From e4514d99e219772f97bfe669b3480aeecc8bb740 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: mms Date: Mon, 11 Nov 2024 23:17:50 +0100 Subject: feat: some movies --- content/brain-rot/american-scifi/colossus-1970.md | 98 ---------- .../american-scifi/ghost-in-the-machine-1993.md | 47 ----- content/brain-rot/american-scifi/hardware-1990.md | 211 --------------------- .../invasion-of-the-body-snatchers-1956.md | 49 ----- .../american-scifi/johnny-mnemonic-1995.md | 81 -------- .../brain-rot/american-scifi/running-man-1987.md | 71 ------- content/reviews/_index.md | 4 +- content/reviews/movies/_index.md | 14 ++ content/reviews/movies/colossus-1970.md | 91 +++++++++ .../reviews/movies/ghost-in-the-machine-1993.md | 44 +++++ content/reviews/movies/hardware-1990.md | 208 ++++++++++++++++++++ .../movies/invasion-of-the-body-snatchers-1956.md | 42 ++++ content/reviews/movies/johnny-mnemonic-1995.md | 75 ++++++++ content/reviews/movies/running-man-1987.md | 63 ++++++ 14 files changed, 538 insertions(+), 560 deletions(-) delete mode 100644 content/brain-rot/american-scifi/colossus-1970.md delete mode 100644 content/brain-rot/american-scifi/ghost-in-the-machine-1993.md delete mode 100644 content/brain-rot/american-scifi/hardware-1990.md delete mode 100644 content/brain-rot/american-scifi/invasion-of-the-body-snatchers-1956.md delete mode 100644 content/brain-rot/american-scifi/johnny-mnemonic-1995.md delete mode 100644 content/brain-rot/american-scifi/running-man-1987.md create mode 100644 content/reviews/movies/_index.md create mode 100644 content/reviews/movies/colossus-1970.md create mode 100644 content/reviews/movies/ghost-in-the-machine-1993.md create mode 100644 content/reviews/movies/hardware-1990.md create mode 100644 content/reviews/movies/invasion-of-the-body-snatchers-1956.md create mode 100644 content/reviews/movies/johnny-mnemonic-1995.md create mode 100644 content/reviews/movies/running-man-1987.md (limited to 'content') diff --git a/content/brain-rot/american-scifi/colossus-1970.md b/content/brain-rot/american-scifi/colossus-1970.md deleted file mode 100644 index c1bf85e..0000000 --- a/content/brain-rot/american-scifi/colossus-1970.md +++ /dev/null @@ -1,98 +0,0 @@ -+++ -title = "Colossus: The Forbin Project (1970)" -author = ["Michał Sapka"] -date = 2024-03-03T16:52:00+01:00 -categories = ["brainrot"] -draft = false -weight = 3005 -image_dir = "screenshots" -image_max_width = 765 -primary_menu = "brain-rot-ascifi" -abstract = "A short review of SciFi classic" -aliases = ["/brain-rot/colosus-1970", "/blog/2024/colossus-1970/"] -rating = 4.25 -[menu] - [menu.brain-rot-ascifi] - weight = 3005 - identifier = "colossus-the-forbin-project-1970" -+++ - -Finally, in my series of discovering the roots of cyberpunk in American Cyberpunk I've seen a real gem. - -_Colossus_ is a 1970 movie about a not-so-distant-future where Americans decide that it would be a great idea to give control of their military potential to a computer. -On paper, it sounds great - a computer has no emotions, so it will not be stopped by petty things, like morality. -Guess how well that turned out? -Soon after switching on, Colossus learns about the existence of another such system - The Guardian, in the territory of CCCP. - -{{< img-c "colossus-1970-0001.jpg" >}} -The movie starts with sexy old-comp scenes. -Fitting, as Control Data Corporation supplied close to 5 million USD in computer equipment. -{{< /img-c >}} - -{{< img-c "colossus-1970-0002.jpg" >}} -Sexy! -Rest of the movie is not as sexy. -{{< /img-c >}} - -{{< img-c "colossus-1970-0003.jpg" >}} -Colossus in person. -{{< /img-c >}} - -And then this SciFi thriller stops being so _crazy-computer_ focused, and analyzes _crazy-human_ reaction. -Colossus starts exhibiting features which were never implemented. -It[^fn:1] starts _demanding_ to be connected with the Guardian, so they can communicate. -And the scientist decide that it would be a great idea. -The computers start exchanging data and developing language. -Still - looks cool, let's see what happens. -Only after Colossus threatens humans with ICBMs, Forbin (Colossus's creator) starts thinking that maybe this wasn't the best idea. - -{{< img-c "colossus-1970-0004.jpg" >}} -At first Colossus communicates only via text. -Funny, as those screens sound like matrix printers. -{{< /img-c >}} - -{{< img-c "colossus-1970-0005.jpg" >}} -This one as well. -{{< /img-c >}} - -{{< img-c "colossus-1970-0006.jpg" >}} -Because it has a printer! -It took me half of the movie to get that. -Guess I'm too millenial for that to be obvious. -{{< /img-c >}} - -The movie is often described as an evil-computer story. -Colossus is never evil in the movie. -It does exactly what it was designed to do - to act without mercy. -The evil ones here are the humans who never stop and think that maybe we are on the verge of the end of humanity. - -So yeah, it's an movie about Altman. -We may have destroyed the civilization, but at lest we made a cool program which does things. -No one know what those things are, but those are details you should not worry about. - -Story wise, _Colossus: The Forbin Project_ holds splendidly. -Yes, we've got casual alcoholism and the female character exists only to have sex with Forbin[^fn:2]. -But the actual meat of the movie could be a base of an amazing movie today. -The questions and subject are more relevant now that half a century ago. -What was a huge _what-if_ scenario becomes a real _ok, but how do we stop it_. -The Pentagon is already working on militarization of AI[^fn:3]. -We're pretty much screwed already. - -The best SciFi is not about giant battles or space travel for space travel sake. -It's always about humans, a warning for us. -And the _best_ SciFi is a warning for the next generations, as the threads become more real as years go by. - -There is a moment in the movie, where the entire day of Forbin is planned and monitored by an AI. -What was a horror story, is now what a lot of us _expect_. - -_Colossus_ in a movie version of earlier book of same. -There are 2 more in the series, and (as I've been told), Aliens make an appearance later on. -Maybe someday! - -As for the movie, I give it a 4.25/5. - -[^fn:1]: There's an interesting discussion about what pronoum to use - He or It. -[^fn:2]: It is a plot point! - A terrible one, but still. -[^fn:3]: Vide: [Pentagon Official Lays Out DOD Vision for AI](https://www.defense.gov/News/News-Stories/Article/Article/3682355/pentagon-official-lays-out-dod-vision-for-ai/). - Note, it's from the official website of US Department of Defense. diff --git a/content/brain-rot/american-scifi/ghost-in-the-machine-1993.md b/content/brain-rot/american-scifi/ghost-in-the-machine-1993.md deleted file mode 100644 index b587319..0000000 --- a/content/brain-rot/american-scifi/ghost-in-the-machine-1993.md +++ /dev/null @@ -1,47 +0,0 @@ -+++ -title = "Ghost in the Machine (1993)" -author = ["Michał Sapka"] -date = 2024-02-09T22:59:00+01:00 -categories = ["brainrot"] -draft = false -weight = 3004 -image_dir = "screenshots" -image_max_width = 765 -primary_menu = "brain-rot-ascifi" -abstract = "My mirco reviview of a computer thriller" -aliases = ["/brain-rot/ghost-in-the-machine", "/blog/2024/ghost-in-the-machine/"] -rating = 3.0 -[menu] - [menu.brain-rot-ascifi] - weight = 3004 - identifier = "ghost-in-the-machine-1993" -+++ - -Talk about a surprise! -I was expecting a _schlock_, but I've seen a nice move. -A dumb one, but still. - -The plot is the biggest problem: a serial killer has an MRI and due to electric storm gets his soul moved to computer network. -With this, he becomes able to: - -- kill person by moving to a microwave and changing its settings, -- kill a dog by arousing it with a TV program (using nothing by electric breakers), then hitting the dog with a VHS tape ejected from a VHS player which causes the animal to run towards the pool - -It makes as little sense in the context of the movie as it does here. -But the acting is (at the very least) acceptable and the FX are better than they should - and there is a lot of them. -Moreover, the camera work is crazy! -The movie _looks_ better than it should. -It seems that this dumb, little movie got more passion in it than the entire MCU combined. - -The problem is that I have no idea what was going on. -People were dying, cool computer interfaces were shown, but the plot barely connected those scenes together. - -It's a classic thriller from early days of personal computing revolution. -I enjoyed it a lot. -It is not a _good_ movie, but it is enjoyable. - -I give it a `3.0/5.` - -links: - -- [Ghost in the Machine on TVDB](https://utf.thetvdb.com/movies/ghost-in-the-machine) diff --git a/content/brain-rot/american-scifi/hardware-1990.md b/content/brain-rot/american-scifi/hardware-1990.md deleted file mode 100644 index 6955719..0000000 --- a/content/brain-rot/american-scifi/hardware-1990.md +++ /dev/null @@ -1,211 +0,0 @@ -+++ -title = "Hardware (1990)" -author = ["Michał Sapka"] -date = 2024-02-17T19:39:00+01:00 -categories = ["brainrot"] -draft = false -weight = 3002 -image_dir = "brain-rot/screenshots" -image_max_width = 765 -primary_menu = "brain-rot-ascifi" -abstract = "My mirco reviview of a killer-robot thriller" -aliases = ["/brain-rot/hardware-1990", "/blog/2024/hardware-1990/"] -rating = 3.5 -[menu] - [menu.brain-rot-ascifi] - weight = 3002 - identifier = "hardware-1990" -+++ - -I ue my descend into American cyberpunk cinema[^fn:1]. -I spent my formative years watching _Anime, art house_ and ignoring most of USA movies. -This means I haven't watched a lot of the _cult_ movies out there. - -_Hardware_ is a 1990 movie about a killer robot in a post-nuclear world. -Think of a mix of Terminator, Aliens and Short Circuit. - -I heard of this movie years ago, but it seemed to be noting more than a cash grab after the success of _Terminator_ - a movie which I don't partially enjoy. -After watching, I have to say that there was a of true in this assumption. -But somehow I ended enjoying _Hardware_ much more. - -Not that the story is better - if anything, it is much simpler, or just plain _simplistic_. -Say what you will about _Terminator_, but the basic premise was great. -_Hardware_ on the other hand doesn't offer a great idea. -This is a straight movie about a killer robot. - -However, I enjoyed it more, as it is much closer to what _Alien[^fn:2]_ achieved -The entire action is encapsulated in only a few, closed locations. -Half of the runtime is spent in a single apartment, where the _Mark-13_ robot shows up from to time a try to murder someone. -Much like the _Nostromo_! - -This allowed the movie to be **stunning** visually. -I loved every frame here! -I know that most of the effect is based on fog and lighting, but I dig it! -Just take a look at the gallery below. - -Another thing which reminded me of _Alien_ is how they handled the special effects of the _monster_. -We see very little of _Mark-13_ - he is often hard to see, covered in darkness. -From time to time we see his movements, and well. -Hiding him was clearly a good idea... just like with the _Xenomorph_. - -All in all, I enjoyed the movie. -I'm not calling it one of my favorites, but I enjoyed every minute of its short runtime. - -I give it a `3.5/5`. - -{{< img-c "hardware-1990-0001.jpg" >}} -Red sky of postnuclear... summer? -{{< /img-c >}} - -{{< img-c "hardware-1990-0002.jpg" >}} -The Nomad. -{{< /img-c >}} - -{{< img-c "hardware-1990-0003.jpg" >}} -Nomad searching the desert for stuff for sale. -{{< /img-c >}} - -{{< img-c "hardware-1990-0004.jpg" >}} -An ordinary store. -Great vibes! -Fun for the whole family. -{{< /img-c >}} - -{{< img-c "hardware-1990-0005.jpg" >}} -Same store, different view. -{{< /img-c >}} - -{{< img-c "hardware-1990-0006.jpg" >}} -The perfect glasses. -{{< /img-c >}} - -{{< img-c "hardware-1990-0007.jpg" >}} -Seems like somene realy liked Jin-Roh. -{{< /img-c >}} - -{{< img-c "hardware-1990-0008.jpg" >}} -What posses as art now. -{{< /img-c >}} - -{{< img-c "hardware-1990-0009.jpg" >}} -Computer we want but don't deserve. -{{< /img-c >}} - -{{< img-c "hardware-1990-0010.jpg" >}} -An art studio. Nothing out of the ordinary. -{{< /img-c >}} - -{{< img-c "hardware-1990-0011.jpg" >}} -Remember when spirituality was cool? -{{< /img-c >}} - -{{< img-c "hardware-1990-0012.jpg" >}} -Let's give our murder-robot eyes from a camera lense. -I'm sure no one will drop it. -{{< /img-c >}} - -{{< img-c "hardware-1990-0013.jpg" >}} -UI we all want. -{{< /img-c >}} - -{{< img-c "hardware-1990-0014.jpg" >}} -What lurks in the shadows. -{{< /img-c >}} - -{{< img-c "hardware-1990-0015.jpg" >}} -Yup, Jin-Roh. -{{< /img-c >}} - -{{< img-c "hardware-1990-0016.jpg" >}} -Yankee-Roh. -{{< /img-c >}} - -{{< img-c "hardware-1990-0017.jpg" >}} -With some striking shadows. -{{< /img-c >}} - -{{< img-c "hardware-1990-0018.jpg" >}} -I have become bread, the destroyer of worlds. -{{< /img-c >}} - -{{< img-c "hardware-1990-0019.jpg" >}} -Prelude... -{{< /img-c >}} - -{{< img-c "hardware-1990-0020.jpg" >}} -And the (most likely) last usage of a refrigerator as a safe place which makes any sense in the history of cinema. -{{< /img-c >}} - -{{< img-c "hardware-1990-0021.jpg" >}} -Yup, a hand. -{{< /img-c >}} - -{{< img-c "hardware-1990-0022.jpg" >}} -Hold the presses! -The glasses are back! -I repeat: the glasses are back. -{{< /img-c >}} - -{{< img-c "hardware-1990-0023.jpg" >}} -Mark-13 in all of its glory. -{{< /img-c >}} - -{{< img-c "hardware-1990-0024.jpg" >}} -This is only a window, but what a window it is. -{{< /img-c >}} - -{{< img-c "hardware-1990-0025.jpg" >}} -They have not used Wilhelm's scream. -What a wasted opportunity. -{{< /img-c >}} - -{{< img-c "hardware-1990-0026.jpg" >}} -In 2024 those are rookie number when it comes to unnecessary lights inside a computer. -{{< /img-c >}} - -{{< img-c "hardware-1990-0027.jpg" >}} -I am a sucker for this type of fish eye. -Always reminds me of _City of Lost Children._ -{{< /img-c >}} - -{{< img-c "hardware-1990-0028.jpg" >}} -It doesn't get more era-apporiate than this. -{{< /img-c >}} - -{{< img-c "hardware-1990-0029.jpg" >}} -Ok, it does. -{{< /img-c >}} - -{{< img-c "hardware-1990-0030.jpg" >}} -One of the few CGI moments here. -{{< /img-c >}} - -{{< img-c "hardware-1990-0031.jpg" >}} -And one of _many_ lighting shots. -{{< /img-c >}} - -{{< img-c "hardware-1990-0032.jpg" >}} -Look how black it is. Classy. -{{< /img-c >}} - -{{< img-c "hardware-1990-0033.jpg" >}} -But does it run Quake? -{{< /img-c >}} - -{{< img-c "hardware-1990-0034.jpg" >}} -Back to the desert, like a fine sandwich. -{{< /img-c >}} - -And a few nice _gore_ sceenes which I won't show it. -This is a family-friendly website! - -Links: - -- [Hardware on TVDB](https://thetvdb.com/movies/hardware) -- [Director's official website](https://www.theofficialrichardstanley.com/) - -[^fn:1]: I disagree with calling those movies "cyberpunk" as they lack the "punk" element... or most of "cyber". - No one rebels against the system, no one enters the _cyberspace_. - But following this definition, I am not sure if we can call any movie other than _Johny Menomic_ a _Cyberpunk_. - Often we put all dark-sf into "cyberpunk" genre, which limits our ability to be pricks about it. -[^fn:2]: Aka "the clearly superior of the _Alien_ series" diff --git a/content/brain-rot/american-scifi/invasion-of-the-body-snatchers-1956.md b/content/brain-rot/american-scifi/invasion-of-the-body-snatchers-1956.md deleted file mode 100644 index 96c8ead..0000000 --- a/content/brain-rot/american-scifi/invasion-of-the-body-snatchers-1956.md +++ /dev/null @@ -1,49 +0,0 @@ -+++ -title = "Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956)" -author = ["Michał Sapka"] -date = 2024-07-21T22:22:00+02:00 -categories = ["brainrot"] -draft = false -weight = 3009 -image_dir = "screenshots" -image_max_width = 765 -primary_menu = "brain-rot-ascifi" -abstract = "My review of a meh horror" -image = "covers/invasion-of-the-body-snatchers-1956.jpg" -rating = 3 -[menu] - [menu.brain-rot-ascifi] - weight = 3009 - identifier = "invasion-of-the-body-snatchers-1956" -+++ - -_Invasion of the Body Snatchers_ is a 1956 film about a town that's being attacked by aliens. -However, the attack is not an all-out warfare, but instead slow replacement of town's folks. -Everything that makes us individuals is removed, and all that's left is a souless husk. -The body is replaced by a clone straight out of a pod, your memories are transferred - but your soul is gone. -It can happen to you! - -{{< rating 3 "invasion-of-the-body-snatchers-1956.jpg" >}} -Cover -{{< /rating >}} - -Yeah, it's a _commie_ horror. -Guess becoming part of a collective was the worst the authors could come out with. -I have not read the book, but the film let me down. -I saw it ages ago, and it was OK, but I remember very little. -Now I know why - the film is extremely forgettable. - -The idea of being replaced by an identical clone, that _is_ you but at the same time it missing what makes you human is very cool - in a scary way. -But the film does nothing with it. -Everyone in the town is slowly being replaced by _pod people_ and only our main heroes are fighting for their individual selves. -Even in the first act, where the replacement is just revealed, the characters don't show many emotions. -Hey, let's put this strange body on our pool table. -It will be good, don't worry about it. -There is no suspense, nor are there any interesting reveals. - -_Invasion of the Body Snatchers_ is a very basic classic horror. -It's not that it's old, as the same year we got _Forbidden Planet_ and _The Day the Earth Stood Still_ is 5 full years older. -But somehow, this film became a classic with endless remakes. -Technically, the movie is great - the acting, the effects. -But story-wise nothing stands out, nothing stays with you. -And I'm always in for the story! diff --git a/content/brain-rot/american-scifi/johnny-mnemonic-1995.md b/content/brain-rot/american-scifi/johnny-mnemonic-1995.md deleted file mode 100644 index 19af757..0000000 --- a/content/brain-rot/american-scifi/johnny-mnemonic-1995.md +++ /dev/null @@ -1,81 +0,0 @@ -+++ -title = "Johnny Mnemonic (1995)" -author = ["Michał Sapka"] -date = 2024-06-11T15:52:00+02:00 -categories = ["brainrot"] -draft = false -weight = 3003 -image_dir = "screenshots" -image_max_width = 765 -primary_menu = "brain-rot-ascifi" -abstract = "My mirco reviview of the cyberpunk classic" -rating = 4.0 -[menu] - [menu.brain-rot-ascifi] - weight = 3003 - identifier = "johnny-mnemonic-1995" -+++ - -One plus of the linear-tv age of the past is that I've seen movies I would have no chance otherwise. -Polish stations tried to put as many new blockbusters as possible. -Other times they had to resort to movies of lesser fame, like the hero of the day - _Johnny Mnemonic_. - -Willian Gibson, the father of modern _Cyberpunk_ genre, doesn't have much luck when it comes to movies. -_Neuromancer_ is finally getting an adaptation, but unfortunately it will be a TV show[^fn:1]. -His _Aliens III_ script was rejected. -At this moment, his only legacy in this medium is _Johnny Mnemonic_. -Luckily, it's an awesome legacy! - -{{< image class="centered" source="https://madmuseum.org/events/johnny-mnemonic" alt="Keanu Reeves in metal VR goggles grimming his teeth. The helmet covers most of his face." file="johny-mnemonic-1.jpg" >}} -This looks like something I want! -Screw that plastic toy from Apple. -{{< /image >}} - -{{< image class="centered" source="https://madmuseum.org/events/johnny-mnemonic" alt="A futurstic CGI city resembling cyberspace" file="johny-mnemonic-2.jpg" >}} -This was the cyberspace we were promised. -{{< /image >}} - -The story is what he does best - a classic story in a cybernetic world. -Johnny is a courier who smuggles information. -The trick is that he is not smuggling them on tapes, but in his own brain. -This time he overdid it and loaded too much data (320 gigs!) overflowing his capacity. -He needs to get it out, and to do it _fast_. -It won't be easy as the data is _hot_ and yakuza and gigantic corporation are trying to stop him. - -_Neuromancer_ is a heist story with a twist, _Johnny Mnemonic_ is a fugitive story with a twist. -For what it's worth, I found the story to be great. -There is nothing profound, nothing makes you scratch your head. -It's story about a smuggler and the whole world trying to kill him. - -The worst aspect of this movie is the acting. -It's Keanu Reeves at his most mediocre, single faced act. -Even Takashi Kitano seems to be bored on set. -I have no idea why, but **no** actor seems to be invested. - -{{< rating 4.0 "johny-mnemonic.jpg" >}} -Cover -{{< /rating >}} - -But everything else works. -First, the movie looks great. -All special effects are selling distopian vision of near future - be it the scenes of high raise buildings, slums, or of cyberspace. -It all looks like one would expect (no sky _the color of TV turned to a dead channel_ though, which is a shame). - -Talking about cyberspace, when have we ruined the way we talked about computers? -_Johnny..._ has all the Gibson's words, like Ice-breakers. -It's magical and hypnotic. -We live in world of his novels (with corporations being more powerful than nations, internet everywhere, or the destruction of environment) but this is what we lost? -It's so dull and dry! -I don't want App, I want "visual interface". - -I may be looking at this movie through rose-tainted cyber-visors, but I was expecting a terrible movie. -I saw as a teen and loved it. -But somehow, after all this years _Johnny Mnemonic_ holds up. -It's not a big nor overly smart movie. -It's a product of it's times but does it marvelously. -I loved it. - -[^fn:1]: It's a sign of the times. - Platforms want to get as much from every license, a _Neuromancer_ is as hot as SciFi goes. - This means that it will most likely be expanded into self-parody, with one unnecessary thread after another. - And _Neuromaner_ is already structured as a **movie**! diff --git a/content/brain-rot/american-scifi/running-man-1987.md b/content/brain-rot/american-scifi/running-man-1987.md deleted file mode 100644 index a94c469..0000000 --- a/content/brain-rot/american-scifi/running-man-1987.md +++ /dev/null @@ -1,71 +0,0 @@ -+++ -title = "Running Man (1987)" -author = ["Michał Sapka"] -date = 2024-06-24T23:45:00+02:00 -categories = ["brainrot"] -draft = false -weight = 3008 -image_dir = "screenshots" -image_max_width = 765 -primary_menu = "brain-rot-ascifi" -abstract = "My review of the Schwarzenegger's classic" -image = "covers/running-man.jpg" -rating = 3.0 -[menu] - [menu.brain-rot-ascifi] - weight = 3008 - identifier = "running-man-1987" -+++ - -I never got into 80s action packed ultra-manly movies. -I was never fan of them, as action scenes bore me. -There was, however, quite a few of them in SciFi setting so this site will force me to finally get to know them. - -So, _Running Man_ is a 1987 SciFi movie starring Arnold Schwarzenegger based on Stephen King's story. -In the not-so-distant future of 2017 the world faced an economic cryis and America became a totalitarian state. -Captain Ben Richards (played by Arnold) is a police officer who refuses to massacre unarmed civilians. -He finds himself to be government's scapegoat and, as a result, is jailed. -After a prison break, he is once again captured - but this time he is given a chance. -If he participates in _Running Man_, an ultra-violent TV show, he may regain freedom. - -There is a _bit_ more to the story, but not much. -What is there, however, was a surprise! -There is a plot and there is commentary about risk of fascist state, of controlling crowds through entertainment, and about controlling the narrative by those in power. -_Running Man_ is _1984_ if Orwell wasn't so talented. - -{{< image class="centered" source="https://wegotthiscovered.com/movies/this-one-would-be-a-big-dream-the-remake-of-the-only-stephen-king-and-arnold-schwarzenegger-team-up-edges-closer-to-reality/" alt="Face of a white, bearded man lighting a cigarette" file="running-man-1.webp" >}} -Typical prison beard -{{< /image >}} - -{{< image class="centered" source="https://wegotthiscovered.com/movies/this-one-would-be-a-big-dream-the-remake-of-the-only-stephen-king-and-arnold-schwarzenegger-team-up-edges-closer-to-reality/" alt="White man wearing a bright yellow, shining, one-piece suit" file="running-man-2.webp" >}} -The most offensive thing here are the costumes -{{< /image >}} - -The entire world building happens in the first half an hour of the movie. -The rest is an hour-long series of Richard's fights against _stalkers_, professional killers who star in the show. -And I **have** to be sincere here: I hated the second part much less than I anticipated. -Yes, it's over-the top and mindless, but it has nice gore. - -{{< rating 3.0 "running-man.jpg" >}} -Cover -{{< /rating >}} - -But mostly because of the montage. -I remember watching the second _Avengers_ and absolutely hating it. -Most of the movie was random characters fighting without any order. -One _cool_ scene after another. -In _Running Man_, on the other hand, I was able to follow the plot of the fight. -I knew not only what was going on, but I also had a vague understanding of where the fights were and where characters were in relations to another. - -So, this movie is not a completely mindless fight scene. -I should have hated it (like the aforementioned _Avengers_), but I did not. -I haven't _loved_ it, or even truly _liked it_. -Furthermore, I don't feel like I lost anything by not watching it when it was played on repeat on TV. -But it's not offensive[^fn:1], it's not even boring. -I _enjoyed_ it, but I will never watch it again. -It's not one the great Schwarzenegger's movies. - -[^fn:1]: Enjoyment-wise. - The movie is very offensive with its sexualization of women. - But this very nicely matches the metaphor in the story. - This, however, would not be made with modern sensitivity. diff --git a/content/reviews/_index.md b/content/reviews/_index.md index fef6331..5017ffd 100644 --- a/content/reviews/_index.md +++ b/content/reviews/_index.md @@ -5,9 +5,7 @@ categories = ["reviews"] draft = false weight = 1001 abstract = "Reviews2" -reviewSection = ["Books", "Games"] -image_dir = "screenshots" -image_max_width = 765 +reviewSection = ["Books", "Movies", "Games"] +++ ## Reviews {#reviews} diff --git a/content/reviews/movies/_index.md b/content/reviews/movies/_index.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..c28d5ab --- /dev/null +++ b/content/reviews/movies/_index.md @@ -0,0 +1,14 @@ ++++ +title = "Movies reviews" +author = ["Michał Sapka"] +categories = ["reviews"] +draft = false +weight = 2001 +reviewSection = ["Movies"] +image_dir = "reviews/screenshots" +image_max_width = 765 +abstract = "Reviews of movies" ++++ + +I watch movies, so why not whine about them in the process? +Note, that most of what follows is SciFi. diff --git a/content/reviews/movies/colossus-1970.md b/content/reviews/movies/colossus-1970.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..7570d63 --- /dev/null +++ b/content/reviews/movies/colossus-1970.md @@ -0,0 +1,91 @@ ++++ +title = "Colossus: The Forbin Project (1970)" +author = ["Michał Sapka"] +date = 2024-03-03T16:52:00+01:00 +categories = ["reviews"] +draft = false +weight = 2006 +reviewSection = ["Movies"] +image_dir = "reviews/screenshots" +image_max_width = 765 +abstract = "A short review of SciFi classic" +rating = 4.25 +image = "reviews/covers/collosus-forbin-project.jpg" +aliases = ["brain-rot/american-scifi/colossus-1970/", "/brain-rot/colosus-1970", "/blog/2024/colossus-1970/"] ++++ + +Finally, in my series of discovering the roots of cyberpunk in American Cyberpunk I've seen a real gem. + +_Colossus_ is a 1970 movie about a not-so-distant-future where Americans decide that it would be a great idea to give control of their military potential to a computer. +On paper, it sounds great - a computer has no emotions, so it will not be stopped by petty things, like morality. +Guess how well that turned out? +Soon after switching on, Colossus learns about the existence of another such system - The Guardian, in the territory of CCCP. + +And then this SciFi thriller stops being so _crazy-computer_ focused, and analyzes _crazy-human_ reaction. +Colossus starts exhibiting features which were never implemented. +It[^fn:1] starts _demanding_ to be connected with the Guardian, so they can communicate. +And the scientist decide that it would be a great idea. +The computers start exchanging data and developing language. +Still - looks cool, let's see what happens. +Only after Colossus threatens humans with ICBMs, Forbin (Colossus's creator) starts thinking that maybe this wasn't the best idea. + +The movie is often described as an evil-computer story. +Colossus is never evil in the movie. +It does exactly what it was designed to do - to act without mercy. +The evil ones here are the humans who never stop and think that maybe we are on the verge of the end of humanity. + +So yeah, it's an movie about Altman. +We may have destroyed the civilization, but at lest we made a cool program which does things. +No one know what those things are, but those are details you should not worry about. + +{{< image class="centered" file="colossus-1970-0001.jpg" >}} +The movie starts with sexy old-comp scenes. +Fitting, as Control Data Corporation supplied close to 5 million USD in computer equipment. +{{< /image >}} + +{{< image class="centered" file="colossus-1970-0002.jpg" >}} +Rest of the movie is not as sexy. +{{< /image >}} + +{{< image class="centered" file="colossus-1970-0003.jpg" >}} +Colossus in person. +{{< /image >}} + +{{< image class="centered" file="colossus-1970-0004.jpg" >}} +At first Colossus communicates only via text. +Funny, as those screens sound like matrix printers. +{{< /image >}} + +{{< image file="colossus-1970-0005.jpg" >}} +This one as well. +Because it has a printer! +It took me half of the movie to get that. +Guess I'm too millenial for that to be obvious. +{{< /image >}} + +Story wise, _Colossus: The Forbin Project_ holds splendidly. +Yes, we've got casual alcoholism and the female character exists only to have sex with Forbin[^fn:2]. +But the actual meat of the movie could be a base of an amazing movie today. +The questions and subject are more relevant now that half a century ago. +What was a huge _what-if_ scenario becomes a real _ok, but how do we stop it_. +The Pentagon is already working on militarization of AI[^fn:3]. +We're pretty much screwed already. + +The best SciFi is not about giant battles or space travel for space travel sake. +It's always about humans, a warning for us. +And the _best_ SciFi is a warning for the next generations, as the threads become more real as years go by. + +There is a moment in the movie, where the entire day of Forbin is planned and monitored by an AI. +What was a horror story, is now what a lot of us _expect_. + +_Colossus_ in a movie version of earlier book of same. +There are 2 more in the series, and (as I've been told), Aliens make an appearance later on. +Maybe someday! + +As for the movie, I give it a 4.25/5. + +[^fn:1]: There's an interesting discussion about what pronoum to use - He or It. +[^fn:2]: It is a plot point! + A terrible one, but still. +[^fn:3]: Vide: [Pentagon Official Lays Out DOD Vision for AI](https://www.defense.gov/News/News-Stories/Article/Article/3682355/pentagon-official-lays-out-dod-vision-for-ai/). + Note, it's from the official website of US Department of Defense. diff --git a/content/reviews/movies/ghost-in-the-machine-1993.md b/content/reviews/movies/ghost-in-the-machine-1993.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..787e507 --- /dev/null +++ b/content/reviews/movies/ghost-in-the-machine-1993.md @@ -0,0 +1,44 @@ ++++ +title = "Ghost in the Machine (1993)" +author = ["Michał Sapka"] +date = 2024-02-09T22:59:00+01:00 +categories = ["reviews"] +draft = false +weight = 2005 +reviewSection = ["Movies"] +image_dir = "reviews/screenshots" +image_max_width = 765 +abstract = "My mirco reviview of a computer thriller" +aliases = ["/brain-rot/ghost-in-the-machine", "/blog/2024/ghost-in-the-machine/", "brain-rot/american-scifi/ghost-in-the-machine-1993/"] +rating = 3.0 +image = "reviews/covers/ghost-in-the-machine.jpg" ++++ + +Talk about a surprise! +I was expecting a _schlock_, but I've seen a nice move. +A dumb one, but still. + +The plot is the biggest problem: a serial killer has an MRI and due to electric storm gets his soul moved to computer network. +With this, he becomes able to: + +- kill person by moving to a microwave and changing its settings, +- kill a dog by arousing it with a TV program (using nothing by electric breakers), then hitting the dog with a VHS tape ejected from a VHS player which causes the animal to run towards the pool + +It makes as little sense in the context of the movie as it does here. +But the acting is (at the very least) acceptable and the FX are better than they should - and there is a lot of them. +Moreover, the camera work is crazy! +The movie _looks_ better than it should. +It seems that this dumb, little movie got more passion in it than the entire MCU combined. + +The problem is that I have no idea what was going on. +People were dying, cool computer interfaces were shown, but the plot barely connected those scenes together. + +It's a classic thriller from early days of personal computing revolution. +I enjoyed it a lot. +It is not a _good_ movie, but it is enjoyable. + +I give it a `3.0/5.` + +links: + +- [Ghost in the Machine on TVDB](https://utf.thetvdb.com/movies/ghost-in-the-machine) diff --git a/content/reviews/movies/hardware-1990.md b/content/reviews/movies/hardware-1990.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..7cd4e03 --- /dev/null +++ b/content/reviews/movies/hardware-1990.md @@ -0,0 +1,208 @@ ++++ +title = "Hardware (1990)" +author = ["Michał Sapka"] +date = 2024-02-17T19:39:00+01:00 +categories = ["reviews"] +draft = false +weight = 2007 +reviewSection = ["Movies"] +image_dir = "reviews/screenshots" +image_max_width = 765 +abstract = "My mirco reviview of a killer-robot thriller" +aliases = ["/brain-rot/hardware-1990", "/blog/2024/hardware-1990/", "brain-rot/american-scifi/hardware-1990/"] +rating = 3.5 +image = "reviews/covers/hardware-1990.jpg" ++++ + +I ue my descend into American cyberpunk cinema[^fn:1]. +I spent my formative years watching _Anime, art house_ and ignoring most of USA movies. +This means I haven't watched a lot of the _cult_ movies out there. + +_Hardware_ is a 1990 movie about a killer robot in a post-nuclear world. +Think of a mix of Terminator, Aliens and Short Circuit. + +I heard of this movie years ago, but it seemed to be noting more than a cash grab after the success of _Terminator_ - a movie which I don't partially enjoy. +After watching, I have to say that there was a of true in this assumption. +But somehow I ended enjoying _Hardware_ much more. + +Not that the story is better - if anything, it is much simpler, or just plain _simplistic_. +Say what you will about _Terminator_, but the basic premise was great. +_Hardware_ on the other hand doesn't offer a great idea. +This is a straight movie about a killer robot. + +However, I enjoyed it more, as it is much closer to what _Alien[^fn:2]_ achieved +The entire action is encapsulated in only a few, closed locations. +Half of the runtime is spent in a single apartment, where the _Mark-13_ robot shows up from to time a try to murder someone. +Much like the _Nostromo_! + +This allowed the movie to be **stunning** visually. +I loved every frame here! +I know that most of the effect is based on fog and lighting, but I dig it! +Just take a look at the gallery below. + +Another thing which reminded me of _Alien_ is how they handled the special effects of the _monster_. +We see very little of _Mark-13_ - he is often hard to see, covered in darkness. +From time to time we see his movements, and well. +Hiding him was clearly a good idea... just like with the _Xenomorph_. + +All in all, I enjoyed the movie. +I'm not calling it one of my favorites, but I enjoyed every minute of its short runtime. + +I give it a `3.5/5`. + +{{< image class="centered" file="hardware-1990-0001.jpg" >}} +Red sky of postnuclear... summer? +{{< /image >}} + +{{< image class="centered" file="hardware-1990-0002.jpg" >}} +The Nomad. +{{< /image >}} + +{{< image class="centered" file="hardware-1990-0003.jpg" >}} +Nomad searching the desert for stuff for sale. +{{< /image >}} + +{{< image class="centered" file="hardware-1990-0004.jpg" >}} +An ordinary store. +Great vibes! +Fun for the whole family. +{{< /image >}} + +{{< image class="centered" file="hardware-1990-0005.jpg" >}} +Same store, different view. +{{< /image >}} + +{{< image class="centered" file="hardware-1990-0006.jpg" >}} +The perfect glasses. +{{< /image >}} + +{{< image class="centered" file="hardware-1990-0007.jpg" >}} +Seems like somene realy liked Jin-Roh. +{{< /image >}} + +{{< image class="centered" file="hardware-1990-0008.jpg" >}} +What posses as art now. +{{< /image >}} + +{{< image class="centered" file="hardware-1990-0009.jpg" >}} +Computer we want but don't deserve. +{{< /image >}} + +{{< image class="centered" file="hardware-1990-0010.jpg" >}} +An art studio. Nothing out of the ordinary. +{{< /image >}} + +{{< image class="centered" file="hardware-1990-0011.jpg" >}} +Remember when spirituality was cool? +{{< /image >}} + +{{< image class="centered" file="hardware-1990-0012.jpg" >}} +Let's give our murder-robot eyes from a camera lense. +I'm sure no one will drop it. +{{< /image >}} + +{{< image class="centered" file="hardware-1990-0013.jpg" >}} +UI we all want. +{{< /image >}} + +{{< image class="centered" file="hardware-1990-0014.jpg" >}} +What lurks in the shadows. +{{< /image >}} + +{{< image class="centered" file="hardware-1990-0015.jpg" >}} +Yup, Jin-Roh. +{{< /image >}} + +{{< image class="centered" file="hardware-1990-0016.jpg" >}} +Yankee-Roh. +{{< /image >}} + +{{< image class="centered" file="hardware-1990-0017.jpg" >}} +With some striking shadows. +{{< /image >}} + +{{< image class="centered" file="hardware-1990-0018.jpg" >}} +I have become bread, the destroyer of worlds. +{{< /image >}} + +{{< image class="centered" file="hardware-1990-0019.jpg" >}} +Prelude... +{{< /image >}} + +{{< image class="centered" file="hardware-1990-0020.jpg" >}} +And the (most likely) last usage of a refrigerator as a safe place which makes any sense in the history of cinema. +{{< /image >}} + +{{< image class="centered" file="hardware-1990-0021.jpg" >}} +Yup, a hand. +{{< /image >}} + +{{< image class="centered" file="hardware-1990-0022.jpg" >}} +Hold the presses! +The glasses are back! +I repeat: the glasses are back. +{{< /image >}} + +{{< image class="centered" file="hardware-1990-0023.jpg" >}} +Mark-13 in all of its glory. +{{< /image >}} + +{{< image class="centered" file="hardware-1990-0024.jpg" >}} +This is only a window, but what a window it is. +{{< /image >}} + +{{< image class="centered" file="hardware-1990-0025.jpg" >}} +They have not used Wilhelm's scream. +What a wasted opportunity. +{{< /image >}} + +{{< image class="centered" file="hardware-1990-0026.jpg" >}} +In 2024 those are rookie number when it comes to unnecessary lights inside a computer. +{{< /image >}} + +{{< image class="centered" file="hardware-1990-0027.jpg" >}} +I am a sucker for this type of fish eye. +Always reminds me of _City of Lost Children._ +{{< /image >}} + +{{< image class="centered" file="hardware-1990-0028.jpg" >}} +It doesn't get more era-apporiate than this. +{{< /image >}} + +{{< image class="centered" file="hardware-1990-0029.jpg" >}} +Ok, it does. +{{< /image >}} + +{{< image class="centered" file="hardware-1990-0030.jpg" >}} +One of the few CGI moments here. +{{< /image >}} + +{{< image class="centered" file="hardware-1990-0031.jpg" >}} +And one of _many_ lighting shots. +{{< /image >}} + +{{< image class="centered" file="hardware-1990-0032.jpg" >}} +Look how black it is. Classy. +{{< /image >}} + +{{< image class="centered" file="hardware-1990-0033.jpg" >}} +But does it run Quake? +{{< /image >}} + +{{< image class="centered" file="hardware-1990-0034.jpg" >}} +Back to the desert, like a fine sandwich. +{{< /image >}} + +And a few nice _gore_ sceenes which I won't show it. +This is a family-friendly website! + +Links: + +- [Hardware on TVDB](https://thetvdb.com/movies/hardware) +- [Director's official website](https://www.theofficialrichardstanley.com/) + +[^fn:1]: I disagree with calling those movies "cyberpunk" as they lack the "punk" element... or most of "cyber". + No one rebels against the system, no one enters the _cyberspace_. + But following this definition, I am not sure if we can call any movie other than _Johny Menomic_ a _Cyberpunk_. + Often we put all dark-sf into "cyberpunk" genre, which limits our ability to be pricks about it. +[^fn:2]: Aka "the clearly superior of the _Alien_ series" diff --git a/content/reviews/movies/invasion-of-the-body-snatchers-1956.md b/content/reviews/movies/invasion-of-the-body-snatchers-1956.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..da14061 --- /dev/null +++ b/content/reviews/movies/invasion-of-the-body-snatchers-1956.md @@ -0,0 +1,42 @@ ++++ +title = "Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956)" +author = ["Michał Sapka"] +date = 2024-07-21T22:22:00+02:00 +categories = ["reviews"] +draft = false +weight = 2003 +reviewSection = ["Movies"] +image_dir = "reviews/screenshots" +image_max_width = 765 +abstract = "My review of a meh horror" +image = "reviews/covers/invasion-of-the-body-snatchers-1956.jpg" +rating = 3 +aliases = ["/brain-rot/american-scifi/invasion-of-the-body-snatchers-1956/"] ++++ + +_Invasion of the Body Snatchers_ is a 1956 film about a town that's being attacked by aliens. +However, the attack is not an all-out warfare, but instead slow replacement of town's folks. +Everything that makes us individuals is removed, and all that's left is a souless husk. +The body is replaced by a clone straight out of a pod, your memories are transferred - but your soul is gone. +It can happen to you! + +Yeah, it's a _commie_ horror. +Guess becoming part of a collective was the worst the authors could come out with. +I have not read the book, but the film let me down. +I saw it ages ago, and it was OK, but I remember very little. +Now I know why - the film is extremely forgettable. + +The idea of being replaced by an identical clone, that _is_ you but at the same time it missing what makes you human is very cool - in a scary way. +But the film does nothing with it. +Everyone in the town is slowly being replaced by _pod people_ and only our main heroes are fighting for their individual selves. +Even in the first act, where the replacement is just revealed, the characters don't show many emotions. +Hey, let's put this strange body on our pool table. +It will be good, don't worry about it. +There is no suspense, nor are there any interesting reveals. + +_Invasion of the Body Snatchers_ is a very basic classic horror. +It's not that it's old, as the same year we got _Forbidden Planet_ and _The Day the Earth Stood Still_ is 5 full years older. +But somehow, this film became a classic with endless remakes. +Technically, the movie is great - the acting, the effects. +But story-wise nothing stands out, nothing stays with you. +And I'm always in for the story! diff --git a/content/reviews/movies/johnny-mnemonic-1995.md b/content/reviews/movies/johnny-mnemonic-1995.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..6cbfb26 --- /dev/null +++ b/content/reviews/movies/johnny-mnemonic-1995.md @@ -0,0 +1,75 @@ ++++ +title = "Johnny Mnemonic (1995)" +author = ["Michał Sapka"] +date = 2024-06-11T15:52:00+02:00 +categories = ["reviews"] +draft = false +weight = 2002 +reviewSection = ["Movies"] +image_dir = "reviews/screenshots" +image_max_width = 765 +abstract = "My mirco reviview of the cyberpunk classic" +rating = 4.0 +image = "reviews/covers/johny-mnemonic.jpg" +aliases = ["/brain-rot/american-scifi/johnny-mnemonic-1995/"] ++++ + +One plus of the linear-tv age of the past is that I've seen movies I would have no chance otherwise. +Polish stations tried to put as many new blockbusters as possible. +Other times they had to resort to movies of lesser fame, like the hero of the day - _Johnny Mnemonic_. + +Willian Gibson, the father of modern _Cyberpunk_ genre, doesn't have much luck when it comes to movies. +_Neuromancer_ is finally getting an adaptation, but unfortunately it will be a TV show[^fn:1]. +His _Aliens III_ script was rejected. +At this moment, his only legacy in this medium is _Johnny Mnemonic_. +Luckily, it's an awesome legacy! + +The story is what he does best - a classic story in a cybernetic world. +Johnny is a courier who smuggles information. +The trick is that he is not smuggling them on tapes, but in his own brain. +This time he overdid it and loaded too much data (320 gigs!) overflowing his capacity. +He needs to get it out, and to do it _fast_. +It won't be easy as the data is _hot_ and yakuza and gigantic corporation are trying to stop him. + +_Neuromancer_ is a heist story with a twist, _Johnny Mnemonic_ is a fugitive story with a twist. +For what it's worth, I found the story to be great. +There is nothing profound, nothing makes you scratch your head. +It's story about a smuggler and the whole world trying to kill him. + +The worst aspect of this movie is the acting. +It's Keanu Reeves at his most mediocre, single faced act. +Even Takashi Kitano seems to be bored on set. +I have no idea why, but **no** actor seems to be invested. + +But everything else works. +First, the movie looks great. +All special effects are selling distopian vision of near future - be it the scenes of high raise buildings, slums, or of cyberspace. +It all looks like one would expect (no sky _the color of TV turned to a dead channel_ though, which is a shame). + +Talking about cyberspace, when have we ruined the way we talked about computers? +_Johnny..._ has all the Gibson's words, like Ice-breakers. +It's magical and hypnotic. +We live in world of his novels (with corporations being more powerful than nations, internet everywhere, or the destruction of environment) but this is what we lost? +It's so dull and dry! +I don't want App, I want "visual interface". + +{{< image class="centered" source="https://madmuseum.org/events/johnny-mnemonic" alt="Keanu Reeves in metal VR goggles grimming his teeth. The helmet covers most of his face." file="johny-mnemonic-1.jpg" >}} +This looks like something I want! +Screw that plastic toy from Apple. +{{< /image >}} + +{{< image class="centered" source="https://madmuseum.org/events/johnny-mnemonic" alt="A futurstic CGI city resembling cyberspace" file="johny-mnemonic-2.jpg" >}} +This was the cyberspace we were promised. +{{< /image >}} + +I may be looking at this movie through rose-tainted cyber-visors, but I was expecting a terrible movie. +I saw as a teen and loved it. +But somehow, after all this years _Johnny Mnemonic_ holds up. +It's not a big nor overly smart movie. +It's a product of it's times but does it marvelously. +I loved it. + +[^fn:1]: It's a sign of the times. + Platforms want to get as much from every license, a _Neuromancer_ is as hot as SciFi goes. + This means that it will most likely be expanded into self-parody, with one unnecessary thread after another. + And _Neuromaner_ is already structured as a **movie**! diff --git a/content/reviews/movies/running-man-1987.md b/content/reviews/movies/running-man-1987.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..aefa070 --- /dev/null +++ b/content/reviews/movies/running-man-1987.md @@ -0,0 +1,63 @@ ++++ +title = "Running Man (1987)" +author = ["Michał Sapka"] +date = 2024-06-24T23:45:00+02:00 +categories = ["reviews"] +draft = false +weight = 2004 +reviewSection = ["Movies"] +image_dir = "reviews/screenshots" +image_max_width = 765 +abstract = "My review of the Schwarzenegger's classic" +image = "reviews/covers/running-man.jpg" +rating = 3.0 +aliases = ["/brain-rot/american-scifi/running-man-1987/"] ++++ + +I never got into 80s action packed ultra-manly movies. +I was never fan of them, as action scenes bore me. +There was, however, quite a few of them in SciFi setting so this site will force me to finally get to know them. + +So, _Running Man_ is a 1987 SciFi movie starring Arnold Schwarzenegger based on Stephen King's story. +In the not-so-distant future of 2017 the world faced an economic cryis and America became a totalitarian state. +Captain Ben Richards (played by Arnold) is a police officer who refuses to massacre unarmed civilians. +He finds himself to be government's scapegoat and, as a result, is jailed. +After a prison break, he is once again captured - but this time he is given a chance. +If he participates in _Running Man_, an ultra-violent TV show, he may regain freedom. + +There is a _bit_ more to the story, but not much. +What is there, however, was a surprise! +There is a plot and there is commentary about risk of fascist state, of controlling crowds through entertainment, and about controlling the narrative by those in power. +_Running Man_ is _1984_ if Orwell wasn't so talented. +The entire world building happens in the first half an hour of the movie. +The rest is an hour-long series of Richard's fights against _stalkers_, professional killers who star in the show. +And I **have** to be sincere here: I hated the second part much less than I anticipated. +Yes, it's over-the top and mindless, but it has nice gore. + +But mostly because of the montage. +I remember watching the second _Avengers_ and absolutely hating it. +Most of the movie was random characters fighting without any order. +One _cool_ scene after another. +In _Running Man_, on the other hand, I was able to follow the plot of the fight. +I knew not only what was going on, but I also had a vague understanding of where the fights were and where characters were in relations to another. + +{{< image class="centered" source="https://wegotthiscovered.com/movies/this-one-would-be-a-big-dream-the-remake-of-the-only-stephen-king-and-arnold-schwarzenegger-team-up-edges-closer-to-reality/" alt="Face of a white, bearded man lighting a cigarette" file="running-man-1.webp" >}} +Typical prison beard +{{< /image >}} + +{{< image class="centered" source="https://wegotthiscovered.com/movies/this-one-would-be-a-big-dream-the-remake-of-the-only-stephen-king-and-arnold-schwarzenegger-team-up-edges-closer-to-reality/" alt="White man wearing a bright yellow, shining, one-piece suit" file="running-man-2.webp" >}} +The most offensive thing here are the costumes +{{< /image >}} + +So, this movie is not a completely mindless fight scene. +I should have hated it (like the aforementioned _Avengers_), but I did not. +I haven't _loved_ it, or even truly _liked it_. +Furthermore, I don't feel like I lost anything by not watching it when it was played on repeat on TV. +But it's not offensive[^fn:1], it's not even boring. +I _enjoyed_ it, but I will never watch it again. +It's not one the great Schwarzenegger's movies. + +[^fn:1]: Enjoyment-wise. + The movie is very offensive with its sexualization of women. + But this very nicely matches the metaphor in the story. + This, however, would not be made with modern sensitivity. -- cgit v1.2.3