Definitivamente, este año o más que nada, está época del cine veraniego pertenece a las franquicias y el cuarto film de “Bad Boys” es un gran ejemplo de eso, ya que esta película la cual personalmente tenía pocas expectativas y preocupación de que fuera un éxito, al final superó mis expectativas y las de muchos otros al ser uno de los éxitos taquilleros de este año.

Definitely, this year or more than anything else, this summer movie season belongs to franchises and the fourth "Bad Boys" film is a great example of that, as this movie which I personally had low expectations and concerns about it being a success, in the end exceeded my expectations and those of many others by being one of this year's box office hits.

“Bad Boys: Ride or Die”, es la cuarta película basada en las aventuras de la pareja de policías “Mike Lowrey” y “Marcus Burnett” en la ciudad de Miami, un film en donde nuevamente el presente de ambos detectives está marcado por el pasado lo cual parece que no puede dejarlos en paz y en esta oportunidad, un caso que dejó inconcluso el antiguo capitán “Conrad Howard” le hará activar nuevamente el modo “Bad Boys” para no solamente limpiar el nombre de un antiguo y gran amigo, sino para salvar sus vidas y las que ellos aman.

Bad Boys: Ride or Die ", is the fourth film based on the adventures of the police couple "Mike Lowrey" and "Marcus Burnett" in the city of Miami, a film where again the present of both detectives is marked by the past which seems that can not leave them alone and this time, a case left unfinished by the former captain "Conrad Howard" will make him activate again the "Bad Boys" mode to not only clear the name of an old and great friend, but to save their lives and the lives they love.

Personalmente creo que el gran éxito de este film es una sorpresa porque recaudó 400 millones de dólares con un presupuesto de 100 millones de dólares y aunque cuentan con una megaestrella como lo es Will Smith, creo que no hay duda que los verdaderos MVP’S son los directores conocidos como Adil & Bilall, los cuales también dirigieron la exitosa tercera película de esta franquicia. En esta cuarta entrega, ambos directores sabiendo lo limitado que serían sus protagonistas en el momento de hacer escenas de acción, tenían la oportunidad de ser ellos mismos las estrellas de este film y sí que lo hicieron; en cada una de las secuencias de acción, el trabajo con la cámara, el dinamismo en cada escena fue fundamental y no solo para dar protagonismo a los principales personajes de la franquicia, sino dar relevancia a otros personajes nuevos o clásicos lo cual deja una marca en Bad Boys.

El guion escrito por Chris Bremner y Will Beall, es lo peor del film, no me gusto tanto humor forzado porque con los actores que lideran esta franquicia, no hay necesidad de forzar nada; hay muchas características de la historia que no me gustaron, hay personajes que son inútiles por lo mal escritos, no tienen relevancia y su aporte a la historia es predecible, pero hay otras que son valiosas, una en específico, lo cual es para los fans de la franquicia, pero de ahí no hay nada más para destacar en la historia, creo que el guion es igual de malo que el de Bad Boys 2.

Personally I think the great success of this film is a surprise because it grossed 400 million dollars with a budget of 100 million dollars and although they have a megastar like Will Smith, I think there is no doubt that the real MVP'S are the directors known as Adil & Bilall, who also directed the successful third film of this franchise. In this fourth installment, both directors knowing how limited their protagonists would be at the time of making action scenes, had the opportunity to be themselves the stars of this film and yes they did; in each of the action sequences, the work with the camera, the dynamism in each scene was fundamental and not only to give prominence to the main characters of the franchise, but to give relevance to other new or classic characters which leaves a mark in Bad Boys.

The script written by Chris Bremner and Will Beall, is the worst thing about the film, I didn't like so much forced humor because with the actors leading this franchise, there is no need to force anything; there are many features of the story that I didn't like, there are characters that are useless because of how poorly written, they have no relevance and their contribution to the story is predictable, but there are others that are valuable, one in specific, which is for fans of the franchise, but from there there there is nothing else to highlight in the story, I think the script is just as bad as Bad Boys 2.

No hay duda que la química entre Will Smith y Martin Lawrence, es única, es perfecta y creo que de este género “buddy cop film”, los personajes que interpretan deben ser reconocidos y tomados como ejemplo; en este cuarto film me gusta que tal como ocurrió en el anterior, sea importante las edades que representan como personajes, me refiero a la virtud de la experiencia también lo problemático de enfrentar tanto a rivales criminales más fuertes o como a problemas reales como es una dificultad cardíaca o sufrir de ansiedad, pienso que por eso se repite más que nunca el título de “Bad Boys” porque al final es un mantra para lograr lo que anteriormente era fácil. Con respecto a los otros actores, destaco (por así decirlo) a Jacob Scipio quien interpreta a "Armando Aretas", todavía no sé de donde sacaron ese apellido, creo que es un personaje con mucho potencial y es un adecuado complemento para los protagonistas, creo que debe tener una mejor historia de redención y espero que si existe un quinto film, sea él un tema principal.

There is no doubt that the chemistry between Will Smith and Martin Lawrence, is unique, it is perfect and I think that in this genre "buddy cop film", the characters they play should be recognized and taken as an example; in this fourth film I like that as it happened in the previous one, it is important the ages they represent as characters, I mean the virtue of the experience also the problematic of facing both stronger criminal rivals or real problems such as a heart difficulty or suffering from anxiety, I think that's why the title of "Bad Boys" is repeated more than ever because in the end it is a mantra to achieve what was previously easy. Regarding the other actors, I highlight (so to speak) Jacob Scipio who plays "Armando Aretas", I still don't know where they got that last name from, I think he is a character with a lot of potential and is an adequate complement to the main characters, I think he should have a better redemption story and I hope that if there is a fifth film, he will be a main subject.

A pesar de que el guion de Bad Boys: Ride or Die, no es para nada el mejor, pienso que la unión del gran trabajo de sus directores y de sus dos estrellas, protagonistas de la franquicia, hacen que la balanza se incline hacia el lado en dónde este film se puede definir como una buena película; es pura diversión, el ritmo es el adecuado y me refiero a cuando deben aparecer las escenas de acción y las de comedia, en ese momento se hace frenética, es un film atractivo y me alegro de que los directores Adil & Bilall, tuvieron esta oportunidad para demostrar un buen trabajo y así quitar algo del mal sabor de boca que les dejó Warner Bros. Pictures; también para Will Smith, muy criticado por sus (malos) actos y que nuevamente tenga un éxito taquillero, posiblemente le haga pensar en hacer más películas y seguro que pronto se dará alguna noticia sobre una quinta entrega de Bad Boys.

Although the script of Bad Boys: Ride or Die, is not the best, I think that the union of the great work of its directors and its two stars, protagonists of the franchise, make the scales tip to the side where this film can be defined as a good movie; it is pure fun, the pace is right and I mean when the action scenes and comedy scenes should appear, at that moment it becomes frenetic, it is an attractive film and I am glad that the directors Adil & Bilall, had this opportunity to demonstrate a good job and thus remove some of the bad taste in their mouths that left Warner Bros. Pictures; also for Will Smith, much criticized for his (bad) acts and again having a box office success, will possibly make him think about making more films and for sure there will be some news soon about a fifth Bad Boys installment.

Cover image edited in canva; the image was taken from the following source

George Miller's latest addition to the Mad Max franchise, hit the big screen in 2024 and took everyone back to the post apocalyptic world that was first introduced to the public in the early years, the movie is not perfect but is so close, with Chris Hemsworth giving us a performance that made me forget about Thor. This prequel to 2015's "Mad Max: ”Fury Road” develops around the origin of Imperator Furiosa, the supporting protagonist of the prequel, who took stole the show in the last movie. The film will focus on the younger years of Furiosa, with Anya Taylor Joy playing the character that was once portrayed by Charlize Theron and will show the audience how the character became the strong warrior from Fury Road. Miller is back as the director and co writer of the film, which means it was clear we could expect the same level of action and visually stunning scenes that they have come to know from the director, many do not understand this simple concept of continuation of a formula that is already great and bullet proof proven. The film is divided into five parts and shows the main events in the life of Furiosa, starting from her childhood in the Green Place to her becoming one of the leading characters in the Citadel of Immortan Joe. Having different chapters give the movie proper structure and even though Furiosa gets older during the movie it never felt that time jumps were too drastic, it was just enough to make the audience feel time has gone by. The film also brings in new characters and the main one is Chris Hemsworth’s Dementus, a warlord who becomes a major part of Furiosa’s story, ironically in the madness of this wasteland Dementus makes Immortan Joe look like the good guy.

• IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt12037194/
• Platform: AppleTV+

The Story and Structure

A Tale Pace and Chapters

Balancing Action and Character Developmentt

The Cast and Performances

Chris Hemsworth also plays the part of the main villain, Dementus, which might be seen as a rather questionable decision by the filmmakers as he is most of the time seen playing Thor a more comedy type of character than action itself, from hero to a sadic villain. Hemsworth goes deep into the role and gives us a visually and audibly appealing, yet psychopathical warlord, I can see how a part of the audience would not even recognize him if they are not fans of him but for sure have seen him play Thor in the past. Wearing facial prosthetics, Hemsworth is quite crazy, which complements Furiosa’s more measured personality. This is not the kind of role that Hemsworth has been related to in the past and he does seem to be having a lot of fun portraying such a multi faceted and rather sinister character, just imagine him discovering that the audience enjoy him more as a villain, that would be a drastic carrer change.

The supporting cast enhances the experience of the wasteland, Tom Burke as praetorian Jack is Furiosa’s teacher and Alyla Browne gives a splendid performance as young Furiosa. Burke has the ruthless, quiet and street smart mentor nail down and it is through his encouragement that Furiosa becomes the kick ass warrior she is. Given the fact that Browne is a young actress, she is fully capable of standing her ground in the violent world of Mad Max and set the stage for the further character’s evolution.

Old characters, brought back for this prequel, including Immortan Joe, are consistent with previous portrayals of the character, which is a good thing in the context of the Mad Max franchise, with this attention to detail has effectively ensured that there is a continuity between Furiosa and other films in the series even though this one is a prequel.

Redemption and Survival

How It Fits into the Larger Franchise

Connections to "Fury Road"

#skiptvads, #inleo, #hive, #furiosa, #madmax, #wasteland, #prequel, #apocalyptic, #action, #miller, #taylorjoy, #hemsworth, #chapters, #vehicular, #survival, #citadel, #dementus, #greenplace, #imperator, #wasteland, #chase, #worldbuilding, #mythology, #revenge, #gastown, #immortanjoe, #stunts, #epic

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The adaptation of James O’Barr’s tale of revenge has had a rather bumpy ride at the development stage which has taken more than 15 years. This new adaptation of the supernatural revenge story is directed by Rupert Sanders with Bill Skarsgard which is going to follow and continue the tradition of the original story, they have mention this is as close as it gets although there is already some skepticism based on the visuals. The journey to production has not been a walk in the park as there have been a number of alterations on the side of directors, actors and production. Starting from the early stages that involved Stephen Norrington in 2008 up to the present time that has Sanders team, the movie has faced various challenges such as legal cases, change of studio, and financial issues. Nevertheless, it has been rescued from the development hell and now offers a visually dark and stylistic adaptation of source material. Been the iconic movie that The Crow is from the 90s, from music, to style, this is one of those adaptations you cant mess up or fans will basically go after you, its been mention how the main actor Bill Skarsgard doesn't have a similar style or masculine/dark appear al as on the main movies but we have seen him perform very well, the one that comes to mind John Wick 4 where he did great, it will come down to the script.

• IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1340094/
• Platform: Theaters
• Release: August 23, 2024

A Rocky Path to Production

The management also had other difficulties beyond creative solutions to implement on the production, another problem came up in a legal conflict between Relativity Media and The Weinstein Company concerning distribution rights, and the situation got even worse when Relativity Media was declared bankrupt in 2015, meaning ceasing all the activities on the project. We had to wait all up to 2016 for the project get a breath of fresh air when director Corin Hardy and actor Jason Momoa signed on for the movie, but this combination also did not work in 2018 because of the creative and financial conflict with the right holder. I wonder how there were so many visionaries after this project, not taking any credits from the franchise but I hope others would do the same for a Constantine sequel.

The Current Incarnation

There are various reactions about the selection of the main actor Bill Skarsgard among fans online with some of us, including myself, eager to see what he does with the character pointing to other supernatural roles he has done. Some have criticized his appearance by stating that he has short hair and face tattoos while others have criticized him saying that he does not resemble the look that was set by Brandon Lee in the first movie, this is totally true considering how taller Brandon Lee look and how more dark, if anything Bill Skarsgard look like an EMO version of the OG Crow. It has been mention online that the creators changed the film ending to allow for a sequel; this move has reportedly raised some concerns for Skarsgard himself, considering if he would be willing to play the role on upcoming movies if this first iteration does not go well, leaving the creators with no other option if to cancel any sequel before happen or continue with a different actor that most of the time does not work well.

Themes and Visuals

There are rumors that the director Rupert Sanders is going to focus on the visual side of the story and this is supported by the fact that early reports state that lots of practical effects and computer generated images will be used when it comes to Eric’s powers. The movie goal is to bring up a familiar feeling of the supernatural where the line between the living and the dead is very thin.

Honoring a Legacy

The Shadow of Brandon Lee

#skiptvads, #inleo, #hive, #crow, #revenge, #supernatural, #gothic, #reboot, #skarsgard, #fkatwigs, #huston, #sanders, #adaptation, #controversy, #legacy, #brandonlee, #violence, #love, #justice, #transformation, #redemption, #development, #visual, #action, #remake, #cult, #eric, #shelly, #movie, #officialtrailer, #trailer

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The movie Twisters (2024) is a sequel to the famous movie of 1996 which people recall for the exciting action and the scenes of the tornadoes. This sequel reminds of the original movie although the concept is very similar, I would rather like more if they have included part of the original cast and have Helen Hunt play Kate's mother. The movie does not bring up some discussions on global warming and its impacts on the society, does bring more issues on society itself as taking advantage of those who loose their homes during such events, yet does not explore them in detail. The core of tornado chasing is still there but the danger feels different special with all the effects and the actors did a good job at showing some feelings when they had too; it feels more like a world in which extreme weather events are becoming more and more common. The characters in this desperate struggle against the clock and against the twisters, and against their personal problems, move in a world that is very threatening as they try to catch the next tornado to study how they work and how to stop them. Although the film doesn’t concentrate on significant topics, it remains an important and exciting piece of cinema not much because of the drama but more about the action and thrill of what is to get inside one of this beasts of nature.

• IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt12584954/
• Platform: AppleTV+

CONTEXT AND CHARACTERS

On this second chance that Kate has to chase tornadoes, comes in Tyler who joins the conflict, he is the action man who represents the opposite of Javi’s approach, the man who is motivated by the thrill of the chase. Tyler’s group, a small crew of storm chasers with no professional credits to speak of and who are in contrast with Javi’s team bring in a more comic stance as they enjoy their work, same time they risk their life at chasing each tornadoe. This makes them pull and push each other in a very interesting way as they have different ideologies. Kate who is in the middle of the two, now represents the conflict between the professional and the personal, she was born and raise close to the area, always pack with tornadoes since she was a kid, between the desire to succeed as a professional and also safe more life keeping her reputation and honor, this turn out to be the main conflict of the story because Javi got blinded and off the rails when he accept all the funding for his project with the excuse to safe people from the tornadoes at the same time throwing them into the lions den when ever they loose their house and more, letting his investor jump in first hand and buy all this cheap property now.

THEMES

This results in conversations about the climate change and the sense of an emergency when the consequences become visible. Although the film’s script suggests these problems, it does not elaborate on them much and this is probably because there are no proven foundation to the sciences apply on the movie, this production is more of a sci fi film than reality. The implications of increasing storm severity raise questions: In what ways do we interact with the threats that emanate from our shifting environment?. The filmmakers could have taken a more intellectual stance on these issues; however they chose to make the film more humorous and dramatic rather than base it on actual science but I can understand this situation perfectly, after all its a movie not a documentary.

ACTION SEQUENCES AND TWISTERS

CHARACTER RELATIONSHIPS

Javi is an interesting character who helps to develop the plot and provide an opposite image of Tyler but same as almost every other character on this movie has no background and he is just doing his thing, when finally we get to link him with his investor and past all he had to say is he chase storms to safe others when in fact he opens the door for a man to buy land with predatory tactics. There are many aspects from the characters that felt cut off, for example how Kate and Tyler end up the movie together but are they a couple? is she finally leaving her past behind? The entire movie develop around this three character without us knowing much about their past, in a way this might be good because it keeps the story straight to the point making it very simple to understand their present and letting the action scenes steal the show.

I can see many people who end up empty after watching the movie because first there is nothing scientifically proven from it so we can say didn't learn anything new and when it comes to the drama, Kate didn't actually end up with Tyler and Javi have to start from scratch again after he left his team but none of this is shown within the movie.

The movie does felt engaging as when the characters are indecisive as to what side they have to choose, specially in the case of Kate and Javi, although there is no deeper message not even about topics like the environment in the movie, the movie is enjoyable but do not expect it to be more than that, another action movie based on natural disasters that falls a bit flat when it comes to drama and suspense but this time around not because the actors where not as good as needed but in my opinion because the script felt short.

#skiptvads, #inleo, #hive, #sequel, #tornado, #stormchasing, #characters, #nature, #action, #visualeffects, #relationships, #technology, #ambition, #globalwarming, #thrills, #conflict, #redemption, #cinematography, #soundtrack, #nostalgia, #contemporary, #adventure, #healing, #chaos, #spectacle, #science, #drama, #environment

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Lee Daniels famous for his social dramas is going deep dive into the world of horror with his new picture, this movie is based on the story around the experience of a single mother struggling to save her children from both the devil and its demons, it is a story based on real events, it looks to be an interesting movie that combines family drama and elements of horror, considering it has a lot of popularity and increasing on sites like IMDB. The film has a powerful ensemble cast of Andra Day, Glenn Close and Mo Nique which increases the expectation from the movie. This movie is scheduled to be released in theaters before coming to the streaming service, it has already drawn the interest of horror enthusiasts and reviewers online. Due to its incorporation of true story components with horror elements, it is assumed that the film will bring novelty to the subject of possession. The horror genre is a though one, now days there is not much that surprise the audience in terms of the plot when it comes to a possession movie, same old story so it mainly comes down to two factors and that's drama and psychological horror, people are actually not scare of the possession itself anymore although what makes it interesting is how the posses and those around him or her are affected by the ongoing situation. The trailer of the movie does not tell much about it, just a couple of the possession scenes but based on the cast and director it has the chance to be a good watch.

• IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4196566/
• Platform: Netflix
• Release: August 30, 2024

The Story Behind the Scares

As any other adaptation movie it has to distorts some of the facts but does not lose the main idea of the Ammons case based on the description of the film. In the real case there were allegations of children flying, noises and even physical assaults from the spirits, these events were also supported by local authorities and medical persons that made supernatural stories more believable. The film builds up the themes of faith, family and fight against evil forces which are not seen by the human eye.

Cast Brings the Story to Life

Themes and Expectations

#skiptvads, #inleo, #hive, #horror, #possession, #demons, #family, #faith, #supernatural, #exorcism, #motherhood, #trauma, #racism, #resilience, #netflix, #leedaniels, #andraday, #glennclose, #monique, #indiana, #psychological, #truestory, #haunting, #suspense, #cast, #drama, #thriller, #movie, #officialtrailer, #trailer

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To pass the time and enjoy its violence.

Para pasar el rato y disfrutar de su violencia.

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In Hollywood where everyone looks like they are in paradise, a new movie thrills promises to reveal what is behind the glamorous beauty industry. The film titled ‘Skincare,’ to be released in August 2024, will not just be another movie depicting the desire for flawless beauty. It’s the tale of a woman who finds herself immersed in the very competitive sphere of aesthetics and when success is as impermanent as a trend. The movie is based on Hope Goldman, a well known facialist who is near to establishing her line of beauty products, the dreams of a growing business empire are cut short when a competitor sets up a business just across the street. The ensuing narrative of the movie is about some serious attempts at sabotaging and cyber war, along with an individual’s panicky search for the truth of what is real and what is not, everything that starts happening to Hope Goldman. Having Elizabeth Banks on the lead of the movie with a host of other actors, the film promises to give the audience a taste of suspense and social relevance, as the characters try to survive in the world of beauty business, the audience is offered the opportunity to think about the price of the perfect look in the world, where social networks dominate.

• IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt28223926/
• Platform: Theaters
• Release: August 16, 2024

The Suspense Unleash

It appears that they have a business competition like many other companies have, events spiral out of control when Hope is involved in a nasty cyber attack with fake messages and compromising photos are created and shared online, not only the business is in danger but her personal life as well. Hope Goldman played by Anna Kendrick, does not give up and decides to find the real cause with the help of her friend Jordan, played by Lewis Pullman. They both dive down in a situation of mistrust and fear, the idea of victim and perpetrator seems to fade away because the characters are pushing that line further. Hope starts doubting all the people around her and her own actions too. The story develops in Los Angeles, the city that is portrayed as obsessed with the concept of beauty and the outer shell, a cliche in the world of Hollywood.

Making Skincare 2024

Among the production team there is some well known personalities, Jonathan Schwartz and Logan Lerman both act as producers of the film and they possess great experience. The film is produced by Iervolino & Lady Bacardi Entertainment, of which company CEO Iervolino enthusiastically commented that the project had a "good visual concept and massive appeal".

The Well Balance Cast

Jordan is Hope’s friend and accomplice in the investigation, played by Lewis Pullman. Pullman, who has been praised by his performances in "Top Gun: Maverick” and “Catch-22,” is expected to provide that intensity to this supporting role.

Other actors include Michaela Jae Rodriguez from the hit show "Pose".  She hasn’t been confirmed for any character in film but for some reason she does appear on the film profile page on most popular movie review sites, I wonder if this a surprise tactic from production.

Nathan Fillion is also in the cast, although the exact character is not clear at the moment; this is the first time that he and Elizabeth Banks will work together since "Slither" in 2006.

It is unclear as why some of this actors have not been assign a role on the public information of the movie, the overall cast is well recognize and during the trailer I did got that vibe of suspense, drama and impotence from the main character.

Themes and Social Media

#skiptvads, #inleo, #hive, #skincare, #thriller, #beauty, #hollywood, #sabotage, #cyberattack, #aesthetician, #rivalry, #deception, #paranoia, #losangeles, #authenticity, #superficiality, #image, #reputation, #ambition, #elizabethbanks, #austinpeters, #lewispullman, #nathanfillion, #michaelajaerodriguez, #luisgerardomendez, #suspense, #betrayal, #manipulation, #movie, #officialtrailer, #trailer

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The third and what is claimed to be the last film of Ti West’s horror film series is “MaXXXine” released in 2024, with “X” and “Pearl” as its predecessors. Maxine, who was presented in the first part of the series as the only woman who escaped the massacre, became a popular actress in the adult movies, but she has her eyes set on the big screen and tries to get a part in a horror film sequel ‘The Puritan II’. As Maxine tries to make her way into Hollywood, she becomes the target of a killer in a black leather coat and her friends are being killed one by one. The film also connects Maxine’s narrative with that of Theda Bara, a silent film actress and thus explores the topics of identity, ambition, and the price that is paid for celebrity. As a film that is set in the mid 1980s, “MaXXXine” tries to create the atmosphere of the era’s dirty thrillers and giallo films a blend of horror, murder and suspense elements, as well as expose the shadowy side of the American film industry. Although the film is rather glamorous in its story and its approach to style, it fails to truly capitalize on its potential and leaves the audience with more questions than answers considering this is the last installment of the saga. There are movies that are not bad and you can still watch them although it does not met your expectations there for you feel let down, this is MaXXXine for me, very recently same thing happen with A Quiet Place: Day One, not what I was expecting, so here is my opinion about the movie.

• IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt22048412/
• Platform: AppleTV+

Maxine's Ambitions

In the beginning of the movie, Maxine is trying out for the lead part in “The Puritan II,” a horror film that has a possibility of being her ticket to fame, this is seen in her as she works hard in order to be the best performer that she can be, but she is not that lucky, a stranger starts following her and sending her videotapes that bring back memories of her past that she wished to leave behind. This stalker is thought to be the Night Stalker, a real life serial killer who terrorised Los Angeles at the time of the story and who seems to know a lot about Maxine’s past, making her face her past that she is trying to escape from.

Maxine is ambitious and ruthless and one cannot help but compare her to Theda Bara who was a silent film actress who played the role of a vamp. Fox studio that controlled Bara’s image wanted to capitalize on her exotic looks but she was not a typical exotic beauty in real life. In the same way, Maxine has also created for herself a new personality and a new life leaving behind everything she went through to get to where she is. The film links Bara’s and Maxine’s stories to show how far people will go to become famous and the price they pay for it.

The Setting and Style

The film is based on Maxine’s transformation and the environment of Los Angeles with famous places like Hollywood Boulevard and the Universal Studios lot. The movie also has some scenes shot at the Psycho house and the Bates motel, which makes the link stronger with the genre of classic Hollywood horror. MaXXXine is a film that tries to go over the top in terms of style, but it fails to meet the expectations set by the audience and some critics online, I'm on that boat too, many claim that the plot and the setting are not dirty enough to make the intended effect work, when I refer to dirty I'm not talking about sex, I'm talking about how potentially the killer would be and his motives, similar to how the movie 8MM with Nicolas Cage was in terms of how verbally and figurative they explain what they do on this "Snuff" scenes where they higher a slasher to take care of the victim in this case the star of the scene.

Character Development and Performances

The supporting characters are played by several talented actors, one of which is Elizabeth Debicki, who portrays Elizabeth Bender, the director of “The Puritan II. ” while Debicki does a decent job in her role, her dialogue is rather unnatural and at times force, as if the writers relied on improvising to come up with the lines, there are other characters like Michelle Monaghan and Bobby Cannavale who play detectives and Kevin Bacon who plays a private investigator do not enrich the plot line and their acting comes off as exaggerated or poorly developed.

The cast of the film is impressive, but the characters describe in the film are two dimensional and fail to capture the viewers’ interest, most of them felt very flat, I suppose we all were expecting more chaos. The movie is more concerned with the aesthetics and the imagery than the plot and the characters, visually is a movie that does takes you to the 80s but when you are already there the plot does not kicks in and things start to fall apart.

Movie Theme

This is the third horror film directed by Ti West, I would have thought that through time they would polish and refine the product which is a direct continuation of the events of “X” and “Pearl” but is not as successful as the previous films considering Pearl the most out of the three. The attempt at telling a complex story and its attempt at using a visually stylistic approach to boost the plot was probably the perfect recipe to close the trilogy, the film that might have been quite good at some point, yet it is far from being great, I had a lot of curiosity about this movie and the reason why I decide to watch it, I wont say its the worst film I have ever seen but at the best point I fell we were mislead to watch a movie that look great in paper and trailer but that was it, my score is 6/10.

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The Alien series has been one of the major movie franchises in the field of Sci Fi horror for many years, entertaining people with suspense, horror and the main event, aliens. The next part of the movie is planned to be released in August 16, 2024 and will return to the origins of the series but at the same time it will introduce new aspects to the film saga. This new chapter by Fede Alvarez is set as an interquel, this term was new to me but is a film that takes place between two other films; it fills the gap between the first movie "Alien" released in 1979 and the second "Aliens" released in 1986, back then someone ran out of ideas just adding an S at the end. As a result, this latest installment chooses to go back to fundamentals of effects and revive the specific horror of having the aliens stuck in a confined space that was so effective in the first Alien movie. For this very reason I'm so excited about this movie, just waiting for Aliens to jump out from the top, bottom or side panels of the ship, on this post I will try to provide an insight on the plot, cast, production and other features of the new and much anticipated Alien film.

• IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt18412256/
• Platform: Theaters
• Release: August 16, 2024

The Plot: A Return to Terrifying Roots

The plot is based on a girl named Rain Carradine portrayed by Cailee Spaeny and an android named Andy portrayed by David Jonsson, they are the main romantic pairing of the movie and their interactions are the focus of the show, which is about siblings and humans’ connection to artificial intelligence. This element is suppose to enrich the story staple of the Alien threat, as the characters are not only fighting the extraterrestrial menace, but also their relationships and trust. Although, if we were back then during the 80s or 90s I would say its fine and nothing suspicious but with now days how they twist and screw movies with the gender wars this truly makes me wonder if this movie is going to fall under the same trap, lets hope its not the case.

One of the story lines that is quite interesting is the reappearance of the black goo, seen in the "Prometheus" movie, this substance is called the Prometheus Strain here, its been describe that researches in the International Space Station have been testing it as a cure to all diseases and instead they created a bigger menace, that's how on Prometheus (2012) one of the "Engineer" kills himself, but the Engineer drinks the black substance as part of a sacrificial act to seed life on Earth, when the Engineer consumes the black liquid, it causes his body to disintegrate and his DNA is released into the water, triggering a biogenetic chain reaction that leads to the creation of life on the planet..

It also has a connection with the first movie "Alien" in a very unusual manner as it is shown that Weyland Yutani corporation picked up the Xenomorph that was ejected from the Narcissus at the end of the first film and transported it to the Romulus research facility. This connection also brings a corporate element into the film and relates to the continuity of the series theme of corporate maliciousness and the risks of reckless scientific advancement.

The Cast: Fresh Faces in a Familiar Universe

Isabela Merced who portrays the role of Kay is relatively young, but she has a lot of experience acting. She's best known for her titular role in "Dora and the Lost City of Gold" and has appeared in high-profile films like "Transformers: “Transformers: The Last Knight” and “Sicario: Day of the Soldado. ”

The actor who portrays Andy is David Jonsson, who in the current HBO/BBC series “Industry. ” This is one of his first film, however, television work has trained him for this big leap into the blockbusters.

Archie Renaux, whose character specifics are still unknown to the public, has been building up the hype in recent years. He most recently rose to fame playing Malyen Oretsev in the Netflix series ‘Shadow and Bone,’ and has also been seen in ‘Morbius’ and ‘The Greatest Beer Run Ever. ’

Other cast of the movie are Spike Fearn and Aileen Wu in major roles. Fearn has a previous experience in “The Batman” and some other TV shows, while the given movie can be considered as Wu’s major success.

Behind the Scenes: Crafting a New Vision

During the making of the movie Álvarez worked with franchise legends Ridley Scott and James Cameron to show that he respects the series and wants to make a film that will appeal to the fans while introducing the series to new viewers. Scott was heavily involved as a producer offering comments during story development and meetings on the script as well as the last stages of the film.

The production designers also did everything they can to make everything look real and believable to provide the much-needed realism to the sci-fi horror genre. They created practical locations, ships and models and used digital effects mainly for enhancement of practical effects. This process also respects the original movies and, at the same time, gives the actors even better conditions to work in.

Benjamin Wallfisch, an acclaimed composer, who worked for the movies such as “Blade Runner 2049”, “It”, created the orchestral music that enhances the horror theme of the movie, making it more engaging.

Expectations and Anticipation

The practical effects especially with the Xenomorphs and facehuggers have been praised as has been wished upon, hoping to get more realistic and gritty scare, people also like that the film takes place between the “Alien” and “Aliens,” which gives a new angle to the series, very unusual situation.

There have recently been a lot of real life marketing around New York and Theaters with real people showing with facehuggers attach to them, laying around, makes me wonder when they going to show, at least at the theater, someone with an Alien busting through their chest, that would be cool.

However, there are still some doubts because recent Alien movies are not very popular among the audience with only to movies reaching scores over 8 at IMDB and the rest are lower.

The young talented cast is vital for the new continuations of the franchise and a great twist, as they might give good acting performances for both experienced and new spectators. However, the genre experience of Fede Alvarez who directs the film, along with the scriptwriters, some of whom worked in previous films of the franchise, provide some optimism for a movie that would pay respect to the series’ roots and pave its own way.

Until the film is released in cinema, the movie is a strong proof of the relevance of the Alien series and its capacity to transform while maintaining its major motifs of survival, corporate machinism and aliens. I just hope that this movie doesn't flip with a bunch of gender commentary shit, and ruin the potential of this film

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