WHERE IS THE AUDIO TAPE OF WITNESS JOHN DUNTON?
April 2024: Witness Silenced for 30 years who stated OJ Simpson was at the scene of the crime.
"As for the Attached tape... I am not sure why Dunton claimed [according to Pellicano] he spotted my x boss in front of Nicole's house the night she was murdered, unless he happened to be stalking her."
IN FIRST ARTICLE: He added: 'I didn't say anything. When OJ got out of jail he called me two or three times. I didn't talk to him. I didn't want to meet. I just hung up.'
Two Daily Mail Articles by Chris Matthews: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-13303947/oj-simpson-nicole-brown-ron-goldman-murder-scene-witness.html https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-13317063/OJ-Simpson-Gambino-gangsters-Nicole-Brown-jealous-witness-mobsters-gun-murder.html

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INCONSISTENCIES IN AUDIO TAPES BY HOLLYWOOD FIXERS FOR OJ SIMPSON?
According to Article:
Simpson approached him and Brown Simpson as they dined with friends at Mezzaluna*, adopted a menacing posture, and stated, "I'm O. J. Simpson and she's still my wife."* Simpson was allegedly also at a restaurant called Tryst the same night that Zlomsowitch and Brown Simpson went on their second date there.
Allegedly according to AUDIO TAPE: ZLOMSOWITCH REVEALS:
~Actor, David Keith caught in cross fire of OJ’s unbridled rage~
***Zlomsowitch didn’t tell grand jury that upon entering the Tryst Restaurant, OJ first walked over to actor David Keith's table to say hello. The ‘Officer and a Gentleman’ star invited OJ to join he and his guests but OJ only grabbed a chair from David's table, dragged it a few feet to Zlomsowitch and Nicole’s table, sat down, got in their faces, and proceeded to terrorize them.
*Everywhere Nicole went, OJ new about it because he had spies everywhere.
*Nicole was responsible for convincing Zlomsowitch to hire her long time friend Ron Hardy to manage the Monkey Bar*
Likely part of this sentence is false, a person could be in-between: OJ used her to taunt Zlomsowitch, making harassing and menacing phone calls.
Another: (somebody) "aided and abetted to Nicole's murder. The more (gender) told OJ where Nicole was being romanced and who was romancing her, the more (gender) helped fuel his jealous rage."
What's interesting to me, other than including notes that likely is to cause frictions and confusions, is there are Two Different Restaurant Names (Mezzaluna and Tryst).
There's also an additional potential witness in the alleged audio. *Nothing in search shows related to David Keith and OJ Simpson?
The Restaurant was a place that was of the same day of the murders. Zlomsowich further directed the restaurant Mezzaluna.
Alleged Claim in article: Simpson was angry about a photo he found in Brown Simpson's home of her and Zlomsowitch together, as well as a story about the couple in the National Enquirer. (National Enquirer is American Media Inc that uses 'investigators'/Hollywood Fixers for drafts)

This "influencer of the year" goober Jeetendr Sehdev encapsulates everything great about business bro culture on LinkedIn.
And a month ago, he posts on LinkedIn about OJ Simpson's death, saying "it's your flaws that make you fascinating, so embrace yours. Rest in peace." followed by HASHTAGGING #NicoleBrownSimpson. Fr.
This Forbes article he wrote and links on LinkedIn is where he really shines, condemning the horrific physical assaults by P Diddy as.... Diddy's tragic lesson in brand destruction.

The disturbing surveillance video (released by CNN from 2016) of Sean 'Diddy' Combs appearing to physically assault his then-girlfriend, Cassie Ventura, I believe serves as a cautionary tale of brand destruction in the entertainment industry. The footage, depicting Diddy dragging, kicking, and grabbing Cassie in a hotel hallway, paints a disturbing picture of abuse and violence. Even Cassie’s husband and Combs long-time ex business partner, Alex Fine issued a statement after the release of the video. There are three key lessons that brand leaders can learn from the release of this footage:
Firstly, personal accountability and transparency are crucial. Diddy's actions and the subsequent lack of accountability and transparency in addressing the allegations highlight the importance of taking responsibility for one's actions. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, brand leaders must demonstrate integrity, honesty, and transparency in handling difficult situations to maintain trust and credibility with their audience and stakeholders.
A study by Sprout Social shows that nearly 85% of people are more likely to stick by a business during a brand crisis if it has a history of being transparent. Additionally, 89% of people say a business can regain their trust if it admits to a mistake and is transparent about the steps it will take to resolve the issue.
Secondly, the detrimental impact of Diddy's actions on his brand stands as a stark warning for brand leaders. Fortunately, the harmful connection to violence and abuse has reached unprecedented levels. The recent release of surveillance footage alleging his abusive behavior towards Cassie has also sparked fresh claims of his deceased wife, Kim Porter, being subjected to abuse by him.
Organizations can lose hard-earned trust due to brand abuse and impersonation. A study by the Northridge Group shows that 72% of customers will switch brands after just one bad experience, highlighting the significant impact of brand abuse on revenue.
Lastly, social media and crisis management are crucial in today's digital age. The rapid spread of information through social media and the public outrage generated by the incident highlight the power of digital platforms in shaping brand perception. Brand leaders must be prepared to respond swiftly and effectively to crisis situations, engaging with their audience, and addressing concerns to protect their brand reputation and credibility. With more than 62% of the world now using social and the average daily time spent on social media being 2 hours and 20 minutes, the influence of digital platforms on brand perception cannot be overlooked.
Do I think Diddy can make a comeback? While nothing is impossible, it seems unlikely. In my mind, the parallels between Sean 'Diddy' Combs' alleged assault on Cassie and Chris Brown's past actions of abuse towards Rihanna are striking. Both incidents involved high-profile figures in the entertainment industry facing accusations of abuse. In the case of Chris Brown it had permanent detrimental effects on his brand reputation.
So for now, let's label this as "Brand Destruction 101." The disturbing video of Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs assaulting Cassie serves as a stark reminder for leaders about the critical importance of ethical leadership, compassion, and strategic communication in brand building and preserving brand integrity.

Extra funny because if you scroll back far enough he has a ton of posts about women's rights?

Blake was listening to his sister through his headphones while she ripped into him about his hopeless addiction to pornography. He rolled his eyes as she went on and on about his sexist attitudes and his distorted views on women and sex. If his sister had only known that he was scrolling through explicitly drawn versions of Marge Simpson and Lois Griffin in various poses with various props, she would have hung up the phone and given up.
As far as Blake was concerned there were no distortions in his mind about women. He had lived through so many interactions and had seen so many videos of women being terrible people that it only reinforced his bias.
Porn didn’t judge Blake. Porn didn’t make Blake do things that he didn’t want to do. He spent time with women the way he wanted to. If he wanted a woman to act a certain way, he could find a video where she did just that.
The way he saw it, women wanted a lot, and if they didn’t get what they wanted, they made everyone’s life hell until they did. Conversely, if a man wanted something, it was tough luck. He watched his mother treat his father like that until the day he died, overworked and unhappy.
Less than a year after his mother put his father in the ground, she was with someone else that she was all too happy to control. Porn gave Blake the control, and he liked it.
“Blake, I love you, but you’re going to waste your whole life in front of a screen holding your dick.”
“Don’t you have another kid that you should be working on squirting out?”
She hung up.

Blake was caught watching videos at work again, but this time he had a plan. He knew eventually that he would be caught, but after losing three jobs for the very same reason, he hatched a simple way of ensuring that he wouldn’t lose out on any money, and be able to stick it to the boss and company he hated for no other reason than employing him.
Blake was called into his manager’s office, but before anything could be said, Blake blurted out that he needed to take mental leave. He sobbed in front of his manager while he said that the job was giving him thoughts of hopelessness and self harm, but he was smiling on the inside. He was talking just loud enough for a few people outside of the office to hear him.
His manager's face was red.
“Cornered you, bitch.” Blake thought to himself. “Good luck firing someone who’s crying out for mental help.”
Blake figured that he’d be able to stretch this out for at least a month. A month of paid time off doing what he loved.

“It’s my phone!” he muttered to himself as he rode the elevator down to his new found freedom. “If people have a problem with the things I’m looking at, perhaps they shouldn’t be looking over my shoulder and mind their own fucking business.”
He didn’t mind the other people in the elevator, or their awkward expressions. They didn’t matter to him. No one really did.

Still on a high from manipulating his boss into a corner, Blake decided to do something new on the bus ride to his apartment building. He clicked on a video. He wasn’t exactly watching the video, rather he was watching people’s reactions out of the corners of his eyes.
He kept the volume low, but up just enough so the moaning could be heard.
At first, people around him were wondering if they were actually hearing what they thought they were hearing.
He was trying not to laugh at their reactions. People began to move to other seats, and soon enough, everyone was giving him disgusted looks.
“Fuck em.” he whispered.
He noticed one man sitting in the back of the bus who was giving him quite a different look than everyone else. The man was well dressed. Perfect hair. Perfect teeth.
He was smiling at Blake.
Blake, a self admitted and overly enthusiastic homophobe, turned off the video. He began to worry that he had attracted the wrong kind of attention.

Blake was all too eager to get out of the bus and hurry towards the doors to his building. He heard a voice behind him that caused him to catch a breath and lose his forward progress. He turned around. It was the beautiful man from the back of the bus.
“Excuse me! I’d like to have a word!”
Blake found his voice hypnotic, and his stride was elegant, almost like he was floating just above the cracked and cruddy sidewalk.
“I uh… couldn’t help but notice what you were doing on the bus young man. I think I have something you might be interested in.”
Blake was lost in that voice. He had never been attracted to another man, but he was feeling things inside himself that he’d never felt before, and he hated himself for it. After a long awkward silence, Blake finally found his voice.
“Look buddy, take your pixy dust and bother someone else. You’re not my type.”
“Oh, you’re definitely my type.” The beautiful man laughed and handed him a plain white business card with nothing but a web address on it. “In so many different ways, you’re exactly my type.”
“What is this?”
“It’s my business, Kid. You want videos you can’t tear yourself away from? Trust me. It’s the newest thing.”
He winked at Blake and walked away.
-
Blake was staring at his screen while he was riding in the elevator. There was a paywall. A dollar for the first month, then a hundred dollars a month after that.
No screenshots or thumbnails, just a form for a credit card. As the doors opened to his floor, he put his phone in his pocket and decided against any further investigation. He was sure that it was a scam of some kind.

Until ten o’clock that night, Blake engaged in his normal activities with one new addition he had begun almost two weeks prior. He built two shelves in front of two different air vents in his apartment, and he had placed speakers on the shelves. The tenants in his building got to experience all of the auditory pleasures of the thrusting and jiggling and smacking that he was watching.
Blake made sure he followed the rules, and nothing came out of those speakers after ten p.m., but it was fair game until that time.
He would laugh to himself thinking about the tenants having to listen. He wasn’t sure how far the sound traveled through the vents, but he figured that most people on his floor were getting a good chunk of it.
That night though, his usual joyful time in front of his phone, his 70 inch television, and his newly discovered fondness for Cerave was marred by the thought of something unique and dangerous out there that he hadn’t seen.
After several attempts at a satisfactory denouement in his masturbatory madness, Blake finally gave up, raised the white flag on its limp post, and went to bed.

Blake kept hearing the man’s siren-like voice in his head while he tried to sleep. After almost two hours of tossing and turning, he sat up and snatched his phone from the charger and typed his credit card information into the mysterious site. He just had to know.
The site opened up and he was instantly intrigued. There were no thumbnails on any of the videos, but the descriptions on each of them were so graphic, profane, and dehumanizing that it would do us all a great service if they were not repeated here. Blake’s favorite appendage however, jumped to a zealous attention at the graphic depictions that the perverse descriptions painted within his brain.
Blake stripped off his briefs and sat down on the edge of his bed. His left hand gripped the phone while his right hand eagerly gripped something else.
He clicked on the first video and it began to load.
Blake waited.
And waited.
And waited.
The video wasn’t loading, so Blake decided to try another one, only to find that his left thumb wouldn’t move. He realized that his entire body was stiff. Nothing would move with the exception of his eyes. He couldn’t even speak.
All he could do was stare at the glowing screen in the darkness of his apartment.
After a moment, his mind started to race while his body remained ridiculously rigid.

Three hours had passed. Blake had been able to see every minute tick by. He had watched his battery meter slowly run down to eighty percent. He had thought that his screen would eventually turn off, but it never did. It was still trying to load the video.
Something was tickling his nose and his face itched. His back had begun to ache and he felt some tiny pin pricks along his still turgid tool. He wanted to cry, but nothing would come. In fact, his eyes had begun to dry because he had not been able to blink.
Blake watched another hour go by before his body finally succumbed to exhaustion and fell into a deep sleep, in spite of the fact that he could not close his eyes.

He awoke six hours later and his vision was partially obscured. Still holding his phone and his phallus, Blake tried to scream. The sun was now coming through the window of his apartment. He could see his reflection in the mirror that was on the opposite wall. His hair was long, and it was white. A spotty and wiry beard had exploded out of his face and it hung down to just above his enlarged and sagging nipples set in a sagging and flabby chest.
His breaths were shorty and ragged; phlegm was gurgling with each inspiration.
His arms and legs were covered in large liver spots and all of his skin was a purple paper thin.
He was old.
The shock of seeing his hunched and rigid reflection had staved off the feeling of pain from his nether regions for only a moment. His fingernails were growing on his hands. Some of the yellow things were curling around his phone while the others were curling and jabbing into what now looked like a deflated balloon stretched too thin, that was desperately trying to retreat into his abdomen against his rigid grip.
The battery on his phone was blinking.
It was about to die. He wondered what happened when the battery ran out, but somewhere in the back of his mind, he knew exactly what would happen when that loading screen finally went dark.
His sister’s words were all he could think about as the screen and the world went dark.

After several nights of peace, Blake’s neighbors noticed an awful smell emanating from the air vents. After several complaints, the building’s Super opened Blake’s apartment and found the withered, still rigid frame of a dead old man sitting upright on the edge of the bed.
After taking several photos that he would post later on social media and stealthily absconding with almost a full bottle of Cerave, the Super called the authorities.

So I've read both the Handmaid's Tale and the Testaments several times (I might like the Testaments more, tbh) and on my last re-read of that book I kind of stumbled over the passage when Agnes tells that she and her classmates knew that some of the (upper class) wives could have their own children -- and some of the eceonowives could too. Likewise. iirc Offred in the first book sees an eceonowive carrying the remains of her stillborn child.
So the infertility issues and the rising amount of birth defects and stillbirths seem to plague the working class population to a similar as the upper class, yet Handmaids are exclusive to the upper class, and I imagine the adoption of "rescued" children (like Agnes herself) is also restricted to the upper class (or at the very least they get first pick)
So this got me wondering how Gilead replenishes its working class population. Yes there is the part where we learn that some of the "Pearls" are selected to become econowives, but considering how deeply racist Gilead is in the books, and how strictly they adhere to their particular brand of Christianity, I doubt that there was enough immigration, through the Pearl Girls or otherwise, to make up for the low birthrate among the working class population.
Where they expect future Handmaids to come from is a similar question that never gets answered.
So what do others thing how Gilead solved or expected to solve that issue. Or did it simply not exist long enough for it to become an issue (that's another thing I can never quite figure out, how long Gilead ended up existing. Did it fall quickly after Agnes and Nicole escaped and that data they were carrying was made public, or was that merely a "beginning of the end" that might have taken several decades more?)

I finally got around to reading Dominick Dunne's Simpson trial book, Another City Not My Own. In novel form Dunne's alter ego, Gus Bailey, essentially reports on how upper class white society perceived the trial & verdict. Like Dunne, Bailey is the father of a murdered child who did not get justice from the system, so his sympathies are passionately with the victims (though he does befriend Simpson's family during the trial). Near the end, after he returns to NYC, one of his society friends, Kay Kay Somersby, boasts of firing her cook "on the spot" because the woman exulted when learning of the verdict. Sadly it doesn't occur to Bailey to suggest Somersby call the cook, apologize, & offer to reinstate her. With a raise.
Nevermind Rodney King. Black people have for generations stood by & watched all white juries acquit white people accused of harming black folk ... on those rare occasions when the authorities even bothered to intervene. In 1955 an all white jury acquitted the men positively identified as having abducted & murdered Emmett Till. They deliberated for 67 minutes: "If we hadn't stopped to drink a pop," said one juror, "It wouldn't have taken that long."
And so on...
Justice is supposed to be color-blind, sure. But that doesn't happen overnight. White folks had the opportunity to feel just a bit of what black folk had experienced for decades. And, of course, the prosecution gave the Simpson jury plenty of pretext: e.g., Marcia Clark, in her opening statement, promised to prove that Simpson went over to Bundy planning to kill Nicole. Surely the jury's thinking: his kids were there, right? It's possible, too, that a sinister black nylon bag found in the Bronco led the prosecution to believe he intended to use it to dispose of her body, only to have that plan ruined by Goldman's appearance. They would later learn that the bag was standard equipment for all Ford Broncos. Of course there was the the knife, the gloves—though I reckon OJ probably carried a knife with him much of the time (I do, too, though not as a weapon). Anyway, my point is among other goofs & gaffes the prosecution never recreated the murders—how they went down, who was killed first. And certainly they couldn't prove Simpson planned to kill Nicole when he went to Bundy that night.
Though the verdict was a tragedy, there was also a certain rough justice in it that so many whites failed to see. I haven't looked at any studies lately, but I wonder if juries aren't become more color-blind in the past three decades.

I will continue to update this post as reviews come in.
Rotten Tomatoes: Rotten
Critics Consensus: N/A

	Score	Number of Reviews	Average Rating
All Critics	52%	42	4.50/10
Top Critics	52%	23	3.90/10

Metacritic: 59 (23 Reviews)
Sample Reviews:
Megalopolis is anything but lazy, and while so many of the ideas don’t pan out as planned, this is the kind of late-career statement devotees wanted from the maverick, who never lost his faith in cinema. - Peter Debruge, Variety
I can’t say I was always engaged over its two hours-plus run time, but I was always curious about where it was going next. Is it a good movie? Not by a long stretch. But it’s not one that can be easily dismissed, either. - David Rooney, Hollywood Reporter
Once you let go of the understandable dream of Coppola returning with another masterpiece, there is much to enjoy in Megalopolis, especially its cast members, leaning into their moments with an abandon that was probably a job requirement. - Joshua Rothkopf, Los Angeles Times
It’s hard to believe the same brilliant director who made The Godfather, The Conversation and Apocalypse Now also birthed this monstrosity, which is wrong in so many ways, from its insipid screenplay and terrible direction to its bizarre casting. 1/4 - Peter Howell, Toronto Star
This is a passion project without passion: a bloated, boring and bafflingly shallow film, full of high-school-valedictorian verities about humanity’s future. 2/5 - Peter Bradshaw, Guardian
This is 138 stultifying minutes of ill-conceived themes, half-finished scenes, nails-along-the-blackboard performances, word-salad dialogue and ugly visuals all seemingly in search of a story that isn’t there. 1/5 - Kevin Maher, Times (UK)
Aubrey Plaza, whose character is a trashy TV news personality called Wow Platinum, has the measure of the thing better than anyone bar Coppola himself: she’s fantastic... 4/5 - Robbie Collin, Daily Telegraph (UK)
Perhaps the kindest thing one can say about Megalopolis is that it will probably remain largely unwatched and be quickly forgotten. 1/5 - Raphael Abraham, Financial Times
Imagine a Paco Rabanne perfume ad mixed with the voyeuristic lady-gazing of a Sorrentino film and that will give you a whiff of Francis Ford Coppola’s latest – and almost definitely last – film. 1/5 - Jo-Ann Titmarsh, London Evening Standard
Ultimately, this isn’t the car crash it could have been. It is, though, deeply flawed and very eccentric. 3/5 - Geoffrey Macnab, Independent (UK)
Seconds, minutes, hours and (it seems, anyway) days assert their presence unforgivingly as the film staggers its way to nowhere worth going. If you don’t enjoy the first five minutes than gird your loins. It’s like that all the way through. 1/5 - Donald Clarke, Irish Times
In parts, very occasionally, you get the kind of soaring Shakespearean feeling that the very best dramas have, and even though no one actually spouts this famous speech, you can feel the director’s exhortation to friends-Romans-countrymen. - Shubhra Gupta, The Indian Express
It's like listening to someone tell you about the crazy dream they had last night – and they don't stop talking for well over two hours. 1/5 - Nicholas Barber, BBC.com
What does it all mean? It’s clear that Coppola is feeling some anguish over the way certain honorable American ideals—essentially human ideals—have become distorted and warped, maybe even discarded altogether. - Stephanie Zacharek, TIME Magazine
This is the junkiest of junk-drawer movies, a slapped together hash of Coppola’s many disparate inspirations. What really tanks the movie, though, is its datedness. - Richard Lawson, Vanity Fair
It is exactly the movie that Coppola set out to make -- uncompromising, uniquely intellectual, unabashedly romantic, broadly satirical yet remarkably sincere about wanting not just brave new worlds but better ones. - David Fear, Rolling Stone
Megalopolis might be the craziest thing I’ve ever seen. And I’d be lying if I said I didn’t enjoy every single batshit second of it. - Bilge Ebiri, New York Magazine/Vulture
Megalopolis is stymied by arbitrary plotting and numbing excess. One can feel Coppola’s anger and sorrow over the decline of his beloved America, but narrative coherence is far less apparent. - Tim Grierson, Screen International
A work of art that actively practices what it preaches, a celebration of unfettered creativity and farsightedness that offers a volcanic fusion of hand-crafted neo-classicism while running through a script of toe-tapping word-jazz. - David Jenkins, Little White Lies
Megalopolis is stilted, earnest, over the top, CGI ridden, and utterly a mess. And yet you can picture a crowded theater shouting along with Jon Voight as he says in one key scene, “What do you make of this boner I got?” - Esther Zuckerman, The Daily Beast
With Megalopolis, [Francis Ford Coppola] crams 85 years worth of artistic reverence and romantic love into a clunky, garish, and transcendently sincere manifesto about the role of an artist at the end of an empire. B+ - David Ehrlich, indieWire
A bunch of ideas smashed together into a garish, baffling, dazzling, kind of atrocious, and totally audacious rejection of the cinematic form. It should never have been made. And yet, now that it has, we should be so grateful that it exists. - Hoai-Tran Bui, Inverse
"Megalopolis" is exactly what movies can and should be—unflinchingly earnest. - Robert Daniels, RogerEbert.com
SYNOPSIS:
Megalopolis is a Roman Epic fable set in an imagined Modern America. The City of New Rome must change, causing conflict between Cesar Catilina, a genius artist who seeks to leap into a utopian, idealistic future, and his opposition, Mayor Franklyn Cicero, who remains committed to a regressive status quo, perpetuating greed, special interests, and partisan warfare. Torn between them is socialite Julia Cicero, the mayor’s daughter, whose love for Cesar has divided her loyalties, forcing her to discover what she truly believes humanity deserves.
CAST:

• Adam Driver as Cesar Catilina
• Giancarlo Esposito as Mayor Franklyn Cicero
• Nathalie Emmanuel as Julia Cicero
• Aubrey Plaza as Wow Platinum
• Shia LaBeouf as Clodio Pulcher
• Jon Voight as Hamilton Crassus III
• Jason Schwartzman as Jason Zanderz
• Talia Shire as Constance Crassus Catilina
• Grace VanderWaal as Vesta Sweetwater
• Laurence Fishburne as Fundi Romaine
• Kathryn Hunter as Teresa Cicero
• Dustin Hoffman as Nush "The Fixer" Berman

DIRECTED BY: Francis Ford Coppola
WRITTEN BY: Francis Ford Coppola
PRODUCED BY: Francis Ford Coppola, Michael Bederman, Barry Hirsch
EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS: Darren M. Demetre. Anahid Nazarian, Barrie M. Osborne, Fred Roos
DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY: Mihai Mălaimare Jr.
PRODUCTION DESIGNER: Beth Mickle, Bradley Rubin
EDITED BY: Cam McLauchlin, Glen Scantlebury
MUSIC BY: Osvaldo Golijov
COSTUME DESIGNER: Milena Canonero
CASTING BY: Courtney Bright, Nicole Daniels
RUNTIME: 138 Minutes
RELEASE DATE: N/A

1. The Bat in the Belfry - 3/5 (In terms of a Batman introduction episode, this does a decent job. It skips the origin story because superhero cartoons are allergic to them for some reason. But this at least vaguely alludes to Bruce's parents being gone, on top of introducing the struggle of being both a famous playboy and the Batman. As a result, the story is fairly generic though. Joker wants to release a laughing gas across Gotham. Gee, I haven't seen that one a dozen times. That said, this iteration of Joker has a really unique and wacky design. Along with zany acrobatic moves that are fun to watch and a great performance from Kevin Michael Richardson, it more than makes up for the subpar story. I also liked the side focus on Bennett and Fa Mulan- Sorry, Detective Yin. They're fun characters.)
2. Call of the Cobblepot - 3/5 (Penguin is quite acrobatic for a pudgy little guy. Alongside Rupert Thorne doing parkour in the previous episode, it seems the show wants to sell me on the idea that these chubby guys are just as combat capable as the Batman. And did they really have to give him the Danny DeVito hands? That's not a mandate anymore! I liked Alfred getting involved in this episode, though he doesn't really do much besides go to the Cobblepot manor. But it's funny that he does so in search of a tray.)
3. Traction - 4/5 (Colorful iteration of Bane. Why is his skin all red? He looks like a monster. But it's a cool twist on the character, so whatever. Although his motivations don't match up to the rad design, since after getting paid to destroy the Batman, all he wants to do is "take over Gotham", which he apparently thinks will be accomplished by just wreaking havoc. What is this, The Spectacular Spider-Man? I did like Alfred having to come and rescue Bruce, and the cute flashback where Alfred comforts him.)
4. The Cat and the Bat - 3/5 (This one's good, but mostly for the action setpieces. I think the rugged artstyle lends itself very well to snappy action, particularly the final scene with the Batman and Catwoman against the Yakuza. And the stuff before with Batman having to catch up to Selina messing with his Batmobile controls was neat too. But I can't say Catwoman leaves much of an impression on me in this one.)
5. The Man Who Would Be Bat - 4/5 (Kirk Langstrom as a character works pretty well as a kooky old man. I liked the visuals for his echolocation. As for the actual story...I mean it's just a typical Man-Bat story. Langstrom becomes the Man-Bat and goes crazy, so Batman stops him. But I did like the larger inclusion of Bennett and Yin, as I like their additions in this show as foils-yet-vaguely-allies to Batman.)
6. The Big Chill - 3/5 (So in this show Mr. Freeze is just another generic jewel thief. Not that I want this series to just copy paste Batman: The Animated Series, but simplifying the villains like this makes it less compelling by default. In fact here, he was always a criminal, he just happened to get ice powers. That said, his design is actually quite rad, and I did like the addition that he has a vendetta against the Batman. Plus it's funny that he took revenge on a random hobo, just for being in his way a few years ago.)
7. The Big Heat - 4/5 (Gee, I bet the writers thought they were hilarious putting these two titles next to each other. I'd say what this episode does slightly better than the others is showing the "struggle" of balancing the Bruce life with the Batman life. And actually giving the villain a narrative connection to it, instead of his schemes just serving as a vague lesson to learn. Firefly himself had a pretty cool looking suit, and the sky action was pretty nifty. Plus it was cathartic when Batman took him down to ground level and stomped. Nitpick: They forgot to animate Batman's mouth in the reflection of the puddle. I hope somebody got fired for that blunder.)
8. Q&A - 4/5 (Bruce listening to hiphop in his earbuds at a classical music theatre... Yeah this sure is a unique Batman. This is the first episode where I was genuinely interested in the story and villain. For starters, since they didn't immediately show me who it was, I got to remain curious about the kidnappings. Then I appreciated that they were connected to a personal vendetta rather than just wanting to steal jewels. I think Batman discovered the mystery a bit too quickly though. He didn't research the victims connections, he just clicked a button and the Batwave did it for him. But I enjoyed Cluemaster. Funny design. He's HUGE. I chuckled at Batman casually walking into his his moms house and her thinking she's his friend. And I thought it was fun how he defeated Cluemaster by asking the Batman's identity. Side note, that is an enormous basement.)
9. The Big Dummy - 4/5 (Wow, it's Homer Simpson! Well actually, Scarface sounds more like Krusty the Clown when he's yelling. That aside, we're back to villains just wanting to steal stuff for profit. Yeah, sure, whatever. Scarface trying to slap Batman was funny, though. And I found the idea of making him a huge puppet where Wesker himself takes the puppet position by the giant arm a funny twist on the character. The vague subplot about Bruce having a date with some Becky chick feels kind of tacked on and unnecessary, but I digress.)
10. Topsy Turvy - 4/5 (First "villain comes back for revenge" episode. Joker's plan is unfortunately fairly generic, but his zaniness still makes it fun. Not to mention seeing the Batman locked in an Arkham cell and dressing up as Joker. Why did Batman lock in the guard when leaving though? Rude for no reason. Also, I'm glad the fake Joker in this episode had to stay quiet so he won't be found out, unlike in The New Batman Adventures where a goon dressed up as Joker can just perfectly imitate his voice.)
11. Bird of Prey - 4/5 (Okay, I'm just gonna say it: Stop showing front facing Alfred! Without that little patch of visible hair, he looks completely bald, and it's weird! That aside, I guess after the series of villain introduction episodes, it's time for a batch of sequels. This is the better sequel than the Joker one, since I liked that Penguin had a clear cut motive. And I can't believe I'm saying this, but Penguin's zaniness was more amusing. No doubt helped by Tom Kenny's performance. Him wreaking havoc around Wayne Manor and harassing Alfred was just funny. And it made Alfred hitting him with a chair in the end better. I thought his rooftop battle with the Batman was pretty creative, and I liked that Alfred dressed up as Batman to fool the journalist. Also how he intentionally kicked their video tape into the fire.)
12/13. The Rubber Face of Comedy/The Clayface of Tragedy - 4/5 (The cops literally have Joker at gunpoint but they let him proceed with his slow getaway. I'm starting to understand why Batman keeps one-upping them. Great two-parter though, but part 1 is really nothing but setup for the real meat which is part 2. Part 1 is just about Joker causing chaos again, except the tone is more dramatic on account of this being meant to be more serious than the average episode. And while Joker's antics are fun, given how little it had to do with part 2 other than him being the cause for Bennett becoming Clayface, they didn't really need to spend a WHOLE episode for just that setup. It results in part 1 being just good, while part 2 is fantastic. Sadly, combined, I can't give them 5/5. But part 2 gets that honorary score for itself. You could have cut Joker's generic havoc-wreaking in half and have the Clayface transformation start around the 10 minute mark of part 1, leaving you with about 30 minutes to develop it further. But then they couldn't have that cliffhanger, now could they?
As for the actual story... Depressing. I'd say it's a bit early to change the status quo of Bennett since while he is a good character, we haven't really seen MUCH of him, so it's not a huge blow to suddenly make him a villain. But it's a pretty good, genuinely saddening twist regardless. And while the emotional moments feel a little hurried (hence why you could have cut some Joker nonsense) I think they're effective enough. Yin crying, etc. And Bennett's transformation itself is genuinely horrifying stuff, so you really feel the fear he must be going through.)
14. The Cat, the Bat, and the Very Ugly - 3/5 (And now we're on villain team-up episodes. Except they're still just generic stories about them wanting to steal stuff! Well, okay, I guess Penguin DOES want to use the relics to... I don't know, blow stuff up? It just isn't very riveting is all. I do find Batman and Catwoman being stuck to each other interesting in theory, but they don't really do much fun with it. And why did Batman lie to Yin about it? I guess he's worried he'll look suspicious if he's with Catwoman, but also, he could have just told the truth? The lie just incriminated him more. I also question this because the episode ends with Yin TRUSTING Batman, which makes no sense if she literally caught him in a lie the FIRST time she called him about a case.)
15. Riddled - 3/5 (That's certainly a unique version of Riddler. I respect it, simply because it's fun that the show dares to completely revamp characters like this. But the episode itself is mostly just decent. Yin and Bats going across town solvring riddles is mildly fun, but the actual confrontation with Riddler is just okay. I did like the 20 questions game, but couldn't Batman easily get out of that by not answering? I found it funny how dense the Police Chief was to understand even the simplest riddles, especially with how bluntly Yin had to explain the last one. Side note: Riddler uses the term "brainiac" in this. But that term exists because of the Superman character. So has a Brianiac attack on Metropolis happened here and been made publicly known or what?)
16. Fire & Ice - 4/5 (Gee, with a title like that, I sure was scratching my head wondering which two villains it could be about. I'd say while this episode is good, it felt a bit thinly set up as nothing but "what if ice villain with fire villain??". I did find it amusing that they turned on each other near the end and the conflict just became Heat vs. Cold. That scene with Yin yapping about knowing Bruce's secret though... Give me a break. Even if they WERE gonna have her find out his secret identity, that's most certainly saved for a Serious:tm: season finale or something with heavy stakes, not a random Firefly episode.)
17. The Laughing Bat - 4/5 (Golden concept for an episode. Joker trying to imitate the Batman is unhinged and hilarious. And Penguin being caught in the crossfire completely discombobulated by the switcheroo was great. Praise aside, I was a little disappointed that Batman turning into Joker didn't go further than...he can't stop laughing. Couldn't have Joker-ified him any more? White skin? ANYTHING else to have him also vaguely look the part? Overall I also felt there was too much focus on Bruce laughing as opposed to Joker being the Batman, when that was the best part.)
18. Swamped - 3/5 (While I appreciate that this is a villain introduction episode that goes beyond them being a jewel thief", Croc wasn't too interesting. He wants to flood Gotham because he likes water, but then Batman stops him. Although I liked the way he did it by forcing him to stay in water. :ohgood: Also neat that this episode introduces the Batcave "museum". This series gradually introducing all of these iconic aspects of Batman lore as opposed to having it all pre-established is fun.)
19. Pets - 4/5 (Season 2 really IS the season of villain team-ups. I was rolling my eyes at the prospect of another generic Penguin episode of him wanting to steal stuff, but got my excitement back up when they showed Langstrom. Although they could have devoted some more time to Langstrom actually being aware of Penguin's scheme and wanting out instead of just... One. And overall, it IS just another episode where Penguin tries to steal stuff, so yeah.)
20. Meltdown - 4/5 (Wow, this was JUST like the Batman Beyond episode "Meltdown". While a good episode, I have to say the Bennett-Clayface conflict feels a bit forced at times. Him repeatedly getting into encounters with Joker, the very man who caused him to become Clayface, and struggling with not morphing to take his rightful revenge? Valid. Understandable. But him randomly being willing to kill Batman and become an outlaw on a whim? I don't know. His fight scene against Joker on stilts was pretty fun though. That said, Bennett is a good guy and all that, so I'm hopeful for a redemption arc where in the end he becomes a superhero with his powers.)
21. JTV - 4/5 (It's another Joker shenanigans episode. What is there to say? Not that that's a bad thing, since Joker shenanigans ARE fun. He concocts some nutty TV show-themed scheme, and then Batman stops him. Cash was a bit of an annoying inclusion though. Did he even serve any narrative purpose? I guess he vaguely emphasizes how well Yin and Batman work together, by him working badly with her. I did like the "animated" JTV promo. But who even made that? I guess one of Joker's henchmen can animate.)
22. Ragdolls to Riches - 4/5 (Oh boy, the umpteenth episode about a villain stealing some jewels. Wait, it's TWO villains this time. Wow, this changes everything! Jokes aside, it actually kind of does, because Ragdoll is entertaining enough on his own. His costume is cool and unique in its simplicity, and his distorting body leads to some very expressive movements and action which make for a fun watch. And if that wasn't enough, his rivarly with Catwoman and repeatedly trolling her on purpose was pretty darn amusing. Though despite being the titular character, the episode is mostly about the Bruce/Batman/Selina/Catwoman mystery. It is fun seeing the "4" of them interact and not realize who the other is. Especially when Batman, the world's greatest detective, believes Selina's blatant charity scam and hands her a huge check. It's funny seeing Bruce be this oblivious.)
23. The Butler Did It - 3/5 (Another flipping jewel thievery episode! At least there's a mystery element to it this time, in that you initially don't know who the villain is. And when you do find out it's Spellbinder, there's the twist that he swaps his mind control targets from butlers to their employers. And it was really fun to see Alfred be the one to figure this out and escape the room he put himself in to save Batman's ass. I liked the bit where Batman hesitated to punch Alfred. And I think some of the hallucinations were fairly creative. That said, it was still a jewel thievery episode! Get some new plots, show.)
24. Grundy's Night - 4/5 (While I did have thoughts on this version of Grundy, those feel irrelevant when it turns out he was just Clayface in disguise anyway. That said, props for making a twist I could genuinely not predict. However, the reason I couldn't have predicted this is because after all that development of Bennett and his descent into Clayface, I wouldn't have expected his next appearance to just be him doing something generically villainous that Batman must put a stop to. It comes off as a bit awkward, because you'd think this would be more emotionally significant considering he was Bruce's best friend. But not only do we not even see his Bennett form in this episode, Batman doesn't even refer to him as such, just "Clayface". And then he goes home all cheery as if he stopped any ol' twerp. Huh?)
25. Strange Minds - 4/5 (While this episode falls into "Joker shenanigans" territory again, at least the focus here is less about just stopping him and instead delving into his mind. It leads to the zaniness being cranked up more, which is fun to see especially with how expressive Joker is in this show. Although I feel like they could have been a bit more creative with the visuals. I liked the flying fish, Joker as the moon, and the normal Joker managing the idea vault. But other than that it doesn't get more wacky then just a crowd of Jokers. But I liked the solution of how Batman made him disclose the information by making him think they had exited his mind. Cliché, but clever. It's a bit weird how Hugo Strange spots Batman in Joker's mind and immediately assumes it's the actual guy, though. For all he knows that could have been mentally conjured up by Joker. Batman would likely be on his mind a lot. Also, Harley Yin.)
26. Night and the City - 4/5 (Woah, TRIPLE villain teamup? Daring today, are we? I liked that Penguin didn't even know who Riddler was. And despite that, he's clearly stomping both Penguin and Joker in this contest. He came up with the idea to catch Batman in the first place, had the most elaborate bat-bait AND was the last guy standing in a fight against him. Joker and Penguin just followed Batman and quickly fumbled. I guess with Commissioner Gordon and the Bat-Signal being introduced in this episode that this marks the end of Batman being an enemy of the GCPD. Not that I mind, since while I liked the development of it, with Bennett gone and Yin already on his side, there wasn't a lot further you could push it. It's a shame this is Yin's last appearance, though. I don't really understand why, since while she's fired in this episode (for like what, a few hours?), she gets the job back and everything goes back to normal. Frankly it would have been more interesting if she WAS fired and then became a vigilante herself/sidekick to Batman as referenced in this very episode.)
Movie: The Batman vs. Dracula - 3/5 (Starting the story with Joker and Penguin? Yeah, this is a The Batman movie alright. They really can't help but spam these two villains. That said, decent movie, but I'm really scratching my head as to why they thought Dracula was the ultimate villain they could utilize for it. There is some thematic connection with him being able to transform into a bat, obviously... But that's as deep as it goes. And the few bits of Bruce recalling the death of his parents was like, come on, you really felt a need to rely on that as a plotpoint in a movie about Dracula?
The film, much like the show, is fairly barebones. Dracula rises and wants to take over Gotham, so Batman must stop him. The side story of Bruce having a romance with Vickly Vale feels very tacked on and pointless since not only was she not much of an interesting character, just a dime a dozen love interest, but she doesn't even appear in the series going forward. So, what? Also, did Bruce really need to hastily steal someone's lipstick and a platter to write "Alucard" and mirror it to figure out it spells Dracula backwards? Just rearrange the letters in your head.
The most interesting thing about the movie is it gets slightly more visually grim. Stuff Penguin bleeding in the beginning alone was a surprise, as tame as it was, because that's not something I would have thought the censors would allow. Of course I quickly realized it was plot relevant, but then they immediately go on to show Dracula "killing" a guy. Which, while I know having finished the movie that he was cured, the way the scene initially portrays it is obviously supposed to make you think that's what happened. There's also Joker practically bathing in blood and Dracula literally being burned alive in the end. Sheesh. So much for Batman's code. Vampire Joker is probably the best part of this movie. That blood bank scene is really cursed [good thing], and KMR's performance of Joker starving while Batman has him locked up was great. I mean Batman having to feed Joker his own blood just so he doesn't starve is a fairly unique plotpoint. Also his reaction to being un-vampire'd is pretty funny. "Where's Dracula?" "I'm looking at him".)

Basically a club for a bunch of goth clones that are too goth even for Joan. Just full on emo:
Members:

1. Queen Victoria (voiced by Aubrey Plaza) - The clone of Queen Victoria that was a sweet girl but went emo after hey boyfriend Albert died.
   
2. Emily Dickinson (voice by Haile Steinfeld) - The clone of Emily Dickinson who spends her time writing poems about mortality and death like her clonemother except people understand them when reading them for the first time.
   
3. Rafael Trujillo (voiced by Rhenzy Feliz) - The clone of the Dominican president, Rafael became goth because of the misery of being the clone of a horrible Dominican president.
   
4. OJ Simpson (voiced by Jermaine Fowler) - The clone of OJ Simpson, he went super goth because of the "disappearance" of his girlfriend Nicole.
   

Marguerite Simpson in 1967 talking about the USC college campus.
"I love it.....it's like a resort.....it's beautiful"
Marguerite on OJ same interview.
"OJ is very serious.....he loves football......he's just a serious person".
Right at the start of the "Made in America" documentary, and 5 months into her marriage, look at the contrast between Marguerite's words about the campus ("love") and her newlywed husband ("serious" X2).
Faced with a television camera and asked about her husband, she doubles down on how "serious" he is. Adding that he "loves football". I think it's foreboding that these are the things she has to say about her husband and what "type of guy" he is. It's a refreshingly honest answer and portrayal. There is no hyperbole here, absolutely nothing about any love and care he provides at home or towards her. Just football and seriousness.
He's either away playing football, or he's being "serious" at home. I take this to mean everything had to be just as he liked it, and if it wasn't things could get serious. There was likely overarching control over Marguerite at home, which manifested itself in a "serious" countenance, perhaps a sternness, and resulting annoyance from OJ if things were not "just so".
Of course this being late 1967, perhaps this fits the culture of the time. Patriarchy. OJ was providing financially, and she should be thankful and submissive. But such an early revelation of this "serious" side he seemingly possessed at home, contrasts markedly from the public image he always generated. Where laughing and joking, outward friendliness and socialising and partying were the order of the day. I would doubt this was the case at home.
I think the submissiveness of Marguerite was something he expected in every woman. I believe she acquiesced with his control and accepted his Jekyll and Hyde nature. And much later, when Nicole wouldn't tolerate this behaviour, he instinctively resorted to violence, coercion and threats, culminating in her murder and the murder of Ron Goldman. Marguerite's one sentence description gives us an early insight into OJ's countenance when living with a wife who he sought to dominate and control.