Halloween Kills (4½ Stars)

This is the 12th film in the Halloween franchise, but only the fourth film in the double-retconned series. Read my post about "Halloween" for an explanation of the confusion. Not everyone understands it. There's a diagram explaining the continuity on the Wikipedia page, but it's incorrect. If my PC hadn't broken down I would have drawn a new diagram. My laptop doesn't have any graphics software.

"Halloween Kills" was made in 2021, but it starts immediately after the events of "Halloween", so it's still 31st October 2018. This makes the film feel like "Halloween 2", which also began minutes after the first Halloween film. I consider it a slightly better film than "Halloween" (2018). It has more action, and there's a higher kill rate. It shows the effects of the original killing spree that took place in 1978. The people in the town have become monsters in their thirst for revenge.

There are flashbacks to 1978, and one thing that stands out is that the population doesn't change. Haddonfield is a town which nobody leaves. If you're born in Haddonfield, you remain till you die. Some people die sooner than others. Michael Myers has no trouble recognising the people that he knew 40 years ago. He wants to exact his vengeance on them, their children and their grandchildren.

The most important Haddonfield residents in the film are Laurie Strode, her daughter Karen and her granddaughter Allyson. Karen never wanted to follow in her mother's footsteps, considering her a fanatic, but after her mother's injuries in the last film she's forced to step up and take responsibility. Allyson also joins the fight, despite only being a teenager. How old is she in the film? Sixteen?

The family has been presented in multiple film posters.

Jamie Lee Curtis as Laurie Strode

Judy Greer as Karen Nelson

Andi Matichak as Allyson Nelson

The Blu-ray I watched today also contains an extended version. I watched the theatrical version, because I missed the film in the cinema. The extended version supposedly has a different ending which doesn't match the next film ("Halloween Ends"), so I shan't watch it until later. I also want to rewatch "Halloween 2", when I have time.

Success Rate:  + 4.7

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Lassie: A New Adventure (3½ Stars)

This is the 11th film about the dog called Lassie, the second film in the series made in Germany. Eight of the previous films were made in America, and one in Britain. Maybe it's wrong to call the films a series. There was continuity between the first five films, made from 1943 to 1949, but the later films are just about a random dog called Lassie, and the owners have different names or nationalities. In addition there have been two live action television series and one animated series about Lassie. The dog first appeared in a novel written by Eric Knight in 1940.

Note: sometimes it's claimed there were more than 11 Lassie films, but I'm not counting the fake films created by editing television episodes.

In this German film, Lassie is a collie who lives with his owner Flo in Bavaria. Flo also has a Jack Russell called Pippa. Flo's family goes on holiday to Gran Canaria, but he doesn't want to be separated from his dogs, so he stays with his Aunt Cosima in South Tyrol, a German speaking area in northern Italy. Everywhere he sees signs that dogs are missing, and his aunt's children tells him that they've probably been stolen. After a few days he witnesses a couple grabbing Pippa and taking her away in a van.

In the following story, Flo searches for Pippa, but the real hero is Lassie. She has the brains to conduct the search and the courage to challenge the dog thieves. The commonly used word is dognapper. I know it's a slang expression, but it sounds appropriate.

Yes, Lassie is a female dog. At least, Lassie is a female in the original book. The name itself is the Scottish slang expression for girl. However, Lassie is often thought of as male, and the dog's gender is deliberately left vague in the German film. I listened carefully, and the dialogue was inconclusive. No "he" or "she" was used in the whole film.

The film starts slowly. It isn't until the second half that there's action with Lassie, Pippa and other dogs running around. The film is a comedy. Unfortunately. There are a lot of good German films, but Germans have trouble making comedies. They just aren't funny. If the film had been more serious it would have been better.

Halloween [2018] (4 Stars)

I've finally bought the 2018 version of "Halloween" on Blu-ray. Is it the 11th film in the series or the third? That depends on how you count them. The first film was made in 1978, and it's rightfully considered a classic. "Halloween 2" was made three years later in 1981, but it continues directly from the first film, so it also takes place on 31st October 1978.

In 1982 there was a curious film called "Halloween 3", which has nothing to do with the first two films. It doesn't feature or even mention Michael Myers. It doesn't deserve to be included in a list of Halloween films.

In 1988, 1989 and 1995 there were three films that acted as sequels to the original films. So "Halloween 4" was the third film, "Halloween 5" was the fourth film, and "Halloween 6" was the fifth film. Are you still with me?

Then there was a marketing coup in 1998. Either a coup or a disaster, depending on how you look at it. To celebrate the 20th anniversary of "Halloween", a film was made called "Halloween H20". This continues from the second film, ignoring the events of the previous three films. So "Halloween H20" was the seventh film, but it's the third film in the revised continuity. In 2002 the story was continued in "Halloween Resurrection", so the eighth film was the fourth film.

In 2007 a film called "Halloween" was released, which was a reboot of the franchise. So the ninth film was the first. That's fair enough. And in 2009 the story was continued with "Halloween 2".  The world was in order again.

And the world remained in order until 2018, when a third film with the name "Halloween" was released, the one I'm writing about now. The reboot was ignored. The sequels "Halloween 4" to "Halloween 6" were ignored. The alternative sequels "Halloween H20" and "Halloween Resurrection" were ignored. That makes "Halloween" (2018) the new "Halloween 3".

I'm worn out after writing all that confusing stuff, so I'll keep my description of the new film to a minimum. Michael Myers escapes from the mental hospital after 40 years and returns home to Haddonfield. All this time Laurie Strode, the final girl from the first two films, has been waiting for him. This has had an adverse affect on her mental health and her relationship with her daughter Karen.

And the killing begins.

Success Rate:  + 24.0

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Barbie (5 Stars)

Today was the eighth day that "Barbie" is being shown in the cinema, and it's still sold out. Almost. When I booked a ticket, there were only three seats to choose from, but in the cinema there were four empty seats in front of me. It's possible to reserve a seat online and collect the ticket 30 minutes before it starts.

What was noticeable is that there were hardly any men in the audience. I looked around before the lights went out, and I could only see three other men. That's understandable, since it's a film about a doll for girls, but it's still unfortunate. Men are the film's target audience. It's a film all men should watch and learn from. As other reviewers have pointed out, every man in the film is stupid, a bigot or a pathetic loser. Those three categories aren't mutually exclusive. There hasn't been a film that puts men down so much since the days of Russ Meyer, who divided men into two categories:

The first type of man is weak and stupid, but sexually capable.

The second type of man is strong and stupid, but sexually impotent.

The women are all strong, intelligent and sexually demanding.

The difference in "Barbie" is that sex doesn't play a role. Or does it? Ken (Ryan Gosling) is embarrassed when Barbie (Margot Robbie) tells men at a building site that he doesn't have a penis. Barbie doesn't have a vagina, but that doesn't bother her. Women are able to do without men. There's a running joke in the film that Ken wants to be Barbie's boyfriend, but she turns him down. She wants them to be just friends. The modern Barbie doesn't need a man.

In the film the universe is divided into two worlds: Barbieland and the Real World. (The capitals are deliberate). Barbieland is ruled by women, who are intelligent and powerful and party every day. In the Real World there's supposedly equality of the sexes, but in practise it's ruled by men, who are stupid and bigoted.

The film highlights the problem with women's equality, a movement which came to public notice in the early 20th Century. The women who led the suffragette movement had good intentions, but they were doomed to fail. Women's equality is impossible, as the last 100 years have shown. If women say "We want to be equal", the men will grin and say Yes, giving them a figment of equality. In large companies like Mattel a few women are promoted to high positions to hide the fact that almost all the bosses are men. The suffragettes didn't go far enough. It wasn't enough that women should be allowed to vote, men should be forbidden to vote. The suffragettes said, "You've been suppressing us for the last 3000 years, so let's forget about it and be equal partners". They should have said, "Now it's our turn to suppress you for the next 3000 years".

"Barbie" contrasts the two systems: women rule Barbieland and men rule the Real World. Is Barbieland a perfect world? Not quite. The film shows the rise of toxic masculinity in Barbieland. The men should be happy to be Just Ken. It's not a bad life.

Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (4 Stars)

This is the 28th film in the MCU (Marvel Cinematic Universe). After watching it on Disney Plus 12 months ago, I've finally bought it on Blu-ray. I'm a collector, so I need a complete MCU collection.

I wrote badly about the film when I first saw it in the cinema. That was an emotional response. It deserves a four star rating, i.e. it's a good film, though far from perfect. Having said that, the best scene is at the beginning. It's wonderful to see Doctor Strange fighting Ditko-esque monsters in New York, even if he seems more like an action hero than a master of the mystic arts.

But picking the Scarlet Witch as the villain is just wrong. I could accept her moral ambiguity in the TV series "Wandavision", but I don't accept her willingness to kill Doctor Strange and anyone else who stands in her way.

I shan't write any more because I'm still emotionally drained by my PC breaking down. Apart from that, writing blog posts on my laptop isn't as comfortable. A 29-inch screen is better than a 17-inch screen. Size matters. I'll have to check if I can connect an external monitor to my laptop.

Today I ordered a new PC from the company Alternate, which specialises in gaming PCs. I could have saved money by buying one of their standard high quality PCs, but I decided to configure my own PC. It'll be delivered in four weeks, they said. I hope it will be faster. As far as I'm concerned, it's my Corona PC. I couldn't have afforded it in 2020, but due to the pandemic I rarely left the house and saved over 2000 Euros. That's my budget for the new PC. I've spent slightly less, but 2000 Euros was my upper limit.

Success Rate:  + 2.8

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Megan (4½ Stars)

Sometimes I think I'm stupid. Maybe I'm always stupid, but on occasions something happens that makes me doubt in my own sanity.

Today my computer stopped working. "But that can happen to anyone", you say. Yes, but I should have been prepared for it. My computer has been having sporadic failures for the last 12 months. In February I made a full backup of my data in preparation for buying a new computer. But what did I do next? Nothing. The errors were only sporadic and could be fixed by switching the computer on and off a few times, so I did nothing. And today it's stopped working altogether. It's my own fault. Now I have to panic, buying a new computer as quickly as possible. Sure, I'll make sure I get a good computer, the best I've ever had, but I won't have the comfortable overlap of two computers at once.

So how am I writing now? I have a laptop. I'm fortunate that it's a good laptop, but it's still depressing, having to write my blog with a small screen. I'm stupid, and I know it!

I watched "Megan" this evening as a distraction. Yes, I know the film's title is really "M3gan", but I don't like distorting the English language.

"Megan" is one of the most successful films of this year, so far, based on my unbiased rating system. I've thought of doing a list of the success ratings of the films I watch each year. A sequel has already been promised, but not until January 2025. I can hardly wait.

Success Rate:  + 13.1

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Oppenheimer (5 Stars)

I'll watch any film made by Christopher Nolan, despite my disappointment with his last (almost) true film, "Dunkirk". Before going to see "Oppenheimer" I was tempted to read up on Robert Oppenheimer. I'd heard his name and I knew he had something to do with the first atom bomb, but I knew nothing about his life. Eventually I decided to watch the film first and inform myself later.

Imagine my shock when the film started as a courtroom drama. Almost a courtroom drama. It's repeatedly emphasised that it wasn't a court, it was a senate committee. The difference is subtle. If found guilty, Robert Oppenheimer wouldn't be sentenced to prison, but he'd lose his security clearance and his ability to work for the government.

The film shows three phases in his life: before the Second World War, during the war and after the war. They're easy to tell apart from the cinematography, with the post war scenes being shown in black and white. A slight criticism is that I only roughly know when they happen. I would have appreciated the dates, or at least the years, being flashed on the screen.

So far I've only skimmed the Wikipedia page on Oppenheimer. It's late at night. I'll read more about him tomorrow. All I'll do is give a very brief summary of his life. It's not spoilers, because people with more knowledge than me would have known it already.

Before the war Robert Oppenheimer was an internationally renowned expert in quantum mechanics. He wasn't a Communist, but he kept an open mind, and he attended informal meetings of Communists. During the war he was made the leader of the Manhattan Project, which developed the first atomic bomb. After the war he was an adviser to the American government on the further development of atomic bombs, but his past history with the Communist party was dug up to discredit him, until he lost his security clearance and was no longer allowed as an adviser.

It's a powerful film. It's not exactly a pacifist film, although it could be interpreted that way. Oppenheimer built the bomb, and he was proud of his work, because it saved millions of lives. In 1945 America was planning to invade Japan, but every Japanese child from the age of 12 upwards had been given a rifle. It was estimated that at least nine million Japanese civilians would die in the invasion. In comparison, less than 300,000 died as a result of the bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. However, in the following years Oppenheimer had a What-Have-I-Done feeling, and he tried to persuade America not to make even bigger bombs.

Despite being shown in English, the film was almost sold out in Gloria, a cinema that has two large screens. The other screen showed "Barbie", also almost sold out. This made me happy. It's Gloria's most successful day since the Corona pandemic started in 2020. Cinema isn't dead, it just needs the right films.

Smallville 3.01 - Exile

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It's been a long wait. The season two finale was discussed five weeks ago. I thought I'd miss a few weeks while I was on holiday and have to catch up when I returned, but the podcast was suspended while I was in England.

Season two ended on a cliffhanger, or should I say two cliffhangers? Clark Kent left Smallville, wearing his red kryptonite ring. Lex Luthor was in an airplane that was hurtling downwards over the ocean. It's been at least 15 years since I watched these episodes on DVD, so I couldn't remember what happened next. The suspense was killing me, but I waited patiently to continue watching when Tom and Michael resumed their podcast.

Imagine my shock when the episode began with the words "Three months later". I expected an immediate transition like the one between the first two seasons. What's happened in these three months? Clark is living in a luxury apartment in Metropolis, financed by a life of crime. We see him stealing money from ATMs to buy a Lamborghini for $240,000 which he gives to a nightclub doorman a few hours later. Clark just doesn't care. As long as he's wearing the ring he has no sense of responsibility.

Lex Luthor has been living on a small island for the last three months, accompanied only by another shipwrecked man called Lewis. Or so we think. After an argument Lex kills Lewis, but then realises that Lewis never existed. He was just a figment of his imagination. I've been told that prolonged isolation combined with a poor diet can lead to strong hallucinations, but I can't imagine what it would be like. I've never been in such a situation, fortunately.

After three months of searching in vain for the plane's wreckage, Lionel Luthor assumes that his son is dead and a funeral is held for him. We're shocked to see that Lex's wife Helen is at the funeral. We assumed that she was also lost, because she was in the plane with Lex last episode, shortly before it crashed.

We should have known that she'd be at the funeral. There was a spoiler in the first minutes of the episode. There was a newspaper lying in the road with an article about Lex's funeral. Below the headline it's written, "He is survived by his newly wed wife Doctor Helen Bryce and his father Lionel Luthor". That text is hardly legible even on Blu-ray, so I doubt anyone noticed it when it was on television 20 years ago.

Shortly after the funeral Lionel and Helen meet in the Luthor Mansion. Lionel mocks Helen for saying that she fell asleep in the plane and woke up to find the pilot had left the plane, leaving only one parachute; Lex told her to use the parachute. We already know from watching the last episode that this isn't true. This shows us that Helen was in some way responsible for an attempt on Lex's life, but it isn't clear to what extent Lionel was involved. He seems to be talking innocently, but he's not overly concerned about losing his son. The only thing he admits is that he was paying Helen to spy on Lex. I hope that this is resolved in next week's episode, because it's not something I'd like to be left open for months.

One thing I don't like is the change in Helen since last season. She always seemed sincere, genuinely in love with Lex. Now she's cold-hearted and hypocritical. She wears black at the funeral, but on the way home she goes on a big shopping spree. She's a completely different woman. Yes, she was faking her affection for Lex in the second season, but there were no clues.

One person who hasn't changed is Lana Lang. She's spent months trying to find where Clark has gone. She's at the funeral grieving for Lex. She doesn't need to put on mourning clothes, she shows her feelings through her face.

What about Chloe Sullivan? She's not been completely honest, but we can forgive her. She missed Clark when he left Smallville, and she tried her best to find him. She has greater investigative skill than Lana, so she found him after a month. Clark threatened her, saying that if she told anyone, even his parents, where he lived, he'd leave Metropolis and move so far away that nobody would ever find him.

Now that Clark has gone, his parents' farm has gone bankrupt. They're planning to move into a small apartment. But how can they survive? How can they make money without a farm? Maybe they've received enough money to get by for a few years.

There's no lack of action in Metropolis. A bank is robbed by men in clown masks. Clark bursts in and stops the robbery. Is he the city's new super-hero? Hardly. He walks out of the bank with the money. The police try to stop him, but what can they do against a man who's bulletproof?

The police are led by Captain Maggie Sawyer. She was an underused character in the series. This is the first time we've seen her since the episode "Insurgence". In the comics she played a more important role.

Clark gets even more action at night. He's a regular at the nightclub Atlantis, and he's with a different woman every night. This is his latest conquest, if you can call it that. It's hinted that he never takes girls home. He just enjoys the thrill of teasing and kissing. Is Tom Welling using his tongue? Probably not, it would be unprofessional.

But Clark is having problems. The symbol that was burnt onto his chest in the last episode sporadically starts to glow, hurting him. My guess is that it's a side effect of prolonged exposure to red kryptonite, because whenever it happens he takes off the ring. Not for long. A few hours later he puts it on again. It gives him a rush that he can't do without.

Morgan Edge is the owner of Atlantis, and he's also the boss of the clowns whose bank robbery Clark interrupted. Is that a coincidence? Probably. Morgan says he's the biggest crime boss in Metropolis and he appreciates Clark's abilities. He wants Clark to steal a box from a vault on the 60th floor of the Luthorcorp Tower. No information is given as to what's in it, but it must be worth a lot, based on the amount Morgan is willing to pay.

Chloe finally breaks down and tells Lana where she can find Clark. Lana asks Clark to return to Smallville, but he refuses and says she can stay with him instead. They share a kiss in Atlantis. It seems cooler than his kisses with his random lovers. Definitely no tongue.

Lana rings Jonathan Kent to tell him where Clark is. Jonathan realises that it would be too difficult to bring Clark back home, so he takes the octagonal key to the Kawatche caves, hoping to be able to speak to Jor-El. He can't find the slot for the key, so he throws it on the ground in frustration. It rises and is sucked into the wall. Jonathan asks Jor-El for help bringing Clark back. The two come to an agreement, although we aren't yet told the terms of their deal.

Jonathan goes to Metropolis and interrupts Clark while he's breaking into the Luthorcorp vault. Clark throws his father at the wall, but Jonathan has evidently been given super speed and strength by Jor-El. Jonathan pushes Clark out of the window, and the two men fall together.

It's good to see the Talkville podcast team back in the studio. I missed them over the last five weeks. Watching the episode and listening to the podcast has become an important part of my weekly schedule.

Welcome back, Michael, forever single. He says that his sister has been married and divorced four times. That's enough to put any man off marriage.

Welcome back, Ryan, as pensive as ever.

Welcome back, Tom, participating by video link from California. He was only ever in the studio for the pilot episode. It would be good to see him back in the New York studio again.

There's no guest star in this week's podcast, but Michael speaks to Al Gough on the phone for seven minutes. The main topic is Allison Mack's hair. She turned up to play Chloe with a new hairstyle. This was unexpected, and Al admits that he was annoyed with her for making changes to her appearance without consulting him first. Personally, I don't see what the problem is. If you look back over the the last two years, she frequently changed her hairstyle from one episode to the next. The problem for Al was probably that she cut her hair shorter, but I still don't think it's a big deal. There was a three month gap in the story, which is enough time for any changes.

Twice in the podcast the message is flashed onto the screen, "This episode was recorded before the SAG-AFTRA strike". Why is that relevant? I thought it was an actors strike, not a podcasters strike. Or is it a union thing? I hope there won't be an enforced delay in future episodes of the podcast.

Always hold on to Smallville.

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Thor: Love And Thunder (3½ Stars)

This is the 29th film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). I gave it a lukewarm review when I watched it in the cinema last year. Now that I can finally watch it on Blu-ray I wanted to like it, I made a real effort to appreciate it more than last year, but the best I could do was increase the rating by half a star. The film's biggest problem is the main character, Thor himself. He's portrayed as being arrogant and a fool. I can put up with the arrogance. That's something we see at times in the comics. But foolish? Never! He was always a noble God, with or without his arrogance. I can see what Taika Watiti wanted to do as director and co-writer. He wanted to pull Thor down to our level, so we can relate to him better. That's a mistake. He's a God, so there should be a distance between him and the viewer.

But there are also questions about his godhood which remain unanswered in the film. In the comics we read that he's the God of Thunder. That's it. No explanations. He's a God, the same God that the people in northern Europe used to pray to. When Thor was introduced into the MCU the studios were nervous about insulting people, so it was expressly stated (in words spoken by Phil Coulson) that Thor isn't really a God, he's an alien. I'm not happy with that, but in "Love and Thunder" we meet a character called Gorr who claims to be a God killer. So Gorr disagrees with Phil Coulson and says that Thor is a God after all?

It's all a matter of definition. What is a God? Can we make a definition which isn't specific to just one religion? Is a God the person who created the universe? That would exclude Thor. Is a God someone that people pray to? That would include Thor. Is it someone who's immortal? That's a tricky one, because it's conceivable that human medicine can one day promise immortality. Is a God someone who lays down teachings to live by? Maybe, but some religions would call that person a prophet. I don't have an answer. Gorr could evidently tell the difference. For Gorr anyone is a God if he says he's a God and has followers who agree he's a God. That's a very simplistic definition, with obvious problems, but it works for Gorr in the film.

Let's say, for example, that I stood in the street and told people I'm a God (with an article). The first reaction would be that people say I'm mad. But let's get past that. Let's say that people who disagree want to discuss it with me. In order to convince me that I'm not a God, they first have to know what a God is. Many cults begin with a person claiming to be a God and others believing him.

In "Love and Thunder" Jane Foster carries Mjolnir and possesses the power of Thor. She even calls herself Mighty Thor (without an article). Does this make her a God? Maybe not, because the hammer is also killing her. That's one of the things that doesn't make sense in the film. In a book of Norse legends Jane reads that Mjolnir promises health. She's suffering from terminal cancer, so she travels to Tonsberg (New Asgard) in Norway to take the hammer. It gives her the power of Thor on a temporary basis, but it's actually sucking the strength from her body, speeding up her death. Mjolnir should do better. The problem lies with Marvel Studios, in particular Kevin Feige. He wanted to be modern and present a female Thor, but he wasn't brave enough to do it permanently, so he had to kill her off.

There's a passionate kiss between Thor and Mighty Thor. How passionate is the kiss? Are they using tongues? It looks like they aren't. Maybe Gods don't use their tongues. Or maybe Natalie Portman agrees with Kristin Kreuk that it's not professional.

Here's a small feature that was introduced in the previous Thor film, "Ragnarok". There's a play about the events of previous films. In this case Melissa McCarthy is playing Hela. She looks good, but I still prefer Cate Blanchett. Melissa is only pretending to be the God of Death.

How the mighty have fallen! In the comics Thanos claimed to be God (without an article), although he doesn't say this in the films. Nevertheless, he was all powerful. A few years have passed, and now an imitation of his Infinity Gauntlet adorns an ice cream parlour. I wonder if it tastes good. I'll have to try it the next time I'm in Tonsberg.

Success Rate:  + 1.0

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The Hills have Thighs (4 Stars)

I've never had to wait so long for a film before. "The Hills Have Thighs" was made in 2010 and released on DVD a short time later on DVD, but it was a limited edition and already out of stock by the time I tried to buy it. So I've waited... and waited... and waited... until it was finally remastered for Blu-ray earlier this year. It isn't available from Amazon, it's sold exclusively by Makeflix. Click the picture above for a link.

As you might have guessed, it's a parody of "The Hills Have Eyes", a horror film made four years earlier in 2006. A man called Bill is hiking alone in the mountains of South Texas. What he doesn't know is that the area was used for atom bomb tests 60 years previously. As a result women have turned into busty mutants who capture men and use them for sex. Poor Bill. All I can say is that they wouldn't need weapons to capture me. I'd surrender to them and do whatever they demand.

When he doesn't return home, four of Bill's friends go searching for him. (From left to right: Mary, Sandy, Mark and Ben). They don't know if he's alive or dead, but they at least want to find his body. When they find his wallet, still full of money, they fear the worst. What sort of person would take Bill but leave his money behind?

The Bible says that the love of money is the root of all evil. If that's the case, the mutant women must be pure and sinless. They don't want money, they just want men.

The four friends meet a mysterious woman called Tanya wandering in the mountains. She tells them she's been looking for her father for the last 10 years, but she's obviously keeping secrets from them. This is the weakest part of the film. The director could have added an extra 15 minutes to tell us what her true intentions are. But Tanya helps them by giving them a warning. She tells them that the women will capture men alive but kill women.

Ben and Mark send Mary and Sandy away for their own safety, so they can confront the mutant women themselves.

It's a battle like the world has never seen before. I just have one question: if the women have lived all their lives in the mountains, where have the fashionable clothes come from? Shouldn't they be running around naked?

Who will win the battle? Buy the Blu-ray if you want to find out. You can't expect me to tell you everything.

When talking about the Smallville episode "Exodus", Kristin Kreuk insisted that she hadn't used her tongue when she was kissing Tom Welling. She says it wouldn't have been professional. Obviously Julie K. Smith and Brandin Racklet thought differently when they were sharing a passionate kiss. They look like duelling tongues. In my books that's professional enough.