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By: M. Dutra  Title: Insatiable Release date: August 10th, 2018 Director: Robin Blazak Main cast: Debby Ryan, Dallas Roberts, Alyssa Milano, Christopher Gorham, Erinn Westbrook, Arden Myrin Genre: Dark humor, dramatic comedy Number of seasons: 1 Number of episodes: 12 Rotten tomatoes rating: 13% One of Netflix's newest series, Insatiable is a dark comedy filled with drama and fun. Episodes end in cliffhangers that make you want to watch the next episode immediately, but at the same time they’re very weird and unexpected. It's not a show that I would recommend to everyone – many people might not understand the show's sense of humor and might get easily offended by it, whilst many others might find it extremely bizarre. Insatiable tells the story of Patty, which was bullied on a daily basis since she was young, because of her weight. After suffering an accident she loses a tremendous amount of weight and becomes skinny. She then crosses paths with Bob, he used to train girls for pageant contests and sees Patty as the perfect opportunity for that. As both characters face the competitions and go through their personal problems, we can see that they are both insatiable, so they are never content with what they have and what they are – they always must be better than everyone they know – and this results in several conflicts throughout the episodes. The show is prescribed as a PG-16 show. I believe that 14-year-olds could enjoy it but maybe wouldn't understand its jokes. Overall, I would recommend this show for people who enjoy unexpected but eccentric plots and dark comedy, because Insatiable is filled with that. However, if you don't like these don't watch it, because you probably won’t like it! Personally, I thought the show was good but it's understandable why someone could see it as fat shaming and reinforcing of stereotypes. These negative aspects combined with its weird turn of events might make it hard to swallow.
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By: G. Castilla  Title: Mamma Mia! Here we go again Director: Ol Parker Release date: August 2nd, 2018 Genre: Comedy, Musical and Performing Arts Studio: Universal Pictures Main cast: Meryl Streep, Lily James, Amanda Seyfried, Cher, Pierce Brosnan, Christine Baransky, Colin Firth Budget: US$ 78 million Box office: US$ 116 million Rotten tomatoes: 80% The newly released sensational movie Mamma Mia, Here we go again! Has made people go buzzing around. They talk about the storyline, compliment the actors, talk about how Cher made a cameo, and how Meryl Streep came again to please us with her appearance. You can hear people singing along to the songs and having fun reminiscing the previous movie. I highly recommend it as it's still in the cinema, either watch for the first time or for a rewatch! A peculiar characteristic about the film is that it is the prequel and sequel to the former musical driven by Abba’s euphoric music. Sophie, played by Amanda Seyfried, is reopening Donna’s hotel, following her mother’s death a year earlier. Jump back to 1979, where young Donna (Lily James) is graduating, ready to travel the world. She eventually meets Harry, Bill and Sam, for whom she falls for. The movie goes back and forth in time, where we learn about Donna’s wild summer and Sophie’s current drama and life. Where she realises that she was in a similar place to where her mother was, several years back. The movie never pretends to be something it isn’t, it's goofy, funny, good hearted and irresistible. Although there isn’t much plot development, the movie engages you in a way most movies don’t, making you want to sing your lungs out to the lyrics of the old songs and rapidly learn the lyrics to the new ones. The greeks are always running around singing and dancing like there’s no tomorrow in the sunny, gorgeous island. There were some parts which I thought were awkward and didn’t make much sense in the plot itself. For example, one of the first songs “When I kissed the teacher”, was out of nowhere, but maybe it was just because I wasn’t used to the songs. Like the previous movie, the scenery is magnificent and it makes you want to jump on the plane and go straight to the greek islands. The whole movie is a rollercoaster of emotion, you may find yourself crying at the ending, laughing at Donna’s two best friends and smiling to yourself. It’s been 10 years since the original Mamma Mia came out, quickly becoming a fan favorite. Whilst the sequel brought both old and new fans to the cinema, desperate to hear their favorite songs and see Meryl Streep once again. The movie radiates an amazing, infectious energy, and those who have yet to see it must do so. By: B. Mitidieri  Title: Mission: Impossible - Fallout Director: Christopher Mcquarrie Release date: July 26th, 2018 Main cast: Tom Cruise, Rebecca Ferguson, Simon Pegg, Vanessa Kirby, Ving Rhames, Angela Bassett, Alec Baldwin and Sean Harris Budget: US$ 178 million Box office: US$ 503 million Rotten tomatoes rating: 97% You might be thinking: ''not another one?’' or ''I've seen enough of Cruise on motorbikes for a lifetime!’' or ‘’haven’t they run out of ideas already?’’ But, the thing is, this sequel is no ordinary sequel. I thought the same as you before my father dragged me to the Iguatemi cinema. I expected the same amount of rifles and adrenaline that were present in the last five 'Mission: Impossible' s’.This, in my honest opinion, did not make me extremely enthusiastic to watch. Yet, my lack of plans on a Thursday night led me a fantastic picture. I kid you not: I left the cinema room planning on buying another ticket to watch it for the second time. Yes, it was that good. You know when you finish watching a movie and the closing scene is so obvious, boring or vague, that you cannot believe that that is the ending? When you feel like it is about to finish, Mission Impossible takes such an overturn that it makes everything infinite times better and leaves you in absolute awe. The filming angles were impeccable, the story was excellent and the special effects had an unquestionable high quality. Be sure to watch it in 3-D because you would not be giving the movie justice, as the thrill will never be equally as impacting. The only criticism that I have is that the actors aren't the most talented, but their effort should be reverenced. Did you know that Tom Cruise, the main actor, performs most of his stunts? In this movie, he had to dive from a plane at exceptional altitudes, jump through a window, learn how and pilot a helicopter. His application and energy to this project are genuine and simply amazing. Very few actors do what he does, which increases the quality of 'Fallout'. During the nearly two and a half hours of filming, Ethan Hunt (Cruise) and his team, Benji (Simon Pegg) and Luther (Ving Rhames), have to rescue some orbs of plutonium from 'The Apostles'. Some characters we already know such as Soloman Lane (Sean Harris), Hunley (Alec Baldwin) and Ilsa (Rebecca Ferguson) will add on to this sequel as well. The director of the previous movie, Christopher McQuarrie, also had a comeback and did a marvelous job. The experts also agree that "Fallout'' was very enjoyable, as IMDb gives it a score of 8.2/10 and Rotten Tomatoes gave it a 97%. If you are still unsure if you should watch the most recent addition to the Mission Impossible franchise, be sure to check Lorne Balfe's soundtrack for the movie (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qkBhWHTMFI0). You will experience nostalgia when listening to the melody once more, but will appreciate the modern and improved twist that was added to it; just like “Fallout”. By: L. Janer  Title: The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society Release date: August 10, 2018 (Brazil) Director: Mike Newell Box office: US$ 15.7 million Main cast: Lily James, Michiel Huisman, Glen Powell, Matthew Goode Rotten tomatoes rating: 82% Inspired on the historical novel by Mary Ann Shaffer, “The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society” tells the story of charismatic writer Juliet Ashton and her enchantment with a book club started in the isle of Guernsey under Nazi occupation. The story is set in the aftermath of WWII, and after receiving a letter from one of the club’s members, our free-spirited protagonist becomes fascinated with the story about how the society began and the small yet charming island’s history. We witness her developing bonds with each of the members and uncovering pieces of the tragedy behind the Nazi occupation of Guernsey, and the terrible impact it had on each of the member’s lives. The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society is a period drama, which flows smoothly and romantically as viewers are transported back to 1946 England, in the midst of book lovers trying to recover from the tragic Nazi occupation. It’s by no means a cinematic masterpiece, but rather a feel-good movie to watch on a Sunday afternoon when you are aimlessly digging through Netflix looking for something you haven’t already seen. It is very Britishly charming in its core, but that does not mean it doesn’t make for a very enjoyable watch. The melancholic shots of the grey English seaside, the warm atmosphere exuded by scenes of the society’s meetings by the fireplace and the lonely cottages make for some very enchanting cinematography; topped off by Lily James’ wonderful performance. By: V. Mahfuz  Title: The Incredibles 2 Director: Brad Bird Release date: June 28th 2018 Main cast: Holly Hunter, Samuel L. Jackson, Craig T. Nelson, Huck Milner, Sarah Vowell, Bob Odenkirk Budget: US$200 million Box office: US$ 1.121 billion Rotten tomatoes rating: 93% After 14 years, Brad Bird finally decided to give continuity to the renowned movie “The Incredibles”. For those who have waited quite some time to discover what happens when the ‘Underminer’ destroys a parking lot after Dash’s race, i am very glad to announce the end of such anticipation as “The Incredibles 2” begins right where “The Incredibles” finishes. Living in a society where superheros are illegal, the incredibles’ family struggle to contain their heroic nature when trouble arises - which is also one of the reasons why they use disguises (even though eye masks aren't very effective). This animation provides a humorous genre after Helen (elastigirl) is hired in a pro-superhero firm, leaving Bob (Mr. Incredible) home with his three children (Dash, Violet and Jack-Jack). His jealousy however, does not fail to surface when Elastigirl is in the spotlight, getting all the attention Bob used to have when he was the preeminent Mr. Incredible. But life at home isn't what Bob expected when the duty of taking care of the household proves to more than he anticipated - showing the ironic switch in gender stereotypes and how they adapt to their new roles. Every character manages to return with even more grace in this “The Incredibles” sequel, introducing the dynamic duo of Edna Mode and Jack-Jack after he proves to be even more peculiar and adorable than in the first movie. “The Incredibles 2” also shows the amusing life of Dash and Violet, together with Bob’s attempts to get involved and his struggle to fill the maternal figure Helen used to provide when Bob was working. Overall, i was completely amazed and extremely satisfied with the outcome of “The Incredibles 2”. Brad Bird did an amazing job in not only adapting the sequel to a new public (as those who waited 14 years are now a different audience compared to when the first “The Incredibles” came out), but also in giving a vivid and enjoyable continuation of his first piece; a task which many movie directors find challenging as the first movie of many sequels tend to be the”best”. By: L. Maksoud  The following conspiracy involves Walmart; a multinational retail store best known by its large grocery and department stores. Walmart was founded in 1969 and as of 2018, more than 11,718 stores and clubs in 28 different countries were built. In fiscal year 2012, Walmart earned about $444 billion dollars in sales, which is $20 billion dollars more than Austria’s GDP. If Walmart were a country (even though a small one), it would be the 26th largest economy in the world. The 25th being Belgium and 27th being Iran. However, this theory also involves concentration camps. The main idea is that the US Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is planning to imprison US citizens in work camps after a martial law has been imposed (imposition of military control following a crisis or a major disaster). In the most extreme version of this conspiracy, the entire country will be sent to these detention camps and exterminated so that the New World Order can be established, also taking into consideration that a smaller population = facilitated control. The New World Order (NWO), with close references to the Illuminati, is a supposed clandestine totalitarian government with the hope of being one sovereign nation which will encompass all ideologies and religions and rule the world as one. So, what is FEMA? FEMA is a US governmental agency tasked with the effective management of major emergencies within the country, such as ensuring the stability of a government during a large-scale disaster (e.g. a nuclear war). It was established in 1979 under executive order by President Jimmy Carter. History of the conspiracy: One of the first known references to FEMA concentration camps dates back to a newsletter in 1982, where a warning that “hardcore” patriots were going to be detained was clearly seen in one of the pages. The theory was included in the plot of a 1998 X-Files movie where it started to become popularized when strange things started to happen at Walmart these last years. In 2015, several Walmart stores began to suddenly close due to “Plumbing problems” for 6 months or more. And even after re-opening, locals in Florida, Tulsa, Oklahoma, Texas and many other US states began to report strange metallic sounds underneath the ground in nearby Walmarts, as well as some explosions. How come so many Walmarts were abruptly closed all at once, all around the country due to “plumbing problems”? Some say that the Walmarts actually closed for they had received radioactive shipments from the Fukushima region in Japan (The site of nuclear power plant that melted down after the 8.9 magnitude earthquake in March 2011). But why were only the specific stores closed? And why did they remain closed for 6 months? Witnesses have also stated that lots of helicopters allegedly flew to “one of the mysteriously closed Walmart stores in Texas” So, was the food being imported actually radioactive or are Walmarts closing down so that they can build underground tunnels and concentration camps to help the establishment of the New World Order? By: P. Rodrigues  I remember writing a similar story when I was starting to tell the beautiful tale about communism. The truth is that both narratives are extremely alike, but with one significant difference; the way in which these ideologies are elected as a model in a given society. Communism is achieved by giving all economic, social and political power to one entity, the government, and then transitioning into a country where there is no one in control; but rather having a collective taking the best decisions for the betterment of the community – socialism to communism.
As I recall, communism, in basic terms, is the idea of having a society with no private property. This principle is also fundamental to understand anarchy because, after all, they are almost the same thing. Anarchy states that justice means nothing without freedom; meaning no social hierarchy or government that controls laws and 'their' people. In their view, people would serve their country through mutual respect, ethics, and honor. Taking steps to progress by doing the right thing. No one is in charge to punish, deliver justice or even allocate the country's resources. Naturally many problems come to mind. What about international conflicts, if no one is in charge to take action? What about huge infrastructure problems? What about the economy? The army? These questions are valid but not something that should be addressed. Whilst communism was created as a critical contrasting point of view of our capitalist world, anarchy is more about believing in people; how respect and goodness can provide a functional and working society. How we can evolve to think about the collective and forget the need to give others the responsibility of organizing and taking care of our own society. By: M. Lutfalla  The American Vice President has recently announced that extra steps are going to be taken in the takeover of space. He claims the country’s aims to set up an American Army in space, as they strongly believe that the space is becoming a new battlefield. Trump has claimed: “We should have a new force called the Space Force. It’s like the Army and the Navy, but for space, because we’re spending a lot of money on space”. The US aim is put these troops out by 2020, there is an estimate of approximately US$ 8 billion to be spent on the development of this 6th part to the American army. President Donald Trump describes this as a way to gain control of part of space and also to shelter themselves from Russia and China. Currently the Air Forces of the US is the one in charge of controlling the satellites, and all the US space missions; and what will now happen is that this new Space Force will absorb all of these duties under one bigger and more organized force. They plan on starting the Space Force organization by firstly setting up a Committee of Space, which would be responsible for looking out for the troops out in space. Following they will select a couple of military from the different sub divisions of the American military to build this new division which will be looking out for space. Nevertheless, there will also be a set up a Spatial Agency, which is designed to research and innovate this army. Lastly, they plan on nominating a new defense sub secretary for taking care of the space agenda, and so that it administrates their plans and objectives. The Vice President and the Defense Secretary claim that it is extremely vital for the US to take this initiative. As their enemies such as China has already implied Space of being its next battlefield, - it has destroyed part of its Satellite with a missile and a laser which has the ability to block the infrastructure of Russia in Space. The Air Force is known to be strongly against this decision. It is known that in November the Congress tried to set up a Space Force and it was a failure. The defense department has now concluded, “Space is no longer a peaceful domain” – Deborah Lee James, she also says “there is a real possibility that a conflict on Earth could bleed into space”. This is proven by the increase of satellite in space since 1960:  The biggest issue here is whether a set up of a Space Force is actually necessary, or is there a better way to secure the US space assets? The Vox News paper https://www.vox.com/world/2017/7/5/15905018/space-force-trump-congress-russia-china defines it as: “This is a solution in search of a problem”.
 Donald Trump startles the world yet again by withdrawing the United States from the United Nations Human Rights Council
On the 20th June 2018 shocking news was broadcasted around the world, the United State of America declared its withdrawal from the Human Rights Council, a decision seen by many as absurd, unprecedented and irrational, which leads to the question, is international cooperation meaningless to Donald Trump? The Human Rights Council The United Nations is the medium through which the countries of the world can present problems and collectively resolve pressing dilemmas through means such as mutual cooperation and planning in order to achieve Global well-being. Founded on the 24th October 1945, roughly one month after the end of the Second World War, is the largest Intergovernmental Organisation in the world. This global institution aimed to use the failed League of Nations as the foundation upon which the framework of a new international body could be built. Unlike its predecessor the organisation successfully expanded to the point that what were initially 51 member states rapidly became 193 member states and 2 observer countries, highlighting the participation of every state and independent territory around the world. Over a the short time span of 73 years the United Nations developed and thrived from a relatively small organisation to an internationally respected and highly influential democratic body for nations to mutually cooperate in an ever-growing globalised scenario. Unlike its predecessor, the UN was organised, effective and influential with regards to tackling issues of global significance and in securing peace and guarantee international development. The organisation is split into six main internal organs as a means of better tackling the issues the UN has committed itself to resolving, these organs are the General Assembly, Security Council, Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), Secretariat, International Court of Justice and finally the UN Trusteeship Council alongside several agencies such as the World Bank Group, World Health Organisation (WHO), World Food Programme, UESCO and UNICEF. All of which act to implement significant, long-lasting and fundamental international change Among the most notable of these organs is the Human Rights Council, formed in 2006. This body seeks to promote and protect human rights around the world. For this, 47 member states of the UN are elected for three-year terms. The council itself oversees the freedoms of expression, belief, religion, women’s rights alongside ratio and ethnical minorities as a means of guaranteeing that these rights are safeguarded for all peoples of the world. The United States and Groupwork Over the course of one year the Trump administration has on numerous equations taken the press by storm. The unpredictability of the actions of Trumps administration is one of the factors which continue to surprise even the most knowledgeable and experienced political analysts. From a ground-breaking meeting with the North Korean leader Kim John Un, to a ‘Fake News’ scandal, warming relationships with Vladimir Putin’s Russia and a unreasonable Trade War with China it seems as though Donald Trump is more interested in his image on the press rather than effective governing. A mere four months ago the Trump administration declared a trade war on Xi Jinping’s China, an announcement which made international investors worried over stock prices and the future of economic trade. The trade sanctions imposed amount to a 25% tariff on US$34 billion worth of Chinese goods imported yearly by the USA, a trade war which according to Donald Trump is ‘good and easy to win’. However, what is even more surprising is the dust of the China-US trade war has yet to settle and Donald Trump already wreaked havoc by lighting yet another bonfire. This time the topic does not regard economy and trade but instead the United Nations, International Cooperation and most importantly the protection of the fundamental human rights. On 20th of June 2018 the Trump Administration astonished the world by declaring the withdrawal of the United States of America from the United Nations Human Rights Council. According to Whitehouse Spokesman and important Advisors the Council, which works towards promoting and protecting human rights on a global scale, is nothing more than a “hypocritical” organ that “makes a mockery of human rights”. The American Secretary of State Mike Pompeo explored how “some of the world’s most serious [human rights] offenders [are] sitting on the council itself”, this same man acted as the Whitehouse spokesman when the USA withdrew from the Iran Nuclear Deal stating how the agreement was an Obama-era nuclear deal “built on lies”. It seems as though the Trump Administration is determined to rewrite past actions made by the United States. Donald Trump is so keen to ‘Make America Great’ again that he has decided to abandon multilateral international cooperation and opt for a solo approach to international affairs. Only a few months after his rise to the presidential office Donald Trump withdrew the United States from the Paris Climate accord, which according to Trump himself would “undermine the US economy” and thus places the country at a “permanent disadvantage”. Trump’s unwillingness to deal with international affairs which share no immediate gains in the realm of politics, the economy and the media has led to an increase in global tensions and the uncertainty of what the United States will do next. What we conclude once again from Donald Trump’s recent press appearance is that this is a man who is ready to go towards any length to defend his nationalist ideologies and the interests of the USA in the international scenario and shall regularly continue to baffle the world over the course of his candidacy. Donald Trump’s foreign policy is a lose gun which, if not controlled, will unavoidably fire a bullet-to-the-knee of international cooperation, one which we shall not recover so easily from. |