Oh man, it's been a minute. Remember back when I would occasionally talk about TV shows? I mean sure, I did wrap up Centaurworld after coming back from my hiatus, but it's been a year since I last talked about Arrow. Similar to how my work schedule has made it hard to watch movies while giving me time to read comics on the clock, squeezing in a 42 minute TV episode isn't too difficult. And so I'm continuing my coverage of the expansive Arrowverse! But first, a recap of season 1.
2013
Banshee Chapter (2013)
You know that scene in Doctor Strange that the MCU has used a couple more times where the Ancient One punches Steven Strange's soul out of his body? Every so often I come across a movie that does something incredibly similar to me. I don't know how else to describe it beyond that; it's not necessarily bad, but it certainly kicks the metaphorical wind out of me and raises questions about what the hell is going on. Banshee Chapter has one of those moments when veteran actor Mr. Ted Levine playing a parody of Hunter S Thompson asks the lead character, "Have you ever read any HP Lovecraft?"
Alligator Alley (2013)
We've reached the end of Shark Week (or at least the version I planned back before they changed the date to July). But wait, you might say, I saw the title of today's movie, and that doesn't appear to involve sharks. And you're right! Alligator Alley--sometimes known as the infinitely better name Ragin' Cajun Redneck Gators--has absolutely no sharks in it. However, in the "Shark Bait: 6 Killer Shark Films" DVD collection, this is covered under "Plus a BONUS 7th BITE to sink your teeth into." Yup, this DVD 6 pack actually had 7 movies. What a twist!
Arrow – Season 1, Episodes 21-23
We're finally here, the ending of Arrow's first season. It's hasn't been as wild a ride as later seasons get, but then again this season does end with a rich asshole destroying the poor part of town, thinking he's in the right. That's some pretty big supervillainy with a dab of social commentary. This wrap up is going to be a bit on the longer side, so strap in. And if you're emotional, grab some tissues because not everyone is making it out of this alive.
Arrow – Season 1, Episodes 18-20
Remember when I talked about episodes of Arrow? It's understandable if you thought I had forgotten, since the last time was three weeks ago. But now that Loki is over I'll have to post something on Saturdays, so getting back into the groove and finishing off Arrow season 1 sounds like a pretty good idea. This batch of episodes introduces John Diggle's future wife as well as having two different love triangles involving Oliver, so let's warm up with a recap of the season so far!
Free Fall (2013)
Who has two thumbs and survived the worst heatwave to hit the Pacific Northwest in recorded history? This guy! Anyway, Pride Month is almost over and there was one last thing I wanted to do in honor of it: watch Freier Fall, AKA Free Fall. It's a German film from 2013 about two men who fall in love, but society is against them. Sound familiar and a little... overplayed? Sure does to me!
Arrow – Season 1, Episodes 15-17
We're back with more Arrow episodes! Last time we got to meet Slade Wilson, AKA Deathstroke, someone who is destined to become one of Oliver's best friends, but also one of his worst enemies. Not to be outdone, this batch of episodes introduces Green Arrow's long time sidekick, Speedy/Arsenal/Red Arrow, someone who will almost appear in every season of the show. It's a big deal for me because he's one of my favorite underrated characters, and while he's straight, his actor is gay. Happy Pride Month!
Arrow – Season 1, Episodes 13-14
You would think that with a goal of "get through all the Arrowverse series before the heat death of the universe" that I wouldn't skip weeks, or have posts that only cover two episodes. I even have a spreadsheet of how I imagined I would bundle the episodes, and today's post was supposed to include one more. But life happens--Sunday posts are not guaranteed to help with sanity, and sometimes I just have enough to say about two episodes that trying to cram a third one would add too much bloat. Certainly doesn't hurt that episode 13 has Oliver Queen meeting Slade Wilson, a major enough character that he gets his own paragraph!
Vampire Boys 2: The New Brood (2013)
By sheer coincidence, it's been about a year since I reviewed Vampire Boys, a gay queer vampire flick that is... not very good. I didn't do a themed Pride Month last year, so watching it in June was just something that happened. But here we are, now talking about Vampire Boys 2: The New Brood. Just about every major cast member has been replaced, except for... wait, who was Tara again? Of course I actually remember--she's the girl that adds a smidge of bisexuality to what is otherwise an incredibly gay movie.
Arrow – Season 1, Episodes 10-12
It's the weekend, which means more of me rambling about Arrow episodes! I know that June is Pride Month and the show at this point has little to no queer representation, but I'd already started this project before June and I'm reviewing queer movies on weekdays, so lemme have this little break. Last we saw, Oliver Queen got absolutely trounced by an assassin revealed (to us, not Oliver) to be Malcolm Merlyn, the first season's big bad. Where does this main plot go in these episodes? Not really anywhere super noteworthy, but that's the nature of long-running shows: not every episode can further the metaplot in a meaningful way.
Chwineka Watches 