Game of Thrones: Breaker of Chains

As expected, this episode deals with the aftermath of Joffrey’s death. I’m still very glad the sucker is dead. The only one who ever loved the bastard and will miss him is his mother. Things get underway very quickly and pick up where they left off, which is with Cersei screaming at Tyrion while Sansa is whisked away by Ser Dontos.

Who orchestrated this escape? Well, it’s no other than Little Finger himself, Lord Baelish. I figured he was scheming somewhere. Good servitude never goes unpunished. As payment for delivering the goods, Baelish kills Dontos with an arrow to the head. A precautionary measure lest his loyalty be bought.

Margaery is still recovering from her husband’s death. A second husband lost, she is shaken and deems herself cursed. But Grandmother Tyrell reassures her. Pointing our their alliance with the Lannisters is still important she says, “You did wonderful work on Joffrey. The next one should be easier.”

Perfect transition to Joffrey lying in state with his mother and younger brother Tommen at the alter. Tywin comes in and instead of paying respect to his dead grandson he starts grooming the next king, who is certainly of a nicer temperament than his fallen sibling.

Jaimie enters the chamber once Tywin leaves with Tommen and requests to be left alone with Cersei. Cersei, who is wrecked with grief, calls for vengeance for their son. I think this is the first time we hear her admit this aloud. Then what happens next is more disturbing than Joffrey’s death. Jaimie forces himself on his twin sister, right there at the alter. As if incest between twins wasn't enough.

Arya and Hound are still in route to the Eyrie. While they’re resting beneath a bridge, the owner of the land and his young daughter approach them. Hound is gruff, Arya apologies for him, stating they’re watering their horses and they’ll be on their way.

The story she concocts results in shelter and food. At the dinner table a rather humorous exchange between Hound and landowner transpires. But the serenity doesn’t last long. The next morning, the Hound steals the man’s silver. His rational for doing so? Neither the landowner or daughter will be alive next winter.

Arya was thrilled by his reply.

Onto Castle Black we go. While Gilly is defeathering geese, Samwell drops in on her. By now it’s obvious Sam is fond of Gilly and the feelings are mutual. But he worries about her safety there and suggests she and baby Sam go to Moles Town. Believing that Sam just wants to get rid of her, she’s unhappy with the suggestion

News of Joffrey’s death reaches Stannis, which reinforces his faith in the Red Woman. To this Stannis believes he can win the war, his right hand Davos is against it. They don’t have an army. After taking a tongue lashing from Stannis about not having said army, Davos leaves to have a reading lesson with Stannis’s daughter, Shireen. During his conversation with her he comes up with an idea to write a letter to the Iron Bank of Bravos. It’s unclear what is in the letter and what it will accomplish. I’m thinking it will lead to the army Stannis requires.

Sam and Gilly arrive at Moles Town at a brothel where Gilly is expected to cook and clean and look after the babys of the other women working there. Gilly isn’t happy with this arrangement but Sam convinces her it’s for the best. He can’t leave Castle Black.

So, basically Sam, fearing his brothers will take advantage of Gilly sent her someplace where others will. Yeah, that makes sense.

Those who were disappointed by the lack of nudity so far this season will be happy with the insatiable Oberyn and Ellaria who we see in the middle of an orgy, which gets cut short by Tywin. Tywin speaks to Oberyn alone and questions him about his exchange with Tyrion. Oberyn informs him they spoke of his sister’s death, which he blames Tywin for. Dun, dun, dun.

Tywin then offers Oberyn the third judge’s position at Tyrion’s trial. If he does so, he will be able to sit on the council as one of his Tommen’s advisors and he’ll arrange a meeting for Oberyn with The Mountain to discuss his sister’s murder. Of course Tywin is doing this to ensure a proper alliance against Daenerys and her dragons.

Page Podrick informs a jailed Tyrion of when he’ll stand trial and that Mace Tyrell, Oberyn and his father will be his judges. Tyrion can have witnesses vouch for him, but the two he’d choose, Sansa and Bronn are eliminated for obvious reasons. One escaped and the other is deemed biased. After Podric admits to being approached by someone to testify that he saw Tyrion with poison, Tyrion orders Podrick to leave Kings Landing, fearing for the page’s life.

Still no sign of Shae or idea of her whereabouts.

Next is a gruesome scene where the Wildlings attack a village near the wall. The cannibal guy that resembles an alien from Prometheus sends a boy off to inform Castle Black of it, thinking it will draw Jon Snow and his man out to slaughter.

On her continued freedom tour, the episode then ends with Dany, at Meereen. A Meereenian champion is sent to challenge Dany and her army. New Daario accepts the contest and levels the man and his horse. Finally, in a move of badassery, after a fantastic speech, which is meant to enlighten the enslaved, Dany, launches barrels filled with chains against Meereen property.

The Breaker of Chains triumphs again.

Side note, seems a debate rages on about the scene. Apparently sex was consensual in the books.  I’ve not read the series, but I did find a couple excerpts online:

"Hurry," she was whispering now, "quickly, quickly, now, do it now, do me now. Jaime Jaime Jaime." Her hands helped guide him. "Yes," Cersei said as he thrust, "my brother, sweet brother, yes, like that, yes, I have you, you're home now, you're home now, you're home." He kissed his ear and stroked his shortly bristly hair. Jaime lost himself in her flesh. He could feel Cersei's heart beating in time with his own, and the wetness of blood and see where they were joined.

For those who read the books, what are your thoughts on this issue?  Feel free to comment. Check out gamfaqs.com for an interesting debate on the scene too.

Read More

Movie Review: Riddick

Last week, your favorite Sister of the Geek Covenant was fortunate enough to attend the Los Angeles premiere of Riddick, with none other than Vin Diesel himself in attendance to thank fans. Before the picture rolled, the Fast & Furious actor let it be known how much of his success was owed to his followers and professed the self-titled third of the Riddick trilogy was made especially for them. Big Dies’ also mentioned that the anticipated Fast 7 begins principal photography this week. Not surprisingly, this news was met with boisterous applause and cheers, especially with the recent kick-ass news that Kurt Russell was added to the cast.

As for any type of Marvelous movie updates, sorry folks; not one word was mentioned about “the deal” he has with Marvel. At least for tonight, Vinny WAS NOT GROOT!

Now, I must preface this review by stating that this “Naughty Nun” is not a hardcore Riddick fangirl. Fast and the Furious a.k.a. Need For Speed with Hot Bods is my preferred Vin D franchise. But I did enjoy both Pitch Black and even The Chronicles of Riddick – despite the story making a far better video game — enough to garner any type of interest for a third. I mean, let’s be real here; how can you hate on a film that featured the oh-so-very-handsome Karl Urban, and actresses, Dame Judi Dench (M!) and Thandie Newton (as Dame!)?

Speaking of Karl, you may have heard that the new Dredd reprises his role as Commander Lord Vaako, but…don’t get too excited. He’s only on-screen in Riddick for 5-minutes (if you’re lucky) and, less impressive, during a convoluted flashback, which I have no choice but to *cough* address in a few.

When last we saw the Furyan warrior, he was dubbed the new Lord Marshall of Helion. But when Riddick opens, he’s unconscious on a desolate planet inhabited by hostile beasts. There’s no dialogue for a good 15-minutes and, of course,shit gets real the moment Riddick awakens.

“Just pretend it’s ‘Terra Nova’,” they said. “Just pretend it’s ‘Terra Nova.’”

While fighting for survival, things take an interesting Hanna Barbera-like turn when Richard B. Riddick rescues a space pup and trains him. Uh-huh. After Vin Diesel and Scooby form a cool bond, the new dogtastic duo eventually come across an abandoned outpost. Before I go any further, the reasons for Rid’s “ridding” are revealed in the flashback referenced earlier. Yes, watching Riddick has inspired me to alliterate. It also turns out our pal made some deal with Lord Vaako (Urban) and was eventually double-crossed. Shafted. Effed over. Done in.

Either way, today wasn’t a good day.

Thinking he’d be returned to his home planet, Riddick left a life of royalty and half-naked women for Dune without Patrick Stewart and Sting. By the way, I’m slightly vexed there was not one peek at Vinny D’s backside. Not even one cheek! But, there was plenty of *cough.. louder COUGH* breasts… Breasts. Thanks, Mr. Twohy.

After Riddick enters the station and allows his face to be scanned, a distress signal is sent notifying nearby hunters of the wanted mercenary’s whereabouts. Two different groups land on the planet. An unlawful hunter by the name of Santana (Jordi Molla) leads one team and a straight-laced captain named Boss Johns (Matt Nable), commands the other. Thus, Riddick must take out eleven bounty hunters in total, with not one of them named Boba.

Take a good hard thought of who wins this game.

Feige warned me not to say anything….

Battlestar Galactica fans will be happy to see Katee Sackoff whoop some ass, as we all know Starbuck offers more than eye candy — or, at least, very hot coffee. And, yes, we get to see her boobs too. Well *COUGH* at least one of them. Another notable addition to the franchise is former WWE Heavyweight Champion, Dave Bautista, a man who the Sister wasn’t too familiar with before he joined Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy. I gotta say, for someone who’s supposedly not a trained actor (unless you want to count the menacing “reality” of Friday Night Smackdown), Big Bad Bautista did a nice job as the warrior Diaz. He should have no problem handling the meat ‘n potats of Drax the Destroyer next August.

There’s also not much to say about the film’s score, unless you want to merely call it standard trailer music…and I don’t mean the cool Kid Rock kind, either. With a 60-million dollar budget, most of the cash went to the adequate visual effects (since early word claimed the film would not go the Chronicles route with too much focus on CGI) and to Vin Diesel, of course; not toward an epic composer like Hans Zimmer.

Those minor flesh wounds aside (i.e. lack of half-naked men to offset the countless topless damsels and the flashback), Riddians (like it? no?) will undoubtedly enjoy Riddick far more than film #2, especially with a story and overall vibe that harken back to Pitch Black. Plus there’s a killer death scene that will be talked about long after the credits roll…

But if I told you, then I’d have to *cough* all over you.

Read More

Movie Review: Old Boy

The Internet erupted into a ball of rage when it was announced Spike Lee was remaking Park Chan-Wook’s Oldboy. As someone who didn’t care much for other remakes of foreign films, I could understand the fall out. Let us not forget how forgettable Matt Reeves’s remake of Let the Right One In was (Let Me In? No.) and David Fincher’s depiction of Girl with a Dragon Tattoo wasn’t much different from the Swedish version, which starred Noomi Rapace. Speaking of Rapace, can we settle this right here and now? Her portrayal of Lisbeth Salander was much more badass than Rooney Mara who was clearly mimicking Rapace in the first place.

Frankly, this film-loving prioress could go on and on about Dragon Tattoo and how I felt Fincher’s film wasn’t nearly as haunting or mysterious. But, that’s not what this holiday write-up is about. This review is about Oldboy and whether or not it stunk like last year’s Turkey dinner.

Welp, I’m here to testify.. that in comparison to the original, ya ‘boy is indeed leaky, slimy and should be quickly taken off the market.

I want a Mister Socko, too!

Fans of the 2003 feature will no doubtly be annoyed by some of the changes, yet at the same time find a bit of solace knowing the overall plot hasn’t changed all that much. But right from jump, the first difference is the length of the protaganist’s imprisonment. In Spike Lee’s version, Joe (Josh Brolin) is locked away for twenty years, where as Dae-Su (Min-sik) was confined for fifteen. To be fair, that change didn’t bother me too much.

So, let’s get to what did: Lee’s decision to drop the narration. By choosing to do away with the voiceover, we don’t get the chance to get inside Joe’s head, nor do we fully comprehend how truly insane he becomes while in captivity. I mean, you’d go nuts too if you were forced to eat dumplings for 20-years straight.

When Joe is finally set free, we witness a cue taken from the classic Oldboy with Josh Brolin spilling out of the trademark trunk. Shortly thereafter, his quest begins to find the very person who locked him up in the first place.

And this is where the film really started to lose me.

Hey, it worked for Thor.

Oldboy is based from the manga written by Garon Tsuchiya and illustrated by Nobuaki Minegishi. I mention this, because what director Park Chan-wook and cinematographer Chung-hoon Chung achieved was a stylized thriller that harkened back to the source. While sitting through Lee’s film, everything was so out of sorts, it felt as if he chucked the manga — along with Chan-wook’s masterpiece — out the window.

But Lee wasn’t all together clueless. The epic hammer fight scene is in the film, as it wouldn’t be Oldboy without it. What Lee shot was sad in comparison, however. Come to think of it, this “new” Oldboy is pretty lifeless. Have you ever heard that term describe an ultra violent film before?

Maybe only in the case where zombies are forced to eat each other.

I WAS undefeated in “Casket Matches”…

Even if the end result isn’t exactly a blockbuster, you still gotta give Spike some credit for doing something a little different. This isn’t a shot-for-shot remake of the original. Gone is the stomach-churning squid sequence, and the torture scenes weren’t as brutal this time around.. even if they were still bad enough for me to cover my eyes. But, if you’ve already convinced yourself enough that you’ve got to see this, please at least matinée at your own risk.

Which makes me feel for the talent involved. Almost-”Batlin” delivered (hey, beats the term “Broman”, but not quite “Batfleck”), as did the recently announced “Scarlet Witch” (for Avengers 2), Elizabeth Olsen, as a nurse who helps Joe find his abductor. Sharlto Copley (District 9, Elysium) was strong as well, albeit a bit too cartoonish. Yet, the standout for this Sister was French actress Pom Klementieff . She doesn’t have a single word of dialogue in the film, yet somehow leaves a lasting impression.

So, what’s my verdict, congregation? Easy. Don’t waste your holiday money. Spike’s offered far better entertainment through his courtside antics during Knicks games. Come to think of it, what was FilmDistrict drinking/thinking releasing such a violent film Thanksgiving week?

O’boy.

Read More

Movie Review: Gravity

This weekend, Sandra Bullock defies the laws of film-acting in Gravity, from esteemed director Alfonso Cuaron.

But, before rolling into any form of testimony towards what should be labeled a movie-going experience, there’s something I need to share: the congregation’s resident movie critic got a chance to read Gravity‘s screenplay and wasn’t moved by it. There wasn’t much to the story. The main plot centers on an astronaut — in this case, a medical engineer played by Bullock — stranded in the depths of space. Stating the obvious, a lot would have to depend on Bullock’s ability to carry the film. Sure, she’s opened romantic comedies successfully (The Proposal, Miss Congeniality), as well as some drama (The Blind Side, Speed), but…sci-fi?

This Sister just wasn’t sure she’d pull it off.

Then, of course, there’s the visual effects element. Having been bombarded with “eye candy” all summer, I wasn’t keen on watching yet another CGI film — and in 3D, nonetheless. Those tinted glasses just needed to go away. Shoo! And, despite an impressive resume (Children of Men, Y Tu Mama Tambien), I doubted Cauron would be able to achieve the necessary realism of space to completely engross an audience.

Comic-Con 2013 was when my mind began to change. I shivered with anxiety at the brief footage shown. I wanted more.Sandra Bullock’s often tense account of the film-making process was absolutely fascinating. Everyone should know the physical duress she went under in preparation for the role. She trained vigorously for 6-months and spent many hours suspended in a 9×9 cube, with the imminent danger of newly innovative scene-shooting machines (and even robots that were often needed to take control of the direction). A lot of instances included a camera racing towards the film actress at 25 mph, stopping on a dime only an inch from her face.

For a claustrophobic who’s “deathly afraid of flying,” this movie was damn near pushing her to the limit. “I just wanted my body to get to a place where my core could accomplish anything,” Bullock said during the Warner Bros. panel at this summer’s Con. “I wanted the look of her to be as androgynous as I could get, because in the story she experienced such great loss in life that she just stopped doing anything that reminded her of what she was, which was a mother and woman.”

Not even Solitaire?

Now, if this were me, I wouldn’t have made it past 2-weeks. You kidding? I’m lucky if I get through my ellipticol work out – and that’s just an hour a day.

But that’s enough background, you get it. It took months.. no, strike that.. years is how long it took Alfonso Cuaron to prep and deliver this major achievement to the big screen. Parishioners, the payoff is nirvana. We’re talking full-on Holy Spirit up in this house. You will be ensnared from the moment Gravity’s bone-rattling introductory soundtrack blares throughout the theater. Make no mistake; it’s a definite omen of treacherous events which are about to unfold.

Not before moments of the calm and precious, of course.

Floating leisurely about the Hubble telescope, before everything unravels is astronaut Kowalski (George Clooney). It’s his last mission and Dr. Ryan Stone’s (Bullock) first. Because of the flawless 3D conversion and immaculate CGI, we’re automatically pulled into the environment they’re in. The Earth never looked more beautiful. The endlessness of space is totally captured. You’ll also feel the sounds of space, which is nothing. No explosion can ever be heard “out there,” so no sound effect could properly convey it. Cauron’s immersive experience also leads to several extended ultra-length sequences, all pretty admirable for a film just under an hour-and-a-half. And, nothing will touch your soul — or your stomach — like the state of total abandonment Stone felt while fighting for survival.

You’d think with all the technology at our disposal, there’d be a Home Depot around here or something.

Not since Avatar, would I recommend the extra ten to see a film in IMAX 3D. You’ll simply cheapen the overall experience not doing so. You won’t get to feel the anxiety, the fear, and the panic Bullock conveys to astounding perfection. Incidentally, her performance here is far more Oscar worthy than her portrayal of a gun-toting football mom from Texas.

As for George Clooney, he’s George Clooney in pretty much everything and I was okay with that. His charming charisma was needed to counteract Bullock’s despondent character, which had been through quite a bit before landing the job at NASA. I won’t spoil that bit of information, but I can tell you that Dr. Ryan didn’t go into her first day on the job on the with the widest smile. In fact, if Gravity weren’t the cemented title, I would have gone with “Dr. Ryan Can’t Catch A Break, “ because one bad thing happens after another in this poor woman’s life.

If nothing else, she’s a survivor. As a survivor, she’s got to have faith. And movie fans should have faith in Bullock’s performance and the fact there’s never been a cinematic earth-orbitting experience this thrilling. So, do yourself a favor and catch some Gravity this weekend. It’s a groundbreaking film that defies everything you’ve ever known before.

Read More

Review: Halfway to Hell

So far, it’s been an amazing summer. “Fast and the Furious 6” broke a box office record, coming in the fourth highest grossing film for Memorial Day weekend, and “Iron Man 3” is the first solo superhero film to cross $1 billion at the box office. Depending on how the audience takes to them, we can probably expect similar numbers from “Man of Steel” and “Pacific Rim.”

But for those who want a breather from the action and live in Los Angeles, there’s an independent film festival calledDances with Films. The festival, which began May 30 and runs through June 9 at the TCL Chinese 6 Theaters, showcases a variety of work, some with dark themes. “Halfway to Hell” — which will make its film festival debut and world premiere June 9 — is one such film that will be talked about due to its heavy subject matter.

Written by James Brannon, “Halfway to Hell” tackles a tough subject that most people prefer not to acknowledge or talk about. What happens to convicts once paroled from prison? Well, director and producer Richard Friedman attempts to answer that question with this film, through the lives of several men who live in a halfway house for ex-cons. A transvestite, a heroin addict, a gangbanger, a killer, a lifer desperate to go back to prison, a child molester and a dying house manager help to tell this disturbing narrative.

The halfway house is located in a residential area and, of course, this doesn’t sit well with the locals. Spearheaded by a religious zealot, hordes of people gather outside the residence carrying signs and yelling insulting epithets in protest, hoping the harassment will either cause the tenants to move or force the home’s ultimate shutdown.

Their main concern is with a child molester named Frank, who is played to unsettling perfection by Vince Lozano. It is a performance reminiscent of that given by Jackie Earle Haley of “Little Children.” Because we bare witness to Frank’s inner struggle to overcome his illness throughout the drama, we’re somewhat sympathetic toward him. He clearly understands what he did was wrong and wants to change. But his desire to become good doesn’t negate the fact he’s a danger to society. The angry mob outside the halfway house reminds him of this very fact; every moment he steps foot outside the home is without mercy.

I mention Frank first because he so happens to be one of the root causes for the growing tension between the housemates. Another is Emilio, the gangbanger (Lombardo Boyar). He antagonizes everyone and he won’t stop sexually harassing Marilyn (Alexandra Fulton) from the moment she joins the lot. The lifer (Carl Crudup) and manager, Cliff (Tim deZarn), attempt to keep the peace but to no avail.

As tensions continue to grow inside the home, they do on the outside as well. Both the former inmates living at the halfway house and the expanding crowd surrounding the residence transform into rabid wolves out for blood in a short amount of time. I could write more about the alarming film, but I think it best to allow you the viewer to experience “Halfway to Hell” for yourself.

I will say that Lozano, Boyar, Fulton, deZarn , Crudup, Erik Aude and Michael Emery each gave memorable and honest portrayals of their characters. However, for me, the performances by Fulton, Boyar and Lozano are the ones that truly resonate.

Catch “Halfway to Hell” this Sunday and make sure to stick around after the film for a Q&A with the cast and director. Tickets are available HERE.

Read More