Under the Wire is a new documentary about war correspondent Marie Colvin and her photographer companion Paul Conroy. It follows the two as they travel into Syria during the Syrian Civil War with the aim of capturing the citizens’ anguish. Colvin and Conroy are also the subjects of the recently released biopic A Private War.
This documentary is certainly quite hard to watch at times. Real footage of the people involved in the war is used, and while the most graphic imagery is not shown, the film doesn’t shy away from showing the horrors of the war. Particularly disturbing was a sequence showing one of the field hospitals in which doctors use insufficient equipment in an attempt to treat those who have been injured. This shows the true impact of war on a country and its people, especially the everyday citizens who want nothing more than to survive in peace.
Much of the film plays out like a thriller. The movie is comprised of actual footage from the journalists’ experiences and interviews with the survivors, telling and narrating the story. This makes the it feel more personal since Conroy is telling the story himself. It also becomes all the more haunting because you are able to see the expressions of horror on Conroy’s face as he recalls what happened.
The film also does a good job of establishing audience sympathy for the subjects. In our day and age, many people have a hard time trusting journalists. This movie shows Colvin and Conroy in a (deservedly) much more positive light. They risked their lives to inform the people of the world and advocate for those without a voice. That is a heroic deed that deserves a tremendous amount of respect, and the film gives that to them.
On the other hand, the movie doesn’t feel like it is giving adequate respect to the Syrians that made a positive impact. There were a few segments in which their contributions were highlighted, but these were few and far between. The only Syrians that were given any real development were the translator and one of the field doctors. Otherwise, the film seems to make the audience want to think that Syrians are either evil or victimized.
The documentary is very well-assembled, though. The war footage is gritty and well-integrated, contributing quite a bit to the movie’s messages. The interviews are also well-done, with solid composition and cinematography that makes them more interesting to the eye.
Overall, Under the Wire is an intense and well-made doc. Even though it may be a little too focused on the “white savior” in the situation, it still effectively captures the horrors of war.
Jonathan is a new film directed by Bill Oliver and starring Ansel Elgort and Suki Waterhouse. The movie is about a man who leaves work everyday at noon, goes home and to bed, and wakes up the next morning with a video telling him about the other half of his day. It debuted at the 2018 Tribeca Film Festival to a positive reception.
This film’s premise definitely has a lot of potential, and towards the beginning, it is quite intriguing. That being said, the mystery is revealed far too early. After the big twist is discovered, the movie no longer had its same allure. It began to feel slightly repetitive and tiresome.
Part of the film’s issue is that it doesn’t have a true antagonist. Instead, it opts to make its protagonist into a Byronic hero. Again, this works at first, but the internal conflict was not strong enough for this type of story to be compelling. Furthermore, the premise tries to turn the internal conflict into an external conflict and is largely unsuccessful.
The movie also struggles in developing the characters in general. Jonathan is relatively sympathetic, but that is because he is the protagonist. John, on the other hand, is rather flat and not given enough development. Perhaps that is because none of the story is presented from his perspective. Supporting characters, such as Elena and Dr. Nariman, are even less developed.
Additionally, the film attempts to have some larger ethical implications, but these too fall flat. It is hard to truly evaluate the ethics of something as rooted in science-fiction as this. It is obvious that the script is trying to draw parallelisms between the premise and other issues that are important in our society today, but again, this is not communicated clearly enough.
At times, the movie is somewhat entertaining to watch. It does begin to feel old after a while, and even though its runtime is only an hour and thirty-five minutes, it does feel much longer. The film lacks humor or thrills, instead focusing on character drama. Normally, this can still work, but not when the characters are so poorly-written.
That being said, Ansel Elgort’s performance absolutely makes the movie. He is great in both roles, delivering a nuanced and complex dual performance. His emotion is surprisingly genuine and he is also able to bring his signature charm to the role. His chemistry with the other actors is strong too, although they aren’t always at their best.
Overall, Jonathan was a disappointing film. It starts out strongly, but loses track when it has its big reveal. That being said, Ansel Elgort’s performance makes it worth checking out.
Michael Kudlitz returned to The Walking Dead set to direct his former castmates in this episode, and wait… when did Daryl Dixon get a DOG?!
Carol (Melissa McBride) and Henry (Matt Lintz) pay a visit to vagabond Daryl’s (Norman Reedus) camp-for-one, and it’s clear that this isn’t the first time she’s made the trip. This time, though, she’s got company. Henry didn’t know the direction of the route, and Carol had to point out several booby traps that Daryl had set. It’s also evident that she still loves Daryl, especially with the look she gives him while cutting his shaggy hair. She also gives him that sly grin the next morning at his camp as she asks how he slept. Perhaps Pookie’s getting a little secret side action? Highly unlikely, but not impossible.
Norman Reedus as Daryl Dixon, Melissa McBride as Carol Peletier – The Walking Dead – Season 9, Episode 7 – Photo Credit: Gene Page/AMC
Honestly, neither Daryl nor Henry slept well, as they had to deal with a swarm of walkers in the traps that were after Daryl’s dog. Afterward, the two have a heart to heart, and Henry knows that his adoptive mother still has caring feelings for Daryl. I doubt he suspects that anything is going on, though, if there even is. Carol knows that this conversation happened, so her “sleep” comment may be just that. It just seemed like the type of comment that someone would make after a night of canoodling.
Nadia Hilker as Magna, Eleanor Matsuura as Yumiko – The Walking Dead – Season 9, Episode 7 – Photo Credit: Gene Page/AMC
Michonne (Danai Gurira) and Siddiq (Avi Nash) are on their way to Hilltop with the newcomers, and they stumble upon their ransacked camp. Luke (Dan Fogler), a former music teacher, sifts through the remaining possessions, desperate to find something in particular. Upon making camp for the night, we discover that he had recovered the beloved item, a Stradivarius violin from the 1700’s. He proceeded to tell the group about how music and art helped shape ancient civilizations, and music and art are a beacon of hope for the new world.
Newly re-elected Jesus (Tom Payne) is running Hilltop much to his chagrin. He seems to think this position of power will only be temporary, as we learn that Maggie (Lauren Cohan) has joined Georgie (Jayne Atkinson), who we briefly met last season, and is helping set up yet another community. Tara’s (Alanna Masterson) keeping tabs on him and Hilltop, acting as a liaison to the people, but Jesus is very disinterested.
What Jesus is interested in, though, is Aaron (Ross Marquand), it seems. The two characters are openly gay, so it would make sense for them to be together. Jesus has been training Aaron in hand to hand combat, which is something that Aaron’s been eager to learn. Are they an item? Again, doubtful, but their friendship has definitely flourished enough that they’re making secret rendezvous to spar.
This episode has given us a view of everyone’s place within the communities after the recent time jump. Jobs are solid, and everyone knows their role in making a life for themselves and others. However, there are still some very disturbing unanswered questions. What happened between Maggie and Michonne and their respective civilizations that has caused a discord? What are the matching scars that Michonne and Daryl have on their backs? Will Daryl ever stop searching for Rick? What the hell happened to Rosita (Christian Serratos)? And where is Eugene (Josh McDermitt)?
We’ll hopefully get a better look into these topics and more in next week’s mid-season finale. What do you expect to see resolved in the next episode? What cliffhanger do you think we’ll get? Do you think anyone of importance will die?
Stories are full of characters being turned to the other side and Star WarsResistance carries on this timeless tradition with Episode 7, “Synara’s Score.” The tale’s been told before, but to be honest, it never grows old. Anakin turned to the dark side and became Darth Vader, while Agent Kallus left the Imperial Navy to join forces with the Rebel Alliance. Even characters like Hondo Ohnaka (a pirate) have played both sides of the fence throughout galactic history.
Episode 7 of Star Wars Resistance seems to be setting up a similar situation through Synara San (Nazneen Contractor). Whether she’ll defect like Kallus or play both sides like Hondo is unknown. There’s also the bond between Synara and Tam, which will likely play a major role in the upcoming arc.
Captain Doza’s appointed Yeager to fix a tracking computer for the defense system on the Colossus. Not only is Yeager behind, but there’s a rare military-grade computer chip which needs to be replaced for the system to work.
Tam and Kaz are tasked with finding this chip, although the reality of the situation seems bleak. They try the Office of Acquisitions first and are laughed out by Flix and Orca. Next Kaz suggests they talk to Synara who’s working scavenging duties on the platform. It’s clear Kaz has a crush of Synara, who obviously isn’t reciprocating his feelings.
Tam steps in before Kaz makes a total fool out of himself and tells Synara the chip they’re looking for. Ironically, Synara not only finds the chip but does it in record time (because kids wouldn’t notice such a convenient plot moving scenario, right Disney?).
Image Via Disney Studios and Lucasfilm
Synara decides to investigate what the chip could be fixing and discovers it’s for the Colossus’ defense system. Reporting her findings to Kragan Gorr (Gary Anthony Williams), she’s told to get confirmation. Heading over to Yeager’s bay, Synara brings a box of parts in order to get a better look at what Tam, Kaz, and Neeku are working on.
She discovers her predictions were correct but also gets dragged into an impromptu lunch with Tam. The lunch date (yes shippers, ship away) finally reveals Tam’s backstory and how she ended up on the Colossus. It also shows that Synara and Tam have a good bit in common (and it’s romantically cute).
Image via Disney Studios and Lucasfilm
The Aces leave for their job and right on cue, the pirates swoop in to start wrecking the Colossus. Yeager and Kaz take off to install the tracking computer while Tam runs off with BB-8 towards the heavily damaged platform to help Synara.
Yeager and Kaz run into Kragan and his goons, resulting in a five-minute action-packed fight scene as they try to install the tracking computer into the defense systems mount. Meanwhile, Tam is fighting pirates on the platform and kicking some major behind, with a little assistance from BB-8. Her and Synara run into one another and a pirate almost blows Synara’s cover, but not before she knocks him out cold.
Image via Disney Studios and Lucasfilm
Thinking she’s just been saved, Tam thanks Synara while the spy pirate questions Tam as to why she’s on the platform. Tam responds with “that’s what friends do,” referring towards her rescue attempt. This shocks Synara, as she’s likely never had anyone risk their life for her.
Yeager and Kaz eventually get the defense system online and the pirates retreat. Captain Doza, however, isn’t happy with the condition of the Colossus. Taking matters into his own hands, Doza contacts Commander Pyre through the First Order and arranges a meeting to discuss protection.
Resistance Episode 7, Synara’s Score Review
“Synara’s Score” is a good overall episode containing plenty of action, along with character development the series’ been starving for. We got to learn more about Tam while also seeing Yeager in action. The Aces, however, remain mostly unseen. For a series allegedly designed around pilots and spaceships, we’ve barely had the chance to see them in action after seven episodes.
The developing relationship between Tam and Synara is adorable, even if Disney never has the cojones to step out and declare it a romantic one. Likewise, it was nice to see Kaz doing something right again while he fought side-by-side with Yeager.
Image via Disney Studios and Lucasfilm
The only noticeable problem in “Synara’s Score,” is one seen throughout most of the Star Wars Resistance episodes. For some reason, generic characters are often duplicated (digitally copied) with minor changes to fill in space gaps. While this is a common practice, it’s surprising Disney uses these techniques with the monster budgets at their disposal. Some of the characters are also lazily copied and its hard to see any noticeable differences, like several of the pirates during the battle on the Colossus. While not a major issue, it’s still a surprising one from the Disney and Lucasfilm camp.
Image via Disney Studios and Lucasfilm
Now that the arc with the First Order is beginning and the pirate one is coming to an end, it’ll be interesting to see how the pirates are handled. Knowing the First Order, loose ends will likely be tied up, so what’ll happen to Synara?
Image via Disney Studios and Lucasfilm
Let us know in the comments below regarding your thoughts on Synara and episode 7 of Star Wars Resistance. “May the Force be with you, always.”
Christian Wibe is a musician turned film and television composer who created the horrifically fun soundscape for Dead Snow, the comedic tunes of Hellfjord, and takes over scoring for the WWE-produced The Marine series with The Marine 6: Close Quarters.
Popaxiom borrowed some of Christian’s time to talk about his career in music and what it’s like going from horror to comedy to action and back around again.
Opening Notes
Christian didn’t come from a musical family. His parents were fans of music “They listened to a lot of music. The Beatles … Michael Jackson was a big part of it.” From those early influences “I got into hard rock … Metallica, Pantera, that kind of stuff.”
The mid-30s musician and new father doesn’t know a world without music “It’s been a big part of my life since I can remember. It’s been something I’ve cared about my whole life. It’s a big passion for me.”
From The Beatles to Michael Jackson to hard rock, the road formed ahead for Christian “I had been playing music for a while but getting into Metallica and the like … I picked up the guitar. Eventually, I formed a band called Animal Alpha and we had relatively good success with that. Through the band, I met director Tommy Wirkola (Dead Snow), and he asked me if I would do a film score.”
For Christian “It was the perfect opportunity to try something new.”
Trying New Stuff
The composer hasn’t stopped trying this new thing since. Before The Marine 6, Christian worked on a comedy. So, how is that different from action projects like Dead Snow? “Hellfjord is a softer approach … more of an underscore.”
But the zombie action flick “Dead Snow is more about a driving score because it’s an action movie.”
What more is there to say about Dead Snow than “They are so much fun to be a part of.”
Christian’s work is everywhere, and his collaboration with Tommy Wirkola continues in What Happened to Monday on Netflix. About the sci-fi, dystopian film “It was a lot of fun to work on. Such an interesting world.”
The Marine 6: Close Quarters
The new film in The Marine movie franchise stars WWE superstar “The Miz” and according to Christian the score “… is a big action score, and it’s very tied to the picture.”
Working on The Marine 6 was a bit of an action movie in itself “I didn’t have a lot of time. I had six weeks to work on the score.”
However, even during the time crunch, Christian did some homework to find sonic inspiration “I did watch the previous one, Marine 5.”
The Marine films have no central musical theme that carries from one to the next “I took notice of that, and I felt free to do my own thing. Marine 6 is very different from the previous one, and so there were a lot of directions.”
What’s in Christian’s action music making DNA that subconsciously inspired The Marine 6? “Coming from the hard rock world, I really love driving and energetic scores. Particularly when it comes to the action stuff. So, scores like Mad Max, Sicario, some of the Bourne scores. A lot of percussion and driving strings. The Dark Knight I liked a lot.”
As we know, there are slight variations of the same movie as the production comes to a close. Each new version often means updating the music “It’s definitely a time-thief to conform and rewrite music to new edits. But it’s part of the process, it’s fun.”
Wrapping Up
All life is a cliffhanger “I’m currently working on a sci-fi/action project, but it’s a little too early to talk about it. A few other projects but nothing that I’m able to talk about.”
The future is clear for Christian “I love composing. I want to do film scores.”
Thanks to Christian Wibe and Impact24 PR for making this interview possible.
The recent release of a teaser image for The War of the Realms suggests Thor will dig deep into Marvel’s lineup, across the 10 realms, to prevent complete and utter galactic chaos!
The creative team behind The Mighty Thor, Jason Aaron and Russell Dauterman, are reuniting for the project that will tab Malekith, The Dark Elf, spanning the realms, rampaging and making his way toward Midgard, against a laundry list of Marvel heroes (and villains), as a war will soon begin.
“I have been building towards The War of the Realms for the entire duration of my Thor run, said Aaron. “We’re talking six years and 80-something issues and counting. This is a war that covers the entire globe and involves the biggest heroes of the Marvel Universe, as you can see in this amazing promo piece.”
So, there is a lot to digest in the initial teaser image (above). Are you looking at this picture? Captain America is riding a winged horse, Daredevil is wielding a huge sword and dawning a galaxy-themed suit, there looks to be cameos by Blade, Punisher and Venom, among others, and … the big one … The God of Thunder has two, count ‘em, two hammers!
The War of the Realms begins in April, 2019, and will span over six issues, culminating with an endgame in June. Keep an eye out for more information as the event draws near.
Get an exclusive first-look at The War of the Realms, including a video breakdown, via Marvel, HERE.
What do you think, is this shaping up to be an epic war? Who do you hope to see make a cameo in the six-issue series? Who emerges victorious? Let us know in the comments section below.
Where does Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwaldrank in the Harry Potter franchise? In the latest episode of Kieran’s Movie Space, Kieran discusses and ranks every instalment of the Wizarding World! What is the best Harry Potter movie? Is The Crimes of Grindelwald a worthy addition to the series? Listen to the episode below and find out!
If you like what you hear, it would be awesome if you hit the like/subscribe buttons and drop a comment in the appropriate section.
Listen to the review below:
What Is Kieran’s Movie Space?
Kieran’s Movie Space is an insightful, fun and reliable new podcast for fans of all things cinema. Host Kieran McLean delivers in-depth reviews of the latest movie releases, from small indie movies to massive blockbusters. New episodes weekly…or whenever I feel like posting.
Still recovering from Stephen Bonnet’s betrayal in the fourth season premiere, “America the Beautiful,” the Frasers arrive at River Run, the plantation home of Jame’s Aunt Jocasta, at the beginning of “Do No Harm.” Having arrived in Georgia back in the third season finale, “Eye of the Storm,” the intrepid family of misfits has made their way to North Carolina. Along the way, their bag of gems is stolen, one of their party is executed for murder, and one of their party is murdered himself. At least Young Ian has a loyal, and somewhat threatening, dog.
The Frasers arrive at River Run penniless, but Jocasta welcomes the trio of immigrants warmly. Claire’s introduction to Jamie’s functionally blind Aunt Jocasta is a bit prickly, but everyone is civil. It’s obvious that Claire appreciates Jocasta, and vice versa, but neither agrees with the other’s politics. Jocasta seeks to keep an even keel, where Claire, more often than not, actively tries to upset the status-quo.
OUTLANDER: “Do No Harm” – Putting On Heirs
In a somewhat foreseeable development, Jocasta names Jamie her sole heir. This means that the administration of the River Run estate will fall to him. Having already decided to stay in ‘the colonies’ in “America the Beautiful,” Jocasta’s offer seems pretty good indeed. The only issue is that Jocasta’s plantation is managed by a force of over 100 slaves, and, quite rightly, neither Jamie nor Claire will agree to keep slaves.
The obvious answer to Jamie and Claire’s ethical dilemma seems to be to free the slaves. But as Jocasta and Farquard Campbell point out to Jamie, doing so would involve an astronomical cost and a bureaucratic nightmare: the Frasers would have to prove to the North Carolina government that each of the 150 or so slaves belonging to them had performed a meritorious act, such as saving a life.
OUTLANDER: “Do No Harm” – “More laudanum please…”
Newly named as River Run’s administrators, Jamie and Claire respond to a dispute at a mill where a slave has cut the ear off of an overseer — I guess Jocasta’s claim that the slaves are all happy was a bit off the mark. The overseer has threatened to hang the offending slave, so Jamie and Claire waste no time in getting to the scene of the dispute.
When they arrive, they find that the overseer is in the process of illegally executing the disobedient slave. But, instead of being hanged by the neck, the sadistic overseer has impaled the slave with a large hook and tied a rope to it. Jamie and Claire arrive too late to stop the overseer from hoisting his victim off the ground, but they manage to get him down before too much damage is done. The injured slave is rushed to the house, and Claire starts a hurried operation.
OUTLANDER: “Do No Harm” – “Uh…we’re here to subvert the legal system?”
Having drawn blood from an overseer, the injured slave, on the mend after Claire operated on him, faces the death penalty. Claire’s deft work saved the man’s life, but it appears that his death sentence will only be commuted for a short time. A mob gathers outside of the house demanding that Claire and Jamie turn the slave over to them, but Jocasta reminds the unruly group that the law states that they have until midnight to surrender the man.
Realizing that there’s no hope that the young man can escape the noose, Claire decides, instead, to euthanize her patient rather than let him be torn apart by an angry mob. Claire mixes a poison and helps the man drink. He recalls memories of playing with his sister.
OUTLANDER: “Do No Harm” – “Ugh.”
Jamie turns the slave’s corpse over to the mob who immediately seize him and tie a noose around his neck. They string the body up amid loud cheers while Jamie, Claire, and anyone else with an ounce of humanity watched in horror. Let’s just say, if Jamie, Claire, and Ian are going to move in here then they better watch out for the locals.
OUTLANDER: “Do No Harm” – Final Thoughts
I thought this was a good episode. It’s difficult to address issues like slavery in a time-travel show since failing to address the despicable social norms of the past makes characters seem callous. But, if the same characters try to right past social injustices, then the show inevitably turns into a show about the main characters fighting an underdog revolution, and we already saw that when the Frasers were in Scotland.
Outlander has also been working in subtle references to the history of sexism. Jocasta herself reminds Jamie that women who, like Claire, freely voice their controversial opinions risk the wrath of those in power. I still really like the idea of a time-traveling combat nurse, but in the 18th century people identifying as anything but adult white males would have had serious problems being treated seriously by the powers that were — read ‘adult white males’ — so it’s good that we’re getting to see a version of what those women’s struggles might have been like.
“Demons of the Punjab” aired on November 11th, and helped right the DOCTOR WHO ship after its dip in ratings following “The Tsuranga Conundrum.” Rebounding from that episode’s Rotten Tomatoes rating of 6/10, “Demons of the Punjab” caused DOCTOR WHO’s rating to gain nearly two points on the same scale.
Although I tend to like the Doctor’s futuristic space adventures more, “Demons of the Punjab” managed a relatively intriguing period story about a pivotal moment in India’s history largely unfamiliar to western audiences, the partition of India.
DOCTOR WHO: “Demons of the Punjab” – “Please? I promise I won’t change history!”
Even though reality nearly tore itself apart when the 10th Doctor reunited Rose Tyler with her dead father, the 13th Doctor throws caution to the wind and takes Yaz back in time to meet a younger version of Yaz’s grandmother Umbreen. The TARDIS uses a broken watch that Umbreen gave Yaz to home in on a specific moment in time, and the unlikely team wind up in the Punjab on the 14th of August in 1947. The Doctor notes that they’ve arrived the day before the partition of India — similar to “Rosa,” in which the team arrive the day before Rosa Parks’s famous protest.
DOCTOR WHO: “Demons of the Punjab” – Not My Grandad
Things are going well enough for the team until Yaz finds out that her grandmother is planning on marrying someone other than her grandfather. A Hindu man named Prem is Umbreen’s intended, and because Umbreen and her family are Muslim, Yaz isn’t the only one taking issue with the interfaith marriage. Members of the young couple’s families, especially Prem’s brother Manish, and some other members of Umbreen’s and Prem’s respective communities disagree with the marriage.
In 1947, tensions are running particularly high between Muslim and Hindu communities in the Punjab because of the impending partition, which draws provincial boundaries in British India and creates the national boundaries of the Dominions of India and Pakistan. That these boundaries are drawn by the British, mainly to separate Muslim and Hindu communities from each other, makes Prem and Umbreen’s wedding all the less welcome to the people around them.
Despite all this, in her usual cavalier way, the Doctor urges the young couple to get married as soon as possible since performing a Hindu–Muslim wedding will be much harder after the partition. This is, no doubt, true since the partition displaced around 14 million people, caused the deaths of as many as two million, and saw the two newly established countries erupt in violence.
DOCTOR WHO: “Demons of the Punjab” – A Very Late Officiant
On her way to the wedding, the Doctor has a vision of aliens who she identifies as Thijarian, and Umbreen and Prem’s wedding seems even less likely when they find their wedding officiant, Bhakti, dead in the forest. The Doctor’s vision makes her think that the Thijarian are responsible for Bhakti’s death, but further investigation reveals that these Thijarian are harmless, seeking only to memorialize those who die alone.
Prem corroborates the aliens’ story by revealing that he saw them on the battlefield when his brother died in service during the Second World War.
The Thijarians reveal that Prem will be killed during the partition, and the Doctor asks the aliens if she can see a recording of Bhakti’s death. The recording shows Manish, Prem’s disturbed younger brother, killing Bhakti.
DOCTOR WHO: “Demons of the Punjab” – Irrational Nationalists
The Doctor officiates Umbreen and Prem’s wedding in Bhakti’s place. After the ceremony, Manish exclaims that none of it matters, insisting that the partition will change everything. When the Doctor accuses Manish of Bhakti’s murder, Manish informs the wedding party that he has told a number of Hindu nationalists about the wedding. Although the rest of the party make it out, the armed nationalists shoot and kill Prem.
DOCTOR WHO: “Demons of the Punjab” – Final Thoughts
My knowledge of the partitioning of India and Pakistan is sketchy at best, so I can’t really say how on point this episode is historically. I thought, though, that this episode was better than the thematically comparable “Rosa.”
The writing felt more genuine, full of nice touches, like Yaz’s reaction to Prem and Umbreen’s wedding, the species of reformed assassin aliens who commemorate those who died alone, the Doctor’s insistence that the unlikely couple marry, and Umbreen discussing Yaz’s henna at the end of the episode.
I wondered why Umbreen never mentioned that Yaz looks exactly like a woman she knew when she was much younger. Even if it were just one line, mentioning this particular paradox would have been a nice touch.
This season has focused a lot on the Doctor’s companions’ familial relationships in a way that previous seasons haven’t. Although Yaz’s grandmother was, basically, just a vehicle by which to explore a particular historical setting, this layman thought the creative team handled their chosen subject well. Historical accuracy aside, the story was touching and disturbing in equal measure, which made for a good episode.
Comedian Bill Maher showed his ignorance today, questioning why people are mourning comic book legend Stan Lee, who passed away earlier this week.
In a blog post, Maher wrote, “The guy who created Spider-Man and the Hulk has died, and America is in mourning. Deep, deep mourning for a man who inspired millions to, I don’t know, watch a movie, I guess.” He went on to belittle comic books, saying they’re “kid stuff” and that adults are stupid for wasting their time on them.
Maher concluded the brief post with a bold statement: “I don’t think it’s a huge stretch to suggest that Donald Trump could only get elected in a country that thinks comic books are important.”
Now, I’m not going to waste time and energy defending the literary merit of comics. It’s silly that in this day and age someone who claims himself “progressive” can write off an entire medium like that, ignoring the likes of Gaiman, Morrison, Bechdel, Clowes, Spiegelman, and hundreds more. Comics proved themselves as literature a long time ago. Anyone who still looks down on them is in the minority, and either willfully ignorant or trolling. In Maher’s case, I would venture he’s trolling – looking for attention, and unfortunately getting it.
What’s truly disgusting, though, and totally inexcusable, is casting aside Stan Lee’s contributions to society less than a week after his death.
Stan didn’t inspire us to “watch movies.” He inspired us be good people, and showed us how regular people could be heroes on a daily basis. He broke down social, racial, and economic barriers. Stan created Falcon and Black Panther during the civil rights movement. He made Peter Parker, a broke high school student who got bullied, a superhero. His comics were about equality, tolerance, inclusion, and love.
And yea, kids read those comics. That’s good. Stan was instilling positive values in his readers at an impressionable age.
Let’s take a second to remember one of the Man’s most memorable soapboxes:
You’re going to tell me that’s not smart and sophisticated?
In Stan’s words, Bill Maher just exposed himself as an unreasoning hater. And the comic book community is exposing him further by challenging his statements and proving them false. So let’s continue to do that: challenge and expose the haters like Stan wanted us to.
With everything going on in our country, and in the world at large, we need to remember what our Generalissimo taught us now more than ever. Share his words, put good out into the world, and don’t let the haters get to you.
