As Ryan Coogler and Michael B. Jordan's most recent collaboration, Sinners, is dominating the domestic and worldwide box office, we thought it would be a good time to look at their first project together, Fruitvale Station. Fruitvale is partially the telling of the tragic story of the killing of Oscar Grant in Oakland CA on New Year's Day 2009, but it's so much more. Beyond being a mere recreation of events and the conveying of the awful facts, the film is a beautiful portrait of a young man who is struggling against a system that is set against him and his own difficulties.

In addition to being a star making vehicle for Michael B. Jordan, the film features incredible performances from Melonie Diaz, Octavia Spencer, and Ariana Neal. Coogler and co. received a lot of critical praise for the film which set him up to helm massive projects like Creed and the Black Panther movies for Marvel.

Joining us for our look back is Chicago based film critic Zachary Lee who is a regular contributor to Roger Ebert, Letterboxd, Interview Magazine, Chicago Reader, Think Christian, and more. He's been someone we've wanted to have on the show for a while and he did not disappoint.

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⁠⁠⁠⁠Substantive Cinema Episode List⁠

Zach Interviews Ryan Coogler

Freaky Tales Interview

Zach & Willem Dafoe on The Legend of Ochi

Shoutouts:

Queens of Drama

The Ballad of Wallis Island

Our Revolution by Bernie Sanders

My Old Ass

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