Latest / Nashville Movie Dispatch / Vick's Flicks, Ep. 181: Exit 8

Transcript

Vick's Flicks, Ep. 181: Exit 8 · Nashville Movie Dispatch

• 0:03
  Speaker 1: Welcome back to a brand new vix Flicks podcast. This
• 0:10
  Speaker 1: is a solo one. This is actually an extra one
• 0:13
  Speaker 1: because we have another one coming out next week dealing
• 0:16
  Speaker 1: with Steven Soderberg's filmography, along with a little review of
• 0:21
  Speaker 1: his latest with Ian McKellen called The Christopher's But today
• 0:26
  Speaker 1: I wanted to talk about Japanese thriller called Exit eight. Now,
• 0:32
  Speaker 1: before I get into that, my intention on doing some
• 0:37
  Speaker 1: of these solo vix Flicks ones are they're never it's
• 0:41
  Speaker 1: never really planned. I did a couple last year. There's Christy,
• 0:45
  Speaker 1: the boxing movie that has Sidney Sweeney in it, and
• 0:48
  Speaker 1: then there's a family kids movie called Sketch that I
• 0:52
  Speaker 1: did that they ended up having this kind of big
• 0:53
  Speaker 1: premiere where Tony Hale from Veep and Voice of four
• 0:57
  Speaker 1: Ky he was there. It's called Sketch. So I'm like, oh,
• 1:01
  Speaker 1: you know what, Like, as I intend to start writing
• 1:06
  Speaker 1: these reviews, a feeling kind of starts to sink in
• 1:09
  Speaker 1: during that process. It's like more of that. I sort
• 1:13
  Speaker 1: of want to say more and I can't quite get
• 1:16
  Speaker 1: it across in the writing, and so sometimes I feel like, hey,
• 1:19
  Speaker 1: you know what, it's just more effective if if you
• 1:23
  Speaker 1: just listen to me talk about it more than reading
• 1:27
  Speaker 1: what I wrote. And after I watched Exed eight, I
• 1:32
  Speaker 1: hit up my boy Stony and said, hey, I think
• 1:35
  Speaker 1: I would like to do a podcast on this more
• 1:38
  Speaker 1: than more than write it. So here we are. So
• 1:41
  Speaker 1: Exit eight all right? Per Rotten Tomatoes, A man trapped
• 1:45
  Speaker 1: in an endless, sterile subway passageway sets out to find
• 1:48
  Speaker 1: exit eight. The rules of his quest are simple, do
• 1:51
  Speaker 1: not overlook anything out of the ordinary. If you discover,
• 1:55
  Speaker 1: and if you discover an anomaly, turn back you immediately.
• 2:00
  Speaker 1: If you don't carry on, then leave from exit eight.
• 2:04
  Speaker 1: But even a single oversight will send him back to
• 2:08
  Speaker 1: the beginning. Will he ever reach his goal and escape
• 2:11
  Speaker 1: this infinite corridor? So apparently this is adapted from a
• 2:16
  Speaker 1: video game, which, full transparency, I've never played or actually
• 2:22
  Speaker 1: even heard of. Fun fact, the last game I played
• 2:25
  Speaker 1: was maybe Tiger Woods eight, and this was I believe,
• 2:28
  Speaker 1: way before he ended up like wrecking three cars. So
• 2:33
  Speaker 1: that's my video game experience and some wrestling ones of course.
• 2:38
  Speaker 1: But as far as the video game, this is via
• 2:41
  Speaker 1: our friends at Wikipedia. Exit eight is a twenty twenty
• 2:45
  Speaker 1: three indie adventure game developed and published by Koteki create.
• 2:51
  Speaker 1: Built as a walking simulator, The game revolves around the
• 2:54
  Speaker 1: player walking through a Japanese metro station passageway trying to
• 2:58
  Speaker 1: spot inaccuracies referred to as anomalies in the layout of
• 3:02
  Speaker 1: the passageway to reach the exit of the station. Exit
• 3:05
  Speaker 1: eight took nine months to develop and was designed to
• 3:08
  Speaker 1: be made in a short amount of time and on
• 3:11
  Speaker 1: a low budget, as Koteki felt another game he was
• 3:15
  Speaker 1: making at the time had too long of a development cycle.
• 3:18
  Speaker 1: The game was inspired by the surreal atmosphere of underground
• 3:23
  Speaker 1: passageways and the concept of liminal spaces. The Finnish horror
• 3:28
  Speaker 1: game series I'm On Observation Duty also served a key
• 3:32
  Speaker 1: part in the creation of the game. Never heard of
• 3:34
  Speaker 1: that one either, as it inspired the game's anominally mechanic.
• 3:39
  Speaker 1: The setting was modeled after several Japanese metro stations. So
• 3:44
  Speaker 1: Exit eight the movie is a gripping, a well crafted
• 3:49
  Speaker 1: and clever liminal horror that's also a psychological time loop
• 3:53
  Speaker 1: thriller where where rep who? Where repetition is required and
• 3:59
  Speaker 1: this bizarre are the anxiety inducing quest back to reality.
• 4:05
  Speaker 1: So the film starts actually in first person perspective, with
• 4:09
  Speaker 1: a character called the Lost Man. He is played by
• 4:13
  Speaker 1: a fantastic Knie I'm gonna get this right, Nino Miya Kazuneri.
• 4:22
  Speaker 1: It is a He is actually a Japanese idol from
• 4:26
  Speaker 1: a Japanese idol group named Orashi and was in Clint
• 4:30
  Speaker 1: Eastwood's Letters from I Rejima. So it has him standing
• 4:34
  Speaker 1: in a crowded Japanese subway car on his way to
• 4:37
  Speaker 1: his temp job. He's looking at his phone, he's ignoring
• 4:40
  Speaker 1: his girlfriend's calls. He's listening to music through these like
• 4:43
  Speaker 1: noise canceling style headphones. He's totally detached, like all of
• 4:48
  Speaker 1: his other Feller passengers, which is why he nor anyone
• 4:51
  Speaker 1: else even tries to intervene when we start hearing, A
• 4:55
  Speaker 1: disgruntled douchebag wearing a suit starts yelling at a mother
• 4:59
  Speaker 1: because her baby is crying and he wants her to
• 5:02
  Speaker 1: quiet it. But when the Lost Man finally does answer
• 5:05
  Speaker 1: his phone, it's his X and she tells him that
• 5:08
  Speaker 1: she is pregnant and she's at the hospital. Unsure of
• 5:11
  Speaker 1: what to do, and before he exits the subway, he
• 5:14
  Speaker 1: is faced with the question of if he'll be involved
• 5:18
  Speaker 1: with this situation. Shall we call it? And it is
• 5:25
  Speaker 1: he delivers just an awkward silence. The lost Man, as
• 5:33
  Speaker 1: from what we can gather, is living pretty aimlessly and evasive,
• 5:37
  Speaker 1: and by no coincidence at all, he ends up finding
• 5:41
  Speaker 1: himself literally lost. I think for a simple what sounds
• 5:48
  Speaker 1: like and for people who have played it, for a
• 5:49
  Speaker 1: simple video game to be adapted into a relatively simple film.
• 5:55
  Speaker 1: Writer director Jim Key Kowamara is along with his along
• 6:02
  Speaker 1: with co writer Hrassi Contro Kataro, they add such unexpected
• 6:07
  Speaker 1: layers with emotional residents, and this is actually Cora Mura's
• 6:13
  Speaker 1: only second feature. So dealing with the layers emotional residents,
• 6:22
  Speaker 1: there's also the introduction of two other characters who are
• 6:25
  Speaker 1: trapped in this insane light purgatory, a character called the
• 6:29
  Speaker 1: Walking Man and the Boy that even better explores who
• 6:36
  Speaker 1: this is for as far as the game that they're playing,
• 6:40
  Speaker 1: and fortifies the themes that circle around fatherhood, guilt, facing
• 6:46
  Speaker 1: your fears, and adult responsibilities. Exitate's metaphor it ain't subtle
• 6:52
  Speaker 1: and you you can't miss it. The atmosphere of Exitate
• 6:58
  Speaker 1: is is claustrophobic and unnerving and case whu k Emo
• 7:04
  Speaker 1: worras Emomorra's cinematography is very minimalist but totally resourceful, as
• 7:11
  Speaker 1: he utilizes these kind of long, continuous shots where the
• 7:14
  Speaker 1: subway passage is precisely framed with subtle deviations that amps
• 7:19
  Speaker 1: up the suspense. And it's the little things in this
• 7:23
  Speaker 1: film that frighten the most. There are a few in
• 7:27
  Speaker 1: your face kind of scary images, and by the way,
• 7:31
  Speaker 1: you're also clearly anomalies, so they obviously should turn the
• 7:35
  Speaker 1: hell back. Though what you hear and don't necessarily see
• 7:40
  Speaker 1: is undoubtedly more effective. And maybe what I would say
• 7:45
  Speaker 1: is the most enthralling element of Exod eight is just
• 7:48
  Speaker 1: how immersive it is. It takes no time at all
• 7:52
  Speaker 1: to start examining any in every detail with the characters
• 7:56
  Speaker 1: looking for some kind of escape. Are the posters the
• 8:01
  Speaker 1: same on the wall? Are the doors in the right place?
• 8:04
  Speaker 1: What about that sign? Or what about those events? Not
• 8:08
  Speaker 1: to brag, but I did notice one before the boy
• 8:11
  Speaker 1: character found it, and I almost immediately turned to my
• 8:15
  Speaker 1: wife and told her about it. She was very impressed,
• 8:19
  Speaker 1: so please don't worry. Right after that, she was so impressed,
• 8:26
  Speaker 1: we did whoopee back to exit the intense anticipation when
• 8:34
  Speaker 1: they turn the corner to see if they've made it
• 8:38
  Speaker 1: to the next level. Seeing that number go up or
• 8:43
  Speaker 1: back to zero, you feel the same. You feel their excitement,
• 8:48
  Speaker 1: you feel their exhaustion, you feel their torment. It is
• 8:52
  Speaker 1: literally your heart sinks because you don't quite know what
• 8:56
  Speaker 1: is what and was that an anomaly was it not?
• 9:00
  Speaker 1: And so you see two, go to three, go to four,
• 9:03
  Speaker 1: go to five. But then when they turn that corner
• 9:05
  Speaker 1: it drops to zero. You're like, oh damn. But to
• 9:10
  Speaker 1: have that kind of feeling as though you're in it
• 9:14
  Speaker 1: as well has to be I would imagine one of
• 9:17
  Speaker 1: the one of the greatest compliments you can give a
• 9:19
  Speaker 1: film based on a video game. Yeah, I mean, were
• 9:23
  Speaker 1: we if we can remember, were we saying that after
• 9:27
  Speaker 1: seeing I don't know, Doom or Double Dragon? A side note,
• 9:33
  Speaker 1: There's two are definitely two of the worst video game
• 9:36
  Speaker 1: adaptations ever made. So I just thought I should mention that.
• 9:44
  Speaker 1: There is a dread Central review by Josh corner Gut
• 9:48
  Speaker 1: and he actually gave this a five out of five,
• 9:51
  Speaker 1: which he says Exit eight might just be the most
• 9:54
  Speaker 1: exceptional video game adaptation ever made, and honestly, it's it's
• 10:00
  Speaker 1: really not that crazy. Of a statement. In his review,
• 10:04
  Speaker 1: he says the great twist of Exit eight is that
• 10:06
  Speaker 1: it's horror and drama are mostly emotional. They're not supernatural
• 10:11
  Speaker 1: or sci fi. Karl Mora has crafted a film about
• 10:15
  Speaker 1: the terror of becoming a parent before you're ready, about
• 10:18
  Speaker 1: accepting love when you're not sure you're worthy. The anomaly
• 10:24
  Speaker 1: in this man's life isn't a shadowy figure or an
• 10:27
  Speaker 1: off kilter passageway. Instead, it's the terrifying prospect of loving
• 10:32
  Speaker 1: someone more than yourself and being loved in return. The
• 10:38
  Speaker 1: hallway becomes purgatory for a man who can't admit he scared.
• 10:42
  Speaker 1: He's scared of responsibility, scared a commitment, and scared of
• 10:45
  Speaker 1: growing up. He goes on to say, ultimately, there isn't
• 10:49
  Speaker 1: a clear resolution, but it does provide reflection. It asks
• 10:54
  Speaker 1: what happens to those of us who live on autopilot,
• 10:57
  Speaker 1: those who accept careers, we hate relationships, we don't nurture
• 11:02
  Speaker 1: in the futures we never chose. It's about how modern
• 11:05
  Speaker 1: men inherent silence and mistake it for strength, and how
• 11:09
  Speaker 1: love real, scary adult love demands presence and vulnerability. It
• 11:15
  Speaker 1: demands that you exit the loop and I must say
• 11:20
  Speaker 1: for all of that, Exit eight is not without hope,
• 11:24
  Speaker 1: and it's not without the possibility of redemption. We know
• 11:30
  Speaker 1: or maybe have been the lost Man at one time
• 11:34
  Speaker 1: or another, and so I think we should find comfort
• 11:37
  Speaker 1: that it's never too late to start giving a shit.
• 11:42
  Speaker 1: Exit eight is playing now at Bellcourt here in Nashville.
• 11:47
  Speaker 1: It's out in theaters now. It's getting a vix flick
• 11:52
  Speaker 1: rating of a three and a half out of five.
• 11:55
  Speaker 1: I really appreciated what is able to do on such
• 11:58
  Speaker 1: a simplistic narrative and taking something that obviously is a
• 12:05
  Speaker 1: very basic thing for a video game, and adding so
• 12:13
  Speaker 1: much emotion and thought behind it. I was certainly into it.
• 12:18
  Speaker 1: And I hope you. I hope you if you watch it,
• 12:22
  Speaker 1: I hope you are you are as well. Uh. That
• 12:25
  Speaker 1: is it again solo vix Flick's extra podcast for you guys.
• 12:30
  Speaker 1: I wanted to get the word out about Exit eight
• 12:33
  Speaker 1: and again. Coming up, we've got a Steven Soderberg filmography
• 12:40
  Speaker 1: along with his latest and Christopher's Review, as well as
• 12:43
  Speaker 1: Cinema Chronicles coming out towards the end of the month.
• 12:47
  Speaker 1: But until then, you stay classy moviegoers,