Spike Lee has come out with not one, but two films this year. I haven’t made time to watch Da 5 Bloods, but I did get to see the one that followed it.

David Byrne’s American Utopia is a concert film that took place in the Hudson Theatre. Stop Making Sense is my favorite documentary of all time, and was my first introduction to David Byrne. I knew of the Talking Head’s before hand, but not too much.

David Byrne is such a fascinating person, and that is most evident here. Every song is different, but unique in it’s own way, the lyrics when you think about it, can be very insightful and contemplative. Between a few of the pieces David Byrne speaks to the audience about different things. Things like how we connect and interact as human beings, to associations to other artists. He also calls out to his audience to vote, and be a voice. The film is able to blend positivity and real world urgency to the audience. The camera moves in a way to guide us into the mind of David Byrne, how he perceives the world. The stage pieces, lighting, choreography, and performers all mesh together to create a singular organism that is full of unity and spirit. This film is one we could use right now in 2020.

David Byrne acknowledges that the stage is mostly empty, aside from him and his fellow band mates. How the only thing left, are the things that are important. “Us, and You”, He says. You can tell that he really loves what he’s doing, but is also aware of the audience. I love Spike Lee’s visual direction here as well.

David Byrne’s American Utopia is an entrancing, wonderful, and extravagant piece of work that blends music and filmmaking in blissful matrimony. This film continues to cement Spike Lee as a director, and David Byrne as an influence.

I’ve always been a fan of provocative humor, and Sacha Baren Cohen is one of the most popular examples of that. The first Borat film came out in 2006, and I didn’t end up seeing it till last year. But when I can say after seeing that one, is that it’s one of the funniest movies I’ve ever seen. The humor in that film is very controversial all throughout, but one thing is certain, Sacha Baren Cohen is a force to be reckoned with.

The sequel finds Borat traveling back to America with his daughter, discovering things like the COVID-19 pandemic, American culture, and the political elections. Sacha Baren Cohen plays the icon of Borat effortlessly, consistently engaging the audience from start to finish. In the last film, we had the character of Azamat accompanying Borat as the producer of the documentary. Now we have Tutar, his daughter. Honestly, I prefer Tutar over Azamat. She’s not just used as the catapult for misogynistic and sexist jokes. Her character on her own is really funny, and she has terrific chemistry with Borat.

In most cases having another character like that is risky, and could potentially ruin the whole film, but Tutar is a great addition. There are a lot of jokes that may seem to be aimed at a specific side of the political spectrum, I mean part of Borat’s adventure is marrying his daughter to Mike Pence, and then Rudy Giuliani. But then again, this isn’t anything new. Borat’s ignorance is a big part of the movie, he is entirely satire. As the film goes along a lot of the comedy centers around our social climate, and it is very timely. I enjoyed myself quiet immensely, there were plenty of gut busting laughs on my end. This film like the last one might not be everyone, but the character of Borat, his mannerisms, the way he talks, is genuinely amusing. It may not be as good as it’s predecessor, but it’s one of the most entertaining films 2020 has to offer. Heavily Recommended.

To be brutally honest, I’ve been feeling pretty burnt out with Dexter. Fortunately I’ve been spacing out my viewings of the episodes, and I’m not binging them as much.

The first few episodes of Season 5, is Dexter coping with the death of Rita. A character of whom I didn’t realize what so important, until she was killed off from the show. I quite enjoyed the first few episodes of this season. It was interesting to see how Dexter reacts and deals with this devastating reality. All of it is investing and pretty effective. But what now? How will we introduce the new serial killer or opponent to Dexter? The killer is one Boyd Fowler who murders his victim’s in very grotesque ways. But he was just a short lived segway into our new character, Lumen. Listen, I love Julia Styles. Her work in 10 Things I Hate About You is great. She is good here. That’s all I can say, I didn’t find her character too interesting. Especially when you compare her to the other great characters in the past.

My problem with season 5 is the fact that it feels so standard. There are some stakes, but not enough to have you truly on the edge of your seat. As you can see I don’t have much to say about the season itself, and that alone reflects pretty accurately my feelings on the season as a whole. But it is still very engaging.

Of all the films I’ve seen thus far, I must say that Netflix is really cashing in with all the original that have come out this year.

The Trial of the Chicago 7 is another film written and directed by the talented Aaron Sorkin. The IMDB plot synopsis is as follows: “The story of 7 people on trial stemming from various charges surrounding the uprising at the 1968 Democratic National Convention in Chicago, Illinois.” When I heard about this film, I was curious as to what it would be about, but I was more so interested in what Sorkin would do as a director once again. I saw Molly’s Game, and while I admit it was written well, I wasn’t too big a fan of that film altogether.

Sorkin’s newest feature basks in a very talented ensemble cast with names such as Eddie Redmayne, Sacha Baren Cohen, Jeremy Strong, John Carroll Lynch, and Yahya Abdul-Mateen II. The performances across the board are well up to par, my favorites being Cohen, Strong, and Abdul-Mateen II. Sorkin once again establishes himself as a very skilled writer with this screenplay and with the help of some very well executed editing, it makes for a very engaging watch. You can barely feel the 2 hour runtime.

In terms of the subject matter, the validity of the film might be questionable, and it will certainly prompt viewers, at least in my case, to investigate what is accurate or not. With that being said, with everything going on in the world, now that be the perfect time to come out with something like this. It is a little staggering how relatable this is to our current social climate, but it’s the right time to release it. The film does adequately well with staying focused, however I wished it gave more attention to certain issues that were sort of glossed over. I believe that would’ve given this film more of an emotional punch.

I was feeling disconnected from the character’s on screen, and that is unfortunately due to the script. It’s a good script, but it is a bit pretentious, especially for Sorkin’s standards. One might even say he’s being self-indulgent to a certain extent. To be transparent, I don’t think Sorkin will ever top his work in The Social Network, many films have come close, but this one isn’t it. When you compare this to his last directorial debut, it doesn’t seem like he’s breaking any new ground. I fear that his style as a director and maybe writer will become repetitive.

Also, dare I say it, I would consider this film guilty of being oscar-bait. This flaw may explain why I wasn’t too connected with the characters.

The Trial of the Chicago 7 is a very engaging film, bolstered by a impressive cast. It’s quick paced editing and dialogue will absorb you as a viewer. However the result is not as impactful as one would hope, and not Sorkin’s best work.

I am happy to report that I was able to finally see a movie in theaters on the big screen. AMC had opened up their theaters up to 25% and I went to go see Tenet with my dad.

When I saw Joker last year in theaters, I saw the first teaser they released for this movie. When I got home, I immediately searched for it on youtube, and tried to get as much information as I could about the movie. Tenet became my most anticipated film of 2020, despite all that’s happened and the fact that I’ve already seen many films this year before this one.

I’m terrible and explaining things, so I will just give you the plot synopsis courtesy of IMDB: “Armed with only one word, Tenet, and fighting for the survival of the entire world, a Protagonist journeys through a twilight world of international espionage on a mission that will unfold in something beyond real time.”

In regards to the story, it seems similar to Inception. It kind of is when you look at how Nolan manipulates time and reality. But what seems more apparent to me is, Nolan’s take on the spy genre. I heard some where that Nolan is a fan of the bond movies, and maybe wanted to make one. I believe Tenet, is that movie. The film feels very high class in the way the characters look, how they talk to each other, and the rich scenery. There is a very clean and clear look to the film, which I enjoyed, and the cinematography is top notch. So if in fact I am right, in that Tenet is Nolan’s bond movie, than he succeeded very well.

The cast is comprised of John David Washington, Robert Pattison, Elizabeth Debicki, Kenneth Branagh, and others. It’s a very good looking ensemble, and they all do great job. Washington and Pattison have good chemistry, Debicki is a nice addition. Branagh specifically was very entertaining as Andrei, even though the character he plays is someone we’ve seen a thousand times in other movies. I truly believe that he reveled his role.

Tenet is a terrific action spectacle, and that’s probably the best thing about it. Nolan helms each action sequence with an impressive level of precision and creativity. That, combined with the sound design, elevates the intensity of the film. The execution of the score was done pretty well, and threw you right in with the characters. However, not everyone will like that part of it. In fact a lot of people are taking issue, with how overpowering, and at times overbearing, it is. I will admit, sometimes it is a bit much, and causes you to be a little disoriented. But it did not bother me that much.

While the cast did well in their respective roles, I didn’t have a emotionally involved with these characters. This, in most recent years, has become a recurring problem for Nolan. On the one hand, he has a serious talent for making films of massive scale, both physically and narratively, but he suffers when it comes to characterization and being attached to those characters.

But amongst the most little flaws, the biggest one in my eyes with Tenet is, the direction. It is a very confusing movie. There are twists and turns, which are effective. But most of the time when you see characters conversing about time travel and paradox’s, it leaves you scratching your head. Sadly, I don’t think this is a strength, to the film’s behalf. You might even surrender to how perplexing it is, and just sit back and watch the chaos.

In conclusion, Tenet does deliver on many fronts, and will leave fan’s mostly satisfied with his style. But it is far from his best work, and lack’s emotional resonance. I still recommend it though.

The Twilight Zone is a wondrous, magical, science fiction show that debuted in 1959. It has vastly impacted TV and cinema, ever since it’s existence. Each episode is different in it’s own unique way, but at the end there is usually a twist or moral. Today I will look at one of my favorite episodes titled The Dummy.

This episode came out on May 4, 1962. It tell’s the story of Jerry Etherson, a ventriloquist who performs with his dummy Willie at different bistro’s. Jerry believes that Willie is alive, and evil. He locks Willie in a trunk and works with a new dummy. But Willie isn’t finished with him yet.

In the opening sequence we see Jerry on stage with Willie performing in front of the audience. As things usually go with Ventriloquist’s, we see the audience get a real kick out of the doll itself. But it would seem that Willie is stealing the show completely, since Jerry is just working off of what he says. There’s even a part where Willie says “For one thing, I could be a better Ventriloquist.” After saying that, Willie proceeds to mimic Jerry as the Ventriloquist and vice versa. The whole idea of being a Ventriloquist, is that the person is manipulating the dummy, acting as the puppeteer of a separate entity. But here Jerry is doing anything but that. When you see Willie crack a really funny joke, it’s not coming from Jerry, it’s not intentional. Also, judging by Jerry’s facial expression’s, he’s really not enjoying it at all. We don’t see what is was like before, if Jerry had control over Willie, that is in the left in the unknown. Willie is just a burden to Jerry, constantly taking the spotlight, sucking all the energy out of Jerry. The people in the audience think its a work of creative genius, but we know that just isn’t the case.

When Jerry leaves the stage, he flees to his private room, putting Willie on the couch. He glances back a forth between the mirror and Willie, as if Willie is looking at him, teasing him. Jerry then opens a drawer, with a bottle, tiredly taking a drink. His agent Frank comes in, giving Jerry an update on the show. Frank walks over to Jerry, noticing the bottle, and says “You’re still on that stuff, huh?”. Frank is of course acknowledge Jerry’s alcoholism. The two trade arguments ranging from Jerry seeing a psychiatrist, to Frank covering for Jerry all the time.

Jerry looks down to see the other dummy, stating that that’s a real dummy. He practices a bit, a decided he’s going to use him. He then looks back at Willie, who winks at him, Jerry than chucks a mirror at him. Interestingly enough this entire sequence is one of the only times we see Jerry talk at length, he is clearly suffering from some sort of illness, that no one is taking seriously. This is also one of the few times He is interacting with someone other than Willie.

The entire third act of this special is Jerry going completely insane. Hearing Willie’s voice, taunting him, experiencing an uncomfortable level of paranoia. The last person Jerry interacts with is Noreen, a showgirl that He flirted with after performing with the other dummy. He keeps telling her he wants to have a drink with her, but he is speaking nervously. He’s stuttering, and also telling of how he can’t be alone because he keeps hearing Willie’s voice. As Willie’s voice continues to haunt him, and his maniacal laugh surges, Jerry attempts to find him, and destroy him. He opens the box where He left Willie, and smashes him on the floor. To his surprise, he actually smashed the other dummy. In the final scene, Jerry confronts Willie asking him how he can be real. Willie responds by saying “You made me real. You poured words into my head, you moved my mouth. You stuck out my tongue, you jerk. Don’t you get it? You made me what I am today. I hope you’re satisfied from the song with the same name.”

In that little bit of dialogue, we get a glimpse of Jerry and Willie’s long standing relationship. Jerry’s inevitable lack of control.

In the final scene, it is the big reveal. The old switheroo, where Willie and Jerry switched forms. Willie is now human, Jerry is now the dummy.

The Dummy is a cautionary tale. A character study of a man who is struggling with mental illness, how no one understands him. Willie represent’s Jerry’s fears, it is all manifested in a dummy. Jerry’s struggle for power and control, is dominated by Willie’s presence. Willie is in control. Willie also represent’s what Jerry could’ve been, the entertainer loved and renowned by many, Willie serves as a constant reminder of that notion. Willie wins in the end. The puppeteer, becomes the puppet. Jerry was already a miserable, hollow, person begrudgingly trotting along. But now his demise as become permanent.

We are past 3 seasons now. You would think that this season, is the one to be the bad apple of the bunch. But luckily this season is jam-packed with surprises.

It starts off with Dexter waking up, with the dexter theme song in the background. But something is different here, even the theme song itself is altered. We see Dexter as a married man, father, another law abiding citizen drowned in suburbia. It is as this point where Dexter truly has to challenge himself, to blend in with the rest of the crowd. Seeing Dexter act “normal” is both hilarious and serious. He’s so awkward and unaware to his surroundings that it becomes amusing. On the other hand, you understand how necessary it is to strive to be a better person, father, and husband. At least to those around him. We also get knee deep in a interesting romance between Angel and Laquerta. I was actually pretty invested with that aspect as well. It’s certainly not the most urgent thing going on, but it held my attention. A few supporting characters come back, like Lundy, which makes for some entertaining drama between him and Debra. The character of Quinn is visibly better than last season, and he has way more scenes than before. I’m indifferent about it, though. He has not proven himself to be as interesting as Doakes, not even in the final moments.

Here I am talking about all the sides stories, when the real action is on the trinity killer or Arthur Mitchell. John Lithgow’s performance is truly a revelation. He is without a doubt a worth opponent to dexter, and his character is just as interesting if not more interesting than the other great villains in the show. As much as I love Bryan, Arthur Mitchell is honestly the best antagonist this show as seen. His character alone creates a dilemma for Dexter, that is jaw-dropping to watch. Seeing Dexter and Arthur together, is of the best parts of the season

The last few episodes leading up to the finale are nail biting and pretty unsettling if I’m being honest. The way Arthur goes out to pick his other set of victims, is very creepy in a surreal type of way.

“Hello, Dexter Morgan” is one of the best episodes of the season as well as the finale.

When I think about my favorite seasons so far, season 4 is up there definitely.

I’ve been marathoning this show like crazy, and honestly I have no regrets. Although I’ve been putting my horror movie binge on hold this October, I’m still glad I have a series to sink my teeth into.

Season 3 is a step down from it’s previous season, and I don’t mean that in the worst way. It’s just when you consider how high the stakes were, this doesn’t really compare. The pattern for each season so far is that there is a killer, in which the department is looking for, as well as Dexter, and we are all invested in that person. There is still a killer that we are following in this season, but we do not follow it as closely as Dexter does. It’s still interesting and gives some more development for a side character, but the real action lies in Miguel Prado. Not the most disturbing serial killer in the series, but he is certainly a fascinating subject.

The way in which we discover who he really is or is pretending to be, in relation to who Dexter is, really is riveting to watch. In a way Dexter is acting as is father in the situation, and Miguel when he was a younger Dexter. There is some interesting back and forth between the two characters, which when combined with the family drama Dexter has to deal with, truly propels the season. We don’t see much of Dexter going on his usually kills which is kind of refreshing, seeing him balance work, Miguel, family, and his other hobby, makes for an engaging watch.

The performances are still great, but again not as good as its predecessor. I like the direction it takes in the latter half of the season, a few times it gets a little repetitive, but not to the point where it hinders the season entirely. Quinn, who is the replacement for Doakes, isn’t nearly as interesting as him. I can kind of understand as to why Doakes was replaced, but Quinn doesn’t have much of a personality at all in the season. When you think about how great Doakes was, its kind of underwhelming. I’m totally throwing Quinn under the bus, but this season he just seems like a pretty formulaic cop that adds little to nothing of any interest. So far, at least.

I really do like season 3, there are definitely some good things worth mentioning and I genuinely really like it. It’s not utterly disappointing, but not the best.

There are some who believe that the sequel, or 2nd installment of a franchise or series is the best or better than its predecessor, and thankfully season 2 of Dexter is a testament to that notion. The first season will always have a special place in my heart, since it introduced to a quality of tv I was missing, and it is of course a great introduction to the protagonist. However, I cannot deny the fact that season 2 builds on it, to a much higher degree, and is one of my personal favorite seasons.

Season 2 finds Dexter reflecting on his long lost brother, and how his death has affected him. The death of the ice trucker killer, has also left a sting on Debra, seeing as though she was hopelessly in love with him. The new season raises the stakes, with a pair of scuba divers stumbling upon numerous garbage bags with human bodies inside. Thus Dexter’s true identity, is risked being put under the spotlight.

This time around, the supporting cast seriously chips in, with surprisingly great performances from Rita, Doakes, and Laquerta. The names I have left out still manage to do a great job, maintaining the energy of the show. The new faces that are brought in such as Lila and Lundy, also bring some exciting drama to the situation, and in the process, giving us more insight to our main characters. Everyone is bringing their a game here, and it definitely shows.

We learn more about the characters that we thought we knew already, and we grow with them. With the drama consistently intensifying, everything onscreen seems more urgent. Even if it isn’t Dexter trying to get away with killing someone, things like the drama between him and Rita keeps us anxiously engaged.

It is not a complete pivot in quality from its first season, because that season is still good. But what happens in this season, has you glued to your seat. It’s another season that takes bigger risks, and they end up paying off.

Dexter is a tv show I’ve been meaning to revisit for a long time. I watched the entire series for the first time awhile back with a friend. Murder mystery and police procedural shows have always been my favorite to watch when I was younger. But Dexter was unlike anything I had ever seen.

To have a show center around an anti-hero, more specifically a serial killer, who also works for the police department, just seems like an exciting take on the genre. When I consider some of the most well known killers in both TV and movies, I immediately think of Norman Bates, Hannibal Lecter, and Patrick Bateman. The nods to other popular killers are present in Dexter, but luckily the show is still able to make this character fresh and interesting.

It’s adapted from Jeff Lindsay’s Darkly Dreaming Dexter and tells the story of Dexter Morgan, blood splatter analyst by day, working for the Miami Police Department, and vigilante by night. He only targets those who have committed murder.

It benefits from a reliable cast in Michael C. Hall, Jennifer Carpenter, David Zayas, and many other great supporting members. Michael C. Hall’s performance as Dexter is truly mesmerizing, cementing Dexter Morgan as other fantastic anti-hero. Jennifer Carpenter is great as his step sister, Debra.

In the first season, we dive into the psyche of Dexter Morgan. His relationship with his foster father, and how that shaped him into the man he is today, also how he lives by a code when he goes on his killing’s. We get a first look at his personal life which he hides in the shadows. The first season also finds the MPD tracking down the new killer in town, also known as the ice truck killer.

For a pilot season that is designed to immerse you into the atmosphere and it’s characters, Dexter does a pretty impressive job. It’s everything you want in a “cop” show and more. It’s riveting from start to finish. Dexter exceeds expectations not only as a gritty police procedural, but also a contemplative character study.