Film: Wicked: For Good

There are a few potential problems with splitting a film that didn't require any splitting into two. Firstly there would always be comparisons - this kind of two parter lends itself to is as close an apples to apples comparison as you can get.

The graver issue is that of structure. When you split a typical three act story into two, then one of the films will end up being of a single act. This can be jarring as without the context it all feels rather flat. And that, my readers, is why Wicked: For Good fell way short and ultimately was a disappointing way to experience the conclusion of a fantastic show.

Everything from the first film stood here - the acting, the production, even the Defying Gravity-less soundtrack were all beyond passing. The whole thing just felt like it was limping across the finish line - not quite because it was an obvious cash grab but just because it didn't offer anything of any depth. It felt rushed, even though both films together weighed in at twice the runtime of the stage show.

All very disappointing really, and it sucks that this is the only way to see how it all plays out. 

Film: The Running Man

Perhaps the mistake I made was watching the original 1987 just yesterday, because even though this new version wasn't bad per se... it did jar a bit. What it gained in sophistication it lost in feeling, charm and simplicity, and ultimately... I really didn't dig it.

I can talk about the decent action, so-so plot and fair acting, and still struggle to get excited. Maybe The Running Man is just a case study in the blandness of modern film? One to watch at home if you ask me. 

Ilford in Conversation: The Rise of the Far Right and the Fight Back

Regardless of what you might think of Ilford or Leanne Mohamad, Ilford in Conversation is starting to become a very decent forum to hear people who have something to say, speak. Tonight we had the journalist Taj Ali to talk about the development of the Far Right phenomena, both in the UK and elsewhere. Where it could have been a very shallow topic ("everyone is racist, amiright?"), Ali gave it a sense of depth and nuance that I'd have struggled to find elsewhere.

The conversation format seems to work well versus the typical speech style. Various perspectives were covered: the historical, the theoretical and the practical aspects of the Far Right. It was also a very human conversation - not quite "we should all hug a racist" but the vibes were there - without compromise.

All in all, another impressive show, accessible and free. It's the kind of altruistic stuff that goes beyond typical politics, and as a result always manages to be refreshing.

Film: Predator: Badlands

There was a period in the late 90s and 00s where, for some reason, film makers were failing to capture the magic that the preceding couple of decades or so gave us. Impressively they managed to both overreach and underperform leaving some pretty forgettable stuff.

Predator makes for a great case study given how long the franchise has been around. Like its peers it suffered through its midlife, but I'm glad to say that Trachtenberg has managed to succeed where his predecessors fell short.

His Predator films (this being the third after the excellent Prey and Killer of Killers) seem to be very much to the point, while adding enough sophistication (both in terms of the action and plot) that a modern rendering demands. I guess its in how easy he makes it look that belies the genius here.

Anyway, Badlands was great and I recommend it (and the previous two if they were missed).