This may have been my favorite episode of Poker Face this entire season. It destroyed the formula that the show had followed and it was all the better for it.
To be fair, the show had been playing with the format of the show for the last few episodes after the first part of the season was starting to feel a little repetitive.
The show still had the big time guest star, this time being Joseph Gordon-Levitt.
Instead of Charlie finding herself involved in the life of the victim, she got hit by a car driven by Gordon-Levitt during a snowstorm. Gordon-Levitt took her to a hole in the woods where he had buried an old girlfriend ten years ago and he threw Charlie in with the remains.
Charlie showed an amazing ability to survive. In this episode alone, she dug herself out of the grave with a human femur, survived being stabbed with a knife, and struggled to move around with a badly injured leg.
Charlie was truly amazing here and showed some ferocity that we had not seen this season. She also started talking about the year as a whole being dark and having been followed by death.
The show was also quite brutal as two of the secondary characters of the episode died in horrible ways, including a klepto friend of Charlie’s that she met at a convenience store.
The confrontation with Charlie and Gordon-Levitt was dramatic and tense. I loved every minute of it. The show even made me wonder what was going to happen. When he drove that knife into Charlie, my mouth went agape despite me knowing that they were not going to kill off the main character of the show.
Then, just when it seemed that Charlie was finally out of trouble, Benjamin Bratt arrived, ready to re-spark the story that kicked off the season.
Just a tremendous episode that surpassed the pilot and the episode starring Judith Light.
Well, welcome to the All-New, All-Different Comic Catch-Up for March. Okay, so it may not be all-new or all-different. I got a cool new heading for March, though. Reminder that I will not be doing this post daily as I did in February, but it will absolutely be a regular post during March.
It is Wednesday, so that means it is NEW COMIC BOOK DAY. I actually bought a bunch of back issues today, including several Love Everlasting issues, but I stuck to reading the new issues tonight.
Interestingly, it was March 1st, and Marvel released like seven different books that were number ones. I got them all. There are some that I may not continue collecting moving forward, but it is a coincidence that all the number ones arrived on the first of the month.
Here is the night’s haul.
Hallows’ Eve #1. “There’s One in Every Deck.” Hallows’ Eve came from the pages of Amazing Spider-Man during the Dark Web storyline, which may not have been the biggest selling point for this book. I did not love the Dark Web event, but this issue was much more intriguing. This character had some good moments in this first issue and, I mean, she pretended to be a werewolf. Can’t beat that. Written by Erica Schultz and drawn by Michael Dowling.
I am Iron Man #1. “Chapter One: Hero” Written by Murewa Ayodele with art by Dotun Akande. I did like this book. In particular, the look of the issue was just wonderful. I was very impressed with the art from Dotun Akande. Akande’s cover was really great, harping back to a noir flavor. The story itself was a tad difficult to follow as the story trekked across several different versions of Iron Man in different time frames.
Spider-Gwen: Shadow Clones #1. Written by Emily Kim and drawn by Kei Zama. David Nakayama did the cover for this issue. This was a fun book, even if the story constantly used the C-word. Clones. That word brings back some horrendous feelings of betrayal and anger. Feelings that have never truly allowed me to give a crap about Ben Reilly, no matter what position he was in. However, Gwen is just a charming character and is fun to read.
Rogue & Gambit #1. “Buy a Girl A(nother) Ring First.” Written by Stephanie Phillips and drawn by Carlos Gomez. Cover art was done by Steve Morris. This book reminded me of how much I used to enjoy Gambit. This started out with some excellent Remy LeBeau action, albeit some drunk action. Of course, when your wife is Rogue, you are usually in a pretty good place. When Destiny shows up with one of her visions, she sends Rogue and Gambit to retrieve Manifold, the teleporter. It does not go well.
Spider-Man: Unforgiven #1. “Horror Stuff” Written by Tim Seeley and drawn by Sid Kotian. Kyle Hotz & Dan Brown did the art on the cover. This looks to be the next series of books with a new group of supernatural characters. These are the Forgiven and they are vampires who do not consume human blood and are out to look to help humans. They come across Spider-Man in this issue and next issue will meet up with the X-Men. There was a surprising betrayal in this issue that caught me, and the other characters, off guard. I hope to get more on these new characters than just their vampire powers.
Murderworld: Game Over #1. Written by Jim Zub & Ray Fawkes with art from Lorenzo Tammetta. This concluded the Murderworld story with Arcade’s Squid Game (basically). I had been cheering for the regular humans to make it through the trap-filled Murderworld. Turned out that Black Widow, who appeared at the end of the last episode, was not our Natasha after all. LMDs. Arcade showed what a manipulative villain he could be and displayed the depth of his cruelness. I’m not sure I loved the ending, but I did like this series.
Cosmic Ghost Rider #1. “Dual Identity Part One.” Written by Stephanie Phillips and drawn by Juann Cabal. This was fine. I have never been much of a fan of the character of Cosmic Ghost Rider and this did nothing to change my mind. I was fine with the book and I liked the design of Kral Dravitt. While it was fine, I will most likely not continue on with this one.
Spider-Man #6. “Part Six: The Once and Future Queen.” So there were more than just number ones this month. This is written by Dan Slott and drawn by Mark Bagley. Despite this A + creative team, I just am not into this Spider-Verse stuff. I just want my Peter Parker in Spider-Man stories. I do not need all of these variants everywhere. This is labeled as the End of the Spider-verse and I hope that it is the case.
Captain America: Sentinel of Liberty #10. Written by Jackson Lanzing and Collin Kelly. Art is by Carmen Carnero. M.O.D.O.C. is here and causing all kinds of trouble. Cap is still shaken from the betrayal of Bucky and the Invaders are here to help stop the giant headed villain. However, it seemed as if the book ends with some tragedy.
Well, here it is. The final day of February brings to an end the every day Comic Catch-up that has been going strong daily. I have made a dent in the piles of comics that I have but there are still several piles to go.
This feels like the letter page at the end of a series’ run. The writer saying how he/she had such an awesome experience with whichever character that was in the book. He/She thanked the artist, the other creative people, the editors, and the fans who had been so dedicated to the book.
There have been days when I had to squeeze the time in the day. Most of the days, however, I spent way more than the one hour that I had originally intended to give. It has been awesome. I had really missed reading my comics. I have caught up with a bunch of the titles that I currently collect, which makes NEW COMIC BOOK DAY all the better. I have also found myself more invested in the independent comics than I have ever been. I have found fun searching across eBay to pick up complete sets. Several of these will be coming in the mail this week.
After all of this reflection, I do plan on continuing the Comic Catch-Up as the calendar turns to March. It will just not have to be daily. If there is a day I get home from school and have something to watch on TV that evening, maybe I do not read anything on that day. I won’t feel the need to wake up early on busy days to read before I have to get ready for school. There is nothing saying when I have to do a post. All I can say is that there will be plenty of days when the Comic Catch-Up will continue.
I do plan on continuing the post numbering with #40. I am not ready to restart the numbering at number one like they do with comics…all the time. How many Deadpool #1s have there been?
So, with the final Comic Catch-Up of February, let’s go…
Crossover #9-13. Written (and starring) Donny Cates. Drawn by Geoff Shaw. I loved this series. It was one of the most meta stories that I have ever read. Who knew that Donny Cates himself would be a major character (who dies) in the book. I love Ellipses and Ryan. The section involving Brian Bendis was hilarious. Negan killing Robert Kirkman with Lucille? Did not see that coming. There were just a ton of surprises and exceptional cameos and guest stars. I had only planned on reading issue #9 & 10 tonight, but I was just so into the story that I had to finish it up. I sure hope that this is not the complete end of the book because the cliffhanger was compelling as hell. Perhaps the meta aspect of Crossover would wear thin one day, but that had not happened in the first 13 issues. Bring on some more.
The Department of Truth #16. Written by James Tynion IV and penciled by Alison Sampson. The Department of Truth and Lee Harvey Oswald goes psychadelic. Lee is stoned and the whole issue was a total trip. The art by Alison Simpson was utterly wild, full of color and like a fever dream. And all centered around RFK. Another outstanding issue.
Black Panther #7. “The Long Shadow Book Seven” Written by John Ridley and drawn by Stefano Landini. Cover Art by EYG Hall of Famer Alex Ross. Tosin meets up with Shuri and T’Challa’s group continues to grow. Despite the fact that these characters are preparing to fight with T’Challa, none of them seem to like him very much. Even Storm and the Dora Milaje had issues with the former king. Still, the forces are forming to oppose the power grab of Akili.
Moon Knight #12. “The Killing Time Part Two” Written by Jed Mackay with art from Alessandro Cappuccio. Stephen Segovia & Rachelle Rosenberg were featured as cover artists. This might have been my favorite issue of this new run of Moon Knight yet. All of these characters were coming to a wonderful convergence as Moon Knight and Zodiac were facing off and just when it looked like Zodiac was going to get his final comeuppance… Steven Grant arrives. Great issue.
Jane Foster & the Mighty Thor #3. “Part Three of Five” Written by Torunn Grønbekk and art by Michael Dowling. Jane taking on S’ym in Limbo is one thing, but the last few pages of this issue were shocking. I guess Thor does not know who Jane was. Now, true, amnesia is an overused plot device, but there was just something of the way in which this was revealed that made it feel fresh.
The Silver Coin #3. “Death Rattle.” Written by Ed Brisson with art from Michael Walsh. A brutal issue featuring a female thief who came across the cursed coin, which seemingly turned her into a vicious murderer. I did like a lot of the imagery and the kills involved, but the story itself felt a little lacking of depth. The ending was very intriguing though.
Hulk #11. “Hulk Planet Part Three“. Written, penciled and inked by Ryan Ottley. I guess this was the Hulk’s chance to play Quidditch. A game called Godball on this planet of Hulk worshipers. I found this one to be just ridiculous and not enjoyable at all. I am really hoping to get some form of the real Hulk back soon because this whole Spaceship Hulk thing with Banner and others piloting him is just not doing it for me. This was easily my least favorite book of the day.
So February comes to a close. March is coming in like a lamb weather-wise, but like a lion since tomorrow is NEW COMIC BOOK DAY!!!!
The Comic Catch-Up rolls along with number 38 today. The piles of comics have started to show a tad bit of a dent, which is great. I should have some new independent comics this week too sometimes.
Here is today’s haul…
Jane Foster & The Mighty Thor #2. “Part Two of Five“. Jane Foster has Mjolnir, her Valkyrie abilities and a mission to find Thor Odinson. Thor has disappeared (we get an idea of what happened to Thor to kick off this issue) and Jane is in search of her former love. Of course, she is aided by the spirit of Odin who has taken up residence in the hammer. Jane discovers that Thor may have been taken to Limbo. Written by Torunn Grønbekk with art from Michael Dowling.
Hulk #10. “Hulk Planet” Written by Donny Cates and drawn by Ryan Ottley. Hulk arrived on a strange planet where the population seemed to idolize the Hulk. The planet had been exposed to gamma radiation rom a bomb that exploded in Hulk #6. Not sure I am a fan of this arc either. I miss the Immortal Hulk.
Black Panther #6. “The Long Shadow Book Six“. T’Challa is being hunted by the forces of Wakanda for being a traitor. The forces have orders to capture or kill the King. It is a good thing Black Panther has friend… or an ex-wife like Storm… to fall back on. Written by John Ridley and drawn by Stefano Landini, the political intrigue of Wakanda continues on.
The Silver Coin #2. “Girls of Summer” Written by Kelly Thompson and drawn by Michael Walsh. This issue focuses on a camp where the campers are being murdered. And it is all because of the mysterious silver coin. A tragic story in a familiar sub genre of horror.
Moon Knight #11. “The Killing Time Part One.” Moon Knight is out for blood as Zodiac has his therapist, Andrea Sterman. With the problem facing Moon Knight, he is forced to go to the one place he really did not want to go to for help…Khonshu. Written by Jed MacKay with art by Alessandro Cappuccio.
Crossover #5-8. Issues 5, 6 & 8 written by Donny Cates and drawn by Geoff Shaw. Issue #7 written by Chip Zdarsky and drawn by Phil Hester. I am enjoying this romp through the super hero character of comics coming together. As I said, this would not be anything more than just a gimmick if the characterization of out main crew was not as exceptional as it is. Issue #7 was a bit of a detour as we follow the adventures of Chip Zdarsky and his comic book counterpart. An unexpectedly wild issue.
Sunday night and it is time to have your heart ripped out again by watching HBO Max’s amazing series The Last of Us.
Never fails.
This episode picks up with Ellie frantically trying to help Joel, who was stabbed in episode 6, but Joel tells her to leave, go north and find Tommy.
This triggered a flashback episode with Ellie at her military school and we get to meet her friend Riley, who had run off and joined the Fireflies, leaving Ellie behind. Riley comes back to give Ellie a night of fun at the mall before Riley has to leave on assignment.
Of course, as soon as we saw this flashback and the timing of it, it was clear that we were going to see the first time that Ellie was bitten and infected.
As I watched this episode, I kept thinking to myself that I knew the actor playing Riley and I was not sure where I had seen her before. I was racking my brain, but it wasn’t until they mentioned her name on the “Inside the Episode” bit that follows each week’s episode that I heard the name Storm Reid.
That name rang a bell. She was the lead protagonist in the film Missing, which came out in January of this year. I remember thinking that Storm Reid was going to be a star after such an exceptional performance leading her film. She and Bella Ramsey were excellent together. As Ellie, Ramsey showed the utter joy and childlike glee over little things at this mall, such as an escalator (aka ‘moving stairs’) or a Mortal Kombat II video game.
You knew that the episode was too happy and that some tragic circumstances were going to happen at this mall. It’s that kind of show.
Both girls wind up being infected. We know that Ellie was going to be immune, but we also knew that Riley was going to come to her end. Riley’s words of positivity, taking every second life gives you and making them count instead of giving up, lead to Ellie refusing to give up on Joel at the end of the show.
There are only two episodes remaining and it looks as if Joel is going to be in a bad way still next episode while Ellie is coming across some more humans.
Second post in the Comic Catch-Up of the day as February comes to a close later this week. I spent a little time today going through piles once again searching for some more comics to get started with. I did find a few new (old) books.
The Last Book You’ll Ever Read #8. Written by Cullen Bunn and drawn by Leila Leiz. Lookie Lookie! Just today in Comic Catch-Up #36, I did issues 4-7 and I speculated that I was missing the final issue of this book and I was considering whether I wanted to pick it up or not because I was not enjoying it much. That very day, I find it in a pile, taking the choice out of my hands. And the end of the book was as unsatisfying as I could imagine. I really hated the way this book ended, and I was not much of a fan of it in the first place. I don’t know if they plan on a sequel or continuing the story on down the road, but this is absolutely literally the last book (in this series) I’ll ever read.
Moon Knight#10. “Session” Written by Jed MacKay and penciled by Alessandro Cappuccio. This Moon Knight has really become brutal. Even his own friends are a little uncertain about him. This was a rough issue where Moon Knight dealt with the problem of Waxman and dealt with him in an almost cruel manner. I wonder if Moon Knight is slipping deeper into his illness.
Hulk #9. “Hulk Planet Part One“. Written by Donny Cates and drawn by Ryan Ottley. Bruce Banner is in a therapy session with “Doc Sampson” and he flashes back to one of the few happy memories of his childhood. This is a prerequisite for Bruce to get on the ship every day. Then it appears as if Hulk has returned… home?
Black Panther #5. “The Long Shadow Book Five” Written by John Ridley and drawn by Juann Cabal with Stefano Landini. Alex Ross did yet another cover for the book. T’Challa is on the run as the government of Wakanda is beginning to believe that he committed treason against the state. Meanwhile Shuri and Omolola escape together too.
The Silver Coin #1. “The Ticket.” Written by Chip Zdarsky with art by Michael Walsh. This is an anthology horror series that kicked off with a “magical” coin finding its way into the hands of a young rock guitarist who discovered that he was suddenly so much better playing that he was before. It was a pretty sad story of a pathetic loser trying to make it in the world of rock and roll.
Crossover #1-4. Written by Donny Cates and drawn by Geoff Shaw. I pulled this book from out of the piles and started into it once again. I started at the beginning, though I think I read number one before. Truthfully though I did not remember much about it so a refresher was a good choice. The use of the other characters/artists/writers etc. is really just a gimmick that would not work if the story wasn’t strong. So far, I think the story works well.
So I spent less time yesterday reading comics because I was going to spend time watching movies. I hit Cocaine Bear at the theater and saw two Netflix films yesterday.
What that meant was today would be a larger amount. In fact, I went to finish off a couple of the series available.
I have also been getting more into certain independent comics. I, of course, blame Todd, Ben, Pat and Drew at Comic World, but the truth is that I have been active trying certain books out that even they haven’t recommended. I like a good story no matter what company it is (except DC…jk).
So I have a few number ones down here that I am trying out to see if I want to continue it. Most are Image.
Vanish #1. Story by Donny Cates and art by Ryan Stegman. This issue was interesting. I did love the art by Ryan Stegman. There was a lot of world building going on in this issue introducing us to the characters and the circumstance that he was found in. Although I did kind of like the premise that they arrived at by the end of the book, I was not that engaged by what was happening and I am going to skip this one moving forward.
The Bone Yard Orchard Mythos Prelude. Written by Jeff Lemire and drawn by Andrea Sorrentino. This was a Free Comic Book Day book that was included in an eBay order and it was very good. I do enjoy Jeff Lemire and this one hooked me immediately. I am also intrigued by the shared world that they are building with other horror comics at Image. I went into a deep dive on eBay with Lemire/Sorrentino books.
Hell to Pay #1. “The Shrouded College Book 1” Written by Charles Soule with art from Will Sliney. Cover art was done by Dave Johnson. Again, much like Vanish, this was fine, but did not inspire me to search out any more issues. The story was okay and the art was great, but I did not find myself as enthralled by the book than I wanted.
Love Everlasting #1. Written by Tom King and drawn by Elsa Charretier. I believe this is one that Todd stuck in my box. I originally glanced at it, but did not look at it closely. I do like Tom King, who wrote one of my favorite limited series, Vision. This one started like a romance comic, but suddenly, the story changed, but the main character, Joan Petersen, was in a new circumstance, with a new love and slight memories of the other. I have to say, I was intrigued at the idea. Am I intrigued enough to continue with this? No sure yet, but maybe.
The Last Book You’ll Every Read #5-7. Written by Cullen Bunn and drawn by Leila Leiz. I wanted to be done with this book because I have not enjoyed it at all, but I was already into the book so I figured I might as well finish it up. However, there looks to be an issue #8 out there that I do not have (unless it is hidden in the piles) so I am now torn. Should I be the completist and grab the last issue since I have #1-7 or do I just let it go because I have not liked this book at all. Not sure which way to go. Maybe it will depend on how easily I can get my hands on it. Just not a fan of this one.
The Department of Truth #15. Writer: James Tynion IV. Artist: David Romero. I have enjoyed this series quite a bit, and this issue took it to an all-new level. This issue was about the Mothman legend and it was laid out in a much different style than any other comic book I have ever seen. It felt more like an adult style picture book with the text being much of an interview being carried out with “Doc” Dalton Hynes. Who exactly was performing the interview was redacted in a cool detail. This issue introduces an awesome character named Indrid Cold and ends with Hynes making some fascinating comments about Lee. While I would not want this to be in this format regularly, this was an exceptional special issue.
Finally up to Marvel….
Thor #31. “Blood of the Fathers Part One” Written by Torunn Grønbekk and Donny Cates with art from Nic Klein. I have caught up to Thor’s most current issue (although I have a bunch before this that I did skip and may need to go back to read eventually). Thor heads to Hel with Valkyrie to try and figure out what was going on. They came across some cool creatures such as a couple of giant ravens and Nidhogg, eater of the dead. There was a back up story with Thor and Black Panther as well which was written by Cheryl Lynn Eaton and art by Chriscross. No hint whether that back up story would make you want to…jump, jump.
Thing #4-6. “The Next Big Thing.” Finished this short series featuring Ben Grimm and I have to say that I did not like this at all. The first three issues were iffy for me and these three just did nothing for me. The story did not feel like one that The Thing should have been involved in. Things happened that made no sense and the supporting characters were terrible. That creepy kid was not really explained. Dr. Doom showed up with a storyline that I thought was done decades ago. Just not what I want from a Thing series.
Moon Knight #9. “Stranger” Written by Jed MacKay and drawn by Alessandro Cappuccio. Cover by Cory Smith & Rachelle Rosenberg. It was nice to have Moon Knight back in the Moon Knight book after last issue’s absence. I enjoyed this issue with Moon Knight making a deal with the House of Shadows.
Devil’s Reign: Moon Knight #1. Writer: Jed MacKay. Artist: Federico Sabbatini. Cover Art: Rod Reis. I found the book that covered Moon Knight’s absence from issue #8 and I really enjoyed Moon Knight perpetuating some prison violence with a bunch of B-level villains (if not C-level). Prison brought out the wild dog in Marc Spector.
Jane Foster & The Mighty Thor #1. Part One of Five. Written by Torunn Grønbekk and drawn by Michael Dowling. A new short series to start featuring Jane Foster once again taking up the hammer to become the Mighty Thor … or will she because she has not yet taken the power of Thor (who is missing here) despite the rambling of Hammer Odin.
Black Panther #4. “The Long Shadow Book Four” Written by John Ridley and drawn by Juann Cabal with Ibrahim Moustafa. T’Challa appears to be letting his own paranoia get the better of him as he accuses his friend and sleeper agent Omolola. They fight it out on the outskirts of Wakanda. Shuri had provided evidence that the assassins were tied to the fighting style from Wakanda.
Netflix brings us a new way to look at the haunted house subgenre with the new film, We Have A Ghost, starring David Harbour and Anthony Mackie.
Though the movie is listed as a Horror/Comedy, I think it really reminds me more of those types of movies from the 1980s and 1990s that were the over-the-top paranormal adventures filled with cheesy moments and silly action. A film like The Frighteners comes to mind when comparing the style as well as Beetlejuice, Caspar and even Ghostbusters.
The Presley family was looking for a new start and they moved into a low cost, fixer-upper. Frank (Anthony Mackie) and his wife Melanie (Erica Ash) along with their sons Fulton (Niles Fitch) and Kevin (Jahi Winston) had plenty of issues among them. Kevin was especially saddened by everything that had happened.
Hanging out alone in the attic, Kevin comes across a ghost named Ernest (David Harbour). Despite Ernest’s best effort to scare Kevin away, the teen was unfazed and recorded a video of the ghost on his phone. Kevin and Ernest bonded, despite the fact that Ernest could not speak or remember anything about his life.
When the rest of the family discovered the existence of Ernest, Frank saw an opportunity and posted the video online, eventually sending the social media world into a storm, attracting Dr. Leslie Monroe (Tig Notaro), a washed-up paranormal scientist, who saw her own opportunity to reclaim her lost career.
As I said, We Have A Ghost is a throwback to the action/adventure films of the 80s and 90s where young people were involved and dealt with the supernatural events in a humorous and family friendly manner. Yes, the movie is definitely cheesy and fully plants its figurative tongue in the cheek, but it is entertaining and does take a new spin on the haunted house story.
Jahi Winston does a nice job as Kevin, the lead protagonist and best buddy to Ernest. He has a solid screen presence and I liked him as the focus of the film. David Harbour shows again that he is always awesome. Whether he is Red Guardian, Hellboy, or Hopper from Stranger Things, Harbour gives his best effort in every role. Harbour is even more challenged in his role as Ernest because the ghost is unable to communicate via words and so Harbour is required to use his expressive face and body movements even more to show the personality of Ernest.
There is a mystery of what happened to Ernest, which is interesting. I did not expect the film to go in this direction, but it did make for an exciting third act.
The film may have been too long, clocking in at over two hours. I do think there is an effective version of this film that runs around 100-110 minutes instead.
I was not a fan of the character Dr. Monroe, who I think flip-flopped too quickly after spending most of the film working in one direction. You see a character like the one played by Tig Notaro in many of those older movies so her role was not surprising.
I would have liked to have seen more from Anthony Mackie, though he does do a very good job with the screen time that he gets.
The film does seem to have something to say about the effects of social media and the grasping of fame through likes and viral videos, and how the instant fame can create such chaos in the lives of the people involved.
Again, We Have A Ghost is not a brilliant movie, but it is fun, filled with a feeling of nostalgia for a type of film we haven’t seen for years, and likeable and charismatic actors. Though it is overly long, We Have A Ghost is an entertaining romp with a restless spirit.
The Netflix film The Strays was dropped on the streamer this weekend and it really was a mixed bag. Or at least, it felt like a film of two halves.
According to IMDB, “Neve (Ashley Madekwe), who leads an idyllic life in the suburbs with her loving family, and works a fulfilling job at a private school. But when she begins to notice a strange man and woman appear unexpectedly at odd moments, she starts to doubt her sanity. Of course, she turns to her family and friends for assistance, but Neve is helpless when they hesitate to believe her.”
Without going into spoiler area and revealing what happens in the switch, the first half of the film where the IMBD synopsis is featured, is the weaker section of the film. I do not feel as if the film really played up the insanity aspect. It felt uneven and a little dull. Then, there was some hints that there was something mysterious going down. It touched upon some racial and Privilege bits that is never quite developed to the proper amount.
When the answer comes at about the halfway point, this movie picks up big time and the third act is very tense and tough to watch. In fact, there was a feeling in the pit of my stomach at the end of the film.
Ashley Madekwe is definitely the standout of the film. She expresses a ton with her face and has to go through a ton of emotions. Unfortunately, the character is so inconsistent that it hurts the overall flow of the movie. The second half though was much tighter and worked so much better.
This is better than the typical Netflix film, but it seemed like it tried to be all different kinds of movies but never committing to one.
I have been excited about Cocaine Bear since I saw the first trailer. It just looked like an insane concept that was going to be a ton of fun, in a B-movie type of way. That is exactly what Cocaine Bear is. It is a movie that knows exactly what kind of film it is and does not stray too far from that idea.
It is based on a true story. What that means is that there was a drug runner who threw out a bunch of cocaine from a plane over a mountain where they usually dropped these loads. Unfortunately, the drug runner did not survive the leap from the plane himself, leaving the cargo unclaimed in the woods. It was found and consumed by a black bear.
That much is true. After that, the story of the movie takes a bit of a turn into fiction. And I wouldn’t have it any other way.
As in many of these types of horror/monster movies, the human characters are introduced to give the monster something to do. Some of these characters are simply there to be fodder for the Cocaine Bear.
However, there were several characters that I liked and wanted to root for. Keri Russell played a mother whose daughter ditched school to go to the woods instead. The daughter, Dee Dee (Brooklynn Prince), went with her friend Henry (Christian Convery). Christian Convery was the titular character in Netflix’s series, Sweet Tooth, and he was great here. He had some excellent comedic timing and he delivered some of the movie’s best lines.
The main drug runner, Syd, was played by the late, great Ray Liotta. Liotta brought some credibility to the film, though his character was fairly underwritten. He did much more with the character than was on the page, like many top actors are able to do.
Syd sent two henchmen, Daveed (O’Shea Jackson Jr.) and Eddie (Alden Ehrenreich), to retrieve the coke, but Eddie had just recently had a loss in his life that was making his inclusion on the trip a challenge. Eddie also turned out to be the son of Syd, whom he had left his son with while he mourned the loss of his wife.
I really liked the pairing of Daveed and Eddie and I wanted them to survive the cocaine bear.
The film has some very funny, very dark moments of comedy that I appreciated. There is also some very gory, brutal scenes of the cocaine bear on its rampage. One in particular involving Ray Liotta, that I will not spoil any further. There was also a jaw-dropping moment with Margo Martindale, who was a forest ranger, that you’ll know when you see it.
Martindale is always great and she dominated nearly all the scenes that she was included in.
While Cocaine Bear is never going to win any awards for acting or movie making, the film has plenty of fun and some great dark humor. I enjoyed watching this movie and I would recommend it to anyone as long as they approach it with the right mentality. It’s a dumb movie, for sure, but dumb can be fun if done properly and I thought this movie was just that.
It is a busy day today with “Cocaine Bear” on the schedule. I’m very excited for it so I needed to get the comics done this morning.
Originally when I committed to the Comic Catch-Up plan for February, I had intended to carve out an hour a day to read comics every day. Truthfully, I have far exceeded that every day. In fact, I do not think t here has been a single day that I have limited myself to a single hour. This morning, it was closer to that actual time frame. That meant that I have a fewer number of books to go through today.
Here are today’s output…
The Last Book You’ll Ever Read #4. Written by Cullen Bunn and drawn by Leila Leiz. Once again, I am not really sure what I am reading here. This is a bizarre story about sex and gore and debauchery. And I am not sure, but did the end of the issue indicate that our protagonist, Olivia Kade is an evil creature? Or am I just reading into it too much. At this point, reading this book feels like watching a car that has wrecked alongside the road. I am not sure that I can look away, but I am not sure that I am enjoying it.
Black Panther #3. Main story: “The Long Shadow Book Three” Written by John Ridley and drawn by Juann Cabal with Ibrahim Moustafa. There are actually several back up stories in this extra sized anniversary issue. It is the “Legacy” number 200 for Black Panther. We get a guest star appearance by Storm and a few of the X-Men as T’Challa headed to Mars. Again, I am not sure that I like the character choices T’Challa is making in this book. He feels like the problem and not the solution. We’ll have to see how things progress.
Thanos: Death Notes #1. This is another multiple write/artist book as we go through the lifetime of Thanos, introduced to one of his loves of his life, besides Lady Death, I mean. Thor is looking into the background of the Mad titan, which ties into “The Legacy of Thanos” story arc happening in Thor’s own book right now. The cover art was done by Andrea Sorrentino and Matthew Wilson.
Thor #30. “The Legacy of Thanos Part Two” Speaking of this, here is the next part of the arc with Thor. Written by Torunn Grønbekk with art by Nic Klein, Thor is still in pursuit of Corvus Glaive and Thor’s little sister, Laussa. By the way, there is something really creepy about this Laussa. I am not sure what it is (and I really do not know where she came from in the first place) but she fits every bit of the creepy child trope from horror movies. Plus, it seemed as if Corvus Glaive was eaten by Thor’s lightning wolves. Yeah, that is what I said. And then…Dr. Doom? Maybe I should try and read some of the other Thor issues so this makes more sense.
The Thing #3. “The Next Big Thing Part 3” Written by Walter Mosley and drawn by Tom Reilly. Um… this is another book that is making me feel a little bit awkward. Not only does The Champion of the Universe show up, but Ben Grimm gets lucky too. That always blows my mind. Then, I am also getting a creepy kid vibe in this book too as Bobby is just strange. There is an iron glove that Ben uses too that I am not sure how it appeared. The front page says that Bobby provided that for Ben. What is up with these weirdo kids?
Moon Knight #8. “Scarlet“. So… here is a Moon Knight book without Moon Knight in it. Somewhere between last issue and this issue, Moon Knight was taken away or arrested. The footnote indicated that it was during the Devil’s Reign series, which I read a long time ago. This issue featured Hunter’s Moon taking Moon Knight’s place at the Midnight Mission and he battled the personification of a story. Yeah, that was hard to grasp too.
Friday after a slow week at school because of the weather. We finally came back to school, meaning that I waited until after school to read my books for the Comic Catch-Up post.
First two off the top are some remaining from the new comic book day.
Savage Avengers #10. “Deus Ex Machina.” The team of the Savage Avengers (Daredevil, Cloak, Dagger, Black Knight, Anti-Venom, and Weapon X) are still in the year of 2099 and battling an army of Deathloks and Ultron. This book was just a lot of fighting and action with some cool characters, but not much more than that. Written by David Pepose and drawn by Carlos Magno.
Planet Hulk: Worldbreaker #4. Written by Greg Pak and drawn by Manuel Garcia. This book was my least favorite of the week. I have just not gotten into this book and the different Hulks were pretty dull. There is only one more issue and I will finish the series, but I am not enjying it.
The Last Book You’ll Ever Read #3. Written by Cullen Bunn and Drawn by Leila Leiz. This is another one that I am not sure about. It is weird and fairly sexual. There was an interesting confrontation in the woods with a group of some kind of monster/zombie type. I have not been blown away by this though.
The Department of Truth #14. Written by James Tynion IV and drawn by John J. Pearson. We went back in time to see a moment in the past when Lee Harvey Oswald first meets Hawk Harrison as a kid. Another issue with a lot of exposition.
Black Panther #2. “The Long Shadow Book Two” Written by John Ridley and drawn by Juann Cabal. Alex Ross did this cover too. The secretive sleeper program set up by T’Challa is under assault and they have some kick ass assassins. This series is painting T’Challa in more grey than I had seen anywhere else.
Grim #8. “Into the Void” Jessica has been dubbed The Grim Reaper, despite her opposition and she was sent into Hell to retrieve The End in order to balance things out. We also see Jessica’s mother make an appearance and she is coming. Written by Stephanie Phillips and drawn by Flaviano.
The Me You Love in the Dark #1. Written by Skottie Young and drawn by Jorge Corona. I had this number one in the pile and I was curious about it. I really like Skottie Young’s work on Strange Academy so this helped make me wonder about this one. I enjoyed the book and I found it gripping with the haunted house concept.
The Thing #2. “The Next Big Thing Part 2“. The second issue with Ben Grimm was interesting as he found himself in an underground city, chasing after a villain who had hurt him badly. Something strange is going on down in this city and I have a feeling we’ll be seeing it more as we move along. Written by Walter Mosley with art from Tom Reilly.
Thor #29. “The Legacy of Thanos Part One” Corvus Glaive came to Broxton, Oklahoma and kidnapped Thor’s little sister, Laussa. This sent the King of Asgard, Thor and Runa the Valkyrie in pursuit of him, and they came face to face with a surprise. Written by Torunn Grønbekk and drawn by Nic Klein.
Moon Knight #7. “Headhunters” Written by Jed MacKay and drawn by Federico Sabbatini. In search of Zodiac, Mr. Knight heads into The Bar With No Name to ask some of the low life villains in attendance about Zodiac. Despite some leads, Mr. Knight, along with Tigra, came up short.
Captain America: Symbol of Truth # 9-10. Written by Tochi Onyebuchi and drawn by R.B. Silva. With these two issues done, I am caught up with Sam Wilson’s adventures as Captain America. The mission in Mohannda continued with Captain America coming face to face with the new mutated Falcon in a violent battle. This series is building to a confrontation between Sam and The White Wolf.
The next episode of Poker Face came on Peacock today and I enjoyed it quite a bit. Two big time guest stars, Nick Nolte and Cherry Jones, brought the goodness to this episode.
I also enjoyed the set up this week as we had the first murder that Charlie was not connected to as she had been typically (only slightly tied to this one), but she was much more connected to another murder that happened during the show. I like how the show makes some adjustments to the formula in an attempt to keep things fresh.
Cherry Jones was outstanding as the killer in this episode. The end of this seems to be another potential trend that is starting to show up. The killer killing themselves. It has happened three times now (if I remember correctly).
It was fun seeing Nick Nolte involved in the story as well. I liked the way they incorporated this character into the story. It felt as if Charlie was more important in this episode than some of the others.
“The Future of the Sport”
As I was doing this, I realized that I missed last week’s episode 7. It was another departure from the formula as we did not even get a murder this week. The intended victim survived and the person who we initially thought was going to be the killer, Tim Blake Nelson, was flipped. He went from someone you were meant to hate to someone who showed he was more sympathetic than you thought.
Poker Face continues to be a very engaging and entertaining series with the guest stars on each episode really bringing the quality work. Natasha Lyonne is original and unique as a lead protagonist and is always a joy to watch.
So it is Thursday, which makes it NEW COMIC BOOK DAY!
Yeah, it was supposed to be Wednesday, but then there was ice. Enough ice to keep me at home form school for the last two days (although today was not too bad). It kept Comic World & Games closed on Wednesday, pushing me back until today to pick up the new books.
And when I did, there were a bunch of really great ones.
Amazing Spider-Man #20. This issue’s guest writer was Joe Kelly and the guest penciler was Terry Dodson. A group of three did the cover art: John Romita Jr., Scott Hanna & Marcio Menyz. Spidey and the Black Cat, along with White Rabbit, confronted a group of tech bros with some familiar tech. They were the Silicon Six. While they may not have been the most threatening danger, it was fun with the interactions between Spidey, Cat and White Rabbit.
Something is Killing the Children #29. “The Girl and the Hurricane Part Four” As we see the funeral of Gary, Cecilia speaks with the Dragon about the problems that face the House of Slaughter. Cecilia made a decision that meant she was going to be more directly involved. Meanwhile, Erica made her way out of the police station after the slaughter by Cutter. Written by James Tynion IV and drawn by Werther Dell’edera.
Harrower #1. Written by Justin Jordan and illustrated by Brahm Revel. This new horror comic from Boom! Studios had an excellent debut. There were some great tension in the book, with some frightening imagery. There were some really shocking moments in the town that has had a local legend of the Harrower for years. It does seem as if a legend is not the proper term. I really enjoyed this first issue.
Blue Book #1. Written by James Tynion IV and drawn by Michael Avon Oeming. What a fascinating book. I have to say, this is yet another awesome book written by James Tynion IV. I love his work on Something is Killing the Children and The Department of Justice and this fall right in with those. This is apparently real life stories of UFOs and UFO abductions. The first issue features one of the most well known stories of Betty and Barney Hill. There is a backup story as well about a certain encounter at Coney Island. The coloring of this book is spectacular, bringing a unique quality to the book. Looks like Tynion has yet another hit on his hands.
She-Hulk #10. Written by Rainbow Rowell and drawn by Takeshi Miyazawa. Jen Bartel did the cover art. Jack o’ Hearts regained his power, putting his developing relationship with Jen on the rocks. When Jack took off, Jen had to continue to go about her life because “life goes on.” I have to say that I am invested in the relationship between Jen and Jack and I hope it can work out, though I am afraid that we have sadness in our future.
Strange Academy: Finals #4. Written by Skottie Young and the art is done by Humberto Ramos. The Strange Academy has become one of my favorite groups of characters. Even those that I did not have as much of a connection with seem to be a lot of fun. When Iric returned to his brother after he realized that Emily was up to no good, his reconciliation with Doyle was especially powerful. Iric’s brother Alvi’s anger at his brother’s betrayal was not gone immediately, but provides us with even more drama to play towards. The students are working toward helping New Orleans with an upcoming ‘storm of the century’ and Emily and Dormammu are on their way. Exciting stuff.
Superman #1. “Voices in your Head” Written by Joshua Williamson and penciled by Jamal Campbell. I’m not a huge Superman fan, but this was an interesting new book. I am not sure how I feel about the new Lex Luthor vibe happening here, but it did keep my interest. I chose this because of this weird variant cover that I had no idea what it was about. Then, I was not exactly sure what happened at the end of the book either. I will admit to being curious.
Doctor Strange: Fall Sunrise #4. “Shape and Nothing More” Written and drawn by Tradd Moore, this Doctor Strange book earns its name because this is extremely strange. Honestly, I am not sure I know what happened in the book. The artwork, however, is so unique and so artsy that it is an enjoyable read. The colors jump off the page and the work is beautiful. I still am not sure what I read, but I had fun doing it.
Black Cloak #2. Written by Kelly Thompson and penciled by Meredith McClaren. Phaedra wakes up in the morgue, surviving the potentially fatal stabbing form last issue. However, Prince Freyal did not survive, setting up our main mystery of this fantasy story. We get some flashbacks in the issue too and the coloring of the flashbacks are beautiful, setting up the mood for the book.
Deadly Neighborhood Spider-Man #5. Written by Taboo & B. Earl featuring art from Juan Ferreyra. Spidey completes his trip to Los Angeles and his confrontation with the Demon Bear. This was one of my favorite of the current Spider-Man limited series as this felt more like Spidey and was actually happening in continuity. We also get the debut of Dream Spider.
Betsy Braddock: Captain Britain #1. “Defender of the Realm” Written by Tini Howard and drawn by Vasco Georgiev. Not sure how I felt about this. I have always enjoyed Captain Britain, but with his sister replacing him, I am a little uncertain. It did not help matters that I was not sure what was going on for much of the book. It felt like I jumped into the middle of the story instead of with a number one. It was good to see Rachel once again and I am intrigued by the Captain Britain Corps. I might have to give this one another issue to see how I feel.
Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow #1 & 2. Written by Tom King and drawn by Bilquis Evely. This was a couple of books that my friend Todd made me buy. This is another DC book that I am not sure how I feel. The first issue started off with a character narrating and I had no idea who she was. It was a little slow starting off, but once Supergirl showed up, the book picked up quite a bit. However, there are some questions I have. Mainly, did they just kill of Krypto? I love Tom King and trust him to give me a great story and this series is one of the books that James Gunn mentioned as the basis for one of his movie projects for the DCU. This variation of Supergirl feels different than I have seen before and I kind of like it.
As I mentioned earlier today, I planned on doing a second Comic Catch-Up today, since I was out of school because of an ice storm and lacked any sort of intriguing streaming movie or TV show to review.
I did get a bunch of the read books organized and into boxes (or at least as many as I could). This month has made a pretty good dent in the piles of comics I have around the room, but it is still quite a few and I just do not have the needed comic boxes to suffice. It is a continuous progression.
Here is the second post f the day…
Captain America: Symbol of Truth #8. “Pax Mohannda Part 3“. Captain America and Nomad move themselves into Mohannda in an attempt to bring the murderers of the Prime Minister to justice, but they find that there are plenty of explosive opposition. Meanwhile, Falcon has been transformed into something scary and he had taken off before he did anything drastic. Written by Tochi Onyebuchi and drawn by Ig Guara.
Moon Knight #6. “Horoscope, Part 2” After nearly being killed by Zodiac, Moon Knight received help from a source that he did not expect. The story included the origin of Hunter’s Moon, showing us how he would become another Fist of Khonsu. This was written by Jed MacKay and drawn by Alessandro Cappuccio. The cover art was done by Carlos Pacheco, Rafael Fonteriz & Rachelle Rosenberg.
Black Panther #1. “The Long Shadow, Book One” Written by John Ridley and drawn by Juann Cabal. EYG Hall of Famer Alex Ross did the cover art. I have started the Black Panther series with number one. I actually do believe that I read this when it first came out, because there were some familiar aspects to it, but it was good to get a refresh on the book from the beginning.
Black Widow #15. “Die by the Blade Part 4 of 4” This was the conclusion of a Black Widow series that I had enjoyed but had not finished before. Natasha had her arm cut off. Whaaaa? Thankfully, she had some friend along for the ride and that didn’t seem to stop her. This was written by Kelly Thompson and drawn by Elena Casagrande & Rafael T. Pimentel. Jordie Bellaire did the cover art.
Captain America: Sentinel of Liberty #8-9. Written by Jackson Lanzing & Collin Kelly and drawn by Carmen Carnero. With these two issues, I am now caught up with this series. Cap is joined by a new group of Invaders in order to try and reclaim Lower Manhattan from AIM. Issue eight featured a guest star appearance from Emma Frost.
The Last Book You’ll Ever Read #2. Written by Cullen Bunn with art from Leila Leiz. The book tour from hell continued as Olivia Cade. This point of the tour seemed to have switched form the violence to more of a engage in carnal acts. I will say that this issue was a little less interesting that the first one. I am curious as to where this will go though.
The Department of Truth #13. Written by James Tynion IV and featuring the artistic skills of Martin Simmonds. This issue really sets up the series to move in a different direction and flips our perception of what was happening. It seemed as if Hawk was a danger to Cole, but perhaps he is the good guy after all? Does that mean that Lee is no what he seemed? I cannot wait to find out.
The Thing #1. “The Next Big Thing, Part 1“. I was sure that I had read the first several issue of this series, but issue one had absolutely no moment that felt like I had seen it before. Ben Grimm is featured in this story at a time during his life. It was prior to his marriage to Alicia but it is not specific about when it is. It is written by Walter Mosely and drawn by Tom Reilly.
Strange Adventures #12. “Dedication and fanaticism” This series from the pen of Tom King had been a fun read for most of it, but I had never finished the last book. This was one of those things that I wanted to complete. I had enjoyed the maxi series, but I have to say that I was not a big fan of the conclusion to the book. A lot about Mister Terrific. The art was done by Mitch Gerads and Evan Shaner.
Basilisk #1. “Down from the Mountains, Chapter One” This was a comic that I remembered reading as I was re-reading this tonight. It was good to get a refresher though as I had not remembered much about it prior to tonight. I do like the character design of this character and she creates quite a mysterious tone. The book was written by Cullen Bunn and drawn by Jonas Scharf.
EYG- Embrace Your Geekness 