January '20 Entertainment

Oscars are upon us, so I made sure to knock out Oscar nominated films I enjoyed while revisiting my favorites (Parasite & Joker) as they're now on digital. I went to the theater A LOT this month, as there was a film festival in town & also my local theater is replaying older films (Exorcist & Fight Club). Well lets get to it shall we.. THEATRICAL RELEASE (The Big Screen/Cinema)

The Gentlemen should be viewed ASAP as we need to vote with our tickets and let Hollywood know that we enjoy Original Guy Ritchie films and his return to Crime Fiction. Jojo Rabbit, Knives Out, Ford v Ferarri, and Bombshell are up for Oscars. I would recommend Ford above all, but Jojo and Knives were personal favorites. Jojo felt very Wes Anderson Moonrise Kingdom with a Taika twist on Hitler Youth. Knives Out was an inventive and creative turn on the whole 'whodunit' Mystery Murder game. Ford v Ferarri was my favorite car movie since 2013's film Rush. Fight Club & Exorcist have been out forever, these were replay screenings..if you ever get a chance to view The Exorcist in theaters, do it. DIGITAL STREAMS (TV/FILM)

Mr Robot had it's series finale. One Punch Man returned for Season 2, to huge disappointment for bitter fans over the change of studio/production quality. I was mostly upset with how short and unresolved the story was. HBO's The Outside has just begun and so has Curb Your Enthusiasm. WATCH. (The Outsider is an adaptation of a Stephen King story, need I say more)? Oscar Nominations for Parasite, Joker, Marriage Story, and Two Popes. Parasite & Joker are now purchasable via streaming, these are my TOP 2 films of 2019. Marriage Story and Two Popes are both on Netflix for free. Marriage Story was my favorite of those two, but Two Popes wasn't a bad film. Biggest Oscar film for me was Parasite by Bong Joon Ho. So naturally I revisited his earlier work Memories of Murder and I went and saw him receive the Director Award at the SBIFF.

BOOKS/COMICS/MANGA (READ MOTHER FUCKERS READ)

Farmhand will be adapted to AMC, I am currently reading it as new issues come out. Issue #13 comes out this month? Locke & Key is a completed Graphic Novel that is coming to Netflix next month as a series. It was just announced that Seth & Evan are bringing Memetic to the screen with Lionsgate Entertainment. Promethea, Writing for Comics, and The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen are works from Alan Moore, who's now officially a big part of my diet and up there with Stephen King. Frankenstein, Mary Shelley's original and Junji Ito's adaptation. Please read Frankenstein, it is an incredible book. Junji Ito is one of my favorite Manga (Japanese Comic) writers. Look forward to more each month. Fight Club is Fight Club. The Graphic Novel version was disappointing, I think the story was best left as a one and done type of thing. Kafka is well, a maniac who deeply touches my dark heart. Not included, but part of my monthly comic pull are: Dying is Easy and Basketful of Heads (Joe Hill). LAST BUT NOT LEAST.. Blackhawk Volume 2 was an awesome book that I was fortunate to have a story in. It's available on Amazon and if I can recommend any story besides all of them and my own of course, please read Michelle's Awake. She introduced some new mechanics and a new approach to this Twilight Zone of horror which operated on mostly a Supernatural level.

AND PLEASE REVIEW IF YOU PURCHASE OUR BOOK. ME LOVE YOU LONG TIME.

Eminem: Behind the Cape

It's ironic how the biggest criticisms revolving around Eminem is the content of his lyrics. The same critics who feign offense have shown complete disregard for the lyrics and messages behind other non-eminem radio hits. Songs such as Foster the People's - Pumped Up Kicks(a track with lyrics that tell people they better run while being mowed down by a school shooter) or Baha Men - Who Let the Dog's Out (a track with lyrics that are asking "who let the ugly girls into the club"). So why are these tracks OK, but suddenly we have problems with Eminen's lyrics? I mean both of those other songs make appearances in Disney, Kids Bop, and ultimately are considered great songs for children.. Love or hate Em, we cannot disregard that he has full awareness and intent. Everything is done with purpose and follows a trend while maintaining his brand. He has been pretty consistent with these things since 1999's Slim Shady LP and there are certain notes the man is bound to hit: 1. Talk about rough past and issues with family ; 2. Address the white elephant in the room ; 3. Remind people of his success and dedication ; 4. Provoke and Poke, Namedrop galore ; 5. Touch on politics/topical events ; 6. Relation Shits ; 7. Humor, Dark & Corny to borderline Dad Jokes. etc. And when he goes off brand (Revival), suddenly it's a flop and not appreciated. And for those who say he hasn't shown growth: The word "fag" is pretty much nonexistent in his later works. "Retard" is reserved for his fans, in an almost endearing way (if it at all shows up). Despite murdering women and calling them bitches being a very much consistent trend since the establishment of his brand, he's truly lightened up on the whole thing. He even switched up the roles and had a woman burying him in Kamikaze's song/video for "Good Guy ft. Jessie Reyez" Sure Kim and his mother still come up, but he's grown in the way he handles maintaining that theme and brand. Lately he's focused more on his dad and his most recent track goes after a step father. I admit, I've grown out of this stage (I'm 31 years old), but there are fans who still relate to and love it. It's not for everyone, but he has cornered a market and audience for certain things and he has to maintain his brand. Sure we can argue that it would be nice if he tried to have a more positive and uplifting message. In a sense, Darkness tried to do just that and the critics are railing it. But at least the fans are appreciating it and I even saw one survivor from the Las Vegas Shooting praising the track. But I'm not here to defend him, I'm more interested in making it clear that he knows what he is doing. He has purposeful intent in everything he's been releasing as of late and it's well thought out and constructed.

Taking Back Time

I feel for those who fight their alarms each morning. The day hasn't even started and already they're tired, drained, and struggling against time. Each groggy pressing of the snooze is an uphill battle, a futile attempt, to conquer time and gain more sleep. First thing in the morning, and the day hasn't even started and already succumbing to defeat. Once out of bed, everything must be done in a hurry. The rush begins before the road and well before a single footstep into the workplace. The rat race exist inside the home and it greets these unfortunate souls each and every morning. Nothing taste good and there's "no time" for a healthy breakfast. The sugar and corn syrup seems gratifying in the moment, but they offer a debt that will be collected in the form of an afternoon crash. The shitty coffee, moldy beans and bitter brews. Who has time to "cook" their coffee, who has time to cook anything? Everything must be instant and easy, anything to save time, to give these people more time. No one is telling these people that the low upfront cost is deceptive and everyone ignores the long-term effects of living this way. And why not? Most people feel as though they don't have a choice. It's a luxury to eat healthy, to cook, to take time. "We cannot afford time, we need more time." ... It's an endless cycle. A never-ending battle. Excuse after excuse, justification after justification. Yes, those who work a 9-5 have to put in more effort and work then those who work on their own schedules or from home. They have to go to bed earlier, rise earlier, prep their meals and do other things..Work twice as hard to be healthier. So is it worth it? I don't know.. I've lived both ways and I hope to never go back. Good luck.