Girl Gaze: New Age Heroes

New Age Heroes

War torn and dark, wrath stains her face black. Exhaust, the deadly smoke thicker than paint, hides her yearning eyes. Her command, stronger than the machine that roars towards the freedom that fumes within her heart, she drives furiously towards hope. Imperator Furiosa.

Her power perfectly manifested in the visual poetry of her hands. They are enchanting and haunted, moving like ink in water, ghostly and fast. Her bewitching pain lures you in, close, quiet, deadly. Veiled in pain, she wrought destruction. But in hope, sacrifice and love, she emerged a hero. Scarlet Witch.  

Enticingly elusive, she evades detection despite her radiance. She is magnetic; her mystery is sharper than the knife she placed in your side. She is cunning, dangerous, and conflicted, wrestling with her misguided allegiances and the inherent sense of good that lives within her. Isla Faust.

Last week, I talked about my childhood, raving about dreams being realized on screen. Now, as an adult and more importantly, as a father, my dreams have come true in a different way. I’ve witnessed magic unfold its tiny hands to hold mine. I’ve heard a dream gently whisper and call out for me. Yes, of course, I am talking about my beautiful little Hazel Mae. And up until now, I was having a hard time thinking about female heroes that she would be able to look up to in the future. But, if you haven’t noticed, this year, 2015, was the year of the female hero. As the title picture illustrates, this year, we had character after character wash away all preconceived notions of female heroes in film. Much can be said about woman in movies and their portrayals throughout film history, but I think major strides were made this year in developing strong, independent and fearless female heroes. Obviously, throughout the years we’ve had our fair share of awesome female heroes like Sarah Connor, Ripley, Buffy, and more recently with Black Widow, Katniss or Tris. But, I don’t think we’ve ever seen so many great characters in this close succession before and it fills me with joy, knowing that there are more heroes coming our way that both my daughter and I will be able to geek out over together.

2015: Driver. Avenger. Spy.

As mentioned above, Furiosa (Mad Max: Fury Road, played by Charlize Theron), Isla Faust (Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation, played by Rebecca Ferguson) and Scarlet Witch (Marvel’s Avengers: Age of Ultron, played by Elizabeth Olson) owned this year. The female hero was unrelenting, strong, and intelligent and they gave all of their male counterparts a run for their money. The most exciting thing about this is how comfortable they were at completely embodying that strength and confidence in their portrayal of their particular character. Nothing in their depiction seemed over the top or unexpected, it was all very natural and experienced. If one of our female heroes did something incredible, it was never perceived as extraordinary solely for the fact that it was done by a woman. We therefore weren't ever distracted from the broader elements taking place in each film and it let us, as an audience, buy into the reality each character inhabited. A reality in which women were no longer damsels in distress, but instead, capable and compelling heroes in their own right. That’s awesome. Mainly because, Hazel will one day look at heroes like this and hopefully think that she doesn’t have to go out of her way to be special, to appear strong and confident. She can be all of those things, and more, without having to compromise who she is for the sake of some arcane sense of validation from others.

What I loved most of these three was that none of them were the same. They were unique characters who had their own set of strengths and weaknesses, merits and faults. Which, in and of itself, is a testament to the role women now play in the larger movie making landscape. There is no simple or exact way of portraying a female hero. Furiosa wore the stern unflinching gaze of a leader on her face. This iron disposition seems necessary if one is to be a soldier and General of a ravenous group of motor vehicle maniacs. She carried with her this air of reverence and respect and you could see it. It was raw and powerful. Her eyes roared like engines blazing in desert winds. Yet, her heart was fueled by compassion and freedom. Her blood was thick and alive, like the green place she raced towards. She is everything a hero is: strong, unrelenting and fearless.

We also have Scarlet Witch/Wanda Maximoff. I know some of you might be wondering why I went with her rather than Black Widow. The truth is, I feel like Black Widow, though awesome as she is, she feels a bit flat and one note. We can see that she is deadly, she is a hero, she is funny, etc but there seems to be a lack of depth to her character. A depth I feel is fully fleshed out by Elizabeth Olson as Scarlet Witch. Her pain and vulnerability make her rich and accessible as a character. And even as an "enhanced" being, she is perhaps the most human of the other heroes. Through her physical torment, emotional torture and personal loss, we are genuinely affected and are forced to sympathize with her. In turn, when her motivation for going after the Avengers, specifically Tony Stark, is revealed, you understand why she feels compelled to align herself with the titular villain and there is something poetically tragic, beautiful and universally human about her quest for revenge against Tony. And though her insatiable thirst for justice pits her against our heroes, in the end, her pursuit to preserve life shifts her allegiance and births the rise of a hero. She is everything a hero becomes: compassionate, selfless, and vulnerable.

Finally, there is Isla Faust, a cunning, sleek and intelligent spy tasked with infiltrating and defeating a criminal organization known as “The Syndicate”. What was great about her and this movie was the fact that she consistently found herself going toe-to-toe with men. She was never relegated to the split screen treatment, that is, as opposed to what we see in many other movies where a female leadis only seen as being able to outdo another “strong” female character. In this latest installment of the M.I. franchise, she is often seen out-striking and outsmarting everyone, including Mr. Hunt (Tom Cruise) himself. Her mystique is her greatest quality. Often shrouded in mystery and intrigue, she is consistently one step ahead of all her adversaries and she makes it look effortless. I would be as bold as to say, she is perhaps the best female spy we've seen on screen so far. Being the ultimate personification of both cloak and dagger. She is everything a hero should be: unabashed, confident, and smart.

Future Heroes

I am really excited about the upcoming heroes coming our way soon. Here's my list of who I am most excited about seeing in future movies:

1. Captain Marvel (Release Date: July 6, 2018)
2. Wonder Woman (Release Date: June 23, 2017)
3. Harley Quinn (Suicide Squad; Release Date: August 5, 2016)
4. Storm (X-Men: Apocalypse; Release Date: May 27, 2016)
5. Jubilee (X-Men: Apocalypse; Release Date: May 27, 2016)
   • Honorable Mention: Psylocke (X-Men: Apocalypse; Release Date: May 27, 2016)

All of these look amazing and it seems that we are headed into a Golden Age of awesome female heroes.

Again, I am extremely excited for all the movies Hazel and I will be able to watch together in the future. She will be four by the time Captain Marvel comes out. So we will definitely be in line and in costume for that movie. Cannot wait.

What are your thoughts? Do you think these characters will be good? Are the actresses currently cast as each character a good fit? What is your ideal casting for Captain Marvel? Ronda Rousey? She looks the part, but can she act it? Let us know in the comment section below, or on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram.

Later kids!

Jvn

We Are Blood: A Brief History of Dreams

We Are Blood

The sound and color of fear was vivid on our faces as wave after wave of enemies stormed our ancient pretend pyramids. The taste in the wind was sweet and distracting, paletas (popsicles) and oranges, as tiny bellies bellowed louder than the laser blasts and explosions that infiltrated our make believe sofa cushion fortress. Tiny hands held giant guns and smaller feet ran through dunes of sidewalk salvage. Together, love was forged in the crucible of fairytale and fantasy and bonds were built on the imaginary remnants of a war tattered backyard. We were soldiers, mutants, monsters, robots, friends, family...we were, we are, we will always be more. We are blood.

This is a love letter; to friendships built on the dreams we now see realized in TV and film today.

History of Dreams

Growing up, what bound us, what wove us together as friends was our fascination with super heroes. A love I think most boys our age shared, but what makes this unique, are the lengths at which this fascination has taken us. If you guys didn't already know, Louie, Uno, and myself have been friends for well over 20 years. We all met roughly around ages 5-7 and I've had the distinct pleasure of growing up, or rather, getting older and fatter, with these guys. Then there's my older, cooler, recently crowned "King of the Nerds" big bro, Jeff, who I believe instilled within me the love and appreciation for all of this stuff and in essence, fueled the fever dreams of our imaginations through his influence and knowledge of our heroes.

Uno, Louie and I would spend days either watching the X-Men cartoons, playing with G.I. Joes, or pretending to be Ninja Turtles in real life. We did the classic “call out what character you were in mid air in time to land and strike their signature pose” all day, every day.  Yeah, I know, super cute. Essentially, as a precursor to what we’re doing now with the podcast, we’d sit on Uno’s parent's 1980-blue-Toyota-pickup-truck and talk about how Cyclops would win in a fight against Captain America or what would be the craziest topping we'd put on a pizza if we were the ninja turtles. And though things have come and gone, our likes and dislikes have changed the ever present joy of dreams and make believe has kept us friends for the last 20+ years. These dreams we are now seeing realized and brought to fruition in glorious high definition on screen. These are now moments we share with you, our listeners, our friends, our TBR Family. Through our love of TV and film, we now share the same experiences we shared as kids with you and it has been amazing. You have all been amazing. And I am happy to include you in the fold. Now, you, along with my brothers, my kin, my friends, are blood too!

Reality: X-Men Franchise

At our core, in the deepest in most places of our being lies the catalyst to our friendship and that is the X-Men. As kids, I don't think any other group of heroes or super powered beings championed our dreamscapes more than the X-Men did. As a kid, I remember watching the 90’s X-Men animated television series (as I am sure most of us did) and I don’t think I ever experienced the sensation of helplessness or despair as potently until the X-Men had to fight Apocalypse. That story line itself was overwhelming and Apocalypse beyond formidable. This caused many discussions amongst us as to how to defeat him. Which combination of powers could slow him down and which could kill him. After several reenactments in my house or backyard, some scraped knees, and childish fights regarding me being Wolverine the last two tries and not sharing that character with Louie, we figured it out, with a bit of strategy, a bit of a luck and a lot of hot cheetos and Lucas chili powder. We had killed Apocalypse…Then, the moment came, the X-Men would square off against their foe and we were glued to the TV. The X-Men, at this point, had traveled back in time to ancient Egypt to find a way to kill Apocalypse. But, just then, with his booming and terrifying robotic laugh our hopes were dashed and we learned that he, Apocalypse, had placed those hieroglyphic clues there to mislead and confuse his foes just to ensure that no one would truly know how to kill him; I was floored, lost and confused. We had never seen a bad guy do that before. This was a sobering dose of reality for us. Bad guys are actually bad! They weren’t just guys who kept coming week after week enduring defeat after embarrassing defeat. We were crushed. But that sense of dread was short lived, and eventually, it all worked out and he was forced into the Astral Plane where he would be forced to age without the use of his stasis chamber and slowly die a lonely miserable death. Justice.

Looking now at what the X-Men have become as of late i.e. X-Men: First Class, The Wolverine, Days of Future Past and now the upcoming adaptation of our most frightening foe in X-Men: Apocalypse, they’re imaginings now are better than anything we could have dreamed of. What has been created for us on film is in fact a love letter to us, the fans of these characters we grew up with. And it has been written as passionately and transparently as one would write to the love of their life. We are smitten and yearning for more. So to Mr. Singer, Mr. Vaughn, and Mr. Mangold we tip our hats to you gentlemen for taking our dreams and breathing life into them.

Dreams: Exo-Squad

We’ve seen our thoughts transformed from comics, cartoons, and toys on to film but one group of characters that I feel merits an on film adventure are the men and woman of the Exo-Squad. For those who may not be too familiar with this cartoon, here’s the basic premise per IMDB User: dslcobra:

To call Exo-Squad a "cartoon" is unfair. This saga is absolutely brilliant with its parallels to the reality of war, racism, prejudice, ethnic cleansing, and the brutalities of totalitarianism.

In Exo-Squad, a race of artificially created humanoids -bred for slavery revolt against natural humans in order to exterminate them and take their own place as the rightful rulers of the Sol system.

In the outer reaches of the solar system, are the Space Pirates who were prisoners forced to mine the outer planet's moons for raw materials for building spacecrafts. A group of violent, angry people bent on revenge against the people of earth.

In the middle are humans, who make up the populous of Earth, Venus and the space Navy, The Exo-Squad. Besides commanding a large force of battleships, they are trained for heavy weapons - including E-Frames - powered armor battle suits that increase the destructive power of individual soldiers.

This is a kid’s dream show; one that I feel is ripe for film adaptation. If you guys have the time, please look this up on YouTube just to get a feel for how awesome this show truly is. We’ve seen exo-skeletons/mech suits used recently in The Matrix Revolutions, Avatar, Elysium and Edge of Tomorrow, just to name a few, but the suits in Exo-Squad are nothing like we’ve ever seen. But those suits are nothing if not for the characters or pilots within them. With names like J.T. Marsh, Alec DeLeon, Wolf Bronsky, Nara Burns and Takagi, this eclectic group of soldiers offered something for all of us to be enamored with. I can’t rightly do this cartoon justice with just a few lines in a blog. But, I really hope that through our interest, together, maybe, we can make some noise and try to get the gears turning for something to come of this. You have all been great in making this podcast grow and gain some momentum, I am absolutely sure that we could make a little noise in this regard. What do you say, are you up for the challenge? #Exosquadmovie

What are your thoughts? What are some of the movies you guys never thought would actually get made from your childhood? Whether they were TV shows, cartoons, comics, toys, etc, let us know in the comments section below.

And as always, hit us up on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or in the comments section below.

Later kids!

-JVN

Cinema Sounds: Good Films, Great Soundtracks

A VISION...

A note, whispered gently, speaks of beauty, of life, of time reaching its end. It is like ash, weightless and dark. It moves you quietly through her frailty. Suddenly, a violin calmly breathes and you hear her pain. She is dying, and you are with her, at that moment she comes to terms with her own mortality. It speaks simple truths; death prepares a place for us with every fleeting sound. Yet, just then, we are again weightless and we experience the exquisite joy of the moment. We, with her, are the mourning sounds of keys and strings in concert, tuned by the ethereal voice of eternity. And yet, we are again reminded of the enchanting power of life and the sin of squandering any second of it not reveling in the things that make us happy...All of this, the pain, joy, beauty, fear was felt through the transcendent power of a film's score/soundtrack...

I wanted to write this blog to share some thoughts on two of my favorite things in this world: Film and Music, and how that marriage can break through the confines of its particular movie and make lasting impressions on our lives.

THE FOUNTAIN

I’ve never experienced anything as surreal and moving as the above, until I watched The Fountain. Or rather, until I heard the song: The Last Man. The painfully beautiful motif that seems to cyclically mirror life and death, pain and joy, hope and despair is nothing short of amazing. Listening to the melody come and go, it eerily forces you to juxtapose those feelings in your mind and you are immediately taken on your own experience through those emotions. That is the power of a great score/soundtrack! It is one that transcends the boundaries of its own film and hauntingly seeps into the fabric of your mind and allows you to essentially transpose your own movie, your life's scenes, into its notes. It is absolutely chilling.

I recommend you watch this movie solely for the way the soundtrack elevates the quality of the film. For as good a job both Hugh Jackman and Rachel Weisz do in this Darren Aronofsky film, I still found it to be a bit of a convoluted mess. Although, it is worth mentioning, that the sequences set during the Spanish Inquisition are the best pairing of the film’s visuals, the actor’s performances, and the music. All together, they evoke a certain fantastical mysticism that made me wish that they had filmed the entire movie in this time period. But, perhaps you will enjoy it more than I did with or without the score. So, check it out nonetheless.

DRIVE

Another example of this, but to a lesser degree (for me), was the use of music in Drive. Here though, the use of licensed songs and the film’s score (original music written solely for the film’s story), are the dynamic force driving your experience in the movie. Working in tandem with the often quiet and reserved performances of the actors on screen, the soundtrack acts as the guiding lines brushed on a barren canvas that is devoid of much dialogue. With words from songs, we learn more about the characters, their motivations, their history, their emotions, than we do when they actually speak. There is a brilliant symphony taking place between silence and sound coming from the actors and the soundtrack. Each serves its purpose separately, but neither is ever caught in the maligned dissonance of distraction or overstatement. It is the perfect balance of visual and audio expression.

Also great is the music’s ability to give its environment life. There is something very “Los Angeles at midnight” about Nightcall by Kavinsky and/or how Under Your Spell by Desire effectively breathes life to an L.A. summer day. There is something very tangible about those songs when placed in context with their particular scenes. You sense the neon lights smoothly poured onto your skin. You feel the heavy smog mixed with summer’s sun fill your lungs. There is an element of electricity, grit, and life. There is a very palpable pulse in the music that is not only heard or seen, it is felt. So, this one I would recommend you go see for both the soundtrack and the film. This is an overall great movie that allows both the visual and audio to shine equally.

My Top Five Soundtracks:

Below are my top five soundtracks of all time. They're not in any particular order because I don't think I'd realistically be able to rank them.  

1. The Star Wars, Trilogy; Composer: John Williams

• Notable Song: The Hologram/Binary Sunset

2. The Fountain; Composer: Clint Mansell

• Notable Song: The Last Man

3. Drive; Composer: Cliff Martinez

• Notable Song:  Nightcall by Kavinsky, Lovefoxxx

4. The Good, the Bad and the Ugly; Composer: Ennio Morricone

• Notable Song: The Ecstasy of Gold

5. UP; Composer: Michael Giacchino

• Notable Song: Stuff We Did

Let me know what you think. What are some of your favorite soundtracks and why?

Again, hit us up on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or in the comments section below.

Later kids!

-JVN

TBR PRESENTS: YOU!

We know it goes without saying, but we truly are nothing without the people who support and listen to us. We are beyond blessed by the response we received in our first at bat in this podcast game. With your love and support, we managed to get over 100 listens to our debut episode! That’s amazing. Thank you guys again for that great response and for rallying behind us in that way. We truly appreciate you guys.

But, enough about us! We know that our new friends and family aka YOU GUYS, are amazing and we wanted to do something that showcases your brilliance. Hence, we’d like to introduce a new monthly blog series titled “TBR Presents: YOU!” We know that you all have opinions and ideas regarding the things we talk about on the show; and we want to hear them! That’s why we love getting feedback and responses on our Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. As I stated above, you guys are the lifeblood of this show, and without you, we are just a bunch of dudes awkwardly holding microphones to our faces and trying not to breathe too hard to avoid sounding like chubby teenagers with asthma. Basically, you all have a voice, and we want to hear it.

With that said, we are excited to shine the first “TBR Presents” spotlight on: Jocelyne Zelaya, our resident MLB expert and Chef Extraordinaire. We are proud to bring her into The Beta Report Family.

THE PITCH: A LESSON IN BASEBALL  

My knowledge of baseball goes only as far as the Sandlot took it. I know that the Great Bambino is a guy and not a wussy deer named The Great Bambi. I know that I, like most other boys, always wanted a cool friend like Benny “The Jet” Rodriguez and a girlfriend like Wendy Peffercorn. And lastly, I know that: “Heroes get remembered, but Legends never die.” And…that about does it. I am tapped out after that in regards to baseball. Luckily, Jocelyne has us covered, and she’ll get further into the world of baseball than Ya-Ya, Squints or Hamm ever could!

THE HIT: TEAMS MAKING MOVES

A lot has been going on in the MLB world. The trade deadline is today, July 31, 2015, and several teams have made some pretty interesting moves.

We asked Jocelyn who she thought made the best moves so far:

“So far, in my opinion the team that has made the best moves is the Toronto Blue Jays. They managed to get [Troy] Tulowitzki from Colorado and yesterday they snagged [David] Price. Teams, Dodgers included, have been wanting to get Price since last year. I like to think that we came pretty close last off season but he's just not about that LA life. And to just show why Tulowitzki is such a good thing for them the man hits a home run at his first game as a Blue Jay, in Toronto. Now, tell me that's not showing the fans that the front office made a good choice!”

 She continues, when asked who made the worst moves before the trade deadline:

“I'm an optimist, for the most part, so I don't like to think that any team makes bad moves. I think as fans it's hard for us to TRY to understand the logic the GM’s make. If GM’s thought like fans the game would be a mess. Then again it might be good, I would still have my [Matt] Kemp in Dodger blue and [Shane] Victorino would still be with the Red Sox and not have to worry about changing his song when he goes up to bat.

I have to say though, I don't understand why the Angels got Victorino. I would think they would want young players. Again, only the front of the house knows the bigger picture.”

THE GRAND SLAM: THE DODGERS

 Of course, we couldn’t let her go without giving us a little bit regarding our boys in blue, the Dodgers:

“Then there is this 3 team deal between the Dodgers, Atlanta and Miami. Pitching is always what the dodgers need. With Ryu out we need good people and a closer that helps us out like Jansen does. So I look forward to that mess. I was reading the latest article on it yesterday and the trade we made with Miami and Atlanta helps our rotation. We got [Mat] Latos and [Alex] Wood now. Both decent pitchers. We are always in need of pitchers.”

Because, as great as they are, she reaffirms: “It can't all fall on Kershaw and Greinke.”

Then, of course, the most important question, what all of us who "Bleed Blue" really want to know, does this solidify the Dodgers as more than just contenders and possible champions this season:

 “I love my boys, always will but I don’t know. It's hard to say. The Giants are ALWAYS on our asses. We are #1 in our division right now but only by half a point and it will remain like that for the rest of the season. Who takes the west? Giants or Dodgers. We play the Angels this weekend, always a nice little rivalry series and lucky for us we don't face the Giants until the end of August and it's perfect timing. At that point things are hotter. Ask me that question again at the end of August.”

 Oh,  trust me, we will be checking up with you in August for sure!

Big thanks to our friend, the ever so lovely Jocelyne for giving us some of her thoughts and insights regarding the MLB as its shaping up today. Make sure and stay tuned for the following episode of The Beta Report to get some more thoughts on what’s going on in the world of sports, movies, and TV.

 Again, hit us up on Facebook, Twitter or on the comments section below.

Later kids!

-JVN

The Blind Binger’s Guide to Netflix Heaven

If the pressure of choosing something on Netflix coupled with the tension of your wife’s gaze, your friend’s sitting in silence just waiting for you to choose something, or the glaring light of the little digital lines of time leaping off your phone begin to overwhelm you, then we need to have a conversation. Going into Netflix without a plan of action, is the scariest most pressure filled exercise a lot of us will encounter today. But if you’re like me, blind binging or rather just picking a show in hopes that it hooks you, is one of the most gratifying feelings you’ll experience for the next couple of hours…that is, until you’ve binged your way through the entire series and are now on the hunt for a new show to watch. But be warned, once you’ve given into “going in blind” to a show and diving into all of its awesome unexpected glory, the thrill of blind binging can be dangerous and the chances of you striking out numerous times is not only real, but quite frankly, will occur quite often. Nevertheless, the moment you do get hooked, it is so rewarding and the fleeting memories of plodding through countless movie or show icons on your screen will be all but gone. So we, The Beta Report, would like to offer some help in your quest for Netflix heaven and in line with our goal, we’d like to offer and evaluate some choices with you, to see what you think. Ready? Let’s go!

First Thing: TRUST NETFLIX. As most of you now know, Netflix Originals are some of the best sources of entertainment available to us. If you are not familiar with any of the shows, documentaries, movies, specials, etc…rest assured, the Blind Binger’s Guide will help you find something that suits your Netflix watching needs. The list of original content is pretty big, which is good for us because we can rely solely on this content to provide new and interesting programs to consume our every waking moment. Whether you are in the mood for action, drama, comedy, documentaries, Netflix has your back. So, don’t be afraid to start at the top of the list of “Netflix Originals” and work your way down until something sinks its teeth in your heels and keeps you a slave to your couch and screen.  Be adventurous and fearless. Judge with your eyes and test your luck if an icon calls your attention. Just remember, the few seconds of ridicule from your friends, spouse, girlfriend or boyfriend you get if a show isn't exactly what you were looking for, will be short lived the moment you are all grabbing your phones ready to tweet or post a “This is the best show ever! You should watch_____!” message to the social media masses. And, just to get you on your way, here are the first five choices.

Netflix Original:

1. Orange is the New Black (Series), 3 Seasons, 39 Episodes; 46-58 Minutes/Per Episode

2. Chris Tucker: Live, (Stand-Up Comedy), 1 Hour, 18 Minutes

3. What Happened, Miss Simone? (Documentary), 1 Hour, 24 Min.

4. Bloodline (Series), 1 Season, 13 Episodes; 49-65 Minutes/Per Episode

5. Sense8 (Series), 1 Season, 12 Episodes; 48-66 Minutes/Per Episode

But, if you need a little more than just, jump out of the plane and hope your parachute opens, type of advice…We got you too!

Second Thing: TRUST YOUR FRIENDS. Friends can either be your guiding light or steer you in a weird The Real Pets of Guatemala vs. Zombie Clowns Attack The White House type direction. Although by now, I’m pretty sure you know which friends share your tastes and which don’t. So, be mindful. Listen to people who you know wont steer you wrong and just dive head first into the fray of their recommendations. We hope that we, The Beta Report, can be the latter. Trust me, we have good taste!  

The Beta Report: Top 4

1. Uno: What Happened, Miss Simone? (Documentary), 1 Hour, 24 Min.

2. Jeff: Marvel’s Daredevil (Series) 1 Season; 13 Episodes; 48-59 Minutes/Per Episode

3. JVN: Chef’s Table (Documentary), 1 Season, 6 Episodes; 41-54 Minutes/Per Episode

4. Louie: House of Cards (Series), 3 Seasons, 39 Episodes; 46-58 Minutes/Per Episode

This list has a little something for everyone. They are all so intriguing and interesting that we know one, if not all, will hook you. Also worth noting, those are all Netflix Original shows. So, again, out of all of the movies and shows on Netflix, you don’t have to stray too far down the categories list for good content.

Third Thing: GO VINTAGE. Your almost not current if you’re not living in the past nowadays. So, why be that person who doesn’t get the obscure Pulp Fiction reference or think that The French Connection is just a new coffee shop bistro in L.A.? Again, we got you! These are some of the best movies we think are worth the watch filmed before Y2K:

Go Vintage:

1. The Great Escape (1963)

2. Once Upon a time in the West (1968)

3. The French Connection (1971)

4. Return of the Dragon (1972)

5. Escape From Alcatraz (1979)

6. Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (1986)

7. Stand by me (1986)

8. Pulp Fiction (1994)

9. The Big Lebowski (1998)

10. Rounders (1998)

…Just to name a few. There are some real gems here, or rather, some old vintage earrings your grandma probably wore but are now back in fashion. All of these are worth a watch at some point in your life. ENJOY!

We hope this helps. Please let us know if you guys liked any of these choices or if you have your own suggestions for the Blind Bingers of the world looking for a new cinematic adventure to embark on. Hit us up on Facebook, Twitter or on the comments section below.

Later kids!

-JVN

Why the Beta Report?

One of my hopes for the beta report, is that our chemistry will be palpable to the listeners. Jeff, JVN, Lou and myself have known each other for years! We're all very fortunate to have a friendship that spans over 20 years. Throughout this friendship, we've had really engaging and riveting conversations, we've had ridiculous and unheard of events happen in our lives all that have led us to say something like, "We should have our own TV show".  This is out attempt at sharing those conversations and experiences with you. We hope you enjoy and we hope you we make you laugh. 

-Uno