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diff --git a/content/reviews/movies/dead-mans-letters-1986.md b/content/reviews/movies/dead-mans-letters-1986.md
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++++
+title = "Dead Man's Lettes (aka Lettes from a Dead Man, 1986)"
+author = ["Michał Sapka"]
+date = 2024-06-25T22:56:00+02:00
+categories = ["reviews"]
+draft = false
+weight = 2010
+reviewSection = ["Movies"]
+image_dir = "reviews/screenshots"
+image_max_width = 765
+abstract = "A short review of SciFi classic"
+image = "reviews/covers/dead-mans-letters.jpg"
+aliases = ["brain-rot/eastern-block-scifi/dead-mans-letters-1986/"]
+rating = 5
++++
+
+Let's get this right of the bat: _Dead Man's Letters_ is a masterpiece; one of the greatest movies I've ever witnessed.
+
+A Russian town after nuclear war.
+Professor Larsen, a Nobel Prize in Physics laureate, lives with his sick wife and few other survivors in the basement of a museum.
+For the next 88 mins you will witness pure, soul eating _bleakness_.
+
+Talking about the story doesn't make sense, as it's not the point.
+_Dead Man's Letters_ is very much akin to Tarkowsky's movies.
+It's poetry and meditation on human condition.
+There are long stretches of nothing but inner monologue of main character who _thinks_.
+Not much of _comment_, but rather a _study_.
+I don't think I've ever witnessed this type of movie outside Russian cinema.
+It's not Bunuel, it's not Kubrick - but at the same it's very much _this_ type of movie.
+More of an experience, than a 3 act story.
+
+It's also one of the saddest movies I've experienced.
+No one is fighting for the future.
+They simply exist, waiting for the end.
+The only glimmer of hope is Larsen who thinks the was ended.
+But no one believes him.
+Maybe he even doesn't believe himself?
+
+The visual side very much reflects it.
+There are no real colors, everything is monochromatic but colorized.
+Just like in German Impressionism or _Stalker's_ scenes outside of The Zone.
+The movie is full of special effects, but none of them aim at wowing the viewer.
+You witness despair and the despair becomes part of you.
+Luckily, this is only 88 mins long - anything longer and it would be unbearable.
+
+{{< image class="centered" source="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0091759/mediaviewer/rm794067713" alt="An old, white man wearing glasses. In sepia" file="dead-mans-letters-1.jpg" >}}
+The "hero"
+{{< /image >}}
+
+{{< image class="centered" source="https://www.reddit.com/media?url=https%3A%2F%2Fpreview.redd.it%2Fbyjma8jabmc61.jpg%3Fwidth%3D964%26format%3Dpjpg%26auto%3Dwebp%26s%3D02b9a40ac8c094bc25d79890adb64b07c86c26e5" alt="Two characters sitting by a metallic table. On the left, an old man hiding his face in his hands. On the right a balding white man. The scene is blue." file="dead-mans-letters-2.jpg" >}}
+You won't glimpse much happiness here.
+{{< /image >}}
+
+The movie is a directorial debut of Konstantin Lopushansky and was co-written by Boris Strutsky.
+Strugatskys Brothers are one of the greatest writers of _intelligent_ (up to a fault) SciFi, and Borise's talent is clearly shown here.
+Just like in their books, the story is there as means to an end; a medium to discuss humanity.
+It's not an easy movie to watch.
+It requires focus, dedication and a lot of thinking.
+You will get lost in it, and the movie may stay with you for a while - even though it won't ever be pleasant.
+It's an unforgettable experience.
+Too bad it's not widely known in the west.
+Maybe it's simply too convoluted?
+Or maybe it's just too different.
+Anyway, a masterpiece.
+I encourage everyone to at least _try_ to experience it.
diff --git a/content/reviews/movies/lawmower-man-1992.md b/content/reviews/movies/lawmower-man-1992.md
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+++ b/content/reviews/movies/lawmower-man-1992.md
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++++
+title = "Lawnmower Man (1992)"
+author = ["Michał Sapka"]
+date = 2024-02-19T23:03:00+01:00
+categories = ["reviews"]
+draft = false
+weight = 2008
+reviewSection = ["Movies"]
+image_dir = "reviews/screenshots"
+image_max_width = 765
+abstract = "My mirco reviview of a vr killer  thriller"
+aliases = ["/blog/2024/lawmower-man-1992/", "brain-rot/lawnmower-man/lawmower-man-1992/", "brain-rot/american-scifi/lawnmower-man/lawmower-man-1992/"]
+rating = 3.0
+related = ["Lawnmower Man"]
+relatedName = "Lawnmower Man"
+image = "reviews/covers/lawnmower-man.jpg"
++++
+
+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.
+
+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.
+
+{{< image class="centered" file="lawnmower-man-1992-0001.jpg" >}}
+Remember when huge companies were scary?
+{{< /image >}}
+
+{{< image class="centered" file="lawnmower-man-1992-0002.jpg" >}}
+That's one way to save your neck from Apple Vision
+{{< /image >}}
+
+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.
+
+{{< image class="centered" file="lawnmower-man-1992-0006.jpg" >}}
+The cyberspace we all need.
+{{< /image >}}
+
+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.
+
+{{< image class="centered" file="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!
+{{< /image >}}
+
+{{< image class="centered" file="lawnmower-man-1992-0005.jpg" >}}
+Cyber God indeed.
+{{< /image >}}
+
+[^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/reviews/movies/lawmower-man-2-1996.md b/content/reviews/movies/lawmower-man-2-1996.md
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index 0000000..b251b44
--- /dev/null
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++++
+title = "Lawmower Man 2: Beyond Cyberspace (1996)"
+author = ["Michał Sapka"]
+date = 2024-02-23T20:29:00+01:00
+categories = ["reviews"]
+draft = false
+weight = 2009
+reviewSection = ["Movies"]
+image_dir = "reviews/screenshots"
+image_max_width = 765
+abstract = "My mirco reviview of the sequeo to a vr killer thriller"
+aliases = ["/blog/2024/lawmower-man-2-1996//", "brain-rot/lawnmower-man/lawmower-man-2-1996/", "brain-rot/american-scifi/lawnmower-man/lawmower-man-2-1996/"]
+rating = 3.75
+related = ["Lawnmower Man"]
+relatedName = "Lawnmower Man 2"
+image = "reviews/covers/lawnmower-man2.jpg"
++++
+
+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.
+
+{{< image class="centered" file="lawnmower-man-2-1996-0002.jpg" >}}
+Kids flying in cyberspace
+{{< /image >}}
+
+{{< image class="centered" file="lawnmower-man-2-1996-0012.jpg" >}}
+And flying even more.
+{{< /image >}}
+
+{{< image class="centered" file="lawnmower-man-2-1996-0003.jpg" >}}
+Dog preparing to save a day...
+{{< /image >}}
+
+{{< image class="centered" file="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?
+{{< /image >}}
+
+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.
+
+Her hair is the closest thing to a "scare" in the entire movie
+\#+end_image
+
+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
+\#+end_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!
+
+{{< image class="centered" file="lawnmower-man-2-1996-0001.jpg" >}}
+Cyberpunk!
+I'm pretty sure that almost all those scenes happened on the same crossroad.
+{{< /image >}}
+
+{{< image class="centered" file="lawnmower-man-2-1996-0011.jpg" >}}
+Almost Blade Runner.
+{{< /image >}}
+
+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_.
+
+{{< image class="centered" file="lawnmower-man-2-1996-0010.jpg" >}}
+Our first meeting with new Jobe in the cyberspace.
+Yes, this is VR-forest.
+{{< /image >}}
+
+{{< image class="centered" file="lawnmower-man-2-1996-0007.jpg" >}}
+Cyberspace here give more of FMV-game kind of vibe than I would have expected
+{{< /image >}}
+
+{{< image class="centered" file="lawnmower-man-2-1996-0008.jpg" >}}
+The VR here more social than what Apple showed.
+{{< /image >}}
+
+{{< image class="centered" file="lawnmower-man-2-1996-0009.jpg" >}}
+Luckily, sometimes the VR almost delivers.
+{{< /image >}}
+
+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/).
diff --git a/content/reviews/movies/mars-express-2023.md b/content/reviews/movies/mars-express-2023.md
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index 0000000..09aff37
--- /dev/null
+++ b/content/reviews/movies/mars-express-2023.md
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++++
+title = "Mars Express (2023)"
+author = ["Michał Sapka"]
+date = 2024-07-29T21:54:00+02:00
+categories = ["reviews"]
+draft = false
+weight = 2015
+reviewSection = ["Movies"]
+image_dir = "reviews/screenshots"
+image_max_width = 765
+abstract = "My review"
+image = "reviews/covers/mars-express.jpg"
+rating = 4.75
+alias = ["brain-rot/european-scifi/mars-express-2023/"]
++++
+
+On the surface, _Mars Express_ is a detective story about a female detective and her robotic partner.
+We've seen a lot of those, but they were mostly terrible.
+_Mars Express_, on the other hand, is one of the greatest SciFi movies I've seen.
+
+It is often compared to _Blade Runner_ and _Ghost in the Shell_.
+And while yes, those are the two big titles _ME_ takes from - there is so much more here to marvel.
+
+I don't want to spoil the story, but let me tell you it's great.
+This _could have been_ another limited run TV series - but luckily, it is not.
+We've got 88 minutes of great SciFi detective work which has already gone to history as a modern classic.
+Enough said that it smart, makes sense and it's worth to experience without spoilers.
+
+<div class="rating">
+
+Cover
+
+</div>
+
+However, the biggest problem with _Mars Express_ is its older peers.
+This film takes from numerous other movies - not only the _big 2_, but also 2001, _Akira_, _Armitage III_, and even some Cronenberg.
+All of this works great - never have I felt that anything is a pointless reference[^fn:1].
+The director and writer duo - Laurent Sarfati and Jérémie Périn - blend all those ideas perfectly, each borrowed _thing_ is their own in the context of this film.
+But it also creates a lot of unexpected foreshadowing.
+Now, I did not expect the ending - the film had a chance to end 3 times before the credits rolled.
+There were moments where authors could call it a day and still have a great film.
+But the story continues, becoming better and better each time.
+As a whole, I left very much surprised.
+Yet, a lot of twist and turns came as "hey, I've seen that already".
+Sometimes in better form, most often in worse.
+However, if you are the kind of person who tries to guess what's going to happen[^fn:2], you may leave unchallenged.
+
+But you will still marvel at the animation.
+The French were always the champions of European animation, and this is another proof.
+_Mars Express_ is breathtaking.
+It looks 2D, and even when the CGI rears its ugly face, it's just for a brief moment.
+We're seeing clear inspiration from _Production IG_, which is the best kind of inspiration.
+Anime no longer looks as good as it looked when _Mamoru Oshii_ ruled the scene, and _Mars Express_ fill a huge void in my heart.
+
+Not only because the animation is spot on, but also because we rarely see such a vivid SciFi world.
+It's often just a steel wall here and there, a bit massive computer, maybe.
+But _Mars Express_ fills the world with believable nuances - the "Police" tape is holographic, the roads react in a cool way to accidents, and even the gadgets are cool.
+I could not smile wide enough to show how much I loved it.
+They could have just made the bare minimum (like it often is), but they went the extra mile.
+As it stands, _Mars Express_ is one of the greatest SciFi worlds I can remember.
+
+{{< image class="centered" alt="On the left a woman is sitting on a table. Another woman is standing above her." file="mars-express-1.jpg" >}}
+It's not anime, but it's breathtaking
+{{< /image >}}
+
+This is the film to see.
+I know there is another blockbuster in the cinema you may want to watch, but please - give _Mars Express_ a chance.
+It's not a modern film, it's not an action film (even if the action is 10/10).
+It's a smart story, like we used to experience 20 years ago.
+They don't make movies like this very often, and we are lucky to have it.
+
+[^fn:1]: Hello Marvel
+[^fn:2]: I never understood that.
+    When I watch a film, I try to go into a meditative state.
+    I try not to think of the story as a jigsaw, but as an experience.
diff --git a/content/reviews/movies/part-one-2021.md b/content/reviews/movies/part-one-2021.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..24d02f4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/content/reviews/movies/part-one-2021.md
@@ -0,0 +1,145 @@
++++
+title = "Dune: Part One (2021)"
+author = ["Michał Sapka"]
+date = 2024-04-13T21:33:00+02:00
+categories = ["reviews"]
+draft = false
+weight = 2012
+reviewSection = ["Movies"]
+image_dir = "reviews/screenshots"
+image_max_width = 765
+abstract = "My review of an adaptation of the first part of an amazing book"
+aliases = ["/brain-rot/dune/part-one-2021", "brain-rot/american-scifi/dune/part-one-2021/"]
+rating = 4.75
+image = "reviews/covers/dune.jpg"
+related = ["Dune movies"]
+relatedName = "Dune: Part One (2021)"
++++
+
+I'd like to call myself a Dune fan, but I am not.
+I have finished my Dune adventure on _Heretics_ and only now am I planning to finish the saga[^fn:1]
+Though, I think this still puts me well above most people calling themselves fans now.
+I loved eveything I've read, but I have never reached the end.
+
+_Dune: Part 1_ is the second movie based on the 1956 Frank Herbert's classic SciFi epic.
+Well, it is not.
+It is the third attempt to show the first half of the book.
+There was the David Lynch verion (which I adore) and there was a TV Series.
+There were also games, but only two of those have any resemblance to the plot of the book.
+So yeah, Dune was considered impossible to transfer to any other medium.
+Sadly, I still have to agree.
+
+I think everybody (and their dogs) know what _Dune_ is about but:
+_Dune_ is a story of distant future, where all powerful houses rule the known universe.
+The technological progress was halted thousands of years ago, after a thinking machines raged a war against humanity.
+After their defeat it was forbidden to create such machines.
+Arrakis (aka Dune) is a sand planet, the only known source of _Spice_ - a narcotic allowing humans to traverse time, and therefore spaceflight.
+Spaceships are operated by mutated humans, who after exposure to Spice can see into the future and steer the ships.
+Now, the Emperor orders the control of the planet to be shifted to th House of Atreides.
+The previous stewards, House of Harkonen will not make it any easier.
+
+Ignoring the mutants, this sounds like a run-of-the-mill SF series.
+But _Dune_ It is also story of social engineering spanning millennia, of false prophets, and a million other crazy things.
+The first book keeps it _almost_ sane, but there is a significant dictionary attached, and the first time reader will need to use it extensively.
+Later the saga goes completely off the rails.
+We'll get back to this.
+
+Note, that _Frank Herbert_ wrote only the first few books.
+After his death, his son - _Brian Herbet_ took over and wrote dozens of other ones.
+The quality differs significantly, as I've been told.
+I've read the _Houses_ trilogy, and it was quite nice.
+
+Now that we've got the introduction out of the way, let's go to the movie.
+Let me start with saying that I adore it.
+It's not what I'd want (as the young vloggers say "hear me out face value it's as close to perfect SF movie as they go.
+
+_Dune: Part 1_ is directed by Denis Vileneuve, who previously directed some of the greatest SF movies of this century - _Arrival_ and _Blade Runner 2049_.
+His other movies are also amazing (I can't recommend _Enemy_ enough), so I was pretty stoked when it was announced that he will direct _Dune_.
+I am no longer a movie buff[^fn:2], but he may very well be my favorite living director.
+
+Technically, I can not find any fault with the movie.
+The story makes sense (I'll return to Lynch in a second), which by itself is an achievement.
+The acting is superb, and works as a reminder that TV series are still not on the level of the greatest movies.
+The special effects are astounding[^fn:3].
+The music is, for the most part, at least great.
+I hated the main theme with screaming lady.
+Music is supposed to work with the movie, not to hide it with loud noises!
+But that's the only thing I disliked.
+
+{{< image class="centered" file="dune-part1-001.webp" >}}
+Jessicas portrayal is amazing.
+{{< /image >}}
+
+{{< image class="centered" file="dune-part1-002.webp" >}}
+ALL costumes are amazing
+{{< /image >}}
+
+{{< image class="centered" file="dune-part1-003.webp" >}}
+CGI is amazing.
+The movie looks amazing.
+{{< /image >}}
+
+{{< image class="centered" file="dune-part1-004.webp" >}}
+Have mentioned how amazing this movie looks?
+{{< /image >}}
+
+I loved the tempo of this movie, as I never enjoyed action-packed shoot fests of the _other franchise dominating cinema for decades_.
+Everything is slow - the actors speak slowly, the scene have time to breath, the camera is moving on a low gear.
+Even things fall down slowly!
+This adds an amazing dream-like feeling to most scenes.
+Sometimes I felt like I'm watching a _Tarkovsky_ movie and not a big budget Hollywood blockbuster.
+
+And this the greatest and worst thing here.
+It's meditative.
+You feel like yoy are in a trance.
+You fully buy accept you see here.
+
+But the world of Dune is weird.
+It is full of things that make you go "huh?".
+It has mutants who traverse time, but it also got mutants who are computers.
+There are reanimated corpses, living furniture, hollow planets, vision quests.
+Denis omitted everything that was not essential to the plot, and what he left, he grounded in reality by omitting the _wtf_.
+There are not even the crazy names!
+Some strange things he left, but they are shown without explanation.
+It's just there, without any context.
+But, to be fair - context would only add confusion.
+
+But this is where _Lynchs_ version shines.
+It makes little sense, it is rushed - sure.
+But it conveys how twisted the world is.
+It's not a trace, it's a full on narcotic trip straight out of some hippie story.
+
+And this is why I don't think that this movie is a _great_ adaptation of Dune.
+It is a _great_ movie on its own.
+It perfectly adapts the adaptable and pretends that there is nothing else.
+It makes _Dune: Part 1_ the hit that it is, and it allowed us to get _Part 2_.
+But since making this move appeal to mass audience is not my problem, I'd like to see the full picture.
+
+It'd also like to see the world less cold.
+The architecture is devoid of heart, it's brutalistic.
+It looks amazing (I think I mentioned that), but the crazy colors and abstract layouts we see in Lynch version is something else.
+It's a Vileneuve style.
+It looks exactly like his previous movies - it's controlled, clean, _cold_.
+As much as I loved it in his other works, I'm not sure if it fits the degenerate houses we meet.
+
+But that's just me.
+As it stands, this is a groundbreaking movie which makes me want more.
+Not only more of _Dune_ but more of serious, intelligent SciFi movies.
+We had those and may get more!
+
+It's better in any conceivable way compared to all previous attempts at adapting the source material, and I think all my nitpicks are kina moot.
+It fits 2024 esthetic and it's crazy intelligent.
+
+Highest recommendation from me.
+4.75/4
+
+And, hey!
+Sardukars no longer look like welders!
+
+[^fn:1]: Right after finishing the Witcher saga.
+[^fn:2]: not to brag, but I was a semiprofessional film critic during college years.
+    I had a press pass and all!
+[^fn:3]: Ornititopthers look just like in the _Dune_ game!
+    This strangely works with how believable everything is.
+    All flying ships have this strange physics, which I have hard time explaining.
+    They are not like you X-Wings, but they fit the world.
diff --git a/content/reviews/movies/part-two-2024.md b/content/reviews/movies/part-two-2024.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..b618e0f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/content/reviews/movies/part-two-2024.md
@@ -0,0 +1,128 @@
++++
+title = "Dune: Part Two (2024)"
+author = ["Michał Sapka"]
+date = 2024-04-16T16:44:00+02:00
+categories = ["reviews"]
+draft = false
+weight = 2013
+reviewSection = ["Movies"]
+image_dir = "reviews/screenshots"
+image_max_width = 765
+abstract = "My review of an adaptation of the second part of an amazing book"
+aliases = ["/brain-rot/dune/part-two-2024", "brain-rot/american-scifi/dune/part-two-2024/"]
+rating = 4.75
+image = "reviews/covers/dune2.jpg"
+related = ["Dune movies"]
+relatedName = "Dune: Part Two (2024)"
++++
+
+It's here, it's finally here.
+_Dune_ joins the  very small club of SciFi books with amazing adaptations.
+When _Part One_ hit the screens, people were amazed that it was so good.
+Now, with _Part Two_, we hear that it's even better than the first one!
+
+But I was very skeptical.
+The trailers seemed to indicate a train wreck.
+They were full of explosions, angry screaming guys and the taglines about war.
+Dune was never _about_ war.
+War was in there, but it was never the point.
+But cinema, SciFi especially, loves special effects, and big-booms are amongst the most used.
+I dislike a lot of SciFi movies from the USA, as the (so called) spectacle is all there is[^fn:1].
+
+But what the hell, I chose an IMAX experience nevertheless.
+The first _Dune_ was breathtaking, so why not?
+
+And then the movie started, and my worries were replaced with anger.
+What the hell is this?
+Soldier banter?
+Puppy-eyes?
+Joking?
+It's a SciFi war movie.
+There are preparing for the _specle_
+_Dirty Fremen Dozen_!
+_Independence Day of Arrakis_!
+
+But, just as the action moved to Giedi Prime, the movie completely transformed.
+What was mediocre, became absolutely marvelous!
+
+Now, after seeing and rethinking the movie, it makes sense.
+It's a not _sequel_ to _Dune_, but _part two_.
+It doesn't start in act 1, as that was in the last movie.
+The first chunk of this movie is a cool-down after the ending in of _Part One_.
+Both _Dune_ movies should be treated as one long movie.
+Much more than Kill Bill, as we have no clear _ending_ between the two.
+_Part One_ ends with finishing of the Harkonen attack plot, which only ignites events of this movie.
+And looking at it as one one big movie, I have to say: wow!
+
+They made some changes to Herbert's text, but I like them.
+Fremen are no longer a singular force that Paul uses.
+The movie version of them is divided, having different cultures.
+Maybe it's too black and white, but it's a nice change.
+
+Similarly, Chani become a multidimensional character.
+And while yes, Jessicas portrayal makes Chanis character shine much less, it's still a great change.
+But the way Rebecca Ferguson plays Jessica is nothing short of wonder.
+She starts scared, but loyal to both, Paul and Bene Gesserit.
+After becoming the reverent mother however she becomes menacing.
+With this comes another change - Alia is not born here.
+She is talking with her mother telepathically, but at the end of the movie she is still to be born[^fn:2].
+That's a dangerous change, but it works perfectly because the tone Jessica uses when talking with her - calm, silent, almost a whisper, yet still menacing.
+I can not stress it enough - Rebecca is perfect here.
+
+But the biggest change is the introduction of scenes from _Dune Messiah_.
+You see, _Dune_ was often seen as a savior story.
+Paul was to be the good guy, who comes and saves the day.
+This is as far from what Frank Herbert envisioned as possible, so he wrote a short sequel book.
+This movie vision introduces plot points and scenes taken directly from that book, so the meaning behing the story is much more obvious.
+I think it's a good change, as we already see folks arguing against _Dune_ due to this misconception.
+This way it defends itself.
+
+{{< image class="centered" file="dune-part2-001.jpg" >}}
+Arrakis 90210
+{{< /image >}}
+
+{{< image class="centered" file="dune-part2-002.jpg" >}}
+Jessica in all of her glory
+{{< /image >}}
+
+Luckily, this movie is much weirder than _Part One_.
+While last time Dennis omitted a lot, here he shows more _things_[^fn:3], but still there is no context.
+We see the finger of the Baron, but we never learn what actually is there.
+It comes as an Easter Egg for old time fans, which is nice as it takes nothing from the story.
+But then there is Geidi Prime which is monochromatic, empty and cold - in the scariest way.
+I'd love to see more of this side the world, but we got it spot on.
+And Fayd?
+Where Lynch gave us half-naked Sting, Austin Butler is a psychopath.
+This is the Beast we all deserve!
+This is the stuff nightmares are made of.
+
+I am happy to report that this is not a war movie.
+It's _Dune_ full of plots within plots, mysticism and (lastly) war.
+
+Unfortunately, once again I am not happy with the music.
+While most of the tracks are good (or great), the main theme is even worse than last time.
+It's now layered over a lot more noise, making it this much more annoying.
+It decreased my enjoyment of many of the greatest scenes.
+Luckily, there is also new theme so this screaming woman may not follow us into the third movie.
+
+So, _Dune Part II_ is an excellent movie, but _Dune_ the complete story is a marvel.
+It's the greatest thing I've seen in American SciFi in a very long time.
+It's what it should be.
+While not flawless, it's as close to what I'd imagine as a _perfect_ _Dune_ as it comes.
+The movie gets a 4.75 from me (same as the first one), but looking at both _Dunes_ as a single movie?
+Then it goes to a 5.
+I don't think we will get anywhere close to this level of quality anytime soon.
+What _Baldurs Gate III_ made for cRPG, _Dune_ makes to _SciFi cinema_.
+
+And, I love that Christofer Walken is once again in the Dune universe.
+He warned us about the Worm years ago.
+
+Fayd in all of his glory
+\#+end_image
+
+[^fn:1]: I still remember how bored I was when I watched _Iron Man 3_.
+    The last decade of the movie runtime was filled with a non-stop battle.
+    The movie stopped and all was left was CGI.
+[^fn:2]: Kinda fitting.
+    _Arrival_ had a very similar take on what a human is.
+[^fn:3]: No chairdogs though
diff --git a/content/reviews/movies/run-lola-run-1998.md b/content/reviews/movies/run-lola-run-1998.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..1fa78f3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/content/reviews/movies/run-lola-run-1998.md
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++++
+title = "Run Lola Run (1998)"
+author = ["Michał Sapka"]
+date = 2024-06-29T22:26:00+02:00
+categories = ["reviews"]
+draft = false
+weight = 2014
+reviewSection = ["Movies"]
+image_dir = "reviews/screenshots"
+image_max_width = 765
+abstract = "A short review of the German thriller"
+image = "reviews/covers/run-lola-run.jpg"
+rating = 3.75
++++
+
+Sometimes you find SciFi in the worst places, like Disney.
+Sometimes you find it in a strange German techno thriller.
+
+The story of _Run Lola Run_ is one of the simplest I've ever witnessed:
+Lola's boyfriend, Manni, screwed delivery of 100000 Detche Marks (close to 83k Eur in 2024) and now his boss is going to kill him within 20 minutes.
+It is up to Lola to get the money, and then run as fast as she can to him - before he does anything stupid.
+
+This does not sound _scifi_ but there is one element that convinces me: butterfly effect.
+The one from the mediocre Ashton Kutcher movie and a great movie from Kieslowski.
+We rarely speak of it today, but a few years ago it was quite popular.
+In _Run Lola Run_ we see different outcomes depending on a very slight changes.
+This, and Lola's _magical scream_ are the only fantastical elements here.
+Enough for me!
+
+The story is serviceable - it's not bad, but it's also not memorable.
+
+What is memorable is how the movie is made.
+
+{{< image class="centered" source="https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/104-lola-rennt/images/backdrops" alt="Red haied girl running on the left. A blurry building in the background" file="run-lola-run-1.jpg" >}}
+There are quite a few running scenes here
+{{< /image >}}
+
+There was this short period of time, when a few ultra-energetic movies were made.
+Think Pi, or Human Traffic.
+They seem more like something you would see on MTV than a full length movie.
+Lola runs, some powerfully techno music plays _loudly_ and that's basically it.
+We've got some breaks with dialogue, but most of the movie is pure, raw energy.
+Think _Mad Max_ has aggressive montage?
+Check again.
+
+{{< image class="centered" source="https://www.justwatch.com/ca/movie/run-lola-run" alt="Two people poiting pistols: red haired girl and blond male" file="run-lola-run-2.jpg" >}}
+Unmistakable 90s
+{{< /image >}}
+
+_Run Lola Run_ is a midbudget (low?) thriller with SciFi elements which is very much a forgotten genre.
+It's also very, deeply _european_, which I love[^fn:1].
+It's an enjoyable, non-insulting ride.
+But it's a not lost classic.
+
+[^fn:1]: Berlin, where action takes place, is so clean here.
+    I say that as a Pole.
+    Our cities back then were far from being nice to look at.
+    It improved though!
diff --git a/content/reviews/movies/sneakers-1992.md b/content/reviews/movies/sneakers-1992.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..91f7f91
--- /dev/null
+++ b/content/reviews/movies/sneakers-1992.md
@@ -0,0 +1,55 @@
++++
+title = "Sneakers (1992)"
+author = ["Michał Sapka"]
+date = 2024-07-29T21:12:00+02:00
+categories = ["reviews"]
+draft = false
+weight = 2011
+reviewSection = ["Movies"]
+image_dir = "reviews/screenshots"
+image_max_width = 765
+abstract = "My review"
+image = "reviews/covers/sneakers.jpg"
+rating = 4
+aliases = ["/brain-rot/hackers/sneakers-1992/"]
++++
+
+_Sneakers_ is a 1992 movie starring a huge cast of brightest stars about penetrating testers hired by NSA to recover a Russian-founder black box codename "Setec Astronomy".
+Things get complicated and (as it was in the 90s) full of conspiracies.
+
+I watched this film _only_ because it is about hackers.
+And let me tell you, I did not leave disappointed.
+We sure got some red team hacking.
+Computers get hacked, doors get unlocked, cameras get taped.
+If this is all you want - sure, _Sneakers_ is great.
+All of those actions are believable, hackers are not the scum of the earth (as they tend to be in later movies) and it's just plain cool.
+
+What I was not expecting was a great plot!
+It's clear that the task is not what it seems.
+It's not X-Files level of conspiracy within conspiracy[^fn:1], but we've sure got some rollercoaster of those.
+It <span class="underline">is</span> the 90s, so government are evil and private business is good, but even being raised on those ideas, I had a blast.
+Even after the _evil mastermind_ laves the shadow, it doesn't break anything.
+It may be a bit too-obvious, but what the hell. 80% of the story is great.
+
+And the movie is simply beautiful.
+It has _that_ 90s look, which can not be reproduced with modern digital effects.
+But the camera work is stop-on.
+When I pressed "play" on this hacker movie, I was not expecting such A-game.
+
+But as the movie started to show its cast, it was obvious - this was to be a blockbuster.
+An _Ocean's 11_ for the cyberage.
+Just look at the poster - Robert Redford is here!
+But, for me, Dan Aykroyd and David Strathairn stole each scene they were in.
+Aykroyd played Mother, a young hacker and conspiracy theorist ("the moon landing was fake" kind of, not "Melissa Lavigne"), and Strathairn played Whistler, a deaf phreaker[^fn:2].
+Both played just the perfect amount of over-the-top characters - anything more, and they would be annoying.
+Everyone knew when to stop.
+
+All in all: great cast, beautiful cinematography and interesting story.
+And the hacking isn't brain rotting!
+
+{{< image class="centered" alt="Blue computer screen reflecting in black glasses" file="sneakers-1.png" >}}
+Monitors reflected on glasses can not be not cool
+{{< /image >}}
+
+[^fn:1]: But nothing is
+[^fn:2]: This movie is so old, that viewer is expected to know what a phreaker is!