CamdenGregware

Modern slow cinema for those who love their transgressive nihilism drenched in blood & neon. In a nation on the brink of societal collapse, to what extent is killing redeemable? Violence is a perpetual cycle- it eats away at men until they bring about their own demise. I have a million words for this 13-hour meditative magnum opus, but none could do better than Jena Malone's closing monologue in ep. 10:

"Soon...violence will become erotic, torture euphoric... as the masses hail public executions...propelled by the wrath of fascism. Concentration camps will be rebuilt. Ignorance will be exalted. And there will be race wars... for hate will be rewarded, and seen as truthful... and beautiful. Faith will be reduced to venomous platitudes... the morphine infested enslavement of thought. Perversity will be dignified. Incest, molestation, and pedophilia will all be praised. Rape will be rewarded. The few will have everything. The most will have nothing. For not all men are created equal. Narcissism will no longer be suppressed... but worshipped as a virtue. Indulging ones impulses will become instinctual. Our identities will be defined by the pain we cause. Pure, unadulterated nihilism... will be the only solution... in the face of glorious death. In time... we will have our own religion. Our own dynasty. And with it... we will wake the true fury of the world. And as man implodes in a wash of blood and silence... a new mutation will emerge. And on that day... I will declare the dawn of innocence."

Women will thrive off the sins of men. A story with no hero. The eye of Horus. Martin=martyr. A tarot reading on the ever-decaying state of America. Metaphysical, almost spiritual at times. I'm speechless.

I want to sit down and rewatch this all in one sitting before I go super in-depth on the series, especially since there's so much to unpack here...but as part of the top 1% of Adventure Time fans I feel obligated to at least give my initial thoughts after seeing the last two episodes (for now?). Since the announcement of Fionna and Cake I've kept my expectations relatively in check, but after the first two episodes came out guns blazing with whimsical cynicism & the ever-amazing world building that I've come to love so much, I couldn't help but to be hooked right away. This is modern 2D animation for my generation, we grew up on Adventure Time so it's only natural that the series matures with us. The innuendo & violence are tuned up a bit and the atmosphere is noticeably more depressing- it's not as subtle anymore. This isn't a series you put on for your kid to watch because it looks magical and colorful- this is lore for die-hard Adventure Time fans & an entry point to "high" animation for this generation of young adults. As much as I did fall in love with this pretty much instantly, it's not so easy to maintain such excellence over 250 minutes with a heavily narrative driven story. There's a large part of me that wants Adventure Time to go back to it's plotless & fluid structure, the abstract yet profound vignettes which always carried an underlying importance, instead of this strict formula that feels the need to tell a concrete story with multiple plot lines for there to be real stakes. I understand why it has to be structured this way, it was nearly impossible to market during season 6 for example when the show basically became arthouse... but man I miss the ultimate existential pondering of the original series that just doesn't come across as naturally as it used to. There's still an abundance of thought-provoking material & profound revelations in Fionna and Cake, yet I fear it's spiritual quality was dragged down by a formulaic narrative structure.

I'll probably have something better to write after I rewatch & digest. If not, I can't say I didn't love it, even with all my qualms.

The final 5 minutes of this episode saved it. Rihanna was abysmal as an actress and it was honestly hard to get through. The end of this episode was amazing though, which is what saved it from a low rating from me.