deerstalker

https://blackgirlnerds.com/tiff-2021-review-riz-ahmed-shines-in-encounter/

When reading the plot for Encounter in the TIFF programming guide, it’s easy to see why so many people would be curious about it. The cast alone did it for me. Anytime I can see a Supernatural alum (Misha Collins), even if he does have the tiniest role in the film, I am immediately on board. 

Now, when I say I enjoyed this film, I mean I enjoyed it immensely. There were times I forgot I was watching a movie. Isn’t that the point of watching a movie in a theater? The story, the acting, the pacing, the editing, the special effects were all fantastic. There were a few minor plot holes but I was okay with rolling with it because they didn’t take away from the story. 

I had the pleasure of watching two science fiction films back to back. It was a night of true nerdiness on my part. I walked away from this film wanting to see it again immediately. Encounter is smart. It made me think. It even swayed my belief a few times as I tried to figure out what was really going on. Encounter is such an engaging film, and I can’t wait for people to see it.

Encounter is about a decorated marine Malik Khan and his two sons. Malik learns that bugs (microorganisms) have landed on Earth and have been using humans as hosts, taking control of them one after another. The government will not alert the public, so Malik sets out on a rescue mission to save his sons. He picks them up from his ex-wife, who may or may not be already infected, in the guise of an epic road trip as he tries to keep them safe. 

The film stars Riz Ahmed (Sound of Metal) as Malik Khan, Lucian-River Chauhan (Heartland) as the oldest son Jay, Aditya Geddada as the youngest son Bobby, Octavia Spencer (Hidden Figures), and Rory Cochrane (Black Mass). The film is directed by Michael Pearce (Beast) and co-written by Pearce and Joe Barton (The Ritual).

Taking cues from classics like Invasion of the Body Snatchers, Puppet Masters, and The Host, the film is infused with the idea of being corrupted by something you can’t see and turns this into a thrilling production enhanced with fully developed characters. 

The story is simple — the character dynamics, not so much. The characters are complex and flawed, yet likable. The relationships explored are complicated, and yet unbreakable. Director Pearce made all the right choices. The little hints here and there that suggest but don’t give away too much were perfect. For a film like this, it’s all about timing and pace. A good reveal is always worth it when the audience doesn’t know what to think. Pearce was able to give us shock and awe with his visuals. 

Ahmed plays Malik Khan perfectly. He is gritty and prone to extremes. His outbursts were precise and fearful at times, but given the circumstances, perfectly valid. Ahmed also plays the loving, tough, and charismatic father. He also is portrayed as the true friend who carries his military team to safety. It makes sense to root for this guy.

The performances of the two young boys are brilliant. Chauhan did an amazing job as the ten-year-old who looks up to his father and would do anything to make his father happy. I teared up at certain scenes because elements of the father-son dynamic reminded me so much of my little nephew with my brother. It was beautiful. 

Geddada as the youngest son Bobby is such a natural. For being this strong in his first film, it’s clear this kid is going places. He’s adorable, funny, and acts like a stubborn little kid (like his father). The dynamic between him and his brother and his father is flawless. He’s that little kid that always wants the other parent when he gets in trouble. We all know that kid.

Like Octavia Spencer’s character, Hattie, we all deem ourselves a good judge of character at some point in our lives. So why is it possible for her to make viewers doubt themselves? Spencer is charismatic and level-headed in her role. It’s unnerving for a character to make us question everything we have seen, to be able to get inside our heads without even realizing it — much like the alien bugs in the film. 

There is also commentary on judging someone by how they look or act. Sound familiar, world? There is a scene where Malik gets pulled over by a cop. Is it because of prejudice and because he looks a certain way, or is it because the cop has alien bugs in his brain? Everyone you encounter in the film could be host to aliens, and the audience alongside the characters are trying to figure it out. It’s fantastic cinematic thrills.

Amazon Prime Video will release Encounter on December 10, 2021. Until then, I’m going to pick up some bug spray, just in case.

For more of our reviews from TIFF check out the following:

The Guilty

Mothering Sunday

Hold Your Fire

Attica

To Kill The Beast

A Banquet

Kicking Blood

Beba

Night Raiders

http://www.afronerd.com/2021/09/the-wires-michael-k-williams-passes.html

 

Afronerd Radio can now be heard LIVE courtesy of Apple Music/Itunes

https://www.thenerdelement.com/2021/09/08/tomorrows-first-nfl-regular-season-prediction/

Hi everyone! Today I want to talk about tomorrow’s first Thursday night football game of the season! I know everyone is excited for the NFL season to start! So, let’s get started, shall we?!

So, the first game tomorrow will be the Dallas Cowboys @ the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Buccaneers have a total of 22 players returning to the team and they are going to be a really good team again this year and the Cowboys have some issues on defense, but a quarterback Dak Prescott will be returning to the field for the first time after he was suffering a broken leg last year. I think this game will be a great game, but I do think that the Bucs can pull it off at some point over the Cowboys 27-19. I just think that the Cowboys might not do enough to beat the Super Bowl Champions because you have to look at the way this team is fully healthy. When a team is really healthy and fresh like this, look out! It is going to be really hard for a lot of teams to beat them. So, this is why I pick the Buccaneers to win the game tomorrow night. I can be wrong of course, but right now I feel confident about it.

So, what do you guys think about tomorrow’s Thursday night football game prediction?!

I would love to hear lots of comments, opinions, questions, concerns, or thoughts down below!

Stay tuned for NFL prediction updates.

The post Tomorrow’s First NFL Regular Season Prediction! appeared first on The Nerd Element.

https://blacknerdproblems.com/no-more-heroes-3-shatters-the-fourth-wall/

Pretenders of the Earth

The key to understanding No More Heroes 3 is in its enemies. 

Boss battles have become the hallmark of part-time killer & full-time otaku Travis Touchdown’s journeys through the assassin ranks, but the henchmonsters standing in his way give context to his newest struggle. Two-headed lizardmen fight alongside robots, ax-wielding giants, and…a guy named after the giant robot from the Japanese Spider-Man series?

What Travis’ interstellar foes share is a similar design ethos: tokusatsu. This Japanese term for ‘special effects film’ gathers any live-action production fitting that criteria beneath its umbrella. Be they practical, CGI, domestic, or foreign: Power Rangers and Godzilla are shelved alongside Star Wars and superhero movies in the tokusatsu section.

Most of the English-speaking world sees things that ‘look like Power Rangers’ as cringeworthy. A fantasy story should have the decency to hide any seams, zippers, or blemishes to better allow audiences to suspend their disbelief. Magnify that demand for modern gaming, each pressured to provide cutting-edge escapism to validate their prices. 

Looking For Trouble

If you want that escapism from No More Heroes 3, though? You’re going to have to work for it.

The series has been this way from the start, and admits as much by returning to the open-world design of the first game. While still somewhat sparse, Travis’ hometown of Santa Destroy and the surrounding locales gradually populate with multiple points of interest. 

Commuting between these points on a Kaneda-from-Akira style motorcycle (complete with iconic powerslide action) is almost as fun as the destinations themselves. Minigames, side-stories and collectible hunting break up the combat encounters, which are the most well-honed aspect of the game.

Travis’ beam katana arsenal has been pared down to accommodate a host of new moves. In addition to the standard repertoire of slashes and suplexes, what are essentially vector graphic versions of Force powers augment his attacks. Even a Kamen Rider form is on offer, which is The Most Tokusatsu Thing Possible.

Destroy City Limits

All this flash can’t hide the flaws of this game, unfortunately. Visual issues like pop-in textures and framerate drops continually rear their heads above the skyline. Gameplay interferences like save data loss are especially grievous…and yet No More Heroes 3 is inarguably the most polished of the infamous director / producer Suda 51’s canon to date.

This is a series that has constantly played with its own boundaries, from addressing the player directly to calling out the artifice of games themselves. Its mashup of styles and sensibilities purposely clash, create their own patchwork seams. The game makes no attempt to hide its flaws, but focusing on them prevents players from seeing the big picture. 

Arguably, not everyone is on board for the feeling of fighting one’s way through what feels like  a tie-in game for a cancelled Adult Swim original show that never existed. Those who are will find a tokusatsu tapestry awaiting. There may be better games this year, but you certainly won’t play anything else like No More Heroes 3.

8.9 out of 10 Beam Katana Dismemberments

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The post No More Heroes 3 Shatters The Fourth Wall appeared first on Black Nerd Problems.