FFFA – Mars Express, The Last Stop in Yuma County & Mami Wata

Full transcript of FFFA – Mars Express, The Last Stop in Yuma County & Mami Wata.

0:00KT: It's another week in the For Your Reference household and it is another film festival edition coverage, Oti.

0:07KT: thank you so much to Matt and the team at Original Spin, for access to the screeners. unfortunately there were some screenings we weren't able to make as a part of the film festival.

0:18KT: However, we are very excited for the collection of films that we are discussing today. Hey, let's get it bro.

0:25Oti: I can't,

0:27KT: I know the last one is better. Got some OTs with a check. Let's get on with the show. Hey friends and freaky ass lovers. Welcome back to the For Your Reference podcast. You got your hosts, KT

0:42Oti: and Oti

0:44KT: welcome, welcome friends and lovers.

0:47KT: If you are even recent. friends and lovers, we did cover the Fantastic Film Festival last year and Quantum Cowboys, that has won our most coveted Splooshies awards. and we've really been holding on and, you know, on many a cold night, we've held it to our bosoms ever so delightfully. and you know, the Fantastic Film Festival.

1:11KT: In and of itself is such a great collection of films and shout outs to the organizers, shout outs to those that program the films because they really are the sort of titles that you never really would come across in like major studio sort of releases. Or, you know, if, if you're following your very vanilla film, influencers, friends and lovers, you might not come across these titles, unless they're not like the other ones.

1:39KT: Um, so I'm really excited to talk about the films that we have today. If you are new or if you've forgotten. we don't go through spoilers in this particular format, as the information comes available for these films to be. Whether it's in cinemas or available to buy or rent in Australia. We will share that on our socials also on the website and also update the show notes, on this as well.

2:02KT: But again, thank you to Original Spin as well as everyone that's involved in the Fantastic Film Festival. There's also a couple of titles that hopefully we'll come back to and we'll loop back to. Oh, but on, on the list today. Just like I said about this film festival, we have a great collection. They're all very different.

2:22KT: We have a French animated film. We have American root and toot and diner extraordinaire, and we are going all the way back to the motherland. I'm not sure if it's Thames approved, but we'll see.

2:38KT: All right, well, let's get started with Mars Express first impressions, Oti.

2:46Oti: Love the richly interwoven themes and compelling characters.

2:50Oti: The thrilling storyline keeps you guessing, a standard murder mystery.

2:57KT: Ooh, okay. OT Onion. Mars Express explores timely musings of technology for advancement and convenience. The richness of the world was limited by the scope of the characters at times.

3:12Oti: Oh,

3:14KT: You know you agree with me.

3:18Oti: Not entirely.

3:18KT: Well, if it's to be unsaid.

3:22Oti: Yeah, then so it'll be unsaid. I really love this. It sounded very, very strong.

3:28KT: Oh, absolutely.

3:29Oti: I think, and here's the thing, right? Because halfway through this movie was one of the best things I've seen.

3:39KT: Okay.

3:39Oti: And slowly when the continued sort of veering away from what I felt was foundational to the core characters.

3:49Oti: Yes,

3:50KT: yes.

3:50Oti: And what drove them towards the purpose.

3:53KT: Uh huh.

3:54Oti: Then it sort of lost its way, but it's still finished strong.

4:01KT: Okay. And you're talking about from a storytelling point of view. Yes. Okay. I'm picking up what you're saying. I would say the first half is stronger than the last half. And I would say when you have concepts for films or subject matter for films that are relatively new in way of people exploring it, not discovering it, friends and lovers, I think it, you can lean on that there were moments where there were decisions to focus on characters where I don't necessarily feel it would have been like, it probably would have been more interesting if we delve deeper into the world building because the characters were a bit, they, they weren't fleshed out or they, there was a resistance to the character arcs.

4:51KT: Does that make sense?

4:53Oti: It does, though aspects of the time, although times where I felt we could definitely learn more from just the characters alone, where without delving too much, we will sort of met with a brick wall with some. And I felt like knowing the decisions around, the detective not wanting to, you know, gave themselves away in such a way that they felt exposed or be emotional, like we didn't get to the core of it as deeply as I thought we could.

5:27KT: Okay. Cause I feel like you're saying what I'm saying, which means you agree with me, right?

5:31Oti: I do. I do to a degree, but that in itself still. They're not this detract from the movie. It's more like, oh, it would have added. It would have, it would have been an added bonus if we had delved deeper, but it didn't feel the end of, it's me sitting there thinking all in as much as I could have seen it, I still enjoyed myself with this and I felt like Getting to explore the different themes around, and even getting to know the motivations of some characters, I feel like it's crossed that itch.

6:06KT: I have an ointment for that.

6:10KT: Yeah, like, there were definitely. Places of potential improvement, but also I'm not interested in saying, Oh, it should have been this way. It should have been that way because this is what the film is. Right. And I think what I would also say is the strength of this film to me is the animation and the world building.

6:33KT: So even if the storytelling didn't necessarily, it wasn't as, as fleshed out as it could have been potentially, it didn't necessarily knock the experience for me, if that makes sense.

6:44Oti: I get it. I think some of the decisions are, especially around Carlos, made it so hard for me to engage or empathize throughout.

6:56Oti: And he had such heart wrenching moments that I felt, Oh, I really wanted to feel this more, but decisions made, just made it harder.

7:08KT: Yeah, that, that took a turn that I don't think anyone. Was expecting. And also not that it needed to address it in any way, but because it didn't really address it, it was like, you just dumped this onto our laps.

7:27KT: I want to talk about the animation for a little bit. yeah. I don't think I've seen this style before.

7:33Oti: You don't think it was similar to Scavengers Reign a little bit? It gave me Scavengers Reign vibe though.

7:38KT: It definitely gave Scavengers Reign vibes. not necessarily the character work, but you know, I see what you're saying.

7:47KT: Uh, I would say it had more of like, it had more of like a three dimensional texture to it as opposed to Scavengers Reign. I, I also think of Rick and Morty. Like I was waiting for that little slug thing to say, this is the last day ever. I love my dad. That's not what he actually said. He said something else, but that's not a part of this review.

8:16KT: and you're right. Like it was, it. It definitely had echoes, but I definitely felt it, it stood on its own in regards to, but something that I think is quite interesting that you referenced Scavengers Reign. Right. And we talked about how it allows itself to use that elasticity that you don't get in live action.

8:37KT: Right. or you could even use like South Park or Family Guy. As a point of like, it can go a bit further, whether it's believability or whether it's crassness, you can, you can stretch that with animation. I don't think this film did that. I think this film was very straight man. And I don't know why it's like, loosen yourself up, bruv.

8:56KT: Let's, let's unscrew some of those bolts, my guy.

8:59Oti: I agree. I think with animation, you're given a plethora of opportunities to sort of go wild. And it didn't, it restrained itself. This could have been easily been a live action,

9:13KT: right?

9:13Oti: Yeah. And it's hard to say that with animation, especially You know, when making that decision, you feel like you give yourself a bit more to work with.

9:23KT: It's kind of like The Last of Us TV show. Like it became its own thing. It wasn't just the video game.

9:30Oti: Yeah.

9:30KT: Right.

9:31Oti: Yeah. Yeah.

9:32KT: Use the mediums, play with it a little bit.

9:35Oti: You referenced Quantum Cowboys. And I think one of the best examples of what you can do with the medium.

9:42KT: Oh, absolutely. I think, I think it's another T because of the the, the textures of mediums, it wasn't just one, but yeah, and also shout outs to Robot Dreams as well.

9:55Oti: Yeah.

9:56KT: Yeah. but yeah, what, what a great, and that was also our first viewing of, of the films as well. I think we actually have them. In the order we watch the movie, but there you go.

10:07KT: Um, let's move on to The Last Stop in Yuma County.

10:14Oti: The Last Stop in Yuma County is a thrilling ride. The fast pace, captivating characters and stunning cinematography creates a perfect storm of suspense.

10:24KT: Wow. This is more stacked than the X-Men Storm.

10:30Oti: How many stacks do I have?

10:33KT: BBL Stormy.

10:38KT: The Last Stop in Yuma County is a once in every so often insular film with its clear premise, dynamic character work, playful dialogue, and filmmaking that film lovers will enjoy.

10:54Oti: a hundred percent agree.

10:56KT: How fun.

10:58Oti: Every bloody scene, like there's no waste.

11:01KT: How fucking good, man.

11:03Oti: Every scene is intentional and it serves a purpose.

11:05KT: Absolutely.

11:06Oti: And the shots alone, you know, from this movie, KT hates the technical aspects of watching movies that Oh, the cinematography bro. But KT was like, Oh my God, look at that shot. That tells you what this movie did. And. Oh, you don't agree?

11:27KT: No, I agree with you, but I'm just trying to see where you're going with this.

11:30Oti: No, I'm telling you.

11:31Oti: It, it,

11:31KT: it,

11:32Oti: it

11:33Oti: created.

11:35KT: It was its own world. It had its own atmosphere.

11:39Oti: It did.

11:40KT: And it had a playfulness, which I always appreciate.

11:42Oti: A playfulness. Yes. And it was intentional. Every fucking thing was, Oh, I loved it. I really did.

11:51KT: Shout outs to writer, director, editor, Francis Galluppi, as well as the team. I absolutely agree with what you're saying.

11:59KT: because we most recently watched, I believe X was the first one that we watched. There was a character that. Was a filmmaker and he loved trying to explore different angles, albeit we're talking about adult films. He really respected the craft and wanting to try different ways of shooting things. And the way this film was done, I couldn't help, but think of the fella.

12:27KT: It also reminded me of The Hills Have Eyes.

12:31Oti: Oh,

12:32KT: as well, I don't know if it's just because it's like a desolate sort of place and we're in a, like an abandoned sort of like gas station, but texturally, like it, it really had that sort of vibe to it.

12:44Oti: I was like, why did I miss the inbreeding?

12:50KT: Well, if you look just outside of the frame, I enjoyed it. I enjoyed it so much. You know, it's so easy to think of Quentin Jerome Tarantino just in general of the playfulness, but I guess more succinctly, Tim Roth's character, where they, where they hold up the diner. I also tonally was reminded of Seven Psychopaths, which you didn't necessarily in, I wouldn't say you hated it, but I was having such a great time with that film.

13:26KT: and I really enjoyed this one.

13:29Oti: Yeah, I could definitely see the Seven Psychopaths in this, but with this movie, the only reason I enjoyed it more is because it didn't linger. The pacing was just near perfect. I loved the fact that we didn't know what happened with each and every character. And. Suffice it to say, you'd think you're focusing on one person, but every single thing or every single decision that was made, you know, it's, it's, it's like It's like peeling off the onion, you know, it's, it's very multi layered and that's the aspect of this movie that I really enjoyed.

14:12KT: Oh, absolutely. And, you know, I'm, I'm, I'm just, it's For Your Reference for a reason, friends and lovers. I'm also thinking about that Dynasty and American Gods.

14:21Oti: Oh. You hated the dynasty and the American Gods.

14:26KT: This is what it could have been.

14:29Oti: Yeah.

14:29KT: Step your American Gods pussy up. That's what I'm saying.

14:32Oti: Yeah.

14:33KT: Step your Anansi pussy up. That's what I'm saying. Uh, I just loved it. I love the way we were introduced to the characters. I loved, this is Yuma County exposition because exposition is very important in films. It's more about the device and the decisions and how you do it, but give me a Yuma County exposition any day.

14:57Oti: Oh yeah, a hundred percent agree. And I think even just from a storytelling perspective, because a lot of the times. At least for me, storytelling is the main device and that's what I'll cling on to if all else fails, at least I have that. And it's, it's one of those things where not only cause the casting was perfect.

15:25KT: Oh, absolutely.

15:27Oti: Oh, he's on the shout out,

15:31KT: friends and lovers of the For Your Reference court. Just pay attention to who Oti chose to give a shout out to for the first time in the episode.

15:41Oti: No, I just really, really love this movie. It's, it's hard. It's hard to do because this is a movie that I feel like we have to do a full review on because I want to talk about the ins and outs of it.

15:54Oti: Yeah, it feels very half cocked coming out with, you know, meandering around through the surface level, at least not trying to spoil it when the core of it is the exposition. It's, it's the decisions made throughout, you know, it's, it's trying to figure out how they get out of this, this diner and yeah, I guess what's up for full review because I really love this movie and I really want it.

16:26KT: Yes, the Oti sequel, the full cock of Yuma County,

16:34KT: but it's, but, but there's so much richness in the exploration, because I feel like we were following. Sometimes we talk about getting frustrated because sometimes the story is more important than the characters. but I feel like that was a, like a really interesting decision in this film because I did care about the characters.

17:01KT: And there were moments where I'm like, come on, man. But it all. We were, we were seeking a thrill, we were chasing a thrill and there were so many moments that were unexpected in this film that had such a great payoff.

17:17Oti: Yeah, I think, I think one of the things that I was like, not really a qualm, but was the character decisions because what drove them to make those decisions weren't fully believable to me at the end of it.

17:34KT: Were you wishing it was a Telltale and you could change their decisions?

17:37Oti: Yeah. You know, we could do that Netflix interactive thing with Black Mirror.

17:46KT: We're also Goosebumps age, friends and lovers.

17:49Oti: No, but like up until that moment, I didn't understand their decisions. And maybe that's why

17:56KT: I feel like I know what you're saying, but I feel like it's also potentially a spoiler.

18:00KT: Yeah.

18:00Oti: Yeah. Because I would really wanted to dive into that because It's very fundamental to what the movie is

18:07KT: and not for nothing. This was live action, but it didn't limit itself to the laws and the logic of a live action film. I could see this as an animation and that's the highest of compliments, compliments to the chef.

18:24Oti: Compliments to the chef.

18:27KT: Well, let's get into our last film, Oti. Alright, well, I've got some talking points in general. but obviously we'll get to the film discussion first. Mami Wata, Oti, take it away.

18:38Oti: Mami Wata is a mesmerizing experience. Its stark, evocative visuals and story create an atmosphere that lingers long after the credits roll.

18:49Oti: A bold exploration of faith and cultural change. Mami Wata.

18:54KT: Wow. What is faith if not culture changing?

18:58Oti: I thought you were going to say, what's faith if not George Michael?

19:06KT: Okay. Oti Fantano. Mami Wata, perhaps intentionally guides the audience through a similar spiritual conflict of tradition and modernization. Obasi bolsters gorgeous visuals with layered commentary for both sides.

19:22KT: There's so much I want to talk about, just like you said about The Last Stop in Yuma County.

19:32KT: but because we're not doing spoilers, I do hope we can get a bit deeper into the depths of the ocean. Let's get general thoughts about the film. I do want to talk about the deity of it all. But I'm sure we'll get to that.

19:48Oti: Very striking. I think is the first thing you see the high contrast black and white visuals.

19:55Oti: It sort of reminds me of what Wanuri did with Rafiki.

19:58KT: Oh, nice.

19:59Oti: Where you could not look away. This felt the same way. And just the, the themes that go into this movie, the, the challenge of, of balancing traditions and, and the modern world and what's what, you know, even asking the tough questions and having the, the daring to ask the tough questions.

20:26Oti: I think this movie goes there and it shows us a lot. I really enjoyed it. Uh, the performances. Oh my God. I thought I was understanding Pidgin, you know, I didn't even want the subtitles.

20:39KT: Yeah,

20:40Oti: come I enter,

20:46KT: we peep game, you can put the subtitles, but we know what he's saying.

20:52KT: I want to talk about lighting in a second, but I do just want to carry on from what you're saying. I'm not a visual gal. but I loved the use of makeup, costume design, and how it was used as a part of the motion and the breathing into space. You referenced Rafiki, I think if we're also talking about, Understanding how to light black skin, especially in a black and white monochromatic film.

21:26KT: And even when it's like filmed in nighttime, I would lean to Moonlight. Shout outs to Barry Jenkins. and also to Chinonye for Till.

21:38Oti: Oh, I thought you'd go with Queen & Slim

21:41KT: for different reasons for Daniel Kaluuya alone, as well as Jodie Turner-Smith, we love as well. but you know, I don't know where you are.

21:52KT: Maybe we're just stuck in the rap beef of Twitter at the moment. but there is an ongoing conversation with Annie Leibovitz and the way that she photographs. Usually it's black women, but in general, and you can see, I'll, I'll send you the thread later and you'll be flabbergasted, Oti. but it is so important and that's why the cook is cook.

22:12KT: And I'm just here to watch film because I was so blown away by the layers. that you would assume would be so one dimensional in its black and white, whether it's themes, whether it's visuals, whether it's commentary, but specifically in regards to the visuals, there was, there was so much texture in that.

22:32Oti: 100 percent agree. I think it's, it's.

22:40Oti: It's, it was very, like I said, evocative is the word that I chose with this because with the high contrast sort of visual elements, especially when it comes to black skin, you know, sometimes you watch movies and you wonder what the fuck, what the hell, you know, where, where, where did they know how to light this, but with this, it's very, very beautifully done, to the point where it only adds to the setting, you know, you focus that like with the costume design and everything feels like they're so symbiotic in nature.

23:27Oti: It elevates not only the narrative, but everything else in between.

23:31KT: Absolutely. Something that I want to discuss, and we've talked about it in other reviews is the sanctity, the sacredness and the healing powers of water. And, you know, speaking for my people in the Pacific, we covered a film, about Maori storytelling called Muru.

23:56KT: And I talked about the healing powers of water, and also how I had the opportunity to chat to Tearepa and legend, activist, all-round icon Papa Tame Iti and how important the Moana is. The healing powers of the Moana. We might've even talked about it when we did Red, White and Brass, but you know, everyone is familiar with the Disney and I hate that I'm saying it during the supposed alleged AANHPI month.

24:30KT: But you know, people are familiar with the Disney. Moana, and I think my bridge with that film is more to do with the reactions and the ignorance and the lack of education of people that are watching Moana, but there's a reason why that, why the character is named Moana and, you know, as we come through our decolonial sort of frameworks and the reclamation of Of our indigenous roots and embracing that.

25:01KT: I also want to come to religion in a second as well. but you know, we, a lot of us refer to ourselves as Tangata Moana because for a lot of the islands, Tangata means people and Moana is, you know, people. The ocean. So, you know, people of the sea of the ocean, we also were navigators of the sea, which, you know, even if you watch one or two points to you, you would have learned that from that film as well.

25:27KT: So many other cultures talk about it. You know, every culture has its own sense of deity. Someone's Messiah keeps hopping into other islands, but that's a story for another day. but, you know, even particularly where we are. In Nigeria, we're talking about Mami Wata.

25:47KT: I really enjoyed it. You know, I think I got distracted with Bilquis, you know, referencing American Gods again, but it's cool to learn about different lore and different deity from all around the world.

26:00KT: We literally just did a Monkey Man Hanuman, not so long ago as well. And even though we are oceans apart. I resonated with the understanding of the power and the healing and in many ways the obligation to the ocean.

26:19Oti: Yeah. And I think the beautiful thing about what the movie does is only ask the tough questions around religion and, and tradition.

26:36Oti: And trying to balance and trying to balance between the new ways or the old ways of doing things, this is how we've been doing it for years. And because then you get to, you know, you get people thinking.

26:54KT: Yeah.

26:54Oti: And. At the very least, that's what I want to see.

27:00KT: Okay.

27:00Oti: The right questions being asked, and this movie does that, and it provides such a great platform to, to delve into sort of the more difficult themes that I don't really see us talking about more, more.

27:16KT: Well, let's speak on religion, because I don't even know if I feel like maybe it's a bit more spiritual than religious, if that makes sense.

27:26Oti: Yeah, it's all in the bags of the spirit gods, isn't it?

27:32KT: Yeah, I kind of just saw it as Mami Wata, the, the spiritual, the spiritual beliefs of the Iyi village. And just that, that, innocuous Western sort of influence.

27:51Oti: Yeah. Which was wild because for whatever reason, I thought it was sort of deeply rooted in. in, in an island away from everything else.

28:02KT: You mean like pre European?

28:05Oti: Yeah, which is maybe delving into the spoil a bit of it, but some aspects of it wasn't what I thought the movie would be in terms of the setting.

28:11Oti: And that just took me a little bit to adjust to, I guess.

28:17KT: I think I realized that Prisca was wearing pants before I realized they were on a boda boda, which is like a motorbike friends and lovers. I agree with you because I wasn't, it felt very ancient like talking about electricity. And I was like, okay, let me just calibrate.

28:38KT: like as in, we're just gonna post an angsty Facebook post or, you know what I mean? Like it was, and for me, it did take a second for me to calibrate that this was the film that we were getting into, but something that I do want to discuss, cause I know that you say that we're potentially going into spoilers, but I feel like this is an important conversation and I do want to have it with you specifically, my love.

29:04KT: There's the conversation about tradition. Law, the guidance of your own people, and then there's, whether you want to call it modernization, whether you want to call it colonization, westernization, whatever you want to call it, right? I felt at times, it wasn't necessarily a good thing. That you were moving away from tradition.

29:34KT: Does that make sense? And maybe that's the power of people telling their own stories because usually, mostly in Western sort of storylines, you'll have, Oh, thank goodness they've turned their way into, progressiveness and to advancing. And, and, and, you know, there's like a positive sort of connotation to embracing the conformity of globalization.

30:00KT: Right? But I thought there were moments in the film where it was like, maybe Mami Wata knows best. And I kind of, I kind of dig that.

30:12Oti: Yeah, the moments, I understand what you mean, but I think the pushback that, not even the villagers, the pushback that the villagers gave, I was like, yes! It doesn't make sense for you to be carrying out these traditions like this when it doesn't

30:31Oti: I'm just saying.

30:34KT: Friends and lovers, I was the one born in a Western country, but there you go.

30:37Oti: I'm just saying. Sometimes you have to calibrate yourself and based off the times and based off the needs of the people at that time. People cannot be suffering and you're just still running things the same way because tradition.

30:53KT: This is interesting because when we were first watching it And Prisca was asking Mami Wata, you know, it's been a hard season. Do they really have to give us the best of their everything? Right. And I was like, because even before that, Zinwe did talk about how she just wanted to stay in power. So I carried that onto the next scene and I made a comment and you, sir, Mr.

31:23KT: Modern 2024, you said, well, it's tradition. So how did we get from watching to here?

31:33Oti: I said, it's tradition, but I, I, I've, I didn't say, Oh, continue carrying on with our fucking tradition. I said, yes, I was definitely with Zinwe. I was definitely with Zinwe on that. Like spice that shit up. You've got to change with, with, with what benefits the most people, regardless of bloody tradition.

31:59KT: Okay. All communities have a hierarchy.

32:03Oti: They do. But at times you say, fuck the hierarchy,

32:09KT: but that's just human nature. That's not specific to the film. Okay. I agree with what you're saying. would you, would you agree that femininity is divine and masculinity is the devil?

32:31Oti: Oh, we are all divine.

32:32KT: It's not called puppy water.

32:42KT: Thank you, friends and lovers for joining us another week in the For Your Reference household. if you have watched these films, if you're around the world, feel free to reach out to us. We would love to have a conversation about it. otherwise we do have. Hopefully some full reviews along the way, before we get into Sydney Film Festival.

33:03KT: Are you excited Oti?

33:05Oti: Ooh, bring it on.

33:06KT: It's a very interesting, collection of films that we have potentially to check out for Sydney Film Festival. But again, thank you so much. If you have any takes and you're not DJ Vlad, hit us up on Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, Bluesky, every other place, @ForYourRefPod.

33:26Oti: Write us an email at hello@fyrpodcast.com.

33:29KT: We're also on Oti Wata Podcast. If you'd like to leave a rating or review and we'll see you guys next week.