4815162342 Posted September 29, 2019 Author Share Posted September 29, 2019 Shiverin' Gulch Spoiler Let's get one thing out of the way, a decent bit of the film's setup is compromised by tonal and historical dissonance, being set in 1860 Arkansas, a slave state that does not border any free states at the time, and yet features things such as a slave openly riding his own horse on a date with a free (non African American) woman, a slave teaching white kids, a woman being a deputy sheriff, etc. It causes a lot of raised eyebrows and whiplash early on as you have to adjust to the inaccuracies. Once that settles in, the film moves forward at a pretty good clip with some solid tension and jump scares, as well as a nifty minecart action setpiece. The film also seems to have some pacing issues, as it takes time putting pieces together, has an abbreviated second act, and then jumps into an extended multi-climax finale. Elizabeth Debicki is steely as the lead, handling the part quite well. Daveed Diggs does quite well as Hal, her opposite number, though his role is a little underwritten. Everyone else is serviceable in the roles. The film is a fun time once things are moving, though I can see it not being for everyone with its mish-mash of Western, Horror, and racial/historical political themes. It's a formula that I would be interested in seeing a more ironed out and careful approach to a second time. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4815162342 Posted October 5, 2019 Author Share Posted October 5, 2019 (edited) A special review, from a different dimension @Spaghetti You Knew This Was Coming THE ACADEMY Spoiler The Academy is the CAYOMverse's answer to Cloud Atlas. It is not a passing answer. The Academy has this setup: Late in the 21st Century there is a special academy for special people that churns out Elliot (alternating between dour and manic idealism), a man ready to fight against the despotic future USA government. Society is controlled by The Elixir, a drink that heightens general human cognition and focus, while suppressing human emotions and individuality. Elliot is part of a band of freedom fighters who want to stop the Elixir and free society and you get the picture. So we have a dystopian future film that involves themes of pharmaceutical and chemical control/manipulation of the human soul. Interesting right?Well, it would be, if the film didn't suddenly go "Well, I'm glad you like his premise, now excuse me while I show you four other storylines about people's lives ending up in the shitter and the only link between them is that they were students of the same Academy and drink the same elixir. The first story takes place in 1848 and it-" WAIT A MINUTE.This Academy existed in the mid-19th Century, correct? It had this Elixir all the way back then too correct? I'm sorry Film, but you just opened a gigantic can of worms of questions, mysteries, and concerns that you never ever ever in a moment even consider to address in the film. Who started the Academy? When did it start? When was the Elixir created? How was it created? If the Elixir has been existing for near 250 years at least, why did it take that long for someone to get the bright idea to give to society at large? What relevance do the other four stories have to our dystopian future?Well, in 1848 you have Lawyer Jeremy who may or may not have framed an innocent man for his racist boss and then gets suddenly mind-controlled by his boss. What? The other timelines establish that the Elixir encourages conformity, but conforming to a totalitarian regime with soldiers and guns is not the same as being mind-controlled by a prick. So that's a hole meant to hammer down that the ELIXIR IS BAD. Then in 1915 you have Suffragette Sandra who stops taking the Elixir, campaigns for the right to vote for women, kills her husband in a rage, and then gets executed. Hold on, we're told that the Elixir suppresses human emotions and Sandra kills her husband because she loses her temper and goes ballistic and gets executed as a result...so the Elixir is now good? Then in 1967 you have Soldier Peter whose use of the Elixir makes him a better soldier and leader and helps the US Army out. Then a general finds Elixir Bottles in his belongings, think's they're liquor bottles, gets him kicked out of the army, and Peter has a sad lonely life in a menial job. Hold on now, first off, alcohol is pretty distinct in smell and taste. It'd take about one second of smell or taste-test for the general to know that shit ain't alcohol. So he'd ask Peter what it was and since Peter is supposed to conform because of the Elixir's effects he'd tell the general what it was and the general would make inquiries and worst-ase scenario you got the US Army all being hopped up on the Elixir and dominating the battlefield. Instead you have the general acting like a ignoramus just so the story can end with PETER SAD AND ELIXIR BAD. Finally you have in the present day Maya, who goes off the Elixir and as a result freely enjoys a lesbian relationship until her girlfriend's parents find out and force the girlfriend to break things off. Way to go girlfriend for being an adult and getting browbeaten. Wait...the girlfriend doesn't have the Elixir, yet she conforms to her parents, so The Elixir is Bad and Parents are Bad? And why would Maya go back to drinking the Elixir? If she felt free and great, why wouldn't she stay off it and hope to find a new love? BECAUSE FILM WANTS SAD ENDING WITH BAD ELIXIR.So, all that past storyline nonsense is just distracting, unsubtle rigamarole that has lots of holes and issues and personal stupidity and inconsistencies. So what about the main storyline? Well the majority of it isn't that shabby, considering it's got four other plots tearing away at its screentime. Elliot is essentially on the lam from police and has secret codes to a resistance hideout and they think of ways to find out how to free the nation and he figures that since the Academy closed not long after Dictator Carson took over, there may be some secrets there they can use. Elliot suggests past records for past students could help out...and why? The four stories we get shown show that people's lives get fucked over for reasons other than the Elixir, so they don't make a compelling case that Carson and the Elixir are bad. Anyways Elliot and some dudes go to the Academy and meet his old headmaster who tells them that he realizes the Elixir is bad, the Academy was bad, and Carson was a former student. Makes sense that Carson was a student. And then...we have the appearance of the Idiot Ball.Dictator Carson, the guy who rules America with an iron fist, shows up with a measly two bodyguards to confront Elliot. WHAT. THE. FUCK? This is plot/character idiocy of the highest order. So yeah, no big surprise when Elliot shoots Carson and gets shot back. Then the Academy gets blown up and we have a montage of the world becoming liberated. Wait...hold on. All that happened is that Carson died and a useless old Academy (which they got ZERO useful information from) was blown up. The totalitarian government is still there, the Elixir is still there, if anything this would cause the Elixir people to become even more obedient and conformist to weed out the "terrorists." There's nothing that suggests that everything would be all sunshine and roses for the revolutionaries all of a sudden. Now the final monologue is fairly appropriate and if narrated over the final scene things would have ended well, uncertain but hopeful. But that pre-ending montage just makes no sense and throws a likely studio-mandated happy ending over the whole canvas. Edited October 5, 2019 by 4815162342 1 1 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ezen Baklattan Posted October 5, 2019 Share Posted October 5, 2019 I love you, @4815162342. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4815162342 Posted October 6, 2019 Author Share Posted October 6, 2019 All films are now read. Keep an eye out for something that may pop up later tonight 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4815162342 Posted October 6, 2019 Author Share Posted October 6, 2019 Speaking of which, I think I can shed some light on five honorable mentions. They are, in alphabetical order: Spoiler Spoiler All Kinds of Bull Spoiler Thermal Spoiler The Thin, the Phat, and the Felon Spoiler Thomas Was Alone Spoiler Yolanda Dreams of Yogurt 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ezen Baklattan Posted October 7, 2019 Share Posted October 7, 2019 So...anything else popping up tonight? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4815162342 Posted October 7, 2019 Author Share Posted October 7, 2019 (edited) So we'll do this in two stages, #25-11, and then the Top 10. #25-11 will be done in three pods of 5. For fun, I will give hints with GIFs and if you want you can guess. There may or may not be points awarded for successful guesses that may or not have have a result at the end of all this. So here are the GIFs for #25-21. Guess the film and the placement. You might get a point for each correct guess (so quite possibly up to 10) Edited October 7, 2019 by 4815162342 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ezen Baklattan Posted October 7, 2019 Share Posted October 7, 2019 25. Duck Hunt 24. Forgiveness 23. Little Black Bugs 22. USS Seawolf 21. Voicemail Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rorschach Posted October 7, 2019 Share Posted October 7, 2019 (edited) The Power of Love Forgiveness Little Black Bugs U.S.S. Seawolf Voicemail Edited October 7, 2019 by Rorschach Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YM! Posted October 7, 2019 Share Posted October 7, 2019 36 minutes ago, 4815162342 said: So we'll do this in two stages, #25-11, and then the Top 10. #25-11 will be done in three pods of 5. For fun, I will give hints with GIFs and if you want you can guess. There may or may not be points awarded for successful guesses that may or not have have a result at the end of all this. So here are the GIFs for #25-21. Guess the film and the placement. You might get a point for each correct guess (so quite possibly up to 10) 25.) Wolves 24.) Forgiveness 23.) Little Black Bugs 22.) USS Seawolf 21.) Voicemail Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cookie Posted October 7, 2019 Share Posted October 7, 2019 (edited) In order of the gifs: Duck Hunt (#25) Forgiveness (#21) Little Black Bugs (#22) USS Seawolf (#24) Voicemail (#23) Edited October 7, 2019 by cookie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4815162342 Posted October 7, 2019 Author Share Posted October 7, 2019 25. Spoiler Pokemon: The Cinnabar Conspiracy 24. Spoiler Duck Hunt 23. Spoiler U.S.S. Seawolf 22. Spoiler Voicemail 21. Spoiler Forgiveness Current point totals Spoiler Cookie- 5 Spaghetti- 4 Rorschach- 3 YM- 3 2 1 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4815162342 Posted October 7, 2019 Author Share Posted October 7, 2019 Next pod of 5: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ezen Baklattan Posted October 7, 2019 Share Posted October 7, 2019 20. The Con Gone Wrong 19. Lumberjanes: Secret of the Eye 18. In the Aeroplane Over the Sea 17. Spark: A Hero's Promise 16. Mass Effect: Ascension Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YM! Posted October 7, 2019 Share Posted October 7, 2019 20. Thirsty 19. Plus One 16. XJ9 18. Super Mario Bros 17. Aeroplane Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cookie Posted October 7, 2019 Share Posted October 7, 2019 In the Aeroplane over the Sea (#16) Fiesta Loca (#19) Mass Effect: Ascension (#17) Super Mario Bros. (#18) The Con Gone Wrong (#20) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4815162342 Posted October 7, 2019 Author Share Posted October 7, 2019 I'm AFK until tonight but in the interim, here is an award: Most Stomach-Churning Moment in a Film I Actually Finished FOURTH RUNNER-UP The Student being Emilio Estevezed in Voicemail THIRD RUNNER-UP The "Farm"/Who is the Father? from Borrasca SECOND RUNNER-UP Little Black Bugs FIRST RUNNER-UP Dream Sex with an Underage Ghost from In the Aeroplane Over the Sea WINNER The Baking Contest from Jingle Hell 3 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cookie Posted October 7, 2019 Share Posted October 7, 2019 12 minutes ago, 4815162342 said: Most Stomach-Churning Moment in a Film I Actually Finished ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ezen Baklattan Posted October 7, 2019 Share Posted October 7, 2019 3 minutes ago, cookie said: ? Bohemian Rapsittie 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4815162342 Posted October 7, 2019 Author Share Posted October 7, 2019 6 minutes ago, cookie said: ? I stopped reading Bunny and Brickleberry halfway through. Walked out, 0/10, they don't exist. 1 1 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
