In a world where people are divided into distinct factions based on human virtues, Noah is given a divine mission: to build an Ark.
No, wait. In a world ravaged by human sin, Tris Prior is warned she is Divergent and will never fit into any one group.
Or something like that.
This would be the place to discuss Divergent or Noah.
The week after a report loosely connected to NASA was widely interpreted as predicting the apocalypse and one week before our favorite post-apocalyptic show terminates for another season, the survivors make their way to a place that may or may not be safe.
A genre veteran joins the cast. There’s something about Mary….
Some time has passed since we’ve reviewed an older film for Weekend Review, and Beasts of the Southern Wild, the magical realist drama that the Chicago Tribune‘s Michael Phillips called “the most divisive film of 2012,” seems a good choice, with its blend of drama and fantasy and its SF-seeming setting. The independent movie received the Camera D’Or at Cannes and the Grand Jury Prize at Sundance, among numerous other awards. Its star became the youngest person ever to receive the Oscar nomination for best actress. Critics, overall, were positive, and American President Barack Obama called the film “spectacular.”
Others found Beasts offensively condescending and sentimental, or argue that the inhabitants of its off-grid community come too close to the Noble Savage stereotype. Academic/activist bell hooks, whose work I admire, is among those who consider elements of the movie racist and sexist. Cole Smithy awarded it zero stars– a rating it shares with Battlefield Earth!.
So, what do we think?
The latest episode of “Big Screen Batman” can be downloaded here. Sorry I haven’t edited it as thoroughly as I usually do, but it’s late (just over an hour before release) and I’m quite sick. Still, I’ve only been late once out of 109 podcasts, by hours but on the correct day, and I don’t ever intend to be late again!
Tell me this wouldn’t be the most amazing crossover.
Or, just discuss either of the films. What does the Bureau think?
The complete list of nominations and wins can be found here. Gravity was the big winner from the genre and non-genre entertainment perspectives, although it was not chosen for Best Picture.
Variety reports that the cast of the 2015 Fantastic Four reboot is largely in place. (Schedules need to be sorted out.) They are looking at Miles Teller for Mr. Fantastic, Kate Mara as the Invisible Woman, Jamie Bell as the Thing and Michael B. Jordan as the Human Torch. I’m not familiar with any of their work, so I won’t comment on that aspect. The only concern I have is that it no longer appears that Sue and Johnny are siblings. I question how the relationship dynamics will play out, and if they will feel like the Fantastic Four to me. Michael B. Jordan was the first person cast in the role, so I would have expected them to cast Sue Storm to match.
The first full trailer for “Guardians of the Galaxy” was premiered on Jimmy Kimmel’s Tonight Show last night. You can watch it here:
[youtube=http://youtu.be/pTZ2Tp9yXyM]
This weekend sees a couple of genre releases. More on Robocop later. For now, does anyone want to discuss this released-for-Valentine’s magic realist romance?
Regular reader hussein has written a review of this film in Bureau 42 style, appearing here originally, and other sites (such as this one, of course) as well.