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tinalbion · 2 years

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Why You DEFINITELY Need to Check Out Joy Ride 2: Dead Ahead (2008)

Yes, I am making this immediately after the first post because this is my absolute favorite of the 3 films, and you’ll see why later on, but please go and check out my post of why you should check out Joy Ride 2001! This film, oh guys, this one is the reason I write for Rusty in the first place.

This is the sequel to Joy Ride 2001, another fun horror thriller film that stars Nicki Aycox, Nick Zano, Kyle Schmid, Laura Jordan, and Mark Gibbon.

Melissa and her fiancé Bobby are on a cross country road trip to Las Vegas, to get married. Joining them for the ride is Melissa's sister Kayla. Along the way they pick up Kayla's online boyfriend Nik.

When their car breaks down in the desert, the four find an abandoned house. In the barn is a silver 1971 Chevrolet Chevelle in working order with a full tank of gas. Melissa and Bobby are reluctant to take the car but, due to Kayla and Nik's persistence, they give in and decide to return it after getting help. However, Melissa leaves a note in the house with her contact details for the owner of the car in case they were to come back.

Good start for absolute mayhem, am I right? And the music in this film is so extra, I love it so much. Adds to the 2000′s horror feel, seriously.

Melissa receives a phone call from the person who owns the car they stole: it’s Rusty Nail, played by Mark Gibbon in this film, which REALLY adds to Rusty’s character in my humble opinion.

He says there’s no rush to return the car, but he easily reveals that he can see her in the diner they’re at. Soon after, Bobby disappears from the restroom. The others find a CB radio in the car, through which Rusty Nail orders them to destroy their cellphones and obey his orders if Bobby is to survive. Rusty Nail promises them that they will all be reunited. He requests for Kayla to cut off her middle finger, given an earlier incident when she had flipped off a trucker who turned out to be Rusty.

Rusty, knowing they have broken the rules, cuts off Bobby's finger and puts it in the glove compartment of the Chevelle, where it is eventually discovered by the group.

Rusty soon pulls up at a bar in Utah, and Bobby tries to escape, which only leads to a fatality of a bartender and Bobby still in Rusty’s capture. He then commands Nik to walk through a party, dressed as a female hooker, to buy crystal meth. In the process, Nik gets kidnapped by Rusty.

Which, can I say, what a man, making sure the entire group once again is sure to know to feel the humiliation Rusty feels.

this film though, the shots and the way his face is covered perfectly just making sure you can’t tell who it is, its pulled off SO well in this one! It adds more to the actor change and the intimidating voice that this man has, has the feel of what the first film had but slightly lacked.

Now this YouTube video below is what got me into this series altogether thanks to a friend here on Tumblr, and I feel all movies like this should have fun with their villain much like Mark does with Rusty. If the voice doesn’t sell you, I don’t know what would.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Rtf39cpWr0

It’s another intense joy ride with Rusty Nail, where he’s really come up into his own and grown from film 1 to this film, where he’s really allowing himself to flourish and have fun playing with his victims. The acting from Mark really sells it for me and makes me enjoy this even more, and I hope you guys agree!

Again, I don’t wanna give up TOO much of this movie because this one is an absolute must see, please check it out!

It can be found to rent/ buy on YouTube, Apple TV, Vudu, and Amazon Prime!

Heck of a joy ride y’all are gonna have.

#Joy Ride 2 Dead Ahead #Tina Reccs #Tinalbion Reccs #Rusty Nail #now THIS one is my all time favorite of the 3 films #and it's TOTALLY not because Mark Gibbon gives me butterflies #okay maybe I'm biased #but this was the most fun sequel I've seen in a long time #mark gibbon

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rookie-critic · 1 year

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Aftersun (2022, dir. Charlotte Wells) - review by Rookie-Critic

Aftersun analyzes the power of memory and how we perceive people versus how they really are. The film is from the point of view of a daughter looking back on a vacation she had with her dad when she was a kid, watching the videos her & her dad made off of an old camcorder while they were there. To get the obvious out of the way, Paul Mescal and Frankie Corio, who play the father and daughter, are a lightning rod of a duo. They play off of each other in a way that, if you weren't aware you were watching a movie, you would legitimately feel like you're just watching a daddy-daughter vacation. Their relationship feels so natural and fluid. In fact, the entire film feels so natural and fluid. It's a film that barely feeds the audience anything concrete, and yet, everything about the film and what it's conveying is crystal clear. It never tells you anything about where the daughter, Sophie, is in her adult life (it barely ever cuts to adult Sophie at all), or where her relationship with her father went after the events of their vacation, but you can feel the heartbreak. You can feel the remorse of things not said, actions not taken, more not done, without a word ever being spoken to that fact. Callum, the father, never has this big monologue moment where he spills everything that's going on with him, we don't really get to see him converse with anyone but his daughter outside two or three very short instances. Everything you need to know about him, and about her, is given in context: a look, the way a sentence is phrased, a quiet moment, it's all just suggestions, but they all come together by the film's end to paint what, in my opinion, is a very clear and complete picture of the nature of their relationship to one another, and where they both went past the point where the film ends.

Director Charlotte Wells weaves a beautiful tapestry with the cinematography here, framing the settings in a way that feels incredibly interpersonal, matching the tone of the script. For a debut feature, the amount of abstract blended with the real is tasteful and artfully done, impressively reserved and giving just the right amount of vaguely surreal. There are these amazing sequences of adult Sophie wandering around the strobing dancefloor of this abyssal nightclub (STROBE WARNING for my photosensitive and epileptic peeps out there) that, out of context and on the surface, don't make a ton of sense, but within the confines of this story make complete sense, and one in particular is possibly one of the most beautiful moments of film 2022 has given us. This is an absolutely heartbreaking movie. At a certain point about 25-to-30 minutes away from the end of the film, once it had given enough context clues and info for me to piece together what the significance of this vacation was, I don't think I stopped crying (more like full on ugly sobbing) until I was in my car going home. It's the kind of film that, if you have a good relationship with your parents, makes you want to call them and tell them you love them. It's a wonderful, beautiful, curl-up-into-a-ball-and-cry heartbreak of a film, and one that, if you can handle sad, I implore you to watch.

Score: 10/10

Currently available to rent or purchase on digital (iTunes, Amazon, Vudu, etc.).

#Aftersun #Charlotte Wells #Paul Mescal #Frankie Corio #Celia Rowlson Hall #film review #movie review #2022 films

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bylightofdawn · 1 year

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I've been listening to my RVB Mercs/Lolix playlist kinda nonstop for the past couple of weeks and it has me HELLA nostalgic for Red vs Blue.

But I can't help but feel like it's been tainted as a whole by RT's kinda skuzzy turn in the past few years. The way they've treated their talent, the fact they have defended pieces of shit up until someone had to come up with all the receipts as to WHY that person is a piece of shit...all of it has just made it very hard for me to enjoy the series anymore.

It sucks because I love Red vs Blue. It's such a dumb, enjoyable series, especially in the later seasons. I adored everything with the Project Freelancer stuff and then with the Chorus trilogy. I love Felix and Locus but fuck is it hard to enjoy the series without it being in the back of my mind how shitty RT apparently is behind the scenes. And I'm not saying everyone is a piece of shit but they have clearly encouraged a very toxic culture and now I'm afraid to even say I am/was a fan.

It just...sucks.

Because now I have to be conscientious of my consumerism regarding the company. I technically own all the seasons save for the last two or three but it's a pain in the ass having to deal with DVD's. It's not on Netflix anymore so if I WANTED to rewatch them I'd have to either break out my DVD's because I don't want to give them traffic on YT or on their site. :/ And yeah maybe I'm being overly dramatic here but I am really not comfortable giving RT anymore of my cash. I did purchase some of the seasons as bundles through online streaming a while ago so I do have that as an alternative to giving them add revenue on YT. I just don't have seasons 1-5 or anything after the Chorus Trilogy. And yeah I guess I could just buy them through vudu or something like that so RT isn't getting the full profit from it and maybe that's what I will do one day when my nostalgia gets so strong I can't resist going back and rewatching the show.

It's just mired in this bitter taste now. Hell, RVB is how I got INTO Halo as a fandom. I'd always judged it by the rude dudebros shouting expletives and using the N-word in voicechat rep that the series had and just wrote it off. Then I watched RVB and it got me curious about the Halo universe so I read the first tie-in novel and I was fucking hooked. Now Halo is my second favorite sci-fi series outside of Star Wars and it has this AMAZING extended universe with all these awesome books and characters beyond just the Master Chief and I have RVB to thank for my initial hook into the series. And even THAT has been kinda tainted by association. I am still buying Halo novels and one day will own an Xbox again so I can play the newer games etc. And you can DEFINITELY make an argument that Microsoft/343 is 10x worse than RT.

But I guess that's where you have to make your own choices on how you are going to interact with a problematic creator/creative team when it comes to voting with your dollar. And I definitely feel for like say the HP fandom and the struggles they have to face when it comes to JKR being a huge piece of shit. I get it, it sucks.

It just...definitely makes me sad and bummed out I can't support a company I used to enjoy and thought was pretty cool. :/

EDIT: Also? My Lolix playlist? Is fucking AWESOME and full of certified bangers and I will continue to listen to it prolly till the world or I end. Pffft. And continue to curate with all the care and exacting standards of a true 90's kid trying to burn their perfect CD/Mixtape.

If you know, you know. 🤣

#red vs blue #rooster teeth #creators who disappoint you

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average-guy-reviews · 1 year

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Mean Spirited (2022)

"When two estranged friends reconnect, things buried deep down are bound to surface. Wannabe famous vlogger Andrew Castellano sets off for a weekend at the mountain cottage of his former friend-turned famous actor Bryce. Andy has decided to bury the hatchet, but he isn't quite himself anymore."

Coming from First-Names Films, and director Jeffrey Ryan, this is a brand new found-footage horror film currently doing the rounds of movie festivals. The movie world has a spotty history with found-footage films, from The Blair Witch Project to Cloverfield, and every film in between. Going into this film I had to temper my expectations due to previous disappointments.

I have come out the other side happy to have spent the time watching this rather fun film. Some film makers try to use a low budget camera style to mask a lack of substance in the story. Jeffrey Ryan and his team have brought us a film entirely from the point of view of a vlogger, and the style of the film fits this perfectly. Multiple cameras used by the vloggers highlight different parts of the story really well. The use of a dashcam to show hidden moments we wouldn't normally have seen was a really good move, and provided a couple of my personal favourite moments.

Filming on location in the Poconos, among abandoned hotels, haunted houses and waterfalls, was an inspired choice as it really added to the total atmosphere of the movie. Instead of making me want to avoid the area though this film, as creepy and at times disturbing as it is, has actually made me want to go. I'm not sure what that says about me.....

The cast is great. I felt connected to most of them, maybe because I recognised a part of most of them within myself. I like that in a film. I like being able to understand characters by looking at myself, even if only a small part.

Director Jeffrey Ryan plays Bryce, aka Thunderman, an actor who used to run a video prank channel with Andy, played by Will Madden. Bryce walked away from Andy and the channel with no explanation and the movie is Andy's attempt to find out why, and maybe get a measure of revenge. Ryan plays Bryce as a brash, seemingly ego-driven, minor "celebrity" and he plays it really well. He is utterly believable in the role.

Madden's Andy is a far less famous blogger, and it is clear from the start that he is jealous of Bryce's success. Madden plays the two sides of his character, Andy and the Amazing Andy, superbly. He switches between them with an apparent ease, Amazing in front of the camera and plain old jealous Andy 'off' camera. Watching a character based on the style of similar vloggers I have watched myself, and seeing the dichotomy within that character was very much an intriguing experience. Madden is an interesting performer and I definitely think I'd like to watch him again.

The rest of the main cast, Michelle Veintimilla, Daniel Rashid, Maria Decotis and Charlie Pollock, round out the film really well. Each adding a vital part to the story. Every performance had some awesome moments and the whole cast should be very happy with this film.

Overall this is a film that does exactly what you expect it to do. It's a found footage horror film, but instead of just filmed footage on a phone or camera it has the twist of being filmed specifically for a YouTube style channel. Is it a film that is going to utterly change the found footage genre? No, but it is still significantly better than the vast majority of other found footage films I've seen. I certainty enjoyed it more than I ever enjoyed The Blair Witch Project. It's getting a solidly well deserved 7.5/10, with a recommendation to watch it when it hits V.O.D. on Apple TV, VUDU, Amazon, Comcast OnDemand, and Verizon from Feb 7.

Without specific spoilers, I was very happy with the way it ended. Make sure you watch all the way to the end.

#found footage #horror #demons #vlogger #videos #cameras #movies #reviews #average-guy-reviews

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jasonblaze72 · 2 years

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polarisexpress · 2 years

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Hulu grey anatomy season 1

What will she say? Please say yes! The two are just so cute together. Link is about to ask Amelia to marry him. Hayes will be the one to help her get over that when he has a heart surgery for her. Meanwhile, Maggie is struggling with confidence in her abilities. It’s going to be up to Bailey, Hunt, and others to save their lives. Our recap of Greys Anatomy Season 17, Episode 7, Helplessly Hoping. It follows the back of Station 19, which will see a newlywed couple in a car accident. While Meredith wakes up, there’s a trauma coming to the ER.

Elsewhere on Grey’s Anatomy Season 17, Episode 11 Grey’s Anatomy has been an escape from the world for many of us in the past, but it’s drawn out the anxiety and trauma of the last year in a way it shouldn’t have. However, it could have been included in the story without it being around for too long. Yes, COVID-19 is very real and the real frontline workers have suffered. Following an emotional, COVID-filled seventeenth season, fans began flocking to Hulu in early October with hopes of a brighter season 18. Maybe that ruins the surprise, but it tells us that some of this COVID-19 storyline is coming to an end. The fall TV season marked the return of countless popular seriesbut no one makes an entrance quite like Dr. ET.The promo for the crossover with Station 19 tells us that Meredith is waking up. Grey's Anatomy Season 18 premieres Thursday, Sept. Without a truck, they are forced to take their injured patient to Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital on foot.Ī voice-over then announces: "Brace yourself for one hell of a return." The trailer then takes a dramatic turn, flashing to the Station 19 squad whose fire truck has been hijacked. She then asks "What are you going to do, Meredith?" That is one of the all time worst episodes in Greys history. It is also possible to buy ' Greys Anatomy - Season 16 ' as download on Apple iTunes, Vudu, Amazon Video, FandangoNOW, Google Play Movies, Microsoft Store. Case in point is the season 4 'let go of the dress' episode, which was just rerun. Ellis tells her daughter she has managed to survive the "unthinkable". Currently you are able to watch 'Greys Anatomy - Season 16' streaming on Netflix, Hulu, DIRECTV or for free with ads on ABC. The promo video begins with Meredith imagining her mother Ellis is in the room. No, there is no trailer for Grey's Anatomy season 18 but there is an epic teaser for the Grey's and Station 19 crossover event. Is There A Trailer for Grey's Anatomy Season 18? The first episode will also be a two-hour crossover event with Station 19, which will see the staff of Grey's and Phoenix Fair come together. It made her focus on what matters to her and all of these things that don't necessarily matter in her life and streamlined her into thinking more about future big decisions for herself."Ĭhris Carmack who plays Link added: "She is cutting out some of the fat or some of the BS in her life and really making important decisions for herself." Luddington said: "It is like her eighth near-death experience. Richard Flood and Ellen Pompeo in Grey's Anatomy Season 18 ABC/Eric McCandless

Atticus "Link" Lincoln, alongside Anthony Hill as Dr. The season 17 premiere picks up one month into the COVID-19 pandemic, and Grey Sloan Memorial and its surgeons' lives have been turned. Levi Schmitt.Ĭhris Carmack will also be back as Dr. I thought maybe it's because I just have the hulu base plan (bundled with Spotify) but I don't know if 'hulu plus' (which. Other returning faces include Camilla Luddington as Dr. sale OFF 64 > greys anatomy season 17 hulu Looking for a cheap store online We are here has the hottest pieces & biggest sellers, so click this way. All of Grey's Anatomy on Hulu or Nah Okay so I thought that all seasons of Grey's Anatomy were on Hulu, and some sources I saw while googling say they are, but whenever I go to look it only shows that season sixteen is up. Meredith Grey.Īlso returning are Chandra Wilson as Dr. The 18th season of Grey's Anatomy will feature some familiar faces alongside some brand new cast members.Įllen Pompeo, who has been a part of the Grey's Anatomy family since the show began in 2005, is back as Dr. Who Will Star in Grey's Anatomy Season 18? You can sign up to Hulu for $5.99 per now. Grey's Anatomy will also be available to watch via Hulu. Alternatively, you can stream each episode live or on-demand via the ABC App or ABC.com. To watch the brand new season of Grey's Anatomy, you can catch each episode as it airs live on ABC. Read more The First Couple Eliminated from 'Dancing With the Stars' Tonight at 9/8c on ABC, Grey's Anatomy has the toughest surgical workout ever Just like the old days Stream on Hulu.

#Hulu grey anatomy season 1

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mmorgkiwi · 2 years

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Similar to the mummy movies

#Similar to the mummy movies movie#

Interested in knowing what the movie's about? Here's the plot: "Though safely entombed in a crypt deep beneath the unforgiving desert, an ancient queen whose destiny was unjustly taken from her is awakened in our current day, bringing with her malevolence grown over millennia, and terrors that defy human comprehension." 'The Mummy' is currently available to rent, purchase, or stream via subscription on Apple iTunes, Vudu, Amazon Video, Microsoft Store, Redbox, AMC on Demand, Spectrum On Demand, Google Play Movies, YouTube, and DIRECTV.

#Similar to the mummy movies movie#

Released June 9th, 2017, 'The Mummy' stars Tom Cruise, Annabelle Wallis, Sofia Boutella, Jake Johnson The PG-13 movie has a runtime of about 1 hr 50 min, and received a user score of 55 (out of 100) on TMDb, which compiled reviews from 6,070 experienced users. Christopher Lee looks tremendous in the title role, smashing his way through doorways and erupting from green, dream-like quagmires in really awe-inspiring fashion. Question Im looking for movies similar to the ones above where the hero(es) travel the world solving puzzles and find ancient treasures and that may have something to do with religion, the occult, or the supernatural. Now, before we get into the fundamentals of how you can watch 'The Mummy' right now, here are some finer points about the Secret Hideout, Universal Pictures, Dark Universe, Sean Daniel Company, Perfect World Pictures, dentsu adventure flick. Staff (Not Credited) Its qualities are almost entirely abstract and visual, with colour essential to its muted, subtle imagery. Looking for movies similar to Indiana Jones, the Mummy, and the Robert Langdon series. Read on for a listing of streaming and cable services - including rental, purchase, and subscription alternatives - along with the availability of 'The Mummy' on each platform when they are available. O'Connor, and Arnold Vosloo in the title role as the reanimated mummy. 'The Mummy' trilogy, which kicked off in 1999 and concluded with 2008s critically panned 'The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor,' killed it at the box office, raking in a collective 1.25 billion. It is a remake of the 1932 film of the same name, starring Brendan Fraser, Rachel Weisz, John Hannah, Kevin J. Yearning to watch ' The Mummy' in the comfort of your own home? Hunting down a streaming service to buy, rent, download, or view the Alex Kurtzman-directed movie via subscription can be a huge pain, so we here at Moviefone want to help you out. The Mummy is a 1999 American action-adventure film written and directed by Stephen Sommers.

#Similar to the mummy movies

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nageill · 2 years

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Welcome, welcome!

Our first showing comes from the television show, Psych.

Psych is a comedy-action series that aired on USA Network from 2006-2014. It follows the zany adventures of the titular psychic detective agency as they assist the Santa Barbara Police Department with solving crimes...while the psychic detective Shawn Spencer tries to keep the fact he is not really a psychic a secret from the cops.

So, we start our month of viewings on Halloween-ish goodies with two episodes from this show. Partly because I was spending the evening with my mother, and this show is a family favorite, and because this show just makes me laugh. I picked two episodes, one of which is my favorite in the series, that dealt with Halloween-related topics, such as vampires and demonic possession. These two episodes are a ton of fun, and I figured to kick off this watch-a-thon with something fun and light.

1.) “This Episode Sucks”

Season/Episode: Season 6, Episode 3. Original Air Date: October 26, 2011. Directed: James Roday Rodriguez (credited as James Roday). Written: James Roday Rodriguez & Todd Harthan. Summary: After Lassiter meets up with a mysterious beautiful woman, a body drained of its blood is found in Santa Barbara--could Vampires be wandering the streets? And even Lassie is thinking the killer is a supernatural monster, what??

Available for Streaming: Yes.

YouTube. Apple TV. Google Play. Vudu. Peacock. Amazon Prime.

Review: This is absolutely my favorite episode in the entire series. In fact, when my family re-watches Psych, I am not allowed to suggest this very episode, because my family knows, if it is left up to me, even if I just watched it, I will start up this one. The writing, the humor, the uniqueness of the crime, the guest stars, the references... *chef’s kiss* It’s just a perfect mix. Plus, this episode starts Kristy Swanson’s reoccurring role as Marlowe and kicks off the Lassie/Marlowe ship, be still my heart!

I just love everything about this episode.

(Also, I just found out when I was checking how to spell Swanson’s last name, she was the original Buffy the Vampire Slayer! Even more awesome!)

This is probably also my favorite episode directed by Rodriguez. A lot of my favorite episodes tend to be ones directed by the leading actor. I don’t know if he has much interest in directing other shows in the future, but I think he does have an eye for it. Especially when it comes to stories like this, which has a wonderful balance between horror and mystery, comedy, and heartfelt moments.

Random tidbit- this episode also has some of my favorites lines from Shawn and Gus (such as “Take it, creature!” and ”I’m hungry like a mug”).

The references were plenty in this episode, the comedic timing was on point, and I still cannot get over the chemistry between Swanson and Omundson! Lassie/Marlowe is actually tied for my favorite ship in the series (I’m a diehard Shules fan, will not apologize). I still get chills during Hansis’ big scene as Adrian with Lassie, and it was nice to see a Lassie-centric episode to give him the start of his happy ending for the series. This just sums up everything I love around the holiday and was the perfect way to kick off this October!

Trick-or-Treat: TREAT! Yes, I might be biased because this is my favorite episode, but this episode is an utter treat for Halloween lovers. Even if you do not watch Psych regularly, I think the average person could enjoy it, provided they like Vampires and are fans of delicious comedy.

Rating: 10/10 🦇

2.) “The Devil is in the Details...and in the Upstairs Bedroom”

Season/Episode: Season 4, Episode 4. Original Air Date: August 28, 2009. Directed: John Bedham. Written: Steve Franks & Bill Callahan. Summary: Shawn and Gus investigate a suspicious death on the campus of a Catholic college. Was it suicide or perhaps something more...demonic?

Available for Streaming: Yes. YouTube. Apple TV. Google Play. Vudu. Peacock. Amazon Prime.

Review: This episode is a classic, full of all the reasons I love Psych--it blends humor with a heartbreaking crime, memorable characters, and amusing references to pop culture media. This also marks Ray Wise’s first appearance as the recurring character Father Peter Westley.

I will openly admit, I have never seen The Exocorist, but I do love the nods to the horror movie, especially with the silhouette of Father Westley standing before Lucy’s home in the fog, with a variation of the theme playing.

The crime is heartbreaking in the sense it was truly a tragic accident, and it is understandable why the killer Lucy panics and tries to pretend it was a case of demonic possession when the suggested cause of death was made by Father Westley. However, she crosses over into the vein of villain for me by being willing to let an innocent man be charged with murder over Agatha’s death so she could immediately romantically hit on her dead best friend’s boyfriend. It just has a level of ickyness to it.

Though hilarious, the show features some good character-building moments between Gus and Shawn, especially with Shawn learning to start looking into leads and theories proposed by Gus without immediately shutting it all down. And this episode has one of my favorite flashbacks in the entire series, with Father Westley suggesting Shawn and Henry attend a Methodist church when Shawn keeps asking so many logistical questions during a sermon about Noah’s Ark.

Trick-or-Treat: Hands down, this episode is a wonderful Treat! Definitely recommend for those whom are fans of Psych and for people who wants something that dips its toe into the realm of the supernatural and demonic possession while laughing till your sides get sore.

Rating: 9/10 👻

#31 Nights of Halloween Viewing 2022 #31NHV2022- Night 01 #This Episode Sucks #The Devil is in the Details...and the Upstairs Bedroom #Psych spoilers

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therealmovieblogger · 2 years

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Breaking Bad review

Episode: Piolet

The pilot of this series shows a defeated science teacher (Walter White), who is diagnosed with cancer. He wants to leave his family with a good lifestyle, but makes little money as a teacher and has lots of bills to pay. Walt decides to get money through any means necessary. When his brother-in-law Hank is the subject of a local news report covering a methamphetamine lab bust; Walt is shocked and impressed with the amount of money recovered from the dealers. Hank discloses that he confiscated $700,000, Hank offers to let Walt ride along on a lab raid; where Walt sees a former student (Jesse Pinkman) fleeing the scene. Later that night, Walt visits the students house and blackmails him into letting him become a partner in his meth operation, with Walt offering his knowledge in chemistry in exchange for Jesse's knowledge in drug dealing. Jessie agrees and the pair become partners.

Through a bad turn of events some of Jesse’s connections threaten Walt and Jesse's life. To get out of dying Walt tells them he will share his formula with them. The two watch Walt cook. In a bad situation one of the connections lights a bushfire with his cigarette, meanwhile Walt is not cooking meth but rather a poisonous gas. Walt then sets off the reaction that releases the gas, he runs out of the RV they were in, and holds the door shut; while the two drug dealers die inside. After killing two people Walt hears sirens in the distance; feeling hopeless Walt tries to kill himself, but the safety of his gun is on. He then realizes that the sirens are just fire trucks going to put out the bushfire. Walt lives through his first day as a meth cook.

The way in which the episode ends shows how much Walt is committed, he kills for the first time; because it was them or him, he decided to kill himself; even if unsuccessful and he learned how ruthless you need to be. The Pilot of Breaking Bad gives a good look into Walter White as a character and beautifly sets up Walter's fall into Heisenberg.

I interviewed my dad on the events of episode one. He is a long time fan of the show and someone I would consider a TV and movie expert. He told me that Walter is a mixed bag. He said Walt is a good father and truly loves his family, but he also has a ruthless nature that not very many people know of. He has watched the whole series and said this episode showcases the true nature of Walter. Walt likes to do what is right but ultimately does what is best for him and his family.

Overall the character development in the pilot episode shows a general trend that is continuous throughout the series. These character arks are one of the reasons Breaking Bad is as good as it is. For those reasons I give this episode a 10/10 must watch rating.

Source for more details: https://filmschoolrejects.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/Screenplay-Breaking_Bad-Pilot.pdf

Sources to watch: Netflix, Prime Video, VUDU, Redbox., Vudu Movie & TV Store or Apple TV

#criminals #cooking #breaking bad #meth #drugs #DEA

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shop-korea · 2 years

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rookie-critic · 1 year

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Rookie-Critic's Film Review Weekend Wrap-Up - Week of 4/24-4/30/2023

Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw (2019, dir. David Leitch) This was a good off-shoot for the F&F series. The Rock & Jason Statham feel comfortable as the titular duo and have excellent on-screen chemistry, and the action feels clean and exciting, which is no surprise considering the film was directed by John Wick-veteran David Leitch, who fits the franchise like a glove. I really enjoyed all of the climactic fight scenes with Hobbs' family in Samoa. Honestly, the more Cliff Curtis can be in major feature films, the better. Idris Elba and Vanessa Kirby also make for great additions to the growing franchise. It never really blew my mind like some of the mainline Fast films have, but I don't think it was really trying to. Sometimes a movie is just good, dumb, clean fun, and that's perfectly alright with me. I just hate that this film (along with a multitude of other behind-the-scenes reasons) means that we probably won't be seeing Luke Hobbs in any of the remaining Fast movies.

Score: 7/10

Currently available to rent/purchase on digital (iTunes, Amazon, Vudu, etc.) and on 4K, Blu-ray & DVD through Universal Studios.

F9: The Fast Saga (2021, dir. Justin Lin) After the wholly disappointing and, frankly, upsetting misstep that was The Fate of the Furious, I was curious to see if F9 would continue the downward trend, or if it would step its game up to bring some of the franchise's former glory back. When in doubt, trust in Justin Lin, who comes swooping back into the franchise for the first time since Fast & Furious 6 to save the day, with fan favorite character Han Lue in tow. This is biggest, wildest fast film yet, and I mean that as a compliment. That's not to say that it's the best (that honor is still held by Fast Five), but it does return a lot of the wonder and sincerity that Five, Six, and (to a lesser extent) Seven had. Not to mention that it is the first film in the franchise to incorporate Sean, Twinkie, and Earl from Tokyo Drift into the family in a major way since Tokyo Drift (if you don't count a tiny cameo from Lucas Black's Sean in Furious 7). Nothing about F9 feels as baseline or low-effort as the stuff in Fate did. Even the introduction of a mysterious third Toretto sibling that, for some reason, we hadn't heard about for the past eight films feels out of place or shoehorned in. Needless to say, where Fate of the Furious had me wondering if the franchise was receding in quality, F9 has me just as pumped to go see Fast X in May as I was after watching Fast Five.

Score: 8/10

Currently streaming on HBO Max.

Guy Ritchie's The Covenant (2023, dir. Guy Ritchie) I went into this with a lot of apprehension. I was not a huge fan of the last Guy Ritchie film that tried to take a more serious approach to its tone (2021's Wrath of Man). It had a lot of grandstanding machismo bullshit that I hate to see in modern filmmaking. However, Ritchie really surprised me with The Covenant. He has Jake Gyllenhaal acting at the top of his game here with an equally impressive turn from Dar Salim as Ahmed the interpreter. While the story is fiction, it highlights a huge problem in the aftermath of the War on Terror: thousands of Afghani interpreters were hired by the U.S. military and promised special immigration visas for their service; a promise that turned out to be hollow. It sends its message without grandstanding and is critical of the U.S. military without putting itself on a soapbox. The film does tend to get overly self-indulgent during big sweeping climactic scenes and in certain emotional ones, as well. It's the one thing about the film that feels out of place, but even in spite of that, The Covenant is an excellent film and proof that Ritchie is capable of making a more serious-minded, message-oriented film than the humorous heist or caper films he's known for.

Score: 8/10

Currently only in theaters.

Chevalier (2023, dir. Stephen Williams) I'll just say up front that my bias might show a little in my scoring of this one. I have never been the biggest fan of 16-1800's period pieces. I'm not sure what it is, but something about them has just never gelled with me. That being said, there's nothing really wrong with Chevalier. In fact, it is, in my opinion, much better than the average film of this sensibility. The acting is fantastic and it sheds light on an oft-overlook but quintessentially influential figure in both classical music and the French revolution. The music is a huge plus in the film's favor, of course, and the costumes are, as is the case with most film's set in this era, masterfully crafted. I think my biggest qualm with the film is that it stops right as the French revolution is getting started and then tells the audience that Chevalier went on to be a great leader during the Revolution. Maybe it's just me, but I think that sounds interesting enough to make it's own film about. This almost makes me wonder (and I don't ever really feel this way about films) if this would have been better suited as an 6-8 episode miniseries as opposed to a film. We still could have focused a 2-3 episodes on Chevalier's childhood and young adulthood in France's pre-Revolution music scene, but then dedicated an entire half of the show to his accomplishments during the Revolution. Regardless, I don't want that to take away from the fact the Chevalier was quite good, and definitely worth the ticket price. I just think more could have been done with the wealth of untold history that exists within the lifetime of this figure.

Score: 7/10

Currently only in theaters.

Polite Society (2023, dir. Nida Manzoor) This movie absolutely ruled. It gave me all of the frenetic energy of the best Edgar Wright films while also giving me the genre-bending and jaw-dropping off-the-wall attitude of something like Everything, Everywhere, All at Once. This was a film that wasn't afraid to go for it in every way, shape, and form. From campy-but-well-choreographed fight sequences, to plot twist that twist so hard they'll make your head spin, to an unabashed approach to a female-empowerment narrative. Not to mention a story that is very uniquely Indian that touches on the nature of arranged marriages and classicism. Polite Society had everything that I look for in a film, and is a very early contender for the best of 2023 list. I'll save some of my more in-depth thoughts on stuff like the acting, writing, and cinematography for this week's full-length, but just know that if anything I've mentioned above sounds even remotely interesting, make this a priority watch (I don't want to say definitively that this is the best of the weekend's new movies because I haven't seen Are You There, God? It's Me, Margaret yet, and I hear that is pretty amazing, as well).

Score: 10/10

Currently only in theaters.

A Good Man (2014, dir. Keoni Waxman) Yikes. Just... yikes. Friday movie nights with my college friends can get pretty wild sometimes. I've never seen a Steven Seagal film before, and maybe this wasn't the best one to start with (or, inversely, maybe it's the best one to start with). Seagal is clearly past his prime here (or, again, maybe in his prime, depending on your perspective), and looks like he's constantly on the verge of passing out. His words come out slurred and mumbled like he's on his deathbed, and his "action" in the film is cut around so heavily you really never see him actually do anything. The story is non-existent and the writing contains some of the most unintentionally hilarious one-liners I have ever heard in my entire life (I'm partial to the one where Seagal utters the baffling sentence "Well, I'm sorry to hear that, because now I'll snatch every motherfucker birthday." No, there's no typo there, that is verbatim what he says. My meme review is that this is great. Real "The Room" caliber stuff, here. My actual review is that obviously Seagal is a lunatic that is just self-funding whatever production he can fart out in an afternoon at this point. Honestly, if you want some quality takes on this, visit the Letterbox'd page.

Score: 1/10

Currently streaming for free with ads on Redbox. Tzi Ma should be above stuff like this.

Sisu (2023, dir. Jalmari Helander) I really wanted to love Sisu. I'm as much a fan of mindless action movies as the next guy, but the truth is I thought it was just ok. It delivers on exactly what it promised everyone in the trailers, one-man army kills the crap out of some Nazis for 91 minutes, and there's absolutely nothing wrong with that. There are a handful of really fun set pieces and lots of entertaining gore for fans of that kind of thing, but it just felt incredibly hollow. There are no characters in Sisu, only templates of archetypes that things happen to. No one learns anything, there's no journey to be had, merely an avatar quickly making his way through bodies to get to a destination. I'm not implying that every single movie needs to have some grand, elaborate story with deep and complex characters and rich subtext or anything like that, but I would have liked at least some substance to this. There are still things to enjoy in Sisu, and from what I've read I'm a slight outlier in not thinking this is incredible, but it just didn't connect with me. However, don't let that stop you from seeing this in the theater. The cinematography and style alone are worth the big screen experience.

Score: 6/10

Currently only in theaters.

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lokigodofaces · 2 years

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putting under the cut off bc this might get long

So, roommate issue. I've lived here for like 5 weeks now. And from day 1, it's been a mess. I can't tell you everything that has happened, that would be too much. But here's some context for some things.

So, this apartment is supposed to hold 6 people. We only have 5 people living here. I lived in this complex before, and was like, hey, this is great. It works with 6, but 5 will be even easier! And then it wasn't. My roommate Ellie and I have been struggling with space from the beginning. When I first moved in, they gave me the drawer under the oven and the cupboard above the microwave (which has a long microwave cord in it that takes up a lot of space) and a little bit of the fridge and that was it. In the vanity, there was no space for me. Ellie had one part of the pantry, a small drawer, and one cupboard, and that was it, as well as no space in the vanity. We asked the others if we could have more space, and suggested the idea of combining our dishes to be space efficient if everyone was okay with that. They basically said we didn't have a problem because they didn't have a problem with space, cleared out one drawer, and glare at us if we ever mention an issue with space. Yet they also glare at us when we have to move chairs by the counter because we can't reach. Ellie and I are sharing our space in the kitchen, which is the only way it can work for us. And we're sharing what is normally the space for one person in the vanity because we literally moved people's stuff over because they were taking up so much space for like three things.

They just did not talk to me ever for days even when I tried my best to start a conversation. Ellie had to leave immediately after she moved in for a family thing, and the other three refused to talk to me. I got their names and that was it. They didn't talk to me until I made brownies (partially because I was stressed and wanted chocolate and partially because I thought it would be a good icebreaker). Ellie was talking to me immediately when she came back and that made me feel better (we share a room so I was terrified we wouldn't get along after everyone else's bs).

There are two bathrooms, and Ellie and I only use one of them. Every couple weeks management has clean checks and we're supposed to split up jobs. Our roommates were made when Ellie said she wouldn't clean their bathroom after they signed her up for it.

So one of my roommates is obsessed with locking the door. And, yes, locking the door is important. But I shouldn't have to bring my keys with me to go to the basement to do laundry or to grab the mail. We live in a small town, like a town where people don't lock their doors. You can understand my annoyance then. Less of a big deal, but it is necessary for understanding other things.

We have a TV that comes with the apartment, but we are supposed to bring our own DVD player/Roku/HDMI cords/etc. I have my parents' streaming apps on a Roku they don't use anymore. This includes Prime, Vudu, YouTube, and other apps with in-app purchases. Because of this, I told my roommates to ask me before using apps with in-app purchases since I did not as of then trust them when my parents' bank information is already connected to those accounts. I also told them that if they wanted to add apps, that I'd allow it if they asked first, and that I may ask them to use the guest mode. Well, one day I come home from class, sit down on the couch, turn on the Roku to watch Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., and Spotify is on the screen. Never had that app, and the email wasn't connected to my parents. I unplugged my Roku and brought it into my room. I no longer trust them to use my Roku because my parents' banking information is connected to it. Ellie did the same thing with her DVD player that had Prime on it. Ellie's parents live nearby, and her brother had a tiny TV in his room. He's on the other side of the country, and he told us we could borrow his TV. So we have that in here, with my Roku and her DVD player. I considered using the parental controls on my Roku, but turns out most of those only apply for Roku TV and all I can do is stop them from watching mature movies. So it's staying in here. And, as you can imagine, my roommates were not happy.

(Tumblr is being dumb & not letting me continue to 6 so whatever). Dishes. So many problems there besides the limited space. Not scraping off dishes before putting them in the dishwasher, which can damage the dishwasher! Yelling at Ellie and I for putting dishes in the dishwasher because they're not dishwasher safe, but how are we supposed to know if you leave it in the sink. We have the magnet thing that you can turn around to say if dishes are clean or dirty, and I never had one growing up, so I naturally open the dishwasher to check if it's clean or dirty. Someone took that as an insult because I "couldn't trust" her ability to use the magnet. Few weeks later, she walks up to the dishwasher and turns it around without even looking inside, and I have to tell her that, no, the dishwasher is empty now, you can put dirty dishes in, check before you just flip a magnet around for funsies because she only touches her dishes. When I unload the dishwasher (and I'm the only one running the dishwasher ever), I never put anyone's dishes away other than mine and Ellie's (we share) because I'm not searching through cupboards for where they go. I leave them on the drying mat so that I can load the dishwasher, and then those dishes stay there for days, sometimes even longer than a week. Sometimes when someone else unloads the dishwasher, they just shove dishes anywhere, and I have to go searching for my dishes or put dishes on the drying mat because they aren't mine yet in my stuff. And this is despite me marking my dishes! Like I said, I'm pretty much the only one doing the dishwasher. Which isn't a chore that I mind but if they could at least scrape leftover food off their dishes or let them soak. Or put their dishes in the dishwasher instead of the sink when it's dirty. Oh also there's someone that almost yells at us for not loading the dishwasher she wants us to but her way is horribly space inefficient. Like I can fit in at least 10 more dishes, at least. So guess what I'm going to do?

Lack of communication. Ellie and I have been vocal about our problems and asked them to help us. To which we're usually told that it's not actually a problem that we have no space or that they're dishes have been on the counter for days or whatever. But when they have issues with us, they don't tell us. We straight up ask if we're upsetting them, and they lie through their teeth. How do I know they're lying? Because I can fricking hear them in their rooms crying to their parents about how much they hate living here. For heaven's sake, nothing can be fixed unless we talk things through. Just tell us why you're pissed.

#liv won't shut up #just trying to not make horribly long posts so i'm linking this to the rest of my stuff so that you can get context but not have a 20 parag #post #don't reblog

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that50shousehusband · 3 years

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Is It Worth It: Mr. Robot

Headnote: This is a general review of the series Mr. Robot. I will be uploading posts that retell the events of the episodes and my thoughts on the episodes starting some time next week: I’ll be calling posts like these “watch alongs.” I have a fic review in process right now, which will likely be uploaded before I start uploading those posts. Now, onto the review...

**I will try to avoid spoilers, but I may need to include specifics at times**

Mr. Robot

Mr. Robot is a TV series created by Sam Esmail that first aired in 2015 with pilot episode “eps1.0_hellofriend.mov” and ended in 2019 with it’s series finale “Hello, Elliot.” The series is available to be streamed on Amazon Prime Video, which is the method I used to watch this series. Allegedly, it can be purchased or streamed on Vudu, Apple TV, Google Play Movies & TV, iTunes, and Youtube, though I am unsure whether or not it is available on all these services. It can also be purchased as the whole series on Blu-ray disc.

The series has a total of 4 seasons, 45 episodes, and a run time of just under 37 hours. As of now, Mr. Robot has not and will not be renewed for a fifth season. However, there was a book released in 2016 titled Mr. Robot: Red Wheelbarrow, which is intended to be a companion piece to the series. The series follows Elliot Alderson (played by Rami Malek) as he finds himself involved with a hacker group and wraps himself up in-- what I can only describe as-- their “shenanigans.” Through the series, you get to follow the stories and timelines of other characters, mainly the people in Elliot’s circle, or people related to the “main event.” Elliot narrates much of the series, speaking directly to the audience. It makes the series seem much more personal and makes you feel more involved in the story. This show has a lot of nuance and needs to have the viewer’s full attention to be understood. I wouldn’t recommend using this show as background noise, nor would I recommend splitting your attention while watching, there’s a lot of key details that may be missed. There is a beautiful sort of twist ending moment, where the show reveals a ‘hiding in plain sight’ plot point and everything you have just watched all pieces together. In general, this show was beautifully made and filmed.

Things to Note

There are LGBTQ+ characters and themes.

This series is rated as TV-MA and does show many mature or “adult” themes.

General warning for vulgar language.

Narration style that speaks directly to the audience (uses phrases such as “are you seeing this” and “did you hear that”), which could be off-putting or disturbing to some viewers.

Sensitive topics, such as child abuse and sexual assault.

Depicts characters struggling with mental health and personality disorders.

Depicts self-harm and suicide.

The show seems to play mind games with the viewer, which may be distressing to some.

Depicts drug usage, addiction, and overdosing.

Depicts torture, murder, fights, and events that show general human suffering.

There is sexual content, mentions of sexual themes, and implied or “half-shown” sex scenes.

Some racist or offensive comments.

There are some criminal elements to the show, which may disturb or offend some viewers.

So, is Mr. Robot worth it ?

Where do I even start ? Mr. Robot is such an amazing and beautifully crafted series. From the very first episode I was hooked and couldn’t get myself to click away. This show is executed in a way that made me feel like I knew the characters personally, all their pain and suffering almost felt real to me, and it had me questioning how I perceive the world. Finishing the series felt like saying goodbye to a friend. I have no other words to describe how beautiful this show is. It will always hold a place in my heart. Mr. Robot is definitely worth the watch.

#mr robot #prime video #elliot alderson #angela moss #darlene alderson #dominique dipierro #tyrell wellick #rami malek #portia doubleday #carly chaikin #grace gummer #martin wallström #christian slater #sam esmail #review

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overlookedwwiimedia · 3 years

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Ice Cold in Alex (1958)

Basic Story: Captain Anson, commander of a RASC Motor Ambulance Company, must get himself and his companions to Alexandria before they are overtaken by German forces.

Fan Thoughts: The first half of this film reminded me strongly of Sahara (1943), whose plot in broad terms is similar to this one; a rag-tag team trying to make their way through the desert. In Ice Cold in Alex the group consists of Captain Anson, Sergeant Major Tom Pugh, Sister Nurses Diana Murdoch and Denise Norton, and later South African Captain van der Poel. Early on, they fail to outrun a German patrol and Denise Norton is shot in the process. The Germans allow them to leave when they see the injured Nurse in the back of the ambulance, unaware that she has already passed. Sister Nurse Murdoch proves herself to be capable and strong while caring for her fellow nurse until the end. As they continue on, suspicion grows that Captain van der Poel is not who he says he is, but he continues to help every time a problem occurs, so the others keep their doubts to themselves. After a particularly difficult journey through the Qattara Depression, in which is finally revealed to the audience that Captain van der Poel is indeed a German spy, they are trying to get the ambulance up the last steep sand dune. Captain Anson finally snaps, lashing out at everyone in frustration at their struggles in a scene that lets John Mills flex his acting skills. In the same sequence the writing which started off so strong for Sister Nurse Murdoch begins to fall apart. She has an odd romantic scene with Captain Anson just before they reach the sand dune that felt very out of place since there weren’t many hints that they were attracted to each another earlier on. Additionally, when the ambulance has been arduously backed up the dune by hand cranking the engine, just before they reach the top, Nurse Murdoch is asked to hold the crank, struggles and in moment of characterization that doesn’t quite make sense, lets go and dramatically collapses against the front of the ambulance, which proceeds to roll all the way back down the dune. Something about this particular moment really bothered me, since up till that point she’d been a competent member of the group. However, setting that and the odd romantic portion aside, this film was solidly entertaining and well executed with enough tension and suspense to keep things interesting without being overwhelming. The plot of surviving the desert allows the story to focus on the individuals and their interactions which always makes for a more interesting story; and in this case one I would happily watch again!

Warnings: woman shot on screen, mild violence

Available On: Amazon Prime, Tubi, Apple TV, Vudu

#wwii movies #overlookedwwiimovies

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doomonfilm · 3 years

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Review : Titane (2021)

Every year, there’s always a film that drops like a bomb in the film festival circuit, becomes the talk of the town before even acquiring a release schedule, and upon finally seeing the light of day in a manner where the masses can see it, lives up to and surpasses the hype. This year, the film that holds this position far and away is Titane, this year’s Palme D’Or winner at the prestigious Cannes Film Festival. Be it my friends in the industry, online and YouTube personalities I follow, or other cinephiles like myself, Titane seems to be the it movie of the moment, and the one that everyone wants to mark off of their watchlist. Normally, I ignore social media advertisements, but when Facebook notified me that Vudu was now carrying Titane, I immediately purchased it and made it priority number one to view it.

youtube

There is an immediate connection made present in the opening images of the film connecting Alexia (and later, women in general) to automobiles, and as this connection unfolds and blooms, viewers are forced to take a deep look at the way women are objectified as the norm, leading to an experience that removes autonomy and only allows for extreme reactions. Women and cars are not the only elements that find themselves paralleled in Titane : intimacy and pain become a core element of the film that makes up Alexia’s dark version of a “hero’s journey”, and this realm opens the door for Alexia’s fascination with missing children becoming the outsource focus for her own missing childhood. Speaking of missing childhood, the pillars of support in Alexia’s life boil down to two very imposing father figures (although the surrogate figure is daunting in comparison to her actual father), with her actual father creating the raw nerve existence Alexia embodies while her surrogate father’s strange, imposing love serves to eventually temper the outward lashing out that the raw nerve mentality fuels. Almost all characters in the film suffer from a consistent practice of denial in the face of reality, with the choices made as a result falling on the spectrum of extremity rather than acceptance.

Titane has a presentation that feels completely fresh while also reminding viewers of a Argento-style horror aesthetic, creating a visceral experience that immediately locks in anyone to buy into the madness presented post-opening credits. Alexia is very interesting as a central character... I would hesitate to call her a protagonist, though she is presented as the character we are supposed to experience the story through, but most of the horror and tension of the film spirals from her absence of impulse control as she tears holes through her reality in the form of a deep body count. Speaking of a body count, the violence at times gets so spectacular and unreal in its cold application and grand gesturing, so much so that it can be hard to accept as narrative reality initially. This violence would be shocking enough if it were only directed outward, but some of the most jarring pain we are shown comes in the form of Alexia exacting it upon herself, which becomes a key element in the darkly upsetting connection she finds with her surrogate father figure and captor in the form of Vincent. The unbilled star of the film is the element of fire, which finds itself taking the form of a mythical presence during some moments, while at other times, it takes the form of a gateway to enlightenment or escape, though mostly within the darker spectrum.

In terms of cinematography (which is one of the film’s strongest aspects), the juxtaposition of uncomfortable framing, expressionistic wide shots and deeply immersive handheld long takes all force us as viewers to have to reflect deeply on the deeply uncomfortable moments while in the midst of experiencing them. The haunting score puts us on edge as we try and understand the mental state of Alexia during our journey with her. The visual hue and coloring that the film employs is reminiscent of the Watchmen comic series, particularly in the way that magentas, pinks and oranges are the standout tones in a mostly desaturated world. Solid soundtrack choices are scattered with great restraint throughout the film, with each song and connected visual sequence adding to the narrative in tangential manners like heavily entertaining subtext. The presence of large and visually stark locations feels like a tool to remind us of how big the world can seem to people wrapped deeply in their respective traumas, especially once people allow others into their world and the process of personal and peer discovery begins. If Agathe Rousselle and Vincent Lindon don’t show up on some acting nomination lists, not to mention writer/director Julia Ducournau for the nomination trifecta of writer, director and top film, I will be very surprised.

Agathe Rousselle goes above and beyond in her debut performance, with the range of her physical transformation matching the physicality and deep emotion that pours out of her coiled snake-like performance, with touches of raw vulnerability stepping to the forefront as the film progresses. Vincent Lindon turns in an equally riveting nomination-worthy performance, channeling a pure denial in the face of post-traumatic sadness that pulls he and Rousselle through paralleled dark journeys, with his rage focused into a shield that allows him to move forward. Laïs Salameh serves as a voice of reason and even-keeled judgement in the mad world of Titane, remaining open-minded in a sympathetic gesture to his captain until the truth reveals itself, at which point he allows his moral compass to guide him to a tragic ending. Garance Marillier brings an innocence and purity during the film’s early stages, allowing us an initial gauge to hold Alexia in comparison to before her shocking journey reaches the point of no return. Bertrand Bonello stands as the tragic (albeit somewhat shaky) source of Alexia’s problems, not to mention the target of a heavily implied illicit relationship in the wake of her accident, which makes him a sympathetic figure despite his abrasive and dismissive behavior. Myriem Akheddiou uses her brief appearance as a grounding source of validation that the absurd journey Alexia is on is realer than viewers may have initially perceived, with her unconditional love for her husband being the only thing stronger than her unescapable grief in regard to the reality of her missing child. Appearances by Dominique Frot, Adèle Guigue, Céline Carrère and Thibault Cathalifaud round out the main supporting cast.

Titane is an intense and insane journey that somehow manages to provide viewers with the core of a touching story revolving around the acceptance of damaged individuals. While being wholly its own thing, Titane does manage to show shades of influences from films like Tetsuo : The Iron Man or a less aggressive version of the work of Nicolas Winding Refn or Gaspar Noé. Although I did not intend for Titane to be a part of spooky season viewing, the film did have a tone and style that falls in line with the psychological horror films that I have come to deeply enjoy, with touches of body horror thrown in for good measure. Long story short, the hype around this film is real, and only time will tell if it gets the foreign film award season treatment or if it can manage to get deeper acclaim, a la Parasite or Minari. See this film if and when you can, preferably on the big screen (as I hope to eventually do).

#ChiefDoomsday #DOOMonFILM #JuliaDucournau #Titane #AgatheRousselle #VincentLindon #GaranceMarillier #LaïsSalameh #MyriemAkheddiou #BertrandBonello #DominiqueFrot #AdèleGuigue #CélineCarrère #ThibaultCathalifaud

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