Author / Nadiya

Posts by Nadiya

A true GRIT(S) from South Cackalacky. Loves all kinds of music, movies, and TV shows. Favorite celebs include The Rock, Chris Hemsworth, Bruno Mars and O'Shea Jackson, Jr. (yes, they're all good looking men; no that's not a coincidence).
by Nadiya

Sing Me a Song: ‘Outlander’ Season 3 Recap

What’s up, y’all?  I’m sure most of you know that the new season of Outlander premiered a week ago (Sun. Nov. 4, 2018)!  As most of my loyal readers already know, I didn’t do a lot of writing on my blog last year, so there were no Outlander reviews and recaps of each individual episode for season 3.  With that being said, I’ve decided to recap what happened last season, before I start reviewing season 4.  Let’s get this party started!

The Suck Years

Claire:  1948 – 1968

Outlander Season 3

Let’s begin with the 20 years that Claire and Jaime spent apart, or as I like to call them, “The Suck Years.”  So, when Claire goes back to her time, it’s 1948, and it’s been three years since she went through the stones.  As we learned from season two, Frank took Claire back, although she married another man back in the 18th century and returned pregnant with his child.  They migrate to the States and spend the next 20 years together.  And man, what a miserable 20 years it is.  No matter how hard Claire tries to make it work with Frank, her heart still belongs to Jamie, and no matter how hard Frank tries to rekindle what he had with Claire, it’s evident that Jamie will continue to haunt their relationship.  The only saving grace is that Frank loves Brianna unconditionally.

I have to say though, Frank becomes a bit of an asshole over time.  Yeah, he’s been through a lot—I’ll give him that much—but after a while, he decides that he and Claire should have an open relationship, and he starts messin’ around with some chick he works with.  After the side piece makes a visit to the house—while guests are there celebrating Claire’s med school graduation—Claire decides that she and Frank should throw in the towel.  Frank refuses, saying that if they divorce, Claire would take Brianna away from him.  Even though Claire assures him she would never do that, he doesn’t believe her.  Fast forward a few years later to Brianna’s high school graduation, Frank is the one who announces he wants a divorce so he can marry his side piece, and even goes so far as to say that when they break up, he’s taking Brianna with him to the UK.  Dick move.  Sadly, Frank dies in a car accident that same night, and the side piece has the audacity to get in Claire’s face some time later and call her selfish for holding on to a man that she didn’t love.  Have a seat, girl (preferably with your legs closed).

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To add insult to injury, we all witness Claire being respected (albeit extremely hard earned) by her male peers in the 18th century, but as soon as she returns to the 1940’s, she has to endure damn near non-stop sexism and chauvinists/racists (Claire’s colleague/best friend, Dr. Joe Abernathy, is a black man, and one of Claire’s med school professors made it clear he didn’t want either of them in his class).  Whenever she voices her opinion about serious subjects around Frank’s co-workers and superiors, she’s either be written off as being cute or talking way too much.  Her decision to become a doctor is met with snide remarks and disdain, too.  I couldn’t help but notice that during this era the colors used for the cinematography seemed to be monotone and dull, as if Claire was trapped in a completely depressing and monotonous environment.  I didn’t call them the suck years for nothing.

Jamie:  1748 – 1768

Outlander - Jamie on Horse (Alt)

Claire wasn’t the only person that had to put up with constant misery for the next two decades.  Jamie’s 20 years away from his beloved were just as bad, if not worse.  I take that back; they were worse.  Hell, at least Claire had TV and indoor plumbing.  After Claire travels through the stones, Jaime goes back to the Battle of Culloden to accept his fate.  Thankfully, he doesn’t die…but that damn Black Jack Randall did!  Kick rocks, bitch!  As we already knew, the Scottish don’t win the overall war, and it’s not long before the English catch up to the wounded men that made it out of the battlefield and execute them all, including Rupert.  Young John Grey’s brother realizes that Jamie is among the men, and instead of executing him, he keeps his brother’s word to leave Jamie unharmed and makes arrangements to take him back to Lallybroch.

Four to six years later, Jamie is laying low in a cave not too far from the Lallybroch estate.  By this time, Jenny has enough kids to start her own basketball team—including teenaged Fergus, Robbie McNabb and baby Ian on the way—and the Brits are harassing her and Ian Sr. damn near every day looking for Jamie (who’s now known as “The Dunbonnet”).  In one instance, one of the redcoats follows Fergus into the woods thinking he’ll lead him to Jamie, but Fergus leads the fool on a bit of a wild goose chase.  When Fergus teases him for his stupidity, the nasty ass soldier cuts the young boy’s hand off.  Fergus being maimed is the last straw for Jamie.  He convinces Jenny to turn him into the authorities so the family can have some peace, and off to prison The Dunbonnet goes.

When Jamie’s in prison, he crosses paths with Lord John Grey himself, who’s now all grown up and handed the title of prison warden.  Jamie also reunites with Murtaugh (yay!).  While inside, Jamie is known as “MacDubh” (pronounced “McDoo”) and does his best to look after the other inmates.  Jamie and John develop a special bond (for John, it’s unrequited love), and when the inmates are later transferred, John sees to it that Jamie is made a butler for a well-to-do English family, The Dunsanys.  Lord John also makes sure to keep Jamie’s real identity as a Jacobite secret.  While Jamie is working for the Dunsanys, their spoiled rotten daughter, Geneva, sets her sights on him.  She’s betrothed to an old ugly man that she can’t stand, and she makes up her mind to lose her virginity to a sexy Scot, and of course, Jamie is a perfect choice.  Jamie initially refuses, but Geneva blackmails him into sleeping with her by threatening to tell her parents that he’s really a Jacobite.  Jamie gives in and does the deed with her, and lo and behold, Geneva ends up pregnant.  Boo…

Sadly, Geneva dies after giving birth to baby William, but Jamie looks after Willie for the next few years.  However, more and more people begin to notice the resemblance between Willie and Jamie, and learning the boy’s true parentage was not an option.  Lord John, who’s married Geneva’s sister Isabela by this time, agree to take Willie in and raise him as their own.  Jamie leaves Willie behind, his heart destroyed for the second time.  Sometimes I wonder why I love this show.  By the way, I just realized that Jamie’s two-decade separation was a lot shittier than Claire’s.  Poor baby.

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Happy Days Are Here Again…Sort Of

Outlander Season 3 2017

Now that we’ve gotten past the unpleasant 20 years that Jamie and Claire spent apart (Jamie especially), let’s go on to the hot couple getting back together!  Roger Wakefield, Brianna’s love interest and the son of the late Reverend Wakefield, does some research and learns of Jamie’s whereabouts 20 years after Claire walked through the stones.  It turns out he was running a printing press in Edinburgh under the name Alexander Malcolm (look, I know that this last alias was made up of Jamie’s actual middle names, but let’s be honest…the man’s had more name changes than P. Diddy). Claire feels some type of resentment that Roger told her where to find Jamie…at first.  Then she comes to her senses and decides to go get her man back.  She stitches up an 18th century dress complete with pockets and whatnot, buys some Loving Care to dye her grey streaks brown (was anyone else confused as to why Claire looked older in the 20th century than she does in the 18th century when she went back?  It ain’t the dye job), tells her baby girl goodbye and takes a little trip to Scotland.  And what does Jamie do when he sees Claire again?  He drops like a sack of potatoes.

Needless to say, Claire and Jamie spend the day together trying to get to know each other again, and later that night, they go back to Jamie’s place (a whorehouse) and make luuurrrve.  I have to say, Claire and Jamie’s “I missed you” sex scene almost rivaled the wedding night scene.  Almost.  However, the honeymoon is short lived.  Claire kills some idiot that broke into the Fraser’s room trying to learn where Jamie hides his illegal liquor for his smuggling business, causing her and Jamie to bicker damn near the entire morning after (Claire tried to save the fool, but Jamie figured he should just go on to glory since he tried to rape Claire, causing a neverending argument).  Another idiot—working for the same fool that sent the first idiot—breaks into Jamie’s print shop to see if he can learn where the casks of liquor are stored, but comes across Jamie’s seditious pamphlets instead.  He grabs them and burns Jamie’s print shop, with 16-year-old Ian Jr. still inside (and the boy was getting his freak on while all this was happening).

Thankfully Ian is unharmed, but when Claire and Jamie take him back home to Lallybroch, Jenny isn’t too psyched to see Claire again.  Jenny even goes out of her way to let Claire know that Jamie’s married to someone else by sending word to his wife and stepchildren to stop by the house.  If that’s not bad enough, Jamie’s wife is none other than slack ass Laoghaire (who became crazier and a lot less attractive in 20 years)!   When Laoghaire learns that Jamie still loves Claire and always will, she shoots him—in all honesty, she was trying to shoot Claire, but missed—and demands a divorce, as well as alimony to boot!  Jamie remembers finding a lost treasure on a remote island from back in his prison days, and he decides to use it to pay Laoghaire’s crazy ass.  However, when young Ian swims out to the island to retrieve it, he’s kidnapped by pirates and taken to Jamaica.  Claire and Jamie waste no time going after him.

Jamaican Me Crazy

Outlander - Claire and Jamie 4 (Alt)

It turns out that the pirates that snatched up Ian work for none other than Ms. Gellis Duncan herself, and if she wasn’t a witch before, she damn sure is one now.  I mean, this chick bathes in blood, consults with mediums, holds esoteric rituals, kidnaps and rapes young boys (Ian included) before sacrificing them, the whole nine.  Claire and Jamie take two of Jamie’s prison inmates, Mr. Willoughby (a Chinese gentleman that Jamie befriended a few years back), and Fergus (who’s now completely grown up) to help them get Ian back.  Fergus drops a bomb on Claire and Jamie:  he’s marrying Marsali, Laoghaire’s daughter.  In case you were wondering, yes, Marsali is almost as annoying as Laoghaire.  Her favorite name for Claire was “hoor” (whore), never mind the fact that Jamie was Claire’s man first, and they never were officially divorced.  Too bad Ms. Marsali never learned that her mother is a murderous ho herself.

Anyway, after a rough ass trip over the seven seas (one that includes a deadly epidemic, a conspiracy, Jamie and Claire being separated again thanks to the British, a storm that takes out half the crew, a slightly disturbed doctor on a nearby island and Fergus and Marsali’s wedding), the gang finally make it to Jamaica.  Before y’all start having visions of sunny beaches, bright skies, the sound of reggae music and weed crops as far as the eye can see, please keep in mind that this ain’t the same Jamaica we see on TV nowadays, and Claire soon learns that.  1700’s Jamaica is full of colonialism and slavery.  Claire finds herself sickened by the slave auctions and begs Jamie to help one poor soul that’s being molested while he’s put on display (I’m not making this up).  Jamie buys the man and intends to free him after he helps them try to find Ian.  Some viewers accused Claire and Jamie of being white saviors using a slave for their own selfish purposes, but that subject is for another blog post.

Long story short, Claire and Gellis later reunite at the governor’s party on the island, we learn that the new governor is Lord John Grey (who still has a crush on Jamie and manages to pardon Jamie for all his crimes in Scotland), and they later learn that Gellis has been holding Ian this entire time.   Just to backtrack a bit, do you remember when I said that Gellis was consulting with mediums?  She hired a woman named Margaret and her unscrupulous brother to tell her exactly how Scotland can free itself from English rule (Claire treated Margaret while she was in Edinburgh, ironically enough).  Margaret basically told Gellis that a 200-year-old baby would have to be sacrificed.  After Claire tells Gellis that she returned to the future pregnant with Jamie’s child, it doesn’t take long for Gellis to figure out that the 200-year-old baby is Brianna.  Gellis is all gung-ho to go back to the future and take out Brianna like The Terminator’s mama (there’s a Jamaican version of Craigh Na Dun in a nearby cave).  But what role does Ian play in all this?  He’s the human sacrifice Gellis needs to go back to the ’60s.  I really wish someone would tell this chick that people don’t have to get killed for the time travel stones to work.  Jamie and Claire find Gellis just in time and save Ian and Brianna by damn near cutting Gellis’s head off.  Jamie frees the young slave he bought (and I’m sure he went on to sire Bob Marley’s people…just joking), and Mr. Willoughby decides to stay in Jamaica, as he’s fallen in love with Margaret.  Oh yeah, and Margaret’s no good brother is killed, but no one cares.

If that ain’t enough, on the way back to Scotland, the ship encounters yet another storm, and this time Claire is thrown from the ship.  Thankfully, Jamie saves her and they’re washed up on the shores of Virginia!  Whoo!  Ms. Claire, if you thought Jamaica was a trip, you ain’t seen nothin’ yet!

Thor - You Have No Idea (Alt)

Whew!  That was basically everything that happened in Outlander last season, so now you’re caught up to speed!  I’ll have a mini recap of episode 1 and a full recap of episode 2 from the new season up real soon!

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—Written by Nadiya

What did you think of Outlander’s third season?  Was it bonny or was it a load of bollocks (if you’re from the UK and/or watch the show, you know what I just said)?  Let me know in the comments section!

 

by Nadiya

‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ Movie Review

What’s poppin’, y’all?  I saw Bohemian Rhapsody this past Saturday (Nov. 10, 2018), and I have to say…it was a killer movie (slight pun intended…you know, like “Killer Queen”?  Y’all get it!).  Just a bit of backstory:  I didn’t realize Queen existed until Wayne’s World was released back in 1992.  I was 10 years old.  Wayne, Garth, and a few of their other friends were listening to “Bohemian Rhapsody,” and I when I saw them bobbing their heads to the music, I fell in love with the song, although it was one of—if not the—most unorthodox compositions I’d ever heard in my young life.  My mother informed me that “Bohemian Rhapsody” was actually a popular song back when she was in high school, and that Freddie passed away from AIDS some time ago (a few months prior to the movie being released, to be exact).  That last tidbit made me sad of course, but nonetheless, I was a Queen fan for life.

So, when I heard about Bohemian Rhapsody being released November of this year, I had to see it.  The trailer appeared to be excellent, and I’ve always loved music biopics.  I wanted to watch the movie when the film premiered the week before last (Nov. 2, 2018), but between me being extremely sick and having money issues, it wasn’t a possibility.  But, I was finally able to see the film I’ve been waiting the last few months to watch this past Saturday night, and I was extremely pleased.

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Bohemian Rhapsody focuses on Queen’s early days from 1970, when Freddie first joins the band, and chronicles their time together up until 1985.  Although the film is described as a Queen biopic, the majority of the focus is on Freddie and his relationships, romantic and platonic.  There were rumors swirling around of the film being “heterowashed” simply because the trailer mostly focused on Freddie’s longtime girlfriend, Mary Austin.  This allegation is false.  The movie details Freddie’s romances with men and women, including the one person he was seeing that made you wanna come through the screen and slap him/her (no spoilers).  The audience also learns a lot about how the band created most of their iconic songs, and the experimentations they did to make the music come to life.

Rami Malek, aka Elliot from Mr. Robot (he’ll always be Elliot to me) crushed it as Freddie Mercury.  At the very least, he should be nominated for an Oscar and/or Golden Globe.  Gwilym Lee, the actor who portrays Brian May, looks like an exact duplicate of the real musician.  To be honest, Rami looked like Freddie come to life again (aside from the change in eye color).  Joseph Marzello is hardly recognizable as John “Deacy” Deacon (that’s the kid from Jurassic Park, by the way).  Ben Hardy also did a great job as Roger Taylor.  Mike Meyers makes an appearance in the film as well (a callback to Wayne’s World).  If you plan on seeing the movie, I dare you to try and point him out.

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A lot of people have reservations about the film due to some of the historical inaccuracies, but in my opinion, they don’t take away from the movie as a whole.  To be completely honest, all biopics take creative license.  There were historical inaccuracies in well-renowned biopics such as Ray, Walk the Line, The New Edition Story, Straight Outta Compton, and What’s Love Got to Do With It, just to name a few.  My advice is to not let a few changes to the real story deter you from watching it if you really want to see it.  My only minuscule gripe with the film is how certain events in the beginning and end of the flick happen too perfectly.  For example, at the start, Freddie meets the band literally five seconds after they lose their lead singer and wastes no time asking to be his replacement.  Now true, I just finished saying that creative license doesn’t take away from the film as a whole, but at the same time, you can’t help but think yourself, “I know he didn’t get in the band that easily.”  Like I said though, that was a small gripe.  I can suspend my disbelief and still enjoy the scene, as well as the last “perfect” scene (once again, no spoilers, y’all).  To be honest, the last perfectly put together part of the film made me a bit misty-eyed.

Bottom line y’all, this movie was boss.  If you’re a Queen fan or not a Queen fan, or you’re just a neutral person that’s just realizing that you’ve heard some of their songs on movies, TV shows, and commercials, but never knew it, go out and watch Bohemian Rhapsody.  The acting is superb, the script is well-written, and the music will have you flocking to your Apple Music and Spotify accounts to download any Queen songs you don’t already have.  This flick is well worth your money.

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—Written by Nadiya

So what did y’all think about Bohemian Rhapsody?  Did the creative license throw you off or were you fine with it?  Did Rami Malek do a great job as Freddie Mercury?  Did you think Freddie was “heterowashed” in the film?  Are you a Queen fan?  What made you become a fan to begin with?  When did you first hear the song the movie is named for?  Let me know in the comments section! 

by Nadiya

Top 10 Marvel Cinematic Universe Films

It’s baaaaaacccckkk… 

Hey, y’all!  As we all know, the Marvel Cinematic Universal has been killin’ it this year (to be honest, they’ve been killin’ for the last 10 years), and everyone’s still buzzing about Black Panther and Avengers:  Infinity War as well as the upcoming Avengers 4 (working title).  Plus, we recently received the sad news that Chris Evans’s appearance as Captain America in the next Avengers film will be his last.  😭😭  Add that with that fact that Halloween is coming and kids around the world will be dressing up as Iron Man, Captain America, and Black Panther, I figured there was no better time to bring back my top 10 to name my favorite films from the MCU!

Spiderman and Deadpool Dancing (Alt)

By the way, this list only refers to the films in the Disney portion of the MCU so Deadpool, the early Spider-Man films and the entire X-Men series to date will be excluded.  Sorry, y’all.  I still urge you to read on.  Some of my choices may shock you.  BTW, there may be some slight spoilers in this review.  You’ve been warned.

10. Spider-Man: Homecoming

Spiderman - Frustrated (Alt)

I was one of the precious few people that had reservations about Spider-Man joining the MCU, as I mentioned in my 2016 review of Captain America:  Civil War.  However, the more I see Spider-Man in the MCU films, the more I love him, and I thoroughly enjoyed Spider-Man:  Homecoming.  I’ve said it once, and I’ll say it again, I love how the MCU reminds us that Spider-Man is actually a teenager and accurately portrays a young Generation Z boy trying to save the world one person at a time.  Plus, I appreciated the fact that Homecoming featured a diverse cast that befittingly showcases the cultural melting pot that is New York City.

9.  Iron Man 3

Iron Man - I'm the Best (Alt)

As I said before, some of my choices will shock you, and right now, I’m sure some of y’all are saying to yourselves, “What in the actual hell?”  In the court of public opinion, Iron Man 3 is not only the worst film in the Iron Man trilogy, but it’s also one of the worst films in the MCU.  In my personal opinion though, I thought the movie was great.  I enjoyed the other two, but this one was my favorite amongst the Iron Man films (stop judging me).  I thought the Mandarin/Trevor Slattery storyline was hilarious and totally unexpected.  There were a ton of other scenes that had me crackin’ up too (i.e.:  Tony’s suit not coming to him immediately after he summoned it), and the storyline with Tony developing PTSD was very interesting.  Plus, the movie falls under one of my favorite genres:   a Christmas movie that’s not really about Christmas (see Die Hard and Trading Places)!

8.  Thor

Thor Winks (Alternate 3)

Anyone that knows me knows how much I love Thor, so naturally, the first installment of his trilogy would be on this list.  At first glance, I thought Thor was going to be a bit on the cheesy side.  However, when I sat down and watched the film in its entirety, I loved it.  My only small gripe is that it moves too fast (the whole movie takes place in the course of two and a half days, pretty much), and we don’t get quite enough Thor and Jane (yeah, I said it), but the creative force behind the MCU more than makes up for that later.  The best things about this film are that I was introduced to one of the finest specimens on Earth, Mr. Chris Hemworth, and we were all introduced to the MCU’s number one villain/antihero, Loki!

7.  Captain America:  The Winter Soldier

Captain America - Does Anyone Want to Get Out (Alt)

When Captain America:  The Winter Soldier was first released in the Spring of 2014, there was a ton of hoopla for the film, and after I finally got to see it myself, I could see why.  I wasn’t sure if I’d like it as much as Captain America:  The First Avenger (yes, I liked The First Avenger), but as it turns out, The Winter Soldier was even better.  Killer action scenes, an intelligent plot and a storyline about how the (brotherly) love between two men remains unending after more than three-quarters of a century go by.  I’m tearing up right now just thinking about it.  Let’s not forget…Cap was even sexier in this installment.

6.  Thor:  Ragnarok

Thor - He's a Friend From Work

As my longtime readers know, I posted an article about Thor:  Ragnarok last year, citing my likes, dislikes and scratch my head moments in the film.  If you notice, the likes far outnumber the other two categories, and the more I watch this movie, the more I love it.  It’s friggin’ hilarious, and I love Thor and Bruce/Hulk’s dynamic.  Yes, I still hate that Thor and Jane broke up, and I don’t like that Thor lost his hair or his eye, but I’ve gotten used to the haircut.  Plus, (SPOILER ALERT!!!) Thor gets his eye back in Infinity War.  Yay!

5.  Captain America:  Civil War

Captain America

Hands down, Captain America:  Civil War was the best film out of Cap’s trilogy.   Yeah, he shared the stage with the majority of his Avengers teammates, as well as some new editions (Black Panther, baby!), but that just added to the greatness that is this movie.  I’ve said it once, and I’ll say it again, the Russo Brothers handled the ensemble cast beautifully.  The special effects and action scenes were killer (namely the fight at the airport), and the twist involving Bucky and Tony’s parents was a real game changer.  I pretty much figured that Bucky was the one that killed Tony’s parents, but after it was confirmed and watching the aftermath behind it…man, I never would’ve predicted that.

4.  Thor:  The Dark World

Thor - Anyone Else (Alt)

Yes, you read that correctly.  I’m sure this is another “What in the actual hell?” moment.  I LOVE Thor:  The Dark World, and as long as I live, I will never understand why it’s the most hated film in the MCU to date.  It’s true that Malekeith was a weak villain, but to be honest, aren’t most of the MCU villains weak?  Aside from Malekeith being a sorry bad guy, this movie was boss.  Beautiful visuals, Thor and Jane’s love story was explored a bit further, we got to see Loki again (and we watched him fake his death again), and the film took place on Asgard and England!  I’ve always had a thing for the UK.  Plus, Thor was drop dead gorgeous in this movie!  To be honest, this is the movie that made me fall in love with him!  Sorry, not sorry.

3.  Black Panther

T'Challa and Shuri - Wakanda Forever (Alt)

Y’all, believe me when I tell you…Black Panther wasn’t just a movie.  It was an adventure.  Seeing what Africa could’ve been if it weren’t torn apart by colonialism and slavery, the stellar performances, the strong black female characters; Erik Killmonger, the first strong and unforgettable MCU villain since Loki; making “Wakanda Forever” the catchphrase of 2018 (I’m just sorry that we ran it down in the ground so much that Chadwick Boseman hates it now); this film has it all.  I saw Black Panther at the theatre in 3-D earlier this year, and it blew me away.  Everything from the beginning to the end credits is awe-inspiring, and as an African-American woman, I love films that portray my people in a positive light.  The soundtrack was phenomenal, as well.  “All the Stars” was my go-to jam of the year until “This Is America” came out.  Dang…the symbolism in that last statement is eerie…

2.  Avengers:  Infinity War

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It was extremely hard for me to choose between Black Panther and Avengers:  Infinity War for the number two spot.  I saw both movies at the theatre (check out my review of Infinity War that I wrote earlier this year) and each film made me rethink my universe.  However, when I had to dig deep and think about it, Infinity War blew my mind just a tad bit more—just a tad—and won the race by a hair.  Like Civil War, Infinity War handled the ensemble cast perfectly.  I was on the edge of my seat during the entire film, and the ending basically went down in pop culture history.  Don’t worry, I won’t spoil it.  Also, I liked that Thanos wasn’t your typical I-wanna-do-evil-just-for-the-sack-of-doing-it bad guy.  He was a three-dimension character with a purpose that he thought was for the greater good.  Then again, so did Hitler and Jim Jones.

1.  The Avengers

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Come on.  The majority of this list may have surprised you, but are you really surprised that The Avengers took the number one spot?  The movie that’s the second highest grossing superhero film of all time (it’s surpassed by Infinity War)?  The film that changed the game for superhero movies forever?  The project that solidified the MCU as a powerhouse?  Y’all knew better.  I could explain why this movie is number one on the list, but y’all already know why.  If you don’t…watch it.

—Written by Nadiya

Did y’all agree with my list?  Did some of the entries intrigue you?  What’s some of your favorite movies in the Marvel Cinematic Universe?  Are you glad I brought my top 10 back?  Let me know in the comments section!

by Nadiya

‘Mr. Robot’ Logs Out After Season Four

Hello, friends.  I have some bad news for those of y’all that are fans of Mr. Robot.  Season four (which will be premiering sometime in 2019) will be the last one of the series.  😢😢  I’m sure y’all have heard this news already, considering that it was announced a few weeks ago, but I’m still hurt about it.  I didn’t become a fan of the show until late last year, and I hate that I’ll only have one more season to watch before Elliot, Darlene, Angela, Tyrell and Mr. Robot himself (who we all know actually is Elliot) logoff for good.  I know I should be grateful that I have one more season to enjoy before Mr. Robot ends—and I am—but I’m still upset that it’ll soon be over.

Elliot - Sad (Alt)

To celebrate the genius of Mr. Robot and how much joy it’s given us these past three seasons, I’ve written an article for Viral Hare discussing my favorite scenes from the show.  Here’s the link:

Goodbye, Friend:  My Favorite Scenes from Mr. Robot (So Far) 

I hope y’all enjoy it!  Peace out!

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One of the few times Elliot is actually smiling.  😃😃

What do you think about Mr. Robot ending?  Do you believe it’s run its course, or do you think it’s time for the series to end?  Will you miss it?  What made you a fan of the show?  Let me know in the comments section!

by Nadiya

Colin Kaepernick Is the New Face of Nike’s “Just Do It” Campaign – My Thoughts

Last Monday (Sept. 3, 2018), it was announced that none other than NFL player Colin Kaepernick would be the face of Nike’s “Just Do It “30th-anniversary campaign.

Colin Kaepernick - Just Do It (Alt)

Now, unless you’ve been living under a rock, or you’ve been the 21st-century version of Rip Van Winkle, you know that Colin Kaepernick has been an extremely controversial figure as of late.  He’s the football player that began the silent protest of kneeling while The National Anthem is played during games, as a rally against police violence towards unarmed African-Americans.  The protest caused division between many people, with some seeing Colin as a courageous hero, and others thinking he’ s showing blatant disrespect to the flag and the country’s veterans.  Colin kneeling during games has stirred up so much controversy, that he hasn’t played for a team since being cut from the San Francisco 49ers in 2016, and he is still going toe-to-toe with the NFL to get his career going again.

Needless to say, the second the news hit, Colin and Nike were trending on Twitter, and remained a trending topic well into the very next day.  There was even talk of a Nike boycott (which also became a trending topic).

Kaepernick Trending

Now for my thoughts…I’m happy that Nike chose Colin Kaepernick to headline their campaign.  I’m sure this opinion may anger a few people, and I may even lose a few followers, but I’ve always said that with this blog, I’m going to keep it 100%, and I’m doing just that.  Why I am happy that Colin is being endorsed by Nike?  Because Colin Kaepernick is a brave soul that’s standing up for an egregious injustice that’s been happening in this country for far too long, and I will always love him for that.

NFL: San Francisco 49ers at Los Angeles Rams

I’ve seen many arguments over the years stating that the black men that have been shot by police officers could’ve easily avoided their fates if they had just cooperated with police, or didn’t make any sudden moves, or hadn’t been breaking the law in the first place.  However, I find it funny that Dylann Roof was quietly taken into custody after slaughtering nine innocent people in a church (he was still armed with a weapon when he was taken into custody, according to CNN), but Stephon Clark was gunned down in his grandmother’s backyard for breaking car windows.  Clark was only armed with a cellphone.   Travis Reinking, also known as “The Waffle House Shooter,” killed four people at the restaurant and was found the next day, also armed with a weapon.  He was arrested without incident.  A year and a half earlier, a policeman pulled Philando Castile over for a routine traffic stop.  Castile informed the cop that he had a licensed firearm, but when he reached to get his license as the policemen instructed him to, the cop opened fire seven times. Castile died in front of the mother of his child, and his 4-year-old daughter.  The officer was later acquitted.

Even if someone wants to argue regarding the cases of Stephon Clark, Philando Castile, Trayvon Martin, Alton Sterling or any other black man (or woman; see Sandra Bland) that’s been shot and/or killed by police, it’s pretty hard to argue regarding the case of Tamir Rice.  Tamir was a 12 yr. old child that was killed after the police mistook his toy gun for a real one.  I feel like if Travis Reinking and Dylann Roof could’ve been safely placed in police custody after viciously snuffing out innocent people, at the very least, Tamir could’ve gone back home to his family with a stern warning not to fool around with a realistic looking gun.

To add insult to injury, lately there’s been an epidemic of people calling the cops on unarmed black folks—knowing what the possible outcome could be—simply for living their lives.  Apparently, black people nowadays aren’t allowed to:

The sad thing is that a lot of these aforementioned incidents involved the police being called on young children, ranging in age from eight to 15.

Colin Kaepernick

These are all the reasons (and there’s so many others I don’t have time to name) Kap knelt for the National Anthem, and it’s the reason other players have been encouraged to kneel.  He’s not disrespecting the flag or the military.  To be honest, when the news first hit that Colin would headline the “Just Do It” campaign, I noticed that many men and women that served the country—both black and white—let it be known that they supported Colin’s cause and understood what it was for.  Our country was founded on the mantra of “liberty and justice for all,” and that “all men are created equal.”  It’s time the United States of America lives up to those standards.  I’m glad Nike sees that, and I’m glad that Colin Kaepernick is the face of their campaign.

#IStandWithKap

—-Written by Nadiya

What do you think about Colin Kaepernick being the face of the 30th anniversary “Just Do It” campaign?  Do you believe his protest is disrespectful to the flag and the military, or do you believe he’s fighting for the rights of African-Americans?  Do you believe that people unjustly call the police on black people for simply living, or are the people contacting the cops justified?  Also, do you believe the recent police shootings are lawful, or not?  Let me know in the comments section!

by Nadiya

Burt Reynolds: 1936 – 2018

Side Note:  Before I started writing this post, Lynyrd Skynyrd’s “Free Bird” started playing from my Apple Music playlist.  All things considered, I feel like that song perfectly conveyed my feelings concerning the legend I’m dedicating this acclamation to.

Usually when I write a tribute about a celebrity that’s passed on, I start with a story about the first time I was introduced to that particular person.  However, this article can’t start off that way.  The reason being is because I honestly can’t remember the first time I saw Burt Reynolds or heard of him.  He was always just there.  Burt was always in the news, or on the TV, or in a movie while I was growing up, and he remained a constant in my life as I transitioned into young adulthood.

Burt Reynolds - Explosion (Alt)

I remember all the headlines about his and Loni Anderson’s divorce like it was yesterday.  One of my favorite episodes of The Golden Girls centered around the ladies getting a chance to Burt Reynolds, and the shenanigans they get into behind the meet and greet.  When I was a little girl, I watched All Dogs Go To Heaven a million times (Burt voiced Charlie, the dog that forsaked heaven to get another chance at life).  I finally watched Smokey and the Bandit last year (don’t judge me), and I loved every minute of it…not to mention the fact I learned that once upon a time Coors couldn’t be sold east of the Mississippi River, and if it was found past that point, it was considered contraband.  Every time I see a case of Coors in Wal-Mart now, the first thing I think of is the Bandit and the Snowman, rushing the beer back to Atlanta for the Burdette brothers.

Burt Reynolds - Smokey and the Bandit 2 (Alt)

Even though I hated Boogie Nights as a teenager—I appreciate it a lot more now that I’m grown—I always thought that Burt’s role was the best thing about it.  I have to say that one of my favorite performances of his was as Nate Scarborough in The Longest Yard remake.  I know y’all are wondering why I haven’t mentioned the original film.  To be honest, I tried watching the 1974 version a few years back, but I couldn’t quite get into it.  I loved the remake, though (once again, don’t judge me).  The Longest Yard remains my second favorite Adam Sandler movie, and Burt Reynolds is a big reason why.  The role of the weathered, yet dedicated and compassionate coach fit Burt perfectly.  Sadly enough, I didn’t see Burt too much after he starred in the Adam Sandler vehicle.  About a year or so ago, I was curious to see what he had been up to, so I looked up his filmography on Wikipedia.  It turns out Burtwas still working, mostly on slightly smaller-scale films.  Despite having to deal with heart issues and overcoming an addiction to painkillers after being injured, he worked until the very end.

Burt was an extremely handsome, funny and talented man that brought lots of joy to me, my friends and family throughout the years.  Plus, he was bold enough to do this (WARNING:  NSFW):

Burt Reynolds Naked (Alt)

He’ll be sorely missed.  See you later, Bandit.

Burton Leon Reynolds, Jr.:  February 11, 1936 – September 6, 2018

—Written by Nadiya

by Nadiya

Dwayne Johnson Will FINALLY Play King Kamehameha!

Back when I first fell in love with Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, I remember he always spoke of completing an acting project near and dear to his heart.  That project was playing the role of King Kamehameha, the Hawaiian monarch that united all the islands together in order to fortify themselves against their enemies.  Whenever Rock mentioned the King Kamehameha film, he would let it be known that bringing the movie to life was one of his greatest dreams, and not only would he do whatever it took to bring the dream to fruition, but he would make sure that when the project was released in the next few years, everything would fall perfectly into place.

That was in 2004.

Rock - Wow (Alt)

Although multiple reports claim that Sony bought the rights to the film back in 2002 (others say it was Columbia Pictures), there’s online articles floating around that state the delay in production was due to Rock’s Samoan/African-American heritage.  Quiet as is kept, when I was training for my Hawaiian cruise ship job with the now-defunct NCL America line in 2007 (yeah, honey; I’ve had day jobs everywhere), one of the Hawaiian elders mentioned that production for the Kamehameha project was postponed because Rock didn’t properly ask their permission to play the beloved leader, not because of his race.  After seeing personally how much Rock was revered in Hawaii (Honolulu especially), and how the seriously the Hawaiian elders valued their culture, I believe the latter story.

Well, a decade and some change later, Rock must’ve been on his P’s and Q’s and came to the elders correct, because now his long-awaited King Kamehameha project, which is now officially known as The King, is effectively a go!  According to The Hollywood Reporter, director Robert Zemeckis (Back to the Future trilogy, Forrest Gump) will take the reins and screenwriter Randall Wallace (Braveheart, The Man in the Iron Mask) will be in charge of writing the film.

King Kamehameha Instagram Post

The Hollywood Reporter also stated that while in Hawaii last year, Rock, Wallace and his ex-wife/business partner Dany Garcia were personally blessed during a ceremony for the film by a Hawaiian priest known as a Kahu (which further strengthens my theory about the Hawaiian elders).

I personally can’t wait to see this movie, and I’m so happy that’s it’s finally coming to life.  Congrats to you, Rock!

Rock Claps 2 (Alt)

—Written by Nadiya

So what do you think about Rock taking on the role of King Kamehameha?  Have you been waiting for him to start the project since the early to mid 2000’s like me, or is this the first time you’ve heard of it?  Is it a role Rock was born to play, or does his multi-racial ethnicity cause concern?  Do you believe the movie was postponed because Rock didn’t give the Hawaiian elders the proper respect by asking permission to shoot the film?  Give me your thoughts in the comments section!