The fourth episode of the second season takes us to a turning point in the conflict for the right to sit on the Iron Throne, this episode is titled The Red Dragon and The Gold and it is a rollercoaster of events, fighting scenes and emotions. We get to see the dragon fights that we have been longing for and the results are catastrophic

The episode begins with action, specifically fire and destruction, which is a direct result of the previous confrontations at the Targaryen civil war also known as the Dance of the Dragons is in its peak and both sides are suffering. The Red Dragon of Rhaenyra and the Gold of Aegon go head to head in a fight that will be told for centuries to come in the Game of Thrones Universe.

Aemond, Rhaenys and Aegon mount their dragons, Vhagar, Meleys, and Sunfyre respectively and as expected the fight in the sky is furious and fire and blood fall from the sky but at the same time wiping out a lot of the Green's men. The special effects are great, which give the dragons a life like look, in my ipinion without notice CGI problems like on episode 1 when Rhaenyra gets off her dragon. It is not only the visual aspect of the scene the episode what makes this episode special bu also explores the characters’ desires and the psychological impact of the war, on one side Aemond’s ambition, Rhaenys’ determination and Aegon’s desperation are all portrayed in this part which makes the plot quite good. At the end of the episode, the audience is left with more questions than answers, waiting for the next chapter of this great story.

• IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt11198330/
• Platform: MAX

The Battle at Rook's Rest

Aemond’s inexperience as a dragon rider is also seen as he cannot manage Vhagar well, but he is lucky that the massive beast Vhagar is still manage to come on top so who is really in command here?. Rhaenys a more expirience and agyle rider, and she manages to stand her ground against the Vhagar but having to fight two dragons at the same time was too much for her, fighting Aegon she also took some damage despite it was a very short match taking in consideration a direct attack launch by Vhagar while she was holding down Aegon.

A deadly conflict from the start for Rhaenys been outnumber specially when Aemond, tells Vhagar to burn Rhaenys and Aegon with fire, Meleys is mortally injured and Rhaenys is killed when she is thrown from her dragon but not before Aegon fall from the sky with his dragon. I really like the effect of how when dragons hit the ground is basically a bomb exploding. This episode really shows how Aemond wants to be the king as he let Aegon fight first, either waiting for him to be killed or distract Rhaenys so he can attack from behind, same goes when Aemond finds him laying next to Sunfire he takes out his sword and we don't know if he was about to finish him, more questions than answers.

The Aftermath and Political Intrigue

The episode also focuses on the internal conflicts of the characters to some extent. Alicent, who is suffering from the side effects of the moon tea, is left out of the Green Council’s plans more and more, while Criston Cole and Aemond are basically running the show, even Alicent tells Aegon how stupid was of him to send his hand, Otto; away leaving the power to his madman commander.

Aegon is trully starting, well was, starting to show his lack of skills to rule, even Alicent goes a bit rogue when she tells him they were all trying to make him at least half of a good king his father was. This part is totally true, as Aegon spend most of his young life drinking and whoring, Vicerys was a very educated man, most likely raise as a high class Targaryen he was but as he turn older, Rhanyra went away and he was left with the Greens in command, his children with Alicent were not raise the same way as he was or at least not Aegon.

The Tragic Fall of Rhaenys

Rhaenys’ death also plays a significant role in the development of many characters, for Aemond it is a moment of awakening, his actions have dire consequences and he is left to deal with the consequences of his actions and the guilt of having such power, he might not look like so right now but latter on when he is close to death most likely he will. For Rhaenyra, the death of Rhaenys is a big blow that will definitely influence her decisions in the coming events. I really thought that they were sending Rhaenys with another dragon, I though that Baela was going to be send out with her, probably would increase their chances of fighting Vhagar since if the two were there to fight Aegon first it would be an easy short kill and then bring on the big fight.

For Targaryen (Black) fans this episode was not shy to ruin their day, for a small time it did to me, Rhaenys is my favorite female character from the series but I never expected she was going do die in such short time.

Aemond's Rise to Power?

If Aemond gets to the top of the power ladder, Alicent for sure will be left out of the small council, this can be dangerous ofr her. I believe Aemond does not has as much patience or respect as Aegon for her mother. The only men who can stand between Aegon and Aemond now could be Criston Cole, for multiple reasons he has an affect for Alicent and duty to his king Aegon. Criston already stop Aemond to potentially killing Aegon when he was laying on the ground burn out next to his dragon. The kingdom is in turmoil and the possibility of more bloodshed is very rea, now Aemond has to avoid the pitfalls of court politics and at the same time live with the consequences of what he has done.

The Curse of Harrenhal

Alys Rivers, a rather peculiar character is introduced in this episode and she plays a rather important part, she goes on to describe more about the history of Harrenhal and the evil that is associated with the castle. Daemon’s relations with Alys are quite interesting and we see a different angles of Daemon’s personality.

The curse of Harrenhal is an interesting side plot that gives the story a certain atmosphere of dark omen, this lore is integrated into the episode rather well, ading and painting a vivid picture of the world in which the story take place, a big part that was more develop on Game of Thrones but I doubt they will take the time an get off tracks from war to explain the history behind Harrenhal.

Moving into the next episode I would expect both sides to cool down, most likely the Green Army will go back home as a lot of them were killed, collateral damage due to the fight between Vhagar and Meleys, Aemond returns a war hero, Aegon and Sun Fire cripple almost burn out, this for sure will put a hold on Criston and Aemonds war plan.

I'm assuming this things as I have not read the books, giving my opinion from the perspective of a reguar viewer. This is are hard times for anyone backing up Rahenyra but probably a great moment to launch an attack, the big question is what about Daemon and Harrenhal? Criston and Aemond seem to have everything figure out that it was never the best plan to take over Harrenhall.

#skiptvads, #inleo, #hive, #dragons, #battle, #targaryen, #aemond, #rhaenys, #aegon, #vhagar, #meleys, #sunfyre, #rooksrest, #politics, #war, #power, #intrigue, #death, #guilt, #responsibility, #harrenhal, #curse, #daemon, #alys, #green, #council, #struggle, #conflict

Posted Using InLeo Alpha

Amongst the historical dramas it is hard to find a movie which describe properly colonialism, religion and identity organically or say naturally without exaggerating or going to the extreme. This intense story is set in 1830s New Zealand where British settlers and Maori people were struggling for power in the middle of what looks like a civil war. The main character of the film is Thomas Munro a lay preacher who has always been quite enigmatic and the role is played by Guy Pearce. While Munro is trying to find himself and understand the difference between his own culture and the indigenous one, its quite interesting how people in the past and still now days go into this long trips trying to find themself and probably a mining to their life.

Challenged by the scope of the story and the requirements of the historical epic genre, the creative team of director Lee Tamahori, the actors, and the cinematographers had to work hard to create a historically accurate picture of warfare in New Zealand. The result is a well thought exploration of themes that continue to shape our world today, the effect of colonialism to societies, the concept of religion during a period of transition and the battle for ethnic identity. On this film the audience will be taken to arguably a significant times in New Zealand history, they are encouraged to ponder on how the events unfolded in the past may still be felt today.

• IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt20113412/
• Platform: Theaters and Streaming
• Release: July 12, 2024

The Meaning of Conversion

As Munro tries to preach, he gets caught in the violence that characterized the interactions between the indigenous Maori people of New Zealand and the British settlers. From the trailer I can tell they did not sugarcoat the aspects of violence such as colonization and tribal wars giving the audience an explicit view of the period, probably not a movie to let your kids watch. It offers a more complex look at this specific era in history focusing on the shadow of ambiguity of human behavior and the catastrophic effects of fight for power.

I believe the meaning of the title The Convert, points towards the fact that Munro plays the part of a preacher who wants to change people but also at the change that is happening inside Munro. It is not limited to the religious context but also to the cultural aspect and transformation of an individual, issues on the conversion process especially on a personal level.

Production and Authenticity

A lot of effort was put in to ensure that the life in New Zealand in the early 1830s was well portrayed, in every aspect of production from the agricultural aspect to the clothing used to the weapons and transport the team ensured they got it right. It is also interesting to note that the film practices bilingualism by using both Maori and English languages which were appropriate based on the historical period the story was set.

Cast and Performances

There is also a good supporting cast that makes the characters more believable and engaging in the film, with Tioreore Ngatai Melbourne in the role of Rangimai, she has worked in various Maori focused drama series. Some of the other casts are Antonio Te Maioha, Jacqueline McKenzie, Lawrence Makoare and Dean O’Gorman who also have cameos in the movie and have their own powerful performances which add to the overall cast, the supporting cast has work on multiple recognize movie from Lord of The Rings to Spartacus, mostly as warriors there for I expect an exceptional performance from the little I have seen and read so far from this movie.

Critics and Audience Early Reception.

It has been noted my online reviews how the film does a great job at on boarding problems like colonialism, culture and faith as the driving forces of communities, this has been applauded due to the fact that unlike many other movies the intricate aspects of culture and clash between the two regions have been very well balanced and not developing one as entirely evil side of the story while the other is portrayed as completely innocent, as has been the norm in many other movies that were made in the course of the colonial period.

With already 280 votes on IMDB the movie is 7.3/10 and 82% on RTT, probably just too early to consider this numbers as facts but still every other review I could find online praise the movie as it looks very authentic but I'm sure there must be one or two stereotype on the characters that would be easy to identify by any local or some one who knows a bit more about the colonization period and New Zealand culture.

Director Lee Tamahori's Vision

Its been mention that many of the aspects of the film are informative because of Tamahori’s approach and style, a view into the life of the Maori people before the arrival of Europeans changed their lives dramatically, his experience as the director of Maori and British origin makes the story more sensitive to reveal the nature of ethnic relations, this is probably the reason with the most weight he was picked to direct this movie, Tamahori has been on the New Zealand film industry since 1970, that is a lot of local experience to take in consideration.

Even though its not a film with related topics the work they have put to make this film as authentic as possible reminds me film Amistad (1997), also with a lot of religious topics and locals culture, with a similar effect that transport the audience to certain specific period in time of history and makes you wonder many things about peoples culture back then, from their believes, customs and what did they really enjoy doing during those times. The Convert is probably not a film I'm dying to watch but certainly one to enjoy watching with my wife.

#skiptvads, #inleo, #hive, #convert, #newzealand, #colonialism, #maori, #faith, #identity, #conflict, #pearce, #tamahori, #historical, #drama, #culture, #violence, #redemption, #settlers, #tribes, #1830s, #religion, #authenticity, #landscape, #performance, #indigenous, #transformation, #colonization, #warrior, #movie, #officialtrailer, #trailer

Posted Using InLeo Alpha

Hace semanas con el anuncio del estreno de "Godzilla Minus One" en Netflix, decidí ver y reseñar algunas películas protagonizadas por el Rey de los Kaiju, la primera película fue la quinta dentro de la franquicia del Monsterverse, me refiero a "Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire", estrenada en este año; la segunda película es "Shin Godzilla" estrenada en el 2016 que da comienzo a la llamada "Reiwa era" de films producidos por "Toho Studio" y justamente el film recién estrenado en Netflix es parte de esa nueva etapa del titán en el cine y lo cual me ha motivado aún más a verla.

Weeks ago with the announcement of the release of "Godzilla Minus One" on Netflix, I decided to watch and review some movies starring the King of the Kaiju, the first film was the fifth film within the Monsterverse franchise, I mean "Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire", released this year; the second film is "Shin Godzilla" released in 2016 which begins the so-called "Reiwa era" of films produced by "Toho Studio" and precisely the film just released on Netflix is part of that new stage of the titan in cinema and which has motivated me even more to watch it.

No hay duda que "Godzilla Minus One" se convirtió en una de las grandes sorpresas del mundo del cine en último trimestre del pasado año, tanto fue el impacto en diferentes partes del mundo que obtuvo no solo una nominación a los Premios de la Academia, sino que fue premiada por Mejor Efectos Visuales. Este es el trigésimo tercer film producido por Toho Studio el cual usa elementos de la vida real, junto a todo lo que representa a este gigantesco y letal monstruo; la historia de este film se desarrolla a finales de la Segunda Guerra Mundial, en dónde Japón recibió el ataque de tres bombas nucleares por parte de los Estados Unidos, todo eso después de que la nación norteamericana recibió el ataque de kamikaze y justamente uno de esos pilotos quien no realizó tal ataque, tendrá mucha relación con esta historia, ya que diferentes actos, vistos como de cobardía, podrá ser los causantes de otra gran tragedia para la nación del sol naciente, me refiero a otro impactante y destructivo ataque proveniente de una criatura posiblemente creada por la guerra y eso hará que un grupo de sobrevivientes harán lo posible para enfrentar a tan vil enemigo y salvar a su país de una completa destrucción.

There is no doubt that "Godzilla Minus One" became one of the biggest surprises in the world of cinema in the last quarter of last year, so much was the impact in different parts of the world that it obtained not only a nomination for the Academy Awards, but was awarded for Best Visual Effects. This is the thirty-third film produced by Toho Studio which uses elements from real life, along with everything that represents this gigantic and lethal monster; The story of this film takes place at the end of World War II, where Japan received the attack of three nuclear bombs by the United States, all this after the American nation received the kamikaze attack and just one of those pilots who did not make such an attack, will have much to do with this story, since different acts, seen as cowardice, could be the cause of another great tragedy for the nation of the rising sun, I mean another shocking and destructive attack from a creature possibly created by the war and that will make a group of survivors will do their best to confront such a vile enemy and save their country from complete destruction.

Siempre he pensado que los films de Godzilla tienen como característica el enfrentamiento entre la poderosa y monstruosa criatura contra uno o varios personajes que en mi opinión siempre demuestran una obsesión para derrotar a tal enemigo, este último es lo que representa el factor humano en estas historias y lo que personalmente encontraba poco atractivo, pero así como sucede en "Shin Godzilla", en este nuevo film se crea un buen relato, puedo decir que hasta mejor de la película anteriormente citada y es que en vez de dar relevancia a la obsesión de un personaje, se enfoca más en la redención, en cumplir un deber para encontrar paz, ese es un factor motivador importante en esta película.

La dirección, escritura del guion y los efectos visuales corrieron por parte de Takashi Yamazaki; la idea de desarrollar esta historia entre 1945 y 1947 fue adecuada porque explora un momento importante para Japón después de ser duramente golpeado por ataques de bombas nucleares y cuando por fin muestran una mejoría, nuevamente deben enfrentar el terror de la destrucción; justamente eso brinda oportunidad del director en recrear al Japón de esa época, con poco avance tecnológico, ni edificaciones, ni transporte modernos, pero eso no evitó que Yamazaki mostrara grandes escenas de destrucción tanto de una ciudad como las grandes escenas en el mar que me atrevo a decir que mostró influencia del clásico film de Steven Spielberg, me refiero a "JAWS".

I have always thought that Godzilla films are characterized by the confrontation between the powerful and monstrous creature against one or more characters that in my opinion always show an obsession to defeat such enemy, the latter is what represents the human factor in these stories and what I personally found unattractive, but just as it happens in "Shin Godzilla", in this new film a good story is created, I can say that even better than the previously mentioned film and is that instead of giving relevance to the obsession of a character, it focuses more on redemption, in fulfilling a duty to find peace, that is an important motivating factor in this film.

The direction, screenwriting and visual effects were done by Takashi Yamazaki; the idea of developing this story between 1945 and 1947 was appropriate because it explores an important time for Japan after being hit hard by nuclear bomb attacks and when they finally show an improvement, they must again face the terror of destruction; This is exactly what gives the director the opportunity to recreate the Japan of that time, with little technological progress, no modern buildings or transportation, but that did not prevent Yamazaki from showing great scenes of destruction of both a city and the great scenes in the sea that I dare to say showed influence of the classic film by Steven Spielberg, I mean "JAWS".

El diseño de Godzilla es excelente, me gusta esa primera imagen, ese primer diseño más dinámico, pequeño y muy ágil, algo de influencia en el diseño del film norteamericano de 1998, pero respetando algunos aspectos clásicos; el segundo diseño es más parecido a los visto en otros films, pero en ese momento los efectos especiales hacen que Godzilla sea más intimidante, un personaje vil, que disfruta la destrucción que va creando a su paso, eso lo hace no solo un gran antagonista, sino un impresionante personaje. Con respecto a los demás protagonistas, me enfoco en Ryunosuke Kamiki como "Kōichi Shikishima", su historia como un piloto que renuncia a una misión y vive con el trauma causadas por la guerra; la historia de este personaje es sobre una obligada redención, su obsesión es de reponer un daño, saldar una deuda y para hacer eso está en frente un monstruo gigantesco; no diré que no existe la obsesión en el protagonista, pero creo que existe profundidad en la historia.

Godzilla's design is excellent, I like that first image, that first design more dynamic, small and very agile, something of influence in the design of the 1998 American film, but respecting some classic aspects; the second design is more similar to those seen in other films, but at that time the special effects make Godzilla more intimidating, a vile character, who enjoys the destruction he is creating in his path, that makes him not only a great antagonist, but an impressive character. Regarding the other protagonists, I focus on Ryunosuke Kamiki as "Kōichi Shikishima", his story as a pilot who resigns from a mission and lives with the trauma caused by the war; the story of this character is about a forced redemption, his obsession is to restore a damage, pay off a debt and to do that he is in front of a giant monster; I will not say that there is no obsession in the protagonist, but I think there is depth in the story.

Es una lástima que este film no llegara a las salas de cine en Latinoamérica, creo que se perdió una gran experiencia en ver las grandes escenas que provee esta película la cual es una de las mejores que he visto en este año; Godzilla Minus One, es más que un film de un gigantesco y destructivo monstruo, es un film que provee diferentes elementos en las dos horas de duración que tiene esta producción, provee acción, suspenso, terror y un buen drama que junto a todo lo que representa un impresionante uso de efectos especiales, crea un gran film; hay otro factor influyente en esta película y es la música, un aspecto que se pasó nombrar al hacer la reseña de Shin Godzilla, pero la música crea un ambiente impresionante al momento en que Godzilla entra en escena. Este film es muy bueno y me pareció genial que Netflix cumpla con la distribución internacional y espero que pronto sea estrenada su versión en Blanco y Negro, lo cual espero que sea igual de intrigante e impactante.

It is a shame that this film did not reach the theaters in Latin America, I think you missed a great experience in seeing the great scenes that provides this film which is one of the best I've seen this year; Godzilla Minus One, is more than a film of a gigantic and destructive monster, it is a film that provides different elements in the two hours of duration that this production has, it provides action, suspense, terror and a good drama that together with all that represents an impressive use of special effects, creates a great film; there is another influential factor in this film and it is the music, an aspect that was not mentioned in the review of Shin Godzilla, but the music creates an impressive atmosphere at the moment that Godzilla enters the scene. This film is very good and I thought it was great that Netflix delivers on the international distribution and I look forward to the release of its Black and White version soon, which I hope will be just as intriguing and impactful.

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

Posted Using InLeo Alpha

Review

☢️ Rated - Clasificación: PG-13 
🎭 Genre - Género: Intrigue | Horror | Sci-Fi | Suspense 
😜 Original language - Idioma original: Spanish
🎥 Director: Alejandro Hidalgo

📅 Release date - Fecha de estreno: 2013
🎬 Running time - Duración: 91 min.
✍️ My score -  Mi puntaje: 9 to 10

Posted Using InLeo Alpha

Lumina is a science fiction/horror movie following the life of Alex who finds himself in a very unpleasant situation when his girlfriend Tatiana vanishes in a burst of light, confuse and consumed by grief and anger, Alex sets out on a quest into the unknown with his friends when the authorities fail to provide answers, she just vanish leaving no track behind, making them look like they are probably lying about it and no one taking them serious, they have to go against others opinion. Things get more interesting when they learn that Tatiana might have been moved to a Deep Underground Military Base (DUMB) and that she might have interacted with extraterrestrial entities.

The story of this movie goes around the desire to explore what lies beyond, as well as people’s willingness to do anything for their family, it also discusses aspects like the secret actions of the government and possible outcomes when people meet or discover something beyond the comprehension of the human mind. Directed by Andre Zino with the cast such as Eric Roberts, Andrea Tivadar, Sidney Nicole Rogers, and Ken Lawson, the movie target to create realistic and meaningful performances.

Although my first impression was not so positive, I doubt people would be so interested in Alien abduction now days or in fact Aliens at all considering the two pillars of this niche has been stagnating for the past years, I talk about Predator and Alien, but that does not necessarily mean other Alien movies cant make it out. This movie reminds me a bit of I.S.S where the acting side will be everything, with a plot so simple and no Alien invasion or attack its just Alex and his friends looking for his missing girlfriend so they better put up a real traumatic scenes so the audience can get something interesting out of this movie.

• IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt5636228/
• Platform: Theaters
• Release: July 12, 2024

The Vision Behind the Film

The progression to directing films was marked as McKoy worked on the series America’s Court and moved to feature films, when he started his own business, he was able to establish the Goldove Entertainment Inc. a company that is the front end for multimedia business in music, movies and fashion. McKoy is probably a very creative person coming from the music world with much success as I could find online but on the big screen I can not say that he has really prove himself, when directing a movie there is so much more that can not be capture into just music, basically this is me again taking this movie with caution as the director does not seem to be that seasoned, it all looks like Lumina (2024) is his director debut so take this with a grain of salt.

The Cast and Characters

A balance between experienced personnel and inexperienced young talent

Eric Roberts who acts as Thom has been in the industry for a long time and has acted in more than 700 films and is famous for acting in The Dark Knight and The Expendables, he has been nominated for Golden Globe and Academy Awards, which prove his status as one of the stars of Hollywood, having him in Lumina gives the project credibility and surely helps improve the acting of other cast members.

Emily Hall who plays Cher is a promising actress who has appeared in Loot and Cutman, she also made notable appearances in popular TV series like FBI, some of her popular television series include Most Wanted and Animal Kingdom.

Andrea Tivadar plays Delilah, she is a British actress of Romanian descent; she has performed in London as well as in Barcelona, giving her acting and modeling experience in her performance, I could not find and hard evidence of her working on mayor productions before.

Patricia is played by Sidney Nicole Rogers, who has been performing ever since she was four years old, she has been trained in acting from the American Musical And Dramatic Academy where he pursued a BFA in acting , I'm hoping that with her training and experience will allow her to give a rich and complex performance as the character in Lumina. Last but not the least, Ken Zheng is playing the role of George who is an Indonesian actor and martial artist, he has work on movies like Brush with Danger and Insight, Zheng has some martial arts skills but I'm not sure if that would be relevant for this movie.

Themes and Potential Impact

The Unknown, Government Transparency, Love & Determination

There is also the love Alex has for his girlfriend Tatiana who is abducted, taken away from him in a split second, vanish without knowing where she is, I anyone have to go through such experience its hard and confusing not knowing if she is dead or alive but in reality where she is?. Alex takes this journey to find her starting with her place and finding out what she was into.

Of course there is the government transparency, if you are into conspiracy then this movie takes a bite at it, formulating the conspiracy theory that the Government knew about the Aliens existence and that is how Tatiana got to this information but eventually getting too close.

#skiptvads, #inleo, #hive, #lumina, #scifi, #horror, #aliens, #dumb, #desert, #conspiracy, #government, #abduction, #extraterrestrial, #mystery, #suspense, #gino, #mckoy, #morocco, #pandemic, #cinematography, #love, #loss, #survival, #underground, #military, #base, #laser, #interstellar, #movie, #officialtrailer, #trailer

Posted Using InLeo Alpha

There are already multiple reviews online from screens that recently took place, from the description of some of this reviews I have to say that for 2024 my theory about horror movies has been confirm, directors seem to have scratch out the jump scare scenes, full on gore and went with something more suttle, after all with this style they can have a larger reach and put more eye balls in front of the screen, number go up. Longlegs (2024) has generated significant skepticism among critics and audiences alike. Directed by Osgood Perkins, the film stars Nicolas Cage, Maika Monroe, Alicia Witt, and Blair Underwood, the story follows FBI Agent Lee Harker (Maika Monroe) as she investigates a series of occult-related murders committed by the elusive serial killer known as Longlegs (Nicolas Cage). The case takes a personal turn when Harker discovers a connection between herself and the killer, forcing her to delve deeper into the dark world of the occult to prevent further tragedy.

There has been a lot of hype around this movie making critics and audience skeptic of what they could get out of it, to a certain degree I find the marketing strategy void since there is not much context although keeping the mystery is part of it. For example they never really show Nicolas Cage going at it, they did show some of his work, his victims. Not showing on screen the serial killer keeps the audience in suspense.

A visual and mood aspect has been pointed out as the factors that have made the film seem rather creepy, it has also been pointed out that the film’s themes of occult has also played a part in the movie as well as the attempt to discover the supernatural. Nicolas Cage’s portrayal of Longlegs is incredibly erratic and menacing, which is one of the film’s strong points, while Maika Monroe, who plays Agent Harker, is fragile yet willful.

• IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt23468450/
• Platform: Theaters
• Release: July 12, 2024

Plot

Cast and Crew

Critical Response

The movie has been describe as a pure horror movie that fucks with the audience mind without actually scaring them to death, it has a deeper psychological effect, slowly keeping the suspense similar to what The First Omen (2024) did and turn out a great strategy even though the title of the movie scream supernatural, possession and evil.

Themes

#skiptvads, #inleo, #hive, #horror, #thriller, #occult, #serialkiller, #nicolascage, #maikamonroe, #ozperkins, #fbi, #agent, #murder, #mystery, #suspense, #dark, #creepy, #scary, #satanic, #crime, #investigation, #family, #victims, #ritual, #cult, #evil, #death, #terror, #fear, #movie, #officialtrailer, #trailer

Posted Using InLeo Alpha

When it comes to cinema, there are only a few filmmakers who can provoke and stimulate the viewers time and time again and one of them is Alex Garland. Garland is the director behind a couple of movies that I like and find interesting,  Ex Machina (2014) and Sunshine (2007) where he does not shy away from exploring difficult themes and presenting them in interesting ways but Civil War was just that, a message that probably fall flat. Civil War (2024) is his latest work and I dont mind when a production focus on trying to send a message but my problem with this movie is the marketing was telling a different story. The movie is based in a very trouble North America in the middle of the second Civil War and follows a group of war journalists. The cast features Kirsten Dunst, Wagner Moura, Stephen McKinley Henderson and Cailee Spaeny and is mainly focus on themes of ethics and morality of journalism during war and conflict, if they have sold this from the beginning first would be very interesting at least for me and second at least my perception would not be false advertisement.

The movie does a good job at expressing how people and how journalist specially have to convert the war zone on their own canvas, there is a scene where Lee by Kirsten Dunst teach and explain Jessie by Caillee Spaeny how she has to capture the moment where a group of arm men are shooting each other and one of them gets hurt badly, the man is bleeding out on the floor while she keeps taking pictures, a very dramatic scene. Their main responsibility is to tell the truth instead of their opinion, the reason for this is so their work becomes a warning of things that could happen when there is war.

After the scene that I just describe and considering that the movie is not about War action then I think I paint the perfect picture of what to expect, its always disappointing entering the cinema expecting to watch a movie about certain topic just to find out you got the wrong channel, now you just sitting there probably force to watch whatever comes up on the screen. In terms of online rating I think the only reason why the movie did OK is because Kristen Dunst and Wagner Moura, it barely did a 7/10 between RTT and IMDB. I personally was pissed because they only gave Jesse Plemons like ten minutes of screen time and how almost everything bad that happens during the movie is Jessie's fault.

• IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt17279496/
• Platform: AppleTV+

The Story and Its Setting

The group faces a long road trip where they have to face multiple dangerous situations through the destroyed terrain, armed men, some violent others just business men and even face rouge soldiers who just had enough of the situation.

The movie does a great job at creating this reality where the entire country is upside down, no body in charge and its every men for himself, many reviews have mention that this is not far from happening but I doubt it would that easy as they describe, I think that even though things are harsh right now its far from the conflict shown on the movie. Here is the contradictory part of the movie too, why taking the time to create this scenario and not use it? there is no background information about the war going on, how it started, no battle, the story is based towards the ending of a civil war, leaving the audience with a big cliff hanger.

Characters and Performances

The protagonist Joel portrayed by Wagner Moura is another reason why this movie stay up float, a very ambitious person but at the same time he wants to tell the truth to the audience. His relationship with Lee is rather hostile and they are always trying to front run each other but there is a certain level of professionalism and friendship that keeps them working together. Stephen McKinley Henderson’s Sammy is more of a realist who plays the role of a big brother to the other journalists while at the same time dealing with his own dilemmas, old men with lots of experience but his best moments are over. There is certain harmony between the characters that attempt to create certain balance between the bad marketing, lack of reason for the war happening and Jessie's fuck ups.

Themes and Messages

The most memorable scene of the movie for m e is when the group of journalist end up splitting up on the road mainly due to them trying to loosen up a bit, they end up at the hands of a soldier, role play by Jesse Plemons; who is probably exhausted of the ridiculous war that to a certain extend and it happens in real life, none of them know why did it start, the soldier goes rouge and starts shooting everyone who he thinks is not on the same side of the America he is backing up. This scene really describe the craziness of war, when even soldiers snap, people become objects that you can eliminate at will with a single bullet and then throw them into a hole.

This movie might serve as an example of why we need to at least listen, keep our ear to the ground of whats going on and think further ahead, not necessary let the surrounding of whats going on directly affect us but at least listen. I feel like the movie might make the audience think about the consequences of war but at the same time not giving context of why this war is going on is a flaw that hurts that message indirectly, I think it would be a way more solid movie if at least someone during the movie say Sammy been the oldest one came up explaining why the country is upside down and how everything started. I think its an OK watch, one of those one time watch movies and sadly have to say I was really disappointed but life goes on, I give it a 6.5/10.

#skiptvads, #inleo, #hive, #civilwar, #alexgarland, #kirstendunst, #journalism, #war, #dystopia, #america, #conflict, #ethics, #photography, #chaos, #violence, #reporters, #psychological, #characters, #performances, #themes, #cinematography, #sounddesign, #filmmaking, #storytelling, #division, #polarization, #humanity, #immersion

Posted Using InLeo Alpha

Life is Chaos

La Vida es Caos

The sixth episode of The Acolyte is now out and this episode is filled with plot twists, more action and an exploration of the dark side of the force, this episode also has the title “Teach/Corrupt” and it focuses on the further development of the relations and the motives of the characters since the beginning of the series including now Vernestra Rwoh since she could be the one to fault for all this mess. We witness the characters dealing with their past and allegiance while fighting the constant menace of the dark side, good example is how it seems Osha might join Qimir and probably Mae, twins back together on the dark side?. This episode is full of twists and turns that will leave the a large part of the audience, at least the small audience that still watch the show; in disbelieve that there is no way they ended the episode on such cliff hanger, this is one of the best episodes so far along with episode four and the big light saber fight between Qimir and the Jedi.

• IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt13820376/
• Platform: Disney+

The Seduction of Ohsa

Qimir is very smart and powerful so he has nothing to loose and could just snap Osha neck at any time he wants; he uses indirect approaches that are quite efficient, he does not tell Ohsa a direct lie, but rather leaves out some facts which give a rather negative picture of the Jedi, very sleek of him. He reveal to her that the Jedi have been holding her back and she is capable of much more than what the Jedi have been allowing her to do, makes me wonder if he knows where they came from, I mean the twins. This is in agreement with Ohsa who has always felt like an outcast in the Order and one of the reasons she "left". It actually look too easy but to be hones Osha is not that smart, this seduction turns out successful when Ohsa wears the Cortosis helmet, , this scene is quite intense and a bit creepy, she can't almost see shit with the helmet but probably its  the hole idea, she alone with the Force.

The Mystery of Qimir

The episode suggests that there is some more to Qimir’s relationship with other characters especially Sol, as it is clear that they have a certain conflict and some sort of relation, but it is not completely clear what it is, seem like Qimir remembers Sol but not the other way around, there is some sort of uncompleted story between them creating a thicker layer of suspense making me wonder what else is there to know about them besides Sol keep telling Osha / Mae that he will tell her the truth for the past three episodes now and we yet don't know wtf he is talking about.

The Struggle of Sol

The Theme of Betrayal

The Cliffhanger Ending

#skiptvads, #inleo, #hive, #episode, #ohsa, #qimir, #sol, #jedi, #darkside, #betrayal, #helmet, #seduction, #order, #council, #loyalty, #secrets, #conflict, #emotions, #struggle, #mystery, #characters, #visuals, #musical, #cliffhanger, #relationships, #tension, #backstory, #turningpoint

Posted Using InLeo Alpha

Source

• IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt29685033/
• Platform: Theaters and Streaming
• Release: July 5, 2024

Source

Source

Plot, Setting and Cast

The Mission

Characters and Cast

• Kelsey Grammer assumes the position of General Haskel, which can be consider as the head of the mission or the officer in charge.
• William Moseley is this time describe as "Southern" a soldier and perhaps one of the most significant members of the team of soldiers.
• Joe Anderson plays Smith, who is also a significant character in the undercover operation.
• Others in supporting cast are Pooch Hall as Coolidge and Gilles Marini as Daquin, the members of operatives.

Source

Source

Themes and Moral Dilemmas

The Ethics of Assassination

Source

Source

Historical Context and Accuracy

#skiptvads, #inleo, #hive, #worldwarii, #dday, #assassination, #covert, #resistance, #nazi, #soldiers, #mission, #action, #war, #morality, #duty, #espionage, #combat, #kelseygrammer, #williammoseley, #joeanderson, #france, #germany, #thriller, #drama, #history, #military, #suspense, #ethics, #movie, #officialtrailer, #trailer

Posted Using InLeo Alpha