#john wick movie streaming

[johnwickb1tsch]

guyssss john wick is on Netflix now! i just found it todayyyyy!

[fandom-official]

The Continental opens its doors on Peacock this September 🛎️

[biglisbonnews]

You need to watch Keanu Reeves' most action-packed franchise on HBO Max ASAP Beware the Baba Yaga, especially before he leaves HBO Max at the end of the month. https://www.inverse.com/culture/action-movies-january-2023-hbo-max-john-wick

[timetravellingkitty]

SAPPHIC ARTISTS TO LISTEN TO

(instead of writing your 69th essay about how Taylor Swift is a closet lesbian)

Starting off with my holy trinity:

Rina Sawayama (she/her, bi/pan): if you follow me you're probably aware of what a huge Rina fan I am. Lots of pop and rock, with a chunk of her earlier songs being R&B. Her debut album SAWAYAMA (my favourite album of all time!!) was her major breakthrough moment as it received critical acclaim and her sophomore album Hold the Girl made her the highest charting Japanese artist in the history of the UK. Known for her musical versatility, she made her acting debut in John Wick 4. I recommend: Cherry, Frankenstein and Bad Friend

Janelle Monáe (she/they, bi/pan): pop, funk, neo-soul and psychedelic. They have an entire series of concept albums about an android named Cindy Mayweather (her ALTER EGO?!) as she commits the crime of falling in love with a human. Lots of social commentary. Her album Dirty Computer comes along with a narrative film and a book taking place in its world. She's starred in movies like Antebellum, Glass Onion and Moonlight. I recommend: Electric Lady, Django Jane and Pynk

Raveena Aurora (she/her, bi): Experimental pop, R&B and soul. Her second album Asha's Awakening is a concept album following the journey of Asha, a Punjabi space princess, as it explores Aurora's South Asian identity and past relationships. Such a beautiful and soft voice to die for. I recommend: Headaches, If Only and Kathy Left 4 Kathmandu

Moving onto some other artists I like:

Boygenius: a band comprising of three sapphic women- Phoebe Bridgers (indie darling™), Lucy Dacus and Julien Baker (the first two are bi while the third is a lesbian). Indie, folk and alternative rock. Very melancholic. I urge you to check out their individual projects too (especially Phoebe's, I love her Punisher album). I recommend: Emily I'm Sorry, Satanist and True Blue

Kelela (she/her, queer): R&G, electronic and alternative R&B. Her debut EP Hallucinogen covers the beginning, middle and end of a relationship in reverse chronological order. Her second album Raven showcases Black futuristic art, which I fuck with. I recommend: Contact, The High and Bluff

Zolita (she/her, lesbian): dark-pop, R&B and electropop. She incorporates witchcraft into her music and mvs. She literally has an EP called Sappho what more could you want? I recommend: Holy, Ashley (the sapphic Speak Now) and Bedspell

Victoria Monét (she/her, bi): pop and R&B. She's written songs for artists like Ariana Grande (7 Rings) and Chloe x Halle (Do It). Go stream her Jaguar EP you will thank me later. I recommend: Touch Me (erotic sapphic song), Cupid and Love U Better

And finally some honourable mentions (can't make this post too long now can I): mxmtoon, Michelle Zauner, Arooj Aftab, Sir Babygirl, Dodie, Chloe Moriondo, Lauren Jauregui, Baby Queen, Sara and Teagan, The Butchies, Sofya Wang and Melissa Etheridge

[pearwaldorf]

We should all say thank you to Jordan Peele for rescuing Monkey Man from streaming because this movie deserves to be seen on a big screen. There was a lot of love and craft put into this movie and I'm glad it can be properly appreciated.

I am pleased to report it absolutely fucks and the soundtrack is banging. It owes a lot to John Wick, of course, but also Atomic Blonde and Hong Kong action movies. (They didn't even use all six shots in the revolver, which was a nice touch.) I would watch a whole John Wick-esque franchise with Dev Patel as an action hero.

If, like me, you are a fan of attractive men suffering and/or getting fucked up, this movie will feed you extremely well.

I'm extremely not familiar with Indian cinema, but it's real interesting watching this after RRR. (To be clear, this is a movie made by somebody of Indian descent, but it is not exactly an Indian movie.) Not just in political outlook (the evil politician and his party are clearly meant to evoke Modi and the BJP), but how they use Hindu religious imagery to frame the story.

[edit:] Netflix gave up the rights to the movie precisely because of the portrayal of the nationalist political party. Well then.

I am not culturally equipped to discuss the role of hijra in Indian society, but it is absolutely significant (and intentional) Patel's character is rescued and guided by a community of hijra. That speaks a great deal to where his social and political allegiances lie, and I'm glad to support that.

[wrightingdungeon]

E and X and L for Sam stardew, thanks!!

Oh Sam... He's so cute, needed some sweetness today, so thank you.

E - Emotions: Sam has no issues showing you his emotions; he's just an emotional guy, and he's perfectly okay with that. He wears his heart on his sleeve without any hesitation. If you cut your hand, he's probably crying with you. If you slam your finger in the door, he'll pretend to beat up the door. His emotions are his way of showing how much he cares. His reactions, though sometimes exaggerated, come from a place of genuine concern and a deep desire to see you happy. —

Sitting on the couch, you rested your chin in the palm of your hand, watching the movie. You had seen it before, but surprisingly, Sam hadn't. You felt a pang of guilt making him watch this beautiful movie about a man and his dog, knowing how it ended. The film had tugged at your heartstrings the first time, and you knew it would be no different for Sam.

You glanced over at Sam, who was happily petting your dog, oblivious to the emotional rollercoaster that awaited him. The serene expression on his face made you hesitate, biting your lip as you wondered if you should have warned him about Marley and Me.

As the movie drew to a close, Sam was now curled up in your arms, holding your dog close, tears streaming down his face. His sobs grew louder, and he clung to your dog as if trying to shield him from the inevitable fate that befell Marley.

“Farmer!” he cried into your dog, his voice breaking with emotion. You gently stroked his back, feeling his body shake with each sob. “I know, I know, I'm sorry, baby…” you cooed, trying to hold back a smile while soothing him. “You have your baby right here.” You gently stroked your puzzled-looking dog's head, chuckling softly.

Sam's grip tightened around the dog's fur, his tears soaking into the soft coat. “It’s John Wick all over again!” he sobbed, burying his face in the dog's neck.

L - Love: Baby boi is a sweet bean. He’s bringing you flowers with his eyes almost shut and nose dripping because he is in fact still allergic, but he does it anyway because he loves seeing your eyes light up. He loves loving you so much, and it shows with every gesture and in every sincere smile he sends your way. Whether it's surprising you with your favorite snacks, or simply being there to listen when you need to talk, Baby boi's heart is always in the right place, overflowing with love and affection for you. —

Hearing footsteps running towards you while you were in the field, you looked up seeing Sam sprinting to you, holding a Tupperware container. You lowered your scythe and wiped your brow of sweat. "What's up, Sammy?" you asked as he approached, his excitement palpable. 

"Mom helped me bake some cookies!" he panted excitedly, thrusting the container into your hands. "Ohh, so they aren't burnt this time?" you teased, chuckling at his embarrassed face. Opening the container, you blinked a few times before bursting into laughter. "Got a little hungry, baby?" you asked, trying to stop the fit of laughter.

"What! No!" Sam's mouth dropped open in shock as he looked into the Tupperware. Each cookie had a single bite taken out of it, leaving them in a comical state. "VINCENT!" Sam yelled, his voice a mix of frustration and a whine, realizing his younger brother had struck again. His exasperation was evident as he held his head low.

You couldn't help but laugh at the situation, tears starting to build as the image of Vincent sneaking bites out of every cookie was too funny to ignore. "Well, at least he has good taste," you said, giving Sam a sympathetic peck on the cheek.

"But they were for you…" Sam looked up at you, pouting. "Mom said you could taste love... I wanted you to taste how much I love you."

You smiled warmly, feeling a rush of affection for the earnestness in his voice. "How about we eat around the cookie monster bites?" you offered, wrapping an arm around his shoulders. "Vincent might have taken a few nibbles, but that doesn't change how much love you put into these cookies."

Sam nodded, a small smile breaking through his initial disappointment. "Yeah... Thanks, Farmer."

X - XOXO: Can you walk with someone clinging to you? No? Well, you better learn fast. One of his primary love languages is physical touch. He's constantly holding your hand, intertwining your fingers with his own. Whether you're playing rounds of pool together or sharing a quiet moment in bed, he's always stealing kisses in between. He does respect your need for space, but when his energy is running low, he's searching for his charging port, seeking comfort from you. —

Walking into the Saloon, you smiled softly, the dimly lit bar already beginning to fill with its regulars. The air was thick with laughter and animated conversations, blending seamlessly with the occasional clinks and bangs emanating from the gaming room. Glancing towards the room, your eyes caught Sam, deeply engrossed in a game of Prairie King.

"Come on… Come on… Fuck!" Sam groaned, frustration evident as he leaned his head against the staticky tube screen. He had a determined look on his face. "Just one win…" His whisper sounded almost like a plea to the gaming gods.

Stepping quietly behind Sam, you observed his concentration, the glow of the arcade machine reflecting in his eyes. Gently, you wrapped your arms around his waist, leaning in to see the screen over his shoulder. "Come on, Sammy, you've got this," you encouraged softly, planting a tender kiss on the base of his neck.

“Farmer.” Sam jumped slightly at the sound of your voice, turning his head to meet your gaze. “Yeah, I got this,” he reassured himself, a hint of a smile tugging at his lips as he relaxed into your embrace.

After a few tense moments, you felt Sam's hands jerk up in the air, a triumphant shout escaping his lips. “YES!” he cried, spinning around in your hold and pulling you into a deep kiss and embrace. “I did it!” His joyous exclamation filled the room. “I did it, I did it!” Sam's chant was playful and light as he danced slightly in place, still holding you tightly in his arms.

Both of you laughed together, reveling in Sam's victory and the infectious joy. “Did what?” Abigail's voice cut through the happy cheering, her playful tone carrying a hint of curiosity as she approached, a mischievous smile playing on her lips. Sam looked at Abigail giving her puppy eyes. “Let me stay at the top just for tonight?” he pleaded, pressing his palms together in a mock plea.

[ltstrikesback]

TLDR: Monkey Man was so beautiful and so much more than meets the eye.

Spoilers below/me being mildly pretentious:

As someone who has not gone to the movies to see anything other than queer films lately, my girlfriend got us tickets to Monkey Man. She practices jujutsu and likes John Wick and thought this movie would be similar.

I am a huge Dev Patel fan, though, when I saw the trailer before a viewing of Love Lies Bleeding, I figured I might not actually end up seeing it. I didn’t think I was the target audience. I also don’t love action heavy, guns blasting movies in theaters themselves because it’s a bit sensory overload for me. I felt myself make a mental note to watch it on streaming and already forgetting to do so. Flash forward to me and my partner in the theater and I was in awe.

This movie is about a small village who is violently forced off their land so the elite can build a factory. Dev Patel’s character—Kid—is a child the day the village is expelled. He witnesses his mother’s murder and years later seeks revenge on the man who killed her. When he fails to enact his revenge, he finds himself in a city wide man hunt, ending with him falling into a river, drowning. But he is saved! By a small community of hijra—trans women—who live in a temple nearby.

Walking into this movie I didn’t expect social commentary or politics. I anticipated a Rocky type movie, contained to the story of one individual’s hero’s journey. (People keep mentioning John Wick as a comparison. I just mentioned it in this very post but I haven’t actually seen it for the record.) Monkey Man is specifically not about one individual or one individual’s revenge. This was my takeaway. The message we see over and over is that there are things in this life bigger than ourselves. It is literally impossible to save yourself by yourself—you need community.

I’ll take a step back now to acknowledge that I am not sure how familiar everyone is with current politics in India. I myself have limited insight but have friends who are personally affected by the current climate. There is a strong wave towards Hindu nationalism under PM Modi. It’s yet another instance of what feels like the whole world turning to fascism. The movie uses real clips from real instances of social clashes to paint the landscape of this fictional city. Also, I was reading into the backstory and potential censorship of this film and learned the villain’s colors were originally orange, not red. A clear parallel to the current Hindu nationalism at hand. There are clips of crowds attacking trans people. There are boos at the mention of Muslims and Christians. There are scapegoats in this film that are intentionally pulled from real life.

Now to jump back in—I have to say I was completely moved by the entire sequence at the temple. The temple is dedicated to Ardhanarishvara—a god who is part woman and part man. The hijra community has found a home here, albeit on the outskirts of society. The leader tells Kid, “no one will come looking for you here.” Their status in society protects him in a serendipitous way. They are also the ones that nourish him and help him train for his next mission. Not only that, but we see this community smile, laugh, flirt, and fight. I loved the scene with Kid and the drummer, with the girls cat calling him from afar (same). It was so tender to see trans joy, even in mundanity, amidst persecution.

When Kid has self-actualized and essentially is Hanuman, the part monkey God the movie is named after, he takes on the political elites. There is a moment he is surrounded by bodyguards in this hotel sequence. He’s outnumbered and out comes our hijra fam to the rescue. They take down these men. And it is so fucking amazing. I mean, really, it’s so fucking amazing to see them fight for themselves, for each other and be the hero.

To wrap up, I also wanted to touch on the fight sequences’ production. I mentioned I don’t really like fight scenes because I get sensory overload but the music in this film resolved this issue for me. It wasn’t pure screams or gunshots. There was a really fun soundtrack that added a great twist to the film. Kind of reminds me when they break out electric guitars in Chinese historical dramas. Just another thing about this movie that really worked. At least for me personally.

Last thought—my take away is not necessarily to say “put Dev Patel in everything” which is happening in the online discourse. (There’s a weird opposite-of-cancel-culture thing that happens sometimes where audiences obsess and then forget about actors or artists. Idk.) Rather: let this man do whatever he wants. Give him your funding, give him your resources! He should not have to kill himself to tell his stories!

*Sigh* my heart has been so full since watch this. A huge shout out to Dev and his team.

[katiemcgrathultimate]

The Continental Release Date on Peacock

The Continental will have three 90-minute episodes, turning each chapter of the spinoff series into a mini-movie. As Lee now tells us, all three episodes are part of “one continuation,” and there won’t be any time jump between chapters. So, we’ll always be in New York City in 1970, with Colin Woodell replacing McShane as a young Winston and Ayomide Adegun portraying a young Charon. And when will the series be available? “in September,” Lee says.

John Wick: Chapter 4 is currently available in theaters. The Continental will premiere this September on Peacock. The series will be distributed in international markets through Prime Video.

[symbioticsimplicity]

This Idiot Has Seen Goncharov

So today marked the coalescence of the Goncharov Incident as I’ll be calling it, so I think it’s finally time to share.

For a bit of context, you need to know a little more about one of my co-workers. We’ll call him Zeke. First it’s important to note that despite being in his early thirties, Zeke doesn’t have any sort of social media accounts outside of a MySpace page. Dude has straight up been living like it’s still 2007. Zeke also has a fixation with my friend/roommate who also works with us. Zeke will hop onto whatever bandwagon this friend, who we’ll call Jesse, is on. But most importantly to this whole tableau, Zeke likes to tell tall tales, like no matter what you’re talking about, or what you’ve done, this guy has done it but bigger and crazier.

That alone would be annoying, but it wouldn’t be enough to push myself and Jesse to the level we’ve hit with him. For me, it’s the constant need to put other people down for ‘knowing less than he does’ despite the obviousness of his knowledge being a collection of poorly constructed lies. Like not only does he lie, but this dumbass doesn’t even bother to check into the things he lies about. Several times he’s tried to convince me of something in a subject I know everything about. He refuses to admit to being wrong and he won’t back down from anything he’s said, it’s infuriating.

For this, and quite a few other reasons transphobic cough cough augh, he’s been bothering Jesse and I for quite a while. Badly enough that the spite fueled wasp nest that lives in the back corner of my brain Morse coded a plan to me.

Goncharov.

What better way to trip up a ride or die compulsive liar than a piece of media well known for being entirely fictional?

The next day, when Zeke climbed into my car during our lunch hour, Jesse and I began talking about this old movie we’d recently watched. The two of us have known each other more than long enough to able to follow each other’s bullshit like second nature, we’ve played an assload of DND together. In ten minutes we’ve got the whole first arc talked out with a few of the “best scenes” highlighted. (Personal favorites being Andrey juggling guns “a la John Wick/Guns Akimbo” and Katya killing a man point blank after saying ‘Get Gonch’d bitch’ in a 1973 film.)

Zeke didn’t respond too much, just kind of nodded and ignored most of the convo since it wasn’t really about him. I didn’t really expect him to engage to start, he usually doesn’t, but we’d planned to keep this up for another couple days anyhow.

But like clockwork, the more Jesse talked about it, the more Zeke seemed to remember it. Enough that I jumped ahead a little and pulled up the faux movie poster to show him.

He squinted at it then nodded and said he’d definitely seen the movie before.

When I tell you I almost fucking screamed.

Of course he couldn’t remember many details because it had been so long since he’d seen it. To tell you the truth I’d checked out at that point, I was focused on not losing my shit, I have no fucking idea what he said.

While this was an entire meal served up on a silver platter, it would have been pretty easy to say he’d seen the poster somewhere despite not having socials. I want this man incinerated, not merely singed.

Which leads me to the events of the last couple days.

So Zeke came up to Jesse and I and told us he wanted to re-watch Goncharov and asked us if it’s on Netflix.

Jesse and I both said that it is, without hesitation.

Zeke went to look for it (at work, while we’re working no less, again I missed the rest of what he was saying here I was mentally biting him) and obviously found nothing. So he searched every other streaming platform he had, and Youtube, all once again coming up empty.

At this point, I was sure the jig is up. He was actually searching it now so obviously he’d find one of the search results letting him know Goncharov’s true nature. I’m fairly certain the first result for it on Google says that it’s fake.

Oh hoo hoo, no.

Zeke came to me to complain about not being able to find the movie and in a fit of clandestine fervor, I told him that we probably watched it on a pirating site.

It was beautiful, it was inspired, and it worked.

Zeke asked me for the site and I told him that I’d have to get it from our other roommate since she’s in charge of the tech in our house. Then I hauled ass to go find Jesse and spill the latest tea before Zeke could. 

Later on Jesse sent him the link to the site, and he told us he’d find it over the weekend.

Well today, friends, is Monday.

Most of today we spent too busy to go grill Zeke about whether or not he’s crossed over into the fucking Mandela timeline and managed to watch Goncharov. But ten minutes before close, while we’re waiting to go, suddenly Zeke perks up, and remembers that when he gets home, he has to finish watching the movie. He’d had trouble getting the site to work on his phone, but his Xbox had run it, and he’d started watching it, but had unfortunately fallen asleep before he’d finished.

Now. I am a calm man, I can keep a straight face if I need to. But hearing this fucking idiot tell me he’d started watching a fictitious movie made up by Tumblr.com of all places nearly sent me to the fucking Shadow Realm with the amount of effort it took not to crack.

He talked for a couple more minutes before fucking off to do something else, I have no idea again I wasn’t fucking listening, I was trying not to visibly cry from holding back laughter.

But then he left and like instinct, like the inevitable impact of atoms inside of the Hadron collider, Jesse and I turned to look at each other. I knew what Jesse would say, Jesse knew what I would say, and like fate, like destiny, like two people who had witnessed a man commit manslaughter against his own damn self, we spoke at once.

“This idiot has seen Goncharov.”

[spiderdreamer-blog]

2023 at the Movies: A Year in Review

2023 has been an odd year for American cinema in particular, between overall tepid box office outside of a few big hits and the combination of the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes affecting release dates as well as promotional tactics. (Just so we're clear, this is a Union Solidarity Blog) But it was a fascinating year artistically nonetheless, especially on the blockbuster end. What this list aims to achieve is sort of a capsule review of the theatrical releases I saw (not counting streaming-only films even if I ended up seeing theatrical releases ON streaming) and how I felt about them in capsule review form. And even then, there's still stuff I need to catch up on like Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves, Oppenheimer, Elemental, or Transformers: Rise of the Beasts. Anyhoo, on with my list, in chronological release order:

John Wick: Chapter 4: Much like its titular hero, there are perhaps some signs that this franchise could benefit from taking a bit of a rest. Some of the worldbuilding is going from knowingly absurd to just plain absurd, and a couple early action beats, while fun (NUNCHUCKS), are a little familiar in terms of director Chad Stahelski's neon-as-fuck aesthetics. Ultimately, it's not too much to derail things, as Keanu Reeves proves a capable grounding lead like always, and the Parisian third act is giddy, comically overblown violence in the grand John Wick tradition that reaches an unexpected poignancy. The supporting cast might also be one of the best in the series; while Asia Kate Dillion's unflappable Adjudicator is missed from the last installment, we do receive Bill Skarsgard doing an OUTRAAGEOUS French accent as a smarmy villain you really want to see dead by the end of this, Donnie Yen as a clever, funny spin on the blind swordsman trope, Rina Sawayama is both badass and touching, Shamier Anderson stands out by dialing down, and my beloved Clancy Brown has some of the best implicit "are you fucking kidding me" reactions I've seen in a while.

The Super Mario Bros. Movie: I was honestly dreading this for a while. Illumination Entertainment is a perfectly cromulent animation studio who makes films that, with a couple exceptions, represent pretty much everything I dislike about American family filmmaking: loud, hyperactive, deficient of nutritional value, and did I mention loud? But the trailers started impressing me in terms of how well they adapted the candy-colored toybox Nintendo aesthetic to a wider theatrical scope. And if nothing else, casting Jack Black as Bowser would probably be pretty awesome (spoiler alert: he was). Thankfully, it manages to be an immensely entertaining, zippy adventure film that minimizes potential annoyances at nearly every turn. This is primarily thanks to a ready-to-play, enthusiastic voice cast (outside of Black, I particularly like Pratt and Day's brotherly dynamic and Anya Taylor-Joy doing a Disney Princess-esque comedy action spin on Peach), a smartly simple story structure, and leaving a lot of potential open for the future like Seth Rogen's lovable ready-for-spinoff-movies Donkey Kong. It may not rock the boat, but it was better than it had any business being, and that counts for a lot in my book.

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3: The Marvel Cinematic Universe and I are admittedly on a bit of a break. Not because they're doing anything WRONG per se, just that a lot of their shows and movies haven't enticed me as much in the past year. I did get out to see this, though, which is both the best all around MCU film since Endgame and very possibly the best film of its own trilogy. James Gunn pulls out all the stops emotionally for his Marvel swan song (godspeed to you over at the still-in-progress trashfire that is Warner Bros. Discovery, good sir), crafting a beautiful, resonant journey for all the characters. The ensemble cast fires on all cylinders, for one. While Bradley Cooper is the obvious vocal standout as Rocket takes center stage, it's assuredly the role of Chris Pratt's career (other non-Mario/Marvel directors, take note! You can in fact have this guy be funny, credibly tough, AND sympathetic instead of missing out on the other two), Zoe Saldana navigates a difficult emotional dance, Pom Klementieff finds real heart in Mantis, Dave Bautista is still one of our most interesting wrestlers-turned-actors in the choices he makes, Karen Gillan has slowly become of the MCU's MVPs as Nebula, Will Poulter is endearingly dunderheaded as a comedic take on Adam Warlock, and Chukwudi Iwuji proves a truly vile villain who exemplifies the maxim of "if you really want an audience to just HATE a motherfucker, have him torture cute animals". And of course Gunn's musical tastes remain impeccable, such as a Beastie Boys needle drop that prompts a truly bitchin' fight scene (oddly the second time this specific song happened this year in a Pratt-led vehicle). It's funny, it made me ugly cry at SEVERAL points, and I got to see a psychic cosmonaut dog beat people's asses with her mind. What more could I want?

Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse: Into the Spider-Verse was a revolution and a revelation for what the American animated film industry could accomplish artistically and technically. How could a sequel possibly live up to it? Across does, against all odds, proving to be the Empire Strikes Back to the original's Star Wars in terms of going darker/more complex on the emotions and to greater visual heights (albeit with the caveat that maybe next time, we can manage the production better and not crunch people so much). Co-directors Justin K. Thompson, Kemp Powers, and Joaquim Dos Santos (who I've stanned as one of our best animation action directors from Justice League Unlimited through Voltron Legendary Defender) craft a propulsive narrative that asks big questions about who and what Spider-Man is. And while those will have to wait to be fully answered in the third installment, what it sets up is no less compelling or thrilling. Shout-outs in particular go to Hailee Steinfeld, who has to anchor this film with Gwen as much as Shameik Moore's still-iconic Miles; Daniel Pemberton for an outstanding score; Oscar Isaac for giving rich complexity to Miguel O'Hara, who could have felt like a boorish bully in lesser hands; and Jason Schwartzman for not just proving he transitions REALLY well into voicework between this and projects like Klaus, but being by turns pathetically funny and terrifying in ways I've never heard him be as the Spot. Can't wait to see where that goes next time in particular.

Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny: "Pleasant surprise" comes to mind. While I never hated Kingdom of the Crystal Skull as much as most, it was definitely a little underwhelming as a possibly final Indy adventure. (Not helping is that Steven Spielberg immediately turned around and made an infinitely better indy movie in the form of The Adventures of Tintin) So I was curious to see how going to the well for seemingly the real final adventure would work this time around. Thankfully, director James Mangold proves he has a good eye for creative action, even if nothing here quite reaches the heights of the original trilogy, and Harrison Ford does some of his best acting in ages as a weary, burnt-out Indy; one always got the sense that THIS was much closer to his heart than Han Solo. Phoebe Waller-Bridge is a terrific foil to him, joyously amoral (or so she says), while Mads Mikkelsen finds a new spin on coldly cruel cinematic Nazis; he has a tense reintroduction scene that had me squirming in my seat. Add in a slam-bang ending and a touching epilogue, and I'm pretty happy with where things end up for our favorite archaeologist. A solid B+, which we could use more of nowadays.

Also they Poochie-d Shia LaBeouf, which is hilarious to me on several levels.

Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning Part One: The Mission: Impossible franchise has undergone a curious metamorphosis from where it started as one of many oldies TV adaptations in 1996 to a purposefully old-school action franchise. Director Christopher McQuarrie has become a pro at these over the last three installments, and Dead Reckoning (now no longer a part one, as the back-in-production followup will be retitled) has lots to offer both large and small for action fans even outside of the continued spectacle of Tom Cruise Possibly Wants To Die On Camera. Obviously the big stunt sequences remain a draw, like a terrific car chase through Rome or the climactic journey onboard the Orient Express because trains are ALWAYS bitchin' locations in movies. But just as good are pleasures like a tense cat-and-mouse game in an airport where nobody's quite sure whose side Hayley Atwell's thief Grace is on, Henry Czerny coming back to the franchise after 27 years and looking as shiftily patriotic as ever, Pom Klementieff on this list for the second time looking really hot as she whoops ass, and Cary Elwes getting an unexpectedly choice exposition monologue. Plus the whole deal with the A.I. villain ended up being, uh, fairly relevant.

Barbie: A brilliant human comedy from an unexpected source. This could have gone wrong in so many different ways, I can easily imagine a version that's WAY more lugubrious and, crucially, much less funny. But director/co-writer Greta Gerwig has quickly become one of our best talents between this and the wildly-different-but-has-more-in-common-than-you'd-think Little Women (I also still need to see to heard-it's-excellent Lady Bird). With an infinitely clever script (I love in particular that the "real world" is just as ridiculous in its own way as Barbieland) and Sarah Greenwood's impeccable production design, Gerwig and her cast craft a feminist fable that remains light and funny even at its most strident and angry. Margot Robbie has never been better, hilarious and gut-punching by equal measure, America Ferrera ends up as the unexpected heart of the piece, and Ryan Gosling is absolutely hysterical as Ken while still making him intensely sympathetic. He and Robbie deserve Oscar noms in particular. No, I'm not kidding. Might expand this one to a full review at some point tbh.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem: I missed this in theaters and regret it immensely, given that this is a hilarious, cheerfully irreverent take on characters who've really managed a surprising amount of relevance in the modern age. Actually having teen actors voice the Turtles makes them feel so authentic, and they're matched well by an equally game cast like Ayo Edebiri's thoroughly modern April O'Neill, Jackie Chan as a more bumbling-but-heartfelt version of Splinter than usual, and Paul Rudd going full surfer bro as Mondo Gecko. And of course the scribbled-notebook underground comics vibe of the animation is a neat bit of full circle aesthetics if you know these guys' origins.

Wish: All of you are wrong and being dumb about this movie. It's not that I can't grok some of the criticisms as being legitimate, to be fair; for example, the songs, while very good on their own IMO, don't always hit the iconic level of a Frozen or Encanto. But the vitriol with which they've been expressed, and this odd narrative that Disney is in the toilet artistically and needs to nebulously "fix" things, is something I can't at all agree with. It's gorgeously rendered, for one; yes, I would potentially like to see a return to full 2D animated films for the studio at some point too. But if they're gonna experiment even marginally with CGI, I applaud co-directors Chris Buck and Fawn Veerasunthorn making it look this painterly as a starting point. And as with a lot of modern Disney, there's real richness and inner life to these characters. Ariana DeBose is a winning heroine as Asha, who feels distinct from other "princesses" by essentially being working class and unionizing the kingdom. And Chris Pine as Magnifico is a Disney Villain for the ages, blending real complexity in his relationships with scenery-chewing madness. (Also am I the only one who got major "studio executive/CEO" vibes off him?) If this is "mid" or "bland" Disney, I really question what some of y'all are seeing that I seemingly can't.

Also I liked the 100th anniversary references, sue me. The last one in particular gets points for quiet charm rather than grandstanding.

The Boy and the Heron: Hayao Miyazaki, anime's favorite grumpy old man, comes back out of retirement for like the fifth time. Seriously, remember when Princess Mononoke was supposed to be his last film 25+ years ago? I'll believe his "last film" is truly his last when he's in the cold, cold ground. Regardless of the continuing saga of Old Man Won't Retire Because He Seemingly Can't Be Alone With His Own Thoughts, this is a brilliant, haunting spectacle of animation that might be a new favorite for me. Some have called it confusing, whereas I go for "dreamlike", possibly his most to date. Nearly every frame is suffused with longing and melancholy (though this also has some of Miyazaki's best comedy in a while), and, oddly like Wish, this feels like a true career reflection, if a bit more fraught and questioning what legacy truly means. Joe Hisaishi contributes possibly his moodiest, most dissonant score, with little of the bombast or whimsical charm that typifies his music, but it works unfathomably well. Credit also to the dub, with Robert Pattinson as funny and menacing as you've heard, but Luca Pandoval is also excellent as our stoic lead Mahito, Florence Pugh manages to be both a total badass and a funny old woman (it makes sense in context, I promise), Christian Bale puts forth a fascinating two-step with his boisterous father, Gemma Chan and Karen Fukuhara nail some complex emotional turns, Willem Dafoe nearly steals the whole thing in under two minutes, Dave Bautista makes a real meal out of a part not much bigger than that, and Mark Hamill finds resonance as a tired old man.

[eretzyisrael]

by David Christopher Kaufman

In the 1950s, lists naming accused communists and homosexuals were used as tools for blackmail, influence-peddling and ruin.

Clandestine dossiers played a part in the Rwandan genocide that claimed the lives of 1 million ethnic Tutsis 30 years ago, as well the purges of elites and intellectuals during periods of political upheaval in China, Cambodia and, of course, Nazi Germany.

Today, the woke left are putting together their own lists of the “Zionists” in our midst. These lists are just as dangerous, just as disgusting.

8“Wild” author Cheryl Strayed — left, with Reese Witherspoon who played her in the movie version — has been called out as a Zionist on the “is your fav author a zionist?” list.WireImage

Last weekend, a Google doc detailing the supposed Israel affiliations and adjacencies of nearly 200 well-known authors — including some who are dead — made the rounds on social media.

Titled “is your fav author a zionist?” the document features a rainbow flag’s worth of categorized color-coding: Red for “Pro-Israel/Zionist” at one extreme, blue for “Pro-Palestinian/Anti-Zionist” at the other. In regards to the former, it calls for us to “stop buying their books … streaming their shows or promoting their work on any social platform.”

8The author blacklist encourages users to “stop buying” books and streaming projects related to writers including “Wild” memoirist Cheryl Strayed.

Progressive bête noire J.K. Rowling is firmly in the red camp, singled out for being “pro Israel for a while.” (“She’s also a terf so conversation over right there,” her entry reads.)

Also in the red are Emily St. John Mandel, author of “Station Eleven” (“talks favorably about [Israel]”), and Taylor Jenkins Reid of “Daisy Jones and the Six” fame, who apparently “posted pro-Israel content that had no mention of the lives in Gaza.” “Wild” author Cheryl Strayed and Nicholas Sparks of “The Notebook” fame are both outed for posting “a pro-Israel graphic.” 

8A screen-shot from the “is your fav author a zionist” list color-codes boycott levels.

James Baldwin, who passed away nearly 30 years ago, gets a pass as “pro-Palestine.”

The X account Zionists in Film has called out Keanu Reeves — the poster child for Hollywood civility — for transgressions: Attending a 2014 Malibu party where Benjamin Netanyahu was also in attendance, and being trained by an ex-Mossad agent for combat scenes in the “John Wick” franchise.

[fandom-official]

It's entertainment March madness 😵‍💫

[speakyskelly-1999]

keanu

keanu

keanu

eveyones favorite guy

look at him

he vibing

so my friends and i decided to watch all of (some of lets be real) keanu's filmogoraphy

and it's been a blast

basically one of my friends just really wanted to watchh all 4 matix's and i said i would if we went through all his films

i'm normal okay

i just really wanted an excuse to watch speed, my favorite keanu film

(okay the fact that i like know the timestamp that gif is taking from shows i'm very normal)

so any way

...

errr

fuck

ye

we've watched about half of them now

and like i could wait till we've finished all of them to talk about them#

but i won't

cos i won't remember all of them

so without further ado

keanu movies we've watched so far

(formatted like godzilla maybe)

(but not in watch order cos i don't rmember)

(fuck you)

(also i bet i can get a gif for each movie)

bill and ted's exellent adventures:

8/10 very funny, thought they'd have a third act break up but they didn't which was baised. will rewatch again. absolute classic. the nothing behind the eyes with ted was chef's kiss

point break:

oh, oh wow, oh that like ot intense, i wasn't expecting it to get that intence. damn okay. very good movie 8/10 won't be rewatching it any time soon, also johnny gets wet in the water of the sea

(keanu being called some varient of john, getting wet, and being depressed are come comon features of keanu's movies)

(the power point will make this clearer in the future)

bill and ted's bogus journey:

good sequal like 7/10 just cos the first is such a classic and a new idea but it was really well done. gotta love death

bram stoker's dracula:

omg he's depressed, gets wet and is called johnathen, tick. otherwise this films was garbage. he cannot do an enlish accent which was funny and actually enjoyable. keanu's proformence was the only enjoyable part of the movie. 1/10 i'd rather rewatch godzilla final wars and pocahuntus

(realising i havn't geven my disney reviews here it's fine all do that at some point

.... maybe)

Speed:

omg it's my favorite keanu movie. hehehe my friends trust my taste cos of like this movie and legally blonde. hehehe. 10/10 no note. i am bnot bias. okay but in all fairness it is really good and the script is really well thought out. don't watch speed 2 no keanu

johnny mnemonic:

god i could write a whole paragraph about this movie. from the short story written by the father of cyberpunk, to it's buched production, to the actual film, to the japanese cut which was more like what it was supose to be. aaaah. this movie is not good. it's vibes are impecable. ice-T is there. jones the cybernetic dolphin who was recrited by the military and was forcefully adicted to drugs to ensure his loyalty was the fucking highlight. random prest guy who is addicted to tech who is a hit man to fuel is addiction is funny. like critically this movie is a 2/10 but emotionally, but vibes wise, but on a purly primeveil basist, 10/10 movie. watch the japanese cut it makes more sense it's just on youtube

you're welcome

so imma just take a moment and say this, keanu reves movies are hard to find

like the only ones on streaming are johnny mnemonic on amazon prime, the day the earth stood still on disney and speed which is also on disney. oh and spone on the run which is on netflix. like non of the john wicks. only matirx 4 on netflix. it's wild. so shout out to cex and hmv for having the real goods

another side note i can spell mnemonic and cardasian fine and yet i have to quote aritha franklin to spell respect

anyway back to it

the matrix:

yea i should have believed my friends when they said this was the transes movie in existance. i see it. no straights here. only the gays. man this movie was a slay. genuinly no idea why i just haddn't seen it yet. 8/10

the matrix reloaded:

oooh, a ten miniet looney tunes agent smith fight scene. ooooh a 15 motorway fight scene. mmmmh okay. yea the action is fun but maaaaan the plot fucking stalls, 4/10

the matrix revolations:

omg is the plot moving again. omg yay. i really like this one which seems to be like an umpopular oppinion. i dunno. i liked it. i liked it's ending it worked. fuck you. 7/10

the day the earth stood still 2008:

omg, omg is that john ham yay. klaatu my main man was grat. got a jaden smith jumpscare and the girl from lybrinth jumpscare aswell. had a lot of fun. we also watched the 1951 version and personally i prefer that one but stilll thisnmovie was great. 7/10 climate change is a threat and we're the virus

john wick:

yea erm yea you shouldn't have killed that dog man. 8/10

john wick 2:

okay but like it was a slay that she killed herself, real power move. also winston is a real g. 7/10 great pasing

bill and ted face the music:

omg. omg they have louis armstong. omg omg omg. jimi hendrix. motzard. KID CUDI! AAAAH THIS MOVIE WAS MADE FOR ME. also has the girl from I Saw The TV Glow which my friend loved. 7/10 again not as good as the classic but holy shit was this line up of hiistorical people for me

the matric resurrection:

neil partick harris i'll kill you. how do you keep ending up in things i watch. i sware i'll end up watching your entrire filmography by watching other peoples. stop it. you haunt me. i liked this movie a lot. like it deffo helps watching the matrix series almost back to back. good stuff, and all the recasting and stuff was the right call i think. this and face the music have like the same weird vibe to them that i weirdly like. oh and keanu is depressed and get wet. also i love the fact that trinity just punches neil patrick harris mutiple time. i'm not biased and idk why you'd think that :) 6/10

and thats all the keanu films i've watched so far

not gonna lie was wondering about half way though how long a tumblr post can be hehehe

i shall be back once i've watched the remaineding films

and then the power point hehehe

[effypcfcwrites]

Percy Jackson and The Olympians

(Originally posted on my personal Facebook dated February 1, 2024)

I've been meaning to write another review of a piece of media that I liked for a while now, following my extensive review of The Owl House back in mid-2023, so here goes me again, rambling about it.

When the Disney+ adaptation of Percy Jackson and The Olympians was announced some time ago, me and my high school self were excited to know the series would be in good hands, coming from the same place that gave us gems like Star Wars: Andor and WandaVision, this time, with much more participation from author Rick Riordan himself, AKA, the cooler, less-problematic version of J.K. Rowling. For context, Percy Jackson and The Olympians is technically a Disney property, since it was distributed by Disney-Hyperion Books back in the day. Don't get me wrong though. At this point, I have no love for the multi-billion corporate titan that is Disney. I am more invested in the stories they tell, which I wish would just exist as their own thing, independent of the looming shadow of The Mouse.

Disney+'s Percy Jackson and The Olympians did a good job so far, in my opinion as a fan of the books, to adapt The Lightning Thief (the 1st entry in the OG series) into the age of streaming with a Herculean debut 1st season. Writing-wise, I acknowledge the effort put into it being a more loyal adaptation of the source material compared to the cheesy and gods-awful movies of the early 2010s, even though it threw in some creative liberties here and there, which I have no qualms with. I felt like what it did best was to focus less on all the wide-eyed fantasy of Greek Mythology and all its gods, monsters, and heroes, and explore more of the grounded human emotion and familial relationships of its cast of characters, from Percy and his mother and the subsequent quest to save her from the Underworld; the messy family of the Greek Pantheon and its bloody history; to even Medusa, whose story is a grim reminder that the Greek gods are problematic and flawed figures that should not be put on a pedestal willy-nilly.

Acting highlights for me were Walker Scobell's performance of Percy, that managed to portray the witty and world-weary personality of his character properly; Jason Mantzoukas (Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Close Enough) as the sarcastic Dionysus, who makes it clear he is not enjoying his punishment on Camp Half-Blood, denied the hedonism of alcohol and festivity, which he is best known for; Lin-Manuel Miranda (Hamilton, In The Heights, Encanto) as Hermes, who plays a more serious role of a father acknowledging his part in the emotional damage he has caused his family; Lance Reddick (John Wick, White House Down) as Zeus, who was stern and imposing as you'd know the head Olympian to be, making it a memorable posthumous performance, following his passing back in March 2023; and Adam "Edge" Copeland as Ares, who channeled the feral energy of his WWE persona into the unhinged fire-starter god of war.

The music and score were able to instill all the drama of Greek hero stories, mixing glory, tension, and melancholy well, and the cinematography and effects wonderfully brought to life the worlds and the multiple monsters of Greek myth as well as other concepts from the books, like gods showing their true forms, which was said to be fatal to mortal beings should they lay eyes on them. Fortunately, unlike what I just mentioned, it was all a great sight to witness.

If you're a fan of the entire PJO/Heroes of Olympus/etc. universe that Rick Riordan has brought out into the world, then I think you'd be in for a treat when you give this series a spin.

[rebeccalouisaferguson]

The Saturns, which honor the best in genre entertainment across film and television, are organized by the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror. Winners will be announced February 4, 2024 in a ceremony at the LA Marriott Burbank Airport Hotel and will stream live on ElectricNow.

Best Action / Adventure Film

Bullet Train (Sony Pictures) The Equalizer 3 (Sony Pictures) Fast X (Universal Pictures) John Wick: Chapter 4 (Lionsgate Films) Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One (Paramount Pictures) The Woman King (TriStar Pictures)

Best Film Screenwriting

Avatar: The Way of Water, James Cameron and Rick Jaffa & Amanda Silver (Walt Disney/Lightstorm) Barbie, Noah Baumbach & Greta Gerwig (Warner Bros. Pictures) The Menu, Seth Reiss & Will Tracy (Searchlight Films) Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One, Erik Jendresen & Christopher McQuarrie (Paramount Pictures) Oppenheimer, Christopher Nolan (Universal Pictures) Pearl, Ti West & Mia Goth (A24)

Best Film Editing

Avatar: The Way of Water, Stephen Rivkin, David Brenner, John Refoua, James Cameron (Walt Disney/Lightstorm) Fast X, Dylan Highsmith, Kelly Matsumoto, Corbin Mehl, Laura Yanovich (Universal Pictures) Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, Andrew Buckland, Michael McCusker, Dirk Westervelt (Lucasfilm/Paramount/Disney) John Wick: Chapter 4, Nathan Orloff (Lionsgate Films) Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One, Eddie Hamilton (Paramount Pictures) Oppenheimer, Jennifer Lane (Universal Pictures)

Best Film Visual / Special Effects

Avatar: The Way of Water, Joe Letteri, Richard Baneham, Eric Saindon, Daniel Barrett (Walt Disney/Lightstorm) The Creator, Jay Cooper, Ian Comley, Andrew Roberts, Neil Corbould (20th Century Studios) Guardians of the Galaxy-Vol. 3, Stephane Ceretti, Alexis Wajsbrot, Guy Williams, Dan Sudick (Marvel/Walt Disney Studios) Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, Andrew Whitehurst, Kathy Siegel, Robert Weaver, Alistair Williams (Lucasfilm/Paramount/Disney) Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One, Alex Wuttke, Simone Coco, Jeff Sutherland, Neil Corbould (Paramount Pictures) Oppenheimer, Andrew Jackson, Giacomo Mineo, Scott Fisher, Dave Drzewiecki (Universal Pictures)

Best Science Fiction Television Series

Andor (Lucasfilm/Disney+) Foundation (Apple TV+) The Mandalorian (Lucasfilm/Disney+) The Peripheral (Amazon) Silo (Apple TV+) Star Trek: Picard (Paramount+/CBS) Star Trek: Strange New Worlds (Paramount+/CBS)

Best New Genre Television Series

Andor (Lucasfilm/Disney+) The Ark (Electric Entertainment/Syfy) The Last of Us (HBO/Max) Lord of the Rings: Rings of Power (Amazon) Silo (Apple TV+) The Walking Dead: Dead City (AMC) Wednesday (Netflix)

Best Actress in a Television Series

Caitriona Balfe, Outlander (Starz) Lauren Cohan, The Walking Dead: Dead City (AMC) Emma D’Arcy, House of the Dragon (HBO/Max) Rebecca Ferguson, Silo (Apple TV+) Tatiana Maslany, She-Hulk: Attorney-at-Law (Marvel/Disney+) Rose McIver, Ghosts (CBS) Elizabeth Tulloch, Superman & Lois (Warner Bros. Television)

[zionistsinfilm]

When you buy or stream John Wick series, The Matrix series, Constantine series, Toy Story 4, Kraven the Hunter, Sonic the Hedgehog, The SpongeBob Movie, you're giving money to zionists.

Keanu Reeves partied with Satanyahu.