As far as I was concerned, December 11th, 1992 was going to be just like any other Saturday. Per my usual routine, I took in the sights at South Dekalb Mall. I’d usually start out by perusing the rap section at Camelot Music. If nothing caught my eye, I’d sometimes walk across the road to Turtles. After that, I’d give the magazine section at the bookstore a once over. Then it was off to Champs or Foot Locker to check out the newest athletic gear. Around noontime, I’d meet up with my mom (and sometimes my grandmother) for lunch at the Piccadilly Cafeteria. Since my mom was a good listener, our lunches often turned into therapy sessions. That day, I was especially concerned about my friend Avery. Little did I know, he’d had been killed the night before.
Thursday, December 27, 2012
There and Back Again: In Memoriam
Labels:
1992,
Avery W. Pennant,
Death,
December 11th 1992,
Funeral,
Georgia,
Geto Boys,
In Memoriam,
Lithonia,
Scarface,
Southwest Dekalb High School,
There and Back Again,
Tucker High School,
Wake
Scottscope Talk Radio 12/26/2012: Beware The Wrath of Django Freeman!
On this edition of Scottscope Talk Radio, the roundtable
will be taking on Quentin Tarantino’s latest homage to the exploitation genre, Django Unchained! We’ll be discussing all of its most controversial
aspects. Is it inappropriate and/or racist
for Tarantino to use slavery as the backdrop for a violent spaghetti
western? Did he make this movie simply
to justify excessive use of the dreaded N-word in yet another one of his films? Is Tarantino’s realistic portrayal of slavery
done in the spirit of historical accuracy, or is it merely a way to indulge in
a bit of torture porn? Did Jamie Foxx end
up being a better fit for the lead role than Will Smith? Does Leonardo DiCaprio make a good villain? How does this film stand up to the spaghetti
westerns of yore? Is it in the same
class as Sergio Corbucci’s original Django? Where does it rank among Tarantino’s earlier
films? Is it among his very best, or his
very worst?
Labels:
Christopher McQuarrie,
Django Unchained,
Jack Reacher,
Jamie Foxx,
Quentin Tarantino,
Scott Wilson,
Scottscope Podcast,
Scottscope Talk Radio,
Slavery,
The Rowdy One,
Tom Cruise,
VQ Dollars
Movie Review: Django Unchained
Two years before the start of the civil war, a mysterious
drifter makes his way through the Deep South.
When he happens upon a convoy of slaves, he takes it upon himself to
violently free one of them. Though courageous
and charitable, this act of liberation does not come without a price. The drifter, Dr. King Schultz (Christoph
Waltz), is a professional bounty hunter searching for a band of killers. Django Freeman (Jamie Foxx) is a slave who
has encountered the men Schultz seeks.
In exchange for his help, Django will be granted ultimate freedom. He will also be united with his wife Broomhilda
(Kerry Washington), who remains in captivity.
Thus begins a violent odyssey which ends at the doorstep of decadent plantation
owner Calvin Candie (Leonardo DiCaprio).
Labels:
Black Interest,
Christoph Schultz,
Django,
Django Unchained,
Exploitation Films,
Jamie Foxx,
Kerry Washington,
Leonardo DiCaprio,
Quentin Tarantino,
Sergio Corbucci,
Slavery,
Spaghetti Western,
Western
Thursday, December 20, 2012
Scottscope Talk Radio 12/18/2012 The Holiday Season Edition!
This week on Scottscope
Talk Radio, we’ll be discussing our favorite holiday themed genre
films. From Die Hard to Lethal Weapon
to Halloween (and all flicks in
between), we’ll be talking about the movies that best capture the spirit of
their assigned holiday. Is it
inappropriate to set violent action films during Christmas time? Was the pre-millennial tension in Strange Days in keeping with Y2K
hysteria? Did Gremlins represent the perfect blend of horror, humor, and holiday
cheer?
Labels:
50 Greatest Hip-Hop Songs,
Die Hard,
DJ,
Gremlins,
Holiday Movies,
Lethal Weapon,
Rolling Stone Magazine,
Scottscope Podcast,
Scottscope Talk Radio,
The Long Kiss Goodnight,
The Rowdy One,
Vashawn Quinones
Amazing Attractions: ‘Pain And Gain’ Trailer
I was a really skinny kid growing up. I also had the misfortune of being raised on
superhero comics and action films.
Perhaps that’s why I developed a fascination with bodybuilding in by
late teens. Though I never became a practitioner,
I have a certain amount of respect for the sport. Sculpting one’s body to such a degree takes
dedication and discipline. Apparently, such
qualities eluded Miami’s Sun Gym gang. While packing on muscle mass, they also
packed pistols and committed crimes. Their
not-so-legendary exploits are now the subject of Michael Bay’s latest bit of
visual junk food, Pain And Gain.
Labels:
Action,
Anthony Mackie,
Bodybuilders,
Comedy,
Dwayne Johnson,
Ed Harris,
Miami New Times,
Michael Bay,
Movie Trailer,
Pain And Gain,
Pete Collins,
Sun Gym Gang,
True Crime
Friday, December 14, 2012
Logan Readies For Battle In The Motion Poster for ‘The Wolverine’
Back when I was in the fifth grade, I encountered a fearsome
looking character known as Wolverine. I
had seen him before, but knew very little about him. That changed when a
classmate brought a trade paperback to school that bore his name as its title. It
collected all four issues of the classic limited series by Chris Claremont and Frank
Miller into a single volume. The cover art was absolutely beautiful,
or so I thought at the tender age of 10. It depicted the title character tussling
with a group of ninja. The shadow warriors clearly had their
hands full, as it looked like they were trying to restrain a rabid pitbull. Wolverine
even had a length of chain clamped between his teeth. That which separates
man from beast would feature prominently in the story, but I was much too young
to truly understand such themes. All I knew was that I had to read that
book.
Read it I did, and I absolutely loved it. To this day that cover
image remains seared on my psyche. It’s the defining image of the character
as far as I’m concerned. The new “motion poster” for the upcoming
sequel The Wolverine tries for
something equally as memorable, by showing a totally different side of the
character.
Labels:
Artwork,
Chris Claremont James Mangold,
Comic Book,
Frank Miller,
Hugh Jackman,
Japan,
Movie Poster,
Mutant,
Sequel,
Superhero,
The Wolverine,
Wolverine
Thursday, December 13, 2012
Amazing Attractions: Pacific Rim - Official Trailer
Collectively, the Transformers
films represent a wasted opportunity, though not in the way that many would
assume. They could have been big budget
renditions of Japanese Super Robot films, thus serving as a wonderful
introduction to the genre for American audiences. Alas, they were content with being run-of-the
mill summer blockbusters. If only their
considerable production values could be employed by someone with a bigger
imagination and a better story to tell. Luckily,
cinematic fantasist Guillermo Del Toro has an affinity for Kaiju films. What’s more, he has channeled that love into
his latest project, Pacific Rim.
Labels:
Adventure,
Anime,
Guillermo Del Toro,
Idris Elba,
Kaiju,
Manga,
Michael Bay,
Movie Trailer,
Movie Trailer Review,
Pacific Rim,
Science Fiction,
Super Robot,
Transformers
Wednesday, December 12, 2012
Scottscope Talk Radio 12/11/2012: 'The Chronic' Turns 20 While Rick Ross Has His Day of Reckoning!
This week on Scottscope
Talk Radio, we’ll be celebrating the 20th anniversary of Dr.
Dre’s immortal classic The Chronic! Is it Hip-Hop’s best compilation album ever?
What can be gleaned from its storied legacy?
Is its legendary status overstated?
What effect did the L.A. Riots have during the recording sessions for
the album? Is it more conscious than
people give it credit for? Does Dre get
too much credit in regards to the groundbreaking production work? Have the contributions of Warren G, Colin
Wolfe, Daz, and Cold 187um gone unrecognized?
Will Detox ever come out? Even if it does, can it hope to match or
exceed The Chronic in terms of
quality and/or impact?
Amazing Attractions: Man of Steel - Official Trailer #2
The teaser trailer for Man
of Steel left me quite cold. As a
friend humorously observed, it looked more like a Levi’s commercial than an
advertisement for an upcoming Superhero film.
To make matters worse, I am of the minority viewpoint that it’s much too
soon to release another Superman movie, much less one that takes a “dark and
serious” view of the character. Bryan
Singer already attempted something along those lines in 2006 with Superman
Returns. The result was a dreary yet
great looking film which cast portrayed the character as a love struck stalker. That’s hardly the kind of adventure that fans
were expecting. I’m hard pressed to believe
that Zack Snyder could do much better, Christopher Nolan’s involvement
notwithstanding. Such reservations aside, the new trailer for Man of Steel has me rethinking my
initial assumptions.
Labels:
Christopher Meloni,
Christopher Nolan,
Comic Book,
Henry Cavill,
Laurence Fishburne,
Man of Steel,
Movie Trailer,
Movie Trailer Review,
Russell Crowe,
Science Fiction,
Superhero,
Superman,
Trailer,
Zack Snyder
Monday, December 10, 2012
Short Film Review: DragonBall Z - Saiyan Saga (DBZ Live Action Trailer)
Namekian conqueror Piccolo (Michael Amariah) engages Saiyan
warrior Raditz (Zack Nizato) in battle.
Raditz is ultimately defeated by Piccolo’s powerful Makanosappo
technique. As he lay dying, the Saiyan
warrior sends a final transmission to his scouter, thus summoning his comrades Vegeta
(Aaron Ly) and Nappa (Ryan Oliva). When
the Saiyans finally arrive, they are met by organized resistance in form of Tien Shinan (David Cheung), Chiaotzu (Oliver
Faber), Yamcha (Isky Fay), Krillin (Lee Edward Jones), Piccolo, and Kid Gohan
(Brandon Ly). Alas, even their combined
efforts are no match for the destructive duo.
In a moment of desperation, Krillin calls on Raditz’ Goku (Peter
Perelta), who arrives ready for battle.
Will he be able to save the day?
Labels:
Action,
Anime,
Dragonball Z,
DragonBall Z - Saiyan Saga (DBZ Live Action Trailer),
K and K Productions,
Manga,
Martial Arts,
Science Fiction,
Short Film,
Short Film Review
Thursday, December 6, 2012
Short Film Review: Day of the Ninja
A worthy soul walks through a mysterious tunnel in search of
the prize that waits on the other side. His
passage is interrupted by a pair of shadow warriors, who mean to prevent him
from crossing over into glory. What he
finds are a pair of shadow warriors who are determined not to let him make his
way to the light.
Labels:
Andy Le,
Brian Le,
Daniel Mah,
Day of the Ninja,
Lau Kar Leung,
Martial Arts,
Martial Club,
Ninja,
Ninja Burger,
Ninjutsu,
Shaw Brothers
Amazing Attractions: Star Trek Into Darkness - Japanese Teaser Trailer
Sequels are often expected to be
darker and more harrowing than their predecessors. This is also true of immediate follow-ups to
successful franchise reboots. The notion
is directly related to the trope of “sequel escalation.” Sequels are generally meant to be “bigger and
better.” Hence, the stakes have to be
raised. This is usually achieved via the
introduction an even more ruthless villain, preferably one who has a score to
settle with the protagonist(s). The Japanese
teaser for Star Trek Into Darkness offers
just that. From the looks of things, it
may be taking fans down a very familiar path.
Labels:
Adventure,
Benedict Cumberbatch,
Foreign Trailer,
J.J. Abrams,
Lt. Cdr. Gary Mitchell,
Movie Trailer Review,
Science Fiction,
Star Trek,
Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan,
Star Trek Into Darkness,
Teaser Trailer
Wednesday, December 5, 2012
Scottscope Talk Radio 12/4/2012: Parental Discretion Is Advised!
On this week’s edition of Scottscope Talk Radio, the roundtable takes aim at the Motion
Picture Association of America's film-rating system! Instituted on November 1st, 1968,
the system was meant provide parents with a handy guide as to the content of
theatrically released films. In the decades
since its implementation, things have changed.
The internet has made questionable material readily available to children
everywhere. Primetime network television
shows continuously push boundaries. Mainstream
American films are more violent and sexually explicit than ever, and many now
believe the ratings system as we know it to be obsolete. Is
the MPAA still relevant? Do parents
still need such an organization to help guide their children’s viewing
habits? Why does the MPAA have a higher
tolerance for violence than sexuality?
Why do major studio films get preference over independent films? Should the ratings system be revamped, or
simply done away with?
Labels:
2 Live Crew,
Explicit Lyrics,
Gimmicks,
John Cooley,
Lahmi,
MPAA,
Ratings system,
Scott Wilson,
Scottscope Podcast,
Scottscope Talk Radio,
The Rowdy One,
Vashawn Quinones
Short Film Review: Dogfight
Late one night, two bounty hunters (Nate Hitpas and Jessie Bayani) cautiously approach a
seemingly empty dojo. Inside, a corrupt sensei (Shawn Bernal)
trains in solitude. Determined to apprehend
their prey, the pair enters the establishment.
Unfortunately for them, the able bodied master has no intention of being
carted away in restraints. Will the
hunters claim their prize, or will the master emerge triumphant?
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