Foundation S1E6 "Death and the Maiden" Review: Some More Plot Lines Laid Bare

Release date: October 22, 2021
Running time: 50 minutes

Brother Day meets Zephyr Halima—a would-be leader who opposes the Empire. Brother Dusk grows suspicious of Brother Dawn.

We missed the Empire in the last episode but it comes roaring back in this one.  This episode feels more evenly split between the Empire and Foundation, but still with plenty of really great reveals.  It also feels like another groundwork laying episode, and I'm starting to wonder when the actual action will happen.  The world of Foundation is clearly a complicated one and there is a lot of groundwork to lay, but I am concerned that the show runners are just using season one a as a setup season for a more exciting season 2.  Overall I am wondering if Foundation will be all build up, no payoff.

What we do get is more reveals and a chance to see Salva with some emotion.  The reveals are both about the Empire and about Foundation's predicament.  For the Empire, we get some additional background and a look at some of the power struggles within the actual Empire.  It was another important reveal and it seems like the last couple episodes have tried to put some cracks in the Empire's previously unified front.  On the Foundation side, we see the aftermath of the invading force and the fate of Salva.  It is a sequence that allows her to show some emotion and additional character growth, but also requiring her to become a strong leader very quickly.

Foundation S1E6 has some more reveals and lays some solid foundation, but I am wondering when the series will stop building and start executing.

Rent it.

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Foundation is available to stream on Apple TV+ with Season 1 Episode 6 "Death and the Maiden" available on October 22, 2021.

What to Watch This Weekend: Dune, Ron's Gone Wrong, French Dispatch, Protege, Old, Hell House, Zola, Freaky

For A Spicy Sci Fi Drama: Dune (Theaters and HBO Max)
Dune is a stunning visualization of Frank Herbert's world, with a great cast, fantastic special effects, and an epic and otherworldly soundtrack that will suck you in quicker than a great sand worm. For more information, check out the review!

For An Animated Adventure: Ron's Gone Wrong (Theaters)

The film gets high marks for its animation and humor, and the ultimate story of friendship is an endearing one.  

For A Quirky Stylish Comedy: The French Dispatch (Theaters)

The French Dispatch is mangifique, with an all star cast, crisp and witty writing, and a format that allows these two to meld perfectly for a thoroughly enjoyable and unique experience.  For more information, check out the review! 

For An Enjoyable Cat And Mouse Assassin Film: The Protege (Redbox)
The Protege's great cast, fun chemistry between the lead characters, and understated but brutal action make this one assassin film that is on target.  For more information, check out the review!

For A Twisted Aging Story: Old (Redbox)

Old has a mysterious story, some very nice performances and small touches, and a trademark M. Night Shyamalan twist ending, but the quirks and odd dialogue might cast some shadows on this beach vacation.  For more information, check out the review!

For A Bizarre, Hilarious Odyssey: Zola (Showtime)

Zola is something that has to be experienced to truly understand, and the combination of bizarre characters, amazing style, and some intense performances make this film something to like and retweet.  For more information, check out the review!

For The Spooky Season: Hell House LLC (Amazon Prime)

Hell House LLC is a surprisingly good found footage horror entry with a slow build up and plenty of scares to get your Halloween screaming!

For The Spooky Season 2: Freaky (HBO Max)

Freaky is a mash up of slasher, humor, and teen drama, with enjoyable performances from Vaughn and Newton in this stylish, entertaining horror take on the body swap film.   For more information, check out our review!

Screening: Becoming Cousteau In Theaters For Free!

DC Readers, do you want to see a free screening of the new documentary Becoming Cousteau?  The film is out on Friday, October 22 and you can have a chance to win real tickets to see it in theaters.  Details and screening information are below.

Synopsis:

In BECOMING COUSTEAU, from National Geographic Documentary Films, two-time Academy Award-nominated filmmaker LIZ GARBUS (“All In: The Fight for Democracy,” “What Happened, Miss Simone?”) poured through 550 hours of archival material and rarely-seen footage to let Cousteau’s films, words and recollections tell his own story. 

The film has been warmly received at many Fall Festivals, including Telluride, Toronto, and BFI London, where it won the Grierson Award for Best Documentary.  It also received two Critics Choice Award nominations for BEST DOCUMENTARY and BEST DIRECTOR just this week!

Screening Information:

Thanks for your interest! The screening entries are now closed, but check out Becoming Costeau in theaters now!

Screening options:

Friday, October 22

7:15 PM 

AMC Georgetown, 3111 K St NW, Washington, DC 20007

Saturday, October 23

7:15 PM 

AMC Georgetown, 3111 K St NW, Washington, DC 20007

Sunday, October 24

12:30 PM 

AMC Georgetown, 3111 K St NW, Washington, DC 20007

Screening: See Edgar Wright's Last Night in Soho Early and Free

We have partnered with Focus Features for an early screening of Edgar Wrights latest psychological thriller, Last Night in Soho!  The film is coming to theaters on October 29, 2021, but you can see it early and free!!  Details and entry form are below!

Last Night in Soho

Director: Edgar Wright
Writers: Edgar Wright and Krysty Wilson-Cairns
Producers: Nira Park, Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner, Laura Richardson, Edgar Wright
Cast: Anya Taylor-Joy, Thomasin McKenzie, Matt Smith, Terence Stamp, Diana Rigg, Rita Tushingham, Michael Ajao, Synnove Karlsen

Synopsis: 

In acclaimed director Edgar Wright’s psychological thriller, Eloise, an aspiring fashion designer, is mysteriously able to enter the 1960s where she encounters a dazzling wannabe singer, Sandie. But the glamour is not all it appears to be and the dreams of the past start to crack and splinter into something far darker.

 Screening Info:

LAST NIGHT IN SOHO 
Tuesday, October 26th
7:00 PM
AMC Tysons Corner

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The Old Ways Review: A Scary Exorcism That Will Possess Your Attention

Release date: October 12, 2021 (Blu-Ray and Digital)
Running time: 90 minutes
Directed By: Christopher Alender
Written By: Marcos Gabriel
Starring: Brigitte Kali Canales, Andrea Cortés, and Julia Vera

Cristina, a journalist of Mexican origin, travels to her ancestral home in Veracruz to investigate a story of sorcery and healing. There, she is kidnapped by a group of locals who claim she's the devil incarnated.

The Old Ways is fittingly an old school style movie with a good sense of dread, creepy start, and a supernatural threat that needs to be handled throughout the film. It has a very slow start as Cristina doesn't believe what is going on and has to slowly be shown what is happening.  And when the actual exorcism begins you get to see the great practical effects at play.  The film uses old school gore and set pieces to portray some very painful demonic possessions, and this allows you to really see the extent of Cristina's possession.  And what I loved most is that the events and tactics used in the exorcism are varied.  You don't have the same thing happening over and over, different elements are explored and different avenues to get the demon out are shown.  

And the film comes to life thanks to the great acting of Canales and Vera.  Canales has to go through hell (literally) to showcase the possession and the various effects it has on her.  Vera is wonderfully creepy as the practitioner of the old ways, guiding Cristina along on her journey and constantly staying strong against the demon.  And the film has a smart use of indie budget, with a small cast and location that is bolstered by the aforementioned great acting and some really nice variety in what is happening.  The small room that this takes place in never feels that small because it mixes up what occurs during the possession.  And there are enough nooks and crannies in this location to allow shadows and scares to surprise you.

But although The Old Ways has a lot of great old school effects, the film is not without faults.  For one, the film has wonderful practical effects, but also uses some prominent CG.  This is noticeable when it happens and it is a shame because the practical effects were so well done.  Additionally, the story goes off  the rails at the end.  The tone changes dramatically and although I enjoyed the ending, it did have a very different feel from the first part of the film.  But that being said, The Old Ways is a great indie horror film with several surprises and a Latin feel.

The Old Ways is an old style exorcism movie, with great acting and delightfully disgusting practical effects to sell this story and possess your attention.

Watch it.

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The Old Ways is available to stream on Netflix and is available on DVD, Blu-Ray, and digitally on October 12, 2021.  

For additional information about the film and to rent / buy it, check it out at the links below.

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The French Dispatch Review: A Quirky Film Filled With Originality And Charm

Release date: October 22, 2021
Running time: 103 minutes
Starring: Benicio Del Toro, Adrien Brody, Tilda Swinton, Léa Seydoux, Frances McDormand, Timothée Chalamet, Lyna Khoudri, Jeffrey Wright, Mathieu Amalric, Stephen Park, Bill Murray, Owen Wilson, Christoph Waltz, Edward Norton, Jason Schwartzman, Anjelica Huston
Written and Directed by: Wes Anderson

THE FRENCH DISPATCH is Wes Anderson’s 10th feature film. THE FRENCH DISPATCH is a magazine come to life & celebrates the art of long form writing and storytelling. Set in the first half of the 20th century in the imaginary city of “Ennui-sur-Blasé” in France, the film’s structure is a series of stories each following a different expatriate writer for “The French Dispatch” magazine (the Sunday supplement of The Liberty, Kansas Evening Sun) as they cover stories about art, politics, food, and crime.

The French Dispatch is a quirky revelation, with Wes Anderson's trademark style and charm on full display.  The movie really is a magazine come to life, with several "episodes" that are based on stories in this imaginary magazine.  And each episode delves into a subject, but only loosely relates to that subject.  It's more of a jumping off point to celebrate the quirk and give this all star cast a chance to embody very different and interesting characters.  I really loved the cast here as it has some actors that you know and love doing some very different roles.  They're odd, they're esoteric, but they're thoroughly entertaining.

The film feels like it is out of a different time period and even genre, at times feeling like a play, a diorama, and a long form article.  I really loved when it tried to lean into the play aspects, with sets that felt like the start of some sort of performance and sequences that were coordinated and deliberate.  And the French Dispatch also at times feels like a celebration of older forms of media.  Aside from the movie being about a magazine, it does have aspects of some classic performance art (like plays).  It is also in 4:3 aspect ratio, another callback to an older time.   

But what is best about the French Dispatch is the writing.  It is detailed and crisp, and filled with wit and charm.  The characters all deliver it perfectly, but when you take it all as a whole it really is a wonderful work.  If there is any criticism of this, it is that the film is a little slow, especially after the first very enjoyable short act.  But don't worry, there is plenty to love about this movie! 

The French Dispatch is mangifique, with an all star cast, crisp and witty writing, and a format that allows these two to meld perfectly for a thoroughly enjoyable and unique experience.

Watch it.

If you liked this review and want to see more from Watch or Pass, please consider 

following us on our various social media platforms: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Youtube. 

The French Dispatch is in theaters on October 22, 2021.  For showtimes, click here.

This site contains affiliate links. //Commerce or this site may be compensated when you click through links on our site.  

Screening: See Antlers Early And Free!

We have partnered with Searchlight Pictures for an early screening of the tense horror film Antlers!  The film is coming to theaters on October 29, 2021, but you can get into the spooky spirit and see it early and free!!  Details and entry form are below!

Antlers

Starring: 

Keri Russell
Jesse Plemons
Jeremy T. Thomas

Directed by Scott Cooper

Produced by Guilermo del Toro, David S. Goyer, and J. Miles Dale

Synopsis: 

From the visionary world of acclaimed director Scott Cooper and horror maestro Guillermo del Toro comes ANTLERS.  In an isolated Oregon town, a middle-school teacher and her sheriff brother become embroiled with her enigmatic student whose dark secrets lead to terrifying encounters with a legendary ancestral creature who came before them.  Based on the short story The Quiet Boy by Nick Antosca.

 Screening Info:

ANTLERS

Monday, October 25th

Landmark E Street

7:00pm

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