My preparation for the release of Black Panther, really the preparation of all of my close friends and family, likely many of yours as well, has less to do with anticipation of what we will see on screen, and nearly everything to do with the very real fact that the film exists.
This preparation in what to wear, who to go with, how many times to see the film, who to commiserate with on social media…all stem from the very important space occupied by a film about a fictional African king and hero, from a fictional African nation, in a fictional grand comic book universe.
Black Panther, above all else, represents an opportunity for a community to experience itself as being fully realized in public. On screen. A self-contained world where the ruler, the hero, the loves, the society, the ways…all look and believe and know like they do. It is rather unique, and thus exciting, to know that Black men, women and children, will be the focus of the tale. Not sidekicks, or adjuncts. Central. Fully meaningful. Opportunities such as these are few for Black people. Anywhere in the diaspora.
Black Panther is important for the meditative space it will provide. There will be a time where many will lapse into feelings of self-love. Feelings that aren’t typically promoted in media. As a Black person, you are allowed to see all of the most flawed versions of your family, but rarely can you see a broad version of your best.
This film, once you begin to peel at its layers, is pressing Afrofuturism. A vision of a future that has a Black face, body and mind, that is felt and known in all three dimensions of much of Black life. The Dora Milaje are nurturers, warriors, partners and friends. That is precisely how much of the Black community experiences our mothers, sisters, lovers and neighbors. It houses a young man learning his way in the world, fighting outside influence…these are all stories out of the journal of Black life, anywhere. Made real. With an adventure as a backdrop.
The importance of Black Panther, its excitement, its allure, is in its most critical meaning. That it can be shared with our neighbors of all backgrounds, but it is ultimately about us. Not just one of us, being a superpowered hero somewhere in Africa, but one of us. A person. Black, and strong. Supported. Experiencing all that every other human person can.
And do understand, that is an important distinction, as our lives are often portrayed in marginalized and limited ways. While an Marvel entity, the social experience around the movement toward this film’s release feels like it is a community property. It is ours.
There will be those who will suggest, from their view, that it is simply a film. They would be having only part of the conversation. There is a history and a psychology to consider. Rarely are there opportunities for the overall Black community to see itself represented fully, unashamedly, in full view of our nation family. This will be a real live party. Two hours worth of enjoying our skin, where we typically have to survive being in it.
This film is a powerful tool as a seed. Seeing the enthusiasm, the wide eyed joy, that many are experiencing as it draws near, suggests that there will be more opportunities on grand stages for art with central Black characters and stories. Like this one, they can be told and crafted by Black creators and crafts people. It represents a simple chance to suggest to the necessary powers and thinkers that our community can be painted across all media with as wide a storytelling arc as possible. On screen, on page, wherever we are, we can be represented in all human pursuits.
Some of my neighbors in other communities will be uncomfortable with this level of celebration and pageantry. They will look to pick the film apart critically. They will opine that all of this noise for a film that won’t change anything “in the grand scheme” is unwarranted. I would respond that none of those concerns is a relevant one. Not in this moment. What matters most now is what is coming. A film about us, that we have made for us, that all of them, all of you, get to share with us. Because, do know that we have made it ours. It is a community feast, and all are invited. It is best to leave any misgivings at home.
The world outside of Wakanda will be in the backdrop, just as we all know that we will return to real life in over two hours after the film starts. Just as we know that all of the racial and supremacist, and oppressive ills of the world will be waiting, so will T’Challa and his people be ready for them. It is not so much fiction, as it is considered a music video for the kind of efforts Black people feel we must often make to face the world each day.
And there is where the connection is. The central human one. Where comics, and heroes represent a projection of us. An idealized version of us. In those pages, and on those screens are moments to escape our doubt and fear, to see someone we attach ourselves to, face the issues and falter, as we do, and name those fears, and strike at them, with it all on the line. For the human psyche, that is a kind of therapy. We all, all of us, everywhere, want for that to be us.
But in this moment, just here, with Black Panther, this is for us. It is the time for a Black man who is now king, and Black women who are powerful, and Black children to have a land of their own to name, to know that this will be us on screen. And that has so much hopeful and personal meaning. A soil we are not often allowed to plant our beliefs in. Here, we can escape to it.
And you all get to venture off with us. You are most welcome. Wipe your feet before entering and having a seat. Appreciate what you are seeing. Let us go.
Written by: Napoleon Wells
A gang of misfit kidnappers find their tiny target far more bloodthirsty than they bargained for!
So, unfortunately, the trailers gave it away and let’s be real that’s why most of us are here, the knowledge that the kidnap victim Abigail (Alisha Weir), codenamed by the would-be kidnappers appropriately as ‘tiny dancer’, is in fact, a vampire. Not a spoiler, point of fact, one of the film’s actual great selling points. And the reactions from the misfit club when faced with a real actual f*cking vampire, range hilariously from the blunt “no such thing as vampires” all the way to, “Are we talking True Blood or Twilight rules or what?” all while covered in buckets and buckets of blood.
Anyway, the gang manages to subdue and abscond with the aforementioned Abigail, in a pre-prepared duffle bag, like you do, and converge to a new location, a house oddly similar to the one she was just taken from. Welcomed and given codenames by a man who introduces himself as Lambert (Giancarlo Esposito), our misfit club is told to simply hold down the fort in this strange old house with the girl chained up in a room and one person to attend her, for twenty-four hours, and they’ll all get paid.
As inevitable as the tides, the dopey druggie Dean (Angus Cloud) is the first to die, and we’re going to give that death-style points for inspiring terror right off the bat. The very controlling Frank (Dan Stevens, holy crap yes that is the guy from FXs Legion) is also of course the most suspicious – of everyone around him, sure, but also he himself is totes sus. We don’t learn terribly much about the musclebound tank who gets dubbed Peter (Kevin Durand), he’s your pretty typical little-brains-heart-of-gold muscle-for-hire any proper gang needs, right down to the bottle problem. Sammy (Kathryn Newton), well, even for being a purported hacker-type, she has, like, reality issues. Rickles (William Catlett), he’s arguably the most dangerous among them, ex-military and yet somehow here and involved in kidnapping for a few mills. Joey (Melissa Barrera) is our Final Girl, and though she has the inevitable problems in her recent past, she seems more capable of doing the hard thing and still somehow empathizing at the end of the day. Must be her burning desire to get back with her son.
The fit hits the shan pretty quickly, and Abigail morphs from tiny dancer to tiny monster, though honestly, the way Abigail spoke the entire time in the film, if the ‘nappers had been paying close enough attention, would have been a solid clue. The performance from Alisha Weir as Abigail is incredible, as she literally dances a fine line between comedy, tragedy, and outright monstrosity. With a face full of makeup and the force of a tiny tornado to back it up, Weir brings to mind the great performances of the vampires in 30 Days of Night who saw the practicality in the need to trap their food, but also, play with it a bit first before feasting! Anything else would give away the absolute fun time that is Abigail, so you should go see it, out in theaters now!
Fans of the beloved medical comedy series Scrubs were recently treated to a thrilling surprise when John C. McGinley, who portrayed the iconic Dr. Perry Cox, dropped a photo on Twitter hinting at a potential reunion project. The image, showing McGinley alongside his former co-stars, sparked a wave of excitement and speculation among fans who have been longing for more adventures with the beloved Sacred Heart Hospital staff.
While details about the reunion project are still scarce, the mere possibility of seeing the gang back together again has sent waves of nostalgia through fans who fondly remember the show’s original run from 2001 to 2010. Scrubs was not just a sitcom; it was a heartfelt exploration of friendship, love, and the chaotic world of medicine, all wrapped up in a quirky and often hilarious package.
At the heart of the show was the bromance between JD (played by Zach Braff) and Turk (played by Donald Faison), whose antics and deep bond served as the emotional anchor for the series. Their dynamic, along with the sage wisdom (and relentless sarcasm) of Dr. Cox, provided viewers with memorable moments that have stood the test of time.
As we eagerly await more news about the Scrubs reunion project, one thing is for sure: it’s time to dust off those old DVDs, rewatch our favorite episodes, and get ready to welcome back our favorite gang of doctors, nurses, and janitors for what promises to be a memorable reunion.
But Scrubs was more than just its main characters. The supporting cast, including the eccentric Janitor (played by Neil Flynn), the neurotic Elliot (played by Sarah Chalke), and the wise-cracking nurse Carla (played by Judy Reyes), each brought their own unique flavor to the show, creating a rich tapestry of characters that fans grew to love.
While the photo shared by McGinley has fueled speculation about what the reunion project might entail, whether it’s a one-off special, a new season, or something else entirely, one thing is certain: fans are eagerly awaiting any opportunity to dive back into the world of Sacred Heart Hospital.
In an age where reboots and revivals are commonplace, Scrubs stands out as a series that has the potential to recapture the magic that made it a fan favorite in the first place. With its blend of humor, heart, and unforgettable characters, a reunion project has the opportunity to not only satisfy longtime fans but also introduce a new generation to the joys of life at Sacred Heart.
The story of the rise of Coriolanus Snow, from teenage Capital City pawn to rising Dictator of the Hunger Games!
Apparently no one out here in post-apocalyptic Panem has heard of irony and so they name their children things like Coriolanus (Tom Blyth), Tigress, and further off in Hunger Games lore, after swamp plants like Katniss. Corio’s father was a legendary general and that is pretty much the only reason young Snow and his meager family of grandmother called Grandma’am (Fionnula Flanagan) and sister Tigress (Hunter Schafer) are tolerated here in the Capital City at all.
Most of the snotty youngsters at the academy won’t let Snow forget how far his family has fallen, but he’s generally not concerned with them. What is concerning is the strong disapproval of the drugged-up Dean Casca Highbottom (Peter Dinklage) and the creepy attention of Dr. Volumnia Gaul (Viola Davis) as she lurks in the classroom sniffing out talent. The Dean feels very strongly the annual Hunger Games should end, while Gaul is violently adamant that not only do the Games continue, but that they get as much more attention as possible. And young Snow is stuck in the middle, when the yearly prize money normally awarded to the academy student with the best grades gets switched out for, you guessed it, the student that can make this years’ Hunger Games as entertaining as possible.
Whilst the students are protesting this sudden change, the annual Reaping is about to commence, and big shock and surprise, Corio’s candidate from District 12 Lucy Grey Baird (Rachel Zegler) is chosen as a Tribute. This is where the film begins to really take off on musical wings, for as it turns out, Lucy Grey can sing. Boy, can that gal sing! She can sing, she can play guitar, she can work a crowd, she can calm things down, she can fire ‘em up too! And Corio, being no dummy himself, instantly plots ways to use his Tributes amazing voice to draw attention to her, and admittedly his own, plight!
Though far too many people sneer at the idea, Corio takes his position as Mentor to his Tribute seriously enough to sneak onto the tram taking the Tributes to their habitat, which turns out to be a completely appropriate moniker, as this year the Tributes are held before the Hunger Games in a large zoo habitat so the weatherman ‘Lucky’ Flickerman (Jason Schwartzman), host of this years games, can MC the hell out of everything up close and personal!
What happens at this years Hunger Games and the subsequent consequences to both Corio and Lucy Grey is actually only half the story, and the movie. Coriolanus has always had to be opportunistic, but learning to be absolutely ruthless when necessary under the tutelage of Dr. Gaul, who basically thinks it’s always best to be merciless, is an eye-opening education indeed. Even after they’ve both been consigned to military service and his friend Sejanus Plinth (Josh Andres Rivera) decides to finally rebel, Corio and Sejanus continue to deceive each other and themselves, to accomplish their separate goals. Not even the love Corio swears he feels for Lucy Grey can save him, or them, from the adamant absolute necessity of the Hunger Games continuing. And after all that’s happened, Coriolanus Snow has gotten a terrific education in the best way to be the absolutely ruthless next Hunger Games advocate, and oh yeah, President of Panem.
The movie does itself no favors by trying to stuff not one but two major storylines and a bunch of side storylines sadly introduced and then ignored, into the film. It would have been entirely possible to turn Ballads of Songbirds and Snakes into two different movies, separated between feathers and scales if you like, and do justice to the major storylines in both. Blyth gives a fine performance as a young Coriolanus Snow, but the fact that President Snow is played by Donald Sutherland in all three of the Hunger Games films means Blyth has incredibly large shoes to fill. Rachel Zegler as Lucy Grey is absolute fire, and yes the actress did sing the songs in the film herself, including the Hunger Games franchise epic song, ‘The Hanging Tree’. Every time Lucy Grey opens her mouth and sheer soul-searing music comes out, it provides a distinct counterpoint to the soul-crushing ambition of Coriolanus Snow and further demonstrates the District and Caste separation Hunger Games is known for. And if, by the end of the film, Coriolanus Snow has come to agree that the Hunger Games must continue but perhaps under his own auspices, he has no one but himself to blame when another younger but still rebellious female blows it all up in his face!
Choose rebellion or conformity for yourself in The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes!
‘Abigail’: Bite Me Harder Tiny Dancer
Scrubs Reunion: The Band Gets Back Together
‘The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes’: Rebellion with a cause
Wondercon 2024 presents The Spiderwick Chronicles
WonderCon 2024:Day Three
WonderCon 2024:Day One
Scrubs Reunion: The Band Gets Back Together
‘Abigail’: Bite Me Harder Tiny Dancer
Wondercon 2024 presents The Spiderwick Chronicles
WonderCon 2024:Day Three
Thatsmye Interviews: Les Weiler on Henchin’: the Series
Disney Legend Andreas Deja’s Hand-Drawn animated short MUSHKA premiere
Resetting Mortal Kombat A New Beginning with Mortal Kombat 1
William Shatner: You Can Call Me Bill
The Les Files With John C McGinley
