Tag: Vivien Lyra Blair

  • Movie Review: ‘The Boogeyman’

    Sophie Thatcher as Sadie Harper in 20th Century Studios' 'The Boogeyman.'
    Sophie Thatcher as Sadie Harper in 20th Century Studios’ ‘The Boogeyman.’ Photo by Patti Perret. © 2023 20th Century Studios. All Rights Reserved.

    The Boogeyman’, in theaters June 2nd, is just the latest adaptation of the work by prolific horror master Stephen King. And to stand out in an incredibly, and increasingly crowded field, the new movie needed to be something special.

    Long in development (long enough that it was being worked on when 20th Century Fox was still its own studio, only to be cancelled and revived by the now Disney-owned 20th Century Studios), it’s unfortunate to report that this latest attempt at a scary story is somewhat of a dud, with cheap scares that draw laughter more than screams and some big logic issues.

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    What happens in ‘The Boogeyman’?

    ‘The Boogeyman’ is adapted (by ‘A Quiet Place’s Scott Beck and Bryan Woods, with the most recent work from ‘Black Swan’s Mark Heyman) from King’s short story. Originally published in ‘Cavalier’ magazine in 1973, it was later collected into ‘Night Shift’ in 1978.

    Focused on a 1970s take on an alpha male called Lester Billings who has been traumatized by the death of his children at –– according to him –– the hands (or claws) of a terrifying creature, it’s a swift, brutal tale with a twist, one that the movie takes as its basic concept then expands upon.

    Chris Messina plays Dr. Will Harper a therapist in mourning for his wife, who recently died in a car accident. He’s raising daughters Sadie (Sophie Thatcher) and Sawyer (Vivien Lyra Blair).

    Chris Messina as Will Harper in 20th Century Studios' 'The Boogeyman.'
    Chris Messina as Will Harper in 20th Century Studios’ ‘The Boogeyman.’ Photo courtesy of 20th Century Studios. © 2023 20th Century Studios. All Rights Reserved.

    Into Dr. Harper’s office stumbles Lester Billings (David Dastmalchian), who has a horrific story to tell: his children are dead, and while people will think he did it, they were actually slaughtered by a mysterious shadow creature that lurked in the darkness and toyed with him and his family.

    Harper calls the authorities, but Billings appears to kill himself in a secluded closet within the Harper house, traumatizing the good doctor and his daughters further.

    But that’s only the start of their problems –– both Sadie and Sawyer start seeing strange things, with Sawyer convinced she’s being haunted by the same creature that ruined Billings’ life. But is it all just a projection of their grief? And how does Billings’ widow (Marin Ireland) fit in?

    David Dastmalchian as Lester in 20th Century Studios' 'The Boogeyman.'
    David Dastmalchian as Lester in 20th Century Studios’ ‘The Boogeyman.’ Photo courtesy of 20th Century Studios. © 2023 20th Century Studios. All Rights Reserved.

    Who else is in ‘The Boogeyman?

    The cast also includes LisaGay Hamilton, Maddie Nichols, Madison Hu, Lacey Dover and Daniel Hagan.

    Hopes for ‘Host’ director

    A big plus for the film would seem to be the presence of canny British director Rob Savage, who made a splash in 2020 with his creative, entertaining horror movie ‘Host’ in which a zoom seance held between friends during lockdown goes supernaturally, bloodily and mortally wrong.

    Savage followed that up with DASHCAM, the story of a rude, opinionated live-streaming DJ who encounters something awful when she offers a ride in her car to an old woman. Both movies play out entirely on computer (or phone) screens and are chillingly effective uses of that particular horror genre.

    Yet given both the budget and the scope to expand beyond that, Savage here falters, let down by a corny script that has more tropes than it does storyline and more archetypes than it does characters.

    While Savage brings some level of artistry to it all –– tilting camera shots, effective and evocative use of lighting in some scenes and a genuine sense of unease in one early moment –– it’s not enough to save a story that goes to ridiculous lengths to try and evoke some terror.

    Vivien Lyra Blair as Sawyer in 20th Century Studios' 'The Boogeyman.'
    Vivien Lyra Blair as Sawyer in 20th Century Studios’ ‘The Boogeyman.’ Photo courtesy of 20th Century Studios. © 2023 20th Century Studios. All Rights Reserved.

    Messina and his younger co-stars do what they can to breathe life into their characters (Blair, a veteran of ‘Obi-Wan Kenobi’ and ‘Yellowjackets’), Thatcher appropriately acting scared when needed, but it’s all a losing cause in a movie that will evoke giggles more than a desire to find covers to hide beneath.

    The movie also fails to follow its own internal logic; when Sawyer is introduced as the grieving young girl sleeping with a variety of lights on even before she’s haunted and hunted by the titular creature, it makes absolutely no sense that she’d later be content to sit alone in a darkened room with just the meagre light of a TV screen where she’s playing a PlayStation game to make her feel safe.

    Then there are the usual horror movie conventions wheeled out for the 700th time –– the girls screaming and making noise while their father is oblivious in another room, characters noticing creepy black tendrils littering a hallway and stairway but deciding to investigate anyway. And in a scene that could come out of a horror spoof, Sadie is driven by a friend to a particular house she’s investigating, one littered with graffiti calling the occupant a murderer and with a mailbox bent over on its pole by a vandal, only to asked, “is this the house”? Yes, young lady, we’re pretty sure it’s the house .

    It all builds to something increasingly silly and chaotic, characters making stupid decisions when a clear threat is lurking, and the creature itself switching tactics midway through with no discernible reason. And don’t get us started on the therapist who decides that the best way to cure a traumatized child with issues to do with the dark is immediately to plunge them into a darkened room. The movie makes far too many silly choices such as this to be credible.

    Final Thoughts

    There are plenty of great Stephen King adaptations out there, on screens big and small. ‘The Boogeyman’ is, sorry to report, not among them. This is one nightmare that’s more likely to be lurking in the bargain bin than on anyone’s must re-watch list.

    ‘The Boogeyman’ receives 3.5 out of 10 stars.

    'The Boogeyman' opens in theaters on June 2nd.
    ‘The Boogeyman’ opens in theaters on June 2nd.

    Other Movies Similar to ‘The Boogeyman’:

    Buy Tickets: ‘The Boogeyman’ Movie Showtimes

    Buy Chris Messina Movies on Amazon

    ‘The Boogeyman’ is produced by 21 Laps Entertainment, and 20th Century Studios. It is set to release in theaters on June 2nd, 2023.

     

  • ‘Obi-Wan Kenobi’ Episode 6 Recap

    Obi-Wan Kenobi (Ewan McGregor) in Lucasfilm's 'Obi-Wan Kenobi.'
    Obi-Wan Kenobi (Ewan McGregor) in Lucasfilm’s ‘Obi-Wan Kenobi,’ exclusively on Disney+. © 2022 Lucasfilm Ltd. & ™. All Rights Reserved.

    It’s time for the stand-off that we have all been waiting for. Welcome to the finale of ‘Obi-Wan Kenobi’.

    We begin with Reva (Moses Ingram) on Tatooine. She tells a stall owner that she’s looking for a farmer, Owen Lars (Joel Edgerton). In space, Darth Vader (Hayden Christensen) is chasing Kenobi (Ewan McGregor) and the group of refugees. Roken (O’Shea Jackson Jr.) tells Ben the shields won’t last, and the Empire is likely to catch them.

    He looks to the escapees, and at Leia (Vivien Lyra Blair) as she helps calm a child. She tells Kenobi they’re scared. Luke (Grant Feely) and Owen go shopping for parts. He’s approached by the stall owner from earlier, saying he needs to tell him something.

    Ben explains to Leia he’s going to go to Vader, so the refugees can escape. They’ve spent their time protecting Jedi, so let him return the favor. He orders Haja (Kumail Nanjiani) to get Leia home safe if he doesn’t come back.

    Haja Estree (Kumail Nanjiani) and Obi-Wan Kenobi (Ewan McGregor) in Lucasfilm's 'Obi-Wan Kenobi.'
    (L-R): Haja Estree (Kumail Nanjiani) and Obi-Wan Kenobi (Ewan McGregor) in Lucasfilm’s ‘Obi-Wan Kenobi,’ exclusively on Disney+. © 2022 Lucasfilm Ltd. & ™. All Rights Reserved.

    Owen tells Beru (Bonnie Piesse) that Reva is coming for them. She tells him they’re not leaving, and not putting anyone else in danger. They arm up, ready to face her.

    Haja tells Ben he spoke to Leia, and Kenobi relays to her how he wishes he could have taken her home. He gives Leia the blaster holster that belonged to Tala (Indira Varma). Leia hugs Ben and begs him to come back. He promises her he will. We see him looking over his lightsaber, trying to speak to Qui-Gon’s force ghost. But all he gets is silence.

    Roken tells Ben he doesn’t have to confront Vader, but Kenobi explains there’s not many leaders left, and tells Roken not to stop. The Empire tracks the escape ship, and the Grand Inquisitor (Rupert Friend) explains to Vader how they need to wipe out what’s left of the refugees. “He’s not just some Jedi,” Vader responds.

    On Tatooine, Owen explains to Luke why he needs to hide, and tells him not to leave. He tells his uncle he’s not afraid, and they lock him away.

    Vader chases Kenobi to a planet, saying he will face him alone. Ben lands on a dark, rocky planet and just sits, waiting for his old Padawan to find him. He hears a droid, and it’s revealed Leia left L0-LA for him.

    Owen Lars (Joel Edgerton) and Obi-Wan Kenobi (Ewan McGregor)
    (L-R): Owen Lars (Joel Edgerton) and Obi-Wan Kenobi (Ewan McGregor) in Lucasfilm’s ‘Obi-Wan Kenobi,’ exclusively on Disney+. © 2022 Lucasfilm Ltd. & ™. All Rights Reserved.

    Reva is creeping her way onto Owen’s farm. We see Vader landing on the planet at the same time. He steps off the ship, facing down Kenobi. Vader asks if he’s come to destroy him. Kenobi says, “I will do what I must.” “Then you will die,” Vader responds. Finally, the battle the entire series has led up to.

    Back on Tatooine, we’re shown Owen aiming for Reva. They fire on her, at the same time Vader and Kenobi are duking it out, using the Force against one another. “Your strength has returned, but the weakness still remains,” Vader says to Kenobi. Vader managed to finally get the high ground. He tries to crush Kenobi under a large pile of rocks and walks away.

    Reva fights against Owen, and it’s revealed she’s going after Luke in some attempt at justice against Vader. Luke escapes, and she chases after him.

    Kenobi is buried, but he’s struggling to use the Force to help himself escape. We hear flashbacks to when he fought Anakin before he was Vader, and he uses Leia and Luke’s voice to free himself. Vader stops walking away, Obi-Wan finally getting the upper hand and using intense force powers, turns the tables on him.

    Darth Vader (Hayden Christensen)
    Darth Vader (Hayden Christensen) in Lucasfilm’s ‘Obi-Wan Kenobi,’ exclusively on Disney+. © 2022 Lucasfilm Ltd. & ™. All Rights Reserved.

    Reva chases Luke into a rocky corridor, paralleling where Kenobi and Vader are fighting. At the same time, Obi-Wan destroys Vader’s breathing tech. He destroys his helmet, and for the first time in a long time, he is face to face with Anakin Skywalker. We’re shown the surprise and fear on Kenobi’s face. “Anakin’s gone, I am what remains,’ says Vader.

    Kenobi tearfully apologies, for everything, as Vader tells him “I’m not your failure. You didn’t kill Anakin Skywalker. I did.” Whatever was left of Anakin, was gone. “Then my friend is truly dead,” replies Kenobi. Ben says goodbye calling him Darth instead of Anakin one last time.

    Obi-Wan escapes the planet, and meanwhile, Reva is still on the hunt, getting closer to Luke. Kenobi feels what is happening to Luke and races to help. Reva approaches the child, ready to take her revenge on whoever she can that is related to Vader. She does hesitate, seeing Luke as herself as a child during Order 66.

    Kenobi lands on the planet and sees Owen and Beru trying to find Luke. They see Reva carrying Luke back to them, very clear she didn’t kill him. Reva tells Kenobi she couldn’t do it, and she explains how Anakin killed all of the younglings. Ben tells Reva that by saving Luke, she honors all who have been lost.

    Reva looking at city
    Reva (Moses Ingram) in Lucasfilm’s ‘Obi-Wan Kenobi,’ exclusively on Disney+. © 2022 Lucasfilm Ltd. & ™. All Rights Reserved.

    She asks if she’s become Vader, but Ben says she’s chosen not to. What she becomes is up to her. Reva takes out her lightsaber and tosses it away. Kenobi offers her a hand, and she accepts. “Now you’re free, we both are,” Kenobi says.

    Cut to Mustafar, and we’re shown Vader talking to the Emperor (Ian McDiarmid). He questions if Vader’s thoughts are clear and asks if his feelings are clouding him.

    Leia is shown returned to her family, dressed like a little Rebellion princess. Her mother (Simone Kessell) questions the holster, but explains she actually loves it. They make it out to her father (Jimmy Smits), who looks at her outfit, with Leia responding, “You said there was many ways to lead.”

    Kenobi steps off the visiting ship, giving her L0-LA back and visiting Leia’s family. They explain how they can never repay him, and her father says he fears for her future. Ben offers his help in case anything happens, and Leia asks what he’ll do now. He says he doesn’t know, and she offers up the idea he should sleep.

    He finally reveals to Leia all her fantastic qualities come from both her real mother and father, but she seems not to care, looking to her adoptive family as if they were blood. Leia asks if she’ll ever see him again, and they hug one last time. Obi-Wan flies off, and he’s seen packing his stuff away once again in his cave on Tatooine.

    Ewan McGregor
    Obi-Wan Kenobi (Ewan McGregor) and his eopie in a scene from Lucasfilm’s ‘Obi-Wan Kenobi,’ exclusively on Disney+. © 2022 Lucasfilm Ltd. & ™. All Rights Reserved.

    He grabs the bag of metal toy parts, and visits Owen one last time. Owen asks what he’s doing there, and Kenobi tells the man he was right. Luke just needs to be a boy. “The future will take care of itself,” Ben admits.

    Kenobi tells Owen the only protection Luke needs is him and his aunt and tells him to take care of the boy. Owen calls for Ben, asking if he wants to meet Luke. He walks over to the boy and gives a single greeting of “Hello there.”

    Finally, we’re shown Kenobi riding into the desert, when a force ghost of his old master Qui-Gon Jinn (Liam Neeson) finally appears. “Well, took you long enough,’ Jinn says to Kenobi.

    He explains to Ben he was always there, saying he just wasn’t ready to see him. He tells Ben to “Come on, we got a way to go,” leading him into the desert as the series ends.

    Ewan McGregor and Liam Neeson in 'Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace.'
    (L to R) Ewan McGregor and Liam Neeson in ‘Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace.’

    So, how was ‘Obi-Wan Kenobi’ really’? Well, I was someone who grew up on the prequel trilogy. Seeing Ewan McGregor and Hayden Christenson back was probably a highlight of this extended universe for me. Both of the characters and their story were huge highlights of the show. From the smallest side characters to the leads, everyone was incredibly interesting and felt like fantastic additions to the universe.

    Being able to see Christensen and McGregor continuing where the prequels ended was a dream come true, and their acting absolutely killed it. Seeing the pain on Kenobi’s face when he sees his old apprentice in this last episode hurt me to my core. Special props to Christensen for making Darth Vader just as scary so many years later. His performance is an absolute triumph.

    Moses Ingram’s performance as Reva also deserves a shout-out, especially for being one of the more badass villains so far on the ‘Star Wars’ screen, and quickly becoming sympathetic through her heartbreaking origin.

    With all this praise, the show did indeed have its issues, such as missed opportunities for character cameos (though the addition of Qui-Gon Jinn right at the end was a sweet touch) rather than uninteresting villain plotlines. The Inquisitors, not counting Reva, seeming more like a video game nod than real fleshed out baddies.

    But we’re staying in the past with the next Disney+ ‘Star Wars’ show, ‘Andor’.

    Can’t wait to see you all then, and thanks for reading!

    ‘Star Wars: Obi-Wan Kenobi’ Poster Courtesy of Disney+
    ‘Star Wars: Obi-Wan Kenobi’ Poster Courtesy of Disney+
  • ‘Obi-Wan Kenobi’ Episode 5 Recap

    Darth Vader (Hayden Christensen)
    Darth Vader (Hayden Christensen) in Lucasfilm’s ‘Obi-Wan Kenobi,’ exclusively on Disney+. © 2022 Lucasfilm Ltd. & ™. All Rights Reserved.

    The Empire isn’t willing to let Kenobi go that easily. Welcome to the second to last episode of ‘Obi-Wan Kenobi’.

    We begin with a flashback to ‘The Clone Wars’ era and see Hayden Christensen as a young Anakin Skywalker! He’s sparring with Kenobi (Ewan McGregor) to prove he’s ready to be a Jedi Master but then we’re quickly brought back to present day and now see Anakin as Darth Vader.

    Reva (Moses Ingram) walks in and tells Vader exactly where Obi-Wan is headed. She’s also finally given what she’s always wanted, the Grand Inquisitor title.

    The rescue ship lands, and Kenobi runs into Haja (Kumail Nanjiani), who explains he’s now wanted by the empire after his confrontation with Reva. They ask Roken (O’Shea Jackson Jr.) for help getting back to Alderaan, but he explains that they need to save the refugees first.

    Vader is on his way, and he is not happy. It’s revealed that the tracker Reva planted was in Leia’s droid, and she directs it remotely to close the hideaway’s doors and trap the refuges inside. Obi-Wan then confronts a wall of messages from Jedi who have previously been there, as well as a box full of lightsabers.

    Darth Vader (Hayden Christensen)
    Darth Vader (Hayden Christensen) in Lucasfilm’s ‘Obi-Wan Kenobi,’ exclusively on Disney+. © 2022 Lucasfilm Ltd. & ™. All Rights Reserved.

    The droid locks down the facility, as Kenobi tells Roken that Vader “has no patients for a siege.” We’re shown another flashback, and the Empire lands on the planet. Obi-Wan takes the lead and promises everyone they will be safe if they can hold off the Empire long enough to escape. He gives Roken an hour to bypass the lockdown as the Empire prepares their attack, and Reva lands with an army of Stormtroopers.

    Obi-Wan receives a message from Bail Organa (Jimmy Smits), worried that Vader has discovered the truth about his offspring and offers to go to Tatooine and help Owen Lars (Joel Edgerton) protect young Luke Skywalker (Grant Feely).

    Tala (Indira Varma) then speaks to Obi-Wan and tells him about the force sensitive families that she watched be killed, explaining how she moved from the Empire to the Resistance. “There are some things you can’t forget, but you can fight to make them better,” she explained.

    Haja recommends climbing through the vent to fix the doors, and Leia (Vivien Lyra Blair) offers to help. Roken dismisses her but Kenobi orders him to let her try. He then puts Haja in charge of Leia so he can confront Reva and buy them some time. Kenobi tells the Empire that he wants to talk the Inquisitor. Reva agrees and the two meet at the door. She instantly sees through his charade and realizes that he is just stalling for time.

    Obi-Wan Kenobi (Ewan McGregor)
    Obi-Wan Kenobi (Ewan McGregor) in Lucasfilm’s ‘Obi-Wan Kenobi,’ exclusively on Disney+. © 2022 Lucasfilm Ltd. & ™. All Rights Reserved.

    Kenobi then asks her how she knows Vader is Anakin. He soon realizes that Reva was a youngling during the events of Order 66 and knows what Anakin did. We are then shown a flashback revealing that Reva had to play dead to avoid being killed by Anakin.

    Obi-Wan goes on to discover her big plan. Reva isn’t helping Vader, she wants to kill him and have her revenge. But she turns the tides, blaming Kenobi for Anakin’s murder spree. She strongly asserts that she needs no help, not even his, breaking the door open and fighting her way through.

    The Stormtroopers break through with her, and the rebel group retreats. Leia is still in the vents attempting to get the doors open. Tala is shot but her droid protects her as she closes the hallway door to save everyone else, before sacrificing herself by setting off an explosive to slow the attack.

    Vader tells Reva remotely to stand down, as we get another flashback to Anakin’s Jedi test. Kenobi realizes that Anakin is expecting him to surrender, and once again leaves Leia with Haja to keep her safe, while giving himself up to the Empire.

    Obi-Wan informs Reva that she isn’t bringing him to Vader, but that he’s bringing Vader to her! He tells her about the refuges and asks if Reva is really going to let Vader slaughter innocent people again, offering to help her end it together. Considering his offer, Reva questions if Vader will see it coming. Kenobi replies “all he’ll see is me.”

    Reva looking at city
    Reva (Moses Ingram) in Lucasfilm’s ‘Obi-Wan Kenobi,’ exclusively on Disney+. © 2022 Lucasfilm Ltd. & ™. All Rights Reserved.

    In the flashback, Anakin downs Kenobi as he explains how the young man’s need for victory blinds him. In the present, Vader lands on the planet and goes to get his old Master.

    Back in the air vent, Leia finds the broken piece and gets attacked by Lola, freeing her from the empire’s control, while Vader enters the base. Leia gets the doors open and is reunited with Kenobi, as he has escaped from the Empire. A transport goes to leave, and Vader stops it, breaking it open in a rage to find Obi-Wan, only to discover that it was a distraction, as the real ship flies away.

    In the flashback, Anakin finally loses to Obi-Wan, with his Master saying, “You are a great warrior Anakin, but your need to prove yourself is your undoing. Until you overcome it, a Padawan you will still be.”

    Back in the present, Reva is ready to end Vader’s life until he stops her cold, revealing that he knew of her plans and blames Kenobi for using her. They fight, but she is no match for Vader, as he tosses her a blade, so they can duel it out fair and square.

    But Vader gets the upper hand as Reva flashes back to when he attacked her friends during Order 66. Vader defeats Reva, leaving her gravely injured, as it is revealed that the Grand Inquisitor is still alive and working with Vader to reveal Reva’s true intentions.

    Darth Vader (Hayden Christensen)
    Darth Vader (Hayden Christensen) in Lucasfilm’s ‘Obi-Wan Kenobi,’ exclusively on Disney+. © 2022 Lucasfilm Ltd. & ™. All Rights Reserved.

    Kenobi and the rebels get away, as we see Reva still fighting for her life, and discovering the message Bail Organa left for Kenobi, revealing Luke Skywalker. Back on the ship, Kenobi senses that something is wrong. The scene then cuts to Tatooine and a sleeping Luke. Fade to black.

    Director Deborah Chow made a brilliant choice to use the flashback to the prequels in this episode. Not only did we get to see Hayden Christensen back in his old Jedi robe and wielding his lightsaber, but we also saw Ewan McGregor with his famous mullet!

    But fan service aside, the use of that flashback was to illustrate the seemingly never-ending battle between good and evil through Anakin and Obi-Wan’s long relationship, as it was playing out in real time. While yes, we saw it as a memory, it still got its point across.

    Without that choice, we would just have a back and forth between Master and Apprentice, neither of them literally in the same room! It shows the audience a time when the two were (relatively) friendly, but also giving us hints of what’s to come in this series.

    Like in the flashback, Anakin is impulsive and full of anger. While this is obvious to longtime fans of the franchise, it shows how little he has changed in the long run. Not counting the missing limbs.

    Order 66 as seen in 'Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith.'
    Order 66 as seen in ‘Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith.’

    But it’s not just Anakin’s flashback that we see in this episode. Reva gets the same treatment, as we’re shown a firsthand account of Order 66, when Anakin completely turned to the dark side. The parallels of her trauma as well as Kenobi’s, while different, are nearly one in the same.

    Reva lost her family in the Jedi order, just as Anakin lost his Master in his welcoming of the dark side. While I wouldn’t say that her path parallel’s Anakin’s, she does what he seemingly cannot, which is fight back!

    We only have one episode left of ‘Obi-Won Kenobi’ and so much more can still happen.

    See you all next week for the finale!

    ‘Star Wars: Obi-Wan Kenobi’ Poster Courtesy of Disney+
    Lucasfilm’s ‘Obi-Wan Kenobi,’ exclusively on Disney+. © 2022 Lucasfilm Ltd. & ™. All Rights Reserved.
  • ‘Obi-Wan Kenobi’ Episode 4 Recap

    Obi-Wan Kenobi (Ewan McGregor)
    Obi-Wan Kenobi (Ewan McGregor) in Lucasfilm’s ‘Obi-Wan Kenobi,’ exclusively on Disney+. © 2022 Lucasfilm Ltd. & ™. All Rights Reserved.

    The last episode of ‘Obi-Wan Kenobi’ brought up old ghosts and some returning flames from the past. Time for episode four, where we got a rescue to pull off.

    We open on Kenobi (Ewan McGregor) waking in and out of consciousness after his little stint with Vader (Hayden Christensen). Obviously injured and being brought to a settlement of people helping others escape from the Empire. He is tossed into a Bacta tank and is instantly visited with visions of his fight with Vader, while Anakin going through the same thing, parallels their history. Out of panic, Kenobi escapes the tank.

    Tala (Indira Varma) tells him he still needs time to heal, and Kenobi asks where Leia (Vivien Lyra Blair) is, unknowing of her capture. We are shown Leia taken by the Empire and Reva (Moses Ingram) telling her Kenobi is dead, and that she should give up hope that anyone is coming to help her. Tala takes Obi-wan to a man named Roken (O’Shea Jackson Jr.) who appears to be the leader of the settlement, and he tells Ben about the Empire and what they’re capable of, and how his wife was killed by their hand.

    He shows Kenobi a hologram of the Empire facility, Tala explaining she still has officer clearance and can get him in. The two head off, the other members of her group being hesitant to get into a fight. We see Ben trying to use the force to move an object. He can still do it—it’s just tough, like it’s trapped in his body and soul somewhere he can’t reach. “Something’s cannot be forgotten.”

    Obi-Wan Kenobi (Ewan McGregor)
    Obi-Wan Kenobi (Ewan McGregor) in Lucasfilm’s ‘Obi-Wan Kenobi,’ exclusively on Disney+. © 2022 Lucasfilm Ltd. & ™. All Rights Reserved.

    Reva confronts Leia about the safe house they found. She asks how Kenobi died, and Reva lies. Leia very sternly says she doesn’t know where the “path” is, staying firm in hiding everything from the Empire. Tala lands on the base and there is suspicion around her because this isn’t her sector, so she’s not allowed in. She is stopped by a guard who is interrogating her for paperwork, but she uses her high-ranking cover to gain access.

    Obi-Wan also gains access to the base when Tala uses her credentials, and she secretly helps him by opening doors and giving directions. Reva is still attempting to get the info out of Leia, but the little girl is proving to be tough. Lola (Leia’s droid) tries to escape, but the inquisitor figures it out and stops it from leaving the cell. She slowly starts to talk about her past, reminiscing to the princess that she too used to have a droid.

    Tala is found out, and Ben is on his own. He hides from a pair of troopers but uses the force successfully to confuse them. In the meantime, Tala knocks out the officer who discovers her. Reva is still trying to push Leia to the edge mentally. Leia says she will tell her, but claims she needs to tell her father (Jimmy Smits) first. Angered, Reva sends her to be tortured to discover the truth.

    Ben finds the secure sector, only to discover a disturbing amount of Jedi and resistance members locked up in a tomb in a substance similar to amber. It is a mixture of adults, children, species of all kinds, in a weird and macabre trophy room.

    Imperial captain
    Imperial captain (Indira Varma) in Lucasfilm’s ‘Obi-Wan Kenobi,’ exclusively on Disney+. © 2022 Lucasfilm Ltd. & ™. All Rights Reserved.

    Kenobi hears Leia and calls for Tala to make a distraction and boy does she make one. Tala instructs Reva she needs to speak to her. She explains where the hidden escape tunnels are, but she is unable to lie to the Inquisitor successfully.

    The distraction does its job though, and Ben saves Leia. Meanwhile, Reva is interrogating Tala. It is revealed to them that Obi-wan and Leia were spotted, and the escape begins. An underground hallway window is about to break as their being attacked by troopers and will flood the room with water. But Ben uses the force and escapes drowning. Showing no matter what it seems like, his connection to the force is still strong.

    Tala and Ben discreetly move to her ship but are stopped by Reva. They get surrounded only for a group of ships owned by the Resistance to come and rain fire down on the platform. One ship makes an escape while the other is shot down.

    Vader is angry at his base being attacked so openly and that his Inquisitors couldn’t stop them from getting away. He force-chokes Reva, releasing her to speak when she motions to him. She claims to have placed a tracker on the ship (inside Leia’s droid), and that it will lead them to Kenobi. The group make it back to the resistance ship, down one fighter. But in a moment of peace, Leia takes hold of Ben’s hand. Fade to black.

    Darth Vader (Hayden Christensen)
    Darth Vader (Hayden Christensen) in Lucasfilm’s ‘Obi-Wan Kenobi,’ exclusively on Disney+. © 2022 Lucasfilm Ltd. & ™. All Rights Reserved.

    The one thing that ‘Obi-Wan Kenobi’ has been really doing well is adding brand new characters to the ‘Star Wars’ universe. Both Reva, played by Moses Ingram, and Tala portrayed by Indira Varma, respectively. Both also showing a distinct different view of the Empire.

    In Tala, we have a character who joined the Empire at a time when she thought they were all for protecting the galaxy. But, as the show mentions, she realized that it was changing, and not for the better. This contradicts with how we can interpret Reva’s point of view of the Empire.

    In her, we are introduced to a character who sees the Empire as the final goal for the galaxy. That control and fear goes hand in hand, and that both can be accomplished whether people like it or not. Like the rest of the Empire, Reva is willing to do whatever she can to show loyalty and strength.

    These two characters show just how vast the world of ‘Star Wars’ can be on either side. You have one character who we know saw the error in what she was believing and changed sides to put a stop to it, and we have another person who thrives in that evil, becoming one with the darkness to gain the power she needs to be on top.

    I hope the remaining two episodes of ‘Obi-Wan Kenobi’ continue this path of gracing the universe with brand new, interesting characters that we can only hope we’ll see more of in the future!

    See you back here next week for episode 5!

    Darth Vader (Hayden Christensen) i
    Darth Vader (Hayden Christensen) in Lucasfilm’s ‘Obi-Wan Kenobi,’ exclusively on Disney+. © 2022 Lucasfilm Ltd. & ™. All Rights Reserved.
  • David Dastmalchian, Chris Messina, and More Join ‘The Boogeyman’

    David Dastmalchian as Polka-Dot Man in 'Suicide Squad'
    David Dastmalchian as Polka-Dot Man in ‘Suicide Squad’

    As he starts the cameras rolling, director Rob Savage has announced the cast for his next movie. The man behind horror hit ‘Host’ will do his best to scare Chris Messina, Sophie Thatcher, Vivien Lyra Blair, David Dastmalchian, Marin Ireland and Madison Hu for ‘The Boogeyman’.

    It’ll mark a new adaptation of the Stephen King story, which originally appeared in a March 1973 issue of Cavalier magazine before it was collected in his 1978 collection “Night Shift.” One of the titles King has made available to filmmakers under the one-dollar rights agreement, it has been turned into a short and at least one other movie before.

    The tale follows a 16-year-old and her younger sister, still reeling from the death of their mother, who are targeted by a supernatural boogeyman after their father, a psychologist, has an encounter with a desperate patient in their house.

    We don’t yet know who will be playing which role, but Messina should be familiar from movies including ‘Argo’ and ‘Birds of Prey’. Thatcher has been burning up the small screen via work on ‘Yellowjackets’ and ‘The Book of Boba Fett’, while Blair is probably best known for Netflix’s ‘Bird Box’ opposite Sandra Bullock. Ireland was seen in ‘Hell or High Water’ and Martin Scorsese’s ‘The Irishman’, while Dastmalchian should be no stranger to genre fans given his work in last year’s ‘Dune’, the first two ‘Ant-Man’ movies and ‘The Dark Knight’. Hu, finally, was seen in sci-fi movie ‘Voyagers’.

    Chris Messina on HBO's 'Sharp Objects.'
    Chris Messina on HBO’s ‘Sharp Objects.’

    This movie has had to hack its way through the development thorns for a while before it ended up in Savage’s hands. The script’s passed through the likes of ‘Malignant‘s Akela Cooper and ‘A Quiet Place’ duo Scott Beck and Bryan Woods. The current draft is by ‘Black Swan’s Mark Heyman. And on board to produce is prolific filmmaker Shawn Levy, who is supporting the movie via his 21 Laps company.

    Savage is a great choice to direct this, as his previous work has been inventing and, more importantly, chilling. He broke out with 2020’s pandemic -set thriller ‘Host’, which saw a Zoom call go spectacularly, lethally wrong for its participants. It won plenty of acclaim and marked him as a director to watch.

    He’s since followed that up with another low-fi horror, ‘DASHCAM’, which has been playing to great impact at film festivals and will arrive in theaters via Momentum Pictures this summer. Produced by the Blumhouse team, the movie, stars Annie Hardy, Angela Enahoro and Amar Chadha-Patel in the story of a musician on her livestream as her night takes a dangerous turn when she agrees to help a frail elderly woman out of town.

    ‘The Boogeyman’, which arrives via Disney’s 21st Century Studios, will premiere on Hulu next year.

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