The Shallows - An Editorial of Sorts

After being away for literally forever…AGAIN, please forgive me and know that I have been mulling over things to write about for a long, long time. And while that usually means I would write about something recent, todays post will be slightly unique.

Today I have a different kind of a post, mostly because it’s about something I find to be very infrequently topical – sharks. Well, shark movies that is. With movies like 47 Meters Down coming out, and television networks devoting whole WEEKS to sharks, I feel like the group assumption of getting eaten by a shark is just a thing we all live with. So when a decent movie about sharks comes out I feel like it is my responsibility (as a person with such a bad shark phobia that I get nervous in the shower) to go and see it. So, that being said, I would like to talk about one underrated shark movie that came out a while back.



The Shallows is a 2016 movie starring Blake Lively about a woman who finds herself trapped on a rock 200 meters from the shore while a hungry great white shark keeps her from getting there. And that is basically it. But that’s not what it is ABOUT. Though, aside from the visuals of a beautiful beach and an attractive actress, the movie boasts nothing spectacular about this foray into the world of shark movies. But I ask the question, “is this REALLY just another shark movie?”

The obvious answer here is ‘no,’ it’s not just another shark movie, not in my opinion at least. This movie is riddled with symbolism, from the shark and the rock she is stranded on, to the seagull she helps and the very island she is visiting. This movie has a lot going on under the surface, pun intended. There are several things that happen in the movie that lead me to this conclusion, and I will show you why I think so. So let’s dive into this movie and see what we can fish out of its depths. Again, pun(s) intended.

The trailer shows briefly what I mean when I described the movie. It’s a shark movie. It’s got a shark in it. Sharky sharky shark shark. But the shark isn’t just a shark, and the rocks aren’t just rocks, and so on and so forth. There are a few things I want to detail, like the whale, the outcropping, the bird, and even the island she is there to visit, but I will start with the shark. Has the word lost its meaning yet?


THE SHARK

Greif can surround us and make us feel alone and trapped. It can eat at you and make you feel like you are losing yourself bit by bit. It can be a scary monster that rises and attacks without warning. And for those reasons, I feel that the shark in this movie represents Nancy’s grief at losing her mother. Not only does it keep her trapped on the small outcropping, but it constantly stalks her, and keeps her scared to leave. While the shark is obviously the main antagonist of the movie, it’s not the most important symbol that carries meaning with it.


THE WHALE CARCASS

The whale carcass is another symbol with more to it than what is told. I would venture to say that the whale is a representation of her life, and kind of the most important symbol in the whole film. Right after she is initially attacked by the shark, Nancy swims right for the whale carcass, instead of turning back to the shore. She goes straight for the thing she has always done, and that is to go with what is easiest. She is NOT in control of her life, so it is natural for her to succumb to the fear and follow the path of least resistance. In fact, when the shark takes hold of the whale from underneath, she screams, “Where are you taking me?” which I thought was odd, until I realized that she has been out of control of her life because of her grief. This is evident in the state of the whale. It has chunks taken out, and is bleeding. It is floating aimless in the shallows, far from where it is supposed to be, but just out of reach of anything solid. Her life is being controlled by her grief, and all she does at that point is let it happen.

That’s not to say that she wants this or is going to let it continue to happen forever. Nancy seems like a strong woman and we know that as the main character of this movie, she won’t be killed off that easy. This isn’t Rogue One after all. They killed off ALL their main characters. Like literally ALL of them. There was like six main characters that…no, no I’m not going to get into it here. This is about The Shallows. But man, I really need to do a Rogue One review…


THE ISLAND

Anyway, the island she is visiting represents her memory of her mother. She even calls the far off island the “Island of Pregnant Woman,’’ or something of that nature. She tells someone early in the movie that her mother came to that island when she was pregnant with Nancy. She obviously remembers her mother as something solid and safe in her mind. The only issue with this is that between herself and the island is the aimless whale carcass of her life, and the grief monster of a shark that is in control of it. She is figuratively barred from happiness and acceptance.

Things aren’t all bad though. With all great tests of character in movies there is always a way to cope with things and find your center again. Nancy, leaving the unsteady and dangerous whale carcass behind, swims to the outcropping after realizing the shore is just too far away. She knows this is not a permanent residence, but it is all she has until she can make it back. She finds safety in it, and even a bit of strength there. But what does it represent in the story?


THE OUTCROPPING

The small outcropping represents her hope. She clings to the hope of getting home and to safety, and as the tide comes in, her hope slowly fades. She must act before she loses it all. But hope is often all that people rely on in times of high stress or despair. Hope can be a barrier to or protection from pain or other negative things that people face. This is evident when the shark has a hard time getting to her when it tries to attack her. The coral on the outcropping has some sort of toxin that hurts the shark when it bites at her. This is hope her hope acting as a protection, keeping the grief at bay - for now.


THE BIRD

On the little outcropping, Nancy has a companion of sorts. A seagull with a broken wing is trapped on the rocks, unable to fly to safety itself. I can’t remember if the bird has its wing broken by the shark or if it is already there on the rocks when Nancy gets there, but either way it is another symbol that has meaning. The bird represents two things.

First, it represents her as the hero of the story. Before we really get into the meat of the movie, we KNOW that Nancy is having a hard time. She is ALREADY injured before she gets attacked by the shark. And just like Steven Seagull, Nancy is dealing with things before she gets stuck on the rocks.

Second, the bird represents her ability to take care of herself and others, which to me was a clear sign that she would survive the whole ordeal. That, and the fact that she is the main character. Because I mean, again, WHO kills off the main character in a movie like that? Just kidding, Rogue One did it. It did that with all six of its protagonists and with the main antagonist even. That’s seven times. SEVEN TIMES.

I’m sure there is more symbolism in this movie, like the buoy or the other surfers, or the drunk guy on the beach or the way the shark dies, but my head hurts and to be honest all this shark imagery is making my thalassophobia act up. Look it up, I promise it is a real word and thing and something I suffer from, despite being far from any ocean.

So, in conclusion, this movie is NOT just about a woman trapped on a rock in the shallows while she evades a shark and tries to not die. It is about a person struggling to repair her broken life and get over her debilitating grief and reclaim control of her aimless and stagnate life. By the end of it all, I think Nancy does just that. And who knows – maybe she was never even ON that island. Maybe the whole ordeal took place in her imagination, and she chose to personify these feelings and problems in these ways we see in the movie. That’d be a real mind explosion.

Thank you for reading my thoughts on this movie. I hope to have more things on here, but don’t hold your breath. Because there is a good chance I will go dark again for another year or whatever and will be WELL over the disappointing aspects of Rogue One and never review it. But, there is a small chance that I will make my next review about it. Who knows at this point?

Here It Comes...

Hello all and welcome back to the blog! Boy howdy it feels like a lifetime since we’ve had the chance to talk. Like a year. It’s been a year. I stink so bad at keeping up with this thing. Which is weird because I have SO MUCH to say about things. I’m so opinionated and mouthy, it’s a wonder I haven’t broken a thumb from pecking out my thoughts on my phone. 

Well, despite what I say, I have things that I plan on talking about here. Hopefully starting soon. I have an editorial coming up tomorrow with hopefully some movie reviews behind that later. As you know, this blog is called infrequent for a reason, so if you really care what I put here you can follow me on Twitter at @TheVoxofLee or just find me on Facebook. I usually am feeling narcissistic there and self-promote there before I post. 

Ok well, until sometime tomorrow, keep your head on straight and remember: THE POWER IS YOURS!

 

Battlefront: Twilight Company

I purchased this book recently and am enjoying it fully. I read books along with the audiobook to have full immersion while reading. This book is a delight to read as well. The characters are unique, their attitudes are relatable, and the settings are very "Star Wars." 

Star Wars Trailer #3 Breakdown

Ok ok ok, in the words of the almighty Matthew McConaughey, "Alright, alright, alright." Let's get to this trailer. I'm gonna just go through it scene by scene so just pretend you're watching, watch it, or go here and follow the screen grabs:

http://imgur.com/a/p1RDg

So I am happy that it starts out on Rey, played by Daisy Ridley. I wanna see her story more than Finn and his, yknow? I'm guessing she's one side of our Luke Skywalker-esque role and Finn is kinda the other half; the "dark side" if you will allow the pun. But she is a very interesting character, namely that I'm hoping she's a Jedi, and I'm hoping she isn't just a "nobody" like she says in the trailer. 

It shows her scavenging in the crashed Star Destroyer from the book "Lost Stars" (read it, it's good), and being sad cause she probably wants to leave Jakku cause it's all sand and we know how Anakin felt about sand from the PT. Love her face, love her accent. It's the accent of a Jedi, in my opinion. 

Next is Finn (John Boyega) and his intro. He was raised to do one thing, meaning he was probably raised in/by the First Order, not enlisted. That's interesting because he may have a past akin to Han Solo who, in the old Legends EU, was in the Empire but later left, much like what Finn here seems to do. So I'm thinking if they keep Han's backstory from the Legends it'll be cool cause he'll have something in common with Finn here.

Next is Kylo Ren (Adam Driver) and his intro, which is one of my favorite parts cause he's, well, he is awesome is what he is. He's looking out at a red...uh, lens flare (JJ Abrams everyone), I guess. I'm guessing this is the Starkiller Base we have heard so little about, firing at...something. He's going to "finish what Vader started," huh? What did Vader start, exactly? Hm, well I doubt Poe Dameron (Oscar Isaac) knows, as it looks like it hurts him to be mind probed with the Force. But we will see. Maybe he's on the toilet and Kylo comes in at the wrong moment, idk. Oh and here's some trees blowing up in a red...um, lens flare again (c'mon JJ), which I'm guessing that's what Kylo was watching. Maybe it's blowing up Endor or something, idk. Bye bye Ewoks, right?

Next is the Falcon flying through the wreckage on Jakku. ABSOLUTELY LOVE THE MUSIC CHOSEN HERE. Honestly the music makes this bit so good. And then we get Rey asking about "stories" from the past, to which Han says, "they're true, all of them. The dark side, the Jedi." Or something like that. This is interesting cause if you think about it, the Jedi were all but a myth by Return of the Jedi, and the Sith were destroyed after that. But the general populace didn't know anything about either, so of course Rey and Finn have no clue or little clue of what they are or were. And here Han was a firsthand witness to both, so he can confirm that yes they are real. Looks like the Falcon has a hologram of planets here, which is cool. 

Quick cuts here. Hyperspace, "This Christmas," and then, BOOM..........the best shot (for me at least): Kylo and six other cloaked and helmeted people in the rain. THE. KNIGHTS. OF. REN. Two guys have staffs (staves?) like Rey, two guys have guns I think, and one guy to the left of Kylo in the back has what looks like a buster sword, like Cloud in FFVII. Guh it's so awesome looking. Oh, and all those dead bodies all around?? What'd you DO, KYLO? WHATS WRONG WITH YOUR FACEEEE?

Some battles ensue, some things blowing up, and then Han, Rey, Finn, and BB-8 walking into a heavily bannered building. One banner in particular is the Mandolorian symbol Boba Fett has on his shoulder armor, so that's cool. I'm guessing this is the pirate bar. Very cool. Cause I'm thinking the chick taking to Rey in this trailer is Maz Kanata (Lupita N'yongo), who is on the poster I think too. Which is cool to finally SEE. 

Things go by in a flash here; Kylos ship, Captain Phasma (Gwendoline Christie) walking, Rey crying (I hope it's over Finn getting a limb hacked off and NOT from anyone dying, but we will see), Han and Chewie and Finn caught and looking surprised at something off-screen (interesting), BB-8 and Poe fighting TIEs on the snow planet, Rey shooting angrily (I'm guessing at Kylo or troopers), Han and Leia hugging while seemingly upset. This shot gives me hope that they're still in love in this film, maybe not married but still in love. That's cloudy as of right now though. 

And finally Finn fighting Kylo, who has his mask off. I was hoping we'd see his face in this one, and I'm hoping he is scarred up a bit. I mean, not that Adam Driver isn't the best looking hunk out there, but I don't want a clean faced hipster dude under a super awesome helmet like his. I want him to have at least one scar. Anyway, Finn has made a huge mistake, and it shows on his face here. Priceless. Can't wait to see that duel. 

All said and done, this raises my hype level to an 11. I'm very happy with the look and feel of it; it feels like Star Wars, and it looks like it too. I'm happy with what I know of the story for sure, and a lot was confirmed in this trailer, as far as what I've been reading of spoilers. But it's gonna be great to actually SEE. Wish I woulda gotten to see Luke in this one, but it's ok. Seeing the Knights of Ren was very cool, so I'm good. I wanna know about EACH ONE of those guys! 

Goo job JJ Abrahams! Can't wait to give you my money!

See you all next time. 

Shameless Self Promotion

For months I have been dark, but I cannot keep my silence any longer. Too many things have come to pass that I feel I MUST comment on. The inner nerd (and the outer one) can keep this vigil no longer. Movies, conspiracies, books, and even television have all seen additions that have made me come out of hibernation to ask you this one, simple question:

There has been an awakening. Have you felt it?

Seriously though, it’s time to return. I decided to take a break from writing this blog, which turned into an extended vacation of sorts. This led to a hiatus, which turned into a pit of loathing and self-deprecation, and a spiraling meltdown of the brain with endless questions of existence. Yes, woe is me. But woe is you too, since you have been without my words and thoughts for a long time. So here we go.

Getting right down to business, the first thing I want to talk about is STAR WARS!

Yes, the long awaited sequel to the original Star Wars trilogy is finally within sight, starting with “The Force Awakens.” It was around three years ago that Disney acquired the popular franchise from the king neckbeard himself, George Lucas. 

Can you believe that the next chapter of the popular space opera is filmed and being readied for consumption as of right this minute? It is truly amazing to think that in my lifetime alone I have seen the dormant OT (Original Trilogy circa 1977-1983) get a revision in the mid-90’s with the Special Edition, then get a PT (Prequel Trilogy, also known as “Utter Crap”), to now having the one of the largest and most widely known companies produce a brand new and fresh addition to the saga coming in December.

I can only imagine how some of you older ones feel, having witnessed the destruction of the dinosaurs and all the other historical events that make you old now seeing your inevitable end creeping closer. Oh, and also there is a new Star Wars for you to scratch your head at and ask, “W-what’s an Ewok?” or “Jabba the What?”

There are now three trailers out for this movie (which are each equally hype inducing), several books and comics to lead us through this “Journey to the Force Awakens,” and a television show that his bridging the gap between the PT and the OT, called “Star Wars Rebels.” I believe I have commented on this show in the past, and let me tell you, I was wrong.

“Star Wars Rebels” is in fact a pretty good show. Freddie Prinz Jr. doesn’t ruin any part of the show, and that stupid Ezra kid, while still stupid, isn’t as Jar Jar Binks as he initially came off as being. I could not have been farther from the truth with my initial feelings about the show. I has all the story and heart as the original movies do, with some twists and action elements that keep the viewer wanting to find out what happens. It is worth a look at, if you were wondering.

Secondly, I would like to switch gears and talk about one of the projects I have been working on for a few years now. It is a comic book that a friend and I have developed and will be released in December. It is called “The Red Hand.” You may have heard me talk about it either here on the blog or some other medium, but I assure you it IS a real thing that IS going to come out very soon.

Without giving the entire plot away, the basics of the story are as follows:

There is a man.

That is pretty much it. Thanks for reading my blog and may the force be with you!

I’m just joshing you, guy. Pffsh. 

The story is about a man named Matt Walker, a divorced father of one who works for a company that develops new tech and armor for the military. After a tragic death in his family, he sets out to bring justice to the one who caused it, and along the way unravels a mystery that is too big for anyone to ignore. Using prototype armor from the company he works for, he goes on a vigilante mission to find the man responsible for the death that cut him to the core and forced him to become the Red Hand. But far from being a superhero with powers or special abilities, Matt must fight his way through gangsters and thugs, all while battling his inner turmoil at losing a beloved family member.

Obviously there is more to the story than that. There are other characters and things that happen, but that is essentially it. The first page will be released in December, followed by the next page later in the week, or possibly the week after. Depending on how it all comes together we may do a bi-weekly release, rather than a weekly one. But the first issue is going to be kind of a trial-and-error process that will help us not only gauge the interest in the story but also gather other info that will help us as we release more. But we are excited and eager to show you all.

Expect more from me very soon here on the blog. I already have my breakdown of the newest Star Wars trailer, so look forward to that. But that is all for this edition of Night Rider. Stay tuned to see me in a clown costume bring new meaning to the phrase, “jump the shark.” Just like the Fonz did. Ayyyyyyyy. 

So long, jerks!