'Black' History Month: Men Against Fire (Black Mirror)

As the Month continues, I might as well double-down on the Month to feature a tale with a Black Lead too.  This turns out to be one of the least popular Episodes in the Show's History.  Why?

In a vague future and foreign location, Soldiers are tasked with dealing with 'Roaches.'  We follow a young Soldier who has yet to get a kill.

Said creatures come right out of Blade II and seem quite vicious.

Given that this is technically still British, Insert British Teeth Joke Here.

During a battle where he gets his first two kills, he's exposed to a strange device...

Afterwards, the MASS Device in his head (that gives him a HUD)starts to malfunction.   What is going on his head?

After seeing a Doctor and Tech, he goes to see the Army Therapist.  Will this prove to be a fatal mistake?  Will he learn the truth and, more importantly, will that be a massive mistake?

To find out, stream the Episode.

A dark, but quite interesting Episode.  It is hard to discuss it without breaking down the whole Plot.  I'll give it the old Community College try though.  What the Episode deals with nicely is War and combat in general.  Our Lead is torn between the idea that he wants to prove himself as a Soldier and whether he really wants to kill.  You can see the conflict in him throughout the Episode.  They also nicely juxtapose him with someone that has gone 'all in' on this conflict.  That person seems to have made their whole sense of identity contingent upon being a killer of 'Roaches' and a tough Soldier.  That sure isn't healthy!  I won't give away the twist here, but...damn, it's a good one.  You might see it coming; you might not.  Regardless it works as a great example of 'crazy, but also believable' that Black Mirror deals in.  As dark as this is, it is plausible.  The only real issue I have: the fact that this use of a HUD reminds me of FMV stuff like Corpse Killer...

A good Episode.  Even if you guess the twist early on, it is still an interesting Episode to break down and discuss.

Quick *Holiday* Review: Force Majeure (2014)

This one is a triple whammy.  It is a Film which has a (pointless) U.S. Remake.  It is a Romance Film (of sorts), so it works for Valentine's Day.  Its Remake is opening today.

Could the fates align any more for me than they did for this couple you'll see below?  Read on...

A Swedish Couple are taking a long overdue vacation in the French Alps.  What could go wrong?

The family is close-knit, although tiny cracks are visible if you look close enough.

As an American, this looks odd to me.  Is it just our cultural hang-ups?

On Day 2 of the Trip, Lunch is interrupted by an Avalanche.  Not a SPOILER, since, you know, the Poster.

What he does in the face of this peril is what matters- he runs off on his own.

This event traumatizes everyone, the children included.

As time goes on, the Husband refuses to admit what he did.  Is he denying it to her or himself?

With the experience troubling everyone, can the arrival of some friends help them out?

Fun Fact: the last time I watched a Swedish Film being remade in America, it also had the guy from Game of Thrones in it.  Weird.

Can their marriage survive the vacation?  Can they work things out?  Will anything be the same?

To find out, watch the Golden Globe-nominated Film?  I saw it on Tubi, but it is on others too.

A good Film, although it is not an easy watch.  Cringe Comedy is a big thing.  Mainstream Films like Meet the Parents reveled in it and it has never gone away.  This is *close* to that.  It is definitely not a Comedy as its main Genre.  The Film is much more of a Human Drama that has some good Comedy elements in it.  I'm guessing the balance will be off with Downhill, a Film who's Title is just asking for bad Reviews and/or commentary on the Stars' Careers.  It is easy to see why the Film managed to strike a chord with Audiences and receive critical acclaim.  It is well-Acted.  It is well-Written.  It is well-shot.  The Director apparently started out learning how to make Films about Skiing and used that to form the basis of this Film.  It is one of those Films that simmers and comes to a slow boil like a teapot.  The reaction to the Film's key moment isn't a sudden outburst or big fight.  It is an awkward silence.  It is a tentative discussion.  It is rising tensions that finally come to the surface when the Wife wants closure.  The Film asks tough questions and presents very real characters.  It is a nice change of pace from just straight-up watching bad Horror Films with generic Plots.  I'm not a Film Snob by any means, so it is nice to indulge on occasion.  The Film doesn't really need a Remake, especially since a third of the dialogue is in English anyhow!  In the wake of Parasite's big win, can't we get over Foreign Remakes just for the hell of it?  To be honest, the worst thing I can say about this Film is its Swedish Title being far too close to that of a bad Johnny Depp Film's one...

A good, but uncomfortable Film.  If you are married, have been married or know married people, it will make you think...and squirm.

Quick Review: Toy Story 4

Well, I don't cover Oscar-winning Films that often.  I might as do one that is the ending (maybe) of a series that I grew up watching...

It's been about two years since the events of Toy Story 3 had the gang end up with Bonnie.

In that time, Woody has been left behind.  He now is relegated to the Closet with the old Comedians.

At School, Woody inadvertently leads Bonnie to create a new friend for herself- Forky.

Yes, it's a Spork.  We know.  Congrats on your observation.

 Thanks to, I guess, magic, Forky is now alive.  He used to be trash, but now he's a toy...so he's sentient.

It's like a Children's Guide to Franz Kafka's Metamorphosis.

Out on a trip, Woody and Forky get separated from the gang.  They meet Lost Toys, ones that live in 'the Wild' and play with kids that show up, but don't actually have a home.

Thankfully, they don't do a version of the song 'Wild Boys' by Duran Duran.

He also runs into a strange enemy in the form of Gabby Gabby, who wants something that he has.

You have to love a 'Kids Film' that is all about referencing The Twilight Zone, no?

Can Woody reunite with an old friend to save the day?  Will his new friends make the difference?  Will it make you- likely an Adult- cry?

To find out, watch the Film.  I saw it on Disney Plus, since I might as well get the most out of my $6.99.

A strange, but masterful adventure.  So I was exposed to the original Film when I was young.  I liked the second one, although it definitely wasn't as good.  The 3rd Film came much later and showed that they could still mine some good material.  To many, this had to be the end. Thankfully, they had one more good story in them for this one.  I guess it makes up for the bad stories in stuff like Cars 2.  Easy burns aside, I definitely liked this one.  It feels like it kind of does its own things at points in the story, like when it seems to forget the rest of the toys.  Even so, it all ties back together.  The new toys are a nice addition.  You have to ignore the weird elephant in the room- Don Rickles' mostly-silent Mr. Potato Head.  I get why they didn't exclude him, but it seems weird that he just stares at you all the time.  There's a good and bad aspect to the Plot as far as the Voice Cast goes.  Many longtime Characters get a line or two- like John Ratzenberger- which is a shame.  On the flip side, Annie Potts- back as Bo Peep- gets a much bigger part than apparently even she realized!  Key and Peele are a delight, even if they introduce Cutaways into the Film.  Speaking of which, the Film *didn't* begin with a fantasy action sequence- what a twist!  As a whole, the new stuff is neat and you can see the amount of work they put into things.  If you miss it, the IMDB Trivia Page has about 1,042 notes about random background bits.  When *I* think you spend too much time looking for hidden details, it says something.  Should this have won the Oscar?  Who knows- I didn't see the other nominees.  I just know that some people won't rest until you talk about Disney stuff, so I need to appease them...

A Film that makes quite a few bold choices- most of which pay off.  While some Characters lack Screen Time, the final product is understandably award-worthy.

Lost inTranslation?: Blacula

Domo Arigato, Japan.

I love Blacula.
It's not great.
It's not really even that good.
It has one amazingly-bad line of dialog.
It has people throwing unlit lanterns that explode on impact.

I still love it.

I love it so much that I had to share this with you...

Nice!

This is similar to the famous U.S. Poster, but with some key design differences.  Everything is just kind of moved around a bit and the text on the left is new.

Putting that Title- not the English one- front and center was a nice touch too.

Here's the original...

I did all of my usual stuff, but I also brought out some colors (like the red in the corner) for added emphasis.

Quick Review: Scary Stories To Tell in the Dark

Another 2019 Film that I meant to see and never got around to.  

Did it live up to the hype?

It is Halloween in 1968 and a trio of teens turn the tables on some bullies.  Of course, pissing off bullies will definitely have no consequences.

I'll just get the obvious thing out of the way- this did not need to be a Period Piece.  

It adds nothing.

They meet up with a new guy in town and end up at a Haunted House.

They walked away from a first-run Drive-In Showing of Night of the Living Dead for this?
Also Horror Film shows NotLD Cliché.

They exposit about a creepy girl who would ready Scary Stories (told in the dark) to kids long ago.

Hmm...I see no danger in keeping her book of said Stories.  

I also see no danger in spending 30 out of this Film's 100 minutes with nothing but Setup.

The Stories start to be written by the Book itself and they spell doom for the subject.

Hey look- that thing from the Poster!

The Stories keep making bad things happen and they can't seem to stop it by burning the book or ripping out the pages.

Honest question- have you tried just writing 'The End' like half a page down?  

Wouldn't that work?

Who will live?  

Who will die?  

Will they wrap this story up or just hope for a Sequel?

To find out, stream the Film or buy a physical copy like some sort of Caveman.

A Film with some good moments, but it does make you wait.  

The most obvious issue here is the Pacing.  I get that there is a bunch of stuff to set up, but they still take too long.  

As noted, the Film is right at 100 minutes and they don't get to the first Story until 30 minutes in.  Would a Cold Open have killed you?  

Think about it- the Plot is built around the Stories told by this lady/spirit long ago.  

Why not start with one of those to set the mood?  

Instead, we get all of the Characters getting to know each other, them seemingly trapped and then them almost immediately getting out.  Way to set up and immediately diffuse a conflict!  

The actual Stories are handled nicely, with interest-looking monsters in each one.  The Film does struggle with a sense of identity.  

The Stories play out in an Anthology-style format, but they try to make it 'real time' to make people think of anything but.  It ends up being a bit awkward and not as strong as either version of it could be.  

Do one kind of Film or the other.  

I'm also going to say it 'I'm not that invested in these kids.'  They aren't bad Actors, nor are they badly-written- I just didn't get all that invested in them.  

Scary Stories has good moments and delivers in key parts.  The problem is that they tried to create a Genre Hybrid and it just didn't work.  

That said, I did find a product that I need in my life...

A pretty good Film that straddles the line between Anthology Film and straight Horror.  It's just a shame that the Subplots and slow start hurt the final product so much.

Pilot Wings: Birds of Prey (2002)

If I'm going to do obvious click-bait, I might as well be creative about it.

I got the DVD of Birds of Prey (all one Season of it) and it features the Unaired Pilot as a Bonus Feature.

With the return of the world in Crisis on Infinite Earths (kudos to the Actress for keeping the costume) and the Film coming out, let's see what worked and obviously didn't work for the Network here...

Already things are a bit confusing.  So bear with me while I exposition dump the way that the Pilot does...

- Batman and Batgirl (in her classic outfit) fight crime together.
- Selena Kyle had a kid with Batman that he didn't know about.
- Batman captures The Joker, but he escapes and does two things...
1) Hire a guy to kill Selena (with ease!)
2) Show up to shoot and paralyze Barbara Killing Joke-style

Our Lead- Dinah- has some sort of psychic powers and sees this happen, even though she's not in New Gotham or even knows them.

Years later (seven, to be exact), she travels to the City, seen here represented by the first of dozens of slightly-dated-looking CG Models.

Also I think the Sun is dying in the background.

Barbara is now the computer-hacking Oracle, while Selena's Daughter is...

Huntress!

She has cat powers, since...um, I guess this is Batman Returns' Selina Kyle.
Although she left Gotham after the Movie or was dead (it wasn't clear).
So did this continuity break away from Batman Forever's one, since this is a different Batgirl and...why do I care more than the people who made this Show?

Dinah is saved by Huntress from Aaron Paul and uses her touch-based telepathy (which it is now, I guess) to find the base.

She proves to have powers and, of course, got close to one of the victims of the crime the pair are investigating.

So, naturally, Oracle...

…sends her out into the field with no training to check out the Docks for clues.

She does give her these silly goggles that lets her see what Dinah sees though.  That sure will be helpful if she's murdered!

This leads to an exposition dump explaining what I already did in the first part.

Huntress, meanwhile, is drugged by the bad guy, who is trying to make her kill herself.
The Director gets all arty here with this bit inside of Huntress' mind too.

The Villain is stopped and rendered catatonic.

As her Heroes celebrate, we are introduced yet again to Dr. Harleen Quinzel, played by Sherilyn Fenn.  Shock Twist- she's the Villain.

Unfortunately, she is the biggest change from Unaired Pilot to real Pilot as she was recast.  Aw.  The End.

A good start.  Obviously, the Show has come and gone in the last 18 years, so there's no use trying to save it.  It is interesting to see how much this feels like Smallville, which proved to be the more successful DC Show.  There are alot of good ideas and bad ideas here.  I like that is connected to the Films.  I hate the connection is so confusing.  Seriously, it's like Batman Returns happened, but then some other Film besides Forever and & Robin happened.  In that one, we get a different Batgirl, a renaming of the City AND Selena Kyle returning to Gotham as a Socialite.  Oh and if you think that it is a different Selena Kyle, I'll remind you that they reuse the Returns suit for flashbacks.  Speaking of weird connections, they used Mark Hamill as the Voice of Joker, but uses a Stunt Man for the actual on-screen appearance- why?  Obviously the biggest thing here is the fact that Fenn was recast from original to final Pilot.  For the record, I thought she was good.  I think that she could have worked for the Show just fine.  FYI she would later be Raven's Step-Mom on Titans (for like 10 seconds), so that's a random connection for you.  Two last points to cover.  First, they decide to call Huntress as 'Helena,' but pronounce it like 'Helen-ah.'  Weird.  Lastly, they cast a lady named 'Dina' to play Barbara and then someone named 'Rachel' to play 'Dinah.'  In summary, this Pilot is good.  Why did they mess with it just to have another lady do the same Scenes in place of Fenn?

The Show clearly had some potential.  This one sets up alot that the Series will pay off, but it wasn't to be.

Quick Review: John Wick 3- Parabellum

After I missed in Theaters, HBO has provided me a chance to catch up.  It's going to be violent!

In the aftermath of the events of the last Film, Wick is targeted by the Guild that once employed him.

Genuine question- how did we go from Early Morning and dry in New York to Night and rainy in less than an hour?

**** 

With $14 million on his head, he runs into many, many dangers.

Pro-Tip: don't hide in a Weapon Shop and/or follow people into it.

He knows that he can't survive long in the City and has to go above the heads of those that betrayed him.

His only solution- return to his past World for help.

This leads him to a woman (played by Halle Berry) and her dogs.  Can they help me reach The Man Above The Table?

His enemies only increase in numbers as a man known as Zero is hired to kill him.

I know he's not playing the same Character from Crying Freeman, but in my head canon he totally is!  That or The Chairman- take your pick.

What does apparently the worst week of John Wick's life hold for him at the end?

To find out, stream the Film.

A good, but flawed Film.  At its heart, John Wick 3 is a good, solid Action Film.  It is shot well and looks vibrant.  It certainly isn't for everyone, of course, given that he kills about 40 people (in self-defense, mind you) in the first half hour alone.  That gets to the Film's biggest issues- it's Pacing.  It starts out strong, building up to a few nice Fight Scenes.  After that, it comes to a complete halt to indulge in more Backstory.  I honestly don't care that much about who is part of The Table, who is an Arbitrator and/or who is Above The Table.  I want some Plot, but...not this one.  True Story- I was watching this on Sunday and had to pause.  I was genuinely-shocked to find out that I'd only been watching for an Hour.  I was convinced that the Film was nearly over, but nope.  The good parts mostly outweigh the bad here, but I still feel like they could have cut alot.  Just because you *can* write something this long and ponderous, hoping that the amazing Action Scenes will keep people invested doesn't mean that you *should.*  I guess them adding the 'Parabellum' Subtitle should have been the first sign, no?  If you liked John Wick 2, it's more of that.  If you, like me, thought that the Story was too drawn out and uninteresting, you're going to feel the same about this one.  Obviously, of course, I can't be too mad at a Film with Scenes like this in it...

A big, bloated Film that has some good content inside.  The Action is strong, but they really didn't need to double-down on the mythos.