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5.19 Unleashing our Inner DARK PHOENIX

June 16, 2019 by Steve Norton Leave a Comment

With the release of Dark Phoenix, Fox officially wraps up its X-Men franchise by retconning one of their most famous storylines. After having been exposed to an other-worldly energy, Jean Grey finds herself battling unlimited power and her own inner demons. As Charles Xavier, Magneto and the rest of the X-Men attempt to help her contain her abilities, a mysterious new foe seeks to unleash its full destructive power upon the world. This week, ScreenFish Radio welcomes back returnees Miriam Ibrahim and Matthew Cimone to discuss the legacy of the franchise, what went right (and wrong) with the film and the power of emotion.

You can also stream the episode above on podomatic, Alexa (via Stitcher), Spotify or Soundcloud! Or, you can download the ep on Apple Podcasts or Google Play!

Want to continue to conversation at home?  Click the link below to download ‘Fishing for More’ — some small group questions for you to bring to those in your area.

5.19 Dark Phoenix

Filed Under: Film, Podcast Tagged With: Charles Xavier, Dark Phoenix, Game of Thrones, james mcavoy, Jennifer Lawrence, Michael Fassbender, X-Men

Glass: Picking Up the Pieces

April 16, 2019 by Steve Norton Leave a Comment

Lauded for his shocking twists throughout his career, Shyamalan fell off the map for over a decade due to a string of high-profile box-office failures. (Does anybody rememberThe Happening? And we don’t talk about The Last Airbender…) With Glass, however, Shyamalan combines the worlds of two of his most memorable pieces—2000’s Unbreakable and 2017’s Split—in a truly unique exploration of the superhero genre. 

Lauded for his shocking twists throughout his career, Shyamalan fell off the map for over a decade due to a string of high-profile box-office failures. (Does anybody remember The Happening? And we don’t talk about The Last Airbender…) With Glass, however, Shyamalan combines the worlds of two of his most memorable pieces—2000’sUnbreakable and 2017’s Split—in a truly unique exploration of the superhero genre. 

Beginning after the events of Split, Glassfinds David Dunn (Bruce Willis) pursuing Kevin Wendall Crumb (James McAvoy, who attacks the role with frantic energy) until both men are captured by Dr. Ellie Price (Sarah Paulson), a psychologist charged with attempting to understand her subjects and discern the truth about their behaviour. In the process, they also reacquaint themselves with Elijah Price aka Mr. Glass (Samuel L. Jackson), whose shadowy presence emerges as an orchestrator whoholds secrets critical to both men.

By bringing his hidden hero David Dunn, Mr. Glass and the mentally unstable Kevin Wendell Crumb together, Shyamalan has the opportunity to further explore the realm of superhuman beings in a grounded, personal manner. In many ways, the film exemplifies Shyamalan’s signature style, unspooling his narrative as a slow burn with long takes and quiet dialogue. (In doing so, similar to Unbreakable, Glassserves as the polar opposite to examples of the current superhero genre which relies heavily on special effects and epic battles.)

Having collected all three characters into a high-security mental institution, Dr. Staple meets with her potential ‘heroes’ in a series of intense meetings attempting to cure them of any delusions. In each conversation, she points to events in their lives, questioning whether or not there is anything truly ‘special’ about each individual. Couldn’t Crumb have performed his wild physical feats after watching internet videos on parkour? What if Dunn’s superhuman strength was merely a result of weakened materials? In doing so, Staple calmly begins to deconstruct their understanding of reality in a way that challenges their beliefs about the world and themselves.

As a result, it’s this relationship between belief and reality that becomes the film’s central focus. Whereas Staple continuously calls into question the quality of her subjects, the ultimate question becomes whether or not that changes who they are. While doubt can creep into our minds (even to the point that it reframes our understandings), it does not change who we were created to be. (In fact, without giving away any spoilers, is it also possible that the lies we’ve been told could prevent us from reaching our full potential?) Whether it’s David Dunn, Elijah Price or Kevin Wendal Crumb, each primary character in Glassis on a journey of self-discovery as they attempt to discern truth from lies. While, in the end, Glasswill hardly be the film that defines Shyamalan’s legacy. However, there is also a lot to like in the film through its conversations about what defines our character and makes us who we are.

For its home video release, the film truly looks remarkable on 4K UHD, as Shyamalan manages to sharpen his colours in a way that help him tell his story more effectively. (The Pink Room, in particular, looks stunning.) Special features of note includeGlass Decoded, which details Shyamalan’s process of continuity over the three films (over 19 years!), and Connecting the Glass Universewhich explores his unique vision for such a grounded take on the superhero genre. Including the usual ‘alternate takes/deleted scenes’, the film does not include a director’s commentary. (However, there is a conversation between James McAvoy and Shyamalan who discuss the importance of originality for the genre.)

Glass is available on 4K, Blu-Ray and DVD on April 16th, 2019.   

Filed Under: Reviews Tagged With: Bruce Willis, comic book, comic book film, Glass, james mcavoy, M. Night Shyamalan, Samuel L. Jackson, Sarah Paulson, Split, Unbreakable

GIVEAWAY: GLASS in 4K!

April 10, 2019 by Steve Norton 1 Comment

M. Night Shyamalan brings together the narratives of two of his standout originals—2000’s Unbreakable, from Touchstone, and 2016’s Split, from Universal—in one explosive, all-new comic-book thriller: Glass. From Unbreakable, Bruce Willis returns as David Dunn as does Samuel L. Jackson as Elijah Price, known also by his pseudonym Mr. Glass. Joining from Split are James McAvoy, reprising his role as Kevin Wendell Crumb and the multiple identities who reside within, and Anya Taylor-Joy as Casey Cooke, the only captive to survive an encounter with The Beast. Following the conclusion of Split, Glass finds Dunn pursuing Crumb’s superhuman figure of The Beast in a series of escalating encounters, while the shadowy presence of Price emerges as an orchestrator who holds secrets critical to both men.

The winner will receive a copy of Glass, the 4K Ultra HD/Blu-ray Combo Edition.

To enter, simply like or share our post on Facebook and answer the following question in the comment section: What is your favourite M. Night Shyamalan movie? Why?

For a bonus entry, like or share the post on Twitter and Instagram.

All entries must be completed by 11:59pm on Monday, April 17th, 2019.

Glass is currently available on digital and will be released on Blu-Ray on Tuesday, April 19th, 2019

Filed Under: Reviews Tagged With: Bruce Willis, Glass, james mcavoy, M. Night Shyamalan, Samuel L. Jackson, Split, The Beast, Unbreakable

Podcast: Surviving the [X-MEN] APOCALYPSE

June 13, 2016 by Steve Norton 1 Comment

xmen-apocalypse-gallery-01

https://screenfish.net/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/2.18-X-Men-Apocalypse.mp3

This week on the show, ScreamFish auteur Jason Norton and newbie Sue Banik join Steve to take on X-MEN: APOCALYPSE! Plus, they face off in the ultimate trivia challenge: the X-Off!

Want to continue to conversation at home?  Click the link below to download ‘Fishing for More’ — some small group questions for you to bring to those in your area.

2.17 X-Men Apocalypse

Filed Under: Film, Podcast Tagged With: Apocalypse, james mcavoy, Jennifer Lawrence, Michael Fassbender, X-Men

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