Decent movie, not the best scream. I liked Emma Roberts and I did enjoy seeing Kristen Bell stab Anna Paquin. The biggest crime this movie makes is killing Alison Brie so early.
Out for what do you need that gun?
Halloween episodes have always been extra fun in this show, but this one took the cake. Faster paced than the previous Halloween episodes, such a roller-coaster of an episode! And Jake focusing on Amy like that, instead of the yearly competition, was utterly adorable!
[edited because of grammar and semantics and stuff]
Captain Holt is so goddamn extra and I LOVE IT. Also, imagine being as civilized and respectful as Rosa and Amy having that debate. Ugh, I love these people. Stephanie did a great job with her directorial debut. Fantastic material.
Don't believe the pack mentality concerning The Snowman. This Cult of Rotten Tomatoes and piling on after one bad review is a tad ridiculous, especially concerning solid films like this one. For example, I liked the filming style here and found the cinematography often gorgeous.
On the other hand, the story was like a child who tries too hard to be clever, and watching Michael Fassbender act is like making love to someone who's always looking in the mirror when he fucks because he's more interested in his own image than your pleasure. On top of that, what was up with Val Kilmer's voice that they had to dub all of his scenes? Whatever the reason, the Christian Bale Batman voice they chose was extremely distracting...
Bottom line: don't believe everything you read. Like with every other movie, see it and judge it for yourself. Don't let other people tell you what you think!
The movies starts off really well. The acting is good and the story line is initially captivating. Half way through the movie it's seems like everything goes downhill, the story gets more and more far fetched, the acting starts to get hokie, it's like the director got to a point where he rushed to the end as fast as possible without regards to the viewer. It could have been done so much better.
Great acting from most of the crew but i think that the story its a bit messy with plot holes .
9.8/10. What an amazing episode. Everyone is perfectly in character, and there's so many little comedic bombs where the episode just lights the fuse and then waits for them to go off. The twist that as tortured as Louise was by her mom forcing a slumber party on her in an attempt to socialize her daughter, she ended up finding something of a kindred spirit is perfect storytelling, and the fact that her "dull" classmate is not only as conniving as Louise, but finds a friend who doesn't care about the bed-wetting problem she tried so hard to avoid gives the episode just enough heart.
Plus Linda, who may very well be my favorite character, is in rare form. The way she envisions life as a television show, from the idea that Louise needs a slumber party, to the idea that Tina should be the blase older sister and Gene should be the pesky brother, is true to her character. The way she got sidetracked by a pair of raccoons, for whom she's concocted an elaborate backstory and power struggle is hilarious and delightful, made all the better by the way she's indoctrinated an enthusiastic Teddy and roped Bob into the event. She's just a barrel of laughs.
And everybody else brings the laughs and the great character-based comedy we've come to expect from the show. Bob's reluctant but unexpectedly invested response to everything is great, and though Tina, Gene, and Teddy are all smaller parts of the episode, they each get some quality laugh lines. Plus the slumber party attendees, and the manner in which they're given quirks and dispatched, is perfect, especially Bob and Linda's interactions with the germaphobe. Just a laugh-a-minute episode with storytelling that builds and builds and enough of an understated emotional kick at the end to give it all a touch of heft. Truly superb stuff.
The cameos in this ep were 100
One of my favorite episodes of TV in a very long time. The cameos were superb, the absent cameo mentions great, Kristen Schaal's presence, Colin's role, etc.
Oh and baby vampire. WHO WOULD DO THAT?!
Sometimes I watch movies and shows and I'm like well I guess they're a product of their time but then I watch Star Trek and I'm like WOW they really did THAT and then it's difficult for me to excuse the shit from other shows and movies
Sometimes the best way to commentate on human society is to put it through a mirror and pretend it's an alien society instead.
I'm not sure what the show is saying with Beata's apparent happiness with her delay of Angel One's "evolution" though. To put what's happening there into a human historical context, she's effectively exiled the suffragettes of our past to minimize their impact on public opinion. Of course, the men of that period in our history would have been equally smug at managing to suppress the voices of women demanding equal rights, but I'm not sure the tone of this episode quite works. It comes across as kind of saying "this is an OK solution"—which I would expect is not what the writers intended.
Meanwhile, on the Enterprise, the drama over a mysterious virus that spreads at an alarming speed clearly arose out of the need to effectively imprison the away team and Odin survivors on the planet, so they couldn't simply beam away before Beata's execution order was, well, executed. It was meant to force Riker into giving that very Picard-esque speech, and it did. It just did so in a very transparently plot device–like way, unfortunately.
I do think the subject matter this episode tried to tackle was important. It still is. The execution (sorry, these puns just write themselves!) left me wanting, though.
I don't know if we're gonna see her again, but I'm so glad Madison was sent to another prison. One of the most annoying characters in the show.
This is the first time I've seen deportation centers spotlighted in a TV show. Well, the Fosters had one episode but it was a burst of melodrama with leftist agenda.
The nice sweet lady making Alex sell? I don't know what to say I was so stricken. But she changed her tune to phone chargers so okay, grey zone. I can deal with some grey zone.
It was satisfying seeing Badison go but unlike @janaína and those who agree with her, I will actually miss watching how entertaining, awful, and damaging/scheming she was.
Nice music at the end and yeah, those deportation scenes broke my heart
I think we know what Red needs:
"All I wanted was to eat the chicken that was smarter than other chickens and to absorb its power"
This show is inhabited by broken people. It's depressing and sad, yet the final scene was so sweet.
Please don't make a third season. That was the perfect ending.
Chibnall went all out on this one, didn't he? Loved it. So intense and that cliffhanger at the end makes me want to scream.
I don't fully understand how that Brandon dude fits into the whole thing, but I assume he is in some way connected to the Cybermen or the Timeless Child? It's an interesting storyline and it provided a nice contrast to all the futuristic space stuff. It seemed so lovely and quiant... and then it got weird. I hope next week we'll get all the answers because I'm currently pretty confused.
On another note, I truly hope we're getting rid of one or two companions (or maybe even the whole squad). I don't know if it's because there's three of them or if it's just bad writing, but despite the copious amounts of backstory we've gotten for them, they still feel paper thin. And their dynamic with the Doctor is pretty much nonexistent, I don't feel any connection there. I remember crying my eyes out over Twelve and Clara when she left (yes, I loved Clara, yes, I know I'm in the minority, leave me alone). I was sad for days. I still feel sad when I think about it and it's been 4 years! Give me that kind of relationship between Thirteen and a companion, I'm begging. Because right now, I don't think I'd bat an eyelash if any of these three left/died.
Still an awesome episode though! Can't wait for next week.
cool cool cool definitely didnt cry when molly died awesome this is fine
[7.8/10] What I want for Guillermo de la Cruz as a person conflicts with what I want for him as a character. That’s a silly conflict to tangle with because, of course, Guillermo is just a character, not a real person. But part of what makes him so compelling on What We Do in the Shadows is how relatable and real his predicament is, despite the obviously fictional and fantastical circumstances surrounding it.
None of us know what it’s like to be the put-upon familiar for a house full of self-involved vampires. But almost all of us know what it’s like to feel that your hard work is unappreciated, that your contributions are taken for granted, and that you have greater potential that could be realized elsewhere.
That’s the cinch of this series and its blend of the spooky and the mundane -- the situation is ridiculous and the emotions are heightened, but they’re also based on something real. The comedy and the drama work from that amusing but occasionally affecting inflection point.
So for Guillermo the person, I want him to make good on his simple “sorry” note and move out of the Vampire Residence. I want him to become the manager of a Panera Bread or develop his own Shark Tank-friendly business, or just become the vampire slayer-for-hire his Van Helsing roots and preternatural abilities seem to portend. And I kind of want him to make good on his ominous sword-sharpening posture and punish the vamps who’ve strung him along for so many years (not to mention prevent them from, you know, killing more people).
But of course, if he did that there wouldn’t be a show. So for Guillermo the character, I want him to keep orbiting the universe of Nandor, Nadja, Lazlo, and Colin Robinson for as long as the show can get comic mileage out of this collection of knuckleheads. That’s not good for Guillermo, but it's good for fans of the show, and maybe we get to take precedence by virtue of being...well...actual flesh and blood human beings.
Still, however temporary Guillermo’s sabbatical is destined to be given the demands of episodic television, it’s nice to see him making a stand and the utter helplessness of the vamps without him. The state of disarray and uselessness around the Vampire Residence tickled me to no end, and gags about the vamps tripping over various strewn corpses, arguing with one another over who should do the chores, and making faux sacred bargains over picking up dry cleaning had me in stitches.
It’s also nice to see the show picking up on various story threads it’s been saving for a rainy day. The return of the Vampiric Council (and Jermaine Clement’s Vladislav) to make the Staten Island vampires pay for their trespasses is a welcome development after the would-be assassins from the season premiere. The fact that they get blamed for Guillermo’s latent and preternatural vampire-slaying abilities despite viewing him as an incompetent toadie is great bit of irony and escalation. And each incident being recreated for the stage with comical exaggeration and set pieces is a hoot.
But it’s also a good crucible for Guillermo, both to prove his demon-hunting mettle and in his conflicted feelings about his former master. While not quite up to the standards of his supreme slayage in “The Curse”, it’s still cool as hell to see the budding badass swing into the theater, unleash a fury of crosses, stakes, and holy water, and save his vampire buddies’ behinds. That type of absence punctuated by fang-threatening heroics could be a means for the Staten Island blood-suckers to realize Guillermo’s value, even if they can’t remember his last name. (Both “Guillermo Buillermo” and “Mickey Guillermo” as guesses cracked me up.)
Therein lies the alternative to either tossing away the status quo or slavishly maintaining it on What We Do in the Shadows. There is, however frayed and comically exaggerated, genuine affection between Guillermo and his master. Guillermo may be ready to move out, but he can’t bear the thought of his erstwhile taskmasters being killed, especially on account of his actions. Nandor is domineering and oblivious to his familiar, but also plainly misses Guillermo while he’s gone, even if he can’t admit it.
The answer to what to want for Guillermo, then, may be the same one that less-serialized but still character-developing sitcoms found back in the day -- detente. I can want Guillermo to assert himself and achieve some measure of independence, while also gaining enough respect and appreciation from Nandor to stick around and continue fueling stories for however long Jermaine Clement and others want to tell them, giving us both growth and preservation.
That too can be a stumbling block though. Other mockumentary shows like The Office and Parks and Recreation began to feel sanded down in later seasons, when a combination of audience affection and the inevitable entropy of T.V. camaraderie softened the shows’ initial character conflicts and made almost everybody into good friends. There’s grand humor and pathos in Guillermo’s dynamic with his dismissive vampiric overlords, and you’d hate to lose that entirely, even if it’s more of a concern cerca episode one-hundred than episode twenty.
Still, in its second season, What We Do in the Shadows raised the bar both in terms of its humor and its character work, proving that Clement and his team can adapt and roll with the punches. We saw Nadja amusingly conversing with an old woman she used to haunt when she was a little girl. We saw Colin Robinson gain a promotion that literally went to his head. And we saw Lazlo steal the show with his turn as a regular human bartender serving human alcohol beer.
But we also saw Nandor offer an earnest plea to Guillermo to come home, make concessions in order for that to happen and even make a show of good faith by finally turning his former familiar into a vampire. It’s the sort of brief bit of sincerity that makes this deeply silly show a little more than just a weekly gag-fest. And it shows that maybe there’s a way forward for Guillermo -- one that can make both him and us happy.
Mulder: What's a girl?
Nice side-off Christmas episode where we get to know a little more about Skully and her family, and a sad one too. Mulder is missing in this one though. That ending tho~!
Good to see Agent Doggett getting to understand how to handle these X-Files thanks to Agent Mulder
That cigarette smoking man is a hard bastard to kill.
OMG, I just cannot believe how much I've laughed during this episode! To everyone complaining that this was a comic episode, you've probably never watched The X-Files before. Go do your homework before talking non-sense over Trakt.
Episodes like these are what helped make The X-Files so unique.
The actual finale for the X-Files. I knew that My Struggle had to be fake memories. Thanks for helping us remember the truth Reggie!
The Black Files/X-Mirror
Well, It seems Chris Carter has completely run out of NEW ideas. This wasn't bad, it also wasn't good. People getting killed or not, just the same old crap!!! Not that old eps were crap.. its just the same!!!!
Midsommar is a complicated beast. Those going for something as linear as Hereditary will be immediately disappointed by Midsommars somewhat convoluted plot elements and meandering pace. I sat in the cinema as the credits rolled by, deep in thought about what I just watched, and if it was any good. Nothing really sat well with me, and the film didn't really connect upon immediate completion, but I gave it time to digest.
Ari Asters two movies are very much at odds with each other. Hereditary slaps you with it's excellent presentation, pace, sense of dread and quality of acting on display. Then, upon further inspection, it's woven plot elements and symbolism shine through on subsequent viewing.
Midsommar is very much the opposite. The film almost dawdles in it's presentation and doesn't fully attack you with it's acting chops or narrative (although Florence is simply stunning in her portrayal of Dani). Midsommar more presents it's parts in a very matter-of-fact fashion, and then leaves it up to you to connect the dots of both the plot and what's on display. While there is far too much to unpack in this small comment section, I'd just like to detail some of my favourite themes on display in Midsommar, and why it went from a 6/10 during my cinema viewing, to a solid 8 - 8.5/10 upon reflection.
--- LONG DISCUSSION OF SPOILERS BELOW THIS POINT ---
One of Midsommars central parallels is the individualism/selfishness of Western life and it's stark comparison to the commune we are introduced to. Examples of this are: During the intro, Dani is going through the trauma of a suicidal family member and her boyfriend, Christian, is encouraged by his friends to abandon her in her time of need telling her to see her therapist as it's not his problem. Christian echos these sentiments directly to Dani about her sister, telling her to leave her alone as she is just doing this for attention. Upon arriving at the commune in Sweden, Mark is unwilling to wait for Dani to be ready to take shrooms. Josh, knowing of Dani's recent trauma involving death, subjects her to the suicide of the elders for his own thesis and research. Christian uses the situation to further his own academic efforts, much to the annoyance of Josh. Everyone is acting in their own self interest regardless of the emotional toll this takes on their friendships. This is a stark contrast to how we see the commune deal with distress, emotion and personal issues. When Dani sees Christian cheating on her, the female members of the commune bawl, weep, scream and cry along with Dani, literally experiencing her burden with her to lessen the load. As described by Pelle, the commune "hold" you during your distress, helping you cope and living through those emotions with you. This is further cemented by the scene earlier in the movie, shortly after Dani's sister commits suicide. We see Dani hunched over Christian's lap overcome with emotion, screaming out the pain of the loss of her sister. Christian is anything but present however, his eyes vacant as if he weren't there with her at all. This is possibly my favourite theme of the movie, as it really paints how alone we are in modern society regardless of how many people we surround ourselves with. How many people are actually there for us in our time of need? Sure, they might be physically present, but are they actually there, sharing our pain? It's truly terrifying to think about.
My other favourite theme is who is and isn't a bad person. I've seen many people online say they think Christian is a horrible boyfriend for how he treats Dani. While I can understand their position, I struggle to see how Christian is the bad guy for his actions. Christian finds himself in a dying relationship which he is mentally checked out from but decides to stay to help her through the grief of losing her parents and sister. Christian even goes as far as to bring her on vacation with him to help her through her trauma, even though he wants to split up with her. Would the audience have prefered Christian leave Dani right after she lost her family? That would have been MUCH worse. Do these actions warrant what happens to Christian? I don't think so at all. Christian is so misunderstood in this movie, I can't wait to see it again to draw more conclusions on his character. Is Josh a bad person for wanting to fully envelope himself in a foreign culture? Although we know it is largely for academic gain, Josh does seem to love learning about the culture of these people, wanting to see how they operate and know every intricacy of their faith. Does this warrant his murder for trying to document their sacred texts? Should an outsider be murdered for enjoying and absorbing someone elses culture and customs, or should they be thanked for their interest and passion? (Sidenote, I see Josh's character as a direct reflection of the usual racial stereotypes we see in movies of this ilk. Usually we see the white academic researching the savage native/minority tribe, but Josh is the exactly flip of this, which is a nice touch). Were Connie and Simon wrong for coming into another culture and expressing disgust at their customs? Should they have been so outwardly disgusted and vocal about their disapproval while being welcomed in by the commune? Sure it didn't warrant their ultimate fate, but this small subplot asks an interesting question about outsiders attempting to shape and alter other cultures and customs as it doesn't sit with their ideals.
Other small details:
While it's directly conveyed to the viewer that the red haired girl is attempting to cast a love incantation on Christian via pubes in his pie and runes under his bed, very little attention is given to the fact that Christians drink is a slight shade darker than everyone elses. From the tapestry we see at the start of the festival, we know exactly what the red haired girl has slipped into his drink :face_vomiting: Fantastic subtle horror/grossness.
Pelle talks about how his parents died in a fire and the commune helped him through the trauma of that loss. After the ending, it's pretty clear the fire wasn't an accident, and they evidently died for some kind of ritual.
Artwork above Dani's bed at the beginning shows a girl with crown kissing a bear. While direct foreshadowing to latter events, it also asks the question if this was all fate. Dani's sister's final message reads "I see black now" (potentially a reference to The Black One) before killing herself and her parents. Were Dani's parents 72 and this was the end of their cycle? Was Dani's sister already a distant member of the commune?
Runes are scattered all throughout the film to foreshadow certain character arcs or add more meaning. My favourite hidden rune is the doors to the temple, which when open, make the rune for "Opening" or "Portal". Amazing attention to detail.
Yeah, this movie is much MUCH better on reflection and I absolutely cannot wait to see it again. I really hope Ari's 3 hour 40 minute directors cut is released so there is more to dissect. While not as immediately impressive has Hereditary, Midsommar definitely has the layers and complexity to be a slowburn horror classic.
EDIT: I am now 4 days out from my first viewing and I've not stopped thinking about this movie. I've become a frequent visitor of the films subreddit and have even purchased/listened to the films dread-inducing yet somehow joyous soundtrack a number of times throughout the days. I've been reading up on runes and their meanings, reading up set analysis for hidden meanings and any other small details others can find. A movie hasn't vibed with me like this for a long long time so to reflect this, I think it's only right I bump my score from an 8/10 to a 9/10. When I can get my hands on the digital download/Blu-Ray, I'm sure this might even go higher.
Another great episode in a really strong run that makes up the back half of season 2. Tony Shalhoub is great as the paranoid and troubled genius, Dr Banton, and the special effects for the deaths inflicted by his shadow still look cool over 20 years later.
