We reviewed Joker on the last Podcass, but the movie set an October box office in finishing No. 1 at the box office over the weekend. And there are soooo many reactions and think-pieces to it that we felt the need to talk some more about it.
After the Joker talk (01:10), we have some baseball talk from WISE Sports Radio (11:42), including the Chicago Cubs’ managerial search. Then the show wraps up with with thoughts on what’s happened to Sports Illustrated (25:20).
Put on a happy face! A new Podcass!
Joker is the big movie release of the weekend and drawing a lot of buzz, so we have a review for you (2:11). Then baseball and football radio segments from WISE Sports Radio. Up first is a preview of the 2019 MLB postseason (15:05), followed by a look at Week 5 in the NFL (27:33).
Referenced during this episode:
For the past 20 years, figuring out what makes villains evil has become an entire creative industry. I don’t know if it started with the Star Wars prequels, but that seems to be where it was popularized. How did Anakin Skywalker become Darth Vader? OK, that question was inherent with the character because we knew that he was Luke Skywalker’s father and a Jedi Knight alongside Obi-Wan Kenobi.
Yet was that story really begging to be told? I think we all — whether “we” means Star Wars fans or general pop culture — thought we wanted to see that story. But would it have been better if Darth Vader stayed ruthless and villainous? Isn’t it enough that we knew he had a change of heart by the end and chose to save his son over his devotion to the Empire and the Sith?
The mystery of what made Anakin turn into Vader added appeal to the entire Star Wars mythology because it invited people to imagine what might have happened, rather than having that story told to them.
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This is the week when we get The Podcass on the schedule I’ve intended. Hopefully, we’ll have shows every Tuesday and Friday from here on out.
First, we get a little geeky, talking about Sony and Marvel realizing they’re better together with Spider-Man (03:06). Then, how about those Detroit Lions, hanging with the Kansas City Chiefs and almost beating them (07:45)? We also review Renee Zellweger in Judy (13:44) before jumping into my radio segments. I appeared on Edmonton’s TSN 1260 to preview the MLB postseason (18:27) and dug into the Cubs-Joe Maddon split and the Angels firing manager Brad Ausmus on Asheville’s WISE Sports Radio (26:36).
As mentioned during this episode:
Ian Casselberry 