tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-52193594462927634422024-03-14T06:40:33.300-05:00Dime Store RiotWriting from Chad EagletonChad Eagletonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06863680540230538227noreply@blogger.comBlogger530125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5219359446292763442.post-56195702432296323882021-06-01T10:02:00.001-05:002021-06-01T10:02:27.981-05:00Give Me Ramirez!<p> </p>
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Apparently they’re doing a <i>Highlander</i> reboot with Henry Cavill. You know what I’d rather see instead?
A prequel series (either live action films or an anime) following an appropriately cast Ramirez. </span><div><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 200%;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 200%;">Imagine: 896 Egypt, Tak-Ne learns he’s immortal. Quickenings amongst the pyramids. Then sword battles across the ancient world. Marrying a beautiful princess in ancient Japan. Battling The Kurgan along the Russian steppes. Taking the name Juan Sánchez-Villalobos Ramírez when he joins the court of King Charles V just before he sets out for the Highlands, chasing rumors of the Kurgan.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 200%;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 200%;">You’ve got plenty of coolness right there without rebooting anything. And casting it appropriately would be a great way to course correct.
</span></div><div><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 200%;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwgDyS-Ppy8_8FTA-p6ONVOEfHekuReAnCh-wzEXgsYx1tavrZrxzRludrevIJDJi3RKMQzQyqqm7LXwIRJuYWoRop_LFlTm_lkAoSgZ1gLToALLdYNspsSgeLbGRNQW_a9jABTrH1CqY/s553/ramirez.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="553" data-original-width="355" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwgDyS-Ppy8_8FTA-p6ONVOEfHekuReAnCh-wzEXgsYx1tavrZrxzRludrevIJDJi3RKMQzQyqqm7LXwIRJuYWoRop_LFlTm_lkAoSgZ1gLToALLdYNspsSgeLbGRNQW_a9jABTrH1CqY/w256-h400/ramirez.jpeg" width="256" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 200%;"><br /></span></div>Chad Eagletonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06863680540230538227noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5219359446292763442.post-89629197569977024942021-05-09T10:06:00.002-05:002021-05-09T10:06:28.908-05:00Sons of Sam<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 200%;">I suppose it’s fitting that Netflix would release a docu-series about Maury Terry’s: the Son of Sam was part of global Satanic cult nonsense. One has only to look at Q-Anon to see the Satanic Panic has never really gone away.
And it’s not surprising that it wouldn’t.</span><div><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 200%;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 200%;">The Satanic Panic is such a perfect product of American culture and societal disfunction. This ridiculous notion of a vast network of the diabolic committing atrocities was birthed in the disillusioned 70s from the ritualistic crimes sensationalized by the changing face of journalism and super-charged with a big dose of the occult thanks to a popular culture drunk on the success of <i>The Exorcist</i>.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 200%;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 200%;">But the Panic truly came of age during Reagan’s 80's as societal trust plummeted, greed was labeled as good, and countless opportunists came out of the woodwork to shill made-up memoirs of life in Satanic cults, peddle their services as “occult crime experts”, or send innocent people to jail thanks to “recovered memories.”
And, of course, the entire time, this whole fantasy has been intimately tied to the rise of Evangelicalism and the Christian Right.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 200%;"><i><br /></i></span></div><div><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 200%;"><i>Yes</i>, the docu-series is really about how our true crime obsession can get the best of us and about how news coverage feeds fear and that fear in turn feeds more news coverage in a vicious moebius strip. But I don’t think the majority of people will stick that landing and instead tumble headfirst into vast Satanic Conspiracies. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 200%;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 200%;">And I get it, I used to write for <i>the</i> counter-culture/magick-fueled website <i>Disinformation</i>. Satanic conspiracies are a lot more fun and sexier than the idea of some tubby postal worker shooting people because he’s mentally ill. But I wouldn’t be surprised if in a week’s time from this release, in some dark corner of the interwebs, there isn’t some conspiratorial nonsense about Trump catching the “real” Sons of Sam any day now.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: times new roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 18.6667px;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times new roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 18.6667px;"><br /></span></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvHO5hW_TQKY8fm5q8lAQyDMcgCTm9gXsjh_WON_15vA9L2BkveeKXjhLd7cQq8piCIheNa3o09fLBq8fw39MXatUSqZdErpDXlUGoCw3uF6oEwVRfaXBmB5ctlWvcwKrv1oJSoufBhHo/s960/sonsofsam.jpeg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="648" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvHO5hW_TQKY8fm5q8lAQyDMcgCTm9gXsjh_WON_15vA9L2BkveeKXjhLd7cQq8piCIheNa3o09fLBq8fw39MXatUSqZdErpDXlUGoCw3uF6oEwVRfaXBmB5ctlWvcwKrv1oJSoufBhHo/w432-h640/sonsofsam.jpeg" width="432" /></a></div></div>Chad Eagletonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06863680540230538227noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5219359446292763442.post-66125133784946332102020-10-19T11:33:00.005-05:002020-10-30T10:24:44.524-05:00Bond. James Bond.<div><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 200%;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 200%;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibUzSPt3MYQTHn1STiYYDDvhQSXz_RHZ3zwXJyo93Fl-fxAbJX-BZnD1WlCbF3xyF2ZXcNZX126rF0Rf0To8nO8caC-txLS_gOewlClNi8vuEa99IvMz_AuJTKVVPmtxssBuGkTNgXsK4/s266/bond.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="188" data-original-width="266" height="283" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibUzSPt3MYQTHn1STiYYDDvhQSXz_RHZ3zwXJyo93Fl-fxAbJX-BZnD1WlCbF3xyF2ZXcNZX126rF0Rf0To8nO8caC-txLS_gOewlClNi8vuEa99IvMz_AuJTKVVPmtxssBuGkTNgXsK4/w400-h283/bond.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />Netflix and Apple are both in talks to purchase MGM. Not surprised by this in the least as the studio has released less and less original content since they dodged bankruptcy back in ‘86 by selling most of their back catalogue to Turner. Mostly they’ve gotten by on the franchises they own the rights too.</span><div><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 200%;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 200%;">Like James Bond.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 200%;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 200%;">I personally hope Netflix lands it. Not only are movie theaters dead but I'd like to see what they do with Bond as I believe the producers really need to take a minute and consider how they should go forward with the series.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 200%;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 200%;">The latest Bond film has been a debacle. Over budget. Over schedule — Craig hurt himself again. Shooting most of the time without a script. And now the release date is delayed almost a year because they’ve spent so much on the film, it has to have a theatrical release to break even.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 200%;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 200%;">Also, the Craig Era is, I think, the worst James Bond era. Not because of Craig--he’s a fine Bond and the most athletic and badass feeling. He looks good in a suit and looks like he could kick your ass.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 200%;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 200%;">The problem is what they’ve done to Bond and the franchise: </span></div><div><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 200%;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 200%;">1.) They made Bond into Bourne. Humorless. Gritty. Traumatized. Realistic. Yes, the Bond is the books is grittier then the films, but the Bond in the books still manages to be fun. These films are not. And Bond can have humor without turning into Roger Moore.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 200%;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 200%;">2.) Bond kills a lot of people just because, instead of killing because the mission necessitates it. He’s an assassin, not a sociopath. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 200%;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 200%;"> 3.) Bond is always being armchair quarterbacked/fighting with the higher ups. What’s the point of having a license to kill if the boss is always chatting in your ear? What’s the point of having a secret agent if you’ve got tracking devices implanted on him — kind of makes him less secret doesn’t it? Ever hear of hackers? Besides that, it breaks the audience out of the action.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 200%;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 200%;">4.) Garbled storyline—first two films are an extended origin story showing Bond becoming the agent we know. Then the narrative is immediately: the 00 program is outdated. So why am I watching this then? </span></div><div><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 200%;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 200%;">Plus tons of plot points that make no sense (<i>Spectre</i>’s plot is the worst—the worst) and a poor attempt at constructing an ongoing storyline have all made Bond convoluted and dull.
Besides that, Bond films don’t need a runtime of 2 hours and 45 minutes or a production cost of $300 million.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 200%;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 200%;">Whatever happens next with Bond, I hope it's fun and cool and sexy again. Can still have a serious tone, but enough with the navel-gazing and the downer films.
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</div>Chad Eagletonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06863680540230538227noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5219359446292763442.post-32076340229463462722020-06-25T08:15:00.001-05:002020-10-19T11:41:59.942-05:00Cobra Kai Is Coming To Netflix<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_m1ALi7D8kvw_fe-okYxd3m5Myx-9SNstVXg9yACEfRDmGU7PVUDiCfIgx9grtRkSff-DIH7qStcWR5wyuNvak3p_xFWdw2cuxvRRpDP47m_o1BYhBihisJfS0ZKNPlZgYUVxSaUeIwM/s768/cobra+kai.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="433" data-original-width="768" height="281" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_m1ALi7D8kvw_fe-okYxd3m5Myx-9SNstVXg9yACEfRDmGU7PVUDiCfIgx9grtRkSff-DIH7qStcWR5wyuNvak3p_xFWdw2cuxvRRpDP47m_o1BYhBihisJfS0ZKNPlZgYUVxSaUeIwM/w500-h281/cobra+kai.jpg" width="500" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/cobra-kai-moves-netflix-1299581?fbclid=IwAR0AsCzoL_wS2alcgZt7op7kdhKyQkbTMESF0k1Sb0pON9r5rGliXvGWRTo" style="line-height: 2;" target="_blank"><i style="line-height: 2;">Cobra Kai</i> is coming to Netflix!</a> The first two seasons will be arriving later this year, then joined shortly by the unaired third season.</font></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; line-height: 2; text-align: left;"><font size="5" style="line-height: 2;"><br /></font></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; line-height: 2; text-align: left;"><font size="5" style="line-height: 2;">This sequel to the original Karate Kid movies is one of my favorite streaming shows period. Despite scoring some big view numbers for YouTube, I don't think it ever really found the audience it deserves. Now that YouTube is out of the original scripted content business and this will be on Netflix, hopefully it find even wider acclaim because it's just that good.</font></div>Chad Eagletonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06863680540230538227noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5219359446292763442.post-50582748680159577942020-02-28T10:04:00.000-06:002020-02-28T10:04:06.399-06:00Capitalism At Work<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQyNOxdUchiGHS4EZ83Q6NHoj9Y-9fAy2ED5aynuEmXJZTToDk5IC3KZ8i7_y1GIzzn84r_wuoOJi4eADM0rBQdzjY5P8NGyNxsuQfEQ59sKJqzbmKm5YpNFgHarXs_FajKzgSSj7Qi3k/s1600/capitalism05.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1267" data-original-width="1080" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQyNOxdUchiGHS4EZ83Q6NHoj9Y-9fAy2ED5aynuEmXJZTToDk5IC3KZ8i7_y1GIzzn84r_wuoOJi4eADM0rBQdzjY5P8NGyNxsuQfEQ59sKJqzbmKm5YpNFgHarXs_FajKzgSSj7Qi3k/s640/capitalism05.jpg" width="544" /></a></div>
<br />Chad Eagletonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06863680540230538227noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5219359446292763442.post-39577430942966069082020-02-28T07:30:00.001-06:002020-02-28T07:30:13.576-06:00Giri Haji<br />
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Giri/Haji </i>("duty"/"shame") is simply spectacular.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%;">It's wonderfully shot, extremely well acted, amazingly well written, full of representation, and moves between characters and cultures with an ease you seldom see. The pacing is great--things happen and when things don't happen it still manages to be fulfilling! There's great action when there needs to be. And drama--meaningful drama--aplenty.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%;">And lots of feels.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%;">Easily one of the best things I've seen on Netflix and not just because it's the yakuza series I always wanted but feared they'd screw it up if they tried to do it.
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><br /></span>Chad Eagletonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06863680540230538227noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5219359446292763442.post-4405348527483761402020-02-27T10:02:00.000-06:002020-02-27T10:02:00.549-06:00A Lesson About Socialism...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbelqGU-XR9NgvgE8zhyphenhyphenX7FfMuvy9jm5RFtA3OmOr9QQCYvRfMIj_LUN6kzcN2a79RPgalBYX2kJv7CbMnC-DmvkcOFhPVAngjCpC6xT_VVxS0mNJNalnODv3CfcuORt1xP94og8uOZMI/s1600/capitalism03.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="738" data-original-width="960" height="492" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbelqGU-XR9NgvgE8zhyphenhyphenX7FfMuvy9jm5RFtA3OmOr9QQCYvRfMIj_LUN6kzcN2a79RPgalBYX2kJv7CbMnC-DmvkcOFhPVAngjCpC6xT_VVxS0mNJNalnODv3CfcuORt1xP94og8uOZMI/s640/capitalism03.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />Chad Eagletonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06863680540230538227noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5219359446292763442.post-34491112486150466332020-02-26T08:52:00.000-06:002020-02-26T08:52:00.665-06:00The Kingdom<br />
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If you haven't watched the first season of <i>The Kingdom</i>, then you are missing out and should get on it because season two drops next month.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><i>The Kingdom</i> is one part period drama and one part zombie show. It's gorgeously shot with beautiful sets and locations and easy to follow action scenes and zombie attacks.
I put off watching it for a while because I thought..ugh, zombies...but I can honestly say this is easily one of the best entries into the zombie sub-genre ever.
</span>Chad Eagletonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06863680540230538227noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5219359446292763442.post-24294719360966885682020-02-26T08:00:00.000-06:002020-02-26T08:00:04.472-06:00Doc Savage TV Series<br />
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9x7YSYrOrVslZe-y6dtHrut9LyILT1Y-1ZehhXnxEiFOWyKKKUPS5N7eLXkGKFkbFHo91MhZ1Q_YV_E7_Nzr3C-idMC9MfRFJ_LXEhJQY23GqLShsK2TaZh5h_e0ZwvGNCPbCXyjbXCM/s1600/docsavagecoover.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="383" data-original-width="681" height="356" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9x7YSYrOrVslZe-y6dtHrut9LyILT1Y-1ZehhXnxEiFOWyKKKUPS5N7eLXkGKFkbFHo91MhZ1Q_YV_E7_Nzr3C-idMC9MfRFJ_LXEhJQY23GqLShsK2TaZh5h_e0ZwvGNCPbCXyjbXCM/s640/docsavagecoover.png" width="640" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%;">The lovely wife and I were just talking about Doc Savage a couple of nights ago. Apparently there's a <a href="https://deadline.com/2020/02/doc-savage-tv-series-in-works-sony-pictures-tv-original-film-conde-nast-1202863245/?fbclid=IwAR0FWmROnwvVJgzB7lIEtDGhXJhYthRsumrTF3npcg5diiKfqOx7B_fLUDA">TV series in the works</a>. It's a shame the big screen adaptation starring The Rock with a script by Shane Black isn't happening now.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%;">While a TV show honestly makes more sense, for it to succeed, it's going to come down to three things:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%;">1) Casting the right person to play Doc. </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%;">2) Choosing the right showrunner--needs to be someone familiar with this type of material or, at the very least, familiar with Doc. </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%;">3) The budget needs to be high enough that it doesn't look cheesy and, no, green screening everything will not work.
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Chad Eagletonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06863680540230538227noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5219359446292763442.post-7971417196537200692020-02-25T12:19:00.000-06:002020-02-25T12:19:00.583-06:00Samurai Cat<br />
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You can stream season one of <i>Samurai Cat</i> for free with Prime.
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<br />Chad Eagletonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06863680540230538227noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5219359446292763442.post-87314057798162524262020-02-25T10:02:00.000-06:002020-02-25T10:02:08.092-06:00Free College <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUJeCOjNVraSE0rNP7OSAUaRvAGIdcgVcOzLPdCBFGfLpewtqHhHonsSJlS3wRUKQmoUM0lAPo1LJ7OwuFjV_7pWbe2dqpKZUeEz6GqSdW1n0Zu7VpvDQPvPMjt-02sCyiAiI2RN1e248/s1600/capitalism04.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="644" data-original-width="750" height="548" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUJeCOjNVraSE0rNP7OSAUaRvAGIdcgVcOzLPdCBFGfLpewtqHhHonsSJlS3wRUKQmoUM0lAPo1LJ7OwuFjV_7pWbe2dqpKZUeEz6GqSdW1n0Zu7VpvDQPvPMjt-02sCyiAiI2RN1e248/s640/capitalism04.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />Chad Eagletonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06863680540230538227noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5219359446292763442.post-36241992724853292962020-02-24T12:12:00.001-06:002020-02-24T12:16:21.506-06:00Who Killed Malcolm X? - Netflix Trailer<br />
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%;">
Watched <i>Who Killed Malcolm X</i> on Netflix. Learned a lot of things I didn’t know. And really hammered home again how unabashedly underhanded and illegal the FBI’s COINTELPRO program was.
Absolutely worth a watch.
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="270" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/bqqOQBalq5k" width="480"></iframe></span>Chad Eagletonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06863680540230538227noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5219359446292763442.post-4676943846944928442020-02-14T10:01:00.000-06:002020-02-14T10:01:02.930-06:00Under Socialism...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtH62mIv3j2gxlF_bvhYDFt-tnCTAkMjFGE5lSaZIAZAusoiQfUxJtCAGuMpsXfgyZtRQ_au3SwhTJBHtQ_m30TC83czWAynAExuJprlVl8LlE1DWMcEUkSm2kJaZcZuuMc_dSBYUfjws/s1600/capitalism02.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="544" data-original-width="545" height="638" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtH62mIv3j2gxlF_bvhYDFt-tnCTAkMjFGE5lSaZIAZAusoiQfUxJtCAGuMpsXfgyZtRQ_au3SwhTJBHtQ_m30TC83czWAynAExuJprlVl8LlE1DWMcEUkSm2kJaZcZuuMc_dSBYUfjws/s640/capitalism02.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<br />Chad Eagletonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06863680540230538227noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5219359446292763442.post-50003054019384443312020-02-12T09:59:00.000-06:002020-02-12T09:59:07.913-06:00Under Capitalism....<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4rjE4KsPxLV5k2kWQUS0vsSFoq7_F6bUN7Bu3wB6PHhRehoqq4aGkYhixh35B_LvMOlSJh4hqtpkAFmPJCSSzu62BAfmlPw_WWrZc67TZvS31tAFeVkaT3xPg6fGb3W0TYaAKTG3sZm0/s1600/capitalism01.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4rjE4KsPxLV5k2kWQUS0vsSFoq7_F6bUN7Bu3wB6PHhRehoqq4aGkYhixh35B_LvMOlSJh4hqtpkAFmPJCSSzu62BAfmlPw_WWrZc67TZvS31tAFeVkaT3xPg6fGb3W0TYaAKTG3sZm0/s640/capitalism01.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />Chad Eagletonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06863680540230538227noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5219359446292763442.post-23913894806404153752020-02-10T09:58:00.000-06:002020-02-10T09:58:04.319-06:00Pretend You've Read Something<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixfxdPBYoRtEKzKlgsziqKVURgaAg_ZQ9_LbFHOdhCk1Wn_JebdjJ6U8mxDGc_JDQK3KTMHD4dO7yCbkgJWXOLEJoLQHwEEgSP3hKmsYvN2jzG6x33LMFXRgp720R3u1KqNhbTsqwB-3k/s1600/ways-university-doesnt-prepare-you-for-the-real-w-2-3007-1435249718-6_dblbig.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="415" data-original-width="625" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixfxdPBYoRtEKzKlgsziqKVURgaAg_ZQ9_LbFHOdhCk1Wn_JebdjJ6U8mxDGc_JDQK3KTMHD4dO7yCbkgJWXOLEJoLQHwEEgSP3hKmsYvN2jzG6x33LMFXRgp720R3u1KqNhbTsqwB-3k/s640/ways-university-doesnt-prepare-you-for-the-real-w-2-3007-1435249718-6_dblbig.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />Chad Eagletonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06863680540230538227noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5219359446292763442.post-61883501706999092552020-02-07T09:57:00.000-06:002020-02-07T09:57:02.826-06:00Seven Secrets of Highly Successful People<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkYg7ivgyBJpekK_oA6MbwlqhB-slHkXAWRUV4oL7DyeTZ2raGe3t-pFL3yHNmYdYM9DsTdskdOYcf-avy6FYDGzwf7NEOtq6k68wnfelvTtrbzDfyRPIK6Zq6HiKBMtEwMuvWlBdE_pA/s1600/habits.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="853" data-original-width="700" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkYg7ivgyBJpekK_oA6MbwlqhB-slHkXAWRUV4oL7DyeTZ2raGe3t-pFL3yHNmYdYM9DsTdskdOYcf-avy6FYDGzwf7NEOtq6k68wnfelvTtrbzDfyRPIK6Zq6HiKBMtEwMuvWlBdE_pA/s640/habits.jpg" width="524" /></a></div>
<br />Chad Eagletonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06863680540230538227noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5219359446292763442.post-86251957005825559312020-02-05T09:55:00.000-06:002020-02-05T09:55:01.572-06:00Difference Between Protest and Resistance <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVdhUV_dOXlfHV-UbgvWmvPIksQvab2xMB910h6JvrqQMzs9k0USoNQ0mhQ5j1B2b8GeYYZboGtJAVVkTzsvW0jKQY9W643oiMXaWYITXQPPRkIJb2VuEH6n2Gm5p1NoiaYbPMvEouBdM/s1600/meinhof.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="850" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVdhUV_dOXlfHV-UbgvWmvPIksQvab2xMB910h6JvrqQMzs9k0USoNQ0mhQ5j1B2b8GeYYZboGtJAVVkTzsvW0jKQY9W643oiMXaWYITXQPPRkIJb2VuEH6n2Gm5p1NoiaYbPMvEouBdM/s640/meinhof.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />Chad Eagletonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06863680540230538227noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5219359446292763442.post-35258059642705901312020-02-03T09:55:00.001-06:002020-02-03T09:55:41.290-06:00Henry Wallace and Fascism<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRn2mgEPxvXtYz6VfMXcAglkqAKk1JkuhJ-Sg-o1ce5P3rNs0vsxlhsPrttxjeECu4cS3WUQL6vjy6LA1Yq68kj36M4Dz4NWZL-onyAA1f0MbGHKiASfKXGfgfq71eP7VBl-M-icp0AK4/s1600/wallace.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="548" data-original-width="600" height="584" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRn2mgEPxvXtYz6VfMXcAglkqAKk1JkuhJ-Sg-o1ce5P3rNs0vsxlhsPrttxjeECu4cS3WUQL6vjy6LA1Yq68kj36M4Dz4NWZL-onyAA1f0MbGHKiASfKXGfgfq71eP7VBl-M-icp0AK4/s640/wallace.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />Chad Eagletonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06863680540230538227noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5219359446292763442.post-65889353426238133452019-12-06T13:37:00.002-06:002019-12-06T13:37:53.920-06:00Green Frontier<br />
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%;">
Green Frontier (<i>Frontera Verde</i>) is a Netflix limited-series from Colombia and it’s the metaphysical crime thriller I’ve always wanted:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%;">Helena Poveda, a young Bogotá-based detective, travels deep into the Amazon, on the border between Brazil and Colombia, to investigate a series of bizarre murders. Her investigation leads her into the heart of the jungle where she discovers a mysterious indigenous tribe with an extraordinary secret that they will go to great lengths to protect.</span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%;">If this sounds remotely in your ballpark, give it a watch, because it’s very good: beautifully shot, well-acted, the pacing is on-point, there are some great twists, it’s topical without being preachy and it’s spiritual but completely approachable.<br /><br />I really hope Netflix funds something else from these filmmakers.
<br /></span>Chad Eagletonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06863680540230538227noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5219359446292763442.post-55096580162637894742019-11-29T10:20:00.000-06:002019-11-29T10:20:07.788-06:00Carnival Row? More like Carnival No.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijXD9nR1ozLvtlH1IavtJfuLiIvV-3uR7GIXGEeAdLUtTKulvDTpgFGx07DyPNzGdL1Jq-5g6LRiOtd7_11ihIh_S5OvOnz2vFOA1db-Fw8m88LaFO_LGg8Td49dUVwVDWX0b3_igc0zQ/s1600/carnivale+row.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="383" data-original-width="681" height="358" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijXD9nR1ozLvtlH1IavtJfuLiIvV-3uR7GIXGEeAdLUtTKulvDTpgFGx07DyPNzGdL1Jq-5g6LRiOtd7_11ihIh_S5OvOnz2vFOA1db-Fw8m88LaFO_LGg8Td49dUVwVDWX0b3_igc0zQ/s640/carnivale+row.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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I know it’s already been renewed for a second season, but unless they change showrunners and get a new writing team that learns from their mistakes, I will be surprised if Carnival Row makes it a third.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%;">Spoilers</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%;">*</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%;">*</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%;">*</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%;">*</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%;">* </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%;">This is a show I wanted to like. This is a show I should like. One part fantasy, one part Victorian era murder mystery, one part political allegory should all be up my alley. Plus, Amazon obviously spent a ton of money on it, so everything looks great.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%;">But I didn't.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%;">I pretty much hated it.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%;">Here’s the problems:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%;">* From the trailer and the premise, you think this will be exciting. It’s not. Even though it’s only 8 episodes, the whole thing is a tedious slog that had me watching the clock. Fantasy should always feel otherworldly and fantastical. This show gets too bogged down in the grim and the grime. So the whole thing just feels like depressing work and becomes aching dull.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%;">* Somehow the world-building manages to be both complex and yet underdeveloped. So while you’re getting hit with tons of exposition, you’re also left scratching your head, wondering how does this work? Why is that like this?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%;">* The love story between Philo and Vignette doesn’t work and also makes little sense (a cookie to whoever can explain why he had people tell her had had died during the war). (Also their love scene was one of the worst sex scenes I’ve seen since Showgirls).</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%;">* I called Philo’s secret almost immediately.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%;">* No one should be more into the politics/class struggle angle more than me. The problem is none of it is clearly explained or very well developed and it’s just kind of nebulous and there. The racism is given no basis or grounded in anything other a very simplistic and very childish—because they’re different.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%;">* The show tries to pack too much in without developing any of it. Some of the most interesting characters get virtually no time.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%;">* Other than coming from money and having been a model at one time, I do not understand why Cara Delavigne continues to get acting jobs, because she is all around terrible in everything I’ve seen her in.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%;">Ever. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%;">And this is no different.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%;">* Orlando Bloom is not cut out to be a leading man. He’s just doesn’t have the acting chops or the charisma. He’s a supporting actor at best. And unfortunately, this entire series hangs on him and his character.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%;">* I literally do not care about what happens next.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%;">* The best thing I can say about the show is at least the writers resolved the main plot.
</span>Chad Eagletonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06863680540230538227noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5219359446292763442.post-25944781559027164272019-11-27T10:19:00.000-06:002019-11-27T10:19:06.641-06:00In Case You Were Confused<br />
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<br />Chad Eagletonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06863680540230538227noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5219359446292763442.post-89172141603695478402019-11-26T10:17:00.000-06:002019-11-26T10:17:09.240-06:00Truth Hurts<br />
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<br />Chad Eagletonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06863680540230538227noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5219359446292763442.post-66602427881305521442019-11-25T10:13:00.001-06:002019-11-25T10:13:17.853-06:00Movies for Adults<br />
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH7bK2mVA62hS37SAdk2p2fQDv04xbIpsXKOEXT4qSFiEwba2ernUJCuEMIxagZ33it33UI3osK5yVsGBwrAIAo-s5a143sSy73V3vl27aeLpqb2V5QHlOF_MpVR0R4s7yNc6T6zn1RyE/s1600/witness-poster3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="356" data-original-width="475" height="476" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH7bK2mVA62hS37SAdk2p2fQDv04xbIpsXKOEXT4qSFiEwba2ernUJCuEMIxagZ33it33UI3osK5yVsGBwrAIAo-s5a143sSy73V3vl27aeLpqb2V5QHlOF_MpVR0R4s7yNc6T6zn1RyE/s640/witness-poster3.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%;">I watched Witness last night and I haven’t seen the film in forever.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%;">I was struck by how good it was, but I was also struck by several other things. First, how the film could never be made now and if it were, Hollywood would screw it up completely. Second, I was struck by how it manages to effectively be so many things at once—a fish-out of water story, a romance, and also a thriller (a pretty good thriller actually despite all the plot turns being completely familiar). It’s just gorgeous to look at—the opening alone is mesmerizing. It’s well acted (I think it’s Ford’s best acting—seriously watch everything he manages to convey with just expressions in the dancing scene with Kelly McGillis). The showdown at the end is so well done too, and manages a couple of things you don’t see nearly enough in gun battles.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%;">But I was also struck by how it was an adult movie—not an X-rated film or a film with tons of sex—but a movie about adults staring adults (a child may be the witness to the crime in Witness, but he’s not the focus or the main character) where they have to make adult decisions for adult reasons and take into account adult things. I’m talking films where adults, normal feeling and looking adults (man, I miss the days when movie stars weren’t all just ridiculously good looking)—living normal adult lives confront the things we must confront as grown-ups and they do so in a way that feels authentic because their choices matter to them and to others.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%;">I feel like we used to see those kind of movies a lot more. If do we get a grown-up movie now it’s usually specifically geared at someone 65 and older, an obvious attempt at Oscar bait, painfully dull or ridiculously depressing (depressing doesn’t automatically give something meaning any more than gritty does).</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%;">I’m talking about the movies your parents would rent and you’d read the box and maybe you couldn’t see past the thriller or crime or horror or even science fiction (grown-ups used to have all kinds of films) aspect of it but once you started watching it, you knew this was a grown-up movie and if you watched too, if you stayed focused you’d have a kind of a peak into an adult insight into life, romance, death, the choices we make and the choices that are made for us.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%;">I don’t know if that makes sense but I feel like we need more movies like that.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%;">This isn’t me pulling a Scorsese—frankly, I found his tirade silly and tiresome, especially when he admitted to having never actually watching a Marvel film. I like genre films (Witness is technically a thriller) or just fun movies or escapist movies, those all have their place and those can all still be about something bigger and truer than magic and monsters and powers and aliens. And those can all still be authentically about adults.
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><br /></span>Chad Eagletonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06863680540230538227noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5219359446292763442.post-42813333687683243922019-11-21T15:06:00.000-06:002019-11-21T15:06:02.876-06:00The Time Of Monsters<br />
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<br />Chad Eagletonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06863680540230538227noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5219359446292763442.post-57007641496905007542019-11-19T15:01:00.000-06:002019-11-19T15:01:01.984-06:00Cultural Hegemony<br />
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<br />Chad Eagletonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06863680540230538227noreply@blogger.com