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Discovering Immortality in Eternal Code

15 Jan

By Ed Sum
(The Vintage Tempest)

On Amazon Prime

Eternal Code is a high fidelity thriller with low-fi science fiction ideas as the MacGuffin. In between the exposition is a discussion about the ethics of human experimentation–especially when it concerns being able to move the consciousness of one individual to another. One fact is certain: the recipient of this procedure is better off being brain dead. Another is who deserves this “second chance” more, those who can pay for the procedure or those who truly deserve a second chance at life because of something they did in the past which warrants a complete change of physical identity?

The idea can give hope to Corey (Damien Chinappi, a suicidal military vet) and Stephanie (Kaiti Wallen, a prostitute). It’d be terrible if they got the wrong end of the stick if offered. Instead, by befriending Miranda (Angelina Danielle Cama), they are more like heroes and don’t need any change at all. They can do it all for themselves, which is where this story shines.

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Battle in Space: The Armada Attacks Jan 12th in this Anthology Release

11 Jan

By Ed Sum
(The Vintage Tempest)

UNCORK’D ENTERTAINMENT

ON DEMAND, DVD AND DIGITAL
including iTunes, Amazon, Google Play
January 12, 2021

Spoiler Alert

In Battle in Space – The Armada Attacks the Earth has been occupied! This independent movie has all the hallmarks of a SyFy level production, and the budget to pull off some terrific space battles you’d expect from today’s movies on the big screen. This anthology collection of mildly related shorts sees humanity fighting back, but when we’re dealing with wizards and aliens (two words which typically alludes to two different genres of storytelling) in the same breath, trying to decide if this collection is science fiction is tough.

Lukas Kendall, Toby Rawal, Scott Robson, Andrew Jaksch, Sanjay F. Sharma, and Luis Tinoco have ideas on how to tell this story as though it was from the Robotech saga. That’s because Doug Jones is wearing a costume that evokes the image of Lord Doza in the overarching narrative. He preaches a good life and is certainly having fun with the role. However, before I knew it, we’re knee deep in the first tale: the people of Earth aren’t happy with this alien takeover and plot a rebellion.

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Back to the Past with Wonder Woman 1984 and the Future of the DCEU

7 Jan

Wonder Woman 1984 (2020) - IMDbBy Ed Sum
(The Vintage Tempest)

On HBO Max and limited theatre screenings.

Wonder Woman is a heroine for all ages, and Gal Gadot is embracing the character lock, stock and barrel. In the comics, she represents the independent woman. The first film gave us hints of where she came from, and this sequel continues down a similar path.

The prologue is set back in the island paradise of Themyscira and teaches the very young Diana Prince (Lilly Aspell) an important virtue–you can’t take shortcuts to get ahead. Perhaps including being careful in what you wish for should be added too. The rest of the film attempts to explore the latter in Max Lord (Pedro Pascal), a business executive with less than stellar credentials. He wants a high life. The fact someone loved him enough, and they had a son suggests he was truly happy once. But he’s a single parent, and I’m curious why he isn’t with his kid more. The picture isn’t complete. Just why he is interested in ancient artifacts is not made clear either.

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PIXAR’s Latest is Soulful and Heartfelt

5 Jan

Soul Poster.jpegBy Ed Sum
(The Vintage Tempest)

Available on Disney Plus

PIXAR’s got Soul in their latest film about Joe Gardner (voiced by Jamie Foxx), a musician by trade and teacher when required. He needs a full-time job to pay the bills, but as most people will say, making the big leagues in the entertainment biz is tough and it demands much more.

Gardner wants to make mama happy. But being an instructor leaves him feeling unfulfilled. His dreams of being a professional musician means having a special type of freedom, which he tries to explain to his students: you become part of a special team, and the music made together–the harmonies–infect you. They bring out your soul (this film’s namesake) and when you are in that zone, the effect is an out-of-body experience to which this movie masterfully and colourfully visualizes.

When one of his students points out there’s an opening to become part of Dorothea Williams’ band, he’s on it faster than a honeybee to a flower. She’s a jazz legend, and he’s all willy-nilly. He gets the job, but on the journey home to get ready, he falls down a manhole and the title credits roll!

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