The ZONE Podcast: Nerdy News and Reviews
We, the Zealots of Nerd Entertainment (or the ZONE Alliance), are a group of eople talking about old and new movies, television shows, video games, and everything else in nerd/pop culture!
The ZONE Podcast: Nerdy News and Reviews
Sinners: Bloodsuckers and Blues
Ryan Coogler's vampire film "Sinners" delivers a perfect blend of horror, history, and Black cultural heritage that merits a 10/10 rating and multiple viewings. The movie features exceptional performances, especially from Michael B. Jordan playing twin brothers Smoke and Stack, whose distinct personalities make them feel like they're portrayed by different actors.
• Set in 1932 Mississippi, following World War I veteran twins who purchase a sawmill to create a juke joint
• Michael B. Jordan delivers a stellar dual performance as the cautious, business-minded Smoke and his twin brother Stack
• The film explores vampires as a metaphor for systematic oppression and cultural appropriation
• Features an incredible musical sequence where Sammy's guitar playing conjures spirits from different time periods and cultures
• Annie emerges as an unexpected MVP with her knowledge of fighting vampires
• The juke joint represents Black resilience, transforming a place with a dark history into a space for community
• The narrative jumps forward 60 years, showing the lasting impact of characters' choices
• Horror elements are handled with tasteful restraint, making the film more accessible and rewatchable
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- J.B.
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I want to talk about sinners. I didn't get around to watching the movie when it was in theaters. I didn't even know it was a thing until it was already out of the theaters and I was hearing a lot of people saying it was a great movie, great movie. And then, as soon as I heard that it was going to be on HBO max on July 4th, I was like you know what? That's the plan. I'm going to come home and watch Sinners and see how it stacks up, see if it's as good as people say. Honestly, it's right up there with Django, unchained to where. I'd watch it again. I'd watch it again. In fact, aside from some nitpicks that I may have about the film, I'd say it's a 10 out of 10.
Speaker 1:Excellent movie, great movie, like, for starters, the characters, the usage of the music, some of the symbolisms and themes that was going on with sinners. It had a lot going on and had a certain charm that they executed with it and I was just loving it. Uh, and you know what? I am so glad that I have professor tuck on for this review. Uh, tuck, how are you feeling about sinners?
Speaker 2:well. I do agree. It was a 10 out of 10. In my book as well. It was executed well. Now I'm a little bit different because I saw everything ahead of time about it being released and whatnot. So I was pretty good with it. But I watched it three times. I watched it initially. You know the jump scenes got me the first time.
Speaker 2:And then the second time I watched it with a nice young lady. And the third time I watched it with another nice young lady and pretended like I'd never watched it. So it was a very good movie all three times. After I watched it the first time, I watched everything you could possibly watch on YouTube Reviews, looking at some of the stuff that happened in the background, some of the scenes. Everything has a bit of symbolism in it and a bit of historical context. So I really enjoyed about that, even when you just said, uh, july 4th, the release date for it to go on digital media, like that's even culturally significant, because you know of the 4th of July being Freedom Day or Alexander Hamilton Day, as us in Broadway like to say.
Speaker 1:So it's like what Frederick Frederick Douglass said in the epic rap battles of history, where you saw that one on YouTube where it was him versus I think it was Jefferson or something like you know. Either way, it was like about freeing the slaves and he was talking about July 4th and I was like freedom from who? Though? Yeah, I'm like, uh, hold on, july 4th happened. You call it Independence Day, but, um, last I checked, slavery was still a thing for at least a couple, at least a hundred more years.
Speaker 2:So yeah.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:It was sharecropping, which is the thing indentured servitude.
Speaker 1:Now we just call it unemployment no no, no Dark humor. Yeah.
Speaker 2:It's funny how you say it's stacked up. I like that, yeah. What did you think of Michael B Jordan and his performance?
Speaker 1:Bro. Okay, listen, I almost thought it was two different people. I almost thought it was two different people, especially with Stack, where his hat was tilted down to where you couldn't really see his face that much. So I know there was like a body double involved, but I swear to God that it almost felt like two different people at the time. But it's like smoking stack Okay, smoke is more like that. No nonsense.
Speaker 1:Standing on business, reasonably cautious type dude, like how he got that teenage girl to watch his truck and, make sure you know, blow the horn If somebody trying to fuck with my truck and okay, somebody will fuck with the truck and he showed up and was about to blast on and then he was like whoa, hold on, I didn't know this was your truck, I didn't know. I'm like okay, yeah, yeah, sure, sure, okay, okay. And then shot his buddy. I was like whoa, what you do that for? I'm like, hey man, I can't have people going around saying that, uh, y'all almost lifted from the twins and didn't have a limited on proving like I gotta make a, I gotta make an example out of y'all like, even though we cool, I know you, I rock with you, but hey, you got to set an example.
Speaker 1:My boy, yeah, let these streets know. But yeah, like 1932, identical twin Brothers, world War I Veterans smoking stack more, or their real name is Elijah and Elias more, which could be Like a reference to Elias and Elijah from biblical times. After years Of spent of being with the Chicago outfit, or you can say the Mafia mob, whatever case may be, they used this money that they stole from gangsters to buy this sawmill from this racist landowner named hogwood, to start a juke joint, um, back in um, mississippi, because you know they're trying to settle down. You know like lay low, cool off and whatnot. And then he was gonna, they were gonna get uh, their cousin sammy, this aspiring guitarist, to join them, even though his father is like, oh, don't you play that blues music, that's for the devil. And that's the main thing about this film when his music, oh, bro Bro, that musical number that he did in the juke joint, it was like a cultural smorgasbord to where uh, hold on. I got in my notes here that essentially sammy's music was conjuring spirits, representing different time periods and cultures. Like you had zulu dancers, you had futuristic musicians, 70s djs, b-boys, west african griots, uh, cali dancers, chinese kongku and monkey king performers, like it was like a whole bunch going on, but of course that also invited the vampires.
Speaker 1:But the crazy thing is it's not until like halfway into the movie that you find out that all this shit was connected anyways. Like you would think like, okay, let me slow down and say this horror movies is not my normal bag, not that, oh, horror movies, scary. No, it's because horror movies usually play out so predictable that I'm like, ah man, like you know, you know how some victims just be doing some dumb shit. I'm like, bro, see, if that was me, like, but that's the thing With Smoke, he was cautious enough to where he was like that counteractive, like you know, he's the guy that I would be if I was like, uh, if you seem suspicious, like, nah, you know what, go on where you came from. Just go on where you came from, just going where you came from, and like it could have, the whole plot would have played out very easily.
Speaker 1:But some folks were just lowering their guard and kind of falling. For you know, with mary, uh going up to him and like that kind of started it all, uh, but yeah, like a whole bunch of shit going down and it just got crazy. Like now, just some context now, mary. She's like this white passing girl to where she has a black father or grandfather, like some of the relatives, but it's like she's white Enough to say that. Oh well, if you didn't say anything, I will Just continue saying that you were white, but like yeah.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:And then, like Stack has, like some History with her, but he left Her behind because he just wanted to protect her. Meanwhile, smoke had this estranged wife, annie by the way, annie is like a sleeper mvp. She knew exactly what to do when she was going down, like you know, with her hoodoo and whatnot, to her. Like, oh, she thought it was a hate at first, but then she realized it was a vampire and don't worry, I got pickled garlic juice and whatever else we need to fight off these vampires. Like she was like the sweeper mvp, because without her that shit would have went down way differently. Like they wouldn't have been prepared as prepared as they uh were. Like.
Speaker 1:The fact of the matter is that even smoking stats said themselves that, oh shit, we forgot our guns, um, our truck, um, with the guns back in the place, because we thought we didn't need it, or they just straight up forgot to um bring it.
Speaker 1:Like uh smoke told stack to remind him and stack was like, oh well, shit, I forgot, but uh, it wouldn't matter anyways, because, as you've seen, when uh smoke tried to kill mary one after she turned and she just got up like it was nothing, so it wouldn't matter anyways.
Speaker 1:But still, though, like I like how in this one, in this movie, they did a lot of things that I do like, but one, some things that had me raising an eyebrow, is like, for instance, mary could have killed them all if she wanted to, but instead she just pushed smoke out the way and just ran out. I'm like why, like you're already in the building, um stack and um near end, he could have killed smoke, because you know he got turned by mary and you know a whole domino effect. Uh, if you've seen the movie, you already know, but I'm just saying like stack had an opportunity to kill smoke, but he didn't go for it for some reason. So it's not just smoke, that spare stack, because you know that's the one person that he couldn't kill, but stack let smoke go, like I don't know why. Like he was like right there ready to chomp on him, but he just didn't commit to it it's his brother man yeah, I know like I get it but I get it.
Speaker 1:But at the same time it just feels like bro, like y'all just not staying on business, like for instance with Annie, like okay, stack bit Annie and you know the deal with Smoke and Annie to where, if anything happened to Annie, you gotta put her out of her misery before she turns. And Smoke did that, but Stack and Mary could have still went on with the tech. Why y'all running away like stand on business, damn no, it's because you know what.
Speaker 2:What was shown pretty much is that even though they vampires and you know they held to certain stuff that they got to do they also have a bit of free will as well yeah, so they, they, when you, when you attack your friend like you, feel so bad about it. Like you know, to scurry away would be the right call in the movie yeah, okay, fair enough.
Speaker 1:I'm just like I don't know if the whole point was to bite them and convert them anyways, like just you know, just like how uh stat caught annie guard down. Like I don't know, maybe that's just me, that's why I'm like it just didn't feel efficient enough. But I'm just nitpicking. For the most part, I still think the movie was excellent with the way they carried it out, like, especially at the ending, where, after the oh another thing that I didn't like Okay, I like remick as a villain, yeah, but the one thing that pissed me off is that he spent way too much time monologuing with sammy at the end, when he was just chomped at him and got it over with, but like I mean, I always want to do that yeah, it's like I get it for the sake of you know the main, because, keep in mind, sammy is the real main character in this movie.
Speaker 1:He's the real main character, like smoking stack. They're like the breakout characters that you're supposed to like fall in love with, but he's the main character. Keep that in mind. But I know the protagonist is supposed to win in this situation and I'm happy for Sammy, like I'm not really complaining, and I'm happy for Sammy, like I'm not really complaining.
Speaker 1:It's just one of those cliches where I'm like, bro, like you spending way too much time talking to him, you just got it over with already, but you gave him enough time to like grab that steak. Well, really, first it was the guitar and then he like slammed into his face and then it was like kind of sizzling and whatnot. And then he got mad and sliced his face and I'm like, all right, check this out, bro, like I'm gonna stop playing with you and just go ahead and bite you. But then, uh, smoke came up behind, stabbed him with the steak and then everybody else was feeling that pain too as well, and it was at the perfect time for the sun to rise and damn near everybody was like being burned um from the sun and whatnot, except for stack and mary, to where the deal with smoke was as long as they leave sammy alone, stack and mary could just fuck off somewhere. And they just been around for like 90, so years up to like the 90s, where, uh, well, no, 60 years, because 1932 they flash forward to like 60 years. So it's been like the 90s okay, but uh, as long as they leave them alone, then Moe just let them go.
Speaker 1:But um, unfortunately, here's where all this tied together, to where, uh, hogwood and Remick had this deal going on to where, either way, I like how this is one of those smart things to where you would think that at the point where they found out they were vampires, all they gotta do is just stay in the um juke joint, right. But if they did that, hogwood and his boys was showing up and blasting on him anyway. So it was like a damn if you do damn, you don't situation. So I was like, okay, to be fair, I kind of understand why y'all couldn't just run off, but uh, it was also kind of crazy how, like, those three vampires will actually five, because you know they have had Mary Ann Stack at that point, and also Cornbread too. So six, so like those six, yeah, you know, like hey, you want to let me in.
Speaker 2:He wanted his money man.
Speaker 1:Yeah, he was like come on, give me that money and then tried to bite him and shit. But like that's the funny thing, like the whole let me in. Uh cliche that vampires have. Now I'm gonna try to hold my nausea for this, what's up? Okay, this is one of those things where you know what, perhaps I treated detroit like vampire too harshly because I've never heard Edward Cole or any of those motherfuckers talk about hey, I need y'all to let me in.
Speaker 1:Nah, fuck all that. They want to go in there. Man, edward was like fucking sneaking into Bella's bedroom whenever the fuck he wanted to. So I'm like I'll give them that much credit, like at least they know how to enter a fucking building while I oh I can't do anything about it. So they let me in. I'm like, man, get the fuck out here.
Speaker 2:Super powerful monsters need permission to go into a building to kill somebody man, it was that way on my favorite vampire series suck it or true blood. Yeah, that's how it was on true blood too. So you, you know it's a common trope. But yeah, it didn't do it in the Twilight series, in the movies, nor the books. So I actually just re-watched the Twilight series too Before it went away on Netflix.
Speaker 1:Oh yeah, that's right, they kind of like to hop on. Is it still free on YouTube? I think it's still free on YouTube. I don't know. I think it's still free on YouTube. I don't know, I need to check. But uh, you know what that got me thinking. At some point we definitely need to Review True Blood and Buffy, the Vampire Slayer for sure, supernatural and some others.
Speaker 2:Yeah, for sure.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I don't even really like vampires. I'm team werewolf, honestly, but honestly, bro, I don't like how like vampires. I'm team werewolf, honestly, but honestly, bro, I don't like how Twilight did werewolves. Well, werewolves are like to a point to where vampires gotta come correct when they go around a werewolf. You know what I'm saying. If it wasn't for that pack, then Sam and Jacob and the werewolf pack would have been towards Cullen. But my whole thing was like with Jacob, specifically to where, like ever since you know, he got friends on and Bella got married, like he just was being down bad, like to a point to where you're imprinting on a baby.
Speaker 2:I'm like, uh, dog, uh, hey, look bro look, I don't know, but I couldn't be no werewolf bro. I gotta be a vampire, I don't know.
Speaker 1:I don't like hair like that.
Speaker 2:That's too much hair. You know what I mean. You gotta shave every five minutes Like, and then I'll take that over.
Speaker 1:I'm not an outside person.
Speaker 2:I'm an inside person. I'd rather be in the house like till dark and then even if I'm like Blade and I be a daywalker, I mean that's still pretty cool.
Speaker 1:I don't know, man, like I would take the setting over. I have to kill people or be a vegetarian vampire like the Cullens and be like I got to go around.
Speaker 2:Yeah, you know what?
Speaker 1:what I gotta go on a hunting trip, I'll be right back like I gotta see a boat vampire though. Okay, you know what I don't know, like because you know the immortality and shit is like. Okay, for some reason they always got treasure, like bro I was uh, no, no, no, hold on.
Speaker 1:I watched dark shadows right and it was on the band. Okay, keep in mind that before he even became a vampire he already came from money. But it's just that common trope where it seemed like every time you deal with a vampire with that frilly dressing that they be doing, it's like, yeah, you can tell you got money, like you got like gold doubloons somewhere, and oh, remick with the fucking gold. Yeah, you can tell you got money Like you got like gold doubloons somewhere, and oh, Remick with the fucking gold doubloons.
Speaker 2:Yeah, you know. Let's just say you know there's some. There's some old families in the US, right, they don't know some of the richest families. We'll just use one of the most popular ones. Let's say the Rothschild. What if that whole family is just vampires? You know what I mean Like? And let's just say somebody put the Rothschild what if that whole family is just vampires? You know what I mean Like. And let's just say somebody put a stock into McDonald's in the 50s, like, you know what I mean Like. Or just put one Bitcoin in in 1983. Like it's old, right, like. That's how I mean. As long as they last long enough, they'll know what to invest in and they'll just be rich filthy rich for no reason. And you know you can spend all your money. Or you could just be broke for a hundred years. What's a hundred years being broke and then being rich the rest of your uh, eternal life?
Speaker 1:because here's the crazy thing about that. You would think, with immortality, like it really depends on the person, like it depends on your mentality, like, if you don't mind the fact that, oh well, it's funny because twilight uh explored this situation to where, yeah, you're a vampire but you have to pretty much watch everyone you grew up with die off, and then everybody who's born way after you you're watching them die off. You're on this earth for hundreds of years. You really can't. At that point you'll be super detached to people because like and well, you know, by the time, uh, you know, 100 years for you is more like 10 days for me. At this point it's like Freerun to where she's an elf and she's been around for like a thousand years or so, but she has like this weird relationship with time to where 100 years for her just feels like last month or something like that.
Speaker 2:Yeah, just like that actually.
Speaker 1:So it'll be like, like you have to be like super detached from people, um, to get that immortality, because then you won't even care, uh, how many people are born and die, uh, after you, uh, well, not after you, uh before you. And it's like kind of haunting in a way, to where, like I just can't imagine the fact that, yeah, I'm going to survive before way after all, my family members and all my friends die off, but I'm still here. I don't know man Like it, just see. That's why I like that ending with Smokes, where he fought off Hogwood and his men and like he killed just about all of them except Hogwood. He was like still alive for just a moment.
Speaker 1:And then Smoke with that fatal wound, like he was just alive for just a quick moment to see Annie and that infant child that they lost a while back, and he saw them. And then, honestly, if I was Hogwood I wouldn't have said anything, bro, like it was like just imagine, like if Hogwood hadn't said anything he might have crawled away and lived and got himself patched up, but he was like, hey, man, I can give you money. And then Smoke looked at him like, oh shit, I forgot about you. He just started blasting on him before he passed on as well.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it was such a good movie.
Speaker 1:But yeah, it's like if there is an afterlife, I'm like, damn, like I'm really choosing staying on this mortal coil Well, more like immortal coil. Like I'm just staying on this mortal coil, well, more like immortal coil. Like I'm just staying on this earthly plane, just living it up, never dying, as long as I'm at least like chomping on something Like a human or something like that. I guess I'll live on for as long as I can, but like I don't know you gotta have a moral code man.
Speaker 2:You gotta be like sort of like Dexter, and I would only kill like serial killers or people that hurt people.
Speaker 1:Or like uh well, I want to say Hannibal Lecter, but like didn't he kill like some innocent people too? Yeah, definitely, yeah, yeah, and ate.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah, and use their skin To make lamps. A bowl war Crazy.
Speaker 1:But yeah, I guess you gotta be like an ethical killer For that to even work out. But I don't know, like, I guess I would still choose to be a werewolf because, like, if anything, if I'm going to die, I might as well die on my own terms, if I can.
Speaker 2:You wouldn't be able to die on your own terms. You'd die on the pet leader terms. If you're a werewolf, you don't have independency. You have to be controlled by whatever the pet leader say. So if the alpha say you do this, you do that, you don't have any freedom. So unless you're the alpha like I mean it really ain't.
Speaker 1:I was about to say hold on, like that's assuming that I'm not the alpha.
Speaker 2:Yeah, if you're the alpha, that's cool.
Speaker 1:If you're not the alpha, ugh, if you're not the alpha, nah see, my whole thing is. I got too much pride to be Anything else.
Speaker 2:But then alphas fall under a team. So, just like with the vampires Vampires have a vampire team but they pretty much have their independency. So as a vampire you follow specific rules. But the rules is just like Make sure nobody don't know we exist as a whole. Little skirmishes is cool, but make sure nobody as a whole find out our existence. Like that's cool with me, sure, I'm over here chilling anyway. And then like it's just something that I, like you know I'm a romantic person, so I just want to be with one person for eternal. Like I get to be with you for eons. Like that's crazy.
Speaker 1:I mean, yeah, it's like, for some reason, it seems like the lady do like vampires more. You know just something about the way they the way a vampire just spend their days like learning how to charm a bitch you know what I'm saying?
Speaker 2:yeah, you know, let me use my charm skills.
Speaker 1:Yeah, they'll be like saying, oh yeah, I read a lot of books. I read like shit, like socrates and uh, what's that?
Speaker 2:marcus aurelius and whatnot, you know not knowing that I grew up with them. Yeah, not knowing that I grew up with him. Yeah, over there trying to talk to 30-year-olds my boy, you is 3,500.
Speaker 1:But yeah, like I don't, I don't know, that's just a tough sell for me. I mean, like I see, like with Sammy, to where, even at the ending to where Stack and Mary was, like I see, like with Sammy to where, even at the ending, to where Stack and Mary was, like suggesting, hey, yo, like you don't have much time left, like you sure you don't want to do this, like you get to live wherever. I mean, yeah, you're going to miss the sun, but like, hey, you get to stick around for as long as you want to make music and whatnot. All you got to make music and whatnot. All you gotta do is the occasional chomp, chomp on somebody.
Speaker 2:Yup, what did you think of? Well, I know you said what you think of, but what do you think of Sammy as a whole? And then, like Grace for ruining man? Grace made me so mad.
Speaker 1:Yeah, like come on in and you better know what. And then everybody was sitting there like man, what you do that for oh god no, I I kind of get it because you know they bit her uh husband boat and they were threatened to kill lisa back at home. So I'm like I kind of get that. She was like emotionally vulnerable and charged by my egg dog like fuck that no, no, that's what I'm saying.
Speaker 1:Like, no, like you, we get where you're coming from like dog, like they ain't really going anywhere. If anything, they're just trying to goad you into, either letting them in, or you come out there and try to face them, because you're too mad to even think straight and I'm like you're just giving them what they want, right, like they probably wouldn't even bother. Like, come on, dog. Like think about it, like they're gonna go out of their way to I mean, they probably would have anyways at some point. But like, are you really saying that they would like, okay, let me be right back. Like we'll be right back on, go get your daughter and then we'll come back. No, no, no, they're just trying to bait you out or convince you to let them in, and you know it worked like, obviously like bro, like, don't let them distract you.
Speaker 2:They they obviously not leaving the area. They stopped soon to leave multiple times. They ain't trying to leave the area, don't let them go during today, but she just was tripping bro.
Speaker 1:Yeah, like.
Speaker 2:Oh, bro, she made me so mad.
Speaker 1:But, oh, sammy, sammy, Okay, okay, okay, alright now Him being like a young talent, like he's, like you know, innocent for the most part. But here's the funny thing, here's the whole reason why the movie is called Sinners, because in actuality, whether you like it or not, we're all sinners, like we all kinda flew away from God's grace at some point, like we probably said or did some things that we may regret. But I think ultimately it's about how you take responsibility for your sins. Now, with sammy, the whole thing, with him, especially his father, to where, um, his father believed that oh, uh, that blues music for the devil and don't sign your soul away.
Speaker 1:And the funny thing is Sammy and his music.
Speaker 1:It was kind of influenced by Charlie Patton and the introduction of characters like Delta Slim and Pearlene, where there was the Delta something, the Delta Blues music.
Speaker 1:That's right, right, right, uh, essentially, with this it's like it's a symbolism of the church at the significance of delta blues music as devil's music and how characters like sammy draw inspiration from real life figures like robert johnson to where you know, uh, making music that could call on spirits, whether it's good or bad, as you've seen, when he made that performance and that attracted the attention of Remick and the vampires. So even after knowing all that and you saw how it was like a immediate risk kind of thing, to where the movie started off at the ending. But then it was because you had to like understand how they got to that ending. And then by the time you got to the ending it's like put the guitar down, son, put it down and give your life to the lord and then samuel like, nah, I ain't gonna do, I ain't going for that fam. He drove, drove off with that guitar, that last piece of guitar right in his hand. By the way, I found it funny how Sammy thought it was the guitar of a famous person.
Speaker 1:Charlie Patton and Smoke was like man ain't. No, charlie Patton, that was from my daddy.
Speaker 2:Charlie Patton was the was from my daddy. Charlie Patton was the father of Delta Blues, which is portrayed in the movie.
Speaker 1:Right, right, and it was just crazy. I was like, okay, he was just a young guy that was just getting mixed up in some shit to where he probably well the music part is understandable because, like you know, where he probably well the music part is understandable because, like you know, he was just playing music but getting involved with smoking stack. I'm like, okay, even though they're not trying to get him in trouble, so to speak, it's more. The whole point is that it's them, with their trouble past, having influence over sammy, because, keep in mind, they came from the chicago outfit and they just wanted to like, get away from all that shit.
Speaker 1:But notice how, from chicago to mississippi is a representation of what happened with the great migration way back then, with that's why there were like chinese people like uh, grace and beau and lisa, to where it was like chinese, japanese, uh, immigrants and whatnot in this one spot. So it kind of everything kind of made sense in a way. So I appreciate that film for that. But they just want, uh, make sure that sam Sammy doesn't get into any trouble, and getting mixed up with blues music, that's what gets him into trouble, you know, because you're just inviting bad spirits on you and despite all that, the blues music did corrupt him. It is more like you know how they say the brightest flame attract the most moths. That's pretty much what it is. That's all it was. It's like, yeah, there's going to be some people, whether it's good or bad, that's going to show up for you. But it didn't corrupt him as a person. If anything, the only sinning he was doing was getting some nookie.
Speaker 2:You know, I understand you can rob trains and banks, but you can't rob this pussy. For a night I was like I would have folded like origami right there, man, I mean. I kind of look good. I'm like yeah, yeah, man, I mean I kind of good, I'm like yeah, yeah, yeah, All right, let's go.
Speaker 1:Oh, can I also mention I like how tasteful the turning was. Like, yeah, half the time you didn't even actually see them getting turned. It was more like implied that, yeah, the vampires got them too. Was more like imply that, yeah, uh, the vampires got them too. But even when you do see somebody getting bitten, it's like it it didn't. It wasn't as gruesome like the walking dead.
Speaker 1:To where they make you watch all that shit. Like, uh, how, um, tyler james williams, uh, when he had like a little moment in that in that series, to where, when the zombies got him bro, it was like it wasn't enough. To where it was implied that the that the zombies got to him they had his ass up on that glass and they made you watch as they like ripped his jawline out and everything. Like they made you watch him in agony and shit getting ripped to shreds and what not. And I'm like, god damn, like if I ever watch the Walking Dead all over again, some parts are gonna be a tough watch. But with Sam, I like how clean they did it to where it makes the movie rewatchable in that sense.
Speaker 1:To where, like, okay, don't let the gruesome killing derail you from the point that we're trying to make with this film or it's like the killing it wasn't okay. It's a vampire horror film so yeah, they're gonna be vampires biting people, but there's more to it than that and we kind of want to have that replay value. If that's what they were going for, I appreciate for that, because I'm like not to say that, oh, I was like scared of the killing. It's just more like I'm just hoping that it's one of those things where I'm like, okay, you know what, it was so intense that sometimes you only need to watch it once and you're like you know what I'm good. For instance, that first episode of Goblin Slayer, to where I'm like you know what I'm good. I remember that first episode well enough. To where I'm like you know what, skip to episode two, I'm good.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah. That was crazy. I was not expecting that. Like you know, I thought the hero was gonna save today.
Speaker 1:Like you know well, he came a little too late for one girl. Yeah, yeah, it was. Ah on the first episode, like you, just don't, well of course. Now hold on now. Some series Do need that hook to grip people Into it. I'm like see, because of that scene. That's why Goblin Slayer Is as infamous as it is.
Speaker 2:That's a real revealer.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I was just gonna mention that too. How, like episode 2, I like, whoa damn, I'm still mad at Kogagazu for asking me hey, do you think she deserved it? I'm like, what Did she deserve it? No, bro, bro, that's how he's setting me up for something, because I'm like bro, I'm not going to say she deserved it, but I don't feel bad for her because I'm like bro.
Speaker 1:I'm not gonna say she deserve it, but I don't feel I don't feel bad for her because of she was a total bitch to the main character. I don't feel bad for her, but did she deserve it? I can't see that. I can't see that though yo, all right.
Speaker 2:So I want to unpack the layers. So it's a lot of themes and symbolism that's in it. I'm gonna go through a few of them and then I want you to tell me if you recognize it or not. So, racism as a monster Alright, this is the most prominent theme. The white clan affiliated vampires are not just generic monsters. They're metaphors for systematic oppression, trauma and then the white personnel trying to exploit black music right and there was, like some I like how with it.
Speaker 1:They were like you can. It was implied that it was going to be some racism and cultural appropriation going on, but they played it so differently to where, like it's implied, but not like it's not so on the nose, that it's clearly that's what the movie is about. At least it's not like, uh, that one movie that I was so disappointed by the premise about that I didn't even bother watching it because it felt like it was a insult to the black community. It was that one movie that, uh, it was supposed to be harry pot Potter for black people.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I know what you're talking about.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I think it was like the League or the Society of. Magical Negroes yeah like it was something like that where I'm like bro, no, no, like y'all had me at Harry Potter for black people, but once you found out about the premise, like uh-uh, uh-uh, like, like y'all making it too on the nose, about to a point where like I thought it was going to be Harry Potter for blacks, just like you said I was like oh, they got the uniforms and everything yeah, but then it turns out, oh yeah, like we're, uh, our main purpose is to make white people comfortable.
Speaker 1:I'm like what? Our main purpose?
Speaker 2:is to make white people comfortable. I'm like what Agreed? Here's the next one. This is pretty on the nose, but the power of black music, it's a central theme of it, where, let's say, the guitar I know we mentioned about that, it was charlie patton's guitar, but it symbolizes the power of black music, the soft uplift, but it also attracts unwanted attention right.
Speaker 1:And also I want to add on to it where, ever since after that, you notice how the music numbers were more electric guitar Like, especially when, like, the vampires are getting that edge and it sounds like some devil music started playing Like doom, doom, doom, that type of shit, where it's like, okay, it just feels kind of more modernized now that it was in the second half, but that's mainly because, you know, with black people and white irish, you know, other people coming in trying to mingle with the black, it's almost like the music was like the cultural of it all just meshing together to where, yeah, it was kind of like blues music but it was like with some electric guitar or whatnot. So you can tell that as the movie progressed that the different genre of music was meshing together. Yeah, so on a musical level I did like how the music numbers fit the progression of the film.
Speaker 2:Okay, I agree. And then you know the scene where it was like intergenerational connection, all the different scenes, right? So that emphasizes the continuous evolving power and resilience of Black musical heritage. So essentially it showed Black music being the epitome of music from the 30s until today.
Speaker 1:Bro, we're not just the epitome, we're the forerunners. Like it started because of us, music was because of us Started with the ritual dancing for Africans.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah, so I'm not even surprised. The ritual dancing for Africans? Yeah, yeah, so I'm not even surprised. The way they carried out, bro, I'm just Let me clap for Ryan Coogler, because the way he carried out this film, like just from the music to the character arcs, to the symbolism and everything like this is why I would say, despite my nitpicks from the horror film point because that's just thing, it's like it's just me just having a personal gripe with horror films, but taking that out of the equation this was a great movie because it had a lot going on.
Speaker 1:Like you say, it had layers. To where it's like, okay, I appreciate what you're doing. To where it's like it's not as cut and dry as black people getting slaughtered by a vampire and somebody smart enough to outsmart them. No, no, no, it's more like there was more going on as you pay attention to each character and what they were doing, what they were saying, all the different references and whatnot getting involved so damn, I almost, I almost wish um mira jane was on for this one uh, yeah, I agree, see, I know she got some good takes on it.
Speaker 2:I got two more to go through. So the vampires drawn to music. So notice, the vampires was all drawn to music, especially by like Sammy and the way that they pierce through time. It connects through like a white appropriation and fetishizing a black culture. So essentially they just drawn to black culture.
Speaker 1:Yes, bro, like um, it's crazy how, even to this day, like, for instance, we got white folks trying to get their hair and dress like are wearing clothing styles that's similar to ours like hell. Like it's crazy how we got a whole bunch of white people like they don't want to do it in an offensive way. But it just feels weird when your white friends come up to you and be like hey, yo bro, like we've been cool for like a hot minute, right. I'm like yeah, and I'm like listen, like you know, I'm not like that but like I was just wondering if you're okay, if I could say it.
Speaker 1:I'm like say what?
Speaker 2:You know the.
Speaker 1:N-word I'm like, bro, like I'm going to be honest with you, like okay, I know you're not like that, so I'm like, when it comes to N-word passes, you do realize that it's more like a regional type thing, it's not universal. Just because you have that one black friend like okay, he's not really racist, though, I thought it was okay for him to say no, no, no, you gotta like, it's like you gotta get that card stamped everywhere you go, like because I can't save you from some dudes. That's like okay, bro, no, that's just not cool. I don't even like you like that you know. So like I'll be careful with that.
Speaker 1:Like doesn't matter how cool you are, it's like you probably be better off just avoiding you as much as you can, because like, uh, it doesn't matter matter if you, it doesn't matter if you're not a genuine racist, it's just the more you get comfortable saying it, the more it just seems like uh, uh, dog, like you're getting a little too comfortable saying it.
Speaker 2:So I'm telling people they can say whatever they feel like, but there's an action and there's an equal or opposite react and uh yeah. Yeah, you got it If they're not saying why we, they better be ready to get slapped.
Speaker 1:Listen, I'll just put it to you like this you may have freedom of speech, but you don't have freedom of consequences. So you can say it if you want to, but that's more like saying, all right, for every time you say it, I'm allowed to punch you in the face one good time for each time you say it. So do you really want to go there? You want to. You think it's worth it, but go ahead. You have one more thing.
Speaker 2:Yeah, the last one is about community identity. So notice the juke joint. Black people always find a way to commune and fellowship together and one of those places was the juke joint. Black people always found a way to commune and fellowship together and one of those places was the juke joint. Now, when they first got to the juke joint, bear in mind that there was bloodstains on the floor because that's the place where they used the sawmill, where they used to chop up Black people, nevertheless. But Black people found a way to find a place that's just for them, even with the dark history behind it, still finding a way to come together and, uh, you know, have a safe space to just do right, I mean hey, today you know you go to the, to the bar, to the club.
Speaker 1:I'll find a place that's predominantly black, because you know that's the community that I rock with yeah, like hell, some traditions, like you know how, the way we picked apart a chicken and we made gizzards and whatnot out of chicken parts, like at first, the way we made food was mainly for our survival because, like, we were probably given like scraps and whatnot. Uh, because, you know, we were mistreated very bad, but like we took our pain and turned into power and now we got to a point to where, like uh I'm sorry, but like I'm, now that I'm thinking about it, it just came out funny.
Speaker 1:But like, see, our thing is nowadays we, nowadays we have functions, we have cookouts Meanwhile with white folks like they can probably party pretty hard, but like you know, white communities, hootin' nanny, it can be fun. But like, hey, bro, like ain't nothing like sliding to the function with the black community because, like, we know how to get down. But yeah, like community, yeah, because you know solidarity, like we're all going through it at some, to some extent. Like, say, for instance, it could just be a matter of we're just all trying to get our bills paid and we're just doing whatever we can to get by. Like you kind of understand that it's like that's why it just seemed like there's so much love in the community.
Speaker 1:Well, even though social media want you to think otherwise, where it just seemed like we're both stabbing each other in the back but it really depends on what neck of the woods you're in like there's community still, it's just you don't really hear about that in social media that much. In fact, I would say that social media kind of thrives on drama, so it's like if everything was all good, then it's not newsworthy. So that's just the the main thing. That's why, with social media, like, just take what you see on social media with a grain of salt, don't just completely absorb and be on Italian because, like I want to say, we still have some solidarity.
Speaker 1:There's still the brotherhood, there's still the sisterhood. It's just, it just gets overshadowed by bullshit. Bullshit, like, especially when it comes to us killing off our own. But outside of that, yeah, like it's still. Yeah, like we're building up businesses and whatnot, um, getting people together, because hey, remember what they say where it's like, if you get about the hood, the hood will forget you. So don't forget your village, don't forget where you came from.
Speaker 2:The Red Bull continues.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:The movie is a solid 10 for you. It was great all around the elements, the history, the context, the accuracy and the everything else, man.
Speaker 1:Right, Like I said, I didn't have a whole lot to say on it, but I just wanted to say that Sinners is an excellent film and I do regret not seeing it sooner. But I just wanted to say that centers is an excellent film and I do regret not seeing it sooner, but I'm glad that actually got the got around to watching it, because with my busy schedule nowadays working two jobs like I'm not going to have much time for anything. Um, so that's why here on the zone podcast, we're going to be slowing down the number of episodes being released or, at the very least, we're going to be planning in advance to where we're going to be producing episodes. But you're probably not going to see them till, like August or whatnot. That way it's like, OK, we're putting stuff out, we're still working on stuff, but sometimes we need to work on things in advance. So that way, when we have it put out there, when we want them put out, then we can take that time to like focus on ourselves or just have more time to prepare for other reviews.
Speaker 1:So and also, you know, like I just said me working two jobs now we probably not going to be putting out a whole lot of episodes. In fact, I do apologize that we have been doing the nerdy news in a while, but you know things have been happening and I just wasn't on social media enough to where I was catching all the news. So you could say that I'm playing catch up with what's been going on and we'll get back to the nerdy news, say around August. But yeah, that's all I have one to say. That's all I want to say about sinners 10 out of 10. Like I said, I'll watch it again. Uh, Doug, you have anything else you want to add on before it closes out?
Speaker 2:no, I'm good, I said everything I pretty much wanted to say, but it's just a great movie. If you haven't watched it, go. It closes out. No, I'm good, I said everything I pretty much wanted to say, but it's just a great movie. If you haven't watched it, go check it out. And if you have already watched it, re-watch it.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it's on HBO Max now. Yeah, but you know what? That is it from us. Y'all go ahead and have yourself a good morning, good afternoon, good good evening and good night, but ultimately, take it easy. Remember to stay nerdy and that great things are coming. Let's go ahead and zone out of here. We're out.
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