Posted on by slickdungeon

Enclave: A Diceless TTRPG Review

Enclave
Enclave: A tableless roleplyaing game - Advent Edition
The Enclave TTRPG only requires an understanding of the rules and a bit of paper and pencils to play

Enclave is a tabletop roleplaying game with an ambitious goal. Allow players to play without the use of random number generators like dice or any other assistance outside of pen, paper, and imagination. It’s one of the more interesting games I have played lately and I’m here to tell you who it’s for, who should avoid it, and what’s coming next for the game. I was given a complimentary edition so I could review the game but I have no other affiliation with the makers of the game. My opinions here are all my own. So, let’s dive right in!

What is Enclave?

As I said above this game is diceless. But don’t be fooled, there are rules to the game. And, in fact, playing the game feels a lot more intense than tons of games which do use dice. I’ll get into why that is later in this review but first let’s talk about the concept of the game.

The setting of the game is called Manifold. This is an infinite realm with the locations, events, and inhabitants all determined by the players. Inside of the world of Manifold, there is a group called the Enclave. Each mission starts with a briefing from the members of this entity to the PCs. From there, the players carry out actions, the GM (in this case called a Conduit) narrates NPCs, setting, etc. However, in this game there is a little extra buy in from the players as they can influence parts of the setting.

The structure of the game, in my opinion, is excellent for one-shot adventures, although no doubt, long campaigns are run in this system. Once the mission briefing is done, the action is intense and the game flows very well. Surprisingly so without dice. But there is a caution here. The setup to get to the mission takes more time than many other games. We’ll get more into why that is in a bit.

What do you need to play?

I love a TTRPG that has a low bar of entry to play. Meaning, you don’t need to spend tons of money on things like dice, battle maps, minfigures, core books, etc. And as far as I can tell, this game has the lowest bar of entry of almost any TTRPG I have played. All you need is 2-5 friends, the ruleset, character sheets and something to write with. That’s literally it. No need to invest heavily into lots of extraneous stuff here.

How do you play?

The game is set up with a GM and players. The GM is called the Conduit. The Conduit acts as the moderator of gameplay and narrates the non-player characters and world as in most games. However, there are a few differences. First, there is buy in from the players right at the outset. They give the GM keywords for the Conduit to work with when designing the world. This challenges the GM to incorporate those words into the adventure in some way.

The players and Conduit then talk a little bit about the type of setting they are about to play in. The Conduit generally has final say but the players are encouraged to make suggestions.

Players come equipped with character sheets or make them there prior to the session. The game uses 12 stats that function much like in any roleplaying game with dice, there is just less math involved. There are 6 Classes which each use different Abilities. Again, there is less math involved than in something like Dungeons & Dragons but it would be a mistake to say there are no mechanics here.

While the 6 Classes do represent enough types of characters to slot into most types of scenarios, if I had one complaint about the game, it would be that I would like a few more Classes to choose from. But for your early sessions in Enclave, 6 is probably plenty.

Session time is about 2-3 hours

To run a successful session of Enclave it took my group roughly 3 hours. There are four of us, just to give you a picture of how long it might take. With more people, it will take longer. But one thing to note here, is that the time of actual “in-game” play was probably closer to 45 minutes. We did our character creation, set up the kind of world we wanted to be in (sort of a high-tech fantasy style of setting with a bit of bioweaponry happening alongside magic), and then gave the Conduit time to create the setting.

At the start of the mission, Enclave gives a briefing and then basically teleports the characters to wherever they need to be. There’s no long travel time or mapping things out hex by hex in this game.

We did our mission and then at the end, the Conduit asks for feedback about the session. Players and Conduit all contribute to the discussion, pointing out what they liked and didn’t like and how things could be improved or what they want to see more of.

Who is this game for?

If you’ve been reading this review so far and thought, that sounds like a lot of improvising and character acting all around the table, you are absolutely right! The game is very immersive which I think is a huge strength. Unlike games with dice, there’s no real break from your turn as you need to be paying close attention to what all of the people are doing at any given moment. The Conduit also has to be on their toes to make sure everyone is getting an equal amount of stage time. It’s definitely a balancing act.

My group plays D&D most of the time. Parts of this game felt natural and some of it took more effort. Even having my character sheet in front of me (I played a Gunsligner because, well, Gunslinger) when the Conduit asked me what my Sensory stat was, I found myself almost reaching for imaginary dice. And there were a couple of times where the Conduit started to say “make a check” rather than just asking what the stat was. All this is just to say, it does take some getting used to.

People who love really focusing on the character narrative will absolutely fall in love with this game. People who can really pay attention and want to support other players will also fall in love with this game. If immersion is your thing, this should be your go to game, hands down, bar none.

Who is this game not for?

Big number crunchers, min-maxers, and rules lawyers should all sit this one out. If you want to memorize creature statistics, know exactly what weapon to use to just nuke your opponent, and love the idea of rolling handfuls of dice and adding up the total, this ain’t the game for you.

There’s nothing wrong with wanting to play TTRPGs that way. Everyone has their own preferred style. I tend to lean more towards narrative than mathematics myself but crunchy games are their own kind of fun. Enclave has mechanics, there are numbers, and equipment and all that too. But there is not a lot of math.

Do you hate the part of roleplaying where you have to narrate what your character is doing? If you would rather be the person who just says, “I hit it with my longsword” over and over, this game isn’t for you.

A Gunslinger in Enclave

How I recommend using Enclave

I’ve only played one session of this game so far but I do have some advice on how to make the most use out of it. Because there are so few materials needed, and because it only takes a few players, my recommendation here is to use this as your go to one shot game. If you have a regular group but people can’t all make it? This is perfect. Hardly any setup (although definitely recommended for the Conduit to prepare beforehand and for everyone to read the rules) means you can pull this out pretty quick and not lose a whole night of gaming.

I suspect doing this often enough could lead you to a sort of secondary fill in campaign for those days when people have to miss a regular session. The premise is basically get in, do the mission, get out. It’s not as important the exact same people are there every session. But whoever is there needs to be ready to roleplay.

How do I get Enclave? And what’s next?

If you like what you are hearing here, I have some good news. The original game was funded through Kickstarter. And there is going to be an updated version with more classes, different items, and all sorts of bells and whistles called the Enclave: Aspirant edition launching on Kickstarter soon! I recommend following it if you are interested in potentially backing. It’s an independent game by independent creators and supporters of TTRPGs should show it some love.

Almost forgot the art

You didn’t think I would post a TTRPG review without mentioning the artwork did you? Of course not! The game is only about 60 pages long so there is not a ton of art here. But what there is really pops. Greg Taylor is the artist and there’s some standout work. I do wish there was more of it, so I’m hoping in the next edition he gets a little more page space. It all works quite well as far as the narrative of the rules goes. But it’s clearly a big challenge because one of the core concepts of Enclave is that it can take place in almost any setting. It’s tough to cover all those bases.

Want to learn more about Enclave?

I know it’s hard to get a sense of how a game plays just by reading a review. So, I have some ways for you to see the game in action.

  1. Buy the game! (I mean yeah that’s obvious right?)
  2. There is a YouTube channel where Robby Howell, the creator of the game, explains what it is and has actual plays on there. They are a lot of fun to watch. I’ve embedded the first video below so check it out!
  3. You can join their Discord where they discuss al things Enclave and it’s an active community always looking to get a game going.
  4. Some shameless self promotion here. I’ll be doing deeper dives on rules and gameplay experience, not only for this first edition, but also for the second edition once it is out, so keep an eye out for your ol’ pal Slick Dungeon to tell you more!

In Conclusion

Want a fun, fast paced game, where the focus is entirely on the roleplay and not what the dice have to say? Enclave is for you! Not a lot of prep work, not a lot of math, but a ton of narrative focus.

If you truly do love crunchy games (nothing at all wrong with that either btw) then pass this one by, there are other games for you.

If you’ve played this game before I’d love to hear what you thought in the comments below. Did it take you a minute to get used to having nothing to roll like it did me?

Want to see more TTRPG Reviews?

Check out my review of Interns in the Dark!

Slick Dungeon

Posted on by slickdungeon

Soul to Squeeze

Soul to Squeeze
Soul to Squeeze stars Michael Thomas Santos
Soul to Squeeze stars Michael Thomas Santos

Hello internet people, Slick Dungeon here back to review another film for you all. Just a quick note that I was granted a screener viewing of it by the production company but I was not paid or compensated in any other way for this review.

Soul to Squeeze is a new experimental film available on Amazon Prime created by W.M. Weikart and Andrew Rivas. It stars Michael Thomas Santos as the main character Jacob.

What is Soul to Squeeze about?

This is a film that is a bit hard to pin down. It is about a man named Jacob who has signed up for an experimental psychological treatment. In the treatment, his physical body exists inside of a physical manifestation of his subconscious. Rather than go through lengthy talk therapy, Jacob dives deep into the physical reality of his own mind, confronting challenges small and large. The subconscious doesn’t always make sense on first glance. That’s represented in both the visuals and the story.

The film is also experimental on the visual level. As Jacob goes through his treatment, the aspect ratio of the film changes. The further he goes to confront his issues, the wider the screen becomes. Some might consider this a gimmick but in this case it serves more as a storytelling technique.

While there is a story here and we gather bits of information along the way, the film isn’t exactly linear in the delivery. The film makers trust the audience to fill in the blanks and a lot of what happens in the movie feels surreal. This is absolutely intentional.

Most of the time the film does a good job of allowing us into Jacob’s mind without belaboring the point. There are a few gross moments in the film but nothing the average adult can’t handle.

The Good

I always like to see film makers try new things. And while this is low budget, it is decidedly trying something new.

Michael Thomas Santos delivers a strong performance here and had to go through some physical challenges, such as gaining and losing weight, for the film. And the effort pays off as he’s quite watchable in the film.

For a low budget film the effects in the movie are quite good and there are some striking visuals that will stay with you after viewing.

The Bad

For this film, I don’t see a lot of bad here. It’s more a matter of taste. To enjoy the movie there are a few things you’ll need to be comfortable with.

First, you’ll need to be okay with watching something that is experimenting so as the film makes some bold choices you have to be ready for that.

Second, the pacing is fairly slow. But this makes sense as the majority of the work is done by one actor in the film. There are a few other actors but there are a ton of scenes with just one person in a quiet environment.

Third, this film is dealing with psychological issues from every day anxieties to outright guilt and grief so you’ll need to be okay delving into those topics.

But if you can handle all of those things, you’ll find value here.

The Ugly

If I don’t see a lot of bad in the film, I’m not going to find a lot of ugly here either but I do have just a couple of words of caution for anyone considering watching this. As I said before, there are some gross out moments. Things I would call very light body horror, although this is not a horror film. There are also several moments that dive into bits of our psyche which can be frightening. But I would in no way call this a psychological horror or thriller.

It also deals with some loss so if that’s something that might bother you as a viewer, use caution before watching.

Soul to Squeeze In Conclusion

In a time when it’s harder and harder to find a film trying to do something new, Soul to Squeeze is a refreshing view. It’s a short film (around 90 minutes) so it’s not a big time investment. But this is not for everyone.

If you are the type of person who likes experimental films, this is a good one to watch. It’s low budget but the budget was used quite effectively here, not just in service of shock value, but also as a storytelling technique.

Personally, I’d like to see what someone like W.M. Weikart would do with a larger budget and a bit more of a linear story. The only way that will happen is if people rent or buy Soul to Squeeze. It’s $10 to buy and $3 to rent so typically not a huge financial hit to support these film makers.

If you do end up watching it, I’d love to hear what you thought in the comments!

P.S. Want to see another review of an independent film? Check out my review of The Plastic Men.

Posted on by slickdungeon

Star Trek Enterprise: Civilization

Star Trek Enterprise
Captain Archer finds new life in Star Trek Enterprise: Civilization
Captain Archer finds new life in Star Trek Enterprise: Civilization

Star Trek Enterprise: Civilization finally allows the crew of Enterprise to do what they are commissioned for. In the episode, the crew finds a planet with a vibrant but as yet unexplored civilization. But knowing how to navigate this civilization without disrupting them proves to be a challenge. This is the first episode that really gets at what the show has been hinting towards since the start.

If you want to know the chronology of the episodes I’ll be watching, I’ll be going down this list. If you notice I’ve missed an episode, let me know and I’ll correct it. And if you missed my first post about Star Trek, you can check that out right here.

You mighta put that on the top of the list

In the morning briefing on Enterprise, T’Pol goes through a few possibilities of where the ship might go next. There are a few natural but interesting locations they could get to with little trouble. During the briefing Captain Archer looks rather bored and is hoping for more. But finally Trip tells the Captain there is a Minshara class planet only four light years away. And it has 500 million life signs. A whole civilization. When Archer hears about this he looks at T’Pol and says, “You mighta put that on the top of the list.” T’Pol just nods her head in response.

While I suspect Trip is actually the one who had the idea to save the best for last, it also seems like T’Pol must have been in on it. While T’Pol is still strictly Vulcan, this is about as close to a practical joke as she gets and it feels like some humanity is rubbing off on her which is great to see.

The Akaali are discovered

The first challenge the crew has is figuring out where on this planet to land, if at all. A run of the scanners proves this civilization is not as advanced as humans or Vulcans. They don’t have advanced technology and they’re not spacefaring at all. Trip wants to go down there but T’Pol advises against it. She says it’s standard protocol to wait until a society develops warp drive before initiating first contact. If you’ve seen the movie First Contact, you know she’s right because this is exactly what the Vulcans did with humans.

Trip does point out those are Vulcan protocols, not human. T’Pol insists starfleet would be wise to adopt them. She wants the ship to collect data from orbit. Captain Archer has Hoshi zoom in on the city they are looking at until they can see one of the people’s faces. And, sure enough, these people look a lot like humans. Just with some ridges on their foreheads (in typical Star Trek fashion).

Hoshi listens in on the different dialects on the planet with real fascination. And she discovers the name of the species, Akaali.

There’s something strange on the planet

With a little makeup from Dr. Phloxx, an away crew is prepared. Hoshi is selected because she’d be able to help if the translator matrix malfunctions.

Before anyone else is selected, T’Pol notifies the Captain that there are nutrino emissions from the city on the eastern continent. Basically this is evidence of technology the Akaali shouldn’t possess. In other words, there are other aliens who already got there.

In addition to Hoshi, Trip, T’Pol and Captain Archer all head down to the planet. T’Pol has to cover her ears with her wig to blend in.

A thin cover story

On the planet it’s a vibrant preindustrial society with lots of activity, flourishing markets, and architecture. Almost immediately, Hoshi notices someone who seems suspicious as T’Pol secretly gathers readings.

Meanwhile, Trip and Archer break into a shop where the nutrino readings are strongest. Trip finds something in the back room. But the pair are not as good at crime as they need to be. A woman follows them in. Whatever is causing the readings to go off the chart is behind a magnetic barrier. And the woman sees some of the technology our crew has. She demands to know what they did to the door. Trip says they didn’t do anything.

Archer makes up a pretty thin cover story saying they are collectors picking up an antique. The woman is smart enough to know a real collector would have waited for the shop to open. The woman gives Archer a hint though when she says she’s been watching the shop for weeks and knows all about the, “evening deliveries.” And she says people are getting sick and dying because of what is going on in this shop.

Then T’Pol stuns the woman with her phaser pistol.

Captain Archer is not good at lying

Archer is a bit upset with T’Pol and asks her not to shoot anyone else while they are there. I mean, reasonable request but it made sense why T’Pol did that. They look at the papers the woman was carrying and figure out she’s an apothecary. Archer sends everyone else back to the shuttle. He tends to the woman and takes her home.

She wakes up and asks what he did to her. Archer says she just collapsed and again she catches him out in a lie. The she mentions someone named Garos. He’s the owner of the shop. Archer gets about as close to the truth as he can by telling the woman there is something strange going on in the shop and he’s there to figure it out. He says he’s an investigator from another city but he can’t tell her any more than that. She doesn’t question him any more but does want to know his name and he tells her it’s Jon.

Garos is also bad at lying

Back on Enterprise, Malcolm Reed says the energy field is close to impenetrable. But he can’t find anything under the shop. Trip figures it’s some kind of dampening field. Archer tells the others on the shuttle that Riann, the woman he was speaking with, mentioned people getting sick. Hoshi says she saw some of them. They had mottled skin and lesions. This was the case with the person who T’Pol and Hoshi saw when they first arrived.

Trip suggests taking one of them onto Enterprise to find out what is wrong with them. But T’Pol points out the fear of alien abduction caused a great deal of apprehension on Earth for centuries. She’s not wrong there. She advises talking to the shopkeeper.

They start by asking about the antique collection. Garos realizes they are not from that province. Archer pulls out his datapad and says, “Neither are you.” Garos’ DNA doesn’t match any on the planet.

Archer explains they are explorers from Earth. Archer wants to know what Garos is doing there. He says he is also an explorer. He says he came to the planet a couple of years ago and was quite taken with these people and decided to stay. None of it sounds believable. Archer then questions why he has an antimatter reactor in his basement. Garos swears there’s nothing nefarious about it and says it’s basically a fabricator device. When Archer asks him about people getting sick, Garos claims it’s a native virus that has nothing to do with him. Before they can grill him further, more customers enter and the crew leaves.

Poison in the water

Archer goes back to Riann with T’Pol. T’Pol takes some readings in the room. They press Riann for more information about the illness spreading. Riann’s brother has died to this illness which is why she’s so keen on stopping it. She has figured out a pattern that people first got sick closest to Garos’ shop and there have been suspicious deliveries.

T’Pol leaves to go finish her analysis. But Archer stays to try to find out what is happening.

On Enterprise Dr. Phloxx takes a look at T’Pol’s readings and is impressed with Riann’s findings. Basically, whatever Garos is doing has poisoned the ground water. Not a good situation to say the least.

Captain Archer gets romantic

While Archer is speaking with Riann, the translation matrix goes down for a brief moment. He doesn’t understand what she’s saying so he kisses her. I guess that’s one way to cover up. He then says someone was passing by so he did that as a distraction. The matrix kicks back in and it seems Riann is not upset by the kiss at all.

They do see one of the deliveries to Garos’ shop. Whoever these people are speak into a communicator in a language neither Archer nor Riann understand. After they leave, Riann and Archer go to check the crates but a ship comes down and beams up the aliens. Riann asks Archer if he’s ever seen anything like that and he finally admits he has.

Someone shoots at them and Archer goes off to find the culprit. There’s a fistfight and Archer subdues the guy. And he peels off a mask. This is definitely an alien blending in with the Akaali. Riann seems pretty freaked out by the whole thing and wants more answers from Archer.

He explains they are explorers. With a device Archer takes from the alien, he’s able to get into the room Garos is hiding. There’s tons of advanced technology there.

Enemies defeated

Turns out Garos is mining something to create explosives. The whole thing is what is poisoning everyone. Archer plans to have this technology transported onto Enterprise but he still has to deal with the dampening field. Archer has a choice between pushing a blue or yellow button to disable it. He chooses poorly. A heavily armed ship approaches.

Garos hails Enterprise and demands they leave or his ship will open fire. T’Pol demands to speak with Captain Archer. Garos says he’s dead and the ship fires on Enterprise. They are damaged but it’s nothing major. But a few more hits like it would be devastating.

Garos hails Archer. Archer tells Garos he’s contaminating the water supply but Garos doesn’t care. Garos also says he’ll let Archer leave with Riann if he drops the whole thing. Archer gives Riann his phase pistol and tells her to shoot anyone who comes through the doors.

T’Pol tells the bridge to prepare to leave orbit. Trip gets royally angry and tries to belay the order. I don’t know how many reviews in a row I am going to have to say this but T’Pol has earned the benefit of the doubt and no one gives it to her. She points out the order was to prepare to leave orbit and she has no intention of leaving the Captain, dead or alive.

Archer manages to disable the dampening field but the enemy ship attacks Enterprise again. Enterprise manages to get a lock on the reactor. And the aliens on the planet go after Archer and Riann, using phase pistols right in front of everyone. In the best move of the episode, T’Pol has the reactor transported to Enterprise then transported right in front of the enemy ship. Malcolm Reed then hits it with a torpedo and the reaction disables the enemy ship. Pretty damn smart if you ask me.

Archer and Riann do manage to escape the hostile aliens, and Garos. The Captain allows the aliens to leave.

Captain’s Star Log

Captain Archer summarizes the events of the episode in a star log dated July 31st, 2151. And he delivers an antidote to Riann for the sick people on the planet. The Vulcans are also tasked with occasionally looking in on the Akaali. Archer advises Riann to keep it all to herself. And Archer kisses her again. I’m not sure but I think this is the first in a storied history of Enterprise Captains hooking up with women on a planet they have just found.

Star Trek: Civilization in conclusion

This was a really good episode. It gives the crew a complex problem to navigate without obvious solutions. And it gets at early hints of the prime directive. It doesn’t quite get developed here but it at least is the beginnings of humans thinking about if they should contact civilizations more primitive than theirs.

The next episode is titled Fortunate Son. Watch for my review next week!

Posted on by slickdungeon · 1 Comment

The Plastic Men

James Preston stars in The Plastic Men
James Preston stars in The Plastic Men

Hey movie fans, Slick Dungeon here! I’ve got another independent psychological thriller/horror film to review for you. This time I watched a movie called The Plastic Men.

I was offered a screener copy in exchange for a fair review for this film. I’ll let you know what I think the strengths of the film are and where it could use some improvement. There will be spoilers but I will keep them mild. If you want to know more I’ve included the trailer below. You can find the film on Amazon on March 11th.

What is The Plastic Men about?

It’s the Vietnam war era and Johnathan Teller, played by James Preston, takes a trip with his buddy to Mexico. Unbeknownst to Jonathan, his buddy has purchased some illegal drugs. Before he knows it, Jonathan is pulled over by the cops, his buddy is dead and a judge gives Jonathan a choice. He can either go to prison for a long time or serve in the Vietnam war. Teller chooses Vietnam.

Upon his return from serving, Teller has a difficult time adjusting to everyday life. He’s haunted by things he did, sometimes prone to hallucinations, and the country looks down on his service. He turns to support groups to help but most of those men are just as traumatized as he is. On more than one occasion Teller contemplates suicide until a chance encounter changes everything for him.

The good

This film is on a shoestring budget but it’s a period piece. And it actually looks like it is set in the time it’s aiming for. The vehicles, the clothing, and even the supermarket Teller works at all feel like they are from another era. It’s nice to see such care taken in production value for a low budget film. And they make effective use of old news footage to make the time feel even more realistic.

James Preston has to go through a lot of emotion in this film, playing a man who is at the brink of a psychological break but still portraying his humanity. And he does a great job with the character. Teller feels like a real person who has a complicated background, much of which he regrets, but is trying to become a better man. And at the same time, Teller faces prejudice from the community around him, forced into a bad choice with few positive sides to it.

The film also makes good use of tried and true practical effects. There’s nothing groundbreaking here but those effects are tried and true for a reason. They work to convey the message, add a bit of shock value, and drive the story forward. There are a few images that will likely stay with you for a while after viewing.

The bad

Teller himself is a bit of an unreliable narrator. He is prone to hallucinations brought on by PTSD after all. Add to that the jumps forward and backward in time, and sometimes it’s a bit of a struggle to follow if the story is taking place in the present, past, or even in reality at all. It doesn’t ruin the film by any means but it is slightly confusing.

This is advertised as based on a true story but it’s quite hard to know how much of this is real. The film is based on an old Craig’s List ad where a Vietnam veteran was hoping to reunite with a woman who saved him from suicide decades ago. But the veteran and the woman he speaks about never identified themselves publicly after that so much of the film is still fictional. This is fine but take the “based on a true story” tag with a grain of salt here.

The ugly

There’s not a lot of ugly here. The film does hold up surprisingly well for such a low budget project. But, there are times this leans into the trope of the disturbed veteran returning home. I can’t fault the film too much for that because this is something that really does happen and especially did in the Vietnam era.

The other problem with the film lies in exactly what Teller did while serving. We get enough glimpses and pieces of it to have an idea. But it’s not altogether clear exactly what happened and why one incident in particular seems to stand out to Teller more than any other. Some of that again has to do with the fact Teller is not a completely reliable narrator but I feel the film loses some of the impact it could have had if we had a better idea of the circumstance that most haunts the main character.

Overall, these are relatively minor problems with a film like this but take them into consideration before renting.

The Plastic Men in conclusion

This film is worth watching if you like a good independent film. It’s low budget but they use all the best methods to make you forget that. Teller has an interesting story which leaves us on a pretty hopeful note.

And while much of this is clearly fictional, it does represent a lot of what the country felt upon the return of soldiers who served in Vietnam. The mundane could go from peaceful to horrible for many of these soldiers and there was a country who did not appreciate the trauma they went through. James Preston does a great job conveying the character to us. And while there are times the narrative is a bit disjointed, that doesn’t really harm the movie. So, if you’re considering renting a movie and are tired of the big budget same old stuff, give The Plastic Men a shot. At the very least, you’re supporting film makers who are trying to do something different, even if you don’t love the movie.

If you do watch the movie, I’d love to know your thoughts in the comments.

Independently yours,

Slick Dungeon

P.S. Want to see my thoughts on another independent film? Check out my review for Thou Shalt Kill!

Posted on by slickdungeon

The Substance

The Substance
Demi Moore stars in The Substance
Demi Moore stars in The Substance

Hello film fans! Slick Dungeon here. We’re just a couple hours away from the 2025 Oscars so I just have time to slip in my review of The Substance. It’s a great film but it’s decidedly horror so be warned before you watch.

Content warnings

Before I go into the plot of the film, as a good horror movie reviewer, I have to give you the content warnings of why not to watch this movie. Because this is a body horror film and there is no denying it. If you can’t stand gross out scenes, you are going to hate this movie. Also, if you don’t like needles, you are going to spend a lot of this movie with your eyes closed. And, if you don’t like watching a bunch of ugly men deciding who is beautiful and at what age women get to be considered worthy of being on camera, well, this is not for you either. Truly there is some shocking blood, gore, and body horror all over this film. Don’t go in not knowing that.

What is The Substance about?

As far as the plot is concerned it’s the story of a body transformation gone wrong. Elisabeth Sparkle, played by Demi Moore has turned fifty. She was once an adored Academy Award winner but now she hosts a workout program on daytime television. And the male producer of that show, Harvey played by Dennis Quaid thinks Elisabeth is too old to be on television anymore.

Elisabeth is frustrated and upset but she finds out about something called the substance. This stuff allows you to become a “younger, more beautiful, more perfect” version of yourself. I probably don’t need to tell you this sounds too good to be true.

What the substance actually does is birth, in horrifyingly graphic visuals, a new person directly from your spinal column. The old you has to be nurtured and cared for while the new you gets to go out and be the younger, more attractive version of yourself.

When Elisabeth takes the substance, the new version calls herself Sue. Sue is popular with Harvey and lands a prime television gig immediately. But there’s a catch. Every seven days, Sue has to switch places with Elisabeth. The movie shows us the bad stuff that happens when manufacturers instructions are not followed exactly. And boy does it get ugly.

The Awards

Any time a horror film is up for an Oscar, I’m happy about that. It’s the most popular genre of film yet it wins the least Oscars because, well, sometimes people look down on horror. (Almost all the time actually) So it’s great that The Substance is up for five Oscars this year. It’s up for Best Makeup and Hairstyling, Best Picture, Best Directing, Best Actress, and Best Original Screenplay.

As far as makeup and hairstyling goes? There are major accolades to be given here. But it’s competing with Wicked and I’m not sure which will win.

I hate to say this but I don’t see a world where The Substance wins best picture. It has too much competition and it’s a genre film so the odds are stacked against it.

I could see a win for best director though. This film took a lot of work as far as directing goes and it pretty much nailed every scene.

For both best actress and best original screenplay I see a possible win. No guarantee but I don’t think anyone would be shocked if either of those went to this film.

The Substance in conclusion

While I am happy a horror picture is being considered, this is not a perfect film. For one, it’s making a statement about beauty standards but it’s using Demi Moore, often considered one of the most beautiful actresses of all time to do it. And she’s 62 but playing a 50 year old so she just might not be the best representative to talk about beauty here. But she does nail her part extremely well.

I will also say, the movie kind of plays into this but the men in the movie are allowed to look, be, and act as ugly as they want with no repercussions. That’s often true in the entertainment industry but there is also a male standard of beauty that is hardly addressed in the film. I would have liked to see that be touched on just a little more here.

And there is a big snub here as far as the Oscars go. Margaret Qualley as Sue is fantastic. But she didn’t get a nomination for best supporting actress and that’s a real shame.

Ultimately, if you can stand body horror you’ve got to see this movie. It’s great. But if you’re squeamish about such things, stay as far away as you can.

Awardingly yours,

Slick Dungeon

P.S. Want to see what I thought of the Best Picture winner last year? Check out my review of Oppenheimer!

Posted on by slickdungeon

Anora

Anora
Mikey Madison stars as Anora
Mikey Madison stars as Anora

Welcome to Oscars day movie friends! Slick Dungeon here and I’m back to review another Oscar nominated film. This time I’ll be talking about Anora. It’s a fast paced and frenetic film with one standout performance. Let’s get into it!

What is Anora about?

On the most basic level this film is a Pretty Woman story gone wrong. It follows the story of Ani who is an exotic dancer who hooks up with the son of a Russian oligarch. Ani happens to speak Russian because her grandmother was Russian. Her given name is Anora but she goes by Ani and that’s where we get the name of the film. After Ani hooks up with this wealthy Russian, he wants to see her more and more. And she gladly obliges. Ultimately the guy proposes to Ani and they get married in Las Vegas. From her perspective, her feelings are genuine for this guy. But his family finds out that he’s married and they are not happy about it. They are especially unhappy she has a history of sex work.

The remainder of the film is basically the dude running away and Ani being bossed around by a bunch of thugs until they can find her husband again and straighten out the situation.

Every year there is one film in the Oscar pool that I just can’t figure out why it’s there. This year is an exception because I do think Anora is worthy of being considered. But I think this is the least worthy film in the bunch. I’m not saying it’s a bad film. Obviously lots of people enjoy it. I just think I would have preferred to see a movie like Love Lies Bleeding nominated instead.

To be fair to this movie, I am probably not the target demographic for it and that’s fine. No movie has to be made for my age cohort to be a great film. And also to be fair to the movie, there are a few reasons to watch the movie.

The good

One of the best reasons to watch the film is this deals with sex workers in a non-insulting and humanizing way. It’s not exploitative (although fair warning there is nudity if that offends you) and it doesn’t treat any of these workers as one dimensional. That’s something refreshing to see in a film made for adults.

But the best reason to watch Anora is tied up in one standout performance. And it’s my guess that this performance is most of the reason this movie is even considered for best picture. Mikey Madison has a stellar performance in the title role of Anora. She brings a hard edge to the character but also a kind heart in the more subtle scenes of the film.

While this movie wasn’t exactly my cup of tea, I think watching this film for Madison’s performance is a must.

The bad

Mikey Madison’s performance aside, I found a lot of this film to be a bit of a mess. There’s a ton of bilingual shouting in Russian and English which sometimes confuses the plot in an attempt to add in realism. That’s a somewhat minor issue but it became trying after a while.

There is a ton of kinetic energy in this film. If you’ve seen Uncut Gems you’ll know what I mean. It’s got a lot of motion to it, characters talk and move pretty fast and things are paced against the clock of the Russian parents returning. On its own that’s fine but it never seemed to go anywhere. At least with Uncut Gems there was one hell of a payoff at the end.

The ugly

The more I think about this movie, the more I realize there is one section that just killed it for me. Ivan who is the husband, played by Mark Eydelshteyn, at one point runs away. He’s separated from Ani. The only chance of escaping the thugs who have Ani is for her to find Ivan. It’s already been established early on in the movie that Ivan is a major party boy who goes to clubs constantly.

Yet there is a full third of the movie where everyone runs around chasing after Ivan looking everywhere but clubs he is known to frequent. And of course, they find him at the club where he met Ani. Why would you not start there? Just why? That whole section of the movie frustrated me to no end because it just went on and on. It felt like a waste of time, and ironically, Anora has one of the shortest run times of all the Oscar films this year.

Finally, I know this is subjective but I think this was supposed to be a comedy somehow? I didn’t really find anything funny here although there was a trend towards the ridiculous at times. But maybe I’m just not getting the joke, and that’s fine.

The awards

Anora is up for six Oscars this year. It’s nominated for Best Picture, Best Directing, Best Actress, Best Supporting Actor, Best Original Screenplay, and Best Editing.

I don’t see this getting best picture, directing, or supporting actor. Those were all fine but none so strong that I think it has a real shot. I could see a win for original screenplay or maybe even editing but it’s not my top guess here. The one spot I see a real chance is for Best Actress. Mikey Madison really does stand out and any parts of the film that work are because of her.

Anora in conclusion

This was my least favorite Oscar film this year. But it is still a decent movie. If you have time to watch it, watch it for the performance of Mikey Madison. If you happen to be streaming it, at the point you start to wonder if they’ll ever catch up with Ivan, do yourself a favor and fast forward a whole third of the film and save some time.

I’m sure there are lots of people who disagree with me on this one, and you’re totally entitled to your opinion, no shade from me. But I just don’t recommend this for anything other than the lead performance.

Awardingly yours,

Slick Dungeon

P.S. Want to see what I thought of the Best Picture winner last year? Check out my review of Oppenheimer!

Posted on by slickdungeon

Wicked

Wicked
Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande star in Wicked
Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande star in Wicked

Well hello there film fans, Slick Dungeon here. I’m back to review another Oscar contender and this time I’ll be talking about the big, bold, beautiful musical Wicked. Even if this doesn’t win best picture it is well worth watching. Let’s get into it.

What is Wicked about?

Wicked is the film adaptation of the Broadway musical of the same name. Confession time. I’ve loved the musical since I first saw it in previews at the Curran theater in San Francisco in 2003. I saw it with the original cast and was blown away by it. You might think this would predispose me to love the film but it’s actually the opposite. I went into the film assuming no one could perform the two main roles better than Idina Menzel and Kristin Chenoweth.

So imagine my surprise when I watched the film and realized just how good Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande are in this movie. The whole film is just pure joy, start to finish.

As far as the story goes this is the story of the famous wicked witch of the west from The Wizard of Oz. We see where she came from, why she is the way she is, and how our original perception of her was mistaken. And it’s told in musical form. With some of the best Broadway songs around. This film is best enjoyed in a theater but you should see it however you can. Although, to be fair, if you hate musicals you won’t like this one either.

My only issue with the movie is the runtime. The theatrical production is about five minutes longer than the film but the film is just the first half of the play. Considering the excessive run times of other films this year (I’m look at you The Brutalist) I feel like they could have made this just a bit longer and released one movie instead of breaking it into two parts. But that’s a minor problem. And I’m looking forward to part two.

The awards

Wicked is up for an impressive ten Oscars. It’s up for Best Makeup & Hairstyling, Best Original Score, Best Sound, Best Visual Effects, Best Picture, Best Actress, Best Supporting Actress, Best Editing, Best Production Design, and Best Costume Design.

There are some categories here I think Wicked wins easily. Makeup and Hairstyling was fantastic for this movie. For original score? If Wicked doesn’t win that’s an absolute shame. Costume design should also be an easy win here.

Then there are some categories where I could see it winning but it’s not a guarantee. It has fantastic visual effects so I could see it winning but Dune: Part Two also had incredible visuals. The same goes for Best Sound and in that case, I think Dune is the more deserving of the two. This may win for best editing but it does have some competition from other films. Production design is great for this film but there were several films with a lot going on in the production design. I see Wicked winning but it’s a close call.

Then there are the categories where I’d like to see this win but I’m not sure it will. So far, this one is my favorite for Best Picture but The Brutalist would also be a good choice. Cynthia Erivo makes a strong case for best actress this year and I’d love to see her win. As far as supporting actress? Can we please just hand Ariana Grande the trophy now? Because she damn well deserves it. She absolutely nails the part of Galinda.

Wicked in conclusion

This is the most joyful film experience you’ll have this year and it’s not even close. This is full of bright, beautiful colors, it has a deep and meaningful story about friendship. And it has songs that will never leave your head, in the best way. And can this cast sing? Oh yes, they can. It’s a monumentally impressive film and I just wish I could see part two right now. Get out there and see this one as soon as you can.

Awardingly yours,

Slick Dungeon

P.S. Want to see what I thought of the Best Picture winner last year? Check out my review of Oppenheimer!

Posted on by slickdungeon

Emilia Perez

Emilia Perez
Zoe Saldana shines in Emilia Perez
Zoe Saldana shines in Emilia Perez

Hello movie lovers, Slick Dungeon here! I’m back to review yet another Oscar contender. This time I’ll be talking about Emilia Perez. Out of all of the Oscar films I have watched so far, this one has surprised me the most. I didn’t know anything about the movie going into it so I was a bit shocked to learn Wicked is not the only musical up for best picture this year. Let’s get into it!

What’s Emilia Perez about?

Just to get this out of the way, this is a musical. I had no idea. If you hate musicals, don’t watch this. The story is pretty interesting but I’m not sure this entirely succeeds as a movie worthy of a best picture nod.

The film follows the story of two people. Rita Mora Castro played by Zoe Saldaña is a brilliant but undervalued attorney. The men in her office give her no credit even though she’s the one writing the arguments that win their cases. Zoe Saldaña really shines in her part here and I think she might be the best part of the movie.

The second person involved in the story is Juan “Manitas” Del Monte a cartel kingpin with loads of money and power. Manitas wants to make a major life change. He wants to become a woman. What I find interesting here is Manitas wants to change not to evade the law, although it certainly helps with that, but because Manitas truly feels like a woman.

It takes some effort but Rita arranges for Manitas to get the necessary operations and get out of the country. Manitas also has a wife and kids who he sends away for their protection. Rita fakes Manitas’ death and Manitas from that point on becomes Emilia Perez.

Emilia Perez is everything Manitas wasn’t. She’s kind and caring and tries to help people. But eventually Emilia decides she can’t be away from her children. From that point on things get complicated. I won’t ruin the movie for anyone but if you think reuniting with your children and wife when they all think your dead is a bad idea, you’d be right.

While the story is decent, it’s also kind of predictable. Most of the people singing here have decent voices and it works on that level. But I feel like there were probably other movies out more deserving of a best picture nomination than this one.

The Awards

This movie is up for a jaw dropping 13 Oscars. It’s up for Best International Feature, Best Original Score, Best Song x2, Best Sound, Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actress, Best Supporting Actress, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Cinematography, and Best Editing.

If Wicked could be up for Best Song it would win in that category. But since it can’t this movie has Best Song all but locked up, although it is splitting the vote against itself which could be a problem. This is not going to beat Wicked for best score either. This one or I’m Still Here is bound to win best international feature although my money is on the latter. I could see Karla Sofía Gascón winning for best actress but I know there’s been some controversy surrounding her so who knows? I do think Zoe Saldaña really deserves a win for her performance as best supporting actress. I’d be surprised if this won adapted screenplay, cinematography or best editing. There are just more impressive films out there this year, Wicked included.

Emilia Perez in conclusion

This is definitely a unique film. And it’s entertaining. The story is a little surprising but you can see most of it coming at you from a mile away. I think the reason this didn’t resonate with me personally as much is because of the predictability. The one thing that surprised me was that it was a musical. There are a few good performances here but other movies have some more impressive performances. And this year this movie is competing with the musical juggernaut Wicked. Unfortunately for Emilia Perez when it comes to musical comparisons, Wicked is going to win every time.

Awardingly yours,

Slick Dungeon

P.S. Want to see what I thought of the Best Picture winner last year? Check out my review of Oppenheimer!

Posted on by slickdungeon

Conclave

Conclave
Ralph Fiennes stars in Conclave
Ralph Fiennes stars in Conclave

Hello movie fans, Slick Dungeon here! We’re just one day away from the Oscars so I’ve got another movie review for you. This time I’ll be talking about Conclave, the film that examines what happens when the pope dies and it’s time for a new one to be elected. Let’s get into it.

What’s Conclave about?

On the surface Conclave is a simple story. The pope dies and the cardinals elect a new pope. But the film has subtlety and nuance and brings into view what is mostly an opaque process. We see political maneuvering, secrets exposed, and surprising revelations with the main characters along the way. Leading the process is Cardinal Thomas Lawrence played brilliantly by Ralph Fiennes.

There are two basic factions of cardinals in the movie. One side are traditionalists who want the papacy to go back to some of the older attitudes of the church. On the other side are the liberals who want to move some of the ideas of the modern day world into the church.

In both of these factions there are people trying to become pope but they have to advocate for themselves very carefully. After all, it doesn’t seem very humble to say you want to be pope.

As the film progresses we watch as the tides shift one way or another and allies are made and broken. And the end has kind of a twist to it but I still haven’t decided if that twist was entirely necessary here. I don’t want to spoil the ending but I’ll just say there is something surprising about the person who is ultimately elected.

The Awards

This movie is up for a very healthy eight Oscars. It’s up for Best Picture, Best Actor, Best Supporting Actress, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Original Score, Best Editing, Best Production Design, and Best Costume Design.

While this is a contender for Best Picture, I don’t see it winning. It’s a great movie but it has some heavy competition. Ralph Fiennes has a strong shot at Best Actor and I would say he is in the top three to win. My bet is on Adrien Brody for the Brutalist. Isabella Rossellini is up for Best Supporting Actress. She does a fine job but she’s hardly in the movie so I don’t think she’ll win either. I could be wrong though. I could see this winning for Best Adapted Screenplay. It’s a subtle film done well. I could also see it winning Best Original Score as it fit perfectly. While the editing was fine, there were other films that had to be much harder to edit than this one this year. The production design is incredible in this movie. But I think that’s going to go to Wicked. Ditto for costume design.

While all these nominations are great, there was one snub here I can’t quite get over. Stanley Tucci is absolutely fantastic in this movie. But he was not nominated for Best Supporting Actor. I think that’s a shame because he steals every scene he is in.

Conclave in conclusion

This is a fantastic film and well worth watching. There are powerful performances here and it has a lot to say about faith, commitment, humility, and ambition. It’s also gorgeous to look at with an incredible production design and perfect costuming. Unfortunately for this movie, there are other movies out this year that did even better. But I strongly recommend checking this one out. It’s a great film.

Also, considering the state of health of the current pope, it has to be said this film could become a whole lot more relevant in short order. So the timing here is pretty interesting giving a lot more reason to watch it.

Awardingly yours,

Slick Dungeon

P.S. Want to see what I thought of the Best Picture winner last year? Check out my review of Oppenheimer!

Posted on by slickdungeon

I’m Still Here

I'm Still Here
I'm Still Here
I’m Still Here

Hello film fans, Slick Dungeon here. I’m back to review another Oscar nominated film. This time I’ll be reviewing the Brazilian film I’m Still Here. Don’t confuse this one with the Joaquin Phoenix film of the same name. That one is definitely not up for an Oscar. The Oscar nominated film is based on true events surrounding the Brazilian military coup where they had a habit of making people disappear. You might already guess this but if you go see this one, bring along some tissues because it tears at the heartstrings pretty hard. Let’s get into it!

What’s I’m Still Here about?

The movie is based on Marcelo Rubens Paiva’s 2015 memoir of the same name. This is a political biography and it deals with the disappearance of Paiva’s father, Rubens Paiva.

At the start of the film we see a family who is happy, has lots of friends, and is well off but seems like an average family otherwise. But even at the beginning there are signs of trouble. There are military soldiers everywhere. Teenagers are routinely stopped and questioned. And the military has kidnapped a Swiss ambassador.

It’s not until we are pretty far into the movie that we learn Rubens was at one time a congressman. He was exiled and now the military suspects him of helping what they deem are terrorists. Things come to a head one day when men with no identification come to the house and take Rubens away. Eunice Paiva who is Rubens wife, and one of her daughters is also taken and they end up in a military barracks where they are questioned and several people are tortured.

Eventually Paiva is released but no one will tell her where her husband is. This kicks off a twenty five year journey for Paiva to discover the truth. Along the way she commits small but meaningful acts of defiance. She yells at men who are watching her house, she refuses to look sad and upset when the propaganda media shows up. And she fights with everything she has to keep her kids safe.

The awards

This one is up for three awards. Best International Feature, Best Actress, and Best Picture. I think this is easily the best international feature of the year. It’s moving, heartbreaking and powerful. I think Fernanda Torres has a shot at winning. But Demi Moore has gotten a lot of buzz around The Substance so I actually think she’s going to win. I’d be pretty surprised if this actually won Best Picture. It’s not often that international films win that award, although this movie is certainly deserving of consideration.

I’m Still Here in conclusion

As far as films this year that are based on a true story, this one is the strongest. There are great performances all around and it’s the kind of film that hits you in the heart. And when you think of all it took for Paiva to get where she ends up in the end of the film, you have to recognize courage in the face of adversity. I highly recommend watching this one but just be prepared for an emotional roller coaster.

Awardingly yours,

Slick Dungeon

P.S. Want to see what I thought of the Best Picture winner last year? Check out my review of Oppenheimer!