M3gan (2022)

 

Parenthood is difficult. That much is a fact. And when a certain scene in M3gan takes place when the main character is preparing a marketing presentation of the titular robot to the world, the whole sequence is presented as if in a commercial for a solution for most of the daily nuisances that a parent has to deal with while raising their children.

M3gan (the robot) is presented as a solution, a support and that becomes the crux of the story, besides the massacre that inevitably ensues. What if there was a robotic assistant that handles the daily needs of a child, replacing the parent in most situations and giving them time for “what really matters”?

M3gan (the movie), is not a subtle one, with most of its’ message being very clear, and that, when the robot starts doing what it shouldn’t (murder, included), is that one should be wary of the Band-Aid solution that is M3gan (the robot). It is a fun movie to watch, specially due to the dynamic that is established between the workaholic aunt and distraught niece, even if it is not taken to a very deep level, and the way the aunt handles everything as if nothing in the world exists besides herself and her personal pursuits.

Return to Seoul (2022)

 

I saw Return to Seoul last summer and have been sitting on an analysis ever since. It is a movie that stays with, if you give it a chance, as it goes through the trip to Korea by Freddie, a Korean woman who was adopted by a French couple, and ends up, “sort of by accident” looking for her biological parents.

The trip itself yields a surprising result to Freddie, who manages to meet her biological father, but not her mother. The experience deeply affects her, since she he’s not able to process emotions without giving in to the temptation to destroy them, once she feels them. And thus begins a complicated relationship between Freddie and Korea that goes on through several years.

I must say though that the movies’ time jumps are a bit off at times, since it takes a while to figure out what is the state of Freddies’ life in each one, and muddy up the plot a bit. But in the end, this is always about a complex character and her way of relating to others, mostly in a destructive way. Ji-Min Park makes her debut in this movie, and she is compelling beyond words.

In the end, the reason why this movie is hard to write about is because, it did make an impact, but is hard to explain why, and I leave this recommendation to whoever reads this and hope that they give this amazing story a chance to affect them as well.

Gaahls Wyrd “The Humming Mountain”

            
            I first came into contact with ex-God Seed and ex-Gorgoroth singer, Gaahls’ solo outing with the first single released from their debut album: GastiR- Ghosts Invited, the title track. It was a strange song and haunting, which caught my attention, but not enough to continue to pursue the album itself. Fast forward a couple years and The Humming Mountain came out. Once again I was intrigued by the haunting environment of opener “The Seed”, brought out by the melancholic and sinister acoustic guitars by Lust Kilman, and thus bought the album.

While listening to it from start to finish this summer, it was “The Dwell” that got me hooked, with the fast paced guitar and drums and amazing keyboard textures, courtesy of Iver Sandoy (to me on of the most intriguing contributors to the Eps’ overall atmosphere). It is a lively song and the standout from the album, since most of the other songs lean on the darkness, while this track gives the listener a glimpse of light and hope.

The Ep itself works as an interesting and cohesive concept, exploring the boundaries of black metal, and taking to another level, more on par with folk acts like Wovenhand, and Steve Von Till at times. Gaahls’ voice is the driving force behind the whole concept, but the instruments are all equal in the mix and most importantly give all the songs a strange and eerie atmosphere, making the listener feel like something is always off, even on the standout track, “The Dwell”. It plays like a horror movie, except it gets inside your head, leaving you feel enthralled and cautious at the same time.

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Support/Buy the Album: https://gaahlswyrd.bandcamp.com/album/the-humming-mountain

The Band: https://www.gaahlswyrd.com/