Saw #Creed2 and found this review

I just had to share this review with you all. You might have seen me retweet this on my twitter page. Here's in the tweet you can click on it to see the review in Cosmopolitan. It's interesting that they typical readership of Cosmo would even be interested in a boxing film.

So, #Creed2 is enjoyable and all, but I finally had to come to terms with how the franchise - in particular, this film - enables toxic masculinity at the detriment of its female characters. My latest for @cosmopolitan: https://t.co/JD7h0MA8bF

— Candice Frederick (@ReelTalker) November 20, 2018

I saw Creed 2 on Thanksgiving. And not to steal a schtick from the late critics Roger Ebert and Gene Siskel but I've give this film a thumbs up. The story of a man (Adonis Creed) who's about to fight the son (Viktor Drago) of a man (Ivan Drago) who took part in a fight that resulted in the death of that man's father (Apollo Creed). Basically we can call this sequal not only a sequel to Creed (2015) also for Rocky 4.

However the review for Cosmo that I just became aware of recently turns this film as an enabler for toxic masculinity.

It’s a boxing movie that we’re told has “heart,” a word coach Rocky (Sylvester Stallone) uses a lot in the film. "Listen to your heart," he keeps telling Adonis Creed (Michael B. Jordan), who’s determined to defend his championship from Viktor Drago (Florian Munteanu), whose father Ivan (Dolph Lundgren) defeated Adonis’ dad in the match that killed him back in 1985’s Rocky IV. Adonis has some seriously unresolved issues about how his father’s death permanently devastated him and his mom Mary Anne (Phylicia Rashad) and attempts to use this fight with Viktor to settle a score.

So right away, the two opponents—Adonis and Viktor—are established to have major daddy hang-ups. Viktor is also fighting to reclaim the title for the sake of his dad, whose own was stripped by Rocky himself in 1990’s Rocky V. This means everything that happens in Creed II is dependent on how these two male fighters choose to define their own machismo and protect their paternal legacies. Even Rocky talks about his estranged relationship with his son. These themes of masculinity are so oppressive that they relegate everything else that happens in the film—including the fact that Adonis and Bianca (Tessa Thompson) are expecting a baby—to the background.

I'm going to assume the "toxic masculinity" of the movie is bad for the women most affected here. Mother is concerned about her son and his wife is definitely concerned about her husband. Well the family drama is important, but then the other side of the movie is the drama that takes place for the boxers once they get into the ring.

I wonder if it's ever understood that a man feels as if he must handle his business. Sometimes a man might let something slide, however, in the case of boxing why should he stand down from a guy boasting that he won't lose. Perhaps Creed needed to get back into the ring and prove something. Somewhere out there and under different circumstances (and yes not exactly within the context of competitive sports) a man is facing similar situations.

What this writer might neglect is what I was able to deduce in this movie. Viktor Drago is with his father Ivan at a dinner to celebrate their boxing successes. It gets somewhat marred when an elegant blonda haired woman enter the dining room. As it turns out it's Viktor's mother and Ivan's ex wife. After the events of Rocky 4 (1985) Ivan's life unraveled and that woman played by Brigitte Nielsen in both films left Ivan and his son. So now I understand why Viktor seemed upset and let his father know what's up. And matter of fact Ivan tells him what happened Ivan lost!

I won't give too much away, but once the fight is over I began not to be surprised at what happens near the end of the movie. Especially with the background I gave you, although I've yet to really fully watch Rocky 4 which I concluded years ago was probably the beginning of the Rocky franchise jumping the shark.

All the same, this toxic masculinity, where is it here?

If you haven't seen it do so here's a trailer to get you excited. [VIDEO]

Virtual Railfan: Amtrak's Southwest Chief back-to-back

[VIDEO] Having been wrestling obsessed over the weekend, I just wanted to share this vid from Virtual Railfan. Two Amtrak Southwest Chief trains back-to-back in LaPlata, Missouri train #4 was very late coming from Los Angeles, it would normally get into LaPlata in the morning. I'm curious what happened although I see it was pulled into the station by a BNSF freight locomotive.

That happened 20 minutes after train #3 pulls out of the LaPlata station near it's regular time. Sometimes (perhaps often) the train is late pulling into LaPlata especially when I'm able to see train #3 at night. I rarely get to see Train #4 it seems I'm more of a night owl when I watch the Virtual Railfan cams on YouTube.

Feel free to check out the Railcam page here.

"The Big Bus"

[VIDEO] Been years since I've seen this film. I was horrified when I first saw this film at even a humorous idea of a nuclear-power bus. Now looking at recent clips of The Big Bus beyond this trailer, I just can't take this movie.

The odd subplots a fallen veterinarian, a man with a terminal illness, a couple about to divorce, a pastor who lost his way, a bus driver accused of cannibalism, and that's probably not have of the subplots. The main plot is that an intercity bus company creates and builds a nuclear-powered bus for non-stop service between NYC and Denver. And this is seen as a threat to the oil industry.

You know this movie is absurd and is a cult classic. It probably wasn't very popular when it was first released but someone appreciates it now. For me, it's probably one of those movies I would think of as you're entertained and then you can forget about it later. I would put The Big Bus in that category, though just for old time sake this is one movie I would like to see one more time.

No more clips on YouTube! Like this one! [VIDEO]

Hmmm, it's funny to see the stars that I know in this movie. Rene Auberjonois, Richard Mulligan, Joseph Bologna, Stockard Channing, and I just found out the late Larry Hagman is in this movie though probably in a bit part. These are names I would know today though one of those (Bologna) I know from this movie. The others were in far more well known productions years down the road Auberjonois I mostly know from Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. Mulligan was the star of series Empty Nest & Soap. Channing was on the series The West Wing.

The Chicago Black Hawks make a change on coaching staff.

While awaiting WWE SmackDown Live and the results of the 2018 midterm elections this caught my eye today. And interestingly since I unveiled my new "Champs" page here on the blog. This caused me to say woah today...
From the Sun-Times

Before practice, the Hawks announced a coaching staff overhaul, which included the firing of coach Joel Quenneville and his assistant coaches, Kevin Dineen and Ulf Samuelsson.

Rockford IceHogs coach Jeremy Colliton replaced Quenneville as the 38th head coach in Hawks’ history.

The Hawks also named Barry Smith, who most recently served as the director of player evaluation for the Hawks, as an assistant coach on Colliton’s staff. The rest of the coaching staff is expected to stay with the team.

There’s no doubt that Quenneville, who has a Hall of Fame resume, is one of the most successful coaches in the history of both the Hawks franchise and NHL. His three Stanley Cups in six seasons speak for themselves. But after missing the playoffs last season, which was Quenneville’s first losing campaign in his 21-year coaching career, and a slow 6-6-3 start through 15 games this season, something had to give.

General manager Stan Bowman said the decision to part with Quenneville, the second-winningest coach in franchise history (452-249-96 in 797 games since 2008), was “very difficult.” He also clarified that Quenneville’s firing wasn’t based on one specific incident, although the Hawks’ most recent road trip was “concerning.”

Yeah, I remember they missed the playoffs last year. Just three years after winning their last Stanley Cup. An unexpected result to those of us used to the Hawks going to the playoffs during the course of the 2010s. Here's hoping Colliton brings the Hawks back to the dance this year.

And perhaps Coach Q isn't ready to retire from coaching in the NHL yet.