther). As this (curiously) other review from CBR stated,

"Fresh off her Academy Award for Nomadland, Zhao's film looks unlike anything else in the MCU — in the best way possible. It feels epic, but Zhao grounds its massive scope around the Eternals' action." [...] "There are also hints of lore and world-building in the film that might be among the most visually stunning sequences in the entire decade-plus franchise"

I almost forgot I was watching a Marvel movie.

And maybe, cinematic beauty aside, that might have been one of the things that made people feel odd about it. Because, honestly, Marvel movies tend to have a reasonably straightforward direction? If a character is talking, the camera points to that character very cleanly, scenes usually cut or when the dialogue ends or when they drop the punchline... it's not common for them to have, you know, that very fine editing.

Eternals had.

Even in aspects that I thought would never work, Chloé Zhao manages to deliver. Like for example, Ikaris is always blocking the sun. And it's not once, or twice, but SEVERAL times.

When that happens, it's like a constant reminder of who this character is, what story he came from. They might be having epic fights or modern dialogue, but then the blockage comes along and you're reminded that "oh yeah, this is not just Rob Stark in the MCU, this is Icarus, from that story where he flies too close to the sun."

And it's not just in the direction (or in its slightly ironic ending where he literally flies to the Sun) that the parallel with the myth becomes evident: Ikaris' entire narrative revolves around being captivated (and blinded) by something greater than himself. In Greek mythology, Icarus is a metaphor (and hence an archetypal construction) that symbolizes hubris. And Hubris is exactly what defines Ikaris' arc in Eternals.

"Literary interpretation has found in the myth the structure and consequence of personal over-ambition." [...] "In psychology, there have been synthetic studies of the Icarus complex with respect to the alleged relationship between fascination for fire, enuresis, high ambition, and ascensionism." source

The Icarus Complex is also apointed in narcissistic traits, and Seth Godin (source) will point out how Icarus had to struggle both with the danger of flying too high close to the sun (and therefore taking a risk) or flying too low close to the water (in a false sense of security). I mean, that's it. That's Ikaris' plot.

The same effect can be achieved when we se for example Sersi in green. Not only on her clothes (which derives from the comics, of course), but on her lighting, on the elements she interacts with during the movie, all is evocative of plants and nature.

Sersi, of course, is based on Circe, a figure from Greek mythology known to be a herbologist witch who, with her magical plant concoctions, turned men into animals. In the Odyssey, she directly related to the subject of disguises and the occult. From the Middle Ages onwards, Circe came to be associated not only with witches but with fairies: greenish beings who trick men into devouring them, and there are scholars who see in Circe a possible syncretism with the figure of Morgan Le Fay. (source)

While in the comics Sersi can be easily associated with the "man-eater", sexual liberated and feminist figure that is culturally attributed to Circe, in Eternals she is closer to her syncretism of nature. She is shown to be nurturing, wise and temperate; a very good herbologist witch: Jon Snow (yes I'll call him that sue me p.3) more than once calls her "a wizard", so the movie is constantly not only by cinematography but also by dialogue evoking "green", "plants", "witch" around Sersi.

And you can even strech the film parallels with Circe's post-Victorian feminist interpretation, where writers such as Augusta Webster will understand Circe as someone who "does not turn men into pigs—she merely takes away the disguise that makes them seem human." (source) Circe has here a deep understanding of human nature. Fitting, huh?

But you got the point and I'm already stretching a lot, and if I'm not stopped I'd be page after page only in character analysis (don't even get me started on Makkari), so moving on (and next ones will be shorter, I swear)...

"IT IS TOO CONFUSING"

So, I saw a lot of comments following this line: too many characters, too many plots, going back and forth in time made the film's linearity confusing, the flashbacks came out of nowhere, there wasn't enough explanation over the characters, etc etc. AND I GET WHERE THEY ARE COMING FROM. But I also think that this aligns with the archetype thing.

Maybe I am biased on this subject, because I already knew those characters and the major storyline, so to me it was pretty easy to follow up, but even so, I think the movie has made very clear the myths those charaters were representing, and the conflicts to me were very well-explained. The movie followed the established themes from the beginning, and no dialogue was loose: everything that was said had some relevance for understanding world-building and the themes of the story.

For example, early on we see Sersi giving a class on predators in the wild; she asks the kids what a alpha-predator is, and predatory relationships between species as an evolutionary tool is the theme of the film's main conflict; from beginning to end. Not only that, but the arguments raised by both the leader of the Deviants and Ikaris follow the lines of that class: what is "natural" and what is not.

But as I said, I understand that it may have been too much information alltogether or too many characters, and that Eternals relies a lot on pre-established constructions of the imaginary (like the mention of Peter Pan and others for example), but I genuinely liked that the movie was made like that, and that it didn't chewed up its references for us. But that's really just my take on it.

"IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN A SERIES, NOT A MOVIE"

I SAW SOME COMMENTS LIKE THIS AND THIS GOT ME BY SURPRISE BECAUSE usually I'm the first to agree with telling comic arcs as tv series? But in this case, I'll stand by the movie format simply because I think this movie looks better on the big screen. I wouldn't be as impacted as I was with the scenes if I were watching them in my living room, you know?

"THE VILLAIN PLOT-TWIST CAME OUT OF NOWHERE"

THIS ONE APPEARED A LOT AS WELL. And, honestly, to me this one is just funny. People were all complaining that Ikaris being "evil" was not well-built, but ... I mean, kind of was???

First, he is not downright evil, he just have very strong opinions that are kind of bad depending on your point of view that were stated since the beginning and he just... followed them. Call him a supremacist but you can't say the man is a hypocrite.

And second, the reason I find this one funny is because Ikaris is VERY toxic. Since he first appeared, the man's being pretty much a walking red flag.

LOOK AT HIS FACE FOR GOD'S SAKE he is the perfect image of the abusive ex that no one believes is ac abusive. And this was even funnier because I realized it kind of in the middle of the movie, you know? After the idk 15th red flag But I was watching it with my sister (who is straight) and she said she knew the moment he appeared in that scene above, that he was bad news. A woman in front of us commented to her male friend afterwards "Man, he was giving all the signs!!??". And he really was.

He was always toxic, and arrogant, and narcissistic, and full of hubris, especially towards Sersi.

The reason a lot of people didn't realize it was probably because we are used to this kind of behavior and "speeches" being portrayed as romantic, and idealistic, and ultimately being rewarded. We just aren't used, I think, to a good-looking white guy being framed as toxic because he is toxic. I mean, Rob Stark of all guys???? Just unacceptable.

And this leads us to...

"BUT IKARIS AND SERSI HAVE NO CHEMISTRY!!!"

You see, I know that Zhao and the cast talked a lot about how this movie was Marvel's first "love-focused" movie, and we saw the trailer and thought "oh yes, of course, it's Ikaris and Sersi because it has lasted ages and they are the main couple and sex scene and stuff, yes, that must be it."? I REALLY THINK WE WERE FOOLED THERE.

Because, I really don't think we are supposed to ship Ikaris and Sersi. Quite the opposite, actually. This is my take, of course, but first, he is an asshole, and second, I think the only reason the movie shows so much of their history is for us to understand where they both are coming from. Their relationship was very important to both of them, but I think the love the movie talks about is what, at the end, they choose to fight for. As Thena says in that dialogue that featured the trailer, you protect what you love, and Sersi has loved Earth since the moment she saw it.

And we have to see her history with Ikaris to see why it meant so much when she moved on from him. Because she chooses Earth, not him. Actually, she doesn't even cheat on Jon Snow, nor anything like that, she is not compassionate with Ikaris solemnly because she is in love with him, she does so because that's just the kind of person she is.

And there were a lot of comments like, "Oh, Sersi and Ikaris are the main couple but they don't have 1/100 of the chemistry Makkari and Druig have in 10 seconds of screentime"

BUT WELL, OF COURSE?????

You see, Makkari and Druig just have the best chemistry in ever MCU movie ever and yes I'll stand by that sorry Stucky, so I mean, even if Ikaris and Sersi were meant to be a couple... BUT ANYWAY

"SERSI IS LESS OF A PROTAGONIST AND MORE OF AN OBSERVER"

I saw this a one lot too. Several people criticized how "passive" Sersi was as a protagonist. And ok, she doesn't really go around being all girlboss and hitting monsters or something. But by no means this makes her "passive".

We also need to take into account that this movie, first, is the first movie from the Eternals universe (which like the comics, is quite separate from the rest of the Marvel events), so it was much more important to define paths to be followed than necessarily developing these paths right away (I think); and second, as in Gaiman's comic, the film is resolved with the choice of dialogue. The film ends with the start of a trial. It makes perfect, and complete sense that Sersi is an observant character, because ultimately, her judgment will define the next events.

Sersi's judgment choices guide the entire film. It is crutial that important information is revealed to her because when we see her immediately going to share what she has discovered with others, we can understand a lot of her character. She takes actions aiming at the least possible harm, she thinks before doing anything, she has temperance. She's not a leader, but hey, it's just the first movie. She doesn't just moves from the insecurity she felt from always following Ajax and Ikaris to suddenly becoming a great leader with developed decision-making skills in a 40 minute-span because things don't necessarily have to happen so fast in a story that's just started.

Honestly, I really liked her. I was completely captivated by all the characters in this movie, especially the female ones, and I'm genuinely relieved that we got a protagonist that can be a protagonist without having to be a badass.

And we got a badass who was also vulnerable and had like, a personality????

SHE WAS A BADASS BUT SHE WAS ALSO JUST SO CUTE???? Maybe I'm talking alone here, but Thena petting that iguana made my heart go all warmy.

But back on track, to last but not least...

"THERE'S NO DEVELOPMENT"

This one I'll put together in the sack of "they were following some of Gaiman's ideas" and "this is just the first movie and they had to contextualize the characters and the world building first", but also I think (hope) that might have been on purpose becase as I mentioned before, one of the central themes of the film is predatory relationships between species and how this leads to their evolution. And as revealed in the movie, the Eternals were created to be incapable of evolving. They are, in a way, perfect co-workers, machines that manage to work harmoniously following orders as effectively as possible.

But some of them are starting to change: Ajax changes her mind throughout the film. She not only disobeys an order, she actively changes her mind. Sprite, too, chooses to become human, to change, because she "spent a lot of time with humans and she wants to know what is like to grow up". I could be wrong, but I think eventually humans' relationship to evolution will be better worked on. Because, you see, both Ajax and Sprite are the ones the movie describes as the ones who spent the most time effectively embedded in varied human societies. But we'll see.

OH, AND A QUICK ADD-ON

"WHY DIDN'T THEY HELP AGAINS THANOS"

So, they literally explained it. I ac thought it was really smart how they put Jon Snow in the same position Tony Stark fills in the Gaiman comics, as the human who is lost in the middle of chaos. And as our human rep, he immediately asks the question we've all been asking ourselves, and I genuinely think the answer makes sense?

That's not what they came for. This is the Eternals' thing. As I said before, they follow orders. Thanos is not a Deviant, dot. And as for "oh, but he delayed the Awakening so they should have stopped Thanos", they had no explicit orders to do so, and only two of them knew about the Awakening anyway, so... It's not, and it doesn't have to be any more complicated than that.

It's a superhero movie and honestly I've seen much more absurd, unexplained things happening in superheroes movies (and yes, Endgame, I am looking at you and your confused timelines and absurd events and plot holes and damn Steve Rogers just going back on time for no reason and no logic explanation other than no homo) and this critics being all chill over it.

At least that's what I think.

SO, IN CONCLUSION

I really liked Eternals. Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that is WOW the most complext and sofisticaded artistic movie, no. It's just a great superhero movie, that honestly made me feel good while watching it. I'm not a huge fan of explosions and super action scenes, so this movie actually felt fresher to me. I love mythology and old stories and I could see those stories there on screen, and I think people who also like those things deserve to have a superhero movie they can watch and root for just as well.

And yes, it is HUGE to have a diverse cast, and minorities on-screen. Just in my country, Brazil, interest in learning sign language grew by an average of 250% after the premiere of this movie (source). For the first time, I could see in a Marvel movie a superhero having a LGBT family, such as the one I will have one day, so my kids will be able to see parents as their own on-screen (I'm here just quietly rooting for the lesbians to come Marvel pls). As I said, we had diverse female charaters with diverse personalities and motivations, we had characters of different ethnicities, and different accents, and diverse body types, and this is HUGE.

And as I think I could discourse at least a little in this post, there's nothing really that "badly made" in Eternals. The plot is coherent, the linearity is good, they follow the comics plot quite faithfully given the circumstances, the dialogues are great, the acting is beyond great, the cinematography is wonderful, the movie is smart. So why does it still have an 47 score at Rotten Tomatoes?

I know I ranted a little over Endgame there above, but honestly, Endgame was a mess. Edgame was confusing, and had a lot of characters, and was so long, and didn't follow the logics that the movie itself had established. And honestly, that's ok, I don't hate Endgame, but if those are aspects that critics take into account, why does Edgame have a 94 score? Why does Endgame is called "an espetacle" and Eternals is called "pompous"?

Of course Endgame was the last movie, Eternos is the first, etc etc, this is just an example. But these are theoretically technical critics. Why are there things that bother them in Eternals and not in Endgame? Or in any other Marvel movie, since Eternals is currently the worst-reviewed Marvel movie? Even worse then Thor: The Dark World. Thor: The Dark World, guys.

And of course we all know the answer. But still, God... This is nerve-wracking. I did expect to find disgusting, racist, homophobic people ranting about this movie online, but not on oficial platforms, as professional critics. And I can only hope this doesn't stop them from making more movies like this.

Of course I want the standart Marvel superheroes movies as well, but it's nice to have something different every now and then, you know? Something Gaiman-ish.

But anyway, this was my angrier and more informal (but just as long, sorry) take on this, please forgive me if I was rude at any point, or anything like that!!! Feel free, as always, to desagree with me, it'll be most welcome!

And as always, thank you so much for reading!!!

[albertonykus]

Doraemon Movie Review: Nobita and the Winged Braves (2001)

What is Doraemon? The title character of the Doraemon manga and anime is a blue robotic cat from the 22nd Century who keeps an array of high-tech gadgets in a portable pocket dimension on his belly, and has traveled from the future to improve the fortunes of a hapless schoolboy named Nobita. Although relatively obscure in the English-speaking world, Doraemon is a Mickey-Mouse-level cultural icon in East Asia (and some other regions, too). The Doraemon franchise was a big part of my childhood, and there are still elements of it that I enjoy now.

Doraemon has released theatrical films almost annually since 1980, most of which involve Nobita and his friends (kind Shizuka, brash Gian, and crafty Suneo) getting swept into adventures thanks to Doraemon's gadgets. Despite being of potentially broad appeal to fans of science fiction and animated films, there are very few English reviews of the Doraemon movies, so I'm embarking on a project to write about all the films that have come out so far. Good luck to me…

Movie premise: Nobita and his friends stumble across a portal leading to a land inhabited by bird people.

My spoiler-free take: A fun movie that unfortunately has an unpolished feel to its plot.

POTENTIAL SPOILERS AFTER THIS POINT

Review: This is unquestionably an exciting film to watch, with the race sequence partway through and the final struggle against the main threat being particular highlights. The concept of a bird civilization is also of special interest to me, of course. However, I’ve long thought that the story lacks a sense of coherence in following the plot threads that it introduces.

One of the most obvious examples of this is that the primary villain becomes a non-entity as soon as his plan goes sideways and a greater threat appears. He is not even given a cameo appearance or a passing mention when all is said and done. Does he still retain his leadership position in the bird military? Has his perspective changed at all as a result of this incident? The movie does not say.

Then there’s the character of Icarus the eagle-man, who is built up as a legendary figure in bird society. When he finally enters the story in the flesh, he proceeds to spend his screentime accomplishing... not very much. Nearly all of his contributions probably could have been written out of the film with little difficulty. Even the reveal that he’s the biological father of the protagonists’ new friend, Gusuke, amounts to almost no narrative importance (and is never disclosed to the main characters or to Gusuke himself).

I also felt that there were many missed opportunities with the portrayal of the bird civilization. To be fair, it’s more fleshed out than the animal society from Nobita and the Animal Planet, but not by a whole lot. Even a few more relatively basic references to real-world bird biology could have enhanced the worldbuilding—why not have the owl professor be nocturnal? (One scene shows him working at night, but in an “academic doing late-night research” kind of way.) There’s no shortage of interesting elements in bird physiology and behavior to draw from that could have made the bird people much more than simply “flying humans that hatch from eggs”. (Why yes, I am a degreed bird biologist overthinking a children’s anime...)

In addition, it would have been nice to see the main characters display quirks and abilities based on the Bird Hats that they wear to blend into bird society. At one point, Gian is shown to require a running take-off because he is wearing an albatross hat. I would have liked to see more moments like that. (Ironically, this is something that Nobita and the Animal Planet did better.)

(The movie poster is actually non-indicative on this front—in the film proper, the protagonists gain traits of specific types of birds depending on the hats they wear. They don’t all just grow generic “angel wings”.)

As a final observation: the main threat ends up getting sent to the beginning of time, which has to be one of the most horrifying fates for any antagonist in a Doraemon movie. Perhaps only the ultimate defeat of the villain in Nobita Drifts in the Universe could compete in that regard.

Star rating: ★★★☆☆

[castingcall]

  CASTINGCALL  ,   he smiled understandingly ⸺  much more than   understandingly.    it was one of those   rare smiles    with a quality of eternal reassurance in it ,  that you may come across four or five times in life.   now starring ,  lincoln becker.

                     𝐈.   filmography.    𝐈𝐈.   pinterest.    𝐈𝐈𝐈.   connections.

critic review :   icarus flew too close to the sun ,  believing is seeing ,  hit it until it breaks ,  hawthorne effect ,  mortification of the flesh ,  are you in a film or in reality?

𝐀𝐂𝐓 𝐈. 𝐒𝐂𝐄𝐍𝐄 𝐈. ( tw: undiagnosed illness )

born in chicago, illinois with a past as questionable as his acting abilities according to some film critics who will not be named as they do not deserve further attention. the moral framework of his family was shattered from the time he could recall a first memory. irene, his mother, a waitress and immigrant from greece ( and a contestant on the 1979 miss greece beauty contest ) had whisked him away before he knew his father — a man she would paint as someone of questionable principles and moral rot. the monster under the bed. a man who didn’t want to be a father.    the mythical man.

irene’s accounts of her marriage were based on delusions, figments of her imagination, that had ranged from a cheating husband to wildly outlandish beliefs, paranoia and unsettled emotions. instability not only with her past marriage, but with every relationship formed in her life; subsequently lincoln’s as well — the lingering symptom and the very reason he spent years in search of the man who he knew only by way of an unreliable narrator.

a troubled youth acting out against every relocation, reinvented identity, and new ‘ father figure ’ brought home, and there were many, lincoln managed to have himself thrown out of every school in which he was enrolled in. characteristically, to everything done in spite of irene, he was met with various comments about how he was, “ just like his father, ” which built up that fantasy of his father in his head, an idealistic version of the man.

england would be claimed as irene’s utopia. packed bags and an uprooted life for another man, another life and new career, this time lincoln was almost eleven and irene’s utopia lasted six months. at the age of fifteen, he picked up boxing to earn some money; this money making idea however, ended up getting him a broken nose, a scarred lip, and several broken knuckle.

to the dismay of lincoln, and bright idea of irene’s newest boyfriend, he was sent back to the states and enrolled into the military academy at seventeen but later, as was expected, was expelled for insubordination.

𝐀𝐂𝐓 𝐈𝐈. 𝐒𝐂𝐄𝐍𝐄 𝐈.

after which, at nineteen, he’d moved to california, where he’d started the search for his father, someone who’d allegedly had some connection to the hollywood scene years ago. to make ends meet, he and his roommate at the time, someone who was trying to build a career in the show business as an actor, used to hold bare-knuckle boxing matches in their apartment. the fights wouldn’t end until someone passed out.

and thus, his exposure to the hollywood scene. a stunt coordinator happened to stumble upon one and within a few months time lincoln was on a film set. stunts eventually turned into the additional extra or small speaking part when needed . . . and eventually acting roles. always action films. his stunt work on a series of action heavy films with the same director as the previous 2008 bond film, quantum of solace, gave him a foot in the door. the rest was fate.

an ill-timed contract error with the previous 007 actor and a studio about to lose millions made way for a controversial pick for the 2012 bond film, skyfall. lincoln’s age at the time rivaled george lazenby in what the studio assumed would follow timothy dalton’s bond timeline, two films, maybe three to finish off the story before another recast. he was polarizing, loved or hated and not just due to his time in england chalked up to age eleven to seventeen but his age and some would say acting abilities.

wasn’t he just a glorified stuntman? his recognition grew and as far as acting goes, he stuck to the suspense and action films, but of course his biggest credit has been bond ( only having done three instead of six because he hadn’t been under contract at the time ) . but despite all of the success found in the film industry, the reason he came hadn’t been fulfilled and he still hasn’t found peace in that. recently, there has been talk that he might return to stunt work alone if no contract is finalized for the role of bond.

inspo : buster keaton , icarus , driver ( 2011 ) , marlon brando , jay gatsby , cliff booth

𝐁𝐄𝐇𝐈𝐍𝐃 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐒𝐂𝐄𝐍𝐄𝐒

he has a book collection despite never reading much, all gifted from various people and he’s never one rejected such a gift.

his imdb has more stunt work compared to acting, the early 2000′s comprised of stunts and a stunt double for a notable actor at the time.

accent wise it leans muddled english or not quite standard american depending on who is asked, but he has a presser accent for anything press related

refused to pick a more marketable name to go by in case his father ever found him

filmography to be edited but most notably from the end of 2003 - 2009 he was primarily credited for stunt work / stunt doubles and minor acting roles. 

examples : public enemies ( 2009 ) as pretty boy floyd + stunts , inception ( 2010 ) as eames , warrior ( 2011 ) as tommy conlon , skyfall ( 2012 ) as james bond , gangster squad ( 2013 ) ,  sin city: a dame to kill for ( 2014 ) as johnny , spectre ( 2015 ) as james bond , no time to die ( 2021 ) as james bond , death on the nile ( 2022 ) simon doyle