#Spielberg deliver us

[datshitrandom]

‘Maybe Happy Ending’ Review: For Robots, Is It Love or Just a Hookup? by Jesse Green

"The same applies to the acting, which is daring enough to tell the robot story yet not so extreme as to obscure the human one. Criss, who has sometimes seemed stiff onstage, is especially fine here, delivering a startlingly gestural performance, all tics and glitches, that never obscures the true feeling within. The trap of twee is thus thoroughly avoided. And Shen, making a confident Broadway debut, similarly backfills Claire’s facade of wit and smart-girl impatience with the surprise and pain of newfound affection. Though she also sings, as Criss does, divinely, their singing is never an end in itself; it is how we feel that their story is ours. And when their duets become trios with Duron’s Gil Brentley, we understand just how powerful popular music can be: It has given these robots hearts." [..] "A good question for robots and, as posed by this astonishing musical, maybe the most deeply human one of all."

‘Maybe Happy Ending’ Review: Broadway’s Deeply Moving Robot Musical, Starring Darren Criss, Teaches Us How to Be Human by Christian Lewis

"Both Criss and Shen give excellent, very different performances. As an older model, Criss is purposefully more robotic: angled arms, stiff neck, straight spine, minimal facial expressions. His commitment to the physicality is remarkable and impressive — you might only fully appreciate it during curtain call, when he walks and emotes normally. He is the stronger singer of the pair, but his roboticness, though true to character, can make him slightly harder to connect to. (His silent-film star makeup, by Suki Tsujimoto, is also distracting.) Shen, on the other hand, feels practically human, and there’s more pathos to her pained performance, especially in her awareness of her own impending mortality." [...] “Maybe Happy Ending” is an undeniably moving, well-made, adorable musical, and it is a pleasant surprise to see an audience weep at a show about two robots in love. The musical makes the bold claim that maybe we are not that different from robots after all, or that they are not that different from us. Just as robots have much to learn from humans, we in turn can learn from them, especially how to care for each other and for ourselves. It’s crucial to know when you need to charge your battery, but likewise it’s important to be willing to share that charger with someone in need."

‘Maybe Happy Ending’ Broadway Review: Darren Criss And Helen J Shen Delight As Lovestruck Androids Dreaming Of Electric Cheek by Greg Evans

"It takes a special type of theatrical talent, one loaded with heart and wit and insight, to imbue something that looks like an Apple MagSafe iPhone Charger with more romantic appeal than a decade’s worth of Valentines Day chocolates, but that’s just what the creators and performers of the delightful musical Maybe Happy Ending have achieved." [...] "Featuring marvelous performances from Darren Criss and Helen J Shen as two obsolete “helperbots” retired to rooms in a sort of well-appointed robot hospice center – think those all-the-rage tiny houses as if designed by Pee-wee Herman – Maybe Happy Ending is set outside Seoul at some point later in this century. It’s a world that seems distant enough to quality for sci-fi, but familiar enough to look like that eye-candy Mid Century Modern furniture catalogue you got in the mail last week."

‘Maybe Happy Ending’ Broadway Review: Definitely a Big Hit Starring Darren Criss by Robert Hofler

"Oliver is an older model, so Criss delivers a lot of robotic mannerisms — there’s a distinct jerkiness to his gestures and gait, his speech sometimes emphasizes the wrong syllable. All and all, Oliver is a remarkable achievement and brings to mind Haley Joel Osment’s David in Stephen Spielberg’s “A.I.,” if that boy robot had ever been able to grow up." [...] "More than delivering big, Arden knows how and when to hold back to make the audience a participant. His direction never fails to activate the imagination."

Review: ‘Maybe Happy Ending’ Is the Best New Musical on Broadway by Tim Teeman 

"The show begins with Claire requiring a battery recharge, so knocks on the door of neighboring retired robot Oliver. He takes so long opening the door when he does so it is to her frozen, temporarily without-power figure. A nervy, very particular robot himself (whose most intimate relationship is with his houseplant HwaBoon), Oliver doesn’t know what to do. Criss plays him with the coiffed handsomeness of a K-pop star and the stiff gait and easily-rattled manner of C-3PO (he has the added skill of really knowing how to decorate a small studio space)." [...] "Criss erupts with puppyish excitement and panicked worry, while Shen gives Claire a defiant edge that co-exists with a resigned fatalism." [...] "In the end, you are not only rooting for Claire and Oliver, but also for them recognizing the intricately weird routes we take to figure out what and who we love, and what and how we feel as we do so. For a musical about robots, Maybe Happy Ending is a very human show about not just the value of connection, but also the life-saving, heart-expanding importance of us recognizing that value."

Maybe Happy Ending: Beguiling Musical Charmer from Korea by Michael Sommers

"The performances of Darren Criss as the chipper Oliver and Helen J Shen as the clear-eyed Claire are not so utterly adorable as to be cloying, but they are pretty adorable anyway. Dressed by designer Clint Ramos in cute boy-bot duds, Criss’ slightly androgynous looks suit Oliver’s character, whose movement reveals subtly robotic gestures. Making an auspicious Broadway debut, Shen gives her sensible Claire a warm voice and presence. Another newcomer, Dez Duron looks sharp and sounds dreamy as the big band singer. Marcus Choi, Arden Cho, Jim Kaplan and Young Mazino ably depict various people throughout the story." [...] "Lately there’s been audience complaint – if chat boards can be believed – how some recent Broadway musicals blast out hellishly loud, banging music. Maybe Happy Ending is surely the balm for any such feelings, since its sometimes jazz-inflected score is orchestrated gently for mostly strings, keyboard and woodwinds with exceptional grace by the composer."

Darren Criss in a robot rom-com that will fly you to the moon by Naveen Kumar

"Their single-occupancy apartments are the vision of urban loneliness. Flashbacks to the cozy but bleak self-sufficiency of solo pandemic-era isolationare inevitable for some of us when Darren Criss, who plays a model No. 3 named Oliver, sings an ode to the world within his room. (I’m not saying I also sang to my favorite plant, but I’m not saying I didn’t.) Part toy box and part hypermodern studio, Oliver’s is a space for maintenance and introspection. Claire, a more-advanced model No. 5 played by Helen J. Shen, comes knocking because her charger is busted and she needs some juice. (Newer models have advantages, but Oliver is quick to point out sacrifices in durability.) Oliver, who inherited his owner’s appreciation for Duke Ellington and Bill Evans, moves like a graceful marionette; Claire carries herself like a regular girl next door. There’s an offbeat ease to their chemistry, and Criss and Shen are both lovely singers with an unshowy confidence that’s become all-too rare." [...] "The Broadway debut benefits from the swells of self-reflection many of us have waded through in the meantime — about what makes us who we are, why we want to be with each other and how long any of this is really going to last. Whether anyone’s ending turns out happily or not, at least we have the choice to be together."

‘Maybe Happy Ending’ review: Darren Criss shines in one of the best musicals in years by Patrick Ryan

"[...] Criss, on Broadway for a fourth time, is delightful as the eager-to-please Oliver, whose sunny outlook gets clouded by the sobering realities of life. Portraying a fish out of water, one could easily overdo the robot’s wide-eyed wonderment and stiff, mechanical movements. But the “Glee” star is smartly subtle, deftly landing many of the show’s funniest punchlines and sight gags. (In a clever bit of stage magic, Oliver briefly short-circuits and smokes up after nervously downing a cocktail.) " [...] “Maybe Happy Ending” is undoubtedly the most original musical to grace Broadway since 2022’s “Kimberly Akimbo,” another small story with big ideas and even bigger emotions. With gentle humor and pathos, Park and Aronson manage to tap into the most human of questions: Is it still worthwhile to love, knowing that pain and loss are inevitable? "It’s the kind of show that’s hardwired to make you cry. But judging by the resounding sniffles from our audience, there’s nothing artificial about this rare, tender gift of a musical."

MAYBE HAPPY ENDING: A Visionary Ode to Emotion — Review by Juan A. Ramirez

"The story concerns Oliver (Darren Criss) and Claire (Helen J Shen), two “helper-bots” residing in a sort of purgatorial dorm for obsolete technology in near-future Seoul. Oliver is all bright smiles, perfectly gelled hair, and a ‘50s sense of politeness, which gives Criss a chance to play into his own squeaky-clean persona, and wring humanity out of a Kabuki-level performance of surface sheen. (Clint Ramos did costumes; Craig Franklin Miller hair; Suki Tsujimoto makeup.) He’s spent the past decade or so mindlessly amassing stuff he gets delivered, poring over the Jazz Monthly subscription his owner left him, and hoping he’ll one day return for him. " [...] "[...] One becomes aware, throughout its lush 100 minutes, of what a humbly groundbreaking experience is unfolding onstage. This is a very special show; a tender, visionary ode to the space we’re able to create and hold for feeling, and the hope that it may continue."

‘Maybe Happy Ending’ Review: Robot Love by Dan Rubins

"[...] Arden deploys a series of theatrical gestures too breathtaking to spoil here. It’s stagecraft that illuminates the musical’s messages about the value of looking up and outward from our devices while simultaneously pointing towards theater’s unique ability to transcend technological bells and whistles in the service of a more natural, unadorned beauty. Criss and Shen, too, turn the slightest of touches into electric connection. Criss, expert at gluing a not-quite-human grin to his face and circling Oliver’s apartment with mechanical grace, lets his rigid, aloof character gradually thaw out. He inherits a century-spanning tradition of musical theater characters, from Marian Paroo to Henry Higgins, slowly shedding their tough exteriors, unleashing a bottled-up potential for passion, though Oliver just happens to be a literal robot. Shen, charmingly kooky off-Broadway in Teeth and The Lonely Few earlier this year, makes an explosive Broadway debut as Claire: Only 24, she has a preternatural gift for marrying the tender and the deadpan. Both do Aronson’s music, which he orchestrates himself with a richness that deliberately belies the HelperBots’s artificialness, full justice." [...] "[...] But a musical made as well as Maybe Happy Ending deserves to be with us for some time to come."

Maybe Happy Ending review: Darren Criss is effortlessly charming in a visually dazzling romance between robots by Shania Russell 

"Shen and Criss share an easy chemistry as Claire and Oliver, a mismatched pair who delight with their charming interactions. As the older model, Oliver is the more robotic of the two, an amusing distinction for which Criss nails the physical comedy. Oliver is gleefully stilted where Claire is natural and relaxed. Together they are playful, his sass matching her snark, his optimism complementing her jaded outlook. Despite the perpetual pep in his step, it's Oliver whose path forward seems unclear, as Claire embraces the potential offered by the time that remains to her. From that push and pull emerges a constant, endearing tension." [...] "Despite Oliver’s earnest nature — familiar territory for the Glee alum — Criss is not the one stealing the show. Charming as Oliver’s pronounced quirks are, his interiority feels as though its held at arms length — especially when compared to Claire, whose fraught emotionality pulls focus courtesy of Shen’s moving performance. Oliver may have his optimism challenged and his nerves tested, but he remains much the same, clinging to life’s simple joys. Alas, charm goes a long way. Criss is often his most compelling when given a character with edge (his stint as the titular East German rocker in Hedwig and the Angry Inch or his Emmy-winning turn in The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story) but here he is charming, spirited and wonderfully funny." [...] "[...] There’s nothing robotic about this production: it wears its heart on its sleeve and on charm alone, succeeds"

Review: Maybe Happy Ending With Darren Criss and Helen J Shen, a Balm for Trying Times by David Gordon

"From his stiffly humorous movement (choreographed by Moni Yakim) to the unblinking sincerity in his delivery, Criss is immensely impressive as he captures the discreetly emotional essence of this outdated bot. His tightly coiffed hair (styled by Craig Franklin Miller) and shellacked makeup (Suki Tsujimoto) go a long way in helping him bring us to an uncanny valley that’s legitimately freaky. Shen is effortlessly charming, infusing Claire with a shy humor that makes her utterly lovable. Together, they share such easy chemistry that you find yourself rooting for these two lonely robots to be together forever." [...] "Despite its flaws, Maybe Happy Ending exudes an undeniable charm and warmth, which sets it apart from many other new Broadway musicals these days that go for bombast over emotion. Refreshingly original, this story about two robots who, for a brief moment, meet each other halfway, becomes a poignant celebration of finding connections in an ephemeral world. It’s a comforting reminder that love and friendship, however temporary, make the journey worthwhile."

Maybe Happy Ending. These are the robots you're looking for by Adam Feldman

"In a Broadway landscape dominated by loud adaptations of pre-existing IP, Maybe Happy Ending stands out for both its intimacy and its originality. Arden and his actors approach the material with a delicate touch; they trust the romantic comedy to be charming, which it is, and let the wistfulness emerge naturally. In the faint artificiality of both his movement and his appearance–pale face, neat dark hair, red lips, high-waisted pants—Criss’s Oliver endearingly evokes the silent-film clown Buster Keaton. (He also sometimes suggests a neurodivergent adult.) Shen’s more naturalistic Claire—she’s a Helperbot Five; he’s just a Helpbot Three—has a winsome, Eponine-y combination of pluck, resignation and piercing pop-vocal emotion." [...] "Can a show as strange and special as Maybe Happy Ending find a place for itself on Broadway today? I like to think that maybe it can. But as the show reminds us, everything is ephemeral: “We have a shelf life, you know that,” says Claire. “It’s the way that it has to be.” The fact that this show is casting its firefly glow on Broadway at all feels like a gift. In its gentle robot way, it helps us see ourselves through freshly brushed eyes."

Maybe Happy Ending review: heart-grabbing robot Broadway musical by Adrian Horton

"This refreshingly original musical, first staged in Seoul in 2016 and directed here by Michael Arden (most recently of Broadway’s excellent Parade revival), makes swift work of time and space; sheer layers of digital displays (video design by George Reeve), impressively constructed modular sets (scenic design and additional video design by Dane Laffrey) and Criss’s rote movements succinctly illustrate the patter and (robot) heartbreak of Oliver’s daily routine over 12 years in the Helperbot Yards, waiting for an owner who never comes back." [...] "[...] Criss’s at first overtly physical performance – the startled, staccato movements and jerkiness of a machine – settles along with Clarie’s scorn into beloved familiarity over the course of the show’s 1 hour and 45 minutes. Both robots struggle with their obsolescence and hard drive memories of past humans, and the strange tale kicks into gear once they hit the road as reluctant buddies in a quest for answers." [...] "Which may hit one’s hardened soul – it did mine, a bit – while still pulling some punches. You will likely leave without a song stuck in your head, but with a lump in your throat nonetheless."

‘Maybe Happy Ending’ review: Romantic robot musical is glorious on Broadway — really by Johnny Oleksinski

"The sublime start of “Maybe Happy Ending” is the closest I have ever come to experiencing a Pixar movie on Broadway. Oliver, a lonely robot played by Darren Criss, goes through his usual daily routine — over and over and over again." [...] "This big swing of a musical wouldn’t work without the perfectly tuned performances of Criss and Shen. These roles could easily be twee and irksome — they are anything but. Criss’ Oliver is a smiley mix of J. Pierpont Finch from “How To Succeed” and Pee-Wee Herman with a bit of earnest boy next door. He’s a bucket of bolts with a heart of gold."

When Robots Meet Cute: Maybe Happy Ending by Sara Holdren

"Park and Aronson get a lot of mileage out of the pair trading barbs over their different model types — one of the most genuinely funny bits involves Claire recalling a function by which the Helperbot 3 must respond with “You’re welcome” any time someone says “Thank you” — and it’s all very Threes Are From Mars and Fives Are From Venus. It’s a little easy, but the show’s not trying to be hard, and Shen and Criss are the ones who make it work. Shen especially is a delight to watch, with an open, emotive face full of quicksilver expressions and a tartness that can turn explosive when she needs it to. “You just said it was my turn!” she roars at one point during a shared song in which Oliver keeps blithely noodling over her. It is — another requisite of the genre — #relatable." [...] “Why, love?” croons Gil Brentley from Oliver’s record player. “Why did we bother to try love? … When all things end in good-bye, love, / Why did we dream that this fate would not be ours?” If you find yourself cruising the streamers at night, sipping chamomile tea and searching for Sliding Doors and Sweet November and French Kiss, then Maybe Happy Ending is waiting for you."

[motocorsas]

hey everybody, i've put together a digest/summary of an article Mat Oxley published in Roadracing World back in January. i have notes on everything each manufacturer has been working on in the off-season, though the article doesn't cover the qatar and sepang tests.

ktm's carbon fiber chassis:

save weight

save large amounts of production time, allowing for more experimentation

stiffness is easier to measure and experiment

miller testified that the grip is better (though binder disagrees), and more power would complement the build

ktm's carbon fiber swingarm is "almost indestructible compared to the aluminium swingarm we used before!", says technical manager Sebastian Risse. the article notes that the manufacturer is also set apart from other factories because of its commitment to make and use bespoke parts, with its own suspension system instead of one modeled on Öhlins parts.

aprilia's aero improvements:

follow a similar model to ducati, using ground-effect devices to generate grip at high lean angles. the wheel covers and swingarm-mounted ducts essentially create a downward suction while the bike is pitched over, reducing sideforce and improving grip.

the gas tank is under the seat for some reason?

braking still needs work though -- the RS-GP has come far in the last 2 years, but struggles more at stop-and-go tracks and favors sweeping, curvy ones. chief engineer Romano Albesiano does note that the bike performed well at Spielberg last year, meaning the braking has been improving, but still has a long way to go. "the way the ducati slows down is unbelievable. we cannot stop like that, even though we use bigger discs. i don't know if ducatis stop by using aero or what..."

honda:

mir says he's "very happy". okay.

he says that front grip has finally improved and that the longer bike allows for more feeling.

the bike is lighter and functions well on used tires

yamaha:

since the engine is an inline 4 and not a v4, it delivers power differently, and often worse.

less power = less aerodynamic downforce = more wheelies = more drag = even less acceleration

the new aero gives less wheelie and new engine produces higher top speed

top speed isn't at all enough to bring the team to the front, but mathematically, yamaha was able to produce higher speeds than any other team during testing. now what they need is to improve rear grip and power delivery; the latter of which will likely require switching to a v4.

ducati:

secret weapon isn't power or top speed, it's traction. the bike is better than any other on corner exit because it can generate so much grip

aero is obviously part of the magic, so the new bodywork design may explain the improvements

pecco asked for more maneuverability

2022 bike was better on entry but would shake on exit, 2023 is the opposite. pecco wants best of both worlds

ducati has a reputation of just winning based off pure power, but that's obviously not the whole story. all these bikes are powerful, but delivery and traction are really the name of the game. hopefully the new concessions rules will allow other teams to try and work up to ducati's level, likely by testing insane new aero as much as possible.

[itzrafee]

The Bikeriders isn't for everyone. At least in the beginning. Hell, I'd love to meet the people it is for. But slowly, as you buy into this world, you start to see it. Why this raucous counterculture could be appealing. You see it, at first, through the eye's of Jodie Comer's Kathy. Something hostile and aggressive, hellbent on making you feel uncomfortable. But then, as she's on the back of Benny's bike and as you hear the roar, something kindles in you. A stirring. Maybe the first embers of understanding. And as the other bikes ride along side them, the camera shaking violently at times and at others steady as can be, it starts to burn as you see that appeal. As you start to feel as they do.

And that's the magic of Jeff Nichols. He makes you understand what his character's are feeling in a way... only one other filmmaker is able to. Looking at his filmography you kind of get a clue who this other filmmaker might be. A hint. Because among these grounded stories of Americana, you have an aberration. Something that seems a little different. In Midnight Special, you see who Jeff Nichols has the potential to be. Who he could succeed. Because Midnight Special makes that connection to Steven Spielberg crystal clear. It makes you sit up and see how Jeff Nichols sees his characters. That soft backlighting and gentle hold on them as they emote. The subject matter and the interactions they have. How they're blocked on screen and the depth his scenes have. But more than anything, his style is the only evolution of Spielberg's style of holding on awestruck faces that works in modern cinema. Because Jeff Nichols understands, much like Spielberg understands, how his actors faces help us understand and connect with the story. But unlike Spielberg, where at times the actors exist solely as tools to convey an idea, cutting soon after, Nichols holds. Nichols holds as we understand what his characters are going through. As we understand what they feel. As we understand what they're thinking. And then he holds for a second more as that thought evolves. As people swallow their spit or bite their lip or look away from the camera. Nichols melts the background away until all that exists is just you and the character.

And boy does that just work when you have actors like the ones in The Bikeriders. Jodie Comer is a vision in this movie, her turn rivalling that of Marisa Tomei in My Cousin Vinny. The movie turns around Kathy as much as it does Benny. Kathy feigns ignorance at times despite understanding all of the original Vandals more than they understood themselves. It's why that introduction of all of the newer faces hits even harder. Kathy doesn't know them and as a result neither do we. But the ones we do know take our breath away. Tom Hardy's Johnny is this all too real portrayal of a man stuck between the need to belong and the greed of owning the things you can never have. The latter of which is personified by that hubcap stealing punk that later rolls up whereas the former by Benny. Austin Butler's Benny is the picture of freedom of the 60's. Unchained yet longing to belong to something. His flighty eyes dance around the whole movie until they don't.

And rounding it out, in this actor's director's cast, are a who's who of character actors, lead by the Nichols stalwart of Michael Shannon, who delivers the gut punch in the middle of the gut punch as they sit around the fire and he blurts out the thing they've all heard. Something that feels almost like spelling out the movie itself but then, when you look across the actors faces, you see that Nichols trademark. You see why it doesn't matter if anybody had said anything. You can read it across their faces clearer than you could ever hear Shannon.

And as it hurtles towards that conclusion you start to see why the movie is the way it is. Somewhat disconnected, disjointed, flung across the years. Because it tells of time and change. Of how that institution of America changed and grew away from it's people just as the Vandal's did from Johnny. You hear it in Mike Faist's characters journey between the years. You see it in Kathy's homes. And you feel it in the people that change. As Funny Sonny sits outside of a theatre and welcomes people into Easy Rider you see that change in the medium you're watching it through as well. Time is fragmentary. Days and hours at a time will be cemented into your memory only to be followed by events months or years later, these disjointed events forming a narrative in your mind held together only by the way you you see the world. The Bikeriders dives back into memory to tell us that story in the only way it can, through moments and through people.

[thatscarletflycatcher]

Glass Onion is a fun movie. It promises a fun, colorful, campy homage/parody of the murder mystery genre, and it delivers exactly that. Clearing that bar (delivering what is promised) is both a bare minimum and something that projects on the areas of my interest have failed to clear for the past few years.

So, yeah, I watched Glass Onion and I enjoyed it very much. After about a day of letting the experience sink in, I think I can understand both the passionate praise and the passionate loathing. For the most part.

Glass Onion is a sequel to Knives Out, and as first sequels go, it's pretty good. It's not the exact same story of the last one, but with different characters, even if there are similarities (i.e. the working class main heroine), and just that makes it better than at least half of every sequel I have ever watched. But it's also not as good as Knives Out. It's definitely NOT better. It's not terrible, it's not a huge drop in quality, but it isn't as good.

While Knives Out has a good pacing, where the rhythm of the story starts slow and mounts higher and higher towards the ending, Glass Onion has a very slow beginning, only really starting to pick up about the 45 minute mark (in a movie that is 2 hours and 20 minutes long, I really think they could have shaved 20 minutes off the beginning of the film and it would have made for a tighter experience). We get a few minutes of big tension and then it slows down again to fill us in on the backstory (here I feel Rian Johnson's infatuation with plot twists is a drawback; considering the twin sister plot is very cliched -which is fine in a story that hinges around the most obvious explanations being right- I feel the story would have benefited from the audience knowing from the get go that Helen was posing as Cassandra. It would have been more traditional, but it would have added much to the initial tension, proverbial bomb under the table and all). The climax and ending of the movie IS long, but I think that is fine because it is focusing on the catharsis we are experiencing vicariously through Helen (this is one of the reasons why I will forever defend Steven Spielberg's War of the Worlds. Sometimes a movie can be just about catharsis, and if it delivers that, then it hasn't failed. I digress).

Characters. While both the characters of Knives Out and Glass Onion are rich entitled assholes, there's a variety and richness to the ones in the former that is absent in the latter. Harlan's family in KO shares their heavy dependence on his money, but in different ways. Harlan's daughter possesses more depth of feeling and strength of character than his son. The son is resentful because he's a little man. The daughter in law and the son in law are both leeches, but their ways of facing life and their relationship to the family are very different. The Gen Z grandchildren are radically opposite in their political views, but both engage in completely performative forms of activism. Ransom's attitude serves a completely different form of dishonesty and laziness than the rest.

In Glass Onion... the assholes are just stock characters. Very much like the game Clue that the movie pokes fun at, they are the scientist, the senator, the passé diva, the overworked secretary, the trashy entrepeneur and his trophy wife. They are all opportunistic, worthless assholes, but there's little to differentiate them and justify their inclusion other than filling the screen and adding star power. What does make the difference, character wise, between Peg and Whiskey? What does Lionel really want out of the money and power he seeks? What has Claire of distinctive other than wearing beige?

Speaking of which, costumes. They are fun, eye catching and suited to the characters... for the most part. We get that Claire is beige, we don't need to have her LITERALLY wear only beige all the time. You can throw some white and navy blue or black in the mix and you'll still get the message across without making it cartoonish. Benoit Blanc! Look, his costumes are a lot of fun, but I have a hard time believing the man who dressed in the most plain and boring colors possible in Knives Out just dresses like that in summer. I'm certainly not demanding he wears only neutrals, but Glass Onion!Blanc gives the vibes of someone that would dress in winter as the male version of Linda.

Glass Onion is not a perfect movie. But it remembers that light is an essential part of film (the sequence under the lighthouse lighting is beautiful) and in that way it looks classy. It remembers that plot holes and inconsistencies need to be papered over instead of highlighted: the plot of the movie hinges on Cassandra being both a good reader of human nature (knowing which people will connect well with other people) and a terrible reader of human nature (the email is one of the most stupid moves conceivable), a clever, foreseeing entrepreneur (she was the one to have the brilliant concept of Alpha that made Bron a billionaire) and a person who cannot look ahead to the future (she doesn't ensure she has a paper trail that supports her intellectual property in the company, even living in a post social-network world). The movie is aware of this, so it heavily moves the focus onto Helen and her revenge quest. It remembers that audiences would rather be pandered to than abused and belittled (YMMV as to how much the "burn the rich" message can ring as genuine in a 40 million dollar movie or as just panem et circenses). It remembers that satire needs to make the caricature of the satirized recognizable and realistic enough, and that a movie in a genre is indebted to the genre and cannot act like it has invented it (I'm staring at you, Don't Worry Darling, on both accounts). It understands that attention to detail can elevate mediocre material and that people do notice, even if they cannot articulate it (this goes from the infamous Starbucks coffee cup on the set of GoT to the absurd carelessness and sameness of late MCU productions).

And that is, sadly, nowadays, a somewhat tall order to fulfill. So I understand why people are going crazy over this movie. I also understand why that irritates the hell out of others.

In the end, Glass Onion is a fun movie. And that was enough for me.

[capsarcastica]

Beetlejuice Beetlejuice Review

The long-awaited sequel has a lot to enjoy and a lot of problems keeping it from greatness. Original film fans will enjoy the returning characters and their progression, but the story is a mess.

The three returning actors are all terrific. Michael Keaton is the obvious standout. Like his return as Batman in The Flash, he slips back into the role like he never left. He brings all that same energy that made the role so iconic to begin with. I like how Delia and Lydia's characters are progressed. Catherine O'Hara still has that yuppie narcissism from the original but is has more of a softer side. Winona Ryder plays a similar mother to her Stranger Things role just with a goth side.

I'm disappointed with how the movie handled Charles Deetz. I get Jeffrey Jones wasn't going to return due to his legal issues, but the character was one of the good guys. This movie goes out of its way to disrespect Jones that it hurts Charles with an over-the-top death. It doesn't help that the movie similarly killed off Astrid's father also off-screen in another over-the-top way, almost like the movie has a thing against fathers.

Of the new characters, Jenna Ortega's Astrid has it best even if it's too close to her Wednesday Addams role. She has the most story and character development from doubting the events of the first movie to meeting a boy her age and then getting swept up in the supernatural. I wish the movie focused more on that, instead it gets lost in the sea of other subplots. I don't know why every single legacy sequel has to turn the original characters into bad parents whose kids hate them, but it has become an annoying cliche that Hollywood needs to stop.

The other new actors do what they can, but their characters aren't given much to do. Willem Dafoe's actor turned afterlife cop is lots of fun, but could have been written out and not be missed. The rest are pretty one-note. It's telling when Bob, a voiceless character with a shrunken head, is more interesting to watch than Lydia's boyfriend or Beetlejuice's ex-wife.

The main problem is that there are simply too many stories going on and none of them tie together in the end. And it spends too much time in the zany afterlife rather than living world. The first film had a simple plot and only used the afterlife sparingly. This film feels like several episodes of the animated series mashed together. Individual stories are fun but too often disappear for long stretches while it develops another. Besides concluding at the same physical location, none have much to do with the each other. There are also times a scene will just go on too long, like Charles' funeral or the wedding musical number. Someone should have exorcised the excess from the script.

Tim Burton continues killing it as Hollywood's most visually distinct director. Just like the first, the living world is a Norman Rockwell painting come to life while the afterlife is German expressionism pushed to the extreme. The cartoon's influence may have hurt the story but not the visuals. I also love how the visual effects continue that classic stop-motion look of the original rather than obvious CGI as it maintains continuity between films, something I wish the last two Ghostbuster movies did more of.

Danny Elfman delivers another knockout score. There's just something extra special when he does a Tim Burton movie, like when John Williams works with Stephen Spielberg. Just like Batman Returns, Elfman keeps the main themes every fan loves while also bringing something new. The 70s pop songs are fun, though they don't quite hit the same as the original film's use of Harry Belafonte.

Like Deadpool and Wolverine, there's too much good stuff to just dismiss the movie as a pointless sequel but too many problems to equal the original. I certainly enjoyed it enough that I wish there would be a third film coming soon, but also too much wasted potential to be memorable thirty years later like the first.

[freudianblunders]

A Man Escaped, 1956

“I’d rather people feel a film before understanding it.” — Robert Bresson

A Man Escaped (Un condamné à mort s'est échappé) is one of the finest prison escape films, masterfully executed with suspense that grips the viewer from start to finish. Few films have made me feel so strongly for the characters.

Bresson’s minimalist masterpiece tells the story of a French Resistance fighter imprisoned by the Nazis, based on the real-life memoir of André Devigny, a prisoner in Montluc prison in Lyon in 1943. This notorious prison was used by the Gestapo to detain and punish captured resistance members and Jews. Significantly, Bresson himself had been a prisoner during World War II.

“I was able to call on my experience as a prisoner of war. My impressions, my sensations, how I felt interacting with my German guards and jailers—I tried to put it all in the film.” – Robert Bresson.

Bresson is inventive, precise, and uncompromising. His use of fragmented frames and tightly focused shots suspends time, creating incredible tension. There is no soundtrack, only concise manipulation of sound with the imagery. There are no acclaimed actors, choosing realism over performance. Every scene is essential, characterized by simplicity and economy, yet delivering profound ideas and emotions. No wonder that A Man Escaped still remains a pinnacle of French cinema. Jean-Luc Godard once said of Bresson: "He is to French cinema what Dostoyevsky is to the Russian novel."

You might wonder, why should we watch a film released 68 years ago? I believe, in any art form, you must study the masters of the past if you want to further your understanding in your own time. The more you allow yourself to watch and enjoy the works of the old masters, the more inspiration you will have to draw from. At the same time, for all the aspiring filmmakers, it’s important to have interests beyond the artform of cinema or you will just continue to make derivative work.

The "movie brats" of the 70s—Spielberg, Coppola, Scorsese, De Palma—studied films from the 30s, 40s, and 50s before they could produce the groundbreaking work they did. In a career spanning more than 40 years, Bresson completed only 13 feature films, yet each one is an artistic triumph. Of all his films, A Man Escaped should be required viewing for film students and cinephiles alike.

[danortizdigital]

Creative Review 06

Here's a quick look back at the Creative happenings and hot topics of the week.

#CreativeReview is a one-stop cheat sheet of everything that happened this week in the digital media world - it's a weekly summary for creatives, written by creatives and it’s a free/quick read with no registration and we won't add you to some annoying list that's impossible to unsubscribe to promise.

Trailer Beat

Apple TV+; June 28

Idris Elba, Archie Punjabi

Told in real-time, Hijack is a tense thriller that follows the journey of a hijacked plane as it makes its way to London over a seven-hour flight, and as authorities on the ground scramble for answers.

Sony Pictures, In theaters June 23

Jennifer Lawrence, Andrew Feldman, Matthew Broderick

Maddie (Lawrence) thinks she’s found the answer to her financial troubles when she discovers an intriguing job listing: wealthy helicopter parents looking for someone to "date" their introverted 19-year-old son, Percy, and bring him out of his shell before he leaves for college. But awkward Percy proves to be more of a challenge than she expected, and time is running out. She has one summer to make him a man or lose it all.

Warner Bros. Pictures, In theaters December 25

Taraji P. Henson, Danielle Brooks, Colman Domingo, Corey Hawkins, Halle Bailey, H.E.R., Fantasia Barrino

A remake of the classic film showcasing the extraordinary sisterhood of three women who share one unbreakable bond in “The Color Purple.” This new take on the beloved classic is directed by Blitz Bazawule (“Black Is King,” “The Burial of Kojo”) and produced by Oprah Winfrey, Steven Spielberg, Scott Sanders, and Quincy Jones.

Social Media Tips & Resources

Brandy Johnson breaks down some helpful social media tips this week:

How to Find your target audience and enhance your social media strategy on Instagram

Understanding Instagram's Algorithm for Beginners

Instagram's algorithm is pivotal in determining what content users see on their feeds. It constantly evolves to provide a personalized and engaging experience for individuals.

👉Here's an analysis of Instagram's algorithm and its key components:

✅Engagement: The algorithm prioritizes content that generates high levels of engagement, such as likes, comments, saves, and shares.

✅Relevance: It analyzes post engagement, search history, and user interactions to understand preferences and deliver personalized content.

✅Relationships: The algorithm prioritizes content from accounts that a user frequently engages with, including posts from friends, family, and accounts they interact with regularly.

✅Recency: Instagram aims to provide users with the most recent posts to keep them up to date with the latest content.

✅Usage: The algorithm considers how often a user opens the app, the duration of their sessions, and the types of content they engage with.

✅Following: The algorithm considers the accounts users follow and their content. If a user follows accounts with similar content themes, Instagram is more likely to show them related posts.

✅Explore Page: The Explore page, powered by the algorithm, offers personalized recommendations to users based on their interests and interactions. It showcases content from accounts that users may not follow but align with their preferences.

Here are a few key takeaways:

🔥Focus on creating engaging content that sparks conversations and encourages interactions from your audience.

🔥Nurture relationships with your followers by engaging with their content and responding to comments.

🔥Post consistently to maintain a presence and increase the chances of your content being seen.

🔥Use relevant hashtags to expand your reach and connect with users interested in your niche.

🔥Experiment with different content formats, such as videos, Stories, and carousels, to keep your audience engaged.

🔥Monitor your analytics to gain insights into what types of content perform best and adjust your strategy accordingly.

Creative Showcase

Abu Dhabi: One Summer Isn't Enough

As the Emirate states recover from a COVID-influenced downturn in tourism, it’s intriguing to see how Abu Dhabi’s Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi) is positioning the UAE’s capital city.

DCT is achieving this positioning through its “One Summer Isn’t Enough” campaign. The seasonal campaign has launched across 12 markets under the Experience Abu Dhabi destination brand, with a series of vibrant and light-hearted spots that showcase Abu Dhabi as the best place to experience summer highlighting a diverse range of indoor experiences, unmissable events, and unbeatable summer offers, and the emirate’s wide range of indoor attractions will ensure that visitors stay cool and comfortable.

Liquid Death: Recycled Plastic Surgery Center

Ozempic Queen or Buccal Fat Removal? Regardless of how you identify, Liquid Death is clearly playing into the beauty trends of the moment by focusing their latest campaign on plastic recycling, or rather, Plastic Surgery Recycling in a new spot starring Whitney Cummings.

Most recycling facilities send our plastic to landfills or oceans because it’s not actually profitable to recycle. So what should we do with all of this plastic trash? Introducing the Liquid Death Recycled Plastic Surgery Center. A revolutionary new approach to useless plastic garbage.

Learn more at: http://liquiddeath.com/plasticsurgery

McDonald’s “Sí Pica o No Pica”

McDonald’s is asking Gen Z fans “Sí Pica o No Pica” with its newest Spicy Menu campaign helmed by Colombian American director Victoria Rivera and produced by SLMBR PRTY in collaboration with Alma.

Rivera’s approach captured the candid opinions and reactions of a diverse cast of Gen Z friends as they try out the McSpicy sandwiches and Chicken McNuggets® in various environments.

The free-flowing conversations among the friends provide honest and unscripted reactions to the level of spiciness, with ad-libs in Spanglish polling their friends for their opinions on the spice level.

Goody: A different sauce for every artist صلصة غير لكل فنان

In food brand Goody’s latest campaign, pasta is their canvas, in which consumers can express themselves to come out with a masterpiece/painting.

Goody will accompany passionate foodies with a rich range of pasta sauces to help them shine, and add a sprinkle to their Artistic masterpieces, each carrying an artistic story of their own.

Don’t Eat the Homies: Nature is a runway

Birkman Agency took the concept of an ordinary runway and flipped it on its head to promote the athletic brand, Don’t Eat the Homies, by embracing the wild and untamed beauty of the great outdoors. Birkman & team hit the trails armed with a treadmill, models ready to strut their stuff, and a whole lot of 80s spirit.

Heineken Champions Cup Final Arrivals Billboard

Heineken helped a Leinster superfan send a message to Stade Rochelais ahead of the Heineken Champions Cup Final in Dublin.

Heineken believes the bigger the rivalry, the better the rugby. That’s never been truer than this weekend as Leinster Rugby took on reigning champions Stade Rochelais in the final of the Heineken® Champions Cup in the Aviva Stadium, Dublin.

After losing to La Rochelle in the final last year, Leinster will be doing everything in their power to get the win and secure their fifth Heineken Cup. And so will their fans, it seems.

Heineken Ireland made superfan Colin Fennessy’s dream come true by helping him paint his cheeky message to La Rochelle Head Coach Ronan O’Gara (or ROG as he’s known locally) at scale in Ballyboughal Airfield, located right next to Dublin airport.

��Never too late to turn the plane around, ROG!” is big enough to be read from 30,000 ft and will be visible to all planes flying into Dublin on the La Rochelle flight path this weekend.

The message from Colin was picked up as part of Heineken’s Love Rivalry campaign where fans were invited to send cheeky voice messages to the opposing team on match day.

The mammoth message measures 15M X 10M and was created with *eco-friendly paint. The message is designed to be the first thing rugby fans see on their approach to Dublin City.

LeBron James x Taco Bell: Taco Tuesday

The trademark on the phrase “Taco Tuesday” is really burning Taco Bell and LeBron James’ burritos. Now, the two have joined forces to combat the interdict on the use of the moniker in marketing material.

In a new ad, LeBron James laments being bleeped in a candid vertical video where he shouts, “It’s Taco Tuesday!” as he continues to be bleeped throughout the ad—but he’s grateful Taco Bell is doing something about it.

[xtruss]

Why Parents Still Try to Ban ‘The Color Purple’ in Schools

Four decades after it was released, Alice Walker’s enduring classic remains at the forefront of the battle over what is available on library shelves.

— By Erin Blakemore | August 22, 2023

Alice Walker reads from her Pulitzer Prize- and National Book Award-winning novel, The Color Purple. Since it was first published in 1982, the critically acclaimed book has been targeted by movements pushing to censor the book's subject matter. Photograph By Johnny Crawford, Atlanta Journal-Constitution/AP

When Alice Walker’s The Color Purple hit bookshelves in 1982, it blew away critics, became a nationwide bestseller, and endeared itself to readers who found pain and inspiration in its pages.

But in the years since its publication, the acclaimed novel has become famous for another reason: It’s one of the most challenged books in the nation, withstanding criticisms aimed at its depictions of race and sex, its portrayal of abuse and agony, and even its spelling and style.

Here’s how The Color Purple became one of the nation’s most banned books—and why it continues igniting controversy to this day.

“A Spiritual Experience”

Walker, who grew up in Jim Crow-era Georgia, described writing the book as a “spiritual experience” inspired by the strength and grit of the Black Southern women she made her heroines. The epistolary epic follows 40 years in the lives of its main characters Celie, Shug, and Nettie, who survive incest, domestic abuse, and racism in the early twentieth century—all while carving out joy, independence, and dignity along the way.

When it was released in 1982, the book immediately caught the attention of both the critics and the reading public, who praised the book for its portrayals of both the brutality and sorrow of racism and sexual violence and its celebration of Black women.

It was critically acclaimed, winning both the Pulitzer Prize and National Book Award for 1983, and inspired a popular 1985 film directed by Stephen Spielberg and starring Whoopi Goldberg and Oprah Winfrey.

Banning ‘Purple’

But something else accompanied the novel as its renown grew: controversy. Though educators recognized the book’s potential as a teaching tool, some parents and community members objected to its presence in school curriculums and libraries.

The first major attempt to ban the book occurred in 1984, when a parent petitioned against its use in an Oakland, California classroom. In a 1985 essay, Walker recalled reading frequent updates on “how the banning was coming along” and watching the book’s sales skyrocket.

“I felt I had written the book as a gift to the people. All of them,” Walker wrote. “If they wanted it, let them fight to keep it, as I had to fight to deliver it.”

Fight they did. Though the Oakland schools ultimately decided not to remove the book from classrooms, the book has consistently been challenged nationwide since its publication, repeatedly making it on the American Library Association’s list of most frequently challenged books.

Why Parents Challenge the Book

Attempts to ban The Color Purple usually contest Walker’s use of slang and profanity, the book’s portrayal of brutal Black men, a same-sex encounter between the two main characters, and its depiction of sexual violence in its first pages.

“One can eat from a cafeteria or a dumpster…but one would hope those placed in charge of our children would have exercised better oversight,” wrote one parent in a characteristic 2013 challenge in Brunswick County, North Carolina. (The book has survived multiple attempted bans in the Brunswick County school district.)

But the same pages that provoke ire in some have inspired others.

Oprah Winfrey, who endured sexual abuse as a child, later recalled reading the first page of The Color Purple “and thinking ‘Oh God, I’m not alone.’” After Winfrey co-starred in the first movie adaptation of the film, she began talking about her own experiences on her talk show.

TV historians now credit the self-disclosures inspired by Walker’s book with helping Winfrey develop her winning confessional interview format.

Modern Attempts to Ban the Novel

Efforts to ban The Color Purple have continued during a recent wave of attempted book bans.

In 2022, the American Library Association documented over 1,200 attempts to ban or restrict library materials—double the number of challenges from the previous year—and most of which attempted to remove multiple titles from shelves.

Among them was The Color Purple, which was removed from library shelves in Florida’s Indian County School District at the request of a parent group that objected to 156 of the books on school shelves, claiming the books contain everything from pornography to critical race theory. Though the district’s school board declined to ban The Color Purple, it did remove five of the other books on the list and approve a permission slip allowing parents to restrict their child’s use of school library books.

With news of an upcoming movie adaptation of the acclaimed musical based on the book, The Color Purple is poised to regain the national spotlight. Only time will tell if the movie will spark more challenges—but for now, the legacy of a book one 1982 reviewer called “indelibly affecting” is secure.

To date, the book has sold over 5 million copies—a number sure to rise as a new generation meets its heroines.

[newx-menfan]

X-23 #3 Review 

*Spoilers*

The issue starts with Laura reflecting on Kimura and having a HUGE Logan retcon in flashback (🙄).

Kimura checks Laura’s injury’s by literally reaching in her chest ala “Temple of Doom” style (but without the cool Spielberg kitchy-ness…) and sprays her again with the chemical that blocks her healing factor.

Laura tells Kimura to just kill her, but Kimura tells Laura that someone (coughforshadow!cough) is paying big money to keep her alive and to have her return to working for the Facility. Laura says the Facility was destroyed, but Kimura rebuttals that there’s always something like it that is gonna be around (it’s kind of surprising Laura is shocked after the “Predator X” drama honestly…but I don’t think Schultz even bothered to read “New X-Men”…so…).

Kimura takes Laura on a tour and while looking at suppliers filling “MGH” (Mutant Growth Hormone); we get a call back to “NYX” and why Laura ended up being exploited as a sex slave (this series has a TON of NYX callbacks!). 

We find out the workers are addicted to MGH and that’s why they are working for the Facility 2.0 and we eatch one of them pass out from an overdose.

Kimura asks her a question about why her foot claws don’t make noise when she walks (hands down the funniest/weirdest moment of the series) and seems genuinely surprised that Laura does not desire this life; that she does not desire to be a hero.

Taunting her about her heroics, Kimura then shows Laura where they take the unconscious workers.

Laura attacks Kimura after seeing them in hospital beds and Kimura kills one of the people in retaliation, threatening to kill more if Laura does not obey.

To further break Laura, Kimura then shows her a slideshow of the individuals there and Laura realizes she must revert to who she formerly was to save them.

Review:

Honestly this mini feels more like “Laura’s best hits” than a stand alone story- you read it to see what will be included in the flashbacks than really being involved in the current story happening…

Maybe this will change when the REAL big bad drops…but so far it’s rather unexciting…

Laura reads like a cardboard box…often Schultz’s Laura feels pretty stale and one dimensional- I would compare it to Taylor and Tamaki’s Laura. 

Honestly…again…it highlights the common problem that x-writers seemingly all struggle with; treating Laura like a typical “cape” just leads her to losing everything that makes her fundamentally interesting…

I actually WISH Gabby was in this…or Hellion…or even Kiden….because Laura’s monologues often feel like over dramatic beige…. It’s hyperbole…but it’s also delivered in the most boring way possible.

As much as Gabby was a crutch for Taylor and Tamaki to hide the fact that they couldn’t write Laura…at least it gave us SOME hook.

As much as Kimura is played up as “evil”…honestly it’s pretty uneventful compared to the previous atrocities Kimura has done. Like this is pretty tame compared to “X-Force”…

I do appreciate Schultz examining how Laura ended up in sexual slavery in this issue, showing in a flashback that it happened out of desperation and her usage of NYX to examine Laura as a character more. I actually wish Schultz had done something with NYX instead of Utopia era, because I think Schultz does a better job with exploring that period than writing Liu era Laura….

I will say Kimura is a lot more introspective and interesting under Schultz; instead of being a generic torturer, this version of Kimura has a more interesting dynamic with Laura. The back and forth between them is some of the more interesting moments.

Overall I would rate this as “meh”…not bad but not stellar. 

Predictions: 

I mean we ALL know who the big bad is… (All of this will be worth it for the KINGPIN/Laura SHOWDOWN!!!)

Also-calling it- Haymaker is totally gonna end up in a MGH induced coma and that’s why we haven’t seen him before…

[denimbex1986]

'Cinema in 2023 was full of excellent double-acts, from Leonardo DiCaprio and Lily Gladstone in Martin Scorsese’s Killers of the Flower Moon to Natalie Portman and Julianne Moore in Todd Haynes’ May December. No doubt, the aforementioned foursome will receive a scattering of Oscar nods, but if the Academy have any sense, Paul Mescal and Andrew Scott of Andrew Haigh’s All of Us Strangers will also receive plaudits for their remarkable achievement in the haunting love story.

Adapted from Taichi Yamada’s novel Strangers, Haigh’s awards hopeful sees Scott take the role of Adam, a screenwriter trying to reconnect with memories of his deceased parents who encounter their ghosts when revisiting his old family home. Meanwhile, Mescal’s Harry searches for companionship in Adam, his only neighbour in a tower block devoid of other inhabitants.

Thanks to his role in Haigh’s film, as well as celebrated appearances in the James Bond movie Spectre and the BBC drama Fleabag, Scott has gathered a loyal following, recently sitting down with Letterboxd to discuss his favourite movies of all time.

First on his list is another movie from Haigh, 2015’s 45 Years. A modern classic that delves into themes of love, loss and regret, 45 Years tells the story of a couple soon to celebrate a major wedding anniversary who hear the news that the body of one of their former lovers has been discovered encased in ice following a historic skiing accident. Though sounding rather absurd, 45 Years is a truly phenomenal drama.

Elsewhere, Scott names the spoof movie Airplane! as another of his favourites. Popularly known as one of the best comedies of all time, Airplane! inspired similar copycat films in the late 20th century, including the Scary Movie franchise, largely thanks to its offbeat humour that refused to let up, with almost each and every line being a one-liner delivered by some of the era’s greatest actors, including the iconic Leslie Nielsen.

No list of favourite movies is complete without a classic from Steven Spielberg, with Scott praising the “first film I ever saw”, 1982’s E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial. “It still does something to me,” the actor said of the celebrated film that tells the story of a young boy who becomes best friends with an alien who crash-lands on Earth, only for the pair to be pursued by the authorities.

The final film to grace his list is the 1993 Richard Attenborough movie Shadowlands, starring Anthony Hopkins, who gives an “extraordinary performance” according to Scott. Certainly one of Hopkins’ most underrated films, Shadowlands is a biography of C.S. Lewis, the writer of the 1950’s novel The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe, whose life was changed after he met the poet Joy Gresham.

Andrew Scott’s favourite movies:

45 Years (Andrew Haigh, 2015)

Airplane! (David Zucker, Jim Abrahams, Jerry Zucker, 1980)

E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (Steven Spielberg, 1982)

Shadowlands (Richard Attenborough, 1993)'

[theuntitledblog]

Godzilla Minus One (2023) - REVIEW

SYNOPSIS

Kamikaze pilot Kōichi Shikishima returns home to a Japan that has been left devastated by the Second World War. With his family killed in the bombings and wrecked with survivor's guilt, Shikishima takes in displaced Noriko Ōishi and orphaned baby Akiko as they try to rebuild their lives in the ruins of Tokyo. But soon their world faces destruction once again by the arrival of Godzilla.

If there ever was a film that could teach Hollywood a lesson in how to execute large scale spectacle while telling a compelling and emotionally involving story, then it's Godzilla Minus One. In one of the most unexpected cinematic experiences I've had this year, I was genuinely shocked to find myself absorbed in the characters and story even during the longer sections when Godzilla wasn't on screen. The film doesn't of course lack spectacle but director Takashi Yamazaki finds a perfect balance between set pieces and humanity that makes this one of the most satisfying and best films of 2023.

The film wouldn't work for me if the central performance of Ryunosuke Kamiki didn't deliver but Kōichi Shikishima is an instantly compelling and sympathetic lead as a kamikaze pilot whose fear of completing his mission plus a brutal early attack by Godzilla, leaves him with intense survivor's guilt. Even when the films tone becomes more lighter and even funny with the arrival of the post-war minesweeper crew (Yuki Yamada, Hidetaka Yoshioka and Kuranosuke Sasaki), you can see that guilt on Kamiki's face which acts as a barrier to him moving on and starting a new, fulfilling life with Minami Hamabe's Noriko and Akiko. The 1940's post war period is exceptionally realized and their survival in the ruins of Tokyo is a fascinating and absorbing drama in itself before you even factor in Godzilla.

The large scale destruction doesn't disappoint and would fit perfectly alongside the big budget offerings that Hollywood has given us over the years. A particular highlight is a chase sequences that feels familiar to Steven Spielberg's Jaws and had me on the edge of my seat. The biggest factor that makes this film so compelling is the way Yamazaki balances the film between the human parts of the story and the monster movie its trying to be and for me this is the films biggest success. Thanks to the time spent with all the main and side characters, the set pieces feel like they have consequence as you care what happens to them. The attack on Tokyo is particularly stunning with Godzilla's 'heat ray' looking very reminiscent of the attacks on Hiroshima and Nagasaki which thematically played a huge part in the creation of the original Godzilla movie. Thematically this deals with similar themes of life and death and has a refreshingly positive approach to its message which is backed up by an ending that feels very well earned.

VERDICT

Godzilla Minus One is exceptionally well balanced and tells a compelling human story alongside large scale destruction and action set pieces. The drama, spectacle, shocks and a few pleasant surprises make this one of the years most satisfying experiences.

5/5

[artorojo]

"Saving Private Ryan," directed by the masterful Steven Spielberg, is an epic masterpiece that transcends the war genre. From the heart-pounding, gut-wrenching opening on the beaches of Normandy, to its poignant and deeply human conclusion, the film is an emotional rollercoaster that leaves an indelible mark on the viewer.

Spielberg's meticulous attention to detail is evident in every frame, offering an unparalleled level of realism. The D-Day sequence is a brutal symphony of chaos and heroism, capturing the sheer terror and sacrifice of war with unflinching honesty. It's a testament to the film's power that it's often considered one of the most realistic depictions of combat in cinema history.

Tom Hanks delivers a tour de force performance as Captain John H. Miller, anchoring the film with a portrayal that is both commanding and profoundly human. The ensemble cast, including standout performances from Matt Damon, Edward Burns, and Tom Sizemore, brings a depth and authenticity to their roles that elevates the narrative.

Beyond its technical brilliance, "Saving Private Ryan" grapples with profound moral questions. It's a meditation on the value of a single life amidst the vast and incomprehensible scale of global conflict. The film forces us to confront the staggering cost of war and the responsibility we have to one another.

John Williams' haunting score weaves through the narrative, adding a layer of emotional resonance that lingers long after the credits roll. The cinematography, by the gifted Janusz Kamiński, captures the brutality of war while also finding moments of haunting beauty in the midst of devastation.

In the end, "Saving Private Ryan" is more than a war film; it's a testament to the strength of the human spirit, the bonds of brotherhood, and the sacrifices made in the name of duty and honor. It's a cinematic triumph that stands as a testament to the enduring power of storytelling. This film is nothing short of a masterpiece, a powerful and unforgettable journey that leaves an indelible mark on the soul.

[grigori77]

Movies of 2023 - My Summer Rundown (Part 1)

The Runners-Up:

20.  TRANSFORMERS: RISE OF THE BEASTS – it’s telling that we didn’t get a truly GREAT live action Transformers movie until Michael Bay stepped back into a mere producer capacity and we got 2018’s brilliant soft-reboot Bumblebee.  This new film feels like something of a step back to Bay’s more OTT chaos, but they’ve still learned the lessons from that ridiculous excess to bring us a direct sequel to that ingenious restart, Creed II director Steven Caple Jr. going bigger this time but still reining in the excess with impressive focus for an explosively exciting and still endearingly heartfelt action adventure.  The end results are still clunky but a good deal better than Bay’s misfires, and entertaining, affecting and genuinely thrilling if you just let yourself go with it …

19.  TO CATCH A KILLER – honestly, I could hardly call Argentine filmmaker Damian Szifron’s taut suspense thriller an international big break considering it only received a limited theatrical release before becoming a relative promo-free sleeper on streaming, but this is one of those underdog movies that really deserves a lot more attention than it received.  Divergent’s Shailene Woodley is electrifying as Eleanor, a troubled Baltimore PD officer who, after a nightmarish sniper attack and bombing, becomes an unofficial investigator under the guidance of FBI manhunter Lammark (an ON-FIRE Ben Mendelsohn) as he races to track down a brutal domestic terrorist before they commit another atrocity.

18.  HEART OF STONE – Gal Gadot stretches her action heroine muscles outside of playing Wonder Woman as superspy Rachel Stone/Nine of Hearts, a top agent in a mysterious covert intelligent agency known as the Charter, who must go it alone when a former partner makes a play for the quantum computing AI that helps them fight international threats.  Director Tom Parker (The Aeronauts, Wild Rose, Peaky Blinders) reveals previously largely untapped action talent as he turns The Old Guard comics-writer’s blistering screenplay into an exciting, fast-paced action thriller that’s sure to impress fans of Netflix’ previous dabbles in the genre.

17.  ORGAN TRAIL – another indie underdog that snuck in VERY MUCH under the radar, this supremely twisted psychological horror western from Drop Dead Gorgeous director Michael Patrick Jann and newcomer screenwriter Meg Turner deserves A WHOLE LOT of attention.  Zoe De Grand Maison (Orphan Black, Riverdale) lights up the screen as Abigail Archer, a young girl in snow-bound 1870s Montana who’s forced to grow up REAL FAST when her family is murdered by a band of marauding outlaws who make a brutal living attacking travelling groups of would-be settlers for their money and supplies.

16.  INDIANA JONES & THE DIAL OF DESTINY – 2008’s Kingdom of the Crystal Skull was such a disappointment compared to the giddy heights of Steven Spielberg’s original stone-cold CLASSIC action adventure trilogy that I went into this film with very low expectations, so I was VERY PLEASANTLY SURPRISED to see that this is actually a whole lot of fun and a GLORIOUS return to form for Harrison Ford’s now VERY OLD Nazi-fighting treasure hunter and professor of archaeology.  With Spielberg and George Lucas largely stepping back into producing duties here, Logan writer-director James Mangold has taken up the reins instead, delivering an engagingly nostalgic thrill-ride which beautifully redeems Indiana Jones for a new generation while also giving the character a suitably grand send-off …

15.  THE PRINCE – while not technically a feature film, I was SO thoroughly impressed by this filmed performance of the revolutionary Shakespearean deconstruction play by actress, playwright and influential YouTuber Abigail Thorn that I couldn’t resist giving it a nod here.  Thorn shines bright as a distinctly unconventional take on Harry “Hotspur” Pierce in Henry IV, an anthropomorphised play character who becomes ensnared in a radical shake-up of their life-story when a pair of humans from THE REAL WORLD become trapped in the play itself and wind up entirely sabotaging the narrative.  It’s a fascinating experience, a revolutionary game-changer of a show which takes Shakespeare and turns his works ENTIRELY on their head while addressing important themes of genre identity, sexuality and intolerance, and this is glaring proof that this is a production which deserves to be seen whether it’s in this Nebula video presentation or performed live on stage.

14.  BARBIE – Oppenheimer’s bizarre unexpected twin when it came to be released in cinemas is, in many ways, just as important a film, but for very different reasons.  After languishing in Development Hell since 2009, writer-director Greta Gerwig finally realised this genuinely BIZARRE screwball comedy sort-of biopic of the iconic fashion doll range from Mattel, unleashing the character upon the world IN THE LIVING FLESH in the simply PERFECT (from a casting point of view) form of Margot Robbie.  She’s simply AMAZING here as “Stereotypical Barbie”, who finds herself going through an existential crisis after some girl starts “playing with her wrong” in the real world, but the film is frequently stolen right out from under her by Ryan Gosling as her so-called boyfriend Ken, who went ALL OUT to bring the most fundamentally useless boy-toy in history to life …

13.  MEG 2: THE TRENCH – supremely creepy indie cinema director Ben Wheatley may seem like a distinctly ODD choice to helm a follow-up to 2018’s most delightfully off-the-wall runaway action horror smash hit, but he actually proves to be a perfect hit because he clearly GETS the inherent silliness of this franchise.  Cinema’s all-time greatest living “special effect”, Jason Statham, returns as deep sea rescue diver and professional giant shark-puncher Jonas Taylor, once again wrapped up in a whole heap of trouble when not one but this time THREE massive prehistoric megaladons escape the abyssal Trench and start munching on South Pacific tourists, but this time matters are further complicated when he also has to deal with a conglomerate of dastardly strip-miners looking to exploit the Trench’s rare earth metal resources for their own ends …

12.  THE ANGRY BLACK GIRL & HER MONSTER – debuting writer-director Bomani J. Story brings Frankenstein to the inner-city projects as haunted teenage genius Vicaria (the new TV series of The Equalizer’s Laya DeLeon Hayes) reanimates her gangbanger big brother Chris (Kill a Prophet and Warrior Soul’s Edem Atsu-Swanzy) after he’s gunned down in a turf war.  The results are a dark and disturbing slowburn psychological body horror that deals head-on with socially resonant issues of drugs, urban poverty and gang culture while also delivering a unique and challenging new twist on one of the most classic stories in the history of science-fiction and horror …

11.  TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES: MUTANT MAYHEM – another animated feature that’s following the inventive new lead of the Spider-Verse movies, this latest big screen incarnation for Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird’s zeitgeisty comics creations is a genuine riot which takes the original core concept and runs it through a delightfully skewed comedic blender to form a compelling new narrative basis for what’s sure to be a fantastic new film series.  Comedy screenwriting/producing masters Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg team up with up-and-coming young writer-director Jeff Rowe (The Mitchells Vs. the Machines) to bring the youthful mutant quartet to vivid life with plenty of visual flair, anarchic chaotic humour and a whole lot of heart, and I for one can’t wait for more.

[stewblog]

The Fabelmans

Every movie, in one way or another, is a chance to peer inside the mind and soul of its director. Steven Spielberg’s movies have never shied away from this but, for reasons both obvious and not, The Fabelmans is by far his most revelatory. 

The Fabelmans is many things. It’s a (mostly) autobiographical coming of age tale that mirrors his own experiences growing up a Jewish kid in the suburbs. It’s a confessional about his struggle to relate to any family member other than his (would be) concert pianist mother, the only person who encouraged or even understood his artistic inclinations and dreams. But more than anything, The Fabelmans is Spielberg waxing nostalgic about why he loves movies. 

Sammy Fabelman (Gabriel LaBelle) isn’t great at talking to girls. He can’t play sports. He mostly argues with his father and three younger sisters. Not much in life seems to make sense to him, except for movies. And not just watching them, though he is entranced from the moment he first sits in a theater. Sammy becomes obsessed with storyboarding, cinematography, editing. It’s like he’s found a missing piece of himself. He makes movies because it’s all he knows how to do, because it’s all he can do, especially when his life begins slowly spiraling beyond his control. 

Spielberg has long used his movies to communicate his lived experiences. It’s impossible not to read elements of Close Encounters of the Third Kind and even Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade as anything other than metaphors for his own relationship with his father, for instance. He’s talked at length about how E.T. was born from an attempt to write a story about his parents’ divorce. The Fabelmans takes things several steps further (via the help of writer Tony Kushner) and pushes the subtext into text. Granted, not every element is a direct lift from his own life, but the broad strokes are there with his aforementioned mother and a brilliant electrical engineer father who frequently moves his family to new states as he pursues work on the cutting edge of computers. 

The only constant in life for Sammy is movies. The soft flicker of the projector is a comfort. The stories he conjures are the only things he has control over. But more than anything, he slowly comes to understand the power those stories have on the people he shares them with. It takes a fateful encounter with his Uncle Boris (Judd Hirsch) for Sammy to realize that his hobby can be and is something more than just entertainment. But once that epiphany is reached, he knows he’s incapable of doing anything else. 

All of this is intertwined with the rollercoaster of being a child, and often the only Jewish one around (save for his siblings). He’s ruthlessly mocked and even beaten simply because of his family’s faith. And yet it is a movie that helps him rise above it. 

Thankfully, none of this comes across as navel-gazing or self-aggrandizement and is instead a warts-and-all love letter to everything that brought Spielberg to where he is. He isn’t shy about pointing out how aloof Sammy is. For as clearly frustrated as Spielberg was with his father, he still paints Burt (Paul Dano) as a highly affectionate, if awkward, parent who just wants to do right by his family. It may well be my favorite performance Dano’s ever delivered. 

Judd Hirsch gives a bone-shaking performance as Sammy’s bombastic uncle. It’s the kind of work that can only be compared to Alec Baldwin’s similarly brief appearance in Glengarry Glen Ross. You never see him again, but his words reverberate throughout and set the course for everything else to come. Hirsch is tremendous here and were it not for Ke Huy Quan’s incredible work in Everything Everywhere All At Once there’s no one else who I’d want to win Best Supporting Actor at next year’s Oscars ceremony. 

It’s Michelle Williams, though, who delivers the standout performance, finding a perfect balance of joy, elation, love, frailty, sadness and fallibility. It’s a layered, often heart-wrenching display of acting that in some ways is the very soul of Spielberg’s story.  

If there’s a significant flaw within it’s that for a movie titled The Fabelmans, we never get a complete picture of the entire Fabelman family. Sammy’s three sisters are all drastically under-written as characters and we really only get a single major bit of interaction between him and one of them (good though it is). Granted, this is intended to be Sammy’s story and it’s entirely possible this approach was by design and Spielberg’s own relationship with them was just as sparse, but it stands out all the same. 

The Fabelmans is as heartfelt as anything Spielberg has ever made or likely ever will make. It’s a movie that proudly and with great delight and love wears its heart on its sleeve. In a popular culture where biting sarcasm and post-modern deconstruction are frequently favored, it almost feels lightly daring for The Fabelmans to embrace its audience with such blatant affection and sentimentality. Not that I would expect anything less from its director. I’m just glad he’s still doing what clearly means the world to him. 

[kevrocksicehouse]

Aftersun. 

D: Charlotte Wells (2022).  

Aftersun wears it’s narrative slightness like a magician assuring us there’s nothing up his sleeve. It’s a charming idyll of a father (Paul Mescal) and his eleven-year-old daughter (Frankie Corio) as they spend a vacation at a Turkish resort. Colum and Sophie clearly adore each other (the actors’ chemistry is irresistible) so it takes a while to intuit that Colum has insecurities and fears that his daughter is just now beginning to notice. Wells, in her first feature (which she has called “emotionally autobiographical”) doesn’t overdramatize this realization or the suggestion that it might have turned Sophie into a filmmaker. And we don’t immediately notice that the film is seen through the filmmaker’s own memories and regrets, and the child’s inability to process what her adult self remembers. At some point we make sense of the adult woman who has almost subliminally haunted key sections of the film and put together key moments – a strobelit dance, a karaoke song, a slowly developing polaroid – which  subtly deliver an emotional wallop that can make  Spielberg’s “The Fablemans” seem like a kids movie. And the modesty of Wells process is almost confounding. It’s as though she waved her hands in the air and produced a great movie while we were looking the other way.

[cinemapsychosshow]

Poltergeist (1982): When The American Dream Turns into a Nightmare

Poltergeist (1982) is the Steven Spielberg produced and Tobe Hooper directed haunted house movie that shows how the horror genre can hit multiple layers of social commentary and still deliver chilling terror without being viewed as "preachy".

From commenting on Manifest Destiny, The American Dream, Reagan's America and White Flight, there is a literal cornucopia of meaning that you can find in this film. However, none of that has ever translated over to the sequels (Poltergeist 2 and Poltergeist 3) or the remake.

But what is it really about this film and film franchise about suburbia gone to hell that has stuck with us for over 40 years? Grab your static filled tube tv's as we venture into the world of ghosts and goblins as we review The Poltergeist Franchise.

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