What Are We Up To? 6/22/22

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Nobody has time to watch everything.

Unless, of course, they get paid to. Which we don’t.

That’s why you’ll find an eclectic collection of content on this site. Sometimes we’ll talk about things you’ve heard of. Sometimes we’ll talk about things you haven’t. It’s up to you whether or not you want to listen.

The only thing I can guarantee is that we’re probably never going to shut up.

Succession Season 1

A friend of mine suggested I start watching this show, and he’s not the first. You know how it is. You look at the list of things you’re already watching. You look at the list of things you’ve been told to watch. You think about how long you’ve lived, and how many years you might have left. The math doesn’t add up. So, you make compromises.

That’s how I missed Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

It’s why I didn’t get around to The Sopranos until last year.

I was such a fool.

Determined not to let this happen again, I’ve jumped on the Succession bandwagon a little late, but at least the show is still in production and none of the cast are dead or have been publicly shamed.

And boy, do I have thoughts. Look for them next week.

Everything Everywhere All At Once

I don’t know what this movie is about but the title accurately describes the last two years of my life, so it’s got my attention.

I’ve also heard rave reviews and am a big fan of Michelle Yeoh, Jamie Lee Curtis and James Hong.

My thoughts, coming soon.

Amadeus

This is just my favorite film of all time, plain and simple. It’s a glorious work of art and one of the most sublime achievements in all human history.

If you disagree I will fight you.

The Boys Season 3

Season 3 of this show has been completely insane, and in the best way. I’m not sure I have a whole lot to add to the “what if Superman was evil” conversation, so I’m not going to go into details other than to say I’m still loving it.

Showrunner Eric Kripke had said the plan is for at least five seasons, which is good.

The bad is that we’re already at the point, midway through season 3, where it’s hard to see how we can keep building tension without something big blowing up.

Homelander is out of control. The team is in disarray. Butcher’s crew is having a crisis of conscience, because Butcher himself doesn’t have a conscience.

Where can this possibly go from here? Let’s find out together.

Barry Season 3

If you’re not watching Barry, you’re just not doing it right.

What is it about?

What isn’t it about? Loss, identity, duty, regret, violence, trust, revenge, more violence, redemption, additional violence, emotional abuse, violence again and also mental health. It’s a hilarious, emotional, often shocking tour de force.

Bill Hader is a genius. Henry Winkler says this is the best work he’s ever done. If there were one show I would pound the table for it’s this one. If I had three wishes I would use them all to wish for more Barry.

Except the last wish. I would use that to wipe the whole show from my mind so I could see it again for the first time.

Snowpiercer Season 3

This is the show I loved as much as Barry, before I saw Barry.

It’s definitely the best thing on TV that’s based on a Chris Evans movie that’s based on a French graphic novel. By far, even.

Every. Single. Week. Don’t try to guess what’s going to happen. You won’t. You can’t. Imagine, once a week, a random house in your neighborhood just disappears for a few days with no explanation.

That would be less surprising than most episodes of Snowpiercer.

I’ll offer more detailed thoughts on this show as well, once season 4 drops. For now, let it be known that Snowpiercer the show takes the concept places the film wasn’t equipped to offer us. It’s dark, brutal, oppressive, moving, gutting, occasionally uplifting but primarily devastating.

If you’re not watching this show, I don’t even know what to do with you. I’ve tried to help.

The Batman

When this film was announced, I remember thinking:

“Just what the world absolutely doesn’t need. Another Batman movie.”

Don’t we have multiple Bat-Men technically in action at the same time right now? I’m not entirely sure where Matt Reeves’ film fits into all this but I unquestionably enjoyed it.

Martin Scorsese is on record claiming superhero movies “aren’t cinema”. Well, The Batman kind of goes down like one of his films, so I don’t know if that makes him super wrong, or super right.

This is a dark and gritty movie, but that’s been the deal with Batman for a long time now, and it’s the deal with almost everything made these days. What’s surprising is how much The Batman feels not unlike a 1970’s police procedural a-la The French Connection or Scorsese’s own The Departed.

I’m not saying The Batman is as good as those films. I’m saying that regardless of whether or not any other superhero movie is cinema, this one is.

Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness

Last but not least, we come to the latest entry in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and I’m not sure I’d say it’s one of the A-list characters.

Still, the first Doctor Strange was solid enough, and Benedict Cumberbatch is probably one of the few actors alive who could make this character interesting, so kudos to Marvel.

That doesn’t mean I needed more of it. Doctor Strange, like Thor and much of Marvel’s reserve bench all get their own movies but they tend to feel less like fully fleshed out solo adventures and more like connective tissue for the larger franchise events.

This film is no different, but I’ll recommend it for the following reasons:

1. It departs from the Marvel Formula. Action sequence. Exposition. B story. Action sequence. Midpoint regroup. Character death/voluntary sacrifice. Big ending. Post credits stinger. Yawn.
2. They hired a visionary director and let them do their thing
3. Bruce Campbell is in it.

Sam Raimi is allowed to make a Sam Raimi film, which not only diverts from the standard Marvel blueprint (don’t worry, the beats are all still there) but gives the movie an identity separate from the rest of the MCU.

Taika Waititi unlocked the potential of Thor by refusing to take the character seriously. Raimi might be onto something with Doctor Strange. Not sure if he’s attached to any more Marvel but considering his track record (Spider-Man 3 notwithstanding), I’m ready for more.

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