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where faith and film are intertwined

ScreenFish Staff

The Flash: Saviours, Sacrifice and the Speed Force

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By Seun Olowo-Ake

Like many shows, The Flash hadn’t completed its season before production shut down because of the pandemic. This means that us Flash fans were left without closure to the Mirror Master storyline of Season 6 and had to wait a whole 10 months before the Scarlet Speedster graced our screens again. So, to tide myself over, I resorted to re-watching old episodes.

Even though I would identify as a binge watcher, I had never actually binge-watched The Flash before. Watching all the episodes so close together like that made some character traits more obvious to me. For instance, Cisco (Carlos Valdes) is not afraid to call his friends out, Iris (Candice Patton) is always ready for combat and Barry Allen (Grant Gustin)–the Flash himself–has a saviour complex.

There are a few examples of this throughout the show. In every episode, it seems like Barry says some version of “I’m not fast enough to stop them”/ “this is all my fault”/ “I should have been there”/ “I can’t save them”. He also has to be told repeatedly by his friends that, “you are not God, Barry”. However, it’s the first half of Season 6 that really puts his complex on display.

The season opens with the Crisis where it was foretold that “the Flash must die”, which looms over Team Flash’s heads. At first, they think they can stop it from changing their lives, but after Barry pulls a Doctor Strange and sees billions of possible futures, he develops the conviction himself that he must die to save everyone. He spends a portion of the show trying to prepare his friends for a world without the Flash, training them so they can be heroes without his leadership and picking out who should lead the team when he’s gone. In this season particularly, I find that the show positions Barry almost as a Jesus-figure. He becomes a ‘paragon of love’ who is willing to sacrifice himself to save all of humanity.

My favourite episode of the season (and possibly of the entire show) is episode 7 “The Last Temptation of Barry Allen Pt. 1”. It plays with the choice between good and evil and, as the name implies, Barry is presented with the possibilities that his life holds if he chooses evil in an “all this could be yours if you bow down to me” type of situation. Aside from Grant’s phenomenal acting, the reason I love it is that we finally see that our hero has a dent in his armour. Still, even though he’s argued with his friends and family about the reasons for his conviction and has been preparing his team for his demise, Barry outrightly says to the Speed Force here that, “I don’t want to die.”

The Speed Force is a sentient, infinite source of energy that I like to think about as the speedsters’ God. It chose Barry to be the Flash and he only maintains his speed because of his connection to it (as of right now) and it frequently tells him of the sacrifices he must make as a hero. It even has laws that he must abide by, with repercussions for breaking them. The Speed Force shows up in this episode to help our hero make the right decision and Barry speaks to it about the trajectory of his life as a hero and as a man.

Since we’ve known him, Barry has developed close friendships with his co-workers (the aforementioned Team Flash), married the girl that he has had a crush on for over a decade, and even met his daughter from the future. He loves his life. So, even though he has always willingly adhered to the laws of the Speed Force and accepted its consequences when he broke them, Barry snaps when it states that it is just here to guide him on the path he has chosen. “A lightning bolt shot down from the sky and struck me!,” he cries out. “I didn’t choose this; this was done to me! … Why do I always have to suffer for you?”

I low-key relate to that resentment, feeling like I have to be strong for everyone–my family, my friends, even God–and then sitting in my bed going ‘I can’t do this’/’Can I just have a minute?’. Maybe you feel that way too as a parent, a guardian, a sibling, or a friend. It’s hard not to try to be strong when you have people who are depending on you. I mean the lives of millions of people rest on Barry’s shoulders! Yet, in this episode, he finally sees something his friends have been trying to teach him. Something we must all learn at some point in our lives:

We weren’t made to carry our burdens alone.

No matter how good or smart we are, we’re all flawed people who need help from our own Team Flash and from our Infinite Source.

The Flash returns on the CW on Tuesday, March 2nd, 2021.

I Still Believe Giveaway

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The Erwin Brothers have delivered another film based on the life of a contemporary Christian singer. Following up on their hit I Can Only Imagine, their film I Still Believe is based on the life of American contemporary Christian music singer-songwriter Jeremy Camp and his first wife, Melissa Lynn Henning-Camp, who was diagnosed with ovarian cancer shortly before they married. Camp’s song “I Still Believe” is the film’s namesake.

To win a free digital code, enter your favorite Jeremy Camp song (other than “I Still Believe”!) in the comments below. A code will be sent to a winner on May 1 and available for use starting May 5.

Queen & Slim Blu-ray Giveaway

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Queen and Slim is coming out on Blu-ray and you can win a free copy! Post below with your favorite Daniel Kaluuya moment so far and we’ll enter you to win.

“Slim and Queen’s first date takes an unexpected turn when a policeman pulls them over for a minor traffic violation. When the situation escalates, Slim takes the officer’s gun and shoots him in self-defense. Now labelled cop killers in the media, Slim and Queen feel that they have no choice but to go on the run and evade the law. When a video of the incident goes viral, the unwitting outlaws soon become a symbol of trauma, terror, grief and pain for people all across the country.”

Sonic the Hedgehog: Gotta Go Fast!

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By Johnathan Stowe

When the first trailers came out for Sonic the Hedgehog, I was very sceptical to see it based on the animation of Sonic (like many Sega fans were) but, once they made the changes and got the design right, it looked more like a movie to see. But would the plot of the movie work and draw interest? And that question has been answered after seeing Sonic the Hedgehog. 

Told by his adoptive mother Longclaw (Donna Fulks) to avoid danger, Sonic moves between worlds with the rings in his collection. All this traveling comes with a heavy price, however, as Sonic has no friends and becomes lonely. Once he travels to earth, he resides in Green Hills where he runs into Sheriff Wachowski (James Marsden), an officer who is looking to leave his county in order to make a name for himself in San Francisco. 

The villainous Dr.Ivo ‘Eggman’ Robotnik (Jim Carrey) is introduced as a crazy doctor who loves technology and is hired by the government to track unusual power outages created by Sonic. This is where I give Jim Carrey a big high five! He nailed the character and personality of Dr.Eggman flawlessly, especially through the comedy that the character has shown throughout the video games. Ben Schwartz, who voices Sonic, is another actor who did an amazing job. The film really gets Sonic’s personality down, as he speeds by as a cool but cocky character who doesn’t listen but who also makes lots of funny joke references. 

Sheriff Wachowski is a character you warm up to as the movie goes on as well. Married and trying to do his best to make a name for himself, Wachowski becomes someone worth saving. Because of his actions, Sonic loses his rings and they’re forced to team up with together to get his them back and to stop Dr.Eggman. 

The message of the film was the importance of friendship and family. Throughout the movie, Sonic dealt with loneliness and did not want to leave earth to go to a new planet. In one of the scenes, he writes on his bucket list that he just wants a best friend. However, through his relationship with Sheriff Wachowski, Sonic finds the new wave of power that he needs to defeat the villain. Just like the video games, Sonic uses the power of friendship and teamwork to stop Dr. Eggman. 

Sonic the Hedgehog has excellent visuals and really great comedic moments that both kids and adults would enjoy. Because the plot and story-telling are good and don’t feel forced, you really buy into the characters. (Also, the film has a ton of Easter eggs from the video games and a post credit scene that hints at another character joining Sonic in a possible sequel.) 

Overall, this was a great movie and I believe that this is the movie Sega needed in order to push Sonic back into relevance in a society dominated by so many other video games. Hopefully, we will get to see Sonic Mania back once again for a whole new generation.

Sonic the Hedgehog zoomed into theatres on Friday, February 14th, 2020.

Color Out of Space: Sci-Fi Horror Never Quite Lands

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By Johnathan Stowe

As a sci-fi horror movie, Color Out of Space has some rough edges and could be looked at by some as a silly and bizarre movie. Is this movie worth seeing? I personally think that it deserves a watch. 

Written and directed by Richard Stanley (The Otherworld), Color Out of Space tells the story of Nathan Gardner (Nicholas Cage) and his family who live in a remote county side area. Nathan lives with his wife Theresa, his oldest sons Benny and Jack, and his daughter Lavinia. Benny really cares for animals and even helps to take care of the Alpacas and other livestock around the farm. His sister, Lavinia, is a rebellious teen who is done with her family, constantly listening to rock music and performing necromancy. The youngest, Jack is a young and mysterious boy who likes to draw. When a meteorite crashes down on the Gardner’s property, it seems to alter time as the kids are frozen from what they are doing and, eventually, acting in bizarre ways. (At one point, the effects of the alien even cause one character to cut their fingers off without realizing it.) 

Color Out of Space speaks to the issue of global warming and climate change. From Ward’s narration in the opening credits to the alien affect on the livestock and drinking water, the film pushes for an interesting discussion on how we should protect our planet before we infect it and destroy everything we love. Because of the alien attack, the damage affected everything from mutated people and animals to the tainting of vegetation. (In fact, even the source of water becomes contaminated, turning everyone that drinks it into mind-controlled slaves.) Though the alien (or the ‘Color’ mentioned in the title) is the infection within the film, the destruction it causes also speaks to the potential for our own ability to ruin our world in the future.

In other movies of this genre, it’s common for the audience to emotionally connect with either the family effected or the ‘lone survivor’ but, unfortunately, Space doesn’t do it. After everything that happens, there simply isn’t much that connects you with the characters. While the movie starts off well, the script becomes a mess halfway through, veering off in ways that confuse the audience. The storyline doesn’t allow the audience to connect with these characters. However, one good thing about the movie is the visuals. Filled with wild images such as mutated people, a hydra-like alpaca and more, the visuals in the film are on point and makes you feel sick to your stomach, which works in a film like this. (It’s also appropriate that a movie called Color Out of Space would feature breathtaking colors and the film’s special effects are also very beautiful.)

Wild and crazy, Color Out of Space is definitely a movie for all Nicolas Cage fans to see. Even though the story doesn’t always work, the visuals are beautiful and disgusting (when they need to be).

Color Out of Space is in theatres now.

Human Nature: Playing God

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By Jason Thai

Human Nature is a documentary on modern biology science and the progressive humans have achieved to reach where we are now. Taking a focus on the many genetic issues and problems common people suffer on a daily basis, the film looks into the modern science and technology of CRISPR, a microorganism that scientists have been using as a genetic tool to change another organism’s genes. The future of this technology has the potential to allow people to physically change the DNA of a person and Human Nature explores the ethical dilemmas surrounding this tech and its future in shaping the evolution of our species.

Human Nature focuses on CRISPR, microorganisms that are able to take in DNA and either use it, destroy it or replace it. The movie begins by interviewing David, a young boy suffering from a genetic disorder called “sickle cell anemia.” Out of over 25,000 genes, each with many different combinations in each gene, David has a ‘T’ gene, where an ‘A’ should be. As a result of the miscoding in his DNA, some of his blood cells are sickle shaped and cannot take in oxygen, causing him to go for blood transfusions every 4-6 weeks. A CRISPR is able to be programmed with the ability to find his error in DNA and change it, thus fixing David’s sickle cell issue. However, this sparks ethical questions about how far we as a species should take this technology. For example, with this new ability, the question of whether or not we should be allowed to use this on our future children and alter their DNA to change traits like height, intelligence, and other physical features leaps to the forefront of conversations. Are we playing God? Or are we, in fact, simply doing what’s best for our children.

What’s more, in China, they have already moved forward in this technology, coining the term “Designer Babies.” Beginning in 2018, scientists have already designed a genetically engineered child that will not have its parents’ recessive diseases. While this sounds great and has a lot of positives, the cost of these advancements could lead to a divide between people will can afford it, and those that will not. Because of the high cost to access this technology, currently only wealthy people are able to have children that are objectively more intelligent, healthy, taller, stronger, and live longer than the poor who are unable to access these means. 

Personally, I really enjoyed this movie as it takes a look into the positives of having this technology. As well as looking into the ethically dilemmas and where we should draw the line using CRISPR. The film becomes particularly interesting when they discuss the fact that what used to be considered Sci-Fi is now looking to be reality. Taking this technology to the extreme humans could potently reverse or stop aging, give people gills, see smells, not feel pain, or need less sleep to function. The ability to not feel pain and need less sleep are both mutations in DNA that exist now, and are only one sequence in a gene that is different from most people.

The film then ponders which jobs have standards of genes that you must have to obtain them (The example that they use in the film is that air traffic controllers need to be able to sleep for a mere 4 hours in order to be fully functional). This also begs the question as to what humanity will look like and how common gene edited people will be in only 1 or 2 generations from now.

Overall, Human Nature is a great documentary that takes an interesting look into the power of CRISPR technology, and the ethics surrounding it.

For full audio of our interview with director Adam Bolt, click here.

Human Nature is now playing at the Hot Docs Theatre in Toronto, ON and in select theatres across Canada.

Freaks: Fighting For (and Against) Normal

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By Jason Thai

In the new sci-fi thriller Freaks, Chloe (Alexa Kolker) is a 7-year old girl who is forced to live at home without any interaction with the outside world. Living under a set of rules enforced by her paranoid and frantic father, Henry, who will do whatever it takes to keep Chloe in. Henry (Emile Hirsch) continues to limit what she can see of the outside by telling her she should never leave and teaching her how to fit in and act “normal” so she won’t be killed by the “bad people”, if she is ever discovered. Even so, Chloe longs to interact with the world and is curious why things are the way they are.

In this world, ‘freaks’ are beings with super abilities such as invisibility, slowing time, flight, and Chloe’s power to make people do things. The government and the entire world see these ‘freaks’ as a threat to mankind, viewing them as weapons of mass destruction that must be eliminated, experimented on or used against others. (Incidentally, the only way the government is able to tell freaks from normal people is that, when they use their powers, they bleed from one of their eyes.)

It seems to be that Freaks is paralleling the film to real life racism and, more specifically, how Jewish people were treated in Germany during WW2. In the film, freaks are treated as lesser citizens and something to be feared. Media coverage of freaks are negative, as they run ads all over the city telling citizens to turn them in to the authorities. Freaks like Chloe’s mother are stripped of their freedom and ability to use their powers. Then, similar to how Jewish people were sent to concentration camps and then gased or experimented on, the incarcerated freaks are either killed in this world or sent to be imprisoned and experimented on. Living in fear of being captured and sent to Madic Mountai, Chloe tries her best to be normal and hangout with all kids her age. However, they treat her with hate and contempt for being for being a freak. Throughout the film, Chloe tries to deny that she is a freak and prove that she is normal like everyone else. Still, she continues to be shamed by everyone around her, including her father, who wants her to act “normal”. Obviously, this sort of abuse takes its toll on Chloe emotionally and spiritually. Just as racism hurts the self-image of children of minorities, the government’s treatment of the freaks causes them to lose self-confidence and feel shame towards their own ethnicity. However, after using her powers to save her mother and defend herself from those that want to hurt her for simply existing as a freak, Chloe realizes that she should embrace who she is.

As a sci-fi movie, there’s much to like about Freaks. The film has an interesting lore and sets up strong world-building in their story. I also enjoyed the relationship between Chloe and her father, Henry. As a father, Henry does everything he can to protect his daughter and puts her in a metaphorical bubble, feeding her information to warn her of the dangers outside the safe haven of their house. Furthermore, his power allows him create time bubbles to slow time in a contained space, setting a physical bubble around his house to allow Chloe time to grow and be safe. Overall, Freaks is an interesting sci-fi movie that may interest you if you enjoy superhero films, featuring a great story about trying to fit in a cruel world.

Freaks shows its power in theatres on Friday, September 13th, 2019.

The Boys: Abuse by the [Super]Powers That Be

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By Jason Thai

Streaming on Amazon Prime, The Boys is a superhero television show that parodies DC Comics’ most popular heroes. In most stories, superheroes act to protect the innocent and to stop crime but, in this universe, they are owned by “Vought International”, a large American corporation that markets their image and abilities to make money. The story follows a non-superpowered being named Hughie who lives in New York City (which is also home to the headquarters Vought International). Hughie has a run-in with A-Train (a superhero who has the ability to move very fast, a parody of DC’s the Flash) a member of “The Seven,” a group of seven superheroes that are the most powerful and influential that Vought has teamed together (a direct parody of DC’s Justice League seven most influential heroes). After A-Train wrongs him, Hughie teams up with Billy Bishop and his boys to get his revenge on the superhero, The Seven, and Vought.

In the show, superheroes are treated similar to how actors and pro athletes are treated in our world — as celebrities. The superheroes from The Boys are a parallel to how celebrities are treated and act in our world. By showing the illusion of fame from the perspective of an outsider, The Boys explores how money and status can corrupt someone, turning them into a selfish and despicable person. This is best shown through Starlight, a young up and coming superhero that just got into “The Seven”, who exemplifies what it’s like to become famous and achieve celebrity status for the first time. At first, she starts off optimistic, seeing her new career at Vought as the job of a lifetime and something that she worked her whole life to achieve. However, as soon as she meets “The Deep”–one of The Seven–he demands that she offer herself sexually to him or else he threatens to go to Vought’s higher ups and demand she be removed from the team. Moments such as this parallel how many young people can be taken advantage as they begin their career in the entertainment industry in order to achieve their dreams.

In another moment, there is a scene where Starlight uses the washroom, and “Translucent”, a superhero that can turn invisible (and a parody of Martian Manhunter), is revealed to regularly go in the women’s washroom for his own pleasure. Meanwhile, other female superheroes that have been in Vought for years before Starlight arrived have come to accept his behaviour, mirroring how men such as Harvey Weinstein in the industry over the last few years have taken advantage of their position to regularly harass women. For years, accusations such as these have been ‘known’ amongst industry insiders with nothing actually done. All of a sudden, Starlight’s eyes are opened to the realities of life as a superhero and that much of their image has been created by the marketing of Vought, to sell as “products” to the masses.

Furthermore, after A-Train, the superhero speedster, accidently runs into his girlfriend, he splatters her like a train hitting a person and attempts to get legal revenge ultimately fail. A-Train as a celebrity. As a result, with a team of lawyers supported by Vought, A-Train is able to avoid any legal repercussions from committing manslaughter and pay his way out of the situation, in the same way that athletes are given special privilege in our world,

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Overall, I enjoyed The Boys. The show is a refreshing take and parody of our most iconic and popular heroes. The show realistically depicts how people would really act if having powers granting them great physical advantages over others. Superhuman abilities, money, and fame are backed by a corrupt company doing anything it can to make as much money as possible and, as a result, the film does a good job showing the temptation to abuse one’s power. I also enjoyed the many side character storylines that existed within The Boys, and how people in the entertainment industry face challenges and live their lives. One example of this comes through A-Train’s journey to stay the fastest speedster despite the threat of younger speedsters who wish to challenge his title. Fearing that he will lose his place on The Seven if he’s no longer the fastest, he trains his hardest but to no avail. Forced to do whatever it takes to maintain his wealth and status, he takes a superhero steroid that slowly kills him, but grants him speed boosts to compete with the younger speedsters. The story is clearly a call back the temptation of athletes to “dope” at the cost of their bodies to stay on top and it demonstrates the grittiness that the show needs. (Personally, I enjoyed the direction they went with how dark certain moments of the show became.) What’s more, The Boys also does a good job of allowing side characters to go on their own journey of growth and have interesting interactions and character dynamics in every scene.

In conclusion, The Boys was a great show that parodied our iconic superheroes and showed paralleled our celebrities. Not being afraid to tackle all issues that people in the entertainment industry face, the series grittiness showcases the abuse of people at the hands of those in power.

Ma Blu-ray Giveaway

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Want to win a copy of Universal’s Ma on Blu-ray?

“A lonely middle-aged woman befriends some teenagers and decides to let them party in the basement of her home. But there are some house rules: One of the kids has to stay sober, don’t curse, and never go upstairs. They must also refer to her as Ma. But as Ma’s hospitality starts to curdle into obsession, what began as a teenage dream turns into a terrorizing nightmare, and Ma’s place goes from the best place in town to the worst place on Earth.”

Enter your favorite Octavia Spencer film below!

The Hustle Blu-ray Giveaway

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Would you like to win a copy of Universal Picture’s The Hustle Blu-ray Combo pack?

Josephine Chesterfield is a glamorous, seductive British woman who has a penchant for defrauding gullible men out of their money. Into her well-ordered, meticulous world comes Penny Rust, a cunning and fun-loving Australian woman who lives to swindle unsuspecting marks. Despite their different methods, the two grifters soon join forces for the ultimate score — a young and naive tech billionaire in the South of France.

To enter, post your favorite Anne Hathaway or Rebel Wilson film in the comments.