[Weekly Update] September 13th, 2020

Come back tomorrow to cast your vote! Which Godzilla movie should we cover for this Halloween?

ABOUT THE CHANNEL

• Oh wow our Mulan video exploded. I really didn't expect this to be popular, let alone THIS popular. With a 3 minute intro and an 18 minute run time, I really expect the video to draw in only the most hardcore of essay enthusiasts.
• Anyway, since the video went viral and many of you decided to join our Patreon, welcome! I hope you find the extra content here satisfactory. As always, if you want your name off the video credit, or you prefer a different name than you Patreon name, comment or PM me and let me know!
• Anyway, for next week, we'll be completing our Asian horror trilogy, with a film from the much underrated Thai horror genre. I'll be binging Thai horror for the next week! Let me know if you have any favourites.
• Afterward, I have one additional, semi-personal video about a film/series that went largely unknown in the west. It'll be about the topic of nostalgia. Feel free to take a guess what film it'll be.
• And finally, we'll be covering a Godzilla film this Halloween. You know, monsters, Halloween, close enough. Can't believe this channel went this long before doing a video on the big G. But it's time, and you can decide which film I should cover!

ABOUT MEDIA

• There's a lot more I wanted to say about Mulan 2020, but was outside of the scope of the video. 
• One thing I think I should share is the good thing about Mulan, what it did well. So, allow me to be a bit more positive here.
• There is a few good things about Mulan that I like, at least on a conceptual level. For example, the idea of a witch working under a khan is an excellent set up. She is basically the dark and corrupted version of Mulan. Clearly they wanted to do (and did) the "You and I are not so different" theme. Sadly they couldn't fine a good theme other than Mulan being loyal to her monarch.
• Speaking of the Witch, Gong Li is excellent as always. The role doesn't have a lot of screen time or development, but whenever she is on screen, Gong Li's commending presence is impressive.
• Similarly, Jason Scott Lee is great as Bori Khan. Dude is fit but menacing. A lot of people say he is boring, but I think that's just the film being dry. Shan Yu in the animated film is also not very complex, but he oozes this danger, it is very mesmerizing. Lee's Khan has that presence. If the movie is better, I'm sure he's performance would be appreciated a lot better.
• I enjoy the creative shots. Preparation for Mulan's make up is in a very indie-esque jump cut montage, which works well. Mulan runs up the steps in the palace is also a pretty stunning shot. I disagree with a lot of people on the overall quality of the cinematography, I think the lighting in the film is film school level of bad, the green screen and the lighting doesn't match level of bad. They don't move well from one shot to another, either. But individual shots are indeed well done.
• And... um... I guess Liu Yifei's English is pretty good? I never thought she was that great of an actress, but given a good director, she can work. Unfortunately she probably didn't get a lot of direction, so she just looks like a blank slate majority of the time.
• Oh and Mulan's hairstylist did a pretty good job, so yeah.

I guess I really don't have a lot of good things to say about Mulan after all. I still have more things to criticize but I think you get the idea.

Anyway, that's it for the update this week! Hope September is treating you well. Stay safe and have a good week!