For film lovers, there’s nothing quite like the sublime joy of discovering that a film you’ve never seen actually lives up to the hype. I recently experienced this while watching Baby driverEdgar Wright’s hyperkinetic action heist film, on Netflix. It was the only one of Wright’s films that I hadn’t seen, and I was overjoyed to find that it was more than everything I expected from this visionary director.
What’s so great about Baby Driver?
To decide whether you want to stream Baby driver On Netflix, you need to know the premise. The title refers to a young man who calls himself Baby and serves as an expert getaway driver for an Atlanta crime boss and his rotating clique of motley criminals. Baby’s gimmick involves him listening to iPods while performing insane car maneuvers, but when a job goes wrong after the young man falls in love, perhaps it’s time for this baby-faced criminal to face the music.
A reason why many want to take a look Baby driver On Netflix, it should be mentioned that the film is full of big names: Baby, for example, is played by Ansel Elgort, who is best known for playing the male lead in the romantic youth film The fault of our stars. Other big names include Kevin Spacey, Jon Hamm, Jamie Foxx and Jon Bernthal, all of whom shine in this Edgar Wright film.
Speaking of Wright, I wasn’t quite sure how Scott Pilgrim The director’s kinetic and stylish style of filmmaking would translate into a film full of car chases. I watched once Baby driver On Netflix, I was pleased to find that everything was perfectly translated, and watching Baby do his insane driving maneuvers was just as rewarding as watching Scott Pilgrim triumph over Ramona Flowers’ evil ex-girlfriends. This revelation was all the more rewarding in comparison Baby driver To Last night in Sohoa Wright film whose style and content were often hidden beneath a heavy-handed message.
A popular action crime thriller
I’m not the only one who felt this way: During Last night in Soho has a respectable 75 percent critical rating on Rotten Tomatoes, Baby driver has a significantly healthier 92 percent. Critics generally praised Wright’s killer combination of action, style and music, and this fast-paced film still ends up being much more than the sum of these excellent parts. It was also a major box office hit, grossing $226.9 million on a budget of just $34 million.
Baby driver was a huge hit on Netflix, proving that it resonates with audiences just as much today as it did when it was first released in 2017. Ironically, the film shines all the brighter when compared to many of the exclusive action films produced on the streaming platform. Honestly, after snoozing through big-budget Netflix shlock festivals Red notice or the Rebel Moon films, Wright’s groundbreaking action work feels like a breath of fresh air (with just a hint of gasoline, of course).
You will find Baby driver Just as exciting as I am if you want to stream it on Netflix or just turn it off to watch Scott Pilgrim for the millionth time? You won’t know until you take this ambitious action epic for a test drive. Be warned, however, that you’ll probably be tempted to search for vintage iPods on eBay long before the credits roll.
Star Trek is a dialogue-heavy franchise that has become an integral part of our shared pop culture, and even non-fans are prone to saying things like “He’s dead, Jim” or “Beam me up.” However, one veteran Trek writer believes an overlooked conversation in a largely forgotten episode could be one of the series’ greatest moments. According to prolific writer JM Dillard, a brief conversation between Commander Sisko and Dr. Bashir in Deep Space Nine The episode “The Forsaken” made television history by subverting the racist portrayals of film characters that were common in the 90s.
The conversation
The conversation begins when Bashir visits Sisko’s office to discuss the doctor’s job of escorting troublesome alien ambassadors around the station. In Star Trek – Where no one has been beforeDillard admits that “there’s nothing unusual about this conversation” because “it’s the kind that happens every day in offices around the world.” However, “the difference is that when a black man is in a typical television drama If you talk to a Middle Eastern man, he will almost certainly be talking about drugs, crime, terrorism or violence – and will most likely be portrayed as uneducated, heavily accented, immoral or anti-social – but never on Star Trek.”
To younger fans who were born afterward Deep Space Nine came out, Dillard’s claim may seem a bit exaggerated, but it’s worth remembering that this show was intentionally focused on issues of race from the start. Avery Brooks’ Sisko was the first black lead in a Trek series and remained until the premiere of The Only Star. discovery. Later DS9 episodes dealt very directly with race and racism, including “Far Beyond the Stars”, an episode that revealed that the entire series could be an invention of Benny Russell, a science fiction author who lived in America in 1953 faced extreme (and very ugly) racism.
Such storytelling may seem exaggerated now, but this Deep Space Nine Writers felt it was necessary because Dillard was right: far too many black characters in the ’80s and ’90s were portrayed as dangerous thugs rather than righteous heroes. Brooks, for example, was sympathetically presented in his breakthrough role in Spenser for rentbut his character of Hawk was still a largely ruthless killer who often seemed written more as a racist caricature than a character.
Whether Hawk was a symbolic or groundbreaking character is certainly up for debate, but Brooks himself later noted that his portrayal led many white fans to believe that he was really a gun-toting guy whom the producers recruited “on a street corner somewhere.” He said that some of these fans “speak to me in a vernacular that’s supposed to look like a black language?” Hollywood wasn’t much better than these fans: while DS9 was still on, he starred The big hita big-budget film in which he portrayed (what else?) a violent crime boss.
From the beginning, Deep Space Nine The focus is on the race with its human characters and its aliens. For example, the story of the Cardassians using Bajorans as slave labor on the titular space station is clearly reminiscent of America’s turbulent racial history. And Brooks was never afraid to step in and talk to the writers if he thought they might inadvertently play into racist stereotypes. This is most evident in the series finale: Brooks insisted that Sisko tell his pregnant wife Kasidy Yates that he would return one day because he was uncomfortable with the story about a black man abandoning his wife to raise their child alone was.
However, as Dillard notes, the real magic of Deep Space Nine is that it can tell stories about race, but they don’t always play a big role in the whole. Even at its most preachy, the series never feels like it’s lecturing us to an ’80s-style “very special episode.” Instead, DS9 presents characters of all races with dignity and professionalism, showing us that a better future is about more than just replicators and warp drives. It’s also about leaving our old blockages and prejudices behind us and striving for a better future for everyone, regardless of skin color.
When I went to Disney World as a kid, 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea was my favorite ride, and for 20 minutes, which is an eternity compared to modern park rides, I was able to live out my childhood dream of sailing aboard the Nautilus with Captain Nemo. The ride was discontinued in 1994 and replaced by The Little Mermaid. It’s now been 30 years and Jules Verne’s classic novel is still not in the Disney parks and, what’s worse, it has not yet received a modern film adaptation, even though it was the novel that launched the entire science industry. Fiction genres contributed.
The book that popularized science fiction
Jules Verne 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea It was a huge success upon its publication in 1869, when it was first serialized, and again in 1871, when an illustrated version hit bookstores around the world. As with most classic works of science fiction, Verne took a futuristic perspective on submarines when he invented the Nautilus, Captain Nemo’s advanced submarine, which he used to terrorize the shipping lanes. However, given Nemo’s motives as a pure scientist and nature lover, Verne inadvertently created the first eco-terrorist.
On the surface, the novel is a science fiction adventure, but delve a little deeper and you find references to the political unrest of the time, the impact of the Industrial Revolution, and how the natural world is forever tarnished. 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea There’s a lot going on beneath the surface, but rather than making it difficult to adapt, it would help keep it simple and relevant even today, almost 150 years after it was first published. It is all the more astonishing that the novel was last made into a film 70 years ago.
The last big film adaptation
20,000 Leagues Under the Sea
20,000 leagues under the sea, Released in 1954 by Walt Disney and starring Kirk Douglas as harpooner Ned Land and one of Hollywood’s classic leading men, James Mason, as Captain Nemo, the film was a huge success, and box office figures at the time are difficult to ascertain Earned $8 million, $91 million adjusted for inflation. That’s almost double Joker 2 Total domestic box office.
Mix parts The mysterious islandthe underrated sequel novel, with the original novel, 20,000 Leagues Under the Seathe film is still a faithful adaptation of the groundbreaking story, at least to 1954 sensibilities. Nemo’s harsh, nihilistic edges are toned down somewhat, but Mason does a fantastic job of portraying the complex character who is both a hero and a villain, depending on who you ask. \
Nautilus means well, but comes up short
Shazad Latif as Nemo in nautilus
Despite the lack of a modern film adaptation, which makes no sense given the success of the 1954 film, the BBC adapted it 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea for the new series nautiluswhich is well-intentioned and wonderfully acted, but misses the point. The modern series is an origin story for Nemo and the iconic submarine, altering his book origins as a fallen Indian prince to make him a slave of the East India Company, the go-to villain for 19th-century sea adventures.
Instead of being a man of science who believes himself above the turbulence of the human world, Nemo is played by him Star Trek: Discovery’s Shazad Latif, in nautilus begins with a vendetta against the British corporation that mostly works, but again, it’s not really Nemo. He’s a haunted and broken man, but as a big fan of the 1954 film and the original novel, he’s missing something since it’s a prequel that could be done on purpose, and at least someone is trying to tell that story today if it is deserves a bigger stage.
We need an IMAX spectacle
Imagine a blockbuster 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea Playback on an IMAX screen. All the beautiful underwater vistas of the Pacific combined with the sheer terror of the deep-sea giant squid, storms on the surface and tropical islands sparkling in the ocean is a story that should be told in the largest format possible. We deserve a new version of Jules Verne’s groundbreaking story that finally does justice to his original vision.
How do you choose the worst Star Trek movie? There are so many criteria to judge by. Do you choose the option that you think is the most boring? What about the one with the stupidest plot? Maybe you should choose the one That essentially brought the film franchise to a standstill for more than half a decade?
These are all valid standards for judging the worst Star Trek film, but we need to look at this decision from both a broader and deeper perspective. There are many superficial reasons to call a Star Trek film the worst of them all. While some were misunderstood, there were others that provoked contempt. Is Star Trek V: The Final Frontier a ridiculous vanity project with a climax worthy of ridicule? Probably. Is Star Trek: Nemesis a weak and uncharacteristic farewell for The next generation Crew? Surely.
But these reviews alone don’t give it the title of worst Star Trek film. Achieving such status would require a story that encapsulates the optimism and hope of Star Trek. It would have to be aggressively stupid in its plot, lazy and slightly sacrilegious in its conception, and secretly an affront to everything Star Trek is supposed to stand for.
This leaves only one choice for the worst Star Trek film: Star Trek Into Darkness.
The surface of the worst Star Trek film
How it feels to watch Star Trek Into Darkness.
There are a number of deeper reasons for this Star Trek Into Darkness is considered the worst Star Trek film, but before we really break down this film, let’s look at the film’s more obvious problems and flaws.
The most pressing problem is this Star Trek Into Darkness wants to crib Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khanarguably the fan favorite part of the entire series. It’s not an inherently bad thing when a film reprises or remakes elements of a previously popular film, but rather the way it does so Star Trek Into Darkness takes care of it The Khan’s Wrath Parts are embarrassing.
Benedict CumberbatchThe actor’s performance is somehow both grandiose and subdued at the same time, never reaching the melodramatic pleasures of Ricardo Montalban’s iconic take on the character. Most horrifying is a tone-deaf remix of the memorable “Khan!” scream, in which Zachary Quinto delivers his riff at the moment and it’s just… *sigh*.
Benedict Cumberbatch in Star Trek Into Darkness
It should be noted that the cast of Star Trek Into Darkness do their best with a truly hideous script. JJ Abrams hit the jackpot with the casting of his 2009 series reboot, but good casting can’t save a story full of bad character motivations, leaps in narrative logic that don’t hold up when you think about it for a second. and an overall tone that is constantly at war with itself.
The title Star Trek Into Darkness certainly makes you feel like, “Oh, this Star Trek movie is going to be serious business!” That’s definitely what the movie wants you to believe, but its wild shifts from grim expressions to goofy character parts clash so hard and shatter when they collide. The film never finds its tonal rhythm.
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Part of this reason is that Star Trek Into Darkness is a mess when it comes to filmmaking.
Chaos behind the camera
JJ Abrams on the set of Star Trek Into Darkness.
When JJ Abrams took over the feature film franchise in 2009 Star Trekhe brought a special manic action energy to the series. To be fair, that Next generation Films had certainly established this in tone, but their filmmaking styles had remained relatively grounded. A large part of this was because purely digital camerawork was not yet sufficiently developed to be able to reproduce believable landscapes and fluid camera movements.
However, this capability was already present in 2009 Star Trek rolled around and Abrams used it to his full advantage. Strengthened by this aesthetic and energetic decision, he increases the speed to eleven inches Star Trek Into Darkness and it is unbearable. It’s an onslaught of noise and visual tumult that serves no purpose other than storytelling.
But this filmmaking choice wasn’t as compelling in the 2009 film because it matched the swashbuckling tone of that film. Star Trek Into DarknessThe decision to appear dark while maintaining the visual language of a more exciting adventure story contributes to this dissonance.
Still, all of these and other problems – poor treatment of villains, poor characterization, problematic portrayals of female characters – pale in comparison to the element that really matters Star Trek Into Darkness the worst Star Trek film.
The insidiousness of Star Trek Into Darkness
These types of images are not a coincidence.
When we talk about the worst Star Trek movie of all time, we have to consider more than just the way this movie behaves in its own way. Star Trek Into Darkness fails as a piece of science fiction action cinema, but it becomes downright disgusting in the way it relates to the history of Star Trek as a vision and ideal.
Screenwriter Roberto Orci could use Star Trek Into Darkness as an allegorical vehicle for his own disgusting conspiracy theories regarding the September 11 attacks. This may sound ridiculous, but the inclusion of a dedication at the end of the film to “Post-9/11 Veterans” gives the entire film a new flavor.
The details of this reading of the film are well documented elsewhere, so I won’t parrot all of these observations. Instead, I would like to emphasize why it is this particular aspect that is essential Star Trek Into Darkness the worst Star Trek film.
THIS KIND OF IMAGES ARE NOT RANDOM.
As a fictional concept, Star Trek is intended to represent the most optimistic possibilities for man. Yes, there have been critical episodes throughout the franchise that tested the integrity of Star Trek’s ideals – including the best episode of Deep Space Nine – but it always came from a place of sincerity and heart for the world Star Trek wanted to build.
Star Trek Into Darkness removes that hope and replaces it with brash cynicism. It denigrates Starfleet and the Federation by portraying them as an inherently corrupt organization led by a leader bent on starting war at any cost. It rips out the heart of Star Trek and replaces it with something so rotten that it’s impossible to even watch the film without feeling sick.
It’s not that the world of Star Trek can’t handle self-critical and dark stories. Deep Space Nine is my favorite Star Trek series, and a big reason why is its willingness to defy the ideals and practices of the Federation and Starfleet. But the people behind it Deep Space Nine The core creators behind it clearly have a deep, understanding love for Star Trek Star Trek Into Darkness don’t share. Instead, they exploited Star Trek to spread a misanthropic worldview that is ugly in itself, but becomes even uglier when applied to the world of Star Trek.
And it’s obvious that these creative forces led to this awfulness. The sequel, Star Trek Beyondreplaced the director and writers, resulting in the best reboot films. And this film was even able to evoke some critical feelings towards the Federation without resorting to an insidious political agenda.
That’s the main reason why Star Trek Into Darkness has to be the worst Star Trek movie. You can debate the fictional and technical merits of all the other films, but none come close to actively depicting something so toxic at its core. If you love Star Trek, you probably love its attitude towards humanity and its belief that we can work together for the greater good. If you love Star Trek, you love hope. Star Trek Into Darkness is a hopeless, vengeful, immoral attack on the Star Trek name.
If that doesn’t make it the worst Star Trek movie, I don’t know what does. I assume that God needs a spaceship every day.
Ever since Taylor Sheridan introduced the world to the Dutton family Yellowstonehe had a hot streak with Jeremy Renner Mayor of KingstownZoe Saldanas lionessand Sylvester Stallone’s Tulsa Kingbut his latest show might be his best yet. Countrymanrevels in the grit and grime of the Texas oil business, from bullies to cartels, and one very special negotiator. The first few minutes of the first episode show that Tommy Norris is built differently, as he negotiates with the cartel after they kidnap him, with his hands tied and wrapped in a burlap sack, and yet he is the most dangerous man in the room.
The Bravery of Tommy Norris
In the first four minutes CountrymanTommy, played by Billy Bob Thornton’s drawl, instantly recognizable even beneath the burlap sack, explains to the cartel that the oil company he works for isn’t the type to piss off. Cautious and surrounded, he lets them know that if anything happens to the company’s property, not only will a fleet of drones wipe their homes off the map, but they will also set up a DEA office across the street. The intricacies of a service lease are explained, the “don’t mess with us, we won’t mess with you” contract is signed, and finally Tommy is released and fired.
It’s a bold series-opening sequence that turns into one of the best kidnapping/kidnapping (or, as it turns out, trial) scenes, thanks to Billy Bob Thorton’s confident writing, which makes it clear that Tommy is taking this situation under his belt Control without ever letting us see his face. The threats are bombastic and grandiose, but as it turns out, they lay the foundation for the rest Countryman. In true Taylor Sheridan fashion, Tommy may be extremely confident in his abilities and not the type of man anyone would want as an enemy, but when he’s finally freed, he pulls out a cigarette and we see his beaten, gaunt, and haunted face , one wonders how much of his bravery is a carefully constructed farce.
A cast that is rough at every turn
Billy Bob Thorton as Tommy Norris in Countryman
The rest of the cast of Countryman is full of equally strong personalities, including the rest of the Norris family, including Tommy’s ex Angela (Ali Larter), his son Cooper (Jacob Loflund), who begins a career in the oil field, and his headstrong, aggressive daughter Ainsley (played by Michelle Randolph, who is working with Sheridan again after her appearance in 1923). Joining Thornton are other big names including Michael Pena as an oil worker, Jon Hamm and Demi Moore as the Texas Oil power couple, and Andy Garcia appears in the role he was born to play.
Only five episodes of Countryman have aired on Paramount+ so far, so we’re still learning the dark secrets of the oil industry and the poor souls it destroys in the name of profit, but if you would like the Duttons to be a little rougher around the edges, the new characters of Sheridan’s West Texas are perfect for you.
Landman nominated for a Golden Globe
Countryman
Aside from the darkly humorous opening sequence, there are a few other funny scenes early in the series, including one involving a drug plane and surprising twists. Since this is West Texas, Billy Bob Thorton will be back with the Dillon Panthers, a fun nod to his starring role in the film Friday Night Lights. Although it’s not a real comedy, Countryman encompasses the soap opera roots of shows like Dallas And dynastybut at least here, all the wild events are justified by the angry Tommy at the center of the whirlwind.
Nevertheless, Billy Bob Thorton was also nominated for a Golden Globe for his performance as Tommy Norris Landman’s The first season is only half over. If you want to fill that breaking Bad And You better call Saul Don’t worry, there’s nothing better on the air at the moment. Once you’re done, you can also listen to the podcast Boomtownon which the series is based.
You can stream the first season of Countryman on Paramount+.
When Battlestar Galactica Premiering in 2003, it redefined what it meant as a science fiction series thanks to its dark story and well-written characters. But why it became one of the most popular series of all time can be summed up in three words: The Adama Maneuver. While most science fiction franchises rely more on spectacle than substance, Battlestar Galactica presented one of the most amazing spaceship sequences ever filmed, a moment of glorious triumph for our heroes in their darkest hour. It turned out that the light at the end of the tunnel was a huge military ship freely falling from orbit.
The cavalry arrives
The two-part episode “Exodus” follows the increasingly depressing episodes “Precipice” and “Occupation” that began Season 3, which focused on the Cylon occupation of the human settlement of New Caprica. When “Exodus, Part II” aired, it was unclear how bad things would get for the people facing a firing squad while the Resistance, which included Tigh (Michael Hogan), Anders (Michael Trucco) and Tyrol (Aaron Douglas) and Sharon (Grace Park) were scattered and faced insurmountable difficulties. Battlestar Galactica had already been fighting the colonists for two seasons, but finally, when the resistance fighters needed a miracle, Adama came.
The Galactica, entering New Caprica’s upper atmosphere, manages to disappear, miraculously prompting Number 4 (Rick Worthy) to ask Baltar (James Callis), “Where is the Galactica?” Even us, the Viewers, don’t know where Galactica has gone until the Resistance is pinned down, members are being gunned down left and right by Centurions, and then there’s the ship, which is moving freely into the lower Atmosphere of New Caprica jumps. Fall into the heart of the battle as the Vipers take flight and turn the tide. The sight of the Battlestar Galactica, the ancient and outdated warship never intended to be humanity’s last hope, appearing in the sky is an amazing spectacle, but it’s also a cathartic experience for fans used to seeing the heroes being thrown around by the Cylons.
The good guys win…sort of
The vipers come in Battlestar Galactica “Exodus, Part II”
The Adama maneuver remains the most brilliant tactical move in science fiction media because it not only makes sense within the rules established by Battlestar Galactica up to that point (and why when). The Last Jedi When it was revealed that “Hyperspace Jump” was a powerful weapon in “Star Wars,” it broke the fan base), it fit the portrayal of Admiral Adama (Edward James Olmos) as a brilliant military mind and illustrated the desperation of the colonists who risked their best weapon to free the people remaining on New Caprica. Without the narrative power behind the image of a free-falling spaceship, it wouldn’t be as fondly remembered decades later.
But that’s still the case Battlestar GalacticaAs the Cylon basestars converge on Galactica and all hope seems lost again, a volley of missiles erupts as Lee Adama (Jamie Bamber) arrives on the Pegasus to rescue his father. It’s another heroic moment in an episode full of such events, which unfortunately results in the Pegasus being blown to pieces while the younger Adama buys time for Galactica to escape. Win some, lose some; Such is life in the colonial fleet.
Battlestar Galacticawhich is now available to stream on Amazon Prime, has some bad plotlines and bizarre twists, but the first four episodes of season three collectively reached a height that no science fiction series has ever achieved since. And no single moment, not from Star Wars, Star Trek or even Stargate, can match the climax of the Adama Maneuver: the perfect fusion of story, character and emotion.
Recently, the world was shocked by the sudden assassination of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson and the subsequent arrest of suspected shooter Luigi Mangione. As a pop culture writer and all-around geek, I tend to view major events through the lens of television and film, and the widespread support for the CEO’s assassination led me to a wild and somewhat uncomfortable realization. In short, the Joker is real and he is every one of us, with the first Todd Phillips film about the clown prince of crime perfectly predicting how we would react to these bizarre events.
We are all clowns
What did joker When it came out, it was notable for offering a real look into the psychology of a comic book villain who is often dismissed as nothing more than a killer clown. Instead of giving the titular villain a very ambiguous origin, as was the case in the comics and previous films, joker shows very clearly how his descent into murderous madness was triggered by the system continually failing him when he was most vulnerable. This culminates in the execution of three arrogant Wall Street brothers and a snarky talk show host, and the film’s conclusion shows how much his actions resonated with the supportive public.
When joker came, this ending seemed almost as crazy as the Clown Prince himself. It didn’t seem real to me that so many people would riot and otherwise support a complete stranger after finding out he was a murderer. But that’s exactly what happened recently when the CEO of UnitedHealthcare was shot. Even before Luigi Mangione was arrested as a suspect, there was great public support for his actions. And since his arrest he has received even more support, with fellow inmates recently calling for him to be released even if he is found guilty.
Without commenting on the morality of the shooter or the moral culpability of the victim, I still cannot help but note that these events proved the plot joker be real and incredibly forward-looking. In this film, the title character kills powerful Wall Street bullies who, we see, are harassing a helpless woman, and later he kills the talk show host who can’t believe our favorite clown finds his murderous actions so funny. Joker also kills Murray Franklin after realizing that the man’s main job is to support a broken system that eats dreams and spits out corpses.
The uncanny similarities
If you think I mean that the Joker is becoming all too real, watch the film again and see how well some of the quotes fit the discourse surrounding the CEO’s assassination. Confronting Murray, Joker asks, “Have you seen what it’s like out there?” and rhetorically asks if powerful figures like Thomas Wayne “ever thought about what it’s like to be someone like me?” as a rationale for his decision , shooting the Wall Street brothers who worked for Wayne, Joker explains that powerful figures “think we’ll just sit there and take it… that we won’t turn into werewolves and go wild!”
There was a similar reluctance among those who defended the murder of Brian Thompson. Many pointed out that UnitedHealthcare has a history of denying claims (reportedly denying one in three claims), meaning the company is responsible for injuring or even killing ordinary people. In this way, the CEO became a kind of Thomas Wayne figure, and many had as little sympathy for his death as Joker had for Murray Franklin, and for the same reason: the belief that people can only be pushed so far. before they start pushing back.
Despite the growing support for suspected shooter Luigi Mangione, the mainstream media largely reacted with horror at the idea that anyone might condone the murder of Brian Thompson. For those who condone or even celebrate this murder, it is emblematic of something Joker told Murray in another real look into the power structure that is tearing the country apart. “All of you, the system that knows so much: you decide what is right or wrong, just as you decide what is funny and what is not.”
We get what we deserve
Although Luigi Mangione’s guilt has not yet been determined, it is worth noting that his own background suggests that he may feel betrayed by the healthcare industry. He suffered a serious back injury that made everything from surfing (a favorite hobby) to sex impossible, and, most notably, became a murderer at age 26, the same age at which young people are no longer covered by their parents’ insurance . In Joker’s final joke to Murray, he maintains the truth and asks, “What happens when you put a mentally ill loner with a society that abandons him and treats him like trash?”
The fatal punch line is, “You get what you damn well deserve,” and it’s hard to escape the conclusion that America does indeed get what we deserve. The healthcare system is becoming increasingly unaffordable and irretrievably broken, but we have all been conditioned to tolerate a world in which executives rake in millions of dollars and essentially hand out a death sentence to the poor patients whose claims they reject. A few years ago, however, it seemed crazy to think that a relative who attacked the rich and powerful could lead the public to treat him like a hero.
Now the Joker is real, but not necessarily the suspected shooter. Instead, it is everyone who is increasingly becoming “werewolves” and “savages” out of a desire to defend themselves against a sick system that preys on even sicker people. And with the recent spate of CEO wanted posters popping up around New York City to encourage other vigilantes to take further action against the rich and powerful, it seems like this joke won’t be ending any time soon, and we may be getting more punchlines soon see the discourse about healthcare in America forever changed.
As a film franchise, “Transformers” hasn’t really been more successful lately than one would think at first glance. The excellent Transformers One bombed at the box office and in the live-action adaptation Rise of the Beasts was a mediocre mess that failed to achieve the critical or commercial fame of its earlier predecessors. It’s obvious that this franchise needs to transform into something better, but until that happens, nostalgic fans will always have yesterday’s hits. Case in point: You can watch now Transformerson NetflixMichael Bay’s first masterpiece that took the world by storm.
Transformers fans have plenty of content to watch on Netflix right now, but there’s still something special about this first live-action film. The film tells the story of Sam Witwicky, a high school student whose first car turns out to be a transforming alien robot. Soon the young man finds himself caught up in an age-old battle between robot rivals, and whether he can help the heroic Optimus Prime defeat the malevolent Megatron will ultimately decide the fate of the world.
While the real stars of Transformers are the titular robots, fans who tune in to this film on Netflix may be pleasantly surprised at how many big names are on board to portray our human characters. Shia LaBeouf plays Sam and his girlfriend-turned-accomplice is played by Megan Fox. Josh Duhamel plays a heroic army captain, John Turturro plays a weaselly government agent and Jon Voight plays the Secretary of Defense.
Of course, long-time Transformers fans might be interested in more than meets the eye… especially the voice actors of this Netflix action classic. Original Optimus Prime voice actor Peter Cullen returns for his character’s live-action debut, taking on Megatron, the dastardly Decepticon voiced by Hugo Weaving. Meanwhile, fan-favorite treacherous trash talker Starscream is played by voice acting legend Charles Adler.
While fans of the old-school Transformers rejoiced at Cullen’s return as Prime, those who watched this film on Netflix may have mixed feelings about the new designs of their favorite heroes and villains. Personally, I’ve never been a big fan of the decision to make all the bots look like robotic insects, and giving Optimus a mouth just feels completely wrong to this G1 fan. Some of the new transformations are great though… I can’t deny that Bumblebee is way cooler as a Camaro than as a Volkswagen, and Megatron is certainly scarier as a fighter jet than a gun for someone else to fire.
Transformers was released in 2007, the same year that Netflix first began offering streaming services instead of just mailing DVDs. At the time, the response was mixed: The film has a critical rating of 57 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, with critics mostly praising the action and dismissing the characters as unbelievable. However, it has an 85 percent audience rating, which suggests that this film was a hit with both hardcore fans of the series and general audiences.
And this appeal turned into a huge success at the box office (so to speak). On a budget of $145 million to $200 million, the film grossed a whopping $709.7 million, launching a sprawling franchise full of live-action sequels and prequels. This franchise goes off the rails almost immediately (the first sequel, Revenge of the Fallenmight as well be a war crime), but this first film is worth revisiting because it offers a perfect combination of spectacle and sentimentality.
You will find Transformers to be more than meets the eye when streaming it on Netflix, or will you conclude that Michael Bay’s film looks like something Ravage left in Soundwave’s litter box? You won’t know until you “launch” it and stream it yourself. Just imagine it a bit like this The Matrix: As long as you can forget about the terrible movies that came out later, you can enjoy this first entry as a near-perfect sci-fi masterpiece.
Dark city is one of those films that people either love or have never seen. Whenever you bring up Alex Proyas’ 1998 sci-fi noir, those who know what it’s about respond with joy. The film has maintained a strong cult following over the years with critical adoration from luminaries such as Roger Ebert.
And yet, Dark city never managed to really establish itself as a true classic. For some reason, it has only remained popular with a relatively small portion of the pop culture population. Why is that?
Let’s find out. But first let’s examine exactly why Dark city is such a triumph for science fiction cinema.
How Dark City was masterfully done
Dark city marks the pinnacle of director Alex Proyas’ effects-oriented filmmaking style. He had made a big impression The crow in 1994 and this was its big-budget follow-up, which seemed to be an even more visionary experience. With a budget of $27 million (about $43 million today), Proyas embarked on a journey to create a world reminiscent of the surreal landscape of films like… metropolis, BrazilAnd The City of Lost Children. Dark city would be a testament to the power of truly fantastic storytelling.
In this context Dark city is a complete success. The entire film was shot on constructed sets, with no on-location filming. This gives the entire endeavor a sense of deliberate falsehood and is crucial to the story’s progression. Production designer Patrick Tatopoulos heightens the looming unease around every corner. As he described in an interview with Cinefantastique:
“It is a city made up of parts of cities. One corner from one place, another from somewhere else. So you don’t really know where you are. One piece will look like a street in London, but part of the architecture will look like New York, but the lower part of the architecture will look like a European city again. You are there, but you don’t know where you are. It’s like you get lost every time you travel.”
Dark city The production design alone is breathtaking. From the sets to the costumes to Trevor Jones’ music, everything works together to bring a very specific vision to life. What matters most, however, is whether or not the story and characters thrive in this extraordinary world. Fortunately, Dark city interrupts with an exciting mystery that ultimately questions the nature of reality itself. The story of John Murdoch (Rufus Sewell) is a captivating mystery that propulsively reveals the story’s secrets in the end.
Speaking of Rufus Sewell, the cast of Dark city is wonderfully eclectic, with unique performances not only from Sewell, but also from Kiefer Sutherland and Richard O’Brien. William Hurt and Jennifer Connelly fit their film noir archetypes perfectly, and you can tell that everyone involved is committed to the uniqueness of the project.
Without giving it all away, a lot of that uniqueness has to do with the film’s themes and twists. Dark city represents an era of science fiction cinema that exclusively asked one big question: What is reality? We’ll talk more about this a little later, but suffice it to say Dark city is a film that has a lot on its mind and is ready to implement those ideas in a dynamic and captivating way.
So why is this when all of this is hanging in the balance? Dark city is not announced as it should be? To answer this question we have to take the red pill…
Why it is unfairly overlooked
Dark city came out a year earlier The Matrix and explored many similar science fiction ideas as a blockbuster hit. In fact, there were a number of films in the late 90s – existence, The thirteenth floor, The Truman Show – trod on the same existential ground. However, The Matrixwas the one that really captured the imagination of mainstream audiences and became a pop culture juggernaut. Admittedly, it was also the most action-packed and modern of all the films. Interesting tidbit: The Matrix actually filmed on the sets they were made for Dark city!
This shouldn’t be the sole fault The Matrix to overshadow Dark city. At first glance, Proyas’ film is rather dull and distant, which makes it difficult to get straight into the film. In fact, New Line Cinema anticipated this and had the film redesigned to make it clearer for wide release audiences. This also includes the addition of a voiceover that spoils the film in the first few seconds. Luckily, Proyas was able to release a director’s cut of the film years later, and it’s clearly the preferred version to watch.
However, similar to the equally overlooked one Doom Patrol, Dark city might just be too weird to ever really click with a large enough number of people. That’s probably why it has remained a curiosity that film fans love. Films that create a real sense of originality are often so special that only certain tastes will enjoy them.
Dark city is fearless in its eccentricities and relishes the hypnotic, mystifying world it creates. This captivating aura won’t work for everyone, but anyone who allows themselves to be lured into the changing gears of this enigmatic film will be rewarded with an unforgettable adventure. Open your mind and see the truth…
In recent weeks, records have been set in Hollywood, with theaters running out of popcorn and candy every day as audiences flock to watch Evil, Moana 2,And Gladiator 2. But look a little closer at the box office reports and you’ll discover perhaps the biggest surprise of the holiday season: Solo leveling reawakening. The anime film, which is not really a new film in the successful Isekai series, is nothing more than a recap of the first season and the first two episodes of the second season, yet the Sony-produced film has grossed over $5 million worldwide .
A full-length advertisement
Solo leveling
Considering the film is made up of existing footage and two episodes scheduled to air on television in January, that $5 million box office haul is incredibly impressive. Solo leveling reawakening was a huge success in the United States, where it grossed over $3 million, and that made Sony incredibly happy. Earlier this year, Sony executives said they wanted to bring more anime films to American theaters, and here we have proof that even a glorified ad can turn a profit with minimal investment.
Sony has become the biggest name in anime since acquiring Crunchyroll, but if its rumored acquisition of Kadokawa, one of Japan’s largest manga and anime publishers, actually goes through, it will put a stranglehold on the entire industry. And it couldn’t have come at a better time because anime is hotter than ever. Solo leveling reawakening doesn’t even have half the appeal of Demon Slayerthe globally successful anime that replaces television with films. So if a new isekai can turn thousands into millions, what will a film adaptation of the Infinite Castle arc accomplish?
Solo leveling is incredibly popular
Solo leveling
Here I have to admit that I’m not a big fan of it Solo leveling; even though I saw it Solo leveling reawakening My current isekai is still in the cinema Rise of the Shield Hero. And although it’s more of a reverse isekai, with monsters entering the human world through portals, it has many of the same plot tactics, but I like the hero Sung Jin-Woo and the reveal that the season 1 finale features makes him even more interesting in season 2.
Jin-Woo’s unique ability to level up makes him stand out from the other hunters Solo leveling reawakeningwho are bound to the levels granted to them when their powers awaken. It’s a simple premise, but the “job change” quest at the end of season one changed everything where the story would go, in my opinion, and then “The Red Gate,” which kicks off season two, brings more twists to what was until then. Under the surface, a pretty standard adventure anime. I have to say, scenes from Season 1 that I first saw streaming looked much, much better on the big screen, and I’m now excited to see more of what’s to come in Season 2.
Sony’s path to anime dominance
Solo leveling reawakening is an obvious advertisement, but there’s still something new about seeing an anime in the theater and I think Sony is making the right move to bring more and more films to the United States. With a cinema budget of almost zero, Sony could make more from its anime advertising than Warner Bros. does from its anime-influenced commercials Lord of the Rings: War of the Rohirrimwhich is expected to gross around $7 million in its opening weekend. It’s hard to believe this is the same company that gave us Madam Web And Morbius is also taking anime to whole new heights and printing money in the process.
Solo leveling can be streamed on Crunchyroll, which is owned by Sony.
