When an unoficial sequel was announced for the 2008 monster movie classic Cloverfield. Thoughts online were needless to say a bit skeptical to say the least. As the film began to show trailers and stills started to show up on the web we slowly began to realize that this film was not going to be the same as the first one. If Cloverfield is a movie about a monster then 10 Cloverfield is a movie about the monsters inside of us.
Michelle (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) is running away from a prior obligation and ends up in a car wreck and is saved by Howard (John Goodman). She awakes in an underground bunker and is told by Howard that the world is coming to and end via something we don't quite get to know yet. Also down in the bunker is Emmett (John Gallagher Jr.) who was saved by Howard as well. Everything Seems to be going fine accept for the fact that Howard won't let anyone leave the bunker. It slowly becomes a battle of wills and makes you wonder if Howard is crazy or just ahead of the curve when it comes to paranoia.
The film has a great sense of restrained dread throughout it. Unlike the earlier film Green Room, 10 Cloverfield Lane paces out its terror and doesn't just keep throwing it at you constantly. However it plays like an old style scary movie of when something scary is happening you know it by the tone and the music. This is a stellar performance from the very limited cast who has to carry most of the movie. Goodman shines in this film and plays a very different type of deranged. It is really a treat to have him have you guessing the whole movie if he is out of his mind for nearly the entire two hours. The other star is Winstead and her ability to go from victim to hero in such a short span of time. It's not the same as Cloverfield but in that vein that's why it works. I like the idea of every couple of years producer JJ Abrams giving an up and coming filmmaker a chance to do a Cloverfield anthology project.
T.J. Perkins vs Gran Metalik Cruiser Weight Classic Finals:
In mid July of 2016 the WWE brought us once a week for 10 weeks the Cruiser Weight Classic. It was tournament of 32 competitors from around the world all vying to prove who is the greatest cruiser weight in the world. The tournament had plenty of people who were known and had some up and comers. It also had a few faces who were relatively unknown.
The one thing the tournament gave us was absolutely astounding matches by guys who knew this might be their ten seconds in the spotlight and by damn they were going to shine. Four matches from the tournament have made this list When the tournament first began I had a pretty clear idea who would be making the finals. From what I could tell it was going to be Zach Sabre Jr. and Kota Ibushi to tangle in the final rounds. I am very proud to say I was close they both made it to the semi finals and it was there that my bracket got busted and two relatively unknown new comers stepped forth. T.J. Perkins and Gran Metalik came out as the two finalists and we were set for the finals and who would be the Cruiser Weight Classic Winner. Just before the bell would ring on this match a certain man by the name of Triple H's music would hit. The genius behind the tournament came to the ring and stepped inside. He gave an impassioned speech about how we have narrowed it down from 32 to 2. However we are only looking for one to be the winner and also be the first ever holder of the new Cruiser Weight Championship belt. He then produced the new belt and tensions went from high to almost insanity. He left the ring and the final match began.
The match began as a great match does building speed and leading up to great moments then cooling off and picking up again. A very memorable moment is Metalik giving Perkins a Frankensteiner off the apron causing the crowd to lose its mind. The match is a shinning example of what you can do when you build a tournament in the correct way and even though it doesn't go the way everyone thinks it will you are still satisfied with the ending.
Now most of the time I have a huge problem with the way a WWE audience will respond to certain things or how they will show respect to the performers in the ring. On this occasion the crowd could not have been better. They cheered at all the right moments both guys were supported and cheered and jeered at the right moments. It didn't feel like the audience wanted a make it all about them they just wanted to support the guys putting on one hell of a show in the ring.
Since the tournament the Cruiser Weight's have been on raw and have had ups and downs. However I see the new show 205 live being very promising for the future.
Orange is the New Black:
It has been an interesting ride so far with Orange is the new Black. Although typically not a show I would go in for it is one of the most binge worthy shows on Netflix right now. It is hard to believe that it has gone on for four seasons and doesn't look like it has any plans of stopping. The story follows the day to day life of the women who are incarcerated at Litchfield minimum security prison. There is no real main character as each episode follows a different prisoner and how they live and how they arrived at the prison. It is a clever show and each season tackles a different issue at the prison. Season four we see the fair and equal treatment of prisoners violated. We see the women pushed to their mental and physical limits and are slowly forced to act like the animals they are made out to be. It was a particularly tough season because of a major loss we had in the second to last episode which was the passing of the character Poussey (Samira Wiley) who was killed by the use of excessive force by a guard. This was particularly hard to watch because she had become such an integral character in the goings on of the show who had ups and downs and looked like she was getting her life back in order. It really caught me and audiences off guard and made you start to question the idea of any character being safe in the prison now. It was a great finish to the season and makes you really look forward to the fall out if will bring next season.
No comments:
Post a Comment