Florence + The Machine - Dog Days Are Over

One of the little things to know about me is that every time I hear a song, I immediately tied it to what was happening when I was listening to it for the first time.

That's why listening to songs is always an involuntary habit of reminiscence.

Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol 3

 Guardians of the Galaxy (GOTG) was the first Marvel movie I watched, even though back then I didn't really enjoy Marvel movies, but I remember vividly it was a fun movie. I watched it in 2014, in theatre, in GSC CityOne Megamall, Kuching, when I was studying in Swinburne. GOTG thus becomes the first Marvel movie that truly etches into me, hence I was very excited for the third movie. I wasn't happy about what happened to James Gunn and how Disney handled the situation, but after a series of convoluted events, James Gunn came back to close this chapter, and hence I must give it a witness I know the movie would fabulously deliver.

James Gunn does not disappoint.

This is a movie full of emotions - of anger, of sadness, of joy, of tears. The villain is very simplistic. The High Evolutionary isn't some aliens or celestial, but just a human who's probably genetically enhanced but still yards from Captain America's durability. But James Gunn manages to picture him as someone so scary despite his simplicity. That's the power of James Gunn.

The ending of the movie is gut-wrenching. I know the characters finally get what they truly deserve, but somehow, after 10 years, watching them disband is very heartbreaking. Gamora and Quill will not get together because this is a different Gamora. Nebula has finally found her happiness. It's sad also that Mantis and Drax separate. Dog Days are over is an awesome song by the way.

But good things must come to an end, to ensure they don't outlive their welcome.

My rating: 10/10. Marvel would continue to soar if this quality persists.

The Pope's Exorcist

I watched The Pope's Exorcist in Emperor Cinema in R&F. Sidetracked a little, R&F has stagnated, or rather deteriorated, to a rather sorry state today. It has not recovered from the damage incurred by the pandemic. However, the cinema was still rather marvellous. I went there on a weekday, and bought the ticket for a screening before 6pm, and thus it cost only RM12, which is a steal compared to what I would have to pay to watch in Singapore. 

I was hesitant to watch this because the name of the film heavily implies that this show contains religious elements, which I've never been receptive to. But, I heard the reviews had been good, and it was being screened two weeks earlier than the States, and I had time to kill, so I thought, why not?

As it turns out, it indeed was good! It wasn't very religious - there was the Church, the Pope, and two Fathers and a demon. That's it, nothing like Angels & Demons which befuddled me who had zero knowledge on Christianity.

The movie didn't start slow. Russell Crown played the role fabulously. What really made this show captivating was how the demon defied all expectations of the characters and resisted all exorcism attempts. And what made this show different from other horror movies was the investigation to identify the demon who stubbornly repelled all attempts for submissions by studying the history of the place and unearthing what had been hidden beneath the place, like a detective.

I must say, horror movies like this has been very rare, and this was a very, very enjoyable film for a horror movie fan like me. Finally, Hollywood has shown some recovery from numerous subpar movies that were released in the past few years.

My rating: 8.5/10.

Lady Gaga - Hold My Hand (Acoustic)

This is not an official version. Basically, someone removes all background voices and keeps only her vocal, and substitutes all of them with a piano version.

The emotion is a notch higher and the song quality instantly elevated.

Pirates of the Caribbean - The Curse of the Black Pearl - Jack's Entrance

The downside of having Disney+ subscription is that I get to rewatch shows I absolutely enjoyed that I've now forgotten and got suck back to the good old days. Nostalgia is my greatest weakness.

That aside, it's worth sharing this. It's been 20 years since this movie was first released, but not a single character introduction or music score beat this.

Pirates of the Caribbean remains a legendary film whose legacy must be protected at a cost.

Under The Banner of Heaven

I'll admit, this doesn't look or sound like a show I normally enjoy. It's heavily Christian (specifically, Mormonism), and I do not like any fictional work with a religious central theme. But it's Andrew Garfield, and the show received widespread acclaim, so I thought, why not give it a try? It's on Disney+, and I've paid for it.

Anyway, it didn't quite disappoint. Andrew Garfield is a successful actor, rightly so because he's talented. I'm a sentimental person, if a person acts well, I feel the emotion and I know it right.

The show is set in a small town where the population is very conservative and strictly adhere to the teachings of the church. It's loosely (or largely) based on a real story, and the series adopts the actual names of the victims and perpetrators. It can be summarised as a devout Mormon facing the biggest challenge of his faith as he investigates the murder of a woman and a baby by rogue Mormons.

Ultimately, it's about humanity vs faith. 

This is a good show, and I'm actually pleasantly surprised I enjoyed it. My criticisms so far would be that 1) the episodes are too long, and; 2) Pyre deserves a better ending.

Echoes (TV)

 Is it Leni or Gina? After a while it gets confusing.

This is a series about two really identical twins swapping identities so often it confuses even the twins in question. One of them went missing one day, and the other had no idea what transpired, so she had to play two roles as she investigated.

I would say it's interesting, only if you can keep up. Otherwise, give this show a skip.

I did, however, finish it. I won't say the revelation is boggling, but it's not a very fun one. The series is not bad, it has its ups and downs, it has some successful twists and some unsuccessful suspense, but overall it did manage to deliver some story that isn't an entire failure, but probably not an award-winning or highly ranked series.

Rating: 6/10. The actress is awesome and nailed her role.