Ep. 5, Very Scary with Gerry McCreary: Furriet's Soul Train Of Love

How do you know if your cat is possessed? What kind of supernatural creature would you have an affair with? And even if you'd never sell your soul, would you consider lending it out? These questions are asked and answered in this episode of my improv comedy talk show. Featuring Muriah Summer, Chelsea Kramer, Troy Fluhr and Eric Eric E. Farwell.
 

Passengers

I knew Passengers was getting mixed-to-bad reviews, but I really like Chris Pratt and Jennifer Lawrence, so I decided to see it anyway. As it turns out, it was a pretty solid film-- the performances are great and the plot, about two people waking up 90 years early on an interstellar trip, is thought-provoking.

I should mention up front that I believe the previews for this film are misleading. In one of the trailers, Chris Pratt's character says, "There is a reason we woke up early." That line is no where in the film, and it implies a certain twist or mystery that doesn't quite figure into the story. In fact, I don't think this film has any real twists. One of the things I liked about it is how it lays things out step-by-step lets us watch the consequences unfold.

The crux of the story revolves not around the ship's malfunctions or any cosmic machinations, but rather around an extremely selfish act performed by one of the main characters. It informs all of their interactions going forward, even when things get weird. I really enjoyed the ethical dilemma and the questions it raised, and I was a bit shocked to find out afterward that this was the source of many bad reviews-- many believe that the film doesn't handle the issue with enough gravity. All I can say is that the characters seem to act in a plausible way under extraordinary circumstances.

Sci-Fi fans should also know going in that Passengers is not really about the special effects, even though there are some good visual moments. After seeing Passengers and Rogue One within a couple days of each other, it really highlights how much Science Fiction isn't a genre so much a medium or setting. Star Wars is an adventure serial, Arrival is about witnessing the impossible, Inception is a psychological mystery, and Passengers is a meditation on loneliness. 

I enjoyed Passengers. There's probably a more sophisticated take on the same material, but some films are good not for the answers they give, but for the questions they ask. I suggest bringing a friend of a different gender and going out for coffee afterwards to discuss.

I'm interested in hearing opinions about Passenger's central conflict in the comments section, so anyone reading beyond the review, please consider the comments section a spoiler zone.

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story

Over New Year's weekend, I finally got to see Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. For my money, this is the best installment since Return of the Jedi. The film has a stronger ensemble cast than any other Star Wars film-- Felicity Jones, Ben Mendelsohn, Mads Mikkelson, Forest Whitaker, Diego Luna and Donnie Yen are all either Oscar-level thespians or global super stars; Alan Tudyk is the lowest profile actor in the main cast, yet is still beloved of sci-fi aficionados everywhere. The series as a whole is plagued with clunky dialogue, and this installment is no exception, but Rogue One probably has the most fluid scripting since The Empire Strikes Back. And aside from some questionable attempts to revive dead actors with CGI, the special effects are top notch.

Despite all this, the movie still manages to disappoint, mostly because it doesn't feel quite like a Star Wars film. The original trilogy was objectively B-movie material, but what it had going for it was brutally efficient storytelling-- they were simple stories extremely well told. They trimmed the fat, while Rogue One has an entire middle-section that feels unnecessary. Furthermore, in their attempts to add moral complexity to the more recent films, I feel that they've diluted the charm of the original stories. There were times when Rogue One reminded me more of Dune (with Saw Gerrera's extremists) or of the relatively recent Battlestar Galactica reboot (with the social stratification and political squabbling within the Rebel ranks). Mind you, I like Dune and love Battlestar Galactica, but they occupy a different corner of the Sci-Fi multi-verse. I'm okay with Star Wars sticking to archetypal characters and themes, relying more on adventure and a sense of wonder.

One aside: I loved the characters of Chirrut Imwe and Baze Malbus. The idea of a wannabe Jedi with a buddy who keeps saving his ass is great! I'd love to see a film just about them. The other thing I liked about this duo is how, instead of being a call back to earlier Star Wars movies, it's a shout out to the Akira Kurosawa films that inspired the whole series in the first place.

One of the problems with the current trend toward extended universes is that blockbuster films have a harder time standing on their own. If it weren't a Star Wars film, I'd have fewer issues with it. Rogue One is solid, sci-fi entertainment, and would be even if it wasn't a prequel.

The Song of the Tainted Angel

I've been pretty busy the last month and a half working on Halloween stuff! Here's the biggest of my endeavors: a short film!