#There is a black and white movie and a colour production (show? film?). This was the first image and is featured on wikipedia so I chose-

[every-character-ever-poll]

DAISY BUCHANAN - The Great Gatsby

[avatar-state-kate]

Growing up my mom always fall asleep when we would go to the movies. I remember shaking her awake at the end credits, asking her when she remembers nodding off so I can fill her in on what she missed.

Wes Anderson’s new film asteroid city has a story within a story, we watch the stage play in colour as the writer cast and crew develop the production in black and white. During one of these black and white segments the writer thinks through a scene we will ultimately not see unfold in the play proper- a town together asleep sharing a dream.

Films have often been described this way, a shared dream. A room full of strangers lulled to sleep as the lights dim, and before our eyes a dazzling show of colour and sound occurs- we share the dreaming.

My mother often describes scenes in films that never actually happened, scenarios she dreamed up as she fell into a nap in the theatre seat. A private dream. We bring our own dreams to the movies.

One of the characters in the stage play steps off of the stage, out of the world of colour and into the real world of black and white, meeting with the director he asks- am I doing it right? What does it mean?

Leaving the theatre I leave my phone on silent in my bag, for just a moment longer, taking my time to awake. I could search the film tag and have all my questions answered, but I’d rather sit in my curiosity longer- maybe it doesn’t mean anything, dreams often don’t, but the experience of having one always gives us something

[coffee-n-bagels-comic-universe]

[Ghostbusters] Brainwaves: Universe Info (aka lemme infodump on bts film/tv stuff)

Hello fellow ghostbusters fans, I'm Kirby, I'm 22, and I'm autistic, I have a college level qualification in Creative Media Production (For my fellow UK ghost heads, it's the same as 3 A-levs completed at a B grade).

This post is basically me explaining how Brainwaves would work as a TV Series, because I have decided it wouldn't work as a film, but it would work as a series. This List of ideas is written as if the show were real.

You can think of this post as a Unreality post, or a parallel universe post with lost media relating to the series (and Ghostbusters as a whole). This also extends to certain actors within the story (as in Belushi, Radner, Candy) being alive in this other universe where the show takes place.

Is this because I've been reading way too many posts from @spook-spectre-ghost @ms-ship and @spook-central maybe, but I love them so don't any of you dare hate. Any ideas welcome

Filming began after the filming of the first movie.

Reitman was under contract with Columbia and ABC, ABC asked him to direct a television show based in the universe of the Ghostbusters, this was because ABC didn't think a series following the Ghostbusters would be realistic enough for the audience.

Aykroyd and Ramis were hired on as the head writers, but most of the series was written by other people, this includes improv later written into re-written scripts, mainly because of Murray ad-libbing his lines most of the time.

The series (the first time around) ended the month before filming starts on Ghostbusters 2, and it is unknown if the series ever started back up due to the amount of lost media following the release of GB2, but according to one interview with Walter Peck actor William Atherton, 'We filmed after the second movie, but I don't remember much from those episodes, I wasn't in many of them.'

The Series (from now on I'm just gonna say 'Brainwaves' and have it mean the series) was filmed on mostly sound stages in L.A, with Exteriors either being shot on-location or at look-alike exterior locations

Certain actors (e.g. Tom Hulce, Meg Ryan) had more makeup than any other 'human' series regular, Ryan had multiple wigs to use for Nova's many hair colours, Hulce had to wear contacts to hide his blue eyes in most scenes (e.g. when he's not wearing sunglasses or possessed)

On the note of possessions in 'Brainwaves' any time someone was 'possessed' they would wear light blue contacts, the actors with naturally blue eyes would often wear white or light purple/pink contacts.

The only exception to this rule was Aykroyd, as he mostly wore red or black contacts, in some scenes he even had mis-matched contacts to mirror the fact that he (and by extension Stantz) has heterochromia

[denimbex1986]

'Andrew Scott cut a dapper figure as he attend the National Theatre Live screening of his play Vanya at The May Fair Hotel in London on Tuesday.

The actor, 47, wore a long brown coat with large lapels over a white vest top.

He wore a pair of trousers to match the coat and opted for a pair of smart black shoes.

The star was seen posing with designer and co-creator Rosanna Vize who wore a black leather jacket and trousers in the same colour for the occasion.

He was also seen smiling as he posed alongside director and co-creator Sam Yates who wore a black jacket and matching suit trousers.

He completed his look by wearing a white polo shirt which he wore buttoned up at the collar.

Performing in the play, Andrew brings to life multiple characters in adapter and co-creators Simon Stephens' radical new version of Anton Chekhov’s Uncle Vanya.

Comedic and tragic, Anton’s examination of people's shared humanity - hopes, dreams, regrets - is thrust into sharp focus in the production.

This play explores the 'kaleidoscope of human emotions, harnessing the power of the intimate bond between actor and audience to delve deeper into the human psyche'.

It comes after Andrew said being an openly gay man in the modern age is a 'wonderful gift' that has helped him establish firm friendships within the queer community.

He told Attitude: 'I think it's such a wonderful thing to me. It's an extraordinary gift to my life and just to be able to see the real beauty in being gay is completely wonderful.

'The older I get, just the more I feel so lucky to have been born gay and that pervades my life in the sense of all my friendships.

'I have so many amazing queer friends in my life now that I just adore.'

He added: 'I feel such a huge sense of camaraderie with other queer people now, and without sounding too hippy about it, I feel like I just want to spread that love and positivity in our community because we've come such a long way and it's important that we are kind and look out for each other, and celebrate how uniquely different and how f**king wonderful that can be.'

Meanwhile, Andrew and Paul Mescal dmitted they weren't too keen on their family members watching their new film All Of Us Strangers.

The movie stars Andrew as a screenwriter who enters into a relationship with a mysterious neighbour, played by Paul, 27.

It features several intimate scenes between the actors which the pair discussed during an appearance on The Graham Norton Show.

Asked if their families had seen the flick, Paul said: 'With the Irish premiere, trying to allocate tickets to all the aunties and uncles is a tricky business.

'They have seen my bum before but there is a little more going on in this movie I would say!'

Andrew added: 'I don't want to be there when my parents watch it!'

All Of Us Strangers dominated the competition at the British Independent Film Awards, earning a staggering seven gongs in total.

Among the awards was the top prize for Best Film, beating Femme, How To Have Sex, Rye Lane and Scrapper.

All Of Us Strangers also scored Best Director and Best Screenplay for Andrew Haigh, who is known for his work on films Weekend and 45 Years.

Paul shared the Best Supporting Performance gong for his role in the film with Shaun Thomas from How To Have Sex.'

[disappointingyet]

Geomijip (Cobweb)

Director Kim Jee-woon Stars Song Kang-Ho, Krystal Jung,  Jeon  Yeo-bin, Oh Jung-se, Lim Soo-jung South Korea 2023 Language Korean (with English subtitles) 2hr 15mins Colour, black & white

Pleasing wild film biz comedy

A key question with art about the artistic process is: how much you do show of the results? If you’re claiming that the painting or record or TV show is great, then it’s best if you keep it off screen. (I was listening to a podcast the other day where they digressed for over 10 minutes just remembering the sheer awfulness of the show within-the-show’s comedy sketches in Aaron Sorkin’s Studio 60 On The Sunset Strip, which, to be clear, were supposed to be cutting-edge good.) If we’re meant to be laughing at it, though, you’ll need it front and centre.

In Cobweb, we end up seeing a lot of the film director Kim Yeol (Song Kang-Ho) is reshooting. That film is in luscious black & white, with the behind-the-scenes stuff in colour. He’s reshooting because he’s had dreams with a better ending that he thinks will turn his film into a masterpiece. 

He feels he needs it to be the best thing he’s ever done because the critics say he’s never escaped the shadow of his late mentor. But the owner of the studio doesn’t see the point of the reshoots and doesn’t want to pay for them. Plus, this is Korea in the 1970s, and tight censorship controls films before, during and after production – the original version was already struggling for approval and the radical rewrite is even less likely to get a pass. 

In the end, Director Kim gets just frantic two days to reassemble the cast and crew (most of whom are busy working on other productions by this point) and rework the main storyline of the movie. Meanwhile, he doesn’t actually have the studio owner’s approval and he’s hoping the censors don’t find out what he’s up to. 

We get filming mishaps, back-stage intrigue, lots of people getting very drunk, emergency cast substitutions… the full chaotic production experience. Woven in with this is the footage from the increasingly unhinged melodrama that Kim is filming, to the bafflement of much of the cast.

A useful selling point for non-Korean audiences is Song Kang-Ho, who starred in Parasite, along with several other Bong Joon-ho and Park Chan-wook movies. He’s excellent value as a director with that familiar mix of intense insecurity and deluded self-belief.

But is it funny? I laughed a lot. I’m sure there are specifically Korean and probably specifically Korean-film-buff gags I’m not getting, but Cobweb can face up to comparisons with film-set-set classics like Living In Oblivion and not be disgraced. And the film-within-a-film is a treat. 

[adamwatchesmovies]

Dolemite (1975)

Dolemite is memorable, culturally significant and entertaining all the way through. That said, the writing, performances, fight choreography and camerawork all are poor. The technical aspects make it hard to call it “good” but if it is a bad movie, it's one you won’t be sorry to see.

With the help of corrupt police detectives, Willie Green (D’Urville Martin, who also directs) sends his rival, Dolemite (Rudy Ray Moore), to prison. Since Dolemite's incarceration has done nothing to stem the criminal activity in his former neighborhood, fellow pimp Queen Bee (Lady Reed) convinces the prison's warden to release Dolemite and allow him to work with the FBI to clean up the streets.

Even if I warn you about how bad the fight choreography is, you’ve got no idea. It’s without a doubt the worst I’ve ever seen. Punches miss by a mile and Rudy Ray Moore doesn’t know a karate kick from a bowel movement. The camera is badly positioned, which makes it all the more obvious the bad guys he’s beating up are practically throwing themselves into trunks and onto the ground to show how virile and powerful our hero is.

The acting and writing are on the same level as the action scenes. The dialogue is lousy, which means the poor non-actors don’t stand a chance and this all makes the convoluted plot even more puzzling. In at least one shot you’ll see a boom mike in the bottom left corner of the screen. This means there’s plenty to make fun of but you don’t feel too bad about ridiculing this genuine effort because "Dolemite" is kind of in on the joke. Some of Dolemite’s dialogue is so outrageous they knew it would have the audience laughing. The violence might not be convincing but there’s a lot of it, which counts for something. Most importantly, Rudy Ray Moore has enormous amounts of swagger and presence. You keep watching, wondering what his character will do.

While Dolemite is not on the same level as Superfly, Shaft or Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song, it contains the same elements that make them successful. It is a story of a Black hero hounded by corrupt white police officers who frame him and abuse their power until he rises to face them. While a pimp might not be what you would call a role model, Dolemite is the opposite of what traditional Hollywood Black men were like at the time. He is desired by all women regardless of their skin colour. He takes charge and never backs down. This film was made for Blacks, by Blacks. The humor spoke to them and while the film is funny, you can see elements of real-life pain and concerns beneath the surface - all of which Dolemite addresses with clenched fists and the heels of his boots. It is not a great film but you remember it and recognize why it was a big deal when it came out.

It’s probably best to go into Dolemite knowing the climate that created it. This may tempt you to watch 2019's Dolemite is My Name first to learn about the production, but I’d advise against it. The best scenes are spoiled by the Eddie Murphy film and it covers not only the making of this picture but that of the sequels as well. I say watch them as a double-feature but make sure this one is first.

You may wonder why anyone in their right mind would recommend Dolemite but if you’re interested in the history of cinema, particularly Black cinema, it’s a minor classic. (February 5, 2021)

[agentnico]

Asteroid City (2023) Review

Wow, even for Wes Anderson this is a stacked cast! Might as well just advertise this as Asteroid City - starring all of Hollywood!

Plot: World-changing events spectacularly disrupt the itinerary of a Junior Stargazer/Space Cadet convention in an American desert town circa 1955.

Like or hate him, it is hard not to at the very least respect Wes Anderson and his directorial style, as he’s basically achieved his own genre at this point. You hear a movie described as ‘Wes Anderson-esque’ and you are guaranteed to expect beguiling symmetrical shots, bright vintage coloured flair, use of stop-motion animation and postmodern symbolism, all the while featuring a vast array of A-list actors appearing in either awkward or over-confident fast-talking caricatures. There’s an interesting article on Curzon detailing what a Wes Anderson style entails, and it is a very interesting read. You can find it on the following link: https://www.curzon.com/journal/unpacking-wes-anderson-s-cinematic-style/

So with Asteroid City you can already anticipate these Wes Andersonisms. The question is how strongly the style takes over the substance, and also if this is befit to Anderson’s stronger outings like Fantastic Mr Fox and The Grand Budapest Hotel, or does it lean more into the weaker aimless results of Isle of Dogs and The French Dispatch. Ironically those latter two films were the most recent of Anderson releases, so he could do with a hit now to reinstate his original success. Well, is it?

This may be the most Wes Anderson movie to ever Wes Anderson. It’s so Wes Anderson that you at the end feel like you have took a bath in the waters made out of Wes Anderson’s brain and are now overfilled with Wes Anderson syndrome. Went I walked out of the cinema, for a good minute or two everything around me looked over symmetrical, and colours popped. The latter effect I feel will also be a symptom when I watch the Barbie movie later this month, only then I’ll be seeing all pink. Look, visually this movie looks gorgeous, from the costumes to set pieces everything looks great, and Anderson evidently has a lot fun showcasing his visual craft. Speaking of the set, the Asteroid City itself is brought to life practically with Anderson and his production team literally building the set, and from the opening sequence the cinematography relishes in showing every little detail, every nook and cranny of this city, or more so town as for a city...well, it’s the tiniest city ever. Barely even a village. Nonetheless, it’s very well realised but at the same time this city manages to look very cartoony and unreal, however that’s not a detriment as this brings us smoothly to our next point...

Asteroid City makes the intriguing choice of providing a narrative meaning to Wes Anderson’s style. In most his movies like The Life Aquatic and The Darjeeling Limited we as an audience are simply thrown into the Wes Anderson landscape and simply made to accept his eye candy of a world. Nothing wrong with that, if ever a movie directed itself to the idea of escapism then it’d be a Wes Anderson flick. However Asteroid City goes a step beyond that by presenting this movie as if it were a stage performances, that is intercut with black-and-white segments of Bryan Cranston narrating how the writer (Edward Norton) is writing his final play, and how the actors bring it to life in the shape of Asteroid City. From the get-go Anderson underlines that Asteroid City is not a real place nor are its inhabitants or visitors, but that they are all performing a theatrical piece. A theatre stage and Anderson’s style do share a lot in common so this aspect worked really well and in fact this was one of the lesser pretentious elements of this film.

That being said, I also do think that in this case Anderson has gone more style over substance, as he was evidently so focused with creating a visual feast, that he somewhat forgot to have a decent story and have characters of any substance. Think of this as Anderson’s fine dining experience. The presentation is immaculate, the look of what’s on the plate is exquisite. But the portions are miniscule. You will receive a couple of delicious bites, but overall will be left unsatisfied and will most likely head to the nearby fast-food joint and grab a semi-decent burger and some fries to full up that stomach of yours. So with Asteroid City, there are a few delightfully splendid moments and ideas (for me personally an early sequence involving Matt Dillon’s repairman fixing up a car with this one tiny bolt was fittingly amusing), and for Anderson’s first venture into sci-fi territory the alien aspect was handled well enough, but overall I found myself heavily disengaged with the proceedings. It was a lot of ado about nothing, with moments happening just because, and one could argue that is simply the Anderson way, but it didn’t appeal to my personal tastes. Also most of the jokes didn’t land. The movie tries its hardest to be quirky light-hearted fun, but rarely did I even chuckle or smirk if that.

The cast - I mean, what a cast! Anybody who’s anybody is in this movie. Everyone fits really nicely into the caricatures Anderson gives them, however a lot of them are left with hardly anything to do, with the likes of Liev Schreiber, Tilda Swinton, Hong Chau and Willem Dafoe suffering most. I did enjoy Tom Hanks though as the more level-headed grounded of the lot, and Jason Schwartzman is continuing his solid summer streak after Across the Spider-Verse as a father who’s struggling to reveal to his children about their mother’s death, as well as supporting his son in the space program competition. Him and the son played by Jake Ryan make for a solid duo. Scarlett Johansson delivers Anderson’s line with style and eloquence bequest of his style, and Steve Carell is comically humorous as a motel owner who glimmers with positivity. Jeffrey Wright does a fun monologue, Adrien Brody provides frenetic quips as an auteur director (may or not be inspired by Anderson himself) and Jeff Goldblum cameos as an alien. All is well on the casting front, though if you’re looking forward to an ensemble piece where everyone gets their share, most appearances here are but fleeting cameos. 

If you are a fan of Wes Anderson you will find enjoyment in Asteroid City, however I myself prefer a little more substance and meaning in the films I watch, and also the comedy didn’t land nor did I care much for what was happening. As I said, presentation is of a fine-dining level, but I will now head to get a McDonalds to settle my hunger. 

Overall score: 5/10

[twistednuns]

January 2024

My New Year's Kiss. I wonder if this is the first time I didn't have to cheat and had a significant other volunteering for the job. I told C. about two resolutions I needed his help with. Focusing on positivity and gratitude (= to stop nagging and being overly critical) and to find a balance between distance and closeness.

A long walk through the woods. Climbing over trees and balancing with the kids. Cuddling with Mara. Getting the kids to play Activity despite their age. Connecting with Lian.

The little witch hat I poured in a New Year's ritual. A symbol for good luck and going your own way.

Charlie climbing up on my shoulder. My little witch cat. Love him.

A day at the Botanical gardens with Christian, his son and a few friends with their children. Marvelling at the tropical butterflies. Explaining interesting facts to the little ones. I felt like a walking lexicon. Beatriz took a liking to me and walked with me through the museum. She showed me the big crystals, the huge bug photographies and we played a nature quiz together.

The perfect burnt orange nail polish: Essie's row with the flow. Combining it with golden blots and black strokes.

Watching the new/last Hayao Miyazaki movie, The Boy and the Heron. Parts of it were so absolutely beautiful and touching that I kept starting to cry. I loved the scene with the Warawara spiraling up into the night sky. And the one with the landing of the tower, flames retreating back into the windows leaving only a faint glow. The iridescent colours on the stone walls. I kept discovering elements from older Ghibli movies - almost like little Easter eggs throughout the film.

Karaoke bingo, singing a duet and a little late night shopping session with Margit.

Wearing my new midnight blue velvet top. It features little golden star constellations and is so soft that I keep touching myself. I forgot how much I appreciate a good texture. Velvet is definitely one of them.

Eating a rainbow of juicy fruit for breakfast. With frozen raspberries under my vanilla porridge. And a spoonful of crunchy peanut butter.

A long chat with Becky, staring at her apple green Granny Smith sweater.

The shadows on the wall after sunset looked like a creepy snowflake made up of swords and twigs.

Angel numbers only on the bathroom scale.

Ordering exactly the piece of cake I wanted. The one with the chocolate star on top.

A very long French fry.

A dream: sitting on an unsteady stack of mattresses with my employers. Using a parachute to jump into a crumpled-up rainbow. / Preparing the van to drive up to the coast for a sailing trip with my dad.

Cinema and delicious Vietnamese dinner with Christian and Lena.

Frank checked in on me because he knew how much I dreaded going back to school and rewarded me with a cute gif of head scratches for a cat. I reacted with a vibrating phone emoji and he totally got it!

Entering productivity mode. Working on a few things that had been on my to do list forever. Tackling these is especially juicy. / My beginning of the year decluttering and organising mood. Planning ahead, streamlining my digital files and notes, throwing out physical deadweight.

Taping some of my meditative paintings on the wall. Realising how much I actually like them and how much I enjoy the creative process. I immediately sink into a state of flow as soon as I start painting. Why does it always take me so long to overcome this mental barrier?

My journal coming together beautifully. It's almost full - only a few empty pages are left. Making a collage to mark the beginning of 2024. I love writing by hand. It slows you down and structures your thinking.

Spotting a dark squirrel outside my kitchen window after talking with a pupil about winter rest and how rare it must be to see one waking up looking for the nuts they've hidden in autumn.

Tall white lilies in a green stained glass vase.

Sneaking grated carrot into my breakfast. Undetectable in carrot cake overnight oats.

A chunky apple green short sleeve sweater over a delicate black lace top. I love the contrast of the textures.

Expanding my accountability system. Christian offered to help me with my weight loss goal and my boss offered to keep asking for new ideas and insights on my career change. She wants me to get a move on. In a way, I feel quite supported. My new mommy and daddy? I know I know, I have to learn how to be my own parent, but it does feel nice to have people in your life who are looking out for you.

The sun hanging low in the sky, appearing huge through the misty winter clouds right before sunset.

It's fascinating to see how quickly the Universe throws you a ball when you've decided that you really want something. That you're ready. Since I talked to my boss about my career change I keep getting mails with interesting offers. An invitation to Guatemala to work at Fungi Academy. An old contact from PI reaching out with new international programs. Booking a free career coaching. Opportunities to study visual arts. I'm curious to see where this takes me.

The more you create, the more powerful you become. The more you consume, the more powerful others become. - James Clear

The first strawberry of the year. Yes, in January. Sue me. It was delicious. Strawberries bring me so much joy!

Tapping into a state of pure bliss during meditation. Smiling involuntarily. What a high!

The computer screen mysteriously turned on at 22:22 and demanded my attention. Huh.

I bought a car! Without thinking or knowing too much about it but I simply had a good feeling. It's tangerine-coloured and expands my range of movement a lot. I discovered that I can actually connect my phone via Bluetooth to listen to music (didn't expect that) AND the perfect volume adjustment is 22. Win.

Fabi's unexpected presents. And the spontaneous invitation to the exit room. It was lovely to see him, Frank and Marie again!

Finally giving Frank his birthday present. Finishing his letter with shared memories. He really liked it!

Realizing that I'm really scared of preparing a portfolio for Art University. Perhaps that's exactly why I should do it.

Booking plane tickets to Athens on a whim one Monday morning. I've never been to mainland Greece. And it's gonna be my first longer trip with Christian. Exciting.

A lovely Sunday with Lian and C. I delivered Fabi's boat and drove my new car in the sunshine. Beautiful, radiant winter landscapes. Connecting with C., playing, going on a little quest to find his keys, driving to the sledding hill, a gas station run to buy tobacco and get lottery tickets, cooking a delicious dinner and receiving rave reviews. A little chemistry experiment growing crystals with Lian. Getting high. Talking.

A productive coaching session with Valerie. And it was free because I won it in a raffle.

(Lemonade) Crunchy ice. (Kick it once, kick it twice / turn around, touch the ground / kick your boyfriend out of town and freeze)

Catching up with Nico over Indian food.

A cuddle movie night at Luna's. Snacks, sleepover, sharing sexy secrets with C. in the morning, playing computer games together.

Chocolate-covered dates. Comté cheese and strawberries on sourdough bread.

What an experience: attending my first KAP event. I'm still not sure what happened that afternoon.

Poor Things is such a fantastic movie. I loved everything about it. The ideas, outfits, scenery, Emma Stone's acting.

The latest Slutering Party was delicious. Very orgy-like, with lots of sensual connections and a lack of hard boundaries. Free flow and love.

The production of The Tempest / Das Dämmern der Welt was super interesting. I loved the live band and choir music. The video camera on stage, the drastic choices for the cast. Abstract but enticing.

I loved the first book I read this year: I Who Have Never Known Men by Jacqueline Harpman.

Little luxuries. A toilet seat with an automatic/slow-closing lid. I've also started to shine my shoes. Both makes me feel very put-together and grown-up.

A super interesting collection of different niche aesthetics collected by Cari Institute.

A forced slow day. Couldn't really walk after hurting my leg jumping out of a tram's way. So I slept and read and finished my Harry Potter marathon. Didn't even completely turn it into a rot day because I put on lipstick, went to choir practice and even changed my bedsheets.

Kathrin touching my arm when she saw me come in, greeting me so warmly. It felt like she was happy to see me! Astrid inquiring about my limping. I genuinely thanked her for asking, taking an interest in me. Practicing Joyful, Joyful - such a beautiful song. "Fill us with the light." If I get the chance to sing a solo part I'll gladly accept. I'm feeling this song so much.

Stumbling upon the perfect Desigual jacket. It's made for me: MY colour. MY pattern. MY cut. And it was on sale.

A very weird morning. Super inspired. Ecstatic. Lots of insights, impulses, realizations. What's going here? Frantic journalling ensued. I understood that I might be able to... choose my reality?

Caffeine-infused creativity and musings about the word curation.

Rice pudding with fresh fruit.

My little project to use up all my stored groceries and eat the contents of my freezer.

Stocking up on countless bottles of watered down kombucha, blue juice and Volvic matcha drink. It feels like the height of luxury to have your fridge full of fancy beverages.

Strawberries and cream. End game.

The little candied, sesame-coated almond I was offered upon leaving Manouche, the Lebanese restaurant near my school. Delicious.

Comparing MRI sounds to minimal techno, sending C. Fantas by Caterina Barberi. I still want to see her live one day.

Sunrise at Filzhof. The long shadows cast by the fence. Cats basking in the morning sun. Little birdies visiting.

A ballsy move: finally getting a helix and septum piercing. Just woke up one morning and decided to do it.

Road tripping with C. Picking up my cello and an armchair from my brother's house. Talking to my former neighbour. Hardware store, home decor, thrift shopping. A piece of cake in Gstaudach. Making a delicious wok dish with lots of veggies and noodles for dinner. The cat in my car. Flight simulator with VR goggles. Sleeping on the new pillows.

And after F. cancelled on me, we spent Sunday together as well. We played some computer games, watched a movie. His son and ex-wife came over and brought pastries. I read him a few pages from A Little Life as a bedtime story.

Planning a treasure hunt for a birthday party.

Learning about C.'s taste in music.

Strong synchronicity game. 1111 on the clock, 222 on the bus.

C. booking me on his flight to Manchester. Talking about our roadtrip route. Learning about Atlas Obscura.

Buying everything I like. I escalated a little at IKEA. Assembling a trolley. It's a bit like a 3D puzzle! I'm in my home decor queen phase.

Koawach white chocolate drink. Incredibly sweet but so indulgent. To counterbalance the sweetness: rosehip tea.

Hazelnut cinnamon cookies. Pistachio ice-cream.

An indulgent guilty pleasure: devouring a whole ball of mozzarella straight out of the bag. Moist, stringy, delicious.

Using NARS Orgasm blush as eyeshadow.

Very attractive pictures of Mark Ruffalo in his Poor Things dancer's attire.

Tempeh. Brussels sprouts - not the frozen kind for once.

Feeling incredibly cool on my first work days after the sick leave. Space buns, my new Desigual jacket, the orange pair of hip sunglasses. Plum-coloured lipstick. Swirly golden hoop earrings.

A substitute lesson with cool students who could take a joke but still work on grammar exercises with me. Compliments for my English. I know, doesn't really count from 14-year-olds but it still felt nice.

Just walking over to Peter's place for an audio cable (and he even opened the door despite being ill). I love how much we've cultivated supporting each other in our choir!

[saskiamcc]

SDSA article - The French Dispatch

I chose to read the article about the making of Wes Anderson's The French Dispatch for this exercise because I know how particular and complicated the sets for Anderson's films can get. Anderson's films, including The Grand Budapest Hotel, The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou and The French Dispatch are all very crafted and stylised, meaning that the set dressing and production design in general have to fit both the era the films are set and also the incredibly unique style that Wes Anderson has adopted over the years.

In this article, American set decorator Rena DeAngelo - best known for her work on Bridge of Spies, describes her experience working on this film, working alongside Production Designer Adam Stockhausen. Something I found particularly interesting in this article is the fact that they collected all of the very unique pieces and props in France, where The French Dispatch was filmed, rather than finding them in the US and taking them to France. After reflection, this makes a lot more sense logistically and also to stay true to the French culture that Anderson was trying to emulate in the film. Something highlighted in the article by DeAngelo, was that they wanted to show the fictional town of Ennui-Sur-Blasé in a way that was both post and pre-war Paris. In DeAngelo's words "Not shiny clean Paris, but a sootier, dirtier, seedier version with beautiful architecture, just not scrubbed clean." Personally, I really like this approach as it not only makes for a much more interesting job for the production design team, but it also shows audiences another side to French cities - and big cities in general - which are not always objectively attractive or perfect like in most movies.

DeAngelo describing the process of finding props by going to flea markets and prop houses in France really inspires me to delve more into set design as I really like doing that in my own time and doing it as a job would be perfect. Something I never really realised was how long of a process it was to prepare for dressing a set. DeAngelo mentions in the article that it took 6 weeks to prepare - just in Paris alone - and when they arrived at the shooting location they never stopped looking for props and set dressings as they "went to the Chartre and Le Mans flea markets which happened on the 15th and 16th of each month. We raced through these sales that were only open from 7 am to 2 pm for the one day." This made me realise that there is a lot more organisation that comes into production design than I anticipated. Another thing that I took from this article, was as well as being able to go to all of these incredible warehouses, markets and shops, the production design team for this project got to go to a lot of amazing small towns in France, which sounds amazing. Additionally, DeAngelo talks about how she got to work with carpenters and furniture builders based in France and how their work ethic and way of working was so different to how she was used to working in the US. This makes me so excited to enter the industry so that I can experience other cultures' ways of working!!

DeAngelo talks about how she got all of these disguises from flea markets around France

Something I had never really considered before was how much the scenes being in black and white complicate the process of set dressing. For the scenes in the Cadazio Gallery, Robert Yeoman and Wed Anderson wanted shots both in black and white and in colour which meant DeAngelo had to be incredibly careful and creative when it came to dressing the set. She explained that throughout the process of dressing, she had to use "the black and white filters on my phone to see how it was all working together as we were dressing it. We did some camera tests at the beginning but mostly I just shot it with my filters and made the determinations as I went." This just shows how much trust and skill you need to have in both yourself and your team to create something that works in two different colour schemes - taking into account lighting and composition that works for both.

the Cadazia Gallery set

I have done production design for a few short films before, however they were obviously much lower budget productions and we had much less time and resources to work with, however this article has made me so much more invested in this career path.

[lrussellconceptart]

Forefront Identification - The importance of colour

In the movie and game industry, choosing the correct colour palette can make all the difference to the experience that the audience receives. Complex stories are made simpler by colour. We tend to think of early films as being in black and white, but colour has really been present since the beginning. It took until 1932 for colour to reappear when Technicolour developed a method for applying dye to film. Technicolour pioneered many of the colour methods still in use today, even as cinema transitioned to digital, including high-profile blockbusters like The Wizard of Oz (1939) and Gone with the Wind (1939). Colour in films can create the ambience, however, it does more than set the atmosphere, it sparks emotions (May, 2017).

RED: Love, Desire, Violence, Aggression, Power.

ORANGE: Warmth, Enthusiasm, Friendliness, Happiness, Vibrance.

YELLOW: Madness, Illness, Insecurity, Obsessive, Wisdom, Betrayal.

GREEN: Environment, Immaturity, Corruption, Ominous, Darkness, Envy,

BLUE: Cold, Depression, Loyalty, Peace, Passivity, Calm,

PURPLE: Fantasy, Ethereal, Erotic, Royalty, Mystical, Power

PINK: Innocence, Sweetness, Femininity, Charming, Delicate, Beauty

Colour reference: Deruvo, J. (2019) Creating emotion with color in cinematography, No Film School. Available at: https://nofilmschool.com/creating-emotion-color-cinematography (Accessed: 26 July 2023).

An example of a particular colour is Delores Umbridge's choice of the colour pink to disguise herself as a wicked high inquisitor in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix was made all the more striking by the false front of sweetness she puts on. It made her cruel punishment of Harry Potter all the creepier (Deruvo, 2019).

Colour is a very powerful tool and should be used with careful consideration. With characters such as Umbridge, the outfit was also plagued with pink to enhance her character. We can get a feel for a movie just from movie posters. If we look at DC Comics recent production of 'The Flash', it uses reds and dark shades of black. The red represents the flash and his speed as he rips through the poster. The darker shades represent Batman's collaboration with the Flash. With the red representing Power, there is a contrast with the black representing rebellion and fear. It can also represent Batman's mourning for his parents and how he has a dark and depressing nature.

If we compare Marvel's 'Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 3', the colour palette is very different. With splashes of purple representing fantasy and mystery; and orange conveying warmth and happiness. The colour palette perfectly represents the group's love for each other and how they are more of a family than a group of troublemakers.

Something very recent that has become a very creative business, is turning your favourite movie into a colour palette on a canvas. This really shows the power of colour. Each strip represents a movie's scene which is also a very good way of displaying how a film's emotions started to how it ended and the development of the colours throughout.

Image referencing:

Image 1: The flash (film) (no date) Batman Wiki. Available at: https://batman.fandom.com/wiki/The_Flash_(film) (Accessed: 26 July 2023).

Image 2: Guardians of the galaxy vol. 3 (2023) IMDb. Available at: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt6791350/ (Accessed: 26 July 2023).

Image 3: Frome Co: Canvas Movie Art & Artwork (no date) Frome. Available at: https://www.frome.co/ (Accessed: 26 July 2023).

Deruvo, J. and Hellerman, J. (2019) Creating emotion with color in cinematography, No Film School. Available at: https://nofilmschool.com/creating-emotion-color-cinematography (Accessed: 02 August 2023).

May, K.T. (2017) How color helps a movie tell its story, ideas.ted.com. Available at: https://ideas.ted.com/how-color-helps-a-movie-tell-its-story/ (Accessed: 02 August 2023).

[taneshadeva]

Anatomy of a Scene

The movies I chose from both lists were Moonlight a drama film released in 2016 and Black Klansman a comedy/drama/crime released in 2016.

Black Klansman stars Ron Stallworth who becomes the first African-American detective on the Colorado Springs Police Department, but his arrival is greeted with skepticism and open hostility by the department’s rank and file. Undaunted, Stallworth resolves to make a name for himself and a difference in his community. He bravely sets out on a dangerous mission: infiltrate and expose the Ku Klux Klan.  Posing as a racist extremist, Stallworth contacts the group and soon finds himself invited into its inner circle. He even cultivates a relationship with the Klan’s Grand Wizard, David Duke , who praises Ron’s commitment to the advancement of White America. With the undercover investigation growing ever more complex, Stallworth’s colleague, Flip Zimmerman , poses as Ron in face-to-face meetings with members of hate group, gaining insider’s knowledge of a deadly plot. Together, Stallworth and Zimmerman team up to take down the organization whose real aim is to sanitize its violent rhetoric to appeal to the mainstream. The re-telling strikes a unique tone, like a punchy comedy on a serious mission–serving justice, empowerment, and truth in the face of racism and oppression. With the real Colorado Springs an impractical filming location, Lee and his team recreated exteriors of the mid-western setting in Ossining, a town 35 miles north of New York City.Given that the film’s main police precinct is a central part of the story, the production team decided to build the setting on sound stages in Brooklyn. They sought a run-down look that made the place appear to pre-date even the story’s 1970s time frame.

Moonlight, a look at three defining chapters in the life of Chiron, a young black man growing up in Miami. His epic journey to manhood is guided by the kindness, support and love of the community that helps raise him. A young African-American man grapples with his identity and sexuality while experiencing the everyday struggles of childhood, adolescence, and burgeoning adulthood and an unstable family life. As we follow his life through his teenage years and into manhood – the film becomes a much broader inspection into identity as a whole. Showing how his damaged upbringing with drug-addict mother Paula, and high school tussles shape his road ahead. We described the film as ‘extremely moving’ which ‘speaks of the struggles of black men in marginalised communities, of the push and pull of nature versus nurture, and finding yourself – no matter how long it takes.’ Moonlight is a groundbreaking piece of cinema that reverberates with deep compassion and universal truths. Anchored by extraordinary performances from a tremendous ensemble cast, Barry Jenkins’s staggering, singular vision is profoundly moving in its portrayal of the moments, people, and unknowable forces that shape our lives and make us who we are. Moonlight is set in the impoverished Liberty City area of Miami, shown in brilliant, luminous colours, and takes place in three acts. 

[anewswire]

Adam Driver Networth, Biography, Career, Income, Home & Age

  Adam Driver Net Worth, Biography, wife, age, height, weight, and many more details can be checked on this page. Adam Driver is an American actor who has a net worth of $20 million in 2023. Adam is one of the leading actors in the industry who has played many famous roles in movies and television shows. He debuted in the industry in the movie J. Edgar, where he played the role of Walter Lyle in 2011. He has received good responses from the audience for working on this movie. He went on to act in the films Frances Ha, Not Waving But Drowning, and Gayby, which helped him become well-known in the business. Due to his work in The Girls, which was published in 2012 and continued until 2017, he has received recognition in the industry. He has worked on this show, for which he has also garnered prizes and nominations, and has received a tremendous amount of support from the audience. He has three Primetime Emmy victories to his credit. In the television sector, where he has portrayed a variety of parts, he has also established himself. In The Marvelous Maladys, where he portrayed the part of Zed, he made his television debut. His other programs include Bob's Burgers, Saturday Night Live, and You Don't Know Jack. He most recently performed the role of Jack Gladney in 2022 in the film White Noise. In addition, he has a long history of theater acting, having performed in productions such as The Retributionists, Mrs. Warren's Profession, and Angels in America. Adam Driver Net Worth The famous American actor “Adam Driver” has a net worth of $20 Million. The most well-known American actor, Adam Driver, has an estimated net worth of roughly $20 Million, according to a number of web publications (Wikipedia, Forbes, Bloomberg). Since he began working in this field, Adam Driver's professional acting career has experienced enormous growth. He earned this amount of money by working in movies and television programs. He has appeared in well-known movies, which has increased his exposure to the business. He began charging a lot for his acting services. Name Adam Driver Net Worth (2023) $20 Million Profession American actor Monthly Income And Salary $0.1 Million + Yearly Income And Salary $2 Million + Last Updated 2023 Adam Driver Net Worth Growth Net Worth in 2023 $20 Million Net Worth in 2022 $18 Million Net Worth in 2021 $16 Million Net Worth in 2020 $14 Million Net Worth in 2019 $12 Million Net Worth in 2018 $11 Million His acting career has earned him a respectable sum of money. The pay Adam Driver receives for appearing in movies and television series is his main source of income. He has also developed a revenue stream that boosts his net worth. Acting brings in millions of cash for him every year. He has accumulated a $20 million net worth. Adam Driver Biography Adam Driver, who became 39 years old on November 19, 1983, was born. In the United States, he was born in San Diego, California. His full name is Adam Douglas Driver, however he goes by the stage name Adam Driver. Joseph Douglas Driver and Nancy Wright raised him in a stable home. He has Scotch, English, Irish, German, and Dutch ancestry. Hello, my mother is from Indiana. At a Baptist church, his stepfather has held the position of preacher. When he was seven years old, he and his mother relocated to his mother's hometown of Mishawaka. In 2001, he also finished high school at Mishawaka High School. Prior to starting his acting career, he also worked as a door-to-door salesman for Kirby vacuum cleaners. He became a well-known actor after acting in numerous films and television programs. Real Name Adam Douglas Driver Nick Name: Adam Driver Birth Place: San Diego, California, United States Date Of Birth/Birthday: 19 November 1983 Age/How Old: 39 years old  Height/How Tall: In Centimetres – 189 cm In Feet and Inches – 6’2” Weight: In Kilograms – 88 Kg In Pounds – 194 lbs Eye Colour: Hazel Hair Colour: Black Education: The Juilliard School, University of Indianapolis, Mishawaka High School Religion: N/A Nationality: American Zodiac Sign: Scorpio Gender: Male Sexual Orientation: Straight Kids/Children Name: N/A Profession: American actor Net Worth: $20 Million Adam Driver Relationship & More Affairs N/A Girlfriend   N/A Best Friend N/A Spouse  Joanne Tucker (m. 2013) Divorce N/A Children N/A Parents Joe Driver, Nancy Wright Siblings    April Driver Adam Driver: Career and Awards Adam Driver made his television debut in the 2009 season of The Wonderful Maladys, playing the part of Zed, and so began his career as an actor. It has helped him become well-known in his early career. Later on, he began to have additional prospects in the sector. Later, in 2010, he made appearances on You Don't Know Jack and Law & Order. He made his acting debut in the 2011 film J. Edgar, playing the part of Walter Lyle. His other movies include Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Inside Llewyn Davis, Not Waving But Drowning, and this is where I leave you. He recently watched the film White Noise, in which he portrayed Jack Gladney in the year 2022. Due to his part in the television program Girls, he has become more well-known in the field. He continued to work on this show till 2017. It was published in 2012. Throughout his professional acting career, it has been beneficial. He has received three Primetime Emmy nominations in a row. He has also contributed to Lego Star Wars: The Force Awakens and Disney Infinity. In his career, he has received both nominations and awards. He has numerous Critics' Awards to his name. Also, he has received nominations for Primetime Emmy, Golden Globe, and Screen Actors Guild Awards. The Palm Springs International Film Festival also awarded him. Adam Driver Top Hits Movies:- - House of Gucci (2021) - Marriage Story (2019) - White Noise (2022) - BlacKkKlansman (2018) - Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker (2019) - This Is Where I Leave You (2014) - Logan Lucky (2017) - Gayby (2012) Education Adam Driver attended Mishawaka High School, graduating high school in 2001. He has also attended the University of Indianapolis for higher education. Frequently Asked Questions What is the net worth of Adam Driver? Adam Driver‘s total net worth is around $20 Million. How old is Adam Driver? Currently, Adam Driver is 39 years old (19 November 1983). How much does Adam Driver make annually? Adam Driver earns an estimated salary of $2 Million per Year. What is the height of Adam Driver? The height of Adam Driver is 1.89m. (6’ 2”). What is the name of Adam Driver’s wife? Adam Driver was married to Joanne Tucker (m. 2013).   Read the full article

[devalevelmediablog]

post1(film title)

category-coursework development/productions

there are plenty of purposes for utilising a title in a film it not only makes the audience aware of what to call the film or the short film but also what type of tone is set for the film the audience to get for the upcoming hour. In fact, one would say that it enhances the experience of the genre set for the film

For instance, a gothic, bold typeface might be used in a horror film to evoke the feeling of darkness and terror, while a romantic comedy might use a softer, more whimsical font to evoke the feeling of lightness and pleasure.

just take last years 2-minute opening scene as an example-cold blood

this photo is the title for last year's 2-minute movie cold blood it was set with a thrill and a murder tone) thus the red colour with a white background screen because it shows the murder of the girl and the thrill that is about to come ahead 

with the same mindset our this year's title SAYAA had a simple black background and the font looks like it has been written with chalk as it gives out a eerie feeling and the reason for this simplicity was as this title was even used for match between two different shots 

[disappointingyet]

In The Soup

Director Alexandre Rockwell Stars Steve Buscemi, Seymour Cassel, Jennifer Beals, Will Patton USA 1992 Language English 1hr 36mins Black & white 

Buscemi! Cassel! Pre-gentrified NYC! Black & white!

If I told you that Seymour Cassel was one of great figures in the history of American independent cinema, going all the way from working on (not acting in) John Cassavetes’ directorial debut Shadows back in 1958 up to the three films he made with Wes Anderson, that would be both true and potentially give you a misleading idea of how he paid the bills. Because while people like me remember Cassel for, say, The Royal Tenenbaums, his very extensive filmography takes in lots of episodes of TV shows (Matlock, Star Trek: The Next Generation, ER etc), garish blockbusters (Dick Tracy) and a lot very ropey-looking stuff I’ve never heard of and most likely you neither (Motel Blue? Emma’s Wish?) In short, he was a working actor, and took jobs in most of the genres, budget scales and levels of artist pretension there were in the US movies and TV in the late 20th century.

But I would be surprised if many of those shows or films created as much space for him as In The Soup. 

The narrator of In The Soup - and the character who the events here happen to – is Adolfo Rollo (Steve Buscemi), who less-than-coincidentally shares his initials with the film’s writer-director Alexandre Rockwell. But the character who makes those things happen, the life and heart of In The Soup, is Cassel’s Joe.

Adolfo is a would-be director with a grand sense of his own importance and little else. He lives in a grotty Manhattan apartment and scrapes together rent money doing odd jobs and – when that doesn’t cover it – ringing his mom.

And then along comes Joe. Joe, improbably, offers to finance Adolfo’s film, despite dozing off when Adolfo tries to read him the script. Joe is middle-aged, charismatic, hedonistic. He has a sex-mad much younger girlfriend. The hitch? His many enterprises aren’t entirely legit and he wants Adolfo to help him out in return for putting up the money for the movie.

In The Soup is and isn’t the comedy that the gangster-recruits-hapless-aspiring-film-maker plot suggests. It is, in that Joe does get Adolfo involved in any number of scrapes, and some of this stuff is pretty funny. Isn’t, well, because as much as the film uses Joe to mock Adolfo’s aspirations and his constant evocations of Renoir and Tarkovsky, it also is aiming for something along else along with those laughs… and gets there at least some of the time.

It’s shot in lovely black & white - quite common for indie movies in those days because it was cheaper than colour while also signalling that you were making something distinct from Hollywood product. 

The cast is a good one: Cassel and Buscemi I’ve already mentioned. There’s also Will Patton as Joe’s thuggish brother, a cameo from Jim Jarmusch (with Carol Kane). New York downtown staples Rockets Redglare and Debi Mazar* both turn up, as does Sam Rockwell, a frequent presence in his namesake Alexandre’s movies although they are not related. 

Maybe the weak link is Jennifer Beals as Angelica, the neighbour Adolfo is obsessed with. This is not the fault of Beals – who was married to the director at the time (and would have been the most famous person in the cast) – but she’s doing a strong Latina-in-NYC accent (she’s not a Latina nor a New Yorker) and it’s distracting.

Still, that’s a minor gripe. I’m not sure how I didn’t see this at the time: in the 1990s I watched endless black & white indie comedies. (Not to mention films with Jim Jarmusch cameos.) The other movie with Buscemi as a frustrated low-budget filmmaker – Living In Oblivion – was a huge favourite of mine. I definitely knew of In The Soup, but guess it never turned up in the Crystal Palace branch of Blockbuster nor ran at 1am on BBC2 or Channel 4. But I’m very glad I finally caught up with it, it's ace. *Cassel, Kane, Mazar and Rockets Redglare plus Elizabeth Bracco, who is in In The Soup but I haven't mentioned, all also appear in Buscemi's directorial debut Trees Lounge, made four years later.

[agentnico]

Werewolf by Night (2022) Review

Anyone else agree the Marvel Studios logo is super indulgent? Their title card before each film/tv show is over 30 seconds long as is, and additionally in Werewolf by Night the Marvel Studios logo is shown three times - first comes “Marvel Studios Special Presentation”, then followed by the usual half-a-minute title logo and then straight away ‘Marvel Studios Presents’. Like yes, we get it, you guys are a big deal. So much so that you have managed to get away with making a load of content after Avengers: Endgame and most of it being a pile of sh**, yet still make the dollar. Yep, I said it. Get your act together Feige. When’s that Deadpool/Wolverine crossover scheduled for? 

Plot: On a dark and sombre night, a secret cabal of monster hunters emerge from the shadows and gather at the Bloodstone Temple following the death of their leader; the attendees are thrust into a mysterious and deadly competition for a powerful relic.

So following my little rant at the beginning of this review about how bad Phase 4 of the MCU has been, Werewolf by Night is actually quite good. Yep, talk about smooth transitions. My point is though what makes this Disney+ offering stand out is that it shows that the folks at Marvel are at least trying to attempt something different here. A call-back to the 30s/40s era of Universal monster movies, with the black-and-white grainy filter and over-the-top characters and featuring, well, monsters. 

Interestingly enough this also happens to be the directorial debut of Michael Giacchino. For those wondering why that name may sound familiar, this cool geezer *never will I ever use the word ‘geezer’ again, that felt weird and peculiar territory which I will never tread towards ever again, I do apologise*, any way, so this cool Giacchino dude is the man that’s been composing all the cool blockbuster movies that Hans Zimmer hasn’t for the past few years. Like this fella’s done it all - think Star Trek, think Planet of the Apes, think Star Wars, think Pixar, Jurassic World, Batman, fricking Cars 2! What hasn’t this guy composed!? Well, the Lord of the Rings fan within me acknowledges he never did any Middle Earth music, but let’s be honest, who would dare compete with Howard Shore! Ah just remember when Aragorn, Frodo and the fellowship walk through the misty mountains towards Caradhras as Shore plunges his orchestra to the mighty depths of Khazad-Dum and you can feel the instruments literally burning the atmosphere with its mastery!!! Sorry, I’ve recently been thinking of rewatching the Lord of the Rings trilogy, so I’m a bit in the zone. 

Anyway, that Giacchino guy, what did he do? Well, he directed Werewolf by Night and you can tell a composer directed this project, as the use of sound and music to build up tension and build to the bigger moments in the scenes here could have only been accomplished by a man with a very acute sense of hearing. And overall Giacchino seems to be a fan of those aforementioned monster movies. The use of retro style smoke and mirrors, cigarette burns and the use of practical effects, especially for the main werewolf that is evidently inspired by The Wolf Man, however I couldn’t unsee Nicholas Hoult’s Beast from the X-Men movies. It all does look really cool, and very unique, and though it never hits the cheesy level high’s of those original monster movies such as Dracula and Frankenstein, it’s a very unique direction for a Marvel production. I have also seen many other reviews mention how this is a gorier MCU outing, and I can see where they are coming from, but due to the use of black and white they are able to get away with it, as you don’t see any blood colours. As such its pretty harmless in that regard.

I enjoyed Werewolf by Night. Gael Garcia Bernal brings his usual likeable relatable vulnerability to the lead role, and Michael Giacchino exhibits qualities of a filmmaker who actually cares to bring something different to the table, yet not afraid to take inspiration from previous great works. Heck, where other Marvel projects would try to go bigger, Giacchino opts to go smaller. When the transformation of the werewolf occurs, he does so off-screen, and the camera instead slowly zooms closer and closer on the face of the terrified Elsa (played by Laura Donnelly) as we see only the shadowy silhouette of the man turning into a monster. It’s a neat trick that really heightens the tension and anticipation… and when we finally do see the werewolf, we then can enjoy a very satisfying rampage. But perhaps the biggest treat is Harriet Sansom Harris as Verusa, Ulysses’ widow and the night’s master of ceremonies, delivering an over-the-top performance that gives the whole affair huge theater-kid energy. Then again, there’s also a character named Ted in this thing, and he’s an example of comedy in Marvel done right. But no spoilers, if you’re wondering about who Ted is, you’re just going to have to go and watch Werewolf by Night.

Overall score: 7/10