[Weekly Update] August 8, 2022

Currently going over time. Nothing like a good old time crunch after a vacation.

CHANNEL UPDATE

Our next video required more research than anticipated, as it touch upon some subjects that people have strong opinions towards. Yes, I'm talking about the myth of Jackie Chan never using stunt doubles. And in order to be fair and balanced, I literally watched films frame by frame.

In short, it'll need a few more days in the oven before it is ready. It should be before this weekend.

Afterward we have a retrospective video on the Mothra trilogy. Still haven't decided what angle I'll approach it, but I'm excited to rewatch the series.

Nothing concrete is planned afterward, but we do have ideas. One video we planned is to talk about Jackie Chan's more recent bad movies. I'll also be covering the live action sequel to Whisper of the Heart when it comes out.

Yes, there's a live action sequel of Whisper of the Heart.

No, I don't think I'll like it. But we'll see.

MEDIA TALK

So I realized I talked about Ryan Gosling two updates ago but didn't actually talk about the movie that started that conversation: The Gray Man.

It's not very good. But I don't think anyone's surprised by my negativity.

Critically, though, The Gray Man is kinda a divisive film. Some people love it. Some people hate it. And I think I know the reason for this split in perception.

For whatever reasons, The Gray Man is often compared to John Wick. And that, to me, is how I noticed the reason behind it's divisive reception.

The Gray Man has great action ideas: A shoot-out in which the hero is handcuffed to a bench; Hero shoots someone through the roof of a train by looking at reflections on passing buildings; close-quarter assassinations against the visual and sound of fireworks. They are all pretty kick-ass ideas.

In fact, some may say they are better action ideas that John Wick 1, which are, for the most part, straight forward fights and shoot-outs.

But John Wick, however, is much stronger in presentation. The locations all look stylish and exotic, and the action are clean. The cinematography is unique. Timing John's gun shots with club music is also very memorable.

The Gray Man, unfortunately, features your standard Hollywood fast cuts. While it isn't difficult to read, it definitely lacks the visual flair of John Wick.

And this, here, is why I think some likes John Wick and some likes The Gray Man: it all depends on if you are looking for concept impact, or visual impact. If you are the type that gets entertained by idea of an entire city block being destroyed by machine gun fires, The Gray Man will leave a strong impression on you. But if you values form over content, then John Wick is far superior in the way it presents action.

No one way is better than the other, but it does reveal the potential many different mind sets people have when going into a film. Do you enjoy it as a way of storytelling, or do you enjoy it for its unique aspects not found in other art form?

Well, have you seen The Gray Man? What do you think about the film?

I'll get back to editing the video now, and will see you in a few days!