A look at the Feb 13 announcement that was to "impact the nation" but really was just showboating hype and distraction.

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A look at how writers deliberately layer lots and lots of plot to make it seem like the story is smart and you're not.

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A quasi third part in my AI Villain Origin Story...a look at how cynical AI rectified the cynicism of old Hollywood and a shafted franchise.

Unifcation Short Film: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mgOZFny7F50

Previous Generations episode 55: https://cynema-85.pinecast.co/episode/156a9a21a54e4a9a/ep-55-kirk-picard-cynema-

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I follow up on my turning to The Dark Side.

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Backlash to a recent AI video I put up for fun got me thinking harder about AI tech and where this is all going...and it's not good. Or is it?

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There's a difference between nostalgia, fan service and just plain laziness. Beetlejuice 2 walks that line.

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A look at the trendy "I was so traumatized by this" online trend and why it's not good for our entertainment.

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No hate, just critical thinking on the Alien boxoffice smash that gets face hugged with nostalgia.

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A look at trailer "leaks" and the cynical studio practice of drumming up hype. Spider-Man: No Way Home defines a new wave of marketing while denying it is doing that very thing. It's pure Cynema.

Articles: The Direct.com Spider-Man Trailer Analysis: https://thedirect.com/article/spider-man-3-no-way-home-tobey-maguire-andrew-garfield-leaks-explained

Screen Rant Star Trek Into Darkness: https://screenrant.com/benicio-del-toro-star-trek-2-villain-khan/

Google Search Page on Leak History: https://www.google.com/search?q=timeline+of+spider+man+no+way+home+leaks&sxsrf=AOaemvKV6hMy3ErLYQzqvV3uNC7oy-MeSQ%3A1639058005247&source=hp&ei=VQqyYbzgC63RytMP68mFUA&iflsig=ALs-wAMAAAAAYbIYZWV0h5lRXQkKo1PZ05TXNw_t26XE&ved=0ahUKEwj83qnx7tb0AhWtqHIEHetkAQoQ4dUDCAg&uact=5&oq=timeline+of+spider+man+no+way+home+leaks&gs_lcp=Cgdnd3Mtd2l6EAMyCAghEBYQHRAeMggIIRAWEB0QHjIICCEQFhAdEB4yCAghEBYQHRAeMggIIRAWEB0QHjIICCEQFhAdEB4yCAghEBYQHRAeMggIIRAWEB0QHjIICCEQFhAdEB4yCAghEBYQHRAeOgcIIxDqAhAnOgQIIxAnOg4ILhCABBCxAxDHARCjAjoLCAAQgAQQsQMQgwE6EQguEIAEELEDEIMBEMcBENEDOg4ILhCABBCxAxDHARDRAzoICAAQgAQQsQM6CAguEIAEELEDOgsILhCABBCxAxCDAToFCAAQsQM6BQgAEIAEOggIABCABBDJAzoFCAAQkgM6CwguEIAEEMcBEK8BOgYIABAWEB5Q_wRYwDFg5jJoAXAAeACAAXiIAdkckgEEMzEuOZgBAKABAbABCg&sclient=gws-wiz

We finally got our Ghostbusters 3 and sure enough the Internet is awash in anger. This episode posits that maybe, just maybe this "anger" is nothing more than displaced grief. SPOILERS AHEAD!

The abuse of due process is clear in the wake of the Brian Laundrie, Gabby Petito case. The bigger picture is a warning for all of us.

It's All About Me Part2: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ep-108-its-all-about-me-part-2/id1472545207?i=1000536408087

Longer John Walsh Interview: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3VkV5bpwZto

John Walsh says Laundrie should "off himself." https://www.newsnationnow.com/video/john-walsh-says-brian-laundrie-should-off-himself-banfield/7011354/

Dog the Bounty Hunter https://nypost.com/2021/09/30/dog-the-bounty-hunter-teases-new-reality-show-while-hunting-brian-laundrie/

Variety Dog the Bounty Hunter https://variety.com/2021/tv/news/dog-the-bounty-hunter-duane-chapman-brian-laundrie-manhunt-tv-series-1235077177/

Halloween Kills has a message about mob mentality & us being monsters. Recent online reaction by fans & opposing views underscore this. An examination of this and a full on, supported REVIEW of the latest installment. SPOILERS AHEAD!

Previous episodes that underscore my points in greater detail:

The Relevance of Monsters: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ep-72-the-relevance-of-monsters/id1472545207?i=1000499740095

We Need To Talk About Michael: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ep-26-halloween-then-now-and-when/id1472545207?i=1000459678571

Halloween: Then, Now and When: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ep-26-halloween-then-now-and-when/id1472545207?i=1000459678571

The normalization of sexualization gave us Britney Spears. A look at the collective guilt everyone bears in a world that now sees the destruction of a human life as public entertainment and the person as a commodity.

Links: Download Anna Watkins Fisher's brilliant analysis on Spears and Weaponized Entertainment: http://www.annawatkinsfisher.com/uploads/2/1/6/7/21677368/4077_001.pdf

Cynema EP 47: The Assassination of Tara Reid https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ep-47-the-assassination-of-tara-reid/id1472545207?i=1000473404274

Cynema Episode 34: Easy Access https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ep-34-easy-access/id1472545207?i=1000465094353

South Park Episode: Britney's New Look https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kje45uH92ZI

The media continues its push to fuse journalism with entertainment and we are all the collateral damage of this campaign. A look at how the recent Gabby Petito incident underscores a major cynical trend toward dangerous and uninformed ends that further divides us as a society.

Links: Sylvia Browne Professional Psychic Bullshit Artist: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zKyzBe0CA2Q

EP 36: It's All About Me Part 1: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ep-36-its-all-about-me/id1472545207?i=1000466410149

EP 27: The Pronouns of Fandom https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ep-27-the-pronouns-of-fandom/id1472545207?i=1000460345178

A Twitter thread discussion on James Wan's recent horror offering, Malignant inspired this episode. I watched as a tribal, "you must be on one side of the discussion, and it's our side," conversation play out on the social media platform. A look as to why critical thinking and not blind fandom is imperative in demanding better of not just our entertainment but our lives and society as well.

Please reference my previous episodes: EP 81: Designer Horror EP 2: Jaws the Worst EP: 26: Halloween: Then, When and Now? EP27: The Pronouns of Fandom EP 7: Critical Thinking

Cynema is about demanding better. This episode looks at the recent Netflix deal with a Tik Tok "star" and the resources wasted on Adam Sandler's "Hubie Halloween" and Tom Green's "Freddie Got Fingered." Did they really waste incredible amounts of money to just prove a point?

A follow up to EP 104 announcing a horror book project I am writing. Here is how you can be part of it by sharing your memories of films I have selected. I am not looking for reviews, but rather the memories of seeing these films: where, when, who was with you & the impact on you. My list will be on my Twitter timeline.

Email your name and title of film in subject line to: Cynema85@gmail.com

A look as to why horror is personal and how YOU can be part of a new horror project I have starting up.

Also a nice shout out to Bruce Markusen's "Hosted Horror On Television" book. Buy it here: https://www.amazon.com/Hosted-Horror-Television-Creature-Features/dp/1476684618/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1RU2U16BTFHEM&dchild=1&keywords=hosted+horror+on+television&qid=1629475716&sprefix=hosted+horror%2Caps%2C157&sr=8-1

Blumhouse has announced three new "Exorcist" sequels. Not remakes, reboots or reimagining--sequels and Twitter got all lit up about it. I was asked my opinion but my reply was not a simple, one size fits all answer. As horror buffs, have a listen, let's hear what you think. Is it all a cynical cash grab? Let's find out.

Building off EP 101, a look at the absolute Cynema of Independence Day 2. Next to Jaws the Revenge, a film that embodies Hollywood cynical filmmaking.

Link to article: https://www.npr.org/2021/07/08/1014095135/barry-diller-headed-2-hollywood-studios-he-now-says-the-movie-business-is-dead

Is Hollywood and Movie Making really over? What does that mean and most of all who called the time of death? A look at how major studio execs who looked after themselves, kept it business as usual and did little to nothing to embrace the burgeoning streaming technology that would change everything.

My upcoming monster movie, releasing this fall has a unique teen cast and I took this milestone episode to mark their first official interview. Peter Cote, Selina Flanscha, Oliver Givens, Riley Sullivan, Emma Lim and Asher Ruppert share their thoughts and views on coming from obscurity to a major feature film overnight and toward the end their views on films they deem to be "Cynema" and...reveal their dark secret. And more!

Recorded over Skype. Please forgive audio fluctuations.

My upcoming monster movie drops some exclusive audio clips as I discuss fighting the odds in getting this movie made against a global pandemic and the cynical belief the indie film industry "is over." Stay tuned for EP 100!

Ed Wood was not the worst filmmaker nor was Plan 9 the worst film ever. Fight me. How Cynema comes to his defense.

Collider Abrams Article: https://collider.com/jj-abrams-star-wars-sequel-trilogy-plan-comments/

A hero's journey from Jaws 2, through Halloween, Friday the 13th and the Jaws franchises to how it all ties with "Star Wars" and the recent admission by Abrams that Disney didn't really have a plan for the sequels.

The final installment of my limited series examining whether the horror genre needs Oscar and Academy validation.

A further look into the question of horror needing validation through The Academy and its awards. Get beyond Freddy, Jason and Michael and know your horror history. My views on certain early day films and performers that deserved the golden statue.

The first part of a limited series looking at the latest call for Oscar recognition to the horror genre. Is it warranted? This episode looks at The Oscars and industry itself and it isn't the best picture...

Hindsight is always 20/20. It's also a kick in the pants. A look at how I ignored great advice and opportunity to pursue the easier, cynical path that led me astray of the early, crucial years of career. Lee knew and I ignored his words.

Links for this episode:

Dread Central Horror Series: https://www.dreadcentral.com/editorials/368171/swimming-upstream-filmmaker-harrisons-smith-horror-journey-part-1/

Mad Monster Party, My 1st "feature film": https://vimeo.com/316962105

The recent nostalgia rush for places like Blockbuster video ignore the undercurrents and context of the time. Should Blockbuster be mourned? Before you say "yes," listen to this account that draws the comparison of the early years of film to the early days of fast food. A quasi second part to EP 24 "Consuming Cynema." There were no "good 'ole days." It's a lie we tell ourselves.

We are being dumbed down and "Godzilla vs. Kong" shows audiences are perfectly fine with in their appeal for more of this.

Important links: https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/godzilla-vs-kong-raises-nonsense-201556319.html

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IOA6G5PhnRM&t=3s

https://mashable.com/2015/12/23/force-awakens-is-no-remake/

"Excuse me, but isn't that why we watch monster movies? Just to see big monsters fight?" No. This episode argues the need for solid human stories in these kind of films and the disturbing continuance of "lowest common denominator" filmmaking and the dumbing down of our entertainment.

Godzilla Clip referenced: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yQTar_kGjZY

99% SPOILER FREE! Is there something else going on at the studio level? A pattern seems to be developing in creating studio cuts but knowing there is a better cut still left behind for later release. In the wake of "The Snyder Cut" something is indeed going on...circumstantially. I use "Godzilla vs. Kong" as an example.

Two links that support my thoughts: https://www.theatlantic.com/culture/archive/2021/03/godzilla-vs-kong/618472/ https://www.vox.com/22356444/godzilla-kong-review

Was the beloved mob series an overrated, cynical, yet well done mob family drama or was it something more? I support my main hypotheses that The Soprano's just might be the greatest TV series of all time, but also the most existential.

An examination of Tobe Hooper's "Lifeforce" and how it pertains to the unstable concept of matching low budget filmmakers with large studio budgets. The results are less disasters than they are mediocre. Also a look at the Hooper vs. Spielberg "Poltergeist" debate.

Bloody Disgusting Link: https://bloody-disgusting.com/movie/3447116/tobe-hooper-pretended-direct-poltergeist-steven-spielberg/

Is there a cynical side to extended universes that really means nothing more than a fancier term for "franchise?" A look at the indifference met with the announcement of a new Star Trek film and why this applies to other major franchises.

Low budget doesn't mean it has to suck. How we made The Special by following John Carpenter's advice and ensuring you respect your cast, crew and audience to deliver the best product you can no matter what size the budget.

Online and print horror magazines are not just entertainment. They have been and continue to be valuable resources, educational tools and primers that need the support to stay alive and continuing to educate burgeoning filmmakers. My career is indebted to them past and present.

MY DREAD CENTRAL SERIES: https://www.dreadcentral.com/editorials/368171/swimming-upstream-filmmaker-harrisons-smith-horror-journey-part-1/

Squirmles commercial: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bVSrLG2wf6U

Martin Scorsese triggered the Marvel-Superhero movie fanboys with another appeal to understand film, art and film history that defines a difference between art, film and "content." A look at Hollywood's real, cynical desire to find its "fountain of youth," "holy grail" and hitting the perfect algorithm for box office success.

Scorsese article: https://www.indiewire.com/2021/02/martin-scorsese-streaming-lack-of-curation-1234617241/

Is recasting an iconic role with a new actor an "error" or artistic expression? What is the difference between genuine filmmaking, narrative errors and just lazy? A look at several cases inspired by some great Twitter conversation on the topic.

The 1990s gave us an unusual sub-genre that focused on style over substance while delivering superior and slick production values as horror met middle school mainstream...

Over analysis and over zealous focus on trivial details have created a need to deconstruct movie magic, and create a cynical attitude toward filmmaking and film appreciation. Listen why.

A look at how cynicism plays into the remakes of both Godzilla 1998 and Kong 1976 and does it mean anything for the upcoming Godzilla vs. Kong?

If you believe the election was stolen, PIzzagate is real, Congressional child trafficking is real, the Deep State got Trump, this podcast is for you. The problem is...you won't listen to it and there are some very important questions to be asked of you because it's not about changing your minds.

A look at a somewhat new kind of entertainment Cynema that goes back to Amityville and maybe beyond. Regardless The Internet has created a hybrid hoax and it's dangerous stuff.

Part Two that looks at the real issues plaguing the studio and theatrical systems. Links to referenced data: http://horrorfuel.com/interview/big-apes-big-cynema http://horrorfuel.com/interview/cynema-godzilla-vs-gino https://www.rottentomatoes.com/guides/best_remakes_50_years_50_movies http://movies.about.com/od/toppicks/tp/worst-remakes.htm http://bloody-disgusting.com/news/11656/the-15-worst-horror-remakes-of-all-time/ http://www.statisticbrain.com/attention-span-statistics/ https://usatoday30.usatoday.com/news/education/2005-03-30-kids-attention_x.htm http://blogs.indiewire.com/criticwire/millennials-and-old-movies http://articles.latimes.com/2012/jul/14/entertainment/la-ca-film-novelty-20120715

Has COVID ruined theatrical distribution and our movie-going experience? Will streaming replace a night out? A look at the problems theaters had way before COVID and also the product we are consuming and where it's all heading in this first of a two part episode.

A listener suggested episode looking at the slippery, cynical slope toward censorship under the guise of protecting us from ourselves.

Links: https://www.salon.com/2020/10/28/horror-movies-good-for-health-pandemic-stress-fear-anxiety-coping/

https://vocal.media/horror/reasons-why-horror-movies-are-good-for-your-health

https://www.scoopwhoop.com/horror-movie-health-benefits/

https://www.cnn.com/2016/10/28/health/fear-can-be-healthy/index.html

https://www.tor.com/2014/05/29/why-horror-is-good-for-you-and-even-better-for-your-kids/

Few remember the third installment into a surprising "franchise" that was "Porky's." There's a reason for that.

Have 80s monsters changed with the times? Can the old franchises survive beyond their nostalgic demographics? A look at the cynicism that plagued Universal's classic monsters as times changed and now affect the fate of five of our favorite 80s characters.

Link: https://io9.gizmodo.com/why-expanded-universes-are-important-1504560144 Did Universal aim for entertainment or just to copy Disney's money-making machine with the MCU? The origins of the expanded universe from the 1930s and how it went off the rails through history and studio mishandling.

Link to my original early 80s "SpedWoman" films: https://vimeo.com/316614671

Video link to the actual 8th grade film: https://vimeo.com/316962105

See McMansion hell at Kate Wagner's site: https://mcmansionhell.com/

Notes go here

Find Hilton at: www.zombiewithashotgun.com @HiltonARuiz @ZombieWAShotgun

Read the Cynema blog here: http://horrorfuel.com/2016/01/11/friday-the-13th-gets-lucky/

Read the blog here: http://horrorfuel.com/2015/08/12/when-filmmakers-strike-back/

Read the "Slack Jaw Punks" review of "Camp Dread here: https://slackjawpunks.com/movie-review-camp-dread/