🍿63: Tetris

This week: Behind-the-scenes sounds of Chewbacca and a callout for new guest editors to write future editions of SP! ✍🏻

“But look at my little arms! I can’t press the fire button and jump at the same time!"

~ Toy Story 2, 1999

So you think you got what it takes?

Thanks to the hard work of our collaborators and guest editors, Salty Popcorn has never skipped an issue in the two-and-almost-a-half years we’ve been running. Now, for the first time ever, we’re looking to expand our pool of potential writers for future issues of SP.

We pay guest writers a sum of £75 for taking the reigns. It’s not much, but we believe writers should be paid fairly for their time and this is the most we can afford. It’s also more than we make, which is why we can only afford to do it once or twice a year.

If you’re interested, then please let us know by replying to this email.

We’ll send you a short questionnaire (nothing too scary!) to find out more about you and your experience. Don’t have any experience? Don’t worry! Your passion for film and writing is worth just as much as a byline in Empire magazine - though we might need some proof that you can write in a way that’s clear, concise and engaging.

We hope to hear from you!

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Now for the headlines:

• As Joker: Folie À Deux wraps up filming, director Todd Phillips posts pictures of Lady Gaga and Joaquin Phoenix as Harley Quinn and Joker. Read more.

• Michael Mann is reportedly in talks with Adam Driver for a Heat sequel. Read more.

• Some consideration is being given to a Game of Thrones film spinoff. Read more.

• A November release date has been confirmed for Ridley Scott’s Napoleon. Read more.

• And finally, in a move that may cause controversy, the period drama Jeanne du Barry, starring Johnny Depp as King Louis XV, is set to open Cannes Film Festival. Read more.

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Salty Popcorn is 100% free, but if you enjoy SP, please consider buying us a cinema ticket for just £5 per month - or a bunch of tickets for just £30 per year. Thank you!

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Upcoming Releases

Asteroid City

UK: 23 June // USA: 16 June

Wes Anderson is back with his latest film Asteroid City, where world-changing events spectacularly disrupt the itinerary of a Junior Stargazer/Space Cadet convention in an American desert town circa 1955.

The cast features usual suspects such as Jason Schwartzman, Adrian Brody, Edward Norton and Tony Revolori, as well as new collaborators Margot Robbie, Tom Hanks and Steve Carrell.

Monica

UK: 12 May // USA: 12 May

Monica tells the intimate story of a trans woman (Trace Lysette) who returns home to care for her dying mother (Patricia Clarkson).

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Fact of the week

Arguably one of the most famous sounds in cinema (besides the Wilhelm Scream) is that of Shyriiwook, the language spoken by Chewbacca (played by the late Peter Mayhew) throughout the Star Wars franchise.

However, Mayhew didn’t speak in the familiar (and incomprehensible) growls, grunts and roars on set, he spoke English - which makes behind-the-scenes footage of A New Hope quite… strange.

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Review: Tetris

Star rating:

3 (out of 5)

Where to watch: 

USA: Apple TV+

UK: Apple TV+

Runtime:

1hr 57m

Director:

Jon S. Baird

Blurb: 

When Henk Rogers (Taron Egerton) discovers Tetris in 1988, he risks everything by travelling to the Soviet Union, where he joins forces with inventor Alexey Pajitnov (Nikita Efremov) to bring the game to the masses.

The review (NO spoilers):

The beauty of Tetris, the game, is that it’s so wonderfully simple. Unfortunately, the same can’t be said for Tetris, the film. It’s easy enough to follow along, that’s not the problem, but there is the issue of an interesting story being overly dramatised and stretched to last two hours.

While I initially enjoyed the film’s establishing shots of Tokyo, London and Moscow being rendered as 8-bit graphic art, the novelty wore off and became more of a gimmick than an interesting quirk. It got particularly tiresome as the film reached its climax. If this was an attempt at giving the film some sense of unique style, it failed. Where Tetris succeeds however is being a very mediocre drama.

As for the performances, the cast held their own fairly well - with the surprising exception of Toby Jones’s German accent. They do, however, all play clichéd stereotypes that will make your eyes roll. From the “evil” KGB agents that work in dimly-lit bunkers to the cigar-smoking billionaire and his spoilt son, that’s oh-so desperate to prove himself.

It’s an odd way to portray real people, but it does tie in with the notion of the film being embellished with too many fictional details. While there’s nothing wrong with a little artistic license, it’s necessary for any film that isn’t a documentary, each detail quickly stacks up like an untidy tower of tetrominoes.

Then there are the lazy (and pointless) subplots that only work to add to the film’s predictability - and an unnecessary 15-20 minutes to the runtime. Is each embellishment overcompensating for what could be seen as a dull film about contract negotiations? Probably.

So in response to the game’s tagline: “The game you couldn’t put down. The story you couldn’t make up.” I’d say at least one of those statements is untrue.

Scroll down for The Critic’s Cut and to see what’s in the next issue.

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If you liked Tetris…

The Courier

2020 | UK: Netflix // USA: Amazon Prime (free for subs)

Although it’s not about video games, this is another true story of a man trying to get things out of the Soviet Union. If you’re a fan of spy films, then there is some top-notch old-school espionage happening in this Cold War drama.

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In the next issue:

Cairo Conspiracy (aka. Boy From Heaven)

UK: 14 April // USA: 10 April | Watch the Trailer

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