The Friday High Five

On Invasions, Rebels, and Measuring Up

“Did we just become best friends?” Sony Pictures

Every Friday I share 5 things I enjoyed this week. Also, high fives are inherently cool, and I think we can all agree Friday is the bestest day. Hence the Friday High Five. 🙏🏻

This week’s High Five comes from the 2008 film Step Brothers. The first two Will Ferrell and John C. Reilly collaborations are lights-out comedies. Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby is unquestionably the better and funnier movie. But Step Brothers is nearly as good and almost as quotable.

Step Brothers has several choice high fives Ultimately, I picked the following, which I think works even better without dialogue.

Sony Pictures

Finding a good picture of a high five is harder than you’d think. Most high fives are quick bits of motion, which doesn’t translate to a still image. And while I’m very pro-gif, I don’t think using a moving image as the header for a story looks very professional. Previous posts have included butt jokes, references to illustrated sex manuals, and more Star Wars than is advisable. Professionalism isn’t a market I’m trying to corner. But you have to at least look like you know what you are doing. Or, as wise men of yore said: Business in the front, party in the back.

Have a great weekend! High Five!

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5 Things I Enjoyed This Week:

• Unstable on Netflix 😆

• Secret Invasion 😲

• Road House 👊🏻

• Ahsoka 🤩

• This and That 🫠

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Unstable

Netflix

My wife and I decided to try Unstable after it randomly popped up on Netflix. It’s sorta like if Rob Lowe’s character from Parks and Rec became a tech mogul and then tip-toed into depression. His real-life son plays his son on the show and, as you’d expect (or hope!), their dynamic is great.

The show is light and funny. Recommended!

Secret Invasion

There are two kinds of MCU fans: those believe Captain America: Winter Soldier is the best MCU film, and those that are wrong. I’m being intentionally hyperbolic! I guess I’m in a mood. But! I truly believe Winter Soldier is the best MCU film.

The Secret Invasion trailer just dropped and I’m getting strong Winter Soldier vibes, which I obviously consider a selling point. After all the galactic mayhem and uber-gigantic stakes, I find myself gravitating toward the grittier, street-level stuff. It’s hard to come back from a giant purple alien who can disintegrate half of all life using a bejeweled glove.

I’m pretty much over the MCU at this point—haven’t bothered with the new Ant-Man, didn’t finish the last two Disney+ shows—but this right here? I’ll be watching day one.

Road House

For the first time in my life, I watched the Patrick Swayze film Road House. It’s a fun watch and endlessly quotable in a slightly-cheesy kind of way, but it also left me scratching my head.

I Watched 'Road House' For the First Time And Have A Lot Questions

Ahsoka

I loath to hit you with two trailers in the same High Five. It seems lazy. Also, I don’t want you think think I spend like, all my time on YouTube or something. Only the normal amount.

But Disney is dropping trailers like they’re hot. And they are!

As all Star Wars fans know, the animated show Rebels is one of the best things Disney has created. Ahsoka looks like it will pick-up where Rebels left off, which is the best possible news.

This and That

That’s right! We’re not going to talk about the Project That Shall Not Be Named. No sir. No today.

Well, maybe a little.

Earlier this week, I asked for your help determining the path forward. Should the finished product be a regular series of posts or a one-time mic drop?

The vast majority prefer the more easily-digestible bits. Which makes sense to me! I too can only sit on the toilet for about 10 minutes.

This image is also a link. Click it to vote!

So next week I’m going to drop the second post, which will cover Bodhi (Patrick Swayzi) and a few related things. The following week will be Johnny Utah (Keanu Reeves). And we’ll continue in that fashion. Once all the sections have been posted to All the Fanfare, I may compile it all into a mega post. I haven’t quite decided.

I’ve also considered turning the posts into a (short) book, which would include ancillary material I’ve posted to the newsletter, stuff that didn’t make the cut for one reason or other, and maybe a few additional sections. I don’t know. I’m making this up as I go.

The one thing I know for sure: Predator is the next project I’m tackling. Also, White Men Can’t Jump got enough love to put it in the queue.

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What are you into at the moment? Leave a comment and let me know!

If you enjoyed this, please like it and share it with someone. It’s the best way to show your appreciation and it would mean a lot to me. :)