Scottscope Talk Radio 7/5/2014: More Than Meets The Eye!

On this week’s edition of Scottscope Talk Radio, the roundtable reviews Transformers: Age of Extinction!  Is it on par with the first three?  Is it any better than the first three?  Might it actually be worse?  Do the Dinobots actually make an appearance?  Is it time for Michael Bay to walk away from the franchise?  Can Michael Bay actually be considered an auteur, or is he merely a skilled technician?  Is the franchise beyond redemption at this point?  Is the source material too inane to be made palatable for adults? 

No Sleep till Brooklyn: ‘Do the Right Thing’ Turns 25

For those who can remember, 1989 was undoubtedly the year of The Batman.  The Dark Knight’s shadow loomed large, and the famed Bat Signal was emblazoned on every product imaginable.  Indeed, after all the box office and merchandising receipts had been counted, the “World’s Greatest Detective” emerged victorious.  However, a phenomenon of a much more lasting variety took place merely a week later.  It was spurred on by an exponentially smaller, yet infinitely bolder film.  That film was far more significant from a sociological standpoint.  It exposed long festering wounds that hadn’t yet healed, and openly pondered one of life’s great mysteries: What is, ultimately, the right thing to do?

Scottscope Talk Radio 6/14/2014: Who You Gonna Call?!

On this week’s edition of Scottscope Talk Radio, the roundtable reviews Edge of Tomorrow!  Is it just another generic Tom Cruise flick, or is it something altogether different?  Does it mark the beginning of a major comeback for Tom Cruise?  Could it be this generation’s answer to The Matrix?  Might it even be this summer’s best kept secret?  Is it truly as smart as some reviews are letting on?  Does a sci-fi actioner such as this truly have any mass appeal?  Will gamers and hardcore genre fans relate to it more than the average moviegoer?

Scottscope Talk Radio 5/31/2014: The Days of Future Past!

On this week’s edition of Scottscope Talk Radio, The Roundtable reviews X-Men: Days of Future Past!  Is it the best X-Men film yet?  Is it the best X-Men Bryan Singer has ever made?  Is it true to the classic Chris Claremont story arc?  Is it just as good as, or possibly even better than, X-Men: First Class?  Does it successfully manage to juxtapose the cast of the Singer films with that of the Matthew Vaughn film?  Does it manage to do all of its many characters justice?  Does Quicksilver manage to be the film’s breakout star?  Should the franchise be allowed to continue on its current course?  Would it better off in the hands of Marvel Studios and Disney?

Scottscope Talk Radio 5/17/2014: Behold, The King of All Monsters!

Does the film ultimately deliver the goods?  Is the very idea of a “serious” Godzilla film an oxymoron? Should giant monster movies be nothing more than campy fun?  Is it possible for the genre to offer something more substantial?  Could Gareth Edwards’ approach to the material be considered pretentious?  Should he have simply stuck to the blueprint established by Toho studios over the past 60 years?  Does he even manage to best Roland Emmerich’s much derided Godzilla film?  Will the undisputed “King of All Monsters” ever receive proper treatment by an American studio?  Is this film worthy of a sequel?  How heavily does it borrow from the Gamera Trilogy?  If there is a sequel, which one of Godzilla’s foes should make an appearance?  How many films will it take before Hollywood’s giant monster revival becomes stale?

He Stands Alone: An Interview With Lord Jamar Part 2

In part 2 of my interview with Lord Jamar (You can read part one by clicking here), he talks a bit about his much publicized feuds with Yelawolf and Marlon Wayans.  He also discusses his acting career and his upcoming album.

He Stands Alone: An Interview With Lord Jamar Part 1

Throughout the 1990’s, Brand Nubian spread the gospel of The Five Percent Nation beyond the confines of the five boroughs.  Their debut LP, One for All, served as a musical manifesto for the organization, making its complex ideology palatable for the masses.  While the album didn’t set the Billboard Charts ablaze, it managed to amass a loyal and reverent following.  Group members Grand Puba Maxwell, Sadat X (Formerly known as Derek X), and Lord Jamar became icons of the Black consciousness movement in Hip-Hop.  When Puba left the fold to pursue a solo career, Sadat and Jamar continued on for two more albums before they reunited for 1998’s Foundation.  Throughout all of the group’s incarnations, Lord Jamar always remained its most reserved member.  Nevertheless, his contributions always proved essential to group’s lasting success.  

Scottscope Talk Radio 5/3/2014: Welcome Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man!

This on Scottscope Talk Radio, The Roundtable reviews The Amazing Spider-Man 2!  Is it any better than the first one?  Might it actually be worse?  Are there too many villains and characters?  Does director Marc Webb truly understand Spider-Man?  Will this franchise ever reach the amazing highs that it did under Sam Raimi’s watch?  Is Andrew Garfield a better Peter Parker than Tobey Maguire?  Does this film offer the best depiction yet of Spider-Man’s powers and abilities?  Should Sony Pictures allow a crossover between Spidey and The Avengers?  If so, should Spidey be the sole headliner of that adventure?  Does anyone actually need a Sinister Six movie?  Would Spidey be better off in Disney’s hands?   

Scottscope Talk Radio 4/26/2014: Enter The Matrix!

On this week’s edition of Scottscope Talk Radio, we’ll be celebrating the 15th anniversary of The Matrix!  Has it stood the test of time?  Can it truly be considered a watershed film on par with the original Star Wars?  Is it truly the Wachowskis single best film?  Is it nothing more than a polished amalgamation of wuxia films, heroic bloodshed, cyberpunk, anime, and manga?  Did the Wachowskis basically steal their ideas from Sophia Stewart?   Did they simply plagiarize writer Grant Morrison’s comic series The Invisibles?  Has the film’s influence truly been a lasting one?  Can The Matrix be considered a loving tribute to Hong Kong Action cinema, or just a cheap imitation of it?  Can the Wachowski’s ever return to their former glory?  Should the saga of Neo continue?