Elektra Boogaloo

I'm excited about this podcast. Listening to all the episodes now. I'd leave a message about my favorite song but I don't know if I can pick one. It sort of depends on the day. Maybe we could start a thread about how we all got into HAMILTON? That might be interesting. I'd love to know how everyone discovered it. I actually saw the Roots talking about it on Jimmy Fallon, when it was at the Public. And I couldn't get seats at the Public and was SAD, SAD. (I'm a history nerd and had this same issue with BLOODY, BLOODY ANDREW JACKSON.) So when they moved to Broadway I was super excited. Except I work in children's book publishing--not a lucrative profession--so I didn't have money for seats. I thought I'd have to convince my sister/roommate (who works in software engineering) that she wanted to go see it. But then it turns out I didn't have to. She had read an article about it in "Time Out" and came to me saying she wanted to see it and would I go with her. I was like, "Heck yeah!" So we got tickets for it early in its Broadway run. I know the soundtrack wasn't out yet, and I'm kind of jealous of people who got to listen to the soundtrack first, because I was waaaay up in the nosebleed seats trying to keep track of all the rhymes (which, of course, are very intricate) and make sense of the changes made to the Chernow biography--which I had read. There were also VERY old ladies sitting all around us. And they kept loudly saying how they couldn't understand what anyone was saying except "the King" and that they wanted them to "bring the King back." I LOLed. (But, later, it made me angry when I had an African American teen I worked with who DESPERATELY wanted to see the show and wasn't able to afford tickets. I really wished I could retroactively give her those old ladies' tickets.) I went home and immediately pre-ordered the soundtrack. Then I found out they were having a signing at my local B&N with the cast the day it came out. That was when I first realized it was a PHENOMENON. Because I rolled into the B&N and there was a huge LINE of people with wrist bands and waiting since the store opened to get their albums signed by the cast. (Sadly, I didn't get mine signed. But I did get to see Daveed Diggs randomly walking through the stacks, and hear the interview.) Since then I went kind of crazy. I read the Chernow Washington bio, THE QUARTET, THE HEMINGSES OF MONTICELLO, BENJAMIN FRANKLIN, JOHN ADAMS, LAFAYETTE IN THE SOMEWHAT UNITED STATES and some papers on Hercules Mulligan (I tried to get his biography but it's one of those ones you can't take out the library. Very vexing. Someone should reprint his autobiography. I can also confirm the plaque that used to mark the cite of his shop is now gone. I demand it be returned, Water Street. Let's start a petition.) I spent a couple months working on the Hamilton Genius page, annotating the lyrics. (It got kind of overwhelming and I haven't done anything in weeks and weeks. But I'm still a top ten contributor--the one with "respect the Washingbubble as an avatar--jealous?) I'm going to Mt. Vernon in a couple of weeks too... because that's the nerd I am.

I'm listening to this now. I'm very excited about this podcast. I worked a lot on the Hamilton genius page when the soundtrack first came out. (Lin Manuel Miranda cosigned one of my annotations. NBD.) Since I'm more of a history buff than a rap than a knower of all things rap, I ended up doing a lot of the Chernow annotations (expanding on the details from this book, his biography of George Washington and some other history texts). Anyway, this was very cool to hear his take on the musical and how involved he got to be. Can't wait to read whatever he writes next (Hercules Mulligan! /subliminal message).

How about this? The movie takes place in Bek's head as he dies (I assume after getting crushed by a falling building), like Jacob's Ladder. That's why it's so nonsensical and thinks the world is flat.

Guess that snake was available. Ladies.

I *did* have to look it up because I thought it was just going to be the traditional riddle of the Sphinx but it clearly wasn't so it bugged me. I found a clip on YouTube. And, for what it's worth, it's not the Jon Bon Jovi guy who answers. It is Chadwick Boseman, but all the dialogue is so casual and thrown away it was hard to tell. (So you don't have to look it up, the Sphinx asks, "I always was, and never am to be. No one ever saw me, nor ever will, yet I am the confidence of all who live and breathe." T'Challa--who is gorgeous in this scene--first guesses Order, then Charity and finally "Tomorrow.") I'm sorry you're having trouble with us. Or stupid jokes must not make much sense in a second language. Thanks for clarifying. We will try to be more understanding. Heh. Edited to Add: I just had a Thought. The Thought mostly consisted of me trying to make a joke about how I didn't like NCW's dumb eyepatch. And then I realized Odin's eyepatch in the "Thor" movies is way cooler. Is that why the second opinions person refers to him as Odin? Because he has one eye? Confession: I know zero about Norse Mythology except what disinformation Marvel has taught me and didn't realize until just now that Odin is usually depicted as having one eye. He sometimes has both in the comics...

Well I want to know what Jason thought was snark-worthy about this one! Since he thought Gods of Eygpts was this!

Can we talk about how hot Elodie Yung (the original Elektra 2: Elektra Boogaloo) is?

Full disclosure: I dedcided not to rent this movie. (And Cameron H.'s story made me glad I didn't). I watched some clips online and decided Nikolaj Coster-Waldau (Jaime Lannister, obvs) didn't look hot enough for it to be worth it. That was my literal decision making process. Like I will watch some hot, hot garbage movies but Jaime Lannister better not have a fucking rag over his pretty eyes the whole time. Anyway, as a Song of Ice and Fire nerd I feel it my duty to point out that the character is not "Kevin" Lannister it is Kevan. With an A. Because George RR Martin likes to do this weird thing where he spells names wrong to make it sound old timey. Petyr ("Peter"). Jeyne ("Jane.") etc. Thus it's not just Kevin, like Kevin the IT guy who annoys you. It's KevAn, like Kevan the pompous IT guy who changed his name after he read George RR Martin's books. Slight difference in tone. ;-)

Guys I'm debating if I should pay $4.99 for "Gods of Egypt". Is it the kind of thing that I NEED to see? I'm so torn! Usually the movies are cheaper.

Paul > Kurt Metzger.

What about Gustaf and Valter? (I honestly didn't know there were so many Skateboards until this article)

The Skateboard acting dynasty! Oh man we need to ask PFT what Alexander's autocorrect name is so we can address him properly.

I really want to know what Jason's reason for picking this movie is. Curious. I don't really want to give money to the people who made it though. I like Nikolaj Coster-Waldau on GAME OF THRONES and his other TV roles. But every movie he is in is crap. I think maybe his agents don't realize in order for it to be sent to him, every American white guy has to have passed on it? I'm also sad about the cancellation of the Nightly Show. I thought Wilmore was off to a stronger start than Trevor Noah. (Though the eps worth watching were usually about Bill Cosby.) They kind of killed the premise by hiring Noah at all. The Nightly Show was supposed to be the only black guy in late night.

But they don't lean into it like they should! The whole time I kept wondering why Batman and Wonder Woman don't show up and fight Enchantress. There's a scene where they all realize the "things" used to be people and everyone is upset. Then it's not brought up again. It's never said, like, "Well we brought you guys do deal with this because you're murderers and you should be okay with it." (Plus it's never been established that Superman and Batman AREN'T murders because so many people die in "Man of Steel" and Batman is totes cool killing Superman in "BvS".) So the whole thing is just like... why? I admit I don't know how long writer/directors "usually" have to get a big budget movie like this written. But it felt short to me, considering he'd have to be thinking about how to film it as it went. I kept thinking about how Edgar Wright had been working on "Ant-man" since 2006 when he left the project in 2014. (I also think I remember Joss Whedon saying he had two years on "The Avengers" from start to finish and it didn't feel like it was enough. Ayer had less than that and he didn't have films leading up to establish the characters.) ETA: It sounds like I'm defending Ayer when I really didn't like the movie that well. But I do think WB is like a chicken with its head cut off right now. They don't know what they're doing.

I saw that this wasn't screened for critics when I was checking to see if Suicide Squad would be. I feel so bad for Jennifer Garner. She's like sweetness and delight but she is in the worst movies. ... Spacey I do not feel bad for.

Paul, Jason, June, we need to know your Hogwarts Houses. IT IS TEARING THE FORUMS APART.

COUPLES KUMITE! If you guys have a baby (totally up to you but I think you should), you can come to the show and give it to Jason.

I read David Ayer had just six months to do the script and when I read that I was like, "Oh I get it." Because it feels like a first draft. Like they didn't give him enough time and everything was hastily put together. Like I still think it is a good idea but it wasn't quite there. So maybe we can get good things out of the sequel? The only thing that actually offended me was the choice to make Enchantress a South American (not British) witch because that felt unnecessary, especially considering Cara whatshereyebrows was playing her.

Cameron H. here to advise you in your child kidnapping schemes. Always. I had a lot of questions about that kid. Like where did they get him? Where does he live? He doesn't look like one of the rope people. So did they... like bring him from afar? And let's not forget the part where James Remar straight up tries to elbow the kid in the face. This kid as been abducted and abused. The Phantom "rescues" him (after traumatizing him some more) and then is just like, "Bye!" YOU SHOULD TAKE THAT KID HOME. Let's say he does know how to get home. The rope bridge is OUT. So he has to go around, right? I think that kid is wandering in the jungle for at least three days. I also have a lot of questions about the one random butler servant the Phantom has. I was obsessed with the fact that he wore a turban when no one else in the movie wore a turban. (And I would think that would be hot? In the jungle?) Where'd he find this guy? Does the Phantom put out job listings when he needs a new butler? Does he have ads on cragislist?

Paul, taylorannephoto and I are having a fight. What Hogwarts House would June be sorted into?

Wikipedia says James Cameron saw this movie and decided to cast Billy Zane in "Titanic." I remembered being sort of baffled and was like, "James Cameron thought he was GOOD?" But the way you put it makes more sense. James Cameron was probably like, "Oooh. I found my smirky asshole." I think June is a Hufflepuff too! Just something about the way she cares for animals. Also then we can write weird real people fanfic about Paul and June meeting in the Hufflepuff common room, damnit Taylor Anne. Don't ruin my RPF!

Okay you guys clearly have Ed Brubaker's number because you got him back for THE PHANTOM. I don't know what's holding up ELEKTRA. Just think of the fun on the forums as everyone confuses me and the main character.