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    The Forever Purge (2021)

    Kay
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    The Forever Purge (2021)

    Most pro-Purgers take the law into their own hands and extend the New Founding Fathers of America’s tradition… indefinitely.

    The burning issues of modern society under the microscope of a tired annual blood holiday. I liked the opening credits’ titles, to be fair, as they were creative and summed up many of the issues we currently face that either make us ashamed of ourselves, depress us, enrage us, or cut our breath short. This Purge, though, doesn’t build up like its predecessors did, and the reason is none other than the obvious: this purge does not end; it is merely the beginning. And as much as this could be something refreshing in the franchise, it ends up being pedantic, to say the least. It lacks depth and premasticates the meaning for you, intending to unnecessarily lead and intentionally prevent you from thinking for yourselves.

    Don’t get me wrong, I don’t mind the honest message behind it, but I don’t appreciate how Hollywood undermines the audience’s intelligence. I don’t like badly criticising films that dozens of talented people have starred in and thousands of also talented people have worked in all three stages of production. For example, the two-and-a-half-minute shot is remarkable, and even though it has been done before and has been done better, the fact still remains that both cast and crew have put their hearts and souls into it. Producers Michael Bay and Jason Blum should give a lot more credit to those who spend money and time on their entertainment. Like me, all horror fans and cinephiles want to appreciate at least a decent cinematic experience. That’s all we ask. They are talented filmmakers with years of experience under their belt, and I would be honoured if I were to work with them. Films like The Forever Purge, though, feel more like capitalising on the decay our world experiences rather than urging people to think about why they feel or act the way they do and where they stand in a world that craves diversity and unity.

    Writer James DeMonaco and the studios should have ended the franchise a long time ago, but I’ll leave you with a positive note. If you make it to the closing credits, blast the music and enjoy! It’s an awesome and meaningful song!

    P.S. Still, my thoughts and prayers go out to the people who suffer from real-life horrors and dramas, such as the unspeakable wildfires that swallow everything in their path and their aftermath!

    Please, don’t forget to share and subscribe. If you enjoy my work and dedication to films, please feel free to support me on https://www.patreon.com/kaygazpro. Any contribution is much appreciated and valued.

    Solidarity for all the innocent lives who suffer the atrocities of war!

    Stay safe!

    Blood Red Sky (2021)

    Kay
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    Blood Red Sky (2021)

    Hijackers take over a plane, not possibly knowing that there’s a woman on board suffering from a monstrous illness.

    Unique, gripping, and, if you ignore logic at certain points, a great R-rated entertainment. The film starts with a meaningful flashback that serves the narrative perfectly and builds up the heroine’s backstory. The fast-edited shots right before, though, don’t do it too much justice, as we are meant to get thrilled about something we know nothing about. Then it starts pacing and finding rhythm even with the flashback within the flashback. Well, you are about to watch the following: a vampire with a kid, before fully turning, unleashes the beast inside her in a hijacked plane full of civilians and trained assassins! As an audience, you just hope the filmmakers don’t blow it out of proportion and stick to the strong plot that the dramatic yet horrifying subplot supports so well. Does it, then?

    Before I go into it, Peri Baumeister is the first one who deserves praise. Her role is extremely challenging, and she absolutely nails it. Her performance is terrifying as it is dramatic, which is exactly what her character should be. Writer/director Peter Thorwarth and co-writer Stefan Holtz are next on the list for coming up with and bringing this project to life. It is something that we most certainly haven’t seen before. Due to its uniqueness, the film takes an entirely unexpected turn where everything goes. And indeed, everything does go. Some bits and bobs may not add up, but come on, don’t go too hard on it. It’s trying to fool no one, and the dramatic level matches the horrifying. Try to think of it as Die Hard (1988) meets Blade II (2002), and you’ll definitely enjoy it.

    I very much enjoyed the diversity and, especially, the role of Muslims, as, for a change, it breaks the stereotypes and portrays them as they can be in real life: scientific and/or heroic like any other religious or non-religious human being.

    P.S. My thoughts and prayers right now go out to the people who suffer from real-life horrors and dramas, such as the unspeakable wildfires that swallow everything in their path and their aftermath!

    Please, don’t forget to share and subscribe. If you enjoy my work and dedication to films, please feel free to support me on https://www.patreon.com/kaygazpro. Any contribution is much appreciated and valued.

    Solidarity for all the innocent lives who suffer the atrocities of war!

    Stay safe!

    The Vanishing (2018)

    Kay
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    The Vanishing (2018)

    A wooden chest of gold and greed initiates a chain of events leading to the disappearance of the three lighthouse keepers.

    Intense, dark, suspenseful, unpredictable, and superb performances! The Vanishing becomes a thrilling treat because it’s based on the mystery of the Flannan Isles’ actual lighthouse keepers and their controversial logbooks. The film’s beauty is that even though you know what will happen in the end (the title and tagline imply it), it makes you want to know the speculation of what will become of them. The “when” and “how” alone intensify the suspense and overshadow what we think is obvious. Furthermore, the shockingly realistic performances make you want the resolution delayed so you can see more of Peter Mullan, Gerald Butler, and Connor Swindells on screen. Special mention deserves the editor Morten Højbjerg, who knows when to cut and, more importantly, where not to. His editing focuses on the performances and lets the shot “breathe” enough so you can get the full experience of the thespians. My only objection is the ending, which, I believe I speak for all of us when I say we were really looking forward to it. I found it anticlimactic when so much could have been done with it. Even though the script is the most obvious candidate to take the fall here, director Kristoffer Nyholm should have been the one to expand further and give the film the open ending it deserves. Unfortunately, this is not the case, but that’s what I think. Maybe you’ll feel otherwise.

    Maybe we’ll never find out what became of them 120+ years ago, but upon watching it, we can tell with certainty that films like this showcase Butler’s true talent without having to water down his striking Scottish accent. Hollywood should have utilised his skills more in films like this than in typical cash cows. Having said that, Greenland (2020) was realistically terrifying and he and Morena Baccarin were excellent leads. The same applies to Mullan, whose versatility is undeniable – see Ozark (2017) – and he’s breathtaking in everything he’s in.

    Definitely worth the shot for an intriguing night full of mystery and a show-don’t-tell lesson that everything comes with a price.

    Please, don’t forget to share and subscribe. If you enjoy my work and dedication to films, please feel free to support me on https://www.patreon.com/kaygazpro. Any contribution is much appreciated and valued.

    Solidarity for all the innocent lives who suffer the atrocities of war!

    Stay safe!

    Gaia (2021)

    Kay
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    Gaia (2021)

    Two forest rangers go deep into a jungle where nature is an ancient force to be reckoned with.

    Visually stunning with a convoluted yet powerful message. Great opening sequence that warns: If you were not born in this jungle… Do. Not. Enter. You would never guess! They did (face slap). Well, just think of it this way: if they hadn’t, we wouldn’t have watched it, and I wouldn’t have reviewed it. So, does Gaia live up to its expectations?

    From a filmmaking point of view, you get Dutch angles, 180-degree reverse angles, drone long shots, tracking shots… everything! While we are at it, Jorrie van der Walt’s photography is truly admirable. This will probably be the first time you watch a film with the aspect ratio changing four times to cover the forest’s vastness to the heroes’ most claustrophobic feelings and deepest fears. Leon Visser edits the film with mastery, maintaining continuity, battling confusion, and effectively building up the suspense. His work’s peak, though, is the hallucinatory montage sequences that create micro-narratives within the macro-narrative and make us feel even more lost in a reality that has nothing to do with ours. Costume designer Mariechen Vosloo also deserves a round of applause as everything Barend, Stefan, and Gabi (later on) wear is handmade! Kudos to their fantastic effort. Finally, Pierre-Henri Wicomb’s original music, the art department, the sound department, the visual department, the make-up department, and all the cast crew deserve tremendous recognition as, without their hard work, this film, like any other film, wouldn’t have been made.

    Writer Tertius Kapp and director Jaco Bower have created a world in the heart of our world with plenty of visuals and strong opinions. Somewhere in between, Bower felt like constantly teasing us with Stefan and Gabi’s sexual tension and for better or for worse, he left us hanging. Maybe one of the reasons is the focus on the message. I will not go into it as you need to pay attention to Barend’s monologues on civilisation. They are as powerful as they are intriguing. Utterances like these, written in lockdown, leave quite a bitter taste because they carry dark and painful truths that came to the surface while feeling like living in isolation, as many people experienced. As per IMDb, the lockdown was announced a week into the shooting, so most of the crew parted ways at different times and went to different places. The film’s message expresses that loss we all felt – some more than others – and the aforementioned truths sting us, as well as the society we live in. There is a poignant accusation in the Biblical references and the way we have been functioning as humans, individually but also collectively. There is a great resemblance to In the Earth (2021); there is much to compare and contrast. I found Gaia‘s ending psychologically brutal but depressingly befitting.

    How this pandemic affected our lives and, consequently, filmmaking has already started showing, but I have a feeling that its full force has yet to strike, and it’s still patiently building up. As much I adore dark, horror films, deep down, it aches when you know how many people have unfathomably suffered (especially) the last couple of years. The news broadcasts daily from drama to horror, and the child inside me wishes these genres belonged only to the cinema. I hope you are keeping well wherever you are, whatever you do.

    Please, don’t forget to share and subscribe. If you enjoy my work and dedication to films, please feel free to support me on https://www.patreon.com/kaygazpro. Any contribution is much appreciated and valued.

    Solidarity for all the innocent lives who suffer the atrocities of war!

    Stay safe!

    Pig (2021)

    Kay
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    Pig (2021)

    A truffle hunter who lives alone in the woods returns after many years to the city that once gave him a reputation after his pig gets kidnapped.

    Pig is the kind of film that, when you know nothing about it, you get a surprising cinematic experience. Well, you get that with most Nicolas Cage films anyway, but the narrative looks like Pig was written for Cage, and that’s it. Therefore, unexpected narrative + Cage = double the surprise!

    I will just give you a one-line summary and keep it short to avoid spoiling the crucial parts. The once best and hard-as-nails chef in Portland, who also had an extraordinary reputation in underground restaurant fights (???) and once disappeared into the woods, resurfaces himself, raising hell when his pig gets kidnapped. I mean… WTF?! How does one green-light such a concept? How does one even conceive it, to begin with? It sounds like writer/director Michael Sarnoski, a David Lynch fan, liked John Wick (2014), smoked a couple, and then put it together. Remember, everything is happening because someone stole his pig. How does Lynch come into play? The two Cage monologues. The first one sounds completely irrelevant – or is it? It was as if Rob listened to a different story and recited something from a different movie. Check Amir’s reaction that reflects the audience’s. This brings us to the second one, which is all about Chef Derek’s (David Knell) close-up reaction as the story evolves. His reaction is priceless. That is Lynch through and through, and Sarnoski brilliantly encapsulates it.

    There is so much I could say about this film, but I won’t. I’ve already said enough, and it will just ruin the experience. Principal photography lasted 20 days, and all cast and crew had to work like a Swiss watch as the budget was tiny. And after they actually did, about an hour was taken out in the cutting room because Neon thought it was too long.

    Definitely worth the watch! Will you find meaning, eventually? Only if you put your phones down, turn the lights off, and understand why Rob’s journey takes place. A journey explicated though his stories and attitude towards people and circumstances. But also… what the pig means to him and why. I hope you enjoy it!

    Please, don’t forget to share and subscribe. If you enjoy my work and dedication to films, please feel free to support me on https://www.patreon.com/kaygazpro. Any contribution is much appreciated and valued.

    Solidarity for all the innocent lives who suffer the atrocities of war!

    Stay safe!

    Arctic (2018)

    Kay
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    Arctic (2018)

    Long after his plane crash-landed in the Arctic, a man must decide whether to stay at the crash site or set out for the unknown to seek help.

    The European way of unfolding a narrative with a touch of Scandinavian darkness and a taste of Icelandic identity. Writer/director Joe Penna and writer/editor Ryan Morrison have beautifully paced the drama that leads to the fork that saves your life or points you to certain death. And regardless of what road you take, you can’t know which is which. Until it’s probably too late… Penna and Morrison have been collaborating since the beginning of their career to this very day. If you haven’t watched their sci-fi Stowaway (2021), you definitely need to. Special mention deserves the cinematographer Tómas Örn Tómasson – native Icelander – who knows exactly what he needs to shoot and how. All three collaborate perfectly behind the camera and give you great value for your money.

    While the crew works tirelessly behind the camera, the person in front of the camera who cuts your breath is none other than the highly expressive and diverse Mads Mikkelsen. All the struggle, frustration, agony, and horror are written on his forehead while he’s trying to keep it together and save both their lives. Seeing is believing, so go for it and see for yourselves.

    Arctic, Penna’s feature film debut, rightfully received a 10-minute standing ovation at its premiere at the Cannes Film Festival. Interestingly, I watched George Clooney’s The Midnight Sky (2020) only a few months ago, and I couldn’t help but compare the differences and similarities. As much as it’s tempting to present them or some of them now, I’ll resist. They are, essentially, different films, and for various reasons, I liked them both. If you watch or have watched them both, though, ask yourselves this: What drives you? What is it that keeps you going through life’s hardship? When all hope seems lost, how do you find the strength to “squeeze hard”? Don’t undermine Clooney either, as both he and Penna present the world through their lens. As we experience life through our eyes.

    Please, don’t forget to share and subscribe. If you enjoy my work and dedication to films, please feel free to support me on https://www.patreon.com/kaygazpro. Any contribution is much appreciated and valued.

    Solidarity for all the innocent lives who suffer the atrocities of war!

    Stay safe!

    Fear Street – Part Three: 1666 (2021)

    Kay
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    Fear Street – Part Three: 1666 (2021)

    Through Sarah Fier’s eyes, Deena experiences the horrors she had to endure and discovers how the curse of Shadyside really began.

    The entertaining horror finale in the trilogy of entertaining horrors! Beware of what you read before watching it, though! My beloved Ioanna urged me to watch it, so here it goes. Have the exact expectations for Part One and Part Two, and you will not regret watching it if you like the other two. Let me start with the most essential element. The similarities to 1978 – certain narrative juxtapositions – are meant to be striking to remind us that there are people out there who would still go after you with modern torches and pitchforks just because you are different from the majority. People who would ignore even stomp on values such as diversity, inclusion, and freedom of choice. Therefore, the intention is there; that’s not what you need to be preoccupied with.

    Now, the execution is what caused, from what I’ve heard, all the unnecessary negativity. People who didn’t like the other two shouldn’t have watched it, to begin with. People who did like the other two shouldn’t be moaning. Part Three refers to the same diverse yet enormously narrowed-down Netflix audience I’ve spoken to before, so I fail to see what the same audience didn’t like. Was it the accents? The accents are not to be taken more seriously than the plot itself. The lesbian drama? Some people (or cultures) still take infidelity and homosexuality as seriously as back then. So, it’s trying. It really is. But I believe the film’s message is as confusing as its audience – consequently, is it the film to blame? And since I’m not really that trilogy’s audience, I just enjoy the confusion, turn it off, and go to bed.

    Alas, the execution is that particular crowd-pleasing(?) result that, ultimately, is not Scream (1996), Friday the 13th (1980), or The Witch (2015). But don’t be overly alarmed because it’s Fear Street! And it has its own character and is the product of its era. Imagine you open a nightclub. Are you gonna play whatever song everyone is asking you to play, or will you stick to the music that characterises and defines your night club – and whoever the hell likes it? Unfortunately, as a filmmaker, putting up with ignorant producers is a dilemma. As an audience, try to respect the complex work thousands of people have put into any project. And Leigh Janiak, and all cast and crew, have put a lot of work.

    P.S. Did anyone comment that maybe there is a connection between “Fear” Street and Sarah “Fier”? Food for thought…

    Please, don’t forget to share and subscribe. If you enjoy my work and dedication to films, please feel free to support me on https://www.patreon.com/kaygazpro. Any contribution is much appreciated and valued.

    Solidarity for all the innocent lives who suffer the atrocities of war!

    Stay safe!

    Fear Street: Part Two – 1978 (2021)

    Kay
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    Fear Street: Part Two – 1978 (2021)

    The only survivors of the 1994 incidents, in an attempt to find a way to stop the evil, meet one of the survivors of the 1978 incident who remembers the horror.

    Great modern, pop horror/comedy flick that entertains! Part Two resembles a lot more the 70s than Part 1 does the 90s. I guess cinema (technologically) evolves, and it can’t really reenact the past. The vintage look seems to be just… gone. But then the atmosphere cannot fully be accurate either. Most likely, it was because very few of the cast and crew were alive or old enough to remember how people were talking or acting. There are film archives and means to find out, but it seems that this accuracy will always be missing. I guess yet another reason will always be the consideration of the audience. If it was ‘too 70s’, who would watch it?! Netflix seems to have established a particular audience already. It may be socially diverse, but it looks narrowed down otherwise. Just in case you feel like casting stones, I have already surfaced and will keep surfacing exceptions that are a shock to the system – especially its documentaries. 

    Focusing more on the film, as I mentioned above, Part Two is entertainingly brutal! McCabe Sly makes a decent possessed/psycho ‘axe-man’, and Sadie Sink and Emily Rudd are great on-screen sisters who face their demons way before the ‘axe-man’ starts taking heads off, and everyone starts running amok. Overall, the sub-plot smoothly permeates the plot and patiently escalates, leading to the climax. The references to Stephen King (and ‘Shining’, for whoever got it), Friday the 13th series, and a couple more that I cannot reveal indicate the hard work that the crew has put into it to give us a good feel, ‘throwback-style’ horror. Indicative, composers Marco Beltrami and Brandon Roberts have done an excellent job with the soundtrack, paying a great tribute to the one and only Jerry Goldsmith.

    There are a few flaws that I could pick on, as well as numerous strengths (such as the sisters/climax scene). But I’m not going to do it. Leigh Janiak seems to have a lot of passion for what she does, and she does it well. Watch it, enjoy it, and… onto Part Three!

    P.S. It was great seeing Gillian Jacobs and Ryan Simpkins again in the same movie. Especially after their stellar performances in the brilliant and underrated Gardens of the Night (2008)

    Please, don’t forget to share and subscribe. If you enjoy my work and dedication to films, please feel free to support me on https://www.patreon.com/kaygazpro. Any contribution is much appreciated and valued.

    Solidarity for all the innocent lives who suffer the atrocities of war!

    Stay safe!

    The Tomorrow War (2021)

    Kay
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    The Tomorrow War (2021)

    On an ordinary day, a group of soldiers arrives from the future to warn and train people and send them to the year 2051 to fight.

    Visually stunning naivety for the whole family! Past the inciting incident, one can spot a realistic approach right off the bat. An approach that a high dose of Americanism will soon replace. I’m not saying this is a good or a bad thing, but I’m saying that it focuses on a particular type of audience. Why do I focus on that more than other times? Because it’s meant to be addressing an international audience. It’s about saving the world and not a particular country.

    During recruitment and basic training, I didn’t feel it. Stanley Kubrick set the example in 1987, and it seems that Hollywood is still struggling to evoke or balance emotions. As the first encounter with the aliens, coincidentally, John McTiernan set another example the very same year. Scrolling credits aside, the film is about two hours and ten minutes long, and still feels rushed. Something a tad more comparable to Full Metal Jacket and Predator, respectively, would be War of the Worlds (2005). Steven Spielberg first dealt with aliens in the masterpiece Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977), and in 2005, he blew our socks off with realistically dramatic reactions to events deriving from science fiction to our deepest fears.

    I’m gonna stop rumbling now, though, cause I sound bitter and spiteful, and that was not my intention. So, I’m gonna end with a huge positive note. Director Chris McKay has brought Zach Dean’s script to life, and the result is generally fulfilling. The film’s strongest moment is the closure of the father/future-daughter relationship, which is well-shot and written and most definitely pays off. While at it, Yvonne Strahovski gets my round of applause here as she shines. It’s like she’s so proud of taking that role, and she acts like it. She’s amazing. The Tomorrow War is a decent sci-fi summer flick with several standard Hollywood flaws but a great way to spend just over two hours with your favourite company – that includes your own. We may not have been attacked by aliens or saved the world yet, but we surely need a good-feel action to excite us. Give it a shot. It’s worth it.

    P.S. You need to check these trivia about J.K. Simmons and his physique:

    https://www.imdb.com/title/tt9777666/trivia?item=tr5821635

    https://www.imdb.com/title/tt9777666/trivia?item=tr5821752

    Please, don’t forget to share and subscribe. If you enjoy my work and dedication to films, please feel free to support me on https://www.patreon.com/kaygazpro. Any contribution is much appreciated and valued.

    Solidarity for all the innocent lives who suffer the atrocities of war!

    Stay safe!

    The Unholy (2021)

    Kay
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    The Unholy (2021)

    A disgraced journalist accidentally stumbles upon a girl who performs miracles that are of an unholy nature.

    Too fast, too soon, too much! Screen Gems used to know how to build up horrors, but, as it’s Sony’s property, it produces standard, mainstream Hollywood, spoon-fed popcorn flicks. It’s like they summed up a bunch of clichés and put them together, making absolutely sure they didn’t miss any. What really makes you wanna keep watching is Jeffrey Dean Morgan. And if you have kept watching, it gets a tad better. Actually, you’ll get to find out what the Vatican considers a miracle and how they disprove it. Is that enough to keep watching, though?

    My issue with the aforementioned standard Hollywood films is that they treat them as byproducts. Cheap meat comes out of the grinder for masses that studios consider unintellectual. Considering that, the studios seem to be taking no chances to explore different types of narrative. In The Unholy, the writing, after the inciting incident, gets solid, it’s just there is nothing to watch; nothing visually stunning stands out. Plus, all the information you want is there the moment you want it. That decimates the suspense and leaves you with cheap jump-scares and nothing more. There are nano-to-low-budget films that break the rules or even invent new ones. It’s a shame to have millions to spend, be a mid-tier player, and take no risks. Why is this happening? As said earlier, they think that their audience is dumb. And that’s not nice. Horror fans are eccentric as they are insightful. Horror fans are resilient and are always up for the challenge. Studios should respect that and should challenge us with everything they have.

    Oh, did I mention that CGI ruins horrors? I’m telling you again: the story is solid, but the way the plot unfolds ruins it, and the CGI follows as a wrecking ball and smashes it down. My comments are quite bitter not because of writer/director Evan Spiliotopoulos, who does a decent job, but because of producer Sam Raimi, who used to dominate the genre and now has given in to Hollywood standards and, as I’m a huge fan of his, I expect so much more because I know he can do so much more. And I hope we get to see that sooner rather than later.

    Oh well… At least, devout Catholics will get (even more) confused about faith and the Church. That’s something.

    Please, don’t forget to share and subscribe. If you enjoy my work and dedication to films, please feel free to support me on https://www.patreon.com/kaygazpro. Any contribution is much appreciated and valued.

    Solidarity for all the innocent lives who suffer the atrocities of war!

    Stay safe!

    The Contribution of Heroines, and the Role of Feminism in the Horror Genre – Part 2 (Podcast)

    Kay
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    The Contribution of Heroines, and the Role of Feminism in the Horror Genre – Part 2 (Podcast)

    Tonight, I’m releasing the second part of the interview with Michelle Satchwell. Michelle analyses Martyrs and its contribution to the horror genre, but she also uses it as a reference for the role of women in torture horrors. Moreover, she discusses advertisements and gender roles in the 80s, how women were portrayed, how they could have been portrayed, and how that has affected the present. Last but not least, she discusses the representation of ethnic minorities and non-binary people in the film industry and its potential future.

    Feminism References
    Evolutionary Psychologists (no specific names) focus on reproductive success in human mate selection.

    Tuchman (1978) Symbolic annihilation (narrow range of roles for females).

    Glascock (2001) Leading female characters (e.g. Lara Croft).

    Bristol Fawcett Society (2008). Imbalance in media representation.

    Ferguson (1983) Forever feminine; focusing on women’s magazines and the cult of femininity.  Women focus on “him, home and looking good (for him)”.

    Johnson and Young (2002). Impact of advertising on children.

    McRobbie and Garber (1976). Bedroom culture.

    Heidensohn (1985), Social Control of women and crime.

    Westwood (1999) Transgression and Gender. “Transgressive female roles that go beyond gendered expectations”.

    Gauntlett (2008). The representation of gender roles in the media. “Do the traits of the characters challenge conventional masculinity?”

    Julia Kristeva (1980). Powers of Horror: An Essay on Abjection.

    Freud (1905) Psychosexual stages of development (Pre-Oedipal stage). 

    Frieda-Fromm-Reichmann (1984). Schizophrenogenic mother theory.

    Further References

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suburb

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Lives_Matter

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LGBT

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Woke

    https://revisesociology.com/2019/09/02/media-representations-women/

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suffragette

    https://www.waterstones.com/author/sallie-westwood/8084

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cultural_homogenization#:~:text=Cultural%20homogenization%20is%20an%20aspect,but%20customs%2C%20ideas%20and%20values

    https://greenwichfairnesscommission.files.wordpress.com/2016/11/uk-bme-population-briefing-paper-mar2016.pdf

    Sociological key terms:

    Liberal

    Marxist

    Radical

    Black Feminists 

    Desensitised

    Patriarchy

    Agency

    Power and Control

    Malestream Criminology

    White Knight / Saviour Complex

    Male Gaze

    Vicarious Reinforcement

    Toxic Masculinity

    Myth of Male Power (Strong)

    Halo Effect

    Heteronormative

    Social Norms

    Interactionism

    Pluralist View (Reflects Taste of Audience)

    Gatekeepers (Stakeholders)

    Double Deviant

    Takers of Shit

    Dual Burden

    Idealised Mother

    Myth of Motherhood

    Chivalry Thesis

    Meritocracy

    False-class Conscious

    Ageism

    Fatphobic

    Cultural Homogenisation (of Western Individualist Views)

    Cross-Cultural Research

    Transgressive Sociology

    Fear Street Part One – 1994

    Kay
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    Fear Street Part One – 1994

    A group of teenagers finds themselves against an ancient evil that has plagued their town since the witch-hunt.

    More entertaining than it is scary, the inciting incident is, hands down, a tribute to the late Wes Craven and Scream (1996). Kudos to director Leigh Janiak for that and the good old (somewhat) 90s feeling. Then… we come to the rest of acts 1, 2, and 3. On a serious note, the film’s initial mystery is pivotal. What is it, the curse of the witches or the conundrum of postmodern American society? Keep that question in mind… but not for the film. More likely, for a painful conversation every time you turn on the news and see young American men, women, and non-binary people have lost their lives to another young person who just happened to get a gun in their hands. But it’s neither the time nor the place for it.

    On a less serious note, the answer to the question is rather simple. It’s the witch, and that’s it. Fear Street Part 1 is allegedly a concoction of elements from the 90s, which it isn’t. It’s supposed to be scary – at times – but it isn’t. Respectively, it’s meant to be funny – at times – and even though it kinda is, it isn’t really. Think of it as… 90s for millennials? It sounds a bit unhinged, a combination of two worlds that cannot really be combined. In addition, as much as I crave for diversity, I am against the forced one. The diversity that doesn’t benefit minorities but sells more tickets – or increases viewings. Craven, Carpenter, Romero, Raimi, etc… would never see this film as anything that remotely resembles that era. Why? Because they weren’t making movies worrying about what the social media, couch warriors and keyboard fighters might think of it afterwards. They didn’t try to please the masses. Did you like what they did? Awesome! Didn’t you like it? Awesome again! Until the next one…

    Having said that… Fear Street Part 1 is just an enjoyable Netflix-level comedy/horror flick that will make you forget (some of) your problems with decent acting, editing, and directing. Admittedly, I haven’t read the books but the script is a tad lazy. Gimmicks, jump scares, questionable last-minute saves, and clichés, unfortunately, reduce the suspense as well as the thrill. Maybe I am not the filmmakers’ target audience and you’ll find it fascinating. If that’s the case, or whatever the case, I hope you enjoy it; it seems that the cast and crew have gone the extra mile for it. Know what you sign up for, and you’ll be all right.

    Please, don’t forget to share and subscribe. If you enjoy my work and dedication to films, please feel free to support me on https://www.patreon.com/kaygazpro. Any contribution is much appreciated and valued.

    Solidarity for all the innocent lives who suffer the atrocities of war!

    Stay safe!

    A Quiet Place Part II (2021)

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    A Quiet Place Part II (2021)

    Right after losing her husband, Evelyn needs to take her kids to a safe place and find a way to use their new “weapon” of defence.

    Intense, horrifying, and breathtaking first act (Day 1) that captivates before catching up with the present. From then on, and after the first “hunt”, the pace slows down, but the thrill remains.

    The parallel stories unfold equally well, and their suspense escalates effectively, maintaining the initial thrill. For that, the credits go to the film’s editor, Michael P. Shawver. A good editor always controls the film’s pace and rhythm and reveals what only needs to be revealed and not what you or I would like to be revealed. The good editor also knows the footage they have, weaves the story’s plot, and defines the final cut – alongside actor/director John Krasinski, in this instance. The problem with so many match-cuts and identical parallel action is that it makes the plot more sci-fi than the alien beings themselves. That level of synchronisation, potentially for a more mature audience, ruins whatever believability a genre like that can have. Regardless, Krasinski’s greatest achievement here is directing the actors. He proves to be an actors’ director, which shows in the dramatic sequences – that’s what I think anyway. Without drama, there is nothing to be thrilled about or anyone to empathise with. The incredible performances from Emily Blunt, Cillian Murphy, Millicent Simmons, Noah Jupe, and Djimon Hounsou make you feel for each and every one of them for everything that’s happening to them. Furthermore, pay attention to the excellent use of sound… or the lack thereof!

    There will always be the question regarding whether certain decisions were stupid or not, but then, if not every, almost every classic horror deals with ambiguous or moronic decisions for narrative purposes. A Quiet Place Part II respects its audience’s intelligence and offers a post-apocalyptic sci-fi/horror worthy of its predecessor that, in just over an hour and a half, excites and makes you forget pandemics, lockdowns, increased number of cases, vaccinations, and ridiculous politics.

    Please, don’t forget to share and subscribe. If you enjoy my work and dedication to films, please feel free to support me on https://www.patreon.com/kaygazpro. Any contribution is much appreciated and valued.

    Solidarity for all the innocent lives who suffer the atrocities of war!

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    Another Round (2020)

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    Another Round (2020)

    Four high school teachers go out one night and decide, as part of an experiment, to consume daily certain amounts of alcohol and observe how that affects their lives.

    Rightful Oscar and BAFTA winner for the ‘Best International Feature Film’ and ‘Best Film Not in the English Language’ categories, respectively! Actually, all 41 wins and 55 nominations are firmly deserved! Extremely well written, shot, edited, directed, and acted! Another Round is Denmark’s instant classic! The first act patiently lays the foundation for the character establishment and justifies the reason and bizarre philosophy behind the unprecedented experiment. Each and every one of them has a story to tell and a way to contribute towards it. The second act sets the cogs in motion and bears the fruits of their experimentation, shocking the audience with its pseudo-scientific data and the pseudo-realistic cause-and-effect results. Writing, editing, framing, directing, and acting work together perfectly, creating a dark yet realistic effect that alcohol has on us and the people around us. We get to experience through Martin, Tommy, Nicolaj, and Peter how life’s difficulties can cloud our judgement and mislead us to places that no human should ever visit, but, ironically, we learn from them and come back stronger. Or not…

    The third act is the narrative’s unexpected culmination but most definitely the totally unexpected hero’s arc. There is nothing I can say without spoiling it, so it is up to you to watch it, connect the dots, and, above all, unleash your feelings. Just know that it’s all Mads Mikkelsen is doing.

    Martin was meant to have a son and a daughter, with the daughter being the director Thomas Vinterberg’s daughter. Tragically, four days into filming, at the age of 19, she died in a car crash – the film was dedicated to her and was shot in her old classroom with her classmates. I can’t even begin to imagine how he completed it. Part of the film’s idea was hers, as alcoholism has been having a severe effect on Denmark’s youth for years now. As Vinterberg put it, the film is ‘a survey and exploration not only of alcohol usage but of the uncontrollable.’ Another Round is a must-watch, and it is no wonder why it became critically and financially successful. A lot of heart and soul has been put into it, and it is available to explore.

    Please, don’t forget to share and subscribe. If you enjoy my work and dedication to films, please feel free to support me on https://www.patreon.com/kaygazpro. Any contribution is much appreciated and valued.

    Solidarity for all the innocent lives who suffer the atrocities of war!

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    Crisis (2021)

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    Crisis (2021)

    The stories of an undercover cop, a grieving mother, and a professor facing a dangerous dilemma interweave as they find themselves fighting, in their own way, the war against drugs.

    Very well-structured and paced thriller from the very beginning. The inciting incident occurs in the opening sequence, and from then on, every player is introduced in minutes, making clear who they are and what they do. The tragedy that hits Claire, every parent’s worst nightmare, is expressed vividly and tearfully by Evangeline Lilly. Respectively, Armie Hammer, Gary Oldman, Michelle Rodriguez, Greg Kinnear and Luke Evans become the characters they represent and shine on screen. Indira Varma and Mia Kirshner, even though they have small roles, add to the film’s great cast.

    Crisis unfolds like a bomb waiting to explode. A pharmaceutical corporate thriller, an undercover mission, and a mother hell-bent on finding what happened to her dead son, gradually, through meticulously paced editing, start blending into one story that pins you to your seats. All three stories are equally dramatic and thrilling, so when they come together, you get the full force the script intended to offer. Nicholas Jarecki, the man behind Arbitrage (2012), pens that script, acts in it, directs it and manages to attract a plethora of the aforementioned A-list actors.

    I’m afraid I’ll have to address the elephant in the room. Due to Hammer’s bad reputation and accusations, the film did not perform well, but let me be clear… thousands of people have worked on this film, and they deserve recognition. Don’t let one name prevent you from a very decent cinematic experience. Crisis tackles very successfully, if not the most, one of the most severe plagues to have ever hit this planet. And it’s a realistic depiction of the war I mentioned above. A war that, unfortunately, seems to have no end. I hope you enjoy it.

    Please, don’t forget to share and subscribe. If you enjoy my work and dedication to films, please feel free to support me on https://www.patreon.com/kaygazpro. Any contribution is much appreciated and valued.

    Solidarity for all the innocent lives who suffer the atrocities of war!

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    Censor (2021)

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    Censor (2021)

    A film censor starts investigating a “video nasty” that awfully resembles the case of her little sister’s disappearance.

    Hauntingly realistic psychological horror that crawls under your skin. And so does the dramatic subplot that drives the story to its unexpected turn. What is it that we see? What is it that we want to see? How do we perceive what we see? Why do we perceive it the way we do? What is actually real? Keep these questions in mind… but not just throughout the film.

    For those who are unfamiliar with the logline’s term, “video nasty” is a colloquial British term regarding mostly low-budget films that include, among others, explicit gore and pornography. Even though they did have quite an impact in the UK, the impact was not as severe as the film makes it to be. Having said that, Censor will have an impact on you. For a film that deals explicitly with gore, it becomes the definition of psychological horror. Adapting her short film Nasty (2015), in less than an hour and a half, writer/director Prano Bailey-Bond fully develops Enid’s obscurity, deliberately misleads you using restrictive narrative – Enid’s perception – and presents to you the darkest side of cinema that becomes cult for the hardcore fans and appalling taboo for the masses. I’m not going to divulge anything about the narrative, watch it and pay attention to the minor details that explain what happens in the end. It makes it somewhat obvious but not overly obvious and, to a certain extent, open to interpretation.

    From a filmmaking point of view, the Dutch angles, the transitions between locations, but also dark reality and nightmare, and the match-cuts that signify/betray that dark, distorted reality… reveal the behind-the-curtains (unconscious?) side of our lives that we fail (or choose to) not to look. Ultimately, the film tackles how we perceive films and their role in our society. Is it film imitating life or the other way around? Are films to blame for the release of our darkest side? What about for what we do to one another? I guess the answer can also be found in the role of art in our lives. Other than Bailey-Bond, my round of applause goes to all cast and crew who believed in her project, and especially to Niamh Algar, who nails her part, Annika Summerson’s cinematography, and Mark Towns’ editing, who has been behind equally amazing horrors, such as The Ritual (2017) and St. Maud (2020).

    Please, don’t forget to share and subscribe. If you enjoy my work and dedication to films, please feel free to support me on https://www.patreon.com/kaygazpro. Any contribution is much appreciated and valued.

    Solidarity for all the innocent lives who suffer the atrocities of war!

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    The Contribution of Heroines, and the Role of Feminism in the Horror Genre – Part 1 (Podcast)

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    The Contribution of Heroines, and the Role of Feminism in the Horror Genre – Part 1 (Podcast)

    Tonight, I’m interviewing Michelle Satchwell. Michelle is returning to the show to talk about the role of women in horror films. Class, gender, and race will also be analysed to determine how they have been portrayed over the decades and if and how, nowadays, things have changed. Michelle analyses classic female-led horror films through sociopolitical theories and practices and sheds light on how psychology examines these filmic portrayals.

    References

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abjection

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sigmund_Freud

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_actions

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interactionism

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oedipus_complex

    https://link.springer.com/referenceworkentry/10.1007%2F978-3-319-15877-8_482-1#:~:text=Introduction,the%20illness%20(Hartwell%201996)

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Informal_social_control#:~:text=Informal%20social%20control%2C%20or%20the,such%20as%20citizen%20patrol%20groups

    https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/psychology/evolutionary-theory#:~:text=Evolutionary%20theory%20highlights%20the%20adaptive,%2C%20health%2C%20or%20physical%20size

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slut-shaming

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albert_Bandura

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Final_girl#:~:text=Clover%20argues%20that%20for%20a,the%20part%20of%20a%20male

    https://www.psychologytoday.com/gb/blog/the-white-knight-syndrome/200905/white-knight-commonalities#:~:text=White%20knights%20often%20have%20a,be%20hurt%20easily%20by%20others

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marxism

    The Courier (2020)

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    The Courier (2020)

    MI6 and the CIA approach an ordinary businessman to help them prevent the Cuban Missile Crisis.

    Shockingly brilliant! The first act’s light mood raises suspicions about how a horrific historical event, such as that Crisis, can be approached in such a manner. The suspicions fade away in warp speed, though, as Benedict Cumberbatch is thoroughly enjoyable, and no one can moan about his performance. On the other hand, Rachel Brosnahan plays her part equally amazingly and together, they create the illusion that thrill, British phlegmatic humour, and action will entertain you for the rest of the film… Wrong!

    The light mood is replaced by a genuine Cold War thriller that, if you weren’t around at the time, will make you feel its threat to humanity and how close our world was to being devastated (again) by a third World War. Both character and story development move the story forward, intensify the suspense, and keep you on the edge of your seats by brilliantly pacing and unfolding actual events that shocked everyone when they saw the light of day.

    As Greville Wynne’s story is not well-known, though, and for most people, it remains to be seen what will become of him, Cumberbatch makes sure not to betray that and succeeds in doing so. His performance shocks the system, following the narrative’s turn towards the worst. Merab Ninidze’s presence is also captivating, putting the viewer in Oleg Penkovsky’s shoes and the imminent danger he’s in.

    What I also found shocking upon reading about it is that, on IMDb, The Courier has 1 nomination… 1 nomination! That’s it! I have been reading, writing, and researching this industry for so many years, and I still find myself scratching my head regarding who’s getting rewarded and under what criteria. Weinstein is gone (good riddance), but it seems that the gatekeepers and/or festivals still have ambiguous criteria for selecting their nominees and winners. Don’t let that put you off though. The film opened worldwide on Greville’s birthday, and Tom O’Connor’s script shows justice to the relationship between the two men. Ultimately, Dominic Cooke’s The Courier is a masterpiece, and it is definitely worth your time. An absolute must-watch spy thriller!

    Please, don’t forget to share and subscribe. If you enjoy my work and dedication to films, please feel free to support me on https://www.patreon.com/kaygazpro. Any contribution is much appreciated and valued.

    Solidarity for all the innocent lives who suffer the atrocities of war!

    Stay safe!

    In the Earth (2021)

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    In the Earth (2021)

    While a pandemic has swept the world, a scientist and a park ranger venture into the woods to find a fellow scientist who may have had a significant breakthrough.

    Brutal, psychedelic, relatable, but overly intricate horror that defies Hollywood’s conventions. From the very beginning to the first plot point, one feels that the editing choices – the jump cuts – are eager to move the story forward. Moving it towards where is a good question. In the meantime, Martin’s secrets and, somehow, obvious dishonesty seem to be preparing the ground for something that will play a role when the twist reveals itself.

    Scenes like the “stitching” and the “ritual” turn the sci-fi from torture horror into something more… folklore! As the psychological drama keeps blending with the gore, the suspense intensifies, and one can only wonder how this can possibly have a happy ending. Before you find out what kind of ending the film will have, the experimental chase sequence reveals more information, and, in an intricate way, the combination of utterances and actions up to that point starts making sense. Due to the film’s nature, it is difficult to go into it further without spoiling for you, so this is where I will stop.

    Ever since Kill List (2011), writer/editor/director Ben Wheatley has been one of my favourite filmmakers of his generation. Kill List was his first and massively successful effort to switch from a realistically gritty thriller to a cult horror that defies reason. In the Earth is not far off, but its experimental, hallucinatory and psychedelic nature, at times, gives a whole new different vibe. The film’s photography (Nick Gillespie) and 80s music score (Clint Mansell) become assets to a convoluted and head-scratching narrative that ultimately confuses. Still, I’ll dare say that it does not disappoint. I’ve heard a truckload of awfully negative comments, and I believe this results from false expectations. Small things that influenced me a tad negatively are sequences that involve the aforementioned secrecy and dishonesty that didn’t really lead anywhere; therefore, it was just misleading for no apparent reason. Other than that, Joel Fry, Ellora Torchia, Hayley Squires, and Reece Sharesmith have great chemistry and deliver amazingly convincing performances.

    What you’ll make of it depends on your understanding of the narrative. Pay close attention to what is said in all three acts. Our current pandemic is obviously the film’s source of inspiration, but its development is a Ben Wheatley original film with twists and rich visuals.

    Please, don’t forget to share and subscribe. If you enjoy my work and dedication to films, please feel free to support me on https://www.patreon.com/kaygazpro. Any contribution is much appreciated and valued.

    Solidarity for all the innocent lives who suffer the atrocities of war!

    Stay safe!

    The Father (2020)

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    The Father (2020)

    An old man who refuses his daughter’s help feels like he is losing the earth under his feet when his home and the people around him constantly change.

    A soul-destroying cinematic realism when your life comes crashing down. Based on the homonymous play by writer/director Florian Zeller and co-writer Christopher Hampton, the cinematic adaptation resembles a play, and the interchangeable locations 1 and 2 confuse as much as the restricted narrative dictates. Anthony’s condition does not cause The Father‘s suspense; how it affects him, and the people around him cause it. Moreover, as it is an extremely sensitive subject, it is also caused by how Zeller approaches it and how Sir Anthony Hopkins delivers it. Ultimately, as the narrative unfolds, the nail-biting suspense is caused by the heart-wrenching drama that raises the question, what will become of him?

    The Father‘s full force hits you on two levels: One, on the level of having a beloved person suffering from it. In this case, you are experiencing their transition from one of the most dynamic people in the world and, maybe, your true inspiration in life to someone you wish they never become; someone who doesn’t recognise you anymore and… you don’t recognise either. Two, on the level of suffering it yourself. In this case, whoever you may have been is no longer. Dishevelled, helpless, or “losing all your leaves” may be ways to describe it, but no one has or ever will be prepared for when it, unfortunately, happens.

    Either way, no one should ever wish it to their worst foe, but fortunately, word has it that, around the date of this review, certain scientists may have had a significant breakthrough. I truly believe that all of us, no matter where we are in the world, no matter how we look, whatever we believe in politically or religiously, regardless of our sexual orientation, are keeping our fingers crossed and our hopes high. Remember, no disease has ever discriminated.

    Excellent music by Ludovico Einaudi! Feel free to listen to the film’s soundtrack over and over again. Extra credits go to Cinematographer Ben Smithard, Production Designer Peter Francis and editor Yorgos Lamprinos. “Anthony” is named after Hopkins himself, the first and only choice for Florian Zeller. If it weren’t for him, he would have adapted it for the French audience, and even though I’m positive the experience would have been equally shuttering, it would definitely be different. Olivia Colman, Olivia Williams, Rufus Sewell, and Mark Gatiss have great chemistry with each other and deliver powerful performances. They are absolutely amazing. In the end, Sir Anthony Hopkins’ performance will break you, take your breath away, and maybe make you reevaluate your life’s journey from the moment it started to where you are now to where (you think) it’s heading.

    Please, don’t forget to share and subscribe. If you enjoy my work and dedication to films, please feel free to support me on https://www.patreon.com/kaygazpro. Any contribution is much appreciated and valued.

    Solidarity for all the innocent lives who suffer the atrocities of war!

    Stay safe!

    Time out of Mind (2014)

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    Time out of Mind (2014)

    A homeless man is going from shelter to shelter, trying to find a way to approach his estranged daughter.

    In a depressing and honest way, it reveals an America to which most people turn a blind eye. One can easily extrapolate and claim that it reveals a world most people turn a blind eye to. Writer/Director Oren Moverman, the man behind The Messenger (2009), Rampart (2011), and The Dinner (2017) does an extensive research on homelessness in New York and brings to our attention an issue that we walk past daily no matter where we live. Richard Gere, a man who is an advocate for the homeless in real life, fully understands Moverman’s vision and commits 100% to the character, delivering a totally different than usual performance. Cinematographer Bobby Bukowski frames him through reflections, amongst bystanders, and from a distance (also careful when to go close), and shows without telling how George positions himself within society. Respectively, editor Alex Hall leaves that protracted zoom-in and zoom-out shots uncut, making the audience “look” for a significant amount of time what the bystanders don’t – parallelism with ourselves that have probably done the same in real life. An excellent example of mise-en-scène and how it creates meaning.

    The off-screen space, though, also speaks volumes. Very interestingly, most of the time, you listen to dialogues from an unspecified location. With a decent surround, one can tell if it’s from behind, left, or right, but it is of no importance. What matters is that it is happening, George listens to it as we do, but as he pays no attention to who says what, it stays out of the frame. A personal interpretation is that all this diegetic sound is pointing at how loud and verbose the big city is and how little it matters to someone who doesn’t know if or where he will find his next meal and bed.

    I highly recommend this film, but a warning needs to be issued. The film feels like one act. Something that someone should have probably noticed in postproduction and shave off about half an hour. Time out of Mind feels endless as, unfortunately, nothing is happening. Ben Vereen and Jena Malone support him to their best abilities, but their role is limited. Once again, unfortunately, what at first seems to be an extensive character development stagnates the story development and can lose the audience’s attention with its inactivity.

    Please, don’t forget to share and subscribe. If you enjoy my work and dedication to films, please feel free to support me on https://www.patreon.com/kaygazpro. Any contribution is much appreciated and valued.

    Solidarity for all the innocent lives who suffer the atrocities of war!

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    Fast & Furious 9 (2021)

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    Fast & Furious 9 (2021)

    Dom and his “family” reunite once more as his unknown to everyone else younger brother has teamed up with a terrorist group to initiate a weapon of mass destruction.

    Muscles, guns, explosions, supercars, and spies… all in the mix for a global audience of specific age. F9 did what most of its predecessors also did in previous years. It exceeded every unrealistic expectation! From The Fast and the Furious (2001) to Fast and Furious 8 (2017), whoever follows the saga sees the gang first forming with the intent to steal and sell VCRs and DVD players and end up driving against submarines. Each instalment has been seen getting crazier and crazier, and the level of believability has been dropping exponentially. Now, it’s facing a free fall. A free fall of 2 hours and 25 minutes; the longest Fast & Furious in the franchise.

    Where do I begin… Dom’s initial refusal to participate has been a cliché for a couple of decades now. One would expect that writers would have moved on in the third decade of the 21st century. Apparently not. Then, as the previous films did, this one also introduces a new weapon and/or technology. Like an uneducated Sesame Street, get to know about not even laughable rocket science and ridiculous electromagnetism here. I’m not even gonna touch on the “hacking” parts. As for this type of slapstick comedy, some might find it funny, so I’m not gonna go into it.

    To cut the long story short, let’s talk fast, without fury, about the driving. The driving and the chemistry between Vin Diesel, the late Paul Walker (RIP), Michelle Rodriguez, and Jordana Brewster made most of us fall in love with the first three or four films. Both of them are lost now. The sky-high level of implausibility, and therefore unfathomable CGI scenes, destroyed both. The filmmakers are now milking the cow and are competing with The Expendables (2010), and like most of these films, what massively irritates me is that they are undermining people’s intelligence. No film should ever undermine its audience’s intelligence. And that’s what F9 does. What was the amazing Charlene Theron thinking? A villain that didn’t even sweat. As if the non-existent, so far, Dom’s brother (John Cena) is not a gimmick enough, the rest of the antagonists are just shambles. Helen Mirren and Kurt Russel are there for the easy money, I get it. The rest… I don’t!

    To summarise, maybe, and that’s just a speculation, you might find it exciting if you are around 12 y/o. But I hope you don’t, so maybe Hollywood producers reevaluate and learn how to respect their audience. By all means, if you are into VFX and the MTV style of filmmaking, give it a go. It will make you forget the unpleasant times we are currently experiencing, anyway. But know what you sign up for. Justin Lin is a respectful director/producer but goes for the money. After the franchise is gone, I believe we’ll see something amazing from him. Something that will beautifully surprise both in terms of character and story development. Finally, I’ve said it before and I’ll keep saying it: Michael Rooker is a great actor and should be getting more screening time in everything he’s in.

    Please, don’t forget to share and subscribe. If you enjoy my work and dedication to films, please feel free to support me on https://www.patreon.com/kaygazpro. Any contribution is much appreciated and valued.

    Solidarity for all the innocent lives who suffer the atrocities of war!

    Stay safe!

    Wrath of Man (2021)

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    Wrath of Man (2021)

    A mysterious man gets a job at an armoured vehicle company that transports money to find the people responsible for a crime that cost him dearly.

    Crowd-pleasing and entertaining, Wrath of Man makes a decent remake of the French thriller Cash Track (2004). Fourth collaboration between the actor Jason Statham and director/producer Guy Richie that proves to be time and time again a recipe for success – at least financially. You need to remember before or while watching it that the film is not to be taken very seriously by any stretch of the imagination. It probably represents the opposite of the cinematic realism film theorists argue about (for decades). Let’s start with the basics: No one heals and reaches peak conditions that fast from multiple gunshots – if they survive. Also, no one can achieve so many headshots easily. Furthermore, no one would come up with that plan as it will likely fail in more ways than I can count. So, deliberately ignoring the film’s unrealistic scenario, let’s focus on the positives.

    Statham is still kicking a$$, which makes him the right man to be in front of the camera. Richie still finds intriguing, non-linear ways to develop the story’s plot, which makes him the right man behind the camera. Holt McCallany, Josh Hartnett, Scott Eastwood, Andy Garcia, and Niamh Algar are great members of the cast (comment to follow on that). Finally, what everyone hoped to be decent is actually more than decent: the action. Wrath of Man is a series of action-packed sequences that satisfy the neurons and neuroglia of the animalistic part of our brain.

    I will never mind Statham not changing his accent. I live in Derby, and he’s from Derbyshire, so I wouldn’t want him to speak any other way. I actually love it! Generally, though, and that’s probably because I am not a kid anymore; I do mind the hero/ine not having a decent antagonist or people surrounding him, which is the case here. The film’s great cast (not just the ones mentioned above) is massively overshadowed by his presence, making him look leagues above everyone else. His crew, the enemy, and the security company have nothing on him, something that exponentially reduces the suspense. Eastwood’s character had a lot of potential to be a great psycho and, consequently, a great villain. That is not the case, though. Having said that, the guys guarding the safe are tough as nails, but their role is limited. Something else that would potentially make us empathise with ‘H’ a bit more is the underdeveloped drama he had to endure. Unfortunately, it took the back seat. As a last and trivial note, listening to British humour in American accents is interesting.

    To sum up, it’s very enjoyable. Don’t get caught up in the details (like I do), and spend a couple of hours watching a funny and thrilling heist with a lot of shooting and punchlines.

    Please, don’t forget to share and subscribe. If you enjoy my work and dedication to films, please feel free to support me on https://www.patreon.com/kaygazpro. Any contribution is much appreciated and valued.

    Solidarity for all the innocent lives who suffer the atrocities of war!

    Stay safe!

    The Night has Come (2021)

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    A day that finds a woman struggling with her reality brings a night of biblical chaos and darkness.

    DISCLAIMER: This story contains strong language and is intended for an older youth audience. Listener discretion is advised.

    Based on my homonymous short script, The Night has Come.

    © 2021 Konstantinos Papathanasiou. All rights reserved.

    Announcement: This is the last podcast before summer. More interviews and horror stories are coming in September so, stay tuned for more. Thank you ever so much for your support, and look forward to meeting you all up soon! Have an amazing summer, and always… Stay safe!

    https://open.spotify.com/episode/6bO9BlkjhffHA9i9YsGkbW

    Army of the Dead (2021)

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    Army of the Dead (2021)

    Mercenaries are hired to pull off a heist in quarantined, walled-off, and inundated with zombies in Las Vegas.

    A friend of mine called me the other day, saying: “Man, have you seen the Army of the Dead? Damn, it’s been years since the last time I watched something so wank”. He then added: “I mean, it’s like gathering every Hollywood cliché under the sun, putting it in, carefully trying not to miss any.”

    Well, as a Zack Snyder fan, I was going to watch it anyway, but I was not in a rush. Why? For the same reason I am not in a rush to watch any film interested in profiting from the pandemic. So, it’s not personal. The good news is that the beginning is like Watchmen (2009) meets Sucker Punch (2011) a bit. The bad news is that it’s neither. Actually, everything else is bad. Starting with the characters…

    Everyone is a breathing, walking, talking cliché. Sex, sexual orientation, and race – most of the burning issues of today – have been exploited by typically low Hollywood standards for commercial purposes, an event that raises questions regarding who its audience really is. Don’t bang your heads against the wall, though; the answer is: masses! The typically unspecified Hollywood audience likes unrealistic people who are nowhere to be found in our world. A surrealistic misrepresentation of every human being out there. And that’s just the characters.

    The narrative… Chaos! The absolute mess! Nothing is convincing, and nothing makes sense. Everything you’ve seen and experienced before, you relive it with little to no surprise. Slapstick humour with some drama in between topped up with some (quite decent, I might say) action-packed sequences. In the end, which emotion stands out? None! It’s neither funny nor dramatic nor thrilling. It’s nothing! Two and a half hours of plot holes that include, but are not limited to (no spoilers): soldiers who escort a weapon of mass destruction and have no training whatsoever, a girl with no training whatsoever who delivers headshots like pancakes, the zombie head that could have been immediately retrieved and end our suffering, zombies moving faster than helicopters, people knowing that a nuclear is about to hit them and indifferently chat… the list is endless! Oh, and no matter what happens, do not, I repeat, do not fall for the “time” theory (no spoilers). It was way out of character and out of space. Pure buffoonery to cause you an extra headache! Do. Not. Fall. For it.

    This is the worst Zack Snyder film yet! I like Snyder’s style, but Army of the Dead is atrocious, and its atrocity has nothing to do with technical aspects such as the “dead pixels” or the too “out-of-focus” issues caused by Red cameras combined with Canon lenses from the 60s. The average viewer does not care about that. Instead, they care about not being insulted by the narrative. No one wants their intelligence undermined and this is exactly what the Army of the Dead does. It considers its audience as dumb as the Shamblers – not sure about the Alphas.

    Final notes: Ella Purnell is a really good actress, but her character is unwatchable. The same applies to Dave Bautista, who, unfortunately, is the only one who actually offers some drama. The only person I rooted for, though, was Chambers (Samantha Win), who literally kicked a$$! Two more highlights were the “tiger kill” and the non-CGI zombies. But if you want to watch a great outbreak film, then refer to Snyder’s directorial debut, Dawn of the Dead (2004).

    Food for thought: Twenty years ago, still at Uni, I discovered the term “Third Cinema”. This term defined the differences between the “First” and the “Second”. Focusing on the First… “Solanas and Getino’s manifesto considers First Cinema to be the Hollywood production model that idealizes bourgeois values to a passive audience through escapist spectacle and individual characters.” Please keep in mind that the Hollywood they are referring to is considered leagues above today’s. For more on film history, read David Bordwell and Kristin Thompson’s Film History: An Introduction (2003).

    Please, don’t forget to share and subscribe. If you enjoy my work and dedication to films, please feel free to support me on https://www.patreon.com/kaygazpro. Any contribution is much appreciated and valued.

    Solidarity for all the innocent lives who suffer the atrocities of war!

    Stay safe!

    Dredd (2012)

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    Dredd (2012)

    In a dystopian future, where the police are judges, juries, and executioners, Judge Dredd and a rookie are sent to take down a violent gang that deals an extremely dangerous drug.

    Misunderstood yet highly entertaining! Dredd makes you forget whatever is happening out there, but this was not the case when it was released. Back then, it evoked mixed feelings, and, unfortunately, the vast majority didn’t appreciate it. The rest of us signed a petition for a sequel to no avail. Times have changed, we have moved on, and so have the actors. Karl Urban is leading The Boys (2019) now, and he couldn’t care less about a role in which he doesn’t show his face, and people doubt it. Having said that, as far as I read recently, he wouldn’t mind taking on the role if offered. It won’t be, though. What’s more, it’s interesting to watch Olivia Thirlby coming out of her comfort zone, shooting everything and everyone up, and seeing the transformed but wonderful Lena Headey running the vicious gang.

    Dredd remains loyal to the graphic novel with the city blocks’ names, the judge’s helmet and the golden chain in MaMa’s penthouse, the “fatties”, and, of course, the Clint Eastwood voice tribute to stand out. For those who are unaware, the character is partially based on Clint Eastwood’s “Dirty Harry” so, the voice will always be that reminder.

    Pete Travis, a director who deserves a lot more spotlight [see also Omagh (2004) and Vantage Point (2008)] as mentioned above, has deeply understood the anti-hero’s nature and the dystopian futuristic”cyberpunk” world, giving us a final cut that, we, the fans deeply enjoyed and, unfortunately, won’t see more of it. The reasons vary: Came out in a bad time? People didn’t really appreciate it? Studios saw only numbers and didn’t care about its quality? Whatever your pick is, it’s a shame.

    I just wanted to remind you of it. After all, that’s what every dystopia is: a reminder. And, if you haven’t watched it, knock yourselves out! It’s quite the experience.

    Please, don’t forget to share and subscribe. If you enjoy my work and dedication to films, please feel free to support me on https://www.patreon.com/kaygazpro. Any contribution is much appreciated and valued.

    Solidarity for all the innocent lives who suffer the atrocities of war!

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    Nobody (2021)

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    Nobody (2021)

    An ostensibly ordinary family man is proven to have certain skills when he becomes the target of the Russian mafia and the vicious lobby behind it.

    Every time someone told me, “It’s like John Wick,” I replied, “You know it’s written by the same guy, yeah?” If you ask me, A History of Violence (2005) is a lot more similar to Nobody’s plot, so it’s kind of one-meets-the-other.

    As for the film itself, admittedly, it’s very entertaining. Bob Odenkirk has a certain style of acting that transcends frustration and anger like very few nowadays can. One could argue that he actually acts/expresses certain aspects of his character. Regardless, he is the man for this job, and Nobody proves that Hollywood can turn you from a lawyer who can’t slap a mosquito (Saul Goodman) to an ex-black-ops “badass” (Hutch Mansell) in no time. Fair enough! Nobody shows that his acting range is surprisingly wider than we all thought, and the fact that he had been training for two years prior to the film’s principal photography to nail the part speaks volumes about his dedication. Speaking of acting, I can’t leave the legendary Christopher Lloyd out, who nails every part given to him in his 46-year (and counting) career. Furthermore, Connie Nielsen adds to the cast with her talent and beauty, brightening up every shot she’s in.

    Ilya Naishuller, well known for Hardcore Henry (2015), shows once more that he knows how to approach hardcore action scenes and, more importantly, Derek Kolstad’s meticulously written action scenes. Ari Aster’s Director of Photography, Pawel Pogorzelski, and experienced Hollywood editors Evan Schiff and William Yeh complete the main crew and give an extremely satisfying result that will make you want a sequel or, at least, a prequel of the film.

    The plot holes are humongous, but do yourselves a favour and leave them out. The action-packed sequences and phlegmatic humour definitely compensate. I hope you enjoy it and forget, even for an hour and a half, the dark times we are still going through!

    Please, don’t forget to share and subscribe. If you enjoy my work and dedication to films, please feel free to support me on https://www.patreon.com/kaygazpro. Any contribution is much appreciated and valued.

    Solidarity for all the innocent lives who suffer the atrocities of war!

    Stay safe!

    Oxygen (2021)

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    Oxygen (2021)

    A woman wakes in an advanced pod, not knowing exactly what it is or how or why she got there. She only has ninety minutes to find a way out.

    Claustrophobic and captivating! From the very beginning, the questions “What’s happening?” and “How on Earth is she gonna make it?” are raised. As the narrative unfolds, the next question is, “What would I do if I were her?” Before even putting it on, Buried (2010) came to my mind, which is probably the most claustrophobic film I have ever watched. Therefore, unintentional comparisons were unavoidable.

    Oxygen lets you “catch your breath” a lot more than once, which I’m not sure if it should have. What’s more, I object a tad to its constant non-diegetic sound, and let me tell you why. Without wanting to know for a fact, I would assume that if I were trapped in there, I wouldn’t be listening to any music – just my increased heartbeat and my heavy breathing – the dietetic sound. But that’s just me.

    Writer Christie LeBlanc and director Alexandre Aja restrict the narrative till halfway through. What you know is strictly what Liz does. When the subplot becomes clear(er), the twist is revealed, everything starts making sense, and claustrophobia is lost but relatable to all of us drama replaces it. In short, a culminating moment defines the outcome and justifies everything you have found out that far. And that is as far as I go. I hope you enjoy it!

    Aja has given us brutal – and I mean brutal – horrors such as Haute Tension (2003), and The Hills Have Eyes (2006), some funny or less believable horrors such as Piranha 3D (2010) and Crawl (2019), but also more psychological or paranormal ones such as Mirrors (2008) and The 9th Life of Luis Drax (2016) – and Horns (2013). Oxygen successfully adds to his list of horror/thriller diversity.

    Despite their similarities and differences, I will make only one comparison between Buried and Oxygen: the identical dolly-out shot. I am sure Aja has watched Rodrigo Cortés’ film, and I found it very interesting, even peculiar, that the exact same shot was used. Anyway, if you haven’t watched Buried and you somewhat liked Oxygen, then it’s a must-watch!

    Last but most certainly not least, Mélanie Laurent nails her part. Without her superb performance, everything else would have failed. She’s absolutely amazing and gets my round of applause!

    Please, don’t forget to share and subscribe. If you enjoy my work and dedication to films, please feel free to support me on https://www.patreon.com/kaygazpro. Any contribution is much appreciated and valued.

    Solidarity for all the innocent lives who suffer the atrocities of war!

    Stay safe!

    On the Bridge (2021)

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    Driving in the middle of the night, a man stops when he sees a woman sitting at the edge of a bridge, he sits with her and listens to her haunting and sinister story.

    DISCLAIMER: This story contains strong language and is intended for an older youth audience. Listener discretion is advised.

    Based on my homonymous short script, On the Bridge.

    © 2021 Konstantinos Papathanasiou. All rights reserved.

    https://open.spotify.com/episode/08JhknfPtHDsC8l82nmYDg

    Dark Waters (2019)

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    Dark Waters (2019)

    Unsubstantiated evidence against a giant chemical company is thoroughly examined by a corporate defence attorney who sees what everyone else is turning a blind eye to and fights tooth and nail against them.

    Dark Waters’ cast and theme are its two major selling points: Mark Ruffalo, Anne Hathaway, Tim Robbins, Bill Pullman, and Bill Camp need no introduction, and no matter what I say, it can make them better thespians than they already are. This brings me to the second selling point straight away: the theme. One person tries to take down a colossal chemical company while having everything to lose – special emphasis on “everything.”

    Automatically, in my books, whoever dares that against any company of that magnitude, or any magnitude, or their government is a hero. Half an hour into the film, you want him to crash them with everything he’s got! Rob Bilott is one of the most relatable heroes out there. The world needs more of him, and we root for him to do what the rest of us can’t – or haven’t had the chance yet. The thrilling and dramatic narrative unfolds beautifully through parallel editing that moves the story forward, provides the necessary information, and increases the tension to pin you to your seat. Ruffalo is the man of the hour, and who could direct him better than director Todd Haynes, who has mastered biographic films or films “based on true events”.

    It makes you sick to your stomach that innumerable companies like these get away with such crimes for so long or forever. It makes you sick that money is worth more than lives – humans, animals, and plants. There are two major takeaways here:

    1. However bad you think you’ve had it, there are people who have had it a lot worse than most of us.
    2. YOU can make a difference! No matter how small you think you are or how much “you against the world” you feel, you can make a difference!

    P.S. Are you ready? As per IMDb: “DuPont’s stock price dropped by 7.15 points from 72.18 to 65.03 the week this movie was released on 12th November”. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt9071322/trivia?item=tr5294319

    P.P.S. I’ll start doing a lot more reviews like Dark Waters.

    Please, don’t forget to share and subscribe. If you enjoy my work and dedication to films, please feel free to support me on https://www.patreon.com/kaygazpro. Any contribution is much appreciated and valued.

    Solidarity for all the innocent lives who suffer the atrocities of war!

    Stay safe!

    Nomadland (2021)

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    Nomadland (2021)

    Losing everything in the Great Recession, a middle-aged woman decides to lead a nomadic way of life, meet people and explore places she has never had.

    There are two selling points here: Francis McDormand and Chloé Zhao. McDormand is one of the best actresses alive, and no matter what anyone else or I say, I cannot give enough praise for any of her performances. Nomadland is no exception, as her performance is a masterclass. The second selling point is Zhao’s documentary-style filmmaking that expanded to seven states, making it look like a chronicle of a nomad who tries to turn a situation around. It is a great modern example of cinema verité that, if anything, will travel you around the States and show you a way of life that you may not have encountered before. As much as I know poverty very well, this lifestyle/tradition is known to me only through films that have not properly explored it. So, I can’t comment on what I heard regarding its inauthentic depiction. Honestly, it would be wrong if I did.

    As for the script, though, I was trying to establish throughout the film whether her choices were actually hers and, if yes, to what extent. Did she partially want this way of life? Was this what she fully wanted? Was it escapism from herself and the people around her? I believe the answer determines the purpose of this hero’s journey. As a huge fan of David Strathairn, I think he deserved more screening time.

    Extra credits go to Zhao’s frequent director of photography, Joshua James Richards, whose work is just captivating. Pay attention to the little yet very important elements of the film. The use of diegetic (natural) and non-diegetic (music) sounds, Ludovico Einaudi’s piano, the minimalistic editing and montage in its simplest form, the non-actors acting, and a side of America and certain American people that none of us get to see in either studio or indie level. Oscars for Best Motion Picture of the Year, Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role, and Best Achievement in Directing were very much deserved. All 227 wins & 135 nominations were very much deserved. I hope you enjoy it.

    Please, don’t forget to share and subscribe. If you enjoy my work and dedication to films, please feel free to support me on https://www.patreon.com/kaygazpro. Any contribution is much appreciated and valued.

    Solidarity for all the innocent lives who suffer the atrocities of war!

    Stay safe!

    The Importance of Dystopia in Sci-fi / Horror

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    The Importance of Dystopia in Sci-fi / Horror

    Turning on the news, what takes over is a… disheartening presentiment about the future. Questionable governments, selfish, narrow-minded masses voting for these governments, sociological dyspepsia, misanthropy, pandemic, psychological decadence… If the present feels that way, it is no wonder why filmmakers “see” the future in a cataclysmic and calamitous light.

    Society: “A large group of people who live together in an organised way, making decisions about how to do things and sharing the work that needs to be done”. (https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/society)

    Utopia: “A perfect society in which people work well with each other and are happy”. Imagine a world where everyone is happy, the laws favour everyone, the economy flourishes, and the government looks after their people. (https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/utopia)

    On the other hand…

    Dystopia: “A very bad or unfair society in which there is a lot of suffering, especially an imaginary society in the future, after something terrible has happened”. (https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/dystopia)

    I wholeheartedly believe that there is no soul out there who believes in a utopian future. Why? Because the present firmly and regrettably indicates otherwise. We usually say that something impossible is science fiction, but, in this instance, it is merely naïve. But! There is another reason, too. Constructing the “perfect” society is nothing like creating a “seemingly” perfect society. And that is for two reasons:

    “Utopia” creates a problem and begs a fundamental question from the very beginning of the definition: What does “perfect” mean? Consequently, what does “perfect society” mean? How would a filmmaker define and depict the “perfect society”? The short answer is that they can’t. Because there is no “perfect”, if it did, humans wouldn’t be it, and therefore, they cannot form the “perfect society”. That is why it is called u-topia (??-????? in Greek). It exists nowhere, much less on the small or big screen.

    The second issue is that even if it miraculously existed, where would the story lead? Everything is “perfect”, everyone is happy. That is beyond science fiction and cinematically unimportant, indifferent, idle, yawnsome, and most likely a box-office bomb.

    Dystopia, though, is inundated with messages and parables. In films, the world has fallen apart due to:

    • Economy Collapse
    • Climatic Disaster
    • World War
    • Nuclear Holocaust
    • Pandemic (sore point)
    • Comet’s Impact
    • Divine Judgement
    • Alien Invasion
    • Zombie Rise
    • AI Takeover
    • …

    Your imagination is your limit! And that’s just in the foreseeable future (hopefully, not too foreseeable).* Despite your pick, survival and reversing the situation to make the world a better place would most likely be the film’s theme. How everything started, how it will play out, and how it will end are the thrilling parts and the reasons all of us go to the movies to watch films of that sort.

    *I wouldn’t want to expand to the distant future’s sci-fi as the focal point is mainly different, such as life in different, colonised planets or space issues.

    One of my favourite types of dystopias is the one that starts as a utopia only to reveal the fake and the rot behind society’s epidermically beautiful facade. Yes, the concept of Brave New World. The concept of a deconstructed society that, if it revolted would mean its end is also another favourite of mine. Yes, Snowpiercer (2013) has made an impression on me. Authors such as Aldous Huxley, Jacques Lob, Philp K. Dick, Isaac Asimov, Octavia Butler, Ray Bradbury, and Arthur C. Clarke have thoroughly, and with imagination aplenty, criticised the society they have lived in. Tomorrow’s dystopia is today’s society’s existence, living, breathing, and proudly walking on this Earth complications. Our current insecurities, anxieties, fears, misconceptions, and personal and societal problems are projected into our escalated faulty future, leaving so much to the imagination.

    Is this how we will end? Would I have made it? What would I do if I did make it? Would I be able to rise to the occasion and become one of the heroes I see on screen? What would I do if everyone I knew was gone? These are but a few questions we all ask ourselves while sitting back and relaxing and experiencing something impressive and entertaining yet educational and ill-wishing.

    Dystopias are there to warn us! Plato’s Dialogues is the perfect place to start reading about the origin of such concepts and terms and their purpose. The aforementioned authors, their books, and the films that came out of their adaptations are fascinating places to unfold and enrich your journey, discovering from creative to deranged ways that our world as we know it comes to an end.

    As the title implies, this article is deliberately short and aims to emphasise the importance of dystopia in sci-fi. I don’t believe there is a top 5 or top 10 when it comes to such a subgenre. Below, you can find my all-time favourite films and series that have powerfully depicted our dystopic future world in the way the filmmakers truly envisaged it. Keep in mind that some of these films’ future belongs now to our past. How accurate were their predictions? Does filmmaking’s evolution affect the accuracy of films’ predictions about the future? What do you think?

    References

    https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/society

    https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/utopia

    https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/dystopia

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Dialogues_of_Plato

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aldous_Huxley

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jacques_Lob

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philip_K._Dick

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isaac_Asimov

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Octavia_E._Butler

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ray_Bradbury

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arthur_C._Clarke

    http://theworldofapu.com/category/film-analysis/

    Dystopian Films

    Metropolis (1927)

    The Day the Earth Caught Fire (1961)

    Alphaville (1965)

    Fahrenheit 451 (1966)

    The Omega Man (1971)

    A Clockwork Orange (1971)

    THX 1138 (1971)

    Mad Max Franchise (1979, 1981, 1985, 2015)

    Brave New World (1980)

    Escape from New York (1981)

    Blade Runner (1982)

    Videodrome (1983)

    Nineteen Sighty-Four (1984)

    Threads (1984)

    Brazil (1985)

    Dead Man’s Letters (1986)

    RoboCop (1987)

    The Running Man (1987)

    Total Recall (1990)

    Demolition Man (1993)

    Fortress (1993)

    The Stand (1994)

    The City of Lost Children (1995)

    Judge Dredd (1995)

    12 Monkeys (1995)

    Johnny Mnemonic (1995)

    Strange Days (1995)

    Waterworld (1995)

    Starship Troopers (1997)

    The Fifth Element (1997)

    Gattaca (1997)

    The Postman (1997)

    Dark City (1998)

    Pleasantville (1998)

    eXistenZ (1999)

    The Matrix (1999)

    Battle Royale (2000)

    On the Beach (2000)

    A.I. Artificial Intelligence (2001)

    Equilibrium (2002)

    Minority Report (2002)

    Resident Evil (2002)

    The Time Machine (2002)

    28 Days Later (2002)

    Code 46 (2003)

    I, Robot (2004)

    The Island (2005)

    V for Vendetta (2005)

    A Scanner Darkly (2006)

    I Am Legend (2007)

    28 Weeks Later (2007)

    Children of Men (2008)

    Blindness (2008)

    Daybreakers (2009)

    District 9 (2009)

    The Road (2009)

    Watchmen (2009)

    Book of Eli (2010)

    Never Let Me Go (2010)

    The Divide (2011)

    Cloud Atlas (2012)

    Looper (2012)

    Snowpiercer (2013)

    The Congress (2013)

    Elysium (2013)

    The Purge (2013)

    The Zero Theorem (2013)

    The Rover (2014)

    Z for Zachariah (2015)

    Westworld (2016 – )

    The Handmaid’s Tale (2017 – )

    Hotel Artemis (2018)

    Ready Player One (2018)

    Brave New World (2020)

    Thanks for reading!

    Please, don’t forget to share and subscribe. If you enjoy my work and dedication to films, please feel free to support me on https://www.patreon.com/kaygazpro. Any contribution is much appreciated and valued.

    Solidarity for all the innocent lives who suffer the atrocities of war!

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    Mother (2009)

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    Mother (2009)

    After her son is jailed for a girl’s brutal murder, a mother does everything in her power to prove his innocence.

    The mixed feelings begin from the opening shot and extend all the way through the first act. The music, the acting, the character development, the mother/son relationship, and all utterances and actions make one question why IMDb describes it as a crime, drama, and mystery. Twenty minutes into it, it starts looking that way, but still… Yoon Do-joon’s mental disability and the way his surrounding environment and authorities perceive him make it unclear what it really is.

    The role of his mother, though, somehow, despite the odd human behaviour, intensifies the drama in the second act and turns it into a whodunit with the stamp of Bong Joon Ho. After Memories of Murder (2003) and The Host (2006) and before Snowpiercer (2013), Okja (2017), and Parasite (2019), Bong Joon Ho feels confident directing Mother, most certainly knowing that unpredictable feelings will be evoked. Definitely not for everyone, but it’s the kind of cinema that allows Westerners, through art, to discover a variety of cultural idiosyncrasies so different to their own.

    Far too many years ago, someone told me that if I ended up in hell, my mother would be the only one to find a way to sneak out of heaven, descent, and trade places with me, so it is she that withstands eternal suffering instead of me. Mother ends up being the soul-crushing drama that emphasises the mother’s sacrifice, loneliness, and the unbearable task of carrying a personal cross all the way to the top of Golgotha.

    Please, don’t forget to share and subscribe. If you enjoy my work and dedication to films, please feel free to support me on https://www.patreon.com/kaygazpro. Any contribution is much appreciated and valued.

    Solidarity for all the innocent lives who suffer the atrocities of war!

    Stay safe!

    Chaos Walking (2021)

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    Chaos Walking (2021)

    Many years into the future, on an unknown planet, a male-only settlement is after two youngsters who are in search of truth.

    Interesting premise! Like any decent sci-fi, there is a metaphor behind the top dollar spent and the fancy visual effects. Chaos Walking is the actual settlers’ terraforma atrocities. Arguably though, that takes the back seat when the film decides to focus on the projection of the human inability to control their thoughts; men’s anyway.

    As the story unfolds, more truths and metaphors emerge, eventually overshadowed, too, by men’s uncontrollable projected thoughts. Regardless, pay attention to the mayor’s and the priest’s roles. If you’ve read a thing or two about colonisation, you won’t be surprised about their character development. 

    After the script’s many rewritings, extensive $15M re-shoots took place, during which Tom Holland broke his nose, passed out trying to hold his breath underwater, and had his wisdom teeth pulled out. No wonder why the film’s release date was pushed back a year… And after all that, humongous plot holes are still there, like stains that have failed to come off after many washings. The most striking was the shuttle that no one saw falling from the sky. A shuttle that no one heard or felt crashed next to the farm, either. The best part? By the time Todd saw it, some pieces were still on fire, but Viola had already dag 2 graves and was out and about stealing food. I mean… never mind!

    It’s a shame that experienced directors like Doug Liman and studios like Lionsgate Entertainment still struggle that much when money and resources are not an issue. That’s why audiences think outside the box diminish Hollywood productions. It’s a shame, really.

    Please, don’t forget to share and subscribe. If you enjoy my work and dedication to films, please feel free to support me on https://www.patreon.com/kaygazpro. Any contribution is much appreciated and valued.

    Solidarity for all the innocent lives who suffer the atrocities of war!

    Stay safe!

    Stowaway (2021)

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    Stowaway (2021)

    A series of dilemmas and decisions divide a crew on its way to Mars when they discover a passenger who shouldn’t have been there.

    Very well-written and shot in the first act, paying extra attention to the orbital mechanics’ math but also the heroes’ reactions during the launch. The discovery of the stowaway passenger intensifies the thrill, and the agony regarding who this person is and why he’s there begins… Well, not immediately!

    The second act starts off a bit slow, not interested in providing crucial information immediately. Don’t be put off by that, though. Pace yourselves. Everything slowly and steadily is falling into place. When the dilemma is presented, questions such as: What would I do? How would I do it? What if I were him? How the hell did it come to that? And maybe more will get you engaged.

    Writer/producer Ryan Morrison and co-writer/producer/director Joe Penna wrote and directed, respectively, a very claustrophobic drama/thriller/sci-fi full of moral decisions and dilemmas. XYZ Films, as always, made sure to invest in the film’s technological realism for a heartbreaking yet kind of believable outcome. Speaking of believability, Anna Kendrick, Daniel Dae Kim, Shamier Anderson, and Toni Collette give very decent performances and have good chemistry.

    The denouement is arguably overdramatised, but it still serves the narrative’s purpose. I believe that the lukewarm reviews derive from the desire for more action, which the film somewhat lacks. Don’t be discouraged, though; its other qualities compensate. While in lockdown, having nothing much more creative to do, Stowaway becomes the escapism we potentially need/want.

    Please, don’t forget to share and subscribe. If you enjoy my work and dedication to films, please feel free to support me on https://www.patreon.com/kaygazpro. Any contribution is much appreciated and valued.

    Solidarity for all the innocent lives who suffer the atrocities of war!

    Stay safe!

    Don’t You Shed A Tear (2021)

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    A man’s family throws a surprise birthday party for him, not knowing that he suffers from a terminal illness.

    This is an exception to my writing style as it arguably has no horror elements. Yet, I aimed to explore a dark side of ours that is kept secret even from the closest to us people, even from ourselves. A horrific side that can be our scariest foe.

    DISCLAIMER: This story contains strong language and is intended for an older youth audience. Listener discretion is advised.

    Based on my homonymous short script, Don’t You Shed A Tear.

    © 2021 Konstantinos Papathanasiou. All rights reserved.

    https://open.spotify.com/episode/4m58V9yc6MiaoCgRYN6hS0

    Ballad for a Pierced Heart (2020)

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    Ballad for a Pierced Heart (2020)

    After stealing her husband’s money, a woman and her lover flee to a small town, but greed, passion, and a series of wrong choices turn everything upside down.

    Even though I’ve said it before, I’ll say it again: Yannis Economides is the best Greek / Greek Cypriot actors’ director alive. No one comes even near in the second place. He allows them to improvise to the highest degree, as he allows maximum profanity. This adds to his films’ realism and makes them unique additions to the modern Greek cinema, a cinema that, unfortunately, suffers from wooden acting and writing – even though I must say that, fortunately, this is constantly improving. No matter what, Economides leads the way.

    Like every other of his films, The Ballad for the Pierced Heart is structured according to the narrative. The three-act structure provides the formula for getting from A to B, but the dialogue always prevails. Regardless of where the A or B stand, everything said and done in between matters.

    The Ballad was quite unlucky. The moment it came out, the pandemic was announced, and cinemas shut down. Very highly recommended! It combines neo-noir elements with a Greek reality that is nowhere to be found in the Industry. When the end credits start scrolling, and the enthusiasm starts fading, one realises that… OK… certain dialogue and circumstances were a bit surrealistic. How much that matters? Not a tad!

    Other than Economides, all his crew deserves a round of applause, as it does the brilliant cast: Vicky Papadopoulou, Vassilis Bisbikis, Stathis Stamoulakatos, Yannis Tsortekis, and the rest of the professional and non-professional actors who shine in front of the lens. Well done, everyone!

    Please, don’t forget to share and subscribe. If you enjoy my work and dedication to films, please feel free to support me on https://www.patreon.com/kaygazpro. Any contribution is much appreciated and valued.

    Solidarity for all the innocent lives who suffer the atrocities of war!

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    Until the Edge of the World (2019)

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    Until the Edge of the World (2019)

    Not understanding why her father lies unconscious in a hospital, a little girl’s vivid imagination places him on a journey to the moon.

    Daniel Bertram’s writing (but also directing), Serhii Reznik and Billy Ray Schlag’s ambient music, Alicia Valencia Pollex’s acting, and Knut Adass’ dark cinematography promise a tear-jerker – a drama that cannot end well.

    The restricted narrative, though, adds a mystery to it. The audience knows as much as Flo does or as much as she understands, if you may. It approaches the tragedy from everyone’s perspective, including Flo’s, the mother’s, and the father’s perspectives, and the restricted narrative affects them, too, as no one knows each other’s thoughts or true feelings. In the case of Flo and her mother, they are even unable to understand each other. Interestingly, only the audience can experience the father’s inner world, turning us into omniscient viewers.

    It definitely follows an unconventional way of telling the story, but don’t cast any stones yet. How do you experience tragedy? And how would you prepare a little kid for it? At the end of the day, is anyone really ever prepared? From an artistic point of view, scenes such as the non-boiling milk, the rain during a starry night, the reflections, the mixture of colours turning into clouds, and the animated painting spark our imagination, significantly reducing the situation’s cynical or orthological approach. For example, I’ve never thought of the moon, the Earth’s satellite, in such a poetic or existential way.

    I very much recommend it to whoever is looking for nontraditional/unconventional storytelling. Until the Edge of the World is quite depressing, though, and may not suit people who struggle in these difficult times.

    Please, don’t forget to share and subscribe. If you enjoy my work and dedication to films, please feel free to support me on https://www.patreon.com/kaygazpro. Any contribution is much appreciated and valued.

    Solidarity for all the innocent lives who suffer the atrocities of war!

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    Prisons: Depravity and Decadence in Horror / Sci-fi… and in Real Life (Podcast)

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    Prisons: Depravity and Decadence in Horror / Sci-fi… and in Real Life (Podcast)

    Tonight, I’m interviewing Dr Neni Panourgia. Dr Panourgia is an affiliated faculty member of the Hellenic Studies program. She is an anthropologist, Associate Professor at the Prison Education Program, Psychology Department, and Academic Adviser at the Justice in Education Initiative at Columbia University. Tonight, she talks about the prison system in the US and how it has affected its current and futuristic cinematic depiction. Without further ado, here’s the interview.

     

     

    Books

    https://www.amazon.co.uk/Primitive-Man-Philosopher-Nyrb-Classics/dp/1590177681/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&qid=1615419635&refinements=p_27%3ANeni+Panourgia&s=books&sr=1-1
    https://www.amazon.co.uk/Dangerous-Citizens-Greek-Terror-State/dp/0823229688/ref=sr_1_2?dchild=1&qid=1615419635&refinements=p_27%3ANeni+Panourgia&s=books&sr=1-2
    https://www.amazon.co.uk/Ethnographica-Moralia-Experiments-Interpretive-Anthropology/dp/0823228878/ref=sr_1_3?dchild=1&qid=1615419635&refinements=p_27%3ANeni+Panourgia&s=books&sr=1-3
    https://www.amazon.co.uk/Fragments-Death-Fables-Identity-Anthropological/dp/0299145646/ref=sr_1_4?dchild=1&qid=1615419635&refinements=p_27%3ANeni+Panourgia&s=books&sr=1-4

    The Hater (2020)

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    The Hater (2020)

    An overambitious young man uses social media, as well as friends and family, to achieve his immoral goals.

    Two qualities stand out right off the bat: Tomasz’s manipulation skills and Aleksandra Gowin’s non-linear editing skills. Both of them unfold brilliantly along with the narrative.

    Writer Mateusz Pacewicz collaborates once more with director Jan Komasa after the amazing Corpus Christi (2019) – review to follow – and, once more, shocks society to its core. There are plenty of scary scenarios and people here… Tomasz Giemza is a person who shouldn’t be walking on the streets. Why? Men like him bring out the worst in people and remorselessly manipulate them, individually and collectively. In both cases, since we all have weaknesses, no one can blame us for that. Who is to be blamed, though, is the people behind social media who support that manipulation and enhance it by reaching out to the larger masses. Social media are merely tools and platforms of communication, but the way the “puppeteers” operate them can shape, control, manipulate, and even tear apart societies. Sacha Baron Cohen very eloquently described one of them as: “the greatest propaganda machine in history” that would even allow Hitler to run his propaganda.

    Besides social media, though, I believe The Hater‘s best achievement is Tomasz’s character development. He is a psychopath with the phenomenal ability to learn from his mistakes and constantly up his game, eventually manipulating the manipulators. Absolutely amazing! You’ll catch yourself loving the way he does it while hating him at the same time.

    Last but not least, Agata Kulesza always deserves a separate mention, no matter what she’s in. She shines in Pawel Pawlikowsi’s films as much as in this one. She is an Oscar-worthy actress, and I hope she wins it one day. Whether she does or not, she’ll always be a first-class thespian.

    This is an excellent example of modern European cinema, with profound filmmaking techniques, intriguing performances, plenty of visuals, and food for thought. It’s definitely a must-watch!

    Please, don’t forget to share and subscribe. If you enjoy my work and dedication to films, please feel free to support me on https://www.patreon.com/kaygazpro. Any contribution is much appreciated and valued.

    Solidarity for all the innocent lives who suffer the atrocities of war!

    Stay safe!

    The Little Things (2021)

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    The Little Things (2021)

    A series of murders get the attention of a County Deputy Sheriff, a man with a dark past in the police force, and in collaboration with a young detective, they will try to find whoever is behind these crimes.

    It is shocking how people even considered comparing it to Seven (1995). The film’s biggest issue is not the cliché opening sequence that makes zero sense. It is not that Denzel Washington and Rami Malek don’t believe in what they signed up for – even though Jared Leto somehow does. It is not even that all three of them are Oscar winners in a film like this. The biggest issue with the film is that the producers put all the effort into getting A-list actors, but then they decided to green-light a boring, formulaic, predictable, flawed Hollywood three-act structure with yawning character and story development that makes you say: “It’s OK for the quarantine”. A film that you stop thinking about the moment the end credits start scrolling down. And once you think the script is the worst thing that happened to The Little Things, the editing makes it a mission to dumb it down even more by explaining everything to you like it’s the first time watching a thriller. Moreover, it fundamentally ruins the film’s pace and rhythm with its discontinuity errors.

    I know I sound bitter, but that was not my intention before watching it. But focusing (always) on the film’s intentions, I don’t like it when the audience’s intelligence is undermined. Watching the final cut before exporting it, the filmmakers should have seen that, for an over two-hour film, everything is rushed and said and done in a better and much better way. It is saddening me that, John Lee Hancock, the man behind great films such as The Blind Side (2009) and Saving Mr. Banks (2013) was sitting on the director’s chair.

    After pointing out the film’s biggest issue(s), it would be only fair to mention the biggest achievement: Jared Leto’s decent performance. Even though ruined by bad directing and even worse editing, it managed to get a Golden Globe nomination and a nomination from the Screen Actors Guild Awards – the only two nominations the film got. How about that?

    To cut the long story short, go ahead and watch it. It is yet another night in with restrictions left, right, and centre. Just don’t have any expectations, as you’ll be severely disappointed.

    P.S. I mean… the editing is bad!

    Please, don’t forget to share and subscribe. If you enjoy my work and dedication to films, please feel free to support me on https://www.patreon.com/kaygazpro. Any contribution is much appreciated and valued.

    Solidarity for all the innocent lives who suffer the atrocities of war!

    Stay safe!

    Come True (2020)

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    Come True (2020)

    One of the most intriguing and atmospheric opening sequences I’ve seen in a while. The first act’s slow pace, music, and cinematography betray a feel-good 80s horror that promises not to disappoint. And it doesn’t (to a certain extent)!

    Writer/director Anthony Scott Burns has done his homework on sleep, dreams, and nightmares and carefully and patiently unfolds a narrative that will most definitely surprise you if you haven’t read anything about the plot. Positively or not, you are about to figure things out for yourselves.

    The dream sequences are the most vividly and terrifyingly surrealistic images since Silent Hill (2006) and The Cell (2000) – the only Jennifer Lopez film I have gotten to enjoy. Jungian psychology, Escher’s portrayal of illusion, and Clive Barker’s horrifying vision of the human psyche’s darkness blend into one, bringing to life nightmares that make us question how our mind, consciously or not, interprets reason and how we understand and explain our fears.

    David Cronenberg has been a tremendous influence on Canadian cinema, and Burns, having specialised in horror, adds his own personality and vision to intrigue you and get and maintain your undivided attention. In the end, I must say that I did get confused and found myself remorselessly scratching my head, and even though I love proper WTF endings, Come True runs out of steam before you start rolling your eyes in disbelief. Shame because I had nothing negative to say for the 2/3’s of the movie. I guess the denouement is the toughest part of the script.

    P.S. Certainly, I am not the only one feeling like Riff came out of Hogwarts…

    Please, don’t forget to share and subscribe. If you enjoy my work and dedication to films, please feel free to support me on https://www.patreon.com/kaygazpro. Any contribution is much appreciated and valued.

    Solidarity for all the innocent lives who suffer the atrocities of war!

    Stay safe!

    Lifeforce (1985)

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    Lifeforce (1985)

    An alien vampire race is found in space and brought to a lab in London, but upon escaping, chaos and doom threaten to destroy our planet.

    Ask anyone why they remember Lifeforce… And as much as I understand why, this is why the film bombed! An alien sex bomb wreaking apocalyptic havoc in London sounds peculiar, to say the least. The film didn’t even make half its production cost back because a naked Mathilda May and her astonishing beauty stole the show and left everyone uninterested in its shallow science. BUT…

    Lifeforce has become a classic, and watching it 25 years later, I must say that it is a case study of deconstructing a B-movie. I don’t think I’ve ever read more production details on a film such as this. Moreover, most of these details revolve around May’s backstage nudity or how the film’s failure showed during the early stages of principal photography.

    Despite how my review sounds so far, especially in times like these, Lifeforce is the escapism that will truly entertain you (I mean, read the logline). Based on Colin Wilson’s novel, “The Space Vampires”, and directed by Tobe Hooper, the film offers a lack of seriousness and superficiality that harms no one and, if anything, reminds us of the cinematic, low-budget, sci-fi era that, once upon a time, was as believable as today’s advanced CGI. The practical effects, the make-up, the effort given not to be rated pornographic, and the budget restraints, to name but a few, constitute it a very hard film to make. No words can describe the satisfaction you will get through while watching it. So, forget reality for a couple of hours…

    Please, don’t forget to share and subscribe. If you enjoy my work and dedication to films, please feel free to support me on https://www.patreon.com/kaygazpro. Any contribution is much appreciated and valued.

    Solidarity for all the innocent lives who suffer the atrocities of war!

    Stay safe!

    Breeder (2020)

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    Breeder (2020)

    A doctor who conducts illegal experiments on women in an underground lab kidnaps her partner’s wife, making her one of them.

    The first two things that stand out are the photography and editing. It is very well shot and paced and very scientifically provocative. And then the torture comes.

    I started researching and analysing torture after the one film that truly affected me like no other, Martyrs (2008). The reason behind torture, or the lack thereof, offers a perspective on what you are watching. It provides an explanation or gives none as to why people are suffering the way they do. In Martyrs, you only get to find out in the end, and it’s just unthinkable. In Hellraiser (1987), Pinhead and the rest of the crew are sadistic, hellish creatures and live off the victims’ excruciating pain. In The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974), Leatherface and his family are a bunch of psychopathic killers. The problem presented here is that two innovative yet despicable scientists are behind everything that’s happening, and a couple of mindless humanoids that the film has the audacity to call “animals” commit further atrocities.

    Personally, the reason here leaves me indifferent. What made me feel uncomfortable was its statement or the way I perceived it anyway: She was looking for pain, and that’s what she got. Maybe I got it wrong, but, ultimately, the film’s message is utterly confusing. Women are oppressed mostly by men, but some women, too? Men are disgusting beings? Sh*t happens? Together, we are stronger than ever against the system that wants us subdued? Women are stronger together against… who?

    Anyway, maybe Breeder has no message to deliver, and I just missed the “entertainment.” Maybe you get a different vibe.

    Please, don’t forget to share and subscribe. If you enjoy my work and dedication to films, please feel free to support me on https://www.patreon.com/kaygazpro. Any contribution is much appreciated and valued.

    Solidarity for all the innocent lives who suffer the atrocities of war!

    Stay safe!

    Asylums: Factual Mental Illness vs Artistically Deranged Projection (Podcast)

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    Asylums: Factual Mental Illness vs Artistically Deranged Projection (Podcast)

    Tonight, I’m interviewing Michelle Satchwell. After shedding some new light on why kids are portrayed in certain ways in horror films, Michelle is coming back to talk about asylums and their portrayal in favourite, or not-so-favourite, horrors. The interview takes an interesting turn as she points out that reality can be scarier than fiction, as none of us is as free as we think we are. Regardless, the origins of asylums as the arguably scariest places a horror film can take place at are explained, and so is the believability behind their projection.

    Mental Health Act 1983 where people can be sectioned as “danger to self or others”.

    Marie Jahoda (1958) “Ideal Mental Health” including six criteria; autonomy, self-actualisation, positive attitude to self, resistance to stress, accurate perception of reality, and environmental mastery.

    Ethical guidelines originated from the Nuremberg Code (1947), later developed by the American Psychiatric Association (APA) and the British Psychological Society (BPS).

    R.D. Laing (1965) created a “safe haven” for patients with Schizophrenia. This has been made into a film; Mad To Be Normal (2017). 

    Rosenhan (1973) carried out three experiments titled; ‘Insane in sane places’ of pseudo patients being diagnosed with Schizophrenia.

    Both Laing and Rosenhan were part of the 1970s anti-psychiatry movement.

    Thomas Szasz questions how mental health is defined and how it’s been ‘constructed’. In 1961, this was published as the “Myth of Mental Illness”. Then, in 2011, the “Myth of Mental Illness” was released, revised 50 years later.

    Valentine Douglas (2016) The CIA as organised crime. This covers “Project MK Ultra”.

    Weindling (2016) looked at victims and survivors of Nazi human experiments.

    Ken Kesey author of One flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest claims to have received LSD as part of CIA study as a student; https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.telegraph.co.uk/tv/2020/09/23/cia-took-lsd-twisted-experiments-inspired-ratched/amp/

    The World Health Organisation (1977) said “no culture is free from Schizophrenia”.
    Shamanism and Schizophrenia similarities.

    Taijin Kyofusho (TKS) is a Japanese culture-bound phobia.

    Individualist (independent) Western cultures versus Collectivist (interdependent) Eastern cultures can affect diagnoses and disorders. 

    Homophobia was seen as a mental health issue up until 1972 and DSM II edition (Diagnostic Statistical Manual reviewed by the APA). The depathologising of homosexuality; https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4695779/

    International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11) was published in May 2019 and is used by the WHO in the UK and Europe. The Diagnostic Statistical Manual (DSM-5), published in May 2013, is used by the APA in America.

    1 in 4 adults with Mental Health and 1 in 10 young people, according to the NHS and mental health charities; www.mind.org.ukwww.time-to-change.org.ukwww.rethink.org.uk

    1 in 8 young people in the UK have a mental health issue, according to research from MHCYP (Mental Health in Children and Young People) published by the NHS in 2017. https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/mental-health-of-children-and-young-people-in-england/2017/2017

    P.T. Barnum, of Greatest Showman fame, would parade “oddities.” One such case was that of Phineas Gage, who had a metal rod pass through his frontal lobe, and his personality changed.https://www.timeout.com/newyork/things-to-do/the-curious-case-of-phineas-gage

    Trepanning refers to drilling holes in the skull to release demons. http://www.bbc.co.uk/earth/story/20160826-why-our-ancestors-drilled-holes-in-each-others-skulls

    Extra sensory perception (ESP) usually conducts ‘bad science’ also known as ‘pseudo science’ https://thepsychologist.bps.org.uk/volume-22/edition-7/extra-sensory-perception-controversial-debate

    White Knight and Savior Complex; https://www.psychologytoday.com/gb/blog/the-white-knight-syndrome

    Why are we fascinated by women who kill; https://www.theguardian.com/books/2019/jul/20/women-who-kill-female-murderers-killing-eve

    Parsons (Functionalist) suggested that youth is a time for storm and stress. Eisenstadt (Functionalist) saw youth as a time to let off steam. 

    Rogers Client Centred Therapy uses unconditional positive regard; https://www.psychologytoday.com/gb/therapy-types/person-centered-therapy. Uses positive psychology, see www.actionforhappiness.co.uk

    BBC Mental A History of the Madhouse, available here; https://youtu.be/oswUssXzFlY

    “Time to Talk” day in February and World Mental Health Awareness in October celebrate diversity and try to remove stigma. #HelloYellow campaign for young people to promote positive mental health.

    Never Rarely Sometimes Always (2020)

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    Never Rarely Sometimes Always (2020)

    A teenage girl, followed by her cousin, leaves her hometown to go to New York to terminate her unexpected pregnancy.

    Never underestimate the power of independent cinema. It rarely disappoints. Sometimes, it defies the traditional, conventional narrative. Always, though, it offers a more realistic perspective.

    The difference with American studio-level films shows, in this case, even before the narrative unfolds. Take a close look at the actors; they are everyday people, not like underwear models. It’s (not) funny how studios nowadays indulge diversity and inclusion but don’t cast actors who wouldn’t be a fit for a fragrance poster. But this review is not about the industry’s hypocrisy, so…

    Eliza Hittman writes and directs a modern, painful Odyssey about a girl who suffers in silence, has no room in her life for the baby she is carrying and decides to make a journey to make the most difficult decision of her life yet. Admittedly, I haven’t watched her other films, but I most definitely will after this one. Like an omniscient narrator, Hittman mounts the camera on her shoulder and closely follows Autumn and Skylar exploring The Big Apple for the first time. The close-ups and the extreme close-ups leave you no choice but to feel Autumn’s pain, embark on that coach, share the experience of discovery, but mainly, go through the shivering experience of what comes next.

    The “never, rarely, sometimes, always” moment is the brutal realisation that facing the pain is exponentially harder than imagining facing the pain. The editor, Scott Cummings, is on board with this idea as he’s very careful where to cut when this conversation takes place. He cuts selectively and only briefly to the counsellor but mostly stays with Autumn’s close-up, “forcing” you to look when she breaks. Why? Because it’s not pretty. And it’s even uglier when these questions are asked because only then do the boys’ initial, hideous comments and gestures make sense. Think about it from the narrative’s point of view; it takes an hour to indirectly indicate why those comments were made and how they are related to the pregnancy. What is also astonishing is the “show, don’t tell” subplot of the bond between Autumn and Skylar, which needs no soppy dialogue to project one has love for the other without overshadowing the film’s delicate and sorrowful subject.

    In a very disciplined manner, Hittman manages not to get caught up in the ethics behind abortion and to focus on how it burdens an already suffering girl. It might seem easy, but rest assured that it is not. In fact, it is one of the main issues pretentious films face when they tackle too many issues, address some, and finally delve into none. Never Rarely Sometimes Always brilliantly achieves that focus, and I can’t praise it enough. Speaking of praising, Sidney Flanigan deserves an Oscar for her realistic performance. I take my hat off to Talia Ryder, who doesn’t let her natural beauty overshadow her acting and, surprisingly, gives “friendship” the meaning it always should have.

    Compare Promising Young Woman (2021) with this one and see for yourselves how you feel about the different styles of filmmaking.

    Please, don’t forget to share and subscribe. If you enjoy my work and dedication to films, please feel free to support me on https://www.patreon.com/kaygazpro. Any contribution is much appreciated and valued.

    Solidarity for all the innocent lives who suffer the atrocities of war!

    Stay safe!

    Promising Young Woman (2020)

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    Promising Young Woman (2020)

    A young woman seeks revenge against anyone who was involved in a tragic event several years ago.

    I’m in two minds about this. I believe that’s because I was hyped up for weeks before watching it, even though I hadn’t even watched the trailer.

    I’ll start with the good news: Carrey Mulligan is amazing, Bo Burnham is funny, and Clancy Brown is heartbreaking. And, for me, this is where the good news stops.

    First and foremost, the film lacks structure. Its pace and rhythm is all over the place. Secondly, it resembles a thriller with music video montages in between. Is that wrong? Not on its own. It becomes wrong and, if not wrong, confusing for such a delicate issue that ultimately takes the back seat. This wrongness/confusion causes indecisiveness, and no film should be undecided about situations that have scarred women’s but also families’ lives. Occasionally, it felt like a dark comedy accompanied by millennial pop music that was not befitting, so I kept asking myself, how am I supposed to feel? And then, about who? About Nina or Cassie? Does Cassie’s behaviour justify what happened to Nina? Was it that that made her sociopath, or did that event trigger it? How was she punishing the ones who were crossing her path? How was the level of punishment against the ones who were accessories to what happened to Nina decided? There are so many questions regarding the character’s arc and the hero’s journey, but I’ll raise one last one: How is one meant to feel about Cassie and her actions in the end?

    The film is rated ‘suitable only for 15 years and older’, but I can’t shake off the feeling that is for 15 y/o ones alone. That excludes the two-and-a-half-minute shocking scene in the cabin (no spoilers). Writer/director Emerald Fennell, Carrey Mulligan, and Margot Robbie are wearing the producer’s hat, and their effort is rewarded with 4 Golden Globes nominations, another 62 wins and 132 more nominations. I congratulate them and the rest of the cast and crew for their achievement, even though it was not my cup of tea.

    Nothing that affects someone that much should be that stylised. Even though I found Revenge (2017) quite ‘stylish’ until the inciting incident in the second act, its brutality defined the film and established for the viewer that ‘shock’ was what it aimed for. But cinema, like life itself, is not just black or white. There are numerous shades of grey, and one of my favourite genre mixes, horror/comedy, falls under that category. Keeping that in mind, I’m constantly asking myself, how much comedy does one mix with horror? Or is it the other way around?

    P.S. Never Rarely Sometimes Always (2020). That’s the kind of realistic cinema I find more intriguing. 

    Please, don’t forget to share and subscribe. If you enjoy my work and dedication to films, please feel free to support me on https://www.patreon.com/kaygazpro. Any contribution is much appreciated and valued.

    Solidarity for all the innocent lives who suffer the atrocities of war!

    Stay safe!

    Wrong Turn (2021)

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    Wrong Turn (2021)

    A group of friends gets lost in the Appalachian mountains but gets found by an off-grid community that hunts them down.

    Ahhhh… The clash between the world we are slowly leaving behind and the brave new one we are entering at warp speed. Bridging those two worlds will be one of the most difficult tasks societies globally must handle. Anyway…

    Wrong Turn‘s producers decided, in a six-member “gang”, to represent as many minorities as possible. And as much as I endorse diversity and inclusion, when it’s for ticket sales or any other form of profit, I don’t. It’s called exploitation. Moving on from the casting choices concerns… one realises, right off the bat, when the alleged action and thrill kicks in, that the educated youth comes up with the dumbest questions, ideas, and ideologies ever existed while people of unknown origin and skills are after them in the middle of the unknown… nowhere. Ultimately, what most of them say and do is nothing but contradictory, which renders them undecided in life or hypocrites at best.

    And if you are somewhat confused with the messages about the old and new world and their people… boy… wait until the film’s revelation! I’m not going to spoil it for you. See for yourselves the mess the script is leaving behind. Honestly, wait until the very end; the script’s direction is more lost than every city boy and girl has ever been on these mountains throughout the whole franchise. And since you’ve made it to the very end, watch at least the last scene; it’s awesome.

    To my surprise, that script is by Alan B. McElroy, the writer behind the original Wrong Turn (2003), and it may be a reboot but has nothing to do or has nothing on the original one. Emmanuelle Chriqui and Eliza Dushku are irreplaceable.

    Please, don’t forget to share and subscribe. If you enjoy my work and dedication to films, please feel free to support me on https://www.patreon.com/kaygazpro. Any contribution is much appreciated and valued.

    Solidarity for all the innocent lives who suffer the atrocities of war!

    Stay safe!

    Saint Maud (2020)

    Kay
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    Saint Maud (2020)

    A young religious nurse moves to a remote town to treat a housebound terminal patient, making her mission to save her soul.

    Feature debut for writer/director Sophie Glass, who, so far, directs only what she writes. Using a flashback in the opening sequence is not uncommon but Glass’ shots are, admittedly, impressive. The first half-hour is spent on Maud’s character development and her relationship with Amanda. The confrontation with Carol and Joy’s comment indicates how much we don’t know about Maud but should have suspected in the first place.

    The moment she cannot pretend anymore… the moment she unleashes her true self… Glass’ lens pays tributes to Hitchcock and DePalma while adding her own personal touch. She infiltrates Maud’s mind, dissects her martyrdom/schizophrenia, and restricts the narrative to only to her interpretation of signs. Consequently, this raises the question: How should I interpret those signs? Religion and mental health had been interchangeable for centuries, something that Glass manages to sink her teeth in but mostly provokes in less than an hour and a half.

    Saint Maud is a phenomenal psychological horror that aims to shock you to your core, and Morfydd Clark, fully understanding Glass’ vision, goes the extra mile with a breathtaking performance. Jennifer Ehle also plays her part beautifully, resembling a younger Meryl Streep. Extra credits go to A24 that invested in the film, Ben Fordesman for the haunting cinematography, Mark Towns for perfectly controlling the pace and rhythm, Adam Janota Bzowski for his hair-raising soundtrack, and every member of the cast and crew who strived for perfection.

    Saint Maud becomes a proud addition to the British horror genre where you don’t know what’s gonna happen until it happens. Turn off the lights, throw the phones away, and get ready to be blown away.

    Please, don’t forget to share and subscribe. If you enjoy my work and dedication to films, please feel free to support me on https://www.patreon.com/kaygazpro. Any contribution is much appreciated and valued.

    Solidarity for all the innocent lives who suffer the atrocities of war!

    Stay safe!

    The Whisperer in Darkness (2011)

    Kay
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    0
    The Whisperer in Darkness (2011)

    Alleged evidence of ancient creatures will make a professor travel to a remote village only to discover that the truth is a lot more frightening than he anticipated.

    Pseudo-noir and semi-serious, H.P. Lovecraft’s adaptation does not rank very high on my “Favourite Lovecraft Films”. Having said that, this merely means that I didn’t enjoy this ecranisation. Writer/director Sean Branney and writer Andrew Leman collaborate once more on a Lovecraft adaptation in reverse roles – Leman directed The Call of Cthulhu (2005), and Branney wrote the script – and, I must say, the way they have envisioned Lovecraft’s writings, his world, and his creatures is captivating. As much as the film itself resembles a student project, the script is tight, engaging, and… Lovecraftian!

    There are moments, I believe, taken from In the Mouth of Madness (1994) – by far my favourite Lovecraftian adaptation – but it is definitely not plagiarism, just inspired by it. There are numerous filmmaking issues that I will not go into as I respect the hard effort the filmmakers put into it. It is a very decent film with very honest intentions. If you are passionate about Lovecraft, like I am, you will turn a blind eye to whatever seems unreal. You’ll enjoy the visualised version of the homonymous story by Branney and Leman, two truly loyal fans of the man who changed the literature of horror as we know it.

    Please, don’t forget to share and subscribe. If you enjoy my work and dedication to films, please feel free to support me on https://www.patreon.com/kaygazpro. Any contribution is much appreciated and valued.

    Solidarity for all the innocent lives who suffer the atrocities of war!

    Stay safe!

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