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The Strain-ger Talk: Sn 2, Ep. 5 “Quick And Painless” Recap

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Welcome to The Strain-ger Talk, where each week we breakdown and discuss this week’s new episode of FX’s The Strain. We will be going over major plot points, the game plan from both sides of the upcoming war, best action moments, new types of vampires, and of course the Tongue-Punch of the Week! If you missed last week’s talk then CLICK HERE! Now a lot of drama happened this week that we need to cover, so without further ado, lets talk some Strainge!

*MAJOR SPOILERS AHEAD! IF YOU DO NOT WANT THIS EPISODE SPOILED THEN STOP READING*

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Breakdown:

This week it is all about The Feelers! The episode opened with Councilwoman’s strike force working through an apartment building, moving people and picking off Strigori as the clear each room. They are very organized as the clear the rooms, until one of them stumbles on one of The Feelers. The action that takes place in the apartment is great and I will discuss the opening in more detail in the Action Scene of the Week. But one of the great part of this entire sequence is not only showing how much ass The Feelers can kick, but it also shows what the strike force know about their enemy. They do not know about UV or silver harming them, but that doesn’t stop them from blowing their heads off. They also don’t know how the infection spreads. At the end of the sequence one of the get bite in the leg by a Feeler. In a very heartbreaking moment he states “At least I didn’t get hit in the neck.”

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Poor guy never stood a chance.

While we as an audience know that it doesn’t matter where you are bitten, the scene showcases how little everyone outside of Eph’s group knows about the Strigori. As the epidemic spreads and more people sep up and out of the victim role, its good to see their stories comes to light in the series. Luckily, their team is about to get a crash course on Strigoris.

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Ooooooouuuuuuuuch

Last week I talked about how Eph’s group and the Councilwoman need to band together in order to take on the Strigori threat, and this week they delivered. I was wondering how they were gonna bring the two groups together after Fet was violently arrested. Nora and Dutch bail Fet out of jail with the promise to share what they know about the enemy and infections. This is great as the group has a lot of knowledge, but little resources while the Councilwoman has a lot of resources, but little knowledge on the Strigori. The team up shows its benefits from the start as Nora reduces their detention of possible infected people from 72hrs to 1-2hrs by showing them that the worms show up on UV light. As she shares this knowledge with the Councilwoman were are treated to a scene that shows both women dealing with death. Nora, who in the first season couldn’t kill her best friend who became infected, pulls the plug on the Councilwoman’s nephew as she is unable to cope with doing it herself. This shows a lot has changed in Nora, as she doesn’t even question taking his life stating that he would want to go as a human. Perhaps all the carnage or experimenting on people finally got to her. Whether this makes her stronger or shows how broken she has become has yet to be shown. She is ready to put aside emotions to what is needed, hopefully not at th cost of her humanity. Meanwhile, the Councilwoman is going to have to confront these same dilemmas as the show continues if her goal of taking the city back continues.

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The other side of this new alliance has Fet and Dutch joining the strike force to show them other ways of killing the Strigori and joining them on a hunt. They show them how silver hurts the Strigori with their fancy nail guns which leaves the strike force unimpressed. After Fet takes out a Feeler in the wall using only his rebar, we are treated to the THE RETURN OF THE GLITTER BOMB! I loved this device when it was introduced a few episodes ago and am beyond excited that it makes a return this week in one of the best ways possible. After Fet finds a group of Strigori at the bottom of an elevator shaft, Dutch unleashes a glitter storm that would make any strip club jealous. This scene is great as the last time we saw this device used it was used in a defensive manner. But here, it is used to fully kill a large group in a small space. Great stuff.

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Also in this episode we see Eph put his plan to goes to DC to try and weaponize his “cure.” He goes out and gets new ids for Nora, himself, and Zach because outside of New York, he is still a wanted fugitive who has been all over the news. Nora and Zach convince him that they can’t go with him as they would give away his identity too quickly. Eph eventually recognizes that bringing them would put all three of them at risk and so he goes solo. But not before he shaves his head!

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RIP Corey Stoll’s wig.

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Welcome back Corey Stoll!

This is a big moment, if only for everyone who ever complained about Stoll’s wig. To be honest, it never bothered me. Sure it threw me off because I was use to him being bald from House of Cards, but that was only for the first few minutes of the pilot. Leaving the city was not going to be easy for Eph, he would have to get through the heavily guarded borders where almost everyone knows his face, but his new look and id were enough to get by. That is until he is on the train and spots his former boss, Barnes.

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Fuck.

He immediately recognizes Eph and trie to reason with him stating that he can be trusted and wouldn’t mess with Eph’s plans in DC. Eph doesn’t trust him and proceeds to try and run. I was temped to use their fight scene as the action sequence of the week, as it was one of the more realistic fights scenes I have seen on TV. Both characters are people who have had little to no fighting training who are put into a fight or flight situation, and it shows. The fighting is sloppy and brutal. Ultimately it ends with Eph throwing Barnes off the train. But before he does, Barnes makes it clear that he is working for The Master and states that Eph is on the wrong side of things. Corey Stoll says that Eph throwing Barnes off the train was an accident and it was in self defense, but I didn’t think it was. Either way, Eph has killed his first human. This will ultimately push his character in a new direction, most likely further down the bottles of liquor he has been so fond of lately.

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“I can feel it, coming in the air tonight.”

On the other side of the war, we see Palmer and Coco get a bit closer as they treat themselves to a nice dinner. This scene is a bit boring, but it does show two things. Palmer is talks to a Bishop who hints that they might have found what he was looking for, hinting that it might be the book Abraham has been searching for for years. Two, Palmer states that the rich have the luxury of denial, as shown with the lavish dinning they are enjoying while the rest of the city is in chaos. I love how the show presents classism in this pre-apocalyptic environment, and this is one of the best examples of it. After a nice meal, Palmer and Coco return to his office for a night cap and dance as a building burns in the background. This scene was weird and felt a bit unnecessary, except for the fact that it shows Coco becoming more corrupted by Palmer. Her character always seemed to be on the fence of good vs. evil and now it seems she has given into Palmer’s plan. Boy there was a lot of sexual tension in this scene.

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I don’t care how young you are or how many guns you have. YOU DO NOT FUCK WITH SETRAKIAN!

Abraham Setrakian had a big week as well. He visited our favorite dealer of all things bad on his quest for the Occido Lumens. This lead may or may not lead to the ancient book, but ultimately Abraham proves yet again to be a badass and gains the respect of the gangsters to, at least, enlist their paid help in finding the book. Either way, they seem to have a decent lead on the book and hopefully they are right as this season is starting to ramp up as we reach the half way point. Abraham is also visited by Fitzwilliam, who agrees to help him out in his efforts. I am glad Fitzwilliam is onboard with Abraham’s plans to take on Palmer and The Master, but did it really need to take three episodes to do this? They are really drawing out his story this season.

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Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood of The Strigori

The episode ends with the introduction of a hooded Strigori known only as Quinlan. Fans of the book will recognize him and know how much of a badass he is, so this introduction brought much joy to fans. Even if you haven’t read the books, this is a awesome introduction to a character that Guillermo Del Toro has stated in the past to be his favorite of the series. I am really glad this character didn’t get a soft introduction like others have gotten through out this season. I look forward to see what they do with this great character this season and if you watch the preview for the next episode, you know he will be off to a good start.

Zach’s Freakout of the Week:

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He, actually didn’t have one. His interactions with the others were pretty well grounded. When Eph tried taking him to DC he mentioned not leaving without his mother, but it felt genuine. He reactions were granted, even if the motivation behind them were a bit off. Are they hitting a stride with Zach now? I hope so. Zach is still a big character in the show. I hope they make him fit better into the show and this week’s episode might be the starting point.

Fet’s Badass Moment of the Week:

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“Just because I said I could hear you through the walls, doesn’t mean I want to join you and your wife Mr. Thompson!!!”

Fet continues to kick so much ass, it was hard to decide on what moment was the best from him this week. Was it him taking on a Feeler in the walls? Nope. Was it him and Dutch interacting with the strike force after being bailed? Nope. His most badass moment is when we see him getting bailed out of jail. This charismatic vampire ass kicker was beaten and jailed last episode leaving us with the feeling that he is doomed. The next time we see him, he is just chilling and playing cards with his fellow detainees. Bravo Fet. Bravo.

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Way to spoil the fun police man.

Tongue-Punch of the Week:

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This weeks tongue-punch goes to the little Feeler who caught the swat member. This is a first in Tongue-Punch of the Week history that the punch didn’t land on the neck, instead it got him right in the leg. This entire scene first plays out like typical creepy kid scenarios we have seen in horror films dozens of times, but the tongue-punch brought it to a brutal level. This was of course quickly followed by the Feeler jumping up on the walls, adding another level of WTFness to these little bastards.

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Best Action Sequence of the Week:

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The best action sequence will be two this week. Both scenes take place in the apartment building against the same foe, even if they are separated in the episode, one is a continuation of the other. And man they rule. The show takes full advantage of combining Dutch/Fet’s street smarts with the strike force’s precision and organized methods. Both scenes are chaotic, brutal, but still have time for bit of humor. Its a great reminder that there is still a war being fought on the streets, especially when put into contrast with Palmer and Eph’s stories.

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Final Thoughts:

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This is one of the most solid episodes this season, and even the entire series, has produced. Everything is starting to come together, the show still expand its mythology, and their is some great character development amongst the chaos. The action and drama were on point this week and everyone seemed to be at the top of their game with this episode. Almost every character in this episode had a big part and showed some great depth, almost none were wasted. Hopefully next week we will see more of Gus and his new wrestling friend, maybe even have Kelly find Zach. I’m glad to see Zach being used in productive way this week, as they seemed to be struggling with him over the last few weeks. Quinlan looks to be one awesome character and will be a great addition to the show. I can’t wait to see what happens in the next episode.

What did you think of this episode?  Do you agree with me or think I am wrong? Let us know in the comments and we will see you next week with “Identity.”

Next Week Preview:

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More Screen Shots:

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Brad Dourif Says He’s Retiring Except For One Important Role

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Brad Dourif has been doing movies for nearly 50 years. Now it seems he is walking away from the industry at 74 to enjoy his golden years. Except, there is a caveat.

Recently, digital entertainment publication JoBlo’s Tyler Nichols talked to some of the Chucky television series cast members. During the interview, Dourif made an announcement.

“Dourif said that he’s retired from acting,” says Nichols. “The only reason he came back for the show was because of his daughter Fiona and he considers Chucky creator Don Mancini to be family. But for non-Chucky stuff, he considers himself retired.”

Dourif has voiced the possessed doll since 1988 (minus the 2019 reboot). The original movie “Child’s Play” has become such a cult classic it’s at the top of some people’s best chillers of all time. Chucky himself is ingrained in pop culture history much like Frankenstein or Jason Voorhees.

While Dourif may be known for his famous voiceover, he is also an Oscar-nominated actor for his part in One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest. Another famous horror role is The Gemini Killer in William Peter Blatty’s Exorcist III. And who can forget Betazoid Lon Suder in Star Trek: Voyager?

The good news is that Don Mancini is already pitching a concept for season four of Chucky which might also include a feature-length movie with a series tie-in. So, Although Dourif says he is retiring from the industry, ironically he is Chucky’s friend till the end.

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Editorial

7 Great ‘Scream’ Fan Films & Shorts Worth a Watch

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The Scream franchise is such an iconic series, that many budding filmmakers take inspiration from it and make their own sequels or, at least, build upon the original universe created by screenwriter Kevin Williamson. YouTube is the perfect medium to showcase these talents (and budgets) with fan-made homages with their own personal twists.

The great thing about Ghostface is that he can appear anywhere, in any town, he just needs the signature mask, knife, and unhinged motive. Thanks to Fair Use laws it’s possible to expand upon Wes Craven’s creation by simply getting a group of young adults together and killing them off one by one. Oh, and don’t forget the twist. You’ll notice that Roger Jackson’s famous Ghostface voice is uncanny valley, but you get the gist.

We have gathered five fan films/shorts related to Scream that we thought were pretty good. Although they can’t possibly match the beats of a $33 million blockbuster, they get by on what they have. But who needs money? If you’re talented and motivated anything is possible as proven by these filmmakers who are well on their way to the big leagues.

Take a look at the below films and let us know what you think. And while you’re at it, leave these young filmmakers a thumbs up, or leave them a comment to encourage them to create more films. Besides, where else are you going to see Ghostface vs. a Katana all set to a hip-hop soundtrack?

Scream Live (2023)

Scream Live

Ghostface (2021)

Ghostface

Ghost Face (2023)

Ghost Face

Don’t Scream (2022)

Don’t Scream

Scream: A Fan Film (2023)

Scream: A Fan Film

The Scream (2023)

The Scream

A Scream Fan Film (2023)

A Scream Fan Film
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Movies

Another Creepy Spider Movie Hits Shudder This Month

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Good spider films are a theme this year. First, we had Sting and then there was Infested. The former is still in theaters and the latter is coming to Shudder starting April 26.

Infested has been getting some good reviews. People are saying that it’s not only a great creature feature but also a social commentary on racism in France.

According to IMDb: Writer/director Sébastien Vanicek was looking for ideas around the discrimination faced by black and Arab-looking people in France, and that led him to spiders, which are rarely welcome in homes; whenever they’re spotted, they’re swatted. As everyone in the story (people and spiders) is treated like vermin by society, the title came to him naturally.

Shudder has become the gold standard for streaming horror content. Since 2016, the service has been offering fans an expansive library of genre movies. in 2017, they began to stream exclusive content.

Since then Shudder has become a powerhouse in the film festival circuit, buying distribution rights to movies, or just producing some of their own. Just like Netflix, they give a film a short theatrical run before adding it to their library exclusively for subscribers.

Late Night With the Devil is a great example. It was released theatrically on March 22 and will begin streaming on the platform starting April 19.

While not getting the same buzz as Late Night, Infested is a festival favorite and many have said if you suffer from arachnophobia, you might want to take heed before watching it.

Infested

According to the synopsis, our main character, Kalib is turning 30 and dealing with some family issues. “He’s fighting with his sister over an inheritance and has cut ties with his best friend. Fascinated by exotic animals, he finds a venomous spider in a shop and brings it back to his apartment. It only takes a moment for the spider to escape and reproduce, turning the whole building into a dreadful web trap. The only option for Kaleb and his friends is to find a way out and survive.”

The film will be available to watch on Shudder starting April 26.

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