What We’ve Been Watching Episode 008

Full Episode Transcript
Reginald Titus Jr. and Casey G. Smith discuss the latest films, series, and live events they've been watching, including "Spider-Man Noir", "The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent", "Slanted", "Beef", "Nemesis", "Michael", "Act of Valor", "The Roast of Kevin Hart", "13 Hours", and "Mandingo".

Recent Watches & Movie Discussions
Reginald Titus Jr.: All right. Welcome to another episode of "What We've Been Watching". Brother Smith, what have you been watching?
Casey G. Smith: I have been watching "Spider-Man Noir" on Amazon Prime. I this is an eight-episode season with one Nicolas Cage somewhat reprising the voice role, but in live-action of "Spider-Man Noir" that many of us got introduced in into the Spider-Verse. And this this was again a well-done show. It is beautifully shot. Nicolas Cage is is is in full Cage mode in different episodes. It's available to watch in two ways. One is in black and white, and the other is in true hue color. I I watched the whole season in black and white, and I'll be honest, I was having some some challenges because I would set it at the start. It would give you the choice of, no, I want it in black and white. But on my in my app, on my screen, on my TV, it wouldn't it wouldn't indicate, it wasn't highlighting, oh, this is color, this is black and white. So sometimes I would have to go to my app anyway. I watched it all in black and white. Again, it looked beautiful. So now I'm going back through and watching it in the true hue color, which really it is beautiful as well. And and I'm like, oh, there's so many more details that show up like what different characters are wearing. I'm like, oh wow, that's really vibrant colors that they're wearing. So, there's I I think a merit to it. But uh I I enjoyed it. If you enjoy noir style storytelling, I think you'll dig this. There are some really interesting takes on traditional Spider-Man villains, but this is set in a different time and I think they they uh they did well with this.
Reginald Titus Jr.: Is it um when it goes from do they have to shoot it two separate times? Like if you're shooting it in black and white, are there like different angles then what they shot in color? Or is it like kind of like a process?
Casey G. Smith: I was going to say I guess it's a process. Maybe it was originally shot in color, then they just they somehow they then turned it black and white.
Reginald Titus Jr.: Oh, okay.
Casey G. Smith: But it's like the same angles and everything. Everything is the same.
Reginald Titus Jr.: Oh, okay, it's not different. Okay. That would have been interesting if they did it that way.
Casey G. Smith: But both versions look really good. This again, this is very well shot. And they they put some money into this thing. But I I I was I was very I was impressed.
Reginald Titus Jr.: I recently wanted to see um it makes me think of "Dick Tracy", uh the one with uh what's what's his name? Warren Beatty.
Casey G. Smith.: Warren Beatty. Man, I need I haven't watched that in I don't know. It's been again that came out I was in fourth grade.
Reginald Titus Jr.: It was a minute ago, but it was like a big deal though because um he still owns the rights to it and he won't let anybody like produce like any studio or anything because it's like his baby or whatever and like some of the filming techniques and the colors and everything that they used to build out this uh film. A lot of those techniques aren't even used anymore. Uh just because of digital and why and it was just like a big uh production increase um far as far as like how much it would cost. But um I was looking for like some special features like, I wonder if this thing has special features because this needs to be like kind of re-evaluated and looked at because it looked beautiful. But um that's just like a side note. That's what made me think about changing the colors and stuff like that. But I was going to watch "Spider-Man Noir", but uh while I was there, I opted for another Nicolas Cage film. Uh, which is Nicolas Cage and Pedro Pascal in a movie called "The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent".
Casey G. Smith.: I remember seeing that trailer a couple of like a year or so ago, maybe two years ago now.
Reginald Titus Jr.: Yeah, it was on it was on Amazon so they were like kind of doing it. But what got me on is like, it's only available for another 28 hours. I was like, I guess I have to watch it then. I heard that.
Casey G. Smith.: Click.
Reginald Titus Jr.: Uh which is a movie about, you know, it's another meta movie about an actor and their love for the films and then like how how they're being treated are they at the end of their career, things like that. Um it was okay. Um, honestly, I give it a six out of ten. We've seen this before. We've kind of seen this kind of film. We know where it's going. As an audience, we're we're hip to what's happening. Um, there's some shotty CGI. They they they were getting rid of um, I think it was facial hair. Someone Nicolas Cage facial hair. And so it had the same effect as a "Spider-Man", a "Superman". Remember "Superman".
Casey G. Smith.: Henry Cavill. Yeah.
Reginald Titus Jr.: Yeah, when they were yeah. So it has like some of that kind of thing going on. You can tell. You can tell. Um, we're yeah. That takes a lot that takes a lot of money to do it right. And then and some of these projects they're not they don't have that kind of budget. Uh and you can tell. So anyhow, but it's still entertaining enough. You know, it's entertaining enough that it was like, okay, it's good for a while. I don't know where it's at now cuz it was on
Casey G. Smith.: Only 28 hours.
Reginald Titus Jr.: Yeah, only had 20 hours. So I was like, let me let me check it out. Let me check it out. Okay. Uh so anyhow, so yeah, "Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent", it has some charming parts to it but I gotta be honest.
Casey G. Smith.: Okay. Uh, I watched on Paramount Plus a film that we had recently talked about the trailer for called "Slanted".
Reginald Titus Jr.: Oh, it was on Paramount Plus. Yeah. How was it?
Casey G. Smith.: It was pretty good.
Reginald Titus Jr.: Yeah, was it in kind of the same vibe as "The Substance"?
Casey G. Smith.: A a little bit. It's it's like part "Substance" and part what's the other thing I'm thinking of? Um, I don't want to say "Carrie". But
Reginald Titus Jr.: Like a high school cuz you're dealing thinking about high school where "Substance" was dealing with a aging actress.
Casey G. Smith.: Exactly. Uh, but this is this is this is that element, but obviously in the trailer it shows this is based upon like changing your ethnicity. But there's there's there's this deeper emotional bent to it because you see, excuse me, you see early on the this this Asian family that have come over to America that are trying to build their lives. And so for the young girl, she hasn't lived her whole life in Asia. And in in in I believe they're they're they're I think Chinese. Yeah, so she hasn't lived her life in in China. She has lived even at a young age in America. And you can you can see early on things that she's seeing looking at images of, you know, billboards of, you know, your your quote unquote classic American beauty, blonde hair and blue eyes. And how that's kind of beginning to impact her. But her parents still are, you know, they're celebrating Chinese traditions. She takes her her her her food to school every day. Her mom, you know, makes her a meal and she's she's not wanting to, um, like the first day she goes to school with it at an elementary school. She gets made fun of when she opens up and they smell the food and so she ends up just dumping it out. And so But
Reginald Titus Jr.: Gotta assimilate.
Casey G. Smith.: Yeah. By the time she's in high school, she now gives gives the food to her like best friend who is um brown skin girl. But they they they they kind of sit together at lunch as kind of the racial outsiders to the rest of the school. Um, yeah, but once we get into the process of her changing her look it it's it's man, it's it's it's pretty interesting and uh the dynamics that she goes through trying to to be accepted making decisions of who she continues to be friends with and what she's willing to do to to be accepted.
Reginald Titus Jr.: Dang. I remember when John Campea, I think it was John Campea, he was talking to another Asian guy about that. And he kind of took the guy, I can't think of the guy's name, the Asian dude that was there. He's a commentator just like John Campea. And he was just like he doesn't, you can tell he doesn't have to talk about like the subject matters often. So he was kind of like you know, kind of lost for words about it. Like, I don't know if I want to watch this or something. It was it was very interesting, you know, cuz you assimilate, you know.
Casey G. Smith.: Yeah, and it's it's it's what's I I'd say kind of one of the highlights, emotional cruxes of the film is once she does this cuz again, she's she's young, right? She's in high school. This is not like Demi Moore's character who was a, you know, an adult. She's still living with her parents. Like what happens when you you leave home Asian but you come home white?
Reginald Titus Jr.: Man, that's wild. She had the same voice?
Casey G. Smith.: Uh no her voice is a little bit different cuz right different actresses they didn't like dub the voice over so their voice has changed.
Reginald Titus Jr.: Oh, okay. I could dig it.
Casey G. Smith.: And and now you have this interaction. She's having to speak to her parents in Cantonese and it's and they're they're obviously upset. they're they're upset and and and she's got a different relationship. Like she's really really close with her dad.
Reginald Titus Jr.: Every time I think about Cantonese, I always think about, I despise the Jap! And then you kind of call and you and he talks, you speaking Cantonese. You know, remember that like a dog?
Casey G. Smith.: Wait, what is this from?
Reginald Titus Jr.: This is "Kill Bill" when uh when Uma Thurman's character is talking about like, you know, the Japanese and stuff like that. He's like, I got to despise it, you speaking Cantonese.
Casey G. Smith.: Oh man, but yeah, but
Reginald Titus Jr.: Yeah. Yeah.
Casey G. Smith.: Uh uh what was his name? I don't know if it was Sifu Master.
Reginald Titus Jr.: Oh, man, but he ended up he end up getting marked. But anyhow, he always whipped that here. But
Casey G. Smith.: Oh, oh, the one who trained her.
Reginald Titus Jr.: Yeah.
Casey G. Smith.: Ah, okay, I got you. I'm with you. I'm with you.
Reginald Titus Jr.: You speaking Cantonese.
Casey G. Smith.: Oh man.
Reginald Titus Jr.: You know?
Casey G. Smith.: Nonetheless.
Reginald Titus Jr.: Anyhow, Cantonese jogs that memory.
Casey G. Smith.: Gotcha. But "Slanted" was was an interesting watch. A little yeah, emotionally, a little more emotionally in depth than I than I thought. It's it's not like a traditional like horror film. There's it's more it was a little more heart to it.

Anime, Documentaries, and Stand-Up Comedy
Reginald Titus Jr.: And speaking about Japanese, I watched a series that you told me about called "Beef".
Casey G. Smith.: Oh, the the the original first season?
Reginald Titus Jr.: Yeah, first season. I'm up to episode four. And I which brings up Japanese is that uh Ali Wong, Ali? Ali Wong. Her husband is Japanese, but she is Korean. Um and Steve Yuen, his character as well is Korean. And so you so the Japanese thing is like a thing. And so and she uses that to be like um to manipulate her husband. She's like, well, he said something about the Japanese, you know, and then that's what pissed them off. Uh, but anyhow, so far, so good. Like that that series is legit. Um, I'm glad that it's done. It's created by uh some Asian artists and creators and so it has legitimacy to it. Um, it feels good. So, um, I'm in the fourth episode of the series and of the series and it uh so far, so good on Netflix.
Casey G. Smith.: Yeah, "Beef" was a pleasant surprise when I watched it. Now they mean they got season two out. I haven't watched it cuz it doesn't have the same actors and you know, it's and it's got some talented ones, but I'm like, it I'm not
Reginald Titus Jr.: Anthology series, right? That's the part that sucks about it is like, it has to move on.
Casey G. Smith.: Yeah, yeah. But speaking of things on Netflix that I watched, I watched "Nemesis" on Netflix.
Reginald Titus Jr.: "Nemesis"?
Casey G. Smith.: "Nemesis". So my my my mom well I think my uncle was watching it. Told my mom about it. She told me about it. I was like, I'd seen like some of the key art. I was like, I don't know. But I was like, okay, let me give it a shot.
Reginald Titus Jr.: What genre?
Casey G. Smith.: It is action like action thriller series. Eight, ten episodes. You have a uh a LA police officer, African-American dude. Say if you you watch "Abbott Elementary". It's it's it's if you if you're at least three seasons in, the principal of that show, she starts dating this IT guy. Who normally wears glasses, it's that same actor. But he's kind of kind of looks like he's that like Shameik Moore kind of look, light skin brother, you know, very very handsome light skin brother in in shape. Like that look. And then you've got his wife. He's married to this one she's she's a she's a an actor, but she's also a comedian. She was on "Black Lady Sketch Show". She's actually done her own stand-up comedy show. But she's she's uh her parents are from Africa. She might be actually from Africa. But anyway, But you got so you got this this this cop born and raised in LA. Dad used to be in in in the in the in the street life. He's got beef with him. But then you also have this this other brother like this this guy who's who's a part of a crew, another brother who is pulling off these high-end robberies. And the the cop has been trying to like track this gang down and and catch this group. But it's a group of four guys and the the they're they're leader is is actually in daytime a very successful like real estate businessman. Like the brother is sharp. And um yeah, but both of them both are married. And so it's like you just see this this constant duality where the cop's trying to track down this guy and trying to he thinks he's got a beat on who he actually is. And once he sees it, he's trying to go after him, but he doesn't have all the evidence lined up. And there's this constant back and forth. It's it's action packed. It's it's well done. But it's called "Nemesis". It's on Netflix. And it's a certain degree of black excellence that takes place.
Reginald Titus Jr.: Okay. I'm with it. I'm with it. "Nemesis". Uh, speaking of black excellence, I watched "Michael", the biopic. He he. Uh, watched it, I took, I wrote a whole article about this. It's on the website um, Filmmaker Commentary. And uh took my oldest son and then my second oldest son. And I gave them the whole treatment of all right, we're watching these music videos. Here's what Michael Jackson's about from when he was Jackson Five doing the robot till here he is as the new version of Michael Jackson. So they got all the music video, not all of them, but the ones they need to see. They like "Smooth Criminal" and I can't remember the other one that they really liked. Um, but uh after getting that background, taking him to watch uh the the movie at the theater.
Casey G. Smith.: What did they think of "Thriller"?
Reginald Titus Jr.: Well, see, that was a I I showed them "Thriller" months like maybe a year ago. And they were they were like, huh? You know? Because, you know, how scary it was for like us to watch and like how like enthralling and things like that. They had none of the same effect. But also they're kind of desensitized because they watch, you know, certain things.
Casey G. Smith.: Oh, yeah, the Friday horror watch that not like anything.
Reginald Titus Jr.: They're like, slight. They're dancing. You know.
Casey G. Smith.: Father, we've seen worse.
Reginald Titus Jr.: We've seen worse. That's right, son. So like I I so I was expecting a different reaction from "Thriller". But they know about "Thriller" cuz they've already seen it by a year ago. And so when we watch it on the actual at the actual theater, it has a different effect because in that in "Thriller" in the movie, they're kind of showing like the behind the scenes on how.
Casey G. Smith.: Yeah. I like I like I like that shot. They were cuz they're pulling out all the stuff.
Reginald Titus Jr.: Excuse me, can we show my feet? I like that. Okay, I like that. I like that.
Reginald Titus Jr.: So yes, kids loved it and also to see for positivity in a family. Even though there's, you know, some negative things, but mainly seeing success, you know, in a black family, you know, coming up from nothing to seeing success and what it takes to be great. Um, they were inspired by it, you know, we drove off, listened to "Off the Wall" and you know, all was great. So
Casey G. Smith.: people day. Living crazy and that's the only way.
Reginald Titus Jr.: That's right.
Casey G. Smith.: As we drive up and down the street. Hey.
Reginald Titus Jr.: So yeah, so they so they were inspired by it, especially about like how he was like creating because they're creators as well. So they they were really inspired by it. Loved that.
Casey G. Smith.: Man, my my social media feed is just is just flooded with people imitating Michael Jackson and and Jackson Five routines and dances. It's it's it's it's pretty beautiful.
Reginald Titus Jr.: And everywhere I go now because I shoot, you know, these different locations from weddings to Michael Jackson music is everywhere. And so when I'm at my last two weddings I've been at, I was like, it's pretty cool to see Michael Jackson back again. Well, he was like like on on like Spotify, like
Casey G. Smith.: Trending across the world. Yeah, like number one.
Reginald Titus Jr.: Yeah. Man, that that's everybody's catching that energy now. Like that's how you know, he's the GOAT. That's true.
Casey G. Smith.: People trying to compare
Reginald Titus Jr.: They need to stop it.
Casey G. Smith.: Other other artists like, yeah. I'm sorry.
Reginald Titus Jr.: I can't. They're they're popular artists. They're say, of course, they're going to be popular, right? Cuz those guys are older and this people are younger.
Casey G. Smith.: Popular is does not equal great. Yes. But also to be fair, like the industry was so different then versus people how and why they make the music, how they make the music. Yeah. It's it's different. So what he did during that time is now like it's like it would almost be impossible to to replicate.
Reginald Titus Jr.: You would have to go out of your way to do it. And some artists can do that, but you would have to go out of your way to do that because it's not convenient to do how he did it.
Casey G. Smith.: But he did it without the internet too.
Reginald Titus Jr.: Yeah. Are you just saying like the producing of the music?
Casey G. Smith.: I'm talking about the I'm sorry. Like the success of "Thriller". Oh, okay, I get you. Yeah. As as a as like the number one album of all time. I'm sorry. I wasn't being clear. Yeah, to to achieve that again.
Reginald Titus Jr.: In the in the words of Ray Daniels, who is a very well-known executive in the music industry. You got to find a Quincy. So that's number one cuz he was cuz he was comparing like artists of nowadays that was that's close to what Michael Jackson can be. Um in R&B world it's uh Chris Brown, who just recently dropped a he dropped a lot like a double album or something like that. And I and I for my perspective, it's not my um that's not my artist. But for my sister's perspective, they love Chris Brown. Like like that like his audience, his fans, they keep him. They've been keeping him busy for all this time.
Casey G. Smith.: Sure.
Reginald Titus Jr.: And he was like, Chris Brown is probably one of the most talented um artists of this time and has the ability to reach that greatness that um Michael Jackson had from the dance to the music to and just how talented he is. However, he does not have a Quincy. Because you don't need 30 songs to do an album. You just need nine solid hits. Yeah. And um and so he started breaking down like that people just don't they're not going through that same process of like if you have all these songs like breaking it, okay, let's get rid of this. Let's do that. But you need somebody like uh producer
Casey G. Smith.: Both "Off the Wall" and "Thriller" to that point. They're so well produced. They are albums you could just start with number one and let the whole thing play. Sure. You might have one or two you might want to skip, but they in my in my opinion, especially "Thriller". I can put when I put "Thriller" on
Reginald Titus Jr.: It just let it play.
Casey G. Smith.: Yeah. I might "Thriller" might be the only song that I might skip every now and then. Sometimes I'm not in the mood for "Thriller", but everything else.
Reginald Titus Jr.: Heard it so much. Yeah. Yeah, it's man.
Casey G. Smith.: That's true, man. It's um there's an art to that.
Reginald Titus Jr.: All right, so keeping like uh uh on track, yeah, I loved I loved "Michael". I I want to see it again. Um in theaters, but honestly, this this week I'm probably going to see "Masters of the Universe". Oh, let me know how that goes. Let me know.
Casey G. Smith.: I I will. The the buzz has been pretty good, but I I will be seeing that uh Wednesday. Another film that I watched, okay, again on on Prime. Again, I was on my I was on a uh kind of military tac tactical kick. I watched "Act of Valor", which is a film that came out a number of years ago. Excuse me, that actually starred a number of actual real uh like Navy SEALs, real like military people.
Reginald Titus Jr.: That's cuz you're on this military run.
Casey G. Smith.: Yes. Yes. Yes, it is. Yes. Yes, that's that's why that's why
Reginald Titus Jr.: Um is that the one where it was shot like on the DSLRs like the small cameras and they had a lot of them and I think there was like a popular um shot where they actually shoot the camera and they and the and the uh bullet goes right into the camera. But they could do it cuz they had so many of them.
Casey G. Smith.: That I don't know. I don't I don't remember if that shot was in it or not. Maybe. But but again, they they use actual real military to portray these uh these roles. Uh, it's again, the action is is is is pretty pretty it's pretty well done. Yeah.
Reginald Titus Jr.: Where where is it uh streaming on?
Casey G. Smith.: Uh Prime. Amazon Prime. Yeah. Okay. So, "Act of Valor", 2012, was shot primarily on Canon EOS 5D Mark II DSLR cameras. So it has a certain look to it. Uh the reason I remember it is because I was shooting weddings with these cameras. And so and 5D Mark II is a great camera. Um, but they made it like a big deal because Canon, you know, they were marketing. It was like, we shot the film in this film with this. But the thing about those cameras, you can put those cameras where you typically wouldn't put like a $100,000 camera. Like you're not going to put a camera on somebody or and use it as target practice to get the bullet hit in the lens um to get those shots to get those um action shots. But you can when they only cost a couple grand. Um, so that's what I remember that from from "Act of Valor". So so it was good.
Casey G. Smith.: Yeah, it was good. There's some really good action there. Some pretty cool scenes in terms of how they pull off some of the different operations. And it gets it gets it gets gritty. You see the risk, but you also see, I I liked how you saw the camaraderie amongst the soldiers and just how much they uh they like their their their connect with their families. And there's this scene they talk about, make sure before you leave for this mission, make sure you got everything right at home because if you're if you're distracted, things aren't right at home, you're going to be distracted in the field. You got to be locked in.
Reginald Titus Jr.: Too real. If we wanted you to have a family, we would have issued him.
Casey G. Smith.: Ooh! But now like most most of these guys had had families, wives, kids and they're, you know, wanting to make it make it make it back home.
Reginald Titus Jr.: We were talking about kids being desensitized. Um I watched "Weapons" with my kids.
Casey G. Smith.: Oh God. I was like, I was like my oldest wanted to watch it and then the one right by he want the youngest one under him wants to do what he does. So whatever. Um, so I let him watch it. I watched it in the theater with my wife before, but this is my first time experiencing with the kids. I was like, all right, I don't know if this is good parenting, but let's go. Um, so it was cool watching through their eyes, you know what I mean? They were like kind of horrified and it was interesting. And it was cool to see there's an actor that I know in the film. His name is Clayton Ferris. Um, he acted alongside Benedict Wong. But it was funny to see him cuz like who he is is how he acts in film is who he is in real life. He was entertaining when he was just a a guy helping the hotel industry. Um to the see him to see him finally getting his, you know, his just doing it in uh Hollywood is kind of fun to see. Um, but "Weapons", yeah, that was cool to revisit.
Casey G. Smith.: Nice. So on Netflix, I watched a live event a few weeks ago with Ronda Rousey versus Gina Carano. Boom! This was a uh uh Jake Paul production. Prime?
Reginald Titus Jr.: Oh, I didn't know. It was on it was on Netflix.
Casey G. Smith.: It was, it was. Primetime whatever whatever his company's called MVP. MVP promotions. And the card was actually, I found it pretty entertaining. There were like multiple first round knockouts.
Reginald Titus Jr.: Dude, and there was some bloody stuff going on like that.
Casey G. Smith.: Yeah, they had to stop that one fight with that with I was like, oh, this guy is bleeding a lot. Like when you get knocked on the ground and you get up and it's just your head is bleeding but there's a pool of blood on the ground. Like it's good it's good the ref stopped that. I was like cuz that guy didn't look like he was really that was Nate Diaz, I believe. Yes. Yes, it was. I was like, he doesn't look like he's really ready to fight. And then maybe that's his style, but I was like, but he's been hit a lot. And he can take a beating. And now I would argue that he has brain damage from all these previous fights. But it's a guy that he even though uh if you're skilled, you can get him down and you can knock him out. He's hard to just beat up. And so it has to be something technical. Like you got to break something or crack something to get him to stop cuz he's going to keep coming after you.
Reginald Titus Jr.: Yeah. Like Rocky Balboa. He's going to keep coming. Yeah, that's the kind of guy he's that. That's what makes him so dangerous.
Casey G. Smith.: Wow! So it had to be a stoppage. That was disgusting. Man, yeah, it was I'm so smart smart ref. But so the undercards were super entertaining and then we get to the main event, right? Ronda Rousey, Gina Carano. By this recording, if you cared about this, you already saw it. That's true. The fight is a it's just a highlight reel because it's so quick. And and I I'd watched some of the build up and again Carano hadn't been in the in the in the in a in, you know, fighting for, you know, what, 15 years, something, it'd been a long time. Yeah. But at least Rousey was was at least active in yeah in WWE doing some stuff there. Yeah. But yeah, it it started and Ronda had a solid game plan. He came in, tackled Gina, like got her to the ground and Gina tried to swing and and Ronda just got got she got her arm so quick and got that arm bar.
Reginald Titus Jr.: That's her signature move. It is. It is. And and and yeah, Gina didn't didn't stand a chance. It was over in in seconds. 17 to be exact. Yes, there we go. And that was it. But um and they're done. She said she's done. Ronda Rousey's not fighting anymore.
Casey G. Smith.: Yes. She wants to have more babies and she's got she's got nothing to prove. And honestly, her record, she had won more fights than Gina had fought professionally.
Reginald Titus Jr.: Ronda Rousey could have arguably been undefeated if she had more stand-up experience. And uh they were calling her the one trick pony because that was like the thing. Like she get you on the ground, you're pretty much a wrap. Um and everybody knew that from her Judo to Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. Like, you're going to get the arm bar and she's going to jank it up. Man.
Casey G. Smith.: But also Gina, when she the arm bar was applied, Gina instead of rolling into, she turned away. So it looked it looked even worse. I was like. But but yeah, I was still entertained . I'm like Yeah. So yeah. Um, speaking of scary, uh, we watched "The Conjuring: Last Rites". I watched that with the family. Now it was so it was cool to see that one kind of come to an end, you know, it was um, "The Conjuring" is a good series because it's based on a real life couple that were that were dealing with these ghosts, if you will. Um, but this one just felt like it like the spice. You know, it was like, it's all right, we're done here, you know.
Casey G. Smith.: I went through and watched I've watched a lot of the other ones in "The Conjuring" universe. I watched "The Nun" and one and two and they were they were they were very entertaining. I was I was I was surprised by how how much I I enjoyed them. And and it's like um, I think they're rated PG. Maybe a couple of them are PG-13. I can't remember. There was a reason why we specifically picked "The Conjuring" when we first started watching them because there wasn't like overly graphic and things like that. And so it had a little bit of smartness to it and then you have this couple that's going around uh helping people. And so it was different in versus just being demonic for the sake of it. Just for the sake of it. Um, but anyhow, I think uh and my kids like, yeah, it was time. You know, it was good to it closed out but it just kind of lacked a little bit of something something. All right, another thing I watched was "The Roast of Kevin Hart". Dear Jesus. I did too. Yeah. And so it again, I I I I had my share of of laughs from it. It it was a interesting uh group of people uh selected for it. Um and again, the roast again, my my thought is that with the roast is kind of it's that last at least at this point in time that last beacon or example where comedy is kind of able to reign free. And like like
<pReginald Titus Jr.: Yeah, free speech is back.
Casey G. Smith.: Yeah, like like anything goes. And so there were some some some some man, some some wild swings and and and everything from making you know, jokes about, you know, one comedian's dead husband who committed suicide to
Reginald Titus Jr.: Oh, sure. Oh.
Casey G. Smith.: Yeah, to to to jokes about race, you know, and lynching and things things things things of that nature.
Reginald Titus Jr.: Specifically, George Floyd and being lynched.
Casey G. Smith.: Oh man, yeah, George was like, wow. But I mean, it's it's roast they they they they went for it. So it's like, I don't know, it's it's kind of confusing. It's like, well, this is
Reginald Titus Jr.: Yeah. So, um, when I watched it, I watched it maybe like two or three weeks ago. It was kind of it was still new.
Casey G. Smith.: Yeah, I watched it when it was like, yeah, new as well. And and so I watched and I also watched the Tom Brady roast. And the Tom Brady roast I was like, man, it was brutal, right? It was like, it was talking about his wife, you know what I mean? That was like the big thing over and over and over again. Um the funny part is like Tom Brady got mad about they were talking about the craft. Yeah. Right the craft. Yeah. What about the owner? When when that when that one comedian brought like the whole massage parlor thing, he was like, hey, don't say that shit again. Yeah. I was like, this is the line. This is this is what we're dying. We're dying on that hill. This is on this is on Robert Craft. You're concerned about him, but not about the trainer who all right. Um, I I I at that felt like more like of a a maybe a legal thing. Like, I don't know that but that that that sucked. Yeah. And then uh who's the comedian, the white dude with the bald head. He's older and he's like the king of roasting. He had the Eddie Murphy. Jeff somebody. Yeah. So he had the Eddie Murphy raw outfit on.
Reginald Titus Jr.: On the Kevin Hart one. That was I was like, this is I said, this fool like a busted tomato. Yeah. I was like, what are you doing? You like melted ice cream out of here. Cuz you start to perspire. I'm like this. And then when you try to dance, I'm like at the last one. But remember at the Tom Brady roast. I like spoiled yogurt. What is going on? For real. At the at the Tom Brady roast, remember he had a O. J. Simpson jersey on. I don't know if you remember that. I forgot. I'm going to kill him. Who's like I didn't realize that. I said, oh, he's still doing it. He's still dressing up as like a popular black guy. Uh, he's like, hey, look at my guy, yeah. That guy does not care. Um, but he's man, like so, I watched it two two and a half three weeks ago. Whatever it was. And so I had full context of what it was. I was like, man, he's a kind of, some of his jokes, like, they're not really related to Kevin Hart. You know, it was like, they're just kind of, you know, when you start taking people out of the crowd like, oh Draymond Green or like somebody in the crowd and then the black folks felt like, all right, this is a roast against black folks. How did this happen? Um so like I so my flags were going up a little bit. That was like, all right, I'm checking it out. But Regina, uh Hall, she didn't look pleased at all, you know. Yeah, I noticed like she she, number one, no one was making any jokes about her. Like, and and she wasn't yeah, she wasn't laughing at a at a lot of jokes either. I was like, hm. And and even when like the host, like he he he said that, you know, they said who the writers whatever they said, you know, they want they said to be racist. I'm like,
Casey G. Smith.: They said to be racist.
Reginald Titus Jr.: So, so it turns out, so like, um, so social media started talking about it a lot. But the people that were talking about it, didn't watch the whole thing. Cuz I had people that would ask like, you know, what about this one? They even watch it. I was like, oh, you can't really have full context without watching the whole thing. Right. You know, cuz it's kind of like everything. It's like all fair, you know what I mean? As far as like what could come out with the comedy and it's a roast, which is going to be very disrespectful. Right. With that being said, um, I don't know how much this is true. Maybe whoever can research this, but I think it was like 17 writers that helped write this whole special. None of it was diverse. And so you and there were no women and there were no like people of color writing these jokes. These are all white people. All white dudes. Wow! And so once I found that out, now this is me just assuming that information is true. So if that information is true, that changes things. That does. And it's kind of like how uh Gina Bathwood, when she would be in the room with the writers writing for "Different World" and different things, having she's the only person of color in the room cuz she was like, man, you'll be surprised at things that they come up with. And thankfully that I was in the room to change it cuz some stuff is horri horrible. And so if in this Netflix situation, they need diversity in the writing room cuz you cuz some of the stuff needs to be turned down like, all right, hey guys, no, we can't do that. You need somebody to do that because think about it, let's flip it. Let's flip it and it's a Jewish person is there and we're talking about uh Nazis and Hitler and the Holocaust as a joke punchline, kind of like the lynching thing. Huh, what about the gas chamber or something like that. Canceled! Yeah. Right away. So and so like we got to be honest when it comes about that stuff and so like they need diversity in the room to like kind of like cuz some stuff so anyhow, I say all that to say, I was entertained by it, but some flags was going up in my head like, who who wrote this because they're reading the teleprompter. Yes, they are. Yeah, they clearly are. And they're reading his teleprompter. I'm like, dang, who's coming up with this? And then um so okay, I'm laughing along. The only the only part that was kind of weird with like Tiana Taylor like, what's going on here. And then you get past that, but Cap Williams did his thing. Man! He did his thing. And it seemed like he was the only one that's like, I have my own material and I'm going to execute it. And it flowed like he wrote his own material, which is kind of cool to see. But man, he he really that stood out to me. His performance in the roast really stood out. And it's like a great continuation from the Shannon Sharpe episode to like, oh, full circle a couple years later, I told you he was a plant. You know, he kind of talks about him being a plant and being a puppet and stuff. That was very interesting if you go back and look at that.

Closing Thoughts & Additional Recommendations
Casey G. Smith.: All right, all right.
Reginald Titus Jr.: But yeah, "The Roast", that's uh I guess we'll see, you know, what comes out of it. Um, but I am outside of like some of that racial stuff, uh it was kind of it was interesting and cool to see comedians not be scared to say things. Yeah. You know, having that free speech to say whatever they want. Even though, you know, at the expense of others, it is what it is. All right. Oh, speaking of Kevin Hart, uh I mentioned that I had watched the Mark Twain Award with Kevin Hart on the last episode of "What We've Been Watching". And um, I just met I forgot to mention that Nick Cannon was pretty fun on funny on that one. And at the end of his performance, um, Chris Rock comes out, he's like, that's the funniest I've ever seen Nick Cannon. Which was So it was like him kind of giving his props in the cam like, man, you did a good set. That was pretty good. But it was just funny cuz Nick uh Nick Cannon was doing a um a joke on Kevin Hart. He's like, oh man, I know you really like this man. We got Eddie Murphy coming out. You know, you seen him in Raw. You seen him in this. You seen him in that. And then everybody's waiting and he's like, psych. Eddie Murphy ain't gonna see your ass. And it was it was funny because Kevin Hart was really expecting him to come out. Yeah. I actually I watched that uh man, like the last year. I watched that. Yeah, cuz Kevin Hart was up in the balcony right with his kids or whatever. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Oh God, that was great. And then um, sorry, I'm sorry. And then he's like, you seen her in uh Tina Turner movie. This this and that. Angela Bassett. Oh, psych. Tina Turner coming to see you. She don't even know your ass. They hell she come to see you. And oh man, that was just like the timing was perfect. I was like, I agree with Chris Rock. I definitely seen Nick Cannon funny in that way before. Nice. Uh, so anyhow, I meant to bring that up last episode and I totally forgot.
Casey G. Smith.: Okay, okay. Uh, one of the last things I mentioned that I watched, uh again, another tactical military thing. This was with John Krasinski. And this is out a couple couple years ago. It's called "13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi". Group of soldiers who are in Benghazi, obviously. And uh one John Krus John Krasinski's character. He's he's kind of one of those soldiers that goes on these deployments, goes back home. But he'll take another job, go back overseas, kind of that kind of thing. And he's he's there and they get into a situation where things get kind of crazy and Harry they're they're supposed to um they they they learn that there is a an American diplomat who is there to do some event. They're supposed to kind of just be there him and like four or five of the guys. Just kind of supposed to be a real light kind of easy mission. But in the midst of it, of course, things turn sideways and all these dudes start to attack. So anyway, they kind of get to the situation where they're trying to just defend this one location and it's just it gets uh it gets crazy. But it it it's all well done. And uh yeah, "13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi".
Reginald Titus Jr.: Was it streaming it?
Casey G. Smith.: Amazon Prime. Boo. All right, one of my last ones that was totally, I wasn't expecting to watch this one, but it was there. Um, watch it on the platform call Stremio. We'll talk about it later. But the name of the movie is called "Mandingo". Uh, 1975, a slavery movie. Have you heard of it? Have you seen it?
Reginald Titus Jr.: Uh, I may have heard of it, but have not seen it.
Casey G. Smith.: Um, it features Ken Norton, um as like the Mandingo uh slave. Um, and I I was having this conversation with my dad last two weeks ago. I was like, I've never seen this film. Like I've heard people talk about it, but it's more so that name is kind of more associated with like Mandingo fights or porn. And then um, and my dad was like, yeah, man, you didn't you didn't, you know, we watched that. I said, no we didn't. Dad, we did not watch that. He has like his own memory of things that happened, but I was like, oh speak like like for example, uh the Jackson, like when we talked about Michael Jackson and stuff like that. Uh we talked about Jackson Five. Um and he remembers being in Dallas and the Jackson Five coming to the park in Dallas and performing and like meeting all the kids out there. Like he has that in his memory. He was like, man, that was a cool thing, man, when nobody tripping and they just came to come see us and stuff like that. So like he has that version of like the Michael Jack Jackson Five and and Jackson and then, you know, everybody has like their own version of when they were introduced to Michael Jackson. You know, he has the Jackson Five, the Afros and all that stuff. And like them coming to Dallas to to be out in the park with the kids. My my my mom I think like she was going to go to that. Maybe she did go to that. From came up maybe came up from San Antonio. But she mentioned she mentioned to me like they they they saw the Jacksons in Dallas. I always for whatever reason thought it was like later on, but it was like early like they were they were early on. Anyway, sorry.
Reginald Titus Jr.: Yeah. Um, so I was just like, that. We did not see this film. I would have remembered. This is a horrible it was like horrific. Um, it is, for example, like the movie opens up and um, one of the one of the plantation owners is buying slaves. And they're all lined up. All the guys are lined up and the white dude's like checking them out. Yeah, this one's this way. This one's this way. And then he has one guy pull his pants down, bend over and he looks in his butt. And he's looking for I think hemorrhoids or something like that if you've like what was that? Oh, sorry. That was me accidentally pushing the button. No. Yeah, it came out of nowhere. Oh no, it's the end. Got him. Got him. It's a go. It's a go. Oh man. That's hilarious. So it was over. Oh man, that's hilarious. Wrap it up, B! We got him. It's a go. It's a go. Oh man. So, dude, that's how the movie opens up. And they're showing they're literally yeah. Sorry. I'll just see myself out. All right. Bends this actor over, looks at his butt and he's the actor he's looking. And then after that grabs his junk. Wow! You know, to see whatever it has to see, you know, this is I was like, oh my god, oh exploitation. Oh my god. But this is like the closest I believe that you can get to without I was like, man, 1970s, man, what a wow. And then later on we see Ken Norton's character and it's this um this German woman and she she she's buying these slaves so they can have sex with her. And so she's checking out. He's like, and Ken Norton swole, you know, everybody knows Ken Norton back in the day. Swole. The guy like the like pure masculine body. And she literally like pulling in, touching his junk. And he's like, I'll buy him for $2,000. So she's like running the price up because she wants him. And then the guy's like, man, these girl like that white woman wants to have sex with this with this slave. Like the guy's like horrified. And he's like, he's she's German. She, you know, this is, you know, what they want to do. Um, I was like, dear God, I had no idea. Like, I've heard about this movie kind of slightly. But it hasn't really been on my radar like that. Like I've heard about it like passing. But man, it's polarizing. I I know you don't really care for like slave movies. So what yeah, so what prompted you to to watch it?
Reginald Titus Jr.: It was another film um critic had brought it up. And that guy's white and he has a um a black guy that is part of the show and they were kind of talking about it. I was like, wow. And it showed up on this platform that I'm watching films on. And I was like, they have this on here? And cuz like some of these movies are hard to find, you know, you'd have to purchase them, you know, that's the only way you're going to get access to it. And and it was on there. I was like, dang, I might have to watch it based on their what their criticism was talking about. Wow! I was like, dang, but it wasn't it was not received well by critics. And it's it's cuz dealing with elements of, you know, sleeping with, you know, slaves and then one of the slaves sleeping with, you know, the plantation owner and how that plantation owner's wife and how that comes out. So it's a lot of like sexual stuff that's going on and it's like the craig's did not love it like this film at all. Um, but yeah.
Casey G. Smith.: And what platform is this that you were watching it on?
Reginald Titus Jr.: Stremio. We'll talk about it. Stremio.
Casey G. Smith.: Um, but that's it. But yeah, I wouldn't really recommend that film, but I think it's important historically. So it was like one of those films like, dang, I hate that it exists, but I think it needs to exist. Okay. Yeah, because it's shocking to see. And then when you realize like, that's it was actually worse than it was. Yeah, this is the closest you can get without getting like put in jail. You know. Yeah. Um, but that's it, man. That's it for what we've been watching. Until next time. Peace. Respect.