#YahyaAbdul-MateenII

[celtalks]

Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom: Can Jason Momoa and Amber Heard's Starrer Surpass Its Predecessor in Advance Bookings?

As the release date for "Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom" approaches on Friday, December 22, fans eagerly await the final chapter of the DC Extended Universe (DCEU) before the anticipated franchise reboot led by James Gunn and Peter Safran. This sequel, directed by James Wan and penned by David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick, promises to build upon the foundation laid by its predecessor while paving the way for an exciting new direction in the DCEU narrative.

Box Office Buzz and Pre-Booking Triumphs

Amidst initial concerns and less-than-optimistic projections, the film has started making waves in the box office waters, particularly in China. Trade analyst Luiz Fernando reports a significant $296K in advance booking collections on a single Monday, contributing to a total pre-booking sales figure of $977K from December 19 to 25. Notably, these figures slightly surpass the pre-booking sales of other major releases like "The Marvels" and "The Batman." The stakes are high as industry observers closely monitor how "Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom" positions itself against other blockbuster films.

Projected Opening Weekend and Global Expectations

Despite projections of a domestic box office revenue ranging between $32 million and $42 million for the opening weekend, the sequel faces comparisons to its predecessor, "Aquaman," which achieved a noteworthy $67 million in its opening weekend. While domestic expectations may be tempered, the global success of the first installment, surpassing $1 billion in box office earnings, sets a high bar for "Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom." Industry observers keenly watch to see if the sequel can replicate the global triumph of its predecessor.

Behind the Scenes and Stellar Cast

Produced by DC Studios, Atomic Monster, and The Safran Company, and distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures, "Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom" boasts a stellar cast led by Jason Momoa as Arthur Curry / Aquaman. The ensemble includes Patrick Wilson, Amber Heard, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, and Nicole Kidman, contributing to the film's potential success as the 15th and final installment in the DCEU. In conclusion, as the cinematic fate of Aquaman unfolds in "Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom," the sequel seems poised to leave an indelible mark on the DCEU narrative, both domestically and globally. Whether it can surpass the expectations set by its predecessor remains to be seen, but the film's impressive pre-booking figures indicate a promising start on its journey to box office success. Read the full article

[film-book]

Film Review: THE TRIAL OF THE CHICAGO 7 (2020): Read the Room Mr. Sorkin https://tinyurl.com/y3yywgkf

[tamekas-talk]

The Matrix Resurrections - In Theaters Now

The Matrix Resurrections - This New Chapter In The Franchise & Art Imitating Life The world has changed and so has The Matrix. It’s been 18 years since we last followed Neo’s (Keanu Reeves) journey through life in the Matrix. Just like the way we approach technology in the real world has evolved; so has the phenomenon that changed the world.  Now that the franchise is back! It’s filled with both changes and similarities to the original with an update to characters like Morpheus. Who was originally portrayed by Laurence Fishburne and now has a new meaning through Yahya Abdul-Mateen II. Much like the journey through life teaches us lessons. The stars of The Matrix Resurrections explain how being a part of such a legendary film franchise has changed their lives. Shadow and Act recently spoke to Reeves, Carrie-Ann Moss, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Jessica Henwick, Jonathan Groff and Priyanka Chopra Jonas.

Chopra-Jones was in her prime teen years when 'The Matrix' first came out and now life comes full-circle for the actress who plays Sati in 'The Matrix Resurrections.'

“I remember being like 16 or 17 when the first one came out and I remember how it sort of shifted pop culture and how movies and visual effects changed after that,” she told Shadow and Act. “So it was very exciting to be a part of the movie & to get invited to the playground as a new kid on the block which is why I took the responsibility of my character very seriously. Sati was strategically placed in the last movie as a foreshadowing of what’s to come in the next one. It only took 18 years to make that next one.” Leaning heavily on the film’s writer & director, Lana Wachowski, Chopra-Jonas was able to better understand not only her character’s purpose but a lot about her own life’s purpose in the process. “I asked that question to myself every day, ‘What is my life’s purpose?’” she recalled. “I think what I’ve realized is that I’m most useful to the world when I use the platform that I have for promoting art & people’s voices. I think that my purpose now; especially being in the entertainment business, is to use this large & massive reach for good.” Along with Chopra-Jones, there were more new kids on the block for the return of The Matrix franchise.

Much like it was a dream come true for her, the same sentiments apply for Groff as Agent Smith & Henwick who plays Bugs.

“It’s surreal and it’s trippy,” expressed Henwick. “I'm a huge fan of the original because it really blew my mind. I know that Lana & Lilly were approached hundreds of times over the years to make another one. They’ve always said ‘no’ so I really never thought it was going to happen; let alone that I would get to be a part of it.” On the other hand, Groff was not only excited to have a role in bringing the new film to life; but says that the experience was very cathartic for him. “I became a part of myself that I’ve never tapped into before; ”he explained as he reflected on training for the epic fight scenes. “There was this huge fight training aspect of it where it was strong; heavy punches that were very brutal, yet also cathartic and really, really fun.”

Abdul-Mateen is now Morpheus, but he has made it clear that his character isn’t the same as the one portrayed by Laurence Fishburne in the previous installments of 'The Matrix' franchise. 

In fact, while Morpheus was on the path of self-discovery. Art imitated life because the same applied to Abdul-Mateen who says that he learned to not be afraid of change during the making of the film. “Don’t be afraid to switch it up,” he said. “Sometimes in order to get real change you have to really thrust yourself into that change. You have to make a complete 180 or you have to really just jump forward. I think that the way Morpheus reintroduced himself to the world; in that gold suit or just coming out with the colors & making a bold physical fashion statement, was his way of saying that this is my rebirth.” He further explains how & why Morpheus came out of the gate swinging; in order to really change up the rhythm of what lovers of the film franchise may be used to. Abdul-Mateen also explains how this rebirth will be applied to his own life. “I think you’ve got to do that in life; in order to really change up the rhythms & to kind of put yourself on a different path. So I think that’s something I’ll probably take with myself, maybe not in my fashion or wardrobe, but maybe in other areas of life. I’ll figure it out.”

While 'The Matrix Resurrections' has some new characters and an obvious new approach to the overall story. Some things remain the same like the film’s legends Reeves & Moss, who plays Trinity. 

The new film is a reflection of society and its current relationship with technology. As the world has evolved, so does the way we depend on the tools and resources that can be used to connect us.  Eighteen years have passed since the last installment; The Matrix Reloaded, & now there will be a whole new generation of filmgoers who will be introduced to the world of the Matrix through this new chapter. Moss explains why she wants them to have their own perception of what it all means; rather than imposing her thoughts as a character within the film. “I’m more interested in what they might think or feel,” she shared. “I’m curious, but I’m not looking to import anything on them. Instead, I’d like to receive what the conversations or the ideas around it might be or the reactions to .” For Reeves, the sentiments are the same and he says that their return to the set was everything that he expected it would be.  “It was wonderful, I loved every minute of it,” said Reeves. 

The Matrix Resurrections premieres in theaters and will be available for streaming on HBO Max starting December 22.

Read the full article

[higherfeed]

Yahya Abdul-Mateen II on His Favorite Gear, 'Watchmen,' and More

As our editor discovered for our November fashion preview, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II does it all. He ran track and studied architecture in college, but then embarked on an acting career that has led him to a starring role in HBO’s new Watchmen series, which premiered on Oct. 20. Abdul-Mateen II plays  the husband of Sister Night, the central character in the series, which gives him a unique spot in the DC superhero universe. To get a little more insight into what makes him tick, we sat down with him for our lightning round of get-to-know-you questions—the MJ5. Here’s what we learned.

]] The MJ5: Climber Nims Purja on His Essential Gear, the Food He Eats on Every Expedition, and Climbing K2Abdul-Mateen II lives a somewhat nomadic existence between shoots, and every nomad needs good luggage. For him, that’s a trusty brown leather Tumi backback. The bag “travels with me everywhere,” he told Men’s Journal. Speaking of travel, Abdul-Mateen II is down to go pretty much anywhere, especially if it’s outside the U.S. He loves to travel internationally, including places like Australia, Brazil, and Ethiopia. For him, those kinds of trips are a valuable learning experience, and a chance to try new foods and meet new people.

]] But no matter where he finds himself, one cocktail is always at the top of his list: a Beautiful. This tasty, simple drink is a mix of one part Hennessy, one part Grand Marnier, and a dash of lemon juice. “It’s a good time,” he said. MJ5: Michael Strahan on His Favorite Gear, Breakfast, and No-Hangover CocktailAnd if you catch Abdul-Mateen II in the kitchen, you’re in for a treat. His go-to meal is grilled salmon with sweet potatoes and broccoli. We love a guy who cooks, but especially one who cooks healthy. So how did this architecture student turned actor and fashion icon get to where he is today? With help from a solid piece of advice: Bet on yourself. It’s clearly taken him very far, including as one of the stars in Watchmen, which he’s very excited about. “It’s a lot of talent on that show,” he said. “The entire cast is really stacked.” Check out the full interview in the video above, and don’t miss our story on Abdul-Mateen II and his retro-inspired style in our latest issue, on newsstands now. Read the full article

[therealmrpositive]

The Matrix Resurrections (2021)

In today's review, I question reality, after making content about questioning my reality. As I attempt a #positive review of the 2021 legacy-sequel The Matrix Resurrections #KeanuReeves #Carrie-AnneMoss #YahyaAbdul-MateenII #JessicaHenwick #JonathanGroff

Audiences have a hard time embracing conclusions, always calling for more. You might have moved on as a creative, with new projects on the horizon, yet still, audiences want more stories, or at least a supposed better conclusion. In 2021, after some personal tragedy and a hefty dose of soul-searching, Lana Wachowski returned for one last outing of the Chosen One, in The Matrix…

[darkstorm1720]

I'm watching Watchmen 1x09 "See How They Fly" @ReginaKing @DonJohnson #TimBlakeNelson #YahyaAbdul-MateenII #AndrewHoward @jacobmingtrent1 #TomMison @SaraLVickers #DylanSchombing @LouisGossettJr #JeremyIrons @Frances_Fisher #ChristieAmery #HongChau @AdelaideClem @EdwardCrook @beingjsmart @JamesWolk

[cunninghamh2014]

The Greatest Showman Zac Efron & Zendaya - Rewrite the Stars #thegreatestshowman #zacefron #phillipcarlyle #hughjackman #ptbarnum #michellewilliams #charitybarnum #zendaya #annewheeler #rebeccaferguson #jennylind #kealasettle #samhumphrey #yahyaabdul-mateenII #ericanderson #ellisrubin #skylardunn #danieleveridge #circus #musical #movie #moviemusical #digitalart #digitalartist #art https://www.instagram.com/p/B1nmb_lBh21/?igshid=1j3mdosj1qmjt

[doomonfilm]

Review : Candyman (2021)

Nearly all 1980s children like myself had a morbid obsession with ghost stories and urban legends, with much of our free time spent daring one another to do silly things meant to scare the daylights out of one another.  For as long as I could remember these events, I remember the presence of Bloody Mary and the ominous way that she is beckoned by repeating her name while looking in a mirror.  Imagine my surprise when 1992 rolled around, and this very familiar Bloody Mary construct was reskinned into the iconic Candyman film, the tale of a former mob justice victim turned Cabrini Green boogieman.  After three films of varying success, many people thought that was it for Candyman, but along came Jordan Peele and his revelatory reveal as a master horror facilitator we’ve not seen the likes of since Rod Serling.  With the announcement that he was helping to produce a Nia DaCosta directed sequel to the first film, the anticipation was high, and even though it was delayed by COVID-19, the film recently found a release to much critical acclaim and box office success.

The immediate and permeating strength of the 2021 Candyman film is the way that it continues the ruminations on the power of myth.  The original Candyman film used its titular character as a thinly veiled piece of symbolism for gentrification, particularly in the way that White exterior curiosity and interest in the “hood” eventually drives the original inhabitants (read : Black people) out of the hood.  DaCosta updates this approach by flipping the ideas on their head, particularly in the way that the forgotten Candyman myth hangs around in the air of North Chicago as a sordid and sobering reminder of what once stood there, and the capacity for poverty, crime and despair to invade the area again.  Positioning Anthony McCoy as an artist seeking inspiration perfectly opens up the gateway to the shocking revelations we are presented with, bringing the Candyman lore full circle in a way that is satisfying to both those familiar and unfamiliar with the original Candyman film.  Using the unreliable narrator approach to retell the Helen Lyles story was a very nice touch, especially for those that know the way the events unfolded.

Like much of the media originated from or focused on the Black experience in the modern day, 2021 Candyman takes a long and hard look at generational trauma.  Placing us in the familiar location of the former Cabrini Green give us an air of familiarity for certain elements within the film, but despite how much the area has changed, the impact from the horrors that took place prior to the economical shift clearly resonate even if Candyman himself is a distant memory to the people.  Much like the N-word (which I will choose not to use, as per usual), Candyman becomes a tool that can be reclaimed, and rather than embraced, it can be wielded against those that created it by the ones it was intended to hurt.  Even the figure of Candyman goes through his own form of generational trauma as different individuals that succumb to tragedy all step into their own version of the Candyman mantle, up to and including Anthony McCoy (who has his own direct generational ties that I will not spoil).  Even the generational trauma subtext, which is presented through the story of Brianna Cartwright and her sorrowful relationship with her tortured artist father, hits in a way that can be felt and understood by everyone, and even more so by those that have lost loved ones that chose to take their own lives.

While there was symbolism present in the previous film, the dials are ramped up to eleven in this release, with the mirror and bee symbolism in particular working pitch perfectly.  From the opening titles we are made aware of the presence of mirrors within the film, and for those keen enough to keep one eye on the main action and another on any mirrors that present themselves, you are treated to a feast of visual trickery.  While bees were used as a way to put viewers off in the original film, like some sort of sick dig for sympathy by way of shock value, bees in the DaCosta film work as a harbinger of doom, specifically for Anthony McCoy, while also standing as a symbol for how deep the core connection is between McCoy and the Candyman lineage.  Chicago is always the uncredited star of any film it is in, and DaCosta beautifully covers all areas of the city while including segue cutaways where we float through the various famous streets of Chicago from the perspective of a corpse in a casket.  Speaking of perspective, it is used in masterful ways throughout the course of the film, with the Anthony McCoy sequence in Finley Stephens‘ hallway standing as the cherry on top of the perspective sundae.

We need to go ahead and give Yahya Abdul-Mateen II his flowers while he can smell them, because this man may be the most capable actor currently working in terms of effortlessly and casually showing the full spectrum of human emotion in his performances, all the while radiating off of the screen like the kind of guy you’d love to have a beer with, and the kind of friend you care deeply for when they are falling to pieces.  Teyonah Parris counters this by bringing a deeply grounded and protective energy born of trauma to her performance, carrying and conveying deep hurt in very subtle ways that bloom as we pick up with her journey.  Colman Domingo puts a new and updated twist on the familiar harbinger role, shedding the initial terror and uneasiness approach and instead opting for the wise observer approach, hooking both Anthon McCoy and us as viewers and dragging us right up to the point of payoff.  Nathan Stewart-Jarrett takes on the dual task of bringing levity to the proceedings and serving as the universal audience surrogate in terms of a voice of reason, with Kyle Kaminsky adding some very subtle additional laughs in tandem.  The physicality and pain that Michael Hargrove is able to communicate in his Candyman performance stands in stark contrast to the regal Tony Todd approach, which in many ways makes his unfortunate ghost characterization more of a psychological terror than a danger.  Vanessa Williams and Virginia Madsen reprise their original roles, while Rebecca Spence, Brian King, Cari Clemons-Hopkins and many more lend their talents to the cast. 

In all seriousness and sincerity, I love this 2021 take on Candyman even more than I expected to going in.  I’m not ready to place my bets yet, but I’m slowly working on a theory about the Candymen in this film, and specifically who is “responsible” for what actions.  I love films that I instantly want to own after seeing it in the theater, and Candyman is 100% one of those films... lucky for all of us, we should be seeing this one hitting the streaming services within 45 days or so, though I am likely to spend money on seeing this in a theater again prior to that time.

[doomonfilm]

Review : All Day and a Night (2020)

You’d think that a pandemic would have been enough to knock 2020 way down the list of memorable years, but leave it to America to continue with its national past-time, the racist and unjust treatment of minorities.  Many companies, as a response, made attempts to stand in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement, and Netflix did so by showcasing a number of films either made by Black directors or focusing on race-related issues.  Of the many films rolled out at that time, one caught my eye specifically : All Day and a Night.      

After shooting drug dealer Malcolm (Stephen Barrington) and his lady in cold blood (and in front of their daughter), aspiring rapper and street muscle Jahkor (Ashton Sanders) is facing a lifetime prison bid.  Despite many people questioning his motivations for the seemingly senseless act, Jahkor stays silent as he undergoes the trial process and prepares for prison.  Upon arrival to prison, he is reunited with his estranged father JD (Jeffery Wright), but due to their strained relationship and rocky history, not to mention Jahkor’s pressing concerns of retaliation, the reunion is timid at best.  With nothing but time in his foreseeable future, Jahkor takes a personal inventory of his life and all of the factors that led him to his current resigned fate.

All Day and a Night hones in on the ripple effect of pain in the black community, showing how the unhealthy transference of pain and frustration through violence and exploitation has become the sad, institutionalized norm rather than the exception to the rule.  As a result, many black communities serve as fodder for the pipeline to mass incarceration, as the opportunities many try to take advantage of to survive are often illegal.  With the temptations of evil on all sides, and often present for the entirety of some people’s life span, it is not an unfamiliar scenario to see short-sighted individuals living in a manner fueled by temporary gains.  Joe Robert Cole is clearly aware of all of this, and uses this reality as a way to shape his story about being trapped in a cycle… as eloquently stated in the film, he captures how “crazy (it is) to have nothing to give and want to give everything”.  It is interesting how he chooses to make Jahkor an inspiring rapper as well, specifically because he uses the vulnerability of hip-hop as a trigger for tension in the standoffish world of gangsters and drug dealers, rather than an actual manner of breaking out of the hood cycle.

In terms of themes, Cole locks in on the phenomena of generational trauma, directly displaying how the doomed lifestyle is often handed down by a mixture of nature and nurture that traces back to slavery.  The conditioning of the mind and soul that comes with nonstop exposure to violence and poverty is found in Jahkor, who starts as a young, weak and innocent boy who learns to harbor his rage and fear for the purpose of channeling it into hyper-focused violence against anyone who questions his character or threatens his livelihood and the people he loves.  Paradoxically, Jahkor also seems to have a strong set of standards, but is unable to exact them due to the savagery of the world he lives in.  The trauma of Black men fighting a war at home is displayed, and with the presence of LaMark, examined in a manner that shows how many Black men are unable to win no matter which side of the game they land on, which in turn has left an absence or inability to perform in the realms of family and community responsibilities.  The predatory nature of America from all sides is a present element in the story as well, with the film serving as a parable of how appeals to kindness and loyalty often fall on deaf ears in these areas.

The look of the film could be described as “high contrast darkness”, with rich colors attempting to emerge from the general visual muddiness that represents the world of the film.  The pacing is deliberate, still and stirring, making us wait for Jahkor to validate his actions and choices as the film rolls out his recollections of his life experiences.  The strong but subtle cinematic score punctuates the weight of the drama, and is used in place of hip-hop songs and beats used for score.  That being said, tons of Oakland culture shines through and through, including occasional songs popping up from legends connected to the city.  Most importantly, the film opts for attempting to give respect to people trapped in these bad situations, rather than glorifying the negative aspects of this struggling population while propping up trope-like heroes, antiheroes and villains.    

As previously mentioned, All Day and a Night is a film all about dramatic weight, and Ashton Sanders carries it like a seasoned professional, portraying the strain of every burden while managing to stay a vibrant on-screen presence… he likely won’t be getting any award nominations next season, but he certainly deserves them.  Jeffrey Wright and Yahya Abdul-Mateen II both get to play wonderfully against type, leaning wholly into all of the macho posturing and aggressive energy they can muster before crossing the line into satire, and maintaining beautiful harmony the entire time.  Isaiah John brings a similar intensity, but keeps the innocence of lost youth tethered to it, which results in a brooding energy with all of the potential to blow up dramatically.  Christopher Meyer brings a nobility to the table meant to offset the posturing present in the rest of the cast.  Kelly Jenrette manifests the struggles of trying to raise a family in a world of madness, channeling her pain into a sort of shielding judgement to fend off hurt, while Regina Taylor attempts to bring wisdom into a mix of reckless energy.  Supporting appearances by James Earl, Rolanda D. Bell, Andrea Lynn Elsworth, Stephen Barrington, Shakira Ja’nai Paye and Gretchen Klein round things out.

All Day and a Night wisely stays away from glorification of the hood and the lifestyle that Jahkor lives, opting instead to stand as more of a “truth of the matter” presentation of events.  While the story that is told is not a unique one, or one that is new to the world of film, it is one worth telling nonetheless, and luckily, Joe Robert Cole tells it extremely well.

[doomonfilm]

Review : The Trial of the Chicago 7 (2020)

From a very young age, the Vietnam war, and all of the events generated from its fallout, has been a major point of interest.  So much of the modern-day American cultural landscape was shaped from the friction caused between the 1950′s old-fashioned mindset and the vast array of counter-cultural voices looking for a chance at equal footing within the American diaspora.  A key flash point in these turbulent times was the Chicago Democratic Convention of 1968, where the figureheads of Richard Nixon for the Right and Hubert Humphrey from the Left presented such a bleak outlook for America at large that many groups of disenfranchised voices felt on the ground protesting and direct action was needed.  The ensuing trial read like America versus a who’s who of the aforementioned counter-cultural voices, dubbed the Chicago 7 despite an initial attempt to try 8 individuals, and with 2020 being quite the politically turbulent time in its own right, it felt an appropriate atmosphere for Aaron Sorkin to create and release The Trial of the Chicago 7. 

With the Vietnam war ramping up, an increase in the drafting of American soldiers, and a looming Presidential election that seemingly did not serve the interest of the American public at large, a key group of individuals leading and representing several different factions of the counter-culture made plans to attend the 1968 Chicago Democratic Convention with the intent to make their voices heard by America in particular, and the world at large.  A year removed from the protests and ensuing riots in Chicago, Judge Julius Hoffman (Frank Langella) prepares to hear State Attorneys Richard Schulz (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) and Tom Foran (J.C. MacKenzie) try their case against Bobby Seale (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II) and the group of defendants who would later come to be known as the Chicago 7 : Abbie Hoffman (Sacha Baron Cohen) and Jerry Rubin (Jeremy Strong) of the Yippie movement, Tom Hayden (Eddie Edmayne) of the Students for a Democratic Society (SDS), David Dellenger (John Carroll Lynch) and Rennie Davis (Alex Sharp) of the National Mobilization Committee to End the War in Vietnam (MOBE), and SDS members Lee Weiner (Noah Robbins) and Daniel Flaherty (John Friones).  The group, who are defended by Attorneys William Kunstler (Mark Rylance) and Leonard Weinglass (Ben Shenkman), find themselves facing travesty after travesty of justice, not to mention numerous outside influence, in their quest to expose the hypocrisy of the political trial they are facing.

While the storytelling found in The Trial of the Chicago 7 is vibrant and efficient in its balance of education and entertainment, it is best ingested outside the context of other Aaron Sorkin work.  This, however, is not a negative or a meant to be a slight on the film… in my opinion, the gravity of the story he is telling, and the fact that it is not only completely true, but relatively recent history, inherently yields Sorkin from applying the trademark snark that provides the snap found in his mastery of dialogue.  That being said, this film (and the spirit in which it was created) would serve as an outstanding entry point for anyone interested in 1960s counter-culture, political unrest and protests against the Vietnam war in general, and the Yippie Party, the Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) and the Black Panther Party specifically.  The foundation on which revolution is based helps ground the film, but not at the expense of weighing down entertainment.

At the risk of sounding contradictory, for all of the importance of the Chicago Democratic Convention that makes it a bit more serious than something I’d like Aaron Sorkin to handle, the trial portion of the film is actually perfectly suited for him to handle.  The dialogue may not necessarily be in the complete spirit of his trademark banter, but his panache for balance shines through in his direction of the actors with the material.  Lots of ideas are moving in concert at any given time, and each gets a moment in the spotlight without causing detriment to the others, which is very similar to the nature of the seven different real life defendants.  The behavior exhibited in the courtroom is quite often shocking, with the lion’s share of the shock originating from the judicial side of things.  In many ways, a generation was being put on trial at the time, and Sorkin clearly knows this, but he is also smart enough to know that the generation supposedly ‘on trial’ was not one harmonious voice.  Even a viewer like me, who is coming to the table with an affinity for the Black Panthers and the Yippies specifically, can respect the portrayal and stance of Tom Hayden simply because he, like everyone else in the film, is given an equal voice and a chance to humanize their side of the struggle.

Eddie Redmayne serves as the audience surrogate, with his nervous tension and sense of danger demanding attention, regardless of whom he shares the frame with… his performance is one of the more powerful I’ve seen that did not rely on dialogue, which is rare for an Aaron Sorkin affair.  Sacha Baron Cohen is allowed to do a refined and precise version of his very intelligent comedy, all while paying ode to a man that likely inspired him in turn.  His energy plays off of the aggressive awareness of Jeremy Strong, whose assured weight behind his words matches the sense of pride in the side his character has chosen.  Alex Sharp encapsulates the quiet revolutionary, with a measured release of clearly heightened awareness that is shielded by his resolve.  John Carroll Lynch takes the observational approach, choosing his words wisely and making sure that their impact is felt.  Noah Robbins and Daniel Flaherty bring supporting presence to the original seven, often espousing dressed up exposition like a tour guide for the viewer.  Yahya Abdul-Mateen II is a lightning rod of emotionally charged intelligence wielded in the hopes of freedom, with every bit of the sense of urgency that entails popping off the screen.

Mark Rylance uses a sly and cunning propped up with the confidence that experience brings, as well as the frustration that comes when one is forced to confront the absence of logic.  Ben Shenkman brings a youthful sharpness and exuberance that matches the energy of the so-called radicals that he is defending.  Joseph Gordon-Levitt makes the most of placing a good-hearted character between a rock and a hard place, sounding logical counterpoints while presenting an acceptance of fact.  Frank Langella is fabulously frustrating, wearing the trope of the outdated old-timer trope in the parallel fashion of both a badge of honor and a war trophy.  Kelvin Harrison Jr. amplifies the frustration that Abdul-Mateen II brings to the table while continuing the positively powerful portrayal of the Black Panthers.  Caitlin FitzGerald, Michael Keaton, John Doman, Wayne Duvall, Damian Young and others fill out a powerful ensemble cast.

Much like Malcolm X, a movie like The Trial of the Chicago 7 is a film whose educational aspects do not get in the way of educating people on a piece of history that is often swept under the rug.  I’ve never had aspirations of being a teacher, but if I ever end up in that role and happen to teach history, I will certainly try my best to put this film in the curriculum.  Otherwise, it can serve as a good bar-setter for whether or not someone can take in the work of Aaron Sorkin, which would make a follow-up like Molly’s Game or The Social Network easier to digest if the entry point is well-received.  

[film-book]

AMBULANCE: Yahya Abdul-Mateen II Cast in upcoming Michael Bay Film https://tinyurl.com/y7vdo67x

[doomonfilm]

Thoughts : Watchmen [HBO, Episodes 4-6] (2019)

After the initial three episodes, HBO’s immaculate continuation of Watchmen had me hooked.  Now that we’re two-thirds through the run of season one, I’m willing to say with near certainty that Watchmen is top tier original content from HBO.  With each question that is answered, we are presented with information that raises even more intriguing questions.  Full disclosure, I’ve started this blog entry prior to episode six because episodes four and five had such a strong impact on me, requiring multiple viewings and deep dives into both before I ever put eyes on what looked to be an amazing episode centered around Sister Night’s family connections.

THE STORY CONTINUED

Episode 04 : If You Don’t Like My Story, Write Your Own Sister Night breaks into the Greenwood Cultural Center moments before her van is dropped out of the sky right in front of Special Agent Laurie Blake.  In an effort to cover up her involvement with Will, Sister Night cleans her shop and chops the wheelchair into enough pieces to fit into a gym bag, but during her disposal of the bag, a mysterious masked man witnesses the drop.  Sister Night gives chase, but the mysterious man escapes into the sewer.    A quick investigation reveals that the van was likely lifted into the air by one of Lady Trieu’s (Hong Chau) flying vehicles, and the pair pay her a visit at the Millenium Clock, where the mysterious trillionaire provides the pair with requested information.  Sister Night inquires about Will’s whereabouts to Lady Trieu, who is later revealed to be in league with Will in hopes of exacting an as of yet unknown plan.  After a night of killing all of his helpers, Ozymandias begins the process of trying to escape his imprisonment after fishing new helpers out of the nearby lake and growing them.   

Episode 06 : Little Fear of Lightning Looking Glass is revealed to have been in Hoboken, New Jersey on 11/2/1985, the day that the giant squid landed on Madison Square Garden in Manhattan, killing hundreds instantly (including world famous band Pale Horse) and hundreds more in the ensuing psychic wave emitted before the squid’s death.  As a direct survivor of such a profound event, Glass leads an isolated existence, with much of his life anchored to a fascination with the squid and a fear of similar psychic waves.  This very fascination and fear leaves him vulnerable to both Special Agent Laurie Blake’s influence and the plans of the Seventh Kalvary, which in turn impacts Sister Night.  Ozymandias is revealed to be on Jupiter as he manages to get a message out to an unidentified satellite.

Episode 07 : This Extraordinary Being Shortly after discovering that Will’s pills were long-outlawed Nostalgia before admitting to covering up Will’s possible involvement in Police Chief Crawford’s death, Sister Night is arrested by Special Agent Laurie Blake.  Just before being accosted, Sister Night manages to swallow the entire contents of the bottle of Nostalgia.  Through a series of immersive memories that Angela is implanted into, we learn about young Will Reeves (Jovan Adepo), his time as a New York City cop in 1938, his connections to Captain Metropolis (Jake McDorman) and the original Minutemen, and the mysterious KKK-connected origins of a secret society known as the Cyclops.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

The Peteypedia : A weekly collection of documents relevant to the world of Watchmen, similar to the opening and closing inclusions in the original comic issues and graphic novel.

The Official Watchmen Podcast : Host Craig Mazin and showrunner Damon Lindelof discuss the HBO Watchmen series.  A new podcast episode will be released after episodes six and nine.

THOUGHTS ON THE SHOW

This show continues to be brilliant, giving us a handful of questions with each answer that is revealed, and at the end of episode 6, dropping a canon-altering bomb that re-contextualizes all that we’ve thought we previously understood about the origin of heroes in the Watchmen world.  Parallel to this, we are shown (for the first time) events in the Watchmen world that were previously only presented to us in comic form, drawing an exact and direct line between the source material and the character of Looking Glass.  The levels of easter eggs are starting to hit like the Inception storyline as new elements and old elements are folded together with ever continuing juxtaposition of an uncanny valley-esque 2019 that contains very futuristic materials sprinkled few and far between, all meant to hearken back to the latest trauma exacted upon the citizens of the Watchmen world.

Lady Trieu clearly holds extreme power in this world, and is key to the narrative, but her cards thus far have been played close to the chest.  Her connections to Will Reeves seem to be deep, but if the key information to this connection has already been presented, it was done so in secrecy.  Her logo permeates the entire series, appearing to the level of common commercial logos that we have become desensitized to in our personal experiences.  The origins of her daughter seem mysterious, and the promise she presents of a master plan has me intrigued.

We know that Adrian Veidt is stuck on Europa by someone who has yet to be revealed, and we know that his master plan is an SOS message in the form of the many versions of Mr. Phillips and Ms. Crookshanks that he has catapulted outside the barrier he is captured within.  The origins of these helpers is revealed in a way that does nothing to comfort our thirst for answers, and the nature of his captivity (as well as the identity of his jailer) is still one of the biggest unanswered questions in the series.

Tim Blake Nelson continues to put on a clinic with his performance as Looking Glass (though, to be fair, many members of the main cast are running on all cylinders in terms of performance).  His direct connection to the culminating events of the original Watchmen comic are revealed, which in turn unveils a well of information about the manner in which he lives his post-traumatic life.  For a character so deeply rooted in truth, the way that his entire worldview is shattered without one lie being told to him is as heartbreaking as it is masterful.

What is Joe Keane’s endgame in regards to his connections to the Seventh Kalvary and the intrinsic field generator that they possess?  It is hard to ignore the parallels between the Seventh Kalvary adopting the visage of Rorschach’s masked vigilantism and Keane’s legislation to turn the cops into masked vigilantes (eventually on a nationwide level), and it makes me wonder how many of them are playing both sides, if any.

After the Watchmen film chose to alter the ending, I wondered if we’d ever get to see the Giant Squid event in a visual medium.  Not only did we get to see what has now been dubbed as 11/2 in a stunning opening scene, but the way that it has been contextualized into the idea of a multi-generational trauma works very well.  I really enjoyed the allusion to Schindler’s List that was used to describe the in-world film Pale Horse, and I would love to see even just the clip mentioned in episode 5.

If episode 1 ruffled some feathers, then the internet is going to have a field day with the direct origin story given to the previously origin story-less Hooded Justice.  There has been speculation since episode 1 that Will Reeves was the true identity of the first hero in the Watchmen canon, the man who inspired the Minutemen, but going full fledged with this is a brave move.  The episode in which this information was revealed is a subtle visual effects masterpiece, and hopefully it will get recognition come seasonal awards time.

THE QUESTIONS

- Where did Cal disappear to during the White Night?  How in league is he with Special Agent Blake, who continuously brings him up to taunt Angela, and even uses him in hopes to bring Angela back from her Nostalgia overdose?  Why does he, at times, seem so cold and detached for a character that professes he doesn’t like to lie?

- Who was the man in all silver?  Is that Agent Petey?  Is this how he gathers his intelligence, does Special Agent Blake know about these exploits if so, and has he been in the background of other events in this world?

- How mad is Alan Moore going to be at the alteration of the Hooded Justice legacy and lineage?  How mad will the fandom be at the idea that the Tulsa Riots were a heavy source of inspiration to the character, as well as systematic racism within the NYPD?  Will the idea of the Cyclops and mesmerism being used as a direct cause of black on black violence nationwide be shunned as a narrative device, and will the obvious allusions to Birth of a Nation be overlooked?

- How deep is Lady Trieu involved in all of the events we have seen thus far?  How connected is she to Dr. Manhattan, if at all?

- How is time moving for Adrian Veidt in relation to time on Earth, and when/how will all of these threads connect?

[doomonfilm]

Thoughts : Watchmen [HBO, Episodes 1-3] (2019)

These days, I tend to stick to movies, as the depth allowed by a TV series draws me in so deep that my tunnel vision locks me into obsessive fandom status.  Needless to say, HBO is running a masterclass in how to develop a TV series, meaning that I find myself attracted to (and often obsessed) with their original programming.  When word hit that they were developing a series for Watchmen, my interest was piqued, as a casual movie experience with the property turned into its own deep obsession with the original graphic novel, and subsequent Before Watchmen series.  As October came to a close, the Watchmen series premiered, and in my initial opinion, it feels like HBO has another classic in the making on their hands.

THE STORY THUS FAR

Episode 01 : It’s Summer And We’re Running Out Of Ice Tulsa, Oklahoma finds itself policed by masked cops, and during a routine stop, a suspected member of the supposed white supremacist group known as the Seventh Kalvary shoots an officer.  Police Chief Judd Crawford (Don Johnson), after conferring with a Detective known as Looking Glass (Tim Blake Nelson), decides to do a deep investigation into the Seventh Kalvary, including using a handful of masked vigilantes : Sister Night (Regina King), a former cop named Angela Abar, and Red Scare (Andrew Howard).  After obtaining a tip that the group is stationed at a cattle ranch on the edge of Tulsa, the group attempts to ambush the collective, only to find themselves under heavy fire.  All members of the Seventh Kalvary on site are killed or commit suicide, and the police find a bag of lithium watch batteries, though they are unsure of their purpose.  Later that night, after a dinner with Angela and their collective families, Chief Crawford is ambushed while on his way to visit the officer in hospital.  Angela eventually receives an ominous call to come to a specific location, unmasked, where she finds Chief Crawford hung by the neck, and an old man she encountered earlier (Louis Gossett Jr.) at the base of the tree.  Meanwhile, a strange man (Jeremy Irons), accompanied by his servants Mr. Phillips (Tom Mislon) and Ms. Crookshanks (Christie Amery), spends his days in a castle on a manor, reliving an unclear past and attempting to produce a play he has titled The Watchmaker’s Son.

Episode 02 : Martial Feats Of Comanche Horsemanship The old man that Angela encountered, named Will (Gossett Jr.), takes responsibility for the death of Chief Crawford.  Angela, wary of this information, decides to stow Will away at her unopened bakery in hopes of discovering the truth behind Crawford’s death.  In the midst of interrogating Will, Angela is called to the site of Chief Crawford’s  hanging, where she appears as Sister Night to help Red Scare and Looking Glass bring Chief Crawford’s body down.  After a moment of reflection on the White Night (the event that led to Tulsa’s police force being masked) and her adoption of her slain partner’s kids, Red Scare rallies the force to head to Nixonville, home of the poor white community of Tulsa, for revenge and retribution.  Angela, however, is focused on her mystery, and after some individual detective work, she determines that Will is not only a direct survivor of the 1921 Tulsa Riots, but her grandfather.  Frustrated with her findings, she decides to arrest Will, but is thwarted by a mysterious, giant magnet that appears from the sky, taking Will away.  Meanwhile, the strange man has Mr. Phillips and Ms. Crookshanks perform his play, and in the process, Mr. Phillips is burned to death, only to reveal that multiple copies of Mr. Phillips and Ms. Crookshanks reside on the manor.

Episode 03 : She Was Killed By Space Junk Special Agent Laurie Blake (Jean Smart), after a successful sting operation to capture rogue vigilante Mister Shadow (Lee Tergesen), is assigned to the Chief Crawford case in Tulsa.  With Agent Petey (Dustin Ingram) in tow, the team heads to Tulsa to unravel the mysteries surrounding Chief Crawford’s death, and determine both who is responsible for the act and involved in the bigger conspiracy.  Special Agent Blake learns from Looking Glass that Chief Crawford is being buried without a toxicology report, so she attends the funeral to make her presence known to the Tulsa police force.  During the ceremony, a member of the Seventh Calvary infiltrates with a suicide vest in hopes of taking Senator Joe Keane (James Wolk) hostage, but his attempt is stopped by a bullet to the head courtesy of Special Agent Blake.  This shot to the head sets the suicide vest in motion, but Angela heroically drags the assailant’s body to Chief Crawford’s open grave, then dumps Chief Crawford’s casket on top of it, saving a handful of lives in the process, but destroying any further investigation of the body that Special Agent Blake had planned.  After confronting Angela during her investigation of the tomb, Special Agent Blake finds herself on a phone call that delivers messages to Dr. Manhattan, who is still residing on Mars.  After the call, Special Agent Blake looks to the sky, where to her shock, Angela’s van is dropped from the sky (sans Will).  Meanwhile, the older gentlemen is found to be taking part in mysterious experiments on the manor, much to the chagrin of the Games Warden.  After receiving a letter containing a thinly-veiled threat, the man responds, and in turn, reveals himself to be the presumed-dead Adrian Veidt.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

The Peteypedia : A weekly collection of documents relevant to the world of Watchmen, similar to the opening and closing inclusions in the original comic issues and graphic novel.

The Official Watchmen Podcast : Host Craig Mazin and showrunner Damon Lindelof discuss the HBO Watchmen series.  A new podcast episode will be released after episodes six and nine.

THOUGHTS ON THE SHOW

Three episodes may be a bit early to heap praise on something, but I am willing to go all in on the fact that this show will more than likely be an amazing journey.  Many of the elements that have seemed to cause such a polarizing divide among fan and critical communities, specifically the aspect of race in the world of 2019 Watchmen, and the connection to the graphic novel rather than the film, are elements that hit the hardest for me, and in a wholly positive way.

In the way that identity ruled the original graphic novel, race seems to be the hard to face issue that we are locked into for the HBO series.  Episodes one and two directly referenced points in African-American history that are massively painful but nearly erased from the greater American history in the form of the 1921 Tulsa Race Riots and the treatment of African-American soldiers in World War I, and both of these real world, pre-Watchmen graphic novel events inform the world that we are now presented with.  According to the aforementioned Peteypedia, direct descendants of American atrocities have been awarded in the form of tax exemption known as Redfordations (a play on reparations), which has drastically changed the economic outlook of Tulsa.  The police force, which seems to be populated by mostly minorities, is part of Senator Joe Keane’s experiment in protecting police by allowing them to wear masks, which further blurs the line between cop and criminal, as well as skewing our perception of cop and citizen relations.

On the flip side, the already muddied waters of Rorschach as an ‘anti-hero’ have been further disturbed via the Seventh Kalvary.  The way that Rorschach’s Journal has turned into a version of the Turner Diaries in this universe, as much as I loved that problematic character, is a stroke of genius.  Despite Alan Moore’s original intentions to display Rorschach as a modern-day Batman, creating his own code of ethics to justify his violent actions, he became a huge fan favorite (exponentially more so after the release of the Zack Snyder film).  Using him as the inspiration for the supposed foes in the world of the show holds the mirror up to his original nature, and how time can amplify actions without the help of having the subject to clarify them, leading to a skewed (or sometimes painfully on the nose) elevated icon status.

Speaking of our masked vigilantes and ‘heroes’, we’ve been given them in three distinct levels, to this point.  We have references and allusions to a certain group of heroes and vigilantes we are already familiar with : Hooded Justice is the focus of American Hero Story, the show within the HBO show created to give that world background on the Minutemen, and Dr. Manhattan has been shown as still residing on Mars.  As for characters we are familiar with, Andrian Veidt was finally identified formally in the third episode, and Laurie Blake (the former Silk Spectre II) has arrived in the form of a special agent.  We also have been introduced to a world of new characters : 

Sister Night, now going by her true name Angela Abar, is a former Tulsa cop, and one of the few survivors of the White Night, where the Seventh Kalvary killed most of the Tulsa police force.  She is the main character, and the one through whom the majority of the story is being told.

Looking Glass is chief inspector on the Tulsa police force, and he operates The Pod, a psychoanalytic interrogation device used by the Tulsa police to uncover plots and schemes connected to the Seventh Kalvary.

Red Scare and Pirate Jenny are two more members of the Tulsa police force that take the form of masked vigilantes.  We do not know much about either one of these characters, as of yet.

After two episodes of dancing around things, Jeremy Irons was finally revealed to be Adrian Veidt, and even donned the infamous Ozymandias costume at the end of episode three.  Little is known at this time in regards to the details of his story line, but there does seem to be an obsession with the origin of Dr. Manhattan, as well as some sort of captivity he is in that is unclear as of this time.

The references to the graphic novel are deep, vast and numerous... Nixon and Redford stand at supposed opposite ends of the political scale, the world is still dealing with the fallout of Veidt’s squid attack, technology has been stilted in some areas (such as computers and the internet) and advanced in others (such as electric cars being the standard), the United States now includes Vietnam (leading to a very cool redesign of the American flag), and the way that Tulsa police operate is completely unique in regards to their masks and their needing permission for weapons release.  Speaking of weapons, it appears that the Tulsa police are using Night Owl-based technology... possibly due to the terms of his captivity in prison?

THE QUESTIONS

There are SO MANY questions that this particular show is bringing to the table... here are a few thoughts I have in regards to my speculation and inference of the show : 

- What’s the story with Chief Crawford?  He is the one member of the Tulsa force who doesn’t wear a mask, he has a Ku Klux Klan hood in his closet, and on the night of his death, he dressed in a traditional police uniform in regards to his title and rank.  What is he hiding, and what was his death supposed to kick into action?

- What’s the story with Will?  If he’s Angela’s grandfather, who are Angela’s parents?  Who are these ‘friends in high places’ he speaks of, and how does he know so much already?  What abilities does he actually have, as he has so far managed to possibly hang a man, escaped handcuffs and pull an egg out of boiling hot water barehanded?

- What’s the story with Adrian Veidt?  Who are these clones, or whatever the beings are, that serve him?  What is he trying to build?  Where is he, where tomatoes grown on trees, and buffalo roam in large herds?  What is the significance of his play, The Watchmaker’s Son?  If he is being held captive, who is his captor, and what’s the significance of the Black Freighter flag at the edge of his boundary?

- What are the Seventh Kalvary up to?  It’s clear that they are not responsible for the death of Chief Crawford directly, but there is also clearly a connection between these two parties based on Crawford frying the escape plane, as well as the murky circumstances surrounding his suicide.  What’s the significance of the watch batteries?  What was taking Senator Keane hostage supposed to accomplish?

- What’s the story with Chief Crawford?  Is he the one who spared Angela her life during the White Night?  Was he playing multiple sides in the days leading up to his death?  

- When will Dr. Manhattan show up?  After a casual mention of an Intrinsic Field Generator being developed in Russia during episode three, is there a plan to possibly create another version of Dr. Manhattan?  Is Adrian Veidt, via his play The Watchmaker’s Son, also trying to create another Dr. Manhattan?

At this point, I believe it is best to allow another few episodes to pass, at which time I will make another Watchmen-related entry.  Hopefully, some of our questions will be answered, we will be able to go into more depth in regards to a handful of characters, maybe we can point out some easter eggs, and I can give my thoughts on the performances thus far.  That being said, Watchmen has managed to threaten The Sopranos for the top spot on my favorite show list, and there is still SOOOO much more to explore. 

[higherfeed]

Yahya Abdul-Mateen II on His Favorite Gear, 'Watchmen,' and More

As our editor discovered for our November fashion preview, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II does it all. He ran track and studied architecture in college, but then embarked on an acting career that has led him to a starring role in HBO’s new Watchmen series, which premiered on Oct. 20. Abdul-Mateen II plays  the husband of Sister Night, the central character in the series, which gives him a unique spot in the DC superhero universe. To get a little more insight into what makes him tick, we sat down with him for our lightning round of get-to-know-you questions—the MJ5. Here’s what we learned.

]] The MJ5: Climber Nims Purja on His Essential Gear, the Food He Eats on Every Expedition, and Climbing K2Abdul-Mateen II lives a somewhat nomadic existence between shoots, and every nomad needs good luggage. For him, that’s a trusty brown leather Tumi backback. The bag “travels with me everywhere,” he told Men’s Journal. Speaking of travel, Abdul-Mateen II is down to go pretty much anywhere, especially if it’s outside the U.S. He loves to travel internationally, including places like Australia, Brazil, and Ethiopia. For him, those kinds of trips are a valuable learning experience, and a chance to try new foods and meet new people.

]] But no matter where he finds himself, one cocktail is always at the top of his list: a Beautiful. This tasty, simple drink is a mix of one part Hennessy, one part Grand Marnier, and a dash of lemon juice. “It’s a good time,” he said. MJ5: Michael Strahan on His Favorite Gear, Breakfast, and No-Hangover CocktailAnd if you catch Abdul-Mateen II in the kitchen, you’re in for a treat. His go-to meal is grilled salmon with sweet potatoes and broccoli. We love a guy who cooks, but especially one who cooks healthy. So how did this architecture student turned actor and fashion icon get to where he is today? With help from a solid piece of advice: Bet on yourself. It’s clearly taken him very far, including as one of the stars in Watchmen, which he’s very excited about. “It’s a lot of talent on that show,” he said. “The entire cast is really stacked.” Check out the full interview in the video above, and don’t miss our story on Abdul-Mateen II and his retro-inspired style in our latest issue, on newsstands now. Read the full article

[darkstorm1720]

I'm watching Watchmen 1x08 "A God Walks into Abar" @ReginaKing @DonJohnson #TimBlakeNelson #YahyaAbdul-MateenII #AndrewHoward @jacobmingtrent1 #TomMison @SaraLVickers #DylanSchombing @LouisGossettJr #JeremyIrons @Frances_Fisher #ChristieAmery #HongChau @AdelaideClem @EdwardCrook @beingjsmart @JamesWolk

[darkstorm1720]

I'm watching Watchmen 1x07 "An Almost Religious Awe" @ReginaKing @DonJohnson #TimBlakeNelson #YahyaAbdul-MateenII #AndrewHoward @jacobmingtrent1 #TomMison @SaraLVickers #DylanSchombing @LouisGossettJr #JeremyIrons @Frances_Fisher