New Disney Streaming Service: Disney+

[EricJ]

I chuckled the other day reading an article claiming that BW was "one of Marvel's most anticipated releases." Really? By what standard?! Typical film industry hyperbole. It is more likely near the bottom of the list. I know that I am not all that excited for it, though it may turn out to be great.

It's...certainly Marvel's longest demanded release, if not technically "most".

[Dacey]

I've been championing for a Black Widow movie since Iron Man 2, so I'm fully on board (it would be a bit more exciting if she hadn't died in Endgame, though).

[EricJ]

Although the first people to talk about a Black Widow movie was Paramount, who were...not Disney/Marvel.
And, when Iron Man 2 underwhelmed the fans, the studio's "Elektra complex" kicked in, and execs' first defensive impulse was to say "Maybe they just wanted to see more of the sexy babe!" rather than do a straight sequel. That's how far back it goes.

It was the, ahem, other fans who turned it into some Social Crusade that we "needed" Black Widow to get her own movie as a social example, so there!
(Again, because nobody ever thought MCU would give in to fan completism and give Captain Marvel her own movie.)

[Randall]

I've been championing for a Black Widow movie since Iron Man 2, so I'm fully on board (it would be a bit more exciting if she hadn't died in Endgame, though).

Exactly. It feels unnecessary and inconsequential. However, I do think there will be something in it to bring the MCU story forward in an unexpected way.

They've got to do that, right?

[EricJ]

Well, um, not really, since it doesn't fit in with any of their stated Phase IV plans--
There was a point where Marvel was considering the print-comics' "Dark Avengers" (sort of the Marvel Legion of Doom) as a new running archvillain, where Natasha's jealous "sister" from her training days, Yelena Belova, became the equivalent Evil Black Widow...

But, unless there's a last-scene character twist like they did with Doctor Strange, we're getting Marvel Chik-Flik.
(Or, as the joke went when the teaser first hit, "Do You Want To Shoot An Iron Man?")

[Ben]

Well, um, if they *don't* do anything to lay *some* kind of Easter egg for future plans, them it’s an awful waste of a then belated and completely pointless "flashback" movie that has no bearing on the here and now, since *in* the here and now she’s dead!

So...yeah, there’s definitely something in here that explains and/or sets up something pretty pivotal for someone to act on in the future of the MCU. They just don’t *do* random...

[EricJ]

Well, um, if they *don't* do anything to lay *some* kind of Easter egg for future plans, them it’s an awful waste of a then belated and completely pointless "flashback" movie that has no bearing on the here and now, since *in* the here and now she’s dead!

...Bingo.

At the moment, the only active Phase IV strategies are:
- Multiverse Wipe (Dr. Strange 2, WandaVision)
- Young/female successors (Ant-Man 3, Thor 4, never-ending rumors of an "A-Force" after that pandering Endgame shot)
- And rumors that MCU's going to retry Spiderman's "Sinister Six" with the existing Raimi/MCU villains in the third movie, because Sony just couldn't let their Amazing 2 go.

As for "Have you hugged your Skrull/betrayed-rival sister today? " as a strategy, that was...last year.

[Daniel]

Added today:

:
The Falcon and The Winter Soldier – Episode 2
The Mighty Ducks: Game Changers – Episode 1
Inside Pixar: Foundations
Secrets of Sulpher Springs - Episode 9
Pickle and Peanut
Gnomeo & Juliet

:
neXt – Episode 3
Dollface - Episode 4
The Resident (Seasons 1-3)
T.O.T.s – Season 2
Fantastic Four (2015)
Sideways
Taken
Taken 2
Gone in 60 Seconds
Area 51: The CIA's Secret
The Aftermath

:
Grown-ish – Episode 2 (Season 3)
Code Black
Ghost Whisperer
Taste The Nation with Padma Lakshmi (Season 1)
The Help
Gnomeo & Juliet

:
Grey's Anatomy – Episode 6 (Season 17)
Grown-ish – Episode 7 (Season 3)
Family Guy – Episode 3 (Season 19)
Mickey Mouse Mixed Up Adventures
Gnomeo & Juliet

:
Helstrom – Episode 7
Solar Opposites – Episode 7
Love, Victor – Episode 7
Big Sky – Episode 7

[Ben]

So...are you changing your stance, EJ, or did you twist yourself up in backtalk?

Black Widow, the movie, will obviously introduce a character who will then come back out of hiding in a future film to avenge/become the new Black Widow, the character, maybe leading a new team of good, or even bad, people, before showing allegiance to the good guys via sacrifice at the end of a future teamup of solo standalone... Anyone fit the bill for that...?

[EricJ]

Yeah, now, now that the studio's given up the Legion of Doom idea, and has to change strategies for all the Endgame casualties (and expired actor contracts) that ended up in the final script draft...

I don't think we'll see much of the comic-relief "Russian version of Fat Thor" representative-male slob sidekick, though, he was exclusive to some of the "Russian" characters and Widow's own comic.

[Daniel]

Added today:

/
The Falcon and The Winter Soldier - Episode 3
The Mighty Ducks: Game Changers - Episode 2
Secrets of Sulphur Springs - Episode 10
Walk the Prank
Higglytown Heroes (Season 1-2)
The Last Ice
Made in a Day
Secrets of the Zoo (Season 4)
Sharks of the Bermuda Triangle
The Story of the Faithful Wookiee
Star Wars: Ewoks
Caravan of Courage
Ewoks: The Battle for Endor
Star Wars: Clone Wars – Volume I & II
Third Man on the Mountain
The Island at the Top of the World
The Big Year
Night at the Museum
Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian

:
Dollface - Episode 5
neXt - Episode 4
Running With Bear Grylls (Season 5)
Wicked Tuna (Season 9)
Bob's Burgers (Seasons 1-10)
The Help
Fright Night
People Like Us
Gnomeo & Juliet

:
Grown-ish - Episode 3 (Season 3)
The Secret Life of the American Teenager
Feud: Bette and Joan
Alita: Battle Angel
Tolkien

:
Grey's Anatomy - Episode 7 (Season 17)
Grown-ish - Episode 8 (Season 3)
Station 19 - Episode 1 (Season 4)
Family Guy - Episode 4 (Season 19)
Bob's Burgers - Episode 2 (Season 11)
Cesar Millan: The Real Story
Dino Ranch
The Secret Life of the American Teenager
Scream Queens
Squanto: A Warrior's Tale

:
Helstrom - Episode 8
Solar Opposites - Episode 8
Love, Victor - Episode 8
Big Sky - Episode 8

Secret Life... That show was painful.

Third Man on the Mountain - Saw it again a few years ago on TCM. Grand movie!

[Bill1978]

I'm kinda tempted to watch Caravan of Courage cause I loved the movie as a kid when it first came out and I was in major ewok obsession but I'm worried watching it as an adult will ruin the sweet childhood memories I have of the film

[Ben]

Ooh, up for Third Man...hope it’s in its original scope framing, the DVD was heavily cropped. Also good to see the Ewok movies on there, though I’m not sure they held up even back when they were released! Sorry Bill! Even my tender age of eleven or twelve, I always thought Battle For Endor was the better of the two, with some "proper" style ILM effects, but again the DVD transfers were cropped or open matte, so it’d be nice if they’re on in their theatrical ratios (both got international big screen releases and were, really, the first non-saga "anthology films" — nice to see Disney remember them at least).

[Randall]

I'm kinda tempted to watch Caravan of Courage cause I loved the movie as a kid when it first came out and I was in major ewok obsession but I'm worried watching it as an adult will ruin the sweet childhood memories I have of the film

I had actually just purchased the (previously) rare DVD off eBay from a German seller. I kind of regret that, now that D+ has these films up anyway. My son and I watched Caravan, and it's not so good - fairly boring, unless you have nostalgia for it. I had never watched these before. I am told that Battle for Endor is somewhat better.

[EricJ]

I watched both movies (they're supposed to be connected) on a back-of-the-shelf library double-feature DVD, and...yeah, they're not prime.
Like Phantom Menace, Lucas wanted "the little kid" audience, with a cute Drew Barrymore-clone 80's-tot and her hotheaded Jedi-wannabe big brother, who was dropped from the second film. And, like Phantom Menace, you can guess how subtly Lucas's attempt at grabbing the "little kid audience" was handled.

Endor is somewhat better, as it goes WAY off the SW radar, and into fantasy/Willow territory that Lucas was wanting to start dabble in.