Revisiting the Rocketeer

I recently re-watched The Rocketeer, a film that still stands up and I've always enjoyed. Though the movie never quite manages to kick into high gear, it's fun and well done, nicely capturing the spirit and charm of creator-writer-artist's Dave Stevens' original comic book series. (The movie turned out to be director Joe Johnston's calling card for Captain America: The First Avenger, which shares a similar milieu.)

I followed it by pulling the graphic novel collection of the original comic book series off my bookshelf to re-read and savor Stevens' great writing and art.

It also turned out to be the perfect time to watch the documentary, Dave Stevens: Drawn to Perfection, a great overview of his life and career, which recently became available on Prime. Though I know many of the talking heads in the documentary and often saw Stevens at his booth at San Diego Comic-Con, I never found the opportunity to meet Stevens personally (he tragically passed away in 2008 due to a rare form of leukemia).

An interesting side note: in December 1991, following The Rocketeer's release in June, I went to see Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country at the Mann National Theater in Westwood (in L.A., now closed and torn down)—actors Bill Campell and Jennifer Connelly, who were dating at the time, sat in the seats in front of me!

Visit to Capitol Records

For the first time since moving to L.A. more than 40 years ago, I visited the storied Capitol Records building in Hollywood, located on Vine Street, near the intersection of Hollywood Blvd. and Vine.

Late last year, while I happened to be driving past the iconic structure in the middle of the work day, on a sudden impulse, I decided to stop and check it out up close. It helped that I immediately found a metered parking spot across the street, making the visit pretty easy and straightforward.

Although I learned there's no public street entrance into the building—access appears to be through a private garage with a security entrance—I was thrilled to discover the Hollywood Walk of Fame Stars for the individual Beatles all in a row, appropriately placed near the building's base, as seen in the video at the bottom of this post. Nearby were stars for Joan Crawford, Bob Dylan and Buddy Holly.

I reside less than 10 miles from Hollywood (and only need to take local streets), but going there sometimes feels like a big production and hassle due to traffic, parking, and because it's so touristy.

That said, I've visited Hollywood many times for shows (such as at the Pantages and Kodak Theaters), dinner (including Musso and Frank's), movies (the original Graumann's Chinese Theater), and drinks (with my wife); and shopped at Amoeba Records. In all those years, however, it never really registered with me how close I'd often been to the building, since it's just around the corner from the Pantages and a block from Amoeba. So I'm glad I finally swung by!

REVIEW: The Boys in the Boat

Saw The Boys in the Boat in the movie theater this past week. I read the book last year (by Daniel James Brown) and learned afterwards that George Clooney was directing the movie adaptation. So I made a point to see it in a theater. The book and film tell the inspiring story of the underdog junior varsity 8-man crew team from the University of Washington that came out of nowhere to win the West Coast regional college championship and then the national championship regatta on the East Coast (beating national powerhouses like Penn State and the Ivy League schools), earning the right to compete in the 1936 Olympics—the games held in Berlin that Hitler used as a propaganda showcase.

Like the book, the film is primarily told from the point of view of real-life rower Joe Rantz. A true product of the Depression, he was abandoned by his family when he was around 14 and forced to fend for himself. Many of his fellow rowers faced similar tough challenges, in contrast to those programs with athletes from more affluent families and better funded programs and schools. Rantz’s personal story is incredibly harrowing and amazing, making the success he found as a rower and later in life all the more inspiring.

While the film doesn’t follow the details of the story closely, it certainly does in spirit, through scenes that touch on or hint at the backstories. The book provides fuller portrayals of the other individuals who took part in these events, including the other rowers and the coaches, but they nevertheless are touched upon here and the actors (particularly Joel Edgerton and James Wold as the coaches) do great jobs bringing them to life. As I watched the film, I actually thought the full story might have worked better as a limited streaming series. The film also makes great hay in the climactic final race as the underdog American rowers face off against the competing teams from other countries, including the favored Germans, egged on by chants of "Deutschland! Deutschland!" (And, yes, the Fuhrer attends the race.)

As an aside, a few years back, I read Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption by Laura Hillenbrand, about the harrowing story of World War II POW survivor Louis Zamperini (Angelina Jolie directed the film adaptation, but I’ve never seen it). For me, the two books are complementary—like Rantz, Zamperini also competed at the 1936 Olympics, in track and field, where Zamperini had quite the personal experience (he was nearly arrested trying to steal a Nazi flag on display lol). Presumably because of this, Zamperini is briefly mentioned in The Boys in the Boat book as one of the passengers aboard the ship carrying the U.S. Olympics Team to Europe. So I wondered whether, as a nod, he might have a cameo in the film—he doesn't, but the ‘36 Olympics breakout star, Jesse Owens, is acknowledged, as he is in both books. Owens even has a line in the film when the crew team encounters him during the Games' opening ceremony.

Though I'm a fan of Clooney, I've always found his work as a director to be competent, though not exceptional. But it's hard to miss with such an underdog, inspirational feel-good story that hits the expected notes for these kinds of inspirational sports biopics, so I greatly enjoyed the film, particularly since I had read the book. I also thought it was beautifully shot, which made me glad I saw it on the big screen! I also learned that the lead in the film, Callum Turner, will be appearing in another period piece around the same era, as he’s billed as the co-lead with Austin Butler in the upcoming Masters of the Air mini-series set to stream soon on Apple+, another series under the Band of Brothers mantle.

First Roundup of Capsule Reviews for 2024

Below are mini-reviews of some of the series I’ve watched or binged over the past year, or am watching currently. For some reason, I’ve gotten into the habit of juggling several series at once and not binging any straight through unless they’re exceptionally compelling. Although I recently posted my year-end entertainment wrap up for 2023, what follows is a data dump of sorts of mini-reviews. I’ve been meaning to write more full-length reviews but fell behind, so hopefully these will allow me to catch up and clear the slate as we enter the new year…

Doctor Who Specials 1–4 (Disney+)

At the risk of losing some of my geek cred, I’ve never watched a full episode of Doctor Who, though I’m familiar with the series. But when I heard that Ncuti Gatwa had been cast as the new Doctor—an actor with boundless exuberance and charisma who I first encountered on the Netflix series Sex Education—I made it a point to keep an eye out for the new series since it seemed like perfect casting. Come the holidays, I was surprised to discover that four Doctor Who Specials dropped on Disney+. The first three specials featured the return of a popular past Doctor Who, David Tennant, which included a fun turn by Neil Patrick Harris as a villain in the third special. The fourth and final special was the Christmas Show, which featured Gatwa’s first full adventure as the new Doctor. I’m now a convert—the episodes were fun, funny, thrilling, and emotional and full of heart. I look forward to the first full season with Gatwa this spring.

Spy X Family (Hulu)

This anime series was recommended by a friend, because the lead character reminded him of my own comic-book character, Rob Hanes. The superficial resemblance is obvious, with the lead character—a super-spy codenamed Twilight—being a sort of anime version of my character. But the two series, if I can say with some modesty, share somewhat similar tones too, as seemingly high gloss adventures on the outside with humor and tongue in cheek underneath. In the series, based on a manga series of the same name, Twilight is given a mission that requires him to create an instant family to use as a cover—this leads to a kindergarten-aged girl at an orphanage to pose as his daughter and a young woman in need of a companion to get her family off her back. However, unbeknownst to him, his new “daughter” is a telepath (due to some sort of government experiment) and the “wife” a highly trained assassin. Along with Twilight’s role as a super spy, these are secrets each keeps from the others, while also leading their double lives. Hijinks ensue.

Though the series on the surface seems to be a high stakes spy drama with plenty of twists and turns, it’s also a sly comedy with over-the-top characters. While Twilight must “act” the role of devoted father and husband in the same way the others must play traditional roles in the family, the series ironically also shows them actually coming together as a family. But who knows how this will come to a head....

This series frequently made me laugh aloud and featured characters like a a school headmaster obsessed with “elegance” and a dodgeball game portrayed as a life-and-death epic battle in the minds of the student players. My daughter is the big anime fan in the family and she told me that this is a well known, popular series. I may have to check out the manga next!

Lessons in Chemistry (Apple+)

This was one of my favorite series this year, based on the book of the same name, that was both moving and immensely entertaining. Set in the 1950s, it follows the life of a brilliant young woman named Elizabeth Zott who’s dream to be a research chemist is sidetracked when she meets a young man, falls in love and, despite not wanting to marry or have children so that she can focus on her career, soon finds herself a single mother. Though the social mores and institutional sexism of the era close the doors to a career in scientific research, her skills as a culinary artist—perfected by her scientific approach to cooking—leads to her becoming the successful host of a television cooking show, á la Julia Child. Overcoming grief and obstacles, Elizabeth eventually gains happiness, fulfillment and even a new family of sorts in her journey. 

Though Elizabeth is very much the focus of the series, the show features a diverse cast and widens its scope to explore the inequities of the era faced by women and people of color, both in the workplace and in the community. The show is incredibly moving as Elizabeth (and others on the show) challenges the system to forge a career path and be a single mom. I must admit I found the final episode a bit of a letdown relative to the rest of the series, but this was a story that stayed with me nonetheless. Full credit to Brie Larson, in a wonderful turn as Elizabeth, and the entire cast and production for a terrific show.

Julia (Max) - Season 2

This is a wonderfully written and acted series about the life and career of tv personality, author and chef Julia Child. Like Lessons in Chemistry, the show features a large, talented ensemble cast (even broader than Lessons) that are similarly deployed to explore a wide range of issues, such as the growing desire of women to advance in the workplace and to be heard and respected, the sexual revolution, civil rights, McCarthyism, and more. Though the figure of Child is the anchor, the series features a rich cast of characters (including David Hyde Pierce as Julia’s husband Paul Child, Bebe Neuwirth, Isabella Rossellini, Judith Light and more) as they navigate their careers and the changing culture, as well as evolving and complex personal and professional relationships. This description doesn’t do justice to the depth of the show and its characters and the excellence of the writing—like many outstanding shows, I continue to be surprised and delighted by the series. Highly recommended.

Ms. Marvel (Disney+)

Although the Marvel film, The Marvels, was considered a box office disappointment (and a target for those who engage in the culture wars), I very much enjoyed it. So much so, that it encouraged me to watch the Ms. Marvel series. I tried the show when it dropped, but initially couldn't get past the first episode, for some reason turned off by the teen energy of the show, lol. But I’m glad I gave the series another try because I loved it and ended up binging the entire series over a few days—in fact, I consider it one of my favorite Marvel series to date. As the child of immigrants myself, I identified with Kamala (who soon becomes Ms. Marvel, played with great enthusiasm by newcomer Iman Vellani) and her efforts to reconcile her East Asian and first-generation American identity. I also appreciated the show’s efforts to integrate the character’s Pakistani and East Asian roots and history into the series, while also offering viewers with a suspenseful adventure that offered a Home Alone vibe at the end, as Ms. Marvel and her school friends grapple with rogue federal agents. It was great fun and a tribute to Marvel's efforts to appeal to different audiences.

The Deuce (Max) - Season 3

This show ran for three seasons from 2017-19. I loved and binged the first two seasons in 2021 then took a break…two years later in 2023, I finally picked up and finished where I left off. It’s a sprawling series that fictionalizes the colorful history of Times Square in the 1970s (located in the general area of Manhattan known as “the Deuce”). I grew up in New York City during this time—a period I describe as the “Ford to City: Drop Dead” years—though, as a preteen during most of much of this time, I was comfortably sheltered in a very suburban outer borough, though I still have some memories of Times Square from those days. It was an area rife with drugs, prostitution, brothels and sex shops and the series portrays this era in its gritty, sordid glory, touching on the involvement of organized crime and the rise of the golden age of porn, including the industry's transition from dirty loops, to feature-length x-rated movies, to home video. Though the cast is led by actors James Franco (playing twin brothers) and Maggie Gyllenhaal, the show features a large, talented ensemble who portray the denizens of Times Square and their dreams, both broken and fulfilled. (Ralph Macchio has a small recurring role as a somewhat shady but amiable vice cop who knows how to play both sides of the street.)

While it’s hard to feel nostalgic for a time rife with crime, drugs and prostitution, the show nevertheless exposes the downside of gentrification. The area may have been cleaned up and made family friendly (and Disneyfied), but it also lost some of its color and character—and of course became less affordable and hospitable to the working class and disenfranchised inhabitants who populated the area. Indeed, the show makes clear that this transformation was achieved through a somewhat shady partnership between land developers and city officials, who made sure they procured those properties—many admittedly distressed and some run by "slum lords"—at a bargain without paying existing property owners a fair market rate for properties that would eventually be developed and become valuable real estate in one of the priciest markets in the world. As the series shows, Times Square was ignored and allowed to fester until the city and its real estate barons saw money in it (it should be noted that Rudy Giuliani, mayor of New York at the time, played a role in cleaning up the area and is name-checked in the series). In the last season, the series time-jumped to the 1980s to portray the final throes of sordid Times Square and sticks the landing in its finale episodes.

Minx Starz) - Season 2

Like The Deuce, Minx covers the same era of the sexual revolution through the lens of the rise of a fictional Playgirl–like magazine called Minx, founded by an uptight feminist and a dirty magazine publisher of the old Larry Flynt school. (I reviewed the first season here.) However, while The Deuce is gritty and doesn't shy away from showing the underbelly of the porn world, Minx is a playful comedy of manners that's both sex-positive, and even more graphic in its portrayal of sex and nudity (including the most full-frontal male nudity I’ve ever seen anywhere!). Like many of the other top shows I’ve listed here, such as Lessons in Chemistry and Julia, the show gets better, richer and broadens its scope with each episode. After a somewhat critically acclaimed first season run on the streaming platform Max, the show was cancelled following Warner Brothers’ merger with Discovery, but then was picked up by Starz. I found the second season just as well done and fun, but alas, shortly after the season dropped, Starz announced that it too was ending the series. Which is a shame since the season clearly had set the table for another season.

My Adventures with Superman (Max)

Some have decried this “anime” version of the iconic character, featuring a Black Jimmy Olsen and an Asian Lois Lane, but I found it incredibly fun and engaging. At first I thought the series was simply episodic, but though the episodes feature stand alone stories, the first 10-episode season builds an engaging arc for both the series and the characters, among them being Superman/Clark Kent trying to find out more about his alien identity—unlike the comics, he has no awareness yet of his origin as the last son of Krypton. It’s an entertaining series that feels like a good welcoming entry point to the character and I look forward to the next season.

How Long I've Toiled in Comics

On the Beat

Hey, I was included in the The Beat's 2024 annual creator survey! 

Here's a screenshot of the top part of my entry—go to the link to see the full entry and my predictions for 2024!

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