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setaripendragon · 5 years ago

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Never Simple - Chapter 2

[Chapter 1] Given that I got distracted by another fandom half way through writing this, I wasn’t actually sure whether I was going to manage to finish it or not, but I came back to it just yesterday and tah-dah~ So, have some more ridiculousness. (Warning for references to... pseudo-cannibalism? Human-possessing monsters that eat humans, anyway, although there is no actual cannibalism going on, just discussions on the subject.)

Ed sat, silent and tense, as Granny checked Al over once again. This time, instead of just frowning deeper, she had a grim smile on her face. “Well, that one seems to be doing the trick.” She announced, and Ed slumped, hanging his head and pressing his eyes shut against yet more tears. He was tired of crying.

We really do need food. Truth insisted, in time with the pang of bottomless hunger that echoed through his stomach.

“Granny?” Ed asked, wiping his nose on the back of his hand and looking up. “Can I have something to eat?” He asked, unable to quite keep the touch of resentment out of his tone. He didn’t like being told what to do at the best of times. Granny snorted at him, giving him a look that was probably for the tone rather than the question, because she was also nodding.

“I’ll bring you boys some stew.” She said, patting Al’s knee before heading for the door.

That’s dead meat. It won’t help. Truth sighed, just as resentful as Ed felt. Ed tried to give a voice in his head the side-eye. It didn’t really work, but it did, at least, manage to get the message across. In case it escaped your notice, oh so clever one, we are not human, we do not need the same things human bodies need to function. We need living meat, preferably grey matter, if we can get it.

“Grey-” Ed choked out, horrified. He was even more horrified by the fact that the thought didn’t actually cause his stomach to turn over like it would have only hours ago. No, instead, his traitorous stomach let out a hopeful little gurgle. “You eat brains?!” He hissed under his breath.

Ideally, yes. The more complex the better. Truth explained, and Ed froze, because he didn’t need to be a genius to understand what that meant.

“No.” He said, a little too loud, and dropped his voice to a vicious whisper as he continued. “I am not killing people just so you can eat them, and I don’t care what you do to me!”

A grumpy silence followed that pronouncement, until Ed was all but vibrating in his seat in a combination of righteous indignation and creeping dread. I will not force you. Truth said, and it felt almost… resentfully apologetic. I am not your master, nor will I punish you if you defy me.

“You literally vivisected me once.” Ed hissed.

I shared with you the knowledge you sought! If you did not like what you learned, then maybe you should have thought twice before asking. Truth retorted coolly, and Ed flinched. You are an aggravating little bastard, and I do not like you. That does not mean that I wish you ill.

Ed… didn’t really believe that, and he knew Truth could tell, but he could at least accept the tentative truce for now. “So… okay. Okay, if- if brains are off the table-” Ed shuddered, dismayed at the fact that that sentence had just come out of his mouth. “-which they are, what… what’re the alternatives?” He asked warily.

After a momentary pause, he could feel Truth relent, uncoiling through Ed. It was weird and invasive, and yet strangely not unpleasant. We can subsist on lesser foods. Truth acknowledged. Eggs, nuts, meat, and fish. But only raw. Cooking it destroys the chemicals we need. Chocolate, as well. Chocolate is good. If Ed didn’t know better, he’d say Truth was purring at the thought of chocolate. That much, Ed could get behind.

He did know, though, that cooking food did alter it at a chemical level. And he supposed, whatever type of being Truth was, it probably didn’t have humanity’s long history of cooking food, so even if it could adapt to it, it hadn’t had the chance. “Raw meat?” Ed asked, despairing.

Grey matter would be best, but yes, raw meat will do in a pinch.

“Raw meat can make humans sick.” Ed pointed out, although he had a feeling it wasn’t going to do him any good.

Sure enough, Truth seemed to find that funny. It will not make me sick, and since I will be the one doing all the digesting, you have nothing to worry about, little alchemist.

“Fuck, fine.” Ed sighed. “But you better not make me throw up the stew either way.”

That was not me. Truth explained, feeling weary and frustrated. Ed couldn’t be bothered to question that out loud, but he focused very intently on his scepticism and incredulity. Just as he seemed to be able to feel Truth’s emotional state, it clearly picked up on his, too, and responded with an explanation that wasn’t so much words as it was concepts and dynamics. The way that the human immune system responded to Truth like a threat, and sought to purge it, and yet it could not, because Truth was everywhere, in every part of Al. This had resulted in a feedback loop, sending the immune system into over-drive, attacking Al as much as Truth, and that was why Al had thrown up the food.

“Is my immune system going to do that?” Ed asked with a grimace.

I do not think so. We are more compatible than I had expected. Truth mused. Ed wanted to ask what the hell that even meant, but before he could, Granny came back, with Winry on her heels, each of them carrying two bowls of stew each. Ed took his gratefully, and watched with relief as Winry poked Al awake, and Al managed to actually keep the food down this time. He had no idea how he was going to convince Granny to feed him raw meat, but any trouble it gave him would be more than worth it for his brother’s life.

Al only got half way through his stew before he was yawning, and Winry gently took the bowl off him. Ed put aside his own bowl to hop up and tuck Al in. “You rest and get better soon, okay, Al?” Ed prompted, and Al nodded, frowning at him slightly.

“You… Don’t do anything stupid, Brother, okay?” He checked, voice gone soupy with encroaching sleep. Ed wanted to scoff and make some grand pronouncement about how he never did anything stupid, but… but just the thought choked him, because it had been his stupid idea that had got Al into this state in the first place, that had- No. Not thinking about it.

“I’ll try.” Ed managed, a little hoarse.

Al gave him a look, a tired smile, and then drifted off.

“Let’s finish our meal in the living room, so we don’t bother him.” Winry suggested, stepping up and grabbing hold of Ed’s elbow, tugging lightly. Ed let her tow him out of the infirmary, Granny following on their heels. “Ed, I-” Winry began once they were in the living room, depositing their dinner on the table and then turning to face him, looking at him all earnestly. It made Ed shift uncomfortably. Winry didn’t finish the thought though, just looked at him for a long moment, brows furrowed, and then threw her arms around him without another word.

Ed tensed up at first, not wanting to give in and allow himself to accept the comfort. He didn’t deserve it. Truth took the matter out of his hands. Literally. His arms came up without his intent or permission, and wrapped around Winry in turn. It’s not about whether we deserve it or not. No one deserves what they’re given. But kindness is rare, and acceptance doubly so. We should take it with gratitude when it’s offered to us.

“Yeah.” Ed agreed, reluctant, but… understanding the wisdom in it, sort of. “Thanks, Winry.” He added, squeezing her, and feeling relieved when he found he could do it without issue. Winry just squeezed him back.

“You’re not alone. You know that, right, Ed?” Winry checked, finally drawing back.

Ed almost managed to muster up a smile for her, but it wobbled and fell away before it could quite make it. “Yeah, I-… Yeah.” He agreed, swallowing back the pain her words provoked. He felt very alone right now, even though he was less alone than even Winry knew. He wanted his mum, and her absence – and his own guilt – made everyone else feel miles away, even the voice inside his head.

Sitting down to finish his dinner, Ed wished that Granny and Winry would talk about something, anything, so that he could distract himself from his thoughts. From the memories all clamouring for his attention. But they weren’t, they were maintaining sombre silence, as if they thought Ed wanted them following his lead or some shit. He felt Truth prod at his memories, not quite taking control like it had before, but clearly calling his attention to its desire to… What? See what he remembered?

Yes.

Ed almost wanted to laugh, bitter and hysterical, but instead, he just let go, let the memory play out, and tried not to loose his dinner at the remembered sounds of bones snapping one after the other. Oh, now that was just cruel. Truth muttered with scorn, but, Ed realised after a moment, not scorn directed at him. Instead, it was aimed at… Sloth. It told him, quietly, offering up a memory of it’s own, of a small amorphous puddle of what looked almost like the clearest, purest water, if water had the consistency of liquid flesh; crystalline blue mottled with glints of white and pale, pastel yellow like light reflecting off the strange ripples of its movement. That one is called Sloth. It is the one you freed when you tried to pull apart things that were never meant to be divided.

Ed put aside the rest of his stew and curled his knees up to hide behind them. Guilt surged up his throat, threatening to bring his half-digested dinner with it, but he swallowed it down. He was also remembering that awful stone doorway and the horror sealed within. It was… one of… one of those? He wondered, struggling to structure the thought into something coherent, and not just an incomprehensible mess of emotion. Truth returned a feeling of assent. How… How many are there? In there?

Uncounted thousands. Perhaps a million or more.

Ed shuddered. That was a horrifying thought – that there were that many of the things – but it was easier to think about that than about Mum and what had happened – what he’d done – to her. What… are they? He wondered.

The insane remnants of my people. Truth told him, and Ed flinched from the undercurrent of age-old grief and guilt that rang through the thing, mirroring the feelings swamping Ed and creating a painfully acute feedback loop. They are ours to watch over, ours to guard, ours to keep contained, lest they break free and ravage your world. I did it to preserve your world, your people, and yet you all persist in tearing at the prison I built. In your ignorance, in your arrogance. Too many are already-

A sudden banging on the door interrupted Truth’s rant, which Ed was both resentful of and a little grateful for, because Truth still scared him a whole hell of a lot, and the thing’s temper was almost as bad as his. On the other hand, Truth had been sharing information, and like any good alchemist, Ed craved knowledge. Especially forbidden or obscure knowledge.

“Who the bloody hell could that be at this hour?” Granny groused as she went to get the door. Ed peeked up over his knees, curious despite himself, as she opened it and revealed two military officers standing outside. “Yes?” Granny snapped. “What do you want?”

The man opened his mouth, spotted Ed over Granny’s head, and closed his mouth in favour of pushing past her and walking right in. His gaze was fixed on Ed, fierce and almost angry, ignoring Granny’s yelled protests. “What have you done?!” The man demanded, one hand coming up as if to grab Ed.

Ed’s body moved without his permission again, flinging him backwards so violently the arm chair actually started to topple even as Ed rolled right over the arm, staggered back, and hit the wall, hands raised defensively. But the man wasn’t coming after him. In fact, he’d frozen where he stood, looking- conflicted. That was the best Ed could describe it. And when it became clear that he wasn’t actually going to attack, Truth relaxed, which meant Ed’s body relaxed, which meant he could control it again.

Are you… scared of him? Ed asked as he straightened warily. The notion of Truth being scared of anything felt wrong to him. It could take people apart at the molecular level, what the hell did it have to be scared of? Which meant that anything that could scare it scared the hell out of Ed just on principle. Or it would, if this guy didn’t just look like a normal guy. Military, sure, but nothing that ought to scare Truth, he didn’t think. Nothing that scared Ed, which meant he kind of wanted the guy to stick around. If he had to put up with Truth inside his mind, then it would just be karma if Truth ended up having to put up with this guy in the same room as them.

“Hey! Leave him alone!” Winry shouted, getting to her feet as well. The military guy barely spared a glance for her, but he did back off a little, his posture changing from something bristling and looming to a straight-backed military type of stance.

“I saw the array at your house.” He said crisply into the silence. “I saw what was left in it.” Ed flinched, throat locking up, and then shot a half-hearted glare over at him. “I’ll ask again. What did you do?” He enunciated every word very clearly, like he was tossing them out like knives, aiming to wound.

Ed closed his eyes, words sticking in his throat. Answer the man. Truth murmured, snide enough that Ed was pretty sure it had detected his earlier thoughts about wanting it to know what it felt like to be stuck with someone who scared the shit out of you.

“Oh, fuck you.” Ed snapped half-heartedly. He said it out loud for the military man’s benefit, but it was equally pointed in Truth’s direction. The guy’s eyebrows rose at the insolence, but he didn’t lose his temper again, so at least there was that. “I-” He choked, gritted his teeth, and tried again, shoving down the awful churning emotions that were threatening to steal his voice. “I fucked up, alright? I fucked up, and-” Ed’s throat closed up despite his best efforts, and his legs gave out on him. He sank down the wall to sit on the floor and buried his face in his knees, so at least no one would see him crying, even if they all had to know that he was doing.

“If you wouldn’t mind not harassing my patient?” Granny snapped into the silence.

“My apologies.” The military guy offered smoothly. “There appeared to be… biological matter inside that circle, and that, you understand, is… concerning.” He pointed out, and Granny grunted in a way that was probably acknowledgement and agreement. There was a long pause. “Who was it?” The man asked, which meant he clearly understood enough of what the array was for that Ed was in deep shit anyway.

“Our mum.” Ed rasped out.

The military lady, who’d so far been a silent shadow to – Ed guessed – her superior, sucked in a sharp, horrified little breath. “I see. And, forgive me, but what happened to your brother?” The memory of Al’s face wearing Truth’s grin flashed through his mind and he flinched violently and curled in on himself, guilt making any explanation feel impossible.

Granny picked up his slack. “He’s not well, but he’s recovering.”

“What happened?” The military guy asked.

Granny made a dubious noise, but answered the question as best she could. “I’m not entirely sure, to be honest, but-” Ed tuned the rest of the explanation out, because he didn’t want to hear his failures spelled out in Granny’s brisk, practical way.

We are getting very hungry, little alchemist. Truth warned him.

Fuck’s sake, I can’t just- Granny is right there! Ed retorted, peeking up over his knees to where Granny was gesturing for the military goons to join her at the dining table as she talked.

Yes. She is, isn’t she? Truth responded ominously.

What’s that supposed to mean?!

It means that we must eat something, something nutritional for me, or our hunger will consume us. I could start eating bits of you, but then you will start to fail, and I will fail with you. Better to eat somebody else. Truth explained, still with that edge of dark impatience.

You piece of shit, fine! Ed hauled himself to his feet, resentful and reluctant, but not actually willing to keep pushing Truth, in case it did follow through on it’s threat. Granny cut off mid-sentence to look over at him, but he waved her off.

It was a warning, not a threat. Truth groused.

Sounded like a fucking threat to me! Ed snapped back, lacing the thought with all the impotent fury he felt. He yanked the freezer open and crouched down to see that Granny actually had a huge bag of already chopped- something. Probably lamb. He grabbed the whole thing, slammed the freezer shut, and emptied it out into one of the big mixing bowls.

We do not want to harm people! Truth exploded, just as furious as Ed. It was loud enough, even inside Ed’s head, to make him startle. Truth’s next thoughts were far less aggressive, quieter, almost soft. We don’t want to simply consume everything in our path like some kind of plague, but I am a living creature, just as you, and we must eat to survive. One cannot help one’s nature, and no creature should ever have to apologise for existing.

…That’s fair. Ed acknowledged gracelessly, and apologised by way of shoving a handful of frozen lamb chunks into his mouth. Before he could do more than register that this was going to be gross, something changed. Truth surged up, and the next thing Ed knew, his teeth had grown into points designed for rending flesh, and his tongue felt… weird. Different. But at least the difference meant that instead of tasting gross, the frozen meat actually tasted like sunshine felt. You gave me fucking synaesthesia. He complained half-heartedly.

Your human senses are so limited. Truth mocked. You can’t even tell when someone is approaching you from behind. It added, and Ed turned to see Winry standing in the doorway, watching him with wide, worried eyes.

“…Ed?” Winry asked tentatively, eyes flicking from his face to the bowl he was cradling in his arm.

Ed decided there was literally no way he could explain this without worrying her even more, and if he did that, she might start crying, and that would be unacceptable. So belligerence it was. “What?” He demanded, mustering up a scowl.

“Are you… um…” Winry trailed off, not even bothering to try and stay focused on his face anymore. “What are you…?”

“M’hungry.” Ed snapped defensively, and then pushed past her back into the front room, trying to escape. Of course, he’d forgotten that there were even more people to explain himself to in there, but he was here now, so he set his jaw and went to join the grown-ups at the dining table. They all accepted his presence without comment for the first three seconds, and then Granny did a dramatic double-take.

“What he hell are you eating, pipsqueak?” She demanded, leaning forwards to try and get a look at the contents of the bowl.

“Food.” Ed retorted, entirely truthful and entirely unhelpful.

“Is that- Edward Elric, what do you think you’re doing, eating raw meat straight from the freezer?! You’re going to make yourself sick! As if one of you coming down with something isn’t bad enough!” Granny exclaimed, trying to grab the bowl off Ed. He jerked it out of her reach and curled around it defensively.

“It’s fine!” Ed protested, and proved his point by shoving another handful into his mouth, chewing the bare minimum, and then swallowing. “See?” Granny made a noise like a boiling kettle, and then threw her hands in the air. In the back of Ed’s head, Truth was laughing. You’re an asshole. Ed informed it resentfully, and popped another chunk of raw sunshine-flavoured meat into his mouth.

The problem was, Ed could already tell that Truth hadn’t been fucking him around. Not even a quarter of the way through the bowl, and he could already feel the difference. Truth had been starving, maybe even to the point of dying of it, if Ed hadn’t gone along with it’s demands.

It is very, very difficult for one of us to die of starvation. If we become too diminished, we simply… hibernate. We can maintain that state for a very long time before even that takes too much from us, and we perish. But I have gone a long, long time without sustenance.

How long? Ed wondered, as the adults hesitantly picked up their conversation. Military guy was saying something about human transmutation being illegal, and Granny was snapping back defensively. Ed thought he probably ought to care about that, but it was hard to muster up the energy.

We can’t actually remember. Truth admitted.

That… had to be a long time. Ed shook the thought off, and listened to the military guy giving Granny soothing platitudes with half an ear. He caught more of Ed’s attention when he looked over, and Ed forced himself to actually pay attention when the guy switched to talking directly to him. Ed was a little impressed that, despite one, faintly pained glance, the guy didn’t show a hint of being disconcerted by Ed’s choice of snack. “I first came out to Risembool with the intention of offering to sponsor your application for the State Alchemist program. I reconsidered once I learned how young you were, but in light of everything, I think perhaps you might benefit from applying, regardless.” Ed blinked, too stunned to react.

We should do it. Truth decided.

“Wait, what?” Ed blurted out before he could stop himself.

“You – and your brother – are clearly alchemical prodigies, and-” The guy began, but Ed lost track of what he was saying in favour of listening to Truth.

We must find Sloth, and the others, and return them to the Gate. The military is as good a place to start as any. They have resources we could use, and given that the others will be as hungry as we are, your military is bloody enough to be prime hunting grounds. Truth explained.

Ed went very, very still. I thought that thing- that- Sloth. I thought it had- died, or- or gone back to the Gate already. He thought in horror. It had dissolved, hadn’t it? Turned into a puddle of biological ooze, and slipped back into that place.

No. Your mother’s body ��dissolved’, as I showed you yours could be. But that is our natural form. It is not anathema to us as it is for you. It would not have harmed Sloth to return to that state. To remain so without a host would eventually kill it, so Sloth would not have remained in your house for long.

Shit, okay. Ed thought, closing his eyes for a beat. He didn’t even need to think about it, really. If the thing that killed Mum was out there, he wanted to find it and put it back behind the Gate where it couldn’t hurt anyone else ever again.

And this man will be very useful. Truth added.

Ed closed his mouth without letting the affirmative answer that had been on his tongue spill out into the air. The military guy gave him a curious look, but then kept talking, a little more keenly, pushing a little harder to convince him. I thought you were scared of him? Ed questioned.

He is very dangerous to my kind. But we are hunting my kind. Truth pointed out, a little amused at Ed’s expense.

Ed wanted to pull a face at it, but didn’t dare, with the military guy’s attention fixed so thoroughly on him. Dangerous how? He wondered, to which Truth responded with a feeling of suspicion and mistrust. Ed actually did roll his eyes before he could stop himself. I already agreed that I want to find Sloth as much as you do. He pointed out, and Truth relaxed.

“Something the matter, Mr Elric?” The military guy drawled, unimpressed.

Ed blinked, and then realised he’d gone and rolled his eyes, and this guy had no way of knowing it was at the voice in Ed’s head, not him. “Uh…”

Ask him who he is. Truth suggested.

Right. “I just realised I don’t even know who the fuck you are.” Ed pointed out.

The guy huffed faintly, amused. “Fair point. I’m Lieutenant Colonel Roy Mustang, The Flame Alchemist, and this is my adjutant, Major Riza Hawkeye. It’s a pleasure to meet you.” He offered dryly, holding out a hand for Ed to shake like they were both respectable grown ups. Ed almost wanted to laugh, but before he could, Truth moved his body again, reaching out to shake the man’s hand, and then, with a faint sense of amused trepidation, used the grip to turn Mustang’s hand over so Ed could see the array stitched on the back of his glove.

It was an impressive piece of alchemy, that was for sure. Simple and streamlined to the point that Ed was certain there was a lot more to it that Mustang was doing in his head, on the fly, for every different transmutation. Fire was notoriously tricky to do anything with, with alchemy, after all. Ed wished he was better studied in that arena, because even though he could pick out a few details from the circle, it was simple enough that he couldn’t even begin to put the pieces together and figure out how the thing even worked-

And then Truth was unspooling the knowledge inside his head. Fire at the heart, of course, integral but small because all that was needed was a spark, because the key ingredient, the main function of the array wasn’t to create fire, but to create fuel. Air and earth, interwoven and interlinked, because- Oh, fuck, of course, Ed thought, eyebrows rising in incredulous awe. Fire needed to breathe, and with enough flammable gasses concentrated in one place, the air could be the fuel.

There was so much more to it than that, so much excruciating detail was necessary to make it work, but with enough experience and knowledge, that could be done on the fly, and adjusted as needed to the circumstances. The basics, though, were there, so fucking simple Ed felt stupid for needing help to figure it out. Not stupid. Reverse engineering something like this would be the work of a lifetime for any normal alchemist.

“Okay, now that’s amazing.” Ed breathed. I didn’t know you knew alchemy. Other than… biological alchemy, anyway.

Truth laughed at him again. Arrogant little alchemist, it said, and it sounded almost fond, I invented alchemy.

Ed had no idea what to even do with that statement, so it was a bit of a relief when Mustang spoke up and distracted him from the increasing laughter inside his head. “Ah, thank you.” He said, sounding a little bewildered. “You, ah… can decipher it?”

“Enough.” Ed acknowledged with a grin. “It’s pretty sneaky, though.” He added.

Show off. Truth huffed, no longer laughing. Ed projected an imagining of him sticking his tongue out at it, to the tune of gloating laughter of his own.

Mustang pinched the bridge of his nose like Ed’s admission physically pained him, which was also pretty funny. “That is actually terrifying.” The man muttered. Hawkeye, too, looked entirely stunned, her mouth was actually a little agape as she stared. Ed looked at her a little curiously.

“Are you an alchemist, too?” He asked.

She blinked once, and then offered him a faint smile. “No, but my father was.”

Ed nodded, and tried not to pull a face. That just made him think of his own deadbeat dad, and he didn’t want Hawkeye thinking it was directed at her. To his surprise, he felt the same rolling disgust and scorn that he was feeling coming from Truth at the thought of his father. Why do you hate him? He wondered, baffled, but only for a moment, because, well, it was obvious. Hadn’t Ed gotten the idea to- to do what he did from one of his dad’s old books, from a handwritten note in one of his dad’s old books? Oh, right, did he, uh… free one of those things, too?

Yes. Truth projected the affirmation forcefully. More than one.

Ed wasn’t sure whether to feel horrified or vindicated by that, and settled for just letting Truth share his anger. Funnily enough, it did seem to help them both. “Well, Mr Elric?” Mustang asked, breaking Ed out of his thoughts – his conversation with Truth – and drawing him back to the present. Ed raised his brows at him, and fished around in the bottom of his bowl for the last few bits of meat. “Have I persuaded you to apply for a State Alchemist licence?” Mustang asked with a hopeful, encouraging smile.

“Yeah, sure, whatever. I’ll do it.” Ed agreed.

“You what?!” Winry yelped.

“Edward…!” Granny added, entirely thrown and vaguely appalled. Even Hawkeye looked unhappy, lips pressed into a thin line.

Only Mustang didn’t seem shocked, instead hiding a smug bastard little smirk behind his interlaced fingers. “Excellent. The next Exam is in eight months. I suggest you come to Central a little earlier, to give yourself time to adjust and perhaps get a little studying time in the libraries there.” Ed shrugged, because he really didn’t care about the logistics. Mustang eyed him for a moment, then without comment turned to Granny to discuss the details. That was fine by Ed, really, and he let their voices drift out of focus as he contemplated the empty mixing bowl. Still hungry? He asked tentatively.

Yes. Truth admitted. But we will survive a few more days without proper sustenance.

Ed didn’t really want to think about the logistics of that, either, so he didn’t. “I’m going to go check on Al.” He said out loud, and slunk away with the feel of Mustang’s assessing gaze prickling on the back of his neck.

#Fullmetal Alchemist #Edward Elric #Winry Rockbell #Roy Mustang #Truth #Venom crossover #alien symbiotes #I'm pretty sure the whole 'eats brains' thing #comes from fanon #but Venom was a bit spefically keen on heads in the movie #and it does ramp up the horror factor by a few degrees #so I went with it

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maczazind · 7 years ago

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Film Diary 2017: August AKA "The Month Where I Crossed A Lot Off Of My Watchlist"

I found myself playing a major round of catch up last month, cramming three months worth of detailed movie reactions into one massive film journal post. But finally, I’m back on track with quite the larger month so far in 2017 as I cross off some highly notable titles from the past year off of my watchlist.

As always, the following reflects MY OWN OPINION. If you’d like to see these entries in full as the year progresses, each installment is given the tag “Film Diary 2017” so feel free to follow along! To see which movies I’m watching in real time prior to these posts, various ratings on a five star scale for assorted journal entries, likes and more, you can take a peek at my personal Letterboxd here & maybe even give me a follow there.

Each entry includes how every feature was primarily seen and an asterisk which denotes that viewing was the first time I’ve seen that movie in its entirety, despite possibly having seen pieces of the film previously or having a general knowledge of it. Numbering reflects the year’s overall total, not the monthly total.

89) August 1st: The Accountant* - DVD (Rental - Library); This first entry of the month I admittedly gained some new interest towards when news arrived that a sequel is reportedly in early development. Driving it home even more so was a glowing review from family members, as it had just arrived on HBO weeks prior. So having watched it, I can say I enjoyed it though I did manage to guess at least a few of the larger twists that seemed to have a impact towards others’ experience of the narrative. The story, when it irons itself out and gets rolling, ultimately can feel spiritually similar to that of Jack Reacher; both being solidly-crafted mystery thrillers centered around a man with an impressive set of skills. But where Tom Cruise delivers a military-trained badass, Affleck presents a character a bit more complex due to a high-functioning form of autism coupled with a number of interesting factors that I wouldn’t want to reveal for spoilers’ sake. Because of this, Affleck brings out a unique performance that’s demanded of him while its the supporting characters surrounding him who help define it and push it into new directions. Anna Kendrick is charming opposite Affleck as she finds a way to connect with him and ultimately gives the film a decent part of its emotional side underneath the mystery. Jon Bernthal is absolutely the scene stealer you wish was given more screentime, with his final scene in the film shining his talents wonderfully and his prior moments presenting a sly counterbalance to Affleck’s focused demeanor. Director Gavin O'Connor (who also helmed the incredibly moving feature Warrior that I highly recommend, along with the based on a true story Miracle) presents a thriller that certainly takes a novel approach, as it does feel like the tight style you see in various books brought to life on screen. As I stated, some of the larger surprises I was able to guess before their reveal; however, that doesn’t rob them of their overly satisfying and slick feeling when officially presented. In fact it actually adds more intrigue into the world, if anything. The Accountant is a good mystery that I certainly walked away from with more pros than cons. And if a sequel is to be made, I’m definitely intrigued by how Affleck, O'Connor and more will elevate the foundation laid out here.

90) La La Land* - DVD (Rental - Library); If you had asked me last Winter which of the contenders to emerge out of awards season caught my eye, I absolutely would have said La La Land. My hopes were definitely high as an impressive cast and the idea of a musical came forward under the direction of Damien Chazelle, who brought us the incredible Whiplash. As awards season took off, though, La La Land dominated to the degree of annoyance, resulting in many parodies, screen time, thank you speeches and ultimately a major downturn in my expectations. Six months later and far removed from the height of awards recognition, I can say that it absolutely deserved its praise & yet not everything presented shines as brightly as word of mouth would have you think. Chazelle crafts a great homage to classic Hollywood musicals of the past, heartfelt and passionate but perhaps a bit too predictable. Sebastian and Mia are both great individual personalities, equal parts charming, frustrating, and inspiring. They each come from very different worlds with very different passions, and it’s clear where that path will eventually lead them. I did, however, appreciate that 95% of what was presented in trailers and commercials as this sweeping love at first sight is given a twist to first time viewers with their origins and the songs sung at the time not painting the perfect picture. Seeing their relationship bloom is an interesting journey, with Emma Stone easily delivering the best performance of the film. And it all results in a finale that is both touching and oddly satisfying. Chazelle’s vision is presented with memorably shot scenes, and what helps boost the musical is a soundtrack from Dear Evan Hansen’s Pasek & Paul that will keep the catchy original songs stuck in your head for days to come. At the same time I feel it gets a bit too lost in the Hollywood love letter to give it a true edge, ultimately resulting in me gravitating more towards the intriguing exploration of themes in Whiplash as opposed to the spectacle of La La Land. That’s not to say I didn’t enjoy nor believe La La Land is a great film; it absolutely is and I’ll wind up owning it on Blu-Ray someday for sure. But in the quest to measure up to the great musicals of the past and reinventing it for the present, a premise similarly presented just a few years ago in the award winning The Artist, it’s just too heavy of a task at times.

91) August 2nd: Big Night* - DVD (Rental - Library); Watching as much Youtube as I do, the hit cooking channel Binging with Babish landed this feature on my watchlist after his episode in which he crafted the film’s signature dish. It took awhile to hunt down the movie, but I finally managed to get my hands on it and ultimately found it to be an enjoyable little gem. The story at the center made me laugh plenty, with characters that were fun to watch, music and food that demanded your attention, interesting relationships to watch as they jump their respective hurdles, and even an ending that is more poignant with a message to deliver than it is overly satisfying.

92) Arrival* - DVD (Rental - Library); Continuing to close out my watchlist of films I missed in 2016, this sci-fi feature arrived last year and caught my eye due to director Denis Villeneuve who previously impressed me with thrillers Prisoners and Sicario. An alien invasion story that unfolds the more we discover what’s going on alongside the characters, Arrival has an absolutely gripping first act that evokes a tense feeling reminiscent to Signs and The Day The Earth Stood Still. To see the scope expanded beyond just what our cast is doing and take into consideration how the perspective of the invasion differs in countries around the world is an intriguing concept that helps drive the hurdles to the exploration at large. The second act tends to drag as really we somewhat plateau with the characters getting a bit too comfortable for the intrigue to really continue. However, this results in a third act with a surprise that I absolutely adored as it tends to reflect on the film in an entirely new angle. As for performances, Amy Adams really holds scenes strongly on her shoulders while similarly working well opposite most of the supporting cast. At the end of the day though, Villeneuve pulls off a memorable original sci-fi entry that makes me excited for his upcoming turn with Blade Runner so long as he can shake that mid-movie halt present here.

93) August 3rd: Ouija: Origin Of Evil* - DVD (Rental - Library); I’m attempting to keep a majority of my horror movie queue until next month as we start to move into the Halloween season. But as this one became available, I decided to take a shot. I’d yet to see the original Ouija as so-so reviews mostly kept me at arm’s length and in the years since it never really emerged as a must-see entry in the genre. However the prequel gained my attention last year when after a large marketing campaign, and its stance as the only horror themed outing for the 2016 Halloween box office, it intriguingly gained a positive reception. And after seeing it I can certainly see the appeal. At it’s core is a 60s-set haunted house movie driven by the title game that perhaps I enjoyed less for its scares and more for its plot. A fan of the Paranormal Activity franchise, the skeleton underneath it all felt like quite the similar set-up with a family you’re set to care for, demons, and all of the supernatural happenings taking place under one roof as the small nods ramp up into a bigger climax. What elevates it even more is director Mike Flanagan’s visual style. Flanagan pulls off something impressive by managing to fully immerse the story in a setting that truly does feel like the 1960s in nearly every aspect. Furthermore, there are quite a few shots in this movie that actually made me walk away impressed because they gave off a unique look that wound up sticking with me. The cast, likewise, is strong and plays in the world well; the younger actors are impressive in their delivery of the material (so much so that one of them is continuing the horror prequel haunts in Annabelle: Creation this month). My minor gripes are that while I found everything compelling enough, it didn’t offer too much in outright scares for myself; though I strongly admire that Flanagan goes for an overwhelming sense of creepiness and awe over what’s unfolding as opposed to a cheap string of jump scares. Additionally the CGI - while not used overwhelmingly - isn’t up to snuff thanks to the film’s low budget, as the few scenes it’s utilized in come across as late ‘90s level at best and SyFy original movie level at its worst. In the end, Ouija: Origin Of Evil was a solid watch that managed to now not only put Flanagan’s recent horror release Oculus on my watchlist but also possibly the original Ouija, as from what I briefly glanced I now have the perfect set-up towards it.

94) August 5th: Big Eyes* - Streaming (Netflix); I’m honestly not sure what compelled me to turn on this Tim Burton directed feature from a few years ago. Perhaps it just struck me as the right time to finally check it off my watchlist? Regardless, what transpires is a solid story that doesn’t quite emerge as one of the director’s finest films but manages to at least tell an intriguing true story. Burton manages to put his own unique spin on a biopic, not to Ed Wood heights however, as this art tale comes off quite different thanks to the central romance and Christoph Waltz’s character. Certain shots definitely evoke an early Burton feel through the visuals presented, such as the way he plays with color in a certain way on screen. But likewise, the story never manages to overly wow you beyond your personal fascination of the key struggle, and I think part of that has to do with Waltz as well. A strong actor, his initial take in which his role is supposed to be alluring and comforting in the first half comes off just too over the top, to the point you know that you shouldn’t trust this guy, even if a more effective outcome in the grand scheme of things demands you to. And it’s that mismatch that left me wanting something more in that execution, honestly, as the failure to be as swept away as Adams’ character had led to a disconnect for me that followed throughout. When things reach their peak, there is an empowering feeling to Adams that really emerges until the credits roll, despite an ending that can be a bit too comedic but at the same time satisfying as well. Far from an absolute hard hitting biopic, Big Eyes at least manages to do something different with the genre for a take almost as different as its interesting story, even if it’s not the cleanest brushstrokes.

95) August 6th: T2 Trainspotting* - DVD (Rental - Library); Back in January (when my journal posts weren’t so finely detailed), I had seen Trainspotting and walked away with an impactful reaction towards the film of entertaining and heartbreaking proportions. At the time, I knew a sequel was on the horizon but distanced myself from the initial word of mouth because I had no nostalgic attachment that many others have had. Seeing the sequel, my take is that it’s a fine expansion that doesn’t hit nearly as hard as the original but still manages to have a damn fun time with the characters. This go-around feels less about the overall theme of addiction and more about the aftermath of the first film’s climax, despite a great handful of our leads still being addicted to various things and even some trippy imagery in the middle of it all. The thematic focus this time is the impact of the original’s ending and the friendship divide it led to, in addition to whether or not those bonds can be repaired or not. In that respect it certainly works, with your intrigue as to where these characters are at and your compassion for them driving a good deal of the movie. Similarly it’s a change up that gives it a thankful new focus instead of simply being another sequel dealing with the same exact skeleton for a quick cash grab, as most non-blockbuster sequels tend to turn out. In doing this, director Danny Boyle tends to turn the attention inward for all these characters as they confront their current state and where they should be going after their dreams didn’t necessarily wind up going according to plan. Boyle reflects this in various ways, perhaps most notably a scene in which the lyrics for Queen’s “Radio Gaga” tend to relate rather fittingly. But as I’ve said, this is all well and good as long as you’re expecting more fun than you are another hard hitter. Character driven, I never quite felt like the situations at large were ever out of their controls nor that the conflict would result in any major surprises. At the same time, there’s a “dynamic” that’s cooked up that the film feels it needs to adhere to in order to give the plot one little left turn at the end that doesn’t really feel as grand as it wants to be. If you enjoy these characters and are looking to have simply a fun night out with them all these years later, absolutely take the chance.

96) August 8th: Ouija* - DVD (Rental - Library); Ugh. I had to. I really had to go and let the mythology get the better of me. After seeing the prequel the previous week I decided to go back and watch the first installment that originated the story, despite terrible initial critical reception trying to convince me otherwise. That being said, I can’t accurately put into words how much I disliked this movie. Where Origin Of Evil has a thematic motif of a haunted house film, it’s almost as if Ouija is confused as to what it wants to be. In some parts it’s recognizable modern-horror fare with a demonic mystery, which doesn’t kick into high gear until halfway through the film, and then a lunge into full on supernatural confrontation. In fact, the haunting scenes leading into the overly supernatural half of the film feels more like it would’ve worked better as a slasher feature surrounding the teen characters. But the way it unfolds is in a frustrating blend of bizarre character choices, lack of any emotional reactions to twists, confusing time placement to put the prior into context, and more. There’s dumb horror thinking - such as simply accepting the stovetop turned on and proceeding to bed upstairs - and then there’s just absolutely bizarre, unexplained horror thinking - such as the parents’ of one of the victims vaguely “going away” IMMEDIATELY after their daughter’s death and leaving our lead character in charge of housesitting. And that’s just in the first 20 minutes. 95% of the horror in this movie builds up to a cheap jump scare; characters dying are barely given any kind of emotional reaction by our leads as they just go on with their lives; time in between scenes is even more abstract as dialogue to let go of their grief seems shockingly too soon. It’s just a mess. I’m willing to pay the film a compliment in that the CGI presented here is noticeably better than its prequel, even despite this entry having less of a reported budget. Additionally, Olivia Cooke does her damn best with what she’s given as her turn as Laine is perhaps the strongest of the cast. Origin Of Evil is certainly an effective evolution of whatever Ouija attempted to do, and I still absolutely recommend it. But if you’re looking for a chronological extension, it’s best to stay in the ‘60s because boy oh boy this script is ultimately what drags the whole movie down.

97) August 9th: Live By Night* - DVD (Rental - Library); This gangster film adaptation managed to come and go quickly from theaters, also managing to break Ben Affleck’s critical momentum as a director in recent years. Live By Night certainly has a visual flair about it, but easily this is my least favorite film directed by the Argo visionary. The pacing is slow as all hell, managing to change gears half an hour in and repositioning itself as a potential revenge-driven story, but never quite managing to find a strong a focus on that. Likewise, I find that Affleck’s performance following this shift leads to him mostly stone faced, leaving me wishing that we could have seen more behind his persona that peeks out but never quite gives him a beating heart. Supporting characters help add personality to that leading man though; Zoe Saldana is great, sly and lovable, Elle Fanning’s character has a great turn that I actually liked as her actress dreams finally grant her an audience she craves. But it never impressed as much as it should. The building of this new empire lacks the power it should easily exude because there’s always a threat in the way that never allows us to bask in the glory, and even lacks the confidence of strength to squash said menace at the same time. Characters all play in this muddled sandbox of conflicting motives and ideals with a drawn out ending that goes for poetic rather than satisfying, and ultimately while there are cogs to admire as the story machine pumps along, it’s far from well-oiled.

98) August 10th: Hell Or High Water* - DVD (Rental - Library); Going from one outlaw tale to the next, I’m happy to say Hell or High Water is one film I walked away in awe of, as it presents a charming, entertaining thriller that I absolutely adored. The plot immediately drops you in the thick of things, allowing much to be discovered by these characters that drive the events that transpire, leaving a slow, unfolding motive to interest you throughout. The tone brushes with western noir in quite a few ways, but at the same time has a lot of fun with the chemistry between our two central pairs; Chris Pine and Ben Foster play off each other fantastically for a dynamic yin & yang type of performance, while Jeff Bridges and Gil Birmingham share a very similar relationship posed on an opposite moral side. And what easily helps is a well-rounded script from Taylor Sheridan, that manages to make you laugh one moment, feel shocked the next, and marvel at plenty of tense encounters. I felt like director David Mackenzie’s feature was a longshot earlier this year to take home the title for Best Picture, and yet I walk away many months later feeling as if it would’ve deserved that underdog fight. Easily one of the best impressions of the month and the year at large.

99) Batman: Return Of The Caped Crusaders* - DVD (Rental - Library); As someone never overly attached to the late Adam West’s portrayal of Batman, I still give it a great amount of respect. I grew up in a time lucky enough to be swarmed with Batmen on television through The Animated Series, Beyond, Justice League and even Nickelodeon reruns of West’s version as well. Released last Fall, Return of the Caped Crusaders continued the fun of that original campy era with a number of original voices in tow, with the return of West, Burt Ward and Julie Newmar. What results is a harmless, well-crafted love letter that is campy as always. The comedy is great, with the story and tone more in line with the original show for both its highs and lows. If anything, the film feels best described as being of the same spirit as the classic Hanna Barbera cartoons. The script is packed with plenty of fantastic homages and fourth wall breaks that only gain even more of a spotlight having built up over the years thanks to internet culture. Where it really finds a hard time is with pacing and balance. The first half hour follows the original show’s storytelling method almost verbatim for a straight half hour that once the charm of experiencing the classic atmosphere fades, it really starts to drag. Thankfully the plot manages to find a second wind afterwards to propel the second half, but at the same time can’t build anything quite serious enough to stand on confidently. For die hard fans of the original, unlike myself, this is absolutely a movie made for them. And though I see the flaws which led towards a more shaky reception, there’s still some fun to be had amidst everything else.

100) Get Out* - DVD (Rental - Library); For my 100th movie of the year milestone, I finally was able to see easily one of the most acclaimed and my most anticipated films of 2017 in Get Out. And man did it live up to the hype. Director Jordan Peele not only manages to create a creepy atmosphere all the way around while at the same time tackling major social issues, but does so with an incredible cast top to bottom led by breakout Daniel Kaluuya. Much like Ouija: Origin of Evil, what it lacks in outright traditional scares it makes up for in genuinely eerie and skin crawling tension. There are even some visual representations of the film’s main theme of racial & social divides and injustices that will have you rewatching the film over and over again. Even if you guess some of what transpires, the third act manages to squeak out some real surprises. The ending managed to evoke a real gut-drop of an emotional reaction from myself only to sophisticatedly subvert it in a way that has left a very lasting impression. A must-buy-on-Blu-Ray from me, and I’m happy to finally add to the number of voices praising this original feature that deserves said praise.

101) August 11th: xXx: Return Of Xander Cage* - DVD (Rental - Library); Vin Diesel has easily come back to the top of the box office thanks to the return and retooling of the Fast and Furious over the past decade. But truly, that’s been his only series of films go score a hit with audiences lately (unless you consider his turn as Groot in Guardians). When it was announced he would be returning as Xander Cage in another xXx film, I mostly had mixed feelings. The first entry was never my cup of tea, and I easily watched the sequel with Ice Cube more when I was younger (one of the few films I owned on UMD for the original PSP). So heading into this movie, I didn’t quite know what to expect. But ultimately I received an entertaining, endearingly over the top, big dumb fun action movie. The best way I can describe it is Return of Xander Cage feels like a film plucked out of that early-to-mid 2000s action genre where it also originated, for both its strengths and flaws. Diesel presents a performance that is definitely a change of pace from Dom in Fast and Furious; he really seems like he’s having plenty of fun in all his quippy charming pleasure. And honestly, there’s a good chance the feature would’ve crumbled without his presence. The story isn’t nearly as complex as they want it to be, with any real twists being seen from a mile away thanks to the classic “oh hey I kinda recognize that guy from somewhere” tactic spelling out importance later on down the road. Most of it has to do with a macguffin chase that is the only thing driving the plot forward. A great number of characters are introduced in a Suicide Squad manner that I’m sure many out there will roll their eyes over. Ruby Rose and others are awesome badasses, while others lean a bit too far into their roles; Toni Collette’s hard-ass company woman lacks the back & forth to come off as anything but blandly annoyed, and Nina Dobrev’s Becky is there for an overly comedic infusion that can feel really off balance compared to the tone of the rest of the action and one liners. As the team is assembled and the plot comes to a close, I just couldn’t help but feel as if the set up for another feature ultimately had more potential than this entry, as it had finally laid down the foundation for something bigger. The action gets better the longer the film goes on, but if I’m being honest the most sly and impressive action set piece occurs halfway through the film with a private island party setting. Additionally, when the action looks practical it really hits well; those assisted by CGI do not and simply take you out of it due to its highly stylized appearance. In the end, Return of Xander Cage requires even more extension of disbelief than your typical Fast and Furious entry, but is packed with some truly genuine charm and world building that is still pretty fun. If they can execute their ending set-up right and develop a story that’s both better and WAY less goofy, there’s potential we could see this series elevated beyond this chapter teetering the line of enjoyable and stupid.

102) August 12th: Silence* - DVD (Rental - Library); Upon awards season heating up last year, there was a little bit of talk behind Martin Scorsese’s latest film Silence that didn’t reach the crescendo of other competitors alongside it. Regardless of this, I still wanted to give it a look and see if it lived up to the hype. And while it definitely needs to overcome an incredibly long runtime, it’s when the movie switches gears following the first hour that a truly impressive outing is presented. Slow paced at first, it’s after that aforementioned time passes by we truly get to the meat of our tale and with it a story that rests firmly on the shoulders of Andrew Garfield. In that focus, Garfield gives an absolutely powerhouse performance that is just captivating to watch as he is put through an emotional ringer. I have yet to see Hacksaw Ridge, which he was nominated for, but a case easily could have been made for a nomination here as well had he failed to secure the nod originally. It’s in this stage as well that the film gains its true depth as we see a test of faith in many forms for our protagonists throughout; faith in their missing mentor, faith in their guide who they don’t fully trust. And Scorsese visually astounds as he ties in thematically to various parts of The Bible, with the allegories losing subtlety the longer the film goes on. For some reason, I originally didn’t think Silence would be as overwhelmingly religious in its nature as it was, despite its premise, but it is and it may turn off some audience members in that exploration. But I also saw the artistic side of it in terms of relating the ongoing plot to that of the classic text and simply found myself impressed at what Scorsese accomplished. In the end, if you can endure the slow burn introductory act and are set to see the story through, there is plenty to capture your attention later on that will leave a longer lasting impact well after the credits roll.

103) August 13th: Selma* - TV (DVR - FX); Sitting on my DVR from earlier in the week, I found this to be the right time to watch this film in light of recent events. And Selma is as amazing as people have said, reaching the right tone of powerful and heartbreaking to examine the Civil Rights movement and their marches. At the heart of it all is David Oyelowo leading a great all-star cast, with Oyelowo presenting a stunning, moving performance that absolutely should’ve been nominated for awards at the highest level. Through his heart and emotion as Martin Luther King Jr., the narrative reaches deeper emotional depths beyond those already presented that even managed to make me misty eyed at one point. Definitely an important feature to watch.

104) Justice League: Dark* - DVD (Rental - Library); My second WB-animated outing of the month, this entry falls more in line with the ongoing DC animated film canon that I’ve been very touch-and-go with in recent years. The latest entry from the studio to get an R-rating, I had anticipation for this outing as it not only featured the return of TV’s John Constantine in Matt Ryan but was also a preview of what may hit the big screen sooner rather than later in live action. And overall, I have to say it was solid but felt far more at times like a pilot for a television series than a standalone feature. The main plot feels a bit so-so in its slow build up, introduction of team members, assembly of said team and more, until a very late third act results in a memorable showdown with some true strength. Did it deserve an R-rating? While I don’t believe it grasps as dark of a tone as The Killing Joke, it does feature some undoubtedly dark moments and creepy imagery that certainly makes a case for the rating, but debatable. As for the voice work, I’ll admit it took a bit of warming up to, especially in the realm of Ryan gaining his spark as Constantine the longer the film goes on, having to shift his role from the usual portrayal to behind the mic. Notably, Camilla Luddington is absolutely fantastic as Zatanna and boosts the material incredibly well, while Nicholas Turturro is very entertaining as Deadman. It wasn’t the strongest of the DC Animated Original Movie canon thus far, however it’s far from the weakest. If anything, a solid foundation into the more mystic side to present further adventures rather than an overly satisfying standalone.

105) August 15th: Disney’s Beauty and The Beast (2017)* - DVD (Rental - Library); Before I begin this reaction, I feel I have to tackle the subject of the recent Disney remakes to indicate my headspace. I was grown up strongly on Disney from a very early age and there are various films from their history that hold a special place. In recent years, Disney has unleashed a number of live-action remakes that in my opinion take the base story of the originals and attempt to elevate them beyond the iconic scenes that you can never ever replace in animated form. So far some of the remakes (The Jungle Book) have achieved this much better than others (Maleficent). This year it was Beauty and The Beast’s turn and while admittedly the original was a well-remembered feature, it is far from my personal favorite. But now that I’ve seen the remake, I have to say how absolutely impressed I am. Taking the original story, the live action version manages to expand in key areas that wildly impress; Belle emerges far more independent and self-sufficient, Maurice is granted a much more emotional side that deepens his relationship with his daughter and is woven into the plot in bigger ways. Josh Gad sheds a more comedic and goofier typecasting for a Le Fou that is given depth, attempting to serve as a well-calculated conscience for Gaston while still delivering sharp-witted humorous lines and subtle emotional intentions as well to fantastic effect. Backgrounds for both our main leads are explored to heartbreaking success, though I do wish The Beast was still given more beyond a single flashback for additional sympathy (and a freakin’ human name would STILL be nice). Everything else either matches well with the original as classic scenes and songs are brought to life, while the supplemental songs are just as catchy and provide more emotional context (such as “Evermore” or “Days in the Sun”, the latter of which reads as a more somber yet satisfying replacement to the extended cut’s “Human Again”). The acting is strong from all fronts; the enchanted castle inhabitants did take a little bit of getting used to on my end and don’t necessarily hit the same iconic look of the animated version. There are even some surprising developments as the film’s story goes on as well that adds more for the plot and characters to gain from. Personally, I adored this version despite whatever shortcomings it may have and Disney manages to prove that updating their classics can still be a worthwhile endeavor. If you haven’t, definitely check this out when it hits Netflix for U.S. subscribers in the coming weeks.

106) August 16th: Phoenix Forgotten* - DVD (Rental - Library); The popularity of the found footage style in film has continued to simmer down, following its resurgence courtesy of the phenomenon that was the first Paranormal Activity. The horror genre has produced plenty of entries using the method in the years following, but a few additional found footage sci-fi narratives popped up to notable intrigue in that time, such as 2012’s Chronicle. Earlier this year prior to my screening of Kong: Skull Island, a trailer played that caught me completely off guard for a new sci-fi found footage film called Phoenix Forgotten that is based around the mysterious real life Phoenix lights event of 1997 and looked almost to be the alien/sci-fi version of The Blair Witch Project. The feature arrived quietly in some theaters one month later and has now arrived on home video just a few weeks ago. And while the concept is intriguing, the pacing comes off as wildly sluggish as it attempts to balance two timelines. The film is packaged as a documentary that admittedly at times had the exact quality look of real life docs that have impressed on Netflix in recent years. In this fictional doc, though, we are told a story between present day and 1997 as the now-grown-up younger sister of our subject in the 90s footage attempts to piece together what happened to her missing brother. The present day set-up helps support the other plot, sure, but once the 90s footage starts to grow intriguing its that storyline you ultimately want to stick with. However, it’s when the present day interlude pops its head in at one of the most inopportune times that it almost halts any momentum the handheld “shaky cam” portion attempted to build. We’re taken through various bridges before we can ultimately get to the real climax of the film in the 90s material, and even afterwards when perhaps you need answers the most, all we get is some text on screen as opposed to any type of continuation or conclusion from the present day story. And it’s this off balance that left me cold to Phoenix Forgotten as I couldn’t help but feel that it was stunted in its growth. It’s the constant stopping that bored me and after the most interesting part of the movie arrives thankfully uninterrupted, the other side of the movie simply refuses to carry the torch any further as we head to credits instead of build on its own momentum as well. I understand that I am part of a massive divide on this movie, as internet comments throughout have been pretty evenly mixed between people who hate it and people who adore it. While I loved the concept and the ideas presented in various moments do have a great deal of interest, this UFO simply couldn’t beam me up.

107) August 17th: The LEGO Batman Movie* - DVD (Rental - Library); The LEGO universe is rolling forward quite hard this year, with The LEGO Ninjago Movie arriving in theaters soon. The original The LEGO Movie was a quick-witted, hilarious, and charming endeavor with Batman being a standout character in a supporting capacity. This spin-off certainly received positive reception, and I enjoyed it well enough. It’s nowhere near as smart in its humor as its predecessor, but presents an impressive deconstruction of the entire Batman legacy by exploring his core role and relationships, especially including the ones with the Bat family and The Joker. There are wonderful nods to other incarnations of the hero, as well as his universe, while the climax of The LEGO Movie helps enhance the more absurd elements that pop up, even in terms of pop culture crossover. The inclusion of a key piece from Superman’s stories actually brings something different not seen in this corner of the Dark Knight’s films. It still skews overall younger in its demographic range, and I would argue even more so than The LEGO Movie did, but is still fun. It’s not the most satisfying or groundbreaking animated feature, and yet a worthy second installment in the brick-filled franchise.

108) August 19th: Inferno* - DVD (Rental - Library); I was never one that particularly gravitated towards the phenomenon that was The Da Vinci Code at the height of its popularity. I had seen the previous two films and thought they were solid but short of the top tier blockbusters or thrillers they strived to be. After a seven year gap between films, the franchise continued with little fanfare last year in the third installment Inferno, which in my opinion was fine but ultimately felt like a dull next chapter against a sharp ongoing narrative. The main premise of this adventure immediately puts lead character Robert Langdon at a disadvantage, left to discover exactly what is going on, and yet in the progression of that journey he still feels outpaced. At one point there are seemingly three different factions working against a Langdon not at his full strength, which is increasingly overwhelming the longer the story switches their morality around, and leaves a bit of a mess in its wake because of it. The script at least presents a mystery in the middle of all the clutter to latch on to, and wisely explains a variety of plot threads that manage to come-and-go by the time credits roll. Action sequences can feel slow paced at times, bundled with some CGI that stands out as well. In the end, perhaps this was better left to the page, as the complex mystery thriller can wind up more forgettable than captivating this time around.

109) The Chronicles Of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe - Streaming (HBO Go); It’s been awhile since I traveled to the fantasy world beyond the wardrobe. A notable feature upon its release and a story largely taught to me in school for its thematic focuses & allegories, I never got around to falling for anything beyond this initial adventure. As one of my best friends made her way through the trilogy, I decided that perhaps it was time to revisit the saga before it undergoes a planned reboot of sorts in Hollywood. First up is the most notable entry in the saga that still holds up for the most part. The acting from our core four actors really differs, getting a bit better as it goes on but leaves a bit to be desired. Likewise, some smaller shots with green screen backgrounds notably stand out 12 years later as the technology has advanced. Early career James McAvoy is still an absolute scene stealer; Tilda Swinton stands strong as does Liam Neeson’s voice performance as their titular characters. The end battle is still a blockbuster climax that captures your attention as much as a similar faceoff in Game Of Thrones would. I don’t know if it was the fact that I’ve gone through the central story multiple times before, but ultimately I wound up feeling as if the film felt lighter to me and I wasn’t as sucked in as I may have been the first time around. At the same time, with my determination to finally see the trilogy through, that may have been because upon this rewatch I see it simply as a reintroduction and the first act of the films to come.

110) August 20th: The Space Between Us* - DVD (Rental - Library); This sci-fi feature seemed to come and go rather quickly earlier this year, sneaking under the radar as more high profile fare made its way to theaters. Curious due to the cast involved, I was interested in whether or not the original story would come as a pleasant surprise. And for awhile, it actually did. The first act of the movie I thought was fantastic, filled with a interesting concept, themes, and relationships that are set up which could easily be explored for a powerful emotional undercurrent. In fact, it’s at this point that I thought perhaps the marketing of an overly young adult romantic adventure and cheesy title pegged it wrong. Asa Butterfield comes off great here as the lone teenager of Mars, a dreamer of a life beyond his highly isolated one, and even sharing a promising dynamic with his surrogate mother (Carla Gugino). However, it’s halfway through when the film loses its edge as a fish out of water tale by changing gears towards Earth. It’s here the central romance is pushed aggressively towards the front, with the adults shoved to the side until late in the third act, left to simply chase our lead around as it’s reduced to a road trip movie instead. That being said, Britt Robertson does a great job as an individual with her own dreams, which syncs her up with Butterfield not only in tone but in dynamic as the more grounded of the duo to present a yin and yang repertoire. Here, though, the romantic dialogue seemed to get more cringe-inducing as it goes on, with quite a few eye rolling moments in tow, a plot twist that didn’t sit well with me, and an ending that similarly landed way too flat. And it’s that second half that disappoints me the most, as so much potential is set up early on just waiting to be explored thanks to it’s unique premise. Instead of focusing on the complicated bonds, his very hidden existence, an entirely different culture, the loss of his mother & more, it’s the magnification of the cutesy star-crossed lovers that leans too heavily into cliché and left a lesser impression as a result.

111) August 21st: The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian* - DVD (Rental - Library); Going into the second installment of the Narnian trilogy, I recalled seeing a portion of this film many years ago but never finishing the entire outing as I didn’t like the drastic time jump at first. Rewatching it now, I can state it’s my favorite of the three entries thus far. That’s not to say it doesn’t have a small share of problems, such as its bloated runtime, and it not being as allegorically deep or thematically satisfying with a focus more so on an action template. But in that note there’s also a lot to be explored in that length. At the close of the last film, our core four characters lived into adulthood as the royalty of Narnia, only to be reverted back to their childhood selves upon rediscovering their original portal into the world. An abrupt ending at that point left much to be desired, and Caspian absolutely enjoys delving into that as we see not only the toll its had on the four of them but a new sense of maturity in the quartet as well. It’s there we get into a generally more mature outing, where the stakes are even higher for the fate of Narnia itself as opposed to strictly its leadership, and likewise the actors present better performances as a reflection of all these combined elements. While half of our key siblings are destined to not return in the sequel in a leading capacity, the ending here gives a heartfelt conclusion that grants us a better close than the previous entry, capitalizing on our time spent with the Pevensies and more confident in their road ahead.

112) Now You See Me 2* - DVD (Rental - Library); The previous Now You See Me managed to impress me enough as a sly magic-fueled thriller and capitalized on the atmosphere with a twist ending that’s a nice touch despite not quite being spelled out narratively beforehand. It’s not the greatest, but certainly an entertaining outing. The sequel, however, steps in a completely different direction for a handful of reasons. For starters, I feel as if the trailers were a bit misleading, as the direction seemed to indicate that perhaps this time around the magic would have some reality to it (spoilers: no it doesn’t). Additionally the secondary tone underneath the primary thriller goes way more comedic, which is better when contained in a surprisingly great relief character such as Lizzy Caplan, but is presented too widespread here and is an odd contrast to the foundation laid out by the first film. Having to tackle the first film’s aftermath is intriguing enough, attempting to widen the scope beyond our core group and similarly exploring the true identity of one of our leads. But with some in-fighting mixed with the lack of being the ones on top this time around, the engine isn’t exactly firing at full steam. And when it’s mixed with that aforementioned comedic slant in tone, the tricks fail to astonish and amaze as much as it did the first time around.

113) August 22nd: The Chronicles Of Narnia: Voyage of The Dawn Treader* - DVD (Rental - Library); I conclude my viewing of the Narnia trilogy with Dawn Treader, the entry that in my opinion seemed to have an uphill battle. Not only is this the first film in the series without Disney behind it nor director Andrew Adamson, it’s the first without two of the major four characters traveling to the title land due to the conclusion of Prince Caspian. And honestly with all of the changes, it’s my least favorite of the trilogy. Easily the shortest of the saga, it somehow feels the longest as the pacing is a bit weird. The opening reintroduction into Lucy and Edmund’s lives are barely driven home on an empathic level before we’re whisked away to Narnia. While Ben Barnes is back as Caspian and awesome as one of our leads, the massive change of accents between films proves a bit distracting. Additionally, the lack of a major villain for the first time in the series adds to the pacing problem despite a clear objective painted out. It just feels a bit listless and as if there isn’t much resistance to the flow of the story. That being said, somewhere in the thick of it all Lucy and Edmund’s personal stories are concluded rather well; even if I would argue Lucy’s is given more attention than Edmund’s. The acting may be the best of the three, especially when Will Poulter steals scenes as the infuriating yet enjoyable newcomer Eustace. And while the allegories come off less subtle this time around, it’s hard to knock Dawn Treader for it, as this leads towards easily the most emotional ending thus far; highly memorable, heartfelt, definitive and satisfying. All the behind the scenes shuffling may have prevented this installment from reaching bigger heights, but it’s a handful of character moments, a new dynamic, and that incredible ending which you cannot rob the third entry of.

114) Disney’s The Hunchback of Notre Dame - Blu-Ray; Looking to shift my mindset from the Narnian conclusion, I at random decided to revisit a mid-90s animated feature that in my opinion only gets better the older you become. Hunchback is easily one of Disney’s darker and more mature outings, which as a kid I always liked for its visuals and songs but always felt a disconnect with. As I’ve grown older, though, the film has absolutely climbed my personal charts not just for its incredible songs (one of the greatest of which “Hellfire” accurately displaying an internal conflict for our villain) but for all its complex themes of religion, mass persecution based on class, morality through perspective, temptation, subverting your idea of the key romantic subplot to respect the platonic, and more. What hinders some of the maturity, though, is the more slapstick comedic moments filled with wacky sound effects, an example of which includes a chase scene in the middle of the main festival. And while yes The Gargoyle Trio are those goofy sidekicks that show up all throughout Disney’s animation, they do raise a very interesting purpose in serving as this intriguing outlet for Quasimodo that also reflects not only his isolation but his mentality in these three being simply a figment of his imagination created in his loneliness (before that’s seemingly thrown out the window as they fight back in the climax, but I digress). Going back now, there’s plenty to love about Hunchback that’s easily worth a revisit and may manage to impress those who haven’t seen it in awhile.

115) August 23rd: Dawn Of The Dead (2004)* - TV (DVR - IFC); This zombie-action reimagining from the mid-2000s has been notable over recent years not only because it’s grown a strong following, but also for its director Zack Snyder and writer James Gunn. Having caught bits and pieces over the years on cable, I finally sat down to watch the full film and while I admire it for the subversion of the iconic rules & perception of zombies from Romero’s original outings, it didn’t overly wow me. The factors leading to my timid reaction I believe are perhaps a bit of over hype from a vocal fanbase for the flick, but also the exhaustion of the genre in this post-Walking Dead culture, where there are certainly echoes of a similar dynamic in regards to a group focus and competing dynamics within. That being said, the more agile undead come across as terrifying, threatening antagonists that certainly lean into the film’s more general action-over-horror feel as to how they are dealt with by our core characters. Speaking of which, there are some solid entertaining arcs for a handful of the members, especially Michael Kelly’s C.J. and a highly memorable close to Mekhi Phifer’s Andre, that add a bit more substance beyond their initial first impressions in which they seem to fill a respective role in the crowd. It’s the farthest thing from what I’d define as a bad film; I just wish I had seen it before the over-saturation that’s emerged in the last decade, where it may have astonished me before zombies achieved another massive popularity boost.

116) August 25th: John Wick: Chapter 2* - DVD (Rental - Library); The original John Wick managed to impress me with badass action and a gritty, ruthless feel against a rather simple yet unique revenge story. And though the sequel lacks as big of an emotional undertone underneath it as its predecessor along with some pacing issues, the sequel still manages to surprise in new ways as the previously mysterious background of John’s prior assassin profession is explored and cracks the previously smaller scope wide open. The action remains as awesome as ever, with plenty of fantastic build up, tension in certain scenes, and intriguing matchups presented once the core narrative truly hits its stride. How exactly you anticipate the face-off between John and supporting characters certainly drives intrigue with the rest of the plot, as in the meantime we’re given a villain with a bit more mythology behind him, and plenty of rules in regards to the assassin organization that fuels the underbelly of the entire film. Additionally, this second installment sets up a third entry with such ease, anticipation and captures the imagination of what they could do now that they’ve painted themselves into a corner. Another enjoyable outing that I may have liked more than its first, despite any flaws.

117) August 26th: Split* - DVD (Rental - Library); It’s no secret that M. Night Shyamalan has let me down before. Hell, I went to go see The Happening and The Last Airbender in theaters for who knows what torturous reason. Regardless, I had yet to see Shyamalan 2.0 in action as The Visit has not made its way up my watchlist and this outing was quite the hunt as a physical rental. I can finally say I’ve seen Split, despite knowing full well what the “twist” extra scene at the end was well in advance, and it was a tense, well-acted thriller that overcomes some early sluggishness to work quite well. The first act tends to be where I saw the most faults, with standoffish dialogue between characters that left them initially cold and a general odd tone of lesser films from the director, which left me worried. But once more about our primary protagonist and antagonist are revealed, the plot takes off as an edge of your seat battle ensues. James McAvoy is absolutely astounding as the key player in all of this, afflicted with multiple personality disorder and making sure to convey each identity uniquely that will just leave you appreciative of his performance. Likewise, our lead on the other side of things Anya Taylor Joy gives a performance that grows heartbreaking the more you understand her, thanks to a backstory that breaks down her initial highly guarded walls. It’s the dynamic between these two that plays well to drive the set-up forward and has me intrigued in exactly how it may shift upon the addition of new cast members in the upcoming sequel. Mentioning that, the spoiled extra scene really didn’t hinder my opinion of the movie as a whole. In fact, it helped enhance some minor dialogue throughout, especially in regards to Dr. Fletcher’s psychological theories. When all is said and done, though Get Out easily takes the cake this year with its artistic subtleties bubbling under the surface, Split is a well crafted entry in the thriller category that lands Shyamalan back on my good side.

118) August 29th: A Cure For Wellness* - DVD (Rental - Library); I’m willing to admit this wasn’t one I was completely eager to see earlier this year, and yet upon its theatrical release I remember positive reactions from friends. So, I decided to give the film a try and found a visually stunning psychological thriller with a compelling mythology that unfortunately doesn’t move quick enough. That’s not to say I felt the film’s two and a half hour runtime felt overly dragging compared to other features this past month. In that regard, the movie manages its screentime and pacing rather well. But to me where A Cure for Wellness tends to lose some points is the second half in its failure to execute its reveals at quite the right time. The story articulates its mythology so well that I felt I knew exactly what was going on for awhile before Lockhart (Dane Dehaan) did, or before we reached the major unveiling in one of the film’s final set pieces, almost as if it was underestimating its audience in a way. And that’s disheartening as not only is the mythology a large part of what helps this story work, but what separates some good chunks of the film from also just being weird for weird’s sake. That being said, I actually liked A Cure for Wellness despite all its flaws. Dehaan does strong as the audience vehicle; Mia Goth is compelling as the complex patient whose innocence is a stark contrast towards a lot surrounding her; Jason Isaacs is an absolute scene stealer as the director of the facility. In the end, I feel that this is a movie that will easily divide people as its something many can perceive different things from. Some will see an overly creepy and intriguing mystery thriller; others will see the subtext of a life over analyzed and over medicated. For me, I found a blend of both but still wish there had been less of a beating around the bush in regards to the mythology, and more of an outright focus on exploring of the deep central themes.

119) Jackie* - DVD (Rental - Library); Another awards season contender, it seems I chose to end my month with two features with grief at their core. First comes the mourning of JFK, with a film that focuses on Jackie Kennedy and the days following the death of her husband. Natalie Portman delivers a strong portrayal of the former First Lady, showcasing not only immense strength but exceptional poise amidst the chaos of it all, managing arrangements her way, dealing with her brother-in-law, political factors, her children and so much more amidst a very heartbreaking loss. All of this is explored wonderfully and thematically as I sat in awe of how much Mrs. Kennedy had to endure. Storywise, I have to admit that I didn’t really get into the film until after the first act, which comes off non-linear as we jump across multiple timelines, until we finally settle on just two. From that point on we get to see the true emotional and thematic meat of the movie emerge and it can be quite intriguing. It didn’t knock me on my ass as much as it did other people, nor did it crack my top films of the month either, but it’s still a strong entry if you’re interested into the material.

120) August 30th: Manchester By The Sea* - DVD (Rental - Library); And finally, we have my last awards contender of the month. With only trailers and tv spots to go on, I didn’t quite know what to expect from Manchester By The Sea except for the wide consensus that it was sad. Imagine my surprise when I found myself chuckling early on at the odd charm the film presents, while at the same time intrigued as the story begins to uncover exactly what’s behind the lead character of Lee. Seemingly off-kilter, especially in his reactions towards his brother’s death, it’s when Lee’s story is revealed the film reaches deeper lengths in its grief theme as each of our characters are experiencing it in one form or another. The ending may upset people, but honestly I dug it as the reasoning is very prominent in the film through Lee’s actions, supporting characters’ examples, and it never robs the central story from its character development that it does build, especially between Lee and his nephew Patrick. Lucas Hedges steals the show in his breakthrough performance, and likewise Affleck works well to present a lead whose complexities are unveiled the longer the film continues. A strong watch that works on both an entertaining and artistic level, similar to that of Hell or High Water.

And that concludes my incredibly packed August! I expect the next month to be a rather slow one because I’ll be converting a good deal of my free time towards Destiny 2 as it’s released. But there are certainly some big films landing on my radar as we inch closer towards Halloween, including the remake of It and the sequel to Kingsman. Additionally, I’ve already begun to plan a horror-themed list of features, including an experimental rewatch of the Paranormal Activity franchise but in chronological order of events. Until then Guardians, I’m grabbing my Ghost, going to see Ikora Rey, and I’ll see you next time.

#film diary 2017 #movies #film #text post

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