THE STAIRCASE | DOCTOR STRANGE IN THE MULTIVERSE OF MADNESS | THE BIG CONN
Pop Culture Weekly Round-Up 06/05/2022
Hello, everyone. It’s Friday and your friend Gilby is here to give you some Pop Culture recommendations for your weekend. In this week’s newsletter, I rant about Disney/Marvel and the very underwhelming Doctor Strange sequel. I know the superhero fans won’t agree with me but, it is what it is. I can’t understand how you guys aren’t tired of these movies and TV shows yet. Because I’m exhausted. This Doctor Strange flick alone opened the doors for at least another three new movie franchises and two Disney+ shows. That’s way too much superhero content in my opinion. I’m done! Anyway, enough of superhero slander. This week I also share my thoughts about a show on HBO Max that was based on a true story called, THE STAIRCASE. And I also talk about the docuseries THE BIG CONN on Apple TV+. And as always there is a playlist with five songs I enjoyed last week.
QUICK THOUGHTS
DOCTOR STRANGE IN THE MULTIVERSE OF MADNESS is not good and I did not enjoy it at all. I think that hot mess is the perfect term to describe this movie. I’m calling it a movie but it felt more like a bunch of video game cut scenes strung together than an actual movie. I have said in this newsletter before that I’m not really invested in the MCU and that comic books and superhero flicks are not my favorite things in the Pop Culture world. However, I’ve enjoyed some of these movies. But unfortunately, DSITMOM is definitely not an enjoyable experience. The plot is so uninteresting and poorly put together. The dialogues are cringe and the storyline is very incoherent. Because you know, why focus on writing a compelling story if you can just use the dumb fandom ideas from Reddit, am I right? The pace is frantic and leaves the viewer with little time to digest what is happening on the screen. Also, the Marvel style of making movies is on full display in this flick. DSITMOM has a lot of fan service, many unfunny jokes, surprise cameos, and setups for future Marvel movies (that will probably be as formulaic and uninspired as this one was). The acting is also nothing special. While Elizabeth Olsen shines as Wanda, the rest of the cast are just ok. The director Sam Raimi adds a good amount of visual weirdness but, his signature style not only doesn’t save this mess but actually makes it even more confusing. Also, enough with the Bruce Campbell cameos, Raimi. Overall, I think this movie has no reason to exist and was only made to showcase the next Marvel IPs and to please the fandom. So, if you are an MCU die-hard fan, you will love it. But if you like good cinema skip this monstrosity and go watch EVERYTHING EVERYWHERE ALL AT ONCE. Because that my friends, is a multiverse film worth watching.
THE BIG CONN is an Apple TV+ four-part documentary series that tells the unbelievable true story of Eric C. Conn, a lawyer who defrauded the United States government and taxpayers and stole over half a billion dollars in the largest Social Security fraud case in the history of the program. Conn is really an oddball; he's been married 16 or 17 times (he can't remember), operated a brothel in Thailand, and was an unavoidable character in Pikeville, Ky. His marketing campaigns would always be about his extraordinarily high success record in obtaining Social Security medical benefits for applicants. However, he omitted what was ultimately exposed, a massive fraud scheme committed by him, a doctor, and a judge. Conn, his former workers, journalists, Congressional staffers, senators, and criminal enforcement officials are among those interviewed in the series. But Sarah Carver and Jennifer Griffith are the two women that really made this doc come together. They are at the heart of the narrative. And their persistent bravery in confronting the US government to attempt to correct wrongdoings is inspiring. The filmmakers did an excellent job of conveying all sides of the story. Especially because the case's bureaucratic issues are significantly less interesting than Conn's antics. In the wrong hands, this would be only a colorful documentary about a flamboyant layer. But instead, it’s a good example of how the system is broken and how a few bad people take advantage of that, while the most vulnerable people suffer the consequences of their awful acts.
THE STAIRCASE
Inspired by a true story, THE STAIRCASE follows writer and war veteran Michael Peterson (Colin Firth) after the suspicious death of his wife Kathleen (Toni Collette). On December 9, 2001, Michael makes a frantic 911 call reporting Kathleen has fallen down the stairs of their Durham, NC home. But when the district attorney brings murder charges, members of Michael's blended family must choose whose side they're on and which version of events to believe. As the case becomes engulfed in a media circus, a French documentary film crew arrives to meticulously chronicle its many twists and turns. Intertwining multiple perspectives and timelines, this gripping limited series explores the elusive nature of truth, while serving as an intimate portrait of a family's grief.
I had no idea THE STAIRCASE was based on a true story at first. But after a few episodes, I remembered watching a true-crime documentary about this case on Netflix a few years ago. But despite knowing where the story was headed, I was still engaged in the incredible journey that this HBO max series was bringing me on. It turned Peterson's narrative into a multidimensional drama with a wide range of people and events. Secrets concerning Michael Peterson's double life as well as his mystery history are revealed. And I believe that viewers will be as fascinated and curious to learn where it is heading.
The show creator and director Antonio Campos added a very cool visual style to the project. The pacing is also pretty good, even with the unavoidably bland courtroom sequences. I also liked the glimpses into the Peterson family’s past using flashbacks as different sides to the stories. The series has some disturbing scenes and does not skimp on the blood When it comes to Kathleen’s death. There are some really great performances as well. Colin Firth reminds us that he is still one of the most capable actors working today. This was a refreshing role for him to play in my opinion. He is great as an arrogant, off-putting privileged white male. Collette also gives a visceral performance, even though she pretty much only appears in flashbacks. The rest of the ensemble cast gets chances to shine as well. though the sheer size of the cast means a lot of folks get lost in the shuffle.
I was only given five of the eight episodes to screen, and I have no idea how this series will end. Although it may not be groundbreaking, the staircase Is a tragic examination of a major crime, full of complex, puzzling contradictions. The series is engaging and compelling, and it digs further into the subject than the Netflix documentary.
THE STAIRCASE premiered with three episodes on May 5, with HBO Max unspooling one new episode a week for the rest of the series.
TOP 5 SONGS
These were the 5 songs on heavy rotation in my house last week. You can listen to them on Spotify and YouTube.