Episode 79: Marvel Two in One -Black Widow and Loki!

Finally, the Black Widow movie has been released! It's been delayed over a year, but now it's out in the theater (as well as on Disney Plus), and your intrepid crew has made the journey back to the theater to check it out. In this SPOILER-FILLED review, we'll share our thoughts on the film and how it works with the Marvel Cinematic Universe. As a bonus, we also discuss the Disney Plus series  Loki, which takes the villain/anti-hero through an adventure that has major implications for the rest of the MCU.

Black Widow takes place between Captain America: Civil War and Infinity War, and provides a glimpse into Natasha's life before she became an Avenger. On the run from Thunderbolt Ross, Natasha winds up returning home after her long lost "Sister" contacts her, and she learns that the Red Room program that turned her into an assassin is still operating.

The Planet 8 crew discusses what we liked about the film, the performances, the little bits of connective tissue to other MCU films, and so much more. This film introduces some major characters, including Florence Pugh as Yelena Belova, aka the "other" Black Widow, David Harbour as the Red Guardian and the villain Taskmaster, whose identity is rather controversial. If nothing else, it was a great spotlight for Scarlett Johansson and a good send off for the character.

The Loki TV show was a mixed bag for the Planet 8 crew. Certainly Tom Hiddleston did a wonderful job in providing us with a Loki of real substance who goes through extensive character growth. The story itself was complex and with the timestream fractured, should feed directly into Spider-Man: No Way Home and Dr. Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. What other Marvel properties might we see come out of this? Phase 4 looks to be full of surprises!

Our Sensor Sweep brings us some great shows coming to the Bay Area. In August, there will be two Godzillafest shows at the  Balboa Theater in San Francisco.  On August 20-22, it will be King Kong Crashes Godzillafest, with a number of King Kong kaiju films as well as many Godzilla films, and special guest Linda Miller from King Kong Escapes. Then on August 27-29, it's Legendary Godzillafest, featuring many Legendary Godzilla films, with special guest TJ Storm, motion capture artist who played Godzilla. Both weekends will have vendors with tons of goodies. And there will even be a show t-shirt. Go to Bay Area Film Events to get all the info about tickets, what movies are going to be shown, and more!

We'd love to hear your thoughts on Black Widow and Loki! Did you go to the theater to see Black Widow? Was it your first time back in the theater? Let us know how you felt about the movie and your experience. As always, leave a comment here or hit us up at our other locales:

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Dosvedanya!

Episode 78: You Will Believe a Man Can Fly: Superman

 

To our American listeners, a belated happy 4th of July! As we celebrate our country's independence, we thought it appropriate to celebrate that all-American hero, who fights for truth, justice, and the American way -Superman! The Planet 8 crew revisits the classic 1978 Superman movie, which promised that we would believe a man could fly. And we did indeed! Actor Christopher Reeve remains iconic as the Man of Steel in this light-hearted film.

As always, we'll discuss the cast and crew, how the film came together, and our feelings about the film, from when we first saw it and now. Although Reeve was an unknown when cast as Superman, he was surrounded by an all-star cast, with actors such as Marlon Brando as his Kryptonian father, Jor-El, Gene Hackman as villain Lex Luthor, Ned Betty as Luthor's henchman, Otis, Glenn Ford as Pa Kent, and Jackie Coogan as Daily Planet editor Perry White. The cast absolutely makes the film, with Reeve and his utter sincerity in the role essential to selling it.

There's also a wonderful chemistry between Reeve and Margot Kidder as Lois Lane -although we could all live without Lois' "Can you read my mind?" segment! But the two actors are absolutely charming together.

The effects in the film are a mixed bag, but the most important effect -Superman's flying -still holds up and gives us a thrill. The way Superman flies in the movie is graceful and majestic -truly beautiful, and Reeve again is the element that clinches it, the way he moves his body and hands as he flies. Of course, the music also gives it a lot of oomph!

Speaking of music, who could forget the grand John Williams score? The Superman theme is unforgettable! Williams' soundtrack here is every bit as good as his work on Star Wars or Jaws or anything else from his catalog.

There's a reason that this film, even 40 plus years later, continues to show up on favorite super-hero film lists. It's just a fantastic film. As we prepare to release this episode, it has been announced that director Richard Donner has passed. He truly deserves so much credit for the success of Superman. He was greatly loved and respected by his cast and crew. Rest in peace.

For this episode's Sensor Sweep, Commander Larry shares the Hasbro Stormbreaker, Thor's hammer/axe. This thing is crazy! It's full size, about 4 feet long, and makes a racket! It also lights up. If you feel the need to be a thunder god, or fear you might have to protect yourself against a mad titan, go online and pick one up.

We hope you enjoyed this episode. Be sure to tell us about your first time seeing Superman. How do you feel about the movie today? As always, you can leave comments on the site, or go to our other hangouts:

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Up, up, and away!!!!