Category: Movie Reviews

Seeking Mavis Beacon, Because Her Face is Well-Known All Around The World

When not everyone can touch type, is Seeking Mavis Beacon important? What this documentary is effective at examining is in why a certain look was needed, and how that would later influence a generation of not only black women in the corporate world, but also shape the state of an AI industry, especially chatbots.

Seeking Mavis Beacon Movie Poster
Test your typing speed with the online version here.

To find if this documentary is playing at a theatre near you, please visit the official website.

When the people Seeking Mavis Beacon think of the software designed to teach typing as a videogame, I’m sure this telling documentary can ask Where in the World is Mavis Becon instead of Carmen Sandiego. At least, when comparing Broderbund/The Learning Company’s product to The Software Toolworks‘ deception, the lines of reality is not as blurry. Back when both games were released, everyone thought these characters were real!

However, for a generation who grew up learning how to touch type and improving their typing speed with this “person,” she’s an iconic role model many people will not dispute. Until the information was made public, not everyone knew she was a made up figure. A real person was involved in selling the product, but that was only for a day. Renee L’esperance was already a well established fashion model who was mostly better known in Haiti than other parts of the world. And when Les Crane, Walt Bilofsky, and Mike Duffy knew she was the one to become the face of their learning app, their plan can be scorned now instead of back then.

They only offered her $500 to pose for a simple photo shoot, and never offered her a contract for residuals. Had she known just how influential this program would become, she’d be as rich as Bill Gates! The last software release occurred in 2020, a detail this film journal did not take a deep dive into.

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Riding Bean or Bean Bandit, The Difference is in What Kenichi Sonoda Says is Official.

Barack Obama once said, “Let me tell your something. I’m from Chicago. I don’t break.” But we’re betting he never saw the anime, Riding Bean. We also offer the latest news concerning the Japanese release, Bean Bandit.

Riding Bean Blu-rayRelease Date: Sept 10, 2024
Available to Purchase on Amazon USA or direct through MediaOCD

Technically, the only thing new in the re-release of Riding Bean is the interview with creator Kenichi Sonada. What he offers are some anecdotes regarding what inspired him to make the anime, and subsequent manga sequel, and he also shares what he loved back then, which he brought over to this series. For example, he talked about I Dream of Jeanie and also Terminator. I won’t give away the deets, but upon checking out this bonus video first, and this short film again, I agree about the latter’s influence. As for the former, that was a “Really?” moment.

Although Sonada-san didn’t say much regarding who he was drawing from for Percy, the police commissioner who is after Bean, I’m guessing he takes after Edward Rooney (Ferris Bueller’s Day Off) along with Walter Peck (Ghostbusters). They share similiar manic characteristics! He’s why I love this short film so much.

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It’s Never Too Early To Consider A Halloween Feast with The Long Family in September!

With this work from the Brazilian mind of Guile Branco, A Halloween Feast, is sure to satisfy fans who are familiar with the works of Coffin Joe.

A Halloween Feast Movie PosterBreaking Glass Pictures
On Digital and On Demand September 10.

Autumn is right around the corner, and already, movies set during the scariest night of the year are here! And not everyone is ready for A Halloween Feast. For Angela Long (Lynn Lowry), there’s more stress than usual, and when she’s trying to keep her family together, not every day is going to be perfect. Set somewhere in Middle America, this story is a satire on everything that can go wrong! After catching her husband (James Griggs) smoking weed one day, she’s done the worst thing possible: chop off his fingers! That resulted in her getting sent to the psych ward for treatment and monitoring, but even after being released, she’s never been the same again.

This film, written and directed by Guile Branco, has the feel of being more than a sitcom modelled after The Simpsons and a Troma movie. When considering his mentor was none other than, “Coffin Joe” Jose Mojica Marins, there’s some recognisable elements not only from this Brazilian auteur but also in what this actress offered based on her time with Uncle Lloyd. This movie just has that feel of belonging to two worlds.

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Netflix is Preparing for Geeked Week!

Netflix has a live event for Geeked Week and it will take place in Atlanta, Georgia.

Netflix Geeked Week 2024Watch Live on YouTube, Twitch and X on Sept. 19 at 5pm PT/ 8pm ET

These days, Netflix is the go to place for a lot of geeky content. When they’re bringing back a lot of fond properties along with cultivating new takes on others, I’m always there. After Terminator Zero (review coming soon), I’m certainly hooked! Last week, they posted a trailer for its upcoming Geeked Week celebration and while what I’m anxious for seems not necessarily there, that may be because I was multitasking at the time and missed that clip. Or rather, when will Netflix Canada do something to negotiate with CTV to get Star Trek: Prodigy on air?

This year kicks off on September 16 and culminates with Geeked Week Live, an in-person fan event at 8 pm ET on September 19 in Atlanta. Expect sneak peeks, news and surprises from titles including Squid Game, Arcane, One Piece, Avatar: The Last Airbender, Don’t Move, Wednesday, Cobra Kai, Monument Valley 3, Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft, Devil May Cry and more. Visit GeekedWeek.com to get tickets now.

Geeked Hall of Fandom Awards to Celebrate the Biggest Fans

This year, for the first time, the best fans (as voted by other fans) will be inducted into a permanent Geeked Hall of Fandom as a testament to their amazing cosplay, art, crafts and creations around Netflix Geeked titles. The fans with the most votes will be honored on stage during Geeked Week Live and presented by Netflix talent with a custom award. Voting begins September 9 on GeekedWeek.com.

Get in on the Fun with Geeked Week Activations

The week-long celebration will also include special experiences like Geeks Who Drink trivia on September 16, Atlanta-area events like Geeked Ink with creator-collab Netflix-inspired tattoos on September 18 from 11-7 pm ET at Apocalypse Tattoo in Buckhead, a Twilight of the Gods fan screening with co-creator and executive producer Zack Snyder on September 18, and event attendees can also visit the Netflix Has Games lounge to play the latest games.

Out Come the Wolves and They Don’t Sing

Although Out Come the Wolves is no game-changer in this mix-genre effort, at least the finale will leave you breathless.

Out Come The Wolves Movie Poster
Now playing at select theatres and on VOD (Google Play, Apple TV, and YouTube)

No one wanted to let the dogs out too soon in a film titled Out Come the Wolves. While the first moments looked terrific, to transition to a story about a woman having to decide between two men, well, do I really want to know? In a film that’s about who is the alpha, this movie is easy to predict. I fast forwarded to the juicy bits concerning what I think about Sophie (Missy Peregrym). She doesn’t need any man in her life, and the fact she can fend for herself says it all!

And when she has to decide who to save in the wilderness, her fiancé Nolan (Damon Runyan) who is a jerk for much of the film, or her friend that she knew for most of her life, Kyle (Joris Jarsky), I won’t spoil that detail. And while I’m not one for films about love triangles as the primary focus, the thought of someone might go feral had me curious about this work.

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The Portal Encounters in Aliens Uncovered Part 12 Are Many, But What About The Few Not Found Elsewhere?

Anyone searching for the truth will find some new ideas in the next chapter of the Aliens Uncovered series, subtitled Portals Encountered.

Aliens Uncovered Portal Encounters PosterNow Available to Stream on Google Play, Vudu and AppleTV

The Superstition Mountains is certainly a place of mystery, and in Aliens Uncovered Portal Encounters, the 12th episode of a 15 film run, what’s unearthed concerns folklore more so than anything else! Here, the focus is about why people go missing and the search for Lost Dutchman’s Gold Mine! That’s because some people theorise the metal is required for achieving faster than light travel.

One day, maybe someone from the U.S. military will open up and explain why they patrol these places. They are policing them because “There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy.” There are organisations who think the world is not ready for what’s lurking across that gateway, and perhaps they are doing what’s best for humanity.

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