Category Archives: Zeitgeist Movement

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ugu Mbatha-Raw is, she says, having the time of my life. In the past few years, the acclaimed actor has starred in Marvel show Loki, glossy thrillers on BBC One and Apple TV+ and is filming a heist movie for Netflix with Kevin Hart. It feels like a great place to be, she says. Keeping all the plates spinning.

When we talk over Zoom, it is about Surface, the Apple TV+ drama released in the UK today. In it she plays Sophie, who, at the start, has suffered a traumatic head injury that has left her with memory loss. As she tries to piece her life back together, she is forced to question who she actually was and the real motives of those closest to her.

Surface feels like a project that is so layered. I love the tone of it, the noir element of it, Mbatha-Raw says. I read the pilot and thought the quality of the writing was amazing, Veronica Wests script was so good, so mysterious it totally drew me in, the idea of Sophie and going straight into her brain.

The show filmed in Vancouver and San Francisco at the height of Covids Delta variant, with a strong British contingent in the cast and crew. These included her onscreen husband Oliver Jackson-Cohen, Millie Brady from The Last Kingdom and Marianne Jean-Baptiste as well as director Sam Miller, who co-directed I May Destroy You. This was our whole social existence. It was a very special time for bonding.

Gugu Mbatha-Raw attends the 65th Evening Standard Theatre Awards in association with Michael Kors at the London Coliseum

The actor has a reputation for being bright and breezy, and as an interviewee she doesnt disappoint, frequently breaking into laughter during the conversation. So why is she drawn to such complex characters in dark dramas who face themes of manipulation and coercive control such as Surfaces Sophie and Jane in The Girl Before, the BBC drama screened at the turn of the year? I dont know, its just human nature as an actor, she says. I love meaty roles, complex characters, I love psychology and human relationships.

Such work doesnt tend to affect her off set Im very aware its an art form and its pretend and she enjoys grappling with the darker side of humanity as I find that satisfying as my natural energy is much lighter and brighter. So there is a balance to be found in getting to go to the deeper, darker places for work.

Surface reunites her with Reece Witherspoon for the third time after the film A Wrinkle in Time and The Morning Show on AppleTV+, though this time the Hollywood star is solely producing rather than performing as well.

And Mbatha-Raw says a large part of Surfaces draw was working with Witherspoons company Hello Sunshine I loved the fact they make such female-centred stories and are all about empowering women for the project she he came on board as an executive producer for the first time as well to be part of the team pitching the show to Apple.

She adds, Reece has been such as champion of this show, and obviously Ive been so inspired by what shes done with her career and company. It was always great to have her support and inspiration.

Mbatha-Raws performance in the first season of The Morning Show made many sit up, with her character Hannah going through a devastating journey, facing predatory behaviour and coercion at work, then a subsequent cover-up and eventual tragedy.

There was something about the nature of the story, around MeToo and specifically abuse of power in the workplace and predatory behaviour that was very much in the zeitgeist at the time, so it was really satisfying to work on, she says. The nature of the role, however, did take its toll. She says she is deliberate about letting go of projects, but after the show aired there was a huge response from viewers who saw themselves in Hannah.

Its important to put it out there and have the conversation around the work, and its gratifying that people were really moved by that storyline and felt impacted by it almost as a healing process, to see a story like that outside of yourself and in the safe space of a TV show.

Less dark was filming a show that followed, the comic fantasy Loki, another project in America with a lot of Brits we get everywhere. These included Tom Hiddleston, a classmate at her drama school RADA, Sophia Di Martino, Wunmi Mosaku another RADA graduate as well as director Kate Herron, whose CV includes Sex Education.

In Loki

We filmed the first season in 2020. It was hard to separate the experience from the onset of the pandemic and how weird the world was at the time, she says. It was a surreal time to be doing anything, but it was comforting to be working with Brits and former RADA buddies, when we were all so far away from home in the apocalypse essentially, she laughs.

Mbatha-Raw grew up in Oxfordshire, and wanted to be an actor ever since playing Dorothy in a school production of The Wizard of Oz aged 11. After graduating from drama school, she was cast in a series of stage and screen roles including in episodes of Doctor Who, and then as Ophelia opposite Jude Laws Hamlet, which went from the West End to Broadway. At the time, its director Michael Grandage called her one of the most remarkable actresses around.

But it was the film Belle that brought her to wider prominence. The true story of Dido Elizabeth Belle, the illegitimate daughter of a British aristocrat and an enslaved African woman, raised by her uncle William Murray, 1st Earl of Mansfield, in Kenwood House in the 18th century, won Mbatha-Raw acclaim and a string of awards.

Its very close to my heart, she says now, almost a decade on. I feel very grateful for that experience, it was my first lead in a film, it gave me so many opportunities, and just a really special story I had wanted to tell for a long time.

Back on stage two years after Belle, she played Nell Gwynn in Jessica Swales riotous production of the same name at Shakespeares Globe. Every show felt like a rock concert, she says. People were on their feet and theyre so vocal, and you can feel the wind and the rain. Its a very empowering space for an actor. You can see the audience. Its not like a typical theatre when the house lights go down.

She continues, I would love to go back on the stage well see if something comes along that is exciting to do and the right timing. A lot of that is to do with schedules especially with TV shows that can take up to six months of the year, before adding, I love theatre, its my first love and Id love to do more.

Her dream is to play Cleopatra on stage or screen. Ive been dying to play her since I was 17, I just needed to glean the life experience to make it believable. The Shakespeare version or a different interpretation, that would be really interesting. Who knows Im putting it out there. Next up, however is Lift, which involved four months of filming in Belfast ever the nomad, Mbatha-Raw says a movie about a gold bullion heist on a plane.

Despite her affable demeanour, Mbatha-Raw has not been afraid to speak out when necessary. In 2020, during the Black Lives Matter movement, she was one of the signatories on an open letter addressing the lack of diversity in UK film and TV and demanding the industry tackle systemic racism.

With Stephan James in Surface

So has anything changed? Its always very hard to speak for the industry at large, she says after considering the question. I can only speak for myself. For me personally being associate producer on The Girl Before and executive producer on Surface has definitely opened up doors for me to be behind the scenes, having a seat at the table at those producer conversations and being able to shape projects from the inside. Thats a definite personal development, and has been really positive.

The plight of refugees is another issue she feels strongly about and has supported the UN Refugee Agency since 2018, becoming a Goodwill Ambassador for the organisation last year. Through this, she had visited refugees and livelihood projects in Rwanda and Uganda.

Like the UNHCR, she disagrees with the UK governments policy of sending refugees to Rwanda. I it feels to me quite heartless, she says. I feel, like UNHCR, that asylum is a human right and people should be able to seek asylum wherever they end up. I was very disappointed by that measure. I hope it ends.

Surface is on AppleTV+ from today

Originally posted here:

Gugu Mbatha-Raw on Apple TV+ show Surface, her dream role and why she likes to dig into the darkness at work - Evening Standard

Back in the early 90s, two scruffy London punks with a drum machine named Jim Bob and Fruitbat became the most unlikely pop stars in the United Kingdom. They sat atop the UK album chart and were booked to headline Glastonbury, the world's biggest music festival - but they also attacked children's television presenters and were banned by the BBC. Unsurprisingly, by the time they got to Glasto itself, things didn't quite go to plan.

Formed in 1987 when Les Fruitbat Carter and James Jim Bob Morrison were the only members of their band, Jamie Wednesday, to turn up to a gig at Londons Astoria and were forced to perform as a duo, Carter USMs rise to indie prominence was swift. The band's second single, the slum-landlord baiting Sheriff Fatman, reached number 23 on the UK chart, and marked the band out as a unique proposition. The punk energy of the pair's guitars and Jim Bobs sneering delivery of sarcastic, hard-left-leaning and distinctly British lyrics were offset by the HI-NRG electronic drum and bass throb of their drum machine loops.

It was a potent mix, and with dance music and indie culture beginning to coalesce in the late 80s, so Carter felt like an intriguing bridge between two worlds. Their appeal grew enough for debut album 1001 Damnations to crack the UK top 30 in 1989, before the band signed to Rough Trade Records and headlined Londons prestigious Brixton Academy.

Carter were now looked at as major players in the British music scene. Before grunge and Britpop, and with the like of The Smiths and The Stone Roses either split or inactive, a new style of danceable guitar music, christened 'grebo' in the music press, felt like a genuine, homegrown alternative movement.

There were successful bands there`; The Wonderstuff, Pop Will Eat Itself, Neds Atomic Dustbin, Jim Bob told Louder Than War in 2016. Bands that were in the charts; some were big in America but they dont get mentioned, which is a bit weird.

1991 was a landmark year for the band; the release of their career-best second album 30 Something reached number 8 on the UK album chart, with the album's second single, Bloodsport For All, an attack on the racist and bullying culture prevalent in the military, banned by the BBC after the start of the Gulf War conflict. Carter then appeared second from the top of the main stage at Reading Festival that August, before a notorious television appearance at the 1991 Smash Hits Poll Winners Party on the 26th of October turned them into a national concern.

It was weird enough that Carter were asked to perform at the event, the clear sore thumbs alongside shiny pop stars like Jason Donovan, Danni Minogue, Vanilla Ice and Roxette. Keen to leave a lasting impression, though, at the end of their performance of After The Watershed, Fruitbat threw his guitar down and kicked over both sets of the band's Marshall stacks, to which awards presenter Phillip Schofield mockingly declared: Blimey, that was original... pushing back the frontiers of music, otherwise known as Carter!

Not a great idea, Phil.

On the day, he was very annoying, Fruitbat shrugged years later. So annoyed was the guitarist that he rushed back onto the stage and rugby-tackled the future This Morning host and national treasure to the ground live on TV, leading to a television ban for the band.

We were very drunk, Jim Bob would later tell webzine Shiiine On. Wed been waiting around all day. We felt like we were betraying our roots. Fruitbat got carried away.

It may have roughed up a clearly rattled Schofield, but it seemed to do wonders for Carters profile, as ticket sales for their tour soared. The proof of how far the band had come came in May 1992 when their third record, 1992 The Love Album, entered the UK album chart at number one. From being forced to play as half a band in 1987 to the very top of the charts and confirmed pop star status only five years later, it was a phenomenal achievement.

It would lead to an offer from Glastonbury founder Michael Eavis for the band to close the Pyramid Stage on the Friday of the 1992 festival. It was a strong bill, including the likes of folk-rock favourites The Levellers, New York art-punk legends Television and the Pixies-associated The Breeders. It should have been the crowning moment of glory for Carter, but instead it proved to be a disaster.

By the time it came to our set we were [cut] 20 minutes short, Fruitbat told Kent Online in 2020. `When you headline a festival you plan it down to the nth second, so we lost a load of songs and were really disappointed.

If that wasnt bad enough, the short set meant that the band's planned promotional stunt was also lost.

I cant remember whose idea it was to fire 5000 foam tennis balls with the name of our new single, Do Re Me So Far So Good into the audience, Jim Bob said to The Arts Desk after their set. But it must have seemed like a good one at the time. We had these huge cannons loaded with foam balls either side of the stage; when we played Do Re Me... as an encore the cannons would do their thing. Unfortunately, we were asked to cut our set short...you can still buy them on eBay!

The situation was not something that Carter took very well. With the set cut short, it was decided that Fruitbat would go on after and explain what had happened, apologise for the short set and thank everyone for coming to see them.

Instead, Jim Bob said, Fruitbat slagged off pretty much everything about Glastonbury and dropped the mic. More backstage arguments followed, including a visit to the dressing room from a livid Michael Eavis, and we were asked to leave the site.

I just had a blazing row with Mr Eavis, Fruitbat told Kent Online. Shouted at him, swore at him, I think I probably grabbed him by the collar. And then he just said Right, that's it. Youre banned from Glastonbury forever. we even got it in writing later on.

Fruitbat insisted, however, there was more to his reaction than just Carters performance being shut down.

It was the year that Glastonbury stopped letting the travellers in for free, he says. And being a semi-hippie myself I was really upset about it, because they were a very important part of the festival. With the two things combined, I just got very cross.

Carter would never get the chance to make up for their Glastonbury debacle - not at Glasto or any other major festival. When grunge began dominating column inches in the music press, they were somewhat marginalised, and by the time Britpop became an obsession in the mid-90s, they were long forgotten.

We were kind of finished by Britpop, Jim Bob shrugged to Louder Than War. Iin the words of Noel Gallagher, wed Never been so over... or something. He was probably right. By that point we were already sort of self-destructing.

By 1998 the band had gone from having a number one album to sixth and final release I Blame the Government only just making it into the top 100 on the UK album chart. They split soon after.

So unlikely a story was it all that it sounds like a tall tale these days, and unlike so many of their 90s peers and contemporaries, there doesnt appear to be much in the way of a cultural re-evaluation by a new generation for Carter the Unstoppable Sex Machine. It's a shame, because going back to Sheriff Fatman, The Only Living Boy in New Cross, Second to Last Will and Testament or any of their other big hitters reveal a band talking about themes and issues within society that are still relevant and pertinent today, and doing so with an idiosyncratic British style and humour. By never really being part of the zeitgeist, Carter USM manage to avoid sounding dated.

It seems theres a certain bit of musical history that doesnt exist, mused Jim Bob to Louder Than War when asked about Carters legacy. On BBC4 you get documentaries on Joy Division, The Smiths, then its Acid House and then Nirvana and then Oasis vs. Blur... and theres a jump. Maybe it doesnt fit the narrative?

Whatever the narrative, lets set the record straight: Carter USM remain Glastonbury's great forgotten headliner - and they deserve your attention.

See the original post:

Attacking TV presenters, ruining Glastonbury and being banned by the BBC: how Carter USM became Britain's unlikeliest chart-toppers - Louder

Beyonce makes history winning 28 Grammys in 2021, more that any female or male performer. Photo / Getty Images

OPINION:

The Great Resignation has got a new, unexpected icon: Beyonc.

In her latest single, Break My Soul, Queen Bey is sort of, maybe, kind of suggesting that people should quit their jobs, leaning into the Great Resignation movement that has been sweeping the globe.

"And I just quit my job / I'm gonna find new drive / Damn they work me so damn hard / Work by nine / Then off past five / And they work my nerves / That's why I cannot sleep at night," she sings.

The song then includes a vocal sample from Big Freedia's 2014 song "Explode":

"Release ya anger, release ya mind / Release ya job, release the time / Release ya trade, release the stress / Release the love, forget the rest."

(Which is all well and good unless you can get your landlord on board with it - otherwise, forget releasing your anger, at least during business hours).

Time is moving at an uncomfortable speed and we are now centuries away from March this year, when we had Kim Kardashian telling us that the problem is that no one wants to work these days. We've since gone from that to Beyonc telling us not to work so forgive us for feeling a bit of emotional whiplash.

Beyonc's song isn't really, truly, about quitting your job, as much as it is about quitting jobs you are not passionate about in favour of pursuing your passions. With that, it is definitely an anthem to freedom - she's "lookin' for motivation" and a "new foundation", something a lot of workers, burnt out and exhausted from keeping a job while coping with a pandemic, can relate to.

Some people, it appears, have taken the lyrics quite literally. Buzzfeed interviewed one person who, after listening to the song, decided she would not show up for her job the following day - or any of the days after. Instead, this Starbucks barista, taking the song as a flashing neon sign from the universe, has decided to pursue her theatre dreams. Another worker they spoke to says the song was part of the inspiration for him to quit his office job and focus on his passion as an illustrator.

Freelance network Fiverr made use of the single release to call on people to resign their full-time jobs.

"Beyonc wants us to quit our jobs and make a living on our own terms. You heard the woman," they wrote on Twitter.

An economist quoted by CNBC in the US says that the song is proof that the Great Resignation has "seeped into the zeitgeist".

Beyonce's track "is one instance of a broader public awareness or discussion about people quitting their jobs, which is reflective of what's happening in the labour market and society," Nick Bunker, an economist at job site Indeed, told CNBC.

In the US alone, more than 47 million people voluntarily left their jobs last year - and the trend is showing no signs of slowing down.

The Great Resignation "tidal wave" is also said to have reached New Zealand.

New data shows between April 1, 2021, and March 31, 2022, nationwide staff turnover in New Zealand increased to 58.2 per cent, up 10 per cent from 2020 to 2021.

"Those numbers really do show the 'Great Resignation' as a tidal wave has crashed on the shores of Aotearoa," Jarrod Haar, Professor of Human Resource Management at AUT, told the Herald last month.

"That's a decent snapshot. That's half the workforce churning over."

It looks like, in reality, Beyonc is just singing about what's already happening.

Sure, it's pretty rich to have an actual millionaire suggesting we should just quit our jobs - but it would be silly to dismiss Beyonc's influence on the very generation that is driving the global trend.

That said, a lot of us will have to settle for turning up the volume really loud as we blast the song on our way to work on Monday morning.

More here:

The Great Resignation: How Beyonc became the anti-work movement queen we didn't know we needed - New Zealand Herald

Justice Clarence Thomas once said, It takes a person with a mission to succeed.

The Supreme Courts opinion in Dobbs v. Jackson Womens Health Organization is not just the culmination of nearly 50 years of hard work by the pro-life movement its also a testament to the American experiment. At a time when trust in our institutions is low and some question whether our system of government itself is broken, this decision reaffirms that the American experiment is a government of the people, by the people, for the people.

For too long, Supreme Court justices have legislated from the bench, succumbing to their political and personal biases instead of interpreting and defending our Constitution. Roe v. Wade represented the zeitgeist of judicial activism.

The Dobbs majority opinion is an incredible step forward in restoring the courts intended purpose of interpreting and defending the Constitution. In the majority opinion, Justice Samuel Alito wrote that Roes constitutional analysis was far outside the bounds of any reasonable interpretation of the various constitutional provisions to which is vaguely pointed.

Because the Constitution does not prohibit citizens from each state from regulating or outlawing abortion, the right to abortion never existed. Roe was not only wrong in its understanding of the Constitution, but it was also an abuse of judicial authority. This is an opinion that honest pro-abortion constitutional experts have recognized, including the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg.

Our system of government is composed of three co-equal branches. It is the job of the legislature to write laws, the executive to uphold and enforce laws, and the judiciary to interpret laws. Because the Supreme Court ruled that the Constitution does not grant any right to abortion, the 10th Amendment leaves it up to states to make laws regarding the protection of life.

Dobbs is not just a monumental step forward for human rights in the United States. It is also a restoration of federalism.

Instead of spouting absurd accusations of an illegitimate high court, those who claim to defend the republic and the constitutional order should be encouraged by this decision. Our system still works. Dobbs is the product of the people organizing and using our constitutionally created system of government to seek change. For half a century, members of the pro-life movement worked within Americas system of governance by electing officials who wouldnt nominate judges who legislated from the bench.

Millions with a mission have marched, lobbied representatives, and prayed for the end of Roe.

As an elected official, I have and will continue to work to protect the rights of our most vulnerable: the unborn. Throughout my years of serving Florida and my country, I have introduced and voted for bills that protect unborn children, our most vulnerable, and opposed taxpayers funds from being used to support abortions.

While serving in the Florida legislature, I helped create Florida KidCare, which provides low-income children with access to healthcare services, and started Healthy Families Florida, a program proven to help at-risk families create safe, stable, and nurturing homes. In Congress, I have advocated and supported policies and programs to equip new parents to provide loving health environments for their children. I have urged presidents, federal agency leaders, and others to defend life, protect the unborn, and advocate other pro-life priorities.

By using the systems of government to bring real change, those standing up for human life have not only brought about the greatest step forward in protecting human rights in the U.S., but they have also brought about the restoration of the Supreme Court. The Dobbs decision is definitive proof that the promises of this great American experiment, kindled by our forefathers 246 years ago, remain today.

Daniel Webster represents Florida's 11th Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives.

See original here:

Dobbs is a win for the American experiment - Washington Examiner

Heres our review for Thor: Love and Thunder, which opens in theaters nationwide on Friday, July 8

By Damon Martin Editor/Lead Writer

When Taika Waititi dropped Thor: Ragnarok back in 2017, audiences were understandably pessimistic about what could expected after the first two Thor movies failed to really break through the Marvel Cinematic Universe zeitgeist.

In fact, Thors appearance in The Avengers movie was far more beloved than either of the solo films before it with both the first film and Thor: The Dark World near the bottom of the list in terms of all time ratings for MCU movies.

But Waititi changed everything with Thor: Ragnarok, which was a wholly different take on the character as he injected a ton of humor and heart into his story that also involved some rather bleak moments including the death of Odin and Thors famous hammer Mjolnir being shattered into pieces not to mention having his eye gouged out. The film was praised for the perfect balance between action, story and comedy with Waititi quickly becoming one of the most sought out directors in Hollywood.

Fast forward five years and Waititi is back with Thor: Love and Thunder a follow up to Ragnarok but more importantly the first Thor film in a post Avengers: Endgame world where many of the original Avengers are gone. Chris Evans, Robert Downey Jr. and Scarlett Johansson have all said goodbye to the Marvel films, which leaves Chris Hemsworth as the only original cast member from the 2012 blockbuster to still be around who had solo films out during that phase of the MCU (both Jeremy Renner and Mark Ruffalo are also still present in the current MCU but neither have had standalone movies before or after The Avengers was released).

Expectations were definitely high as Waititi, Hemsworth and company returned for a fourth film in the Thor franchise but sadly, Thor: Love and Thunder fails to deliver with the same kind of punch or punchline as previous film. Despite an all-star cast coming back along with some notable newcomers including Christian Bale, the latest sequel starring Thor feels more like a superhero parody than a movie that will anchor the next phase of Marvel films.

With that said, lets get to our full review for Thor: Love and Thunder

In the aftermath of Avengers: Endgame, Thor left Earth with the Guardians of the Galaxy and thats essentially where we find him when this movie picks up except hes grown far more despondent as a God amongst men, jumping in to save the day when things get a little bit too dicey for his new friends. After losing his father and his brother this film doesnt acknowledge theres another Loki somewhere in the multiverse Thor is starting to feel kind of lonely despite being surrounded by the Guardians and his old pal Korg, who came along for the ride as well.

Thats when he gets a distress call from his old friend Sif, who has been attacked by a creature called Gorr, who has vowed to kill all gods after his own family was ravaged on a desolate planet when the deity he prayed to never answered until it was already too late and then the god mocked him for his misery.

Wielding the powerful Necrosword, Gorr can actually slay the gods and hes already killed several when Thor gets the call from Sif. To make matters even weirder, when Thor returns to Earth to meet up with his friends at New Asgard he discovers that his ex-girlfriend, Dr. Jane Foster, has reforged Mjolnir and taken up the mantle as The Mighty Thor, which gives him a whole lot more questions than answers.

In many ways, the script and story are really the biggest issues with Thor: Love and Thunder and by extension that gives the actors less to work with during the performances.

Its great to see Natalie Portman back as Dr. Jane Foster along with Loki, she was arguably the best part of those early Thor movies but her story still feels somewhat disjointed and rushed. Tessa Thompson is fantastic as King Valkyrie but again shes just not given enough room to work, which is a shame after she made such an impact in Thor: Ragnarok as well as Avengers: Endgame.

As for Hemsworth, hes somehow managed to add even more muscle onto his frame because this version of Thor is apparently going to audition to become The Mountain on Game of Thrones when the movie is finished. Physicality aside, Hemsworth spends far more time in this film attempting to be funny that its actually exhausting by the time the film is finished.

Thankfully, Christian Bale does the heavy lifting when it comes to performances because his Gorr The God Butcher is definitely one of the most compelling villains in recent MCU history. He carries a real sadness behind his eyes thanks to the tragedies hes endured but Bale also expresses rage and anger in a seething matter than makes him look like a perfect foil to the gods.

This film could have used a lot more Gorr and a lot less Thor as it turns out because the script is just mired it bad quips, slap-stick jokes and just barely any real storytelling thats actually worth following. The plot is razor thin yet somehow stretched out including a middle section of the movie that just feels out of place in a sad attempt to duplicate the fun had with Jeff Goldblum in the previous Thor movie.

This time that role falls to Russell Crowe, who is an incredible actor, but its clear with this film that maybe comedy just isnt his thing.

The direction from Waititi isnt anything unexpected but it feels like he really leaned into the over the top, cartoon like effects from the last Thor movie and then injected all of that with an unhealthy dose of steroids. This movie feels like one giant Skittles bag exploded and Waititi really, really wants everybody to taste all the flavors.

The comedy in this film is just overwhelming.

With Thor: Ragnarok, it was a perfect blend of humor mixed with action, adventure and still plenty of story to propel the plot forward with every scene. This time around, Waititi abandoned the good story and just really put all of his emphasis on making the audience laugh and there are definitely some hilarious moments but this movie feels more like a Scary Movie parody of a superhero film than an actual entry into the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Even the dour moments when Christian Bale or Natalie Portman are given time to work feels completely overshadowed by the constant injection of jokes.

As someone who loved Thor: Ragnarok, this film somehow only took the funny moments from that movie and then left everything else on the cutting room floor.

Thor: Love and Thunder is just disappointing, especially when compared to the previous Thor film, which stands as one of the best MCU movies of all time. Waititis ability to blend humor with a really heartfelt or heartbreaking story see JoJo Rabbit as a perfect example is perhaps his best talent but somehow he just decided to just turn this movie into a full blown superhero comedy, which in the end doesnt work.

Thor: Love and Thunder gets a 2 out of 5 on the Skolnick Scale.

See more here:

'Thor: Love and Thunder' Review: A Sequel Heavy on Humor That Almost Feels Like a Superhero Parody - Nerdcore Movement

In recent years, the influence of political ideologies based on social justice and antiracism has extended far beyond academe to other professions, including law, finance, and medicine. One of the most insightful observers of radical and nonscientific theories disturbing influence on healthcare and medical training is Dr. Stanley Goldfarb, a former Professor and Associate Dean for Curriculum at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine.

In his new book, Take Two Aspirin and Call Me by My Pronouns, Goldfarb explains how political ideologies have driven changes in medical education and practice that threaten traditional methods for the admission and training of medical students. With extensive clinical experience, he brings a compellingand soberingperspective to bear on what he sees as the decline of American medicine.

Goldfarb recently discussed his book with Public Discourse Contributing Editor Devorah Goldman. Their exchange has been lightly edited for clarity.

Devorah Goldman: Welcome, Dr. Goldfarb, and congratulations on your excellent new book, which is an important and sweeping indictment of the medical establishment. What inspired you to write it?

Stanley Goldfarb: After nearly a dozen years directing the curriculum at the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, I began to detect a disturbing trend in medical schools around the nation. Directors of medical education, including a newly appointed director at Perelman, increasingly emphasized the so-called social determinants of health in school programming. They also implemented a range of initiatives that downgraded the value of academic achievement in both the basis for admission to medical school and the assessment systems associated with progression through the curriculum. After observing this for several years, I felt compelled to speak out about my concerns. I wrote an op-ed for the Wall Street Journal in September 2019 in which I highlighted my apprehensions about the direction of medical education, and proposed a restored focus on medical science and a limit on instruction in social issues.

The op-ed sparked a response from my school. The administration made it exceedingly clear that my opinions did not reflect the official positions of Perelman, and they affirmed the schools commitment to diversity and inclusion in determining its student body. The title of my article, provided by the Wall Street Journal staff, Take Two Aspirin and Call Me by My Pronouns, also elicited critical responses from the American College of Physicians and Penn alumni, as well as virulent commentary on social media.

It became apparent that I needed to more thoroughly detail my concerns and to identify the growing weakness of American medical education. That realization led to this book.

DG: You write in your book that those doctors who challenge the idea of systemic racism might as well exchange their white lab coats for white sheets, and that social-justice skeptics like you are on the run. These are strong words, but they point to the fact that theres a great deal at stake for dissenters. How has this played out in your professional life?

SG: Perhaps a bit hyperbolic, but clearly the prevailing zeitgeist of American medical education is an almost complete and unthinking acceptance of a woke mentality. The demonstrations at academic medical centers and medical schools throughout the United States following George Floyds killing led to widespread declarations of the need to purge systemic racism from American medicine and to adopt antiracism as a dominant aspect of the medical ethos.

In the words of Dr. Ibram X. Kendi, one of the prophets of anti-racism, future discrimination in favor of black individuals must help atone for past discrimination against black individuals. In medical care, this has come to mean discrimination against one group of patients to benefit another group, all on the basis of skin color. It also means discriminating against some applicants to medical school, as well as academics seeking career advancement.

I am at the end of my medical career so for me, the real impact relates to the concerns expressed to me, typically confidentially, by colleagues who agree with my positions but are afraid to speak out. Even the mildest dissent from the dominant narrative could mean losing a job. That is what happened to Dr. Edward Livingstone, formerly the deputy editor of the Journal of the American Medical Association. He had the temerity to suggest on a podcast that systemic racism was an unfortunate designation for a set of conditions that were more closely tied to poverty than to widespread oppression based on skin color. He was summarily forced out of his position.

DG: You also note in the book that the idea that physicians are responsible for correcting [health inequities] among different communities gained credence after World War II. As an example, you cite the World Health Organizations 1978 Alma-Alta Declaration, and contrast it with the Hippocratic Oath. Can you say a bit more about the conflict of visions here?

SG: It is basically the conflict between the idea that medical care should focus on large-scale prevention and population-level health measures, i.e., on group behavior, and the belief that we as physicians should channel our energies toward the particular problems of individual patients. The traditional Hippocratic Oath speaks to a code of conduct demanding loyalty without discrimination to each individual patient, unrelated to any social, economic or ideological factors at play. It defines the way physicians should focus on the care of the individual to the exclusion of any personal gain and to apply all of the physicians capacities to the care of that patient.

The Alma-Alta Declaration, as I wrote in my book, calls for a very different perspective. It puts forth a vision for primary health care that addresses the main health problems in the community, providing promotive, preventive, curative and rehabilitative services accordingly. The role of the physician in this scenario includes the following:

. . . education concerning prevailing health problems and the methods of preventing and controlling them; promotion of food supply and proper nutrition; an adequate supply of safe water and basic sanitation; maternal and child health care, including family planning; immunization against the major infectious diseases; prevention and control of locally endemic diseases; appropriate treatment of common diseases and injuries; and provision of essential drugs.

The Declaration expands the role of the physician into that of a public-health worker responsible for broad social and political conditions. It calls for physicians to insert themselves into issues over which they have scant expertise and control. Expending time, energy, and resources into such endeavors must detract from the time and effort required to provide the best possible medical care to individual patients.

DG: It should also be emphasized that real medical expertise is difficult to attain; it is the product of years of experience even after medical school. We shouldnt take it for granted or assume that layering on additional responsibilities will not affect the quality of medical care. On that note, why do you think woke medicine has gained the upper hand in so many medical institutions? What are some of the dangers you see as inherent in this approach?

SG: I think it is part and parcel of the leftward movement in undergraduate and graduate education in general. Dickens called the impulse to do good the sanguine mirage of good minds. No doubt there is such an impulse in practitioners of woke medicine, but they are fooling themselves. They see disparate outcomes in health care, and they feel guilty and blame themselves. Many academic doctors also see a willing cohort of impressionable students who are reared in Marxist ideas about power hierarchies, and they demand that the students adhere to their concepts of equity.

On the more cynical side, I see administrators and medical leaders who simply do not want to face the wrath of their woke students; they have decided that it is easier to talk the talk, while delaying actually doing anything substantively woke that would require massive expenditures. For example, it is easier to accept a few more minority students or hire a few more diversity specialists than it is to open outpatient facilities in black neighborhoodsa move that might actually improve outcomes for black patients.

We have already seen some of the dangers of woke medicine. Earlier in the COVID pandemic, a movement arose to reserve use of scarce drugs like monoclonal antibodies for black patients. An algorithm was used by institutions in New York and Utah, in which black skin color garnered two of the six points needed to qualify for use of the drugs. In this system, a relatively well black patient might receive the drug rather than a white patient facing a more dire clinical situation. This is pure racial discrimination and it has no place in medical care.

This is just one disturbing example, among many, in which the implications of woke medicine are clearand must be rejected. Physicians may not feel comfortable arguing against reduced standards for admission to medical school or to residency training programs. But they must at least stand up against active racial discrimination in health care.

DG: Another problem you point out involves zombie statisticsthe phenomenon whereby false or misleading figures, often from poorly conducted or fraudulent studies, take on a life of their own. They are widely cited and eventually turned into easy talking points or conventional wisdom. What are some notable examples of this, and do you see a viable way to push back against any of it?

SG: My book cites several examples, but it goes on and on. The problem is not only in the way the studies are designed and evaluated but also in the way the conclusions are drawn.

For example, one study that is cited extensively in the medical literature as proof of racism in medicine actually found no difference in the way clinicians would treat black and white men with heart symptoms after providing the physicians with similar clinical information about the two cohorts. Black women, however, were referred less frequently for invasive studies than white women with similar complaints. All the patients were simulated by actors on videos. This study does not explain the differing recommendations based on gender but it may have roots in medical information available in 1999, when it was conducted.

A very recent study in the journal Academic Medicine found that underrepresented in medicine residents, or URiM residents, received lower ratings than other medical residents at a number of academic institutions that pooled their data. The authors concluded that one of three possibilities explained the results:

Resident race/ethnicity was associated with assessment scores to the disadvantage of URiM residents. This may reflect bias in faculty assessment, effects of a non-inclusive learning environment, or structural inequities in assessment.

Incredibly, the authors could not bring themselves to consider the possibility that the assessments were accurate and that the URiM residents performed less well than their peers. Any inequality must be the fault of the school, the result of a power differential between white racists and black students. This is an amazing blind spot. It could be the poster child for all the problems with adopting antiracist approaches in health care and education.

The only way to combat this is to point out the flaws and use social media and other platforms to fight the disinformation. It is a long and slow struggle but we cannot give it up.

DG: Earlier, you mentioned the issue of medical school applications. In recent years, the Medical College Admissions Test (MCAT) and other admissions criteria have become politicized, as have many medical school courses. In particular, under the leadership of Dr. Darrell Kirch, the American Association of Medical Colleges has introduced sweeping changes to the MCAT, which now serves in part as a sort of screening mechanism for progressive orthodoxy.

What do you make of this, and do you think theres any possibility of reform here? What advice might you give young people considering a medical career?

SG: It is quite simple. To hide the fact that admission to medical school can now be based on factors other than academic achievement, one needs to reduce evidence of academic achievement as much as possible. Its not to say that there arent really bright people being recruited into medical school, but to create the highly valued D in DEI, its important to be able to skirt the issue of academic performance when that helps. It only works if you dont believe in meritocracy, a concept that brings rage to the woke elite.

Reform seems far off unless legal challenges to affirmative action, such as the Harvard case now before the Supreme Court, eliminate the unfair practice of race-based policies.

Medicine is a great career. I would never discourage anyone from pursuing it. Every sphere of life deserves examination and reform, if necessary. Medicine is no different.

DG: Your own medical career is obviously extremely impressive, but youve recently pivoted, and now run the nonprofit Do No Harm. Can you tell us a bit about Do No Harmwhy you launched it and your hopes for its future?

SG: I launched Do No Harm together with several colleagues in the hope of providing a voice for physicians who wish to point out racial discrimination in health care. Our aim is to employ social media, other forms of media, and even legal remedies to challenge the harmful trends threatening American medicine.

Do No Harm is a membership organization, through which physicians and others interested in health care can share information about discriminatory practices they encounter and the corruption of research into healthcare disparities. We helped support a lawsuit against the federal government after discovering that new Medicare rules propose that physicians who create antiracism protocols in their care of Medicare patients will be eligible for bonus payments. Such protocols suggest discriminatory practice based on race, and would therefore seem to be illegal and unconstitutional. We are helping two physicians who have been injured by this rule to sue the government to rescind the rule. Eight states have joined the suit.

We have also called out the University of Indiana School of Medicine for demanding that faculty create a DEI proposal if they wish to be considered for academic promotion. This flies in the face of academic freedom and the First Amendment.

We will be calling out institutions that have adopted discriminatory practices in hiring, promotion, and patient care.

We need to start the return to meritocracy and non-discrimination in health care. No doubt it will be a long journey but we will hopefully have some fun along the way.

See the article here:

Social Justice Ideology and the Decline of American Medicine: A Conversation with Stanley Goldfarb - Public Discourse

Time to Log Off is a weekly series documenting the many ways our political figures show their whole asses online.

Perhaps youve heard about the former NFL player-turned-MAGA candidate embarrassing himself in a vainglorious attempt to capitalize on his partys violent zeitgeist and propel himself into elected office. No, not that one. Im talking about one-time pro running back Jerone Davison, now a Republican congressional candidate in Arizona who has hopped aboard the Trump train with a new campaign ad all about murdering his political opponents.

Entitled Make Rifles Great Again, the 30-second spot is about as subtle as youd expect from its name, opening with a shot of a person dressed in Ku Klux Klan robes with a Democratic Party donkey sewn on the front.

Democrats like to say that no one needs an AR-15 for self-defense, that no one could possibly need all 30 rounds, Davison intones over crisp shots of himself drinking coffee, and then walking around in suit and tie, carrying an enormous rifle. But when this rifle is the only thing standing between your family and a dozen angry Democrats in Klan hoods,you just might need that semi-automatic ... and all 30 rounds.

Now, beyond the obvious issues that come with painting the most infamous white nationalist movement in American history as a patched-in wing of the modern Democratic party and then endorsing gun violence against them Davisons ad has a few other glaring (albeit slightly less, uh, murderous) issues. For instance, doesnt explicitly enumerating a dozen attackers definitionally negate his previous assertion that you need all 30 rounds? Also, given that the ads Democrats in Klan hoods are largely carrying things like gardening tools and other melee weapons, meeting them with a military-grade assault rifle seems, if youll forgive the turn of phrase, like a bit of overkill?

Ordinarily, I would say that a piece of media depicting Ku Klux Klansmen getting their just desserts is a good and righteous thing. But when that piece of media twists a message of standing up against historical racial intolerance into essentially endorsing of the murder of your political adversaries kind of a theme among the GOP these days! well, thats another thing altogether. Particularly, I should add, when its coming from someone whose campaign website wholeheartedly endorses the same stolen election lies that already prompted some of the worst political violence in the past century.

Davison is currently part of a crowded field of Republican candidates hoping to secure the GOP nomination to take on Democratic Rep. Greg Stanton in the fall. Before then, however, I can only hope he does us all a favor and logs directly and immediately off. Before someone gets hurt.

Stories that Fuel Conversations

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This political ad from Jerone Davison is pretty unhinged, even for the MAGA crowd - Mic

The first time I tried on a pair of Crocs, I was in study hall. This kid named Marlin slid them off and told me I had to give them a go. Marlin wasnt known for his sartorial choices. He liked to wear thick white socks with flip-flops; the thong wedged into the cotton between his toes. But curiosity got the best of me, so I slid the Crocs on. The sweat left over from Marlins bare feet lubricated the plastic against my own skin, and I felt nothing but repulsion. It was a no for me. But it turns out Marlin was just ahead of the times.

Now, more than ten years after I graduated from high school, I think Crocs are the coolest. I have multiple pairs, and I pine for more. And I am not alone in this. These days Crocs show up in paparazzi photos of Post Malone and on Balenciaga runways. Since the genesis of Crocs in 2001, the wearers of these clunky plastic clogs have shifted from clueless vacation dads to TikTok fashion girlies. What used to be corny is cooland whats cool to people is always arbitrary. All I want right now are big comfy shoes that look like cartoons.

Once, I had a friend with a Wrangler explain the Jeep wave to mea two-finger salute that Jeep drivers share when they pass each other by. My buddy was embarrassed by Jeep culture, and pretended to never see the bros gesturing through their wide front windows. Ive found a similar camaraderie among Crocs wearers, but I am not ashamed at all. When I am wearing Crocs, and I compliment a stranger who is wearing Crocs, we simply have the time of our lives. We talk about the pairs we have, the pairs we want, the sort of innate goofiness that accompanies wearing shoes that are objectively pretty ugly.

Its funny how owning certain things promotes this sense of community. Do PT Cruiser pilots have an arcane handshake? Do Converse wearers share secret glances? (Ill never knowmy feet are too wide for Converse.) To me, it seems like joining the Crocs club comes with a special kind of energy. Conversations with fellow Crocs freaks take place in the narrow valley between being in on the joke and not making a joke at all.

And if our conversation lasts long enough, I get to ask if theyve been to the Crocs shop on State Street: a smorgasbord of options, in every color you could ever name. The single storefront contains enough plastic to ensure the death of our planet, and my god, I need that lime green pair in the window. They also offer an obscene amount of Jibbitz (which are the charms that one can plug into a Crocss holes). Weed leaves and Diet Coke cans and a little propeller cap where the propeller actually spinsyou name it, theyve got a Jibbitz version of it. Whenever I hear someone say Jibbitz out loud, I feel like I should call the police.

I am not breaking brave new ground by declaring that Crocs are cool. Theyve been en vogue for a while, and Im just riding that wave. But I feel inspired by their evolution, because the shoe itself never actually changed. Its like the Ugly Duckling stayed homely but got way better at personal branding. It makes me think about the rapid movement of the trend cycles. One minute, youre at the top, and the next, youre in the gutter. Seeing the shift in public response to this one pair of absurd plastic clogs makes me see how pointless it is to try and keep up anyway. Better to focus on your own style, and cherry-pick the trends when they fit.

When I was in my 20s, I liked to try to be the coolest girl in the room. I dont regret doing this. Sure, it could feel a little shallow, but it was very fun. It was also a ton of work to keep track of what other people thought was fashionable, and measure myself against those judgments. Now that Im firmly in my 30s, I can see that being cool doesnt have to be a competition. Lately, it feels more like a little game I play by myself. Crocs are in right now. Maybe in a few years, theyll be on the outs. But I dont feel trapped by these cycles anymore. Id rather pick the fashions that fit my body and my style, and trust that if I think theyre hip, others can be convinced.

I just bought a pair of giant, white, orthopedic New Balances. They are decidedly corny, but I am at a point in my life where its necessary to launch arch support into the trend cycle. The other day, a man in his mid-60s got on the bus wearing the exact same shoes as me. We didnt exchange any secret handshakes or covert nods, but I think we both knew: were just ahead of the zeitgeist.

See the rest here:

Riding the wave of the Crocs - Chicago Reader

New Release Wall

At the midway point of 2022, it seems difficult to imagine how Everything Everywhere All at Once (A24/Lionsgate) wouldnt be figuring heavily in best-of lists and award chatter come December. The sophomore feature from The Daniels (Swiss Army Man) mixes genres and metaphysics with heart and soul to create a hard-to-describe but easy-to-love masterpiece, one thats not quite like anything else youve ever seen. Moving, funny, exciting, mind-bending and always giving you something to look at including extraordinary performances from Michelle Yeoh, Ke Huy Quan, Stephanie Hsu and Jamie Lee Curtis this is a one-of-a-kind film that will reward repeat viewings (and a deep dive into the extras on the DVD and Blu-ray).

Also available:

The Bobs Burgers Movie (20th Century Studios): Theres a mystery to solve, a sinkhole to fill, and a restaurant to save in the first big-screen outing for the long-running Fox animated sitcom.

Cinderella (Sony Pictures Home Entertainment): Charm and irritation do battle in this updated take on the legendary fairy tale (starring Camila Cabello), but it does have its moments.

Downton Abbey: A New Era (Universal Pictures Home Entertainment): This second film adaptation of the cozy, beloved series involves so many cast members (as British aristocrats and their servants) that they had to bifurcate the story to two locations.

The Duke (Sony Pictures Home Entertainment): Jim Broadbent stars as an unlikely art thief and Helen Mirren as his ever-patient wife in this true story of Brits being adorably criminal movie.

The Lost City (Paramount Home Entertainment): Sandra Bullock, Channing Tatum and (all too briefly) Brad Pitt employ their wattage to carry the day in this Romancing the Stone retread that goes down easily enough.

Reno 911! The Hunt for QAnon (Comedy Central/Paramount): Americas dopiest law-enforcement team meets its mental match as they set sail on a very MAGA cruise to hunt down the notorious internet influencer.

New Indie

Superior (Factory 25) stars twin actresses Alessandra Mesa and Ani Mesa as twins Marian and Vivian, who reunite under stressful circumstances in the stylish debut feature from director Erin Vassilopoulos. Marians on the run, Vivians stuck in their hometown, and their troubles really start when the two have to trade places in this unpredictable thriller thats earned comparisons to early David Lynch. The Blu-ray features a commentary, short film, and Q&A.

Also available:

Dual (RLJE Films): Karen Gillan must battle her clone to the death in a future society, there can be only one so she turns to Aaron Paul for coaching.

Final Flesh (AGFA/Drag City): Director Vernon Chatman wrote a four-part screenplay about a family living by ground zero of an apocalyptic event, then sent the chapters to four different adult-fetish video companies to see what theyd make of it, and the results are like nothing youd imagine.

The Righteous (Arrow): Henry Czerny stars in this black-and-white thriller who gets far more than he bargained for when he invites a stranger to stay the night.

New Foreign

Even after Drive My Car (The Criterion Collection) swept Best Picture from the Los Angeles Film Critics Association, New York Film Critics Circle and the National Society of Film Critics, this powerful Japanese import shocked veteran awards pundit when it became a major Oscar contender. Rysuke Hamaguchis contemplation of grief, redemption and theatre is masterfully subtle (and yes, three hours long), so its an essential addition to your media library as a film that merits multiple viewings. (Criterion, of course, offers plenty of ancillary materials, including a new interview with the director, an extensive making-of documentary, the press conference from the films Cannes 2021 premiere and more.

Also available:

Apocalypse After (Altered Innocence): A collection of provocative shorts from director Bertrand Mandico (The Wild Boys, After Blue (Dirty Paradise)).

Mondocane (Kino Lorber): Not to be confused with the 1962 documentary, this 2021 Italian sci-fi film imagines a post-apocalypse of child gangs fighting for territory and resources.

Pompo the Cinephile (GKIDS): A producer takes a chance on her assistant and hires him to direct a film in this movie-mad anime hit.

Poppy Field (Film Movement): A closeted Bucharest cop sees his personal and professional lives collide in this acclaimed Romanian drama.

Ryoma! The Prince of Tennis (Eleven Arts/Shout Factory): The popular and long-running sports manga makes the leap to anime. (Seriously, American animation studios, why cant we have feature films about moviemaking and tennis?)

Sexual Drive (Film Movement): Filmmaker Kta Yoshida connects three disparate characters by their appetites for both sex and food in a film thats equal parts thriller, sex comedy, and gastronomic extravaganza.

The Sacred Spirit (Arrow): The debut feature from Spanish writer-director Chema Garcia Ibarra, shot in 16mm, follows a quiet office worker who comes to understand a shocking secret when he becomes the leader of a group of UFO enthusiasts.

New Doc

Just when we thought there was nothing new to learn or say about the Fab Four, along comes The Beatles: Get Back (Disney/Apple Corps), Peter Jacksons extraordinary assemblage of documentary footage originally shot in January 1969 by director Michael Lindsay-Hogg (Let It Be). The results are an exhilarating portrait of artists at work and the creativity and volatility of a band that is about to dissolve after changing the world.

Also available:

20,000 Days on Earth (Giant Pictures): A day in the life of legendary musician Nick Cave.

Accepted (Greenwich Entertainment): Students at a Louisiana prep school known for funneling students to elite universities must contemplate their futures after a New York Times article raises questions about the schools legitimacy.

Alaskan Nets (GDE): Examines the power of basketball to bring together the community of Metlakatla, Alaskas last Native reserve.

Fiddlers Journey to the Big Screen (Zeitgeist/Kino Lorber): Broadway success doesnt always translate to movies, but this joyous doc follows director Norman Jewison and the talented cast and crew that made Fiddler on the Roof a cinematic triumph.

Forbidden Love (Canadian International Pictures): This acclaimed 1992 Canadian documentary mixes interviews with cinematic flights of fantasy to explore hidden lesbian lives of the mid-20th century.

Invisible Valley (Kino Lorber): A look at one year in the Coachella Valley, from wealthy snowbirds to undocumented farm workers to music-festival attendees and the environmental forces that affect them all.

Museum Town (Kino Lorber): How did a dried-up Massachusetts industrial town become a mecca for contemporary art? Director Jennifer Trainer tells the tale (and Meryl Streep narrates it).

Poly Styrene: I Am a Clich (Utopia): This portrait of the X-Ray Spex vocalist (co-directed by the singers daughter) tells the story of the first woman of color to front a UK punk band.

The Silver Screen: Color Me Lavender (Kino Lorber): Documentarian Mark Rappoport (Rock Hudsons Home Movies, From the Journals of Jean Seberg) parses the queer underpinnings of classic Hollywood and provides new context for wildly gay moments that have been in the movies all along.

Stay Prayed Up (Greenwich Entertainment): This music-filled doc celebrates the legacy of 82-year-old gospel legend Lena Mae Perry and the South Carolina gospel combo The Branchettes as they record their first live album.

Summers with Picasso (Icarus Films Home Video): This two-disc set features a pair of films about the artists French period: Franois Levy Kuentzs On the French Riviera with Man Ray and Picasso and Christian Trans Picasso and Sima, Antibes 1946.

We Want the Airwaves (Gravitas Ventures): Go behind the scenes as a trio of first-time TV-makers try to hit the airwaves with their activist docu-series, Manifesto!

New Grindhouse

The killer alien disguised as a sexy human lady sub-genre has had many entries over the years, but Species (Scream Factory) ranks among the best, thanks mainly to Natasha Henstridges combination of ethereal beauty and commitment to the bit. It helps that director Roger Donaldson leans heavily on both sex and violence always a winning combo in exploitation fare and that the film features a top-drawer roster of character actors including Alfred Molina, Marg Helgenberger, Forest Whitaker, Michael Madsen, Ben Kingsley and, in one of her very first screen roles, Michelle Williams.

Also available:

11th Hour Cleaning (Screen Media): A crime-scene clean-up crew is tormented by a Nordic demon hanging around one of their jobsites.

Bigfoot or Bust (Coldwater): From director Jim Wynorski, so you know or bust isnt just an expression in this goofy comedy about curvy monster-hunters and time travel.

Cordelia (Screen Media): Antonia Campbell-Hughes is sent into a Repulsion-esque spiral by her handsome neighbor Johnny Flynn (Emma.).

Giallo Essentials: Black Edition (Arrow): This box set features some lesser-known but still essential entries into the popular Italian horror sub-genre: Silvio Amadios Smile Before Death, Francesco Mazzeis The Weapon, The Hour, The Motive and Giuseppe Bennatis The Killer Reserved Nine Seats.

Hell High (Arrow): Cruel high-school pranks lead to bloody horror in this 1989 film also known as Raging Fury.

Hellbender (Shudder/RLJE): A repressed young woman discovers that illness isnt the real reason that her mother has kept her locked away from the world in this witchy coming-of-age thriller.

Martial Club (88 Films): Rival fight school throw down in this Shaw Brothers martial-arts extravaganza.

Monstrous (Screen Media): Christina Ricci and Santino Bernard star as a traumatized mother and son who face new horrors when they move into an isolated house.

Planet of the Vampires (Kino Lorber Studio Classics): Sci-fi and horror collide in this Mario Bava classic, presented on this new Blu-ray in a new 2K restoration with lots of extras.

Slapface (Shudder/RLJE): With few other friends in his life, a withdrawn young boy strikes up an acquaintance with the monster in the local woods.

Steele Justice (Kino Lorber Studio Classics): Martin Kove (Cobra Kai) stars in a Rambo knock-off that nonetheless boasts an impressive supporting cast, including Sela Ward, Ronny Cox, Bernie Casey, and Sarah Douglas. New commentary on this Blu-ray release.

Terror Circus (Code Red) Fans of legendary director Alan Rudolph often cite Welcome to L.A. as his debut feature, but he got his start with a pair of early-70s horror movies, one of which was this saga of an unhinged kidnapper and trio of Vegas showgirls.

They Live in the Grey (Shudder/RLJE): The title suggests a meeting between Rowdy Roddy Piper and Liam Neeson, but its actually about a social worker whose investigation of a child-abuse claim leads to the discovery of a supernatural entity thats harassing an entire family.

New Classic

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (Kino Lorber Studio Classics), making its 4K debut, probably represents the blip in Hollywood history where anyone would have thought to match up Jim Carrey and Kate Winslet. Theyre not an obvious choice as a romantic couple, but then little in Spike Jonzes direction of Charlie Kaufmans screenplay travels the past of least resistance. This story of love, loss, regret and memory butts up against any number of genres including rom-com, drama, and sci-fi yet ultimately manages to find its own distinctive tone.

Also available:

Adventures of Don Juan (Warner Archive Collection): This 1948 Errol Flynn vehicle looks better than ever in a 4K scan of the original nitrate Technicolor negative.

Desperate Hours (MVD Rewind): Mickey Rourke stars in this remake of the Humphrey Bogart thriller.

Doa Flor and Her Two Husbands (Film Movement Classics): Sonia Braga rocketed to international stardom in this sexy Brazilian farce about a woman torn between her nice-guy second husband and her neer-do-well first husband, even though the latter is a ghost.

El Cortez (Kino Lorber): Lou Diamond Phillips stars in this contemporary (2006) noir about an autistic ex-con who gets ensnared in a murderous scheme.

Film Noir: The Dark Side of Cinema VIII (Kino Lorber Studio Classics): This latest collection in the series features Street of Chance (1942), Temptation (1946) and Enter Arsene Lupin (1944).

The Frisco Kid (Warner Archive Collection): Gene Wilder as a westward-bound rabbi makes an unlikely pairing with cowboy Harrison Ford in this 1979 Robert Aldrich comedy-Western.

The Killing (Kino Lorber Studio Classics): Stanley Kubricks heist classic the movie that taught young Quentin Tarantino everything he knows about non-sequential narrative makes its 4K debut.

Last of the Dogmen (Kino Lorber Studio Classics): Barbara Hershey and Tom Berenger happen upon a previously undiscovered indigenous tribe.

Maria Montez & Jon Hall Collection (Kino Lorber Studio Classics): Fans of vintage colonizer camp would do well to pick up this box set featuring three movies (White Savage, Gypsy Wildcat, Sudan) from its most glamorous practitioners.

Marty (Kino Lorber Studio Classics): The Oscar wins (including Best Picture and Best Actor) for this adaptation of a Paddy Chayefsky teleplay (starring Ernest Borgnine and Betsy Blair) cemented the influence the small screen would have upon Hollywood.

Miami Blues (MVD Rewind): Film critic Curt Holman once referred to this sweaty comedy-thriller in which fugitive Alec Baldwin pretends to be a cop, using a badge stolen from Fred Ward as a four-star two-and-a-half-star movie.

Nathalie (Cohen Film Collection): Fanny Ardant, Emmanuelle Bart and Gerard Depardieu form an unconventional love triangle in this drama from Anne Fontaine.

Native Son (Kino Classics): Novelist Richard Wright stars as his own protagonist, Bigger Thomas, in this French 1951 adaptation of his classic 1940 novel. Censored upon its original US release, the film appears in the most complete form ever available in the United States on this new Blu-ray restoration.

Salt and Pepper / One More Time (Kino Lorber Studio Classics): Rat Packers Sammy Davis Jr. (hes Salt) and Peter Lawford (hes Pepper) teamed up amiably in a pair of comedic adventures, playing London nightclub owners who get pulled into capers and shenanigans. One More Time is notable for being one of the few films directed by, but not starring, Jerry Lewis.

Sampo (Deaf Crocodile): If you know this film only from Mystery Science Theater 3000 which screened the chopped-up version released by AIP in the 1960s youre missing out on an epic Russian-Finnish mythological adventure. The complete, restored version makes its US release, in a new 4K remaster, on this new Blu-ray.

Summertime (The Criterion Collection): Katharine Hepburn gives one of her most haunting performances as a love-starved school teacher having a summer fling on a trip to Venice in this David Lean drama.

They Call Me Mister Tibbs / The Organization (Kino Lorber Studio Classics): Sidney Poitier made such an impact with audiences in 1967s In the Heat of the Night that he played Detective Virgil Tibbs in two follow-up features, both making their Blu-ray debuts.

Time Out of Mind (Kino Lorber Studio Classics): Phyllis Calvert and Robert Hutton star in this noir-flavored melodrama from Robert Siodmak.

Where the Lilies Bloom (Kino Lorber Studio Classics): Four children fight to keep their family together after the death of their father; keep an eye out for a pre-WKRP Jan Smithers.

New TV

While The Twilight Zone deserves all the praise it gets, there hasnt been nearly enough adulation for Rod Serlings other major anthology show, which the new collection Night Gallery: Season Two (Kino Lorber Studio Classics) seeks to remedy. This gorgeous set features 2K restorations of every single episode of the season, and each one comes with at least one separate commentary track, including several from super-fan Guillermo del Toro as well as filmmakers like John Badham who worked on the original show.

Also available:

Ants! (Kino Lorber Studio Classics): This entertainingly ridiculous nature-gone-wild thriller (also known as It Happened at Lakewood Manor) will give you the creepy-crawlies.

Batwoman: The Third and Final Season (DC/WB): Oh Kate Kane/Ryan Wilder, you were just too awesome for prime time.

Im Dangerous Tonight (Kino Lorber Studio Classics): In this made-for-TV movie something of a precursor to In Fabric Mdchen Amick turns an ancient cloak into a dress that leads anyone who wears it to ruin. Directed by Tobe Hooper!

Rocco Schiavone: Ice Cold Murders: Seasons 3 & 4 (Kino Lorber): The irascible Roman detective continues to solve crimes in the remote Alps but can he solve the riddle of his own psyche?

SeaQuest DSV: The Complete Series (Mill Creek Entertainment): Steven Spielbergs submarine-themed show (like his LA submarine-themed restaurant) was not long for this world, but he gave it a good shot.

Starhunter Redux: The Complete Series (Shout Factory): The cult sci-fi series makes its Blu-ray debut with this 10-disc set.

Tarantulas: The Deadly Cargo (Kino Lorber Studio Classics): Another 1970s made-for-TV scary-bugs classic, this one stars Claude Akins, Tom Atkins (Halloween III: Season of the Witch) and Pat Hingle.

Terror Out of the Sky (Kino Lorber Studio Classics): Also known as The Revenge of the Savage Bees yes, another bad-bug movie this one has Efrem Zimbalist, Jr., Dan Haggerty, Tovah Feldshuh and the recently departed Philip Baker Hall standing between humanity and winged destruction.

That Dirty Black Bag: Season 1 (AMC/RLJE): How gritty is this Western series? The title refers to the receptacle a bounty hunter uses to carry heads of his quarry in.

Yellowjackets: Season One (Showtime/CBS/Paramount): One of the past years most addictive shows, a group of women are unwillingly reunited when a shared secret from their past comes roaring back to haunt them. Perfect for revisiting as we all wait for season two.

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Whats New on DVD Blu-ray in July: 'Everything Everywhere,' 'Drive My Car,' 'The Beatles: Get Back' and More - TheWrap

For many artists and illustrators, working on a new project can often serve as therapy, a way to escape or even deal with the stresses and microaggressions of everyday life. Take those stresses away, however, and it can be just as disconcerting.

Like many, local illustrator Morgan Miller III found himself to be both isolated and distressed at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. He attempted to make sense of it in his own way, creating slightly satirical cartoon-style illustrations that served as something of a diary, but also helped him deal with the new normal of quarantining and pandemic-related politicizing.

It started as something of a way of processing what was going on by drawing in my sketchbook, and then it turned into a way of documenting what was going on, says Miller, a fifth generation San Diegan.

In my life, Ive often had a hard time figuring out subject matter and everything that was going on was just perfect to draw, Miller continues. I just felt powerless over these major issues the pandemic, everything that Trump was doing, the authoritarian leanings of the Republicans, and the Black Lives Matter movement so it seemed like a good way to participate and to just personally understand what was going on. The best way to understand it was to do what I do best, which was drawing.

Before the pandemic, Miller was helping run the Athenaeum Art Centers print studio in Logan Heights, where he taught classes and helped maintain the presses. With classes canceled but still having access to the space, Miller says he began creating zine-style issues of his 2020 illustrations and releasing them. The responses were positive, but he says the writing portion of the project didnt come as easy to him as the drawing.

Yeah, it became too much for me to handle on my own, Miller says. I was sort of trudging through it. Id rather be spending my time on the drawing.

Morgan Miller III (left) and James Call

(Courtesy photo by Iran Arellano)

Enter James Call. The local musician, music writer and radio DJ had known Miller for years, the two having bonded over art and music after meeting at Krakatoa cafe in Golden Hill.

I was immediately impressed with his artwork, Call recalls. The cleverness and detail of his renderings, but it was mostly the cleverness. He was doing all these interesting things as well, like making and printing his own books, and making these unique bindings.

So when Miller asked him if hed like to collaborate on what he now saw as an ongoing project, Call says he immediately said yes. Little did they know that 2021 was going to be, in many ways, an even stranger year than the one before. This is clearly on display in 2021: January-June, their new graphic novel that chronicles everything from the Georgia Senate races and the January attacks at the Capitol to the end of mask mandates near the middle of the year.

We wanted to capture the feel of that year, how we felt in the moment of when these things were happening, says Call, who immediately wrote accompanying text as soon as Miller finished a new drawing. Its certainly a chronicle of a unique time, but its also a lament and an indictment.

The 2021 book was something of a continuation and extension of the blog-style website where Miller and Call would post new content (morganthe3rd.com). The initial printing of 50 sold out almost immediately, and Miller says that was extremely encouraging, further letting him know that people were responding to the work. He had it reprinted and made it available at the website, as well as local shops like Verbatim Books in North Park and Folk Arts Rare Records in City Heights.

You get into a bubble of sorts when it comes to Facebook and social media, so it felt great when people actually bought it, Miller says. It let me know that there was a broad audience for it.

Still, the book is not without its opinions and is decidedly high on satirical writing and renderings. Yes, its a highly original, even beautiful documentation of the zeitgeist of the time serving as a Robert Crumb-style visual and editorial snapshot of one of the strangest periods in American history but it can also be highly polarizing for those who may not agree, for example, that Sen. Ted Cruz is a seditionist or that universal health care is a good thing.

There were some people who were turned off by the politics involved, Call says, referencing his own sister as someone who didnt like what her self-described Bernie Sanders Democrat brother had to say about Trump or how they portrayed people who believed in conspiracy theories like QAnon. She didnt say anything at all at first, but finally she came back and said, I disagree on everything you had to say about Trump.

Both Miller and Call have no plans to stop, however, and regularly post new comics on the website with plans for new collections in the future. Whereas before Miller would produce an illustration and Call would add text after the fact, they both say that the process is much more collaborative. Both seem to want to continue with it for as long as they have something to say about current events and, judging by the news cycle, theres no reason to suspect that fresh inspiration will slow down anytime soon.

Well text each other and ask should we do this? and is this important? Miller says. And more often than not, it is.

Combs is a freelance writer.

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Local artist/writer duo document 2021 and beyond - The San Diego Union-Tribune