-
Hops and Box Office Flops: ‘ANNIHILATION’
It’s a Metaphor Annihilation is based upon a 2014 novel of the same name. And it is director Alex Garland’s follow up to his highly acclaimed directorial debut Ex Machina. Like that title, Annihilation is much more than the sum of its parts. Certainly, it is a Sci-Fi film where a team of women head into the unknown, the Shimmer as its called, to identify the source of the invading entity. But that is just the surface. Annihilation is also about marital infidelity and the cost our decisions have on the ones we love. The setting is more a metaphorical trapping for how such things irrevocably change us. Yes, listeners, this is highbrow fare, and…
-
Hops and Box Office Flops: ‘THE MATRIX RESURRECTIONS’
Face-Zucker-Suck The Matrix Resurrections ushers us back into the false and hollow reality that is the Matrix. It’s been 18 years since we’ve entered the virtual dystopia. And the last time we were thrust into its oppressive confines, the results were less than stellar. 1999’s original two sequels sort of divided general audiences. The visuals and exceptional stunts were still there, but the message was lost in translation. As for The Matrix Resurrections, it is not the hit the first one was, but it’s certainly not the other two either. It goes back more to the basics, centering the story around the inextricable bond between Neo (Keanu Reeves) and Trinity (Carrie-Anne Moss). This, of course,…
-
Hops and Box Office Flops: ‘DUNE’
Spice Up Your Life Dune, based upon Frank Herbert’s classic 1965 novel, has been done before on both big screen and small, but never to this scope or scale. Denis Villeneuve—given the resources and technology—has crafted a faithful and awe-inspiring interpretation of the novel’s first half. Thankfully—based upon recent remarks—Paul Atreides’ adventure will not end here. This is literally half a story. And without the rest, it would not stand particularly well on its own. Unlike something like Zack Snyder’s Justice League—which has a definitive ending, despite teasing more—Paul’s story in this film ends on a cliffhanger. We won’t spoil it here, as we do over the pod, but Baron Vladimir…
-
Hops and Box Office Flops: ‘THEY LIVE’
All Out of Bubblegum They Live is a bonafide cult classic. And it works not only as a critique on rampant consumerism and Reagan-era economics, but also as a guilty pleasure action movie. The premise is simple: Nada—played by “Rowdy” Roddy Piper—is awakened to the horrific reality the world is actually living in through the lenses of special sunglasses. That world is one run by an unknown alien race, who are bleeding humans dry and lulling them into complacency through the content they absorb. Television, billboards, magazines, and even money all instruct people to do as they are told—to not think or have imagination. Carpenter’s intentions are about as subtle as…
-
Hops and Box Office Flops: ‘THE VOID’
Right Next Door to Hell From the directing team of Jeremy Gillespie and Steven Kostanski—the latter of which helmed indie hit PG: Psycho Goreman—The Void is a tension-fueled ride that relies heavily on practical effects and pace to maximize its sense of dread. It works. And it is worth your investigation, especially if you are a fan of Lovecraftian horror. Those inspirations are quite evident. The Void involves a cult, a small town, and the cosmic terrors that lie outside our consciousness. That conceit isn’t all that original, but its execution is what sets the film apart. From its ominous opening onward, Gillespie and Kostanski build an uneasy atmosphere—an uncertainty akin to what lurks beyond.…
-
The Scarlet Fan Presents: AMC’s Into The Badlands – “An Opera of Blades”
The Scarlet Fan Presents Invites you to check out the opera of blades, stylistic brawls and survival that is AMC’s Into the Badlands.
Your source for DC, Marvel, Star Wars, Valiant, and more!
