Saw X Was Great, Until the End
I've been a fan of Liongate's Saw franchise for years, not because of the gore, but because of the stories behind the traps which influence victims' decisions. I know, many people have a hard time getting past the red room-esque murder scenes. Each Saw movie, including Chris Rock's "Spiral," has at least one sociopolitical theme that was prominent around the time of its release, though. Saw X, whether intentional or not, had some tropes that bother me. Spoilers ahead.
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, Respect Black Manhood Never
Let me get this out of the way. I think you'll enjoy "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever" if you can ignore the subliminal messages. The movie aggressively targets Black females who might be interested in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM). I'll be discussing the movie from what many today call "red pill" and "Black masculinist" perspectives. If you're not a fan of controversial takes regarding racism and sexism, this ain't for you.
Spoilers. Spoilers. Spoilers.
9 Black History Movies Featuring Black MCU Actors
This topic came to mind after I watched an eye-opening movie about Black history. The movie centered around an actor I last saw in a Marvel movie. This made me think of other Black actors who have appeared in the Marvel cinematic universe (MCU) as well as other thought-provoking films.
The last Black culture film I wrote about was about police brutality in 2020. But there are a lot of great, older films on YouTube and other video hosting platforms for free. I'll share links when possible.
4 Marvel Productions with Important Lessons for Black Kids
The Infinity saga (phases 1 through 3) of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) is amazing because it consists of over twenty movies and even more stories that led to the war against the mad Titan, Thanos. Marvel movies made comic book stories accessible to those of us unwilling to read comics. Many of those comic book movies tackled real-life issues to which many Americans can easily relate.
Below are some Marvel films and television series that Black parents could watch with their children to initiate conversations about Black adulthood.
Upgrade-Movie Review
I watched this move twice before starting this blog. I’d watched it four times by the time I finished it.
Okay, Upgrade movie.
Movies to Make You Think Volume 2
A few years ago, I wrote Movies to Make You Think. Similar with my deepin blogs, I’m trying to revive series.
Monster (2003)
First published on April 25, 2015
While listening to a Bill Burr podcast, he made a reference regarding a “woman in the Monster movie.” Anyways, he said something strange enough to make me want to check this movie out.
Martyrs (2008)
First published on May 24, 2015
Another film on an IMDB Psycho movie list, Martyr (2008) starts off with a bloodied young girl, Lucie, escaping and running from some type of torture dungeon. While in some type of home, she shows many signs of post-traumatic stress regarding her past, but she has one friend, Anna, that can comfort her when needed. Many years later, the pair decides to sets out to find the individuals responsible for Lucie’s torment.
Audition (1999)
First published on June 15, 2015
Audition is a Japanese film about an old lonely man creating an audition for a non-existant movie to find a new beau. When he makes a decision, everyone is telling him in many ways that he’s thinking with the wrong head. Everyone felt a bad vibe about her. She says things that send a bad vibe, even as a viewer. He ignores it all. Then there’s more red flags and a horrible dream. . .meh.
Twisted Seduction (2010)
First published on June 29, 2015
Bored online, I came across “Twisted Seduction” while searching for an old romance film. In the beginning, a very intelligent man named David kidnaps a woman, Francesca, with the goal of forcing her to fall in love with him using psychological techniques and personal knowledge about her. It’s very slow for most of the movie, but his tactics don’t involve bodily harm. There’s a subtle Daddy & baby-doll/brat (just stick with S&M if you’re too vanilla 🙂 vibe throughout the movie. Instead, he uses coercion to reach his goals.
The Bedroom (1992)
First published on August 3, 2015
“The Bedroom” is a lot of things. I’ll simply say it’s a Japanese film (with English subtitles) that follows a woman when she joins a fetish club where she takes a pill to sleep while others do as they wish. Imagine a weirder version of “Sleeping Beauty” (2011) starring Emily Browning.
Though it’s only a hour long, the confusing plot twists and constant vanilla sex scenes negate from the small story line presented.
Secretary (2002)
First published on August 31, 2015
“Secretary” takes you on an adventure into S&M through the eyes of Lee Holloway, played by Maggie Gyllenhaal. She graduates from a mental institution, gets a job as a secretary. Then things get a little kinky.
Goodbye Baby (2007)
First published on September 7, 2015
Goodbye Baby, a movie that follows Melissa Brooks while she tries to find something to do with herself, since she can’t afford college. Therefore, she moves in with her older gay brother in another city and work on becoming a comedian. That’s it – ninety minutes of simple progression.
Would You Rather Movie
First published on October 5, 2015
“Would You Rather” is a SAW movie without elaborate traps and well-thought out games. It’s brute force and simple mini-games that make you wonder which choice you’d select and why every time someone is asked “would you rather…?” Even better, every time something clichĂ© begins. . . no spoilers.
“Strong emotions can drive ridiculous actions.”
If Someone Had Known (Abused & Silenced) Movie Review
First published on November 9, 2015
"Abused & Silenced," better known as "If Someone Had Known," is about a White woman in an abusive relationship and how she dealt with it. It was released on NBC in May 1, 1995. If you've ever wondered how someone can end up in this situation and the problems involving such relationships, watch it. This is a topic you must understand as a potential victim, witness, or offender.
Black Swan (2010)
First published on December 21, 2015
Black Swan revolves around ballet, Nina, played by Natalie Porter, and her losing herself to become the darker role she’d been accused of not being able to fulfill during the new Black Swan play. She fights her imagination from the time she’s selected for the role. Oh, and Mila Kunis from “Friends with Benefits” does kinky stuff in this film too.
She Fought Alone Movie
First published on January 4, 2016
I won’t say much more than needed. Rape, and false accusations, is always serious. Do you want a movie to get that point across to someone?
It's titled "She fought alone full length movie" on YouTube. You may have to log into YouTube to see it. Here's the IMDB link link.
Death Tube (2010)
First published on April 11, 2016
Okay. After watching this, I am seriously taking a break from Japanese SAW movies. It’s just under two hours long, but I wanted this to end at approximately 30 minutes in. By the 30 minute mark, I understood enough of what was going on, what was going to happen, why, and the acting was bad enough that I didn’t care much to see what happened. But I continued to watch . . . for you. Yep.
Grotesque (2009)
First published on June 13, 2016
Grotesque, a Japanese movie made in 2009, is a simplified version of the SAW movie. If you don’t know anything about the Japanese, here are a few things you should look up be aware of:
Alive (2002)
First published on September 26, 2016
Okay, this is another jacked up Japanese movie, similar to Audition and Grotesque. Unlike those two movies, I was ready for this two hour long movie to end around the 60 minute mark.
**SPOILER ALERT slash pathetic attempt at a sypnosis**
What I Learned from the Red Pill Documentary
First published on December 3, 2018
I really enjoyed the Red Pill documentary. It’s about a feminist interviewing men’s rights activists (MRA) expecting to enhance her understanding in her stance. By the end of the 2 hour documentary, she feels conflicted between what she wants to believe and what she’s heard during the many interviews. Below are my notes taken throughout the documentary.
Step Off(2011)Movie
First published on June 5, 2017
Like Hustle & Flow (2005), Step Off (2011) follows a struggling black male musician with a supporting cast on a road of overcoming obstacles to create and share music filled with his passion and story. Unlike DJay in Hustle & Flow, Rippa in Step Off is a college student and music producer with his eyes set on winning a beat battle awarding production time for a major record label.
My 5 Most Popular Blog Posts(2015-2017)
First published on May 29, 2017
Its good to look back at your performance over the years and analyze how you can improve in the future. The Go Live Lively blog is just over two years old. Below are my six most popular blog posts as of today.
Movies To Make You Think
First published on September 2, 2019
I enjoy watching lesser known movies with controversal stories that deserve a deeper look. Although some of these are well known, this list will include movies I’ve recently watched that made me think about how it relates to my personal experiences.
In The Army Now(1994)
First published on August 15, 2016
I asked Rallypoint about the movie before watching it. The opinions on the movie seemed very balanced between yes and no. I’m giving it a nope. While Pauly Shore did have a few really funny moments, I didn’t consider the movie consistent with humor. Many times, the things he does are simply annoying.
Anyways. . .
SPOILER ALERT ! !
