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<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\nThe Baker<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Foolishly, I am going to start with the first movie I saw this month as I am nothing but a slave to formality.\u00a0 A movie that nobody saw and had no marketing budget behind it.\u00a0 Honestly, I only saw this movie because I saw a poster of Ron Perlman starring in it; as a fan of his work, I felt the need to give the movie a chance.\u00a0 The movie is called The Baker<\/em>.\u00a0 Ron Perlman plays a small shop baker whose estranged son returns to ask him to babysit his daughter.\u00a0 After his son fails to return from a business deal, he needs to fight his way through legions of mobsters while protecting his granddaughter.\u00a0 So The Baker<\/em> is Nobody<\/em> meets The Last of Us.\u00a0 <\/em>The fighting is pretty good and I thought Ron\u2019s relationship to his granddaughter was cute.\u00a0 It is not reinventing the wheel, but it is still pretty solid.\u00a0 If you find it when you\u2019re flipping through the channels, I recommend giving it a chance.<\/p>\n\n\n Barbie<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n No, I did not participate in Barbieheimer.\u00a0 That\u2019s five hours of sitting in the theater that not even I can endure.\u00a0 I wanted to see Barbie<\/em> with a couple of family members and we couldn\u2019t see it until early August.\u00a0 I did hear everyone crying out saying the movie was anti-men, super feminist, and all the other buzzwords thrown around like mud.\u00a0 I know the answer but I am going to ask the question to those mudslingers anyway: Did we watch the same movie?\u00a0 Yes, Barbie<\/em>, a movie about the iconic doll for girls, was always going to have a positive message for girls.\u00a0 I honestly, thought the movie communicating that being yourself is enough was a great message in an age where women feel pressure to literally do everything.\u00a0 I also thought the movie had a strong pro-male stance saying guys don\u2019t have to be accessories to women.\u00a0 Fellas, we can live our lives the way we want to.\u00a0 I have always felt young men needed to invest their time in hobbies that made them happy instead of chasing relationships.\u00a0 Personally, I look forward to Hollywood learning all the wrong lessons from Barbie<\/em>.\u00a0 Now, excuse me, I need to sit in the corner and wonder why I am in the timeline with the gritty Hot Wheels movie directed by JJ Abrams.<\/p>\n\n\n Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Off the bat, I love that more studios are using the \u201cSpiderverse\u201d comic book art style.\u00a0 It\u2019s a perfect fit for a TMNT movie and I simply want more movies in this style.\u00a0 Unfortunately, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle: Mutant Mayhem<\/em> is a conflicted film in my eyes.\u00a0 On one hand, It is desperately trying to invoke an 80s nostalgia with both the intellectual property and the soundtrack.\u00a0 On the other hand, it also positions itself to appeal to Gen Z with the mannerisms and slang of the turtles.\u00a0 Seth Rogen, who produced the film, felt he better understood Gen Z speak after working with the voice actors of the turtles.\u00a0 The idea of making the turtle Gen Z teenagers, does make sense to me; the T in TMNT does stand for teenagers.\u00a0 Filmmakers are more than welcome to try to incorporate more Gen Z elements into their films, but that will make them age like milk in my mind.\u00a0 People don\u2019t love Walter White because he is from the boomer generation.\u00a0 We love him because he is a compelling character; one that all generations can connect with.\u00a0 When Gen Z’s mannerisms fade with time, will people enjoy this movie?\u00a0 Personal biases aside, here\u2019s a good barometer on your enjoyment of this movie: the turtles only say Cowabunga once and it feels like it’s contractually obligated.\u00a0 I must admit, I missed this moment and only noticed it when a friend pointed it out.\u00a0 If that doesn\u2019t bother you, then you will love this movie more than me; if that does bother you, then you will think the film is just okay.<\/p>\n\n\n The Last Voyage of the Demeter<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n As I sat there watching The Last Voyage of the Demeter<\/em>, a scene from the first Pirates of the Caribbean<\/em> film flooded into my mind.\u00a0 It was the scene where Barbossa recalls the tale of the cursed Aztec gold to Elizabeth Swan.\u00a0 She tries to make an escape, but then soon sees that Barbossa wasn\u2019t merely spinning a fairy tale just to scare her.\u00a0 He soon reenters the scene retelling how the curse has plagued his life.\u00a0 As he steps into the moonlight to reveal his ghostly face he gives the iconic line: \u201cYou best start believing in ghost stories, Miss Turner you\u2019re in one.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n The same energy from that scene radiates all throughout The Last Voyage of the Demeter<\/em>.\u00a0 Based on the seventh chapter of Bram Stroke\u2019s Dracula<\/em>, the movie is about a crew unlucky enough to carry Dracula\u2019s coffin from Transylvania to London.\u00a0 It is no surprise that Dracula hunts the crew in the middle of the night; picking them off one by one.\u00a0 The film perfectly fills the void of a sea-fairing adventure that the Pirates of the Caribbean movies have left behind, while also being a gripping vampire horror movie.\u00a0 Definitely, a movie you should check out in October when the Halloween spirit rolls in like a thick fog.<\/p>\n\n\n Haunted Mansion (2023)<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Speaking of Pirates of the Caribbean<\/em> and Halloween, we have Disney\u2019s second attempt at a Haunted Mansion<\/em> movie.\u00a0 Unfortunately, Disney seems unwilling to commit to a tone this property needs in the same way they did with Pirates of the Caribbean<\/em>.\u00a0 The Haunted Mansion<\/em> film makes me feel like I am on the titular ride while Pirates of the Caribbean<\/em> takes me on a swashbuckling pirate adventure that the ride seems based on.\u00a0 There is a framework here to make a good horror film as ghosts are tempting the main character to take his life so he can be united with his dead wife.\u00a0 However, any dark undertone is completely shattered when any supporting cast member walks into the frame.\u00a0 Owen Wilson and Danny Devito don\u2019t feel like characters that belong in this world; they just feel like themselves.\u00a0 Tiffany Haddish is doing her best as a Louisiana psychic median, but playing a comic relief character still undermines any attempt at making something truly scary.\u00a0 I am positive that this is done on purpose to capture the widest audience possible.\u00a0 That works for a lighthearted pirate film but not a niche genre like horror.\u00a0 Disney, just stick to the mansion being a cute Halloween special for Disney + shows.<\/p>\n\n\n If this doesn\u2019t cement me as an independent art house film fan, I don\u2019t know what will.\u00a0 I only caught a brief glimpse of Landspacing with Invisible Hands<\/em> through small marketing efforts and was immediately curious.\u00a0 The movie was also opening the same weekend as a couple of other titles I was lukewarm on which always helps.\u00a0 The movie is about the changes in society when aliens come in and take over Earth.\u00a0 As the aliens describe in a high school history class, some humans and governments were fiercely against the idea of aliens coming to Earth, but some saw the business opportunity available to them.\u00a0 As a result, wealth has been drained from small-town America in a bleak metaphor for capitalism and colonialism.\u00a0 To put it bluntly, there is a neurosurgeon who gave up his practice to chauffeur an alien around because he makes four times the amount he did as a neurosurgeon.\u00a0 If that doesn\u2019t speak to you, then you have clearly not been paying attention to the world around you.\u00a0 This movie has a lot to say about relationships, art, and society as a whole.\u00a0 Please watch this film!\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n Strays<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Riding high off the beauty of arthouse indie films, I went into Stray<\/em> completely ready to roll my eyes.\u00a0 I went in with a middling scowl and came out with the widest of grins.\u00a0 Completely blindsided by how gut-busting funny this movie is.\u00a0 As I was laughing at the pee and poop humor, I felt as if I was transported to the early 2000s.\u00a0 Stray<\/em> is a comedy in the same vein as titles like Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story<\/em>, Anchorman<\/em>, and Wedding Crashers.\u00a0 <\/em>Comedies where it is not enough to simply have a fart joke, but the character must have explosive diarrhea in front of their crush.\u00a0 Boy humor as my mother describes it.\u00a0 There is certainly a lot of boy humor in this tale about a dog named Reggie (voiced by Will Ferrell) and his quest to return to his bastard of an owner to bite his dick off.\u00a0 If you have been wondering why comedy movies have been replaced by simply adding comedic moments to Marvel movies, then this movie is probably for you.\u00a0 Proof a critic cannot survive on indie films alone.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n Meg 2: The Trench<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n It is so disheartening to see a sequel fail to understand why we love the original film.\u00a0 I had a ball with The Meg<\/em> because it was a dumb shark movie.\u00a0 It wasn\u2019t the characters, the corporation funding the adventures, or even the slight lean towards an environmental stance.\u00a0 I love The Meg<\/em> because I got to watch Jason Statham try to out-swim a monstrous shark and say one-liners like \u201cSee you later chum.\u201d\u00a0 So when Meg 2: The Trench<\/em> opens with a voyage to the titular trench, that\u2019s sabotaged by a rogue faction within the company looking to mine minerals at the bottom of the trench, I can\u2019t help but stare blankly at the screen.\u00a0 I am here for monstrous sharks, not corporate espionage.\u00a0 I do eventually get my wish as the Megs escape the trench and terrorize a local tourist attraction.\u00a0 There are great moments as Statham has to outrun the Megs on a jet ski and a colossal octopus tries to take on one of the Megs.\u00a0 Unfortunately, it takes too long to get to this point.\u00a0 I understand sequels are under pressure to evolve and expand the film’s world and scope.\u00a0 For The Meg<\/em> film, this should come in the form of bigger and wilder setpieces, not random corporate deception.\u00a0 Honestly, I can\u2019t even remember Statham\u2019s character\u2019s name, why would you think I care about a side character’s inevitable betrayal?<\/p>\n\n\n Retribution<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n If you saw the trailer for Retribution<\/em>, then you can probably see why I was intrigued.\u00a0 Liam Neeson finds a mysterious phone in his car and then receives a call saying there is a bomb under his car seat.\u00a0 A mixture of Speed<\/em> and Phone Booth<\/em>; you can easily imagine Liam Neeson telling the caller he has a particular set of skills.\u00a0 Ironically, while being the main draw to the film, Liam Neeson feels incredibly miscast in this movie.\u00a0 He\u2019s obviously working hard to squeeze as much out of this mediocre script as he can, but I don\u2019t feel he\u2019s a good fit for this role.\u00a0 His character, Matt Turner, is supposed to be charming but in a snake oil salesman sort of way.\u00a0 It\u2019s hinted that he has some skeletons in his closet, but I don\u2019t believe Liam Neeson has a bad bone in his body.\u00a0 To make matters worse, the opportunity to have a playful dialogue between Neeson and the bomber is thoroughly missed in this film.\u00a0 Overall, the movie felt like the \u201cI have a particular set of skills\u201d scene from Taken<\/em> if the kidnapper on the other end tried to keep talking to Neeson: uninteresting and doesn\u2019t go anywhere.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Blue Beetle<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n I have been seeing superhero movies for fifteen years, and I honestly could not name one hero who was supposed to be Hispanic.\u00a0 Representation, overall, is good.\u00a0 It adds variety to a genre that can get stale quickly; looking at you Marvel.\u00a0 So yes, it is good that Blue Beetle<\/em> exists for Hispanic representation. However, I could not have been more bored throughout this film.\u00a0 The only thing that separates Blue Beetle<\/em> from every other superhero origin story is Jaime\u2019s connection to his family.\u00a0 Everything else is your classic run-of-the-mill origin story.\u00a0 Sing along if you know the words: Jamie gets powers, he\u2019s bad at using them, he quickly gets better at them, someone close to him gets hurt, he questions if he should have powers, overcomes questioning, and saves the day.\u00a0 When superhero films aren\u2019t bobbed down with origin stories, we get fantastic movies like Spider-Man 2<\/em> or Thor Ragnarok <\/em>(two of my personal favorites).\u00a0 James Gunn, if somehow this crosses your desk, I beg you to skip the origin stories.\u00a0 Look at the success of The Batman<\/em>, and how it has the confidence to get straight to the good parts.\u00a0 If I have to watch Thomas and Martha Wayne die in an alley one more time, I am going to lose my mind.<\/p>\n\n\n Gran Turismo<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n I often think about this writing tip from Double Fine\u2019s Tim Schafer: When writing a character think about what music they like listening to at that moment.\u00a0 The tip has sat with me as I have observed how my own music taste has morphed and evolved throughout the years.\u00a0 I mention this because we are shown the musical tastes of the two main characters in Gran Turismo<\/em>.\u00a0 Although he does enjoy some more modern music, our main character Jann, played by Archie Madekwe, listens to Kenny G to help him relax before a race.\u00a0 Jack Slater, Jann\u2019s chief engineer and father figure, played by David Harbour, loves Black Sabbath.\u00a0 The two bond over this shared interest in music and I surprisingly got invested in their struggles.\u00a0 One race required Jann to come in fourth to continue racing.\u00a0 There was no doubt in my mind that he would come in fourth, but I was still on the edge of my seat.\u00a0 It just shows how adding some personality to your characters can save a rather standard rise-fall-rise story structure.\u00a0 Even when the event representing the hero\u2019s fall, was pretty weak overall.\u00a0 A tip for story writers, killing a no-name character off-screen does not create the drama you think it does.\u00a0 Still, I recommend checking this one out if you are looking for a charming sports movie.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Hopefully, you enjoyed this break from the normal ramblings to try something different.\u00a0 I employ you to come by my soapbox next month to hear my thoughts on movies such as The Nun II <\/em>and Saw X <\/em>\u2026 lord have mercy on me.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" My loyal followers, I have a confession to make: I love movies.\u00a0 There\u2019s something about going to the theater that just puts my mind at ease.\u00a0 I have seen Nicole Kidman give the AMC theater speech so many times that I can probably recite it from memory, despite wanting to purge it from my mind.\u00a0… Continue reading Monthly Movies with the Doomsayer – August Edition<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":2018,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4,6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2017","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","category-opinion","entry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.gatecitygaming.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2017","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.gatecitygaming.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.gatecitygaming.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gatecitygaming.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gatecitygaming.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2017"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.gatecitygaming.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2017\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2031,"href":"https:\/\/www.gatecitygaming.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2017\/revisions\/2031"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gatecitygaming.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2018"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.gatecitygaming.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2017"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gatecitygaming.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2017"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gatecitygaming.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2017"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.gatecitygaming.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Barbie-1024x538.jpg\")
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