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Review ‘Raw’: A Brilliant And Brutal Film That’s Not For The Faint Of Heart

By
Dewey Singleton - Film Critic
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Julia Ducournau’s Raw is an intense tale of how suppression and being socially naïve can have powerful ramifications.

Summary

The movie focuses on the life of Justine (Garance Marillier), a teenager who lives in a very stringent household. Justine’s life is completely micromanaged by her parents down to the vegetarian meals that she’s allowed to consume. She’s sent off to veterinarian school, which the audience assumes is her first chance at being on her own.That notion is quickly dispelled when we learn her sister, Alexia (Ella Rumpf), is already studying at the same school. Alexia ends up being an asset to Justine as she needs guidance navigating the hazing which comes with being a new freshman in school. Justine is forced to during one of these hazings incidents to eat a raw rabbit kidney which causes her to become very ill and to crave raw meat. She tries to suppress these desires by eating raw chicken breast and shawarma sandwiches but nothing helps. A chain of events begins to unfold that leads to a terrible accident but gives Justine her first chance to devour human flesh. It’s at this point that we realize that things will never be the same going forward.

raw

Acting

Marillier delivers a fantastic performance as Justine. If she had just gone for the human flesh nonchalantly, it would have completely transformed Raw into some cheap horror film. Instead, she portrays Justine as conflicted. She knows that her cravings are wrong, but with every chomp of flesh, it seems to make her heart full. Maybe it was the excitement of exploring new desires? Perhaps it was indulging in what is widely considered to be aberrant behavior?

Writing/Direction

Ducournau certainly went all in on her first feature film. The shots, musical selections, and even the color palate of the film were all meant to be extreme and to shake the audience’s senses. The cheesy harpsichord music and pulse-pounding score created the right mood for this picture. She even made sure that the colors of the raw chicken, rabbit kidney, and the human blood was bright, bold, and even slightly alluring. Her use of handheld shots enhanced the visual imagery and, of course, made the audience that much more uncomfortable.

Ducournau constructed this narrative to show the psychology behind a woman trying to rationalize her unnatural desires. At various moments we witness Justine grappling with these urges and see a range of emotion wash over her face. A part of her understands that what she craves is vile, but she can’t deny the happiness each bite of human flesh brings her. It’s these moments of conflict, turmoil, and striving for societal acceptance that take this film out of the category of just a horror film do more of an extraordinary film.

Overall

A lot of the hype behind this film has been completely misleading. It has been widely reported that audience members were either fainting or throwing up in the middle of the screenings. Some theaters have even issued barf bags to the audience as they walk in creating the perception that this film is nothing but a blood and guts fest. This couldn’t be further from the truth. While Raw certainly has its moments of gore, the film is a gripping tale of a woman whose every move has been micromanaged growing up, and that has made her socially inept. The film is French and has subtitles, so that may be a turnoff to some people. If this weekend you are willing to give a film a chance, Raw should be your #1 choice.

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’Dear White People’ Is Fearless, Razor-Sharp And Destined To Offend On Epic Levels

By
Ruben Diaz
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Netflix lets loose slick satire Dear White People on the streaming world. Based on the 2014 film of the same name Dear White People returns as ten, 30-minute episodes. Naturally, controversy sprouted just from the trailer, and I can’t imagine what snowflakes will fall upon the Interwebs now that the show is out. If you’re like me and just want good stories, does Dear White People have something to say that’s worthy of attention?

The close-minded, unsympathetic, or those lacking general empathy
will simply not enjoy Dear White People.

Logan Browning fills the shoes of Samantha White, the character from the movie. The show is a reinvention of the film that returns Sam to Winchester University. Sam is a fierce proponent of equality and hosts a radio show called Dear White People. The show causes a stir on campus when Sam reports on a blackface-themed party thrown by white students known as the “Dear Black People Party.”

Readers might recognize Browning from Sony’s Powers show where she plays Zora. Browning’s handle on Sam is spot on from start to finish. She delivers razor sharp swipes of dialogue with cool confidence and opens up during emotional scenes with touching vulnerability. Kudos as well to the entire cast who create a diverse tapestry characters.

Writer and Director Justin Simien returns to write and direct many of the episodes. The entire project elevates an already solid film. As a show, the chance to explore this subject matter is further heightened.

Moment by moment, Dear White People adds a new layer of grey area on a host of debates that divide many people. Race relations, sexual orientation, equality, and the difficulty it is for all people, whether white, black, gay, or straight, to navigate it all. The gamut of topics is a wide and fearless net cast out on all of us.

The show barrels through the most hot-button topics of today like the Juggernaut busting through a wall.

Every episode of Dear White People is a chapter in a storm of tension at Winchester University both past and present. The chapters take us deeper into each character’s story as it relates to the Dear Black People Party. In Chapter Two, Lionel, a black journalism student struggles with the labels of sexuality. While investigating the party, Lionel is seduced into what looks like an eventual threesome, but it turns into a smart shift in the point of view of labels. In Chapter Four, CoCo, Sam’s one-time friend, helps create the idea of the Dear White People show while struggling to fit in with cool (i.e. “white”) kids.

In what might be the most moving episode, Chapter Five deals with the consequences of gun violence. But it’s not in the usual sense. No one is shot, but one character must deal with having a weapon pointed at them and existing within a fraction of a second of death. Best Picture Director for Moonlight, Barry Jenkins, takes the helm for this episode.

Dear White People explores and exposes all the grey area for it is — massive, ultimately irrelevant and self-defeating. The show’s real message is about holding a mirror up to yourself to look at the ugly truths that exist. There is no purity, only humanity, and all of us share similar flaws, fears, desires, and dream of things we want for ourselves.

The close-minded, unsympathetic, or those lacking general empathy will simply not enjoy Dear White People. The show barrels through the most hot-button topics of today like the Juggernaut busting through a wall. And if watched with an open mind, Dear White People is an intelligent and incorruptible critique of us all.

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5 Potential Actors Who Could Play Dick Grayson

By
Mikey Curalli
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Titans Is Coming So Who Should Play The Leader, Dick Grayson?

As reported by our very own news desk, a Teen Titans television show is in the works over at Warner for a 2018 debut. This news, along with the official announcement of the return of Young Justice, has DC Comics fans drooling.

The biggest question on everyone’s minds, however, is who is going to play the title character of Richard “Dick” Grayson on Titans. (For the record, I feel Zac Efron needs to be casted as Grayson on the silver screen, but that’s a discussion to have later.)

Grayson is a fan favorite character. Dick grew up an acrobat in the circus before becoming the ward of Bruce Wayne after his parents were tragically killed performing in Gotham City. As we all know, as Batman mentored young Dick, and as a result Grayson dawned a red costume under the alias of Robin. The rest they say is history… However, through circumstances that vary depending on who tells the story, Grayson eventually teams up with various other “side kicks” to become the Teen Titans.

Whomever tackles Grayson needs to have a likeable charisma about him, an athletic built, the ability to nail sarcastic quips at the drop of a hat, and given his dating history he need easy on the eyes.

With all of this noted, yours truly has compiled a list of potential Dicks. ( I probably could have worded that better…)

 

Dylan O’Brien

Confession: I have not seen more than 20 combined minutes of Teen Wolf. Honestly, that’s only because I have such an infatuation with the original that any other version is totally unacceptable!

Word on the street is Teen Wolf is in it’s final season over on MTV, and Dylan is about to become one of the hottest free agents. O’Brien has an accomplished franchise cred to his name with Maze Runner, and what could be a star making role in the upcoming American Assassin on the horizon. Dylan has also been the go-to name in the tabloids for all the “hip tween roles” as well, so there is plenty of steam behind the 25 year old.

DC/Warner better snatch DB up now before his star becomes to bright. No doubt Dylan is the “sexy pick” of the bunch.

13 Reasons Why

Dylan Minnette

You’d hate to call Dylan the flavor of the month. However, given how red-hot 13 Reasons Why has been, Dylan’s stock will probably never be higher. 13 Reasons asked Minnette to play Klay through several stages of behavior which no doubt showed incredible versatility. Without question this showed leading man potential, however, one would argue he isn’t the prototypical type of handsome that is usually associated with Grayson.

There is also the gigantic elephant in the room. 13 Reasons Why is getting a major push towards a sophomore season. Would it be remotely intelligent to jump off a winning team, even if chance is to play an iconic role like Robin or Nightwing?

Peyton Meyer

Everyone will agree that Girl Meets World was a flawed show. The acting, however, was never a point of dispute. Rarely does a television show go on to cast so many great young actors, and Disney found a star in Peyton Meyer’s Lucas Friar.

The hardest sell on Meyer is his look. In a situation that could prove problematic Meyer has the face of a 7th grader but the body of a WWE Cruiserweight. Looks are not everything, but if you were looking for a younger Grayson, there could be some fear Meyer will look more like Peyton Manning by film time.

Wouldn’t casting the former Lucas Friar be enough incentive for Warner though? What a way to stick it to “the mouse” than by stealing one of their own right from under Disney’s nose?

What do you think Sabrina?

Logan Lerman

Arguably the most accomplished actor on this list, Lerman would no doubt bring excellent gravity to Dick Grayson. Logan also has shown the wit and comedic timing to pull off Grayson’s iconic sense of humor. Like O’Brien, however, Logan has most prominently been featured in movie roles over the past five years. However, Lerman has television roots dating back to the ill-fated but critically acclaimed WB masterpiece Jack and Bobby.

A Quick Rant: HOW IN THE HELL DID JACK AND BOBBY GET CANCELED AFTER ONE SEASON!?! BEAUTY AND THE FREAKING BEAST WENT FOR LIKE 19 SEASONS, BUT A SHOW THAT WAS NOMINATED FOR A GAZILLION AWARDS GETS CHOPPED!!?!?! SOMEBODY, PLEASE, GIVE ME A LOGICAL EXPLANATION FOR THIS.. IM WAITING!!!

Where was I? Oh, Lerman has had big screen success but this doesn’t necessarily stop actors from doing both TV and movie ventures. There is also something to be said for an opportunity to star for a DC property. This could be wishful thinking, but any chance to get more Logan Lerman needs exploration.

Steven R McQueen

Look at that picture. Think he wants the part?

Steven R McQueen (yes grandson of THAT McQueen) has made no bones about his desire to play Dick Grayson as Nightwing. While there is no guarantee Grayson will be that far along in his journey, McQueen certainly looks the part. Also, after spending a slew of seasons as Jeremy Gilbert on Vampire Diaries, McQueen is not wet behind the ears when it comes to fight scenes.

Timing for this casting might never be more perfect as well, as Steven exited Chicago Fire last season as part of a casting shake up. So, needless to say, his schedule seems pretty wide open.

For a television show to succeed, the lead needs to buy in 100% to the material and the character itself. In my opinion, Steven R McQueen has the look, ability, and most importantly the desire to portray Dick Grayson. All of these choices would be amazing, but McQueen would certainly be the sentimental favorite for me.

Who would you like to see play Dick Grayson on the small screen? Leave your choices, or any general chatter in the comments section. Also, don’t forget to follow me on Twitter @themikeycuralli!

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Twin Peaks Offers A Look At Key Locations In New Teaser

By
Erik Amaya
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Showtime has released a new Twin Peaks teaser for fans to pour over. It offers a look some of the key locations in the titular city. And it seems some have hardly changed in the last twenty-five years.

While the Waiting Room and the Twin Peaks Sheriff’s Office could be footage from 1989, The Double R Diner is definitely recent with its “RR to Go” signage on the side and fairly modern cars in the lot.

Beyond quick cuts of the Palmer house and the Ghost Wood, Showtime continues to be fairly vague in just what the new season will offer. In fact, we don’t even known if we’ll get an answer to the season two cliffhanger. Where is Annie?

At the very least, we know the Roadhouse didn’t burn down in the previous two decades. Which means there will always be a place to learn deep truths about the citizens of Twin Peaks.

Twin Peaks returns Sunday, May 21 on Showtime.

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Review: ‘Dumbing of Age’ Book Four: Amazi-Girl is Always Prepared For Anything

By
Elliott Dunstan
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By Dumbing of Age Book Four, the main cast has been established, the tone has been set, and the status quo is settling into place. It should be vaguely foreboding, then, that the book (available here) is called Amazi-Girl is Always Prepared for Anything. 

You can read my reviews of the previous books here, here and here!

Spoilers for Book Four below… obviously.

DUMBING OF AGE BOOK FOUR – RECAP

The events of Freshman Family Weekend have their consequences, including a heated argument between Amber and Ethan concerning their respective issues. Amber and Danny are – sort of – avoiding each other. Walky and Sal still haven’t talked about the Racism Thing.

Ruth and Billie continue their shared detox, although Ruth is unaware that Billie isn’t holding up her end of the deal. To show her appreciation, Ruth fixes her cheerleader outfit, and Billie is overcome with guilt.

Billie convinces Danny that Sal is Amazi-Girl, and gets him to go talk to her. In the meantime, she has lunch with Walky, and talks to him about his issues with Sal. She eventually convinces him to talk to Sal about it, and see her side of things.

Amber realizes that Ethan is still dating Joyce, and has a catastrophic, jealous meltdown at him in the school cafeteria. She leaves the cafeteria, and immediately runs into Danny and Sal. Apparently when Sal held up that convenience store, Amber and Ethan were there.

Dumbing of Age Book Four, Sal Walkerton

Danny goes looking for Amber, and runs into her dad. Blaine takes him out to dinner and explains that he’s just worried about Amber, and wants to talk to her.

Dorothy and Walky go chasing after Amazi-Girl, with limited success. Amazi-Girl receives a call from her father, telling her to come meet with him – and Danny. In the ensuing showdown, Blaine uses Danny as a hostage, triggering the rest of Amber’s memory of Sal, in which Sal used Ethan as a hostage. Amber snaps completely, and beats Blaine unconscious, revealing her secret identity in the process.

Ruth gets Billie another cheerleading outfit, and Billie kisses her – but Ruth realizes she tastes of alcohol, and refuses to talk to her again.

…EVERYTHING GETS WORSE

Dorothy finds out that Amber is her next-door neighbour, and pops over to ask her about Blaine O’Malley’s trip to the hospital. With a few context clues, Dorothy realizes that she’s Amazi-Girl. The next morning, Amber is ready to be exposed as a vigilante, but instead Dorothy pretends not to know anything to protect Amber. In exchange for this kindness, Amber gives Dorothy an exclusive interview with Amazi-Girl.

Ethan and Danny share their worries about Amber, and make plans to go get comic books together. They get along well – a little too well for Danny’s taste, as he realizes he’s not as straight as he thought.

Joyce puts up whiteboards on the doors of her rez floor, but overnight they wake up to find them vandalized with penises drawn in permanent marker. This looks like a job – for Amazi-Girl, apparently! After some expert deduction, she accuses Joyce of being the Whiteboard Ding-Dong Bandit. Unfortunately the encounter reminds Joyce of the night of her assault, and Amber realizes how much of an effect that night is still having on Joyce’s life.

Ruth’s rejection sends Billie into a spiral, and she ends up in Walky’s room. He panics and asks Ruthless for help. Ruth comes and puts Billie’s mind at ease that she’s not drinking again – yet. Billie meets an old friend at lunch, and it doesn’t go well. The stress drives her back to Ruth, and they make what appears to be an alcoholic suicide pact.

DUMBING OF AGE BOOK FOUR – REVIEW

While the sharp changes between humour and seriousness are a trademark of Dumbing of Age at this point, this book has some of the most severe ups and downs. What’s so interesting, however, is how well Willis makes them work.

Dumbing of Age Book Four, Joyce Brown, Amber O'Malley, Amazi-Girl

In my review of the first book, I criticized the balance of seriousness and slapstick humour. It’s here, however, that the sudden shifts in tone work perfectly in the comic’s favour. Amber going after Sal because of her PTSD isn’t funny; chucking Malaya into the air is hilarious. Amazi-Girl chasing down the Whiteboard Ding-Dong Bandit is hysterical from beginning to end… until Joyce starts crying.

I also enjoy how Dumbing of Age grows in its own telling. The themes of sexuality that start off as somewhat clumsy have expanded and grown. Ethan began the comic mostly as an orbit to Amber’s character, and the sole queer cast member. Now he’s dancing around the beginnings of a romantic storyline with Danny, previously the straightest man in existence.

How does Dumbing of Age Book Four hold up to the rest of the series?

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Wait for itttttt… ‘Psych’ movie in Apparent Development! Say what!

By
Devon Kenney
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C’MON SON

Wait for it! No, we have waited long enough! USA’s hit ‘Psych’ is in the works for a feature film, and it seems to be for real this time. The series, ran from 2004-2014 was the networks most popular series, which is why it was a surprise when it ended. Teasers about a movie have been coming out of the woodworks for years, but according to my source,  it seems like this time it may be legit.

“Psych has made an indelible imprint on the television landscape, with a unique brand of comedy. The final season celebrates the iconic characters that have made this show so beloved, and will be an exclamation point on the series’ incredible run. And while the series will wrap in March somehow I don’t believe we’ve heard the last of Shawn and Gus.” USA Network President Chris McCumber

The series was centered around a fake psychic detective, Shawn Spencer. His best friend Burton Guster (Dule Hill) and some real detectives, Jules (Maggie Lawson) and Lassie (Timothy Omundson). When the show came to an end, it was a happy one. Shawn, Gus, and Jules rode off in the sunset to San Fransisco, and all seemed happy. But that couldn’t have been the end, right?

Wait, there’s more!

This weekend Dule Hills new film ‘Sleigh’ comes out, and with this comes media coverage. We hope the final details will come to light! All the Psych-os can finally get the movie we’ve been wanting!

‘Psych’ recently had been taken off of Netflix, which caused an uproar to fans all across the world. Hopefully it returns, but until then we must watch our DVD collections to spot the pineapple!

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The Star Wars Universe Needs A Female Director

By
EJ Moreno
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Diversity Is Changing On-Screen For Star Wars, What About Behind-The-Scenes?

Kathleen Kennedy has spent a fair share of the campaign for ‘The Last Jedi‘ touting how much Rian Johnson understands female characters. Even at Star Wars Celebration, Kennedy and Johnson made a point to introduce a new female lead. The way they presented Kelly Marie Tran to the audience felt a bit too “try hard”.

“I’m going to embarrass him. …He writes as beautifully as he directs, and he writes amazingly, fierce and independent women.”
Kathleen Kennedy about Rian Johnson

After constantly hearing a woman talk about how cool this guy is for handling a female character correctly, it sparked a serious thought. Instead of just bragging about finding men who can write females, how about a female telling the Star Wars stories as well?

Before you attack in the comments, I’m not saying we turn the Star Wars franchise into a feminist movement. But simply employing a female director is more progressive than bragging about a male director who gets women.

One of the usual arguments would be: well, what female directors could handle this task?

Even Kathleen Kennedy recently spoke about “the search for a female director”. Her statement was met with controversy but she made some points. Finding anyone, not just a female, who can tackle this franchise is daunting. But let’s not ignore some names within in the industry that could handle something of this magnitude.

Don’t worry, I made a shortlist of some of Hollywood’s best.

Honorable Mentions:
– Elizabeth Banks
– Sofia Coppola

Anna Forester

Star Wars

– Anna Forester directed 2016’s ‘Underworld: Blood Wars‘. While it was met with negative reviews, the action sequences were complimented. Forester was even applauded for handling the convoluted timeline of the Underworld movies. Constantly working with Roland Emmerich also gives Forester big budget experience. She’s an unconventional choice but given the right material, there’s no doubt she could shine. Maybe not working in main story but a spin-off is great proving ground. Look at Gareth Edwards!

Ava DuVernay

Star Wars

– It’s a shame Marvel never got to use Ava DuVernay for ‘Black Panther‘ because it would’ve put DuVernay at the top of any list. Move past just women, women of color are often underrepresented in Sci-Fi. DuVernay is breaking barriers as being the first black women to direct a movie with more than 100 million dollars AND it’s a fantasy film so what’s stopping her from taking on Star Wars? Nothing! She needs to bring her Oscar nominated talent to this franchise.

Kathryn Bigelow

Star Wars

– No other female has the resume and the accolades to tackle this massive franchise. Kathryn Bigelow is an Oscar winner for her direction of ‘The Hurt Locker‘, with multiple nominations for Best Picture. The Star Wars franchise has deep roots in the war genre so Bigelow can easily bring elements of ‘The Hurt Locker‘ and ‘Zero Dark Thirty‘ to the action scenes. But both those films go beyond simple war movies; they have heart. If she’s gonna tackle the main franchise or a spin-off, the film will need that emotional punch.

Do you agree with the choices? How do you feel about a female director for ‘Star Wars‘?

Let me know in the comments below!

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Nintendo Announces The New 2DS XL

By
Aric Sweeny
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It’s been less than two months since Nintendo launched the Switch, but the company isn’t finished making big pre-E3 announcements.

Earlier today, the big N announced the New Nintendo 2DS XL. Watch the system’s reveal trailer below.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3lxNHhgMuTg

The New 2DS XL launches in North America on July 28 for a price of $149.99. Will you be picking up the system? Sound off in the comments below!

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‘Wonder Woman’ – “Together” TV Spot Officially Released With New Footage

By
Kieran McLean
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As a special surprise, Patty Jenkins and Warner Bros. just released an awesome new look at the upcoming Wonder Woman movie. The short TV spot features a lot of new footage, including some really awesome action sequences, and we also get some great dialogue from Gal Gadot as the title character.

Also Read: New ‘Wonder Woman’ Concept Art Shows Diana Walking Into Battle

This TV spot seemingly shows a push in marketing for Wonder Woman, and we will likely see more TV spots and teasers within the next few weeks. Now that Guardians of the Galaxy Vol.2 is opening across the world, Wonder Woman is the next big superhero movie, and Warner Bros. will want to make sure everyone is talking about the movie and buying tickets.

’Wonder Woman’ hits movie theaters around the world next summer when Gal Gadot returns as the title character in the epic action-adventure from director Patty Jenkins. Before she was Wonder Woman, she was Diana, princess of the Amazons, trained to be an unconquerable warrior. Raised on a sheltered island paradise, when an American pilot crashes on their shores and tells of a massive conflict raging in the outside world, Diana leaves her home, convinced she can stop the threat. Fighting alongside man in a war to end all wars, Diana will discover her full powers…and her true destiny.”

Wonder Woman stars Gal Gadot as the title character, Chris Pine, Robin Wright as Antiope, David Thewlis, Danny Huston, Elena Anaya, Connie Nielsen, Ewen Bremner, and Lucy Davis.

The film hits theaters on June 2, 2017.

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