Sunday, September 26, 2021
Comic to Film: Gambit: District X
Saturday, September 25, 2021
Now Showing: Gambit: District X
Genre: Action/Superhero
Director: Jim Mickle
Writer: Chad Taylor
Based on Marvel Comics characters
Cast: Garrett Hedlund, Andrew Scott, Kiki Layne, Clarke Peters, Nicholas Hamilton, Anthony Carrigan, Kristofer Hivju, Sophie Okonedo, Midori Francis
Plot: Gambit (Garrett Hedlund) drives down the road with the windows rolled down, the X-Mansion in his rearview mirror. In his glove department, he reads a notecard sent to his father from a Florian Goddard, telling him visit him and bring his son with him. With Gambit’s father dead, he decides to head down to Manhattan to make this trip alone.
When he arrives, he finds that the address is located in District X. The neighborhood has come to be known for its predominantly mutant population, making it often a target of disdain from city officials. He watches in a bit of awe as kid mutants use their powers out in the open as they play around a running fire hydrant. He goes to the address written on the postcard.
Gambit is taken to the back of the bodega where he meets with Florian Goddard (Clarke Peters). Gambit tells him that he was going through his dad’s belongings and found the postcard. Florian is surprised by Gambit talking about his father in the past tense, realizing that he has died. He tells Gambit that he and Jean-Luc went way back and that he is sorry to hear of his loss. To the business at hand, Florian grabs a piece of paper and begins to doodle something on it. He grabs a red pen to finish off his drawing. When he shows it to Gambit, he asks if this man looks familiar and Gambit sees a sketch of a man with a red diamond on his forehead. His eyes light up, knowing it is the man that Rogue saw in his memories. Before he can say anything, a man approaches from behind and hits Gambit in the back of the head with a pipe - knocking him out.
A teenage Remy (Nicholas Hamilton) drives down the road with his windows down, the Thieves Guild in the rearview mirror. He seems to be mysteriously losing his powers at a young age and he wants to do something about it. As such, he travels to meet with Nathaniel Essex (Andrew Scott) - a former professor of genetics (specifically an expert on mutant genetics). Remy’s eyes are drawn to the red diamond on Essex’s forehead. Essex is happy to meet with Remy and tells him that he should be able to solve the problems of his impotent powers. He says that he can set up a procedure for a gene implant the next day and Remy is eager to accept it. Essex smiles and shakes his hand.
An injured Gambit begins to wake and finds himself surrounded by darkness. Finally, one-by-one hanging lightbulbs begin to turn on and he finds himself in a sewer-like underground location. When he tries to get up, he finds that his hands have been tied together. A thin albino man (Anthony Carrigan) approaches begins to examine Gambit. The closer he gets to Gambit, the more the man’s skin begins to pulsate. “Kaliban! Step away” a voice says from afar. Callisto (Olivia Cooke) steps out the shadows with an angry look on her face. She instructs Kaliban to stay with Gambit here while she goes and retrieves their leader. He nods his head as she leaves.
He continues to examine Gambit and finally finds a set of cards attached to Gambit’s belt. His eyes light up as he wonders what they do and he grabs one. However, without Gambit’s kinetic energy, it’s just a playing card (much to Kaliban’s disappointment). Gambit lets out a little chuckle before lunging his head forward, snatching the card out of Kaliban’s hand with his teeth. He powers the card and then uses it to cut his hands free. He tightens his fists as he asks what Kaliban’s got. However, just because Kaliban’s smaller in size, he uses his knowledge of the environment to his advantage and begins to out-maneuver Gambit. Gambit gets knocked down and Kaliban climbs on top of him before forcing Gambit’s face down into the sewage water. He holds him there for a few seconds before a female voice asks “what are you doing?”. Kaliban immediately lifts his hands up, proclaiming no wrongdoing. Gambit uses this opportunity to catch a much-needed breath before Kaliban kicks him the head - knocking him out once again.
We see the procedure in which a gene is implanted into Remy to strengthen his powers. Afterwards, Essex has Remy test his powers and they work (and are stronger than ever). Essex then instructs him to follow him to his office. There, Essex opens a bottle of wine and shares it with the underage teen. He gives some insight into his worldview. From his perspective, mutants are the peak of human existence - genetically composed to be superior to others. And yet for centuries and millennium, they have lived in the shadows - afraid of discrimination. The increase in human population has only exacerbated this.
But no more. Essex has devised a plan to bring together the strongest and most genetically superior mutants. Once that is done, they can combine their abilities to subordinate - or even totally eliminate - regular humans and live in a mutant-ruled society. Where they are no longer ruled by fear and, instead, are unlocked to their full potential. The first step in this is eliminating the weakest mutants so that their gene pool can be purified. We look at Remy, who has a glossy look in his eyes, the effects of Essex’s gene implant putting him under the man’s spell. He then asks Essex where they will find these people and how they could get away with it. Essex smiles and there is a group that has been living in the shadows of New York City for decades - the biggest breeding ground for this lower level of mutant. He points out that the best thing about them living in the shadows is that nobody will know they’re dead.
Gambit wakes up again, this time in a new location in the tunnels. As his eyes open, he finds a young woman with striking white hair examining him with wonder in her eyes. She is startled when he wakes up and he grows defensive given the previous encounter he just had. She says she is not here to fight and introduces herself as Ororo (Kiki Lane). He asks where they are and she tells him she doesn’t have a name for it - it’s just home to her. She tells him to follow her. He is hesitant but eventually accepts the offer.
Ororo gives him a tour of the tunnels and he begins asking her questions. She says that she has lived here for her as long as she can remember. There are not a lot of them here but they are close knit. She says that her father is their leader and provider - bringing them sustenance regularly and supposedly keeping them safe. She angrily says that he won’t tell them how to find the upper world. Gambit asks why he is here and Ororo’s eyes fill with a sense of dread. She explains that he is a bit of a notorious legend around here, a myth - him and three others. Before she can finish her thought, they are spotted by Callisto. She makes their way over to them and slaps Ororo for punishment. Gambit is ready to fight but then about a dozen others emerge from the shadow behind Callisto. “Not this time” she says.
Essex takes Remy to meet the rest of the team that he calls The Marauders - who are designated to eliminate the entire Morlock population. He first meets Harpoon (Kristofer Hivju), notable for his large beard. Essex explains that he is one of the most renowned bounty hunters in the world - pointing to the Harpoon’s super-powered spears that he uses to capture his targets. Juggernaut (Brock Lesnar) then enters - a super-large man who wears a steel helmet. Remy asks about the helmet and Juggernaut cracks his knuckles - indicating that he better not ask again. Essex has them gather together as they lay out the plan to massacre the Morlocks. He says that he does not have their location yet but he does know of someone who left and might be able to give them a lead.
Los Angeles, California. Tommy (Midori Francis) is an aspiring young actress who is struggling. She finishes filming as an extra on a commercial but goes back to her small apartment and counts the little money she has. While there, her door is kicked in and Essex’s crew come in one-by-one. They surround her as she is frightened but Essex tells her there is no need to be. He tells her that he knows what she is and she has information that could save her life. He wants to know where her people - the Morlocks - are. She says she doesn’t know what he’s talking about. Juggernaut puts his large hand atop of hers - ready to crush it unless she tells the truth. Essex says that he knows she was an angsty teen who wanted to leave. He says that he knows someone who can empathize with that - tilting his head towards Remy. Instead of telling them, Tommy uses her mutant ability to turn two-dimensional like paper and slide out the door. Essex is irate and tells Remy, the fastest of all of them, to trail her.
The group of Morlocks surround Gambit and Callisto as they face off. Kalliban keeps Ororo under his control so that she cannot intervene. Before Gambit can make a move, Kalliban tells Callisto to get rid of the cards on Gambit’s waist. She obliges and kicks them off, leaving Gambit powerless. They begin to fight as she completes Ororo’s story. When they were young, the adult Morlocks were murdered. Since that day, there have been four figures etched on their walls. The crowd parts to show the four hieroglyphs: the man with the metal helmet, the man with the orange beard, the man with the red diamond and Gambit. Callisto goes to strike, Gambit avoids, but she follows up with a knee to the jaw.
Remy is at LAX and he contacts Essex to tell him that Tommy is buying a flight to New York. He instructs Remy to get on that plane and find out their locale in New York. Using the little money he has left, he buys a ticket on the plane and it is a tense ride as he tries to stay out of Tommy’s view. He feels a bit bad about how scared and nervous she looks but is convinced that Essex is in the right. The flight lands and he follows Tommy to the entrance to the underground sewer tunnels that the Morlocks live in. He immediately contacts Essex and lets him know.
The day arrives as the rest of the Marauders arrive in Manhattan. Essex leads his through District X and then down to the tunnels - following Tommy’s directions. Juggernaut kills the first Morlock he sees and thus the slaughter begins. Tommy is stunned to see them and turns 2-D again but Harpoon shotos her flat form with one of his spears - prompting her to turn back to full form and bleed out. Essex directs them to go in different directions and eliminate anyone they see. Meanwhile, N’Dare (Sophie Okonedo) - Ororo’s mother - is teaching the young Morlock children when the massacre begins. She hears then and instructs them to stay calm and follow her lead.
Gambit insists that he was brain-washed. Ororo pleads with Callisto to believe him but it is not working. Callisto begins to pummel him, asking him if he still thinks about that day. “Stop.” a voice says as the same man Gambit met with earlier. He formally introduces himself as Masque (indicating Florian was a fake name). The morlocks look at him with reverence, except for Ororo who looks annoyed. He tells Callisto that there is information they need from him. He takes an injured Gambit by throat and leads him through the tunnel. They emerge at a skeleton with one of Harpoon's spears through the skull. Masque squeezes on Gambit’s throat and asks where he can find the other two - indicating that they've already killed Harpoon. Gambit swears that he does not know as he does not remember that time in his life. “That’s not good enough.”
Remy does a check on the various tunnels but does not find anyone. N’Dare tells the children to huddle together in a shadowy area while she needs to go find Ororo and bring her here. As Remy patrols, he runs into N’Dare and Ororo heading back to that spot. N’Dare pleads for mercy as Remy holds his weapon tight. He looks into Ororo’s helpless eyes and can’t bring himself to do it. Ororo begins to run back to their spot while N’Dare stays behind to thank Remy, who she can tell is just a kid. Essex suddenly enters and sees Remy with N’Dare. He has a big smile and congratulates his young protege on his hunt. He asks if there is anyone else and Remy shakes his head - even though he knows the children’s hiding spot. Essex tells him to follow him.
Ororo pulls Callisto aside and tells her that she remembers seeing Remy that day and knowing that something was wrong with him. And he spared her life - all of their lives. She takes her friend’s hands and squeezes them tight as she swears on her life. When she does this, there is a strong rumble of thunder outside. Suddenly Callisto comes to a moment of clarity. She asks if Ororo felt that and Ororo says that she felt it in her bones. She tells Ororo she believes her.
Remy takes N’Dare through the tunnels and they look at all of the dead Morlocks on the ground. They arrive at the main entrance, where Juggernaut and Harpoon are waiting. Essex tells him that she is the last remaining and that he wants Remy to finish the job. Essex forces N’Dare to her knees and hands Remy his weapon. Remy is hesitant but N’Dare looks at him with a look as if to say “it’s OK”. He closes his eyes and the screen goes black as we hear her death at the hands of Remy.
Masque is on the verge of killing Gambit as Gambit says everything that he knows. He’s been told that this man implanted him with a gene that strengthened his powers and put him under Essex’s control. They killed the mutants living under Manhattan and Gambit’s memories were subsequently erased. Masque’s fingers tighten on Gambit’s throat before Callisto interrupts - shoving Masque off of Gambit. She angrily asks if they are all mutants and asks why he never told them. He furiously denies this and tells Kalliban to control Callisto. It becomes Gambit, Ororo and Callisto against Masque and the rest of the Morlocks. Callisto pleads with them to trust her and give Gambit mercy but it falls on deaf ears. A chase ensues throughout the tunnels as Masque tells them to capture Callisto and Gambit but spare his daughter.
While on the run, Gambit asks Callisto what her abilities are and she isn’t sure but she has a theory. She says that she is able to see in the darkness but figured that had to do with years of living in tunnels. As she talks through this, she realizes that all of her senses are heightened - which she uses to trace an escape route to the above-ground world. Masque sees them escaping and yells no. Ororo looks back to her father who pleads with her not to leave but she shakes her head. He begrudgingly follows them up.
On the ground level, Callisto and Ororo are in awe of the “real world” - seeing it for the first time in their lives. The overwhelming senses bring Callisto to tears. Masque emerges behind them and brandishes a gun - telling them to stop where they are. He says that he was trying to protect them. After the Tommy incident, he didn’t want to risk them exploring the outside world. It was still a miracle that he found them all alive. Ororo says that it is because of Gambit that they are all alive. He grows angry, saying that he watched Gambit kill Ororo’s mother.
Masque lies on the floor, playing dead as the Marauders look at N’Dare’s body and prepare to leave. Essex kisses Remy gently on the forehead for a job well done. After they leave, Masque stands up and surveys the wreckage. He then finds all of the children and cries as he gives them a group hug.
Ororo is silent as Callisto looks to her and says that she said it herself - they must believe Gambit if he was under a trance. Masque tells his daughter that she’ll either need to trust him or them. Ororo asks her father what his abilities are. He has a non-answer but she tells him he needs to say the truth. He says that he can change other people’s appearance. She asks if he ever used it on them and he admits that he changed the appearance of the children after the massacre to hide any hint of their abilities - as being aware of those could lead to them defying him. Callisto is angry, pointing out that he has manipulated them their entire life. She lunges at him and he raises the gun to her. Ororo screams in fury as dark clouds suddenly hover above and lightning strikes the ground - causing Masque to drop the gun and fall to the ground.
He holds his heart and looks gravely ill - likely a heart attack from the lightning strike. He apologizes to his daughter for angering her and says that he thought he had her best interest at heart. If the goal was originally to eliminate the Morlocks, then what would be the point of exposing their continued existence? To be slaughtered once more? Gambit kneels by their side and swears to Masque of his innocence. He says that he has already made it his life goal to hunt down the man with the red diamond. Masque dies as Ororo holds his hand and says she is sorry. Callisto and Gambit comfort her as she looks into the sky - realizing that she can control the weather around her.
They reconvene in the tunnels as EMTs arrive and find Masque’s body - realizing he likely is the victim of a lightning strike. Ororo tells Gambit that she is going with him to hunt down his target. He rolls his eyes and says “Fine - but don’t want to start being known as a mutant chauffeur. And before either of you ask, I guess this is part where I say that I am...taken, if you will” Ororo and Callisto look at each other and then burst out in laughter pointing out that he is old and a little too sleazy for them. He can’t help but laugh and says that charm is one of his super powers so he just wanted to be safe. Callisto tells them that she is staying behind to help the rest of the Morlocks discover their true selves but she will be ready in case they’re ever called upon. Ororo gives her a hug. Before they leave, Gambit asks who has his cards. Kaliban emerges with a sly smile and hands him the cards. Gambit thanks him and they leave.
Ororo gets in Gambit’s car and he starts it up before taking a deep breath. He looks at her with an exhausted look but his signature smile.
“Let’s go get this motherfucker.”
Post-Credits: In present day, we are in a sleek office as the camera dollys in on a desk. The large chair at the desk slowly turns around to reveal Essex - now a bit older but with more muscle and his skin a pale blue. A smarmy grin creeps up on his face.
Release: INFINITY
Genre: Sci-Fi/Thriller
Director: Duncan Jones
Writer: Jacob Jones
Cast: Tom Cruise, Anne Hathaway, Nicholas Hoult, Sterling K. Brown, Hayley Atwell
Budget: $120,000,000
Domestic Box Office: $102,559,104
Foreign Box Office: $123,056,285
Total Profit: $2,107,194
Reaction: Not a huge hit, but it continues Tom Cruise's streak of profitable films for the studio - even if this is the smallest profit yet.
"INFINITY is surely a ridiculous film, but I suggest you leave your logic and common sense at home as neither apply in this film. This is a good old fashioned techno thriller from the days when nobody understood technology. I understand that films like that may not work nowadays, but I still had fun with it here." - Joel Sapperstein, Las Vegas Review-Journal
"An ambitious idea for a film that doesn’t work for me. I still sat here confused and questioning what in fact I just watched. I’m all for a bonkers movie but killer numbers emerging from a computer is where I draw the line. " - Sam Nestera, The Daily Telegraph
Friday, September 24, 2021
Top 10 Best Ensemble Cast GRA Winners
Top 10 Best Ensemble Cast GRA Winners
10. Cosa Nostra
9. Spark of Madness
8. The Raven
7. Doctor Love
6. Revolution
5. Pulp
4. Ghost Town
3. Cecil
2. Born in Brooklyn
1. The Prisoner
Now Showing: INFINITY
Genre: Sci-Fi/Thriller
Director: Duncan Jones
Writer: Jacob Jones
Cast: Tom Cruise, Anne Hathaway, Nicholas Hoult, Sterling K. Brown, Hayley Atwell
"I remember it all too well." A woman states. "The numbers on the screen began to flicker before going completely off. I tried to add them back in, but it did nothing. Almost as if it was resisting my commands."
The woman sits in the small library, staring at the face of technological expert Jack Crawford (Nicholas Hoult), telling the tale of how the virus came to be. "Next thing you know, I'm fighting for my life while a bunch of numbers are chasing after me."
Jack stares at her, absolutely dumbfounded by the news, asking how such a thing is remotely possible. The woman shakes her head, not wanting to relive the trauma from the event. Despite his skepticism regarding it's legitimacy, Jack offers his services to try and figure out a solution. The two swap business cards and he learns her name, Jenna Lawrence (Hayley Atwell).
The next morning, Jack is hard at work typing in several different codes in a test to see what happens. He takes a few steps back in case anything should happen. To his confusion, everything seems normal. He steps forward, only to find the numbers starting to flicker on and off the screen. Eventually the screen turns off, leaving Jack even more befuddled.
After much hesitation, Jack decides to step forward towards his computer only to be greeted with a harsh ear-piercing screech and staring at decayed, blood red versions of the numbers he put in. Without warning, the numbers leap out of the screen and begin attacking him, their almost lava-like design burning into his flesh.
Looking for an escape, Jack struggles over to his book shelf and picks up two books, throwing them towards the numbers as bait. He runs off, locking the door for good measure. Horrified at what he has seen, Jack steps outside to catch a breather when he hears an explosion from inside his house. He rushes back inside and to his horror finds the entire room having been decimated, with only his computer remaining intact.
Concerned about a reprise, he gingerly touches the start button and it seems to reboot normally until it gets to the starting screen, where instead of his screensaver it shows a message warning him that 'Infinity' is coming. Jack stands by, absolutely stunned. He picks up his phone and calls Jenna, explaining what happened. Worried, Jenna reveals that she's been talking with Leon (Sterling K. Brown), a man known for deciphering viruses and why they exist.
Morbidly curious, Jack offers to tag along. Jenna tells him that she'll ask him just in case. Before hanging up, Jack asks her if she received a message mentioning the arrival of 'Infinity'. Jenna says that she hasn't much to his chagrin. The next day, Jack and Jenna meet up at Leon's Computer Store where they see him discussing with another man. Upon seeing them, Leon welcomes them into the store and promises to attend to them soon.
Upon seeing Jack's face, the man offers to invite them to join the conversation, seemingly understanding the concern they have. He introduces himself as Dr. Parker (Tom Cruise), former mathematics professor turned neurosurgeon and coding expert. Parker asks Leon if he has any idea what may be wrong with his laptop, to which he has no clue. It's something he's never seen before.
Jack and Jenna take a look at the screen, finding the numbers flickering on and off. Having seen where this goes, they urge Leon and Parker to leave quickly. Leon tries to assure them he has this under control only for the screen to go dark. Nothing occurs for a few seconds, leading to Leon to attempt a reboot only for him to receive a similar message on his computer, warning about Infinity's arrival.
Leon stares at the screen, wondering what would happen if he pressed a number. He looks at the keyboard and presses the number 9. All of a sudden, a deformed nine hops off the screen and attacks Leon, stabbing him with his sharp, pointy tail. Jack and Jenna try to stop it but nearly get hit as well. To their surprise, Dr. Parker swarms in and manages to grab the nine from the bottom, giving the others time to escape.
Several minutes later with a crowd of people watching, Dr. Parker exits the store, complete with a nine that is warped beyond recognition. A news reporter tries to ask him what's going on but he scurries away, saying that he will explain tomorrow before finding the others and telling them to get in his car, they're going to his house.
As they make their way to his house, reports of similar occurrences make their way to radio news, including one incident where a child was devoured whole by a group of sevens. They soon pull up at Parker's house- a huge mansion complete with state of the art technology- and meet up in the dining room where Parker reveals that someone has created a one of a kind virus He was going to keep it secret at first to give the populace a semblance of normalcy but now the situation has escalated. He warns them that ‘Infinity’ (Anne Hathaway) is the codename of the virus.
He rushes into his room, getting another laptop and begins his demonstration on how the virus works by typing in several different numbers. Parker explains that the virus can strike at any time, so even it isn’t happening immediately, chances are it will happen. Once it does, you know what happens. ‘Infinity’ wants to control the world, using the power of mathematics and stealth. As a result, creating an antidote is of paramount importance. If they fail to do so, humanity’s chance of survival is infinitesimal at best.
Jack offers to help Dr. Parker create an antidote, believing he may know a way to breaking the code of ‘Infinity’. Jenna and Leon vow to help warn the public and spread the word about ‘Infinity’. The four then make a solemn vow to protect the Earth and defeat ‘Infinity’ before their power grows too much. As everyone makes their way out however, the computer’s screen goes off. Fearing the worst, everyone prepares for another number attack. Instead, the lights go off as an weird, earthy voice echos from the computer. It declares themselves as ‘Infinity’ and expresses gratitude for them finally catching on, but warns them that they will be unable to stop them from reaching their destiny. As a gift, she fries the laptop’s motherboard causing it to shut down.
That evening, a horrified Dr. Parker tries and fails miserably to get some sleep. Inside his mind, Dr. Parker wanders among a dark, empty cave with seemingly nothing but his thoughts. All of a sudden, the lights turn on and he is surrounded by mangled numbers, all with demented faces. He hears the twisted voice of Infinity as they taunt him. Saying that it's march to domination is inevitable. Dr. Parker tells the voice that he'll never back down, only to be smacked on the head by a flamewall. Infinity tells him that they have only three days before the true power of Infinity is unleashed and wishes him luck on his futile attempts to stop them before leaving with a hint. ("Always the first, never the worst.")
The next morning, Jack is busy at work alongside Leon, trying to find the cause of the virus and how to destroy. Leon wonders where Dr. Parker is and goes on the look for him. It doesn't take long as Leon comes across him as he enters. Slightly disheveled but determined, he tells Jack that he talked to Infinity in his dreams and alerts him of the news.
To Jack's frustration, he can't seem to find any clues that lead to the creation of Infinity. Whoever created it may have cleared their tracks. Leon tells them that whoever created it is unimportant, saying that creating the antidote comes first, drawing suspicion from Jack. Parker manages to break the argument up and suggests several codes for them to try. None of them successful.
All of a sudden, the computer screen turns off. Realizing what this is a sign of, Parker arms them with guns and knives. The numbers pop out of the screen, this time with a sickly green tint and stick themselves onto them. Jack manages to break free first, stabbing one with a knife and helps Leon and Parker before they succumb.
Inside Jenna's house, she nervously awaits a call from either Jack, Leon or Dr. Parker as she attempts several math problems in her head. All of a sudden she hears screaming from the room upstairs. She rushes up to her son's room, finding him trapped in the screen and being devoured by several numbers. Jenna can only watch in horror as they eat through his flesh, body and mind and he becomes a number of his own.
That evening, Jack bids Leon a goodnight before coming towards Dr. Parker, he warns him that Infinity came to his dreams last night and that he may come for him next, telling him to be prepared. Jack takes in the advice as he sleeps on his bed, preparing for whatever happens in his confrontation with Infinity.
Upon hearing it's voice, Jack assures them that they come in peace and wishes to ask a few questions. His main ones being how they were created and why they are doing this. Infinity refuses to answer the first question but tells him that they have seen the world and how it has been too corrupted to live in. As such, they consider their conquest as their way of blowing everything up and starting over. Jack finds their plans extremist and vows not to make them come true.
Suddenly, everything goes dark. Infinity's voice can no longer be heard. The only thing he sees is the number 666, staring back at him with big bulging eyes. It screams harshly, forcing Jack to plug his eyes and use his knife. As he does so, Infinity begins to laugh, calling him a stupid man. If this is his response to the devil's number, they cannot wait to see their response to when their plan takes effect. They leave him with a cryptic message. ("The sticks times three are meant to be.")
The next morning, Parker comforts Jessica over the loss of her child when Jack opens the door. He asks Parker if they can talk and the two enter his bedroom. The two converse over having similar nightmares and share their numbers. They ponder what this could mean when they hear explosions coming from outside. They hurry toward the door and find that the entire neighborhood is being infested by Infinity's legion of numbers. Parker takes a glance at one of the numbers, his face turning to sheer horror. The number stares back, a macabre font casting fear on those who see it.
They run inside and lock the door, Parker revealing that this is the third kind of number. The worst one of all. As he says, the number teleports in the room. The humans stay close to each other, not wanting to tempt fate. Unfortunately, Jack can't hold in a sneeze and the number gets extremely close to his face, shaking violently before suddenly disappearing.
Not wanting to tempt anything, Jack decides to call in early and wishes Parker and Jenna the best of luck. Once he leaves, Jenna's phone begins to vibrate. She picks it up, receiving a pattern of numbers. Then another. And another. The numbers begin to overlap one another, making it impossible to decipher. Suddenly, the phone shuts off, Infinity's voice giving them their daily clue ("Four score times seven, it's heaven."). The phone explodes, wounding Jenna. Panicked, Parker calls a doctor.
That evening, Jack tries out several more codes on a backup laptop only to be met with futility. All of a sudden, the screen freezes and the number from earlier pops up from behind his chair. Infinity begins to communicate from the computer, saying they remember their talk and has come to realize that he has a bit of sickness in him. There is potential for him to help Infinity's cause. Jack tries to refuse, but Infinity insists he consider, promising to cease their conquest if he does. Tempted, he says he'll sleep on it…
All of the sudden, the number strikes and Jack collapses onto the floor. Infinity tells him that it is not an order, it's mandatory and leaves Jack motionless. The next day, Leon finds his lifeless body and alerts Dr. Parker and Jenna. The three try their best to awake him but to no avail and begin to mourn the potential loss…
Meanwhile, inside the world of Infinity, Jack stumbles around trying to find their lair. Suddenly, a parade of codes hail his return and take him to 'see' Infinity. Jack begs them for mercy, saying that he needs to save the world from their reign. Infinity considers it fruitless, tomorrow marks the 'Day of Infinity'. The day the virus goes worldwide. Jack asks them to reconsider, there are so many wonderful people that would be hurt by their actions.
And that is why the scum of Earth will be purged first. Big corporations, corrupt businessmen and politicians, those are the first to fall. Then it wreak havoc on every government they can find until the world is transformed. The reason Jack is here is because Infinity wants him to join the cause. He'll never see any of the people he knows regardless, so why fight with them? In spite of this, Jack refuses saying he'd rather die in the code rather than work with them.
The screen turns into a neon shade of blue, a swarm of black numbers charging after him. As a desperate attempt of escaping. Jack shoots a hole through Infinity. It wounds them and the numbers fade away. Seeing an opportunity, Jack escapes through the hole before getting one final hint ("Believe in the power of zero.").
Jack wakes up, ordering everyone to sit by the table. Once everyone does so, they go over the hints they've received, constructing a new code that they believe is the key to defeating Infinity. Leon gets a laptop and Dr. Parker steps forward, entering in the code: 1066624. There is nothing but silence, leading them to believe they've stopped the virus…
And then, every computer around the world explodes, an array of colors lighting up the sky. Back at homebase, Dr. Parker is the first to wake up, staring at the emotionless face of a woman. This is Infinity. She thanks them for jumpstarting her reign of terror early, revealing that the hints were to build the code that begins the 'Day of Infinity' early. As everyone realizes what has happened, Infinity reveals one last surprise. "Take a look at the man who made it all possible...Dr. Parker."
Everyone stares at him, shocked. Feeling a deep sense of guilt, he reveals that he created the code as a test to see if numbers could turn into anthropomorphic creatures and live with humans. One night, he got a papercut and the blood seeped into his computer, getting under the 'six' key. That was her first taste of damage and it only grew. He tried stopping her, but to no avail. Leading to the harsh reality. There is no way to stop Infinity. There never was.
He apologizes to everyone, specifically looking at Jack as a swarm of numbers attack them, converting them into a part of their code. Infinity leaves, thanking Parker for everything. Despondent, Parker looks at the remains of the computer and storms off to his room, packing his things. Before heading out, he glances at a picture of his family and lowers his head in shame, the thoughts of what he had done casting a grim shadow in his mind.
All throughout the world, Infinity’s master plan comes to action. The connected world implies as technology turns against their masters. Banks fail, governments fall and civil riots occur. Humans get swallowed by the might of Infinity's number army, unable to compete with their futuristic weaponry. At the top of the Empire State building, she takes a look at the destruction she's caused and smiles, giving one final proclamation.
"WELCOME...TO THE WORLD OF INFINITY!"
Thursday, September 23, 2021
Release: The Grenade
Genre: Drama
Director: Andrew Haigh
Writer: Jimmy Ellis
Cast: Roman Griffin-Davis, Brian Cox, Carey Mulligan, Harry Collett, Indica Watson, Sam Taylor Buck
Budget: $16,000,000
Domestic Box Office: $7,557,965
Foreign Box Office: $7,006,184
Total Profit: -$15,045,799
Reaction: We never exactly had huge hopes at the box office for this one, but we were at least hoping for it to come closer to breaking even than it did.
"While the story of The Grenade is too low-key at times, it is anchored by a series of strong performances - especially Brian Cox bringing his A-game as the main character's eccentric grandfather." - Olive Carroll, Houston Chronicle
"There isn't a lot of plot going on in The Grenade, but what little there is manages to be compelling throughout even if doesn't particularly go anywhere big. Carey Mulligan may be wasted in a pretty small and thankless role, but thankfully Brian Cox and Roman Griffin-Davis are able to carry the film on their shoulders." - Chris Mears, Slashfilm
"The Grenade is a quaint character study. Perhaps it's too unambitious for its own good though. The performances are solid, but not flashy. And the story itself is simple, but too simple to really allow us to fully know its characters." - Dave Manning, The Ridgefield Press
In Development
Sinatra: Bobby Cannavale (Love, Of Rocks and Sand), Seth Gilliam (Still Alice, "The Walking Dead"), David Schwimmer ("Intelligence", The Laundromat), Dominic West (Sherwood, Colette), Emilio Estevez (The Public, "Mighty Ducks: Game Changers") and Patrick Wilson (Burnt Dreams, Mortal Kombat II) have joined the massive ensemble cast of the Leonardo DiCaprio-led and Martin Scorsese-helmed Frank Sinatra biopic, Sinatra. Cannavale, Gilliam, Schwimmer, and West will play members of the so-called "Rat Pack": Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr., Joey Bishop and Peter Lawford, respectively. Estevez, meanwhile, has been cast as President John F. Kennedy, with Wilson cast as his younger brother Robert Kennedy.
Justice League Unlimited: More familiar DC faces have officially been announced as part of the Justice League sequel. Glenn Howerton (No Laughing Matter, Plastic Man 2: Electric Boogaloo) will be back as Plastic Man, John Boyega (The Crow: Resurrected, Green Lantern Corps) will be back as John Stewart, Dan Stevens (Risico, Risico) will be back as Rip Hunter, and Daniel Craig (Excalibur, Superman: The Last Son of Krypton) will once again play Superman nemesis Lex Luthor. Michael Bay is again directing the film from a script by the trio of APJ, D.R. Cobb and Chad Taylor.
Resident Evil 4: Season 21's first release has added Frank Grillo (The Host, Jersey Devil), Rila Fukushima (Resident Evil 2, Star Trek: Enterprise), Daniela Melchior (The Suicide Squad, Parque Mayer) and Tyler Mane (Victor Crowley, Playing with Fire) to its cast. Grillo has been cast as a government agent with mysterious allegiences. Fukushima will reprise her role as Ada Wong from the second film in the franchise. Mane will play a hulking Catholic priest, while Melchior's role has not yet been disclosed. James Wan is back behind the camera for this fourth entry in the franchise, once again written by Carl Flimmer.
Wolf: Bradley Cooper (Sunny Days, Mr. Big) and Anya Taylor-Joy (Fear of the Dark, The Young Pretender) are set to headline a re-imagining of the 1994 werewolf film, Wolf. Cooper will play a Hollywood film executive who begins experiencing changes following an accident. Taylor-Joy will play the daughter of the studio's new owner who finds herself attracted to the dark side Cooper begins showing. Also joining the film, hot off his well-regarded take on M in Risico, will be Richard E. Grant (Risico, Pulp) as the new studio owner and Taylor-Joy's father. The film will be the fourth collaboration between director Nicolas Winding Refn (Cecil, Excalibur) and writer Roy Horne (Wish You Were Here, Poison Ivy).
Rookie's Road: Nick Robinson (Isla Vista, Queen Mary), Adam Driver (Lowell, The Crow: Resurrected), Dwayne Johnson (The Fall Guy, AGOS: A Game of Survival) and John Cena (Zoe Maye, But What Am I?) have all signed on to the star-studded war comedy, Rookie's Road. Robinson will play a new recruit. Driver will play a sergeant who takes Robinson under his wing. Johnson will play an intense general, while Cena will play a veteran soldier. Todd Phillips (Hated: The Ballad of GG Allin, Joker) will direct the project, his first for LRF since Season 5. Jacob Jones (Strawberry High, The Crow: Wings of Isaiah) wrote the film.
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