momecat

This past week I went to a preview screening of The Creator and rewatched the Tron movies with some friends as a bit of a going-away hang for a colleague who's moving back to Sydney. I also watched the second episode of Sex Education S4... which already feels more and more like a chore, sadly it really doesn't feel like the show I fell in love with.


📺 TRON and TRON: LEGACY.
It's fascinating how different they look, while still maintaining some sort of internal consistency. The sequel does feel like a bit of a of a soft reboot, with how much technology has advanced between 1982 and 2010, but there's still plenty of easter eggs and throwbacks for the fans of the original. It'll be interesting to see how the potential 3rd installment will build on its legacy (no pun intended). I'm particularly curious to see who will take on the composer mantel given that Daft Punk is 'derezzed' and Wendy Carlos is 83 years old. Hopefully SAG-AFTRA gets a good deal soon so filming can commence, it (at least previously) had some interesting people connected to it.

While I'm sure Disney can boost a new movie by cross-promotion through their Tron Lightcycle Power Run roller coasters, I don't know who - if anyone - is clamoring for a sequel. But I do think that both previous films are fun watches, and I imagine the next one could be too. It's not exactly a franchise that asks you to think too deeply... after all, the inciting incident in TRON has less to do with the evil MCP and more to do with capitalism and IP rights - with Flynn obtaining proof and dismantling 'the system' in the most flimsy of ways, becoming VP and having his private helicopter?? Truly Reagan era aspirations. But honestly, I rate both of them.

Final hope is that the new movie doesn't spend too much time outside of the Grid though.

🎞️ the Creator (2023) by Gareth Edwards.
This was such a feast for the eyes and a real exciting, fast paced, and entertaining film. High points in the film was the lived-in immersive world building, clever use of practical vs. VFX, and getting to watch an original scifi in cinemas in what feels like forever.


Wendy Ide describes it fairly well when she writes: "[...] with this ambitious, ideas-driven, expectation-subverting, man-versus-machines showdown, he has co-written and directed one of the finest original science-fiction films of recent years."

I take some umbrage with the 'expectation-subverting' aspect of the quote, but everything else feels pretty accurate. But to be clear, the lack of subversion (at least in the story) isn't even necessarily a bad thing in my opinion. There is a recent trend in movies and tv-shows to try to outdo, outpace, and outsmart viewers in some vainglorious attempt to prove that its twist was impossible to anticipate. Something that I would argue removes the pleasure of viewing something and being able to pick up on foreshadowing and getting to enjoy a reveal that feels earned and paid off. There's none of that in The Creator. Things are set up and paid off. There are reveals and twists, but they all have foreshadowing and follows narrative conventions. Sometimes the sign posting is a bit heavy handed, and some minor character arcs' feel a bit simplistic, but it doesn't keep you from enjoying the ride.


The beauty of the film is in the moments when it leans into its world building and disappears into it. While I enjoyed the action and plot, it was truly the look and aesthetic of the film that has stayed with me. That and the amazing music (Hans Zimmer) & sound design. The space station USS Nomad hovering over the landscape - the look of its crosshairs sweeping over rural villages and the amazing sounds it makes before raining down terror.... absolutely chilling!


Also very proud of the work we did at Wētā Workshop, designing and manufacturing lead character costumes and speciality props for the film. So maybe I have a slight bias. But honestly, I think it's a highly enjoyable film! I'm definitely hoping we get more of these kinds of 'mid budget' movies in the future, as I'm tired of cinema releases being saturated with almost exclusively high budget films. There should be space for a bigger range of releases. Bring back silly comedies, romcoms, and genre films, to the cinema experiences.

This week was truly "Hurry up and wait" in a nutshell. Lots of shuffling of plans bc of said hurrying and waiting. Hopefully some of the waiting will come to fruition next week. I'm really hoping for some good news.

I was planning to write some kind of (WGA & SAG-AFTRA) strike update, as I've been following the developments fairly closely. But I'm too tired now, and anyway we're all sat waiting to find out what comes out of Sunday's negotiations. Here's to hoping WGA gets their demands and it wraps before Yom Kippur, (suitably) the Day of Atonement, commences. That would be a g'mar tov indeed.


In nerd/fandom news, I'm currently watching:
📺 The Newsreader (& The Newsreader Podcast with Leigh Sales & Lisa Millar).
Just finished S02E03 "Greed and Fear". The second season has hit the ground running. Anna Torv goes from strong to strong in her depiction of Helen Norville and her complexities as a character. I'm still loving how the show portrays the look and feel of the 80's. The approach feels like an authentic depiction of the news media at its height and also convincingly blends contemporary 80s footage with new footage of the shows' characters... recorded on 80s equipment (according to Director Emma Freeman) to match the look. Love a show that takes care to get those things right. ( onto potential spoilers... )

The companion podcast is great. It's hosted by two female news anchors who worked in Australian broadcasting in the 80's, so their reflections around Helen's experience feel genuine and interesting. And they also offer such a clear peek into that world, the news of that time, and Australian history more broadly. Also they're really great hosts & it's fun listening to them interview cast/crew from the show. The additional nuance and added depth to the show is welcome.

📺 Sex Education Season 4.
So far I've only watched the first episode of Season 4 aka the final season. I wasn't blown away nor as excited as I had hoped to be back at Moordale in that universe. Maybe it's the new school, maybe it's Otis storyline so far, but it just doesn't feel like there's enough interesting stuff to propel the story fowards. Earlier seasons were great at subverting expectations on what any given gag would be, but in this first episode nothing feels unexpected or fresh - despite the setting having changed entirely (or maybe because of it?). With the abruptness of the change/disappearance of characters/abandoned storylines, it also feels a bit unmoored for now (excuse the pun). Hopefully the show will find its stride and wrap up nicely. But for now the only thing I care about at all is Meave's journey.

Future media I hope to write about:
📖 Honey I'm homo by Matt Baume.
I'm waiting to receive my copy of the book. I love his video essay series about queer history on TV as well as his podcasts, so I'm really hoping to enjoy this more in-depth exploration of the often surprisingly subversive nature of sitcoms and how they were able to influence its viewers and transform society and attitudes. According to the courier it'll arrive before Wednesday.