Summary:Peridot double-crosses the Crystal Gems upon reactivating a Communication Device in an attempt to contact Yellow Diamond.
Well, this episode was definitely a shocker. It was obvious Peridot was going to use the device she stole from the previous episode to contact the Gem Homeworld but what happens afterward is surprising. It was interesting to watch her break out her giant robot to help escape so she can successfully in phoning home.
By doing so the long awaited debut of Yellow Diamond happens. She’s everything fans thought she would be. Cold, uninterested in others, believing her word is law (because technically it is), and those appear to be her good points. Just as it seems like Peridot is going to rat out the team to her commander, she instead tries to talk sense to Yellow Diamond and insist the Earth doesn’t have to be destroyed. Yellow Diamond won’t hear any of it which results in Peridot calling her a clod and sealing her fate as a resident of Earth and a Crystal Gem. She really has grown as a character.
This is insane. By all elements of cartoon logic, foreshadowing, and storytelling it looked like Peridot was going to totally betray the Crystal Gems and give up the Earth. Instead the creators manage to flip the episode on its head and serve as a way to show Peridot has changed and she is officially a Crystal Gem. Also, kudos to Steven for noticing something was wrong and actually taking the time to look into it. He’s grown a lot as a character this season as well.
Way to go creative team. This is approach is one for the books and the fans will once again appreciate the obvious path wasn’t taken. This week of new episodes has been incredible but all good things must come to an end and tomorrow, the outcome of Peridot’s actions will shown.
The Aftermath of The Force Awakens has been filled with thoughts and speculation on Rey, Snoke, Luke, and Kylo Ren. But one character has seemingly flown under the radar: the film’s second lead, Finn, played by John Boyega.
Not much information is given about Finn in the film. He was taken into the First Order as a child, perhaps even in infancy, and designated FN-2187. He trained as a Stormtrooper (specializing in sanitation, apparently) until he saw the terrors of war first hand, at which point he defected, freeing Resistance pilot Poe Dameron in the process, who in turn gave him the name “Finn.” Then The Force Awakens happens.
But is there more to his backstory? Follow me down the rabbit hole with the Top 5 Theories:
1. Finn Calrissian
Let’s get this one out of the way first. There is one prominent black character from the original Star Wars trilogy, and that’s Lando Calrissian. So, when people saw that one of the new leads was black, rumors started to buzz about a possible relation. The internet then blew up when a Finn puzzle on Amazon seemingly identified him as Lando’s son. This was quickly debunked however, and turned out to be a ploy for the listing to boost sales. The current Amazon listing by Disney holds no mention of the former administrator of Cloud City.
Do the rumors hold any weight though? Empire establishes Lando as a suave, striking man with a sharp tongue and a way with the ladies. Surely he had many “conquests” throughout the galaxy, and one would assume a con-man wouldn’t stick around long enough to know if a son came of it. Is it possible that one of Lando’s ladies (post-Jedi) gave birth without him knowing? Yes, it’s entirely possible. Is it likely? Not very. The Force Awakens did a fine job expanding and displaying diversity in the galaxy, and received praise for it. How would it look if their one new black character was simply a descendent of their last one? It would only serve to make the galaxy smaller.
2. Mandalorian
Could Finn be of Mandalorian descent? It’s a vague notion, but better than him just being a simple nobody. His heritage could explain a lot about his story arc. First and foremost, it could explain how he came under the First Order’s thumb. Maybe, citing the success of the Grand Army of the Republic, the First Order wanted to draft soldiers from Mandalore, seeing them as easy to control.
But Mandalorians aren’t all so easy to manipulate. Star Wars: Rebels has shown that not all of the Mandalorian clones went along quietly as the Republic turned into the Empire. In fact, Captain Rex, one of the most prominent soldiers of the Clone Wars, turned his back on his “destiny” and later joined the Rebellion. So being of Mandalorian descent may not only explain how Finn came to be part of the First Order, but may explain how he was able to defect when his own morals are compromised.
3. Finn is…just FN-2187
Think of all the major characters without any special backstory in the Star Wars universe. Lando Calrissian. Chewbacca. Obi-Wan Kenobi. Han Solo. Most fan favorite characters are just random residents of the galaxy who become ancillary characters to the Skywalkers. Maybe Finn is just that: a supporting character to the Skywalkers (Rey, in particular, if you support that theory).
Maybe his family will come into play at some point, but they may just be more new characters introduced to the saga. Hopefully this is the case; this new trilogy looks to expand the universe, and the way to do that is introduce characters without ties to the past.
4. Son of Sana Starros
If the name doesn’t sound familiar, perhaps “Sana Solo” will. She’s the character from Marvel’s Star Wars comic that generated all the media buzz a few months ago, claiming to be Han Solo’s wife. Spoiler alert: she’s not. She’s just a former associate of his who posed as his wife for a job.
But she exists in the canon, and is around the same age as Han/Luke/Leia, which means her son would be around the same age as Finn by the time of the movie. Lucasfilm had to have known that the introduction of Sana as Han’s wife would make news. Tons of fans now know that Sana exists, even if they don’t read the comic. Perhaps this was a genius marketing move by the Lucasfilm Story Group to secretly introduce Finn’s mother leading up to the film’s release. It wouldn’t be unheard of; they introduced Poe’s parents in the Shattered Empire comic.
5. Finn Windu?
Let’s stamp a big “un-freaking-likely” on this one. But, similar to Lando, Mace is a rare black leading character in the franchise, so the rumors are out there.
Jedi have broken the “no love” rule before. The whole main saga relies on Anakin’s love for Padmé. Luke has loved in the old Expanded Universe, and may have even loved in the new canon. Even Obi-Wan has felt the temptation, as shown in The Clone Wars, and the theory that Rey is his descendant has really picked up steam.
But Mace was always a stickler for the rules, he wouldn’t stray from the Order. Maybe Finn could be a distant relation, his great nephew twice removed or something. But this goes back to the Lando problem, in that it would only serve in making the galaxy smaller.
—
What do you think? Are there other characters from the new Expanded Universe that you think have a relation to Finn? Maybe someone from Rebels, or the Aftermath novel? Let us know in the comments below!
Wednesday afternoon it was revealed that director James Gunn would film Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 using the RED’s WEAPON 8K Vista Vision Camera.
The camera captures 8K at 75 frames per second (fps), 6K at 100 fps, or 4K at 150 fps; that is insane!
After 24-hours of fans debating the merits of film versus digital Gunn explained his reasoning for digital on Facebook. Quentin Tarantino filmed The Hateful Eight in Ultra Panavision 70, and held a roadshow to premiere the epic.
“Firstly, I believe when shooting on a format like the Red Weapon 8K or the Alexa 65, the amount of data is so massive – certainly more so than on a strip of film – that it gives you more freedom in production and post production to create exactly the film you want to create than actual film does. As anyone who has ever worked with me knows, I am a control freak. Such high resolution gives me the ability to control ever single bit of data (to do so would take a long time, but at least the knowledge comforts me). Many filmmakers look to essentially replicate the look of film, but I don’t share that interest. I believe that innovations in camera and shooting technologies as well as visual and practical effects gives us the ability to create a new aesthetic of film, one different from what the past has offered but equally beautiful – perhaps even more so. I respect many of the filmmakers who continue to shoot on film – and some of the most gorgeous movies of 2015 have been in that format. But I think sometimes that the love of actual film is based in nostalgia more than it is in objective beauty. Many filmmakers remember the films of their youth and want to replicate that magic. For me, I’m interested in being one of the many who help to create a new kind of magic that will usher the cinematic experience into the future. What will the children of today think of fondly with nostalgia?” – said Gunn.
Gunn expanded on his statement with three reasons.
1. It is easier to seamlessly incorporate massive amounts of visual, digital effects – including a digital tree and raccoon – into a digital base.
2. One of the ways I capture my actor’s performances is by doing massively long takes, over and over – sometimes up to an hour – much longer than your typical 11-minute reel of film. I find this a better way to capture the energy and rawness in a performance (and we get better outtakes of me yelling at Michael Rooker off-screen).
3.Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 will be utilizing another new technologies I’m very excited about but can’t quite go into yet. But, for this technology, you need a camera the small size of the RED Weapon – a film camera is too big, as is the Alexa 65 (which is also an amazing camera).
What is this new technology that Gunn speaks of? Fans might have to wait till 2017 to find out.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 begins production in February with an expected released date of May 5, 2017.
The film is written and directed by James Gunn and stars Bradley Cooper, Chris Pratt, Dave Bautista, Michael Rooker, Vin Diesel, Zoe Saldana, and Pom Klementieff.
There are moments in time where professional wrestling gets thrust into the mainstream. The 80’s with the rise of Hulk Hogan and the WWF, the mid to late 90’s with the evolution into the Monday Night Wars between World Championship Wrestling and the World Wrestling Federation. If things go the right way, 2016 can prove to be another significant moment in the history of professional wrestling and sports entertainment.
IMPACT WRESTLING FINDS A NEW HOME
The supposed “alternative” to the WWE, and the second largest promotion in the United States, Impact Wrestling has had a rough couple of years. They were kicked off of their original cable home of Spike TV, spent a year on third tier channel Destination America, and have landed back on basic cable at POP TV (the former TV Guide channel). Talent wise there has been a bit of a revolving door with longtime talents like Christopher Daniels, Frankie Kazarian, and A. J. Styles (we’ll talk about him later) leaving, longtime talent Kurt Angle scaling down his in ring activity, and having a bunch of young, but unproven talent. One talent has stood above the rest, current TNA World Champion Ethan Carter III, better known as EC3. Positioning himself as easily the best villain in wrestling today, EC3 can certainly help Impact Wrestling become a viable alternative for pro wrestling fans. Last year, he even put together a ‘campaign’ as to WHY he would make a great world champion.
Watch out Mars, EC3 is coming for you.
THE RISE OF WOMEN, BOTH IN AND OUT OF THE RING
Sasha Banks, Becky Lynch, Bayley, and Charlotte Photo: WWE
One of the many great things that NXT gave fans last year was equal time and a platform for female talent to show how good they really are. Charlotte, Bayley, Sasha Banks, and a number of others showed that women’s wrestling can offer just as much as their male counterparts. Impact Wrestling has a smaller number of performers, but standouts like Madison Rayne, Velvet Sky, and current Knockouts Champion Gail Kim are fantastic performers in their own right. Outside of the ring, the success of Total Divas on the E! Network, now going into its fifth season has given a peek behind the curtain at the lives of the WWE Divas. Also, the independent promotion CHIKARA has Princess KimberLee as its current Grand Champion, making her the first female performer to hold the top title in a major promotion.
TALENT GETTING A LARGER PLATFORM
The past couple years have seen an increased presence of wrestling on the internet and on television. 2016 will have the second season of the surprise hit Lucha Underground on the El Rey Network, a resurgent Impact Wrestling on a new cable home, and WWE SmackDown moving off of the SyFy Channel and moving to USA, where it should have been moved years ago. On top of all of that, the current news that 4 extremely talented wrestlers may be making the jump to the WWE.
The past few days, rumors have been circulating, stories have been reported, and even a “No Comment” from the WWE on the signings of Luke “Doc” Gallows, Karl Anderson, A.J. Styles, and Shinsuke Nakamura. Gallows and Anderson are a very talented tag team but the real coup here is the signing of the “Phenomenal” A.J. Styles and the ‘King Of Strong Style’ Shinsuke Nakamura, both men are as talented as a performer can be, and while their futures are not yet confirmed, if they end up in a WWE ring, it is going to be a great time to be watching wrestling or jumping back onto the bandwagon if you haven’t watched in a while. A more in depth column on these four gentlemen is upcoming if the signings are confirmed.
The Turnbuckle Bandwagon will be a semi regular column covering professional wrestling, sports entertainment, and everything in between
What are your thoughts on the upcoming year? Let me know in the comments or reach out on Twitter @MatPDouglas
Have you ever been ditched by one of your friends because they’ve just gotten a girlfriend? Man Seeking Woman’s second season premiere “Wings” deals exactly with that. And deals with it in the surreal, funny way we’ve come to expect from the show.
Even though the main focus is on Josh (Jay Baruchel), this has been a show that’s been unafraid of taking detours and focus on other characters, as they struggle with finding love or the consequences of their friends and family finding love. This time it is Mike’s turn. Mike (Eric André) finds himself put in the backburner by Josh after Josh has gotten a girlfriend. What follows is the fantastical and surreal representation of real-life conflicts we know and love from Man Seeking Woman: Court battles, protests, and even a slasher movie parody.
Man Seeking Woman often comes off as a show where the writers seem to throw everything at the wall and see what sticks. Often this can be a sign of insecurity on the show’s part, but Man Seeking Woman uses these crazy ideas and detours to represent a message and make it more relatable than a lot of so-called “grounded” TV shows about dating. You can tell everyone is having fun writing and making this show, and thankfully, so are we as viewers.
A lot of this comes through in the show’s style, which often chooses a naturalistic hand-held style. Not in a Friday Night Lights kind of way, but something closer to Michel Gondry. Enough to make it believable, but also enough to let style come through when it wants us to be aware that we’re watching a parody of a specific genre or film. Often this allows the show to be very good-looking, allowing it to show off its Toronto location (It’s Toronto as Chicago, but oh well.)
Man Seeking Woman has made a welcome return to television. If this season opener is a taste of what’s to come, this looks like a show that will match the first season at its best or maybe even surpass it. If you’re having trouble with your love life, this show is out there to remind you that you’re not alone.
Man Seeking Woman airs on FXX on Wednesdays at 10:30PM ET/PT.
If you haven’t watched the show at all, you can get the DVD right here.
When it comes to whether or not you like someone, usually the first thing you take into consideration is their looks. Now it may sound like that’s a little shallow, and well, it kinda is. However I don’t think looks should just be pushed to the side because its a touchy subject. Looks are something that should be celebrated and people should be able to share their preferences of what they find pleasing to the eye. Aesthetic is a major contributor to art in itself and its high time we try to look at it with more consideration. I’m just trying to put some artistic merit into a topic that otherwise would be void of any. So anyway, seeing that Anime is recognized for its visuals more than anything else I think that its sometimes okay to divulge (maybe a little more than need be) into certain aesthetics and why we like them so much. Of course this is a totally subjective topic so I’ll try to make this sound less like a justification and more like an appreciation. So to start it off, this weeks anime aesthetic I will be looking at “hot tan girls” and why they’re so damn hot.
So there is a very particular reason this article is about “tan” girls and not “black” or “dark-skinned” girls. Honestly its just because “tan” fits better and isn’t as much as a mouthful as “dark-skinned”. Also because while there will be black girls mentioned I think that would be a little misleading. Okay I think that’s enough emotional and political buffer, let’s get into it.
Now generally across the board in anime most of the character skin colors are white/cream. Sometimes they have shades of pink or one notch darker on the white scale, but it’s usually very consistent. So I don’t have to tell you that seeing a darker skinned anime character is a commodity in and of itself. It’s almost like seeing a four-leaf clover, once you find it you want to hold cherish it and make a wish. Basically that’s how I sum up my feeling for tan anime girls. Firstly because its such a rarity that its nice to see a change in aesthetic every once in a while. But don’t worry because I’m even more picky when it comes to my tan anime girls.
Miyuki “Basquash”
When I look at a girl like Miyuki here, I tend to find it less appealing among tan anime girls. The simple reasoning I have is that her hair is black. Now I know that black is the natural hair color for someone with darker skin, but anime doesn’t have to be held down by our genes. The reason a girl like Miyuki (with black hair and dark skin) doesn’t work for me is because her hair seems to blend in with her skin color too much. Yep I’m getting that shallow. While I still get that “four-leaf clover effect” every time I see Muyuki her hair and skin combination isn’t exactly what I’m looking for. I often feel the same way about white anime characters with white hair, just too much of the same on one face isn’t all that interesting. However this can sometimes be remedied by the character’s eye color. This is because for a tanned character the eyes stand out more because the Sclera is white and naturally draws you in because it contrasts with everything else.
Choi Mochimazzi “Tamako Market”
So having nice colored or well designed eyes are maybe more beneficial for tanned characters… Or maybe I’m just crazy. Choi Mochimazzi is another good example of a character whose eye design and color seem to benefit from tanned skin. The same for Miyuki, while I dont necessarily like her hair I can appreciate how her skin color helps bring out the color in her eyes and makes them her defining feature (that and other things boobs *cough cough*). It seems that contrasting colors right next to each other seem to make each individual color stand out while still mixing together nicely. If I was any kind of artist I probably would know if there was a term for this, but I don’t. So moving on.
Now you might have already come the same conclusion that I’m about to make. If that’s the case I can already tell we’re kindred spirits when it comes to appreciating tan anime girls. If the contrast for the eyes works and the blending of the hair doesn’t, the only answer must be to have the hair color contrast. Ding ding ding, that’s exactly right! When it comes to tan anime girls I find that if you slap on a different hair color other than black/brown you get something special. Now while this is usually true there are some exceptions. Mainly the fact that dark shades and red for some reason don’t seem to help and end up just mixing in like black hair. Down below I have two examples of this.
(from left to right) Kirche “Familiar of Zero” Yoruichi “Bleach”
The perfect sort of combination that I seem to have concluded is, tan skin with either whitish or pinkish hair. If its white it usually has to have some other shade in it but there is also the rare occasion where just plain white works as well. Then there’s also the rare case where you find a blonde tan girl, but those are even more rare than four-leaf clovers. We’ll call them double rainbow girls. So just know that if you see one you’re gonna have a good day.
So my reasoning for why a tan characters eye’s stand out is sort of the same reason that her fairer hair may stand out as well. You see, most of the time girls have longer hair which sort of encompasses all the best parts of her face. When you put a color like white around something like black, it draws your eyes in and keeps it focused. So I suppose if you have a girl with fair hair and dark skin you’ll be drawn into appreciate her dark skin for the contrast and take everything in more. At the same time you can appreciate the fair hair for bringing out the dark skin and how they may contrast but seem to complement each other (Yet another explanation that could be improved if I actually knew art terms). So now that you have an idea of what I’m getting at, take a gander down below and see if what I’m saying makes any sort of sense to you.
(from left to right) Rena “.Hack”, Chloe Von Einzbern “Fate/Illya”, Zenobia AA Axelrod “Soranica Ele”
Now I don’t know if any of this is getting through to you except that I like tan girls with light-colored hair. But even if that is all you get out of this, then its a success. Personally I don’t really see this as any different than talking about different genres of tv or music and why you like those. Like I said before, anime is more than just storytelling and cool action scenes. Sometimes something as simple as a character design/aesthetic can be all someone needs to watch a show. It may not mean they’ll watch it all the way, but its something that gets them in the door. The world of anime is full of unique aesthetics worth looking at and rambling on about and I’ll be sure to do more articles like this in the future. Oh and before I forget, here’s your double rainbow. Now go on and have a wonderful day.
Tales From The Crypt, the cult horror series from the early 90s, is hopping on the nostalgia train and making a comeback, thanks to the teaming of M. Night Shyamalan and the TNT Network.
According to the story in Variety, Shyamalan and TNT seek to revive Tales From The Crypt and include it in a two-hour block of horror-based shows on the network. The director will have a hand in all of them, but appears to be specifically taking the reins of the anthology-style HBO series. The plots in these stories will pull directly from the original comics by William Gaines.
Sarah Aubrey, the TNT Executive VP of programming, had this to say about the marriage:
“This is a new genre for us in our series efforts and a great chance to partner with M. Night Shyamalan, whose blockbuster hit ‘The Visit’ reminded movie audiences and critics this past summer that he truly is a master of horror. This two-hour horror block demonstrates not only TNT’s commitment to working with today’s top talents, but also our strategy to stand out in today’s marketplace by challenging the conventional rules of programming and scheduling.”
While The Visit wasn’t a “blockbuster” necessarily (I realize she’s selling her new product), it was a wonderful retread for Shyamalan and a return to inventive, exciting horror. I’m not the biggest fan of the director getting bogged down in TV remakes, but if he were to add to his TV credits beyond Wayward Pines, I suppose Tales From The Crypt is a good place for his talents as a storyteller.
Tales From The Crypt will debut with the TNT two-hour block this fall.
Moosehead Lager is one of Canada’s top-selling independent brews
MOOSEHEAD LAGER
FIRST SIP:
Moosehead Lager’s subtle flavour and malty aftertaste give it an easy-drinking quality that is all its own. The first sip is quickly followed by a second, a third, and on until you’ve drunk six pitchers between the three of you and you can’t figure out how to use your Uber app.
LAST SIP:
This isn’t a beer to let go to room temperature. That’s no great mark against it though, especially because Moosehead Lager isn’t a beer that people let sit for very long. It has an “un-putdownable” quality like Lay’s Potato Chips or Timbits (it also pairs well with both).
OTHER COMMENTS:
It’s no secret why Moosehead Lager has become one of Canada’s most popular beers to drink. Moosehead Lager doesn’t go for the jaw-clenching bitterness of some IPAs, its strength is in its smoothness.
Steam Whistle Pilsner is a leader in independent Toronto brewing
STEAM WHISTLE PILSNER
FIRST SIP:
Steam Whistle Pilsner’s crisp, hoppy flavour is most noticeable on the first sip. Like black coffee or dark chocolate, Steam Whistle Pilsner’s well-balanced bitterness allows it to carve out a niche for itself as a smooth, easy-drinking beer with just a bit of an edge. That subtle edge can turn off first-time drinkers but, like coffee, Steam Whistle Pilsner is an acquired taste.
LAST SIP:
Damn, that was a fine beer. It’s horrible warm—tastes like some kind of herbal remedy—but, again, no big mark against it there. I understand why some people don’t like drinking a lot of these, the flavour can be upsetting if enjoyed “irresponsibly.”
OTHER COMMENTS:
Full disclosure, this is my regular-drinkin’ beer so I have to admit some bias when I say that this is the best beer ever hands down. That being said, if I approach it dispassionately, the crispness of the hops and the fresh, almost nonexistent aftertaste are what draw me to it.
FINAL BEER ASSESSMENT
For my money, I’ll always go with Steam Whistle—unless I’m poor because Moosehead is almost always less expensive. That being said, choice has a lot to do with circumstances. You want a nigh-chuggable beer that’s easy on the pocketbook? Look no further than Moosehead Lager. You want a beer that you can truly enjoy one or six of? Steam Whistle Pilsner.
If, like me, you are a child of the 80’s, then you will almost certainly know of the awesome cartoon that is VISIONARIES. If you’re not aware then let me give you a brief description. The story followed the ongoing battle between The Spectral Knights (good guys) and The Darkling Lords (bad guys). The setting is a world where technology has failed and magic is now the currency.
Now I loved this show and it unfortunately only lasted one season due to the toy line that was produced not selling well. This is a massive shame as it had some amazing characters and ideas that hadn’t been used before. I still remember watching the intro and being amazed. For those that haven’t seen it before, here it is.
I loved the powers that the characters had in the show. Each person was dressed like knights with armour on which had a chest plate, once they acquired the magic from Merklynn the Wizard each one was given an animal totem. For the Spectral Knights you had Leoric (Lion), Feryl (Wolf), Cryotek (Bear) and Witterquick (Cheetah). On the Darkling Lords there was Darkstrom (Mollusk), Cinder (Gorilla), Cravex (Phylot, think terradactyl) and Virulina (Shark).
When the situation called for it the knight could turn into this animal for a short period of time. Pretty cool right. But that’s not the best part, almost all the characters had staffs that could be charged with a magical symbol. When a certain incantation was spoken out loud, it would bring the symbol to life. To this day I still remember nearly all the rhymes they had to say. My favourite one was Witterquicks which was “Sheathe these feet in the driving gale, Make swift these legs o’er land I sail”. A man would emerge from the staff and surround Witterquick and carry him away at light speed. This is why I would love it to become live action because it’s so fantastical that it’s brilliant.
The reason I think that this would work as live action is that with today’s technology it would be so easy to bring the magic elements of the characters to the big screen. If you look at what they could do with motion capture now, it gives you so many possibilities for what you could do. Plus who wouldn’t want to see a giant Archer shooting down a crazy monster hell bent on destroying everything in its path.
The reality is that this may actual happen. In December last year it was announced that Hasbro and Paramount were working on a cinematic universe that would include characters from Visionaries, G.I Joe, Micronauts, M.A.S.K and Rom. Here is an article courtesy of The Hollywood Reporter about it http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/paramount-hasbro-gi-joe-universe-848920
I’m not sure how they would fit in with the likes of G.I Joe and M.A.S.K as the Visionaries was set in a time where technology had failed so they would be going backwards in the story arc. Unless they are sent back in time by Merklynn to try to put right whatever it was that put an end to technology. That’s just an idea of mine that could be way off the mark.
Well that’s all from me for now. I hope you’ve enjoyed my first post and hopefully there will be lots more to come. If you have any questions or theories of your own regarding the Visionaries or the upcoming crossover universe, then drop me a message as I do love a good discussion about this stuff.
2015 was loaded with wonderful films. These wonderful films spanned the breadth of the cinematic experience from epic to internal with some doing both at the very same time. A couple of my now all-time favorites came during this year. For the films receiving and more than deserving of these accolades, there is one movie that came harder, pleased greater, loved longer and bared more goods than the rest. That movie is Magic Mike XXL.
“Guess I know what today is gonna be like.”
Being the follow-up to Steven Soderbergh’s surprise hit, Magic Mike, Magic Mike XXL felt to the uninitiated like a cheap cash-in to a title that made some money based only slightly on star Channing Tatum’s titillating life. Well, yeah, there is that, but Magic Mike XXL (known henceforth simply as XXL) knows exactly what made the first film work and what to build from, what to jettison and what to amp up on a second go-around.
XXL decides very early on that it wants to focus on being a good time first and foremost. Magic Mike was at its most stagnant when telling its story about the loss of innocence. XXL isn’t about that at all. We’re all adults here, it says, and it wants to pleasure us as much as possible while we are in its presence.
With the fairy-tale relationship from Magic Mike not having worked out, Mike (Channing Tatum) is trying to justify living a life barely getting by even if it is through his initial dream of creating custom-made furniture. When Tarzan (Kevin Nash) calls Mike to tell him that former manager/pimp Dallas (Matthew McConaughey) is no longer with the team, Mike assumes Dallas has departed this world when he has actually just bounced for greener pastures overseas. Still, this abandonment leaves the Kings of Tampa with enough freedom to seek out success on their own, even if they don’t know how to achieve it.
“If you’re going to be here, be here, man. Be present.”
The Kings consider this their “Last Ride” as they travel to Myrtle Beach in search of a small bit of glory at the local stripper showcase. There is personal redemption at stake as each character alongside Tatum is looking for what they love in this world and how to please those who share in that particular fascination. The most lovely thing about XXL is that it is entirely about loving who you are as a person and how you’re able to circulate that love back into the world. This message makes XXL one of the most positive movies to have ever graced our screens.
Early on, Mike is still straddling the line between two worlds: one being this ludicrous road trip and the other handling his fledgling furniture business through his cell phone. The guys won’t have any of this wishy-washy attitude and Mike’s phone gets tossed out the window of the food truck they’re all sharing. Mike is forced to let go completely of the life he thinks he wants and to dive straight into the life that he doesn’t yet remember how much he loves. XXL wants us to know that there is very little room for not being present in a situation. Whether you’re in class, at work, making love, dancing or just talking to someone, choose to give yourself over to the moment and listen and engage.
Donald Glover’s character, Andre, makes his entire living off of listening and being present. As one of Rome’s (Jada Pinkett Smith) dancers at her estate, Andre doesn’t even try to share the same talents of other dancers like Malik (Stephen “Twitch” Boss) or Augustus (Michael Strahan) which are more physical and primal. Instead, he asks a woman a couple of questions: “What’s your name”, “What do you love” and he raps to her, having only the most basic of information. Andre strips down what a woman says to him and gives it back to her, interpreting her words and internalizing them almost immediately. He’s not just listening, he’s engaging. Clothes end up coming off because, duh, but that is secondary to understanding what another person truly wants and keying on those details first.
“Well I’d say it’s still your day, ma’am.”
One particular thread involves Joe Manganiello’s “Big Dick” Richie aching to find a woman who can handle how massive his penis is. On the page, this can be viewed as crass and, if mishandled, would have shoved this movie into the realm of chauvinism. Its unfolding, however, is a metaphor for Richie wanting to find a woman who can accept him for who he is. Richie is a genuinely sweet man who hasn’t been able to have sex with a woman for five months (I know this isn’t actually a long time but for a man who is a stripper and who also happens to look like Joe Manganiello, I’m sure it’s an eternity) because a characteristic of his that he can’t control literally doesn’t fit with most women. This is who he is. When feeling down about this, Richie gains a thrust of confidence from Mike and the gang when they convince him to go into a convenience store and make the thoroughly uninterested female clerk smile.
Making a woman happy is his therapy.
In another detour, the Kings come across a group of southern belles having a ladies night over many bottles of wine in an expansive manor. The guys are initially there to find a younger, previous acquaintance but are intercepted by her mother and are immediately found out of their intentions. In a broader comedy, this rendezvous would turn into a raunchy strip-session where the group of “older” women are revealed to be horny milfs who, surprise!, enjoy watching Channing Tatum get naked. Instead, the Kings and the women discuss getting older, unfulfilling relationships, marriages without passion and screwing with the lights off. Once ex-housewife, Nancy (Andie MacDowell), expresses her sexual frustrations having only ever been with one man, Richie tells her exactly what she needs to hear: that she is wanted. Richie just unknowingly found his “glass slipper” and did so by being a kind, charming man. Nancy was able to handle his immensity not necessarily because of any physical difference but because Richie opened her up emotionally. When Mike asks Richie in the morning if Nancy was the glass slipper, Richie’s coy response strikes deeper than a kiss-and-tell dudebro boast.
“Look, it’s not bro time, it’s show time. Are you guys ready?”
XXL is also a movie of the most interesting sort in that it showcases professionals being very, very good at their jobs. Channing Tatum’s first dance of the movie, when he rediscovers his roots grinding to “Pony” in his toolshed, is arguably the coolest of the film and the theatrics and talent only escalate from there. Soderbergh serves as director of photography on XXL (under a pseudonym) and it’s clear that he knows how to shoot these men, which largely is just to leave the camera where it is and let the love unfold. That isn’t to say his work is easy, Soderbergh’s and director, Gregory Jacobs’, lens selection is much more complex than a hit-the-road comedy ever needs to be. We are always watching the events unfold at their most vital moment and from the most interesting perspective.
Witnessing this film in a packed theater full of women is an admittedly biased event but a powerful one nonetheless. The communal theatrical experience is what distinguishes going to the movies from Netflix and chilling your way through “Breaking Bad”. XXL plays big and loud and it is personal enough to draw you in through subtlety, to warm you up, to get you hot and bothered and to finally release its emotional catharsis all over the room. Unlike the jerk and tug of many summer blockbusters, XXL looks deep into your eyes and pillow-talks you through a loving embrace all while being engrossingly filthy. It is a true love.
Magic Mike XXL deserves hours and hours of discussion. Mike at one point declares, when talking with Amber Heard’s character, Zoe, that, “Yes, my God is a She.” Again, taken out of context that can be seen as some cute feministic throwaway line, but it is actually the truth of Mike’s character. Woman is his God as she is the express purpose he and the rest of the Kings of Tampa are on this planet. They worship Woman for Woman is their livelihood and the truest sense of their selves. Each character might have a goal outside of stripping but they are all here on this trip because they’ve been denying who they really are which is men who ache to please others. Denying who you are as a person is the surefire way to experience sadness even in the light of success. Throwing away your fireman costume and jumping into your big wedding night sex swing because that’s all you’ve ever wanted is triumph.
That is what Magic Mike XXL is: an absolute triumph of personality.
