Discussing the Matt Yola-directed documentary WHIRLYBIRD, which is receiving an under-the-radar VOD release. The film profiles Bob (now Zoey) Tur and then-wife Marika Gerrard and how their often sensationalist coverage of Los Angeles stories (usually via helicopter) had an ultimately negative effect on local TV news.

Reviews of James Gunn’s sequel/reboot THE SUICIDE SQUAD and ROADRUNNER, Morgan Neville’s controversial take on chef/author/travelogue host Anthony Bourdain.

Discussing the new documentary about Val Kilmer’s life and career—plus a sidebar on actor George Peppard, who had a Kilmer-like trajectory from prestige acting school training to being primarily regarded as a handsome personality star.

On Hulu’s Rick Rubin-guided tour of Paul McCartney as Beatle, Wing and solo artist.

Returning from a hiatus prompted by a hospital stay, here are brief comments on Questlove’s SUMMER OF SOUL, Liam Neeson’s action programmer trifecta of THE ICE ROAD, THE MARKSMAN and HONEST THIEF, and the surprisingly not bad SPACE JAM sequel.

Reviewing two new VOD releases (HOLLER, THE DRY) plus Steven Soderbergh’s latest venture into noir (NO SUDDEN MOVE, playing on HBOMAX) and Joseph Lerner’s recently rediscovered and restored 1950 noir GUILTY BYSTANDER.

Reviews of Chris McKay’s THE TOMORROW WAR (another Paramount blockbuster offloaded to Amazon Prime) and Neil Burger’s young adults going wild in space VOYAGERS, which cribs a little from George Lucas’s THX-1138.

Discussing the FAST AND FURIOUS films I’ve seen (counting spin-off HOBBS AND SHAW) and crediting the series longevity to FAST FIVE (best of) changing format from street racing sagas to blue-collar MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE mixed with DIE HARD.

ONCE UPON A TIME IN HOLLYWOOD, now getting a novelization, has become Quentin Tarantino’s TITANIC—a theme park viewers love to visit many times (and counting). Is this at the expense of discovering newer, more diverse filmic voices? Plus, some qualms on my part over mythologizing the Hollywood workplace without understanding the racism and narrow thinking that can be found there.

Discussion of Edgar Wright’s tribute to the brothers Mael—plus a few tangentially related films such as the Ramones END OF THE CENTURY, Fishbone’s EVERYDAY SUNSHINE, A BAND CALLED DEATH and selected Julien Temple-directed documentaries.