Christina Ortega
Posts by Christina Ortega:
Your Next Viewing: Marvel’s BLACK WIDOW
Photo Courtesy of Marvel Studios ©️ Marvel Studios 2021. All Rights Reserved
What makes a family? No, don’t roll your eyes at me; I am not about to delve into any of those Dom memes (though it would be fitting for this movie). I was lucky enough to go see Black Widow last night in a theater with a small group of friends and while the movie is full of backstory, giggles, and action, there is the underlying theme of family.
If you’ve been following the Marvel Cinematic Universe films, then you’ve only known Black Widow as a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent and an Avenger. We first met her in Iron Man 2 and in the films that followed have heard little of her past, bits she and Barton have reminisced about during fight scenes, snippets she shared with Banner as they were bonding.
Black Widow begins way back in 1995 when Natasha was only twelve. The film starts slowly because there is a lot of her past to set up. I think that was part of the downside of this movie: it had way too much to explain so the pacing felt a lot slower than your usual Marvel adventure. Or maybe I am just too used to the fast-pace weekly chunks I’ve been enjoying thanks to the latest shows. Anyway, after we learn about what happened in 1995, we jump ahead to see what happened to Romanoff after the events of Civil War. Here is where things start to pick up.
I won’t go into spoilers, but I will tell you that after Natasha goes on the run she gets into her own adventure which takes her back to the people we met in the beginning of the film. What follows is family drama, the usual Marvel quirky banter to help balance any moments that get too intense, and more action. There is even a mention of … wait for it… Budapest! Yes!
While it did feel different from previous Marvel films, I thoroughly enjoyed it anyway. My viewing mates did not completely agree; two of them said it was too much dialogue and not enough action, but as I said before, there was a lot of information that viewers needed in order to understand this chunk of Black Widow’s tale. I enjoyed it and can’t wait to add it into my Marvel re-watch rotation once it is available to stream at home.
But don’t take my word for it; go see for yourself and hit me up and let me know what you think of Black Widow. And don’t forget to stay until after the credits!
Your Next Viewing: Alex Noyer’s SOUND OF VIOLENCE Echoes With Chilling Brutality And Fascination
There are all sorts of unusual conditions that exist. Not just quirks, but actual medically acknowledged conditions. For example, misophonia. This is not made up. Misophonia is a disorder which results in either anxiety or strong negative emotions when certain sounds are heard, like someone chewing. There is also a condition called synesthesia; someone with this can taste shapes or smell color. Having synesthesia could also mean that a person can see sound. So what if someone could see sound but not always hear it? This brings us to my latest movie viewing: SOUND OF VIOLENCE.
Your Next Viewing: CENTRAL PARK
I have only been to New York once and of course I had to hit as many of the tourist spots as I could including Times Square, Central Park, and Washington Square Park, where I had an intense and memorable encounter with a homeless person. True story. I’ll have to tell you sometime over a virtual cup of java. However, that encounter was nowhere near as life-threatening as what happens in Jinga Films’ latest release, Central Park.
Fantaspoa Review: HISTORY OF THE OCCULT
For the first time ever we here at Film Combat Syndicate had the privilege of covering the annual Fantaspoa Fantastic Film Festival. This is Brazil’s long-running fest and this year was number seventeen!
This year’s edition was supported by the Brazilian government and renewed the festival’s partnership with the streaming service Darkflix. The festival ran from April 9 to 18 and featured over 100 shorts and 50 feature films from over 35 countries.
If you haven’t already read FCS’s coverage of films by Cathy (Cemetery of Lost Souls) and Vance (One Grave for Three Men), you should. You might find a new film for you to try.
I was able to watch History of the Occult, which was not what I expected. Honestly, at first I thought I had clicked on the wrong screener because it opened with a mysterious conversation then turned into a political situation. There was a small group of people who were watching a TV show that was airing its last episode and were trying to see if information was released about a conspiracy theory. As I said, it was not what I expected, but I was intrigued anyway. Since this movie did not move along in the usual storyline, let me take you through some of my reactions and thoughts in “real time”:
Opening scene: Who are these people and what are they talking about?
Ten minutes in: There is an image of a dead body surrounded by unknown symbols. Ah, there is the occult part…but then we go back to the people in hiding who are talking…it sounds like in code. Was there something I missed? Should I be listening to their conversation?
Twenty-eight minutes in: Ah, there is another mention of the occult, but how is the study of dark arts connected to these people and this TV show they are so concerned about?
About 40 minutes in: Now one of them is talking about a drug. So are they involved in the occult? Or are they trying to expose a political leader who is involved in the occult?
You get the idea. I do not want to keep going because eventually it all makes sense and is a satisfying black and white ride into the noir film style.
Written and directed by Cristian Ponce, this horror film was a great addition to Fantaspoa. One of the highlights of a film fest is being able to see different styles and learn about new-to-me writers and directors.
This film was part of Fantaspoa, which ran for free on the streaming platform Darkflix, from April 9 to 18. All film screenings are geo-blocked to Brazil, with additional details available at www.fantaspoa.com.
Your Next Reads: Five True Crime Books for Your TBR Pile
For those of you wondering, yes, my True Crime book club is still active! I’ve been so engrossed in reading (true crime, items for my 2021 Reading Challenge, for another book club I’m in, and other books as I find them), that I have not slowed down enough to actually write about what I’ve been reading! So, to help catch you up on what has been going on in my True Crime reading, I am going to summarize our last five reads and our reactions:
An Evil Underground and Some Damn Good Music in THE RETALIATORS Teaser
If you’ve read any of my other articles you know that my interests are pretty wide and varied: from anime to comic book shows and movies to reading and so on and so forth. One interest that I have not been able to write about for this website yet is music. And now I get to write about music and movies? Yes! Let’s do this!
It’s All Fun and Games in MURDER BURY WIN
Why do you play games: for fun or to win?
See The Downside of Hazing in INITIATION Trailer
The first college I went to did not have fraternities nor sororities. I never had the urge to join in, never felt I was missing out. Saban Films’ latest movie INITIATION shows me that I did not miss out on anything special.
AT THE DRIVE-IN Season 3 Premiere to Have Special Guest
If you’re a fan of horror films, you probably have a subscription to Shudder. If you don’t already have one, this bit of news may make you want to get one:
CLAPBOARD JUNGLE Will Offer a Man-Behind-the-Curtain Look at Filmmaking
If you’re a movie lover, chances are you’ve watched some behind the scenes bits of making of videos. Maybe you’ve seen a documentary on a film you like. But have you ever wondered what an indie filmmaker has to go through? Is movie making as glamorous as we think it could be?
Blackmail, a Cover-up, and More in SHEEP WITHOUT A SHEPHERD: Watch the Trailer Now
How far would you go to cover up an accident? Could you trust the people around you to lie for you?
Luke Bracey and Brittany Snow to Star in BIG NICKEL
Sometimes we have regrets and sometimes we would prefer to blame others for our missteps. We should not do this, but it happens and it sounds like the premise of Tom Chilcoat’s directorial debut BIG NICKEL.
YASUKE: Netflix Drops Official Teaser Trailer
When one thinks of different countries or cultures, there are certain things that are always thought of. What people most often associate with America, for example, is probably baseball and certain grilled foods like hot dogs. Whether or not people know a lot about Japanese culture, the samurai is probably most often associated with Japan. And what is better than an anime focusing on not just any samurai, but the first African samurai?
LOKI: See Everyone’s Favorite Trickster in the Trailer
They say (and by “they” I mean the people who create all those memes passed around on social media) that when you are a child, you identify with the superheroes, but when you are an adult, you begin to understand the villains. While I cannot fully agree with this because even growing up there were villains I could empathize with, I do think there may be some truth to it since some villains are just so likable! A good example of this is Loki.
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