I always look forward to Sonny’s assigned viewing, and the seed of the sacred fig was both great and super relevant obviously. Took a couple sessions to get through between parenting and work commitments, but well worth the running time.
I think your review of 28 Years was spot on: It felt like three different movies. I would say the last one, especially the last scene, was my least favorite by far. It felt like that tonal shift cheapened the entire movie.
I’m honestly very curious to see how average audiences react to this. Critics largely love this bit (I’d say 80-20 in favor) just because it’s so DIFFERENT and we spend so much time watching the same sort of thing. Critics crave difference (yours truly very much included). Audiences, though, tend to dislike it. They want stuff to be the same. I would not be surprised if they really punish the movie for going out on that note in terms of word of mouth.
I think that last scene is another v British reference. It appears to make us Brits think of a radio tv personality, Jimmy Savile, who was a big name in the 1970s including doing a show where he helped kids fulfill their dreams (Jim’ll Fix It). After he died his v sick behaviour, long rumoured, was made public. If that reference is correct it would suggest that Spike has fallen into v bad company
Thinking of the fast vs slow zombie debate, slow emphasise that zombies are implacable, they will get you in the end. In classic Doctor Who the slow movement of the Cybermen, a race of zombie like cyborgs, made them more frightening, they don't need to move fast. The 1983 episode 'The Five Doctors' has the Jon Pertwee Doctor and Sarah Jane stalked by a troupe of Cybermen, when Sarah Jane comments that their pursuers don't move fast the Doctor replies that they don't need to as they never get tired.
No mention of "World War Z"? One of the few zombie movies or series that I've seen, but one that I thoroughly enjoyed. With ultra-fast & swarming zombies.
Zombies in mythic terms are insatiable, unthinking, unappeasable appetite.
The explosion and persistence of zombie stories over the last two decades is our herd brainstem telling us we know this (gestures to extractive late-stage capitalism) all can’t go on.
The Last of Us suffered not because of the cellar dwellers who hate Bella Ramsey for very sad reasons but because the script was uninteresting. Once the Joel-El relationship was broken, the writers were unable to make us care about anyone else. Dina is a capable actor, Tommy and Jesse are too. O'Hara was great in her 3.25 scenes but who cares.
Abby's crew. were incompetent. Elle is incompetent, suddenly Tommy and Jesse are incompetent. Why care about them? The zealots are incompetent. The Wolves are incompetent.
You can definitely make a movie with your phone. Last weekend, my brother and I spent hours re-enacting and filming scenes from “Aliens” and various Clint Eastwood movies with my little rescue terrier Beto in a starring role. Strategic handouts of chicken treats helped Beto method-act his way through the famous Bill Paxton lines, “Game over, man. Game over!”
re "The season’s central conflict—between a group of survivors in Seattle and Ellie and Joel in Wyoming—is self-consciously about “the cycle of violence,” how eye for an eye leaves everyone blind, and other self-congratulatory platitudes that inspire eye rolls more than shudders of fear."
This is why I didn't like Season 2 - all it was about was revenge. Stupid to do that given how few people are around; also, Joel did at least have it coming for all the people he killed end of season 1.
More zombies? I rolled my eyes at how many zombies there are still around. And how they just seem to pop up from nowhere. So plenty of zombies for me...
What I admired about the second season of The Last Of Us was how bold it was about telling a story that was sure to upset lots of viewers, but in a way that felt true to its characters instead of an empty provocation. But I went into it without having played the second game and without knowing there are more seasons planned, so I don't know how the whole story ultimately resolves.
As a matter of genre, I could understand someone being frustrated with how light it was on zombies, though.
I always look forward to Sonny’s assigned viewing, and the seed of the sacred fig was both great and super relevant obviously. Took a couple sessions to get through between parenting and work commitments, but well worth the running time.
Nice, glad you enjoyed it!
I think your review of 28 Years was spot on: It felt like three different movies. I would say the last one, especially the last scene, was my least favorite by far. It felt like that tonal shift cheapened the entire movie.
I’m honestly very curious to see how average audiences react to this. Critics largely love this bit (I’d say 80-20 in favor) just because it’s so DIFFERENT and we spend so much time watching the same sort of thing. Critics crave difference (yours truly very much included). Audiences, though, tend to dislike it. They want stuff to be the same. I would not be surprised if they really punish the movie for going out on that note in terms of word of mouth.
I think that last scene is another v British reference. It appears to make us Brits think of a radio tv personality, Jimmy Savile, who was a big name in the 1970s including doing a show where he helped kids fulfill their dreams (Jim’ll Fix It). After he died his v sick behaviour, long rumoured, was made public. If that reference is correct it would suggest that Spike has fallen into v bad company
I would have a much higher opinion of the movie if that fight had been a post-credits scene.
Thinking of the fast vs slow zombie debate, slow emphasise that zombies are implacable, they will get you in the end. In classic Doctor Who the slow movement of the Cybermen, a race of zombie like cyborgs, made them more frightening, they don't need to move fast. The 1983 episode 'The Five Doctors' has the Jon Pertwee Doctor and Sarah Jane stalked by a troupe of Cybermen, when Sarah Jane comments that their pursuers don't move fast the Doctor replies that they don't need to as they never get tired.
No mention of "World War Z"? One of the few zombie movies or series that I've seen, but one that I thoroughly enjoyed. With ultra-fast & swarming zombies.
Zombies in mythic terms are insatiable, unthinking, unappeasable appetite.
The explosion and persistence of zombie stories over the last two decades is our herd brainstem telling us we know this (gestures to extractive late-stage capitalism) all can’t go on.
The Last of Us suffered not because of the cellar dwellers who hate Bella Ramsey for very sad reasons but because the script was uninteresting. Once the Joel-El relationship was broken, the writers were unable to make us care about anyone else. Dina is a capable actor, Tommy and Jesse are too. O'Hara was great in her 3.25 scenes but who cares.
Abby's crew. were incompetent. Elle is incompetent, suddenly Tommy and Jesse are incompetent. Why care about them? The zealots are incompetent. The Wolves are incompetent.
And not nearly enough Zombies
You can definitely make a movie with your phone. Last weekend, my brother and I spent hours re-enacting and filming scenes from “Aliens” and various Clint Eastwood movies with my little rescue terrier Beto in a starring role. Strategic handouts of chicken treats helped Beto method-act his way through the famous Bill Paxton lines, “Game over, man. Game over!”
re "The season’s central conflict—between a group of survivors in Seattle and Ellie and Joel in Wyoming—is self-consciously about “the cycle of violence,” how eye for an eye leaves everyone blind, and other self-congratulatory platitudes that inspire eye rolls more than shudders of fear."
This is why I didn't like Season 2 - all it was about was revenge. Stupid to do that given how few people are around; also, Joel did at least have it coming for all the people he killed end of season 1.
More zombies? I rolled my eyes at how many zombies there are still around. And how they just seem to pop up from nowhere. So plenty of zombies for me...
What I admired about the second season of The Last Of Us was how bold it was about telling a story that was sure to upset lots of viewers, but in a way that felt true to its characters instead of an empty provocation. But I went into it without having played the second game and without knowing there are more seasons planned, so I don't know how the whole story ultimately resolves.
As a matter of genre, I could understand someone being frustrated with how light it was on zombies, though.