#mandi plays mass effect
Explore tagged Tumblr posts
Text
Michael in the Mainstream: Late Night with the Devil
Horror has been clawing its way back into the limelight recently and frankly I couldn’t be happier. Between all the films where filmmakers have used the genre as a vehicle to deliver social commentary or explore deeper themes like the works of Jordan Peele and Ari Aster, the PG-13 horror films that give younger viewers an entry point like M3gan and the FNAF movie, and stylish horror dripping in symbolism like The Lighthouse and Mandy, horror fans are eating pretty good! We even got a good Lovecraft adaptation, starring Nicolas Cage no less! Sure, there’s still the cash grab legacy sequels and the hot garbage horror fans have come to expect, but it seems filmmakers are treating the genre as grounds to experiment again so that, even if the results aren’t perfect, we’re getting a constant stream of innovative creativity.
And Late Night with the Devil looked like it might be one of the best films in this new wave of innovative horror. The concept—the film being a found footage “lost episode” of a late night comedy show—is really unique, and it gives a lead role to David Dastmalchian, who has shown incredible acting chops playing weirdo supporting roles. Positive reactions to the initial announcement and the first looks really built this up to be the next big horror smash!
…And then came the controversy. It was revealed that AI generated images were used to create certain pictures in the movie (specifically the intermission cards), and as this came to light in the thick of arguments over the subject of AI, this killed a fair bit of hype and caused many to state they’d boycott the film. Using such lazy methods as opposed to, you know, hiring an actual fucking artist isn’t what you do to endear yourself to audiences. Still, the ethics of AI usage aside, I still wanted to give this film a chance, and thankfully the movie turned out to be every bit as fun, refreshing, and innovative as I’d hoped!
Until it isn’t.
For most of the film’s runtime, it delivers exactly what you could have hoped for. We get fantastic setup framing the film as sort of a documentary, with a Michael Ironside-narrated introduction giving us pertinent backstory before diving in to the actual episode. The presentation is fantastic; from the grainy VHS look of the actual show to the black and white backstage footage, they did a great job of capturing the look and feel of a show from that era, with everything making sense as something that would be filmed for the show. It keeps this up for most of the runtime.
But just as the film is about to bring home the gold, it does a mass hypnosis sequence where we see the illusion of worms bursting out of a guy… but this clip is played back almost immediately, without the illusion. While the worm effect is great practical gore, it is the first sign that they’re willing to betray the conceit of the film for spectacle. And it only gets worse from here, as this leads right into a big finale with all sorts of overtly supernatural elements as well as video footage of another person’s hallucination.
And while the supernatural horror stuff has some cool moments, including a couple of gnarly kills and some solid black comedy, it really sort of deflates the film. The setup they went with really only works if you keep the supernatural elements ambiguous. The initial demonic possession scene is where the cracks start to show, but there’s still at least a little wiggle room there, but when we have someone split their head open and levitate while blatantly using magic it is really impossible to ignore. It’s even worse because the effects in the finale are really not as good as the filmmakers think they are, meaning they essentially sacrificed the believability of the movie for pointless spectacle that it didn’t even need! Up until this point the movie was up there with the found footage heavy hitters in terms of realism and commitment, sitting alongside the likes of The Blair Witch Project and Cloverfield. But it decided it was better to try and have it both ways, to be some spectacular supernatural extravaganza on top of the found footage realism, and it falls on its face flatter than your create lost episode creepypasta as a result. If only there were hyperrealistic blood to be seen.
Maybe it’s just me, but I hate when a film that builds such great atmosphere with subtle, ambiguous horror decides to go whole hog on the spectacle. It’s my biggest problem with Hereditary—Ari Aster had created such a fantastic, unsettling, oppressive tone for the film steeped in the ambiguity of the events, and then the final act has spontaneous combustion and levitating corpses. But, crucially, Aster pulls everything back for the final scene, leaving on an ambiguous yet deeply disturbing note. It’s why I wouldn’t hesitate to call Hereditary a great film. But I can’t do the same here. Sure, it tries to pull things back at the very end, but by its very nature it fails to do so. You’ve already betrayed the basic premise of your film for your Hollywood ghost movie tricks, you can’t win us back now. You were at the head of the race, about to bring home the gold, and you tripped at the finish line.
I know I’ve been super harsh on the movie, but that’s because I do love it. It’s a really good movie for the most part! Dastmalchian in particular is absolutely fantastic, showcasing great range as his character Jack Delroy alternates between the corny comedic charisma needed of a late night host and the sleazy, desperate hunger for fame you’d expect from a 70s TV personality, all while never coming off as a truly bad guy. It really showcases Dastmalchian’s leading man potential, and whatever else I wouldn’t hesitate to call this a career highlight. I genuinely hope this opens more doors for him because he is genuinely and consistently great throughout, even when other aspects dip in quality.
And aside from the obnoxious and intrusive AI images (which are mercifully few and far between), it spends a good 80% of the film being stylishly immersive and engaging. This is a genuinely good movie, and I do recommend watching it! I just unfortunately have to throw in the caveat that it trips over itself at the end and doesn’t quite achieve the greatness we were all hoping it would.
#Michael in the mainstream#review#movie review#Late Night with the Devil#Horror#horror movie#david dastmalchian
19 notes
·
View notes
Photo
Blitzwing, Three Gems & Crossover Madness Of Fun (2023)
------------------------
[Note: it’s best to click on the drawing to make it bigger, so it can be viewed a bit more better..]
Credit for Cuphead goes to Studio-MDHR
Credit for Bendy Series goes to Joey Drew Studios Inc.
Credit for Yandere Simulator goes to YandereDev
Credit for Undertale & Deltarune goes to Toby Fox
Credit for Hazbin Hotel & Helluva Boss goes to Vivienne "Vivziepop" Medrano
Credit for Tenchi Muyo Series goes to Masaki Kajishima
Credit for Mass Effect Series goes to BioWare
Credit for Fallout Series goes to Bethesda Softworks
Credit for Ben 10: Omniverse goes to Man Of Action
Credit for Transformers goes to Hasbro & Takara
Credit for Transformers Animated goes to Sam Register & Matt Youngberg
Credit for Vandread goes to Takeshi Mori & Gonzo
Credit for Dragon Quest V goes to Square Enix
Credit for Lego Ninjago goes to The Lego Group
Credit for Ninjago TV Series goes to Michael Hegner
Credit for The Owl House goes to Dana Terrace
Credit for FNAF Series goes to Scott Cawthon
Credit for FNAF Security Breach goes to Steel Wool Studios
Credit for Steven Universe Series goes to Rebecca Sugar
Credit for Gravity Falls goes to Alex Hirsch
Credit for Star Vs The Forces Of Evil goes to Daron Nefcy
Credit for Invader Zim goes to Jhonen Vasquez
Credit for The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy goes to Maxwell Atoms
Credit for Codename: Kids Next Door goes to Tom Warburton
Credit for Villainous goes to Alan Ituriel
Credit for Wander Over Yonder goes to Craig McCracken
Credit for Teen Titans Go! goes to DC & Cartoon Network
----------------------
at first this was going to be a crossover with Blitzwing, Spinel, Pink-Pearl and Padaparacha...
but then I decided to add more to it, and added some other cartoon and video game characters into it.
also when playing Fallout 4, I really like to use the baseball bat to fight with, so that is why Nora from the Fallout 4 game, is holding a bat and seems to be keeping a eye out for danger...and yeah even if it isn’t canon, in this drawing, Husk has a little crush on Nora...
also Husk has a Cabbit on his head, well the hat he is wearing, and the Cabbit is Ryo-Ohki...
the little robot that is floating above Sundrop & Moondrop’s heads, is Pyoro from Vandread.
in The Cuphead Show, Cuphead & Mugman are twin brothers...
so if those two twins in the show, would that mean they are twin brothers in the canon of the game world of Cuphead...?
Raven from Teen Titans Go, is holding a sign with her magic...
that shows that Teen Titans Go should stop at Season 8...
I hope I can watch Villainous in it’s place someday, I mean even if it is just wishful thinking and hope it does happen one day...
Sallie May x Collin is in this Crossover drawing as well, if they ever got married in a Fanon Timeline, that would make Moxxie and Collin....brother-in-laws.
Lancer is wearing a crown and is holding on to Husk’s wing, it be cute if he ended up calling Husk “Cat-Dad”, like him adopting Husk as his third father figure.
of course when I was first working on this drawing, I had to at some point go to sleep, but then once I did wake back up I went back to working on this drawing.
the geth in this drawing is Legion, and Tali is a much better character once she accepts the geth, and maybe when she finally realizes that the quarians aren’t victims, since they started the mess first, and they were the ones who just assume that the geth would attack first, even if some quarians did try to help the geth and got k*lled for it....
but some of the quarians who fully blame the geth for being driven from their home world, are just being a bunch of shisno.
I wonder what a crossover ship between Caboose from Red Vs Blue and Legion from Mass Effect would be like...?
maybe it be more platonic, and Caboose would view Legion as his best friend, and if Tali ever talked bad about Legion, it could have Caboose tell her off by saying “now Miss Tali, I will have to ask you to stop being a Mean Lady to my best friend Legion....you are being very hurtful, nobody likes a shisno.”
I know there are some fans who 100% love Tali, I just don’t agree with her view on how the geth are the ones who are the “bad guys” when it was some of the quarians who started it in the first place.
I still think the Ralsei that appears in Chapter 2, and might of switched places with the real one when King was about to hurt Kris but was stop by Susie.
both Ralsei are different heights, the original has smaller horns and smaller feet than the one that is in the party in Chapter 2.
it’s my theory and fan headcanon that the Ralsei that went with Kris to the Card Kingdom, is not only trapped in the Card Kingdom but was replaced by the Other-Ralsei, who locked both the Door that takes Kris and their party out of Castle Town to Card Kingdom, and even locked it’s light world counterpart that is in the unused classroom, making sure Susie and Kris wont end up back in the Card Kingdom and find out the Ralsei they befriended is still trapped there.
don’t know if that theory will turn out to be true and fully canon, but if it turns out it isn’t, it can always be used in the fanon.
oh and the Other-Ralsei is using the Green Soul to keep the True-Ralsei trap in a green energy box.
now I’m going to go eat some pizza and watch some Transformers Animated, before I go back to checking out some more fan art on here.
#crossover fanart#blitzwing tfa#pink pearl su#spinel su#padparascha su#lloyd garmadon#pythor p chumsworth#blackhat villainous#cuphead#bendy the little devil darling#commander peepers#sallie may helluva boss#collin helluva boss#nora fallout 4#husk hazbin hotel#legion mass effect#lancer deltarune#gregory fnaf#ayano aishi#zim invader zim#the grim adventures of billy and mandy fanart#Invader Zim Fanart#vandread fanart#ryo-ohki#tenchi muyo fanart#sundrop fnaf#moondrop fnaf#teen titans go#raven teen titans#dragon quest fanart
42 notes
·
View notes
Text
Jennifer Hale-Notable roles: Commander Shepard (Mass Effect), Sam and Mandy (Totally Spies), Numbah 86 (Codename: Kids Next Door)
Ashley Johnson- Notable roles: Gretchen Grundler (Recess), Terra (Teen Titans), Gwen Tennyson (Ben 10), Ellie (The Last of Us), and Pike Trickfoot (The Legend of Vox Machina). Known for live action acting and actual play stream Critical Role as well as voice acting.
11 notes
·
View notes
Text
TAG GAME: FANDOM EDITION
thanks @michellemisfit for tagging me to play!! and thanks @celestialmickey for making these tag games :>
your name: Deanna
your age: 39 🦂
your first fandom(s): the x-files was the first and oldest fandom i dabbled in by signing up for some fanfic listservs. but the first online fandom i was really deep into was Newsies (the 1992 movie)
your current fandom(s): Shameless and Dragon Age
how did you first get into fandom? i honestly cant even remember...we all had geocities websites attached by webrings and chatrooms on AIM. there may have been a forum somewhere?
how long have you been engaging with fandom spaces? 25 years I GUESS?? After newsies i went through my weeb era, i dunno if we can call anime fans of the early 2000s a fandom? And then my focus was on WOW for several years. And i was always vaguely apart of the mass effect and dragon age fandoms but when DA:I came out it totally rewired my brain.
how often do you read fanfics? not often anymore. i just dont have time to read usually. thats why i consume so much tv. i need things playing while i work and do chores.
top 3 characters from your current fandom(s): Shameless I would say Ian, Mickey, and Debbie. Dragon Age? Gosh thats rough theres so many characters...ok if we exclude the protags I would say Solas, Felassan, and Varric.
have you ever written a fic for a fandom? if so, shout it out! oh sure, i have some da:i fics on ao3 but whether or not you fuckers can find em is none of my business.
have you ever drawn fanart for a fandom? if so, drop a link! haha yup, everything is under the tag #my art
share a personal headcanon that you feel very strongly about: Solas and Pira fucked. And Mandy starts hanging out with Ian and Mickey on a regular basis after they get their own place and Terry is gone 🥰
you’re trying to convince a friend to get into your current fandom(s) with you. what episode, clip, or scene are you showing them? i have gotten THREE people into shameless so far and I did so by showing them music video edits and out of context hilarious scenes. (carl beating the shit out of the guy trying to rob captain bobs, ian chasing mickey with the dildo, mickey "killing" sammi are some of the clips i used on my husband lol) 😈
and finally, what does fandom mean to you? nerding out with people who love the same media that i love! spiraling out over metas and fics and fanart and cosplays and gifs. putting on our clown make-up every time theres a games event where new info might be announced lmao. and making friends who i get to love and keep in my pocket forever 💖
@maizzycakes @canticle-of-apotheosis @salesmain 🙃
7 notes
·
View notes
Text
I saw a picture of Mandy Moore in a movie I don't even remember the name of from the early 2000s. From this, my brain constructed a dream where she starred as this highly desirable virgin girl in a musical. The lead nerd has a huge crush and she sings a literal eldritch horror song to him. The top layer is about how badly he must want her and the general greatness of her lady bits. The underlayer is her harmonizing with herself by singing the song BACKWARDS. The general effect is lust to the point of madness.
If this is what my brain conjures after looking at a picture of someone I literally never even think about outside of the once every 6 months Candy plays on my spotify, what do you all suppose this demon mass in my skull cooks up re: the shit I DO think about?
0 notes
Text
i've never seen this line, in all my times playing through this game holy crap its a good one
#mass effect#mass effect legendary collection#norah jean shepard#listen i love this line so much even though this isnt exactly how she grew up#mandi plays mass effect#ive played this exact build like 27 times lmao and ive always missed it
4 notes
·
View notes
Text
now i’m remembering why i dislike Priority: Thessia so much, and why it feeds into my intense dislike and resentment of liara.
she spends the entire mission acting like she’s the only one who could possibly understand what she’s going through with thessia--which is even worse if you bring along kaidan or garrus, both of whom were on their respective planets when the reapers first hit (as was shepard, of course). i’m bringing javik this time, bc he evidently has Shit To Say and im hoping it’ll get liara to shut up even a little, but jfc im so
-drags hands down face-
yes it’s a horrific, traumatizing experience, but no one else--not kaidan, or garrus, or even james, once they were all in the war--acted as if they were in any sort of unique position wrt the reaper threat and occupation. every time liara opens her mouth on this mission i want shepard to shoot back yeah, we know, we’ve all fucking been through this, suck it up and let’s get what we came here for in the first place.
it doesn’t help that i already have a bias against liara because it has always bothered me the way it’s so easy to accidentally romance her (i have to stop talking to her in me1 until i lock in kaidan otherwise oops, ninjamance), and the way the game series as a whole clearly prioritizes liara as The Right Love Interest (the focus she gets in me2 wouldn’t bother me nearly as much if, for instance, the Virmire Survivor [always kaidan, in my case] had a DLC too, or were included in the Arrival DLC), with shepard never being able to really take her to task for some of the skeevy shit she’s done (particularly the thing with shepard’s body), and i just.... ugh. liara is the only one who acts like this when her home planet is invaded, whereas shepard, anderson, kaidan, james, and garrus all just buckled down and got shit done--while, yes, mourning what was being done to their homes, but focusing on getting what they needed so they’d be able to come back later and save them--and this is after liara has seen what has been done to the homeworlds of everyone else!
she was on mars when earth got hit. she was a mandatory squadmember on palaven. she’s on the ship come sur’kesh and tuchanka. she sees what’s happening with rannoch (and, hell, even tali isn’t this self-centered when reclaiming her own homeword, which her people lost centuries earlier). but there’s no acknowledgement in any of liara’s dialogue that she isn’t the only person going through this. even her flavor dialogue is all ‘how could this be happening, this is my HOME’ as if it isn’t 90% likely that she’s on a team with two other people whose home planets are also being overtaken by reapers in a full-scale invasion. would it really have been that hard to have her say something like ‘shepard.... i’m sorry. i had no idea how this felt, what you must be feeling about earth-’ nope, none of that.
and, notably, when earth and palaven were hit, shepard&the other humans and garrus respectively hadn’t yet seen any other planets being taken. they were only seeing the destruction of their own worlds first hand, with no broader context, no idea what to expect, even among those who’d believed and had been trying to heed shepard’s warnings. but by the time we get to thessia, liara has personally witnessed the reaper invasion targeting multiple homeworlds of her friends! she’s seen just what devastation the reapers can cause, and knows that they are targeting all the space-faring races. she’s seen what happened to earth, and to palaven, to tuchanka and to rannoch. but she doesn’t think about any of that when she sees what’s happening to thessia and it just... it really, really bothers me.
OH AND ALSO LINES LIKE “maybe next time we go to war, the alliance can spring for air support” are you KIDDING ME?????? like shepard hasn’t had to practically grovel to every other space-faring race in the galaxy just to get the promise of eventual help for earth??? gods liara shut the fuck UP
#mass effect#mass effect 3#mandi plays me3#anti liara#liara salt#salt for ts#i just Do Not Like liara t'soni#and it's partly bc of the fandom and partly bc of the way the series focuses on her#and then the rest is this one mission
94 notes
·
View notes
Text
A Decade of Highlights
2010 - Got my first car
2011 - Went to my first Pride, in NYC. It was the week after NY legalized gay marriage and I marched in the parade itself
2012 - Went to New Hampshire for the Republican presidential primary and met all the candidates
2012 - Got into Mass Effect
2012 - Met a bunch of political pundits when the seconds 2012 presidential debate was held at my college; live on his radio show I taught Geraldo Rivera what Wizard Rock was
2012 - Taught myself how to sew and make plushies
2012 - Met @mandyshepard, the best human being on the planet
2012 - Became a Lushie
2012 - Realized and came to embrace my bisexuality
2013 - Developed an interest in polymer clay and began sculpting
2013 - My feminism-inspired sculpture was put into my college’s gallery
2013 - Graduated from college within my four year plan despite two separate major depressive episodes that almost threw me off course
2014 - Got into Dragon Age
2014 - Met Mandy when she came to visit me in New York!
2014 - Made my first cosplay costume and went to my first Comic Con!
2014 - Began learning how to make gifs
2015 - Saw Steph Curry shoot two incredible three pointers when my dad was watching Golden State play one night and became hooked on basketball
2016 - Went to my second-ever Pride (again in NY), this time as an out and proud bisexual woman
2017 - Saw my first live NBA game
2018 - Lost my virginity!!!
2019 - Became obsessed with football
2019 - Went to my third Pride
2019 - Decided to become a teacher and went back to school for it
Of all the accomplishments, the best one is knowing Mandy. I can’t imagine living a life without this incredible woman. Every single horrible thing I’ve gone through in my life is worth it if it means she’s in my life. i’m so blessed to have not one, not two, but THREE incredible ride-or-die friends.
33 notes
·
View notes
Text
Top 5: Movies with Swords
A Top 5 filled with adventure and swashbuckling - this list considers Movies with Swords. A few qualifications, the swords must be made of metal (thus disqualifying laser swords from a certain space opera fantasy) and must be central to the plot. Just because a movie has a scene with a sword fight doesn’t earn its place on the list; rather, the sword must be integral to the story, advance the plot, or play a role in the main character’s journey. Come with me to fantastical times and consider the best films that feature swords.
Gibelwho Productions Presents Movies with Swords:
5. The Mask of Zorro
4. Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl
3. The Princess Bride
2. Kill Bill: Vol. 1
Hero
The Mask of Zorro (1998): During the first training session with his adopted protege, the original Zorro, played by Anthony Hopkins, asks a scruffy Antonio Banderas who is holding a sword - “Do you know how to use that thing?” Banderas, who is hoping to become the new Zorro, responds “The pointy end goes into the other man.” Hopkins takes a moment to internalize how far Banderas is from the swashbuckling hero with the famed prowess for fencing; indeed, the young Banderas’ showy swinging of the sword is easily lobbed away by one swift stroke of Hopkins steady and controlled blade. Luckily a few training sequences transforms Banderas into a Zorro reborn, and when Banderas emerges in the full Zorro regalia, fighting his enemies with the true form of a warrior, we are ready to exult in his fencing skills. While the fight between Banderas and Catherine Zeta Jones doesn't hold up through today’s lens of gender dynamics, the overall comedy, drama, and athleticism of the action scenes all featuring sword choreography is pure fun to watch.
Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003): The film’s hero Will Turner is an aspiring blacksmith with a talent for making exceptionally crafted swords and the knowledge of how to use them. The opening action sequence features Orlando Bloom’s Turner and Johnny Depp’s Captain Jack Sparrow sparring in the blacksmith’s workspace - a converted barn with streaks of light illuminating the open space. The sequence opens with Sparrow threatening Turner with his trusty sword, only to have the aspiring blacksmith grab one of his completed swords to parry back. They cross blades, the music matching punctuating beats with sword clashes, and Sparrow begins to analyze the form and footwork of his opponent; Turner then displays his true abilities by throwing his sword accurately and with enough strength to lock the poor Captain inside the barn. The rest of the fight features clever stunts and humorous blocking, with each party grabbing from the voluminous store of swords to spar back and forth. The fight culminates when Captain Jack Sparrow pulls out a pistol to match Turner’s sword, leading to the blacksmith’s protest of “you cheated!” to which Sparrow reminds him - “Pirate.”
The Princess Bride (1987): Not including this classic on the list?! Inconceivable! Although this film benefits from a dose of nostalgia, it truly has one of the best sword fight scenes in the history of cinema, the sparring between Mandy Patinkin and Cary Elwes. There is no villain in the scene and the viewer’s loyalties are divided between both parties; to the untrained eye, the actors are doing great work, good form and footwork, and the banter between the two men brings a levity to the fight. Elwes, with his calm and confident form, matches Patinkin’s boyish flair; and they fight with both hands, starting off left-handed and then swapping to their right - just fun and delightful! Elwes’ final sword fight is won via a battle of words, followed by a threatening pose with his sword drawn, just enough strength left before he collapses after the villain has been restrained. Patinkin, however, does finally get his revenge with the fight that made the phrase famous - “Hello. My name is Inego Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die.”
Kill Bill: Vol. 1 (2003): In college I went to a double screening of Vol. 1 and Vol. 2 - shown as Quentin Tarantino intended in one installment. My inclination at the time was a preference for the second film; the first volume focused more on the action and fighting set pieces and less on the narrative, while the second gave more insight into the Bride’s character and motivations. For this list, however, the first film fits the...bill. The Bride travels to Japan to convince a retired master swordsmith to forge one more weapon so she can extract her revenge on Bill and Tarantino spends an entire scene where the master lovingly presents his work of deadly art to the Bride. She then takes his masterpiece to fight an elite group of fighters known as the Crazy 88 in an outrageous and fantastic fight scene. Uma Thurman, clad in her famous yellow tracksuit, methodically takes out various groups of fighters and Tarantino employs different cinematic techniques to highlight the different groups, including in black and white, as silhouette against a blue background, wire work fighting on a bannister, and an epic final battle in the snow. In each segment, Tarantino focuses on the sword as a beloved weapon, having his fighters pose menacingly with swords drawn, closeups framing their face next to a raised hilt. While it would actually be impossible for one woman with a single blade to defeat the overwhelming numbers of the clan, Tarantino puts in enough quick cuts, whip and clang sound effects, wildly spurting blood makeup, and shots of Uma swinging her sword dramatically to give the scene thrills. Tarantino’s reverence for the Japanese sword and Uma’s convincing pose while wielding her Hattori Hanzo ranks this flick so high on the list.
Hero (2002): This tale, fashioned in the style of Rashomon, is framed around an assassin who has infiltrated the king’s palace with intent to kill, but who has a conversation with the man first, almost as a form of psychological warfare. The stories they tell are used as set pieces for the sword fighting that is highlighted in the film and each scene is a creative masterpiece in filmmaking - combining choreography, set design, costumes, editing, and color pallet to achieve striking sequences. There are too many incredible segments to highlight here, (each scene deserves individual analysis), but let us choose just one to discuss. In a flashback sequence, two assassins are shown fighting their way into the guarded palace, their intensity just plowing down the opposing army, swinging their swords with swift and relentless fury; they are clad in green robes that are in stark contrast to the black and white uniforms of the mass guards they are pushing through. When one assassin reaches the interior palace, bedecked with flowing green decorative fabric, and faces the king himself in combat, the intricate choreography begins. Each set piece is unique, but all employ the use of wire work, enabling the actors to soar, spin, and strike while in motion through the air, almost like a deadly dance. The flowing robes also add a lyrical quality to the fighting, yet there is a relentless ferocity that shows the actor’s skill in actual combat, proven by the use of long takes that pause long enough for the view to actually absorb the intense moves. As much as there are dreamlike sequences with fantastical movements, there are also really intentional clashes of blades that convey the weight and intensity of the combatants. In the end, the calligraphy of the character for the word ‘sword’ sparks the king’s final poetic speech that appeals to the assassins true understanding of an ideal warrior - which is the desire to not kill. The assassin makes his final choice and, with a shot of his sword clanging to the floor, paves the way for a united China.
Honorable Mentions:
Hook (1991): An extension of the Peter Pan story, this film tells the tale of a Peter who has grown up and forgotten his past self, who must re-discover his inner child and save his own kids from the nefarious Captain Hook. When a reluctant Peter has returned to Neverland and incites an imaginary food fight, he finally reclaims the mantle of Peter Pan when one of the Lost Boys presents him his old sword - lifting it up into the air in triumph cements his transformation back to his true self. He then takes that sword and rallies the Lost Boys to fight the pirates and rescue his children, going sword to hook with the Captain himself.
Robin Hood: Men in Tights (1993): Another Mel Brooks classic starring Cary Elwes, this time as Robin Hood in a parody of the gang in Sherwood Forest. The ultimate fight between the Sheriff of Rottingham and Robin of Loxley is high in a tower in front of the locked up (in more ways than one) Maid Marian - and the fight is a microcosm of this roaring flick - the Sheriff is outrageously evil, Robin engages in cool banter delivered with witty charm, and Marion is over the top with her nasally simpering. Another highlight of the fight is Robin’s blind companion Blinkin having a daring sword fight with a statue. Also, Patrick Stewart makes an appearance at the end as King John, with the full knight regalia that includes an awesome broad sword that he uses to bestow the Knighthood upon Robin of Loxley!
Mulan (1998): The Disney telling of the Chinese tale of a woman taking the place of her father in the army to fight the Huns was always a favorite of mine. As a child of the Nineties, it reinforced the girl power message, had awesome music, and great action. The sword plays a pivotal role at the beginning of the movie, symbolizing Mulan’s decision to abandon her traditional role in the family, save her father, and begin her journey to discover her true self. In the middle of a stormy night, Mulan draws her father’s sword, a determined face reflected in the steel, and cuts cleanly through her long hair to begin her transformation. It is a powerful moment of sacrifice for her family, as well as slicing off her old identity, one that didn’t quite fit her perfectly, and she leaves in the night to protect her family and China.
The Three Musketeers (1993): Another Disney film on the list, this time a live action adaptation of Alexander Dumas’ famous novel, one that prioritizes campy dialogue, fun action sequences, and power ballads over substance. But dang, when all four (spoiler alert) of those Musketeers are facing a collection of opponents, with their fancy blue cloaks and drawing their swords in unison, it’s just so fun! The swords here are some of most beautifully designed, with elaborate silver hilts that come with the prestige of the position being in the king’s guard. There is plenty of fencing in the film, among the musketeers themselves, between the evil cardinal’s guard, and the villainous Rochefort - and the climax of the film finds just the valiant three Musketeers facing a cadre of red clocked villains, when their fellow Musketeers, who had been disbanded by the evil cardinal, reveal themselves to stand aside them in battle. When in victory, the men hold their swords high, crossed together to show their unity (while the power ballad soars) - All for One and One for All!
Upcoming
Mulan (2020): Disney has been getting around to re-making all of their animated classics, with Mulan next up on the list. This re-make, however, is not solely based on the film from the late Nineties, although one can hear melodies from the score in the new film’s trailer, but the filmmakers have gone back to the original epic poem that inspired the animated tale. While that means an excise of Mushu (most likely for the better), it may also mean more of a focus on Fa Mulan’s journey and her fighting prowess. In the trailer, the Huns are seen galloping toward a town, doublefisting a sword and a curved scythe in their hands, overwhelmingly a dangerous threat. To face the enemy, China puts forth a call for warriors from each family, but Mulan’s family has only daughters to offer; their father takes up his sword, but knows he is incapable of carrying out his duty. Late at night, Mulan takes down the same sword, emblazoned with the characters for loyal, brave and true, and shows some skill with the blade as she makes her choice. It seems that in both the animated film and this live action re-telling, the sword plays a crucial role in Mulan’s decision to fight for her family in her father’s place. The trailer does show some glimpses of action sequences, with the sword as Mulan’s weapon of choice. Although with the release date now delayed by the spreading coronavirus, I am excited to see this film’s modern portrayal of Mulan taking up her true power and identify, with her steel by her side.
#the mask of zorro#pirates of the caribbean: the curse of the black pearl#the princess bride#kill bill: vol. 1#hero
4 notes
·
View notes
Text
The week in review:
Raw 09/28 NXT 09/30 NXT UK 10/01 Smackdown 10/02 Takeover 31 10/04
Raw:
*bell rings*, *Asuka runs straight at her opponent*, *gets punched once by some weak ass looking shot*, *collapses uselessly* PPPFFFFTTTTTTTT
I hate that elbow kick off thing Zelina does. Becky used to have a hold like that in nxt. Hated it then, too. Awful.
That hurricanrana where Zelina fell on her ass, though. Wow. Okay.
Is it just me that thought the modified grounded octopus took awhile to cinch in? That was in for so long lol.
Why are women barely jumping for these german suplexes lately?
Omg that one-armed suplex by Asuka was great.
That kickout by Asuka was incredibly well done. What a perfect stretch with perfect timing. Zelina even tucked the left arm. Points.
Oh nice didn’t know Zelina could do a moonsault. And right onto the knees so the Asuka lock can be set in. Nice. Good ending.
That was better than their Clash match, and Zelina showcased different things, even if I wasn’t a fan of some of it.
Ah the debut of Mandy and Dana as a tag team.
I really like Lana and Nattie together.
Oh wow decisions that make sense and are building toward something. What alternate universe have I stepped into? Please bring back GMs and stop being so lazy, please.
I really don’t understand why they moved these women like weeks before the draft.
Alright let’s swap momentum... it’s time Dana gets some comeback before tagging Mandy.
That full 180 flip Mandy did to Lana was really cool. Not sure if Lana was meant to land on her left knee or flat, but I think it was supposed to injure her left knee. Beautiful.
Points to Lana for the kickout, negative points to Nattie for jumping in after the three.
I wish Dana had hit a bigger move against Natalya at the end.
The pump knee strike by Mandy was a little messy, I would’ve ended it with her other finisher instead. Good match though. Glad to see Dana and Mandy pick up some sort of momentum, especially on their Raw debut.
Also good for Lana not having to go through the table for a week *applause*
Mandy is fine on the mic. It’s not awful, it’s not super compelling; totally serviceable. Dana though... always comes off like she’s acting rehearsed lines or reading off a script.
Nice transition into the next segment. Quarter point.
Whether I like the Bianca video packages or not, it’s always a pleasure to hear her song.
LOVED the incorporation of the hurdles. That’s what I want to see, that shows me an actual challenge. I have no doubt in her strength or speed; I in fact do believe she’s the strongest and the fastest. They just aren’t showcasing that right lol. Give me something more convincing. Girl was jumping over fucking hurdles, that’s convincing.
Highlight: Dana & Mandy vs Lana & Nattie
---
NXT:
Shotzi has too long of an entrance imo.
Dakota Kai is such a spoiled little shit lmao. She’s so annoying. Big fan.
Really didn’t like Shotzi trying to do her ballpit line so early. I really wish she didn’t take so long to set it up as well.
Wow I hate that submission move Shotzi, I’m sorry. Dakota sells it like death though, so she gets a point.
Dakota’s style is way too fast for her to play a slow, methodical heel in the ring.
A one count lmao ballsy. Love Dakota’s reaction too.
Such a fan of Dakota’s selling.
Chicken wing german suplex into a pin? That was beautiful Shotzi, I agree. Great near fall.
A common complaint I have with women - even on the main roster - is how they go to do like a spear halfway through the ropes just to set up some counter to their move (kick, a pump kick, the rope hangup Bayley does, Charlotte shooting through the middle to roll you up) and that’s fine, but it’s always easily telegraphed. Step up please @ everyone.
oof that landing by Dakota; hit her face right on Shotzi’s knee.
What does Dakota call that kick, Scorpion or something? On the apron? Awesome stuff.
Holy shit that... flipping backdrop - (?) I don’t even know what to call that - on the apron was amazing, but holy shit Shotzi that landing was terrible. The concept is there but man you might wanna practice/modify that one a bit more.
Cool Rhea came down to fuck with Raquel, distracting Dakota, but the rollup was weak. Also weak that Rhea merely pushed Raquel into the steps once before walking back. Good match though.
Stalemate after a bunch of pin attempts with zero offense. Could live without these spots tbh.
Very close range kick, could’ve been set up far better.
Li rolls out of the ring, heel 101.
Kacy you can’t just yell at Kayden to get up lmao plz.
This is the first time I’ve seen any personality from Xia Li.
Ballsy one counts, what’s with the one counts tonight lmao.
Kacy is a bad cheerleader, just getting that out there.
I love that roll through + side kick combo Kayden does.
Whoa idk how Kayden pulled that win out of her ass, but good for her. I can see this is pushing Xia deeper into frustration every loss. Won’t complain about it, love to see Kayden win. Good, short match. A rollup works here.
Highlight: Dakota vs Shotzi
---
NXT UK:
I love Xia Brookside’s music, but not with her or her entrance.
Now Jinny’s entrance/wardrobe/demeanor matches her music.
Sure Xia Brookside’s rolls were quick, but I’m not understanding why she rolled sideways lmao it’s like Link in Zelda.
If you’re not going to add an actual crowd or monitors, get rid of the hairdryer fans. If I can’t see them, and more importantly they don’t exist, then I don’t want to hear them.
Too many wrist locks. Also refs getting involved for no logical reason, just so the heel can take advantage, is annoying.
That back drop onto Jinny’s knee was ugly, hated the collapse. Took the impact out of it for me.
Nasty Irish Whip, points to both.
Nice flip off the hurricanrana.
Botched monkey flip. Perhaps Jinny didn’t think there was enough room for her to comfortably land; had she went for it and tucked her legs she definitely would’ve been fine. Feel like that was an amateur mistake, plenty of women would’ve just sold it with their legs getting caught up.
That was weird. Xia Brookside goes through all that trouble just to make sure she hit the monkey flip, just to lift Jinny’s head so Jinny could punch her. Weak.
Kick out was sloppy.
Xia Brookside is gassed and isn’t even doing any offense. Or selling. This match is odd. This would get booed on the MR.
Jinny stops to talk too much while wrestling. Obviously stalling. The dialogue isn’t even good for all of that noise.
Whatever. A match I could’ve lived without.
Lmao bow down? Queen of NXT UK?? Girl.... uh uh. Nah nah nah Go sit down.
Highlight: There was an Irish Whip into the corner that looked impactful
---
Smackdown:
Alexa’s pyro was better timed than last week, but it could use improvement. This is important to me damn it.
You know Alexa, my spine feels cold and my body goes numb every time I smoke my weed. Has anyone asked this girl if she’s on drugs? Could just be drugs.
Kevin/wwe, I don’t need you to tell me she’s brainwashed. WE CAN SEE that she’s brainwashed. This has been escalating for like... 2 months lmao.
The hairdryer crowd being piped in kinda ruins this. This is set up like a scene from a horror movie and the noise is taking away from it. A live crowd probably would’ve stayed silent for her, you could’ve lessened the mass effect.
Love how she just sits there watching Kevin pace around. That’s good. She’s good. Love how Kevin knew she was calling to the Fiend with that line. That’s good. This is good.
She sits there poised and unafraid, yet intrigued with him. Like his queen.
The power of this angle and the fate of it succeeding lies solely on Alexa and her selling of it. If she doesn’t sell this or believe in it, or fucks up once, it shatters the entire mystique. Man I’m a huge fan of this story rn.
Glad I didn’t bother guessing who this mysterious woman was. The glitz and glamour has got nothing compared to the moonwalking, trashtalking, Princess of Staten Island.
Love the rainbow on the polaroid camera though.
Decent enough promo but that music was awkward.
Why did y’all make Sasha just stand out there shifting her feet staring at the hard cam lol.
This is all solid Sasha but like Bayley already admitted all of this lmao.
Yes, we know you saved her title like 15 times, we ALL agree with you.
I actually like the emotion written all over Sasha’s face that comes across as ALMOST awkward.
What I don’t like about this feud: Sasha’s still an asshole, and I’m not sure how I’m supposed to buy her as a babyface in like 3 weeks. She has the sympathy vote in a meta sense, sure, and I’ve been saying I want her to run SD on her own since November 2019, but that doesn’t mean she’s automatically a babyface within kf. Also annoying that they haven’t had a brawl that ends on equal footing, via interruption by officials or something. Also not sure how much I buy the character of Bayley being “too scared” to come to SD. If I could’ve gotten a quick interview by her, even if it’s her leaving the arena just as she finds out Sasha has arrived, that would’ve tied this together better.
Why she still staring at the hard cam lmao. Walk away. Leave. Make your exit. Alright whatever.
Highlight: Alexa becoming the Fiend’s queen
---
Takeover 31:
Man true, I forget Io has beat both Charlotte and Sasha this year. What a big year for her.
Love how this entire “arena” is set up, but my covid-paranoia does not approve.
Lol that one single guy trying to start a chant, goodbye.
BEAUTIFUL corrected monkey flip by Io
The attempt at the springboard by Candice was there. Could’ve been cleaner.
Good transition having Candice counter Io into a backstabber in the corner, cuz that offense was taking way too long to set up.
Commentator attributed Candice being slow in the beginning because she’s sad Johnny lost. Tired of the Garganos being tied to each other.
Why is every female heel on every brand dragging people’s eyes/face across the ropes all of the sudden?
It was not a nice move, she needs to stop doing her poor woman’s version of Natural Selection. Done.
Y’all are losing me, give Io some momentum plz.
Every single heel wants to go slow and methodical. Ridiculous. Where’s Sasha.
This was not paced well, ESPECIALLY compared to their first match. Their first didn’t breathe enough and was a sprint with not enough selling, but it was still really good. This is paced on the complete opposite spectrum. And not good.
Io has the best dropkick in the division, especially when you consider how safe her landing is for her own body’s longevity.
Totally no sold that powerbomb, Io. That’s a yikes.
Lmao Io kicked out of Candice’s springboard moonsault. Haha.
Got a meteora, 2 backstabbers, and a crossface... again, where’s Sasha???
Lmfao 2 ref bumps and a fake referee. GOD I HATE HOW WOMEN’S MATCHES ARE BOOKED THIS YEAR. The first bump didn’t even look legit.
Io took a title shot to the face yet kicked out, and y’all out here calling Becky “Cena” for kicking out of a chair shot to the midsection? Annoying.
I’m now convinced Charlotte has the best Spanish fly in the entire women’s division.
Rich having Toni do a promo directly aimed at Io, considering Toni beat her to win the MYC. Also rich how unbothered Io seemed lmao.
Ahhh the nxt women’s champion that should’ve won her title by defeating Asuka. We remember her well. Injured herself chasing the 24/7 title back when they were running the Becky/Charlotte vs Sasha/Bayley feud. Good times.
Highlight: Io’s theme song
---
*NXT shined the brightest out of all the other shows, but I’d be remiss if I didn’t give major props to specifically Alexa Bliss.
#wwe#issa review#feel free to ignore these#cuz who tf cares lesbihonest#today's props goes to:#alexa bliss
0 notes
Text
Jennifer Hale-Notable roles: Commander Shepard (Mass Effect), Sam and Mandy (Totally Spies), Numbah 86 (Codename: Kids Next Door)
Johnny Yong Bosch- Notable roles: Ichigo Kurosaki (Bleach), Vash the Stampede (Trigun), Lelouch Lamperouge (Code Geass). He also played Adam, the Black/Green Ranger in Power Rangers.
5 notes
·
View notes
Note
RISKY risky asks 1-10 bich
oh my god here we go
1. if you had to hug anyone who would you hug
You
2. whats your favorite flavor of ice cream?
the one ben n jerrys thats like bourbon flavored
3. whats your favorite color?
blue
4. if you have pets, what are their names?
max and mandy and i love them so very much!!!!!!!!!!!!
5. do you like a warm bed or a cold bed?
worm bed.
6. whats a really good memory you have?
17th bday
7. favorite song you cant stop listening to?
the one ending song from the first mass effect game. i loved that game so goddamn much before we moved and i played through it again recently and it was really fun
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sUKiOcV1SSc
8. do you drink water with or without ice in it?
No Ice
9. do you like to use correct grammar when you type or just type all lowercase?
the only time i use correct grammar is when i need to act in a public capacity tbh
10. whats something thats made you laugh recently?
i was gettin ready to leave work today, and i always ask them to check my bag for stolen goods (which is weird but i like to be honest) and the assistant manager said “look, trevor, i appreciate that you make sure we check your bag, but i check your bag every day” and he looked at my boss and said “i do! he literally tries to find me! he hunts me down!” and then he said “i’m just gonna start checking random pockets” and i said “oh wow it’ll be like a surprise, i can put something stupid in my backpack”
1 note
·
View note
Text
steam says MELE will take 4 hours to download :( but that will not stop me from playing it at least a little bit before bed
10 notes
·
View notes
Text
i forgot that if you go to the darkstar lounge and just keep telling the bartender to give you drinks, you’ll eventually wind up passed out in the men’s bathroom with your squad mates and a turian taking a leak all judging you
i love this game
64 notes
·
View notes
Text
Was tagged by @briarfox13 and @occorner Thank you :)
Rules(or guidances):
1. Post the rules
2. Answer the questions given to you by the tagger
3. Write 11 questions of your own
4. And tag 11 people
I'll tag @brokentoothed-fairy @quietborderline @fantasmagoriam and @natsora
Only if you feel like doing this, of course.
1) Do you have pets ?
2) Favorite bands/ singers ?
3) How did you discover Mass Effect ?
4) Is there a movie you like that was generally disliked by audience/critics ?
5) Favorite videogame villains ?
6) Who is your romance for your canon Shepard ?
7) What would your dream vacation look like ?
8) Have you visited another countries ?
9) If you could meet anybody in history, past or present, who would it be?
10) What is the worst movie that you've seen?
11) If you were stuck on a desert island, what would you want to have with you?
My answers under the cut
Briarfox13
What is your favourite scene from any game and why ?
I love the destroy ending scene from Mass Effect 3 and the aftermath. Seeing the Reapers finally tumble down is very satisfying.
What is your favourite animal ?
I love most animals, but my favorite are dogs and wolfs.
Who is your favourite OC and your favourite game character ?
My favorite OC is my canon Shep, Katerina Shepard.
My favorite game character is Commander Shepard.
Is there a particular food you like to eat ?
I love lasagna. My grandmother's sister used to make a delicious lasagna when I was a kid, and I developed an inmense liking for it.
Your favourite book and why ?
Napoleon’s Egyptian Secret by Javier Sierra. I love historical novels with touches of fantasy, and this one was perfect for me.
Where is your favourite holiday destination, real or fictional ?
Real would be anywhere with a nice, secure, clean warm beach, with lots of palm trees.
Fictional, the Citadel, Illium and Thessia.
Do you have a favourite myth, legend or story ?
I love most of the ghost and spirit stories from South American folklore. Stories like La Sayona, La Llorona, El Silbon, among others, were a big part of my childhood, and I love all the different iterations each region gives to those characters.
What’s the weirdest thing you’ve ever done ?
I’ve done too many weird things, eating toothpaste and dogfood are among the weirdest.
Who is your in-game crush ?
I can't choose between these 2. I love them both.
Name three of your hobbies
Making gifs, playing with my dog and working out.
Who is your phone/computer background ?
On my PC I have a bunch of landscape, Mass Effect and gaming related pics that are constantly rotating.
On my phone is the kiss with Liara from the Shadow Broker DLC in ME2.
Ocorner
1. Any fun accident from school times ?
I was messing around with a classmate, he pushed me and I got a bone fissure.
Also one time me and a buddy accidentally rammed each other against a wall and I got a cut above my right eyebrow.
2. Are you called after someone famous or someone in your family ?
My mom told me that my second name was also the name of her great grandfather.
3. Do you have any childhood posession saved until present day? What is it ?
There are some small toys still around and I have several of the ghost stories books I used to read as a child. I still read them again from time to time.
4. There were cartoons you loved and still would love to watch ?
I would love to watch Ed, Ed n Eddy, Billy and Mandy and other cartoons again. They were my favorites when I was a child.
5. Is there times, you have to take decisions by the personality of your OC and it contradicts with your own personal morales ?
Sometimes. The morals of some of my OCs is shady at best, and it would conflict with my morals if we’d ever met.
6. Is there anything your OC is worst at ?
Katerina doesn’t know how to be a “civilian”. She’s never lived a normal life, and doesn’t adapt well to being outside of the military. In the time she spent with Liara on Thessia after ME1 made her realize how out of place she felt, and how she didn’t knew basic things “civies” do.
7. What trait of your OC attracted their love interest the most in your opinion ?
What attracted Liara to Katerina was the aura of the strength she emanated, the inner confidence and commanding skills she have, and how she knew when to be reasonable and when to apply force. When she got to know her better and saw the person behind the stoic, unflinching officer façade she wore, she understood that her feelings for her were deeper than what she initially believed.
8. Do you have any personal complexes? (If it’s uncomfortable question, feel free to skip this)
9. Do you generally prefer gunning everyone down brutally or playing with stealth and tactics in video games ?
Quietly killing everyone is very satisfying, but I also love just kicking down the front door, throw some frenades and start mowing people down.
10. Is there something you really would want to draw/write about one day ?
I would like to write an alternate history novel one day. I've also got some ideas about drawings about battles of the Krogan rebellions and the First Contact War, but they are way above my artistic skill level lol. I might comission someone one day to make them. One day that I have money.
11. The one unique trait of your friend’s OC you absolutely adore
I don't know that much about my friend OCs, unfortunately. Sorry.
4 notes
·
View notes
Text
The Weekend Warrior Home and Drive-In Edition July 24, 2020: THE RENTAL, MOST WANTED, YES GOD YES, AMULET, RETALIATION and more
Are we all having fun yet? Does the fun ever truly begin when you’re in the middle of a pandemic, and no one can seem to figure out how to get out of it? While I love New York’s Governor Cuomo and the amazing job he did getting us through the worst of it, he just doesn’t seem to know how to get movie theaters reopened, nor does he seem to care. I mean, they’ve had four months now to figure this out and New York City is already in Phase 4 (which was supposed to be the last phase of the reopening). It’s a real shame, because this has been a ridiculously hot summer and with none of the “cooling centers” from past summers being possible, it is brutal out there. Fortunately, there are a few decent movies this week to watch at home and some in the drive-ins that are popping up all over the country.
I gotta say that I’m particularly bummed that my favorite local theater, the Metrograph, won’t be opening any time soon, but starting Friday, they’ll be starting “Metrograph Live Screenings,” which will consist of the type of amazing programming the theater has gained a reputation for since opening four years ago. They are offering new “digital memberships” at $5 a month or $50 annually (about half the price of a normal membership) so that you can watch any of the movies being offered at home. The program begins on Friday with Claire Denis’ 2004 film, L’Intrus, which Metrograph Pictures picked up for release. That’s followed on Monday with St. Claire Bourne’s doc, Paul Robeson: Here I Stand. You can see the full list of screening times and dates (many with filmmaker introductions) on the Official Site, and this will be a good time for those who can’t get downtown to the coolest area in New York City to check out the Metrograph programming until they reopen. (Apparently, they’re working on a drive-in to open sometime in August. Wish I had a car.)
If nothing else, it’s safe to say that IFC is killing it this summer. The indie distributor stepped right up to the pandemic and said, “Hey, we’ll play in those drive-in theaters that have mostly been ignored and didn’t play our films for decades!” It has led to at least two big hits in the past few months.
This week, IFC releases the horror/thriller THE RENTAL (IFC Films), the directorial debut by Dave Franco. In it, brothers Charlie (Dan Stevens) and Josh (Jeremy Allen White) decide to take a weekend away with their significant others, Charlie’s wife Michelle (Allison Brie) and Josh’s girlfriend Mina (Sheila Vand), who also happens to be Charlie’s creative work partner. They have found a remote house to rent, but they’re immediately suspicious of the caretaker (Toby Huss), who they think may be spying on them. He’s also racist towards Mina’s Arab lineage.
The premise seems fairly simple and actually quite high concept, and there have been quite a few thrillers that played with the premise of a creepy landlord/caretaker, including last year’s The Intruder, directed by Deon Taylor, and a lesser known thriller called The Resident, starring Hillary Swank and Jeffrey Dean Morgan. Part of what makes The Rental different is that Franco co-wrote it with Joe Swanberg, so you know it’s going to be more of a character-based thriller than some kind of gorefest. Sure enough, this deals with the competitive nature between the brothers and the jealousy that arises when you have such a close working relationship with your brother’s girlfriend. It’s what happens between these two couples over the course of this vacation that makes you even more interested in their behavior after things start happening to them, but there’s a pretty major twist that happens just when you think you know where things may be going.
That’s all I really should say about the plot to avoid spoilers. Although the third act veers into the darker horror tropes we may have seen before, that’s also when it starts to get quite insane. Franco clearly shows he has the eye for the type of suspense and timing necessary for an effective thriller, and his cast, including wife Alison Brie, really deliver on all aspects of his script to deliver shocking moments that will keep you invested.
In some ways, The Rental might be the most obviously accessible movie of the weekend, and since it will be playing in drive-ins (and maybe a few still-open theaters?), it probably is worth seeing that way i.e. with others, although it will also be available via digital download, of course.
Another “Featured Flick” this week -- and I’m guessing this is one you won’t be reading about anywhere else -- is Daniel Roby’s MOST WANTED (Saban FIlms), a real-life crime-thriller starring Josh Hartnett as Globe and Mail journalist, Victor Malarek, who discovered that a French-Canadian junkie named Daniel Léger (Antoine-Olivier Pilon) had been sentenced to 100 years in a Thailand prison for drug trafficking in 1989. As Daniel attempts to survive the violent conditions of the Thai jail, Victor tries to uncover the crooked practices by the Canadian federal police to get Daniel imprisoned for their own means.
This is one of two Saban Films releases that really surprised me, maybe because I’ve gotten so used to them releasing so much action and genre schlock meant mainly for VOD, usually starring fairly big-name action stars from the past, usually not doing their best work. Most Wanted is a far more serious crime-drama that tells an absolutely amazing story from North America’s famed war on drugs from the ‘80s. First, we meet Antoine-Olivier Pilon’s Daniel, a lowlife junkie who is trying to find a place to live and a job, something he finds when he gets into business with Jim Gaffigan’s Glenn Picker, a complete low-life in every sense of the word. It’s funny, because when Gaffigan’s character is introduced, you’re immediately reminded of the famous “Sister Christian” in PT Anderson’s Boogie Nights, and as we watch Picker completely humiliate and then betray Daniel, you realize that we might be seeing one of Gaffigan’s best performances to date.
What keeps Most Wanted interesting is that it tells the story on a number of concurrent storylines, ignoring the fact that one of the threads might be taking place years before the other. Through this method, we see how Daniel begins working with Glenn, while also seeing Victor’s investigation, as well as the sting operation being perpetrated by the Canadian feds, as represented by the always great Stephen McHattie. (McHattie’s appearance is also a telltale sign that this is indeed a Canadian production, as is the role played by author and filmmaker Don McKellar.) I’ve always feltHarnett was a really underrated actor especially as he got into his 30s and started doing more mature roles, and while his reporter character may not always be the central focus of the story, his attempt to get his editor to respect his work is something far too familiar to far too many writers. One also can’t sleep on the fantastic performance by Antoine-Olivier Pilon, who really holds the film together by starting out as a scumbag almost as bad as Picker but through his troubles to survive in Thai jail, we start to become really invested in his story. (The only character who doesn’t get nearly as fulfilling a story arc is Amanda Crew as Victor’s wife Anna who gives birth just as he gets involved in this major story.)
I wasn’t at all familiar with Daniel Roby’s previous work but the way he broke this story down in a way that keeps it interesting, regardless of which story you’re following, makes Most Wanted as good or better than similar films by far more experienced and respected filmmakers. (For some reason, it made me think of both The Departed and Black Mass, both movies about Whitey Bulger, although Daniel’s story is obviously very different.)
Okay, let’s get into a trio of religious-tinged offerings…
Natalia Dyer from Stranger Things stars in YES, GOD, YES (Vertical Entertainment), the semi-autobiographical directorial debut by Obvious Child co-writer Karen Maine (expanded from an earlier short), which will open via virtual cinemas this Friday as well as at a few drive-ins, and then it will be available via VOD and digital download on Tuesday, July 28. The coming-of-age comedy debuted at last year’s SXSW Film Festival and won a Special Jury Prize for its ensemble cast. Dyer plays sixteen-year-old Alice, a good Midwestern Catholic teenager, who has a sexual awakening after a racy AOL chat. Wracked by guilt, Alice attends a religious retreat camp where the cute football player (Wolfgang Novogratz) catches her eye, but she constantly feels pressure to quell her masturbatory urges.
I’m not sure I really knew what to expect from Ms. Maine’s feature film debut as a director. I certainly didn’t expect to enjoy this movie as much as I did, nor did I think I would relate to Dyer’s character as much as I did -- I’ve never been a teen girl, nor have I ever been Catholic, and by the early ‘00s, I was probably closer to the age that Maine is now versus being a teenager discovering her sexuality. In fact, I probably was expecting something closer to the Mandy Moore comedy Saved!, which was definitely more about religion than one character’s sexual journey.
Either way, I went into Yes, God, Yes already realizing what a huge fan I am of coming-of-age stories, and while there were certainly that seemed familiar to other films, such as Alice’s inadvertent AIM with an online pervert early in the film. Even so, Maine did enough with the character of Alice to keep it feeling original with the humor being subdued while definitely more on the R-rated side of things. On top of that, Dyer was quite brilliant in the role, just a real break-through in a similar way as Kaitlyn Dever in Book Smart last year. (Granted, I’m so behind on Stranger Things, I don’t think I’ve even gotten to Dyer’s season.) The only other familiar face is Timothy Simons from Veep as the super-judgmental (and kinda pervy) priest who Alice has to turn to when confessing her sins. (A big part of the story involves a rumor started about Alice and a sex act she committed on a fellow student that keeps coming up.)
Yes, God, Yes proves to be quite a striking dramedy that I hope more people will check out. I worry that because this may have been covered out of last year’s SXSW, it might not get the new and updated attention it deserves. Certainly, I was pleasantly surprised with what Maine and Dyer did with a genre that still has a lot to tell us about growing up and discovering oneself. (You can find out where you can rent the movie digitally over on the Official Site.)
Another horror movie that premiered at this year’s Sundance is AMULET (Magnet), the directorial debut by British actor Romola Garai, who also wrote the screenplay. It stars Romanian actor Alec Secareanu as Tomaz, a former soldier who is offered a place to stay in a dilapidated house in London with a young woman named Magda (Carla Juri from Blade Runner 2049) and her ill and dying mother. As Tomaz starts to fall for Magda, he discovers there are sinister forces afoot in the house with Magda’s mother upstairs being at their core.
I was kind of interested in this one, not just because it being Garai’s first feature as a filmmaker but also just because Sundance has such a strong pedigree for midnight movies, probably culminating in the premiere of Ari Aster’s Hereditary there a few years back. It feels like ever since then, there are many movies trying to follow in that movie’s footsteps, and while this was a very different movie from the recent Relic, it had its own set of issues.
The main issue with Amulet is that it deliberately sets itself up with a confusing narrative where we see Tomaz in the present day and in the past concurrently, so it’s very likely you won’t know what you’re watching for a good 20 minutes or so. Once Tomaz gets to the house, escorted there by a nun played by Imelda Staunton (Vera Drake), the movie settles down into a grueling pace as the main two characters get to know each other and Tomaz explores the incongruities of the decaying house.
Honestly, I’m already pretty burnt out on the religious horror movies between The Lodge and the still-unreleased Saint Maud, and the first inclination we get of any of the true horror to come is when Tomaz discovers some sort of mutated bat-like creature in the toilet, and things get even more disturbing from there. Although I won’t go into too many details about what happens, the movie suffers from some of the same issues as Relic where it’s often too dark to tell exactly what is happening. As it goes along, things just get weirder and weirder right up until a “what the fuck” moment that could have come from the mind of David Lynch.
I don’t want to completely disregard Garai’s fine work as a filmmaker since she’s made a mostly compelling and original horror movie – I have a feeling some might love this -- but the grueling pace and confusing narrative turns don’t really do justice to what might have been a chilling offering otherwise.
Going by the title and the fact it’s being released by Saban Films, I presumed that Ludwig and Paul Shammasian’s RETALIATION (Saban Films/Lionsgate) was gonna be a violent and gritty crime revenge thriller, but nothing could be further from the truth. Adapted by Geoff Thompson from his 2008 short film “Romans 12:20,” it stars Orlando Bloom as Malcolm, a troubled ex-con doing demolition work while fighting against his demons when he spots someone in the pub from his past that caused a severe childhood trauma.
This is another movie that I really didn’t know what to expect, even as it began and we followed Bloom’s character over the course of a day, clearly a very troubled man who has been dealing with many personal demons. Make no mistake that this is a tough movie, and it’s not necessarily a violent genre movie, as much as it deals with some heavy HEAVY emotions in a very raw way.
Honestly, I could see Geoff Thompson’s screenplay easily being performed on stage, but the way the Shammasian Brothers have allowed Malcolm’s story to slowly build as we learn more and more about his past makes the film so compelling, but they also let their actors really shine with some of the stunning monologues with which they’re blessed. While this is clearly a fantastic and possibly career-best performance by Bloom, there are also good performances by Janet Montgomery, as the woman who loves Malcolm but just can’t handle his mood changes. Also good is Charlie Creed-Miles, as the young priest who tries to help Malcolm.
I can easily see this film not being for everybody, because some of the things the film deals with, including pedophile priests and the effects their actions have on the poor, young souls who put their faith in them, they’re just not things people necessarily may want to deal with. Make no mistake that Retaliation is an intense character drama that has a few pacing issues but ultimately hits the viewer right in the gut.
A movie I had been looking forward to quite some time is the Marie Currie biopic, RADIOACTIVE (Amazon Prime), directed by Marjane Satrapi (Persepolis) and starring the wondrous Rosamund Pike as the famed scientist who helped discover radiation. Based on Lauren Redniss’ book, this is the type of Working Title biopic that would normally premiere in the Fall at the Toronto Film Festival, and sure enough, this one did. The fact it wasn’t released last year makes one think maybe this didn’t fare as well as potential awards fodder as the filmmakers hoped. It’s also the type of movie that works too hard to cater to the feminist resurgence from recent years, which ultimately ends up being its undoing.
The problem with telling Marie Currie’s story is that there’s so much to tell and Redniss’ book as adapted by Jack Thorne just tries to fit too much into every moment as years pass in mere minutes. There’s so much of Marie’s life that just isn’t very interesting, but trying to include all of it just takes away from the scenes that do anything significant. Maybe it’s no surprise that Thorne also wrote The Aeronauts, Amazon’s 2019 ballooning biopic that failed to soar despite having Eddie Redmayne and Felicity Jones as its leads.
I’m a similarly huge Rosamund Pike fan, so I was looking forward to her shining in this role, but she does very little to make Marie Currie someone you might want to follow, as she’s so headstrong and stubborn. This is the most apparent when she meets Pierre Currie, as played by Sam Riley, and maybe you don’t blame her for being cynical, having had much of her work either discredited or stolen by men in the past. Shockingly, Pike’s performance seems all over the place, sometimes quite moving but other times being overly emotive. Almost 90 minutes into the movie, Anya Taylor-Joy turns up as Curie’s grown daughter, and it’s one of the film’s biggest infraction, wasting such great talent in such a nothing role.
While Radioactive could have been a decent vehicle for Ms. Satrapi to flex her muscles as a filmmaker, the movie spends so much time having Currie fighting against the male-dominated science field that it loses sight of why she was such an important figure in the first place. Radioactive just comes across as a generally bland and unimaginative by-the-books biopic.
Also on Digital and On Demand this Friday is Chris Foggin’s FISHERMAN’S FRIENDS (Samuel Goldwyn Films), another quaint British comedy based on a true story, much like the recent Military Wives. Rather than being about a group of singing women, this one is about a group of singing men! What a twist!
Daniel Mays plays Danny, a music biz exec from London who travels to the seaside town of Port Isaac, Cornwall with some of his record company coworkers. Once there, they discover a local group of singing local fisherman, known as “Fisherman’s Friends,” who Danny wants to sign to a label. He also wants to get closer to Tuppence Middleton’s single mother Alwyn, who, no surprise, is also the only pleasant-looking younger woman in the town.
Fisherman’s Friends isn’t bad, but if you’ve seen a lot of British movies from the last few decades, then you’ve already seen this movie, particularly the “fish out of water” humor of a guy from the big city trying to relate to the down-to-earth ways of folk in a fishing village. It’s the type of really forced humor that is perfectly pleasant but not particularly groundbreaking in this day and age with so many filmmakers trying to do cutting-edge work.
Instead, this goes for a very typical and cutesie formula where everything works out with very little real conflict even when it throws in a needless subplot about the local pub falling on hard times and selling to a rich man who has little regard for the ways o the town. On top of that, and even if this wasn’t based on a true story, it’s very hard to believe anyone in the music industry or who buys records would be that interested in this group to make them worth signing a million-pound record deal. (Apparently, this really happened!)
I think it’s adorable that filmmakers are trying to turn character actor Daniel Mays (who you’ve seen in everything!) into a romantic lead, especially when you have James Purefoy right there! Instead, 56-year-old Purefoy is instead cast as Middleton’s father, while she’s put into a situation where she’s the love interest for a man that’s 23 years her elder. This kind of thing rarely bothers me as it does many younger female critics, but their romance is just ridiculous and unnecessary if not for the formula. As much as I enjoyed seeing Dave Johns from I, Daniel Blake as one of the singing fishermen, there really isn’t much for him to do in this.
If you like sea shanties and you are a woman over 60 (or have a mother that age) then Fisherman’s Friends is a cute butnever particularly hilarious British comedy that tries to be The Full Monty. But it never really tries to be anything more or less than the formula created by that movie 23 years ago, so it’s quickly forgotten after its saccharine finale.
Unfortunately, I just wasn’t able to get THE ROOM (Shudder/RLJE Films), the live action directing debut from Christin Volckman (Renaissance), but it’s now available on VOD, Digital HD, DVD AND Blu-Ray! It stars Olga Kurylenko and Kevin Janssens as a couple who leave the city to move into a an old house where they discover a secret hidden room that has the power to materialize anything they want, but this is a horror film, so what might seem like a fairy tale is likely to get dark. (I actually think I saw the trailer for this on Shudder, so I’ll probably check it out, and if it’s worth doing so, I’ll mention it in next week’s column.)
Yet another horror movie hitting On Demand this Friday is Pamela Moriarty’s A DEADLY LEGEND (Gravitas Ventures) that stars Corbin Bensen as a real estate developer who buys an old summer camp to build new homes unaware of the dark history of supernatural worship and human sacrifice. I’m gonna take the fifth on this one, which also stars Judd Hirsch and Lori Petty.
Available via Virtual Cinema through New York’s Film Forum and L.A.’s Laemmle is Gero von Boehm’s documentary, Helmut Newton: The Bad and the Beautiful (Kino Lorber), about the photographer who had a nearly five-decade career before dying in a car crash in 2006.
From Colombia to various Virtual Cinemas is Catalina Arroyave’s debut, Days of the Whale (Outsider Pictures) set in the city of Medellin, where it follows two young graffiti artists, Cristina and Simon, who tag places around where they live but coming from very different backgrounds, but they eventually bond while part of a revolutionary art collective.
Danny Pudi from Community and Emily C. Chang from The Vampire Diaries star in Sam Friedlander’s comedy Babysplitters (Gravitas Ventures) as one of two couples who have mixed emotions about having kids, so they decided to share one baby between them. Okay, then.
Netflix will also debut the rom-com sequel, The Kissing Booth 2, once again starring Joey King as Ellie, who is trying to juggle her long-distance romance with Jacob Erlodi’s Noah and her close friendship with Joel Courtney’s Lee. I haven’t seen the first movie. Probably won’t watch this one.
Next week, more movies in a variety of theatrical and non-theatrical release!
If you’ve read this week’s column and have bothered to read this far down, feel free to drop me some thoughts at Edward dot Douglas at Gmail dot Com, or tweet me on Twitter. I love hearing from my “readers,” whomever they may be.’
#Movies#Reviews#TheRental#Retaliation#Radioactive#YEsGodYes#VOD#Streaming#MostWanted#Amulet#TheWeekendWarrior
0 notes