Executive Order premiered at SXSW 2021, a debut film for director Lazaro Ramos. However, it was not his first time on a set. Ramos has an extensive filmography as an actor in film and the theater. I had a chat with Ramos about his film, his career, and what it means to be a black creator these days.
“This is my first movie as a director. I’m an actor from, since I was 10 years old. And [Executive Order] is my first step behind the cameras. I wanted to make a movie to touch the people.”
Sharing Stories of His Brazil
He talked about his…
It happened in January with Krystina Arielle, host of the Star Wars podcast. At some point, she rubbed someone in the Star Wars fandom the wrong way. To get back at her, they combed Arielle’s Twitter feed for the perfect post. Upon finding it, the person screenshot and reposted a simple misreading of Arielle’s post that should have been easy to clear up. Instead, it opened a Pandora’s box of trolls that were only tamed when the official Star Wars account spoke out against the behavior. Even then, it was a while before the controversy died down.
This spring, the news is stuck on immigration reform, minimum wage hikes, and stimulating the economy by depositing cash in the bank accounts of millions of Americans. The goal is to help the working class, immigrants, and people who often find themselves at the mercy of not only poverty. They are often the most preyed upon populations in the banking sector as well. In fact, millions of people will be receiving their stimulus funds in the form of a check. This is where the problems begin, where the banking industry gets their claws in on the biggest legal scheme in…
Zack Snyder’s Justice League does offer plenty of diversity and inclusion. The film casts characters in a range of ethnicities, skin tones, and body types. When Barry Allen (Ezra Miller) appeared on my screen the first time, I understood that the film is also inclusive in mental health as well. When Barry appeared, talking quickly, easily distracted, and filled with unnecessary factoids that he keeps slipping into the conversation, it was apparent that he was possibly on the the spectrum.
What Does “On the Spectrum” Mean Autism?
The first thing that neurotypical or “normal” people hear when you say “on the spectrum,” is “autism”. While it is…
This past weekend, director/actor/producer/writer Kevin Smith continued his support of the Snyder Cut of the Justice League movie. This comes after weeks of headlines using words like “propaganda” and talk of invasion to describe the fan efforts to advertise #ReleasetheSnyderCut at San Diego Comic-Con last month. Smith recently validated the movement and added more support in his interview on the CinaBlend podcast. There, he explained that the Snyder cut does exist and he believes it should be released. Listen in for more details.
The people who make up the #ReleasetheSnyderCut movement are misunderstood groups of DC fans who are often…
My conversation with Ray Fisher–who plays Cyborg in Justice League and will reprise that role in Zack Snyder’s Justice League–did not end with a glimpse of what the Cyborg character should’ve been. Fisher gave me an in-depth look at the struggle to keep the character authentic to the Black experience, the human experience, and the vision he developed with director Zack Snyder and writer Chris Terrio. Fisher also revealed how working with Zack changed him as an actor.
Almost an Avenger?
Fisher’s dedication to the Cyborg character is not an accident. He was a DC comics fan long before Snyder…
On His Character, The Reality of the Erasure, and the Unapologetic Blackness of the #SnyderCut
Ray Fisher is known for his appearance as the Black DC Comics superhero Cyborg in Batman vs. Superman: Dawn of Justice and Justice League. Some may recognize him from Season 3 of the popular HBO drama True Detective alongside Mahershala Ali. To DC comics fans, however, the man will always be “the heart” of the controversial campaign to get Warner Bros Studios to release director Zack Snyder’s cut of the Justice League film.
If you’re thinking, “but Cyborg was that big of a deal in that movie.” Well, he was supposed to be and that point amongst others has fueled…
For three years, fans have been speculating about the movie Zack Snyder’s Justice League, which premieres on March 18 on HBOMax and in theaters the same day. There’s been theories about the 214 minutes that Snyder shot for the original film — the one that director Joss Whedon took over and largely reshot when Snyder stepped aside due to a family tragedy. Type #Releasethe SnyderCut into any social media platform and you will find fan-created artifacts that illustrate the theories and some. However, few have laid eyes on the film until now.
After going onto social media to offer my…
Slamdance has always been a source great stories, in my experience. This year, I found A Brixton Tale. It’s being called a voyeur’s ethical analysis, a look at the problems that arise as creators chase content without regard for the people and community around them. However, A Brixton Tale is so much more. The film tackles some serious issues in class and race, problems that are subtle but enough to wreck the lives the marginalized taking part of the project. Meanwhile, the more privileged get away unscathed.
No Such Thing as Innocent
The film begins innocently enough with a film student, Leah (Lily Newmark), who…
The 80s are “classic” these days. I’ll accept that. But, when I saw that the Peacock was rebooting my favorite show from childhood, I had to take a moment to grieve. Then, I got excited. You see, Punky Brewster was ahead of its time when it premiered in 1984. I came at the show later, but still as a kid. I thought Punky and her “chosen family” was just so cool. Now that the show is back, I can see why 80s babies like me loved it so much. With themes of “chosen families”, individuality, body positivity and more, Punky…
