#Ant-Man III

[smokeybrandreviews]

Ant-Man and the Lazy Culture War

Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania has been released to mixed reviews, much like all of Ant-Man’s solo efforts. I haven’t seen it yet, mostly because life is in the way right now and a series of events has forced me to budget my loot pretty stringently for at least the next two weeks, but a lot of my friends have seen it. They’re all singing the thing’s praises, telling me I'm missing out on a real ride. I believe them, of course, but that’s mostly because i am an admitted Marvel shill and Jonathan Majors is letting his Kang really hang out for the first time. I hear brilliant things about The Conqueror, mostly that he’s the best thing in the goddamn movie, and I'd be lying if i said i wasn’t looking forward to seeing it for myself. That said, the Ant-Men movies aren’t ever really that pivotal to the overall narrative in an MCU saga outside of introducing a character for later. Quantumania sounds similar in that regard with a glimpse of “The Council of Kangs” in one of the post credit scenes. The reception to Quantumania is a very interesting one to me. It’s being critically panned, once of he worst review MCU films to date, but seems to be embraced by audiences. Cats are having a straight up having a blast watching this film. It’s nuts to see because this is frustrating those weirdly chauvinistic man-children who refer to the suddenly diverse MCU, as the M-She-U.

I follow a lot of these asshole on the Youtubes because i find their laughable takes to be ridiculous. That and they have legitimate scoops about projects. Mr. H reviews, The Midnight Edge, and occasionally, Yellow Flash, tend to drop a gem or two, if framed in some wildly problematic politics. I’d be lying if i said Doomcock’s coverage of all things Lucasfilm wasn’t informative but his whole “War on Pop Culture” angle is f*cking bullsh*t. Feeding the current Conservative Culture War for views is a little bit morally bankrupt but get your bread, i guess? I, obviously, do not agree with that aspect of, what i imagine, is some sort of counter-Woke movement or whatever? I’ve made it very clear what my stance of Hollywood Wokeness is over the years. Suffice it to say, i think Tinseltown has a long way to go with their diversity on screen but the concessions made thus far, feel substantial. We have a long way to go but i recognize there is effort to build a more inclusive Hollywood and that needs to be said. Which is why listening to these “Pop Culture Warriors who defend Western Culture” melting down about Ant-Man III, is so captivating to me.

This sect of fandom are those cats who hold the whitest, most penis’d, version of sh*t as unassailable. The Infinity Saga was so great because of “Straight White Leads.” Brie Larson’s Captain Marvel is a b*tch and unlikable because she dared to say “We’ve seen white dudes in movies for years and it’s time for a bit of diversity.” Hollyweird critics are bought and paid for so you shouldn’t listen to anything they say about films. It’s the audience that decides and people like Grace Randolph are the bane of Western Society. If you haven’t picked up on the code, “Western” anything means white. White and very male. Ant-Man III is currently sitting at an astonishing eight-four percent Audience Score of Rotten Tomatoes. The Hollywierd critics, of course, hate it. That rating is hovering around fifty percent but that Audience score, the ones these assholes use to “prove” She-Hulk was awful and the Snyderverse is genius, is fantastically positive. People love Quantumania, regardless of the black villain, female co-leads, and female legacy replacement. Ant-Man III is peak M-She-U and Audiences, their metric for relevance, are eating this sh*t up! It’s f*cking wild to see, especially the cope.

Like, these assholes have, for years, bet their entire argument on Audience participation. That we, the public, vote with our dollars and our attention. Disney doesn’t know what the Audience wants and the M-She-U is trash because of it it. Straight White Male heroes area dying breed and that means ‘Western Culture” is being persecuted. But then Disney drops Quantumania and people love it to the tune of 118 million, the best opening of the Ant-Man franchise to date. This dude’s films are inconsequential, street-level romps, that flirt with the greater MCU narrative at large. They never do this well because they’re not built to do this well and yet, here we are. Why do you think that is? Maybe it’s the things that people are saying they love about this film, mostly Kang (played by a black man in Jonathan Majors) and Paul Rudd. It’s wild to see these talking heads who, admittedly have solid scoops most of the time, fuel their bank accounts by proliferating Culture War nonsense, seek to tear down Quantumania’s success by honing in on the sh*t the actual Hollyweird critics they hate so much, ding the movie for.

Bad effects. Mojo looks like sh*t. Everything is hollow green screen. The story, itself, is pedestrian at best. Marvel Studios is sh*t to their effects artists and you need to be mad at the crunch. All of these things are very valid criticisms which makes modern Marvel kind of sh*t. These films are formulaic and they do feel like production line entries. Those are facts. Those are things which have been a problem for a while in the MCU, particularly the Effects Artist thing. That said, where the f*ck is your M-She-U argument? Where the f*ck is your “forced diversity” argument? Whee the f*ck is any of the culture war nonsense you spews in light of the actual Audience enjoying Ant-Man III, even though it’s arguably one of the worst MCU entries to date? Maybe your entire outrage culture is manufactured for clicks? Maybe your entire arguments is based on racist, sexist, bullsh*t? Look, whether we like it or not, these assholes sometimes have a point. Kathleen Kennedy absolutely ruined Star Wars. She did. That’s a fact. The MCU has been on a quality decline since Endgame but that sh*t was always going to be a hard act to follow. Indiana Jones V sounded awful and wildly disrespectful to a legitimate icon of cinema and I'm glad they decided to change basically he entire film. These cats were right to call for a boycott of Aquabro II over the inclusion of Amber Heard. A broken clock is correct twice a day but not this time. Not with Quantumania and i am getting so fat on this rich ass schadenfreude.

[blackroseberry22]

Jonathan Majors

Photograph by Clifford Prince King

follow @jslimmajors for more!

[blackmensuited]

[fictionz]

Correct me if I'm wrong but is Jonathan Majors the first person to show up in three trailers before a single theater release?

[insanityclause]

[smudgemark]

Lawd Jesus, be still my heart! Jonathan Majors for the February 2023 issue of Ebony Magazine. Photography by Keith Major. The way Ebony just blessed us for Valentine's Day 𝗮𝗻𝗱 Black History Month...........bravo!

[antvnger]

((The nanotech is fun and makes sense fot Ant-Man but I feel like it’s overused, and I do miss practical effects. But my favorite Iron Man suit up is the helicopter from Civil War.))

((I understand what you mean about the nanotech, Anon.

And yes! That suit up is so cool. I really like that one a lot. But honestly? Nothing beats the Mark III suit up with that rocking theme by Ramin Djawadi playing in the background and Tony stares into the camera before the helmet snaps into place.

Chills every time.))

[creativedifferencespodcast]

On today’s episode of the pod, we’ve got D&D! We’ve got superheroes! We’ve got…hornier superheroes! Is Kang everything we hoped he’d be? Is the new Harley Quinn special as problematic as its name suggests? And what did Demi pick in her fantasy version of One Gotta Go? Hit play and find out!

You can also find us on Spotify and Apple Podcasts!

[misterjt]

It is impossible not to notice that despite being the evil of all evils in the MCU, Majors has the look, build, and charisma of a superhero. His muscular frame has recently been seen in Ebony and the trailer for “Creed III.” Could he soon see himself on the other side of the fight in a superhero movie? A Black Superman movie written by Ta-Nehisi Coates is still reportedly in development at DC Studios. Would Majors ever consider putting an “S” on his chest?

—David Betancourt on the MCU's latest Big Bad as portrayed by Jonathan Majors

[screen1ne]

Watch All The Superbowl 2023 Movie Trailers

Watch every Superbowl 2023 trailer and big game spot from Fast X and The Flash to Indiana Jones and Transformers here. #SuperbowlLVII #MovieTrailers #FastX #TheFlash #IndianaJones #ScreamVI #CreedIII

The Flash, Fast X, Guardians Of The Galaxy 3, Indiana Jones & The Dial Of Destiny trailer and more Screen One Superbowl Trailer image Every year the Superbowl brings us a plethora of new movie trailers and spots for us to feast our eyes on. This year has been no different from Indiana Jones to The Flash and Transformers, the Superbowl has once again delivered. So without further ado, watch…

[filmhoundsmag]

2023 Movie Preview

(more…)

[whoworewhatjewels]

Who Wore What Jewels Weekly

Who Wore What Jewels Weekly

We’re rounding up the best jewels of the week. From Michael B. Jordan doubling up on the Tiffany & Co. Schlumberger “Bird On A Rock” brooches to Pamela Anderson’s very sweet WWD princess moment courtesy of her Fred Leighton vintage diamond tiara to Kim Kardashian’s very appropriate heart-shaped diamond necklace she wore to her SKIMS V-day pop-up. Scroll down to see who wore what jewels and vote…

[blackmensuited]

[crowdvscritic]

round up // FEBRUARY + MARCH 23

February and March are strange months for a film enthusiast. One part of you is excited to start seeing new, star-studded studio movies on the big screen: 80 for Brady! Ant-Man and the Wasp! Cocaine Bear! Creed! But it’s also when the previous year’s films are wrapping their season with the final hurrah of a new, star-studded Oscars. In the case of Everything Everywhere All at Once, it means we spent a full year discussing and dissecting this year’s Best Picture winner! Much of this Round Up is dedicated to 2023 releases, though as always, you can find throwbacks to ‘30s, ’80s, and ‘00s flicks I missed till now, plus a few other media forms such as stage and page (as always, in a rough order of when I experienced them). But before we start building 2023’s Best Of lists, make sure you don’t miss these highlights from this year’s Oscars, which was a mostly refreshing return to (non-slappy) form: 

Hugh Grant on the Red Champagne Carpet - Sometimes people refuse to play the game, and the result is glorious (Kudos to Ashley Graham for keeping her composure!)

Jimmy Kimmel’s monologue - While he’s not afraid to take some shots, he actually seems to be rooting for the movies and the Oscars to succeed, which is not something I can say for the last year’s trio of hosts

Ke Huy Quan wins Best Supporting Actor - Perhaps the best speech of the night

Jamie Lee Curtis wins Best Supporting Actress - If not him, then it’s this one

Navalny wins Best Documentary - If you want to get political in your acceptance, please refer to this well-executed speech

Jenny the Donkey from The Banshees of Inisherin!

A performance of “Naatu Naatu” from RRR - If you want to perform at the Oscars, please refer to this well-executed one from the RRR crew

Lady Gaga performs “Hold My Hand” - The gal never misses in finding new ways to innovate on her performances

Michelle Yeoh wins for Best Actress - Best Actress and best-dressed of the night

Now on to the Best of 2023 so far!

February + March Crowd-Pleasers

1. Cookies: The New Classics by Jesse Szewczyk (2021)

A co-worker gifted me this for Christmas, and not one recipe has been a dud yet. The book categorizes 100 creative cookie and cookie-adjacent recipes into Boozy, Chocolatey, Fruity, Nutty, Savory, Smoky, Spiced, and Tart chapters so you can find just what you want for each season. Many of them are not-too-difficult, and the photography is both beautiful and actually similar to what comes out of my oven. My favorite recipes so far include Berry Blast Marbled Sugar Cookies, Chewy Triple-Spiced Sugar Cookies, Chipotle Fudge Squares with Crunchy Raw Sugar, Chocolate Chunk Oatmeal Cookie Bars, Lavender Chocolate Chunk Cookies, and Salt-and-Vinegar Potato Chip Cookies. 

2. 80 for Brady (2023)

Together the 5 leads have won 5 Oscars, 12 Emmys, 2 Grammys, 3 Tonys, and 7 Super Bowl rings, so even though the script is a corny underdog story about people who have not been underdogs in ages, 80 for Brady a feel-good winner. Read my full review for ZekeFilm. 

3. Double Feature - ‘80s Comedies: Fletch (1985) + Troop Beverly Hills (1989)

In Fletch (Crowd: 9/10 // Critic: 8/10), Chevy Chase works as an undercover reporter who gets caught up in a conspiracy so complex and silly I couldn’t do it justice here. In Troop Beverly Hills (8.5/10 // 7/10), Shelley Long works as a troop leader for a knockoff Girl Scout Troop who gets up in cookie selling schemes so creative and silly I couldn’t do it justice here either. More fun from the best decade for Hollywood comedies!

4. Enough (2002)

A subgenre I’ve yet to tire of: thrillers about abused women getting the last word. (See also: Double Jeopardy with Ashley Judd and Sleeping With the Enemy with Julia Roberts.) Perhaps it was because my entire thought process in watching this was, “It’s on Netflix, why not?” but J. Lo’s take on the subgenre brought enough clever twists and empowering moments to become a surprising success. Crowd: 9/10 // Critic: 7/10

5. Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania (2023)

The third Ant-Man reminds us Paul Rudd is one of the funniest actors alive and it’s kicking off Phase 5 of the MCU with the momentum missing from Phase 4. Read the triple-shot review I wrote with two other critics at ZekeFilm. Crowd: 8/10 // Critic: 7/10

6. Cocaine Bear (2023)

Cocaine Bear lives up to what you’d expect from its title, and like some of the most fun hits of the ‘80s and ‘90s, it’s all-in on the silly, one-note premise with no desire for sequels, spin-offs, or universes. Read my full review for ZekeFilm.  Crowd: 8.5/10 // Critic: 6.5/10

7. M3GAN (2023)

I consider horror about creepy dolls off-limits, but M3GAN is hardly horror, and its doll is so over-the-top she’s hilarious. There’s a little bit of thoughtful commentary about our dependence on technology, but mostly it’s an excuse for pure entertainment. Crowd: 8.5/10 // Critic: 7/10

8. John Wick: Chapter 4 (2023)

I’ve always been cool on John Wick. In fact, I turned off the first one in the middle when I first tried it almost a decade ago because its violence felt gratuitous. But fourth time’s a charm? Maybe it’s because of its visual flair or perhaps it’s because it feels like director Chad Stahelski and Keanu Reeves were going for broke, but this nearly-three hour epic won me over. The movie it most reminded me of? Singin’ in the Rain of all things. The fight choreography is as inventive and athletic as “Moses Supposes,” turning the action thriller into an art form. Crowd: 8.5/10 // Critic: 7.5/10

9. Your Place or Mine (2023)

Corny? Formulaic? Yes and yes. But Aline Brosh McKenna’s directorial debut delivers charm in spades, meaning it more than exceeds the Netflix rom-com average threshold (a low bar to be sure). Contrary to the buzz, Ashton Kutcher and Reese Witherspoon make believable BFFs and a couple to root for. Crowd: 8.5/10 // Critic: 6.5/10

10. The Golden Girls (1985-92)

Every day I get closer to my true, spiritual age of 83, and after the silliness of 80 for Brady, I decided it was time to binge the silly-but-slightly-more-caustic The Golden Girls. Blanche, Dorothy, Rose, and Sophia’s jokes and adventures in their Miami bungalow remind me of my days rooming with my college besties, and it gives me hope that one day I’ll get to experience something as joyful, messy, intimate, and, yes, silly as their friendship all over again.

February + March Critic Picks

1. HRH: So Many Thoughts on Royal Style by Elizabeth Holmes (2020)

In September, I shared my appreciation for Elizabeth Holmes’s fashion and culture commentary in the wake of another Elizabeth’s passing. I received her coffee table-worthy book for Christmas, and her insight into how the Queen, Princess Diana, and at-time-of-publication Duchesses Kate and Meghan use their wardrobes to speak for causes and for themselves doesn’t disappoint. They have all become style icons not just because of their titles but because of their sartorial choices, and Holmes helps pinpoint why and how alongside a robust and beautiful collection of photography.

2. Triple Feature - Classic Screwball Rom-Coms: Libeled Lady (1936) + The Mad Miss Manton (1938) + The Palm Beach Story (1942)

In Libeled Lady (Crowd: 8.5/10 // Critic: 9/10), Jean Harlow, Myrna Loy, William Powell, and Spencer Tracy get mixed up in a love quadrangle when a socialite threatens to sue the paper for libel. In The Mad Miss Manton (8/10 // 8.5/10), Barbara Stanwyck and Henry Fonda team up (against their wills) in proto-Legally Blonde style to solve a murder. And in The Palm Beach Story (8/10 // 8.5/10), Claudette Colbert and Joel McCrea plan to divorce so they can marry wealthier people. Don’t worry—in spite of all the mixups and shenanigans, everybody ends up with just the right person in all three of these comedies.

3. Creed III (2023)

In the middle, I found myself thinking, “This is what Hollywood entertainment for adults should be!” Yes, there’s a place for 80 for Brady, Ant-Man, and Cocaine Bear, but Creed builds its stakes on character instead of gimmicks or elevator pitches. Read the full review I tag teamed with fellow ZekeFilm writer Erik Yates.  Crowd: 9/10 // Critic: 9/10

4. To Kill a Mockingbird National Tour

Perhaps the highest praise possible for this show came from my TKAM-devotee mother: She has some nitpicks about the changes Aaron Sorkin made on Harper Lee’s novel, but she liked this better than her Broadway viewing. Since I am closer to a devotee of Sorkin than Lee, I found most of the updates thoughtful and fresh for a text that saturates our culture.

5. The Parallax View (1974)

A political thriller in the frame of a journalist uncovering a conspiracy? Hmm…Alan J. Pakula really has my number. Crowd: 8.5/10 // Critic: 9/10

6. Boston Strangler (2023)

Speaking of journalism thrillers, I’m not into true crime, but Queen Keira makes me to step outside my comfort zone. In her most exciting part in years, Knightley plays a reporter investigating a series of homicides at a third-rate Boston newspaper. She and Carrie Coon team up against workplace sexism and the strangler himself to get the truth out. It’s a real homage to Zodiac, but a solid one at that. Crowd: 8.5/10 // Critic: 8/10

7. A Good Person (2023) 

If Garden State was Gen X coping with the reality that the American Dream couldn’t protect them from the pain their parents avoided in a pre-9/11 world, A Good Person is Millennials and Gen Z realizing the American Dream has betrayed them. Read my full review for ZekeFilm. Crowd: 7.5/10 // Critic: 8.5/10

8. Captain Blood (1935)

I had no idea when I fired up this Errol Flynn/Olivia de Havilland adventure it’s basically a prototype for Pirates of the Caribbean—what a treat! How do the action, sets, and special effects look better than most adventure films today? Crowd: 7.5/10 // Critic: 8.5/10

9. Australia (2008)

And now I have watched all of Baz Luhrmann’s lush, extravagant, colorful canon. In prep for the Faraway Downs miniseries he is making with never-before-seen footage from this shoot, I finally checked out the Hugh Jackman/Nicole Kidman World War II epic. As usual for Baz, it’s a little shaggy, but it’s also part of what I love about him. Every movie feels like a realized vision of texture and emotion, and Australia is no exception. Crowd: 8.5/10 // Critic: 8.5/10

10. John Mayer Solo

Come for the heartbreaking tunes and stay for Mayer’s delightfully awkward banter between songs. At our show he performed a retrospective of his career on guitar on piano and debuted a new song. While I enjoy a razzle-dazzle show, he’s proof you don’t need to rely on gimmicks in an arena.

Also in February + March…

In preparation for the Oscars, I reviewed Best Picture nominee Triangle of Sadness (which I had previously recommended in my last Round Up, which is why it’s not listed above). Like Best Picture winner Parasite, part of the fun of Triangle of Sadness is its surprises, but if you want to get a preview, you can read my review for ZekeFilm. 

Kyla and I also checked out the 1977 Best Picture nom The Turning Point, a ballet melodrama starring Anne Bancroft, Mikhail Baryshnikov, and Shirley MacLaine in ep. 136. And in ep. 135, we watched classic TV medical shows Marcus Welby, M.D. and ER.  

Photo credits: Cookies, HRH, To Kill a Mockingbird. John Mayer my own. All others IMDb.com.

[graphicpolicy]

Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves rolls a natural 20 to win the weekend box office

Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves rolls a natural 20 to win the weekend box office #movies #DnD #HonorAmongThieves

If you had asked us when it was announced if Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves would be a success, we’d have told you no way. But, it looks like the rollout for the film was a huge success as it was the top of the weekend box office nearing projections. In the month leading up to the film, there were numerous early screenings showing a belief in the film and the want of word to mouth would…