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    CAYOM Magazine

    in Create A Year Of Movies (CAYOM)

    Posted · Edited by MCKillswitch123

    @CayomMagazine

     

    From James McTeigue, the director of V for Vendetta...

     

    ...and producer Lana Wachowski, co-director of The Matrix trilogy and sole director of The Matrix Resurrections...

     

    ...based on the groundbreaking cyberpunk novel by William Gibson...

     

    THEY WILL JACK INTO OUR LIVES.

     

    Tune in for the first teaser trailer, during the Y10 Academy Awards cerimony.

     

    #neuromancer

     

    Phoenix Fire Pictures | Village Roadshow Films

    • Like 2

    The Top 100 Most Critically Acclaimed Films of CAYOM 3.0 [Up Until Y9] According to Metacritic

    in Create A Year Of Movies (CAYOM)

    Posted · Edited by MCKillswitch123

    These are ranked in order of (these function as tie-breakers; when there's no tie-breaker, films are grouped together):

    1. their Metacritic score;
    2. the amount of positive, mixed or negative reviews they have (positive mixed swings in favor of a film; negative swings against a film; and mixed can go either way);
    3. the amount of reviews that were written about them;
    4. alphabetical order (though, as mentioned, films that are ranked lower for alphabetical order are pretty much in the same position as the ones that are tied in the other tie-breakers).

    The top 100 films are:

    1. Notes from the Otherspace (Y3) - 99 [6 positive]
    2. 24 Hours (Y5) - 97 [8 positive]
    3. Flowers for Algernon (Y1) - 96 [7 positive]
    4. The Odyssey: The Counsel of the Dead (Y3) - 96 [6 positive]
    5. The Bronx is Burning (Y8) - 95 [10 positive]
    6. The Odyssey: Homecoming (Y4) - 95 [8 positive]
    7. The Scavenger Wars Part II (Y5) - 95 [8 positive]
    8. Laika (Y7) - 94 [11 positive]
    9. And the Band Played On... (Y2) - 94 [7 positive]
    10. Paradise Island (Y6) - 93 [9 positive]
    11. A Woman in the Crowd (Y5) - 93 [8 positive]
    12. Fortnight (Y4) - 93 [5 positive]
    13. Ms. Blakk 4 President (Y7) - 91 [11 positive]
    14. World of Trouble (Y8) - 91 [10 positive]
    15. Seeing Her (Y1) - 91 [8 positive]
    16. Blank (Y2) - 91 [7 positive]
    17. Bambi: A Life in the Woods (Y5) - 91 [7 positive, 1 mixed]
    18. The Epsilon Syndicate: Union of Thieves (Y5) - 90 [9 positive]
    19. Olive the Other Reindeer (Y5) - 90 [8 positive]
    20. Lord of the Flies (Y2) - 90 [7 positive]
    21. White Hurricane (Y1) - 90 [7 positive]
    22. Countdown City (Y7) - 89 [11 positive]
    23. The Scavenger Wars Part III (Y7) - 89 [11 positive]
    24. Gateways (Y6) - 89 [9 positive]
    25. Spark: Beyond the Sky (Y4) - 89 [8 positive]
    26. The Most Wanted Man in Great Britain (Y6) - 89 [8 positive, 1 mixed]
    27. The Scavenger Wars (Y3) - 89 [7 positive]
    28. The Parvelli Reunion (Y2) - 89 [6 positive]
    29. The Queen Who Never Was (Y9) - 89 [6 positive]
    30. Flightless Bird: The Downfall of the Boeing 737 MAX (Y8) - 88 [11 positive]
    31. Sandboy (Y8) - 88 [11 positive]
    32. Learning to Care (Y8) - 88 [10 positive]
    33. The Hunchback of Notre Dame (Y1) - 88 [7 positive]
    34. Silent Hill: Innocence Lost (Y3) - 88 [6 positive]
    35. Roman Fever (Y7) - 87 [12 positive]
    36. Notorious (Y7) - 87 [11 positive]
    37. Olive's Hallowed Eve (Y8) - 87 [9 positive, 1 mixed]
    38. Me and My Shadow (Y1) - 87 [8 positive]
    39. Cataclysmic (Y3) - 87 [7 positive]
    40. War of the Gods (Y2) - 87 [7 positive]
    41. Spark: Rising (Y1) - 87 [7 positive]
    42. The Chrysalids (Y3) - 87 [6 positive]
    43. Steel Streaks (Y5) - 86 [10 positive]
    44. Spark: A Hero's Promise (Y6) - 86 [9 positive]
    45. The Last Policeman (Y6) - 86 [8 positive, 1 mixed]
    46. Matilda and the Night Children (Y9) - 86 [7 positive]
    47. Our City (Y2) - 86 [7 positive]
    48. The Prince of Egypt (Y3) - 86 [7 positive]
    49. The Truth About the Harry Quebert Affair (Y1) - 86 [7 positive]
    50. Pillars of Eternity: Never Far from the Queen (Y5) - 86 [7 positive, 1 mixed]
    51. Megalo Box (Y7) - 85 [11 positive]
    52. Hilda and the Midnight Giant (Y7) - 85 [10 positive, 1 mixed]
    53. Sylvarius (Y5) - 85 [8 positive]
    54. Can You Imagine? (Y4) - 85 [7 positive]
    55. The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl (Y5)  - 85 [7 positive]
    56. Midnight in the Afghan Valley (Y2) - 85 [6 positive]
    57. On the Beach (Y2) - 85 [6 positive]
    58. The Terrible Plight of Freddy Zapper (Y2) - 85 [6 positive]
    59. Everything I Never Told You (Y8) - 84 [10 positive]
    60. Plus One (Y6) - 84 [9 positive]
    61. The Rich and Famous (Y5) - 84 [8 positive]
    62. Two Lonely Bounty Hunters (Y5) - 84 [8 positive, 1 mixed]
    63. Birdwing (Y7) - 83 [10 positive, 1 mixed]
    64. Fantasia: The Next Dimension (Y5) - 83 [7 positive, 1 mixed]
    65. Heremias (Y9) - 83 [6 positive]
    66. The Adventures of Scrooge McDuck (Y1) - 83 [6 positive, 2 mixed]
    67. Bounty Hamster (Y2) - 83 [5 positive, 1 mixed]
    68. The Last Airbender: The Boy in the Iceberg (Y8) - 82 [10 positive]
    69. Fatal Attraction (Y7) - 82 [10 positive, 1 mixed]
    70. Everything We Miss (Y8) - 82 [8 positive, 2 mixed]
    71. Borrasca (Y6) - 82 [8 positive, 1 negative]
    72. The Curse of Monkey Island (Y1) - 82 [7 positive]
    73. A Month at Belmond Lane (Y4) - 82 [6 positive]
    74. Looping (Y7) - 81 [11 positive]
    75. Voicemail (Y6) - 81 [9 positive]
    76. Yin (Y5) - 81 [9 positive]
    77. Green Lantern Corps: Home (Y7) - 81 [9 positive, 2 mixed]
    78. Toons v Reality (Y7) - 81 [9 positive, 2 mixed]
    79. The Mirage (Y9) - 81 [7 positive]
    80. 56 Days of Love (Y2) - 81 [6 positive]
    81. Faces & Voices: The True Story of Milli Vanilli (Y1) - 81 [6 positive, 1 mixed]
    82. The Odyssey: The Spoils of War (Y2) - 81 [6 positive, 1 mixed]
    83. The Final Cut (Y7) - 80 [11 positive]
    84. The First Month (Y7) - 80 [10 positive, 1 mixed]
    85. Pillars of Eternity: An Ancient Legacy (Y7) - 80 [10 positive, 1 mixed]
    86. Crusader (Y5) - 80 [9 positive]
    87. American Dragon: Flash Point (Y5) - 80 [8 positive]
    88. Children of Eden (Y6) - 80 [8 positive, 1 mixed]
    89. Warmth (Y9) - 80 [7 positive]
    90. The SCP Foundation (Y1) - 80 [7 positive, 1 mixed]
    91. Acne (Y9) - 80 [6 positive]
    92. The Square Mile (Y4) - 80 [6 positive]
    93. The Number One Dime (Y3) - 80 [5 positive, 2 mixed]
    94. Adult Swim Bomb Scare Non-Fiction Documentary for Theaters (Y7) - 79 [11 positive]
    95. Scooby-Doo: Cult of the Creeper (Y7) - 79 [9 positive, 3 mixed]
    96. Tower of Babylon (Y7) - 79 [9 positive, 1 mixed, 1 negative]
    97. By the Balls (Y4) - 79 [7 positive, 1 mixed]
    98. The Three-Month Funeral (Y5) - 79 [7 positive, 1 mixed]
    99. Voltron: Defenders of the Universe (Y1) - 79 [7 positive, 1 mixed]
    100. The Towering Inferno (Y2) - 79 [6 positive]

    Placements per player in the Top 100:

    @4815162342 - 18

    @Blankments / EGK - 17

    @Ezen Baklattan - 15

    @cookie - 11

    @Xillix - 9

    @Rorschach - 6

    @YM! - 6

    @Alpha - 5

    @SLAM! - 4

    @Hiccup23 - 3

    @Bastien - 2

    @MCKillswitch123 - 2

    @Electric - 1

    @Ethan Hunt - 1

     

    And to add to this, the top 50 WORST - or Most Critically Panned - films of the first nine game years of 3.0:

    Spoiler
    1. Brickleberry: Armoogeddon (Y6) - 7 [9 negative]
    2. Rapsittie Street Kids: A Bunny's Tale (Y6) - 7 [7 negative]
    3. Redeeming Love (Y3) - 7 [6 negative]
    4. The 120 Days of Sodom (Y2) - 8 [6 negative]
    5. Peter and the Starcatchers (Y2) - 8 [6 negative]
    6. Homestar Runner's Cruddy Movie (Y3) - 9 [7 negative]
    7. The Turkey Squad: The Fred Durst Cut (Y8) - 12 [6 negative]
    8. RuPaul's Best Friend Race (Y3) - 12 [1 mixed, 5 negative]
    9. Socksucker (Y9) - 13 [7 negative]
    10. Unknown Sender (Y3) - 14 [5 negative]
    11. Don't Go Outside (Y1) - 15 [7 negative]
    12. The Disappointment (Y7) - 16 [11 negative]
    13. Up the Butt (Y5) - 16 [9 negative]
    14. Stacie (Y1) - 16 [1 mixed, 6 negative]
    15. A White Man, a Black Man (Y4) - 16 [1 mixed, 5 negative]
    16. An Odd Road Trip (Y5) - 17 [2 mixed, 7 negative]
    17. The Three Caballeros Ride Again (Y8) - 18 [2 mixed, 9 negative]
    18. Johnny Test (Y4) - 18 [1 mixed, 6 negative]
    19. Bro Time (Y3) - 19 [6 negative]
    20. Frosted (Y4) - 19 [5 negative]
    21. 2 Lonely 2 Zookeepers (Y3) - 19 [2 mixed, 4 negative]
    22. Meme Th(II)eves (Y8) - 20 [1 mixed, 9 negative]
    23. Fatal Error (Y9) - 21 [8 negative]
    24. Life After Death (Y2) - 21 [1 mixed, 5 negative]
    25. Uglies (Y3) - 21 [1 mixed, 5 negative]
    26. Son of Rosemary (Y4) - 21 [1 mixed, 5 negative]
    27. Love After Loving (Y7) - 22 [2 positive, 9 negative]
    28. Guinea Pigger (Y9) - 22 [7 negative]
    29. Seduction (Y1) - 22 [8 negative]
    30. The Devil's Hitman (Y1) - 22 [1 positive, 7 negative]
    31. The Ultimate Prank (Y1) - 22 [2 mixed, 6 negative]
    32. Two Lonely Zookeepers (Y2) - 22 [6 negative]
    33. Monster Bug Wars: The Spider Path (Y8) - 23 [3 mixed, 8 negative]
    34. SoulCalibur (Y3) - 23 [1 mixed, 5 negative]
    35. Truth Is (Y2) - 23 [2 mixed, 4 negative]
    36. White Wyvern (Y8) - 24 [1 mixed, 10 negative]
    37. Monster Bug Wars: The Scorpion Path (Y8) - 24 [3 mixed, 8 negative]
    38. Brandybrook (Y1) - 24 [1 positive, 1 mixed, 7 negative]
    39. Father (Y3) - 24 [1 mixed, 5 negative]
    40. 3:32 AM (Y7) - 26 [2 mixed, 9 negative]
    41. Whinge & Cringe (Y9) - 26 [3 mixed, 5 negative]
    42. 3.37 AM (Y4) - 26 [1 mixed, 4 negative]
    43. Cabana Boys (Y4) - 26 [1 mixed, 4 negative]
    44. Father III - All Hell Breaks Loose (Y9) - 27 [1 mixed, 6 negative]
    45. Ice Station (Y3) - 27 [1 mixed, 5 negative]
    46. Second Wind: Stormy Seas (Y3) - 27 [1 mixed, 5 negative]
    47. Not Funny (Y3) - 27 [2 mixed, 4 negative]
    48. Home Invasion: Part III - Hunted (Y8) - 28 [2 mixed, 9 negative]
    49. Columbine (Y7) - 29 [1 positive, 1 mixed, 9 negative]
    50. Killer Plane (Y1) - 29 [1 positive, 1 mixed, 6 negative]

     

    • Like 4
    • Thanks 1

    The Top 100 Films of the 2020's OW+PTA+DOM+OS+WW

    in Box Office Discussion

    Posted

    Updated as of April 2nd, 2024!

     

    Keynotes:

    • Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero has been bumped off the Top 100 DOM OW's list;
    • the opening weekend of F9: The Fast Saga has been bumped off the Top 100 DOM PTA's list;
    • Halloween Ends and Wish have been bumped off the Top 100 DOM list;
    • Embrace Again (Chinese film) has been bumped off the Top 100 OS list.
    • Like 2

    The Box Office Buzz, Tracking, and Pre-Sale Thread

    in Box Office Discussion

    Posted · Edited by MCKillswitch123

    12 hours ago, leoh said:


    67M???? Don’t set yourself up for deception…

     

    Moster-Verse is a declining franchise, Monster-Verse movies are declining every new instalment they release.

     

    2014 200M
    2016 160M
    2019 110M

    2021 100M

     

    However, WB will release it during Easter break long weekend (Friday to Monday), when ~68% of schools will be closed this year. This may help it to surpass the previous 48M OW.

     

    So currently I’d say 50-55M is more realistic.


    Monster-verse movies aren’t a big deal in the US. International market is the reason why Legendary carries on producing these movies. And it seems it’ll do pretty well in China.



     

     

     

     

    Lmfao, are you seriously using day-and-date, pandemic-stricken Godzilla vs. Kong, the first movie post-COVID to make $100m domestic, as an example of the franchise being in diminishing returns?

     

    I'm willing to bet physical money that the New Empire film beats it DOM.

    • Like 3
    • Thanks 1

    CAYOM Magazine

    in Create A Year Of Movies (CAYOM)

    Posted · Edited by MCKillswitch123

    @CayomMagazine

     

    Despite the success of Y9's Invader Zim, Phoenix Fire Group announces today that its family animation arm, Phoenix Fire Family Animation, is merging with the alternative animated studio, Phoenix Fire Artstyles, to become a single Artstyles studio. Every Family Animation employee will continue to work in Artstyles, focusing on the studio's CGI-animated output.

     

    Phoenix Fire was moved to do this mainly because of a number of reasons: Y10's LittleBigPlanet is expected to be both a financial and critical disappointment for the Family Animation studio, potentially a box office failure considering its $120 million budget; Phoenix Fire is interested in the idea of mainstream and non-mainstream animation sold by the same brand, slowly conditioning audiences to expect quality for all audiences (inspired by cases such as Sony Pictures Animation, Endless Animation and Cookie Pictures Animation); and the success (critical and commercial) of Artstyles films like the Vixen series, The Quest for Buster's Bones and the Tatiana franchise, the latter featuring the highest grossing Phoenix Fire film, Mighty Fall, with the Y10 sequel, Tatiana's Journey, expected to also be successful. And while the Artstyles label has also had its flops, such as Y8's Dave-Day and Dreams, and Y9's Whinge & Cringe, the creatives at Phoenix Fire believe that the brand has garnered a substantial fandom at this point.

     

    Y11 is predicted to have at least two family-oriented entries, both originally set to be released by PFFA: the LGBT-themed Dualheart, directed by Lauren Faust (My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic) and Steven Clay Hunter (the Pixar short Out); and the Halloween-themed The Spiritual Specialists, directed by Kristen Lester (Purl, Zimmer Pictures' Smile) based on a Laura Pamenter short story. More may be to come, including an experimental sequel to LittleBigPlanet utilizing the actual video game's in-built level designer to create a film then to be shown in theaters.

    • Like 1

    CAYOM Magazine

    in Create A Year Of Movies (CAYOM)

    Posted · Edited by MCKillswitch123

    @CayomMagazine

     

    Phoenix Fire Pictures is proud to announce that it's going all-in on its partnership with The New Yorker Studios, with whom it has already produced some of its Y10 pictures - Christina Choe's The Enormous Radio, based on John Cheever's short story; and Sarah Polley's The Lottery, an adaptation of the historic Shirley Jackson work.

     

    Coming soon, some of the films we have in store:

    • Ryusuke Hamaguchi's Town of Cats, based on Haruki Murakami's story, to come in Y11;
    • also in Y11, David Fincher makes his return to CAYOM with The Catbird Seat, inspired by James Thurber's story;
    • currently set for Y12, with a yet unannounced director, Hiroshima, the adaptation of the famous New Yorker publication entirely dedicated to John Hersey's year-later article on the atomic bomb dropped in Hiroshima, then turned into a book;
    • with no current date (though they may be fast-tracked for the near future), adaptations of George Saunders' sci-fi story Offloading for Mrs. Schwartz, and Joyce Carol Oates' flash fiction work Where Are You?.
    • Like 2

    The Top 100 Films of the 2020's OW+PTA+DOM+OS+WW

    in Box Office Discussion

    Posted

    Updated as of March 12th, 2024!

     

    Keynotes:

    • Wish has been bumped off the Top 100 DOM OW's list;
    • the opening weekend of Fast X has been bumped off the Top 100 DOM PTA's list;
    • Boonie Bears: Back to Earth has been bumped off the Top 100 OS list;
    • DC League of Super-Pets and The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It were bumped off the Top 100 WW list.
    • Like 2

    Y10 Predictions thread

    in Create A Year Of Movies (CAYOM)

    Posted · Edited by MCKillswitch123

    July

    Ping - $26.8m 3-day OW / $40m 5-day OW / $103m DOM / $291m WW

    51 - $7m OW / $14m DOM / $15m WW

    Freedom Day - $12m OW / $27.6m DOM / $37m WW

    Second Dimension: Battle for North Kingdom - $82m OW / $219m DOM / $502m WW

    The Furby Movie - $34.3m OW / $130.3m DOM / $323m WW

    Lifeguards - $14m OW / $42m DOM / $96.5m WW

    The Lottery - $16.4m OW / $58.5m DOM / $81m WW

    Green Lantern Corps: Evolution - $175m OW / $501m DOM / $1.65b WW

    Wii Sports Resort: Vacation on Wuhu Island - $6.5m OW / $16.1m DOM / $26.1m WW

     

    August

    Tornado - $31m OW / $103m DOM / $317m WW

    Tatiana's Journey - $95m OW / $285m DOM / $803m WW

    A Walk in the London Rain - $55m DOM / $82m WW

    Six Souls - $13m OW / $32.2m DOM / $58.6m WW

    Burnout Revenge - $21m OW / $57.8m DOM / $165m WW

    Coyotes Wild - $6m OW / $18m DOM / $30m WW

     

    September

    Providence - $33.1m 3-day OW / $40m 4-day OW / $123.7m DOM / $355m WW

    Smile - $22.7m 3-day OW / $31.8m 4-day OW / $83m DOM / $178m WW

    9/11: Never Forget - $7m OW / $23.8m DOM / $31m WW

    Adam & Cindy ft. Cersei, in: Guinea Piggest - $6.7m OW / $14.7m DOM / $20m WW

    Fishergirls - $17m OW / $52.7m DOM / $93m WW

    Kris' Plan - $22m OW / $63.3m DOM / $83m WW

    Sweet Tooth - $14.5m OW / $32.6m DOM / $64m WW

     

    October

    Pac-Man - $25m OW / $68.9m DOM / 120m WW

    Paranormal lamronaraP - $40.2m DOM / $73m WW

    The Boy with the Green Eyes - $20.6m 3-day OW / $27.9m 4-day OW / $62.5m DOM / $89.7m WW

    Monster Farm - $26.8m 3-day OW / $34.7m 4-day OW / $96.7m DOM / $225m WW

    The Elevator - $19.6m OW / $52.3m DOM / $92.7m WW

    Mouse Hunt - $8m OW / $25m DOM / $34m WW

    Hilda and the Midnight Giant: Remastered - $8.5m OW / $20.5m DOM / $28.5m WW

    Red Flag - $2.5m OW / $6.3m DOM / $7m WW

    Life Picture - $13.7m OW / $52.1m DOM / $78.7m WW

     

    November

    MBWII: The Second Monster Bug Wars - $40m OW / $102m DOM / $326m WW

    The Second Water War - $11.6m OW / $36m DOM / $46,9m WW

    Soil - $60m DOM / $85m WW

    The Unseen - $7.8m OW / $23.4m DOM / $30.5m WW

    3 Hearts 3 Fires - $9.8m OW / $22.7m DOM / $43.5m WW

    For Queen and Country - $3.6m OW / $8.1m DOM / $12m WW

    Let's Eat Dad - $82m DOM / $215m WW

    King of Kings - $36m OW / $92.5m DOM / $298m WW

    More Than Just a Residency - $5m OW / $12m DOM / $14m WW

    The Quest for Buster's Bones - $28.6m OW / $104.5m DOM / $188m WW

    Cloud Cuckoo Land - $48m 3-day OW / $72m 5-day OW / $170.4m DOM / $467m WW

    Meme Run - $2m OW / $4.1m DOM / $6m WW

     

    December

    My Winter Retreat - $10.5m OW / $25.2m DOM / $38m WW

    SSX Tricky - $20.7m OW / $52.8m DOM / $154m WW

    Happy Together - $19m OW / $69m DOM / $133m WW

    Gateways: The Empire of Zenith - $135m OW / $540m DOM / $1.68b WW

    Hidden Blood - $12.1m 3-day OW / $26m 5-day OW / $54m DOM / $89m WW

    The Library of Babel - $16.7m 3-day OW / $32.3m 5-day OW / $83.5m DOM / $185m WW

    Floodbath: The Play - $7.3m OW / $21.9m DOM / $27m WW

    Maniac Magee - $24.5m OW / $137.2m DOM / $282m WW

    • Like 2
    • Astonished 1

    MCKill's Reviews Year 10: (Shamefully) Powered by DALL-E 3

    in Create A Year Of Movies (CAYOM)

    Posted

    DECEMBER

     

    xYGhy1w.jpeg

     

    My Winter Retreat

    dir. Rob Zombie

     

    Spoiler

    I admittedly have pretty much no exposure to Rob Zombie’s films (not even the cult classic 2007 Halloween remake), though I do think he has some banger songs lol. Regarding this Christmas horror collab with O$corp, it’s a big bleh. Just a cliched supernatural slasher with no nuance whatsoever and the stupidest characters of all time (tied with every other modern horror movie of the 2000’s, I guess). I believe that Zombie is known for his exploitation horror comedies, but even if that were the intent here, this has no real comedy to speak of - just plays it straight as Hell. As such, it’s just boring and trodden.

     

    1.5/5

     

    ImXv2xT.jpeg

     

    SSX Tricky

    dir. Aaron and Adam Nee

     

    Spoiler

    I like the PS2-era SSX games a lot, but I don’t remember much about last year’s SSX film from Studio Groundswell and the Nee brothers, apart from thinking at the time that it was a semi-competent, but slight adaptation. This sequel, named after one of my personal favorite games in the series, does about the exact same thing: having a lot of fun snowboard sequences, an ensemble cast playing dumb characters, and little else, making it an extremely forgettable, but at least fun experience for its trashy worth. On a plus side, the whole “end of the world” MacGuffin thing elevated the silliness tenfold, paving for a movie that probably passes just fine if you get completely wasted and wash ashore on the seat of a movie theater. It’s decently entertaining and watchable, mainly for the pretty visuals and badass cinematography, but you won’t get anything substantial out of it.

     

    2.5/5

     

    pdu59WB.jpeg

     

    Happy Together

    dir. Adrian Lyne

     

    Spoiler

    Just before the end of the year, Endless Entertainment/Infinite Studios decided to grace us all with an Adrian Lyne masterclass, putting a very talented ensemble - headlined by Glen Powell and Tessa Thompson - in a dark erotic thriller about a married couple who refinds the spark after one of them commits murder. And, uh, yeah, this is about what you’d expect lol. It’s stupid, it’s trashy and it’s fun to watch, if for nothing else than to take your partner and get them in heat for a steamy night afterwards… or you can just get stoned or drunk with your friends and get a good laugh instead. It’s not a good movie per se, but it is a fun watch to witness Thompson and Powell’s relationship rekindle with the odd “eroticism” of leaving bloodshed, including a hilarious scene where Powell reveals himself as a foot fetishist. It’s really dumb, make no mistake -.literally, this plot could have resolved itself very early on without half the trouble, if the characters were remotely intelligent - but hey, it succeeds at what it’s trying to accomplish. So, if you’re a fan of the Fatal Attraction-type thriller, here you go lol.

     

    2.5/5

     

    BerrLJM.jpeg

     

    Gateways: The Children of Zenith

    dir. Jennifer Yuh Nelson and Adam Muto

     

    Spoiler

    The last and arguably biggest blockbuster of Y10, one that I pre-read on top. Endless Animation has always been known for pushing the boundaries of the so-called “mainstream animation” subgenre to its limits, and has produced some fine films in their chopshop of animation. Of course, greats like Can You Imagine? have already been installed in the CAYOM canon, and the studio has acquired as much as three different Best Picture nominations, including last year with Matilda and the Night Children. Gateways, from Pete Docter, was the studio’s biggest and most mediatic hit. Both a love letter to the medium of animation and a story of fatherhood and redemption, the connection between McKenna Grace’s heroic Bailee and Donald Glover’s suave but flawed demigod Levi instantly hooked viewers of the game, going on to gross an astounding $1.5 billion worldwide.

     

    In this sequel, Bailee is still trying to live with her epic feat of saving the multiverse in the previous film, believing that she’s already hit her peak and that she needs to prove herself further, but as the biggest multiversal threat that ever existed arises, she and the remaining Majestic family begin to realize that heroism is much more than just doing… it’s, above all else, about trying. Gateways: The Children of Zenith amps up the scale of the series massively and becomes an absolute epic, with the villainy of Samuel L. Jackson’s Zenith carrying the weight of the conflict. Zenith, a zealous prophet with “magical” powers vowing to conquer the multiverse, has a turf with Levi, claiming that he is a false god and proning for his position as a Watcher. As Zenith becomes more and more incensed that his imperialist campaign has divine meaning and that he has come to save the multiverse, Bailee and family go through the trials and tribulations of stopping Zenith, in an adventure that, like the previous one, bends multiple animation styles and feasts on massive spectacle, but without losing the core essence of the series: the characters, and their inner dynamics. Bailee and Levi’s relationship is still essential to this movie, and as both journey towards the inevitable realizations in their stubborn heroic fight, it is still evident how likable and easy to root for these characters are. Zenith, by means, is every bit as worthy an opponent, with Sam Jackson effortlessly sinister and scary, while still maintaining a suave and darkly charismatic aura to him. Easy contender for Best Voice Performance in a Supporting Role there, for sure.

     

    As mentioned, Children of Zenith focuses on what exactly entails heroism, what can or should you do to save what you love and those you love, and at what point do you start nagging at yourself for doing too much, until you realize that, in the end, the intention matters as much as anything. The story, chock full of big setpieces, is also replete with humor and sincerity, while the animations are still dazzling to see, though not necessarily a surprise or novelty anymore. Really, Gateways 2 is basically the natural evolution of the saga - bigger, more ambitious, far more adult and matured in themes and scale, but still quintessentially what made the first one so great: the characters, while not really looping on any of the past tropes (which has been a criticism of Endless Animation films in recent history). It’s a film that proves that the studio still has so much storytelling, heart and creativity to put out, while repositioning these as the studio’s most iconic characters (next to those from the Imagine saga). Great film.

     

    4/5

     

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    Maniac Magee

    dir. Robert Zemeckis

     

    Spoiler

    As Lager Pictures quickly embraces a place in my heart as one of the best curators of content in the CAYOM game, they went ahead and delivered one more film for the Holidays, with Robert Zemeckis’ Maniac Magee, an adaptation of a coming-of-age novel from 1990, hitting theaters on Christmas weekend. Zemeckis is a very unique director with an iconic filmography, but as his last few years have been mainly focused in pushing boundaries with technology (which has led to films with… uhh, mixed receptions lol), it was certainly unique to see him paired with source material quite like this.

     

    Magee tells the story of a young boy who runs from his house and winds up in the fictional town of Two Mills, Pennsylvania, where he discovers just how segregated the town is, split with bitter racism. A boy who never says no to a challenge, he quickly becomes a myth and a legend… but as he meets new people, he still struggles to find a place in the world that he can truly call his own, and questions whether or not he really is great, or just a scared child and a fraud. The themes of empathy, self-belief and fitting in are at the center of a character that is marvelously played by Winslow Fegley in what is - at least in the game - a star-making performance. Fegley embodies Maniac with both the coolness and braveness, but also the fragility and insecurity that this young character requires, coming with a truly inspirational performance. The remaining ensemble cast is also strong, with particular emphasis on the performances of Lonnie Chavis and Tobin Bell as people whom Maniac changes.

     

    As aforementioned, the film also dabbles with a population heavily torn in racism, segregation and inequality, and thankfully, Zemeckis and co-screenwriter Eric Roth approach these themes tastefully and appropriately, telling a story that manages to inspire and charm with so little effort. Another key aspect of the film worth mentioning is the fact that it utilizes dynamic HFR in some of its key sequences (it is, for a coming-of-age kids film, a $120m budget picture lol) – and I gotta say: I’ve always been a fan of how HFR looks in visually spectacular films, and this is no exception, as Zemeckis makes good use of the technology to reinforce the character of Maniac, while still giving a tech- and spectacle-savvy story for the big screen. Really, this is a fascinating film, all the way down to the fact that it’s incredibly idiosyncratic and zany. It doesn’t do anything substantially new with the coming-of-age genre, in fairness, but I think this is a film that, while not necessarily transpiring the genre, still manages to tell a powerful story, with well crafted characters, strong technical execution and a great cast at its core. It may not resonate well with everyone, but I feel like this film will fall in the canon with grace much faster out of the gate than some of Zemeckis’ past tech-heavy children’s films have.

     

    4/5

     

     

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