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It Came From Shudder | Female Prisoner #701: Scorpion

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Horror may be the headline feature drawing people into Shudder, but the services accessibility allows users to stumble into genres they have little familiarity with. A prime example: Female Prisoner #701: Scorpion is a Japanese women in prison film, a subgenre of exploitation, that blends together the typical tropes of women in prison films with revenge cinema to create a feature that leaves you wanting more in good and bad ways.

After an assault at the hands of the Yakuza, thanks to a setup by her boyfriend Sugimi (Natsuyagi Isao), Nami Matsushima (Meiko Kaji) attempts to kill her former lover. This lands her in a female prison run by abusive and sadistic guards. Sugimi forms a plan to have Matsu killed in order to ensure his corruption remains a secret, severely underestimating her desire for revenge in the process.

From the outside perspective Female Prisoner appears more action-oriented than it actually is. The pacing is a slow burn, content with having the audience wait for any payoff for our heroine. She is repeatedly beaten down both mentally and physically by the guards and her fellow convicts. This does the work necessary to endear us to Matsu and her plight, but it also sucks some of the joy out of the movie. The raw and casual nature in which her torment is presented is given an excessive amount of time to permeate the rest of the film, and this could leave some viewers feeling downtrodden by the time more stylized moments crop up.

Director Shun’ya Itô does imbue jolts of pizazz throughout the film, staging some scenes like a play complete with rotating walls, and when he crafts larger sequences in this fashion it’s a treat. In particular, he turns a group shower into something more akin to a murderous take on funhouse room. You really want to see these scenes play out longer and extend into larger arenas, but unfortunately they never do.

He also takes care of how he frames Matsu, shooting with intentionality in both the weak and strong moments. He finds a way to worm these images into your brain for a few days. In combination with a stellar performance by Kaji, you see how three more sequels arrived in rapid succession.

Kaji conveys plenty with very little action; it’s all in her gaze. She gives off an aura of mischief and you can tell that she’s constantly planning. Almost biding her time until just the right moment. It’s what keeps you invested and hopeful in the more torturous moments of the film. You want to see her get revenge, but you also want someone to get the best of her so you can watch her climb the mountain once more.

Sure Female Prisoner #701: Scorpion can be hit or miss, but in the ensuing days you’ll be wondering what Matsu is up to and seeking her out for another adventure. This first entry feels like a proof of concept, and successfully teases out the potential of this team and character. It’s as if the creators were holding back – goading you into asking for more. More style, more action, and of course more Matsu. Thankfully there are three more films already waiting to satisfy your appetite.

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Paramount+ Reveals Official Main Title Sequence for the Upcoming Series TALES OF THE TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES

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During the TALES OF THE TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES panel earlier today at San Diego Comic Con, Paramount+ revealed the official main title sequence for the series. The sequence is composed by EMMY® nominee, Matt Mahaffey, known for his work on Sanjay and Craig, Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Movie and much more. 

From the studios of the Mutant Mayhem film, the all-new Paramount+ original series TALES OF THE TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES explores the adventures of everyone’s favorite pizza-loving heroes as they emerge from the sewers onto the streets of NYC. Leo, Raph, Donnie and Mikey are faced with new threats and team up with old allies to survive both teenage life and villains lurking in the shadows of the Big Apple. The series is produced by Nickelodeon Animation and Point Grey Pictures.

TALES OF THE TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES is executive produced by Chris Yost (The Mandalorian, Thor: Ragnarok) and Alan Wan (Blue Eye Samurai, Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles [2012 Series]). Production is overseen for Nickelodeon by Claudia Spinelli, Senior Vice President, TV Series Animation, Nickelodeon, and Nikki Price, Director of Development and Executive in Charge of Production.

In addition to the upcoming new series, stream all things Turtles on Paramount+.

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Comic-Con 2024: Those About to Die Activation

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DISNEY+ CASTS DANIEL DIEMER AS FAN-FAVORITE ‘TYSON’IN SEASON TWO OF “PERCY JACKSON AND THE OLYMPIANS”

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 in Hall H at San Diego Comic-Con, Rick Riordan and Disney+ revealed that Daniel Diemer (“Under the Bridge”) will star as fan-favorite cyclops “Tyson” in the epic adventure series “Percy Jackson and the Olympians.” Diemer joins Walker Scobell (Percy Jackson), Leah Sava Jeffries (Annabeth Chase) and Aryan Simhadri (Grover Underwood) as a series regular. The Disney+ Original series from Disney Branded Television and 20th Television will start filming its second season next week in Vancouver.

Season two of “Percy Jackson and the Olympians” is based on the second installment of Disney Hyperion’s best-selling book series titled “The Sea of Monsters” by award-winning author Rick Riordan. In the new season, Percy Jackson returns to Camp Half-Blood one year later to find his world turned upside down. His friendship with Annabeth is changing, he learns he has a cyclops for a brother, Grover has gone missing, and camp is under siege from the forces of Kronos. Percy’s journey to set things right will take him off the map and into the deadly Sea of Monsters, where a secret fate awaits the son of Poseidon.

Diemer stars as Tyson – a young Cyclops who grew up all alone on the streets, and finds it difficult to survive in the human world.  Shy and awkward, with a heart almost as big as he is, Tyson soon discovers that Poseidon is his father, which means Percy Jackson is his half-brother… and that Tyson may have finally found a home. 

Diemer recently starred in the Hulu limited series “Under the Bridge” based off the critically acclaimed book of the same name and a tragic true story of a missing teen girl in Vancouver in 1997. He will next star in the indie “Thug” opposite Liam Neeson and Ron Perlman for director Hans Petter Moland. Daniel was recently seen as the lead in the indie “Supercell” opposite Alec Baldwin and Skeet Ulrich and the lead in the film “Little Brother” opposite Phil Ettinger and JK Simmons. Daniel can also be seen in the Netflix series “The Midnight Club” and recently starred as the male lead in the breakout hit Netflix feature “The Half Of It” from producer Anthony Bregman and director Alice Wu. He is a graduate of Victoria Academy of Dramatic Arts in Vancouver.

Created by Rick Riordan and Jonathan E. Steinberg, season two of “Percy Jackson and the Olympians” is executive produced by Steinberg and Dan Shotz alongside Rick Riordan, Rebecca Riordan, Craig Silverstein, The Gotham Group’s Ellen Goldsmith-Vein, Bert Salke, The Gotham Group’s Jeremy Bell and D.J. Goldberg, James Bobin, Jim Rowe, Albert Kim, Jason Ensler and Sarah Watson.

The first season of “Percy Jackson and the Olympians” is available on Disney+

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