Of the newer Pixar IPs that audiences would have liked to see a sequel to, it’s a safe assumption that Inside Out was at the top of most peoples’ lists. Not only is the mind such a vast, expansive place that can house much more ideas than only one film can catalog, but with how it grows and changes it seemed like a no brainer to eventually explore what comes next in Riley’s life, and how relatable topics like change at an older age can be explored in the context of the emotions in her head. Luckily, Inside Out 2 sticks the landing with a multitude of new characters, concepts, locations, and ideas that come together in a package just about as well-rounded as the initial entry in the series.
The start of puberty and the onset of anxiety go together like clockwork in the eyes of many, so the introduction of Anxiety as the main focus of the four new emotions (along with Envy, Ennui, and Embarrassment) was one of the more predictable plotpoints of the film. What the film does to help subvert this is by making Anxiety’s character go even deeper than a few of the initial five emotions from the original film. The character, voiced by Maya Hawke, is full of energy and is constantly jumping around and fidgeting, perfectly representative of the uncertain nature the emotion brings. In that same vain, Anxiety seems to have numerous ambitions and plans she would love to put in action, but has an unsure air about her when anything goes even slightly differently. Comparing this with Joy, who has grown since the last film in that she’s always looking for the next idea to keep moving forward, it’s clear that these new emotions aren’t repackaged characters from the initial Inside Out or useless in any way. They all serve to build out the world inside all our heads and help explain and break down many complex concepts that aren’t fun to deal with the reality of.
Speaking of the other new emotions, all three of their actors knock it out of the park. I was particularly looking forward to Ayo Edebiri as Envy, as while knowing her best from her work in FX’s The Bear, the energetic nature she puts out in interviews and on the internet is something perfect for voice acting, and she absolutely nailed the character. Adèle Exarchopoulos does an exceptional job as Ennui as well, the character whose job is seemingly nothing at all, reflecting the boredom of the emotion. Exarchopoulos previously voiced Ember in the French dub of Pixar’s Elemental, and while it’s great seeing her back here in the original language version of Inside Out 2, what I find even greater is that she reprises her role of Ennui in the French dub of this film as well. It reminded me of Antonio Banderas’ portrayal of the titular character in Puss in Boots: The Last Wish in both the English and Spanish versions, and I hope more foreign actors cast in overseas animated films continue this trend of reprising their roles in dubs.
It’s really fantastic to see just how well this film has done and continues to do at the box office. Inside Out 2 currently holds the record for the fastest any animated feature ever has passed the billion-dollar milestone at the box office, and is currently the first and only film of 2024 to do so. The film’s weekend drops following its release have been impressively low as more and more moviegoers continue to watch the film in theaters, and is currently on track to beat the worldwide grosses of Finding Dory, as well as Toy Story 3 and 4. At this point, it’s not impossible for the film to push past Incredibles 2 and become Pixar’s highest grossing film of all time.
The story of Pixar being caught in the crossfire of Disney’s recent financial woes is one known to almost all moviegoers at this point, especially those closely following feature-length animated film news and trends this decade. 2020 was a rough year for many studios and Pixar was no different, with its first film of the decade Onward releasing less than a week before the COVID-19 pandemic was declared as such. The studio’s next three films, Soul, Luca, and Turning Red, were forced onto Disney’s streaming platform by the parent company, a decision criticized even by those within Pixar. Lightyear, Pixar’s return to theaters in 2022, failed to break even at the box office, a threat their next film Elemental faced briefly as well until ticket sales picked up later in the film’s lifespan. In an interview with Variety, chief creative officer of Pixar Pete Docter partly attributed these films’ underperformance to the aforementioned direct-to-streaming model Disney adopted during the pandemic, claiming audiences had been “trained” on said model to the point that they could expect to just wait until Disney films came to streaming, being less expensive than four tickets to a theater.
Due to these financial struggles on Pixar’s end, the company experienced numerous layoffs in May and announced its plans to veer away from their focus on original titles they began at the start of the decade. At the end of May, Bloomberg reported the studio’s goal would be to intersperse their original titles among spinoffs and sequels of already existing Pixar IP, similar to their filmography from the mid-to-late 2010s. The loss of a focus on original films from the studio is undoubtedly heartbreaking, especially when keeping in mind the bumps in the road this recent batch had faced, though hopefully this new strategy from the studio will help re-establish Pixar and its IPs (legacy and newer titles) as household names once again. If the output is as consistent as the quality of Inside Out 2, we could potentially enter a Pixar renaissance.
Inside Out 2 is now playing in theaters worldwide.
Netflix’s 24-episode first season of the Delicious in Dungeon anime adaptation took the world by storm last year with its mastery of blending two unlikely genres. Combining fantasy and cooking with a dash of fictional biology lessons, as well as localization consisting of an all-star voice cast and a charismatic writing team, the show was quick to catch on with even viewers who didn’t usually indulge in either genre—myself included. No matter how integral each episode is to the core plot of saving Laios’ sister Falin, they all serve as important steps to understanding each of the main protagonists’ nuances and differences from each other, as well as growing attached to them. With the show airing its season finale this past Thursday, it ends off on a bit of a cliffhanger as the party decides to lay out a plan for their next steps rather than definitively wrapping up any loose ends or key plotpoints. It’s a bit of an unclear ending to the season that leaves a lot to the imagination, which is a blessing and a curse as it leaves more questions than answers in a way. What is the party’s main goal going forward after the ending?
Delicious in Dungeon Season 2 is Confirmed
With the series’ incredible success on the streaming platform, it didn’t come as a surprise that a second season would come eventually. In fact, light press confirmation of the second season’s greenlight has been floating around for a while. It was confirmed on the series’ official Twitter account yesterday with the release of the season finale, however, that not only has the second season been greenlit, it has begun production. The release date of the second season and its episode count are currently up in the air, but what’s important is that it’s not a matter of if, but when Delicious in Dungeon will return, hopefully with a conclusion to the Falin storyline.
Will the next season have 24 episodes like the first did? Many anime series at the moment tend to cap their seasons off at 12-13 episodes each. The first season of Delicious in Dungeon could technically be categorized as this, as starting with episode 13 it technically became a second season (complete with a new opening and another 12 episodes following the first 12) or a second part to season one. Another currently running anime, Urusei Yatsura, has 23 episodes total in both its first and second season orders, though these are also split up as evident by their changed openings. It’s entirely possible the second season of Delicious in Dungeon could cut the episode count in half for the sake of time, though with the weekly release strategy having worked to the series’ benefit, it’s plausible for the count to stay at 24. Again, it’s all speculation at the moment, but Trigger still does have a fair amount of the original manga left to adapt, so there’s no need for fans to worry about counting what time they have left with Laios, Marcille, Chilchuck and Senshi (and Izutsumi, if you’re that far in).
The entire first season of Delicious in Dungeon is now streaming on Netflix,
The psychological horror film I Saw the TV Glow released this past weekend from director Jane Schroenbrun. Their previous work on their narrative debut film We’re All Going to the World’s Fair was absolutely groundbreaking, perfecting the medium of webcam storytelling onscreen and telling a story that uses the internet as a tool to elevate its already disturbing aspects rather than as a marketing gimmick. With a spectacular score provided by Alex G, the film resonated with many of its viewers as it portrays an accurate look into deep web culture and pressure like no film before. With as successful an experimental film as The World’s Fair, Schroenbrun was a great pick for A24 to take notice of and distribute their next film, as well as production work provided by Emma Stone’s production company, Fruit Tree. I Saw the TV Glow plays most of its shots fairly straight—no webcam shots here—but pushes them past their limits to highlight the heart of the film and amplify the uncanny and familiar feeling of a niche interest that goes so much deeper than it initially appears.
Online, there seems to be a divide between those who find the film overrated and confusing and those who think the message couldn’t be more obvious and reprimand those who think otherwise. Personally, I feel even on a shallower scale the film sends a well-mannered message about how humans can bond over even the most obscure things. When it comes to the fictional show, The Pink Opaque, Owen and Maddy (played by Justice Smith and Brigette Lundy-Paine respectively) find their whole lives forever changed by its very presence. Yet, despite its seemingly unending reach across their entire lives and irreversible mark on their mentalities, the two of them seem to be all they have in regards to thinking, talking, and acting on it. Having an obscure special interest like Owen and Maddy share in the film is portrayed in an incredibly real, mature way. It can feel like a lonesome, unique experience, whether you truly feel alone in your investment or if you have people willing to listen, but not to understand.
Of course, the deeper meaning of the film comes down to the exploration of self-identity, finding yourself and who you are, and how that correlates to your place in the world. The film makes it clear from the start how Maddy views the world as whatever someone makes of it, and wants Owen to feel the same. However, Owen is apprehensive about fully immersing himself into The Pink Opaque, feeling self-conscious about even dropping the show’s name in front of his parents as he knows they wouldn’t understand. With the film being through the eyes of Owen from start to finish, we even get a few glimpses of the life he would be living if he listened to Maddy fully, embracing who he truly is and how the show truly makes him feel. It’s a clear enough allegory for one’s own identity in regards to gender, sexuality, and personality that it hardly even feels allegorical at times. Just as The Pink Opaque feels realer than a show for Owen and Maddy, the viewing audience will be able to feel the genuine pain portrayed by the two in how they respond to the show’s storylines, and how no one else quite seems to understand. In my own opinion, that’s what really drives a great psychological horror home, when it feels as if the lines between cinema and reality are blurred together just enough to stick with its viewers far past the drive home from the theater.
I Saw the TV Glow is now playing in theaters nationwide.
It’s a big day for fans of indie animation as Glitch Productions (Murder Drones, Meta Runner) has announced that the next episode of The Amazing Digital Circus, created by Gooseworx, will release to their YouTube channel on May 3rd.
The Twitter post published today reveals the central location of the next adventure, the Candy Canyon Kingdom. It appears that the cast introduced in the pilot will be present on site, with the exception of Zooble who noticeably lacked a drive to join them last time.
The Amazing Digital Circus lit the world on fire when it initially released back in October of last year, amassing over 300 million views as of mid-April and being almost immediately greenlit for a full series order by the indie animation company, Glitch Productions. They alongside other independent animation studios such as SpindleHorse Toons (Hazbin Hotel, Helluva Boss) have been able to offer content to animation fans and animators in need of work in light of the industry’s recent layoffs and contract disputes. The funding for said content mainly comes from merchandise sales on their respective websites, which fans of both studios have happily been supporting for years.
Episode 1 of The Amazing Digital Circus is available to watch for free right now on YouTube, with the next episode releasing two weeks from today. We’ll be here to cover it when it arrives.
Like many other recent years of coverage, the internet is bubbling with speculation and discussion as CinemaCon 2024 coverage spreads. Major motion studios like Disney, Warner Bros. Discovery, and Universal have been dropping new info left and right on their upcoming slates, as well as others such as Lionsgate and Blumhouse. The latter’s panel on Wednesday ended up revealing all sorts of information for its loyal fans, such as the release date of the highly anticipated sequel to Five Nights at Freddy’s—Fall 2025. Whether or not this will be Halloween of that year as the last one remains to be seen. Though, hopefully we’ll be able to enjoy the sequel just as much as we did the first film in the franchise.
Another piece of information revealed by the studio at the convention on Wednesday was in relation to the Blair Witch franchise. The original Blair Witch Project lit America on fire, causing a boom in the found footage horror subgenre as many questioned whether or not its depicted events and corresponding footage was real or not. No matter the original film’s quality to some and despite it not inventing the genre, it was one of the first in the subgenre to get things right and popularize its format. There will never be another film quite like the original Blair Witch Project.
So is there a reason Blumhouse is so confident they’ll be able to replicate that success?
The marketing, speculation, and contents of the original film worked together in a way that only could have worked that first time. Advertisements marketed its stars as missing, and the footage as when they were last seen. The stars in question were relatively unknown, as was the directing/writing team behind the film, all of whom were credited by their own names a la documentary format. This all blended together to make speculation about its authenticity run rampant, which only fueled the fire more. Now that this perfect storm has come and gone, it’s been hard for any subsequent entry in the Blair Witch series to drum up nearly the amount of publicity the original did.
This isn’t to say that Blumhouse as a studio lacks the talent or drive to crank out box office successes. Recent endeavors such as The Black Phone, M3GAN, and especially last year’s Five Nights at Freddy’s have seen extremely impressive returns, both in terms of revenue and reception. The studio is at its best when producing engaging screenplays directed by filmmakers with complete creative control over the project. Though, with a director still unannounced for the studio’s Blair Witch film at this time, a morbid curiosity looms over whether or not the studio can helm a director/writer team that can put a twist on the concept and subgenre as engaging as the 1999 film.
We’ll be covering more news from CinemaCon 2024 in the coming weeks as the news from the event materializes and expands.
The 21st of March brought with it the premiere of Peter Five Eight, a noir action-thriller featuring Kevin Spacey in his first role of 2024. Invincible Entertainment’s newest release stars Spacey as the titular Peter, a mysterious assassin sent on a mission to a small town to investigate Sam, a real estate agent living a double life, played by Jet Jandreau.
The film, named after the verse of the same name from the King James Bible, excels in its masterful direction by Michael Zaiko Hall, who also served as the writer and one of the producers on the film. Despite its dark themes, the film feels extremely alive and vibrant due to Nigel Galt‘s excellent editing and color grading of every scene. This choice makes the small town Spacey explores feel notably homely, which sells the fish out of water dynamic he has with each of its inhabitants.
Every character Peter interacts with during his stay in the mountain town feels distinct, with the supporting cast bringing every location to life. The dialogue between those onscreen feels natural, allowing for the audience to get invested in their lives and how Peter’s role in the town will interact and coalesce into them. This makes it all the more shocking when action-packed scenes begin, as we watch Peter chasing Sam through familiar locations we’ve previously associated with this calm, familiar hometown.
With assassins and killers as charismatic as Peter and Sam cast perfectly, Peter Five Eight has something for everyone who enjoys a good action-thriller. The air of mystery in a small town is reminiscent of shows like Twilight Zone, and it’s a great time watching Spacey and Jandreau make the story feel so alive and turn the town’s usual way of life upside down.
Peter Five Eight is now available to buy/rent on Amazon Prime Video, Google Play, and YouTube Movies.
Get Some Strange!
