by Emily Nagle
[usr 4.5]
Scott Pilgrim vs. The World (2010), directed by Edgar Wright, is a live-action film adaptation of the Scott Pilgrim graphic novels by Bryan Lee O’Malley. It follows 22-year-old Scott Pilgrim (Michael Cera), a bassist for a Toronto garage band called Sex Bob-Omb, as he tries to win the heart of mysterious Amazon delivery girl Ramona Flowers (Mary Elizabeth Winstead). However, this is no simple task – in order to get with Ramona, he must defeat her seven evil exes. At the same time, Sex Bob-Omb is trying to score a record deal by competing in a Battle of the Bands competition.
What I love most about this movie is how it’s fun to look at. They managed to maintain the cartoonish aspect of the comic book it’s based on with, most notably with the onomatopoeia words that pop up onscreen during the fight scenes. It even features some animated segments that use art from the comic, like when Ramona is recalling her time dating her first evil ex, Matthew Patel (Satya Bhabha). It also gives off a bit of an anime vibe at certain points, like when Matthew Patel smashes through the ceiling of the venue during the competition and challenges Scott to a fight. Lastly, the soundtrack is one of my favorites. Beck wrote and performed all of the songs for the Sex Bob-Omb, and did well at replicating the scratchy, rough sound that comes to mind when you think of a garage rock band.
Despite all these positives, Scott Pilgrim vs. The World was a box-office bomb when it hit theaters in summer 2010. Why? The only negative I can think of for the movie is that the video game references may not be appealing to everyone. The movie is filled to the brim with video game sound effects and graphics that teens and young adults who grew up gaming will get a kick out of, but people may not feel the same way if they’re not as familiar with gaming.
by Emily Nagle
Variety has officially confirmed that Netflix’s On My Block has been renewed for a fourth and final season.
The show was created by Lauren Iungerich, Eddie Gonzalez, and Jeremy Halt, and stars Sierra Capri, Jason Genao, Brett Gray, and Diego Tinoco. On My Block follows four teens living in a rough South Los Angeles neighborhood as they navigate high school, romance, and friendships. It also explores difficult topics including PTSD, gangs, and death. The previous season was released on Netflix in March 2020.
On My Block‘s third season left off on a cliffhanger, leaping forward a couple years into the future to show the splintering of the core friend group of the show. Due to the ongoing pandemic hindering television and film production, the premiere date for the upcoming 10-episode season has not yet been confirmed. Fans of the series will have to wait to find out what becomes of Monse, Cesar, Ruby, and Jamal.
The legendary stage and screen actress Cloris Leachman passed away in the company of family on January 27, 2021 at the age of 94 due to natural causes. Leachman was legend in the entertainment industry with 22 Emmy nominations, holding the record for most Emmy nominations of all time. She is also tied with Seinfeld actress Julia Louis-Dreyfus with the most Emmy Wins with 8 under her belt.
Leachman competed in the 1946 Miss America pageant as Miss Chicago. Although she didn’t win, she used her pageant money to move to New York City where her acting career would soon take off. She attended the Actors Studio studying acting alongside future icons Marlon Brando, Julie Harris, and Eli Wallach.
Although her breakout came on the big screen, with her role in ‘The Last Picture Show’ which snatched her an Academy Award nomination, television was where she shot her career into legendary status. She played Phyllis Lindstrom in the iconic ‘Mary Tyler Moore Show’. Phyllis was the Snobbish landlord where Mary and Rhoda Morgenstern (Valerie Harper) lived.
She received Emmy nominations for her for roles in ‘A Brand New Life’,’Cher’, ‘The Woman Who Willed a Miracle’,’Promised Land’ and most recently ‘Malcolm in the Middle. With an acting career spanning over 7 decades, the entertainment industry will never be the same.
By Kurt Balingit
Kevin Hart has been casted along side Cate Blanchett to star in “Borderlands” a movie adaptation of the popular video game with the same name.
As of now, the plot details for the motion picture have not been revealed to the public, but it is safe to say it will be loosely based on the Borderlands’ main storyline. The video game takes place in the fictional planet Pandora in the year 2864. It follows a group of treasure hunters who attempt to find and unlock an ancient alien vault carved on the side of a mountain left behind by the planet’s previous inhabitants. The Vault is said to contain vast stores of alien technology and secrets, making those who possess it the most powerful people in Pandora.
Hart will play Roland a soldier turned mercenary who seeks to open the vault with his team of treasure hunters. Cate Blanchett will play Lilith, a siren and one of the most powerful women in the galaxy. Roland and Lilith are two of the four playable characters in the first of the Borderlands video games.
Released in 2009, Borderlands is one of the world’s best-selling video game franchises of all time and Lionsgate Motion Pictures is looking to capitalize on this fanbase and deliver blockbuster film. Adding a star like Kevin Hart to the cast will surely intensify the hype surrounding the upcoming movie.
Director Eli Roth stated “I’m thrilled to be working with Kevin, ‘Borderlands’ is a different kind of role for him, and we are excited to thrill audiences with a side of Kevin they’ve never seen before. He’s going to be an amazing Roland.” Fans of the franchise can only watch in excitement as more details of the movie are to revealed in due time.
by Emily Nagle
[usr 4.5]
Jojo Rabbit (2019), directed by Taika Waititi, follows 10-year-old Jojo Betzler (Roman Griffin Davis) who’s growing up during World War 2. Young Jojo is thrilled to be part of the Hitler Youth along with his peers, but doesn’t quite understand what it means to be a Nazi. He’s mostly just enamored with Swastikas and the idea of being a Nazi, so much so that he even has Adolf Hitler (Taika Waititi) as his imaginary friend. It’s a childish version of Hitler who’s somewhat of a father figure to Jojo, but the fact that he’s even there shows Jojo’s dedication to the idea of being a Nazi. One of Jojo’s first tests at the Hitler Youth training camp comes when he is called on to murder a rabbit with his bare hands, and refuses. It’s at this moment that he first questions whether the Nazi life is truly for him, as he doesn’t want to harm an innocent creature. Jojo ends up leaving the training camp early due to his injuries, and is shocked to discover that his mother is hiding Elsa (Thomasin McKenzie), a Jewish girl, in their attic. There’s no safe way out of this situation for Jojo; if he tells on his mother, then she’ll get executed. Adolf pushes Jojo to maintain what seems at first glance to be a patriotic view, causing Jojo problems with his single mother Rosie (Scarlett Johansson), who is opposed to the Nazi party and the war. Over the course of the film, Jojo figures out what it really means to be a Nazi, and has to decide where he stands on WW2.
One of my favorite aspects of this film is its cinematography. It almost reminded me of a graphic novel. There were so many unique shots, for example when Jojo is rushed to the hospital after a grenade explodes at his feet. At this point it switches to a first-person perspective, showing us the world through Jojo’s eyes. Things appear blurry and dreamlike as he’s loaded into an ambulance and Adolf chases after him as he’s wheeled into the operating room on a stretcher. The cinematographer is Mihai Mălaimare Jr., who revealed in a Deadline interview that the distinctive camera shots were inspired by the film taking place in the world of a 10-year-old boy. Mălaimare recalls, “most of the time, [Waititi and I] talked about the fact that it’s really interesting to just go lower, and look [at] how the world or the set looks from Jojo’s height.”
My only issue with this film was that there wasn’t a lot of context for Jojo’s family situation. We know that he lives with his single mother, but it’s not explicitly mentioned where his father went. I didn’t know whether he was dead, supporting the war effort, or something else. It is also revealed that Jojo had an older sister, Inge, who died shortly before the events of the film, and Elsa pretends to be her when the Gestapo show up so that she doesn’t get taken away. However, we aren’t told a whole lot about the relationship that Jojo had with his sister, and we only see pictures of her. I realize that the lack of context about Jojo’s family was most likely intentional, but I was still a little confused at times.
Other than this, I found Jojo Rabbit to be a beautiful film that was quirky and creative! It’s sweet and funny at times, but also emotional. The relationship that formed between Elsa and Jojo was sweet, and I got a kick out of the fictionalized version of Hitler that lived inside Jojo’s imagination, eating unicorn meat and cheering for Jojo. It was also sad, because as the film progresses, Jojo is seen to realize what it really means to be a Nazi, and that it’s not all swastikas and “Heil Hitlers”. We witness him grow up and start to think for himself, with this epiphany being signified at the end when Jojo says to Hitler, “Fuck off, Hitler” and kicks him out of his bedroom window.
by Emily Nagle
John Reilly, a veteran soap opera actor, has died of a heart attack at the age of 86.
Reilly’s death was announced by his daughter Caitlin in a heartfelt Instagram post on January 10th, 2021, with a caption reading, “John Henry Matthew Reilly AKA Jack. The brightest light in the world has gone out. Imagine the best person in the world. Now imagine that person being your dad. I’m so grateful he was mine. I’m so grateful I got to love him. I’m so grateful I made it in time to hold him and say goodbye. I honestly don’t know what I’m going to do, but I know he’ll be with me. I love you forever Daddy.”
Hailing from Chicago, IL, Reilly began his 30+ year acting career in the mid-1960s, obtaining minor roles in Death Valley Days, Gunsmoke, and Apple’s Way. One of his most notable roles was on General Hospital, playing the part of Sean Donely from 1984-1994, reappearing in 2008 and 2013. He also had a recurring role in Beverly Hills, 90210 as Kelly Taylor’s father Bill, and played Alistair Crane on NBC’s Passions from 2005 to 2008.
The official General Hospital Twitter account posted a tribute to Reilly in response to his death, stating, “The entire General Hospital family is heartbroken to hear of John Reilly’s passing. Our thoughts and prayers go out to his loved ones. Rest in peace.” Reilly is survived by his wife Liz, five daughters, and two grandchildren.
Get Some Strange!
