If you’re new here, check out some of my other content! 😍🎬✨ - Only Baz Luhrmann Could Make An ELVIS Biopic ✨CINEMA✨ (Video Essay - Starring Austin Butler) ua-cam.com/video/Q_j8M4tok98/v-deo.html - Robert Rodriguez’s HYPNOTIC (Starring Ben Affleck) is Straight out of the 1990’s! (Review) ua-cam.com/video/4qEeeSfVYt8/v-deo.html - Nathan D. Simmons ("Elgin") Teases Character Secrets in FROM Season 2! (Interview) ua-cam.com/video/tLK8GP03OaY/v-deo.html - Ricky He ("Kenny Liu") and Avery Konrad ("Sara Myers") give insight into FROM Season 2 (Interview) ua-cam.com/video/GBuudvBtpVw/v-deo.html - Chloe Van Landschoot (Kristi) & Pegah Ghafoori (Fatima) FROM Season 2 Interview: Romance & Pregnancy ua-cam.com/video/-JwBfyQdsDc/v-deo.html - AJ Simmons ("Randall") FROM Season 2 INTERVIEW on Donna's Captivity, Randall's Ego and Bravado ua-cam.com/video/O3Tj5ED6ILY/v-deo.html - She's The Man Director Andy Fickman on New Film ONE TRUE LOVES (Interview by a She's The Man Fan) ua-cam.com/video/cpQfFQUwo40/v-deo.html - Tati Gabrielle & Christopher Gorham INTERVIEW | Batman: The Doom That Came To Gotham WonderCon 2023 ua-cam.com/video/nUOJkibgyWo/v-deo.html - Steve Howey & Omar Miller on TRUE LIES, James Cameron, Matthew Lillard (WonderCon 2023 Interview) ua-cam.com/video/xvBtluGDIX0/v-deo.html - Zach Barack INTERVIEW: Spider-Man Far From Home, Jacob Batalon Friendship, Dead End: Paranormal Park ua-cam.com/video/MvSvKdkxLo8/v-deo.html
I do believe that there are metaphors in the "powers" different characters have. The "fast" woman, the "bigger man", the "little guy". They all seem to play with common phrases used to dehumanize real people with real struggles.
Not gonna lie, it took me a minute to actually sit down and open my screeners because I was trying to figure out how to find time to get through the series (thinking it was going to take a full day) only to find out they're HALF-HOUR EPISODES and then I zoomed through it wishing I had started sooner! 😂 I can't wait for more people to see this so everyone can chat about the excellence of BOOTS! ❤️
Thank god for Boots Riley picking up the slack, because Jharrel Jerome should be working more. Hollywood don't have shit for young black actors. Its so annoying. Black folks got to be 35-40 before their career has any chance of taking off. Ridiculous. I'm definitely going to tune in for this.
Jharrel is EXCELLENT in this series. I didn't include everything I read because I didn't want to just stand and recite the entire press packet (so I just picked out a few quotes/excerpts that seemed to relate more to my main points) but Boots Riley actually sought out Jharrel Jerome directly for the show. Here's the full passage if you don't mind a bit of reading 😂: Riley began visualizing Jharrel Jerome as the lead character of Cootie while he was writing the pilot for I’m A Virgo. “Boots reached out via email and that was a first for me, having a creative send me an email like, ‘Yo, I have this idea and I really want you for it,” says Jerome. “The title of the email said ‘13-foot-tall Black man in Oakland,’ so right away I was already intrigued and curious. He just said, ‘Hey, I have this script about a 13-foot-tall Black man in Oakland. I want you for the part. I'd love to connect with you if you're interested.’” Jerome responded immediately and the two met for lunch within a week’s time. Riley showed up to the meeting with a briefcase. Inside were the miniature figurines crafted by Partridge which demonstrated how forced perspective would be used to create the illusion that Jerome was really 13-feet tall.“ He said, ‘If you do this with me, you're going to get your hands dirty and it's going to be very technical and it's going to be a process that's not easy.’ And that's all music to my ears when it comes to how I select my roles,” says Jerome. The actor, who was 24 at the time, didn’t just have the difficult task of having to look exceptionally tall, he also needed to have the appearance of a teen who was confined to his home and only allowed to eat healthy foods. To do so, Jerome started training in the gym. “I cut about 20 pounds in a span of two-and-a-half months,” he says. Next, he spent time determining Cootie’s gait. “It's not the average shoulders-up walk, he's always hunched over and he's always having to bend over and that takes a toll on his body,”Jerome explains. “I spent a lot of time in the mirror and then showing Boots this walk that I created for Cootie where it's this subtle shift in his body and he's sort of leaning forward more than back.” Cootie’s voice was another aspect of the character that was particularly important for Jerome to develop. “He’s from Oakland, so he's got that Oakland feel to him. But as I got closer to approaching the shoot date and I was building Cootie up more, I realized, he hasn't actually been in Oakland. He might be from Oakland, but he's actually from that house. So, I realized that a lot of his vocal patterns might actually come from The Hero and the things that he's fallen in love with more than the world around him. Those are the components I tried to put together.”
epic show. i def relate to Flora. That whole scene about unemployment is so good and true. Full disclosure I'm a communist so this especially spoke to me. Love Boots. Fuck corporate lobbyism and Taft Hartley. Solidarity with all striking workers!
Hadn't seen any video essays on this show yet so I'm really glad I found you. Great work. Loved the show. They made a lot of smart writing moves and didn't linger on tropes, just a little taste then get on with the more important effects narratively.
YES, you did! Fantastic work on the series, Scott, and congratulations! Also, if you're ever willing to do an interview, I'd love to pick your brain about your work on I'M A VIRGO! 🔥
thanks for including the press/interview materials, good for film students to learn about and the crew sounds smart/fun af, also shoutout my Gotham king Tze Chun and Comrade Boots
GIRL I'm singing the same praises about this series 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥. I binged it like 2-3 times last night & this morning. Also, that sex scene will stay in my memories 🥵🥵😂😂🥵🥵. I remember 1st gaining interest in watching the series after seeing that 1st look BTS photo of them laying down together in a Complex article, back in the spring during promo runs with the trailer. I immediately thought "Well how did they get in that position?" & "Does he look nervous or guilty about what happened?" Either way, I knew I wanted 2 dive in & find out, so thank you 4 this awesome review!!!!!
As a Virgo I feel like only we can fully understand this show lol. I definitely didn’t expect a show like this but Virgos are different, deep and undercover super heroes so I understand.
You absolutely won my sub with this review One thing I might add is that Boots Riley's work differs from other 'anti-capitalist' media in how it is so unapologetically radical in its critique, rather than aiming for a subtle satire (eg: Parasite) or cynical parody (eg: South Park) I only watched I'm A Virgo yesterday with my partner, and it showed exactly what is missing in shows like The Boys Both are heavy-handed and critique capitalism, but only Boots Riley has the principle, backbone and background to offer tangible solutions.
. . . But Gwebs dad quit being a cop, and the movie only posits that kind of outcome being bad bc its Miles dad that would die. So. To solve it, the movie shows that cops can quit. (Also, the Prowler universe is the good guys I think)
Boots Riley writes great open end sequences to his movies. I am Virgo what's up with Kute rash and the Black people that got shrunk. You know but you kind of know what happened. I know I sound crazy.
The show was good but…man all the sloppy eating, food left on dudes mouth, talking with food in his mouth,and that ONE scene.. the show was just kinda gross. Like id never rewatch this show. Fr I can’t eat and watch this show at the same time . Like if boots can just dial in and chill with the whole gross out factor id watch season 2.
Some very nice ideas, for sure, now getting an anitcapitalist lesson on the most capitalist platform (because it's not humour, it's propaganda as the villain says in the serie and considering Riley's background) it's sounds at least contradictory, at max ridiculous.... I felt it was the most disturbing part and a pitty, because at the start the situation might have opened to a very original creation...
i think yes it's contradictory, but at the same time, there would be no other way to put this story out there. we are all in some way stuck in the web of capitalism, and it's really, *really*, fucking hard to get out of it. does that mean we should quit trying to escape it, or quit critiquing and calling it out? absolutely not. we can call out something like capitalism while still participating in it. i think the fact riley chose to make this work so anticapitalist on a platform that operates so strongly on capitalism is also a statement within itself, kinda like a "fuck you" in a sense!
For amazon it's all about getting money and satisfy their shareholders, sometimes if the product can have an impact, whatever kind of impact it may be, on the public and make them nice money and/or good PR with a publicly acclaimed show it's a win. Capitalism is very cynical, and for Boots Riley, at some point you have to compromise if the endgame is worth it. It's just pragmatism as long as the movie is uncompromised.
Hate to break it you but There is no conscious consumption under Capitalism ... It is better to watch this than all the pro capitalist copoganda out there
If you’re new here, check out some of my other content! 😍🎬✨
- Only Baz Luhrmann Could Make An ELVIS Biopic ✨CINEMA✨ (Video Essay - Starring Austin Butler)
ua-cam.com/video/Q_j8M4tok98/v-deo.html
- Robert Rodriguez’s HYPNOTIC (Starring Ben Affleck) is Straight out of the 1990’s! (Review)
ua-cam.com/video/4qEeeSfVYt8/v-deo.html
- Nathan D. Simmons ("Elgin") Teases Character Secrets in FROM Season 2! (Interview)
ua-cam.com/video/tLK8GP03OaY/v-deo.html
- Ricky He ("Kenny Liu") and Avery Konrad ("Sara Myers") give insight into FROM Season 2 (Interview)
ua-cam.com/video/GBuudvBtpVw/v-deo.html
- Chloe Van Landschoot (Kristi) & Pegah Ghafoori (Fatima) FROM Season 2 Interview: Romance & Pregnancy
ua-cam.com/video/-JwBfyQdsDc/v-deo.html
- AJ Simmons ("Randall") FROM Season 2 INTERVIEW on Donna's Captivity, Randall's Ego and Bravado
ua-cam.com/video/O3Tj5ED6ILY/v-deo.html
- She's The Man Director Andy Fickman on New Film ONE TRUE LOVES (Interview by a She's The Man Fan)
ua-cam.com/video/cpQfFQUwo40/v-deo.html
- Tati Gabrielle & Christopher Gorham INTERVIEW | Batman: The Doom That Came To Gotham WonderCon 2023
ua-cam.com/video/nUOJkibgyWo/v-deo.html
- Steve Howey & Omar Miller on TRUE LIES, James Cameron, Matthew Lillard (WonderCon 2023 Interview)
ua-cam.com/video/xvBtluGDIX0/v-deo.html
- Zach Barack INTERVIEW: Spider-Man Far From Home, Jacob Batalon Friendship, Dead End: Paranormal Park
ua-cam.com/video/MvSvKdkxLo8/v-deo.html
I do believe that there are metaphors in the "powers" different characters have. The "fast" woman, the "bigger man", the "little guy". They all seem to play with common phrases used to dehumanize real people with real struggles.
Boots Riley has been THAT DUDE for a while, and I'm happy to watch whatever he does.
Not gonna lie, it took me a minute to actually sit down and open my screeners because I was trying to figure out how to find time to get through the series (thinking it was going to take a full day) only to find out they're HALF-HOUR EPISODES and then I zoomed through it wishing I had started sooner! 😂
I can't wait for more people to see this so everyone can chat about the excellence of BOOTS! ❤️
Thank god for Boots Riley picking up the slack, because Jharrel Jerome should be working more. Hollywood don't have shit for young black actors. Its so annoying. Black folks got to be 35-40 before their career has any chance of taking off. Ridiculous.
I'm definitely going to tune in for this.
Jharrel is EXCELLENT in this series. I didn't include everything I read because I didn't want to just stand and recite the entire press packet (so I just picked out a few quotes/excerpts that seemed to relate more to my main points) but Boots Riley actually sought out Jharrel Jerome directly for the show. Here's the full passage if you don't mind a bit of reading 😂:
Riley began visualizing Jharrel Jerome as the lead character of Cootie while he was writing the pilot for I’m A Virgo.
“Boots reached out via email and that was a first for me, having a creative send me an email like, ‘Yo, I have this idea and I really want you for it,” says Jerome. “The title of the email said ‘13-foot-tall Black man in Oakland,’ so right away I was already intrigued and curious. He just said, ‘Hey, I have this script about a 13-foot-tall Black man in Oakland. I want you for the part. I'd love to connect with you if you're interested.’”
Jerome responded immediately and the two met for lunch within a week’s time. Riley showed up to the meeting with a briefcase. Inside were the miniature figurines crafted by Partridge which demonstrated how forced perspective would be used to create the illusion that Jerome was really 13-feet tall.“
He said, ‘If you do this with me, you're going to get your hands dirty and it's going to be very technical and it's going to be a process that's not easy.’ And that's all music to my ears when it comes to how I select my roles,” says Jerome.
The actor, who was 24 at the time, didn’t just have the difficult task of having to look exceptionally tall, he also needed to have the appearance of a teen who was confined to his home and only allowed to eat healthy foods. To do so, Jerome started training in the gym. “I cut about 20 pounds in a span of two-and-a-half months,” he says.
Next, he spent time determining Cootie’s gait. “It's not the average shoulders-up walk, he's always hunched over and he's always having to bend over and that takes a toll on his body,”Jerome explains. “I spent a lot of time in the mirror and then showing Boots this walk that I created for Cootie where it's this subtle shift in his body and he's sort of leaning forward more than back.”
Cootie’s voice was another aspect of the character that was particularly important for Jerome to develop.
“He’s from Oakland, so he's got that Oakland feel to him. But as I got closer to approaching the shoot date and I was building Cootie up more, I realized, he hasn't actually been in Oakland. He might be from Oakland, but he's actually from that house. So, I realized that a lot of his vocal patterns might actually come from The Hero and the things that he's fallen in love with more than the world around him. Those are the components I tried to put together.”
epic show. i def relate to Flora. That whole scene about unemployment is so good and true. Full disclosure I'm a communist so this especially spoke to me. Love Boots. Fuck corporate lobbyism and Taft Hartley. Solidarity with all striking workers!
Hadn't seen any video essays on this show yet so I'm really glad I found you. Great work. Loved the show. They made a lot of smart writing moves and didn't linger on tropes, just a little taste then get on with the more important effects narratively.
Whoot! Great review - thank you. Also - i had no idea i made it into the press-kit! Haha - made my night - thank you! :-)
YES, you did! Fantastic work on the series, Scott, and congratulations!
Also, if you're ever willing to do an interview, I'd love to pick your brain about your work on I'M A VIRGO! 🔥
thanks for including the press/interview materials, good for film students to learn about and the crew sounds smart/fun af, also shoutout my Gotham king Tze Chun and Comrade Boots
Just give Jharrel and Dominique all the awards!
They are both excellent and I will be very [SKEPTICAL EYEBROW RAISE] if they don't at least get some nominations. 👀🔥
I’m proud to be a Virgo♍️😁
You nailed it. "I'm A Virgo" is brilliant!
GIRL I'm singing the same praises about this series 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥. I binged it like 2-3 times last night & this morning. Also, that sex scene will stay in my memories 🥵🥵😂😂🥵🥵. I remember 1st gaining interest in watching the series after seeing that 1st look BTS photo of them laying down together in a Complex article, back in the spring during promo runs with the trailer. I immediately thought "Well how did they get in that position?" & "Does he look nervous or guilty about what happened?" Either way, I knew I wanted 2 dive in & find out, so thank you 4 this awesome review!!!!!
Thank you for covering this show … you have definitely piqued my interest in it, so thank you!
Hope you enjoy it!
I love how they all don’t realize they have powers it’s just normal to them
Sounds fantastic, I'll add it to my watch list next time I get a prime month. TFS 🙂
Sold!
As a Virgo I feel like only we can fully understand this show lol. I definitely didn’t expect a show like this but Virgos are different, deep and undercover super heroes so I understand.
Lmao come on fam
Wait 21,000 subscribers, but only 22+mine comments and only 92 likes?
Like and comment... Make the algorithm love the Lady people.
You absolutely won my sub with this review
One thing I might add is that Boots Riley's work differs from other 'anti-capitalist' media in how it is so unapologetically radical in its critique, rather than aiming for a subtle satire (eg: Parasite) or cynical parody (eg: South Park)
I only watched I'm A Virgo yesterday with my partner, and it showed exactly what is missing in shows like The Boys
Both are heavy-handed and critique capitalism, but only Boots Riley has the principle, backbone and background to offer tangible solutions.
the only thing i didn’t understand was the cartoon. was that supposed to be adult swim messaging?
. . . But Gwebs dad quit being a cop, and the movie only posits that kind of outcome being bad bc its Miles dad that would die.
So. To solve it, the movie shows that cops can quit. (Also, the Prowler universe is the good guys I think)
Yeah this person clearly didn't understand Spider-Verse and is sorta falling into the no-fun allowed trap
It was excellent
Been waiting a lifetime for a communist show like this
Subbed
Boots Riley writes great open end sequences to his movies. I am Virgo what's up with Kute rash and the Black people that got shrunk. You know but you kind of know what happened. I know I sound crazy.
I love this series I want more
The show was good but…man all the sloppy eating, food left on dudes mouth, talking with food in his mouth,and that ONE scene.. the show was just kinda gross. Like id never rewatch this show. Fr I can’t eat and watch this show at the same time . Like if boots can just dial in and chill with the whole gross out factor id watch season 2.
🥰❤💚💛😍
your mic is kinda low, hun
Some very nice ideas, for sure, now getting an anitcapitalist lesson on the most capitalist platform (because it's not humour, it's propaganda as the villain says in the serie and considering Riley's background) it's sounds at least contradictory, at max ridiculous.... I felt it was the most disturbing part and a pitty, because at the start the situation might have opened to a very original creation...
i think yes it's contradictory, but at the same time, there would be no other way to put this story out there. we are all in some way stuck in the web of capitalism, and it's really, *really*, fucking hard to get out of it. does that mean we should quit trying to escape it, or quit critiquing and calling it out? absolutely not. we can call out something like capitalism while still participating in it. i think the fact riley chose to make this work so anticapitalist on a platform that operates so strongly on capitalism is also a statement within itself, kinda like a "fuck you" in a sense!
For amazon it's all about getting money and satisfy their shareholders, sometimes if the product can have an impact, whatever kind of impact it may be, on the public and make them nice money and/or good PR with a publicly acclaimed show it's a win. Capitalism is very cynical, and for Boots Riley, at some point you have to compromise if the endgame is worth it. It's just pragmatism as long as the movie is uncompromised.
Hate to break it you but There is no conscious consumption under Capitalism ... It is better to watch this than all the pro capitalist copoganda out there