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Briefly, Comics (19 May 2024)
Black Panther (1998) #8 [1999] W: Christopher Priest. A: Amanda Conner, Jimmy Palmiotti, Joe Jusko, Vince Evans. After a pretty but narratively pointless flashback to T’Challa’s first adventure with Captain America, it’s back to the present. A crowd of Black New Yorkers want to see Black Panther. The NYPD wants to shoot them for being lawfully assembled. Will the cops even listen to Captain America? Plus, international intrigue, ex-girlfriends, and assassination attempts. Good as usual.
Catwoman (2002) #13 [2003] W: Ed Brubaker. A: Cameron Stewart. Just as everything starts coming together for Selina and company, an unseen enemy conspires to take everything away. There’s a lot of good material, lovely timing, great art, but the mix of sweet and sour is off for the ending. There’s a too effective thriller scene following a too effective action sequence. Oh. The arc’s called “Relentless.” Got it.
Werewolf by Night (1972) #39 [1976] W: Doug Moench. A: Don Perlin. Despite some serious hiccups, not to mention Jack immediately returning to the friends he said he was forever abandoning, it’s not too bad. There’s some bad art, sure, but Brother Voodoo is a decent guest star and the characters are all sincere in their concerns. And Jack does have a decent surprise development. But the cliffhanger is utter nonsense.
Werewolf by Night (1972) #40 [1976] W: Doug Moench. A: Don Perlin. It’s the worst writing from Moench in a while. Pointless references, low-key racism (so Jack’s on point), the too much padding. The werewolf and Brother Voodoo might zombies. Lots of fighting, while Jack discovering he has more control of wolfing out. The finish is more can kicking from Moench. I can’t believe they’re back to promising big changes.
Werewolf by Night (1972) #41 [1976] W: Doug Moench. A: Don Perlin. More putting things in order has Wolfman Jack in full control, fighting monsters and old foes. It’s fantastical and silly. But there’re lots of little Perlin panels, which still charm. Also, Moench–in Jack’s first-person narration–finally contextualizes that narration: Jack’s journaling, sometime after the fact. Kind of compelling (because Topaz is in danger, really), kind of not.
Werewolf by Night (1972) #42 [1977] W: Doug Moench. A: Don Perlin. Jack and Topaz go to New York City to celebrate his being able to control good lycanthropy. Before they know it, he’s playing superhero only to get in a fight with Iron Man. Then Jarvis shows up. It’s a lot, but Perlin’s much better with Iron Man than wolf men. Moench’s desperately enthusiastic; last ditch effort before cancellation.
Werewolf by Night (1972) #43 [1977] W: Doug Moench. A: Ernie Chan. Despite Moench closing the series with the cancellation announcement, WEREWOLF leaves some loose threads. The story wraps the Iron Man team-up, complete with Jarvis being a weirdo about Jack. Moench’s narration is bland and omnipresent, but they’re fighting a giant robot with the traits of an ape, an alligator, and a cheetah. It’s silly, and an unfortunate finish.
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Briefly, TV (18 May 2024)
The Big Door Prize (2023) s02e04 “Storytellers” [2024] D: Heather Jack. S: Chris O’Dowd, Gabrielle Dennis, Josh Segarra, Sammy Fourlas, Djouliet Amara, Patrick Kerr, Aaron Roman Weiner. Never mind, they’ve lost the plot with Amara and Fourlas again. And O’Dowd’s post-date guilt becomes a thing. Though it does rescue Dennis from an overwrought gal pals subplot. About the only solid material is for Kerr and Weiner, who bond over incomplete memories. Segarra’s got some funny moments. For everyone but Kerr, the show’s vamping for time.
Doctor Who (2005) s14e03 “Boom” [2024] D: Julie Anne Robinson. S: Ncuti Gatwa, Millie Gibson, Joe Anderson, Caoilinn Springall, Bhav Joshi, Susan Twist, Varada Sethu. So good I recommended it to a real human person show-off episode written by former show runner Steven Moffat. It’s anti-war, anti-capitalism, anti-religion. Gatwa is stuck on a land mine. But still rescues Gibson and the assorted guest stars from a war planet. Real good acting. Gates’s the most accessible Doctor ever.
Beacon 23 (2023) s02e06 “Luan Casca” [2024] D: Lewin Webb. S: Hannah Melissa Scott, John Kapelos, Milton Barnes, Diane Johnstone. The show punts the shark-jumping decision for a flashback episode, with Scott playing a teenage version of Lena Headey’s (still) deceased season one lead. Scott shows up as a beacon-keeper trainee to Kapelos’s working-class hero. It turns out they’ve both got secrets, but only one involves a mystery man (Barnes). Kapelos’s good; Scott’s making admirable swings.
The Big Door Prize (2023) s02e03 “Power & Energy” [2024] D: Heather Jack. S: Chris O’Dowd, Gabrielle Dennis, Josh Segarra, Sammy Fourlas, Djouliet Amara, Ally Maki, Justine Lupe. On his first night “separated” from Dennis, O’Dowd starts an iffy arc with a date; fellow teacher Lupe. Meanwhile, Dennis gets trapped in a social situation with mean mom Crystal R. Fox. Hopefully, Lupe’s not supposed to be likable because she’s not. Some fun Segarra, and Fourlas and Amara recover their balance on screen. But the show is rocking.
Crashing (2016) s01e04 “Episode 4” D: George Kane. S: Damien Molony, Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Jonathan Bailey, Louise Ford, Julie Dray, Adrian Scarborough, Amit Shah. It’s… next level. Not just the best episode of an excellent series, but double it. Or more. Molony and Waller-Bridge have an old school hangout adventure, while Ford discovers herself after an accident. Then Bailey’s taking his new flirt-jerk thing with Shah to even more extremes. Series best acting from everyone with enough to do. Including Molony.
Doctor Who (2005) s14e02 “The Devil’s Chord” [2024] D: Ben Chessell. S: Ncuti Gatwa, Millie Gibson, Jinkx Monsoon, Chris Mason, George Caple, Jeremy Limb, Kit Rakusen. Interdimensional god Monsoon arrives in the 1920s to steal all the music for themself, then running into Gatwa and Gibson in the sixties when Gibson wants to see The Beatles. Can Gatwa and Gibson save music itself? Gatwa and Gibson maintain their charm, even in what amounts to a special effects extravaganza action episode. Monsoon’s fun. It’s just thin.
Doctor Who (2005) s14e01 “Space Babies” [2024] D: Julie Anne Robinson. S: Ncuti Gatwa, Millie Gibson, Angela Wynter, Michelle Greenidge, Golda Rosheuvel. Gatwa and Gibson kick off the regular series with an obnoxiously adorable outing involving a bunch of super intelligent babies trapped on a space station with a monster. The monster gives major ALIENS vibes, so there’s some nice contrasts. It’s funny, yucky, charming, and extremely charming. Gatwa continues to be a delight, Gibson’s coming along; it’s absolutely wonderful.
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The Fabulous Baker Boys (1989, Steve Kloves)
The Fabulous Baker Boys opens with pseudo-protagonist Jeff Bridges saying goodbye to his latest cocktail waitress one-night stand (always his decision, never hers–Baker Boys is all about taking advantage of patriarchal privilege). Under the opening titles, he walks to work. Baker Boys takes place in Seattle and regularly features its skyline, but director Kloves is careful never to show the Space Needle. Much like its characters, the film exists on the edge of reality.
Bridges plays one half of the Fabulous. Beau Bridges play the other. Beau’s the responsible one who has a wife and kids in the suburbs. Jeff is the love-them-and-leave-them, hard-drinking jazz pianist with a heart of gold (he gives Ellie Raab, the tween who lives upstairs, a safe spot when her mom’s got a fellow over). They’ve been playing piano together for thirty-one years, starting as kids, turning it into a profession. They’ve played all over town for years, and they’re getting played out. No one’s going to clubs with pianomen.
After one particularly disheartening experience, Beau decides they’re going to need to have someone along to sing a song. Cue an amusing (albeit unkind) audition sequence, which starts with Jennifer Tilly’s off-key attempt. Baker Boys appreciates having Tilly (she even gets a special end credit), and she’s a lot of fun. She brings the first lightness to the film. While it’s never too dark, it does… wallow in melancholy at times. Tilly shakes up the momentum nicely.
The audition sequence ends with Michelle Pfeiffer, who can sing, and thus becomes the singer, even though she’s a little too brash for Beau’s tastes. She doesn’t even rate a blip on Jeff’s radar initially, but once they all get performing and realize they’ve found a good thing… he takes notice.
There are some fantastic scenes during this portion of the film. There’s a mix of dismay and exuberance–Pfeiffer’s new to the live entertainment business, excited at various potentials. Beau and Jeff have years of experience and are appropriately downtrodden about the whole thing. They think they’ve hit their peak, not realizing Pfeiffer’s contributions will change their lane. Jeff plays most of his scenes silent and sullen. He’s a tortured artisté (no one says he’s the best jazz pianist in the town, but it’s definitely the vibe, and he’s given that up for Beau, who’s just good). But when Pfeiffer and Beau clash, Jeff gets these twinkles in his eyes, and they add up to character development and chemistry.
Lots of Baker Boys is about chemistry. Jeff and Pfeiffer spend a solid portion of the second act circling each other, trying to find an angle where going for it isn’t a mistake. Beau sees what’s going on and tries to stop it. The sequence where he can’t is spectacular, where Kloves shows off he, cinematographer Michael Ballhaus (it’s such a gorgeous photography job, it’s never not stunning), and editor William Steinkamp’s abilities in an entirely new context. They’ve got light drama, light comedy, and sexy but not tawdry lounge singing down, but they can do so much more.
Baker Boys is a character study. It’s a strange one because despite spending the movie with Jeff, it’s not clear until he and Pfeiffer start alternating clashing and crashing; it’s all about him. The character’s distant from everyone; why would the audience be any different.
But Kloves doesn’t let the sub-genre dictate the format. Even as a straight drama–despite the hot and heavy, it’s not a romance or a romantic drama–there’s time for screwball, there’s time for laughs, for smiles. The first act sets up the Baker Boys, but there’s a lot more to say about them, it turns out, right into the third act. After an unevenly paced present action–the film takes place over any number of months, with New Year’s being around the center–the third act is a few days at most.
Because there’s not a lot to wrap up other than everyone acknowledging the state of their situations. One of the problems is the lack of communication (no one ever points out Jeff being smirking, smoking, or sullen is a significant contributor, unfortunately), and the way Kloves layers in those reveals is exquisite. The characters often argue about something the audience doesn’t know about or know how to contextualize, and Kloves has to get the reveals in just right. Even though the audience can’t know (with some exceptions) how things will hit, the film’s got to be ready to situation them on demand. The thing about the arguments and the character turmoils is they’re fast-paced. When Jeff lashes out to hurt people, he does it rapidly, and Kloves makes sure the audience is never behind.
The acting’s outstanding. Jeff really gets to come into it towards the end of the second act, while Beau plays sturdy support. Pfeiffer deserves those effusive “revelation” statements. There’s not really a cast besides them; hence Tilly is making such an impression.
Outstanding technicals, fantastic Dave Grusin score, The Fabulous Baker Boys is, obviously, fabulous, but it’s also a superb achievement from cast and crew. There’s a lot of exceptional work on display here.
This post is part of the It’s In the Name of the Title Blogathon hosted by Gill of Realweegiemidget Reviews and Rebecca of Taking Up Room.
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Briefly, TV (12 May 2024)
Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (2014) s11e10 “May 5, 2024: Public Libraries” [2024] D: Paul Pennolino. S: John Oliver. It’s another crowd pleaser episode with the feature covering attacks on public libraries throughout the United States. Well, maybe not throughout. Lots of solid jokes, and some good running bits. The news of the week covers students protesting Israeli’s attack on Palestinians, which gets fairly heavy. The library feature gives Oliver something where civic involvement still has a chance.
Black Mirror (2011) s03e02 “Playtest” [2016] D: Dan Trachtenberg. S: Wyatt Russell, Hannah John-Kamen, Wunmi Mosaku, Ken Yamamura, Elizabeth Moynihan, Jamie Paul. Appealing performance from Russell doesn’t make up for the rest of the episode, which is a “plug-the-brain-into-the-computer and not know reality anymore” story. Charlie Brooker’s script doesn’t bring anything to the genre. John-Kamen is good as Russell’s love interest, Mosaku as the technician talking him through the “experience.” The performances deserved better writing.
Beacon 23 (2023) s02e05 “Song of Sorrow” [2024] D: Ayoka Chenzira. S: Stephan James, Natasha Mumba, Noah Lamanna, Ellen Wong, David Tompa, Tenika Davis, Dylan Taylor. Did BEACON 23 just jump the shark? Maybe. After bringing in guest star Tompa, who doesn’t appear to be a professional actor, James and Wong find themselves contending with even more unexpected horse guests. It’s an exceptionally weird episode. Including major world building exposition dumps, which terrify because the show’s awful with those devices. Wong’s great, James looks bored.
The Big Door Prize (2023) s02e02 “Visions” [2024] D: Steven K. Tsuchida. S: Chris O’Dowd, Gabrielle Dennis, Josh Segarra, Sammy Fourlas, Djouliet Amara, Damon Gupton, Ally Maki. Ish episode about O’Dowd and Dennis deciding to go ahead with their “don’t call it a” separation. Plus awkward social moment comedy, the fortune telling machine actually being magic, and not much else. Either they’re all too one dimensional or it’s a LOST situation. Seems like the former. Good Gupton performance. He’s the only standout. Again, concerning.
Crashing (2016) s01e03 “Episode 3” D: George Kane. S: Damien Molony, Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Jonathan Bailey, Louise Ford, Julie Dray, Adrian Scarborough, Amit Shah. Best episode so far about an extremely uncomfortable dinner party for the regular cast. Molony’s making multiple curries, Waller-Bridge’s getting drunk, Ford’s getting embarrassed, and Bailey’s getting jealous. Very intricate cringe humor–Waller-Bridge’s script this time is phenomenal–and some good laughs as well. Excellent performances, pacing, timing, all the things. It’s an exceptional half hour.
My Life Is Murder (2019) s04e02 “Tough Love” [2024] D: Michael Hurst. S: Lucy Lawless, Ebony Vagulans, Rawiri Jobe, Joseph Naufahu, Lisa Chappell, Chelsie Preston Crayford, Anna-Maree Thomas. It’s murder at the country club when a jerkhole tennis pro (Jonno Roberts) ends up dead on the court–killed by his own tennis ball machine. Likable supporting cast of suspects (prick victim helps) gives everyone a nice featured scene or two. Lawless gets to have fun messing with fellow private investigator Chappell. They’ve got their formula down.
My Life Is Murder (2019) s04e01 “To Dye For” [2024] D: Michael Hurst. S: Lucy Lawless, Ebony Vagulans, Rawiri Jobe, Joseph Naufahu, Erik Thomson, Albert Cho, Albert Cho,Sia Trokenheim. Lawless and Vagulans are back with a straightforward murder mystery episode–a wellness influencer washes up on a beach, only she’s been drowned with champagne, not water. And she left her estate to her cat. The investigation quickly focuses on Thomson’s hair salon and rising star Cho. Lots of twists and turns to fill the runtime, but it’s swell.
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Briefly, Comics (11 May 2024)
Legion of Super-Heroes (1980) #311 [1984] W: Paul Levitz. A: Gene Colan, Keith Giffen, Larry Mahlstedt. Thank Granny Goodness for this issue. It’s good. The first story has good art, good story. Brainiac Five finally fails to stop evil AI Computo from escaping. Giffen and Mahlstedt have never done better art. Then it’s Dawnstar and Wildfire’s tragic friends without benefits thing. With space Native American arranged marriage stuff and Colan pencils. Gorgeous but so yikes.
Legion of Super-Heroes (1980) #312 [1984] W: Paul Levitz. A: Karl Kesel, Keith Giffen, Larry Mahlstedt. Kesel’s inks are a let down from last issue but Giffen’s still going all out so it’s okay. Not always successful, but sometimes and significantly. The Legion help the Science Police with terrorist threats the Big Brother computer can’t predict. Lots of tension, lots of horny Legionnaires. And a surprise guest star who the artists are thrilled to draw.
Legion of Super-Heroes (1980) #313 [1984] W: Paul Levitz. A: Keith Giffen, Larry Mahlstedt. It’s an okay finish to the Science Police turncoat story. The art’s not the peak, but not bad. Fun to read. It’s basically a mystery issue; the Legion has to identify the traitor. There are a few subplot checkins, but nothing substantial besides Shrinking Violet kicking ass. Oh, turns out Science Police are bad fascists. Final issue before a series split.
Legion of Super-Heroes Annual (1982) #3 [1984] W: Paul Levitz. A: Curt Swan, Keith Giffen, Larry Mahlstedt, Romeo Tanghal. Swan and Tanghal do an awkward Silver Age-y take (only with eighties outfits), fitting the protracted story. Mordru is back–sort of–but the Legion isn’t prepared because it’s just an annual story. There’s some okay plotting throughout but it’s hard to take it too seriously with the art. Then there big twist finish is a complete whiff.
Superman ’78: The Metal Curtain (2024) #1 W: Robert Venditti. A: Gavin Guidry. Venditti’s writing hasn’t improved since last series. Still using whole bits of dialogue from the movies, risibly juvenile when he’s not. Like a young readers adaptation. Guidry’s art is okay, though his attention to detail is off. Lois investigates crooked Army guys, selling arms, while the Soviets have kryptonite and an American conspirator. It’s eventually at least interesting.
Superman ’78: The Metal Curtain (2024) #2 W: Robert Venditti. A: Gavin Guidry. Improvement over the first issue because Guidry does all right with the action. It’s too fast but also sublime in the pacing. And the story’s better. Superman brings Lois home to meet the parents (who live in Kandor), and is going to try to tell her the secret (again). Too bad Soviet Metallo attacks some American fighter jets.
Superman ’78: The Metal Curtain (2024) #3 W: Robert Venditti. A: Gavin Guidry. It’d be nice if Venditti liked Christopher Reeve Superman. The character. He seems to loathe him. Or Guidry drew it wrong. The art’s all over the place but if it’s supposed to be Lee Marvin as Sam Lane, right on. There’s almost some nice Lois stuff (if just mooning girl stuff, it’s cute). It’s half over and nothing’s happened.
Superman ’78: The Metal Curtain (2024) #4 W: Robert Venditti. A: Gavin Guidry. Based on Guidry’s Gene Hackman Lex Luthor, it’s clear he didn’t get it any more than Venditti. Such bad dialogue for Lex; so joyless. This book’s a bummer. Metallo invades the U.S. There’s a fight. While some of the fight composition is good, many times the details are too broad. It’s like no one involved saw the movies.
Superman ’78: The Metal Curtain (2024) #5 W: Robert Venditti. A: Gavin Guidry. It’s so bad. Venditti’s Superman is a disaster. Both he and Guidry bungle Lex. Sam Lane flops. The issue is about the second act ending at Superman finding out he can’t beat Metallo. Thank goodness he believes everything will be okay for him. Venditti writes Christopher Reeve Superman as a dipshit narcissist. Joy. Thank goodness it’s almost over.
Superman ’78: The Metal Curtain (2024) #6 W: Robert Venditti. A: Gavin Guidry. Well, then. Venditti finally figures out his hook and it has nothing to do with the comic. Or, really, the movies. It’s not as cynical as I’d been expecting (I thought Venditti would just cop out). But it’s trite and bad editing in addition to writing. Venditti once again fails to meet the SUPERMAN IV bar, much less III.
Werewolf by Night (1972) #34 [1975] W: Doug Moench. A: Gil Kane, Tom Palmer. The art is not good but Moench’s haunted house story is solid. The heroes have to go to the house on haunted hill and find the secrets of resurrection for a rich old eccentric. Of course, the secrets will also save Buck. Decent couples interplay between Jack and Topaz, and lots of danger, tension, and streams of consciousness!
Werewolf by Night (1972) #35 [1975] W: Doug Moench. A: Bernie Wrightson, Jim Starlin. Jack’s got to defeat the werewolf at the start, wrapping the cliffhanger. It doesn’t really figure in. Moench keeps going with old dark house tropes and they keep working out. There’re also some intense horror visuals. Everyone still feels in danger; Munch doesn’t let up on the tension. Not quite good, but the horror aspects almost gets it there.
Werewolf by Night (1972) #36 [1976] W: Doug Moench. A: Don Perlin. The haunted house story doesn’t end here; one more to go. The story is so relentlessly tense, relief would be welcome. Instead, Moench just puts everyone in worse and worse danger, from the evil ghost and each other. The ghost possesses people and can cause visions. Half the comic’s about Jack losing it. Terrible art but big writing swing.
Werewolf by Night (1972) #37 [1976] W: Doug Moench. A: Dan Adkins, Ed Hannigan. The issue ends setting up a new direction for the series, but doesn’t actually do anything in the story to prepare. Moench ingloriously shuffles out the supporting cast, who’ve just been through a hell house, with knowing to show for it. The final battle is okay. It’s overwrought but appropriate, given the stakes. Shame about the art, as ever.
Werewolf by Night (1972) #38 [1976] W: Doug Moench. A: Don Perlin. So the bold new beginning for the series is a complete bait and switch. Moench didn’t even keep the supporting cast away. He makes a point to check on them. And he brings back an old, temporarily forgotten subplot (ex-werewolf Raymond Coker). There is one big change, however. The werewolf is a killer. Maybe for the first time.