I’m in something of an “undisclosed location” right now, so I can’t really go into a lot of detail right now. What I can say is that I’ve been in FOUR Ubers today, and I’m just not cut out for that life. I don’t understand the etiquette and the rules. I don’t use rideshare at home, so it’s foreign to me. Plus, I’m an old man, with old man ways. I knew where I stood with cab drivers. You slam the door too hard, he doesn’t care. Not his car. But you do that in an Uber, and they’re gonna feel some type of way.
Plus, there’s the whole rating system, which I do not love. If you haven’t noticed, I don’t rate things around here. It’s hard to come up with a system that you can adhere to with fidelity. A 5-star system isn’t as straightforward as you might think. Five stars is the most “starrage” you can bestow, but do you give five when nothing goes wrong or when they do something excellent? Like, if there are no issues, you get to the correct address, and you’re alive, that’s five stars, right? Well, my first driver did that, but he didn’t get out and put my bag in the trunk. Is it a big deal? No. BUT I have had it done before. In fact, it’s pretty much always done. So, do I deduct for that, or does he still get five stars? It makes me feel like those assholes you hear about, who put the tip on the table at the beginning of the meal, and deduct money throughout the dinner for each error.
At one point today, I was in traffic with one for over an hour and a half. He did not speak to me the entire time. Now, I don’t necessarily want someone talking my ear off, but there are some things you’ve just gotta acknowledge. A simple “Some traffic, huh?” would have gone a long way, just to let me know he’s still human. Instead, I was like “This dude must be channeling his Russian military training to stay cool as a cucumber.” Plus, the traffic ain’t his fault, but my destination was basically closed once we got there. Is that five stars? I don’t think it is. However, could he have done anything to get through rush hour more quickly? Probably not. And THEY can score ME?! Based on WHAT?! I have a 4.7 right now, and I’m like “Where the Hell is the other 0.3?!” This is the stuff that keeps me up at night…
Trailer Park
Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning (May 23, 2025)
I haven’t seen one of these since probably the third one. It was never one of my favorite franchises, but looking back at 29 years (!) of a body of work, you’ve simply got to give it – and Cruise – the credit deserved. Yes, he jumped on a couch, and, yes, he worships an ancient alien, but no one – and I mean NO ONE – has been more willing to put his life on the line for his craft like Cruise. As morbid as it sounds, my only disappointment is that he didn’t die during filming, and they had to complete the movie with stand-ins and stock footage. That would be the most fitting cap to this franchise, and Cruise’s career. And this isn’t even the only role he’s known for. We often talk about the End of the Box Office Movie Star, and when it comes to the Charismatic Action Star, he’s THE LAST ONE. After him, it’s over. We can only hope he keeps ingesting goat blood or whatever it is that makes a 62 year old man look 20 years younger, and finds another franchise. Maybe he’s got 2 more Top Guns in him. But we need to savor and appreciate him while he’s still here. Once he exits stage left, all we’ll be left with is Chris Pratt and greenscreen. Looks like I’ve got some catching up to do over the next month!
The Bigfoot Club (Coming Soon)
Back in 2023, I talked about The UFO Club, which was a film created by my web pal Steven Tsapelas, and he has spent the time since working on his new film, The Bigfoot Club. I really enjoyed his first film, as it had something of a Kevin Smith vibe to it, and the characters were relatable. The main character is sort of an aimless high school senior, as his friends – and the world – are passing him by. The only real constant in his life is his interest in UFOs and the paranormal. Well, in The Bigfoot Club, our main character, Dot, is an Elder Millennial, whose world and friends passed her by years ago. While their shared interest in the paranormal is what had formed their bond, they would go their separate ways after a fateful encounter. Now, Dot lives a quiet life, lonely life, in the same apartment in which she grew up. When one of her old friends becomes a famous podcaster, and tells her listeners that she’s trying to locate Dot, her world gets turned upside down as she’s forced to confront why those friendships ended, and why she leads such an unfulfilling life.
While I walked away from The UFO Club “getting it”, I had to sit with The Bigfoot Club for a bit. I was honored that Steven shared the finished film with me, and I really enjoyed it, albeit in a different way than I did The UFO Club. I think much of the first film was on the surface, but this one is much deeper than that. It’s a movie with a lot of heart, and it really gives you a lot to think about, as far as our life choices, and the motivations behind them. I’m sure this one will make the festival rounds, but be sure to catch it as soon as you’re able!
Run The Numbers
This was a slower week, as I really only read 2 trade paperbacks. First up, was Santos Sisters Vol 1, from Fantagraphics. Where to begin with this one? So, I knew about the series because it was “the new hotness” with all the indie comix kids back in 2023. Published by Floating World Press, it was really hard to find, and #1 went to at least three printings. I wanted to see what the fuss was about, but as some folks know, I don’t do reprints. Sure, comics are meant to be read, but I still have that speculator in me that looks at them as “investments” – especially when they have a low print run. It wasn’t a book that was commonly carried by even the best stocked stores, but I eventually found the Halloween Special, and then got a good deal on a first printing of #1 online. So, imagine my frustration when it was announced that Fantagraphics would be collecting the first five issues, for roughly the same price that I paid for #1! When I saw it pop up on Hoopla, I decided to take advantage of it, so as not to spend more unnecessary money.
So, Santos Sisters is about 2 sisters, Ambar and Alana, who find a pair of magic medallions while walking along the beach. Sent by the mystical being Madame Sosostris, the medallions power up the women to become the Santos Sisters, protectors of the city of Las Brisas. As far as appearance, they wear masks and just kind of float above the ground. They don’t seem to have any other powers, and they shoot their enemies with giant, Liefeldian laser guns. The book is less X-Men, and more Archie. The characters are drawn in that Archie style, and most stories are no longer than about 4 pages. There’s no real continuity to the stories, but rather aspects that remain constant throughout: Ambar is the horny bitchy sister, while Alana is the smart, nice one. Ambar’s boyfriend Dirk is a big oaf who’s a doomsday prepper, while Alana has a crush on her friend Todd, who always has a different job at the beginning of each story (and is usually fired by the end). The sisters protect Las Brisas from villains, such as Brigette Spinner, who flies around in a ship shaped like a fidget spinner. At the end of the day, it’s a fun, light read. I don’t think it would have been worthwhile to continue collecting single issues, but as long as Fantagraphics keeps collecting them, I’ll keep reading.
The big thing I read this week, however, was Truth: Red, White & Black, which was published by Marvel Comics in 2003, and served as an influence on the Disney+ series The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. By this point, everybody knows it as “The Black Captain America Story”, but I’ll admit I hadn’t read it when it was released. I bought #1 (There’s the speculator again), but like the Red Hulk series, I’m pretty sure I got rid of it after feeling like it was a publicity stunt that wouldn’t ultimately pay off anywhere. I remember when it was announced, and folks forget that comics wasn’t always as “inclusive” a hobby as it is today. So, there was this echo chamber of white fans, who felt that saying a black man was the first Captain America would take something away from Steve Rogers. Historically, however, it’s pretty likely that’s how it would have played out, as the US Government wasn’t going to test anything out on a white man before using some perceived “lesser race” as a guinea pig. And that’s exactly what happened in this story. We’re introduced to five black soldiers, out of a group of 300, who are basically forced to participate in experimental testing. While most of the test subjects die in horrific ways, these 5 survive the procedure, albeit in a deformed manner. From these 5, we’re left with Isaiah Bradley, who’s tasked with a WWII suicide mission in order to buy time before Steve Rogers can arrive and make his debut. Upset with his government over what had been done to him and the others, Bradley steals the Captain America uniform that had been waiting for Rogers, and wears it into battle, thus making him the first to wear it. So, the story follows what happened to Bradley, but also how present-day Steve Rogers has to reconcile the fact that an entire race of soldiers suffered in order to make him who he is today.
Prior to this miniseries, I wasn’t familiar with writer Robert Morales’ work, but it appears he was a Senior Editor at Vibe Magazine for many years. He really did his research on the era, and the historical references are explained at the end of the story. At the time, I don’t think anyone really expected it to go further than the series itself, but Morales would go on to write some issues of the regular Captain America series. Apparently, this was seen as pretty much as divisive as Truth, and his run was ended prematurely. Sadly, Morales died in 2013, at the age of 55, so he wouldn’t see how his creation, Isaiah Bradley, would figure into the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
It’s a powerful story, and one that every comic fan should read. That said, it’s not without its problems. First off, there were times when I questioned the choice of Kyle Baker on the art. While his style is unique and memorable, it doesn’t really service the tone of the story when it gets darkest. It might have helped if there were two artists, with juxtaposed styles. Bendis did this a lot, when he would have Alex Maleev do the dark stuff in Alias, but any cheery flashbacks were done by Mark Bagley. Truth opens on a sunny day at the World’s Fair’s “Negro Week”, and Baker’s style is perfectly suited for this. But when Bradley starts violently ripping out the throats of Nazis, it’s a little too cartoony. Also, I question why the story even bothers to introduce the other 4 men to us. I guess it was to show that black men from all walks of life were subjected to this, but they all seem pretty one-dimensional, and are introduced merely to die. Now, had I read this when it was originally released, I guess it was meant to imply any one of them could end up as “Black Cap”, but going into it with what we all know, it’s like “Just get to the part where Isaiah puts on the suit!” Given the odd pacing of this 7-issue series, I think it would have been better served devoting more time to Bradley’s story. For example, when present-day Cap visits Bradley’s wife, she’s wearing a burqa. Where did THAT come from?! At what point did she find Islam, and how did that relate to Isaiah’s struggle?
Anyway, now I need to go back and read all of the Young Avengers stuff involving Patriot, who was Isaiah’s grandson, Elijah. We’d go on to learn that he didn’t actually inherit powers from Isaiah, but had instead been injecting himself with Mutant Growth Hormone. Given that Truth tells us Isaiah was sterilized during the procedure, and that his daughter had been born prior to him going off to war, then there wouldn’t have been any way Eli Bradley would have naturally had powers. It’s almost like Marvel was counting on the fans not to have not read Truth…
Things You Might Have Missed This Week
- Over at Marvel, Mary Jane Watson is the new Venom. Yeah. I really try to get on board with a lot of these comic gimmicks, but this one… On one hand, it could be seen as “Growth”, given MJ was terrified of the symbiote when it was bonded to Peter. But on the other hand…
- Not willing to let a good thing rest, Netflix is reportedly already starting talks surrounding Adolescence Season 2
- Taylor Sheridan’s Yellowstone prequel, 1923, ended this week with a DIVISIVE series finale. Many fans basically walked away saying that Sheridan seems to hate women and happy endings.
- “Live, from London, it’s Saturday Night!” Or something like that. Yeah, Lorne Michaels is developing a UK edition of Saturday Night Live with Sky, set to debut in 2026.
- Prada is buying Versace for a reported $1.3B, but if you’re reading this site, none of that affects you. We’re Cat & Jack folks around here!
- I’m gonna need someone to explain to me how Jojo Siwa and Mickey Rourke ended up on the UK’s Celebrity Big Brother. I’m fairly certain only one of them could be considered a “celebrity” over there, and it’s probably not the one you’re thinking.
- I just learned there’s a PC shooter game coming called Bullet Yeeters, and that might be my favorite video game name ever.
- After years of being catty bitches to one another, Elton John and Madonna reportedly buried the hatchet last weekend, when the Material Girl (What material is she made of these days?) went backstage to visit with Sir Elton after his SNL performance with Brandi Carlile.
- A Minecraft Movie broke a fuckton of box office records, so I guess we all called that one wrong!
So, I’ve mentioned it in the past, but my favorite Disney movie is A Goofy Movie. While you all were singing Hakuna Matata and stealing bread from bazaar merchants, I hitched my wagon to ol’ Goof & Max. I mean, I enjoyed the post-The Little Mermaid Disney Renaissance as much as the next guy, but those felt like spectacles. The fact that A Goofy Movie just sort of flew under the radar was more reminiscent of the Disney I grew up with. See, folks forget that Disney wasn’t always what it is now, and the 80s weren’t great for them. At that point, they pretty much had The Wonderful World of Disney and DuckTales keeping them relevant. 80s Disney was a lot like present-day Looney Tunes: A once-relevant cultural staple that wasn’t being used to its full potential. Alan Menken’s music helped The Little Mermaid become a hit, and we were off to the races. A big box office release every year. Next, we had Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, The Lion King, Pocahontas, and so on.
Sandwiched between The Lion King and Pocahontas, however, we had Goofy. Like The Rescuers Down Under, it came out during the hot streak, but doesn’t really get acknowledged with the rest of its animated siblings. I didn’t see this movie in theaters, and I think I probably only knew about it because of Disney Adventures Magazine. I don’t even remember TV spots for it, as it seemed the marketing machine was focused on Pocahontas. So, I didn’t actually sit down and watch it until it aired the day after Thanksgiving, on our UPN affiliate, in 1997. And I was immediately hooked.
First, and foremost, the selling point at the time was the music. The songs written for Powerline could have actually gotten radio airplay (and probably did over on Radio Disney and Radio AAHS). I’d argue that they’re Tevin Campbell’s best work, but I was never a huge fan of his, so I might have a lower bar.
What really did it for me, though, was that this was a continuation of something I was familiar with, being Goof Troop. Now, Goof Troop joined The Disney Afternoon in 1992, and a lot of folks had already stopped watching the block by then. The same way folks tended to give up Power Rangers after the Mighty Morphin movie, OG Disney Afternoon fans started gathering their belongings after Darkwing Duck. Still, the block would run another 5 years, though I think it peaked with Goof Troop (Go away, Gargoyles fans! We don’t want you here!). On Goof Troop, you saw Goofy as a single father, raising his teenage son Max. Meanwhile, Max and best friend PJ would get into all sorts of trouble. It wasn’t about treasure hunts or sky pirates. Just a down-to-Earth suburban toon about growing up. Think of it like an animated Boy Meets World, but before Cory got all neurotic. So, it was a show I could relate to at the time. Well, A Goofy Movie picks right up where the show left off, showing a slightly older Max, but the same theme of Goofy trying to be a good dad to his kid. Not only did I tape it off TV (it aired several times that weekend), but it’s one of the few Disney movie’s I bought on VHS, clamshell package and all.
Well, this week was the 30th (!) anniversary of the film’s release, which goes to show I’m getting old, and the classics never die. To commemorate the event, Goofy and Max voice actors Bill Farmer and Jason Marsden (though Dana Hill voiced Max on Goof Troop) reunited to celebrate the film in a special way:
I love how they say it’s a movie that you can relate to as a kid, through Max, but you can also relate to as a dad, through Goofy. I’ve experienced that myself, and it’s wild! So, in commemoration of its 30th anniversary, A Goofy Movie had the West Week Ever.
