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HAPPY LEBRONUKAH! That's right, the most joyous time of the year, much later than usual, but no less joyous! Come for a celebration of the NBA's management of the COVID-19 epidemic that put our nation's leadership to shame, and stay for lots of ammo for your uncles who love that Jordan nostalgia.

 

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Tuesdays Means New Books 

There really isn't a better time to snuggle up somewhere with a book than in the Fall. I read regularly (which is a hobby once again gaining popularity) but during the days of distancing, it's officially my go-to activity when I want to be outside in the sun but avoid people. 

If you're trying to find things to do in what spare time you've got or are in need of some escapism well then Tuesday is ALWAYS a good day to think about buying (or putting in a request at your local library) some books. 

Notable Oct. 13th Releases 

Synopsis: 

In the holy city of Tova, the winter solstice is usually a time for celebration and renewal, but this year it coincides with a solar eclipse, a rare celestial event proscribed by the Sun Priest as an unbalancing of the world.

Meanwhile, a ship launches from a distant city bound for Tova and set to arrive on the solstice. The captain of the ship, Xiala, is a disgraced Teek whose song can calm the waters around her as easily as it can warp a man’s mind. Her ship carries one passenger. Described as harmless, the passenger, Serapio, is a young man, blind, scarred, and cloaked in destiny. As Xiala well knows, when a man is described as harmless, he usually ends up being a villain.

Crafted with unforgettable characters, Rebecca Roanhorse has created an epic adventure exploring the decadence of power amidst the weight of history and the struggle of individuals swimming against the confines of society and their broken pasts in the most original series debut of the decade.

Release Date: October 13, 2020

 

Buy the Book: Indiebound | Bookshop | 

 

Synopsis:

In the Jim Crow South, white supremacy reigns and tensions are high. But Evalene Deschamps has other things to worry about. She has two little sisters to look after, an overworked single mother, and a longtime crush who is finally making a move.

On top of all that, Evvie’s magic abilities are growing stronger by the day. Her family calls it jubilation—a gift passed down from generations of black women since the time of slavery. And as Evvie’s talents waken, something dark comes loose and threatens to resurface…

And when the demons of Evvie’s past finally shake free, she must embrace her mighty lineage, and summon the power that lies within her.

Release Date: October 13, 2020

 

Buy the Book: Indiebound | Bookshop | 

 

Synopsis:

 

Emanuela Ragno has always gotten exactly what she wanted. The privileged daughter of the House of Ragno, her daring and sharp mind has kept her from being the traditional young lady everyone wishes she would be. What other people think of her is no consequence, though--she is about to marry Ale, her best friend and heir to the first house of Occhia, despite the fact that they are both secretly gay. Through Ale, Emanuela will be able to rule the city.

 

However, Emanuela has another, deeper secret that could shatter her plans. In Occhia, the source of all water is the watercrea, a mysterious being with blood magic who requires all Occhians to give themselves to her when their first bruise-like omen appears on their skin. Throughout history, all Occhians have obeyed this rule.

Kriss and Dpalm are back with a new Mailbag episode for September and they have a special plea. Can Warner Brothers, DC, and Zack Snyder take October off because we're really tired of talking about their fuck ups. Seriously, 2020 has been stressful enough, can we get one month where we don't have to scream internally (and on the podcast) at all of DC's really dumb unforced errors? This month we finally get the confirmation that the "SnyderCut" never existed and needs $70 million more to be finished. Also DC's finally giving us a "DC Unlimited", except it's just DC Universe without all the streaming content for the same price as DC Universe. *bangs head on desk*

Topics:

* Surprise,  the SnyderCut needs more money

* Aldis Hodge to play Hawkman (eventually) in Black Adam

* WTF is Ray Fisher doing?

* The "New & Not Improved" DC Universe, DC Universe Infinite 

* Supergirl is ending after this upcoming season

* Dat Wandavision Trailer

* Kang is Comin

* A Nick Fury Disney+ show plus  She Hulk & Ms Marvel are cast

* Halle Berry talks Bryan Singer on the set of X-men

Kriss and Dpalm record the Mailbag at the end of every month. If you want to send in your own questions and thoughts, email us: [email protected]

 

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Well, well, well, how the turntables have turned. LeBron is en route to ring number 3 and we're back to tackle all the inevitable goal post moving. Plus, we're talking Kung Fu Kyrie and COVID arriving in the NFL.

Guest: The Homie Mike & Rich Fann - @Rich_Fann

 

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Kriss,  Ro and Brandon are back to review episodes 5  to 7  of  Lovecraft Country.

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Before the Finals tip off, ignore all those other pre-game shows, and sit down with Mike and I to break down the matchups, the story lines, and the comedy from these NBA Finals as the Lakers look to return to greatness against the underdog Heat. Plus, NFL Week 3 musings!

Guest: The Homie Mike

 

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Kriss is back with another episode of the Insanity Check to cover this month's dose of insanity in the world. This month is a little  bit different. 2020 might have finally broken Kriss. This was going to be a solo show but Ro manipula...convinced, Kriss to instead use this show to talk about the new documentary "All In: The Fight For Democracy". Of course this just made things worse (but better for you all). We spend most of this episode talking about that documentary and the fucked up history of this country being really good at violating people's (namely Black & Brown people) civil rights.

You can watch All  In: The Fight For Democracy for free on Amazon Prime or on Youtube:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7pY5ypP1F5o

* You can also read more about the Tampa Bay Pasco Police Department program we discuss that is batshit insane here: https://projects.tampabay.com/projects/2020/investigations/police-pasco-sheriff-targeted/intelligence-led-policing/

* You can also read their  dismantling of the Pasco Sheriff Office's defense of this batshit insane program here: https://projects.tampabay.com/projects/2020/investigations/police-pasco-sheriff-targeted/sheriffs-response/

Guest: Ro

 

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Look who remembered how to record a podcast like a grown up! We are back with Aaron, talking Atlanta sports futility, being forced out of my favorite sport, Prime Prep Academy, NFL conspiracies and the finality settling in on the Conference Finals - and a Clash of Champions preview to boot!

Guest: Aaron - @ANSFreeman

 

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New recording spot, same old me! That means losing an entire recorded podcast, and throwing a solo show together, complete with Atlanta sports teams stabbing me in the eye. Laugh at my pain, bask in my not-so-glory, and celebrate our annual holiday: Happy LeBronukah!

 

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Is there anything that Regina King can’t do? She’s been a versatile actress for 35 years that has always impressed. I could have a heated argument with myself over what my favorite Regina King role is (Her role as Detective Lydia Adams on the criminally underrated Southland is always going to be up there). It’s nice to see her finally get her due. On top of her acting she’s also apparently a vampire that hasn’t aged at all.  Her and  Paul Rudd  drink from the same fountain of youth.  So when I saw she was trying her hand at directing a feature length film, I  had no doubt that she could pull it off and was not disappointed  with the result.

For a directorial debut, One Night in Miami is pretty ambitious project. Adapting a play into a movie is always a bit difficult and doing it for  your first feature film is even harder. But King along with writer Kemp Powers  really pull this film together and make it very engaging. One Night in Miami is the fictionalized tale of the convergence of four black icons in Miami in the height of the civil  rights movement. The film has Malcom X (Kingsley Ben-Adir), Cassius Clay(Eli Goree), Sam Cooke (Leslie Odom Jr) and Jim  Brown (Aldis Hodge) meeting up right  after Clay won the heavyweight championship. Each man is facing a crossroad in their career and how they reconcile their career with the civil rights fight for rights Black people (and themselves) are facing. While this fictionalized “meeting of the minds) didn’t happen, it’s also not too far fetched to think that each of these men had similar conversations (albeit maybe not with each other) with others at some point.

Anytime there is a film based on a play, a key part in the success is the acting and One Night in Miami is no exception. As I mentioned in my early capsule review, Aldis Hodge is criminally underrated. He’s racked up a series of roles recently that really make me hope that he gets the really big role next. Leslie Odom Jr  is another one of these supremely talented Black actors instantly commands the screen whenever he appears. It's funny. Leslie Odom Jr is one of those actors that everyone recognizes and seems to be in everything, yet still seems like he's not given enough roles. Part of that could be that any time he's on screen is never enough and you just want more. Honestly, One Night In Miami could be the jumping off point for a Sam Cooke bio film with Leslie Odom Jr as Cooke and I wouldn't be mad at all.

What really makes this film work though are the two actors playing Malcom X and Cassius Clay. King uses the talent of Odom Jr and Hodge to give support to Kingsley Ben-Adir and  Eli Goree who are less well known yet knock out the roles of Malcolm X and Cassius Clay with ease. There are several times when Goree goes on one of those infamous Muhammad Ali ad libs and you'll find yourself hitting rewind because it sounds so much like Ali. Ben-Adir also is fantastic as Malcolm X. He presents a more vulnerable and measured character than I think most people would associate with their idea of Malcolm X but feels natural. 

All together this cast makes this film not only insightful but relevant to today. The conversations between  this men, while fiction, feels like the conversations they would have had and directly represent some of the conversations we have today about the movement and fight for Black lives and rights. King does a great job of depicting the various opinions of these men as all valid and doesn't necessarily take a side. In today's world where there's so much infighting and debate on the "right way" to fight for rights, I think it is important that One Night in Miami takes the stance that everyone might not agree on the exact method but the sum of the parts is what matters. 

Amazon Studios picked up One Night in Miami so it should be hitting the screens soon (just in time for award se...