2 Cents Critic

2 Cents Critic

By Arthur HowellArtsBooks
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2 Cents Critic episodes

  • #17 - Black Widow, Directed by Cate Shortland

    Tune in for Arthur’s two cents on Black Widow, the 24th movie in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the superhero franchise’s second female-led picture, and the first title to (finally!) give top billing to Scarlett Johansson as Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow. It was originally scheduled for a theatrical release on May 1, 2020, but COVID-19 left Disney to delay it to November 6, 2020, then May 7, 2021, and at last July 9, 2021 via theaters and Disney+ Premier Access. Directed by Cate Shortland (Berlin Syndrome), the film also stars Florence Pugh as Yelena Belova, David Harbour as Alexei Shostakov/Red Guardian, Rachel Weisz as Melina Vostakoff, and Ray Winstone as Dreykov.

    Spoilers start at 15:40


    Good Word: One Last Stop by Casey McQuiston

    Black Widow blog review: https://2centscritic.com/2021/07/24/my-2-cents-on-black-widow/

    Reach out at [email protected] if you want to recommend things to watch and read, share anecdotes, or just say hello!

    Be sure to subscribe, rate, and review on iTunes or any of your preferred podcasting platforms!

    Follow Arthur on Twitter: @arthur_ant18

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    52 min
  • #16 - Disney+'s Loki

    Tune in for Arthur’s take on Loki, the third Marvel Cinematic Universe show to stream on Disney+. It stars Tom Hiddleston as Loki, Owen Wilson as Mobius M. Mobius, Sophia Di Martino as Sylvie, Gugu Mbatha-Raw as Ravonna Renslayer, Wunmi Mosaku as Hunter B-15, and Tara Strong as Miss Minutes, with Michael Waldron (Rick and Morty) serving as creator/head writer and Kate Herron (Netflix’s Sex Education) as director/executive producer.


    Spoilers start at 20:25


    Good Word: Free Guy trailer reaction with Deadpool and Korg


    Loki blog review: https://2centscritic.com/2021/07/17/my-2-cents-on-disneys-loki/


    Reach out at [email protected] if you want to recommend things to watch and read, share anecdotes, or just say hello!


    Be sure to subscribe, rate, and review on iTunes or any of your preferred podcasting platforms!


    Follow Arthur on Twitter: @arthur_ant18

    Follow the podcast on Twitter: @two_centscritic

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    1 hr 28 min
  • #15 - Silver Tears by Camilla Läckberg

    Tune in to hear Arthur rhapsodize about Silver Tears by Camilla Läckberg, her spellbinding sequel to The Golden Cage (which I highly recommend you read before listening to the general review, since it spoils major plot points in TGC). Let’s just bow down to the Faye Adelheim supremacy, all right?



    TW: Domestic abuse, gang rape, incestuous rape, murder, a pedophilic villain, misogyny, suicidal elements



    Spoilers start at 11:00



    Note: thanks to the research I did after recording this episode, I found out that Silver Tears was actually published last year in Sweden under the title Wings of Silver. Please take a look at the original edition, because holy crap, the cover art is TOP-NOTCH!



    Good Word: Ace of Spades by Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé


    Silver Tears blog review: http://2centscritic.com/2021/07/13/my-2-cents-on-silver-tears/


    Reach out at [email protected] if you want to recommend things to watch and read, share anecdotes, or just say hello!



    Be sure to subscribe, rate, and review on iTunes or any of your preferred podcasting platforms!



    Follow Arthur on Twitter: @arthur_ant18
    Follow the podcast on Twitter: @two_centscritic

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    1 hr 16 min
  • #14 - Pixar's Luca by Enrico Casarosa
    Tune in for Arthur’s opinions on Luca, Pixar’s 24th film (but not before he momentarily digresses at the beginning to touch on his faulty Wi-Fi that had most likely been caused by the Pacific Northwest heat wave, followed by the matter of that garbage bag Bill Cosby being released from prison). Directed by Enrico Casarosa (the 2011 Oscar-nominated Pixar short La Luna) in his feature-length directorial debut, produced by Andrea Warren (Cars 3), and written by Jesse Andrews (the sole writer of Every Day) and Mike Jones (one of three writers of Soul), the movie follows a boy called Luca Paguro (Jacob Tremblay) as he and his new friend Alberto Scorfano (Jack Dylan Grazer) explore the Italian seaside town of Portorosso with hopes of getting a Vespa and seeing the big world out there, all while concealing their true identities as sea monsters.
    Spoilers start at 24:00
    Good Word: The Broken Earth Trilogy by N.K. Jemisin
    Luca blog review: https://2centscritic.com/2021/06/26/my-2-cents-on-pixars-luca/
    Reach out at [email protected] if you want to recommend things to watch and read, share anecdotes, or just say hello!
    Be sure to subscribe, rate, and review on iTunes or any of your preferred podcasting platforms!
    Follow Arthur on Twitter: @arthur_ant18
    Follow the podcast on Twitter: @two_centscritic
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    55 min
  • #13 - Skyhunter by Marie Lu

    Tune in for Arthur’s thoughts on Skyhunter by Marie Lu (Legend, Warcross, The Young Elites). An 18-year-old mute soldier, a despotic government that controls an army of genetically engineered beasts, a viscerally post-apocalyptic backdrop, and more can be found in this refreshing and action-packed take on the dystopian YA genre.


    Good Word: “SOUR” by Olivia Rodrigo


    Skyhunter blog review: https://2centscritic.com/2020/10/05/my-2-cents-on-skyhunter/


    Reach out at [email protected] if you want to recommend things to watch and read, share anecdotes, or just say hello!


    Be sure to subscribe, rate, and review on iTunes or any of your preferred podcasting platforms!


    Follow Arthur on Twitter: @arthur_ant18

    Follow the podcast on Twitter: @two_centscritic

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    8 min
  • #12 - The Ex Talk by Rachel Lynn Solomon

    Tune in for Arthur’s two cents on The Ex Talk, the Seattle-set rom-com novel by Rachel Lynn Solomon (Today Tonight Tomorrow). Enemies-to-lovers, workplace romance, fake dating, public radio, a dog named Steve Rogers—all of that and more can be found in this delightful romantic comedy.


    Reach out at [email protected] if you want to recommend things to watch and read, share anecdotes, or just say hello!


    Be sure to subscribe, rate, and review on iTunes or any of your preferred podcasting platforms!


    Follow Arthur on Twitter: @arthur_ant18

    Follow the podcast on Twitter: @two_centscritic


    This episode is also available as a blog post: http://2centscritic.com/2021/02/20/my-2-cents-on-the-ex-talk/

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    6 min
  • #11 - Wonder Woman 1984 by Patty Jenkins (2020)
    Tune in for Arthur’s review of Wonder Woman 1984, a movie that he desperately wanted to love to no avail. This bloated and listless DCEU misfire is directed by Patty Jenkins (Monster, 2017’s Wonder Woman) and stars Gal Gadot as Diana Prince/Wonder Woman, Chris Pine as Steve Trevor, Kristen Wiig as Barbara Minerva/Cheetah, and Pedro Pascal as Maxwell Lord.
    Spoilers start at 10:30
    Resources:
    Wonder Woman 1984: The Middle Eastern stereotypes should have stayed in the 1980s - https://slate.com/culture/2020/12/wonder-woman-1984-middle-east-arab-mena-racism.html
    WW 1984's Major Misstep With Steve Trevor - https://www.themarysue.com/ww84-major-misstep-with-chris-pine-steve-trevor/
    Reach out at [email protected] if you want to recommend things to watch and read, share anecdotes, or just say hello!
    Be sure to subscribe, rate, and review on iTunes or any of your preferred podcasting platforms!
    Follow Arthur on Twitter: @arthur_ant18
    Follow the podcast on Twitter: @two_centscritic
    This episode is also available as a blog post: http://2centscritic.com/2021/05/03/my-2-cents-on-wonder-woman-1984/
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    29 min
  • #10 - Five Queer Must-Reads for Young Adults
    Tune in for Arthur’s opinions on five queer books for the young adult audience in celebration of Pride Month.
    - Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Sáenz
    - What If It’s Us by Becky Albertalli and Adam Silvera
    - Cinderella Is Dead by Kalynn Bayron
    - Cemetery Boys by Aiden Thomas
    - She’s Too Pretty to Burn by Wendy Heard
    Note: Arthur refers to Aiden Thomas as “he,” but they’re actually non-binary and trans. Sorry for the misgendering!
    Reach out at [email protected] if you want to recommend things to watch and read, share anecdotes, or just say hello!
    Be sure to subscribe, rate, and review on iTunes or any of your preferred podcasting platforms!
    Follow Arthur on Twitter: @arthur_ant18
    Follow the podcast on Twitter: @two_centscritic
    This episode is also available as a blog post: http://2centscritic.com/2021/06/01/my-2-cents-on-five-queer-must-reads-for-young-adults/
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    8 min
  • #9 - Netflix’s Shadow and Bone
    Tune in for Arthur’s review of Netflix’s Shadow and Bone, the surprisingly well-executed YA fantasy series adaptation of the Grishaverse books by author Leigh Bardugo. Developed by showrunner, writer, and executive producer Eric Heisserer (screenwriter of Arrival and Bird Box), the show stars Jessie Mei Li as Alina Starkov, Archie Renaux as Malyen “Mal” Oretsev, Ben Barnes as General Kirigan, Freddy Carter as Kaz Brekker, Kit Young as Jesper Fahey, Amita Suman as Inej Ghafa, Daisy Head as Genya Safin, Sujaya Dasgupta as Zoya Nazyalensky, Danielle Galligan as Nina Zenik, and Calahan Skogman as Matthias Helvar.
    Spoilers start at 16:40
    Reach out at [email protected] if you want to recommend things to watch and read, share anecdotes, or just say hello!
    Be sure to subscribe, rate, and review on iTunes or any of your preferred podcasting platforms!
    Follow Arthur on Twitter: @arthur_ant18
    Follow the podcast on Twitter: @two_centscritic
    This episode is also available as a blog post: http://2centscritic.com/2021/05/26/my-2-cents-on-netflixs-shadow-and-bone/
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    36 min
  • #8 - You Love Me by Caroline Kepnes

    Tune in for Arthur’s two cents on You Love Me, the third psychological thriller entry in the You series by Caroline Kepnes. Prepare yourself for Joe Goldberg’s sociopathic and stalkery ways as he heads up to Bainbridge Island and falls for librarian Mary Kay DiMarco. Surely, Joe’s latest romantic endeavor will turn out okay this time around...right?


    Reach out at [email protected] if you want to recommend things to watch and read, share anecdotes, or just say hello!


    Be sure to subscribe, rate, and review on iTunes or any of your preferred podcasting platforms!


    Follow Arthur on Twitter: @arthur_ant18

    Follow the podcast on Twitter: @two_centscritic


    This episode is also available as a blog post: http://2centscritic.com/2021/04/17/my-2-cents-on-you-love-me-by-caroline-kepnes/

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    6 min

About 2 Cents Critic

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What's new, folks? If you're in the mood to listen to Arthur Howell (creator of the blog 2 Cents Critic) give his thoughts on books, movies, and TV shows, then join in!