Hi, everyone! Tonight, on Mastodon, I will be hosting the #TubiThursday watch party! Join us for 1987’s Over the Top!
You can find the movie on Tubi or YouTube and you can join us on Mastodon at 9 pm central time! (That’s 10 pm for you folks on the East Coast.) We will be using #TubiThursday hashtag! See you then!
Today would have been the birthday of Richard Roundtree so, of course, today’s scene that I love could only be the classic opening of 1971’s Shaft.
By doing something as simple as walking down a street in New York, Roundtree showed us exactly who Shaft was and why Shaft did what he did. This is one of those scenes that’s been parodied so many times that it’s actually surprising to rewatch and see how just defiant and sexy Richard Roundtree’s confident strut actually was.
On another note, I enjoy seeing all of the names of the movies that were playing on 42nd Street when this scene was filmed.
4 Or More Shots From 4 Or More Films is just what it says it is, 4 shots from 4 of our favorite films. As opposed to the reviews and recaps that we usually post, 4 Shots From 4 Films lets the visuals do the talking!
Today, the Shattered Lens wishes a happy birthday to Tom Hanks! It’s time for….
4 Shots From 4 Tom Hanks Films
Big (1988, dir by Tom Hanks, DP: Barry Sonnenfeld)
Apollo 13 (1995, dir by Ron Howard, DP: Dean Cundey)
Cast Away (2000, dir by Robert Zemeckis, DP: Don Burgess)
Captain Phillips (2013, dir by Paul Greengrass, DP: Barry Ackroyd)
F*ck Off, Graham
Last night, Graham Platner announced that he is “suspending” his campaign for the U.S. Senate.
I don’t live in Maine, and I absolutely hate it when out-of-staters start talking about Texas politics. So I’ve kept my feelings to myself, but what the hell — I might as well say it now. None of the stuff that has come out about Graham Platner has taken me by surprise. I felt like I pretty much knew who he was as soon as I saw him in his underwear, drunk and making someone else’s wedding reception all about him. Every woman has known a Graham Platner. He’s the guy who has a big personality, who says all the right stuff, and who seems to be just troubled enough to fool you into thinking you can save him. He’s the guy who always has to be the center of attention, the guy who always thinks he’s right, and the guy who has a thousand sob stories to make you feel guilty for ever doubting him. No one has any right to claim to have been shocked to discover who Graham Platner actually was.
He’s a forgotten figure today, but this whole Platner thing reminds me of Aaron Coleman, the 20-year-old DSA kid who, in 2020, narrowly defeated an incumbent in a primary for the Kansas House. The Intercept promoted him as a future leader of America.
After he won the primary, it turned out that Coleman had a history of abusing his girlfriends and was once arrested for threatening to shoot up his school. Like Platner, he blamed the whole thing on PTSD and basically had a dramatic sob story for every accusation. He was asked to withdraw, but unlike Platner, he refused.
Coleman won because he was running in a blue district and no Republican had bothered to file for the general election. He did a lot of bragging when he won the election, but he was such a toxic figure that no one was willing to work with him, and his district was basically left without effective representation for two years. He served one totally disastrous term and then received only 13% of the vote when he ran for reelection.
Platner has suspended his campaign, though he has yet to file the paperwork to make his withdrawal official. He released an 11-minute video last night. Sitting through the entire thing is not easy. Platner rants that the accusations against him are false and says he’s been set up by “the system” and “the political establishment.” If that’s the case, why drop out? If your entire movement is about fighting the system, why would you surrender the minute the system fights back?
Democrats are going to hold a convention to pick a new nominee. Here’s my unpopular opinion: I don’t think they should be allowed to pick a new nominee. 73% of the Democratic primary voters cast their ballots for a man who had a Nazi tattoo for several years and who was credibly accused of abuse even before the primary. My feeling is that if you’re dumb enough to vote for a Graham Platner or a Roy Moore, then you should deal with the consequences of your stupidity. You don’t get a do-over. Sorry.
Watching Platner’s video, I noticed how angry he was. If there’s any self-reflection going on, it wasn’t evident. Platner seems like one of those guys who is going to end up becoming a perennial third-party candidate. Everyone who made excuses for him in 2026 and who claimed that his scandals were actually evidence of his “authenticity” will pretend they never supported him.
Senator Patrick Dempsey?
One of the stranger moments during the whole Platner mess was when it was revealed that some Democrats were trying to recruit actor Patrick Dempsey to run for the now-open nomination. Dempsey declined, even though it’s not as if he’s got much else going on right now. (McDreamy died over 11 years ago.)
It’s not uncommon to see actors mentioned as political candidates. I’m always a little disappointed when they don’t take the plunge.
John Travolta also lives in Maine. Just saying.
Big Brother Is Back
Big Brother premieres tonight, and after a lot of thought, I’ve decided I’m going to try to watch this season. I don’t know if I’m going to write about it yet. If I do write about it, you’ll be able to find my thoughts at the Reality TV Chat Blog.
That’s It for Now
There’ll be less politics in my thoughts next week, I promise!
Artist Unknown
This knock-out cover is from 1931.
A New York-based band that once featured Madonna on drums, Breakfast Club’s biggest hit was Drive My Car, a cover of a song that had previously been made famous by The Beatles. The cover appeared on the soundtrack of License to Drive, one of the better films to co-star Corey Haim and Corey Feldman.
The video is the usual combination of clips from the film and scenes of the band acting crazy. Since they were already covering a Beatles song, it made sense to go ahead and put Breakfast Club in a 1980s version of Hard Day’s Night and have them spend most of the video trying to escape their obsessed fans. Luckily, they’ve got an invisible car.
Breakfast Club split up shortly after the release of License to Drive.
Enjoy!
“The king to be sought during times of upheaval is not a saint, but a survivor, who is tenacious.” — Kazuya Souma
How a Realist Hero Rebuilt the Kingdom is one of those isekai anime that flips the script in the best way possible, and it’s a breath of fresh air in a genre that often feels like it’s running on autopilot. Instead of the usual power fantasy where the protagonist gets godlike abilities and smashes through hordes of enemies, this series drops its lead into a medieval kingdom and says, hey, how about you actually run this place? And that’s exactly what makes it so compelling. It’s less about magic swords and dragon slaying, and more about tax reform, infrastructure projects, and international diplomacy. Yeah, it sounds dry when you put it like that, but trust me, it’s anything but boring.
The story kicks off with Kazuya Souma, your average university student with a knack for history and a particular obsession with the Civilization video game series. One day, he’s summoned to the fantasy world of Elfrieden—not as a hero to save the world from a demon king, but as a consultant to help a struggling queen turn her kingdom around. The previous hero they summoned bailed after a few months, leaving the kingdom in worse shape than before. Souma, being the practical guy he is, decides to stick around and actually tackle the problems head-on. No overpowered cheat skills, no harem of adoring fans from day one, just a guy with a modern education trying to apply real-world logic to a medieval society. It’s a premise that sounds simple, but the execution is what makes it shine.
What really sets Souma apart from your typical isekai protagonist is his mindset. He’s not out to prove he’s the strongest or to collect a bunch of waifus (though, let’s be real, a few do end up in his orbit). He’s legitimately trying to fix a broken system. He introduces concepts like paper money, a postal system, and even a form of democracy, all while navigating the political minefield of a world where nobles would rather cling to tradition than admit they might need to change. The way he outmaneuvers his opponents isn’t with flashy spells or brute strength, but with economics, psychology, and good old-fashioned negotiation. Watching him turn a kingdom on the brink of collapse into a thriving nation is oddly satisfying, like binge-watching a really good business documentary, but with more elves and magic.
The supporting cast is just as strong as the protagonist. Queen Lisha starts off as a naive young ruler who’s in over her head, but her growth throughout the series is fantastic to watch. She goes from being a symbol of hope with no real power to a shrewd leader in her own right, learning from Souma’s strategies and gradually taking more control. Then there’s Prime Minister Halbert, the grizzled veteran who’s initially skeptical of Souma’s unconventional methods but slowly comes to respect him. The dynamic between these characters feels genuine, and their interactions are some of the highlights of the series. Even the antagonists aren’t just mustache-twirling villains; they’re people with their own motivations and reasons for resisting change, which makes the conflicts feel more nuanced.
The world-building in How a Realist Hero Rebuilt the Kingdom is another standout feature. Elfrieden isn’t just a generic fantasy kingdom; it’s a place with a rich history, complex social structures, and a variety of cultures. The series does a great job of making the world feel lived-in, from the political tensions between the human kingdom and its neighboring nations to the way magic is integrated into daily life. Unlike a lot of isekai where magic is just a tool for combat, here it’s treated as a natural part of the world that has real economic and social implications. For example, the kingdom’s reliance on slave labor is tied to the fact that certain magical races can only reproduce in specific conditions, which creates a weirdly logical justification for an otherwise dark practice. It’s details like this that make the world feel deeper and more thought-out than your average fantasy setting.
One of the most refreshing things about this anime is how it handles its themes. It’s not afraid to tackle heavy topics like class inequality, systemic corruption, and the ethics of governance. Souma isn’t some infallible genius who always makes the right call; he makes mistakes, faces setbacks, and sometimes has to compromise his ideals for the greater good. There’s a great episode where he has to decide whether to abolish slavery immediately or phase it out gradually, knowing that moving too fast could destabilize the economy and cause more harm than good. It’s a morally gray situation, and the series doesn’t shy away from showing the consequences of his choices. This kind of depth is rare in the isekai genre, where the protagonist’s decisions are usually framed as unambiguously right.
The animation by J.C.Staff is solid, though not exactly groundbreaking. The character designs are clean and distinct, and the backgrounds are detailed enough to sell the fantasy setting. The real star of the visual presentation, though, is the way the series uses its art to emphasize the themes. For example, the contrast between the rundown, impoverished parts of the kingdom and the opulent palaces of the nobility is stark and deliberate, reinforcing the social inequalities Souma is trying to address. The action scenes, while not as frequent as in other isekai, are well-choreographed and serve their purpose without feeling out of place in a story that’s more about politics than combat.
If I had to nitpick, the pacing can be a little uneven at times. The first season does a great job of setting up the world and the characters, but there are moments where it feels like the story is spinning its wheels, especially in the middle episodes. Some of the political maneuvering can also get a bit dense, and if you’re not into the whole nation-building aspect, it might feel slow. That said, the payoff is usually worth it. The moments where Souma’s plans come together are incredibly satisfying, and the character development is consistently strong throughout.
Another thing worth mentioning is how the series handles its source material. How a Realist Hero Rebuilt the Kingdom is based on a light novel series by Dojyomaru, and the anime adaptation does a pretty faithful job of bringing the story to life. There are, of course, some cuts and changes to fit the runtime, but nothing that feels egregious or out of place. If you enjoy the anime, the light novels are definitely worth checking out, as they go into even more detail about the world and the characters’ thoughts and motivations.
So, who is this anime for? If you’re a fan of isekai but tired of the same old power fantasy tropes, this is a must-watch. It’s also a great pick if you enjoy stories about politics, strategy, and world-building. That said, if you’re looking for non-stop action or a more traditional adventure narrative, you might find it a little slow. But if you’re willing to engage with its themes and appreciate a protagonist who wins with brains rather than brawn, How a Realist Hero Rebuilt the Kingdom is an absolute gem. It’s smart, thought-provoking, and surprisingly addictive, like a fantasy version of The West Wing with more dragons. And honestly, in a sea of isekai that often feel interchangeable, that’s more than enough to make it stand out.
Anime You Should Be Watching
Welcome to Late Night Retro Television Reviews, a feature where we review some of our favorite and least favorite shows of the past! On Wednesdays, I will be reviewing 1st and Ten, which aired in syndication from 1984 to 1991. The entire series is streaming on Tubi.
This week, Lawrence Taylor shows up!
Episode 4.7 “Saturday, Bloody Saturday”
(Dir by Stan Lathan, originally aired on November 16th, 1988)
Ever since I started reviewing this show, my friend Mark has been telling me to keep an eye out for Lawrence Taylor. Taylor is an actual football player who has gone on to have a sporadic acting career. (He also did Dancing With The Stars.) This week, after months of searching, I finally spotted Lawrence Taylor’s name in the credits.
Taylor plays Tombstone Packer, an opposing player who goes on television and announces that he’s going to destroy the Bulls to get revenge on Dr. Death for crippling one of Tombstone’s teammates. Usually, I joke about how the worst actors on shows like this are always the professional athletes. But I have to admit that Lawrence Taylor is not that bad in this episode. Of course, he spends most of the episode yelling at and threatening people and I imagine that would come naturally to most football players. Still, that’s more than most of the basketball players who appeared on Hang Time were capable of pulling off.
There’s a lot of drama in this episode, even beyond Tombstone Packer’s search for vengeance. For instance, Billy Cooper is shocked to discover that his newest girlfriend, Sybil (Samantha Eggar, seriously slumming), is the wife of Dodds Corporation executive Robert Nelson (Derek Patridge). Making things even worse is that Sybil dies of a drug overdose and Billy is worried that he and the players might be blamed and even criminally charged. Billy shouldn’t have worried, though. It turns out that Sybil had a long history of sleeping with athletes and Robert was okay with it. He’s not even that upset to hear that his wife has died.
Meanwhile, TD Parker (OJ Simpson) meets Gillian (Michael Michele). The newly-divorced TD flirts with Gillian at a supermarket and learns that she’s a soccer player. TD decides that it’s time for the Bulls to make history by signing Gillian as their backup field goal kicker! Over the objections of Coach Denardo, Gillian becomes the first woman to play professional football. Of course, Tombstone tackles her as soon as she makes her first kick and she’s carted off the field with a bruised leg. The show ends with TD welcoming Gillian to the team but, according to imdb, this was Gillian’s only appearance on the show. Hopefully, she didn’t make TD angry.
(I should also say that, on Tubi, this episode’s sound was extremely muddy and the close captioning was running way behind so the show ended before the captions even reached TD’s postgame talk with Gillian. Their conversation was not always easy to hear. That said, Gillian looked really happy so I’m assuming that TD welcomed her to the team.)
As I watched this episode, I remembered that, a few years ago, a woman actually did try out to be a kicker in the NFL. She received a lot of media hype in the days leading up to the try-out. Everyone was really excited until she actually kicked the football and sent it skidding over to the sidelines. I also thought about how Degrassi spent an entire season building up Jane as being a totally badass football player, just to abandon the idea after a few episodes. I guess my point is that I guess it would be great if a woman played in the NFL and totally dominated all of the 300-pound men who play in that league but I just don’t think it’s going to happen in my lifetime.
Oh well! At least I can now say that I’ve spotted Lawrence Taylor on 1st & Ten.
I must admit that I’m not always the most patient guy in the world, and that extends to my driving. I get so frustrated when someone pulls slowly out right in front of me, or when another person camps out in the left lane of the interstate. Most of the time, these are just quick little moments that I quickly move on from, but what might happen if one day I decided to honk my horn and the person in the other car is a crazy psycho? UNHINGED takes that scary thought to the ultimate extreme.
The premise of the movie is about as simple as it gets. Rachel’s (Caren Pistorius) having a rough morning, and she’s running late while taking her son to school. When the truck in front of her doesn’t move at the green light, she decides to lay on her horn. The driver (Russell Crowe) pulls up beside her at the next light and requests an apology. When she refuses, he decides he’s going to teach her what a bad day really is.
UNHINGED works because it’s a mean little thriller that exploits a fear that we can actually imagine. Most of us have a story that involves some level of road rage, and director Derrick Borte’s movie doesn’t waste a second once it gets going. It’s one of those movies where everything keeps getting worse for the terrorized Rachel while the tension continually ratchets up from the beginning to end. The violence is sudden and brutal so you never quite know what’s going to happen next, which definitely works in the film’s favor.
And then there’s the incredible Russell Crowe. Probably heavier than he’s ever been on screen, his psychopathic road rager is truly terrifying. Having witnessed his sick mental state early in the film, we know he’s capable of committing the most heinous acts imaginable. Crowe commits himself completely to this character, erasing any thoughts we have of his noble performances in movies like GLADIATOR or CINDERELLA MAN. Caren Pistorius is also effective as the woman who’s in for the fight of her life. I think she looks a lot like actress Shailene Woodley.
UNHINGED isn’t a perfect film, as it does ask its audience to suspend quite a bit of disbelief. But with that said, it does offer 90 minutes of suspense anchored by Crowe’s incredibly intimidating performance. In my opinion, it’s a very effective film… and I doubt I honk at anybody on my way to work tomorrow morning!
Welcome to Retro Television Reviews, a feature where we review some of our favorite and least favorite shows of the past! On Wednesdays, I will be reviewing the original Love Boat, which aired on ABC from 1977 to 1986! The series can be streamed on Paramount Plus!
This week, season 7 comes to an end,
Episode 7.27 “Best Ex-Friends/All the Congressman’s Women/Three Faces of Love”
(Dir by Ted Lange, originally aired on May 12th, 1984)
This week, on The Love Boat, Gopher fires Isaac!
You read that right. Gopher told Isaac, “You’re fired,” and it was one of the most shocking things I’ve ever seen on The Love Boat. Some of that was because Gopher and Isaac were best friends. Most of it was because I had no idea that Gopher could fire people.
Why does Gopher fire Isaac? Because Isaac refuses to fire Tina Burnell (Eugenia Wright), the new barmaid that Isaac is currently dating. In Gopher’s defense, Tina is terrible at her job. Also, in Gopher’s defense, it really doesn’t seem ethical for Isaac to hire someone just because he wants to sleep with her. In fact, that seems kind of icky by today’s standards. Then again, this episode aired in 1984. Times were apparently different back then.
The next morning, Gopher rehires Isaac and the two of them forgive each other. But then Gopher puts in for a transfer to another ship because he feels that he’s too close to everyone on the boat to do a good job. (Gopher is probably correct about this.) Isaac finally admits that Tina is not a good enough barmaid and he gently fires her. He assures her that, with her looks and personality, she’ll be able to find a new boss who wants to sleep with her and she’ll get a new job in no time. Isaac chooses friendship over meaningless sex. Awwwww!
I’m being snarky but this story actually worked far better than it had any right to. Ted Lange and Fred Grandy always made for a good team. Their friendship always feels real and, all other issues aside, it’s hard not be happy that they’re still friends at the end of this episode.
As for the other stories, Sal Viscuso plays a movie makeup artist who fears that his girlfriend (Heidi Bohay) is going to cheat on him. He disguises himself as both Burt Reynolds and Doc Bricker in order to test her loyalty. Amazingly, she’s touched by his devotion.
And finally, 11 year-old Tori Spelling plays a sociopathic little brat who doesn’t want her Congressman father (Sam Goom) to run for governor or marry his campaign manager (Phyllis Davis). So, Tori starts cutting up newspapers and magazines and using the headlines to create threatening letters. Somehow, no one has figured out that Tori is the culprit and the Congressman is traveling with a bodyguard. (Hopefully, the Congressman is paying for the bodyguard himself and not charging the taxpayers.) Eventually, Tori comes clean but only after she’s caught with a scissors, glue, and cut up magazine. Personally, I think Tori should have been tossed overboard but instead, she accepts her father’s ambition and her new stepmother’s love.
This was the final episode of Season 7 and it wasn’t a bad one to go out on. Tori Spelling was a terrible actress even at the age of eleven but the Gopher/Isaac storyline was touching. Sadly, this was Lauren Tewes’s final episode and she did not get a grand send-off. Instead, she was fired after this season because, as Tewes has admitted in several interviews, she was struggling with a serious cocaine addiction. Tewes didn’t get to do much during Season 7 and, when you consider how important Julie was during the early seasons of The Love Boat, that’s a shame.
Out of respect for Lauren’s final episode, we’re retiring the HOW COKED UP WAS JULIE scale. What’s important is that Lauren herself got clean and went on to appear in Twin Peaks: The Return. Good for her!
Through the Shattered Lens 