UNDER PARIS

Since, I’m on medical leave (2 more days to go) I’ve been catching up with Netflix… And I just watched the French shark-action-film Sous La Seine, dubbed in English as Under Paris.

One word: SOLID! 

I didn’t expect much other than some gore action en français, but the film was very entertaining and surprisingly good!

It had an interesting premise, atmospheric scenes, and a bonkers ending, all of which made it feel much more original than just another cheap shark movie. This film is proof that Netflix can potentially provide what movie theatres abandoned over two decades ago: original action films not based on existing IPs.

And by “original” I mean a major blockbuster that isn’t a sequel, prequel, or reboot and isn’t based on comic books or video games.

The movie itself isn’t amazing, but it’s GOOD. Solid performances and competent direction. What made this movie so memorable is that it was original!

 
And I enjoyed that.

3 Years Later… BLOOD OF ZEUS Season 2

Greek mythology is one of the few things I am passionate. Since I was a child I liked mythology a lot. I don’t remember much from my childhood in terms of reading, except mythology. It fascinated me.

In 2021 Netflix released its animated-adult series Blood Of Zeus. The story follow Heron, an ordinary citizen of Ancient Greece who discovers that he is the bastard son of Zeus and has a part to play in battling demons that are attacking his town.

Heron, however, is a character that doesn’t exist in mythology. It was created just for this series which, without taking away its merit, is very good!

Season 1 was good, but Season 2 is even better although not for kids ’cause is pretty violent. I watched few days ago.

First of all, Greek mythology is a great drama full of horrible stories of revenge, tragic loves, cheats and intrafamilial sex… Zeus is the greatest philanderer and that led to a significant number of children from major gods, minor gods, demigods, and even other mythical creatures. Obviously for children books, those details are not mentioned.

Season 2 not only does it hit the same great notes it struck in the first season, but it came back with a brand new bag of subplots, character arcs, and the kind of attention to detail that separates this project from the pack.

This season feels more like a take on the gods themselves, but with a distinct spin on it.

The gods are much more active characters, and more attuned to their various domains. The first half of the season spends its time building this lore up, and establishing their backstory.

Hades is the primary antagonist. But unlike so many shows where the Antagonist seems to just be a villain without any real explanation of their villainy, Hades is a very believable character. Right to the end, every single one of his actions seems earned, and he really doesn’t come across as a generic bad guy. Dude’s conflicted by his actions, but motivated to right a wrong done to him. And that wrong is super well conveyed.

The other gods are surprisingly accurate to various imaginations of them in myth. Demeter is an obsessive, unusually villainous character. Ares is a powerhouse but absolutely an impulsive asshat. Athena is clever. Hermes is earnest and committed. And Gaia is just perfect!

Like the show seems to be an incredibly relatable take to narratives from Greek myth, while still being super fresh.

 
For all the complexity of the twisted stories of mythology, this series is impressively well done! I can’t wait for Season 3!

Black Barbie

The first Black Barbie doll was created and sold in 1980. Black Barbie, a documentary streaming on Netflix later this month, tells the story of how the doll came to be and the impact it had on a generation of young people who were able to see themselves in a doll with the same colour skin, perhaps for the first time.

 
The trailer opens with this line: “If you’ve gone your whole life and you’ve never seen anything made in your own image, there is damage done.” Which is then echoed later in the trailer when a little girl is describing her Barbie: “Really pretty, and has lochs, just like me”.

It looks beautiful but mostly nostalgic, about a time when girls used to play with dolls.

REBEL MOON

I just watched Rebel Moon – Part Two: The Scargiver, and realised I never blogged about the first movie, Rebel Moon – Part One: A Child of Fire.

I have to say this movie made me realised that Zack Snyder is one of my favourite directors. His movies are spectacular and Rebel Moon, to me, is an instant classic!

Part One: A Child of Fire

The storyline goes like this:

When a peaceful settlement on the edge of a distant moon finds itself threatened by the armies of a tyrannical ruling force, Kora (Sofia Boutella), a mysterious stranger living among the villagers, becomes their best hope for survival.

Tasked with finding trained fighters who will unite with her in making an impossible stand against the Mother World, Kora assembles a small band of warriors – outsiders, insurgents, peasants and orphans of war from different worlds who share a common need for redemption and revenge. As the shadow of an entire Realm bears down on the unlikeliest of moons, a battle over the fate of a galaxy is waged, and in the process, a new army of heroes is formed.

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Part Two: The Scargiver

Kora and surviving warriors prepare to defend Veldt, their new home, alongside its people against the Realm. The warriors face their pasts, revealing their motivations before the Realm’s forces arrive to crush the growing rebellion.

I gotta say the story here is a bit too fantastic (a single village against a galactic empire) but is a science fiction film… Regardless, the cast is perfect!

In short, Rebel Moon parts 1 and 2 are a visual feast for sci-fi enthusiasts, with Snyder’s distinctive style evident throughout. While the storytelling doesn’t always hit the mark, the films offer enough spectacle and character moments to warrant a watch.

The series might not convert skeptics, but it will certainly entertain those willing to embark on this interstellar journey and I cannot wait for Part 3!

Netflix Has THE POWER!

2021 saw the light of a HE-MAN Netflix series and I was not disappointed.

Masters of the Universe: Revelation Part 1 and Part 2 (the official name) was a nostalgia fest in the best possible way, managing to showcase a cartoon that looks like you remember but has been updated nicely for the 21st Century.

He-Man was one of the most successful cartoons of all time and one of my favourite’s when I was a kid (I’m old AF), I even had many of the toys… See, The t0s animation was born, like many cartoons at the time, out of a need to sell toys!

Essentially, Mattel was annoyed that it passed up the rights to the Star Wars toy line due to the licensing fees, so created its own characters and we got He-Man.

While the character(s) have been remade for the screen a number of times and failed miserable, it really is the 1983 cartoon that is close to everyone’s hearts.

Here’s the official synopsis: “After a cataclysmic battle between He-Man and Skeletor, Eternia is fractured and the Guardians of Grayskull are scattered. And after decades of secrets tore them apart, it’s up to Teela to reunite the broken band of heroes, and solve the mystery of the missing Sword of Power in a race against time to restore Eternia and prevent the end of the universe.”

The first season Masters of The Universe: Revelation is 80s to the core.

The trailer is EVERYTHING!

 
The end of Part 1 included what was one of the best cliffhangers in recent memory.

As a fan of the original cartoon the ending was also great because it didn’t really end… It shows the face of Hordak, another villain that ties to She-Ra, the female equivalent to He-Man (his sister). Modernised and well done!

And Part 2 was full of action.

 
After the epic comeback, I didn’t expected another season, so I was surprised when few nights ago I found on Netflix Masters of the Universe: Revolution (season 2).

I swear I didn’t have a reason for joy since last October…  so this made my day!

I have to say I’m impressed by the twisted creativity of the writers, some of the toy characters I had as a kid existed without much explanation, but this series (over 40 years later) created a story and gave those characters meaning .

Technology meets magic, it is the synthesis of this spectacular season.

 
Lena Headey, Mark Hamill, Chris Wood, Meg Foster, William Shatner, Keith David, Melissa Benoist and all the actors did an spectacular job!

More please MOOOORE!

LOCO POR ELLA & ÉTÉ 85

Those are 2 European films I recently watched on Netflix and Amazon.

LOCO POR ELLA (CRAZY ABOUT HER)

This is a romantic-comedy from Spain.

After meeting Carla (Susana Abaitua), the girl of his dreams, and spending the best night of their lives together, Adri (Álvaro Cervantes) discovers that she escaped from a psychiatric hospital that does not admit visits.

Madly in love and willing to do whatever it takes he falsified a medical report and enter the hospital as a patient. But, once inside, he not only discovers that his love story is not what he expected, but it will not be so easy to get out of there…

This movie was hilarious.

All the actors were amazing and the story at some point got very touching.

 
Unlike American (Hollywood) movies where you see the same BORING actors in all the films, foreign movies are a lot more versatile and refreshing.

Great cast, great performances, solid comedy!

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ÉTÉ 85 (SUMMER OF 85)

This is a romantic-drama from France adapted from Dance on My Grave.

It’s a story that’s frequently awkward, sincere and truthful about adolescence in a way you don’t see much nowadays.

What do you dream of when you’re a teen and in a seaside resort in Normandy in the 1980s? A best friend? A lifelong teen pact? Scooting off on adventures on a boat or a motorbike? Living life at breakneck speed?

No. You dream of death. Because you can’t get a bigger kick than dying. And that’s why you save it till the very end.

The summer holidays are just beginning and this story recounts how Alexis (Félix Lefebvre) grew into himself.

 
I gotta say the “bad boy” (Benjamin Voisin) of this film reminded me a lot of Max (my last ex). Not physically ’cause Max was muscular, hotter and older, but the attitude.

Like the guy on the film, Max also loved adventures, changing constantly his car, his jet boat, his motorcycles and all around him… Max hated routine. He got tired of the same things and constantly changed them. And he changed me too.

The beginnings are always nice, the sparkle in his eyes showed his excitement and feelings for me, but he never had the capacity to commit.

This movie kinda opened my eyes.

Those who liked ‘Call Me by Your Name’ will certainly like ‘Été 85’, given the similarities and inspirations that the director sought after Luca Guadagnino’s great success.

 
I love European cinema.

3 Movies

I had several days off this week. I blocked men in order to rest, and although my intention was honest, I didn’t happen as planed… I have an aunt visiting from Boston so I dedicated some days to her earlier this week.

On the other hand, I’ve been catching up with some movies on Netflix and Amazon, and also at the theatre.

See, my aunt wanted to watch a film at the cinema that is not my genre of film because instead of making you feel excited, it makes you feel gloomy due to the subject.

SOUND OF FREEDOM

So, I didn’t know this movie exist until my aunt mentioned it. When I heard the subject I was like “ugh sad but not a film I would watch”… But I ended up going with my aunt.

Sound of Freedom is a thriller, which is loosely based on the story of anti-trafficking advocate Tim Ballard (played by Jim Caviezel), follows the Homeland Security agent as he goes rogue to save two kidnapped siblings and free dozens of more kids from a Colombian sex trafficking ring.

It’s debatable whether the film’s portrayal of the subject is realistic, and, as with just about any film “based on a true story” there have been questions about the accuracy of its depiction of the real-life Ballard, whose organisation Operation Underground Railroad claims to have saved hundreds of victims to date.

On balance, though, Sound of Freedom tackles a brutal topic: Everyone agrees that the exploitation of children is real and a horrific crime that must be stopped!

 
Politics, ideologies and conspiracy theories aside, the film was well made.

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EXTRACTION 2

This is more my type of film. Exaggerated action and violence where most times the bad guys lose to make us feel good.

Extraction is the legit first film I enjoyed seen Chris Hemsworth as an action hero despite his Marvel charter (Thor).

The first movie was GREAT. But this one is bigger, bolder, and in some respects even better than its predecessor.

 
Action films should be full action and this is an over-the-top action thriller done right!

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RED, WHITE & ROYAL BLUE

This is an LGBTQ romance novel by American author Casey McQuiston, made film, originally published in 2019. Despite the fact I never finished to read the book because  found many of the characters annoying AF, I watched the film out of curiosity.

So this romantic comedy chronicles the clandestine romance of Alex Claremont-Diaz (Taylor Zakhar Perez), the son of the sitting President of the United States, and Prince Henry (Nicholas Galitzine), the spare heir to the British throne.

The film is ok. The story is too “bubblegum” and it could have been better if the characters were not so charmless, in my opinion.

 
Regardless, love stories with happy endings are always sweet, and one can only wish.

Netflix’s Anna Nicole Smith: You Don’t Know Me

In the recent wave of “black” queens and documentaries demanding justice for the tragic blondes of the 1990s (Britney Spears, Princess Diana and Pamela Anderson) it’s unsurprising to find a new film about Anna Nicole Smith next in the queue.

I used to like Anna Nicole but also felt sad for her, so I watched the documentary.

Anna Nicole: You Don’t Know Me, a Netflix production directed by Ursula Macfarlane, revisits the life of the model and Playboy centerfold best known for marrying an octogenarian billionaire, then very publicly losing it all; in 2007, she was found dead in a Hollywood, Florida, Hard Rock hotel at the young age of 39, having taken a toxic mixture of methadone, Valium and a variety of sedatives.

Anna Nicole Smith was a larger-than-life celebrity with the labels that go with it: A Playmate, Guess model and blonde bombshell.

There were less favourable ones too: “gold digger,” “tabloid star” and “train wreck.”

While alive she seemed like an honest politically incorrect woman, which made her likeable. However, this documentary makes her look like a hustler and the film unfolds as chaotically and cringe-inducingly as it did in real life, from her short-lived reality TV show, to the custody battle over her infant daughter, to the tragedy of her son Daniel’s fatal drug overdose.

Without the PR and management infrastructure Marshall had put in place for her, Anna Nicole’s career devolved into a series of clownish, visibly drug-addled public appearances and body transformations.

Anna Nicole was a naive small town girl who got lost by money, fame and was surrounded by the wrong people. The death of her son was the end of her.

I like to remember her like this:

Because Anna Nicole deserved better than how she was treated.

 
And she deserves better than this film.

El Reino (The Kingdom) Season 2

I finished to watch Season 2 of the excellent Argentine series El Reino (The Kingdom).

In season one of the Netflix political/fantasy thriller, a televangelist and his family were thrust into the limelight after his running mate on a right-wing presidential ticket was murdered. But with that elevating exposure came scrutiny, and revelations about all the dirty business behind the church facade, including money laundering and even paedophilia.

The Kingdom Season 2 is six episodes instead of eight, and opens as Emilio (Diego Peretti) has become Argentina’s president. But in no way does that mean he’s free of trouble.

The series has all the condiments… political/military corruption and impunity, faith charlatans and it’s convincing due to the strong influence of religion in South America.

A cast of excellent Argentinian actors include Diego Peretti (excellent) Chino Darin, Nicolas Garcia, Joaquin Furriel (excellent), Peter Lanzani (excellent), Mercedes Moran (beyond excellent), Vera Spinetta, Santiago Korovsky, Victoria Almeida, Alfonso Tort, Patricio Aramburu, Sofia Gala (excellent) are part of it.

The Kingdom is a stunning masterpiece, a war between “god and evil”  with exceptional cinematography and the perfect amount of intrigue and uncomfortable subjects to keep the fans watching.

What I personally loved about the show was the way it merged politics with religion and somehow ended up being a little of neither.

Definitely, one of the most underrated series on Netflix.

 

“Remove justice, and what are kingdoms but gangs of criminals?
What are criminal gangs but petty kingdoms?”
St. Augustine.

BLOOD OF ZEUS

Whenever I behave like a decent human being I can be productive and do many stuff.

Well, browsing online for something else to watch, I found an animated series that piqued my curiosity, particularly because it was about mythology or mythological characters to be precise.

Blood of Zeus is one of the show in Netflix’s extensive anime catalogue.

In this story we follow Heron, an ordinary citizen of Ancient Greece who discovers that he is the bastard son of Zeus and has a part to play in battling demons that are attacking his town.

Although most of the characters are legit mythological Greek characters, Heron was created for the series. “Heron” doesn’t exist in mythology.

Regardless I was hooked by this animation because I love mythology and Zeus (often horny) often had bastard children with humans in the myths. Much to the anger of Hera (his wife and sister).

See, Blood Of Zeus is gore, but the Greek mythology was fucked up and bloodier.

In the mythology the Titan Cronos castrated his father, Uranus, and cast his testicles into the sea. From the blood that spilled out from Uranus and fell upon the earth, the Giants were created.

Notably, Cronos is traditionally the father of many of the key Olympians, including key characters in the story suchs as Hera, Poseidon, Hades, and Zeus himself.

I gotta say I loved the representation of all the gods and demigods. They truly did a great job with the animations.

My favourites were (the noble) Hermes, (the crazy) Hera, (the temperamental) Ares and (the hot) Zeus as well.

 
Not sure if there’s a second season on its way, but this was fun!