Persephone's (Gothic) Insights

For this three-part piece, I wanted instead to address criticism towards  The Last Jedi (2017) —chiefly the vitriolic, virulent sort that's arisen during its theatrical run, and following its home release. There will be  spoilers  concerning the movie itself, here, but largely I'll be discussing the franchise as a whole. This is part three; read part one, here , and part two, here . Many fans seem to argue that Rian Johnson and company don't understand what Star Wars is, that their iterations lack something even the weakest Lucas entries managed to procure. I find all of these complaints odd and vague, given their surly lodgers appear to be taking umbrage with something that's altogether unrelated to the superficial details I've already mentioned, regarding politics and sexual identities. In other words, one could combine everything progressive in The Last Jedi  (2017) and still come up short when comparing these collective sins to Johnson's gravest error of...

For this three-part piece, I wanted instead to address criticism towards The Last Jedi (2017) —chiefly the vitriolic, virulent sort that's arisen during its theatrical run, and following its home release. There will be  spoilers  concerning the movie itself, here, but largely I'll be discussing the franchise as a whole.  This is part two; read part one, here , and part three,  here . The tendency to celebrate George Lucas and rate the Star Wars prequels higher than  The Last Jedi  makes me want to question the persons making these calls. Obviously the fan base isn't homogeneous. It spans four decades, and casual fans aren't going to be aware of the long history of revision the series has experienced, at the hands of George Lucas. They'll likely own the latest editions of the movies and simply take these at face value. This is going to be, in and of itself, a highly-divisive point of contention amongst older and younger fans. Some will remember, and othe...

A large number of people hate  Star Wars: Episode 8 - The Last Jedi  (2017). It's not a horror film, per se, but given the horror stories people tell about it on YouTube and other media outlets, you wouldn't be remiss in thinking otherwise. It begs the question, is the movie really that bad; furthermore, if it is, how far down the rabbit hole does it go? While I've been wanting to review The Last Jedi  for awhile to answer these questions, that will have to wait a little longer. For this three-part piece, I wanted instead to address its criticism—chiefly the vitriolic, virulent sort that's arisen during its theatrical run, and following its home release. There will be spoilers concerning the movie itself, here, but largely I'll be discussing the franchise as a whole. This is part one; read part two, here , and part three, here . Concerning this internet backlash, we have a war on our hands—one waged between different fans of the same titanic franchise, and i...

Here, in part three of my review for  Cobra Kai  (2018), I examine the show's conclusion, sexual content, and larger themes. Part one outlined my concerns going in, and the questions I want to address throughout the entire review. Part two addressed the show's large cast (and the diverse, complex interactions between them). Spoilers! Everything in the show leads up to the tournament, featured in the climactic final episode. I loved this episode; apart from the impressive martial arts, it wonderfully illustrates the show's themes of finding balance in perpetual, flawed tutelage. It opens with the crane kick, throwing it out the window to make room for other tricks. There's a few other winks and nods (such as Daniel clapping his hands together to the boom of dramatic music, before shouting "Medic!"). And then things proceed in  Karate Kid  fashion, through battle. What's different this time around is the roster has increased, in size. In the original, it...

Here, in part two of my review for  Cobra Kai  (2018), I address the show's large cast (and the diverse, complex interactions between them). Part one outlined my concerns going in, and the questions I want to address throughout the entire review. Part three shall examine the show's conclusion, sexual content, and larger themes. Spoilers! Johnny is a complex character. We sympathize with him and Daniel as much as we do because they feel human to us. This is because  Cobra Kai  is patient; it takes its time. Much like a professional fight, it has rounds. Our feelings evolve per exchange. Gradually the drama and comedy unfold—realized through a series of complicated bouts, each involving multiple, interwoven participants. How things start off isn't always how they end. This is true on and off the mat. For example, when Johnny and Daniel first meet, Daniel comes off as smarmy. He's tickled to see his old rival so defeated—by time, more than by him. Vae vict...

So begins my review of Cobra Kai  (2018). Here, in part one, I outline my concerns going in, and the questions I want to address, throughout the review. Part two shall address the show's large cast (and the diverse, complex interactions between them); part three , its conclusion, sexual content, and larger themes. Spoilers! The Karate Kid (1984) is one of my favorite movies. Ever. So when I heard there was going to be a flagship miniseries on the relatively untested YouTube Red, I was more than a little dubious; the show was thirty-five years later, for starters. Yet, for all intents and purposes, it seemed to be living through the eyes of a man stuck in the 1980s. I don't for a second question the fact that certain people, myself included, live in a certain "time," one that stands still for us, and probably never quite existed anywhere except in our heads. But in the case of Cobra Kai , I sincerely hoped the show at more to offer than that. Thirty-five years...

Before I begin, I want to apologize for the delay in releasing timely articles: It appears I’ve overestimated my ability to write short (1,000 words) articles, and to be able to write personal projects at the same time as graduate school projects. I'm caught up with school, at the point, and now have some time to write, again. Without further ado, here is my spoiler-filled examination of Alex Garland’s Annihilation (2018), divided into three portions: part one, two , and three . As with the equally-superb Ex Machina (2015), Garland directed and screen-wrote Annihilation . He also produced and screen-wrote Dredd (2012), and worked with Danny Boyle on Sunshine (2007) and 28 Days Later (2003). All solid movies. Annihilation is effectively an adaptation of Jeff Vandermeer’s 2014 novel of the same name. Vandermeer's authorial intentions notwithstanding, Garland's movie is much clearer than the adapted material, and appears to explain/introduce elements from the other ...