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Wicca Book provides a new installment of witchcraft-themed horror < Back Wicca Book provides a new installment of witchcraft-themed horror Darkstream Entertainment, 2020 22 minutes Director/Writer: Vahagn Karapetyan Reading Time: 4 minutes 📷 : Used with permission, Vahagn Karapetyan Wicca Book Feast (ZR35JQQ8BEPSKBE7) 00:00 / 04:08 Ginseng Suspenseful and intense thrillers Coca Movies and TV shows about drugs or with disorienting presentations Chris Chaisson 2023-11-29 Horror movies can choose any number of ways to scare their audience. Generally, though, their main characters have some sense of companionship, even as their lives are on the line. If there is a mystery to figure out or a killer to take down, they can still rely on one another for information, protection, or even a diversion. Some movies, however, go the route of isolating their protagonist, forcing them to not only piece together information themselves but also to stand and fight alone. For example, Hush is a home invasion movie that takes place in the woods, following a deaf and mute woman trying to survive a masked killer on her own. But what if the source of evil is more paranormal? Such is the case in the witchcraft-themed short film, Wicca Book . Adapted from the concept of a series of books on black magic, Vahagn Karapetyan’s short Wicca Book revolves around a book of drawings that unleashes a demonic presence and turns its possessor into a witch. Mia (Kika Zachariadou), a young cave diver, comes across the buried book while exploring a cave. After a brush with death in her own home, she unloads the book onto a stranger, only to discover from messages in the book that sacrificing others will make her evil as well. She must retrieve the book and dispose of it for good, but can she do so without coming face-to-face with the evil spirit again? Though it is a little unclear exactly why the book forewarns Mia of what is to happen, the cautionary writings give Mia what every protagonist needs: choices that reveal their character. She initially feels fear of the unknown and seeks to unload the book, but with the knowledge of what will result, she retrieves it and takes it upon herself to take down the demonic presence. Just the same, the book tells her when to unload or retrieve it. She is repeatedly under pressure in terms of when to make a decision, which raises the stakes even higher. The climax puts her directly in a fight-or-flight situation with no one to rely on but herself. Wicca Book creates its unsettling, paranormal atmosphere through clever cinematography from its director of photography, Nikos Kaltsas. It is mostly composed of very tight shots, following whoever possesses the book very closely as they investigate the noises surrounding them, using pans and tilts to follow the characters’ gazes. Most scenes are dark except for the red and white lights silhouetting the demonic presence. The characters, for the entirety of the short, are centered in the shot, which gives the feeling of them being alone with nowhere to escape to. The shot composition is aided by the sound mixing, which puts the viewer on edge from beginning to end. Every subtle movement, such as throwing back bed sheets, opening a door or sliding the curtain to the side, has its sound amplified. In other projects, these sounds may be minute if accounted for at all, but since there is no dialogue and very minimal human interaction, the decision to magnify these sounds heightens the scare factor. Occasionally, there are the muffled sounds of a crying baby or similar noises that simply make the viewer feel as though something is wrong. Last but not least, the music complements these amplified sounds well, as there are several ominous strings, drums, and deep horns that are perfectly timed with the reveals. Wicca Book bares slight similarities to the 2009 film The House of the Devil . In the film, a babysitter shows up to a remote location and becomes the target of a witch and cult surrounding her. While the late 2000s film does not necessarily center an object like a book of black magic in its plot as Wicca Book does, both projects effectively isolate their characters and force them to save themselves. 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 Dani Abraham A Conversation with Murder, Anyone? Producer Dani Abraham Cup of Tea Critiques has a chat with Murder, Anyone? producer Dani Abraham Chris Chaisson 2023-06-13 Reading time: 14 minutes Producers frequently have to wear multiple hats and perform numerous tasks. The versatility required makes the role hard to define from project to project. Additionally, many producers are strictly asked what it is like to work with star actors and directors rather than the actual responsibilities of their jobs. To get a better idea of what a producer actually does, Cup of Tea Critiques had a conversation with the producer of indie comedy Murder, Anyone? Dani Abraham. She shared with us her specific tasks in the fast-paced production, how working in film differs from working in branded short-form content, and what skills and personality traits have enhanced her producing abilities. Dani began our conversation by contextualizing the director's motivation for Murder, Anyone? and why she considers it to be her first "true" experience producing a feature-length film. [ Murder, Anyone? ] was my first feature where I was involved in the whole movie. I did a feature in 2021 called Tales from the Other Side , and it was a feature anthology. There were a bunch of different segments that made up one feature film, and I did one of those segments. In a sense, that was my first feature. But this one was my first real cohesive story feature. The director of [ Murder, Anyone? ] made it and dedicated it to his dad. His dad passed away a few years ago, and his dad wrote this movie as a play originally. It ran in L.A. for a little bit, and [director James Cullen Bressack] wanted to bring his dad's work to life, kind of immortalize it and put his own little footprint on it as well. So this was really a passion project for James. That in and of itself was already a different experience than something I was expecting. Because ultimately, it was just making this movie so that the director was happy. We weren't making anything for a studio or a distributor. It wasn't for anyone else. I think that's what made it so special. It was really scrappy, as a low budget movie. A lot of people pulling strings in a million ways to make things work. I think that made it different than anything I've ever worked on. I come from a world of branded content, like commercials; that's the stuff I do. There's 3,000 people who are putting all of their expectations on your shoulders; but also, they all have different expectations. This one wasn't that. Everyone knew what they were doing. I think that's what made it so fun, and so magical. The final product was something that everyone was so happy with, because we all knew that's what we were trying to achieve. I hope I get that kind of experience again. Dani gave her insight into the pressures of working on a shoot with a small team (roughly 30 people) with tight timeframes for shooting, as well as how producer responsibilities were divided up. According to Timehop [a smartphone application that collects old photos and distributes the past], we started shooting the same week exactly a year before it came out. We shot for 6 days, which is really short for an 80-minute feature film. Everyone did what they needed to do to make an 80-minute movie in six days with special effects, visual effects, improv and everything else, which made it a very fun 6 days. We're actually doing another one of those this summer and I'm scared, but I feel like if this taught me anything, it's that if enough people who are stoked about something come together, we can make it happen. You just have to work really hard and also be ready for compromise. There were a couple of producers on the project. I was a co-producer. Jarrett Furst was our main producer. He's the guy who was striking all the deals with all of the actors. He's the reason why we got Academy Award nominated actress Sally Kirkland in the movie. She is a riot, she's so fun. She's got so many stories. Jarrett took care of all of that stuff: finding all of the crew, finding people who were willing to work on such a tight budget. Jared is a wizard. What I was doing was managing the logistics of the day. That was everything from figuring out call times for our actors, making sure that they had enough time between makeup and their scene so that no one felt rushed. Basically, my job was to make sure that there were no wasted minutes, which was hard because again, it was a 6-day shoot. You don't know how things are going to shake out. So that was part of my day-to-day, the little things. Making sure everyone is fed and happy. I went to Costco on a Saturday for this thing; I hate Costco. But I made sure we had enough craft services [catered food], so it was a great experience. Dani shared an anecdote exemplifying the producer’s experience. I always joked even back in school that a producer's job is just everything that you didn't have the budget to pay someone else to do. That never felt more real than in this moment, because sometimes you just need this thing done. If there's no one to ask, then it falls on you. For instance, we needed color contact lenses for a scene. And for whatever reason, we just didn't have them. The only place on this day that we could find them was in downtown L.A., and we were shooting [about 40 miles away] in Simi Valley. We don't have runners because we're that small of a crew, so one of my producers gets in a car to drive from Simi Valley to downtown LA to get a pair of contact lenses from one of those little stores in the fashion district, and then drive all the way back. Being a producer is a thankless job in that when things are going well, no one notices, which is a great thing. You don't want people to be noticing when things are happening like that. That was such a learning experience for me too. I come from a digital world. I come from branded entertainment, where I was making stuff for clients like Nike or Sony Entertainment, which was huge, because that was in the movie industry. But it wasn't making a movie, and this was a complete pivot in so many ways. I love branded content, I think it's really cool and unique and special when it's done right and done well. But there's nothing like making a passion project and working with people who care so deeply about a story. Being involved at all was really cool. Being well-rounded in hobbies and character traits allows creatives to take skills from one discipline and apply it to another. Dani dished on what aids her most in producing. Producing is problem solving. And there are problems that come up in your day-to-day life. Every single day. How you deal with those problems are very much derivative of who you are as a person, what your personality is, and how you can handle bigger problems with bigger stakes, like when money is attached to it. I think what's funny is becoming a producer has made me a more patient person in life. Things that would have made me upset or irritated or given me a more emotional reaction have actually made me take a step back and say, “Look at the larger picture. Does this matter in the grand scheme of things?” If the answer is yes, then we deal with it. If it's not a big deal, you can figure it out later, and that's kind of what producing is. It’s problem solving in the moment and being okay when things have to be compromised or when something is ultimately not the biggest deal. We make Tik Toks and social media all the time, right? And you always have to have that foresight of, “What kind of response are you going to get on the internet?” You always have to think two steps ahead of everything. So maybe that's made me a better producer; just learning to think ahead and be two steps ahead. Managing personalities can be tough in any leadership role, especially for amicable people who have to deliver disappointing news. Dani shared her experience with making a difficult decision. I am a nice person. I don't like to make people cry. I will never probably make anybody cry. I’m a people pleaser; I try to make it all make sense for everyone. Sometimes that's not right for the project. Something I'm battling with right now is letting someone know that we went in a different direction. I never want to be that person who ghosts someone on a job. Ultimately, we picked someone else for that job, and the other person is also a friend. Sometimes you have to put friendships aside, and it is what it is. It's nothing to do with their work at all. It has everything to do with the person that we're going to go with; [they’ve] worked with our director before. They're both really talented; just one of them has a rapport already. While writers and directors can dream big, producers frequently have to be the voice of reason. Their job occasionally consists of vetoing certain requests that do not fit within the budget or time constraints, but Dani says that a good producer should first aim to compromise. I typically don't say no; I just say, “Okay, well, how can we make it work?” And then we figure it out. Then you find people who are passionate and excited. I owe a lot of favors, but also a lot of people owe me favors. So sometimes this is a very interesting industry. It's a very favor-based industry. As long as you're a good person to work with and want people to work with you again, you usually can make stuff happen. The project I'm doing this summer is a micro-budget feature. It's a $7,000 budget. It's very small to make a feature film. And I still said yes, and we're still going to make it happen somehow. In spite of her inclination, Dani did have to pass on a particular project. I got offered my first feature script during COVID. And it was an even smaller budget than what I have right now. And they said, “You can do it for $2,500.” And I said, “Let me read the script. And if the script is good, I'll do it. 2500 bucks; it was COVID, we weren't working, and it would have been me and two other people. So it would have been totally COVID safe. No one would have invested anything but our time and during COVID, we had all the time. So I said, “Sure, let me read the script.” And I was so insulted by the script. It was offensive. There were [derogatory terms] in it. On top of that, it kind of insulted my intelligence because there were just typos everywhere. I said, “You know, I think the next one will be it, but not this one.” The guy who gave me the script said, “Well, I will find someone to do it.” That was his response, his little Hail Mary to see if I would still do it. And I said, “Godspeed.” And he did; he found someone to do it… So someone else did it and good for them. And I hope that the movie turned out well.” On occasion, personalities and egos can clash on a film set. Dani revealed her approach to conflict resolution. One of the things that happens a lot on low budget stuff is that there's a lot of cooks in the kitchen. Everyone has equal footing in the game. We're not making money, but this is great for all of us. There’s a lot of fighting in that situation. I've never had to say, “Stop yelling” or “You're embarrassing yourself and everyone around you.” But I've definitely said, “Let's take a step back for a second and think about what's important. if you are that passionate about whatever you're yelling about, are you willing to compromise?” Mediating is hard, because people get feral in those moments. They don't think about anything else. They are just looking at this thing and won't let go, and sometimes you just have to let it play out. But I've worked with good people. Producers often take the versatility gained from their role and apply it to other positions. Dani shared what other jobs she would like to fulfill on a film set. I always wanted to go into development, do more film development, story and creative [roles]. I dabbled in directing for a while. I'm co-directing this [movie] that's coming up this summer. Because I just want to get a taste of it again, see if that is something I want to keep doing. You know, again, this is a story that I'm really into. And it's a little personal for me too. But those are kind of my goals; directing and producing is where I want to stay, writing is something I dabble in. I really wish I had the patience for editing because I do think that's such a cool position because ultimately, you are the one deciding what everyone sees. But I love producing. I like putting things together. I've always liked puzzles. That’s all this is, big puzzle-making. Problem solving as a hobby equals problem solving skills in real life. And then problem solving skills in real life make you a better producer. That’s all it is. It's problem solving, making deals and figuring [things] out on the fly. And then being able to think multiple thoughts at once. Are there more projects like Murder, Anyone? in Dani’s future or will she pivot to another genre? I keep on doing a lot of horror stuff, because a lot of that stuff gets made. It's easy to make, it's cheap to make, and it's being made all the time. My whole goal has always been to make kids and family content. I still do that stuff. That's what I was doing with my branded content before; I was working with a company making science videos for kids, and I loved doing that. I do want to keep doing that. To keep up with Dani’s future projects, you can follow her at https://www.daniabe.com/ Murder, Anyone? is available to rent or buy on Amazon . 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 How Do You Like Your Cinema? What You Said about What You Watch Reba Chaisson 11/16/23 Reading Time: 15 minutes 📸: Licensed from Shutterstock When I conducted interviews with studio executives from HBO and October Films 25 years ago, one of the things they shared with me was that they received tons of scripts and videotapes from aspiring filmmakers, so much that it was impossible to review all the submissions. They suggested then that there is more cinema content available than places to display them. Less than ten years later, television and video technology exploded with the advent of DVDs, streaming channels, and movie websites. Today, we also have smart TVs, smartphones with advanced video functionality, and television on demand. The days of true appointment TV watching (having to be available when our favorite show airs) have long gone by the wayside. Undoubtedly, this new technology has spoiled us. We can pretty much see any show we want, any day or time that is convenient for us, and even any time zone we are in. No longer do we have to suffer through periods where there seems to be nothing on television we like. There’s plenty in terms of quantity and variety – and we can watch it any time we want! Well, maybe. While some of our favorite streaming series drop all the season’s episodes at once (potentially enabling what researchers call “ binge watching ”), others are released to us on a weekly basis throughout the season. We conducted a survey to learn how people like their streaming shows served to them. What we found was consistent with Statista’s finding that the younger we are, the stronger our sentiments on the subject. We asked more than 400 adults to tell us how they like to watch their favorite television series. A quarter of them told us first that they like “Traditional” appointment TV shows. Such shows are typically episodic, consisting of 12–16-week seasons with one new episode per week. Think shows like Chicago P.D. , F.B.I. , Found , etcetera. Prior to Smart TVs and satellite technology like DirecTV and Dish, you had to record the show on your VCR/DVD or be in front of your television when the show aired. Chart 1 - Respondents' Television Preferences Sixteen percent of survey respondents indicated they prefer “Limited series” - short focused serials consisting of 3-10 episodes. Think Game of Thrones , Breaking Bad , and Special Ops: Lioness . Although Limited series (or miniseries) sometimes evolve into multiple seasons, they are initially intended as a single story extended across several episodes. Not surprisingly, more than half (57%), though, told us that they like a mix of both Traditional and Limited series. This is not surprising given the new technologies ushered in over the last 20 years that allow for easy recording of our favorite Traditional shows on the major networks (free TV) and streaming platforms that make them available to us the way a library does books. Pick what you want to see and pull it off the shelf (hit play) when you’re ready. While it sounds blissfully convenient, it still falls short of the utopia many of us want to achieve. Limited Series TV Utopia For those who indulge in Limited series, we asked how they like to receive their content. More than 70% of these respondents indicated they wanted all the episodes available to them at once. This result is not surprising given the technology available that allows for controlling not only what and how much we watch, but when. The respondents seem to suggest that since the controls are already in our hands, why unnecessarily suppress our appetites for a series we are enjoying. Releasing all the shows at once allows for the cinematic experience we prefer. Chart 2 – Limited Series Appetite Much of the remainder of the group (27%) indicated that one episode per week worked for them. This is especially interesting because it suggests that a fair number of people who like focused series are patient enough to let the story play out over time. This could also be tied to occupation or personal responsibilities that make them unavailable for series viewing more than a few hours a week. While they are living their cinematic utopia, the majority, however, are not. We wondered if there were some concerns about serving up all of a season’s episodes at once. The Virtues and Risks of Limited Series TV Utopia Television researchers correlate the availability of all a season’s episodes to us as lending itself to binge-watching, which they define as “viewing suspenseful dramatic, narrative content for a considerable amount of time: often more than three or four hours.” While binging has a negative connotation, it isn’t presented in the research as a one-dimensional concept. In fact, researchers distinguish between “ problematic ” and “ non-harmful ” binge-watching. Problematic binge-watching is the use of television content to distract from everyday worries and feelings of loneliness. These, according to researchers, can lead to complacency and a reticence to persevere at important tasks – something my mother often referred to as malaise. In short, it has the potential to make us lazy and apathetic. Non-harmful binge-watching, on the other hand, is the gratification we receive from becoming immersed in the story and characters on-screen, as well as “critical thinking and social conversations” we develop as a result of the television-viewing experience. Psychology Today also reports on a study that found that not all TV-watching is bad. They write, “Some TV shows are complex and will keep you mentally stimulated. If you have fun or revealing conversations with your friends and family about TV shows, that’s a big plus: Social connection is as good for you as exercise.” Even this, though, should not be in lieu of activities like reading, exercising, and stretching the brain with crossword or jigsaw puzzles. So, while reasonably, non-harmful binge-watching is preferred over problematic, the former can gradually morph into the latter if it becomes our only source of leisure, escape, or activity. Why Limited over Traditional series? For survey respondents who indicated they preferred Limited over Traditional series, we asked them why. What they told us can be grouped into five categories: succinctness of story, quality of show, enjoyment, completeness of story, and self-control issues. Several examples of each are listed in the chart below. Chart 3 – Appeal of Limited Series Respondents who prefer Limited series cite substantive elements of the presentation to support their preference for such shows. The series are shorter, which makes the stories tighter and leads to both presenting conflicts and resolving problems quickly. Importantly, they cite Limited series as having a resolution, which indicates the significance of this to their television viewing experience. Fewer than a handful indicate that they struggle with control issues, noting tendencies toward problematic binging and making conscious efforts to avoid doing so. Think of the recent Paramount+ series, Special Ops: Lioness , with Zoe Saldana, Nicole Kidman, and Michael Kelly. The eight-episode serial was quite complex, layering in several storylines of military action, politics, undercover complications, and the leader’s (Saldana’s character) family life challenges. The complete, suspenseful story with an all-star cast packed a powerful punch, and still left you wanting to see it again – and again and again. It takes a conscious effort to avoid this. Engaging in other social and physical outlets helps us manage this. Why Traditional series over Limited? We also asked those who preferred Traditional over Limited series about the appeal of such shows, which, to be fair, do not all fit the definition of focused content. Mixed with suspenseful narratives like Chicago P.D. , NCIS , and Fire Country are the ultra-popular reality and talent shows like The Bachelor , Survivor , The Voice , and America’s Got Talent . What respondents had to say about watching Traditional series can be categorized into six groups: breadth and length of series, enjoyment, time for investment in the show, anticipation/suspense, lifestyle, and familiarity. Several examples of each are noted in the chart below. Chart 4 – Appeal of Traditional Series Most interesting about the responses is the emphasis placed on the investment of time to immerse themselves in the story and characters of Traditional series. Limited series are too “short term” to develop these elements of a show, so getting one episode at a time is the perfect cadence for them, and in some cases, it suits their lifestyles quite well. Consider the series, Chicago P.D ., soon to be entering its 13 th season. Could Sergeant Voight’s tough but loyal persona be appreciated in an eight-episode Limited series? Probably not. Generally, fans of the show (of which I am one) come to love him because the series, over time, allows for getting to know his depth and breadth of character. Also, unlike a Limited series, the Traditional series are reliable. Viewers are confident they will “stick around for more seasons.” Interestingly, though, a fair number of respondents indicate that they watch Traditional series simply because they grew up on this type of television viewing. Some habits are hard to break – or we simply have no need or interest in tampering with something that works for us. Are Demographics a Factor in Television Preferences? Our data shows that a wide range of people (ages 30-60) enjoy viewing Traditional series, while those younger and 45-60 prefer Limited series. That is, while 64% of Traditional series viewers consist of people ages 30-60, just under a third of Limited series viewers are 18-29 years of age and more than 1/3 rd are 45-60. By far, Traditional series is least preferred by 18-29 year-olds, where they comprise only 20% of Traditional series viewers. Chart 5 – Preference for Limited and Traditional Series by Age Group Data from Pew Research shows that few 18-29 year-olds are married with children. They are also either in college or in the nascent stages of their careers/occupations. It is not surprising, then, that 80% of our respondents reported earning less than $100,000 a year. At this age, some are in college, many are still supported by their parents, and most have few obligations, all situations that allow them to have some disposable income. This life stage, then, affords young people relative luxuries like streaming channels such as Netflix, Hulu, MAX, Showtime, Paramount+, and others, where Limited series are found in abundance. On these channels, the volume and breadth of content are wide and stream around the clock. So, for young people with energy, streaming channels are Limited series utopia on Earth. Other than those over 60, Limited series are least preferred by 30-44 year-olds, where they make up only a quarter of respondents who indicated they indulge in them. Many people in this age group are starting families and simultaneously gaining some traction in their careers/occupations. Although 40% of this group reported making $100,000 or more per year, research indicates they are careful about their spending and focused on shoring up the family’s savings for emergencies and college funds as opposed to paying for premium channels, where Limited series are typically available. Statista recently conducted a survey and found that the most popular streaming channels were, in order, Netflix, Prime Video, Disney+, and Hulu. Disney+ is likely one of the few premium channels 30-44 year-olds subscribe to because of its abundance of children’s programs. Amazon Prime is likely another because of its shopping benefits like free delivery. Few Limited series are available on Amazon Prime, however ( Jack Ryan is one of few exceptions), as the channel primarily streams movies and reruns of Traditional series. Forty-five to 60-year-olds make up the largest segment of Limited series viewers at 35%. They are also the highest earners, where 2/3 rd of this group reported having annual incomes of $100,000 or more. They are also homeowners with families that include children who are in college or nearing high school graduation. Now settled into their careers and making a comfortable living, people in this age group can better afford multiple streaming channels. This includes periodically adjusting the household’s streaming channel configuration with the ages of their children – and to their own cinematic tastes. Finally, more than half the people who reported making less than $50,000 per year are over 60 years of age. This is a sad commentary that speaks to the struggles of our older adults, many of whom have spent four or more decades working to be comfortable in their retirement. Unfortunately, it also suggests that this group has little money to commit to streaming channels for indulging in Limited series that they just might enjoy. In our data, this group makes up just 8% of those who watch Limited series. To sum, yes, demographics do indeed play a role in our television viewing preferences. Access to advanced television technologies influences the type of content we watch. Our cinematic tastes vary by age. But the extent to which we can indulge these tastes is constrained by our ability to pay for it combined with our own financial priorities. Understanding this, we have to wonder if the content we watch is a matter of preference or a reflection of what we have learned to enjoy because it is all that has been available to us. How do we explain what we watch? When we consider demographics, it raises the question: How much of what we watch can be attributed to cinematic taste versus conditioning and family budget considerations? Money is typically a consideration in most decisions as the overwhelming majority of us don’t have it like that. But I can’t help but feel for the large segment of society that is unable to engage in the content choices across the many streaming platforms to even see if there’s something there that resonates with them. Perhaps streaming companies can consider demographic factors like age, income, and even disability in developing a sliding fee scale to enhance content accessibility. In any event, while we have come to accept constraints around content access as the norm, we also have to acknowledge that these constraints shape our choices around the content we watch. Responding to questions around attribution are rarely, if ever, simple. Appreciating the complexity of the one posed here, though, allows us to at least ponder the degree to which our content choices are due to cinematic taste or conditioning. It is beyond the scope of this paper to delve further into this. Suffice it to say that undoubtedly, a bit of both plays into our preferences. Summary Comedian, Chris Rock, performed a bit in his Bigger and Blacker show, about arriving home from work and hearing a litany of complaints from his wife about people she had encountered throughout her day – family, friends, co-workers, etc. Tired and wanting his dinner to re-energize, he shouted, “Can’t I just get my big piece of CHICKEN?!” Similarly, and according to the data, most people who prefer Limited series want all their episodes at once. For them, these shows are succinct and of high quality. They are also rich, with well-developed characters, and stories that are complete. Watching them exemplifies the non-harmful binge-watching described by researchers that relates the gratification we receive from becoming immersed in the story and characters, and critically thinking through and talking about the content afterwards. None of our respondents mentioned engaging in conversation with family, friends, or colleagues about the shows. But we can reasonably assume that they do, given that we all generally talk to others about things we enjoy. Why then delay their gratification by releasing one show per week to those who are ready for more? Not doing so reminds me a bit of the famed Pavlov dog experiment - there is a fear that these viewers will engage in problematic binge-watching. This is not an issue for those who prefer Traditional series. They enjoy the breadth and length of the shows, and the fact that they are available only once per week suits them fine. They like how the plots develop over time, and they get to know the characters over time. Seeing the shows once per week gives them something to look forward to. It even feels familiar to them as many of them grew up watching television this way. By contrast, you can even say that people who prefer Traditional series are relatively patient. Regarding Limited series specifically, perhaps wanting all episodes at once primes these viewers to be impatient. To want everything everywhere and all at once (yes, this was intended). But the existing research doesn’t point to this as problematic. Indeed, our data suggests that those who prefer Limited series show no signs of having an unhealthy appetite for such content. So, come on streaming channels! Can you just give these viewers their big piece of CHICKEN?! Survey Demographics References Ehrenfeld, Temma. (2021). Watching (Too Much) TV Is Bad for Adults, Too. Psychology Today , (2021, June 8) https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/open-gently/202106/watching-too-much-tv-is-bad-adults-too Flayelle, Maeva, Elhai, Jon D., Maurage, Pierre, Vogele, Claus, & Brevers, Damien. Identifying the psychological processes delineating non-harmful from problematic binge-watching: A machine learning analytical approach. Telematics and Informatics , 74, Article 101880. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0736585322001137#:~:text=Non%2Dharmful%20binge%2Dwatching%20is,by%20negative%20reinforcement%20motives%2Fimpulsivity . Fry, Richard and Cohn, D’vera. (2011). The Households and demographics of 30- to 44-Year-olds. Pew Research Center , (2011, June 27). https://www.pewresearch.org/social-trends/2011/06/27/iv-the-households-and-demographics-of-30-to-44-year-olds/ Pew Research Center. (2019). Millennial life: How young adulthood today compares with prior generation. Pew Research Center , (2019, February 14). https://www.pewresearch.org/social-trends/2019/02/14/millennial-life-how-young-adulthood-today-compares-with-prior-generations-2/ Rubenking, Brigett and Bracken, Cheryl Campanella. (2021). Binge watching and serial viewing: Comparing new media viewing habits in 2015 and 2020. Addictive Behaviors Report , 14, Article 100356. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2352853221000195?via%3Dihub Rubenking, Brigett, Bracken, Cheryl Campanella, Sandoval, Jennifer, Rister, Alex. (2018). Defining new viewing behaviours: What makes and motivates TV binge-watching?, International Journal of Digital Television , 9(1), 69-85. https://doi.org/10.1386/jdtv.9.1.69_1 Stoll, Julia. (2021). Share of adults who prefer whole seasons of TV shows on streaming services to be released at the same time in the United States as of October 2019, by age group, Statista (2019, October). https://www.statista.com/statistics/687388/binge-watching-preference-usa/ Woo, Angela. (2018). The Forgotten Generation: Let's Talk About Generation X. Forbes , (2018, November 14). https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbesagencycouncil/2018/11/14/the-forgotten-generation-lets-talk-about-generation-x/?sh=74d1762676d5 Zandt, Florian. (2023). The Most Popular Streaming Services in the U.S. Statista , (2023, July 20). https://www.statista.com/chart/25382/most-used-video-streaming-platforms/ 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!

Presumed Innocent zooms in on loyalty < Back Presumed Innocent zooms in on loyalty Apple Studios, 2024 45 minutes Creator: David E. Kelley Reading Time: 5 minutes 📷 : Apple Studios Presumed Innocent Echoes of Solitude (B0URCQ1U3NO0U3AS) 00:00 / 05:45 Ginseng Suspenseful and intense thrillers Sage Movies and TV shows with low-key characters Reba Chaisson 2024-08-04 You would agree that loyalty matters in a relationship, right? This is so with partnerships of all types, especially romantic ones. What would you do if this trust was broken? Sadly, some people react in ways that are counterproductive. For the most part though, people behave rationally — thinking, gaining some perspective on their situation before deciding their next move. You know the usual options, stay or leave. Apple TV’s Presumed Innocent is an 8-episode series largely about that question. Unlike the theatrical release in 1990 starring Harrison Ford, the story is presented in the most riveting way. Jake Gyllenhaal stars in the series as Rusty Sabich, a respected prosecutor who finds himself on the defense side of the table when he is accused of killing his colleague/mistress out of rage. Carolyn Pohemus, played by Renate Reinsve ( The Worst Person in the World , A Different Man ), is found bludgeoned and ritually bound in her apartment. All hell breaks loose when it is discovered that the pair had been involved in a long-term affair that even Rusty describes as his “obsession” with her. Based on Scott Turow’s 1987 novel of the same name, Presumed Innocent dramatically covers Rusty’s trial, giving it a dark suspense/thriller vibe fitting of Ginseng tea . The fallout from the discovery of Rusty’s relationship with Carolyn lands heavy on his colleagues and children much like a cup of Dandelion tea lands on the tongue. Not so much though on Barbara Sabich, Rusty’s spouse played by Ruth Negga ( Loving , Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. ). Barbara’s sedate demeanor and self-effacing presentation tempers the heavy, bitter feel of the show with a Sage-like calmness. Rusty and his predicament are front and center, yet we are drawn to the peripheral story that is Barbara’s personal and private space. Barbara is frequently presented alone, doing laundry, riding a stationary bike in her garage, and listening to Rusty as if she is obligated to do so because she is his partner. Film representations of betrayed spouses are typically depicted yelling and crying. Barbara, however, carries a quiet rage. She rarely speaks, so when she does, her kids, lawyers, and even Rusty listen like she is EF Hutton revealing something subtle yet profound. We only get a hint of her sentiments when she tells Rusty in very simple terms, “I know you. I know you couldn’t do this,” and then remains by his side during his trial. Some might say that considering the extent of Rusty’s betrayal, Barbara’s unusual loyalty makes little sense. Money is not an issue for her family, so she is likely to maintain a comfortable lifestyle if she leaves him. It reminds me a bit of the 1993 film, Indecent Proposal , with Robert Redford as John Gage and Demi Moore as newlywed Diana Murphy. John is so taken by Diana, who is on her honeymoon, that he offers her a million dollars to sleep with him for just one night. Young and broke, she and her husband David (Woody Harrelson) reluctantly but strongly consider the proposal. Like Presumed Innocent , Indecent Proposal begs us to consider what we would do if our circumstances were similar to either scenario. Diana’s situation is complicated by her financial constraints, not by a betrayal of trust. Barbara’s isn’t similarly complicated, yet she stays despite the relative ease of her decision compared to Diana’s in Indecent Proposal . Thus, Barbara’s appeal is her extraordinary loyalty. It gives us pause, piques our curiosity about her, and leads us to question where the red line exists for ourselves. During the story, Barbara meets Clifton, a tall, dark, and handsome bartender with a baritone voice like Barry White’s. She likes him as evidenced by her frequent midday returns to the empty upscale bar, and Clifton, played by Sarunas J. Jackson ( Insecure , Good Trouble ), enjoys her company as well. Interestingly, Clifton serves as our eyes and ears into Barbara’s sentiments on her predicament. He is, effectively, our proxy friend. As she sits alone in her thoughts, Clifton recognizes her from news reports and gently asks about her feelings on the situation. She has no clear answers. He is empathetic, which further enhances his appeal. These interactions tell us, though, that Barbara is reeling. She needs a friend who appreciates her circumstances and has no connection to her troubles. Through Clifton, we gain deep empathy for Barbara and come to appreciate why she seems aloof, detached, and lost. On its face, Presumed Innocent is like the 2023 miniseries, Anatomy of a Scandal , with Rupert Friend starring as James Whitehouse, a wealthy politician accused of raping his former mistress. Sienna Miller plays his partner, Sophie, who, like Barbara, is also loyal and even attends James’s trial. Eventually for Sophie, however, the thousand cuts revealed at trial become too much and leads to clarity of her red line. This line seems to be elusive for Barbara. I love works that lead us to question ourselves and dig deep to gain a deeper understanding of who we are. Whether it is betrayal or some other trigger, we have ideas on what we would do. But what do we do when the situation is no longer hypothetical, when we’re actually starring in a drama of our own predicament? 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< Back Winnie the Pooh and the Public Domain How a New Horror Movie is Shedding Light on an Old Concept Chris Chaisson 3/7/23 Reading Time: 7 minutes 📸: Photo from Pixabay I had the pleasure of watching the recent micro-budget horror movie Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey . The movie has been greeted to rave reviews, being called the quintessential slasher, paying homage to the classics that built the genre. Okay, the last sentence is dripping with sarcasm. This film is receiving exactly zero accolades. Nonetheless, when I stumbled across an article about it in January, I could not contain my laughter for the rest of the day. To its credit, the film was made for under $100,000 and grossed over $1.5 million in the first week of its release. Winnie the Pooh and Piglet as ruthless, vengeful, murderous villains was not on my 2023 Bingo card. Nonetheless, it is the funniest concept I have heard for a movie since Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter , and it was all made possible by Winnie the Pooh’s entry into the public domain last year. Director Rhys Frake-Waterfield took full advantage and pivoted drastically from the innocent, heartwarming book series that originated in 1926. For those not familiar, public domain is a concept that represents any creative work that is not protected under copyright. In some cases, the work was never protected, and in others, the term of protection for said work has expired. To highlight the importance of public domain, a revolutionary moment involving this concept occurred in 1993. Tim Berners-Lee and the research organization CERN developed and opened their WorldWideWeb project up to the public domain. Once the project became free and accessible to the public, many users were allowed to expand on it, gradually leading to the vast version of the Internet we know today. In the world of cinema, several popular movies have been remade over the years due to their public domain status. If you enjoyed the Bradley Cooper-Lady Gaga romance in A Star is Born , you may direct your gratitude toward the original from 1937 and its existence in the public domain. The popular tales of Cyrano de Bergerac and Phantom of the Opera have each been remade multiple times, including the most recent installment of Cyrano starring Peter Dinklage. Steve Martin fans may find it intriguing that Little Shop of Horrors derived from a darker original work created 26 years prior that dwelled in the public domain. Additionally, Charlie Chaplin’s masterpiece The Gold Rush and Christmas favorite It’s a Wonderful Life reside in the public domain space, free to be rebooted by any willing filmmaker. What about TV shows? Several westerns remain free for a reboot, including Annie Oakley, Bonanza, The Roy Rogers Show and The Lone Ranger . Maybe to Happy Gilmore’s dismay , The Price is Right also exists in the public domain. Not to be outdone, the most beloved late night talk show of all time, The Johnny Carson Show , is open source and available to re-use. Public domain characters are commonly used in video games, comic books, and merchandise, as anyone who peruses Etsy would know. In video games and comic books, they often serve as hidden characters to be unlocked or in cameo appearances of sorts. While intriguing, there is not often a storyline built around them. While many well-known fictional characters are in the public domain, recent adaptations of them generally stay within the same basic idea. The character of Sherlock Holmes has been in the public domain for some time, but every work created has still depicted him as the sleuth he was in Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s original project. Similarly, Count Dracula has remained a seductive vampire in all works subsequent to Bram Stoker’s creation. Good or evil, most public domain characters have held onto the same ethos through decades of re-use, which makes the 180-degree pivot of Winnie the Pooh from the most kind-hearted cartoon character to a cold-blooded murderer all the more jarring (and hilarious). While I enjoyed the honey-loving bear just like everyone else as a child, I could not share in the dismay and anger of many moviegoers who saw Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey . I did not feel like it ruined my childhood, as some others claim . On the contrary, I will probably giggle whenever I see the actual children’s cartoon or any installment of the book series on the shelves. There have been multiple “shoot ‘em up” Santa movies in recent years. No one feels that their childhood has been affected in any way by these bizarre renditions. They are goofy takes on fictional characters and historical figures to which we are frequently exposed. The release of this silly slasher got me thinking, “What other characters are in the public domain, and how silly could we get re-imagining their personas?” Here’s a brief brainstorming session: Hercules as a Hot Shot High School Quarterback If Coach Taylor had a Greek mythological figure show up on day one of tryouts, I doubt he’d complain. Hercules could break Texas high school football records lining up under center, so long as his massive upper body stopped bursting through every jersey. Frankenstein as a Substitute English Teacher Given that the green monster is in the public domain, I would not mind seeing him save a boarding school with his love of literature in The Undead Poets Society. Aladdin as an Olympic Bobsledder Bobsledding is right up this dude’s alley! Maybe a little colder than he would like, but high-speed travel was always his thing. Just gotta learn the teamwork element. Alice in Wonderland as a Freedom Fighter in a Simulated Universe This isn’t exactly breaking the mold, since there’s already an Alice in Wonderland reference in The Matrix . Still, watching Alice stop bullets with her hand or beat up hundreds of agents on a playground would be endlessly entertaining. Snow White as an Embattled Basketball Coach In every basketball movie, a charismatic coach leads a team of untrained misfits to new heights, culminating in a big game against a powerhouse school. What greater odds to overcome than having seven dwarves make up your basketball roster? Especially when one of them falls asleep on defense all the time. Peter Pan as a Disgruntled In-Law Okay, I’m not sure exactly where to take this one. But the idea of a grumpy Peter Pan trying to stop his daughter from marrying a guy that looks way older than himself is hard not to laugh at. Cinderella as a Hip-Hop Dancer What if instead of a fancy dress, the crew of mice helps Cinderella into a pair of army pants and a baseball cap cocked to the side? She could be the first dancer to show up to a stepping competition in a pumpkin carriage. You can decide for yourself if any of these top Winnie the Pooh wielding a meat cleaver, but those are just a few drastic re-imaginings of public domain characters. Hopefully, we will see filmmakers experiment and take similar risks with creative works that are open to the public. For more on shows and iconic characters in the public domain, listen to Season 1, Episode 2 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!

The series examines the drug trade that centers around key dealers, corner boys, addicts, policemen and politicians in modern-day west Baltimore. < Back The series examines the drug trade that centers around key dealers, corner boys, addicts, policemen and politicians in modern-day west Baltimore. Blown Deadline Prod., 2002-08 60 minutes Creator: David Simon Reading Time: 3 minutes 📷 : Used with permission, HBO The Wire Wade in the Water (SIHXMHIW8JFP2XQP) 00:00 / 04:17 Barley Movies and TV shows with a lot of dialog Dandelion Movies and TV shows with heavy subjects Chris Chaisson 2021-07-25 In the wake of the overwhelming popularity of The Queen’s Gambit , it is fitting to discuss the figurative portrayal of chess that is The Wire . A series that examines the drug trade in modern-day west Baltimore, The Wire centers around key dealers, corner boys, addicts, policemen and politicians that play roles in the city’s condition. The show’s ensemble cast, along with the “hyper-realism” described in the show’s pitch bible, paint the picture of fictional characters that represent very real people. Not just in Baltimore, but in any city with all the same moving parts. Despite the lack of classical training, many of the actors across the five-season series depict solid portrayals of characters across the spectrum. Most interestingly, British actors Dominic West ( Chicago , 300 ) and Idris Elba deliver such strong performances that many fans of the show were unaware they hailed from across the pond. Where does chess come into play? Well, the show centers around cause-and-effect. City politicians reallocate funding for the purpose of their own reelection. Policemen circumvent rules to bring media attention to cases they’re tackling. Dealers team up with one another to get rid of a problematic player. Every move influences the next move, but it’s all part of the same game of chess. However, this particular game never runs out of pieces and the king is never truly mated. “Fighting the War on Drugs, one brutality case at a time.” “Girl you can’t even call this **** a war...wars end.” A frequent criticism of The Wire and shows like it is that they try to make “evil” characters redeemable. The dealers are not just dealers; some are violent sociopaths, or as one lawyer puts it, “[parasites] feeding off the despair of the drug trade.” However, they are also proud owners of pet fish or avid fans of basketball and boxing. Some TV audiences accustomed to archetypes castigate this type of character writing, believing that these figures should be portrayed as nothing but the worst. A counterargument is that humanizing characters like this is perfectly appropriate, as the most evil humans in the history of the world were indeed still human. Identities are rarely if ever one-dimensional. Acknowledging the complexity of the characters and forgiving them for their crimes and misdeeds are matters of personal choice. This choice could very well factor into your decision to binge-watch the series—or not. Another criticism thrown around about The Wire is that it “moves too slow.” This analysis is often lobbed at shows with a large ensemble cast and several storylines, but it’s not without merit. The perception that this particular series trudges along likely exists due to its multi-faceted subject matter. Examining education, politics, crime, law enforcement, print journalism and where these areas intersect takes time. Inevitably, these will include elements that are not guaranteed to be of interest to every viewer. Nonetheless, the many moving parts of The Wire make for great setups, payoffs, and well-rounded characters. Back to our chess metaphor, a move early in the game (castling, trading queens, etc.) can reverberate throughout the next 50 or 60 moves. In The Wire , the significance of a brief interaction can resurface two full seasons later. Does that make it boring? Slow-moving? Possibly. But it certainly means every detail matters. Though polar opposites in genre, The Wire may remind you a little of Game of Thrones . An abundance of characters, life-and-death stakes, and a far-reaching chain of cause-and-effect bring these two series together stylistically, despite one being pure fantasy. Sadly, there is a notable absence of fire-breathing dragons in west Baltimore, but an ensemble cast and the strategic moves of the main characters may be enough to draw you in. 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 Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar brings wit and style to a children’s tale < Back The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar brings wit and style to a children’s tale Netflix Studios, 2023 37 minutes Director/Writer: Wes Anderson / Roald Dahl and Wes Anderson Reading Time: 3 minutes 📷 : Used with permission, Netflix The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar Storyteller (AIBRWGF5BI7RHQF0) 00:00 / 03:37 Oolong Movies/shows that make you laugh or involve physical activity like exercise/dance Ginkgo Biloba Youthful, lighthearted, and fun movies and TV shows Chris Chaisson 2023-11-20 Wes Anderson’s distinct style is well-known amongst the film student crowd. His humor, childlike characters, and pastel color palette to tell his stories allow his fans a sense of certainty. The majority of moviegoers buying a ticket to his newest release know what they are getting and know that they like it. Those who do not care for his style will simply not attend. Thus, he is free to experiment within his own style and work with many different A-list actors. The types of characters and stories Anderson writes jive well with children’s stories, as was illustrated in Fantastic Mr. Fox . This may explain his recent short film adaptation of Roald Dahl’s works, including the charming and on-brand work The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar . Anderson’s new Netflix short centers around Henry, a wealthy man who learns of a curious patient featured in a doctor’s report. The patient, treated in a hospital in India, possesses the ability to see through objects despite his obstructed vision. He is not so subtly referred to as “The Man Who Sees Without Using His Eyes,” and he uses his gift for selfish reasons. The doctors seek to use him for a more philanthropic purpose as a teacher of students who are blind, but their plans go awry. Most notable about The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar is how Anderson maintains the feel of reading a book. The characters narrate on screen, breaking the fourth wall briefly and then returning to the scene. Their many asides serve to maintain the verbiage that would be read in a children’s book and allow the audience to chuckle at the short’s self-awareness. Just the same, the characters speak at a frenetic pace and in hushed tones, almost as if they are worried about waking someone up. As many readers simply scan the words or read late at night when others are asleep, this detail of the short makes it feel like a bedtime story. The set design of Henry Sugar provides the audience with the feel of watching a theatrical work, many of which are based on novels themselves. Oftentimes, rather than cuts and dissolves, the transitions from scene to scene are simply props and backgrounds being rearranged. Anderson uses the depth of the location, foregrounding his narrator to make breaking the fourth wall easy while putting the other characters farther from the camera. When the actual storyteller appears on-screen, removed from any of the settings, he is in the center of the frame and speaks directly into the camera. In theater, audiences tend to experience these moments from the narrator at the end of an act as the lights around them dim and they address the entire auditorium. All of these elements approximate the story's original form, the beloved children’s book from which it is derived. While the story itself slightly resembles the 1996 film Phenomenon starring John Travolta, Wes Anderson’s storytelling style in The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar feels similar to Roald Dahl’s most popular work, Matilda (1996). The popular feature film centers around another gifted character and, while not on-screen, still has voice-over narration that helps it maintain a childlike mood, despite some dark, abusive behavior coming from adults. Anderson proves with his short how helpful stylistic choices can be in paying homage to other great artists. Available on Netflix 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!

Queen of the South follows Teresa Mendoza from her beginnings as a money changer on the streets of Sinaloa to her rise as head of an international drug empire. < Back Queen of the South follows Teresa Mendoza from her beginnings as a money changer on the streets of Sinaloa to her rise as head of an international drug empire. USA Network, 2016-21 45 minutes Creator: M.A. Fortin and Joshua John Miller Reading Time: 6 minutes 📷 : Licensed from Shutterstock Queen of the South Latin Sunset (PCTCZB52I0DZLNEA) 00:00 / 07:05 Coca Movies and TV shows about drugs or with disorienting presentations Ginger Thought-provoking movies and TV shows Reba Chaisson 2022-05-02 The 1981 film, Mommie Dearest , contains an iconic scene showing a woman’s courage and strength in a time when social norms dictated that women be obedient, docile, and dependent on their partners. Starring Faye Dunaway ( Bonnie and Clyde , Chinatown ), the film is based on the life of the late actress, Joan Crawford. The scene depicts Crawford facing destitution after the death of her husband in 1959, who was an executive at Pepsi-Cola Corporation. At a meeting intended to nudge her from his board seat, she stands up at the head of the long conference room table fully surrounded with men in suits, leans forward, and loudly and sternly asserts, “Don’t f*** with me fellas!” It got their attention. Sometimes, business dealings come to this. But there are other ways to get what you want too. Queen of the South follows Teresa Mendoza from her beginnings as a money changer on the streets of Sinaloa to her rise as head of an international drug empire. She is left vulnerable after her lover, Guero, played by Jon-Michael Ecker ( Narcos , Firefly Lane ), is killed under suspicious circumstances while working as a drug runner for a cartel. Realizing her life is at risk and now without the protection that comes with being a member of “the family,” she is forced to figure things out on her own. Her only hope for survival is the cliché “notebook” given to her by Guero, which he then urges her to trade with his boss for her life should anything happen to him. Guero’s boss, Don Epifano (Joaquim de Almeida, Fast Five ), will literally kill to get the book back into his hands. The drugs, crime, and brutal violence in Queen of the South provide the landscape for this story about a woman, and more generally, about how women can get it done, whatever “it” is, in a way different than “business as usual.” The series reminds me of Miss Sloane , the 2016 release where Jessica Chastain ( Zero Dark Thirty , Molly’s Game ) plays Madeline Sloane, a smart political operative in D.C. who leads a campaign to pass anti-gun legislation into law. More than a notion, this makes her the enemy of the powerful gun lobby. Similar to Teresa, Madeline navigates her terrain like chess, with deliberate, well-thought-out decisions at every move designed to get her what she wants, without costly missteps. Played by Alice Braga ( I am Legend , Elysium ), Teresa scratches, claws, and fights her way to relative safety in the U.S. She exhales for only a moment before being captured by Don Epifano’s estranged wife and rival, Doña Camila Vargas, played by Veronica Falcón ( Ozark , Perry Mason ). Running her cartel on the U.S. side of the border, she coerces Teresa into drug mule duties. Unbeknownst to Camila, her new “employee” is in possession of a book her husband so desperately wants, a tool that can be used as leverage against him. Meanwhile, Teresa says and does what is necessary to survive, all while learning about “the business.” In Queen of the South , Teresa and Camila differ in their approach to business growth and management. Their starkly contrasting styles are presented in part to let the audience think about whether women’s instincts are innate or if they vary by personality and socialization. To what degree are their decisions and actions shaped by distinguishing qualities they are born with versus forces like: their exposure to ways of handling people and problems; a focus on individual needs; the constrained set of opportunities available to them. Strong, confident, and commanding of attention, Camila can be brutal in her tactics. She punishes rivals and demands nothing short of obedience from her employees. Teresa learns this when she discovers one of her boss’ business partners is cheating her. Although empowered to teach him a lesson, Teresa chooses to “do nothing.” Later, Camila admonishes her for this. “You were in a position to do something about it and you chose mercy. Women in this business cannot afford to look weak. Don’t ever make that mistake again.” This outlook and management style make Camila more like the traditional merciless cartel leader who allows no room for mistakes. Typically, violence characterizes cartels, but Teresa goes against type and stereotype. Rather than brutal killings and wreaked havoc, she is focused and skilled at negotiating deals with suppliers and competitors, qualities which mark her as a leader to be taken seriously. Even her trusted right-hand expresses concern about her approach to conducting business. Pote, played by Hemky Madera ( Spider-Man: Homecoming , Perry Mason ), fears she is too forgiving, that her kindness and mild-mannered approach will be misconstrued as weakness. But thinking on her feet, quickly devising creative solutions to problems, and holding herself, her suppliers, and even her employees accountable in interesting ways, effectively become her trademarks. Like everyone, Teresa and Camila’s lives have been shaped by societal forces, but their responses to those experiences differ greatly. Camila focuses on outward signs of power which becomes apparent in subtle ways. When she and Teresa attend an upscale event, she sarcastically but sternly asks her, “Now, are you going to wear that dress or are you going to let it wear you?” Teresa changes her walk and demeanor to project power—and following Camila’s advice, wears that dress! Projecting power is key for Camila. Her experiences as the wife of a cartel leader taught her the importance of this in helping to prevent troubles brought about by employee betrayal and business partners who cheat. Teresa garners strength and loyalty by recognizing the depths of humanity and coming up with ways to make it work. The cinematography is bright, with scenes often shot in ideal weather conditions—warm temperatures underneath clear skies. Over the course of five seasons, the series peers into cities in Mexico, the United States, Spain, and Malta. The venues become progressively palatial and the scenery increasingly posh, signifying Teresa’s ascendancy in the business. A far cry from the need to yell at a room full of men, Teresa and Camila make clear in this piece, 40 years after Mommie Dearest , that times have changed and there is more than one way to get the job done. 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 Steven Renkovish Interview: A Talk with Writer/Director Steven Renkovish Interview with Writer/Director Steven Adam Renkovish on The Awakening of Lilith Chris Chaisson 2021-11-19 Reading time: 18 minutes Synopsis: A woman finds herself in the midst of a dark mystery after the unexplained loss of a loved one. Her mind begins to unravel as her sense of reality begins to slip away. Principal Cast: Brittany Renée as “Lilith” Justin Livingston as “Noah” Mary Miles Kokotek as “Mother” Rachel Sims Jackson as “Elizabeth” Tiffany Majors Doby as “Emily” Christiana Wilson as “Dawn” Jessie Roberts as “Iris” Crew: Writer/Director/Editor: Steven Adam Renkovish Director of Photography: Thomas Springer Music: Seth Anderson Producers: Ashley Renkovish, Lorraine Renkovish, Steve Renkovish, Brittany Renée Special Makeup Effects: Jessie Roberts During 2019, writer/director Steven Adam Renkovish decided to build off the momentum he gained from his short film, Fugue , by writing and shooting its feature-length version, The Awakening of Lilith . Starring Brittany Renée in the role of “Lilith,” the film addresses how we grieve in the aftermath of traumatic events and how some remain in that state, seemingly unable or unwilling to fight their way out of it. “ The Awakening of Lilith explores this idea of the weight of grief - how some of us long to forget it the minute we feel it, the very second it shows its face, and how others almost see it as a comfort,” Renkovish states in the film’s press kit. “Because grief tethers us to our loved ones for eternity, every time that we grieve for them, they are there, in some way or another… I hope that the experience of watching The Awakening of Lilith will initiate a conversation that needs to be had. I hope that, through the character of Lilith, people may see a bit of themselves. That is my hope.” I reached out to Steven for an interview to talk more about the film’s themes and the challenges he faced in finishing it during the pandemic, as well as his plans for future projects. Lilith’s Themes Chris: The big theme of the movie is processing grief following a traumatic event. How would you describe Lilith’s dilemma and the more surreal experiences she has? Renkovish: Throughout the movie, Lilith has two different realities that she's wrestling with, to cope with this tragedy in her life that she's blocked out. She's taken the reality and sort of put her own spin on it to be able to cope. … I did a lot of research about false memories, and how people who are grieving will create things to fill in those gaps in their memory of the stuff that they blocked out. … So I really wanted to play with that psychology of just how we can take the traumatic experiences in our lives and sort of whittle them down and get them to a point where they're something that we can live with. … Describing a poignant scene in the film with Lilith and her best friend Elizabeth, played by Rachel Sims Jackson, Renkovish explains that it was telling because it reveals Lilith’s own emotional baggage and how it gets in the way of helping people close to her. Renkovish: So, if you look at Lilith, you'll notice that there are similarities in the situations and in the dialogue, but they're twisted in a lot of ways. So I really wanted to play with that psychology of just how we can take the traumatic experiences in our lives and sort of whittle them down and get them to a point where they're something that we can live with. … Because in a way Lilith was never really prepared to help Noah in the way that he needed to be helped. … I wanted to touch on the fact that when we lose people - I feel like, we sit there and we ask ourselves so many times, what could I have done to alleviate their pain. … we have those dialogues with ourselves when really, I mean, we can't put that kind of pressure on ourselves. … And I wanted to touch on that sort of dynamic with her character of just the guilt that she's feeling and the way that it's just caused her to retreat. And it's almost like she finds comfort in her grief. And that's an odd thing, too, because we tend to look at grieving as something negative. … But it's also a comfort because whenever you grieve for your loved ones, they're there with you, in a way, their presence - it's just a lot of stuff to unpack. … But it was one of those situations where it's like, you have this opportunity to make this feature film. Why not say the things you want to say? Chris: Exactly. When I was watching it, I felt like Lilith seemed like somebody who leans on people a little bit. She's a codependent personality. So I thought it was interesting for her to be having this stage of grief in her life by herself. You see a lot of movies where the main character suffers a loss, and the movie’s about somebody that they meet that pulls them out of that. When I was watching it, I thought it was interesting, this movie where she's in this state largely by herself and at odds with some of the people around her. Renkovish: Oh, exactly. Yeah, to me, that was one of the big things because when you're in the midst of something like that, and if you're with people who are not ready to be emotionally available to you when you need that support, especially if you're someone like Lilith with the mother that she had. … the more I watch it, the more I see where my own subconscious sort of took over. And there's just so many possibilities with it. Like so many. There's a lot of mirroring in it. Like, one minute Lilith is the one just popping off or it's Noah who's popping off to Lilith in one scene. And then in the next scene, he's the more submissive one, and the more docile one, and she's the one who's aggressive. ... Sometimes, we treat our loved ones, especially when they're going through something, we can be dismissive. It doesn't necessarily mean that we're responsible for what ultimately ends up happening, but that we’re imperfect. … There's a lot of twists and turns that it takes, and it is deliberately ambiguous in a lot of areas, because I always find that I would rather have that ambiguity, and leave some strings untied, rather than have everything presented in a nice big bow at the end. ... I hope it will be able to generate these kinds of discussions. And I think that these are things that need to be talked about, especially now when there's just so much loss going on in the world. And I understand that it deals with some heavy and dense and complex themes, but at the same time, to me, it is a hopeful film. Shooting Challenges Renkovish and I spent some time talking about the challenges he faced while shooting Lilith during the pandemic. Besides directing a large pool of actors and fighting what he calls his tendency to be a “people pleaser,” he had to deal with time and budget constraints. Chris: You shot this film in the middle of the pandemic. What was the most challenging aspect of the shoot? Renkovish: Everyone that worked on it, God bless them, they were volunteers. Altogether, after the movie was through, we're like, “How much money did we spend on this thing?” Because we really didn't spend a lot. I bought a new laptop to edit; well, my sister got me one for Christmas. And we catered a little bit, paid for Thomas's gas money whenever he would let us do it. And about $3,000. About $3,000 for this little movie. … We really wanted to have sort of a homemade, homespun sort of feel to it. And the challenge was working within those constraints, and still trying to be as true to the nature of the script as we possibly could. And I really think we did. … There were several days where I was thinking to myself, you've bitten off more than you can chew, because this is a huge project … [We] didn't have the luxury of having the time to block things out … And it was just chaos, because every person there had an idea of how they wanted a scene to go. And I got really overwhelmed because I'm a people pleaser, and I didn't want anybody to get offended. And I was trying to be that director who listens to suggestions, and just works with the group … Just the fact that we didn't have the time that you usually have on a film set with a big budget to block things out and to have all that planning ahead of time. And so that was a challenge. But it brought the best out of everybody. Art Influences During our conversation, I learned that Renkovish is “old school,” in his approach to filmmaking. He talks about Ingmar Bergman and David Lynch as he delves into how he thinks about the stories he develops. Chris: As I was watching it, I was just thinking about directors who do movies with a similar tone to them. One of the ones that came to mind was Charlie Kaufman and the way some of his movies are about a main character [experiencing] a breakup or an imagined relationship, more so than the death of a loved one. They have some surreal elements concerning the state that this person was in and how they were coping with this new reality that they were having. I know you mentioned Roman Polanski, but I was wondering if there were any other directors that you looked at and saw yourself as emulating. Renkovish: Um, let's see. Okay, so I think after I started writing Fugue , which was the lead up to this, I think by then Polanski was just no longer a blip in my mind at this point. My other influences at this point were Ingmar Bergman. Specifically, his film, Hour of the Wolf, and Persona . So I really had those on my mind. And then David Lynch. And Andrzej Zulawski’s Possession , so those three juggling around in my brain, maybe with a dash of Terrence Malick. Yeah, just a little bit, I think. ... But then this was one of the first times where I could see myself also being influenced by my own little ways of doing and saying and staging things. With Fugue , Fugue was actually really big, just as far as trying to keep within the mood of that and the framing. And so it was one of the first times that I was acutely aware of the way that I like to do stuff. And then sort of pulling little bits of inspiration from these other people as well. … And so I definitely had my influences. And, especially Bergman, in this case, that bedroom scene with Noah and Lilith. I was thinking of scenes of a marriage a lot when I was shooting. So I got my people that I'm always thinking about. Chris: What did you find more interesting, as a director, the framing, and I know you leaned on your director of photography a lot, Thomas Springer is his name? Renkovish: Thomas Springer. Old Tommy, yeah. Chris: I know you probably leaned on him a lot for your framing of the shots. But what did you find to be the more interesting part of making the film, the framing of the shots or the coaching up of your actors? Renkovish: Um, I would say a little bit of both. I mean, as far as the framing and everything, I have a shot list prepared. And I talked earlier about having to make compromises whenever something needed to be changed up, Tommy would frame it up for me, and then he would bring me over and he'd be like, “Alright, boss, how does this look?” And I would confirm it and be like, “Yeah, that looks good. That looks really good; that actually looks better than what I had in mind.” So as far as that, with Tommy, I knew that I was gonna get as much coverage as humanly possible. And he was willing to do what I wanted, and then go off and experiment and do other things, too. So I gave him ... free reign. … I mean, when you have somebody like Tommy on your team that is just so dependable, and willing to just go all out. That took a lot of that aspect off my shoulders, although I was always very aware of it. ... But then just going in and talking with my actors, and especially Britney and Justin Livingston, who played Noah. Justin is like, he is incredible. I'm so proud of him in this role, he did such a great job. And he was the perfect match for Britney because they both played off each other so well. ... So I would send them long texts with background information about their characters. And they would read that and incorporate that into their characters. I would go in before each scene and we would talk about the subtext of every scene and what the scene meant and what the characters were thinking. But you give them that bit of direction, and then just let them go with it. And they'll surprise you. There's no need to get in there and micromanage and overcorrect a scene when you have actors as good as that. Promotion Plans One of the most expensive elements of making a film is promoting it. This exposure is important for gaining “buzz” about the film, which typically leads to viewership and prospects for distribution. Renkovish described film festivals as the path to doing this for Lilith . Chris: You were talking to me about submitting to festivals, and you said you've gotten yours into the Tryon International Film Festival in North Carolina, and also the Mental Filmness Film Festival in Chicago. Were you able to attend those in person? And what was your experience like? Renkovish: Well, the Tryon International Film Festival in Tryon, North Carolina, is like the Sundance of this area. Like they got it going on, and they never let me down. Just about every single thing that I've had. I mean, everything that I have made thus far has gotten to try on in there. They really have been supportive of my work. And I'm telling you, Chris, they are so I mean, they're with it. Like they're there. ... A lot of festivals, God bless them, they just don't have the budget, but the people at Tryon, they take every penny and they make it stretch, and they put on quite the event. And they're always so accommodating and familial and welcoming. It really is like a home away from home. If you ever get the chance to go to the Tryon International Film Festival, you need to do it. It is well worth it. You will go away feeling so loved. ... And that's where we had the world premiere of Lilith , and it was quite the event. There were just, there's nothing like seeing your dream come true. With a room full of people that you've known your whole life who are there rooting for you. And that's it. The premiere of Lilith at Tryon was something that changed my life and something I'll never forget. It was one of those landmark moments. ... And the Mental Filmness Festival is a virtual film festival based in Chicago. So I actually didn't attend in person, but [Sharon Gissy] who runs it is phenomenal. Like she knows her stuff. She's very well read and Mental Filmness is basically a film festival that focuses on films that have the theme of mental illness and try to take away from the stigma of mental illness. And they brought our film on and we're happy to have it, and it played on their platform for about a month. And they were wonderful too; just really good people. So that was, shoot, I would’ve gone if I could have if it had been a physical event at a venue. But not at this point. It's just virtual, but another good festival. Future Projects Before ending our talk, Renkovish touched on several of his upcoming projects, including a collaboration with his co-editor on Lilith , and one that he hopes gets him in a “little bit of trouble.” Chris: That's cool. I'm glad you got to have those experiences. I mean, it's really impressive that you were able to put this film together with the resources you had and in the time period you were able to, and then I'm glad you're able to not only get it into those, but probably future ones as well. And so I will of course be rooting for you, not only for the future of this project, but for your future projects. Any, of course, is there anything else you wanted to say? Renkovish: Oh, well, number one, thank you so much for this opportunity. Like, it really means the world to me that you reached out for an interview. Yeah, I'm definitely going to keep you posted on my future projects. I've got two short films that I've sort of got on the back burner right now. One of those is going to be shot completely on eight-millimeter film stock. So that one is coming up. And then my next feature is going to be called Immersion . And it's basically going to be like an anthology film about people that are wrestling with faith and doubt in many different forms. And I'm going to take the Evangelical crowd to task a little bit in this one. But yeah, I'm hoping that one gets me in a little bit of trouble. We'll see what happens. I'm going to stir the pot a little bit. So yeah, I've got those things going. ... And my brother from another mother, Bradley Andrew. He was the assistant editor with me on Lilith . There's like a big dream sequence in the midsection of Lilith. That just comes out of nowhere. And he and I edited that together. We stayed up to like three o'clock in the morning one night and edited that whole sequence together. And so yeah, me and him are doing a short film called 16 . That is shot on eight-millimeter film stock. And it's sort of like an experimental, psychedelic film. And he's also going to act in it as well. And he's a film director and also an author, and he is working on his own series of comic books right now. So he's got a lot on his plate, too. So just a lot of really good things are coming on down the pike. So I'll keep you posted. Having submitted to 70 film festivals, the filmmaker describes himself as “broke,” but his comments indicate that he is passionate about the work while also hopeful that the film hits strongly on its themes. “I’m not always going to make films that are palatable to a mainstream audience. …,” he says. “But I’m hoping that it does well … and resonates with people [who] see it.” You can find more info about The Awakening of Lilith on Facebook , Letterboxd and IMDb , or email Refuge Films for updates. Check out our review of Lilith in our Movies section. 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Lawmen: Bass Reeves distinguishes between fear and respect < Back Lawmen: Bass Reeves distinguishes between fear and respect 101 Studios, 2023 45 minutes Creator: Chad Feehan Reading Time: 6 minutes 📷 : Licensed from Shutterstock Lawmen: Bass Reeves Saddle Up (9QA0KKDY5QU5JQER) 00:00 / 07:36 Masala Chai Movies and TV shows about toughness and athletic competition Rosemary Movies and TV shows with intense action Reba Chaisson 2023-12-22 Lawmen: Bass Reeves , the 2023 Paramount+ limited series based on a true story, puts the notions of fear and respect front and center. The intense, action-filled story follows the life and career of a Black deputy U.S. marshal in the postbellum South. Recently freed from enslavement, Deputy Marshal Reeves has been hired by Judge Parker (Donald Sutherland) to travel his Southern district to catch people wanted for serious crimes such as robbery and murder. A self-assured and deeply religious man, Bass, played by David Oyelowo ( Selma , The Butler ), traverses Arkansas and what is now Oklahoma perched atop his horse. Combined with his badge, the two place him at a physical and social focal point that forces his captives and others to look up to him and acknowledge his position of authority. Indeed, much of the 8-part series shows Reeves on his horse with his badge visible, likely creator Chad Feehan’s goal of presenting a stark contrast to the previously low social level Reeves was relegated to when slavery was a legal and accepted practice just a few years prior. For historical context, after the issuance of the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863, the South underwent Reconstruction from 1867-1877. During this period, Blacks were granted citizenship and the right to vote with the 14th and 15th Amendments, respectively. Public schools and colleges were constructed for Black students, and Black men were elected to state legislatures in the South with some even serving in Congress. This was a tenuous period with many White people still reeling from the forced release of their centuries-long grip of Black people that they had become accustomed to seeing as objects and legally treating as property. Thus, the idea of a Black man freely traversing the South arresting people with the power of a marshal's badge is, to say the least, astounding, not only for some White people in this era, but even for some who are Black. For many White Southerners, a Black lawman challenges their views of where Black men are situated relative to White people in the socially constructed racial hierarchy. Conversely, Black people view Reeves as misguided, a traitor even, for arresting “his own,” particularly when the crimes were justifiable. One Black man, for example, whom Reeves arrests for killing a former enslaver, insists the man deserved it. The man explains that the enslaver vowed to kill his people before he set them free. So, when he received the news that enslaved persons had been emancipated, he locked them in their cabins and burned them all alive. For this, Reeves’s captive asserts he has “no regrets” for killing the man and insists he would “do it again.” While clearly moved by the story, Reeves’ view is that the question of his captive’s innocence or guilt is not one for him to decide but rather one for the court. He refers to Bible verses alluding to God as the Judge and the one that his detainees must ultimately answer to. Like a focused automaton, his job, in his view, is to capture and bring them in so they can have their day in court. Reeves is guided by a set of principles that dictates how he goes about his work. But he expects, perhaps naïvely, that other lawmen operate according to a similar moral code. We see this when his assistant, Billy Crow, played by Forrest Goodluck ( The Revenant , The Miseducation of Cameron Crowe ), is distracted during a mission and ends up shooting a fleeing suspect who regrettably dies. Reeves’s facial expression conveys his annoyance with his young assistant, who later asks him if he is going to fire him. Reeves removes a bullet from his gun, pulls his horse up next to Billy’s, and tosses the bullet to him. Perplexed, Billy asks, “A bullet?” Reeves simply responds, “Each one a man’s life.” This happens more than once during the series where Reeves becomes dismayed at the irresponsible decisions, even of an overzealous peer. Because Reeves is fluent in the Choctaw language and familiar with Indigenous territories in the South, Marshal Sherrill Lynn, played by Dennis Quaid, asks for his help in finding a Choctaw man wanted for arrest. When Marshal Lynn disrespects a Choctaw woman in her home and later sets fire to the suspect’s home, burning him alive, Reeves is disgusted with his behavior. He forcefully confronts Lynn and reiterates that the goal of their job is to bring in suspects and allow them their day in court. Married with four children, Reeves asserts that he would rather continue to till the unyielding land on his farm and risk his family going hungry than work with such a man. He then promptly mounts his horse and rides off. Lauren E. Banks plays Reeves’ wife, Jennie, who holds down the fort at home guided by principles similar to those of her husband. It is unusual for women to be represented as strong back in the day. But the series depicts this in Jennie Reeves who at one point tells an imposing pastor and dinner guest that he is preaching his questionable wares to the wrong house. White women as well are often depicted as feminine and fragile, but we see them differently in the series as when Bass Reeves informs a blind woman that her husband is dead. Showing no surprise, she responds, “I take it you found him in some woman’s bed” – brutal forthrightness that leaves Reeves speechless. We also see female depictions deviate from their typical representations when a sex worker reading a book during her break explains to Billy Crow facts about the world she has read about and seen firsthand. This scene challenges his assumptions that her identity is solely that of a sex worker and her entire adult life has been spent in a brothel. Chad Feehan’s production reminds me a lot of the strong themes and meticulously crafted characters in Taylor Sheridan’s works, who coincidentallly is an executive producer on the series. Sheridan's Yellowstone is a contemporary Western-style drama series with seemingly bigger than life characters like John Dutton and Rip Wheeler, respectively played by Kevin Costner and Cole Hauser. Like Deputy Marshal Reeves, John Dutton has a North Star, a set of principles that guide him. In Dutton’s case, it is to keep his 750,000 acres and destroy everything and anyone who attempts to infringe upon it. Bass’s principles, on the other hand, can best be described as moral or spiritual in nature. Collins Dictionary defines respect in several ways, but they all culminate into this: courteous consideration and regard for someone’s wishes, rights, or customs, and the deference or dutiful regard for law and moral principles. Understanding this, people who give respect are not necessarily looking for it in return, but this is nonetheless a by-product of treating others respectfully. In the 1982 movie, 48 Hours , Eddie Murphy’s 20-year-old character jokes that a Black man with a badge is a person White people fear most. But Reeves isn’t at all interested in being feared by anyone. He is, however, invested in respect. Indeed, there is a difference, a big difference between the two. 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!

River of Grass makes us consider the predicaments of young veterans < Back River of Grass makes us consider the predicaments of young veterans Skinny Lee Productions, 2024 17 minutes Director/Writer: Derek Magyar / Jon Bloch, Chad Christopher, and Derek Magyar Reading Time: 3 minutes 📷 : Used with permission, Skinny Lee Productions River of Grass All that Remains (DMK19LKPHWVEQWLA) 00:00 / 04:25 Dandelion Movies/shows with heavy subjects Honeybush Nonfamily dramas with strong adult and/or socioeconomic themes Derek Magyar 2024-08-22 There is a kneejerk tendency to decontextualize people’s lives. This can lead to rash uninformed judgments about some of the decisions they make. But it isn’t always apparent what folks are dealing with nor the level of support cradling them. When youth and limited social experience are layered in, it becomes even more difficult to appreciate the challenges they face. Derek Magyar’s short film, River of Grass , encourages us to critically consider the predicaments of young veterans and perhaps young people in general. Starring Dylan McTee of Roswell, Mexico fame, River of Grass presents 20-something year-old Larry Johnson, who arrives home in the Florida Everglades after serving in the Vietnam War. In reuniting with his family, Larry does not react to being called the usual nicknames, like “war hero” and “Golden Boy.” His older and hostile brother Robert, played by Victor Webster ( Mystery on Mistletoe Lane , Workin’ Moms ), teasingly but jealously tells him “You almost look like a man now.” These labels convey the commonsense idea that Larry is tougher as a result of experiencing war. But this is a superficial assessment based on Larry’s physical fitness and the significance of his uniform. While he looks more fit and upright than when he left, surely, he has been shaken to his core in ways that are not readily apparent. As I wrote in the review of Lonesome Soldier , I suspect the stirrings beneath the surface are, at least in part, veterans’ efforts to reconcile who they are with what they’ve done and seen. Compounding this for Larry is a family whose business is crime, and their explicit and tacit expectations that he rejoin their underground enterprise. Although other options are available to Larry given his veterans benefits, his freedom to exercise them is constrained by his circumstance. As if the weight of the family business isn’t heavy enough to bear, Larry is limited by his mother Betsy’s sentiments (Marceline Hugot) that college “[feeds] kids that liberal hippie crap.” So, Larry’s freedom to do what is right for him is suppressed due to the pressures exerted by his family. Adding in his young age, his ability to freely decide what is right for him becomes even more difficult. When we think of military veterans, we often imagine them as older adults, and the news largely portrays them as such. It is true that nearly three-fourths of military veterans are in this age group, but River of Grass has me wondering if younger veterans are being overlooked in the smaller but significant slice. In any case, responses to their predicaments cannot be simplistic, rectified with labels and platitudes to help them feel seen. There is a need to more fully appreciate the context of young veterans’ lives in order to understand how best to support them given their age and familial constraints. So, I am left wondering if the needs of younger veterans are perhaps more nuanced than those of their older counterparts, who have wider and deeper life experiences and are more likely to have families of their own providing unconditional comfort and affirming support. A Vietnam War-era piece, River of Grass is a dark story in a southern rural setting, where streetlights and landscape lighting typically do not exist. The effect of this is the film’s ominous tone, reminiscent of the 1986 feature length movie At Close Range , with Sean Penn as Brad Jr. and Christopher Walken as his father, Brad Sr. The elder Brad heads a violent crime business in rural Pennsylvania and is eventually joined by his unsuspecting son. Like River of Grass , At Close Range is shot mostly in the dark, and the subject matter is seedy and ominous. Note that River of Grass contains language of the period that some might find offensive. 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!

Echo shines a light on the gifts of generations past < Back Echo shines a light on the gifts of generations past Marvel Studios, 2024 42 minutes Creator: Marion Dayre Reading Time: 9 minutes 📷 : Used with permission, Rye Coleman https://www.instagram.com/coleman811/ Echo Afterpxrty 00:00 / 12:20 Coca Movies and TV shows about drugs or with disorienting presentations Masala Chai Movies and TV shows about toughness and athletic competition Reba Chaisson 2024-11-14 When my husband and I were dating, his family would regale me with stories of his childhood. Most of them were meant to be fun and funny, but there were some that carried a much more serious tone. They would always follow up the ones in the latter group with “He got that from his dad,” “Yeah, he’s just like Great Granddaddy,” or “That boy is just like his uncle was when he was that age.” It helps when older adults in the family are around to pass on these stories firsthand. You can see for yourself the joy they take in having played a part in their loved one’s make-up. They marvel at how their once very young child has evolved to define themselves as an extension of them. Ech o presents such a passing on of generational lore through Marvel’s story of Maya, a deaf and mute Choctaw girl in Tamaha, Oklahoma. The five-episode series opens with Maya who, at about 7-years-old, loses her mother in a tragic car accident and then struggles to find her center. The loss of Maya’s right leg in the crash only compounds her challenges, although this is depicted more as an inconvenience for her than a disability. For such a young child, she expresses no pain or wonderment about her missing leg and seems to take it all in stride. Chula, Maya’s grandmother, blames her son-in-law William (Zahn McClarnon) for her daughter’s death. So, soon after his daughter’s recovery, he and Maya move from their home in Tahama to New York City to start a new life. Shortly after settling in New York, William hands over Maya to someone off-camera for martial arts training, skills at which she becomes quite adept as she grows into a young woman. But when 20-something-year-old Maya, played by Alaqua Cox ( Hawkeye , Flash before the Bang ), arrives at William’s auto shop on her motorcycle one day and sees him killed by a masked man, she handles her grief by indulging in crimes like burglary and motor vehicle theft. It is then that we meet the man who calls himself her “uncle,” and with whom she had become close since moving to New York City and beginning her martial arts training. Kingpin Fisk is played by Vincent D’Onofrio, who is best known for his many seasons as Detective Bobby Goren on Law & Order: Criminal Intent . In his heart-to-heart talk with Maya, he tells her “Let me help you release this rage in a more constructive way. Take your hurt, loss, and pain. Make it into something useful.” Kingpin encourages Maya to use her fighting skills to shake down and often kill his enemies. But when she later learns Kingpin ordered her father’s death, she shoots him and flees back to Tahama on her black motorcycle. While Marvel’s crafting of the villains in this series are somewhat convincing, they are moreso entertaining. One of Kingpin’s cronies, Zane, played by Andrew Howard ( Banshee , Mayor of Kingstown ), is a small-framed British man who often wears sunglasses indoors and pants that are too short. Kingpin himself is a comical villain, a big bald man in a white suit with a raspy voice. While hulking and scary at times, he also has a sense of humor. At one point in the series, he brings Maya dinner, wine, and dessert. Not trusting him, she uncorks the wine and pours it into the sink when he isn’t looking. When they sit down, he unpacks the food and says, “Cookies from La Vane. Are they still your favorite?” She nods in the affirmative. He responds, “Let’s hope those don’t go the way of the wine.” Echo has an age-diverse cast, with actors from pre-adolescence to older adults. Tantoo Cardinal ( Wind River , Killers of the Flower Moon ) plays Maya’s crusty maternal grandmother, Chula, who avoids her, not realizing that she is punishing her granddaughter for the disdain she still carries for her deceased son-in-law. Through her, we learn that when we lose someone we love, as Chula did with her daughter, we sometimes blame others. Anyone in proximity to those blamed is often collateral damage. As he did in the movie Wind River , Graham Greene, who plays Maya’s granddad, Skully, injects humor and wisdom into the series. He flirts with Chula and imparts old-school knowledge to Maya to help her gain some empathy for her grandmother and some understanding of Choctaw culture. Echo is filled with an abundance of spiritual symbolism designed to tell the story of Maya’s ancestral origins. The embedded mini-films or historical pieces consume about ten percent of each episode, and their purpose is not made clear until the final segment. Because of this, watching the series can feel incongruous at times. These moments, however, are key to the series as they elucidate Maya’s struggles with understanding who she is and how she seems to have a special strength and courage, and a gift for combat that is typically reserved for Choctaw men. While some skills were taught to her, others were infused — passed on to her through five generations of Choctaw women who came before her. Despite the important generational depictions linking Maya to her ancestors, watching the show can still be frustrating with respect to the lack of translations for its language use. Choctaw, for instance, is sometimes used by the characters, but on-screen translations are not consistently provided so that audiences who don’t know the language can follow the dialog and story. The same occurs with the frequent signing in the series. Because Maya is deaf, mute, and unable to read lips, she communicates through ASL (American Sign Language). Some of the main characters are fluent in the language, such as her father’s former friend-in-crime, Henry, played by Chaske Spencer ( Blind Spot , Twilight Saga franchise), who also speaks as he signs. Her grandparents, Skully and Chula, know it somewhat and occasionally speak as they sign. Still, other main characters don’t know ASL at all, such as Kingpin, who eventually purchases an AI gadget that does the signing for him. The lack of electronics used in this mostly dark-lit, rural-situated series makes the sudden appearance of leading-edge technology feel like a time warp has been inserted in the middle of an episode and near the end of the series. It is as if the filmmakers decided this on a whim because they suddenly realized that Kingpin wouldn’t be able to communicate with Maya otherwise. The varying degrees of fluency in ASL among the characters, though, is not problematic. What is problematic is the failure of the filmmakers to consider that much of the audience is neither fluent in ASL nor Choctaw, and thus are unable to follow the dialog when the lines are not spoken or translations not made available on-screen. In addition to the images, language is needed to connect the audience to the characters and the story. Foreign films provide full subtitles in well over a dozen languages; Echo provides few for its Choctaw and ASL translations. It is as if a different crew member was assigned to this task every day of filming, and someone forgot to tell each person that they needed to do this. Or it’s as if someone neglected to tell the editor. Or perhaps the project simply ran out of budget. That someone signed off on Echo ’s release without performing appropriate quality assurance is problematic. Unfortunately, the result is a multimillion-dollar series that delivers a frustrating and off-putting cinematic experience for its audience. Music dynamics like mezzo forte , pianissimo , and crescendo give character to music by varying its highs, lows, and even tempo throughout a song. In doing this, dynamics help keep us engaged in the music — making our heads bob, our bodies sway, and even moving us to cry sometimes. Film, as well, should stir such emotional, seemingly natural variances in our responses. Audience members should feel something. Maya’s expressions throughout the series, however, remain unconvincing even when she witnesses her father’s death and gets her metal prosthesis jammed between two railroad cars. These should result in a seismic jolt that sends chills down the audience members’ spines or makes their eyes get big. Instead, each scene comes across as just another scene. As the protagonist in the series, Maya needs to keep the audience engaged in the story by varying the intensity of her facial expressions and body language as needed for the scene. This is especially crucial given her lack of oral speech. The audience can’t hear her frustration so that it has a chance of feeling it. I think, for example, about Marlee Matlin’s characters in shows like Children of a Lesser God and West Wing . The audience knows when her characters are happy, smitten, pissed-off, and even being playful. The comparison is not intended to pit one person who is deaf against another. It is to highlight the importance of being animated on-screen when hearing and speech are not available to you. I suppose it can be argued that these could indicate personality differences between actors. Perhaps. It is still necessary, though, for an actor - any actor, to find ways to engage the show’s audience or they will lose them. There are also happenings in the film that the protagonist can do nothing about. For instance, Henry owns a skating rink in Tamaha. He and Maya are kidnapped and held at the rink by criminal wannabes hoping to hand her over to Kingpin for a bounty. Maya has an opportunity to overtake the incompetent perpetrators, but instead, pushes them out of the room and locks herself back inside. This is confusing to me even after returning from yet another weird David Yurman commercial. Now, no one watching the series to this point is surprised about what happens to the criminal wannabes when Kingpin’s guys arrive. At any rate, Maya eventually escapes the room she could have left some time earlier, and beats six, seven, eight of Kingpin’s men in hand to hand to feet combat, that is, before yet another David Yurman commercial comes on! The writing for this series is perplexing, unconvincing, and frustrating. The problems with Echo notwithstanding, I think sometimes we forget that our strength and courage, while we often own them, are not flukes. Like an echo, much of who we are were passed to us as gifts from those who came across the generations before us. Unfortunately, this theme in the series is clouded by the show’s problems. I once read that Stevie Wonder spent ten years writing his hit song, “As.” He would work on it, walk away from it for a while, and come back to it later to work on it some more. “As” was finally released in 1976 and it was well worth the wait. While Echo didn’t necessarily require ten years, it did require similar nurturing, so that the audience could enjoy the experience and appreciate its themes. 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!