The Take

The Electric State, Netflix’s astoundingly expensive new movie starring Millie Bobby Brown and Chris Pratt, managed to take a very interesting concept and… ruin it. Though it technically has all of the parts that should, at the very least, make for a watchable big budget flick – star power, good visual effects, etc. – nothing about this movie seems to work. And in that, it’s ended up becoming the exact thing it was meant to skewer. So, what all went wrong with The Electric State? Why did The Electric State get such bad reviews? (And what’s up with that ending??) Let’s take a closer look…

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Of all of the characters on Community, Britta Perry had the weirdest – and in many people’s eyes worst – arcs on the show. Starting out as the tough as nails idealist, over the show’s run she turned into someone that at times felt almost unrecognizable… But if we take a closer look at Britta’s story, we see that she isn’t the worst – and her journey actually makes a surprising amount of sense! So, why was Britta… the way that she was? And what made us love her anyway?

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While awards season always has its fair share of ups and downs, some have begun noticing that a very particular trend seems to be happening with recent Best Actress Oscar winners – namely Mikey Madison for Anora and Emma Stone for Poor Things. But… it’s actually not a new trend at all – but instead seems to be a resurgence of an old school problem. So, is it actually a signifier of a problematic shift backwards, or just a bit of coincidence? Let’s take a closer look at these roles, the larger context, and what it all really means!

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Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy is the brand new installment in the story of the beloved heroine. While everyone was initially excited to hear that there would be a fourth movie in the series, its release has seemingly not had the mega-romcom sparkle we might have imagined. So, what’s really going on with the film? Why is there an age gap romance? Why is it so sad?! (And… why did the studio fumble what should have been a big hit?)  Let’s unpack all of that, plus analyze the actually important message the movie and series as a whole is trying to send, and what the ending really means!

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We’re so often told to be nice, to try to meet everyone with kindness even when they aren’t kind to us. But sometimes… being a hater is the right answer. Superstar Kendrick Lamar has been running a masterclass on the power of strategic hate, culminating in his showstopping performance headlining this year’s Superbowl Halftime. And his success, and the collective enjoyment of it, is a sign of a larger shift of people no longer being willing to play nice with people who wish to do harm to us and our communities. So let’s take a closer look at what we can learn from Kenrick and other world class strategic haters.

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Awards darling Emilia Pérez has been getting a lot of attention since it made a splash at Cannes – but in addition to all of the accolades (including 13 Oscar nominations,) the film has been mired in controversy its entire run. Surprisingly, it hasn’t just been the type of backlash everyone might have expected (though there has, unfortunately, been some of that as well.) So, what really has so many people who should be the target audience upset with the film? Let’s unpack all of that, and how it’s part of a much bigger problem in Hollywood…

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Anora analysis and ending explained, unpacking the controversy around the film, & shining light on the truth about "Cinderella Stories"

Anora, Sean Baker’s new film starring Mikey Madison, has been getting heaps of praise since it won the Palme d’Or at Cannes. It takes a new look at a very old profession via a careening few days in the life of a vibrant young woman, and attempts to confront some very harsh realities about her and all of our lives. But some have questioned if it really manages to subvert those old cliches… So let’s take a deeper look at the film to figure out what it all really means.

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The looming possibility of a TikTok Ban in the US has been causing chaos online – but the problem is actually a lot deeper than just the loss of a random social media app. It’s easy to brush off the TikTok ban since, to many, it’s just seen as a goofy app for annoying youths, but it’s actually part of a long history of using popular media – and our access to it – as a means of control. Looking at the ban within the larger context of history can provide us with a better framework with which to engage with it, and possibly even some hope for the future…

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Go to http://zocdoc.com/thetake to find and book a top-rated doctor today.💍 Unpacking First Wife Tropes, First Wife Syndrome, and the First Wives who are taking back their power

The first wife trope on screen often sees married woman learning that her marriage was just her husband’s trial run, and now he’s moving on to someone else (who he often plans to treat a lot better.) Being the “first wife” was long seen as a major loss – but in recent decades many have started turning it into a win. Let’s dig into this trope to learn more about who the First Wife is on screen, how she’s taking back control, and why being first might not always be such a bad thing in the end.

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Being the ‘baby’ of the family is usually seen as a major win, scoring you all of the attention and none of the consequences. But it turns out that being the youngest sibling isn’t always sunshine and rainbows. For all of the many positives that can come with being the youngest, there are also some surprising downsides that don’t get talked about nearly as often. So let’s take a deeper look at Youngest Child Syndrome in movies and tv versus real life to get a better understanding of the full reality – good and bad – of being the last born child.

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