SPAΩ: Episode II — True Blue

And now, The second episode of Sucker Punch AΩ— EF’s ultimate and infinite embellishment of Zack Snyder’s 2011 film.

Featuring Tarantino’s Kill Bill and hundreds of other movies. This is but the prologue. The episode has been 16 months in the making. The series, a lifetime (forthcoming).

Rated: PG-13. Slash R-ish? I debated, and will cite “Jaws vs. The State of Rhode Island” in court. If Spielberg’s bloody classic can receive a PG!? Rating, then this can pass as PG-13. Sorry, not sorry.

Preferred viewing device: Smartphone, tablet or computer. With WIRED HEADPHONES. I’ll repeat this every time— bluetooth lags! Enough to ruin the entire experience. One last thing— make sure your device’s audio is set to Stereo and not “Mono Audio” like mine was just a few days ago😙

Episode 2: True Blue on Vimeo

EF

40 thoughts on “SPAΩ: Episode II — True Blue

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  1. Epic video, ET!! But I expect nothing less. Btw, love the bits with Tom Hardy from LEGEND 😍 though it’s funny that you used clips from Zack Snyder’s Sucker Punch as Hardy was also in 2008 British crime film with the same name, Sucker Punch, but he only had a small role as a mechanic.

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    1. Thanks, ruth! I didn’t even know about the Other Sucker Punch title. HA!.. I’ll bet that’s why he and Emily Browning were cast together. Isn’t strange how little resume details like that shape the course of actors’ careers. Well thanks a ton for watching— we dialed up the 80’s nostalgia for ya🙂

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    1. Thanks, John! This took 16 months— half of that time spent butting my head against the wall trying to decide on the movies / narrative. I’m so relieved that’s over. And am optimistic this will lead smoothly into the next chapter. Thanks for the support; Best wishes👊🐼🙏

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  2. Awesome edits! VERY impressive. I want you to know that I watched it full screen on Vimeo in 4K, with the sound through a pair of wired Sony monitor headphones. Beautiful, and spot on! (ツ)b

    My mental film library is mostly acquired during trans-Pacific flights; so I only recognized maybe 40%. But I now have a brain full of 80s dance-music earworms… Shades of performances from Tamioka High School in Osaka.
    オリジナルの日本語音声を聞くことができて嬉しかったです。しかし。。。ヤクザの登場人物たちが、伝統的な江戸時代の東京訛りでセリフを話してくれたらよかったのにと思う。それは、イーストロサンゼルスで話されている「スパングリッシュ」のような響きを持っている。

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    1. A great honor to have you here, Luminous— someone who has lived in Japan and visits often. High School in Osaka. How many years did you live there?… I edited this blind in at least two✌️ ways: I am mostly an ignorant American who does not understand the nuances of East Asian culture (but am learning more from you). And Second, I was born in 1990 so I have no memory of what the 80s felt like. I can only imagine. Furthermore, I know when I use a big 80s pop song like Madonna, I run the risk of offending people’s memories. Somebody with a strong associated memory of Papa Don’t Preach might feel like, ‘No this is not what this song means to me!’ So I gamble. I guess. Also ….

      Regarding your impression of the ‘Spanglish-esque’ Yakuza dialect. Is the error in the writing/script? Or the actors’ performances? How would you rate Lucy Liu’s and Uma Thurman’s dialect / accents? I cannot tell☺️

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      1. Thank you! I’m Sincerely honored!
        I’m “American”. My dad was Japanese, and I was born in Tokyo… around the time Roxy Music formed. We moved to the States when I was five. So my Japanese had to be re-acquired.

        The Japanese edits were fine, as was the dialogue. But there are subtleties to the spoken language that give away regions or backgrounds… same as American regional accents and expressions. A west coast US accent can sound a little like you’re from Osaka.

        In Tokyo, I think of the local yakuza as having an Edokko (Edo-child) sound that announces you’re from an old, mercantile-class family. You won’t hear it so much anymore. Tanaka-sama speaks that way, “beranmee-cho”… just before losing his head. When I went to college in Southern California, I always thought the local Chicano Spanglish sounded rather Edokko… same slightly rough but laid-back, authoritatively expressive, street-wise lilt.

        Tamioka High in Osaka is where “Avantgardey” orignated. They poke fun at the conformity of Japanese High School life. “Akane” was the school’s dance instructor/director. She made the school known for its dance groups, and directed some into forming Avantgardey.
        A couple of (broken) links (replace the “[DOT]”):

        High school performance
        youtube[DOT]com/watch?v=i4RXgoUzimk

        Avantgardey rehersal
        youtube[DOT]com/watch?v=wcOIQWE32sQ

        乾杯!

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      2. ABBA –> Sir Mix-a-lot… Touché, Avantgardey👏😆 … Guess what!? I have Avantgardey in SPAΩ Episode II B-Roll!! I found their performance on “America’s Got Talent” and was re-timing (slowing down😅) their dance to match the music of BeeGees’ “Tragedy”… I had this bit where Gogo Yubari wakes up dead in the Beetlejuice ‘Netherworld’ still wearing her school girl outfit. That scene segways into the Avantgardey dance, coupled with a bunch of other movie scenes…. I gave up on it…. This was just last winter! 2024-2025😀

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  3. Well, I left another comment. But I guess it evaporated.
    I just wanted to let you know that I watched it full-screen, 4K at the source, with a set of monitor headphones. Felt like I was sitting in a theater! Excellent work! Very impressed and spot on… and I think I caught a couple of Easter eggs.

    Unfortunately, I’m now stuck with a bunch Tamioka High School Dance Club theme songs echoing in my noggin. ƪ(‾.‾“)┐

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    1. You are awesome for watching, Gia! I understand musicals aren’t your first choice and this is very much a musical. Next episode will be more bang bang action, more dialogue and far less dancing probably. Still mostly in the style of montage. We’ll see🤔 lots of work left to do. Thank you for the encouragement my friend and fellow movie lover! Well wishes and have a good weekend 🥂🩷

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      1. It was my pleasure, EF! 🥳 A key reason I dislike musicals is that I often don’t love the songs. If the songs are great (in my opinion) and the story is good, I have a good time, as I do with your releases. I look forward to the next release, EF. Be sure to top up on your Zzzzs, when you can. A wonderful weekend to you too, my movie-loving friend! 🤓🥂❤️

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  4. Feels great… the music and edits are ON. You chose terrific music all through.

    LOVE the skating parts big time, and the teeny bit with Travolta in SNF – 👍

    Yes it is epic, a great epic.

    You must be very happy with it, all said and done. Madonna was quite the beauty.. and voguer.

    It’s also of import that you did full and complete credits.

    BRAVO!!! 👏👏👏👏👏👏👏🎬

    Liked by 1 person

    1. 🙏🙏🙏 I aim to be worthy of the precious minutes of my esteemed audience and their attuned senses… Means the world. Thank you, Resa!🤩🥂🖤🤍💃🏾
      P.S. The French ice dancing couple danced to Madonna’s Vogue a couple nights ago— adhering to the required 90s theme for that segment of the competition.

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      1. Aww xoxo
        Thank you, EF – for the lovely comment and the movie.
        Yes, I saw that skating performance. I am a HUGE fan of all the figure skating competitions.
        The costumes are fantastic, to boot!

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      2. I did some skating costumes before I got into film. It is a world of rules unto itself.
        AND the sewing has to be sturdy. One sequin falls on the ice, and if a blade hits it – disaster! xx

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    1. Thanks a ton, my friend. A lot of work indeed; especially when you factor in all the early misfires / versions that didn’t make it… It remains hard to justify the hundreds of hours spent on each video, given how small my audience is. But I just love making these too much to stop😅 Really appreciate the support🙏🖖🕺🏽

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  5. 16 months is a lot of love and devotion. And probably not having time to get back to it then returning and picking it up–I know the feeling!!! And it shows! Everyone keeps saying “nice editing,” but for me the editing was incredible, so smooth and seamless. What is your ultimate goal, EF, making movies? Because you could get a HUGE foot in door as an editor, right?! Meanwhile, what a visual and aural treat!

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    1. Part-Time 16 months, but always on the mind— you know. Many more False starts than stop and starts this time around.

      It may sound foolish but the ultimate goal is this. I’m making exactly the kind of movies I want to make. Do I wish they reached a bigger audience. Yes. But don’t we all!?… Really do need to figure out how to reach more young people. TikTok has been a bust thus far… Attention is scarce.

      Thanks so much for watching and supporting. I aim to be worthy of your time and taste. Hope you and your husband are well. Do post again soon— always brightens my day to discover a new post from you. Thanks a ton, my friend. -EF (Jason🤫 I still prefer EF)🥂🙏

      Liked by 1 person

      1. You’re more than welcome, EF, and it’s a pleasure anyway. But yeah, the burden is heavy, trying to break through all the noise! So many others out there doing so many things. I guess starting with a solid few in our base with the same mindset/connection/understanding is a miracle and we can work from there. But the noise out there–the endless, ear-blasting, all-encompassing noise… bypassing it somehow is the real challenge. Passion and love for what we do hopefully keeps us going. You’ll figure it out. And if I come across any methods/new processes that I hear about, I’ll of course let you know!
        Hang in there!

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  6. Sorry it took so long but I have officially watched it! Yay! Very well done!! I can’t imagine the work that goes into the task of selecting scenes and music… let alone all of the editing (that is expertly done). Wow. Your passion and skills definitely shine through. It must be a blast to put these together… I’m almost jealous. And what a difference it was watching it on my big monitor as opposed to my little phone. Bravo!

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Thanks Janet! You know, I work so hard on these vids to be worthy of my esteemed and 🌸Super Creative🌸 audience🙌 You nailed it— the selections are the sneaky hardest part. For every movie that makes it in, probs two do not (of the serious contenders). Tons of re-writes and false starts… Good to hear the big monitor worked better. Thanks so much for the support and feedback, my friend. And I’m so excited to see a new post from you! Hope it’s a good week ahead😎

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      1. That’s like that metaphor of a mountain or volcano on water… where we only see what’s above the surface. But beneath the water the structure is massive … and that unseen part represents the time, energy, blood, sweat and tears that went into it.

        Also I had experience with a 2 or 3 minute video in one of my classes and it was a lot of WORK. 😂🤣😂

        Anyway, I hope that you enjoy your week as well!

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