[The Weekly Swarm] 4/20 - 4/26

The last full week of April has come and gone, further illustrating just how time really does fly by. Nevertheless, we prosper on through the fabric of space and time! Last week, we featured some great reviews and editorials from Hubert out of New York's Tribeca Film Festival, we shared the first official trailer for Batman v Superman: Dawn of JusticeThe LEGO Movie writers/directors Phil Lord and Chris Miller announced they're writing and producing an official Spider-Man animated film, Netflix officially renewed Marvel's Daredevil for a second season, and much more!

Check out all of last week's amazing content below.

The Weekly Swarm Film

[Trailer] Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice
[Trailer] DOPE
[Review] Theory of Obscurity: a film about The Residents
[Tribeca Review] The Survivalist
[Tribeca] The Adderall Diaries and the Problem with the Brilliant Male Writer Cliche
[Review] The Road to God Knows Where
[Tribeca Review] Palio
The LEGO Movie Directors Are Making an Animated Spider-Man Film
[Weekly Netflix Fix] DC Cartoons Return

The Weekly Swarm Music

[Playlist of the Week] Five Songs for 4/20 Crowds
[American Idol-izer] Top 6 Perform
[American Idol-izer] Top 5 Perform

weekly-swarm-tv

[This Week In TV] Orphan Black; Louie; Gotham
[American Idol-izer] Top 6 Perform
Marvel's Daredevil Renewed for Second Season
[Weekly Netflix Fix] DC Cartoons Return
[American Idol-izer] Top 5 Perform
[This Week In TV] The Americans; Other Space; Inside Amy Schumer


The Americans season 3 finale

[This Week In TV] The Americans; Other Space; Inside Amy Schumer

This Week in TV is a weekly feature reviewing the best, worst and most interesting episodes of television from the past seven days. The plan is to cover a wide variety of shows, but not always the same ones each week, so let us know in the comments which ones you’d particularly like to read about. This week sees Cold War drama The Americans reach the end of its third season, Other Space mark the debut of a new sci-fi comedy from Yahoo, and the third season premiere of feminist sketch show Inside Amy Schumer.


Ruby Hornet's The Weekly Swarm

[The Weekly Swarm] 4/13 - 4/19

We're officially in the middle of April, meaning we're in the long stretch towards summer. Are you prepared for the onslaught of music festivals and weekly block parties? I know I'm not. What I am ready for, however, is recapping last week's great content on Ruby Hornet. While it was a bit of a short week for us, we had some gems, including the first official trailer for Ant-Man, word that Spike Lee is requesting a $3 million tax break for Chiraq, reviews of Unfriended and The Dead Lands, our SXSW interview with Raekwon, why Marvel's Daredevil is their best piece of work yet, and much more! Check everything out below.

weekly-swarm-culture

Spike Lee Asking for $3 Million Tax Break for Chiraq

WeeklyFilm

[Trailer] Ant-Man
The 2015 Tribeca Film Festival Begins
Spike Lee Asking for $3 Million Tax Break for Chiraq
[Weekly Netflix Fix] Have You Watched Marvel's Daredevil Yet?
[Review] Unfriended
[Review] The Dead Lands

The Weekly Swarm Music

[Playlist of the Week] 15 Weird Science Music Videos
[SXSW Video Interview] Raekwon

weekly-swarm-tv

Why Daredevil is Marvel's Best, Most Important Work Yet
[Weekly Netflix Fix] Have You Watched Marvel's Daredevil Yet?


Spike Lee

Spike Lee Asking for $3 Million Tax Break for Chiraq

Last week, Chicagoans found themselves divided over the announcement that Spike Lee will be directing a Chicago-set film, Chiraq. Myself and the rest of the Ruby Hornet team took a stand against the title, calling the name "misguided, demeaning, and insulting to Chicago." The director is in town for this weekend's CIMM Fest, and recently met with some city leaders to find funding and receive a tax break for the film.

Exactly how much of a tax break is Lee and his production team asking for? $3 million. Alderman Will Burns of the 4th Ward, who also helped structure the film industry tax break system for Illinois, responded to Lee's representatives' request, stating, "You recognize that by seeking public support that gives us a seat at the table." Burns is part of the very vocal group of opposition that finds the film title demeaning. He further states:

With the title Chiraq, that’s branding whole parts of the city. For people who live on the South and West Sides who pay their taxes, are active in block clubs and work to make their neighborhoods better, it’s a slap in the face [...] South Siders and West Siders already walk around with a massive chip on their shoulders. There’s a sense the media only comes to cover dead bodies and not the positive things that happen every day. And why is this guy from New York coming to do a movie about Chicago?

Recently re-elected Mayor Emanuel also met with Lee at City Hall yesterday, voicing his dislike of Chiraq as the film's title to the director. Mayor Emanuel also expressed his concern over the depiction of Englewood residents, where the film will be shot in and located. When asked what Emanuel said to Lee, the Mayor replied:

He said the movie is about the neighborhood of Englewood. I was clear that I was not happy about the title [...] I told him also that there are very good people who live in Englewood who are raising their family. There’s a lot of positive things happening in Englewood, mainly driven by the people that make up Englewood.

With a vocal opposition to the title from both everyday citizens and city leaders, it would only make sense for Lee to truly hear our concern and opinions over why the title should be changed. Lee's a smart man, and I'm sure he'll be open to changing the title from Chiraq once he sees exactly how passionate we are about our reasons... especially if he receives a state tax break to shoot the film here. As Alderman Burns says, "[...] the public should be given a seat at the table, and we need to have a conversation and a dialogue about it. It’s our money, and it’s our city."

[via DNAinfo Chicago]


Ruby Hornet's The Weekly Swarm

[The Weekly Swarm] 4/6 - 4/12

Last week was definitely a great week for us. We visited a Scientology church and lived to tell the tale, Nick analyzed not only the treatment of Latino characters in TV, but also the positive effects YouTube has had for musicians, Xander reviewed and recapped new episodes of Game of ThronesMad MenBetter Call Saul, and Marvel's Daredevil, and I wrote a thing or two about Spike Lee's Chiraq. Find all of this and more in this week's installment of The Weekly Swarm below!

weekly-swarm-culture

Television Has Been Good to the Latino Community Lately
Get Fancy and Check Out the MCA on Tuesdays for FREE
Spike Lee's Use of Chiraq for His Next Film is Enraging
My Trip to the Local Scientology Church

The Weekly Swarm Film

[Trailer] ANIMALS
Spike Lee's Use of Chiraq for His Next Film is Enraging
[Weekly Netflix Fix] The Sheik, New 30 for 30 Added

WeeklyMusic

Video Saved the Radio Star: How YouTube Pulled Off What MTV Couldn't
[American Idol-izer] Top 7 Perform

weekly-swarm-tv

David Lynch Walks Out on Twin Peaks Revival
Television Has Been Good to the Latino Community Lately
[Weekly Netflix Fix] The Sheik, New 30 for 30 Added
[American Idol-izer] Top 7 Perform
[This Week In TV] Game Of Thrones; Marvel's Daredevil; Mad Men; Better Call Saul


Church of Scientology LA

My Trip to the Local Scientology Church

The author has requested to remain anonymous.

Classical music plays outside of a lucrative business on one of the busiest streets in my city, but I’ve never seen anyone go in. Maybe it’s because this is the only place around that attempts to lure you in this way. Intrigued, I decided to go in. As I stepped closer to the door, a sudden rush of doubt fell over me. I felt squirmy and began to second-guess myself on opening the door. I told myself, “This is a totally normal thing that a lot of people do.” Trying not to pass judgement, I opened the door and stepped into my local Scientology organization.

Recently, the church has been under high scrutiny because of the HBO documentary, Going Clear: Scientology And The Prison Of Belief, and various other accounts from countless ex-Scientologists, family members and researchers. What the church calls secret or confidential information from the religion’s founder, renowned science-fiction author L. Ron Hubbard, has been “leaked” (more like revealed) to the internet over the past couple decades with more outrageous accusations than the church can try to suppress. Personal accounts of mental abuse, physical abuse, tiring work hours and tasks, tax evasion, fraud, death threats, alleged disappearances, court proceedings and countless other testimonies have Americans on the edge of their seats as they see what the “secret” religion of Scientology is all about. Since watching the documentary the day it aired, I have wanted nothing more than to visit the “org” (local branch) as a potential member. More so, you could say I became obsessed with the idea. Knowing nobody would go with me, I had no choice but to head in solo.


Spike Lee headshot

Spike Lee's Use of Chiraq for His Next Film is Infuriating

My faith in Spike Lee's abilities as a compelling storyteller has been dwindling for a few years now, and it was all but severed after watching his latest film, Da Sweet Blood of Jesus. During my video interview with the director, I asked him why he decided to crowdfund the film, to which he replied, "To get the money." It looks like Lee is going for the money yet again with the title choice for his next film, the offensively-titled Chiraq.

As reported by The Wrap earlier, Lee and Amazon Studios are working together to shoot a film in Chicago with a rumored ensemble cast featuring Kanye West, Samuel L. Jackson, Jeremy Piven, and Common. While there are little to no details beyond these rumors, the film's moniker alone should be enough to piss off dedicated Chicagoans, myself included.

The term "Chiraq" has been plaguing the city's residents for a couple of years now as it compares the city's recent history of gun violence and murder to the war torn country in the Middle East. Some residents (and non-residents, as is wont to happen to those desperately trying to identify with the city) have embraced and glorified the term, while others recognize the nickname's inherent hate and negativity. And for the most part, the term has dissipated with only a select few still embracing the term in an attempt to further push the image of Chicago being a dangerous city. That's not to ignore or brush aside the countless acts of violence we unfortunately hear on a daily basis, but the fact remains that the title bestowed upon this amazing city does nothing to further advance how multi-dimensional and outstanding Chicago is, relegating it to nothing more than a city we ought to be in fear of.

[youtube id="TybFtK6VTVo"]

I acknowledge that, with no plot information for Chiraq, my reactions to the film may be too premature. However, with Lee's recent feature films, he's demonstrated his inability to truly capture the level of quality he showed early in his career. Perhaps his choice of using the term will be used in a way to subvert what it stands for, but I worry Lee won't be able to do the film or this city justice. At the very least, he's done his due diligence, as the Chicago Tribune noted Lee was in town earlier this year to research the city's recent history of violence with St. Sabina's Reverend Michael Pfleger. And for that, I commend him.

However, the use of the term is misguided, demeaning, and insulting to Chicago. We are more than just "Chiraq," but by having an icon such as Lee embracing the nickname for his film will do nothing to alleviate the city's public perception from those across the country. Last year, VICE released a series of video documentaries that seemed to push an agenda of exploiting the Chiraq phenomenon, and it's with this in mind that I worry even more about Lee's Chiraq.

Spike, if you're going to shoot a film dealing with and discussing the city's violence, I implore you to come up with a better title. Use a title that isn't so closely associated with murder, with violence, with gang culture, with ignorant rappers, with hate. I love my city, and I would never refer to it with such an ugly term that exploits every single Chicagoan that has been affected by the city's outbursts of violence. And if you do decide to keep the title, prove me wrong - show me and the world that you still have something left in the tank to bring change to a problem that's plagued us for years.

Rest in peace, Mikal.

[via The Wrap]


Jane the Virgin promo shot

Television Has Been Good to the Latino Community Lately

As cinema continues to struggle with Chicano representation, let alone portray the Spanish community in a non-stereotypical fashion, television has been quietly (and sometimes, not so quietly) making headway toward better treatment of its Latino characters. With more members of the community producing and writing for television, the wealth of fully fleshed out characters has been more noticeable than ever.

Not every show needs to be about Latinos, nor have a Spanish actor forced in a show outside their comfort zone just to make a point, I just want other forms of media to realize that we're here and ready to show off.

Promo still of ABC's Cristela

With non-traditional services like Netflix, Amazon, and Hulu taking more of the advertising money, traditional television is learning to capitalize on the increasing Latino demographic. With under 3% of English and Spanish speaking homes watching Spanish-only television, and the population's buying power totaling somewhere around $1 trillion, TV shows that cater to the demo are rewarded with high ratings and revenue. That doesn't mean pandering will work for the audience, however, so no show can be churned out for a quick buck just because. Take ABC's recent, and far less memorable Killer Women, for example. A reboot of the Argentinan novela Mujeres Asesinas, produced with Sofia Vergara (who once noted in an interview that she started getting roles once she dyed her hair brown and chased after traditional "Latina" characters like in Modern Family) among others, the show was an American set program starring Canadian actress Tricia Helfer. It basically removed all of the origin's Argentinian identity and that was enough to cause its demise. A public assimilation turned failed experiment was obviously the wrong direction.

That's why a show like Cristela, a middling sitcom full of Latino characters, can be one of the most popular comedy debuts last fall (second only to Black-ish, which further illustrates the need for a wider cultural umbrella) and can practically take over ABC. It's one of the few shows on the big three networks that's explicitly for the Latino audience. The only reason I don't rally behind it, however, is because the whole thing rings false. It's a particularly loud cry for attention, and an obvious pull for money. But not every successful Latino program of the last season was as loud as this. One show proved we can have both a Latino influenced program, with a strong multi-cultural voice, and be intelligently subdued about it to make it digestible for those outside the audience. There's no need to alienate our community further.

The CW, a network making fine strides toward delivering multi-faceted television with capable, "nerdier" programs like Arrow and The Flash, tapped into something great with Jane the Virgin. An incredibly personal, emotional, and cultural program, Virgin demonstrates how a show can both be a positive representation of its culture, without alienating viewers outside of it. It may be a slight parody of the Spanish telenovelas that inspire it (which also lets a new audience know how great the genre can be), but has yet to feel degrading or belittling within its current run of episodes. Gina Rodriguez, earning herself a Golden Globe in the process, has developed the titular Jane with a Latina background that doesn't make up the entirety of her characterization, unlike recent efforts like Fox's Gang Related. With the Latino community's evolution, as less Latinos are bilingual and more non-Latinos become invested in the growing population's culture, television networks are slowly learning that it's okay to cast Chicano actors and not have that be their only quality. We're done playing the "gang leader" or the "prostitute" or "drug kingpin." It's okay to give us boring roles too.

Disney's Princess Elena of Avalor

It must be weird for me to argue that I love Latino characters that aren't explicitly Latino, like maybe a guy named "Jeff" who just works in an office or something, but that's the current trend we South and Central American ethnicities are heading in. Jane the Virgin is just one big example, but TV shows are casting Latino actors in other shows and don't make a big deal out of it. Take Brennan Meija in Power Rangers Dino Charge, for instance. He's a Latino character (last name's Navarro), but that's not even remotely important to the heroics at hand. Or Disney's Sofia the First, which is Disney's first Spanish princess. Her distinct European looks make Disney pass her off as a more non-ethnic Princess, but that doesn't matter since we're soon getting a second effort with Princess Elena of Avalor getting her own show in 2016.

Disney revealing their Latina princesses through TV shows rather than cinema reflects the current attitude the majority of the community has. As cinema struggles to utilize and give us multi-ethnic heroes and villains, television is currently taking a progressive stance and gives the community more of a voice. Sure I'd like more non-white showrunners and network heads, but after all of these years of struggling to find strong Latino voices on TV I'll take what I can get it. Television has been good to my community lately, but I hope we're not just the flavor of the month.