My Sounding Board

I write. I create. I perform. That's my life.

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‘BATMAN V SUPERMAN’ Wasn’t Made For Me

Look, I love my job. I do. Writing for Latino-Review is a ton of fun. But I do have some days where things get a little...heated. More often than not, it’s when the subject of Superman comes up. The character has been hugely important to me in my life over the years, and I cannot overstate my fandom for him. 

It has lead to all kinds of interesting discussions with folks that disagree with my stances on issues related to movies about him. During the SUPERMAN RETURNS days, I fought with folks who hated it. With the current MAN OF STEEL/BVS films, I find myself butting heads with folks who love them.

But what if I told you there was a common thread in both arguments that proves why BATMAN V SUPERMAN: DAWN OF JUSTICE simply isn’t for me?

One of the recurring themes I’ve seen come up, whether it be in my defense of SR or my admonishment of MOS is that most fans fall into one of two categories:

There are those that want to see Superman punch something, and there are those that don’t. 

Broken down to its simplest form, that is at the core of a lot of the discourse I see online. 

I’m the kind of Superman fan that has no interest in whether or not he puts his hands on someone. My appreciation for the character has more to do with his kindness, his optimism, and his unshakable desire to help others. That’s why my favorite parts of MOS were early on, while he was still in hiding, as Clark did several super feats- risking everything to help others (except, you know, his dad). Whether it was the school bus going into the river, standing up for the waitress, or that fiery rescue at sea, there was this incredible being that just wanted to help- and he didn’t have to hit anyone to make a difference.

Does this mean that Superman should never strike another character? Absolutely not. Handled the right way, a battle between him and another super-powered being should be awe-inspiring. Problem is, I didn’t think his battle with the Kryptonians was staged the right way. It was low on drama and emotional stakes, but very high on “cool” visuals. So, ultimately, they left me feeling cold instead of awestruck. 

The most moving part of that entire 45 minute slog of destruction porn? Watching Perry White rescuing that intern who was trapped in the debris, risking his own life to do so. Meanwhile, Superman had nothing to do with that moment.

Based on everything we’ve seen so far, in every trailer for DAWN OF JUSTICE, it’ll be more of the same. An angry Superman. Glowing red eyes. Smashing Batman through a building. Scowling. Trying to punch his head off. Threatening him. So we’ll get plenty more of the kind of Superman that leapfrogs over oil tankers that are flung at him- instead of trying to catch them so that they don’t explode into the building behind him and rain fiery cars down on the bystanders hiding nearby- because it “looks cool” to watch Superman and Zod have a boxing match with cars falling out of the sky, and less of the kind of Superman who’d do anything he can to move the fight away from Metropolis. 

So the folks that have been dying to see the “Angry God With The Glowing Red Eyes” version of Superman, who fucks shit up...these films are for you.

Those of us who love Superman for his ideals, his humanity, and his desire to help...can comfortably sit these films out, as I will be doing.

To me, what defines a hero isn’t simply that he punches bad guys. It’s the difference between a firefighter racing into a fiery building, and a SWAT dude in riot gear beating a thug up with a nightstick. One just seems inherently more heroic than the other.

Thanks for reading.

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Owens v Cena Could Save WWE, But It Won’t

So I just watched last night’s “Money In The Bank” match between WWE’s poster boy John Cena and Kevin Owens. The energy in that arena was electric. The match itself was phenomenal. Cena showed that he can still go, and that he can hang with indy darlings like Owens in “This Is Awesome” type matches. 

Watching it was bittersweet. I don’t really watch wrestling anymore. I was once a super fan. Like, obsessed. From 1987 thru 2002 I watched incessantly. Especially from 96-01. The vibe in the arena during that match reminded me of the best moments from the Attitude Era. The match was hard-hitting, raw, and unpredictable. You had the star of one promotion having a “dream match” against someone who made a name for themselves elsewhere. 

That dream match thing doesn’t happen anymore. Not because there isn’t a #2 promotion, necessarily. But because of WWE’s recent attitude towards guys who created success for themselves outside of the WWE machine. When they arrive on Raw, they’ve typically been white-washed and stripped of what made them special. It feels like WWE, thanks to Triple H’s efforts in NXT, is starting to pull a 180 on that idea. With Samoa Joe entering the fray...AS Samoa Joe; With Kevin Owens walking in with a different name but the same backstory/gimmick he used as Kevin Steen to become an indy star. 

By allowing these guys to come in, and acknowledging that there is a wrestling world beyond WWE, it gives them instant notoriety with WWE’s fans. If they hadn’t allowed Owens to trade on his former glory when he debuted and attacked Sami Zayn, he’d be just another chubby new guy who they had to build up. Instead, he came in as a star. That hardly ever happens anymore. WWE doesn’t like pre-made stars. At least they haven’t for years.

So let’s get back to last night’s match. Simply phenomenal. I want to see more. It lit a spark in me that I rarely feel anymore when I glance at WWE’s product. 

BUT! (And there’s a big “but”)

Deep down, I know this isn’t going to lead anywhere.

And the primary reason may surprise you: Three. Hour. Raws.

See, there was a time when a single feud could carry a show to prosperity. A single feud. You could build entire episodes of Raw around a single feud, week after week, and add in a strong undercard. With two hours, the storytelling could be lean, mean, and impactful. But with these three hour shows, there’s just no way to carry that kind of momentum. There is so much filler. There are so many storylines and characters that are vastly inferior to what Owens/Cena are creating, that sustaining interest in the show is damn near impossible. 

Cause the smart thing to do is OPEN and CLOSE each episode with new developments on “that big feud.” But when those two segments are separated by 2:40 of nonsense, the viewer loses all their drive to stick around to see the other bookend. It’s asking too much of the viewer, and of a creative team. 

Owens v Cena could be McMahon v Austin. It could be Rock v Austin. It would be Sting v Hogan. One of those massive rivalries that could sustain a year’s worth of shows. But it won’t. In the end, it’ll be a hot moment that’ll die down because there’s just too many hours of programming to fill and there’s no way to sustain interest on that show with “slow burn” storytelling. So it’ll be rushed. They’ll milk it for all it’s worth, and then we’ll be back to completely mediocre levels.

Agree? Disagree?

Tell me why.

~ MFR

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What is going on in this picture? To find out, you'll have to check out the #DreamVaultCycle at La MaMa #Art #Film #Theatre #NYC #Brooklyn #Flamingos #Music #Accordion

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Reflecting On 'Boyhood'

So I just spent almost three hours in a dark theater, watching Boyhood with my father. As I often do, after experiencing something that profoundly speaks to me, it's now late at night and I'm trying to let everything sink in. I've actually never checked out any of Linklater's films prior to this. I know he's a respected auteur, and I'm interested in perusing his body of work, but this was the first of his films that I felt the need to go experience.

And experience it I did.

I'm marveling at the simplicity of it. The film didn't have a plot, per se. It was a collection of moments. Moments that plotted out the lives of not just our protagonist, Mason, but of his parents, and his sister. There was a lot to chew on, especially since I'm at a point in my own life where introspection is a big part of what I'm doing- in order to find the path to what'll make me truly happy. In my life, as of late, I've been taking time to take stock of everything I'm examining all of my decisions, past and present. I'm looking at what courses need to be corrected. Seeing what's working, and what's not.

You can sense that in Boyhood, Linklater created a long-form essay that's doing that very same kind of self-examination. What I appreciate most about the film is the soft, gentle touch is uses while looking at some of life's most profound questions. There are no heavy-handed musical cues that say "Hey, you, FEEL THIS WAY!" He kind of just lets the very organic performances, and stripped down dialogue, communicate everything on its own.

Key things I took away from the film:

"I thought there'd be more."

The idea that every moment is right now. Right now is everything. 

Our current culture, of being "plugged-in" in 24/7, via smart phones and social media, is creating a whole generation of people that don't experience anything. They're not fully present in their actual moments, because they're half-paying attention to their phones. They're not really all that engaged with what they're seeing on the phone, because most of it is just a monotonous distraction anyway. So, in essence, we're all becoming more and more detached from the experience of just living life to its fullest.

Ethan Hawke is a god damn awesome actor.

Less truly IS more, when the writing is good and the actors are up to the task.

We're all just doing the best we can. No one has the answers. There's no guidebook. There's no clear destination to this journey. Just do the best you can with what you have.

Talent and potential are meaningless without the hard work it takes to get them somewhere. There are people less talented than you are, that will be more successful simply because they worked harder. Can't just coast on the knowledge that you're good at something.

Don't ignore the people that believe in you. Having the right people in your corner can make all the difference in the world.

You are responsible for your own self-esteem. You can't put your sense of self in the hands of anyone else. Not your significant other. Not your friend. Not your employer. Your sense of self-worth has to come from your wants and goals.

Be open. Life is going to present you with all kinds of options and opportunities. Be open to what's out there, and don't be afraid to just do what you want sometimes, regardless of any outside influences or opinions.

I applaud Linklater for not relying on any cliches or writing crutches to get his points across. For example, he painted a vivid picture of life, mortality, the ticking clock that won't stop, and trying to seize the moment...without having to put a single death into a script. That would've been a shortcut, to have one of the film's characters die to force our star (and us in the audience) to confront life's ultimate fate. But I felt it anyway. Watching this young actor age from 8 to 18 (or whatever it is), over the course of 3 hours, really just demonstrates how we're all only doing one thing: Getting older. Inching towards the period at the end of our sentence.

So much to digest.

In short, Boyhood was brilliant. Go see it. 

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About To Use The Shit Out Of This Bitch!

I'm an opinionated son of a gun. I have this Tumblr. I have a crap ton to say.

I'm gonna start saying it.

Stay tuned!

[whitelaws]

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One of my favorite lines. This, and "a bunch of jackasses standing in a circle" make my life complete.

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Latino-Review Report Card

The folks that doubt Latino Review crack me up, because they're the same people that either don't get it or flat-out don't pay attention. Ladies and Gentlemen, I give you this: - Latino-Review was the first to reveal that Gal Gadot was on the shortlist for a prominent female role in BvS. Confirmed. - They were the first to report that Baron von Strucker was a villain in Avengers 2. Confirmed. - They were the ones that got the scoop that the Mandarin twist was going to get the retcon treatment in Kingsley's new Marvel one-shot. Confirmed. - They reported that Johnny Depp met with Marvel about Dr. Strange. Confirmed. Except, sadly, the talks didn't go anywhere. Which happens in Hollywood. Plans change. Projects move in different directions. And these are all JUST from the last few months.  Also, food for the thought. Even the ones that wind up not happening, are LATER proven true, too. El Mayimbe used to get raked over the coals for reporting on Marvel's plans for a Planet Hulk movie. But then, guess what? In the last few months, more and more evidence has come out to prove that Marvel- at one point- actually WAS thinking of building to that. In Thor: The Dark World there was concept art found that showed that seeds were going to be planted for Planet Hulk, until they changed their minds.

Even the infamous Nolan/Bale/JLA report. At one point, that was the plan. WB/DC was prepared to move mountains to make it happen. Then one of the parties involved balked at the idea and they had to go another way. Oh well.

So the point is- Fanboys are hilarious. They expect DC or Marvel or ANYONE to come out the next day and confirm a scoop. And when they don't, they assume it's fake/a lie. But then those same fanboys, with their short attention spans, don't realize months later when something finally IS confirmed...that the original scoop that they had crapped all over...was true all along.

And it's those same guys like that look hilariously clueless when they Tweet or post on messageboards stuff like, "They're never right! It's all lies! They're making it up!" I can't help but chuckle when I see stuff like that.

Make no doubt about it. I drink the Kool Aid. I WORK there. I know how hard these guys work on their scoops and how much care goes into them. I've sat across the table and looked El Mayimbe in the eye. This Lex thing? It's legit. I know where they got it, and I know they've spoken and cross-checked and verified this intel. They sat on this info for over a week, going over everything before they posted this. This isn't a game.

So you can go ahead and doubt it. That's up to you.  But as it turns out, it's not Latino-Review that's "never right." It's the folks that do nothing but constantly doubt them.

Thank you, drive through.

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WORLD PREMIERE:

Video for John Mayer’s “Dear Marie” off of Paradise Valley.

My big mission is to get John's eyes on this. It's the second one I've made. The other was for "Whiskey, Whiskey, Whiskey." Please reblog. Let's get this thing floating around until he sees it!

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#tbt #chubby

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WORLD PREMIERE:

Video for John Mayer’s “Dear Marie” off of Paradise Valley.

Enjoy!

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Fans of @johnmayer, please help me spread the word. Check out the videos. I think you'll agree that he'd appreciate them! #mayerisback #music #lyrics #johnmayer #paradisevalley #dearmarie

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WORLD PREMIERE:

Video for John Mayer's "Dear Marie" off of Paradise Valley.

Enjoy!

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Here's a thingy I made for a thing, to be played at a place, during some stuff.

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The Time I Knelt Before Zod

Whenever I tell fellow fanboy-types this story, they always tell me I should write about it somewhere. It's not newsworthy, so I won't put it on LR. But now that I'm trying to blog some more, figure I'll jot it down here: I'm a lifelong, devout Superman fan. I was introduced to the character via the original Donner film, starring Christopher Reeve. Over the years, Superman became something of an obsession. To this day, I still get loads of Superman merch on special holidays because all my friends and relatives associate me with the character. During a phase where I was working as an extra for several productions taking place in New York (which is a cooler, more lucrative gig than you may realize), I worked a couple of days on-location for THE ADJUSTMENT BUREAU. While there, I got to get up-close and personal with Matt Damon, Emily Blunt (who's even more gorgeous in person), and TERRENCE STAMP! Zod himself!! When I saw that Mr. Stamp was part of the scene I was participating in, my mind started racing. Here I was, with a chance to meet someone who was in one of the most important movies in my life. What? How? When? Then, during a lunch break, I made my move. We were all in a big cafeteria setting, and I saw him enter the room (wearing crocs, btw). He was heading for the buffet table, and no one else was really around. So I made a bee-line for the table. I was nonchalant, and acting like I was getting seconds. When he was around 10 feet away, and walking in my general direction on his way to a table...I made my move. I calmly, subtly got down on one knee- without saying a word. If he didn't notice, I was just going to pretend to be tying my shoelace. But suddenly, within two seconds of me kneeling, he stopped in place. He was holding his food in one hand. With the other he pointed menacingly at me, frowned, and demanded, "YOU WILL SMILE ON YOUR FACE WHEN YOU KNEEL BEFORE ZOD!" I smiled broadly and stood up. His scowl turned to a wide grin, he patted me on the shoulder, and continued to his table. And just like that, he'd given this one fanboy an experience he'd never forget. Thanks for reading, ~ MFR

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An Interesting Couple Days

So, a couple of days ago I stumbled upon news that Johnny Depp had met with Marvel about joining their cinematic universe in a supernatural role. Anyone looking ahead at Marvel's releases can put 1 and 1 together to deduce it was Dr. Strange that was being discussed. At the time, my reliable source was under the impression that this was a fresh, and potentially ongoing conversation. 

I thought, Cool! Marvel is aiming pretty high. And I was ready to leave it at that. Then I got to thinking about how my readers at Latino-Review might want to know that something cool could potentially be brewing between the Depp and Marvel camps. So I questioned my source about who, exactly, had given them this information, and walked away from the chat feeling confident.

See, my source sits at an intersection of the industry where rumors become fact. I can't reveal much else, other than to say that they not only have regular contact with all the big players, but they also have a direct line to who's working on what.

Now, I'm new to this movie blogging thing, and wasn't sure how long to wait before sharing what I'd heard. As the size and scope of what was brought to me raced through my mind, I was worried someone else might get it out there first and I know how much LR values its scoops. The site is built on them.

So I contacted the guys in charge and we put our heads together. I told them what I knew, and from whom, and they thought it was good enough to run with. Again, neither my source, nor I, had ever been told that this information was in any way dated, or that it had reached a resolution. All either of us knew was that both sides had met, and that Depp had been interested. 

Therefore no one involved with sharing this story had any reason to believe that this wasn't an in-progress story. There was nothing malicious or purposely misleading about what I published that night. As far as any of us knew, this was an active conversation between two Hollywood giants and we wanted folks to know.

In the days to follow, folks started coming out of the woodwork to let me know that I had been right: Depp and Marvel had met. Unfortunately, the talks never lead to anything, which rendered any implication that he was in active negotiations retroactively incorrect.

I can live with that. The crux of what I reported was true (YAY!), but the payoff I thought the story would lead to (i.e. Depp getting the part) didn't pan out (BOO!). 

The door had always been open to that possibility, of course, which is why I carefully cautioned my readers that the meetings may lead to nothing. But I'm learning that such warnings are futile on the internet. Folks will see what they want, then attack you when the thing you warned them about happens.

The bottom line, and the point of my writing any of this, is to let you know that I never meant any harm. This was not some desperate attempt to get hits. This wasn't a malicious grab at your imagination. I wrote what I wrote because I heard about something cool, and I thought the readers of the movie blog I volunteer for might appreciate it. I get nothing out of breaking these stories.

I'm not a journalist. I'm a family man with a thriving business who writes on a film blog just for fun. But I'm learning now that, with Latino-Review's great reputation around the industry, I need to work harder to be more like a journalist.

In the future, when a scoop or "hot lead" comes my way, I'll either pass it along to El Mayimbe and let him do the groundwork since that's his thing and he loves it, or I'll try to properly vet my source while getting a few other corroborating sources.

Regardless, I'm backing out of the scoop game for a while. This situation got out of hand. It wasn't all bad, of course. There are plenty of folks that see where I'm coming from, accept the Depp scoop as "they DID meet, but sadly that was all," are gracious for the insight I gave them on Marvel's targets, and know that I always warned it might not pan out. Heck, the Huffington Post wrote a big feature and cited me personally today, including my rebuttals to Deadline last night. Pretty cool for a guy who just does this as a hobby, no?

But hey, I apologize. There are folks out there that want me to admit that I was wrong, or did something bad, and- while I know my intentions were pure and that the core of what I reported has been vindicated- I'll do that now:

I'm sorry my report didn't end up being about an active negotiation, and that I unknowingly shared some dated information with you all. When I implied this could go somewhere, it was with the same high hopes as the rest of the fans out there that want it to go somewhere. He'd be great in the role, and I can see why both sides explored the idea.

Bowing out of that stuff now. Just going to get back to sharing established news, writing a column here and there, and reviewing films.

Thanks for your time, and I'm sorry for any stress or heartache I brought to you readers out there. Also sorry for bringing any shame on Latino-Review. Those guys work real hard and are right more often than anyone gives them credit for. Just today one of El Mayimbe's big scoops was proven true. That's why he's the right man for that job.

Peace!

~ MFR

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Look, ma! I'm famous! #Chase #GoldenGlobes

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can we talk about the word “delight” for a second?

like it’s supposed to mean something happy and nice but when you look at it it’s “de” and “light.” Like, removing light.

Like “I’d be delighted to come to your party” is the equivalent of “I’d be happy to go to your party” but it should literally meaning “I’d be removing light to go to your party”

It’s saying the act of creating darkness is the equivalent of being happy

why