Gladiator II - The scoop and digest

In 2006, Russell Crowe approached singer-songwriter Nick Cave to pen a script for sequel.

Crowe said:

"Don't like it, mate."

Anyway, from a screenplay by regular collaborator David Scarpa, Ridley Scott returns to ancient Rome.

Paul Mescal - Lucius/Hanno

Denzel Washington - Macrinus

Pedro Pescal - General Acacius

Joseph Quinn - Geta

Fred Hechinger - Caracalla

Connie Nielsen - Lucilla

Tim McInnerny - Senator Thraex

Derek Jacobi - Senator Gracchus

Summary

16 years after the death of Marcus Aurelius, emperors Geta and Caracalla rule Rome with an iron fist.

General Acacius' Roman army invade a city in Numidia and Lucius (initially Hanno) is taken into slavery.

At the Roman port of Ostia, our man is bought by former slave and gladiator Macrinus to profit from his gift of 'rage'.

After Lucius learns his true identity, Macrinus plots to dethrone tyrannical twins.

The gates of hell are open night and day

Was I entertained?

Yes and no.

Story predictably beats similar drums, but lacks the depth or emotional clout from before.

Mutant baboons aside (what the fuck?), subsequent sequences with rhinoceros and sharks were superfluous.

Having said that, battles boast intensity.

Rather than Hans Zimmer and Lisa Gerrard, score is composed by Harry Gregson-Williams.

It's decent, but pale in comparison.

At least Now We Are Free plays during end credits.

Despite a valiant effort, Mescal fails to fill big sandals.  Also, put your shirt on man.

Apart from Denzel and Pedro, other characters are pretty dull.

Geta and Caracalla are essentially a version of Romulus and Remus, but unlike The Doors - didn't light my fire.

Maximus heard Lucilla had a son, but it's never outright confirmed that he was the father.

Lucius (formerly Spencer Treat Clark) briefly met 'Spaniard' in original, but neither knew each other.

Ambiguity is shat on in a new scene created purely as a plot device.

Just before he dies, a digital Crowe mentions Lucius to former lover.  Lucilla then protects wee lad by sending him away.

When Macrinus first meets Lucius, the former erroneously refers to baboons as 'apes'.

To 'contradict' error, gladiator trainer Viggo teases Lucius for eating monkeys.

(Bares teeth).

Third instalment is in very early development but age is not on director's side.

Silent Hill 2 (2024) - Manic Delirium

Bloober Team's fabulous remake is given the same treatment as OG.

https://nukesandknives.blogspot.com/2022/10/silent-hill-2-ordinary-vanity.html

Strange Photos

Throughout the game, 26 Polaroids can be found.

If you count certain things within each image and translate working out to caption, you'll land on a letter.

To cut a long explanation short, Paul Robinson solved shit on 3 November.

YOUVE BEEN HERE FOR TWO DECADES

Responding to reddit post, creative director and lead designer Mateusz Lenart verified claim was accurate.

While meaning is unconfirmed and left open to interpretation, date of till receipt found in Green Pharmacy raises eyebrows.

June 22 1992

If real-time, James has been stuck in purgatory since 1972.

Glimpses of the Past

All 26 instances are nods to locations/puzzles from OG that have either been moved or changed.

When interacted with, static briefly appears, camera angle changes and wistful music plays.

Respectful call backs confirm remake is actually a sequel.

While previously left ambiguous, mutilated corpses are previous iterations of James who died trying to escape the loop.

Pizza time

James: Ugh. This town is full of monsters. Who could just sit here and eat pizza.

Pete's Bowl-O-Rama previously played out a conversation between Eddie and Laura.

As a reminder.

James: This town is full of monsters! How can you sit there and eat pizza?

More importantly, where did geezer order takeaway from?

HA HA HA!

At Reverie Theatre, an empty box confirms that Eddie has got his appetite back.

This doesn't count as a 'Glimpse', but still interesting.

OG

Before entering the back of Heaven's Night, examining strip club's stock has James say:

"Liquor bottles.

I don't need that right now.

It's not that I don't drink.

In fact, I drink a fair bit.

To get away from the pain, the loneliness....

But the drinking never changes anything.

...Anyway, I don't need it now.

There's something that I have to do."

So protagonist has a drinking problem.

Mixing shit up.

In a brand new sequence, Maria pours him a drink, but he silently resists.

Taking a gander at whisky bottle returns no information/and or reaction.

Iconic graffiti

There was a HoLE here, It's gone now.

The door that wakes in darkness, opening into nightmares.

The Shining

Novel

Room 217

Wood Side Apartments

Lakeview Hotel

1980 film

I'm Johnny, one hot guy

Typewriter

Universe

School bus - Silent Hill

Originating from:

Kindergarten Cop (1990)

Silent Hill: The Arcade

The Little Baroness was first mentioned in a magazine article in Silent Hill 2's Toluca Prison.

Very briefly.

"On a fog-bound November day in 1918, the Little Baroness, a ship filled with tourists, failed to return to port."

It would literally reappear in 2007 arcade game.

"November, 1918

Toluca Lake,

Central Silent Hill

Sightseeing boat, the Little Baroness, mysteriously disappears with 14 crew members and passengers on board.

75 years later. The ship returns to Silent Hill."

At the curiously named Museum of Historical Materials, a picture hangs.

Apart from funnels now expelling smoke/engine exhaust, remake adds a different year.

Little Baroness
The maiden voyage of 1916

Highly unlikely, but a game set aboard steamboat would be fucking AWESOME.

At Brookhaven Hospital, a 'random' teddy contains a bent needle.

What's this?

Emilie owns a teddy.

Hmmm.

Silent Hill 3

Robbie the Rabbit

Also, below sticker of Lakeside Amusement Park's most famous mascot is Three Peaks Tours, a reference to Twin Peaks.

It's bread

Jacks Inn

When night falls, Room 106 is not how we remember it.

Halo of the Sun

Douglas Cartland's hat

Final flourish

Yeah, I'm not done yet.

Andy's Tool Shop boasts the world's finest Metal Gear woodworking tools.

My Snake is already Solid.

When both parts are glued together, title of vinyl record is "The Long Way Home".

No song exists, but The Long Way Home is a 1997 World War II documentary film, narrated by Morgan Freeman.

Relevance? Err, pass.

Heaven's Night has a selection of fine beverages on offer.

L-R: Red Velvet - Blue Velvet (1986), Leonidas - rather than actual historical figure, probably a nod to 300 (2006), Keswick Pride - as per OG, landscape in opening is modelled on Keswick's Derwentwater in the Lake District, Jacob's Lager - Jacob's Ladder (1990), Ale Peaks - Twin Peaks and Tolcua Light - local version of low alcohol lager.

During the butterfly puzzle in Blue Creek Apartments, we come across a framed species of death's-head hawkmoth, namely Acherontia styx.

Even though scan is of actual insect, this was probably inspired by the poster of The Silence of the Lambs (1991) 

Skull was altered for dramatic effect and lifted directly from Salvador Dali's 1951 photograph In Voluptas Mors, made in collaboration with Philippe Halsman.

The best is saved until last.

On the way to red gemstone at Lakeview, the sigil of King Paimon is shown.

Decoration pays homage to Hereditary (2018).

Magical symbol carved into telegraph pole foreshadows Charlie's decapitation.

Brilliant stuff.

Heretic - The scoop and digest

Psychological horror is written and directed by Scott Beck and Bryan Woods, and unrelated to 2012 film of same name.

Hugh Grant - Mr. Reed

Sophie Thatcher - Sister Barnes

Chloe East - Sister Paxton

Summary

Sisters Barnes and Paxton arrive at the home of reclusive Englishman Mr. Reed, who wants to learn more about the Mormon Church.

When they start debating religion, Reed's views and comments prompt missionaries to leave.

But after finding front door locked and metal inside walls blocking phone signal, they're forced into playing a deadly game of cat-and-mouse.

False correlation

Polite and charismatic, with a menacing twinkle in his eye, Hugh Grant is a revelation.

Chris Bacon's ominous score heightens tension and Chung-hoon Chung's utilisation of chiaroscuro is excellent.

While Reed's flashy monologues and parables are designed to destroy their faith, makeshift pawns don't take things lying down.

Reed pointing out that 'originals are less popular than iterations' is absolutely true.

For example, everybody's heard of Monopoly, but not its inspiration The Landlord's Game.

Unfortunately, plot begins to unravel and third act underwhelmed.

But the overriding message is this:

The one true religion is control.

'Probably' everything that Hellraiser ripped off

Miscellany

The Auditor - Hellraiser: Judgment (2018) vs Balberith - Clive Barker's Pinhead #3 - Speak of the Devil (February 1994)

Due to sun glasses, both may be derivatives of:

Butterball

Hellraiser: Inferno (2000)

Scott Derrickson's feature-length directorial debut is more like a spiritual sequel to Jacob's Ladder than a Hellraiser film.

At a murder scene, corrupt cop Joseph Thorne finds a mysterious puzzle box and after solving it, is plagued by bizarre hallucinations.

He also makes the connection between a kidnapped child and a serial killer dubbed The Engineer.

During a therapy session, Thorne's psychiatrist reveals himself as Pinhead, meaning he's been in Hell ever since solving the box.

The Engineer is the manifestation of Thorne's cruelty and child is the product of his innocence.

Please compare still to the climax of Silent Hill (1999).

The Engineer - Hellraiser¹ vs Tree Monster - Evil Dead II²

¹10 September 1987.

²13 March 1987 (America) and 26 June 1987 (UK).

Despite release dates, we'll never know which animatronic puppet was created first.

Here's a good one.

I AM IN HELL HELP ME - Hellbound: Hellraiser II (1988) vs daddy help me - Manhattan Baby (1982)

Both messages suddenly appear on mirrors.

Hellraiser (2022)

Riley and Matt vs Jack and Bathtub lady - The Shining (1980)

Voight vs Lillian Shepherd - Silent Hill: Homecoming (2008)

Hellraiser III: Hell on Earth (1992)

J.P. Monroe: "Jesus Christ!"

Pinhead: "Not quite."

Which is extremely similar to:

A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)

Tina: "Please God."

Freddy: "This is God."

Camerahead's victim vs T-1000 - Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)

Elliot's spirit merging with Pinhead vs Split-Face - The Thing (1982)

Effect is duplicated for the Siamese Twins in Hellraiser: Bloodline (1996).

Barbie vs Female Cenobite - Spirit³ (1989)

³As stated in my previous feature, Indonesian film is an unofficial shot-for-shot remake of Hellraiser.

Coincidence? Maybe.

Upon entering church, Pinhead feeds a piece of his 'body' to the Priest.

The Unholy⁴ (1988)

Titular creature does the same to Father Michael.

WOW!

⁴ntbcw 2021 film name of same name, based on James Herbert's 1983 novel Shrine.

The Whip and the Body (1963)

While not sexually explicit, Mario Bava's horror caused a stir with censors in Italy, with heavy editing rendering British and American versions incomprehensible.

Sadistic nobleman Kurt Menliff (Christopher Lee) enjoys whipping lovers, and one such lady who really enjoys pain is Nevenka Menliff (Daliah Lavi), married to Kurt's brother Christian (Luciano Stella).

After Kurt's throat is slit by a dagger, his ghost continues to satisfy her sadomasochistic desires.

Sure there's no Box or Cenobites, but...

Julia vs Nevenka

Larry⁵ vs Christian

⁵For some reason, changed from Rory.

Frank vs Kurt

Frank the Monster vs Kurt's Ghost

Taglines

It will tear your soul apart

He'll tear your soul apart.

And the final variation.

We'll tear your soul apart.

Written-for-film quote rapes Tommy (1975).

He will tear your soul apart

But I can top that.

Demon to some. Angel to others.

For shiggles, the final line of Dimmu Borgir's 2001 song Hybrid Stigmata - The Apostasy is "Demon to some, angel to others."

In the film:

"Explorers, in the further regions of experience. Demons to some, angels to others."

What's this?

Excalibur (1981)

Merlin: "A dream to some. A nightmare to others."

(Blushes).

Skinless corpse - Japanese B2 poster vs Flashdance (1983)

Okay then.

Jennifer Beals was cleverly parodied in a teaser for Deadpool 2 (2018).

Instead of water, Merc with a Mouth is showered with bullets.

Finally, it's time to expose a VERY dark secret, which I've kept for over a decade (no joke).

Poster vs Exodus: Ultima III (1983)

Ignoring humanoid figure (as opposed to winged demon), shit is a carbon copy, particularly hands cupping light.

So now you know.

One of cinema's most iconic posters raped a video game cover and to this day, I'm sure artist Denis Loubet remains totally oblivious.

If anybody seeing this magically claims credit, I'll do more than tear whoever's fucking soul apart.