Mandaris

I saw this on the flight after watching the Thriller documentary and I’m pretty happy that I did. I think it’s a good example of how you could have all the talent in the world around a project and still have things go wrong. I also feel that this is where the business of making things can also hurt the creative practice as well.

One of the interesting things about this is that they don’t have a lot of direct footage from the actors of the Holiday special, but footage of them talking about it on other shows. It also uses a video of a tap player to show that some of the interviews are recorded phone calls.

Me? Have I seen it?

No, thank you.

I’ve never seen the Holiday Special and I don’t have a desire to at this point in my life.

But I think that’s really part of the excitement about it.

Overview

In 1978, CBS aired the "Star Wars Holiday Special" the week before Thanksgiving to an audience of 13 million people. Considered one of the worst shows in television history, it aired only once. George Lucas tried to bury it and an infamous camp legend was born. This documentary unravels the mysteries behind the most bizarre Star Wars spin-offs of all time.

Here is a link to the trailer on YouTube.

I had to go back to my rating system to make sure that I was evaluating this properly.

It’s got a reputation for being bad, but the masochist in me kept chanting How bad can it be? and I had a 5 hour flight that I felt that I wouldn’t mind it if this thing put me to sleep.

I’m not going to make a video or post about this is what’s wrong with superhero movies. The failings of this movie are not related to the genre. I feel this movie falls down because I honestly do not care about the main character(s).

It feels like the movie is in such a rush to show you the next thing that the viewer might find cool, that it flashes over the parts on why we should really care about the characters.

Listen, I care that there are people who are incarcerated unjustly. I care about people who are just living their lives when bad things happen to them. I care about the world not being terraformed into a climate I can’t live in¹.

But it’s hard to care about Barry(s).

I thought about why I didn’t care. In other movies where you know that the hero is going to win, you still get a sense of danger and excitement as they eventually get to the conclusion. I’m happy when I see James Bond tart his enemies. I’m shouting with excitement when I see the Toretto Family show how fast and furious they can be.

But this, I just don’t know what it was.

Description

When his attempt to save his family inadvertently alters the future, Barry Allen becomes trapped in a reality in which General Zod has returned and there are no Super Heroes to turn to. In order to save the world that he is in and return to the future that he knows, Barry's only hope is to race for his life. But will making the ultimate sacrifice be enough to reset the universe?

Here is the trailer on YouTube.

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I’ve been enjoying this new series of Star Wars TV recently.

It’s got a mix of different Star Wars troupes and other concepts you normally don’t talk about in regards to space wizards with laser swords.

It’s not a perfect show, but I don’t need that.

It’s a reboot of a show I would watch on Saturday mornings as a kid. Back then, the violence was hidden with lasers and characters that would die offscreen. The original did have some darker moments, but you had hope that things were going to work out. This version gives you that hope and then proceeds to crush it.

When I was younger, I would jokingly yell “Moooooooorph!” when a character I barely knew died. Call it immaturity. I was ignorant of what losing someone meant. Not to say I don’t still laugh at dark humor or that every dead character brings me to tears, but now I have more of an understanding that a characters death can and should¹ have impact on the plot and other characters.

My only complaint about the show is that it runs through a lot of the different plots and themes that happened with the X-Men in the 90s. Plot lines that would take years would be addressed in a couple episodes and we don’t get a chance to sit with some of the changes for very long. If you are watching during the weekly release, I feel that it would be better so that you can really sit with what happens. If you are binging, you might feel you are missing something; like a stage in the grieving process.

Overall, this is a wonderful show that highlights that animation can convey themes with deeper meaning… even when there are big lasers.

The X-Men, a band of mutants who use their uncanny gifts to protect a world that hates and fears them, are challenged like never before, forced to face a dangerous and unexpected new future.

Monster. Of. The. Week.

But available all at once.

That being said, I did find the show entertaining as the characters struggle to make it through the series variable mix of horror and drama. Sometimes trying to make a statement and other times trying to stay alive(?).

I think the thing I liked best about the show was that it had a very strong push of what it means to be a friend. In a lot of the shows that I’ve seen, you see the friendship being the first step towards something more than friends. No spoilers, but this show has examples of when this can go goes right, wrong, and (the increasingly rare) otherwise.

And that is why I would be happy to see another season.

Two teen ghosts work alongside a clairvoyant to solve mysteries for their supernatural clientele -- until a powerful witch complicates their plans.

I was looking for something light and funny. I have been watching a combination of Fallout, Dead boy detective, X-Men 97, and a lot of reality tv.

This show is just what I needed. I’m not saying that it’s great and there is very little depth to it, but if you are looking for that I’m sure there are other shows for that.

I feel that this show knows what it is. It’s a platform to deliver some jokes that you probably have already heard some variation of and then go on. I feel that the cast knows this and endeavors to give you their best performances before the series ends after 6 30ish minute episodes.

I feel that I find a lot of good things on Apple TV+. I just don’t have time to watch it all.

Legendary highwayman Dick Turpin sets out on a series of wildly absurd escapades when he's made the reluctant leader of a band of outlaws—and tasked with outwitting utterly corrupt lawman Jonathan Wilde.

Here is the trailer on YouTube.

Hemispheric Views had another great episode of their podcast. This one was about the perfect album. Defining perfect as an album that you can listen to without skipping tracks and just enjoying. Since the initial release of the podcast, people have been blogging about what they feel is good.

I’ve thought about a couple albums but one that comes to mind right now is Louden Up Now by !!!. I bought this album while I was in college on a whim and I find myself putting it on when I’m feeling particular angsty or frustrated.

It is ** extremely explicit ** and puts my frustration into words with a beat. But, after the album is over, the anger is disrupted and I feel like I can move on.

Of course, sometimes I just feel like listening to Pardon My Freedom on repeat and letting the world just float on by.

But I feel that it’s the other tracks that jostle me out of that feeling as it becomes a little absurd with the lyrics and the beats are just erratic enough to shake me out of a funk.

It took me a while to find other information about this group online because I thought they only had one album and the fact that looking up !!! didn’t work in the search engines that I was using because of the wildcard nature of their names.

I highly encourage you to check out the listing of Perfect Albums that Robb Knight put together.

There is A LOT of hype around this show. I had ignored it when it first came out because I didn’t want to deal with the world ending because of nuclear war instead of catastrophic climate change. But, I had changed my mind when a couple of my friends recommended it multiple times. That’s how word of mouth works.

The show is good. I don’t recall points in the show where I felt a need to skip forward to where my favorite character is back on the screen. It’s 8 episodes of story and character building. You don’t need to know anything about the game franchise in order to understand it. I want to know more about the characters but I don’t find the need to look up if something is an Easter egg in order for scenes to work. Give it time and the story unfolds for you at the same time as most of the characters.

Speaking of characters, I want to shout out to Moisés Arias who plays Norm on the show. Not every character needs to be a hero or villain. It’s nice to see a character who is just trying to figure out what is going on. It takes a certain kind of bravery to go against the flow and what is comfortable. When you compare his physic against Dave Register, Norm is not what we would call a hero, but I’d like to see more characters like him in my media.

The story of haves and have-nots in a world in which there's almost nothing left to have. 200 years after the apocalypse, the gentle denizens of luxury fallout shelters are forced to return to the irradiated hellscape their ancestors left behind -- and are shocked to discover an incredibly complex, gleefully weird, and highly violent universe waiting for them.

The show started off on a high and my mind was filled with different possibilities that they could do with the different characters. What does it look like for a hero to be upstaged by a questionably better version of themselves? How do you adjust to a timeline that isn't your own? Could they fit in another dance number into the season?

I didn’t get a lot of those things.

I’m not docking them points because they didn’t do the fan fiction that I had put together in my mind.

I am docking them for … well … being kind of boring and mean.

I get it. They had a horrible childhood and are still hurting from that.

Unfortunately, this season does not give them time to grow as characters. In fact, you could say that some of them are worse and could be quantified as villains this time around.

As they say, “Hurt people hurt people” and you only hurt the ones you love.

That’s not to say it’s all bad, they have a lot of fun bits sprinkled in there, but felt myself feeling a little bit relieved when the season was over.

Back at the Academy, the Umbrellas clash with a new squad of Hargreeves siblings as a mysterious force begins to wreak havoc on the city.

The forth and final season of this show will be airing in August this year. It’s going to be six (6) episodes compared to this one being ten (10).

Before writing this review, I asked myself am I going to give this movie five stars because everyone else is giving it five stars? Am I giving it five stars because the last movie had four stars in this one it was more engaging?

Well, the answer came to me.

This movie is five stars because it is a good movie. It checks off all the boxes as far as an action movie and good cinema is supposed to have. We have a heroes journey and I feel that you did not need to know all the details of the previous movie in order to get something out of this.

I enjoyed this movie. I really, really enjoyed it. I did not see it in an IMAX theater. But for the for the first time in a very long while, I found myself wanting to go see it again in theaters. I think that if you want to see an action movie or just a Science Fiction movie or a movie about political intrigued, you cannot go wrong with this film.

One thing that the film goes into is how someone becomes “radicalized”. How does someone justify their actions and whether they’re good or bad in order to, do what they see is right.

Overall, I think I’m pretty excited by the movie and really fighting the urge to see it in theaters again.

Follow the mythic journey of Paul Atreides as he unites with Chani and the Fremen while on a path of revenge against the conspirators who destroyed his family. Facing a choice between the love of his life and the fate of the known universe, Paul endeavors to prevent a terrible future only he can foresee.

I really enjoyed this movie. It definitely deserved to have a sequel. That being said, I wouldn't take the time to watch it again by myself.

It’s phenomenal views and a cast of characters and actors that kept me entertained and following along with the plot. I really think they did a good job in showing what Paul and his family is going through and not relying on narration.

If I have all this praise, you maybe wondering why I didn’t rate it higher. Well, it comes down to the fact that the movie doesn’t completely standalone. I watched it knowing there was going to be a sequel. Unfortunately, I thought “Will modern audiences be ok with the movie ending where it did? Will I be ok with it?”.

I find myself bumping this up a star while writing this review because this movie did something. It brought me and my family closer together. We all saw it and then made plans to see the sequel.

So, I suggest you go see it too, but be aware that it will be the setup to something bigger.

I feel that this is one of the better seasons of the show. In this one, they move away from the constantly having our detective doing practically everything while the supporting cast chimes in occasionally. You get a feeling that they are more of a team and the other actors get a chance to show that they can… well.. act.

Except for Marlon, who I’ve never liked as a character.

But that could just be because he’s the Dwayne replacement that was never MY Dwayne.

Still, this is a murder of the week show and it doesn’t go to far from that. My wife and I like to watch it before bed; I think it might be comforting to know that the evildoers get caught and justice is served. Here is a link to Death in Paradise (2011) on the Movie Database.

Also, if you are interested here is a link to this season’s trailer on YouTube.

One last bit, there is an article on how and why they remastered the theme song.

Ricky Stanicky (2024) on The Movie Database - ★★★☆☆

I really enjoy the comedies with John Cena. They’re generally fun and light. I get to spend some time just sitting back and relaxing.

I’m not looking for depth; those movies are also available if I want them.

If you’ve seen this movie, then you’ve seen it a dozen times. There are a couple twist and turns but we all know what’s going to happen from the trailers and the first 10 minutes of the film.

I have no problems with that!

Here’s the trailer that pretty much sums it up.

This is the 1991 debut album from Color Me Badd and one of my favorites. This is a page where you can find links on where to listen to it.It’s not for kids and this post might be the most risqué thing I have ever posted. But, the world is kind of crazy, so I’m hoping that this entertains at least one more person than myself.

I probably listened to this album way before I should have, but it really highlights the innocence of youth in that I had No idea what most of these songs were about. They had good beats and harmonies that kept me holding on to my father’s scratched CD long after I had something to play with it.

I was getting tired of some of the regular albums that I jam out to. I thought I would give this one try and write down how it makes me feel as an adult.

1. I Wanna Sex You Up

“The ticktock you don’t stop”. I had no idea what this song was about. What were they doing and how come they wanted to do it all night long?

Still love the harmonies of the group and I found myself getting back into the groove.

I now understand why people would want to unplug their phones so that they aren’t disturbed, but for completely different reasons.

2. All 4 Love

This one makes me think of malt shops and quartets. Probably the most “innocent” of the songs on this album and a nice balance from the first track. I don’t think I’ve ever chosen to play this song. It usually comes up because i am listening to the whole album. Not bad, and kind of cute.

3. Heartbreaker

Harmonies and a dance beat. A song about how some people will take advantage of you.

“You’re just a using girl, you’re driving me like a car”.

4. I Adore Mi Amor

Seriously one of the best songs on the album. This is the first album that I ever had with a language that wasn’t English. When I would sing along, I just mumbled in this part and waited for the last line Te quiero mucho, me amor.

This ballad is amazing.

I was thinking about making this my karaoke 🎤 song, but I only know the chorus.

5. Groove My Mind

Classic 90’s R&B song theme. Not much to note. If I hadn’t listened to this album dozens of times, I wouldn’t have remembered it. I think this was song I would listen to to make me feel that I could listen to music and do other things.

6. I Wanna Sex You Up (reprise)

My first time listening to a reprise. Countless moments of disappointment when it comes up randomly on instead of the real song.

A whole minute to contemplate skipping or finding the full song.

7. Roll The Dice

This one just gets me into the groove! I don’t have a lot of notes, because I found myself dancing in my seat.

Mostly chorus and bridge, but if you haven’t understood what this grove is about then I can’t explain it to you.

8. Slow Motion

Another song where 12-year-old me had no idea why doing anything slowly would be worth it.

“I want to love you so slow that you come before I do.”

I sang that line loud in front of my parents at 12 and thought love meant thinking fondly of the other person, and they would come over to your house.

9. Thinking’ Back

My favorite song on the album.

Also, the only track that I would skip near the end due to a scratch.

I’m glad I didn’t have access to this CD when I was going through a breakup.

It was in heavy rotation.

Listening to it now, I can feel my body tense up right around the time that the cd would skip.

10. I Adore Mi Amor (interlude)

Two teases in this album!!

45 seconds and this one is hard for me to determine if it’s the true song before it stops.

It’s more of a reminder that I need to get ready to push the button to restart the album.

11. Color Me Badd

Title track.

This is similar to Motownphilly; an introduction of what the group can do and how they can sing together.

12. Your Da One I One Love

“Love” means sex in this one.

I don’t think I need to explain.

The young version of me took it literally and knew that it was time to get another CD to play or restart this one.

In summary

Well, now I don’t feel that I can complain about modern music lacking innuendo. Most of the tracks are so thinly veiled, That it makes the emperor’s new clothes look like winter wear.

Still, I love it. I especially loved writing about it here. Let me know if you have a similar album in your life or suggest other albums.

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