A Quiet Place Part II opens with one of the best first sequences I have seen in a horror sequel, let me be specific here "sequel" and it basically dares you to say the original did not need a follow up but for the most part it does feel like they did a single movie and split it in two, because that opening alone justifies tells you this, there refrences, the characters, everything about it. You get thrown back to Day One, clever how they mane the last one "Day One", when it all started, when all fell apart, and it is so well executed because it gives you that raw panic nobody saw in the first movie. John Krasinski is back as Lee and we see him walking into a small town general store to grab snacks and right there on the store TV there is a news report talking about some massive disaster and it just kind of washes over everyone in that store like background noise, like we all do most of the time never paying enough attention because who would think that thing overseas is about to land in your backyard in twenty minutes. There is also this small moment where Lee walks past a toy spaceship that feels oddly familiar and then it hits you, because that thing is identical to the one that got his youngest son killed in the first movie and just like that this layer of dread settles over a scene that looks ordinary, honestly I was not expecting things to get ugle this fast. Lee heads over to the baseball game where Marcus is playing and you see Emmett there in the crowd, the whole town hanging out together having a normal afternoon, right up until the sky just breaks open and these monsters start ripping through everything. The production quality on that opening sequence is right where it should be, nothing over the top, CGI looks just on point, watching people run for their lives while these creatures tear through police cars and buildings, seeing Lee sprint to protect his daughter while chaos erupts around him, it answers every question about where these things even came from and confirms they fell straight out of space. What I love most about that opening is how it builds terror without throwing cheap scare tactics at you every five seconds, it just lets the nightmare unfold and trusts you to feel it.

• IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt8332922/
• Platform: PRIME VIDEO

Jumping to the present the story picks up right after the first movie, with the surviving family leaving their damaged and very unsafe farm at this poing, it was rare and disapointing there were not more monsters around either looking for them or dead because on the first movie it shows them cranking the volume and Emily loading the shut gun like they were going to massively kill some monsters. They grab their stuff and start walking these train tracks and you feel the dread building while they basically go into enemy territory unknown for them, the silence just pressing down on everything. The tension goes completely through the roof when Evelyn step on a trip line that sends empty glass bottles crashing everywhere and forces them into a spring no matter if there are or not any monsters around because they already know whats comming, and if that was not bad enough Marcus steps directly into a bear trap and screams his lungs out like nothing else matters, I really thought he was going to pass out from the pain. I am not gonna sugarcoat it, that sequence is one of the most stressful things you can imagine going through such situation, because you know the sound is a death sentence and this kid is literally trapped and screaming, and Evelyn has to shove her newborn into an oxygen box just to so he cant be heard while she try to open the metal jaws off Marcus. A monster spot them, Regan uses her hearing aid feedback to drop it, Evelyn puts a shotgun shell through its head, and the whole thing happens so fast you barely have time to process if all this makes any sense, they had some inconcistencies through the movie but not on this scenes, was just perfect. That entire sequence is the best out of the entire movie, turning one simple stumble into a full life or death sentence in about ninety seconds and it never once feels fake or manufactured. The creature design is top notch, the sound design is incredible and Emily Blunt carries so much damn desperation from a mother protecting her kids in that situation, she is just fantastic in this, no wonder some people think she deserve and award for this two movies.

Comparing this to the original it is pretty obvious the goal was to expand the world but the more they expand it the more you start to miss what made the first one so special. Regan figures out that a repeated broadcast of the song Beyond the Sea is actually a coded signal pointing survivors toward an island, although it makes no sense of why not actually telling people to get on a boat?? was this intentional to keep the population low or keep those other crazy people away?. Emmett goes after Regan and ends up sticking around to help, watching those two move through the landscape together reminded me a lot of Joel and Ellie from The Last of Us and a lot of the golden days of The Walking Dead, that same kind of reluctant guardian and determined young woman energy, walking through overgrown everything and Cillian Murphy is really good here because Emmett is not some warm mentor type, he is just a guy who has barely kept himself alive and resents being pulled back into caring about other people, I mean he throw them away the very first day even with the baby, this guy has been through some traumatic moments. They reach a marina where they get ambushed by this savage group of people living on the docks and there is this deeply disturbing setup with a small girl who has a rope around her neck being used as bait to lure in travelers, I bet they saw Regan and Emmett coming from a mile way to be so damn prepared. Emmett signs Regan to dive, she does and Emmett creates enough chaos and distraction to draw the creatures into the marina, where the group of people who ambush them gets torn apart and one creature sinks after hitting the water, basically the aja moment confirming these things can't swim at all. I got to put this sequence in second place because it gave us something to feel distant from the family drama and create this momentarly side quest, but the dock people subplot raises a hundred questions the movie has zero interest in answering, why don't they create a TV series out of this movies? or is it that others like TWD or TLOU front run them?. The first movie was brilliant because it kept everything on one farm and made every floor board feel like a death sentence, here they keep opening the world up and some of it lands and some of it just feels like a generic survival show instead of the unique monster experience that made the original so damn good.

Now before I end this post I would like to put out some stuff that annoyed me a bit, because there are some choices in the middle section that just feel lazy. After the bear trap disaster a figure watching them through a gun sight pulls them into an abandoned warehouse and it turns out to be Emmett, who we saw at the baseball game. He hides the family inside this huge airtight metal boiler, explains that he lost his kids on Day One and that his wife Nora got sick and her pain made her scream until he had to bring her somewhere so the monsters couldnt hear them and it is sad backstory that explains why this guy is barely holding it together. But then the movie starts making the characters do dumb things just to keep the plot moving, like how is Marcus walking so fast? the oxygen tank problem? Evelyn going out at night? like wth is wrong with this people, this is survival fuck up 101, that is where my patience ran out. Evelyn leaves an injured Marcus completely alone to watch a newborn while she goes scavenging for medical supplies, which is already enough risk but then Marcus does something that made me want to smack the sht out of him. He knows what is out there, he has lived through all of it but he decides to wander around the dark warehouse by himself and ends up stumbling on the rotting body, gets spooked, causes a massive amount of noise and draws a monster right to where the baby is sleeping. It is the exact kind of horror movie writing that makes me crazy, its like the writers are like damn I got the ending and its good but we need something to patch before the ending. Its insane for a character who has survived this long suddenly forgets every survival instinct they have just so the script can manufacture a rescue scene. You sit there watching and going come on man, come on, because it dumbs down all the smart decisions this family made in the first movie and just throws their whole logic out the window, the only excuse is that they are still kids.

#aquietplace, #aquietplaceparttwo, #johnkrasinski, #emilyblunt, #cillianmurphy, #millicentsimmonds, #noahjupe, #horror, #thriller, #alieninvasion, #monstermovie, #postapocalypse, #survival, #scary, #deafrepresentation, #sequel, #movieblog, #filmreview, #cinematography, #sounddesign, #suspense, #tension, #scifi, #creaturefeature, #theatricalrelease

Posted Using INLEO

Book of the Stranger (S6x04)

Airdate: 15 May 2016

Written by: David Benioff & D. B. Weiss Directed by: Daniel Sackheim

Running Time: 58 minutes

The fourth episode of Game of Thrones’ sixth season, Book of the Stranger, arrives as a corrective and a promise. Following the relatively pedestrian, business-like approach of Oathbreaker, which largely served to tie off lingering threads and reposition pieces, this instalment returns to the grand operatic spectacle the series has been oriented towards in its latter seasons. That return is not, however, immediate or total; the episode builds methodically, saving its most pyrotechnic flourish for the final scene, a deliberate structural choice that creates a satisfying narrative crescendo after an hour rich in emotional and strategic manoeuvring.

The episode’s most anticipated moment arrives early: the long-awaited reunion of the Stark siblings. As Jon Snow prepares to depart Castle Black, having abandoned the Night’s Watch, Sansa Stark arrives accompanied by Brienne and Podrick. The encounter is handled with a quiet potency that underscores the show’s evolved priorities. While the ancillary meeting between Brienne and Melisandre is fraught with unspoken accusation (Brienne rightly holds the Red Priestess and Davos responsible for Renly’s murder), the core reunion is stripped of such baggage. Jon and Sansa share a genuine, aching relief at finding family again. The script wisely has Jon explicitly forgive Sansa for her childhood arrogance, a minor but necessary bit of psychological housekeeping that allows their relationship to move forward as a partnership of equals, not a grudging alliance. Sophie Turner and Kit Harington sell the moment with a weary authenticity, though their subsequent, lengthy conversation reminiscing about Winterfell does risk redundancy and a noticeable slowing of pace. Nevertheless, it serves a crucial dramatic purpose: it is, effectively, the first proper conversation these two characters have ever shared on screen, and it lays the groundwork for Sansa’s steely resolve to retake their home. Jon’s post-traumatic apathy—a believable consequence of his death and resurrection—clashes with Sansa’s determined fury, especially after she learns Ramsay holds Rickon. Her declaration that she will act with or without him forces Jon to re-engage, a decision he weighs in a pragmatic council with Tormund, who starkly outlines their military disadvantage: 2,000 wildlings against 5,000 Bolton men.

In Winterfell, Ramsay Bolton continues to exemplify the series’ most chilling brand of villainy. His interrogation of Osha is a great example of cruel dramatic irony. Osha, believing she can use her feminine wiles to get close enough to kill him, attempts a seduction. Ramsay, however, has already extracted every detail of her previous escape from Theon Greyjoy. He knows her capabilities, and rather than playing along, he simply slits her throat. While George R. R. Martin has praised the television version of Osha as superior to his literary creation, her death here, though logically consistent with Ramsay’s character, feels like a sudden and wasteful disposal of a compelling figure, robbing the narrative of her unique perspective and resourcefulness.

The theme of fraught family reunions extends across the sea. Theon Greyjoy arrives on Pyke, a broken man seeking redemption. His offer of support to his sister Yara for the Salt Throne is met with a torrent of deserved scorn for his treachery and weakness. Yet, in Alfie Allen’s pained performance, one senses the first fragile stirrings of Theon’s return to selfhood. In the Vale, another kind of manipulation unfolds as Petyr Baelish, the ultimate political puppeteer, deftly manipulates the immature Lord Robin Arryn and coerces the reluctant Lord Yohn Royce to commit the Knights of the Vale to a campaign in the North—a chess move that will have profound repercussions.

King’s Landing offers a more psychological battlefield. The High Sparrow continues his insidious campaign to break and remake Margaery Tyrell in his own image. By granting her access to her broken brother Loras, he provides both a temptation and a lesson. Natalie Dormer is excellent here, showing Margaery’s calculation as she encourages Loras to endure, even as she seemingly begins to parrot the Sparrow’s teachings. The title of the episode, “Book of the Stranger”, is derived from a text within the Faith’s Seven-Pointed Star, which Margaery has memorised during her captivity and quotes to the High Sparrow. This intellectual submission horrifies the Tyrells, who, upon hearing Margaery may face a Walk of Atonement, contemplate a desperate alliance with their erstwhile enemy, Cersei Lannister, to launch a military strike against the Faith Militant.

In Meereen, Tyrion Lannister grapples with the grim realities of governance. His negotiated compromise with the slavers of Yunkai, Astapor, and Volantis—a seven-year gradual abolition with financial compensation—is manifestation of realpolitik. It is also morally repugnant to idealists like Missandei and Grey Worm. Tyrion, acutely aware of his own physical and charismatic limitations, defends the plan with pragmatic coldness: outright abolition would trigger a war they cannot win. The historical parallel to Abraham Lincoln’s conflicts with the Radical Republicans during the American Civil War is somewhat heavy-handed but fits neatly into the morally ambiguous world of the series. It presents Tyrion not as a heroic liberator but as a capable, if morally compromised, administrator, a fascinating evolution for the character.

The episode’s narrative engine, however, is its triumphant finale in Vaes Dothrak. Jorah Mormont and Daario Naharis track Daenerys to the Dothraki holy city and, posing as merchants, make contact with her and a sympathetic khaleesi, Ornela (Hannah John-Kamen). They offer a conventional rescue, but Daenerys, having spent her captivity observing and planning, reveals a grander ambition. Brought before the gathering of khals in the Temple of the Dosh Khaleen, she is defiant. When the khals respond to her confidence with threats of rape and violence, she executes a plan of breathtaking audacity. Touching a burning brazier without flinching, she topples it and sets the wooden structure ablaze, immolating the khals within. She then emerges from the inferno, nude and utterly unharmed, before a stunned populace who immediately kneel in submission. This is the grand spectacle the episode has been promising, a visceral, cathartic release of pent-up narrative energy.

The scene is a deliberate homage to Daenerys’s emergence from the funeral pyre in Season 1, but director Daniel Sackheim reportedly infused it with a visual nod to Fritz Lang’s silent epic Die Nibelungen, which ended with similar images. It is also a scene laden with meta-textual significance. Daenerys’s conquest of the hyper-masculine Dothraki society was, at the time, often interpreted through a feminist lens, reflecting the showrunners’ stated progressive aims and coinciding with a US election campaign widely expected to result in Hillary Clinton’s presidency. The scene is also notable for Emilia Clarke’s return to full nudity. Persistent rumours that she had a no-nudity clause led many to assume a body double was used. Clarke, however, publicly and emphatically quashed these rumours, clarifying that while she refused gratuitous nudity, this scene was integral to the story and that she performed it herself. The filming logistics, split between a closed set in Belfast for close-ups and a large-scale set in Spain for wide shots, created minor lighting inconsistencies that fuelled the double speculation, but the actor’s confirmation is definitive.

Book of the Stranger is an episode fascinating for its parallel reunions of three sibling pairs: Sansa and Jon, Theon and Yara, and Margaery and Loras. Each reunion examines a different facet of familial loyalty under extreme duress. Critically, the script, while continuing the season’s practice of deliberate plot advancement, is remarkably coherent; characters act with intelligence and rationality, their choices flowing logically from their established personalities and immediate circumstances. This internal consistency is a hallmark of the episode’s strength.

The episode was met with widespread critical acclaim. Ultimately, Book of the Stranger works because it balances its intimate character work—the quiet pain of Jon Snow, the calculated resilience of Margaery, the pragmatic cynicism of Tyrion—with a finale of uncompromising, fiery spectacle. It demonstrates that even in its later seasons, Game of Thrones could deliver both emotional depth and the kind of iconic, visually stunning moments upon which its reputation was built.

RATING: 7/10 (+++)

==

Blog in Croatian https://draxblog.com Blog in English https://draxreview.wordpress.com/ InLeo blog https://inleo.io/@drax.leo Substack https://draxster.substack.com

LeoDex: https://leodex.io/?ref=drax InLeo: https://inleo.io/signup?referral=drax.leo Hiveonboard: https://hiveonboard.com?ref=drax Rising Star game: https://www.risingstargame.com?referrer=drax 1Inch: https://1inch.exchange/#/r/0x83823d8CCB74F828148258BB4457642124b1328e

BTC donations: 1EWxiMiP6iiG9rger3NuUSd6HByaxQWafG ETH donations: 0xB305F144323b99e6f8b1d66f5D7DE78B498C32A7 BCH donations: qpvxw0jax79lhmvlgcldkzpqanf03r9cjv8y6gtmk9

Hello film lovers, /Bonjour les cinéphiles,

We’re on Netflix to watch this Danish comedy-drama, which runs for an hour and a half.

We wanted to watch something light-hearted and not too long, as we had to get up early the next day. I’d added it to my list when it was released on the platform because I love Tuscany.

Nous sommes sur Netflix pour regarder cette comédie dramatique danoise, d'une durée d'1h30.

Nous voulions regarder quelque chose de léger et pas trop long, puisque nous devions nous lever tôt le lendemain. Je l'avais sélectionné pour le mettre dans ma liste, à sa sortie sur la plateforme, parce que j'aime la Toscane.

Source Film Poster /Affiche du film

Synopsis :

Theo Dahl is a Michelin-starred chef of renown in Denmark. He wants to open a new restaurant, and to do so he must convince a major investor to put their trust in him, thanks to his gourmet cuisine.

The day before the investor’s visit, Theo receives a letter from an Italian lawyer informing him that his father, who recently passed away in Tuscany, has left him the inn and restaurant where he lived, along with the entire estate surrounding it.

Theo had been resentful towards his father ever since his parents separated. The news of his father’s death upsets him more than he would like, and his behaviour suffers as a result.

He decides to travel to Tuscany to sort out the paperwork so he can sell the property as quickly as possible and use the proceeds to launch his new restaurant.

But he hadn’t reckoned with the charm of Tuscany and its people.

Theo Dahl est un chef de cuisine étoilé et réputé au Danemark. Il souhaite ouvrir un nouveau restaurant, et pour cela il doit convaincre un gros investisseur de lui faire confiance, grâce à sa cuisine gastronomique.

La veille de la visite de l'investisseur, Theo reçoit un courrier d'un avocat italien, lui annonçant que son père, récemment décédé en Toscane, lui lègue l'auberge-restaurant où il vivait, avec tout le domaine autour.

Theo en voulait à son père depuis que ses parents s'étaient séparés. La nouvelle de ce décès le perturbe plus qu'il ne le voudrait et son comportement en subit les conséquences.

Il se décide à aller sur place, en Toscane, pour régler les documents en vue de vendre cette propriété au plus vite et utiliser l'argent de la vente pour lancer son nouveau restaurant.

C'était sans compter sur le charme de la Toscane et de ses habitants.

My opinion and a few facts /Mon avis et petites infos :

It’s not often we watch a Danish film set so far south of Scandinavia.

It’s a pleasant film, even if we could guess the outcome of the story fairly quickly.

The beautiful scenery, the delicious local cuisine and the warm hospitality add a subtle touch to the story.

I really enjoyed this film; it’s nothing exceptional, but I had a good time watching it.

What about you?

Enjoy your evenings in front of the telly, and see you soon,

Ce n'est pas souvent que nous regardons un film danois qui se passe bien plus au Sud que la Scandinavie.

C'est un film sympathique, même si nous pouvions deviner l'issue de l'histoire assez rapidement.

Les beaux paysages, la bonne cuisine locale et l'hospitalité agrémentent l'histoire, discrètement.

J'ai bien aimé ce film, il n'a rien d'exceptionnel, mais j'ai passé un bon moment.

Et vous ?

Bonnes soirées-tv et à bientôt,

Florence

Source photo : image Qwant autorisée

I used Deepl Translator to translate French into English

Proud member of the Principality of Bastion

**

Hola amigos, buenas vibras para todos.

Hello friends, good vibes to all.

Source!

This year has seen a significant resurgence in the horror genre. That's often said when a couple of decent films come out, but the truth is that in 2026 we've seen more than a few worthwhile movies, especially for their innovative approach and because they come from a completely new generation of horror films. Today we're talking about Hokum, a film directed by Damian McCarthy, a filmmaker I haven't heard much about but who specializes in horror, obviously, and starring Adam Scott, the same actor from Severance. I had heard good things about this film, but the truth is it ended up being even better than expected—I'll tell you that much.

We have Ohm Bauman, a writer, suddenly a little frustrated, stuck trying to finish a trilogy. One night, while trying to figure out how to complete his book, he has a paranormal experience with his mother's spirit, which compels him to do something he's perhaps been putting off: scatter her ashes. In response to this manifestation, he decides to go to the place where his mother was once happy, an old inn/hotel in the most remote part of Ireland. When he arrives, he discovers some rather peculiar characters who begin telling him supernatural stories, especially one that takes place within the inn itself. Ohm's skepticism is a central theme of this story and significantly shapes his personality.

Source!

Source!

Things take a truly bizarre turn when one of the hotel employees disappears, sparking suspicion, intrigue, and suspense about what might have happened to them. The story goes that a witch lives in one of the rooms, and she's the source of all the strange activity some people are talking about, which they cite as a possible cause of the disappearance. From here, the plot thickens. What makes this film truly great is that it excels on several fronts: Ohm's personality is incredibly cynical; he's a bitter and pedantic guy, and although it might seem contradictory, this adds a touch of humor to the story because his interactions with him are pure gold. Secondly, in addition to being a horror film, it delves into the detective aspect, searching for clues and answers, which is really cool.

Besides the fact that there's a specific part of the film where the protagonist seems to be in an escape room trying to figure out how to solve the puzzle, if we add the fear/horror factor, the combination is top-notch. And lastly, there's the supernatural element, which is very present because, yes, there's something paranormal about that place. When you combine all of this, the result is spectacular. The horror scenes are very well done, the jump scares are very effective, and the images that evoke horror can truly generate fear. I also think that the atmosphere throughout the film is unsettling; you know that something is happening, or worse, you know that there's something strange always watching.

Source!

Source!

Anyway, I know it won't be the best horror film of the year, because there are others generating a lot of buzz, but it's a very good one and deserves to be seen. It has everything to be considered a good horror film. I give it 8/10. Adam Scott's performance is top-notch, and the backstory of his character and everything he ends up experiencing on a personal level with past traumas make for a pretty decent ending. I'll leave the trailer here for you to check out.

Source!

***

Bueno mi gente por hoy es todo, espero que les haya gustado. ¡Un abrazo a todos, nos vemos en la próxima!

Well folks, that's all for today. I hope you enjoyed it. ¡Hugs to everyone, see you next time!

Oathbreaker (S6x03)

Airdate: 8 May 2016

Written by: David Benioff & D. B. Weiss Directed by: Daniel Sackheim

Running Time: 52 minutes

With the third episode of its sixth season, Game of Thrones returns, at least temporarily, to its regular narrative routine. After the shocking reveals of the first two episodes, Oathbreaker opts for a more measured, chess-piece-moving approach. It forgoes the practice of shock for shock’s sake that had begun to feel like a crutch, instead settling into a slightly slower, more deliberate pace across the vast canvas of Westeros and beyond. This is an episode of consequences and set-up, dealing with the fallout of one major event while carefully positioning characters for the conflicts to come. It is a competent, often engaging instalment, yet one that ultimately feels like a necessary, if unspectacular, piece of connective tissue.

The episode begins with a cold, business-like efficiency that sets its tone. In a structural choice that prioritises resolution over mystery, it opens with the storyline that might logically have closed the previous episode: the immediate aftermath of Jon Snow’s return from the dead. Ser Davos is relieved, Melisandre is existentially shaken—her faith validated yet confronted with Jon’s grim, nihilistic report of an afterlife containing “nothing.” The show smartly sidesteps prolonged mystical wonder, focusing instead on Jon’s visceral, lived experience. His priority is the world of the living, specifically the men who murdered him. The subsequent hanging of Alliser Thorne, Olly, and the other conspirators is handled with a stark, unmelodramatic brutality. Director Daniel Sackheim presents the distorted, grimacing faces of the hanged not for cheap shock, but as a harsh, visceral piece of Castle Black business. Jon’s disgust is palpable; his decision to discard his Lord Commander’s cloak, declare “my watch is ended,” and walk away feels less like triumphant liberation and more like a weary, necessary abdication. It’s a key plot movement, but the episode treats it as procedural, denying it a triumphant musical swell.

This business-like approach extends to what could have been the season’s most devastating plot development. In Winterfell, Ramsay Bolton, consolidating power after patricide, is met by Lord Smalljon Umber. In a significant departure from George R.R. Martin’s source material, where the Umbers remained staunch Stark loyalists and Smalljon died heroically at the Red Wedding, the show presents him as a pragmatic turncoat. Fearful of the wildling army Jon has unleashed, he betrays the Starks, offering Ramsay the ultimate bargaining chip: Osha and Rickon Stark. The transaction is chilling in its lack of ceremony. There are no grand speeches about loyalty or honour, just a brutal calculus of power and survival. It’s a simplification of Northern politics that serves the show’s streamlined narrative, even if it rankles purists by rewriting a character’s honourable end into opportunistic treachery.

In King’s Landing, the machinations are quieter but no less significant. Cersei, realising she and the Tyrells share the common enemy of the Sparrows, attempts to reforge their alliance. Yet Lady Olenna, wiser and more vindictive, mirrors Kevan Lannister’s boycott of the Small Council, leaving Cersei isolated. Meanwhile, King Tommen’s feeble attempt to command the High Sparrow—to allow his mother to visit Myrcella’s tomb—backfires spectacularly. The High Sparrow masterfully manipulates the weak-willed boy, using faux humility and twisted theology to begin turning him into a weapon against his own family.

The episode’s relatively leisurely pace allows for moments of quieter character work. Samwell Tarly’s voyage to Oldtown with Gilly and her son provides a respite. His anxious explanation that the Citadel forbids women, and his hope that his mother might shelter them, is a small, human-scale dilemma amidst the grand politics. Similarly, in Essos, the plot advances without major surprises. Daenerys, hauled before the dosh khaleen in Vaes Dothrak, is stripped of her grand titles and reminded she is just another widowed khaleesi. In Meereen, Varys—his King’s Landing network of “little birds” now pilfered by Qyburn—demonstrates his enduring skill, brutally extracting information about the masters funding the Sons of the Harpy. In Braavos, Arya Stark is rewarded for learning to fight blind by having her sight restored by Jaqen H’ghar, a milestone that feels earned but predictable.

It is this unhurried pace that permits the episode’s centrepiece: another of Bran’s visions, guided by the Three-Eyed Raven. The journey to the Tower of Joy is not just fan service; it is vital historical exposition. We witness the skirmish that ended Robert’s Rebellion, with a young Ned Stark (Robert Aramayo) facing the legendary Kingsguard. The combat is superbly choreographed, particularly the fluid, two-sword style of Ser Arthur Dayne. The revelation is twofold and brilliantly executed: first, that the noble Ser Arthur was not bested in fair fight but was stabbed in the back by a wounded Howland Reed; second, and more tantalisingly, the scream of a woman from the tower—almost certainly Lyanna Stark. Brynden Rivers’s abrupt termination of the vision, denying Bran (and the audience) confirmation, is a classic Thrones move, trading a shocking reveal for deepening mystery. This sequence is the episode’s high point, a perfectly realised blend of action, myth-busting, and narrative promise.

Yet, for all these competent moves, Oathbreaker is not a particularly memorable episode. Its business-like nature verges on perfunctory. It simplifies complex plots—leaving the fates of other Castle Black conspirators curiously unaddressed—and makes bold, sometimes jarring, departures from the source material, as with Smalljon Umber. Jon Snow’s resurrection, so heavily hyped, feels anti-climactic. Despite Sackheim’s clear visual nod to Renaissance depictions of Christ in Jon’s nude, vulnerable awakening, the moment is drained of awe by its swift movement into pragmatic aftermath. The hanging, while visceral, feels like an expected conclusion rather than a gripping dramatic beat.

Daniel Sackheim’s direction is assured, finding a crisp, unflinching rhythm. The Tower of Joy sequence alone is a testament to the show’s production values when focused on meaningful history. However, direction cannot compensate for a script that is primarily moving pieces into place. In the end, * Oathbreaker* is a better, more coherent episode than the two that preceded it in Season Six. It re-engages with the patient, geopolitical storytelling that once defined the series. But as a merely solid piece of television, it ultimately fails to reach the exhilarating heights of narrative ambition and shocking, yet earned, payoff that made Game of Thrones a cultural phenomenon in its first five seasons.

RATING: 6/10 (++)

==

Blog in Croatian https://draxblog.com Blog in English https://draxreview.wordpress.com/ InLeo blog https://inleo.io/@drax.leo Substack https://draxster.substack.com

LeoDex: https://leodex.io/?ref=drax InLeo: https://inleo.io/signup?referral=drax.leo Hiveonboard: https://hiveonboard.com?ref=drax Rising Star game: https://www.risingstargame.com?referrer=drax 1Inch: https://1inch.exchange/#/r/0x83823d8CCB74F828148258BB4457642124b1328e

BTC donations: 1EWxiMiP6iiG9rger3NuUSd6HByaxQWafG ETH donations: 0xB305F144323b99e6f8b1d66f5D7DE78B498C32A7 BCH donations: qpvxw0jax79lhmvlgcldkzpqanf03r9cjv8y6gtmk9

Fuente

Fuente

Fuente

Fuente

Mangaka Puni-Chan, género fantasía, isekai inverso, romance y recuentos de la vida, estudio de animación Studio Deen.

ENGLISH

Source

Source

Source

Source

Mangaka Puni-Chan, fantasy genre, reverse isekai, romance and slice of life, animation studio Studio Deen.

Translated Using Deepl

Portada diseñada por mi en el editor de Canva

Ambar es una chica recién llegada de México a la ciudad de Cleveland, Usa, ella no tiene documentos así que hace lo posible por conseguirlos mientras trabaja en una fábrica, de esta manera llega a una vieja casona victoriana regentada por un hombre medio extraño que dividió las habitaciones en departamentos, a Ambar n le gusta mucho pero al menos el lugar es barato, sin embargo poco a poco ella va percibiendo cosas que no están bien: gritos, visiones extrañas, inquilinas que de pronto desaparecen, en fin, pero todo cambia cuando ella descubre una caja de piedra que el dueño de la propiedad y su hermano mantenían oculta en el sótano.

No sé si quisieron darle un sentido más filosófico a la película, representando en esa deidad o ente azteca, todo el sistema de abuso que vive la protagonista desde que emigró (explotación laboral) pero lo que molesta es que al inicio le estaban dando un enfoque a la película, haciéndonos creer que se trataba de fantasmas y apariciones, pero después, sin dejar el terreno paranormal, nos salen con una criatura que en realidad se trata de una deidad azteca (que demás está decir n corresponde con el entorno geográfico)

Pero a ver, no todo estuvo mal con esta película porque realmente puedo decir que al inicio tuvo un buen manejo del terror, una excelente fotografía que reflejaba los sentimientos encontrados de la protagonista (esa extraña mezcla entre un sentimiento de superación pero también la culpa por haberlo dejado todo atrás) las actuaciones estuvieron a la altura y cada actor transmitió muy bien las emociones de sus personajes.

Pero tal como dije, hoy en día cuando voy a consumir cine de terror ya n tengo las mismas expectativas de antes, pero en fin esta es solo mi opinión, gracias por dejarme compartirla con ustedes .

Imagen diseñada por mi en el editor de Canva.

Tapestry (S06E15)

Airdate: 15 February 1993

Written by: Ronald D. Moore Directed by: Les Landau

Running Time: 46 minutes

As Star Trek: The Next Generation entered its penultimate season, it had firmly established itself as a television phenomenon of remarkable consistency. Even at this advanced stage, the series maintained a high calibre of storytelling, possessing the alchemical ability to transform concepts that, on paper, appeared derivative or gimmicky into episodes that felt genuinely fresh and innovative upon viewing. A quintessential example of this alchemy is Tapestry, an episode that takes a well-worn narrative template and, through intelligent character work and thematic depth, weaves it into one of the most poignant and defining chapters of Captain Jean-Luc Picard’s journey.

The episode commences with a medical crisis aboard the USS Enterprise-D. Following an away team emergency, Captain Picard is brought to sickbay after being attacked by Lenarians during a diplomatic mission. His artificial heart has failed, sending him into cardiac arrest. As Dr. Crusher fights desperately to save him, Picard’s consciousness departs—he awakens surrounded by a blinding white light, met by the omnipotent, mischievous Q. With characteristic theatricality, Q informs Picard that he has died and that this non-denominational limbo is his afterlife. The premise is immediately engaging, leveraging Q’s unique relationship with Picard to frame a deeply personal morality tale.

Q proceeds to explain the ironic causality of Picard’s demise: he would have survived the Lenarian attack had he still possessed his natural heart. That organ was replaced decades earlier after being pierced by a Nausicaan’s blade during a foolish bar fight in his youth. Picard, who has always carried the shame of that reckless incident, confesses that given the chance, he would alter that moment. Ever the trickster-genie, Q gleefully grants the wish, transporting Picard back to the year 2327. Here, we encounter a young Jean-Luc, freshly graduated from Starfleet Academy and carousing with his two closest friends, Cortan “Corey” Zweller (Ned Vaughn) and Marta Batanides (J. C. Brandy). This brash, irresponsible youth is a stark contrast to the measured captain we know; he is all swagger and poor judgement, pursuing casual flings with numerous women while harbouring unacknowledged feelings for Marta.

Armed with foreknowledge, Picard attempts to re-weave the threads of his past. He consciously avoids the aggressive posturing that led to the fight, but his interventions create new, unintended tears in the social fabric. In a bid to seize a moment he originally let pass, he sleeps with Marta. The act is immediately followed by mutual regret, both aware they have irrevocably damaged a cherished, long-standing friendship. Furthermore, when Corey becomes embroiled in a conflict with Nausicaans over a rigged game of dom-jot—the very dispute that sparked the original fatal fight—Picard chooses pacifism and retreat. His friends, expecting solidarity and courage, are disgusted by his apparent cowardice and shun him. His attempt to erase a mistake merely creates a different, more profound set of failures.

Q then returns Picard to the present, but to an alternate timeline shaped by his cautious choices. He finds himself aboard the Enterprise, but not in the captain’s chair. He is a Lieutenant Junior Grade, a lowly officer subordinated to the likes of La Forge, Worf, and even the colleagues who once reported to him. In a quietly devastating scene, he discusses his career prospects with Commander Riker and Counsellor Troi. They tactfully inform him that he has a reputation as a solid, dependable, but profoundly overcautious and unimaginative officer—a man who never takes risks, never excels, and consequently has never earned promotion. The life of safety he envisioned has yielded a career of sterile mediocrity. The horror for Picard is not the hardship, but the utter insignificance.

Confronted with this bleak existence, Picard makes his final choice. He begs Q to return him to the pivotal moment, this time allowing events to unfold as they originally did. The bar fight is relived in all its brutal glory, culminating with the Nausicaan’s blade plunging into his chest. The old Picard does the same thing remembers his younger self did: he laughs. It is a laugh of defiance and realisation, acknowledging the absurdity of the situation his own arrogance created. This time, the laugh is the endpoint. Picard awakens in sickbay, where Dr. Crusher informs him they have revived him. In the closing scene, a contemplative Picard shares the story with Riker, articulating the episode’s central thesis: that our youthful follies and scars are not blemishes to be erased, but essential threads in the tapestry of a life. Without them, the entire fabric unravels.

The episode’s considerable power is underpinned by superb craftsmanship. It was written by Ronald D. Moore, who would become one of Star Trek’s most celebrated auteurs. His script smartly borrows its basic premise from Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol (a concept later popularised in It’s a Wonderful Life), with Q serving as a composite of the visiting ghosts—a credible, science-fictional mechanism for a tour of past, present, and possible future. This derivative foundation is not a weakness but a springboard, allowing the narrative to focus on profound character psychology rather than plot mechanics.

“Tapestry” also performs a remarkable act of narrative salvage, heavily relying on the much-maligned second-season episode Samaritan Snare. That episode is “undeniably one of the least respected” instalments, often criticised for its idiot plot and contrivances. However, it served a crucial function: it established the canonical lore of Picard’s artificial heart and the Nausicaan attack. Tapestry seizes upon this brief anecdote and transforms it into a rich, psychological cornerstone. Under the assured direction of Les Landau (who also directed Samaritan Snare), the incident is reconstructed with brilliant efficiency—first in the stylised, white-light “afterlife” with Marcus Nash playing the young Picard, and then in the gritty, authentic bar where Patrick Stewart himself portrays his younger self with captivating physicality. This double reconstruction elevates the incident from backstory to mythos.

The episode is not without its moments of levity. A darkly humorous and memorably awkward scene sees Picard wake up after his tryst with Marta only to find Q perched casually on the end of the bed, offering wry commentary like a supernatural chaperone. It is one of Season Six’s more delightfully bizarre moments. Furthermore, the production values are typically high. The bar set is richly detailed, the dom-jot game feels like a credible alien pastime, and the well-choreographed brawl has a visceral impact. The Nausicaans, previously only discussed, are finally realised on screen as hulking aliens—a distinctive design, even if some critics have noted a passing resemblance to the cinematic Predator.

At the end of the day, Tapestry is a testament to Star Trek: The Next Generation’s ability to deliver material of the highest quality even in its later seasons. It achieves the remarkable feat of deepening a character who seemed fully formed, revealing that the impeccable Captain Picard was forged in the fires of his own imperfect, reckless past. This achievement is all the more impressive given the episode’s openly derivative structure and its deliberate choice to build upon a mediocre, poorly-regarded predecessor like “Samaritan Snare.” It does not simply reference that episode; it redeems its narrative potential, spinning narrative straw into thematic gold. Tapestry argues that our mistakes define us. In doing so, it itself becomes a near-flawless demonstration of how a great series can learn from its own minor stumbles to create something enduring and profound.

RATING: 8/10 (+++)

Blog in Croatian https://draxblog.com Blog in English https://draxreview.wordpress.com/ InLeo blog https://inleo.io/@drax.leo Substack https://draxster.substack.com

LeoDex: https://leodex.io/?ref=drax InLeo: https://inleo.io/signup?referral=drax.leo Hiveonboard: https://hiveonboard.com?ref=drax 1Inch: https://1inch.exchange/#/r/0x83823d8CCB74F828148258BB4457642124b1328e

BTC donations: 1EWxiMiP6iiG9rger3NuUSd6HByaxQWafG ETH donations: 0xB305F144323b99e6f8b1d66f5D7DE78B498C32A7 BCH donations: qpvxw0jax79lhmvlgcldkzpqanf03r9cjv8y6gtmk9

Following the massive success of Die Hard, it was only a matter of time before John McClane returned for another adventure. Released in 1990, Die Hard 2 had the difficult task of following one of the greatest action films ever made. While it may not quite reach the legendary status of the original, it is still an excellent action movie that delivers suspense, excitement, and plenty of memorable moments.

The film was directed by Renny Harlin, who brought a slightly bigger and more explosive style to the franchise. Harlin understood what audiences wanted from a Die Hard sequel and delivered larger action sequences while keeping John McClane at the center of the story. The result is a film that feels familiar while still offering enough new ideas to stand on its own.

Bruce Willis returns as John McClane, the wisecracking New York police officer who somehow manages to find trouble wherever he goes. This time, McClane is waiting at Washington Dulles International Airport during a snowstorm while expecting the arrival of his wife Holly. Naturally, things do not go according to plan.

Bonnie Bedelia also returns as Holly McClane, while William Atherton reprises his role as the arrogant reporter Richard Thornburg. The supporting cast includes Dennis Franz, John Amos, Fred Dalton Thompson, Franco Nero, and William Sadler, who serves as the film’s primary villain.

William Sadler delivers a strong performance as Colonel Stuart, a former military officer leading a group of highly trained mercenaries. Unlike Hans Gruber’s sophisticated charm in the first film, Stuart is cold, disciplined, and completely ruthless. He presents a very different kind of threat for McClane to face.

The plot centers on Colonel Stuart’s plan to seize control of the airport’s communications systems. By doing so, he can prevent incoming aircraft from landing safely while helping a captured foreign dictator escape custody. With dozens of planes running low on fuel and hundreds of innocent lives at risk, McClane once again finds himself as the only person willing to take action.

One thing I have always liked about Die Hard 2 is how effectively it uses the airport setting. The snow-covered runways, crowded terminals, control towers, and maintenance tunnels create a unique backdrop for the action. The setting helps the movie establish its own identity rather than simply repeating the original film.

Bruce Willis once again proves why John McClane became such an iconic action hero. He is tough, resourceful, and funny, but he still feels like a regular guy caught in an impossible situation. He gets hurt, makes mistakes, and constantly finds himself improvising his way through danger.

The action scenes are larger than those in the first movie and often more spectacular. Explosions, shootouts, vehicle chases, and intense hand-to-hand combat keep the tension high throughout the film. Renny Harlin does an excellent job maintaining the pace and ensuring that the movie never feels slow.

The film also features several genuinely suspenseful moments. The idea of dozens of aircraft circling above an airport without a safe way to land creates a sense of urgency that remains effective even today. The stakes feel enormous, which helps keep viewers invested in the outcome.

Like the original, Die Hard 2 balances action with humor. McClane’s sarcastic comments and growing frustration with incompetent officials provide plenty of entertainment between the major action sequences. Bruce Willis’ charm remains one of the franchise’s greatest strengths.

Some critics have argued that the film is essentially the first Die Hard with a different location, and there is some truth to that. However, I think the sequel succeeds because it understands what made the original work. Rather than trying to reinvent the formula completely, it expands upon it while maintaining the same spirit.

For me, Die Hard 2 is a great film because it delivers exactly what an action sequel should. The cast is strong, the direction is energetic, the villains are memorable, and the action remains exciting from beginning to end. It may live in the shadow of the original, but it deserves far more credit than it often receives.

More than three decades after its release, Die Hard 2 remains a true action classic. It takes everything fans loved about John McClane and places him in another impossible situation filled with danger, suspense, and excitement. That combination continues to make it one of the most enjoyable action movies of its era.

Hey Hive friends, today we're going to talk about chapter 4 of The Great Digital Circus.

In this chapter, Caine sends everyone to work at a fast-food restaurant called Spudsy's. And the worst part is that he made Gangle the manager. Since Jax keeps breaking his comedy mask, Zooble gave him a new, unbreakable plastic one.

But the mask completely changed Gangle. She became super bossy and manic. At first, it was funny, but then everything spiraled out of control:

Jax put Ragatha in the deep fryer, and Ragatha ended up seeing strange things because of the sauce.

Pomni ran into Gummigoo and got super nervous.

And Queen Gloink swallowed the mannequin customers—that was crazy.

Gangle tried to make Jax a model employee using some really weird training videos, but the pressure drove her mad. In the end, she took off her mask that night, started crying, and realized that pretending to be happy all the time doesn't work. It made me so sad to see her so heartbroken inside 😢

This episode taught me that we shouldn't hide our feelings behind a fake mask to please others. Although Gangle got depressed and Caine gave her a B+ grade, Zooble ended up being a great friend and comforted her at the circus. Their friendship is the best thing about the series.

For me, it was a very moving episode because many of the characters realized who their true friends were.

Images from https://tadc.fandom.com/wiki/Hjsakldfhl

Rating: 100/100

Originally posted through scrobble.life/tv.

Rotten Tomatoes at 45 percent is a weird thing to look at because sometimes it tells you a movie is bad and sometimes it just tells you the wrong people voted or worst case they were sellouts, and How to Make a Killing is absolutely a case of the second thing or third thing, because the "critics" consensus on this one is just flat out wrong and I more with the audience side of this rating, 76% sounds about right for this movie. The concept alone should have people more curious than dismissive, you got Becket Redfellow played by Glen Powell, a guy who got cut out of his wealthy family fortune because his mother had him outside of marriage and his answer to that situation is to work his way through the entire Redfellow bloodline one by one until the inheritance has nowhere left to go but him. That is a dark and nasty idea for a movie and the thing is John Patton Ford commits to it do damn well since the start, dropping you straight into a death row confession with Becket talking to a priest before you even know the full landscape of what is about to unfold and that alone tells you right away that this is not your typical feel good story about a charming lead doing charming things. Powell has been riding this new wave of leading man energy for some time now and this role plays directly into what makes him work, the guy has this quality where you root for him even when everything he is doing should make you disgusted and A24 clearly gave him the space and the budget to let that quality run the whole show.

• IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4357198/
• Platform: PRIME VIDEO

Margaret Qualley as Julia Steinway is the other end of this force making this thing move none stop, she plays Becket's childhood friend who shows up years later at his job and lights the match that starts everything and the relationship between these two is the best thing the movie has in it, is the one thing that keeps you entertain during the entire movie. Their history together comes through in every scene they share, the way they read each other, the way Julia knows exactly when Becket is about to lose his nerve and says exactly the right terrible thing to keep him moving forward and Qualley plays that with this specific kind of casual menace that is almost more unsettling than anything Becket actually does during the movie. Jessica Henwick brings some balance with warmth as Ruth, the school teacher who comes into his life and makes him think maybe there is a version of all this where he just stops and tries to be a regular person, and those scenes with her work because Henwick and Powell have real chemistry and because Ruth represents the one thing the whole Redfellow plan cannot take in consideration which is someone who actually sees him for who he is and not what he wants or what he is "owe". The one that shines within the supporting cast is the performance of Bill Camp as his uncle, because Camp brings this decency and quiet to a character surrounded by some of the most unpleasant people you will see on this movie and watching Becket really get alone, like this man creates a tension that the script actually earns during the build up because you can feel how complicated it gets when your plan runs into someone who does not fit the category you need them to fit.

Now there are very few perfect movies, and this is not one of them because the story starts losing some of its grip once the FBI enters the picture. The agents clearly recognize that multiple Redfellow heirs have died under suspicious circumstances, they know Becket stands to benefit from those deaths, and they even begin watching him, but the investigation rarely creates the kind of pressure that setup should produce. That does not completely break the movie, but it makes the middle section feel less convincing because Becket keeps moving through his plan while the FBI mostly hangs around waiting for the plot to need them again. The pacing gets uneven around the same point, with too many developments competing for attention and not all of them receiving enough room to breathe. Topher Grace helps wake the movie back up as Pastor Steven J. Redfellow, Becket’s megachurch cousin, playing him with exactly the kind of wild commitment the role needs. Steven is loud, theatrical and completely ridiculous, but Grace understands the joke and pushes it far enough that every scene with him feels unpredictable, one of them is the mansion scene with Whitelaw also brings back some real tension, especially once Becket realizes he has walked into something much more dangerous than a family dinner, with thhe uncomfortable atmosphere and Ed Harris gives the scene the kind of menace it needs. The problem is that by then the movie has already stretched the investigation around Becket about as far as it can go, so even though the sequence works on its own, part of your brain is still wondering why the FBI has not closed in on the most obvious beneficiary of this entire chain of deaths.

After watching the movie, I read that How to Make a Killing was loosely inspired by the 1949 British dark comedy Kind Hearts and Coronets. I had honestly never heard of that movie before, which is probably not surprising considering how old it is and how far outside my generation it is. Still, now that it is so easy to look this stuff up, I usually read about a movie after watching it to see where the idea came from and whether there was some extra meaning or reference I completely missed. That happens to me plenty, especially when a movie is connected to a book, because I am definitely not much of a reader. The basic connection is pretty obvious once you know about it since both stories follow a man who has been pushed aside by a rich family and decides to remove the relatives standing between him and the inheritance. This version turns that idea into a more modern American story about class, family money and the anger that comes from watching people inherit everything while you are left with nothing. The Redfellows are selfish, cold and completely disconnected from normal people, although some of them are definitely played bigger and more ridiculous than others. What makes Becket interesting is that he keeps finding ways to convince himself that what he is doing is fair, even when he is clearly becoming just as greedy and ruthless as the family he hates. I also kept thinking about Knives Out because both movies revolve around a wealthy family fighting over money while an outsider tries to find a way into that world, I bet many who watch the movie make such comparison. The big difference is that Becket is not investigating anyone or playing some harmless little trick, he is just trying to kill his way into a fortune, so this movie gets darker and meaner pretty quickly. It is also less interested in giving you a clean ending where the right person wins and everyone gets what they deserve because by the end, almost everyone has shown how ugly they can become once enough money and resentment are involved. Another interesting aspect of the movie is that the death row opening is not just there to grab your attention either. The entire movie is built around Becket explaining how he ended up there and that setup becomes more important as the story comes together. The movie has some messy parts, but I still think it is a little smarter than some of the early reviews gave it credit for.

#glennpowell, #a24, #howtomakeakilling, #moviereview, #darkcomedy, #revenge, #margaretqualley, #jessicahenwick, #tophergrace, #money, #inheritance, #killer, #thriller, #cinema, #newmovie, #filmreview, #acting, #banger, #legit, #mustwatch, #hollywood, #crime, #familydrama, #plotwist, #mystery

Posted Using INLEO