Science Fiction

Possessor

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  • Title: Possessor
  • IMDb: link

Possessor Blu-ray reviewWriter/director Brandon Cronenberg‘s Possessor is a gory techno-thriller set in a world not unlike our own where a company has devised a method to enter a person’s mind and take control of their body. Rather than use the technology for good, it sells it for profit by making assassins out of anyone they can get their hands on. Andrea Riseborough stars as agent Tasya Vos, although mostly we see other actors playing the bodies she has been given control. As the film opens we can already begin to see the effect of the body swapping on Tasya both in detachment to her real life and during her job which foreshadows larger problems to come.

Possessor is at times a brutal film, and Cronenberg never shies away from gore (even going so far to hold scenes longer than necessary to illicit a response from his audience). Jennifer Jason Leigh also stars as Tasya’s handler, whose team scrambles when something goes wrong with the latest assignment leaving her agent trapped in another body.

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Star Trek: Discovery – Unification III

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  • Title: Star Trek: Discovery – Unification III
  • wiki: link

Star Trek: Discovery - Unification III television review

With Michael (Sonequa Martin-Green) in search of answers about the Burn, “Unification III” picks up the thread from Star Trek: The Next Generation of a unified Vulcan and Romulan. Discovery travels on a diplomatic mission to Ni’Var where hopes of her connection to Spock may grease the wheels to having the former Federation members release valuable scientific data. When their hosts aren’t obliged to share, Michael invokes the T’Kal-in-ket and must prove her case in front of a panel, although she is unprepared for who their hosts send to be her advocate – Gabrielle Burnham (Sonja Sohn).

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Bacurau

/ / Home Video
  • Title: Bacurau
  • IMDb: link

Bacurau Blu-ray reviewSet in the near future, the small Brazilian village of Bacurau suddenly disappears from maps, satellites, and cell towers not long after the death of the community’s matriarch and the return of another member of their community (Bárbara Colen). Far off the beaten path, no one outside the village seems to notice.

While already dealing with a water crisis caused by a crooked politician (Thardelly Lima), tensions begin to rise. As the community slowly becomes aware something is wrong, there is also an odd appearance by a UFO and attacks on both a water truck and at a nearby farm.

Without giving too much away, Bacurau centers around two groups – those in the village and a second group who is slowly revealed to be the cause of Bacurau’s recent problems. While the town looks to local heroes (Thomas Aquino and Silvero Pereira) to protect them, we learn about what the other group led by Udo Kier is after, ultimately leading to a climactic conflict in the village.

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Star Trek: Discovery – Scavengers

/ / Television Reviews
  • Title: Star Trek: Discovery – Scavengers
  • wiki: link

I’m growing weary of “Michael breaks the rules” episodes. In “Scavengers,” Michael (Sonequa Martin-Green) ignores her orders and goes off in search of Book (David Ajala) who was captured while searching for another black box, on a salvage planet (sadly not named Junkion). The facility makes use of The Running Man prisoner-control technology, and may have another box with information about the Burn. Michael and Philippa (Michelle Yeoh) are able to retrieve Book and the intel, while also rescuing other enslaved workers. However, the conflict makes Michael aware of Philippa’s condition and also has lasting ramifications on her role on the ship as she finds herself demoted for ignoring Saru‘s (Doug Jones) orders and threatening the Federation’s acceptance of Discovery. The only subplots, as the mission Michael missed isn’t shown on-screen, are the ship’s upgrades and the show setting up a friendship between Nhan (Rachael Ancheril) and Stamets (Anthony Rapp).

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The Mandalorian – The Rescue

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  • Title: The Mandalorian – The Rescue (Chapter 16)
  • wiki: link

The Mandalorian - The Rescue television review

Although Pedro Pascal will return for a Third Season, “The Rescue” is the culmination of The Mandalorian‘s two-year arc. Since his discovery of Grogu everything has led Mandalorian (Pascal) to this moment. And, once again, the show brings back a number of familiar faces to help Din Djarin in his attempts to rescue Grogu from the clutches of Moff Gideon (Giancarlo Esposito). With the help of Cara Dune (Gina Carano), Boba Fett (Temuera Morrison), Fennec Shand (Ming-Na Wen, Bo-Katan Kryze (Katee Sackhoff), and Koska Reeves (Sasha Banks), Din leads a rescue doomed to failure. Despite the Valkyries at his back, the group is no match for Gideon’s Dark Troopers leading to the show’s final surprise appearance and farewell to another fan favorite character. Spoilers begin here.

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