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https://blacknerdproblems.com/a-clear-shot-is-a-clear-miss/
Theaters are closed, movies delayed, and access to press screenings are limited to streaming. There’s no better time to highlight smaller films — amazing movies without the big-studio marketing budget that makes it harder for you to find. Discover a new film festival darling and support new, emerging, and independent filmmakers. Sheltering in place doesn’t need to stop you from your weekend evening escape to the movies. Follow the flurry of upcoming reviews on Twitter, or find all my reviews for movies you can stream from right at home.
At first blush, A Clear Shot, written and directed by Nick Leisure, is a straightforward hostage thriller. A group of men with guns will storm the lobby, fire into the air, yell for everyone to get down. What follows are terse and quick-witted conversations between robbers and the hostage negotiator in a psychological battle to get what both sides want. The hostage negotiator will repeatedly say that he doesn’t want anyone to get hurt, to which the robbers reiterate their demands. Hostages themselves negotiate whether to “do something” by way of intervening or wait for their hopeful rescue. A power struggle wages in the parking lot between the negotiator, S.W.A.T., and the “brass,” edging the negotiator closer to going rogue. You have seen that story before, if not many times, on major network television crime dramas and movies. Where you might hope A Clear Shot is a bait-and-switch, a Trojan horse that appears to be a generic heist that comes with a twist a lá Inside Man, you should know from the onset that A Clear Shot is not that movie. Your first impression is to be trusted, which isn’t to say A Clear Shot is a bad movie, but one for which your expectations should be accurately calibrated for you to enjoy.
Starring Mario Van Peebles as hostage negotiator Detective Gomez, A Clear Shot is inspired by a true story of 1991 holdup by young Thai immigrants. The four boys range from a volatile hot-head who wants to earn his respect through violence to a crying, shaking member of the group holding a gun for the first time. It’s clear from the onset that these are not what you would consider smart criminals, but desperate idiots, as robbers demand millions of dollars, a helicopter to fly them to Thailand, and full body armor “like Robo-Cop” for their escape. Police recognize the type of robbers they’re dealing with, making for a precarious situation: it’s less about whether the robbers will get what they want and more about whether the conflict can end with no one physically harmed. The only thing more dangerous than smart robbers with guns are dumb ones, and this cannot be overstated, the gunmen here are portrayed as extremely young and stupid.
Hostages include store employees and a handful of shoppers, 15 hostages total not including the unborn baby of a pregnant mother. While most of the hostages are mute and nameless, a few of them hold an ongoing conversation for the audience to mentally role-play along, debating how to handle the situation against gunmen so clearly in over their heads. One of the hostages is a store employee played by Mandela Van Peebles, Mario Van Peebles’ son, playing the role of pacifist against a growing consensus from other hostages that they should attack the gunmen instead of waiting to die. Of the ones in favor of bum-rushing the gunmen, none are more badass than an old man who has faced death before in war and says the things we all wish we could say in a crisis, and as confidently.
Outside the store are most of the clichés you could imagine, beginning with Detective Gomez himself who shows up with large sunglasses on a cloudy day, unshaven and tie loosened, a secret flask in his coat pocket for when he needs a drink. If you can forgive the clichés, you may be pushed beyond your breaking point with an inexplicable romance that brews under the surface of the conflict between Detective Gomez and an on-site woman police officer.
While the film is low-budget, it’s rarely a distraction. Little is needed to tell the story A Clear Shot is trying to tell, and so little is used. But between the cliché dialogue, witless criminals, and ham-fisted romance, you will likely find yourself asking what the film is aiming for at all. My best answer comes from a running theme throughout Detective Gomez’s negotiations: he’s Black and Mexican and has struggled in this country the same way the desperate gunmen have. We are given brief glimpses into the lives of the gunmen and how they have struggled, showing how they feel abandoned and unwelcome in their new country. The result is desperation, that sometimes desperation leads to this, and only someone who relates can best mitigate the damage of those whose desperation manifest in destructive ways.
This may be giving A Clear Shot more credit than it deserves, if its action-star movie poster is any indication. Still, if you want an easy, paint-by-the-numbers hostage thriller to watch with your popcorn, there are worse options. For my time and money though, there are better options than an elongated episode of a cancelled CBS pilot.
A Clear Shot is now available for streaming on demand.
Find all of Jordan Calhoun’s Rotten Tomatoes-approved movie reviews at Jordan Calhoun at the Movies.
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Follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram!
The post ‘A Clear Shot’ is a Clear Miss appeared first on Black Nerd Problems.
Theaters are closed, movies delayed, and access to press screenings are limited to streaming. There’s no better time to highlight smaller films — amazing movies without the big-studio marketing budget that makes it harder for you to find. Discover a new film festival darling and support new, emerging, and independent filmmakers. Sheltering in place doesn’t need to stop you from your weekend evening escape to the movies. Follow the flurry of upcoming reviews on Twitter, or find all my reviews for movies you can stream from right at home.
At first blush, A Clear Shot, written and directed by Nick Leisure, is a straightforward hostage thriller. A group of men with guns will storm the lobby, fire into the air, yell for everyone to get down. What follows are terse and quick-witted conversations between robbers and the hostage negotiator in a psychological battle to get what both sides want. The hostage negotiator will repeatedly say that he doesn’t want anyone to get hurt, to which the robbers reiterate their demands. Hostages themselves negotiate whether to “do something” by way of intervening or wait for their hopeful rescue. A power struggle wages in the parking lot between the negotiator, S.W.A.T., and the “brass,” edging the negotiator closer to going rogue. You have seen that story before, if not many times, on major network television crime dramas and movies. Where you might hope A Clear Shot is a bait-and-switch, a Trojan horse that appears to be a generic heist that comes with a twist a lá Inside Man, you should know from the onset that A Clear Shot is not that movie. Your first impression is to be trusted, which isn’t to say A Clear Shot is a bad movie, but one for which your expectations should be accurately calibrated for you to enjoy.
Starring Mario Van Peebles as hostage negotiator Detective Gomez, A Clear Shot is inspired by a true story of 1991 holdup by young Thai immigrants. The four boys range from a volatile hot-head who wants to earn his respect through violence to a crying, shaking member of the group holding a gun for the first time. It’s clear from the onset that these are not what you would consider smart criminals, but desperate idiots, as robbers demand millions of dollars, a helicopter to fly them to Thailand, and full body armor “like Robo-Cop” for their escape. Police recognize the type of robbers they’re dealing with, making for a precarious situation: it’s less about whether the robbers will get what they want and more about whether the conflict can end with no one physically harmed. The only thing more dangerous than smart robbers with guns are dumb ones, and this cannot be overstated, the gunmen here are portrayed as extremely young and stupid.
Hostages include store employees and a handful of shoppers, 15 hostages total not including the unborn baby of a pregnant mother. While most of the hostages are mute and nameless, a few of them hold an ongoing conversation for the audience to mentally role-play along, debating how to handle the situation against gunmen so clearly in over their heads. One of the hostages is a store employee played by Mandela Van Peebles, Mario Van Peebles’ son, playing the role of pacifist against a growing consensus from other hostages that they should attack the gunmen instead of waiting to die. Of the ones in favor of bum-rushing the gunmen, none are more badass than an old man who has faced death before in war and says the things we all wish we could say in a crisis, and as confidently.
Outside the store are most of the clichés you could imagine, beginning with Detective Gomez himself who shows up with large sunglasses on a cloudy day, unshaven and tie loosened, a secret flask in his coat pocket for when he needs a drink. If you can forgive the clichés, you may be pushed beyond your breaking point with an inexplicable romance that brews under the surface of the conflict between Detective Gomez and an on-site woman police officer.
While the film is low-budget, it’s rarely a distraction. Little is needed to tell the story A Clear Shot is trying to tell, and so little is used. But between the cliché dialogue, witless criminals, and ham-fisted romance, you will likely find yourself asking what the film is aiming for at all. My best answer comes from a running theme throughout Detective Gomez’s negotiations: he’s Black and Mexican and has struggled in this country the same way the desperate gunmen have. We are given brief glimpses into the lives of the gunmen and how they have struggled, showing how they feel abandoned and unwelcome in their new country. The result is desperation, that sometimes desperation leads to this, and only someone who relates can best mitigate the damage of those whose desperation manifest in destructive ways.
This may be giving A Clear Shot more credit than it deserves, if its action-star movie poster is any indication. Still, if you want an easy, paint-by-the-numbers hostage thriller to watch with your popcorn, there are worse options. For my time and money though, there are better options than an elongated episode of a cancelled CBS pilot.
A Clear Shot is now available for streaming on demand.
Find all of Jordan Calhoun’s Rotten Tomatoes-approved movie reviews at Jordan Calhoun at the Movies.
Want to get Black Nerd Problems updates sent directly to you? Sign up here!
Follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram!
The post ‘A Clear Shot’ is a Clear Miss appeared first on Black Nerd Problems.
Welcome to our The Best Things Streaming column where each month, we’ll run down the best of what’s hitting your fave streaming channel. We’ll also highlight a few of our favorite viewing choices as well as curating the best of what’s available for you!
Our newest addition to the roster is HBO Max who are coming out strong with a massive selection of streaming choices. With the COVID-19 crisis keeping us indoors, boy do we need it. From highly-anticipated originals to the return of a couple of beloved cartoons and even a reboot of a classic detective, HBO Max is delivering.
I May Destroy You (June 7th)
HBO Max
We’re massive fans of Michaela Coel and her incredible show Chewing Gum, so her new drama series I May Destroy You is high on our to watch list. “Set in London, where gratification is only an app away, the story centers on Arabella (Coel), a carefree, self-assured Londoner with a group of great friends, a boyfriend in Italy, and a burgeoning writing career. But when her drink is spiked, she must question and rebuild every element of her life.”
Summer Camp Island ( June 18)
HBO Max
If you haven’t watched Summer Camp Island then we’ve got great news: the series is headed to HBO Max and it’s an absolute treat. Created by British animator and illustrator Julia Pott the show is set in a magical summer camp run by teen witches. Summer Camp Island is the chilled quarantine watch you’ve been waiting for! It’ll make your days better and your nights more magical. Plus some of our favorite creators have been working on the new episodes.
Perry Mason (June 21st)
HBO Max
Matthew Rhys as Perry Mason sounds like a monkey paw type wish that we made when drunk, but apparently it was actually a great idea that HBO had! The new series centers on the young man before he became a famed criminal defense lawyer. “1931, Los Angeles. While the rest of the country struggles through the Great Depression, this city is booming! Oil! Olympic Games! Talking Pictures! Evangelical Fervor! And a child kidnapping gone very, very wrong,”
Adventure Time Distant Lands: BMO, Special Premiere (June 25)
HBO Max
The first of HBO Max four animated Adventure Time specials focuses on BMO, the little gaming gender-fluid console who lived with Finn and Jake in their treasure-filled tree house. The original series was at its best when it was at its most experimental and Distant Lands seems to be following that lead. This adventure throws BMO into an epic dystopian fantasy landscape. Wherever in the galaxy BMO has ended up, the planet looks ravaged and in need of saving. So it’s lucky the hero they need has arrived!
Doom Patrol S2 (June 25)
HBO Max
Doom Patrol was one of the best superhero shows in ages and most people never even got to watch it due to it streaming on DC Universe. Centering around a team of superpowered misfits, the series was absurd, beautiful, moving, and hopeful. It also stars an unreal cast featuring Brendan Fraser, Matt Bomer, and Alan Tudyk. Luckily the second season is heading to HBO Max and we cannot wait to see what our favorite group of heroes are up to this time.
You can check out our other June picks below!
June 1
Adventures In Babysitting, 1987 (HBO)
Amelie, 2001 (HBO)
An American Werewolf in London, 1981 (HBO)
Cabaret, 1972
Chicago, 2002
A Cinderella Story, 2004
Cradle 2 the Grave, 2003
Drop Dead Gorgeous, 1999
Dune, 1984 (HBO)
Elf, 2003
Enter The Dragon, 1973
Far and Away, 1992 (HBO)
Final Destination, 2000
Forces of Nature, 1999 (HBO)
Final Destination 2, 2003
The Final Destination, 2009
Final Destination 3, 2006
Forces of Nature, 1999 (HBO)
The Fountain, 2006 (HBO)
From Dusk Til Dawn, 1996
Full Metal Jacket, 1987
The Good Son, 1993 (HBO)
The Goonies, 1985
Hanna, 2011 (HBO)
He Got Game, 1998 (HBO)
Heaven Can Wait, 1978
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, 2012
The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug, 2013
The Hunger, 1983
The Iron Giant, 1999
Juice, 1992
Looney Tunes: Back in Action, 2003
The Losers, 2010
Magic Mike, 2012
Misery, 1990
A Monster Calls, 2016 (HBO)
The Neverending Story II: The Next Chapter, 1991
Presumed Innocent, 1990
The Neverending Story, 1984
Richie Rich (Movie), 1994
Rosewood, 1997
Rugrats Go Wild, 2003
Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows, 2011 (HBO)
Speed Racer, 2008
The Stepfather, 1987 (HBO)
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, 1990
Tim Burton’s Corpse Bride, 2005
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2, 1991
The Time Traveler’s Wife, 2009
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 3, 1993
Titanic, 1997
TMNT, 2007
Turbo: A Power Rangers Movie, 1997 (HBO)
Tweety’s High-Flying Adventures, 2000
Uncle Buck, 1989 (HBO)
Veronica Mars, 2014
Weird Science, 1985 (HBO)
When Harry Met Sally, 1989
Wild Wild West, 1999
X-Men: First Class, 2011 (HBO)
You’ve Got Mail, 1998
June 2
Inside Carbonaro, Season One (TruTV)
June 6
Ad Astra, 2019 (HBO)
Yvonne Orji: Momma, I Made It! (HBO)
June 7
I May Destroy You, Series Premiere (HBO)
June 10
Infinity Train, Season 2 Premiere
June 12
El asesino de los caprichos (AKA The Goya Murders), 2020 (HBO)
June 16
David Attenborough’s Ant Mountain, 2016
David Attenbourough’s Light on Earth, 2016
First Man, 2017
Going Nuts: Tales from Squirrel World, 2019
Looney Tunes (Batch 2) (6/22), Season One
Popeye (Batch 2) (6/22), Season One
Scandalous: The Untold Story of the National Enquirer, Documentary Premiere (CNN)
June 18
Summer Camp Island, Season 2 Premiere
June 20
Ford V. Ferrari, 2020 (HBO)
June 21
Perry Mason, Limited Series Premiere (HBO)
June 24
South Park, Seasons 1-23
June 25
Adventure Time Distant Lands: BMO, Special Premiere
Doom Patrol, Season 2 Premiere
Search Party, Season 3 Premiere
June 27
Doctor Sleep (Director’s Cut), 2020 (HBO)
The post Best Things Coming to HBO MAX in June appeared first on Nerdist.
It took nearly thirty long years to happen, but when Star Trek: Voyager premiered in 1995, it marked the first time a woman was the lead on a Star Trek series. Captain Kathryn Janeway (Kate Mulgrew) commanded the U.S.S. Voyager for seven seasons, during which time she managed to fight off the Borg, the Kazon, and explore dozens of strange new worlds. Not to mention inspire thousands of young women across the globe.
We’ve learned (via TrekMovie) that as a way of honoring this wonderful character, the city of Bloomington, Indiana is properly honoring the iconic captain with her own monument. Why in Bloomington, you might ask? Because the series designated that as her “future birthplace”. In a couple hundred years or so (give or take).
You can see a rendering of the future monument down below:
Janeway Collective
A campaign was launched last year by the Captain Janeway Bloomington Collective fan group, in order to gain funds to construct the monument. The campaign was successfully funded in the early part of this year, and the bronze bust was supposed to be unveiled on this Memorial Day weekend, next to the WonderLab Museum in downtown Bloomington. The Collective originally chose this weekend because it coincides with Janeway’s birthday; the series gave Janeway a birth date of May 20, 2336. This information came from the episode “11:59,” in which Mulgrew played her own ancestor in the year 2000. (Yes, Voyager had a Y2K-themed episode).
CBS
As as with most things this year however, the coronavirus put a dent into those plans for the time being. The new date for the official unveiling is now October 24, 2020. The hope is that some special guests will attend the ceremony, and we sincerely hope that Mulgrew herself will be beaming down to celebrate. Considering that Captain Janeway proved to be so inspiring to so many, it’s fitting that her future birthplace be given the same honorary as Captain Kirk’s future birthplace in Riverside, Iowa currently has.
CBS
Captain Kathryn Janeway had it harder than almost every other captain who was the lead on a Star Trek series. Unlike Captains Kirk, Picard and Sisko before her, Janeway’s crew found themselves stranded nearly 70 years away from home. Not only that, but half of her crew were anti-Starfleet rebels who now had to find a way to coexist with the same officers they once vilified. But throughout the show’s run, not only did Janeway make sure her crew survived in a strange and unknown part of space, but that they forged themselves into a family unit and retained the principals of the Federation. For these reasons alone, she’s a fictional character worth celebrating forever.
For more information on the Captain Janeway monument, as well as upcoming event in October, be sure to visit janewaycollective.org.
Featured Image: The Janeway Collective
The post VOYAGER’S Captain Janeway Honored in Her Future Birthplace appeared first on Nerdist.