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It's a Bird. It's a Plane. It's Really, Really Bad. But it had Potential. - Supergirl (1984)

Some claim that Superman’s icon crest is more recognizable than the Christian cross. And regardless of whether or not that’s true, it’s far from a baseless notion. For this day and age, it’s the superhero that acts as the modern-day myth, cult, church, role model, everything. And among the plethora of tight wearing titans, the O.G. Man of Steel remains supreme as the gold standard of hope, heroics, and hearth-side tales. So then where does that leave his, some may argue, lesser counterpart, Supergirl? Is Kara Zor-El just a one-’n-done gender swap gimmick meant to milk out a few more greenbacks from the Superman brand? Or is she a worthy carrier of the fabled crest, one that steps out from Superman’s mile high shadow to bask in her own glorious light? Well, if one were to base their decision off of her first theatrical foray, it’s hard to believe anyone would find her compelling in the slightest. But maybe, just maybe that has to do more with the offered story, rather than the heroin, ...
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We’re All Gonna Die: Death and Disaster Amidst the Ceaseless Mundane

Life for the billions of wandering souls on this earth take a myriad of unknown paths, each twisting and looping here and there to the disparate tunes of triumph and turmoil, of splendor and horror, of serenity and pain. And no matter how similar any two paths may be, all are unique unto themselves as to how they play out, say for one detail. Because from the very moment any of us beautiful specs of stardust are fortunate or unfortunate enough to be forged into a soul and shot into this world, there has only ever been and will only ever be one constant, one commonality, one truth. At some point, we’re all gonna die.  We’re All Gonna Die is a light sci-fi, romantic-comedy road trip film, where ( in the near future ) a mysterious 10,000-mile high “spike” materializes, imbeds itself into earth, and wreaks havoc each time it teleports. Fast forwarding a year later, and struggling beekeeper, Thalia ( Ashlie Burch ), and emotionally raw EMT, Kai ( Jordan Rodriguez ), find themselves tea...

Predestination - Profound. Perplexing. Paradoxical.

Warning! Predestination , regardless of its inferred quality, is a film best experienced without spoilers or much of any kind of priming. Whether ultimately deemed good or bad, it’s without question an original experience that will leave any viewer spinning with curiosity and clambering for discussion. All that being said, if you care to know a little more, please proceed.  “A man can do what he wills, but he cannot will what he wills.” These thought-provoking words of Arthur Schopenhaur churned within me as I watched the credits roll on the thrilling cat-and-mouse time caper known as Predestination . Written by Michael and Peter Spierberg, they have crafted a mind-warping tale that follows a temporal agent ( Ethan Hawk ) as he travels back in time to make one last attempt at thwarting a mysterious and elusive mad bomber responsible for the deaths of masses upon masses of innocent lives. The question is, can the temporal agent succeed in altering this tragic past or is he mer...

The Visitant. Nothing, but Vibes … Deliciously Spooky Vibes

Oh, in the late hour, how dreadful the bumps and shadows of the night can be. But rest assured, it’s usually nothing more than the wicked tricks of your paranoid mind running amok … well … if you’re lucky . Because sometimes those ghostly flashes in one’s peripherals or the unsettling creaks of one’s home can be far more real and malevolent than any would want them to be. And if they truly are, then what is a lonesome soul to do? This question and more, I’m sure, ran through Josh’s mind, when he found himself caught in an unsettling game of cat-and-mouse with the mysterious, shadow stalker known as The Visitant . The Visitant ( 2024 ) is a horror-short written and directed by Chad and Brennan Sano that tells the tale of Josh ( Aaron Groben ), an artist that inadvertently creates a gateway into another world that invites a dark presence into his home. Clocking in at exactly 7 minutes ( with credits ), not a single second is wasted, wracking the spirit with a lingering dread that does ...

Failing with Style. Aging with Grace? - Oblivion (2013)

Time. What a wonder of reality. Because no matter what lay before or behind its path, it holds the power to bolster, erode, redeem, or punish as it sees fit. People. Places. History. Culture. Ideas. Stories. It doesn’t matter. All manner of existence must humble itself before its will, praying desperately to either forever hold its favor or at the very least, to one day find it. And amongst the myriad of entities that writhe within its ceaseless tide, it’s our precious narratives, in all their varied forms, that come into question more than anything else. So for one such tale of an abysmal future ravaged by ill favor, shall we now find it redeemed by time and finally worthy of praise? Or shall time still find it wanting and leave it where it lie, so it may fade into oblivion? Let’s get into it. Oblivion (2013) is a post-apocalyptic action-adventure film that was adapted by Karl Gajduskusek and Michael deBruyn from director Joseph Konsinki’s unpublished graphic novel of the same name. ...