Tag / Movies

by Nadiya

John Singleton: 1968 – 2019

I was 10 years old when I first watched Boyz N the Hood, and I hate to sound like a cliche, but it not only changed things within the black film genre, it forever changed the way I viewed Los Angeles.  Before I knew John Singleton existed, I thought LA was a beautiful city that was full of movie stars and bursting with opportunity.  However, Boyz N the Hood opened my eyes to the other side of Los Angeles…South Central.

I learned that South Central was an area of LA where poor black people could get gunned down for a simple disagreement—or in retaliation for previously shooting someone else—or they could be harassed by the cops simply for existing.  I also learned about a little thing known as gentrification, but that’s another topic for another time.  Lastly, Boyz N the Hood introduced me to Ice Cube, Morris Chestnut, Cuba Gooding, Jr. and Laurence Fishburne, all legends in their own right.

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One of my most fond memories of watching Boyz n the Hood for the first time was seeing John Singelton’s PSA for the United Negro College Fund on the VHS copy (once again, I’m showing my age).  I was taken aback by Mr. Singleton the moment I saw him.  He was handsome, intelligent, talented, woke, and young.  Most movie directors I saw were well into their 40’s and 50’s, but John was in his early 20’s, and he already created a film that would forever be a staple of black cinema.  Those were traits I could really respect and admire, even at the tender age of 10.

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Not too long after I watched Boyz n the Hood, John went on to direct Michael Jackson’s “Remember the Time” video.  Personally, I felt that it was Mike’s second best video ever (after “Thriller,” of course).  After that, it was official; I was a John Singleton fan.  When Poetic Justice was released a few years later, I remember telling my cousin I wanted to see the film because I liked John Singleton’s work, and he laughed, telling me, “He’s only done two things!”  That didn’t matter to me.  Even though he didn’t have that much under his belt—by that time, that is—I still thought what he did so far was extraordinary.

Over the years, John completed many more great films and TV shows like Higher Learning, Rosewood, Shaft, 2 Fast 2 Furious, American Crime Story:  The People vs. OJ Simpson and Four Brothers.  However, the other movie in John’s catalouge that met the caliber of Boyz n the Hood was Baby Boy.  By the time I saw Baby Boy, I was a 20 yr. old college junior, and it was all my friends and I could talk about for the rest of the semester—dare I say the rest of the school year.  When I started building my DVD collection a few months later, Baby Boy was one of the first films I purchased.  The movie didn’t blow me away quite like Boyz n the Hood did, but nonetheless, it still left a serious impact on me, and it remains one of my favorite films.  My homegirl and I still quote many of the lines in the movie, as a matter of fact.  Baby Boy made me see Tyrese in a totally different light (as a sex symbol!), and it introduced us all to none other than Ms. Taraji P. Henson.  That alone qualifies it as a classic film.

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When I found out that John had a stroke, I prayed he’d make it through and come back to us in good health.  Unfortunately, that wasn’t the case, and he passed on.  I was floored when I learned one of the directors I hold in most high regard (along with Spike Lee and F. Gary Gray) was no longer with us.  What hurt me even more is that this is the second young man the world of entertainment we’ve lost to a stroke this year (the first being Luke Perry).

John Singleton’s contributions to entertainment and to black culture shouldn’t go unnoticed.  There was no denying his talent.  Even though this tribute is late as all hell thanks to the crazy month I’ve had, I knew I had to write a post on what John Singleton meant to me.  Otherwise, I’d regret it.  Mr. Singleton, I just want to thank you for all the wonderful movies, video and TV series you’ve provided us over the years and for allowing us all to enjoy your vision.  I appreciate it all.  Rest in power.

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John Daniel Singleton:  January 6, 1968 – April 28, 2019

—Written by Nadiya

by Nadiya

I Just Got Back from Seeing ‘Avengers: Endgame’ and…

Wow.

When I walked away from Avengers:  Infinity War last year, I was floored.  The movie was powerful and exciting, but did the masterful job of reining it in just enough to prevent the film from being absolutely ridiculous.  When Thanos snapped his fingers and made half the world turn to ash (I’m assuming you’ve all watched Infinity War by now and you know what happened), I couldn’t wait to see the next installment.  Y’all can imagine my excitement when the premiere weekend for Avengers:  Endgame finally arrived.  However, when I walked out of the theatre this time…I was severely disappointed.  No, that’s a lie.  I was pissed off.

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The movie begins a few weeks after the events of Infinity War.  Tony and Nebula are floating in space with their oxygen levels running low, and the other remaining Avengers are on Earth, trying their best to think of a way to find Thanos and possibly undo his “finger snap.”  Hopefully, with Captain Marvel’s help, they’ll be able to take down Thanos and bring their friends and loved ones back…or so the previews would have you believe.

No, I’m not upset about the previews being slightly misleading.  That happens almost all the time.  Besides, I’d rather watch a trailer that gives me a bit a misdirection instead of one that tells the entire damn film in two minutes.  I’m angry because this movie was poorly executed, did a grave disservice to some of the characters, and contained horrid plot points that made the hair on the back of my neck stand up.

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Seriously, I haven’t been this upset after watching a Marvel film since I viewed Age of Ultron back in 2015, and as much as that film irked me, Endgame irritated 10 times more.  Ironically enough, a friend of mine and I were talking a few days ago about The Avengers franchise, and she was telling me that she didn’t like Infinity War because the plot was all over the place.  I have to disagree.  That doesn’t describe Infinity War, but it describes Endgame to a T.  First the plot drags, then it picks up, then towards the end it becomes a complete hot mess.  I’ve said it once, and I’ll say it again, having too much of a good thing does exist, and OMG…the Russo brothers completely forgot that aspect when they directed the climax of the film.  That’s another thing that’s bugging me:  this is another film directed by the Russo brothers.  They did such a wonderful job with Captain America:  Civil War and Infinity War, that I believed they had Endgame in the bag.  Not the case.  And that ending?  Lord, have mercy.

I can’t say that I hated everything about Endgame.  There were some action scenes that were exciting and the movie had a few jokes that landed.  I loved the special effects, especially the way they de-aged Michael Douglas (who reprised his role as Hank Pym) and aged another character, whom I can’t mention.  All the actors did a great job, as usual.  However, I have a gripe against one member of the cast, and that’s my sweetheart Chris Hemsworth.  Yes, that Chris Hemsworth.  I recently learned that Chris was responsible for Thor’s character arc in this film, and if that’s true, he needs to stick to what he does best and keep his fine ass out of the writer’s room.  For real.  Y’all remember how Thor shined in Infinity War and handled his grief with grace and dignity?  Yeah, all that got crapped on in Endgame.  Thanks for ruining my favorite MCU character, boo.

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Last but not least, here’s a very slight spoiler for y’all:  Endgame has no post-credits scene, so don’t bother wasting your time looking for one after the film ends.  It’s true, Infinity War didn’t have one either, but I really needed one for Endgame…just to have a small glimmer of hope.  I won’t say why that is.

Judging by the the majority of the audience I viewed the movie with, along with the numerous tweets I’ve seen so far, a lot of people loved Avengers:  Endgame just as much—if not more—than they did Infinity War.  I am not one of those people.  In my humble opinion, Endgame was the head captain of Team Too Much, with a wack ass ending to boot.  With that being said, although I don’t recommend the movie, I’m not going to tell y’all not to see it.  I can understand why some people may find it a fitting end of an era, so you’ll have to determine for yourselves whether or not it’s a benefit to the MCU canon or a detriment.   Me personally, I found the majority of the film to be ludicrous.  I expected better of the MCU, I expected better of the Russo’s…I just expected better.

—Written by Nadiya

So did you enjoy Avengers:  Endgame, or did you agree with my review?  Would some of you like me to post another assessment that includes spoilers so you can get more insight into why I disliked the film so much?  If you liked the film, what was your favorite part, or what did you love about the movie?  If you didn’t like Endgame, why?  Are you sad to see the MCU as we know it end?  Please let me know in the comments section!

 

 

 

 

by Nadiya

Childish Gambino Strikes Again With ‘Guava Island’!

Last year, I remember reading that Donald Glover aka Childish Gambino and Rihanna were in Cuba working on a super secret film project.  I hoped they were shooting a music video with a similar vibe to “Telegraph Ave. (‘Oakland’ by Lloyd)” for the track “Saturday” (the song Gambino performed on SNL when he hosted last May) or perhaps for a duet they recorded.  As time went on and a few more (but not many) details about the project came to light, it was clear that the finished work would be a lot more ambitious than that.

Fast forward to this past Friday (Apr. 12, 2019), it was revealed that Guava Island was actually a feature length film, and it would premiere during Childish Gambino’s Coachella set.  For the people that weren’t fortunate enough to snag a ticket to Coachella this year (me), the film became available to stream on Amazon.com for 18 hrs., as well as You Tube, staring 12:00 AM PST on Sat. Apr. 13.  After 18 hrs., the movie would only be available to Amazon Prime subscribers (also me).  As most of y’all know, I fell in love with Childish Gambino last year.  With his insane multi-talent (he’s a writer, comedian, singer, rapper and actor), and his phenomenal career in entertainment, this man could do no wrong in my eyes.  So, it should be no surprise that I woke up in the middle of night on Friday (which was technically Saturday morning) and checked out Guava Island for myself.

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Guava Island tells the story of Deni (Gambino) and Kofi (Rihanna), a young couple that live on the titular Caribbean island (I’m assuming it’s Caribbean, considering most of the people there are black and half of them speak Spanish).  Guava Island is beautiful, but po’—and yes, I meant to say po’—thanks to industrialist Red Cargo (played by my boy Nonso Anozie, who’ll always be Renfield from Dracula to me).  Red’s family took control of the island a long time ago by making a profit off the blue silk produced by the island’s silkworms, and as Red became richer, the other inhabitants of the island became poorer, being forced to work day and night for peanuts on the docks or in sweatshops.  Deni, who is a local musician, hopes to bring the island together with a music festival, but Red’s greedy ass isn’t feelin’ that concept.  The festival is supposed to take place on a Saturday night, and Red knows that if everyone’s having fun all night on Saturday, they won’t get up and go to work on Sunday, because God forbid these folks actually have a day off.   With that being said, Red pays Deni with 10 G’s to make him cancel the festival.  What will Deni do?

Guava Island was written by Stephen Glover (Donald’s brother) and directed by Hiro Murai (who also directed the “This Is America” video), both of who whom work with Donald on Atlanta, which tells you that this film won’t have your typical ending.  The film was described as a thriller with elements from the Brazilian film City of God and Purple Rain.  I personally have to disagree with that assessment.  The movie has the aesthetics of City of God, due to the grainy picture and tropical setting (plus, the characters are in abject poverty, much like the ones in City of God), but that’s about it.  The film is a musical like Purple Rain, but the difference is Prince’s film debut had more of a semi-autobiographical feel (like 8 Mile, which most folks have deemed the “hip-hop version of Purple Rain“), whereas Guava Island doesn’t have that same effect, and it shouldn’t, considering that Deni has very little in common with the real Childish Gambino.  As for Guava Island being a thriller, the last few moments were pretty tense, but if that alone makes it a white-knuckle type movie, you might as well say Under the Cherry Moon is one as well, considering Christopher Tracy and Tricky spend the last 20 minutes running from goons and cops.  I know, I’m using a lot of Prince references today.

This isn’t to knock the film, however.  Despite disagreeing with Gambino’s perceived vision of it, I really enjoyed it.  In my opinion, Guava Island is a cute, extended music video (the film runs at about 55 min.) with a beautiful message.  The animation sequence used in the opening credits and the start of the film was especially adorable.  It reminded me a lot of The Princess and the Frog.  A lot of people were upset that Rihanna didn’t contribute a song to the venture, and although that would’ve been great, I can’t say that I was disappointed.  There were so many Gambino tracks to enjoy—new and not-so-new—that I was in hog heaven regardless.  Some of my favorite Childish Gambino songs were included in Guava Island, such as “This Is America,” “Summertime Magic” and “Feels Like Summer,” and nearly all of them were performed as musical numbers.  I loved it.  The acting was on point as well, but with the cast appointed to the film (which also included Leticia Wright, who plays Shuri on Black Panther), that was to be expected.  The only real issue I had with the movie is that it was supposed to be on a remote island in the Caribbean, and nearly everyone had an accent…except Gambino.  Right before the “This Is America” musical number begins, one of Deni’s co-workers mentions migrating to the US for a seemingly better life, and Deni immediately shuns the idea, all the while, speaking with an accent that’s as American as apple pie.  Right.

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Y’all, this film was really good for what it was.  Unless you have an Amazon Prime subscription like me, the 18 hr. window of opportunity to see it has since passed, unfortunately.  However, in this age of technology, I’m sure there’s some other ways to get around the limited screening time to see the movie.  My advice is to try to check it out any way you can; no judgment.  Guava Island is like City of God in visuals only, and all it has common with Purple Rain is the fact that there’s music throughout the film, and it doggone for sure ain’t no thriller per se, but it’s still a great way to spend an hour.  Plus, Gambino and Rihanna make a cute couple.  😃❤️

—Written by Nadiya

Have you seen Guava Island yet?  What did you think of it?  Did you see it at Coachella during Gambino’s set, or did you stream it at home?  Did it put you in the mind of Purple Rain and/or City of God?  Did you like the musical numbers?  Let me know in the comments section!

 

by Nadiya

‘Us’ Movie Review

If you told me 10 years ago that Jordan Peele would be a spectacular filmmaker that effortlessly blends social commentary and elements of terror together, I’d say you were crazy.  I’d go on to say that Jordan Peele is a comedian—albeit a hilarious comedian—that kills it every week on Mad TV, not a filmmaker, and damn sure not a master of horror.  However, after Mad TV and Key and Peele’s respective runs ended, Jordan surprised us all with Get Out, and now he’s struck gold again with Us.

Us tells the story of Adelaide Wilson (played by Lupita Nyong’o) and her family, who take a summer vacay to Santa Cruz, CA, the location of Adelaide’s old family home.  Adelaide is a bit uneasy about the trip due to a traumatic event she experienced there as a child, and her unease continues to heighten as the day rolls on.  It raises to a boil once she and her husband find a family outside the house later that night, threatening to invade their home.  What’s even more frightening is that the family that eventually takes over the house are the Wilson’s doppelgangers.

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You’re probably thinking what one of my co-workers said when I gave her the breakdown, “I got all that from the trailer!”  Unfortunately, that’s all I can say about the overall plot without spoiling the movie, and trust me, you don’t want this movie to be spoiled for you.  I greatly enjoyed Us.  I didn’t expect the film to be another Get Out—and it isn’t—and I ended up adoring what it is:  a creepy and nail-biting science fiction tale.  I have admit, I didn’t like it quite as much as Get Out, but that’s not to say the movie is weak.  It was just the opposite, actually.  I didn’t really catch the social commentary in it at first, but after checking out some other videos further explaining the symbolism and deeper themes, I got it.  Unlike Get Out, which focused on race relations and white liberalism, Us explores the subject of materialism and taking small things for granted.  I really want to watch the film again with new eyes to catch a lot of the things that I missed.

As usual, Lupita killed it.  I also loved Winston Duke as Adelaide’s clueless husband, Gabe.  In case you’re wondering who Winston Duke is, he played M’Baku in Black Panther.  Gabe’s character is a complete 180º from M’Baku, and it really shows Winston’s range.  All the actors had great performances, and coupled with the intense plot and symbolism throughout, it proves that Jordan Peele is a force to be reckoned with in the genre of horror as well as overall film making.

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To be honest, I don’t have anything bad to say about this film, other than it comes in a close second to Get Out, which remains Jordan Peele’s magnum opus.  I’ve noticed that some folks in my neck of the woods have been saying that Us was a grave disappointment, and one of the first things they do is compare it to Get Out.  I believe these folks went into the theatre expecting a Get Out clone.  Don’t do that.  You’ll be doing yourself a disservice and setting yourself up for disappointment.  It’s basically like watching Jackie Brown expecting an exact double (pun slightly intended) of Pulp Fiction.  Yeah, I agree that Get Out was the better movie between the two, but I also believe I was able to get a lot of satisfaction out of Us due to the fact that I didn’t expect to be a replica of its predecessor.

Y’all, go check this film out.  It’s already made back its budget and then some, so that should tell you something.  Just be sure to go into the theatre with an open mind.  If you do that, and take the film for what it is—which is excellent—you’ll have a great experience.

—Written by Nadiya

What did you think about Us?  Was it as good as Get Out?  Was it better?  Did you expect Us to be just like Get Out, or did you expect it to be an entirely different film?  Did you catch all the themes throughout the film?  Would you consider Jordan Peele to be a new master of horror/film making, or should he go back to comedy?  Let me know in the comments section!  

 

by Nadiya

Luke Perry: 1966 – 2019

When I was a child back in the early ’90s, it was all about Beverly Hills, 90210.  There were board games, dolls, clothes; no matter where you went, someone was talking about the show.  After my mother jumped on the 90210 train when I was in sixth grade, I decided to get on it myself, and I didn’t get off until I finished my freshman year of college in 2000.  That was the year the original show went off the air (I didn’t bother with the reboot).  From the time the show started until the time it ended, the character that everyone talked about the most was Dylan, played by none other than Luke Perry.

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I started watching 90210 when the Dylan-Brenda-Kelly love triangle came to a head, resulting in Dylan choosing Kelly over his long-time love Brenda.  It was a choice I never agreed with—even to this day—but nonetheless, Dylan still ended up being one of my favorite characters.  He was definitely flawed (a struggling junkie/alcoholic), not to mention brooding, but he was also cute, charming, humble and had a big heart.  It was easy to see why he was just about everyone’s favorite character.  As a matter of fact, Dylan wasn’t an original member of the show.  He was only meant to guest star on one episode, but he made such an impression, Dylan McKay became a permanent part of the series.

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He left the show temporarily circa 1995 and came back again sometime around 1998, and his reappearance was all anyone talked about.  When he returned, he stayed until the show’s end, and needless to say he stole all the scenes he was in.  During and after Beverly Hills, 90210‘s run, I continued to be a fan of Luke Perry’s and I checked out more of his body of work such as Buffy the Vampire Slayer (the film, not the TV show), The Fifth Element (yes, he was in that movie…check out the first five minutes), Lifebreath (thanks to this film, I refuse to be an organ donor), Oz, The Simpsons, Indiscreet, and Windfall.  I have to be honest, Windfall as a whole sucked, but I was really happy to see Luke Perry on TV again.  Being even more honest, I was already watching Oz by the time Luke did his stint—I was hooked on that show from the first episode—but when I heard Luke would be guest starring on it, I was psyched.  His character’s conclusion on Oz puzzled me for years.  As time went on, I didn’t see as much of him, but I never forgot about him.  Sadly, I didn’t even realize he played Archie’s father on Riverdale until after he had his stroke.  Luke was still a young man, so I hoped he would make it through, but he didn’t.

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I remember during a 90210 reunion show, Ian Ziering (the actor that played Steve Sanders) saying that deep down, Luke was a down-to-earth farm boy that loved his family and the simple things in life.  I can tell from the outpouring of tweets and Instagram posts that have been released in the last few days that there was definitely truth to that statement.  Luke, you will be sorely missed.  Thanks so much for helping to shape my childhood.

Coy Luther Perry, III:  October 11, 1966 – March 4, 2019

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 —Written by Nadiya

 

by Nadiya

The 2019 Oscars: The Things I Loved

Yeah…I know this year’s Oscars was last week (Sun. Feb. 24, 2019), but y’all know I’m late with just about everything, especially this year (damn sinuses).  Anyway, I watched the Academy Awards ceremony last Sunday, and I greatly enjoyed just about the entire three hour show.  To be honest, it pretty much flew by.  There was even a time I had to miss a few minutes, and you best believe I rushed back as quickly as I could.  With that being said, allow me to run down everything I loved about the 2019 Oscars.  Let’s do this!

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The Stars Didn’t Come To Play, They Came To Slay

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Just about everyone (except Pharrell) came to the ceremony dressed to doggone kill.  The guests were so glamorous, I felt like I was watching Old Hollywood stars walk the red carpet during The Golden Age.  Here’s some examples in GIF form (can’t really use the red carpet stills thanks to copyright):

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The Awards Show Didn’t Really Need a Host

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As I’m sure you all know, Kevin Hart was asked to host the Oscars this year, but after his past inflammatory tweets regarding the LGBT community resurfaced, he stepped down.  That left the ceremony without a host, but as the late, great Freddie Mercury once said, “The show must go on.”  I was curious to see how the Oscars would fare without a host, and to be honest, they killed it.  There were one or two cringeworthy jokes, but for the most part, everything flowed.  The best part about there not being a host is that there was less time wasted on monologues and more time spent on the nominees and winners.  Also, Queen and Adam Lambert opening up the show was the bomb!

So Much Diversity!

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Over the years, mostly Caucasian actors and actresses were honored at the Academy Awards, so much so that the hashtag #OscarsSoWhite was created in protest during 2015.  However, in 2019, the Academy took some steps to include people of all races.  The esteemed Mahershala Ali won for Best Supporting Actor; Regina King, who I’ve been a fan of since she was Brenda on 227, took home the Best Supporting Actress award, and my boy Rami Malek aka Elliot won Best Actor for Bohemian Rhapsody, the first Egyptian-American to do so (more on that later!).  There were also other people of color that took home Oscars such as Alfonso Cuarón, Ruth Carter, and Spike Lee.  Speaking of which…

Spike Lee Wins (‘Bout Doggone Time)!

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Spike finally took home a coveted Academy Award after all his years of being a legend in the film industry.  Unfortunately, it wasn’t for Best Director (that went to Alfonso Cuarón for Roma), but he did win Best Adapted Screenplay for BlacKKKlansman.  His mini celebration on stage with Samuel L. Jackson when he heard the news was gold.  I’ve loved Spike Lee ever since I was a small child (Do the Right Thing remains one of my favorite movies), and I was more than happy to see him finally bring the gold home.

Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper Get Cozy

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Midway through the show, Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper performed their song, “Shallow,” from A Star Is Born.  Everyone tuning in—including myself—couldn’t help but notice how much chemistry these two had onstage…not to mention the fact that they were miiiiighty cushy with each other during the performance.  Hmmm…  In fact, Gaga and Bradley were so lovey-dovey that the rumor mill started to turn, suggesting that they may be involved in an actual relationship.  Gaga later went on Jimmy Kimmel Live and debunked the rumors.   She even went so far as to say that social media is “the toilet of the internet.”  Burrrrrnnnnnn.

Olivia Colman’s Speech

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I’ve been a fan of Olivia Colman ever since I saw her on The Night Manager three years ago.  She’s a great actress, but I have to admit that another reason I love her is because she reminds me a lot of a family friend.  With that being said, you can imagine how happy I was when she took home the Best Actress award for The Favourite.  What made the moment even sweeter was Olivia’s speech.  It was was just downright adorable the way she showed admiration for Glenn Close (and how much she hated beating her role model), love for her husband and kids, and she even shouted out Lady Gaga at the end.  You have to see it to get what I mean, so go to the link.

And last, but certainly not least…

Rami Malek Won Best Actor! ❤️

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A big reason I watched the awards show this year was to see if Rami would win the award or not, and I wasn’t disappointed.  Despite what all the haters had to say about Rami and Bohemian Rhapsody throughout the awards season (and by the way, the BoRhap hate didn’t piss me off…it actually tickled me), Rami still walked away with a Golden Globe, a SAG award, a BAFTA, and last week he took home the Oscar for Best Actor.  Needless to say, I couldn’t have been more psyched.  As I mentioned earlier, Rami made history, as he was the first Egyptian-American/Arab-American to win an Academy Award.  What made the moment even more special is the smooch Rami laid on his girlfriend, Lucy Boyton, when his name was called.  Wow.

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Yeah, my poor baby fell off the stage later that night and folks got a good laugh off of it, but it still doesn’t take away from the fact that he earned the win.  Plus, it didn’t stop him from partyin’ all night.  You go, boy.

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Ouch.  I’m just glad that didn’t happen during the show.

Honorable Mention:  Chris Evans Actually Being Captain America

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He is such a gentleman (and fine, too)!  Love that guy. ❤️❤️❤️

—Written by Nadiya

So what did you think about the Oscars this year?  Did you love the fashions?  Do you think there was more diversity this year?  Did Rami Malek deserve his Best Actor win?  Do you think the show works without a host?  If you liked the show, what aspects of it did you like that I didn’t mention?  What didn’t you like about the ceremony?  Let me know in the comments section!

 

 

 

 

 

 

by Nadiya

Stan Lee: 1922 – 2018

Like most red-blooded American kids, I read comic books growing up.  However, my comics were more geared towards Archie, Mickey Mouse, and Duck Tales.  Every now and again, I’d check out the comics featuring superheroes.  I was mostly drawn to the movies and TV shows they starred in.  So it’s no surprise that I didn’t learn of Stan Lee’s existence until I was 15 years old.  I was watching the movie Mallrats (I think my sister and I are the only people that actually like that film), and true to form, Stan made a cameo.  That was my first introduction to the legend.

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Don’t get me wrong, I was a fan of The Incredible Hulk and Spiderman as a child (Spiderman especially), but I never thought about the man behind the stories; the creator himself.  Stan Lee was greatly responsible for bringing us so much of the entertainment that helped shape our lives and give us so much enjoyment today.  Just think about it:  a lot of my posts are about Marvel films.  I just wrote one last month about my top 10 movies in the MCU.  It’s thanks to Stan Lee that I was able to fall in love with Thor (and yes, I realize Thor was a mythical Nordic God, but it was Stan who gave him mainstream appeal), rush to the movie theatre to see the next Avengers film, and enjoy reruns of “The Incredible Hulk” TV series.

Stan was also an extremely forward-thinking man, seeing as he helped create the characters of T’Challa and Luke Cage during an extremely turbulent time in America (more so than the present day, believe it or not).  He also modeled the X-Men storyline from the Civil Rights Era, and based Professor X and Magneto on Dr. Martin Luther King and Malcolm X, respectively (although Malcolm X was no where near as murderous as Magneto).  Let’s not forget the now legendary edition of “Stan’s Soapbox” that he printed in 1968 where he blasted the practice of racism and bigotry:

Stan's Soapbox

Stan was truly one of a kind, and although I’ll miss him—especially his hilarious cameos in ALL his Marvel films—I can’t be too upset that he passed on.  Mr. Lee lived a wonderful life.  He created a universe that will be revered for generations to come.  He was active and in his right mind right up until his last days.  He lived to be 95 years old.  When people think of Marvel, they automatically think of Stan Lee.  Those are brillant accomplishments that we all wish we could aspire to.   Rest in power, Stan.

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Stanley Martin Lieber aka Stan Lee:  December 28, 1922 – November 12, 2018

—Written by Nadiya