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“Red room? Who are you, David Lynch?”
Luke Cage, Hero For Hire #1
Marvel Comics Group (June, 1972; using ComiXology version)
“Out Of Hell–A Hero!”
WRITER: Archie Goodwin
PENCILERS: George Tuska & John Romita
INKERS: Billy Graham & John Romita
no colorist listed according to Grand Comics Database
LETTERER: Skip Kohloff
EDITOR: Stan Lee
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There is only one time the sex scene benefited something I saw. In Lethal Weapon 2, Riggs is getting it on with some girl. No nudity that I recall but while they’re getting it on helicopters are coming to blow him up because the villain somehow thought “diplomatic immunity” meant he could literally get away with anything. There’s tension as to whether or not Riggs and his “date” (if memory serves it was a random hookup but I didn’t see the full movie–need to check that franchise out) is going to get blown up or if they’re going to stop in time to make their escape. I won’t ruin it, but given there were a bunch more movies after that you can guess.
Personally I find that sex scenes take time away from the story. As the hosts notes we don’t have to see them doing the deed to know they did the deed. So why bother? Especially in cases where the performers aren’t comfortable doing it.
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Chapter By Chapter (usually) features me reading one chapter of the selected book at a time and reviewing it as if I were reviewing an episode of a TV show or an issue of a comic. There will be spoilers if you haven’t read to the point I have, and if you’ve read further I ask that you don’t spoil anything further into the book. Think of it as read-along book club.
PART 2: KNIGHTQUEST
Today’s chapter is only about 5 pages, and that’s on a technicality in the paperback version. I imagine it was closer to four in the hardcover edition, if there was one. I’m a bit low on time this week so that works out well for me this time.
Last chapter had us losing a teammate, Jean Paul continuing to lose his mind, and Bruce continuing to lose his health. And yet he refuses to give up trying to find the truth of whether or not Shondra is a willing participant in his brother’s schemes. This brings up another point I’ve come to disagree with others on, the idea that Bruce is obsessed with crime. Driven, yes. However, as I’ve gone over before the idea that this is obsession isn’t accurate. He wants to keep others from becoming like him. He uses Batman as a positive outlet while the whole “bat” theming is just a psychological edge on the bad guys. It’s the villains who let their obsessions get the better of them, and that’s the case with Jean Paul Valley more than Bruce Wayne. Then again, Bruce is trying to find a positive outlet for his trauma to better the lives of others while Jean Paul is the victim of brainwashing by a society of extremists. He was trained to be obsessed with no positive outlet. This is why he will fail at being Batman, but right now we still have a missing doctor with healing powers to find before she kills the world leaders.
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“When I get home this driver is getting such a bad Uber review.”
Michaelangelo, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle
Mirage Publishing (1985)
“The Christmas Aliens”
WRITERS/ARTISTS: Kevin Eastman & Peter Laird
LETTERER: Steve Lavigne
Note that the old free online version does not include Michael Dooney’s back-up story “One Unconventional Robot”, featuring the unrelated character of Gizmo Sprocket. So I can’t review it.
BW Media Spotlight 
What The Best Picture Oscars Say About Their Era
The Oscars are a joke and the fact that their ratings are going down shows people are finally understanding that. Let’s be honest, though. It’s the fact that the show itself isn’t all that entertaining. It’s just celebrities making speeches and maybe there’s a song & dance or comedy sketch you like and that’s about it. As the celebrities seem to be further dividing themselves from the general public for a host of reasons and the Hollywood system seems to be falling further into their own fakery and egos, it only makes matters worse.
Still being honest, the Academy Awards were always about people in the Hollywood system telling us how awesome they are. Some awards were more controversial than others but now the current culture rage has made it harder to enjoy seeing celebrities gather. We hear about how terrible rich people are…in movies made by people who make more in a day than average workers see in a year, and we’re supposed to believe they’re not the very evil rich people their movies and TV shows talk about. Then there was the slam against animated productions by creating a “best animated movie” category to ensure that the “real movies” (the ones starring them and their faces all over the screen) wouldn’t have to compete with the likes of the good Beauty And The Beast or Shrek. Now you have to hit the right quota of certain people in order to even be nominated, which means the story is not what’s important, if it ever was. It’s about the celebs and now the activists. So why should I care?
Well, according to the host of All Talking Pictures on YouTube there is a very good reason. To make his case we get a look at each winner for Best Picture up to his posting on November 28,2022 and what it tells us about Hollywood at the time. I need to get my schedule back on track and I’m willing to listen to an opposing opinion, though whether it changes mine or not we’ll find out.
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Posted by ShadowWing Tronix on August 29, 2023 in Movie Spotlight and tagged Academy Award for Best Picture, commentary, Hollywood, Hollywood versus history, movies.
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