Thursday, November 23, 2017

DeRay Davis: How to Act Black (2017)

It took me a bit to warm up to DeRay's comedy style, but he is funnier and even "blacker" than Dave Chappelle, and simply kinetic -- once he gets going, he does not stop! Every vocal inflection, gesture, back gesture, step, dub step, and punch line is interwoven and intuitively dead-on. Yes, vulgar words zing and ricochet -- but every second of his standup feels true, with not one missed beat. Here is a comic to watch! Enjoy! 4 stars. (11-23-2017)

Mission Control: The Unsung Heroes of Apollo (2017)

I could not attend the Houston screening of this film, but was happy to find it promptly streaming via this service. Mission Control is a must-see, if you appreciate the space program as a hallmark for humanity. Not only does this documentary showcase a half-dozen key personnel (esp. the indefatigable Gene Kranz) and astronauts who discuss their roles in the Apollo program's failure and success, but we see plenty of film footage from that era (where the engineers were all men, all smoking, all the time). The focus and professional rigor that NASA established at Mission Control (esp. after the loss of Apollo 1) set the stage for decades of human exploration in space (and the saving of Apollo 13), which I doubt can be matched by private commercial enterprise. This film has to be more than historic nostalgia; it needs to remind us of how high (literally) humanity can fly when we work together with drive and dedication. The world owes an incredible debt to the NASA family of astronauts, engineers, and everyone involved in Mission Control (as well as their families), for their sacrifice, and their service with distinction. Enjoy! 4.5 stars. (11-23-2017)

Wednesday, November 22, 2017

Brian Regan: Nunchucks and Flamethrowers (2017)

It took 10 minutes to get into the swing of Brian Regan's comic stylings. (First he seemed bland but goofy, like a Mormon comic, then he reminded me too much of Will Ferrell -- the unfunny parts.) He is clean, but focused, and once you catch on with his flow, he can be quite funny (even about a silly thing like underwear elastic bands). I enjoyed the rest of my sojourn with him during this show, and he often brought me to a rolling boil of belly chuckles. Good stuff! The closing credits even include an extended blooper that he played around with for the audience. Enjoy! 3 stars. (11-22-2017)