Star Wars: The Bad Batch Season 1

Star Wars: The Bad Batch Season 1 (Jennifer Corbett and Dave Filoni, 2021)

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Science Fiction, Action, Adventure

I was super excited when The Bad Batch was announced as I loved the introduction to this troop in Clone Wars. This new series did not disappoint. The animation is stellar, the storylines work, the characters are all interesting and each has their own quirks. While this isn't as good as Rebels or The Mandalorian, it is still really engaging. Introducing a child, Omega, was a fun twist and I can't wait to see how she fits into the bigger picture of the Star Wars universe.

The recent Star Wars shows have done a wonderful job at weaving together to make a cohesive universe. It's fun to be reminded of other storylines, events, and even see characters from other shows (Rebels, Clone Wars, The Mandalorian) show up in The Bad Batch.

Season 1 Rating: DSQ=10, SP=7 / Decadence

Scale A=4, Scale B=3, Scale C=3, Scale D=3, Scale E=4

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Judas and the Black Messiah

Judas and the Black Messiah (Shaka King, 2021)

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Rating: Q=6, P=5 / Average OJ

Scale 1=3, Scale 2=3, Scale 3=3, Scale 4=2

Biopic, Civil Rights, Black Panthers, Fred Hampton, Race, 1960s

This is an important film about people and events that this country doesn't talk about, that I never learned about in school. Everyone needs to know who Fred Hampton was, who Bill O'Neal was, and what the FBI did. The film is edited so well--switching back and forth between the empowered Black Panthers, led by Fred Hampton, and the terrified and guilt-ridden informer, Bill O'Neal. It is disturbing and makes the viewer feel awful and angry. Masterful performances by Daniel Kaluuya and LaKeith Stanfield. I hope people watch this and learn. Very apt timing, unfortunately, as history seems to always repeat itself again and again.

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Loki Season 1

Loki Season 1 (Michael Waldron, 2021)

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Rating: DSQ=11, SP=8 / Decadence

Scale A=4, Scale B=4, Scale C=3, Scale D=4, Scale E=4

Marvel, Science Fiction, Fantasy, Action, Adventure, Complex Relationships

Of all the bazillion characters that exist in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), Loki is hands down my favorite. The God of Mischief is, in my opinion, the most complex, intriguing, and entertaining character to watch. And Tom Hiddleston makes Loki a wonderful blend of charisma, vanity, two-facedness, longing, and so much more (and very easy on the eyes, I must say). I had no expectations for a Loki series, but I was blown away with the direction that Marvel took this one. The show feels the most like a comic book of all MCU stuff I've seen--the quick pace, bright colors, character interactions and reveals, endless cliffhangers--which was amazing and somehow also different than the rest of the MCU. And even with all that emphasis on artistry it also managed to bring us a level of character development and growth uncommon in Action/Superhero films. Loki truly has grown from villain to anti-hero. So good! I am impatient to see what will happen next. Gimme more!

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Nomadland

Nomadland (Chloe Zhao, 2020)

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Rating: Q=8, P=7 / Obsession

Scale 1=4, Scale 2=4, Scale 3=4, Scale 4=3

Grief/Coping, Pseudo-Documentary, Social Realism, Travel

This film is a poem. So beautiful. Chloe Zhao has made a masterpiece (only her third film!). I felt like I was watching something momentous in the history of filmmaking. Frances McDormand is incredible--her performance feels so candid, emotional, and meaningful. Watching Fern embrace a nomad lifestyle as she copes with so much loss is moving and important. Through Fern we see ourselves as individuals and as a broken species. As she says at the beginning of the film, she is not homeless, just houseless. Who is to say that the human society we've created--with mortgages, regular schedules, jobs with insurance and benefits, etc.--is the way we should be living?

This film definitely deserved the Best Picture and Best Actress awards. Probably my favorite Best Picture winner in quite a while. Magnificent.

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