tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10158275761650651002024-03-16T01:10:12.682+00:00Thoughts On道可道 非常道Daniel Slackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13927052674008866938noreply@blogger.comBlogger1142125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1015827576165065100.post-78523020178514493062024-03-03T23:39:00.000+00:002024-03-03T23:39:57.849+00:00Dune: Part 2 - Satisfactory<div>Thoughts On: Dune: Part 2 (2024)</div><div><br /></div><div>The exiled prince mounts a rebellion.</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4jX7UBogOFZNO6fKQi6M3cOgnxeRY49aEIy-HZVCHM8gpPiQiHIP5YjjHyWy0-DY9bxvVTJtEy8vC8wD1_-arpcr-U6j1RLF51tOZUf43Zo2TsQYqr_msGpPW4x85AOnrKX5mDA-l2Yq1O2mhzjrF1uYN4MsKbFIFdXY0dhU8TAFgmoJu_UaUeROCfic/s2000/Dune%202.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2000" data-original-width="1600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4jX7UBogOFZNO6fKQi6M3cOgnxeRY49aEIy-HZVCHM8gpPiQiHIP5YjjHyWy0-DY9bxvVTJtEy8vC8wD1_-arpcr-U6j1RLF51tOZUf43Zo2TsQYqr_msGpPW4x85AOnrKX5mDA-l2Yq1O2mhzjrF1uYN4MsKbFIFdXY0dhU8TAFgmoJu_UaUeROCfic/s320/Dune%202.jpg" width="256" /></a></div><br />Whilst the first part of Dune was slow and static, part 2 satisfies much of what the initial part promised, putting together quite successfully numerous plot turns of a pretty momentous level. Dune 2 therefore has an adept arc to its plot that captures in sequences of high drama and visual spectacle the magisterial tone rumoured previously. Manifest in action at long last, this grand drama is helmed quite well by the performances and script, leaving the transformation of our characters palpable at points; especially in conjuncture with the pounding soundtrack. The visuals are more striking and the action far more intense in this latest part; the general experience was certainly IMAX worthy; this doesn't mean I think this is very rewatchable, but that can be left to be seen. In short, Dune 2 was not a disappointment and holds this stretched story up to quite a good degree, leaving me with the feeling that a part three wouldn't be too bad either.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://www.instagram.com/danielslack_typk/">danielslack_typk</a></div>Daniel Slackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13927052674008866938noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1015827576165065100.post-68133321401116241362024-02-28T15:20:00.000+00:002024-02-28T15:20:09.196+00:00 Berserk - Dreamless<p>Thoughts On: Berserk (ベルセルク, 1997)</p><p>A directionless child fights for survival in a world at war within mercenary armies.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDYmDQ7pQguNczSNXhU2mwoFwzCuGuKhu0l1_BleA53LtbZ0nfbsJioYK-XoX2j2wl_gvrcVvp2KtyajDKO539IGXmGHHXeVJAIvzV6x2jLUG9F5uEx8aSlkkpiOpoysvc2oroHIkS2IMJ2ocpEOgoWhENOS1A567L-C2S7VRscbuV_o9A41bNb-Duy1M/s1000/Berserk.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="723" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDYmDQ7pQguNczSNXhU2mwoFwzCuGuKhu0l1_BleA53LtbZ0nfbsJioYK-XoX2j2wl_gvrcVvp2KtyajDKO539IGXmGHHXeVJAIvzV6x2jLUG9F5uEx8aSlkkpiOpoysvc2oroHIkS2IMJ2ocpEOgoWhENOS1A567L-C2S7VRscbuV_o9A41bNb-Duy1M/s320/Berserk.jpg" width="231" /></a></div><br />Unbelievably dismal, Berserk was a fascinating watch to follow Chainsaw Man with both sharing a similar thematic engagement of dreams and fate. Pitting the notion of will against destiny, Berserk uses brutal fantasy to investigate its ruthless characters' capacity for self-direction in the face of crushing coincidence and tragedy in an overwhelmingly unforgiving world. In many respects, dreams are a signification of corruption in this sable world with Guts' dreamless desire for survival and agency being the major marker of his humanity. He is blessed in many regards by his fatal bad luck as it emboldens and strengthens his individuality and enclosed vision on just himself and his personal humane impulses. So where he begins his journey haplessly serving another's dream, Guts comes to discover the beauty of an undefined life of action, articulated as sparks glistening from a struck sword. This profound consignment to the motion of one's spirit and the ripples through spacetime it propagates comes to embody the individuality upholding Guts' will under unending fatal dispassion; indeed, this becomes the passion of the scapegoat that is our primary anti-hero.<p></p><p>A scapegoat is unquestionably what Guts encapsulates as a blameless victim caught in the throes of the corrupted seeking to manifest their dreams. It is his brilliance and strength of self, most crucially his refusal to cease surviving, that destroys the dreams of those that are of the belief that their aspirations can only be built on the bodies and destruction of others. Such is the major corruption of every dream-bearer of Berserk. It is therefore the mercenaries who build their fortune off of bloodshed, Casca who strives for love through self-subjugation and the offering of her own and even her comrades' corpuses, and Griffith who paves his way toward a castle in the sky with a mountain of dead bodies, that surmise the corruptive character of dreams through Guts. Each blame and betray him at crucial turns for misdeeds entirely beyond his will all under the corrupt control of their aspirations; we then see Guts' mercenary trainer blame and try to murder him for injuries he sustains in battle, Casca blames Guts at many turns for knocking Griffith from his path, and Griffith blames Guts for destroying his dream, justifying his transformation into a demon. Guts is merely present as a dreamless survivor striving to make sparks in a dark world at each of these points and, though he is existentially and emotionally damaged by the blame he receives, is totally undue it. And such speaks to the metaphysical goodness of Guts' character despite his murderous immorality; it is because he only follows his path - one of the sword - with no desire to stack bodies for his own dreams that he is never corrupted or falters like his peers do. It is his trainer's own lust for money that leads to his injuries in battle, Casca's love of Griffith that eventually leads to her rape, and Griffith's desire for power that concludes in his downfall and transformation. Without misdirection, merely intention and sight on surviving light, Guts clears through where others fall. And such encapsulates the nobility of his dismal dreamlessness.</p><p>With incredibly subtle character development and ethereal images of violence, Berserk brings to life a powerful story of fate and dreams with near mastery. A spectacularly shattering experience of dark brilliance.</p><p><br /></p><p><a href="https://www.instagram.com/danielslack_typk/">danielslack_typk</a></p>Daniel Slackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13927052674008866938noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1015827576165065100.post-28641838008868914422024-02-26T22:54:00.000+00:002024-02-26T22:54:17.911+00:00Chainsaw Man - Crude Dreams<p>Thoughts On: Chainsaw Man (チェンソーマン, 2022)</p><p>An orphaned is dragged into a dismal life of demon hunting.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqz5MIBQKKQulbZvfut7g5T_RtD6Jz34cVICQqogZIpp42l9SGaAiYtsG0IxMyPiPRd4Z2DA7YosD4yz9k7SL5C8D85F6157IxGIYBYd07V1H1LcvGJKpNDxS-jYMXxDN5jvdYKVkGKeFooQ8hlW5UoIXwpllDPn_fzVACRCwYPir51r-Bhz6G2psSmvA/s1414/Chainsaw%20Man.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1414" data-original-width="1000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqz5MIBQKKQulbZvfut7g5T_RtD6Jz34cVICQqogZIpp42l9SGaAiYtsG0IxMyPiPRd4Z2DA7YosD4yz9k7SL5C8D85F6157IxGIYBYd07V1H1LcvGJKpNDxS-jYMXxDN5jvdYKVkGKeFooQ8hlW5UoIXwpllDPn_fzVACRCwYPir51r-Bhz6G2psSmvA/s320/Chainsaw%20Man.jpg" width="226" /></a></div><br />Frustratingly good and just far too short. With the first season of Chainsaw Man only being 12 episodes and there not being much of an arc, more an introduction to the world and characters, it felt at many turns to be too much of a tease lacking a strong arc to the plot. This is as much praise as it is criticism; I just wanted to see more and felt a little short changed by the time it got to episode 9. My favourite segment of the season is the sequence that leads up to the leech devil fight, which showcases some of the best of the fluid and dynamic animation style as well as the ludicrously human approach to characterisation. Brutal and absurd in its aesthetic and narrative, Chainsaw Man does best in its production of a crude vision and contemplation of dreams. It just starts in this first season, so I won't delve into it, but surely am eager to see more from this world.<p></p><p><br /></p><p><a href="https://www.instagram.com/danielslack_typk/">danielslack_typk</a></p>Daniel Slackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13927052674008866938noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1015827576165065100.post-79537287727034255712024-02-23T04:02:00.000+00:002024-02-23T04:02:08.334+00:00The Beekeeper - Military Jesus<p>Thoughts On: The Beekeeper (2024)</p><p>A retired veteran of the most elite extra-systemic corporation is pulled into action.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz8SGJN3vV4gXp5gSXkbB6k63m-l0vUqPtXoZs23_bsU8PvQFyfzFkOEopbaUOZMaJuZ_yn6ygSe_sBUZUQHf9HLv2FW-iSJVtZkLzy1OAmNDLKJPooUUJgeBEYo2kj0eCtuRnsKZRMX8a3iEs9bdRr1NsE2B9xBxAuN5i23C7srfwZ7aSlX2EHnbE0w8/s1481/Beekeeper.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1481" data-original-width="1000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz8SGJN3vV4gXp5gSXkbB6k63m-l0vUqPtXoZs23_bsU8PvQFyfzFkOEopbaUOZMaJuZ_yn6ygSe_sBUZUQHf9HLv2FW-iSJVtZkLzy1OAmNDLKJPooUUJgeBEYo2kj0eCtuRnsKZRMX8a3iEs9bdRr1NsE2B9xBxAuN5i23C7srfwZ7aSlX2EHnbE0w8/s320/Beekeeper.jpg" width="216" /></a></div><br />A solid action movie, very well put together and paced, but rather shallow and twisted in its overt moralising. The Beekeeper sees Jason Statham embody military Jesus to serve as the right hand of God and justice, murdering and maiming hundreds, shielded by divinity itself from bombs, grenades, bullets and sense all along the way. The brashness and full-throttle illogic pushing the plot of The Beekeeper is honestly impressive; it is with full confidence that it places military Jesus in the heart of chaos with deific powers that blast through the impossible so fast it'd be too exhausting to even apply rationality to. For this, The Beekeeper certainly does something interesting. It expresses such a deep theological, anti-state opposition to money and power-seeking lies and deception that it foregoes basic morality in the construction of its hero. All that matters in this narrative is the personal realisation of justice - a signification of a deep hatred for corruption, which itself is simply a manifestation of personal justice. Morality stands as a collective vision of right and wrong, but is corrupted by overwhelming individual power. This is what military Jesus comes to embody, just like those he kills; the fact he cannot die solidifies his corruption and the backward nature of this plot. I find this interesting as it seems to speak to the Rambo narrative that has developed in American action cinema since the 70s and 80s as a new vision of the American dream - one that seemingly cannot approach the aporia between morality and individuality without senseless bloodshed. I couldn't hope to solve this conundrum, but The Beekeeper certainly makes some twistedly violent fun out of it. A pretty revealing, though philosophically unsettling, movie that suggests truth, fickle as it may be, can only emerge from horror and war.<p></p><p><br /></p><p><a href="http://danielslackdsu.blogspot.com/">danielslack_typk</a></p>Daniel Slackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13927052674008866938noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1015827576165065100.post-31762801690459974012024-02-21T01:27:00.000+00:002024-02-21T01:27:27.038+00:00Call Me Chihiro - The Beauty of Shamelessness<p>Thoughts On: Call Me Chihiro (ちひろさん, 2023)</p><p>A former sex worker restarts her life.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqEbFjAk0d2xOsTWraj_wo7z_I6LtMAzXGfAjzqqmHS_ShW0whiQa4nPBvai1FlQShSkYZHWduXsH9-b7dR2nuVq7Pa3Qnm_L16wMgAIZLKZmzuq6Y5sUPkCqAKUdYU7oiVc14Dm2Kww7ucnnvpar4jHaCJofNuy_Mq-EEdMpwknbk7WFG_TSAFKhR4po/s1060/Call%20Me%20Chihiro.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1060" data-original-width="750" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqEbFjAk0d2xOsTWraj_wo7z_I6LtMAzXGfAjzqqmHS_ShW0whiQa4nPBvai1FlQShSkYZHWduXsH9-b7dR2nuVq7Pa3Qnm_L16wMgAIZLKZmzuq6Y5sUPkCqAKUdYU7oiVc14Dm2Kww7ucnnvpar4jHaCJofNuy_Mq-EEdMpwknbk7WFG_TSAFKhR4po/s320/Call%20Me%20Chihiro.jpg" width="226" /></a></div><br />A masterpiece, pure and simple. At its heart Call Me Chihiro is a film about shamelessness. This shamelessness is at once the kind that lead ones into darkness and reveals the real beauty of the world for it is a device that bares one naked before the truth of things. Chihiro is a <a href="https://danielslackdsu.blogspot.com/2018/03/amelie-crystaltype.html" target="_blank">crystaltype</a> symbolising this notion in her essence and drama; one of the most subtle and inspired characters I have ever seen committed to film. In introducing us to Chihiro's shamelessness this narrative opens up a space between the dichotomy of alienation and connection. In Chihiro we find a soul who has seen her irrevocable disconnection from all sentience; a woman who has faced her individuality as an existential body caught on the skin of humanity but ultimately born of her own planet. She brings us into the notion that we are that trapped behind our own eyes and others just the same, therefore completely disconnected by distance and the mystery of the uniqueness of humanity. So though Chihiro's shamelessness gives her the capacity for dignity - which she can share with others as a gift of her sight - she is a scarred person who has walked long through the edifying void. This is why she cannot love; it hurts too much to embrace the inebriating delusion that one is not alone, to believe others are from one's planet, that one has a place and family: the high poisons her. Her curse is to be and not known, which is why she runs from the possessive grips of love. However, in coming close to the flame of attachment, she is burnt and scarred again, finding herself a new definition to her name - one, we hope, she can see to be known and not so alien. A new personal favourite.<p></p><p><br /></p><p><a href="https://www.instagram.com/danielslack_typk/">danielslack_typk</a></p>Daniel Slackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13927052674008866938noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1015827576165065100.post-85465854491155298342024-02-20T22:28:00.000+00:002024-02-20T22:28:17.975+00:00Psychokinesis - Fortune of Modesty<p>Thoughts On: Psychokinesis (염력, 2018)</p><p>An estranged father develops a chance to defend his daughter from corrupt property developers. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcVS75lD5gKNPjvxUhUmLCtS5BfA6F4iKIGz_b2y0VFCI-5bUUNufsofTUV8c2tZDxexFVcMGYQq2bwptqnplwnEsvqg1DTMcMc5h4z1_4QtESlXkYhj4XfMN3-9dTrltb9VNGCjmYjV-W-Yr1x370XX72B9pYlXJ_TdaOTp0v_hYUeCdc3QvoiiMY1Qo/s1200/Psychokinesis.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="839" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcVS75lD5gKNPjvxUhUmLCtS5BfA6F4iKIGz_b2y0VFCI-5bUUNufsofTUV8c2tZDxexFVcMGYQq2bwptqnplwnEsvqg1DTMcMc5h4z1_4QtESlXkYhj4XfMN3-9dTrltb9VNGCjmYjV-W-Yr1x370XX72B9pYlXJ_TdaOTp0v_hYUeCdc3QvoiiMY1Qo/s320/Psychokinesis.jpg" width="224" /></a></div><br />A pleasant blend of social melodrama and superhero action, Psychokinesis draws attention to controversial forced evictions in big South Korean cities, deploring large corporations that displace common people and their businesses. It grounds this social commentary with a sentimental narrative of an estranged father and daughter reconnecting. The drama is simple and the villains exuberantly ridiculous, but there is a levity in the tone of Psychokinesis that holds things together amicably. The superhero aspect of this film is tethered quite well to its efforts toward social commentary with our main character being rather unremarkable, and his efforts as a hero equally humble. Without the distraction of a grand narrative or epic scale of action in which the world must be saved, Psychokinesis does well in its presentation of modesty in the face of fortune and power. My favourite detail of the film comes in a scene in which the daughter of the to-be superhero despairs at her name, Roo-Mi, which is said to mean lowly and weak. She is told however that name was probably given to her to ward off bad luck and evil spirits who steal away children of good fortune. This in contrast to her father's developed powers speaks to positive force of humble appearance and action. The evil corporation and bad guys of this narrative consider themselves - and operate as - slaves to a greater system just like those it oppresses. They are nonetheless captured by its evil in assuming a fortuitous facade and seeking power themselves. Such speaks to the corruption of power, centralising the purifying force of modesty. This encapsulates the general thematic movement of the film, distinguishing it from your average superhero narrative and relating it to simpler kung fu tales (The 36th Chamber of Shaolin is a great example) in which a hero rises out of social injustice with power and intent only to reinstate balance in his personal life and community. For this Psychokinesis is very enjoyable and equally relatable in its sentimentality.<p></p><p><br /></p><p><a href="https://www.instagram.com/danielslack_typk/">danielslack_typk</a></p>Daniel Slackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13927052674008866938noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1015827576165065100.post-40113614365968424002024-02-20T07:36:00.000+00:002024-02-20T07:36:47.631+00:00Entergalactic - Vibe<p>Thoughts On: Entergalactic (2022)</p><p>A young artist falls for his neighbour.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNUPU6cgasLuSzS8hFDSmxxEbZYGyN1ZYnZqZ6Htm2YYLbsZrgGic38vr56f7lSWLXerlsvOcapFJ82_UB6M7ZPV9DnNKRVdcyrlmDriofXQxQUjNbMGMqAKKSliJb9-o7N5zJ-g0CRTtKGxMnPZbJhSh_3Hgy9EeUf-CzI6Uvq8q_b1vZnbxvCtaAy3E/s1829/Entergalactic.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1829" data-original-width="1280" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNUPU6cgasLuSzS8hFDSmxxEbZYGyN1ZYnZqZ6Htm2YYLbsZrgGic38vr56f7lSWLXerlsvOcapFJ82_UB6M7ZPV9DnNKRVdcyrlmDriofXQxQUjNbMGMqAKKSliJb9-o7N5zJ-g0CRTtKGxMnPZbJhSh_3Hgy9EeUf-CzI6Uvq8q_b1vZnbxvCtaAy3E/s320/Entergalactic.jpg" width="224" /></a></div><br />Entergalactic is a truly stunning work of animation; an epic visual feast that brings to life the minor quotidian of romance and city life with oneirogenic surrealism of the highest class. Entirely self-justifying for the artistry alone, what Entergalactic lacks in drama it certainly makes up for with its stunning hallucinogenic sequences and richly cool vibe. So though it can be said that the basic romance depicted kind of feels like it merely elongates and stitches together what could otherwise be a set of music videos, the play with some of the side characters and the fantasy sequences solidify this as a marvel of a visual companion to Kudi's music.<p></p><p><br /></p><p><a href="https://www.instagram.com/danielslack_typk/">danielslack_typk</a></p><p><br /></p>Daniel Slackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13927052674008866938noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1015827576165065100.post-12970910079962102322024-02-19T08:29:00.001+00:002024-02-20T07:43:47.805+00:00Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania - World of Fun<p>Thoughts On: Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania (2023)</p><p>Ant-Man and his family are pulled deep into the quantum world to discover a treacherous new universe.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinXbCWyVLz64VZ2bQCyynl-b79Trqkt10fEPDcCXHV_nvPhSrGQlNHHytV8dnRqhgyShPbcG27gytdpNGB8yQVUsx3JS6P1t_SXHN6rg8IyW0RwbnQJDmb4x85EfOmPGvG5f31vKoVpsWby4DAtIQ764SrP6bEsL6tVPHPcQSursSX5S8FmBJGa45Nekw/s1481/Quantam.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1481" data-original-width="1000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinXbCWyVLz64VZ2bQCyynl-b79Trqkt10fEPDcCXHV_nvPhSrGQlNHHytV8dnRqhgyShPbcG27gytdpNGB8yQVUsx3JS6P1t_SXHN6rg8IyW0RwbnQJDmb4x85EfOmPGvG5f31vKoVpsWby4DAtIQ764SrP6bEsL6tVPHPcQSursSX5S8FmBJGa45Nekw/s320/Quantam.jpg" width="216" /></a></div><br />Pretty entertaining - and that's all I have ever hoped for in a Marvel movie. None of them are great, none of them are cinematic masterpieces; some are more fun, some quite clever, quite a few are for the dogs, but Quantumania sits up there as one of the better structured and most visually stunning Marvel movies out there. Characterisation remains strong with the theme of family holding the Ant-Man thread together pretty well alongside the unserious, highly likeable tone. The world building - some of the best in the universe - surpasses the plotting, which maintains investment and keeps the familiar narrative arc fresh and engaging. Would I seek this out to re-watch - no. But this is a cinema-worthy superhero film that provides a highly captivating first-time viewing experience no doubt. And though I cannot say I am eager for it, the Kang arc that seems to be due to proceed the Thanos one seems slightly legitimate. Better than Captain Marvel for sure.<p></p><p><br /></p><p><a href="https://www.instagram.com/danielslack_typk/">danielslack_typk</a></p>Daniel Slackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13927052674008866938noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1015827576165065100.post-91994285408373036222024-02-19T06:03:00.002+00:002024-02-19T06:03:18.332+00:00American Fiction - Potential<div>Thoughts On: American Fiction (2023)</div><div><br /></div><div>A jaded writer finds success in becoming all he hates.</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCqEeDVVh4QMydaicbQzNg1ovpG9A9FJCmURxu-yubizMB3BVbtyY60-7poJ2-CIRi7Jj4Th7F0l-MbWDIDRoX735SXi14X8dWLngvGNiUmi-NRHnafbppdEqzskz7CWBN2oqmbnxNVWYiJj9fwXbXO16GVwZBDxCx6ZxT8RYdzIa_OjqTZEmcE93TtJ0/s3000/American%20Fiction.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="2000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCqEeDVVh4QMydaicbQzNg1ovpG9A9FJCmURxu-yubizMB3BVbtyY60-7poJ2-CIRi7Jj4Th7F0l-MbWDIDRoX735SXi14X8dWLngvGNiUmi-NRHnafbppdEqzskz7CWBN2oqmbnxNVWYiJj9fwXbXO16GVwZBDxCx6ZxT8RYdzIa_OjqTZEmcE93TtJ0/s320/American%20Fiction.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><br />Almost brilliant, but maybe not quite. American Fiction might just be too close to itself to see what it almost does. In many ways it indites and makes fun of stereotypical presentations of black Americans. It does so with an overt attempt to present an alternative realistic vision of a black American family, but it does so by making them smart, rich, liberal and gay. That, you could easily argue, is unfortunately little more than a present day reflection of the stereotypical view of two decades ago that is mocked here; a pretentious inversion pandering as much to the yearning for views into alternate lifestyles witnessed in what is spoofed within the film. It's nothing to write home about, however. What I found to be of slight disappointment concerning American Fiction was its conclusive irreverence that borders on cynicism. In the end, our character simply accepts that he games the system, detaching himself from all of the social critique raised across the narrative. This detachment equates to an eye roll, which is comedic, but it comes without much support of genuine meaning, and so therefore comes across as cynical to me - which is particularly in style in American cinema at the moment, and something I find distasteful. I did, however, see a glimmer of brilliance in the film that it appears to fall short of truly grasping and presenting.</div><div><br /></div><div>There is a tension throughout between the book that starts it all and the book our main character writes. And though these authors meet and have two opposing views on the substance of their work - and even come to discuss the aporia between their books - their conversation is cut short before any real drama is extracted. I felt that to be cowardly of the writers, and again, a marker of cynicism with a white person being allowed to interrupt and completely demolish their conversation for the sake of a laugh. The real brilliance of American fiction, in my eyes, lies in the scene in which we actually watch the cynical book be written. It's the only time we get to hear what is contained in the pages, and if one pays real attention, it is clear that the book itself, in juxtaposition to our narrative, is rather profound and insightful. We have this confirmed by the fact that our main character's love interest actually likes his work. Such is an indication that she sees and feels a spirit within it - just as she did his other books. And what is clear in the enactment of the excerpt we see written is that the book our cynical writer produces is a reflection of his inner conflict with his own father. This sits at the very heart of the familial drama, and is the deepest aspect of his character that he is contending with in his confrontation of the writing industry. Throughout the narrative we are then seeing the writer contend with his self-repulsion and self-distancing that bars him from a complete experience of family and love. His mother pretty much says it to him in the end, but there's no dramatic response building on the moment the gay brother is honest about how he feels about his father. My favourite line in the film suggest that it is not honourable to be unrelatable. That's where the movie is, and yet it falls short of capturing this in the depths of the drama, but comes so very close to in - not the romance itself - but the connection the writer begins to develop with others. What overrides the unconscious soul of the black family we get close to knowing is the conflict with a lost father; with the loss of family itself. But, it is rushed through in the conclusion in my view and a profound opportunity forgone for a final cynical smirk.</div><div><br /></div><div>The final shot does have me questioning my criticism. Our main character nods at an actor dressed as a slave and then drives off with his brother. This could be read as him relating to another and therefore overcoming his detachment; his new bond with his brother securing the notion of just this. But, it may also be read as that cynical smirk: the acceptance of the persistence of the raised social issues. Ambiguity shouldn't be reduced to pretence, and sentiment isn't essential, so this final shot can remain debatable. But, I still saw potential in American Fiction above feeling real punctum. I'll leave that as it is.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://www.instagram.com/danielslack_typk/">danielslack_typk</a></div>Daniel Slackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13927052674008866938noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1015827576165065100.post-45498438447644253602024-02-19T03:06:00.000+00:002024-02-19T03:06:50.408+00:00The Marvels - Silly Silly<p>Thoughts On: The Marvels (2023)</p><p>Captain Marvel confronts an angry politician wielding a magic hammer and portal bracelet.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSL78BvypyZ5EaMo4ynJO72nMJhroD8lY9qp4gzbnQJxGDmHgwZEIyYMB3D3uT1vAeRjK4fbMWkj_Mj8snDb-8Sap_mLqSyMWYcPl97ZWZZgr1JIHftP8tRDPecrlwwyFuJy-HkY60OmFPWYmadImDxzO7gGpUEIfpn3JAitWTGGuSFhhubNVEJUHJH7A/s2500/The%20Marvels.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2500" data-original-width="1688" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSL78BvypyZ5EaMo4ynJO72nMJhroD8lY9qp4gzbnQJxGDmHgwZEIyYMB3D3uT1vAeRjK4fbMWkj_Mj8snDb-8Sap_mLqSyMWYcPl97ZWZZgr1JIHftP8tRDPecrlwwyFuJy-HkY60OmFPWYmadImDxzO7gGpUEIfpn3JAitWTGGuSFhhubNVEJUHJH7A/s320/The%20Marvels.jpg" width="216" /></a></div><br />Not very interesting at all. Entertaining in parts, but suffering the same symptoms as most other Marvel movies. In short, as much as this lacks symbolic integrity it also lacks basic narrative sense. This is quite a stupid film with little to no point. The plot moves incredibly fast in quite a clear attempt to mask very significant lapses in logic and to hide enormous amounts of missing story and character development. If singing, flashing lights and kittens is enough to distract you from that, I'm sure you'd find The Marvels entertaining enough. But, I simply could not wrap my head around how the villain is so powerful that she can confidently face off against what was presented in previous Marvel films to be the most overpowered superhero of all - one capable of recharging a sun - yet is ultimately taken down by a sharp piece of falling ship debris. It's just silly - in an almost insulting way. More significantly, what is really achieved from a narrative stand-point; nothing substantial is said or emotionally transmitted and the drama takes us almost nowhere different in the Marvel universe. There's no tension between characters - everyone and everything just gets along amicably - Captain Marvel and co just briefly hug when a pivotal character is seemingly lost forever, and despite being deemed an annihilator, a destroyer of worlds, Captain Marvel just shrugs off her mistakes and blinds herself to them before finally being instructed on how to sort the obviously solved problems she creates. The f*ck? There's not too much else to say about this; it felt like a prolonged day-in-the-life montage of a space hero with no real arc or narrative development beyond the moving around of more mystic quantum gadgets. Like a music video without a good soundtrack, The Marvels can be watched but barely paid attention to, and certainly isn't worth re-watching. People really are irresponsible with money.<p></p><p><br /></p><p><a href="https://www.instagram.com/danielslack_typk/">danielslack_typk</a></p>Daniel Slackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13927052674008866938noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1015827576165065100.post-52172204113744146342024-02-19T00:49:00.001+00:002024-02-19T00:51:47.909+00:00Bas Ya Bahar - Equal Before The Sea<p>Thoughts On: Bas Ya Bahar (بس يابحر , 1972)</p><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><a href="https://danielslackdsu.blogspot.com/p/world-cinema-series.html">World Cinema Series</a></span></div><p>Made by Khaled El Seddiq, this is the Kuwaiti film of the series.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7LRwh-hU3lZI7Om257mUtDSHbbIFzbrcYToDMas7f_wvL8WQqZ5khV11dpP2Z0V10OMsEUjiPp-z-NgOtIncEpIp97OLvNGzS6Y4Np6FaOkcpeXjf8mye09hijNGo2Zxz6smHl8kaAOxUPiDX-r9BP2eIdwHaLzkDQ5ZD_r8e_dqKnvCJPZsckiI9_bw/s850/Bas%20Ya%20Bahar.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="850" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7LRwh-hU3lZI7Om257mUtDSHbbIFzbrcYToDMas7f_wvL8WQqZ5khV11dpP2Z0V10OMsEUjiPp-z-NgOtIncEpIp97OLvNGzS6Y4Np6FaOkcpeXjf8mye09hijNGo2Zxz6smHl8kaAOxUPiDX-r9BP2eIdwHaLzkDQ5ZD_r8e_dqKnvCJPZsckiI9_bw/s320/Bas%20Ya%20Bahar.jpg" width="226" /></a></div><br />Bas Ya Bahar is known to be the first feature-length Kuwaiti film ever produced. It emerges from the early 70s as a marker of Kuwait's 'golden era'. This period, between the 60s and 80s, is typified by significant cultural change incited by the discovery of oil in the region. So not only did the state develop significantly as a result of the rapidly growing economy supported by the export of crude oil, becoming one of the most prosperous in the middle eastern region, but with this came a cultural pluralism and liberalism in the country seeing it embrace modernity over traditional culture in many aspects. Bas Ya Bahar is a conscious reflection of this, depicting the economic hardship and brutal traditionalism known in Kuwait - as the opening titles introduce - before the discovery of oil. In this era before the 40s and 50s, Kuwait's primary export were pearls. As is depicted in Bas Ya Bahar, labour in this industry was largely overseen by debts with divers and sailors being entrapped by loans as to be able to leave home and dive for pearls for weeks or months at a time. Life for many in the industry would have hung on the whim of the sea with unsuccessful voyages leaving families in debt and servitude. And families themselves were bound by economic fortune and the well-being of their men with women holding traditional roles within the home and subject to arranged and forced marriage for the sake of economic standing. This commodification of the youth in particular forms the basis of the tragedy that is Bas Ya Bahar. The sea therefore becomes a symbol of the tumultuous milieu of the time that exasperates the unfortunate, pushing harder against those that push upon it, seemingly punishing those who dare to dream. Its overarching statement suggests that all are equal before the sea, yet not all must engage the sea equally; there are those who can stroll upon its shores and float in its shallows, and then there are those that must venture into the depths and survive its storms and hidden monsters; the sea besets upon these two different groups an entirely different lifestyle, one rhythmic and predictable, the other fickle and devastating. And such is shown to be that separating the rich and less fortunate, equal before the sea perhaps, but bound to its way opposingly.<p></p><p>With tremendous underwater sequences, a haunting soundscape and poignant plot, Bas Ya Bahar is an extremely impressive projection and enthralling time capsule of early Kuwaiti cinema. A low-quality version can be found on YouTube.</p><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/XJ-lM7C_pjM?si=24YbdbjXIKB9Pu1W" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe></div><p><a href="https://www.instagram.com/danielslack_typk/">danielslack_typk</a></p>Daniel Slackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13927052674008866938noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1015827576165065100.post-14218441634825708662024-02-18T21:48:00.000+00:002024-02-18T21:48:17.175+00:00Sleepwalking Land - Perverse Dreams<div>Thoughts On: Sleepwalking Land (<i>Terra Sonâmbula</i>, 2007)</div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><a href="https://danielslackdsu.blogspot.com/p/world-cinema-series.html">World Cinema Series</a></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div>Made by Teresa Prata, this is the Mozambican film of the series.</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzTaS9hJvZR3wyJOAHm8sSC90W7KvodT1loUKcVtXcDA5E9LKQTDBFkkHp7IheJpdOwOg3uEMavffuhKSGBG9L0xwn2oI9xd3JOdG0CCzvHM13bFHxYRDkHsPrbWv-22fkFfBxBKRLU5N2v8cgwTcMHOITQc9zKL8Z0vo0GAZyrkY2vYGfInsS9Nr4HvM/s1600/Sleepwalking%20Land.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzTaS9hJvZR3wyJOAHm8sSC90W7KvodT1loUKcVtXcDA5E9LKQTDBFkkHp7IheJpdOwOg3uEMavffuhKSGBG9L0xwn2oI9xd3JOdG0CCzvHM13bFHxYRDkHsPrbWv-22fkFfBxBKRLU5N2v8cgwTcMHOITQc9zKL8Z0vo0GAZyrkY2vYGfInsS9Nr4HvM/s320/Sleepwalking%20Land.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br />Sleepwalking Land is a perverse yet sentimental expression of the impact of war. Civil war crippled Mozambique from its independence in the late 70s all the way through to the early 90s. Sleepwalking Land is based off of a novel by highly acclaimed writer, Mia Couto, Mozambican son of Portuguese emigrant parents, who lived and worked as a writer through the civil war period. He bases Sleepwalking Land at the end of the civil war period, having us follow an older man who rescues a young boy from a refugee camp. Picking up from here, Prata's adaptation follows this boy who has no memory and no family, and the old man, who comes to be his uncle and father figure, as they wander in the country-side scratching for food, avoiding conflict and bandits. Much of the film is then set in a proverbial wasteland in which death is familiar and life a bizarre perversion; a dream of sorts. We therefore stray with our characters as they cling to signs of life with muted hope and irrational action. In such, we see the young boy rescue a goat and chase him through potential minefields, mirroring the risk the old man takes in bringing the boy under his wing; we come across an old man who traps and attempts to bury the couple in hopes of seeding a tree that can give birth to new humans and repopulate his desolated village; we are introduced to a father torturing his daughter, strapping her to a barrel to develop some kind of form or skill she can make money from in a circus; and, as becomes the central theme of the plot, the boy finds a diary detailing the journey of a stranger whose family are killed in war, leading him to wander until he meets a woman on a ship he falls in love with, thereupon promising her to find her lost son - who the boy begins to believe he is and so starts a journey to unite with this so-called lost mother. There is no particular sense or reason behind our characters' motivation beyond an existential search for an escape; a reprieve from the desolation and doom surrounding them. In this we can sense an archetypal magnetism toward feminine shelter that is ultimately corrupted by violence.</div><div><br /></div><div>Though conceptually evocative, Sleepwalking Land lacks a certain poignancy. Its most expressive notion comes with the aphoristic belief expressed by the old man that all life on earth came from the soil and differentiated from humanity for their own joy. In conflict with this is his following notion that the earth dares humanity to dream. We see dreams manifest as delusion throughout Sleepwalking Land and therefore bring joy; but in the context of war, these dreams only manifests perverse and distorted images of violence: a father torturing his daughter, a goat destroyed by explosives, a lover gunned down, an old man trying to bury a child. The translation of this to drama and structure lacks punctum in my view with sexuality - including a disturbing depiction of sexual initiation in which the old man fondles the young boy - constantly distracting from a palpable sense of humanity. Indeed there is a consistent conflict between life and death, sexuality being an intermediary, but the sum of this produces no poignancy and the narrative more alienating than photogénic. Nonetheless an expression of bizarre existential desperation, Sleepwalking Life gives insight into the contortion war has upon dreams and aspiration.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><a href="http://danielslackdsu.blogspot.com/">danielslack_typk</a></div>Daniel Slackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13927052674008866938noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1015827576165065100.post-59669774846298873092024-02-18T03:00:00.000+00:002024-02-18T03:00:36.578+00:00Hajime No Ippo - What Is It To Be Strong?<div>Thoughts On: Hajime no Ippo (はじめの一歩, 2000-2002)</div><div><br /></div><div>A reclusive high school student sets his sights on becoming a pro boxer.</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdL2dEjSbvIqKIFCrzQr4Gn4lVZ_mEU8WH0yjtrbaoWmXlN0X_FDTQqFZSX2tmZmFHoMUid2aAhvLXuegCMsnw1UlcHR8rUU8TnXEbMTvKX5AcsR68hz-EQalqu8rmYsWfwbLSkHJ6C_AWl8oy0A5jDOGDvtu2MrfILsG2Z2c41hUpMPgMUc8eAnwVVZw/s3000/Hajime%20no%20Ippo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="2000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdL2dEjSbvIqKIFCrzQr4Gn4lVZ_mEU8WH0yjtrbaoWmXlN0X_FDTQqFZSX2tmZmFHoMUid2aAhvLXuegCMsnw1UlcHR8rUU8TnXEbMTvKX5AcsR68hz-EQalqu8rmYsWfwbLSkHJ6C_AWl8oy0A5jDOGDvtu2MrfILsG2Z2c41hUpMPgMUc8eAnwVVZw/s320/Hajime%20no%20Ippo.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><br />Hajime no Ippo is a top tier anime; I say that without having gone through many other anime series, but having been immediately sucked into and thoroughly impressed by its first season. What immediately struck me with Hajime no Ippo was its incredible approach to narrative structure. There are two filler episodes in the 76 episode long first season that recap major championship arcs. Beyond that the plot never stops moving and characters never stop evolving. Most impressively, the vast majority of the action is in the ring; this is undoubtedly a boxing anime - a fight is what you get at every single turn. Where we aren't immersed in brilliantly impressionistic boxing matches, we are following the ever-evolving training of our characters. There are brief respites splattered throughout in which we get to learn a little of each characters' backstory or personal lives (to this point, it is the last episode that finally gives some back story to one of the biggest characters), but almost everything we get to learn about them comes from a ring or their training. This dedication to action, visually and structurally, is beyond commendable and speaks to the confidence Madhouse have in the strength of the plotting, the foundations of their characters and the spectacle of the fight sequences. Such is what I respect most in Hajime no Ippo: it retains a pure focus on boxing and Ippo's quest toward his first professional belts.</div><div><br /></div><div>Second to its focus in narrative structure are Hajime no Ippo's unique methods in characterisation. There is no other sports, most certainly not boxing, narrative that comes to my mind that does not require bad guys. All of the genuine conflict in this series is of internal growth; the physical combat is never the means to an end, nor a motivation of the plot. The genius of this shines in the uncanny tension that is maintained across the endless fighting sequences. This is most true in the early sections of the first season: we are made to believe that anyone can win each fight. In any narrative based on combat that features a bad guy, we understand that it is the purpose of the plot to bring us toward their defeat. But, without establishing a bad guy at any turn - always humanising and presenting legitimate reasons as to why each boxer can and should win their fight - Hajime no Ippo holds you on an edge, quite ready to accept Ippo possibly losing, at its best points not even hoping that he does - simply, rather, enthralled in wait of the coming turns. This allows the fight sequences to roll on one after another with their outcome not being a focus of drama, rather it is the present moment of character development in each practice session, boxing round and between each punch. Again, this speaks to the genius of characterisation in conjunction with plotting; the journey, never the outcome, is the symbolic and impressionistic focus of the narrative, which deepens the viewing experience uniquely. We therefore are not held to tension as in a movie such as Rocky, our desire to see our hero win constantly being held at a distance before a final satisfaction. Instead, the tension in Hajime no Ippo is a personal one between audience and character, us awaiting the experience of their development, the final catharsis more a feeling of pride in their transformation rather than a relief in their success. This is why we see almost no montage sequences and never skip through parts of our characters' career deemed trivial. What is of value in this narrative is the character development across the gruelling quotidian, never the final plot point; Hajime no Ippo is less ecstatic and emotional than the likes of Rocky for this, but is far more sentimental and grounding with the audience sharing in characters' pride, not their success.</div><div><br /></div><div>With its phenomenally unique approach to structure and character, Hajime no Ippo formulates an eloquent exploration of its characters' main question: what is it to be strong? We are given many answers across the first season that coalesce: strength is seen to be persistence under our own word that brings us beyond the obstacles impeding an endless journey. In such, strength is surmised to be like a cloud, its definition forever shifting and intangible, but nonetheless palpable in moments of triumph. The earnest evolution of who our characters are in conjunction to the presentation of genuine and relatable competitors and setbacks adds great profundity to this question and answer. It is this that elevates Hajime no Ippo far above your average sports narrative alongside its pleasantly perverted comedy and stunning animation. A tremendous 2 day binge.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://www.instagram.com/danielslack_typk/">danielslack_typk</a></div>Daniel Slackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13927052674008866938noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1015827576165065100.post-60276024079598652582024-02-15T05:32:00.002+00:002024-02-15T05:32:53.163+00:00Burning Sands - Absurd Foundations<p>Thoughts On: Burning Sands (2017)</p><p>A group of young students desperate to join a fraternity attempt to endure violent hazing.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUdyNjFckDgNyx96rmzUvBMiR44pgf4UmEQlDZEhwb3J2qAaiowqPbl7sSgKTom06kmHEIWQ_dLiEzF67vHcJV_nMwVj6-x4QjumsWTk8or7dPaTynPb-DNNP0z7TFYK2VtRm_MxgM-x_Xr5MJBE-UTsA8NXgmyPJavVyCi35AnO0U7VFxt9xC5VE3qBo/s1000/Burning%20Sands.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="675" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUdyNjFckDgNyx96rmzUvBMiR44pgf4UmEQlDZEhwb3J2qAaiowqPbl7sSgKTom06kmHEIWQ_dLiEzF67vHcJV_nMwVj6-x4QjumsWTk8or7dPaTynPb-DNNP0z7TFYK2VtRm_MxgM-x_Xr5MJBE-UTsA8NXgmyPJavVyCi35AnO0U7VFxt9xC5VE3qBo/s320/Burning%20Sands.jpg" width="216" /></a></div><br />I can't lie, I flashed a look at the poster and synopsis of this film and saw "student", "Zurich" and "hell"; I thought, why not try a Swiss film, this looks interesting. I'm an idiot. Burning Sands, as I quickly found out, is an American film about fraternities and hazing. I have always found depictions of American colleges and unis on film quite repulsive; I never quite understood the strict association of school and animalism. Burning Sands deals with this stereotypical vision of higher education in America, bringing some gravitas to the subject with its problematisation of the violence and promotion of absurd behaviour associated with the indoctrination into fraternities. In general I find this aspect of American culture to be a bizarre extension of just how unashamedly extra and exuberant (in comparison to the more miserable and muted British culture I am familiar with) it is more commonly acceptable to be there. In such, one is made to feel, as the narrative of Burning Sands develops, an extreme desperation for inclusion and friendship among these college kids. They are made to physically and existentially suffer for a promise of brotherhood that is revealed to be a contrivance of foundations set in sand - as the title of the film suggests. The aspect of the film I found most valuable was the off-screen presence of our main character's dad. Through our main character's rejection, and then eventual acceptance, of his father's attempts to communicate with him, it is made clear that some nonsense friendship and brotherhood based primarily on sex and alcohol formed in school is far less important than family. The brotherhood our characters strive to be apart of has its pretentious values that it fails to uphold or represent with any quality while family - especially if it is stable and non-toxic - is a given responsibility far more deserving of our suffering. Not much more needs to be said about Burning Sands; it is fairly structured, shot and acted and makes quite a pressing statement on hazing. Nothing particularly special, but not a bad film at all.<p></p><p><br /></p><p><a href="https://www.instagram.com/danielslack_typk/">danielslack_typk</a></p>Daniel Slackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13927052674008866938noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1015827576165065100.post-56349195574117971122024-02-13T03:15:00.000+00:002024-02-13T03:15:32.209+00:00Don't Look Up - Cynical Acceptance<p>Thoughts On: Don't Look Up (2021)</p><p>With the end of the world imminent, politics and social media clamour for position.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg65bfKuuICMPkvgPwVGUwv56d-xebOPIagHjed7C2X58IFk7K4dg9aF0tC7aSY2D4gPkpcC4606J04PM7FcSwIsld6IM_fctLS1TCHpUcyWgl6RjVdP_bhzEZHCMG0hiU-xkv74mIbXUaa29ehBrfYPMQGl6rpAXEpFnXeCoL2E2zcY0L1r6CiteK6OdA/s1350/Don't%20Look%20Up.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1350" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg65bfKuuICMPkvgPwVGUwv56d-xebOPIagHjed7C2X58IFk7K4dg9aF0tC7aSY2D4gPkpcC4606J04PM7FcSwIsld6IM_fctLS1TCHpUcyWgl6RjVdP_bhzEZHCMG0hiU-xkv74mIbXUaa29ehBrfYPMQGl6rpAXEpFnXeCoL2E2zcY0L1r6CiteK6OdA/s320/Don't%20Look%20Up.jpg" width="256" /></a></div><br />Gently but deathly cynical and distinctly American, Don't Look Up is quite a fun expression of the existential state of Hollywood and US-centric media. I couldn't relate much to its social commentary, as plain and overt as it is, but find the production of this film, in juxtaposition to the save the world sci-fi films of the turn-of-the-century - the key one being Armageddon of course - quite fascinating. It's very hard to imagine a film of this scale and tone being produced in any other era of cinema but the present. There are no heroes, there is no higher humanity, no hope, only cynicism: an unshaken belief in the self-centred nature of humanity. Granted by this cynicism is but one philosophical capacity: acceptance. I find profundity in this, though I do find cynicism highly distasteful and rather unacceptable. But, I suppose Don't Look Up challenges us to question if acceptance is possible without becoming a cynic. With the ending of the narrative we are given an answer, yet it is simultaneously displayed that people do not have much capacity at all for it. Acceptance and peace is possible with delusion or belief. This manifests in Don't Look Up with the themes of religion and family, which come to compose the final images of acceptance, but they manifest too late and amid disaster. Such seals the cynicism of the narrative provided, but perhaps it begs a question of transformation with its crushing social commentary. Hollywood disaster narratives have always had us believe in humanity's capacity to believe enough as to make it through calamity and catastrophe; here the mirror is flipped causing us to question just this, and if great societal change is necessary. Such leaves you with the excess of the narrative's social commentary on modern America laid plain by the script, and me quite surprised that this era of cinema has produced a disaster blockbuster of such negative ambiguity.<p></p><p>I can't say I liked it, and I can't say I think the end of the world would look like this, though I enjoyed the performances of all the key players thoroughly, and, given time, Don't Look Up might likely be looked back upon as a film distinct in this age of social media.</p><p><br /></p><p><a href="https://www.instagram.com/danielslack_typk/">danielslack_typk</a></p>Daniel Slackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13927052674008866938noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1015827576165065100.post-48388941466638610302024-02-12T05:31:00.000+00:002024-02-12T05:31:02.950+00:00Lal Patthar - Jungian Dream<p>Thoughts On: Lal Patthar (<i>Red Stone</i>, 1971)</p><p>A haunted old man tells of how he lost his throne and mind to love.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvWluJttYjSfYsXoHuR7Ts0wh9GWU-LKJvGlcp4p-ZQuAFFosmoow_-49Y8y5wxNtn2_ruWPtvdasUAb6Q89waVLehYLtdF4-B5vz4Xd4kG1sHV76KEMUTEPkZbJwlO46RwHrunBTUwEpMFGKSWCbRdK1sD3DUsUzqd_j1-m5eEs7NGoe0wXplCYFutkA/s1440/Lal%20Patthar.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1440" data-original-width="960" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvWluJttYjSfYsXoHuR7Ts0wh9GWU-LKJvGlcp4p-ZQuAFFosmoow_-49Y8y5wxNtn2_ruWPtvdasUAb6Q89waVLehYLtdF4-B5vz4Xd4kG1sHV76KEMUTEPkZbJwlO46RwHrunBTUwEpMFGKSWCbRdK1sD3DUsUzqd_j1-m5eEs7NGoe0wXplCYFutkA/s320/Lal%20Patthar.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><br />A tremendous classic of the highest melodrama. A masterpiece of Jungian narrative and psychology, Lal Patthar, is about a man - a king - trapped in the shadow of his unconscious. Undeveloped in spirit for the metaphysical loss of his mother and father, he grows into a man possessed at first by his animus; a destructive man of the jungle. As this creature, he finds himself a tigress and makes her his mistress. He cannot tame her, nor see her humanity - let alone his own; he has not the patience, seeking only inebriation. Such is a consequence of his denial of his father and the imago he represents within his unconscious soul. As this split man grows old and weary, he is possessed again - but this time by his anima. He dreams of his mother in heaven, and finds an angel upon her light. But he cannot trust her, nor see himself to be hers; her humanity, as his again, unrecognised in the shadow of his soul. In such, he comes across a man who is spiritually integrated, a man better than himself in control of his anima and animus attached to she he makes his queen. Torn apart by his lack of self-integration in face of the man he cannot become, the king falls mad under the possession of his anima, the imago his wife, a queen - an extension of his angelic mother - representing a symbol he dare not approach in all his unworthiness. And so the king manifests destruction, spiralling forever into the shadow of his supreme meaning, tethered to reality only by the tigress he sees not has become tame; his curse as a lost child born to a father he rejects and a mother he could never stand to be the son of.<p></p><p>A tale spun with pure brilliance of archetypal understanding, with sumptuous songs and vibrant cinematography, Lal Patthar is another new personal favourite and one of the most brilliant classics of 70s Indian cinema I have come across. I am intrigued to one day see the Bengali original from the 60s of which this is a remake.</p><p><br /></p><p><a href="https://www.instagram.com/danielslack_typk/">danielslack_typk</a></p>Daniel Slackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13927052674008866938noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1015827576165065100.post-15569836190159654382024-02-12T02:15:00.001+00:002024-02-12T06:00:39.727+00:00And Breathe Normally - The Cold Warm<div>Thoughts On: And Breathe Normally (<i>Andið Eðlilega</i>, 2018)</div><div><br /></div><div>A struggling single mother encounters a moral impasse as a trainee boarder security officer.</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_5mpxrhc3TOvGkLYN0qZpICLqQOH1nF-JMCoBDOTg2ZQdBr4O0kQr06D6WqqFyvz4hkfgxzF81U_p4tI4nrL6nGOGnJiSGgssfHd7yH5Rr5O9IHRGAhJp8EI4XMyEOj_p8ZjE8xmO_eIHhIdVL3423Ad0byawq2bSgP-E8Lkng7D0qxBbPDz4ikaTGMU/s960/And%20Breathe%20Normally.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="707" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_5mpxrhc3TOvGkLYN0qZpICLqQOH1nF-JMCoBDOTg2ZQdBr4O0kQr06D6WqqFyvz4hkfgxzF81U_p4tI4nrL6nGOGnJiSGgssfHd7yH5Rr5O9IHRGAhJp8EI4XMyEOj_p8ZjE8xmO_eIHhIdVL3423Ad0byawq2bSgP-E8Lkng7D0qxBbPDz4ikaTGMU/s320/And%20Breathe%20Normally.jpg" width="236" /></a></div><br />Simple and direct, And Breathe Normally is an Icelandic film depicting humanity and friendship worth risking a life for. Understated, perhaps slightly unremarkable in an honest way, it captures a moment of faith between two strangers who recognise in each other struggle and motherhood. This faith and bond, its humanity, is depicted as morally superior to law - mere paper and documentation in the face of family and life. Such sits at the basis of the narrative's commentary on the steadily increasing influx of migrants and refugees to the small nation in recent years; furthermore it speaks to the persecution and censoring of homosexuality among women. Quite Nordic, hushed and impartial, but nonetheless sensitive and earnest, And Breathe Normally is a poignant glimpse into a non-scenic side of Iceland through controlled and subtle social drama.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://www.instagram.com/danielslack_typk/">danielslack_typk</a></div>Daniel Slackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13927052674008866938noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1015827576165065100.post-40762320717312729982024-02-11T03:26:00.000+00:002024-02-11T03:26:50.442+00:00The House - Prescence In The Walls<p>Thoughts On: The House (2022)</p><p>A house manifest in separate worlds sees its occupants confront horror and insanity.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqUDEfphdXqSe7EZ0JhJ0GIkoBYPLaWhFBxv1HIEONJig79os7JD91idq1eiANOztCNYeqAn_-zrSsd1F1yuEAMIQGIDpEOJcifkTObTDgxqMYqkuK05gMNq36gQ80goXxhovB8jDNqNy8KPXszrjzr2-hUnyA7wDyiM2kbdEQHvsryddhe4Vg7T-qqHQ/s1481/The%20House.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1481" data-original-width="1000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqUDEfphdXqSe7EZ0JhJ0GIkoBYPLaWhFBxv1HIEONJig79os7JD91idq1eiANOztCNYeqAn_-zrSsd1F1yuEAMIQGIDpEOJcifkTObTDgxqMYqkuK05gMNq36gQ80goXxhovB8jDNqNy8KPXszrjzr2-hUnyA7wDyiM2kbdEQHvsryddhe4Vg7T-qqHQ/s320/The%20House.jpg" width="216" /></a></div><br />With stunning design and staggering stop motion, The House is an evocative triptych centred on an all-consuming house that comes to be a manifestation of individuals losing the will to live. Episodic narratives and triptychs are always under the threat of being compartmentalised and its separated parts compared to one another. As a generic work of surreal horror, one could pick the first episode out as the most sumptuous and well-crafted in terms of lighting and stop-animation. However, there is a subtle flow between each episode that justifies the three separate parts, unifying them to a degree; we see a move away from humanity, toward pests and rodents and finally toward felines; simultaneously we witness people moving into and being consumed by a house, pests rise up and perfect it before imminent destruction, before their predators rediscover the house in dystopia. There feels to be a background narrative binding this triptych together, one that sees the house transform from a witch's haunted house to a rodent's utopia to a cat's derelict moving castle. There is a surreal logic about this that aligns with the thematic focus on obsession and existential loss that utilises archetypes related to witches as well as entities known to make homes out of houses (innocent children, rodents, cats). With the closing of the final chapter, we come to feel an overarching sentiment of freedom evoked between these; a freedom from the imprisonment of self. In each chapter characters use the house to sublimate their true character and desires; a family forget each other, seeking only material possession, and therefore fade into the materiality of their house, losing their children; a mouse wants to escape his life and find love to sail away on holiday with, only to find himself in filth, among insects and rodents for his failure to find and realise his self-worth. In the final transformation, a cat realises her self-subjugation for the sake of the house, seeing that the present is what she has lost sight of, suffering pointlessly for a future of good memories and family already within her reach. This final transformation, the only positive one, aptly surmises the triptych with the movement away from the basement, a detachment from the spell that seems to ground and haunt the house from the beginning. Uprooted in dystopia, the house provides a will to live as opposed to draining it from its occupants. This perhaps speaks to the mobility of self required to maintain the spirit, suggesting a house is not a home because of its roots and place, but the emptiness contained by its walls; something understood only by the children and finally the cats. Prescence in the empty is all we require from a home; it cannot promise us more. A statement on the British financial and housing situation; who knows? A great work of animation well worth the watch.<p></p><p><br /></p><p><a href="https://www.instagram.com/danielslack_typk/">danielslack_typk</a></p>Daniel Slackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13927052674008866938noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1015827576165065100.post-85941073020607515022024-02-11T01:03:00.003+00:002024-02-11T01:03:53.075+00:00The Summit of the Gods - Step Toward Death<p>Thoughts On: Summit of the Gods (<i>Le Sommet des Dieux</i>, 2021)</p><p>A photographer investigates the life of a life-long mountaineer with a dream of being the first man to summit Everest in winter solo.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4pPANhyuGm83X0o8vjyp1uHdwzZCIOcUlAeuP3qFv0BTNVHRt1muk8s2u0AeEshD4GmqaejLrYotsZMvTSQ5j41iL79NhgBsex1McVG__ttRw5JbLvzBj9fbVto4NCMLEX_M0oou4a-pSP2TR17lW4pI2vnU1YFaDmb0qq3E88rcA2tPAvC17AtIHjaA/s3326/Summet%20of%20the%20Gods.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3326" data-original-width="2500" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4pPANhyuGm83X0o8vjyp1uHdwzZCIOcUlAeuP3qFv0BTNVHRt1muk8s2u0AeEshD4GmqaejLrYotsZMvTSQ5j41iL79NhgBsex1McVG__ttRw5JbLvzBj9fbVto4NCMLEX_M0oou4a-pSP2TR17lW4pI2vnU1YFaDmb0qq3E88rcA2tPAvC17AtIHjaA/s320/Summet%20of%20the%20Gods.jpg" width="241" /></a></div><br />Summit of the Gods is an inspirational work of pristine animation. It captures the meaninglessness of death in an almost divine light, displaying futility and stupidity as no more than a step on an endless adventure. Death is then stripped of meaning and reason as to rationalise its place on an infinite spectrum; it is framed as little more than a mishap or misstep by one pair of shoes that will be corrected by another. There's a solidarity and morality about this that is highly relatable making Summit of the Gods a valuable watch.<p></p><p><br /></p><p><a href="https://www.instagram.com/danielslack_typk/">danielslack_typk</a></p>Daniel Slackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13927052674008866938noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1015827576165065100.post-82919035528686481782024-02-10T22:43:00.004+00:002024-02-10T22:49:16.385+00:00Aadi Keshava - Why Indian Superhero Movies Are The Best<p>Thoughts On: Aadikeshava (ఆదికేశవ, 2023)</p><p>A spoilt, but protective son is sent to find out who his true parents are by his adopted parents.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPLhvAlZnAR4fPi_PnrXMyp8ueqTkWI4_NLwHO9rZZCmmqq-1fMqy56sWFXLC2ueusKhAqGygxdhRRwJYq_2UcTcKcODINs4S9dRRdg94EIRcZyd9WhpCVC4jnparkJVwi9FcY_ky09pbe2_2PMOTA7P4pOMLg3lSOKIceAzTGSpj0dPKmd8kC1QNNSEs/s2048/Aadikeshava.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1446" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPLhvAlZnAR4fPi_PnrXMyp8ueqTkWI4_NLwHO9rZZCmmqq-1fMqy56sWFXLC2ueusKhAqGygxdhRRwJYq_2UcTcKcODINs4S9dRRdg94EIRcZyd9WhpCVC4jnparkJVwi9FcY_ky09pbe2_2PMOTA7P4pOMLg3lSOKIceAzTGSpj0dPKmd8kC1QNNSEs/s320/Aadikeshava.jpg" width="226" /></a></div><br />A tremendous spectacle of action and violence, Aadi Keshava is a prime example of the Indian superhero movie. Where American superhero movies work by developing reason around the bestowing of power on normal individuals or directly re-represent known gods, the Indian superhero film has - in my view - a far more profound and meaningful approach to technically establishing its heroes. It is therefore culturally implicit and metaphysically understood that Gods reside within human forms as our main characters in what we can deem Indian superhero movies. So while it may appear to the audience indoctrinated by Marvel and DC encountering a film like Aadi Keshava for the first time that some random guy just magically has the power to do whatever he wants without any justifications made in the plot, this is far from the case. There are clear symbolic markers - shrines, fire in eyes, the mane-like hair of our main character - throughout Aadi Keshava that indicate a god resides within him; a notion more widely applicable to a greater swath of Indian films with there being a common cultural notion in this area of cinema of the atman.<p></p><p>Seen from a simple perspective, the atman is a concept suggesting that there is one soul shared among all living beings, which (as is the relevant perspective in the context of these action movies) unites normal people with Gods. It is this concept that underlies the notion of reincarnation and avatars in Hindu mythology. The Indian superhero film commonly adopts this notion, presenting its heroes as avatars of gods, retelling well-known legends and myths. The hero of Aadi Keshava is therefore implied to be an avatar of Vishnu: in the context of this film, best described as the protector of good and preserver of natural order. More specifically he is named as a reincarnation of Narasimha, an avatar of Vishnu often depicted with the upper body of a lion, known for defeating the evil demon, or Asura, Hiranyakashipu. This story is played out in the modern context across Aadi Keshava with our main character defeating an evil king as to protect good and ensure social justice.</p><p>The brilliance of this approach to action heroes in my view comes from the cultural intertextuality that cites the meaning of myths and the symbology of their archetypes. Marvel movies utilising Thor demonstrate no substantial awareness of the archetypal god of myth and legend; they most certainly do not rely on the culturally understood meaning of his place in history and story (which doesn't really exist in America) to construct their narratives. They simply use his image and name to spin their own tales from a culturally divorced perspective. This is reversed in Indian superhero movies - and with brilliant subtlety: our character operates as a simple hero that we can attach greater symbology to at the recognition of his name. So whilst Aadi Keshava is in many ways just a brutal and gory revenge movie with elements of social justice found between its light and goofy romantic musical sequences, it retains a heart and punctum in its clear citation of greater cultural narratives, which elevates its statements made on child labour and the oppression of rural working classes and their women. For me, this makes for a rounded narrative that satisfies all of the cinematic senses. And above all else, it does so without excessive, boring farce: character transformations, mystic plot contrivances, costumes, magic potions, scientific backstories and all the alike. The focus is on epic and bombastic audio-visual storytelling through music and action, with violent action as an extension of the romantic dance sequences. For this, I highly recommend Aadi Keshava. Not a masterpiece (in fact it was a box office bomb) but I say this is a great action blockbuster and too much fun.</p><p><br /></p><p><a href="https://www.instagram.com/danielslack_typk/">danielslack_typk</a></p>Daniel Slackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13927052674008866938noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1015827576165065100.post-83166724263270917232024-02-09T11:07:00.000+00:002024-02-09T11:07:31.412+00:00Blue Bayou - Choice<div>Thoughts On: Blue Bayou (2021)</div><div><br /></div><div>A struggling family are threatened to be torn apart when the father faces deportation.</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK8svjq-zBRxcalNP7deVNsMNT_sX_kiwY9r52dCofXz_E5kVpcY-ipDUz0xykiSz9yKPSJxIzY55dsyX45AzftKitOpwdrQaVVt4f3kNjkkkPUDzaj8TyIUsI8MqN1hSCv-CRA5NapGrML2tudWXYlNCoWAYDBvCW1eLWx6yAQAkTfswe1Xu_eMKb6Dc/s3000/Blue%20Bayou.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="2000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK8svjq-zBRxcalNP7deVNsMNT_sX_kiwY9r52dCofXz_E5kVpcY-ipDUz0xykiSz9yKPSJxIzY55dsyX45AzftKitOpwdrQaVVt4f3kNjkkkPUDzaj8TyIUsI8MqN1hSCv-CRA5NapGrML2tudWXYlNCoWAYDBvCW1eLWx6yAQAkTfswe1Xu_eMKb6Dc/s320/Blue%20Bayou.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><br />Astoundingly heart-breaking, Blue Bayou is one of the most intensely genuine pieces of cinema I have come across in a very long time. A dramatic masterpiece of character and understanding, it brings us into the life of a good man crushed by injustice that nonetheless stands strong as an indefatigable icon of moral character. A film about choice, about choice being stripped away from your fingers, about the existential mire of not being able to choose, about the humanity of choosing your people and the right thing to do, this had me in tatters with its conclusion. There's not much more that I can put together to say on Blue Bayou other than to assure that it has my highest praises in very single respect as a new personal favourite. A perfect film.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://www.instagram.com/danielslack_typk/">danielslack_typk</a></div>Daniel Slackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13927052674008866938noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1015827576165065100.post-85421172278484956612024-02-09T08:17:00.000+00:002024-02-09T08:17:25.754+00:00El Conde - Black Romance<p>Thoughts On: El Conde (<i>The Count</i>, 2023)</p><p>A vampire that rose to power as a Chilean dictator contemplates death having lost everything but a hidden fortune.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxqlTZY6izpWoIP_niTauxQO2rcQr0nHiuDyfg8zrQzexlRADMEMg3xYkrhgDNSD9M_JVD0GtMcVlpDJ5jtmPPVste1nxRKNPrDgm2dPJTiprxBeCF6GFOqY20O8oRH662LvFdAvGTqmTDQaaK6EVvE-hLBvfytf9o7gFIevWoYM-8oIn-tC2LM16Hgy8/s2000/El%20Conde.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2000" data-original-width="1350" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxqlTZY6izpWoIP_niTauxQO2rcQr0nHiuDyfg8zrQzexlRADMEMg3xYkrhgDNSD9M_JVD0GtMcVlpDJ5jtmPPVste1nxRKNPrDgm2dPJTiprxBeCF6GFOqY20O8oRH662LvFdAvGTqmTDQaaK6EVvE-hLBvfytf9o7gFIevWoYM-8oIn-tC2LM16Hgy8/s320/El%20Conde.jpg" width="216" /></a></div><br />Purely ghastly with flickering moments of stunning beauty, El Conde is the most unique and intriguing vampire film I can think of. It takes the common theme of love and greed associated with the dark archetype of stolen eternal life to conjure an image of a lost child. The sentiment produced by El Conde is familiar; it is one that asserts the corruption of eternity. But the uniqueness of this film is in its religious intervention and its willingness to proffer the idea that a vampire can exist without God (or at least a literal God; a God that is no more than his word). There is therefore no saviour in this narrative, no real divinity to quell the evil lust of the hungry. What oversees the mire of death and bile is not a heavenly father, but a sickening mother, and it is her love that rescues, not the innocent, but the darkness itself. I will remain vague as not to reveal the intricacies of the plot here, but what one senses with El Conde is captured in its final words. Where there may be a word of God, one that speaks as to draw hope, belief and imagination with a promise of love, there is a Mother nature that executes the way of things to a final point as to assert her loving character. The result of this is hauntingly profound thanks to El Conde's play with history; it resoundingly highlights this dialectic between spoken and palpable love, one of the spirit and one of the body, one of men and one of women, one of God and nature, both perfect in the horror of the dark world. Horribly brilliant.<p></p><p><br /></p><p><a href="https://www.instagram.com/danielslack_typk/">danielslack_typk</a></p>Daniel Slackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13927052674008866938noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1015827576165065100.post-55352800704588181332024-02-09T05:54:00.000+00:002024-02-09T05:54:25.411+00:00They Cloned Tyrone - Assimilate<p>Thoughts On: They Clones Tyrone (2023)</p><p>A drug dealer, pimp and a hoe stumble upon a conspiracy underlying their town.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcf6SLyTRp60YMCWoosPEO8ewGS6cbSdqqBnVz__zv8CPOwNd4pqHXD1VXFBVb_-rGp2l-fZ_uLn9J1gILMqeY1zQ1fUBqhcUC0dbSS-uqK9XcT4gis5GdO1Uv9H7F5zrw1x-zr7UcIK-nKy1eRBphWYaHvTJgRBFno5cpgFvEaSgFouAd3_vhWQshnhc/s512/They%20Cloned%20Tyrone.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="512" data-original-width="346" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcf6SLyTRp60YMCWoosPEO8ewGS6cbSdqqBnVz__zv8CPOwNd4pqHXD1VXFBVb_-rGp2l-fZ_uLn9J1gILMqeY1zQ1fUBqhcUC0dbSS-uqK9XcT4gis5GdO1Uv9H7F5zrw1x-zr7UcIK-nKy1eRBphWYaHvTJgRBFno5cpgFvEaSgFouAd3_vhWQshnhc/s320/They%20Cloned%20Tyrone.jpg" width="216" /></a></div><br />A brilliant sci-fi mystery, They Cloned Tyrone is as funny as it it engaging. Similar in tone and narrative design as Get Out and Us, They Cloned Tyrone doesn't just share some of the same themes as Peele's lauded movies, it, in my opinion, quite easily surpasses their application and balance against humour and social commentary. In short, I never much liked Peele's brand of comedy nor related much to his approach to social commentary; it's smart and witty, but feels incomplete to me. They Cloned Tyrone is less goofy and yet simultaneously does not take itself as seriously as the mentioned films from Peele, producing a more whole vision of narrative with more dramatically rounded and engaging characters. It pulls elements and archetypes from American Blaxploitation cinema, dropping them into a scooby-doo, cowboy-turned-gangster, 50s paranoia, small-town government conspiracy mystery thriller. A film then made with a clear consciousness of film history, They Cloned Tyrone feels like an amalgam of various genres that bumps like good music. It asserts the persistence of spirit and individuality over fear, constructing a narrative in which the impulse toward pure assimilation is equated with the destruction of culture and history for fear of racist oppression as well as an existential self-silencing. Such is the motivational impetus of the ownership of Blaxploitation archetypes: drug dealers, gangbangers, pimps and hoes. Each are revived and eventually transformed, their spirits as existential wanderers, brotherhoods, searchers and lovers exposed upon the costumes of their caricatures and their voices exalted without filter and yet a more subtle understanding with the conclusion. Without quashing and supressing the culture from which these archetypes emerge, They Cloned Tyrone pulls redemption from broken souls, its social commentary one of individuality and collective power overcoming shame and fear. Pushed by great performances, They Cloned Tyrone was a superb watch.<p></p><p><br /></p><p><a href="https://www.instagram.com/danielslack_typk/">danielslack_typk</a></p>Daniel Slackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13927052674008866938noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1015827576165065100.post-20117375063043284962024-02-08T16:58:00.000+00:002024-02-08T16:58:13.434+00:00The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar - True Sight<div>Thoughts On: The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar (2023)</div><div><br /></div><div>The secrets of a clairvoyant change the perspective of a greedy rich man.</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZpU32BLaosjBei26anid7MZeBqhgUn-lHdqr9P4b2ME8GMnqcx7QzS9paspeIH6JgMHIyRSwE1pNoQZw6MUdkLJS81xONL3OtK35suxJMBg3XjO2IPk_oS8ByrJeL9yHDVcorcxFTRdSJT2C5AVUeULOcdYg05p0838HnDwgk_hrTVRWycVZhTpLYQ1U/s1863/The%20Wonderful%20Story%20of%20Henry%20Sugar.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1863" data-original-width="1242" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZpU32BLaosjBei26anid7MZeBqhgUn-lHdqr9P4b2ME8GMnqcx7QzS9paspeIH6JgMHIyRSwE1pNoQZw6MUdkLJS81xONL3OtK35suxJMBg3XjO2IPk_oS8ByrJeL9yHDVcorcxFTRdSJT2C5AVUeULOcdYg05p0838HnDwgk_hrTVRWycVZhTpLYQ1U/s320/The%20Wonderful%20Story%20of%20Henry%20Sugar.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><br />The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar is pristinely and simply a Wes Anderson film; a brilliant exercise in his style with an extremely pleasant flow of narration that at once captures the spirit of a written short story whilst animating its voice into playful live action. We see a simple tale of sight unfurl across the fleeting 40 minutes; one that, with utmost positivity, suggests that if one learns to truly see, it is inevitable that they will become moral. With condensed focus, light cadence and bouncy rhythm, this notion is made a parable with verve and organised spirit. The end result is brilliant and yet understated, as pretty much expected from Anderson.</div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://www.instagram.com/danielslack_typk/">danielslack_typk</a></div>Daniel Slackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13927052674008866938noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1015827576165065100.post-46318897289289437042024-02-06T23:56:00.006+00:002024-02-07T00:00:30.803+00:00Farha - Tragic Inversion<p>Thoughts On: Farah (فرحة , 2021)</p><p>A young girls' dreams of education are shattered by the threat of genocide.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigk_UKjg1-ntOfxD0q3Ne1sNTHt04GL8bhmgnHGQhTKhkrIPtke5_k6rYNuPuQAFPX4Nz86ZMEoQd2cEISDXMmiULRvhYP0HzzmLpihNPnGoljfaaLmwFCDHEZ0LsKoBKbEAAnTEXDCemG1kAmgIEU9z8oC_jUbsfwaBssGPEkz5GBbe955sWE-Y5g1_s/s5684/Farha.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5684" data-original-width="4000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigk_UKjg1-ntOfxD0q3Ne1sNTHt04GL8bhmgnHGQhTKhkrIPtke5_k6rYNuPuQAFPX4Nz86ZMEoQd2cEISDXMmiULRvhYP0HzzmLpihNPnGoljfaaLmwFCDHEZ0LsKoBKbEAAnTEXDCemG1kAmgIEU9z8oC_jUbsfwaBssGPEkz5GBbe955sWE-Y5g1_s/s320/Farha.jpg" width="225" /></a></div><br />Farha is a poignant coming-of-age tale condensed to horrifying elemental parts. It contrasts the more common vision of a coming-of-age narrative - a young girl adamant on pursuing self-direction despite cultural pressures - with a violent inversion that, with an intentional absence of meaning and conclusion, provides her with her wish - to leave home - but at the consequence of its destruction. The inhumanity overseeing her arc toward maturity therefore bears absurd antithesis; we see her initially reject her culturally appointed place in her home, her role as a wife and mother and her imposition of silence only for her to choose not to flee from her home, striving in the process to adopt a child, reducing her being to whispers. Alas, each of these reversals is met with destruction and catastrophe; her home, family and chance at protecting a child obliterated before her eyes despite her invisibility. It is within this hell that she is impelled into maturity with tragic hopelessness. And such comes to be Sallam's primary comment on Al-Nakba; at the heart of the massacre is the destruction of humanity in its developmental form, its inhumanity an inversion of what it is to become a moral agent of free-will. Such is captured in the antipode of this coming-of-age tale that twists and deforms the basic story structure of adolescent growth, inflicting, not granting, adulthood and reality upon a child and her eyes.<p></p><p>Beautifully shot and acted with bold thematic focus and moments of incredible suspense, Farah can only be questioned briefly in its verisimilitude. Though based on a true story, there is a minor lapse of realism which I believe presents a missed opportunity to create suspense. In a key scene in which a gun is used by our titular character, she should have been deafened and even minorly injured by the kickback. Capturing this in the scene would have made it far more realistic and tense, but this is avoided. Nonetheless, Farha is a powerful composition quite brilliantly executed in terms of cinematography and performance in particular. Much recommended.</p><p><br /></p><p><a href="https://www.instagram.com/danielslack_typk/">danielslack_typk</a></p>Daniel Slackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13927052674008866938noreply@blogger.com