#yeah when will the movies go so far they just have production designer Jeff fight him smh

[discotreque]

Picard 1.10: Et in Arcadia Ego, Part 2

I don't really do predictions or theories when I'm watching something. Partly because I prefer to go along for the ride while it's happening and wait to judge with the benefit of hindsight, but mainly because I'm very bad at it.

Anyway, let's discuss Episode 10 of Picard, in which a bunch of things happen that I would have sworn up and down were never going to happen, and a bunch of things I thought would for sure happen did not.

Spoilers for the season finale:

I think I feel about Picard S1 the same way I feel about Discovery so far: I like every single thing about it more than the writing. The casting is great, the actors are pretty much all superb, I'm horny as hell for the production design, the VFX are the best I've ever seen on television, I absolutely love Jeff Russo's music...

...and the scripts are, you know, fine. Mostly fine. Moments of excellence, no doubt, especially at the level of individual lines and scenes, but overall? New TV Trek has yet to pull off a complete season-story that really impressed me. (I have reasons for extremely high hopes re: Disco S3, but I will save them for another post.)

With all of that said: I didn't come here for the writing. I wanted to spend time with my old friend Jean-Luc Picard at the end of the 24th century, and I got it. The rest is gravy. Not, like, the awesome gravy my sister makes at Thanksgiving; decent B+ restaurant gravy. I'm still gonna dip my fries in it.

"To say you have no choice is a failure of imagination." The first great Picard line of the episode, but not the last.

Blah blah Romulan incest siblings blah blah blah. They couldn't have mentioned sooner that Narek was the family fuck-up or whatever? He would have been like 6% less boring.

Raffi and Rios constantly, lovingly dunking on each other is one of my favourite dynamics on this show.

Okay I was just joking last week about Saga's whole brain being in her eyeball but the fact that the damage to her eye fucked up her memories...

Why are they sitting outside the ship having a campfire? Isn't the ship basically fine? Why not hang out inside?

"The Thousand Days of Pain" is the name of my metal band.

Agnes using Saga's ripped-out eye to bypass the scanner had big Minority Report energy. Thank god she didn't have to chase it down a ramp while it rolled away from her.

"The way that children learn most things: by example."

RSVP Sutra, the only interestingly-written villain in this entire season. Tamlyn Tomita is super duper watchable as Commodore Oh/General Nedar (and looking fiiiine in that black uniform), but she has no personality or motivation beyond "grr, robots bad." Sutra lives in a society that's mostly twins, but her twin sister was fucking murdered. Obviously I don't agree with her actions, but I understood and cared about her motivations, which is more than I can say for any of the Romulans.

All those exterior shots of La Sirena wobbling through space with Picard at the helm were adorable.

We literally never see Narek again after the androids take him away. I hope they just threw him in a dumpster. Bye bitch.

Seven didn't do a ton of hand-to-hand combat on VOY, and she sure didn't fight like this. Jeri Ryan moves like she's heavy, like her bones are made of metal, like she's still full of dense Borg technology. She practically lumbers around, using her limbs like clubs; Peyton List bounces off her like she's hitting a solid steel wall. It's excellent choreography and so well executed by both women (and presumably their stunt doubles).

GET FUCKED, RIZZO. You were barely interesting enough to hate, but I did hate you.

"'The Picard Maneuver.' Wait, that's actually a thing, isn't it?" Ell oh ell.

Loved the way the Romulan ships' disruptors sizzled and crackled when they were powering up.

What was wrong with Planetary Sterilization Patterns 1 through 4?

That motherfucking fanfare when the Starfleet ships came in. Awwww yeah.

ACTING CAPTAIN WILL RIKER. Still kinda wish it had been Worf on the Entrepreneur, though, because I'm greedy: we already saw Riker!

I do have my problems with the writing, but I loved the way they resolved the three-way standoff between the Romulans, Starfleet, and the ch'khalagu: not with an epic space battle, but with diplomacy and self-sacrifice and trust in the essential goodness of each other. (Plus, I guess, the threat of an epic space battle.) It was so perfectly TNG in so many ways.

All the Riker stuff was so fan-servicey. Which I'm mostly fine with: I'm a fan, after all, and I like to be serviced from time to time. But it felt a little like one slice too many of chocolate cake.

I wish the tips of the tentacles had got cut off when the portal closed. That would have been cooler, right?

What can I say about watching Jean-Luc Picard die. He's been my captain for 30 years. I physically fucking felt it. And making an android copy of him, while awesome, did not really diminish the emotional impact.

On a lighter note, I need to know what Jeri and Santiago were actually drinking in that scene, because it straight-up looked like soap. Yuck.

I also really like the dynamic between Rios and Seven. They both act a little harder than they are, and I think they see through each other's acts, but there's enough mutual respect (and self-interest) there to let each other get away with it. And no romantic tension whatsoever. Delightful.

I want to hug all of them so much :(

The blank grey surface of everything in the simulation was very creepy.

Oh Data. Oh, Data. My heart was already aching and then...

Listen. Like a fucking idiot, I went and saw Nemesis on opening night. I don't even remember what I was expecting, but I do remember walking out of the theatre with my friend and agreeing never to speak of it again. Data died, but the movie was so shitty I could barely feel anything about it. This episode gave me the emotional closure I've been waiting for since December 13, 2002.

It's also, if you think about it, a pretty hilarious "fuck you" to Nemesis in general: "You guys did such a bad job of killing Data we had to bring him back to life just so we could kill him properly."

They've been slightly aging-up Patrick Stewart all season. I stopped noticing it after a while, so seeing him without it at the end was quite a shock.

"You... you haven't made me immortal?!" "Relax, man. Everyone was paying attention." Okay, Altan can stay.

Speaking of ol’ A.I., can't he just make another golem for himself? Was there something unique about the one they put Picard in?

I thought I recognized the voice of the woman singing "Blue Skies" on my first watch, but I couldn't place her. Turns out that was Isa Briones herself, which meant I cried even harder the second time through.

"And our little life is rounded with a sleep." Goodbye, Data.

Seven and Raffi???????

SEVEN AND RAFFI?????????????

And once again, Jeff Russo ends the season with a mash-up of the old theme and the new one. Give my man another Emmy! Give him two!

God damn. What a ride. Let me climb into my clown shoes for one last shitty prediction. I think next season is going to be what I wanted from this season: Picard and his motley crew of rogues bopping around the galaxy having roguish adventures. Fingers crossed!

And thanks for reading. Star Trek is always more fun with friends.

[everythingmusicandfilm]

Oscars 2019

Yep it’s that time of year again, the 91st Annual Academy Awards is on the 24th Feb 2019. An interesting year for the oscars, after announcing there will be no host and that the awards for editing and cinematography won’t be aired lived before revoking that decision. It seems like the awards are up in the air and there were a lot of snubs. After a lot of debates, I have finally narrowed down (sort of) my oscar picks for the year. 

Writing

Adapted Screenplay

“The Ballad of Buster Scruggs”Joel Coen and Ethan Coen

“BlacKkKlansman” Charlie Wachtel, David Rabinowitz, Kevin Willmott, Spike Lee

“Can You Ever Forgive Me?,” Nicole Holofcener and Jeff Whitty

“If Beale Street Could Talk,” Barry Jenkins

“A Star Is Born,” Eric Roth, Bradley Cooper, Will Fetters

I really loved The Ballad of Buster Scruggs and the six different stories however I struggled to see how they worked together, it very much felt like a broken up film. Can You Ever Forgive Me was a surprisingly intriguing story that uses McCarthy’s performance to keep it going. If Beale Street Could Talk is a beautiful story that focuses on young black lovers that rarely get represented in Hollywood. A Star is Born also a beautiful story that managed to differ from previous versions and provide a unique take on the story in the modern era. Best adapted screenplay for me however is BlacKkKlansman, a powerful and inspiring story that connects America’s past with present times to comment on the absurdity of today’s political climate.

Original Screenplay

“The Favourite,” Deborah Davis, Tony McNamara

“First Reformed,” Paul Schrader

“Green Book,” Nick Vallelonga, Brian Currie, Peter Farrelly

“Roma,” Alfonso Cuarón

“Vice,” Adam McKay

This was a particularly tough category to choose from. Vice was not my favourite film and I found it rather messy. Green Book was a step up and I loved the character arc of Mortensen’s character. Roma, easily one of my favourite films of the year had a beautiful story and intriguing characters. I really really loved First Reformed. The importance of climate change along with the often contradicting worlds of science and religion and discussions of mental health, this film had an intriguing storyline that really got me thinking. I think however my favourite original screenplay out of these choices (and not just because of the pun) is The Favourite. It is a uniquely strange film that I have never seen anything like before. A comedy period film is a unique blend of genres that I can’t get enough of. With incredible performances from Olivia Coleman, Emma Stone and Rachel Weisz, the interesting look at behind the scenes of the absurd royal family along with lesbian characters that are almost never shown in films of this time period. The Favourite is a fresh story that as sequels and franchises dominate the film industry today, seems extremely rare.

Technical

Cinematography

“Cold War,” Lukasz Zal

“The Favourite,” Robbie Ryan

“Never Look Away,” Caleb Deschanel

“Roma,” Alfonso Cuarón

“A Star Is Born,” Matthew Libatique

Cold War had particularly stunning cinematography along with The Favourite and Never Look Away. I really loved the cinematography in A Star is Born also. The close proximity of the camera to the couple falling in love as well as on the stage makes this film so intimate. The lighting in this film is incredible and highlights the stunning blue and red colour palette. I think the oscar however should go to Roma cinematographer/director Alfonso Cuarón. I can’t remember the last time I watched a film so visually stunning. The monochrome tone is embraced with the latest digital technology to create a film so stunning it might just win the oscar.

Visual Effects

“Avengers: Infinity War”

“Christopher Robin”

“First Man”

“Ready Player One”

“Solo: A Star Wars Story”

Both Ready Player One and Solo: A Star Wars Story were disappointments for me and the visual effects were far from revolutionary. Christopher Robin was however a lovely film and the visual effects used to create Winnie the Pooh and his friends were impressive, creating a unique look between cartoon and reality. First Man, one of my favourite films of the year had some stunning visual effects both in heroic scenes and heartbreaking as the mission to the moon played out. My favourite use of visual effects in a film however has to go to Avengers: Infinity War. There can be a lot of stigma around superhero films however you have to be pretty ignorant to ignore what these films are doing. Only 3% of the shots in Infinity War did not use visual effects, entire characters are built around CGI including the incredible performance by Josh Brolin as Thanos. The film has created the entire world of Wakanda and features many space scenes. It is safe to say that the Marvel films are leading the way for visual effects and are definitely deserving of the oscar this year.

Production Design

“Black Panther,” Hannah Beachler

“First Man,” Nathan Crowley, Kathy Lucas

“The Favourite,” Fiona Crombie, Alice Felton

“Mary Poppins Returns,” John Myhre, Gordon Sim

“Roma,” Eugenio Caballero, Bárbara Enrı́quez

Again, a difficult category to choose from. Mary Poppins Returns was a visually stunning film to watch as the effects and costumes came to light. The Favourite also managed to bring the 17th century to light with its set. First Man was a highly underrated film this year and the production design was incredible as it reimagined the 1960s in a way I haven’t seen before. Roma was one of the most beautiful films I have ever seen and was a very close second along with First Man. The best production design however has to go to Black Panther. The amount of work that went into that film in order to create authenticity was obvious when watching the film. An almost entire African/African American crew and cast made the film authentic with African culture. The costuming/makeup along with the set design/colours and special effects created a visually stunning film that revolutionised the film industry and even shaped history.

Film Editing

“BlacKkKlansman,” Barry Alexander Brown

“Bohemian Rhapsody,” John Ottman

“Green Book,” Patrick J. Don Vito

“The Favourite,” Yorgos Mavropsaridis

“Vice,” Hank Corwin

I have already expressed my opinions on Vice and I think the editing is where the film went wrong so not entirely sure how it is in this category. Green Book again, a lovely film but not exactly revolutionary. Bohemian Rhapsody I have mixed feelings about, but there is no doubt that the editing to move between the music scenes and dialogue was very well done. The Favourite, again a unique film that uses editing to merge genres like we haven’t seen before. However the oscar for best editing has to go to BlacKkKlansman. The editing in this film is genius. The pacing allows the comedy to work and the politics to hit the audience in just the right moments. The use of split screens and merging images along with the use of the Charlottesville footage at the end allows this masterpiece of a film to bloom. It allows for the comedy and politics to play out at the right moments, a tactic I think Vice failed to do.

Makeup and Hairstyling

“Border”

“Mary Queen of Scots”

“Vice”

I think the makeup and hairstyling nomination only applies to Christian Bale in Vice, although an incredible transformation it was. And although there are some stunning transformations in Mary Queen of Scots, I think Border deserves to take home the oscar. Eva Melander and Eero Milonoff are virtually unrecognisable in this film as the makeup and hairstyling helps to make this film so special.

Costume Design

“The Ballad of Buster Scruggs,” Mary Zophres

“Black Panther,” Ruth E. Carter

“The Favourite,” Sandy Powell

“Mary Poppins Returns,” Sandy Powell

“Mary Queen of Scots,” Alexandra Byrne

Some great period costumes were shown in The Favourite, Mary Queen of Scots, Mary Poppins Returns and The Ballad of Buster Scruggs. However the costume design in Black Panther was highly unique and revolutionary. The in depth detail and authenticity that went into the African warrior costumes as well as the Black Panther suit was extremely impressive. So much hard work went into making these costumes and it was refreshing to see African culture portrayed this way in a major Hollywood movie.

Sound

Original Score

“BlacKkKlansman,” Terence Blanchard

“Black Panther,” Ludwig Goransson

“If Beale Street Could Talk,” Nicholas Britell

“Isle of Dogs,” Alexandre Desplat

“Mary Poppins Returns,” Marc Shaiman, Scott Wittman

First of all I am absolutely astounded that First Man was not nominated for best score, did they even see the movie ??? Anyway, this category is still extremely difficult to pick. I ended up with a tie between Black Panther and Isle of Dogs. If you read my Mary Poppins Returns review then you’ll already know how obsessed I am with the music in this film. If Beale Street Could Talk also offers some extremely beautiful and emotional piano pieces. BlacKkKlansman was also one of my favourite film scores as the solo guitar melody along with smooth drums and lush strings creates an extremely unique score. Black Panther however had an extremely powerful score that was authentic to African culture. The African vocals and drums creates a powerful score for a powerful King. I also absolutely loved the Isle of Dogs soundtrack as I can never look past Alexandre Desplat. The plucked strings fits perfectly with Wes Anderson’s lively animation. But yeah, still mad about First Man.

Original Song

“All The Stars” from “Black Panther” by Kendrick Lamar, SZA

“I’ll Fight” from “RBG” by Diane Warren, Jennifer Hudson

“The Place Where Lost Things Go” from “Mary Poppins Returns” by Marc Shaiman, Scott Wittman

“Shallow” from “A Star Is Born” by Lady Gaga, Mark Ronson, Anthony Rossomando, Andrew Wyatt and Benjamin Rice

“When A Cowboy Trades His Spurs For Wings” from “The Ballad of Buster Scruggs” by David Rawlings and Gillian Welch

An easy one for me. I do love the Kendrick beat for Black Panther as well as anything Mary Poppins. “When A Cowboy Trades His Spurs For Wings” was surprisingly a very close second. If you would have told me a year ago that a song sung by Tim Nelson would be one of my favourite film songs I would have laughed. The oscar however absolutely has to go to “Shallow”. This song is so raw and unique and has so much power and emotion. Bradley and Lady Gaga’s chemistry and their vocals make this song an oscar worthy performance that I can’t wait to hear live on the day.

Sound Editing

“Black Panther,” Benjamin A. Burtt, Steve Boeddeker

“Bohemian Rhapsody,” John Warhurst

“First Man,” Ai-Ling Lee, Mildred Iatrou Morgan

“A Quiet Place,” Ethan Van der Ryn, Erik Aadahl

“Roma,” Sergio Diaz, Skip Lievsay

Yes, finally First Man is recognised for sound. I am happy that A Quiet Place got nominated as it proves that silence is just as important as music in films. The oscar does by far go to First Man though as the sound in this film is astonishing. The way it is editing really highlights the important parts of the movie and turns it into a intimate drama rather than a Hollywood blockbuster.

Sound Mixing

“Black Panther”

“Bohemian Rhapsody”

“First Man”

“Roma”

“A Star Is Born”

Again, same as above although each one of these nominations is deserving of the award. Sound mixing is slightly different as it is about how you hear the sound rather than what you hear. Two different but equally important parts of sound design. The sound mixing works with the sound editing in First Man to create a superb sonic film.

Animated Feature

“Incredibles 2,” Brad Bird

“Isle of Dogs,” Wes Anderson

“Mirai,” Mamoru Hosoda

“Ralph Breaks the Internet,” Rich Moore, Phil Johnston

“Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse,” Bob Persichetti, Peter Ramsey, Rodney Rothman

Loved Incredibles 2, loved Isle of Dogs but my favourite animated feature by far was Spider-man: Into the Spider-Verse. I have already written about how much I loved this film as it has completely revolutionized superhero and animated films. The story, the graphics, the sound really brought the comics to life to create a stunning, unique and important animated feature.  

Acting

Best Supporting Actor

Mahershala Ali, “Green Book”

Adam Driver, “BlacKkKlansman”

Sam Elliott, “A Star Is Born”

Richard E. Grant, “Can You Ever Forgive Me?”

Sam Rockwell, “Vice”

I always love any role Sam Rockwell plays and I thought he made an incredible George Bush. Adam Driver was also impressive in BlacKkKlansman along with Sam Elliott’s legendary performance in A Star is Born. I can’t quite decide however between Mahershala Ali and Richard E. Grant. Ali is one of my favourite actors and he plays the reserved piano player role so well in Green Book, the reason why the film is getting so much attention. Grant also plays an impressive part in Can You Ever Forgive Me that for me actually overshadows McCarthy’s performance.

Best Supporting Actress

Amy Adams, “Vice”

Marina de Tavira, “Roma”

Regina King, “If Beale Street Could Talk”

Emma Stone, “The Favourite”

Rachel Weisz, “The Favourite”

Again, extremely hard to pick. I am a little confused that Amy Adams was nominated for this performance but not for her performance in Arrival??? Marina de Tavira also surprises audiences with her performance in Roma as she highlights the struggles of being a mother. Emma Stone and Rachel Weisz both play incredible roles in The Favourite, both characters that I don’t think I’ll be forgetting anytime soon. Regina King however absolutely shines in If Beale Street Could Talk especially considering she didn’t have that much screen time. She is a very talented actress and it would be incredible to see the award go to a woman of colour.

Best Lead Actor

Christian Bale, “Vice”

Bradley Cooper, “A Star Is Born”

Willem Dafoe, “At Eternity’s Gate”

Rami Malek, “Bohemian Rhapsody”

Viggo Mortensen, “Green Book”

Some incredible performances by actors this year including Viggo Mortensen who plays an Italian American surprisingly well. I was also very impressed by Willem Dafoe in At Eternity’s Gate who brings raw emotion to the character of Van Gogh. Christian Bale, one of my favourite actors did an extraordinary transformation to play the character of Dick Cheney and I won’t be surprised if he takes home the oscar. Rami Malek also had an incredible transformation to play Freddie Mercury and I think it’s safe to say that the oscar will likely go to him. My favourite performance however was by Bradley in A Star is Born. I’ve already talked about how much I love this film and Bradley absolutely shines in it. He plays the musician, the alcoholic and the lover extremely well as he brings so much emotion and this film definitely moved me the most because of his performance.

Best Lead Actress

Yalitza Aparicio, “Roma”

Glenn Close, “The Wife”

Olivia Colman, “The Favourite”

Lady Gaga, “A Star Is Born”

Melissa McCarthy, “Can You Ever Forgive Me?”

I’m sorry I’ve just given up now. There are so many incredible actresses out there and they all deserve the oscar. Yalitza was absolutely incredible in Roma, an outstanding performance that brings so much joy to Mexican people as she gets the praise she deserves. Olivia Colman played an unforgettable role in The Favourite and Melissa McCarthy really surprised me in Can You Ever Forgive Me. The tie for the favourites however (and I’m wondering if there will actually be a tie) is between Glenn Close and Lady Gaga. A Star is Born is one of my favourite films of 2018 and Lady Gaga’s performance was a big reason for this. I was blown away by her acting and never once doubted that Ally was new to the world of music and fame. Glenn Close also impressed me with her performance in The Wife, and as we’ve seen with multiple awards ceremonies already, she is clearly a favourite to win.

Best Director and Best Picture

Best Director

Spike Lee, “BlacKkKlansman”

Pawel Pawlikowski, “Cold War”

Yorgos Lanthimos, “The Favourite”

Alfonso Cuarón, “Roma”

Adam McKay, “Vice”

So many great contenders this year but where the hell are the women??? Although I assume the oscar will go to one of my all time favourite directors (so I’m not complaining) Alfonso Cuarón, I think Spike Lee deserves the award. I’m shocked that this is his first time nominated to be honest. He has such a unique vision and all of his films especially BlacKkKlansman manages to connect comedy with politics to create an outstanding film that makes you both laugh and think. He is an extraordinary director and he really deserves this award.

Best Picture

“Black Panther”

“BlacKkKlansman”

“Bohemian Rhapsody”

“The Favourite”

“Green Book”

“Roma”

“A Star Is Born”

“Vice”

Best picture for me has to BlacKkKlansman. I don’t really understand how Vice and Bohemian Rhapsody are even in this category and although I did like Green Book, it wasn’t exactly a favourite for me. The Favourite was an extremely unique film that merged genres and had powerful performances, stunning costumes and production design and an intriguing story. Roma, who has very high chances of taking home the award was a refreshingly stunning film that highlights a mexican family who often do not get to see themselves represented in Hollywood. The cinematography, production design and sound were particular highlights for me along with Yalitza’s performance. Black Panther, a highly revolutionary film that has literally shaped history, has an outstanding cast, spectacular production design and costumes and a powerful score is an incredible contender for best picture and I would absolutely love if it won the award. A Star is Born, one of my favourite films of the year had so much emotion that it moved and inspired me in a way that Hollywood films don’t really do anymore. The directing, performances, cinematography, editing and of course music makes this film an extremely worthy Best Picture nominee. In the end I chose BlacKkKlansman as my best picture. Spike Lee delivers a unique film based on a true story that manages to balance laughter with shock, fact with fiction to represent both the absurdity and danger of racism in America. It combines extraordinary acting, editing, sound, cinematography and directing to create an extremely moving film that successfully comments of the political climate of America in 2018 and inspires a change. This is something that few Hollywood movies actually succeed in doing, and it should therefore win best picture.

Snubs:

If Beale Street Could Talk / Best Picture

Eighth Grade / Literally every single award

First Man / Best Score

Bradley Cooper / Best Director

Michael B. Jordan / Best Supporting Actor

All of the women directors

[the-firebird69]

Watch "Tron Legacy - Soundtrack OST - 02 The Grid - Daft Punk" on YouTube

We need to hire tons of people we're selling tons of bikes if I'm not the leaders are doing it you find out it came from one of their dealers and find out he wanted the business and that he was doing it on purpose and they found out who he was now tons of the leaders want them and people are going to figure out that they have them and that their hours and they made a lot of progress in this war against the clones and against Stalin that's whose clones they are and it was a lot of work to get it up to speed. And that's making the bikes that is it took a grand effort and we want our son to know that he's very loved for it because what he's doing today is awesome he's fixing some problems and he's trying to survive that's doing the best he can and he went up there on purpose we see why he said these people are bothering me and they don't know it and they're harming me and I don't know why they don't know it and they're probably going to be real angry I'm on assignment so so I asking them and then saying we kind of know and then tell him he's gone and all this so they're mad and we said what would you do you sound horrible and mean and angry and we don't want to hear you don't know it I'm sure as hell know it we're fighting the war instead of treating like s*** you don't give him the time of day and you're always trying to kidnap him and harm him and get in the way of his stuff it's absolutely sickening so he goes we're sorry for that but he's always talking about our women and it goes on and on and it was like shut your mouth and he's a liar he's very mean seven of them are and they're infighting over presidency and stuff and lasers saying he's saying they don't get it and they really don't so you need to plow through them and we need to explain to them that they're not necessary component they have a game or they don't have a game and they get angry about that and that's their tough s*** because today they were abysmally bad really awful. It shouldn't take someone who can design this motorcycle several motorcycles from this movie such a long time to get basic products that are accessible to almost everyone then they tried pulling them off the shelves these wise ass retards only said you people are the ones using it and you need your army and you're disabling yourself we're tired of seeing it you're sick you're stupid you're like dumb and in the way and nobody can help anybody who needs to help so I said why don't you just farted so he said okay that's a good idea so I started firing them then they said no and we said yeah you want it to be fired. So we're going to town on him he said no takes bacjsees and we're hitting the living crap out of them

But the sun is offering the light cycle drive as optional for all of our electric motorcycles that we have in our lineup and we're putting it there online right now he's designing a light cycle for his company and actually Sim is his company and hers but it's for this electric motorcycle Company it's different then the light cycle company that's motorized and people are going to associate this one with being more high-tech and it will be because he's going to have several versions one of them is the battery list and fuel this and it has only a high performance alternator / generator and small batteries to start up and the other will have the dual battery concept and they'll be a fly cycle and they're going to be all electric and you have to have a turbine with fuel so he says he's going to experiment with high test fuel airplane fuel and it'll be a small tank it'll go very far but with the electric when you're flying it can go very very far and very fast with a very small amount of fuel and the flame looks different it's blue and you can see them in the movie too and Jeff Bridges goes after the max and you learn that he has more stuff and that's one reason why we're doing it so putting all of these out but we want you all to know if you want to be super duper cool and you can keep your mouth shut only only a little because we wanted to talk it up anyways that you're welcome to buy one of the street racer version which is the one we're putting out today with the light cycle drive so it looks exactly like it and it's not hard to tell that it is a light cycle drive because the rear wheel and front wheel have no spokes and you do that because the front wheel won't handle the speed and it's a bit wider usually we use an 8-in and he says it's not that uncommon 8 in is not real huge to people these days it's not really. And Hera is saying even the scooter you can get with the light cycle drive but be careful the scooter usually goes about 90 mph with the light cycle drive it'll go to about 130 mph and a lot of people want to do that it's becoming a real motorcycle and yeah you'll go blowing by a lot of motorcycles out there Harley Davidsons can't keep up with these.

Thor Freya

Oh boy. Now I understand something I'm sitting here doing it with him and I'm saying oh boy like I'm a fan and I tell him that you're cut off and I cut them off and he goes what so I get it anyways since I'm strong-willed and he likes it because I'm a real person you can't wait to meet me and try and hold me in the room for the longest period of time ever. So I'm laughing but it was like a little but then we both get bored we have to go somewhere. This is awesome we're building these bikes and we're building tons of them and we've gotten huge numbers of orders today and this bike that's for everybody for the most part and it looks like a 48 and it looks like a Sportster it looks like a breakout and we've heard tons of comments it looks like a Honda hurricane or something and a Vulcan and all sorts of things and they say tons of bike names and they're trying to compare it it's exactly what we wanted and both of us and we're both trying to hit that sweet spot where it's a cruiser sort of but it's more like a sport bike cruiser and that's what it is all of those bikes are like roadsters and that's what they call them and or street bike and that's where that's where we got in and Ducati has one in the movie and BMW that Ducati is in venom and the other bike is in edge of Tomorrow and that's a triumph and BMW is in another one of Tom Cruise's movie and they're all kind of the same bike and we like that type of bike and a style and it's on purpose and it's what we need to do and it's going to sell and it is wonderful we're going to have a great time and I thank my husband he thanks me he says great input and needed a ladies input and it makes it like a year faster that I'm here with him and for a long time too it's been a lot easier and I know that too so is the time I wasn't helping too much I was I was doing other things like I was putting the money places and I do that too but this stuff does a lot and really we're getting a lot of help because of it and we would be in a lot of trouble with the Tommy favino crowd.

Hera

Zues

It really saved the day because we all became alert to it and we found out what the capabilities were and now we have different ones and we have a lot of people on them and five versions and turbines and his turbine electric is intense I have seen it a video they sent it to me cuz he they wanted me to see the prototype and it is like a toy and he learned it from these toys because that's what they use and I think it's ridiculous he's more or less borrowing our technology and using it but it's not really true because he told the toy people how to make it he said it has to be very high velocity and with a toy you can do it because the the machine can just go nuts and he figured out how it doesn't and without that we would be sunk and I know he made the toys because we were playing around with them in westborough so stop saying this about him you're wrong

Mac Daddy

[uomo-accattivante]

I love this interview! 👍🏼

Writer/director Alex Garland set a high bar for himself with Ex Machina, his stellar 2015 directorial debut. That sci-fi movie had a lot on its mind, but his newest film, Annihilation, is far more cerebral. It’s one of the most challenging movies of the year: bold, beautiful, and haunting in a way that occasionally verges on being experimental.

Not long ago, I had the opportunity to sit down with Garland and actor Oscar Isaac, who plays a key role in the film, to talk to them about bringing this story to the big screen. We touched on the film’s behind-the-scenes clashes, whether or not Garland was concerned with audiences being able to keep up with what he’s doing in this movie, Isaac’s approach to his troubled character, and much more. Read our full Oscar Isaac and Alex Garland interview below.

Warning: Both Garland and Isaac occasionally drop spoilers in a couple of their responses. If you’re 100% spoiler-averse, I’d suggest bookmarking this and reading it after you see the film. Our interview follows.

***

For me, watching this movie was like walking through a beautiful nightmare. I have not read Jeff VanderMeer’s book yet, but can you tell me about how you crafted the visual aspects of being inside The Shimmer?

Isaac: Sure. (laughs)

Garland: (To Isaac) Go on, do it. (laughs) Yeah, we knew we wanted it to be beautiful and disturbing, often concurrently within the same shot. So really, what happened was, there’s a script. And in the script it’s straightforward in many respects, because it says, like, say, this scene, you’d say, ‘INTERIOR. HOTEL BAY. Three people sit around a coffee table.’ But then of course, production designers and set decorators need to make it something where you can stick a camera. So the script was disseminated among the collective, the group of people who work together, many of whom I’ve worked with for a long time – some of them twenty years. Me and [set decorator] Michelle Day and Mark [Digby] on the production design team, [producer] Andrew [Macdonald] – we’ve worked together on seven or eight movies, so we know each other backwards.

It all goes out, and really what happens is, a conversation starts. Everybody’s got a voice, and everybody’s chipping in, and an organic, evolutionary process begins and it doesn’t really stop. It doesn’t really stop until the picture’s locked. Right in the 59th minute of the twelfth hour, or whatever the right thing to say is, in the grade, these things are being affected hugely. How much do you saturate the colors? Where do you choose to desaturate? Where do you choose to put a bright point in the screen and do we have a vignette on the shot to focus? So it never really stops. It’s a big collective all working together and getting there organically.

Isaac: But at the same time, nudging it towards ‘What’s most disturbing?’ As an example, without trying to give away too much stuff, the ‘fight’ scene at the end between the alien and Lena. I was there for a lot of those rehearsals, and just seeing – it’s such an ephemeral thing. Why is it more disturbing if she’s less aggressive here, but pushing into her? Why is it weirder if this movement happens as opposed to this movement? It’s hard to say why, but it’s one of those things where we wouldn’t think of it, but then (nods to Garland) you’d suggest it, and suddenly we were all like, ‘Yep. That’s definitely creepier.’ Something as subtle as, this alien being, all it is is intention. So seeing the physicality of that idea happen. The collaborative part is, you say that, and then we have to interpret that. How do you physicalize just intention? Then somewhere that alchemy comes together, and everyone gets on the same page and creates something really crazy.

By the end, Kane turns out to be unlike any character you’ve played before. But in the beginning, I was noticing a couple of similarities to the soldier you voice in the Homecoming podcast. Did you think about that character at all when you were making this?

Isaac: Oh, is that right? No, I didn’t. That one, he was a private. Sure, he had kind of gone through some weird stuff, but I think with that one, there was a bit of an innocence. Kane maybe has…it’s a little bit of a different thing. There’s a deeper, darker bubbling thing underneath him.

As the film goes on, it feels increasingly impressionistic and almost experimental at certain points. Were you worried at all about audiences not being able to keep up?

Garland: No. Not really. That’s not to say there’s anything to do with ignoring audiences. It’s not that. But it has to do with what you’re concerned with in relation to the audience, you know? For example, the kind of area where I’d think about it a lot would be to do with strangeness. So the film was, in some ways, conceived backwards. There was this crucial aspect to me that began as Natalie’s character is walking along the beach, and then contains the sequence within a lighthouse. I knew that was the goal, and I knew that I wanted us collectively to achieve a particular level of strangeness and beauty and oddness. Things like the dance sequence that Oscar was just alluding to. It needed to have information, but not information that was stated. It was more inferred. They key thing would be about strangeness, right? What it feels like to watch it. The crucial thing is what would it feel like? So then, you have to think, ‘How do you construct feeling?’

One of them, say in the case of strangeness, is that there’s a diminishing return with it. So if you begin strange, by the time you get to the end strange, you’ve got acclimatized to it and you’ve lost the thing that you’re shooting for. So that created a built-in structure, which on set and in pre-production, we used to call ‘suburbia to psychedelia,’ because it sounds neat and it’s a nice reduction. It’s a nice sound byte, isn’t it? But it’s got truth in it. Because if you start in suburbia, you start in our world, it gives you the chance of getting truly strange, in a way. So everything was sort of structured that way.

Along those same lines, there were some heavily publicized behind-the-scenes clashes about the making of this movie. I know you’re someone who’s not afraid to speak your mind, so I’m just wondering if you’re pleased with how it all turned out.

Garland: I only really give a shit about the film, OK? That’s actually all I care about. So as long as the film honors the intent of the collective, I’m basically happy. That’s what I care about. I think we did everything we could, and I’m proud of it, and I love it, so I’m fine with it.

I’m curious about your process. What kinds of conversations did you guys have about Kane, and was there a moment when you were developing your take on him where everything clicked for you?

Isaac: (Jokingly) Yeah, I had it all figured out, and I walked in and said, ‘Shut up. Sit down. And point the camera at this.’ (points at his own face)

Garland: He set the lens. There was some discussion about the lighting, but Oscar won. That’s the way it goes.

Isaac: (laughs) Yeah, we talked. That’s what we do. We like to talk a lot and we think about things in similar ways, I like to think, and we have a similar sense of humor. So I think my first question was, ‘I know it’s not Predator with girls, but tell me why it’s not Predator with girls.’ No, I’m kidding. I just read it and thought it was fascinating and thought it was so strange and so beautiful, and I wanted to play this character. What was so cool is that he has all this stuff bubbling underneath, as I was saying, so that’s what was most interesting to me. There was almost a Pinter-esque quality to it, where there’s all these pauses and all of this subtext that’s just emanating out of these two people. But they don’t say it. Like Alex said, it’s inferred. So we spoke a lot about that. ‘What is it that’s happening underneath, and what is the nature of this relationship? What do I know now that I’m not saying? In this scene, now what do I know? What does she know?’ Trying to map those things out. Everything had a palpable energy between the characters.

Then coming up with different ideas: ‘Where might he be from? What if I try making his voice sound a little like this? What do you think about that?’ And then at the end, just the nature of the energy of how do we do this speech at the end that’s being filmed? What’s the reason we’re filming it? What’s the intent of it? Getting very specific about that stuff. That’s what a lot of it felt like. And with Alex, it always feels like we’re building a motorcycle together, or building a car. We’re just kind of handing each other the tools and making it together. That’s what’s really fun about it.

Garland: It was actually all built backwards. So for me, for what it’s worth, the whole thing was about earning the speech that Kane says at the end in this locked off shot that just sits there and lets him do it. It’s about the words that are contained there and the things he’s expressing there. Everything else is in support of that moment. The whole film actually is in support of the last thirty minutes, basically. Which sounds like a sort of stupid thing to say, because truly all films are. But actually that’s not exactly true. In a way, every single thing that happens is just inching your way towards this strange metaphysical sequence. And having it not as just abstract firework fun, but having content.

Isaac: Or pain. I think what the last thirty minutes are just this metaphysical pain and despair in some ways.

Garland:(To Oscar, jokingly) That’s how you’re choosing to sell the movie? Are you out of your fucking mind?

Isaac: Let’s go back to Predator with girls. Predator with girls! (laughs)

Garland: It’s true, though. It’s true.

With this and Star Wars, you’re a part of two big recent sci-fi movies that proudly feature women at the forefront of the cast, which is really cool. I know you’re separated from a lot of the ensemble here, but tell me about working with Natalie on this.

Isaac: I was shooting Star Wars at the exact same time, too, so that was a wild thing to –

Wait, you were jumping back and forth between sets?

Isaac: It was literally the same studio.

Oh, cool.

Isaac: So some days I would walk from – I think I still used my trailer from Star Wars…

Garland: Yeah, we didn’t have trailers. But there were days where you were, on the same day, shooting both things.

Isaac: Yeah, there were. I would shoot something in the morning and then have a little bit of down time and then switch it up. So that was wild.

Garland: We’d catch him at his lunch break and say, ‘We’ve got to shoot this now!’ (laughs)

Isaac: I think I visited, too, still dressed up as Poe on the set.

Garland:Yeah, totally.

Isaac: It was pretty wild. It reminded me a little of Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure, when he’s on the lot and you see all the different actors walking around. There was something very classic about it. So there was very little time, and not a lot of rehearsal time, and Natalie and I didn’t know each other. It happens in movies, obviously – you have to suddenly be very intimate with someone very quickly. I think the fact that she was willing to trust me and I was trusting her, and we just went in there and did it and tried to find a real intimacy. Which is always a weird, awkward, strange thing to do suddenly in front of a bunch of people. But we found that, and I really enjoyed those scenes with her. She is very focused, but also in those scenes, very emotionally available as well, so I really enjoyed that.

Garland: It makes me want to name-check Rian [Johnson] and Ram [Bergman], the producer on Star Wars [The Last Jedi]. I think because they come from an indie film background, here they are making like the biggest movie of all time, and they were unbelievably helpful and accommodating to us. And they really didn’t have to be at all. Most big productions would not even dream of doing that. And they went out of their way – whilst making fucking Star Wars, for Christ’s sake – to help this really small movie next door. It was very cool and I’m truly grateful for it, actually.

Making a movie with all female protagonists almost feels like a political statement today. Was that something that specifically drew you to this?

Garland: I really just want to dodge that question.

Really?

Garland: Yeah. The answer that I’m saying – which I’ve said before, so I apologize for it, but I’m in a position where this is the answer that I have – is that the previous film that Oscar and I worked on together [Ex Machina] had within it a very conscious set of deliberate arguments which related to gender and objectification. As well as other stuff about sentience and AI and all of that kind of thing. And what interested me about this project was the absence of an argument. So if I now talk about that, I dismantle the absence of the argument. So I’d just like to leave it at that.

Understood. You wrote this long before the Times Up and Me Too movements came to light, and I certainly don’t want you to explain the ending of your movie, but there’s some symbolism and imagery at the end that could be interpreted as being aligned with those causes. Does the film feel even more relevant now than when you wrote it, considering what’s going on culturally?

Garland: No, it doesn’t. I can’t lay claim to that. I wouldn’t want to. For me, it was a film, internally – by the way, let me just say, any time you present a narrative, in a book or a film or whatever the fuck it is, what is really happening is that fifty percent of the narrative is not provided by you. It’s provided by the subjective nature of the person receiving the narrative. So they fill in gaps, they provide stuff, they create agendas, whatever it happens to be. That is not problematic to me, that is just in the nature of the job. Right? For me, personally – so it doesn’t have to be for you – in as much as it is about something, which it is, to me, it is about the nature of self-destruction. It was about an observation I made, which is that everybody appears to be self-destructive. Some people are very obviously self-destructive because they’re addicted to heroin or alcohol or they act in a psychotic way or whatever, and they offer their self-destruction to you. Other people are very comfortable in their own skin, and they’ve got a fantastic job and a fantastic life and everything seems to be bulletproof. They feel like they’ve sort of cracked something about life. But then when you get to know them, you discover odd bits of self-destruction, which then become significant bits of self-destruction. It was the universality of it, that even the people who’d cracked it all had not cracked it all. And then I started trying to think –

Isaac: Where does it come from?

Garland: Where does it come from? Why is it that you have a really good marriage and you dismantle it? Why do you have a really good friendship and you dismantle it? Why do you have a really good job and you dismantle it? Whatever it happens to be. And the film essentially presents that question and an answer to that question by inference. To me, that is what it’s about.

*****

Annihilation hits theaters on February 23, 2018.

[twh-news]

What We Learned on the Set of Thor: Ragnarok: From Jack Kirby to Planet Hulk

[This post contains somewhat spoilery info, so if you don't want to know more than you already know, don't read below the cut!]

It was just about one year ago exactly that Fandango jetted out to Brisbane, Australia to tour the magnificent sets of Thor: Ragnarok, the third and possibly wildest standalone movie for the God of Thunder yet. You can read our guide to all the characters old and new here, but below is where we’ll answer some of the most pressing questions about the movie, its plot and production.

We last saw Thor (Chris Hemsworth) soaring off into the cosmos to investigate certain disturbances in the Force -- whoops, wrong Disney franchise. Actually, at the end of Avengers: Age of Ultron, he was going to try to find out why more of the Infinity Stones were suddenly surfacing and who was behind it. In Thor: Ragnarok, he’s been missing for two years and is imprisoned on Muspelheim, where he must fight the fire demon Surtur to escape.

He finds his way back to Asgard, where Loki (Tom Hiddleston) has been ruling in place of Odin (Anthony Hopkins), and through a series of events that somehow detour to New York City, Thor ends up on the planet Sakaar, where he’s forced into gladiatorial combat at the behest of an Elder known as the Grandmaster (Jeff Goldblum). Little does he know that the reigning champion is his old pal, the Hulk (Mark Ruffalo).

Meanwhile, the goddess of death, Hela (Cate Blanchett), has been unleashed and seeks to destroy Asgard -- not too difficult a task with Loki running things there. If Hela can bring about Ragnarok -- the “end of all things” -- what will that mean for Thor, Loki, the Earth and the rest of the Nine Realms?

Here are some of the things we learned in Brisbane:

Where in the timeline of the Marvel Cinematic Universe does Thor: Ragnarok fall?

The events of the movie will reportedly lay down even more groundwork for the arrival of Thanos in Avengers: Infinity War, so clearly it takes place before next year’s all-in showdown with the Mad Titan. “In the timeline of the MCU, things kind of happen on top of each other, especially now in Phase 3,” said producer Brad Winderbaum. “They're not as interlocked as they were in Phase 1…so (this) kind of happens maybe on top of Captain America: Civil War, maybe on top of Spider-Man: Homecoming. Somewhere in that ball park.”

The popular Planet Hulk storyline from the comics was heavily mined for material for the story.

The planet Sakaar, the gladiatorial battles presided over by a dictator-like character (the Red King in the comics, the Grandmaster in the movie), secondary characters like Korg, the Hulk getting transported to Sakaar through a wormhole and becoming a champion…all of those elements are from the 2006 Planet Hulk story in Marvel Comics, which fans have wanted to see in a movie for years. As with many of the Marvel movies, Thor: Ragnarok borrows from that story and weaves it into something new that echoes the comics without replicating them.

"In the earliest development of Thor: Ragnarok, we were looking at Planet Hulk as inspiration,” admits Winderbaum. “Maybe not even to integrate the Hulk into the franchise, but the idea of a planet where there's gladiatorial games as being a Thor predicament. It really was a cool idea to us. Somewhere in the early conversations, when it looked like it was going that way, it was like a no-brainer. It started off as, well, maybe we put Hulk in there too? And then as soon as that spark kind of ignited, it became kind of an idea machine and suddenly he was married to the plot."

Thor is a different person than he was in his earlier adventures.

“We find Thor in a drastically different place,” says Winderbaum. “He's now spent years on Earth living with the Avengers, hanging out with Tony Stark. He understands Earth’s sensibilities. He's got a really quick wit, a great sense of humor, he understands sarcasm in a way he didn't in the first film. And so from a character perspective, we're bringing all of that personality into space with him.”

The character also finds himself in a situation on Sakaar where he is no longer the physically dominant and powerful God of Thunder of the earlier films. “Removing Thor from his environment and his world where he dominated a lot of the fight scenes and so on, and putting him in a situation where all of sudden he’s fairly equal with everybody…was a smart thing for the writers to do,” says Chris Hemsworth. “He’s perhaps gonna use his brain more, or as much as, his brawn. He’s up against it the whole way through this and no step he takes is easy when he’s climbing this particular mountain.”

The relationship between Thor and Loki has evolved as well.

Hemsworth did not want a repeat of the Thor/Loki dynamic from the previous two Thor movies and the first Avengers. “In the first films, you know, a lot of the time you’re seeing Thor kind of going, ‘Come back, Loki…’” the actor says. “I think there’s a feeling from Thor now that’s just like, ‘You know what, kid, do what you want. You can’t hurt for trying. You’re a screw up, so whatever, do your thing.’ There’s a bit of that, which is fun, but also something we haven’t sort of played with as much.”

"I've said this about Loki before, but the opposite of love is not hate but indifference," says Tom Hiddleston. “The idea that Thor might be indifferent to Loki is troubling for him, because that's a defining feature of his character: I don't belong in the family; my brother doesn't love me; I hate my brother. And the idea his brother's like, yeah, whatever…it's an interesting development.”

There is a lot more comedy in this film, which also brings out a different side of Thor and Hemsworth.

“I think it's fantastic,” enthuses Hiddleston. “I think Chris is hilarious, and I've always known him as a hilarious man, even making the first film when we first met. So I love that his comedy chops are being flexed and I think it's great for the tone; it's great for the film.”

Both Hemsworth and Hiddleston loved that director Taika Waititi had them do a lot of improv on set: “I’ve never improvised so much with this character, which has been really exciting,” says Hemsworth. “Taika will just yell suggestions while rolling -- ‘Try this, try that,’ and so on. That has, I think, really come to change the game for myself or for the film.

“Taika is extraordinary in his invention,” agrees Hiddleston. “There are so many moving parts (on these big movie sets) and his quickness and the speed of his invention is really inspiring. Even with the sort of weight of this production, he's able to keep the atmosphere light and keep it feeling free and playful.”

At the same time, Cate Blanchett’s Hela may be Marvel’s greatest villain yet.

“Obviously we always think about the movies as standalones, even if they do set up a movie down the road or pay off something from a previous film,” says Winderbaum. “What we hope if we do our jobs right is that Hela is one of the best villains we've had -- maybe the best. Cate has been delivering an incredible performance. She's really scary and really charming.”

“It’s so far from anything I’ve seen before,” says Hemsworth about Blanchett’s work in the movie. “And as intimidating and scary as it is, you have an empathetic feeling toward her a lot of time from what she’s doing. You’re kind of like, ‘Ah, she’s got a point maybe.’ And then you’ve got to remind yourself that she’s trying to kill us all.”

Valkyrie is not exactly as you remember her from the comics.

The comic book Valkyrie was known as Brunnhilde, an Asgardian being and the leader of Odin’s army of female warriors, the Valkyrior. But the movie Valkyrie (Tessa Thompson) has put all that behind her in Thor: Ragnarok. She works now as a hunter for the Grandmaster…and in fact it is she who captures Thor to use as fodder for her employer’s gladiator games.

"We're not trying to create a one-to-one emulation of Brunnhilde from the comics,” says Winderbaum. “But certainly the idea of the Valkyrie and what they mean to Asgard and Odin is something that we're going to be leaning into a lot."

For Thompson, she was eager to dive headlong into her first major role in a film utilizing extensive visual effects. “It's a challenge that I was really wanting to take on, a year before this movie was even a conversation,” says the actress. “I kept saying to myself and anyone that would listen, I want to do something that's blue and green screen because I think working in the space of such imagination is such an interesting job. And then I just had no trouble asking my cohorts, ‘How do you do that?’ And they were like, ‘Oh yeah, it's weird. You just do it.’”

For the first time in a Thor film, we’ll get to see how the “common folk” in Asgard live.

Fandango also toured the outdoor set of an Asgardian village -- sort of a first for the Thor films, which have previously stayed relegated to Odin’s palace or the Bifrost for the most part. Not unlike something out of The Lord of the Rings or even resembling a place like Naboo a little, the village has a feel that’s both medieval and futuristic at the same time. It’s also where Hela will wreak havoc on the poor people of Asgard. “This is for the first time in a Thor movie that we’ve embraced this sort of human style of living quarters as opposed to the great big palace itself,” says production designer Dan Hannah. “We do spend some time in the palace, but we also spend quite a lot of time in different parts of the city…partly because of Hela, who as queen of death, needs some people to kill, as you would.”

Oh yeah -- the movie also visits Muspelheim, the realm of Surtur.

Dan Hannah: “Muspelheim is essentially a Dyson sphere, which is an enormous structure around a dying star. The premise is this has been here for a long time and it’s coated in residue of the dying star and drawing energy out of the dying star. It’s populated by demons and dragons and all sorts of amazing creatures who live on the energy that’s coming out of the star. It has internal spaces that are vast holes which are just really like being inside a bicycle frame. If you imagine a bicycle frame stretched around a star, some of Muspelheim is inside, some of it when Thor tries to get away is outside on the surface of the Dyson sphere.”

The design of the planet Sakaar is influenced by the groundbreaking art of the legendary Jack Kirby.

It’s only fitting that on the 100th anniversary of his birth, the work of the late Kirby (who invented the Marvel Universe with Stan Lee) should have a massive presence in the design of Thor: Ragnarok. Touring the outside of the gates that lead into the arena on Sakaar, the bold colors and weird geometric shapes signal the influence of the master. The streets surrounding the gates are also quite colorful and crazily configured, with sharp turns and unpredictable curves.

“Yes, Jack Kirby, 1960s Jack Kirby,” confirmed Hannah as we toured the crazily shifting streets of Sakaar. “That was our inspiration. I’ve read Jack Kirby comics since I was 15 years old. So for me it was fantastic…of course, it doesn’t look anything like Jack Kirby, but it does have the influence and it’s different from anything I’ve seen before.”

"The amazing thing about Jack Kirby is his artwork is dense," says visual effects supervisor Jake Morrison. “One of the anecdotes about Kirby is that he never erased anything. He only continued to draw forward. So you see characters with six fingers and stuff like that just ‘cause he was like, ‘Right, okay, I’ll just fill the page and just continue drawing’…what he’s doing is really just filling the frame. So for us what that means is we can be very dense with the visuals.”

Speaking of Sakaar, it’s basically a giant garbage dump.

Sakaar is the endpoint of a series of wormholes that dump whatever gets caught in them -- from different parts of the universe -- onto the planet, which is apparently how Thor and the Hulk both end up there (Hulk’s Quinjet gets trapped in a wormhole, as does Thor).

“It’s a bit of a sewer,” says Hannah about the planet ruled by the Grandmaster. “There’s no vegetation in Sakaar. It’s purely made up of space waste. All the food is made from space waste.” What Hannah refers to as “scrappers” -- which may include Tessa Thompson’s Valkyrie -- work in the dangerous areas outside the main city where things are constantly falling out of the sky. “It’s basically an accumulation of space debris that’s grown,” continues Hannah. “That’s how I think if it anyway . . . It’s like a landfill, basically. “

As for the city where the Grandmaster rules, it’s populated by aliens who have also come to the planet from all over the cosmos. Hannah describes it as “space Vegas.”

Producer Brad Winderbaum delved further into the development of Sakaar: “This is a planet that's like frozen in space between an incredible quantity of wormholes that have been spitting things out into this place for eons and eons. And essentially, if anything goes wrong in your intergalactic travels in the MCU, you're going to get spat out into the toilet of the universe which is this planet.”

The visual effects in the film are among the most intensive of any Marvel production.

Jake Morrison was asked which of the movie’s scenes or effects was the most challenging to create. “All of them,” the visual effects supervisor replied immediately. “It’s literally one of the most involved pictures I have ever been on. It’s visual effects heavy. All Marvel pictures do rely on visual effects to help tell the stories. But this one is absolutely enormous. The scope of the picture and the amount of elements in it is incredible.”

Even Hela’s famous antlers are created through visual effects.

During our day on the set, we saw a scene set on the Stone Arch Bridge in which Thor, Hulk, Valkyrie and Loki all confront Hela. Cate Blanchett was not in full costume, but Morrison assured us that we will see Hela in all her majesty in the final film: “The look of the headdress and all that kind of stuff is very, very iconic,” he explains. “When you have an actor like Cate, what we wanted to do is not tie her down with a physical costume that was overly complicated or weighty…if you're making this film in the 80s or the 90s you would actually have to put the big headdress on and you know exactly what that looks like. You’ve seen actors do this and they basically have a candelabra on there.

“The key is we can base it upon Cate’s physical performance,” continues Morrison about the CG parts of the costume, adding that they now capture 120 samples per second of Blanchett’s body. “We then have the option to make her costume behave in sympathy with her action completely and not have the actor feel in any way like her motion is restricted by the costume. So we’re trying to let the performance drive the picture and then we just add the fun stuff on afterwards.”

Finally, the big question…how does Thor: Ragnarok lead into Avengers: Infinity War?

“Without giving anything away, this definitely bleeds nicely into that,” hints Chris Hemsworth. “As they all tend to do. But this being called Ragnarok -- everyone knows what that means. So obviously it is going to affect the larger universe.”