Anthony Darnell

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February 8, 2010

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"Sister" by Killer Workout

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thepostermovement: Apocalypse Now by Laurent Durieux

In a technically impressive, utterly insane, and harrowing opening sequence, Overlord starts in the skies over Normandy on June 5, 1944—it’s the eve of D-Day. Where Steven Spielberg’s Saving Private Ryan showed us the horrific reality experienced by the soldiers who fought on the beaches, Overlord shows us the seldom-explored nightmare in the clouds.In Overlord, a squad of paratroopers is sent to destroy a German radio tower in an old church, but before they reach their destination, their plane is shot down. Only a few of them survive and it’s this ragtag team who has to complete the mission.They’re led by the battled-hardened, seen-it-all-before Cpl. Ford. It’s an archetypal character we’ve seen many times before, but it’s played with aplomb by Wyatt Russell—who just happens to be the son of action/horror movie icon Kurt Russell. Wyatt looks and sounds uncannily like his father, and Cpl. Ford has both the swagger of Snake Plissken (Escape from New York) and the sardonic sneer of R. J. MacReady (The Thing). Yeah, he’s one bad-ass mother fucker.Our main character, however, is Pvt. Ed Boyce (Jovan Adepo). Boyce is a greenhorn kid who’s not quite up to the challenges about to come his way, but his moral compass may prove to be enough to see him through.Along the way, they meet up with Chloe (Mathilde Ollivier), a French civilian, who guides them to their final destination. Chloe’s character is a little uneven; she’s introduced as a knife-wielding scavenger but deteriorates into a damsel-in-distress. I would have liked to have seen that tough-as-nails attitude carried throughout.Pilou Asbæk, who portrays Euron Greyjoy in the television series Game of Thrones, is our main Nazi baddy. Asbæk is given the room to show his impressive range with scenery-chewing monologues and a devilish, hulking presence. It’s a fiendish and note-perfect performance.But what appears to be a by-the-numbers WWII action flick, quickly turns into a B-movie horror/action hybrid. Remember that German radio tower in the old church? Well, it also houses a secret Nazi lab where they’re trying to develop a serum that can bring dead soldiers back to life. And, of course, the serum also gives them super strength and an insatiable desire to dominate and destroy their enemy.With shades of 28 Days Later and Hostel, this is where the real fun begins. It’s a genre mashup that twists the standard WWII plotline in an unexpected and interesting manner. This is something that producer J.J. Abrams and his production company Bad Robot have become known for—there’s 10 Cloverfield Lane and its predecessor Cloverfield, for instance. And director Julius Avery pulls it all off with elegant camera work and concise storytelling to boot.Last year, Get Out successfully explored systemic racism through genre and this was a missed opportunity in Overlord. Pvt. Boyce is black, and one would expect this to be a big issue in 1944. Remarkably, the Nazis and his fellow soldiers take no issue with this at any point in the movie. It’s weird. Taking a stance on it would have elevated this movie from good to great by allowing it to resonate with the present day. Overlord completely glosses over it.Don’t let that deter you from seeing Overlord in the theatres; it’s a wild, heart-attack-inducing ride that should be experienced with a crowd on the big screen. You’ll laugh, you’ll shout, and you’ll pump your fists when Wyatt Russell delivers a too-cool-for-school one-liner.With Hereditary, A Quiet Place, Halloween, and the Suspiria remake, 2018 has been a rock star year for horror movies. They don’t make many genre-defying movies like Overlord and, if this is your cup of tea, go out and vote for more with your money.

Best of the Worst This is an amazing Best of the Worst poster by David Henry Lantz.I wrote about the weird, wild, and wonderful world of Red Letter Media back in August 2016 and I’ve recently been on a big Best of the Worst kick. If you haven’t checked them out yet, I can’t recommend their videos enough. Red Letter Media is an intelligent Mystery Science Theatre 3000 featuring a menagerie of misfits, inside jokes, and pointed commentary for the internet age.

thepostermovement: Frankenstein by Jessica Seamans

hhobbess: backstage, seattleoct 2013

I’m currently watching “James Cameron’s Story of Science Fiction”—a documentary series that explores the history and evolution of the genre—on @amc_tv. It’s fantastic! Picked up the companion book at @mopopseattle over the weekend. (at Seattle, Washington)

I’m currently reading Stephen King’s short story collection “Different Seasons.” I’m a huge sci-if and horror fan, but, outside of a few exceptions (like the “Dead Zone”), I’ve never been taken by King. I love the stories, but I find the writing style a little too long-winded. Fingers crossed for this one. 🤞 (at Seattle, Washington)

I snapped this pic in the alleyway behind @killerworkoutmusic’s practice space in Belltown last night. We shot part of our music video for “Sister” here. It certainly has a strange beauty. It’s mostly concrete and grime, but, far in the distance, you can almost see the sound. Hope you can make it to our upcoming show Saturday, May 26 at @thesunsettavern. 🔪🏋️‍♀️ (at Seattle, Washington)

The Best TV Show That You’re (Probably) Not Watching Binge-worthy television is all the rage. Series like Game of Thrones, Stranger Things, and Breaking Bad are turning viewers into eager and awestruck couch potatoes.And it’s easy to see why—production, storytelling, and acting are firing on all cylinders; characters are given room to develop; plots twist and turn surprisingly.In terms of overall quality and entertainment value, television is giving box office juggernauts, like Star Wars and the Marvel Cinematic Universe, a run for their money. I mean they don’t call this the Golden Age of Television for nothing!But modern television is more than just entertainment escapism; it’s a cultural currency.We theorize, and we spoil. We “talk it out” with friends. We scour the internet for clues. We troll. We read magazine articles. We watch. We re-watch.And we love it.We’re obsessed.Don’t get me wrong; I don’t see this as a negative by any means. Our brains love stories, and, according to the Greater Good Science Center at UC Berkley, consuming stories produces, “oxytocin as the neurochemical responsible for empathy and narrative transportation.”Let me boil that down: binge-watching television is feeding your oxytocin addiction. When you get hooked on a story, especially one that continues over an extended duration, you’re feeding an addiction.That’s some cool shit.All this goes to say—in a weird, roundabout manner—this is why I’m surprised more people aren’t watching Star Trek: Discovery.And I think I know why.In a time when superheroes fight to save Earth from Thanos, Jedi’s duel it out on the salt-covered planet of Crait, and the Mother of Dragons is joining forces with Jon Snow, there are still some things that mainstream audiences find a little too nerdy.Here’s the thing you need to know: Star Trek: Discovery isn’t Star Trek in a conventional sense.Sure, it’s set in the same universe, with the same gadgets, command structure, and lingo, but it’s not an episodic, monster-of-the-week show built for syndication. Star Trek: Discovery is a distillation, a synthesis of modern storytelling built on a vast and rich framework. They keep the technobabble to a minimum. The emphasis is put on character development and plot. What more can you ask for?Star Trek: Discovery is nearing the end of its first season, and, in my humble opinion, I think it’s safe to say that it’s the sci-fi Game of Thrones.Yeah.It’s that good.I really hope you give it a chance.A lot of people grumble because Star Trek: Discovery is only available through CBS All Access. I get it. It’s inconvenient. It’s a transparent cash grab. Yadda, yadda, yadda.Streaming services aren’t going away. If anything, they’re only going to become more prevalent as studios attempt to monetize their properties and carve out their corner of the online market. If you like something, you’re going to have to pay for it.Helpful hint: you can add CBS All Access to Amazon Prime for a limited time to watch the show. It’s only $9.99 for more than 15 hours’ worth of entertainment.I’ll let you draw your own conclusion, but I think it’s worth it. Go ahead and feed that oxytocin addiction. I know you wanna.

Halloween (1978)

thepostermovement: Ex Machina by Rory Kurtz

xfilesposterproject: My retro poster for last night’s episode of Star Trek: Discovery: “Despite Yourself”. The episode was a real game changer for the show so I wanted the design to be ripped open just like this season’s narrative after last night.

cidraman:Textless Chinese Character Posters.

cidraman:Textless Chinese Character Posters.

cidraman:Textless Chinese Character Posters.

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