‘The Falcon And The Winter Soldier’ Ep. 1 Review
Race, Identity, and Captain America's Legacy Highlight A Somber, But Promising Start

By
Travis Hopson
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“How does it feel?”

“Like it’s someone else’s.”

“It isn’t.”

You don’t make a Marvel series called The Falcon and the Winter Soldier without dealing heavily with Captain America’s legacy. The scene references above from the conclusion of Avengers: Endgame, in which an older Steve Rogers hands the shield to Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie) weighs on every scene of the first episode, the only one screened early for press. But it weighs most on Sam, who feels the burden of responsibility that comes with the shield, not just as a hero, but as a black superhero in a highly-divisive country.

While it’s not explicitly talked about in this first episode of The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, race does play a key role. That shouldn’t come as a surprise for those who have read Falcon’s recent adventures in the comics pages; nor should it to those who are expecting higher creative goals from Marvel TV after the groundbreaking WandaVision. While there are definitely superheroics of the true MCU fashion, at least early on the series resembles a political drama more than anything else, closer in style to Homeland or The Americans.

Don’t worry, Bucky (Sebastian Stan) gets high own weighty issues to deal with, but his feel a bit familiar, dealing with his past as the mind-controlled assassin the Winter Soldier. He’s got a lot of atoning to do, and has taken up befriending the family of some of his past innocent victims as a means of doing that. It doesn’t prove all that successful, but it does get him a date, at least. There’s also court-mandated therapy sessions that reveal to us that…hey, he’s a pretty closed-off dude. We’ve known that for a long time now with very little progression.

It’s Sam’s story that takes precedent here and holds the most dramatic weight. He get the episode’s only real taste of battle, in an exhilarating aerial fight against terrorists led by a returning Batroc (Georges St-Pierre), who is just as douchey as he was in Captain America: The Winter Soldier. It gives us a chance to see Falcon, working for the government, as a solo hero for once…well, unless you count his robotic “bird” sidekick Redwing that aids in battle.

But the fight, cool as it is, really takes a backseat to Sam’s struggles on multiple levels. Can a Black man even be Captain America in the world today? Would the people accept him? And does he even want to do it, given how much respect he has for all that Captain America did? Agreeing to speak at the Captain America museum we’ve seen a few times previously, Sam decides that he can’t take the shield, entrusting it to the museum, and thus the U.S. government.

From there, the story finds us delving into Sam’s family life. His sister Sarah (played by the wonderful Adepero Oduye) is one of many who, like Sam, was gone for five years because of the “blip.” Now she’s back and ready to sell the family shrimping boat and pay off mountains of debt. But Sam, ever the hero, believes all he’s done as an Avenger will count for something. It’s a harsh lesson he learns at the bank, where the man he must convince for a loan is little more than a fan. Worse, Sam experiences the kind of everyday humiliation that black celebrities, in particular athletes, face all of the time. They love you when in uniform, but don’t give a damn when you’re not. Why should Sam be Captain America in a place that treats people like him in such a way?

While we know this will eventually change, in the first episode we don’t even see Sam and Bucky together. They’ll have to team up at some point soon, as we’re also introduced to the threat of The Flag Smashers, a terrorist group that believes life during the “blip” was better than it is now. How they intend to get the country back to that diminished dynamic, and how Baron Zemo (Daniel Bruhl) and Sharon Carter (Emily VanCamp) fit in we’ll just have to wait and see.

I’m not going to even attempt to judge the future of this series based on a single episode. Showrunner and writer Malcolm Spellman, aided her by director Kari Skogland, have laid the groundwork for an intriguing exploration of being a Black superhero, and how all of the powers in the world don’t change the everyday battles that people of color face. It’s a promising start, and if the show can continue to delve deep on larger societal issues as the superheroics take a bigger role, we could be looking at Marvel’s second Disney+ success in a row.

‘Four Good Days’ Trailer: Glenn Close Is Now Trying To Help Mila Kunis Kick A Drug Habit

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March 18, 2021

Oh! Um…yay, another addiction drama! As if the half dozen or so we’ve had in the last few months wasn’t enough, here comes Four Good Days, which stars Mila Kunis and Glenn Close, who just earned an Oscar nomination for her performance in another movie on a similar topic, Hillbilly Elegy.

Kunis stars as a heroin addict who is just four days of detox away from receiving a treatment that could save her life. Close plays her mother, who sets aside their years of differences to give her daughter one last chance to kick the habit. Also in the cast are Stephen Root, Joshua Leonardo, Carla Gallo, and Rebecca Field.

The film is based on a true story captured in co-writer Eli Saslow’s Washington Post article. Behind the camera is Rodrigo Garcia, who worked with Close on Albert Nobbs, a film that earned one of her many Oscar nominations.

Four Good Days opens on April 30th.

In an emotional journey based on a true story by Pulitzer Prize-winning Washington Post writer Eli Saslow, 31-year-old Molly begs her estranged mother Deb for help fighting a fierce battle against the demons that have derailed her life. Despite all she has learned over a decade of disappointment, grief and rage, Deb throws herself into one last attempt to save her beloved daughter from the deadly and merciless grip of heroin addiction. Powerhouse performances from Glenn Close and Mila Kunis anchor director Rodrigo García’s poignant and unpredictable chronicle of mother and daughter fighting to regain the love and trust that once held them together.

Review: ‘Happily’
No Relationship Is Perfect In Jack Black-Produced Dark Comedy Starring Joel McHale & Kerry Bishé

By
Jake Sokolsky
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You never really know what people think about you, even your closest friends. Janet (Kerry Bishé) and Tom (Joel McHale) find that out the hard way in Happily. A married couple of 14 years, the two still act like newlyweds. They sneak away at parties to fool around, they never fight, and they seem happy. All of that really pisses off their friends, who can’t for the life of them figure out what is going on with the two of them. The couples in the group are constantly at each other’s throats and have lost that romance and magic years ago. Watching Tom and Janet has become insufferable and they are sick of it. So naturally when a couple’s getaway weekend approaches, the group decides to revoke their invitations. Cooler heads do prevail, but the awkwardness of getting un-, and re-, invited still lingers over the group.

Right before Tom and Janet are supposed to head to the couple’s retreat, they are visited by Goodman (Stephen Root). After a strange encounter Tom and Janet race to the house with more questions than answers. They are greeted by Patricia (Natalie Morales) and Donald (Jon Daly). Patricia seems happy to see them while Donald is just a dick. Shortly after Maude (Kirby Howell-Baptiste) and Carla (Shannon Woodward) arrive – neither of whom are happy to see them. Last to arrive is Richard (Breckin Meyer) and his newest boo Gretel (Charlyne Yi). Richard just wants to do puzzles while Gretel is too high to know what’s going on. They carpooled with Karen (Natalie Zea) who wants to sleep with Tom and Val (Paul Scheer) a famous chef who never wants to cook. With everyone there, Tom and Janet have no idea who to trust or who it was that sent Goodman.

Happily is the brainchild of BenDavid Grabinski who both wrote and directed the film, with support from Jack Black as one of the producers. Even more impressive is that Happily is the first feature film that Grabinski directed and only the second he wrote a screenplay for. This lack of experience is far from apparent. Happily not only has a smart and stellar script for most of the film but is easy on the eyes. Grabinski has a unique style that is fresh and is able to transform even mundane actions into a viewing pleasure. The film is full of comical moments and lines. The dialogue is witty, and the pacing is spot on. Grabinski also throws in topical references that connect you to the characters and add an extra humorous element to Happily.

The entire cast in the film does a wonderful job, especially Bishé and McHale. Everyone delivers their lines perfectly, nailing the comedic timing. As a film driven by dialogue, timing and chemistry are everything and we get that in spades. That being said, Happily isn’t perfect. The intelligent script and premise fall apart towards the end of the film and you are left scratching your head. A couple questionable narrative choices by Grabinski do stick with you. There was a chance for Happily to really set itself apart and have staying power in the dark comedy genre. The narrative wavering towards the end hurts this, but that doesn’t mean that Happily is not worth a watch. It’s an enjoyable and hilarious trip that you shouldn’t pass up. Make sure you stay watching through the credits for a little extra cherry on top.

Happily is available in theaters, on digital & on demand March 19^th.

‘Zack Snyder’s Justice League’: Snyder Had A Lot Of Green Lantern Plans That Never Happened

By

Travis Hopson

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March 18, 2021

*SPOILERS*

The Snyder Cut is here! Zack Snyder’s Justice League has arrived on HBO Max, and judging by the social media reactions I’ve seen, fans love it as much as I did. The film has loads of surprises and special cameos, including a couple of heroes that Snyder has been teasing for a few years. But one character that we didn’t get to see that was the subject of rumors was Ryan Reynolds’ Green Lantern, with the actor returning to the role he infamously played in the disastrous 2011 film. It turns out, Snyder really did have plans in case a deal with Reynolds could be worked out, but failing that, he had ideas for the John Stewart GL that ended up becoming something else.

Snyder told THR…

“There was another idea I had for the Green Lantern that wasn’t Ryan, and so I thought that if we had gone down this path of Green Lantern, I would have had to have Ryan as the additional Lantern,” the filmmaker confirms. “Filling out the Lantern Corps a little bit more than say just one Green Lantern.”

We do end up getting a brief glimpse at Green Lantern during an early fight scene against Darkseid and his forces, but it’s an extraterrestrial hero and definitely not Reynolds. Seems like Snyder and Reynolds would be down to work together in the future, though…

Yes! And we’ll watch 300 and Justice League. I promise I’ll raise my hand to ask questions instead of yelling, “how’d you do that?!” Every ten seconds like last time.

— Ryan Reynolds (@VancityReynolds) March 17, 2021

Of the two entirely new scenes added to the film, one was a Knightmare epilogue featuring Jared Leto’s Joker, and another an encounter between Bruce Wayne and the Martian Manhunter, who is green but definitely not a Lantern. Turns out, that hero was initially meant to be for Green Lantern, but Snyder faced heavy opposition from the studio for some reason…

“We shot a version of this scene with Green Lantern, but the studio really fought me and said ‘We really don’t want you to do Green Lantern,'” Snyder told Vanity Fair. “So I made a deal with them, and they let me do this [instead.]”

Oh no. Don’t do that, Snyder. You’ll have scores of fans begging to see that footage, too!

Turns out, the Green Lantern in question wouldn’t have been the Hal Jordan version played by Reynolds, but John Stewart, who viewers of the many animated TV shows and movies probably know best…

“It would be John Stewart,” Snyder added. “They were like, ‘We have plans for John Stewart and we want to do our own announcement.’ So I said all right, I’ll give you that. So [Martian Manhunter] was the compromise.”

By “plans” Warner Bros. is likely referring to the upcoming Green Lantern Corps. series that’s in the works for HBO Max.

I am curious who Snyder got to play John Stewart, though. Hmmmm….

SXSW Review: ‘Witch Hunt’
A Welcome, Modern-Day Reimagining Of The Salem Witch Trials

By
Travis Hopson
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Imagine the Salem Witch Trials on a national scale and you’ve got the basic idea behind the SXSW Midnight entry, Witch Hunt. Writer/director Elle Callahan’s followup to Head Count blends the high school fantasy of The Craft (clearly some influence) with serious-minded topical discussion on race, hatred towards women, and xenophobia. It’s an uneven balance, but an exceptional premise that reflects on America’s history of mistreatment of minority classes, along with nods to the heightened climate of today, makes this a witch’s brew worth bottling up and saving.

After a prologue finds a New England witch burned at the stage while her two young daughters watch helplessly, Witch Hunt moves the action to SoCal where high schooler Claire (Blockers star Gideon Adlon) just wants to fit in with the popular girls who are prejudiced to those red-haired witches (they all seem to have red hair) who have “magic in the blood”. This is made difficult by Claire’s home life, where her mother (Lost alum Elizabeth Mitchell, a personal favorite) helps shepherd wayward witches to safety in Mexico via an underground network. Her mother’s actions have drawn the attention of the BWI, a group of government-sanctioned hunters who combine classic and modern anti-witch tactics, but she still decides to take in two more refugees, Fiona (Abigail Cowen) and Shae (Echo Campbell), the two girls who watched their mother burned. Despite all of her prejudices, Claire takes a liking to them, and sets out to help get them to safety. All of this against the backdrop of Claire writing a school paper on Amendment XI, which makes witchcraft illegal. So you know she’ll have some lessons learned just in time to question the Constitutionality of such a thing in her evening’s homework.

Callahan doesn’t attempt to be subtle, perhaps because the film is aimed at the teen demographic. The metaphors to today are clear, not just to racism but to the dangers of xenophobic leaders passing legislation to attack their enemies, something we saw first-hand in the previous Presidential administration. Also the fear and degradation of women, as the witches are dehumanized as making a “choice” to be evil when that’s not at all the case. Those expecting the chills of a Midnight selection will instead find pointed political commentary, putting it the same orbit of The Purge movies. While production values are clearly constrained, Callahan makes the most with what she has by leaning on the rural landscape and the performances of her cast. Adlon, who has already dabbled in witchcraft as part of The Craft: Legacy, handles like a seasoned vet Claire’s struggle to find herself in a world of many biases. While Witch Hunt is more traditional than its initial premise would suggest, it’s a welcome reimagining of witches and the kind of world-building that has you hoping Callahan can conjure up another with greater resources at her disposal.

Charlotte Flair’s Road To WrestleMania Includes Starring In A ‘Walking Tall’ Remake

By

Travis Hopson

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March 18, 2021

It’s been rough watching WWE TV struggle to find something for Charlotte Flair to do on the build to WrestleMania. Great wrestler, terrible actress, has no heat right now. I know! Let’s put her in a movie! Not only that, but a movie that most people remember for starring the most charismatic wrestler in history, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson!

Talk about a high-risk maneuver.

The multi-time champion, daughter of “Nature Boy” Ric Flair, and legit future Hall of Famer will star in a TV movie version of Walking Tall that will air on USA Network. The film is the brainchild of David Eick, an exec-producer on the Battlestar Galactica remake series.

The original 1973 Walking Tall starred Joe Don Baker and was based on real-life wrestler-turned-Tennessee lawman Buford Pusser. Flair’s role will be similar, “playing a Tucson cop who finds herself caught in a web of fraud, exploitation and murder, and is forced to go full vigilante to protect her home town from falling victim to modern corruption.”

Johnson starred in a 2004 remake and its surprising $57M box office success was a key stepping stone to his current superstar career. Two awful direct-to-video sequels followed, both starring Kevin Sorbo.

Beyond her seemingly random heel/face turns each week on WWE Monday Night Raw, Flair’s credits include an episode of Psych and the new Punky Brewster show. I do feel like this is WWE throwing her a bone because they’ve really done about all they can with her as a wrestler. She’s been at the top so much that people have stopped caring. The problem is that she can’t really act, either, so this experiment seems doomed for failure. Trust that I’ll be there watching, though, the way I do all of the WWE movies.

Adrien Brody To Play Pat Riley In Adam McKay’s HBO Series About The Showtime Los Angeles Lakers

By

Travis Hopson

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March 18, 2021

We haven’t heard much about Adam McKay’s HBO series about the Los Angeles Lakers since it was announce a couple of years ago. A lot of that has to do with COVID-19 putting a halt to many productions throughout 2020, but that’s beginning to change now, and a key role in the show has now been filled by Oscar-winner Adrien Brody. He better step his hair game up.

Variety reports Brody will play Los Angeles Lakers head coach Pat Riley in the drama series based on Jeff Pearlman’s book Showtime: Magic, Kareem, Riley, and the Los Angeles Lakers Dynasty of the 1980s.

Riley helped lead the Lakers to four NBA Championships, but it was his cool, stylish public persona and emphasis on fast-break basketball that really set him apart.

The cast for the show keeps getting better. As usual, McKay has rounded up a stellar group that includes John C. Reilly (who replaced Michael Shannon) as Jerry Buss, Jason Clarke as Jerry West, Quincy Isaiah as Magic Johnson, Solomon Hughes as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Gaby Hoffmann as Claire Rothman, Hadley Robinson as Jeanie Buss, DeVaughn Nixon as Norm Nixon, Molly Gordon as Linda Zafrani, Rob Morgan as Earvin Johnson Sr., Spencer Garrett as Chick Hearn, Kirk Bovill as Donald Sterling, Delante Desouza as Michael Cooper, Stephen Adly Guirgis as Frank Mariani, Tamera Tomakili as Earletha ‘Cookie’ Kelly, and Joey Brooks as Lon Rosen.

‘Venom: Let There Be Carnage’ Ducks ‘F9’, Moves To September 2021

By

Travis Hopson

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March 18, 2021

Well, we kinda knew this would happen, but we’re not getting the epic summer showdown between F9 and Venom 2 that we were hoping for. Sony Pictures, not wanting to eat the exhaust of Vin Diesel’s car fumes, have moved the antihero sequel from June 25th to September 17th.

Venom: Let There Be Carnage becomes the second of Sony’s upcoming superhero slate to be shifted, following Morbius which arrives in January 2022. They studio also has the Marvel-produced sequel Spider-Man: No Way Home, making for a trio of Sony Spidey flicks arriving within the span of a few months.

In addition, Sony has moved another film featuring Woody Harrelson, only this one has been taken off the board. The Man from Toronto, the action-comedy pairing Harrelson with Kevin Hart, has been removed from the schedule for now. It had been set for September 17th but with Venom now in that spot it seems Sony wants to find the perfect spot where it won’t collide with their other upcoming films.