Untold-Malice At The Palace (2021)
A brawl broke out near the end of a game between the Indiana Pacers and the Detroit Pistons on November 19, 2004. Nearly 17 years later, we re-examine that night and all the consequences that came from it.
I remember this event. I might have even watched the game, I can’t remember if I had it on or tuned in when the brawl started. Sports alerts weren’t as prevenient in 2005. This doc interviews all the key players, coaches, and cops to put the story and context leading up to the event together. It’s really an example of the historically poor tools basketball players, in this case specifically African American players, are given to deal with, cope, and adjust to life and conflict going from normal life to superstars. “NBA players are paid clowns for entertainment, the audience can behave as they wish” is often the feeling that’s embodied. That doesn’t make the actions performed by any party correct. This story portrays the mental health, personal loss, competition, desperation, mob mentality, feeling of debt, and social aspects that could lead to such an event. Not in a real deep breakdown, but you can see how such an event can reach a boiling point and participants involved are interviewed to give a broader perspective of head space at the time. It helps put in perspective for me tragedies like Travis Scott’s Astroworld where there was tragic loss of life. That wasn’t a riot but a lack of security, breakdown in communication, lack of awareness by all parties during the event, and difficult with de-escalation can draw parallels from a live event like this.
Untold-Jake Paul (2023)
Pro boxing sensation and perennial troublemaker Jake Paul shares his unlikely journey from online prankster to power puncher in this documentary.
As I make my way through the “Untold” documentary catalog, the less impressive and in-depth the series clearly is. Clocking at only an hour and barely scratching the surface of the Paul brothers past, the doc spends half of its run time as build up for Jake’s Nate Diaz fight (weeks after the release of this doc) by showing footage from his previous Tommy Fury fight which was occurring at the time of filming. Information obtained isn’t anything beyond the surface that could be gathered from 15 minutes googling the family and the large cast of folks involved in his very public life is lacking. It was very…..boring. This isn’t much of a doc so much as a recap of Jake’s come up.
Untold-Swap Kings (2023)
This docuseries explores how legendarily ruthless football coach Urban Meyer turned the ragtag 2000s-era Florida Gators into a ferocious winning machine.
After the “Malice At the Palace” and “Jake Paul” docs I didn’t have much hope for the 4 part “Swamp Kings” which was getting negative reviews out the gate. Indeed it is an Urban Meyer fluff pieces for perhaps his return to coaching and we literally don’t touch on start players from his tenure like the Pouncey brothers, Percy Harvin, and many many others besides a few mentions. Aaron Hernandez name is mentioned twice. It’s a real disingenuous approach to documenting the past and post effects of the brief and super successful 5-year stint Urban Meyer spent at Florida. Some of these characters and how they behaved both at Florida and afterwards will forever impact how that team was remembered and key points were completely ignored. It’s fun to revisit that period in time, but it’s almost revisionist history. Hey, remember that Aaron Hernandez was a weapon for Florida? That the Pouncey brothers were bother hugely successful in college and the NFL? That Percy Harvin was one of the best multi-facet players to ever touch a football but migraines constantly endangered his playing time (and assulted a coach)? What about corners Janoris Jenkins and JOE HADEN for chrissake? Nope sorry, they get a combined 40 seconds in the docs 3 hour run time. Urban Meyer probably gets 2+ hours. Who’s show is this again?
Staircase Doc (2004-05, 13, 18)
The high-profile murder trial of American novelist Michael Peterson following the death of his wife in 2001.
I missed the bus on this doc a couple years ago but I’m caught up now. I actually didn’t realize the first chunk was uploaded in 04-05 originally and updated nearly a decade afterwards. The doc follows 50 something Michael Peterson in Durham NC after his wife is found dead at the foot of their staircase while he is home in 2001. The couple has children in their late teens in the mix, a deceased previous wife, and possibly relevant secret that are all involved in this terrible incident. It’s a real who-done-it that stretched for almost 20 years and Peterson documented the investigation from the very beginning. Watching a doc with real footage gathered over the years is quite strange but provides a real time uniqe prospective, even if it’s edited down. It’s somewhere between very real….and reality TV like. A very interesting process/show to see all the way through. In 2022 HBO created a dramatized miniseries about the case that I have yet to check out. I enjoyed the show and I’m came out unsure of what really happened that night…..
Dashcam (2021)
Two friends embark on a horror-fueled road trip and livestream the most terrifying night of their lives.
A weird C list movie that scrolled across my feed. The main protagonist Annie is a delusional, indulgent asshole who films her life and through a series of self-destructive impulses, ends up with her friend’s stolen car and a strange woman in the backseat. A startling, destructive, mind bending, storyline unfolds that’s more exciting than most found-footage films. Without ruining anything, this film still has me thinking now that it’s been 3 weeks since I’ve watched it. I think it was weird, fun and different. Found footage films are never tied up neatly with a bow and this film is no different, but it’s an adventure that always has you wondering what’s next.
Don’t Listen (2020)
Daniel and Sara have a 9-year-old son, Eric, and they’ve just moved to a new home not knowing the neighbours call it “the house of the voices”. Eric is the first one to notice the odd noises behind each door.
A dubbed Spanish horror/supernatural film. This movie is a little off-beat from your typical haunted house movies. The deaths are heavy hitting, some of the scenes are super tense, and the ending is great. This film is dubbed well and sometimes the emotion can be lost in these films but the creepy and shocking moment still carry through here. Recommended watching for Spooky Season.
The Man in the High Castle (Season 1-2015)
In a dystopian America dominated by Nazi Germany and Imperial Japan, a young woman discovers a mysterious film that may hold the key to toppling the totalitarian regimes.
I’m waaay behind on this show but completed season 1 and I’m invested. An alternate version of the world where the Nazi’s won WW2. The world building is great from the ghettos to the Nazi headquarters. The characters each have their own motivation in a very dangerous Communist society where factions are shifting and everyone is trying to stay alive. The fleshing out of the “rules” of the world and class system are fascinating. I can’t wait to see what other areas this show explores and the season one cliff ender has you questioning what kind of show you’re actually watching.
Chainsaw Man (Season 1-2022)
Following a betrayal, a young man left for dead is reborn as a powerful devil-human hybrid after merging with his pet devil and is soon enlisted into an organization dedicated to hunting devils.
I’m no anime expert but I was looking for something violent, fun, and….weird and boy did I find it. A young man trying to pay off debt with his chain-saw-demon-dog by killing demons is killed himself and MERGES with his chainsaw-demon-dog. Did you follow that? Denji/Chainsaw man has a creepy transformation process and battles even weirder monsters. The show has a compassionate side showing Denji’s struggles and the difficulties of those around him as he builds new relationships but I’m invested for the carnage. I’m six episodes in and I love it so far.
Fubar (Season 1-2023)
A C.I.A. operative on the edge of retirement discovers a family secret and is called back into the field for one last job.
Arnold has never been a great actor despite his box office draw, but this show was right up his alley. Arnie’s role involves many hats as a #1 yoked CIA agent, uses workout supplements as his front, an overbearing father to his daughter who is also an agent, a bumbling single man, and poor communicator are elements that compile a character he’s capable of playing. The cast is fun and highlighted by comedian Fortune Feimster and Jay Baruchel as two of the more familiar faces. The plot isn’t original and roles are cookie cutter but I think that’s intentional. An evil son of a guy that Arnold’s character killed in a previous mission has taken his father’s thrown. The team is either nerds or action start agents. When plans go wrong they go super wrong and our heroes find the most unlikely successes in the strangest ways, but that’s the vibe. A little campy, a little funny, a little too violent at times, and never dull.
