jeromecusson

Jerome’s Top 50 of 2020: Docuseries and Documentaries

Discussing 2020 as a terrible year is almost a cliché at this point. If it’s possible for opinions to be subjective, then saying 2020 was bad would be a truth. However, there were some excellent examples of visual media. Hopefully, these projects have served as a distraction to those who have needed it, but they should never make us forget the realities of what it means to be a citizen of the world. Many of these top 50 do so in subtle and not so subtle ways. Today, I’ll focus on some documentaries and docu series. Tomorrow will be television shows. Thursday I’ll end with movies.

The Superhero Pantheon: Watchmen (2019) & Wonder Woman 1984

Jerome and Brian come back to superheroes for an end of the year special as they discuss HBO’s huge Watchmen adaptation that takes its cues from the graphic novel and less so from the 2009 film. The duo discusses why this television series is worth assessing for the Pantheon.

Then the final 30 minutes are a discussion of Wonder Woman 1984. Find out their very spoiler filled thoughts on a mixed bag of a movie to say the least.

Jerome’s 100 Favorite Movies – The Podcast: Part II (50 – 1)

Jerome Cusson put together a list of 100 favorite movies. This podcast is a discussion of numbers 50-1. Enjoy a three hour discussion of some great moments in cinema. MOVIES!

Top 5 Takeaways from The Lego Star Wars Holiday Special

If Mike Thomas can do these, then why can’t I, especially in this holiday season?

I’ve spent a lot of the last six months working through my list of 100* favorite movies of all-time, and this is a chance for me to stretch my writing muscles. Instead of focusing on the very best of cinema, let’s explore a mediocre Star Wars holiday special.

First, it’s worth nothing Life Day was an important part of the first holiday special, one that aired 42 years ago on CBS in front of over 40 million people. Audiences struggled through 15 minutes of unsubtitled wookie conversation, Harrison Ford looking like he had no interest in being there, and Bea Arthur** stealing the show by earnestly singing a song in the Mos Eisley Cantina. The people behind this special lowered the stakes quite a bit by making it a lego animated special.

Set around the first celebration of Life Day since whatever version of the empire versus rebel conflict has ended, Rey is training force sensitive Finn and once again is trying to find her way in the world and searches around for a mentor. The special takes us around the world of the franchise and shows other characters preparing to celebrate Life Day on the Millenium Falcon. They even paid Kelly Marie Tran to utter more dialogue here than she did in Rise of Skywalker! Without further adieu, here are my top five takeaways. Continue reading Top 5 Takeaways from The Lego Star Wars Holiday Special

Jerome’s 100 Favorite Movies – The Podcast: Part I (100 – 51)

Jerome Cusson put together a list of 100 favorite movies. This podcast is a discussion of numbers 100-51.

Ben Phillips hosts and takes listeners through the list while Jerome explains why the movies are where they are. They naively thought they’d be able to get the full list in one podcast, but alas, there will be a part two next week.

Reel Bad – A Breaking Bad Podcast: Episode 11 (Better Call Saul Season 4)

Jerome and Kevin are back for the first of two episodes this month. They discuss the greatness of Better Call Saul, season four, a season that sees both Jimmy McGill and Mike Ehrmantraut break bad while Gus Fring tightens his grip on the New Mexico drug scene. Somehow this episode is less than two hours.

Jerome’s 100 Favorite Movies Ever: Get Out

(Check out the list so far)

The Movie: Get Out (2017)

One Sentence Plot Summary: Jordan Peele made the best horror movie, hands down, and I’d have watched it a third time to make sure it got on this list.

Jerome’s 100 Favorite Movies Ever: Black Swan

(Check out the list so far)

The Movie: Black Swan (2010)

One Sentence Plot Summary: Nina is a perfectionist and has to please a toxic masculine director, but she slowly transforms into the black swan…figuratively and maybe literally?

Jerome’s 100 Favorite Movies Ever: The Wolf of Wall Street

(Check out the list so far)

The Movie: The Wolf Wall Street (2013)

One Sentence Plot Summary: Jordan Belfort is a terrible human being who should be in jail for the rest of his life for being a psychopathic capitalist, but damn does it makes for an entertaining movie.

Jerome’s 100 Favorite Movies Ever: The Shawshank Redemption

(Check out the list so far)

The Movie: The Shawshank Redemption (1994)

One Sentence Plot Summary: Andy Dufresne may or may not be guilty but he plays the long game and escapes the prison despite not being able to narrate his own story.