Jimi: Whose Side Are You On?

Jimi: All Is By My Side is a mixed bag of a movie. It does major things right and wrong and leaves it to the viewer to pick a side. 

RIGHT: Andre Benjamin (The Jimi Hendrix of Hip-Hop) as the legendary Hendrix. Though I only know of Hendrix through his music and scarce footage, 3000 captures what I believe to be his essence accurately from behind the scenes to his onstage persona.

WRONG: The inability to secure licensing from Hendrix's Estate. This means the vast catalogue of signature hits from Hey Joe to Voodoo Chile to Purple Haze to a personal favourite Wind Cries Mary are all omitted. Whether the screenplay was good or bad, seeing Benjamin perform these had the capability (in my opinion) to save/sell this film. Many people fault the film without seeing it for this major fail alone.

RIGHT: In light of the previous wrong, screenwriters made smart and focused on the year before Hendrix made his big debut. That time was spent at New York's Cheetah Club and in London, following Jimi as he made his transition from hungry artist to new sensation. Several critics welcome the "snippet" as they feel it provides more character depth than attempting to span an artist's entire catalogue in two hours. For a biopic, I do as well.

WRONG: Public Relations. I am unaware of how much actual research was done during the creative process of All Is By My Side, but the response of some key people from his past have dismissed the movie. It is unclear if it's a particular scene, the portrayal of Hendrix himself or just the desire to keep his life private. I don't know how much effort was put into coordinating with these people but having them as consultants and securing his estate's blessing would have giving this closer to blockbuster status.

In spite of the lack of Jimi Hendrix's classic soundtrack and probable inconsistencies, All Is By My Side is actually a good film that deals more with his spirit and drive to be something more than what the world already knows him as. When the curtain closes, it's up to you to decide whose side you are on...

Is Marvel Flying Blind With Daredevil? Not at all...

On April 10th, Marvel will both take a cue from DC Comics AND pull an X-Men Days of Future Past move. The Daredevil franchise will be rebooted on screen as a dark brooding action thriller it was supposed to be. Ben Affleck is gone. The tight red leather suit is gone. The PG-13 rating is not only gone but the series will be aired on NetFlix without the hindrance of network TV parameters.

Daredevil will star Charlie Cox (Boardwalk Empire) as blind lawyer/vigilante Matt Murdock. It is unknown how much of the source material will be left intact, but Hell's Kitchen is still the location of choice. Also word is the series will push through Murdock's origin story fairly quickly and get to the meat and potatoes which is a good thing in The Brothers' opinion. That sounds like character development will be done on the fly which opens the door for more fight choreography. Who is in charge of bringing Daredevil to screen? That would be Steven DeKnight, creator and producer of the Spartacus series. Yeah him. Drew Goddard stepped down after writing and directing Daredevil's pilot to take the helm of Marvel's Sinister Six film, so if there is a different feel of the first few episodes, you know why.

Take note that this is more than just a testing ground as Marvel/Disney have a 60 episode contract with NetFlix that includes Daredevil, Luke Cage, Jessica Jones and Iron Fist which all are to lead into a possible Defenders mini-series. Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s moderate small screen success has seemingly paved the way for the next step in the company's branding and has them poised to challenge DC on the small screen where they've become comfortable with a lineup that boasts Green Arrow, The Flash and Batman's hometown of Gotham City. Marvel is likely to capitalize on their subscription TV positioning to keep their properties dark and raw. Looks like I have more to look forward to in April than just my tax return...

When Does *insert TV show here* Start Back Up?

Welcome back readers (all 3 of you). I'd like to say that we here BWLM have feverishly researched and compiled a list of winter returns of those shows you're looking for. We didn't. We DID however find a list on Huffingpost.com and did you the favour of the copy/paste variety. Enjoy...

Sunday, Jan. 4
"Galavant" series premiere (ABC)
"Downton Abbey" Season 5 premiere (PBS)
"Bob's Burgers" returns (Fox)
"Brooklyn Nine-Nine" returns (Fox)
"Family Guy" returns (Fox)
"Celebrity Apprentice" Season 7 premiere (NBC)

Monday, Jan. 5
"The Bachelor" Season 19 premiere (ABC)
"Gotham" returns (Fox)
"Sleepy Hollow" returns (Fox)
"State of Affairs" returns (NBC)

Tuesday, Jan. 6
"Pretty Little Liars" Season 5B premiere (ABC Family)
"Agent Carter" series premiere (ABC)
"Masterchef Junior" Season 3 premiere (Fox)
"Switched at Birth" (ABC Family)
"CougarTown" (TBS)
"The Challenge: Battle of the Exes 2" premiere (MTV)
"The Mindy Project" returns (Fox)
"New Girl" returns (Fox)
"About A Boy" returns (NBC)

Wednesday, Jan. 7
"American Horror Story" returns (FX)
"American Idol" Season 14 premiere (Fox)
"Empire" series premiere (Fox)

Thursday, Jan. 8
"Portlandia" Season 5 premiere (IFC)
"Archer" Season 6 premiere (FX)
"Parenthood" returns (NBC)

Friday, Jan. 9
"Glee" Season 6 premiere (Fox)
"Hart of Dixie" returns (The CW)
"Banshee" Season 3 premiere (Cinemax)
"Comedy Bang! Bang!" Season 4 premiere (IFC)

Sunday, Jan. 11
"Shameless" Season 5 premiere (Showtime)
"Girls" Season 4 premiere (HBO)
"Togetherness" series premiere (HBO)
"House of Lies" Season 4 premiere (Showtime)
"Looking" Season 2 premiere (HBO)
"Episodes" Season 4 premiere (Showtime)
"Mulaney" returns (Fox)

Monday, Jan. 12
"Eye Candy" series premiere (MTV)

Tuesday, Jan. 13
"Parks And Recreation" Season 7 premiere (NBC)
"Kroll Show" Season 3 premiere (Comedy Central)

Wednesday, Jan. 14
"It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia" Season 10 premiere (FXX)
"Workaholics" Season 5 premiere (Comedy Central)
"Broad City" Season 2 premiere (Comedy Central)

Monday, Jan. 19
"The Fosters" returns (ABC Family)
"Chasing Life" returns (ABC Family)
Larry Wilmore's "The Nightly Show" Series premiere (Comedy Central)
"Jane The Virgin" returns (The CW)

Tuesday, Jan. 20
"Justified" Season 6 premiere (FX)

Thursday, Jan. 22
"Backstrom" series premiere (Fox)

Tuesday, Jan. 27
"Sirens" Season 2 premiere (USA)

Wednesday, Jan. 28
"The Americans" Season 3 premiere (FX)
"Suits" returns (USA)

Thursday, Jan. 29
"Grey's Anatomy" returns (ABC)
"Scandal" returns (ABC)
"How To Get Away With Murder" returns (ABC)

Sunday, Feb. 1
"The Blacklist" returns (NBC)

Wednesday, Feb. 4
"Fresh Off The Boat" series premiere (ABC)

Thursday, Feb. 5
"Allegiance" series premiere (NBC)

Sunday, Feb. 8
"The Walking Dead" returns (AMC)
"Better Call Saul" series premiere (AMC)

Thursday, Feb. 19
"The Odd Couple" series premiere (CBS)

Wednesday, Feb. 25
"Survivor" Season 30 premiere (CBS)
"The Amazing Race" returns (CBS)

Friday, Feb. 27
"House Of Cards" Season 3 release (Netflix)

Sunday, March 1
"Once Upon A Time" returns (ABC)
"Secrets And Lies" series premiere (ABC)
"Last Man On Earth" series premiere (Fox)
"Battle Creek" series premiere (CBS)

Monday, March 2
"The Following" Season 3 premiere (Fox)

Tuesday, March 3
"Hell's Kitchen" Season 14 premiere (Fox)
"Marvel's Agents of SHIELD" returns (ABC)

Thursday, March 5
"American Crime" series premiere (ABC)

Monday, March 9
"The Late Late Show With James Corden" series premiere (CBS)

Tuesday, March 17
"One Big Happy" series premiere (NBC)

Saturday, April 4
"Outlander" Season 1 returns (Starz)

Sunday, April 5
"A.D" series premiere (NBC)

Saturday, April 18
"Orphan Black" Season 3 premiere (BBC America)

Thursday, May 14
"Wayward Pines" series premiere (Fox)

Finally. Justice For Aquaman?

Something The Brothers and I have spoken about repeatedly is Marvel's silver screen dominance and DC's magnificent handling of it's animated features and television series. DC Comics decision to reboot their signature Justice League members a few years ago has been really paying dividends in terms of quality. Arthur Curry is the protagonist in the sequel to the New 52 based Justice League: WAR titled Justice League: Throne of Atlantis. I actually LIKE Aquaman, or at least I don't hate him. Unfortunately dude has suffered from bad/no PR aside from puns since his glory days of the late 70s/early 80s with the  Superfriends and his show from the 60s which ran in syndication nearly 20 years. He's NEVER been represented in live action other than as a guest on the origin hit Smallville of which his spin-off was given NO play outside of it's pilot. However, here in 2015 Aquaman comic sales are not only strong, but Jason Momoa (Game of Thrones) will represent for Arthur Curry in his 2018 big screen solo debut. Not bad. But this isn't about that.

JL: Throne of Atlantis continues the JLA origin narrative (there is no Justice League). A calculated attack on a US submarine alerts Cyborg. His investigation leads to more questions than answers and a subsequent call to assemble the future JLA. The powers of Atlantis are torn. Queen Atlanna and her son Orn are locked in a conflict over war or peace with the surface dwellers. Orn is preparing for war, ever bitter that surface dwellers killed his father and that the Powerful Atlantis hides deep beneath the sea. The Queen prefers peace and seeks her son, one born of both worlds to be a beacon of hope for their cooperative future. Meanwhile Arthur Curry , having recently lost his father keeps himself in a drunken stupor and talking to fish unaware he is being closely watched by both sides. What follows is a bit of cheesy dialog, some fighting, betrayal and a realization of both family & purpose. A final conflict in which Atlantis wages war topside closes out the final quarter of the feature.

Is the movie faithful to the comic? I don't know. I haven't read the Throne of Atlantis series, but DC Animated has been spot on in the past. That said, I don't know if there was something lost in translation but this DVD left something to be desired. I'm unaware if I was wanting too much or if DC just did too little. Let me be CLEAR that it's not a bad movie at all. There's just no doubt it could've been better, especially considering the team's track record. All the voice talent you know and love is in place and do an excellent job with what they've been given. It's up to you to decide if it was worth it. Me? 3 Mics...

All Things Old Are New Again...

Following in the footsteps of Jackie Brown, Bad Ass, The Expendables series and most comparable, Michael Caine's Harry Brown comes a proper ass kicking straight to DVD entry We Still Kill The Old Way. In case you decide to Google, his is NOT a remake of the 1967 feature, nor is it based on the book To Each His Own. It's title tells you half the story.

British talents Ian Ogilvy and Steven Berkoff play brothers Richie & Charlie Archer (respectively). Plans to get the band back together are in full swing for Richie's approaching birthday celebration. Archie shortcuts down a familiar alleyway on the way home and comes across a band of street thugs harassing a young woman. His intervention leads to a brawl and eventually his death. What this new brand of gangs was unaware of is that this old man used to run these very streets. However someone knew and that someone called Charlie, who returned home seeking justice via his own hand. Gone are the days of mano a mano, so Charlie calls in his old crew. What follows is a showdown that reveals like the aforementioned movies, that wisdom and experience come with age and it's not all about relationships and counting your pennies. 

The talent is a good mix and really took me back to the slept on Harry Brown. The struggle with age and ailments is present enough to add a hint of comic relief and believability to the action. Much of the action is straightforward without over the top antics. While I wouldn't rate the feature very high, I will say that it's a fun film, as many are supposed to be and I enjoyed watching it. I think you will too...

Selma: In Many Ways, We're STILL Walking...

Conversations with many people have taught me many things. Conversations with people who have seen the movie Selma have shown me that many things have still gone untaught. One thing that the film that was Oscar nominated for Best Picture, but remained snubbed in all other categories but Best Song continues to teach us is that we want our heroes to look like us. My recent post on American Sniper speaks of perspective. Selma is a really good movie. However, because it's based on historical events (traumatic to a large percentage of the populace) perspective will determine how you receive it. Take MY perspective for instance. The legislation allowing Blacks the right to vote unencumbered is barely older than my 44 years. I remember Black History Week, while many of my younger peers are only familiar with Black History Month. My hometown only lifted bussing segregation in county schools within the past 30 years. I've seen enough racism first hand, but films like Selma are important.

Selma takes place in 1964 and paints a much different picture of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr than many biopics of the past. Much like many people only physically portray Jesus in their minds as a frail victim of a falling humanity, not a blue collar son of a carpenter, Dr. King has only been singularly assessed. Ava DuVernay and Paul Webb pull back the proverbial curtain to show a sharp and cunning, yet flawed King. There are also moments of stubbornness, arrogance and infidelity on his part. To the dismay of another portion of moviegoers, Lyndon B Johnson gets the same treatment, as he trivializes King's movement into three words, "this...voting thing" and repeatedly reiterates to J Edgar Hoover that he prefers King over their civil rights movement as opposed to any more Malcolm X types.

There are many powerful scenes in this film such as Annie Lee Cooper attempting to register to vote and being administered Black Literacy Tests much like ones used in Alabama and Lousiana during that era. By the way, you will be timed on those. The Bloody Sunday scene on Edmund Pettus Bridge is also powerful as it made the nation aware of the lack of humanity based on melanin. How coincidental considering who the bridge was named for. Perhaps the most powerful scene for myself is an earlier dialog between Martin and Lyndon in the Oval Office. It is here that King tells Johnson that it CAN'T wait. That a major key to equal rights under the law is voting, which can give Blacks the power to control legislation, elect officials and serve on juries which is key to justice. Powerful for me because that right was pounded into my head as the generation ONLY previous to mine literally fought and died for it, yet it is STILL underutilized throughout my community nationwide. Then again, that's MY perspective.

I remember the tension at work the night Barack Obama was elected as the first Black President of The United States of America. The following weeks of conversation showed me who were Democrats, Republicans and who just didn't like the thought of a Black man heading the most powerful country in the world. I also remember a whimsical observation of a friend of mine once. He said, his daughter, who is very smart has ONLY EVER known a Black President. That's kinda cool. I trust he and his wife to make sure that she understands what it took to get there. Part of that journey is allowing her to see Selma, letting her know that recent events such as the deaths of Trayvon Martin, Michael Brown, Oscar Grant and others signify that in many ways we are STILL walking...

American Sniper: The Truth Is 95% Perspective...

You are a sniper, peering through a high powered scope in war torn Iraq and the scene above appears in your crosshairs. At one end of the block, is a small band of insurgents and the other a US military convoy. Do you pull the trigger? This sets the tone for the American Sniper, starring Bradley Cooper as Chris Kyle, the man known as the deadliest sniper in US history. Veteran on both sides of the camera, Clint Eastwood has crafted a solid outing but what you get from it puts you in both Chris Kyle's and Clint Eastwood's proverbial flawed shoes. That's because as humans, we wish ourselves and our actions to be viewed in the best light possible. The omissions from and embellishments to Kyle's memoir in Eastwood's adaptation serve to paint Kyle as a Golden Boy as we watch his rise through the ranks and declination of humanity via Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. Granted, Kyle's biography of the same name contains many of it's own omissions and embellishments, with both being the subject of a lot of controversy. Racism and conspiracy theories only scratch the surface of the problems that people have with Kyle's book and Eastwood's adaptation.

All in all, I found it to be a good film. It was acted, produced and written well, biased as it may be. THAT readers is what it's all about. BIAS. How you view American Sniper is dependent upon who YOU are and what YOUR values, views and experiences are. Pictures are infinitely more powerful than words and Chris Kyle's "legacy" now comes with a dramatization to assist in the skewing of the already influential. American Sniper, both book and film explore what Chris Kyle did and why he did it. There is public (and somewhere private) record of this. While the details can be argued what stands separately is Kyle's character and what he believes in. It is THAT which is up to you, the reader/viewer to decide if what he believes in is bullshit or not. At least based on YOUR perspective.

Interested in some differences between the book and movie but haven't experienced both? Slate.com's Courtney Duckworth breaks down Fact vs Fiction. Meanwhile, you can peep some highlights here...

Why not Birdman 4? That Is The Question...

Welcome to the world of Riggan Thomson (Michael Keaton) or as the world knows him, Birdman. The actor is the star of a multi-million dollar international superhero franchise. Riggan is also well past his prime, ie: washed up and hasn't actually made a sequel to the blockbuster series everyone is STILL waiting for in nearly two decades. In an attempt to resurge his career and establish his legacy outside of Hollywood, Thomson has chosen to bet the farm (and his house), along with his lawyer Jake (Zach Galifianakis) on his latest project, a personally scripted, produced and directed adaptation of Raymond Carver's book 'What We Talk About When We Talk About Love'...on Broadway.

A novice on all things Broadway, Riggan is channeling all aspects of his experience in order to make the project a success while he battles Mike Shiner (Ed Norton) a brilliant Broadway actor with intentions of stealing the limelight. Add to the mix his ongoing conflicts with recovering drug addict daughter Sam (Emma Stone) and his ex-girlfriend Leslie (Naomi Watts: Dream House, J Edgar) and it gets no easier. The catalyst is Broadway critic Tabitha Dickinson (Lindsay Duncan: Rome), who has made it clear that she despises Hollywood types. They have no training or discipline and lack an understanding or appreciation for the art that is acting. The Broadway community, bends to her will and she has every intention of destroying Thomson's play in 200 words or less. No pressure. Then there's Birdman. He periodically visits Riggan, longing for their glory days of explosions, fanfare and millions. These visits are often accompanied by displays of telekinesis. Weird right? Yeah. That's what the Brothers and I thought. Very, but it works. 

What also works is Birdman's almost seamless progression through the movie. We tend to follow characters between established scenes instead of a series of cuts. This works well to establish the sense of urgency throughout the film. Keaton's and Norton's are add to Birdman's legitimacy as each of their character's could represent their own careers on some level. 

That said, check out Birdman. You'll be glad you did...

Dear White People, Justin Simien is NOT Spike Lee...YET

Welcome to Winchester University, an amalgam of predominantly white ivy league colleges. It is here that Writer, Director, Producer Justin Simien sets the tone for Dear White People, a satirical look at the serious problem of race in what many have dubbed post-racial America. Sorry White People, but race is very present and accounted for and Simien is not only aware, but touches on the subject and it's difficulties from both sides. So well that he has garnered comparisons to Spike Lee, as his feature has all the trappings of a 40 Acres and a Mule Production.

Dear White People stars Tessa Thompson (Selma) as Sam White, a campus radio personality and self-published author of Ebony & Ivy, a scathing, sarcastic read that questions one's "blackness". While the movie loosely centers on Sam and her own issues of racial identity and obligation, it also fleshes out each of it's characters in all too familiar situations. Drawing on his experiences at Chapman University, Simien includes the preppy & proper brother, passive homosexual, stereotypical loud sista, racially insensitive frat boys and the list goes on. Sam is at odds with both the Dean Fairbanks (Dennis Haysbert), her ex-boyfriend's father and the school's president over her progressive approach on campus. A reality TV show producer searching for talent is enamored with her personality moreso than Coco (Teyonah Parris: Survivor's Remorse, Mad Men) who desires the presumed fame/fortune that she believes comes with it. The spark? Lionel Higgins (Tyler Williams: Everybody Hates Chris), a gay aspiring writer who has chosen to make Sam the center of a piece that hopefully secures his spot on the student paper's staff. The fuel? An entitled group of frat boys' Unleash Your Inner Negro Party. Yes, blackface ensues.

There is much social commentary amongst the laughs and Simien weaves it together eloquently. It's smart, sharp and earned him honours at the 2104 Cannes Film Festival with good reason. Again, although Simien will continue to make socially conscious features, he doesn't want to be compared to Spike Lee as he's concerned with the pigeon-holing he feels will accompany it. Although Lee is a respected filmmaker on his list, he places Woody Allen higher in terms of influence. No worries. He is young and has time, with which he will likely explore more and establish his own identity. This is a good thing. In the words of Micah Sierra Williams, "Don't worry, I'll wait..."

If you're open minded, you'll enjoy Dear White People, no matter WHAT colour you are. 4 Mics.
Peep the trailer here...

Keanu Gets It Right As John Wick...

There's been a lot of knocks on Keanu Reeves but the man has proven that he CAN act, produce and direct, albeit with mixed results. This is because Keanu is a niche artist. His latest venture, John Wick is a testament to where his strength lies, which is action.

John Wick centers around a retired hitman for whom the movie is named. The target of a brutal home invasion for the sole purpose of stealing his car, John is left alive and well. His dog however, wasn't so lucky. This is the set up for a large scale tale of vengeance and John Wick delivers. Complete with MMA style fighting, gun-fu, Russian mobsters and a unique form of currency the movie's cinematography executed nicely. Dialog is kept to a minimum for our protagonist while the remaining cast handle his back story via personal experiences. In short, as expected, the title character is as most action genre title characters, a certified badass. Willem DaFoe, Alfie Allen (Game of Thrones), Adrienne Palicki (Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D), and Ian McShane (Deadwood) round out a solid cast. Unlike his last project Man of Tai-Chi, in which experimented with the new bot & dolly camera system for the fighting/action genre, John Wick doesn't break any new ground. The film keeps it simple, deadly, fun and reiterates many tropes of the genre, specifically don't mess with a man's dog. 

3.5 Mics.
You can check out the trailer for John Wick here...