Connect with us

Published

on

Black Phone gets reviewed by Jim as he goes deep into why Ethan Hawke is perfect for the role, the human nature of horror, and why you don’t need high gore to tell a horror story. Meanwhile, Brannyk dips their toes into My Soul to Take (and the kookoo bananas set up it uses), whilst we both lament watching Mummy Dearest (there are some bright spots with the lead actress!).

All this and more on the next Streamin’ Demons!

Black Phone image with ethan hawke wearing a demonic looking mask and pointing with all fingers at himself. Creepy.
Black Phone bringing scares without gore

Want to watch these films Like Black Phone? Skip Mummy but get the rest. If you do, Amazon will kick us some $$

The Transcripts (imperfect but still killer!)

00:00.00
jim_phoenix
Hey, everyone Jim Phoenix here and we’ve got our none episode of streammon d was coming up where we discussed none other than black phone. That’s our brand newsiess out in the theaters now mommy dearest which I might have gotten the memo wrong and watched something with tara re. And of course brannick the box human brought my soul to take all this and more on the next stream meneuss. But before we start I want to say a very happy hello to our best super fan and czech republic Amelie Hia hit it

00:58.10
jim_phoenix
Hey, everyone Jim Phoenix here and boy do we have an exciting episode for you. We’ve got some cool cool movies coming up and we’ve got the coolest co-host and the entire known upside down right side up universe. JMBrannic say hello.

01:17.70
Boxhuman
I Feel like you’re going to ask me for a favor or something hello.

01:21.25
jim_phoenix
No, not at all, not at all. But I do want to say a couple things before restart you know the spiel of like you know something borrows something blue something old. Been new if you are new to streaming demons None of all hi how are you if hey.

01:39.12
Boxhuman
Howdy.

01:40.51
jim_phoenix
And if you’re old. You might know that we had a friend of a show who recently passed away as in today in Nichelle Nichols I saw this what bill russell died first I’m like oh what Bill Russes died and I’m a laker fan and even I like Bill Russell and when I got home I’m like oh this this speaking about Bill Russwick Manus kind of weird and I just kind of like I never met Bill Russell but I just saw him doing a couple of fit you know charity stuff like oh, he’s look still in good health and I read in ahelle died I like oh oh I’m so sorry. Yeah, she’s a.

02:10.83
Boxhuman
Ah see I’m just learning this for the None time viewers and listeners. Oh no.

02:19.51
jim_phoenix
Longtime front of the show. Honestly God I met her years ago and she she was reading my work and not even knowing it was me and so I was like holy yeah, it was bizant Beyond like I used to watch her growing up and now she’s reading my stuff What the heck.

02:26.13
Boxhuman
Or let’s swing.

02:38.90
jim_phoenix
And since to see like we won’t get into whatever was going on the last couple of years her but it’s a sad sad time it. It kind of is so this show is dedicated to Bill Russell even though you are a south tech my man you could be like your heard day.

02:46.50
Boxhuman
Oh.

02:58.42
jim_phoenix
And the showle nichols because of course they wanted their name on this episode of Mummy Dearest oh a better movie dang it in memorial a better movie on this so and so for those who who may have been tuned in once or twice.

03:04.80
Boxhuman
I Wish I had have chosen a different movie then yeah and I wish so well.

03:17.83
jim_phoenix
My name is Jim Phoenix that’s JMBrannick and we discuss brand new movies or old movies or whatever type of movies. We each get one and we take team another movie and brannicck picked the kind of sold this movie. we’ in ta team no spoilers I might have watched a wrong movie.

03:34.74
Boxhuman
Ah, but oh you watched Mommy Dearest

03:36.43
jim_phoenix
I Started to really watched mommy dearest. Yeah well someone to want to do black swan for the site I’m like yeah I could that’s horror and that’s like mommy dearest but I get it.

03:43.65
Boxhuman
Like and you know honestly when I watched mommy Duris for the None time I think it was like at the 45 minute Mark when I’m like I still don’t see what’s wrong with this picture and um, just spoil.

03:57.52
jim_phoenix
This is normal family life that.

04:01.17
Boxhuman
Alert I don’t have kids so um and then and then it got you know a lot darker. It is a good movie though. Very good movie. That’s not the movie that I suggested. Yeah no I did not.

04:09.24
jim_phoenix
It’s it’s a wonderful movie. Unfortunately, that’s not the movie track about that. No I was like wait a minute how does terror read in this movie. What she like negative 12 when this movie came out all right? So we’ll get into. Mummy dearest later and Brandt tried to sell it to me is is Ter Reid and Lou Ray no also known as at least None people in the movie.

04:33.32
Boxhuman
Oh my god I was like looking I was searching for these 2 people throughout the entire because they’re the top build and I’m like scraping I’m like is it is it that person is it that person but with prosthetics like seriously I was.

04:41.59
jim_phoenix
Yeah. Yeah, yeah, are they the mommy baby. No yeah, yeah, So we’ll talk about? Yeah, we’ll we talked about that in a bit but very None because aren’t no special guests today.

04:53.25
Boxhuman
Very I was very confused for a very long time. Ah yeah, we’ll talk about it. Ah.

05:05.64
jim_phoenix
Although I hear we might have 1 next time I believe someone from the Buffy The Vampire Slayer podcast is going to be appearing as soon as their worst schedules kind of matches our recording schedule which be kind of fun.

05:06.80
Boxhuman
Oh yeah I did yeah.

05:18.92
Boxhuman
Did you sneeze when you said podcast. Oh you didn’t oh my my my my oh get my apologies I apologize.

05:23.71
jim_phoenix
I’t say podcast. We no dude’s the puppy the vampire slayer. yeah yeah I mean what would I have was that’s these for that. Yeah, so there’s no special guest today that means brannick.

05:40.80
Boxhuman
Yes I brought my soul to take which actually gave me a lot of feelings because it is written and directed by Wes Craven if you know anything about me I actually don’t love Wes Craven I actually

05:42.81
jim_phoenix
What did you bring.

05:53.30
jim_phoenix
Um, you love West graven.

06:00.35
Boxhuman
Hate Wes Craven and I know I’m going to get a lot of thank you. it’s it’s there’s a long thank you, it’s it’s really emotional guys. Um, yeah, yeah.

06:07.58
jim_phoenix
I’m setting the mood for you to hate West craven.

06:15.46
jim_phoenix
You hit our home runs that emotional must scream a thing.

06:18.80
Boxhuman
Thank you I appreciate that. So no actually I’ve just I’ve not really particularly enjoyed most of his films some of his films I did so his tonal dissonance I Really really didn’t like especially in last house of the left on the left.

06:26.70
jim_phoenix
Do I need to know why you you hinted? this is before.

06:38.57
Boxhuman
I Abhor that movie. Um and a lot of it was because of just his tone shifts. It just was kind of incoherent. Ah, and surprise surprise this movie is completely bonkers incoherent. But honestly.

06:55.12
jim_phoenix
Yeah, okay, it was like why do you do yourself I Hate this director I’m gonna watch this movie like here.

06:56.65
Boxhuman
In a way that I did appreciate. Okay, well all right I saw that I saw the the the okay so I I went on to be my lord and savior and I said which movies are leaving today that was one of the movies and I liked the poster. So I said sure why not this isn’t.

07:08.68
jim_phoenix
Oh man.

07:17.43
jim_phoenix
The poster of swear god 2010 um that’s the old right.

07:20.97
Boxhuman
Twenty Twenty ah None so None that’s the old. Um, which is actually kind of new for me I usually like them a little bit older. No no kink shaming there and um ha ha. Thanks.

07:31.56
jim_phoenix
Um, yeah, not out.

07:39.34
Boxhuman
Um, you’re getting used to those buttons you’re getting it. So oh God So anyway so I started watching it Holy shit. This movie is balls to the walls bananas crazy It is crazy.

07:40.92
jim_phoenix
Yeah, good gift turn.

07:54.20
jim_phoenix
Really.

07:58.77
Boxhuman
Like within the first five minutes I’m literally watching this going. Holy crap is this actually the climax of another movie I’m looking I’m like was this a sequel like is this a sequel. It’s not a sequel. It is just crazy. Okay, so it all starts.

08:11.12
jim_phoenix
Oh my god.

08:18.00
Boxhuman
With a guy you’re having a lot of fun I’m glad I’m glad you’re having fun. So the film starts off with somebody who suffers from yes from baby Yoda somebody? who’s so.

08:18.49
jim_phoenix
Sorry, But and this funny for multiple reasons you it.

08:33.19
jim_phoenix
For baby owner or it starts with babyo. Yes, yes, no I don’t found that one yet? Sorry yes.

08:36.66
Boxhuman
Somebody who? Okay, yeah so I need to get my kazoo. All right? So somebody who suffers from dissociative identities disorder of course of course of course of course is the killer of course is the killer which sucks. Ah, he’s the Riverton raper which you.

08:53.59
jim_phoenix
Dude, that’s not a joke that’s not a joke I’ve seen one night

09:04.36
Boxhuman
Please do not please do not make this a drinking game because you will be dead by the time that you if you if condor Riverton River um I forget what other words they use completely over again and again.

09:16.89
jim_phoenix
But you know what if you do 1 drinking game. You can go to your fucked why our fk d dot com and it’s gonna be up soon. We are selling our drinking game of it’s kind of cool. Yeah, so it’s a real thing. Yeah, we.

09:25.47
Boxhuman
Really, you don’t say that’s it is actually a real thing that is so please do go. Ah, do you want to say it again.

09:34.41
jim_phoenix
We can plan that no, it’s it’s a real thing we’re going to johnn con to tip it out. Yeah, it’s the website’s not up it. But it’s gonna be y r f k why our KDDotCom it’s your fucked as a game trademark.

09:42.77
Boxhuman
Ah, so.

09:49.10
Boxhuman
You’re fucked um, don’t play it with this movie but play it at that. Um, but basically yeah, well no play it and then watch this movie. Um, so basically this this this man he’s got.

09:51.69
jim_phoenix
Know plate instead of watching this movie. Well no rule area.

10:05.40
Boxhuman
All these different altars and um, he kills his wife and cops come in and he’s got a kid and they shoot him but he’s still alive and they put him in an ambulance and on the way he tries to kill somebody the ambulance blows up I mean like. This is literally within the first five minutes I’m like that’s the first five minutes and there’s a none people in this and then suddenly it’s like mean girls because all of his personalities have been ah born into different bodies that day.

10:26.56
jim_phoenix
That’s first 5 minutes oh my god.

10:42.30
jim_phoenix
So now.

10:42.51
Boxhuman
So then all of it’s like then sixteen years later and they’re all in high school and it’s really weird and it’s basically was craven writing high schoolers. So it’s pretty cringe guys.

10:59.70
jim_phoenix
What’s this movie calling in my solar taste 2010 ah

11:01.48
Boxhuman
My soul to take and that’s like the first 20 minutes and it only gets heightened from there it it keeps going on and on and it’s just it is wild. It is a wild ride. It is.

11:09.95
jim_phoenix
2

11:18.82
jim_phoenix
That’s insaneed. Oh there go was an answer is a difference between good entertaining. You can be 1 or the other or you can be both sometimes very rarely.

11:19.94
Boxhuman
Not a good movie. It is an entertaining movie. Yes, very rarely. But it it is so convoluted it is like riverdale meets like I don’t know mean girls meets Baby Yoda meets and possibly kind of Chucky because the whole soul things and stuff like that I mean it’s wild because one of the personalities or possibly the guy is still alive and still killing people.

11:49.63
jim_phoenix
Oh yeah.

12:02.90
jim_phoenix
So without spoiling either movie about the um, ah you know the movie you’re talking about right now and the movie I have in my mind that stars John accusak as it is is it something similar.

12:11.86
Boxhuman
But oh yes I Love that movie. Um, well in a way it starts off like the movie identity that you’re talking about and I loved that movie I did love that movie. Um, it starts out like that except.

12:21.26
jim_phoenix
Um, very yes yeah.

12:29.70
Boxhuman
All of the personalities now have sixteen year old bodies and there’s a hierarchy in school and there’s a bully and there’s like them knowing that they kind of all, do.

12:32.43
jim_phoenix
Oh.

12:46.69
Boxhuman
Ah, that were’re part of this kind of they call them like the ripperton 7 or something like that. So it’s just it’s very strange because it does get very kind of mingrel-esque because there are you know there’s a hierarchy and they talk about a revolution of like the hierarchy changes and stuff and it’s like when did i.

12:50.80
jim_phoenix
The ah.

13:06.48
Boxhuman
Stop into riverdale I didn’t think I did the good thing is that these kids do kind of look like kids kind of um.

13:17.60
jim_phoenix
It’s not the Buffy Thing where they’re all kind of the separate of 2 like 30 s okay.

13:18.85
Boxhuman
Right? They’re there. They do look a little younger um and to be honest, the acting is incredible. They have um and I forget her name but the lady that plays Michelne and the walking dad she’s in it. Um, they have really good actors in it.

13:31.59
jim_phoenix
Oh.

13:38.56
Boxhuman
Um, and the acting is really good. Everybody’s trying to I mean nobody like phones it in everybody is putting in the best effort that they can. It’s just ah wild. It’s wildly written and wildly directed.

13:52.10
jim_phoenix
That’s that’s cool I I honestly want to see this now. But at the last day hu maybe it’s already off Tv well I won’t I can’t watch into with me.

13:56.98
Boxhuman
it’s it’s interesting well but that’s the beauty of Tv what goes off comes back but it takes away it brings and brings back to us. So just like Santa Sangre we should we should do

14:03.70
jim_phoenix
Goes around and comes around. Oh God I’m I had a watch that did we ever record that podcast Damn it because I remember it watching that piece of Crap. No.

14:14.63
Boxhuman
We should do that movie at some point. No, we did not yeah.

14:24.53
Boxhuman
Yep, we were gonna do it for the art one and then we didn’t so we we could do it for this. We could do that as our Nope we should do that. It’s it’s It’s a good movie anyway. So.

14:28.72
jim_phoenix
No, that that shit’s cancel no not nope nope jimb bulls picks next nope Jimbo’s got a pick coming the he owns the second ways’ in the good.

14:41.34
Boxhuman
Um, going back to this movie. It was all practical effects. Um, so that was nice. Um the kills were okay, um what I did like about it is a lot of it was dark like it was shot in the dark and it wasn’t like day for night. It wasn’t like.

14:42.94
jim_phoenix
No I was a mess that so practical. Nice.

14:59.49
Boxhuman
Oh it’s the dark. But really, there’s like a None lights on them like when it was dark. It was dark. Um, and that was kind of cool. There were a good couple jump scares in it and the characters were pretty likable. Um, although again it was I think.

15:00.72
jim_phoenix
Um I.

15:18.70
Boxhuman
Would have been so much better as a book or a book series or ah or a maybe even a mini series to be honest, like a Stephen like yeah like a kind of Stephen Kingy kind of mini series because just as a movie it is.

15:23.50
jim_phoenix
Mini series I can see that as a little series. Yeah, the way describe you? yeah.

15:36.44
Boxhuman
It’s it’s wild. That’s a lot going on a lot going on.

15:37.30
jim_phoenix
Do you think it’s just in editing was like the post just kind of like ascar I would just put to some stuff together or is that the actual strip.

15:43.45
Boxhuman
I Don’t think so because I think it was the actual script I think that he just he usually kind of just went on these weird tangents sometimes um and and like I said Tonally I’ve never really. Connected with him Totally ah West craven. Um, so I think that that was kind of a big part of it. But I think in this one it worked for me for me. Um.

16:11.20
jim_phoenix
Well shit for you. Hows a score four score seven years. How is it music. Hows it fully. How’s a sound.

16:20.90
Boxhuman
That’s oh the sound was great. Um, the music. The music was pretty good Actually um, it was very early two thousand s like you know. Hey we’re boys and we’re doing boy things hey girls and we’re doing good stuff and then stuff like that. Um, you know is very just like like popish rock of that.

16:42.80
jim_phoenix
Very came America but yeah, go yeah.

16:51.50
Boxhuman
Era You know that you would see in those kind of shows like from the W B Ah, but but for the most part like again like the condor thing.

16:57.15
jim_phoenix
Junior dancers. Yes yes, Norma Ga a bit.

17:04.53
Boxhuman
Was kind of weird but he made a condor suit and the condor suit was very cool I thought it was going to come back at some point which it didn’t which I was kind of bummed about.

17:13.71
jim_phoenix
It’s likeander stuff in buffe the vampire slair which I only know through the podcast never watched it where this like I’m doing something cool. It never comes back ever like that. Okay.

17:21.90
Boxhuman
Um, yeah I Yeah, it’s very much like that and it pukes and it poops the condor suit all over the bully you guys? Yeah, it’s like I said this movie.

17:28.57
jim_phoenix
No well, that’s interesting I Kind of want that now.

17:38.22
Boxhuman
Very entertaining. It does drag a little bit at the end with the final climax because it’s just like okay come on. Let’s let’s get on. You know, come on. Yeah I think so um because how do you top that you know and then they have the that they have.

17:45.20
jim_phoenix
It might have shot us little too quickly with the exposing introduction. Yeah.

17:58.20
Boxhuman
The ambulance there like nobody took away the ambulance and so kids come every year to like come to this ambulance and be like we have this. They have a very legend tripping ceremony every year and whatnot with like all the kids Anyway, it is very interesting.

18:03.80
jim_phoenix
Nice priam much.

18:15.83
Boxhuman
I Found it very entertaining. It is wild. Um I’m probably going to watch it again and I hate hate to say that but a bus griev movie. But I think I’m going to because it was just it was fun and it’s hard for me to.

18:21.69
jim_phoenix
Oh god.

18:27.83
jim_phoenix
Winner.

18:34.74
Boxhuman
To I almost want to give it a four because I I almost want to I’m like between 3.54 because I like the whole time my mouth was just open of like I’ve never seen a movie like it.

18:36.66
jim_phoenix
Holy crap you’re gonna give it a 4 now. Oh.

18:52.69
Boxhuman
But I have seen every movie like it if that makes sense like it has all of the tropes all of the time and again my mouth is just a gape of just like what am I even watching I’ve not seen ah a girl talks to God in it like I mean it’s just.

18:54.35
jim_phoenix
Yeah.

19:11.44
jim_phoenix
She shocks the jars burns.

19:12.32
Boxhuman
Is everything she does and it’s beautiful. So so fans go watch it tell me if I should rate this at 3 point 5 or four because I’m really.

19:18.81
jim_phoenix
Purpose. It’s one of those.

19:30.00
Boxhuman
Torn.

19:31.61
jim_phoenix
That’s this is gonna be tough then because now it is going to be because I thought had like a slam dunk is my movie which is the I guess borrowed is black phone with Ethan Hawke

19:33.50
Boxhuman
To follow if anything.

19:44.20
Boxhuman
You have the new. It’s new right? look.

19:48.18
jim_phoenix
Well, it’s still in the theaters and I I rented it for twenty five bucks for Amazon I was like well you know and want to drive and I was watching it with someone so it kind of like works out you the way. Yeah, and really exactly and that’s twenty five canadian so

19:51.18
Boxhuman
But ouch, okay.

19:57.42
Boxhuman
So okay, yeah there you go you got? That’s basically None tickets. Yeah. So that’s like yeah I’m like five bucks no I’m just kidding. It’s the opposite.

20:06.60
jim_phoenix
Whatever that is american knowledge Twenty bucks probably I wish yeah now black phone I did not know this is based on a Joe Hill short story

20:20.23
Boxhuman
I didn’t know that either I.

20:23.66
jim_phoenix
I didn’t find that out until like today as I look at I db tells you how much interest I took in the black phone like all its kind of weird like all this one’s kind of cool I saw these trailers at some movie. Oh I want to see this and you know how sometimes the trailers are like the best parts of the movie not of black fo.

20:36.94
Boxhuman
Um, yeah, really oh yeah, the trailers actually looked really amazing. Yeah.

20:42.84
jim_phoenix
It’s actually a much better movie than the trailers led on to be and the trailers looked pretty dang. Good. Yeah, it’s None of the few pure joys that I’ve seen Adams. Kind of glad I saw at my house I will tell you this I did fall asleep the none time so that’s probably me that the best thing but I was like I needed to watch it a none time because I fell asleep the first time and I fell asleep the none time but the none time’s a charm and that’s a none time like this is actually a good movie. I mean know I started movie at None a m that was like the movie’ follow is my fault for being dumb you know and I’ll read you a bit from the I mdb after being abducted by a child killer a latin is soundproof basement. Oh I need one of those not the child killer but soundproof basement for can do recording.

21:30.65
Boxhuman
Um, oh okay, okay.

21:35.20
jim_phoenix
Talking to Recordings Jeez Weirdos a 13 year old boy starts receiving calls on a disconnected phone from the Killer’s previous victims. Yes, all I know is when it None starts Out. You think the movie’s coming about something else and it switches. And it switches a little bit again and it’s a blob house need I say more blob house either sits a stellar home run or whips it out into like your face. This is a stellar home run.

22:02.16
Boxhuman
Well and Ethan Hawke is actually a really good actor and he chooses his roles very well. Yeah, he chooses his roles very well. So that’s when when I heard that he was attached to it I was like and he was.

22:07.92
jim_phoenix
I was like he picks what he wants to do.

22:21.64
Boxhuman
In that role I’m like oh there has to be more to it because he wouldn’t just pick that he wouldn’t just pick just that like it has there has to be more to that story.

22:25.39
jim_phoenix
He’s Amazing. He brings a humanity to something that could have just been a fleshy like Puppet. He brings humanity to it. You almost feel sorry for the child killer.

22:42.20
Boxhuman
Is that going to be our new two t-shirt or next t-shirt one.

22:45.14
jim_phoenix
At some point words I thought I would say yeah rap is not response, neither are child killers. You got jump ropes I got legs baby. Let’s get together. What was that from Mick Mcgee that’s actually our next t-shirt.

22:57.24
Boxhuman
Yeah, that was that was a good one too that was a good one that would be good 1

23:04.70
jim_phoenix
But and the kids this is where I can. The kids can go be goofy. They can be whatever the kids are believable. The kids are believable and my friend says it has the kid from et in it like Elliot. As ah as a grown up dad but I didn’t do enough research on that to make that was true.

23:22.48
Boxhuman
I was going to say as a child because I don’t think that’s how that works.

23:27.10
jim_phoenix
They know they were very conizant like well we are going to do them again and I have to say Gosh Gosh Gosh Gosh Gosh Gosh it. It’s an amazing film.

23:42.92
Boxhuman
It’s a lot of gashes so it looked it looked actually very low. Um, like gore like very low like that kind of okay.

23:46.50
jim_phoenix
It’s probably my favorite horror movie of this year

23:53.84
jim_phoenix
Almost none almost no more. This is what stranger things season 12 should have been what are season they’re on now and I can’t be everywhere man.

23:58.15
Boxhuman
Ah, was wondering about that.

24:04.99
Boxhuman
Season 12

24:13.70
jim_phoenix
As my good friend. Dr Payne would say there we go. This is what they could have done. We made the kids actually real and believable and some likable some dislikeable and the adults. It’s a little bit scooby do with the adults like. Hey kids we need your help to figure out who killed these people but they do it in a way that’s kind of like you you can see like okay that’s kind of believable. You know.

24:38.15
Boxhuman
Well and to be honest I mean we go to movie theaters to also suspend a certain disbelief. So wait is that our new term for hand jobs. So.

24:44.40
jim_phoenix
Get hand jobs. Oh sorry, where’d go before there you go grandmas cookies think so I was eating some grandmas cookies yesterday and boy do I own my arm. My ex. My girlfriend a new dress. Oh.

25:05.76
Boxhuman
I’m confused at who’s giving Grandma’s cookies on that one. But.

25:13.32
jim_phoenix
Vo I’m not touching anything stop stop stop stop, Stop touch anything you know, just likes no but no practical effect the way all practical effects.

25:19.20
Boxhuman
Um, and ah, that’s how our podcast dies. Okay, so um, wait no.

25:32.73
jim_phoenix
No, so but well no cgi as far as I’m aware of I think a lot of wire rope stuff and just great. Solid acting it’s honestly I know I fell asleep for None 2 times and wash up. But that’s that’s not me.

25:39.17
Boxhuman
Yeah, that’s always fun.

25:49.11
Boxhuman
Ah, all right? Did you did you have a fever when you fell asleep I’ve done that before I’ve okay because there’s a lot of times where I’ve had fevers and I’m like I fall asleep during horror movies.

25:51.62
jim_phoenix
That’s some meat for a flavor of bringles I Just I just have a bunch of stuff that’s all just like worn out. Um, now that’s a care bird movie for me. Yeah, no, you’re lucky. You’re lucky shit. Trust me right.

26:06.26
Boxhuman
When that happens I don’t know why? Um, although slender man I did fall asleep on in the theater I was so lucky it was only 10 minutes but I was that was a nice blissful 10 minutes

26:23.13
jim_phoenix
Oh boy that movie is a yeah you know with black phone. Yeah with black phone. My friend who does not like horror movies at all she was watching it with me and I got a couple of jump scares from her even though I was sleeping.

26:23.76
Boxhuman
But Joey King she’s she is King Joey King is King she’s great anyway, black phone.

26:43.60
jim_phoenix
That’s how good this movie be is if if you don’t like horror movies and she loved it at the end I’m like hi this is pretty good I sold it by having as the Ethan Hawke movie like Ethan Hawk yeah not saying like you like Ethan Hawk in the blo house production where he plays like the guy in yeah in Aer color previously who was playing in.

26:53.91
Boxhuman
Like a serial killer. Yeah.

27:00.81
jim_phoenix
Ah, what’s the one where they the purge. Yeah like but he’s he does Blum house very selectively and I love it just movies period very effectivelyly and he does really well she loved it. She absolutely loved it Even though it scared her.

27:02.20
Boxhuman
Oh yeah.

27:19.30
jim_phoenix
I adore it I’m giving this a None out of 5 It’s really a solid movie and it’s twenty five bucks well worth it. Even if it was just by myself Twenty five bucks just to not leave my house and watch a cool movie. Still well worth it.

27:20.19
Boxhuman
Nice, nice.

27:33.59
Boxhuman
And honestly you sold me on because I looked at the trailers and the trailers looked amazing and then you said that it’s even better than that. That’s what sold me.

27:44.61
jim_phoenix
It’s it tells a story. The trailers don’t show the trailers show like obviously best I’m defining what trailers now but the trailers show What could be edited into like its trailers are heavily edited. However, they’re missing.

27:56.69
Boxhuman
Here.

28:01.93
jim_phoenix
The whole story. The trailers basically show the b story like just like yeah, it’s like just a small little glimpse of like of like the secondary story. The primary story is so much in depth. Yeah, and it’s again, amazing 4.5

28:04.20
Boxhuman
Oh. Ah, um, interesting. Okay.

28:19.50
jim_phoenix
You guys rent it gold movie theaters we can if you were being safe but rent it is worth it. Unfortunately I can’t say about our next movie throw I Yeah mummy dearest. Yes, it did for a guy who couldn’t.

28:28.60
Boxhuman
Well yeah, it had a lot of piano playing and um and can’t well fake Piano fake piano like.

28:37.81
jim_phoenix
Okay I have I have crippling Arthritis I’m crippling Arthritis in my hands I was like how to fuck does he do most of those things with his hands. Okay.

28:46.43
Boxhuman
Ah, because he can’t because that is not actual piano playing. You do not? You do not hump your piano to play it I mean I guess you could, but it’s not going to sound like it did in the movie. It is.

28:51.50
jim_phoenix
Or actual artists I Guess sorry I thought I do I have sex venmo. It’s gonna sell like by podcast ah music for.

29:04.81
Boxhuman
Not give sound like that. Yes, It’s ah it’s it’s gonna sound a lot different from that. So yeah, So Mumm me mum me M U M M. Y.

29:10.43
jim_phoenix
When I do piano.

29:14.42
jim_phoenix
Yeah, so mummy dear is 2020 mummy dearest m you m and y 2021 it says on this thing. Ah yeah, that’s what I am deating says.

29:26.57
Boxhuman
Really oh my god it felt like it was from the 90 s it really did you know, but it if it were from the 90 s I would I would give it some grace I would say okay I get that because.

29:33.43
jim_phoenix
And it still sucked those for the 90 s though.

29:46.30
Boxhuman
It honestly reminded me a bit of the room nowhere near as the room as the room but the acting was very the room if people know what the room is.

29:58.31
jim_phoenix
If people can read the room. They’ll know the room is the room. It does have name actors in it. That’s the thing I kiss. But unfortunately they’re only in a small bit so Brannic sold it to me as oh loof regno and terror reason is like holy shit you have me at loof right now.

30:05.50
Boxhuman
Yeah, wonderful.

30:14.54
Boxhuman
Um, that’s that’s how it looks. That’s that’s that’s was who was top build was terra reid and Lou right now.

30:16.68
jim_phoenix
None of all.

30:21.32
jim_phoenix
Yeah, on’m the poster I’m looking at the poster right now says Luf Radiodo and terra read and no one else and like mummy Deris and there’re pictures in between like one side the other side of the mummy they are in like for two fucking minutes of the movie.

30:32.70
Boxhuman
Yes, and and I will be completely honest to say that I completely forgot that lu for Ig no whiz in this movie and so I I saw him I’m like wait a minute. He likes very familiar.

30:47.69
jim_phoenix
Okay I had that moment similar because I wash it for so long and Lou doesn’t show up until like past midway I think I was like that Brandon just thinks this other guy is Lou Ragno is like this like.

30:49.83
Boxhuman
And then I’m like oh yeah, that’s right.

30:59.55
Boxhuman
Oh yeah, friend.

31:05.63
jim_phoenix
A same name type thing like James Bond being that 1 vampire socccuist where that suckabist movies like is that that type of thing. No, he’s in it. He’s at it. You delay a long time so is ter read and.

31:13.59
Boxhuman
Or he’s in it. He’s and and tara readid like has I think like 1 line that they replay over and over and I loved it.

31:21.79
jim_phoenix
That it’s not even play they also they play it that she has one name That’s just where you play her for oh I can.

31:31.17
Boxhuman
Because like the the main guy is like I was so in love with her. She had the most beautiful voice and really her line is just like excuse me I got to get up the stairs.

31:41.90
jim_phoenix
But there’s like I’m a make of I ah make this into a piano thing that down. Ah now he plays the organ right? Oh he plays a hardcore you know I mean.

31:45.19
Boxhuman
Yeah, then he goes into the or he goes in the Oregon and he’s just playing his organ. He plays that or again because he fell in love and I I literally thought he was reincarnated from like.

32:03.26
jim_phoenix
No I don’t even know. Ah.

32:04.77
Boxhuman
Egyptians because there’s this scene where he’s with his mom and they’re like I guess cause playing or something.

32:14.35
jim_phoenix
Yeah I mean I’m gonna try to recreate most of this movie as I can without spoiling anything like 20 seconds or less so you start out with jennibra kaza James who by the way is the best actress besides Terry is in this entire. She actually acts like lu.

32:30.20
Boxhuman
Is that the mom Oh she was phenomenal. Oh he was great. He was great too.

32:33.47
jim_phoenix
Lose a good. Yeah, the mom Jennifer Iss a great actress quitin erons in this He’s a great actor from blindlide like tars in it. She was a great actress lose and his Mr. Fragno and this he’s a great actor and Ken Divottaian which you might note from Barat being like the manager guy another great actor. Everyone else. I don’t really know too much, but None of the people who are in this 4 if you include the bird don’t have I amdb I am d b photos like at the to the why but I just Don want pay like the twenty bucks so so yeah and then move with pregnant.

33:00.44
Boxhuman
Oh no, well yeah, but they’re in a movie with Loufer Ig now and terry.

33:12.63
jim_phoenix
Yeah I would remember that one but we have a mom coming in the check on her daughter a chiropractor’s office and the chiropractor like somehow breaks her back Doctor Jason yes like par.

33:21.52
Boxhuman
So oh is that is that doctor what is his name that they said like a None times. Dr Jason yes mom I love Dr Jason you don’t love Dr. Jason I love Dr. like they said literally said Dr Jason like 20 times and then he breaks her bad.

33:36.56
jim_phoenix
Yeah, and he breaks in the first couple of seconds and so she lives with her daughter and her daughter’s boyfriend’s mansion which is the egyptian motif thing.

33:41.37
Boxhuman
Jack. Yeah.

33:48.18
Boxhuman
It was and like and not even that like there’s like broken ceramic dolls in the bathroom and there’s candles everywhere. Oh God no.

33:57.22
jim_phoenix
Yeah, and I guarantee that was not wheelchair accessible like I saw I saw stairs I saw like how did they get like oh they just cut around it.

34:06.58
Boxhuman
How did they? Yeah, they just they they there’s no elevator in that place I guarantee it and oh well, just.

34:11.46
jim_phoenix
Yeah, and the best go for it.

34:18.15
Boxhuman
You know the Momma’s like he’s a serial killer have you looked around at these murals of these weirdass things and her daughter’s like he’s a serial I’m like no, he’s a serial killer. No, your mom is right like look at what is around you and then he comes all in shirtless.

34:32.55
jim_phoenix
Yeah, always shirtless is this count jar little right.

34:37.13
Boxhuman
And is always shirtless and always like half naked at oh a hundred percent and he he he acts like so dramatic and so tortured like this you don’t so understand me.

34:56.67
jim_phoenix
Yeah, you ate a I’ll see some by the way if you ever want to see the entire movie. Go to I Amd b scroll on the the trailer don’t put this out on. No no, but just watch a trailer and repeat that trailer for an hour and 30 minutes

34:56.91
Boxhuman
It’s so good. It’s so good I ate it up.

35:16.52
jim_phoenix
And you will have the entire movie because most of these scenes just repeat the mom of somehow is magical Hand powers put her hands on the back to give him like hand job power. Yeah there Yeah ricky.

35:21.21
Boxhuman
Oh yeah, it’s like Reki it’s like a Reggie type thing. Um, so but I think that the director does that like for a living or something because he he he did like another movie that was about that.

35:34.56
jim_phoenix
Oh.

35:41.10
Boxhuman
I didn’t like too far into it. But it’s like oh this is something he he does I think this is a thing that he does I disagree.

35:47.42
jim_phoenix
You know why he doesn’t do make movies. Unfortunately, which is what we’re trying to that. There’s no pique I love Mr. for rightno I love ter ree I love quentin and ah and Jennifer does a great.

36:03.19
Boxhuman
She is act at a 12 the entire time there is not ever a moment. Yeah, everybody else has taken nyquil it.

36:05.84
jim_phoenix
Great performance and everyone else is looking at a 2 Yeah and that’s that’s a thing That’s why kind of like you you have legitimate actress because sometimes you just see a movie and think the acting is just off is some I’ll give you hit. Was just editing Score. It can be a None other things just the way they just put together. Yeah, and not the acting at All. It’s just the acting probably not that of the part but when you see her and the scene with other people are like oh it’s the acting.

36:25.19
Boxhuman
Oh yeah, it could be the production company. It could be. It could be a lot of different things right.

36:38.44
Boxhuman
Oh yeah, like her daughter Oh my gosh like you could see she was.

36:42.60
jim_phoenix
Her daughter is so upset at her and mom I need to kill you in my life Mom stop touching My boyfriend’s penis I don’t is that like close enough to like is that like.

36:47.70
Boxhuman
Mom Why are you doing this to me.

36:57.67
Boxhuman
Pretty close. It’s pretty close and you could tell she was given the direction to like you don’t like your mom doesn’t matter why you don’t like her So just no, there’s really not.

36:59.92
jim_phoenix
Resembles What they said? yeah.

37:06.54
jim_phoenix
Don’t like your mom. Yeah there, there’s no emotional. There’s no emotion if I’m yelling. No, you’re just raising your voice. That’s not yelling yelling actually takes anger. He only takes a motion Well where yeah.

37:16.12
Boxhuman
Yeah, yeah, she’s I think she did take na quil but I mean.

37:22.38
jim_phoenix
We’re not here to trash I’m not trying to not least I’m not trying to to trash the actress who plays a daughter but that’s how good Jennifer coser James is she steals the scene at ever resing. She’s in.

37:35.51
Boxhuman
She’s always shaken for those pill bottles. She’s always like looking off in the distance while Piano is playing I mean it is a cheesy ass movie. It is not a good movie.

37:37.78
jim_phoenix
Um, she’s believable. Yeah. Yeah, no, it’s a cheesy movie with some bright spots. Jennifer is one of those bright spots by big and far Quentin. Okay put.

37:50.24
Boxhuman
But she makes it so much more entertaining.

38:01.26
Boxhuman
Oh Quinn’s great

38:04.62
jim_phoenix
Cowin does amazing job. But I didn’t understand his role because did he basically break into the guy’s house and does that guy his front door a closet.

38:12.56
Boxhuman
He is a Jehovah’s witness he needs to spread his truth.

38:19.40
jim_phoenix
Right? But remember okay when Quentin is like in the furry. First time she like the mom they Don calls his games like scarlet will use Quentin’s name this movie’s called quit is too that just tells the writers like oh screw it. We just got quitin from the blindset. Yeah, we’ll just put them in the blindside.

38:22.10
Boxhuman
Up. Yeah, let’s go.

38:31.95
Boxhuman
None quidtting. Yeah.

38:35.44
jim_phoenix
Have see have scarlet she is in there. She’s like oh I hear a stranger danger and she’s gonna go to the front door but it’s not a front door. It’s like a closet where Clinton’s like oh like there’s no off side you know.

38:45.35
Boxhuman
It’s I I think it was supposed to be a door I think it was supposed to be a door I mean honestly the logistics of this.

38:52.40
jim_phoenix
I Found there’s someone’s.

39:01.12
Boxhuman
Place I do not understand because she goes and she finds bodies at some point and she’s going through the house and like the logistics of the house I did not understand in the least like I’m like where is she now how did she get there.

39:11.38
jim_phoenix
Um, oh no, how does she get to the roof with with but wheelchair because it’s like the ramp like all all these are ramp.

39:19.56
Boxhuman
Yeah, oh multiple times multiple times she’s on the roof and in fact, 1 time the 1 guy is like like grabs her and she’s screaming and he’s like I thought you were going to jump and she’s like how can I jump dumb dumb.

39:36.60
jim_phoenix
Right? Okay I think’re a top of the time where she starts choking on like a piece of chicken or I don’t know she’s choking ah does ah and then she yells at him like she’s like you break an entry I’m like.

39:38.55
Boxhuman
Like ah.

39:42.10
Boxhuman
Yeah, oh yeah, and then quinin comes and saves her she frequently cuts him she fucking cuts that dude and he is with with a really.

39:52.72
jim_phoenix
With with the worst knife scene I’ve ever seen my leg. She cuts them with like the handle. Basically somehow he has to take the neckle. Oh my arm. He takes a knife from her jabs it into his eye like oh god.

40:00.69
Boxhuman
E.Ah yeah it’s it’s not very well choreographed. But you know I felt so bad for him because I’m like do just trying to help you woman Jesus like calm down you know.

40:10.47
jim_phoenix
No.

40:18.69
jim_phoenix
Oh that’s the guy looks like he looks like Jesus from walking dead. Yeah, no, okay so.

40:23.47
Boxhuman
Oh I don’t know um, but I I did find it interesting that they did have a Jehovah’s witness that was um yeah I mean ah usually.

40:35.81
jim_phoenix
Trying to save them.

40:42.33
Boxhuman
It’s like the weird you know neighbor or something like that and I’m I’m not Jehovah’s witness or anything like that. But it is like a trope that I’ve seen a lot like oh it’s the weird guy that comes and you know now this guy’s actually really nice and he’s trying to help herself the mysteries of the house and stuff.

40:47.67
jim_phoenix
Yeah.

40:56.35
jim_phoenix
I Think that’s because the actor is really nice. Yeah I think he was putting a little of himself into I don’t if he’s drove Boy witness or not but he’s putting the be very charsmatic on stage on the screen.

41:00.85
Boxhuman
Yeah, he seems like a really nice dude.

41:08.41
Boxhuman
He is very charismatic. He is right? Oh that would be great like she’s in a wheelchair and he’s you know, just.

41:12.70
jim_phoenix
At a point where’re like oh I want to watch more of just him and hers like solving mysteries like Scooby -oo bench

41:24.81
Boxhuman
Ho is a witness I don’t know where I was going with this I don’t know what it would be called but they would be fun Grandmas cookies here we go there. We go? Um, but no, they were really good.

41:27.79
jim_phoenix
Oh I know what’s in they call it’s going called really grabs cookies there you go. Thank you groundmas good guys Dan um work.

41:44.13
Boxhuman
Um, the mummy confused me there is a mummy so it yeah it there is a mummy. Um.

41:47.22
jim_phoenix
It happens somewhere like 20 minutes left I think or te minutes. Yeah yeah, okay when when that one woman’s being buried. We want say which but woman I thought she was still alive because.

42:00.38
Boxhuman
Yes.

42:06.41
Boxhuman
Right? like.

42:06.70
jim_phoenix
The actress moves it starts making facial movements and then apparently she was supposed to be dead. So I’m like I don’t know anymore.

42:11.35
Boxhuman
Yeah I think so or maybe she was unconscious. You know the point.

42:17.60
jim_phoenix
This that point is this a That’s not how my memories are done if it was like I want to make a mommy. This is definitely a holiday that the brain picker thing this I mean a rope tool for that. It would never pick. They’ve kind of pour moten. They they boil their brain out. They they kind of melt it.

42:23.92
Boxhuman
Like oh no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no.

42:35.27
jim_phoenix
But there’s stuff from the room. Yeah, but ah God it’s not ah, you need a daddy and then another mummy and then they get together.

42:35.48
Boxhuman
Scramble it around and they pull it out. But no to make a mummy there. You need a lot of like and you need like like a bog you could do a bog mummy you know like those pete pee bog mummies that they have like in England. Those are cool. You could do one of those or I mean really, you need.

42:58.25
jim_phoenix
They have some of those in the states to Bog Mums Yeah Marsh Marshmalms yeah.

43:05.57
Boxhuman
They I’ll have to look into that I’ll have to look into that that would I think be a fun way to to go.

43:14.91
jim_phoenix
That’s how bad the movie is rock talk about how to modify someone.

43:16.61
Boxhuman
Well because it you can’t just make a mummy out of just putting cloth on somebody’s face very luth.

43:22.33
jim_phoenix
Very loosely wrapped cloth like they had take it back like oh we have to take this back later on to Walmart key the receipt this ace bandage was like 25% of our production budget. Yeah like I sprayed my ankle though.

43:34.45
Boxhuman
Honestly, it was probably an a bandage and they probably needed a later. Um.

43:40.30
jim_phoenix
Be too liberal that a Spanish or our group and he still wrap my ink off.

43:43.35
Boxhuman
Ah, we still we still need it. So don’t get it too dirty.

43:47.41
jim_phoenix
Okay, without spoiling of what you gonna say what say you on this movie.

43:55.35
Boxhuman
Ah, well I I found it I did find it entertaining in the way that I found the room entertaining I don’t think it’s as good as the room but there is a scene and I shit you not where it was like it was basically the I did not hit her I did not.

44:12.89
jim_phoenix
Yeah, yeah, yeah.

44:14.86
Boxhuman
Like scene and and when that happened I bursted out laughing like oh my God It’s just like the room. Ah so I kind of found delight in that I. Give it I know you’re gonna hate me but I’m gonna give it a 3 I’m going to give it a 3 because of the the piano like humping was funny, the candles everywhere. There’s candles everywhere everywhere in this movie every inch. There’s a candle.

44:31.26
jim_phoenix
A 3 Oh good god.

44:48.42
jim_phoenix
Candles and naked bodies. Not whatever by the way just this guys.

44:48.42
Boxhuman
And and and naked bodies and like her oh and her like she’s got this power where she can see into people’s minds inexplicably. It’s you know and again she the actress is great. She is always out of 12 Um.

45:03.93
jim_phoenix
Yeah.

45:06.67
Boxhuman
And it’s I found it entertaining I didn’t find it a good movie but I found it an entertaining movie and the terror read that I saw like the very like 20 seconds she was in it. She was all right.

45:19.25
jim_phoenix
Yeah, that’s the thing like Tara Reid and Lou fragno for being the named actctorss on the poster didn’t have anything at all. It’s kind of like a Jackie Chan movie when Jackie Champ first started out like just starting Jacke Cha this is awesome. He dies in the first 3 minutes he like fast forward to make sure I was like does this guy coming back. Maybe maybe.

45:37.60
Boxhuman
Ah.

45:37.99
jim_phoenix
Okay, is when the best actress who are not terrorra Reid or bachelor are who’s not ter readed or lou fregno in this movie is and enough against Jennifer Cosa James but what she’s best known for being Shannon Tweed’s friend. Like in Gene Simmons family Jules Riel with the tv show when that’s when her best role was being basically herself and then basically mommy dearest twelve years later eleven years later that that’s not good for your movie. And I’m not taking away from her I think she’s a tremendous actress I loved her in this if it wasn’t for her I would not even been able to see Lof Regnos thing El Big okay branly to me lure not in this movie or maybe they thought like I like probably look the cast at me know one of those things I would not have made that far. The only redeemable character in this movie. Besides for regno and and Reid and quinin it is her and she do you oh look the grandfather.

46:41.97
Boxhuman
Oh I like the dude too I do like the the Egyptian dude gas because he’s so no, no, no just like the the dude the the the dude we you know a shirtless guy we think is the Killer you know like he’s he’s.

46:51.98
jim_phoenix
Oh the the shirtless guy. Yeah yeah I can see that but the the reason Okay, the reason I didn’t like him because I.

47:01.61
Boxhuman
Every edge Lord ever and I love it.

47:09.74
jim_phoenix
Do have our threadive so bad I can’t turn doorknob sometimes he like my hands are really painful but he’s like I’m ah do some piano now and turn these doorknobs and I’m go go lift some weights and also squeeze a starfoam ball for grip is is a dodge ball.

47:20.55
Boxhuman
Oh yeah, he had that ball like everywhere he went. And I I don’t know why he and the mom talked before because she’s like I’ll I’ll heal your hands but when did she even talk to I don’t get it.

47:27.97
jim_phoenix
So start from Dodge ball like really.

47:35.90
jim_phoenix
Promise Yeah, how when they cut when when’s her doctor a chiropractor somehow put a knee on her back for some particular reason when you stop.

47:45.66
Boxhuman
Yeah, and she was telling him stop stop. Get off me stop and ah I thought so too I thought ah how to resign.

47:52.75
jim_phoenix
Yeah I thought I’ll be like a rape but it’s just like that I actually I kind of wish I was a rape at this point because it made the movie a little more interesting I go.

48:00.24
Boxhuman
Well I mean he he did something horrible. Well and I.

48:07.81
jim_phoenix
Firmly altering change. You have is just but it becomes Mcguffin like ah I’m and a wheel turn now I can’t move out like as oh it’s.

48:08.54
Boxhuman
Yeah. Which I kind of actually liked I did kind of like that cause like we don’t get enough people with disabilities in movies. So I kind of did like that part of it just kind of like in Texas chainsaw massacre with the brother that was in the wheelchair although he was super annoying.

48:23.99
jim_phoenix
Okay, oh yeah.

48:31.70
Boxhuman
Ah, get that. But it is nice to see people with disabilities that are in movies.

48:33.37
jim_phoenix
Um, all right? all right? I’ll right? Well, that’s one of the things. Okay, i’mma enough a slight dis buildilder and one of the many things that really irked me about chin balls where is fucking name is for the du doctor who season’s with the None doctor. Is the the disability like we we’re can have a character of disability like what’s a disability. Oh he can’t tell left or might sometimes that’s your fucking disability. You’re going with really that one all the the merits of fucking things you can expose children to and have them kind of like normalize.

48:58.16
Boxhuman
Oh no.

49:11.27
jim_phoenix
Make sure like their their classmate who has this whatever they have like is kind of like part of the group. No, you’re going with love from mind fastertard that’s forability. Okay, yeah, thanks ass and Sally that’s probably the best thought out of the whole damn series. Okay, so back to this.

49:22.10
Boxhuman
That’s yeah, that’s not.

49:27.33
Boxhuman
You know what? you know it’s interesting too I Just realized that my first movie too ah had someone who one of the altars was blind so that’s kind of interesting too. So so I wonder how many of these movie.

49:37.40
jim_phoenix
Oh I Wonder if mind that while okay.

49:44.18
Boxhuman
At least 2 out of 3 had people with disabilities in them.

49:45.99
jim_phoenix
And maybe it’s for ended now that my giby his value. Let me get my score first. So this one you give it the 3 um two point five I almost gave it I almost give it a 3

49:49.62
Boxhuman
Yeah, actually that’s that goes into my plug. Oh yeah I gave it a 3 and 2 point 4

50:01.71
jim_phoenix
If Lou Regno and Quentin and Tara Reid were in this more. It would be easy 3 3 point 5 but it’s not and if Jennifer wasn’t in this movie at all. It’ll be up to point 5 It’ll be unbearable on bever the watch.

50:13.30
Boxhuman
Ohh it would have be Yeah, it would be so low. It would be so so low.

50:18.48
jim_phoenix
But she pulled it off So hats off there I was like I want to interview her now just to like how does she pull that off basically is that had be hell that be hell math she posed I mean she puts it all on her sole shoulders.

50:22.10
Boxhuman
Yeah, like tell us about this tell us everything about this movie because this had to be so like a book of book. Yeah, she pulls hard.

50:37.60
jim_phoenix
Tired. Yeah so 2.5 from me all right bradock. What do you want to plug.

50:38.65
Boxhuman
She pulls hard in this movie. Okay, I’m gonna actually plug the art experience and you can go to the artexperience Dot Org and um, basically what they do is they provide and develop quality art programs that build communities and especially they E invite.

50:56.57
jim_phoenix
Um, good.

51:02.15
Boxhuman
Everybody of all ages and all abilities. So they really focus on people with disabilities as well. Um, and so again, you can go to the artexperience dot Org you can donate if you are in the area you can go to classes or you can shop around. You can find events. Ah, but.

51:03.98
jim_phoenix
Got called.

51:22.12
Boxhuman
I’ve worked with them before and they’re just super awesome people that know that art is an important thing in everybody’s lives so that’s they want to get people creating.

51:29.55
jim_phoenix
Right? Get people great and well I did that I love the arts If if you haven’t guess. So yeah, what? what’s that what website again.

51:41.58
Boxhuman
It is of course I put my phone down. Ah it is the art experience. http://dotorg I I knew I knew it was a setup I knew it.

51:49.81
jim_phoenix
Um, hey hey we care.

51:57.59
jim_phoenix
Yeah, we care? No, you don’t know it needs not at all and I just deleted the drums on miss mistake I need to do it? um umm um um 8 I’m email them like could you guys give me my drums.

51:58.65
Boxhuman
You know who I need on my side I need baby Yoda on my side there you go.

52:09.63
Boxhuman
Weird because it kept going it was haunted haunted drum set right? What do you got? no.

52:17.34
jim_phoenix
Is all right I you know what? I’m I’m a plug myself That’s what I’m going like wheat. Oh I just released let me in which is the buffy but a vampire slayer podcast with a so 2 superfans. Myself who’s never seen it at whatsoever and a person who’s seen the for for none time with the what’s release favorite scary movie podcast people with Jess and travis chess as was the fans they are hysterical. We got Xander who was another super van from our site and it works so well.

52:44.50
Boxhuman
And they are so funny. Yeah.

52:55.13
jim_phoenix
Our feedback is this a Apple wrote me Apple wrote me said we were tryingingly high one call should yeah I guess it’s like a ah hit podcast right now. Yeah and I had 1 fan write and said.

52:59.70
Boxhuman
What? yeah. Oh good. Yeah.

53:14.43
jim_phoenix
That I’m slightly paraphrasing art podcast was so good. It almost killed them because they were not paying attention to the train. They almost walked into. Yeah.

53:19.34
Boxhuman
Oh no, Oh okay, yeah, don’t do that I mean.

53:29.11
jim_phoenix
Was a our podcast is deadly. Good. So I’m un plug that it’s it’s a great podcast I love it and I’m gonna plug myself I will be at ju con and actually Thursday Friday Saturday and Sunday but I will be giving a seminar so actually they sold out and they have to they give me betterter room. So it’s probably not sold out right now. Ah Saturday I think one ish Pm on query letters if you’re in gencon stop by say hi Jim Phoenix it underneath far haunted Montreal us me our Mtl my bed a habit now a haunted Mtl kind of bigle drop by say I introduce yourself.

54:08.90
Boxhuman
So for people who who don’t know the the biz query letters are basically letters you write when you’re queer. Ah I need to write mine I need to write mine.

54:08.42
jim_phoenix
And just welcome chat. So I’m bugging me.

54:14.36
jim_phoenix
Yes, yes, they’re Queer E letters. It’s click while is like like wally you know you can write yours but you have to be like a robot.

54:22.58
Boxhuman
Okay, but for real it’s about ah people who are writing.

54:28.43
jim_phoenix
Trying to introduce themselves to a publisher or an agent or someone I’m doing mostly publisher publisher stuff because as we publish anthologies which we do have an anthology coming out for bodies called bodies for women’s charities if you we still hadn’t done until August something so or September whatever it is.

54:42.19
Boxhuman
Years end of august.

54:47.79
jim_phoenix
Submit Submit Submit Submit Yep submit as much many times as you want guys and ladies and vans. And yeah, all however, identify to live vi Plus five as Blues Brothers say come on and submit. It’s all goodness. But.

54:51.63
Boxhuman
Everybody in between.

55:05.80
jim_phoenix
I’ve seen so many letters in the past that were just like horrible and they don’t really teach you how to write a letter in some of the schools. Even so like this is what I’m doing I’m gonna teach you how to do it come on by join k which is gonna be this Saturday this comes out Friday this Saturday so I know.

55:11.74
Boxhuman
No, they don’t yeah that’s a great idea.

55:24.59
Boxhuman
4 so everybody go into Jenkin this is where you’re gonna want to go.

55:24.74
jim_phoenix
Tomorrow be on cock can’t wait. That’s right, that’s right? and that’s why I’ll be and so without any further ado on behalf of myself Jim Phoenix my co-host j m brannick. And I want to say very happy hello again to Emily Don why I won’t say the last name start for d sorry a d to Emily oh what? a happy birthday mom cheese. You should have done that one you know what.

55:50.72
Boxhuman
And I’m going to say happy Birthday mom.

56:03.17
jim_phoenix
That’s right, good night Everyone bye.

56:04.92
Boxhuman
Good night I hear a cat.

Real skull. Don't ask. You wouldn't believe it if I told you.

Continue Reading
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Original Creations

Goodbye for Now, a Short Story by Jennifer Weigel

Published

on

What if ours weren’t the only reality? What if the past paths converged, if those moments that led to our current circumstances got tangled together with their alternates and we found ourselves caught up in the threads?


Marla returned home after the funeral and wake. She drew the key in the lock and opened the door slowly, the looming dread of coming back to an empty house finally sinking in. Everyone else had gone home with their loved ones. They had all said, “goodbye,” and moved along.

Her daughter Misty and son-in-law Joel had caught a flight to Springfield so he could be at work the next day for the big meeting. Her brother Darcy was on his way back to Montreal. Emmett and Ruth were at home next door, probably washing dishes from the big meal they had helped to provide afterward, seeing as their kitchen light was on. Marla remembered there being food but couldn’t recall what exactly as she hadn’t felt like eating. Sandwiches probably… she’d have to thank them later.

Marla had felt supported up until she turned the key in the lock after the services, but then the realization sank deep in her throat like acid reflux, hanging heavy on her heart – everyone else had other lives to return to except for her. She sighed and stepped through the threshold onto the outdated beige linoleum tile and the braided rag rug that stretched across it. She closed the door behind herself and sighed again. She wiped her shoes reflexively on the mat before just kicking them off to land in a haphazard heap in the entryway.

The still silence of the house enveloped her, its oppressive emptiness palpable – she could feel it on her skin, taste it on her tongue. It was bitter. She sighed and walked purposefully to the living room, the large rust-orange sofa waiting to greet her. She flopped into its empty embrace, dropping her purse at her side as she did so.

A familiar, husky voice greeted her from deeper within the large, empty house. “Where have you been?”

Marla looked up and glanced around. Her husband Frank was standing in the doorway to the kitchen, drying a bowl. Marla gasped, her hand shooting to her mouth. Her clutched appendage took on a life of its own, slowly relinquishing itself of her gaping jaw and extending a first finger to point at the specter.

“Frank?” she spoke hesitantly.

“Yeah,” the man replied, holding the now-dry bowl nestled in the faded blue-and-white-checkered kitchen towel in both hands. “Who else would you expect?”

“But you’re dead,” Marla spat, the words falling limply from her mouth of their own accord.

The 66-year old man looked around confusedly and turned to face Marla, his silver hair sparkling in the light from the kitchen, illuminated from behind like a halo. “What are you talking about? I’m just here washing up after lunch. You were gone so I made myself some soup. Where have you been?”

“No, I just got home from your funeral,” Marla spoke quietly. “You are dead. After the boating accident… You drowned. I went along to the hospital – they pronounced you dead on arrival.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Frank said. “What boating accident?”

“The sailboat… You were going to take me out,” Marla coughed, her brown eyes glossed over with tears.

“We don’t own a sailboat,” Frank said bluntly. “Sure, I’d thought about it – it seems like a cool retirement hobby – but it’s just too expensive. We’ve talked about this, we can’t afford it.”

Marla glanced out the bay window towards the driveway where the small sailboat sat on its trailer, its orange hull reminiscent of the Florida citrus industry, and also of the life jacket Frank should have been wearing when he’d been pulled under. Marla cringed and turned back toward the kitchen. She sighed and spoke again, “But the boat’s out front. The guys at the marina helped to bring it back… after you… drowned.”

Frank had retreated to the kitchen to put away the bowl. Marla followed. She stood in the doorway and studied the man intently. He was unmistakably her husband, there was no denying it even despite her having just witnessed his waxen lifeless body in the coffin at the wake before the burial, though this Frank was a slight bit more overweight than she remembered.

“Well, that’s not possible. Because I’m still here,” Frank grumbled. He turned to face her, his blue eyes edged with worry. “There now, it was probably just a dream. You knew I wanted a boat and your anxiety just formulated the worst-case scenario…”

“See for yourself,” Marla said, her voice lilting with every syllable.

Frank strode into the living room and stared out the bay window. The driveway was vacant save for some bits of Spanish moss strewn over the concrete from the neighboring live oak tree. He turned towards his wife.

“But there’s no boat,” he sighed. “You must have had a bad dream. Did you fall asleep in the car in the garage again?” Concern was written all over his face, deepening every crease and wrinkle. “Is that where you were? The garage?”

Marla glanced again at the boat, plain as day, and turned to face Frank. Her voice grew stubborn. “It’s right here. How can you miss it?” she said, pointing at the orange behemoth.

“Honey, there’s nothing there,” Frank exclaimed, exasperation creeping into his voice.

Marla huffed and strode to the entryway, gathering her shoes from where they waited in their haphazard heap alongside the braided rag run on the worn linoleum floor. She marched out the door as Frank took vigil in its open frame, still staring at her. She stomped out to the boat and slapped her hand on the fiberglass surface with a resounding smack. The boat was warm to the touch, having baked in the Florida sun. She turned back towards the front door.

“See!” she bellowed.

The door stood open, empty. No one was there, watching. Marla sighed again and walked back inside. The vacant house once again enveloped her in its oppressive emptiness. Frank was nowhere to be found.

Sailboat drawing in reverse by Jennifer Weigel
Sailboat drawing in reverse by Jennifer Weigel

So I guess it’s goodbye for now. Feel free to check out more of Jennifer Weigel’s work here on Haunted MTL or here on her website.

Continue Reading

Original Series

Nightmarish Nature: Just Jellies

Published

on

Today on Nightmarish Nature we’re gonna revisit The Blob and jiggle our way to terror. Why? ‘Cause we’re just jellies – looking at those gelatinous denizens of the deep, as well as some snot-like land-bound monstrosities, and wishing we could ooze on down for some snoozy booze schmoozing action. Or something.

Ooze on in for some booze schmoozin' action
Ooze on in for some booze schmoozin’ action

Honestly, I don’t know what exactly it is that jellyfish and slime molds do but whatever it is they do it well, which is why they’re still around despite being among the more ancient organism templates still in common use.

Jellyfish are on the rise.

Yeah, yeah, some species like moon jellies will hang out in huge blooms near the surface feeding, but that’s not what I meant. Jellyfish populations are up. They’re honing in on the open over-fished ocean and making themselves at home. Again.

And, although this makes the sea turtles happy since jellies are a favorite food staple of theirs, not much else is excited about the development. Except for those fish that like to hide out inside of their bells, assuming they don’t accidentally get eaten hanging out in there. But that’s a risk you gotta take when you’re trying to escape predation by surrounding yourself in a bubble of danger that itself wants to eat you. Be eaten or be eaten. Oh, wait…

Fish hiding in jellyfish bell
In hiding…

So what makes jellies so scary?

Jellyfish pack some mighty venom. Despite obvious differences in mobility, they are related to anemones and corals. But not the Man o’ War which looks similar but is actually a community of microorganisms that function together as a whole, not one creature. Not that it matters when you’re on the wrong end of a nematocyst, really. Because regardless what it’s attached to, that stings.

Box jellies are among the most venomous creatures in the world and can move of their own accord rather than just drifting about like many smaller jellyfish do. And even if they aren’t deadly, the venom from many jellyfish species will cause blisters and lesions that can take a long time to heal. So even if they do resemble free-floating plastic grocery bags, you’d do best to steer clear. Because those are some dangerous curves.

Jellies in bloom
Jellies in bloom

But what does this have to do with slime molds?

Absolutely nothing. I honestly don’t know enough about jellyfish or slime molds to devote the whole of a Nightmarish Nature segment to either, so they had to share. Essentially, this bit is what happened when I decided to toast a bagel before coming up with something to write about and spent a tad too much time in contemplation of my breakfast. I guess we’re lucky I didn’t have any cream cheese or clotted cream…

Jellies breakfast of champions
Jellies breakfast of champions

Oh, and also thinking about gelatinous cubes and oozes in the role-playing game sense – because those sort of seem like a weird hybrid between jellies and slime molds, as does The Blob. Any of those amoeba influenced creatures are horrific by their very nature – they don’t even need to be souped up, just ask anyone who’s had dysentery.

And one of the most interesting thing about slime molds is that they can take the shortest path to food even when confronted with very complex barriers. They are maze masterminds and would give the Minotaur more than a run for his money, especially if he had or was food. They have even proven capable of determining the most efficient paths for water lines or railways in metropolitan regions, which is kind of crazy when you really think about it. Check it out in Scientific American here. So, if we assume that this is essentially the model upon which The Blob was built, then it’s kind of a miracle anything got away. And slime molds are coming under closer scrutiny and study as alternative means of creating computer components are being explored.

Jellies are the Wave of the Future.

We are learning that there may be a myriad of uses for jellyfish from foodstuffs to cosmetic products as we rethink how we interact with them. They are even proving useful in cleaning up plastic pollution. I don’t know how I feel about the foodstuff angle for all that they’ve been a part of various recipes for a long time. From what I’ve seen of the jellyfish cookbook recipes, they just don’t look that appealing. But then again I hate boba with a passion, so I’m probably not the best candidate to consider the possibility.

So it seems that jellies are kind of the wave of the future as we find that they can help solve our problems. That’s pretty impressive for some brainless millions of years old critter condiments. Past – present – perpetuity! Who knows what else we’d have found if evolution hadn’t cleaned out the fridge every so often?

Feel free to check out more Nightmarish Nature here.

Vampires Among Us

Perilous Parenting

Freaky Fungus

Worrisome Wasps

Cannibalism

Terrifying Tardigrades

Reindeer Give Pause

Komodo Dragons

Zombie Snails

Horrifying Humans

Giants Among Spiders

Flesh in Flowers

Assassin Fashion

Baby Bomb

Orca Antics

Creepy Spider Facts

Screwed Up Screwworms

Scads of Scat

Starvation Diet

Invisibles Among Us

Monstrous Mimicry

Continue Reading

Doctor Who

Identical: Yes.  The Same: No – Exploring the World of AI Reconstructions in Doctor Who

Published

on

By

Doctor Who AI Reconstruction - Marco Polo

The second half of 2024 was a bit of slow for Doctor Who news.  Ncuti Gatwa’s first season finished in June, and the Christmas special was months away.  Comics and audio plays continued, and a Blu-Ray set of Season 25 was released – but that was all. 

However, what was new and exciting was a spate of unofficial recreations of missing Doctor Who stories from the sixties.  Re-animations of missing stories have occurred previously, both officially by the BBC and unofficially by fans. However, animation production time means it’s rare to have more than a few episodes a year.  However within the space of six months, forty-four recreated episodes were released, with the promise of more to come. 

Ian Levine - Interviewed for the Lost in Time Documentary

The reason how so many stories have been released so quickly is artificial intelligence (AI). These reconstructions are Generative AI, funded by professional songwriter, film producer, and fan, Ian Levine.  This decision to make Doctor Who AI Reconstructions, to put it mildly, has been controversial online. 

But is it worth it, in order to having otherwise missing stories returned to us?  I’ve examined many of these Doctor Who AI reconstructions, and the discourse around them, to find out.

In Brief – Missing Episodes

A decent proportion of Doctor Who’s earliest years shockingly does not exist anymore.  Doctor Who is one of the BBC’s biggest revenue raisers, and most famous show around the world.  However it was not always the case. 

When Doctor Who first began in 1963, the idea of keeping media was not really considered.  Home video did not exist, and would not exist for two decades.  Repeats were rare, due to the costs at the time to store old material and pay people involved in them.  Also, old film presented a fire hazard.  So it was often disposed of. 

Still from Doctor Who - Feast of Steven, an episode entirely lost from BBC Archives

Despite this, Doctor Who is fairly lucky compared to other series.  Firstly, fans at the time recorded the audio of each story. This means even the first ever Christmas Special – “A Feast of Stephen,” never broadcast internationally or repeated, still exists as an audio. 

Doctor Who is also lucky because of only six seasons are not complete. In addition, of those six seasons, only half are missing only episodes from one or two stories.  This allows us to get a feel for the early years of Doctor Who in a way fans of other series, like “Quatermass” and “The Avengers” aren’t able to.  And part of the reason most of these early seasons survive is due to Ian Levine.

Who is Ian Levine?

Ian Levine professionally is a songwriter and DJ.  He has written and produced records connected to such bands as Take That, Pet Shop Boys, Bananarama and Bucks Fizz. His total sales exceed 40 million records. 

He is also well known as a prominent Doctor Who fan.  There are many prominent Doctor Who fans. The series from 2004 onwards has been largely made by prominent Doctor Who fans of the 70’s and 80’s.  Many of these fans contribute to Doctor Who in official ways.  For instance, many older fans have written books, or audio plays.  All three showrunners for the modern series would be considered prominent fans from the nineties.  For Ian Levine, his main contribution is seeking to find and restore missing episodes of Doctor Who.

This work started in 1978 where Levine reportedly requested the permanent halting of old episodes of Doctor Who.  At the time the idea of home video was being considered, leading to more reasons to keep old film.  Levine also claimed to have rescued the first ever Dalek story from being sent into a furnace. Following this, he began purchasing private copies of the remaining stories, and attempting to return them to the BBC. 

Album cover for charity single "Doctor In Distress"

He also connected with the Doctor Who Production Team of the eighties in other ways.  This included composing the theme tune for the spin-off series “K-9 and Company”, and the protest/charity album “Doctor In Distress.” His was also consulted about continuity during seasons eighteen to twenty-two. 

However, he also gained a notorious reputation as obsessive in an unappealing way.  During the 1985 Doctor Who hiatus, Levine was encouraged by Producer Jon Nathan-Turner to use protest the decision.  Levine argued against the decision on television, and smashed his television with a hammer, and inviting newspapers to photograph it. 

So he is fan who has both done great things, but also sought notoriety and negative attention. 

Animated reconstruction of "Mission to the Unknown"

More recently, Levene has worked with animating missing or incomplete episodes. This started in 2010 with “Mission to the Unknown.” This was not allowed to be shared or sold due to it being made without BBC authorization.  In 2013, Ian hired an animated reconstruction of the unfinished story “Shada.” This version used pre-existing footage and new audio to create a finished product he hoped could be licensed.  However, the BBC chose not to. Instead they made their own animated version that was released four years later.

Sale
Doctor Who: Shada
  • Join the Doctor (Tom Baker), Romana (Lalla Ward), and K-9 (voiced by David Brierley) as a visit to a Time Lord living incognito on Earth leads to a desperate race to a distant prison planet
  • A BBC strike halted filming of this never-broadcast Baker six-episode serial written by “The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy” author Douglas Adams
  • Christopher Neame, Victoria Burgoyne co-star

Last update on 2025-03-16 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

Subsequently, Levine made comments regarding Jodie Whittaker as the first female Doctor which were deemed by many to be sexist.  Levine responded by publicly quitting the fandom, though later created his own private Doctor Who Facebook group.

This group has now become the location where his AI recreations he has funded and received donations for are shared.

The Doctor Who AI Reconstructions – How to Access

The Facebook Page: “Ian Levine’s Facebook Group” requires an agreement to two questions to join.  Firstly, you must agree to respect the right to criticize Jodie Whittaker. Secondly, you must recognise this is Ian Levine’s group for sharing his opinions on Doctor Who.  Agree to all this, and you’re allowed in.

A screenshot from the Doctor Who AI reconstruction of The Massacre

Inside the group, Levine has shared around twenty videos. This includesall of “The Dalek Masterplan,” “The Massacre,” and “The Savages.” However for the remainder, you must make a donation of fifty pounds, to become a contributor to the series. 

Once your donation is confirmed, you are authorized to join the separate contributors group, for contributors only.  This is where all the current videos being made are released.

Except…. None of these videos are unavailable privately.  Ian Levine has placed them all on Youtube.  They are unlisted, so they cannot turn up in either a Google or YouTube search. However, if you have a direct link or URL to them, they are accessible to everyone.  Unlike other systems like Patreon which restrict content to only certain subscribers, nothing stops these links being shared elsewhere.

And of course, these links are shared.  In response, Levine has issued threats and warnings against other Facebook groups and leakers trying to destroy his vision.  In his group, people support him and join in denouncing those who criticize his work or mock it.  People outside the group in response denounce Ian Levine and his supporters. 

One thing I hate about internet culture is the push for tribalism. This is the idea we are joined in a selective tribe and must fight the rivals to connect.  Over time the views become more strict in supporting your own tribe, and rejecting the opposition, and the middle ground is lost.

In the case of Ian Levine’s group, this is best shown by the view of alternative animations of missing Doctor Who stories.  All of these are seen as not as good as Levine’s AI reconstructions. Levine’s reconstructions are seen as the only correct way Doctor Who is meant to be. 

Initially Ian Levine’s AI project aimed to complete the ten missing stories not completed by the BBC. The initial project recognised the slow time it took to animate missing stories, and focused on stories that were difficult and costly to animate with people. Very soon after, however, Levine denounced many of the prior animations as “Silly Scooby Doo Cartoons.” The project was quickly extended to include stories previously animated by the BBC.  Levine’s argument appears to be Levine’s objections to story changes animation had included. These included adding a surprise image of the Master in “Fury from the Deep”, prior to his debut appearance.  Given Levine’s history of making things for the BBC, with the hope the BBC would license them, there have been rumours Levine initially was hoping the BBC would license some of his AI recreations, which has not come to pass. 

Levine presents his animations as the most authentic way to view the missing episodes. Therefore appreciation of official animated reconstructions are not allowed.  A poster saying they enjoyed the animated version of “The Celestial Toymaker,” was informed by Levine tht anyone who enjoyed the animation was unwelcome.  Common responses of new animations being announced are people accusing the BBC of ruining another story.  When Levine had a fault pointed out in one of his stories by Frazer Hines, who played the second Doctor’s companion, Jamie, Levine’s first response was to accept that the animation had limitations, but insisted it was still better than any animation the BBC has made.  Most of all, posters all reinforce the message that AI reconstructions are the true version of the lost stories and the BBC are fools for not paying for them.

Doctor Who – The Celestial Toymaker [DVD]
  • The Celestial Toymaker sees the Doctor and his companions separated when they come up against the Toymaker
  • While the Doctor plays the Trilogic Game, Steven and Dodo are forced to play their own seemingly childish, but ultimately dangerous games, with the aim of being reunited and getting back to the TARDIS
  • Who will be the first to make a false move in this battle of wits, and will the TARDIS ever escape the Toymaker’s snare Fans of Doctor Who have long lamented the loss of the original 1966 master recordings of all except one of The Celestial Toymaker

Last update on 2025-03-16 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

In response to this, or provoking this, depending on your point of you, external Facebook groups and YouTube channels are highly critical of the AI reconstructions.  Some videos see them as threats, preventing the BBC from every investing in animation involving real people.  Some hav dismissed the project as a scam.

So with such strong opinions on both sides, it’s time to actually watch them.

The AI Reconstructions

Screenshot from the AI Reconstruction of The Dalek Masterplan

My first response on watching is they’re not that bad, but they’re not that good.  Animation varies wildly in quality from story to story, making it hard to tell an overall trend towards or away from quality.  However there are some good examples of how to recreate a story.  “The Massacre” and “The Dalek Masterplan” for instance are incredible to watch.  “The Savages” on the other hand is laughingly bad. 

I chose to mostly focus on the stories not yet officially animated, so as to judge these stories by their own merit rather than compare to other animated versions of the same stories.  However, it’s interesting the similarities that occur between the official animations and AI reconstructions.  Non human characters (Particularly Daleks) look and move great, but people largely do not. 

Animating People

Across most forms of Missing episode recovery, whether AI or human drawn, the difficulty is always animating people to show emotions and movement.  Many of the official BBC animations often leave characters looking like stick figures bobbing up and down. 

However one of the key things the official reconstructions provide is consistency.  A human being develops a pre-existing model for characters, and because of this, these characters stay consistent over time.  

AI on the other hand appears to forget things, or lose focus unless properly guided.  People’s faces can change dramatically from shot to shot to the point, as in “The Savages” characters can be unrecognizable.  This means, unlike with official animations, I often had to follow a story summary to figure out what was going on. 

AI also forgets smaller things that make people seem human.  In “The Highlanders” for instance the Doctor’s companion Polly does not blink for most of episode one, despite being in shot.  This is a small detail, but throws the story into the uncanny valley – characters involve look like people but they feel wrong based on how they act. 

William Hartnell as the Abbot of Amboise in the Doctor Who AI Reconstruction of "The Massacre"

Movement is a struggle for all reconstructions because human movement is difficult to animate.  Once again, “The Massacre” demonstrates small examples of movement than seem fluid, particularly in the first episode.  “The Savages” on the other hand has main characters seemingly to perform scissor jump spread legged when the script call on them to walk. 

How the animation occurs

William Hartnell's farewell for Susan - frequently used as a source clip for reconstructions

Having watched many of these animations, some of means AI generated these reconstructions became clearer.  A lot of these animations, especially some of the later ones, do not actually generate much new material, instead using existing material in different ways.  The First Doctor saying goodbye to Susan in the TARDIS, from Episode 6 of the Dalek Invasion of Earth, for instance is frequently re-used. This scene is redubbed multiple times in the reconstructions, when a missing story needs a scene of William Hartnell standing alone in the TARDIS.

Another method is using the telesnaps, and slightly animating the mouth and face.  This creates a sense of fluidity and movement, but a very limited one.  This is particularly noticeable in the Space Pirates. The resconstructions rely on switching between static photos of one cast member with mouths moving.  On the one hand, this is no worse than the telesnaps, but the telesnaps were aware of their limitations, so often would use narration or subtitles to fill the gaps.  However these reconstructions are presented as the most life like renditions of the missing episodes. As the original story did not have subtitles or narration, therefore, they are not allowed. As a result the story is incomprehensible. 

Benefit – it exists

But despite the complaints, there is a significant benefit in these reconstructions.  And that’s the fact that they exist. 

Currently nine missing stories have not been officially animated by the BBC.  I would love for all missing stories to be animated. However, the reality is most of the stories remaining might be too costly to animate. 

Of the nine stories, six are pure historicals – stories with no science fiction elements apart from the TARDIS and its crew.  These stories tended to have a larger number of human characters than stories with monsters, and a human being with their range of emotions is harder to animate than a Dalek. 

Historicals also tend to have more detailed and complex scene change. A story in the future can replicate cold, grey corridors throughout a space colony. Historicals however must recreate significant locations in the world at particular times in history. Having to recreate 15th century France, for instance, is made up of multiple distinct locations. This makes historical stories more time consuming and therefore costly to animate.  Therefore, despite stories being reanimated for almost twenty years now, the total number of historical episodes animated have been two – both missing episodes of the Reign of Terror.

For the remaining three stories, the limited human cast and isolated space station locations makes Wheel in Space relatively simple to animate.  The Space Pirates, may also be animated as the story focusing mostly on space ships should make some aspects of the design easier to manage.

That just leaves The Dalek Masterplan¸ a massive twelve episode story, with a one episode prequel, where the Daleks chase the Doctor throughout time and space.  The cast is huge, and while it is not a historical, the story would require animated sets of ancient Egypt during the building of the pyramids.  None of this would be easy to do on the current BBC animation budget. 

Therefore, it appears of the remaining nine missing stories, only two are highly likely to be animated. 

And this is where AI can play a role.  As AI does not rely much people, it means the costs to recreate a story like the Dalek Masterplan is significantly easier and cheaper than hiring a production studio to make it.  While the end result is not as good as a professionally animated episode, for stories where hiring professional animations is not feasible, this is one way for people to observe a version of a story we otherwise cannot access. 

Ultimately the frustrating thing about these reconstructions is they’re not allowed to be what they are.  If they were simply an attempt to make otherwise lost stories more accessible, without any pretention or idea of superiority they would be fine.  There are no shortages of fan made reconstructions, which vary in quality, but are all warmly received because they don’t pretend to be more than fan made animations. They are no better or worse than any other reconstructions.

If Levine’s reconstructions were presented with the same humbleness, the response would be more positive.  If Leveine would present it as a project, and be accepting of others not needing to accpet them, there would be less retaliation online. But they aren’t presented as a fun way to view a loss episode. The reconstructions are presented as the only correct way to view the stories, superior than any other effort.  In fact, he considers the stories no longer lost due to his AI reconstructions.

But by doing so, he puts the reconstructions on a pedestal of perfection.  But they aren’t perfect, not by a long shot. By Leveine presenting these as perfect, he ultimately encourages people to notice how they are lacking by comparing to perfection.  In comparison, more humble attempts of reconstruction, by presenting themselves as not the best, encourage people to notice what they do right.

So, try to enjoy the reconstructions for what they are.  Some are surprisingly good – especially The Dalek Masterplan and The Massacre, and it’s a chance to see stories animated that you may not get to see animated elsewhere.  But try to filter out all the rhetoric about how amazing and perfect they should be, and just enjoy them as they are.

2 out of 5 stars (2 / 5)

Continue Reading

Trending