Based on the Marvel Comics series by Jack Kirby, Eternals is the story of an immortal alien race who arrive on Earth to protect humanity from their evil counterparts as they reunite centuries later when the creatures known as Deviants have returned. Directed by Chloe Zhao and screenplay by Zhao, Patrick Burleigh, Ryan Firpo, and Kaz Firpo from a story by the Firpos, the film is an action-adventure story about a group of immortal figures who deal with the aftermath of an event that brought half of the universe’s population back as well as evil forces where they all deal with their separation and the many lives they endured. Starring Gemma Chan, Richard Madden, Kumail Nanjiani, Lia McHugh, Bryan Tyree Henry, Lauren Ridloff, Barry Keoghan, Don Lee, Harish Patel, Kit Harrington, Salma Hayek, and Angelina Jolie. Eternals is a dazzling yet messy film from Chloe Zhao.
The film revolves around a group of immortal alien figures who arrive on Earth to protect humanity from evil creatures known as Deviants where the group reunite centuries later to deal with return of Deviants but also an event they have to ensure happens. It is a film that is about a family of sorts who all reunite centuries later as they live on Earth for a long time observing and interacting with humanity and civilization as the events of the Blip that lead to the return of half of the population who were wiped out five years before by Thanos suddenly lead to the return of the Deviants. The film’s screenplay does a lot of world building and establishing who the Eternals are yet it unfortunately takes up a lot of time for the narrative to have the entire team reunite but also deal with their own ideological differences, views on humanity, and their mission at hand as they have to serve the Celestial god known as Arishem (voice of David Kaye). The narrative for much of its first act also play into flashbacks into the lives of the Eternals including an event that lead to their break-up as well as other issues following their last encounter with the Deviants.
The titular group of consist of ten individuals each with a special power as they’re lead by their spiritual leader/healer Ajak (Salma Hayek) who is also the bridge between them and the Celestials. There’s also the empathetic Sersi (Gemma Chan) who can manipulate matter through physical contact, Ikaris (Richard Madden) who can fly and shoot cosmic beams with his eyes who is determined to finish his mission, the illusionist Sprite (Lia McHugh) who has the physical appearance of a 12-year old girl, the comical Kingo (Kumail Nanjiani) who shoots cosmic beams with his hands as he’s become a Bollywood star, the weapons and technological inventor Phastos (Brian Tyree Henry), the deaf Makkari (Lauren Ridloff) who possesses super-speed, mind-manipulator Druig (Barry Keoghan), the strongman Gilgamesh (Don Lee), and the goddess of war in Thena (Angelina Jolie) who can create weapons with her own powers. They all have something to offer but are broken apart by idealistic views on humanity and the decision to not interfere in human conflicts or events under Arishem’s rule. Upon the events of the Blip and the re-emergence of the Deviants, the team struggle to get themselves back on board due to various issues but also the fact that some of them have their own lives and are reluctant to take part in this conflict where the stakes are larger.
Chloe Zhao’s direction is definitely astonishing for the fact that it’s shot on various locations and its emphasis on realism about the evolution of civilization. Shot on various locations such as London, South Dakota, the Canary Islands, and Los Angeles, Zhao does create a film that does take place many centuries where the narrative flashbacks to the age of cavemen, Babylonia, the Incas, and the present world in the aftermath of the Avengers’ war against Thanos. Zhao’s usage of wide and medium shots to establish the locations and the world these characters are in as they interact with the world or observe the world around them. The way Zhao establishes the Eternals and how they impacted civilization early on does showcase moments that do play into their development but Zhao is unable to maintain that same momentum following their break-up as the reunion goes on for a long time.
While there are these moments that do play into the drama with Zhao’s usage of the medium shots and close-ups as it help audiences be engaged by the characters. There are moments where it drags too long for each member to reunite with one another as there’s also a lot of baggage from everyone in the team to deal with. Phastos is man with a son and a husband he loves as he had lost interest in creating new tech following a major historical event while Thena is a woman that is going through serious mental issues and memory loss due to centuries of fighting. For nearly two hours into the film, the two acts serve as not just to establish the team and who they are but also their reunion and the stakes of the mission as it could’ve been trimmed. Even as the third act reveal some revelations on Arishem’s motives as well as why the Deviants were created as it is clunky though there is some amazing action and drama that occur in the film. Overall, Zhao crafts an engaging yet extremely uneven film about a group of immortals trying to save Earth one last time following the return of their old foes.
Cinematographer Ben Davis does brilliant work with the cinematography with its emphasis on natural lighting for many of the daytime exterior scenes along with some low-key lighting for the exterior scenes at night and other stylish lighting including Kingo’s Bollywood film set. Editors Craig Wood and Dylan Tichenor do fine work with the editing as it has some style in the jump-cuts and allowing shots to linger though there’s moments where it does feel too long as the film could’ve trimmed 15 minutes from its running time. Production designers Eve Stewart and Clint Wallace, along with set decorators Pancho Chamorro and Michael Standish plus supervising art director Matthew Gray, do amazing work with the look of the Domo ship interiors as well as Ajak’s home in South Dakota, Gilgamesh and Thena’s home in Australia, Druig’s camp in the Amazons, and Phastos’ home in Chicago. Costume designer Sammy Sheldon does excellent work with the costumes from the casual look of the group in their non-hero suits to the design of the superhero suits they wear upon their arrival on Earth.
Hair/makeup/prosthetics makeup designer Frances Hannon does fantastic work with the look of the characters as it play into the different periods with Thena having a unique look of her own as does Ajak. Special effects supervisor Neil Corbould and visual effects supervisor Stephane Ceretti do incredible work with the look of the Deviants, the exterior of the Domo spaceship, and other effects as the mixture of practical and computerized effects as it is a highlight of the film. Sound designers David Farmer and Addison Teague, along with sound editor Daniel Laurie, do superb work with the sound as it play into the atmosphere of the locations as well as some of the sound effects into the powers that the Eternals have. The film’s music by Ramin Djawadi is wonderful for its orchestral-based score as it play into elements of bombast for some of the action and suspenseful scenes along with low-key string-based pieces for the dramatic moments while music supervisor Dave Jordan create a soundtrack that features different array of music that include pop, country, rock, hip-hop, Bollywood-based music, and others that feature contributions from Lizzo, BTS, Skeeter Davis, Foreigner, and Pink Floyd.
The casting by Sarah Finn and Anna Tenney is marvelous as it feature some notable small roles from Haaz Sleiman as Phastos’ husband Ben, Esai Daniel Cross as Phastos’ and Ben’s son Jack, Zain Al Rafeea as a villager who first meets the Eternals after being saved from a Deviant, Bill Skarsgard as the voice of an evolved Deviant in Kro, and David Kaye as the voice of the Celestial God Arishem. Harish Patel is terrific as Kingo’s manager Karun who films everything for Kingo’s documentary on the Eternals as he provides some humor but also some nice insight on his view on the group. Kit Harrington is superb as Sersi’s boyfriend Dane Whitman who works at the Natural History Museum in London as he is hoping to commit to her.
Lauren Ridloff and Barry Keoghan are excellent in their respective roles as Makkari and Druig with the former being a deaf yet funny Eternal with super-speed as she communicates through sign language while the latter is a sarcastic yet passionate figure with the power to manipulate minds as a way in wanting to stop conflicts in the hope he can save humanity. Brian Tyree Henry and Salma Hayek are brilliant in their respective roles as the technology inventor Phastos and the group leader/healer Ajak as the former being someone who hoped to create things that would help civilization only to retreat after catastrophic events to become a family man while the latter is a spiritual figure who communicates with Arishem where she never questions his motives until the return of the Deviants as she begins to question him as well as having a change of heart about the mission at hand. Don Lee and Angelina Jolie are amazing in their respective role as the super-strongman Gilgamesh and the warrior goddess Thena with the former being a man who is powerful but also someone with a lot of heart and patience in taking of the latter where Jolie displays a woman who is suffering from serious PTSD and weariness while also dealing with memory loss as it relates to her life fighting against Deviants.
Kumail Nanjiani is remarkable as the powerful yet witty Kingo who spent almost a century being a Bollywood film star as he brings a lot of humor but also questions about the mission at hand where he isn’t sure of being involved in something that would break up the team again. Lia McHugh is incredible as Sprite as a master illusionist who can create things yet has the body of a 12-year old girl who can’t age where she laments not being able to grow up while having her own feelings for Ikaris. Richard Madden is marvelous as Ikaris as a Superman-like persona who can fly and shoot cosmic beams with his eyes as a figure who is intent on wanting to finish his mission as well as reunite with his former flame in Sersi in the hope they can stay together after the mission. Finally, there’s Gemma Chan in a phenomenal performance as Sersi as the empath Eternal who can manipulate matter through physical touch while discovering new powers as a way to deal with the Deviants while lamenting over her love for humans and the stakes of the mission itself where she has to take charge in the film’s climax.
Eternals is a stellar yet wildly uneven film from Chloe Zhao. While it features a great ensemble cast, dazzling visuals, a cool music soundtrack, and some amazing action scenes. It is a film that is ambitious yet is hampered by wanting to be both a superhero film and an art film as it never found its balance despite some exciting moments. In the end, Eternals is a good film from Chloe Zhao.
For the 44th week of 2021 as part of Wandering Through the Shelves' Thursday Movie Picks. We return to the subject of Oscar winners in the award for Best Animated Feature. An award created in 2001 as it was an overdue category that needed to be created ever since animated feature films were created. Here are my three picks as they’re winners who aren’t from Disney/Pixar:
From Hayao Miyazaki and Gibli Studios is a fantasy film that explores a young girl trying to find her parents in a fantasy world where she is forced to grow up and deal with dark magic and other strange spiritual creatures. It is a film that is rich in its imagery as it play into Miyazaki’s love of fantasy and monsters but also childhood innocence as it is a coming-of-age story of sorts yet is filled with a lot of heart about growing pains and a girl having to deal with changes in her life.
2. Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit
From Aardman Animations and the duo of Nick Park and Steve Box is the feature film series featuring their star duo in Wallace and Gromit as it play into the respective man-and-dog duo who deal with a horde of rabbits for an upcoming giant vegetable festival. Yet, things start to go wrong as it involves a giant rabbit and Wallace becoming a were-rabbit in this homage to the Hammer Horror films of the 1960s where there is a lot of hilarity but also some amazing stop-motion animation.
From Marvel and Sony Animations under the direction of Bob Persichetti, Peter Ramsey, and Rodney Rothman is an animated film that definitely raises the bar of what animation could be. Even in the realm of the super-hero films as it tells the story of Miles Morales and how he would become the next Spider-Man under the tutelage of other Spider-Mans. Filled with an array of different animation style, there is an element that also explore so much more in terms of its character development as well as emphasizing on diversity in the fact that Morales is an African-American-Hispanic kid from Brooklyn who has his own ideas of what he can be as Spider-Man.
For the first time ever in 26 years, the Atlanta Braves have won the World Series once again! November 2, 2021 is a great day to be from the ATL. Yet, this is bittersweet since my father isn't here in person to experience this but I know he is fucking love this. Most of all, this win is for my 2-year old nephew Matteo and my soon-to-be 8 month old niece Adalina as they can now call Atlanta their home and the home of fucking champions. Yet, this victory is for the late, great Hank Aaron. The true major league baseball homerun king! Barry Bonds, suck my fucking dick you overrated cheating piece of shit. Happy that the Truist Stadium is only a couple of miles from where I live where the Battery is off the fucking chain. Time to celebrate with the music of the ATL. Outkast, Mastodon, Deerhunter, Goodie Mob. ATL is going to fucking represent bitches! Everyone who said we weren't going to win this without Ronald Acuna CAN GO FUCK THEMSELVES!!!!! ATLANTA MOTHERFUCKERS!!!! HOME OF THE FUCKING UNITED AND HOME OF THE FUCKING BRAVES! If the Falcons can get their shit together and the Hawks can improve on the past season where they were kicking ass in the playoffs. ATL is the place to be despite the fact that our governor is a stupid-ass cunt who takes it up the ass from the fuckhead who can't even do a fucking tomahawk chop right because he's a bitch! Thank you Braves. For the fucking A!!!!!
We’re now 2 months away from the end of another year and things are still insane as far as the fact that we’re not out of this pandemic but there are people who have now become imbeciles. Anti-vaxxers are now a big problem and if anyone is going to threaten my own safety and the safety of my family. They better take a step back as I am in no mood to hear that bullshit. It’s bad enough that people like Eric Clapton, Ian Brown of the Stone Roses, and Van Morrison have become stupid but now someone like Ice Cube is now in that dumbass club along with Nicki Minaj and, not surprisingly, Chris Brown in this anti-vaccination rhetoric. I am really tired of people arguing over stupid things as I’m also not a fan of cancel culture as I think this was created by a generation of people who choose to spend their time making other people just as miserable as they are.
They think they’re in the right and feel the need to call out others for their own fuck-ups. I am glad my father isn’t alive to see this as it would’ve just pissed him off and only make him sicker than he was when he was seriously ill. This is just all a fucking witch hunt by a group of people who have nothing better to do with their lives than just bitch about everything. I admit to being a pessimist knowing that there’s so many things wrong with the world but I often keep forgetting that there’s also good things that I want to hold on to and all of these people want to get rid of it because it offends them in certain ways. If I want to be miserable, I’d rather do it on myself and not hurt anyone else as I am tired of seeing everyone trying to make everyone else feel like shit. I don’t like being labeled and I don’t want to be put into some group. I am just me.
Thank goodness for the world of cinema, TV, music, and professional wrestling for giving me joy. It hasn’t just been this sense of escape that I needed from the bullshit of the world but also allow me to connect with others as professional wrestling in general is on the upswing as I’ve now been trying to compile a list of the year’s best matches. So far, much of them have been from AEW with one exception from the NWA in a NWA Women’s World Championship match between Kamille against AEW’s Leyla Hirsch from the NWA Empowerr show this past month. This along with this past Wednesday’s match in the AEW TBS Championship eliminator tournament match between Serena Deeb and Hikaru Shida is proof of what women’s professional wrestling should be instead of lazy-ass 2-3 minute matches from Meekmahan-land’s stupid Queen’s Crown tournament.
If there’s one person that I could say is the wrestler of the year in 2021 so far… It’s the Tribal Chief…. No. Not the Big Dog and he’s not the even the real Tribal Chief. That belongs to the Bunny who managed to draw a similar rating than him and Brock Lesnar so I acknowledge her as the Head of the Table and as my Tribal Chief. OK, the real contender for Wrestler of the Year is Bryan Danielson. Headlining the 2nd night of WrestleMania in a triple-threat match against Edge and Roman Reigns for the Universal Title to his arrival in AEW on All Out this past Labor Day weekend lead to not just some of the best matches of the year. He also did different things with different opponents from insane brawls with the likes of Eddie Kingston and Minoru Suzuki to some technical-based matches with Bobby Fish and Aaron Solow. It’s not his time to be the AEW World Champion but no one could touch at this point. He is definitely reminding me of what Bret Hart was doing in the 1990s as I grew up a fan of Hart as he always found different ways to win but also create these matches that were high above what everyone else was doing. I hope to go to an AEW show next year as it has made me love pro wrestling all over again.
In the month of October 2021, I saw a total of 20 films in 10 first-timers and 10 re-watches which I think is decent as I only saw one film as part of the 52 Films by Women pledge as I had hope to watch more. One of the highlights of the month has been my Blind Spot in Perfect Blue. Here are my top 5 first-timers that I saw for October 2021:
This is a favorite of my nephew as he just loves the visuals, the humor, and the setting of it as it was a much better film than I thought it would be. Set in 1959 in a small Italian port town, the film definitely owes a lot to the films of Italian cinema of the times including Federico Fellini as well as some of the colors of Hayao Miyazaki. Yet, there is a touching story to be told as it relates a young sea monster who turns human when he arrives on dry land as he befriends another sea monster where they help a young girl win a competition that a local bully always win. The ensemble voice cast that includes Jacob Tremblay, Jack Dylan Grazer, Emma Berman, Maya Rudolph, and Jim Gaffigan plus an un-credited voice appearance from Sacha Baron Cohen add a lot to the film’s charm but there is also a lot of heart as it’s film that I liked a lot more than I thought as my mother also enjoyed the film as it made her want to go to Italy.
Dark Side of the Ring (season 3-episodes 10-14)
The last five episodes of this season definitely tackle some serious subjects such as the complicated and troubled life of Luna Vachon who is probably one of the most underrated wrestlers and personalities in the business who suffered from bipolar and other issues. It was an episode that was heartbreaking to watch as how she was mistreated in WWE as they didn’t use her properly like other companies including ECW. One of my favorites is about Atsushi Onita and FMW as it was this balls-to-the-wall death-match promotion in the 1990s that was hot as Onita was a god who did exploding barbed wire death matches with Terry Funk as it rose high and fell hard when Onita left the company in the mid-90s. The episode on Rob Black and XPW was a fascinating one as it was this west coast version of ECW but with emphasis on porn as it also played into Black’s paranoia and his issues with the government over his pornographic material as a lot of it is disgusting.
The episode of Johnny K-9 as a renegade wrestler who also got himself in biker gangs and later into some serious trouble is one I didn’t know about but it was the one that I really got me intrigued into a man who loved wrestling but also wanted to make a lot of money only to put himself and his family in trouble. The season finale on the WWF steroid scandal of the early 1990s and the 1994 trial was a fitting close to the season as it play into how Meekmahan won with the help of longtime attorney Jerry McDevitt as it was a fun episode despite the fact that McDevitt is a smug piece of shit but a smart motherfucker while New York Post journalist Phil Mushnik is still a piece of shit.
Acapulco (season 1-episodes 1-5)
One of two shows from Apple TV+ that I am watching right now and a show that my mother is also watching is a follow-up of sorts of the 2017 film How to Be a Latin Lover that starred Eugenio Derbez and Raphael Alejandro as their reprise their roles where the former tells a story to the latter about his early life working at a luxurious hotel in Acapulco during the 1980s. Five episodes in so far and it is a show full of charm, humor, and heart as well as mixing the languages of English and Spanish in a way that isn’t distracting. The ensemble cast is just incredible as they all have a lot of heart as well as breaking certain stereotypes as well as displaying ideas of culture clash, ageism, and identity. It is a show that is starting to get some views and it is a show that is needed in these troubled times.
Ted Lasso
The other show from Apple TV+ that I saw is one I had kept hearing about and wow… not only did it live up to everything people had been saying but it is a show that I just fell in love with. It is a show about an American college football team who goes to Britain with his buddy to coach a football team unaware that its owner wants the team to fail as a way to spite her ex-husband. However, the titular character’s optimistic persona wins over everyone including the owner, a grouchy veteran, a cocky star player, a model who later becomes the PR official, and others. The first season did a lot in not just establishing the characters and the game itself but also the culture of British football clubs as Jason Sudeikis’ performance as the titular character is just someone full of charm and good will as you can’t help but root for him. Hannah Waddington’s performance as new owner of AC Richmond in Rebecca Welton is also a joy as someone who went from trying to destroy her team to becoming a supporter of Lasso’s vision and the team itself as well as trying to get out of the shadows of her douchebag ex-husband Rupert.
The second season is just as incredible as it focuses more on AC Richmond trying to get back in the Premier League with a few recurring characters given more to do in the season while also introducing a new character in Dr. Sharon Fieldstone, played with such delight by Sarah Niles, who is this pessimist challenge to the optimistic Lasso who does confess his own issues for the first time. Yet, the character of Nate who starts off in the first season as a kit manager and then a coach is the one who gets the biggest development as someone that gets some attention but it all goes to his head as his actions in the end of the second season sets the stage for what is to come. It is a phenomenal show that definitely deserves the praise and accolades it is getting in not just being funny but also having a lot of heart.
Well, that is it for October as the next two months will be intense in terms of film-watching as I have a ticket for Eternals in the coming week while I hope to see Last Night in Soho, The French Dispatch, and hopefully No Time to Die along with films available on Netflix, Apple TV+, and Disney+ including Get Back. Other films from my never-ending DVR list as well as some DVD/Blu-Rays I have are going to be in the mix as my next Blind Spot will be focused on Rainer Werner Fassbinder’s BRD trilogy as I still haven’t made a final choice of the films for next year’s Blind Spot Series. Until then, this is thevoid99 signing off and hoping that everyone has a Happy Halloween and Go Braves!
Based on the novel by William Lindsay Gresham, Nightmare Alley is the story of a small-time carny who finds himself part of a carnival where he falls for a performer as he schemes his way out of the world as well as showcase his ambitions that would lead to his downfall. Directed by Edmund Goulding and screenplay by Jules Furthman, the film is a stylish suspense-drama set in the world of the circus as it plays into a man trying to charm his way to fame and success only to embark on a nightmare of his own. Starring Tyrone Power, Joan Blondell, Coleen Gray, and Helen Walker. Nightmare Alley is a riveting and enchanting film from Edmund Goulding.
The film revolves around a carny who joins a carnival where he learns about a performance where he can know things as he falls for another performer where they create an act that gets the attention of a psychiatrist who would play into his downfall. It is a film that explores a man wanting to scheme his way into getting riches through the world of carnivals where he would play a part in helping a performer following an unfortunate event while falling for another performer whom he would help. Jules Furthman’s screenplay is straightforward in its narrative yet it is more about the schemes and journey of its protagonist Stanton “Stan” Carlisle (Tyrone Power) who is first seen as a carnival barker as he looks around where he notices an act performed by Zeena (Joan Blondell) who has the mental ability to know what is on that person’s mind as it is an act that she perfected with her alcoholic husband Pete (Ian Keith).
Stan befriends and woos Zeena but also notices that Pete is becoming unreliable where Stan would take over for Pete as he would use Zeena’s code and methods for his own show with another carnival performer in Molly (Coleen Gray). Upon taking his act with Molly to the cities and the big time, Stan becomes successful but he also gets the attention of the renowned psychiatrist in Lilith Ritter (Helen Walker) who decides to work with Stan based on recordings of her sessions as part of a bigger scheme that Molly doesn’t approve of. Even as it would play into the idea of faith and those who are ravaged in grief where the script play into the morals of trying to manipulate people with knowledge as it would play into Stan’s own downfall.
Edmund Goulding’s direction does have some style in some of the imagery and compositions that he creates from the craziness of the carnival circuits to the lavish world of the cities. Shot largely on location in California with a few bits in Chicago, Goulding creates a film that play into the contrasting world of the carnivals and the more high-class shows that Stan would play to a posh crowd. There are wide shots to play into the locations and places that the characters are where Goulding knows where to place the camera to get a look into what someone in the audience is seeing or an incident that Stan is witnessing. There are also medium shots and close-ups that play into some of the conversations including moments of Stan trying to flirt with a woman or moments that are dramatic as it play into some of the suspense in how Stan deals with his schemes and trying to manipulate people claiming he knows something about them as much of it is a guess. Goulding’s direction also play up this air of style in the way he play into presentation of the circus for some of the scenes at night such as the scene where Stan bullshits a local sheriff who was about to arrest Molly for indecent exposure.
Goulding’s direction would become stylized when Stan meets Lilith as she would take part in a scheme as a way to make money but also push Stan to his limits. Notably in a scene involving a man in a skeptic in Ezra Grindle (Taylor Holmes) following a performance where Molly is reluctantly involved as it is a key moment that begins the film’s third act. It would push the limits of what is moral and immoral as Stan is an immoral figure of sorts but even he would have his limits as he definitely found a match in Lilith who proves to be far more immoral as well as someone who is smarter than Stan in this idea of human nature. Overall, Goulding crafts an intoxicating yet eerie film about a carny who schemes is way to stardom and success only to meet his match in a devilish shrink.
Cinematographer Lee Garmes does incredible work with the film’s black-and-white cinematography with its stylish usage of shadows and light for some of the exterior scenes at night in the circus along with some vibrant lighting for the interior scenes in some of the posh shows that Stan and Molly perform at. Editor Barbara MacLean does excellent work with the editing as it is straightforward with some rhythmic cuts for some of the film’s dramatic and suspenseful moments. Art directors J. Russell Spencer and Lyle Wheeler, with set decorator Thomas Little, do amazing work with the look of the circus sets as well as the posh places and such that Stan and Molly would be in along with Lilith’s home apartment.
Costume designer Bonnie Cashin does fantastic work with the design of the costumes in the clothes that Zeena and Molly wear in their performances along with the stylish clothes of Lilith as well as the tuxedo that Stan wears in his performances. The sound work of Roger Heman Sr. and E. Clayton Ward do superb work with the sound as it play into the atmosphere of the carnivals with its crowd and such to the eerie and quiet moment during the scene where Stan tries to scheme Grindle. The film’s music by Cyril Mockridge is wonderful for its orchestral score that ranges from soaring and intense to play into the suspense as well as some somber pieces for the dramatic moments.
The film’s marvelous ensemble cast feature some notable small roles from Julia Dean as an old woman who is enchanted by Stan, James Burke as a sheriff, and Roy Roberts as a carnival owner late in the film. Ian Keith is terrific as Zeena’s alcoholic husband Pete as a man who helped perfect Zeena’s act but is burned out while Mike Mazurki is superb as Bruno as a carnival performer who is protective of everyone as he doesn’t trust Stan. Taylor Holmes is fantastic as Ezra Grindle as a posh friend of Lilith who is skeptical of Stan’s gifts while is also someone who is still dealing with his own crises of faith. Helen Walker is excellent as Lilith Ritter as a psychiatrist who is intrigued by Stan’s performances as she decides to take part in his scheme where Blondell displays a lot of charm to a woman who is truly a cunning and devious figure who is smarter than Stan.
Coleen Gray is brilliant as Molly as a young performer who joins Stan in his act while she is someone who is also a moral compass as she becomes troubled by his schemes as she felt that their act owes a lot to what Zeena has done. Joan Blondell is amazing as Zeena as a performer who has mastered the gift of manipulation in knowing people’s secrets while is also protective of her craft while lamenting over her husband’s issues. Finally, there’s Tyrone Power in a phenomenal performance as Stanton “Stan” Carlisle as a carny who is eager to make some big cash and do more as he charms his way to get what he wants as well as create the ultimate show only to later cope with guilt and the fact that he has gone too far in his schemes as it is a dark yet charismatic performance from Power in one of his career-defining performances.
Nightmare Alley is a sensational film from Edmund Goulding that features a great leading performance from Tyrone Power. Along with its ensemble cast, dazzling visuals, themes of morality and the power of knowledge to manipulate, and its sumptuous music score. It is a film noir suspense-drama that play into the fallacies of ambition as well as a man trying to manipulate those only to meet his match in someone far more immoral. In the end, Nightmare Alley is a spectacular film from Edmund Goulding.
Edmund Goulding Films: (Sun-Up) – (Sally, Irene and Mary) – (Paris (1926 film)) – (Women Love Diamonds) – (Love (1927 film)) – (The Trespasser) – (The Devil’s Holiday) – (Reaching for the Moon) – (Grand Hotel) – (Blondie of the Follies) – (Riptide) – (The Flame Within) – (That Certain Woman) – (White Banners) – (The Dawn Patrol) – (Dark Victory) – (The Old Maid) – (We Are Not Alone (1939 film)) – (‘Til We Meet Again) – (The Great Lie) – (Forever and a Day) – (The Constant Nymph) – (Claudia (1943 film)) – (Of Human Bondage) – (The Razor’s Edge (1946 film)) – (Everybody Does It) – (Mister 880) – (We’re Not Married!) – (Down Among the Sheltering Palms) – (Teenage Rebel) – (Mardi Gras)
Based on the novel Perfect Blue: Complete Metamorphosis by Yoshikazu Takeuchi, Perfect Blue is the story of a young singer from pop idol group who leaves music to pursue acting only be stalked by a mysterious person leading to some gruesome murders. Directed by Satoshi Kon and screenplay by Sadayuki Murai, the film is an exploration of a young woman’s desire to do other things as she deals with her fans but also a growing disconnect with reality. Featuring the voices of Junko Iwao, Rica Matsumoto, Shiho Niiyama, Masaaki Okura, Shinpachi Tsuji, and Emiko Furukawa. Perfect Blue is a rapturous yet eerie film from Satoshi Kon.
The film follows a young woman who chooses to leave a pop group to pursue acting where a series of murders had occurred on people around her as she also deals with a mysterious stalker who had created a website claiming to be her. It is a film that is about a young woman trying her hand in another form but also to grow out of the role of an innocent teen idol to work in television. Sadayuki Murai’s screenplay blur the line of what is real and what is fiction in the world that the film’s protagonist Mima Kirigoe (Junko Iwao) who wants to move on from being a teen pop idol and try her hand in acting where she gets a small role in a TV show as she managed to impress producers and others. Yet, there is someone who isn’t fond of her leaving her pop group as a mysterious figure stalks her while Mima would notice that a website with a diary she had written is making claims about her time as an actress where Mima believes that her old teen idol persona is wreaking havoc as she copes with the growing deaths and chaos that looms around her.
Satoshi Kon’s direction is definitely stylish in not just his approach to blurring the idea of reality and fiction but also play up into this new world of the internet and social media. With the help of animation director/character designer Hideki Hamazu, Kon creates a film that explores a young woman trying to make a change with her life as it play into the world of TV shows with some violent imagery as it is this different change to the world that Mima was previously was in that involved singing to teenagers as part of a pop trio. Kon’s compositions are largely intimate in the usage of close-ups and medium shots where he focuses a lot on the characters with some wide shots on their surroundings that include scenes where Mima is looking out at her apartment wondering who is stalking her. Kon also plays up into some of the sexuality as it relates to Mima emerging into adulthood as well as taking on provocative things such as a rape scene for the show where she plays a stripper or posing nude for a photographer.
It adds to this conflict about growing into adulthood away from the world of adolescent as Mima is often dealing her previous persona as a teen idol as the nudity that Kon presents is often seen innocently except in moments of violence. The violence is filled with blood gushing out as well and in slow motion at times where characters are killed or attacked in brutal manners. Kon’s approach to blurring the lines of fantasy and reality is a crucial as it play into Mima’s own mental state where she deals with the guilt over the people who have been killed. Even in the presentation of the show that Mima is in adds to this blur of reality and fiction where it does play into Mima coping with who she is but also what she used to be. The film’s climax is intense but it also play into the idea of identity as it relates to Mima as well as those around her in what they want her to be instead of who she wants to be. Overall, Kon crafts an evocative yet harrowing film about a young woman dealing with a stalker and a series of murders relating to her ascent as an actress.
Cinematographer Hisao Shirai does excellent work with the cinematography in maintaining some lighting textures for some of the scenes at night along with some of the interiors. Editor Harutoshi Ogata does brilliant work with the editing as it play into the suspense and drama with some of its jump-cuts and other stylish cuts. Art director Nobutaka Ike does amazing work with the look for some of the backgrounds in the places that Mima goes to along with her apartment and the TV studio set. Sound designer Shizuo Kurahashi does superb work with the sound in not just some of the sound effects that are created but also in the atmosphere to play into the world that Mima is in. The film’s music by Masahiro Ikumi is incredible for its orchestral score that also feature elements of electronic and pop music with the latter being something that Mima was a part of as it play into the world she used to be in.
The film’s wonderful ensemble voice cast feature some notable small roles from Masashi Ebara as a photographer who would photograph Mima in some provocative photos, Kiyoyuki Yanada as the show’s director, Emi Shinohara as the revered TV star Eri Ochiai, and Masaaki Okura as the creepy stalker known as Me-Mania who wears a gray uniform and is always lurking on set. Shinpachi Tsuji is excellent as Mima’s agent Tadokoro who is trying to get Mima some legitimate work as well as knowing that she wants to do more adult material. Rica Masumoto is amazing as Mima’s longtime manager Rumi who introduces Mima to the internet while dealing with the challenges Mima is facing as she expresses concern that Mima is going too far as Rumi was once a teen pop idol singer. Finally, there’s Junko Iwao in a brilliant voice performance as Mima Kirigoe as a former singer for a teen pop group who decides to try her hand at acting where Iwao displays a lot of the anguish and uncertainty of a young woman wanting to do something new as well as provide this disturbing take of a young pop idol trying to return to that role.
Perfect Blue is a spectacular film from Satoshi Kon. Featuring an ensemble voice cast, dazzling visuals, its theme of identity and adulthood, its hypnotic score, and its stylized presentation of sex and violence. It is a film that explores a young woman dealing with not just a series of murders and a stalker but also demons relating to who she once was and who she is trying to be. In the end, Perfect Blue is a phenomenal film from Satoshi Kon.
Villeneuve also play up into this world of politics such as scene of Duke Atrides being confronted by Baron Harkkonen as the compositions that Villeneuve create is filled with this dramatic tension while the third act plays into the aftermath of the threat that is Paul Atrides. Notably as Atrides and Lady Jessica deal with the world they’re in but also revelations about why their house was sent to Arrakis. The final moments of the film is more of setting up of what is to come since the film basically sets up a lot of what happens in the first half of the book. Yet, Villeneuve is able to do more than just establish the world and these characters but also the stakes itself in what Paul has to do for Arrakis and the universe itself. Overall, Villeneuve crafts a ravishing yet intoxicating film about a young man taking his steps into finding himself amidst a troubling intergalactic conflict on a repressed planet.
Cinematographer Greig Fraser does incredible work with the film’s cinematography in its emphasis on natural lighting for many of the daytime exterior scenes on Arrakis along with some of its interior scenes in the caves and tunnels along with the usage of low-key lighting for some of the interior/exterior scenes at night as it is a highlight of the film. Editor Joe Walker does excellent work with the editing as it is largely straightforward with some rhythmic cuts to play into some of the action and drama while also knowing when to have shots linger for a bit to play up the suspense. Production designer Patrice Vermette, with supervising art director Tom Brown and senior art director Karl Probert plus set decorators Richard Roberts and Zsuzsanna Sipos, does phenomenal work with the look of the city and spice refinery on Arrakis as well as the space ships and the way the home of the Harkkonens look as it play into their personality. Costume designers Bob Morgan and Jacqueline West do amazing work with the design of the refined suits of the House of Atrides as well as the gowns of the Bene Gessirit and the clothes of the Harkkonens.
Hair/makeup/prosthetics makeup designer Donald Mowat does brilliant work with some of the prosthetics that include some of the makeup of the characters such as Gaius Helen Mohiam and some of the Harkkonens including Baron Harkkonen in his obese yet larger-than-life persona. Special effects supervisor Gerd Nefzer and visual effects supervisor Paul Lambert do superb work with the effects from the usage of prosthetics in the look of some of the space ships along with digital effects into the look of the giant sand worms including the detail in its mouth. Sound editors Theo Green and Mark A. Mangini do tremendous work with the sound as it adds to the film’s atmosphere in the way the sand worms emerge along with the thumpers to attract their attention as well as the way the space ships and such sound as it is a highlight of the film. The film’s music by Hans Zimmer is sensational for its bombastic score that features elements of bass-heavy electronics and orchestral bits along with vocal choirs and such, with vocal contributions from Lisa Gerrard of Dead Can Dance, to play into the scale of the film as it is a highlight while music supervisors Peter Afterman and Alison Litton cultivate a soundtrack that features some folk-like pieces and other electronic pieces to play into the world that the characters are in.
The casting by Jina Jay and Francine Maisler is marvelous as it feature some notable small roles from Roger Yuan as Gurney’s right-hand man Lt. Lanville, Golda Rosheuvel as the Fremen maid Shadout Mapes who assists Lady Jessica in Arrakis, Benjamin Clementine as an imperial delegate who brings an order to Duke Atrides early in the film, Babs Olusanmokun as a Fremen in Jamis who challenges Paul’s allegiance late in the film, Chang Chen as Suk physician Dr. Wellington Yueh who works for the House of Atrides as he is a man dealing with conflict of his own, David Dastmalchian as the Harkkonen official who aids in political dealings and matters of torture, Stephen McKinley Henderson as the House of Atrides’ official Thufir Hawat who also deals in political matters and the handling of security, and Zendaya in a fantastic small role as the Fremen Chani who appears in Paul’s dreams as a symbol of hope as well as someone who is part of a rebellion against the Harkkonens and the emperor. Dave Bautista is superb as Baron Harkkonen’s brutish nephew Glossu Rabban as a figure who kills people and does whatever his uncle asks him to while also realizing the big threat this is Paul Atrides.
Javier Bardem is terrific as the Fremen chieftain Stilgar as a man who is suspicious of the House of Atrides’ arrival only to realize their motives as he would play a bigger role late in the film. Sharon Brewster-Duncan is excellent as Dr. Liet-Kynes in a role that was originally as a man where Brewster-Duncan brings a lot of gravitas and charisma to the role as a planetologist who works for the emperor yet realizes that something isn’t right where she would help out the House of Atrides as she knows a lot about life on Arrakis. Jason Momoa and Josh Brolin are amazing in their respective roles as Paul’s mentors in the sword master Duncan Idaho and the weapons master Gurney Halleck as two men who teach Paul on the ideas of combat with Momoa as someone who got to know the Fremen as he is also aware that something is off while Brolin’s performance as Gurney is more reserved as someone who isn’t as trusting as Idaho but is loyal to the House of Atrides. Charlotte Rampling is brilliant in her small role as Gaius Helen Mohiam as the Bene Gessirit Reverend Mother who tests Paul on his skills and realizes that he is powerful where she sees him as a threat.
Stellan Skarsgard is incredible as Baron Vladimir Harkkonen as this evil and greedy figure who is obese and creepy in his look while displays a chilling tone to his character as someone that wants it all and to destroy everyone in his path. Oscar Isaac is remarkable as Duke Leto Atrides as the head of House of Atrides who is hoping to bring peace and prosperity to Arrakis while learning that he’s become a political target where he copes with not just the expectations for his son but also the fate of his family. Rebecca Ferguson is phenomenal as Lady Jessica as Duke Atrides’ concubine and a Bene Gessirit priestess who taught Paul special vocal powers as she deals with her role as a Bene Gessirit but also the big role that Paul might have to play. Finally, there’s Timothee Chalamet in a tremendous performance as Paul Atrides as the son of Duke Atrides who is a young man trying to learn about the universe as he has visions that could be about the future while dealing with the role he has to play where Chalamet brings a lot of that air of uncertainty but also someone who knows he has to grow as it is a career-defining performance for Chalamet.
Dune-Part One is a magnificent film from Denis Villeneuve. Featuring an incredible ensemble cast, rapturous visuals, astonishing set pieces, its emphasis on themes of politics and colonialism, and Hans Zimmer’s phenomenal score. The film is definitely a grand piece of art that doesn’t just live up to the vision of Frank Herbert but also be a sci-fi film that does a lot more than just be action in favor of characters, motivations, and the stakes. In the end, Dune-Part One is an outstanding film from Denis Villeneuve.
For the 42nd week of 2021 as part of Wandering Through the Shelves' Thursday Movie Picks for its Halloween Edition. We go into the subject of horror comedies as horror often takes themselves seriously sometimes yet there are films that refuse to take themselves seriously and play for laughs as there’s been a recent number of horror comedies that have managed to bring new life to the genre. Here are my three picks as they’re all sequels:
1. Addams Family Values
Barry Sonnenfeld’s sequel to the 1991 film is a rare sequel that outdoes its predecessor as it involves the newest addition to the Addams Family with Wednesday and Pugsley not happy about it until a new nanny arrives and suggests that the kids go to camp while she pursues Uncle Fester. It is an incredible film that is also educational about the ideas of conformity and not wanting to do things that everyone else does. Having seen this film in the theaters at the age of 12, it taught me a lot about the fallacies of society where kids who don’t look a certain way or fit in are often treated like shit. That is why you don’t fuck with Wednesday Addams as she manages to bring in some truth that needed to be said and also do the things that needed to be done. Yet, it still pains me and my younger sister back then that we never saw someone actually get burned but there’s always that fantasy.
2. Scary Movie 2
While it is a spoof film that makes fun of horror films and in crude ways, the sequel from Keenan Ivory Wayans features what might be one of the great opening sequences to a film in a parody of The Exorcist with James Woods in a small role as that priest as it was meant to be played by Marlon Brando. Nevertheless, Woods doesn’t just kill it in that sequence but it is the funniest moment in the film as everything doesn’t live up to it. Still, it does showcase a lot of the things in horror about how black people often die in films as the African-American characters do what they can to survive as there’s a bunch of silly shit including the always-horrible Tori Spelling having sex with an invisible ghost who realizes made a mistake.
3. Happy Death Day 2U
Christopher B. Landon’s sequel to the 2017 horror comedy is just as creative as its predecessor in not just exploring time-loops but also alternate timelines as it brings in much of the film’s original cast plus a few new players in this mystery of who is trying to kill Tree again and such. Jessica Rothe doesn’t just deliver in the role of Tree but also manages to do more funny things including a sequence where she would kill herself in creative ways so she can get the right algorithm to get back home. It is a funnier film but also knows when to play up its suspense as well as do more with its ensemble cast including Rachel Matthews as frenemy Danielle who gets to have her moments to shine.
Written and directed by Carlo Mirabella-Davis, Swallow is the story of a young woman who marries a wealthy man as she starts to swallow inedible objects as a way to cope with newfound marriage and stifling domestic life. The film is a character study of a woman coming apart in her new world as she becomes troubled by her surroundings as well as the expectations of being the wife of a wealthy man. Starring Haley Bennett, Austin Stowell, Elizabeth Marvel, David Rasche, and Denis O’Hare. Swallow is a haunting and compelling film from Carlo Mirabella-Davis.
The film is the simple story of a poor woman who is married to a man from a wealthy family as she becomes pregnant yet becomes suffocated by her new environment and the role that she is meant to play where she starts to swallow inedible objects to cope with her issues. It is a film with a simple premise yet it is a character study of a woman who marries into a family of wealth where their son is expected for great things as he demands that his wife be this object of perfection and beauty. Carlo Mirabella-Davis’ script has a straightforward narrative yet it focuses largely on its protagonist in Hunter Conrad (Haley Bennett) who spends much of her time at home cleaning and such as a way to make her husband Richie (Austin Stowell) happy but she becomes unhappy due to his neglect and the presence of his parents who want her to be this figure that they need for their image. Still, Hunter begins to unravel as her condition, known as pica, would worsen as Richie’s parents hire a family friend in Luay (Laith Nakli) to watch over her yet he starts to see that something isn’t right as does Hunter’s psychiatrist Alice (Zabryna Guevara) who manages to get something from Hunter realizing what is wrong.
Mirabella-Davis’ direction is stylish in its compositions as there are little movements in the camera yet much of it has the camera not moving in order to create these shots to play into Hunter’s disconnect with the world she’s in. Shot on various locations in Highland, New York near the Hudson River where Richie and Hunter’s home is as well as other locations in upstate New York. Mirabella-Davis plays up this world that Hunter is in as it is spacious and posh with the finest furniture and decorations yet it is also quite cold as the usage of wide and medium shots play into this growing disconnect that Hunter has in her home as well as the world around her. The usage of close-ups come in whenever Hunter would swallow an object such as a marble, a paper clip, and other things eventually swallowing something as dangerous as a thumbtack. It adds to this air of danger and disruption into Hunter’s marriage to Richie while the signs that not everything as it seems come early when Richie complains about a silk tie that’s been ironed.
Mirabella-Davis also play up into the psyche of Hunter as she would fall apart but then get better and then fall apart again such as a key shot in the second act where Richie is having a phone conversation while Hunter is planting flowers. It is a moment where Hunter’s own secrets about her life begins to play into her head as she would later hide in shame with Luay realizing that something isn’t right in that house despite the fact that he’s working for Richie’s parents to watch her. The third act does play into not just the air of extremes that is pushed for Hunter but also revelations about her marriage along with the need to understand on who she is. Overall, Mirabella-Davis crafts a mesmerizing yet unsettling film about a woman with a troubling condition in pica as a way to cope with her new marriage and suffocating environment.
Cinematographer Katelin Arizmendi does excellent work with the film’s cinematography to play up the bright look of the house interiors in the day along with some low-key lighting for some scenes at night including a party scene where a co-worker of Richie uses a stupid flirt trick. Editor Joe Murphy does terrific work with the editing as a lot of it is straightforward with some long shots that do linger for a bit to play into Hunter’s own growing isolation. Production designer Erin Magill and set decorator Frank Baran do amazing work with the look of the interior at Richie and Hunter’s home including the room for the baby as well as their bedroom as it play into the disconnect that Hunter is coping with. Costume designer Liene Dobraja does fantastic work with the costumes from the expensive clothes that Richie wears along with some of the posh dresses and such that Hunter wears as it play into the role that she has to play for Richie’s family and friends that eventually becomes stifling.
Special effects supervisor Pete Gerner and visual effects supervisor Alex Nobel do wonderful work with some of the film’s minimal visual effects in a few of the objects along with some set dressing in a few scenes. Sound editor Michael Kurihara does superb work with the film’s sound as the usage of natural sounds at the house add to the tense and troubling atmosphere in the film as it also amps up the drama. The film’s music by Nathan Halpern is brilliant for its orchestral score as it play into the drama as well as Hunter’s own isolation while music supervisor Joe Rudge provides a soundtrack that add to that isolation ranging from classical, jazz, dance, and new wave.
The casting by Allison Twardziak is incredible as it feature some notable small roles from Babak Tafti as a co-worker of Richie that uses a pick-up line to win over women, Nicole Kang as a young girl named Bev, Lauren Velez as that girl’s mother Lucy, Zabryna Guevara as Hunter’s psychiatrist Alice who gets an understanding of what Hunter is dealing with, Laith Nakli as a family friend of Richie’s parents who watches over Hunter as he also has an understanding that Richie nor his parents are able to comprehend, and Denis O’Hare in a superb performance late in the film as a man that Hunter needed to meet as he would give her some answers. David Rasche and Elizabeth Marvel are excellent in their respective roles as Richie’s parents in Michael and Katherine Conrad with the former being a man of control as he is trying to make sure Hunter gets the best treatment but with motives of his own while the latter is also a person of control as she tries to get Hunter to read self-help books and such while also having a motive of her own.
Austin Stowell is brilliant as Richie Conrad as a wealthy man who is destined to take over his father’s business as he is someone that is also controlling while he has own reasons in wanting to marry Hunter. Finally, there’s Haley Bennett in a phenomenal performance as Hunter as this young woman from a poor background who marries this man thinking she’s got it made only to feel lost and suffocated in her new life. There is an element of restraint in Bennett’s performance as this woman that has no clue on the role she should play as her act of swallowing inedible objects is defiant as it play into the horrors of the role she is meant to play as it is a career-defining performance for Bennett.
Swallow is an incredible film from Carlo Mirabella-Davis that features a great leading performance from Haley Bennett. Along with its supporting cast, striking visuals, an unsettling tone, an offbeat music soundtrack, and its themes of identity and isolation. It is a psychological drama that doesn’t play by the rules as it explore a woman coping with her new life and how it leads to self-destruction along with revelations about the role she is meant to play for others. In the end, Swallow is a phenomenal film from Carlo Mirabella-Davis.
