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The Mystery of D.B. Cooper: Mythologizing Our Villains

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There really is something fascinating about true crime stories. W

From Unsolved Mysteries to Tiger King, there is something truly engaging about listening to stories that seem too wild to be true. However, in the history of mysteries, one man stands out as the biggest question mark of all. Known for his daring robbery from 10 000 feet, D.B. Cooper remains the only unsolved airplane hijacking in FBI history. 

Now, almost 50 years later, Emmy-nominated filmmaker John Dower (Thrilla in Manilla, My Scientology Movie) revives the epic enigma in his latest documentary, The Mystery of D.B. Cooper. Focusing on four primary suspects, Dower gives voice to family and friends who believe passionately that their friend or relative is the same man who hijacked a 727 flying out of Portland, OR, stole $200, 000 and four parachutes, daringly jumped out of the plan and disappeared forever.

Wisely, Dower steps back and allows the stories of his witnesses to take centre stage. With each parallel revelation and conflicting confession, the mystery grows as each testimony claims to know the truth behind the FBI’s most famous wanted man. Rather than attempt to conjure up some conclusion or lean towards any one particular voice, Dower allows each potential suspect the possibility that they are (or were) the infamous Cooper. Like the most captivating mystery stories, this one intentionally leaves more questions than answers as it leans into the many unknowns about this particular case. In D.B. Cooper, truth is relative and highly subjective to the point that it’s impossible to separate fact from fiction.

Though, perhaps the most fascinating aspect of the documentary does not even stem from the testimonials themselves but from the fact that every one of them (and many others) want to be known as the escaped criminal. Like Robin Hood or Butch and Sundance, Dower points out that the legend of DB Cooper has been mythologized within our culture as some form of folk hero. Despite the fact that he  broke the law and terrified his victims, Cooper has become celebrated for his ability to get away with his crime. (Interestingly, Dower likens this alternate view to the fact that so many struggle financially and therefore view him as one who broke free from ‘the Man’.)

In many ways, it also seems strange. After all, let’s not forget that people were actually in danger during the heist. Yet, at the same time, there seems to be something culturally cathartic about pulling off ‘the big heist’ which creates a sense of wonder around their wrongdoings. As the legend of these ‘heroes’ continues to grow, it’s fascinating to watch public opinion surrounding men like Cooper shift from angst to awe and villainy becomes heroism.

In the end, like the shadowy man himself, there’s something enthralling about The Mystery of DB Cooper. While the film offers no answers regarding his identity, those unanswered questions are entirely the point of the film. Though the crime may have taken place almost 50 years ago, John Dower prudently allows the conflicting voices that claim to know the whole story to take centre stage and, in doing so, gives even greater weight to the enigma that is D.B. Cooper.

The Mystery of DB Cooper is now playing on HBO Max. 

Strange But True: Life, Death and Nothing in Between

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When Phillip (Nick Robinson) receives a visit from Melissa (Margaret Qualley), the former girlfriend of his late-brother Ronnie, old wounds are re-opened when she claims that his brother is also the father of her unborn child. Since Ronnie’s death was over five years ago, Phillip and his mother, Charlene (Amy Ryan) are rightly enfuriated and hurt by the seemingly ridiculous scenario. Even so, Melissa’s earnestness causes Phillip to begin to question the truth of her claim and sets out on a quest to unravel the truth about her child and, potentially, spiritual realities as well.

Directed by Rowan Athale (The Revolt), Strange But True has a stellar cast and high concept that unfortunately never really settles on what type of film it wants to be. Despite featuring such incredible talents as Blythe Danner, Greg Kinnear, Amy Ryan and more, the film simply doesn’t come together. Opening with an engaging premise that the unborn child may be that of the long-deceased Ronnie, the film sets itself up as an exploration humanity’s relationship with the unknown. However, as the film progresses, Strange gradually moves away from its more complex themes and settles in as yet another generic thriller. 

Without question, the strongest aspect of the film is its interest in grappling with the nature of belief. Guilt-ridden by the death of her lost love, Melissa’s decision to approach Charlene about the child’s potential parentage seems reckless and even unkind. Nevertheless, her claims have a ripple affect within the family, especially within Phillip’s heart. A skeptic himself, the potential of supernatural birth seems absurd to Phillip yet her steadfast belief causes him to question his own understanding of the universe. As he steps out on a journey to understand the spiritual realm, Phillip recognizes that his own personal blinders may be keeping him from understanding something more. In moments such as these, Strange seems to be opening the door for deeper conversations about the space between life and death.

Nevertheless, without offering spoilers, the film is quick to shut the doors on these potentially powerful conversations, opting for the more standard approach that the ‘truth brings pain’. In doing so, Strange tries to balance two conflicting arguments. On the one hand, the film points out that holding belief is an acceptable way of life that can provide hope. However, it also argues that hope in the beyond often serves as a way to merely distract us from the horrors of reality. As a result, Strange attempts to walk the line between hope and horror but struggles to maintain its stability in the process.

Without question, the most frustrating aspect of Strange But True is that it simply feels like a wasted opportunity. Filled with a quality cast of Oscar notables and young talent, Strange has the potential to be something truly special. However, with a meandering script that settles for less, Strange misses the mark and leaves its audience with answers that leave them in the dark.

Strange But True is available on VOD now.

The Grown-Up World of the Not-so-Teen Titans

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This is not Teen Titans Go! or Young Justice, and certainly not Superfriends. This is the DC Universe if it mashed up the origin stories of the Titans were thrown into the world of Watchmen or Kickass, a world where the actual evil that created Raven or Robin or Beast Boy was played out in darker hues than the saccharine explanations offered up in animated versions. This is the new DC, a brand new issue of the DC family that proposes big questions for first and second generation superheroes alongside explosive action and theater-worthy special effects.

Before they’re an official team, the Titans are introduced slowly over several episodes, first with Rachel Roth AKA Raven (Teagan Croft) finding out that she’s more powerful than she knows and that a mysterious organization wants her, alive or dead. Her story collides with Dick Grayson AKA Robin (Brenton Thwaites), ex-sidekick to Batman-turned-Detroit police officer, and Kory Anders AKA Starfire (Anna Diop), a powerful being with serious amnesia. Pursued by the mysterious organization’s “Nuclear Family,” the three of them run into Hawk and Dove (Minka Kelly and Alan Ritchson) and Jason Todd AKA New Robin (Curran Walters), who Dick has a troubled past with, before they “rescue” Gar from the Doom Patrol, headed by Niles Caulder (Bruno Bichir). [The visual representation of the Negative Man, Elasti-Woman, and, especially, Robotman, are spectacular, putting even the likes of Gotham or Smallville to shame. No wonder, Doom Patrol already been ordered for its own spinoff season.]

There are several threads throughout the episodes that raise questions about what it means to be heroic and, on a broader scale, to determine one’s way in the world. Rachel wants to know her mother, and to understand her powers, but her origins are a blend of the innocent (her mother) and the evil (her father, Trigon). Dick wants to figure out how far a hero can go in pursuit of justice before he/she becomes a villain, and who he is apart from being Batman’s sidekick. Kory wants to know who she is and Gar wants to know … what beer tastes like. While the additional DC characters add some flavor (especially interesting are Jason Todd and Donna Troy/Wonder Girl (Conor Leslie)), the majority of development is about Rachel’s search for her mother and Dick’s search for his post-Robin career meaning.

Bombastically, even profanely, these young heroes punch, kick, stab, and throttle opponents, with the violence of a more mature show. Fans of superheroes who also dig Game of Thrones will find the balance of the pre-existing legends created by Bob Haney and Bruno Premiani, nurtured by George Perez and Marv Wolfman, and picked up by Scott Lobdell, mixed with F-bombs and blood spatter. [Hmm, maybe this is the material Zack Snyder has been looking for!] This is the world that minds like Geoff Johns and Greg Berlanti could create without the issues tied to MPAA or television ratings, unafraid to tackle tough issues like child abuse, violence, and spiritual warfare.

The beauty of the show, beyond the acting, plot, cinematography, and action (isn’t that enough?) is that violence is discussed in superhero ways unlike anything we’ve seen (with the exception of Netflix’s The Punisher or Daredevil.) Here, our heroes see a cost for what they’re choosing to do with their powers, the friction internally they feel when they put on masks. Having already chosen to use their powers for the collective good, it becomes less about “if” and more about “how,” providing more nuanced discussions than a teenage Spider-Man. They find themselves asking questions like, “Am I doing the right thing? How much force is justifiable? What is the best use of my gifts and talents?”

In a strange, Teen Titans-esque way, the show becomes a buddy road trip of sorts, where the characters must figure out who they are and how they fit, and how they might become a team. The acting complements the plot in a way that makes us care for these characters as they grow and learn to be family, even while we’re stunned by Starfire’s fire or Dick’s fighting or Raven’s… horrific spirit powers. But instead of silly campiness, this show actually tackles the real world evil of people’s greed and power-mongering, and shows us that the world will be alright because this world has … Titans.

In the Blu-ray combo pack includes all eleven episodes of the first season of DC Universe’s series plus thirteen featurettes. There’s a look at the journey of “Raven and Robin: Dark Rebirth,” the origin story of Hawk and Dove, the background of Starfire, Beast Boy, and Donna Troy, and a look at the Doom Patrol. Geoff Johns discusses Robin in “The New Robin,” while Johns and Greg Walker look at their adaptation of the comic stories to the small screen in “From Page to Screen.” And there’s an interesting view of the final episode in “Team Titan.”

Doom Patrol: Putting the Anti in Anti-Hero

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Warner Bros.’ Doom Patrol serves up strange, mangled delights that put the “anti” in anti-hero. The group was teased out of Titans, a clearly adult take on a group that’s no longer teen-affiliated, and just enough of their banter was shown to make me re-up for some more viewing.Where can you see an angry teenager with sixty-four completely different personalities, a half-robot, half-human cyborg with anger issues, a Tin Man-like former NASCAR driver with a sailor’s mouth, a woman who can’t control when she expands or shrinks, and a man who is haunted by an extraterrestrial power deep dive “down” into a donkey to save their not-so-beloved leader from the legacy of the Nazis? Why, the DC Universe of course!

“Are you the best people for the job? Hell, no! But we’re all he’s got.” — Cyborg

Niles Caulder AKA The Chief (Timothy Dalton) has “rescued” a collection of oddities, freaks, like Robotman (Brendan Fraser), Elasti-Woman (April Bowby), Crazy Jane (Diane Guerroro), and Negative Man (Matt Bomer), as well as Cyborg (Joivan Wade). They hang out together in Doom Mansion, kept alive but not really living, tortured souls isolated from the world. But when his archenemy Mr. Nobody (Alan Tudyk) causes Caulder to vanish, the not-a-team rolls into action at Cyborg’s assistance, unsure of what to do and unready to be heroic.

While Watchmen comes to mind for the violence and profanity, or the weirdness of The Umbrella Academy, Doom Patrol does super powers in a way that defies comparison. It helps that this is a hilarious show, one full of DC-inflected self-references and side barbs, of ridiculous mishaps (remember the donkey?) and witty banter. It’s narrated by the villain, nostalgically shot, and constantly poking our expectations for how heroes could and should behave. It’s developed by Supernatural, Being Human, and Frequency creator Jeremy Carver, and it’s clear that there’s a mashup of genres that defy categorization.

But don’t believe for a minute that this is simply silly or throwaway entertainment. There’s something deeper hinted at in the back stories of several of the characters, mentioned in flashbacks and in passing that builds what these characters are and can be because each of the Doom Patrol’s “gifts” actually feels like a curse, somehow tied to the issues that they experienced before receiving their powers. Robotman was a pleasure-seeking Neanderthal who now can’t feel anything physically; Elasti-Woman was an appearance-based actress who now can’t hold it all together; Negative Man was a married father engaged in a homosexual affair who now can’t get close to anyone. But can they all find “space” together? Can they create something new and powerful beyond their disparate individualism?

Several episodes into the show, I can’t wait to see what happens next. There is something universally dynamic about battling Nazis – think Captain America or Indiana Jones – mashing up the old and the new in a creative blend of awesome. The show just keeps ratcheting up what it’s meta-story will be, beyond individual episodes that entertain and amaze, drawing the audience into the an emotional desire to find resolution. I still doubt that we’ll see anything cut and dry here because what would be the fun in that? But there is sure to be an emotional payoff. Maybe in the end, we’ll see that our gifts aren’t what we choose, but we’re still responsible for using them wisely.

Pretty Bad Actress: Hollywood Gone Mad

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Written and directed by first-time filmmaker Nick Scown, Pretty Bad Actress tells the story of Gloria Green (Heather McComb), a former child star who is struggling to move past her childhood fame. When she is kidnapped by a stalker (John Hensley) and trapped with Donnie, an obsessed fan (Stephanie Hodes), Gloria’s only hope is her loyal assistant, Cheryl (Jillian Bell) who races against the clock to find her employer before it’s too late.

Based on the real-life plight of actress Theresa Saldana, Actress has also clearly been inspired by such classic Hollywood satires as Swimming with Sharks and The Player. Rather than emphasizing the potential thriller elements of the kidnapping, Scown is far more interested in exploring our cultural obsession with fame. Despite Gloria’s disappearance, agent Al (cast stand-out Danny Woodburn) is far more concerned with whether or not he can spin the story to their advantage. Although she’s one of the more authentic characters within the film, Donnie emulates Gloria’s tv persona to the point of obsession. As the film unfolds, the distance between ego and empathy continues to widen, revealing the emptiness that lies in the middle. In fact, within the film, only Cheryl recognizes the value of her employer as a person, rather than a celebrity.

Of course, the centerpiece of the film though remains Gloria. Even though she is desperate to separate herself from her early career, she finds herself constantly haunted by her own past successes. However, once she finds herself trapped with Donnie, her biggest fan, she is finally forced to confront her past. Ironically, this allows for her kidnapping to become therapeutic as she slowly realizes that her past does not need to be a burden to her future. It’s these conversations between Gloria and Donnie that serve as the emotional backbone of the piece and provide a much-needed grounding to the characters. In these moments, Gloria begins to see that even the worst moments of her career have provided some light to others in ways she had forgotten. By pulling herself back, she is able to see that she’s more than one character… but also that she owes that character a lot.

In the end, Pretty Bad Actress offers a light-hearted tone with some satirical bite. Director Scown has an interesting premise and creates characters who are interesting enough to mostly hold our attention. In a satirical look at the dark side of fame, it’s always refreshing to come face to face with hope.

 

For audio of our interview with director Nick Scown, click here.

Pretty Bad Actress is available on VOD today.

Marvel’s Jessica Jones Blu-ray: Heroic Pain Tolerance?

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NEW YORK, NY - MARCH 10: Krysten Ritter filming "Jessica Jones" on March 10, 2015 in New York City. (Photo by Steve Sands/GC Images)

Daredevil was epic.

That is, the Netflix one, not the star-crossed Ben Affleck/Jennifer Garner one. [Editor’s note: it’s better than people think, but still.]

When Marvel announced that it’s second series on Netflix would focus on little-known female superhero Jessica Jones, I wondered if they had been drinking their own Kool-aid. Sure, Guardians of the Galaxy was a surprise hit, and Paul Rudd didn’t shrink expectations as Ant-Man. But what were they going to do with a woman who was most famous for being Luke Cage’s girlfriend? And seriously, Kristen Ritter? A dramedy maybe, but a brawn-flexing She-Hulk without the green?

I was skeptical.

But by the end of the first episode, I was wildly impressed, majorly engaged, and … scared out of my mind.

While Daredevil focused on the external problems that Matt Murdock experiences as a lawyer by day and a masked–and blind–vigilante by night, Jessica Jones finds Ritter’s heroine struggling internally, mentally and emotionally. While the backstory unfolds over thirteen episodes, it’s sufficient to say that Jones has been raped in every way by Kilgrave (David Tennant, Doctor Who), whose powers of mind control are like nothing I’ve ever seen in television.

Having escaped Kilgrave’s control temporarily, Jones seeks help (begrudgingly) from her childhood best friend, Trish Walker (Rachel Taylor), whose mother exhibited a different sort of mind control as a child. She also falls into a relationship with Cage (Mike Colter), who has his own relationship to Kilgrave’s mind control – and also possesses a unique set of physical abilities. She’s begrudging of a lot – like human companionship, common courtesy, and social niceties – but she also cares for the addict down the hall (Eka Darville), even if she can’t be troubled to fix the broken window in her Alias Detective Agency office/apartment. She is however gainfully employed by Jeri Hogarth (Carrie-Ann Moss, deliciously cutthroat) to investigate various cases that require Jones’ skills and subtlety.

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Then, the effect of Kilgrave rises up at the end of the pilot when an innocent girl aptly named Hope (Erin Moriarty) is forced to commit an inexplicable crime. Like Drive or A History of Violence (or the opening episode of The Following), the violence of Jessica Jones is so shocking and sudden that it is periodically breathtaking. It’s the psychosis of Kilgrave that links all of the separate acts together, bringing a series of unrelated events together under one heading – his obsession with getting Jones back.

While the show is ripe with violence, there’s little actual physical violence between Kilgrave and Jones. Instead, the focus is left via the camera on Ritter’s face, on the way that she wrestles with the emotional and mental scars left by Kilgrave’s violation. This is the reality of internal manipulation, as the show depicts a violence that goes beyond the physical scarring of abuse. While mental and emotional abuse may not leave signs of their trauma, Jessica Jones shows how dangerous the actual impact can be on the life and soul of the victim. Instead of externally showing the struggle for Jones (which is still exampled throughout the series by the people Kilgrave hurts to get to her), the camera puts an emphasis on Ritter’s ability to display a core, internal pain.

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Jessica Jones is unique, not just because it has a female heroine (frankly, both Supergirl and Agent Carter were already there) but because it takes a superhero motif and uses it to highlight the silent battle of those in recovery from traumatic mental or emotional abuse. Instead of painting it easily one way or another, it shows that Jones’ outlets like alcohol and sex ease the pain temporarily, but don’t end the problem; at the same time, positive influences like Walker and Cage help, but Jones must make decisions on her own that will lead to closure.

One of the most striking things to me about the series was the ongoing dialogue between Jones and Kilgrave. Kilgrave’s obsession has caused Jones much pain by the time the series winds down; in fact, you might say that she’s lost everything except for her physical life. But in a pivotal scene, Jones lashes out verbally that he has caused all of this (which is true in one regard), but Kilgrave pushes back that Jones chose how she would respond.

Well, isn’t that the kicker?

While we are often beaten by life, emotionally, physically, or mentally, by things outside of our control. But how we respond is the choice we make – what we do with our pain is our way of asserting who we are and what we’re made of. For Jessica Jones, the debate is over whether or not she is a (super)hero or merely a pawn. For her own desires to be in control, to maintain her own identity and individuality, she realizes that she can’t achieve that by hiding who or what she is, or hiding what has been done to her. To achieve success, to regain her life, Jones will be forced to embrace her pain, her community, and her responsibility – it’s a well-told superhero motif, but this time, the experience of growth is more than skin deep.

Daredevil Season 2 Blu-ray: Your Moral Compass Isn’t Mass Produced

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daredevilWatching the first season of Daredevil, I had the realization that Netflix wasn’t just ‘pretending’ to deliver actual, original content. Yes, there had been shows like House of Cards and Orange is the New Black, but Daredevil was must-watch television or what I call “ignore the wife and kids”-worthy. While the second season wasn’t quite as stirring, it still proves to be better than the average show – with a heart intent on challenging how we see the world beyond that of the comic book.

The second season is driven (more slowly than the first) by the various methodologies (even theologies) of several of its main characters. Obviously, there’s a strong focus on Matt Murdock AKA Daredevil (Charlie Cox), who struggles with his decisions in the courtroom (rather apathetic) and on the city streets (with an intent to disarm but not dismember). But there’s growing discontent on both sides. In court and at the office, fellow law partner Foggy Nelson (Elden Henson) and more-than-a-pretty-face Karen Page (Deborah Ann Woll) are discontented with Murdock’s performance as well as his negligence in friendship. On the streets, Daredevil finds himself challenged by the re-emergence of Stick (Scott Glenn) and an old flame, Elektra Natchios (Elodie Yung). In both court and on the city streets, Murdock/Daredevil finds himself up against a new vigilante, Frank Castle AKA The Punisher (Jon Bernthal).

daredevilchainWhile some Marvel vehicles are content to settle for “global” or “local,” Daredevil uses New York City’s Hell Kitchen like a power hub that allows those two worlds to collide. While The Punisher and Daredevil fight localized drug dealers who impact the people closest to them, they are also drawn into a conspiracy that extends through time and space thanks to the powerful, resurrective science (or is it magic?) of The Hand. [Honestly, at this point, if you’re lost… go read some comics. Or at least watch the first season.] Thankfully, too, the second season combines serious, fist-throwing action with bigger, metaphysical conversations about what it means to be heroic, what it means to answer to a higher power, and what it means to determine what morality drives us to be who we are.

As you can see above, Daredevil finds himself in some sticky situations – not least of which involve Castle. Castle’s backstory follows a good bit of what has been his classic back story. [An ironic note here: while the back stories of Murdock and Castle seem largely unaltered, the backgrounds of Page and Elektra get some facelifts.] While Murdock dons the mask to fulfill unrequited justice in the courtroom, the Punisher’s black is taken on thanks to significant personal loss.

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Bernthal’s portrayal is just… epic. Dolph Lundgren, Thomas Jane, and Ray Stevenson are all previous Castle/Punishers. While you might have thought that Bernthal’s Shane Walsh in The Walking Dead was as good as it gets, his turn as the Punisher proves that the 1974 creation of Gerry Conway and John Romita, Sr. still has something to show us about the world today. In a world where society’s public response to evil, crime, terrorism, etc. is analyzed and dissected, there are sure to be people who find Castle’s brand of justice appealing – if not admirable.

But Daredevil isn’t The Punisher. He doesn’t believe that it’s his right to take lives – even if he’s faced with his own life and death. [Case in point, The Kingpin (Vincent D’Onofrio).] But while The Punisher is working his trouble out, Foggy Nelson is determining how to be the lawyer he knows he can be, and the press is coming after Daredevil and The Punisher… Matt Murdock’s Daredevil continues to inspire others because he’s wrestling with his own inner demons. 

Marvel's Daredevil

“Guilt can be a good thing. It’s the soul’s call to action. the only way to rectify that is to keep moving until the actions are repaired. The guilt means your actions are not yet finished.”– Matt Murdock’s priest

Matt Murdock calls Hell’s Kitchen “my city,” but he’s unclear on how to settle the issues that he sees there. Stick tells him that he’s “protecting a city that is front and center in the middle of a war and it doesn’t even know it’s going on.” Murdock is also told that “the city needs heroes but you’re not one of them,” and that he should stop thinking of himself as a martyr [“Come down off your cross and be with the people. Show that you’re human. Take off your hair shirt.”] Murdock is bruised and battered physically, but he’s also metaphysically punched in the face by his friends!

So he could choose the way of death. He could embrace the violence and murder of Stick, who will clearly kill, maim, and violate for his own ends. Yes, he sees himself as part of something bigger and more meaningful than simple loss/gain, but he’s ultimately choosing evil because it suits him. And then there’s Castle’s Punisher: he only kills the guilty, but he determines who the guilty are, and seems unconcerned by whether they are the evil he thinks they are. Neither one actually proves to present Murdock with a viable choice, as he fights forward through stairwells and hallways and prison cells toward justice.

And this doesn’t go unnoticed.

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One of the most compelling characters in the series is Karen Page. Her troubled past and more troubled future are only beginning to unfold in front of us. But she’s clearly a moral voice in the midst of this chaotic violence. [To fully get where I’m going with this, you have to see the first season.] She’s wrestling with the choices that she’s made, and the way that the various vigilantes she observes handle the evil in her city. Is Castle really evil? Is Daredevil really good? Page’s own quest to determine good and evil will lead her to this: “A hero isn’t above us. A hero isn’t a god or an idea, but here on the street with us, among us. Look in the mirror and see yourself for what you truly are.”

While Page is moved by Daredevil – after wrestling with her own conscience about how ineffectual she believes Murdock to be, her response  is not the most strong. Elektra has her own wrestling match – between Stick who ‘rules’ emphatically and decisively, and Daredevil who proceeds more cautiously, with grace. Stick wants to eradicate the evil even if they possess some element of good, while Daredevil/Murdock wants to save the glimmers of good even if the body itself lurks mostly in the shadows. In the end, her decision-making will prove to be painful and troubling; Elektra is the one who remains clouded in mystery (and poverty of script) even as the credits roll.

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Daredevil is that Catholic-tinged Christ figure. He’s blasted for his grace, derided for his mercy. He’s critiqued by friends, close enough to be family; he’s lambasted for being beyond the law. But the excellent writing, and the strength of his character, show us something about the power that a good person, a faithful one, can have on his community.

In the end, another soul, a touched life says, “I finally know what it feels like to be good. Does it always hurt this much? This is not the end.” All of these are true – and holy – even in the murk of Hell’s Kitchen, thanks to the emblem of hope, justice, and, yes, grace, who believes in who the people of Hell’s Kitchen can be.

 

Mystery Science Theater 3000: The Return – Appreciating the Good (and Bad)

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Photo by Darren Michaels, SMPSP

A large portion of my cultural knowledge came while attending graduate school. One of my classes involved watching classic films such as Crimes and Misdemeanors and The Godfather, analyzing them for their relation to aspects of the Christian faith. Friends introduced me to the Claymation short films of Nick Park one evening (specifically those involving Wallace and Gromit).  Another student in my department talked glowingly about a series called Mystery Science Theater 3000 that poked fun of horrible films.  This concept sounded interesting, so my roommate and I invited a friend over to watch Joel and the bots skewer Manos: The Hands of Fate. It was oddly fascinating to see the effect witty commentary had on one of the worst films in history (the guy we invited over actually fell off the couch from laughing so hard).  Since then, I’ve enjoyed an occasional foray into the world of MST3K.  The series ended in 1999, but devoted fans kicked in over $5 million dollars to have a new season created (currently on Netflix as Mystery Science Theater 3000: The Return).  For the most part, it’s as if the gap of seventeen years didn’t exist—and this is a great thing.

For those who are unfamiliar with the concept of MST3K (as it’s commonly known), here’s a quick primer: an unwitting human (in this case, Jonah Heston [Jonah Ray]) is forced to reside in a bone-shaped spaceship called the Satellite of Love by some mad scientists (Kinga Forrester [Felicia Day] and TV’s Son of TV’s Frank [Patton Oswalt]) as part of an experiment: How much can a person deal with when it comes to watching horrible films?  The answers are revealed as the subject and his robot friends (Cambot, Gypsy, Crow [a gold-plated wisecracker voiced by Hampton Yount], and Tom Servo [gumball machine body and all played by Baron Vaughn]) endure horrible film after horrible film, seen only as silhouettes sitting in the front row of a theater. There is some interplay between the Mads and Jonah, and that’s about it.

Strangely enough, it works.

There are definitely some changes between the old episodes and the new—Crow has movable arms; Tom Servo can fly in the movie theater; the Mads’ base is on the dark side of the moon; and the jokes come quicker.  As with the older episodes, each will take multiple viewings to pick up on different aspects of the commentary, ranging from Aeschylus and Shakespeare to Facebook and Temple Run.  You’re not going to get it all on a first viewing, so sit back and enjoy the films as best you can.

As for those films . . . MST3K has always prided itself on picking non-mainstream films to make fun of, and this season is no exception.  At this point, I’ve seen the first four episodes, so here’s what you can look forward to:

* Ep 1 – Reptilicus: It’s a Godzilla-like film that takes place in Denmark with wooden dialogue and some laughable graphics—as an example, two of the monster’s human victims look like they were excised from a flannel board.  After about 20 minutes finding their footing, Jonah and friends begin to get into a rhythm.

* Ep 2 – Cry Wilderness: Imagine a forest with wolves, eagles, raccoons, and tigers.  Add in a sunburnt, badly costumed Bigfoot and a kid who runs away every thirty seconds, and you can imagine the result.  I thought the tiger sequence involving the jeep was classic.

* Ep 3 – The Time Travelers: A bunch of scientists jump a century into the future, only to find some ugly android creations and mutants.  Danny, meanwhile, is too focused on the future women.  If I was on the Satellite of Love, I might’ve pleaded for mercy after this one.

* Ep 4 – Avalanche: Poor Rock Hudson and Mia Farrow—their chemistry is completely nonexistent (I think he’s still trying to fufill that lunch date). It’s a horrible sign when an avalanche is the most memorable character in the film.  Crow gets in a zinger while the snow falls: “Just when you thought this movie couldn’t get any whiter…”

As is typical for MST3K, some of the jokes fall flat, but others are fantastic.  Your experience will vary, of course.  The more you’ve invested in the series, the more you’ll be rewarded.  There are also cameos by famous actors sprinkled into the season (one sings a duet with Day in the fourth episode)—see if you can spot them.

One thing I’ve come to appreciate from viewing episodes of MST3K over the years is what it takes to make a good film.  There must be a convincing plot, actors and actresses willing to invest in the film emotionally, quality camerawork, and realistic sets/backgrounds.  If any one of these is not present, the movie will not work as intended (and could become fodder for a new season of MST3K, should more be created).  A beginning filmmaker would be wise to consider examples of what comprises a good film—and what doesn’t—in order to get the full perspective. If anything, God wants us to learn from our mistakes instead of repeating and perpetuating them across generations, as the Israelites often did (see Isaiah 1:10-20).  If we can do this, our lives will provide encouragement and purpose the whole world can see and appreciate.  Appreciating the bad can truly be a good thing!

Longmire – Season 4: In Pursuit of Justice

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longmire

Longmire is one of the best shows on television or, at least it was, until it was cancelled by A&E and picked up by Netflix! Now, for those who don’t stream shows, Warner Bros. and Netflix is releasing the fourth season of the hit, modern-day western about the exploits of Absaroka County sheriff Walt Longmire (Robert Taylor). With his trusty deputies, Vic Moretti (Battlestar Galactica’s Katee Sackhoff) and Ferg (Adam Bartley), Longmire hands out justice and pursues the truth, regardless of what it costs him.

In the fourth season, the team attempts to discover the truth behind a former deputy’s death, whether it be suicide or murder, while Henry Standing Bear (Lou Diamond Philips), Longmire’s best friend, takes up the role of avenging vigilante on the Native American reservation. While these two threads continue to wind together (or is it unravel?) the team is also drawn into the investigation of the rape of a Cheyenne woman by field workers – further complicated by their uneasy partnership with the reservation police chief, Mathias (Zahn McClarnon).

Grittier than its A&E version, the heart of Longmire remains the same. It’s the sheriff’s job to follow the clues, even if it costs him something – and cost him it does this season. But his pursuit of integrity is all-consuming, even from the inside out. That’s what we watch happen over these ten episodes, which leave us gasping in the cliffhanging ending. And it’s what will make you tune in later this month when Netflix debuts the fifth season of this terrific show.

A Fighting Chance – Olympic Dreams

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The Rio Olympics are around the corner. Some countries have massive programs that provide support and sponsorship for athletes in many sports. The athletes can devote a major part of their lives to their sport. The U.S. has training facilities and developmental programs that give our athletes every chance at excelling. And we always have a large number of medals. But the Olympics are not always about getting a medal. Sometimes the biggest trial is just getting there in the first place. A Fighting Chance is a short documentary that focuses on four Olympic hopefuls from nations that do not have all the advantages that the U.S. and other large countries have. Yet their dreams are just as big as those of star performer.

3. Tsepo Mathibelle_Action

The film from Morgan Neville shares some themes with his Oscar winning doc 20 Feet from Stardom, about backup singers in pop music. This film introduces us to Tsepo Mathibelle, a marathon runner from Lesotho. This will be his second Olympics. In 2012 he was the final runner to finish the race, well behind the pack, but refused to give up. We also meet Miller Pata and Linline Matauatu, a beach volleyball team from the small island nation of Vanuatu, and Yenebier Guillén Benitez, a woman boxer from the Dominican Republic. Tsepo has qualified for the Rio games, Miller and Linline, and Yenebier are still trying to qualify.

4. Yenebier Guillen Benitez_Action

All three stories deal with dreams and barriers. These are all people who come from nations without great resources. Even for Yenebier, who comes from a country with a history of boxing, it has always been about men boxers. For all of these athletes, they must do their training while working hard to help their families get by in the day to day, and even in the face of catastrophe. They all have family life that is very important to them. They all also speak of their faith that God has blessed them with their gifts and that they are conscious of God being with them as they strive to get to Rio.

3. Miller Pata & Linline Matauatu_Action

Over a million athletes worldwide train for the Olympics, but only about one percent achieve that goal. These stories are much different than much of what American and Canadian viewers will see on their TVs during the games. In some ways, people like Yenebier, Miller, Linline, and Tsepo are the best examples of the Olympic spirit. When we watch professionals in tennis or basketball this year—or even the swimmers, track stars, or gymnasts who have been carefully groomed and coached and supported by corporate sponsorship, I hope we can remember the many participants from around the world who are there because of their dreams and who have had to struggle in very different ways on the road to Rio.

This film currently is streaming for free on Vimeo, Samsung YouTube, and Amazon Prime.