Community Reviews

Here is the movie trailer:

All the best.

By: Nattosheru.

Posted Using INLEO

Hello again, Hive friends, @suisver here with a new post for the channel. This time, I'm continuing my review of one of the series I've been watching for a while. I had the chance to watch episode 11 of The Summer Hikaru Died and it's quite interesting; we're almost at the end of the season. This episode 11 was spectacular, full of ancient mysteries and pure psychological horror.

🌑

The episode begins when Hikaru arrives at Yoshiki's door, almost sleepy, rambling, as if he weren't himself. Yoshiki extends his arm toward him, but after thinking it over, he withdraws. Since it all happens in complete darkness, Yoshiki only manages to see the disturbing reflection in his eyes... and honestly, I think Hikaru was already completely transformed into a monster at that moment.

We jump back in time. We see a beautiful and nostalgic scene: Yoshiki's father wanted to read him a story, but little Yoshiki was too engrossed in playing with his toys. The curious thing is that, even as a child, he was already thinking about peace and a "peace treaty" between monsters and humans. I think it was a moment of premonition for young Yoshiki.

Back in the present, Yoshiki knocks on the door of his father's office to demand answers. He needs to know the truth about Hikaru's family.

This is where we begin to understand part of this mystery. Yoshiki's father recounts a conversation with Hikaru's father (whose death devastated him) and tells us a terrifying legend:

An ancestor of the Indo family climbed the mountain and asked for his wife to return from the dead. The price? The village paid with countless deaths and lost heads, while the Indo family suffered no ill effects.

The Indo men carry this sin on their shoulders. That's why they go to the mountains to pay tribute: so the monster won't harm them. What was lost at the temple was, in fact, that woman's head.

In the midst of all this, Yoshiki's father utters a phrase that struck me as incredibly profound: "People seek what they lack." That phrase left me pondering for quite some time; the dialogue between the two of them at that moment was brilliant.

Meanwhile, Hikaru learns that many lives were sacrificed for him, for the monster he is, and he feels terribly wrong. The number of "impurities" in the village has decreased, leaving a huge mystery hanging in the air. But Yoshiki isn't going to let Hikaru return to the mountain; he wants to stop him at all costs, and he finds a new key clue: an image called the Sketch of Hell, which bears a striking resemblance to the deity inhabiting his friend. However, that discovery remains unresolved.

In the next scene, Hikaru is very weak. Yoshiki, in a desperate attempt to help him, wants to return a part of himself, but Hikaru refuses. Instead, they begin to talk about what the original Hikaru was like, because the memory-devouring monster wants to know.

Yoshiki speaks very highly of his friend, about his crushes on girls, and how they... always end up getting boyfriends. Hahaha, this part made me laugh so much because I personally identified with it. The same thing has happened to me: whenever I start liking a girl, BAM!, she suddenly gets a boyfriend. 🤣

But the comedy doesn't last long. Suddenly, Hikaru begins to transform. Yoshiki runs, and despair paralyzes him. Hikaru turns into a real monster; his neck leaks out and tries to absorb him. Yoshiki feels fear, but strangely, something calms him: he discovers that the sensation of being absorbed isn't uncomfortable. It's quite unsettling.

When he comes to, Hikaru thinks he meant to hurt him, but Yoshiki reassures him that everything is alright. Hikaru runs away. Deep down, Yoshiki knows he accepts him because he's so much like his friend, but inside, he wishes he could find him a place where he can be at peace with his monstrous nature. The worst part is that Asako witnessed this entire disturbing scene and ran away.

Desperate and out of control, Hikaru seeks help from the fortune teller. She tries to comfort him, warning him that if he continues to associate with Yoshiki, he will only attract evil, because Hikaru still doesn't understand human life and finds it incredibly difficult to control himself.

With tears in his eyes, Hikaru asks if everything would be fixed by returning to the mountain, as that would rid him of his impurities. He cries with a broken heart because, even though he knows he is a monster, he doesn't want to be alone. It is one of the most heartbreaking scenes in the series. Perhaps the woman could help him, but she doesn't seem to dare... So Hikaru has no choice but to return home alone, and there he remains, consumed by sadness.

I give this chapter 100 out of 100 because it was so moving.

The images are from https://the-summer-hikaru-died.fandom.com/wiki/%22Hikaru%22 I used Google Translate

Rating: 100/100

Originally posted through scrobble.life/anime.

Catching up on some of the movies I have seen the past weeks but havent post about it is Whistle (2025), a movie I actually jump in carrying a whole week of noise from people online who spent more energy ranting about it than actually watching it probably, I get its not the best and some people think its not even watchable, and I am glad I decided to watch and still put all that out because this movie about a cursed Aztec death whistle actually hooks you through its atmosphere and some nasty practical effects. The setup is cool enough, you got Chrys, played by Dafne Keen, a girl fresh out of rehab still carrying the guilt of losing her father, who moves to a new town and ends up being assigned the old locker belonging to Mason, a dead basketball player at Pellington High. That alone gives you a character with real damage before the supernatural stuff even kicks in, and Dafne Keen is so good at playing people who are trying to hold themselves together with tape and string, you just believe her immediately and that matters a lot in a movie like this because if you do not buy the lead the whole thing falls apart fast. The curse gets established early, with anyone who hears the whistle getting stalked by a manifestation of their own future death, and that little twist on the monster concept is what makes the whole thing feel fresher than it has any right to be given that the rest of the recipe is standard teen horror territory.

• IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt29550683/
• Platform: PRIME VIDEO

The practical effects in this thing are pretty good and despite the plot not been the bets or the acting, the practical effects feel solid and it is clear somebody on this production actually gave a damn about the craft, practical effects is what make some other movies like "Smile" come to life even though the plot is not so good, on Whistle, every death sequence is designed to reflect exactly how that character would have died eventually if nature had just taken its course. The sequence in the bedroom with the athlete Dean where he starts levitating and his body undergoes this nightmare physical transformation, cracking his head and splitting his arms apart in a way that mimics the aftermath of a high speed car collision, is the kind of scene, the kind of basically drawing how things would happen piece by pience that stays with you, and what makes it so effective is that his parents are right outside the door listening to the whole thing without being able to get through in time. That is real horror, not a cheap jump scare but the feeling of helplessness when you are separated from danger by just a few inches of wood. The Grace scene where she shrivels up and turns into an elderly corpse at a carnival delivers too, and Nick Frost as Mr. Craven gets an early death that sets the rules of the curse with real visual clarity, his death written off the next morning as extreme stage lung cancer, which baffles everyone who knew him since he showed zero symptoms the day before. There is also a needle drop during the first kiss between Chrys and Ellie, a Concrete Blonde song, and it is the kind of choice that feels romantic rather than calculated, which tells you the people making this movie were paying attention to the emotional beats and not just the gore.

There are moments of the movie where the feels like part of it is glue together, starting to feel weak and you feel the script running a little thin, especially the hospital records scene where Chrys and Ellie try to pull off what amounts to a pretty obvious privacy violation to get their hands on medical files, and the execution there feels like the writers just needed to get the characters to the next piece of information without worrying too much about how it actually makes sense. Noah, the youth pastor played by Percy Hynes White, also kinda confuse me, because he spends the whole movie dealing drugs to his congregation and carrying knives around while quoting scripture and I get that the character is supposed to bring this chaotic wildcard energy but it goes so far into gonzo territory that it loses its grip on reality and starts feeling less like a person and more like what a screenwriter thinks a person looks like, what I mean by this is that they make him try so hard that falls face first making the character extremele manufactured rather than behave like a normal human. The ice bath resuscitation sequence at the mill made me pause for a bit even when the movie was still going and figure out the logistics, and that is never a great sign when a movie is asking you to do mental accounting in the middle of a tense moment. The hair continuity on Chrys through different parts of the story is a little harsh too, and the very short cut she ends up with near the end feels like a symbol for the character at a moment the movie did not develop enough to make the visual change feel earned, its just happen almost like without a purpose or reason, idk its just how I look at it, probably those silly details I only put attention to.

Even with all those complains and a bit of ranting, this thing reminded me of those late 80s and early 90s teen horror movies where the kids are completely on their own, no functioning adults anywhere close to them, just figuring out the rules of whatever supernatural situation they stumbled into through sheer stubbornness and desperation, the total opposite side of teen movie like "Talk to Me" where they knew exactly wtf was going on although didnt know the concecuences. You can see through the movie the Final Destination DNA from the second scene but Whistle earns its own identity through the way it throws in the mix a queer love story right into the center of the terror without ever making it feel like a checkbox or a marketing decision. Chrys and Ellie feel like two real people figuring out something important about themselves in the worst possible moments and Sophie Nelisse makes Ellie feel warm, caring and very emotionally, which gives anyone watching the movie a reason to care about the characters beyond just waiting for the next death scene. The bond between Chrys and her cousin Rel has a real grip to it and makes the events at the mill late in the story have way more weight than they would, and that is the kind of character work that separates a forgettable horror movie from one you actually think about for a few days after.

#whistle2026, #aztecdeathwhistle, #horrorreview, #daphnekeene, #nickfrost, #corinhardy, #shutteroriginal, #creativegore, #supernaturalhorror, #highschoolhorror, #cursedobject, #finaldestinationvibes, #practicaleffects, #indiehorror, #scarymovies, #horrormovieblog, #thecry, #azteclore, #deathwhistle, #visceralhorror, #atmosphericvibe, #gorehound, #movieopinion, #newhorror

Posted Using INLEO

This Is the Kind of Movie That Could Only Have Come Out of the Eighties. Weird, Funny, Rebellious, and Completely Original, Repo Man Has Earned Its Reputation as a True Cult Classic.

Released in 1984, Repo Man is one of those films that defies easy categorization. It is part science fiction, part black comedy, part punk rock movie, and part social commentary. On paper it sounds like an impossible combination, but somehow it all works. In fact, the movie’s willingness to be different is exactly why it has remained so beloved over the years.

The film was written and directed by Alex Cox, who brought a fresh and unconventional vision to the screen. Cox does not follow the normal Hollywood formula. Instead, he creates a bizarre world that feels slightly disconnected from reality while still being rooted in the culture and attitudes of the early eighties.

Emilio Estevez stars as Otto Maddox, a young punk living in Los Angeles who finds himself drifting through life with no real direction. After losing his job and becoming increasingly frustrated with the people around him, Otto unexpectedly falls into the world of automobile repossession.

Estevez is excellent in the role. Otto starts the movie as an angry and confused young man who seems disconnected from everything around him. As the story unfolds, he becomes our guide through a strange and unpredictable world filled with eccentric characters and increasingly bizarre situations.

Harry Dean Stanton plays Bud, a veteran repo man who takes Otto under his wing. Stanton is perfect casting. He brings a dry sense of humor and a weathered confidence to the role, creating one of the film’s most memorable characters. The chemistry between Stanton and Estevez helps anchor the movie even when the plot becomes completely absurd.

The basic plot revolves around a mysterious 1964 Chevrolet Malibu carrying something highly unusual in its trunk. Multiple groups are searching for the vehicle, including repo men, government agents, criminals, and various oddball characters. As Otto becomes more involved in the hunt, the situation grows stranger and stranger.

What makes Repo Man so entertaining is that it never plays by the rules. Just when you think you know where the story is going, it takes another unexpected turn. The film constantly balances humor, mystery, science fiction, and satire without ever losing its identity.

The punk rock influence is felt throughout the entire movie. From Otto’s attitude to the soundtrack and overall energy, Repo Man captures a rebellious spirit that perfectly fits its story. The soundtrack itself became legendary and remains one of the best movie soundtracks of the decade.

Alex Cox also uses the film to poke fun at consumer culture, government paranoia, and social conformity. Beneath all the weirdness and humor, there is actually a sharp commentary on modern life. The movie never becomes preachy, but those themes are always there beneath the surface.

Visually, Repo Man has a gritty and authentic look that fits its Los Angeles setting perfectly. The city feels rough around the edges, filled with strange people and unexpected encounters. It creates a world where almost anything seems possible.

One of the reasons the film has endured is because it refuses to explain everything. Some movies tie up every loose end neatly. Repo Man does the opposite. It embraces mystery and ambiguity, which makes it even more memorable.

The performances throughout the film are terrific, but it is the combination of Estevez, Stanton, and Cox’s unique direction that makes everything click. They create something that feels completely original and impossible to duplicate.

Repo Man may not be for everyone. Its humor is offbeat, its story is unconventional, and its style is unapologetically weird. But for those willing to go along for the ride, it offers one of the most entertaining and distinctive movie experiences of the eighties.

Repo Man remains a true classic because it dares to be different. Funny, strange, smart, and endlessly quotable, it is the definition of a cult film and one that still feels fresh decades after its release.

Shut the Door. Have a Seat (S3x13)

Airdate: 8 November 2009

Written by: Erin Levy & Matthew Weiner Directed by: Matthew Weiner

Running Time: 48 minutes

The penultimate episode of Mad Men’s third season, The Grown-Ups, delivered the most seismic “wham” development of the year by brutally juxtaposing the national tragedy of President Kennedy’s assassination with the personal catastrophe of Don Draper’s crumbling marriage. Yet to view the actual finale, Shut the Door. Have a Seat, as mere narrative mop-up would be a profound misreading. Instead, the Season 3 finale executes a deliberate and monumental tonal shift, marking not an end but a beginning. It decisively closes the door on the stifling, decorous world of early-1960s Sterling Cooper and ushers in a new era defined by optimism, chaotic possibility, and the tantalising promise of second chances for its deeply flawed protagonists.

By the finale’s opening, Don Draper’s marriage to Betty is a clinical corpse; both spouses are merely going through the motions. Betty, having coldly consulted with Henry Francis and her lawyer, informs Don she wants a divorce. Don, in a final spasm of denial, initially vows to fight her in court. The revelation from Roger Sterling that Betty intends to marry Henry extinguishes that last flicker of resistance. In a moment of devastating clarity, he recognises the futility of a battle that would only further scar their children. He capitulates to all her terms. The episode’s most heartbreaking sequence is a domestic apocalypse: Don telling Sally and Bobby he is leaving. Jon Hamm’s performance here is a masterclass in suppressed agony, the alpha male reduced to a ghost in his own home. His subsequent exit from the Ossington house, suitcase in hand, is the final, quiet death of Dick Whitman’s most elaborate fantasy—the perfect suburban family.

This profound personal defeat is immediately overshadowed by a professional cataclysm. Summoned to Conrad Hilton’s office, Don learns that Putnam, Powell & Lowe is selling Sterling Cooper to the behemoth McCann Erickson. For Don, the corporate cog, this is a death sentence. His genius has always been predicated on autonomy; absorption into McCann would render him a branded commodity. In a flash of desperate inspiration, he proposes to Bert Cooper that they simply steal their company back. Cooper, the ageing libertarian contemplating retirement, is stirred by the audacity. Roger Sterling, whose friendship with Don has frayed to bitterness, is reluctantly seduced by the chance to reclaim relevance and, crucially, to bring the American Tobacco account—the lifeblood of any new venture—with him. The stage is set not for a dignified departure, but for a heist.

The conspiracy’s most crucial and poetic recruit is Lane Pryce. The Englishman, who confirmed the sale, realises his fate at McCann would be that of a superfluous bureaucrat. In a delicious irony, he uses his remaining authority as acting president to “fire” Bert, Roger, and Don via a telegram to London on Friday, 13 December 1963. This bureaucratic sleight of hand, engineered to exploit the weekend and transatlantic delay, is the episode’s pivotal stroke. It transforms the characters from employees to outlaws, severing their contractual obligations before London can react. What follows is a thrilling, almost farcical sequence of corporate larceny. Over one frantic weekend, the conspirators ransack the Sterling Cooper offices, hauling away files, artwork, and client records in a symbolic and literal seizure of their own legacy.

The recruitment drive that fills out the new firm is a narrative of redemption and validation. Pete Campbell, perpetually undervalued and contemplating flight, commits, bringing his own portfolio of accounts and, more importantly, a forward-thinking sensibility. Harry Crane is tapped to build a media department, his previously marginal role suddenly central. Joan Holloway (now Harris), having quit Sterling Cooper for a failed marriage, is brought back by Roger to provide the organisational genius they desperately lack. Most significantly, Don must personally and humbly woo Peggy Olson. Their late-night meeting in her apartment is the culmination of three seasons of tension. Don’s admission—“I don’t know if I can do this alone”—is not just a professional plea but a profound personal acknowledgement. Peggy’s acceptance is her hard-won coronation. When an apoplectic St. John Powell fires Lane, it is too late; the phoenix has already fled the ashes. The newly minted Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce convenes in a suite at the Pierre Hotel, a temporary headquarters buzzing with chaotic energy. The season concludes on a note of quiet, determined hope: Don Draper, alone, approaches the door of his new Manhattan apartment.

The episode represented the writing debut of Erin Levy (daughter of television writer Lawrence H. Levy), who co-wrote the script with series creator Matthew Weiner. Their achievement is in masterfully managing the season’s drastic emotional pivot. After the unrelenting darkness of The Grown-Ups, *Shut the Door. Have a Sea adopts a notably lighter, quicker, and more optimistic tone. This is not to say it lacks pathos—Don’s farewell to his children is arguably the series’ most devastating moment to date. However, the narrative emphasis shifts from death to rebirth. The demise of Sterling Cooper, which in earlier seasons would have been framed as a tragedy, is here reframed as a liberating opportunity. The old, stifling hierarchy is dead; long live the scrappy, entrepreneurial start-up.

This new entity, Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce, promises to be better precisely because almost everyone involved has been recently humbled. Don Draper, the archetypal self-made man, is forced to confront his limitations. His genius for pitching is useless without Roger’s client relationships, Lane’s bureaucratic cunning, and Peggy’s creative execution. He must swallow his pride, rely on others, and recognise talent in those he has previously dismissed. He finally sees that Pete Campbell, for all his unctuous ambition, is often right and represents the future. The “conspiracy,” rightly described by many critics as playing out like a heist film, is a triumph of collective action over the rugged individualism that has defined Don’s life and nearly destroyed it. In the end, the collective succeeds.

The episode’s generally positive denouement allows for moments of grace amidst the chaos: Don and Roger renew their fractured friendship over Scotch and scheming; Pete returns to a Trudy who enthusiastically fuels the conspirators with cookies, suggesting a marriage finally on solid ground; Peggy is validated; Joan reclaims her professional prowess. Christmas is near, but the mood is less about nostalgic tradition than about new beginnings. The world of Mad Men is finally, decisively, stepping out of the lingering shadow of the 1950s and into the 1960s as it exists in the Boomer cultural memory—a time of upheaval, yes, but also of possibility.

This optimistic tone can, intriguingly, be interpreted as a reflection of the contemporary moment of the episode’s creation. It aired in 2009, a year after the election of Barack Obama—an event that seemed to symbolise a clean break from America’s problematic past and the realisation of 1960s progressive dreams. The era was suffused with a grand optimism that America, by bridging deep divisions, was entering a new, brighter chapter. The finale’s narrative of disparate, often antagonistic individuals bridging generational, gender, and personality gaps to build something new together resonates powerfully with that 2009 spirit of “Yes We Can.” The season became a reflection of the present, where “the great change and hope of 2009 found its version in surprisingly optimistic finale of Season 3.

The episode is not without minor flaws. A flashback to the death of Don’s father, Archie Whitman, feels somewhat redundant, reiterating themes of abandonment and fresh starts already powerfully articulated in the main narrative. Nevertheless, Shut the Door. Have a Seat is a triumph of television writing and pacing. Its quality was formally recognised with a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series for Levy and Weiner. It serves as the perfect series finale for the show’s first act, providing catharsis, closure, and a thrilling launchpad into the unknown. It proves that in the universe of Mad Men, the end of 1963—a year that culturally signalled the end of innocence—could also be, for these characters, a very good beginning indeed.

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

Rating: 81/100

Source

The Bride! is one of those movies where I am still sitting here an hour after it ended trying to figure out exactly what the hell went wrong with it because this thing comes out swinging in the most bizarre version I have seen of Frankenstein story, not Frankenstein himself but the story around him. They drop you into 1930s Chicago, Jessie Buckley shows up as Mary Shelley in some kind of purgatory state, monologuing about her own legacy and what the world did with her work and then she just decides to possess a mobster girlfriend named Ida who happens to be sitting at a fancy dinner table with some very bad men and a crime boss named Lupino. She starts mouthing off to Lupino right there at the table, gets knocked down a flight of stairs, dies on the spot and the whole opening is so aggressively weird that I start thinking how tf does this has anything to do with Frankenstein aside that it was clear she was going to become "The Bride" now that she is dead. Then Christian Bale walks into the office of Dr. Euphronious wearing a head covering, desperate and lonely, begging the scientist to make him a companion and that is where the actual chaos really starts cooking, because on other movies it takes a while before we get to the Frankenstein lonely part. Maggie Gyllenhaal is swinging for the fences on her second director movie, she wrote this thing herself and for better and for worse, you can feel a very specific vision trying to make its way but it keeps tripping over, and Im going to get into more details latter, not a rant but I just hope this was better, not bad as you wont be able to finish it but for sure a different version of what we are use to. The movie cost somewhere around 80 to 90 million dollars and pulled in only 24 million at the box office, so yeah this was always going to be a polarizing ride, and after watching it I get why people could not agree on it because half the time I was with it and half the time I was not.

• IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt30851137/
• Platform: PRIME VIDEO

The parts of The Bride! that actually work are dope and make you wish the rest of the movie could have stayed at that level, with Annette Bening as Dr. Cornelia Euphronious is completely unhinged, rocking these crazy glasses and acting like a scientist who cares more about satisfying her own ego than about any consequences of what she is doing, she uses her initials to publish her work so men in the industry do not dismiss it and the scene where she agrees to help Frank purely out of scientific curiosity is a great moment, small I would say but it counts, so that the movie does not give her enough room to breathe, the script I would say. Bening brings this mad scientist energy that feels completely natural in this 1930s aesthetic it almost feel like the lab with reanimation might have a lot to tell, almost like she could have half of the movie. Then there is this underground bar sequence where Frank and the newly reanimated Penelope go to hide and she gets so overwhelmed by the music that she just throws her entire body into this completely unhinged dance routine, Buckley going full physical comedy and it is one of those moments where you see what this movie could have been if it had trusted that energy more consistently. The best character detail in the whole thing is Frank calming his anxiety by sneaking into local cinemas to watch Ronnie Reed musical pictures in black and white, Jake Gyllenhaal playing this Fred Astaire type movie star and watching this massive stitched together monster quietly put on a pair of glasses to stare at a tap dancing musical is so funny it earns a real laugh. Christian Bale gives this hulking sad creature a real softness in those moments, like a guy who just wants to disappear into somebody else is fantasy for a few hours, and those quiet character details are what separates the parts that land from the parts that crash, as you can tell there are many good parts about the movie and why its not total trash.

But then you have all the surrounding garbage that drags everything down, specifically the whole detective subplot centered on Jake Wiles, played by Peter Sarsgaard and his assistant Myrna Malloy played by Penélope Cruz, who is doing all the real investigative work while the men around her take the credit. The movie tries to squeeze emotional weight out of Wiles by revealing he had a past relationship with Ida during the period when she was tied to the undercover police operation against Lupino, but it lands more like a weak gossip because we barely know anything about either of them, so watching Sarsgaard act conflicted about the whole thing does almost nothing to the entire plot. Wiles eventually resigns and hands his badge to Myrna, basically letting her take over the case, which is obviously a nod to the feminist themes running through this thing, they were not too heavy but present during the entire movie and Im fine with it, but in this case it feels completely unearned because the investigation has been so paper thin throughout the movie that her promotion does not mean anything. Cruz clearly feels comfortable in the role and you can see what Gyllenhaal was going for, this woman doing all the brain work in a world that refuses to acknowledge her but the script gives Myrna so little to actually do that later on you forget about her when the movie is over. Then there is the social uprising where regular women start painting the black chemical stain across their own faces to mimic the Bride and just start running through the streets armed and furious, you get these quick montages of women shouting and causing chaos, basically when a symbol becomes a movement is interesting but its the execution that feels completely disconnected from the actual personal story of fkn Frankenstein Bride.

When you step back and look at what Gyllenhaal is actually trying to build here, it like a mix that goes head to head, between a Bonnie and Clyde crime spree and the kind of social comentary chaos you get in a Joker movie, Frank and Penelope on the run after that bar fight, unintentionally racking up bodies and landing on the front page of every newspaper as monster killers, driving from city to city and ducking into local cinemas to catch another Ronnie Reed picture whenever the heat gets too close. That fugitives against the world setup should be good enough, especially with two characters this visually striking but the problem is there is no real romance underneath it, Frank is just desperately lonely and Penelope is constantly at war with herself, so their connection feels more like two people stuck together by circumstance than any actual love story, yes they are rejected by society and humans to a level but dont feel anything like other Frankenstein movies but I guess thats the entire point. The women spontaneously forming a revolutionary mob because they are inspired by a lady criminal is a direct reference to the way clown makeup turned a whole city in Gotham, but in The Bride! the revolution feels like it is happening off screen in a different and more interesting movie. The vintage aesthetic of the 1930s gangster world is sick though, the production quality is impressive from end to end, and the makeup department nailed the stitched together corpse look on Bale and the massive black chemical stain running across Buckley face. But you can see where things were heading with all the feminist themes, the problem is stuffing a Bonnie and Clyde escape road trip inside a Frankenstein monster story inside a Joker style uprising inside a Mary Shelley ghost possession story creates a confusing mess that never commits to any of it fully with basically Four movies worth of ideas with not enough time to fulfill any of them.

#thebride, #frankenstein, #maggiegyllenhaal, #christianbale, #jessiebuckley, #annettebening, #petersarsgaard, #penelopecruz, #jakegyllenhaal, #horror, #thriller, #gothic, #romance, #feminist, #maryshelley, #movieblogger, #moviereview, #cinema, #filmcritique, #cinephile, #monster, #reanimation, #chicagomob, #vintage, #hollywood

Posted Using INLEO

Posted Using INLEO

Among the many enduring myths about the Second World War crafted by Hollywood in the post-war decades, one of the most persistent and intellectually problematic is the depiction of Field Marshall Erwin Rommel as a military genius and a noble, chivalric leader who, despite fighting for Adolf Hitler, somehow represented the antithesis of everything the Third Reich stood for. The film most responsible for cementing this romanticised legend in the popular consciousness is the 1951 biographical dramaThe Desert Fox: The Story of Rommel. It was a considerable commercial hit, though not without controversy. In a move characteristic of the studio system, 20th Century Fox sought to address some of the criticisms—particularly those accusing it of undue sympathy for a German general—while also capitalising on the stellar status of James Mason in his acclaimed role. The result was a quasi-sequel of sorts, a film dedicated to the men who actually fought against Rommel and, in the process, earned a measure of glory themselves. That film was The Desert Rats, a 1953 war action drama directed by Robert Wise. Unfortunately, this well-intentioned corrective proves to be a solid but ultimately unremarkable and flawed piece of cinema, one that, in its attempt to right one Hollywood wrong, inadvertently creates several others.

The plot is set in North Africa in the spring of 1941, beginning shortly after Rommel’s arrival as commander of the German expeditionary force, dispatched by Hitler to rescue his faltering Italian allies. With characteristic audacity, Rommel miraculously turns the tide, forcing the British and Commonwealth forces into a headlong retreat and erasing their earlier gains. As he plans a thrust towards the Suez Canal, one thorn remains in his side: the Australian 9th Division, which has fortified itself in the Libyan port of Tobruk. Supplied by sea, this garrison ties down large Axis forces that Rommel would prefer to have at the front, leading to one of the most celebrated sieges in Australian military history. The film focuses on the garrison’s trials, led by an unnamed General (Robert Douglas), who is saddled with logistical nightmares and the politically delicate task of integrating British officers into Australian ranks. The protagonist is the newly arrived Captain “Tammy” MacRoberts (Richard Burton), a young, by-the-book officer who must win over his sceptical Diggers. In a contrived but effective piece of casting, MacRoberts discovers his old schoolteacher, Tom Bartlet (Robert Newton), now a private in his company, a man who fled to Australia to escape his alcoholism and volunteered when war broke out.

What follows is an episodic recounting of the siege’s highlights. MacRoberts proves himself a capable leader, the General correctly predicts Rommel’s tactics to fend off an early tank assault, and the Australians endure relentless bombing while conducting daring nocturnal raids. The most spectacular of these involves using captured Italian lorries to infiltrate enemy lines and destroy a vital ammunition dump. The narrative takes a curious turn when MacRoberts is wounded, captured, and ends up sharing a tent with a recuperating Rommel (James Mason, reprising his role), who was injured in an Allied air attack. Their brief, stilted conversation attempts to humanise the adversary without glorifying him. MacRoberts later escapes during a convoy attack and returns to his lines. The film concludes months later, in December 1941, with MacRoberts, promoted to Major, commanding a decimated company holding a critical position. Just as they are about to withdraw, the joyous sight of the British relief force from Egypt signals the end of the siege.

As a piece of cinema, The Desert Rats is competently made but lacks distinction. It covers ground already well-trodden by the 1944 Australian propaganda film The Rats of Tobruk, which was made during the war itself and featured a young Peter Finch. Director Robert Wise, utilising desert locations and solid black-and-white cinematography by Lucien Ballard, delivers a few competent action sequences. However, the film feels constrained by its budget and runtime. Acknowledging the difficulty of depicting a months-long siege within a feature film’s limits—it runs a relatively brief 88 minutes—the script employs functional but uninspired voiceover narration to bridge episodic gaps and provide exposition. Furthermore, Wise attempts to turn the budgetary necessity of black-and-white filming into an advantage by liberally incorporating stock footage from the acclaimed 1943 British documentary Desert Victory. While this may have saved on pyrotechnics, the effect is often jarring, creating a disjointed, semi-documentary feel that distances the viewer from the staged drama, much as the stock footage did in The Desert Fox.

The film’s most interesting—and ultimately failed—ambition lies in its handling of Rommel. Here, he is the adversary, not the hero. James Mason, reportedly wearing Rommel’s authentic scarf gifted by the Field Marshal’s widow, delivers a performance that is chillingly understated. He speaks German in his early scenes and, when conversing with MacRoberts, uses English with a heavy, credible German accent. This is a deliberate attempt to present him as a professional, formidable foe, stripped of the tragic martyrdom he was afforded in the previous film.

Ironically, Mason’s limited screen time and nuanced presence utterly outshine the lead performance by Richard Burton. Burton, in one of his early Hollywood roles, is saddled with the one-dimensional character of the stereotypical WWII hero: stiff, courageous, and emotionally opaque. He fails to inject any complexity or palpable humanity into Captain MacRoberts. The performance that truly resonates comes from Robert Newton as the alcoholic former teacher, Private Bartlet. Newton, an actor best known for inventing the stereotypical “pirate speech” as Long John Silver in Disney’s 1950 Treasure Island, brings a wealth of flawed, weary humanity to his role. He effortlessly outshines Burton, providing the film’s few moments of genuine pathos. Tragically, Newton mirrored his character’s struggles in real life; his alcoholism derailed his career and contributed to his death just three years later, a self-destructive lifestyle said to have inspired The Who’s Keith Moon.

If the film’s purported idea was to honour the Australian allies, it betrays this mission with a cavalier attitude towards authenticity that borders on insult. Military history enthusiasts will rightly scoff at visual blunders such as German troops wielding Thompson submachine guns and manning Vickers and Browning M1917 heavy machine guns—weapons entirely incongruous with the Afrika Korps’ arsenal. However, these technical gaffes were minor compared to the offence taken in Australia itself. The decision to centre the narrative on a British officer, supported by a relative lack of Australian actors in significant roles, was seen as a profound slight. The Australians who endured the siege, and the nation that celebrated them, felt their story had been appropriated and diluted. This misstep was compounded by the film’s very title. While the men of the 9th Australian Division proudly called themselves the “Rats of Tobruk,” the moniker “Desert Rats” was historically the nickname of the British 7th Armoured Division. This erroneous title symbolised the film’s fundamental misunderstanding of the history it sought to portray.

The most egregious stray from authenticity, however, was the erasure of Lieutenant General Leslie Morshead, the actual commander of the 9th Australian Division and one of Australia’s greatest military heroes. Replacing him with an anonymous “General” (played by Robert Douglas) was not merely a narrative simplification; it was a denial of national legacy. Morshead himself was fiercely critical of the film, stating that there was hardly anything resembling the actual realities of the siege. His condemnation underscores the film’s core failure: in seeking to create a generic tale of Allied endurance, it stripped the event of its specific, gritty truth and the particular character of the men who lived it.

The Desert Rats achieved only modest success at the box office. Its primary legacy was as a stepping stone for Richard Burton’s ascent to Hollywood stardom. As a historical document, it is a fascinating artefact of post-war cinematic politics. It exists in the direct shadow of The Desert Fox, attempting to provide a counter-narrative but doing so within the same commercial and ideological framework. That played important role in forging the myth of the ‘good German’ to suit Cold War needs. The Desert Rats tries to pivot the focus back onto the “good Allied soldier,” but in its rush to production, reliance on cliché, and disregard for historical nuance, it creates a different kind of myth: a sanitised, Anglo-centric version of events that marginalises the very people it meant to honour. It wanted to be a tribute to the Rats of Tobruk but ended up as a bland, inauthentic imitation, making it one of the more obscure and ultimately unsatisfactory entries in the otherwise distinguished filmography of Robert Wise. In the end, it proves that a corrective made without genuine understanding or respect can be as misleading as the original distortion it seeks to fix.

RATING: 5/10 (++)

==

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/

InLeo: https://inleo.io/signup?referral=drax.leo Leodex: https://leodex.io/?ref=drax 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 check out this new series from the Duffer brothers, the producers of Stranger Things.

This first season consists of eight episodes and falls into the science fiction genre.

Nous sommes sur Netflix pour découvrir cette nouvelle série des frères Duffer, les producteurs de Stranger Things.

Cette première saison se compose de 8 épisodes et est à classer dans la catégorie science-fiction.

Source Series poster /Affiche de la série

Synopsis :

Sam Cooper, a retired engineer, has recently been widowed. His daughter Claire and her husband suggest he move to The Boroughs, a comfortable and secure retirement community.

Initially reluctant, he eventually agrees after meeting his immediate neighbours.

When his immediate neighbour, Jack, dies despite having been in fine fettle at the barbecue held in his honour the night before, the other neighbours who attended the barbecue get together with him to try to understand what happened.

There seems to be something fishy going on in this village, and this small group of pensioners is determined to find out what it is.

Sam Cooper, un ingénieur retraité, est veuf depuis peu. Sa fille Claire et son époux lui proposent de s'installer au village des Boroughs, un endroit tout confort et sécurisé pour les personnes retraitées.

D'abord réticent, il finit par accepter, après avoir rencontré ses proches voisins.

Quand son voisin direct, Jack, décède alors qu'il était en grande forme lors du barbecue organisé en son honneur la veille, les autres voisins présents au barbecue se réunissent avec lui pour tenter de comprendre ce qu'il s'est passé.

Il semble y avoir quelque chose de louche dans ce village et ce petit groupe de retraités est bien décidé à découvrir de quoi il s'agit.

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

It wasn’t bad, but we expected better from the producers of Stranger Things. Well, the bar was set high, and perhaps the next few seasons will be better.

The Duffer brothers have planned three seasons in total, but we don’t yet know if Netflix will greenlight these two additional seasons. Seasons 2 and 3 have already been written; they know exactly where they’re going and how the story will end.

This first season could stand alone, but doors remain open at the end of the eighth episode.

C'était pas mal, mais on s'attendait à mieux de la part des producteurs de Stranger Things. Bon, la barre était haute et, peut-être, que les prochaines saisons seront meilleures.

Les frères Duffer ont prévu 3 saisons en tout, mais on ne sait pas encore si Netflix acceptera ces 2 saisons supplémentaires. Les saisons 2 et 3 sont déjà écrites, ils savent exactement où ils vont et comment l'histoire se terminera.

Cette première saison pourrait se contenter d'exister seule, mais des portes restent ouvertes à la fin du 8e épisode.

The cast includes a few familiar faces /Au casting, il y a quelques têtes connues :

Alfred Molina : Sam Cooper Alfre Woodard : Judy Daniels Denis O'Hare : Wally Baker Clarke Peters : Art Daniels Carlos Miranda : Paz Navarro Jena Malone : Claire Cooper Seth Numrich : Blaine Shaw Alice Kremelberg : Anneliese Shaw Geena Davis : Renee Joyce Ed Begley Jr. : Edward Burgen Eric Edelstein : Hank Williams Mousa Hussein Kraish : Dr McGinnis Beth Bailey : Kayleigh Dee Wallace : Grace Karan Soni : Toby Rafael Casal : Neil Otero Michael Connor Gainey: Tim Hauser Jane Kaczmarek : Lilly Cooper Bill Pullman : Jack Willard

I’ve heard there’s a nod to Stranger Things in episode 8, but I didn’t spot it. Please feel free to describe it to me in the comments if you’ve seen it.

However, I did spot the reference to Thelma and Louise, with Geena Davis in the convertible at the edge of the cliff, just before the car plunges over.

I’ll leave you here for today and wish you all a lovely evening of telly. See you soon,

Il paraît qu'il y a un clin d'œil à Stranger Things dans l'épisode 8, mais je ne l'ai pas capté. N'hésitez pas à me le décrire en commentaire, si vous l'avez vu.

Par contre, j'ai repéré le clin d'œil à Thelma et Louise, avec Geena Davis dans la cabriolet au bord de la falaise, avant que la voiture ne s'y précipite.

Je vous laisse ici, pour aujourd'hui et vous souhaite de bonnes soirées-tv, à bientôt,

Florence

Source photo : image Qwant autorisée

I used Deepl Translator to translate French into English

Proud member of the Principality of Bastion

[Off Campus] Prime's new series is being watched so often that it's already the 3rd best show in the history of their platform. By the way, fans of the series are hilarious: "Well, they finally showed a romance between NORMAL people." Yes, the average guy looks like a million-dollar actor xDDDDD. https://variety.com/2026/tv/news/off-campus-ratings-amazon-prime-video-1236759095/

New actors will appear in the second season. https://www.comingsoon.net/tv/news/2139649-hit-prime-video-tv-show-gets-new-leads-for-season-2

[Reacher] Work on the spin-off is slowly coming to an end, and we may see it later this year. https://www.comingsoon.net/tv/news/2139138-reacher-spin-off-release-date-update-season-4

[Reacher] The actor signed a 3-year "first-look" deal with Amazon. https://variety.com/2026/tv/news/reacher-alan-ritchson-tv-deal-amazon-mgm-studios-1236759966/

[Rings of Power] The fourth season may premiere in early 2027. However, I'm guessing later, as it's still in pre-production. https://www.comingsoon.net/tv/news/2139308-the-rings-of-power-prime-video-lord-of-the-rings-show-gets-great-season-4-update

[Masters of the Universe] Just before the new version premieres, you'll be able to watch the old film on Prime. https://www.comingsoon.net/movies/news/2139190-1980s-superhero-movie-stream-on-amazon-prime-video-reboot-2

[Young Sherlock] The series will return with a second season in mid- to late 2027. https://www.comingsoon.net/tv/news/2140045-guy-ritchie-sherlock-holmes-show-filming-production-photos

[The Midnight Library] Paramount has acquired distribution rights to a new film starring Florence Pugh. https://www.comingsoon.net/movies/news/2139913-florence-pugh-new-fantasy-movie-gets-distributor

[Scream 7] You can watch the film on Paramount+ starting May 28. https://www.comingsoon.net/movies/news/2136731-scream-7-paramount-plus-release-date-horror-movie

[Tyler Perry] Tyler Perry's second Paramount streaming show will premiere this summer. https://www.comingsoon.net/tv/news/2138868-2-beloved-tyler-perry-paramount-tv-shows-announce-release-dates

[Running] Rhea Seehorn, star of the series Pluribus, will star in an Apple movie. https://www.comingsoon.net/movies/news/2136036-rhea-seehorn-cast-star-in-new-apple-tv-movie

[New Apple TV Series] Ted Danson will join Elizabeth Banks in a new Apple comedy. https://variety.com/2026/tv/news/ted-danson-elizabeth-banks-apple-tv-comedy-1236760101/

[Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma] A new horror film starring Gillian Anderson and Hannah Einbinder will hit theaters on August 7. https://www.comingsoon.net/movies/trailers/2138905-gillian-anderson-hannah-einbinder-star-in-violent-teenage-sex-and-death-at-camp-miasma-trailer

[Sugar S2] The second season of the series starring Colin Farrell will debut on June 19. https://www.comingsoon.net/tv/trailers/2139628-sugar-season-2-trailer-colin-farrell-tv-show-return

[Shrinking S4] Season 4 will feature Karen Gillan from Guardians of the Galaxy. https://www.comingsoon.net/tv/news/2139720-marvel-star-joins-harrison-ford-tv-show-ahead-of-new-season

[Cape Fear] On June 5th, we'll get episodes 1 and 2 of the series starring Patrick Wilson. https://www.comingsoon.net/tv/news/2139061-patrick-wilson-new-thriller-series-after-conjuring

[For all Mankind] The spin-off of the popular series received very high ratings on RT. https://www.comingsoon.net/tv/news/2140028-apple-tv-for-all-mankind-spin-off-reviews-rotten-tomatoes

[Silo] We've got the trailer for season 3. https://www.comingsoon.net/tv/trailers/2141598-silo-season-3-trailer-introduces-new-threats-to-rebecca-ferguson-apple-tv-show

[John Wick Lawsuit] Lionsgate and the creators of John Wick have been sued for copying a scene from his script. They're seeking at least $10 million. https://www.comingsoon.net/movies/news/2142215-john-wick-lawsuit-copyright-infringement-lionsgate

Off Campus | Reacher i jego spin-off | Rings of Power | MotU i stara wersja | Young Sherlock | Scream 7 | Nowości dotyczące seriali Apple'a | Lionsgate zostało pozwane za Johna Wicka

[Off Campus] Nowy serial Prime'a jest oglądany tak często, że jest już 3 najlepszym show w historii ich platformy. Swoją drogą, zabawne są teksty fanek serialu: "No, w końcu pokazali romans NORMALNYCH ludzi" Tak, przeciętny chłopak wygląda jak aktor za milion dolarów xDDDDD. https://variety.com/2026/tv/news/off-campus-ratings-amazon-prime-video-1236759095/

W drugim sezonie pojawią się nowi aktorzy. https://www.comingsoon.net/tv/news/2139649-hit-prime-video-tv-show-gets-new-leads-for-season-2

[Reacher] Prace nad spin-offem powoli zbliżają się do końca i być może zobaczymy go jeszcze w tym roku. https://www.comingsoon.net/tv/news/2139138-reacher-spin-off-release-date-update-season-4

[Reacher] Aktor podpisał 3-letnią umowę typu "first look" z Amazonem. https://variety.com/2026/tv/news/reacher-alan-ritchson-tv-deal-amazon-mgm-studios-1236759966/

[Rings of Power] Czwarty sezon być może pojawi się na początku 2027. Aczkolwiek obstawiam późniejszy termin z uwagi na to, że jest ciągle na etapie pre-produkcji. https://www.comingsoon.net/tv/news/2139308-the-rings-of-power-prime-video-lord-of-the-rings-show-gets-great-season-4-update

[Masters of the Universe] Tuż przed premierą nowej wersji, będziecie mogli zobaczyć na Prime stary film. https://www.comingsoon.net/movies/news/2139190-1980s-superhero-movie-stream-on-amazon-prime-video-reboot-2

[Young Sherlock] Serial powróci wraz z 2 sezonem w połowie lub pod koniec 2027. https://www.comingsoon.net/tv/news/2140045-guy-ritchie-sherlock-holmes-show-filming-production-photos

[The Midnight Library] Paramount nabył prawa do dystrybucji nowego filmu z Florence Pughem. https://www.comingsoon.net/movies/news/2139913-florence-pugh-new-fantasy-movie-gets-distributor

[Scream 7] Od 28 maja możecie oglądać film na Paramount+. https://www.comingsoon.net/movies/news/2136731-scream-7-paramount-plus-release-date-horror-movie

[Tyler Perry] W te wakacje rozpoczną się 2 show na streamingu Paramount z Tylerem Perrym. https://www.comingsoon.net/tv/news/2138868-2-beloved-tyler-perry-paramount-tv-shows-announce-release-dates

[Running] Rhea Seehorn, gwiazda serialu Pluribus, weźmie udział w filmie Apple'a. https://www.comingsoon.net/movies/news/2136036-rhea-seehorn-cast-star-in-new-apple-tv-movie

[Nowy serial Apple] Ted Danson dołączy do Elizabeth Banks do nowej komedii od Apple'a. https://variety.com/2026/tv/news/ted-danson-elizabeth-banks-apple-tv-comedy-1236760101/

[Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma] 7 sierpnia do kin trafi nowy horror z Gillian Anderson i Hannah Einbinder https://www.comingsoon.net/movies/trailers/2138905-gillian-anderson-hannah-einbinder-star-in-violent-teenage-sex-and-death-at-camp-miasma-trailer

[Sugar S2] Drugi sezon serialu z Colinem Farrellem zadebiutuje 19 czerwca. https://www.comingsoon.net/tv/trailers/2139628-sugar-season-2-trailer-colin-farrell-tv-show-return

[Shrinking S4] W 4 sezonie zobaczymy Karen Gillan z Guardians of the Galaxy. https://www.comingsoon.net/tv/news/2139720-marvel-star-joins-harrison-ford-tv-show-ahead-of-new-season

[Cape Fear] Natomiast 5 czerwca dostaniemy 1 i 2 odcinek serialu z Patrickiem Wilsonem. https://www.comingsoon.net/tv/news/2139061-patrick-wilson-new-thriller-series-after-conjuring

[For all Mankind] Spin-off popularnego serialu zebrał bardzo wysokie noty na portalu RT. https://www.comingsoon.net/tv/news/2140028-apple-tv-for-all-mankind-spin-off-reviews-rotten-tomatoes

[Silo] Dostaliśmy trailer 3 sezonu. https://www.comingsoon.net/tv/trailers/2141598-silo-season-3-trailer-introduces-new-threats-to-rebecca-ferguson-apple-tv-show

[Pozew John Wick] Lionsgate i twórcy Johna Wicka zostali pozwani o skopiowanie jednej sceny z jego scenariusza. Chce dostać przynajmniej 10 milionów dolarów. https://www.comingsoon.net/movies/news/2142215-john-wick-lawsuit-copyright-infringement-lionsgate