This week was a little lighter on the film writing front, but I still got a lot done. (I was gonna see 12 Strong as well for the site, but weather sucked, I had to cover Black Lightning that night, and, well, I’m not actually getting paid to write here.) Still, I got plenty of that sweet content for you. Enjoy! Branding!
For the latest episode of Nathan Rabin’s Happy Cast, I subject poor Nathan to the January Neesons with The Commuter, and he returns the favor by making me watch the lowest point in Rodney Dangerfield’s career, Angles with Angles. We also talk Rod’s seminal standup album No Respect and the energetic confection of Edgar Wright’s Baby Driver. Listen to the podcast here.
After Get Me Roger Stone, The Final Year is the second heartbreaking documentary about the terror of 2016 politics I’ve had to cover for COS – I’m pretty sure my editor assigned me to both on purpose. The Final Year is much more uplifting, in that it focuses on optimistic idealists hoping to use their high-ranking positions in world politics to make it a better place, but the looming specter of Trump makes all this progressive gumption into a grand tragedy. Read my review here.
For COS, I also celebrated the premiere of CW’s millionth superhero show, the shockingly (eh?) good Black Lightning. It’s off to a good start, with an unapologetic Black Lives Matter stance and a strong, watchable family at the center of its drama. Read my piece here.
I had a blast with the latest grindhouse schlockfest from Brian Taylor (Crank, Gamer, Jonah Hex), the deviously edgy generational thriller-comedy Mom and Dad. If nothing else, watch it to get your annual dose of that signature Nic Cage rage. Read my review here.
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