Donomark

Part of me wants to feel guilty, like I'm being pandered to since series 4 is my favorite and the Ten/Donna duo is my favorite era...buuuut I don't care. This is my Tom Baker and Liz Sladen. To me, Tennant and Tate are Doctor Who, so I am amped for this.

Season 2 might be my favorite as well. It's a funnier, better animated version of Season 1, which I will forever like. When I did my rewatch a few years back, I had a hard time picking between seasons 2 and 4 as my favorite.

It is Black Caesar: Directed by Larry Cohen, starring Fred Williamson I tried watching Three the Hard Way but it's unavailable online, so I went with Black Caesar based on this killer badass trailer. It was quite a viewing experience. Blaxploitation movies have to be put into so many different contexts depending on the film, and the fact is that half of them are about gang lords, drug dealers and pimps. The term blaxploitation comes from the NAACP despising how these stories constantly presented the worst black stereotypes to mainstream white audiences, but in the moment they were mostly films starring black leads and putting them in powerful stories that went against the grains of sidekicks and tokens. Films like Shaft and The Mack were trendsetters more than following a trend, with 1973 being the hotbed for these movies sprouting up. But Fred Williamson had been acting for several years before this lead role. This is definitely what set him on the map, as it's a true star-making performance. The problem is that Tommy Gibbs is ultimately a thug. There's very little redeeming qualities about him, but a popular narrative is that he's a "hero". Perhaps in the larger context of the black community (Michael Jai White said any Fred Williamson movie had its own "dead whitey" count, and this one for sure ranks high), he strikes an indelible image. But in-universe he's not only a murderer and a crook, but an unapologetic rapist. It's his first "love scene" with Gloria Hendry - who is great in the movie but treated like shit throughout - and his hatred from beginning to end makes any scene with women something to be on high alert for. There's more to get into and analyze regarding black masculinity than this one post can try to, but anyone watching with modern eyes writes the character off pretty early on by the end of the first act. At the same time, Fred Williamson really is terrific. Not only can he rock sweet suits and carry himself intimidatingly with that semi-auto handgun he's clutching, but he's got a brilliant command of charm channeling fury and indignation in nearly every scene. Out of the handful of blaxploitation movies I've seen, he's at the top in terms of main character performance, along with Ron O'Neal. At the end of the day, I take Black Caesar as a story about a man ruined from a young age by racism and used that anger to wreak vengeance on life. He's not anyone to look up to, really, but the performance and directing make it a compelling watch, even if it does feel like one of the many white directors were jumping on a trend with an outsider's view of the subject matter.

You listen to the Flickchart Forum episode we did last year on the Spidey flicks?

We can get into it!

Sure man, I'd be down!

What is it with you people and Macy Gray?

It'll never happen 'lest Ian roll his eyes out of his head, but comparing Affleck's performances in both Justice Leagues is interesting, because he is actually chummier and lighter-hearted in the Snyder Cut than he is in the Whedon version. It's pretty strange.

While I wasn't aware that Charles S. Dutton (Formerly Unky Chuck) performed as Leavee in Ma Rainey's Black Bottom (I knew he originated his career on-stage), I was extremely aware of James Earl Jones performing as Troy Maxson in Fences. Because he's terrifying. I don't want to color it with terms like "menace", but he's so much more immediately intimidating in the role. His size and booming voice just carry that inimitable black father archetype perfectly. By contrast, Denzel's stage performance (acting against Gotham's Lucius Fox Chris Chalk) garnered laughs from the audience. IDK if it was an intentional approach or if the audience just took the scene the wrong way, but the differences in performances are fascinating to me.

Oh, actually I mean to say I'll fourth Chasing Amy. If you thought The Help was problematic, this might be the most cringey movie you two will ever watch on the podcast. BUT it's not only an ultimately dramatic Affleck turn but an intriguing snapshot into how he was back then in the 90s compared to today. You'll probably want to check out The Town, Argo or Live by Night. I've only seen The Town myself, and Argo won him the Oscar for direction. How many directed/starring role films for actors have you done? Gone Girl totally gets my vote, buuuuuuuuuuut if you ever want to do a Rosamund Pike month, you'd better hold off on that. That's her starring role.

Batman V. Superman: Dawn of Justice Justice League (2017) The Flash

Jujutsu Kaisen season 2 just reiterates that you must not trust its happy-go-lucky opening titles. When Chainsaw Man was out, I began thinking it was a harder, ediger JJK. But JJK is still plenty dark on its own, it just features lighter characters. I also appreciated the clip show episodes, having not re-watched the series since it last aired.

I forgot to note it, but while I was in Massachusetts surprising Harry Chute for his birthday, we watch last year's Prey. Pretty much a perfect film and undeniably the best Predator film after the original, they should just do analogue stories from now on. Ma Rainey's Black Bottom: Been meaning to watch this for the past three years. It really is Chadwick Boseman's movie, although Viola Davis crushes it as the titular Ma Rainey. It's the best performance I've seen from her, which says quite a lot. I also loved seeing Glynn Turman after watching reruns of A Different World for the past 18 months.

My Adventures with Superman has finished its first season. Overall this show is a very fun, fresh and energetic take on the mythos, actively acknowledging that they're swerving a few things and pulling some surprises for those who do not know the history of the character. And those people are out there, I've a co-worker who loves the show and has no idea what to expect or what was done before in the comics. It got better and better for me with each episode. Initially I thought they laid into the himbo, harmless milquetoast persona for Clark too much. This is the first version of the character where the nebbish, shy and anxious Christopher Reeve Clark Kent IS the actual real persona. I'm all for a more wholesome, less aggressively toxic Superman, but early on I was like "Okay, come on, he's gotta be more proactive and determined than this." But the character quickly grew into that before long, in an organic way. I still wouldn't have started it the way they did exactly, and I prefer Superman to know everything about himself before he dons the cape, but it's a new version and thus fair game. The multiverse episode explicitly invoking the differences made it even easier for me to roll with. And Jack Quaid does a solid job. In the latter half of the season, there are some terrific moments, with the penultimate episode having one of the coolest Superman "feats" in years depicted in animation. I refer to this series as "webtoon" Superman, in the same vein as Wayne Family Adventures. It's 21st century anime Superman, done by millennials with a hope-punk aesthetic. It carries all the plusses and minuses of those traits, with the negatives being incredibly few. People got upset at Lois halfway thru the series, and while I initially felt there was real overreaction, I di think the show leaned too heavily into criticizing a trope of the franchise rather than focusing on the exact circumstances of its own history. Because Clark is very much still figuring himself out, and for characters to feel entitled to know everything about their friend like that, I do find encroachingly offensive. But it worked out. In the end it's great to see the Superman franchise take another W after Superman and Lois. The character needs to claw his way back up on top after a tumultuous 20+ years in pop culture. Smallville's the last time he was generally enjoyed by the masses.

Hehehehe

The Brothers (2001): Written and Directed by Gary Hardwick Morris Chestnut, Shemar Moore, Bill Bellamy and D.L. Hughley lead this cast of late-20s/early-30s black professionals who struggle with relationships and various other subplots. Definitely part of the mid-90s trend of mature black romances, except this is 51% a comedy. It's nowhere near as good as Love Jones, which was dead serious and had their characters come off as realistic people. Bill Bellamy and DL Hughley make this film seem campy, although they both turn in good performances. I actually found DL pretty funny throughout, even though his wife was a cartoon. I enjoy seeing Morris Chestnut and Shemar Moore act, as the diversity for the roles they take have become more and more bland as time's gone on. Shemar Moore in particular was far more of a shallow, short-sighted guy who needed growing up. As a performance, I enjoyed seeing him work. I also like Clifton Powell in anything, and the tense scene he has with Morris Chestnut is the highlight of the movie for me. The film isn't that great, but it's perfectly watchable. Tatiyana Ali, Jennifer Lewis, and Gabrielle Union (she gets the "And" credit) are very solid in roles that go against their typical mold. This is a film you watch in 2023 if you enjoy the actors, moreso than the writing. I think Gary Hardwick thought he was being really deep and insightful throughout, but there's too much goofiness for plot to land as relatable. That might be an issue with the time period though.

67 years old, damn crying shame...

In the Line of Fire (1993): Directed by Wolfgang Peterson starring Clint Eastwood. The last remaining Secret Service agent from JFK's detail on the day of his assassination races to outwit an assassin from murdering the president. I checked this out based on a retweet Chris had up the other week. 90s thrillers tend to feel the same, and the make or break quality is in the gimmick. This however is largely the same as every "Old guy applies his legacy aura to kick ass in the modern day" shtick that powers many a Bronson or Stallone or Neeson flick. He's even named Frank for God's sake, which has to be the single most common white guy name in this genre. To be honest I was rolling along with it fine for the first act, but the moment Renee Russo stepped on screen it brick-walled against me hard. Eastwood is completely obnoxious to her and her feminist presence (a woman in a man's job), so after a few scenes of needless barbs, he flirts/harasses her until she's swooned by his written charm. I had zero fucking patience for that. There's nothing about this plot that required a love interest, let alone one where the writing made the pairing so unbelievable. Russo could've easily been Eastwood's ear for his Dallas confessions in the third act, but making out with him while they are actively trying to prevent a presidential assassination practically ruined the movie for me. It made everything feel so hollow, reinforcing that this isn't a story, it's a Clint Eastwood vehicle. John Malkovich gives the best performance as the assassin who wants to kill the president for basically no reason. He acts far better than he's written, although I dug his backstory. This is one of those movies that I stuck with, but it felt twice as long as it was at the half hour mark. I don't tend to look out for dated or problematic screenwriting in older movies, but I can't stand it when it comes off as smug. I didn't hate the movie, but it annoyed me. Similar a bit to Falling Down.

Blue Beetle Having very recently done my homework for the character for DC assignments to promote the film, I still went into this film with measured expectations. I can't pretend to be a fan, I haven't read the character up until a week ago and have only been exposed to him in animation. I think this is a solidly decent superhero movie. It's not going to rewrite the genre, and part of the issue is that the character's source material is innately somewhat derivative of other comic book franchises. That's not something this movie can help, however it definitely has one eye trained on 2018's Black Panther. There's a scene in the third act, complete with dialogue, that literally rips off BP. Your mileage may vary when it comes to this movie. On the whole it's good, but not groundbreaking regarding the main crux of the film, that being the scarab and the evil corporation that wants it back. Susan Sarandon twirls her mustache a bit, but it'll be a blip in her career as her villainous role is a dime a dozen. BB's powerset isn't nerfed at all, as he can do everything we've seen him do in other media, which was great in the final action sequences where he really cuts loose. What sets this movie apart is the Mexican American culture, but really and truly it's Jaime Reyes' family. They're the heart of the film. Much of the time they're high energy and loud, especially after the scarab absorbs Jaime. There are three scenes in a row where everyone is yelling. But you spend time with them, you get to know them. And when the end of the second act tragedy happens, it tears your heart out. I was viscerally distressed by scenes involving them halfway through the film, and it took me a solid fifteen minutes to shake it off. It's brutal and realistic, the kind of violence that's inflicted upon them, which really makes this movie memorable. So you're wanting to stick with the family in the back half of the movie and see what happens to them. On top of all that, this film is a big boon for actual Blue Beetle fans from the comic, particularly Ted Kord. I was surprised how much lore was translated to the film. There's a quick shot from a newspaper clipping that looks straight out of a Charlton Comics Blue Beetle cover. It's awesome. IDK how much that'll matter to mainstream audiences, but for this comic book nerd, I geeked out. The movie isn't doing well, which is owed to a few factors like lack of promotion due to the strike and the turnover from it's original streaming schedule to the big screen. It's not a brilliant film, despite how loudly Twitter/X users are trying to make it out as for solidarity. Much of it just is plainly derivative. But all of the main actors are excellent, and it's a rare CBM that gets better as it goes along. It's fucking MILES ahead of The Flash, for the pure fact that at no point do you find Jaime annoying, let alone unbearable.

Heat Ooh...hmm...I was more immediately taken with Alien, but Blade Runner has a way better soundtrack. Right now I'll say Alien though. Silence of the Lambs Empire

TDK Multiverse of Madness, easily

Really truly sad. I was a HUGE Pee-Wee fan when I was a toddler, and that childhood affection never really went away. Glad to see such an outpouring of love for him.

Conversely, I thought Barbie was excellent! An explicitly feminist film that wants to have fun discussing gender politics, it really goes for it. The hyperreality of it all hearkens back to movies of the 80s and early 90s, and either you're on board with it or you're not. But Margot Robbie is superb, and Ryan Gosling delivers his funniest - and possibly his best - performance to date. IDK what I was expecting going in, but I had a total blast.

I'm gonna hafta say it - Emma is dead wrong about the potential escape from causalities from the Hun attack. ALL OF THOSE PEOPLE DIED, soldiers and civilians alike. Because it's Disney, if there were any room for doubt they would've made it clearer, if otherwise.

"Most of it was Hentai." is now my favorite line from the podcast to date.