Jessica Walter has slipped the bonds of our existence and gone on to be amazing in another dimension.
We're stunned and heartbroken at this news.
RIP to a queen.
Film. Comics. Sci-Fi. Superheroes. Pulp. Noir. History. Superman. 20th Century Archaeology.
Thursday, March 25, 2021
Tuesday, March 23, 2021
Doc Watch: Operation Varsity Blues - The College Admissions Scandal
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.
Monday, March 22, 2021
"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
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.
Music:
The Long Good Friday Theme, Extended Edition - Francis Monkman
Sunday, March 21, 2021
Comics Watch: X-Men (2000)
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!
Saturday, March 20, 2021
80's Watch - Watch Party: Footloose (1984)
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, March 19, 2021
Friday Watch Party: Footloose (1984)
Day: 03/19/2021
Time: 8:30 Central
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!
Wednesday, March 17, 2021
: The Black Stallion (1979)
Format: Amazon Prime
Viewing: Unknown - at least third
Decade: 1980's
Director: Carroll Ballard
This is a strangely perfect movie.
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