Black Bag

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June 1, 2025

I added a new component to the June Swoon this year. In order to spice things up, and because there were a number of films that I have missed this year so far, I decided to add a film from 2025 each day to the June Swoon 4 DailyView so that I would be watching a movie I missed from 2024 AND a movie I missed from 2025. The first of these is on Peacock called Black Bag,

Starring Cate Blanchett and Michael Fassbender, Black Bag is a spy thriller featuring a married couple George and Kathryn, who worked separately in black ops and espionage while being tightly connected.

Both Blanchett and Fassbender are great in this movie and their chemistry is undeniable. The story itself has plenty of twists and turns as they try to uncover a plot to steal a top-secret software program code-named Severus. Kathryn is a suspect in the case and George has to investigate the case.

I really enjoyed the way this progressed. It was not your typical spy thriller with the gunfights and high action moments. This was a smart, thinking person’s spy story uncovered with intelligence and manipulation. I found that to be very creative while still being extremely suspenseful and entertaining.

Pierce Brosnan was here too, but his role is small and he was underused in the story. When Brosnan was on screen, he was excellent.

There is a series of scenes with a lie detector which is about as great of a scene as you are going to get. I was riveted through that entire moment of the movie and the climax of the mystery paid off big time too.

This is an excellent film and I am pleased that I finally was able to seeing it.

4.3 stars

September 5

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June 1, 2025

The fourth annual June Swoon kicked off this morning with a movie that I have been anticipating for a long time. It is a film that I would have gone to in the theater but it never came around to any of the theaters in my area. At least, I never saw it available in my area.

September 5 told the tragic story of the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich, Germany where a group of Israeli athletes were taken hostage during the games. The movie was told from the perspective of the sporting crew from ABC, who were in Munich covering the Games and wound up near the scene of terror.

I only knew a little bit about the situation before viewing this and the massive tragedy that would befall the athletes. This was put together with an outstanding ensemble of actors as well as real life archival footage shot by ABC. Footage of the late Jim McKay as the anchor of the sports crew and the voice that sent the news out to the world was used. The quote of McKay when everything was finalized and his words went out across the world

When I was a kid my father used to say “Our greatest hopes and our worst fears are seldom realized.” Our worst fears have been realized tonight. They have now said there were 11 hostages; two were killed in their rooms this morn– yesterday morning, nine were killed at the airport tonight. They’re all gone.
— McKay, 1972

The ensemble cast included  Peter Sarsgaard, John Magaro, Ben Chaplin, and Leonie Benesch as well as a ton of other actors. The tension of the situation was amplified by these talented actors and they brought suspense to a moment in time that many, if not all, knew would end up with tragic results. Yet as you watched the film unfold, you still held hope that there would be part of the story that you did not know and that there would be some sliver of happiness would be found.

September 5 was an emotional roller coaster detailing the horrors of a terrorist attack, and the dedication of these men and women to provide the details of the news to the world.

Sunday Morning Sidewalk #19

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Spoilers

“The Collectors”

Things are picking up as the show reached it’s ninth of eleven episodes. And we are seeing how powerful and… dangerous (?) the Vortex, aka Rose Walker, potentially could be.

The setting… the creepiest of conventions you’d ever see. A Cereal convention? Killers, creatures, pedophiles.

The Dreaming is being damaged and Morpheus continues to show that he is not a heroic figure.

Gilbert returned and we discovered that he was one of the escaped nightmares, Fiddler’s Green. Fry is awesome and is absolutely wonderful in this series.

The Corinthian has shown his true side to Jed as he offed some convention attendees. This set up a huge confrontation for next week between Rose and the Corinthian.

Doctor Who S2 E8

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Spoilers

“The Reality War”

I am very sad. Ncuti Gatwa had his final episode as The Doctor as the character regenerates after a huge battle with the Roni, Omega and an attempt to save Poppy, the little girl who turned out to be the real daughter of Belinda.

The action packed episode was thrilling and Ncuti Gatwa showed off his original variation of the Doctor.

We also got a cameo from a former Doctor, the thirteenth Doctor, Jodie Whittaker.

I know Ncuti Gatwa had his opposition among the Who fans, but I am here to say that I am now a fan of Doctor Who and it is 100% because of the work of Ncuti Gatwa. He has been the most amazing performer, with more emotion and energy than many action show leads. The Doctor was an original concept and Ncuti Gatwa feels like a breath of fresh air.

From the BBC, this is the statement made by Ncuti Gatwa after the end of this season:

“You know when you get cast, at some point you are going to have to hand back that sonic screwdriver and it is all going to come to an end, but nothing quite prepares you for it.”

He added: “There are no words to describe what it feels like to be cast as the Doctor, nor are there words to explain what it feels like to be accepted into this iconic role that has existed for over 60 years and is truly loved by so many across the globe.”

Gatwa thanked “Whoniverse” fans for “welcoming me in, and making this such a touching experience.

“I’ve loved every minute of it, but now is the time to hand over the keys to that beloved blue box and let someone else take control and enjoy it every bit as much as I have.

“I’ll truly miss it, and forever be grateful to it, and everyone that has played a part in my journey as the Doctor.”

Billie Piper appeared on the screen when the Doctor regenerated. I see that Piper was a former companion for the Christopher Eccleston and then David Tennant versions. The BBC article does imply that she may not have been officially cast as The Doctor yet.

Thank you, Ncuti Gatwa for one of the most human Doctors that we have seen yet. I will miss that tear rolling down your face seemingly every episode. Good luck with everything in your future. You will always be my Doctor.

Friendship

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I hated this movie.

I had heard so many positive comments about Friendship, the film starring actor, comedian and screenwriter Tim Robinson. Word of mouth of the A24 comedy was out of this world. It has 89% on Rotten Tomatoes.

I hated this movie.

Craig (Tim Robinson) meets his new neighbor Austin (Paul Rudd) and immediately falls hard for him. Craig wanted to be Austin’s friend and he went to some crazy steps to make it happen. However, he was not good at the interpersonal skills.

Probably the biggest reason I hated this movie was because of the protagonist. Craig was so unlikable as a character that I just did not find funny. It was cringy. I believe that is the way the comedy is meant to be, but I just did not like it at all.

I mean, I love Paul Rudd. I like Kate Mara. I like Jack Dylan Grazer. The cast was solid.

I found myself hoping this would be over. I was looking at my clock throughout the film. I just did not have any fun in this movie.

1.3 stars

Karate Kid: Legends

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I have been a fan of the Karate Kid movies, particularly the first two, and the Cobra Kai TV show, so I am the type of person this is directed towards, and because of that, I probably liked this more than someone else might have.

According to IMDB, “When kung fu prodigy Li Fong (Ben Wang) relocates to New York City with his mother to attend a prestigious new school, he finds solace in a new friendship with a classmate and her father. But his newfound peace is short-lived after he attracts unwanted attention from a formidable local karate champion. Driven by a desire to defend himself, Li embarks on a journey to enter the ultimate karate competition. Guided by the wisdom of his kung fu teacher, Mr. Han (Jackie Chan), and the legendary Karate Kid, Daniel LaRusso (Ralph Macchio), Li merges their unique styles to prepare for an epic martial arts showdown.“

Starting off, this is absolutely the same story, including several specific details, as the first Karate Kid movie. I was sitting in the theater and every time something specific would happen, my mind would connect it to the same bit from the first flick. The story could have been something more than what we got.

Ben Wang was a charming lead as Li Fong. I liked him, even if he was just replaying the Daniel LaRusso role from the first film. I liked the chemistry between Jackie Chan and Ralph Macchio, though I do wonder why they were constantly arguing about the different moves. It also felt a little awkward with how Mr. Han and Daniel LaRusso came together.

I did like the first part of the movie as we spent some time with Li Fong. However, the second part, the 5 Burrough tournament, felt extremely rushed.

The fighting scenes were great. I loved the mix between karate and kung fu. I also enjoyed the boxing scenes with Joshua Jackson. Jackson played Victor, the father of Mia (Sadie Stanley). I really liked both of these characters, especially Victor who felt like something different than other films.

I enjoyed the idea of this film, but, make no mistake, there are a ton of problems with it. It is not a good movie, but I did come out of it with a smile.

2.75 stars

By the way: The mid credit scene was the best scene of the movie. It happens right away so you shouldn’t miss it, but it was worth the time.

Bring Her Back

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I guess I really didn’t need to sleep tonight.

The internet was out when I got home from my last day of school, so, instead of just being mad at Mediacom, I decided to go to a movie. I had the tickets for tomorrow purchased and I know there was one film that I was going to see later next week. I went tonight instead.

Bring Her Back, the latest movie from directors Danny and Michael Philippou, the directors of 2022 Talk to Me, was one of the most disturbing and unsettling films I have seen in a long time.

This film avoided many of the horror tropes. There were no jump scares. It covered multiple types of horror, from body horror to psychological horror.

Step siblings are sent to a new foster home after their father died. It does not take long to realize that something was off about this situation.

There is no doubt that this is a movie that will be triggering for some. It is one of those horror movies that stuns you so much that you just want to go sit in silence and deconstruct.

Bring Her Back is a slow burn, but it does move well and never is without a healthy dose of tension and anxiety. There were times when I was grimacing, disturbed and looking away. There are some scenes that were very difficult to get through.

Sally Hawkins played Laura, the foster mother, who was extremely creepy, even in the moments when she seemed as if she was a loving individual. Hawkins was truly exceptional in this performance, which could have been too over the top, but turned out strong.

The kids in the movie do a great job too. Billy Barratt played the oldest kid, Andy, who had plenty of background troubles. Sora Wong played Piper in her debut. Wong, just like the character she played, Piper, is partially blind. She was remarkable and made everything work so well. Jonah Wren Phillips played Oliver, the boy Laura had already been fostering. All three of these kids did an amazing job, and they all had a different type of character to play.

I have to say, I was not completely clear about the demon aspect of this movie. It was a bit confusing, but you just accept that there is something supernatural going on and don’t question it too much.

This is going to be one of those movies that I will recommend, but never want to watch again. I squirmed in my seat several times during this uncomfortable movie. A24 has become known as a super horror film studio and they have yet another one. This is also a very different of sort of horror film than the Philippou brothers made previously.

There will be plenty of people who hate this movie. I was tense the whole time. My teeth were gritted several times. The film is remarkably well constructed and made. I understand if someone hated this movie. I don’t ever want to watch it again. But it absolutely did what it was trying to do.

3.8 stars

EYG Favorite Comic Covers of the Week

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May 29, 2025

Welcome to the first official EYG Favorite Comic Covers of the Week on Thursday. I decided to wait until Thursdays to pick up the books from both Comic World and In This Issue before doling out the medals. I picked an exceptional cover week to star the switch to Thursdays. I picked out a possible ten books with awesome covers that we in the running. I also ignored the Captain Planet #1 I got in the mail from eBay today. It is a lovely Mark Spears cover.

Speaking of Mark Spears, our current leader for the cover artist of the year had a book this week, Green Lantern #23, that did not make the cut for a medal. This is one of the few Mark Spears covers that I got on time that has not placed somewhere in the top three. It speaks to the quality of covers this week.

And it looks as if there are three Image Comic entries in the medalists this week. Two of them are variants.

Let’s go…

Bronze Medalist

G.I. Joe #7

Incentive Wraparound Variant H

Cover art by Andrea Milana

This may seem like a gimmick, but I really was drawn to this cover, with the partial head of Beachhead die cut and wrapped around the book. This was awesome.

Silver Medalist

Universal Monsters The Mummy #3

Cover art by Faith Erin Hicks & Lee Loughlin

I saw this cover a few weeks ago in passing. As soon as I saw it, I thought this had a chance to win a medal. I just love this compelling look at this character and the sides to her. The bloody hand is all the more riveting.

Gold Medalist

Feral #13

Variant Cover B

Cover art by Tony Fleecs & Allen Passalaqua

This is easily the best of the horror-themed variant covers for Feral, and calling it Feral the 13th was also a stroke of genius. I love the creativity and cleverness of this design and it fit so perfectly in what they were trying to do. I did not mean to do the pun (purr-fectly).

The X-Files S9 E8

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“Hellbound”

I do not like Monica Reyes.

I have seen this character now for several episodes and I just have not been able to connect with her. And now, with Hellbound, it feels as if the writing stuck her into a situation that not only does not make much sense, but feels very lazy.

This whole thing seemed to come out of nowhere and I disliked the manner in which Monica went about this case. I’m to believe that she is some kind of reincarnated being who has been involved in the same basic murder cases for decades, and all of this just started happening in this episode? I really thought the plot of this was bad.

Part of it may be that I have just never cared for Monica Reyes at this point. She has never had much of a character and this felt like a way to try and give her one, but I just did not buy it.

The effects and the make up involved in the creation of the skinned bodies was well done, though. It was some of the best effects that the show had done, especially the one where the skinned man was still alive. There were some excellent suspense built with some of the moments of the episode, but I just did not like the manner in which this was resolved, nor was I fond of the way they inserted Monica into the story.

I have not enjoyed season nine much so far as we have eleven more episodes remaining.