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diff --git a/content/brain-rot/lawnmower-man/lawmower-man-1992.md b/content/brain-rot/lawnmower-man/lawmower-man-1992.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..a116eca --- /dev/null +++ b/content/brain-rot/lawnmower-man/lawmower-man-1992.md @@ -0,0 +1,93 @@ ++++ +title = "The Lawnmower Man (1992)" +author = ["Michał Sapka"] +date = 2024-02-19T23:03:00+01:00 +categories = ["brainrot"] +draft = false +weight = 3002 +abstract = "My mirco reviview of a vr killer thriller" +[menu] + [menu.brain-rot] + weight = 3002 + identifier = "the-lawnmower-man-1992" ++++ + +Back in the glorious 90s, when kids still enjoyed linear TV, we had _Polsat_. +In the post-communist Poland, this was the first _western_ TV station. +Filled with western movies, and western series[^fn:1] +Among those, there were constant replays of _The Lawnmower Man_[^fn:2] +I watched it on every occasion and loved it. + +Now, 30 years later it is time for a rewatch. +No cyberpunk deep dive can be considered a good one without _The Lawnmower Man_. + +_The Lawnmower Man_ is a movie about a disabled lawnmower man, Jobe, who, with the usage of virtual reality, becomes a genius. +Soon after, an Evil Company, stars secretly giving him drugs contracted by the military. +And as result, he starts exhibiting mind reading abilities and telekinesis (because, obviously, why not?). +We've got the (popular at the time) subtext about the dangers of corporates who, without supervision, play God. +Somehow we stopped doing that, and now we've got Altman killing humanity with the clap of happy crowd. +_Lawmower Man_ is a movie about a great technology twisted by corporate overlords. +Fitting. + +Jobe becomes a psychic, genius killer (like every mad genius), who decides to take over the cyberspace. + +{{< img-c "lawnmower-man-1992-0001.jpg" >}} +Remember when huge companies were scary? +{{< /img-c >}} + +The movie was initially released as a _Stephen King_ movie. +King, however, sued the producers, as the movie has nothing to do the short story of the same name. +And he won, because it was based on original script called _CyberGod_. +Damn, I miss _cyber_ sounding cool. +They should have the original name, instead of forcing King on everyone. +And yes, I know King was the king back then. + +{{< img-c "lawnmower-man-1992-0002.jpg" >}} +That's one way to save your neck from Apple Vision +{{< /img-c >}} + +The movie is we have here is a much dumbed down version of _Flowers for Algeron_, which I intend to finally read. +I don't think anyone ever called it a _good_ movie, and for a good reason. +It's cool, it's got great cyberspace CGI, it's got Pierce Brosnan. +It also has an opening scene with a monkey using a gun, so yeah. + +Story-wise is as straight forward as it gets. +The first half is full of sweet shots of grass and sexualization of a lawnmower. +And the most awkward sex scene I've seen in ages... or two. +Then, through a heavy-handed comment about religion and corporations we go the killing part. + +This movie fails as horror (there is not even blood or any scare here), and fails as morality play (it's not smart enough). +But it is a testament to the glorious time, when _cyberspace_ was magical and full of potential. +We sure deserve more of that. + +{{< img-c "lawnmower-man-1992-0006.jpg" >}} +The cyberspace we all need. +{{< /img-c >}} + +I give it a 3.0/5. + +I was **sure** the ending of this film was from the sequel. +But nope - I don't remember anything from the second one. +Therefore, see you on the other side, _Beyond Cyberspace_. + +If anything, it's a great movie to show everyone how amazing trackballs are. +And we all know it is a fact. +No one can tell me otherwise. + +{{< img-c "lawnmower-man-1992-0004.jpg" >}} +The hidden star of the movie, right behind that hairy guy. +Look at that keyboard! +Look at how beige it is! +{{< /img-c >}} + +{{< img-c "lawnmower-man-1992-0005.jpg" >}} +Cyber God indeed. +{{< /img-c >}} + +[^fn:1]: And Polish version of those. + We had a great copy of _The Honeymooners_ named _Miodowe Lata_. + The translation of the title is surprisingly spot-on. +[^fn:2]: Under an amazingly translated title, which would translate back as _The Lawmower Man of Minds_. + Perfection. + We knew _Dirty Dancing_ as _Spinning Sex_ and _Die Hard_ as _Glass Trap_. + Those were simpler times. diff --git a/content/brain-rot/lawnmower-man/lawmower-man-2-1996.md b/content/brain-rot/lawnmower-man/lawmower-man-2-1996.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..a6b1eb4 --- /dev/null +++ b/content/brain-rot/lawnmower-man/lawmower-man-2-1996.md @@ -0,0 +1,128 @@ ++++ +title = "Lawmower Man 2: Beyond Cyberspace (1996)" +author = ["Michał Sapka"] +date = 2024-02-23T20:29:00+01:00 +categories = ["brainrot"] +draft = false +weight = 3001 +abstract = "My mirco reviview of the sequeo to a vr killer thriller" +[menu] + [menu.brain-rot] + weight = 3001 + identifier = "lawmower-man-2-beyond-cyberspace-1996" ++++ + +Fun fact: I remembered close to nothing about this movie back. +When I was watching the first, everything seems familiar. +Here? +Not so much. +Guess _Polsat_ consider the second one too expensive for regular broadcast. + +In _Lawnmawer Man[^fn:1]_ we meet Jobe, now a genius being living in the cyberspace. +But not so much, because in the first few minutes of _Lawmnower Man 2_ we learn that he has not left his meatsuit for the cyberspace. +The explosion at the lab left him an amputee. +But his talents are now in use of the Evil Corporation designing the future of cyberspace. + +Of course, Jobe wants the cyberspace for himself. + +The general plot seems similar to the first one, but they are very much different. +The plot is much more complex, there are many more explosions and I think it makes much less sense than the first one. +I would rate it at 2/5. + +But the biggest difference is that this movie is target towards certain audience. +_Lawmower Man_ was a kid-friendly horror. +_Lawmower Man 2_ is a kids' movie. +They completely removed the part which tried to be scary. + +We've got bunch od kids (and a dog) fighting and winning against a grown-up. +Yes, they get the help from an adult - the creator of cyberspace. +But the main heroes are the kids. +And the main target are the kids. + +{{< img-c "lawnmower-man-2-1996-0002.jpg" >}} +Kids flying in cyberspace +{{< /img-c >}} + +{{< img-c "lawnmower-man-2-1996-0012.jpg" >}} +And flying even more. +{{< /img-c >}} + +{{< img-c "lawnmower-man-2-1996-0003.jpg" >}} +Dog preparing to save a day... +{{< /img-c >}} + +{{< img-c "lawnmower-man-2-1996-0004.jpg" >}} +And saving the day by inserting a CD in the drive. +How can anyone consider this to be a movie for adoults? +{{< /img-c >}} + +I've read that the director was locked out of the editing room as he was trying to make a different movie. +The producers said a firm "no" and made _Lawmower Man 2_ close to the likes of _Goonies_, _Explorers_ or _Flight of the Navigator_. +It never reaches the coolness of those, but it tries. +A lot of people on the interweb bash the movie on logical problems or being goofy. +Yes - occasionally the plot makes so little sense that they needed to add voice over explaining why the hell the _gang_ is going where they are going. +Yes, it has a dog who saves the day. +38 years old me was not amused, but the 10-year-old inside me screamed "yeah! Radical!". +He was not doing well with being _modern_ back then as well. + +{{< img-c "lawnmower-man-2-1996-0005.jpg" >}} +Her hair is the closest thing to a "scare" in the entire movie +{{< /img-c >}} + +{{< img-c "lawnmower-man-2-1996-0006.jpg" >}} +This hippie is the inventor of VR. +Tech geniuses leaving all the tech behind to live in the wild is now more real than ever +{{< /img-c >}} + +Jobe is being played by Matt Frewer, who quite often acts like Jim Carey, which is fitting. +He is not the magical-killer he used to be. +He is goofy. + +Even the music sounds like something Spielberg would use. + +There is no Pierce Brosnan here, as only Austin O'Brien returns from the first one, once again reprising the role of Peter Parkette. + +My biggest gripe is the special effect here. +The movie takes place in the future, so we're no longer seeing green grass. +The real world vibe is close to _Blade Runner_ or _Dark City_. +I dig it! + +{{< img-c "lawnmower-man-2-1996-0001.jpg" >}} +Cyberpunk! +I'm pretty sure that almost all those scenes happened on the same crossroad. +{{< /img-c >}} + +{{< img-c "lawnmower-man-2-1996-0011.jpg" >}} +Almost Blade Runner. +{{< /img-c >}} + +But then there is the _cyberspace_. +In _Lawmower Man_ we had amazing, early CGI closer to an acid trip than anything else. +Here, the cyberspace looks like ours. +They just added CGI here and there. +It looks like an episode of _The Next Generation_, but without most of the campiness. +For the most part it is competent, but there is no spark. +It's not _cool_. + +{{< img-c "lawnmower-man-2-1996-0010.jpg" >}} +Our first meeting with new Jobe in the cyberspace. +Yes, this is VR-forest. +{{< /img-c >}} + +{{< img-c "lawnmower-man-2-1996-0007.jpg" >}} +Cyberspace here give more of FMV-game kind of vibe than I would have expected +{{< /img-c >}} + +{{< img-c "lawnmower-man-2-1996-0008.jpg" >}} +The VR here more social than what Apple showed. +{{< /img-c >}} + +{{< img-c "lawnmower-man-2-1996-0009.jpg" >}} +Luckily, sometimes the VR almost delivers. +{{< /img-c >}} + +But the 10-year-old me would not care. +He would rate it as 3.75/5 or "that was cool!". +But he he wasn't picky at all. + +[^fn:1]: Vide: [my review of Lawmower Man](/blog/2024/lawmower-man-1229/). |