Doc Watch: Operation Varsity Blues - The College Admissions Scandal

Watched:  03/22/2021

Format:  Netflix

Viewing:  First

Decade:  2020's

Director:  Chris Smith

Full disclosure:  My current role is in IT management at a major American university, and part of my portfolio includes Admissions.  I haven't worked for this office very long, just about a year and a half.  But I do interface continually with the folks who process, review and make admissions decisions.  

If you followed the story of actresses Lori Loughlin or Felicity Huffman as they were exposed and charged with participating in, essentially, a massively scaled bribery scandal in which coaches provided entrance to kids as walk-ons to their teams in exchange for cash, you know the broad strokes of what broke in the news back in 2019.  

Happy Birthday, Ms. Crawford

 happy birthday to Ms. Crawford, born this date in 1904.

"Well, That Was Delightful" Watch: Paddington (2014)

Watched:  03/21/2021

Format:  Amazon prime

Viewing:  First

Decade:  2010's

Director:  Paul King

We're doing a podcast on Paddington 2 in a bit, so I expect we'll discuss this movie and Paddington in general at that time.  

This movie is fantastic, and you should watch it.

Shatner turns 90!

Happy 90th to the man who taught me it's all about hanging with your buds, having great hair and cruising around in a cool ride to meet girls and get into scrapes with the locals.  

Also, he was on Star Trek.

He's my Captain, and I salute him.  Happy birthday, Mr. Shatner!

PODCAST: "The Long Good Friday" (1979) - a SimonUK Canon episode w/ Ryan

Watched:  03/16/2021

Format:  Criterion Channel

Viewing:  Second

Decade:  1970's

Director:  John MacKenzie

For more ways to listen

We're still talking our personal canon, and SimonUK brings a favorite from the UK - and one hell of a film. We talk amazing performances, tight stories, and the real world of late-70's England that informed one of the hallmark films of the gangster genre. Join us for a long chat on a good movie.

The Signal Watch PodCast · 141: "The Long Good Friday" (1979) - A SimonUK Canon Selection w/ Ryan

Music:  

The Long Good Friday Theme, Extended Edition - Francis Monkman

Signal Watch Canon:

The Signal Watch PodCast · The Signal Watch Canon

Comics Watch: X-Men (2000)

Watched:  03/20/2021

Format:  Disney+

Viewing:  Unknown

Decade:  2000's

Director:  (ahem) Bryan Singer

Arguably *the* game changer for the entire comic book movie and TV genre - from goofy b-movies with occasional hits to the world we're in today with Justice Leagues, WandaVisions and  whatnot everywhere you look, X-Men (2000) arrived on the scene to an excited fanbase who saw a trailer that kinda/ sorta looked like an X-Men comics and seemed to treat the concept of X-Men with some faint degree of dignity.  

Now, many will argue that Blade was the kickstarter, and they're right!  But the thing about Blade was that it operated way more like a horror movie/ action adventure and less like a superhero flick - and there were maybe a couple thousand people walking around in 1998 who knew anything about Blade.  To this day, I have no idea if Blade has any real relation to the comics (and don't care.  Blade kicks ass.).  

From the late 1970's to the late 1990's, X-Men was a powerhouse franchise all its own, even within the Marvel line of comics.  It was more or less like the Game of Thrones of comics - even if you didn't read it, you knew about it, and the gravity well of the comic was massive.  In the mid-90's, I guess it was outperforming literally every other thing Marvel comics put out, so they rebooted their entire universe for about - I dunno - 6 months? minus X-Men.  Because X-Men was too big, baby!

80's Watch - Watch Party: Footloose (1984)

Watched:  03/20/2021

Format:  Amazon Watch Party

Viewing:  Unknown

Decade:  1980's

Director:  Herbert Ross

Gee, why don't the young people want to stay in small towns?  How did we get to this divide between rural America and urban America?

I mean, Footloose (1984) is a story that seems ridiculous, about a town where "dancing" was made illegal (something that seems so slippery and un-First Amendment-y that it's breathtaking) and one not-even-rebellious teen who's mere existence as an "outsider" is so problematic adults are out to literally destroy him, that all of this seems absurd.  Except that this stuff was very real and happened.  Baylor University in Waco, 90 minutes up the road from my house, didn't allow dancing until the late 90's. 

So, yeah, small towns where no one was going to do much but stop to fill up with gas actually would and did have goofy rules.  This was Satanic Panic time that would culminate in the PMRC and Dee Snider of all people taking down a bunch of crusty representatives looking into literally regulating the music industry.  It was also the time of MTV, and I can just see a movie studio exec looking for a story that will appeal to a wide audience - but bring in those kids who like the MTV, and be very music-video-friendly.  

Friday Watch Party: Footloose (1984)

Day:  03/19/2021

Time:  8:30 Central

Click here to fight "the man" 

Next week is Jamie's birthday, and thus I'm picking a flick she requested a bit back.  

Let's explore the urban/ rural divide as a kid from "the city" winds up in Bumfuck, BFE and is confronted by future OAN viewers.

We're gonna remember that even a crusty old minister can't keep us from gettin' down.  So get ready to DANCE.  Everything else is bullshit!

: The Black Stallion (1979)

Watched:  03/17/2021

Format:  Amazon Prime

Viewing:  Unknown - at least third

Decade:  1980's

Director:  Carroll Ballard

This is a strangely perfect movie.

Watch Party Watch: Star Trek IV - The Voyage Home (1986)

Watched:  03/15/2021

Format:  Amazon Watch Party

Viewing:  Unknown

Decade:  1980's

Director:  Leonard Nimoy

Until Lower Decks and a few one-off episodes, one of the few attempts at light comedy/action in the Trek franchise, Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home  (1987) caps off the trilogy that started in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, bringing our crew finally back to Earth after giving us the thrill of seeing them wandering the streets of 1986 San Franciso as a slightly disheveled away team.

I am 85% sure I've written this one up before, so I won't do it again.  It's the one with the whales.