deerstalker

http://www.afronerd.com/2021/12/no-way-home-review-no-spoilers-feige.html

Afronerd Radio can now be heard LIVE courtesy of Apple Music/Itunes

And the holiday season continues...   Greetings to our ever-loyal and growing listenership!  Check out a brand new episode of Afronerd Radio's Grindhouse-airing this Sunday at 6 p.m. eastern on the BTalk 100 internet broadcasting network.  Join your "indestructible" AFROnerdist hosts, Dburt and the "Uncanny" Daryll B., as they investigate and unravel the following topical flora:  whelp...it's finally arrived and just in time for Christmas-the third installment of the MCU/Sony's Spider-man franchise, No Way Home premiered this weekend to rave reviews and a stellar box office and we give our impressions; And in the wake, of No Way Home's success as well as how the film concluded, reportedly Marvel Studios president, Kevin Feige (along with Sony and Marvel) are quickly working on developing more Spider-man storylines;  a testy exchange between media personality, Lenard "Charlamagne tha God" McKelvey and Vice President, Kamala Harris concerning the authenticity of Joe Biden's presidency, goes viral:

Yet another classic hip-hop legend passes from our mortal plane....UTFO member, Shaun Shiller FeQuiere aka Kangol Kid succumbs to colon cancer at 55; 

frequent Afronerd Radio guest, David Walker is slowly usurping the moniker, "Hardest Working Man in Show Business" with another one of his IPs reportedly receiving the cinematic translation treatment.  Walker's comic, The Hated appears to be landing at Netflix as a series; and speaking of Netflix, veteran filmmaker, Spike Lee, has garnered a deal with the streaming service for even more content;  Lastly, the popular video-sharing platform, Twitch purportedly is taking a more anti-racism stance, beginning with the banning of the usage of "cracker" by streamers.      

One thing that Dburt is doing (finally) is investing in cryptocurrency, courtesy of Roundlyx. We would implore our followers to investigate, discern and then explore by using our referral code: afro-87A4BF

https://blacknerdproblems.com/wheel-of-time-recap-episode-6-the-flame-of-tar-valon/

Quote of the Episode: “She comes! The Watcher of the Seals, The Flame of Tar Valon, the Amyrlin Seat.

-Leane Sharif

AHHHHHH! I don’t know what to do with Wheel of Time episode 6. It sometimes feels as if the show is flying through the books only to get stuck on a specific part for wayyyyyyyy too long. We only got 2 episodes left, and this was the first episode where I wasn’t satisfied at the end. I felt like I needed another 35 minutes. One of the things that needs to happen in order to keep the Bookwyrms from turning into Bookcloaks is to give us more anchor points. I know that the tv show has to adapt the books because Robert Jordan was a voracious writer, and there’s no way to just make a 1-1 adaptation without it ending up 14,000 episodes. But we need to have our anchor points so it doesn’t feel foreign, and so we can keep the faith that our major plot points are going to be taken care of. For example, when I saw Shadar Logoth, I didn’t care about the fact that we didn’t meet Thom until after they left the Two Rivers. Shadar Logoth was one of my anchors, and they did it so well. They earned some grace. I’m hoping as the series goes on that we get more of those anchors. Ok, let’s jump into the recap!

REMINDER: Spoilers are Elaida’s sneaky link in the North Harbor, and I am Moraine ready to tell the rest of the reds & blow up the spot.

We start Wheel of Time episode 6 with a flashback scene with young Siuan Sanche. For the Bookwyrms, seeing her fishing was kinda awesome, and it was nice to get a taste of her origin story. One of the common themes we’ve seen over and over is the limits of the one power. Sure, Siuan can untangle a knot, Moraine can warm some water, but it doesn’t keep Valda from cutting off Aes Sedai hands, it doesn’t keep Trollocs from invading and chasing the EF5 up and down the mountains, and it doesn’t keep Siuan’s house from burning down. The parting scene between Siuan and her father was well done and heart breaking. I think this scene is the perfect counter to some of the critics who have said the acting in Wheel of Time has been wooden. Papa Sanche embodied the complicated emotions of a parent who is in a space of mournful peacefulness, because they have to send their daughter away for their own safety.

We scene switch to the present day. I’m really loving the dress uniforms of the sisters when the hall is in session. It was one of those things I hadn’t thought of while reading the series, but of course they would have separate uniforms for “away games” vs. “home games.” Can’t be rolling up to the hall of the tower looking dusty and ragged from the road. Seeing the full hall in session was an awesome moment, only to be eclipsed by Siuan Sanche’s judgement of Logain. Her quiet, surgical evisceration of Logain Ablar was laser guided in its precision. If it’s the release of death you seek, you won’t find it here no matter what foulness you spill. You’ll serve as an example. My only quip with this scene was that I thought the Amyrlin’s rainbow stole would have been brighter and bolder.

The next scene is that we find out that Liandrin is a snitch. I hope to see her get stitches at some point. I really dislike Liandrin. She isn’t quite Jeoffry Lannister (Baratheon) unlikeable, but she is eclipsing Joaquin Phoenix’s Commodus from Gladiator. I am enjoying disliking her.

Moraine finds out that Mat is sick with the Omicron strain of Shadar Logoth and forces him to get a double vax booster shot on the spot. This is a place where the show diverges from the books, because in the books it takes a group of Aes Sedai to heal Mat, I’m curious as to why they made this change. We end this scene with Moraine smacking down Nynaeve. And then we are back to Moraine and Maigan, who apparently is a leader among the Blue Ajah. Side note, it was at this moment, I knew that Wheel of Time episode 6 was the Moraine episode. All Moraine all the time.

We transition from bathhouse to bedroom and apparently Siuan isn’t Moraine’s enemy after all. Some BookCloaks were quite angry about this interpretation, but it is cannon that Siuan and Moraine had a relationship at one point. I think it was a clever way of showing the connection between the two. They were hiding something in the books, and I think that’s exemplified through their affair in the TV show. I loved this entire scene, the way Siuan’s face was anguished when she said “I thought we’d have more time” was damn good.

We get another Loial scene that’s way too short. I love everything about his character, how he’s portrayed, and I hope we get more Loial in the series. I really enjoy the show, but I’m still a Bookwyrm. I haven’t yet sworn my allegiance to the Bookcloaks, but one of my complaints is the lack of Loial. Amazon gave us 8, 1-hour episodes, and I feel like we needed 12, hour and a half long episodes. I’m unsure of how they are going to wrap everything up in the next 2 episodes. We still haven’t gotten enough backstory on so many characters (Loial is one of them), but right now we just don’t have the needed screen time.

Next, we run over in time to see Siuan Sanche giving a classic Samuel Jackson “end of the movie” rising, “call to action” monologue. “The Wheel does not care if you are young or afraid petty or weak, it certainly doesn’t care what you want, the wheel calls you to this whether you can bear it or not. The last battle is coming!“ All Siuan needed was a black eye patch, bad wig, or end the speech with something about snakes on a plane and we could of rolled credits. Go ahead, re-read that last sentence in Sam Jack’s voice. It works!

We switch over to Moraine in The Tower getting judgement. Granted a judgement that her and Siuan cooked up after a night of listening to Janet Jackson’s Ropeburn, but a judgement nevertheless. I understand why they needed to introduce the oath rod, but I don’t like how they did it. I think they should of left the oath rods for the Aes Sedai ceremony, and I would of liked to see it “settle” on Moraine a little tighter. We finish this scene with a Klingon Discommendation exile ceremony. I was just waiting to see Chancellor Gowron to show up with a Bat’leth.  

We end with Moraine opening The Ways so the squad can get to the Eye of the World and fight the Dark One while he’s still weak. I don’t understand the reasoning behind making the ways open with channeling as opposed to the explaining the Avendesora leaves. I hope they clean that up a bit, because otherwise it doesn’t explain why Loial is there. I do wonder if we will get a Machin Shin appearance next episode. For some reason, Mat decides to hang back, and honestly I’d rather have seen a wall drop on him, because this made no sense.

With the end of Wheel of Time episode 6, I really need these last 2 episodes to be 5X Dylan hot fire, because I’m a bit worried. Episodes 1-4 started off very strong, even with some of the changes, I saw how they fit within the grand narrative. I’m starting to have my doubts, and I think the problem is… I need more book anchors. I need to see more things from the books that anchor me into the story, so the other small changes don’t loom so large. That, and we could all use 300% more Nynaeve stabbing people. Episodes 5 and 6 seem to struggle a bit, and now with just 2 episodes left, I’m concerned about how they plan on landing this plane. The show has struck a flock of birds, lost power to an engine, and I’m looking down at the Hudson River and hoping that Captain Sully is behind the controls. I guess it’s time to roll the dice.

Want to catch up on what you missed from the Wheel of Time? Check out BNP’s other reviews here.

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The post ‘Wheel of Time’ Recap: Episode 6 “The Flame of Tar Valon” appeared first on Black Nerd Problems.

https://blackgirlnerds.com/the-cast-of-1883-discuss-the-challenges-of-traveling-in-the-19th-century/

BGN interviews the cast of the series 1883.

Featured in the interviews are: Tim McGraw (James Dutton), LaMonica Garrett (Thomas), Faith Hill (Margaret Dutton), and Isabel May (Elsa).

Created by Academy Award® Nominee Taylor Sheridan, 1883 is the highly anticipated prequel to the Emmy® nominated series “Yellowstone.” Premiering December 19th on Paramount+, the original series stars Academy Award® nominee legend Sam Elliott, Grammy Award® Winner Tim McGraw, Grammy Award® Winner Faith Hill, Academy Award® winner Billy Bob Thornton, Isabel May, and LaMonica Garrett.

Paramount Network will air a special simulcast premiere event for 1883 on Sunday, Dec. 19, following a new episode of Yellowstone. 1883 follows the Dutton family as they embark on a journey west through the Great Plains toward the last bastion of untamed America. It is a stark retelling of Western expansion, and an intense study of one family fleeing poverty to seek a better future in America’s promised land – Montana.

Interviewer: Jeandra LeBeauf

Video Editor: Jamie Broadnax

https://blackgirlnerds.com/review-a-journal-for-jordan-shows-love-is-eternal-despite-lifes-obstacles/

A Journal for Jordan is a sentimental and stirring journey based on the life of journalist/author Dana Canedy (Chante Adams), her son Jordan Monroe King (Jalon Christian), and his father 1st Sergeant Charles Monroe King (Michael B. Jordan). It’s a meandering, yet thought-provoking film that has its share of issues, but overall skillfully strums on the heartstrings. 

The Sony pictures production is an adaptation of Canedy’s memoir, A Journal for Jordan: A Story of Love and Honor. In the film, we travel through multiple different timelines to witness the love between Charles and Dana seed, grow, and continue to flourish despite the changing seasons. 

There’s an immediate attraction between Charles and Dana, and we see her family encourage the setup. There’s a hitch, though; Charles is a military man and so is Dana’s father. Unfortunately, Dana’s experience with having a philandering dad included him often returning to base to meet up with other women. Yet her mother stayed faithfully by his side. Her sister calls it love, but Dana calls it fear. She’s desperate not to follow in her mother’s footsteps. This is one of the reasons falling for Charles is so hard. Adams does a marvelous job of showing the vulnerabilities in the walls she puts up. She’s relatable, and you can understand her hesitation and ongoing annoyance. How dare she fall in love with this man who represents everything she’s been trying to avoid? 

Charles is sweet and respectful, but he comes with baggage that’s more than just an ex-wife and a daughter. He says he would never be with another woman, but it’s clear his first love — the Army — will always take precedence over Dana. The Army and the love for his country provide Charles with a sense of self-worth, but also with an escape from the terrors of human love. It’s an interesting and subtle paradox that rears its head several times during the film. Charles appears bold and stringent in the face of the men who serve under him, but soon we see that life betray him. He still remains loyal, though there’s something else there — a kind of pain, disappointment, or even a realization that his safe space was never really safe. 

A Journal for Jordan is a hard movie to be objective about. During the film, a question is asked of a character about why we engaged in war after 9/11. The character explains there are two trains of thought: one that claims we were there protecting a nation from terrorists, and another that claims we were the ones who bore the terrorism in the first place. This is a line in the sand that is unavoidable, and we see Dana walk it with as much grace as you can expect from someone who clearly has unresolved trauma. 

However, as an audience, this line is truly crucial to how you ingest the film. Are the ends justified? Even when Jordan is in the womb, Charles calls the baby his little soldier and jokes that he’ll wait until the boy is 18 to take him to a recruitment center. Dana laughs and shakes her head no, but the track is laid and it’s frankly terrifying watching it play out. Dana never wanted a military man, and now her fiance is planning for a legacy of kings defending their country at every cost. 

For myself, there was a sheen of dread that lay simmering in the undertones of the film. It didn’t make the film less enjoyable, but it caused me to think about the thematic elements more deeply. This is not a rom-com. While there are triumphant moments, it’s not really uplifting. What the film does is offer a glimpse into the lives of a couple whose love for each other was usurped by one person’s love for his country. It doesn’t seek to answer whether that’s right or wrong but instead deals with the peaks and valleys of the aftermath. 

A Journal for Jordan focuses on the titular journal given to Charles by Dana. She tells him to tell their son who Charles is and what he believes. Unsaid is the sobering thought that there’s a great chance Charles won’t be around to tell Jordan himself. Charles fills the journal with life advice and things he’s learned during his journey. Jordan becomes enamored with the journal, paying special attention to the entries on physical fitness and what it is to be a man. He’s light-skinned (a trait passed from Charles’s mother) and has light eyes and begins to get bullied at school. It’s through the journal that he finds safety and confidence. 

Christian delivers a solid performance as Jordan and hits the emotional beats well. He’s not on screen for long, but he carries a heavy role with a lot of grace. The screenplay by Virgil Williams is a nice companion to the directing style of Denzel Washington. There’s a definite Spike Lee influence, but Washington has curated a style all of his own. It shines within the stolen moments of the film. The comedic relief is shown in quiet asides and sideways glances. There are stunning vignettes of statues and other static objects that permeate the heart with metaphor and double meaning. Washington doesn’t think less of his audience. He expects us to understand the significance of every shot and, if we don’t understand, to at least appreciate the surface beauty. 

There’s a level of respect given to the actors, particularly Adams, who is a stunning woman. There’s a scene where we start at her ankle and travel all the way up to her thigh and then her torso and then her face as she lounges. It could be seen as exploitative, but it served to show the beauty she holds to Charles. The way he thinks of her during the parts of their relationship that are spent — the majority of the time — on the phone. Washington does a wonderful job of showing the longing between the two as they drift through their unconventional relationship. The film is long and you can feel it, but this is in order for the audience to feel immersed in the story, which is ultimately successful. 

Overall A Journal for Jordan is a lovely film that is perfect for the holiday season when we reflect on the things that matter most and the people we hold in our hearts.

A Journal for Jordan will open in theaters December 25, 2021.