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Film reviews that are real, introspective and fun!
Hello. I'm Shakyra Maybone.
Jack:And I'm Jack Williams.
Shakyra:And welcome to Brilliant, the podcast where we take a moment to reel in the best and worst film moments while keeping our commentary a % real.
Jack:And today, we're talking about horror films and alien. So grab your popcorn, and let's reel it in. Today, we have Daniel.
Shakyra:Hello. Hi, Daniel. Welcome to Related to being on this podcast with us.
Jack:Thank you for being here. Of course.
Daniel:Oh, this is awesome. It's my pleasure.
Jack:So, Daniel, let's let's just get right into it. What when you think of horror, what are your go tos? What's your favorite? What are your favorites? Let's hear it.
Daniel:I right now, I always try to find something new. Mhmm. I always I'm going I'm going on Letterboxd. I'm seeing what people are talking about. I love Letterboxd.
Daniel:Dead Meat. I don't know if you guys have heard of them. They're, they're Michigan based. They have their own podcast as well. They do these videos called the Kill Count.
Daniel:I don't know if you guys see those popping
Shakyra:up on
Jack:her too. Oh, yeah.
Daniel:Yeah. But they talk about different things. I try to cover everything, and I try to watch a lot of different things.
Jack:I
Daniel:know last year I watched, this it was like it felt like three hours. It was, it was a Canadian horror movie in a violent nature, where you just, like, what? It's like Friday the thirteenth part two, except it's from, like, the perspective of the killer. And you're Oh. Almost looking at his back, like, the whole movie.
Daniel:I don't know if you guys have seen Elephant, or anything.
Jack:I think I've heard of that. Yeah.
Daniel:Yeah. Very similar.
Jack:You should look at from the perspective of the killer. That's interesting. I've never I mean, I feel like yeah. I've never heard of that. So it's a slasher film, though.
Daniel:Mhmm. Yeah. It's, there's a certain, like, subgenre of movies, not necessarily horror, but just, like, kind of, just intentionally slow, letting you take in the moment. You can, like, hear the footsteps. The sound design is great.
Daniel:So he's walking through this forest. It's almost like you're, like, on
Jack:the you know when you're
Daniel:on the treadmill and they play these little videos? Yeah.
Jack:It's a
Daniel:lot like that.
Jack:I'll have to check that out.
Daniel:But, yeah, that was a lot of fun.
Shakyra:And it's called the elephant?
Daniel:It's so the movie is called In Violent Nature. In a Violent Nature. And then it's a similar, kind of style as in, like, a a slow movie where you're taking the perspective of somebody, minimal dialogue, similar to Okay. Elephant. But yeah.
Daniel:And then, recently, just a couple weeks ago, I went to go see a companion.
Jack:Companion.
Daniel:That was, I think, my Valentine's Day horror movie. I know we get a lot, in the first couple months. And
Jack:Mhmm.
Daniel:Normally, that's when you see less popular or, I guess, less good, normally, horror movies coming out. Sure. Yeah. Usually, that's when studios are pushing things. It's after Oscar season.
Daniel:It's, like, oh, okay. We're not getting our movies in right now, so we're just gonna push things out.
Jack:And I think we we so often associate, like, slasher films and horror films with with, like, October and November and, like, the that those those months and that sort of era. That I don't know. It just feels weird to me whenever I go out and see, like, a horror film that's, like, in the summer or in February or whatever. But
Shakyra:Yeah. That's kinda, like, out of nowhere for me too.
Jack:I don't know. Because when I saw when I saw Heart Eyes, like, the trailer for that, I was, like, that is such a strange concept having, like, a Valentine's Day themed horror movie. But then I think as I've as I started looking into it, I feel like there's a lot more, as you're just kinda talking about, than I might give credit for. Like, I mean, obviously, companion coming out and stuff. But Yeah.
Jack:On a note of heart eyes, Kyra saw it over the weekend.
Shakyra:Yeah. What are
Jack:your thoughts?
Shakyra:I'm sorry. It was just to me, in my opinion, it was just not that good only because, like, okay, the plot was, you know, it's a killer out there that's hunting down, like, couples and things like that. But as I got into it, first of all, I don't know. To me, the acting wasn't all that good. Like Mhmm.
Shakyra:The main character or the protagonist, her name is Olivia Holt. I forgot what the character is that quick. You see, it's not memorable. That's the problem, you know? I just personally feel like the acting wasn't really good.
Shakyra:It was kinda like dry humor. I don't know. Like
Jack:Sure. Yeah.
Shakyra:It was some scenes where it was just like, oh my god, WTF. Wow. Mhmm. Okay. That just happened.
Shakyra:But, like, overall, it was just like, it's not really my cup of tea. It was more of a, like, a comedy as well. It was like a rock con comedy. So I do appreciate that. I like how they really, like, tie that
Daniel:into it.
Shakyra:But the pacing, I I just couldn't get into it. I was just, like, kinda slipping, like, through my phone in and out, you know. Mhmm. Great plot twist, though.
Jack:Was there any scare value in it?
Shakyra:Not really. I what I noticed with these modern, like, slasher films, they try to do jump scare a lot.
Jack:The reliance on the jump scare.
Shakyra:And I just personally feel like it doesn't work on us anymore because I feel like we are desensitized because, you know, we grew up on social media and Mhmm. We scrolled through our phone, and they used to do those, you know, childish jump scare videos. So it's like, it just doesn't hit the same, like I don't know. I just wasn't scared, you know?
Jack:I think there's also this idea that it the jump scare is just kind of, like, it's cheap, you know? It's like you can you you can build up to it, you know, you can do this whole scene where it, like, culminates in a jump scare or whatever, and it's, like, it's gonna get you, you know? It's gonna get you, like, I'm I'm not pretending, like, I'm, like, this hardened person who's never gonna get, like, jump scared. But, I think it's just a there's a there's an argument for the fact that it's you don't have to rely on, like, actual horror if, if you can just jump scare the audience. You know?
Shakyra:Exactly. Now, I will say, I did also watch Smile two for the first time over the weekend. I didn't go see That
Jack:was a big one.
Shakyra:It was a it was a good movie. I like it. Now that movie, even the first one, that had good jump scares in my opinion. So I really like that. But, yeah, Hard Eyes, me personally, it's not really Oh my god.
Daniel:You just
Shakyra:have to watch it, like
Jack:Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I might go see it. I don't know.
Jack:After hearing you talk about it, I might I'm a little reluctant, but
Shakyra:was it was just so it was so dumb. It was so dumb. I'm sorry. It's dumb. Yeah.
Shakyra:It's giving like, the movie itself gave, like, a spoof in a way, but, like, it didn't spoof anything.
Jack:Right.
Shakyra:Yeah. It's just, like, that type of, you know, humor.
Jack:There wasn't, like, a clear, mission
Shakyra:of it. Yeah. Okay. Yeah.
Daniel:Did you feel like the movie had, like, anything to say? Like, I I I haven't I haven't personally seen Heart Eyes. I've I've seen the reviews, and I know people.
Shakyra:I think the main theme of it from what I got out of it was, like, the theme of obsession over, like, love and stuff like that and
Jack:Sure.
Shakyra:I guess, like, kinks and stuff like that. Yeah. It's kinda weird. So that's what I got out of it. But when you guys watch it, you know, just let me know what y'all perceive of it.
Jack:I will. Maybe at the start of next episode, I'll I'll give my thoughts. Yeah. I'll deliver my thoughts. But yeah.
Jack:The modern horror film.
Daniel:Mhmm.
Jack:Daniel, I know you were you were talking about sort of, like, these, like, indie things, I guess. If if it could be called that, the the Canadian one you were talking about.
Daniel:Oh, yeah.
Jack:What are your thoughts on
Shakyra:the Canadians usually make good movies, too. I'm sorry. I just
Daniel:have to No, they do.
Jack:Yeah. I know. %. I I I agree. I agree.
Jack:But the the modern horror film, the modern blockbuster horror film, let's go with that. What are your thoughts on the state of that
Daniel:Well today? I I've been so happy.
Jack:Mhmm.
Daniel:I think over, like, the past couple years, it's, you know, like, you start you start out, like, in high school watching, like, the scary stuff. You know, your parents don't want you, but you're finding the videos online and stuff. And it's fun to it's fun to, you know, explore, and see that. And that coming at the same time in my life, and I think your guys' lives as well, as, like, this kind of almost like a renaissance, with these, indie studios that are Yeah. Giving lots of money to horror movies that otherwise, don't really play it safe.
Daniel:Right? I know in the February, we got a lot of bad ones. Like, we don't talk about the February when it comes to horror movies. But now that we're in the later twenty tens, we have neon, we have a '24. Mhmm.
Daniel:Like, they have the they have their own signature styles.
Jack:Jordan Peele just started a new one too. Right? Oh, yeah. Yeah. Yeah.
Jack:Mhmm.
Shakyra:I cannot wait for that.
Jack:I agree. I think I mean, I've I've sort of spoken about how we're I think it was maybe last episode. It kinda feels like we're in the we're heading towards sort of another, Yeah.
Shakyra:Film Like we're shifting.
Jack:Era or revolution in which we start giving more money and paying more attention to, more experimental stuff, sort of how we would have seen, like, in the French new wave or whatever. Mhmm. Because I think people are kinda getting fed up with, like, the big studio stuff. But I think horror is often very much where you wanna see that money going and where you wanna see that attention going. Because, you know, obviously, what horror kind of plays off of is, our cultural anxieties, you know, and what we we we, you guys, a collective, are kind of afraid of.
Jack:And I guess what I always like to do when I'm looking at horror films is kind of figure out where are we now? Because it's really easy to look at, like, older ones and be like, oh, they were they were scared about this, and they they were, like, saying this. But it's I feel like it's almost harder to do that now, to, like, look at a modern film and be, like, what is this saying about us? What is this saying that we're afraid of? You know what I'm saying?
Shakyra:Oh, yeah. So I I'm I'm I'm glad you actually, you know, brought that up because, again, looking back on Smile
Jack:Mhmm.
Shakyra:From what I got from that movie is basically, like, you have to face your traumas, honestly.
Jack:Yeah.
Shakyra:Your trauma is like this huge big monster that we don't see in on screen. It's, like, within inside of you. So I I, you know, that's what I got from it. So yeah. Yeah.
Shakyra:Just wanna put that out there.
Daniel:Yeah. And I agree that Smile too, did a lot of interesting things. I like that it was bigger than the first movie. Mhmm.
Jack:I I
Daniel:don't know if you guys got it this from it, but I feel like the second smile movie almost kind of retreaded the same steps that the first movie Yeah. Took. Sure. And I kinda wanna know from your guys' perspective, like, what kind of new things did it bring to the table?
Shakyra:The difference between the first one and the second one. The second one is just that it's just this fear of, like, being watched, in my opinion, because, you know oh, I don't wanna spoil it, you know, for those who haven't seen it. But the main characters, you know, she is a recovering, you know, drug addict and, like, you know, she accidentally murders someone. And now she's, like, trying to figure out, like, how to move forward with that. But I don't know.
Shakyra:It's just, like, the pressure of, like, fame and things like that is key getting to her, and she keep getting, like, these interesting, like, mysterious texts and things like that. I'm, like, really skipping over some things on purpose, so don't mind me. But, like, yeah, that's just how I take of, like, the new things, you know, versus the first one. It was just more of, you know, fighting a monster within yourself. So yeah.
Shakyra:Mhmm.
Jack:Yeah. That's always the challenge I feel, not just with horror films, with any film is, taking a sequel and not only making it something different, but expanding on what you were saying in the first one. Yeah. You know, not not making it completely different from those original themes. This is,
Shakyra:like, going a little bit more deeper into it, if that makes sense. Mhmm.
Jack:Yeah. I think that should be the goal. Like, I always,
Shakyra:Sorry. I'm laughing.
Jack:I like to think I mean, and we're gonna get to it. But, Alien. Right? Like, that first Alien movie, there's all this stuff about, what they're saying about, like, IVF, you know, with the with the whole sterilization, and, the sort of the fear of, like, rape and stuff against against women, and kinda putting that fear on men. And then the second film sort of gets more into, like, motherhood, you know.
Jack:So still kinda, like, going going off those things of, you know, those themes. And the third one, third one is this, like, sort of, like, long metaphor of, like, abortion. And then the fourth one is, sort of, also goes based off those things. But, you know, it's kinda I I think Alien is one of those franchises where, as a horror film, did a great job of, like, keeping with the times and making sure, like, we're still, like, questioning, certain norms that are in existence. Because obviously, Alien is a very long running franchise.
Jack:And I think it's done a great job at, like, with each with each year that it's made, it's like, it's never the same thing. And that's why it's one of my favorite franchises, like, ever.
Shakyra:Why is it? Why why specifically?
Jack:Just for that reason. Like, it's just so, like, I I love what it says. I I love what it says about, society at the time. I think it's one of those things where, especially like that new one. I mean, with any anytime there's a new movie that's, part of, like, an old franchise or a reboot or whatever, you're gonna get people saying, like, oh, it's just like a cash grab or whatever.
Jack:But, like, I thought that new one did a great job at, sort of rehashing all the old themes we saw in those, saw in those older movies and kinda presenting them through a new lens to a new audience, while just like kinda paying homage to, like, all those old ones. And that's why I love that one. But I'm curious. I don't know. What do you guys think how do you think Alien holds up like, those older Aliens, how do you think that holds up in the modern day?
Daniel:So the first movie, absolutely incredible. Sure. Second movie so many times, and it's they it was it was very I remember it being very similar watching the Terminator movies and feeling like there's the Terminator movies. There's this
Shakyra:there's I'm gonna go watch that, obviously.
Jack:%. Yeah. Uh-huh.
Daniel:Okay. But, yeah, you get that you get that shift from, like, horror to action.
Jack:Mhmm. A %.
Shakyra:Oh, yeah.
Jack:Then it's a thriller. Because David Fincher came along, and, you know, he's obviously much more of a thriller guy.
Daniel:But yeah. Exactly. Yeah. And I haven't I haven't seen the third one, the fourth one, but I have seen, Prometheus. Again, I I feel like when I at least saw, like, the trailers, the box art, when I heard, you know, Alien three, Alien four, I didn't I saw, like, it kind of skew like, kind of settling into, like, a middle zone.
Daniel:Yeah. And what I really liked is when they really switched things up. And so, you know, that part of that is on me. I I haven't given them a chance, and I definitely need to go ahead and watch them. But when they %.
Daniel:When they switched things up with Prometheus, I thought it was awesome. And when they love was there from, like, the original with, like, the practical effects.
Jack:Are you talking about,
Daniel:Prometheus or Covenant? I'm talking about, Prometheus was, like, something completely new. Didn't even look like like an alien movie. And then you get back to, I'm talking about, Romulus Romulus. That we got last year.
Daniel:Yeah. Again, like, practical effects. You got, like, different and the character, Amazas, I know they had they brought back, like, a like a like a character who died like, who's actually died in the CGI.
Jack:It was, Ash. Yeah. But it wasn't Ash. It was, like, a different kinda it was weird, but yeah.
Daniel:Yeah. They didn't need to do that. But, like, the fact that they used similar prosthetics, for the aliens and then went ahead and threw in new things to, like, shake up stuff for the audience. It's been a year. Are we are we allowed to talk about the weird baby creature?
Daniel:Oh, yeah.
Jack:In that, and I think what people tend to forget is that,
Shakyra:Can we show it on screen?
Daniel:Like, the whole The hybrid.
Jack:And I think what people yeah. So that's a great example. Like, that was a great new thing. But, it it was another thing that, they were that was an homage to the fourth movie. Or in my mind, it was an homage to the fourth movie because, I mean, if you haven't seen the fourth movie, there's a sort of a similar kind of thing where Ripley has a I think it's Ripley.
Jack:Ripley has like a child, and it's like half alien, half human, and they have to kill it. And it's like this whole thing. But, yeah. I just love the that franchise's ability to evolve and just, like, keep with it, and but also, like, change. And, like, I mean, you brought up Prometheus, and he added, like, this whole another, like, level of, like, philosophy to it, to, like, what we consider a horror franchise, or, like you said, action, or whatever you wanna call it.
Jack:But definitely definitely did a great job at balancing that. And one thing I tried I tried to look for because, I mean, obviously, what we think about, when we think of not obviously, but when we think about old horror in the nineteen hundreds or late nineteen hundreds, the final girl trope is definitely one of those things that comes up. And there's a lot of debate surrounding if, like, Ripley from Alien is actually, like, part of that trope. But in that new movie, I was trying to see, like, how they handled that theme, you know? Because there there was a female lead in that movie.
Jack:Mhmm. And I thought they did it pretty good, you know? I thought they sort of I know they subverted the expectations of the audience, but, like I've been saying, kind of paid homage to those original movies. Mhmm.
Daniel:And then, I guess, I'm kinda curious on your, perspective of this. But, like, when it comes to a final girl Mhmm. Like, what makes her the final girl besides the fact that she's just the last one alive?
Shakyra:In my opinion, it's the fact that she's able to carry herself throughout the movie. Like, she's really self aware. You feel what I mean? Like, she know what to do, what not to do. I mean, sure.
Shakyra:She may have, like, a few knockbacks. You know? She may have got caught so many you know, sometimes. But it's just her ability to be, like, resilient in my opinion. So yeah.
Jack:So you see it as an empowering thing?
Shakyra:Mhmm. Oh, yeah. Most definitely.
Jack:Because, if you guys don't know, the final girl is a trope. It's a trope in a movie, typically slashers, where the the final the final person surviving is a a woman who, throughout the course of the movie, typically was able to survive because she was able to sort of be abstinent from from everything. Yeah. Everything we, I guess, consider fun. I don't know.
Jack:Like like drugs, sex, alcohol. Right. And that's what ultimately leads to their survival. And this is yeah. So Clover, the Carol j Clover, she kind of identified this, and talked about how sort of often that victory is ambiguous.
Jack:Clover writes that the fact that the the final girl is alive at the end does not make her sort of victorious, and that it's always gonna be sort of this ambiguous ending. So it's not in her mind, it wasn't an empowering thing. And for Ripley specifically, this is a quote directly from the book Men, Women and Chainsaws where she, sort of coined this term. She writes, To applaud the final girl as a feminist development, as some reviews of aliens have done with Ripley, is in light of her figurative meaning a particularly grotesque expression of wishful thinking. Clover's argument with this quote is that, we we shouldn't really view Ripley as, like, this, you know, final girl.
Jack:Final girl. Right. Or or I mean, we should view her as this final girl, and that it's it's technically she's not like this, like, huge feminist development as some people, like, tend to think of her. Mhmm. But there are arguments for the opposite.
Jack:There's, one analysis that calls her a reassuring face of womanhood. And yeah. So that that's honestly, you asked earlier why I'm so into the Alien series. It's because I I like looking at that. I I love that debate of, like, whether or not Ripley, is is this, like, final girl.
Jack:Is she's, like, an actual feminine? And, I mean, when we think about it, Ripley is a character written by a man Mhmm. And then put to screen by a man. And I don't think there's ever been an Alien film directed not directed by a man. So it's really interesting to have, like, this character who we often view as, as, like, this, like, great feminist development, not only told by by men.
Jack:Right? But, different men. Right? Because it was it was, Ridley Scott, James Cameron, and then David Fincher. And, like, seeing how those stories sort of develop over time is really interesting to me.
Jack:Mhmm. And I love the dialogue that surrounds it.
Shakyra:Yeah. Well, to me, I mean, I think it's a feminist move. You know? Like, it's to me, it's empowering. So I don't understand why, like, people go with the opposite of it.
Shakyra:Mhmm.
Jack:I mean,
Shakyra:I just don't quite understand it.
Jack:I think the idea is that, it's saying, like, she's surviving in spite of her femininity. And I think that's sort of the argument people people go with with, Ripley is when they're, like, oh, no. She's not this final girl because she kinda it subverts those expectations because Ripley in the first Alien movie, she doesn't win by acting like a man. She wins Right. By embracing feminist traits.
Jack:Like, when the when they first bring the alien on board, she's the one being, like, guys, maybe we we shouldn't bring the weird alien on board without, like, the proper, like, protocols and stuff.
Shakyra:You know what I remind me of? Like, Alien versus Predator when, what was her name?
Jack:I haven't seen it.
Shakyra:Have you seen it?
Jack:I have not seen the I I I probably should, but I every time I hear about it, it's just, like, in the worst possible tone. Like, everyone's just like, this movie sucks. I mean,
Shakyra:it was it was alright. I mean but, yeah, that just remind me of her that now that you said that, like I mean, that's why I said, like, so empowering because they, you know, they know what they doing. Like
Jack:Mhmm. Mhmm.
Shakyra:If you listen to them, you wouldn't be in that situation in the first place if you give an ass saying, you know? So yeah.
Jack:And that's definitely the argument with Ripley is, like, it's like, well, does she represent this or not? I don't know. Me, personally, I don't know. I think there's a lot of times where I'm like, yeah, she does. And then I I see I read some analysis, and I'm like, okay, maybe Yeah.
Jack:Maybe not.
Shakyra:I see.
Jack:But I think by the the third movie, she definitely has a lot more agency than she did in the first two. And that that's actually the first movie where they kinda let her have, like, a sexual relationship, with another character, and it's it doesn't, like, hinder her ability to, like, be the hero Right. You know, or, like, do what's right or, you know, win the day or whatever.
Shakyra:Mhmm. Because it shouldn't. Because that that shouldn't matter.
Jack:Because you know that's a different
Shakyra:you know that's a different conversation for another day. So
Jack:Mhmm. But I think a lot of those, early, like, the slasher movies with teens, like Scream, Friday the thirteenth, when we talk about culture anxieties, it's definitely playing on that idea of, like, drugs, alcohol, sex is all, like, running rampant with, like, this age group. So what if we what if we took what if we took the people who are so into this stuff, and we just, like, killed them? And we we had a slasher come in and kill them. And I I think that's a really interesting way of looking at that kind of thing.
Shakyra:Oh, yeah.
Daniel:I and I think you're more you're more the person to kinda talk about this, but I know I've seen, things about when, these these monsters for Alien Mhmm. Were being designed, they were often intentionally phallic, to kind of evoke that, like,
Jack:the abject reaction in
Daniel:the audience.
Jack:Mhmm. Yeah. The and this is great. I actually love that you mentioned that. Yeah.
Jack:The alien head is, like, meant to be phallic, and then the, the eggs are also meant to resemble, sexual organs. And it actually if you look at the original concept art, because you know how it opens, if you guys don't know how to we can get a photo for this, maybe. But, there's it almost, like, resembles a cross. You know how the egg opens? Originally, it was it wasn't like that.
Jack:It was just, like, one, it would do this. And it
Shakyra:just You
Jack:know? Oh. And it was even more resemblance of it resembled even more, like, sexual organs. But, yeah, that was another because the the themes in that original movie, again, when we talk about cultural anxieties, you know, it was, sort of pitting this like, sterileness, you know, against like raw kinda like, natural and I'm just talking about birth. But it would take like because people were scared of, like, IVF and stuff.
Jack:So they were taking, like, this, like, sterileness and contrasting it with, like, this, like, evil, kinda, like, gross grossness of, like, natural Mhmm. The natural process. And in that movie, you get a lot of, like, red against white. You know, the scene where the alien initially, like, bursts out of his chest. Mhmm.
Jack:They're in that very white room, and, it's kinda, like, stained with red, you know, to kinda show that contrast.
Daniel:And do you think it it worked to, alien Romulus' benefit to kinda have, like, that in your face kinda ending with, like, this this baby creature. Yeah. A %.
Jack:When we talk about jump scares, actually, this is kind of a side tangent. But, there's that one jump scare at the end of Romulus. I don't know if you know what I'm talking about. It's like Is
Daniel:it when she's climbing back into the
Jack:ship? Yeah. And it just jumps down. And that got me because I I thought the director, was it Fayde Alvarez Mhmm. Did such a great job the whole movie of, like, instilling genuine fear without the use of jump scares.
Jack:And then there was just that one shot that just made me, like, like, jump back in a yeah. What was your original question?
Daniel:You're gonna skip that. No. I was asking about, just generally, like, when it comes to, like, kind of the abject and, like, sexual themes, how I at least at least in my opinion, when they brought it around to, like, this the the latest movie, they were very, very direct with it. Mhmm. Right?
Daniel:I mean, having
Jack:Well, I'm curious. What did you make of the alien baby? Because I know there's, like, yeah, what did you make of that? Because I I for a while, I think I've struggled to, like, actually, like, figure out what I think that means, but I'm curious to hear what you think.
Daniel:I I it it felt like it felt like just, like, showing kind of, like, like, almost like, the fear of, I guess, when it, like, comes to, like, substance abuse Mhmm. Or, you know, like, it could even be, like, out just like just like alcohol use. Mhmm. Right? While being while high calving like, being being pregnant.
Daniel:Mhmm. Right? That can I I I at least at least that's the parallel that I I drew when I was watching it?
Jack:Sure. Yeah. No. I like that. I didn't thought of it that way.
Jack:Because I I don't know. I was so I was so happy.
Shakyra:It's so bad because I never see I didn't see the final one.
Jack:Oh, you gotta get out of that. It's really good. No. But I I was just so happy that they almost, like, paid no homage to the fourth one, because I feel like people forget about that. But, yeah, I never really thought about it that way.
Jack:That's interesting. Because, in the fourth one, I I think it it's more close closely related to, like, the the themes in the third one about, like, abortion and stuff than it is to something like that. But, yeah. That's interesting.
Daniel:And and there there could have definitely I think it was definitely part of, like, themes of, like, abortion. I mean, her just, like, saying, like, get it out of me. Get it
Jack:out of me. Yeah. Yeah. %. And yeah.
Jack:Because, I mean, the third movie, it's, like, it's really apparent. Like, she has a she has an alien in her chest, or in her, like, sort of like in her the entire time. And then, in the end, she's like, sort of put with this decision of, either killing herself and killing the baby with her, or, sort of handing it over to these scientists for experimentation, kinda showing that, like, you're never fully those are your options, you know? Like, the the yeah. I'll leave it there.
Jack:But, yeah. Anyway, Romulus was amazing.
Shakyra:Such a classic franchise,
Jack:Yeah. %. That and Terminator will always be my, I call them, I think I've said this before. I call I call Terminator a a boy movie.
Daniel:Yeah. It's which, like,
Jack:I don't know if I should be calling it that, because I don't think I I kinda reject the idea that you should have, like, shame in doing anything or, like, watching anything, you know? Like,
Shakyra:I mean, we have ChickFlicks, so what's the difference? Yeah.
Jack:I guess. I guess. I guess. But Terminator is so good. And that's not horror.
Jack:That'll be a conversation for another day, Terminator.
Daniel:I can always talk more about companion as well. I feel like it has a lot of these themes that Alien did, as well as, like, a lot of, again, recent movies. I really like that we've been, we've been kinda seeing, like, a greater resurgence in, like, movies that do focus on women's issues Oh, yeah. And kind of, like, communicating that experience to, like, a more general audience Yeah. That includes men.
Daniel:That's like Mhmm. Hey, this is this is what it's like, you know, out there.
Jack:To do x y. Yeah.
Daniel:Yeah. And I know, companion did an excellent job at this. And this will be a spoiler for companion. I don't know if you guys care. I don't know if the audience cares.
Daniel:But It's quite alright. Now. Yeah. It's cool. The movie is was is presented in the in the description as a slasher.
Daniel:And it's this thriller where, it's initially set up. This woman is gonna end up killing her husband. So it's like, okay. We you you got you got me hooked there. Yeah.
Daniel:She goes to the lake house, right, with her husband after recollecting how she met him. Right? This romantic, like, rom com esque scene where, you know, he drops the oranges. She picks him up, and she just she she she describes in visceral detail, like, the connection you make with somebody.
Shakyra:Have a great plot twist in there. Mhmm. I love plot twist. I don't
Jack:know.
Daniel:Yeah. No. This is a good one. And it and it comes early, and you guys will still be able to enjoy this movie. But it's it's this it's this wonderful moment.
Daniel:Right? And it's and you you see it in, like, the Lifetime movies. And Yeah. You've hopefully, you felt it before. Right?
Daniel:That fire you have inside of yourself, like, when you when you feel love
Jack:Sure.
Daniel:And make that connection. And so from there, it goes off into, like, this like, flash forward in time. She's going with him to meet some friends, you know. It's like it's it's it's almost it's pretty much a horror movie setup. Right?
Daniel:Yeah. Going to a secluded lake house. You don't have cell phone service. There's a rich guy there who's kinda creepy. And everyone is actually just acting very off to this woman.
Daniel:But, like, you almost discredit it or just say, no. This is just showing how, like, she would actually be treated because it is how she would probably like, a woman would probably be treated because she walks in the door and people aren't really, like, paying attention to her, really aren't, like, giving her any respect
Jack:Sure. Yeah.
Daniel:Or, like, authority. It's just, like, oh, hey. Anyways, you know, boyfriend. And you get to this point where you're you're almost getting at least, I was personally, like, it was it was frustrating Mhmm. Seeing her treated like this and kind of almost, like, being, like, an extra in a movie
Jack:Yeah.
Daniel:That, like, where the other characters weren't really, like, too interesting either. And again, it just it just fell off to the to the point where it's eventually revealed that she's a robot. She's an android. Uh-huh. This entire time, she's almost like a sex bot.
Daniel:Mhmm. Pretty much, and this is set in the near future where they have, you know, self driving cars. And then in this case, pretty much, she's pro robots that are programmed to be like a companion robot. Mhmm. And that's the reason why people weren't treating her well.
Daniel:And, like, this and and, like, the rest of the movie is a it's a very thinly veiled metaphor for a piece of relationships.
Jack:That's so great.
Daniel:And, yeah, it worked it worked very well, like,
Jack:because you're talking about, like, letting people, like, sort of see, like, things they might not have, like, thought of before, like, in relation to women and stuff. And I think horror horror is such a great way of showing that, because it's it's letting people, like it's kinda forcing people to be afraid of something they wouldn't normally be afraid of. Yeah. You know, and I think that's what I mean, that's what you're saying this did, and I think that's what Alien did back in the day. You know, it it made men have fears of things that they just never have had to think of, you know.
Jack:And I I I love that. Mhmm. It's definitely, like, one of the great things that comes from the horror genre.
Daniel:Yeah. And it's it was very similar, and it is made by the same creators that did barbarian, which I know has got has gotten, quite a bit of attention Yeah.
Jack:Over
Daniel:the past couple of years. So it was the same thing from a barbarian. Right? Mhmm. You're like, you know she shouldn't trust Bill Skarsgard.
Daniel:Right? That's your instinct as the audience member. Yeah. Yeah. And the the reality was that he was just acting like how an average man might act in that situation.
Shakyra:Yeah. And that's the horror of not even just women, but just like anybody life every day. Like, you just have to really, really practice
Jack:Mhmm.
Shakyra:Your intuition and your gut feeling. You know? Yeah. Just wanted to put that out there. Yeah.
Shakyra:Yeah. Yeah.
Jack:Yeah. No. A %.
Shakyra:Listen, life imitates art or the other way around. You know? You get what I'm saying. Yeah. Both
Daniel:works either way.
Shakyra:Yeah. Mhmm. Yeah.
Daniel:Yeah. But it makes it for an excellent horror experience. And and, like, that that movie, Barbarian, it just kept you guessing for the rest of it. Oh, yeah. Right?
Daniel:And I was thinking of the scene, where she walks down to the basement and, like, comes back up, and then Bill Skarsgard, like, goes right down. He's like, I can't leave until I check it. Like, that's a that's a man thing to do.
Shakyra:Yes. No. Really. Yes. Oh my god.
Shakyra:That whole movie, I was just like, girl. Oh my gosh. She stressed me out so bad. Like, I just couldn't. I just couldn't.
Shakyra:It's one
Jack:of those yeah.
Shakyra:%.
Jack:Yeah. Oh my gosh. So companion, barbarian, maybe not hard eyes, and in a violent nature. Check them out, guys.
Shakyra:Yeah. I mean, no. No. No. No.
Shakyra:Check out hard eyes. I mean Check
Jack:out hard eyes. Make your own opinion. That's the great thing about film is
Shakyra:I just don't like it. You know? I don't like it, but, yeah, y'all should watch it. Just watch it just for fun. You know?
Jack:So %. Yeah. Well, this has been reeling it in with our guest, Daniel. Daniel. I'm Jack Williams.
Shakyra:I'm Kyra Maybone.
Jack:Remember, if you have a movie that you think we should know about, if you have a review or something you think we should know about, and you want us to talk about it on this show, email me at jack.williams@statenews.com, and we will do a little segment where we talk about it.
Shakyra:Enjoy your popcorn.
Jack:Till next time.