iSawitFivetimes

Sometimes, things happen.

[flynnvdillinger]

I am rewatching every MCU series released post Endgame. I have some thoughts.

[flynnvdillinger]

Hi 2026.

[flynnvdillinger]

TENET (2020)

Dir. Christopher Nolan, Cin. Hoyte van Hoytema, Comp. Ludwig Göransson.

Nolan has out-Nolan’d himself.

Spoilers possibly; Ye be warned. The rumors are true. This film is loud af. LOUD AF. Some dialogue is hard to hear so, pay close attention.

It is full of cinema, if you can follow me here. Somehow Nolan is able to find a rhythm that we did not even know we wanted. Another well-casted film and an even more intriguing concept. Lighting, camera work, composition, costuming, set design, story. It has it all and more. TENET is meant for the theatre, for IMAX.

This a ‘Bond’ or an espionage movie that just happens to be set in a world where ‘Inversion’ is possible.

Characters:

I keep hearing people saying that characters are cold, with the exception of Kat (Elizabeth Debicki). I do not agree. The Protagonist (John David Washington) is a warm man with a deep sense of caring instilled in his character. When he comes to after nearly dying, the first thing he asks is where is his team. And, we continue to see this type of safe-keeping as the story progresses. He is almost immediately protective of Kat and even bargains for her to be spared from her husband’s, Andrei Sator (Kenneth Branagh) vengeance. The Protagonist also has a near instant connection with Neil (Robert Pattinson) as we notice Neil carefully navigates his use of words with The Protagonist. (We later find out that they have know each other for years.) Maybe Neil seems cold, but keep in mind he is not the protagonist ;) Whether or not we could trust Neil upon his first arrival, he was there to aid him, a guarded man, but also a guardian. 

Character is best shown through action and intent. When we enter into any story, it is the actions of the character that drive it. The Protagonist does not need to hold our hand. He is charming, charismatic and can hold his own.

*I need to see more John David Washington action films.*

I did not know Arron-Taylor Johnson was in this, pleasant surprise :).

As always Mr. Nolan continues to keep his casts diverse. I pray the next big film will have a female POC lead.

Message:

I think it’s a story of how time is perceived through the eyes of the beholder. Maybe even an omen on how time travel could ruin/kill us all. A power hungry control freak will do what ever necessary to make sure he comes out on top. (Spending a life between a past and present timeline - how are you ever fully present?) A battered woman will live a life of regret, only viewing time as reminder of the self she has lost. The Protagonist will always find a way to use time for the benefit of others, for the greater good; he is a self-less hero in fluid time or in ‘Inverted’ time. Neil accepts the past as he understands it as the only way to move forward, he has learned to let go.

How we use our time is how we learn to move forward.

Don’t want to go into this too much, might revisit later. You need to see it in theatres and I hate that this is not an ideal time to run off to a room jammed with other people. But if you, wear a mask! :)

Loved it!

[flynnvdillinger]

One X-Cellent Scene - Messed with the mind of an 8 yr old.

This scene is short and sweet. Yes, I am talking about X-Men: Dark Phoenix (2019). I enjoyed the hell out of this film. P.S. Would love to know exactly how it was originally supposed to end. P.P.S. This soundtrack is amazing. It is fire!! (Did I just make a pun?) Thank you Mr. Zimmer.

Let me go on record to say, my prior knowledge of the Phoenix was from X-Men: The Last Stand (2006) and even then, this topic is touched on. The one thing that both films share is that Charles Xavier manipulates Jean Grey’s mind to keep her, for lack of a better term ‘tame.’

Dark Phoenix (2019)

Skipping right to the scene: After Raven’s funeral, Hank sits alone in a darkened kitchen. Charles joins him.

Furious and grief-stricken, Hank McCoy (Beast) berates Charles Xavier (Professor X) for messing with Jean Grey’s (Jean Grey/Phoenix) mind when she was just 8 years old. In both films, Charles speaks of the barriers he built within her mind to protect her. In The Last Stand, it is more in the vain of keeping her and others around her safe. In Dark Phoenix, it is for the same reason but he makes her believe her father is dead, when he is in fact alive. We have learned that Jean’s father abandoned her after the accidental death of her mother. In an effort to keep Jean from learning the truth the hard way, Charles has convinced her that her father is dead. An X-Cellent scene.

Hank: “You messed with the mind of an 8 year old girl. You pushed down all that pain and anger, where do you think it’s gonna go?”

Charles: “I did that to help her.”

Hank: “You still can’t see what you did wrong?”..”Charles, just admit you were wrong, please.” PAUSE- Charles says nothing. 

Hank: “You still can’t.”

Charles: “I hope you feel better, Hank. I hope that railing on me five minutes after I put my foster sister in the grave..”

Charles does not think what he did for Jean was wrong and it presents in itself a ‘Grey’-area. (See what I did there;)). Can Charles or even Jean’s father definitively say that keeping the truth from her was the best thing for her? Even in his grief for Raven (Mystique), Charles believes that mind barriers and keeping the truth of Jean’s father was the right thing to do. Moreover, how was Charles supposed to know that she would become Dark Phoenix some day, having all that’s been buried forced to the light at once. Charles took away the opportunity for Jean to properly grieve and to learn how to live with the devastation of her father’s abandonment, while juggling an attempt at giving Jean a full life and loving home. He has the best intentions but may have created a literal monster in Phoenix as she is feeling everything that Jean could not.

It begs the question of what traumas can or cannot be addressed, especially when it comes to children. A repressed trauma can be the manifestation of some of the greatest evil.

{….””They often internalize and/or externalize stress reactions and as a result may experience significant depression, anxiety, or anger. Their emotional responses may be unpredictable or explosive. A child may react to a reminder of a traumatic event with trembling, anger, sadness, or avoidance. 

…Such a child may react often, react powerfully, and have difficulty calming down when upset. Since the traumas are often of an interpersonal nature, even mildly stressful interactions with others may serve as trauma reminders and trigger intense emotional responses.

…While this defensive posture is protective when an individual is under attack, it becomes problematic in situations that do not warrant such intense reactions.“”} *[Effects: The National Child Traumatic Stress Network]

All of this information is in direct correlation with Jean Grey’s Phoenix. Remember in the X-Men: Animated Series (1992-1997), Hank says, through Jean, Phoenix is experiencing new sensations, emotions and does not want to give them up.

Repressed trauma coupled with an all-feeling, all-powerful entity = wounds ripped open all over again. Triggered. Phoenix is a child in essence and what it feels is raw. Phoenix is Jean’s childhood trauma.

I hope this makes sense, but that’s One X-Cellent Scene for me.

Let me know how you are feeling.

*Source:

Effects: The National Child Traumatic Stress Network

nctsn.org/what-is-child-trauma/trauma-types/complex-trauma/effects

[flynnvdillinger]

One X-Cellent Scene - Messed with the mind of an 8 yr old.

This scene is short and sweet. Yes, I am talking about X-Men: Dark Phoenix (2019). I enjoyed the hell out of this film. P.S. Would love to know exactly how it was originally supposed to end. P.P.S. This soundtrack is amazing. It is fire!! (Did I just make a pun?) Thank you Mr. Zimmer.

Let me go on record to say, my prior knowledge of the Phoenix was from X-Men: The Last Stand (2006) and even then, this topic is touched on. The one thing that both films share is that Charles Xavier manipulates Jean Grey’s mind to keep her, for lack of a better term ‘tame.’

Dark Phoenix (2019)

Skipping right to the scene: After Raven’s funeral, Hank sits alone in a darkened kitchen. Charles joins him.

Furious and grief-stricken, Hank McCoy (Beast) berates Charles Xavier (Professor X) for messing with Jean Grey’s (Jean Grey/Phoenix) mind when she was just 8 years old. In both films, Charles speaks of the barriers he built within her mind to protect her. In The Last Stand, it is more in the vain of keeping her and others around her safe. In Dark Phoenix, it is for the same reason but he makes her believe her father is dead, when he is in fact alive. We have learned that Jean’s father abandoned her after the accidental death of her mother. In an effort to keep Jean from learning the truth the hard way, Charles has convinced her that her father is dead. An X-Cellent scene.

Hank: “You messed with the mind of an 8 year old girl. You pushed down all that pain and anger, where do you think it’s gonna go?”

Charles: “I did that to help her.”

Hank: “You still can’t see what you did wrong?”..”Charles, just admit you were wrong, please.” PAUSE- Charles says nothing. 

Hank: “You still can’t.”

Charles: “I hope you feel better, Hank. I hope that railing on me five minutes after I put my foster sister in the grave..”

Charles does not think what he did for Jean was wrong and it presents in itself a ‘Grey’-area. (See what I did there;)). Can Charles or even Jean’s father definitively say that keeping the truth from her was the best thing for her? Even in his grief for Raven (Mystique), Charles believes that mind barriers and keeping the truth of Jean’s father was the right thing to do. Moreover, how was Charles supposed to know that she would become Dark Phoenix some day, having all that’s been buried forced to the light at once. Charles took away the opportunity for Jean to properly grieve and to learn how to live with the devastation of her father’s abandonment, while juggling an attempt at giving Jean a full life and loving home. He has the best intentions but may have created a literal monster in Phoenix as she is feeling everything that Jean could not.

It begs the question of what traumas can or cannot be addressed, especially when it comes to children. A repressed trauma can be the manifestation of some of the greatest evil.

{....””They often internalize and/or externalize stress reactions and as a result may experience significant depression, anxiety, or anger. Their emotional responses may be unpredictable or explosive. A child may react to a reminder of a traumatic event with trembling, anger, sadness, or avoidance. 

...Such a child may react often, react powerfully, and have difficulty calming down when upset. Since the traumas are often of an interpersonal nature, even mildly stressful interactions with others may serve as trauma reminders and trigger intense emotional responses.

...While this defensive posture is protective when an individual is under attack, it becomes problematic in situations that do not warrant such intense reactions.“”} *[Effects: The National Child Traumatic Stress Network]

All of this information is in direct correlation with Jean Grey’s Phoenix. Remember in the X-Men: Animated Series (1992-1997), Hank says, through Jean, Phoenix is experiencing new sensations, emotions and does not want to give them up.

Repressed trauma coupled with an all-feeling, all-powerful entity = wounds ripped open all over again. Triggered. Phoenix is a child in essence and what it feels is raw. Phoenix is Jean’s childhood trauma.

Bottom line: "Professor" Charles Xavier, being the achieved graduate that he his, should have known better and should recognize his mistakes as Hank McCoy tries to point out.

I hope this makes sense, but that’s One X-Cellent Scene for me.

Let me know how you are feeling.

*Source:

Effects: The National Child Traumatic Stress Network

nctsn.org/what-is-child-trauma/trauma-types/complex-trauma/effects

[flynnvdillinger]

Marvel Netflix Series - Come Back!

I may be an army of one, but I want those Marvel Netflix shows continued. I don't care how, I just want it done.

Jessica Jones - You had finally accepted the gifts you were given and were ready to be what you were meant to be all along. A true defender and stronger than day 1.

Luke Cage - I wonder about the man you became while managing the club. Were you able to maintain and bring your light into the dark? Does the Hero of Harlem still stand tall in a club built on corruption? and, damn Tilda!

Daredevil - I'll be honest, I just want more Wilson Fisk and Bullseye. Bullseye is a cyborg now! C’mon!

Iron Fist - Darling, when you popped up at the end with delicious Ward, double-wielding - I was screaming. Colleen, how did you handle that power? And, channeling through your Katana, nonetheless?

AND

I would even be graciously satisfied if a Defenders sequel could happen. A lot of cast members have respectfully gone onto other long term projects, so maybe a 10 or 12-episode second season of all the characters in one main thread would make the most sense. The fans are with you.

Thoughts?

[flynnvdillinger]

Dispatches From Elsewhere (2020)

Season 1, Ep. 1 - Peter

**I have not finished the season yet, BUT wanted to point out a little moment I liked. Also, it’s been a while, so forgive me if I mis-remember the exact circumstance.**

Peter is out on the street as people surround him with a boombox attempting to get him to dance. It’s not until he sees ‘Bigfoot’ dancing that he decides to dance himself. Peter likely saw himself as a ‘bigfoot.’ An oaf, a goofy-looking man when he, Peter, tries to dance. In seeing ‘Bigfoot’ dance, it allowed him to get out of his own head and allow himself to have fun in the street surrounded by strangers.

I loved that moment.

[flynnvdillinger]

Batman v Superman: UE (2016)

** Ben Affleck - I really liked your Batman and I really hope you suit up again one day. **

The film that should have been theatrically released.

BvS:UE was a very good film when seen in the full 183-minute runtime. The sequences that were cut to accommodate the masses were the wrong scenes and make the theatrical film almost entirely incoherent.

The theatrical film goes on to be heavily criticized for dark tone and conflict resolution issues, however had we received the FULL film the first time, those comments would have been less severe. I am not about to preach about the differences. See the FULL 183-minute movie, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice - Ultimate Edition, for yourself. The Ultimate Edition was/is not too long. -- Remember, 3 years later, we all sat through Avengers: Endgame, several times. --

I would like to say this: The character music for Mr. Lex Luthor was great. His music was very circus-like, playing into the mischievous, string pulling. Luthor’s main characteristic of needing to be in control which motivated him, drove him, and vitalized his actions are made loud and clear through music. Luthor was the puppet-master and the rest were his puppets.

Long live Batman v Superman: Ultimate Edition.

[flynnvdillinger]

Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.

Season 7 - 2020

Written after Ep.3 of Season 7 - Alien Commies From the Future

This is the farewell season of Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. When the second episode from this season ended, I yelled, “ What is happening?” We all know that this show took a minute to get it’s footing and ultimately chose to do it’s own thing.

I have no idea where this season is going and I am on the edge of my seat with each new episode. Love it.

Thank you Agents of SHIELD.

[flynnvdillinger]

Brigadier General Glenn Talbot aka Graviton

Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (Television Series)

This is just a quick little character remark. Someone told me that they were not fond of General Talbot.

My response was this.

Brigadier General Glenn Talbot would have been different man had he decided not to serve. If he had not climbed the ranks and chosen to exit the service sooner, it would have given him more time with his family and more free will. He would have become a different person overall. Talbot was always a loyal and good man, but was inevitably playing part in a larger chess game every time. He took his orders as opposed to Philip J. Coulson (former Director of S.H.I.E.L.D.), who always ended up doing what he thought was best, against given orders. When Glenn Talbot became Graviton, he was no longer required to follow any orders and no longer a participant in any game he did not want to be a part of. Thus, his immediate actions were entirely self-serving, leading to his demise.

His arc is quite frankly tragic.

Thoughts? Comments?

[flynnvdillinger]

Vivarium (2019)

Dir. Lorcan Finnegan

Shout out to the ENTIRE production and talent team! Thank you for your art.

Released on March 27, 2020 to VOD.

I had been looking forward to this film since the first trailer. At one point in the film, I yelled out, “What the fudge is happening?”

In recent years, we have seen an uptake and more agency from the horror film genre. They have graciously elevated their standards and have more or less surpassed my base expectations; (but, I am also no one special). Vivarium is another pleasing addition to the list of greats.

Admittedly the director, Lorcan Finnegan, has said that this film plays to the theme of being a young-adult, shacked up and living in the suburbs under the pressure of a mortgage and raising a family. A horror in thought and in reality. I do not want to dictate the film per se, but I will go into some beats that I found interesting.

A young couple in high spirits end up in a home together. Realizing they may live the rest of their lives within those walls, on that property, quickly descends into a nightmare. To top it off, a baby is delivered in a box and they are expected to raise this child, in turn gaining their freedom.

If the home is jail, the child is now ball and chain. Attempts to escape a life no longer desirable distance the man, Tom and the woman, Gemma. The core relationship between the two is wedged by their circumstances and the child only adds more weight. 

There are heavy references to the pressure of a life-long mortgage, regret, depression, resentment, abortion (who the choice really belongs to), postpartum, the outcome of never bonding with your child, how easily your words and actions imprint on your children, feelings of helplessness, and that question we all ask ourselves, “Is this it?”

What is interesting to note is the look of the main set-piece. Everything in its’ place. No need to ever leave home when we can have everything delivered. Looking perfect is not everything to everyone; real people have flaws and  expect flaws. There are efforts to sabotage the new lifestyle because there is no longer a choice and choice is fundamental in having a full life. The ‘free’ roles we begin in life fall into systematic routine as a life in the suburbs begins. The man works his life away and the woman is left home to raise a child neither of them wanted. The overall look of the boy is also to be noted. He looks as though he’s never belonged to them. He does not seem to have any genuine human qualities and only watches and mimics Tom and Gemma until he “goes off” to wherever.

The boys lack of human qualities could also be a comment on the state of the world today and how little the general populous care for one another. Numb reproducing numb.

There is a lot more I would like to add on, but I want you you see this film. We can certainly engage in a good conversation from there.

Enjoy!!

#isawitfivetimes

[flynnvdillinger]

Tron: Legacy (2010)

- is a grossly underrated film. Imagine the follow-up film likely with Sam Flynn and the uncredited Edward Dillinger going toe to toe in a game of wits and fantastical tech.

Dear Disney,

I would like this follow-up film.

[flynnvdillinger]

I am having a pretty hard time with getting a Twitter account set up. Why do they need a number if they give you the option of signing up with an email?

Anyway.

Tell me what you are watching while you are in quarantine. Anything you would like to recommend?

[flynnvdillinger]

Wee Bits: Sonic the Hedgehog (2020)

Fun movie. Nothing else really to say about it. I enjoyed the easter egg.

[flynnvdillinger]

Wee Bits: Star Wars Ep. IX: Rise of Skywalker

I will have a more in depth talk later, but for now I say this.

It was the ‘safe retelling/ending’. Fun, but somehow lacking. In no way does this mean I will never watch it again. However, looking over the last 3 films released in the Skywalker Saga (VII, VIII & IX), I was looking for a more coherent pick up from the Last Jedi.

More to come.

P.S. My goal is to keep the cinema recap posts engaging. I love recommendations, so please comment with your suggestions of films. I cannot guarantee a blog post on all of your selections, nevertheless, I am happy for the opportunity to see something new. 

[flynnvdillinger]

Cats (2019) The Movie, The Musical, The Musical Movie

I want to see this movie and I have heard nothing flattering, but it looks like fun.

[flynnvdillinger]

Backlog: Mandy (2018)

DO NOT WATCH WITH CHILDREN.

Panos Cosmatos (Director)

Benjamin Loeb (Cinematographer)

Jóhann Jóhannsson (Composer). Rest in Peace.

And most certainly the entire crew and cast.

What a combination.

I finally had the opportunity to sit down and watch this movie. From the endlessly talented, Andrea Riseborough, to the creator of his own style, Nicolas Cage, to the savior of Gotham himself, Linus Roache, what an array of a film. The definitive art house film.

Sprinkles: Andrea Riseborough is one my favorite actresses as of late. Her work is always interesting and she is always fully immersed.

The stillness in the set-up of the film wrapped in ominous waves of scoring topped with splashy title-cards gives way to some truly beautiful and eerily unsettling sequences. And quite literally a moment of stillness drenched in red sets the events in motion. The ride this film takes you on is not for the light-hearted. Not something to watch before bed. It is a hot, clean, or gory rather, tale of well-deserved revenge. I did not know what I was in for other than it is now a revered cult film. And, so it is.

The minds behind this film are something. It is nice to see actors of such high caliber perform in films that are the antithesis of the ‘Academy.’ This is brutal arthouse, and a film that shows. I really enjoy films with little exposition and the characters are built upon via their actions and choices.

There is more I want to say but, it’s a movie you have to experience.

Tail slate: Being a crier, films generally move me in one way or another. I cannot remember if I cried or not for this one but I want to go ahead and give it the coveted ‘Tear Drop.’ (might come up with a better title later)

4 out of 5 tears :’)  :’)  :’)  :’) - but with more shock and awe.

I will probably never watch it again, but glad I did. The Tear Drop meter? Jars of Tears? Liters of Tears ? may be something I carry through each post, but I cannot say for sure.

This blog is still a work in progress and will more than likely be smoothing out the kinks as we go! Thank you for reading and I hope you check out the film, if you are of age!

DO NOT WATCH WITH CHILDREN.