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Tell Me Your Secrets offers the latest story centered around a protagonist that cannot be trusted. < Back Tell Me Your Secrets offers the latest story centered around a protagonist that cannot be trusted. Made Up Stories, 2021 45 minutes Creator: Harriet Warner Reading Time: 3 minutes 📷 : Licensed from Shutterstock Tell Me Your Secrets A Most Sinister Kind (YWT7JB4LVLTOMWKQ) 00:00 / 03:31 Ginseng Suspenseful and intense thrillers Matcha Mysteries or whodunnits Chris Chaisson 2021-07-25 We all have a friend who tells the occasional elephant story. You listen to their spiel and try to resist rolling your eyes or saying, “Stop; I know you’re embellishing.” However, part of the reason we let them keep going is because we are genuinely entertained. Hearing an exaggerated version of how something went down can be far more intriguing than the truth. Perhaps this contributes to our enjoyment of the “unreliable narrator” trope in both literature and entertainment. Tell Me Your Secrets offers the latest story centered around a protagonist that cannot be trusted; in this case, it is Emma Hall (Lily Rabe, American Horror Story ). Just released from prison after seven years for being an accomplice to her serial killer boyfriend, Emma tries to start over in a small town in Louisiana. The problem is that she cannot remember all the details of her past and has fading trust in her psychiatrist. Elsewhere, Mary (Amy Brenneman, Judging Amy ) looks for her missing daughter Theresa, one of the many victims of Emma’s boyfriend. As the body has not been recovered, she holds onto hope that Theresa is out there and enlists the help of convicted sexual predator John (Hamish Linklater) to find Emma for answers. While the various character motives and pasts seem straightforward from the jump, we quickly find out that none of the main characters are exactly who they seem. Is John completely rehabbed? Is Mary just a grieving mother? Is Emma the monster Mary has made her out to be? Tell Me Your Secrets plays on not only our tendency to look for completely virtuous and evil characters but also our expectations of what a victim or a perpetrator looks like. No one is exactly who they appear to be at the start. The series effectively conceals many details about what the characters have done and what they are capable of for the first several episodes. While initially frustrating, it sets the table for a second half of the season full of surprises. Extremely dark and eerie throughout, Tell Me Your Secrets picks its moments to show violence and gore rather than making it pervasive. Its ability to be selective keeps the focus on the elements of mystery in the show and makes the violence more effective. The unreliable narrator remains a tempting plot device to employ in any mystery thriller; the best way to pull the wool over the eyes of your audience is to have a deranged or inebriated character spinning the tale. Emma isn’t speaking directly to the viewer, but she is simultaneously loathsome to the audience for her past transgressions and sympathetic for her present state. Thus, the seeds of doubt have been sown before we even realize that she is struggling with her memory. The best comparison for Tell Me Your Secrets is probably not a show but two recent films, Gone Girl and The Girl on the Train . Both films utilize unreliable narrators and effectively offer enough misdirection to hide the psychotic or abusive nature of either themselves or other characters. As a movie is one continuous story rather than a series of episodes, this trope flows more smoothly in a film. Nonetheless, if you enjoy weeding through a barrage of confusion and misdirection, Tell Me Your Secrets may provide the whirlwind you’re looking for. Previous Next Sign-up for new reviews, exclusives, deep dives, and more First name Last name Enter your email here I agree to the terms & conditions Sign-up Thanks for joining us!

< Back Alex Morsanutto A Conversation with Operation: Cavity Writer/Director Alex Morsanutto Cup of Tea Critiques sits down with indie director Alex Morsanutto Chris Chaisson 2022-10-31 Reading time: 10 minutes Synopsis: A group of young kids team up to rob the dentist who has wrought havoc on their childhood. Cast: Jonathan P. O’Reilly as Douglas Maroney Scarlett Lewis as Lucy Howie Sheard as Kitkat Declan Foley as Timmy Neil Samuels as Dr. Caine Crew: Writer/Director: Alex Morsanutto Editor: Alexander Frasse Director of Photography: Sam Cutler-Kreutz Music: Sam Warfield Producers: Kara Bartek, Catalfamo Megan, Alex Morsanutto Special Makeup Effects: Jessie Roberts Alex Morsanutto wanted to make a short film about a relatable concept: childhood fear. Cue Operation: Cavity , a fun coming-of-age-meets-heist short film about four friends who plot to avenge the pain their dentist has inflicted on them. Cup of Tea Critiques sat down with Alex to talk about where he gets his ideas, his favorite aspect of directing, the purpose behind producing a short, and other aspects of his work. We began by talking about the themes in Operation: Cavity , including the hyperbolic nature of kids’ imaginations. “The film in general is inspired from my youth, and kind of like that idea of playfulness and adventure,” says Alex. “And, thinking crazy things are in play, when in reality, you're just a kid, and you don't really know what you're getting yourself into. But, all those intimate shows that we grew up on, Hey Arnold, Doug, Recess: School's Out is another great reference. All played into where I was drawing from for this sort of adventure.” Similar to other creators, Alex found inspiration in his own life experience, both past and present. After careful thought, he was able to fuse the style of movie that he wanted to make with that life experience. “I mean, to this day, I'm still nervous to go to the dentist. And I feel like for the past eight years, maybe I've had this idea of a film I wanted to do with the dentist. I just couldn't figure out how to make it into a film for the longest time. And, I kind of just started brainstorming, and then I wanted to make a heist movie, and I thought maybe I can mix these two genres together.” While the film as a story stands alone, Alex produced the short with a longer project in mind. Many filmmakers with a limited budget go this route, like Robert Rodriguez with The Customer is Always Right or Zack Snyder with Die Free . “I was hoping that this would be like a proof of concept for a TV series, where each episode would focus on these kids. And they get themselves into trouble. They need to get themselves out of it in a creative way. So, the next one could have been detention or some kind of devils of night adventure, around Halloween time, stuff like that. It's definitely something I'm gonna keep pushing once I get the opportunity to.” Alex’s goal is not uncommon among indie directors, who often have limited resources for making their films. Rather than produce a full-length feature, many young directors opt to use their budget and connections to make a short film that, similar to a portfolio or a writing sample, showcases the director’s abilities. “A short film is either like a calling card, or just something to display, your directing ability or writing ability, producing, whatever. And I was trying to get the most bang for my buck. I tried to develop a short film that I could adapt into something bigger, and really launch my career as a director in the narrative space. So, these things take a lot of time to make, as I said earlier, and trying to make every single at-bat count, as much as possible. If you're gonna spend three years making a short film, might as well make it something that you could hopefully adapt and launch your career moving forward.” Often, an indie director’s long-term goal is to parlay his or her concept into a more expansive project. Alex spoke on the logic behind using a short film not just as a display of his directing chops, but also as a proof of concept. “Proof of concept is great, because if you have a bigger idea, you could show a producer, or an agent, maybe your manager, ‘Hey, this is what I'm thinking of, something that I'd like to do as my next project. I already have this visual example of what it's going to be like. This is the proof of concept. All you need to do is get me the money and we're in business.’” Many filmmakers feed off of the passion and devotion to style that the most accomplished in the business give off. Alex spoke on how he enjoys directors who have had a similar career path to his own. “I always liked the directors that came from a commercial world, because I come from a commercial world. And I'm hoping that my career can somehow replicate theirs. Directors like Ridley Scott or David Fincher, Michael Bay, that'd be an awesome career, but, I also like Jeff Nichols. Jordan Peele. I really admired his stuff with Key and Peele . As a commercial director, I work in the comedic space. And the sketches that he did on that show are just amazing. His ability to pivot from comedy to horror is something I look to as if it's possible, we can make some movies after the stuff we've already made.” Moviegoers frequently think of directors as responsible for planning the look, angle, and length of every shot on screen, but an equally important task is coaching up the actors and managing people. Alex shared which aspect of directing he likes best. “Working with actors is one of my favorite parts of the job. I went to acting school after NYU. I did some time at [Lee Strasberg Theatre & Film Institute] and then I did [Upright Citizens Brigade] in New York. And I really started to appreciate just the craft of acting and what goes on in an actor's head, scene by scene. And when they get the script, what are they thinking about? So as a director, it's like you're trying to pull that out from them.” Filmmakers get their starts in varied ways and often draw on their past experiences to solve problems. Some cross over from another field of entertainment, like former standup comedian Judd Apatow. Others find their way into directing from a completely different industry, such as former journalist Ava DuVernay. For Alex, directing commercials allowed him to get his feet wet and become comfortable taking charge. “It's kind of like anything in life. Directing commercials gives you an opportunity to get the repetition, to get in the habit of creating a shot list, creating a mood board, working with department heads, working with actors, trying to get specific shots, and working with new equipment and all that stuff. It's really just getting the reps in, like how an athlete works out so many hours a day and practices with their team. I feel like it's the same thing for an artist, you need to get those reps in, and get comfortable taking charge of the set, pivoting if something goes wrong, or changing the line of dialogue if it's not reading right, and stuff like that. Directing commercials has been so rewarding for me in that way.” Children ages 12 to 13 are at the center of Operation: Cavity . Many professionals in the film industry speak to the challenges of directing child actors, whether it be the limited hours they are available for shooting the film due to school, their typically shorter attention spans, or their lack of significant life experience to draw motivation from for playing their characters. Alex elaborated on the challenge of keeping the kids’ energy levels and spirits up, as well as some of the tactics he used on set to reinvigorate his adolescent actors. “Working with kids is particularly hard. Especially at that young age, when they memorize the lines, they get to the cadence where they're memorizing with their parents, or guardian, whatever. And they almost sound like robots. Even when it comes to line delivery. I went as far as creating these audio notes for them, sending them how I think they should read the lines to help them get into the pacing of things and the inflection, stuff like that. You really have to be clever with how you schedule your days so you get a good burst of energy…it's really tough to get them to keep moving. We tried donuts and cupcakes, and candy to try to keep them going. And it was fun, because the kids are feeding off each other too. So all you really need to do is have one of them buy in and then, they all were pumped. But it is, it's definitely a challenge.” It took Alex a solid two years to finish post-production, which consists of editing, color correction and the addition of music. Though the completion of the film itself gets much of the attention, the marketing and distribution can be the most arduous task. Many indie filmmakers have trouble getting eyeballs on their completed project and hear many “no’s” before something breaks their way. For Alex, it took almost a year before his short film was accepted to the Hollyshorts Film Festival in Hollywood, California. “It's such a weird dance,” Alex mused. “You spend all this time in post-production, trying to make everything right. And then, with a short film, and basically a feature film too, you want to get a good premiere. So you're submitting to all these top tier film festivals, you're getting a bunch of rejections, you're waiting a long period of time, because it's not like they're one after another. So we were going through that process. And we were basically at the end of the line when we got in with Hollyshorts, which was great, because it was an Oscar qualifier. That was almost nine months of submitting to film festivals to get a premiere somewhere big…It's such a weird process, because a lot of it is just waiting with this finished film. Hoping to get it in front of people who can help push your career one way or another.” Alex hopes to build upon the success of Operation: Cavity but is also pivoting to different projects to continue challenging himself. “If the opportunity comes up to adapt Operation: Cavity , I'd love to keep building out that world. Other than that, the thing I had my eyes set on right now is this Viking film that I'm going to shoot in Norway in 2023. Super indie, not a lot of money, but just something unique. And that's kind of grounded in the Norse mythology over there in Norway, so I'm excited for that. As I've gotten older, I've gravitated away from comedic movies to stuff that's more serious; horror, thriller, suspense, that type of stuff. So I'm hoping my next movie is along those genres.” You can follow Alex’s upcoming projects at silvermineproductions.com or follow him on Instagram and Twitter @ajmorsanutto or @silvermineproductions. 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< Back Greg Sgammato A Conversation with Film Composer Greg Sgammato Cup of Tea Critiques chats with Greg Sgammato, film composer and member of the Society of Composers and Lyricists Chris Chaisson 2023-06-02 Reading time: 18 minutes Few professions stand at the dividing line of two different industries quite like film composing does. Though many moviegoers love film scores and would readily acknowledge how much they enhance stories, most lack familiarity with the biggest names, faces, and details of the job. Greg Sgammato, film composer and former stand-up comedian, sat down with Cup of Tea Critiques to provide insight into how composers find work, manage around budget limitations, and foster a good working relationship with the film’s director. With so many aspiring musicians having to market themselves, the world of film composing is quite competitive. Greg spoke on how composers clamor for work opportunities. I'll have to do the pitch first. Usually, I'll find a project that's in production or pre-production. And I will usually pitch myself for projects that I find. We have a phrase that has come up in Internet communities called, “Do you need a composer?” We say DYNAC, for short. Anytime you see someone say, “I'm really proud of my short film,” or “I've written a script.” It's very likely you'll see under there, “Do you need a composer?” It's a weird field. Greg also revealed how he and others choose to rub elbows with their colleagues. What I normally find is we all spend time in the same spaces. It's a pretty active scene of networking with composers. But it's also, in my experience, been a little bit segmented. The more high-profile composers stick to themselves because they're doing the job at such a high level, and they want to talk shop, basically. Then you have the [other] composers talking about the feature film they just scored, or what two-hour deadline they had. There's not a lot of crossover. There's always that idea of, “Does this person want something from me?” My networking has been very passive. I just do what I like to do in my free time. I have collaborators now who I met playing soccer. I have collaborators now who came upon a funny thing I did on Instagram when I was into comedy. It's kind of that thing where it's a little bit more organic. Even from the start, I got into this accidentally. I was playing in a modern dance class. I was playing piano and drums to accompany the dancers. And one of my friends knew that I was doing that. He said, “Well, I have a short film I need to film before the final presentation; would you score it?” I'd never done that before. But early on, I just said, “Yeah, of course. I'll do that.” Then from that, I got referrals. And from there I scored more short films, and I decided, “I'll move to Los Angeles.” It wasn't well planned out. It's always these little snowball things. Push a domino over and see if any others fall. Artists are often unsure of how to forge their own career paths. Greg shared his thoughts on the best way to gain exposure for your work. Something that I learned while I was doing stand-up, especially at the open mic scene, was you can't wait for anyone to think that you're the person for them. You can't wait for someone to hire you. You always have to be thinking, “What can I make?” Just like with actors, if you want to get cast, write your own thing. Cast yourself. And for me, if I want to write music, just write music, write songs, write main titles and do podcast music. I did a bunch of that stuff and I just kept busy. Since around that time, I've always had something to do, whether it paid me or whether it was just fulfilling. I've always been busy. That’s been my experience networking, because I haven't done it in a business sense. I definitely think that's because sometimes the practice of networking can come off as inauthentic if you're not meeting in a way that’s [natural]. I found just being around people who enjoy doing what I do: in my acapella group, my soccer teams, my day jobs. If you're not all agreeing to be there for the same reason, it can feel a little bit unnatural. Some creatives choose to take on any project that they are offered while others aim to be known for one specific genre. Greg divulged his philosophy, why it works for him, and what his own preference for projects is. I don't say no to anything, and I haven't since I started doing this. I've written some things that I never thought I could write and some of it came off really well. I listened to a lot of music too. It's weird to try and distill yourself into an elevator pitch, especially in a social setting where you just want to get to know someone. I really want to work in the field of animation. Mostly, in family entertainment. But I also have a lot of friends and connections with comedy that are comedic writers. So that's the path I'm forging. I didn't really figure that out until I worked on an animated short film. And from there, it came so easy. I found that with animation, I was untethered from reality. I felt like there was nothing holding me back from taking chances or making weird things. I need a lot of variety in my writing. So especially with kids’ media being so dynamic, it always has to change, and quickly. You got to catch attention, but you also have to cater to sensibilities as well as if a parent is watching. You're entertaining all of these people, and you got to keep it moving. I've done a feature film, and fortunately, it was asking the same thing that's off the walls. It required me to sit down and write these same four themes in a ton of different ways for weeks. That's really taxing creatively, but it is really great because you get to develop and really think of it academically. I don't do a great job when people say, "Oh, you write music?” What do you do?" It's not quite like, "Oh, you do stand up? Tell me a joke.” But it is very similar in that you have to listen to it. I've also found that I have this great strength in writing super heartbreaking, ambient music, that really pushes and pulls and has this really natural quality. I have a bunch of film scores that I've done that I've been able to feature just because it's what the story needed. And those are my influences, that's what I like listening to, and that's what I like trying to recreate. Since many composers are not household names, Greg shared one of his sources of inspiration. There's a composer named Alex Summers, who writes really brilliant electronic and acoustic music, and I was just trying to emulate his stuff. I ended up writing something that I'm really proud of to this day for a documentary about stand-up comedy [ Laugh Now, Cry Later ] a few years ago. One of my friends made a documentary highlighting some female comedians in L.A. in 2020. I just remember writing it and I didn't ever think that I could write something that sounded this intentional, this beautiful, this reflective. When you think of film scores, you think of epic music or orchestral, giant, bombastic [music]. That's not my thing. It's never appealed to me. And it's something I can’t fake. If it’s satirical, I can absolutely do that. But it's not something that I was ever drawn to. A lot of people get into film music because they love film music. I got into film music because I was available and I said yes. I only knew John Williams and Hans Zimmer. I didn't know there was a whole history of people who had all these different takes on what it is. Now, I usually tell people, “I like to write music and songs for children's media and I work in animation.” That's kind of the shortest thing. Whether it's true or not, we'll see. Art can be all-consuming. Writers and performers find themselves thinking about their art non-stop and even being too “on” in social situations. Greg weighed in on whether his passion for film composing gets in the way of his down time. I’m definitely not thinking about it all the time. What I am thinking about is, “What am I going to do next?” I have to think about what's coming next. Because I feel if I just do this thing, and then call it a day, then it's going to end and I'm not going to be able to sustain this career. Sometimes I'm thinking, “Okay, I have a chance to slow down now and take a methodical approach at film scoring.” It's more logistical, more existential and not so much creative. I record something if I have a cool idea. I'll write something down if I have a song lyric. But it's definitely not something that I'm thinking about all the time, for which I'm very thankful because it's great to have work/life balance in my brain. Many in and outside the film industry are unfamiliar with the collaborative protocol between a film composer and the director who hired them. Greg answered whether or not there is typically a consistent back-and-forth involving several revisions on the soundtrack or if the process is more segmented. The biggest job of a composer, songwriter, or anyone in post-production of TV and film, is to take everything [the director] says, and that is your job. You remove ego and what you think is best. You can have some input, and you can creatively mix that in with their vision. But most importantly, everything is up to them. It depends on the person. Some [directors] want to be very involved. To the point where they're really directing the music, specifically, instead of directing the whole picture. And that can be troubling sometimes if they're thinking of melodic ideas, specifically, or if they're listing instruments, and maybe they don't know what they really want. I don't mind a back-and-forth. I love an in-person conversation, because we can get amped up about stuff. It's important for me to know which questions to ask. Sometimes I'm in a situation in which the director wants to take a lot of charge, and maybe start singing something, and I have to have some level of control over this. If not, they wouldn't have reached out to me in the first place. So, it's striking a balance between [not being] micromanaged, but also knowing that they're in charge. Sometimes people struggle with directors not knowing enough about music. I can't say I prefer it that way. But I think it's easiest, whenever a director or producer is thinking about their projects that they've been spending all this time with and just thinking about it, distilling it into words, distilling it into feelings. I think that's way easier to work with than them citing specific tempo, keys or chords. This is something I find working with some younger people. They don't want to hurt my feelings… it's not about hurting my feelings. I don't take this stuff personally. Let's get the best result for your film. And I always commend people when they say, “Hey, can you change this?” Even if it's a whole overhaul, I got to know. It's got to be your thing. And I'm just here to help you. Give me something I can go away and tweak for you. People will say, “Well, should I limit revisions on anything?” Don't do that. Don't put up walls… I want to get to where [me] and the director are comfortable working together, comfortable enough that I can assert my professionalism as a composer. And they can assert their vision and their leadership as a director. That’s where the ideal would be. Greg confessed his biggest hang-up when being hired to compose for a project. For me, it's nothing artistic. It is strictly business, strictly logistical. My biggest pet peeve is your budget as a filmmaker being some sort of secret. It really bothers me. It bothers me more than me not being paid. I've done so much free work this past year. I understand. I have a good gig. I'm very privileged in that [way]; I have a day job that I work remotely. I also work with a bunch of composers and songwriters. So I'm not worried about money like that. I just want to do good work with good people. I'm not bothered because my first thought is not being paid. I understand that people can't pay professionals. What I don't like is when people who are asking for your rate aren't very upfront about what they have to spend. My actual rate as of right now is $400 for a minute of music. Now that doesn't work well, in some cases, like a feature film, if I'm writing 50 minutes of music. I can't charge you that because I've never accepted a payment that large; I wouldn't know what to do with it. But I think if you want to know my rate, I need to know how much you're willing to spend. I just want to know how much you've spent on everything else so far. The feature film I did last year had an entire budget of $3,000. And they said, “We can offer you nothing.” And I took the gig, because they were very upfront about that. They spent $3,000 on locations. All their actors were doing it for free. And they got some big names. I trusted the vision. The director and I have a great rapport. He's trusted me with a lot of stuff before and he's paid me well before. So I didn't mind because it was very transparent. There wasn't a big demo for it, I didn't have to audition for it, which I do appreciate. Because sometimes you should be paid for that too. That's my biggest thing, tell me how much you have to spend on the film. It doesn't have to be your music budget, it doesn't have to be how much you're willing to pay me. But if you have $1,000, just for music, I'd say, “Okay, for my job, let's make something really cool with the rest of it. Let's get artists to come in and record. Let's get a string orchestra or something. Let's figure this out to make your film the best that it can be.” Be very clear about what you're willing to do and to spend. It will make the whole thing a lot better, because people will understand that they are valued and you have a clear vision. The subject of film composition brings to mind the presence of large orchestras and fancy rehearsal halls where artists do elaborate recordings. But Greg talked about the limitations and modest budget that the majority of film composers work with. I wish I could [routinely] hire a group of musicians. When I do work with live musicians, it's usually live vocalists. I hire a session vocalist if I'm doing a kid’s show demo, or a main title theme song. I'll hire someone and pay them the [Screen Actors Guild] rate. They have a special demo rate too. We have an agreement where if it does get picked up and shown on television, they’ll get X amount of royalties. [Screen Actors Guild] makes it both very clear and very complicated. Complicated in a good way, though, because they're taking care of their people. But clear in a way that I know what to expect if I'm hiring my friend who is a talented session singer. I will have to pay her $350 or whatever the rate is now. I can usually only hire one or two people if I really need it. The last time I hired musicians was last year [when] I worked on a short film, and I hired because it was a really tender, transparent score. There was really no hiding behind anything, and the samples that I was using were fine, but to me they weren't sounding as good as I wanted them to. So I hired two friends I knew from school who were professionals; one’s a professional cellist, and one's a violist. I just paid them and gave them a ‘special thanks’ in the credits. It was totally remote. I just sent them sheet music and gave them a click track. They sent me a couple of takes. And then I just laid it in my project, and it turned out really well. It's so rare. We have to get so good as composers at making a fake orchestra or a fake rock band sound like the real thing. And I've gotten ashamedly good at it, which is wild, but it's such a useful skill. It's also a lot easier to do now than it was to do 10, 20, 30 years ago. Every professional has their own communication style. Greg gave us a sense of the approach that works best for him - both from the director’s side and his own. What actually works best for me is when [the directors] talk about the characters, the color, the vibe. That stuff is really helpful for me. Usually, if I can see a solid logline or synopsis, that kind of stuff is really impressive for me. Because I know how hard it is to take this giant idea you’ve been working on and distill it down. That kind of stuff can be so difficult. So, I think talking about the characters and intention is a lot better. The weirdest thing I've had was a project that my name is not on. But it was one of the earliest things that I did in L.A. Actually, I’m proud of the music I wrote, but it was for an erotic ASMR [Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response]… This is before ASMR was a big thing. But it was a paying gig. And the director just said, I want it to sound like they're in a spa. And so I just wrote some Enya-sounding thing. That stuff that dominated the 90s when Enya was the flagbearer. I wrote something like that. I listen to it now and it was exactly what the director needed. It wasn't super high quality and I definitely could do it better now. And I would still take that gig today if they offered it. It's weird because it was ASMR, so it was audio only. I had to mirror that, how it ebbs and flows. As long as you have that vision as a director and you can say, “This is where this goes, this is how the story transforms. And this is how I want you to complement that or maybe work with it or work against it.” I think a good and experienced director would be able to succinctly say, “This is the story. These are the characters. This is where you fit in.” Greg is a member of the Society of Composers and Lyricists (SCL) and the Creators Society . You can follow and connect with him at his website, www.gregcanhelp.com . Sign-up for new reviews, exclusives, deep dives, and more First name Last name Enter your email here I agree to the terms & conditions Sign-up Thanks for joining us!

Yae: Blind Samurai Woman shows the disdain for condescension < Back Yae: Blind Samurai Woman shows the disdain for condescension Samurai Girl, 2022 19 minutes Director/Writer: Akiko Izumitani / Akiko Izumitani and James “Doc” Mason Reading Time: 3 minutes 📷 : Used with permission, Akiko Izumitani Yae: The Blind Samurai Woman The Curse of the Hourglass (9LRKKSSNJAOBXODH) 00:00 / 03:26 Barley Movies and TV shows with a lot of dialog Masala Chai Movies and TV shows about toughness and athletic competition Reba Chaisson 2023-03-02 Being underestimated has its advantages. You can then blindside the person or people that are displaying their condescension towards you, by whipping out your knowledge of Durkheim’s structural-functionalist theory and Parsons’ take on it. Or suddenly plopping down at a piano and flawlessly playing Pachelbel’s “Canon in D” before seamlessly moving into Lizzo’s “About Damn Time.” Think about the scene from the 1997 movie, Good Will Hunting , when Matt Damon’s character embarrasses a student from Harvard by showing him he understood some classical theories better than the student did. Was that a good scene or what? This is Yae: Blind Samurai Woman in a nutshell. The short film is about a young woman in 18 th century rural Japan who has the power to heal. It comes at a cost however, in that she loses some degree of her eyesight or “light” whenever she uses her power. Starring Yuwi Kim ( The Music Box , Desperation ), Yae has already lost most of her light at the beginning of the film, when she hears her father, a samurai, fighting in the forest but arrives too late to use her powers to save him. She encounters his killer, Masanobu, who offers to lead her out of the forest to a nearby village so she will not be alone given that she is blind. Too often, people with disabilities are treated as if they lack certain sensibilities because they are missing a limb, reliant on support devices, unable to hear, or vision-impaired. For this reason, some films centering disabilities are problematic because the disabilities take on a life of their own, making the individual who is disabled appear unable, such as in Children of a Lesser God , My Left Foot , and more recently, The Upside . But this is far from the truth. What is often lost in these depictions is the fact that human beings have five senses, and medical science suggests that the loss of one usually leads to enhancement of the other four. What is also lost is that despite having a disability – cognitive or physical, people with them still have hopes and dreams. They enjoy socializing, having fun, and challenging themselves as others do. As it turns out, Yae likes a challenge and Masanobu underestimates the wrong woman on this day. Played by Masa Kanome ( Bullet Train , Snake Eyes ), Masanobu is boastful and proud of what he calls his killing in honor of his father. Despite Yae’s insistence that he remains quiet, he continues to talk as they embark on their journey out of the forest. A funny thing happens though, when we engage in conversation with people. We get to know them. We humanize them. And things become not quite as simple as they once seemed. Intrigued? If you have 20 minutes, you might want to give this one a try. Available on Film Shortage Previous Next Sign-up for new reviews, exclusives, deep dives, and more First name Last name Enter your email here I agree to the terms & conditions Sign-up Thanks for joining us!

< Back Are horror movies and thrillers one and the same or completely different? Distinguishing Two of Cinema's Most Popular Genres Chris Chaisson 11/23/24 Reading Time: 10 minutes 📸: Used with Permission, Sarah Sumeray https://www.sarahsumerayonline.com/art I recently saw the new Hugh Grant-led A24 movie Heretic in theaters. Before I went, I listened to a podcast that described the movie as “more of a thriller than a horror movie.” Ouch. While the podcast critics gave it a glowing review, this phrase sounded more like a back-handed compliment. Presuming Heretic was going for horror, calling it “more of a thriller” is effectively saying it was not scary. If you’re a standup comedian, you don’t really want to hear your performance referred to as “more of a one-man show” (aka not funny). Sure, it’s a sliding scale; thrillers can be scary and one-man shows can be funny. However, receiving a different label than the one you were going for can sting more than someone just calling it garbage. I came away from Heretic disagreeing with the podcasters, as I found the movie sufficiently scary. The idea of being held captive, and forced to answer questions about my religion from a potentially violent stranger felt far more frightening than thrilling. My guess is that to most moviegoers, frightening and thrilling are just semantics, but if there is a difference between horror and thriller, then what are the parameters? Surprise or Suspense? I asked my friends how they differentiate the horror and thriller genres and their first answer was what most people go to horror movies for: jump scares. The perfectly timed switch in camera angle and blaring horn note can get the audience to white-knuckle grip their armrests. They may induce a scream, a head turn, a semi-curl into the fetal position, or a literal jump. Usually, it’s when the killer sneaks up behind their prey off screen, but an increasingly common jump scare is a person being flattened by a speeding vehicle that none of us saw coming (looking at you, Smile 2 ). If blood, gore and violence make no difference to you, a filmmaker can get quite creative with jump scares. The Final Destination franchise frequently utilized this tactic, as they spared no expense with gruesome onscreen deaths. Thrillers do not necessarily catch us by surprise as much as keep us in suspense amidst various chase scenes, gunfights and hand-to-hand combat. They do not lull you into a false sense of safety for an effective scare; they simply show your hero or heroine hanging from the edge of a proverbial cliff for 10 or 15 minutes at a time. I would boil the difference down to the known versus the unknown. Jason Bourne wasn’t getting haunted or terrorized by a headless horseman or hockey mask aficionado; he was being punched in the face and thrown through windows by government spies. With thrillers, we know who the protagonists are; with horror, we often don’t. The Thriller We Know; The Horror We Don’t Horror movies tend to have a supernatural element to both the universe and the villains themselves. Ghosts, demons, clowns, or just some really weird people. Hugh Grant’s character is not someone you would find on a Magic the Gathering card, but he is strange enough and persistent. Moreover, he lives in an estate on a hill, far removed from the street with no close neighbors. This type of setting is so familiar to the horror genre that it creeps into the titles themselves (i.e. House on Haunted Hill ). Sometimes it’s the woods, sometimes it’s a hotel, sometimes it’s a vessel floating through space. There’s immediately a mystique about such a setting, as most of us don’t have a whole lot of friends living in creepy mansions or traveling to Jupiter. It increases the tension, as now we’ve moved from our universe to one where this character can create any dysfunction. However tormented or brutal they are remains to be seen, and the odds of escape or rescue plummet. Horror protagonists are further isolated by inclement weather and, in a more psychological sense, the disbelief of characters that actually can help them. Thrillers frequently take place in a downtown metropolis under blue skies (maybe to simplify shooting action sequences). The identity of the protagonist matters greatly to how we differentiate the two genres. It is not uncommon in any given genre for the main character to have a “superpower,” whether it’s counting cards, switching to a Rastafarian accent at a moment’s notice, or beating up a garage-full of guys slipping on motor oil . Thrillers tend to have powerful main characters. They are either extremely cunning, such as in political thrillers like Miss Sloane , or physically imposing, like the aforementioned Jason Bourne. They are still an underdog, as they are likely taking on an entire institution. But their background gives us a reason to believe they have a fighting chance. Meanwhile, our horror brethren can’t really do anything. They often have to figure out what or who the villain is, which may take a third of the movie, before even figuring out how to defend themselves and their loved ones (another third). Horror movies go for a much more vulnerable profile, often someone we associate with innocence. Horny teenagers, single mothers, third grade children, or as in Heretic , young missionaries. Perhaps the purpose of horror choosing easy targets is that it is scarier to think of an evil force being so indiscriminate with whom it preys on. In thrillers, we often get the sense of who is off limits or considered worthy of protection. Take Trapped , for example, starring Charlize Theron as Karen and Kevin Bacon as Hickey. Yes, Karen’s daughter is kidnapped, but Hickey is merely after a ransom, and the plan goes off the rails when learning of the daughter’s health issues (and Karen fighting back, of course). Weaponry Most thriller protagonists are handy with guns, knives, and their fists, which highlights another difference between the genres: the weaponry. Writers in the horror genre almost always go for an abstract version of a weapon, adding to their supernatural feel. The Exorcist uses a Bible, a crucifix and prayer. We’re more than accustomed to the stake in the heart bringing about a vampire’s demise (thanks Buffy). In The Babadook , our heroine fights off a monster with the power of…belief, I guess. I don’t know, she just kinda yells until it goes away (I know there’s a deeper meaning but still!). These “weapons” all make sense when you watch, but a more blunt interpretation is they’re great budget-savers. No real weapons or weapons expert is needed on set; box checked. Blood and Gore The use of blood and gore illustrates another distinction between horror and thrillers. In horror, the blood and gore are for the audience . In thrillers, they’re for the characters . Final Destination shows us characters getting beheaded or crushed by construction equipment. Die Hard shows us John McClane with cut up feet as obstacles he has to maneuver around. In the action thriller category, we frequently see characters having to nurse their own wounds or figure out how to hide them from villains. It becomes a part of the plot; the rising stakes and the decreasing odds of success. Horror and Thriller Resolutions The conclusions of horror movies and thrillers tend to vary. In thrillers, our heroes win far more often than not. They outsmart or beat up the bad guy, they clear their name, and they either return to everyday life or get ready for the next mission. The glaring exception off the top of my head is Arlington Road , the 1999 thriller about a professor who believes his neighbors may be terrorists (they are). Much of the time, though, good triumphs over evil, and even in conspiracy thrillers, the protagonist makes it to safety whether or not the conspiracy continues. Horror tends to have a more pessimistic bend. The group of main characters rarely make it out unscathed, most meeting their untimely end and the survivor (usually dubbed the “final girl”) left scarred for life and still not really safe. The vast majority of horror films keep hope alive for a sequel, so the writer and director do the most complicated mental gymnastics possible to suggest that the threat is still out there. Movies often get studied in focus groups before release to see how the ending fares with test audiences, and the fact that thrillers have more positive endings suggest favoritism towards the names we know versus the ones we don’t. Thrillers tend to have an A-lister front and center. We as audience members do not like seeing our favorite box office draws get axed, and if you glance at some of their contract clauses, you’ll probably see that they don’t like it either. Meanwhile, horror movies, which are often low-budget, tend to have lesser known actors and the filmmakers have no problem killing them off or replacing them for the sequel. Smile 2 , for instance, features a completely different main character than its predecessor and, very early on, does away with the only returning character. Are they complete no-names or bad actors? No, but it didn’t cost $20 million to book them either. Maybe a good tell is how we interact with each genre. MovieWeb lists the highest grossing horror movies and the highest grossing thrillers. They have one movie in common: The Sixth Sense . It’s second on the horror list , only seventh on the thriller list . This difference suggests thrillers are more popular and more mainstream, which makes sense as many of them can be branded as action movies with a formidable cast. The horror genre has a smaller but more fervent fan base, and the experience of being scared is heavily dependent on music and sound effects. As Alfred Hitchcock states, “There is no terror in the bang, only in the anticipation of it.” This reality compels many fans of the genre to watch the most anticipated horror films while they are in theaters, which makes it telling that they still do not outperform their thriller counterparts. The End Okay, these are a lot of thoughts for a throwaway comment on a podcast I listened to. In looking back, though, there seems to be quite a few differences between horror and thriller (at least from where I’m sitting). Your preference for one or the other may speak volumes about your cinematic tastes. Do you prefer to be scared or simply excited? Do big-name actors or small budgets draw you to the box office? Are you squeamish and empathetic or do you enjoy the blood and gore? What piques your interest more, films grounded in reality or the supernatural? And most of all, what kind of ending do you need: Thomas Jane in Deep Blue Sea (we did it) or Thomas Jane in The Mist (oop)? For more on Horrors and Thrillers, listen to Season 1, Episode 1 of the Cup of Tea Critiques Podcast . Tune in on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeart Radio, and more. Previous Next Sign-up for new reviews, exclusives, deep dives, and more First name Last name Enter your email here I agree to the terms & conditions Sign-up Thanks for joining us!

< Back Account Director Apply Now San Francisco, CA, USA Job Type Full Time Workspace Hybrid About the Role This is placeholder text. To change this content, double-click on the element and click Change Content. Want to view and manage all your collections? Click on the Content Manager button in the Add panel on the left. Here, you can make changes to your content, add new fields, create dynamic pages and more. Your collection is already set up for you with fields and content. Add your own content or import it from a CSV file. Add fields for any type of content you want to display, such as rich text, images, and videos. Be sure to click Sync after making changes in a collection, so visitors can see your newest content on your live site. Requirements This is placeholder text. To change this content, double-click on the element and click Change Content. To manage all your collections, click on the Content Manager button in the Add panel on the left. This is placeholder text. To change this content, double-click on the element and click Change Content. To manage all your collections, click on the Content Manager button in the Add panel on the left. This is placeholder text. To change this content, double-click on the element and click Change Content. To manage all your collections, click on the Content Manager button in the Add panel on the left. This is placeholder text. To change this content, double-click on the element and click Change Content. To manage all your collections, click on the Content Manager button in the Add panel on the left. About the Company This is placeholder text. To change this content, double-click on the element and click Change Content. Want to view and manage all your collections? Click on the Content Manager button in the Add panel on the left. Here, you can make changes to your content, add new fields, create dynamic pages and more. You can create as many collections as you need. Your collection is already set up for you with fields and content. Add your own, or import content from a CSV file. Add fields for any type of content you want to display, such as rich text, images, videos and more. You can also collect and store information from your site visitors using input elements like custom forms and fields. Be sure to click Sync after making changes in a collection, so visitors can see your newest content on your live site. Preview your site to check that all your elements are displaying content from the right collection fields. Apply Now

Class of ’09 uses emotionless characters to present a bleak future void of humanity < Back Class of ’09 uses emotionless characters to present a bleak future void of humanity FX Productions, 2023 45 minutes Creator: Tom Rob Smith Reading Time: 5 minutes 📷 : Pixabay Class of 09 Over the Grey Skies (N2UZAAFOZQGQNCER) 00:00 / 05:56 Ginger Thought-provoking movies and TV shows Masala Chai Movies and TV shows about toughness and athletic competition Reba Chaisson 2023-06-27 Class of ’09 centers five FBI agents who become friends during their training together at Quantico in 2009. All go on to become skilled agents who realize career advancement, with one even ascending to director of the agency. The burning question in the 8-part series concerns the degree to which artificial intelligence (AI) should be relied upon in investigative work. Presented through sub-stories labeled as “The Past,” “The Present,” and “The Future,” the show provides a glimpse of what can happen if a computer program developed to support criminal investigations is modified to predict crime and criminality. The series presents a world where AI becomes so advanced, it operates autonomously, automatically dispatching authorities and drones to arrest and/or neutralize people for even talking about issues that can lead to committal of a crime. The cast is led by Brian Tyree Henry ( Bullet Train , If Beale Street Could Talk ) as Tayo Michaels, and Kate Mara ( Fantastic Four , Chappaquiddick ) as Ashley “Poet” Poet. The series feels futuristic with respect to the cinematography, set design, and even the characters. Poet, for example, becomes romantically involved with Lennix, a fellow trainee at Quantico played by Brian J. Smith ( Stargate Universe , Sense8 ). However, she often appears unemotionally invested in the relationship. This becomes especially clear when Lennix breaks up with her, and she simply responds with only an “okay,” leaving him stunned. Not quite as extreme of an example is Tayo, who presents as stern, clear, and direct, such as when he tells his training officer (TO) he will only participate in what he considers to be an unreasonable exercise if he admits the truth about its purpose. The lack of empathy and emotion in the characters sells the series as a futuristic drama not far removed from The Terminator. Doubling down on the futuristic feel of the series is its set design. While the characters’ homes and apartments have open layouts, the furniture contains a lot of metal and is constructed with sharp corners. Kitchen countertops appear to be solid black granite and are always clear of the foods, appliances, and dishes that usually make the area feel like home. The floors are seemingly of black concrete or the tile found in offices, and the doors appear to be a mix of wood and metal that when shut, leave the feel and muting sound of an audiometric booth. In short, the residences lack any hint of the owners’ aesthetic taste or personality. Considering home design and decor are extensions of the people who live in them, the absence of these in the series give the added feel of the characters as automatons – flat, two-dimensional, and void of human qualities. Reinforcing the idea of futurism and the prospect AI holds for robbing humans of their potential is likely what the filmmakers intended to convey with Class of ’09 . The not-so-subtle hint is that AI holds the potential to void people of their humanity should it be allowed to take on the mental work that contributes to people understanding themselves and others, thereby developing a perspective on the world. Being largely shot in bluish-gray hues doubles down on the sense of foreboding that hangs over each episode in the series like a nimbus cloud, making everpresent the sense that something terrible is coming. Class of ‘09 is nothing if not pointed about demonstrating the characters’ high level of competence at hand-to-hand combat, sharpshooting, and the ability to extricate themselves from dangerous situations. Ironically, these are the moments that provide space for the audience to appreciate the characters as living and breathing human beings. They not only show their skills but also reveal their fear and pain. Even these revelations, though, are short-lived, as the characters almost immediately revert to their robot-like stances, such as when Poet fends off a murder suspect in close quarters but returns to her normal sedate state seconds after. It is as if we are being told that our bandwidth for feeling human as we experience it today will be significantly diminished in the future. This characterization contrasts with the depictions of some of the characters in “The Past,” such as Lennix’s emotional reaction to his break-up with Poet, or Tayo convincing his TO to delay their return to campus from a training field trip so he can ask a woman for a date. Class of ‘09 is quite similar to the 2002 film, Minority Report , where Tom Cruise plays Chief John Anderton, a police officer assigned to a task force that arrests and/or neutralizes what their computer program predicts to be future offenders. Like Class of ‘09 , citizens resented and resisted such overreach. A strong distinction between the two stories, however, is the 3-dimensionality of Anderton and other characters in Minority Report , and the intentional lack of such depth in the characters of Class of ‘09 . The cinematic style of the series is impressive, as it gives off a bleak feel for what the future holds should AI be allowed to expand and strengthen without legal constraints and oversight. Given that AI has arrived, Class of ‘09 is worth watching, and conducive to a post-viewing discussion with people you are emotionally invested in – at least while you still can. Previous Next Sign-up for new reviews, exclusives, deep dives, and more First name Last name Enter your email here I agree to the terms & conditions Sign-up Thanks for joining us!

Mare of Easttown tries to strike a balance with representations < Back Mare of Easttown tries to strike a balance with representations Zobot Projects, 2021 60 minutes Creator: Brad Ingelsby Reading Time: 8 minutes 📷 : Used with permission, HBO Mare of Easttown Shadow Passage (8K382WTLKE7VG6UX) 00:00 / 09:33 Matcha Mysteries or whodunnits Dandelion Movies and TV shows with heavy subjects Reba Chaisson 2021-08-30 Several elements contribute to the power of film productions. In addition to story structure and strong acting, cinema exerts its influence through the representations of groups and the relationships between characters of different race, class, gender, generation, and other categories. Mare of Easttown exemplifies the power of these images on-screen, which seem benign—yet passively teach us about ourselves and how we think of others. Set in the fictional, small town of Easttown, Pennsylvania, this 7-part series follows Detective Mare Sheehan while she investigates a missing persons/murder case. The detective, played by Kate Winslet, is self-effacing and neither crude nor cruel. She is, however, unpretentious in her interactions, be they with suspects, friends, family, or lovers. A bit of a maverick, Detective Sheehan insists on working alone as she tirelessly investigates her cases. Undeterred by passage of time, injury, personal relationships, or even station politics, she relents only when she arrives at the most granular level of truth. As she finds though, this approach can also lead to tragic and regrettable consequences. A working-class area where people earn a living standing on their feet and working with their hands, Easttown feels straddled on the boundary between urban and rural. About half of the scenes are set in an urban working-class neighborhood with modest, closely situated two-story brick homes. The other half is set in rural areas peppered with small isolated, frame farmhouses that have dimly lit interiors and require long country roads to reach. Fall is signaled with near-constant overcast skies and thick clothing, which together give the feel of cool temperatures, short days, and damp weather. Although not snowy, Mare of Easttown moves much like Wind River . The story and dialog are Andante‑paced with strong actors who hold the camera and mouth telling dialog that immerses viewers into their characters’ lived experiences. As one character admits to her adult child “Truth is, I was angry a lot. That your father wasn’t the person I thought I’d married and I was angry I couldn’t fix him. And I took a lot of that out on you. And I’m sorry. …” Divorced and the single mother of a teenager, Detective Sheehan is obsessed with her work and simultaneously juggles it with maintaining custody of her young grandson and dealing with some long‑buried feelings of guilt. Although her specialty is crime investigation, the detective’s life is so intertwined with the lives of those in her lifelong community that they rely on her for more than her policing prowess. Here, neighbors and friends call “Mare” day or night for everything from checking their security system, tracking down relatives they have not seen in the usual day or two, to investigating a young neighbor leering at them. “I wanted to make sure you knew about this right away so the community’s safe in case this pervert’s still on the loose.” This level of comfort reaching out to the detective alludes to the residents’ decades-long familiarity with, and reliance on, one another. Indeed, most people of Easttown are lifelong residents as evidenced by a big celebration of the town’s high school basketball victory 20 years prior, where many of the female characters were teammates. The disproportionate number of retirees in the series and the age variation of the cast bring to mind the 1991 film, Fried Green Tomatoes . Released when Millennials were still being born, conceived, and considered, the film stars Generation-X actress Mary Stuart Masterson, Baby-Boomers Kathy Bates and Mary-Louise Parker, and Traditionalist, the late Jessica Tandy. As with Easttown, an appreciation grows for their close-knit relationships, reminiscent of those in small towns like Easttown and even Carlinville, Indiana as depicted in the 2014 film, The Judge . In a scene with his young daughter asking to come with him to his mother’s funeral, Hank, played by Robert Downey Jr., quips, “Trust me, nobody wants to go to Carlinville, Indiana. Everybody wants to leave.” Some in Carlinville, though, appreciate the small-town feel of the place, as Hank’s ex-girlfriend, Samantha Powell (played by Vera Farmiga), later retorted, “I am never leaving Carlinville. I love it here.” Most residents of Easttown fall into the latter group, appreciating the familiarity and valuing the relationships that small-town life can bring. However, we learn in Mare of Easttown that this is not for everyone, as a character grapples with staying for the virtues offered by the town, or like Hank, leaving for something different. Although Easttown is predominantly White, it depicts a smidgeon of racial diversity. It comes in the form of a couple of passing characters as well as two Black/African Americans with more substantial on‑screen presence. They include her police chief, played by John Douglas Thompson ( The Bourne Legacy , 21 Bridges ), and Beth Hanlon, played by Chinasa Ogbuagu. Other dimensions of diversity are represented in terms of sexual preference, disability, and age. All of these go beyond just representations in the series, but work to chip away at many long-held stereotypes associated with them. Mare’s teenage daughter, Siobhan, played by Angourie Rice ( The Nice Guys , Spiderman ), is a lesbian who shatters the “butch” stereotype often associated with women who prefer same sex partners. Julianne Nicholson ( I, Tonya , Black Mass ) plays Mare’s best friend, Lori Ross, whose daughter Moira, played by Kassie Mundhenk, has Down Syndrome. Unlike many shows of the past, Moira’s character is weaved naturally, yet realistically, into her family setting, school, and outside activities. Finally, Jean Smart plays Mare’s retired, enabled, incredibly smart, bold, and funny mother who lives with her, but with whom she often finds herself at odds. The series challenges the identities of lesbians, persons with congenital disabilities, and older adults, and even humanizes people in traditional working-class occupations and communities. However, it falls short on impugning popular cinematic tropes of Blacks as drug addicts and thieves. Structural explanations for drugs and crime in working‑class communities notwithstanding, for now, it is simply important to note that their prevalence in these areas requires a semblance of illicit activities in Mare of Easttown to maintain cinematic authenticity. But connecting them with one of the few Blacks in Easttown is problematic given the plentiful options for associating the activity with one of the many White residents in the community. So, while the series works to challenge the identities around some social categories, it falls back on the age-old stereotypes of race, specifically, Black. Seeming to apologize for this boondoggle, the filmmakers strive to balance this negative depiction with the town’s Black police chief. Mare is considered by her boss, Chief Carter, to be very good at her job, but due to her difficulties with a case, he requests a federal agent for additional support. Seeing a Black man cast opposite a White woman on-screen is rare. Indeed, I remember the uproar when Idris Elba was cast opposite Kate Winslet in the 2017 film, The Mountain Between Us . A fair number of Rotten Tomatoes reviews downgraded the piece, describing it as “unconvincing,” “unrealistic,” “horrendous,” and “[the] castings feeling VERY wrong, and out of place.” Keep in mind though, that movies are typically neither produced nor viewed in isolation, but rather against the backdrop of the political and social climates of the time. Given the tumultuousness of the period in which the film was released, it is likely that these elements colored the audience’s perceptions of Winslet and Elba in the film. At one point in Mare of Easttown , Chief Carter, a consummate professional, stands in Mare’s personal space and calmly berates her for doing something quite out of bounds: “Cut the bullsh*t Mare. I know it was you…Part of me wants to make sure you never wear a badge again…” Interestingly, I have been unable to find any backlash online. Hmmm. Could the changing political and social dynamics explain this absence? Overall, Mare of Easttown makes a valiant effort to strike a balance with diverse representations and goes further to break the mold in some. It is imperfect in this regard, but it does signal the filmmaker’s conscientiousness about identities and representations. Wrapping them in an immersive small-town story helps the series along and could keep you engaged. If you are sensitive to representations and you like small-town mysteries set in the fall, you might be interested in cuddling up in a blanket for this one. Previous Next Sign-up for new reviews, exclusives, deep dives, and more First name Last name Enter your email here I agree to the terms & conditions Sign-up Thanks for joining us!

My Name inserts a less common hero into a common revenge tale < Back My Name inserts a less common hero into a common revenge tale Studio Santa Claus Entertainment, 2021 50 minutes Creator: Kim Va-da and Kim Jin-Min Reading Time: 6 minutes 📷 : Used with permission, Netflix My Name Treacherous (HASFF8RDHNWNIWOB) 00:00 / 06:09 Rosemary Movies and TV shows with intense action Chris Chaisson 2023-04-04 “To take revenge is to become a monster. A monster is what you are.” The action genre is littered with revenge stories. More often than not, though, the central character is a man with combat training and a violent past. He is an underdog merely in the sense that he is outnumbered and has made strides to retire his violent persona. Less common in the genre is a revenge story centered around a female protagonist going undercover in order to achieve said vengeance. Ji-Woo (Han So-hee, Nevertheless ) is that protagonist, joining organizations on both sides of the law in the Netflix K-drama My Name . When her father (Yoon Kyung-ho, All of Us Are Dead ), a cop masquerading as a powerful gangster, is murdered while trying to protect her, Ji-Woo seeks both the truth and payback. She joins the dojo of gangsters funded by her father’s closest friend, Choi Mu-Jin (Hee-soon Park, Seven Days ), and learns martial arts. Once she has honed her skills, she infiltrates the local police force, operating as a mole for Choi Mu-Jin’s criminal organization. Once she gains her footing in law enforcement, Ji-Woo transfers to her father’s old unit in order to gain access to the documents she hopes will lead her to her father’s killer. The draw of My Name is Ji-Woo’s character arc, with the story taking place over a 6-year period. She must keep growing both as a martial artist and a detective if she wants to achieve the vengeance she craves. As a teenager and student, she has raw anger and aggression that she must learn to harness. Ji-Woo fends off an attack from school bullies, showing that while she is not a trained fighter, she can still defend herself. When she first goes to Choi Mu-Jin for help, he puts a knife in her hand and challenges her to stab him as though he were her father’s killer. She cannot bring herself to even make an attempt, causing him to impatiently throw her out of his headquarters. After she returns, she becomes a highly skilled and disciplined fighter over time, besting all of the male gangsters in the dojo who have harassed and bullied her. Ji-Woo’s ability to quell her blind rage and learn to think like a detective make her a lethal weapon. We see Ji-Woo’s progression continue when she first joins the police force. Thanks to her experience of being surrounded by violence and misogyny at the dojo, her gut instinct in every mission is to beat up the bad guys rather than complete the objective in covert fashion. This tendency lands her in hot water multiple times with Pil-do (Ahn Bo-Hyun, Itaewon Class) , who eventually becomes her partner. Once Ji-Woo learns to operate with patience and discipline, she draws less attention to herself, which allows her to escape several close calls where her identity is nearly revealed to her co-workers. As she admits multiple times throughout the series, Ji-Woo has made her entire existence about catching her father’s killer. This would be hampered if her motives were found out prematurely. Where My Name excels the most is in its action sequences. Ji-Woo’s petite frame makes her appear overmatched in every fight, so she must use her agility, quickness and any objects handy. In the very first episode, she finds herself in a caged match at the dojo with dozens of other gangsters as part of a free-for-all. They must fight until only one of them is left standing. She and fellow martial artist Gang-jae Do (Yull Jang, Welcome to Waikiki ) outlast every other member and face off with one another. Many other scenes show Ji-Woo taking on several villains in confined spaces: bathrooms, narrow corridors or even elevators. She generally does not have the option to run, rely on back-up, or even use a firearm. The claustrophobic nature of the hand-to-hand combat illustrates the sense of self-reliance Ji-Woo has had to take on without her father’s protection. As the fight scenes play out, a recurring thought a viewer may have is that Ji-Woo does not really have to endure any of these life-and-death situations. Yet, as she states, “I gave up my future and my name to get my dad’s murderer!” She grieves over his death many times throughout the series, as seeking information about those responsible forces her to relive the agony repeatedly. While on the surface level she is fighting for temporary survival, Ji-Woo is always essentially fighting for revenge. A major motif of revenge stories is whether or not success ultimately fulfills the protagonist. Generally, the main character finds that they are still not satisfied when they reach the end of their mission. They still carry the emptiness they previously had and realize that nothing will bring back the loved one they lost. Ji-Woo questions out loud not only if vengeance is worth what she loses but also what the quest for vengeance has turned her, and others, into. Similar to other revenge stories, My Name incorporates the “fish out of water” trope. In shows like Lupin and The English , the main character comes from a different background or socioeconomic situation as the villains they target for vengeance. In spite of her combat skills, Ji-Woo certainly qualifies as a fish out of water by first infiltrating an all-male criminal organization and later the predominantly male police force. Her mission is not steeped in greed and malice like the gangsters, but it is also not in criminal justice like the other police officers. She is merely there to avenge her own father’s murder. As far as revenge stories go, My Name is most reminiscent of the 2010s ABC hit Revenge (hard to get more on-the-nose than that). Emily Thorne arrives in the Hamptons seeking payback against those who wronged her father. While Revenge is more based around money than violent crime, Emily and Ji-Woo both serve as good examples of characters who have broken off their life paths in search of retaliation. 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Bloodline reveals that outcasts/monsters are created – not born < Back Bloodline reveals that outcasts/monsters are created – not born KZK Productions, 2015-17 60 minutes Creator: Glenn Kessler, Todd A. Kessler, and Daniel Zelman Reading Time: 5 minutes 📷 : Used with permission, Netflix Bloodline Altered Fate (JADIEIFGX0QKXZJ1) 00:00 / 06:01 Dandelion Movies and TV shows with heavy subjects Peach Movies and TV shows with a springtime feel or with images of the season Reba Chaisson 2021-07-25 When I was in graduate school, my professor stated, “Inequality is violent.” I listened attentively to his explanation then, and while I thought he made a solid case I never fully bought into it. Even the most socialist and altruistic countries have inequality, which indicates it is something that is inevitable and occurs naturally. I do agree, however, that the scale of inequality in the U.S. is obscene and must be remedied through policy. What is violent is unequal treatment and unequal access to opportunities because they allow for castigation, marginalization, and even dehumanization of people who do not have the resources valued in the culture—or in the case of Bloodline , the family. Bloodline is a Netflix original series about a traditional family of six in present-day Florida Keys, an untraditional but serene setting. Sam Shepard and Sissy Spacek head the cast as Robert and Sally Rayburn, a set of older Baby Boomers who own Rayburn House, a beautiful resort set on the ocean. As the patriarch of the family, Robert is loved and revered by his four adult children, while Sally is adored and overprotected by them. Skeletons haunt the family, as we learn through flashbacks, old pictures, and of course the dialog between the characters. While the family is highly respected in the community and appears to be close‑knit, it harbors strong anxieties and a general distrust of Danny, the eldest sibling. At the root of these are Robert’s sentiments for his son and the lifelong purgatory he has relegated Danny to because of a pivotal moment of poor judgment he exhibited as a teenager. As the siblings follow Robert’s lead in his ostracism of Danny, we painstakingly realize that outcasts and monsters are not born, rather they are molded and shaped through years of harsh and unequal treatment. The style and setting of Bloodline are reminiscent of the 1960s Elvis Presley movies shot in Hawaii. White sandy beaches, palm trees, and tropical foliage are omnipresent. Boomer hippies sit around in straw hats singing songs backed by the music of Robert’s ever-present ukulele, along with a speckle of teenagers to draw young audiences. The tone and subject matter of the story, however, are serious, making Bloodline a stark contrast from Blue Hawaii , Girls! Girls! Girls! and Paradise, Hawaiian Style . When he is unable to stay an extra day, a guest jokingly says to Sally “I feel like I am being kicked out of paradise!” Far from paradise, the series is particularly disturbing in season 1, where I often found it difficult to sleep after watching an episode. Generation-X is well represented with the 40-something children led by Kyle Chandler ( Friday Night Lights , Early Edition ) as John Rayburn and Ben Mendelsohn as Danny ( The King , Ready Player ). And while Robert and Sally Rayburn present as hippies, Rayburn House offers very little in diversity by way of its employees, guests, or friends of the Rayburn family. Except for the Hispanic workers who have stereotypical roles of carrying the guests’ suitcases, driving the hotel shuttles, and turning down the beds, the resort—indeed the cast—is overwhelmingly White. But according to the U.S. Census Bureau , Key West is 60% Non-Hispanic White. This means 40% of the island consists of other groups, namely, Hispanics who comprise just under a quarter and Blacks who make up about 14%. Their absence in Robert and Sally’s circle after 50 years on the island reinforces the show's ‘60s aesthetics feel. Interestingly though, each of the siblings has a working or personal relationship with a member of one of these groups, as if the writers were positing the message that time has moved on. Finally and annoyingly, Sally is flappable at every unexpected turn of events. Despite establishing the reputation of the Rayburn House with her husband over the last 50 years, she repeatedly asks how, why, and when questions like she’s clueless, and she defers meaningful business and family decisions to her husband and children. They, in turn, consider the degree to which their decisions will please or upset “Mom.” Sally’s relinquishing of her power is another example of the throwback feel of the show. She is the matriarch of the family, but she does not assert her authority by making her wishes known. Instead, she retreats, refusing to deal with the difficult things and expecting the men in her life to “take care of [them].” Unlike her mother, Meg, played by Linda Cardellini ( The Green Book , Daddy’s Home 2 ), is a strong‑willed, tenacious, and competent lawyer who handles the legal aspects of the family business. Throughout the series, she is revealed as fun‑loving and quite the opposite of a traditional wallflower. Her portrayal hammers home the generational difference between her and her mother. Make no mistake about this show. While it is a ‘60s feel story in a contemporary, bright, beach setting, the subject matter is serious and can be quite disturbing. Stories about family dysfunction often are this way, some less scratch-the-chalkboard-surface than others. But our tastes and appetites vary. While I struggled to get past season 1, this series might just work for you. 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Operation: Cavity makes a strong statement about understanding experiences from a kid’s point of view. < Back Operation: Cavity makes a strong statement about understanding experiences from a kid’s point of view. Silvermine Productions, 2022 18 minutes Director/Writer: Alex Morsanutto Reading Time: 2 minutes 📷 : Used with permission, Alex Morsanutto Operation: Cavity Seeing Results (N1PNDA1PEINSBVGA) 00:00 / 02:58 White Movies and TV shows that make you laugh, or involve urgency, like chase scenes or other physical activity Yarrow Movies and TV shows about illness or set in hospitals or similar medical institutions Reba Chaisson 2022-09-25 Operation: Cavity is a comedy about four friends who devise a scheme to get revenge on their dentist for the years of filled cavities, pulled teeth, and awkward x-rays. It is a short, hilarious film that packs a big punch, with multiple settings and bright aesthetics that bring back memories of childhood films like The Sandlot , The Bad News Bears , and Mighty Ducks . The exquisite cinematography and continual movement of the story time-travels us to the days when we were 10 and 11 years old: loyal to our friends and doing goofy stuff like challenging people—knowing we would get our butts kicked. Indeed, the inciting event of Operation: Cavity occurs when Douglas, played by Jonathan O’Reilly, gets clobbered while standing up for his friend Timmy, played by Declan Foley. Doug’s subsequent visit to the dentist brilliantly presents the experience from his vantage point, with bright lights, whizzing tools, and intimidating instruments—and care providers. Something so necessary appears nonetheless quite daunting, if not traumatic, through Doug’s eyes. As far as he and his friends are concerned, the dentist exists to inflict pain. Realizing what a visit to a medical provider looks and feels like from a child’s point of view may take some audience members aback. The experience is quite scary, and the procedures are seen as assaultive rather than caring acts. They are traumatizing rather than calming. And dental work amounts to punishment for a crime they didn’t commit. This is sure to motivate adults to consider ways to mitigate children’s anxieties around what they see as “the dreaded visit to the dentist,” with more comforting words offered by providers, perhaps. Permitting parents/guardians into the room for procedures and allowing children headphones so they can listen to the music of their choice may also help. Made as a proof of concept for a young adult TV series, director Alex Morsanutto's short film conveys strong themes about what friendship means to pre-adolescents and the importance of appreciating experiences from a child’s perspective. The fact that the cast is age-, gender-, and racially-diverse adds an inclusive element to this relatable work of art. Available on Film Shortage Previous Next Sign-up for new reviews, exclusives, deep dives, and more First name Last name Enter your email here I agree to the terms & conditions Sign-up Thanks for joining us!

The Brothers Sun uses pure entertainment to negotiate tension between traditional and unconventional < Back The Brothers Sun uses pure entertainment to negotiate tension between traditional and unconventional Brad Falchuk Tely-Vision, 2024 69 minutes Creator: Brad Falchuk, Amy Wang, and Byron Wu Reading Time: 6 minutes 📷 : Used with permission, Netflix The Brothers Sun East Meets West (0J9CSWYXZD8LTPO8) 00:00 / 06:36 Oolong Movies and TV shows that make you laugh or involve physical activities like dance and exercise Masala Chai Movies and TV shows about toughness and athletic competition Reba Chaisson 2024-01-12 I love this entertaining 8-episode series about a family’s struggle to break free of longstanding cultural and familial constraints. This action-packed series, which combines spoken English and English subtitles, features the Sun family. Big Sun and his early 30-something-year-old son Charles live in Taiwan and run the Jade Dragons segment of the notorious Triads criminal organization. Mother Eileen and her 20-year-old son Bruce have lived a “normal life” in Los Angeles for over 10 years. Apart in mindset and physical distance, the Suns are nonetheless bonded by a secret held by Eileen that gives her family leverage should anything in the Triads organization go awry. Led by Oscar-winner Michelle Yeoh as Eileen Sun, The Brothers Sun mixes drama, humor, and a lot of martial arts to draw us into this story about the tension between traditional and unconventional lifestyles. When Charles, played by Justin Chien, is attacked in his home and Big Sun (Johnny Kou) is shot by the unknown assailant, leaving him in a coma, Charles flies to Los Angeles to protect his estranged kin until it is determined who is out to destroy the Suns. The Brothers Sun has the cinematography and feel of a Quentin Tarantino film to go along with a soundtrack that is broad in genre. Rap, doo wop, guoyue, smooth rock, country, techno club music, and Asian club music combine to give the film a deep texture. But the heavy mix of music takes away from the production. A soundtrack typically functions as the glue that connects the scenes, so the production feels seamless. Here, multiple genres of music disrupt this continuity and, at times, make it unclear how to interpret the presentation. At one point in the story, for example, Charles gets his heart broken. In a subsequent episode, he sings Sheryl Crow’s version of “The First Cut is the Deepest” on a karaoke machine in what comes across as a moment of hilarity. But is this meant to be funny or a dramatic expression of his feelings? Frequently, in the series, there seems to be a disconnect between the music and the event, making it difficult to interpret the work. But then again, maybe the point is to not take ourselves too seriously. The humor in the series draws from its extensive contrasts. Having been raised in the U.S., for example, Bruce, played by Sam Song Li ( Never Have I Ever , Better Call Saul ), has a lighthearted and easygoing personality. Charles, on the other hand, takes on a more stoic demeanor, having been raised with traditional expectations of being the family’s protector and his father’s right hand man. Add Charles and Bruce’s blood relation and the fact that they are becoming reacquainted, we not only laugh, but become invested. In this sense, The Brothers Sun adopts the tactics of the long-running series, Frasier , where Frasier’s upscale lifestyle frequently clashes with his live-in father’s (Martin) working-class simplicity. Moments such as Martin mounting a big screen television on Frasier’s living room wall, Martin’s dog Eddie that cramped Frasier’s style, and the ever-present tattered recliner were all frequent sources of humor throughout the show’s 11 seasons. No one in The Brothers Sun is who they appear to be, and everyone wants to be someone they are not. Charles, a career killer and top member of a major organized crime family, is obsessed with being a pastry chef. Bruce, a pre-med student, wants to do improv, so unbeknownst to his mother, he sneakily takes improv classes at night. Envious that his brother is recognized as brave, Bruce brags to him that he is a “rebel.” Charles responds, “A rebel if [Mom] knows about it. If she doesn’t, just a liar.” Also in the series, everyone wants everyone else to be someone they are not, such as when Charles gives Bruce an ultimatum to be a gangster or not be his brother. Bruce wants his mother to revert to who she was before Charles arrived - a typical mom who works a 9 to 5 and is otherwise home and available. The women in this series are as competent at fighting as the men, with stiff competition even in cross-gender battles. The series has an Asian-diverse cast, with characters from China, Taiwan, and South Korea. For groups that are missing, they are seen in other ways, such as Bruce’s mention of the “Filipino cover band” on his t-shirt. With a film grounded in Asian representations, it can be argued that the broad music genres are meant as an invitation to other groups to enjoy the entertainment experience that The Brothers Sun offers. There are a few exaggerations in The Brothers Sun , which were likely intentionally inserted for comedic purposes. Although this is Charles’ first trip to Los Angeles, for example, he drives himself around town without the help of GPS - as if he is familiar with LA’s geography. Furthermore, in this age of smartphones, Charles uses a flip phone, which is especially hilarious when we consider that Taiwan is the biggest semiconductor chip producer in the world. The Brothers Sun is a fun, fun series, so much so that you might be tempted to binge-watch it. Be forewarned, though, that there are quite a few jokes and quips around weight that could be offensive to some people. Note that this is a cultural issue. What is considered heavy, thin, or even just right varies from culture to culture. Keeping this in mind would be helpful as you hear some of these lines. What we learn from this film is that there are different kinds of strengths and toughness. While Bruce lacks physical prowess, martial arts skills, and suave, he often comes up with helpful ideas. Charles, on the other hand, is brave, strong, and capable, but to no surprise he has a tender side. As overlooked as women often are in most cultures, Eileen is a strategist, a planner who shares what is necessary and only when it is ready for sharing. Sounds like a lot of moms, right? Enjoy! Previous Next Sign-up for new reviews, exclusives, deep dives, and more First name Last name Enter your email here I agree to the terms & conditions Sign-up Thanks for joining us!