First of all, I want to thank y’all for all the shares last week, as we had our best traffic in quite some time. Let’s keep that up! Tell all your friends!
Man, some weeks there’s nothing to talk about, and then some weeks there’s a ton. This week is certainly the latter. Let’s get to it, shall we?
On the movie front, I caught a documentary called Autism In Love, which focused on 4 folks on the Autism spectrum as they try to find companionship. The youngest guy was probably about 20, and he was being hard on himself because he’d paid a woman just so he could touch her butt. Then, there was a local couple who had met at an autism conference, and the guy was trying to figure out if he wanted them to get married or not. Finally, there was an older guy who’d found love, but his wife had been diagnosed with cancer and was living in a nursing home. It was interesting because it showed that their struggles to find love are just like anyone else’s. In some cases, their condition gets in the way, but most have learned to cope and still find ways to search for happiness. You can currently watch it on the PBS Independent Lens site, so check it out if you’re so inclined.
Next up, I watched Cop Car, starring Kevin Bacon as a crooked sheriff. When 2 young boys go for a joyride in a police cruiser they find in the woods, Bacon sets out to track them down because he left a body in the trunk. It’s quite the thriller, and it moves fairly quickly. I just stumbled upon it on cable, and didn’t expect much from it, but it’s not bad at all. And the ending leaves you with questions, so watch it so we can discuss it!
On Facebook, someone in a group mentioned a UK show called Desmond’s, which ran from 1989-1994, and was set in a barbershop. The whole thing kinda fascinated me because you don’t think of Black shows when you think of Britcoms (except for the exceptional Chef!). Plus, there are only 11 articles on Wikipedia about Black Britcoms, so they certainly aren’t common. Anyway, off to YouTube I went to see if I could find any episodes to watch. I couldn’t find the pilot, but I did find the pilot of another Black Britcom called The Crouches. Premiering in 2003, it focused on a working-class Black family, where the father works as a station attendant for the London Underground. In the first episode, the son rebels because he’d asked for a pair of Reeboks, but receives a pair of knock-offs because the family’s money is tight. It’s still funny to me that you can say “shit” and flip someone off on TV in the UK in 2003, yet still can’t do that here (on broadcast TV, at least). It was definitely no Cosby Show, but if I had to come up with an American equivalent, it was probably closer to The Parent’Hood from the WB. Seeing as how there are only 12 episodes (Thank you, shortened British TV seasons!), I’d love to watch the whole series, but they don’t seem to be online anywhere.
In TV news, it was announced that WGN America has ordered a pilot based on the Vertigo series Scalped. I was a big fan of that comic during its run, and talk of a TV series has been going around for years. I was kinda hoping it would end up at a premium channel, though, as it needs that platform for the sex, violence and language. I’ve been meaning to do an Adventures West Coast review of the series, but it seems like most of my focus is on West Week Ever these days. If you’re not familiar with the series, Scalped follows Dashiell Bad Horse who’s a self-loathing Lakota who’s sent back to the reservation on an undercover mission to take down local crime boss Lincoln Red Crow. I remember not really liking the ending, but it probably won’t matter because nobody watches WGN America. They have some critically acclaimed shows (Salem, Manhattan, Underground), but I never hear anyone talk about those shows other than critics themselves. So, unfortunately, I’m not expecting big things, even though I have more invested in this than the upcoming Preacher adaptation.
In other TV news, Dos Equis has announced that they’re ending the Most Interesting Man in the World ad campaign. And how do they accomplish this? BY SENDING HIM TO MARS! I’m not even kidding. Apparently, space was awaiting him, so now I guess he’s the Most Interesting Man in the Galaxy now? I kinda wish they’d continue to make the commercials, ’cause I’d love to see him on a spaceship, just getting drunk off shitty Mexican beer. Imagine it – the commercials get worse and worse, as he gets drunker; drunken ramblings, like “I BANGED JACKIE KENNEDY WHILE MR ED WATCHED!” Apparently, the move is to attract younger customers, so I guess look for lowriders and bikinis in future ads. Anyway, stay thirsty, Most Interesting Man. Stay thirsty.
There was a lot of legal stuff going on in the world of pop culture this week. First up, Terry Bollea, AKA Hulk Hogan, is currently suing Gawker Media for releasing his sex tape. Well, he was asked if it was true that he had a 10″ penis, which resulted in him snatching down the curtain of pro wrestling. It turns out that the character, Hulk Hogan, has a 10″ penis, but the performer, Terry Bollea, does not. Yes, this came out in court. So, does this mean he was always lying about his 24″ pythons, too?!
In other legal drama, “Chumlee”, of Pawn Stars fame, was arrested this week in connection to a sexual assault investigation. Also known as Austin Russell, Chumlee’s house was raided and the cops found firearms and drugs. Chumlee’s prohibited from owning firearms, so that’s a no-no. In fact, they arrested him on NINETEEN drug charges, including possession of weed and meth. Kinda sucks, as he seemed like a sweet, though simpleminded, dude. Not surprised about the weed, but I never really pegged him for a meth head.
Two trailers came out yesterday concerning things that I love. First up, there’s The Lonely Island’s Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping. If you’re not familiar with The Lonely Island, they’re Andy Samberg’s crew – best known for their SNL Digital Shorts. Well, in this film, Samberg appears to be a Justin Bieber-esque popstar in a hilarious takedown of the pop music industry. I love everything The Lonely Island has done, from their album Incredibad to their film Hot Rod. I am ALL IN for this.
The trailer everyone was waiting for, however, was the final Captain America: Civil War trailer. If anyone was on the fence about this movie before the trailer, I thin they’re definitely chosen a side by now. It’s an exciting trailer, but I had an issue with it: I didn’t need to see Spider-Man. I know it’s to get folks jazzed about the film, and to let folks know “Yes, he’s in here”. After all, the Man on the Street isn’t as plugged into geek media as would like to believe, so I can see why his reveal might’ve been necessary for audience awareness. That said, can you imagine how huge that scene would’ve been had they held it until the film? Like @OAFE said on Twitter, I’d have been fine if we just got the “thwip” of his grabbing Cap’s shield, without getting the full shot of him. The thwip would’ve been more than enough. But here we are. I’m still #TeamIronMan all the way, and this trailer didn’t sway me from that.
Things You Might Have Missed This Week
- Actress/singer Zendaya has been cast as mysterious character “Michelle” in the Spider-Man reboot film
- Craig Robinson is joining Mr. Robot‘s second season in a recurring role
- Supergirl has been renewed for a second season on CBS
- Citing differencs with the studio on the direction the project was taking, Joseph Gordon-Levitt has left the Sandman adaptation.
- Former J. Jonah Jameson actor, JK Simmons, has been cast as Commissioner Gordon in the Justice League film
Based on Twitter reaction, you’d probably expect that the Civil War trailer had the West Week Ever. That means that you clearly didn’t see Saturday Night Live last weekend. Yeah, I know it’s “cool” to hate the show. “It hasn’t been funny since *fill in year when you were 13*.” I get it. Still, every now and then something incredible happens on there that becomes the watercooler conversation the next week. A lot of folks were sharing the Trump racism sketch, but I actually had problems with that because SNL ignored the racism allegations before asking him to host, but now that it’s happened, they want to be “hip” and “edgy”. Why not call him a racist while you were smiling in his face a few weeks back, huh? But I digress. No, THIS was the best part of last week’s SNL:
That was INCREDIBLE, as my assessment of it got me 33 Likes on Twitter:
It’s a shame that SNL can’t figure out more to do with Pharoah, but I guess they can’t rely on impressions alone. I reviewed his standup special a few months back, and he’s got so much promise. I just wish he had a better showcase for it. In any case, for that amazing riff, Jay Pharoah had the West Week Ever.
Cop Car is what got the director the job for Spider-Man. Sony and Marvel were like, “Wow. That’s good.”
Wow his Hannibal was PERFECT
I heard that this particular Most Interesting Man is retiring, but the campaign will live on with a recast MIMITW. At least that was Good Morning America’s take. Yeah I watch Good Morning America.