Pops Saw a Movie: MADAME WEB

 When I saw that MADAME WEB had dropped on Netflix, I got way too excited. As much as I dislike rubberneckers, I just had to experience this train wreck of a film for myself. I say this as a superhero nerd who—like all of you—is suffering superhero movie fatigue. But this is the first time that THE MOVIE ITSELF exhibits symptoms of said malady, to the point of almost completely excising superheroics in favor of a lot of scenes of running away from things.

MADAME WEB is one of Sony’s flailing attempts to milk their rights to the Spider-Man universe (following two Venom films and MORBIUS, along with the upcoming KRAVEN THE HUNTER), loosely basing this film on a handful of Marvel Comics characters, including the titular Cassandra Webb. In the comics, Madame Web is an old lady, but of course, the movie has to make her an attractive young woman (played by Dakota Johnson). Stir in three different teenage girls who will one day become their own distinct Spider-Woman (all before Peter Parker becomes Spider-Man, apparently), an obscure Spidey villain, and a young Uncle Ben as a paramedic, and you’ve got box office gold! Er, lead.

What little plot exists here (after much reported rewriting) is serviceable, I guess, but the whole endeavor is so rote, so weighed down with movie clichés (the overly art-directed journal, the pristine, un-gooey newborn baby, distracting product placement, the sassy black girl who’s flippant in the face of danger, to name a few), shitty CGI, and cardboard performances that absolutely nothing sticks. That’s a spider metaphor, and about as clever as anything in the movie.

If MADAME WEB can have any kind of legacy, perhaps it’s that no movie has ever better laid bare the fact that filmmaking is, to the bulk of its participants both in front of and behind the camera, just a job. Not every actor gives a shit about the story or has any connection to the character (Dakota Johnson notoriously couldn’t name one recent SPIDER-MAN movie, and may have thought her film was part of the “actual” MCU). And that’s fine. Nobody’s pretending that MADAME WEB is art. But it fails even as product (despite the constant presence of Pepsi imagery).

MADAME WEB is just lazy. It’s another movie with no opening credits (the title drops in the midst of a “Marvel” production logo that includes not one recognizable character, and even a full card at the end flashes for a half a second, as if the film is embarrassed by itself), that drops pop culture references (shitty ones at that) to wake the audience up and remind them that this is a period piece (it’s set in 2003, despite a ton of anachronisms), that tries to be clever by slightly altering familiar tag lines (“When you take on the responsibility, great power will come” … no, seriously), that reuses visual gags such as broken windows that splinter like spider webs so Dakota Johnson can pose behind them.

It’s kind of amazing to me to think that there was a time not so long ago that as a card-carrying fanboy, I felt obligated to not just see, but OWN every superhero movie that was produced, even ones I didn’t like (eg, BATMAN & ROBIN and DAREDEVIL). I think I realized that endeavor was not only pointless, but unsustainable by the time Andrew Garfield’s THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN came out in 2012. But I never dreamed that the day would come where there’d be SO MUCH OF THIS STUFF that not only would I not want to see all of it, but I’d wish it would stop. Or at the very least, stop being squirted out with all the creative care of a chicken McNugget.

Pops Saw a Movie: UNFROSTED

I’m not sure why I was trepidatious about Jerry Seinfeld’s UNFROSTED (and no, it had nothing to with the Seinfeld Backlash), perhaps simply because I’ve been burned by so much modern comedy; Most of it just doesn’t work for me. But I gotta say, I loved it. This (mostly) apocryphal tale of the race between Kellogg’s and Post to get a shelf stable breakfast pastry to the public is a broad satire of mid-century pop and corporate culture that hits way more than it misses. For me, anyway. 

Going into the film, it’s important to remember that supermarket shelves were very different in 1963. There weren’t a hundred kinds of Oreos, powdered “Kraft Dinner” was the only Mac & cheese anyone knew, there were two or three varieties, tops, of any specific snack item (Fritos came in one flavor: Fritos). High-fructose corn syrup had yet to find its way into every single food product (there’s a joke about that in the film, too). Adult foods did not often come in dayglo colors or dipped in chocolate. There was no candy-flavored vodka or beer. For the most part, kid stuff was kid stuff, and it had its time and place. And that made it special. 

UNFROSTED only really works if you’re someone who came of age when Saturday Morning Culture was still a thing (if you don’t know what I mean by that, then it’s not you). The movie is overflowing with mid-century pop and political characters and references, but not in a lazy, non-sequitur kind of way that dominates so much comedy today. Still, if you don’t get why Walter Cronkite being wowed by Silly Putty or the notion of Tom Carvel being ridiculed for being his own spokesperson is amusing, then yeah… you’re not going to dig ‘em… er, it (that’s another old cereal reference). If you ARE old enough to get it, you’re gonna wanna pause some scenes with the plethora of food mascots to try to see how many you can name (that blue giraffe was on the box of Kellogg’s TRIPLE SNACK, a short-lived breakfast cereal with PEANUTS!). 

But the movie is more than just 1960s references. The actors (so many, but not as distracting as OPPENHEIMER’s all-star cameos, because, you know… it’s a ridiculous comedy) all seem to be having a great time. Hugh Grant is terrific as a supercilious Thurl Ravenscroft (a very real person best known as the voice of Tony the Tiger and the singer of "You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch"), a disgruntled mascot who rallies other food mascots to storm Kellogg’s in protest of the new product (a direct January 6 riff, unusual for Seinfeld’s usually apolitical style, and perhaps a bit too much of an anachronistic turn). Christian Slater as a milk mafioso, Melissa McCarthy as the scientist tasked with creating the fruit filling formula, Jim Gaffigan as the head of Kellogg’s, and even James Marsden playing Jack Lallane are all hilarious. Hell, I even liked Amy Schumer as the president of Kellogg’s rival, Post, and I’ve NEVER been able to say that about any other performance of hers. And (spoiler alert), Jon Hamm and John Slattery’s MAD MEN reunion scene is a pitch-perfect (sorry) cameo that adds rather than distracts.

The only real beef I have with UNFROSTED is, in a movie with otherwise stellar art direction, a scene depicting failed Kellogg’s products has some really bad fake packaging. I don’t understand how this can be a thing in 2024, but it pulled me out of the carefully-constructed world for an aggravating minute. 

Again, and as always, your mileage may vary. Comedy is perhaps the most subjective film genre, and I totally get why this thing fell flat for most people under the age of, say, 40. But if you’re someone who remembers when breakfast cereals had actual prizes inside, give UNFROSTED a shot.

Pops (Re-)Read a Book: HEY KIDS, COMICS!

 There was a period in my life when comic books weren't that important (two, if you count birth to age 5)... in the mid-90s, I had just moved to Hoboken and started working for Warner Bros. Records, I was newly-single and ready to mingle, and, frankly, mainstream comics sucked at the time.

That waning of my geekiness didn't last too long, and over the years, the medium that defined me more than any other has returned to prominence as a source of comfort, diversion, and inspiration. But it's the comics I grew up with, not modern iterations that hit the spot.

Rob Kelly's HEY KIDS, COMICS! (a re-read) is an anthology of essays about the impact of comic books, mostly from the age when they were plucked off of drug store spinner ranks. It's an often bittersweet collection that anyone who's ever dismissed comic books and superheroes should be forced to read. Maybe they'd stop being judgmental pseudo-intellectuals and understand the transformative and cathartic power of a cheap, disposable periodical full of ridiculous stories populated by impossible characters (particularly to people for whom real life had its share of challenges).

To millions of people.... this stuff matters.

Originally posted on social media, Aug. 29, 2021

Pops Watched TV: Three Netflix Stand-Up Specials

 I took some time at the drawing board yesterday to catch up on a few Netflix stand-up specials, with predictably mixed results. 

Patton Oswalt's WE ALL SCREAM is another example of how this once-mighty comic voice has fallen into a predictable rut of tiresome self-depreciation and almost rote absurdist similes. A really sad bit of crowd work (in a big theater? No, Patton) just feels like a forced attempt to stay true to his roots, but when one of your bits is about a case of mistaken identity with your groundskeeper, you're really not a man of the people anymore. There are a few good bits, but at this point, it feels like the guy should just stick to voiceovers (even though I find those distractingly annoying as well). 

Iliza Shlesinger's HOT FOREVER is another frustrating example of how this smart and fearless comic simply refuses to step out of her comfort zone of "elder millennial" talking about dumb dating and relationship shit. When she started discussing mating rituals like she was still in college (describing guys' disgusting bedrooms with no bedding other than a crusty sleeping bag on the bed), I gave up and tuned out. I have to assume that the last half of the show was about her recent motherhood, a topic I never need to hear a comedian discuss again. It's a shame because I really like her, but I just can't do the "men are like this / women are like this" stuff anymore. 

Finally, Nick Kroll's LITTLE BIG BOY is hands down the best of the three. While mining some of the same self-deprecating ground as Patton (they both even discuss bouts with diarrhea, if that's your bag), Kroll's work feels more organic and less self-serving than Oswalt's. A bit about everyone being annoyed by their mother is the kind of stinging but hilarious insight that Patton's lacked for many years. I highly recommend at least checking out this bit (it comes in around the 40 minute mark). 

Take these reviews with even more of my "it's all subjective" caveat than normal, as I really can't abide 99% of what passes for comedy. But here ya go.

Originally posted on social media, Oct. 22, 2022

Pops Watched TV: POKER FACE "Rest in Metal"

 First of all, I really like POKER FACE (streaming on Peacock). It’s a fun throwback to 1970s detective shows (right down to the credits which directly homage COLUMBO), and Natasha Lyonne is delightful as Charlie Cale, a woman on the run who can tell when anyone’s lying. You have to suspend disbelief that she happens to stumble upon a murder everywhere she goes, but hey, that’s the show. I can go with it. 

However, episode 4, “Rest in Metal” pushed it a bit too far for me. Chloë Sevigny plays the singer of a washed up heavy metal band who had one giant hit decades ago, but still hits the road every year, playing dive bars and desperate to regain wealth and fame. When their Craigslist-found touring drummer writes a song that they KNOW will put them back on top, they orchestrate an onstage “accident” for him so they can steal “Sucker Punch,” and quickly become a viral sensation (until Charlie, working as their merch girl, figures everything out). 

What makes the episode a fail is that it’s yet another TV show that gets rock and roll wrong. First of all, Doxxxology doesn’t seem like a metal band to me… and “Sucker Punch” is absolutely not metal, it’s a pop tune, which, given its provenance—no spoilers if you haven’t seen it, it’s the episode’s best moment—makes sense, but why make them a metal band? Why not just a rock band? But what’s even tougher to swallow is that within days of performing their stolen song at a dive bar, Doxxxology is being lavished with caviar, champagne, and lucrative contracts by stereotypical record label folks… it’s the fastest music industry rise since Bud Eagle (and cheers to you if you get that reference without Googling it). Again, it could’ve worked without playing into music industry tropes that are about as dated as Doxxxology (what record label is champing at the bit to sign a rock band comprised of 40-something metalheads?!?). It’s just too over the top to feel even remotely believable. 

Anyway. Not every episode is great, but it’s always fun.

Originally posted on social media, Feb. 26, 2023

Pops Saw a Movie: TAR

I’ve now watched Todd Field’s TAR twice (and one particular scene three times) and not just because I was an hour into my first viewing before I realized it wasn’t a biopic (I can be rather dense sometimes)… This movie demands more than one watch because it’s so confounding in its invitation to interpret (much like music itself)… is it a condemnation of Lydia Tár that ends with a deserved comeuppance? Is it about the gray areas in which genius, talent, and destructive narcissism so often co-exist? Is it about the redemptive power of art? Or is it all of the above? 

Cate Blanchett (of whom I was already a huge fan) really is absolutely mesmerizing in the role (even if there are a few scenes in which she veers into Master Thespianic ”ACTING!!!” territory), and while my loathing of the entertainment awards is well documented, I do hope she gets all the shiny statues because I can’t recall the last time a performance unnerved me like this. 

If nothing else, TAR is a film that not only begs for debate about its content and meaning, but forces the viewer to contemplate just how much the art and the artist can be separated for each of us, a highly subjective, eternal conversation that only becomes more and more divisive as our culture evolves… or de-evolves. You choose. 

Originally posted on social media, March 1, 2023

Pops Watched TV: SHRINKiNG

 I decided to check out Apple TV+’s SHRINKiNG (Jason Segel plays a psychiatrist mourning his dead wife and struggling with professional burnout and an angry daughter) for one reason: To watch Harrison Ford do comedy. But two episodes in, I found myself cringing on the couch with each chirpy quip / obviously improvised cutesy non-sequitur / ham-fisted tear jerking moment, making me look up the show and discover it’s “from the people who brought you TED LASSO.” 

I’ve never watched TED LASSO because every single thing I’ve read about it just screamed, “NOT FOR YOU, KALLI! NOT. FOR. YOU.” I texted the people’s friend, Matt Caputo and asked him, “Hey, is SHRINKiNG like TED LASSO?,” to which he replied in the affirmative, confirming my aversion. 

SHRINKiNG is alternately cloyingly sweet and maudlin, populated with the kind of characters that people in Hollywood think are “real” and relatable, but are as clichéd and predictable as anything in a Marvel movie (there’s the mincing gay best friend and the smart-ass young black co-worker and the crusty but lovable old mentor and the angry teenage daughter and the nosy neighbor and probably more I’ve tried to forget!). I lasted four episodes before I once again wished that streaming services offered a “delete from your ’Keep Watching’ queue” option. 

Sorry, Harrison Ford. I hope you got a nice paycheck for this drek.

Originally posted on social media, March 2, 2023

Pops Read a Book: TRUE BELIEVER

 There’s no more polarizing figure in the history of comics than Stan Lee. Many comics fans consider him a bloviating huckster who stole credit and kept creators from reaping the rewards he enjoyed. Others buy into the legend of him being the creative mastermind behind the Marvel Universe.

Me, I fall in the middle. Certainly, Stan’s greatest creation was “Stan Lee,” but I think it’s unfair to diminish his role in the Marvel firmament. Stan & Jack Kirby were the Lennon & McCartney of comics; Their best work was done “together” (however that played out).

But what’s not arguable is that—MCU cameos notwithstanding—the man’s third act was a tragedy of bad decisions, bad actors, and a sad disconnect from the culture he helped shape.

I just finished Abraham Riesman’s TRUE BELIEVER: THE RISE AND FALL OF STAN LEE (Crown Publishing, 2021), a riveting, even-handed, and ultimately devastating biography of Stan. But as meticulously researched as it is, the book still can’t hammer down precisely what happened at the end of Lee’s life, as various self-serving succubi give conflicting reports that make objective reporting nigh-impossible.

Still, this is HIGHLY recommended to anyone with even a passing interest in the history of Marvel and its most famous frontman.

Originally posted on social media, April 12, 2022

Pops Watched TV: THE CONSULTANT

Prime’s THE CONSULTANT stars the always-mesmerizing Christoph Waltz as Regus Patoff, the mysterious titular businessman, who takes over running a mobile game company after its young CEO is murdered by a child. Ruling with an utter ignorance of the field, Patoff institutes some harsh and Machiavellian practices, zeroing in on a few employees in particular, but with an unforeseeable endgame. 

The series is based on a book by Bentley Little, so I don’t know if the source is meatier than the show, but after a promising start, THE CONSULTANT wraps up feeling like there are three or four missing episodes…. Without giving any spoilers, Patoff (also, “Regus Patoff?” Really? Wasn’t that a character in ROCKY & BULLWINKLE? Who was fooled by this?!?) has a sinister side that is never fully explored (and there’s a physical explanation for his inability to climb stairs that is so ridiculous on its face that it almost killed the whole thing for me). The series could’ve benefited from leaning a lot harder into some creepy surrealism rather than mostly feeling like an industrial espionage thriller. If there’s a second season, I’ll probably tune in again, but I really hope it gives us more substance.

Originally posted on social media, March 27, 2023

Pops Watched TV: STAR TREK: PICARD

SPOILERS AHEAD: 

I rewatched the finale of STAR TREK: PICARD last night because I was confused by how unmoved I was on my first viewing. I’m a very recent NEXT GENERATION convert, I didn’t love the show in its initial run, but during lockdown, I binged the whole series and finally got it. And what made it ultimately work was the relationships between the characters. 

So the first two seasons of PICARD (which tried, like most modern TREK, to turn the franchise into an action series) left me mostly cold. But this third and final season leaned SO heavily into TNG fan service (bringing back the entire crew with the exception of Wesley Crusher…. Poor Wil Wheaton) that, especially knowing it was the end, actually worked for me (I confess to crying a few times). Except for one, common gripe I have with 21st century genre fiction, which ended up being the centerpiece of the whole story. 

I think my beef is that out of nowhere, Star Trek decides that Picard's true strength lies in being a father, which to me is a slap in the face of the character's entire history and legacy. It's just the latest in a line of modern pop culture bows to mainstream "live laugh love" sensibilities.... Batman, Superman, Iron Man, James Bond, Black Panther, and now Jean-Luc Picard.... it's not enough that they saved the world / universe time and time again, their legacies are inadequate unless they've sired an offspring. This is not a slag against parenthood... it's against patronizing storytelling. 

Prior to the finale, I’d have bet my paycheck (which, granted, is not a lot of money) that the show was going to end with Jean-Luc Picard making the ultimate sacrifice and dying to save the universe. They even had a number of “goodbye” scenes that certainly made it seem that way. But instead, in the ultimate confrontation with the Borg, Picard simply tells his assimilated son that he’s “the piece of me I never knew was missing,” and the power of love severs the tie with the Borg, allowing the crew of the Enterprise to destroy the threat and everyone lives happily ever after. Yawn. 

Picard didn’t have to die. But the ending of the TNG finale, “All Good Things….” was (*to me) a far, far more satisfying conclusion than this was. To make the end of this character's 30-plus year story all about a character we just met? Nope. 

As always, your mileage may vary (particularly if you yourself have kids).

Originally posted on social media, April 26, 2023

Pops Saw a Movie: THE SACRAMENT

 For me, “found footage” films only ever worked once, and that was the original, THE BLAIR WITCH PROJECT. Every one I’ve seen since then has just required too much suspension of disbelief to accept that the protagonists just kept the cameras rolling enough to fill out a three-act story. 

But that’s just one of the issues with Ti West’s THE SACRAMENT (2013), as lazy a piece of filmmaking as I’ve ever seen. I imagine the filmmakers sitting around saying, “Hey, you think enough time has passed that nobody remembers the Jonestown Massacre anymore? Why don’t we just tell that story and change almost nothing? And we’ll do it as found footage so we don’t have to give any backstory or fill in the blanks.” I was astounded at how rote this movie was, and being an old person who DOES remember Jim Jones, once I realized what was happening, the ending was a foregone conclusion. 

But perhaps most egregiously, in one scene, our “heroes” (who are reporters from… heh… VICE) defend themselves after being accused of having a bias by saying, “…we don’t spin things. We try be honestly subjective.”

….Seriously? Not one person caught this? It’s rare that a single line of dialogue lays bare the laziness inherent in an entire project, but there ya have it. 

The one and only saving grace of this snooze fest is Gene Jones as “Father,” the ersatz Jim Jones. But you’ll remember him as the gas station owner who won the coin toss in NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN. I pretended it was the same guy. It made it a little easier to get through.

Originally posted on social media, May 1, 2023

Pops Watched TV: WHITE HOUSE PLUMBERS

 In the summer and fall of 1973, my afternoon television routine (consisting primarily of Wee Willie Webber’s Colorful Cartoon Club on WPHL-17) was frequently sidelined by my mother’s insistence on watching the Watergate hearings. The following summer, I was at the shore (Dewey Beach, DE) with my parents and grandparents when Richard Nixon resigned his presidency. Watergate was my first political memory, but at the time—aside from the battles it incurred between my lefty Dad and conservative grandmother—I found it really boring. 

Well, guess what, eight-year old me, someday a satirical dramatization of Watergate is going to be your favorite thing on TV. HBO’s WHITE HOUSE PLUMBERS totally caught me off guard (despite its VEEP connection)… I was  not expecting a side-splittingly funny black comedy… I mean, don’t get me wrong, there’s all the political intrigue and ‘70s social strife mixed in there as well. But the sincere bromance between über-earnest E. Howard Hunt (Woody Harrelson) and G. Gordon Liddy (Justin Theroux) is played so broadly that it falls just short of the classic WILL: THE MOVIE parody from SCTV (link in comments). 

Apparently the mix of irreverence and an adherence to history (mostly) is causing confusion amongst some viewers. But let’s face it, C.R.E.E.P.  was comprised of some serious buffoons. It all works gloriously for me (I think my father would’ve liked it too… MeMee, not so much). My only complaint about this series is that it’s only five episodes. But I’ll be rewatching as soon as it wraps up.

Originally posted on social media, May 10, 2023

Pops Saw a Movie: ANT MAN AND THE WASP: QUANTUMANIA

As I get to about one movie in the theater a year at this point, I’m catching up on things like ANT MAN & THE WASP: QUANTUMANIA only when it hits streaming, so my thoughts are, like myself, old and out of date. 

While everyone’s suffering superhero fatigue, I’m still enough of a dork that I can’t pass on a movie that features both Kang the Conquerer and M.O.D.O.K., even though the Ant-Man films have never been high on my list of fave MCU entries. And it was fine. Predictable, CGI overloaded, cloying at times, leaning heavily into that ol’ “family matters most” bugaboo that gets under my skin, but I was entertained. Mostly. 

The big surprise for me was how much I enjoyed Jonathan Major’s performance as Kang. I’ve never been a fan of the actor before (his own personal issues aside), but his simmering rage and narcissism here made him a formidable enemy, one I’d be happy to see return. (MODOK, on the other hand, was just embarrassing to see in every scene). 

But this was—to me, anyway—the first Marvel movie that FELT like a Disney product. The cutesy characters, the STAR WARS overtones, the focus on Cassie, it was impossible to forget the corporate overlords running the show. Now, I know there are lots of you who felt that way from the beginning, but remember I come to these films with (usually) some kind of working knowledge of the world, so my suspension of disbelief has a shorter tether. 

Again, it was fine. Not something I’d rush to recommend, but I’ve spent worse two hours on the couch (and hey, it’s only two hours! That alone earns it points!). Proceed with caution.

Originally posted on social media, May 19, 2023

Pops Read a Book: A&R

I finished my re-read of Bill Flanagan’s 2000 music biz novel, A&R, about a music exec’s transition from indie to major label and the dramas into which he becomes enmeshed. I was one year out of the biz myself (after a very brief toe-dip), so I could relate to some of the back-stabbing, double-talking, excess-defending, ego-stroking intrigue herein. But the book has aged into a quaint relic at this point (even if it was prescient in some ways). It’s a fun read, although the main character kind of fades into the background in the somewhat-rushed climax. But what struck me on this go-round had nothing to do with the content so much as how I read… I don’t read that much fiction—that is unless it’s in comic book form. And a lifetime of comic reading has had one negative side effect (some would argue more): Without visual reference, I have a hard time keeping characters in a novel straight. Wait, is this that guy or the other guy doing this thing to that other person, and who’s that again?

It’s one of the things I hate about my addled brain.

Oh, but dig that lovely cover by Ward Sutton!

Originally posted on social media, May 7, 2022

Pops (Re-)Read a Book: JAWS

 I was compelled by my JAWS WEEK posts (on Instagram, July 2022) to give Peter Benchley’s 1974 novel a re-read for the first time in almost half a century, and whooo— man, is the movie better than the book!

Setting aside some really discomfiting 1970s casual racism and homophobia in the first chapter, the book is even more soapy than I’d recalled. Hooper’s sexual liaison with Ellen Brody may lead to the frustrated housewife’s reassessment of her life, but it also solidifies Hooper as the kind of callous, spoiled frat boy for which Quint (criminally underdeveloped here, and not even a resident of Amity) instantly pegs him. Brody likewise is mostly a cranky cipher, spending a lot of the book wondering if his wife is banging the ichthyologist. The subplot of Mayor Larry Vaughan’s ties to the mafia is a bit underdeveloped, and there’s nothing about the boys from the karate school “karateing” the picket fences.

As for the titular leviathan, its attacks (aside from Chrissy’s opening kill, which mostly mirrors the film) are not nearly as impactful in prose as in film (which may be an unfair comparison), and its ultimate demise is the definition of anti-climactic. Hell, the ORCA doesn’t even go after the fish until two-thirds of the way into the book… and then they go back home every night!!

If anything, reading JAWS again has given me increased appreciation for Steven Spielberg’s storytelling instincts, and made me love the movie even more.

Originally posted on social media, July 18, 2022

Pops Read a Book: THE CAPED CRUSADE

 I just finished my third read of Glen Weldon's eminently (obviosulsy) re-readable 2016 book, THE CAPED CRUSADE: BATMAN AND THE RISE OF NERD CULTURE (Simon & Schuster). While the subtitle is a bit misleading (the book pretty much stays on the Batman tip and doesn't dig too deep into the larger issues), Weldon's take on Batman comics, movies, and TV shows is pretty much spot-on (particularly in the 2017 afterword in which he eviscerates the Snyderverse), funny, insightful, and brimming with geeky righteousness (not self-). Highly recommended for anyone who ever debated the merits of Adam West's, Christopher Nolan's, Neal Adams', Bruce Timm's, or Grant Morrison's Batman.... et al!

Originally posted on social media, Oct. 21, 2022

Pops Saw a Movie: BEING MARY TYLER MOORE

 James Adolphus’ new documentary, BEING MARY TYLER MOORE (streaming on the über-glitchy MAX) is a fascinating look at the life and career of the iconic actress, a woman who revolutionized the roles of women on television not once, but twice! 

While the film (obviously) leans heavily into THE DICK VAN DYKE SHOW, MARY TYLER MOORE and ORDINARY PEOPLE, it really glosses over (or completely ignores) a lot of Mary’s later work, including some television stumbles and late reprisals of both Laura Petrie and Mary Richards. 

The most frustrating thing about the documentary is seeing how many people (including an aggressively chauvinist David Susskind and a frustratingly tunnel-visioned Gloria Steinem) completely missed the depth of the characters Mary brought to life. I’d have liked a few more talking heads (Dick Van Dyke is curiously absent and I’d have loved to hear David Letterman talk about being on her short-lived variety series, MARY), but with a wealth of rare and behind-the-scenes footage and photos, this is still a riveting (and tear-jerking) tribute to one of the most important figures in television history.

Originally posted on social media, June 5, 2023

Pops Watched TV: STAR TREK: STRANGE NEW WORLDS and SUPERMAN & LOIS

NERD ALERT: 

I’m currently rewatching season one of STAR TREK: STRANGE NEW WORLDS in anticipation of season two premiering on June 15th, and am loving it just as much the second time. Not really being a fan of any other modern iteration of Gene Roddenberry’s brainchild, I had fairly low expectations for this TOS prequel (of sorts), but the superlative casting, throwback sensibility to classic TREK, and (mostly) episodic nature of the series completely won me over, making this not just the best TREK since the underrated ENTERPRISE, but hands down my favorite genre show on TV right now. 

Meanwhile, the third (and probably final*) season of SUPERMAN & LOIS is a real head-scratcher, eschewing the deft balance of adventure and soap opera of the first two seasons for a story that focuses on Lois Lane battling breast cancer (coincidentally getting treatment alongside a supervillain who’s also the secret wife of the season’s big bad, Bruno Mannheim, who’s also coincidentally the father of Natalie Irons’ new boyfriend!). I’m not against bringing some real-life drama into a superhero story, but this season has been so relentlessly downbeat (sad music theme in every episode and Superman doesn’t even appear in costume in one of them!) that I have to sometimes remind myself I’m watching a superhero show. (Additionally, this season finally fell into the Berlanti pattern of revealing secret identities to every other person on the show.)

Watching both of these series at the same time, I’m again frustrated by the fact that almost every superhero (and other genre) show feels the need to tell season-long arcs instead of individual stories. STRANGE NEW WORLDS has reminded us of the power of short-form storytelling in genre television, and I wish S&L had gone that route (it played with it a bit in the first season). If it does indeed fall under the CW cancellation knife, its legacy will mostly be that of a sadly missed opportunity.

* Turned out to not be true, a fourth and NOW final season premieres in 2024. 

Originally posted on social media, June 8, 2023

Pops Watched TV: STAR TREK: STRANGE NEW WORLDS "Ad Astra Per Aspera"

The second episode of STAR TREK: STRANGE NEW WORLDS season 2, “Ad Astra Per Aspera” was not just another solid episode of the best TREK in decades, it almost felt to me like a bit of a swipe at some of the things that make me dislike DISCOVERY. 

In the episode, Captain Pike’s “Number One,” Cmdr. Una Chin-Riley (Rebecca Romijn) is on trial for hiding the fact that she is a genetically-modified Ilyrian from Starfleet (an organization that, in the wake of the Eugenics Wars on Earth, banned such beings from service). In the end (spoiler alert), she is cleared under a Federation law that persecuted beings can be granted asylum by Starfleet, which is in essence what happened with Una. 

The anti-DISCOVERY elements of the episode play out in two ways (three, if you count the ongoing episodic nature of the show): First, desperate to find out how Starfleet discovered Una’s true species, security chief La’an Noonien-Singh (Christina Chong) asks Cadet Nyota Uhura (Celia Gooding) to release the ship’s personal logs to her, which is against Starfleet regulations. Uhura refuses the order. On DISCOVERY, seemingly every crew member flouts Starfleet regs so often that it’s basically anarchy on that ship (this is not to say that the crew of the Enterprise doesn’t break the rules from time to time… both Spock and Pike have done so already… but they have a bit more authority to do so than the young cadet). 

Secondly, while this is a very emotional episode, there are almost no tears shed. The restraint shown by both the characters and the show is (again) in stark contrast to DISCOVERY, which I had to stop watching in part because EVERYONE CRIES IN EVERY SINGLE EPISODE. 

Maybe I’m reading too much into it. But again, despite a super solid first season of SNW, I’ve been so burned by modern TREK again and again that I find myself bracing for the worst. So far, this show has not let me down, and its commitment to honoring Gene Roddenberry’s vision without being a slavish retread makes it appointment television for me, something I haven’t had in many years.

Originally posted on social media, June 25, 2023

Pops Saw a Movie: PEARL

 I didn’t love Ti West’s X, but liked it enough to dig into its prequel, PEARL (2022). And I don’t think I’ve been this mesmerized by a horror film (if you can call it that) since THE VVITCH. Mia Goth (who also co-wrote the screenplay) is absolutely incredible as the title character, trapped in a life of obligation and drudgery on her family farm while her husband is off fighting WWI overseas. Pearl is desperate (very) to find fame and fortune (and freedom) by becoming a dancer in the movies, but when things don’t go according to plan, the emotionally damaged Pearl doesn’t take it well. 

West’s previous work in film and TV has indicated an affinity for retro filmmaking and horror, but PEARL is something that simultaneously feels both old and new. I can’t wait to watch X and this back to back (and then see the final film in the trilogy, MaXXXine).

Originally posted on social media, July 17, 2023

Pops Saw a Movie: ASTEROID CITY and THE FLASH

MOVIE CATCH-UP, PART 6386: 

Most people are not ambivalent about Wes Anderson. They either love him or hate him. I understand both positions. There have been a few films of his I quite like (RUSHMORE, THE ROYAL TENENBAUMS, THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL), but most of them have left me rather cold, feeling like exercises in art direction over storytelling, trying to prove to the audience how clever their auteur creator is. I thought that THE FRENCH DISPATCH was practically a parody of Wes Anderson films, but that movie is a Frank Capra flick compared to ASTEROID CITY, a movie that was utterly incapable of wresting human emotion from me, despite some sledgehammered attempts that just get lost under another weighted blanket of idiosyncratic visuals, a needlessly-complicated framework, and too many distracting cameos. Honestly, the day after watching this movie, I could barely remember a thing about it, other than how exhausted it made me. 

Meanwhile, superhero fatigue continues with THE FLASH, a movie I actually planned to see in the theater, but ended up waiting for streaming. Thankfully.  Because, while not the worst DCEU movie, it’s still mostly visually bloated and full of head-scratching narrative choices (why exactly was Keaton’s Bruce Wayne living like a dirty hermit in a dilapidated Wayne Manor? Because, crime ended? Hah?). Certainly, an unpleasant lead (times TWO!), both on and off-screen, didn’t help, while an underdeveloped Supergirl just felt like a missed opportunity. I did think (no spoilers) the conclusion was a novel shift from the usual overblown third act of most of these films (although the terrible CGI cameos from beloved DC movie characters of the past just made me wince), but it wasn’t enough to lift this out of the morass that is/was the DCEU. Still, I was kind of surprised at how poorly this movie did, I thought that the presence of Michael Keaton’s Batman would’ve been enough to get some nostalgic nerds in the seats. Shows what I know.

Originally posted on social media, Aug. 17, 2023

Pops Read a Book: AVA GARDNER: THE SECRET CONVERSATIONS

I just finished AVA GARDNER: THE SECRET CONVERSATIONS by Peter Evans and Gardner (Simon & Schuster, 2013) and didn’t understand its strange format until the epilogue.

Rather than taking the form of a straight up (ghostwritten) memoir, this book is a series of conversations between the author and his subject, half of them about the very writing of the book itself. Gardner (then in her ‘60s, suffering from ill health and feeling very obsolete and sad) vacillates between ribald honesty and anxious second-guessing, making for an often-frustrating reading experience. It’s not until the end of the book that it’s revealed that the intended project fell apart (reportedly because Sinatra disapproved of the collaborator), and the author pitched the idea for THIS book after Gardner had died, only to succumb to a heart attack himself before finishing it.

I guess if I’d known precisely when Gardner “started pushing clouds” (1990), I’d have wondered why this book took so long to come out, and maybe gleaned its origin, but I plead ignorance. I think the whole thing would’ve been much better served by not burying the lede at the end of the whole shebang, but your mileage may vary.

There’s also way too much fretting over asking Gardner about Frank’s penis size. But hey, what book doesn’t feature that?

Originally posted on social media, March 10, 2023

Pops Read a Book: THE DARK SIDE OF CAMELOT

I’m not gonna lie, I skimmed a lot of Seymour M. Hersh’s THE DARK SIDE OF CAMELOT (Back Bay Books, 1997)… this 500-page look at the political sins and personal peccadilloes of John F. Kennedy is verrrrrrry dense, and much of the political machinations with dozens of players had me glazing over. That’s right, I mostly dug into the more salacious stuff, the mob ties and the many, MANY, almost DAILY dalliances with women, from the most famous to unnamed call girls. I think the creepiest thing was learning that JFK willingly and knowingly spread his VD all over the country! Talk about a new frontier!

But what was most interesting is the recurring thread of journalists and politicians KNOWING most of this stuff, but holding it back to protect the office of the President. One can only speculate whether or not any of it would’ve damaged Kennedy politically (probably, given the time), but it’s also crazy to contrast that with today, when a certain unnamed POSPOTUS did shit that was every bit as risible right in the open, it was openly reported, and absolutely nobody gave a shit (well, nobody who could do anything, anyway).

We live in the weirdest times. 

Originally posted on social media, May 2, 2023

Pops Read a Book: THE DEADWOOD BIBLE

 THE DEADWOOD BIBLE: A LIE AGREED UPON by Matt Zoller Seitz (MZS Press, 2022), gifted upon me by @vizpics.

This cocksucker is a fuckin’ deeeeeep dive into David Milch’s HBO series, weighing in at over 500 goddamn pages (even digging into Milch’s JOHN FROM CINCINNATI, like anyone give’s a whore’s tit about that show). With critical fuckin’ essays, a biography of Milch’s fucked up life, episode breakdowns, and more, it’s an exhausting prick of a book, but one that you won’t feed to the pigs after you’re done.

…. What, want me to say something pretty?

Originally posted on social media, May 14, 2023

Pops Read a Book: THE AMERICAN WAY OF DEATH REVISITED

 Recent events made me pull out Jessica Mitford’s THE AMERICAN WAY OF DEATH REVISITED (Vintage Books, 2000) for a re-read (which I did with an incongruous bookmark).

Mitford’s groundbreaking 1963 exposé of the funeral industry and examination of how we as a culture deal with the passing of loved ones was revised in 1978, and updated again by the author shortly before her own death in 1996. Sadly, not much had changed since she first exposed the dubious ethics of a business whose very practices are designed to exploit grief and encourage excess.

Even before reading this book, I found the concepts of expensive, fancy (and open) caskets, embalming, and even burial to be bizarre, wasteful, and, frankly, not helpful. To me, funerals take despicable advantage of those responsible for the disposal of the departed, while the services themselves do not provide solace so much as a sledgehammer of grief and discomfort. Read this book and maybe you’ll join me in feeling that Walter and the Dude had the right idea when it came to taking care of Donny’s remains. At the very least, you’ll know what your rights are when the sad day comes when you have to make these terrible decisions.

Originally posted on social media, Oct. 10, 2023

Pops Saw a Movie: GHOSTED

 I think I watched GHOSTED last night. No, I wasn’t drunk, I just… find it hard to remember much about this seemingly AI-generated action romance comedy. Ana de Armas plays a CIA agent who has what she thinks is a one-night stand with a hunky farmer played by Chris Evans. But the obsessive Evans thinks she’s the one and tracks her to London (via his asthma inhaler) where he’s mistaken for another agent by some villains and fight bang boom kiss more fight blam fight love. You know the drill. 

The term, “superhero fatigue” has been rolling around since Iron Man bit the big one and toxic fandom enabled Zack Snyder to foist an unendurable four hour JUSTICE LEAGUE slog on us… but I don’t think that fatigue is limited to costumed crusaders… it’s ALL action films, which at this point traffic in the same bombastic CG overload and two-dimensional characters, making any kind of connection with the story being told a nearly impossible mission (see what I did there?). 

There are exceptions, of course. But the streaming action flicks in particular seem to follow this by-the-book formula that makes them all run together into one completely forgettable mash of explosions, gunfire, car chases, and quips. And as with so many superhero movies, the saddest part is, some of these movies would be so much better if they actually did LESS… but in the 21st century, with action films, there’s no such thing as less. 

Or is it just me?

Originally posted on social media, Aug. 21, 2023

Pops Saw a Movie: GUY RITCHIE'S THE COVENANT

 GUY RITCHIE’S THE COVENANT (just so you don’t confuse it with that movie with Leo and the raping bear) ostensibly deals with the issue of Afghan interpreters left behind to suffer retribution by the Taliban after America’s sudden withdrawal from Afghanistan. An über-earnest Jake Gyllenhaal plays US Army sergeant John Kinley, whose entire squad (save interpreter Ahmed, played nicely by Dar Salim) is killed while on a mission three kilometers from their base. Kinley is seriously injured, and Ahmed goes to superhuman lengths to return him to the base. When Kinley awakens back home, he discovers that Ahmed (and his family) are still in Afghanistan, and at the top of the again-ruling Taliban’s most-wanted list, so he takes matters into his own hands to rescue his rescuer. Again, the setup is strong, but the second and third acts are SO rife with typical (and hard-to-swallow) action film tropes (including my most-hated one, the protagonist who magically evades a hail of gunfire from dozens of automatic weapons) that it neuters the serious underlying theme of the film. The testosterone is so thick that you can eat it with a fork, to the extent that it’s a buddy film in which the buddies are so tough, they barely acknowledge their grudging affection beyond some snark and a slight nod of the head. A wasted opportunity (then again, Guy Ritchie, so what was I expecting?).

Originally posted on social media, Sept. 26, 2023

Pops Read a Book: LAST WORDS: A MEMOIR

 I just finished LAST WORDS: A MEMOIR by George Carlin (with Tony Hendra, whom you may know as Spinal Tap’s manager, Ian Faith), a posthumous autobiography (hey, if anyone could do it, it’s Carlin) that’s heavy on the nostalgia (particularly of his youth) and at times a wee bit pretentious (there are way too many references to his “art”). I think the most revelatory thing was Carlin admitting what a terrible adult he was, avoiding responsibilities and obligations if they weren’t fun, digging himself into holes that took a long time to climb out of (and needing a co-author to write his own memoir).

TBH, Carlin’s work is very hit-or-miss for me, some of his bits feeling a bit forced, while others (such as “the Planet is Fine”) being things I quote on a weekly basis. But this book definitely made me understand the man a bit better, and it’s recommended to anyone who’s a fan even in the slightest.

Originally posted on social media, Dec. 3, 2023

Pops Read a Book: THE B SIDE

 THE B SIDE: The Death of Tin Pan Alley and the Rebirth of the American Song by Ben Yagoda (Riverhead Books, 2015) is an incredible history of the evolution of the art and business of (primarily) American songwriting in the 20th century. Yagoda’s heavily-researched overview tracks from the age of sheet music through Tin Pan Alley, the Jazz Age, Broadway, the birth of Rock and Roll, the solidification of the American Songbook in the mid-century, and finally the Beatles revolution. While dips into the business dealings and competition between BMI and ASCAP were a little too deep and dry for me, this is a mostly-riveting account for anyone who’s ever paid attention to not just the singers, but the songs.

Originally posted on social media, Feb. 13, 2024

Pops Read a Book: THE NEXT CIVIL WAR

 Forget Frankenstein, The Exorcist, or The Shining, Canadian journalist Stephen Marche’s THE NEXT CIVIL WAR (Avid Reader Press, 2022) is the most terrifying book I’ve ever read.

Presenting five possible scenarios for the downfall of American democracy (and, really, the end of society as we know it), Marche mixes empirical data, expert testimony, and evocative fictional scenarios in a powerful work of “speculative non-fiction” that should make anyone who brushes off the by-products of the Trump era think twice (or maybe even once). And Marche agrees that the two main culprits are climate change and the Internet, two things that aren't going away.

Critics of the book accuse Marche of being hyperbolic and playing into the kind of partisan division the book decries, but that’s the point… we’re at a tipping point not just in America, but by default, the entire world, and way too many people are simply not taking it seriously. This book has caused me severe depression and anxiety, but I just couldn’t put it down. Only time will tell how prescient this work of horror actually is.

Originally posted on social media, March 18, 2024

Pops Saw a Movie: RHAPSODY IN BLUE

So, last night’s planned double feature for Haven and me was going to be RHAPSODY IN BLUE and NIGHT AND DAY, being biopics of George Gershwin and Cole Porter, respectively of course. But I had no idea that both films were as long as they were, so we only got to do Warner Bros.’ 1945 ode to the composer (who had died less than a decade earlier at the tragically young age of 38). Directed by Irving Rapper, the movie stars Robert Alda (Alan’s dad) as Gershwin, with numerous musical figures playing themselves, including buddy Oscar Levant, Paul Whiteman (the *tee-hee* “King of Jazz”), and—most discomfitingly—Al Jolson, in full blackface, belting out “Swanee,” one of Gershwin’s first hits, in 1920 (and, fair warning, that’s not the only instance of this idiom in the film). 

My expectations were slight, knowing the checkered history of the musical biopic (of which this movie was an early example), often loaded with apocryphal tales of songs’ creations, manufactured drama, and amalgamated supporting characters. RHAPSODY contains those things, to be sure (a musical mentor wonderfully played by Charles Coburn and two girlfriends played by Alexis Smith and Joan Leslie, to name but three fictional characters). The story traffics in 1940s melodrama as well, but what I was NOT prepared for was how Gershwin’s music (which I love) would be presented in such an incredibly powerful way, dramatically shot, played mostly in its entirety (if sometimes rushed), performed by some brilliant musicians (classical / jazz pianist and singer Hazel Scott is incredible). 

The film’s pivotal scene, in which Gershwin’s signature composition, “Rhapsody in Blue” is presented for the first time by Whiteman (who actually compelled its creation) at Aeolian Hall in NYC on February 12, 1924 is one of the most moving musical scenes I’ve ever seen in a film. While the 14-minute piece is played a bit up-tempo to fill a still-long nine minutes of screen time, watching the musicians introduce this brand new hybrid of classical and jazz music—one of the greatest compositions in American musical history—while the initially skeptical audience is ultimately stunned by its genius and swept away by its ebullient magnificence had me in tears. The film’s worth watching for that scene alone. 

The film’s not perfect, for sure. Alda (in his film debut) is fine, but doesn’t really convey the kind of social detachment and sheer brilliance (and, reportedly, frequent womanizing) that defined the real George Gershwin. At least they didn’t make up a happy romantic ending for him, and the musician’s untimely death from an undiagnosed brain tumor feels almost like a writer’s construct the way it plays out. But, surprisingly, I find myself recommending RHAPSODY IN BLUE to anyone who appreciates Gershwin’s work. I found myself digging out all of my Gershwin records after watching the movie, and what more proof of a musical biopic’s success do you need?

Originally posted on social media, Sept. 27, 2023

Pops Watched TV: THE FALL OF THE HOUSE OF USHER

Three episodes in, it’s confirmed: I fucking cannot abide anything created by Mike Flanagan. Netflix’ limited series, THE FALL OF THE HOUSE OF USHER is the work of a Gen-Xer desperately trying to be embraced by the Z-kidz. It’s a pathetic Poe-dropping wankfest that has absolutely no connection to its supposed source material other than superficial references (SO. MANY. REFERENCES). It’s populated with boring, unlikable characters and peppered with supposedly creepy moments that merely serve to keep the viewer from nodding off from sheer boredom. It makes Roger Corman’s low-budget, loosely adapted 1960s Poe films look like horror classics. I cannot go any further. I regret the two and a half hours I wasted on what I did see. Never again, Mike Flanagan. NEVER. AGAIN.

Originally posted on social media, Oct. 21, 2023

Pops Saw a Movie: THE KiLLER

I don’t really have too much to say about David Fincher’s new film, THE KILLER… it’s… fine. Not particularly memorable or groundbreaking, but I was entertained for two hours. It’s kind of like SLACKER meets JOHN WICK (with a much smaller body count). Michael Fassbender intensely underplays the part, mostly just staring through every scene, so I can’t say whether or not he’s good in the role of a hit man who messes up and has to deal with the ramifications of his rare missed shot. Again, if this kind of thing is your bag, by all means, stream away. 

But (slight spoiler alert) there’s one recurring thing in the film (aside from a soundtrack composed almost entirely of Smiths songs) that drove me insane every time: 

The (unnamed) titular killer goes to incredible lengths to preserve his anonymity and stay off the radar, with one huge glaring exception… the pseudonyms he uses are all old TV sitcom character names… he has fake IDs and credit cards under the names Reuben Kincaid, Archibald Bunker, Lou Grant, Felix Unger, Oscar Madison, Sam Malone, Robert Hartley, and George Jefferson. Now, I get it that most younger people can’t pin those appellations, but someone whose entire life is built on being invisible would never take the risk of using a pop culture name that surely someone would recognize and remember. It’s just one of those bits that the writer (and I never read the graphic novel on which this movie is based, so I don’t know if it came from the book or the screenwriter) surely thought was really clever, but took me out of the movie every single time. Details matter. Verisimilitude matters. 

Originally posted on social media, Nov. 16, 2023

Pops Watched TV: RIP Norman Lear

 Growing up in the 1970s, Normal Lear was a huge part of my television experience. Specifically, ALL IN THE FAMILY, GOOD TIMES, THE JEFFERSONS, MAUDE, SANFORD & SON, and ONE DAY AT A TIME. And while at the time, these network situation comedies just felt like regular television to me, as I got older, I realized how much more than typical tee-vee they actually were, and how lucky I was to have experienced them in real time. 

As a middle class, suburban white kid in a mostly-white town, my exposure to other cultures and lifestyles came—for better or worse—mostly through TV. And while it’s easy for a detached 21st century audience too young to remember rabbit ears to dismiss Lear’s shows as exploitative, or offensive, or superficial, I can tell you that they not only taught me about some serious issues such as bigotry, sexism, class warfare, abortion (yes, abortion), poverty, divorce, substance abuse, Vietnam, ageism, rape (freaking RAPE!), and more, they did so in a way that never felt preachy and actually managed to often be biting, touching (without being treacly), and—most of all—hilarious. This was new. Lear’s shows were not the first smart programs on the tube, but the sheer volume and lasting impact of his now-iconic output left a legacy in the medium that few can touch. 

By all accounts, still smart, sharp, and funny right up until the day he died at 101, Normal Lear deserves to be listed as one of the most important and influential humorists of the 20th century.

Originally posted on social media, Dec. 7, 2023

Pops Saw a Movie: LEAVE THE WORLD BEHIND

 We now live in a world where the enemy in an apocalyptic thriller is most likely to evoke WHEN A STRANGER CALLS. Sam Esmail’s LEAVE THE WORLD BEHIND (on Netflix) is a slow build of tension and mystery, with an arresting soundtrack and mostly great performances (Julia Roberts is the weak link here, unconvincingly playing against type as a mistrusting misanthrope). The story feels all too real (well, for the most part), particularly if you’re—like myself—someone who thinks that we are perpetually on the precipice of the collapse of civilization. 

I’m sure the MAGA crowd will bemoan this as yet another piece of woke propaganda, but well, that’s kind of the point. 

For me, however, I couldn’t help but chuckle at (slight spoiler alert) the movie’s ultimate (if not primary) message: OWN YOUR MEDIA!!!!

Originally posted on social media, Dec. 13, 2023